Kirk Cousins returned to the Minnesota Vikings and guided them to a 30-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The win improved the Vikings to 7-2 and created a three-way tie atop the NFC North with the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears. The Packers fell to 6-4.
Cousins, acquired from the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 10 in exchange for a 2027 third-round draft pick, completed 21 of 31 passes for 207 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He posted a passer rating of 94.4 in his first start since the trade.
The 38-year-old had only a few days to prepare after the deal. Minnesota’s offense had struggled in recent weeks behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz, ranking near the bottom of the league in several categories entering the matchup.
Cousins connected with Myles Price on a 38-yard touchdown late in the first quarter. He later found tight end Gavin Bartholomew for a 20-yard score in the fourth quarter. Aaron Jones added a short rushing touchdown.
The Vikings led 17-0 at halftime and 20-0 early in the third quarter. They finished with 312 total yards while holding the Packers to 220. Minnesota recorded eight sacks and forced four turnovers.
Jordan Love was sacked repeatedly as the Vikings’ defense controlled the line of scrimmage. Green Bay managed just 10 points, all in the third quarter on a 32-yard touchdown catch by J. Michael Sturdivant and a field goal.
Former NFL player Ryan Clark noted the offensive change.
“After watching Minnesota on [Nov. 9 against the Buffalo Bills] and comparing it to what we’re seeing [on Nov. 15 against the Packers], the difference offensively is startling!” Clark wrote. “This offense looked high school-ish in its last outing, and now they’ve put up 17 points in the first half. The improvement is remarkable. They actually look like a professional offense!”
Coming into the game, Cousins had completed passes for 2,340 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine games this season for a 97.1 passer rating, according to available tracking data. He carried similar production into the new uniform.
The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen observed the immediate impact.
“Kirk Cousins and Josh Downs have been exactly as the teams that traded for them envisioned in the first half,” Nguyen wrote. “Cousins throwing with anticipation unseen from Vikings QBs in years, Downs actually beating man coverage, which KC WRs have been unable to do.”
Former Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter addressed the midseason move days earlier. “First of all, it was forced,” Carter said. “That crowd was remarkable on [Nov. 9 against the Bills]. But when they started to boo the home team, especially the quarterback play, it forced them. I know the Vikings were on the phone Monday night, and this was ultimately the only move they could make. He’s the perfect fit for us moving forward. He’s really the only quarterback with whom we could have Super Bowl aspirations and make a clean transition because he knows the offense.”
Cousins previously spent 2018-23 with the Vikings. His last appearance in purple and gold at Lambeau Field came in October 2023, when he tore his Achilles tendon in a 24-10 win.
The victory marked Minnesota’s fifth win in its last six meetings with Green Bay. It also snapped a two-game losing streak for the Vikings.
Le’Veon Bell offered a strong assessment during the contest. “Kirk Cousins going to the Vikings might’ve just made them the best team in football,” Bell wrote. “My goodness, they look amazing.”
Minnesota’s defense has been among the league’s best all season, allowing the fewest points per game entering Week 10. The unit limited Green Bay despite missing linebacker Blake Cashman.
The Packers had won five of their previous six games before the loss. Their offensive line struggled to protect Love throughout the afternoon.
Cousins now has 2,547 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 10 games this season. The Vikings host the Atlanta Falcons next after a road date against the San Francisco 49ers.
The NFC North remains tightly contested with three teams at 7-2. Minnesota holds the head-to-head edge over Green Bay after sweeping the season series.
