16 October 2023
CHICAGO — About a half hour after the Vikings escaped with a 19-13 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field, quarterback Kirk Cousins addressed reporters like he does every week, win or lose. He praised the defense for stepping up, challenged the offense to be better, then gave starting center Garrett Bradbury a shoutout for starting what could become a new tradition.
“He made sure that Creed got played before we went out on the field,” Cousins said. “I felt like that may have made the difference.”
The rock band that rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s has experienced a resurgence over the past month largely due to the Texas Rangers blaring the band’s music in the clubhouse before playoff baseball games. It seems as if the Vikings are trying to replicate the good vibes.
“You know, the Rangers have been playing Creed, and they’re rolling in the playoffs,” Cousins said. “The music is banging on the boom box most pregames in the locker room/ We thought we’d mix up the genre a little bit and get some Creed in there.”
Which song?
“They’ve got quite a catalog,” Cousins said with a laugh. “We started with ‘Higher’ this week. We didn’t want to overstep our bounds. We just went ‘Higher’, and next week we’ll see what we go to from there.”
Davenport injures ankle
After missing playing time with an ankle injury earlier this season, pass rusher Marcus Davenport hobbled off the field Sunday and did not return to the game. Was it a reaggravation?
“Nope,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “The opposite ankle. I don’t have a lot of detail on that right now. We’ll get him as much treatment as we can. We’ll try to use the extra day to see if we can turn him over.”
It’s a tough break for Davenport, who was starting to come into his own opposite fellow pass rusher Danielle Hunter.
The Vikings also lost left guard Ezra Cleveland to a foot injury. He was replaced by left guard Dalton Risner.
Bagent makes NFL debut
A relatively unknown player made his NFL debut for the Bears on Sunday when undrafted quarterback Tyson Bagent entered the game. He replaced starting quarterback Justin Fields, who suffered a hand injury, and nearly led a comeback before throwing a late interception.
There’s a chance that Bagent could be the guy moving forward if Fields is out long term.
“I’m obviously very confident in myself,” Bagent said. “Nothing changes for me. Ever since Day 1, I was preparing as if I was go to play the whole game. That’s kind of how I approach the game.”
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