How Kirk Cousins can finally change the narrative in 2022
By Luke Parrish
Cousins has to show up in November
Kirk Cousins is going to be on full display starting in mid-November with matchups against the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, and New England Patriots. The Bills will host Minnesota on November 13 in a game that is probably going to feature some nasty weather. Cousins has not seen much cold weather despite playing in Minnesota, but the sample hasn’t been great (think of the Bears game in 2021).
Buffalo has a dominant defense and potent offense that is going to give the Vikings a headache. Can Kirk Cousins defy the odds and pull off the upset? It is not a primetime game but any chance you get to outshine one of the league’s best is a chance to help your narrative.
He follows that up with a chance to redeem himself against the Dallas Cowboys, the team that beat him with a backup quarterback a season ago. Dallas is always a primetime opponent regardless of the time of kickoff because of how the media follows Dallas and the widespread fanbase that follows the franchise.
Even if this is not a true primetime game, this is going to have a ton of viewers. Kirk Cousins cannot afford to have a stinker in this game, but having a standout performance could do wonders for his legacy.
Then the Vikings have everyone’s attention once again as they host the Patriots on Thanksgiving in the final game of the triple-header. They close out the night with a matchup against Mac Jones and the Patriots. New England is heading somewhat in the wrong direction, but Minnesota has not had success against the Patriots.
A sigh of relief – hopefully – comes when the Vikings host the New York Jets in Week 13 with a few extra days of rest. The Jets have been brutally bad for a long time, but I do think they are building their roster the right way.
This could be a sneaky game for the Vikings to lose. New York has an exciting young offense and has poured resources into the defense this offseason. They are still a step away from being contenders in the AFC, but they will not be as easy of an opponent as they have been lately.