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EAGAN Sam Acho Jersey , Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings will show off their shiny new quarterback in the season opener, formally turning over the on-field leadership of a team built for Super Bowl contention to Kirk Cousins and his fully guaranteed $84 million contract.

The player directly in front of Cousins, his importance not to be understated, will likely be making his debut with the Vikings at the same time. Brett Jones has been in Minnesota for less than two weeks, but he’s on track to start at center Sunday when the Vikings host the San Francisco 49ers. He’ll have as much on his plate as anyone wearing purple.

“Kirk’s an excellent communicator. He wants things done a certain way, and you’ve got to be able to try to the best of your ability to try to emulate what he wants,” Jones said. “Anytime there’s a new center, you want to try to have consistency, so I’m just doing what I’m told and making sure we’re all on the same page so whoever’s in there can adjust and play well so the Vikings can have success.”

Pat Elflein, who performed relatively well as a rookie, just began practicing with the team this week. The Vikings have lost their primary starting guards from last year, Nick Easton to injury and Joe Berger to retirement. So Troy Aikman Jersey , for all the enhancements the Vikings have made to a roster they reached the NFC championship game with last winter, the offensive line lost more than it gained over the offseason.

“It’s not ideal, but it is what it is,” Cousins said. “We’re not going to dwell on what we can’t control. We’re going to focus on what we have and making the best out of it, and I’m excited to build a rapport with Jones and the rest of the O-line so that hopefully we can develop a continuity as the season goes on.”

Elflein wore a helmet and full pads at practice Wednesday, but he was listed as a limited participant on the injury report. Considering Elflein was just removed from the physically unable to perform list four days prior, coming off ankle and shoulder surgeries earlier in the year, the chance of him being cleared to play against the 49ers is slim. That leaves Jones, who was acquired in a trade on Aug. 26 with the New York Giants , in the center of attention.

“We’re going to coach him all week and then he’s going to play center in the NFL like he’s done for a lot of games already,” Cousins said.

While there’s some justifiable concern about using a center who’s never snapped the ball to Cousins in a game setting, the chemistry between Jones and the guards and tackles on either side of him is probably even more critical.

“Each person relies on the other person Ryan Kerrigan Jersey ,” Jones said. “If one person does one thing bad on offense, it’s a glaring tackle in the hole for a loss. If one guy does something bad on defense, you might have a backer or a safety or somebody come down and cover you. On offense, one mistake can be a big mistake.”

Danny Isidora, who started one game at left guard as an injury replacement for Easton last season as a rookie, has also been taking turns at center. Coach Mike Zimmer said recently he thinks that might actually be Isidora’s natural position.

“He stays in balance pretty well there. He keeps his hips square. He’s got some power on the double teams,” Zimmer said.

NOTES: Cousins was chosen this week as one of six team captains for the season, with left tackle Riley Reiff, tight end Kyle Rudolph, defensive tackle Linval Joseph, defensive end Everson Griffen, and linebacker Anthony Barr. … Cornerback Mackensie Alexander Le'Raven Clark Jersey , in line to be the primary slot man in the nickel package, did not practice Wednesday because of an ankle injury. Cornerback Xavier Rhodes (hamstring) and Reiff (foot) were listed as limited participants.

NEW YORK (AP) — Well that didn’t take long.

The Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots, who met in the Super Bowl, switched places on Tuesday in the latest AP Pro32 poll .

The defending champion Eagles opened the season on top, with the Patriots a close second.

After the first week of the regular season, it’s the Patriots on top with three of the 12 first-place votes and 367 points in balloting by media members who regularly cover the NFL.

The Patriots opened the season with a 27-20 win over the Houston Texans. Tom Brady threw for 277 yards and three touchdowns.

“Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski put away any offseason speculation about their futures in New England by picking up where they left off,” said Jenny Vrentas of The Monday Morning Quarterback. “Just as notable was the much improved performance by the Patriots’ defense.”

The Eagles received six first-place votes for 366 points despite their sluggish 18-12 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

The Minnesota Vikings remained at No. 3 with 363 points. In his first start with the Vikings, Kirk Cousins had 244 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-16 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

“Solid start for Kirk Cousins at quarterback,” said John Clayton of 710 ESPN in Seattle.

The L.A. Rams are close behind again at No. 4. The Rams earned the other three first-place votes for 360 points.

“After a shaky first half, Rams put on a clinic against the overmatched Raiders and show that (coach) Sean McVay’s team looks ready to live up to the Super Bowl hype,” Newsday’s Bob Glauber said of the Rams’ opening 33-13 rout of the Raiders on Monday night.

The Jacksonville Jaguars moved up two spots to No. 5 and face a big test on Sunday when they host the Patriots in a rematch of last season’s AFC championship game.

“The Jags have waited almost eight months to avenge a bitter loss in Foxborough that cost them a Super Bowl berth,” said Ira Kaufman of Fox 13 in Tampa Jeremy Kerley Jersey , Florida.

The Green Bay Packers jumped three spots to No. 6 after Aaron Rodgers led a remarkable comeback from a 20-0 deficit to a 24-23 victory on Sunday night after briefly leaving the game with a knee injury.

The Packers will host the Vikings on Sunday in one of the top matchups of Week 2.

“Aaron Rodgers and the Packers were impressive in the second half Sunday, but let’s be honest, the real test comes against the Vikings,” said Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk.

The Kansas City Chiefs moved up six spots to No. 7 after beating the AFC West rival Los Angeles Chargers 38-28. The Chiefs will get another road challenge this week as they head to Heinz Field to face the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Carolina Panthers rose three spots to No. 8 after topping the Dallas Cowboys 16-8.

The Baltimore Ravens leaped five places to No. 9 after routing the Buffalo Bills 47-3.

The Ravens will open Week 2 when they head to Cincinnati to face the Bengals on Thursday night.

“(The Ravens) look like AFC North favorites,” Fox Sports’ John Czarnecki said.

The Falcons fell two spots to No. 10. They are scheduled to host the Panthers on Sunday in their home opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, site of the next Super Bowl.

The New York Jets, who opened the season in last place, soared to No. 17 after their 48-17 rout of the Detroit Lions, who fell from No. 19 to No. 30.

“Either the Detroit Lions are that bad or the Jets are going to be a lot better than I thought,” said Alex Marvez of The Sporting News.

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