Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins will start his fourth straight game on Thursday night, against a familiar foe in Tampa.

Last year, Cousins had two excellent showings against the Buccaneers, engineering victories in each contest.

On a Thursday night in Atlanta, Cousins set a franchise record with 509 passing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in a 36-30 overtime win. In the rematch, Cousins threw for 276 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-26 win.

This time around, the Falcons are decidedly in the role of spoiler. They’ve been eliminated from postseason contention, and they’ve lost seven of eight. Their only opportunity is to drop the Buccaneers to 7-7.

For Cousins, who likely will be released after the season (then again, who knows?), it’s an opportunity to lay the foundation

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