5 Bold Predictions: Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions – Week 3

Kirk Cousins will have his first 300-yard game of the year

Remember that talk about the Lions being a security blanket for the Vikings? That statement is especially true for Kirk Cousins.

Since coming to Minnesota in 2018, Cousins has posted a 7-1 record against the Lions. In those eight games, Cousins has averaged 279 yards per game with 18 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, and a 122.0 passer rating. These are the type of games that help him make a case to get a fully guaranteed contract, but it will be a bigger challenge against the Lions this time around.

Detroit has blitzed on 41.7 percent of their snaps this season, which ranks fourth in the NFL over the first two weeks. This falls into Cousins’ favor historically as only Teddy Bridgewater, Drew Brees, and Patrick Mahomes have a higher passer rating against the blitz over the past three seasons. But that hasn’t played out in the early weeks of the season.

According to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, Cousins ranks fourth-worst in the NFL with a 51.5 passer rating against the blitz over the first two weeks. He especially struggled against the Eagles in Week 2 with a 32.7 passer rating when pressured.

That being said, there are a lot of factors that point in Cousins’ favor. The game is on a Sunday. The Lions have a suspect secondary. Minnesota’s offensive line has only allowed Cousins to be pressured on 36.1 percent of his dropbacks and he’ll play the game in the friendly confines of U.S. Bank Stadium.

This is where Cousins shines, and he’ll continue to do so on Sunday.