MINNEAPOLIS -- Here’s what Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins had to say after the 42-21 loss to the Vikings on Sunday:
Opening Statement: “Disappointing day today. You know, left plays out there, made mistakes at times. It’s never going to be a perfect game but could certainly point to some different moments that were important that we didn’t capitalize, and now we have to look forward to what we still have in front of us and try to get healthy this next week, get to Vegas, and try to find a way to win there. Then see if we can string it together in the last stretch of the season, but certainly disappointing day today. Those are my thoughts. Take any questions you have.”
On eliminating the turnovers and penalties: ”Yeah, the penalties are hard for me to say. You know, I would have to kind of go back and watch each one to understand why they’re happening. During the game it happens so fast. I think certainly the first turnover was one that I can correct. Whether it’s throw it away, whether it’s move forward, play off schedule, avoid a sack, whatever you have to do, but don’t need to force the ball in that window. Then second one was tough. I would have liked to have put the ball more to the inside. They brought a good pressure, and I thought someone made a good play.”
On being tied at 21-21:”Yeah, I was encouraged when we were 21-21. Felt good about it. But the next time we got the ball back it was 35-21, and it had a little bit of a different tenor to the game at that point.”
On the emotions coming back to Minnesota: ”Just the gratitude for the six years I spent here and the people I got to work with, and I got to see some of them post-game. I’m just grateful for the impact they’ve had on me.”
On his opinion on the fan reaction when he came out of the tunnel: ”It’s a great fan base, and I expected them to make it hostile, and they did a good job of that.”
On not being in first place anymore and moving forward with the next four games: ”Just play your schedule. Focus one week at a time, one day at a time, and just try to have great habits on your way to getting ready to play Vegas. When you take it one day at a time, we’ll just have to get to the end of the run and see where we stand on January 5th or 6th, whatever it is. Until then, you just have to play out your schedule the best you can and see where it leads you.
On him and Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell’s conversation: ”Yeah, he just said he was grateful for me. I said the same. He’s a great coach and is doing a great job this year.”
On how difficult it is to go a month without wins and not playing how they want: ”Yeah, it’s never easy. In pro football you get tested, and we’re there right now. But, as you said, win or lose, you kind of have to be able to apply the same process each week and get better, get better. Whether you are winning or losing, you have to find a way to always continuously improve, and essential that’s important this week.”
On how he analyzes how he’s playing right now: ”Last week was a low bar (laughing), but I felt better today. Felt more like myself. Felt more like myself today.”
On whether he analyzes himself against QB Sam Darnold as his replacement: ”Sam has played great, had a great year, did a great job today. I’m happy for him and the way he’s playing and the way those guys are rolling.”
On having 500 total yards of offense: ”Yeah, I think it’s finishing drives with touchdowns instead of field goals. I think it’s trying to avoid the penalties. I think it’s trying to eliminate those turnovers. The game is always about points, and so you have to come away with points more than yards. Yards are an indicator but got to turn them into points.”
On the season being up and down and who the ‘real Falcons are’? ”I think you just play your schedule, and you begin to feel like it’s a week-to-week league. When you are playing well, you usually aren’t as good as people are telling you when they’re patting you on the back, and if you are in a rut, you’re usually not as bad as people kind of leaving you for dead. The reality is usually somewhere in the middle. We just have to keep playing and see where the dust settles when we get to January.”
On how he feels he’s contributing to the team’s efforts? ”I would love to be playing with a lot more production, and it’s been disappointing the last four weeks to not a have a touchdown pass. I would like that to be different. I hope that we can in the last stretch here of the season turn that around.”
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