4 takeaways from the play of Kirk Cousins vs. the Bengals in Week 1
By Dean Jones
Cousins had an impressive stat line
Kirk Cousins might not have led the Vikings to an opening day victory at the Bengals. But his end-of-game statistics were actually quite pleasing and something the organization can definitely build on ahead of some tough challenges in the coming weeks.
Coming from behind is always going to come with plenty of yardage. The Vikings had to throw the football a lot more than they’re normally accustomed to on occasions, although the contribution made by running back Dalvin Cook also saw Minnesota almost snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
The Bengals might not be world-beaters compared to others around the league. However, they had all the momentum in this one for a long time before Cousins finally started getting in a rhythm behind an offensive line that was lacking the necessary discipline.
Cousins completed 73.46 percent of his passes for 351 yards through the air, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 106.8. His QBR was 46.7.
Not exactly elite level. But not terrible by any stretch of the imagination.
Stats don’t always tell the full story, obviously. Cousins struggled mightily in the first half, and although he picked things up after, the signal-caller needs to take his fair share of the blame for what transpired in Week 1.