Kirk Cousins led the Atlanta Falcons to a 22-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the season-opener on Monday Night Football with a late drive.
The veteran quarterback took the Falcons on a 70-yard drive after being down by six with 1:39 remaining and scored with seven yards of a pass to Drake London with 34 seconds remaining.
Younghoe Koo kicked the game-winning extra point after London was called for unsportsmanlike conduct. Cousins was playing for the Falcons for the second time after recuperating from an ACL injury he suffered in October with the Minnesota Vikings.
After a disappointing Week 1 setback to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Falcons came back with the game-winning drive thanks to the four-time Pro Bowler's seasoned leadership.
The 36-year-old wants Monday's win to be the start of the season-even if not it's not a good game. I am not yet sharp. I did not find myself sharp enough or accurate enough in this game today. Later, their cousins insisted, "I have to make a change".
Cousins was 20-of-29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns, including a 41-yard third-quarter touchdown pass to Darnell Mooney. Cousins was subpar throughout the game, and the Eagles had a chance to win late.
Late in the fourth quarter, new Eagles running back Saquon Barkley dropped a crucial pass. The former Giants star botched an open catch from Jalen Hurts, forcing the Eagles to kick a field goal instead of running out the clock.
Eagles quarterback Hurts had his ball intercepted by Jessie Bates in the closing act of a tense game, sparking wild jubilation from the Falcons bench.
The Falcons (1-1) host the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) on September 22 and hope the win energizes them. Philly (1-1) travels to New Orleans to tackle the hot Saints (2-0) on Sunday to go back to winning.