The moment called for calm, but instead the Minnesota Vikings got chaos. And that’s a big reason why they left U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday with an 0-3 record and their playoff hopes on life support. It’s also why the chances of Kirk Cousins returning as the team’s quarterback in 2024 dropped to near zero.
An explanation is in order for those who didn’t see the Vikings’ 28-24 loss to the equally desperate Los Angeles Chargers (1-2).
Buy Vikings TicketsThe Vikings trailed by four points with 1 minute, 51 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter when the Chargers decided to try to put the game away facing a fourth-and-1 at their own 24. Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore called for a handoff to Joshua Kelley but he was met by defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard for no gain.
This was the break the Vikings needed so badly after one-score losses to Tampa Bay and Philadelphia. Cousins, who is in the final season of his contract, completed a fourth-and-5 pass to tight end T.J. Hockenson at the Chargers 6 with 37 seconds left and Minnesota out of timeouts. All Cousins needed to do was get under center and spike the ball to put the Vikings in the best position possible to score the winning touchdown.
Cousins is in his 12th NFL season, has been a full-time starter since 2015 and is 35 years old. Last season, he helped the Vikings win an NFL-record 11 one-score games, and tied a league record by engineering eight fourth-quarter comebacks. His relationship with new coach Kevin O’Connell, a former NFL quarterback and the Vikings’ play caller, seemed to empower Cousins instead of second-guessing him, as had been the case under former coach and Cousins detractor Mike Zimmer.
So in this situation, Cousins and O’Connell would be on the same page, right? Nope. Precious seconds ticked off the clock from 37 to 30 to 20 and then 15. Urgency immediately after Hockenson’s catch was lacking and the ball was not snapped until 12 seconds remained.
Twenty-five seconds had gone off the clock when Cousins finally tried to connect with Hockenson in the end zone, only to have the ball tipped and intercepted by linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr.
O’Connell tried to explain what happened in his postgame comments, saying that “we have elements in our offense to go fast at the same rate of time hopefully that a clocked play would be,” adding that with the crowd noise and the “situation with the headsets, there was a little bit of confusion early on.”
O’Connell has done his best to protect Cousins and stay away from criticizing him, but it’s hard to believe O’Connell would have been upset if Cousins had clocked the ball. What’s harder to figure about the situation is that because Cousins couldn’t hear O’Connell the veteran called the play for Hockenson to get the ball. O’Connell said he probably would have called the same play.
But if the quarterback is going to call the play because he can’t hear his coach, why wouldn’t he avoid the chaos that occurred in those final seconds by stopping the clock? Cousins confirmed that he has the ability to do that.
“I could do anything I want,” Cousins said. “I can do the quarterback sneak. I can do whatever I want, but at the same time you also have to deal with the consequences. Against Buffalo last year I snuck it on my own and didn’t get in, so until you know the future it’s hard to know whether to take the reins or not, but I’ve done it before. I try not to make a habit of it, certainly.”
This sounded very much like Cousins circa 2018-21. Uncertain when certainty is needed. Afraid of the consequences if the decision doesn’t get a stamp of approval.
Cousins’ mention of his play call in Buffalo will ring a bell for anyone who watched the “Quarterback” docuseries on Netflix during the summer. Cousins is referencing his decision to call a QB sneak on the goal line late in the game against the Bills. Cousins didn’t get in the end zone, but the Vikings still ended up with an improbable victory.
O’Connell’s frustration with Cousins’ decision was revealed during a sideline discussion that was shown during the docuseries.
“I was going to call timeout,” O’Connell told Cousins after he failed to score. “I could’ve given you a better formation. You gotta let me help you.”
It seems that admonishment, if you can call it that, was still in Cousins’ mind late Sunday afternoon. He was hoping to do what he thought O’Connell would want instead of what he knew was right.
This is part of the reason why the Vikings wanted to see another year of Cousins before committing millions more to him. What would Cousins do when the pressure was really on? He had checked it down on a crucial fourth down in the Vikings’ first-round playoff loss last season to the New York Giants.
This time, Cousins’ concern about how his decision would look in the future got in the way of making the right call in the present. And that’s a big part why these 0-3 Vikings are likely to be looking for a more decisive quarterback after the season.
Judd Zulgad is co-host of the Purple Daily Podcast and Mackey & Judd podcast at www.skornorth.com
