Overlook Kirk Cousins at your own peril. That's a lesson the New Orleans Saints have had to learn the hard way, and now they're poised for one of their most anticipated games in years when Cousins leads the Las Vegas Raiders out of the tunnel this Sunday. The Raiders, coached by former Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, have burst onto the scene with a surprise 2-0 start. The Saints are the talk of the league after upsetting the Baltimore Ravens on the road just one week after taking the Detroit Lions to overtime. One of these teams is leaving the field at 2-1.
The Raiders might have a better chance than you think. Kubiak has Cousins in a groove, leading the league in touchdown passes through two weeks (6). Cousins has also won four of
his last five games with the Saints, and five of his last seven if you take it back to the 2019 playoffs. He played well in his first matchup against New Orleans, too, back in 2015 -- getting defensive coordinator Rob Ryan fired after completing 20 of 25 passes for 324 yards and four touchdowns in a 47-14 blowout. All told, Cousins is 6-4 against the Saints, including the postseason. He isn't an opponent they can take lightly.
Just ask Cameron Jordan, who couldn't resist taking a dig at the Atlanta Falcons for moving on from Cousins after just two years: "Kirk Cousins has been a winner anytime he's been at the helm. You know, for the franchises that try to get rid of Kirk Cousins, I never understood that when you don't have someone better than Kirk Cousins."
It's a big shift in how Jordan has talked about Cousins before, but credit where it's due; Cousins proved him wrong, won their matchups, and now Jordan has to take it on the chin. He'll be looking to even the score this Sunday when Cousins and the Raiders visit New Orleans at the Caesars Superdome.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints have learned they can't underestimate Raiders QB Kirk Cousins
