Job 1 for Kirk Cousins

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins under center during the afternoon session of the Vikings Training Camp on Tuesday, July 23, 2019. Tuesday's session was rookies and select starters. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

It’s amazing how much time we’ve been required to think about Kirk Cousins since he came to Minnesota. Most of the thinking has been negative, and yesterday, that flood continued to drown us in anger. In Quarterback 101, they teach you that job No. 1 is to take care of the ball. Last year, and two games into this season, Cousins failed to do that. What does he have to date in 2019? Four fumbles? Two interceptions? If he were anybody else, he’d be benched. We’re stuck with him however, and Rick Speilman has to answer for that at the end of this season.

I am comfortable with Mike Zimmer as head coach of the Vikings. If Speilman goes, Zimmer should stay. He’s a solid guy and most games, yesterday aside, he has his team ready to play. He puts fighters on the field, and outcome aside, I liked the fight in the Vikings yesterday. I also liked the kind of power football we saw out of the Vikings yesterday. That can work even with Cousins, where he doesn’t have to do much of anything except call the snap and hand off.

Meanwhile, the Vikings ought to start targeting quarterbacks to draft in the first round next year. It’s time for some homegrown quarterback talent. But Speilman shouldn’t be drafting next year, either quarterbacks or kickers or anyone else. He has to answer for committing the Vikings to a quarterback who has been good at times, awful at others, but mostly mediocre.

The Vikings have to roll with mediocrity until Cousins is losing games all by himself, which he arguably did yesterday. But we’re two games into the new season, and there’s always next week to start anew. Cousins can’t do anything about what happened Sunday, or last year, or all the years he’s been in the league. He can, however, begin writing new chapters beginning on Sunday against Oakland.

Focus on Job. 1 Kirk. Take care of the football.

-Roger Dier is a PurplePSTD.com contributor. 

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