There were many plausible reasons for the Minnesota Vikings’ recent loss to the previously winless Detroit Lions, but nobody really wants to hear them. Whoever falls victim to a hitherto unsuccessful opponent in the NFL so late in the season faces harsh and not always rational criticism. In Minnesota’s case, however, the bankruptcy is also somehow symbolic, despite quarterback Kirk Cousins’ supposedly outstanding numbers, it once again sealed its fate in the gray midfield of the league. Understandably, this is no longer enough for many in the far north of the USA!
The captain of a ship has an important role, there is nothing around it. Of course, he has many experts and people under him whose expertise he can trust and who relieve him of many decisions and actions. At the end of the day, however, there is one thing they cannot do: take responsibility for the ship, their lives and the success of a particular voyage for him. Regardless of whether it is Ahab or Columbus, whether Cook or Störtebeker, the captain of a ship also holds its fate in his hands and ultimately has to take responsibility for the respective results, willy-nilly. “Captain” Kirk Cousins, quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings, can also sing a song about such a constellation, since as an NFL signal caller he is a kind of captain for his team and knows about the great pressure associated with this position.
Kirk Cousins is having a statistically strong season for the Vikings
As nice as the comparison to the ship’s captain would be when it comes to Kirk Cousins because of his nickname or that of his team, in the end he obviously lags. Not because Cousins doesn’t actually have a lot of responsibility as a quarterback, but because a football team consists of several ships. A defence, a coaching staff with a dinghy including speakers and the special teams and the front office chug along with their boats. In those cases, this sometimes makes it a little more difficult to clearly distribute responsibility, as it did with the Minnesota Vikings 2021. Or maybe not.
The bare numbers speak a supposedly clear language: Minnesota has not yet completely written off the playoffs with five wins and seven defeats, but after the embarrassing defeat against Detroit they are actually knee-deep in the quicksand of NFL mediocrity. Once again, you can hear so many wails echoing across the great lakes of the north, it’s a well-known situation for the Vikings and their fans, also because there is actually potential in the team again. Kirk Cousins is a good quarterback who is having one of the best seasons of his career this season with 25 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Among other things, he ranks seventh in the league in yards per game, ahead of well-known NFL greats like Kyler Murray or Aaron Rodgers. He leads his team to the 11th most points of any team, and only five teams generate more offensive yards than the Vikings.
Mike Zimmer’s defense becomes a problem for Vikings
On the other hand, if you look at the defense, things look different for the Vikings. They allow 25.4 points per game (NFL rank 25), have the second-worst run defense in the league, and only two teams allow more yards. Even more alarming are the numbers in the last two minutes of a half. Here, the Vikings have already given up 101 points in 12 games, allowing about a third of their total points in the crucial stages of a half. The NFL’s all-time negative record for the past 20 years is not far off at 107 points, set by the Vikings themselves last year. It’s no surprise that such blunders raise questions about Mike Zimmer’s suitability as head coach, who is also considered a defensive guru.
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 5, 2021
As easy as the diagnosis may seem and as big as the problems in defense are, including many injuries, a lack of depth in the squad or the stubborn prevent-defense in important situations, you can’t completely take responsibility for the attack either. Finally, there are also reasons why you often end up in tight games. Then when Kirk Cousins temporarily reaches his limits against better defense, when superstar running back Dalvin Cook has to pass due to injury or when the offense led by rookie offensive coordinator Klingt Kubiak lacks any rhythm. Kirk Cousins has always been a good quarterback, sometimes a very good one. He had the format to let a mediocre team surpass itself Man with a career record of 56 wins and 58 losses but never and he didn’t have it this season either, despite statistically very good values and at times spectacular late-game heroic performances.
Turnaround on Thursday Night Football for the Vikings?
To be fair, this has actually been known for a long time and if Cousins weren’t paid so exorbitantly, just like a real superstar quarterback, then the discussion would certainly pass him by a little more. Because ultimately he delivers what the game philosophy of the Vikings actually requires. He makes few mistakes, can move the offense in important phases and he plays good play action on the back of a good running game. The only problem is that the running game with the increasingly battered Cook and the two (or maybe even three?) led coordinator-led defense, which is supposed to act as a typical cornerstone for a team from the NFC North, play their part in the agreement rarely or not redeemable at all. Kirk Cousins is who he is, and with a superb defense that might even be enough. But as it is, it’s not enough and probably too little for Mike Zimmer to keep his job. In almost eight years as head coach in Minnesota, he has only two playoff wins and if there are no more wins this year, it will be tight for the trainer. In which he himself has a large share with blatant mistakes in game management or the roster evaluation as well as a complicated, unadapted defensive system.
Of course, it’s not all over yet. The trend reversal could perhaps come as early as Thursday Night Football when the equally shaky Pittsburgh Steelers make representations in Minneapolis. But even with a win on Thursday, it’s hard to really envision much for the Minnesota Vikings this season, let alone dream of a Super Bowl. Ultimately, however, that dream must be viewed as the ultimate goal. The Zimmer era, the Cousins era and perhaps also the era of General Manager Rick Spielman began with exactly this premise, but results or even the vision that ultimate success is really possible are missing.
And when that point is reached in the NFL, a captain usually disembarks here too. Or just a few more…