I wouldn't be shocked by a 6-10 record this year. I had higher expectations, but the defense took a bigger step back than expected and the offense hasn't been able to carry the team so far. On defense, we lost our best pass rusher in Hunter for at least the first few games. Ngakoue is stepping up nicely and we're finally seeing some life out of the other ends. DT is a dumpster fire, they would have been better with Pierce, but they still need more talent there. The young corners have been up and down and they've had to deal with both Dantzler and Hughes being hurt and the safeties have generally struggled to make up for inexperienced corners and a lack of pass rush.
Offense is weird. I thought that they would be able to carry the team better than they have, but they have had their own struggles. Cousins has not been great. He's been forcing too many plays, holding onto the ball too long, and has not been utilizing all of the weapons in the passing game. Though with Jefferson having a breakout game, I'm more hopeful that the passing game will get stronger. The running game is still good, though playing from behind, has made it hard to lean on Cook as much as they'd like, though he showed yesterday that he still has it even though the fluke fumble was frustrating. The biggest issue I see right now are Cousin's inconsistency and the terrible interior pass protection, which to be fair are tightly linked. I'm not sure if there's a quick fix on the line, since Cleveland does not seem to be ready to contribute right away. Hopefully, Cousins can settle down and limit his mistakes,
I do have concerns about whether Cousins is the right fit long term. Despite recent struggles, he's not a bad QB, but he's not an elite QB either. He is prone to forcing things at time and takes some bad sacks. I'd like to at least have a viable backup, but we don't have that in Mannion, and they should really take a developmental QB. Though they also desperately, need a 3-technique.
So Minnesota is going to go 6-7 the rest of the way? Hmmmmm.....I don't see it.
Quote: @StickyBun said:
So Minnesota is going to go 6-7 the rest of the way? Hmmmmm.....I don't see it.
Yeah I'd be shocked if we can go 6-7 at this point. I do think if Hunter returns our D will get much better. 5 wins at this point would
be a pretty good accomplishment.
Quote: @StickyBun said:
So Minnesota is going to go 6-7 the rest of the way? Hmmmmm.....I don't see it.
Ha!
No way...
Sorry for the negative juju to the board, but nfw they go near .500 the rest of the way.
Quote: @purplefaithful said:
@ StickyBun said:
So Minnesota is going to go 6-7 the rest of the way? Hmmmmm.....I don't see it.
Ha!
No way...
Sorry for the negative juju to the board, but nfw they go near .500 the rest of the way.
Yep. I think their ceiling is 4 wins. Not sure where that ends up for a Draft selection, but .....
Quote: @purplefaithful said:
I got no issues trading a #2 for a 25 year old who makes splash plays like that. So we shouldn't acquire an all pro ceiling, pass-rushing talent who's in their 20's cause that alone isn't enough to win this year?
Silly notion. Thats exactly how you build a team. Acquiring him was as close to a sure thing pro-bowler as you can get, certainly more than a draft choice. And did I say he's only 25?
YN, Hendricks and Hunter are the future of this D.
All the DL love playing for Dre too. Resigning YN is the least of their worries (or mine).
If you are a player or two away, then yes, but when you have as many holes as we do to fill and you are already over the cap and have some of your top players with contracts due, can you afford to pay a DE 18 million a year? If not, then was a 2nd rounder worth having him for one year?
Quote: @JR44 said:
@ purplefaithful said:
I got no issues trading a #2 for a 25 year old who makes splash plays like that. So we shouldn't acquire an all pro ceiling, pass-rushing talent who's in their 20's cause that alone isn't enough to win this year?
Silly notion. Thats exactly how you build a team. Acquiring him was as close to a sure thing pro-bowler as you can get, certainly more than a draft choice. And did I say he's only 25?
YN, Hendricks and Hunter are the future of this D.
All the DL love playing for Dre too. Resigning YN is the least of their worries (or mine).
If you are a player or two away, then yes, but when you have as many holes as we do to fill and you are already over the cap and have some of your top players with contracts due, can you afford to pay a DE 18 million a year? If not, then was a 2nd rounder worth having him for one year?
I don't believe it will be 1 year and I dont believe they went into it with the attitude of a 1 year fill in for DH (who they knew wouldn't play for a while).
I think the vision was a replacement for EG to pair with DH over the years.
Time will tell.
Quote: @purplefaithful said:
I see a 3/13 or 4/12 team.
Rest of schedule:
- @ TExans
- @ SEattle
- Falcons
- BYE
- @ GB
- Detroit
- @ Bears
- Dallas
- Carolina
- Jax
- @ Bucs
- Bears
- @N.Orleans
- @Detroit
Bah....you're a homer. Vikings win 3 or 4 games out of 16 and step right into a top 10 pick and a franchise QB? I don't see it. I think it's a pipe dream.
Unfortunately, the Vikings are too talented to drop 12 or 13 games. 8 or 9, maybe. We're going to see more big games from Cousins and Cook and Thielen and Jefferson, even without Barr and Hunter and Dantzler, but two of those guys will be back.
No, I think you guys are being too optimistic. Or pessimistic. Whichever it is. :p
Quote: @MaroonBells said:
@ purplefaithful said:
I see a 3/13 or 4/12 team.
Rest of schedule:
- @ TExans
- @ SEattle
- Falcons
- BYE
- @ GB
- Detroit
- @ Bears
- Dallas
- Carolina
- Jax
- @ Bucs
- Bears
- @N.Orleans
- @Detroit
Bah....you're a homer. Vikings win 3 or 4 games out of 16 and step right into a top 10 pick and a franchise QB? I don't see it. I think it's a pipe dream.
Unfortunately, the Vikings are too talented to drop 12 or 13 games. 8 or 9, maybe. We're going to see more big games from Cousins and Cook and Thielen and Jefferson, even without Barr and Hunter and Dantzler, but two of those guys will be back.
No, I think you guys are being too optimistic. Or pessimistic. Whichever it is. :p
They are already 0-3, they are suddenly going to go 8-5 the rest of the way??
![[Image: 46051187.jpg]](https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/46051187.jpg)
Quote: @StickyBun said:
@ MaroonBells said:
@ purplefaithful said:
I see a 3/13 or 4/12 team.
Rest of schedule:
- @ TExans
- @ SEattle
- Falcons
- BYE
- @ GB
- Detroit
- @ Bears
- Dallas
- Carolina
- Jax
- @ Bucs
- Bears
- @N.Orleans
- @Detroit
Bah....you're a homer. Vikings win 3 or 4 games out of 16 and step right into a top 10 pick and a franchise QB? I don't see it. I think it's a pipe dream.
Unfortunately, the Vikings are too talented to drop 12 or 13 games. 8 or 9, maybe. We're going to see more big games from Cousins and Cook and Thielen and Jefferson, even without Barr and Hunter and Dantzler, but two of those guys will be back.
No, I think you guys are being too optimistic. Or pessimistic. Whichever it is. :p
They are already 0-3, they are suddenly going to go 8-5 the rest of the way??
I don't think 8 and 5, but I think 7 and 6 the rest of the way is more likely than 3 and 10. If I were a betting man, I'd say 6 and 7, finishing at 6-10, drafting somewhere between 8 and 12.
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