The Minnesota Vikings offense uncharacteristically sputtered in the first half of their loss to the Detroit Lions, capped by a costly turnover that left head coach Kevin O’Connell with no regrets.
Trailing by seven points, the Vikings marched downfield and had a fresh set of downs on the Lions’ 3-yard line late in the second quarter. The Vikings opted for some trickery that backfired badly.
On first-and-3, Dalvin Cook, lined up eight yards behind the line of scrimmage, received a pitch from Kirk Cousins before chopping his feet and drawing closer to the scrum of linemen ahead of him. Cook wasn’t looking for a running lane on the play, he was looking for a receiver in the end zone. Tight end Johnny Mundt didn’t break free from the second level after a chip block in time for Cook to feel confident enough to air the ball over the line. The next moment, he was flushed from his spot and sacked, forcing a fumble that the Lions recovered to kill any chance of tying the game entering the intermission.
O’Connell revealed that the play call intended for Cook to pass on that play, an awfully cute play for a team, missing two starting offensive linemen, that wasn’t desperate for a touchdown with extra chances at the end zone on back.
O’Connell defended what he called a “critical error” after an eventual 34-23 loss to the Lions.
Kevin O’Connell Defends Costly Dalvin Cook Pass Play Call
In his postgame press conference on December 11, O’Connell admitted the way the play transpired was a “critical error,” however, he was content with calling it in that situation.
“We had some interior penetration on the play and Dalvin [Cook] was actually going to attempt to throw that football to Johnny Mundt. He was open in the back, we just wanted to make sure — No. 1 that there was no penetration there. Ultimately trying to be aggressive in that moment goal line… We had the play set up and just didn’t execute and the ball went the other way,” O’Connell said. “It was a critical, critical error we got to go back and look at it and I’m always going to rely on our guys to make that play and execute in that moment.
“But ultimately a huge play in the game you can see something he’s not used to doing like how much do you take that into account we’ve practiced it quite a bit… I felt comfortable with him executing that play in that moment.”
Asked how often the offense had practiced the play, Cousins did not give a specific answer but said it had worked in practice.
It’s an unfortunate outcome there,” Cousins said in his postgame press conference.
Dalvin Cook After Costly Fumble: ‘I Got to Take Care of the Football’
Speaking to local media after the game, Cook declined to say whether he was given the go-ahead to pass on the play.
“I got to take care of the football. I fumbled,” Cook said, per Pioneer Press reporter Chris Tomasson.
Meanwhile, Detroit rookie Isaiah Buggs said he felt something was off with the Vikings offense approaching the play, which could have contributed to the interior sending more pressure to the pocket.
“We smelled a rat. I kinda smelled it at the beginning, they was doing a lot of talking and I kinda smelled it out,” Buggs said, per Benjamin Raven. “I had to alert the line, let them know what was going on and then just went and made a play.”
Vikings Coach Defends ‘Critical Error’ vs. Lions