After one of the most magical, improbable, dramatic and some would say incredibly fortunate regular seasons in NFL history last year, the Vikings suffered a 31-24 defeat at home in the wild-card round of the playoffs to the Giants. The final blow came when Kirk Cousins was forced to check down on fourth-and-eight and the Vikings turned over the ball on downs to the Giants, who kneeled out the clock.
As Cousins and his wife, Julie, exit the parking lot of U.S. Bank Stadium, with Cousins behind the wheel, he stops and offers to sign a few items for a couple of fans, saying, ‘‘Sorry, you guys must be freezing.’’ On the drive home, Cousins quietly laments: ‘‘It doesn’t feel like it should be over. Tough to host a playoff game and not win. . . . The plays you go back and beat yourself up over, it’s just . . . misery.’’
