Kirk Cousins Immediately Enters A QB Duel

Vikings Kirk Cousins Immediately Enters A QB Duel Photo Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports By Zac Scholl - November 13, 2026 A lot has changed since the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers met in Week 1. A lot has changed for the Vikings in the last five days. They watched their backup quarterback implode while their non-starter of a starting QB sat injured on the sidelines, then traded for old pal Kirk Cousins . And when Minnesota’s longest-tenured quarterback in two decades steps back onto the field in purple and gold, he’ll be immediately thrust into a quarterback duel with MVP contender Jordan Love . Minnesota won the first clash, 39-22, but since then both are six-win teams. Green Bay is riding a two-game win streak, while the Vikings have dropped their past two matchups against the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills. One of the main reasons for Minnesota’s struggles in the past two games is their lack of a balanced offense, specifically their inability to pass the ball. The Vikings are second-to-last in total passing yards and passing yards per game. However, trading for Cousins could fix that issue, and this weekend’s matchup could be a quarterback battle. The Packers are dead last in the league in total rushing yards and rushing yards per game. While Minnesota has tried to pair a poor passing attack with an average run game, Green Bay did the opposite. The Packers have overcome their terrible run offense by passing the ball, reaching one of the league’s top marks with 279.7 passing yards per game. Don’t expect that trend to go away this weekend. Green Bay has dealt with multiple issues in their running back room. Josh Jacobs was suspended and eventually hurt , and Chris Books and MarShawn Lloyd also dealt with injuries . The Packers seem to now be turning to Kaleb Johnson for main back duties. Pair the instability in the running back room with poor play on the offensive line – specifically the interior offensive line, which was an issue coming into the season – and it’s easy to see why the Packers prefer to pass. On the other hand, Minnesota had to make a move to address their passing-game concerns. Their lack of a balanced attack was starting to catch up to them. High-powered offensive teams like the Bills and Lions were too much to handle, even for Minnesota’s elite defense. Cousins knows the system, and he has played his best under Kevin O’Connell. That was highlighted by a 13-4 season together in 2022, which included eight game-winning drives and fourth-quarter comebacks, tying an NFL record. During his last run with the Vikings, Cousins and O’Connell produced a top-five passing offense in 2022 and 2023. Maybe Kirk Cousins can get Justin Jefferson back into OPOY award consideration now 🤷‍♂️ https://t.co/sicaevoE3C pic.twitter.com/CsUJ6oVKEZ — The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) November 12, 2026 Kirk Cousins also thrived statistically in Vegas. Before landing back in the land of 10,000 lakes, Cousins was second in the league in passing touchdowns and top-five in passing yards. That sort of success will hopefully transfer back to Minnesota and help spark an offense that desperately needs it. This weekend’s matchup has all the makings of a true quarterback duel, and for the first time all season, the Vikings can dance. Zac Scholl All Articles