Thielen http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/hunter-renfrow-jersey , one of 10 failures to move the chains out of 11 third-down plays for Minnesota, two of the team’s best players engaged in an animated and heated discussion on the sideline as the Vikings frustratingly settled for a field goal right before halftime.A duo that connected on 113 passes for 1,373 yards and nine touchdowns in its first year together was struggling, again, in a late-season game to get in sync.The Vikings never found their rhythm, again, against that daunting Chicago defense. The latest flop by this expensive and decorated offense sealed their fate as a team that didn’t make the playoffs, following a 24-10 defeat by the Bears on Sunday.“I love our group of guys, and we weren’t ready for it to end,” Cousins said, “but unfortunately it’s over for this year.”The Vikings (8-7-1) punted on their first five possessions, finally getting a first down with six minutes remaining in the first half. They finished with a season-low 164 yards and took four sacks. For the third time in five December games, against playoff-bound New England, Seattle and Chicago, the Vikings had just one touchdown.Cousins, who signed an $84 million, three-year, fully guaranteed contract after leaving Washington as a free agent, finished with a career-high 30 touchdown passes and a career-best 70.1 completion percentage. He passed for 4,298 yards, topping the 4,000-yard mark for a fourth straight season.Considering the situation he entered, though http://www.seattleseahawksteamonline.com/marquise-blair-jersey , after the Vikings reached the NFC championship game a year ago, the overall assessment of his debut in purple will lean toward disappointment. The only team the Vikings beat this season that made the playoffs was Philadelphia, which ironically leapfrogged them on the last day with a 24-0 win over the Redskins.“I don’t have a menu in front of me of all the tough losses,” Cousins said. “I’ll tell you it’s not the first. It won’t be the last. It’s a part of the journey. You play in this league long enough, you’re going to get kicked in the teeth. It’s going to happen. Tough times don’t last. Tough people do, right? I have a lot of intestinal fortitude.”The Vikings didn’t exhibit much of that until their drive late in the second quarter, after falling behind 13-0.Cousins went deep down the middle for Thielen on third-and-5, when a facemask penalty by Deon Bush on Thielen during the incompletion gave the Vikings the ball at the Chicago 31. Dalvin Cook dropped a short second-down throw, when Cousins and Cook had a miscommunication about the path of the route and the timing of the pass. Then on third-and-6, Cousins threw toward the sideline. The ball hit the turf at the 6, after Thielen had widened his route behind Kyle Fuller in attempt to reach the front corner of the end zone.A few seconds later, the TV cameras captured Thielen yelling at Cousins on the sideline. Cousins shouted back, “Hey, I don’t have 10 seconds!” Then once Thielen was calmer, Cousins was seen acting out how he expected Thielen to adjust his route in order to get open for the ball.“Adam’s my guy. He’s the best, and I want to have more of those conversations,” Cousins said. “I actually liked the passion back and forth.”Thielen agreed.“It definitely wasn’t anything with Kirk,” Thielen said, “and it actually turned out to be a really good conversation. We talked a lot about what I could have done better and on what we could have done in the second half to exploit their defense.”Though Thielen and Diggs became just the seventh pair of teammates to each post 100-plus receptions in the same season, the Vikings finished in the bottom half of the league in far too many statistical categories.“That’s something we were trying to find the entire year, what this offense is and how we can be successful,” Thielen said. “There were glimpses of it this entire season, but you have to be consistent in this league. Individually I wasn’t consistent http://www.seattleseahawksteamonline.com/cody-barton-jersey , and this offense wasn’t consistent enough to win.” CARSON, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers are coming off a 16-point comeback victory at Pittsburgh and have a crucial AFC West showdown next week at Kansas City. Before Anthony Lynn’s team can turn attention toward the Chiefs, there is the matter of taking care of the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.The Chargers (9-3) are double-digit favorites against a Bengals squad that has dropped four straight and six of its last seven, but they are well aware of what can happen when they overlook an opponent. Denver, which had dropped five of six before facing Los Angeles on Nov. 18, rallied from a 12-point deficit to win 23-22.“It was an emotional game last week, nationally televised and all of that, but that’s behind us now. We have to lock in this week,” Lynn said.Los Angeles is closing in on its first playoff spot since 2013. Cincinnati (5-7) appeared to be in the postseason conversation early after winning four of its first five before the bottom fell out, largely due to injuries. Its only hope now is to win out and then get a lot of help.“You have to prepare for them like everybody else whether they’re in it or out of it,” Lynn said. “Their playoffs basically start this week. We have to be aware of that, the urgency that they’re going to play with and what they’re going to bring to the table.”The Chargers come in with plenty of momentum after last week’s 33-30 win at Pittsburgh, as they pulled off the largest road comeback against the Steelers. Philip Rivers has thrown two or more touchdown passes in every game this season and Keenan Allen has a TD catch in four straight games.The Bengals have been beset by injuries with QB Andy Dalton, WR A.J. Green, TE Tyler Eifert, DE Carl Lawson and LB Preston Lawson on injured reserve.“Last I looked, we’re not out of it. We’ve dug a huge hole and need a lot of things to work our way out, but maybe with everything else that’s gone against us, maybe we get some things to break our way,” coach Marvin Lewis said.Things to watch as the Bengals and Chargers meet for the first time since 2015:DRISKEL’S SECOND CHANCEJeff Driskel’s first NFL start didn’t go so well. He took four sacks, threw an interception and lost a fumble during a 24-10 loss to the Broncos, his first game filling in while Andy Dalton recovers from surgery on his thumb. There were some problems getting everyone on the same page. He and offensive coordinator Bill Lazor are expecting things to be smoother the second time around.“His poise was fine,” Lazor said. “His communication was fine. There were a couple things in the huddle or at the line that weren’t great http://www.seattleseahawksteamonline.com/phil-haynes-jersey , but I’m not sure that it was him.”BACKFIELD BY COMMITTEE?With Melvin Gordon likely to miss his second straight game due to an MCL sprain to his right knee, the Chargers will go with the duo of Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson at running back. Ekeler was held to 21 yards on 13 carries, but Jackson came in during the second half and rushed for a season-best 64 yards with a touchdown.“Surely, he’ll be more involved early, but we didn’t run the ball as much in the first half last week. It just depends on how this game goes,” said Lynn about Jackson.The Bengals’ defense is ranked last against the run and has allowed over 200 yards in three of the past four games. Cincinnati is 0-3 since Lewis took over running the defense after coordinator Teryl Austin was fired on Nov. 12.TURN MIXON LOOSEWith receiver A.J. Green out for the rest of the season with an injured toe, the offense is leaning heavily on running back Joe Mixon, who is averaging a healthy 4.9 yards per carry. The problem is the Bengals have fallen so far behind in games that they’ve abandoned the run. During the four-game losing streak, Mixon has carried 11, 12, 14 and 12 times, leaving him wondering what he could do with more chances.“I’m definitely more than ready when the time comes,” Mixon said. “Just have to stay patient. My time will be coming.”JAMES MAKING IMPACTChargers rookie safety Derwin James has picked off passes two straight weeks and made a couple big plays in coverage last week against the Steelers. The first-round pick has once again started to make his presence felt in coverage, making a big hit last week along the sideline on Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown which prevented him from getting both feet down inbounds.“He’s a guy that we want to make sure he is around the ball. He’s been consistent all year,” defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. “His skill set is very unique and it is our job to position him to make plays.”James is the first rookie since Zach Brown in 2012 to have at least three interceptions and three sacks in a season.KEEP AN EYE ONChargers defensive end Joey Bosa, who missed the first nine games due to a foot injury, has three sacks since returning. Two of those came two weeks ago against Arizona, when he was matched up against Andre Smith, who was released following that game. Smith was signed by the Bengals, who drafted him in the first round in 2009, as injuries have wreaked havoc on the offensive line.