Vikings 22, 49ers 17
KIRK COUSINS: Great to get a win against a really good football team. This is Kirk. Knew it was going to be a challenge going against the Niners. They got a great team, great defense. They showed that tonight. Felt their rush, felt the playing fast.
Proud of the way our team played. Felt it was complementary football. Defense created turnovers and made a big difference in the game. I thought Jordan Addison's play before the half was a game winning type play. Many players stepped up many players stepped up. Brandon Powell, TJ Hockensen, running backs. Trishton had to step in there when we had some guys go down. Did a great job, KJ is always so solid.
To have no sacks says a lot about our offensive line and Kevin and just the plan they had in place. We got to be better in the red zone. When you kick field goals like this down there it drives me crazy.
So got to be better in the low red. We got to come out of the game at some point with no turnovers and be really clean with the football. Still working towards that. But big to get a win, and I got to say it, Creed. I mean, we are -- I'm getting may ankles taped pre-game because I try to get them taped as late as possible and I'm sitting there on the table suddenly it comes on. And Garrett Bradbury is doing some body work next to me and he goes, forget this. I got to go enjoy this with the boys.
He gets up and goes in the locker room, I get my ankles taped and we go in, and it was really good morale. Then we go and pray in the corner of the locker room with any guys that want to pray, and we go, prayer over here, and so we had to turn the Creed off. Harrison made a great point. He said, guys, this is the prayer. I thought, that's pretty good.
So, yeah, we'll keep playing. They keep playing Higher, and I'm going, Creed has a lot of hits. They got a good catalog. They don't have to only play Higher, they're taking us higher, so we'll take it.
Q. Talk about the mental toughness this team, having a turnover on the first drive?
KIRK COUSINS: Yeah, this game is going to punch you in the gut and you're going to have things that don't go your way. That turnover was tough, and you have to play through it. Play through the smoke as my college coach used to say.
So we were able to do that tonight, and clearly the way Jordan responded, he had a couple tough catches in traffic. The one very easily could have been an interception and the other one the safety was driving. You could tell he made a decision that that's not happening again, and it reflected in the way he played.
Q. Take us through the touchdown.
KIRK COUSINS: Yeah, they bring a blitz there and they were very zeroed out in the back end and I had to throw it earlier than I wanted to, and I didn't really know where to lead him. I was like, I don't want to overlead him and then what I did was I under-led him, and so then you allow the DB to undercut it. I thought it was getting picked, and Jordan -- I still don't quite know. I haven't seen it in slow motion. I still don't know how Jordan came away with it.
Because they were kind of zeroed out, once he pulls away there is nobody left. So a big, big time play by him.
Q. There were some stats about how a team hasn't used zero blitz in that situation in like three years. Obviously you have a check for that if it happens. Did it strike you as unusual to see that in that particular situation?
KIRK COUSINS: I think we got zero late in the game against the Chiefs as well back to back. It happens. I think you prepare and you play knowing that any time defenses can bring a lot of looks. The minute you start to think that something is not coming that's when you can get hurt.
You just kind of aware for anything any time.
Q. How does a win like this help morale for the team?
KIRK COUSINS: Yeah, obviously is a great feeling in the locker room right now, and we got a short week and go on the road in the division. They don't get easier from here. We talk about trying to go 1-0 each week, and win or lose you compartmentalize that and go to the next one.
That's what we'll do. We got to show we're a mature football team that after this can get right back to work and get the next one.
Q. Did you get a feeling from the offensive line playing against this front meant a little more to them to have the kind of performance they did?
KIRK COUSINS: I thought they did a great job protecting all night. Again, a lot of pass attempts. It's not like we threw the ball 20 times. So they handled a lot. It's a unit that has played together for a while, played with me for a while, and at times it helps to have three or four of the guys where you feel like, hey, we've been here before and they kind of can finish my thoughts and sentences before I even do myself. I think that helps.
Q. Kevin was saying that the message you had for the offense on Friday was particularly resonant.
KIRK COUSINS: Yeah.
Q. What was important to you to relay to them going into this one?
KIRK COUSINS: Yeah, I just this off season felt like we needed to play our best games against the best defenses as an offense. You measure yourself against the best. When the schedule came out in May, I looked at Philly, looked at San Francisco, couple others where you say, I know in May these are going to be some of the best defenses we'll play. That has to be our best football.
I just challenged them and said, you know, understand here it is. This is a challenging group that we got to be our best. Not just our best at the big picture of winning, but the motions, how we handle snap counts, prepare the details. We've got to be at our absolute best, and tried to challenge them from that standpoint.
I felt like everybody was up for the challenge.
Q. Do you always wear the wristband?
KIRK COUSINS: Plays are getting long, play calls, and just a few weeks ago -- I've been calling these long plays for a while now and you saw of the Netflix deal, I'm in the car trying remember. At some point let's just get a wristband because it's getting crazy. There is a lot of football that wristband.
Q. Jordan is not the biggest guy, but seemed like he had a lot of physicality. What did you see him being able to use what he has and not just be a little guy but play tough?
KIRK COUSINS: Yeah, no, he's only seven games into his pro career, so I told him after the game, hey, your play before the half won the game, and then there is probably two more plays out there we can connect on for touchdowns, too.
So it's exciting to see his potential and the playmaker he is. There is a lot of things about his ability you can't teach, and we're fortunate to have. Keenan will keep working with him and I will, and he has a potential to be a very good receiver in this league.
Q. (Regarding Jordan's suddenness.)
KIRK COUSINS: I don't know. I guess you have to ask them. He certainly is a really talented player.
Q. What was it about Coach O'Connell's game plan to help keep the pressure off you and not allow the 49ers to get a sack today?
KIRK COUSINS: Yeah, I think Kevin was very aware of their rush, and so the way he called the game was factoring that in. I thought he and then the execution the of it by our line and tight ends and running backs blocking gave us the time we needed to throw. Not everything was quick hitters. There were some longer-developing plays.
It's kind of the marriage the coaches and the scheme and then the players and the execution.
Q. Just your point of view from Cam Akers and the performance he had.
KIRK COUSINS: Yeah, he does a great job. He is a very patient runner. He does have good bursts. He can be slow to go and hits it when it's there. I know the line loves blocking for him, and have a lot of confidence in Alex and Cam and CJ Ham and Ty Chandler made a big play for us tonight.
We always said that the depth and the ability of a lot of different guys to rely on them, I think you're seeing it, there a lot of players contributing to the offense.
Q. How important is it to have this type of performance offensively, maybe the rhythm you had against that type of defense?
KIRK COUSINS: Yeah, it was a positive night. The way I'm wired I'm thinking about the two red zone possessions we didn't score touchdowns.
So you also know the difference between walking away with a win tonight and sitting here and you lost, it isn't much. So you try not to get too low in the losses. You try not to get too up in the wins.
It's more just try to get that win, and then regardless, put it away and go to the next one and try to fix whatever isn't good enough, win or lose. That's what we'll do. There is no doubt I'm going to drive home with Cooper and we'll be in a much better mood than we were against the Chiefs two weeks ago.
Q. Connected with TJ 11 times, but I think nine different teammates caught a pass from you. Trishton Jackson's first catch.
KIRK COUSINS: Yes.
Q. Just the ability to keep moving on when guys are going out.
KIRK COUSINS: Yeah, I've always views it as being a point guard and distributing, and whoever the other players are out there, I'll just be the distributor. That's how I've played going back to high school. I've been fortunate to play with a lot of talented skill players through my years, and I'll keep doing that.
Really my thought is on the point guard to shoot it into whoever it may be, and then Kevin is the coach drawing it up and I just got to go execute it.
Q. Is there any play among the two series down by the goal line that maybe stands out to you as you look back?
KIRK COUSINS: For sure. (Indiscernible) tips I think is a touchdown, if he doesn't tip it. I told him that after the game. You know, I have to go back and watch the one to Alex, but just wanted to but that right on his inside shoulder before the corner could get it. Thought we had a chance there, but have to go watch it.
The one to Jordan Addison on a little corner route, I drove it to his outside shoulder thinking that that was a safe place to put it. I wish I just stopped him with the ball. Corner was climbing, the safety was inside out. Gave the safety a little too much credit he was going to get there when really he probably wasn't, and I think we can score there if I just put it on him.
There was one more I think. The sneak didn't really get us much there and the penalty hurt. So there were a few plays there.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports