What are your expectations for Cousins ... and the offense?

Danchat
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What are your expectations for Cousins ... and the offense? Jun 18, 2018 17:48:02 GMT -6

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Post by Danchat on Jun 18, 2018 17:48:02 GMT -6

Jun 18, 2018 13:23:19 GMT -6 @edgerush said:

If we're just talking stats I think Cousins has a #1 fantasy QB type season. 30+ TDs, 4k yards plus a couple running TDs. His skill position talent has been significantly upgraded. The dome environment inflates stats. Most importantly though, is DeFillipo. We saw a big step forward when we gave Shurmur the offense and I'll think we'll see another one this year. Flip is the next of the Shanahan/McVay types where he has the ability to create opportunities for easy completions via play design. Cousins is a great fit for what he wants to do.

Problem #1 is this doesn't mean anything for the playoffs except we have a slightly better shot at home field advantage. Cousins is just as likely to get rattled on that stage as he is to be sharp. He's never been there and the pressure will be tremendous.

Problem #2 is I'm fairly certain that Flip will do such a good job with the offense someone will hire him away as a head coach next year.

I actually don't agree; I think Cousins will be a borderline 1-2 QB because the Vikings will be winning more often and not needing to pass for so many yards, the running game will be better with Cook, and the defense should be in the top 5 again. I do expect 4000+ passing yards from him but if you're hoping for 400+ yard games, I don't see it happening. Maybe I could if things go wrong with Cook... but that's something I don't want to think about.

Last Edit: Jun 18, 2018 17:53:51 GMT -6 by Danchat

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What are your expectations for Cousins ... and the offense? Jun 19, 2018 8:50:57 GMT -6 Funkytown and Oracle Bone Diviner like this

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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2018 8:50:57 GMT -6

Jun 18, 2018 17:48:02 GMT -6 Danchat said:

I actually don't agree; I think Cousins will be a borderline 1-2 QB because the Vikings will be winning more often and not needing to pass for so many yards, the running game will be better with Cook, and the defense should be in the top 5 again. I do expect 4000+ passing yards from him but if you're hoping for 400+ yard games, I don't see it happening. Maybe I could if things go wrong with Cook... but that's something I don't want to think about.

What I'm hoping for is that Zimmer learns from his mistakes. I get that he's a defensive coach but watching them build a lead just to hold on for most of the second half is beyond old. It's what we did against New Orleans and we needed The Miracle to win. Meanwhile Philly didn't take their foot off the gas for a second. I think part of the reason the defense underperformed in those games is because they expended so much energy in the second half all year long. If you pay 84 mil guaranteed to a guy...let him bury the opponent. No more 3 yards and a cloud of turf dust for the whole 4th quarter. No more defense on the field for the entire second half. I'm sick of watching it. They're capable of burying most teams if Zimmer will let 'em off the leash.

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What are your expectations for Cousins ... and the offense? Jun 19, 2018 8:56:17 GMT -6 via Tapatalk Funkytown likes this

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Post by vikeson3 on Jun 19, 2018 8:56:17 GMT -6

To be fair the Vikings averaged over 30 minutes on time of possession in 2017! It was incredibly apparent that with a lead Zim did not want Case to be doing a whole lot out there. That absolutely changes with Cousins.

If you're playing GB and youre up by 10 and Rodgers puts 7 on the board go and put 7 right back! The best way to win is going to be to continue to score.

Funkytown Owner Purple Pain Big Dog Posts: 67,627 Likes: 31,558 Fan Since: 1998	What are your expectations for Cousins ... and the offense? Jun 22, 2018 20:04:51 GMT -6 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Funkytown on Jun 22, 2018 20:04:51 GMT -6

Funkytown Owner Purple Pain Big Dog Posts: 67,627 Likes: 31,558 Fan Since: 1998	What are your expectations for Cousins ... and the offense? Jun 23, 2018 22:58:16 GMT -6 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Funkytown on Jun 23, 2018 22:58:16 GMT -6 Some good stuff here: I love me some Sack Daddy!

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What are your expectations for Cousins ... and the offense? Jun 24, 2018 6:41:01 GMT -6

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Post by Oracle Bone Diviner on Jun 24, 2018 6:41:01 GMT -6

Jun 19, 2018 8:56:17 GMT -6 vikeson3 said:

To be fair the Vikings averaged over 30 minutes on time of possession in 2017! It was incredibly apparent that with a lead Zim did not want Case to be doing a whole lot out there. That absolutely changes with Cousins.

If you're playing GB and youre up by 10 and Rodgers puts 7 on the board go and put 7 right back! The best way to win is going to be to continue to score.

Wishful thinking IMO. I dont recall it being any different with any other quarterback under Zimmer, including Bradford who could have run up the score on occasion. I believe he doesnt want his defense to be overshadowed by the offense, so he subconsciously or not so subconsciously keeps games close by easing off the gas when we're ahead.

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What are your expectations for Cousins ... and the offense? Jun 24, 2018 8:44:30 GMT -6 via mobile Funkytown likes this

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Post by VikingsBoss on Jun 24, 2018 8:44:30 GMT -6

Jun 24, 2018 6:41:01 GMT -6 Oracle Bone Diviner said:

Jun 19, 2018 8:56:17 GMT -6 vikeson3 said:

To be fair the Vikings averaged over 30 minutes on time of possession in 2017! It was incredibly apparent that with a lead Zim did not want Case to be doing a whole lot out there. That absolutely changes with Cousins.

If you're playing GB and youre up by 10 and Rodgers puts 7 on the board go and put 7 right back! The best way to win is going to be to continue to score.

Wishful thinking IMO. I dont recall it being any different with any other quarterback under Zimmer, including Bradford who could have run up the score on occasion. I believe he doesnt want his defense to be overshadowed by the offense, so he subconsciously or not so subconsciously keeps games close by easing off the gas when we're ahead.

No. He is just really old school, we forget he's 62 years old sometimes, I think. The school where they teach if you're up more than a possession, you run the ball, shorten the game and don't risk turnovers. A valid theory when your defense is as good as the one he's built. Problem is, the running game most of his time has been, at best, average, so it hasn't always worked the way it should.

I don't think he's going to give Cousins a lot more leash than he gave Bridgewater, Bradford or Keenum... I just think the offense as a whole is so much better it will be more productive as a product of that. I still think anyone thinking about 4500 yards and 35 TDs is being foolish.

For Cousins, I expect a little less than 4000 yards, 25-ish TDs plus a few on the ground. He may turn the ball over more than the previous three QBs, maybe 12ish INTs and a few lost fumbles. Still, the Vikings offense will be more productive than it has in years past, because I expect the running game to be more productive. Cook and Murray could lead a ground game to 2000+ yards, because I can't see Zim all of a sudden having Cousins launching pass after pass when the Vikings are leading 24-14 in the third quarter...that just goes against everything he believes to be the best way to play football.

The Cardinals have knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs! NO!-Paul Allen, December 28th, 2003

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What are your expectations for Cousins ... and the offense? Jun 24, 2018 11:07:17 GMT -6 via Tapatalk Funkytown likes this

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Post by vikeson3 on Jun 24, 2018 11:07:17 GMT -6

Either way launching pass after pass and going too conservative are going to have the same result. Giving the ball right back to the other team. If you're up by 10 and the opposing defense is expecting you to go conservative try getting it to Diggs with 1on1 coverage on the outside. The offense as a whole should be a lot better st driving the ball. I dont think when you're up by 10 Zim is going to say hey please dont drive the ball 75 yards here and put this game out of reach.

Think of how much more pressure his perfect defense can put on a team with a 2 or 3 possession lead.

Funkytown Owner Purple Pain Big Dog Posts: 67,627 Likes: 31,558 Fan Since: 1998	What are your expectations for Cousins ... and the offense? Jun 25, 2018 11:17:22 GMT -6 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Funkytown on Jun 25, 2018 11:17:22 GMT -6 Kirk Cousins on Being A Leader, Diggs-Thielen Duo, Facing Zimmer's Defense
	Last Edit: Jun 25, 2018 11:18:46 GMT -6 by Funkytown

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What are your expectations for Cousins ... and the offense? Jul 2, 2018 19:21:45 GMT -6

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Post by Funkytown on Jul 2, 2018 19:21:45 GMT -6

Diggs, Thielen Should See More Downfield Success by Sam Smith

Here are the 2017 stats on passes of at least 21 air yards for Cousins and Keenum (Rankings are among the 34 quarterbacks with at least 20 such attempts):

Cousins (16 Games)
19-56 (tied 7th-most attempts), 33.9%(12th), 698 yards (8th), 12.46 YPA (13th), 8 TDs (5th-tied), 3 ints (16th-tied), 99.6 rating (8th)

Keenum (14.5 Games)
11-45 (20th-most attempts), 24.4 percent (29th), 369 yards (24th), 8.20 YPA (29th), 3 TDs (17th-tied), 2 ints (11th-tied), 65.0 rating (25th)

And Cousins’ signficantly better numbers are not merely a matter of more attempts due to more games played. Cousins averaged 3.5 passes of 21-plus per game while Keenum averaged just a shade fewer at 3.1. Plus, Cousins’ yards per attempt and completion percentage were better by a wide margin. Those, obviously, have nothing to do with quantity.

Last season, Thielen and Diggs put up fairly pedestrian numbers on passes of at least 21 air yards. They combined for 12 receptions on 35 targets for exactly 400 yards on such passes. That puts them behind the individual numbers of Antonio Brown and DeAndre Hopkins, whose lines were 14-42 for 450 and 14-41 for 413, respectively.

Now, one could look at a variety of factors in diagnosing the cause. For one, the Vikings have a true top-tier receiving tandem while Brown and Hopkins are clear-cut number ones. The Vikings’s 2017 offense also plays a part; they not only had a more balanced attack than Pittsburgh and Houston, they ran a West Coast offense, more reliant on quick throws. These are all fair points.

But it is the combination of evidence that points to the Vikings taking a step forward in this regard. It is both Keenum’s general lack of accuracy when pushing downfield and limited numbers from two elite receivers. Given that both Diggs and Thielen were at the top of the league in contested catches, a good chunk of the blame has to fall on last year’s quarterback.

With Cousins, the Vikings have a top-10 downfield passer. He has proven himself over the last three seasons, and done so with fewer weapons. And that does not mention that he is moving indoors for the first time in his career. All signs point to Thielen and Diggs having career years in terms of game-breaking plays.

Link: fullpresscoverage.com/2018/07/02/diggs-thielen-should-see-more-downfield-success/

Last Edit: Jul 2, 2018 19:22:13 GMT -6 by Funkytown

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What are your expectations for Cousins ... and the offense? Jul 3, 2018 16:03:45 GMT -6

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Post by Funkytown on Jul 3, 2018 16:03:45 GMT -6

Good stuff:

Steve Palazzolo and Zac Robinson take a look at Minnesota Vikings quarterback, Kirk Cousins, analyzing strengths and weaknesses in his game, and what sort of outlook to expect heading into the 2018 season

Last Edit: Jul 4, 2018 20:49:55 GMT -6 by Funkytown

Funkytown Owner Purple Pain Big Dog Posts: 67,627 Likes: 31,558 Fan Since: 1998	What are your expectations for Cousins ... and the offense? Jul 9, 2018 10:29:54 GMT -6 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Funkytown on Jul 9, 2018 10:29:54 GMT -6
	Last Edit: Jul 9, 2018 10:36:35 GMT -6 by Funkytown

Purple Pain Hall of Fame Nominee Posts: 8,733 Likes: 2,877	What are your expectations for Cousins ... and the offense? Jul 10, 2018 9:03:31 GMT -6 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Purple Pain on Jul 10, 2018 9:03:31 GMT -6

Purple Pain Hall of Fame Nominee Posts: 8,733 Likes: 2,877	What are your expectations for Cousins ... and the offense? Jul 24, 2018 17:41:56 GMT -6 Danchat likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Purple Pain on Jul 24, 2018 17:41:56 GMT -6

Funkytown Owner Purple Pain Big Dog Posts: 67,627 Likes: 31,558 Fan Since: 1998	What are your expectations for Cousins ... and the offense? Jul 29, 2018 17:44:57 GMT -6 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Funkytown on Jul 29, 2018 17:44:57 GMT -6 Anyone else watching NFL Network today? Lots of good stuff from/about our team today.