I think you've given an objective analysis of Kirk Cousins. Allow me to add.PacificNorseWest wrote: ↑Thu Dec 27, 2018 5:46 pm I think there is an appearance of satisfaction because Kirk was believed by most to be an upgrade at quarterback and those that appear to be satisfied are mostly just in a state of remaining hopeful that he fulfills the objective we all desired once learning Kirk would be the QB going forward. I don't believe that if the season ends on Sunday or on January 6th, that we can objectively say we are satisfied with the end result, given that Kirk had many inconsistencies along the way that played a big part in Minnesota losing games, resulting in a record that either won't be good enough to get into the playoffs or one not good enough to get them a 1st round bye, equaling what they did last season with Keenum.
Of course, if he plays really well the next few weeks and leads this team back to an NFCCG or better, then the end result can be viewed as satisfaction, but that all still needs to play out.
When the Vikings signed Cousins, I was ecstatic. I thought it was a great signing. Still do. A lot of it has to do with intangibles. I believe he's a good leader. Virtually every story from Washington supports that with a very few exceptions, and the vast majority of those came from people who never set foot in the locker room. The Vikings' players seem to love him, and chemistry is good.
As for his play Cousins has given us what I expected. He's accurate, his arm is above average but not a cannon, he's prepared, and he's generally on time. Where he's fallen short, in my opinion, lies in two areas. 1) Turnovers. A quarterback with his experience can't lead the league in turnovers. That HAS to improve. 2) He seems tentative, at times, when things get tough. Not every play, not every series, not every game is going to go as planned. He needs to do a better job of dusting himself off when he gets sacked or his receivers are covered and he can't make a play or whatever.
Here's where I'll give him some slack, however. For 13 games, Kirk Cousins played for an offensive coordinator who wanted nothing to do with running the ball, or with balance. And the truth is, Kirk Cousins is simply not the kind of quarterback who can be called on to throw 50 times a game. Has he had some big games throwing 40-50 times? Sure. But when he has to do that consistently, he falters. He's not a Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers, who can improvise and play wildly off script play after play. He needs to go through his progressions, choose the correct receiver, throw on time, etc. When you throw 50 times a game, you are GOING to get chased out of the pocket and be forced to improvise a lot more than if you're balanced. Kirk can't thrive in that environment.
Where Cousins CAN thrive is under center. He's really good at play-action. But here's the thing. If you run the ball 14 times, like we did the first time against the Bears, or 13 times, like we did against the Patriots, guess what? Play action means bupkus. Nothing. Fools no one. By abandoning the run, John DeFilippo took away the best part of Kirk's game.
Here's the other thing play-action does. It brings the tight end back into the game. Play-action sucks in linebackers and safeties, giving Rudolph more space in which to work. Rudy isn't a speed guy like Travis Kelce, so he needs some space where he can get in position and use his size and great hands. The past two weeks, you've seen Rudolph more involved in the passing game than he's been all season. And that has resulted in more production from him, and more efficiency from Cousins. Not to mention ... when you make Cousins throw 50 times a game, you make him prone to turnovers. Since Stefanski took over, we've had one turnover in two games. Any of us would take the Vikings playing on an 8-turnover pace for an entire season.
Where does this "balance" thing originate? That's right. From none other than Mike Zimmer. He's been calling for it all year, and JDF simply ignored him.
Now, there has to be some blame assigned for hiring DeFilippo in the first place. That falls squarely on Spielman and Zimmer. And I do think Mike Zimmer spends too much in-game time working with the defense. Those are a legitimate criticisms. But I do think it's unfair to criticize Kirk Cousins when he's been asked to play a style like Aaron Rodgers. It doesn't work, and everybody knew that from the moment we signed him. We all look at the guaranteed money and gasp, but the truth is, Kirk Cousins is a good quarterback. I think he's top-10, but even if you disagree, it's hard to argue against top-15. The market bore that kind of money for a 6-year veteran starting QB with 3 straight 4,000-yard seasons. And the truth is, the Jets offered him more. Silly as it seems, the Vikings got him at a discount at $84 million.
Now for my parting shot. I think the Vikings are going to surprise some people over the next few weeks. I think they're dangerous. Most of you will disagree, but I don't care.
The reason is simple ... they're running the ball.
This O-line ... linemen LOVE to run block. Ask this group, who is not terribly athletic outside of Elflein and O'Neill, to pass block 45 times a game, and they're going to get exposed. Let them grade the road more than a few plays per game, and they can hold their own. They may not dominate, but Dalvin Cook doesn't need that. This young man, I believe, is about to go off. If defenses have to work to stop Dalvin Cook, then Kirk Cousins, Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs can take advantage. Remember the days of Adrian Peterson, when we had nothing in the passing game to punish teams for loading the box? Those days are over. Get Dalvin going, and this team can go a long way. Their roster is as good as any team in the league. Their defense travels.
The key is Cook. Feature him, and we can beat anybody.
btw always wanted to comment on ur beautiful Shelties in ur Avatar. On my 4th one now. Awesome pets. Become part of the family. And yes.. one of them was named Viking. Miss that dude on game days!!!