Well, we can Cam Jordan’s cheap shot of Kirk Cousins to the rivalry between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints.
While at Von Miller’s pass rush camp, the Saints pass rusher was talking about speeding up a quarterbacks’s decision-making process, and Cousins was the poster boy for Jordan’s lesson.
“In this game, like, everybody knows a fast, wrong decision could be a right decision,” said Jordan. “A fast, right decision, you’re a winner. A slow, right decision, get your ass on the bench. Because there is somebody out here that’s going to be moving at a different speed. Slow, right decisions, we love ’em. Call ’em Kirk Cousins.”
"Slow right decisions, we love 'em. Call 'em Kirk Cousins"
Cam Jordan not holding back on Kirk at Von's pass rush summit pic.twitter.com/5J4aGJ5JeH
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) June 12, 2023
It was this slow decision-making that saw Cousins lead the Vikings to victory in the 2019 Wild Card Game against the Saints, as well as Minnesota’s 28-25 win over New Orleans at Wembley Stadium this past season, albeit the latter was aided by a double-doink field goal miss.
Just for a bit of fun we looked at how well Cam Jordan and Kirk Cousins have played against each other throughout their careers.
Cam Jordan
2015 Week 10 @ Washington – 0 sacks, 2 QB hits, 2 hurries 65.9 pass rush grade
2017 Week 11 v Washington – 1.0 sack, 1 QB hit, 2 hurries, 68.0 pass rush grade
2018 Week 8 @ Minnesota – 0 sacks, 2 QB hits, 2 hurries, 77.8 pass rush grade
2019 Wild Card Round v Minnesota – 1.0 sack, 1 QB hit, 0 hurries, 79.0 pass rush grade
2020 Week 16 v Minnesota – 1.0 sacks, 1 QB hit, 1 hurry, 89.2 pass rush grade
2022 Week 4 v Minnesota – 0.5 sacks, 3 QB hits, 3 hurries, 73.6 pass rush grade
Total: 3.5 sacks, 10 QB hits, 10 hurries, 75.5 average pass rush grade
Quick takeaways are that Jordan had much better success after Kirk’s move to Minnesota. Averaged out over a 17-game season, Jordan would finish with 10 sacks, 28 QB hits and 28 hurries. Those numbers would be good to put him in 19th in sacks in 2022 but in a tie for fourth in QB hits.
Kirk Cousins
2015 Week 10 v New Orleans – 20/25, 325yds, 4 tds, 0 ints, 3 sacks
2017 Week 11 @ New Orleans – 22/32, 322yds, 3 tds, 0 ints, 2 sacks
2018 Week 8 v New Orleans – 31/41, 359 yds, 2 tds, 1 int, 4 sacks
2019 Wild Card Round @ New Orleans – 19/31, 242 yds, 1 td, 0 ints, 2sacks
2020 Week 16 @ New Orleans – 27/41, 291 yds, 3 tds, 0 ints, 2 sacks
2022 Week 4 @ New Orleans – 25/38, 273 yds, 1 td, 1 int, 3 sacks
Total: 144/208, 69%, 1,488 yds, 14 tds, 2 int, 16 sacks
Quick takeaways? Jordan must be talking about some other games, because Cousins has played pretty great against the Saints throughout his career.
That said, the stats show that Jordan might be halfway right because Cousins has been sacked 16 times in six career games against Jordan’s Saints, which might be an indicator of slow decision-making.
Still, Cousins’s numbers in six games pro-rated to a 17-game season would put him in the MVP conversation: 4,215 yards, 40 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.
