CHARLOTTE, N.C. – During a training camp where the Vikings pass rushers swirled around him while their deceptive coverages frayed his nerves, Kirk Cousins met with the defenders to tell them why he believed his frustration would be worth it.
The 12th-year quarterback was the test subject for the drastic change in the Vikings' defensive approach, after coach Kevin O'Connell had fired coordinator Ed Donatell and given Brian Flores the autonomy to build a scheme that would suit his truculent tastes. The Vikings would blitz quarterbacks from places they didn't expect and slip defenders into voids they thought were safe.