Winning 'makes it easier' but Vikings' Cousins is his own worst critic

MINNEAPOLIS -- Throughout the champion NFL play helium has been a portion of since helium came into the league successful 2012, Kirk Cousins keeps saying the strangest thing: He insists he's not playing well. The mantra began successful September and it reached an apex Thursday nighttime aft the Minnesota Vikings backmost finished 1 of the astir businesslike games ever against a New England Patriots defence nether manager Bill Belichick.

Cousins completed 30 of 37 passes for 299 yards 3 touchdowns, and compiling a season-high 84.8 Total Quarterback Rating successful a 33-26 win. Then helium opened a model into his unsocial premix of anguish and alleviation during a postgame gathering with reporters.

"It's comic due to the fact that we're winning, truthful I consciousness similar talking to you guys has been a batch easier this year," helium said. "But I'm not playing immoderate better. If anything, I'm coming to these property conferences trying to smile, having to enactment to smile, due to the fact that I'm reasoning to myself, 'Man, I've got to play better.' I admit winning due to the fact that it does marque this a small easier."

The Vikings are 9-2 (.818 triumph percentage), the champion grounds for immoderate NFL squad Cousins has been connected done 11 games. His cumulative play statistic are obscurity adjacent his vocation precocious done 12 weeks (he had a career-high 68.5 QBR done 11 games successful 2016 with Washington), and helium did propulsion a atrocious interception successful the archetypal 4th Thursday nighttime -- a floater disconnected his backmost ft that led to a Patriots tract goal. But Cousins besides made a bid of on-the-money throws -- the benignant helium has made to triumph games each play -- including a 36-yard dime to receiver Justin Jefferson successful the 4th fourth that acceptable up a 15-yard flip to receiver Adam Thielen for the touchdown that gave the Vikings the pb for good.

In the end, the Vikings' 81.6% squad completion percent was the second-highest ever against a Belichick-led Patriots defense. But erstwhile asked if helium genuinely thought helium should person played better, Cousins rattled disconnected a database of imperfect throws. One was to receiver K.J. Osborn that fell a spot short, and different toward Jefferson that was disconnected the people and could person been intercepted.

"This is the mode I am, man," helium said. "I'm benignant of hard connected myself. I spell backmost determination and deliberation of each the ways I request to beryllium better."

In truth, the 2022 play isn't adjacent to the champion of Cousins' vocation from an idiosyncratic standpoint. His 49.8 QBR this play is really the worst it's ever been done 12 weeks of the season. His 9 interceptions are the second-worst, arsenic is his 65% completion rate. But the throws helium has made to triumph games are what his teammates and coaches privation him to absorption on.

Cousins, whose teams are present 11-18 erstwhile playing successful premier time, was asked if helium would ever let himself to accidental helium had played a large game.

"No," helium said. "I don't know. I astir apt thrust myself crazy, my household brainsick being this way. It's s conscionable the mode I americium wired. I'm an improver. I'm benignant of obsessed with improvement. Even erstwhile things are good, my caput goes to however tin they beryllium better. You benignant of torture yourself that way."

The Vikings didn't bushed the Patriots solely connected the spot of Cousins' arm. Kene Nwangwu's 97-yard kickoff instrumentality successful the 3rd 4th provided a large affectional swing. Their walk extortion improved dramatically 1 week aft Cousins was buried by 7 sacks successful a 40-3 nonaccomplishment to the Dallas Cowboys. Their ain walk unreserved came live successful the 4th fourth to sack Patriots backmost Mac Jones twice, and the NFL's replay reappraisal strategy reversed a third-quarter touchdown walk to Patriots choky extremity Hunter Henry, forcing a Patriots tract goal.

And, to beryllium sure, Cousins isn't the archetypal nonrecreational jock who has refused oregon deflected credit. But Cousins revealed that his effort derives from a profoundly held idiosyncratic fixation -- each astatine a clip erstwhile coaches and teammates are trying to pump him up.

Cousins divulged that Thielen pulled him speech earlier Thursday's crippled and "shared an encouraging word." Thielen didn't specifically code that speech successful speaking with reporters Thursday night, but helium said it is important for Cousins not to consciousness similar he's "carrying the value of the squad connected him.

"I deliberation that's thing that we continually effort to speech to him about," Thielen added. "Just spell retired determination and play football. You're a dang-good shot subordinate and you beryllium that week successful and week out. You amusement however pugnacious you are. You amusement however prepared you are. When helium does that -- and helium did it contiguous -- he's 1 of the champion successful the league."

Jefferson, meanwhile, lauded Cousins' increasing assurance successful throwing him the benignant of "50-50" balls that person led him to people 3 red-zone touchdowns successful the past 4 games, arsenic good arsenic haul successful deeper passes of 37 and 36 yards Thursday night.

"Ever since I've been present I've been asking him to bash it," Jefferson said. "I consciousness similar each azygous week he's getting much and much assured to springiness maine those types of footballs. I conscionable emotion going up and making a play."

Cousins has been genuinely moved by specified encouragement, arsenic good arsenic the unwavering assurance manager Kevin O'Connell has displayed since joining the enactment successful February. Rarely sentimental successful public, Cousins expressed appreciation Thursday nighttime for their cosmopolitan encouragement to propulsion him past his mistakes.

"Kevin [O'Connell] has empowered maine truthful much," Cousins said. "This squad has empowered maine truthful much. The guys person conscionable been tremendous. I can't accidental capable astir the mode that they person had my backmost aft these interceptions, enactment maine each week long, enactment maine pregame successful the locker room. ... At times it astir brings maine to tears the mode these guys enactment maine and person my back. It truly adds to the amusive of playing and moving together."