Kurt Cousins has limitations. He doesn’t have a super strong arm, and sometimes I think his ball security can be shaky, but in terms of being poised in the pocket, he is up there with the best of them.
Kurt Cousins has limitations. He doesn’t have a super strong arm, and sometimes I think his ball security can be shaky, but in terms of being poised in the pocket, he is up there with the best of them.
49ers@Vikings
The 49er defense didn’t look like a great defense. Is the Vikings OL that good? They provided solid protection for Cousins. But this wouldn’t be enough if Cousins doesn’t have the poise and pocket movement that he does.
The Vikings defense did a solid job as well.
Cardinals@Seahawks
I’ve been a big critic of Shane Waldron, the Seahawk OC. For one thing, he never seems to try to get the run game going. For another thing, he utilizes the shotgun too much, and his offense doesn’t run the ball well from the shotgun. Well, yesterday’s game was different. The offense made a real effort to get the run game going. They had Geno under center a lot more and used play action. In terms of the way Waldron called the game overall, even though they didn’t put up a ton of points, this was his best game–or the game I liked the most.
The defense also looked really good. Witherspoon had some great plays. Unfortunately, two were negated because of penalties. I’m really curious to see if this defense can do well against the better offenses.
The black mark for me was Geno Smith–specifically his ball security. To me, Waldron’s game plan seemed perfect, after the turnovers from Geno in the previous week. Lean on the run game, and get Geno some completions early on to bolster his confidence. Check, and check. But then he still made key turnovers, and should have had a third.
Maybe he can turn things around in terms of his ball security, but I think the chances are low. I doubt the Hawks will go deep into the playoffs because of this.
Chargers@Chiefs
One thing: I thought Herbert is a really good QB, one that could win a Super Bowl. Now, I’m having real doubts. He’s not delivering the clutch, and his supporting cast is not the reason. In a way, he’s reminding me of Matthew Stafford (although I do think Stafford didn’t have a strong enough supporting cast for many of the seasons).
Lions@Ravens
Lions got their butts kicked. A few short possessions to start the game, with the Ravens having a few long possessions, plus scoring at the end of the drives. All the created had the Lions on their heels, and they couldn’t recover. I didn’t watch the whole game, but Jackson looked sharp.
Bills@Patriots
TMatt Milano, Tre’Various White, are IR Daquan Jones (DT)–and it showed. The Pats moribund offense, prior to this game, looked rejuvenated–not great, but they could move the ball, and scored when they had to. Additionally, the Bills offense didn’t look so good. The Bills are making a concerted effort to involve the run game this year. I think it’s a good move, but a part of me feels like it’s hurting Josh Allen. I get the vague sense Allen needs the high volume of throws to get into a good rhythm. (Or maybe he’s getting bored?) Something seems a little off, and I don’t think his ball security is great. This might be worth it, if the defense was really good, but they’ve lost too many key players.
But one of the most surprising things was the way the game ended. The Patriots ball security has been awful this year. But they played clean until about 2:00 minutes left when they fumbled the ball on their side of the field. They were up 22-17 before then. The Bills then scored the TD. I knew the Pats won this game before I saw it, but I didn’t think they won in this type of situation, driving the ball down the field for a TD.
Niners, Vikes: Cousins was unbelievable. He looks like a top five QB in this one. Add to that, Cousins was missing his best weapon and arguably the best receiver in the NFL. I agree that Cousins is poised and stands in there, but to me that is where he can make mistakes. There are times he just needs to get rid of it. But there weren’t any of those moments in this game. The Niners pass rush was on point against the Cowboys and have been pretty much neutralized in the last two games since. Randy Gregory may have been their best pass rusher against the Vikes.
I don’t know if Cousins mistakes occur in a crowded pocket. I tend to think that’s not the issue so much as he sometimes forces a throw–whether regardless of the quality of the pocket.
Bosa hasn’t looked like an elite pass rusher for most of the season. (Same with his brother in L.A., but he might have been hurt.)
And by the way, I agree that Cousins was incredible, especially without Jefferson. (Addison snatching the ball away and running to the end zone was huge as well.)
Spoon!
(Unfortunately, the sack was negated by a penalty. He also had an INT that was negated by a penalty. He seems like the real deal. Just hope he can stay healthy.)
I can’t believe I’m going to agree with Reid on this, but I think it is Cousins forcing throws. I also agree with Don: Cousins has been a top-five QB in real (that is, not fantasy) football.
I have to say the lockdown made me really dislike him and the entire Vikings team. But Quarterback on Netflix changed my mind. I like him now, especially because he’s tough and he shows up to play. Before this season, the guy was taking incredible abuse by defenses, and he keeps getting up and playing.
If you don’t watch the whole season, I recommend at least watching episode 3, which is about the physical preparation and punishment these three QBs take, and it’s really impressive.
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Unlike both of you, I have never really been impressed by Herbert except for that first game where everyone sort of woke up to him. Was it when Tyrod Taylor’s own trainer broke his ribs? Something like that. But I watched the Chargers this past weekend and dang. The ball just zips out of his hand, something I never noticed. I hate the Chargers and would be miserable if I were a Chargers fan for all these one-score games they’ve been losing for the past three years, but I admit I enjoyed watching Herbert fling the ball.
If The Vikings aren’t vying for the post season when Jefferson is ready to play, I hear they’re going to shut him down for the season and try again next year. There was even some talk about the Vikings trading Cousins before the deadline to someone a veteran QB away (the Jets?). It all makes sense but for selfish fantasy (that is, not real) football reasons, I hope Jefferson’s back on the field sooner.
I vaguely remember, and I kind of think this is a good thing, as I would rather root for him.
I think his cap hit would be too big. To me, if the 49ers had him, starting in 2019, I think the would have won at least one Super Bowl. Then again, he would eat up the cap, so maybe their team wouldn’t be as good.