New Orleans will get after Cousins
Watching last week’s game against the Bears, it’s clear that the Vikings offensive line is light-years away from competing in meaningful games.
Against Chicago’s strong front seven, Minnesota allowed 17 pressures on 41 dropbacks, which was the sixth-highest rate in the NFL in Week 16. If the Bears can get in Kirk Cousins‘ face as much as they did, it spells trouble for the Vikings as they head to New Orleans.
The Saints are coming off an effort in which they pressured Patrick Mahomes a league-high 24 times on 54 dropbacks. While Mahomes was still able to lead the Chiefs to victory, his job wasn’t easy as Trey Hendrickson, Carl Granderson, and others were able to get into the backfield routinely.
This is a major problem for the Vikings whose offensive line issues have grown larger in recent weeks. With the team stubbornly sticking to Dakota Dozier, who is currently Pro Football Focus’ worst left guard in the NFL, Minnesota will have issues with keeping Cousins upright.
With Cousins posting a 31.3 passer rating while under pressure last week, the Vikings will have to figure things out upfront if they want to stand a chance in this game.