Top 5 moments from the first quarter of the Vikings’ 2018 season

1. Cousins leads the Vikings to a comeback in Lambeau

After a successful 2017 season with Case Keenum under center that ended with Minnesota playing in the NFC Championship, some were surprised when the Vikings opted to go after high-priced quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency this year.

But Minnesota wanted a starting signal-caller that could lead the team past the NFC Championship and into the Super Bowl. Obviously, the Vikings believed Cousins gave them a better chance at accomplishing this goal than Keenum did.

In his first start for Minnesota this season in Week 1, the team’s new quarterback wasn’t spectacular, but he played smart and did what was needed for the Vikings to get a win over the 49ers. Cousins finished with 244 passing yards and two touchdowns against San Francisco.

It wasn’t until Minnesota’s Week 2 matchup with the Green Bay Packers that Vikings fans were able to fully understand why their favorite team gave $84 million to Cousins to be their stating signal-caller for the next three seasons.

Minnesota Vikings

After some early mistakes, Minnesota found themselves down 20-7 to the Packers as they entered the fourth quarter. With not much working on offense, the Vikings decided to let Cousins loose.

Over the next 15 minutes, the Minnesota quarterback tossed three touchdowns (including a 75-yard bomb to Stefon Diggs) and the team was able to tie the game up at 29 apiece, sending the contest into overtime.

Unfortunately, the Vikings ended up leaving Green Bay with a tie, but the impressive performance by Cousins at least helped Minnesota avoid suffering a loss.

In just his second-career game with the Vikings, the veteran quarterback threw for 425 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. It was the first time a Minnesota passer threw for at least 425 yards and four scores in a single contest since 2004.

Cousins’ play in Week 2 is exactly why the Vikings did everything they could to land him in free agency this past offseason. Now, Minnesota just hopes that their new quarterback can help the team get back on track to being a Super Bowl contender once again this year.