Kirk Cousins’ season is over. To many, that means the Minnesota Vikings’ season is done, too. But don’t tell them that.
Adversity is baked into every NFL season. Poor performances, unlucky bounces, unfavorable officiating, and injuries are simply costs of doing business in America’s most popular sports league. The 2023 Vikings seem to have had more than their fair share only eight weeks into their second campaign under Kevin O’Connell.
After digging themselves a Mississippi River-sized hole by fumbling an unfathomable amount of times, dropping passes, and miscommunicating, the Vikings stared at a 1-4 record and an early three-game deficit in their pursuit of back-to-back NFC North Division titles. In the last of those four losses, Justin Jefferson limped off the field and straight to injured reserve, guaranteeing life without one of the best players in the entire league for at least four weeks.
Just one week later, difference-making newcomer Marcus Davenport joined Jefferson on IR with an ankle injury, hampering a defense that was just beginning to find their mojo.
All of that seems so insignificant today.
The Football Gods can be unjustly cruel. Cousins, who had led his team from the depths of irrelevance back into playoff position with three consecutive victories, had his final contracted season in purple taken from him. Even before confirmation of the Achilles tear had been received, his teammates were already grieving the loss of their unflappable leader.
“There’s nothing really I can say about it. I just love Kirk to death. I love his family. I love him. I love everything about him,” mused T.J. Hockenson after the win in Green Bay.
When asked what Cousins has meant to the locker room as a leader, K.J. Osborn exhaled into a simple response:
“Everything.”
“Response”: Minnesota Vikings Rallying Cry for Life Without Kirk Cousins
For a team that has taken hits in the chin all season, we should expect them to provide what they always have: a “response”.
Responding to adversity became a theme for O’Connell after the loss to Kansas City and was top of mind after the win in Green Bay was coupled with the crushing news of Cousins’ injury.
“We’ve allowed that adversity to be constant learning and growth for our team. The team in that locker room right now is a very confident team. And they know we’re getting better and better … I love this team and what they’re all about right now.”
The “response” rallying cry has reverberated throughout the walls of U.S. Bank Stadium, TCO Performance Center, and whichever NFL field the Vikings have visited these last few weeks. With their offense struggling to get their footing against a bad Carolina team, Harrison Smith and D.J. Wonnum changed the season.
Just three plays after Cousins fumbled, setting up Chicago to take a halftime lead over the lackluster Vikings, Danielle Hunter and Jordan Hicks returned the favor and turned the tide Minnesota’s way.
With the whole world watching and waiting for Minnesota to faceplant on national television without Jefferson against the daunting 49ers, Cousins turned in one of the best performances of his career and quieted the “Kirk Primetime” narrative.
The theme continued Sunday afternoon in Green Bay.
After a missed field goal from Greg Joseph, the defense forced their second-straight three-and-out, which the offense followed with a 77-yard touchdown drive that set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.
Following Sunday’s victory at Lambeau Field, O’Connell serendipitously handed out game balls to every member of the defense. The most blitz-happy unit in the NFL has been just as key to this team’s complete transformation after Week 3.
Another welcome sight has been the renaissance of the offensive line, and more broadly, the protection as a whole. Anchored by possibly the best tackle combination in the NFL, Minnesota has risen among NFL ranks despite maintaining largely the same five up front.
Obviously none of this matters if Minnesota gets poor quarterback play from either Jaren Hall, Nick Mullens, or newly-acquired Joshua Dobbs.
With the absence of Jefferson, the Vikings have been forced to be more creative and crisp offensively; and for the last two weeks, they have succeeded. O’Connell and Wes Phillips’ ingenuity will be challenged to the utmost for the next nine games.
Against Green Bay, O’Connell dialed up a key jet sweep with Brandon Powell that moved the chains in the first quarter. Jordan Addison’s first career Lambeau Leap was preceded by a “beautiful play call” wherein he came out of the backfield and beat Jaire Alexander on a double-move wheel route. In the Monday Night win over San Francisco, Addison completed a nifty double pass to Ty Chandler that was ultimately called back because of a penalty.
That creativity and crispness are going to have to be on full display if the Vikings are still to remain in the hunt for the 2023 playoffs. O’Connell’s coaching chops and his team’s ability to respond to the greatest of adversities are going to be put to the test.
Despite being “devastated” by the news of Cousins’ injury, Josh Metellus believes this team has what it takes to continue their “momentum”.
“Guys go down all the time. Other than Kirk, we had our other best offensive player go down not too long ago and we found a way to win three games.”
On Hall, Metellus added: “we have a bunch of play-makers and I think he’s one too.”
Even if fans, media, and the rest of the NFL write them off, no one inside of the Vikings locker room believes it’s over. O’Connell left no doubt.
“We have to move forward. Nobody feels sorry for anybody in this league. We know that; I know that. I know for one thing, I owe it to every player, and coach, and really every person in this building. They’re going to get my best every single day and we’re going to move forward in the same kind of attack mode … we are going out to try and get a win each and every week and continue to position ourselves to continue the pursuit of playing more games at the end of this season and getting the opportunity to compete until there are no opportunities left.”
Note: Statistics were sourced from Pro Football Reference, rbsdm.com, and Pro Football Focus.
Will is a husband, father, and earned an undergraduate degree in Economics (just like Kwesi Adofo-Mensah). Will’s favorite pastimes are water skiing, Minnesota sports, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Formerly, he contributed to Vikings Territory. He is the co-host of the Load the Box Vikings Podcast with Jordan Hawthorn. Follow him on Twitter (@willbadlose) and find his other sports content at Twins Daily and his very own Bad Loser Blog.
