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The Minnesota Vikings will hit the road to face the Chicago Bears in an NFC North clash in Week 4. For the Vikings to win, they're going to need Kirk Cousins to have his best game of the season on Sunday.
Over the course of the offseason, Minnesota made some adjustments to their offense. Instead of throwing it 40-50 times a game, the Vikings have elected to have their offense go through Dalvin Cook.
Through three games, Cook has rushed for a league-high 375 yards; while Cousins has only mustered 502 yards through the air. Along with his yards, the handsomely paid quarterback has just three touchdowns and two interceptions to begin the season.
Nevertheless, Cousins may need to throw a bit more in Week 4 against an elite Bears defense. Cousins has attempted only 63 passes this season after tying his career-high with 606 passing attempts in 2018.
The Vikings are going to need to be able to move the ball to win the game and Cousins is a vital part of that. With that in mind, here are three bold predictions for the Vikings quarterback against Chicago.
3. Cousins Won't Turn the Ball Over
At first glance, saying Cousins won't turn the ball over on Sunday is a subtle shot at the Vikings quarterback. However, it is actually indicative of how good Chicago's defense is this season. Or is it a mixture of both?
The Bears defense has managed to bring in four interceptions this season and are coming off of a game where they forced five turnovers on the Washington Redskins. Also, Cousins didn't fare well when facing Chicago in 2018.
In the two games he played against the Bears, the veteran quarterback totaled 394 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. Considering that, it'd be surprising to see Cousins coming out of Sunday's game with no turnovers in the box score.
2. Cousins Will Throw for 275 Yards
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Again, with the running game becoming the focal point of the offense, Cousins hasn't been asked to put the ball in the air much. This week is a bit different though against a Bears defense that allows 68.7 rushing yards per game (fifth-best in the NFL).
The Vikings have more than enough weapons to be able to make enough plays to win this game. Even so, it still will come down to whether or not Cousins is efficient and protects the football.
In his first three games of the season, Cousins' season-high in passing yards is 230. On Sunday, the 31-year-old quarterback will exceed that number and throw for 275 yards on a talented Bears secondary.
1. Cousins Will Throw Three Touchdowns
The Bears have been masterful on defense and haven't given up more than two touchdowns in any game this season. In addition, Chicago has only allowed opposing team's to score four touchdowns in their first three games.
While those numbers may be true, Cousins will be the first quarterback to throw for three touchdowns against the Bears in 2019. When you have Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, completing three touchdowns can be obtainable.
The Bears are going to focus on slowing down Cook and force Cousins to beat them. The veteran quarterback will need to deliver on Sunday if the Vikings want to improve to 3-1 on the young season.
