Cousins’ Accuracy, Leadership Shine on Winning OT Drive

[Viktor]

First-and-10 at the Saints 45-yard line: Cousins goes deep to Adam Thielen for 43 yards.


Thielen had encountered a couple of frustrating moments — he fumbled on his first catch of the day and was then called for a questionable holding penalty that stalled another Vikings drive — but had rebounded.


Thielen entered overtime with six catches for 86 yards and was about to put an exclamation point on his performance.


Cousins took the snap and faked a handoff to Alexander Mattsion before planting his feet near midfield and uncorking a deep pass to the two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver. Thielen had worked up the field on Saints cornerback Patrick Robinson, gaining a yard or two of separation around the 20-yard line.


Cousins’ pass floated into Thielen’s hands just inside the 5-yard line before Robinson touched him down at the 2.


“Kirk obviously gave me a shot, and it couldn’t have been a more-perfect ball. It’s something we haven’t thrown for a long time,” Thielen said. “We had been practicing it and things like that, but I never thought it would come in that situation.


“Obviously, kudos to him. That thing dropped right in the bucket,” Thielen added. “I’m thankful that he’s our guy back there because he played a hell of a football game and really was a big reason we won.”


Others, including Diggs, thought the game was going to end on that play.


“It’s more emotional than anything,” Diggs said. “When I saw it happen, I saw the ball in the air and knew he was going to catch it. It was a great play.”


Thielen missed roughly half the season with a hamstring injury, but still finished tied for the team-lead with six touchdown catches.


Sunday’s game was perhaps a microcosm of his season — some frustrations amidst a tough environment, but the Minnesota native came through when it mattered most.


“He’s just such a good player, it’s just a matter of time,” Cousins said. “When you’re that good, you’re eventually going to show up and produce.”


The Vikings longest play of the game came at the perfect time.


“We wanted to go win,” Zimmer said. “I told a bunch of defensive guys, ‘We’re not leaving anything in the bag. We’re going to go for it.’


“We didn’t come here to try to tie or lose or whatever,” Zimmer said. “We were going to take our shots.”