Minnesota trailed 33-0 at halftime, and it looked as if Indianapolis would be able to cruise to victory.
Instead, the Vikings battled back. They rallied to force overtime and won on a field goal by Greg Joseph with three seconds remaining in the extra period.
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How did Minnesota manage the historic win? As quarterback Kirk Cousins noted during a postgame interview with NFL Network, the comeback began in the locker room at halftime.
“There was belief,” Cousins said. “(Defensive back) Patrick Peterson said all we need is five touchdowns. I thought he was being sarcastic.”
The Vikings might have had confidence in the locker room, but certainly, not everything was pleasant. Cousins referenced “some yelling” and “frustration” as the Vikings faced a staggering deficit after a poor first half.
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Still, the quarterback believed that the airing of grievances allowed the team to pull off a comeback like none other in NFL history.
“That doesn’t just happen,” Cousins said of the rally. “Basic people don’t do that — what we just did.”
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The Vikings clinched the NFC North title with the win, and that guarantees that they will have at least one home game during the 2023 NFL playoffs.
Cousins was happy with that result; it has been his goal to win the NFC North since joining the Vikings in 2018. Still, he and the team know they have more to fight for as they prepare to play in the postseason.
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“We’ve got to play better football in the playoffs,” he said. “Obviously, there’s a lot to play for still with our seeding.”
