4 takeaways from the play of Kirk Cousins vs. the Bengals in Week 1
By Dean Jones
What were some key takeaways from the performance of Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins in Week 1 at the Cincinnati Bengals?
After an eventful offseason for Kirk Cousins, the Minnesota Vikings quarterback finally got the chance to get back down to business on the field at the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. While his COVID-19 vaccine status remains a cloud and a potential problem for the team, the Pro Bowl signal-caller is still a vital cog in what head coach Mike Zimmer is trying to accomplish this season.
Truth be told, every distraction a player has is put to one side when they step onto the gridiron. This was a big opportunity for the Vikings to get their season off on the right foot, which the team failed to do as they suffered a heartbreaking overtime loss on the road.
Week 1 of the season always comes with some good and bad thrown in for good measure. Especially considering it’s been two weeks since any starters saw meaningful time on the field with only three warmup fixtures on the schedule.
Cousins and the Vikings now have much work to do with some tricky upcoming games on the schedule. They can ill-afford the same slow start that cost them so dear in 2020 in pursuit of making an instant return to the postseason.
With this in mind, here are four key takeaways from Cousins‘ performance in Week 1.