Kirk Cousins hit KJ Osborn for a 28-yard touchdown with 45 seconds to go in the fourth quarter as the Minnesota Vikings stunned the Detroit Lions 28-24 Sunday in Minneapolis.
We freaking like that.@KirkCousins8 @KJ_Osborn
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/Ca0DGAgQdP
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 25, 2022
Minnesota never led until Cousins’s dagger to Osborne completed a 10-point comeback in the fourth quarter. The nail in Detroit’s coffin came on a Hail Mary pass from Jared Goff that was picked off by safety Josh Metellus, who started in place of Harrison Smith (concussion).
The win is huge for Minnesota as they improve to 2-1, with both victories coming against division opponents. But it wasn’t all good.
Dalvin Cook injured his shoulder and didn’t return to the game, and the heralded Cousins-to-Justin Jefferson connection was held silent for a second consecutive week as Jefferson finished with three catches for 14 yards.
Cousins was 24-of-41 for 260 yards, two touchdown and no interceptions.
Down 24-21 with 1:10 left in the game, the Viking got the ball at their own 44 following a missed 54-yard field goal by the Lions. Cousins fired incomplete to Jefferson on first down and then hit Osborn with back-to-back 28-yard strikes, including the winning touchdown.
The Vikings trailed 14-0 before battling back to tie the game 14-14 at the half – touchdowns from Adam Thielen and Cook.
After a missed 56-yard field goal by Greg Joseph – his second miss from that distance in the game – the Lions got the ball near midfield and needed just five plays to score, capped off on a 13-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Williams late in the third quarter.
Down 24-14, Cook lost a fumble three plays into the next drive and wound up injuring his left shoulder on the play.
The Vikings got within three at 24-21 with 7:50 left in the game after Alexander Mattison danced through traffic for a 6-yard rushing touchdown.
Minnesota stuffed the Lions on a fourth-and-one from the Vikings 31-yard-line and Detroit missed the 54-yard kick that set the Vikings up for the game-winning drive.
Up next: Vikings vs. Saints in London, 8:30 a.m. CT on Sunday.
