Nick Carter may have sung “I Want It That Way” for the Backstreet Boys, but Kirk Cousins is the one getting his way whenever he faces Carter’s beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
At Battle for Vegas, the annual charity softball game that brings together Raiders players, Golden Knights players and celebrities, Carter had some fun with the new Raiders quarterback after learning Cousins had recently said he would like to attend a Backstreet Boys concert.
Carter, a longtime Buccaneers fan, immediately knew where to take the joke.
“I’ve heard that,” Carter said. “I’m a huge Buccaneers fan, and every time he played the Bucs he’d walk off saying, ‘You like that?’”
Then came the punchline.
“So when he comes to a show, I’m going to make sure he likes it.”
The origin of Carter’s joke goes back to October 25, 2015, when Cousins led Washington back from a 24-0 deficit against the Buccaneers for the largest comeback in the Washington franchise’s history.
Cousins finished 33-for-40 for 317 yards and three touchdowns, then threw the game-winning score to Jordan Reed with 24 seconds left.
As he walked back to the locker room, Cousins famously shouted, “You like that?!”
Of course, Carter’s pain as a Buccaneers fan is backed up by the numbers. Cousins has been particularly excellent against Tampa Bay, throwing for 1,502 yards, 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions across four regular-season meetings.
He completed 73.1 percent of his passes in those games while posting a 118.8 passer rating and averaging 375.5 passing yards per game.
In Week 5 of the 2024 season, Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons lit up the Buccaneers for 509 yards and four touchdowns. Later that same season, he was even more efficient, completing 23 of 29 passes for 276 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, good for a 145.9 passer rating.
His most recent outing against Tampa Bay was not much kinder to Carter’s team, with Cousins throwing for 373 yards and three touchdowns.
For Cousin’s, the line became part of his NFL identity. Nearly a decade later, it also gave Carter the perfect setup.
Cousins may love the Backstreet Boys, but when it comes to the Buccaneers, Carter has heard enough already.