NFL
Kirk Cousins Plays His Best When Utilizing the Play Action Pass
Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins is a solid QB but becomes 1 of the best players in the league when utilizing play action passes
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QB Kirk Cousins was drafted by Washington in the 4th round of the 2012 NFL Draft, in the same class as 2nd overall pick Robert Griffin III. He eventually took over as the full-time starter in 2015 and led the team to an NFC East division title. Following the 2017 season, Cousins decided that it was time for a change of scenery and signed an unprecedented three-year FULLY guaranteed deal with the Minnesota Vikings, finding great success in taking advantage of the play action pass.
Kirk Cousins has the highest career PASS RTG (103.6) and most season CMP (425 during 2018) in Minnesota #Vikings history pic.twitter.com/jcQppDmIIW
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) August 20, 2021
KIRK COUSINS PLAYS HIS BEST WHEN UTILIZING THE PLAY ACTION PASS
COLORS KEY | FULL VIKINGS OUTLOOK
Though he hasn’t received the same notoriety as stars like Patrick Mahomes and Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins has made a name for himself as one of the best play action passers in the league. This type of play involves faking a handoff to the running back on a passing play to keep the defense off balance by thinking a run play is coming, but it’s actually a rollout pass. Cousins has performed incredibly well with this advantage, which has opened up the offense and greatly improved his passer rating.
Play action passes are best when the defense fears the run game, which has certainly been the case for Vikings opponents ever since the emergence of RB Dalvin Cook. However, it also requires poise and accuracy from the quarterback to react quickly and find the open receiver. As a 2x Pro Bowler, Cousins has shown that he has the ability to effectively execute play actions and elevate his performance as he leads all QBs in play-action PASS TD (40) since 2018 and is gaining a reputation as a “play-action boss.“
https://twitter.com/PSO_Sports/status/1428547156294742018
Most PASS YDS during 1 season in #WashingtonFootball history:
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) August 20, 2021
1. 2016 Kirk Cousins (4,917)
2. 2015 Kirk Cousins (4,166)
3. 1986 Jay Schroeder (4,109)
4. 2017 Kirk Cousins (4,093)
5. 1999 Brad Johnson (4,005)
https://t.co/mHDL9J93Cm
Kirk Cousins has the highest career PASS RTG (103.6) and most season CMP (425 during 2018) in Minnesota #Vikings history pic.twitter.com/jcQppDmIIW
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) August 20, 2021
Kirk was clutch in 2020.
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) August 20, 2021
Kirk Cousins had the t-most 4th Qtr PASS TD (13) in the NFL during 2020
pic.twitter.com/iKZJIhIzlg
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