Leading the 49ers by a slim margin late in the fourth quarter, Kirk Cousins was determined to single-handedly extend the Vikings lead, even if it meant causing U.S. Bank Stadium to cringe in unison when he scrambled on third down and slid head-first in hopes of earning a first down.

Cousins came up a yard short of moving the chains, but his attempt to preserve the Vikings 24-16 margin was applauded by those on his sideline.nike nfl jerseys wholesale cheap

“Hey, when the game is on the line, we’re trying to get the first down,” coach Mike Zimmer said. “Go for it. I’m all in.”

Minnesota’s $84 million investment paid off – at least this week – in a season-opening win over the San Francisco 49ers. Cousins impressed with pinpoint precision, no turnovers and a fiercely competitive drive.

“You could see it in his preparation,” running back Latavius Murray said. “Just the way he carries himself, the way he goes about the game.

“For a quarterback to lower his shoulder and give his body up, that’s motivating. That’s inspiring because I don’t see a lot of quarterbacks doing that.”cheap nike nfl jerseys paypal

The Vikings offense had many bright moments in Cousins’ Minnesota debut. On an afternoon where the quarterback eclipsed the century mark in career touchdown passes, Cousins threw for 244 yards, two touchdowns and finished with a 95.1 passer rating.

Familiar with the “distracted boyfriend” meme? The one where a gentleman walking hand-in-hand with his girlfriend looks over his shoulder at a woman in the forefront? That’s probably how 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan felt. After being Cousins’ offensive coordinator in Washington, Shanahan the QB he hoped he’d one day reunite with make incredible touchdown throws, including a 22-yard dime to Stefon Diggs and an 11-yard pass to the back of the end zone where Kyle Rudolph was waiting — a throw he executed with the hand of DeForest Buckner inches from his face mask.