Post Game Thoughts- Bengals.

[Johnny Nix]

Gotta hope Darrisaw comes back soon. Your LT had a horrible game. We probably would have had a few more sacks, but the holding definitely kept Kirk from being hit. 

[SteelKing728]

On 9/13/2021 at 10:04 AM, vikingsrule said:

The Bengals may soon no longer be the Bengals with Joe Burrow.

Have you seen their coaching staff? That team will be better in a year or two but they have to get a better FO. 

[Ozzy]

On 9/13/2021 at 10:26 AM, Johnny Nix said:

Gotta hope Darrisaw comes back soon. Your LT had a horrible game. We probably would have had a few more sacks, but the holding definitely kept Kirk from being hit. 

I said this before but I think the backup on the Browns Chris Hubbard would start on the Vikings at LT.  Darrisaw who knows how much he plays this year at all and clearly Hubbard is far better than Hill.  

 

Now maybe Darrisaw will play this year and be good but that will be damn hard to do when he has not played live football in the NFL yet and is clearly nursing an injury and has been for awhile.  Sure Hubbard is starting on the Browns now with Wills out but that shows just how deep the Browns are they have not only Hubbard just sitting there waiting on the bench but also Hudson.  

 

Then again the Vikings did have 5 QB sacks, 7 TFLs and 8 QB hits where the Bengals had only 3 sacks, 7 TFLs and 8 QB hits.  But the Vikings have a better DL than the Bengals do, but the Bengals do have some issues on the interior but have promise in Carman for the future and Trey Hill.  Good to see Sua-Filo playing well.  Sure they wish Adeniji was healthy to play that other OG spot.

 

Sucks for them Ossai is hurt he could have been pretty good but overall they have a solid D that will keep them in a lot of games.  Arguably have the best two safeties on any one team in the NFL.  Bates I love and Bell is outstanding as well, and Awuzie was very good and they did not even miss Waynes that much.  

Edited September 15, 2021 by Ozzy

[Johnny Nix]

55 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Then again the Vikings did have 5 QB sacks, 7 TFLs and 8 QB hits where the Bengals had only 3 sacks, 7 TFLs and 8 QB hits

Don’t forget the Vikings had a ton of penalties that would have been sacks, and Kirk was running for his life a lot. Sacks don’t always tell the whole story. 

[Ozzy]

9 hours ago, Johnny Nix said:

Don’t forget the Vikings had a ton of penalties that would have been sacks, and Kirk was running for his life a lot. Sacks don’t always tell the whole story. 

Very true, I honestly was kind of shocked Cousins was only hit 8 times, I would have thought that number would have been 10-15 times.  They had 12 penalties and what should have had 15-16, I kind of remember the Bengals declined more than one penalty based on the down.  

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Ozzy said:

Very true, I honestly was kind of shocked Cousins was only hit 8 times, I would have thought that number would have been 10-15 times.  They had 12 penalties and what should have had 15-16, I kind of remember the Bengals declined more than one penalty based on the down.  

Kirk often plays like he's been hit more than he really has.

[vikingsrule]

2 hours ago, Virginia Viking said:

Kirk often plays like he's been hit more than he really has.

OL always gets the blame. I thought the real struggle was in the run game and penalties. Couldn’t really get that run game going effectively. DLs across the league are simply better than OLs in today’s nfl. A QB has to be able to manipulate a pocket and make good and quick decisions. These have always been where Cousins has significantly struggled. Taking needless sacks doesn’t help. Playing undisciplined up front doesn’t help either. 

 

[PrplChilPill]

10 minutes ago, vikingsrule said:

OL always gets the blame. I thought the real struggle was in the run game and penalties. Couldn’t really get that run game going effectively. DLs across the league are simply better than OLs in today’s nfl. A QB has to be able to manipulate a pocket and make good and quick decisions. These have always been where Cousins has significantly struggled. Taking needless sacks doesn’t help. Playing undisciplined up front doesn’t help either. 

 

I'm not convinced it isn't also coaching....as they don't run the kinds of quick passes (other than stupid short ones on 3rd and long) that other teams so to often enough.

[SemperFeist]

Just now, PrplChilPill said:

I'm not convinced it isn't also coaching....as they don't run the kinds of quick passes (other than stupid short ones on 3rd and long) that other teams so to often enough.

I’ve felt that coaching has the been primary culprit for a very long time. Including the overall philosophy of the coaching. 

I’ll never understand why the head coach is so pig headed about building a running team, while some of his best players are receivers and the QB. You sign a QB who is known, now and when you signed him, as a QB who can dissect teams when given a clean pocket, but who struggles when pressured. Yet, your entire philosophy about building the offensive line has been about adding players who excel at run blocking. 

Quite frankly, there has been a lot of talent on this offense over the years, but I do believe that Zimmer’s obstinate approach to the offense has led them to where they are not creating the offense around the talents of the players, but rather putting the players in an offense that Zimmer wants to see run. 

[Nzd07]

If our season goes down the toilet can we release Cousins next season or are we still on the hook? (I still like Kirk, but we need a total rebuild if we end up going 6-11 or 5-12).

[VikeManDan]

16 minutes ago, Nzd07 said:

If our season goes down the toilet can we release Cousins next season or are we still on the hook? (I still like Kirk, but we need a total rebuild if we end up going 6-11 or 5-12).

My understanding is the only way we get "out" is via trade. We'd have the pro-rated $10M signing bonus count as dead cap but we'd free up the guaranteed salary of $35M. An outright cut would count $45M in dead money.

Those more in tune with the cap implications can confirm or correct where I'm wrong.

[SemperFeist]

4 minutes ago, VikeManDan said:

My understanding is the only way we get "out" is via trade. We'd have the pro-rated $10M signing bonus count as dead cap but we'd free up the guaranteed salary of $35M. An outright cut would count $45M in dead money.

Those more in tune with the cap implications can confirm or correct where I'm wrong.

You’re correct. 

[Guest]

Even if it means "eating" some dead money, if the Vikings end mediocre or worse, I think dumping Kirk at the end of the season is better for a rebuilding team in the long run.  I would also be looking to move some other vets off the roster, such as Barr, Thielen, maybe even Cook in order to start the rebuild.  

[SemperFeist]

Getting rid of top tier talent is never smart. Players like Thielen and Cook, both on the field and in the locker room are exactly the type of players essential to a rebuild. 

[AP_allday2869]

I have never understood getting rid of awesome players during a rebuild. Sure, their contracts may not be the best with a rebuilding ideology, but that would make it harder to be good since you are getting rid of bonafide contributors and would actually take the rebuilding process longer than it should if those players are young. Just my .02