Vikings GM on Kirk Cousins: 'I Don't Think Anyone Has Lost Any Faith'

Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said Thursday that the team's front office still believes in quarterback Kirk Cousins despite his poor start to the 2020 season.

"You just kind of have to go back and look at the big picture," Spielman told reporters. "But I don't think anyone has lost any faith in Kirk Cousins. I expect him to come back after the bye week and play well for us."

Cousins has completed 64.6 percent of his throws for 1,475 yards with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions through six games. He ranks 28th in ESPN's Total QBR (46.9), though he's received a more favorable 81.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

Minnesota has recorded 12 turnovers, the fourth-most in the NFL, and its negative-seven turnover ratio is the second-worst mark in the league.

"I know he's very hard on himself," Spielman said of Cousins. "Some of the interceptions were not his fault. Some of them were poor decisions. But I don't have any doubt that he's going to be able to rally."

That rally will need to come quickly.

The Vikings stand at 1-5, which has already put them in danger of falling too far behind the Chicago Bears (5-1) and Green Bay Packers (4-1) in the NFC North title race. They are also three games behind the final playoff berth in the conference.

A crucial stretch begins immediately after Minnesota's Week 7 bye, as it plays all three divisional opponents consecutively, including road clashes with the Bears and Packers. That's followed by a favorable three-game homestand comprising games against the Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars.

If the Vikes can go at least 2-1 in the divisional contests and sweep those highly winnable games at U.S. Bank Stadium, they would be at 6-6 heading into the homestretch of the regular season.

That type of turnaround starts with fewer mistakes from Cousins, who threw just six interceptions across 15 appearances last year.