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In the analytics-driven era of sports, we have been able to better put a value on the ability to do multiple things well.Think of baseball players who can move from the outfield to third base seamlessly or shooting guards who can double as power forwards when called upon. Football has looked at tight ends and running backs as the most comparable to these versatile positions. If you have a tight end who can run routes and block, that’s a nightmare for opposing defenses. Over his entire career nobody stopped Rob Gronkowski. A running back who can play slot receiver is impossible for opposing defenses, just look at Christian McCaffrey’s first few years in the NFL.
We have started to look at certain positions on defense similarly. There’s a serious advantage to having a “hybrid” safety who can play linebacker or cornerback. Defensiacve linemen who can play linebacker, defensive end or three-technique defensive tackle give offenses fits.
We rarely think of this effect with wide receivers. They are categorized as slot or outside receivers but when we compare them to each other it is usually by the same metrics and methods. But as offenses become increasingly complex in their usage of personnel packages, formations and motions, the more things a single receiver can do the more value he has.
Over his career as a Viking, Stefon Diggs has shown that he can excel in all areas and that ability has helped him succeed while fellow star Adam Thielen has been out with a hamstring injury for the last seven quarters. He has a Ben Zobrist or Kevin Garnett element that can go unnoticed without closer examination.
Earlier this year, Mike Sando of The Athletic talked to NFL executives about the true “No. 1” receivers in the NFL. One evaluator compared Diggs and Thielen this way:
“I actually think Diggs is a better receiver than Thielen even though Thielen has the stats. I think you can line up Diggs inside and outside to get open. I think Diggs can do what Davante Adams can do, but they don’t use him in that role. The more outside Thielen is, I think you can cover him.”
When Diggs first came into the NFL he was considered too small to play outside receiver. His NFL.com draft profile tabbed him as purely a slot guy and compared him to Harry Douglas.
“Doesn’t possess the strength or long speed to make a living as an outside receiver, but he can be an extremely effective weapon from the slot as a pro, turning short third-down throws into first downs,” NFL.com wrote
https://www.skornorth.com/vikings-2/2019...rsatility/
Diggs is the Viking's most dangerous WRer. Period.
Who on the vaunted KC D took him out yesterday?
Quote: @"BarrNone55" said:
Who on the vaunted KC D took him out yesterday?
His initials are KC.
Quote: @MaroonBells said:
@"BarrNone55" said:
Who on the vaunted KC D took him out yesterday?
His initials are KC.
The problem the Vikings have with KC is that KC can only be so good. And when he's not good, he's at his worst not seeing the field and limiting the offensive scope. But he has flashes of great against subpar opponents. Problem is the playoffs are full of good teams, every year. In hostile environments sometimes.
I'm not blaming KC for this loss, but nothing has changed for me as far as drafting a QB this Spring. Cousins is limited and if the team wants to win a Superbowl, they have to attempt to do better in the QB department. They also need to keep upgrading the offensive line.
People need to stop using KC in which our QB is KC and the opponent was KC. I haven't had enough coffee yet to deal with figuring out what people mean by context.
Quote: @StickyBun said:
@ MaroonBells said:
@"BarrNone55" said:
Who on the vaunted KC D took him out yesterday?
His initials are KC.
The problem the Vikings have with KC is that KC can only be so good. And when he's not good, he's at his worst not seeing the field and limiting the offensive scope. But he has flashes of great against subpar opponents. Problem is the playoffs are full of good teams, every year. In hostile environments sometimes.
I'm not blaming KC for this loss, but nothing has changed for me as far as drafting a QB this Spring. Cousins is limited and if the team wants to win a Superbowl, they have to attempt to do better in the QB department. They also need to keep upgrading the offensive line.
I think the biggest problem was that Cousins was off. A lot of drives ended and points were lost because of terrible throws he doesn't typically make. The 2nd biggest reason is Zim tends to struggle on the road against good offensive coaches. KC came out with a good game plan and we didn't.
Still, Vikings are a good team who went into KC and could've won with a bounce here or there. There were a lot of plays in this game where you could say an inch here or an inch there would've spelled a different game.
Quote: @MaroonBells said:
@ StickyBun said:
@ MaroonBells said:
@"BarrNone55" said:
Who on the vaunted KC D took him out yesterday?
His initials are KC.
The problem the Vikings have with KC is that KC can only be so good. And when he's not good, he's at his worst not seeing the field and limiting the offensive scope. But he has flashes of great against subpar opponents. Problem is the playoffs are full of good teams, every year. In hostile environments sometimes.
I'm not blaming KC for this loss, but nothing has changed for me as far as drafting a QB this Spring. Cousins is limited and if the team wants to win a Superbowl, they have to attempt to do better in the QB department. They also need to keep upgrading the offensive line.
I think the biggest problem was that Cousins was off. A lot of drives ended and points were lost because of terrible throws he doesn't typically make. The 2nd biggest reason is Zim tends to struggle on the road against good offensive coaches. KC came out with a good game plan and we didn't.
Still, Vikings are a good team who went into KC and could've won with a bounce here or there. There were a lot of plays in this game where you could say an inch here or an inch there would've spelled a different game.
....you could also say that their starting QB didn't play and starters were missing on their offensive line. At some point, if it walks and talks like a duck, its a duck. Cousins doesn't step up and he never has his whole career. That's what it is. He was 'off'? Yeah, and he continues to be 'off' when the team needs him most. His only unchangeable aspect about him is his inconsistency.
As you say, it was a winnable game. And Cousins certainly wasn't the sole reason by any stretch. But when he could have made a play or two to WIN the game, he didn't. I guess that's what it keeps coming down to.
Quote: @StickyBun said:
@ MaroonBells said:
@ StickyBun said:
@ MaroonBells said:
@"BarrNone55" said:
Who on the vaunted KC D took him out yesterday?
His initials are KC.
The problem the Vikings have with KC is that KC can only be so good. And when he's not good, he's at his worst not seeing the field and limiting the offensive scope. But he has flashes of great against subpar opponents. Problem is the playoffs are full of good teams, every year. In hostile environments sometimes.
I'm not blaming KC for this loss, but nothing has changed for me as far as drafting a QB this Spring. Cousins is limited and if the team wants to win a Superbowl, they have to attempt to do better in the QB department. They also need to keep upgrading the offensive line.
I think the biggest problem was that Cousins was off. A lot of drives ended and points were lost because of terrible throws he doesn't typically make. The 2nd biggest reason is Zim tends to struggle on the road against good offensive coaches. KC came out with a good game plan and we didn't.
Still, Vikings are a good team who went into KC and could've won with a bounce here or there. There were a lot of plays in this game where you could say an inch here or an inch there would've spelled a different game.
....you could also say that their starting QB didn't play and starters were missing on their offensive line. At some point, if it walks and talks like a duck, its a duck. Cousins doesn't step up and he never has his whole career. That's what it is. He was 'off'? Yeah, and he continues to be 'off' when the team needs him most. His only unchangeable aspect about him is his inconsistency.
As you say, it was a winnable game. And Cousins certainly wasn't the sole reason by any stretch. But when he could have made a play or two to WIN the game, he didn't. I guess that's what it keeps coming down to.
Yes, and that's what I've been saying all along. Don't listen to the raves when he's player of the month and don't listen to the bitching when he plays poorly. That's just who he is. Like all but 2 or 3 QBs in the NFL, he's vulnerable to rises and falls in match ups. I say he was "off" because inaccuracy is not typically part of his profile, but failure to step up and win big games is.
Knowing Cousins, he'll come back and play extremely well in several games down the stretch. There will be even more records broken and talk of pro bowls, etc. But Bad Kirk will always be there lurking in the shadows...
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