5 Vikings players to watch in Week 3 against the Raiders

Kirk Cousins – QB

There is no way to sugar coat it, Kirk Cousins was a big stinking turd in Week 2 against the Packers. He turned the ball over three times, was missing open receivers, was indecisive in the pocket, and overall made poor decisions with the football. His play wasn’t the only reason the Vikings lost against their rivals for the first time in two years, but it was a big part of it.

Cousins simply has to be better moving forward. He can’t make poor decisions like that terrible interception in the endzone on first and goal, throwing off his back foot. That is something a rookie quarterback would do and Cousins is far from that. The Minnesota Vikings are paying this man well and he has to play better, it’s that simple.

Cousins needs to realize that he now has a running game and doesn’t need to make all the throws like he did a season ago. He can take what the defense gives him in the passing game, and keep handing the ball off to Dalvin Cook, realizing that #33 can take it to the house on any given carry.

After Kirk Cousins’ game in Lambeau, all eyes are going to be on him this week against the Raiders. He needs to trust in his ability and just find the open receivers and give them a chance to catch the ball and not force throws that aren’t there. This is a good game for Cousins to get back on track, and he should be able to do that against a substandard Oakland defense at home.