Kirk Cousins spread the wealth
Justin Jefferson was a non-factor thanks to some sterling coverage from former first-round pick Jeff Okudah throughout. This forced the Vikings and Kirk Cousins into a different method of moving the chains and driving forward in the face of adversity.
Cousins aimed to get his primary weapon going with six targets. But when it became apparent this was not going to happen, the signal-caller was more than happy to spread the wealth and get the entire offense involved.
This resulted in no fewer than nine separate players picking up receptions from Cousins, which was more than enough to keep the Detroit Lions guessing right until the death. Although Jefferson remains the focal point, it was encouraging to see so many stepping up and picking up the slack.
The Vikings had to work hard for their second victory of the campaign. Not entirely unexpected when one considers that Dan Campbell had his team fighting for every inch even if results weren’t going their way in 2021.
Kevin O’Connell also deserves credit for adjusting the scheme well in the wake of Jefferson’s frustrations. This adds another dimension to an exciting offense providing Cousins can also continue developing along the way.