2021 Vikings Season Thread

[cHawk]

Just now, nicksaviking said:

There was zero chance Mannion won this game. The Vikings only hope was to actually go with Mond and hope the difference in QB styles messed with GB’s game plans.

But now when they lose, Zimmer and Spielman can try to pin the lost season on Cousins’ selfishness. 
 

They’ll all be gone regardless though, and we didn’t get a look at Mond. 

Maybe we will next year?

[TheLeviathan]

We just held on a running play and still lost 6 yards.

[nicksaviking]

1 minute ago, cHawk said:

Maybe we will next year?

Boy, the guy who can’t beat out Sean Mannion has me excited for 2022!

[cHawk]

1 minute ago, nicksaviking said:

Boy, the guy who can’t beat out Sean Mannion by Mike Zimmer’s standards has me excited for 2022!

FTFY

[nicksaviking]

I’m mostly just annoyed that the rest of the NFC laid down and gave GB the #1 seed the last two weeks.

[TheLeviathan]

I will point out that yet again the GB offensive line is playing like studs and they are backups with no draft pedigree.

Good line play depends on scheme and coaching not where you pick them.  This coaching staff is garbage at development.

[Vanimal46]

Continuing to play Mannion this game is the equivalent of rostering Matt Belisle for the entirety of 2018. Nothing but pure stubbornness here. 

[TheLeviathan]

1 minute ago, Vanimal46 said:

Continuing to play Mannion this game is the equivalent of rostering Matt Belisle for the entirety of 2018. Nothing but pure stubbornness here. 

Shoemakery.

[Vanimal46]

Best play of Bradbury’s career. 

[cHawk]

2 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Best play of Bradbury’s career. 

Maybe he could play TE

[Vanimal46]

2 minutes ago, cHawk said:

Maybe he could play TE

He’s got a better chance of extending his football career there than center. 

[nicksaviking]

Collinsworth says ‘the Vikings could hire a new head coach, but they won’t hire a better head coach.’

He’s insufferable.

[TheLeviathan]

Why the hell would you switch back to Mannion?

[Vanimal46]

1 series for Mond? Come on. 

[RpR]

7 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

Why the hell would you switch back to Mannion?

Why not?

[Vanimal46]

Fitting end to this Vikings regime. Start Mond next week and let the house cleaning begin. So long Zimmer. So long Spielman. 

[TheLeviathan]

48 minutes ago, RpR said:

Why not?

Because when you decide the game is over and not detrimental to him....you have no valid reasons to pull him.  Pulling him just felt like old school bitterness and scapegoating.

[Danchat]

1 hour ago, TheLeviathan said:

Why the hell would you switch back to Mannion?

It was reported that Mannion's hand was getting looked at when Mond was in... they never had any intent to actually play Mond. Also:

I'd fire Zimmer tomorrow and get the coaching search underway, there's just no reason to continue forward with him. Spielman probably gets a 'promotion' to a cushy position where he'll lose power over the roster, all so that the Wilfs won't have to buy him out. 

[cHawk]

1 hour ago, Vanimal46 said:

Fitting end to this Vikings regime. Start Mond next week and let the house cleaning begin. So long Zimmer. So long Spielman. 

Trade Cousins too.

[wabene]

10 hours ago, TheLeviathan said:

I will point out that yet again the GB offensive line is playing like studs and they are backups with no draft pedigree.

Good line play depends on scheme and coaching not where you pick them.  This coaching staff is garbage at development.

 

This is a really good point.

 Zimmer's coaching staffs have shown an aversion to playing young players. Every decision is made with only the game right in front of them in mind. For example Cameron Bynum had flashed some in his limited reps, but yet they keep running Xavier Woods out there even though he had proven to be mediocre at best. Why not develope Bynum for the future? Due to this philosophy we have no idea how good Mond can be. Further, how can we be confident in this coaching staff to develope the young quarterback anyway? We really don't know if Spielman's picks are actually good and it's the coaching staff that is failing in bringing out the best in them. Are the smaller interior lineman Spielman's fault or are they dictated by the desires of the coaching staff? I think Zimmer's time has come, but I don't think we have enough information to decide if Spielman should go too. 

Respect Zimmer and his staff enough to let them finish out the season. That will be one hell of a post game presser next week. Anyway I'm sure they have made a decision on Spielman. If he stays they can start looking for a coach now behind the scenes. If Slick Rick is gone, then they are looking at GM's now I'm sure.

[Vanimal46]

I think @Danchat’s prediction is going to come true. The Wilfs aren’t going to want to buy out both Zimmer and Spielman. So they’ll “promote” Spielman to a made up title and remove him from roster management. 

I expect to see several major announcements starting Jan 10. Zimmer fired (if it doesn’t happen today), Spielman “promotion”, new GM named, then a public search for a HC. Hopefully the Wilfs have been doing their homework behind the scenes… 

 

[nicksaviking]

9 hours ago, Danchat said:

It was reported that Mannion's hand was getting looked at when Mond was in... they never had any intent to actually play Mond. Also:

I'd fire Zimmer tomorrow and get the coaching search underway, there's just no reason to continue forward with him. Spielman probably gets a 'promotion' to a cushy position where he'll lose power over the roster, all so that the Wilfs won't have to buy him out. 

Ugh, I've been of the mind that he'd stick out the season, but I might can Zimmer on the spot for those comments. They didn't stick with the run? Garrett Bradbury looked better carrying the ball than Cook did. Running the ball was going to be fruitless and everyone on the planet knew that was what you WANTED to do, of course GB was going to make you have to throw the ball. And what a crappy thing to say about your rookie QB. Zimmer is usually blunt, not demeaning, WTH is going on here?

I'd actually be OK keeping Spielman on in this hypothetical promotion. I suspect he'd might prefer to run a team elsewhere, but if he's up for it, I'd keep him. I don't like the teams he's put together, but I'd 100% be on board with him having input on skill position players; few are better in the league at identifying WRs and RBs. He can keep his thoughts to himself about QBs and OL though.

I'd just give Cousins the Antonio Brown treatment right now. No one is going to trade for an unvaccinated QB making 35M (45M for the Vikes). People liked to throw out Pittsburgh as a destination, but they were proud of their high vaccination rates, Cousins isn't a fit there and the entire league just saw him flush the Vikings season down the toilet. However it plays out, Cousins is only going to be a bridge QB for a not-serious-about-contending team next year while they bide their time figuring out what to do about the position long term. NYG or Miami or Seattle or Houston or Carolina maybe.

[nicksaviking]

There are currently 9 teams with worse records than the Vikings, two of those teams, including the division rival Bears and next week's opponent are only one game worse than the Vikings. Depending on what happens with the Monday night game, there will be either 6 or 7 teams with the same record or one game better than the Vikings.

If Spielman is sticking around, he needs to let Zimmer know that week 18's starting QB isn't his call. I know Zimmer doesn't care if the Vikings are picking in the top 10 or if they are picking 15th, but the front office should.

[Vanimal46]

The good thing about the upcoming game with Chicago is they have no reason to tank… Their 1st round pick is gone when they moved up for Fields last year. Unfortunately neither team is motivated to play for their current head coach anymore. 

[gunnarthor]

As I said, I'm sure Zimmer is gone. I'm ok with that but I won't trash him. I liked him a lot better than Childress and Frazier. Let him coach one more week.

Cousins. I'm done with him but I don't think he has much trade value and his cap number in a trade is huge. I think they have to keep him around another year, unfortunately. If they could move him, do it.

On Spielman, I'm torn. He's certainly had some good drafts and he usually has been able to work wonders with the cap, so I'm not sure if should stay or go. Basically, I'll be ok either way. I do hope the Vikings have an internal answer to this question: "Why can't we have a good o-line? Is it failure at developing players or a scheme issue with the players we have?" 

[Mike Sixel]

I'd like a Bears win....and for a better draft pick(s).

Zimmer seems like a good human being. I'm just not interested in him being the coach of this team anymore. I want a coach that punts less often, and kicks less short field goals. 

[nicksaviking]

11 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

I'd like a Bears win....and for a better draft pick(s).

Zimmer seems like a good human being. I'm just not interested in him being the coach of this team anymore. I want a coach that punts less often, and kicks less short field goals. 

And doesn't complain about abandoning the running game when the other team has nine defenders in the box all game long.

[nicksaviking]

22 minutes ago, gunnarthor said:

Cousins. I'm done with him but I don't think he has much trade value and his cap number in a trade is huge. I think they have to keep him around another year, unfortunately. If they could move him, do it.

I think keeping Cousins will be a big slap in the face to the fans and the remaining players. I think they just bite the bullet and cut him. The cap isn't going to be an issue if they are rebooting this thing anyway.

[Mike Sixel]

Just now, nicksaviking said:

I think keeping Cousins will be a big slap in the face to the fans and the remaining players. I think they just bite the bullet and cut him. The cap isn't going to be an issue if they are rebooting this thing anyway.

How would it be a slap in the face, compared to cutting him and having no QB? I mean, if you are Jefferson, you want some random guy off the street throwing you the ball? 

If you are talking about the vaccine, then I assume you want Harrison and Dalvin (I think) and Adam cut too? And others?

[nicksaviking]

11 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

How would it be a slap in the face, compared to cutting him and having no QB? I mean, if you are Jefferson, you want some random guy off the street throwing you the ball? 

If you are talking about the vaccine, then I assume you want Harrison and Dalvin (I think) and Adam cut too? And others?

Yeah, I'd just start over. Vaccine situation aside Thielen and Smith shouldn't be on this team next year anyway. Cook is harder because they gave him an absolutely stupid contract. Do with him as they want I guess. Jefferson and Kendricks are the only two I really care about at this point. 

There's going to be some big QB movement this year. The Vikings (have always) needed to find a long term answer anyway and that's not changing no matter who's at QB next year. Assuming they don't chase the BIG name QBs (Rodgers, Watson, Wilson), Jimmy Garapolo, Derek Carr, Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff, Teddy Bridgewater, Matt Ryan or Taylor Heinicke are probably all capable of getting Jefferson the ball. I mean none of them are pretty, but many will be available and whether it's Cousins or one of the above, they are just a place holder.