The Atlanta Falcons' disappointing loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1 has left fans and analysts questioning the performance and health of quarterback Kirk Cousins. Despite a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed, Cousins struggled on the field, leading to speculations about his physical condition.

Falcons head coach, Raheem Morris, addressed the concerns surrounding Cousins' health during a press conference on Monday. Morris stated, "I feel like Kirk is healthy. He's been healthy since he's been here." These remarks come after Cousins' underwhelming performance against the Steelers, where he completed 16 of 26 passes for 155 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Additionally, Cousins faced two sacks and recorded a QBR of 28.9, with only 19 passing yards in the second half.

Cousins' last game prior to this season was on October 29 of last year, when he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against the Green Bay Packers. Although he acknowledged that he needed to improve, Cousins commended the defense and special teams for their performance but admitted that the offense failed to complement their efforts.

The game strategy employed by first-year offensive coordinator Zac Robinson raised concerns about Cousins' readiness. According to ESPN Stats and Information, the Falcons ran pistol or shotgun formations on 96% of their offensive snaps. Out of the 26 pistol snaps, they opted to run the ball 81% of the time. Surprisingly, there were no planned runs on the 22 shotgun snaps. This marked the first time Cousins had taken more than 10 snaps from the pistol formation in his career.

In response to Cousins' struggles, Coach Morris attributed them to rustiness, stating, "With Kirk being here, we've been doing the same thing since he's been here, and that's how we've planned on playing." Despite the doubts, Morris emphasized that their focus remained on finding ways to win games.

Adding to the uncertainty surrounding Cousins' position is the Falcons' surprising decision to draft quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at the eighth overall pick in this year's draft, despite having invested heavily in Cousins. Calls from fans to see Penix take the field may grow louder if Cousins does not improve his performances.

Looking ahead, the Falcons will face the Philadelphia Eagles in "Monday Night Football" for Week 2. All eyes will be on Cousins as he seeks to bounce back from a lackluster start and prove that he is indeed fully healthy and capable of leading the Falcons to victory.