3 Vikings franchise records that can be broken in 2022
By Luke Parrish
Kirk Cousins can set the single-season passing record under Kevin O’Connell
While he still has a ways to go for the franchise record for career passing yards, Kirk Cousins can reach the single-season mark set by Daunte Culpepper back in 2004 when he threw for 4,717 yards.
Cousins currently holds the franchise’s second and third-best single-season marks after tossing for 4,298 (2018) and 4,265 (2020) yards in his short time with the team. He just needs to add a little over 400 yards in his second season with a 17th game which is certainly within the realm of possibility.
In his first season with Kevin O’Connell, Matthew Stafford threw for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns en route to a Super Bowl with the Rams. Cousins can find similar success and his star wide receiver will help him along the way.
If Cousins can improve on his 35 touchdown passes thrown in 2020, he can also set the single-season mark for touchdowns in a season, which Culpepper set with 39 back in 2004. Regardless of how Kirk is viewed by fans around the league, his stats are always worth taking a second look at.
The arrival of Kevin O’Connell from Sean McVay’s tree should indicate that the Vikings are going to be a bit more aggressive in the passing game and hopefully they will not become conservative with the lead. If they truly believe in Cousins, they will let him put games away through the air.
Adding 400 yards and four touchdowns to his season should be a reasonable goal for Kirk Cousins, especially if the Vikings improve his offensive line. He can re-write Vikings history with a strong campaign in 2022.