Kirk Cousins Is 3-5 On Opening Days
August 25th, 2023
Vikings Pro Bowl QB Kirk Cousins.
The glorious Buccaneers opening day kickoff in Minnesota is just 16 days away.
Joe is fired up!
Tampa Bay starting quarterback Baker Mayfield has a miserable opening day record as a starting quarterback. No need to rehash that.
But to counter Mayfield’s Week 1 struggles, the defenses of Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores typically start seasons slowly, and today Joe’s research shows that Vikings QB Kirk Cousins, the four-time Pro Bowler, has a 3-5 record on opening day — 3-2 with the Vikings and winless with Washington.
Kirk Cousins in Week 1 games:
2015 – 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions Loss
2016 – 0 TD, 2 picks L
2017 – 1 TD, 1 pick L
2018 – 2 TDs, 0 picks W
2019 – 1 TD, 0 Picks W
2020 – 2 TDs, 1 Pick L
2021 – 2 TDS, 0 Picks L
2022 – 2 TDs, 0 Picks W
Joe is a believer in opening day trends (there are many) and doesn’t consider most to be coincidences. Drew Brees was a renowned slow starter, for example, and some coaches have their teams more ready for opening day than most.
Todd Bowles had his Bucs come out with their A-game to start last season in Dallas, so Joe has a little confidence heading into Week 1. Joe certainly wouldn’t be surprised if Bowles had a hell of a game plan lined up to suffocate Cousins.
Perhaps Devin White can scream “You like that” in his face after the game.
August 25th, 2023 at 4:18 pm
OK Joe, sure, Bowles had the Bucs ready to roll in the opener last year against Dallas, and we all know how the REST of the season played out.
My question is, What does your research reveal about opening day for the other years Bowles was head coach? (The Jets). Was he any good in those other years? Serious question.
August 25th, 2023 at 4:27 pm
So two sorry as opening day quarterbacks playing against each other? 😂😂
We do have a chance
August 25th, 2023 at 4:30 pm
Joe says, “Tampa Bay starting quarterback Baker Mayfield has a miserable opening day record as a starting quarterback” Joe’s not wrong.
Joe forgets, “Canales makes offenses QB friendly” See Russ Wilson and to a lesser extent Geno Smith. Baker’s crappy starts ends now!
August 25th, 2023 at 4:41 pm
Minnesota Last Year
2nd worst defense (drafted CB & S)
2nd worst pass defense
OL gave up 47 sacks (no OL drafted)
Lost their #1 RB and #3 WR (Dalvin Cook)
What this means for the Bucs
1. Evans or Godwin are getting 1-1 with a rookie
2. The defense can focus on rushing the QB
I like this game for the Bucs
August 25th, 2023 at 4:49 pm
Looks like Bowles was 2-2 opening day for the Jets, so not as bad as his overall record for the Jets. A slight opening day bump perhaps.
August 25th, 2023 at 4:51 pm
In their two Super Bowl years, the Bucs have lost their opener.
Meanwhile, many bad Bucs teams have won their openers.
According to AI, which might be lying to me, the Bucs opening day record all-time is 26-28, which is really good compared to their overall w/l record, which means the Bucs start out hot a lot before collapsing.
August 25th, 2023 at 4:51 pm
But also he played some objectively poor teams on opening day with the Jets so….maybe not
August 25th, 2023 at 5:01 pm
I can’t believe Cousins is considered an old guy, yet I look and see he was born in 1988.
Anywho, in 1988 the Bucs lost their opener to the Eagles 14-41. They then came back and beat the Packers in week 2, on the way to a 5-11 record.
BTW, I was looking at that week 2 1988 game vs the Packers box score…
Vinny’s line, 11/24 135 yards, no TDs or INTs.
The Packers were lead by Randy Wright who went 22/27, 181 yards and 1 TD no INTs.
But the Bucs had 91 yards by James Wilder, which was apparently enough to get the W.
I do not remember this game – but wow, that had to be a dull to watch.
August 25th, 2023 at 5:03 pm
AI would NEVER lie to you, Rod – after all, it IS “intelligence.” LOLz
August 25th, 2023 at 5:35 pm
Rod, thanks for the flashback. I did not see that game because Bucs games were not broadcast in Gainesville the entirety of my 4 years there; and in Orlando due to no sellouts for a LONG time after. So I too have no recollection. I would listen to some but reception was poor. I remember my freshman year watching the Dolphins game with 4 Giles TDs on a snowy TV with bad reception. Some parts of the old days I miss, but crappy TV reception is not one of them.
Now that you mention it, I am old enough to be Kirk’s very good-looking yet still youthful uncle.
I’m hoping we can air it out this time like we did with the Aints and Fitzpatrick on opening day a few years ago. Lots of bombs and just surprise the hell out of them.
August 25th, 2023 at 5:36 pm
Has there been any update on Kancey? I was thinking/hoping he’d be back practicing already. Rookie defensive lineman rarely do much, but they need those reps and last I heard is that he’d be ready for the opener.
August 25th, 2023 at 5:48 pm
Jack Burton Mercer – I remember watching the 1989 home game vs the Bears, where the 2-2 Bucs beat the 4-0 Bears, it was a rare home game that sold out and got televised. Anywho, what sticks out, is someone around us had a CB or shortwave radio or something that interfered with the signal – so every minute or so the screen would go staticy and the audio would drop as you got some random conversation that would overtake things for like 10 seconds. It drove me nuts, needless to say.
August 25th, 2023 at 6:33 pm
I F-ING HATE COUSINS BECAUSE OF HIS SH-TTY “you like that” comment.
PLEASE LORD LET THE BUCS D SACK THAT BASTARD AT LEAST 6 TIMES!
I WANT VEA TO BREAK FREE UP THE MIDDLE AND SQUASH KIRK LIKE
THE BUG THAT HE IS. GO BUCS D!
August 25th, 2023 at 6:33 pm
Traveling to play the Vikings will be a difficult task. They are probably the best team in the NFC North.
We will know a lot about this team after their first real game…
I’m going to keep my expectations low at this point. But if this team can go 2-2 before the week 5 bye they have a chance to compete for the NFC South title.
August 25th, 2023 at 6:56 pm
Jack Clark= Mike S= Gus.
August 25th, 2023 at 7:11 pm
@Rod: how can we ever forget 5-dash-2?
August 25th, 2023 at 7:34 pm
Anyone know what the Bucs opening day record is?
August 25th, 2023 at 7:43 pm
Soon we see.
August 25th, 2023 at 8:06 pm
Do not expect anything from Kancey this season now. He’s missed major time that’s going to cripple his development this year. I been told that rookie D linemen rarely do well even with a full training camp and preseason. He’s gonna get steamrolled this season.
August 25th, 2023 at 8:32 pm
I think we’re ok. now if Bowles defense was facing a rookie we’d get destroyed week 1
August 25th, 2023 at 8:48 pm
You started 4 sentences with Joe and left a typo exampl,e
Honestly, you have the writing skills of a 10-year-old.
August 25th, 2023 at 9:50 pm
“Your LIKE THAT?!?!”
August 25th, 2023 at 10:18 pm
When our opponent scores 20 or more the Bucs lose every time, check it. Every time last year. This is Bowles game plans. He will not change it.
August 25th, 2023 at 11:59 pm
Kirk Cousins has a good chance at making a comeback this season. My daughter told me that his family has been pushing him harder than usual to keep training.
August 26th, 2023 at 12:01 am
The bucs don’t stand a chance till week 3! I say they need to pick a new offensive coordinator or they won’t be making playoffs.
August 26th, 2023 at 12:22 am
What is Baker Mayfields opening day record?
August 26th, 2023 at 4:46 am
“Joe is a believer in opening day trends (there are many) and doesn’t consider most to be coincidencs.”
Yeah Joe… I will be using my trusty Ouija board this season. It says we will loose the first one and win all the next 16. My back-up is my tried and true magic 8 Ball.
Geez! Writers block?
Go Bucs!
August 26th, 2023 at 7:06 am
Rod that Packer Bucs game you mentioned was in Milwaukee and the Bucs won 13-10. Both teams had trouble moving the ball but Wilder did enough late to get the Bucs the winning FG. 3 weeks later the Bucs would beat Green Bay again in Tampa 27-24 in a very sloppy game to go 2-3 (packers were 0-5 and on the way to race with Dallas for the #1 pick which they lost; 1-15 Dallas got Aikman, they got Mandarich). Bucs would not win again until they ran into Detroit to go 3-8. Typical Perkins team and their last win of the season moved them from 3 to 6 in draft order by beating the Lions again in Tampa on a cold December day. The 3 guys that were selected before Broderick Thomas: Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas and Deion Sanders. It was a Bucs’ life for us fans in the Bennett/Perkins/Williamson Creamsicle era as well as now with Bowles sans Brady in 2023…….
August 26th, 2023 at 8:01 am
We only win the Super Bowl when we lose to the saints the first game of the year