Featured Posts | Vikings

By Judd Zulgad |

Cousins and Zimmer: Decide for yourself whether it was a confrontation or a celebration

NFL: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
Oct 10, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Alexander Mattison (25) and quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) celebrate a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Shortly after Greg Joseph’s 54-yard field goal had gone through the uprights as time expired to give the Vikings a wild 19-17 victory over Detroit on Sunday, Kirk Cousins celebrated the moment with Mike Zimmer by putting his fist into his coach’s chest and then giving him a shove. Zimmer responded by giving Cousins an even harder shove.

A Vikings employee on the sideline than grabbed Zimmer and looked to be holding him back as if he was concerned about what might happen next. “I was just celebrating with him,” Cousins said in his postgame press conference. “I was just fired up.”

Honestly, I believe Cousins. Did the exchange look odd? Definitely. But were the coach and quarterback about to start fighting on the sideline after a win? That’s a juicy one — and no one has ever thought they were best friends — but the answer would be no. They were both probably relieved to narrowly have beaten a team that is one of the worst in the NFL after the Lions had taken a one-point lead with 37 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

You decide what you think.

Here was was another shot from Fox that enables closer inspection.

Finally, here is a still shot of the exchange.