Vikings defense and special teams struggles

In his Pick Six column, Mike Sando looks at Kirk Cousins and other quarterbacks who could be on the move this offseason:

“Any team acquiring Cousins could slot him in at that $28 million APY, which would rank 12th in the NFL — hardly prohibitive for a player who ranked second to Deshaun Watson in EPA per pass attempt since Week 8, tossing 24 touchdown passes with three interceptions over that 10-game span.

When Minnesota signed Cousins in March 2018, it was coming off a three-year period when its offense ranked 14th in EPA while posting a 32-16 (.667) record. The Vikings have ranked 14th in offensive EPA since adding Cousins. Their record has slipped to 25-21-1 (.543) in the games Cousins started. Decline in other areas has been the key variable, with Minnesota dropping from fourth in combined EPA on defense and special teams from 2015-17 to a No. 15 ranking in that category since adding Cousins. That includes a No. 30 ranking this season.”

Full article: The Athletic