Justin Jefferson: "All of the Kirk (Cousins) Criticism Has to Stop!!"
Kirk Cousins has been one of the most polarizing and heavily-criticized quarterbacks in the NFL for years now. For whatever reason — whether it's his demeanor and off-field persona, his lack of team playoff success, or his oft-cited record on Monday nights — there's been a narrative that Cousins is overpaid and can't win big games.
Even as he's thrived in critical situations this year under new head coach Kevin O'Connell, helping lead the Vikings to 12 wins in their first 15 games, the narrative has persisted in certain places. With the postseason approaching, some national talking heads will point to Cousins as a reason why Minnesota shouldn't be taken seriously as contenders.
Justin Jefferson, the Vikings' superstar receiver who has shattered countless records over the past three seasons, is tired of it.
A clip from ESPN's First Take went semi-viral on Wednesday, with former Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder blasting Cousins. "I've seen some weaknesses out of the Vikings," Crowder said, "and it's on Kirk Cousins' shoulders."
Jefferson saw the clip and felt compelled to publicly back his quarterback.
"All of the Kirk criticism has to stop!!" Jefferson tweeted late at night. "I understand y’all hate the dad swag but come on his numbers are right with y’all’s MVP candidates."
To be clear, Cousins doesn't actually compare all that favorably to MVP candidates like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Jalen Hurts from a statistical standpoint. He's fifth in the league in passing yards and tied for fourth in touchdowns, but his efficiency numbers have been down this season compared to recent years, in part because he spent much of the season adjusting to a completely new offense.
Still, Jefferson is right that criticizing Cousins this year doesn't make much sense.
He may not have an elite QBR or passer rating or ANY/A, but Cousins has improved under O'Connell because he's taking more chances and fully utilizing playmakers like Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson. He's been brilliant late in games, orchestrating eight fourth-quarter comebacks thus far — which is tied with 2016 Matthew Stafford for the most ever. And despite Cousins being hit more than any quarterback in the league this year, he's come through in big moments time and time again to help lead the Vikings to their 12-3 record (11-0 in one-score games).
Cousins has played tough, effective, winning football this season, and he's a big reason why the Vikings have a chance to make a run in the playoffs.
If there's an MVP candidate on Minnesota's roster, it's probably Jefferson. But if you're O'Connell or anyone else involved with the Vikings, it's got to be cool to see the young superstar supporting his quarterback. That says a lot about the team's culture and how bought in Jefferson is to what the Vikings are building.
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