5 players the Minnesota Vikings need to be great in 2019
1. QB Kirk Cousins
On the surface, Cousins had a productive season last year (4,298 yards, 30 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 70.1 percent completion rate). But he faded as the season went on, topping 260 passing yards just twice over the final eight games (below 220 yards five times in that span, including four of five to finish the season), and he fumbled nine times overall (six lost).
Being constantly under pressure behind a bad offensive line, and absorbing 40 sacks, seems to have literally beaten some game out of Cousins as 2018 went on. That doesn’t fully excuse some of his odd mistakes, and a consistent failure to step up in the most important games dating back to his time with the Redskins.
It probably should have come in concert with their signing of Cousins a year ago, but the Vikings made an effort to surround him with a better situation this offseason. An offense rooted in principles Kubiak favors should suit Cousins well, with his proficiency as a play-action passer in mind, and offensive line pieces were added via the draft and free agency.
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Cousins is what he is at this point, which is hardly a great quarterback in the way we think of it. But he has to at least threaten that level this year, or the Vikings will fall short of expectations again and the job security of the head coach and general manager will be called into question.