There will always be a reason to avoid giving Kirk Cousins credit.

No, not every team the Minnesota Vikings have faced this season has choked. Any other quarterback with eight game-winning drives in the fourth quarter this season would be getting plenty of bouquets. Cousins will still, somehow, get no acclaim for the Vikings’ latest comeback or their 12-3 record.

Ho hum, Cousins threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday, leading a game-winning drive after the New York Giants tied it with 2:01 left. The 27-24 win came right after the Vikings had the largest comeback victory in NFL history over the Indianapolis Colts. They trailed 33-0 in that game last week. Having a tied game with two minutes left must have felt easy on Saturday.

And yet, judging by how he’s talked about, you’d think Cousins had nothing to do with all these wins.

That’s fine; Cousins is just that player. He’ll never get credit until the Vikings win a Super Bowl, and maybe not even then. The Vikings, who are outrunning their analytics by a mile this season, won’t get much praise either. It’s true that they are fortunate to keep winning close games. But maybe all that “luck” has something to do with their quarterback?

Before Saturday, no other quarterback had more than five fourth-quarter comebacks or game-winning drives this season. Cousins had seven and added his eighth in spectacular fashion Saturday. After the Giants tied it, Cousins did his thing, leading the Vikings downfield. A wonderful screen…