When the Vikings Week 1 opponent was announced, it looked like Minnesota was done a huge favor in getting to host Tampa. The NFL essentially gave the Vikings, on paper, the easiest game of their season to begin the year. With the Eagles, Chargers, and Chiefs looming in three of the next four weeks, the season opener basically amounted to a must-win game to start the season for the Vikings who are out to prove that last year\u2019s 13-4 record wasn\u2019t a fluke. Starting the season strongly was also crucial for Kirk Cousins, who goes into the season without a contract next year.<\/p>\n
Vikings fans felt great about their chances against Tampa coming into the week. There\u2019s no way that a team that won 13 games last year could lose to Baker Mayfield at home. But of course, anything that seems certain in the NFL usually isn\u2019t. The Bucs ended up winning a battle of anemic offenses, and Minnesota now rolls into Philly on Thursday night 0-1. Minnesota\u2019s season somehow already feels like it\u2019s on life support and the same holds true for Cousins\u2019 tenure at quarterback.<\/p>\n
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Kirk Cousins has long been a subject of barroom debates among sports fans. Is he a good quarterback, or isn\u2019t he? The general sense is that if a quarterback is better than Kirk Cousins, then they\u2019re likely a long-term franchise quarterback. Cousins has essentially been the definition of average at the position for the last decade. The Vikings during Cousins\u2019 tenure have also epitomized the play of their quarterback. They\u2019ve consistently been in the middle of the pack with a few playoff berths sprinkled in.<\/p>\n
The hope was after a 13-4 first season under Kevin O\u2019Connell that Cousins might finally have figured it out. He had the most consistent year of his career and avoided most of the big mistakes that often plagued him. That\u2019s what made yesterday\u2019s performance so frustrating for fans watching Cousins struggle. Multiple drives that started strongly ended with back-breaking turnovers with the team in scoring position.<\/p>\n
The one that swung momentum the hardest was the interception Cousins threw<\/a> to end a strong two-minute drill to end the first half. He forced a ball into a tight window when there really just wasn\u2019t a reason to take the risk. It was the kind of mistake that veteran quarterbacks should be expected not to make.<\/p>\n Cousins also seemed to take a step back in his pocket awareness. There are times when he just didn\u2019t get rid of the ball before the pressure bore down. Cousins has long been one of the most sackable quarterbacks in the league and that was on full display. If Cousins continues to make big mistakes in crucial moments and take more sacks than necessary, it could be another frustratingly mediocre season for an otherwise talented offense.<\/p>\n Ingram came into the season as the weak link on an otherwise stout offensive line. He rated among the worst guards in football while starting every game a season ago. He somehow still managed to hold on to the starting job during camp with coaches hoping he\u2019d improve in year two. If anything, he looked worse<\/a> than he did as a rookie against Tampa. Todd Bowles singled Ingram out as the spot he wanted to attack on the offensive line and brought blitzes relentlessly.<\/p>\n Ingram missed assignment after assignment and was a huge reason for some of the offense\u2019s overall inefficiency. To make matters worse for Ingram, he also appeared to be the cause of the first Cousins fumble by swatting the ball out of his hand at the snap. If his performance doesn\u2019t improve quickly, expect to see Austin Schlottmann starting in his place in the next few weeks.<\/p>\n Going into the offseason it looked like Osborn had ascended to the #2 receiver position across from Justin Jefferson. Through no fault of his own, the Vikings then proceeded to take wideout Jordan Addison<\/a> in the first round. The Vikings feature a ton of three-receiver looks, but Osborn was going to have to prove that he should be ahead of Addison in the pecking order for targets.<\/p>\n Sunday was not a great start for Osborn on that front. He was clearly outplayed by the rookie and wasn\u2019t able to make the most of his six targets. The most memorable highlight was watching a rookie corner rip a touchdown<\/a> out of his hands for a costly interception. The battle for targets opposite Jefferson is far from settled and hopefully, Osborn can rebound from a rough week.<\/p>\nOther Vikings Week 1 Underperformers<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Ed Ingram<\/strong><\/h3>\n
KJ Osborn<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Vikings Week 1 Silver Linings <\/strong><\/h2>\n
Justin Jefferson<\/strong><\/h3>\n