Imagine Having a QB Accomplish That
We may have just witnessed arguably the best Super Bowl in recent memory. While the first half was a defensive battle that saw offenses struggle to get their footing, the second half was a master class of two talented teams going toe-to-toe. Ultimately, though, it was a quarterback you knew would get it done. Imagine enjoying a team that employs a talent like that.
Imagine Having a QB Accomplish That
All offseason, the talk for the Minnesota Vikings has been whether or not they’ll re-sign quarterback Kirk Cousins. His level of veteran leadership and continuity is valuable to the franchise, and it would be a straightforward decision if he weren’t so engrossed with getting every cent possible. No matter what, though, the feelings and realities Patrick Mahomes sparked down the stretch on Sunday night are not something Cousins has ever embodied, and many quarterbacks don’t.
All game long, the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense sputtered, and while Mahomes continued to rack up yardage, the end zone eluded the offense. Still, when down 10-6, it felt like a matter of when and not if they would find the end zone. It definitely didn’t feel over after Marquez Valdes-Scantling found the end zone and gave Kansas City their first lead. Then San Francisco put up three points to make it a 19-16 game with 1:53 left in the game, and it was only the 49ers that needed to sweat.
With Mahomes under center, that amount of time was an eternity. Even while not being a fan of either team, it was impossible not to sense the time guaranteed Mahomes would get it done. Field goal position was too easy, and a touchdown to end it seemed plenty logical. Being able to breathe calmly, knowing that’s the type of talent a team has under center, is truly something special. Of course, Mahomes and the Chiefs got that field goal, and they went to overtime.
San Francisco got the ball first, and even if the Chiefs had won the toss, they noted an intention to put the 49ers in possession first as well. Again, Mahomes and his team have the utmost confidence in who they employ, and thinking he’ll ever get beat with the game on the line is something that is simply not part of the equation. Stopping the 49ers for a field goal, this time it felt over.
Mahomes methodically drove the Chiefs down the field and completed every one of his passes on the final drive. He was dropping dimes everywhere, and it looked like playground recess for a kid older than everyone else on the field. Finding Mecole Hardman in the end zone to walk it off is how it ended, but there was a sense that was the reality waiting to happen even before it came to fruition.
Every team in the NFL would love to fall into finding the next Patrick Mahomes. The reality is that player likely doesn’t exist on a yearly basis. What can be ruled out is that Cousins resembles that sort of talent, and therein lies the argument for Minnesota to seek a quarterback prospect in the draft. Maybe that’s worth mortgaging the future on a player like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels. Maybe there’s value in selecting Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr., or J.J. McCarthy, and they develop into a star. That’s what front offices are paid to decide, and finding someone capable of generating a feeling of certainty is the pinnacle.
Winning a Super Bowl needs to happen for the Vikings eventually, but finding a player under center that you can count on to come through is a significant portion of the problem.
Jerick McKinnon Rides Again
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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