A win is a win.
But the Minnesota Vikings‘ 19-17 victory over the Detriot Lions was less inspiring than most of the team’s losses this season.
A redeeming factor was a 54-yard walk-off field goal by kicker Greg Joseph, who bounced back from missing a last-second field goal in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3.
Kirk Cousins and coach Mike Zimmer shared an awkward celebration to Joseph clinching the game. A shoving match ensued between the two, leaving many fans speculating the words shared between the two leaders.
Star Tribune beat writer Ben Goessling shared what he’s heard internally.
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‘You Like That?’
Goessling reported Sunday night that “Cousins gave Zimmer his ‘You Like That?!’ catchphrase… from what I’ve heard. Awkward-looking moment, but sounds like it was just an emotional celebration from the QB.”
Fans speculated more words were exchanged as the Vikings went ultra-conservative on offense in the second half, which nearly cost them the game. The Vikings scored on their first three first-half possessions before struggling to sustain drives in the second half.
The Vikings ran the ball six times on second-and-8 or longer. It resulted in just 12 yards, with the longest run going for five yards, per team reporter Eric Smith.
In a postgame press conference, Zimmer said that other than one series, he didn’t think the offense was too conservative.
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Fan Reactions
The moment between Zimmer and Cousins went viral as fans captioned stills from the intense moment.
The root of the speculated animosity between Zimmer and Cousins goes back to a Twitter tirade Everson Griffen went on in January. He tweeted that Zimmer never wanted Cousins in a moment of frustration when he was trying to re-sign with the team. However Zimmer may have felt at the time when Cousins joined the Vikings, the two have since improved their relationship, holding weekly film sessions together for the first time in their tenure together this season.
Body language became a point of observation for fans, arguing that it was possibly a heated exchange.
While it’s reasonable to celebrate a walk-off win raucously, the uninspiring nature of the game could have played a role in Zimmer’s reaction.
There’s still plenty of speculation of the relationship between the Vikings quarterback and coach, which will continue to be revealed in a pivotal season for the franchise.
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