Kirk Cousins shares blame but was far from only issue with 2018 Vikings

While Kirk Cousins over the long haul is a clear upgrade over Case Keenum in the aggregate, topping the 2017 season that Keenum had with the Vikings is no easy task. He had a 22-7 TD/INT ratio, led three game-winning drives and posted a 93.9 rating in 2017. He bested even the wildest expectations of his play, but he hadn’t done enough in his career to convince the front office it was anything but a fluke year. It didn’t help that he lacked star power, either.

Once again, on paper, Cousins exceeded many of those marks. In 2018, he threw for 30 touchdowns, about 700 more yards than Keenum the year before, had a higher completion percentage and average yards per attempt, and posted a higher rating. On the other hand, there were no game-winning drives. Put up all the gaudy numbers you want; if the wins aren’t there, the NFL take machine will train its barrels directly at you.

Accordingly, the headlines are as hyperbolic as they are excoriating. “Kirk Cousins is officially an $84 million bust,” bleated Bleacher Report. A common refrain in these stories is overall contract totals. In the grand scheme, $84 million isn’t really that much, even for the three years the Vikings have him locked down. It’s the fact that Cousins has the rare fully guaranteed deal that really lights the fire under these takes. And given that one of those seasons is already past, it’s not that great of an investment for Minnesota to count on him for two more.

Certainly, Cousins had some down games for the Vikings in 2018, but his play was nowhere near disappointing enough that the team should seriously consider not bringing him back in 2019, even if it didn’t mean swallowing a ton of guaranteed money. Maybe the team realizes he’s not capable of singlehandedly winning games when other key facets of the offense aren’t working, as they weren’t often throughout the season, but really few thought that of Cousins even before he signed with the Vikings.

The offensive line and running game for Minnesota were far less consistent in 2018 than the season before. Cousins was sacked 40 times on the season, nearly double the 22 times Keenum went down in 2017. Sacks can be on the quarterback, though anyone who watched the Week 17 loss to the Bears shouldn't think Cousins was constantly mired by indecision. He was harried then, as he was several times over the course of the season.

Whereas the Vikings easily outrushed opponents in 2017, the ground game regressed this season, dropping the season output by nearly 20 percent in yardage, while the defense, impressive overall, was less impressive against the run compared to 2017. New offensive coordinator John DeFilippo didn’t last his entire first season in Minnesota before being dispatched.

The Vikings need to regain an identity on offense and find a play caller they trust going into 2019. Given what happened with Norv Turner in 2017, that’s been an issue for some time with them. Cousins' well-known struggles in big games and squabbles with Adam Thielen aside, the team is still in decent shape, though knowing that the Bears are a challenge in addition to a Packers team no longer held back by Mike McCarthy creates anxiety looking within the division. Re-signing Anthony Barr will be key to keeping a very good defense intact, but maybe with another year to gel and not being weighed down by expectations, the Vikes might actually take someone by surprise in 2019.