I appreciate the explanation of averages, and how with a smaller sample size you can really skew averages with large outliers.Mothman wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 9:22 amSometimes it was...StumpHunter wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 8:41 amI understand your frustration with people bringing up time to throw, it proves the QB was the problem, more than it was the Oline. We had one of the best WR tandems in football, I don’t think them getting open was the problem.
One of the issues I'm seeing with arguments about this subject here on the board is that there was no singular problem so there is no singular answer.
The Vikings o-line did not have a good season. They are not a good line. They are A problem but not the only problem.
Cousins sometimes holds onto the ball too long. That is also a problem. Vikings receivers don't always get open so sometimes that's a problem too and it means Cousins has to either hold onto the ball until a receiver comes open, the protection breaks down or he can throw it away.
Sometimes routes develop slowly and the protection is insufficient. All of the above were factors so there's no singular issue to be resolved.
Another issue in these arguments is that averages are just averages. An average time to throw or an average ypc on the ground can look fine for a game or a season but the devil, as they say, is in the details. For example, if a QB drops back 12 times and has an average of 2.5 seconds to throw on 10 of those dropbacks but manages to go 5 seconds before getting rid of the ball on the other 2 plays, his average time to throw on those 12 plays would be 2.91 seconds but his actual time to throw on the majority of those plays was quite a bit less. I know all of you understand this but sometimes it's helpful to just look at a concrete reminder and remember that stats can be deceptive. We can draw conclusions from them but only so much.
Build a better line and the QB and running game will suddenly look a lot better.Fix the system, fix the QB, and magically the line won’t seem so bad anymore.
We're not looking at a singular problem. It's a combination of factors. The Vikes need better OL play, better QB play, better playcalling, etc.
Cousins did not throw 12 times versus the Bears however, he threw 33 times (to say nothing of his average on the year), making it much more difficult to skew towards a larger number. Especially considering he is not a scrambling QB. He is not running around for 6 seconds on any given play, buying time like Russel Wilson. He sits back in the pocket for as long as his offensive line gives him. We also have an easy comparison in Foles, who is a similarly challenged QB, playing behind a similar line, against the same opponent. A guy who got rid of the ball nearly a second faster than Cousins, while nearly doubling how far each completion traveled in the air. Did he not have any outliers Sunday?
I know Cousins wasn't the whole issue with the team. I know the guards weren't good. I know the running game could have been better. But what I hear on the radio and what I read too much of on here is this: "Cousins put up great stats, so he wasn't the problem. It was all on the Oline." That is a load of garbage. A bottom 9 offense means the QB did not have a good year. It means those "great stats" did not have a positive impact on the team, and a positive impact should be all that matters. The Oline contributed to that no doubt, but not as much as some would like you to believe.
Not saying you're saying this but just in general, there are the numbers
