VikingLord wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 1:00 pm
J. Kapp 11 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 18, 2021 10:44 pm
Here’s a solid video breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of Kirk Cousins. Figured I might as well resign myself to the fact that he’s gonna be our QB for the next two years.
This is really good and worth the watch. Very fair.
https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/l ... ut_theres/
After watching that, do you still feel the Vikings can't get it done with Cousins and/or are going to benefit from some other QB?
The major criticism of Cousins in that analysis is that he doesn't anticipate throws. That isn't likely to change, so if that is the major problem with the QB, then yeah, the Vikings likely would benefit from finding a QB with better vision/anticipation.
But the guy doing the analysis notes that this trait isn't a major problem if the interior pass blocking is better. If Cousins gets better blocking and can set his base, he's going to do well.
Is it really so much to ask for the Vikings to address the interior OL play, especially when the inconsistency of that interior OL play affects the running game as well?
The two ways to "solve" the problem are:
1) Find a QB who can consistently scramble out of the pressure created by the porous blocking in front of him while hitting his receivers with often spectacular throws on the run and/or simply running it himself. Note that even with such a QB, if the interior OL blocking isn't improved, keep taking the hit to the effectiveness of your running game with your star running back who is also getting paid a big chunk of change.
2) Fix the interior OL. This maximizes what your QB is capable of doing in the passing game and also maximizes what your star RB is capable of doing in the running game.
The OL is the problem with the Vikings, specifically the interior OL. Cousins isn't perfect. Heck, Cook isn't perfect either. But both of them are severely impacted by the problems in the interior of the offensive line. 90% of the problems on offense come from that offensive interior. 5% probably come from the lack of cohesion in playcalling and guys knowing where to be on routes and other miscues. Maybe 5% falls on the negative traits of Cousins.
This is why it makes no sense to spend big to replace Cousins because it won't fix the primary problem. Add a guy like Watson to the Vikings and change nothing else and that's worth at most a single game improvement and maybe not even that. It certainly doesn't move them any closer to legitimate Superbowl contention.
Hang on, VL. Be careful of assigning motives. I didn't post that video to bash Cousins.
Over and over, I have said that he's a good NFL quarterback. This video supports that point. This video also supports the idea that he's not a transcendent quarterback, and I agree ... a transcendent quarterback is what's necessary to overcome a bad O-line.
My issue isn't his play, although I wish he were more consistent and didn't have games where he looks like he should be selling used cars instead of playing NFL quarterback. My issue is his CONTRACT, which makes it very difficult to address the personnel issues that this video also addresses.
Cousins NEEDS a line that gives him time BECAUSE he has to "see the receiver open." Therefore, you (correctly) want to fix the interior OL. So do I.
But it brings us back to the important question. With Cousins earning $31 million and $45 million over the next two seasons, where is the cap space to fix the O-line going to come from? Have you seen the draft? Heavy on tackles, short on interior linemen. Very short. Free agency? I doubt we can make a play for even a 2nd-tier guard, let alone a stud like Joe Thuney.
If the Vikings had $10 million in cap space, they could go after Thuney aggressively. Instead, they're $10 million OVER the projected cap right now. We're talking about fixing the O-line, and we're probably going to have to let Rashod Hill walk because he's a good enough swing tackle to make more money elsewhere than the Vikings can pay him. That's the state of the Vikings financially ... they can't afford Rashod Hill.
And it all goes back to Cousins.
Here's what's going to happen. We're going to stand pat on the O-line because we don't have the money to fix it. At best, we'll conjure up some way to sign a guy like Nick Easton and declare him a huge upgrade over Dakota Dozier (which, unfortunately, he probably is). Zimmer wants an edge rusher in the draft, and he's going to get one because he's Zimmer, even though this is not a great class for edge rushers. D.J. Wonnum will start over the rookie because, well, Zimm doesn't trust rookies. The Vikings will find a way to keep Reiff, and they'll trot out either the same five guys on the line as last year, or Easton will replace Dozier. The defense will improve just enough to get the Vikings to 9 or 10 wins, enough to get into the expanded playoffs. Whether we go one-and-done or get to the divisional round really doesn't matter because we won't get any farther.
After the season, Mark Wilf, happy as a pig in sh!t from making the playoffs, will stick with the GM/coach status quo.
And the cycle will start all over again.
Who says I'm an optimist?