Welcome to the 25 SKOL’s of Christmas!
In a similar vein to how Freeform has done the 25 days of Christmas, we will look back at different moments in Vikings history to bring a little extra joy to you this holiday season.
It’s that simple. The holidays can be a trying time for some people and we want to put a smile on people’s faces by reminiscing about some truly joyous times in Vikings’ history.
On the tenth SKOL of Christmas, the Vikings gave to me: Kirk Cousins overcoming a 20-0 deficit to win a football game.
When the Vikings signed Cousins during the 2018 offseason, they thought they were getting the final piece to the puzzle. While it hasn’t turned out that way, he has been a good player for the Vikings, but his first shining moment came in 2019 in a home game against the Denver Broncos.
Going into the game, the Broncos were struggling and had to start backup quarterback Brandon Allen. The Vikings were 7-3 going into this game and still had an opportunity to win the NFC North.
Unfortunately, everything bad that could have happened for the Vikings did and the Broncos went into halftime with a 20-0 lead. The fans booed as the Vikings left the field, but they didn’t know what was about to happen as it became the first graphic game for Cousins.
I think my favorite part of this comeback is how it was all Kirk Cousins — no rushing threat, no play action, no gimmicks, versus a good defense — all the things Kirk supposedly isn't capable of. pic.twitter.com/teJw1nEU9F
— Nick Olson (@NickOlsonNFL) August 11, 2021
Without Adam Thielen who was out with a hamstring injury, it was on Cousins and Stefon Diggs to bring them back. It didn’t take long, as Cousins found Irv Smith Jr. for a 10-yard touchdown pass just 3:31 into the second half. The Broncos followed up with a field goal, but the Vikings took over and scored the last 21 points to get the comeback win.
The catalyst of the comeback was a touchdown pass from Cousins to Diggs. It was a very difficult throw with Cousins rolling out to his left, but led Diggs perfectly for the touchdown.
Later in the game, Cousins found Kyle Rudolph who leaked out on a broken coverage for the game-winning touchdown, securing what should have been a relatively easy victory.
It was what fans know as the “Kirk Cousins graphic” as anytime some kind of weird graphic goes up (as it also did in the Buffalo Bills game in week 10), Cousins and the Vikings find a way to make it happen.
Previous SKOL’s of Christmas:
Drafting Randy Moss
Vikings 1997 Wild Card Comeback
Jarius Wright Walks Off the Jets
Jared Allen traded to Vikings
Adrian Peterson Sets Rushing Record
Brett Favre Revenge Tour
Bud Grant Rocks a Polo in Freezing Temperatures
Adrian Peterson Stiff Arms Defender to Oblivion
Anthony Carter Dominates the 1987 Playoffs
