Eagles LB who criticized Kirk Cousins didn't want to talk about Cousins after game
Dalvin Cook beats Eagles LB Zach Brown for a touchdown on Sunday. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - After Kirk Cousins helped the Vikings roll over the Eagles on Sunday, the Philadelphia linebacker who had tough criticisms for Cousins before the game didn't want to talk about the quarterback during a post-game interview.
On Friday, Eagles linebacker Zach Brown, a former teammate of Cousins in Washington, said he felt Cousins was the "weakest part of [the Vikings] offense."
"Cousins, I think every defense is going to want that guy to throw the ball," Brown also added. "You just want them to pass the ball. You want Kirk Cousins to get it in his hands."
After the game, where Cousins threw for four touchdowns and more than 300 yards, Brown's tune had changed. When asked if he wished he hadn't talked about Cousins, Brown said: "I'm here to talk about the game."
When pressed further, Brown raised his voice and asked: "Any other questions besides Kirk Cousins?" He then relented, admitting "he did a great job."
In his postgame interview, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer suggested that Brown's comments may have motivated Cousins.
“I don’t know, maybe that linebacker popped off and ticked him off,” Zimmer said.
After the game, Cousins steered away from the controversy, claiming he hadn't heard Brown's jabs beforehand.
"I just found out about it 20 minutes ago," Cousins said. "I didn't even know what he said. I really do stay ignorant, not read anything, and that's for my best interest."
"Zach was a teammate in Washington, he's one of the better linebackers I've played with," Cousins added. "I have a lot of respect for him. If you're trying to write a story about how it was a motivator for me this week, it wasn't."
Kirk Cousins said he respected Eagles LB Zach Brown after the Vikings' strong performance on Sunday.
Receiver Adam Thielen further backed up his quarterback, saying Cousins "is going to prove that he’s a top quarterback in this league and he can play at a high level. You saw that today."
Stefon Diggs also showed support for Cousins' great showing.
"Kirk answered all your questions," Diggs told reporters. "He went out there and played his balls off and did everything he did."