Atlanta, GA
Kirk Cousins acknowledges he must play better if Atlanta Falcons are to make a playoff push
LAS VEGAS — If the Atlanta Falcons are going to make a playoff push, coach Raheem Morris and quarterback Kirk Cousins both know the 13-year veteran needs to improve his performance over the last three games of the season.
“He’s got to play better,” Morris said after the Falcons escaped Monday night with a 15-9 road win over the lowly Las Vegas Raiders. “Obviously, you’ve got to go back and look at everything. But he wants to play better, he’s got to play better, we’ve got to find a way to get him to play better.”
Cousins was a lackluster 11-of-17 passing for 112 yards with one touchdown and an interception. He entered with no touchdown passes and eight interceptions over his previous four starts.
In 159 career starts, it was Cousins’ third-fewest number of completions and fourth-lowest total in passing yards.
“I think I need to play better. I don’t think that’s a mystery,” said Cousins, who leads the NFL with a career-high 16 interceptions. “I think the last few weeks, I would say I need to play better. Raheem says it, but it’s stating the obvious.
“Every week you kind of go through your process and you plan to go out there and play the very best you can, and so this week will be no different.”
When asked where his biggest area of improvement lies, Cousins was forthright in saying he has to do a better job of protecting the football.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws under pressure from Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo (5) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Las Vegas. Credit: AP/David Becker
“I think it’s always just decision-making so that you’re not putting the ball in harm’s way and not trying to be too aggressive,” said Cousins, who signed a four-year, $180 million contract before the season. “I think really the key, you know, protecting the football.”
Before his four-week drought, Cousins never endured consecutive weeks without a touchdown pass.
Now, with Atlanta sitting one game back of the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South, the pressure is mounting — with rookie Michael Penix Jr. waiting in the wings to potentially spark the offense.
“We’ve got everybody on our roster for a reason, right?” Morris said, with team owner Arthur Blank sitting in the room. “We’ve got so much to get better at, and those things will always be discussed. That’s just the nature of the beast in football.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) is pressured by Las Vegas Raiders defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson (44) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Las Vegas. Credit: AP/David Becker
“It’s just so heavily talked about at the quarterback position, because there’s only one guy out there. So like for us, man, our mentality is to find a way to win the next game. That’s just the mentality that I’m going to have.”
Atlanta, GA
Midtown Atlanta sewer work to close part of 10th Street
ATLANTA – Drivers in Midtown Atlanta should prepare for traffic changes this week as a new roadwork project begins along 10th Street.
What we know:
The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management said part of 10th Street will close starting Wednesday for sewer repairs.
The construction will impact the eastbound lane between Charles Allen Drive and Monroe Drive.
Officials said the repair project is expected to continue for about four weeks.
Crews will work overnight on weekdays from 5 p.m. until 5 a.m. Construction activity will continue around the clock on weekends until the project is complete.
What you can do:
Motorists traveling through Midtown are encouraged to plan ahead and expect delays in the area during the closure.
Atlanta, GA
Three Biggest Questions Facing the Atlanta Hawks Following the NBA Draft Lottery Results
The 2026 NBA Draft has come and gone, and while the results did not go the way that the Atlanta Hawks had hoped, landing at No. 8 overall, but they are still getting a top-eight pick in a deep draft when they are coming off a season in which they won 46 games and made the playoffs. Atlanta had hoped that having the most favorable selection from the Pelicans and Bucks would turn into a top-four pick, but they are going to get a chance to add to their young core with a high-level talent.
Now that the NBA Draft Lottery is over, what are some questions facing the Hawks?
1. Who could they take with the pick?
We will get into other scenarios later, but for this exercise, let’s just assume that the Hawks are going to stick at No. 8 and make a selection.
While the top four picks are likely going to be (in some order) AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson, the rest of the draft does not seem to be as certain.
There is a popular sentiment that the quarter of guards consisting of Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff, Kingston Flemings, and Mikel Brown Jr are going to be picks 5-8, but that is not as much of a certainity as the top four.
The Clippers are picking 5th, but they just made a big trade for Darius Garland. Brooklyn just took four guards in last year’s draft, and the Kings are always a wild card, though of these teams, they have the biggest need at guard and don’t seem likely to veer from that.
In the NBA, needs is usually ignored in the draft and the best player available is taken most of the time, but it will be interesting to see which players the Clippers, Nets, and Kings decide on.
If those teams do take three of those guards, the Hawks would have their choice of whoever is left over from that group or players such as Michigan center Aday Mara, Arizona guard Brayden Burries, or Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg.
2. Could the Hawks move up or down in the draft?
While I think as of right now that the most likely scenario is that the Hawks stay put at No. 8, they do have some interesting options to potentially move up or down depending on how things fall.
As I mentioned earlier, the Clippers just traded for Darius Garland and if the Hawks wanted to get ahead of the Kings and Nets to land the guard of their choice, they could try and put together an attractive package to try and make a trade with Los Angeles.
The Nets seem less likely to move down, but after taking four guards in last year’s draft, could they move down and try to target another position?
What about a trade down? If the Hawks had been at No. 7 or in the top four, I would say a trade down is unlikely, but at No. 8, there could be an opportunity there for Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh. Would Oklahoma City be interested in moving No. 12 and No. 17 for No. 8? That would give the Hawks three first round picks and if they like a player that could be in that range, that would be a possibility, though all of this is just hypothetical at the moment.
3. Do the Hawks attempt to move the No. 8 pick for an established star?
Saleh has been adamnat that the team is not one player away and that the Hawks wanted to add through the draft, but even in a draft as deep as this one, the odds of getting a star player at No. 8 are long.
It is tough to really gauge the trade market for this offseason right now, but the No. 8 pick is an attractive asset. Could the Hawks try to trade for Celtics star Jaylen Brown? Again, it is tough to know who else could be available this summer and I would bet against the Hawks moving this pick for a veteran player, but never say never in the NBA.
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Atlanta, GA
Braves News: Remembering Bobby Cox, strides from Spencer Strider, more
On a sad day overall for Braves Country, due to the passing of the legendary Bobby Cox, Spencer Strider gave Atlanta fans something to be happy and hopeful about with a stellar outing, shutting down the Dodgers potent offense for 6.0 innings with 8 strikeouts and 15 whiffs. He looked as good as he has in a long time. His fastball averaged 96.4 MPH, with 17 inches of induced vertical break and he had four pitches working nicely together. Even if Strider doesn’t quite return to his Jacob deGrom levels of dominance, having him as a true #1 or #2 quality starter would make a huge difference for this Braves team to pair with Chris Sale. Bryce Elder has been great this season, but shouldn’t be the second best starter in the rotation of a World Series contender. If Strider can keep something like Saturday night’s version of himself moving forward, that’s a huge development for him and this team.
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