
Mike Zimmer summed up Kirk Cousins' forgetful Sunday during a 21-16 loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field succinctly, because that conversation could've lasted all afternoon.
"He can do better," Zimmer said Monday.
It was baffling. Not only because Cousins is currently the third-most accurate NFL passer of all time at a career 66.3% completion rate, but because a staple of his game for years — play-action — was a fruitless endeavor against the Packers. Cousins' poor decisions, which are open for debate as to how characteristic they are, and inaccuracy, which is uncharacteristic, were prevalent regardless.
Cousins lamented his bad decisions and misfires in the game, during which the Vikings defense continually gave him chances. The Packers went 10 drives without traveling farther than 22 yards, of course only after taking a 21-0 lead with two big drives out of the gate and a Cousins fumble.
As our Ben Goessling detailed, pressure factored in Cousins' day against a revamped Packers defense, but it wasn't a deal breaker. There were more than a handful of chances for Cousins to steal a win.
1. A near career-worst 43.8% completed offers plenty of blame to go around, but Cousins said it best when pointing to his miss in the fourth quarter. Trailing 21-16, the Vikings defense just forced the fifth of eight JK Scott punts. A 13-yard catch and run by Dalvin Cook, who slipped two tacklers, helped the offense crawl back from a Garrett Bradbury hold for a third-and-7 shot.
Up-tempo pacing made an appearance, and the Vikings went back to it on this play. It'd worked on third and 13 earlier in the game, when receiver Stefon Diggs sprinted past the secondary for a 45-yard touchdown, seemingly catching the Packers flat footed by hurrying up to the line and snapping the ball with 12 seconds left on the play clock.
They again hurried up to the line on this third and 7, snapping the ball with 15 seconds left on the play clock. Cousins has to cringe after not only seeing the misfire again Monday in the Vikings' film review, but also by spoiling the clean pocket.