NFL: 4 quarterbacks who deserve to be benched before Week 3
By John Buhler
Minnesota Vikings. player. 60. Scouting Report. QB. Kirk Cousins. 2. Pick Analysis
2020 is not the start anybody associated with the Minnesota Vikings were hoping for. With Super Bowl aspirations, the Vikings now find themselves in the dreaded 0-2 hole before the end of the September. They are now a long shot to win the NFC North, or even make it into the postseason field. Though there’s plenty of blame to go around, Kirk Cousins is sure be a primary scapegoat.
After playing decently in Week 1’s barn burner home loss to the division rival Green Bay Packers, Cousins played one of the worst games of his career vs. the not very great Indianapolis Colts. Cousins completed 11-of-26 passes for 113 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions. He was sacked three in the 28-11 road defeat to Indianapolis in Week 2. Is it Sean Mannion Time?
If Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer wants to make it Mannion Time, he’s going to have a bad time vs. Derrick Henry, Ryan Tannehill and the battering ram offense of the Tennessee Titans. Week 3 might be at home, but this is an absolute must-win for the Vikings to save their swiftly sinking season. If they fall to 0-3, their game in Week 4 vs. the Houston Texans could be a cross-off game.
It may be way too early for Zimmer to seriously think about benching Cousins, but he looked flat-out atrocious against the already dead quarterbacking corpse of Philip Rivers. Indianapolis may have been embarrassed last week down in Jacksonville, but this performance was even more embarrassing for Cousins and Vikings fans. If it’s Mannion Time, it’s time to look towards the draft.