Vikings lose quarterback Kirk Cousins to significant injury in win over Packers
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Everything was going right for the Vikings.
After proving themselves against the San Francisco 49ers in primetime, the Vikings were well on their way to earning a very impressive win over the rival Green Bay Packers.
It all came crashing down the moment star quarterback Kirk Cousins left the game with what appeared to be a significant injury. He pulled up lame on a drop back late the game and went down for a sack. He couldn’t put any weight on his right foot as he hopped off the field, and ultimately, he had to be carted to the locker room.
Needless to say, the Vikings weren’t feeling too good after earning a 24-10 win over the Packers on Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field.
Though the Vikings are now 4-4 — and right back in the NFC North race — it seems as if they could be without Cousins for the foreseeable future. The next man up if that’s indeed the case is rookie quarterback Jaren Hall. He made his NFL debut in relief and finished the game under center.
That put a damper on an otherwise very good game for the Vikings. They came out firing with Cousins leading the charge. He led a methodical drive down the field early on with running back Cam Akers powering his way into the end zone to make it 7-0 in favor of the Vikings.
On the following drive, Cousins continued his to cook, stringing together a few explosive plays before the Vikings had to settle for a 25-yard field goal from kicker Greg Joseph to stretch the lead to 10-0.
Shockingly, the Packers did not pick up a first down until quarterback Jordan Love found receiver Christian Watson near the sideline shortly before halftime. That incited a very loud Bronx cheer from the home crowd. The possession ended with kicker Anders Carlson nailing a 30-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 10-3 at halftime.
With a chance to take control out of halftime, the Vikings went on a 13-play, 75-yard drive, capped by Cousins finding tight end T.J. Hockenson in the back of the end zone to stretch the lead to 17-3. The lead might as well have been infinity at that point.
It got even better for the Vikings from there as safety Josh Metellus intercepted Love on a deep pass down the middle of the field. He ripped the ball away from receiver Jayden Reed, then turned up field and returned the interception for a big gain up the sidelines. On the very next play, Cousins dropped a dime to rookie receiver Jordan Addison for a touchdown to make it 24-3.
After the Packers finally showed some life, with Love finding receiver Romeo Doubs in the end zone to cut the deficit to 24-10, the Vikings got dealt a haymaker as Cousins left the game. He finished the day 23 of 31 for 274 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
More details will come out regarding Cousins in the coming days. Nothing else matters for the Vikings until then.
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