Kirk Cousins has faced harsh criticism for his first season with the Minnesota Vikings after signing a three-year, $84 million contract with the club last offseason.

In reality, Cousins' numbers were hardly bad. He threw for 4,298 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 70.1 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 99.7.

However, the Vikings' offense languished overall, as Minnesota ended up going 8-7-1 and missing the playoffs, one year after winning 13 games and making it all the way to the NFC Championship Game.

Plus, it didn't seem like Cousins had the best camaraderie with his receivers.

But it's a new year for Cousins, and he seems committed to being better.

So, here are three last-minute predictions for the 31-year-old quarterback heading into 2019.

3. He'll Throw Under 10 Interceptions

Cousins has been a full-time starter for four years, and never once has he thrown under 10 interceptions. This will be the first year he does that.

Part of Cousins' offseason involved getting on the same page as his receivers, which should lead to better communication between him, Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen and the rest of the Vikings' receiving corps this season.

That means Cousins's number of picks should dip from a year ago, and it's not like Cousins was throwing the ball all over the place in 2018 to begin with.

If Cousins can take care of the football, Minnesota will have a great shot of making some noise in the NFC North and making the playoffs.

2. He'll Throw the Ball Much Less

Cousins let it rip 606 times in 2018, which ranked fourth in the NFL.

Chances are, that number will drop a bit this season, as Dalvin Cook is now healthy and the Vikings will probably be running the ball considerably more as a result.

Plus, given that Cousins' first year in Minnesota didn't really work out, the Vikes will likely want to mix things up and cut down on the amount of passes that Cousins throws.

I'm not saying he'll throw the ball 450 times, but think more around 500-550 and not up there with Ben Roethlisberger as one of the top gunslingers in the league.

1. He'll Still Get Criticized

While the Vikings certainly have a chance to make the playoffs, it's going to be tough, considering they play in a division that also houses the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.

Also, with clubs like the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles seeming poised to be better than they were a year ago, qualifying for the postseason is going to be a fight for Minnesota in 2019.

Let me tell you this: if and when the Vikings miss the playoffs, it won't matter how well Cousins played throughout the year: he will be criticized.

Part of that reason is because he signed a contract that many didn't think he was worth. Another part is because there is already a stigma out there about Cousins that he is merely a dink-and-dunk passer who can't get it done on the big stage.

Whether that's true or not is debatable, because his arm actually isn't that weak, but when you throw the ball 606 times and can barely muster 4,000 yards, something is up.

The point is, Cousins will almost surely face some sort of criticism this season unless the Vikings have an outstanding year.