We Need to See Good Kirk Cousins Today

By Eric Strack |

Updated: Sep 22, 2019

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Good morning Minnesota Vikings fans. It’s Sunday, week 3 of the NFL season, and it has only taken this long to arrive at a crossroads with our very controversial QB, Kirk Cousins. But, there’s hope so stay with me.

I won’t stack all of the blame for this early QB consternation, on Kirky. He’s really only gotten one opportunity, through two weeks, to show us anything.

Week 1 vs Atlanta: We didn’t need him.
Week 2 @ Green Bay: He royally fucked everything up and cost us a victory.

That’s not what you want your limited sample size to look like but remembering how small it is, is part of what’s important. I’d really like to push this blog back until week 4, to be honest. Cousins should get another game before I say, “this guy needs to prove something right now or we are FUCKED!” Nobody likes the guy who fires off shots like that too early.

But, here’s the problem with waiting… Week 4 is @ Soldier Field vs the Chicago Bears and I’m certainly not ready to pin that game, as one where I need Kirk Cousins to be a rock star. That’s a task that even some of the most proven quarterbacks aren’t up to. So instead, we need some Kirk Cousins confidence injected into the veins TODAY, vs a bad Oakland pass defense. The Raiders rank 5th among the NFL in rushing defense, allowing just 63 YPG. When attacked through the air, however… Oakland ranks LAST, giving up 341 YPG.

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#Vikings vs #Raiders tale of the tape via @StribSports: pic.twitter.com/YJpnO7ykPi

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) September 22, 2019

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If our QB1 (or QBNONE —TBD) can take advantage this week at home vs Oakland, we enter the Bears game (Week 4) with a bit of Kirky hope, still knowing the type stiff-D you against them, especially at Soldier Field. That would bring us to Week 5… We need to see Good Kirk Cousins before Week 5 or fans will be throwing his cardigans out on the street and signing divorce papers as he gets back from Chicago. NOBODY wants that. It’s embarrasing for all parties involved.

Now, this doesn’t mean we won’t see Dalvin go for his 3rd-straight 100-yard game or that Oakland is now as bad as PAC-12 college teams at stopping the pass (though they are in the same physical vicinity of each-other)…. but, let’s remember that Patrick Mahomes did drop like 276 yards on them in the 3rd quarter alone, last week, and they played vs the Broncos in Week 1 (gross).

The narrative setting doesn’t stop there, though. In a season where all we’ve talked about is a need to run the ball, Mike Zimmer and Kevin Stefanski find themselves facing an awful lot of questions regarding their very highly-paid QB. This seems like a perfect game to change that narrative and they can help move it along with a friendly game plan. I’d expect Stefanski to try and get Kirk going early, with some swing passes and quick-read patterns to playmakers, in space. Get him into a rhythm early and get the offensive line moving forward to reset sticks. They need to help massage Good Kirk Cousins out of that body today.

I think they do. He goes 22/30 for 277 yards and 3 TD’s… BUT if they don’t AND Cousins has another bad performance, THEN ESPECIALLY IF the Vikings lose……. well, let’s just say that you won’t need any gasoline to burn this entire bitch to the ground.

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