New city, stadium and jersey for Las Vegas Raiders backmost Kirk Cousins.
Old play-caller and scheme.
Mostly.
“There’s plentifulness that that wasn’t erstwhile I arrived, and plentifulness that I needed to learn,” Cousins said Wednesday astatine the dais wrong Intermountain Health Performance Center. “So, that’s what it’s been astir — is trying to get that to beryllium full ownership. And present getting idiosyncratic crippled plans, having full ownership due to the fact that grooming campy is much conscionable installing your systems and present it’s astir crippled readying and conscionable continuing to physique connected the instauration we’ve laid.”
In laying a instauration alongside the Raiders, Cousins is gathering connected the instauration helium established with manager Klint Kubiak during their three-year tenure with the Minnesota Vikings. His seasoned poise, built done 14 years with Minnesota, Washington and Atlanta, person helped him reclaim ownership implicit Kubiak’s discourtesy without missing a beat.
Sharp successful practices and preseason play — with his timing, bushed and accuracy — Cousins is poised to start Sunday day against the Miami Dolphins astatine Allegiant Stadium, keeping apical prime Fernando Mendoza processing connected the sideline truthful agelong arsenic he’s effective.
“He’s a amended person (compared to erstwhile I coached him before) and he’s much urgent than ever,” Kubiak said, preceding Cousins astatine the podium.
“When you play a batch of football, you recognize that sometimes what’s said successful the gathering connected Wednesday, ‘Hey, this is what we deliberation we’re going to bash connected third-and-10,’ they don’t bash that. You person to adjust. So he’s precise assured successful what helium wants. What helium wants it to look like. Where helium wants the receivers to beryllium at. Where the (hot reads) are. How we privation to code protection.”
Kubiak called plays for Cousins successful 2021 arsenic the Vikings’ violative coordinator, moving arsenic his quarterbacks manager the anterior 2 years with large success. Cousins was a Pro Bowl honoree successful 2019 (3,603 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, six interceptions) and 2021 (4,221 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, 7 interceptions) — sandwiching those 2 standout seasons astir a career-high 35-touchdown run successful 2020.
No, his close limb mightiness not beryllium arsenic unrecorded it was erstwhile helium played for Minnesota, but his caput is sharpened by 2 much seasons — emboldened by his comfortableness successful Kubiak’s scheme.
“I don’t deliberation he’s ever felt similar he’s arrived oregon that helium tin conscionable enactment it to furniture and conscionable fto the strategy beryllium what it is,” Cousins said, asked what makes Kubiak effectual arsenic a coach. “I deliberation he’s ever trying to germinate it. I deliberation he’s a large listener. I deliberation helium tin adapt, I deliberation details substance to him, situations and there’s urgency with Klint. So, there’s a batch of traits that you privation to consciousness and spot from your caput manager and from your coaching staff.”
Familiarity, arsenic bully arsenic it is, won’t buoy the discourtesy by itself and Cousins knows helium bears the onus to transmission his momentum into the season. For each that’s aged chapeau nether Kubiak, there’s a batch that’s caller for Cousins successful Las Vegas “where you benignant of person to say, ‘OK, what is it similar here? What’s our regular bushed here?’ And you benignant of larn your squad arsenic you go.”
He knows the principles of the presumption helium plays.
“I deliberation it’s ever going to beryllium astir immoderate of the aforesaid things nary substance what clip of the twelvemonth it is oregon who you’re playing,” Cousins said. “You’ve got to pb well. You’ve got to elevate the different 10 guys successful the huddle and the remainder of the locker country with the mode you pb and your presence. You’ve got to beryllium pugnacious physically, mentally, emotionally. You’ve got to support the shot — and you conscionable person to tally the cognition well.”
Contact Sam Gordon astatine sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon connected X.
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