Kirk Cousins' quest to please everybody brought happiness to nobody during a dramatic week in which the Vikings were overwhelmed by an undermanned Bears team, forced to punish disgruntled star receiver Stefon Diggs for skipping practice, and thrust into the national spotlight because their $84 million quarterback is looking more skittish than skilled in the pocket.
"The way Kirk's playing now, there is no debating that he has very little to zero confidence in his game," said former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky. "I would say he's scared of making a mistake."
Scared because he doesn't want to be the reason a run-oriented team with a veteran, top-five defense loses, said Fox analyst Charles Davis, who will help call Sunday's game between the Vikings (2-2) and Giants (2-2) at MetLife Stadium.