Kirk Cousins Weekly Review: Week 1 vs. the Green Bay Packers

Low No. 2

Two questionable decisions  — the INT and the 4th-and-3 gamble

Kirk Cousins only tallied six interceptions in all of 2019. But to begin the 2020 season, he’s got one in the naughty column.

With less than a minute to go in the first half last week, the 32-year-old took a 2nd-and-10 snap from center Garrett Bradbury and rifled a pass in the direction of his favorite target, Adam Thielen. The throw was errant and Packers corner Jaire Alexander stymied the Vikings’ aspirations of scoring before the end of the half.

It was a bad throw, through and through. In 2019, a handful of Cousins’ picks were earnestly no fault of his own. This wasn’t one of those. The ball entered Thielen’s bubble, sort of, but the pass was doomed from the onset of the delivery.

Later on in the third quarter, Minnesota elected to gamble with a fourth-down decision. They had three yards to go on Green Bay’s 39-yard line. Cousins took the snap, looked in the direction of newcomer Tajaé Sharpe (for the only time of the game), and fired incomplete.

The Vikings only needed three yards, but Cousins went for broke. Had the play materialized, it would have been lauded for its brilliance. It didn’t and was therefore was perceived as mildly boneheaded.