How the 49ers Beat the Vikings to Advance to the N.F.C. Championship Game

After going seven seasons without a playoff win, and with a reputation for choking in big games, Kirk Cousins enters the game with a chance at two huge wins in a row.

But against one of the best defenses is the league, is it too much to ask Cousins to pull off another stunning upset on the road?

Cousins went into the playoffs with an 0-1 record in the postseason (small sample size, indeed) and a 6-30 career record against winning teams as a starting quarterback. But he resembled Tom Brady when he led the Vikings to an unlikely win over the Saints in New Orleans, sealing the victory with a precision drive and a deft touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph in overtime.

Cousins’ passer rating of 107.4 was fourth best in the N.F.L. this year, but he was not named to the Pro Bowl. A place in the N.F.C. championship game would augment his redemption tour.

Critics will still point to Cousins’ overall record in big games, and some have even equated his 0-9 record on Monday nights as further indication of how he shrinks under pressure. We’ll see over the next three hours, but according to Vikings teammates, the choker label is unfair.

“All we’ve heard is Kirk Cousins this, Kirk Cousins that,” Rudolph told reporters after the electrifying win over the Saints. “Playoff games, big games on the road, so much nonsense. It takes 10 other guys on offense, and I said that all year long.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/11/sports/football/49ers-vikings-score.html?emc=rss&partner=rss