Inside The Vikings

Kirk Cousins bests Mike Zimmer's Cowboys in battle of former Vikings

Cousins threw three touchdowns as the Falcons won their fifth game in the last six weeks.
Will Ragatz|
Nov 3, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws a pass against the Dallas Cowboys in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Nov 3, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws a pass against the Dallas Cowboys in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Vikings

Kirk Cousins got the better of Mike Zimmer on Sunday in a battle between two former central figures in the Vikings' organization.

Facing a Zimmer-coached Cowboys defense missing Micah Parsons and several other key players, Cousins had a highly efficient day in a 27-21 Falcons victory in Atlanta. The veteran quarterback completed 19 of his 24 passes for 222 yards and 3 touchdowns, good for a 144.8 passer rating. He did lose a fumble early in the second quarter, but he was able to bounce back and didn't throw any interceptions on the day.

Cousins connected with Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and Ray-Ray McCloud III for touchdowns, giving him 17 on the season. The Falcons led 21-10 early in the third quarter after Cousins' third TD pass and were able to hang on against a Cowboys team that lost QB Dak Prescott to a hamstring injury in the second half.

With the win, the Falcons move to 6-3 on the season and will be two games up in the NFC South (plus a tiebreaker) if the Buccaneers lose to the undefeated Chiefs on Monday night. Atlanta has won five of its last six games after starting 1-2. This was Cousins' third game in the last five with at least three passing touchdowns.

Early this season, there were some concerns about Cousins' health, with the 36-year-old coming off of last year's torn Achilles. But he's settled in and is thriving in the Falcons' offense on a team that has a clear path to a division title and home playoff game.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys are 3-5 and will need to turn things around in the second half to reach the postseason. It's been a rough year for Zimmer in his return to the NFL as the defensive coordinator in Dallas, but injuries have taken a toll.

Cousins and Zimmer met up and shared a moment before the game.

Cousins will make his return to U.S. Bank Stadium in a little over a month when the Falcons come to Minnesota in Week 14.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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