With a chance to lead the Vikings back from the depths of despair, in a game they had no business losing, Kirk Cousins did what he always does.
He came up short when it mattered most.
While it’s not fair to blame Cousins alone for the Vikings’ 31-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, it is completely fair to want more out of a franchise quarterback when the game is on the line.
Especially when that guy is making more than $30 million per season.
Never mind the fact Cousins had arguably his best game of the season against the Cowboys, carving up the secondary like turkey on Thanksgiving, and finishing 22 of 30 for 314 yards and three touchdowns. Those stats felt empty after watching him operate down the stretch.
In winning time, Cousins initially had a chance to put the game on ice, and he couldn’t get it done. Then had a chance to lead the Vikings down the field for either the tie or the win, and he couldn’t get it done. On those drives, Cousins finished 2 for 7 for 16 yards, his final pass of the game falling harmlessly to the turf while under duress.
This is what Cousins does. This is what he’s done throughout his whole career. He shows flashes of brilliance for prolonged stretches, looking perhaps like he’s taken the next step in his development before predictably crumbling when the lights get bright. Look no further than the game against the Cowboys for proof.
After starting slow, and that’s putting it mildy, Cousins led a masterful comeback after halftime, dropping some absolute dimes, which include a pinpoint fade to receiver Adam Thielen in the corner of the end zone, and a perfectly placed rainbow to rookie Justin Jefferson for a long touchdown.
Those types of throws prove Cousins has the physical tools to be a franchise quarterback. You see it manifest itself at various points throughout a season. He makes some throws that make even his harshest critics say, “Wow.”
Which is why it’s so frustrating when Cousins suddenly looks like the Monstars stole his talents.
You got to see the whole spectrum against the Cowboys, as Cousins looked incapable of throwing a bad pass for about 30 minutes, then looked incapable of throwing a good pass with the game on the line.
As soon as Cousins trotted onto the field with 1 minute, 37 seconds left, needing to go the length of the field to either tie or win the game, it’s safe to assume some Vikings fans had already come to grips with the loss. Those who have watched Cousins over the past few seasons knew what was coming.
Sure enough, the final drive started with a measly check-down pass to Cook on the sideline, followed by a costly drop from Jefferson in the open field. That got Cousins off schedule, and a couple of plays later, the game was over.
Fittingly, around the same time that Cousins threw his final incomplete passes of the game, in Indianapolis, Aaron Rodgers got the ball with a chance to lead the rival Green Bay Packers down the field for either the tie or the win. He completed a 47-yard bomb to Marquez Valdes-Scantling to get the Packers in field-goal range.
While the Packers ended up losing the game in overtime, Rodgers was the reason they got to the extra session in the first place.
Needless to say, Cousins has a long way to go before he reaches that level. And he may never get there.
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November 23, 2020 at 09:16AM
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Dane Mizutani: Vikings’ Kirk Cousins once again comes up short when it matters most - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press
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