This much is pretty clear...

[purplefaithful]

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer on Kirk Cousins: Time to tell people 'he's our guy'The decision to award Kirk Cousins a game ball after his first NFL playoff win was about cementing his place as the Vikings quarterback, coach Mike Zimmersaid Monday.

“It was about him solidifying himself,” Zimmer said, “with all the bad rhetoric that he gets all the time about this or that. I just felt like it was time to tell a lot of people he’s our guy and he did it.”
Cousins mostly played a clean and efficient game in Sunday’s 26-20 wild-card playoff victory in New Orleans, according to Zimmer, capped with the walk-off touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph in overtime after recognizing man-to-man coverage. Cousins finished 19 of 31 passing for 242 yards and two sacks — one he was told to take by coaches in the fourth quarter so the clock kept running in lieu of a completion.
Cousins’ career-best 107.4 passer rating during the regular season came when the Vikings front office needs to consider his long-term future since his deal is up after 2020.
After beating the Saints, Cousins said he’s moving on to the “next mountain.”
“Now you want to win another playoff game,” Cousins said, “now you want to get to the Super Bowl, and you want to win a world championship. You just keep chasing the next mountain. There will always be people who are going to criticize you.”
Rudolph also got a game ball
http://www.startribune.com/vikings-coach...566757692/

[Guest]

Does winning a playoff game cement the triangle of RS/MZ/KC????

Is that enough? 

[Guest]

Was this improbable win enough to sell the Wilfs on extending all three? Hard to say. They are all under contract for another season so there is no rush to do it now. I think they are being smart and will see how everything plays out. 

[Guest]

@purplefaithful said:
Does winning a playoff game cement the triangle of RS/MZ/KC????

Is that enough? 

IMO, definitely. NO was the first 13 win team to lose at home in the wildcard round either ever or in a very long time. The 2 losses to Green Bay are the ones that still leave a bitter taste. The staff had a great gameplan against a red hot team. The team executed for the most part. The playoffs aren't too big for the organization. 

[Guest]

Unless they are total garbage against SF, I think they will keep the band together. Not so sure that means superbowl in the future, but does mean a chance to remain competitive every other year or so.

[Guest]

@TBro said:
Was this improbable win enough to sell the Wilfs on extending all three? Hard to say. They are all under contract for another season so there is no rush to do it now. I think they are being smart and will see how everything plays out. 

Let me clarify my statement. I think they will get extended but the Wilfs will let this play out and address it in the offseason. 

[Guest]

@StickyBun said:

@purplefaithful said:
Does winning a playoff game cement the triangle of RS/MZ/KC????

Is that enough? 

IMO, definitely. NO was the first 13 win team to lose at home in the wildcard round either ever or in a very long time. The 2 losses to Green Bay are the ones that still leave a bitter taste. The staff had a great gameplan against a red hot team. The team executed for the most part. The playoffs aren't too big for the organization. 

I havent seen enough yet.   I havent seen the growth from Zimmer as a HC that would dictate anything more than a 1 year extension at the most.   The flat performances in key games this year are not erased by one great showing by a team that might have been over rated to begin with. 

NO is a good team and always a tough out at home,  but they seemed off from the start,  maybe that was our game plan and execution,  or maybe they were already thinking about heading to green bay the next week,  either way,  1 more year each at the most for RS and Zim.  KC needs to be willing to take a deal that is commensurate with his abilities and forget about resetting the QB contract bar.   If he wants 30+ a year and somebody else wants to give it to him... let him walk, if he wants to stay and finish his career in Minny,  then he needs to show it by taking a deal that financially allows the team to continue to grow and get better around him.