Vikings Can’t Align 2 Crucial Elements So Far in 2023
So far in 2023, when Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins plays wonderfully or better than average, his team loses.
And when he’s totally mediocre or does nothing overly special, the Vikings win.
Vikings Can’t Align 2 Crucial Elements So Far in 2023
There’s no other way to dice it.
Sunday’s game at Chicago was the most recent installment, as the Vikings clung to defensive playmaking for an utterly ugly win, one that left many fans feeling less optimistic about the team than the loss a week before versus the Kansas City Chiefs. Minnesota defeated Chicago 19-13, its fourth consecutive win at Soldier Field and its longest such streak since the Dennis Green era.
Of course, the Vikings were without Justin Jefferson, who was placed on injured reserve last week and will reportedly miss between four and six games. In that vein, it was to be expected that Minnesota’s offense would crawl rather than zoom. The Vikings offense, too, performed quite well in the 1st Half, but the 2nd Half was borderline comical per futility.
Minnesota was 2 for 13 on 3rd Down, a miserable mark that almost always spells doom inside a standalone game. Thankfully for its sake, the purple defense mostly terrorized Bears quarterbacks Justin Fields and Tyson Bagent for three hours, sealing the win with three opportunistic turnovers.
In fact, both Vikings victories in 2023 have arrived on the back of an offensive 3rd Down conversion percentage of less than 20%. They’re winning in gritty ways — and when the offense is competent, they lose. It’s mind-boggling.
Consider this statistic illuminating Kirk Cousins’ efforts. When he’s on fire or merely good, Minnesota loses. But in the two games where Cousins does nothing totally noteworthy, the Vikings win.
Kirk Cousins,
EPA+CPOE Ranking,
2023:
In Losses —
13th
6th
11th
15th
In Wins —
24th
18th
Daily Norseman‘s Eric Thompson tweeted Monday morning, “The Vikings are 2-0 when they have < 300 yards of offense and 0-4 when they have > 300 yards of offense this season.”
It’s akin to the Golden State Warriors winning basketball games when Steph Curry shoots 2 for 13 from the three-point line but losing games when he hits 9 for 13 from distance.
Fortunately for Minnesota — because it hung on for a grinder win at Soldier Field — there’s still time to pair the good Cousins games with snazzy defense. A loss might’ve ended all hope for a season turnaround.
Yet, like all Vikings if-onlys in 2023, the club has to actually fix it for the results to pour in. “If they could just do this” examples fix nothing in mid-October.
The Vikings take on the San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium in seven days. We shall see if it’s good-Kirk-bad-defense, good-Kirk-good-defense, meh-Kirk-good-defense, or meh-Kirk-bad-defense.
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 Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.