Mike Zimmer somehow didn’t allow himself to pull Kirk Cousins in the midst of a first half in which the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback threw three interceptions that resulted in an eventual 40-23 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Cousins is aware of the consequences that could come if his interception trend picks up following the Vikings’ bye week.
“The reality is if the pace I’m on in terms of the interceptions, if that were to continue, I won’t finish the season,” Cousins said. “I won’t — you know what I mean? There’s a little bit of, you got to improve. Whether it’s them telling me, ‘Hey, we gotta improve,’ or them pulling me; we got to get better.
That’s what the rest of the season will be about for me, is trying to protect the football as best I can. Because when you turn the ball over, it really hurts your chances to win. I know that. I just need to improve as we look ahead to the rest of the season.”
The three interceptions Cousins threw before halftime on Sunday were the most he has thrown in a first half in his career, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
The veteran QB was given a two-year, $66 million extension in March that keeps him under contract in Minnesota through the 2022 season. In six games played this year, he leads the NFL with 10 interceptions after tossing just six in 2019.
“I need to correct it,” Cousins said. “I need to finish the season with a different story, regarding the interceptions, so that’s something I need to improve with the remaining games we have. I don’t know that I’d limit it to the interceptions. I think it’s just the entire offensive performance. It’s just, I need to be better, we need to be better.”
