Last week, after Kevin O'Connell threw out the first pitch at wide receiver Adam Thielen's charity softball game, the Vikings coach ambled over to the offense's dugout along the first-base line. Somewhere in between the small talk and the good-natured razzing about players' swings, O'Connell started chatting with quarterback Kirk Cousins as both men leaned along the dugout rail.
Only O'Connell and Cousins know exactly what was discussed — whether it was chatting about their families, comparing ideas for red zone packages or something in between. But the mere sight of the amiable back-and-forth between Cousins and the Vikings' head coach was striking.