Why Kirk Cousins has earned another contract from the Vikings
By Adam Patrick
He proved he can win in the playoffs
Before Sunday in New Orleans, the same narratives about Kirk Cousins were being used over and over again by a number of people who cover the NFL for a living.
Everyone just continued to regurgitate the notion that Cousins isn’t capable of shining when the lights are the brightest and nothing was going to change for the quarterback when he attempted to lead the Vikings to a win over the heavily favored Saints.
But then Cousins went out and let his play do the talking. Minnesota’s quarterback only threw for 242 yards and one touchdown, but he made a number of big-time throws that resulted in his team upsetting New Orleans. Of his 19 completions against the Saints, 10 of them resulted in first downs for the Vikings.
Unlike some of his previous performances in a Minnesota uniform, Cousins showed no fear on Sunday. He displayed his toughness while taking some big shots in the pocket and he wasn’t afraid to take chances deep down the field.
With all of his doubters already assuming he was going to lose in New Orleans anyways, Cousins was able to play free and not worry about taking risks.
Even if the Vikings’ season ends in the divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers next week, the performance from Minnesota’s starting signal-caller on Sunday still proved that he is fully capable of stepping up in the playoffs when his team needs him the most.