Post by Purple Pain on Jan 13, 2023 18:42:05 GMT -6
Rob Searles - Kevin O'Connell Is In Rarified Air
Schad: This Playoff Run Will Define Kirk Cousins' Legacy With the Vikings
The 2022 regular season brought a lot of attention to the Purple and Gold — and not all of it was necessarily sunshine and rainbows. This team’s (many) detractors pointed to Minnesota’s DVOA and/or their point differential as reasons why Minnesota was a fraudulent 13-win ball club. And while there’s certainly a discussion to be had about the Vikings’ propensity for squeaking out victories in a unique fashion this season, Dom Torreto from Fast and the Furious said it best:
It don’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile, winning is winning.
The 2022 Minnesota Torretos are on an exclusive, historic list with O’Connell as a first-year head coach. Since the NFL converted to a 16-game regular season schedule in 1978, only six first-year NFL head coaches proceeded to win 13-plus games in their inaugural seasons.
Steve Mariucci’s 1997 49ers went 13-3
Jim Harbaugh‘s 2011 49ers went 13-3
Matt LaFleur’s 2019 Green Bay Packers went 13-3
George Seifert’s 1989 49ers went 14-2
Jim Caldwell’s 2009 Indianapolis Colts went 14-2
O’Connell’s 2022 Vikings went 13-4
Mind you, Harbaugh’s ’11 49ers and O’Connell’s ’22 Vikings are the only two teams of the six that won 13 regular-season contests with a first-year head coach and without a first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback. Mariucci had Steve Young. LaFleur had Aaron Rodgers. Seifert had Joe Montana. And Caldwell had Peyton Manning.
Today we’ll look at how each of these previous 13-win debuts for first-year head coaches fared in the playoffs that particular year.
Mariucci’s ’97 49ers
Steamrolled to a 38-22 win over the Vikings in the Divisional round
Lost to Brett Favre and the Packers at home 23-10 in the NFC Championship game
Harbaugh’s ’11 49ers
Beat Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints 14-3 in the Divisional round
Lost to the eventual Super Bowl Champion New York Giants 20-17 in overtime in the NFC Championship game
LaFleur’s ’19 Packers
Beat Russell Wilson‘s Seattle Seahawks 28-23 in the Divisional round
Lost to Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers 37-20 in the NFC Championship game
Seifert’s ’89 49ers
Destroyed the Vikings 41-13 in the Divisional round
Obliterated the Los Angeles Rams 30-3 in the NFC Championship game
Embarrassed John Elway and the Denver Broncos 55-10 in Super Bowl XXIV
Caldwell’s ’09 Colts
Beat Joe Flacco‘s Baltimore Ravens 20-3 in the Divisional round
Beat fellow first-year head coach Rex Ryan’s New York Jets 30-17 in the AFC Championship game
Lost to Sean Payton and Gregg Williams’s Bountygate New Orleans Saints 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV
It’s worth mentioning that because the NFL added a 17th regular-season game in 2021, O’Connell’s Vikings were awarded an extra week to achieve their 13th victory. It’s also worth pointing out that O’Connell’s Vikings are the only team of these six that didn’t receive a first-round bye — and they entered the playoffs as the lowest seed of the bunch.
Not only was Seifert the lone first-year head coach of the modern era to win the Super Bowl, but he’s also the only coach on the list to ever hoist a Lombardi at any point throughout his career after winning 13-plus regular season games in Year 1. Granted, Harbaugh’s 49ers won the NFC the following season. But they ultimately lost to his brother, John, and the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII.
Two things can be true about the 2022 Minnesota Vikings. Yes, they had a dream-like, historic debut season with O’Connell that only five other first-year head coaches accomplished since 1978 by winning 13-plus regular season games. It can also be true that the Vikings didn’t necessarily wow anybody along the way with a defense that finished 31st in yards allowed and an offense that was usually stuck in the mud until the fourth quarter.
From here on out, it’s a matter of where your expectations lie for this team. It’s completely fair to be disappointed if they become the first squad in NFL history to win 13 regular-season games with a first-year head coach and go one-and-done in the playoffs. Or even if the disappointment presents itself after getting shellacked by the 49ers in the Divisional round.
You’re also justified in holding this season near and dear to your football heart, regardless of the outcome in the playoffs, for the fun ride they took you on with O’Connell’s immediate culture shift and injection of some good old-fashioned fun back into this franchise.
It don’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile, winning is winning.
The 2022 Minnesota Torretos are on an exclusive, historic list with O’Connell as a first-year head coach. Since the NFL converted to a 16-game regular season schedule in 1978, only six first-year NFL head coaches proceeded to win 13-plus games in their inaugural seasons.
Steve Mariucci’s 1997 49ers went 13-3
Jim Harbaugh‘s 2011 49ers went 13-3
Matt LaFleur’s 2019 Green Bay Packers went 13-3
George Seifert’s 1989 49ers went 14-2
Jim Caldwell’s 2009 Indianapolis Colts went 14-2
O’Connell’s 2022 Vikings went 13-4
Mind you, Harbaugh’s ’11 49ers and O’Connell’s ’22 Vikings are the only two teams of the six that won 13 regular-season contests with a first-year head coach and without a first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback. Mariucci had Steve Young. LaFleur had Aaron Rodgers. Seifert had Joe Montana. And Caldwell had Peyton Manning.
Today we’ll look at how each of these previous 13-win debuts for first-year head coaches fared in the playoffs that particular year.
Mariucci’s ’97 49ers
Steamrolled to a 38-22 win over the Vikings in the Divisional round
Lost to Brett Favre and the Packers at home 23-10 in the NFC Championship game
Harbaugh’s ’11 49ers
Beat Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints 14-3 in the Divisional round
Lost to the eventual Super Bowl Champion New York Giants 20-17 in overtime in the NFC Championship game
LaFleur’s ’19 Packers
Beat Russell Wilson‘s Seattle Seahawks 28-23 in the Divisional round
Lost to Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers 37-20 in the NFC Championship game
Seifert’s ’89 49ers
Destroyed the Vikings 41-13 in the Divisional round
Obliterated the Los Angeles Rams 30-3 in the NFC Championship game
Embarrassed John Elway and the Denver Broncos 55-10 in Super Bowl XXIV
Caldwell’s ’09 Colts
Beat Joe Flacco‘s Baltimore Ravens 20-3 in the Divisional round
Beat fellow first-year head coach Rex Ryan’s New York Jets 30-17 in the AFC Championship game
Lost to Sean Payton and Gregg Williams’s Bountygate New Orleans Saints 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV
It’s worth mentioning that because the NFL added a 17th regular-season game in 2021, O’Connell’s Vikings were awarded an extra week to achieve their 13th victory. It’s also worth pointing out that O’Connell’s Vikings are the only team of these six that didn’t receive a first-round bye — and they entered the playoffs as the lowest seed of the bunch.
Not only was Seifert the lone first-year head coach of the modern era to win the Super Bowl, but he’s also the only coach on the list to ever hoist a Lombardi at any point throughout his career after winning 13-plus regular season games in Year 1. Granted, Harbaugh’s 49ers won the NFC the following season. But they ultimately lost to his brother, John, and the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII.
Two things can be true about the 2022 Minnesota Vikings. Yes, they had a dream-like, historic debut season with O’Connell that only five other first-year head coaches accomplished since 1978 by winning 13-plus regular season games. It can also be true that the Vikings didn’t necessarily wow anybody along the way with a defense that finished 31st in yards allowed and an offense that was usually stuck in the mud until the fourth quarter.
From here on out, it’s a matter of where your expectations lie for this team. It’s completely fair to be disappointed if they become the first squad in NFL history to win 13 regular-season games with a first-year head coach and go one-and-done in the playoffs. Or even if the disappointment presents itself after getting shellacked by the 49ers in the Divisional round.
You’re also justified in holding this season near and dear to your football heart, regardless of the outcome in the playoffs, for the fun ride they took you on with O’Connell’s immediate culture shift and injection of some good old-fashioned fun back into this franchise.
Schad: This Playoff Run Will Define Kirk Cousins' Legacy With the Vikings
Cousins currently ranks third in Vikings history with 20,934 yards and 153 passing touchdowns. His 5.5% touchdown rate trails only Randall Cunningham (6.7%) and Jeff George (7%), and his 100.9 passer rating is behind Sam Bradford (101.1) among quarterbacks with at least 450 pass attempts.
Cousins has everything he needs statistically to become a Vikings legend. Now it’s time to add a resumé of playoff success.
The Vikings have one playoff win over Cousins’ time in Minnesota, and that was before they were crushed like a pop can the following week. Cousins’s tenure with the Vikings has been more about who is calling timeouts, relationships with the head coach, and awkward sideline moments than it has been about winning games. That is until this season.
The statistical lens shows a quarterback who threw a career-high 14 interceptions this season and posted his lowest quarterback rating since becoming a full-time starter with the Washington Commanders in 2015. But the growth that Cousins has made between the margins (as Kevin O’Connell would say) has taken his game to another level.
O’Connell’s ability to unlock the Vikings’ offense has given Cousins more confidence to make plays. There are throws he wouldn’t have made under the previous regime, and the emergence of Justin Jefferson as the NFL’s top receiver has made his job easier.
It’s even more impressive, considering that this might be one of the worst supporting casts of his career. Dalvin Cook has devolved into a home-run-or-bust player in the backfield, and Adam Thielen has posted the lowest yards per route run of his career. The offensive line has allowed Cousins to get hit more than any quarterback in the past two decades, and his defense is 31st in points and yards allowed.
A scenario like this would have torpedoed Cousins in previous years, but he’s been able to overcome it – especially in the fourth quarter.
Cousins was tied with Brady with 13 touchdowns, ranked fourth with a 104.9 passer rating, and fifth with 8.22 net yards per attempt in the fourth quarter this season. These are the stats that the dark corner of the internet would frame to say Cousins is one of the best in the game. But it hasn’t correlated to wins over his career.
That has changed this season. Cousins led eight fourth-quarter comebacks, tying an NFL record set by Matthew Stafford in 2016. He has also helped the Vikings go 11-0 in one-score games, fueling the third season with 13 or more wins in franchise history.
Again, this is all great stuff, and we haven’t even mentioned Cousins’ evolution as a locker-room leader. But it’s time to put that to the test as the Vikings enter the playoffs.
The playoffs are where quarterbacks become household names and even construct their busts in Canton. Nobody would know who Joe Flacco was if he didn’t lead the Baltimore Ravens to the Super Bowl in 2012. If Aaron Rodgers didn’t win a Super Bowl in 2010, we would be placing him next to Dan Marino as one of the quarterbacks who “couldn’t win the big one.”
A run for Cousins would do wonders for his legacy. We’re talking statues, a spot in the ring of honor, and perhaps his chains being placed in the team museum at TCO Performance Center.
If he tanks, it would have an inverse effect. Cousins would become even more polarizing if he were to implode in the wild-card game against the New York Giants or even a Divisional game.
Cousins will be 35 next year. The Vikings need to decide whether they want to ride Cousins into his late 30s or start thinking about a succession plan. A Super Bowl ring would not only pair nicely with the chains hanging around Cousins’ neck. It would also be a big, flashy reminder of who was correct in the Great Kirk Debate.
Cousins has everything he needs statistically to become a Vikings legend. Now it’s time to add a resumé of playoff success.
The Vikings have one playoff win over Cousins’ time in Minnesota, and that was before they were crushed like a pop can the following week. Cousins’s tenure with the Vikings has been more about who is calling timeouts, relationships with the head coach, and awkward sideline moments than it has been about winning games. That is until this season.
The statistical lens shows a quarterback who threw a career-high 14 interceptions this season and posted his lowest quarterback rating since becoming a full-time starter with the Washington Commanders in 2015. But the growth that Cousins has made between the margins (as Kevin O’Connell would say) has taken his game to another level.
O’Connell’s ability to unlock the Vikings’ offense has given Cousins more confidence to make plays. There are throws he wouldn’t have made under the previous regime, and the emergence of Justin Jefferson as the NFL’s top receiver has made his job easier.
It’s even more impressive, considering that this might be one of the worst supporting casts of his career. Dalvin Cook has devolved into a home-run-or-bust player in the backfield, and Adam Thielen has posted the lowest yards per route run of his career. The offensive line has allowed Cousins to get hit more than any quarterback in the past two decades, and his defense is 31st in points and yards allowed.
A scenario like this would have torpedoed Cousins in previous years, but he’s been able to overcome it – especially in the fourth quarter.
Cousins was tied with Brady with 13 touchdowns, ranked fourth with a 104.9 passer rating, and fifth with 8.22 net yards per attempt in the fourth quarter this season. These are the stats that the dark corner of the internet would frame to say Cousins is one of the best in the game. But it hasn’t correlated to wins over his career.
That has changed this season. Cousins led eight fourth-quarter comebacks, tying an NFL record set by Matthew Stafford in 2016. He has also helped the Vikings go 11-0 in one-score games, fueling the third season with 13 or more wins in franchise history.
Again, this is all great stuff, and we haven’t even mentioned Cousins’ evolution as a locker-room leader. But it’s time to put that to the test as the Vikings enter the playoffs.
The playoffs are where quarterbacks become household names and even construct their busts in Canton. Nobody would know who Joe Flacco was if he didn’t lead the Baltimore Ravens to the Super Bowl in 2012. If Aaron Rodgers didn’t win a Super Bowl in 2010, we would be placing him next to Dan Marino as one of the quarterbacks who “couldn’t win the big one.”
A run for Cousins would do wonders for his legacy. We’re talking statues, a spot in the ring of honor, and perhaps his chains being placed in the team museum at TCO Performance Center.
If he tanks, it would have an inverse effect. Cousins would become even more polarizing if he were to implode in the wild-card game against the New York Giants or even a Divisional game.
Cousins will be 35 next year. The Vikings need to decide whether they want to ride Cousins into his late 30s or start thinking about a succession plan. A Super Bowl ring would not only pair nicely with the chains hanging around Cousins’ neck. It would also be a big, flashy reminder of who was correct in the Great Kirk Debate.
Who is facing more pressure to capitalize on this special season - O'Connell or Cousins?
If O'Connell and Cousins can't beat the Giants (near the bottom of all NFL roster rankings) - who can they be trusted to beat moving forward? The pressure is on. But more for Kevin or Kirk?
Discuss!
Discuss!
... and neither is this Chris guy.