GREEN BAY, Wis. — Everything was going right for the Vikings on Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field.
After proving themselves against the San Francisco 49ers with a home win on Monday night, the Vikings were well on their way to earning an impressive 24-10 road win over the rival Green Bay Packers.
It all came crashing down the moment star quarterback Kirk Cousins left the game with 9 minutes, 50 seconds left.
He pulled up lame while trying to step up in the pocket and crumbled to the ground for a sack. He couldn’t put any weight on his right foot as he hopped off the field. He emerged from the medical tent and had to be carted off.
Talking to reporters postgame, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed everybody’s worst fear.
“We are fearing an Achilles,” O’Connell said. “The severity of that I do not know at this point. I know that is what our fear is at the moment. We will confirm that as soon as possible.”
There were multiple reports after the game that Cousins indeed tore his Achilles’ tendon. It’s likely the Vikings are waiting on additional testing before they make the official announcement.
“When we confirm that as an organization, we will try to move forward in the short term,” O’Connell said. “I’m not sure anybody in this league overall was playing as well as Kirk at the position.”
Needless to say, the Vikings weren’t feeling too good after their win over the Packers.
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 remainder of this season.
The scene inside the Vikings’ locker room postgame perfectly encapsulated the gravity of the situation. It was somber, with many players hanging their heads in disappointment. You never would have known that the Vikings had just beaten the Packers in convincing fashion.
“It was super tough,” tight end T.J.Hockenson said. “I don’t know. There’s nothing really I can say about it. I love Kirk to death.”
Everybody does. As polarizing as Cousins has become from an outside perspective, he has the respect of seemingly every player in the Vikings’ locker room. There are dozens of players who don’t know life in the NFL without him under center.
“It was weird,” center Garrett Bradbury said. “Whenever the Vikings are out there, Kirk is out there.”
Literally. Since signing with the Vikings on March 15, 2018, Cousins has not missed a game because of an injury. What has he meant to the Vikings in that span?
“Everything,” safety Josh Metellus said. “That’s a big hit for the team.”
The next man up, if that indeed is the case, is rookie quarterback Jaren Hall. He made his NFL debut in relief and looks like he could be the guy for the foreseeable future.
“I’ve really got no words for it,” Hall said. “It breaks my heart. That guy is the leader of the team. He’s the heart and soul of the team.”
The game itself showcased Cousins’ importance in real time as he helped the Vikings build a big lead on the Packers.
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 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.
Meanwhile, the Packers struggled mightily, with quarterback Jordan Love drawing the ire of the home crowd. In some ways, Love was the antithesis of Cousins for most of the game, failing to move the chains with any sort of regularity.
The lone scoring drive for the Packers before halftime ended with kicker Anders Carlson nailing a 30-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 10-3.
With a chance to take control out of halftime, the Vikings went on a 13-play, 75-yard drive, capped by Cousins finding Hockenson in the back of the end zone for a touchdown pass that stretched the lead to 17-3.
Not to be outdone, the defense stepped up for the Vikings, as Metellus intercepted a Love pass and returned it up the sidelines for a big gain. 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 a touchdown to cut the deficit to 24-10, the Vikings got dealt a haymaker when Cousins was knocked out of the game. He finished the day 23 of 31 passing for 274 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
“I’m thinking of Kirk,” O’Connell said. “Just hurts to know that he is not more than likely going to be able continue on progressing forward on what has felt like maybe his best season as a pro.”
As glowingly as his teammates talked about Cousins postgame, his impact was perhaps best exemplified in words unspoken.
Asked to describe how Cousins leads, right tackle Brian O’Neill couldn’t even put together a full sentence as tears started to well up in his eyes.
It’s clear what his presence means to the Vikings. It’s also clear what his injury means to the Vikings.
Which is why Sunday’s game felt more like a loss than a win.
