Kirk Cousins Threw A 99-Yard Pick Six And Got Lit Up Trying To Chase It Down

After winning seemingly every close game they found themselves in a year ago, the Minnesota Vikings have had the opposite luck to start the 2023 NFL season. Minnesota came into Sunday’s game at Carolina with an 0-3 record with all three losses by six points or fewer, and it’s been an incredibly frustrating start for a team that’s been, statistically, among the best offenses in the league but cannot get out of its own way in key moments — or off the field defensively.

That continued on Sunday when they marched down the field on their opening possession, but Kirk Cousins tried to go to the flat route late and got jumped by Sam Franklin who took it 99 yards to the house. Along the way, he had to get by Cousins who was trying to prevent a pick-six, but Franklin was able to pedal down and let a teammate absolutely blow up Cousins before jogging to the end zone for the first score of the game.

It’s a real insult to injury moment for Cousins, who not only made a dreadful throw for the pick — you can never be that late on that long a throw — but then made a genuinely strong effort to run it down, only to get smoked by a (clean) block. This won’t help Minnesota’s cause as they look to finally pick up a win, and if they fall short in a one score game once again it won’t be hard to figure out what score will get blamed for the loss this time.