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Tag: Parker Romo

  • Atlanta Falcons fall to Miami Dolphins 34-10 in Cousins’ return to starting lineup

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    Atlanta Falcons backup quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) got the start on Sunday against the visiting Miami Dolphins.
    Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    The Atlanta Falcons lost the coin toss. Lost the rushing battle between Bijan Robinson and Miami’s De’Von Achane. Lost the return of Kirk Cousins to the starting lineup. Lost the game, 34-10.

    The Falcons lost everything.

    “Tough day at the office,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. “It was a tough day all around.”

    Morris admitted Miami dominated the game from start to finish. He was correct.

    The Dolphins gained 141 yards on the ground today. The Falcons had just 45.

    The Dolphins’ offense had 24 first downs. The Falcons only managed 11.

    Miami came into Sunday’s game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a 1-6 overall record and a three-game losing streak. The last victory was against the New York Jets, who have not won a game this season. The Dolphins are now 2-6.

    The Falcons were playing their last home game for two weeks, as Atlanta will be in New England next Sunday, and in Germany to face the Indianapolis Colts, one of the biggest surprises of the 2025 season, the following Sunday, Nov. 9.

    Atlanta has had difficulty scoring touchdowns this season. The Falcons have managed to score more than 25 points once in six games. That 34-point game came against the Washington Commanders at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sept. 28. It remains the best overall co-performance from the Falcons’ defense and offense. In his second year with the franchise, offensive coordinator Zach Robinson doesn’t seem to have created an offensive identity for the Falcons’ offense.

    Enter Kirk Cousins (21-31 for 173 yards on Sunday), who hasn’t started a game since Dec. 12, 2024, when the Falcons defeated the Las Vegas Raiders on the road, 15-9. In that game, Cousins was 11-17 for 112 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier had a combined 34 carries during that game for a combined 168 yards.

    After the game, Cousins was asked how it felt to be back out there as a starter. He told The Atlanta Voice, “Anytime you don’t have a win, it’s a tough day, but certainly the first time being back out there in 10 months, playing live football, it’s always good to get that experience.”

    The Dolphins, on the other hand, have scored more than 24 points four times this season despite losing more than 90% of their games. Something had to give on Sunday.

    Miami scored the first touchdown of the game on its second possession. After a long drive that included a pass interference call on Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa found running back De’Von Achane for a five-yard reception and touchdown. 

    Early on in the game, Cousins’ veteran presence and experience helped the Falcons advance the ball and reduce turnovers. On a fourth and three, Cousins found tight end Kyke Pits Sr. for a first down. A few plays before that, Cousins threw the ball out of play after being flushed out of the pocket. He didn’t force a throw he knew he couldn’t make. That drive ended in a successful 45-yard field goal attempt by Parker Romo. 

    With Miami ahead 7-3, the Dolphins put together a two-minute drive that ended in a 34-field goal which gave them a 10-3 lead. The short field came courtesy of special teams play, both good and bad. 

    The good: The Dolphins punted down to the Falcons’ one-yard line following their previous offensive possession.

    The bad: Falcons punter Bradley Pinion’s 41-yard punt landed in Falcons territory. The positive return gave the Dolphins a scoring opportunity. 

    Tagovailoa found several Dolphins receivers other than leading receiver Jayden Waddle for first downs during the game, including Achane, tight end Tanner Connor, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. It’s a wonder how this team was 1-6 before Sunday. 

    With 11 seconds remaining in the first half, Tagovailoa found receiver Malik Washington for his second touchdown throw of the game. With that touchdown, the Dolphins were ahead 17-3 at halftime, their best first-half offensive performance of the season.

    During the second half of the game, the Falcons’ offense had some motion before Robinson fumbled deep in Dolphins territory. Miami cornerback Tyrel Dodson recovered the fumble on the Dolphins’ 16-yard line. There was little, if any, consistency with the Falcons’ offense. Prior to the fumble, Cousins found Robinson on a screen play for 17 yards. 

    The Atlanta defense has been the most consistent part of this season thus far. The Falcons had allowed an opponent to score more than 28 points only once this season. That string of play ended when the Dolphins scored their 30th point of the game on a pass from Tagovailoa to running back Ollie Gordion II early in the fourth quarter. Gordon II had been sharing carries with Achane throughout the game and remained a threat to score. The extra point following Gordon II’s touchdown catch made the score 31-3.

    Miami would manage another field goal, and the Falcons scored their first field goal of the game on a run by running back Tyler Allgeier. The score was his third of the season.

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    Donnell Suggs

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  • Birdies head to bye week with a W: Falcons win 34-27 over Commanders

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    The Atlanta Falcons (in black) scored on their first three possessions of the game. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    The Atlanta Falcons hosted the Washington Commanders in what quickly became a must-win game following Atlanta’s 30-0 loss in Charlotte last week. In only the second home game of the season, the Falcons managed to score 34 points in a seven-point victory over the Commanders. Go figure.

    The final offensive possession for Atlanta displayed the potential this team has. Falcons quarterback Michael Penix ran for a first down, completed passes to tight end Kyle Pitts and Drake London, and commanded (pun intended)the offense like a veteran.

    Sunday was Penix’s seventh career start.

    An Atlanta Falcons fan wearing a Tony Gonzalez jersey before Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    The Commanders entered the game on a four-game winning streak against the Falcons. Former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn and the Commanders defeated the Falcons in Landover, Maryland, last season. This season, Washington is looking for a bit more motivation with former Falcons starting quarterback Marcus Mariota starting under center for the Commanders, with Jayden Daniels out.

    The Falcons began the game by scoring on their first two possessions of the first quarter. The total time of possession and the usage of Bijan Robinson and Drake London were the highlights of the opening 15 minutes. The Falcons had the ball for 12:27 of the first quarter. During those two possessions, which ended in a 38-yard field goal for Parker Romo and a 5-yard touchdown catch for London from quarterback Michael Penix, Falcons offensive coordinator Zach Robinson mixed the playcalling up well. London had four receptions on that second possession, Robinson had 39 yards rushing on nine carries during the first quarter, and tight end Kyle Pitts caught a pass for a first down.

    A Washington Commanders fan is on his way to the game on Sunday. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    Washington, coming off a win over the Las Vegas Raiders last week, finally got the ball back late in the first quarter and began the second quarter with a touchdown drive that ended with a Mariota pass to receiver Luke McCaffrey for the Commanders’ first score of the game.

    Ahead 17-10 following a 43-yard field goal by the Commanders, the Falcons’ offense was back on the field with 5:24 remaining in the first half. For the first time in the game, the Falcons failed to score a point during an offensive possession.

    The Atlanta Falcons lead at the half, 17-10. It was a far cry from the scoreless performance against the Carolina Panthers a week earlier.

    The Falcons’ defense started the second half by giving up a 16-yard play on a first and 30 in Washington’s territory. The Commanders dragged out a long offensive possession that included a Mariota run for 15 yards and a 52-yard field goal from kicker Matt Gay to pull closer at 17-13. That drive ate up nearly five minutes.

    The Falcons answered that score with a touchdown drive that took two plays: a screen pass from Penix to Robinson for 69 yards and a seven-yard touchdown reception by Pitts.

    Falcons rookie safety Xavier Watts intercepted a Mariota pass midway through the third quarter to put the ball back in the hands of Penix and the offense. It’s hard to understand how this team managed to leave Carolina without any points. But they didn’t score on the next possession. Instead, Penix was intercepted on a long pass that put the Commaders back in Falcons territory. A 41-yard field goal by Gay made the score 24-16 in favor of the home team.

    Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier has the patience of a saint. Despite running for 1,000 yards as a rookie three seasons ago, he seems content with getting the backup carries behind Robinson. Allgeier, who should be a well-sought-after free agent next season, scored on a 25-yard run down the Commaders’ sideline to put the Falcons ahead 31-16 at the end of the third quarter.

    This season’s Falcons front line is much improved. Veteran linebacker Kaden Ellis and veteran edge rusher Leonard Floyd shared a sack in the first half, and Ellis got another in the fourth quarter. Rookie edge rusher Jalon Walker wasn’t credited with a sack this game, but continued to put pressure on the Commanders’ offensive line.

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    Donnell Suggs

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  • Atlanta Falcons Notebook: A win is a win, rookies step up in a big way on the road

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    The Atlanta Falcons are headed back home to Georgia following a 22-6 victory in Minnesota on Sunday night.

    The Falcons will be back on the road in week three of the schedule, this time in Carolina to face the 0-2 Carolina Panthers. Losers to Arizona by five points, 27-22, the Panthers got big offensive outputs from quarterback Bryce Young (328 yards passing and three touchdowns) and rookie receiver Tetairoa (six catches for 100 yards). Both players must be high up on the Falcons’ defensive scouting reports.

    Wasted opportunities: The Falcons’ defense held the Vikings to six first-half points in front of a sold-out home crowd during their home opener and only managed to get three field goals for their efforts. Parker Romo made 38, 29, and 33-yard field goals, but should have been kicking extra points instead. They would get that first touchdown late in the game. That lack of offensive production might not be enough against the Washingtons and Buffalos of the world, though.

    Rookies Stepping Up: Falcons rookies James Pearce, Jr., Jalon Walker, and Billy Bowman, Jr. each had big first halves on Sunday night. Bowman intercepted a pass from Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy during the second quarter. Pearce, Jr. and Walker each registered their first solo sacks during the game. Rookie safety Xavier Watts secured his first interception with 2:35 remaining in the game. He dropped two potential interceptions during the season-opening loss to Tampa Bay last week.

    Mooney over Minnesota: Darnell Mooney made his season debut and caught his only two Penix, Jr. passes of the game during the third quarter. Mooney (two receptions for 20 yards) will be a massive weapon for Penix, Jr. going forward.

    Romo, Parker Romo: The Falcons brass decided to leave Younghoe Kim at home and brought Peachtree City native and former University of Georgia kicker Parker Romo to the Twin Cities for Sunday night’s game. Parker didn’t disappoint, making all of his first five field goal attempts, including a 33-yard field goal in the third quarter and a 54-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. He also made his only extra points attempt of the game in the fourth quarter, following a touchdown run by Tyler Allgeier (76 yards on 15 carries).

    Very Special Teams: The Atlanta special teams unit was very good Sunday night. It didn’t force a turnover until recovering a muffed punt in the fourth quarter, but kept the Vikings from getting better than average field position the entire game.

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    Donnell Suggs

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