RandBall: The Vikings and Kirk Cousins deserve this chance for something special

Whatever you think of the process that led the Vikings to an abrupt reunion Tuesday with Kirk Cousins, and however this might end up working out, the overriding sentiment in the moment is this: The Vikings and Cousins deserve this chance. I was thinking it even before Vikings General Manager Nolan Teasley succinctly summed it up at a Wednesday news conference . “This roster has earned the right to explore the potential to maximize where we can take this thing,” Teasley said. Advertisement Let’s look at five different entities and people, all of whom deserve this reunion and the opportunity for success that comes with it, in order of most to least deserving. Minnesota Vikings defense has carried the team By any reasonable metric, the Vikings have among the very best defenses in the NFL. ESPN’s Football Power Index says they’re No. 1, and it’s hard to argue with that after watching them play for eight games. But this defense has also carried a disproportionate load through a 6-2 start, while propping up an offense that has been among the NFL’s worst. It was a problem when the team was 6-0, and it became a glaring issue as the defense stood tall against the Lions and Bills while the offense sputtered. Buffalo held the ball for more than 42 minutes in a 23-6 win on Monday Night Football .