Outlook: The 2018 Vikings look poised to make another Super Bowl run. This year, though, they will be doing it with a new QB (Kirk Cousins) and healthy starting RB (Dalvin Cook). While it might take them some time to gel, they have some of the top skill players in the NFC to make it work. Additionally, Head Coach Mike Zimmer has turned this defense into one of the toughest in the league. I can’t guarantee that the Vikings will make the Super Bowl in 2018, but they should be a tough out in the playoffs.
QB: The Vikings went out and spent a fortune on Kirk Cousins, a 28-year old in the prime of his career. It was a huge investment for the team, but arguably a good one as it is quite rare that QBs in their prime are available in free agency. At times Cousins struggled with easy passes with the Redskins and never seemed to get enough credit for the team’s success. But he hasn’t missed a game in two seasons, has a solid arm, and makes reasonably good decisions in the pocket. Minnesota is such a juggernaut this season that Cousins won’t be needed to put the team on his back as much as be a game manager who can make timely throws. I think he will be extremely successful in this spot. Look for another season of 4000+ passing yards and about 27-28 TDs, making Cousins the QB 8-9 in most drafts.
RB: Fantasy owners saw what Dalvin Cook was capable of last season in his first four games before tearing his ACL. In those games Cook ran for 354 yards and had 11 receptions, clearly showing he was well on his way to over 1500 total yards from scrimmage. Cook is supposedly healthy now in training camp, but it will be interesting to see if his injury will affect him mentally…
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