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EAGAN Johnathan Abram Jersey , Minn. (AP) — With his first real game for the Minnesota Vikings in the books , Kirk Cousins has another initiation coming this weekend: a visit to Lambeau Field.Cousins and the Vikings play in Green Bay on Sunday, an earlier than usual contest for control of the NFC North. The only other times since 2000 that the Vikings have faced the Packers on the road in September were the season openers in 2003 and 2008.For Cousins, well, talk about diving right in.“It’s a great opportunity to join this rivalry and hopefully put my best foot forward and get off to a great start,” said Cousins, who grew up in the Chicago area and then western Michigan and, thus, has been immersed in one of the NFL’s most storied divisions his whole life as a football follower.This will be his first playing experience at Green Bay, too. When Washington traveled there in 2013, he was the backup to Robert Griffin III. Now he’ll be the fifth Vikings quarterback to start in the last five visits to Lambeau Field.“You realize how important it is for this organization http://www.raidersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-trayvon-mullen-jersey , for our fans,” Cousins said Wednesday.Cousins passed for 244 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover in a smooth Minnesota debut, a 24-16 victory over San Francisco. The downside? All seven of his pass attempts in the fourth quarter, including one throwaway on the final play, were incomplete. That’s uncharacteristic for a quarterback who’s had a strong track record of success late in games, since he became a full-time starter in 2015. He directed two fourth-quarter comeback victories that year, four in 2016 and one in 2017.“Some quarterbacks have a reputation of doing them,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. “Some quarterbacks make it so that they don’t really have to do it in the fourth quarter, too. A lot of times it’s opportunities. A lot of times it’s the team around you. There are so many variables.”All eyes will be on Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, whose status for Sunday will be a mystery until pregame warmups . So Cousins could fly a little lower on the radar for this one than his normal front-and-center situation after signing his $84 million, fully guaranteed contract with the Vikings this year. The circumstances were different Maxx Crosby Jersey , but Cousins already has two strong performances against the Packers on his resume.Though Washington lost that playoff game at home on Jan. 10, 2016, Cousins completed 29 of 46 passes for 329 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. The following season when Green Bay returned to FedEx Field, Cousins went 21 for 30 for 375 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in a victory.“I’ve taken a lot of steps as a player and in my confidence,” Cousins said, reflecting on his progress since those matchups. “So I think that’s true of all of us in the league. The longer we play, the more we’re out there, the more we’re able to be in the fire and playing through mistakes and learning, it helps us be that much better the next time we go out.”The Vikings are pleased to be the beneficiaries.“The last two years Hakeem Butler Jersey , we’ve had a new quarterback by Week 2,” tight end Kyle Rudolph said. “The last few years we’ve been in a situation with a new quarterback that we didn’t get many reps with during the offseason. It is nice to be out there with a guy we’ve been working with since the middle of April and build a rapport with.” EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Kirk Cousins‘ first season in Minnesota was a letdown for a Vikings‘ team full of Super Bowl aspirations, mainly because the offense underwhelmed and couldn’t support another top-five defense.Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman set out to help Cousins — the $84 million franchise quarterback — and the offense in this year’s draft, continuing an offensive-heavy approach as Day 3 wrapped up on Saturday.After taking first-round center Garrett Bradbury, second-round tight end Irv Smith and third-round running back Alexander Mattison, the Vikings started the final day by drafting Oklahoma offensive lineman Dru Samia in the fourth round after trading up to the 114th pick with Seattle.“Offense was kind of a point of emphasis, and we were never going to pass up a defensive guy if he’s sticking that high on our board, and one of those guys would have fell,” Spielman said after the draft.“We were never going to not take the best player. But as we went down through the draft, I thought it fell very well for us on the players that we did get on the offensive side.”It’s the first time Minnesota has used its first four picks in a draft on offense since 1965. In all Chris Lindstrom Jersey , the Vikings used seven of their 12 selections to address the offensive side.Minnesota finished 20th in yards and 19th in points last season. Meanwhile, it was 30th in the league in rushing despite the presence of Dalvin Cook.“We need to run the ball,” Spielman said. “We need to be better on offense, and that’s where we needed the help. … we don’t have a lot of defensive needs from a starter position.”Remaking the line was a necessity and the Vikings should have two new starters. Bradbury could figure in at center and Samia will join the competition at guard where free-agent signee Josh Kline is considered to be the lead option at right guard.“He was an unbelievable interview at the combine, maybe one of the toughest competitors we’ve seen on tape on how he finishes,” Spielman said of Samia. “He fits the zone scheme very well. He has a few technical flaws to clean up, but we think that is correctable with coaching.”WHO THEY GOTAfter trading up for Samia in the fourth round, Spielman still had a slew of later picks after a series of trades. Minnesota traded down four times in the third round on Friday and had seven picks in the final two rounds.The 12 selections were the most for the organization since the seven-round draft format began in 1994. Linebacker Cameron Smith from USC was the first defensive pick for Minnesota at No. 162 in the fifth round.Arkansas defensive tackle Armon Watts was selected 190th overall, starting a span of three picks in four spots in the sixth round for Minnesota. Wyoming safety Marcus Epps and Elon offensive tackle Olisaemeka Udoh followed.The seventh round brought Texas cornerback Kris Boyd, Oregon receiver Dillon Mitchell, Colorado State receiver Olabisi Johnson and Air Force long snapper Austin Cutting.LIKE A FINE WINESmith comes to Minnesota after leading USC in tackles for three straight seasons http://www.atlantafalconsteamonline.com/kaleb-mcgary-jersey , the first Trojans linebacker to do so since Dennis Johnson from 1977-79. But it’s his off-field interest that really makes Smith unique.The 6-foot-2, 250-pound linebacker has an interest in winemaking and interned at the Melville Winery in California in 2017. He said he appreciates the science of winemaking and is fascinated by the agriculture and farming aspect.“I still feel like most people look at me like I am going to be a big body heavy cabernet,” Smith said of his preferences. “I just like the lighter, prettier looking pinot noirs that taste really good to me. That whole cluster that adds just a little more veggie to it that I think tastes great. It’s something that it’s always important to have a life outside of football and be ready for whatever happens.”HOW THEY DIDMinnesota paid attention to its offensive needs, particularly along the line. The biggest remaining needs are depth at cornerback, receiver and defensive line.WHAT’S NEXT?Perhaps the biggest lingering question is at tight end, where longtime standout Kyle Rudolph is a $7.625 million cap hit for a team close to the salary cap and Minnesota added Smith.Boyd was the only cornerback drafted in a spot where Minnesota has last year’s first-round pick, Mike Hughes, still rehabbing from knee surgery and Holton Hill suspended for the first four games. Two seventh-round receivers likely won’t be ready to step in where former first-rounder Laquon Treadwell has been a disappointment.

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