This is certainly not an article I expected to write at the start of the season. However, the Vikings’ trade for Kirk Cousins makes all the sense in the world.
The Las Vegas Raiders appear ready to see what they have in former No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, while the Minnesota Vikings have somehow scraped together a 6-2 record behind a dominant defense, excellent special teams, and one of the worst offenses in football.
The Vikings aren’t going to suddenly become an offensive juggernaut because
of this move, but Cousins gives them something they haven’t had all season: competency at quarterback. The running game has struggled, in part because opposing defenses haven’t respected the passing attack.
Minnesota ranks second-to-last in the NFL at just 160.8 passing yards per game. Meanwhile, Cousins is averaging more than 260 passing yards and two touchdowns per game, though he is also averaging more than one turnover. The Raiders’ four wins have come against the Dolphins, Chargers, Saints, and Jets. They played the Chiefs and Bills tough, but were blown out by the Rams, 49ers, and Patriots. The numbers suggest Cousins can still function as a capable NFL starter, even if he’s no longer the player he was at his peak.
None of this guarantees success. The pessimist in me remembers the Randy Moss reunion and a long history of veteran acquisitions that failed to meet expectations. Midseason additions rarely transform teams into Super Bowl contenders.
That said, it’s absolutely the right move to make. This defense deserves better than what it has received from the offense through the first half of the season.. I’m not ready to declare them Super Bowl contenders just yet, but they win on Sunday, I might be. Nothing would be more Minnesota than to win the Super Bowl with an enigma of a quarterback like Kirk Cousins.
