Kirk Cousins for MVP? Vikings star's 2021 stat show he might be NFL's most underrated QB
Kirk Cousins propelled the Minnesota Vikings to a first win on Sunday as they defeated the Seattle Seahawks.
The oft-maligned Cousins stepped up to lead his team to a courageous victory at a critical moment in the season. Cousins threw for over 300 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He has played well in all three games and finally got the win to affirm the performances. His stunning display prompted many around the NFL to ponder if Cousins is underrated? The stats suggest that people do underestimate Cousins.
Kirk Cousins is the 6th player over the last 25 seasons with 70+ comp pct, 8+ pass TD and 0 INT in team’s first 3 games of a season.
Others: Patrick Mahomes (2019), Drew Brees (2018), Tom Brady (2015), Aaron Rodgers (2015), and Peyton Manning (2013)
Is Kirk Cousins underrated?
Early statistics suggest that Cousins is indeed playing at a high level. He's looking after the ball, making intelligent decisions and putting his team in solid positions. Of course, all head coaches want their quarterbacks to do the right things and Cousins has done them perfectly thus far in 2021.
Kirk Cousins threw three touchdown passes before halftime for Minnesota and guided three clock-draining field goal drives after that, as the Vikings accelerated past Seattle 30-17 on Sunday for their first win over the Seahawks in 12 years.
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Cousins was in the middle of the pack in air yards for 2020 and 2019. 2021 has started similarly; he is currently 29th in the air-yards metric. Dig a little deeper, though, and Cousins isn't playing any better in 2021 than the norm from previous seasons. He is not throwing the ball any deeper than usual.
Moreover, Cousins' QBR rating of 62.3 places him in 12th position among NFL quarterbacks. In addition, he is 11th in DYAR and DVOA, per Football Outsiders. Nevertheless, these advanced metrics suggest that Cousins is playing at a tolerable level.
Cousins has played at a tolerable level for most of his time as a Viking. He placed 19th in QBR for 2020 and 13th in 2019. The Vikings quarterback hovers in the mid-tier of NFL quarterbacks, and he has done his whole career.
Furthermore, Cousins ranks 10th in aggressiveness. He is behind quarterbacks such as Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady. That sums up Cousins' career. He is not on the level of the elite quarterbacks.
Cousins is an excellent quarterback. He is competent, makes the right decisions and doesn't hurt his team. However, he isn't on the level of the real elite quarterbacks.
Can the former Washington quarterback win the MVP? Probably not. He is an efficient quarterback, and he will help the Vikings win games. But, sadly, he doesn't possess the pyrotechnics and superstar style that top-tier quarterbacks do.
Is he underrated? Quite possibly. However, there is a reason for that. Cousins isn't an elite quarterback, and he never will become one. His career numbers prove that. He will carry on doing his own thing, but he will never reach the top level.