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Vikings Report Card Week 10: Grading Every Position After Beating the Packers in Kirk Cousins's Return

The grades are in as Minnesota gets back on track.
Trevor Ripley|
Kirk Cousins is one of the main reasons why the Vikings have passed their Week 10 report card with flying colors.
Kirk Cousins is one of the main reasons why the Vikings have passed their Week 10 report card with flying colors. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Minnesota Vikings

It appears the Vikings just have the Packers' number, finishing their season series at 2-0 while averaging 34.5 points per game.

Kirk Cousins made his return to Lambeau, the place where his first tenure with the Vikings ended, and simply played quarterback the way Minnesota needed QB to be played.

The defense was suffocating; the offense was watchable; the Vikings are now 7-2 with two wins over the Pack. Here's how Cousins and the rest of the team graded out in the win.

Quarterback: A

The gaudy video game numbers weren't there, but the third-and-23 and third-and-15 conversions during the first half showed exactly why the Vikings brought in Kirk Cousins. The Minnesota offense finally looked respectable after weeks of misery, and it's in large part due to the steady play of Cousins. A midweek trade and just days to assimilate weren't enough to stop "Kirko" on Sunday.

Running back: C

Yeah, the Vikings probably should have made a trade for a back at the deadline. Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason were once again decent enough with 106 combined yards, but it's clear Kevin O'Connell doesn't trust his backs with the constant screens and bubbles on third-and-short. Cousins elevates the passing attack, but the run game still isn't scaring any defenses.

Wide receiver: A

Funny how the offense moves when Justin Jefferson gets his touches. Cousins looked his way a season-high 13 times, and Jefferson looks very much back on track. Myles Price notched his first receiving touchdown, and the Vikings survived without their No. 2 and No. 3 receivers. Things are only looking up once the corps gets healthy.

Tight end: A

With no T.J. Hockenson, Gavin Bartholomew reeled in his first career touchdown on a 20-yard strike from Cousins. No other pass-catchers besides Jefferson had played with Cousins before today, so seeing the young guys get involved was certainly encouraging. Rookie TE Ben Yurosek added a reception as well.

Offensive line: C

The offensive line continued to be just good enough once again, but hasn't been a strong piece of this offense by any stretch of the imagination. Cousins was dropped three times, and even the strengths of the line—tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill—were each beaten badly off the edge on plays that resulted in sacks.

Defensive line: A

The Packers were utilizing six offensive linemen at one point during the game, trying anything and everything to slow down the Vikings' pass rushers. The defense notched eight sacks on Jordan Love while allowing just 56 yards on the ground, and the defensive front was at the forefront of the effort.

Caleb Banks was quiet in his first start with just two tackles, and his outlook remains undecided for now.

Linebacker: A

The Vikings were without Blake Cashman, and Ivan Pace Jr. wasn't especially productive with just a pair of tackles, but Eric Wilson and the edges stepped up in a big way. Wilson led the team in tackles, adding a sack as well, and Andrew Van Ginkel's strip in the first quarter set the tone for the entire game.

Secondary: A

Harrison Smith notched his 41st interception, and the secondary as a whole held strong against the league's leading passer. Love was held to under 230 yards for just the third time this season, and even a fluky, pinball reception to Savion Williams wasn't enough to ignite the Packers' lethal passing attack.

Special teams: A

Will Reichard was steady as usual, but the star on special teams today was the rookie Jakobe Thomas, formerly the No. 8. Wearing his new number after gifting away the eight to Cousins, Thomas popped out the ball on a late kickoff return, setting up the Vikings' drive to ice the game.

Not bad for a season debut.

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Trevor Ripley
TREVOR RIPLEY

Trevor Ripley has covered the NFL since 2021 and is a contributing writer for Vikings On SI. He's also written for Zone Coverage as a lead writer and as a breaking news writer for Heavy On Sports. Born and raised in Wisconsin, he gets to answer “Why are you a Vikings fan?” everyday of his life.

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