All Things 2020 Minnesota Vikings In-Season Thread

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Even if we don't feel as though Kirk is the problem, I still think we should all be nearing the point where a QB should be drafted this year. I believe it's come clear Kirk is not the long-term answer and he just puts so much pressure on every other part of your roster because he does not have the ability to overcome potential downfalls in other areas which are undoubtedly going to happen to your roster over the course of the season.
We've gotta go get a quarterback that can make up for some other areas. Somebody posted this a while ago, and I'm sure it's been reiterated, but we can't pay a QB $30+ million if he's just a game manager and needs everything else to be perfect. If that's what we wanna do, let's pay a guy 10 million and call it good.
 

skiumah1 said:
Even if we don't feel as though Kirk is the problem, I still think we should all be nearing the point where a QB should be drafted this year. I believe it's come clear Kirk is not the long-term answer and he just puts so much pressure on every other part of your roster because he does not have the ability to overcome potential downfalls in other areas which are undoubtedly going to happen to your roster over the course of the season.
We've gotta go get a quarterback that can make up for some other areas. Somebody posted this a while ago, and I'm sure it's been reiterated, but we can't pay a QB $30+ million if he's just a game manager and needs everything else to be perfect. If that's what we wanna do, let's pay a guy 10 million and call it good.
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Having a shut-down defense is no longer a viable way to win Super Bowls the way the NFL is now formatted. Spending the amount of money they do on the defense is completely pointless without a QB and OL. Draft QB and OL until you get it right. That is the way to win in today’s NFL. Worry about everything else after that’s done. Of course, that is what Zim and Rick have ignored the most.
 

skiumah1 said:
Even if we don't feel as though Kirk is the problem, I still think we should all be nearing the point where a QB should be drafted this year. I believe it's come clear Kirk is not the long-term answer and he just puts so much pressure on every other part of your roster because he does not have the ability to overcome potential downfalls in other areas which are undoubtedly going to happen to your roster over the course of the season.
We've gotta go get a quarterback that can make up for some other areas. Somebody posted this a while ago, and I'm sure it's been reiterated, but we can't pay a QB $30+ million if he's just a game manager and needs everything else to be perfect. If that's what we wanna do, let's pay a guy 10 million and call it good.
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Tank for Trevor
 

Zimmer is regarded as a very good defensive coach, yet our defense is really bad. Zimmer had reached his level of incompetence in the NFL, and should probably be a defensive coordinator again. Spielman is to blame, for his poor drafts the last few years, and for not drafting a QB, as a young backup for Cousins, and not improving our offensive line. They both need to be replaced.
Cousins has had personal issues with Diggs and Thielen. Cousins has reached his ceiling also, and we are stuck with him. Not good at all for the rest of this year.
 

I am seeing parallels between Zimmer and Tom Thibodeau. Both staked their claims on reputations as defensive gurus in their respective sports, but Thibodeau's work with the Celtics came before the Warriors revolutionized the game from behind the arc and Thibodeau never adjusted. Sure seems like Zimmer is holding onto long established principles that have not adjusted with the times.
 


coolhandgopher said:
I am seeing parallels between Zimmer and Tom Thibodeau. Both staked their claims on reputations as defensive gurus in their respective sports, but Thibodeau's work with the Celtics came before the Warriors revolutionized the game from behind the arc and Thibodeau never adjusted. Sure seems like Zimmer is holding onto long established principles that have not adjusted with the times.
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Great post! Thank you.
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Kirk - I believe he can make all the throws needed to win a Super Bowl ... if he has perfect protection. Maybe that's a silly thing to say because almost all QBs in the NFL could as well, but I'm not so sure about that. My biggest problem with Kirk, and believe me I know he has not had a great OL to work with since he's been here, is that he seems way too easy to sack. Like, if a defender happens to drape a forearm across one of his shins, that's it. He's sacked.

Zimmer - (and this probably goes for Speilman) I just don't understand how they can ignore the OL. It's as much a part of the team as every other unit. They just won't do it. They just can't bring themselves to invest in it. They can't look at the offense beyond 7 on 7 drills.
 


The O-line is on Speilman. I don't think Zimmer cares that much about the offense. They would have been far better off to take the $ they spent on Cook and spend it on the O-line and used Mattison as the #1 back.
 



howeda7 said:
The O-line is on Speilman. I don't think Zimmer cares that much about the offense. They would have been far better off to take the $ they spent on Cook and spend it on the O-line and used Mattison as the #1 back.
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I normally would've agreed with you, but Cook has been pretty damn good this year. I think we have to ride him for every penny. If we could've saved that money, it would've been spent on the defense I guess.

Has there ever been a year in the Zimmer/Speilman regime where the OL hasn't been either relatively neglected or a bust? I mean, it's impossible to say they don't care at all, when they paid for Reiff and used a first round pick on Bradbury. But both of those seem mediocre at best, so far? Tough to say that about a 2nd year guy who was consensus AA and won the Rimington, I suppose. But at times, center seems to have the least impact, particularly in pass pro against 40 fronts. Guards and Tackles do most of the protecting in those situations, and Tennessee outright embarrassed us the last two drives in those situations.
 

What a Shock - Vikings may not have been honest about Danielle Hunter's injury:

When asked if Hunter has a neck injury, Zimmer said, “I don’t know.”

Courtney Cronin of ESPN reports that Hunter has a cervical spine disc herniation. Cronin said despite what the Vikings have said publicly, they expected the injury to keep Hunter out 6-8 weeks when he went on IR on Sept. 9.

The Vikings remain optimistic Hunter will return at some point this season.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
What a Shock - Vikings may not have been honest about Danielle Hunter's injury:

When asked if Hunter has a neck injury, Zimmer said, “I don’t know.”

Courtney Cronin of ESPN reports that Hunter has a cervical spine disc herniation. Cronin said despite what the Vikings have said publicly, they expected the injury to keep Hunter out 6-8 weeks when he went on IR on Sept. 9.

The Vikings remain optimistic Hunter will return at some point this season.
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Unless they somehow turn things around, it may make sense to just let him sit out this year.
 

per Sid:


If the Vikings want to turn their season around, it’s going to start with the run game. It has not only been the team’s best position group this season but one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL.

The Vikings entered Week 4 ranked eighth in the league at 146.7 rushing yards per game and No. 1 overall with 6.03 yards per rush.

Dalvin Cook showed last week that he can be the best running back in the NFL when he finished with a career-high 181 yards on only 22 carries, an incredible 8.23 yards per carry. He has four of the Vikings’ nine touchdowns.

And while fans are obviously nervous about the Vikings’ 0-3 start to their season, their first three opponents are a combined 8-1. Playing Sunday at Houston, against an 0-3 Texans team that has been outscored 95-57, should give this club a shot to get on the right track.

And with the NFL adding a wild-card team to each conference this season there is no doubt the Vikings can battle back toward .500 and make a push to be one of the top seven teams in the NFC.

At the start of the season, Kirk Cousins told me what he thought about this collection of running backs.

“Our running back group, I love our group,” the quarterback said. “I love what Dalvin Cook can do. Alex Mattison was very impressive as only a rookie last season, you’re excited about him taking another step as a second-year player. You add what Mike Boone has shown and what he can do. You add Ameer Abdullah. And I love C.J. Ham and what he is capable of.”

www.startribune.com

Vikings running backs can turn season around

www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Skol Vikes!!
 



Charley Walters: Fading Vikings facing big decision on Kirk Cousins

If the Vikings decide not to guarantee the $35 million for 2022, they would have to cut Cousins. That would mean paying the then-34-year-old quarterback $21 million to not play for them next season.

Just supposing, but say the Vikings end up with the No. 4 or so overall pick in the draft, which could mean Ohio State QB Justin Fields is available. If the Vikings were to pass on Fields, they had better be prepared for loads of fan criticism. The current fan base pretty much wants Cousins out.


If the Vikings were to take Fields in the draft, those fans might become patient enough for a team rebuild with a young, mobile, exciting quarterback.

By the way, Marshall High School grad Trey Lance of North Dakota State should be the next QB picked after Fields.

www.twincities.com

Charley Walters: Fading Vikings facing big decision on Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins’ $21 million salary for next year already is guaranteed. In March, the Vikings will have to decide whether to guarantee the $35 million he’s signed for in 2022.
www.twincities.com www.twincities.com

Skol Vikes!!
 

The amount of money we are spending on Cousins is absurd. He has had issues with Diggs and Thielen, and it seems that other players do not respect him, and we still paid him way more than his value. His agent should be nominated as Sports Agent of the Decade.
 

Lance did not have a good day throwing the ball for NDSU on Saturday. He is a heck of an athlete, but at this point, he appears to be a better runner than passer. any team that drafts him has to look at Lance as a developmental QB for the pro game - meaning he is not ready to walk in and start.

So, from the Vikes' perspective, if they dump Cousins, and they draft a player who may not be ready to start on Day 1, then you have to be looking at a stop-gap QB to hold down the fort for a year or so.
And that QB has to understand that he is coming in as a caretaker.
 

GophersInIowa said:
Unless they somehow turn things around, it may make sense to just let him sit out this year.
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Unless there is strong concern that him playing this year could cause further injury, or unless they don't have to pay him near as much as he's due if he's on IR the whole season, then no f___king way.

How many millions are we paying him?? Once he's good to go, get his ass back on the field.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Lance did not have a good day throwing the ball for NDSU on Saturday. He is a heck of an athlete, but at this point, he appears to be a better runner than passer. any team that drafts him has to look at Lance as a developmental QB for the pro game - meaning he is not ready to walk in and start.

So, from the Vikes' perspective, if they dump Cousins, and they draft a player who may not be ready to start on Day 1, then you have to be looking at a stop-gap QB to hold down the fort for a year or so.
And that QB has to understand that he is coming in as a caretaker.
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Cousins will be the Vikings QB this year and in 2021. It is all but set in stone. $45M in dead cap if we cut him after this year. https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/kirk-cousins-9915/

So they need to draft a QB this coming draft, and have him develop in 2021.

Unless they like Jake Browning and/or Nate Stanley a lot.
 

Another awful play call! Even if they run it and don't make the first down, the clock still runs. A low-percentage pass is the only way to keep the Texans in the game at this point.
 

Bad Gopher said:
Another awful play call! Even if they run it and don't make the first down, the clock still runs. A low-percentage pass is the only way to keep the Texans in the game at this point.
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I'm not in favor of that particular pass play, but you have to try and get the first down there. This defense isn't good, even if they played better today.
 

MplsGopher said:
Cousins will be the Vikings QB this year and in 2021. It is all but set in stone. $45M in dead cap if we cut him after this year. https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/kirk-cousins-9915/

So they need to draft a QB this coming draft, and have him develop in 2021.

Unless they like Jake Browning and/or Nate Stanley a lot.
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Browning and Stanley are not the answer. If the season is completely out of hand you can start one of them, but either way they need to draft a QB in the first two rounds next year. Cousins will be a very high paid back-up once they're ready.
 

I can hear the neighborhood boys play in the lot across the street, and they are psyched about Justin Jefferson. That's all they were talking about after the game. A star is born, I hope.
 

howeda7 said:
Browning and Stanley are not the answer. If the season is completely out of hand you can start one of them, but either way they need to draft a QB in the first two rounds next year. Cousins will be a very high paid back-up once they're ready.
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Unless it’s a first rounder star, doubt he’ll be able to overtake a vet at the level of Cousins in the first year. So much expanded playbook and faster speed of game.

You can cut Cousins after 2021 if you want. Only $10M dead cap, or more likely try to trade him?
 

Anybod
Bad Gopher said:
I can hear the neighborhood boys play in the lot across the street, and they are psyched about Justin Jefferson. That's all they were talking about after the game. A star is born, I hope.
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My beat case scenario is Jefferson and at least one of the rookie DB’s break out into above average starters, but they tank enough to get a QB. Jefferson has looked great the last two weeks. Fluid, natural, athletic, good hands. Pretty much the exact opposite of Treadwell.
 


MplsGopher said:
Unless it’s a first rounder star, doubt he’ll be able to overtake a vet at the level of Cousins in the first year. So much expanded playbook and faster speed of game.

You can cut Cousins after 2021 if you want. Only $10M dead cap, or more likely try to trade him?
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It's tough to trade him unless someone has an equally awful contract to unload. I've been wondering if the Eagles would get to a point they would trade Carson Wentz? But their division is so awful they can probably win it at 7-9. It's starting to look like he's not the long-term guy there though.
 

We are supposed to be tanking. WTF.


There are some really bad teams this season
 


Hopefully vikings have a future star here. Lots of Ers taken before him
 

We won by 8, with them knocking on the door, and who knows, probably David Johnson makes Iloka look silly if he doesn't fumble the pitch. Instead, Iloka gets to do a single thing right in the game and probably prevent himself from being cut. Would they have converted the 2pt? We'll never need to know, thankfully.

But the point is this: we probably win by 22 if Harrison isn't give the BS ejection.


So ... what the hell happened with Iloka? He was drafted in the same class as Harrison Smith, apparently raising all the way up to the #3 safety (behind Smith and another guy) at one point. 5th round pick by the Bengals, started a bunch of games for them 2013-2017.

He looked like a JV high school player out there.
 

I thought the Harrison ejection was pretty clear-cut. whatever his intention, he went in head-first and made helmet-to-helmet contact. That is what the league is trying to get rid of. Smith has got to learn he can't just launch himself head-first like a guided missile.

if the shoe was on the other foot, and it was the other team hitting a Vikings receiver like that, no one would have argued with the ejection ruling.
 

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