Leave Kirk Alone!

If you were in the Detroit market you would be hearing about Stafford's prime time record constantly.  My guess is Rams fans are talking about it quite a bit right now as well.  

He isn't given a free pass and is ripped for being a loser, but not as much as Cousins because Stafford actually has legit excuses for why he has failed. Excuses that will run out if he doesn't improve the Rams significantly this year after taking over for a borderline starter who managed double digit wins on the same team the year before.  Sound familiar?

No, it points to how Cousins and to a lesser extent Stafford are very flawed QBs. We have seen what great QBs worthy of massive pay checks can do when added to a really good team with Favre, Manning and Brady. Is that what Cousins did? Was it even close?



Jared Goff was good enough to win with everything going right. Blake Bortles was good enough to win with everything going right. I want a QB who is good enough to overcome setbacks since 99% of seasons have setbacks.

So only 4 rings then?

Home field advantage is huge, but even if they didn't have home field advantage they would still at least be a SB contender every year.

No one said only elite QBs can win SBs. No one said it doesn't take a great team to win it all. No one argued Kirk was the only reason that 2018 team was worse than the 2017 one. It takes a pretty simple mind to read what I wrote and come to the conclusion that is what I was arguing. Non-elite QBs have won it all, the majority making a fraction of what Kirk is making. No QB can win it all on a bad team, but QBs can make mask deficiencies on less than perfect teams and still win it all. Even you admit Kirk isn't one of those QBs. There were things that made that 2018 more of a challenge than 2017, but nothing so drastic that a QB you want to build your franchise around couldn't have easily overcome them. The 3rd best scoring defense in 2018 versus the 2nd best in 2017. Dalvin Cook in 2018 instead Murray in 2017. A new OC. A worse RG but better RT. Oh the humanity.

It is not all or nothing. It is looking at what most SB teams have done and trying to emulate those teams instead of looking at what the minority of SB winning teams have done and trying to emulate them. All while trying to carry Kirk's bloated contract that makes it nearly impossible to emulate what the Ravens did with Flacco. There are multiple ways to win a SB, but the Vikings are not currently attempting any of them and that is where your argument falls flat on its face. You have a lazy take about "Joe Flacco winning it so why can't Cousins" and don't bother to look at the circumstances around Flacco winning it all.



Who is being simple minded again? Eli, Flacco, Cousins and Stafford are all completely different QBs with different strengths and weaknesses. Eli and Flacco were clutch in huge spots multiple games in the playoffs and won a SB because of it. Neither Cousins or Stafford have shown they are capable of that. You can hope that Cousins can be that guy, but that hope isn't based on anything substantive.

I'm not really talking only at you. I'm more or less taking on the general lazy approach. I just hate when people talk like things are set in stone facts. Nobody knows truly what "can" happen. Yes Eli was clutch in the post season more than once. So when Kirk dies it again he joins the "multiple" club I guess...🤷‍♂️

But look at Eli in 2007, was he clutch or did Asanti Samuel drop an easy game ending, undefeated season clinching INT that I could of caught and then some guy caught a Hail Mary off his head? Cause that's what I saw...

I'm mainly playing devil's advocate with you. I can't control what the Vikings decide to do and I'll support whoever the QB is. But to say Kirk Cousins "can't" do this or that is silly and again lazy. Everyone "can't" do something til they do. In Kirk's case of "being clutch" he now has to do it "multiple times" I get it. Drew Brees wasn't clutch and couldn't win one either after like 7 years of football... Then he was and he did. Payton Manning was a big game choker for like 7 or 8 years until he wasn't. Rex Grossman couldn't lead a team to reach a Superbowl, then he did.... Moral of the story. The story is still being written and I'm scared as hell as wasting the end of Dalvin's and Thielen's and Kendrick's, and Harrison Smith's primes etc...

If it was a talentless team sure I'd take a chance on a rookie. Here is another issue, there is not a single QB in the 2022 draft worth a 1st round pick. These are awful QB prospects and in normal years mid round picks. Some sucker is gonna take a 3rd round talent in the top 10 out of desperation, don't let it be us.

Bottom line, I want this exact offense plus Irv Smith coached by a proven offensive minded coach next year. If that don't work blow it up for 2023. But blow it ALL up. (Vets mentioned above all cut or traded) Hell its such a bad draft I'd trade our 1st for 2023 picks and stock draft capital for a possible move up to get the next QB on 2023 if we go that route.

Now if Kirk came to the team after this year and was open to a team friendly restructure I'd do it. I don't know the exact numbers but drop that cap number to the low 20m range and I'd do it.

What a true great QB brings is consistency. A great defense seems to be great one year and fade off. A running team the same. Because running backs get hurt more frequently. The reason a defense won't bring consistency because all 11 defenders need to be on point and do their job. Weak links seem to get exploited.

So a year of a few key defensive injuries, lose a guy in free agency, or drop off in play or guys missing assignments. Tends to make a defense drop off fast. Sure you can win one without a elite QB and it's been done before, but you looking at the stars aligning perfectly. If you fail you seem to be falling off sooner.

What a true elite QB gives you is many bites at the apple instead of a shot then drop off. Having a Russ, Rodgers, Brady and those types keeps you in the playoffs most years. So with our way and Kirk you see the trend in one year out the next. While top QBs keep you in playoffs multiple years in a row. Multiple shots greater the chances you will finally kick the door in. Instead of a all or nothing approach true great QBs give you a longer window to reach the ultimate goal. That is why teams want that elite QB and draft them accordingly trying to get the next one.

I don’t think anyone who is a Vikings fan would say they would rather have Kirk than an elite HOF type QB. It would be foolish to take that position.

But what I think reasonable fans would say is that while Kirk is clearly not elite he is better than we have had in a long time and outside of Daunte he is the only multi year starting QB we have had since Tommy Kramer.

The team has literally gone 4 decades having to cheer for retreads, one hit wonders and absolutely terrible draft picks. We finally got stability and someone who has been healthy and playing every game for multiple years. And he has been putting up points on the board at a rate over these years that hasn’t been done since Culpepper. No way do I want to gamble that Mond is better without him taking the spot away and no way do I want to sit through another Jackson/Ponder/ Teddy. I’m getting too old for that sh*t. 😁

Cool better but our standards and history at QB are low. Better don't necessairly mean good enough. So I give you better but we have to strive for elite not just better to greater our chances to be Champions and consistent. Again a lucky break Kirk could win it maybe.

Just because he better than our low scale QB history don't mean be content. Keep looking keep drafting and looking for the elite. Until he proves consistency which at 33 it's getting late I will stay looking for that. He still inconsistent and this year shows that it ain't changed, so this Chargers win don't change that it only proves his up and then down and back up game after game year after year.

For me his job wouldn't be safe I would still be looking to replace him and his massive salary to the highest bidder. If a deal come along to my liking I would depart ASAP.