I’m Fading The 2022 Vikings
I’m sorry but I’m not doing it. I’m not joining the hype train. The Chinese farmer always says maybe but the sports mob is just so wrong about 75% of the time when they do this. The cool team in the NFL is the Vikings somehow and you can’t find anybody that dislikes them heading into the 2022 NFL Season.
Colin Cowherd has the Vikings at 13 wins. Diamond thinks they’re a guaranteed playoff team. If you don’t have Justin Jefferson ranked first in fantasy, you’re considered a leper. Overnight somehow Kirk Cousins made the Hall of Fame too. I’m sorry I’m just not eating this cheese. I can’t do it. I won’t do it.
What’s changed here? Someone please tell me. Kirk Cousins is 34 and has won a single playoff game. He has not elevated the franchise to anything Teddy Bridgewater or Case Keenum couldn’t accomplish during their time with the Vikings. You can use all the weird Kirk Cousins stats all you want. The bottom line is when it’s time to put your nuts on the table, that guy isn’t getting it done. There is no juice.
I’m not here to poo poo on Cousins but you need to be honest with yourselves. In no simulation that exists in the modern NFL it ends with Cousins hoisting a Lombardi Trophy and that’s the entire point. You cannot and will not win a Super Bowl with Cousins making $40 million.
Like we haven’t forgotten about the fact that Stefon Diggs hated Cousins and forced his way out for that reason. OR the fact that Adam Thielen has displayed on numerous occasions for his hate for Cousins? We do remember those times, right?
Furthermore, are we really going to pretend the last Vikings staff did a bad job? I’m not going to sit here and tell you I dissect defensive game tape of Mike Zimmer’s defense all day. I don’t have that luxury right now. What I will tell you is that Bill Parcells thinks that guy is a good head coach and Aaron Rodgers hated facing him. You sure firing that guy is a good thing?
I’m not saying Zimmer shouldn’t have been fired. I’m not saying Kevin O’Connell will be a bad coach. I don’t think we know the answer to the second part of the question. What I am telling you is that this idea that the Vikings are a lock to explode is crazy. In fact, Minnesota was in 12 what were considered close games. They went 5-7 in those games. The last staff kept them in virtually every game. I’m supposed to believe the new staff will do that year one?
Also… are we sure Klint Kubiak was an idiot? His dad was pretty smart. Their offense wasn’t terrible last year? I’m just saying.
We have to remember these things take time. Kevin O’Connell could be the greatest coach in the world and still fail in year one. The last McVay assistant, Zac Taylor, went 2-14 and then 4-11-1 to start his coaching career. Kyle Shanahan won six and then four games to start his coaching career. Smart people actually thought it was a good idea to fire Jim Harbaugh because it took him too long to win. This idea that Kevin O’Connell is going to step on the field day one and is a lock to hang this season in the rafters with Cousins riding by his side in Minnesota is just not something I can get behind.
I’m sorry but where did this Packers disrespect come from? Did Aaron Rodgers die? Does he not own anything associated with a Viking outside of one year Brett Favre joined them? Yes, Davante Adams is gone and that stinks. Boo hoo. Rodgers will figure it out and they have two additional things going for them.
A: This Packers defense is real. They have young studs littered all over it. Eric Stokes (new link), Rashan Gary (new link), Darnell Savage, Jaire Alexander, etc. The Packers added two more Georgia guys in the form of Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt. I’ll take this defense over Minnesota’s any day of the week.
B: The Packers are going to be able to run the football with great success. The duo of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon is as good as it gets league wide. It’s a true one-two punch. Dalvin Cook is better than both but he’s also probably going to miss four games like he always does. The Vikings aren’t the same without him.
We can rip the Packers all we want for the Jordan Love pick (and I’ve never defended it) but let’s not sit here and pretend Rick Spielman is some godsend. Spielman also got fired for a reason. Go look at his draft history. It’s filled with terrible, disgusting, and oh wow… he actually got ONE right. The 2021 Draft class was a disaster. This Vikings roster by no means is an abject disaster but it’s also not a championship one either.
I’m not doing it. Count me out. Packers win the division again. In fact, I don’t think it’s impossible that a hungry Detroit team outperforms year one of the O’Connell era. I bet the Vikings to miss the playoffs at +100 and I feel really good about it. The NFC isn’t what the AFC is so maybe Minnesota sneaks in but by no means is the Vikings team doubling their win total like some project.
I will not eat the cheese. I am the cheese. Just say no when they ask you about the 2022 Vikings.
Okay… I’m in on two Vikings this year. Two potential fantasy breakouts from KJ Osborn and Irv Smith. Everything else? NOPE.
