What if Cousins is not the answer at QB?

Both Zimmer and Spielman will be let go if they don’t make the playoffs.  

Spielman needs to go. It's inevitable. Otherwise it will be another year of the sos next year. Find someone who can actually evaluate QB's and offensive linemen. This team continuously is not quite good enough, and it's fans deserve better.

Well, I'm not jumping on the roller coaster after a disappointing game because it's always the same. After every win we're going to the Super Bowl and after every loss we're doomed. But it's hard to figure out Cousins. He's been in the league what 6 or 7 years and still makes the same boneheaded plays. He's capable of stuff that amazes you like the bomb to Diggs, dropping it in there. But still he's capable of just doing really stupid shit that you can't believe. And I have to say why does the guy not learn to stop that? Usually guys develop and get better over time. But he just seems to be the same screw up he's been since he started.

@"comet52" said: Well, I'm not jumping on the roller coaster after a disappointing game because it's always the same. After every win we're going to the Super Bowl and after every loss we're doomed. But it's hard to figure out Cousins. He's been in the league what 6 or 7 years and still makes the same boneheaded plays. He's capable of stuff that amazes you like the bomb to Diggs, dropping it in there. But still he's capable of just doing really stupid shit that you can't believe. And I have to say why does the guy not learn to stop that? Usually guys develop and get better over time. But he just seems to be the same screw up he's been since he started.

But I'll say this about Cousins: that late INT is not a throw that a good QB makes at this stage in his career. It was the wrong reaction in that scenario. Instinctually bad. That's the concern for me.

I'll say this much...Cousins was the best option at the time to fulfill the QB slot...it's pretty obvious the weight of expectations is too great for him...barring injury, he's our QB the next 30 games...

Then we waste 3 years of talent and start over. Ugh. They did what they could with what was available.

He's not, plain and simple.  Completely collapses against top notch opponents.

@"BarrNone55" said: I'll say this much...Cousins was the best option at the time to fulfill the QB slot...it's pretty obvious the weight of expectations is too great for him...barring injury, he's our QB the next 30 games...

KC is like the Vikings new version of Wade Wilson.  Welcome to 8-8 purgatory.

I agree we need a QB prospect in next years draft. We are stuck with Cousins thru the 2020 season. I still believe we can make the playoffs and take a run even with Cousin's (eternal optimist).

If we can move up in the 1st round we could get Justin Herbert out of Oregon. If we can't move up (I am still assuming we will have a winning record and make the playoffs), we might be able to grab Costello out of Stanford. Otherwise we are looking at QB's in rounds 2-7, Here's my list.

Steven Montez, Colorado, Round 1-3
Jacob Eason, QB, Washington, Round 1-3
Jordan Love, Utah State (junior), Round 2-4
Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M, Round 2-4

@"Uffdadan" said: I agree we need a QB prospect in next years draft. We are stuck with Cousins thru the 2020 season. I still believe we can make the playoffs and take a run even with Cousin's (eternal optimist).

If we can move up in the 1st round we could get Justin Herbert out of Oregon. If we can't move up (I am still assuming we will have a winning record and make the playoffs), we might be able to grab Costello out of Stanford. Otherwise we are looking at QB's in rounds 2-7, Here's my list.

Steven Montez, Colorado, Round 1-3 Jacob Eason, QB, Washington, Round 1-3 Jordan Love, Utah State (junior), Round 2-4 Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M, Round 2-4

Feleipe Franks, Florida, Round 2-4 Nate Stanley, Iowa, Round 2-4Deondre Francois, QB, Hampton, Round 6 – FA

They could sit behind Cousins for a year and develop (find out if they are the real deal). I was hoping Sloter was the answer, and loved him in preseason, but based upon the other teams interest in Sloter, I guess he had something missing.   

Honestly: he is not the answer. He can't be when his instincts are still this questionable. I mean, that's the truth of it.

So Job #1 is getting a QB drafted. Let him sit a full year behind Cousins. Let Cousins go in his merry way and start anew with a guy that 'plays the way we want him to play' (This is part of a Zimmer quote yesterday about Cousins: 'Cousins has all the talent, but we have to teach him how to play like we want him to play'). Good luck teaching an old dog new tricks, it rarely happens. But drafted rookies you can teach them, especially if they can just sit for a bit and absorb without stress. 

"Cousins has all the talent, but we have to teach him how to play like we want him to play".

This quote says a lot. I know he was the best available option at the time and he leveraged that for a great deal. But he is going to be halfway through that deal soon, I don't know how successful they will be with teaching him to change anything. Good luck with that. 

@"BarrNone55" said: I'll say this much...Cousins was the best option at the time to fulfill the QB slot...it's pretty obvious the weight of expectations is too great for him...barring injury, he's our QB the next 30 games...

@"Vikergirl" said: "Cousins has all the talent, but we have to teach him how to play like we want him to play".

This quote says a lot. I know he was the best available option at the time and he leveragel that for a great deal. But he is going to be halfway through that deal soon, I don't know how successful they will be with teaching him to change anything. Good luck with that. 

So a lot depends on how Cousins responds to Zimmer/Stefanski/Kubiak. Are any of them "quarterback whisperers"? Whose voice will be loudest and have the most impact on Cousins' self-confidence? I really think the entire offseason of "we're going to run so much more, less passing" and the Atlanta game plan that virtually shelved the passing game have not exactly boosted Cousins, who was shell-shocked by the end of last season.
It's pretty challenging to reprogram a 31-year-old veteran in his 8th season. The entire idea of acquiring Cousins was to have a vet that was ready to roll with a defense in its prime.

@"Jor-El" said:

@"BarrNone55" said: I'll say this much...Cousins was the best option at the time to fulfill the QB slot...it's pretty obvious the weight of expectations is too great for him...barring injury, he's our QB the next 30 games...

I agree, and I thought signing him was the right decision. They had a mature defense that couldn't wait for a rookie to mature - but, more than that, I did not, and do not, think Mike Zimmer is a coach who can bring along a young quarterback.

@"Vikergirl" said: "Cousins has all the talent, but we have to teach him how to play like we want him to play".

This quote says a lot. I know he was the best available option at the time and he leveragel that for a great deal. But he is going to be halfway through that deal soon, I don't know how successful they will be with teaching him to change anything. Good luck with that. 

So a lot depends on how Cousins responds to Zimmer/Stefanski/Kubiak. Are any of them "quarterback whisperers"? Whose voice will be loudest and have the most impact on Cousins' self-confidence? I really think the entire offseason of "we're going to run so much more, less passing" and the Atlanta game plan that virtually shelved the passing game have not exactly boosted Cousins, who was shell-shocked by the end of last season.
It's pretty challenging to reprogram a 31-year-old veteran in his 8th season. The entire idea of acquiring Cousins was to have a vet that was ready to roll with a defense in its prime.

@"Vikergirl" said: "Cousins has all the talent, but we have to teach him how to play like we want him to play".

This quote says a lot. I know he was the best available option at the time and he leveraged that for a great deal. But he is going to be halfway through that deal soon, I don't know how successful they will be with teaching him to change anything. Good luck with that. 

The problem with this is the way Zimmer wants QBs to play is to be game managers. Protect the football, hand it off, and make good throws on 3rd down. That is great in theory but rarely does that brand of football actually develop talent. The only top-tier QB in the league I can think of who plays this way is Russell Wilson in Seattle. But he is also a running threat, which is an entire skill set that Kirk doesn't possess.

For now Cousins is the guy and I hope he plays better than he did yesterday, but looking ahead, I worry that Zimmer's "brand of football" is not compatible with drafting and developing a franchise quarterback.

@"pattersaur" said:

@"Vikergirl" said: "Cousins has all the talent, but we have to teach him how to play like we want him to play".

This quote says a lot. I know he was the best available option at the time and he leveraged that for a great deal. But he is going to be halfway through that deal soon, I don't know how successful they will be with teaching him to change anything. Good luck with that. 

The problem with this is the way Zimmer wants QBs to play is to be game managers. Protect the football, hand it off, and make good throws on 3rd down. That is great in theory but rarely does that brand of football actually develop talent. The only top-tier QB in the league I can think of who plays this way is Russell Wilson in Seattle. But he is also a running threat, which is an entire skill set that Kirk doesn't possess.

For now Cousins is the guy and I hope he plays better than he did yesterday, but looking ahead, I worry that Zimmer's "brand of football" is not compatible with drafting and developing a franchise quarterback.

I'm the outlier.  I think Zimmer is a damn good coach and don't want to see him go at all.  I think the best course it to draft a QB with our #1 next year and spin the QB wheel of death and see where we land. 

Yall don't remember how shitty the Vikings were prior to Zimmer.  We had one good year in over a decade due to Farve.  Now every year we think we've got a chance.  It was one game, a game that we probably should have ended up winning even with 3 turnovers. 

@"AGRforever" said:

I'm the outlier.  I think Zimmer is a damn good coach and don't want to see him go at all.  I think the best course it to draft a QB with our #1 next year and spin the QB wheel of death and see where we land. 

Yall don't remember how shitty the Vikings were prior to Zimmer.  We had one good year in over a decade due to Farve.  Now every year we think we've got a chance.  It was one game, a game that we probably should have ended up winning even with 3 turnovers. 

@"AGRforever" said:

I'm the outlier.  I think Zimmer is a damn good coach and don't want to see him go at all.  I think the best course it to draft a QB with our #1 next year and spin the QB wheel of death and see where we land. 

Yall don't remember how shitty the Vikings were prior to Zimmer.  We had one good year in over a decade due to Farve.  Now every year we think we've got a chance.  It was one game, a game that we probably should have ended up winning even with 3 turnovers. 

@"pattersaur" said:

@"Vikergirl" said: "Cousins has all the talent, but we have to teach him how to play like we want him to play".

This quote says a lot. I know he was the best available option at the time and he leveraged that for a great deal. But he is going to be halfway through that deal soon, I don't know how successful they will be with teaching him to change anything. Good luck with that. 

The problem with this is the way Zimmer wants QBs to play is to be game managers. Protect the football, hand it off, and make good throws on 3rd down. That is great in theory but rarely does that brand of football actually develop talent. The only top-tier QB in the league I can think of who plays this way is Russell Wilson in Seattle. But he is also a running threat, which is an entire skill set that Kirk doesn't possess.

For now Cousins is the guy and I hope he plays better than he did yesterday, but looking ahead, I worry that Zimmer's "brand of football" is not compatible with drafting and developing a franchise quarterback.