MINNEAPOLIS — Kirk Cousins’ first sport as a Minnesota Viking got here in a 2018 victory towards outdated good friend Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers. Five years later, as a landing underdog to Shanahan’s Niners in his personal stadium on Monday night time, Cousins guided but every other Vikings victory. This time, alternatively, it used to be much more of a observation — the most important of Minnesota’s 2023 season.
Staring down a possible 2-5 get started towards the NFC runner-ups, without end related to prime-time letdowns, and lacking his best weapon in injured receiver Justin Jefferson, Cousins proceeded to throw for a season-high 378 yards and two touchdowns towards one of the crucial NFL’s stingiest defenses. He outdueled 49ers phenom Brock Purdy in crunch time. He fed standout rookie Jordan Addison. And in provoking the 49ers in a 22-17 choice, he will have jumpstarted Minnesota’s hopes for a complete turnaround.
“He’ll tell you,” operating again Cam Akers stated after the sport. “In the middle of the field, I told him, like, ‘Dude, you an effin’ dog. Like, you ballin.’ I haven’t seen many quarterbacks do that — sit in the pocket like that, under pressure, make perfect throws.”
Jefferson, who is generally the middle of festivities at U.S. Bank Stadium, stormed the sector in boulevard garments after Monday’s win to for my part position a diamond chain round his QB’s neck. Asked if customized grills are subsequent for Minnesota’s notoriously Midwestern signal-caller (receiver Ok.J. Osborn described Cousins as “Dad” over the summer time), Akers yelled around the Vikings’ celebrating locker room to invite Cousins himself.
“Kirk! Kirk! You think you ever gonna get the grills?”
Cousins hollered again.
“I gotta do it.”
To be transparent, Cousins wasn’t the one explanation why the Vikings halted the 49ers, who had been vaunted as essentially the most balanced staff in the league now not goodbye in the past. Coach Kevin O’Connell used to be in particular inventive early, discovering tactics to get fast receivers like reserve Brandon Powell in house. Addison used to be Jefferson-esque on his personal, with a number of highlight-reel grabs downfield. And defensive coordinator Brian Flores oversaw a unit that most commonly bottled up 49ers megastar Christian McCaffrey, whilst forcing two late-game turnovers through Purdy, whose calling card early in his profession has been unbelievable composure.
“I think our defense is 100% slept on,” protection Josh Metellus stated after the sport. “But we’re just gonna keep going, keep putting our head down and grinding, and it’s gonna show in the win column when we just keep stacking up wins.”
But the No. 1 explanation why the Vikings really feel they are “still at play” in the NFC North, even after shedding 4 in their first six? The No. 1 explanation why Metellus and Co. imagine “we’re putting ourself in a position to contend (and) be there in that dance when the time is right”? The No. 1 explanation why tight finish T.J. Hockenson advised newshounds in a while that “people need to be scared of us, too”?
That will be the guy underneath heart, who now leads the NFL with 16 TD passes via seven video games.
“(Kirk’s had) elite-level play all year,” Metellus stated. “He’s just one of those quarterbacks who can get the job done if you give him time, give him opportunities, good play-calling like KO had today. If you put a quarterback like him in that situation, he’s gonna dominate every time.”
The jury, after all, is nonetheless out on whether or not the Vikings can construct off Monday night time’s wonder win. It’s additionally nonetheless out on Cousins’ long-term long run with Minnesota; he is in the ultimate 12 months of his contract after 5 statistically productive seasons that merely have not produced the big-game wins 1000’s of purple-wearing fanatics are nonetheless in the hunt for. And but, for a unmarried night no less than, Vikings fanatics can imagine as soon as once more. Because on Monday, the big-game victory belonged to them, and now not the 49ers.
“It was a statement,” Akers stated. “It was a statement game. We talked about that all week. ‘Let’s go make a statement, show people that we’re serious, that we are who we say are.’ We played a complete game. And we got the ‘W.'”