All Things 2025 Minnesota Vikings In-Season Thread

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Slim Tubby said:
It's going to be a long, tenuous offseason for the Vikings' FO if JJM drops another deuce in this game. Even if he plays well, it will mean very little to me as a fan against the Packers' reserves.
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I don't think it really matters what JJM does tomorrow. This group knows they need a heavy hitter behind him ready to go this year. I get that they were almost certain Daniel Jones was sticking around, until the 11th hour, but there should have been a better Plan C after that.

It won't (hopefully!) be with the Vikings but the gambling podcast I listen to says Cousins has actually been playing pretty damn well in recent weeks, that he's clearly recovered fully from the Achilles finally, and he could be in play for some teams next season, even as a starter.

Somebody drafting a developmental type guy at QB, like Dante Moore, could definitely be in need of a placeholder like Cousins. The QB carousel will be absolutely fascinating this year.

Speaking of which: kind of went under the radar but the Dolphins stole former NDSU QB Cam Miller off the Raiders practice squad a few days ago, signed him to their active roster through the 2026 season. I know Brady really liked Miller and had a hand in the Raiders bringing him in. The Raiders took a risk leaving him exposed on the practice squad and sure enough someone grabbed him.
 

Ogie Ogilthorpe said:
I don't think it really matters what JJM does tomorrow. This group knows they need a heavy hitter behind him ready to go this year. I get that they were almost certain Daniel Jones was sticking around, until the 11th hour, but there should have been a better Plan C after that.
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I'm not a fan of his results but I don't blame KAM for letting Jones get away. He made a reasonable offer based on what we knew about him up to that point. I actually give KAM credit for bringing him on board in the first place to hopefully get an edge on re-signing him to compete with JJM.
Ogie Ogilthorpe said:
It won't (hopefully!) be with the Vikings but the gambling podcast I listen to says Cousins has actually been playing pretty damn well in recent weeks, that he's clearly recovered fully from the Achilles finally, and he could be in play for some teams next season, even as a starter.
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He definitely was playing better at the end of the year and that was without an injured Drake London supporting him. I think Vikings fans would attack KAM's office with pitchforks and hand grenades if he brought him back, though.
Ogie Ogilthorpe said:
Somebody drafting a developmental type guy at QB, like Dante Moore, could definitely be in need of a placeholder like Cousins. The QB carousel will be absolutely fascinating this year.
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Put me in the camp as not seeing Moore as a top QB prospect, especially where he's being projected in current mock drafts. I agree 100%, though...the offseason QB movement could be crazy stuff.
Ogie Ogilthorpe said:
Speaking of which: kind of went under the radar but the Dolphins stole former NDSU QB Cam Miller off the Raiders practice squad.
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There are quite a few rumblings that Brady doesn't want to keep Carroll around to mentor the next QB. Pete had no chance this year...had to be pretty rough year for him only to get scapegoated if he does get canned.
 

Slim Tubby said:
It's going to be a long, tenuous offseason for the Vikings' FO if JJM drops another deuce in this game. Even if he plays well, it will mean very little to me as a fan against the Packers' reserves.
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It seems you believe that he can do almost nothing to help his case. Only do something to hurt it.

If so, I agree
 

Slim Tubby said:

Why Vikings' plan for J.J. McCarthy failed -- and what's next​

EAGAN, Minn. -- Vikings fans were watching warmups in December when an in-house camera began panning the crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium. It stopped at a group holding a homemade poster.

The top of the poster read: "All I want for Christmas"

On the bottom was an image of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, whose late-season musings about his future have sparked speculation that he could change teams during the offseason.

There is no better symbol of the Vikings' season than fans wishing for a new quarterback only four months after the team installed 22-year-old J.J. McCarthy -- the talented and charismatic 2024 first-round draft pick who had the fan base swooning this summer.

www.espn.com

Why the Vikings' plan for J.J. McCarthy failed -- and what it means for 2026

What went wrong and what will Minnesota change to give McCarthy the best shot at becoming its franchise QB?
www.espn.com www.espn.com
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Seifert with outstanding work, per usual.

This here is the meat of it for me:

MCCARTHY MISSED HIS rookie season because of a torn right meniscus and lost nearly 40 pounds in the ensuing months. He later connected the weight loss to his inability to work out rigorously during his recovery.

The Vikings' bigger issue was the team's need to construct its quarterback room before the club would see McCarthy in a full offseason practice. The Vikings had been excited about his future before the injury, and planned to increase his first-team reps when it occurred, but a long period of inactivity had passed since then.

The Vikings thought they had a head start after signing Jones to their practice squad in Week 13 of the 2024 season. Jones had requested and received his release from the New York Giants, and Darnold was in the midst of a breakout year. With McCarthy set to return in 2025, the Vikings thought Darnold merited more than they could offer him: a long-term starting role.

The Vikings could have used the franchise tag to keep Darnold for one more season -- and another year to develop McCarthy -- but they thought Jones provided a more efficient path.

As they did with Darnold, the Vikings envisioned Jones as a starting-caliber hedge against McCarthy's inexperience and health. Team officials sensed strong positive vibes from Jones throughout the fall and winter, and they believed he would sign their offer, which was competitive with the $14 million deal he ultimately signed with the Colts.

But the Vikings had misread Jones' level of interest in their scheme and culture. He liked the organization and the people in it, but business was business. A league source said the Colts offered the best "fit." In other words, Jones wanted to be on the field in 2025 and thought he had a better chance of overtaking the Colts' young quarterback -- third-year pro Anthony Richardson Sr. -- than McCarthy.


Hindsight is always 20/20, but either we should have franchise tagged Darnold, or we should have tried harder to convince Jones to stay, offering him the inside track to the starting job if necessary.

Jones would not have blown out his Achilles here and who knows, likely a playoff team and maybe even winning the division.
 

Slim Tubby said:
I'm not a fan of his results but I don't blame KAM for letting Jones get away. He made a reasonable offer based on what we knew about him up to that point. I actually give KAM credit for bringing him on board in the first place to hopefully get an edge on re-signing him to compete with JJM.

He definitely was playing better at the end of the year and that was without an injured Drake London supporting him. I think Vikings fans would attack KAM's office with pitchforks and hand grenades if he brought him back, though.

Put me in the camp as not seeing Moore as a top QB prospect, especially where he's being projected in current mock drafts. I agree 100%, though...the offseason QB movement could be crazy stuff.

There are quite a few rumblings that Brady doesn't want to keep Carroll around to mentor the next QB. Pete had no chance this year...had to be pretty rough year for him only to get scapegoated if he does get canned.
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Pete can replace bill at NC🥳
 


Slim Tubby said:
There are quite a few rumblings that Brady doesn't want to keep Carroll around to mentor the next QB. Pete had no chance this year...had to be pretty rough year for him only to get scapegoated if he does get canned.
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No matter who it was, it was going to be a shit year for the Silver and Black.

But Coach Pete didn't help himself with staffing. Having two of his sons on staff, which I'm sure he made some deals to accomplish, certainly appears to have not worked out very well. For all anyone knows, he could have relinquished much say in bringing in Chip Kelly as OC, or other coaches, in order to get his sons jobs. And one of the sons was the OL coach, which the OL is still a dumpster fire.

By all accounts, DC Patrick Graham will be leaving, which to me is long overdue. The Raiders defenses under him, albeit without much talent, have been dogshit. I never thought Graham had a clue what he was doing. Probably a good position coach, I guess we'll see where he lands.

I see only two options for the Raiders moving forward:

1 - Keep Coach Pete, use all your resources to add talent to the roster, do NOT draft a 1st round QB, and then next offseason bounce Carroll and address the QB situation

2 - Fire Carroll, hire a new HC, draft Mendoza (if they really do love him). I don't think they have to hire some young offensive mind. I'd almost rather they hired one of the start DC's, and then that guy brings in a QB savant and play-caller to develop their new Quarterback.
 

GopherGrit said:
It seems you believe that he can do almost nothing to help his case. Only do something to hurt it.

If so, I agree
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I do think JJM is currently in a "no win" situation in regards to tomorrow's game. You would certainly hope he can at least have success against a team that has nothing to play for and sitting their starters.

If he plays well, he won't get the credit he deserves and if he plays poorly, the lynch mob will be unstoppable.
 

GopherGrit said:
Seifert with outstanding work, per usual.

This here is the meat of it for me:

MCCARTHY MISSED HIS rookie season because of a torn right meniscus and lost nearly 40 pounds in the ensuing months. He later connected the weight loss to his inability to work out rigorously during his recovery.

The Vikings' bigger issue was the team's need to construct its quarterback room before the club would see McCarthy in a full offseason practice. The Vikings had been excited about his future before the injury, and planned to increase his first-team reps when it occurred, but a long period of inactivity had passed since then.

The Vikings thought they had a head start after signing Jones to their practice squad in Week 13 of the 2024 season. Jones had requested and received his release from the New York Giants, and Darnold was in the midst of a breakout year. With McCarthy set to return in 2025, the Vikings thought Darnold merited more than they could offer him: a long-term starting role.

The Vikings could have used the franchise tag to keep Darnold for one more season -- and another year to develop McCarthy -- but they thought Jones provided a more efficient path.

As they did with Darnold, the Vikings envisioned Jones as a starting-caliber hedge against McCarthy's inexperience and health. Team officials sensed strong positive vibes from Jones throughout the fall and winter, and they believed he would sign their offer, which was competitive with the $14 million deal he ultimately signed with the Colts.

But the Vikings had misread Jones' level of interest in their scheme and culture. He liked the organization and the people in it, but business was business. A league source said the Colts offered the best "fit." In other words, Jones wanted to be on the field in 2025 and thought he had a better chance of overtaking the Colts' young quarterback -- third-year pro Anthony Richardson Sr. -- than McCarthy.


Hindsight is always 20/20, but either we should have franchise tagged Darnold, or we should have tried harder to convince Jones to stay, offering him the inside track to the starting job if necessary.

Jones would not have blown out his Achilles here and who knows, likely a playoff team and maybe even winning the division.
Click to expand...
Seifert is too good of a writer for ESPN. His radio appearances on KFAN are "dry" compared to Jon K. but the guy knows his stuff and avoids homer takes.
 

GopherGrit said:
Seifert with outstanding work, per usual.

This here is the meat of it for me:

MCCARTHY MISSED HIS rookie season because of a torn right meniscus and lost nearly 40 pounds in the ensuing months. He later connected the weight loss to his inability to work out rigorously during his recovery.

The Vikings' bigger issue was the team's need to construct its quarterback room before the club would see McCarthy in a full offseason practice. The Vikings had been excited about his future before the injury, and planned to increase his first-team reps when it occurred, but a long period of inactivity had passed since then.

The Vikings thought they had a head start after signing Jones to their practice squad in Week 13 of the 2024 season. Jones had requested and received his release from the New York Giants, and Darnold was in the midst of a breakout year. With McCarthy set to return in 2025, the Vikings thought Darnold merited more than they could offer him: a long-term starting role.

The Vikings could have used the franchise tag to keep Darnold for one more season -- and another year to develop McCarthy -- but they thought Jones provided a more efficient path.

As they did with Darnold, the Vikings envisioned Jones as a starting-caliber hedge against McCarthy's inexperience and health. Team officials sensed strong positive vibes from Jones throughout the fall and winter, and they believed he would sign their offer, which was competitive with the $14 million deal he ultimately signed with the Colts.

But the Vikings had misread Jones' level of interest in their scheme and culture. He liked the organization and the people in it, but business was business. A league source said the Colts offered the best "fit." In other words, Jones wanted to be on the field in 2025 and thought he had a better chance of overtaking the Colts' young quarterback -- third-year pro Anthony Richardson Sr. -- than McCarthy.


Hindsight is always 20/20, but either we should have franchise tagged Darnold, or we should have tried harder to convince Jones to stay, offering him the inside track to the starting job if necessary.

Jones would not have blown out his Achilles here and who knows, likely a playoff team and maybe even winning the division.
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You, nor anyone else, knows if or when Jones would have blown out his Achilles.
 





TNGophfan said:
You, nor anyone else, knows if or when Jones would have blown out his Achilles.
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If there was some magic torn Achilles method or potion, why wasn't it applied by the Vikings to Kirk Cousins in 2023?!?

I do wish the Vikings had been able to retain Daniel Jones services. He's the only NFL QB who took a snap in 2025 that also has won a Post-Season game at the Zygi Dome.

Case Keenum is on the Bears roster, but has not played a down. Nick Foles has been retired for a while now.

Staying healthy would have been a tall order given how the ones that did play were treated.
 

TNGophfan said:
You, nor anyone else, knows if or when Jones would have blown out his Achilles.
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But that's exactly the thing, it seems to be completely random. Can't point to any particular factor as a smoking gun.

So simply by randomness and rolls of the dice, I conclude that the die would not have landed on that rare number here.
 



Slim Tubby said:
Seifert is too good of a writer for ESPN. His radio appearances on KFAN are "dry" compared to Jon K. but the guy knows his stuff and avoids homer takes.
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I really enjoy all the Viking contributors who go on with Dan, to be honest. Including Alec Lewis, Geossling, and what's the other guy's name that starts with an S ... used to be a QB here ..... Salisbury
 

Ope3 said:
If there was some magic torn Achilles method or potion, why wasn't it applied by the Vikings to Kirk Cousins in 2023?!?

I do wish the Vikings had been able to retain Daniel Jones services. He's the only NFL QB who took a snap in 2025 that also has won a Post-Season game at the Zygi Dome.

Case Keenum is on the Bears roster, but has not played a down. Nick Foles has been retired for a while now.

Staying healthy would have been a tall order given how the ones that did play were treated.
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Bold: not at all, it's called you throw the ball away and don't take sacks. Also called you slide when you run it.
 

GopherGrit said:
But that's exactly the thing, it seems to be completely random. Can't point to any particular factor as a smoking gun.

So simply by randomness and rolls of the dice, I conclude that the die would not have landed on that rare number here.
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Your analysis is flawed by confusing something "unexpected" with being "random".

There were likely several pre-existing structural factors which led to Daniel Jones ailment.

Also if you roll the dice often enough (like every time going back to pass or doing anything physical with his legs) at some point, unfortunately the same result is highly probable.

 



JJ has now joined Randy Moss & Mike Evans as the only three WRs in NFL history to have 1,000 receiving yards in their first six seasons.

Thank you for your excellence😀
 





This Saints-Falcons business impacting the Panthers-Bucs is farcical, like something the ACC came up with.

The 2 games should have been taking place at the same time.
 

Myles Garrett got his sack today to set the new NFL record of 23 sacks in a season, breaking the prior record of -

22.5 sacks

– Michael Strahan — New York Giants, 2001

– T.J. Watt — Pittsburgh Steelers, 2021
 

Ope3 said:
Your analysis is flawed by confusing something "unexpected" with being "random".

There were likely several pre-existing structural factors which led to Daniel Jones ailment.

Also if you roll the dice often enough (like every time going back to pass or doing anything physical with his legs) at some point, unfortunately the same result is highly probable.

Click to expand...
First sentence: just trust me on this, you're way out of your league here. Google "expected value"

Second sentence: this is merely something that could be true (if there was medical proof published, I'd buy it), but you certainly have no proof of this.

Third sentence: but this could have been a thing where you'd have needed to roll the die a million more times to get the next instance.
 


I was catching up to the game on DVR, started late.

As soon as McCarthy went out, it turned fully into a preseason game and I skipped to the end. Didn't miss much.
 

McCarthy did have some nice throws today. Flowers given.

That said: all of his great throws were fastballs. The ones with at least a half ounce of touch sailed high. (One of which Addison was able to make a circus catch on.)

He throws a fastball. Then instead, he throws a rocket. Then instead, he throws a laser beam.


That is not sustainable. It forces unnecessary drops. It forces tips to go up into the air higher and hang there longer, giving more opportunity for picks.

And then there's the whole not only not sliding, but lowering his shoulder and then getting a taunting penalty.


I don't think he's it.
 
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Cousins has done a great job with the Falcons at the end of the season. No chance he'll keep playing for them, after they did him dirty.

If the price is right (see how I highlighted this part?) I absolutely bring in Cousins to fall camp 2026.

- he was still not fully recovered from Achilles in 2024, that's why he played sub-standard ... he's clearly back healthy now
- he has been humbled, he is used to being a backup and can accept that role if need be
- he clearly is capable of coming in off the bench to lead the team, if that's what needs to happen
- beyond obvious familiarity and comfort with KOC and his offense


The fact that it would piss off so many rubes, maybe only just slightly less than Rodgers, is the cherry on top for me.
 

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