Minnesota Vikings: What to Expect from Kirk Cousins in 2018

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Reasons To Be Concerned

The biggest concerns with Cousins have always been turnovers and poor under pressure passing.  According to Football Outsiders, Kirk Cousins was worse under pressure than Teddy Bridgewater from 2014-2015 and significantly worse than Case Keenum in 2017. It should also be noted that Cousins say less pressure than Bridgewater and Keenum in those years as well.

Re-watching film gave me the impression that Kirk Cousins tends to play “hero” ball at times. I could tell he was trying to make a big play late in games but maybe should have just tried to continue the drive. I counted on average of three games per season where Kirk Cousins threw a late interception in a game that was still close.

Cousins does have a low sack rate, but as noted above he’s not particularly good against pressure. This is perhaps where Cousins could actually result in a step back compared to Case Keenum.

Say what you want about Case Keenum, but one thing is for sure, he had a sixth-sense in 2017 that I don’t recall seeing in quite some time. It just seemed that Keenum knew a split second before the blind side rush was going to get to him that it was coming and he could avoid it.

Statistically, Keenum was among the best against pressure. Part of the reason was Keenum’s sixth-sense but Keenum’s ability to move around the pocket and pass on the run was outstanding as well. Unfortunately,these are undeniable weaknesses in Kirk Cousins’ game.

Going into the first preseason game of the 2018 season, the Vikings are already sporting an offensive line rife with injuries. This is an offensive line labeled as one of the worst in the league by Pro Football Focus. Cousins could be facing pressure in volumes he hasn’t seen in his career, so he’s going have to improve in that area or it could be a very disappointing first season with the Vikings.

Next Page: Wrapping It Up

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