The Vikings Were Always More Than Kirk Cousins
Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Yahoo! Sports are counting down their NFL Power Rankings for the upcoming season, releasing them a team at a time from No. 32 to the Kansas City Chiefs No. 1. The Minnesota Vikings came off the board somewhat early, ranking as their No. 22 team. Sure, out of the basement, but no one wants to be in the same grouping as the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders.
Why so low? While pre-season optimism can talk any Vikings’ fan into thinking they can compete for a playoff spot, there’s no doubt that this is a transitional year for the club. Specifically, a transition away from longtime quarterback Kirk Cousins. Says Yahoo!:
There was comfort in having Cousins. Minnesota always knew that they’d have solid, steady quarterback play. That was reassuring even if the Vikings had to realize that reaching a Super Bowl with Cousins was never going to happen. They had more losing seasons (three) in the six-year Cousins era than playoff appearances (two). That wasn’t all Cousins’ fault, and even if he wasn’t taking the Vikings where they wanted to go, he was safe.
We’re averaging a “Cousins” per sentence here, and we’re far from done, with six mentions of his name in two paragraphs. The only other player named was his replacement, JJ McCarthy.
We’re not going to say Cousins wasn’t central to the Vikings team in some way, or that allowing him to walk wasn’t a franchise-changing moment. We’re not even necessarily going to say that the Vikings should be much higher than 22 on a Power Rankings.
Yes, Cousins, his departure, and Minnesota’s succession plans are the biggest storyline when it comes to the Vikings’ Super Bowl odds long-term. But that’s not the only measure of success for them, especially in a season where even Paul Allen would concede a Super Bowl isn’t terribly likely. Even with Cousins’ contract functioning as a boat anchor on the team’s upside last year, there was still talent on the squad. With all that money freed up, the Vikings became a deeper and more intriguing team next year. The team never was simply No. 8 at quarterback, and it sure isn’t now.
It’s probably unfair (but extremely funny) to have called Cousins, who we’ll mention here for the last time, a pure passenger in this offense. Still, the Vikings have a unit that pretty much runs itself. While the machine sputtered in the hands of Josh Dobbs, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall last year, there’s reason to think that even an average-ish journeyman like Sam Darnold can operate it like a Gundam.
What can you say about the weapons in Minnesota other than: Just look at them!! Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are on the outside. Presumably, TJ Hockenson is coming back from his ACL tear at some point this season. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill are guarding your blind and not-blind sides. They swiped Aaron Jones from Green Bay to shore up their ground game weakness while simultaneously upgrading their passing game. Darnold is going to have to lean hard into his inner Jet to struggle in Minnesota.
Again, just look at them!!
It’s also a transitional year for the defense, as well, after losing Danielle Hunter. In some ways, this transition is even more exciting than it is at quarterback. The Vikings got to replace Hunter with Jonathan Greenard, a much, much better stand-in for a star player than someone like Darnold. But then at the draft, they landed Dallas Turner, who despite going No. 17 overall, is probably a better bet to be an NFL star than McCarthy was at 10th overall.
While Darnold and McCarthy, obviously, can’t occupy the field at the same time, Greenard and Turner almost certainly will from Day 1. Brian Flores will get to merge the present and the future into a symphony of sacks, blitzes, and pressure. It’s not inconceivable that despite losing Hunter, Flores can work his pass rush into a more formidable unit than it was last season. If so, there’s a ton to watch on the defensive side of the ball, as well.
Hey, we get it. In the NFL, quarterback is king, and with the Vikings starting a $10 million Darnold while fielding the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league with Jefferson, that’s basically flipping the Football Gods the bird. What Minnesota can do with that spot is important. Still, this team carries much more upside than their signal-caller situation would suggest and should remain very watchable. If you’re not looking past who’s under center, you’re missing out.
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