The Minnesota Vikings haven't played bad at all during the first two game weeks of the 2023 NFL season, contrary to what their 0-2 record might state on the surface. Quarterback Kirk Cousins, in particular, has been doing his best to lead the Vikings offense as they fell short once again during their Week 2 clash against the Philadelphia Eagles in a 34-28 nail-biter.
Cousins completed 31 of his 44 passing attempts on the night for a total of 364 yards, and to top it all off, the Vikings quarterback threw four passes for touchdowns — now leading the league in the early goings of the season with a total of six TDs. Just to make things even better, Cousins did not throw an interception and he only lost the ball once.
Following that strong performance against the Eagles, Kirk Cousins achieved a feat that won't reflect well at all on the rest of the Vikings squad given their inability to get the win. Per OptaSTATS, Cousins is the first QB in NFL history to throw for 700 or more yards on a 70 percent completion rate over the first two games of a season and end up losing both times.
Article Continues BelowThat won't be easy on the Vikings' mental game at all, as it's not exactly going to be a welcome sight for the team to see Cousins do whatever he can to put his team in a position of victory yet fail to get in the win column.
Kirk Cousins, of course, hasn't been perfect, as there have been plenty of times throughout the season thus far wherein the Vikings' offense has stalled at inopportune times, specifically against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. The Vikings noticeably struggled to score in the second half of their 20-17 loss, and Cousins certainly had a part to play in that.
Nevertheless, the Vikings will know that there's still a long way to go in the season. There will be plenty of time for them to bounce back and vindicate Cousins' good performances thus far. And it all begins with focusing on getting the win against the Los Angeles Chargers at home in Week 3.