Why Justin Jefferson is right to call out Kirk Cousins haters: An overview

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson defended quarterback Kirk Cousins on Twitter. Cousins is the target of unfair criticism from pundits.

While one can argue all day about whether or not the Vikings are true contenders in the NFC, the conference itself is wide open. Much of Minnesota’s success this season has come in close games, hence their meager point differential.

That success is a credit to Kirk Cousins, who has consistently come through in close games this year when the team needed him most. Per Pro Football Reference, Cousins has six fourth-quarter comebacks/game-winning drives this season. That’s the most of his career in one season.

Yet, the pundits continue to pile on Cousins for his past accomplishments — or lack thereof. The point remains that when Cousins looks bad, he’s brutal. But we haven’t seen that version of Kirk in quite some time.

The dad swag is working for him, and Justin Jefferson acknowledged that on social media.

Vikings: Is Justin Jefferson right about Kirk Cousins?

Justin Jefferson is right in one sense: The narrative around Kirk Cousins is tired and old.

Cousins has made improvements to his game, including limiting turnovers in key moments. He has an excellent receiving corps around him, and one of the best running backs in the league in Dalvin Cook. Jefferson himself is arguably the best wide receiver in the entire NFL, making circus catches on a weekly basis.

The Michigan State product was selected as a mid-round pick by Washington in the RGIII era. Eventually, Cousins proved himself more reliable than Griffin, in part due to injury. In Minnesota, he got a chance to run his own team, and has found a solid partnership with Kevin O’Connell, and a reliable offense around him.

Cousins is not an MVP candidate — that talk comes with an ounce of hypocrisy itself. But he is a productive NFL QB, and one many teams would like to have on the roster.