Love him, or not. Cousins is back at quarterback.

 

A fan base divided.

On paper, Kirk Cousins looks pretty good. Some may even say one of the top QBs in the league. He threw 4,221 yards, 33 touchdowns with a rating of 103.1 in the 2021 season. He’s a three time Pro Bowler, ranks third all-time in completion percentage with at least 1500 pass attempts and is seventh in the NFL’s all-time regular season career passer rating. And for you fantasy football diehards, he ranked 11^th last year averaging 19.21 points per game.  But when those stats don’t lead to checks in the win column or any post season play, they tend to mean very little to fans.

While it has been said that defense wins championships, it tends be said that quarterbacks get you to the big game. Head Coach O’Connell is excited to coach Cousins. “We’ve already started thinking about how we’re going to build those systems for him…”

 He doesn’t place the entire burden to win all on his quarterback, though.  “It takes all 11 [players] to move the football on offense, to run it, to throw it, to score points in the red zone. But I’m anticipating Kirk being a part of what we do.”

 GM Adofo-Mensah shares the excitement of his head coach. “We’re focused on building the team around [Cousins] to set us up to succeed the best we can.”

What does that mean for the Vikings as a team?  Coach O’Connell will be calling the plays from the sidelines this season.  Instrumental in the offensive success while with the Rams last year, the system will sure to have a lot the same characteristics. Attack mindset for one. Utilizing the offensive line for two.

And with returning stars like Thielen, Cook and Jefferson, Cousins will have some of the best targets in the league. Dependable, talented and smart. Minnesota native, Thielen reworked his contract and is excited for the fresh culture coming to the Vikings. He definitely is an asset both on and off the field. Now wearing number 4, Dalvin Cook will be back and better than ever. Can a number really change the way a player plays? Perhaps. And for Jefferson, his year three with the Vikings is all about winning. Being the first player in NFL history to hit 3000 receiving yards in first two seasons, Jefferson will no doubt continue to dominate.

However, even with all the play makers returning and with all the changes in the front office, doubters continue to say Cousins may not be the guy after all. Same say overrated. Can’t get the job done. He puts up the numbers but the wins don’t come. I’m not even going to talk about his contract here.

From an outsider looking in, Kirk is like cilantro. You either love it or you hate it. You either love Kirk on the line or you hate it. I do believe with the right play calling, a strong offensive line and guys who can make explosive plays, he has the ability to help get them there. At least not get in the way of it.

I may be eating my own words here come game day, but this is a season of hope and change for me. I hope we see a whole new team. A team with rejuvenated excitement for the game and for their devoted fans. Having a change in leadership and systems may just be what Cousins needs. I for one love that.

Skol Vikings!