GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Kirk Cousins’ career seemed at a crossroads when he tore his Achilles tendon during his last visit to Lambeau Field.
asserted
he → seem → Field
That he’s returning three years later, again as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, is a testament to the veteran quarterback’s tenacity.
asserted
returning → return → tenacity
Five days after Minnesota reacquired him from the Las Vegas Raiders, Cousins will try to help the Vikings (6-2) snap a two-game skid on Sunday and complete a regular-season sweep of the Green Bay Packers (6-3).
asserted
Vikings → reacquire → Packers
“Knowing that that was where I was carted off and had thoughts of: ‘Is this my last game? And my last game as a Viking?’” Cousins said.
asserted
Cousins → know → Viking
“To be back there wearing the purple and gold, it has meaning.
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it → wear → meaning
But you have to go make it mean something by the way you play.”
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you → have → way
Cousins’ Achilles injury came during a 24-10 victory on Oct. 29, 2023, that marked his last game with the Vikings.
asserted
that → come → Vikings
He was in Atlanta from 2024-25 before spending the first half of this season at Las Vegas.
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He → spend → Vegas
Now he will try to boost a Vikings offense that hasn’t scored more than 16 points in any of its last three games.
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that → try → games
“He’s been calling plays in some different offenses over the last couple of years, so we’re working through just getting him comfortable, getting him up to speed,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said.
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O’Connell → call → speed
“He’s really smart.
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He → ’ → ?
A lot of things come back quick to him.”
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lot → come → him
The Vikings don’t have time to ease Cousins back into this role as they attempt to win the unforgiving NFC North, where the Packers are still in last place even after winning five of their last six games.
asserted
Packers → have → games
That puts divisional matchups at a premium, and Green Bay already lost 39-22 at Minnesota in the season’s opening week.
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Bay → put → week
The Packers gave up the final 29 points of that game as Minnesota’s pass rush continually got to quarterback Jordan Love.
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rush → give → Love
Love believes he knows what it takes to beat this defense, but he also understands the enormity of the task.
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he → believe → task
“You’ve got to hit explosives, you’ve got to get a run game going and you’ve got to protect,” Love said.
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Love → get → explosives
“Those are like the key things to playing this defense and taking care of the ball.
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Those → play → ball
I think all of those things are huge.
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all → think → things
Like I said, they live in the world of chaos and trying to make you confuse and get you in some third-and-long situations where I think that’s where they’re at their best.
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they → say → best
Last week: Vikings lost 23-6 at home to Buffalo on Monday night; Packers won 45-27 at New England on Sunday.
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Packers → lose → Sunday
Packers beat Panthers 27-19; Patriots beat Dolphins 24-19.
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Patriots → beat → Dolphins
Last meeting: Vikings beat Packers 39-22 on Sept. 13 in Minneapolis.
asserted
Vikings → beat → Minneapolis
Series record: Packers lead 67-62-3.
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Packers → lead → ?
Although Love threw for 387 yards in Green Bay’s season-opening loss at Minnesota, he threw an interception and lost a fumble during the Packers’ fourth-quarter collapse as the Vikings didn’t give him any time to throw.
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Vikings → throw → time
The Vikings have 3.6 sacks per game to tie Houston for the NFL’s highest average.
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Vikings → have → average
Love has thrown for an NFL-leading 2,618 yards.
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Love → throw → yards
Stats and stuff
— Vikings star WR Justin Jefferson has hit the 100-yard mark only once in his last 19 games.
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Jefferson → hit → games
That came against the Packers in the final game of the 2025 season.
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That → come → season
Jefferson has only five touchdowns in his last 23 games, with two coming against the Packers in Week 1.
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two → have → Week
— Since the start of the 2025 season, the Vikings have 44 offensive touchdowns, the fourth-fewest in the NFL.
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Vikings → have → NFL
They’re second-to-last in net yards over that span.
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They → ’re → span
— The Vikings have at least four sacks in six of their eight games.
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Vikings → have → games
They’re the only team in the league with that many four-sack games.
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They → ’re → games
— Vikings LB Blake Cashman has at least seven tackles in 19 straight games, the longest active streak in the league.
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Cashman → have → league
He began the week in the concussion protocol, putting his availability for Sunday in question.
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He → begin → question
— Love’s two highest passing yardage totals came against the Vikings, though both were in losses.
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both → come → losses
He threw for 387 yards at Minnesota in this year’s season opener and had 389 yards passing in a 31-29 home loss to the Vikings in 2024.
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He → throw → 2024
— The Packers have 19 takeaways to rank second in the NFL, behind Tampa Bay’s 21.
asserted
Packers → have → 21
The Packers’ plus-8 turnover margin also ranks second, behind Jacksonville’s plus-9.
asserted
margin → rank → plus-9
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
