Kirk Cousins delivered for the Minnesota Vikings the type of performance expected from, and demanded by, his big contract.
Passing for 219 yards and three touchdowns over the fourth quarter and overtime at Green Bay, Cousins guided the Vikings back from a 13-point deficit to forge a tie with the Packers, despite an interception and many mistakes by the rest of the team.
Given this was his first NFC North game and first on the road against Minnesota’s primary rival, there was a statement made that afternoon at Lambeau Field.
“I’ve seen Kirk do those things before, so it just solidified what type of leader he is,” offensive co-ordinator John DeFilippo said. “You’re never out of the game.”
The Vikings (1-0-1) are fifth in the NFL in total yards, entering Sunday against winless Buffalo. Cousins, however, was quick to point out the Vikings had only seven points through three quarters at Green Bay.
“We’d love to be more explosive throughout the game as opposed to more concentrated to late in the game,” Cousins said. “We want to be an offence that can strike at any time, but also be a threat from the first quarter all the way through the last.”
The Bills have a long way to go to get there, having handed their quarterback job to rookie Josh Allen during their blowout loss at Baltimore in the opener. The seventh overall pick in the draft showed some progress last week, but with an unsettled offensive line and a lack of game-breaking receivers, this season figures to be a steep learning curve for Allen.
“All these trials and tribulations that I’m going to go through my rookie year,” he said, “are only going to help in the long run.”
The Bills were outscored 75-9 over their first six quarters until making modest improvement in the second half last week. What changed? Well, coach Sean McDermott took over the play-calling duty from defensive co-ordinator Leslie Frazier, his long-time friend and mentor. They will collaborate now.