Three years ago, quarterback Kirk Cousins played the last game of his first stint with the Vikings at Lambeau Field, tearing an Achilles tendon during a Week 8 game. The first game of his second stint happened on Sunday.
At Lambeau Field.
The Vikings won, 30-10, completing the season sweep of the Packers and moving to 7-2 on the season. And Cousins was visibility emotional during his an-field interview after the win with Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.
“It was emotional, you know, coming to the stadium, three years ago, tearing my Achilles here,” Cousins said, voice breaking multiple times. “It’s been a tough three years,”
Asked whether he thought it would be this emotional, Cousins said, “It’s been a tough three years. There’s more to the story being written.”
It’s easier to write the story when the defense is serving up an endless supply of pens, inks, and paper. The Vikings sacked Packers quarterback Jordan Love eight times and forced three turnovers. (The Packers also had a special-teams fumble.)
And while the Minnesota defense did its job (as it always does), Cousins displayed accuracy, velocity, and force on his passes that none of the other quarterbacks on the team could ever match. He also made good decisions in key moments, helping the Vikings’ offense convert eight of 15 third-down situations.
It all happened after Cousins showed up only four days before the game. He now has a full week to prepare for a game against the 49ers — the last team he plated during his nine-game run in Las Vegas.