“He was attempting to will our football team to a victory,” O’Connell said Sunday of Cousins. “Justin’s adjustments he made since the last time he played against these guys, I thought he played incredibly fast and explosive and Kirk was right there with him every step of the way. I am really proud of those guys, and I think that will help us continue to help us moving forward. We did a lot of different things today in the pass game to kind of have a plan of attack based off what we saw the last time [against the Lions]. Pair that with a little bit better of a day running the football, and I think that [puts us] offensively in a place where we feel like we can compete.”
O’Connell’s point about the running game is an important one; without an effective complement to keep the Vikings out of obvious passing situations, it’s tough to imagine their offense will be sustainable against the quality of pass rush they could see against Dallas, Philadelphia or San Francisco in the playoffs.
On Sunday, though, Cousins and Jefferson turned in some of their best work when everyone knew what was coming. It might have done more to shape the narratives about the quarterback had it come in a victory, but it was noteworthy nonetheless.
“Every single game, he’s had more confidence to throw the ball toward me; it doesn’t matter if I’m getting double-teamed or not,” Jefferson said. “I love that he has that confidence in me. It kind of helps me carry that confidence, as well. It creates that momentum, that energy we need on the field.”
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at News…