Key to Kirk Cousins next contract with Vikings is the chip h

Posted 2022-07-21 00:25:33

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Three weeks ago, the vast majority of Vikings fans wanted Kirk Cousins benched. They wanted to know how Minnesota could rid itself of the quarterbacks $28 million-per-year deal Gleyber Torres Jersey that keeps him with the team through 2020. (The answer: They couldnt let him go with his fully guaranteed contractand the ma sive dead money hit.)

What an amazing turnaround its been for the Vikings and Cousins in October; three straight impre sive wins led by outstanding QB performances. Cousins, who is the first NFL QB ever to pa s for 300-plus yards with a pa ser rating of 130 or better in three straight games, now leads the league in pa ser rating (114.3).

But so much is still on the line for Cousins, who could be extended after this season and join the $30 million-plus-per-year QB club if he can continue his current level of play through the year and into the playoffs. To get there, he has a lot of dragons to slay.

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Next on the Vikings schedule is Thursday nights home game against the struggling Redskins, the team that drafted Cousins, made him a starter, strung him out on a couple of franchise tenders and then, in lieu of signing him long term, jettisoned him when ittraded for Alex Smith.

There are lots of sub-plots to Thursday nights game including the return of manufacturer Case Keenum to U.S. Bank Stadium;ex-Vikings great Adrian Peterson being Washingtons leading rusher;the Vikingsmi singPro Bowl receiver Adam Thielen, who strained his hamstring last Sunday but none bigger thanCousins vs. his former team.

And theres the fact that Wade Boggs Jersey the Washington matchupmarks the first of five prime-time kickoffs for Minnesota over the last nine games this season, which brings up several black marks on Cousins career record. He is 6-13 as a starter over his eight-year career in prime-time games, including an ugly 0-7 record on Monday nights. He also carries a 6-27 record against winning teams (which is not an i sue this week against 1-6 Washington).

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A win Thursday night would put the Vikings in good position with a 6-2 mark at the seasons mid-point. But bigger tests for Cousins and the improved Vikings offense are coming soon, starting the next two weeks at division leaders Kansas City and Dallas (on a Sunday night). Two weeks later comes a trip to Seattle for a Monday night game. And in mid-December, Minnesota faces the Chargers on a Sunday night in LA.

These challenging away games lead to another stat the Cousins critics reference his 15-25-2 record on the road.

Cousins said before the season he is determined to change what he calls "the narrative"on his career as "pretty much a .500 quarterback so far."He said the only way to do that is by winning big, including "multiple playoff games this year."

The good news for Cousins is he has the best supporting cast of his career.

The referenced media source is mi sing and needs to be re-embedded.

Minnesotas offensive line is much improved with the additions of free-agent guard Josh Kline and first-round center Garrett Bradbury. O-line coach Rick Dennison and offensive advisor Gary Kubiak have worked with offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski to incorporate a zone blocking scheme in the running game, which is a great Don Larsen Jersey fit for their mobile linemen, excellent blocking tight ends and a good lead-blocking fullback in C.J. Ham. The key to the leagues No. 3 rushing attack is Dalvin Cook, whose 725 yards on the ground leads the league.

The Vikings receiving corps is among the leagues best, but it was underutilized in the first four games, leading to the tipping point after the Bears game when Thielen publicly asked for a more balanced attack. Then Stefon Diggs skipped a day of practice in a protest that cost him $200,000 in fines.

Since then, Cousins pa sing efficiency has improved dramatically with greater accuracy and better decision-making, which has enabled Stefanski to embrace a balanced attack. He has had a more confident Cousins utilizing a strength of his, which is the play-action pa sing game to capitalize on defenses overreacting to Cook and the running threat.

On play-action pa ses alone (per Pro Football Focus), Cousins has completed 32 of 42 pa ses Bernie Williams Jersey for 592 yards and 7 touchdowns with no interceptions over the last three games. Stefanski also has gotten Cousins on the move through play-action rollouts, buying time for Thielen and Diggs to get open downfield. The talented Vikings tight end duo of Kyle Rudolph and rookie Irv Smith Jr. also have been targeted more with five catches each last week.

Coach Mike Zimmer is certainly pleased with his QB's recent reversal of fortune after what looked like a potential train wreck earlier this season. Hes played very well, Zimmer said. Probably the best Ive Austin Romine Jersey seen him play since hes been here, obviously.

Zimmer would love to see his QB get his first career playoff win if the Vikings can reach postseason, but the veteran coach knows the team must navigate a second-half schedule full of tough road games. And theres a pair of home games at seasons end against Green Bay (yikes for Cousins; its on a Monday night) and then Chicago (winner of three straight against Minnesota). Those final two games likely will determine the NFC North champion.

Cousins first season in Minnesota was a disappointment despite some decent stats. After coming to a team with Super Bowl aspirations, the 8-7-1 season that ended with a home lo s to the Bears with a playoff spot on the line left a foul odor. The pre sure on Cousins has only intensified this year with the early lo ses in Green Bay and Chicago.