Kirk Cousins is in a no win situation

[Bowhunting Viking]

I wish the focus would shift away from Cousins and onto the overall team. There are so many other guys who have to do their jobs well in addition to the QB for the team to have success. By any measure, Cousins has been doing his job very well over the last 7 games, and at this point I don't think he's a major concern.

If the Vikings lose tonight, more than likely it will be because of things like the defense didn't make key stops or committed dumb penalties that kept drives alive, or the offense made similar errors that ended drives or handed points to the Seahawks. Cousins might even make one of those mistakes, but it will be a team effort in the end, win or lose.

Well said sir.

[VikeFanInEagleLand]

I wish the focus would shift away from Cousins and onto the overall team. There are so many other guys who have to do their jobs well in addition to the QB for the team to have success. By any measure, Cousins has been doing his job very well over the last 7 games, and at this point I don't think he's a major concern.

If the Vikings lose tonight, more than likely it will be because of things like the defense didn't make key stops or committed dumb penalties that kept drives alive, or the offense made similar errors that ended drives or handed points to the Seahawks. Cousins might even make one of those mistakes, but it will be a team effort in the end, win or lose.

The focus on Cousins is because this thread is titled "Kirk Cousins in a no win situation." If there is a thread about the defense or stupid penalties, that will be discussed in those threads. In the Seattle Pre-Game thread, I don't think there is a focus on Cousins.

I'm happy for those who have been calmed by Cousins performance in the last 7 games. I'm just saying, my concerns are about his play in the critical games which I think start tonight and will continue against GB on Monday Dec 23 and after that, a playoff game. I'm not saying that other games weren't important, just that now we're moving to a new level.

[StumpHunter]

I wish the focus would shift away from Cousins and onto the overall team. There are so many other guys who have to do their jobs well in addition to the QB for the team to have success. By any measure, Cousins has been doing his job very well over the last 7 games, and at this point I don't think he's a major concern.

If the Vikings lose tonight, more than likely it will be because of things like the defense didn't make key stops or committed dumb penalties that kept drives alive, or the offense made similar errors that ended drives or handed points to the Seahawks. Cousins might even make one of those mistakes, but it will be a team effort in the end, win or lose.

Unless everything goes perfect outside the QB position, I agree, we will probably lose.

[VikingLord]

The focus on Cousins is because this thread is titled "Kirk Cousins in a no win situation." If there is a thread about the defense or stupid penalties, that will be discussed in those threads. In the Seattle Pre-Game thread, I don't think there is a focus on Cousins.

I'm happy for those who have been calmed by Cousins performance in the last 7 games. I'm just saying, my concerns are about his play in the critical games which I think start tonight and will continue against GB on Monday Dec 23 and after that, a playoff game. I'm not saying that other games weren't important, just that now we're moving to a new level.

I'm a lot more concerned about whether the secondary will be able to defend Wilson's deep throws and get the Seahawks off the field on 3rd downs tonight than I am about Cousins.

Maybe we should start threads about those other things...

[StumpHunter]

The focus on Cousins is because this thread is titled "Kirk Cousins in a no win situation." If there is a thread about the defense or stupid penalties, that will be discussed in those threads. In the Seattle Pre-Game thread, I don't think there is a focus on Cousins.

I'm happy for those who have been calmed by Cousins performance in the last 7 games. I'm just saying, my concerns are about his play in the critical games which I think start tonight and will continue against GB on Monday Dec 23 and after that, a playoff game. I'm not saying that other games weren't important, just that now we're moving to a new level.

I'm a lot more concerned about whether the secondary will be able to defend Wilson's deep throws and get the Seahawks off the field on 3rd downs tonight than I am about Cousins.

Maybe we should start threads about those other things...

Nah, it is much more fun to start threads about how unfair us fans are to our poor, beleaguered QB.

[VikeFanInEagleLand]

The focus on Cousins is because this thread is titled "Kirk Cousins in a no win situation." If there is a thread about the defense or stupid penalties, that will be discussed in those threads. In the Seattle Pre-Game thread, I don't think there is a focus on Cousins.

I'm happy for those who have been calmed by Cousins performance in the last 7 games. I'm just saying, my concerns are about his play in the critical games which I think start tonight and will continue against GB on Monday Dec 23 and after that, a playoff game. I'm not saying that other games weren't important, just that now we're moving to a new level.

I'm a lot more concerned about whether the secondary will be able to defend Wilson's deep throws and get the Seahawks off the field on 3rd downs tonight than I am about Cousins.

Maybe we should start threads about those other things...

Truthfully, I am MUCH more concerned about that too.

[Fat Stupid Loser]

But Trubisky sucks and was a first round QB selection and Ponder? Well Ponder. Kirk doesn't suck and the only thing the hater's really have is that he isn't Brady and hasn't taken everyone to a SB every year. You have unrealistic expectations. Even the great AR has been to how many SBs? How many years ago? That's because he isn't good enough to carry everyone on his back and win the big ones? Peyton Manning couldn't win the big one for how many years?

Gotcha. It is unfair to criticize a QB for rarely playing better when it matters and it is unrealistic to want a SB winning QB.

My bad.

Wanting a SB winning QB is totally normal. We all do. Expecting Cousins or anyone else to do it with any consistency or even at all, is unrealistic, when many of the greatest of all time couldn't do it. Marino? Like Cousins, just a stat padder I guess, right? Couldn't handle the pressure, couldn't win when it mattered. Again, AR, future HOFer, wouldn't you agree. 1 (o-n-e). Manning 2? Or was it 3? How many years was he chided for not being able to win a playoff game? Future HOFer Brees just a few years ago went 7-9 for like 3 years in a row. Choker. Guess they should have drafted his replacement. I could go on all day with examples.

You say he doesn't play well against good teams. That's nonsense although I know its the lemming media narrative we've been bludgeoned with the last few years. I watched him play great games against many good/winning teams and lose because the Skins sucked. I watched him lead amazing 4th quarter comebacks for wins washed away by a D that gave up 90 yard drives with 53 seconds left in the game. "He" lost.

Cousins is a very good NFL QB. Good luck getting a better one. Really unlikely to happen. There aren't many. But maybe you'll luck in to the next AR pretty soon and you can bask in the one SB win you get in his 15 year career. So yes, what you expect him to do every week of the season to meet your requirements is unrealistic by historic standards.

[Cliff]

Cousins has been doing a lot to change my mind about him this season. Especially with the comeback against the Broncos. Part of my complaints about him have been how he can perform under stressful situations like that and he really put it together.

I'll be honest, when we came out in the second half I was sure it was going to be another game where Kirk was able to pad his stats when the other team was in prevent. But that's not what happened. The defense kept giving him chances and he kept seizing them.

I don't care what anyone thinks about the level of the team the comeback was against. It's an NFL team with a 20 point advantage. It was very impressive and gives me hope that he can play that way in those situations.

That said I do have my doubts about him and the team as a whole but he's done a really good job this season so far.

[Pondering Her Percy]

Yikes. He beats a bunch of .500 and below teams, loses to the only two teams that currently have a winning record (playing poorly in both) and that has earned him a massive contract extension? Don't you have to beat winning teams to win it all, and shouldn't that always be the goal of every team? Winning in the regular season and having nice passing stats is great and all, but at the end of the day, we aren't going to care in 5 years that the team went 10-6 or 11-5 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. The Vikings have been there, done that, and I am for one am tired of not even making a SB, let alone winning one. Now if Cousins plays well enough to win in the playoffs, and the defense or something else costs us the game, that is one thing, but if he is part of the reason we lose, he will be ripped, and justifiably so.

lol I can guarantee you, whether he is the one to blame or whether he played great and another unit let us down, you WILL find a way to blame Kirk Cousins for the loss. There is no "if the defense lets us down then thats one thing". Everyone and their mother knows you will find a way to blame him.


{quote]This offense has an Oline giving their QB the most time to throw in the NFL[/quote]

Once again, FAULTY stat..... this OL is still very poor at pass blocking outside of O'Neill and sometimes Reiff. RG is up in the air depending on who's playing. Bradbury has been below average pass blocking and Elflein has been crap.

the #3 running game, great WRs (even with Theilen out this WR corp is better than all but maybe the Lions in our division) and a top 10 defense. No more excuses.

Diggs, Bisi Johnson and Laquon Treadwell are better than Davante Adams, Valdez Scantling, Allison and Lazard???

Also, this crap about Cousins getting the "most flak of any QB" is some of the most absurd BS I have ever read. Go on Chicago's message boards and read what they are saying about Trubiskey. Go back on this board and read what people said about Ponder and I am pretty sure you will read a lot worse things being said. The predominate take on Cousins is that he is good against bad teams, bad against good, which has been true for the majority of his career, and that is the "most flack" of any QB? Like I said, absurd.

lol I've said before he's taken more crap than Ponder. He's "studied by fans" more than Ponder was. Fans are actually taking the time to watch game film and solely watch to see if a WR randomly gets open and Cousins didnt see him. He's criticized nearly every time he gets sacked, guys say he holds the ball too long, he's criticized any time he overthrows a WR deep, fans said he couldnt win, fans said he couldnt win a prime time game, fans said he couldnt come back from a deficit, fans said he couldnt beat winning teams, fans said he was a turnover machine. There was more negativity surrounding him than any QB I've ever seen. If it wasnt one thing, it was 5 other things. Guys still fight it to this day. You're on here making a fool of yourself still complaining like always when he's proved just about every narrative wrong this year. But please, continue I'm enjoying every minute of it

[Pondering Her Percy]

I'm a lot more concerned about whether the secondary will be able to defend Wilson's deep throws and get the Seahawks off the field on 3rd downs tonight than I am about Cousins.

Maybe we should start threads about those other things...

Nah, it is much more fun to start threads about how unfair us fans are to our poor, beleaguered QB.

Answer me this stump, how often did you not only come on here and mention how well Cousins played in a game, but actually go in depth and actually discuss it?

I'll answer that for you...never.

When we lose, your posts consist of Cousins doing this wrong, Cousins doing that wrong, he's a waste of money, he cant handle the pressure, etc. And your posts flood the thread.

When we win you do one of two things, you post no more than a few times throughout the thread saying "Cousins played well....but this guy carried us, the defense did this, the defense did that, etc. OR sit there and say "well this team isnt any good, this team cant rush the passer, this team cant cover, this team is below .500, etc.).

I've said it before, I'll give credit to Kapp because like he said, he was ready to cut Cousins loose after week 4 and has ate crow since and will proudly admit that. You on the other hand, cant handle being wrong. You have to find any little snake of a route you can to try and explain how you are still right. It's the NextGen stats you pull, trying to defend the Raiders pass rush, defending this poor pass blocking OL, defending this defense, defending anyone and everyone not named Kirk Cousins. Nobody is asking for you or the haters in general to get on their knees for him. But continuing to complain about him and giving him little to no credit when he's literally playing like a top 3-5 QB in the NFL and has us at 8-3, makes you look foolish and shows your true colors.

So if someone is going to come on here and complain that fans or you in particular have never given Cousins a true shot and are the epitome of a Cousins hater, so be it. You dug your own grave. You dont know when to stop

[Pondering Her Percy]

I wish the focus would shift away from Cousins and onto the overall team. There are so many other guys who have to do their jobs well in addition to the QB for the team to have success. By any measure, Cousins has been doing his job very well over the last 7 games, and at this point I don't think he's a major concern.

If the Vikings lose tonight, more than likely it will be because of things like the defense didn't make key stops or committed dumb penalties that kept drives alive, or the offense made similar errors that ended drives or handed points to the Seahawks. Cousins might even make one of those mistakes, but it will be a team effort in the end, win or lose.

Thank you!!

[Pondering Her Percy]

He will have won 1 game against a team with a winning record as a Viking if he doesn't beat the Hawks tomorrow and the Raiders do what we all expect them to do today.

He has exactly one game winning drive as a Viking.

His first season as a Viking was a failure and people justifiably were upset about it.

Stop with this martyr crap. He earned his critism and if he wins it all he will have earned our praise.

It is as simple as that.

Right, when he beats teams like Dallas and Philly (who were winning teams at the time) it counts and you stay quiet but you wait in the wings for their record to change and now want to claim that it doesnt count. What would you be saying if he beat KC? It would be something along the lines of "wellll they had Moore at QB, their RBs have been banged up this year as well as Hill. Yeah they arent that good". Same shi# different day with you. It only counts when Stump wants it to count. And it doesnt count if Stump says the team isnt that good. I'd love to hear your excuse for Seattle tonight if we win. Probably something along the lines of "well Clowney didnt play so it was easy for Cousins" or you'll just stay silent about it. Cant wait

[StumpHunter]

This would be entertaining if it weren't so sad.

[S197]

I don't see it as a no win situation. He can earn a ton by beating a team tonight that probably should have a 1st round home game/bye if not for the NFC East screwing everyone. Or by winning the division. Or a playoff game.

Kirk has done a lot but in my view he still has a lot to prove. We didn't pay the guy $84 million to beat the NFC East, we paid him to win in December and January.

Yes, it's a team game so it's not as binary as wins and losses. But this is an extremely talented roster and I expect a commensurate level of performance. From everyone but especially from the guy we broke the bank for.

[VikingLord]

I don't see it as a no win situation. He can earn a ton by beating a team tonight that probably should have a 1st round home game/bye if not for the NFC East screwing everyone. Or by winning the division. Or a playoff game.

Kirk has done a lot but in my view he still has a lot to prove. We didn't pay the guy $84 million to beat the NFC East, we paid him to win in December and January.

Yes, it's a team game so it's not as binary as wins and losses. But this is an extremely talented roster and I expect a commensurate level of performance. From everyone but especially from the guy we broke the bank for.

I know this has been beaten to death around here, but I look at tonight's game more along the lines of your last sentence than as Cousins needing to prove something. The Vikings broke the bank for a lot of their current roster. All of them, including the coaches, have to step up to the mantle. Tonight is a perfect time to do that.

Of the major concerns I have heading into tonight's game, Cousins isn't one of them. He's played well over the last 7 games for sure, and provided the offensive line protects him adequately tonight, I expect him to play well again.