Zulgad: If Kirk Cousins can remove doubt from his mind, QB can take an important step
The Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes is the most competitive of the three quarterbacks featured in the eight-episode docuseries released last week by Netflix but the most likeable is Kirk Cousins.
The Q rating of the Vikings quarterback is sure to increase after viewers got an inside look at Cousins’ 2022 season on and off the field. The veteran comes across as hard and diligent worker when it comes to his profession and a good husband and father away from football. Cousins’ excitement about bringing his 5-year-old son Cooper into the locker room after the Vikings’ historic comeback win over the Colts last December is a sweet moment.
But the most important thing we saw from Cousins wasn’t anything surprising. It was confirmation of how difficult it can be for him to let himself enjoy success and not focus on failure. One of my favorite parts of “Quarterback” is watching Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell try to keep Cousins positive when things aren’t going according to plan.
O’Connell, a former quarterback, was hired in part because the Vikings knew he would help balance out Cousins and get the most from the 34-year-old. O’Connell is less than three years older than Cousins, served as his position coach in 2017 in Washington and was selected one round and eight picks before Cousins was in his draft (2008 for O’Connell to 2012 for Cousins).
Cousins has proven that he is a far more talented quarterback than O’Connell, but this docuseries shows that O’Connell is wired more like a successful quarterback than Cousins. As a coach, O’Connell must think of worst-case scenarios, but what he doesn’t do is allow those thoughts to affect his approach with players.
That’s especially true with Cousins.
O’Connell is the anti-Mike Zimmer. While Zimmer’s focus was on the defensive side of the ball, and he reportedly had almost no relationship with Cousins, O’Connell calls offensive plays while also attempting to coach the negative out of his veteran QB.
Cousins and O’Connell come across as an odd couple: Cousins as a worrier, O’Connell as an eternal optimist. As the Colts built a 33-0 halftime lead on the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium, Cousins makes no attempt to hide his frustration as O’Connell tries to calm him. Even when O’Connell is upset with Cousins during a game, he delivers the message in a way that won’t adversely impact his quarterback.
When Cousins was stopped at the Buffalo 1-yard line last Nov. 13 after his decision to call a quarterback sneak with 50 seconds left, it appeared Minnesota was going to lose a heartbreaker. The fact Cousins didn’t let O’Connell have a bigger say in the play bothered the rookie head coach.
“I was gonna call timeout,” O’Connell explained to Cousins on the sideline. “I could’ve given you a better formation. You’ve got to let me help you.”
Bills quarterback Josh Allen then fumbled the ball on the 1, enabling the Vikings to score, and Minnesota went on to win the game in overtime.
O’Connell’s approach makes sense given the fact he knows how difficult Cousins is going to be on himself and doesn’t want to add to the potential of Cousins overthinking more than he already does.
After the Vikings beat the Lions in Week 3 in a close game at U.S. Bank Stadium, Cousins was focused more on missing wide receiver K.J. Osborn with a pass than he was on having thrown the winning touchdown to Osborn.
“Man, when you miss ones like that, it just, it eats at you,” Cousins said. “I’m still on a quest to try to figure out how do I fulfill my potential as a player and a person while not driving myself crazy with the standard I’m asking. It can be a miserable place to live because you’re never going to be perfect, and when you set that as your standard, you kind of set yourself up for failure.”
This is what O’Connell wants Cousins to avoid. Not the failure, that’s going to happen, but the fear of failing and the inability to let it go. Cousins’ concerns go beyond his own performance. As Greg Joseph lined up to attempt a 40-yard field goal late in overtime to beat the Colts, Cousins tells longtime Vikings equipment man Dennis Ryan, “it’s too far, we need to get closer.”
This might be something many were thinking — especially Vikings fans, given the team’s kicking history — but you would think your quarterback would be one of the most confident guys in the building. That’s not the way Cousins’ mind works. It’s a credit to him that he is shown meeting with the Vikings’ team psychologist in order to work on his mental health.
None of this is meant as criticism of Cousins. There is far more to like about him in “Quarterback” than there is to pick apart. We get an inside look at just how beat up Cousins was last season, especially with a rib injury, and yet he has never missed a start because of injury since taking over in 2015 in Washington. (Cousins’ sat out the regular-season finale in 2019 after the Vikings had a playoff spot wrapped up and he also missed a game late in 2021 after testing positive for COVID-19.)
Some of Cousins’ stats might have decreased last season — and he threw a career-high 14 picks — but he also tied an NFL record by leading eight fourth-quarter comebacks and was the starting QB for a team that went from 8-9 to 13-4 and won the NFC North before being eliminated in the first round by the Giants.
Cousins, who is entering the final season of his contract, will be looking to take another step with O’Connell alongside.
What will O’Connell want from his quarterback? Likely, a guy who can put mistakes behind him more quickly and is willing to let his coach help him more often. If Cousins can lose that doubt in his mind, the soon-to-be 35-year-old could take an important step.
Judd Zulgad is co-host of the Purple Daily Podcast and Mackey & Judd podcast at www.skornorth.com
