The Minnesota Vikings are set to travel to New Orleans on Wild Card weekend, where they will take on the Saints in the playoffs for the second time in three years. Over the last decade, this has become a rivalry for the Vikings franchise with the infamous bounty gate and the Minneapolis Miracle. Whether or not it’s been in the Vikings favor, something interesting always happens between these two teams.
The Saints went on to win the Super Bowl in 2009 after numerous shots to Brett Favre’s lower body, whereas the Vikings were not able to capitalize after the Minneapolis Miracle.
Consistency at the quarterback position has been the main reason for the Saints success over the last decade. Drew Brees has now set the record for career touchdown passes, and has shown no signs of slowing down at the age of 40.
On the other hand, the Vikings have struggled since the last playoff loss in New Orleans to find a true franchise quarterback. Whether that be Christian Ponder, Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Bradford or Case Keenum, the team just hasn’t had the best luck when it comes to finding their future quarterback.
Whether it was due to injuries, or just flat out bad quarterback play, this position has been a big reason the team has struggled with being consistent. Up until 2018 it seemed like the Vikings were never going to find their guy, but then the team signed Kirk Cousins to an $84 million contract.
There are still people out there that don’t believe in Cousins’ ability to take the Vikings to the next level. Whether that be angry Vikings fans that are still mad about the contract, or national media pointing out that Cousins still hasn’t won a Monday Night Football game, the narratives never seem to stop.
Hey @Vikings, tired of taking pot shots this week?@KyleBrandt is wondering who’s going to do something about it. ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/NDTSrxqoAC
— GMFB (@gmfb) January 1, 2020
When the Vikings pulled the trigger and got their guy in 2018, it drew some comparisons to what the Saints did to get their guy in 2006. Both Cousins and Brees had put up solid numbers up until those points in their careers, but both the Washington Redskins and the San Diego Chargers (at the time) decided to let them hit the free agency market.
The Chargers found another talented quarterback Philip Rivers, but he will never be on the same level as Brees. The Redskins never gave a commitment to Cousins, and now they have their own problems at quarterback.
The Vikings and Saints both went out and made a splash in free agency to get their current franchise quarterbacks. It has certainly paid off for the Saints, with the team now having a Lombardi Trophy and the all-time passing touchdowns leader.
For the Vikings, it will be looked at as a failed signing if the team doesn’t eventually make a run at a Super Bowl. Cousins hasn’t shined in the biggest of his games thus far in his career, but he has put up extremely similar numbers to what Brees did in his first two seasons with the Saints.
In his first two seasons with the Saints, Brees threw for 8,841 yards, 54 touchdowns, 29 interceptions and an average rating of 92.8. During these first two seasons, the Saints were 17-15 with one playoff appearance.
In Cousins first two seasons with the Vikings, he has thrown for 7,901 yards, 56 touchdowns, 16 interceptions and an average rating of 103.5. In his first two seasons, the Vikings are 18-13-1 with one playoff appearance.
Those numbers almost mirror each other, but Cousins has actually been more efficient than Brees was in his first two seasons with the Saints. Brees is known for being one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the entire NFL, but Cousins has thrown 13 less interceptions and two more touchdowns in his first two seasons with a new team.
Not only has Cousins been accurate, but he has done so while throwing the ball down field more often. He is averaging 8.1 yards per throw, which ranks seveth in the NFL in 2019. Even his wide receivers give him credit for throwing a beautiful deep ball.
That deep ball to Diggs has been beautiful this season.@stefondiggs joins Under Center with @KirkCousins8 this week to discuss their connection.
Tune in to @KFAN1003 today at 4:15 p.m. or listen at https://t.co/UYZv0D1uVa. pic.twitter.com/XTocsaJIGL
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 31, 2019
These numbers need to be taken with a grain of salt, because Brees has now proven that he can win in the big moments. However, that wasn’t always the case when he started out in New Orleans. He has had his ups and downs, but ultimately he is going to end his career leading the NFL in career passing touchdowns and with at least one Super Bowl victory.
Cousins has been the best Vikings quarterback since Favre, and one of the best this team has seen in the last 20 years. Due to the fact that he came in to the organization after a dreadful NFC Championship loss, Cousins has had a Super Bowl or bust mentality with a lot of the fanbase.
With how much talent the Vikings have had on their roster, signing Cousins was looked at as the final piece of the puzzle. It didn’t work out that way, but the second-year Viking has proven that he is one of the more talented quarterbacks in the league.
Super Bowl winning teams aren’t just built overnight, and the Saints have proven that since signing Brees in 2006. Whether or not Cousins is able to bring to Minnesota what Brees brought to New Orleans, it should be recognized that he’s had two almost identical seasons to what Brees had in his first two years with the Saints.