Rhodes Closed wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 9:26 pm
S197 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 17, 2020 9:00 pm
It was obviously rhetorical, everyone knows how to use Google. But if you think picking a QB twelve years ago proves your point, well there's not much I can say to convince you otherwise.
And rarely needed a QB? We've constantly needed a QB! Favre, Tavaris Jackson, Webb, Ponder, McNabb, Cassel, Freeman, Teddy, Bradford, Hill, Keenum, Cousins... That's a carousel not a position rarely needed.
First off, Freeman started only one game, and Joe Webb started only two, Hill only started one as well. They were backups forced to play thanks to injury. Take them off the list if you want to actually be even close to fair to Rick Spielman, Matt Cassel was also a backup, but a quality backup, so sure, lob him into that list.
Tavaris Jackson wasn't as good as advertised, but he was also a 2nd Round Draft pick and clearly was to be a work in progress. He wasn't ready to play as a starter in his second year. This is Spielman's fault, yes.
Christian Ponder was a bonafide bust. Fair enough, Spielman missed the ball on that one, but we also didn't have much of a choice. It was either him or the cornucopia of other #### QBs after Cam Newton in that terrible draft, or sticking with Tavaris Jackson. We also wouldn't have needed to draft Ponder if Favre was healthy. Injuries and a bad draft class forced the hand here. The same goes for Donovan McNabb, who we were expecting to play to his potential that he had in the Eagles, but underperformed for ??? reasons. And don't say he was old. He was only 33. If McNabb played to his potential, we likely don't have the conversation regarding Ponder. Again, injuries and a bad draft class forced Ponder to the Vikings. Not Spielman's fault entirely.
Teddy Bridgewater was yes, a need, but he was about to have a breakout year when the Football gods do what they do to the Minnesota Vikings and gave him a grievous injury that none of us thought he would ever recover from. Not Spielman's fault 100%.
The Bradford trade was in hindsight not good. But key word is hindsight. Going 5-0 in 2016 and then having everything fall to crap wasn't ideal. Sort of Spielman's fault, but again, was forced due to injuries. You uh, you noticing a pattern here?
Keenum was a
backup that over-performed to his potential and started because, let me repeat myself, injuries forced the hand. Spielman in fact should be getting all the praise in the world here.
Cousins is one of the only QBs we've managed to have any form of consistency with because he has not been injured but once. Spielman should get praise here for bringing in a QB that thus far has shown to be able to avoid the injury bug for an extended amount of time thus far.
So if you want to blame Spielman for any of those QBs you listed, well, the most you get is Jackson, Ponder, McNabb, and Bradford. Three of those were brought in because of injuries though, so yeah. But praise Spielman for getting us Favre, Bridgewater, Keenum, and Cousins. Don't blame him after the fact freak injuries derailed 2 of those 4 great QBs that Spielman got.
So no, we've never *needed* to draft at QB. We've just had to hope that the Football Gods are merciful and not figuratively kick our QBs when they're down. Imagine if Bridgewater was never injured.
I do agree that our QBs have been bit terrible by the injury bug. As for cousins, it’s frustrating to see fans act the way they do regarding him. Some people just don’t get that just because we were in the nfc championship in 2017 doesn’t mean it’s a guarantee we’re going back with a better QB.
Look at the history of the NFC at least (since the patriots owned the AFC) as far back as 09.
Saints: won the SB in 09 and 2 years later they are going 7-9, go back to the playoffs the follow year and then follow it up with 3 straight 7-9 seasons. All with a HOF QB. Haven’t been back to the SB since and got past the Divisional round just once in 10 years.
Seahawks: went to two straight SBs, have a legit QB back then until now and haven’t been past the divisional round since.
Rams: just went to the SB in 2018 to then missing the playoffs in 2019.
Falcons: should’ve won a SB, squeaked in as a wild card the following year and have been horrid since
Eagles: won the SB in 2017, squeaked into the playoffs in 2018 because we blew the week 17 game, couldn’t get past the wild card round
Panthers: make the SB, then the next 4 seasons they make the playoffs once and are terrible the other 3 years
49ers: make the SB in 2012, make a run the following year and then became one of the worst teams in football for 5 straight years. Took them a complete rebuild to get back this year.
Giants: win the SB in 2011 and make the playoffs once in 9 years since and lost in the wild card round that year.
Packers: win the SB in 2010 with the “best QB in the game” and haven’t made a SB since. 10+ years running now with the best QB and can’t get back to the SB.
And any other team is irrelevant at this point because they haven’t done anything.
Point is, I don’t think some realize how hard it really is to sustain consistent success in this league. Outside of Bill belichick and the patriots, no team has been able to sustain consistent success especially in the NFC and there are plenty of good to HOF QBs running the show. In the end, it’s not all about “the QB”. It’s about the team and catching fire at the right time. Many of the teams above came back the following year with nearly the same talent pool they had in the SB, and they can’t get back there, get eliminated early from the playoffs or flop entirely. I’m sorry but nobody can tell me that if Nick Foles can win a SB, Kirk cousins
can’t. Kirk cousins is a better QB than foles, period. And foles was a conservative statue towards the end of that season and early in the playoffs. Sure he got ballsy against us and NE but cousins showed he could do the same against a team like the saints where everyone thought he’d crap his pants. I’m not sitting here by any means saying cousins is some god and a legit stud but he’s plenty good enough to win. He showed just that this year. But if things don’t fall into place for not just the entire Vikings team but any TEAM, you’re beat. You need to have stout, clutch defense, consistent offense that can both run and pass well, solid special teams and good coaching. And most of all, a great locker room and overall team.
The haters can blame cousins all they want but in the end, I’m excited for the next 2 upcoming drafts in a row where we’re loaded with picks and can bring in good young talent, pair it with the talent we have and make a run. Cousins did nothing but prove the narratives to be wrong this year in just about every way possible. Diggs or no diggs, I expect that to continue