The Minnesota Vikings needed average QB play to take advantage of their championship-caliber defense. After Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz struggled to give the team that, Minnesota went out and traded a 2027 third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for Kirk Cousins.
It’s only one game, but Cousins has provided what the Vikings’ offense has been missing. In the 30-10 win over the Green Bay Packers, the veteran QB completed 21 of 31 pass attempts for 210 passing yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 94.8.
Despite being traded on Nov. 10 and having only a few days to prepare for this game, the Vikings’ offense was able to do damage against the Packers’ defense. During the game, former NFL player Ryan Clark shared his thoughts, noting that the difference is night and day before and after Cousins’ arrival.
“After watching Minnesota on [Nov. 9 against the Buffalo Bills] and comparing it to what we’re seeing [on Nov. 15 against the Packers], the difference offensively is startling!” Clark wrote on Nov. 15 on X.
“This offense looked high school-ish in its last outing, and now they’ve put up 17 points in the first half. The improvement is remarkable. They actually look like a professional offense!”
Meanwhile, Clark isn’t the only former player who’s seeing the impact from Cousins, as former NFL running back Le’Veon Bell believes that the Vikings trading for the veteran QB is a season changer for Minnesota.
“Kirk Cousins going to the Vikings might’ve just made them the best team in football,” Bell wrote during the Vikings-Packers game on X on Nov. 15. “My goodness, they look amazing.”
Kirk Cousins Is What Vikings Offense Needed
Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen also noted that Cousins has been what the Vikings offense has been missing.
“Kirk Cousins and Josh Downs have been exactly as the teams that traded for them envisioned in the first half,” Nguyen wrote on Nov. 15 on X. “Cousins throwing with anticipation unseen from Vikings QBs in years, Downs actually beating man coverage, which KC WRs have been unable to do.”
Coming into the game against the Packers, Cousins has a passer rating of 97.1 with 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in nine games this season, per StatMuse.
Despite changing times midseason, the veteran carried over what he was doing with the Raiders to Minnesota, and it’s a welcome sign for the Vikings, who desperately needed this production from the QB.
Cris Carter on Kirk Cousins’ Return to Minnesota
With Cousins now back in Minnesota for a second stint, former Vikings wideout Cris Carter shared his thoughts on the decision to bring back the veteran.
“First of all, it was forced,” Carter said during a Nov. 13 appearance on CBS News Minnesota. “That crowd was remarkable on [Nov. 9 against the Bills]. But when they started to boo the home team, especially the quarterback play, it forced them.
“I know the Vikings were on the phone Monday night, and this was ultimately the only move they could make. He’s the perfect fit for us moving forward. He’s really the only quarterback with whom we could have Super Bowl aspirations and make a clean transition because he knows the offense.”
Kirk Cousins Sparks Blunt Assessment as Vikings Beat Packers