Sep 10, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) leaves the field after the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Football isn’t just a job to Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. It makes his skin crawl — after losses.
The 35-year-old quarterbacked the Vikings to an unfortunate loss last weekend, falling flat in the 4th Quarter to the Los Angeles Chargers, courtesy of some curious end-of-game time management and playcalling.
And Minnesota’s current 0-3 standing truly bothers Cousins, whose contract expires at the end of the season.
“I hope my boys find something they’re as passionate about as I am about football. But I hope it doesn’t torment them the way football torments me. I mean, I’m crawling in my skin driving home from the stadium on Sunday,” Cousins told reporters this week.
Cousins is leading the NFL in passing yards and touchdown passes heading into Week 4, but it’s just not good enough for a team that tops the sport in self-inflicted wounds known as turnovers.
Cousins continued, “You’re further along in your football career, so you realize you’re running out of time. When you’re younger, you maybe are a little more willing to shrug your shoulders and know there’s more games up ahead, and I think when you’re older, you’re like it’s now you know it’s got to be now.”
Unless Cousins plans to play as long as Tom Brady — age 45 — most quarterbacks wind down in their late 30s, which Cousins has on deck for the 2024, 2025, and 2026+ seasons.
“I’m always reminded in March-April, when you’re saying we’re going to go another time around the horn, you know you’re signing up for some frustrations here and there and some moments that you wish you could have back. That’s where we are right now, and I’m thankful that we’ve been as explosive as an offense as we have been. There’s a lot to build on,” Cousins explained about the season-long slog of the sport.
If the Vikings can author a season turnaround, the hard part is done, at least on offense. Minus turnovers, Minnesota’s offense moves the ball up and down the field, particularly with the addition of rookie wideout Jordan Addison.
The Vikings problem, however, is that the “good stuff” on offense and defense hasn’t happened simultaneously in three games. When the offense is good, the defense is not. At times when the defense is towing the line, the offense is turning the ball over or firing up three-and-outs.
In vintage Cousins form, the QB1 concluded about the dreadful 0-3 start, “But golly, you’re sitting there in meetings, and you’re just frustrated. Because it matters to you.”
The good news? The Vikings have an advantageous get-right game afoot at the Carolina Panthers. Minnesota is expected to win by four points on Sunday.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.