Kirk Cousins
All of the information in this article is predicated on Kirk Cousins starting and playing for the Vikings at the San Francisco 49ers in Week 12. And by all indications, that will happen barring some bizarre COVID item or freak pregame injury.
When Kirk Cousins steps onto the field of Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, he will have started more games for the Minnesota Vikings (58) than the Washington Football Team (57).
During his Vikings tenure, Minnesota has reached the playoffs just once, winning a wildcard game in 2019 after walking off the New Orleans Saints. On the whole, the Vikings are 30-26-1 (.535) with Cousins at the helm, whereas Washington was exactly flipped at 26-30-1 (.464) led by Cousins from 2012 to 2017.
In part due to the Vikings system and playmakers, plus Cousins’ natural career development, the Michigan State alumnus has performed better as a member of the Vikings than in Washington.
Cousins has thrown more touchdown passes (while rushing for fewer scores) in Minnesota, and he’s minimized turnovers since donning the purple and gold. Put bluntly, Cousins has been a better quarterback with the Vikings than with The Football Team.
Moreover, Washington has been wayward at quarterback since the departure of Cousins. The Football Team front office encountered a franchise-tag standoff with Cousins in 2016 and 2017, eventually leading to his exodus. They never truly bought into Cousins’ services. To an extent, they’re paying for it now. Washington has thrown the fewest touchdown passes in the NFL since Cousins vamoosed.
During the Cousins era in Washington (2015-2017), the Football Team ranked 10th in NFL for passing touchdowns. So, Washington went from 10th to 32nd without Cousins.
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He’s also surpassing some notable Vikings for games played. Cousins and his pal, Tyler Conklin, whizz past famous Vikings linebackers Jack Del Rio and Pete Bercich when the game in Santa Clara kicks off on Sunday.
It’s the final game of November — a month totally owned by Cousins throughout his career. Per passer rating, Cousins is the best November quarterback in NFL history, causing some fans to announce “Kirkvember” when Thanksgiving month hits the calendar.
Cousins’ career in Minnesota hasn’t been without tribulation, though. In 2020, Cousins and the Vikings started miserably, accruing a 1-5 record out of the gate and hitting rock bottom at home versus the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6 last year. Since that Falcons showdown, however, Cousins has been deadly.
In totality for his career, Cousins has now started more games as an NFL quarterback than Michael Vick, Roger Staubach, Tommy Kramer, Bernie Kosar, and Daunte Culpepper. If Cousins stays healthy, he’ll tie Kurt Warner (116) for career starts when the Vikings travel to Detroit in Week 13.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
Also Read: The One for the Vikings That Got Away