Kirk Cousins was 4 years outdated on Jan. 3, 1993, when the Payments got here again from a 35-3 deficit to beat the Houston Oilers within the AFC wild-card playoffs. Till Saturday, the Frank Reich-directed rally was the most important in NFL historical past, incomes it a spot within the canon of traditional video games replayed on NFL Community.
The Vikings quarterback had seen replays regularly sufficient to have dedicated a number of the recreation’s particulars to reminiscence, however he was fuzzy on its defining statistic: He thought the Payments had been down by 35 factors within the recreation, not 32.
“Strolling off the sphere, when somebody stated [ours] was the most important comeback, I considered Frank Reich, the Payments, [Oilers], Warren Moon, that recreation in Buffalo,” Cousins stated. “I believed it could not have been larger than that comeback. Anyone advised me it was. I do not know the numbers. Actually, it was larger than that one? That one nonetheless to this present day, I ponder, ‘How did that occur?’ “
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On Saturday, the Vikings’ 33-point comeback broke the Payments’ report, serving to them clinch the NFC North title in a recreation that may get its personal spot in NFL Community’s remember-when rotation. If it does, the replays will commemorate a gutsy (if imperfect) efficiency from a quarterback who has quietly been one of many NFL’s greatest on the ends of video games the previous two years.
Within the fourth quarter, Cousins accomplished 14 of 23 passes for 203 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, connecting with Dalvin Prepare dinner for a 64-yard TD on a display and tying the rating with a two-point conversion to T.J. Hockenson, one among his secondary choices on the play. His 103.2 fourth-quarter passer ranking is the fourth-best within the NFL this season, following a efficiency that gave him the NFL lead in fourth-quarter passing yards (1,181) and landing passes (10).
For the reason that begin of the 2021 season, Cousins has thrown for two,518 yards in 30 fourth quarters, passing for 18 touchdowns in opposition to 5 interceptions. He leads the league in passing yards (although the Chargers’ Justin Herbert figures to retake the lead from Cousins on Sunday), and is tied with Tom Brady for the third-most TD passes within the fourth quarter.
“I simply thought that his poise, his demeanor, his accuracy [were huge] once we wanted it probably the most,” coach Kevin O’Connell stated. “I believe again to some enormous performs that weren’t his first development, second development. The blokes up entrance doing a fantastic job giving him an additional click on in essential moments to get that to T.J. on the two-pointer, discover that dagger to Adam [Thielen] in that two-minute drive late [in overtime]. Kirk deserves an enormous quantity of credit score for, like I stated, prepared our group. Whatever the performs which can be referred to as, that man retains enjoying at a excessive degree.”
Reich’s comeback got here in Wealthy Stadium’s swirling winds; Cousins made his in a managed local weather. However brief kickoffs and an interception meant the Payments’ six scoring drives (together with Steve Christie’s game-winning extra time discipline purpose) wanted to cowl solely 264 yards. The Vikings’ six scoring drives on Saturday traveled 350. In extra time, Cousins went 7-for-9 for 87 yards. The Vikings may have clinched the NFC North with a tie; quarterbacks coach Chris O’Hara let Cousins know concerning the implications of a tie, and why the Vikings would start their remaining drive conservatively, earlier than they took the sphere. Cousins replied in jest, “It could have been good to know that no less than 10 minutes in the past. Possibly three days in the past.
“I am jogging on the sphere considering, ‘A tie wins the division; you will have choices right here,” Cousins stated. “[O’Connell] referred to as the run [on first down]. The second name did not are available in very fast. I am form of sitting there like, ‘Possibly he is going for the tie.’ Then he referred to as the dropback, so I believed, ‘No, he will go for it.’ “
Cousins hit Ok.J. Osborn in the midst of zone protection for 15 yards. With the clock ticking down inside 45 seconds, he match one in between Isaiah Rodgers and Zaire Franklin, discovering Thielen for 21 yards to place the Vikings on the fringe of field-goal vary.
“That is [number] three or 4 on the development bottom making an attempt to high-low defenders,” O’Connell stated. “And this man knifes a gorgeous throw to his man.”
For a lot of Cousins’ profession, the narrative round him has been constructed on information factors (his 2-10 report on Monday nights, maybe most notably) that forged him as a shrinking violet in huge video games. He’s nonetheless solely 11-18 in prime-time video games general, and truthful or not, he seemingly will not be capable of erase speaking factors about his health for giant video games until he shines in a Vikings playoff run.
This season, although, he has seven game-winning drives and 7 fourth-quarter comebacks, probably the most within the NFL in each classes. The Vikings’ comeback victory at Buffalo was hailed as the sport of the 12 months; their record-breaking rally to beat the Colts figures to dwell on among the many classics that catch Cousins’ eye.
“I am a fan of soccer,” he stated. “Like, the opposite day the 2013 NFC Championship Sport got here on between the Seahawks and 49ers. I am watching that as a pupil of the sport. That is a recreation and a stage I need to play in.”
To no matter extent Vikings followers could possibly be comfy within the fourth quarter of a playoff recreation, Cousins has given them some confidence the Vikings may be at their greatest with the ball in his palms.