Kirk Cousins finally picks up first ‘Monday Night Football’ win

Nine seasons into his career, Kirk Cousins finally won on Monday night. 

The former Washington quarterback helped lead the Minnesota Vikings to a 19-13 win over the Chicago Bears — snapping a nine-game losing streak on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.” Cousins threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns to improve his team to 4-5 on the year.

Cousins has had a shaky history in Monday games. Before the win over the Bears, Cousins’ teams were outscored by an average of 11 points per game, and his quarterback rating was eight points lower on Mondays (89.5) than Sundays (97.5).  

Six of those nine losses were with Washington.

“You know, for me it’s all about playing well and doing my part,” Cousins told reporters after the win. “I’ve played long enough to know there is not a lot you can control as a quarterback. The ball is in your hands, but so many things are out of your control. So you just do the best you can, play the best you can, and that’s where my focus always is.”

After a 1-5 start, the Vikings have now won three straight. In that span, Cousins has performed remarkably better — completing 70% of his passes for 672 yards and six touchdowns to just one interception. Through his first six games, Cousins had thrown only one more touchdown (11) than interceptions (10).