Could this be the year Kirk Cousins shows us why he is paid so well? A new situation with a new coach and GM could be good for him.

What is a dark horse? Meriam Webster Dictionary says it is a contender (like a horse) that has an unexpected showing in a contest. It was coined in the 19th century according to Thoughtco when they would train horses in the dark to have a better chance to win. Then was changed to mean a candidate that could win, but is not the favorite.

Many people complain about how much money Kirk Cousins makes and how many wins during the regular season he puts up or how many playoffs wins he has as a quarterback.  Seems like Kirk continues to give his haters more fuel to burn the fire.

A majority of people want to ride him out on a rail and look for a new quarterback, me included. Let's look at this problem and see how it can be fixed and whether it's his fault. I have an open mind, let's give him the benefit of the doubt.

Kirk has been playing for a defensive-minded coach and a defensive-minded GM ever since he came to Minnesota. So now, he has a well-rounded GM calling the shots and an offensive genius that just won a Super Bowl. He knows how to set up a good play and could be what was missing.

And then there's this:

Dustin Baker brings up a good point. Is it all Kirk Cousin's fault? No! There has to be an offensive line that can block the defense so that Kirk can make plays. So now his great passer rating means a little more. It's hard to make long passes to guys that are open when you have to run away from the defense.

The defense hasn't been stellar either. What does that have to do with Kirk Cousins? If Kirk puts points on the board, the defense has to stop the other team so they don't match the Vikings point for point. For the times when Kirk doesn't put points on the board, they have to stop the other team.

So we have an offensive guru that won the Super Bowl in O’Connell. He has many weapons to throw to, like Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, Irv Smith Jr., and K.J. Osborn. Aaron Rodgers makes do with way less in Green Bay.

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I am open-minded to say, this is his year to show us that he is worth the dump truck load full of cash the Vikings pay him. The new coach should clear up most of the obstacles that have been in his way.

Let me pose this question if Kirk Cousins delivers the Super Bowl Trophy for the first time to the Minnesota Vikings, will it erase all the years the Vikings couldn't move on to the playoffs or past the first round?

There's something to think about if the problems of the Minnesota Vikings have been erased with the new coach.

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