Kirk Cousins Blames Low Passing Totals vs Bears on “Hidden Yards”, Among Other Factors

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback, Kirk Cousins, threw for just 87 yards on Monday vs the Chicago Bears. It was his lowest yardage total since December 8, 2013. Back then, Kirk was a backup for Washington when he threw for 59 yards against Kansas City in a 4th quarter only relief effort of Robert Griffen III.

On Wednesday, Kirk was asked about that lack of production vs Chicago and what might have led to it. In classic Cousins fashion, the Michigan State grad broke it down from an analytical point of view, pointing out a number of variables.

They included, but are not limited to, the Bears’ coverage scheme, lack of two-minute execution and “hidden yards” (penalty yards) as reasons for the lack of pass yard production. He ended it, however, saying he’d trade passing yards for a win any day.

Excuse Meter

Kirk Cousins really does try to step back and view everything from a distance. That way, he can try to avoid getting too high or too low in any given situation. I don’t see this as an excuse-driven rant. He’s simply being honest. This is the way, I believe, Kirk views it.

And he’s partially right. The Vikings didn’t pass the ball very much in the second half because it became very clear that victory would go to the team with the least mistakes. So with Chicago shooting themselves in the foot repeatedly, why put yourself in a position to mess that up.

I’d never heard the term “hidden yards” until Kirk’s press conference. That’s an interesting alternative for “penalty yards”, which the Bears gave the Vikings 91 total yards worth. Those Chicago penalties significantly swung the game, at times, but those “hidden yards” wouldn’t add much to Kirk Cousins’ stat sheet.

Need to play better

The Minnesota Vikings claimed victory on Monday because the Bears are a terrible football team. That became especially true after being decimated by COVID and injury absences. So, Cousins was able to throw for less than 100 yards and the Vikings were still able to win.

For the next two weeks, however, that won’t be the case. With the LA Rams on the schedule this Sunday and the Green Bay Packers on it next week, Kirk Cousins will have to be at his best or the Vikings will lose and likely miss the playoffs. Luckily, this is a team that’s become known for playing both up and down to its competition. That’s why I expect a much different team to take the field on Sunday than what we saw at Soldier Field a couple of nights ago.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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