KCs' head-first dive may have been foolish, but...

Kirk Cousins' head-first dive may have been foolish, but it's a sure way to win over new teammatesNew Vikings QB Kirk Cousins put his team above health with a fourth-quarter dive on third down, and fellow football players respect nothing more.

Kirk Cousins spent his first three quarters as a Viking mimicking the passing skills of Fran Tarkenton. Late in the fourth quarter, with the lead leaking air, the offense in neutral and fake grass beckoning, Cousins decided to pay homage to the pugilistic tendencies of Joe Kapp.
On third-and-5 from the Vikings’ 37 and less than three minutes remaining, Cousins bolted up the middle as two 49ers performed a Pincer movement. Instead of sliding, Cousins lowered his head and right shoulder — both of which could come in handy in the near future — and tried to ram his way to a first down.
He took a blow to his shoulder, landed on his head, fell short and made 52 new best friends. Cousins’ precision passing built the lead that led to the Vikings’ 24-16 victory over San Francisco at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday. His reckless disregard for safety led to head shakes and fist bumps in the postgame locker room.
‘‘I thought, ‘That’s our quarterback,’’ running back Latavius Murray said. ‘‘That’s what makes him who he is. For a quarterback to lower his shoulder and give his body up, that’s motivating, that’s inspiring, because you don’t see a lot of quarterbacks doing that.’’
Let’s be clear: The decision was also crazy. Cousins was playing in the first game of a promising season after signing a three-year contract worth $84 million guaranteed. His decision was irrational, and that’s what his teammates liked — Cousins put team above health, and football players, bless their jangled brains, respect nothing more.
‘‘I loved it,’’ Harrison Smith said. ‘‘I don’t know if our front office and coaches loved it, but I loved it.’’
‘‘I was like, ‘What is he doing?’’ Everson Griffen said. ‘‘If you want it, go get it. I respect it.’’
‘‘I’ve talked about it all offseason, how big a competitor he is,’’ Kyle Rudolph said. ‘‘A lot of guys wouldn’t have done that. Kirk is the biggest competitor I’ve ever been around. In practice every day, every single play, he hates losing.’’
http://www.startribune.com/kirk-cousins-head-first-dive-may-have-been-foolish-but-it-s-a-sure-way-to-win-over-new-teammates/492820351/