Falcons 19, Saints 17
KIRK COUSINS: It's always a positive when you can finish the season on a win. It's always a strange feeling when you're not going into the playoffs. I've enjoyed our home crowd today, the energy they brought. Loved the way it was a team win again with great special teams contributions, great defensive plays that kind of put us in a position where we were having a tough day going against a really good defense, and felt like our special teams and our defense really helped us when we needed it.
Great to finish the season on a four-game win streak, and feel like there were a lot of positives that you take with you now into the off-season.
I can take any questions you have.
Q. Kirk, I asked Coach Morris the same thing. Just sweeping the Saints, I know the season ends the way it ends, but sweeping the Saints is a pretty good feeling, yes?
KIRK COUSINS: I think so. I think it's a rivalry. I think it matters a lot to our fans, and I think the all-time series was at dead even going into this season, so to win two, to go two up is a big deal in this series because it's hard to get that much separation.
It was a hard-fought one today and felt like a rivalry game.
Q. It's strange to see a three-way tie at the top. I know this is just right after the game, but are you going to have temptations now to look back and think about one little play, one little game, what could make a difference?
KIRK COUSINS: Well, I think when you live it -- when you show up in April, I've had five of my 14 seasons, I think -- I might be wrong, but five of my 14 seasons, I have missed the playoffs on a one-game difference where if we had one won of the games we lost, we would have gone. So you go in April and you say, one play at any moment could be the difference in winning or losing. So every install, every technique, every fundamental, every ball placement, you kind of live with this constant tension, which I'm sure makes it fun for the fans, but it makes it tense for us as players and coaches because you live with that tension at all times as you prepare, and we're living it right now.
Q. You mentioned a couple of weeks ago you were approaching this like a contract year. Do you think this might have been your last game with the Falcons?
KIRK COUSINS: Hard to know. Hard to know. I'd like to keep playing, but we'll see how things play out in March or even after that.
Q. Do you want to come back here?
KIRK COUSINS: I would love to be back here. We'll see how things play out. At this point, you kind of just see where it goes.
Q. What was happening offensively today? Kind of looked disjointed at times but you were able to get into field goal range a couple of times and put some points up.
KIRK COUSINS: Yeah, I don't have a great answer to summarize it. I do think we had their blitzes for the most part picked up, but they did a good job of making the pockets muddy. Felt like their rush was fairly stout. At times we just couldn't string enough plays together, stubbed our toe on a play here or there, had a hard time getting the screen game going. My interception was a screen that they made a nice play on, but that one was tough because you feel like if you just dirt the ball there you've got at least a field goal. It was a play here or a play there and you felt like you just left points on the board or left some things out there. But good defense, and they made it hard today.
Q. Drake London's play, the touchdown and the high-point grab on the sideline --
KIRK COUSINS: Yeah, both were great plays by him. He also did a nice job throttling in the zone on a play action pass later in the game. His high-point catch was awesome. The touchdown, he was open initially in the rhythm of the play, but I had kind of gotten ahead of it and gotten off of him, so I was grateful that he stayed in the move and I was able to find him off schedule because he was actually open early and then he was open late. But great job by him. Great design by our coaches there, too.
Q. How are you feeling?
KIRK COUSINS: I'm doing pretty good. I'm hanging in there.
Q. Flu?
KIRK COUSINS: I walked in today with my briefcase, my suitcase and a Kleenex box. So I knew what kind of day it was going to be. Adrenaline takes over, and you feel pretty good. But yeah, I was a little weaker today going into it than normal.
Q. It wasn't the Kringle wrap?
KIRK COUSINS: You know what, who knows. That's why I say you've got to wait to be naughty until after the season because you start eating that stuff too early and your body can quit on you.
Q. I wanted to ask if there's any standout moment this season that you can take with you to the off-season.
KIRK COUSINS: For me, it's always about the people. The offensive line, Ryan Neuzil, Jake Matthews, Chris Lindstrom, Elijah, Berge, Mooney, Drake, KP, Charlie, Sillsy, Bijan, Tyler, the coaches, the conversations I had with DJ Williams day in and day out, week in and week out. It's the people that make the job special.
I had said when I had to go when Mike got hurt that you want to use the platform you have to influence people and not use people to help advance your platform, and I feel like that's what I'll remember is these last, whatever it was, seven weeks, just having those relationships and being in the fight together and all trying to help one another.
I think there's a good feeling walking away from it after you go 5-2 down the stretch or win four in a row. You feel good about being able to -- you feel good about the work you were able to accomplish.
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FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports