"The reality is if the pace I'm on in terms of the interceptions, if that were to continue, I won't finish the season."
Monday 19 October 2020 15:13, UK
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins knows he could find his job under threat if unable to iron out his interception problems sooner rather than later.
The 32-year-old finished 24 of 36 passing for 343 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions as the Vikings were beaten 40-23 by the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Cousins leads the NFL with 10 interceptions through the opening six weeks of the season having thrown just six in total in 2019.
"The reality is if the pace I'm on in terms of the interceptions, if that were to continue, I won't finish the season," Cousins said.
"I won't, you know what I mean? There's a little bit of, you got to improve. Whether it's them telling me, 'Hey, we gotta improve,' or them pulling me, we got to get better.
"That's what the rest of the season will be about for me, is trying to protect the football as best I can. Because when you turn the ball over, it really hurts your chances to win. I know that. I just need to improve as we look ahead to the rest of the season."
Minnesota's running game was non-existent in the absence of the injured Dalvin Cook, with Alexander Mattison rushing for just 26 yards from 10 carries.
Rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson meanwhile lead his team with nine catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns, however the Vikings defense failed to supply an answer for Julio Jones as he recorded eight receptions for 137 yards and two scores.
Cousins' first pick came on the first play of the game when Falcons linebacker Deion Jones pounced on a pass intended for Jefferson. The second arrived courtesy of AJ Terrell on third-and-nine with the Vikings trailing 10-0 in the second quarter, resulting in the Falcons extending their lead to 17-0 with a Calvin Ridley touchdown on the ensuing drive.
Foyesade Oluokun made it three on the next drive on a pass intended for Ameer Abdullah, from which the Falcons added a field goal for a 20-0 lead at the half.
"I need to correct it," added Cousins. "I need to finish the season with a different story, regarding the interceptions, so that's something I need to improve with the remaining games we have.
"I don't know that I'd limit it to the interceptions. I think it's just the entire offensive performance. It's just, I need to be better, we need to be better."
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