It’s no shock that journeyman quarterback Josh Dobbs re-entered the environment. Gamers are backups for a cause, and it was solely a matter of time earlier than Dobbs reminded of us why he was out there a number of instances this season. What’s a shock about this present predicament is after the Vikings used property for the short-term loaner, coach Kevin O’Connell is already non-committal after three begins.
That most likely says extra about Minnesota GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah than O’Connell, however let’s follow the coach for a tick.
With All-Professional receiver Jordan Jefferson set to return after the bye week, O’Connell mentioned who begins beneath heart is determined by their capacity to maximise Jefferson.
“Justin’s position in our offense, actually from Day 1 since we arrived right here, has all the time been very, very vital,” O’Connell mentioned. “Anytime you’ll be able to infuse one of the best receiver in soccer again into your offense, there’s going to be methods to not solely get Justin going and ensure he has a crucial influence on the soccer recreation … [and] the quarterback place completely performs into that.
“We’re going to guarantee that whoever is enjoying quarterback is conscious and understands the intent behind performs the place both Justin is the first [target], or primarily based upon protection, primarily based upon the defensive look, find out how to shortly and effectively get to the best place to go together with the soccer. Ultimately that’s what the NFL passing recreation is about: rhythm, timing, understanding that the protection can and can take some issues away, however progressing in rhythm.”
Even with context, it’s arduous to inform what the hell O’Connell is doing. The second-year head coach’s follow-up to his inaugural marketing campaign wasn’t going properly even earlier than Kirk Cousins’ season-ending achilles harm, and now it’s in jeopardy of going off the rails fully.
Fellow backup QBs Nick Mullens and Jaren Corridor will be a part of Jefferson in coming back from harm after the off week, but there’s no approach of understanding which sign caller can maximize the star receiver, as a result of nobody’s thrown him a cross. It looks like O’Connell rattled off a bunch of soccer buzzwords to sound good.
Normally, soundbytes like that precede an extremely silly choice, so let’s see the way it pans out. You’d suppose a coach would begin the QB who provides them one of the best probability to win, and although that particular person won’t be what’s greatest for Jefferson’s statline, profitable is what’s greatest for the workforce, proper?
Whereas rather a lot has been made (by Jefferson) about his contract extension, would the workforce actually contort its method simply to maintain him glad going into negotiations? That feels extreme.
The underlying challenge in Minnesota is that Adofo-Mensah has been attempting to jettison Cousins by attrition since arriving within the Twin Cities. Earlier than the yr, I wrote that the GM rigged this roster to be fully depending on Cousins; that’s why he let Dalvin Cook dinner go and drafted Jordan Addisson. Properly, the harm to the workforce’s beginning QB prevented that plan from coming to fruition this season and presumably set it again indefinitely.
The previous two weeks reminded Skol followers that you are able to do rather a lot worse than Captain Kirk, so I’m unsure what Adofo-Mansah’s thought course of was when he traded for Dobbs. Was it to indicate critics that Cousins was holding again the workforce ? Dobbs did lead the Vikes to wins in his first two appearances earlier than imploding in an explosion of turnovers.
Or did the GM suppose a playoff run was nonetheless attainable even with out Cousins? If that had been true, then why neglect to bolster, and even preserve, the working recreation within the offseason? The protection is far improved over 2022 and proof that a few of Adofo-Mensah’s strikes labored, however I’m so confused by what’s occurring in Minnesota.
Contemplating the numerous questions awaiting this franchise following the season — that is Cousins final yr beneath contract, and I’m unsure Jefferson reveals up with out a new one — some semblance of a plan can be preferable.
