Kirk Cousins, Kevin O'Connell trade compliments ahead of Falcons-Vikings
MINNEAPOLIS — Despite his six seasons and 50 wins as the Minnesota Vikings' starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins isn't expecting a warm welcome when he returns to U.S. Bank Stadium as an Atlanta Falcon this weekend.
"They're great fans, they're great football fans, and I would think as a result they'll make it as hostile as they can for us," Cousins said.
The 36-year-old QB signed a deal with the Falcons this offseason after he and the Vikings couldn't agree on a new contract. His old team signed veteran Sam Darnold to replace him and also drafted J.J. MCarthy out of Michigan in the first round.
Cousins said the crowd's response won't be the only strange experience when he comes back.
"It's like a familiar place but at the same time I've never — this happened when I played in Washington for the first time back," he said." I had no idea where the away locker room was, I had never been in there. So in that sense, I had been to the Washington stadium many, many times, but I had never been to it in that way, kind of felt like a rookie in that sense. So that'll have that same feeling I assume on Sunday."
Brian Flores and the Vikings defense will be tasked with containing the man they used to go against in practice every week. But Cousins said he doesn't think his experience from last year will do much good come game time.
"The way they've changed their personnel, the way they've evolved, the way at the time those players were playing the scheme for the first time. I think now many of those players who would still be there are so much more experienced in the scheme as well," Cousins said. "So for all those reasons, I do think you can't draw as much as you'd like to."
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, who called plays for Cousins the past two seasons and also coached him in Washington, knows what the passer is capable of, even if he looks physically diminished after an Achilles injury that ended his time in Minnesota.
"It's going to be a challenge," O'Connell said. "He's going to be very accurate, he's going to throw with great timing and rhythm, he's going to get the ball out and when he does it's going to be going to the right guy. And we gotta be 'all 11' mentality every single snap, because he can easily put together the type of performance where he can have you scrambling on defense from a coverage standpoint."
While some might call this a revenge game for Cousins, he said he looks back at this time in Minnesota with nothing but positive thoughts.
"I think the emotion is really gratitude," he said. "When you think back to, that's kind of the word that comes to mind is just gratitude. When I arrived there as a free agent, they took a chance on me, ownership took a chance on me, the organization did. I think just so many teammates who gave so much to help me, coaches who gave so much to help me. Support staff, from nutrition to weight room to equipment to the training room."
Still, he's hesitant to say too much about the relationships he maintains with those within the Vikings organization, given the Falcons' offseason punishment for tampering in signing Cousins.
"I don't even know the rules nowadays with tampering, right?" Cousins said. "I have friends in the league on other teams, so I don't know if friendships are allowed or not. But yeah, I do try to relate to people around the league legally, and I don't know, I guess if it's illegal to text your friend then I'm sorry."
The Vikings and Falcons kick off at noon on Sunday.
