FACTS TO SIP ON
— Cousins’ 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was his first regular season touchdown run since Week 8 of the 2022 season when he scored for the Minnesota Vikings on a 17-yard run. Cousins’ opponent then? Also the Cardinals.
— Falcons defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus, who’s in his second season, recorded half a sack against the Cardinals, putting him at 7.5 this year. That’s equal to highest sack total defensive lineman Grady Jarrett ever had in a single season during his 10-year run with the Falcons. Jarrett had 7.5 in 2019, when Atlanta finished with 28 as a team. The Falcons currently hold 50 sacks with two games remaining. This just goes to show how much emphasis Atlanta has put in improving its pass rush in 2025, starting with the addition of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
— The Falcons were 0-3 when tied at halftime entering Sunday’s game. Now, they’re 1-3. It was 16-all through two quarters in Arizona.
— Opening drives appear to be tricky for the Falcons, regardless of the half. The Falcons did not score points on their 10th consecutive opening drive of a game this season, which is the longest such streak by any team in the NFL. Atlanta’s first offensive drive in Arizona lasted nine plays for 26 yards. It ended due to an interception. Then, the Falcons did not score a touchdown on their opening drive of the second half against the Cardinals. It marked the fourth time this season Atlanta started the second half with the ball; the offense did not score a touchdown on any of those drives. Half of those drives ended in field goals, however, including Sunday, when Zane Gonzalez made a 40-yard kick after Atlanta’s 13-play drive.
— With the win in Arizona, the Falcons have now won two games this season when trailing at the end of the first quarter. They trailed the Cardinals 10-3 entering the second quarter on Sunday. Only five other teams have won multiple games when trailing after the first quarter: the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers.