Despite not playing in the 38-7 beatdown in last season’s NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field, Kirk Cousins knew that the Minnesota Vikings (2-2-1) needed to show up and win their rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles (2-3). The Vikings entered week five throwing the ball more than any other team in the league. Even though Cousins was throwing the ball well, the running game was the worst in the league and the defense was not able to duplicate last year’s dominance.
In Sunday’s 23-21 victory, Cousins played perhaps his best game yet in purple. Coming in averaging over 47 passes per game, he attempted 37 against the Eagles while leading a more balanced offensive attack. But even before the game started, Cousins appeared every bit of not only a franchise quarterback but also a team leader with a fiery pregame speech.
While locked in and pumped up before the game, Cousins was calm and collected after kickoff. Let’s take a closer look at Cousins’ week five performance.
Kirk Cousins Leads the Minnesota Vikings to Victory in Revenge Game
Efficiency Over Quantity
Following three consecutive games where Cousins was forced to air the ball out, the game plan appeared to call for a more well-rounded attack. While the running game only accumulated 77 yards off of 23 carries, it was more effective and kept the Eagles defense off-balance. The passing game, meanwhile, called for more quick passes to protect the offensive line from a dangerous Eagles pass rush. When calling for longer passes, Cousins stood in the pocket and threw the ball with authority.
In all, Cousins was 30-of-37 passing for 301 yards and a beautiful three-yard touchdown pass to Adam Thielen to give the Vikings a 17-3 lead right before halftime. His execution of offensive coordinator John DeFilippo’s game plan put Minnesota in the driver’s seat for the first time since week one.
Avoiding the Pass Rush
Back in January, former Vikings quarterback Case Keenum only took one sack against the Eagles. However, the pass rush was getting pressure all game long and it eventually ruined the Vikings’ night and season. On Sunday, Cousins only took one sack as well but handled the pressure much better than Keenum.
When the pass rush appeared as if it’d make it home, Cousins got the ball out fast to outlet receivers and avoided sacks and poor passes. In the third quarter, following a fumble recovery at the Vikings five-yard line, Cousins made his best pass of the day. With him taking the snap in his own end zone, the Eagles decided to send extra pressure. Despite the blitz getting through, Cousins stood in the pocket and threw a deep pass along the right sideline to Thielen on a double-move. Thielen did the rest of the work and the play resulted in a 68-yard gain that led to a field goal, giving the Vikings a 20-3 lead. It was the sort of play that the Vikings will need going forward to protect a weak offensive line while also maximizing Thielen and Stefon Diggs.
Moving Forward
Cousins now has passed for 11 touchdowns and only two interceptions to go along with 1,688 yards through only five games. His five fumbles haven’t been all on him, but they are the only concern thus far for a quarterback who has completed over 71 percent of his passes. The stats will likely start to come back down to Earth as the season moves forward and a healthy Dalvin Cook returns to the line-up.
With match-ups against the Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets coming up, the team will have a chance to go on a winning streak before facing off against the New Orleans Saints in a rematch of last season’s playoff classic. The Vikings’ victory Sunday against the Eagles may not have been pretty but it was closer to what everyone saw in 2017. If their franchise quarterback can continue slinging the ball around like he has been so far, Minnesota can start reaching preseason expectations.
