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NFL
Oct 24, 2023 20:19:14 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Oct 24, 2023 20:19:14 GMT
The Vikings are an enigma. I just cannot get a handle on them from week-to-week (and that includes Fantasy Football ). Kirk Cousins, their defense, the team's (in)ability to close games, the trading of Dalvin Cook, should they go for it or rebuild, how good is their coach, etc. I watched that game last night and the Vikings appear to have some real talent, especially the offensive skill positions. They posted the Vikings schedule for the next two months and it's not that difficult, relatively speaking. If they get hot, they might compete for the last wild card slot. I never would've said that a week or two ago.My friends and I were emailing about that this morning. It's astounding. I was all aboard the Rebuild Train two weeks ago, but after two more wins...? I don't know. I still don't think we're good. But when you're legitimately in the hunt, you hate to quit. Jordan Addison, our rookie WR who has elevated to the #1 spot with Justin Jefferson out, looks like a real keeper. The running game still stinks, but Cousins can spread it around and there is some talent yet. If they stay healthy - and you can say that about any running back - Alexander Mattison and Cam Akers are a good 1-2 punch. I like them.
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NFL
Oct 24, 2023 20:33:15 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Oct 24, 2023 20:33:15 GMT
My friends and I were emailing about that this morning. It's astounding. I was all aboard the Rebuild Train two weeks ago, but after two more wins...? I don't know. I still don't think we're good. But when you're legitimately in the hunt, you hate to quit. Jordan Addison, our rookie WR who has elevated to the #1 spot with Justin Jefferson out, looks like a real keeper. The running game still stinks, but Cousins can spread it around and there is some talent yet. If they stay healthy - and you can say that about any running back - Alexander Mattison and Cam Akers are a good 1-2 punch. I like them. I don't know. I've really liked Mattison while he's been a backup to Dalvin Cook, but while I like his toughness, he lacks the burst to be a really good back--especially behind a sometimes weak OL. So far this season, he's at just 359 yards (4.0 ypc), a long of 19, 0 TDs, and 1 lost fumble. That's through seven games, and he has gotten the vast majority of the carries! Akers seems to be a bit quicker, a little bit more burst, but I just don't know enough about him yet after just four games and 21 carries (for just 94 yards). Neither has a rushing TD. The team doesn't have a single rushing TD, and we're almost halfway through the season. Unbelievable. I know the game is changing, but my gosh.
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NFL
Oct 29, 2023 21:04:57 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Oct 29, 2023 21:04:57 GMT
Talk about a Pyrrhic victory: the Vikings, who started 0-3, improved to 4-4 by beating the Packers at Lambeau Field ... but lost Kirk Cousins to an Achilles tear.
That injury would certainly end his season, and without a remotely passable backup, probably the Vikings' season, too.
It also has to hurt the future prospects of Kirk Cousins, as the 35-year-old will enter free agency after this season. Instead of coming off a league-leading season, he'll be trying to convince teams an aging QB is ready to come back from a potentially debilitating injury. Talk about a lack of leverage.
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NFL
Oct 30, 2023 12:47:52 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Oct 30, 2023 12:47:52 GMT
You gotta feel bad for Kirk Cousins. He was leading the league in TD passes and second in yardage. I guess he can recover (athletes are recovering better/quicker) but at his age, I don't know if a contender will be interested nor will a team which is rebuilding.
As far as the Vikings, while I don't think they were serious contenders for a championship run, it appeared they at least righted the ship. I don't know now...
Each year in the NFL is crazy, and this year is no exception. Denver dominates Kansas City, who doesn't even score a touchdown. The 49ers now look...very average. And, which Dallas team will show up week-to-week? Next week the Eagles play Dallas (at Philly). Can't wait for that one!
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NFL
Oct 30, 2023 13:02:10 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Oct 30, 2023 13:02:10 GMT
As far as the Vikings, while I don't think they were serious contenders for a championship run, it appeared they at least righted the ship. I don't know now...
Oh, they definitely weren't serious contenders. But on the other hand, I was at least flirting with the idea of full-on tanking when they were 0-3. They have showed a lot of guts to get up to 4-4, making themselves legit playoff contenders, anyway ... and now the question is again whether to tank. Because realistically, Nick Mullens (once he's healthy) and rookie Jaren Hall are just not capable of winning as starting QBs, and as bad as our running game is, there's nothing to lean on. It's only because of our passing game that our offense has done anything. And that can't be credited to our line, necessarily ... it's been largely Cousins and the talented and reliable receivers. Now you take Cousins out of that equation.
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NFL
Oct 31, 2023 19:13:23 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Oct 31, 2023 19:13:23 GMT
NFL trade deadline day isn't usually anywhere near as exciting as NBA trade deadline day, but the Vikings have made (at least) two moves--neither of which indicates tanking.
1. They traded away a conditional 6th rounder in exchange for Joshua Dobbs, who has thrown for almost 1600 yards, 8 TDs, and 5 INTs on almost 63% passing. The Vikings also get a 7th rounder.
2. They traded away formerly starting guard Ezra Cleveland, who has struggled and struggled to remain healthy and has been replaced in the starting lineup by Dalton Risner, to Jacksonville for a 6th rounder.
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NFL
Nov 6, 2023 12:10:09 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Nov 6, 2023 12:10:09 GMT
If the Vikings keep winning games like this, I don't know that we'll have a team left to play the games. Last week, we lost QB Kirk Cousins to an Achilles injury in the win. Yesterday in another (dramatic!) win, we lost Cam Akers to the same injury and both new starting QB Jaren Hall and WR KJ Osborn to concussions.
Joshua Dobbs was a member of the Cardinals at this time last week. He arrived in Minnesota late Tuesday night, had his first practice Wednesday, and won the game Sunday.
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NFL
Nov 13, 2023 12:27:17 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Nov 13, 2023 12:27:17 GMT
It wasn't pretty, and we lost a few more guys to injuries, but the Vikings won their 5th straight game to improve to 6-4. When you consider that they started the season 1-4 and have lost our top three QBs to injury, thus starting a journeyman with about 10 days with the team under his belt, it's downright remarkable.
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NFL
Nov 13, 2023 17:39:56 GMT
via mobile
Post by kds on Nov 13, 2023 17:39:56 GMT
The Ravens blew a big opportunity to create separation in the AFC North, blowing a 14 point 4th quarter lead at home to Cleveland. We've had fourth quarter leads in all three of our losses.
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NFL
Nov 13, 2023 18:32:32 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Nov 13, 2023 18:32:32 GMT
Our local media almost made it two games into the Josh Dobbs Era to start speculating on whether he's going to be the QB of the future here. Just prior to his injury--and actually even immediately after it--they were all saying Kirk Cousins was playing so well that we ought to re-sign him when his contract expires this spring.
Through seven-plus games, Cousins threw for 291 yards a game on 69.5% completions, with 18 TDs and 5 INTs. He ran for 25 yards on 14 carries for a 1.8 avg and 0 TDs. He will be 36 when next season begins (and of course will be coming off a torn Achilles).
Through just under two games, Dobbs has thrown for 426 yards on 67.2% completions, with 3 TDs and 0 INTs. He has run for 110 yards on 15 carries, for a 7.3 average and 2 TDs. He will be 29 when next season begins.
I would not be too quick to commit to either QB long term after the season. Cousins played very well this season, no question. And as long as there is a good team around him, I'm confident he can do that. A previously torn Achilles doesn't worry me much because he hasn't ever been much of a rusher anyway: he is like a Dan Marino type, really only moving a few steps one way or the other to avoid pressure, but never a real threat to take off.
Dobbs has shown moxie and intelligence, and his running has been a nice boost for our abysmal ground game. But he's 28 and has never caught on with any of his previous teams--and he's shuffled through his fair share of teams. It seems unlikely that he's been an undiscovered Lamar Jackson over the past seven seasons. Let's at least watch him the rest of this season and see what the options might be in the offseason.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Nov 13, 2023 21:06:29 GMT
Dobbs has shown moxie and intelligence... Do you know what Josh Dobbs majored in in college? Rocket science! No kidding, he majored in aerospace engineering at the University Of Tennessee.
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Post by Kapitan on Nov 13, 2023 21:12:36 GMT
Yes, it's been the second sentence out of every commentator's and journalist's mouth since the trade. I think my mom knows it by now! It is cool seeing somebody like that in the NFL, though. A much better role model than many.
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NFL
Nov 14, 2023 12:25:13 GMT
via mobile
Post by kds on Nov 14, 2023 12:25:13 GMT
Two seasons ago, when Lamar got hurt in early December, many here became infacuated with back up Tyler Huntley. This, despite the Ravens going 0-5 and missing the playoffs.
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NFL
Nov 28, 2023 12:47:41 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Nov 28, 2023 12:47:41 GMT
People are suddenly coming to the conclusion that maybe--just maybe--Joshua Dobbs isn't Patrick Mahomes and Albert Einstein all rolled into one, and that maybe there's a reason he's bounced around so much.
Great guy by all accounts, and he has had some good moments in crazy situations. But a dose of real life is good for people.
That game was atrocious. Just a terrible weekend for Minnesota sports! Vikings capped it off with a train wreck, but the Gophers basketball team lost by almost 20 to San Francisco, the Gophers football team got manhandled at home by Wisconsin ... heck, even the Wild fired their coach, not that I care about hockey.
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NFL
Dec 11, 2023 13:19:26 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Dec 11, 2023 13:19:26 GMT
That Vikings v Raiders game was one of the worst NFL games I've ever watched. A generous person might say it was a display of great defense; I'd say it was two tolerable defenses facing some very bad offenses--and the Vikings offense was especially terrible. The Raiders' looked a bit better, and just had some bad luck, such as untimely turnovers. The Vikings were just atrocious.
And now it seems the Josh Dobbs Era has come to an end, as he was atrocious for a second consecutive game and benched for Nick Mullens (who entered the season as backup, got hurt, then was made Dobbs's backup).
But let's be realistic: Nick Mullens is not the answer, either. Whether the Vikings sneak into the playoffs is more or less irrelevant. It's not a good team, and losing Justin Jefferson AGAIN (the first half of football he played since his previous stay on IR) as well as both starting tackles, our starting tailback, and a wide receiver? That does not help.
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