In Ep. 3 of the Netflix series “Quarterback,” Kirk Cousins descends into 50-degree water to recover after the Washington Commanders game. Cousins has spoken publicly about how a team of trainers in the Minnesota Vikings facility and at his home “put his body back together” after each game. But the Commanders game was particularly brutal, and the documentary revealed that Cousins suffered a season-long rib injury.
Week 9 was something of a homecoming for Cousins because he spent his first six seasons in DC. It was also an important game for Minnesota. They had squeaked by a depleted New Orleans Saints game in London and let the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins back into games they should have put away. The Vikings had also acquired T.J. Hockenson from the Detroit Lions, who had nine receptions for 70 yards in his first game in purple. Minnesota staved off old friend Taylor Heinicke and the Commanders, who finished the year 8-8-1, scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter to avoid an upset loss.
Throughout the rest of “Quarterback,” which is eight episodes long, viewers can hear a mic’d up Cousins wince in pain every time he gets hit. Like any quarterback, his throwing motion exposes him to shots in the ribcage. His flack jacket only protects him so much. Von Miller hit him directly in the ribs a week after the Commanders game during Minnesota’s 33-30 upset in overtime. But aside from one play where he got injured in Washington, Cousins got back up and made the next throw under pressure.
Cousins’ teammates praised him throughout the year for his toughness, and a 13-win season buoyed his career record to 73-63-2. He also won primetime games in London and on a short week over the New England Patriots. And he engineered comebacks in Buffalo and against the Indianapolis Colts. Cousins is durable, studies meticulously, and has a strong and accurate arm. He uses a brain scanner to help him focus, and he studies play calls in his car. In many ways, Cousins is the kind of quarterback anyone wants running their team. But he also has only won one playoff game and has fallen short in primetime. In “Quarterback,” he responded to his critics by quoting Margaret Thatcher.
“If my critics saw me walking on water,” he said, attributing the quote to the former British prime minister, “they would say it’s because I can’t swim.”
People in Minnesota are hardly impressed by anyone who walks on water. The lakes freeze over in the winter. Mileage may vary on how viewers of the documentary feel about Thatcher; some may not know much about her. Regardless, it was pretty unexpected to hear him quote Thatcher, who served as prime minister from 1979 to 1990 and passed in 2013. However, it offered a window into Cousins’ mindset. He does everything he can to prepare for games, mentally and physically. He is a caring father and husband who treats fans well. Cousins points to the game balls teams have given him after primetime wins as evidence that he can deliver when it matters. But his primetime, regular season, and playoff record indicate that there’s still a level he hasn’t reached.
In the documentary, Cousins lets the camera crew into his house in Holland, Mich., built in his hometown on Lake Michigan. It has many people of Dutch heritage and is known for its annual tulip festival. In a word, quaint. Cousins built his dream house there and had a Murphy door installed in it. Behind the door, he has evidence of his success. Game balls. Individual accolades. A “You Like That?” towel from his upset win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015. But the most interesting item in it is a letter from his father.
Don Cousins coached Kirk in grade school and offered an honest assessment of him. Don wrote that Kirk had many attributes to be a great quarterback, but he could be a better vocal leader and work on his footwork. If Cousins continued to improve, his father said he could be an all-conference and even an all-state player in high school. Cousins threw for over 3,000 yards and 40 touchdowns at Holland Christian High School, but he never made all-state. He was going to go to Toledo or Western Michigan, but Mark Dantonio offered him a late scholarship. Cousins redshirted, then backed up Brian Hoyer before taking over as the starter at Michigan State.
Washington took him in the fourth round in 2012, the same year they drafted Robert Griffin III to be their franchise quarterback. In the documentary, Cousins said of all 32 teams, Washington was the one he least expected to take him. He didn’t see a pathway to being a starter in DC but took over for Griffin when he got hurt. From there, he turned himself into a highly-compensated quarterback through the work he puts in every week. Still, he makes crucial errors in big moments, which has kept him from ascending to the top tier of quarterbacks.
The Vikings pulled off the upset in Buffalo, but Cousins called his own quarterback sneak. They might have lost the game if Josh Allen hadn’t fumbled the subsequent snap in his end zone. After the Bills stop Cousins short, we see Kevin O’Connell patiently ask Cousins to take a timeout and allow him to get him in the correct formation. We also see O’Connell try to temper Cousins’ frustration in the comeback over the Colts. Cousins and the Vikings triumph over Buffalo and Indianapolis but come up short against the New York Giants in the playoffs. Afterward, Cousins debriefs three plays he’d like to have back against the Giants with his wife, Julie, on their drive home.
Later, Cousins attends the Super Bowl to receive honors, but he tells us he wants to go there to play in the game. It would be hard to watch “Quarterback” and come away thinking that Cousins isn’t doing enough off the field to be great. It’s evident that he’s driven to win a championship. However, it’s still unclear how he will do in primetime games, including the playoffs, next season. We still don’t know how he’ll do sink-or-swim moments.
