This Sunday, the Green Bay Packers will face their second divisional opponent of the young 2019 season. The Minnesota Vikings come to town, and Packers coach Matt LaFleur is familiar with opposing quarterback Kirk Cousins.
When asked how to stop Cousins, LaFleur said what everyone already knows, per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.
Matt LaFleur was Kirk Cousins’ QB coach in Washington in 2012 and 2013: “If you let him sit back there and have time, he’s gonna pick you apart.”
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) September 11, 2019
The statement from LaFleur comes as no surprise to any football fan. Last season, Cousins was constantly under siege from just about everyone, and it clearly impacted his play. Vikings general manager Rick Spielman quickly tried to correct this by using a first-round pick on center Garrett Bradbury. The offensive lined showed improvement in Week 1, allowing just one sack.
While Minnesota's line only allowed one sack against the Atlanta Falcons in the season-opener, this week will likely be different. The Packers defense is significantly better than Atlanta's, and it'll show. Green Bay's revamped defense notched five sacks against the Chicago Bears last Thursday night, including quarterback takedowns from new addition Za'Darius Smith and Preston Smith. The Bears field a better offensive line than Minnesota, so Cousins will probably spend a lot of time on the Lambeau Field grass.
The Packers defense as a whole looked incredible during Week 1. Rookie safety Darnell Savage showed off why he was a first-round pick, and the rest of the defensive backfield played great football. Cornerback Jaire Alexander picked up where he left off last year with elite-level play.
If Green Bay replicates its defensive performance in Week 2, Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota offense will have a tough day.
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