When Kirk Cousins was given a contract extension with a no-trade clause earlier this year, it put the pressure on general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell to prove that they can get more out of Cousins than Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman did from 2018 through 2021.
It’s only two games under the new regime, but the rollercoaster ride with Cousins is on the same track it’s been each of his four previous years under center in Minnesota.
Look at this 2021 game scores by PFF. The gray line represents the NFL average, and Cousins was average or below average in six of 16 games last season. But when he was good, he was really good, grading as a top five QB five times.
Same thing in 2020, 2019 and 2018.
The boom or bust performances by Cousins can be traced pretty closely to pressure. Last season, Cousins was graded by PFF as the No. 1 clean-pocket passer and produced a 116.7 quarterback rating (second best). And he ranked sixth in big-time throw percentage with a clean pocket.
But he ranked 17th in PFF grade when under pressure, and his big-time throw percentage dropped all the way to 26th when he felt some heat.
Give Cousins a clean pocket and he’ll shred a defense. Put pressure on Cousins and things can go bad in a hurry, just as they did Monday night when Cousins finished four consecutive possessions with an interception or fumble.
This year, Cousins is 9-for-19 passing when blitzed and 12-for-26 when under pressure, per PFF. When he’s kept clean he’s completing 73.1% of his attempts.
Against the Eagles, Cousins was 5-of-13 with a touchdown and two interceptions when pressured, compared to 22-of-33 with an interception when kept clean. That interception, however, has been blamed on Justin Jefferson letting Darius Slay slide in front of him on his route.
The Eagles blitzed on the two interceptions that were clearly Cousins’s fault.
So far, Cousins is the same as he’s always been. It’s up to him to change the narrative and make Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell look smart.
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