Getty Footage of Mike Zimmer shoving Kirk Cousins went viral after the Vikings' 19-17 win over the Detriot Lions.
A win is a win.
But the Minnesota Vikings’ 19-17 victory over the Detroit Lions on October 10 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 of Joseph clinching the game. A brief shoving match ensued between the two, leaving many fans speculating about the words shared between the two leaders.
Star Tribune beat writer Ben Goessling shared what he’s heard internally.
The latest Vikings news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Vikings newsletter here!
‘You Like That?’
Goessling reported Sunday night that “Cousins gave Zimmer his ‘You Like That?!’ catchphrase here, from what I’ve heard. Awkward-looking moment, but sounds like it was just an emotional celebration from the QB.”
Fans speculated that 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, resulting in a total of just 12 yards, with the longest run going for five yards, per team reporter Eric Smith.
In a postgame press conference on October 11, Zimmer said that other than one series, he didn’t think the offense was too conservative.
When asked about the interaction with Cousins, Zimmer brushed it off. “Honestly he’s doing exactly what I want him to do,” Zimmer said. “He’s being a leader, he’s being vocal, he’s … showing emotion, and I’ve been talking to him about it all year and it’s no different than when [Sam] Bradford tackled me in practice because I was trying to get him to be the same thing. … He came over and said, ‘You like that’ and kind of gave me a shove, and I shoved him back, and it was all good.”
Die-hard Vikings fan? Follow the Heavy on Vikings Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content from Skol Nation!
Fans Reacted on Social Media
The moment between Zimmer and Cousins went viral as fans captioned stills from the intense moment.
“You fricker, I saved your butt”
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. “Am I the only one who doesn’t think this is very celebratory?” one person tweeted.
@mitchg3246 Zims eyes tho… gotta zoom in.
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. “Personally think Kirk did this because he’s frustrated that Zimmer isn’t giving him the opportunity to go and win games/playing too conservatively,” one observer tweeted.
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.