EXCLUSIVE: Mike Smith believes Kirk Cousins and Vikings are Super Bowl contenders

After the first 11 weeks of the 2022-23 NFL season, the NFC has a few contenders, one of them being the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings have far exceeded most fans' expectations thus far, as they sit at 8-1. They are currently tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for the best record in the NFL and their lone loss, interestingly, came against the Eagles.

Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith spoke with Sportskeeda in an exclusive interview and dubbed the Kirk Cousins-led team as contenders.

"Three years ago, maybe a little bit longer, when Kirk Cousins' contract was up for a minute. He was the highest paid quarterback in the NFL, you know, or in the top five. And you know, that change? You know, that changes? Yeah, but, you know, he's a darn good quarterback. And he is thriving right now. In the system that they have put in place up there. And Minnesota, there's no doubt about it, as I mentioned to you earlier.

"They've got it going on offensively with Kevin O'Connell, and Kurt Kessel. And he's been, you know, the way they're handling him. It's been interesting to watch because they've changed the culture, there's a different styles of coaching. And he has really taken to this style of coaching that coach Kevin O'Connell is, and it's quarterback-friendly offense."

Smith added that he thinks the Vikings can win a Super Bowl with Cousins leading the way at quarterback.

"He's able to get in there and get into a rhythm. And you can win a court, you can win with Kirk Cousins at quarterback and win a Super Bowl. I don't think there's any doubt that that can happen. But, you know, there's always going to be some naysayers and there's gonna be people that don't like the style that a quarterback plays, you're seeing that about Jalen Hurts, and I haven't read the paper this morning, but I'm sure that there's a bunch of people, analysts, analysing that."

Minnesota Vikings share the best record in NFL following their overtime victory over Buffalo Bills

The Minnesota Vikings were a part of one of the craziest games in NFL history this past Sunday. They defeated the Buffalo Bills 33-30 in a thrilling back-and-forth overtime victory.

The Vikings rallied from a 17-point comeback, going down 27-10 to begin the third quarter.

Justin Jefferson made one of the greatest catches of all time. Josh Allen made a few crucial mistakes late in the game, and the victory made Vikings tied for the best record in the league, at 8-1, while the Bills lost their second-straight game.

Minnesota's quest for a Super Bowl run will continue this weekend at home vs. the Dallas Cowboys.

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