4 takeaways from the play of Kirk Cousins vs. the Panthers in Week 6

What were some key observations from the performance of Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins at the Carolina Panthers?

It’s never easy. For the Minnesota Vikings, this has been the way for a long time.

With another win all but secured late on the road against the Carolina Panthers, the Vikings allowed the hosts to get themselves back into the contest after being down 11 points with five minutes to go. And a missed Greg Joseph field goal as time expired forced the game into overtime.

Thankfully, Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins left no doubt on the first drive overtime to lead his team down the field and secure a much-needed victory ahead of the Vikings’ bye week.

This puts the Vikings at 3-3, which could be much better had it not been for some crucial errors in key moments. Not only this, but Cousins is playing arguably the best football of his career and just might give Minnesota a shot at making some playoff noise when it’s all said and done.

With this in mind, here are four observations from the performance of Cousins at the Panthers in Week 6.

Observation No. 1

Cousins got Thielen going

There were slight concerns emerging about the production of Adam Thielen heading into the game. Thankfully, Cousins remained confident in his Pro Bowl wide receiver and made a concerted effort to get him going early.

This allowed Thielen to generate some early momentum. Something that was of critical importance for a player that hadn’t reached more than 60 receiving yards since Week 1.

Thielen was everywhere on the field and made plays consistently, finishing with 11 catches from 13 targets for 126 yards and a touchdown. Hopefully, this is a trend that can continue over Minnesota’s remaining 11 games.