Zulgad: Keenum deserves credit, but all signs point to Teddy Bridgewater taking over

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@MaroonBells said:
I know it's tempting to just look at the wins and say that Case deserves to keep going, but this team is stacked with talent on both sides of the ball and that's why we're winning. We're winning despite Case Keenum, not because of him. 

The team has as much tallent as last year and that didnt get them to 6-2 then. 

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@AGRforever said:

@MaroonBells said:
I know it's tempting to just look at the wins and say that Case deserves to keep going, but this team is stacked with talent on both sides of the ball and that's why we're winning. We're winning despite Case Keenum, not because of him. 

The team has as much tallent as last year and that didnt get them to 6-2 then. 

Yes and no.  They had a lot of talent, except at OL wherr not only did they have little talent, but that talent was hurting the last 3 months of the season. 

This OL with last years team, we are a deep playoff run team.  This team is primed for a real shot with quality, consistent QB play

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@AGRforever said:

@MaroonBells said:
I know it's tempting to just look at the wins and say that Case deserves to keep going, but this team is stacked with talent on both sides of the ball and that's why we're winning. We're winning despite Case Keenum, not because of him. 

The team has as much tallent as last year and that didnt get them to 6-2 then. 

Disagree...  Our offensive line additions this off-season SIGNIFICANTLY upgraded our LT and RT starters.  Add in Elflein and that alone has increased our talent level considerably at one unit.

This team wouldn't be 6-2 without those additions if everything else stays the same.  This offense would be bottom of the barrel with Clemmings, Kalil, and Easton (at C) starting this season.

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We are winning WITH Case Keenum.  

Do we want to risk a bye or home field
advantage to test Teddy for a few games?  Get him ready to be the backup and hope we don't need to bring him in.  

[Guest]

@MaroonBells said:
I know it's tempting to just look at the wins and say that Case deserves to keep going, but this team is stacked with talent on both sides of the ball and that's why we're winning. We're winning despite Case Keenum, not because of him. 

I disagree.  First off, we lose the game in Chicago without him coming in for Bradford.  Secondly, his stats for this season so far are 64% completion for 1610 yards with 7 TDs and 3 INTs (88.8 rating).  That is not the type of QB play the rest of the team has to overcome in order to win games.  He is actively helping the team win those games.

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@SFVikingFan said:

@MaroonBells said:
I know it's tempting to just look at the wins and say that Case deserves to keep going, but this team is stacked with talent on both sides of the ball and that's why we're winning. We're winning despite Case Keenum, not because of him. 

I disagree.  First off, we lose the game in Chicago without him coming in for Bradford.  Secondly, his stats for this season so far are 64% completion for 1610 yards with 7 TDs and 3 INTs (88.8 rating).  That is not the type of QB play the rest of the team has to overcome in order to win games.  He is actively helping the team win those games.

Let me clarify. Yes, clearly he is actively helping this team win games. He's been efficient. But I personally believe we'd be doing even better with either Sam or Teddy as QB. 

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@MaroonBells said:

@SFVikingFan said:

@MaroonBells said:
I know it's tempting to just look at the wins and say that Case deserves to keep going, but this team is stacked with talent on both sides of the ball and that's why we're winning. We're winning despite Case Keenum, not because of him. 

I disagree.  First off, we lose the game in Chicago without him coming in for Bradford.  Secondly, his stats for this season so far are 64% completion for 1610 yards with 7 TDs and 3 INTs (88.8 rating).  That is not the type of QB play the rest of the team has to overcome in order to win games.  He is actively helping the team win those games.

Let me clarify. Yes, clearly he is actively helping this team win games. He's been efficient. But I personally believe we'd be doing even better with either Sam or Teddy as QB. 

Agree, and I'll add that the Browns have a pretty darn good defense with 3 of their starters not playing yesterday (the biggest absence being Garrett) and they had Case's number I think. The batted passes to me were the biggest tell. I'm as appreciative as anybody of Case. He's clearly one of the better backups in this league. But as he himself said in the locker room after the Bucs win, "I've never had a team like this to play with before." He's having a career year and the team around him is why.

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With a healthy Bradford yesterday, we would have won 44-10.

I disagree with Keenum deserving to play until he screws up. He is a BACKUP standing in temporarily for an injured STARTER. When that starter (which one is a medical issue) is healthy again, put him back in his job. If we come out of the bye and lose a couple games, this team might panic, and then inserting Bradford or Bridgewater stinks of desperation and the returning QB will be expected to save the season.

A lot of people see OL injuries as the ONLY cause for the 2016 collapse. Yes, it was huge - but we still could have beaten a couple of teams like Chicago and Indy and been 10-6. That team lost confidence or faith or something. It was probably some in-clubhouse issue (maybe Norv-related) that none of us know about, but still - they were fragile and I don't want to see them get into a possible panic situation.

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Fragile last year does not equal fragile this year.

You already referenced two differences from last year: near-historically bad O-Line and abrupt change in OCs.

But don't underestimate the effect of the team seeing Teddy's horrific injury. Seeing the GM go all-in on the team and season by trading a 1st for Sam. Zimmer dealing with the eye thing much of the year. The whole "will AP stay or go" thing.  No running game to keep drives alive and rest the Defense. Greenie maybe retiring.

Just a sh*tstorm of distractions both on and off the field.

What's the distraction now? Which of Minnesota's 3 QBs will be the one to lead them to the Playoffs and maybe on a deep run.

No O-Line worries. Hell, the new veterans are probably just as good in the locker room as they have been on the field. And Elf looks like a natural. Plus the depth is looking good.

No AP? No problem. One OC, and more importantly one that understands how to adapt his playcalling to his team's strengths instead of jamming his philosophy into a square hole. Mike has been healthy. Lower expectations with a journeyman backup starting most of the games so far.

I see a very different team than last year for all these reasons. Their still playing with a small margin for error on the field, but that's where the similarities end.

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FSU, hope you are right and you have a very good list. I can't think of any comparable distractions this year, but they still seem a bit tenuous. I guess I want to see a game or two where they dominate, impose their will, at least on one side of the ball; the defense did it in a few games early in 2016, so the ability is certainly there.