In the biggest moments, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins comes up small. He's an anchor when the franchise is searching for its Aquaman.
The 34-year-old signal-caller personifies mediocrity in a world where elite quarterback play is more essential than ever to compete at the highest level. The game is now built around superheroes posing as professional athletes. Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Hebert and Lamar Jackson bring Superman-like qualities to the position.
Whereas Cousins doesn't even have outstanding natural arm talent to make up for his lack of athleticism or the precision to continually beat defenses with accurate throws based on pre- and post-snap reads.