Skip Bayless takes dig at Kirk Cousins after Vikings' turnover-filled start vs. Eagles “Makes everything shaky”
The Minnesota Vikings had a great season in 2022. Buoyed by Kirk Cousins' excellent arm and strong offensive showings by Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson, they handily won the NFC North – only to come up short against the New York Giants.
But as 2023 begins, the Vikings appear to be in a bad situation. They were favored against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, only for Baker Mayfield to prove himself still capable.
In their Week 2 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, they had a rough start, committing three turnovers in the first half. First, Brandon Powell lost a punt return, allowing the Eagles to regain possession:
Then running back Alexander Mattison dropped the ball on a rushing attempt:
And finally, top wide receiver Justin Jefferson dropped a pass that was later ruled a touchback:
Skip Bayless goes off on Kirk Cousins after Vikings turnovers
While arguably none of those turnovers were star quarterback Kirk Cousins' fault, veteran sportscaster Skip Bayless still took the time to take shots at him for his team's performance.
In a pair of X posts, he said:
"The Vikings obviously should be ahead in this game. But there's something about having Kirk Cousins at QB that makes everything shaky.
"Sometimes Kirk Cousins looks like some guy they picked out of the stands just before kickoff and threw a uniform on, including a helmet that's too big."
A post-mortem of the Minnesota Vikings' loss at the Philadelphia Eagles
Looking at numbers alone, one could be forgiven for thinking that the Minnesota Vikings were better than the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday. Kirk Cousins threw for more yards and touchdowns than Jalen Hurts and was not intercepted at all.
The defense was also stellar. Danielle Hunter sacked Hurts thrice by his lonesome, while Harrison Phillips and Ivan Pace Jr. split a sack, and Theo Jackson nabbed an interception.
However, it was the run game that did the Vikings in, besides those turnovers, which soon included a sack on Cousins just after the second half began. Alexander Mattison was limited to a measly 28 yards on eight carries, while Ty Chandler failed to progress at all on his only touch.
By contrast, the Eagles ran the ball just about everywhere. D'Andre Swift was dominant, amassing 175 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries, while Hurts had two scores off his signature sneak. Even Boston Scott and Rashaad Penny gained their team a cumulative 49 yards in whatever little playing time they had.
The 0-2 Vikings host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3 on Sunday, September 24.