MINNEAPOLIS — Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings did something on Sunday that no team has done thus far this NFL season. They lost to the Detroit Lions.
That loss moved Minnesota to 5-7 on the year and out of the Wild Card race, for now.
A stat was brought up earlier this week showing that Kirk Cousins is fifth all-time among NFL quarterbacks in passer rating. But, among the top 15 quarterbacks in passer rating all-time, Cousins is the ONLY one with a losing record.
Yes, quarterback rating can be a flawed metric and quarterback wins is not an official stat. But, does he deserve serious criticism for this?
On Wednesday's Locked On Today podcast, Luke Braun of the Locked On Vikings podcast joined host Peter Bukowski to give his thoughts.
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"I think this tells you a lot more about passer rating than it does about these quarterbacks," Braun said on Locked On Today. "Just looking at the list, all top eight are active quarterbacks right now. We're not watching the greatest eight quarterbacks of all time in the NFL right now. It's just a different league that gets more yards and more touchdowns and therefore higher passer rating. Think about the things that passer rating does not capture, that may lead to losing games. And if you think about those things, they like all describe Kirk Cousins."
Braun said fumbles, sacks, missed opportunities and throwing short of a first down are some things that don't go into passer rating. Cousins is one of the more fumble-prone quarterbacks in the league. He also takes a lot of sacks that are on him, Braun said.
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"I'm with you, first of all, quarterback wins, not a stat," Bukowski said. "And, passer rating is deeply flawed. All that said, I look at this list and I don't think there's anyone on this list whose statistical prowess affects his team's winning less than Kirk Cousins."
Cousins is fifth among starting quarterbacks in the NFL through Week 13 in passing yards, second among starters in passer rating and tied for fifth in passing touchdowns. Yet the Vikings sit at 5-7 and out of the playoffs as it stands.
"Even completion percentage or EPA (Expected Points Added) can fail to capture some of the process-oriented problems," Braun said. "A 9-yard pass on first-and-10 is a positive play by EPA, but a 9-yard pass when someone is open 35 yards down the field is wasting plays for your team and that's something Kirk Cousins does a lot...We've got to stop looking at the result and start looking at the process."
The Vikings will try to bounce back from their back-to-back losses on Thursday night at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kirk Cousins is 8-17 in his career in primetime games.
Check out the Locked On Vikings podcast for preview content ahead of the game and for daily content covering all things Minnesota Vikings.
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