Falcons QB Kirk Cousins woke up sick, and here's why that matters for the Buccaneers and Panthers

Cousins does not carry a designation into Sunday's game vs. the Saints

One of the most important games of NFL Week 18 takes place in Atlanta, as the Falcons host Tyler Shough and the rival New Orleans Saints. Both teams have been eliminated from playoff contention, but the winner of this game decides whether the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Carolina Panthers make the postseason. If the Falcons win, the Panthers are kings in the NFC South. If the Saints win, Baker Mayfield is headed back to the playoffs.

The Falcons are listed as 4.5-point favorites over at DraftKings Sportsbook, but one of their most important players is ill. On Sunday morning, the team announced that quarterback Kirk Cousins woke up feeling sick. However, he was not given a game designation, and will start against the Saints. Atlanta's backup quarterback is Easton Stick with Michael Penix Jr. on injured reserve.

This season, Cousins is 4-3 as a starter, and has thrown 1,541 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions in nine games played. Atlanta is coming off a dramatic 27-24 upset victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night, in which Cousins threw for 126 yards and one touchdown. Running back Bijan Robinson was the star of the show, as he rushed for 195 yards and a touchdown, and added 34 yards receiving and another touchdown on five receptions. With Cousins feeling ill, it's fair to expect that Robinson will again be asked to carry the offense on Sunday.