A reunion that felt like it needed to happen actually did. The Minnesota Vikings parted with a third-round pick to bring back Kirk Cousins and find stability on the offensive side of the ball.
After the Kyler Murray-led offense struggled to find consistency, the situation became even more concerning when Carson Wentz was forced into action and endured a difficult outing against Buffalo. The trade for Cousins gives Minnesota a more proven, familiar option at quarterback as it looks to stabilize its offense.
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With a defense that is among the best in the league, many believe they are now a legitimate Super Bowl contender in the NFC. However, NFL legend Richard Sherman isn’t sure if he is ready to classify them that way yet.
Richard Sherman Remains Skeptical of Vikings With Kirk Cousins
So far this year, the quarterback has been the biggest Achilles’ heel for the Vikings. After giving Murray the starting nod, the returns were far from what the team expected. Ranked at number 27 on PFN’s Quarterback Impact Metric, he looked like the weak link for them.
As a result, offensive production suffered overall. That is where Cousins, who is already familiar with the system and is having a splendid year with the Las Vegas Raiders, could work his magic.
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That is the hope of the Vikings and the fan base. But Sherman will have to see it to believe it. On the latest episode of “The Richard Sherman Podcast,” he expressed his doubt about their viability, even though he had a ton of faith in Cousins specifically.
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“This system travels with him; he travels with it,” Sherman said about Cousins. “Wherever he goes, he’s running a very, very similar system to what he was running in Minnesota, to what he was running with Kyle Shanahan in Washington, what he’s running for Kubiak in Las Vegas. Kirko is going to run the West Coast, and he’s going to run it efficiently. He’s going to get his yards.”
So far this season, Cousins is top five in passing yards (2,340) and second in passing touchdowns (20), ranking at number 11 on PFN’s Quarterback Impact Metric. Now, with a top-flight talent like Justin Jefferson, the hope is that he can improve his play further.
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Yet, Sherman has doubts about the Vikings as a whole, arguing, “This elevates that Vikings team. I’m not sure they’re a contender. They’re still half-baked, but they’re definitely better today than they were yesterday.”
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It remains to be seen if the former Super Bowl champion is accurate in his assessment of the Vikings and their future. But with the addition of Cousins, it doesn’t look like the team has a clear-cut flaw on the roster anymore that could sink them any given week.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
