Vikings Win-Loss 2023

[Parfigliano]

I see an 8-9 record and draft position purgatory.

[Danchat]

Put me down for 9-8, 2nd place in the division behind the Lions.

[gunnarthor]

You all are pessimists. 10-7 and win the division!

[Vanimal46]

8 hours ago, gunnarthor said:

You all are pessimists. 10-7 and win the division!

I’m with you. 10 wins and a division title. Until proven wrong, the Lions will always find a way to shoot themselves in the foot. 

[Parfigliano]

10 hours ago, gunnarthor said:

You all are pessimists. 10-7 and win the division!

I admire your optimism

[Parfigliano]

1 hour ago, Vanimal46 said:

I’m with you. 10 wins and a division title. Until proven wrong, the Lions will always find a way to shoot themselves in the foot. 

I see your thinking.  I just think things are going to line up for them this year and they finally miss their foot.

[Aggies7]

6-11 if they’re lucky. 

[nicksaviking]

Assuming they get smoked in Philly, I think their season is going to hinge on that Charger game in week three.

The Chargers are probably better, but they also are a team that historically chokes. If the Vikings lose that game, they're going to be playing catch up all year, because even if they beat the Panthers, nobody's going to bet on them beating KC the week after. 

If they start off 1-4, it's over, I don't care if they have a softer spot in the middle of the schedule. 

Gross, 7, 8, 9 or 10 wins is such an awful position to be in. They'll feel forced to re-sign Cousins, which means there's no championship in sight. And they failed to sign Jefferson this summer. Is he even going to want to stick around on a team that has no chance to be a real contender during his prime? I'm getting sick to my stomach thinking about this front office desperately trying to salvage an average season. It'll set this franchise back a half decade at least.

[Mike Sixel]

6 wins. Should have traded veterans.....

[Parfigliano]

Sign JJ.  Then trade Cousins to Jets and tank.  Draft QB.  Do anything to not have Cousins for another couple years.

[Mike Sixel]

8 hours ago, Parfigliano said:

Sign JJ.  Then trade Cousins to Jets and tank.  Draft QB.  Do anything to not have Cousins for another couple years.

The jets aren't trading for cousins. The window for dealing him is closed. Could still deal Hunter 

[Cap'n Piranha]

On 9/13/2023 at 6:18 AM, Mike Sixel said:

The jets aren't trading for cousins. The window for dealing him is closed. Could still deal Hunter 

Yup.  The league saw what happened when the Vikings panic-traded for Bradford because they thought they were Superbowl contenders.  No team wants to install a new QB after training camp ends, especially not a team that believes 100% they can roll it back next year.

I hate to say it, but if the Vikings are any worse than 2-3 after week 5, the for sale signs need to be up on just about everyone.  I would trade Hunter, O'Neil, Hockenson, Smith, and anyone else with less than 3 years of control for whatever I can get.

[Cap'n Piranha]

On 9/12/2023 at 9:35 PM, Parfigliano said:

Sign JJ.  Then trade Cousins to Jets and tank.  Draft QB.  Do anything to not have Cousins for another couple years.

If you sign JJ, and then force him to catch passes from Mullens/Hall for the rest of the year, all to force him to break in a rookie QB next year (no guarantees you can even get Williams, by the way), you're probably going to have to trade JJ too.

[nicksaviking]

27 minutes ago, Cap'n Piranha said:

If you sign JJ, and then force him to catch passes from Mullens/Hall for the rest of the year, all to force him to break in a rookie QB next year (no guarantees you can even get Williams, by the way), you're probably going to have to trade JJ too.

Somehow they're going to have to sell JJ on either continuing with the mediocrity and re-singing an aging and immobile Cousins, or tanking this year to get a future QB (and maybe give JJ some token input on the subject). Neither option seems like it would be attractive to a top end offensive player.

I suppose the wild card would be acquiring Kyler Murray, who's razzle-dazzle gunslinging ways may be appealing, but he's never seemed mature enough to actually lead a team to glory.

I have a hard time seeing Jefferson wanting to be here next year. If they trade him, which I 100% do not want to happen, it better put them in position to draft Caleb Williams, which means the Cardinals absolutely can't have the top pick. Carolina, Indianapolis or Houston maybe.

[Mike Sixel]

4 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Somehow they're going to have to sell JJ on either continuing with the mediocrity and re-singing an aging and immobile Cousins, or tanking this year to get a future QB (and maybe give JJ some token input on the subject). Neither option seems like it would be attractive to a top end offensive player.

I suppose the wild card would be acquiring Kyler Murray, who's razzle-dazzle gunslinging ways may be appealing, but he's never seemed mature enough to actually lead a team to glory.

I have a hard time seeing Jefferson wanting to be here next year. If they trade him, which I 100% do not want to happen, it better put them in position to draft Caleb Williams, which means the Cardinals absolutely can't have the top pick. Carolina, Indianapolis or Houston maybe.

I don't even know what I'd do if they deal JJ. 

I think paying him infinity money will keep him in MN, regardless, though.

As for the draft: 

A: They haven't been good at it yet, that has to change.

B: QB, OL, OL, OL, DL.....(sign a DB in FA)

[Cap'n Piranha]

15 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Somehow they're going to have to sell JJ on either continuing with the mediocrity and re-singing an aging and immobile Cousins, or tanking this year to get a future QB (and maybe give JJ some token input on the subject). Neither option seems like it would be attractive to a top end offensive player.

I suppose the wild card would be acquiring Kyler Murray, who's razzle-dazzle gunslinging ways may be appealing, but he's never seemed mature enough to actually lead a team to glory.

I have a hard time seeing Jefferson wanting to be here next year. If they trade him, which I 100% do not want to happen, it better put them in position to draft Caleb Williams, which means the Cardinals absolutely can't have the top pick. Carolina, Indianapolis or Houston maybe.

Yup, they're pretty boxed in when it comes to JJ, unfortunately.  Sign him (which probably requires 5 years and $150M in guarantees at a minimum), and you're dramatically decreasing your ability to fill roster holes outside of drafting (which as Mike pointed out is so far at best an unproven for Kwesi Kupcakes, if not an outright weakness).  And while I love JJ, I don't see the point in having him spend 12 years here and yet never have the team seriously compete for a Superbowl.

Much as it pains me to say it, these next 4 games basically determine the course of the franchise.  If you can't beat 2 out of PHI/LAC/KC, I think you have to start the firesale in an attempt to get as high a pick as possible.  You then have to use that pick and JJ either in tandem or separately to get the #1 pick, and finally land a (potentially) true franchise QB.  No more half measures, no more "competitive rebuilds".  And probably, no more Kwesi or KOC (for all his supposed offensive genius, KOC took an offense with a veteran QB, possibly the best receiver of all time in his prime, an OL with elite tackles and high round picks on the interior, and plenty of other skill position talent--Cook, Thielen, Mattison, Osborn, and 10 games of Hockenson--and produced an offense that scored fewer points than either of Zimmer's last two offenses, one of which had 16 games instead of 17).

As for Kyler, hardest of passes.  I want no part of a what seems like an immature guy being paid $50M a year who relies on his athleticism, but is about to be 27 and coming off a torn ACL.

[Parfigliano]

Kyler Murray is death for a franchise.  Lazy.  Attitude sucks.  Grotesquely overpaid.  Injured.