Minnesota has had good quarterback play recently, but in Week 14, that wasn’t enough.
The Buccaneers took care of the Vikings on Sunday. It doesn’t matter how good Kirk Cousins has been, if he’s getting put on the ground and pressured too frequently. The same can be said for 99% of quarterbacks, really.
According to Eric Eager of Pro Football Focus, Cousins was pressured 24 times in the Buccaneers game. He was sacked six times vs. Tampa Bay. He has been sacked 10 times in the last two games.
Cousins tried to point to some reasons for why the Vikings have given up more sacks recently.
“It was a good pass rush, first of all, so they’re going to make some plays,” Cousins said, via the Vikings Twitter account. “There were more pass attempts the last couple of weeks, certainly, than we had earlier in the year.”
Cousins talked about how the team can clean that up. The quarterback isn’t letting himself off the hook:
“I always look at myself and say ‘how can I get rid of the ball quicker,'” Cousins said, via the Vikings Twitter account. “Whether that’s a completion or a throwaway, when you start to feel that pocket condensing, you either got to take off or you want to throw the ball. Sacks are the last option.”
Arguably Minnesota’s weakest spot on offense is the pass protection of the interior offensive line. If the team keeps giving up pressure, it will be harder for the offense to stay on the field and get points. By extension, it will be harder to get into a playoff spot at the end of the year.
