quote:

ORIGINAL: ambear

Fools gold, maybe. But Sunday nights always feel better with a Viking win.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Karl Juhnke

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bruce Johnson

The Vikings are up to a 22% chance to make the playoffs according to this source. I think the odds move up if the Bears and Bucs lose. Also, I understand there's a chance that due to Covid situations the NFL may decide to increase the number of seeds from seven to eight in each conference.

http://www.playoffstatus.com/nfl/nflpostseasonprob.html

New York Times playoff simulator has them at 27% to make the playoffs. After starting 1-5 I’ll take those odds.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/upshot/nfl-playoff-picture.html?referringSource=articleShare

quote:

ORIGINAL: Karl Juhnke

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bruce Johnson

The Vikings are up to a 22% chance to make the playoffs according to this source. I think the odds move up if the Bears and Bucs lose. Also, I understand there's a chance that due to Covid situations the NFL may decide to increase the number of seeds from seven to eight in each conference.

http://www.playoffstatus.com/nfl/nflpostseasonprob.html

New York Times playoff simulator has them at 27% to make the playoffs. After starting 1-5 I’ll take those odds.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/upshot/nfl-playoff-picture.html?referringSource=articleShare

quote:

ORIGINAL: Burns

Cousins won the game. The defense and special teams continue to be the weakest link. Just like I posted after the last game.

quote:

ORIGINAL: thebigo

quote:

ORIGINAL: Burns

Cousins won the game. The defense and special teams continue to be the weakest link. Just like I posted after the last game.

Well you're so smart! Other than the part about the offense giving up 2 defensive TDs, the defense only responsible for 10 of Carolina's points, and in effect saving the game by forcing Carolina into a FG after Beebe's punt fumble gave Carolina a first and goal at the 9 with just over 2 minutes left.

But other than that, you're downright prescient.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Burns

Cousins won the game. The defense and special teams continue to be the weakest link. Just like I posted after the last game.

quote:

ORIGINAL: ronhextall

quote:

ORIGINAL: Burns

Cousins won the game. The defense and special teams continue to be the weakest link. Just like I posted after the last game.

Only after Bridgewater lost it. He was horrible and missed a gimme touchdown that most high schoolers would have completed.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bill Johanesen

When Cousins signed, he said he had achieved things stats wise and now wanted to focus on being known as a winner. Tough to do because so of the numerous things it takes to win. Cousins is an upper echelon QB, and I was glad we signed him as a pure FA so we didn't have to give up assets. Salary wise I think he's now the 9th highest paid QB, so there are some obscene league-wide numbers. Nonetheless, his contract is something we are stuck with for now. All that has been hashed and rehashed.

While being pro-Cousins all along, the problem IMO is he doesn't have IT. Unless you have a great defense (great as in best in a decade type D) your QB better have the inner confidence, moxy, ability to reinvent on the fly, a certain thought process to make plays, etc. The guy that shines brightest on the biggest stages. The QB who gives the team a quiet calm knowing he will make it happen more times than not.

There are a lot of ways to try to describe IT, but it's really just something you sense.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bill Johanesen

When Cousins signed, he said he had achieved things stats wise and now wanted to focus on being known as a winner. Tough to do because so of the numerous things it takes to win. Cousins is an upper echelon QB, and I was glad we signed him as a pure FA so we didn't have to give up assets. Salary wise I think he's now the 9th highest paid QB, so there are some obscene league-wide numbers. Nonetheless, his contract is something we are stuck with for now. All that has been hashed and rehashed.

While being pro-Cousins all along, the problem IMO is he doesn't have IT. Unless you have a great defense (great as in best in a decade type D) your QB better have the inner confidence, moxy, ability to reinvent on the fly, a certain thought process to make plays, etc. The guy that shines brightest on the biggest stages. The QB who gives the team a quiet calm knowing he will make it happen more times than not.

There are a lot of ways to try to describe IT, but it's really just something you sense.

quote:

ORIGINAL: SoMnFan

Perhaps Kirk feels comfortable with no fans. I do think this plays a part

Great point. It's to our advantage, imo (the quiet buildings)
I've got no complaints about Cousins lately. Seems to be getting better.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bruce Johnson

I'm thinking that this game (with the opportunity of Johnson and Beebe getting into the mix) will make our offense more formidable when Theilen returns.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bruce Johnson

The Vikings rank 26th in the NFL in points allowed. With that in mind, yes, I am pleased with 5-6. They are winning games in spite of the defense.
If you don't get it, have a look at the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Saints. They finished 7-9 in each of those years -- because of defense.

In the same timeframe (since 2018 when Cousins came to the Vikings), these QBs have won one or zero playoff games:

Russell Wilson
Aaron Rodgers
Ben Roethlisberger
Dak Prescott
Deshaun Watson
Drew Brees
Lamar Jackson

Three QBs have won a Super Bowl during the last decade on their rookie deals -- Flacco, Wilson, Mahomes.
That means eight championships were won by QBs NOT on rookie deals.
Why do we act like this "QB on his rookie deal" strategy is bulletproof? It doesn't usually work.

With the Rams losing to the 49ers and presumably angry about it, I fully expect them to defeat the Cardinals next weekend.
In that scenario, coupled with a win over JAX, the Vikings would be the #7 seed by this time next week. And then on to Tampa.

(Dustin Baker on Twitter)

quote:

ORIGINAL: David F.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bruce Johnson

The Vikings rank 26th in the NFL in points allowed. With that in mind, yes, I am pleased with 5-6. They are winning games in spite of the defense.
If you don't get it, have a look at the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Saints. They finished 7-9 in each of those years -- because of defense.

In the same timeframe (since 2018 when Cousins came to the Vikings), these QBs have won one or zero playoff games:

Russell Wilson
Aaron Rodgers
Ben Roethlisberger
Dak Prescott
Deshaun Watson
Drew Brees
Lamar Jackson

Three QBs have won a Super Bowl during the last decade on their rookie deals -- Flacco, Wilson, Mahomes.
That means eight championships were won by QBs NOT on rookie deals.
Why do we act like this "QB on his rookie deal" strategy is bulletproof? It doesn't usually work.

With the Rams losing to the 49ers and presumably angry about it, I fully expect them to defeat the Cardinals next weekend.
In that scenario, coupled with a win over JAX, the Vikings would be the #7 seed by this time next week. And then on to Tampa.

(Dustin Baker on Twitter)

This guy's special skill is crafting stats and numbers to try and skew people's perception of facts. I'll restate the same thing he said in equally true terms but will say something else:

In the last decade, in order to win the Super Bowl you needed a Manning or a Brady. If you didn't have a Manning or a Brady then you needed needed a QB on his rookie deal as they won 60% of the Super Bowls in the last decade that weren't won by a Manning or a Brady. Aaron Rodgers and Nick Foles won the other two.

So, in summary, A Manning or a Brady won 50%, QBs on rookie deals won 30%, and Rodgers/Foles picked up the other 20%.

Lastly, no one has stated that 'QB on his rookie deal strategy is bulletproof'.