All Things 2020 Minnesota Vikings In-Season Thread

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Only odd thing I noticed from the game, was that #66 played some snaps at DT. Who? Apparently, they activated him off the practice squad last week. That tells me Lynch (rookie DT, #92) must have been out because of covid, as he did not appear on the injury report.

Hopefully he and other CBs are healthy for the big Monday night road game!
 




Foles hasn't been great and Trubisky apparently has a hurt shoulder.

This is obviously one of our three most challenging games left (@Tampa, @New Orleans), and we need to steal one of those. Why not this one?
 



https://www.startribune.com/vikings-put-cornerback-holton-hill-on-injured-reserve/573034251/

The Vikings have been without cornerback Holton Hill since Week 4, and will play without him for at least another three weeks.

The team placed Hill on injured reserve Tuesday, taking him off the active roster with the foot injury that’s kept him out since after the Vikings’ win in Houston on Oct. 4. Hill hadn’t practiced since Oct. 9, and hasn’t taken part in a full practice since before the Texans game. The Vikings had been granted a roster exemption for Hill before Sunday’s game against the Lions, after a source said Hill had to leave the team’s facility for a day and re-enter the COVID-19 testing protocol before he could be readmitted to the building.

He now joins Mike Hughes among Vikings cornerbacks on injured reserve, as the team continues to try and assemble a secondary without its two most experienced corners. The Vikings played without Cameron Dantzler on Sunday because of a neck injury, and also have Mark Fields on injured reserve with a punctured lung that’s expected to keep him out for most of the month.

The Vikings also waived linebacker Ben Gedeon with a failed physical designation; Gedeon was placed on injured reserve last season because of concussion issues, and hadn’t seen the field all year. The 2017 fourth-round pick had started 22 games the past three seasons, missing only one game in his first two years before concussions limited him to eight games in 2019.


Guessing Gedeon has decided to retire, due to concussions?
 

https://www.startribune.com/tank-for-trevor-vikings-going-in-the-opposite-direction/573027851/

A 7-9 finish would likely mean the Vikings would draft somewhere in the 13-15 range of the first round — not just out of “Tank for Trevor” territory but also out of range of Fail for (Justin) Fields or Lose for (Trey) Lance.

Zach Wilson of BYU (No. 16 in Todd McShay’s recent prospect rating) could be a target. Win (a few more) for Wilson?

But if we’re being honest, maybe this isn’t the worst thing? As I mentioned on that same podcast referenced above, it’s one thing to fantasize about a generational quarterback. It’s another to follow the path to get there.

1) The Vikings probably were never going to be bad enough to have a real chance at him, not with the Jets determined to lose every game (as they showed by blowing a late lead to the Patriots on Monday) and 2) When you go 1-15 or whatever it will take to get Lawrence, you signal that a long rebuild is ahead and concede that you are set to waste the prime of Cook, one of the very best non-quarterbacks in the league and someone to whom you just gave a long contract extension.

I think the Vikings need a succession plan to Cousins — maybe not an urgent one, but a plan nonetheless — because in order to win a Super Bowl and not just a single playoff game it sure seems like they either need to pay a QB a lot less to do the things he can do (thus freeing up money to spend on other critical positions) or they need to find a QB who can do a lot more for the price they are paying (thus giving them someone who can go win a game regardless of the talent around him).

But Tank for Trevor was never a realistic plan, and it’s probably a moot point now.
 




MplsGopher said:
https://www.startribune.com/tank-for-trevor-vikings-going-in-the-opposite-direction/573027851/

A 7-9 finish would likely mean the Vikings would draft somewhere in the 13-15 range of the first round — not just out of “Tank for Trevor” territory but also out of range of Fail for (Justin) Fields or Lose for (Trey) Lance.

Zach Wilson of BYU (No. 16 in Todd McShay’s recent prospect rating) could be a target. Win (a few more) for Wilson?

But if we’re being honest, maybe this isn’t the worst thing? As I mentioned on that same podcast referenced above, it’s one thing to fantasize about a generational quarterback. It’s another to follow the path to get there.

1) The Vikings probably were never going to be bad enough to have a real chance at him, not with the Jets determined to lose every game (as they showed by blowing a late lead to the Patriots on Monday) and 2) When you go 1-15 or whatever it will take to get Lawrence, you signal that a long rebuild is ahead and concede that you are set to waste the prime of Cook, one of the very best non-quarterbacks in the league and someone to whom you just gave a long contract extension.

I think the Vikings need a succession plan to Cousins — maybe not an urgent one, but a plan nonetheless — because in order to win a Super Bowl and not just a single playoff game it sure seems like they either need to pay a QB a lot less to do the things he can do (thus freeing up money to spend on other critical positions) or they need to find a QB who can do a lot more for the price they are paying (thus giving them someone who can go win a game regardless of the talent around him).

But Tank for Trevor was never a realistic plan, and it’s probably a moot point now.
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I feel like the Vikings are just destined to always have their best chances with old veteran QB's (Moon, Cunningham, Favre). Even when they hit on a draft pick, their knees blow up (Culpepper, Teddy.)

Trade Cousins to SF in the offseason and make a play for Matt Ryan or Matt Stafford.
 

howeda7 said:
I feel like the Vikings are just destined to always have their best chances with old veteran QB's (Moon, Cunningham, Favre). Even when they hit on a draft pick, their knees blow up (Culpepper, Teddy.)

Trade Cousins to SF in the offseason and make a play for Matt Ryan or Matt Stafford.
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They "hit" on Teddy B? Teddy had about as much success for the Vikes as Tarvaris Jackson. Impossible not to cheer for Teddy, I'm hoping he sticks with the Panthers but from what I've heard they are not even 100% sure he's the long-term future there.

Trading Cousins is probably out of the question, I don't if even Shanahan would take him (possible?) but I would doubt at his price tag there is much of a market?

I don't know what the asking price would be, and I have to admit I wasn't as high on him coming out as others were, but if the price is right, I think it might be worth a shot to trade the Jets for Sam Darnold. Hard to say what the price would be though.

I can't believe I'm even thinking this but is Cousins even THAT bad? Fill one more piece on the interior of the OL and the Vikings have a pretty decent offense right now. Cousins has plenty of flaws, but I think big picture, he probably has more pros than cons and there are a number of teams that would probably want to have him.
 

Plausible Deniability said:
They "hit" on Teddy B? Teddy had about as much success for the Vikes as Tarvaris Jackson. Impossible not to cheer for Teddy, I'm hoping he sticks with the Panthers but from what I've heard they are not even 100% sure he's the long-term future there.

Trading Cousins is probably out of the question, I don't if even Shanahan would take him (possible?) but I would doubt at his price tag there is much of a market?

I don't know what the asking price would be, and I have to admit I wasn't as high on him coming out as others were, but if the price is right, I think it might be worth a shot to trade the Jets for Sam Darnold. Hard to say what the price would be though.

I can't believe I'm even thinking this but is Cousins even THAT bad? Fill one more piece on the interior of the OL and the Vikings have a pretty decent offense right now. Cousins has plenty of flaws, but I think big picture, he probably has more pros than cons and there are a number of teams that would probably want to have him.
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I would say they hit on Teddy, yes. We'll never know what might have been. But he was already going into his 3rd season as starter and had taken them to the play-offs. Plus he's proven to be a legit starter the last two seasons. That's very far from Tarvaris Jackson who didn't even make it to 16 starts in his entire career.

Darnold might be worth a shot, but he screams David Carr to me. Too badly broken by the terrible team that drafted him.

Cousins isn't bad. But I don't think he will ever really be the guy that steps up and wins you play-off games. I know he played well in NO last year but I can't see him winning Super Bowl unless it's in a Trent Dilfer role.

I don't know if trading him this off-season is doable. I believe the Niners have an out on Jimmy G's contract without too much of a cap hit, so they might be able to do it. We wouldn't get much of anything in return but I don't care. If we have to take Jimmy G in return then maybe we get a decent draft pick.
 

Cousins isn't bad - but the game is evolving away from his style of QB play. The future is the mobile QB - the guy who can not only move to avoid a sack, but can tuck and run for a 1st down and make defenses respect his ability to run. That's not Cousins.

Cousins needs to be in the right system and have the right parts around him. He is not a guy who can or will go out and win a game by himself.

And yet the Vikes are paying him like a guy who can go out and win a game by himself. That is the real issue. at $20 mill a year, Cousins is fine. at $30+ mill a year - he is over-priced.
 



short ornery norwegian said:
Cousins needs to be in the right system and have the right parts around him. He is not a guy who can or will go out and win a game by himself.
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This is true of probably over 75% of the QB's in the league, maybe more like 85%.

At the end of the day, Cousins unfortunately puts you right where you kinda don't want to be; good enough to win some games, but not advance far into the playoffs. There aren't a lot of choices or options on where to go from Cousins. Even selling the farm to trade up in the 1st for a QB, or tank for a high pick, doesn't guarantee you of anything. Mayfield was taken #1 overall, clearly not a transcendent or franchise-altering player. The list like him is a long one.

Take a look at next year's vaunted QB crop; from what you've already seen in just a half season, would you bet a king's ransom that Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields will be SUBSTANTIALLY better than Justin Herbert, who was taken #6 and was the 3rd QB taken? I certainly wouldn't. You just don't know. You never know.

That's why "tanking" is stupid, and so is the argument anyone wants to make to justify it.
 

Just imagine what would be happening right now had we just won the Tennessee game and Seattle game. We'd be 5-3 and maybe wouldn't have laid a fat ass egg against Atlanta with something to actually play for.

I wonder what the Cousins conversations would look like. Maybe the same...maybe different. But we'd be in the playoff picture (even division winner picture).
 

When I say the "right fit" - it gets back to the vision for the team. Which comes from the GM and the Head Coach.

I'm tired of watching this team try to push a square QB peg in a round hole.

Have a vision for the franchise. Have a blueprint for the schemes you want to run on offense and defense. and then go out and get players who fit that blueprint.
 

Plausible Deniability said:
This is true of probably over 75% of the QB's in the league, maybe more like 85%.

At the end of the day, Cousins unfortunately puts you right where you kinda don't want to be; good enough to win some games, but not advance far into the playoffs. There aren't a lot of choices or options on where to go from Cousins. Even selling the farm to trade up in the 1st for a QB, or tank for a high pick, doesn't guarantee you of anything. Mayfield was taken #1 overall, clearly not a transcendent or franchise-altering player. The list like him is a long one.

Take a look at next year's vaunted QB crop; from what you've already seen in just a half season, would you bet a king's ransom that Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields will be SUBSTANTIALLY better than Justin Herbert, who was taken #6 and was the 3rd QB taken? I certainly wouldn't. You just don't know. You never know.

That's why "tanking" is stupid, and so is the argument anyone wants to make to justify it.
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I'm all about tanking if it gets you something. To me, there is nothing worse than being 7-9 or 8-8. Yes, you could theoretically get hot and do something in the playoffs if you just make it. But with this defense the way it is currently constructed and with the current injury situation, there is zero chance they make any noise this year. The only thing that happens is that Zim and Spielman are kept for another year, as there's some belief that you can't fire somebody after a playoff appearance. That also in turn means nothing substantial will happen at the QB position. Rick isn't going to swing for the fences (or even likely take a QB in round 1, no matter their position) in this years draft, as he will be in perpetual "win now" mode. They'll hold onto Cousins, and plug some hole with the 1st rounder (hey, maybe another CB that won't pan out!) to hopefully get into the playoffs again in 2021 and keep their jobs for another year. But the problems won't be resolved, and they'll be no closer to a Super Bowl.

In this instance, tanking accomplishes a few things- it (hopefully) gets rid of Rick. It means a new GM who can draft a QB and have enough time to be patient and develop him. At this point in his tenure, Rick is in perpetual "win now" mode, and he knows that. Instead of doing things sustainably for the future, he has to overspend now with money and/or draft capital to keep winning (see Ngokue signing and how that played out). Cousins is just good enough to keep this train going, but not good enough to win a Super Bowl. I'm just sick and tired of being "just good enough". We know enough about Cousins to know he's not a SB winning QB. I was fully on board with the signing originally, but despised the extension. Move on already, and quit wasting everybody's time. Tanking hits the "reset" button. I don't think this team needs a "hard reset", ala Browns from a few years ago, or Jets this year, but it needs a reset that gets a fresh GM with a few years to play with and not always mortgaging the future to keep employed this year.
 

The problem with tanking is that no players want to do that. There are statistics, bonuses, future contracts, pride, etc. all on the line. A team like the Vikings would literally have to try and lose all of their games. They aren't making any super bowl runs, but they aren't 0-16 bad.

Guys can play flat knowing their team is bad, but at the end of the day these guys are professionals who are going to play pretty hard. Pretty hard will win them some games.
 

tmvander said:
The problem with tanking is that no players want to do that. There are statistics, bonuses, future contracts, pride, etc. all on the line. A team like the Vikings would literally have to try and lose all of their games. They aren't making any super bowl runs, but they aren't 0-16 bad.

Guys can play flat knowing their team is bad, but at the end of the day these guys are professionals who are going to play pretty hard. Pretty hard will win them some games.
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Losing sucks, no matter how you slice it. Imagine being a player on a losing team, living and working in your community, going out and about and knowing you're in some ways letting down your community.

You hit the nail on the head here; everyone in the organization has something to play for.
 
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https://www.startribune.com/vikings-remain-in-holding-pattern-with-injured-cornerbacks/573054061/

The Vikings remain in a holding pattern with the injury-riddled cornerback group, but rookie Cameron Dantzler returned to practice on Thursday.

Dantzler was limited in practice and remains in the concussion protocol. He was sidelined last week, missing Sunday’s game against the Lions after a scary collision Nov. 1 in Green Bay left him strapped to a backboard. The third-round rookie has started all five games for which he’s been available.

Coach Mike Zimmer said “we’ll see” when asked if Dantzler is expected to play Monday night in Chicago.

The Vikings turned to a corner collection of rookie Jeff Gladney, Kris Boyd and newcomer Chris Jones against the Lions. Jones played the No. 3 role, with rookie Harrison Hand (hamstring) active but not playing on defense.

Tight end Irv Smith Jr. (groin) and fullback C.J. Ham (non-injury) missed practice Thursday. Smith did not return against the Lions after his second touchdown catch in the third quarter.

One reinforcement will not be coming anytime soon in Holton Hill, who joined corners Mike Hughes (neck) and Mark Fields (chest) on injured reserve this week. Hill hasn’t played since Oct. 4 while dealing with a foot injury that has kept him sidelined longer than the Vikings anticipated, according to Zimmer, who was asked Thursday if Hill will return this season.

“I don’t know,” Zimmer said. “It’s been going on a lot longer than we anticipated so, you know, we’ll just kind of have to see.”

Hill will at least be sidelined another three games, if not longer.


I think we need to part ways with Hill and Hughes, after this season. Use some mid-lower round draft picks on DBs. Zimmer knows how to pick those guys, and he will anyway.

Have really got a couple good ones with Gladney and Dantzler, I think. Hand and Boyd could be good too.
 


per Shooter:

It turns out that Dalvin Cook’s decision to accept the Minnesota Vikings’ $63 million, five-year contract extension just before the start of the season was the right one.

Had Cook, 25, the NFL’s rushing leader, decided instead to play out the final year ($1.3 million) of his rookie contract and seek free agency, it would have been financially futile in that the Vikings still had the option to franchise-tag him. That tag would have been worth about $9 million. Cook’s new deal averages $12.6 million a year.

www.twincities.com

Charley Walters: Vikings’ Dalvin Cook was wise to accept contract extension

It turns out that Dalvin Cook’s decision to accept the Minnesota Vikings’ $63 million, five-year contract extension just before the start of the season was the right one. Had Cook, 25, the NFL’s ru…
www.twincities.com www.twincities.com

Skol Vikes!!
 

forever a gopher said:
Pat Elflein cut. Surprised it took this long- he has been terrible.
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Keep Cleveland at RG for the rest of the season. He's played well enough.

If we get rid of Reiff then maybe he moves to LT and we draft another interior guy.
 


49 seconds left and 2 timeouts, yet don’t even try. It feels like we should be up by 3 scores, yet it also feels like we’ll still lose this one.
 

Why did we ever get rid of Cordelle Patterson?
 





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