Cowboys ‘Likely’ Facing Fine for Game-Tilting Hit on Vikings’ Kirk Cousins: Report

The Vikings‘ first drive against the Dallas Cowboys set the tone for what was a devastating first half and an eventual 31-28 loss on Sunday.

After forcing a three-and-out to open the game and gaining 18 yards on their first four plays, the Vikings were humming before Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson blitzed on second down and delivered a helmet-to-helmet hit on Kirk Cousins that jarred the ball loose while Cousins was ruled down by contact.

A challenge by the Cowboys overturned the play which was officially ruled a fumble by Cousins. The Cowboys covered 30 yards in three plays to score the game’s first touchdown, tilting the field in their favor.

“We never got on schedule in the first half,” Dalvin Cook said after the game as the Vikings never hit the rhythm of employing their game plan. “It was all a blur.”

Wilson’s sack and forced fumble proved controversial as the helmet-to-helmet hit was not called on the field and unreviewable. Pro Football Talk writer, Charean Williams, who has covered the NFL for 27 years and is a former president of the Pro Football Writers Association, noted that Wilson will likely be fined, a fee he’ll gladly pay as the Cowboys climb to 3-7 and are tied for first in the NFC East.

Die-hard Vikings fan? Follow the Heavy on Vikings Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content out of Skol Nation!

---

Fans React: ‘F*** this League’

In an era where the NFL continues to take measures to protect skill players to the degree that we now have “The Brady Rule,” fans vented their frustration on the play as Cousins was not afforded the same luxury.

One fan called out the roughing the passer call on San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Kentavius Street last week where Street seemingly made a legal tackle on Brees but was flagged on the play.

Brees did break several ribs and suffered a collapsed lung on the play, however, Street was not fined on the play, calling into question whether the play was a true penalty.

Had Cousins warranted the call, the Vikings would have advanced the ball into Cowboys territory with the game still scoreless.

---

Harrison Smith Flagged for Hit, Mike Zimmer Disagrees

Later in the second quarter, safety Harrison Smith was called for unnecessary roughness on a hit that coach Mike Zimmer believed was clean. He also agreed that Wilson’s hit on Cousins was helmet-to-helmet.

“Yes,” Zimmer said agreeing that Wilson’s hit on Cousins was helmet-to-helmet. “I also thought the [flag] on Harrison Smith was clean. There was [sic] a lot of those things but that’s not why we lost.”

The Vikings committed six penalties in the first half which contributed to the struggles on both sides of the ball, however, Zimmer did not make excuses for the offense’s slow start in the first half to the call on the first drive.

“We were getting here and there — little bits in the run game — it wasn’t explosive,” Zimmer said. “We were much better in the second half offensively but defensively we just weren’t quite as good.”

RELATED ARTICLES:

• • • Vikings’ Justin Jefferson Snubs Adam Thielen’s 1-Handed TD Catch [WATCH]
    • Bears Fans Blast Vikings For ‘Classless’ Tweet
    • Disgruntled Vikings Defensive End: ‘I Belong in This League!’
    • Hall of Fame, 2K Rusher Has Strong Message on Vikings’ Dalvin Cook
    • Vikings Cornerback Addresses Mike Zimmer’s Kindergartners Dig

Trevor Squire is a Heavy contributor covering the Minnesota Vikings and journalism graduate from the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities. Connect with him on Twitter @trevordsquire and join our Vikings community at Heavy on Vikings on Facebook.

0 Comments