Don’t Underestimate The Value Of New Energy In Minnesota
Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Growing up, I loved Mountain Dew. By the time I was in my 20s, I was drinking at least four cans a day. I never noticed any negative effects on the way I felt, it was just a part of my life. Then, one day I decided to get a trainer and change my dietary habits. The first victim was my beloved Dew. I quit soda altogether.
3 years later I was on a road trip, tired and in need of a pick-me-up. I reached in a gas station cooler and grabbed for a trusted old friend. I hopped back in the car, downed a Dew, and took off down the highway.
You would’ve thought somebody set a bomb off inside my body. This thing that I had become so accustomed to, that seemed so normal back then, was now, because of my new situation, something I could hardly stand the idea of returning to.
Kirk Cousins once told the assembled Minnesota Vikings media that he had watched every throw of his entire career during the off-season to prepare for the upcoming year. That’s the sort of comment that creates a very specific vibe.
Kirk was a man of planning, control, and incredible work ethic. He was also a man of, at the very least, over-the-top particularness. Whether it was driving a van to practice, hosting his own painfully awkward radio show, having his wife dress him in dad wear from Kohls, or becoming Kirko Chainz, the man set an energy and the team and organization followed.
This weekend we got our first glimpse at a Cousins-less training camp. It just felt different.
Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy may not currently be able to make all the throws that Kirk can make, exactly the way he makes them. But what they lack in veteran skill they may make up for with some much-needed looseness. McCarthy acknowledged the more relaxed environment, calling his situation “the most refreshing I’ve ever been in.”
Darnold delivered several deep balls over the first few days of training camp, and did so with an ease that was unrecognizable to those who’d spent time in the Football Foxhole with Cousins. Yes, Kirk could deliver those same balls, but the methodology and vibe felt so different than what we saw when Cousins was in the huddle. You could feel it in the stands.
Now, favorably comparing Darnold to Cousins means there’s a good chance this article will be looked back on as the most preposterous thing I’ve ever written. Suggesting that removing, by all accounts, an amazing human being and Pro Bowl quarterback and swapping in Darnold feels ridiculous to say.
But because of Kirk’s overbearing approach, this feels like it could be addition by subtraction. It feels like a hot take, but it feels that Cousins’ stiffness dictated the team, particularly in the most important moments. Maybe I’m just desperately searching for some hope to grab on to in a year that feels so different from the rest.
But maybe not.
Maybe we didn’t realize how accustomed we’ve become to Cousins’ metaphorical Mountain Dew, and how much better everything will feel now that we’ve cut it out. Maybe the fluidity of the relationship between the coach and his quarterback will flourish, and we will finally see Kevin O’Connell’s true offense. All you have to do is look across the border to see the way Matt Lafleur’s offense take shape once Aaron Rodgers finally left. Maybe the reallocation of resources allows for balance that creates a more competitive team than we’ve seen even in Kirk’s playoff years.
And maybe, just maybe, on fourth and a bunch with the game on the line, we won’t watch an overly meticulous, robotic quarterback check down because that’s what his “watched every play of my career” levels of preparation told him to do.
What if lifting that energy off the team helps everyone and everything feel lighter?
This is a superstar-laden offense ready to crush their opponents, with a play-calling guru of a head coach at the helm. This unit is built for success with the right quarterback. And as important as a quarterback’s arm is, it could be argued that their approach and personality are equally impactful factors.
Denny Green used to say his offense was the beautiful car, the QB was just the guy who got the keys. Well, in racing you never want to grip the wheel too tight. With the way Darnold and McCarthy are looking early on, they have internalized the spirit of Green.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, I was scrolling though social media and came across an Atlanta fan account hyping up a picture of Cousins showing up in an old-school Hawks jersey. It reminded me of that Mountain Dew in that car. It didn’t feel authentic, or fun, or quirky. It felt calculated and exhausting. Almost like he spent the offseason researching social media trends to figure out what would go over best in his new city. Go figure.
This state has argued more about Kirk than any fanbase has argued about any player since the Washington Football Team’s fans argued about Kirk. It was time to quit the habit, and I’d be willing to bet the further we get away from it the more we ask ourselves, How did we never notice how bad the Cousins Era really made us feel?
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