VikingLord wrote: ↑Mon Jul 21, 2025 12:34 pm
I just re-watched the ending of that overtime game the Vikings had against the Bills back in 2022 on YouTube and the thought that went through my head was "now THAT is what Kirk Cousins brings to the table".
While I'm pretty sure everyone on this board remembers that game, just to summarize the 7-1 Vikings went into Buffalo to face the 6-2 Bills with Josh Allen returning to play after missing several prior games due to injury. Despite their record the 2022 Vikings were generally not considered to be on par with the Bills, so a lot of commentators saw the game as a barometer for how good the Vikings actually were that year. The game itself was a real thriller as Cousins connected with JJ on an improbable late throw on 4th-and-18 to keep the Vikings' chances alive, eventually driving all the way down about a foot from the goal line. The late sequence in the 4th included a wobbler to JJ that was initially ruled a touchdown but called back on review, followed by a defensive offsides on 4th-and-goal that gave the Vikings another shot, followed by a Cousins QB sneak that was ruled short (from like 6 inches out) and upheld on review. Then Josh Allen did what only Josh Allen can do and fumbled the snap at the goal line, allowing Eric Kendricks to grab the fumble for a score to put the Vikings up by 3. And then, of course, the defense allowed the Bills to move the ball within field goal range without any timeouts and like 30 or so seconds left on the clock. That Bills drive was greatly helped by a missed incomplete pass on the sidelines to one of the Bills receivers that was ruled complete, but nevertheless, the Bills kicked the field goal to tie and the game went to overtime.
Vikes win the toss to get the first possession in OT. They put together a nice drive, largely on the back of Dalvin Cook's running, before reaching the red zone where they stalled, ultimately kicking a field goal to move ahead, but giving Josh Allen a chance. He nearly took advantage of it, too, driving the Bills down the field largely on the back of his legs as he escaped the pocket repeatedly and chewed up ground on his own. Of course, nobody has Allen's penchant for making dumb mistakes at the worst possible moments, and he did it again by throwing a terrible pick that sealed the loss for the Bills.
It was a very entertaining game. Almost impossible to make up the ending, either, starting with JJ's snag on 4th-and-18. In all the years I've watched football, that game has to be at or near the top of improbable finishes.
But to get to the point of this post and why I said watching that game reminded me of what Cousins brought to the table, it starts with that throw on 4th-and-18. Cousins had played pretty well the entire game, and there he was under some real pressure being able and willing to make a very tough throw. Yes, JJ's catch was other-worldly, but Cousins put the ball where really only someone like JJ had any chance at all. And that wasn't the only tough throw Cousins made that day, or that year for that matter. There were times when Cousins was really slinging it and making things happen. I don't think the Vikings win that game without that aggressiveness and willingness to take some chances. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have.
So why does that late sequence so clearly illustrate where Cousins failed? I think it shows up in those two late sequences in the red zone. For all of his aggressiveness outside the red zone, once Cousins got in the red zone he seemed totally averse to taking any risks. On the late wobbler to JJ, it's almost like he was afraid to throw the ball too hard. The ball came out so slow and it looked like someone shot it just out of his hand. Had it gotten to JJ more quickly and accurately, I think JJ scores. But he has to reach for it and wait for it, just long enough for the defender to close and pull him down.
On the QB sneak, as Cousins goes to the ground he has the ball tucked. Three points of contact. Textbook ball protection. The problem is, he needs to extend it. He does that, but just after his shoulder touches the ground.
And then again, on the overtime drive, he makes some tough throws, including a really nice whip throw to JJ under heavy pressure to keep the drive going, and another nice throw to JJ to get inside the 5. First play is a run that loses yards. Second play they barely get off in time and Cousins takes a sack. Then on 3rd down he has time but throws the ball where literally nobody is. Not a Vikings WR or Bills DB in sight.
That game was Kirk Cousins. He shows things that you really want in a pro QB. He can make the mid and deep throws. He can throw guys open. He can run your offense. And then you see him just not do enough at the critical moments. It's like as the game got tight he got tight. He didn't trust himself to see it and throw it. He took sacks in situations where the ball has to be thrown away. He just didn't get it done when the team needed the QB to do it.
Hard to say that is what sank him in Atlanta. Personally, I think the Falcons just weren't a great fit for him coupled with the possible lingering effects of his injury.
For me, Cousins underscores what I will be looking for from McCarthy. I hope that McCarthy shows the good things we saw from Cousins - the ability to read the field, make tough throws, run the offense efficiently. All good QBs need those skills. But what I hope McCarthy shows that Cousins didn't show is the ability to step up in those key moments when the book isn't necessarily going to help and might need to even be thrown out. When the game gets tight, can he rise above it and stay loose? Can he surprise the defense with a key throw or a scramble or something that throws them off?
