Minnesota Vikings: 3 Takeaways from win vs. Saints in Wild Card Round

1. Cousins finally won the ‘big game’

On the road in New Orleans, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins finally was able to notch a big-time win in a big-game situation. Up to this point in his career and into his second season with Minnesota, Cousins has earned some criticism when it comes to being able to rise up on the biggest stages and in the biggest games to lead his teams to victories.

Throughout the course of the regular season and even prior in his NFL career, Cousins hasn’t really had that game where he stepped up and won the “big game.”

On Sunday in the NFC Wild Card Round on the road in New Orleans in a back-and-forth overtime contest, Cousins finally did just that.

Capped off by an impressive drive in overtime that finished with Cousins dropping a perfect pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph to lift the Vikings to victory, the veteran quarterback put together a nice performance to counter what Drew Brees and company was able to do on their end of the field.

Cousins finished the contest with 242 yards passing and one touchdown, completing 19 of his overall 31 pass attempts in the win. More importantly, Cousins was able to come away with the victory along with the rest of the Vikings squad and we finally saw him step up and win a big game on the big stage.

But now with the NFC Divisional Round on the road against the San Francisco 49ers next up on the schedule, the big games will get even bigger from here on out for Cousins and company.