CBS's LaCanfora: Vikings are a new team

[StickyBun]

NFL Week 6 insider notes: Vikings a new team since airing grievances, time to worry about Chiefs and moreA little venting has gone a long way to get Minnesota's offense in gear, plus more from Jason La Canfora

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• by Jason La Canfora @JasonLaCanfora

Sometimes you just need to get something off your chest.
Sometimes a little venting goes a long way. Sometimes, an airing of grievances can be a good thing, and bring out the best in a team. In the case of the Minnesota Vikings, the aerial results since their skill players went public with their displeasure about the offense have been beyond reproach. This looks like a totally different downfield attack the past two weeks, and all of a sudden it is smiles all around in Minnesota.
Remember when receiver Adam Thielen was calling out quarterback Kirk Cousinsafter another dreadful outing in Week 4 against Chicago, and then Cousins was apologizing to him on his radio show, all while receiver Stefon Diggs was airing passive-aggressive trade demands? Yeah, all of that happened, and since then the Vikings have appeared much more loose on offense, chucking the ball around with greater zeal and confidence. It's been a tale of two seasons, already, and on Sunday they picked apart the Eagles for the better part of four quarters, with Diggs serving as the superstar one week after Thielen did.
After starting the year with an ugly 10-pass-attempt game and then winning the following week with just 13 completions, Cousins appeared to be having a crisis of confidence and execution. Throwback head coach Mike Zimmer – he of the run early, run often, run always mentality – seemed to have sapped this unit of its will to put the ball in the air, but conflict may not have been the worst thing for this bunch.
Cousins, the last two weeks, has completed 44 of 56 passes (79 percent!) for 639 yards (11.4 yards per attempt!) with seven touchdowns and just one interception. Sure, he lacks signature wins against quality teams, but while the Eagles are not playing like Super Bowl contenders lately, they certainly had that billing in the preseason. Perhaps, Cousins has got himself back together.
And after being glorified spectators the first month of the season, Thielen now has 13 catches for 187 yards and three touchdowns the past weeks, while Diggs has 10 catches for 211 yards and three touchdowns. Not too shabby. With Dalvin Cookrunning the ball as well as anyone on the planet, that is as balanced as you can hope. On the whole, the Vikings' defense has been as good as it gets in 2019. Throw in the fact they are mauling people at home (3-0 with a scoring differential of 100-44) and I suspect the Vikings are a factor in the NFC North.

[Guest]

Only re-emphasizing that horse shut throw vs gb...we should be 5-1 and 1-1 in the division...much like the tie in gb last year, that one will bite us...

[Guest]

It's amazing what happens when you call your QB out.

[Guest]

IDK, I'm not sure calling Kirk out or venting in public or whatever really changed much.  Kirk generally plays good at home.  I think we need to see some proof of Good Kirk and our team in general during a big time game on the road, preferably in primetime.  I think thats when the pressure will be on.  I'm not sure we win this game if we play in Philly.  Does the team show up if this game was in Philly?

[Guest]

Crap rehash  article.  Doesn't even have his facts straight. I believe we lost week 2 to gb.

 Thielen didn't  callcousins out as much as just complained publicly.

[Guest]

Cousins, the last two weeks, has completed 44 of 56 passes (79 percent!) for 639 yards (11.4 yards per attempt!) with seven touchdowns and just one interception. 

You could argue the INT wasn't cousins fault as the ball hit Diggs  in the face. 

  It's true the  Giants and Eagles likely won't make the playoffs 

 But  throwing for 600 yards and 7 TD's in consecutive games isn't  easy.

[Guest]

It's all duckies and bunnies now in Vikingland!   =) :p B) :3

[Guest]

For too long I have heard promises.  Show me!
When we have played the Chiefs, Cowboys, Sea Hawks, Lions, Packers, Bears we will know what we have.  Win at least half (if not 3/4) of those games and not by the "miracles" and defense.  Then we can talk about going deep into the playoffs and possibly finally winning the SB.  If you can't then it is on to next year and next years promises.

[Guest]

@comet52 said:
It's all duckies and bunnies now in Vikingland!   =) :p B) :3

I think we could aptly name it BiPolarland as a loss to Detroit and everything will suck here.  :p

[Guest]

BiLandia?