NEW ORLEANS — The Atlanta Falcons didn't need Kirk Cousins to be flashy. They didn't need him to be a hero. But in a week where the franchise saw some of its lowest days of recent memory, they needed him to be clean, even-keeled and efficient. He was all of those things while helping the Falcons snap their five-game losing streak in New Orleans Sunday evening.

The Falcons hadn't won a game since Week 6. They had taken two teams to overtime during that span, losing both. The offense struggled to string drives together, their third-down conversion rate telling the story. And to make matters worse, they lost Michael Penix Jr. to his third season-ending knee injury in five years.

As Penix prepped for reconstructive surgery — reportedly happening soon in Los Angeles — the Falcons turned b

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