Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson snubbed in Maurice Jones-Drew's 10 best quarterback-receiver duos
If the Minnesota Vikings have their way, Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson will have a big 2022 season, but there are some pundits who still need to see this duo on the field.
NFL Network analyst and former Jackson Jaguars star running back Maurice Jones-Drew released his top 10 quarterback/receiver combos on Tuesday, and while some of the league's best players made the list, Jefferson and Cousins didn't make the cut.
Some of the names on the list make sense. Cincinnati Bengals duo Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase top the list after connecting for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns on their way to the Super Bowl. Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs of the Buffalo Bills are second on the list while Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams come in third.
That's where things get interesting. Davante Adams and Derek Carr checked in at No. 4 despite never playing a down together in the NFL. The Las Vegas Raiders are hoping that the two can rekindle their connection from the collegiate days at Fresno State, but that was nine years ago.
Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and Tampa Bay's Tom Brady and Mike Evans rank fifth and sixth as Super Bowl-winning duos but things got weird as Jones-Drew went further down the list.
Dallas' Dak Prescott and Cee Dee Lamb (seventh), Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen (eighth) and Arizona's Kyler Murray and De'Andre Hopkins (ninth) claimed the next three spots, but Jefferson and Cousins have outproduced them all since the start of the 2020 season.
Then there's Jameis Winston and Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints at No. 10. Not only has this duo not played together, but they're both coming off season-ending injuries. Thomas also hasn't played since Dec. 13, 2020.
So what gives?
When we break it down, it's clear that Jefferson belongs in this group. No one has had more receiving yards (3,016) than Jefferson over the past two seasons and with Kevin O'Connell likely to feature him in "The Cooper Kupp Role," it's possible he could achieve his goal of becoming the best receiver in the NFL.
That leaves Cousins, whose reputation is a little more debatable. Cousins has thrown for at least 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in three of his four seasons in Minnesota but has just one playoff win to show for it.
With the added stigma of a 59-59-2 record as a starter, Cousins checks in the middle of most quarterback rankings. That reputation also exists within the league where Cousins ranked 99th on this year's Top 100 players list behind New England's Mac Jones (85th), Carr (65th), Denver's Russell Wilson (61st) and Murray (57th).
Despite the negative opinion, Jefferson wouldn't put up the type of gaudy numbers he's had in his first two seasons if Cousins were a bum. Putting this duo behind players that haven't played together or have been on the sidelines is a slap in the face, and there's really no other way to see it.
