by DieHard batteries and Advanced. Autoparts, Peter King
Herod Vikings, training, camp, Eagan, Minnesota with Kirk
Cousins quarterback of the Vikings.
So, Kirk had a big change this off season with a new head
coach who you worked with a long time ago in Washington.
What is the relationship like with your new coach, Kevin
O'Connell?
Well, Kevin's pretty easy guy to get along with,
you know, he's got a lot of personalities lat.
Energy and a great football mind. Obviously being in l.a.
the last few years as well.
He's been around some some other great football minds and
it's been exciting to
learn the offense to apply the offense. And
you know, we're still not quite to a place where you feel like
it's instinctual yet as we're learning a new system, but
we're getting there and taking progress Everyday
People Say in your position that learning a new offense, is
a little bit like learning a foreign language. Yeah. Is that
appropriate? Is that correct?
And how difficult is this one? Compared to the one you're
coming off of? Well, it's funny as the systems are actually
very similar. It's the language you use to call the plays
and to identify the plan that is different and so it is
learning a new language and that just becomes
a memorization game where you have to sit down put the time
in and and memorize it. But it also helps to be on
the practice field going into a huddle out of a huddle calling
play sending a motion seeing a coverage,
you know, living it really.
Oops, as well. And that's what we're doing right now in
training camp. What would you say is the biggest difference
for you in this offense versus the one? You ran
hard to say right now? I think that
there's certainly more that similar than different. It's
been interesting to see how much since working with Kevin
and 2017,
his in Washington, right in Washington, we work together.
It's interesting to see how much has changed and that's
just the Natural Evolution of football that offenses and
defenses in this league are constantly finding ways to
change and adapt and And try to get a leg up on their opponent.
And so
for five years pass and you reconnect and you realize so
much has changed. And I find that to be just an interesting
fact about the evolution of this game.
So probably you would agree with this that you've
clearly been. One of the most efficient quarterbacks in
the NFL over the last few years. And in the last four years,
you've averaged + 22, touchdown to interception ratio which is
great.
But I think most people who watch football Say I want Kirk
Cousins to take a few more chances I want even if he
throws some more pics, I want them to throw the ball. More
downfield,
do you feel that at all? And do you think in this offense, you
will take more chances than you did. Well, I think we're pretty
explosive, you know, when you look at what Justin Jefferson
has done, an Adam thielen is done and if you look at
just the simple numbers with are yards and down the free
passes. I think the the actual statistics would suggest that
we're doing that. I think winning is really what it all
comes down to. And
You know, we've been around 500 and so we want to be a team
with double-digit wins when in the division, hosting home,
playoff games, and winning those playoff games. And
I think that's really where my focus is, is where we've got to
get to. What has it been like for you,
since you've been here
to have that big,
the mount Packers
in front of you and having to face them all the time and
being your arch Rivals. And do you feel that right now you
guys are on the same level with them? You know, they've been
a great team. The last several years
I would Are you the last couple years? They were the best team
in football in the regular season.
You know, when we got here it was
coach McCarthy and now it's coach the floor. And so
there's been some change
in my time here in Minnesota, but it's a great rivalry
and we've kind of gone back and forth. But they've had
the upper hand when it comes to the division and host in
the playoff games. And so that's where we're trying to get
the last thing,
when you look at where this team is right now, where you
are right now. Has this been a good change for you? And for
this team,
I think it's too early to say, right? I mean, ultimately, it's
a results-based business, and we've still got to go play
football season before we can truly answer that question. So
time will tell but
you know we've done some good things. You've had a lot of
production on offense the last few years but we've been
hovering around 500. And so the key now is to still have that
production on offense
but find a way to get us to,
you know, like I said double-digit wins
hosting some playoff games and winning some playoff games and
It's really what the measuring stick will. Be
Kirk Cousins. Thanks for taking the time, good luck this year,
thanks Pete. Appreciate you
in Eagan, Minnesota with the Vikings this Peter King.