Thanks to runs by Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison, the Vikings found themselves with a first down on the Packers’ 8-yard-line down five points with just over five minutes left to play in Sunday’s game.
It was a prime chance to grab the lead, but that’s not how things would play out. Quarterback Kirk Cousins tried a pass to a well-covered Stefon Diggs in the end zone and Packers cornerback Kevin King ended the scoring threat.
Head coach Mike Zimmer said it was “a good question” why the team didn’t run the ball again, but Cousins said he “shouldn’t have put our coordinator in that position” and should have thrown the ball away.
“There’s no justification,” Cousins said, via ESPN.com. “It was unacceptable, it put my team in a terrible position. We had worked so hard to get down there, had a great chance to take the lead, potentially win the game. I just took it out of our hands by making that throw.”
Cousins threw an interception and lost one of his two fumbles in the first half, so there were several plays that he’d like to have back after a loss to a divisional rival.