4 ways the Minnesota Vikings offense can improve in 2022

Allow Kirk Cousins’ freedom to flourish

Despite the slight speculation linking Kirk Cousins with a trade this offseason, his previous relationship with Kevin O’Connell meant it was never really entertained. Besides, the quarterback played well in 2021, and it’s not like there were any attainable upgrades available.

Cousins went over 4,000 passing yards once again last season. He was also responsible for 33 touchdowns with just seven interceptions en route to a Pro Bowl selection and an outstanding 88.2 grade from Pro Football Focus.

Extending Cousins to free-up cap space is something to debate. But keeping him on the books during O’Connell’s transition was the smart move.

What’s important for O’Connell and the Vikings is giving Cousins the freedom to flourish. Reports that the signal-caller wasn’t well-liked by Mike Zimmer should mean nothing now. This rekindled romance between the Michigan State product and his new head coach should get off on the right foot.

Allowing Cousins to dictate certain aspects of the offense and become more creative on the field could bring even additional production out of his game. There are some concerns with this approach, but the Minnesota Vikings have so much talent at the skill positions it’s hard to envisage a situation where this method fails.