Kirk Cousins: ‘Everything rises and falls on leadership.’
A new coaching regime with new front office executives can oftentimes trigger newfound excitement. That’s what the aura has been like around quarterback Kirk Cousins and Minnesota Vikings heading into the 2022 season.
Minnesota cleaned house after the 2021 season. The day after their final game, Minnesota fired general Rick Spielman, replacing him with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. It also fired head coach Mike Zimmer, who reportedly didn’t get along with Cousins, and brought in then-Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell, who previously worked with Cousins in his final year with the Washington Commanders (formerly the Washington Redskins) in 2017.
O’Connell’s Viking debut got off to a very promising start, too. The Vikings downed in-division rival Green Bay Packers 23-7. Both Cousins and Justin Jefferson, arguably the top non-QB player this week, thrived. The signal caller completed 23-of-32 passes for 277 yards and two touchdown passes. Jefferson hauled in nine passes for 184 yards and two scores against a highly touted Packers secondary.
Nevertheless, Minnesota is now above .500 for the first time in 32 months (!!), and Cousins rewarded both Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell after the game with game balls, praising their leadership.
“You guys that who have played in the league long enough know this and I believe strongly: Everything rises and falls on leadership,” Cousins said to the team in the locker room after the game. “Speed of the leader. Speed of the team. [Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell] are running this organization and we are going to go as far as they can take us — all the way.
“This was the first win as these guys leading us. This was their first win, so game balls to both of you.”
O’Connell credited the trust and leadership the Vikings’ ownership gave him when they first hired him after the game as well.
“First and foremost, (if) you get an opportunity to be a head coach in this league, it takes the ultimate trust from ownership to decide that you’re the right guy to lead the organization” O’Connell said. “And I am so thankful they picked me, not just because of them as owners, but because of our coaching staff, our players and everybody that pours into this team — because like I told you last night, I love this team. I love this team and everything about you guys but I want to give the game ball to [Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf].”
As an outside observer, everything — the offense, situational playcalling, sideline demeanor and how he’s instituted a completely new culture — has appeared to be a complete breath of fresh air. Especially compared to the overly brash Zimmer, whose culture was viewed as “toxic“, especially towards the end of his tenure.
Everything Cousins ran looked more modernized and cleaner in its season-opener. It wasn’t perfect, but it looked as good as one would like it to look in Week 1 — especially when hardly any of the starters didn’t play a single snap in the preseason.
And the players’ reception — including Cousins’, who’s been a team captain (like most QBs are) since he’s arrived in 2018 — to both O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah throughout the offseason and now has exuded promise. It’s only Week 1, but it was a step in the right direction for a franchise with high aspirations after missing the playoffs in three of the last four seasons.
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