Falcons and UGA head into crucial weekend with playoff implications
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The last three games have not been kind to Kirk Cousins. Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
To say Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons offense are struggling might be an understatement. To say Sunday's game against Cousins' former team, the Minnesota Vikings, is a must-win might be an understatement, too.
Why it matters: A loss against Minnesota will not only leave Atlanta scrambling to make the playoffs but also encourage more fans to push the Falcons to turn to rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
Catch up quick: After racing out to a 6-3 record and commanding lead in the NFC South, the Falcons have dropped three straight games and the offense, including kicker Younghoe Koo, has looked abysmal each time.
By the numbers: Over his past three games, Cousins has thrown zero touchdowns and six interceptions.
- Koo has gone 5/9 on field goals, good for 55%, well below his career average of 86%.
Yes, but: Heading into this weekend's pivotal matchup, head coach Raheem Morris expressed confidence in them both, especially given this is a potential revenge game for his quarterback who played six years in a Vikings uniform before the team declined to resign him this offseason.
State of play: Atlanta is now tied with Tampa Bay atop the division but owns the tiebreaker, thanks to two head-to-head wins. A victory against the 10-2 Vikings would go a long way in helping the team and its fans regain some confidence.
UGA's trip to the SEC Championship
The Georgia Bulldogs' path to the College Football Playoff is simple: win and they're in.
The latest: UGA was ranked fifth in the penultimate CFP poll released Sunday. So even if they lose to the No. 2 Texas Longhorns, they are still more than likely in.
- But if they win on Saturday in Atlanta and clinch the SEC, they will also secure a top-four seed and a first-round bye in this year's expanded playoff.
Context: The Dawgs already beat Texas earlier this year in Austin 30-15. That being said, the Longhorns will be out for revenge.
- However, it's unlikely the CFP committee would punish UGA for a third loss seeing that it came in a conference championship game and against a team they already beat.
- Still, losing could mean opening the playoffs on the road, which is still a tricky proposition, as both of Georgia's losses this season were away games.
Read more: How the new 12-team College Football Playoff will work