Story of the game...

[purplefaithful]

In win over Vikings, Packers didn't need to blitz Kirk Cousins to pressure himIn both of their Border Battle victories, the Packers pressured Kirk Cousins, mostly through the middle of the Vikings’ rebuilt offensive line, turning the game on their ability to rattle Cousins without needing to blitz him.

Over the past three years, the Vikings have made substantive investments in their offensive line, designed to fix one of their biggest problems at a time when the NFC North was loading up with pass rushers.

Bears defensive tackle Akiem Hicks, who joined the team in 2016, posted 6 1/2 sacks in his first six games for Chicago against the Vikings. Chicago sent five picks to Oakland for Khalil Mack last September; the edge rusher had 2 1/2 sacks and 16 pressures in his first three games against Minnesota.
This offseason, the Packers gave $66 million to Za’Darius Smith and $52 million to Preston Smith, breaking with their long-standing habit of free-agency frugality under second-year GM Brian Gutekunst. Preston Smith had eight pressures and a half-sack in two games against the Packers this season; Za’Darius Smith had 14 pressures and 3 1/2 sacks, which all came in Green Bay’s 23-10 win on Monday night.

The Packers’ disruptiveness in two games this season — which has coincided with Kirk Cousins’ two lowest-rated games of the year — is among the most significant reasons why Green Bay is closing in on a first-round bye while the Vikings prepare to head on the road as the NFC’s No. 6 seed in the playoffs. In Week 2 at Lambeau Field, and again at U.S. Bank Stadium on Monday, the Packers pressured Cousins through the middle of the Vikings’ rebuilt line especially, turning the game on their ability to rattle Cousins without blitzing him.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Packers (who pressured Cousins on 65.7 percent of his dropbacks in Week 2) got to the quarterback 47.2 percent of the time on Monday night — despite blitzing him on just one of his 36 dropbacks.
All five of the Packers’ sacks on Monday night came when they brought standard pressure. On three of those five sacks, Green Bay sent just three rushers after Cousins, who finished the night with just 122 yards on 31 attempts.
Asked how the pressure affected his night overall, Cousins simply said, “It had an impact. They have a pretty good rush.”
Smith’s first sack, which came after he beat Riley Reiff off the edge and chased Cousins into the backfield, might have been one instance where the quarterback could have unloaded the ball sooner. Cousins held the ball for an average of 3.12 seconds (more than any passer in the league during Week 16, according to NFL Next Gen Stats), and seemed to lack the resources to neutralize some of the Packers’ pressure on his own, either with quick decisions or the ability to avoid sacks with his feet. But when the Packers were able to keep seven or more players in coverage on all but one of Cousins’ dropbacks, it’s hard to expect consistent throwing lanes. And with no counterpunch from the running game with Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison out, the Vikings found themselves ill-equipped to deal with the Packers’ pass rush.
Mack and the Bears come to town on Sunday with little to play for, but if the Vikings decide to give their starters some work (despite the fact they’re locked in to the No. 6 seed), they’ll get chances to work on neutralizing another dynamic pass rush. The fact they won’t be division champions this season has plenty to do with their inability to complete that task in three games against Green Bay and Chicago so far this season
http://www.startribune.com/in-win-over-v...566461172/

[Guest]

Cousins had opportunities early in the game.  Other than the TD to Diggs and the one deep shot Adam dropped, I don't remember Cousins being anywhere near the WRs.
Then once GB figured out Cousins was off, the O-line got whooped with Z smith moving all around.  The O-line room deserves all the heat they get after that showing.

[Guest]

the question is can the vikings figure out how to stop that rush.  Guaranteed every team now knows the blueprint and will utilize it.

[Guest]

@SDCAVIKESFAN said:
the question is can the vikings figure out how to stop that rush.  Guaranteed every team now knows the blueprint and will utilize it.

Doesn't mean they will have the personnel to do it. Minnesota on Defense wouldn't blow up this O-Line because they get zero push up the gut accept when All Vowels is in. Stick Rudy next to O'Neill to help with Hunter and take advantage of how often Griff gives up his lane going for the sack and watch Kirk carve up this Secondary. 

Chris Jones won that Chiefs game. They didn't even have their Starting DEs and didn't need them. When Cousins feels pressure up the gut he's inaccurate. The Hags Ends were getting to him in Seattle but he stood tall and made accurate throws while getting pummeled. It's the interior push he can't handle.

Brees, Brady, Ben, Erin. The really good ones hate the interior pressure but are savvy enough to move laterally to avoid it and still make plays. Cousins can't. He just doesn't possess the instincts. Which is why Rick needs to go All In on fixing the Line once and for all. Even if that means letting some glaring issues on the Defense linger. 

Zimmer's side of the ball is still uber bendy and occasionally breaky but they're generating turnovers lately to compensate for it. He needs to face the fact that Kirk needs a Rodgers like O-Line to take this team all the way. A really good Line would also keep the run game viable more often which would consequently help his aging Defense more too. Hope he realizes that.

[Guest]

This team had zero identity on offense Monday night. They seemed to abandon everything that this line is designed for which is movement. Leber said it best when he tweeted "What the F___ was that?" Cousins is not a drop back passer, yet that is what we tried to run against the Packers who had no problem with their power rushers up the middle. Not sure if anyone else noticed, but in the second half Stefanski ran no huddle to shake things up and we started having success until Cousins threw that pick intended for Diggs who was grabbed and double covered. When things are not working for this offense, and Cousins is getting constant pressure, I just don't see adjustments happening fast enough. They just continue to beat their head against the wall.  

[Guest]

Story of the game is same story of every loss this year.  Kirk Cousins cannot improvise/adjust on offense.  He has to have things "a certain way" to succeed.  It's his OCD, he cannot overcome it.  Football is a messy game with tons of possibilities on every play.  Kirk is much happier when there are 2-4 possible outcomes.  He overthinks things, puts so much pressure on himself in big games that he plays like shit.  It's been the story of his career and it hasn't changed here in Minnesota.    

[Guest]

@Bezerker88 said:
Story of the game is same story of every loss this year.  Kirk Cousins cannot improvise/adjust on offense.  He has to have things "a certain way" to succeed.  It's his OCD, he cannot overcome it.  Football is a messy game with tons of possibilities on every play.  Kirk is much happier when there are 2-4 possible outcomes.  He overthinks things, puts so much pressure on himself in big games that he plays like shit.  It's been the story of his career and it hasn't changed here in Minnesota.    

of course typically you dont play shit teams on MNF or other prime time affairs that has statistically been the bane of his career and seems to be defining him as a QB,  so while yes he has struggled in some of them,  IMO its the over all lack of talent around him that has significantly impacted the games outcomes.   I think his play is more dictated by pressure in his face than the magnitude of the game.  Good teams know the game is won or lost at the LOS and build their teams accordingly, we are hoping that average line play is good enough to get by and are being proven wrong.

[Guest]

0-9 MNF and 6-30 against teams with winning records, that is the beginning and end of the story.   Come up with a million excuses if you want, but every QB has to overcome adversity in a game and the conditions are never perfect.  Our QB can't play in a big game, not sure how many times you have to see it before it actually sinks in for some of you.  The numbers are what they are for a reason.  

[Guest]

Story of Game: OL can't handle good pass rushers... and KC can't pull the trigger when he needs to.