Tosses three TDs in win

Cousins completed 21 of 28 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns while rushing once for one yard in Sunday's 27-9 win over Detroit.

Analysis: Cousins threw two touchdown passes in the final 1:32 of the first half to turn a 9-0 deficit into a 14-9 lead. The first was an eight-yard score to Stefon Diggs while the second was a 44-yard Hail Mary caught by tight end Kyle Rudolph with no time on the clock. He added a four-yarder to Rudolph early in the fourth quarter to finish with a 3:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio after posting a 4:3 mark over the previous three games. This was a step in the right direction, but there's a good chance…read more

Low yardage totals continue

Cousins completed 14 of 21 passes for 215 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while adding seven yards on five carries in Sunday's 41-17 win over Miami.

Analysis: Cousins got on a roll early, capping the opening drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs. He gave that touchdown back with a pick-six in the second quarter, a play that spurred a 17-0 Dolphins run after the Vikings had raced out to a 21-0 lead. Minnesota responded with a 20-0 run of its own, including a 40-yard Cousins touchdown pass to Aldrick Robinson. With between 201 and 215 yards in each of the past three games and a 4:3 TD:INT over that span, Cousins will be tough to trust…read more

Another poor outing

Cousins completed 20 of 33 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's 21-7 loss to the Seahawks. He also rushed three times for five yards and had a fumble returned for a touchdown.

Analysis: Cousins was stymied by a swarming Seahawks defense, as 70 of his passing yards came on the Vikings' final drive while trailing by 21 points. Although Cousins capped that series with a six-yard touchdown to Dalvin Cook, his fumble on Minnesota's prior possession effectively sealed his team's second straight defeat. In back-to-back weeks, Cousins has barely topped 200 yards despite throwing a combined 77 times. Those struggles have resulted in just 17 points for the Vikings, leaving the…read more

Throws two interceptions

Cousins completed 32 of 44 pass attempts for 201 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions during Sunday's 24-10 loss to the Patriots.

Analysis: Although Cousins completed an impressive 73 percent of his passes and connected with eight different receivers, he finished averaging a miserable 4.6 yards per attempt. He threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Adam Thielen in the second quarter and tried to get his team back in the game late, only to throw an interception on each of his last two drives. Cousins' poor effort is even more disappointing considering he posted 342 passing yards and three touchdowns last week against the Packers. He'll…read more

Steps up in primetime

Cousins completed 29 of 38 pass attempts for 342 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's 24-17 win over Green Bay.

Analysis: Cousins out-dueled Aaron Rodgers in this one, a feat not many quarterbacks can accomplish. The 30-year-old was accurate with his downfield shots -- an area with which he struggled in the face of the Bears' defense last week -- leading to a season-high 9.0 yards per attempt. The signal caller eclipsed the 300-yard mark just once over his previous five games, so this huge performance was a welcomed sight for his fantasy owners. Cousins will need a similar showing against another all-time great…read more

Struggles against tough defense

Cousins completed 30 of 46 pass attempts for 262 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in Sunday's 25-20 loss to the Bears.

Analysis: The Bears' vaunted defense was giving Cousins and the rest of Minnesota's offense fits for the majority of this contest. The 30-year-old couldn't be held down all game, making a fourth-quarter push to record both of his touchdowns, salvaging what was looking to be an atrocious stat line through three quarters. Cousins almost brought the Vikings all the way back in a contest that looked one-sided at halftime, but his inability to connect with Laquon Treadwell on a crossing route late in the game…read more

Ugly stat line despite high completion percentage

Cousins completed 18 of 22 passes for 164 yards, a touchdown and an interception while rushing twice for three yards and losing a fumble in Sunday's 24-9 win over the Lions.

Analysis: Cousins set a season high in completion percentage at 81.8 percent despite missing wide receiver Stefon Diggs (ribs), but the quarterback simply wasn't asked to do very much with Minnesota's defense dominating. Despite his efficiency, Cousins still turned the ball over twice to the detriment of his fantasy owners. His lone touchdown was a two-yard pass to Adam Thielen, who finished with only 22 receiving yards after topping 100 in each of his first eight games this season. Look for Minnesota's…read more

Strong numbers in loss

Cousins completed 31 of 41 pass attempts for 359 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in Sunday's 30-20 loss to the Saints.

Analysis: Cousins more than doubled Drew Brees' passing total but was saddled with the loss after a couple of costly turnovers (one of which was his own doing) gifted the game to the Saints. The 30-year-old's 8.8 yards per attempt was the highest mark since Week 2, when he dropped 425 yards on the Packers. The difference between good and huge fantasy days from Cousins appears to be based on whether the opponent forces a shootout scenario. Against Detroit in Week 9, he's less likely to induce an aerial…read more

Tosses two scores in win

Cousins completed 25 of 40 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 37-17 win over the Jets.

Analysis: Cousins capitalized on the beat-up Jets secondary on the game's first drive, hitting his favorite target, Adam Thielen, for a 34-yard touchdown. Running back Latavius Murray was Minnesota's biggest offensive weapon the rest of the way with two touchdowns on the ground, but Cousins managed to add a 34-yard aerial strike to Aldrick Robinson, sealing the victory in the fourth quarter. Up next for the marquee free-agent addition is a mouthwatering Week 8 matchup with the vulnerable Saints secondary.

Runs, throws for touchdowns

Cousins completed 24 of 34 passes for 233 yards, a touchdown and an interception during Sunday's 27-17 win over Arizona. He added 14 yards and a touchdown on four carries and also lost a fumble.

Analysis: The dance moves following it weren't pretty, but Cousins looked sharp on the zone keeper for a seven-yard touchdown in the third quarter. It was Cousins' first rushing touchdown in Purple after 13 in the past three seasons in Washington. The rushing touchdown will curb some concerns about Cousins' passing performance on Sunday, which featured season lows in attempts, completions and yards as the Vikings dropped back on just 54 percent of plays, as compared to 71 percent heading into the…read more

Totals 301 passing yards in win

Cousins completed 30 of 37 pass attempts for 301 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's game against the Eagles. He also carried five times for one yard and lost a fumble in the 23-21 win.

Analysis: Cousins completed an impressive 81.1 percent of his passes and spread the ball around to eight different receivers. He threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Adam Thielen in the second quarter and later committed a fumble in his own territory, though the defense bailed him out by forcing a punt. Cousins has gone two straight games without throwing an interception and now has an 11:2 TD:INT through five games. He'll look to continue his strong start to the season next Sunday against the Cardinals.

Eclipses 400 yards in loss

Cousins completed 36 of 50 passes for 422 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the Vikings' 38-31 loss to the Rams on Thursday night. He also rushed four times for 28 yards, threw a two-point conversion pass and lost a fumble.

Analysis: In almost any other game, Cousins' sensational stat line would have been more than enough to pull out a victory. However, he had the misfortune of running into Jared Goff and company, who were firing on all cylinders Thursday, and Cousins simply wasn't able to keep up. He fired a pair of touchdown passes to Aldrick Robinson and one to Adam Thielen on a perfect strike down the seam in the third quarter while producing his second 400-yard game of the season. From a fantasy perspective, Cousins…read more

Commits three turnovers in loss to Bills

Cousins completed 40 of 55 pass attempts for 296 yards, one touchdown and one interception Sunday against the Bills. He also gained two yards on two carries and lost a pair of fumbles in the 27-6 loss.

Analysis: Cousins completed an impressive 73 percent of his passes, but he didn't generate a single play longer than 19 yards en route to an underwhelming 5.4 yards per attempt. He fumbled on each of his first two possessions, allowing the Bills to build their lead as they went into halftime with a 27-point cushion. Cousins connected with Kyle Rudolph for a four-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, though the game was well out of hand at that point. It was a frustrating outing for Cousins and his…read more

Posts huge numbers in tie with Packers

Cousins completed 35 of 48 pass attempts for 425 yards, four touchdowns and one interception Sunday against the Packers. He also carried two times for five yards in the 29-29 tie.

Analysis: Cousins faced a sizable deficit heading into the fourth quarter, but he got his team back in the game with touchdown passes to Stefon Diggs of three and 76 yards, respectively. He then capped off the comeback with a 22-yard strike to Adam Thielen, which he followed up with a two-point conversion to Diggs. Unfortunately, Cousins was unable to lead any winning scoring drives in the ensuing overtime period, though he did get them into position twice before kicker Daniel Carlson missed a pair of…read more

Impressive in debut

Cousins completed 20 of 36 passes for 244 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the Vikings' 24-16 win over the 49ers on Sunday. He also rushed four times for 26 yards.

Analysis: Cousins put to rest any doubts about his degree of chemistry with new wideouts Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, hitting the duo for a combined nine catches, 145 yards and a touchdown. The veteran signal-caller also put the services of returning running back Dalvin Cook to good use, hitting the FSU product on six occasions for 55 yards. Having put together a clean Vikings debut, Cousins will look to keep the momentum going against the Packers in an intriguing Week 2 divisional matchup.

Completes 17 passes Friday

Cousins completed 17 of 28 passes for 182 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions during Friday's preseason game against the Seahawks. He also rushed once for two yards.

Analysis: Unlikely to play in next week's exhibition finale alongside the rest of the team's starters, Cousins will finish the preseason having completed 24 of 40 passes for 236 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. While a 60.0 percent completion rate and 5.9 yards-per-attempt mark likely aren't what the Vikings had in mind when they signed the quarterback to a record-breaking contract this offseason, those figures are also well below Cousins' career averages of 65.5 percent passing and 7.7 YPA.…read more

Struggles in Saturday's preseason game

Cousins was just 3-of-8 for 12 yards passing in Saturday's preseason loss to Jacksonville while playing four series on offense.

Analysis: Cousins didn't look as sharp as in his first preseason game, but the Jaguars have a top defense, his offensive line was missing several starters and Latavius Murray lost a fumble. We wouldn't read too much into his performance as has time to work out the kinks before the regular season.

Leads scoring drive in preseason debut

Cousins made his Vikings debut during Saturday's preseason game against the Broncos and completed all four of the passes he threw for 42 yards and one touchdown.

Analysis: Cousins only got one drive but he certainly made the most of it, especially given his matchup with the Broncos' stout defense. The highlight of his day was a beautiful 28-yard dime to Stefon Diggs that set up Cousins' first career touchdown as a Viking. The quarterback will look to continue his impressive play during Minnesota's second preseason game next Saturday against the Jaguars.

May have short stint Saturday

Cousins will remain on the field for as long as the starting offensive line does during Saturday's preseason game in Denver, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic Minnesota reports.

Analysis: Of course, the Vikings are dealing with a number of injuries among their offensive front, namely interior starters Nick Easton (neck/back), Pat Elflein (ankle, PUP) and Mike Remmers (ankle), so coach Mike Zimmer may have a quick trigger finger with his new starting quarterback. No matter, Cousins' appearance Saturday will mark his first since inking a fully-guaranteed three-year, $84 million contract in Minnesota back in March. Of interest will be his developing rapport with weapons such as…read more

Officially signs with Vikes

The Vikings officially signed Cousins to a three-year contract Thursday.

Analysis: With a fully guaranteed deal worth $84 million, Cousins has inked the largest one on a per-year basis in NFL history, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. There's a chance he won't hold the crown long due to the likelihood the division-rival Packers sign Aaron Rodgers to a significant extension this offseason. Nevertheless, Cousins' arrival rounds out a stacked roster on both sides of the ball. Upon stepping on the field in the fall, he'll have at his disposal a 1,000-yard wide receiver (Adam…read more

Plans to join Vikings

Cousins plans to sign a three-year, fully-guaranteed contract with the Vikings on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Analysis: Cousins is scheduled for a Wednesday-Thursday visit to Minnesota, where he already has a three-year offer for approximately $84 million on the table. It seems to be a mere formality, but he at least wants to talk with the team and see the Vikings' new facilities before putting pen to paper. A three-year deal would allow him to test free agency again or sign an extension in 2021 when the new Collective Bargaining Agreement will begin. Barring a last-minute change of heart, the 29-year-old…read more

Visiting Minnesota

Cousins will start free agency with a visit to Minnesota, where he already has a three-year, $84 million offer on the table, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Analysis: Cousins may actually prefer a three-year contract to a longer deal, potentially allowing him to hit the open market (or sign an extension) in 2021 when the new Collective Bargaining Agreement will begin. The Vikings have emerged as a clear favorite to sign him, boasting what's easily the best roster among quarterback-needy teams. The Jets might be willing to pay Cousins more, but he'd have a tough time reaching the playoffs in New York this upcoming season. In addition to an excellent defense,…read more

Avoids franchise tag

The Redskins didn't use the franchise tag on Cousins this offseason, Matthew Paras of The Washington Times reports.

Analysis: On Tuesday, the deadline came and went for the Redskins to tab Cousins with the franchise tag for a third consecutive year. Ultimately, the $34.5 million cap hit was too much for the team to stomach and likely spurred its front office to agree to terms on a trade Jan. 30 to bring Alex Smith into the fold as the starting quarterback moving forward. Cousins will thus have the pick of the litter regarding his next home. QB-needy teams like the Vikings, Broncos, Jets and Cardinals have all been…read more

Headed for free agency

Cousins isn't expected to receive the franchise tag, Kimberley A. Martin of The Washington Post reports.

Analysis: Redskins senior VP of Player Personnel Doug Williams said that Cousins is "a free agent for sure." There was some thought the team might use the franchise tag and then work out a trade, but such a move would severely restrict Washington's flexibility in the early stages of the free agency period. The Redskins and Chiefs have agreed on a trade for Alex Smith, who should take over as Washington's starting quarterback once the transaction becomes official at the start of the new league year March…read more

May receive franchise tag again

The Redskins haven't ruled out using the franchise tag on Cousins, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Analysis: Cousins is on the way out of Washington following Tuesday's trade for Alex Smith. Once the transaction is official at the start of the new league year March 14, Cousins will have free reign to determine his future, unless of course the Redskins attempt to leverage the situation into compensation via the use of the franchise tag. The team has a deadline of March 6 to use the tag on Cousins for a third consecutive year. On this occasion, the possibility of a trade could result in a decent haul…read more

Poised to become free agent in March

Following Washington's pending acquisition of fellow QB Alex Smith, which caught Cousins by surprise, free agency awaits the 29-year-old signal-caller March 14, ESPN's John Keim reports.

Analysis: Once complete, the deal that will send Smith to Washington will effectively end Cousins' six-year stint with the franchise. Still in his prime and coming off a 2017 season in which he threw for 4,093 passing yards while logging a 27:13 TD:INT ratio, Cousins is poised to secure a lucrative long-term deal in free agency. While teams such as the Broncos, Browns, Jets, Vikings, Jaguars, Cardinals and Bills could elect to pursue the 2012 fourth-rounder, it's worth noting that Cousins' stated goal is…read more

Expected to hit the market

With Alex Smith being traded to the Redskins, Cousins is expected to enter free agency, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Analysis: Cousins has been franchised tagged by the Redskins the past two seasons but the quarterback will now have the opportunity to sign a lucrative long-term deal elsewhere. Cousins instantly becomes one of the top commodities in the open market after recording three straight seasons with over 4,000 passing yards and 25 touchdowns.

Cousins completed 20 of 37 pass attempts for 158 yards and three interceptions during Sunday's 18-10 loss to the Giants. He also scored a 12-yard touchdown on his lone carry of the game.

Analysis: Cousins just 54 percent of his passes and threw three interceptions for the first time this season, including one in his own end on the first possession that led to a Giants touchdown. He was enjoying a tremendous campaign as recently as Wee 12 but finished with just two games over 200 passing yards and an 8:8 touchdown-turnover ratio over his final five contests. While he enjoyed a career year in 2016, Cousins regressed dramatically in terms of yardage this season and slightly so in terms of…read more

Cousins completed 19 of 37 pass attempts for 299 yards, three touchdowns and one interception Sunday against the Broncos. He also carried five times for eight yards in the 27-11 win.

Analysis: Cousins completed just over half of his passes on the day, but a big second half helped him to his highest yardage total since Week 11. With the score still close, he completed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Josh Doctson before putting the game away with a 31-yard strike to Vernon Davis. Cousins had struggled a bit over his previous four games, averaging just 210 yards passing with seven touchdowns compared to five turnovers. He produced one of his finest performances of the season in this one,…read more

Cousins completed 18 of 26 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 20-15 win over the Cardinals.

Analysis: Cousins was held below 200 passing yards for the second consecutive week after topping that mark in all but one of his first 12 games this season. That decline in effectiveness has been the result of injury issues across Washington's offense rather than a decline in Cousins' own oerformance, but that distinction isn't much consolation to his fantasy owners. Next week's game against the Broncos could be the pending free agent's final home tilt in a Redskins uniform.

Cousins completed 15 of 27 passes for 151 yards with one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 30-13 loss to the Chargers. He also rushed twice for eight yards.

Analysis: Cousins was only brought down twice by the Chargers' ferocious pass rush, but he was pressured plenty and generated his lowest passing yardage total of the season in the process. The six-year veteran's 55.6 percent completion rate was also his lowest of the season, as was the 68.6 rating with which he finished the contest. The Redskins are essentially without postseason hope at 5-8, but Cousins will try to help them break a two-game losing streak against the Cardinals in Week 15.

Cousins completed 26 of 37 passes for 251 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in Thursday's 38-14 loss to the Cowboys. He also gained six yards on three rushes and fumbled twice, losing one.

Analysis: Cousins was harassed in the pocket throughout the night, getting brought down on four occasions and taking hits in nine instances overall. The six-year veteran did connect with Ryan Grant and Josh Doctson on touchdowns of 20 and 14 yards in the second and fourth quarters, respectively. However, he also fired a pair of costly interceptions, short-circuiting a potential scoring drive in the first quarter by finding the Cowboys' Jeff Heath on a pass intended for Jamison Crowder, and then seeing a…read more

Cousins completed 19 of 31 passes for 242 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in Thursday's 20-10 Thanksgiving win over the Giants.

Analysis: Cousins was involved in every touchdown during the game, as the Giants' lone score occurred on pick-six of the quarterback in the third-quarter. He was relatively efficient outside of the interception on a night where offense was hard to come by. The 29-year-old has now thrown multiple touchdowns in consecutive weeks, and will try to string it to three for the first time this season when the Redskins take on the Cowboys in Week 13.

Cousins completed 22 of 32 passes for 322 yards and three touchdowns without an interception while rushing three times for 11 yards in Sunday's 34-31 overtime loss to the Saints.

Analysis: Cousins exited briefly in the third quarter after taking a hit to the head on the same play that saw running back Chris Thompson break his fibula, but the quarterback was able to return unlike his backfield mate. While Cousins will surely miss a receiving back that's provided over 500 yards and four touchdowns through the air, he still has the weapons to succeed in Washington's pass-heavy offense. Cousins has made owners happy of late with over 320 passing yards in consecutive games, giving him…read more

Cousins completed 26 of 45 passes for 327 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 38-30 loss to the Vikings. He added five yards and two touchdowns on four carries.

Analysis: Cousins was held to one or fewer passing touchdowns for the fifth time in nine games in 2017 but scored his second and third rushing touchdowns of the season, bringing his total to 12 since taking over as Washington's starter in 2015. Cousins is putting together another nice statistical season, but he's been a little uneven while working with a receiving corps featuring some new faces. He connected on 10 of his 14 touchdown passes for the season during a four-game stretch from Weeks 3 through…read more

Fails to find end zone Sunday

Cousins completed 21 of 31 pass attempts for 247 yards and no touchdowns in Sunday's 17-14 win over Seattle. He also added four yards on three rushes and lost a fumble.

Analysis: It was the first game this season that Cousins didn't throw for a touchdown, and 69 of the yards came on two plays during the game-winning drive. Facing an elite defense on the road with a depleted receiving corps and offensive line, a down game was perhaps to be expected. He was also sacked six times, including once for a safety. The 29-year-old returns home to face another stiff test against Minnesota in Week 10.