Kirk Cousins wasn't happy with his performance after the Atlanta Falcons' offense struggled during a Week 1 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Cousins voiced his disappointment to reporters following the 18-10 loss. 'I was disappointed,' he remarked, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi. 'Certainly disappointed. You always go out there with an expectation that you're going to play at a high level, and we didn't play up to our standard today.'

Cousins ended the game with a 16-of-26 completion rate for 155 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He was also sacked twice. The Falcons weren't facing the Steelers' primary quarterback, as Russell Wilson was sidelined with a calf injury after being named Pittsburgh's starter on August 28. Justin Fields stepped in for Wilson, accumulating 156 passing yards along with 57 rushing yards. Fields' efforts kept the Steelers' offense moving and helped control the time of possession, as Pittsburgh held the ball for over 10 minutes more than Atlanta.

Cousins was expected to significantly boost the Falcons' offense after signing a four-year, $180 million contract with the team in free agency. It's also important to note that Sunday marked his first start since a torn Achilles cut short his 2023 season. Despite these circumstances, he still fell short of expectations. The veteran quarterback aims to recover and perform better in Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles.