Kirk Cousins is heading back to the Minnesota Vikings, and the ripple effect will soon be felt across the NFL.
Including in Northeast Ohio.
The Cleveland Browns are about to begin their on-field preparations for this week’s home game against the Houston Texans. After that, they’ll hit their Week 11 bye.
That means they’ll get an extra week to prepare for the Las Vegas Raiders and recent No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
The Raiders’ decision to trade the veteran Cousins to Minnesota in exchange for a third-round draft pick ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline is a major development for a scrappy Browns team that’s fighting to stay in the AFC playoff hunt.
Las Vegas was fielding a dangerous offense under Cousins, who through nine starts ranks fifth in the NFL in passing yards (2,340) and second in touchdown passes (20). The Raiders had a top-10 scoring offense at 26.4 points per game.
Kirk Cousins trade gives Browns a much different Raiders offense to prepare for in Week 12
Mendoza moving into the Raiders’ QB1 role changes everything.
The rookie will immediately face three of the best defenses in football in the Seahawks (Week 10), Broncos (Week 11), and Browns (Week 12). He will face both the Broncos and Browns on the road.
Mendoza is a talented quarterback who in 2025 won both the Heisman Trophy and a national championship. But he’s getting thrown to the wolves.
Mike Rutenberg and the Browns’ defensive coaches should have a field day with extra time to prepare for their Week 12 matchup against Las Vegas, especially after seeing how Mike MacDonald and Vance Joseph attack the rookie over these next two weeks.
Browns couldn't have asked for a better break entering season-defining stretch
The Browns are entering the most important portion of their schedule, and in a way, they’ve already won. No matter how this week’s game against the Texans turns out, Cleveland is guaranteed to be .500 or better at the bye week. With three more home games — all in a row — against the Raiders, Bengals and Falcons immediately following the bye, this upcoming stretch of games will likely make or break the Browns’ season.
If the playoffs started today, the Browns would be out due to their 3-3 record against conference foes (the Patriots, who are also 5-4, have a 5-1 conference record). But they’re right there.
These next four games, all at Huntington Bank Field, sandwiched around a well-timed bye, are vital — and Cleveland’s odds of beating the Raiders in Week 12 just got a major bump.
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