After Further Review is a deeper look at plays or stats after Vikings games…
Somewhat lost in the focus on the plays at Green Bay that Kirk Cousins wanted back, the quarterback's role in a pass to Chad Beebe went unnoticed.
Cousins was able to withstand pressure, Beebe was able to make an adjustment on his route, and a ball that traveled 3 yards pass the line of scrimmage resulted in a 61-yard gain.
Based on player tracking data, NextGen Stats calculated that Beebe was expected to gain 16 yards after the catch (YAC). The difference in actually getting 58 led to the second-highest "incredible YAC" in any Week 2 game (does not include Monday's Browns-at-Jets game).
According to the tracking data, Beebe ran 85.5 yards on the play, the fourth-most in Week 2 (Dalvin Cook had the longest), before he was tackled by safety Darnell Savage. Savage's 69.8 yards traversed on the play made it the longest tackle in Week 2.
Here's another look at the play:
Q2, 1:28 remaining — First-and-10 at the Minnesota 36
The Vikings are in the shotgun with Dalvin Cook to the right of Cousins.
Adam Thielen (Cousins' right) and Stefon Diggs (Cousins' left) are on the outside. Beebe is in the slot, inside of Diggs, and tight end Kyle Rudolph is on the line of scrimmage to the right of right tackle Brian O'Neill.
In the hurry-up offense, the Vikings send all five players on routes. Diggs, Rudolph and Thielen work their way down the field, Beebe runs a shallow crossing route, and Cook heads toward the sideline in the flat to be an option for a checkdown.
The Packers crowd the line of scrimmage with seven but rush four players.
Veteran Tramon Williams follows Beebe across the field but over-pursues, as does linebacker Blake Martinez, leaving the middle of the field open.
Cousins had his legs taken out by a rusher and is falling down, but he manages to get the ball to Beebe, who is just three yards beyond the line of scrimmage.
Beebe picks up a block at midfield by Diggs on Kevin King, allowing him to stride away from the corner for a bigger gain.
Thielen hustles down the field and blocks safety Savage at the 32, allowing Beebe to cut to his left and make it all the way down to the 3.
Green Bay cornerback Jaire Alexander comes in from the right to blindside Thielen at the end of the play, and Thielen gets up and nudges Alexander. The exchange between Alexander and Thielen results in offsetting penalties.
