With 885 yards and six touchdowns passing in the past two games, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is climbing the charts, whether they be statistical or theoretical.
Kirk Cousins is climbing the charts in Vikings record books and among NFL's top quarterbacks
In the past, the Vikings quarterback put up gaudy numbers even when not making winning plays. This season Cousins is taking more risks and is a primary reason his team is 11-3.
December 24, 2022 at 12:31AM
He has established himself statistically as the second-best quarterback of any longevity in franchise history, behind three-time Super Bowl starter Fran Tarkenton.
Cousins' only challenger for the No. 2 slot, statistically, is Tommy Kramer.
Kramer played in 128 games and produced 24,775 yards, 159 touchdowns, 157 interceptions and a 72.9 passer rating. His career record was 54-56.
Cousins is in his prime and has played in 77 games for the Vikings. He has produced 20,205 yards, 148 touchdowns, 47 interceptions and a 101.1 passer rating. His record with the Vikings is 44-32-1.
The eras were different, and passing statistics from Kramer's time pale in comparison to those in the modern era. Even accounting for context, Cousins has been the more impressive passer.
Daunte Culpepper, Wade Wilson, Brad Johnson, Warren Moon, Brett Favre and Randall Cunningham are among the many Vikings quarterbacks who excelled for a season or two. Cousins has been highly productive and durable for five.
Former Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman signed Cousins to end the franchise's constant search for a long-term starter. It's almost cruel that Cousins is having his winningest season in the first year after Spielman's firing.
Ranking Cousins in Vikings history is simple at this point. What's more intriguing is the current theoretical ranking among his peers.
Entering the season, most respected analysts, relying on either statistical models or conversations with NFL insiders, had Cousins ranked somewhere around 14th among NFL quarterbacks.
This season, he has climbed into the top 10.
The first tier of NFL quarterbacks consists of superstars — those who have won or could win MVP awards. This tier includes Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, Tom Brady and Lamar Jackson.
The second tier belongs to franchise quarterbacks. The third tier consists of quarterbacks who have shown promise but have more to prove to be considered established franchise quarterbacks.
Cousins, this season, has jumped up to Tier 2 from Tier 3.
Tier 2 includes Cousins and fellow newcomer Jared Goff, Dak Prescott, Matthew Stafford, Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa.
Tier 3 includes Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence and, it seems, anyone who starts for the 49ers. Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray have been demoted — Wilson from Tier 1 and Murray from Tier 2.
Wilson's past two seasons have cast doubt on his Hall of Fame credentials, just as Murray has damaged his reputation.
Every NFL starting quarterback not in the first three tiers is a question mark either because of performance, inexperience or behavior (in the case of DeShaun Watson).
To graduate from Tier 2 to Tier 1, Cousins will have to lead a playoff run or continue playing well enough in future regular seasons that he is considered a driving force for team excellence instead of a high-functioning cog.
Of course, quarterback rankings are highly subjective. Maybe Cousins deserved to be ranked higher going into the season. Maybe Fields or Brock Purdy or Daniel Jones, the Giants quarterback the Vikings will face on Saturday, will eventually leapfrog Cousins.
Subjectivity can be a good thing, though. Cousins this season ranks 19th in ESPN's QBR, a supposedly inclusive quarterback rating. That means Cousins is rated lower than Marcus Mariota, Jacoby Brissett, Andy Dalton and Jones, among others. That's absurd.
The same standard that hurt Cousins in the past now helps him in the eyes of rational observers: If you watch the games, you see that his statistics are not necessarily indicative of his effectiveness.
In the past, he put up gaudy numbers even when not making winning plays.
This year, he is on pace to produce his lowest completion percentage and highest interception total with the Vikings, but he's a primary reason his team is 11-3.
How can that occur?
This year, Cousins has been willing to push the ball downfield, leading to a few negative plays and statistics — and to Justin Jefferson having his most productive season.
Those are risks worth taking.
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
