FanPost

A Look at Captain Kirk

While the first meeting against the Packers ended in a tie, Vikings fans and teammates had a lot to enjoy about the performance of Kirk Cousins.

He did a lot of things that the team hasn't had consistently since the Daunte Culpepper era and a year of great Brett Favre play. The team was all in on Cousins when they decided to bring him in from Washington with a huge payout, and Cousins has been humble every step of the way.

Here's what we've learned thus far in the two games that we've seen out of Cousins since his era began.

#1: Cousins' Pocket Presence is Strong

Even with an offensive line that has experienced some injuries and had some protection issues, Cousins was able to go for over 400 yards. He was able to do this because he could recognize where pressure was coming from, step up and make the necessary throw without holding on to the football for too long.

He even ripped off a couple of runs under pressure, at least one of which went for a first down. This presence is what will allow Cousins to keep hitting his targets and putting points on the board during his time in Minnesota.

#2: He's Mentally Tough and Encouraging to Teammates

Aside from missed kicks, the big story this past Sunday revolved around the roughing the passer penalty called on Clay Matthews for the hit he put on Cousins, which forced an interception and would have been game over had it not been called back.

What needs to be remembered about this play is that Cousins stood tall and took the hit. That earns the respect of teammates he's leading into battle every week, and will be a necessity now that he's facing Khalil Mack twice a year.

He also showed tremendous grit and patience under pressure leading the team to a 22-point comeback in the fourth quarter, including a clutch 2-point conversion play.

#3: The Ball Gets Distributed Well With Cousins Under Center

Laquan Treadwell got his first touchdown this past Sunday. While he also had a couple of key drops, Cousins never stopped going to him and finding any other open man for that matter.

Both tight ends were involved Sunday, and Cousins was able to hit Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs seemingly at will.

John DeFillipo has gushed over the possibilities that open up now that Cousins is distributing the ball. With Dalvin Cook back from rehabbing a knee injury, there'll be plenty of opportunities to dish the ball to the running back as well.

Cousins showed Sunday that he can make throws with a razor-thin margin for error, while also going down the entire depth chart when distributing the ball.

As you can see, we're just getting started with the Kirk Cousins era, but we have a lot to appreciate thus far. There's no reason the train should stop when the team heads hosts Buffalo this Sunday, but we'll all have to tune in to see it play out.

This FanPost was created by a registered user of The Daily Norseman, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the site. However, since this is a community, that view is no less important.