When Kirk Cousins is on his game, he can be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. When he’s not, you have moments like he did on Sunday afternoon.
During the Minnesota Vikings’ loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Cousins encountered a critical fourth down where the Vikings had a chance to tie the game. After leading his teammates to the line, Cousins stepped up and lined up…under the guard.
https://twitter.com/dieter/status/1465111962656776196
The gaffe caused the Vikings to burn their second timeout of the half before Cousins’ fourth-down pass sailed out of the back of the end zone. The play blew up Twitter, where some had their own interpretations of what happened.
https://twitter.com/dieter/status/1465113789389438980
This is going to join the kneel-when-he-meant-to-spike moment in the History of Kirk Cousins https://t.co/yuAtIP2MI4
— Arif Hasan, but NFL 🏈 (@ArifHasanNFL) November 29, 2021
Kirk Cousins isn't exactly the most cool, calm and collected dude. https://t.co/vphkIrcQN7
— Phil Mackey 🎙 (@PhilMackey) November 29, 2021
Other fans imagined the surprise of Oli Udoh when Cousins went to snap the ball.
the guard when he went for the snap. pic.twitter.com/oSfNqs5GWV
— Connor VanSteenberg (@connor_v21) November 29, 2021
But the gaffe was just one aspect of a rough day for Cousins. He went 20-for-32 on the afternoon with 238 yards and two touchdowns but also threw an interception where he attempted to impale Azeez Al-Shaair.
It was a disappointing output for Cousins, who Mike Zimmer begged to be more aggressive throughout the week. While Cousins certainly has his moments, it’s clear that he prefers things perfectly balanced, as all things should be.
Stat of the week, from @markcraignfl: Kirk Cousins was 26-30-1 in 57 starts with Washington. He's now 30-26-1 in 57 starts with Minnesota. That's 56-56-1 for his career. #PurplePurgatory.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 28, 2021
