Kirk Cousins called out as 'weakest part' of Vikings offense by ex-teammate Zach Brown
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zach Brown is piling on to the Minnesota Vikings criticism pile ahead of their matchup Sunday in Minnesota.
Brown: Cousins ‘weakest part’ of Vikings
Brown, as has been the trend this month, took particular aim at quarterback Kirk Cousins and called his former teammate with the Washington Redskins the “weakest part” of his offense.
“Cousins, I think every defense is going to want that guy to throw the ball," Brown said after practice Friday, via ESPN. "For me, that's probably the weakest part of their offense is him. Everything else is good. They've got a good running game, probably one of the best in the league. They've got real good receivers. You just want them to pass the ball. You want Kirk Cousins to get it in his hands."
Brown and Cousins were teammates in Washington in 2017 when the team went 7-9. The quarterback ranked seventh in passing yards (4,093), eighth in touchdowns (27) and seventh in passes intercepted (13, two of which were pick-sixes). He also took the most lost yards to sack as any one in the league.
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Said Brown, via ESPN:
“I realized when I was in Washington, he was kind of careless with the ball. But at the same time, hey, you make the bed you sleep in.
"I was at the Redskins with him so I know about him. That's my viewpoint on him."
Cousins signed his three-year, $84 million deal with Minnesota the ensuing offseason. Brown left Washington for Philadelphia this past summer.
Cousins often plays well against Eagles
It’s probably not wise to give bulletin board material to a quarterback who has had the most success against your team.
Against the Eagles, he 5-3 in his career with a career-high 17 touchdowns, five interceptions and quarterback rating of 101.2, per ESPN. He’ll need to continue that since the Eagles have the league’s best defense against the rush. They’ve allowed an average 63.0 yards per game, while their pass defense is lacking.
When Philadelphia shuts down the run, Cousins will need to prove he can rise up and hit targets. It will be another test for the player who looks good on paper, but doesn’t deliver in big moments. And it could mean another drama-filled week in Minneapolis.
Criticism of Cousins continues
Cousins time in Minnesota hasn’t been what was expected. Following a poor showing against the Chicago Bears in Week 4, receiver Adam Thielen had harsh words for his quarterback. He was clearly frustrated by the lack of a passing game and how one-dimensional it makes even a great run game.
Cousins apologized to him and Thielen walked back his words.
That same week, Stefon Diggs missed practices — he said for a cold — and didn’t shut down rumors he wanted to be traded. He clarified to reporters this week he “never said I was unhappy or uncomfortable with my role.” Rather, he wanted to win.
The Vikings did with a 28-10 victory over the New York Giants that that elicited a call from President Donald Trump to the winning quarterback.
Things have mostly quieted down in Minnesota for now.
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