Kirk Cousins Sets Vikings Passing Record in First Half vs. Bears
Josh Frey
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Well, the Minnesota Vikings offense sure got off to a simmering start in the first half against the Chicago Bears. In Minnesota’s first three drives of the game, they jumped out to a 21-3 lead over the Bears. Dalvin Cook scored twice on the ground, but along the way, Kirk Cousins set a Vikings passing record.
The Vikings QB completed his first 17 passes on the day, breaking Minnesota’s consecutive completion record that was held by Tommy Kramer. He set the record by completing 16 consecutive throws on November 11, 1979. He also set the record against an NFC North opponent, doing so against the Chicago Bears.
Despite Cook scoring two touchdowns and Jalen Reagor being the recipient of the third, Justin Jefferson was the focal point of Minnesota’s offense in the first half. He caught 10 passes for 139 yards over the first 24 minutes of the game. Jefferson even completed a 21-yard pass on a ridiculous lateral play call from Kevin O’Connell.
Prior to this game, I slammed the table for the Vikings offense needing to be more efficient against the Bears, and so far, that has been exactly the case. In the first half, they converted touchdowns on all three of their red zone drives, and they converted 6-of-7 third down attempts.
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This game gained even greater importance than normal just minutes before kickoff as well. The Green Bay Packers fell to the New York Giants in London, thus opening the door for the Vikings to gain a one-game cushion on the Green and Gold in the NFC North standings. We’ll see if they can keep their foot on the gas and get the job done in the second half.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing as well as minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh can often be found training for a marathon, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his takes, NFL and otherwise, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken