Kirk Cousins might as well have had a cavalcade surrounding him when he arrived last spring proclaimed as the Vikings’ missing piece to reach an elusive Super Bowl. Cousins, who started consecutive games 50-65 this season, decried the notion every step of the way.
Already an established quarterback with an early playoff exit, Cousins entered the 2018 season saying everybody needed to play well and he, in order to be mentioned among greats, needed to overcome whatever deficiencies weighed them down. With Cousins, the Vikings collectively failed in his first season while ranking 19th in scoring and 26th in both third downs and the red zone.