Giving no other reason beyond Kirk Cousins’s consistency and winning close games last year, Fox Sports host Emmanuel Acho says the Vikings are the fifth-best team in the NFC entering 2023.
“Say what you want about Kirk Cousins, and you will say a lot. What you cannot question is his consistency,” says Acho. “And last year, though the Vikings won several games by three points or less, they won several games, 13 to be exact.”
Top 5 teams in the NFC:
1: Eagles (Duh)
2: 49ers
3: Cowboys
4: Seahawks
5: VikingsReply with your list, or retweet if I got it right! ✍🏾👇🏾
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) May 18, 2023
Acho says the Eagles are the clear favorite in the NFC, followed by the 49ers even though the 49ers stsill don’t have a clear answer at quarterback with Brock Purdy injured, Trey Lance returning from injury and Sam Darnold in his first year with the team. The Cowboys and Seahawks are the next teams in Acho’s top-five, just ahead of the Vikings.
The Vikings have the sixth-best odds in the NFC of winning the Super Bowl, according to DraftKings. So, despite the lack reasoning provided by Acho, he is on par with the odds created by bettors heading into the summer.
Outside of the 2019 season, Cousins has thrown for more than 4,200 yards in every season as Vikings quarterback.
Last season’s 13 wins boosted Minnesota’s record with Cousins to 46-33-1 since 2018.
The 2022-23 Vikings set the record for most fourth-quarter comebacks and they won an incredible 11 games decided by eight points or fewer en route to their first NFC North title since 2017.
This offseason the Vikings have watched as Adam Thielen, Patrick Peterson, Eric Kendricks and Za’Darius Smith found new homes, leaving numerous holes on both sides of the ball for the front office to fill.
If defensive coordinator Brian Flores can work some magic with a young, inexperienced defense, and the Cousins-to-Justin Jefferson connection gets even better in Year 2 under head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense, the Vikings have a legit shot at repeating as division champs and taking another step in the postseason.
