If you didn’t know the Minnesota Vikings were dealing with drama between Kirk Cousins and Stefon Diggs, you certainly wouldn’t have known after the Vikings big win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Days after former Eagles linebacker Zach Brown called Cousins the “weakest part of their offense,” the quarterback responded to Brown’s comments and lit up the Philadelphia passing defense. Cousins completed 22 of 29 pass attempts with a season-high 333 yards and four touchdown passes. Cousins’ 47.48 OSM (Offensive Share Metric) grade was the highest of any quarterback in Week 6.
“I thought we played well today. Offensively, we were explosive,” said Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer. “We had some big plays. [Quarterback] Kirk [Cousins] played outstanding.”
An important part of Cousins’ game against the Eagles was being able to show that his stellar play in last week’s win over the New York Giants wasn’t a one-off occasion. Cousins’ performance marked the second consecutive game that he has thrown for at least 300 yards.
The most encouraging part of the big day from the Vikings offense was the performance of Diggs. After a lackluster start to the season, frustrations brewed, and trade rumors started to swirl around U.S. Bank Stadium.
But all was forgotten after Sunday’s win. The Vikings receiver tallied a season-high seven receptions for 167 yards and three touchdowns. His 34.74 OSM grade ranked 23rd among WRs in Week 6.
“The way the coverage played today, it gave Diggs some chances, and we missed a post at the end of the [first] half,” Cousins said. “He probably could have had four. That was there for the taking, and that ball was a little overthrown.”
With his performance, Diggs became the first Vikings receiver since Randy Moss to score three receiving touchdowns of 50 or more yards in the same game.