The Minnesota Vikings were likely hoping that they would get the version of Carson Wentz that they saw in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers. However, through one half of football against the Buffalo Bills on “Monday Night Football,” that hasn’t been the case.
With Kyler Murray dealing with a hamstring injury that’s week-to-week, the former No. 1 pick was ruled out for Week 9 against Buffalo, so the Vikings went with Wentz, who hasn’t inspired much on offense.
Wentz went 7-for-17 on his pass attempts in the first half for 75 passing yards and a passer rating of 54.8. Amid the veteran QB’s struggles in the first half against Buffalo, former NFL defensive lineman Booger McFarland stated that he would consider trading a first-round pick for Las Vegas QB Kirk Cousins.
“At this point, I’d offer Vegas a [first-round pick] for Cousins,” McFarland wrote on Nov. 9 during the Vikings-Bills game. “Not joking.”
Moreover, McFarland elaborated more on why the Vikings have to consider making an aggressive move such as trading for Cousins.
“Just imagine if the Vikings just had Kirk Cousins?” McFarland added in another post on X. “If their offense could score 24 points. It would allow the defense to be even more aggressive, as crazy as that sounds.”
Cousins had a passer rating of 101.2 with 23,265 yards, 171 touchdowns, and 55 interceptions in 88 games during his six seasons with the Vikings, per StatMuse.
JJ Watt on Watching Vikings Defense Led By DC Brian Flores
It will be interesting to see if Minnesota does pursue the veteran and if Las Vegas is open to dealing him now that they are 4-5.
The Silver and Black could be considering starting the Fernando Mendoza era after their loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9, where Cousins completed 22 of 32 pass attempts for 216 passing yards, one touchdown, three interceptions, and a passer rating of 58.9.
A reason the Vikings are being urged to make an aggressive trade for a QB is due to their defense. In the first half, the Minnesota defense made life difficult for Bills QB Josh Allen.
Allen went 13-for-20 on his pass attempts for 122 passing yards, one touchdown, one interception, and a passer rating of 77.5. Moreover, the Vikings’ defense sacked Allen three times in the first half.
Former NFL pass rusher JJ Watt had high praise for the Minnesota defense; the offense, though, not so much.
“[The] Vikings defense is without question the most fun to watch in the NFL right now,” Watt wrote on X during the Bills-Vikings game. “Just pure chaos at all times. Relentless. The amount of knowledge, communication, talent, trust, and pure guts required to pull this scheme off is incredible. Brian Flores is a mad genius. The offense, at least so far tonight, is diametrically opposite.”
Kirk Cousins Opens Up on Trade Speculation Before Deadline
After the Raiders‘ 38-17 loss in Week 9 to the San Francisco 49ers, Cousins was asked about his name being in trade speculation in these handful of hours leading up to the Nov. 10 deadline.
“It feels a little bit out of my hands, so I’ll just let decision-makers make decisions and react accordingly,” Cousins told reporters (h/t Vegas Sports Today). “I love it here and love the guys here.”
Vikings Get Blunt Kirk Cousins Take Amid Carson Wentz’s Struggles