Can Vikings still make the playoffs? What trade for Kirk Cousins means for Minnesota’s outlook

One day after seeing their offense stumble against one of football's most porous defensive units en route to defeat against the Bills , the Vikings are making major changes to their quarterback room.

Minnesota acquired Kirk Cousins from the Raiders , dealing a third-round pick in the other direction to land its former standout. The move constitutes a minor risk for the Vikings, who have struggled to get their collection of gifted pass-catchers — namely Justin Jefferson — involved in the attack in recent weeks.

Minnesota's offensive foibles resurfaced during its 23-6 loss to the Bills on Monday night. While the Vikings' defense performed admirably, their attack was notably more toothless, failing to mount much of a challenge against Buffalo's much-maligned backline.

While Cousins has his detractors, he should prove more capable of throwing the ball downfield than the likes of Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. His familiarity with head coach Kevin O'Connell's playbook should help him surge to the top of Minnesota's QB depth chart upon arrival — a place he's more than familiar with.

With that, here's a look at how the Vikings can capitalize on Cousins' acquisition to surge to the playoffs.

Minnesota's 6-2 record belies Super Bowl contention. Its offensive exploits through nine games suggest otherwise. The Vikings are locked into a playoff spot thus far, sitting pretty at 6-2. They'll have ample adversaries vying for their spot, namely the Seahawks and the Rams .

The Vikings' postseason hopes don't entirely rest upon Cousins' broad shoulders. The Brian Flores-led defense remains elite, holding the high-octane Bills attack to a season-low in points despite failing to receive any real production from the offense. Barring poor health, Minnesota should receive enough from its backline to stay in games.

Cousins, instead, will be tasked with providing the fairy dust the Vikings' attack has desperately needed. He enjoyed a sizzling stint in Sin City, putting him on pace to tally a career-high in passing touchdowns. If he can at all rekindle that form in Minnesota — or close to it — the Vikings should be able to see out enough contests to keep their place among the NFC's elite (or scale even higher heights).

When peering at Minnesota's schedule, it looks somewhat daunting. Matchups against the Commanders and Jets should go the Vikings' way. If those results play out the way Minnesotans would envision, that would leave the Vikings with at least eight wins.

From that point, things get a little murkier. The Packers, Niners, Falcons , Panthers , Patriots , Lions and Bears all figure to be in postseason contention come the end of the season. They'll prove formidable tests for the Vikings, particularly if it takes Cousins some time to readjust to Kevin O'Connell's system.

The seventh-seed has averaged 9.6 wins since the league introduced a 17th game into its annual schedule in 2021. No team that has won more than 11 games has missed the playoffs in that stretch. While the aforementioned matchups could prove daunting, the reality is that if Minnesota wins three of those contests, it is all but assured a postseason berth — especially if some of those wins come against divisional opposition.

Here's a look at the state of the NFC North standings through Week 9.