Let's factor a risk averse, run first, HC who didn't want Cousins in the first place.
Quote: @"VikingOracle" said:
JT18: I get where you are going with this (and you also need to factor in the receivers he is working with).
I had a colleague at the law firm I worked at who always bragged that he had never lost a motion he brought. Sounds impressive. But good attorneys lose motions because they are pushing the envelop of the law on behalf of their clients -- they are not just bringing motions that are winners. Cousins doesn't do that. In the vast majority of pass plays, he is not taking any risks -- which is good in most circumstances. But it is in those other circumstances, the 3rd down plays, where you must take a risk -- throw a 50/50 ball -- that Cousins does not excel. I have posted this before, if you want a QB that mechanically goes through his reads and pick the safest pass, Cousins is for you. But if you need a QB that adjust the risk assessment based on a number of changing factors (such as down and distance, score, etc.), Cousins is just not a great choice. JMHO.
I respectfully disagree with the narrative that Cousins is too risk averse. I've seen enough from him putting the ball in tight windows. I think the larger problem has been the play calling and putting the offense in untenable situations causing us to be in 3rd and long far to often.
Zimmer with his run first at all cost philosophy often left us in 2nd and 8, then we would get a penalty and we would be looking at 2nd and 13, we would gain 5, and have 3rd and 8 (or more) on the regular. Having to consistently convert on 3rd down throughout the game gives defenses keys and tendencies. If we were a little more creative on 1st and 2nd down, we wouldn't be so reliant on pulling off 3rd and 4th down miracles, especially at the end of the game.
If Zimmer's swiss cheese defense could have held off those twin juggernauts of Cooper Rush and the 0-10-1 Lions and not given up game-losing TD's, the Vikings would have been playing this weekend (and losing by 14+, but that's another issue).
QB play my ass. Cousins did enough for this team to be 11-6 or so. He's got his well-documented weaknesses but he's not what kept us out of the playoffs.
Quote: @"pattersaur" said:
@"VikingOracle" said:
I am kind of amazed about the piling on Zimmer happening right now. I remember this happening with Steckel, but I did not expect it with Zimmer.
Agreed with everything but especially this last part. It’s clearly open season on Zim from the press. Stark contrast from PA scolding fans like a week ago (that aged well).
But where were these reports a month ago? Or two? Or last year? Whole team/media thing seems incestuous and strange. Zim is getting dragged big time while Rick is pretty much skating, by comparison.
PA is just upset that he has to suck up to a new GM and Coach now. Of course next year at this time they will be the greatest GM/Coach duo in the NFL. Football Immortality as he always says..
Quote: @"VikingOracle" said:
Frankly, if they hadn't talked in months, Spielman should be fired for not firing Zimmer earlier. Can you imagine not talking to your boss for several months?
Why yes, yes I can. Usually doesn't happen, but I imagine it.
Quote: @"purplefaithful" said:
@"VikingOracle" said:
@"mgobluevikes" said:
@"pattersaur" said:
@"VikingOracle" said:
I am kind of amazed about the piling on Zimmer happening right now. I remember this happening with Steckel, but I did not expect it with Zimmer.
Agreed with everything but especially this last part. It’s clearly open season on Zim from the press. Stark contrast from PA scolding fans like a week ago (that aged well).
But where were these reports a month ago? Or two? Or last year? Whole team/media thing seems incestuous and strange. Zim is getting dragged big time while Rick is pretty much skating, by comparison.
Seems easy to figure out. Zim treated people like dirt, and while Rick made a some mistakes, they seem to have been made in good faith. The media is also easy to figure out. They wanted access. They didn't want to be treated like Tomasson.
I think we all knew that Zimmer played favorites; that is now coming home to roost. Probably a year too late, but good that the Wilfs blew this up. It was clearly getting worse and worse.
I think you're right. In retrospect a year too late.
Three years too late.
Quote: @"VikingOracle" said:
JT18: I get where you are going with this (and you also need to factor in the receivers he is working with).
I had a colleague at the law firm I worked at who always bragged that he had never lost a motion he brought. Sounds impressive. But good attorneys lose motions because they are pushing the envelop of the law on behalf of their clients -- they are not just bringing motions that are winners. Cousins doesn't do that. In the vast majority of pass plays, he is not taking any risks -- which is good in most circumstances. But it is in those other circumstances, the 3rd down plays, where you must take a risk -- throw a 50/50 ball -- that Cousins does not excel. I have posted this before, if you want a QB that mechanically goes through his reads and pick the safest pass, Cousins is for you. But if you need a QB that adjust the risk assessment based on a number of changing factors (such as down and distance, score, etc.), Cousins is just not a great choice. JMHO.
What if Cousins was told not to take chance by the coaching staff? You know, because we've got a great defense.
Quote: @"AGRforever" said:
@"VikingOracle" said:
JT18: I get where you are going with this (and you also need to factor in the receivers he is working with).
I had a colleague at the law firm I worked at who always bragged that he had never lost a motion he brought. Sounds impressive. But good attorneys lose motions because they are pushing the envelop of the law on behalf of their clients -- they are not just bringing motions that are winners. Cousins doesn't do that. In the vast majority of pass plays, he is not taking any risks -- which is good in most circumstances. But it is in those other circumstances, the 3rd down plays, where you must take a risk -- throw a 50/50 ball -- that Cousins does not excel. I have posted this before, if you want a QB that mechanically goes through his reads and pick the safest pass, Cousins is for you. But if you need a QB that adjust the risk assessment based on a number of changing factors (such as down and distance, score, etc.), Cousins is just not a great choice. JMHO.
What if Cousins was told not to take chance by the coaching staff? You know, because we've got a great defense.
I think that is probably a very good question. And I’m not sure we will ever know.
Quote: @"AGRforever" said:
@"VikingOracle" said:
JT18: I get where you are going with this (and you also need to factor in the receivers he is working with).
I had a colleague at the law firm I worked at who always bragged that he had never lost a motion he brought. Sounds impressive. But good attorneys lose motions because they are pushing the envelop of the law on behalf of their clients -- they are not just bringing motions that are winners. Cousins doesn't do that. In the vast majority of pass plays, he is not taking any risks -- which is good in most circumstances. But it is in those other circumstances, the 3rd down plays, where you must take a risk -- throw a 50/50 ball -- that Cousins does not excel. I have posted this before, if you want a QB that mechanically goes through his reads and pick the safest pass, Cousins is for you. But if you need a QB that adjust the risk assessment based on a number of changing factors (such as down and distance, score, etc.), Cousins is just not a great choice. JMHO.
What if Cousins was told not to take chance by the coaching staff? You know, because we've got a great defense.
Except that Zimmer publicly stated his desire for Kirk to be more aggressive this year.
Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer praised the new strategy after the Vikings defeated the Packers on Sunday.
Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins threw some dangerous passes, but that’s an accepted risk for any efficient offense. The Vikings quarterback talked about those passes after the Week 11 win:
Quote:“I could kind of point to a half dozen throws there that were too aggressive and I could argue that that’s one of them, and I don’t think you want to live doing that,” Cousins said, via Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated. “The difference between him catching that and making the play he did and it going the other way [on an interception] is very small.”
Zimmer, however, said this:
Quote:“I want him to keep doing it like he’s doing it. If you throw an interception, you throw an interception,” Zimmer said, per Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated. “That’s life. If we keep going for the jugular, that opens up a lot of other things.”
|
