Even if they weren't playing this week, the comparisons between Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold were always inevitable. Cousins spent the peak of his career as QB1 for the Minnesota Vikings and he helped generate some memorable moments for the team during the last few years.
In six years with the Vikings, Cousins threw for over 23,000 yards and 170 touchdowns. The offenses he, Justin Jefferson, and Stefon Diggs led were some of the NFL's most prolific.
Then, as always is the case with Cousins, the time came for him to trick some team into giving him a wild, top-of-market contract this past offseason. Minnesota balked – probably because of, you know, the whole 36-year-old coming off a torn Achilles thing – the Falcons were more than willing to "win the offseason," and the rest is history.
Since then, Darnold has only made the Vikings look smarter. That was once again the case during Cousins's homecoming on Sunday, and a third-quarter touchdown pass to Jefferson really put the whole past six months into a nice moment of perspective.
Week 14 performance from Sam Darnold latest example of why Minnesota Vikings were right about Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins
Darnold finished Minnesota's 21-point win over the Falcons on Sunday with an impressive 347 passing yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions. But it was his third touchdown toss of the matchup that really proved how much of an upgrade he has been for the Vikings this season over Cousins.
Calm, cool and collected.
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 8, 2024
Sam Darnold hits @JJettas2 DEEEEEP for 6.
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/FsQMTn2d4z
It's not even that Darnold is helping Jefferson find a new level to his game – Vikings fans certainly saw plenty of huge plays between Cousins and Jefferson during their time together – but the sort of mobility in the clip above just isn't a part of Cousins's game anymore. Being in your late 30s on a surgically-repaired Achilles will do that to you.
Meanwhile, Cousins looks exactly as washed as you'd expect him to look, and the Falcons are on the hook for roughly 10 billion dollars over the next 15,000 years of his contract.
With the "start-Michael-Penix Jr." conversations already in full swing in Atlanta, Vikings fans can't help but be a little smug about how well the decision to let him walk has aged (not to mention how many NFL analysts thought it was the wrong decision at the time).
One play obviously doesn't validate such a large decision one way or the other, but it does serve as a nice reminder that the Vikings seem to be in good hands up in the front office. And it provides a little hope that, uh, they should be ready to do it again in a few months.