Will Kirk Cousins be better or worse for the Vikings in 2019?

He just doesn’t have “it”

Kirk Cousins, while being very well paid, does not have a winning record in his NFL career as a starter. He’s 34-37-2 since he entered the league in 2012 and this record leads many to wonder if the guy just doesn’t have “it.”

As the band Faith No More once said, “What is it?” The “it” is that ability to lead a team back to a victory when all looks lost. We’ve seen Aaron Rodgers do this time and time again, as well as other greats like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Brett Favre.

Cousins often became part of the problem when things started going bad for the Vikings in 2018. He didn’t rise up and carry this team on his well-compensated back.

The only time he came close to doing this last season was during Minnesota’s Week 2 game against the Green Bay Packers. Cousins dug deep and willed the Vikings back into that matchup, hanging tough in the pocket and making some truly jaw-dropping throws.

This guy is a master motivator and he always gets his teammates fired up before games with his electrifying pre-game speeches. It would be nice to see his play on the field be what actually does the talking and motivating for Minnesota in 2019.

There will be no more excuses for Cousins next season. His offensive line is improved, he is in an offense that suits his skill set, and he has better weapons around him.

If Cousins doesn’t improve in 2019, the rumblings will turn to screams that No. 8 just doesn’t have “it”.