NFL record predictions for the 2018 regular season
By Ian Cummings
Minnesota Vikings
This prediction was a particularly easy one.
Let’s not kid ourselves and act like Kirk Cousins isn’t an upgrade over Case Keenum. He is. Cousins has three solid seasons under his belt, and although he has yet to prove himself in the big games, he hasn’t quite had the opportunity in Washington. Jay Gruden deserves credit for what he made Cousins into, but Cousins also deserves credit for performing despite injuries and defensive inconsistencies all throughout his three years.
While the Washington Redskins moved on from Cousins, and subsequently formed the roster he never had the privilege of being on, Cousins himself hit the market in search of the right situation. He found that with the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings’ offense is nearly elite. Minnesota has the playmakers at wide receiver and tight end, as well as a high-upside running back in Dalvin Cook. The offensive line could use more work; Cousins’ line in Washington was always better than what the Vikings have, save for the middle of the 2017 season, when injuries were in full effect.
Still, in Minnesota, Cousins has a strong supporting cast that he can use to hone his skills, and he finally has a top shelf defense to help pick up the slack where he falls short. Granted, the Washington Redskins defense has the potential to be similar in 2018, but the Vikings were proven to be dominant last year, and in 2018, they’ve only gotten better, adding players like Sheldon Richardson and Mike Hughes.
With a top-three defense in the NFL, it’s exciting to see what Kirk Cousins can do. But the pressure is also mounting. He only flirted with the playoffs in Washington. Now, with a talented team and a proven playoff head coach, Cousins will be expected to win. And in 2018, he’ll meet those expectations, more or less on the back of the Vikings’ dominant defense.