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CloneFan4

Well-Known Member
Aug 5, 2010
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I held out till last week, but man am I really starting to lose faith in Kirk. Was hoping the improved offensive line would be the difference in his play, but that hasn't come to fruition.

This team is going to have a hard time fighting back if it finds itself down 2+ scores. Kirk cannot throw them back into the game.
 

IcSyU

Well-Known Member
Nov 27, 2007
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Rochester, MN
I held out till last week, but man am I really starting to lose faith in Kirk. Was hoping the improved offensive line would be the difference in his play, but that hasn't come to fruition.

This team is going to have a hard time fighting back if it finds itself down 2+ scores. Kirk cannot throw them back into the game.
It fought back just fine last week until a bonehead throw.

Yesterday IMO was one of the best "team" wins the Vikings have had in a long time.
 

mj4cy

Asst. Regional Manager
Staff member
Mar 28, 2006
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If not Cousins, it would have been Keenum, Bradford, or Teddy. None of those are an upgrade from Cousins. Not even with a little bit better O-line.

The sample size I've seen so far says give me all 3 over Cousins and save the money.
 
  • Agree
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IcSyU

Well-Known Member
Nov 27, 2007
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The sample size I've seen so far says give me all 3 over Cousins and save the money.
Really?

Most would say Keenum had a terrible year last year...but it was right in line with his career sans the miracle year in MN. Keenum cost $18M.

Teddy hasn't played to be able to see anything. MN isn't in a "give him time to heal from his knee exploding" mode...they're trying to win now. I think he gets $8M from the Saints so he would've been cheap.

Bradford lasted a couple games as a Cardinal. $20M.

Cousins has been significantly better than all 3 and there isn't an argument.
 

Mr Janny

Welcome to the Office of Secret Intelligence
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The sample size I've seen so far says give me all 3 over Cousins and save the money.
Hindsight is 20/20. This was a team that thought it was poised for a super bowl run. The oline was thought to be serviceable. Cousins was definitely considered a step up.
But which of the 3 guys they picked him over has been better?
 

jbindm

Well-Known Member
Dec 2, 2010
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Hindsight is 20/20. This was a team that thought it was poised for a super bowl run. The oline was thought to be serviceable. Cousins was definitely considered a step up.
But which of the 3 guys they picked him over has been better?

Agreed. They drastically overpaid for a guy who's at best a fringe top ten QB and probably closer to top 15 but there's nothing they can do about it now. For better or worse he's their guy through next season. All they can do is exactly what they're doing right now - win with defense and a run-first offense and not put him in situations where he has to put the team on his shoulders.
 

MeowingCows

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Jun 1, 2015
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The biggest issue with Cousins is less with the way he throws the ball and the fact that his pocket presence is below average and he fumbles what feels like every single time he gets touched in the back field.

As an actual passer, I don't really have too many complaints. But he puts the ball on the ground more than any professional player I've watched this closely. If he's going to take this team anywhere, he has to be able to take a sack without fumbling.
Cousins is god-awful at taking care of the ball for two reasons: 1.) he holds it up and away from his body pre-throw, instead of inside to his chest, and 2.) when he takes off to run, he doesn't cradle the ball well.

One would think both of these things would be coachable changes, but... they don't seem to change. It's frustrating to not see it fixed when the problems are so obvious, it can literally be seen in real-time.

The sample size I've seen so far says give me all 3 over Cousins and save the money.
The money was a bit high, but he's outperforming all three of them as far as we can tell now. Cousins has also been very durable, too, considering how often he ran for his life and got sacked/hit last season. Durability has value, or at least it should.
 
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jbindm

Well-Known Member
Dec 2, 2010
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Des Moines
The money was a bit high, but he's outperforming all three of them as far as we can tell now. Cousins has also been very durable, too, considering how often he ran for his life and got sacked/hit last season. Durability has value, or at least it should.

True enough. He's out there week in, week out. Whether you like it or not.
 

somecyguy

Well-Known Member
Jun 19, 2006
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Most would say Keenum had a terrible year last year...but it was right in line with his career sans the miracle year in MN. Keenum cost $18M.

Cousins has been significantly better than all 3 and there isn't an argument.

Keenum had no where near the same offensive tools to work with last year, so I'm not sure that's a fair comparison. Where Keenum was better than Cousins, is improvising when protection breaks down, which as we saw last year, it did a lot. I don't think it's totally crazy to speculate that Keenum may have done better last year than Cousins. Maybe not statistically, but more so getting points on the board.

With good protection, the book says that Cousins is a better QB, and I believe that's probably true. If the running game stays potent and the Oline is able to keep Cousins standing, then I think/hope that he can have a solid year. I think I've written off him becoming a top10 QB at this point, but if Cook stays healthy and the D reverts back to form from 2 years ago, that's probably good enough.
 

cytor

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SuperFanatic T2
Nov 20, 2011
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I hate to say this, and I am not hoping for this, the rumor mill in the Twin cities...

Diggs is subject of possible trade rumors to Washington Redskins (Diggs is from there), depending on how the Vikings season unfolds. It's been thrown out there by various sportswriters in the MSP market for about 6 months now.

It would save the Vikings some $ and get a high draft pick. I would rather see Diggs stay in Minnesota. But it is a business....
 

Kurttr

Well-Known Member
Mar 19, 2006
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Agree with what many have said: re: the Vikes choice of Cousins - was the best option v. Keenum or an uncertain Teddy. Cannot overstate the job OC Shurmur did with Keenum (and no Cook!) and how Diggs & Thielen saved him on tons of 50/50 balls that he threw when they were often quite open. The ceiling just wasn't very high w/ Keenum, and he'd have cost within $5-$7m/year of Cousins, coming off that season. Unfortunately, Cousins is "who they thought he was" - there's a reason Washington let him go. Great arm and good guy, but no pocket presence/feel, fumbles a lot, and doesn't come through under pressure.

Again, I think the Vikings did what they needed to do, but they need to have a plan for who the QB will be in 2021 - e.g., draft a good young QB in the first few rounds next year...
 

somecyguy

Well-Known Member
Jun 19, 2006
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I hate to say this, and I am not hoping for this, the rumor mill in the Twin cities...

Diggs is subject of possible trade rumors to Washington Redskins (Diggs is from there), depending on how the Vikings season unfolds. It's been thrown out there by various sportswriters in the MSP market for about 6 months now.

It would save the Vikings some $ and get a high draft pick. I would rather see Diggs stay in Minnesota. But it is a business....

No chance. Trading either one leaves the team with 1 receiver that requires any scheming for by the defense. Lose either one and the defense sells out against the run because there is no fear of getting beat over the top.
 

IcSyU

Well-Known Member
Nov 27, 2007
27,752
5,939
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Rochester, MN
No chance. Trading either one leaves the team with 1 receiver that requires any scheming for by the defense. Lose either one and the defense sells out against the run because there is no fear of getting beat over the top.
Not to mention the Redskins have nothing to play for. Tank for the best pick.
 

MeowingCows

Well-Known Member
Jun 1, 2015
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Iowa
Also, can someone tell the offense to stop getting f***ing penalties? Holds and OPIs up the wazoo, Jesus.
 

acoustimac

Well-Known Member
Jan 8, 2009
6,946
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Lamoni, IA
It’s official...the Vikings offensive line is one of the worst in the NFL. Bears defense making them look like practice dummies. Ugly.
 

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