FLOWERY BRANCH — Here’s what quarterback Kirk Cousins had to say in preparation for facing the Saints, the Falcons’ opponent at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium:
Q: How do the Falcons practice on third downs?
A: “Yeah, the way it’s always been for me in the league, every team I’ve played on, Wednesday becomes kind of a first- and second-down emphasis. Thursday becomes a third-down emphasis, and Friday becomes a red-zone emphasis. Then you can certainly sprinkle things in around that, but that’s kind of how you stack it and how you prepare, how you watch tape throughout the week.”
Q: Can the Falcons take solace in the fact that their opponents have an 8-1 record?
A: “It’s the NFL. Nobody wants to hear that. I don’t really want to hear that. The season started against the Steelers. There was no ramp up. So, I’m talking out two sides of my mouth, but you kind of opened the door to do that. So, I think you know what I’m saying.”
Q: What’s his stance on the red throwback helmets (which the team wore in their perennial losing days)?
A: “I absolutely love it. A lot of comments at practice today, guys really thought it looked sharp. We’ll see when to get the full uniform on Sunday, but I’m optimistic it’s going to look pretty good.”
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