Is Kirk Cousins the leader you want?

[Pondering Her Percy]

I just got married New Year’s Eve and I’m on my honeymoon in Jamaica so I haven’t been on here at all but this is how I look at things.

I said a few weeks ago, it didn’t matter how the season ended, the blame was going to fall on Cousins on here. Whether the season ended like it did or we lost in the nfc championship game, the finger was going to be pointed at cousins which I think is wrong. There were PLENTY of other issues. I mean something as simple as Daniel Carlson making that field goal vs GB. He makes that, Philly has no shot at the playoffs. We get in at 9-7. Does cousins deserve some blame? Sure. But think about it, a lot of guys took a step back on this team. Rhodes took a giant step back, griffen went awol, offensive line crapped the bed, Rudy took a step back, we couldn’t get a run game going due to our OC, Flip alone was a disaster and nothing compared to shurmur, the schedule was tougher, special teams was a disaster and Zim even took a step back.

If Case Keenum was a game away from a SB, you can’t tell me Cousins can’t be with the right system. Keenum was a dumpster fire this year. He was a product of shurmurs system. The OL playing better was a product of shurmurs system and had better players, etc. This team had plenty of issues this year.

What bothers me, are fans that are unable to recognize the multiple problems with this team this year and want to just complain about cousins. There is SO much more to this than cousins. The team in general underperformed. The coach underperformed, the OC drastically underperformed, Spielman underperformed in regards to the OL and thinking Remmers and Compton were good choices. The O’Neill pick was solid but he has to keep it going. But either way, Kirk cousins isn’t this teams problem. Saying “we gave 84 million to a guy and we didn’t repeat last years success or get to a SB so it’s on Cousins” is so ridiculous it’s not even funny. It’s not that simple and it’s such a bogus way to look at things. It’s goes way deeper than all that. I’m just hoping we right the ship and get a good offensive mind here.

Happy New Years and cheers from Jamaica!

No one thinks Cousins was the entire problem, just a part of the problem.

The reason he gets so much heat is the contract and the correct impression that he was brought in to win it all in the short term. When a guy is brought in to win it all and instead misses the playoffs in part, not solely, because of how he played, people will be pissed. Especially since his contract will make it so difficult to make us better and will in fact probably make us worse.

Maybe they don’t think he’s the “entire problem” but that’s the name they are pasting all over the board. No OL isn’t the most talked about. No the coach isn’t the most talked about, so on and so on. Cousins takes the heat. Period. Nobody is gonna physically say cousins is the only problem but that’s what many are portraying.

IDC what he’s getting paid. That doesn’t matter to me. You’re hung on it. If he was getting paid 64 instead does that mean we can finally put the blame on more than him? And he get so much crap because he was brought in to “win in the short term”? Not one QB just “comes in to win it” early in the off-season. And if our fans or someone else believes he was doing it in one year, you shouldn’t be involved in sports

[808vikingsfan]

I don't think you need a good offense, just opportunistic one. Look at CHI. They don't have a good offense but they converted on crucial 3rd downs.

I actually think CHI has a good offense. They're well-coached, their running game was above average this season and they were above average in scoring too. Their passing game is a work-in-progress but overall, they were solid on that side of the ball.

In total yards, they're pretty close to the Vikings (which is below average).. Where CHI is much better than MIN is on 3rd down % and redzone % which leads to more scoring. You don't need a lot of yards, just be good when it counts which was the point I was trying to make. Last week, CHI was 8-14 on 3rd down while the Vikings were 1-11. But you're right, Chicago is #9 in scoring (I didn't realize) so I'd consider them a good offense.

[Pondering Her Percy]

Anyone else see what a bad pass blocking OL looks like....mobile QB or not.

[StumpHunter]

Anyone else see what a bad pass blocking OL looks like....mobile QB or not.

You mean that mobile QB who's team won their division and is at least playing in a playoff game despite a worse line than ours?

[PurpleKoolaid]

Anyone else see what a bad pass blocking OL looks like....mobile QB or not.

I saw what Case could do with a horrific Oline. Also saw a guy named Favre do pretty well, even with an entire foot bruised. But then he pulled a Cousins and threw an INT. His last pass as a Vike was an int (i Think). I wonder what Cousins last pass as a Vike will look like?

[PurpleMustReign]

Anyone else see what a bad pass blocking OL looks like....mobile QB or not.

I saw what Case could do with a horrific Oline. Also saw a guy named Favre do pretty well, even with an entire foot bruised. But then he pulled a Cousins and threw an INT. His last pass as a Vike was an int (i Think). I wonder what Cousins last pass as a Vike will look like?

Probably something 3 yards in front of the receiver.

[Mothman]

In total yards, they're pretty close to the Vikings (which is below average).. Where CHI is much better than MIN is on 3rd down % and redzone % which leads to more scoring. You don't need a lot of yards, just be good when it counts which was the point I was trying to make. Last week, CHI was 8-14 on 3rd down while the Vikings were 1-11. But you're right, Chicago is #9 in scoring (I didn't realize) so I'd consider them a good offense.

I agree about the significance of being good when it counts. That's a good point. The Bears have what strikes me as a truly complementary offense. It's not spectacular but it's pretty efficient and it works well with their defense.

[V Vette]

I like him if they get a line and an offensive Head Coach. Regardless, he's here for 2 more years.

Quit waffling..He sucks, national embarrassment, yes hopefully 2 years on the bench! Nuff said.

[V Vette]

DO NOT DRAFT A QB THIS YEAR!!!!! There are several QB's doing their final year before entering the draft next year, we are stuck with Cousins for 2 more years no matter what you think of him....personally I don't know what to think of him. No QB with the OL we had this year could compete, we need to draft big time on the OL otherwise we will sit and spin our wheels AGAIN! You can't win with a porous OL like we had this year.

Gee, Casey had the same #### OL and NO Davin Cook... This POS can't run, panics, fumbles, takes unnecessary sacks, etc... Bench the 84 Mil dud....

[V Vette]

Didn't like him when he was in Washington. He certainly didn't change my opinion this year. He is who I thought he was.

So true..Washington was so HAPPY to get rid of him.... POS

[V Vette]

It's one thing to be a vocal leader, which Cousins is. I have no problem with that style of leadership. However, words mean little when your play can't do the talking - which was the case for Cousins in the games that truly mattered.

Funny, I think the team can't stand him..He is only a back up QB at best!

[V Vette]

Anyone else see what a bad pass blocking OL looks like....mobile QB or not.

You mean that mobile QB who's team won their division and is at least playing in a playoff game despite a worse line than ours?

Please ignore that post as you are correct.. Also, Casey did not have Davin Cook (both running backs only had 750 rush yds total last year!)... Cousins is a back up QB at best... team poison too....

[Thaumaturgist]

You mean that mobile QB who's team won their division and is at least playing in a playoff game despite a worse line than ours?

Please ignore that post as you are correct.. Also, Casey did not have Davin Cook (both running backs only had 750 rush yds total last year!)... Cousins is a back up QB at best... team poison too....

While I will agree that Cousins has his own issues... Dalvin Cook only had 615 yards this year. So he along with the offensive line didn't help Kirk.

[StumpHunter]

No one thinks Cousins was the entire problem, just a part of the problem.

The reason he gets so much heat is the contract and the correct impression that he was brought in to win it all in the short term. When a guy is brought in to win it all and instead misses the playoffs in part, not solely, because of how he played, people will be pissed. Especially since his contract will make it so difficult to make us better and will in fact probably make us worse.

Maybe they don’t think he’s the “entire problem” but that’s the name they are pasting all over the board. No OL isn’t the most talked about. No the coach isn’t the most talked about, so on and so on. Cousins takes the heat. Period. Nobody is gonna physically say cousins is the only problem but that’s what many are portraying.

Come on man, Oline is by far the most talked about, and it should be. It is the only part we might fix this off season. Sure if you only read this thread you would think most people put 100% blame on the guy(since it is a thread about the QB), but most threads are talking about something the team could actually do something about.

Whether Cousins is the biggest reason we only won 8 games, or it is the offensive line is debatable. That Cousins was a big part of the problem isn't. He was bad in big games and we have no reason to believe that will change with a better offensive line. I know the schedule was tough, and we played a lot of playoff teams this season, but last I checked, you have to beat playoff teams to advance and win the SB.

IDC what he’s getting paid. That doesn’t matter to me. You’re hung on it. If he was getting paid 64 instead does that mean we can finally put the blame on more than him? And he get so much crap because he was brought in to “win in the short term”? Not one QB just “comes in to win it” early in the off-season. And if our fans or someone else believes he was doing it in one year, you shouldn’t be involved in sports

You should care, and you did before he proved he wasn't worth the contract. Cap space is an incredibly valuable asset to a team, and he is taking up more than a 1/10th of that cap space.

And he get so much crap because he was brought in to “win in the short term”? Not one QB just “comes in to win it” early in the off-season. And if our fans or someone else believes he was doing it in one year, you shouldn’t be involved in sports

On a 3 year deal, back loaded, to go along with all the other back loaded contracts they handed out last year so they could have room for guys like Richardson this year, this was the season to win it all. I could swear you argued at some point earlier this season that the Vikings couldn't risk this SB caliber team on an unknown, but I must be wrong, because now anyone who thinks an "upgrade" at QB on a team that was 13-3 and in the NFC Championship game should result in that team at least competing for a SB, doesn't know sports.

[J. Kapp 11]

Please ignore that post as you are correct.. Also, Casey did not have Davin Cook (both running backs only had 750 rush yds total last year!)... Cousins is a back up QB at best... team poison too....

Who ARE you?