The Minnesota Vikings successfully completed a trade for Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins on Tuesday ahead of the league's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline. The 15-year pro should be an immediate upgrade at the position over Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz.

Cousins thrived in head coach Kevin O'Connell's offense during his previous time in Minnesota. The two were together in 2022 and 2023, when Cousins went 17-8 as a starter, completing 67.1 percent of his passes and throwing 47 touchdowns to 19 interceptions.

On Sunday, Cousins should be the starting quarterback for the Vikings. Although he'll have less than a week to prepare for the Week 10 game at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers, O'Connell can set him up for success.

The Vikings must do these three things to set Kirk Cousins up for success vs. Packers

1. Keep an extra pass blocker in the game

The Vikings have slowly phased fullback Max Bredeson out of the offensive game plan. In each of Minnesota's last two games, he played only seven offensive snaps. Instead, the team opted for tight end Ben Yurosek, who is a stronger pass blocker.

That said, keeping an extra blocker to protect Cousins is smart. He lacks the mobility of a quarterback like Murray, but can make good decisions and make defenses pay if he gets time in the pocket. Minnesota has allowed 23 sacks this year, the tenth most in the NFL. Keeping him upright and able to survey the field is essential, especially considering that the Packers' defense has recorded 26 sacks this season.

2. Get Kirk going early

The best way to get a quarterback in a groove is to get early completions. Whether it is slants, screens, or other short passes, Cousins needs to get into a rhythm against Green Bay and get his blood flowing on what should be a chilly Green Bay day.

Vikings fans have seen enough of the team's quarterbacks struggling to force the ball down the field, even if it is a target for superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Cousins has made a career out of taking what defenses give him, and with how opportunistic the Packers' defense is this season, with 19 takeaways and allowing a score on just 30.8 percent of their opponents' drives, Minnesota can't afford to struggle offensively.

3. Keep it simple with play-action

O'Connell has a tendency to get fancy at times and try trickery or misdirection to keep opposing defenses on their toes. With a quarterback like Cousins, those plays get in the way of playing to his biggest strength: play-action passes.

Of course, that means the Vikings will need to establish the run early. Aaron Jones or Jordan Mason should be able to get some work done on the ground to open up opportunities for play-action passes, creating separation for the wide receivers against the Packers' defense.