USA Today
Zach Brown takes shot at Vikings QB Kirk Cousins
Zach Brown didn’t have much to say about one of his former teams, the Washington Redskins, when the Eagles opened their season against them on Sept. 8.
The Eagles linebacker, however, had plenty to say about one of his former Redskins teammates on Friday.
Brown played with current Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins the previous two seasons when they were together in Washington, and when asked about Cousins, Brown unloaded.
“I think every defense is going to want that guy to throw the ball,” said Brown. “For me that’s the weakest part of their offense. They have a good running game, probably the best in the league. They have real good receivers.
“You want Kirk Cousins to have the ball in his hands. You just want him to pass the ball. I realized in Washington, he was kind of careless with the ball, but at the same time, hey, you make the bed you sleep in.”
The Eagles will face Cousins and the Vikings on Sunday (1 p.m.) at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
In two years with the Redskins, Brown watched Cousins throw 25 interceptions.
The Vikings signed him as a free agent following the 2017 season, giving him a three-year $84 million contract that is fully guaranteed.
In his first season with Minnesota, Cousins failed to lead the team back to the playoffs. The Vikings made it as far as the NFC Championship game with Case Keenum behind center in 2017, but their season ended their against the Eagles.
The Vikings could have made the postseason last year in the final regular season game by beating the Chicago Bears, who had nothing left to play for after solidifying their No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs. Cousins recorded a passer rating of 79.4 in a 24-10 loss, which allowed the Eagles to make the postseason over the Vikings.
Cousins finished his first season in Minnesota with an 8-7-1 record, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
This year, the Vikings are 3-2 and Cousins has five touchdowns and two interceptions. Minnesota has relied heavily on the run this season, however. Behind Dalvin Cook, they are the third-best rushing team in the league.
