Ranking the 4 starting QBs of the NFC North through 9 weeks

1. Kirk Cousins — Minnesota Vikings

It says something about the state of the division that Cousins has such a clear case to be the No. 1 quarterback.

Statistically, there’s nothing special about what Cousins is doing. He’s completing 64.8 percent of his passes and averaging 249.9 yards per game. He’s thrown 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. His passer rating is 89.5. Those are middling numbers.

Cousins doesn’t stand head and shoulders above the competition in anything but win percentage. In that measure, it isn’t close.

The Vikings are 7-1 and in complete control of the division. That record is heavily influenced by the fact that Minnesota’s defense is considerably better than the others in the division.

But it’s not just defense keeping the losses away. It’s the fact that Cousins isn’t making the big mistakes that would hurt his team, the way his counterparts have been guilty far too often.

In fact, Cousins’ only real subpar performance was a three-interception nightmare against the Eagles. That was the only time the Vikings failed to score 20 points or more. There’s a reason Minnesota in undefeated in the other seven games they’ve played this year.