06-14-2018, 04:07 PM
Zulgad: Pressure packed: Kirk Cousins now facing great expectations
Kirk Cousins knows all about pressure.He encountered it the past three seasons while starting at quarterback for the Washington Redskins, and he felt it grow the past two years as Washington placed the franchise tag on him and thus paid him $44 million in guaranteed income during that time.
But Cousins spent that time in an underdog role, yelling “you like that?!” at those he thought didn’t believe, and was able to use the doubt of others as motivation to prove he was better than many thought. Twenty-nine touchdowns and 4,166 yards passing in 2015. You like that?! Twenty-five touchdowns and 4,917 yards passing in 2016. How about that?! Twenty-seven touchdowns and 4,093 yards passing in 2017. Take that!
But as Cousins enters the final day of Vikings’ minicamp on Thursday, and thus the last day before he begins his first training camp with a new team, the pressure on the 29-year-old has changed. Where there was once doubt about Cousins, there is now a massive investment in him.
The Vikings rewarded the free agent with a three-year, $84 million contract that is fully guaranteed in March because they saw him as an upgrade on 2017 starting QB Case Keenum and are banking on the fact that Cousins can deliver the first Super Bowl championship to Minnesota.
When the Vikings open camp in their new training facility in Eagan, the pressure on Cousins is going to be massive. A solid regular season that gets the Vikings into the playoffs isn’t going to be good enough. Not with this defense and not with two receivers like Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen.
Keenum helped lead the Vikings to a 13-3 finish and the NFC title game last season after having replaced the injured Sam Bradford after Week 1. While there were doubts about how far Keenum could take the Vikings, he had the luxury of being a pleasant surprise every time he succeeded.
Cousins has no such luxury...
http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2018/0...ectations/
Kirk Cousins knows all about pressure.He encountered it the past three seasons while starting at quarterback for the Washington Redskins, and he felt it grow the past two years as Washington placed the franchise tag on him and thus paid him $44 million in guaranteed income during that time.
But Cousins spent that time in an underdog role, yelling “you like that?!” at those he thought didn’t believe, and was able to use the doubt of others as motivation to prove he was better than many thought. Twenty-nine touchdowns and 4,166 yards passing in 2015. You like that?! Twenty-five touchdowns and 4,917 yards passing in 2016. How about that?! Twenty-seven touchdowns and 4,093 yards passing in 2017. Take that!
But as Cousins enters the final day of Vikings’ minicamp on Thursday, and thus the last day before he begins his first training camp with a new team, the pressure on the 29-year-old has changed. Where there was once doubt about Cousins, there is now a massive investment in him.
The Vikings rewarded the free agent with a three-year, $84 million contract that is fully guaranteed in March because they saw him as an upgrade on 2017 starting QB Case Keenum and are banking on the fact that Cousins can deliver the first Super Bowl championship to Minnesota.
When the Vikings open camp in their new training facility in Eagan, the pressure on Cousins is going to be massive. A solid regular season that gets the Vikings into the playoffs isn’t going to be good enough. Not with this defense and not with two receivers like Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen.
Keenum helped lead the Vikings to a 13-3 finish and the NFC title game last season after having replaced the injured Sam Bradford after Week 1. While there were doubts about how far Keenum could take the Vikings, he had the luxury of being a pleasant surprise every time he succeeded.
Cousins has no such luxury...
http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2018/0...ectations/
