ATLANTA (AP) — Talk about two teams heading in opposite directions.
After a sluggish beginning to the Kirk Cousins era, the Atlanta Falcons (4-2) have ripped off three straight victories to bolster hopes of their first winning season and playoff appearance since 2017.
They host the Seattle Seahawks (3-3) on Sunday, looking to take advantage of a slumping team that has dropped three straight after a promising start.
The Falcons haven’t had a four-game winning streak since 2019.
“In this league, it’s so important that you stack performances because they’re each their own entity and they really don’t carry over,” Cousins said. “When things are going well, you feel like you’ve got to go back out and earn it again and not get bored or get complacent with the process that it takes to win.”
Seattle looked like one of the league’s better teams through Week 3.
Then things suddenly went south under first-year coach Mike Macdonald, whose team has given up an average of nearly 36 points a game during its skid.
“It’s all in front of us,” Macdonald said. “Hey, there’s an opportunity for us to become a really great team. Now we’ve got to go do it.”
Backfield punch
The Falcons have a dynamic duo in the backfield with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.
Last Sunday in a 38-20 victory at Carolina, Robinson rushed 95 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Allgeier added 105 yards and a score, rumbling for an average of 5.8 yards each time he time he got the ball.
“I love the combination of those two guys and how they work together, how they cheer for each other and how they feed off each other,” coach Raheem Morris said. “It’s just absolutely outstanding. It’s the definition of great teammates, those two people.”
And let’s not forget the veteran offensive line, which opened up plenty of holes and received the game ball from Morris after the win over the Panthers.
“We came in with that type of mentality right from the beginning for those guys to be efficient in the run game and create explosives,” Morris said. “Those guys took it upon themselves to be able to go do that.”
Banged-up Seahawks
Robinson and Allgeier will look to capitalize on a Seattle defense that has been decimated by injuries and has given little indication it can stop the run.
The Seahawks were gashed for a season-high 228 yards rushing in their last game, a 36-24 home loss to San Francisco, and they sit 27th in the league rankings (144.7 yards per game).
Cornerback Artie Burns and safety Rayshawn Jenkins both went on injured reserve this week, joining outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu.
“Look, we’ve got to stick to our process,” Macdonald said. “Keep making improvements, keep attacking, keep playing, keep believing.”
Defensive help
The Seahawks hope the acquisition of tackle Roy Robertson-Harris will give their beleaguered defensive unit a boost.
Shortly after playing for Jacksonville in its game last Sunday at London, Robertson-Harris was dealt to Seattle for a sixth-round draft pick in 2026.
The 31-year-old Robertson-Harris brings plenty of size and veteran presence to a defense that could use it.
“He’s big, he’s tough, he’s rugged,” Macdonald said, adding that Robertson-Harris “can play really all three gaps up front, so he gives us a great opportunity to have a pretty deep front.”
Seattle is also counting on rookie tackle Byron Murphy II, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 draft, returning from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the last three games.
Cousins shines
After signing a four-year, $180 million deal in free agency, Cousins has provided the Falcons with a sort of quarterback play they haven’t had since Matt Ryan was in his prime.
The highlight of the season so far was a career-best 509 yards passing against Tampa Bay in a thrilling overtime win in Week 5.
Even when Cousins turned in much more modest numbers a week ago at Carolina (19 of 30 for 225 yards and one TD), he gave the offense the sort of confidence it sorely lacked the last two seasons while trying to settle on Ryan’s successor.
Cousins has plenty of weapons to work with beyond Robinson and Allgeier. Drake London and Darnell Mooney give the quarterback a pair of deep threats, and tight end Kyle Pitts has taken on a bigger role the last two games.
“We’re kind of spoiled,” Morris said. “We have five legitimate people, maybe more, that you want to get the ball to.”
Lack of sacks
The Falcons have perennially been near the bottom of the NFL rankings in sacks.
Despite the winning streak, it’s been more of the same this season.
Atlanta has fewer sacks (five) than any team in the league through six weeks.
“We had a couple of prime situations and some sack opportunities to rush the passer in known passing downs and we missed some of those layups,” Morris said. “You’ve got to make those layups.”
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