Case Keenum has “a horseshoe right now” but how long will he have starting job?

There has been much speculation in recent weeks whether the now-healthy Teddy Bridgewater would replace Keenum as the Vikings’ starter. Much of this has been driven by the Vikings coach, who has made it clear he has a plan for Bridgewater.
But with the Vikings sitting atop the NFC North and having won six in a row, making a change at this point would be very difficult.
“It changes,” Zimmer said when asked about The Teddy Plan. “It’s going to be hard to yank (Keenum) out of there right now. He’s playing good and I still have really high hopes for Teddy. A lot of things happen throughout the course of the season so we’ll just see how it goes.”

I'm starting to get really irritated with this line of questioning and even Zimmer's responses honestly.  Zimmer can put this shit to bed but has allowed this uncertainty to continue.  Case has saved our season, been playing lights out, and has done everything asked of him on and off the field.  He deserves to be the starter and its bullshit that every week we have to keep hearing rumors of him getting benched and questions about when is he finally going to shit the bed.

Case deserves more than that.

Keenum has played very well.....but he definitely has gotten lucky, also. I get Zimmer's comment about the horseshoe

@"SFVikingFan" said: I'm starting to get really irritated with this line of questioning and even Zimmer's responses honestly.  Zimmer can put this shit to bed but has allowed this uncertainty to continue.  Case has saved our season, been playing lights out, and has done everything asked of him on and off the field.  He deserves to be the starter and its bullshit that every week we have to keep hearing rumors of him getting benched and questions about when is he finally going to shit the bed.

Case deserves more than that.

Plus avoid any locker room/chemistry disruption. 

I think events on the field will take care of the situation naturally without Zimmer having to be proactive about making a change. 

"Horseshoe".....Remember you heard it here first.    ;)

Granted, most every coach would want him to take the sack and not risk a fumble or INT, but it's so refreshing to see a Viking QB not quit and not afraid to make a play

@"StickyBun" said: Keenum has played very well.....but he definitely has gotten lucky, also. I get Zimmer's comment about the horseshoe

THAT play in particular was lucky as fuck.  I mean he shrugged off a sack and his head popped up and he threw it.  I seriously wonder if he even saw Thielen was open.  LOL.  He might have known he was coming across on the crosser, but it looked like he got out of the sack and just chucked it up to a spot.
Fans need to admit it, he's been getting incredibly lucky on at least a couple throws every game, but he's been playing very good football otherwise.  I don't think that type of play is sustainable and he'll have a bad game sooner or later...  however, he's earned the right to keep the starting role.  You can't argue with the results.  6 straight wins and has a 7-2 record in games he's played this season.
I just hope fans don't turn on Zimmer if Keenum has a bad game and he makes the switch to Teddy.  It's plain as day why Zimmer is reluctant to commit to him as the season long starter.  Personally, I'm just enjoying the season and if Keenum keeps the Vikings winning it's all good.  Lovin' it.
BOOM

@"SFVikingFan" said: I'm starting to get really irritated with this line of questioning and even Zimmer's responses honestly.  Zimmer can put this shit to bed but has allowed this uncertainty to continue.  Case has saved our season, been playing lights out, and has done everything asked of him on and off the field.  He deserves to be the starter and its bullshit that every week we have to keep hearing rumors of him getting benched and questions about when is he finally going to shit the bed.

Case deserves more than that.

@"SFVikingFan" said: I'm starting to get really irritated with this line of questioning and even Zimmer's responses honestly.  Zimmer can put this shit to bed but has allowed this uncertainty to continue.  Case has saved our season, been playing lights out, and has done everything asked of him on and off the field.  He deserves to be the starter and its bullshit that every week we have to keep hearing rumors of him getting benched and questions about when is he finally going to shit the bed.

Case deserves more than that.

Although you have to give credit to Shurmer for having a scheme that gets the ball out quickly and has receivers open on every play, Case is playing great ball, making some very good throws, showing good pocket awareness the results cannot be argued.  That said I have seen few examples of him throwing someone open, and am still hesitant to believe he can lead us from behind with precision passes down the field like teddy has already demonstrated he can do.  

i am enjoying this team thoroughly, and i am resting quite assured that Z will make the right calls on personnel at the right time

@"Bullazin" said:

@"SFVikingFan" said: I'm starting to get really irritated with this line of questioning and even Zimmer's responses honestly.  Zimmer can put this shit to bed but has allowed this uncertainty to continue.  Case has saved our season, been playing lights out, and has done everything asked of him on and off the field.  He deserves to be the starter and its bullshit that every week we have to keep hearing rumors of him getting benched and questions about when is he finally going to shit the bed.

Case deserves more than that.

Despite playing great ball, many fans are unsettled about the QB position, with good reason. We all are
desperate as fans for a super bowl win and want our best on the field.  Teddy was drafted as a franchise guy, and has done nothing to make us doubt that he can be that guy.  

Although you have to give credit to Shurmer for having a scheme that gets the ball out quickly and has receivers open on every play, Case is playing great ball, making some very good throws, showing good pocket awareness the results cannot be argued.  That said I have seen few examples of him throwing someone open, and am still hesitant to believe he can lead us from behind with precision passes down the field like teddy has already demonstrated he can do.  

i am enjoying this team thoroughly, and i am resting quite assured that Z will make the right calls on personnel at the right time

@"golfervike" said:

@"SFVikingFan" said: I'm starting to get really irritated with this line of questioning and even Zimmer's responses honestly.  Zimmer can put this shit to bed but has allowed this uncertainty to continue.  Case has saved our season, been playing lights out, and has done everything asked of him on and off the field.  He deserves to be the starter and its bullshit that every week we have to keep hearing rumors of him getting benched and questions about when is he finally going to shit the bed.

Case deserves more than that.

i agree 100% but it's well documented his love of Teddy, and IMO his overestimate of Teddy's game. he's just begging for a reason to put him in the game. it is becoming more and more apparent each week. he seems upset that he has to play Case, because Case is playing so well.

@"JimmyinSD" said: "Horseshoe".....Remember you heard it here first.    ;)

Yes, the end results have often defied logic with Case.  He played pretty well yesterday, that throw and the dropped INT at the line were the only bad plays I remember.  He definitely has a lucky horseshoe somewhere.

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"golfervike" said:

@"SFVikingFan" said: I'm starting to get really irritated with this line of questioning and even Zimmer's responses honestly.  Zimmer can put this shit to bed but has allowed this uncertainty to continue.  Case has saved our season, been playing lights out, and has done everything asked of him on and off the field.  He deserves to be the starter and its bullshit that every week we have to keep hearing rumors of him getting benched and questions about when is he finally going to shit the bed.

Case deserves more than that.

i agree 100% but it's well documented his love of Teddy, and IMO his overestimate of Teddy's game. he's just begging for a reason to put him in the game. it is becoming more and more apparent each week. he seems upset that he has to play Case, because Case is playing so well.

Why not give Mike Zimmer the credit he deserves? You're suggesting that Zimmer wants to put Teddy in only because he "likes" him, and not because of what he has seen in practices. I think that's pretty ridiculous, don't you? 

I'm not able to witness practices, but by almost all accounts Teddy has been pretty spectacular. And it's far more likely that he, and not Case Keenum, is our future at QB. So it would not be that crazy to suggest that Zimmer is dying to see what Teddy can do in this offense. And probably senses, as many of us do, that his offense would be even better with Teddy.

But he knows, as many of us do, that you can't bench a QB as white-hot as Keenum has been. You just can't. And so on it goes.... It's an awkward situation and you can see that awkwardness in almost every interview Zimmer does. 

@"golfervike" said:

@"SFVikingFan" said: ...

i agree 100% but it's well documented his love of Teddy, and IMO his overestimate of Teddy's game. he's just begging for a reason to put him in the game. it is becoming more and more apparent each week. he seems upset that he has to play Case, because Case is playing so well.

In a different thread it was Bolstad I think who said he's starting to worry more about keeping our OC than who will be our QB for the long-term. I am starting to come around to that thought myself. It's clear that Shurmur is a pretty great OC and I could sure see him as a hot candidate for one of the many yearly vacancies upcoming.
I'd love to see the team keep both QBs and the OC. Will all 3 be with the team next year? Will any of them be with the team?? How about 1 or 2 of them?  I think it'd be a frickin' miracle if we kept all 3 another season.

@"medaille" said:

@"golfervike" said:

@"SFVikingFan" said: ...

i agree 100% but it's well documented his love of Teddy, and IMO his overestimate of Teddy's game. he's just begging for a reason to put him in the game. it is becoming more and more apparent each week. he seems upset that he has to play Case, because Case is playing so well.

I don't see it this way.  I see a coach who teaches his players to play smart football, to do the right thing, even if it's checking it down or taking the sack.  Even in the press conferences, it's been said that the coaches have talked to Keenum this week to not get too excited because of the Rams connection, to not try to force things to happen and to play within the gameplan.

For the most part, Keenum has been doing pretty well in minimizing mistakes and playing within the gameplan.  But every week he has a handful of plays where he does something that is a very risky that jeopardizes our win and is out of character with what Zimmer tries to instill in the whole team.

Everybody loves a gambler when they are on a hot streak and bringing home the winnings, but when the gamblers lucky streak goes cold, those plays
turn into interceptions and short fields that often lead directly to points.  2009 is the classic example of this with
Favre and AD both turning the ball over at inopportune times.

If we need Keenum to gamble in order to win the game, then
sure push all the chips in, but this team is designed to keep the score low,
win the field position game, make the opponent have to drive the whole length
of the field, and to score enough points to win within a low mistake offense.

@"greediron" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"golfervike" said:

@"SFVikingFan" said: I'm starting to get really irritated with this line of questioning and even Zimmer's responses honestly.  Zimmer can put this shit to bed but has allowed this uncertainty to continue.  Case has saved our season, been playing lights out, and has done everything asked of him on and off the field.  He deserves to be the starter and its bullshit that every week we have to keep hearing rumors of him getting benched and questions about when is he finally going to shit the bed.

Case deserves more than that.

i agree 100% but it's well documented his love of Teddy, and IMO his overestimate of Teddy's game. he's just begging for a reason to put him in the game. it is becoming more and more apparent each week. he seems upset that he has to play Case, because Case is playing so well.

Why not give Mike Zimmer the credit he deserves? You're suggesting that Zimmer wants to put Teddy in only because he "likes" him, and not because of what he has seen in practices. I think that's pretty ridiculous, don't you? 

I'm not able to witness practices, but by almost all accounts Teddy has been pretty spectacular. And it's far more likely that he, and not Case Keenum, is our future at QB. So it would not be that crazy to suggest that Zimmer is dying to see what Teddy can do in this offense. And probably senses, as many of us do, that his offense would be even better with Teddy.

But he knows, as many of us do, that you can't bench a QB as white-hot as Keenum has been. You just can't. And so on it goes.... It's an awkward situation and you can see that awkwardness in almost every interview Zimmer does. 

Yes, I think the cold calculations say that Keenum is on an unsustainable path.  But Zimmer recognizes the hot hand/lucky horseshoe and it is working right now.  Very tough spot for a coach and I think he is handling it rather honestly.  Keenum makes some dumb plays that could really hurt the team, but while we are winning and putting up good offense, it really is tough to change.

I think we should revel in any good luck that comes our way. I love Teddy's determination and Case's energy. It was crazy to see what looked like a sure sack yesterday and he managed to get away and make a play. He is awesome in the pressers and he is having fun and loves his teammates. Coach Zimmer is doing right. Plus he has probably talked with both privately about the situation as well. He is going to do what is best for the team. But clearly Case has found a whole other level of his game. They are going to ride with it and see what happens.

@"golfervike" said:

@"greediron" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"golfervike" said:

@"SFVikingFan" said: I'm starting to get really irritated with this line of questioning and even Zimmer's responses honestly.  Zimmer can put this shit to bed but has allowed this uncertainty to continue.  Case has saved our season, been playing lights out, and has done everything asked of him on and off the field.  He deserves to be the starter and its bullshit that every week we have to keep hearing rumors of him getting benched and questions about when is he finally going to shit the bed.

Case deserves more than that.

i agree 100% but it's well documented his love of Teddy, and IMO his overestimate of Teddy's game. he's just begging for a reason to put him in the game. it is becoming more and more apparent each week. he seems upset that he has to play Case, because Case is playing so well.

Why not give Mike Zimmer the credit he deserves? You're suggesting that Zimmer wants to put Teddy in only because he "likes" him, and not because of what he has seen in practices. I think that's pretty ridiculous, don't you? 

I'm not able to witness practices, but by almost all accounts Teddy has been pretty spectacular. And it's far more likely that he, and not Case Keenum, is our future at QB. So it would not be that crazy to suggest that Zimmer is dying to see what Teddy can do in this offense. And probably senses, as many of us do, that his offense would be even better with Teddy.

But he knows, as many of us do, that you can't bench a QB as white-hot as Keenum has been. You just can't. And so on it goes.... It's an awkward situation and you can see that awkwardness in almost every interview Zimmer does. 

Yes, I think the cold calculations say that Keenum is on an unsustainable path.  But Zimmer recognizes the hot hand/lucky horseshoe and it is working right now.  Very tough spot for a coach and I think he is handling it rather honestly.  Keenum makes some dumb plays that could really hurt the team, but while we are winning and putting up good offense, it really is tough to change.

I'm not trying to beat a dead horse, but before the EIGHTEEN MONTH LAYOVER, and teddy last played, he made dumb plays, or terrible deep throws, each and every week... If Teddy put up these numbers there would be in no way these Teddy guys clamoring for Case. 

Everyone keeps stating "play the hot hand" are they suggesting that after a season's worth of good/even great QB play, if he has one bad game, we bench him? 

We are criticizing a guy for making one or two (gasp maybe even three) bad throws a game3, in favor of a guy that hasn't played a meaningful football game since Jan 2016..... Folks that was a LOOOOOOOOOONG time ago. My money is that you would see a LOT more than 3 bad throws in that situation.