It has been a month since my last blog, but my recent move across the country to NYC along with every other little thing that comes with starting a new job has limited my time.
But…I’m back baby! Although, I don’t really know how I’m feeling. I’m a cross between pissed off, sad and confused, but it has nothing to do with the new chapter in my life. My emotions stem from the pathetic showing on Sunday Night Football by the Minnesota Vikings. But to tell you the truth I saw this coming a mile away.
After falling a game short last winter, the Vikes decided it would be in their “best interest” to go after a quarterback in free agency instead of re-signing Case Keenum and Teddy Bridgewater. Washington had its fair share of contract negotiations fall through with Kirk Cousins over the past few seasons and they finally decided to part ways and let him test the market. So, naturally Minnesota decided to throw the kitchen sink at the QB position and inked Cousins to an $84 million deal.
This brings me to my biggest argument dating back to the summer–why are we overpaying for a quarterback? Seriously though…
I get it…you need a smart signal caller that takes care of the football, but one that can also make plays and win games. The Vikings not only had a rookie quarterback in 2015 win them the NFC North (Blair Walsh costed him a playoff win as well) but he was a first-team all rookie selection as well. If not for a freak accident in training camp in 2016 the Vikes would probably still have Bridgewater under center.
Not to mention, Keenum took this current roster to the NFC title game last January. He finished 2017 2nd in completion percentage (67.6%), 2nd in QBR (72.8) and 3rd in INT (7, minimum 200 attempts), while guiding the Vikes to a first-round bye. Sure, he got lucky with a Minneapolis Miracle…but last time I checked a win is a win, and 2018 has been far from an upgrade at the quarterback position.
Cousins has shown that he is a solid quarterback at times, but tonight on the primetime big boy stage, when the lights were the brightest…he crawled back into his shell like he has done throughout his entire NFL career. Two untimely interceptions and a game icing pick-6 in the fourth quarter not only put Minnesota a game and a half back of Chicago for the division lead, but it also kept the Packers afloat as well.
The sad thing too is that we have one of the best defenses in the league and have for the past two years. Tonight they came to play (besides a few missed tackles, and an awful throw by Trubisky that somehow was caught in the groin area) and they even made a couple of huge plays to even keep the boys in it. But then again, this defense is the reason the Purple People Eaters have been in contention each of the past two seasons and also the reason that we didn’t need to give Kirk the keys to the city.
I get that a lot of factors come into a decision to bid for a QB and the schedule this year is a bit stronger than 2017, but my argument is more of a “why fix what isn’t broken?”
Losing Pat Shurmur to the Giants in the offseason stung, and then losing offensive line coach Tony Sparano (RIP) just before Week 1 was also a dagger, but for the majority of the staff and personnel remained the same. What worked so well last year was that the Vikings played to Keenum’s strengths and his style of play, even though the offensive line wasn’t the greatest. The play calling got the ball out of his hands quickly to our playmakers Stephon Diggs and AdamThielen, while Jerick McKinnon and Latavius Murray controlled the ground game. BUT most importantly…Keenum was a solid game manager who always made the safe and/or right play. Limiting turnovers in the NFL is so crucial if you’re going to be successful and win games.
Cousins has a track record with untimely turnovers dating back to his stint in the nations capital, and has yet to win a big game since college…unless you want to count the Outback Bowl as a big time W! He threw the ‘Skins out of playoff contention in Week 17 of 2016 against the Giants at home and constantly seems to force one too many balls into coverage late in games.
Now, going back to tonight’s game, Cousins missed a wide open Diggs in the end zone on the first drive of the game that would have been a for sure TD and would have changed the outcome of the game overall. Instead, two plays later…Cook fumbled and then the Vikes went on to get shutout until late in the 3rd Quarter.
Kirk leads the league in balls batted down at the line of scrimmage and he leads the league in fumbles lost since entering the NFL in 2012. Sure, the inconsistency of the offensive line this season has forced him to rush his throws, and the insane pass rush of Khalil Mack haunted him in the pocket all night, but Minnesota gave you $84 million dollars to compensate for these issues.
This brings me to the main part of my argument of why Keenum, or even Bridgewater for that matter, would have been a better asset to the Vikings in 2018. MONEY! Allocate the extra 20 million or whatever it would have been to the the biggest concern heading into the season…the O-line. I’m not saying Cousins is a bad quarterback, because obviously he isn’t. He can make some unbelievable throws and he can be elusive at times, but for the price tag…I’ll pass 10 times out of 10.
Let me make this clearer…I’m passing on Cousins’ price because we already had in hand two signal callers that have guided us to the postseason and one who pushed us into an NFC Championship game berth. Like the old saying goes…a bird in the hand is worth more than two birds in the bush. Although, Minnesota had two QB’s in hand and one in the bush that has an extremely average track record to go along with ZERO playoff wins.
In 2018, Kirk is 0-2 under the bright lights of SNF and he is 0-3 against teams with a winning record (CHI, NO, LAR). Oh…and the 5 wins to his name this year… Arizona, NY Jets, Philly, Detroit and San Fran…all of whom have losing records (don’t forget the massacre at home against Buffalo).
The generalization that you must overpay for a quarterback is non sense…unless you actually do not have a player who can play the position (Nathan Peterman would be an okay reason for selling the farm).
I get it, I really do. In order to win in this league you need a really good QB. But there are so many other factors that come into play. We can all agree that Aaron Rodgers is the most talented quarterback in the game today and maybe all time, but he has just 1 ring and is on the brink of missing the postseason for the second time since taking over the reins from Brett Favre in 2009. He is the highest paid QB in 2018, yet he might miss the playoffs? Hmm, maybe other positions do matter more than most people argue. But then again, what can you do about it with no money. This is why TB12 takes pay cuts.
But Evan…the Broncos did the same thing in 2012. Tim Tebow even won a playoff game too! Oh my bad, I didn’t realize that Kirk Cousins was on the same pedestal as Peyton Manning, and he has a Super Bowl and multiple MVPs. Denver had a really good defense, and Manning came in and broke virtually all of the passing records in a single season. Let me know when Kirk comes close to that please. I’ll wait.
Before I go, I want to make this clear as well. Keenum is the RIGHT quarterback for the Vikings system and FOR THE RIGHT PRICE!
Sure, he is an average to below-average quarterback so far in the Broncos systems…but this is an argument about Minnesota and not Denver. It is two completely different organizations and rosters, and you cannot simply point to what he has done in Denver. Hell…Cousins literally didn’t win a thing in DC.
Cousins is more talented overall but Keenum’s price tag would have allowed for the Vikings to allocate money to the line, while already proving that he can win under Mike Zimmer.
I hate to do this but I am writing the Vikings off in 2018, especially after watching the Saints continue to score at will over the past 5 weeks. I seriously do not see anybody beating Who Dat Nation and it’s a scary offense to even defend.Minnesota’s offense has shown no signs of competing against the conferences best and the play calling has gotten way too predictable.
Money can get you far in life…but you must invest it correctly if you’re going to have any shot of being successful.
Here’s to hoping some of the checks bounce when the $84 million Man tries to cash them in while he continues to rob Minneapolis blind.