Good read! I think there is something that we can take away from the next 5 games. This Vikings team isn't good, and if they are going to make the playoffs, it will be on the back of Kirk Cousins. The two remaining games that stick out to me are the Tampa and New Orleans games. Even if the Vikings lose those games, it would be great to see Cousins play well!
Shrivels under the pressure of a good defense (Bears, 2019 Packers, etc...) or a good defensive coordinator's scheme (2019 KC where they blitzed to get pressure).
Despite the argument that he is this up/down yoyo of a QB, he is not. He is a competent QB who can execute an offensive scheme if he isn't asked to read defenses too much (his decisions on who to throw to often seem very questionable -- including no throwing to wide-open stars), if he doesn't have to ad lib, if he is getting good interior OL play, and if the run game is working. When these things are on track, he does well (and that's usually against bad defenses). When these things are going against him, he rarely wins.
I also think this is why he struggles frequently at the end of games. When the run game gets taken away due to the game situation, KFC struggles because defensive coordinators can then focus on generating interior pressure (which hasn't been very hard to do vs Vikings in recent years) -- KFC's kryptonite.
So, it seems to me that KFC is actually very consistent if you understand his limitations.
The issue for me is that we paid top $ to get a QB who is so limited. In fact, I would argue that it is probably unrealistic to think that you can go through the playoffs without facing either a good D or a good DC's scheme. In either case, KFC can't win -- which is why we have a relatively low playoff ceiling as long as KFC is around.
Spielman has done a good job overall, but the decision to extend KFC was a bad one. That said, I hope KFC balls out for rest of year so that we can trade him.
Great article. I can’t help but wonder what Kirk would do with KC’s offense. Creative play calling, good pass pro, great receivers, and a modern day coach. He has maybe two of those four now. Is it really fair to compare his valley’s vs. Mahomes’? Also, you mentioned his overall record, why not just show his Viking record? Just curios, what’s Washington’s record since Cousins left?
I’m not sure Washington’s record since he left is relevant since their team went into a complete rebuild and lost their QB. Cousins’s Vikings record is not much different than his career record but fair enough.
I included why I compared him to Mahomes. Because that’s the gold standard QB. It’s not meant to suggest anyone thinks he’s Mahomes, only to show what separates him from the best. If I compared him to Matt Stafford it would look the same but nobody argues that he’s different than Stafford or Goff or Jimmy G. It’s also the point about the cap hits being the same.
I would also add that I think Cousins has all those things you named. His OL has been average this year and they’ve invested heavily in it. His top 2 receiving options are the best in the NFL. You can talk about Zimmer wanting to run and that’s fair but Kubiak’s offense has made him better the last two years and made every QB he’s ever come into contact with better.
Few QBs have ever had better situations over their careers as him, starting in DC with Shanahan and McVay.
What all the evidence shows is that he’s very capable of having these great streaks but even with almost everything working around him, it’s not likely that it’ll ever be much different. But if they shore up the weaknesses even a little and reduce the poor games, he’ll be one of the better QBs in the league
I love how much of an unknown Kirk is game to game - always builds the mystery going into the game
Good read! I think there is something that we can take away from the next 5 games. This Vikings team isn't good, and if they are going to make the playoffs, it will be on the back of Kirk Cousins. The two remaining games that stick out to me are the Tampa and New Orleans games. Even if the Vikings lose those games, it would be great to see Cousins play well!
Nothing has changed, he is same KFC.
Beats the tar out of bad defenses (usually).
Shrivels under the pressure of a good defense (Bears, 2019 Packers, etc...) or a good defensive coordinator's scheme (2019 KC where they blitzed to get pressure).
Despite the argument that he is this up/down yoyo of a QB, he is not. He is a competent QB who can execute an offensive scheme if he isn't asked to read defenses too much (his decisions on who to throw to often seem very questionable -- including no throwing to wide-open stars), if he doesn't have to ad lib, if he is getting good interior OL play, and if the run game is working. When these things are on track, he does well (and that's usually against bad defenses). When these things are going against him, he rarely wins.
I also think this is why he struggles frequently at the end of games. When the run game gets taken away due to the game situation, KFC struggles because defensive coordinators can then focus on generating interior pressure (which hasn't been very hard to do vs Vikings in recent years) -- KFC's kryptonite.
So, it seems to me that KFC is actually very consistent if you understand his limitations.
The issue for me is that we paid top $ to get a QB who is so limited. In fact, I would argue that it is probably unrealistic to think that you can go through the playoffs without facing either a good D or a good DC's scheme. In either case, KFC can't win -- which is why we have a relatively low playoff ceiling as long as KFC is around.
Spielman has done a good job overall, but the decision to extend KFC was a bad one. That said, I hope KFC balls out for rest of year so that we can trade him.
Great article. I can’t help but wonder what Kirk would do with KC’s offense. Creative play calling, good pass pro, great receivers, and a modern day coach. He has maybe two of those four now. Is it really fair to compare his valley’s vs. Mahomes’? Also, you mentioned his overall record, why not just show his Viking record? Just curios, what’s Washington’s record since Cousins left?
I’m not sure Washington’s record since he left is relevant since their team went into a complete rebuild and lost their QB. Cousins’s Vikings record is not much different than his career record but fair enough.
I included why I compared him to Mahomes. Because that’s the gold standard QB. It’s not meant to suggest anyone thinks he’s Mahomes, only to show what separates him from the best. If I compared him to Matt Stafford it would look the same but nobody argues that he’s different than Stafford or Goff or Jimmy G. It’s also the point about the cap hits being the same.
I would also add that I think Cousins has all those things you named. His OL has been average this year and they’ve invested heavily in it. His top 2 receiving options are the best in the NFL. You can talk about Zimmer wanting to run and that’s fair but Kubiak’s offense has made him better the last two years and made every QB he’s ever come into contact with better.
Few QBs have ever had better situations over their careers as him, starting in DC with Shanahan and McVay.
What all the evidence shows is that he’s very capable of having these great streaks but even with almost everything working around him, it’s not likely that it’ll ever be much different. But if they shore up the weaknesses even a little and reduce the poor games, he’ll be one of the better QBs in the league
Your best article yet, Matthew. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much