CHARLOTTE, N.C. – K.J. Osborn, the unfamiliar receiver who's making a name for himself in the shadows of superstar teammates, was an afterthought before the Vikings snapped the ball on the two biggest plays in the game-winning drive that beat the Panthers 34-28 in overtime at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday.
"Cover those guys," he said of Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson, "and leave me open. That's love. That's cool."
That's also not something teams can still afford to do and expect to beat the Vikings. Sunday, Osborn caught a 13-yarder on third-and-3 and ended the game by throwing his helmet – a la Stefon Diggs in the Minneapolis Miracle — after a 27-yard game-winning touchdown catch from Kirk Cousins.