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Pager -> RE: General Vikes Talk (5/11/2021 9:15:34 PM)
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Since we haven't talked about Cousins in a hot minute, came across an interesting exchange. The copy and paste didn't work well.
https://www.dailynorseman.com/2021/5/5/22421664/kollmann-thinks-vikes-got-the-sod
"He played his worst game of the year in the second to last game of the season at home against the Packers and lost with the division on the line. In other words, he choked."
In the second to last game of the 2019 season, the Vikings had a 10-9 lead at the half. Rodgers and Cousins both had terrible days. They each threw an interception, which the other team followed up with a touchdown. They traded sacks back and forth through the first three-and-a-half quarters, at which time the score was 17-10, Green Bay, following Aaron Jones' first TD run of the game near the end of the 3rd quarter. Jones then broke off a 56-yard TD run, making the score 23-10. Cousins would be sacked on each of the next two drives, a holding call on Reiff would negate a 53-yard pass to Bisi Johnson, and the game was lost.
I can't say whether Cousins or Rodgers choked that day. Cousins threw one more "bad pass" than Rodgers, according to the box score on Pro Football Reference, while he was also pressured three more times than Rodgers. The big difference that day was that we were missing both Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison, and the Packers were able to totally contain Mike Boone, while Jones was able to ground out 90 yards and a TD even before his 56-yarder, and ended the day with 153 yards on the ground all by himself, compared to our 57 yards. No, Cousins did not pick up the Cook- and Mattison-less team, put it on his shoulders, and carry it to victory, not in the face of five sacks, three hurries and a hit, he didn't. Maybe he choked, maybe he didn't, but unlike Aaron, he didn't have a RB1 to save him and the team.
"He...can't escape pocket pressure. The only times he effectively uses his legs are during designed roll-outs."
You know, weasel words and phrases like "sometimes" and "he has trouble..." are our friends. There were several times last year when Cousins in fact escaped pressure and used his legs to gain yardage even when they weren't designed roll-outs. Even folks here who agree with you about Cousins in general will acknowledge that, but you have to stick with your narrative of "can't" and "only," even when the evidence is out there contradicting you.
"The man is 51-51-2 lifetime as a starter. And he's 7-31 against teams with a winning record."
The record against teams with a winning record is pretty much the only record of Kirk's that concerns me. His overall W-L record is easy to explain by the mediocre to bad teams he QB'd in Washington and the woeful offensive lines, play calling (in 2018) and defense (in 2020) he's had to endure in Minnesota.
"Sure, you can point to an outlier statistic or game he won; for example, his New Orleans win or a comeback here and there."
Using the numbers for Fourth Quarter Comebacks (4QC) and Game-Winning Drives (GWD) at Pro Football Reference, Cousins' career combined regular season 4QC/GWD rate is actually higher than Tom Brady's, Matt Ryan's and Joe Flacco's, and not far behind Drew Brees' (it's in the post-season that Brady nearly doubles his regular season rate). Cousins only had one 4QC and/or GWD apiece in 2018 and 2019, but he had three last year, even with the awful D and awful pass blocking. So no, should the Vikings fall behind, I won't "forget about it."
Cousins is what he has always been, a good, clearly above average quarterback who ranks somewhere between the 8th (if I'm being generous) and 13th best in the league, and he and his agents have played the free agent market like a violin, which doesn't break my heart in the least. He's not average, he's not mediocre, he's better than that, and he's got a certain degree of dorky moxy, if not spunk, but that's OK, because I hate spunk! In the grand tradition of Jim Plunkett, Doug Williams, Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, Eli Manning, Joe Flacco and Nick Foles, I still think Cousins gives us a chance to get to and win a Super Bowl, and no, he doesn't need everything perfect, he just needs a good - that's GOOD - running game, OL and defense.
But we can agree to disagree.
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