Purple Rumor Mill: Mobile QB Kryptonite, Jefferson Happy about No PHI, Cousins MNF
VikingsTerritory’s Purple Rumor Mill is a two-day chronicle each week. All the week’s rumors are lassoed and plopped in two spots — articles on Saturday and Sunday — for review. Today is the September 18th edition.
Remember — rumors are rumors. What you read on weekends in these pieces is what the world is talking about pertaining to the Vikings, not necessarily items that will come to fruition.
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Rumor: Vikings defense coordinator Ed Donatell has problems against mobile QBs.
Regrettably, this is true. PurplePTSD‘s Josh Frey dug into this trend and found, “the 2021 Broncos were 1-5 in games where the QB had 5+ rushing attempts. They were 6-5 in all other games.”
Moreover, the 2021 Broncos, Donatell’s previous place of employment, were spanked by these same Eagles 30-13 — just walloped.
The Vikings also don’t have dazzling history against mobile quarterbacks — even Mitchell Trubisky found ways to move the sticks against Miek Zimmer — so some portions of the Monday night game maybe involve shielding your eyes.
Rumor: Justin Jefferson is glad and relieved that the Eagles did not draft him.
Jefferson said so himself this week, telling reporters he was glad Philadelphia didn’t want him. He told said, “Every mock draft had me going to Philly. So when Philly was on the board, getting the phone call, and it being Minnesota, it was definitely a shocker.”
And then Jefferson affirmed his happiness in Minnesota, “But I’m definitely happy, way happier, to be here than there.”
Now, the Vikings have Jefferson and the guy drafted in front of him by the Eagles, Jalen Reagor. Both enjoy playing for the Vikings. Life is good.
Rumor: Kirk Cousins stinks on Monday Night Football.
Cousins does not stink on Mondays, but he is historically not as good in such games as ordinary Sunday matchups.
His passer rating on Monday nights dips by 9.6%. Overall, he owns a 98.8 passer rating in his career, tumbling to 89.3 on Monday nights.
The misnomer is that Cousins is awful on MNF. It’s false. His teams are 2-9, and he takes the heat for it. He possesses a 16 TD to 8 INT split, averaging 241.3 passing yards per game. But, hey, he and the Vikings have won their last two Monday nighters, so, you know — progress.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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