Kirk Cousins exorcised some demons during the Vikings' 22-17 win over the 49ers on Monday night. The Vikings quarterback, who entered the game with a 2-10 record in Monday night games, came up on the winning side this time while leading Minnesota to a second straight win.
Cousins also made history by becoming only the fifth quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 300 yards in 50 games. The 12-year veteran threw for 378 yards on Monday night that included a pair of touchdown passes to rookie wideout Jordan Addison, whose 60-yard catch-and-run gave the Vikings a 16-7 halftime lead.
Minnesota's only scores in the second half came on Greg Joseph field goals. But it was just enough to hold off the 49ers, who lost for a second straight week after a 5-0 start to the season.
The 49ers had one last chance to win the game after Joseph missed a 50-yard field goal attempt with 1:16 left. But Vikings safety Camryn Bynum, who picked off Brock Purdy on the 49ers' previous drive, clinched the Vikings' win with a second interception of Purdy with 33 seconds left.
Here's a closer look at how the Vikings upset the 49ers.
Why the Vikings won
Minnesota played well in all three phases. The offensive line provided stellar protection for Cousins, who wasn't sacked in his 45 pass attempts. Cousins utilized his protection by connecting seven times with Addison, 11 times with tight end T.J. Hockenson and a combined nine times to Brandon Powell and K.J. Osborn.
It'll be overlooked, but running backs Alexander Mattison and Cam Akers also played key roles in the win. Mattison's early success on the ground helped set the table for Cousins and the passing game. Akers had 61 total yards that included his 30-yard catch-and-carry that helped Minnesota take a 10-0 lead in the second quarter.
Defensively, the Vikings came up with two huge turnovers late in the game on Bynum's picks. They never allowed the 49ers' running game to get on track, as Christian McCaffrey averaged just 3.0 yards per carry. Harrison Smith's forced fumble of McCaffrey in the first quarter set up Cousins' first touchdown pass to Addison that gave the Vikings a 7-0 lead.
He wasn't perfect, but Joseph made enough kicks to propel the Vikings to victory. His 54-yard boot was big, as it gave the home team an eight-point lead entering the game's final stanza.
Why the 49ers lost
While Minnesota was able to overcome Justin Jefferson's absence, the 49ers weren't able to muster enough offense without Deebo Samuel, who was inactive with a shoulder injury. Jauan Jennings stepped up with five catches for 54 yards, but it wasn't enough to make up for the loss of Samuel. It didn't help that McCaffrey was playing with an oblique injury that hindered his effectiveness. The 49ers' running back did make history Monday night by scoring in his 16th straight game, the second-longest active streak in NFL history, but sported that measly yards-per-carry mark.
With McCaffrey playing hurt, the 49ers still gave him the lion's share of the carries (he had 15 of the 49ers' 22 rushing attempts). Purdy had five times as many carries as backup running back Elijah Mitchell, whose one carry was one more carry than Jordan Mason -- who is averaging 5.6 yards-per-carry this season -- received Monday night.
For as good as they've been this season, the 49ers defense looked plain average against the Vikings offense. It specifically had issues with Addison and Hockenson, who caught a combined 18 passes for 209 yards.
Turning point
Can a turning point take place in the first quarter? It did on Monday night, when Smith forced a McCaffrey fumble on the 49ers' first possession after the Vikings turned the ball over on the game's first drive. The Vikings offense parlayed the turnover into a 10-play, 89-yard drive that was capped off by Cousins' 20-yard touchdown pass to Addison.
Play of the game
Addison's 60-yard touchdown catch was sweet payback after Charvarius Ward wrestled the ball away from his grasp to end the Vikings' first drive. Addison turned the tables on Ward on his second touchdown of the night.
Quotable
"We found a way. This league's tough. One play here, one play there. We've had some tough losses. Last year, we were fortunate enough to pull them off. We found a way tonight. Got to keep stacking them." -- Cousins on the state of the Vikings during his postgame interview with ESPN
What's next
The Vikings will head to Green Bay to face the 2-4 Packers in a matchup of NFC North division rivals. The 49ers will return home to host the Bengals, who after an 0-2 start evened their record to 3-3 before their Week 7 bye.