COUSINS NOT LIVING UP TO HYPE
Viking being paid like an elite quarterback, but he hasn’t produced top-shelf results
Maybe the most profound take-away from the Minnesota Vikings paying Kirk Cousins a fully guaranteed US$84 million through the 2020 season is this: Imagine what a legitimate elite quarterback could command on the NFL’s open market.
Ten games into this season, the Vikings aren’t exactly getting what they paid for out of Cousins. It’s not that he’s stinking. His to-date stats are actually pretty good: 70.7 per cent completion rate, 7.2 yards per attempt, 19 touchdowns versus seven interceptions and a 99.3 passer rating.
But when you’re being paid like a top-five quarterback, you’re expected to perform like one. Especially in pivotal division showdowns. And in a year of offensive explosions and quarterback mastery in the NFL, Cousins overall has just been pretty good. Not elite. Not great. Definitely not top 10.
On Sunday night he wasn’t even pretty good in a 25-20 loss to the Chicago Bears in a game for first place in the NFC North. Games like this are why the Vikings paid Cousins so much money. They needed him to take the game over. He didn’t come close.
If the Vikes wanted a quarterback who too often overthrows open receivers downfield and too often dumps off at the first whiff of pressure — as Cousins did against the Bears — then they would have kept Case Keenum. Or Sam Bradford. Or Teddy Bridgewater.
But they wanted a discernible upgrade — a passer with moxie who doesn’t flinch on the biggest of stages, who could take this talented team to a Super Bowl.
Instead, Cousins’ critics are now a definite thing in Minneapolis as the Bears created some breathing room atop the division, improving to 7-3 while dropping Minnesota to 5-4-1 with both teams ahead of 4-5-1 Green Bay and 4-6 Detroit.
Mr. $84-million guaranteed has another chance to shine in prime time next Sunday night. The opposition? Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in a battle for second place in the NFC North. And perhaps for continued playoff contention.
With Alex Smith gone now for the year with two broken bones in his lower right leg, it’s Colt McCoy’s time to lead Washington. Thursday in Dallas will be his first NFL start since the year he joined the club in 2014, when he got a few starts as the club transitioned from Robert Griffin III to Cousins as the primary starter. That’s a lot of rust for the 32-year-old McCoy to shake off.
“I have confidence in Colt and always have,” Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said after Washington’s 23-12 home-field loss Sunday to Houston. “This is an opportunity of a lifetime for him … I think he’ll take advantage of it … I think he’s got the skill set that fits perfect for what we do.”
Gruden has been the primary offensive strategist for the Redskins since he took over as head coach in 2014, so this is the fifth year of working with McCoy.
What did Gruden say to him when he entered the game with 5:33 left in the third quarter after a Washington interception of Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson?
“Let’s go win a game,” Gruden said. “It’s your team now.”
McCoy nearly pulled it off. In the waning moments, McCoy nearly took Washington into winning field-goal range for kicker Dustin Hopkins. As it was, Hopkins attempted a 63-yard field goal at game’s end, which came up short.
Gruden lamented Smith’s double fracture “was very painful for him and heartbreaking for a lot of people. … These things happen in pro football, unfortunately. You just hate to see them happen to a guy like Alex.”
Reports Monday said Smith’s surgery went well and he’s expected to make a full recovery.
As the Redskins now need a backup passer with NFL experience, the team Monday signed Mark Sanchez. The 32-year-old quarterback is familiar with several of Washington’s assistants dating back to his run with the New York Jets.
The Buffalo Bills expect rookie quarterback Josh Allen to start Sunday against Jacksonville.
It will be the fourth straight game the Bills have changed starters at quarterback after Derek Anderson lost against New England on Oct. 29, Nathan Peterman lost against Chicago on Nov. 4 and Matt Barkley won at the New York Jets on Nov. 11.
Buffalo is 3-7, the same record as the massively underachieving Jaguars.
Barkley would start against the Jaguars if Allen proves unable.