Vikings Mailbag

What happened in the final two to three minutes of the first half in the past two games that has resulted in 24-plus points in that span? Poor play calling? Poor execution? Is the defense too predictable in its two-minute drill tendencies? — Brian I.

That’s a great point, Brian. Those stretches in both games have been so costly and probably not discussed enough. Against the Bengals, Zimmer said he had a bad play call on, and it was too late in the play clock to make a change and Cincinnati exploited it. Against the Cardinals, there was a broken coverage on the touchdown, and then a combination of a strange squib attempt and missed tackles set up the late field goal.

The Vikings have to be much, much better in the final few minutes of the first half. For all the talk of how the Vikings could be 2-0 with a few different plays late, they’d easily be 2-0 if they just played better at the end of the second quarter.

Can you please explain why Kirk Cousins constantly throws short of the sticks? Vikings drives seem to end whenever a third down requires a pass. I know Kirk gets a lot of heat, but it’s so common, I’m starting to feel like it’s a play-calling issue. — Chris W.

Let me start with this: Cousins is playing well and is not the reason the Vikings are 0-2.

Now that that’s said, let’s answer your question. Cousins, more than most quarterbacks, is insistent on treating each play as its own entity regardless of time remaining, score and down and distance. He goes through his normal reads while down 14 points in the second half the same way he would in a 0-0 game in the first quarter.

It’s something that his former coach in Washington, Jay Gruden, has talked about. When the Vikings are down multiple scores or facing third-and-long, Cousins notes that teams will back up their safeties and try to take away deep shots. That’s why he throws underneath. But with two great receivers in Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson, I’d argue it’s OK to force the ball into tight windows in those scenarios. To me, I’d rather take an interception trying to make a great play when you’re already losing late than try to hope, say, CJ Ham is going to pick up 7 yards after the catch for a first down. Even when it works, it takes a lot of time off the clock. It’s why the Vikings’ two-minute drill tends to involve a lot more plays than, say, the Chiefs’.