Kirk Cousins accomplished something on Thursday that he never could with the Vikings

What a Thursday night for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.

You know the quote "What a long, strange trip its been?" That's exactly what happened when the Falcons beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 36-30 on Thursday night, especially in the fourth quarter. Down 30-27 late in the fourth quarter, Cousins threw an interception to Lavonte David on fourth and 15, seemingly ending the game.

That didn't end up being the case. Cousins led the Falcons down the field and clocked the ball with one second left to set up a Younghoe Koo field goal to tie the game. Then, Cousins hit KhaDarel Hodge on a hitch route to seal the game.

Kirk Cousins sets career-high in passing yards

Cousins did something against the Buccaneers that he never accomplished when he was a member of the Minnesota Vikings: he threw for 500+ yards by throwing for 509, tying him for 15th-best in a single game of all-time with former Los Angeles Rams quarterback Vince Ferragamo.

Cousins' previous career-high was against the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 when he threw for 460 yards in an NFL record 33-point comeback victory. The link with both of those games? They reached overtime.

Cousins wasn't just great on the statsheet, he was driving the ball down the field consistently. His passing chart from Next Gen Stats is an all-timer.

When the Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract this offseason, this is exactly what they had in mind. He elevated the offense to a level that was a quarterback away from being great. Head coach Raheem Morris raved about Cousins after the game.

“Just confidence, going out there, and his game is getting better every single week," Morris said. "That's what he's been doing since he came back. He's coming off a significant injury, and I've watched him get better every single week. Every single week it's been better, whether it's been explosive, execution, whether it's just a rhythm and routine with him and Zac [Robinson] and our offensive staff. It's just getting better and better. That is what happened today.”

The Falcons are now 3-2 with a game against the Carolina Panthers looming.