6 biggest takeaways from the Vikings loss to the Packers in Week 17
By Adam Carlson
Fans should already miss Kirk Cousins
The noise surrounding Kirk Cousins as the quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings has been intensely loud. While some criticize his playstyle, others point to his salary or leadership qualities as reasons they don’t care for the former Washington passer.
Week 17 put backup Sean Mannion on the field against the Packers and the results weren’t good. He was He handled all but three passes for Minnesota on the day, with rookie third-string quarterback Kellen Mond picking up the rest.
The Vikings passed the ball 39 times on the night, completing 24 of those throws for 179 yards and one touchdown while absorbing two sacks. On the surface, those numbers don’t sound too bad, but when you average five yards per pass attempt and only get eight first downs through the air, that’s not good at all.
There is no doubt that this passing offense would have been more competitive with Kirk Cousins at the helm. When the most exciting receptions of the day come from K.J. Osborn and center Garrett Bradbury instead of Justin Jefferson, you know things aren’t going as planned.