MINNEAPOLIS -- An unusual and chaotic scene played out Sunday afternoon in the final seconds of the Los Angeles Chargers' 28-24 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings had converted a fourth down to the Chargers' 6-yard line with 35 seconds remaining. They had no timeouts, but instead of spiking the ball to stop the clock, they attempted to line up and quick-snap the Chargers, hoping to score the winning touchdown before the defense was fully set.
There was one problem. The crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium was so loud that quarterback Kirk Cousins couldn't hear coach Kevin O'Connell's playcall, both Cousins and O'Connell said afterward. A full 23 seconds ran off the clock as Cousins tried to hear O'Connell, and eventually just decided to call a play on his own. It ended with a tipped pass toward tight end T.J. Hockenson that Chargers linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. intercepted to seal the game with seven seconds left.
"Just couldn't hear him with the noise," Cousins said. "Just ended up calling a play, and the play I called was the same play he was trying to get to."
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NFL teams encourage crowds to be loud when the defense is on the field and to minimize noise when they are on offense. The crowd of 66,878 at U.S Bank Stadium got excited after the fourth-down conversion, and many could be heard encouraging the Vikings to spike the ball to maximize the number of plays they would get to score from the 6-yard line.
"Sometimes that happens," O'Connell said of the home crowd fan noise. "It's not always noticed when we're in a normal two-minute mode."
O'Connell made clear that he didn't think that the ticking clock impacted the execution of the play. But given how the scene played out, he acknowledged that spiking the ball would have been a better option.
"My expectations are always sky-high for our group," O'Connell said, "so I'm trying to steal one more play. But clearly with that much time going off the clock, even though I don't think ultimately think time was the issue with the game ending the way it did, but certainly ... that one was purely on me, trying to be too aggressive in that moment. Definitely looking back on it, just wish I would have clocked it. No matter the benefit we had going fast, the value was not received clearly with what that execution looked like in that moment."
In theory, Cousins said, he could have decided to spike the ball on his own. But he said he tries "not to make a habit of" making such unilateral decisions during games.
"I mean I could do anything I want," Cousins said. "I can do the quarterback sneak. I can do whatever I want, but at the same time you also have to deal with the consequences. Against Buffalo last year I snuck it on my own and didn't get in, so until you know the future it's hard to know whether to take the reins or not, but I've done it before."
The sequence was one of many that went the Chargers' way Sunday, including what turned out to be the winning score: a 30-yard pass from quarterback Justin Herbert that tipped off the hands of Vikings cornerback Akayleb Evans and into those of receiver Joshua Palmer. But the Vikings dominated those situations in 2022 en route to winning 11 games by one score. They have played three one-score games in 2023 and lost them all.
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Jets' frustrations build as QB Zach Wilson struggles again
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QB Zach Wilson and head coach Robert Saleh address the Jets' struggles in their loss to the Patriots. (0:57)
Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff WriterSep 24, 2023, 07:07 PM ET
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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Jets, who began the season with Aaron Rodgers and dreams of a Super Bowl, have reverted to their 2022 script: They have a quarterback problem and frustrated players in the locker room.
Zach Wilson struggled for the second week in a row, two players engaged in animated discussions with coaches during the game and the Jets lost their 15th straight to the New England Patriots, 15-10 on a rainy Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Afterward, star wide receiver Garrett Wilson, upset during a sideline conversation with Zach Wilson and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, hinted that he's not getting the ball enough. The Jets (1-2), losers of two straight, appear to be teetering already. But they won't change quarterbacks this week.
Coach Robert Saleh said he's sticking with Wilson, saying, "Yeah, he's fine." Wilson has led the offense to only three touchdowns in nearly three full games, but "he's who gives us the best chance to win," Saleh said. "That's basically the cleanest answer I can give you."
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The only other quarterback on the roster is Tim Boyle, who has only three career starts (all with the Detroit Lions in 2021).
Zach Wilson, who replaced the injured Rodgers in Week 1, was befuddled by the defense. He completed 18 of 36 passes for 157 yards, with three sacks (including a safety). The Wilson-led offense produced seven three-and-outs. He was booed loudly, especially when he threw a 2-yard completion to tight end Tyler Conklin on a fourth-and-10 in the fourth quarter.
It got emotional on the sideline after a three-and-out in the third quarter.
"Yeah, just frustrating -- frustration that we're not moving the ball," said the quarterback, who walked over to Hackett and Garrett Wilson on the bench and was gesturing with his arms. "That's what it was. Our defense was stringing together some stops and I felt like it was time to go, time to go, time to put some points on the board. So yeah, just trying to figure out how we can attack."
Garrett Wilson finished with five catches for 48 yards against the Patriots' injury-riddled secondary. Asked if the Jets did enough to exploit the secondary, he said, "No, we didn't. Straight like that. So, I'm sure they're feeling really good over there on the other side right now, especially the DB room. And they should, for sure."
He didn't directly criticize the playcalling or his quarterback, but the second-year receiver -- the 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year -- certainly left the impression he's not happy with the way he's being used.
"I feel like I'm in a really good spot as far as my ability and I don't feel like I've been able to put that on display," he said. "And that's for multiple reasons. I don't know what it may be, but I just know I'm ready. I'm going to make sure I continue to be ready. I'm going to make sure that every time I take that field that I'm confident in my ability no matter what's going on."
There was another heated exchange when running back Michael Carter got into it with running backs coach Taylor Embree. Later, Carter called it a miscommunication, saying "we hashed it out right away" during the game.
"It's not as big a deal as it looked," Carter said, acknowledging he has to "control myself a little better." Most of the spotlight will focus on Zach Wilson, who has completed only 52.4% of his passes with two touchdowns and four interceptions this season. The plan was for him to back up and learn from Rodgers, but that changed on the fourth play of the season, when the four-time MVP tore an Achilles.
Team officials have talked up Zach Wilson's growth as a quarterback, but he doesn't have the results to back it up.
"We're still early in the season," Saleh said. "We knew, even with Aaron at quarterback, there was going to be some hiccups along the way because of a new offense, a new playcaller, new O-line, just new players. Not you've got this curveball sent to us and they're acclimating and they're going to get better."
In hurry-up mode, Wilson led a 13-play, 84-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, cutting the Patriots' lead to 13-10. He had three possessions in the last 2:44 to try to pull out a come-from-behind win. Those possessions ended with a safety, a four-and-out and a Hail Mary into the end zone. Wilson completed only two of eight attempts on three series.
In his postgame news conference, Wilson used the word "frustrating" three times, finally admitting, "It starts with me. I've got to find a way to be better."
The Vikings had converted a fourth down to the Chargers' 6-yard line with 35 seconds remaining. They had no timeouts, but instead of spiking the ball to stop the clock, they attempted to line up and quick-snap the Chargers, hoping to score the winning touchdown before the defense was fully set.
There was one problem. The crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium was so loud that quarterback Kirk Cousins couldn't hear coach Kevin O'Connell's playcall, both Cousins and O'Connell said afterward. A full 23 seconds ran off the clock as Cousins tried to hear O'Connell, and eventually just decided to call a play on his own. It ended with a tipped pass toward tight end T.J. Hockenson that Chargers linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. intercepted to seal the game with seven seconds left.
"Just couldn't hear him with the noise," Cousins said. "Just ended up calling a play, and the play I called was the same play he was trying to get to."
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NFL teams encourage crowds to be loud when the defense is on the field and to minimize noise when they are on offense. The crowd of 66,878 at U.S Bank Stadium got excited after the fourth-down conversion, and many could be heard encouraging the Vikings to spike the ball to maximize the number of plays they would get to score from the 6-yard line.
"Sometimes that happens," O'Connell said of the home crowd fan noise. "It's not always noticed when we're in a normal two-minute mode."
O'Connell made clear that he didn't think that the ticking clock impacted the execution of the play. But given how the scene played out, he acknowledged that spiking the ball would have been a better option.
"My expectations are always sky-high for our group," O'Connell said, "so I'm trying to steal one more play. But clearly with that much time going off the clock, even though I don't think ultimately think time was the issue with the game ending the way it did, but certainly ... that one was purely on me, trying to be too aggressive in that moment. Definitely looking back on it, just wish I would have clocked it. No matter the benefit we had going fast, the value was not received clearly with what that execution looked like in that moment."
In theory, Cousins said, he could have decided to spike the ball on his own. But he said he tries "not to make a habit of" making such unilateral decisions during games.
"I mean I could do anything I want," Cousins said. "I can do the quarterback sneak. I can do whatever I want, but at the same time you also have to deal with the consequences. Against Buffalo last year I snuck it on my own and didn't get in, so until you know the future it's hard to know whether to take the reins or not, but I've done it before."
The sequence was one of many that went the Chargers' way Sunday, including what turned out to be the winning score: a 30-yard pass from quarterback Justin Herbert that tipped off the hands of Vikings cornerback Akayleb Evans and into those of receiver Joshua Palmer. But the Vikings dominated those situations in 2022 en route to winning 11 games by one score. They have played three one-score games in 2023 and lost them all.
by Taboola
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Jets' frustrations build as QB Zach Wilson struggles again
QB Zach Wilson and head coach Robert Saleh address the Jets' struggles in their loss to the Patriots. (0:57)
Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff WriterSep 24, 2023, 07:07 PM ET
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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Jets, who began the season with Aaron Rodgers and dreams of a Super Bowl, have reverted to their 2022 script: They have a quarterback problem and frustrated players in the locker room.
Zach Wilson struggled for the second week in a row, two players engaged in animated discussions with coaches during the game and the Jets lost their 15th straight to the New England Patriots, 15-10 on a rainy Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Afterward, star wide receiver Garrett Wilson, upset during a sideline conversation with Zach Wilson and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, hinted that he's not getting the ball enough. The Jets (1-2), losers of two straight, appear to be teetering already. But they won't change quarterbacks this week.
Coach Robert Saleh said he's sticking with Wilson, saying, "Yeah, he's fine." Wilson has led the offense to only three touchdowns in nearly three full games, but "he's who gives us the best chance to win," Saleh said. "That's basically the cleanest answer I can give you."
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The only other quarterback on the roster is Tim Boyle, who has only three career starts (all with the Detroit Lions in 2021).
Zach Wilson, who replaced the injured Rodgers in Week 1, was befuddled by the defense. He completed 18 of 36 passes for 157 yards, with three sacks (including a safety). The Wilson-led offense produced seven three-and-outs. He was booed loudly, especially when he threw a 2-yard completion to tight end Tyler Conklin on a fourth-and-10 in the fourth quarter.
It got emotional on the sideline after a three-and-out in the third quarter.
"Yeah, just frustrating -- frustration that we're not moving the ball," said the quarterback, who walked over to Hackett and Garrett Wilson on the bench and was gesturing with his arms. "That's what it was. Our defense was stringing together some stops and I felt like it was time to go, time to go, time to put some points on the board. So yeah, just trying to figure out how we can attack."
Garrett Wilson finished with five catches for 48 yards against the Patriots' injury-riddled secondary. Asked if the Jets did enough to exploit the secondary, he said, "No, we didn't. Straight like that. So, I'm sure they're feeling really good over there on the other side right now, especially the DB room. And they should, for sure."
He didn't directly criticize the playcalling or his quarterback, but the second-year receiver -- the 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year -- certainly left the impression he's not happy with the way he's being used.
"I feel like I'm in a really good spot as far as my ability and I don't feel like I've been able to put that on display," he said. "And that's for multiple reasons. I don't know what it may be, but I just know I'm ready. I'm going to make sure I continue to be ready. I'm going to make sure that every time I take that field that I'm confident in my ability no matter what's going on."
There was another heated exchange when running back Michael Carter got into it with running backs coach Taylor Embree. Later, Carter called it a miscommunication, saying "we hashed it out right away" during the game.
"It's not as big a deal as it looked," Carter said, acknowledging he has to "control myself a little better." Most of the spotlight will focus on Zach Wilson, who has completed only 52.4% of his passes with two touchdowns and four interceptions this season. The plan was for him to back up and learn from Rodgers, but that changed on the fourth play of the season, when the four-time MVP tore an Achilles.
Team officials have talked up Zach Wilson's growth as a quarterback, but he doesn't have the results to back it up.
"We're still early in the season," Saleh said. "We knew, even with Aaron at quarterback, there was going to be some hiccups along the way because of a new offense, a new playcaller, new O-line, just new players. Not you've got this curveball sent to us and they're acclimating and they're going to get better."
In hurry-up mode, Wilson led a 13-play, 84-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, cutting the Patriots' lead to 13-10. He had three possessions in the last 2:44 to try to pull out a come-from-behind win. Those possessions ended with a safety, a four-and-out and a Hail Mary into the end zone. Wilson completed only two of eight attempts on three series.
In his postgame news conference, Wilson used the word "frustrating" three times, finally admitting, "It starts with me. I've got to find a way to be better."
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