The Minnesota Vikings (10-3) would not be a 10-win team without one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses in 2022.

Led by Kirk Cousins and a prolific passing attack, featuring superstar wideout Justin Jefferson, the Vikings are capable of outscoring just about any team in the league.

Unfortunately, the Detroit Lions were not one of those teams. The Vikings fell on the road to Detroit by the score of 34-23, but Cousins and the passing attack were not to blame.

Kirk Cousins, take a bow. What a performance pic.twitter.com/uWRnbHb22U

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) December 12, 2022

Cousins threw for 425 yards and two touchdowns in the loss while Minnesota was let down by its run game, which totaled just 22 yards on the day. The team’s offensive output was a microcosm of the 2022 campaign.

Cousins, often disrespected around the NFL, has not been getting enough credit for his part in the Vikings’ successes. In fact, no other quarterback has been hit as many times as Cousins (67) has been this season.

sifting through stats and learning that Kirk Cousins has been hit a league leading 67 times this year pic.twitter.com/PUNkdnNwj5

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) December 13, 2022

Taking into account the physical toll that Cousins endures on a weekly basis, it makes his numbers even more impressive.

On the year, Cousins has passed for 3,358 yards (7th) and 20 touchdowns (10th) all while being sacked a total of 33 times (8th).

Not only has the protection been an issue in the pass game, but it’s also contributed to Minnesota’s mediocre rushing attack. The Vikings rank 27th in the league in rushing yards per game (95.6)

It’s difficult for any quarterback to find success without protection, much less the lack of a decent rushing attack. Cousins continues to be one of the most undervalued players in football, but it’s about time the proper context is applied to his performance.

Featured image via Jeffrey Becker – USA TODAY Sports