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Remember when the fan base was split on Bradford? Some marveled at how accurate of a passer he was for the Rams and Eagles and argued he would make the team better since he was a superior passer of the football (compared to Teddy)? Then you had the other side that kept bringing up his long injury history and wondering if he could actually stay healthy enough to lead this team anywhere?
Remember when the fan base was split on Kirk Cousins because of his long history of fumbles and critical turnovers? Some argued (including me) that if you put him on a better team, those boneheaded plays would mostly go away and he would finally start winning. Then you had the other side that argued he fumbles too much and makes costly interceptions at critical points in the game. They said he would never live up to our expectations.
Well, sometimes the truth is staring you right in the face and we fool ourselves into thinking it'll be different... I hate to say it, but I was right on Bradford and I'm ready to say I was wrong on Cousins. A leopard cannot change his spots.
Wet, its a really good point and one the older I've gotten, the more that phrase makes sense in everyday life with people too: a leopard CANNOT change his spots. Especially when they are put to the task of overcoming adversity or consistently making good decisions. The hardwiring was done a long time ago.
Cousins will not be who many Viking's fans hoped he'd be: the guy. Cousins will play well again and then he won't. Wash, rinse and repeat. The sickening part is the team is loaded.
You very well could be right...
As a fan, I have to remain optimistic this early in season 2. Wary? sure. Lesser expectations? Probably already happening subconsciously.
I am unhappy the search for starting caliber QB of this franchise may very well continue after this year. Not convinced we let our future starter go in Bridgwater or Keenum. But that's a whole other thread lol!
Quote: @StickyBun said:
Wet, its a really good point and one the older I've gotten, the more that phrase makes sense in everyday life with people too: a leopard CANNOT change his spots. Especially when they are put to the task of overcoming adversity or consistently making good decisions. The hardwiring was done a long time ago.
Cousins will not be who many Viking's fans hoped he'd be: the guy. Cousins will play well again and then he won't. Wash, rinse and repeat. The sickening part is the team is loaded.
It’s sickening. Despite being down big to start the game, despite the refs and their usual Lambeau favoritism, this game was there for the taking.
Until that INT in the 4th quarter, I had no major problems with Cousin's play yesterday. Yes he fumbled getting sacked and his head-first slide almost lost another. But the first INT is squarely on Diggs and his "sticky" hands. He also lost a fumble and had several crucial drops that regrettably get reflected in Cousin's passing stats. And the overthrow to Diggs happens to every QB, even the great Erin.
But we lost by 5 on the road in stadium world renowned for it's home cookin' after getting steamrolled by three TD's in the first quarter. Baily cost us 3 points. Diggs 1 via his childish penalty and Baily's extra long XP miss. The refs took 6 from Diggs (7 if you think Baily would have hit the XP) and got Thielen with another phantom OPI in the end zone.
But our main takeaway is Cousin's late 4th quarter boneheaded INT? Sorry, this "loaded" roster needs to step up.
I liked the acquisitions of both Bradford and Cousins, but now I think it's the wrong approach to try to get a quarterback that another team has given up. Why would our management know the health or potential of these guys better than the management of the team that's been coaching and watching them? QB is so valuable in the NFL, we should always have grave doubts if a team is willing to hand over one that has had significant experience.
Quote: @Ralphie said:
Until that INT in the 4th quarter, I had no major problems with Cousin's play yesterday. Yes he fumbled getting sacked and his head-first slide almost lost another. But the first INT is squarely on Diggs and his "sticky" hands. He also lost a fumble and had several crucial drops that regrettably get reflected in Cousin's passing stats. And the overthrow to Diggs happens to every QB, even the great Erin.
But we lost by 5 on the road in stadium world renowned for it's home cookin' after getting steamrolled by three TD's in the first quarter. Baily cost us 3 points. Diggs 1 via his childish penalty and Baily's extra long XP miss. The refs took 6 from Diggs (7 if you think Baily would have hit the XP) and got Thielen with another phantom OPI in the end zone.
But our main takeaway is Cousin's late 4th quarter boneheaded INT? Sorry, this "loaded" roster needs to step up.
It wasn't just the late 4th quarter INT, Ralphie. As you pointed out, he fumbled running for the 1st down... luckily we recovered that one... but then on the same drive, he felt the backside pressure, tucked the ball in and STILL couldn't hold on to the football as he was being sacked. You would think he would be a little more conscious about ball security after nearly losing one, but nope... he also had two other near interceptions forcing the ball into tight coverage.
It was an ugly game by Cousins. If it was just the late INT, that would be one thing. But when you have 3 turnovers in a tight game and 2 out of the 3 are completely preventable... it's an issue. Especially for a guy with a history of making these kinds of mistakes to cost his teams ball games. It's becoming an all too familiar pattern for him unfortunately.
Quote: @Jor-El said:
I liked the acquisitions of both Bradford and Cousins, but now I think it's the wrong approach to try to get a quarterback that another team has given up. Why would our management know the health or potential of these guys better than the management of the team that's been coaching and watching them? QB is so valuable in the NFL, we should always have grave doubts if a team is willing to hand over one that has had significant experience.
This is a great point and I agree with all of it. There's only one way to get a franchise QB and that's through the draft. Then you have to DEVELOP him. Cater the entire offense around that QB so that you know you tried everything to make it work.
We drafted a potential franchise QB in Teddy Bridgewater a few years ago but we had Adrian Peterson, so the offense went through him. That was great in the short-term but looking back, it was a mistake. The Cowboys did the exact same thing the past few years with Dak/Zeke. Now they have a new OC and Dak (through only 2 weeks) looks the best he ever has. I'm not saying Teddy is Dak. But the Vikings need to draft a QB and go all-in on supporting him. We change offensive coordinators every year anyway, so it shouldn't be hard.
Quote: @pattersaur said:
@ Jor-El said:
I liked the acquisitions of both Bradford and Cousins, but now I think it's the wrong approach to try to get a quarterback that another team has given up. Why would our management know the health or potential of these guys better than the management of the team that's been coaching and watching them? QB is so valuable in the NFL, we should always have grave doubts if a team is willing to hand over one that has had significant experience.
This is a great point and I agree with all of it. There's only one way to get a franchise QB and that's through the draft.
Tell that to the Saints regarding Brees...
Vikings should have went all in on that one.
But I get your point, Brees is the exception. Good QB's dont hit the market often if at all. We thought we were getting a good fit with KC. That may prove to be a mistake.
I think you can kind of get a leopard to change his spots,
but not a lot. That said, we got Kirk
knowing who he was and that we’d have to build a team around him, and being
pressured 60% of the time, while having every good thing he does nullified by
receivers or OPI is not building around him.
I don’t think you’re ever going to get rid of the fumbles, but I should
hope that better pass protection should shift the outcome of several games, and
hopefully you can get him to get rid of those horrible decision making interceptions
where he’s throwing into triple coverage of an unstable platform.
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