The Minnesota Vikings’ home crowd noise was so loud at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday that it hindered quarterback Kirk Cousins’ ability to hear head coach Kevin O’Connell’s playcall on the team’s final offensive play of the game.
With the Vikings down 24-21 to the Los Angeles Chargers and 35 seconds remaining, Cousins and the offense lined up at the Chargers’ 6-yard line. The Vikings had no timeouts, so they were hoping to get a quick snap and run a playcall before the defense could set up.
However, the crowd noise was so loud that Cousins couldn’t hear O’Connell’s playcall. As a result, the Vikings had to delay their snap by 23 seconds. By the time they were able to snap the ball, the Chargers’ defense was set and ready for them.
Cousins’ pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by Chargers linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. The interception sealed the game for the Chargers, and the Vikings suffered their first loss of the season.