Vikings Focused on Bears in Week 18

The 7-9 Vikings have the same record they finished the 2020 season with. But with an extra 17th game added to the schedule, Minnesota will either finish one game better or worse than that by Sunday afternoon.

Even with no playoff appearance, Cousins said he will cherish the chance to play Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

“I think it’s really, for us, as important as any football game we have. You only get so many opportunities,” Cousins said. “You want to always, when you step between the white lines, put a great product out there, play hard for your teammates, play hard for your coaches, play hard for one another.

“It’s our last opportunity this season,” Cousins added. “When you think back on all the workouts, all the stuff you do, talking about watching tape in the offseason and going through your own individual workouts and getting together with teammates, and then OTAs and training camp … there’s just so much that goes into it. When you only get 17 guaranteed opportunities, you don’t ever take one for granted.”

Cousins, who will play in his 16th game of the season Sunday, isn’t alone in his thoughts.

“A game in the NFL is never meaningless. It’s a tryout every time you go out,” said Vikings running back Dalvin Cook. “You can’t put bad film out there, that’s just not good for anybody. These guys know that.

“We’re going to do our same normal things and go get ready for a football game and go win a football game. That’s our mindset,” Cook added. “I’m going to bring that energy to practice. It’s going to be the same thing and go out and get ready to play.”