Fat Stupid Loser wrote: ↑Tue Sep 20, 2022 5:05 pm
The D was porous. It was awful. It set the terms of the game. Made us one dimensional playing catch up. Plus we couldn't run, so more one dimensional. Easy to pound any offense if they are one dimensional.
It was, right from the get-go. The announcers were even commenting on that as the Eagles marched right down the field with receivers more or less standing wide open and Hurts unmolested for the most part. The Eagles were breaking off nice chunks running it, too.
The more I look at it, it really looked to me like the Eagles had the Vikings read like a book on both sides of the ball. If there were ever a game I watched where I'm convinced one team knew the playcalls and signals of the other team, that game last night was it. The Eagles ran the perfect offense to beat every coverage and ran it perfectly against the defense. When the Vikings offense was on the field, they were all over everything Cousins tried to do. In fact, I can't recall watching a pro or college football game where the DBs were so consistently not just in a position to break up passes, but a position to intercept those passes. There were a couple of passes Kirk threw to Thielen late in the game that I have no idea how they weren't picked off, much less Thielen caught them.
But it was like that all night, like the Eagles knew the primary receiver on each play and even the route he was running. It's possible the Eagles studied that well and/or just played lights out like that. They were good - too good almost.
Of course, then I look at that other play I referenced where JJ was lined up in the backfield and was completely uncovered and Cousins focused in on Cook and only Cook on a well covered screen. Had he looked towards JJ it was an easy completion and maybe a big play, but he was throwing it to Cook no matter what.
Also, there are 32 starting QBs in the league. Of that number, I bet 31 of them look off Cook on that play and at least look elsewhere. Cook was not only not open, he was literally being swarmed by Eagle defenders. There was no hope for that play and no need to throw that ball even if JJ was covered and nobody else was open. In a situation like that a 10 year veteran starting QB making whatever ridiculous sum of money Kirk is making this year should show some awareness. If a guy is covered like that and there are no other options, throw the ball away. Don't take a loss or make a risky throw there. A better QB looks elsewhere, and an even better QB might roll to his right away from the play flow to buy himself a little more time to look elsewhere. Kirk? He is WAY better than that, or at least, the Wilfs, KOC and KAM seem to believe he is.
That play was a microcosm of Kirk's play for the entire game. He didn't read anything pre-snap, didn't properly react to anything post-snap, and he locked on to the nearest receiver most of the time, often throwing inaccurately to boot. It was a horrifyingly poor performance for a guy so many have placed so much faith and resources in. If the Eagles knew the plays, at least Kirk would have an excuse for what we saw. But I think the more likely explanation is, they studied Kirk and knew how he'd react to what they were doing and were just ready for that.
If I stop watching the Vikings this year, it's going to be because I'm simply done watching Cousins submarine their chances in big games. The special teams tried to get them back in it. The defense made a play to help get them back in it. Cousins gave it right back each time.
I'm not going there yet, but if I see more of this, I think I'm going to save my Sundays for more productive activities until the Vikings finally ship Cousins and start off fresh. I was very disappointed when they extended him because I thought he'd go when Spielman and Zimmer went, but then I got talked into believing KOC could be the Cousins-whisperer and get him into great situations where he could thrive. Thrive he did not last night, and it's clear what the limits of what any head coach can do for Cousins seems to be at this point.
Enough ranting from me. Cousins is who is he and I'm just going to hope the team around him is good enough to figure it out so whatever Cousins can give them will be enough to get them somewhere.
Get ready to see a LOT of blitzing on Sunday from the Lions. They'll be coming until Cousins or KOC prove they can deal with it.