psjordan wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 12:03 pm
Right now I can't determine who is carrying the most fault. But you can't blame every single player on the team.
If I had to highlight the areas of concern on this year's Vikings, I'd rank them in this order:
1) Cousins is playing well, but he's been very conservative, often opting for the check down route, especially on 3rd down where the ball has to be thrown past the sticks. He's piled up the yardage stats and TDs, which is ironic considering how conservatively he's played as a whole, but I just don't see the aggressiveness that needs to be there for the team to be able to put much pressure on an opposing defense. Cousins has also made a lot of costly mistakes with key turnovers being the most obvious and costly. Maybe some of this rests in KOC's lap as well for playcalling and game planning. Hard to say, but the 2023 Vikings offense is not an aggressive offense.
2) Execution, specifically on the part of the receivers, has been nothing short of a horror show, with TJ Hockenson as the poster boy of the problem, but there is plenty of blame to go around. I can't blame Cousins for all the drops and fumbles. Lots of sloppy play at the skill positions.
3) Defensive backfield has been ineffective for the most part. Receivers continue to be left wide open, sometimes for big gains and often in situations where the DBs can safely play with more aggression. Picks have been few and far between and are often the result of poor throws more than anything a particular Vikings DB has done to make a break on a route. They are a passive group that seems to lack the instincts needed to put themselves in position to make plays. Not sure if this is a defensive coordinator thing or a player talent thing, but it continues to be a weak area and a liability.
4) Spotty front seven play. Sometimes they get pressure on the QB, sometimes they don't. Sometimes they look solid against the run, sometimes they can't seem to stop it even when they know it is coming. Just not seeing the level of consistency in the front seven that is needed on a solid defense, and while the overall defensive rankings have improved compared to last year's defense, they remain solidly in the bottom half of the league's defenses overall with little prospect of improvement, at least this year.
On the bright side this year:
1) Offensive line play seems to be better overall. They struggled out of the gate against the Bucs but have steadily improved both in the run and pass game. Not an elite unit, but they have played well enough for the rest of the offense to be better than it has been.
2) Special teams have been pretty good. While not flawless, I can't say special teams has cost them any games.
3) Some young talent like Addison and Pace Jr. have done well and look like promising prospects.
Overall, last year's team was nowhere near as good as their record indicated. This year's team is probably better than their record indicates, but they have under-performed badly on offense. In their two wins, IMHO, the offense could have cost them both games were it not for the defense coming up big late. When a team has as much money invested on one side of the ball as the 2023 Vikings do, that side of the ball should not be a liability. KAM is going to have to take a long, hard look at things this offseason. The Vikings literally cannot afford to pay so much to get so little in return.
