EAGAN, Minn. — Meeting with reporters during a bye week media session Tuesday, Nov. 19, general manager Rick Spielman was asked a series of questions on a variety of topics.

The inquiries ranged from Colin Kaepernick to Minnesota’s shoddy pass defense to a possible contract extension for star running back Dalvin Cook. For the first time in a long time, a topic that wasn’t so hot: the Vikings’ quarterback situation.

For once in Spielman’s tenure, it’s settled. The Vikings finally have a quarterback they believe in, someone who appears capable of leading Minnesota not only to the playoffs but a deep run into January.

Finally, Minnesota is off the quarterback carousel. Spielman had tried it all — drafting top prospects, trading for established options and signing journeymen — in search of a stable solution.

Everyone notes Spielman’s failures — Christian Ponder and Donovan McNabb come to mind — but there were glimpses of hope, as well: Brett Favre’s magic, Teddy Bridgewater leadership, Sam Bradford’s arm and Case Keenum’s horseshoe. But, for varying reasons, none held the position for more than a year or two.

Many otherwise talented rosters have been sunk by a lack of quarterback continuity, so Spielman threw the Wilfs’ money at the problem last offseason. The initial results were … troublesome.

Signed to a three-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $84 million, Cousins struggled to overcome a lightweight running game and poor offensive line play last season. He wasn’t getting the ball to Minnesota’s rock star receivers, visibly frustrated late in the season. The spotlight games highlighted Minnesota’s weaknesses.

Head coach Mike Zimmer fired offensive coordinator John DeFilippo mid-season and promoted Kevin Stefanski to take his place. The early returns were positive, but in a must-win Week 17 battle against Chicago’s B-Team, Cousins again crumbled.

It seemed Spielman had swung and missed again, but not so fast.

In the offseason, Minnesota bulked up its offensive coaching staff in support of Stefanski, bringing in Gary Kubiak, Rico Dennison and Klint Kubiak to help reshape the offense to suit Cousins’ strengths.

From the zone-blocking run scheme to the screen game, Minnesota’s offense is multi-dimensional and unpredictable, and Cousins is thriving. The offensive line, which Minnesota bolstered this offseason, has improved and coaches worked to get the ball out of Cousins’ hands quicker.

Scrutiny may have reached an all-time high after Cousins’ threw the game-losing interception in Week 2 to Green Bay, but he’s since been dynamite. From Weeks 3 through 11, Cousins has thrown 19 touchdowns to just one interception, averaging 270 yards a game while completing 73.3 percent of his passes. And he’s done much of this recently without the injured Adam Thielen.