THE new era of Atlanta Falcons football is off to a rough start after an opening game loss.

The Falcons fell to the Steelers 10-18, and their new quarterback struggled in his debut.

Kirk Cousins struggled in his Atlanta Falcons debut on SundayCredit: Getty

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Cousins left the Vikings for the Falcons but lost his first game in AtlantaCredit: Getty
The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a massive deal this offseason, but didn’t reap the rewards of the signing.

In the opening game, Cousins 16 of 26 passes for just 155 yards and one touchdown.

On top of that mediocre stat line, Cousins threw two crucial interceptions that changed the outcome of the game.

“I was disappointed,” Cousins said.

“Certainly disappointed. You always go out there with an expectation that you’re going to play at a high level, and we didn’t play up to our standard today.”

Cousins shared that the defense and special teams showed up and played well, but he called out the offense for a poor showing.

“Needed to play better,” Cousins said.

“That’s the bottom line. I thought our defense played very well, I thought our special teams played very well.

“We didn’t complement that enough on offense.”

Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons this offseason after missing most of 2023 with a torn achilles.

He has been a top quarterback in the NFL for more than a decade, but clearly struggled in his debut.

Fans recognized these struggles and called Cousins out on social media.

“Kirk Cousins, most overpaid QB ever,” one fan said.

“Cousins has made 30 million more than Brady in his career and has 1 playoff win to show for. LOL,” another fan said.

NFL important dates

August 1 – Hall of Fame Game – Houston Texans vs Chicago Bears

August 8 – Pre-season begins

August 27 – Deadline for 53-man rosters

September 1 – Final day of pre-season

September 5 – Season opener – Baltimore Ravens vs Kansas City Chiefs

November 5 – Trade deadline

January 5 – Week 18 of regular-season

January 11 – Playoffs begin

February 9 – Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Louisiana

“We signed a washed kirk cousins,” a third fan said.

“Time to start Penix Jr,” a fourth fan said.

The Falcons drafted quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick in the NFL Draft this year, a move that many speculated.

However, now some fans are calling for him to play in place of Cousins.

That likely won’t happen, but the Falcons have the option in case things get really bad.

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Some fans are calling for rookie Michael Penix Jr. to replace CousinsCredit: Getty