Minnesota Vikings player rankings: Week 7 edition

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 14: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings runs into the end zone with the ball for a touchdown in the third quarter of the game against the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 14, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) /

7. Xavier Rhodes (Down 1 spot)

Usually a shutdown corner, Rhodes has been struggling during the 2018 campaign to match the play he has enjoyed the last few seasons. In fact, the last three games have found him defending only one pass.

Still, Rhodes has been good in run support, notching five tackles against the Cardinals where all of them were unassisted. But it would be nice to see him making more plays on the ball and possibly causing more turnovers or incomplete passes in the future.

6. Kirk Cousins (Down 1 spot)

There were some good things from Cousins in this game, particularly his accuracy in connecting on 24 of his 34 passing attempts despite 6 of them being batted down at the line of scrimmage and his dart of a touchdown throw to Thielen.

However, Cousins made a horrible decision under duress that ended up being an interception and fumbled when the offensive line failed to protect him in the pocket. Two turnovers in one game is not acceptable, but the good thing is that he hasn’t made many bad throws since arriving in Minnesota.

5. Danielle Hunter (Up 2 spots)

The Vikings pass rush was expected to struggle in a big way with Everson Griffen out, but replacing him opposite the left tackle only made Hunter’s efforts and developments as a pass rusher even more obvious.

Hunter’s stat line: five tackles, three of them solo, three quarterback hits, two sacks, and a partridge in a pear tree. This is further proof that the massive contract Minnesota gave him will be well-earned and was a smart investment in the future of the defensive line.

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