Video: Stefon Diggs told Kirk Cousins not to force the ball to him
Stefon Diggs was visibly frustrated during the Minnesota Vikings’ win over the New Orleans Saints last weekend, and the assumption was that he was angry over his lack of involvement in the offense. However, the message the star receiver delivered to Kirk Cousins on the sideline told a different story.
Diggs said after the game that his frustration stemmed from the Saints double-covering him, and he insisted he always puts the team before himself. Some footage from the sideline seemed to support that, with Diggs telling Cousins to “play your game” and not feel like he has to force him the ball.
Diggs to Cousins on the sideline: "Don't feel like you gotta force s— to me all right? Play your game!"
wHaT a DiVa pic.twitter.com/fW0ol8w6FG
— Nick Olson (@NickOlsonNFL) January 9, 2020
Diggs didn’t have any targets in the game at the time he threw his helmet in anger toward the sideline, so it’s possible his conversation with Cousins occurred shortly after that. Perhaps he realized that the Vikings were leading at the time and he didn’t want to become a distraction to the quarterback and the team.
There was a point early in the season when Diggs was clearly unhappy with his role, but he shouldn’t care how many targets he is drawing in a playoff game his team is winning. He will more than likely do a better job of controlling his emotions during Saturday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers.
