Vikings by the Numbers

[SteelKing728]

I need that Josh Freeman gif NOW!!!

[SteelKing728]

Shaun Hill surprisingly wasn't half bad in his only start in week 1 of 2016, so he gets my vote!

[Cearbhall]

18 hours ago, SemperFeist said:

Huh!? Sure ‘00 and ‘04 were great years, but Culpepper was bad from ‘01-‘03, and abysmal in the 7 games he played in ‘05 before his injury.

Even at his best Culpepper was a suspect decision maker. Yes, he threw a great deep ball, and with Moss they made some outstanding plays for sports center. But you take Moss away, and put him in a WCO based on timing routes, and he would have been a disaster. 

Culpepper was the early ‘00 version of Matthew Stafford. 

In defense of Culpepper, I remember him having a few pretty good games throwing to Nate Burleson when Moss was out injured. If that memory is accurate at all it somewhat dispels the concerns of Moss making Culpepper.

That isn't enough to sway me to pick Daunte.

[Guest]

Vikings that have worn the number 14:

• George Shaw (1961)
• Fred Cox (1963 - 1975)
• Brad Johnson (1992 - 1998, 2005 - 2006)
• Joe Webb (2010 - 2013)
• Stefon Diggs (2015 - 2019)

Some very good players on this list.  George Shaw started was drafted by the Baltimore Colts and was their starting quarterback until an unheralded rookie out of western Pennsylvania, name John Unitas showed up and displaced him.  He also started the very first game in Vikings franchise history, but was replaced before half-time by a 3rd round draft pick out of Georgia, named Francis Tarkenton.  He is that answer to the trivia question what NFL starting QB for two franchises was replaced by two eventual hall of famers?

Brad Johnson had two stints as the QB for the Vikings.  He replaced an injured Randall Cunningham and did quite well.  He is best known as the Super Bowl winning quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Joe Webb was a terrific athlete.  He was a college QB turned NFL receiver, who returned to the QB position.  Unfortunately, he couldn't turn all that athleticism into a starting position in the NFL.

This list comes down to the Vikings all-time leading scorer, member of the ring of honor, and inventor of the NERF football, Fred Cox and the uber talented WR Stefon Diggs, who will be remembered in Vikings lore as the guy who caught and scored the last second TD to beat the New Orleans Saints in the 2017 division playoff game.  Cox or Diggs?  Cox or Diggs?  Cox or Diggs?  Hmmmmmm.....

[Cearbhall]

1 hour ago, Virginia Viking said:

Cox or Diggs?  Cox or Diggs?  Cox or Diggs?  Hmmmmmm.....

Diggs' time with the Vikings was so short. His growing discontent and becoming petulant does not at all endear him.

Cox was a kicker. 

[SemperFeist]

It’s Diggs. He’s a top 3 explosive player for the Vikings offense this century. 

[whitehops]

Brad Johnson has a case, mainly by being a QB but his best years were after he left the Vikings (made the pro bowl twice but not with the Vikings).

 

It's Diggs. He 's "only" top 10 in franchise yards, catches and receiving TDs but he has the second most yards per game (0.1 ahead of Cris Carter). 

 

Random fact: While I was looking up Vikings' franchise stats I came across a cool one. In 128 games and with 425 catches, Kyle Rudolph only has one career fumble. Just thought that was impressive.

EDIT: On the other hand, Chuck Foreman had 52 fumbles in 93 games and Tommy Mason had 54 in 70 games.

Edited May 25, 2020 by whitehops

[vike daddy]

1 hour ago, whitehops said:

Chuck Foreman had 52 fumbles in 93 games

Foreman carried the ball one handed many, many times.

 

 

oh, and it's Cox. had more of an impact for the team, for a longer period of time, that Diggs.

fight me.

Edited May 26, 2020 by vike daddy

[whitehops]

2 hours ago, vike daddy said:

oh, and it's Cox. had more of an impact for the team, for a longer period of time, that Diggs.

fight me.

why do you think he had more of an impact? 

[vike daddy]

1 hour ago, whitehops said:

why do you think he had more of an impact? 

who scored more points?

[SteelKing728]

I'm going with recency bias: diggs

[Guest]

Vikings that have worn the number 15:

• John McCormick (1962)
• Ron Vander Kelen (1964 - 1967)
• Gary Cuozzo (1968 - 1971)
• Martin Nance (2006)
• Greg Jennings (2013 - 2014)
• Isaac Fruechte (2016)
• Brandon Zylstra (2018)

Really only two in contention here.  Gary Cuozzo and Greg Jennings.  Cuozzo had a lot of wins in the seasons he started as QB, mainly because he had such a great defense.  A defense that scored points!  The other contender has to be Greg Jennings.  Jennings had a really good career with the Packers before coming to the Vikes.  He had an ok couple of years with the Vikings.  The guys throwing him passes were Ponder, Cassel, Freeman and Bridgewater.  He had some extenuating factors effecting his production.  But, I will give him the nod anyway.

[swede700]

14 hours ago, vike daddy said:

Foreman carried the ball one handed many, many times.

 

 

oh, and it's Cox. had more of an impact for the team, for a longer period of time, that Diggs.

fight me.

I won't because I agree with you.  I like Diggs the player, but if your best case for Diggs is because he's the 3rd most explosive player for the Vikings this century, which in 20 years has produced more losing seasons than the 30 before that, I'm not sure I can put him on that high of a pedestal.  I'm going to put Cox up there, despite being a kicker...he wasn't just a kicker, he's the most decorated kicker in the history of the franchise...and it's only a bonus that he created the NERF football.    

[swede700]

14 minutes ago, Virginia Viking said:

Vikings that have worn the number 15:

• John McCormick (1962)
• Ron Vander Kelen (1964 - 1967)
• Gary Cuozzo (1968 - 1971)
• Martin Nance (2006)
• Greg Jennings (2013 - 2014)
• Isaac Fruechte (2016)
• Brandon Zylstra (2018)

Really only two in contention here.  Gary Cuozzo and Greg Jennings.  Cuozzo had a lot of wins in the seasons he started as QB, mainly because he had such a great defense.  A defense that scored points!  The other contender has to be Greg Jennings.  Jennings had a really good career with the Packers before coming to the Vikes.  He had an ok couple of years with the Vikings.  The guys throwing him passes were Ponder, Cassel, Freeman and Bridgewater.  He had some extenuating factors effecting his production.  But, I will give him the nod anyway.

Jennings is the only one for me...since I never saw Cuozzo play and when you guys talk about him, it's never in a good light.  

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, swede700 said:

I won't because I agree with you.  I like Diggs the player, but if your best case for Diggs is because he's the 3rd most explosive player for the Vikings this century, which in 20 years has produced more losing seasons than the 30 before that, I'm not sure I can put him on that high of a pedestal.  I'm going to put Cox up there, despite being a kicker...he wasn't just a kicker, he's the most decorated kicker in the history of the franchise...and it's only a bonus that he created the NERF football.    

There's something about the juxtaposition of Cox and Diggs.  About as different as two players of football could be.  It's surprising in some ways, that these two polar opposites in talent, skills and demeanor could've worn the same number.