QB Kirk Cousins - Minnesota Vikings
| 6-3, 214 | Born: 8-19-1988 | College: Michigan State | Drafted: Round 4, pick 2012 |
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Week 7: at New York Jets
Detailed matchup analysis coming soon.
Recent Stats and Projections
| WEEK | OPP | oSNAP | CMP | ATT | YD | TD | INT | RSH | YD | TD | FumL | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | vs BUF | 66 | 40 | 55 | 296 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 15 | |
| 4 | at LAR | 74 | 36 | 50 | 422 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 34.9 | |
| 5 | at PHI | 62 | 30 | 37 | 301 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 18.15 | |
| 6 | vs ARI | 71 | 24 | 34 | 233 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 20.95 | |
| 7 | at NYJ | PROJ-Dodds | * | 26 | 39 | * | * | * | 5 | * | * | * | * |
| 7 | at NYJ | PROJ-Tremblay | * | 25 | 38 | * | * | * | 4 | * | * | * | * |
Weekly Performance vs QB 1, QB 12, QB 24
Percentile ranks
Kirk Cousins's percentile rank in each category, among QB with more than 50 fantasy points.
Recent Game Summaries
2018 Week 6 vs ARI (24 / 34 / 233 / 1 / 1 pass, 4 / 14 / 1 rush)
The Vikings have relied on the right arm of Kirk Cousins all season long and this is the first game where they really did not need to. If anything, Cousins almost proved to be a detriment to the team this week with 2 turnovers and being sacked 4 times. The fumble he lost was picked up by the defense and returned for a touchdown and his interception came on the Viking half of the field. Thankfully the Cardinals turned the ball over on downs after that play, but they had gotten the ball to the 1-yard line before the defense made the stop. Cousins threw a single touchdown pass to Adam Thielen on a 13-yard bullet up the seam but did not have a single pass go for more than 20 yards. He chipped in his own 7-yard touchdown run off the edge and attempted to get the crowd fired up with a very poor end zone celebration. Cousins also had one of his own passes batted down into his arms and was tackled for a loss. It is rare that you see a quarterback with a reception and he would have been better off just letting the ball hit the ground. Cousins has been masterful with the ball when the run game could not be found and then floundered a bit when they actually showed up. He still completed 70% of his passes this week and continues to be one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league. The Jets offense is clicking right now, and Cousins is going to have to put up some points next week to continue the Vikings winning streak.
2018 Week 5 vs PHI (30 / 37 / 301 / 1 / 0 pass, 5 / 1 / 0 rush)
With no run game in sight, Cousins is leading this team with his arm again. For as great as he has been moving them up and down the field, he continues to struggle in the red zone. Cousins continues to rely on Diggs and Thielen in the passing game and does not seem to get Rudolph involved enough. He has several weapons at his disposal but favors 2 of them. He was very efficient with the ball, completing 81% of his passes this week. However, he only found the end zone once and forced Dan Bailey into 5 field goal attempts. His lone touchdown was a beautiful 3-yard fade route to Adam Thielen. Cousins put the ball just over the defender draped all over Thielen and low enough that the safety coming over could not make a play. Thielen was able to tap and drag his feet in the back corner of the end zone for the score. He also had a 68-yard catch and run play down the sideline to Thielen. This could have been a touchdown, but Thielen ran out of gas and was tackled in the red zone. Cousins is doing all of his damage through the air and is not getting a lot of help from the rushing offense. He should benefit greatly from a healthy Dalvin Cook, but there is no timeline for when that may happen. Cousins has a plus matchup next week against Arizona and should continue to put up big numbers for the next 2 weeks.
2018 Week 4 vs LAR (36 / 50 / 422 / 3 / 0 pass, 4 / 28 / 0 rush)
After disappearing in big moments for the Redskins, Cousins is doing everything he can to change the narrative and show that he can lead a team when it matters. Cousins went blow to blow with Goff in terms of yards but could not match the touchdown throws. He was also sacked 3 more times and lost 21 more yards on those sacks. Cousins had a chance with the ball at the end of the game but was sacked from behind and lost the ball. This was his chance to lead the Vikings down for another game tying drive at the end of the game, but it was taken away by horrendous offensive line play. He did throw 3 touchdowns and got Aldrick Robinson involved in his first game as a Viking. Robinson served on the practice team with Cousins when they played for the Redskins and showed an instant connection this week. The first pass was a 16-yard throw to a wide-open Robinson. He was standing all alone in the end zone after a blown assignment by the corner. The Rams were in zone coverage and the corner jumped up on an underneath receiver and left Robinson alone. The second pass was another beautifully thrown ball to Robinson in the back corner of the end zone. Both Rudolph and Robinson were in the area and it looked more like bad route running that worked out. You should never see 2 receivers in the same area, let alone hip to hip in the end zone. The final touchdown pass came to Adam Thielen directly up the seam. Cousins looked the safety off to the right and came back to Thielen up the seam. He then found Murray on a two-point conversion to bring the score within 3. There was only so much Cousins could do to keep his team in the game and unfortunately came up short in the end. He will face the defending world champs next week in Philadelphia.
2018 Week 3 vs BUF (40 / 55 / 296 / 1 / 1 pass, 2 / 2 / 0 rush)
This was the Cousins that Redskins fans remember. A quarterback that can move the ball down the field but not get it into the end zone. A quarterback that will turn the ball over at key times in the game and put his team in a hole they cannot climb out of. After back to back great games, Cousins put up a real dud for the Vikings. He may have had almost 300 yards and a touchdown, but he also put the ball on the ground 3 times and threw an interception. He tried to force the ball to Stefon Diggs but did not have any luck. The only receiver he seemed to be in sync with was Thielen, but he has been allergic to the end zone for the past two years. Cousins salvaged a big of fantasy value with a late touchdown to Rudolph. The pass was thrown into traffic in the direction of Rudolph who had run a comeback route. The Bills thought he had put the ball on the ground, but after a replay review the touchdown was confirmed. They then tried to connect on a two-point conversion on a very similar play, but the try failed. Cousins did not have any luck looking for Diggs or Thielen underneath and was unsuccessful every time he took a shot down the field. He put the ball on the ground 3 times and lost 2 of the fumbles. He was also sacked 4 times for a loss of 18 yards. The interception was a short check down pass over the middle to Latavius Murray where a big hit dislodged the ball and was caught by a diving linebacker. It was not a drop or a bad throw, but instead a great hit put on by the Bills. Cousins will have his work cut out for him next week against a revamped Rams defense in what could be the preview of a playoff matchup later in the year.
2018 Week 2 vs GB (35 / 48 / 425 / 4 / 1 pass, 2 / 5 / 0 rush)
When a team goes out and gives you the first ever fully guaranteed contract, this is the type of game they expect you to play. Cousins surpassed 400 yards for the first time with the Vikings and accounted for all 4 touchdowns. The rust and timing issues that he seemed to have with his top weapons from the preseason seem to have faded and he almost pulled an Aaron Rodgers against the Packers if it had not been for a rookie kicker missing 3 times. Cousins got the party started right after the Packers had scored on a blocked punt. After a great kick return, Cousins capped the drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Laquon Treadwell. The ball was thrown perfectly over the top to Treadwell who had found some room yard rush right up the seam. This was the receivers first touchdown catch of his career. He later rewards Cousins with a tipped ball for an interception that almost cost the Vikings the game. The second touchdown came on a quick out to Stefon Diggs. The receiver was called into motion, ran back and forth a few times to expose coverage, and then immediately broke outside on the snap for an easy 3-yard touchdown. The third touchdown also came to Diggs as was a 75-yard bomb down the right sideline. Diggs simply outran his coverage and Cousins put the ball right into his stride for the big touchdown. The final touchdown was a beautifully thrown ball between two defenders to Adam Thielen. Cousins laid it right into his chest as he was falling backwards into the end zone. This put the Vikings within 2 points of the tie and Cousins then hit Stefon Diggs in the corner or the end zone as the isolated receiver. This was a huge comeback late in a game against your rival. It is a shame it was ruined by the rookie kicker. Cousins will get another great matchup next week against the Bills.
2018 Week 1 vs SF (20 / 36 / 244 / 2 / 0 pass, 4 / 26 / 0 rush)
It was not an eye-popping day stat wise for Cousins, but he did manage to do enough to pull out the win for the Vikings. He was not overly accurate, completing only 55% of his passes, but he did show more chemistry with his receiving group and did have to endure three drops from his normally sure handed receivers. His best play of the day came on a 22-yard bullet down the sideline to Stefon Diggs. The ball was laid out perfectly to Diggs, who had a step on the corner in coverage, and led him right into the end zone. The second touchdown came on an 11-yard pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph right up the seam. Cousins took the snap in the gun and knew right away where he was going for the ball, finding Rudolph in the back of the end zone for the touchdown. While he may not have been as accurate as he wanted, he did show off his legs on a few occasions and even picked up a big 13-yard carry for a first down. There was one scary moment where he tried to dive forward on a run for a first down but was rudely met by a defender and stopped in his tracks. Cousins had lowered his head but managed to avoid any helmet to helmet contact but did take a big blow to his throwing shoulder. He could be seen wincing after the play but managed to stay in the game and pull off the victory.
Latest News
Vikings | Kirk Cousins finishes with two TDs (Sun Oct 14, 05:51 PM) - Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins went 24-for-34 for 233 yards, one touchdown and one interception against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6. He also rushed for 14 yards and one touchdown on four carries during the game. Our View: Cousins didn't have a big game with Stefon Diggs blotted out by Patrick Peterson, but his rushing touchdown helped keep him in the range of solid scores in the easy win for his team. He remains a strong QB1 heading into a matchup with the Jets.link to story Vikings | Kirk Cousins shined under pressure in Week 5 (Mon Oct 8, 02:39 PM) - Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins was pressured on 43.9 percent of his drop-backs in Week 5 against the Philadelphia Eagles, yet he finished 13-of-16 for 179 yards and a touchdown and posted a 134.1 passer rating in those situations, according to Pro Football Focus. link to story Vikings | Kirk Cousins efficient in Week 5 (Mon Oct 8, 01:43 AM) - Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins went 30-of-37 for 301 yards and a touchdown in Week 5 against the Philadelphia Eagles. link to story
Minnesota Vikings Team Links
Depth Chart Season Stats Targets Red Zone Game LogsFootballguys Articles
Free Agency Roundtable: Kirk Cousins to the VikingsPhil Alexander - March 22
Free Agency Roundtable: Under The Radar Signings
Phil Alexander - April 2
Free Agency Roundtable: Butterfly Effects
Phil Alexander - April 4
Injury Rounds: April Updates - Footballguys
Jene Bramel - April 29
2018 NFL Free Agency Winners and LosersAlessandro Miglio - March 25
8 Players to Draft After Round 9 - FootballguysPhil Alexander - June 18
Dynasty Trade Value Chart: July - FootballguysDan Hindery - July 2
Dynasty Trade Value Chart: May - FootballguysDan Hindery - May 2
Overvalued Players: Quarterbacks - FootballguysFBG Staff - June 4
Overvalued Players: Tight Ends - FootballguysFBG Staff - June 22
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Schedule
| 7 | @ New York Jets |
| 8 | vs New Orleans Saints |
| 9 | vs Detroit Lions |
| 10 | --- BYE WEEK --- |
| 11 | @ Chicago Bears |
| 12 | vs Green Bay Packers |
| 13 | @ New England Patriots |
| 14 | @ Seattle Seahawks |
| 15 | vs Miami Dolphins |
| 16 | @ Detroit Lions |
| 17 | vs Chicago Bears |
