Some Football Thoughts

Here are some football thoughts of mine.

1. There are individuals in the New York media that are going after Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins in advance of Sunday's game against the New York Jets. It all stems from the offseason "bidding" war over the then free agent quarterback between the two teams. One New York media honk even called Cousins "classless." That classy honk isn't happy that Cousins and his agent might have used the Jets to drive up the contract offer from the Vikings. Isn't that the how NFL free agency works? Every player and their agent wants at least two teams involved in the bidding. They want each team pushing the contract offer higher. What's so classless about that? Perhaps some of the Jets beat-writers should study up on the mechanics of free agency.

2. It's been my understanding that everyone with a connection to the Jets is head over heels in love with Sam Darnold. So why are some bellyaching over what happened in the Cousins Sweepstakes?

3. I really like this description of Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay from Sam Farmer of the LA Times:

"He talks like a man who's late for a plane."

4. Many in the national media are reacting with surprise at the sudden rise of Vikings receiver Adam Thielen. It hasn't been so sudden. He had 69 catches for 967 yards in 2016. He had 91 catches for 1276 yards in 2017. He even made the Pro Bowl. He's on pace to shatter those number this season. This is the third season of a steady climb. The national media might be slow to recognize his talents but opposing teams aren't. In the divisional playoffs last year, the New Orleans Saints had cornerback Marshon Lattimore shadow Thielen all day. Vikings fans are sensitive to every perceived national slight toward anything involving their team. They seem to be especially sensitive to slights toward Thielen. He's a Minnesota native and as such he's a state-wide treasure. When Rich Eisen said this week that Thielen has arrived as one of the top receivers in the game, Vikings fans chirped at him saying that he's been one of the top receivers for a while. Eisen made things worse by saying that if asked before the season every diehard Vikings fans would tap Stefon Diggs as the team's #1 receiver. First of all, I doubt that Eisen asked a single diehard Vikings fan that question. Second of all, every diehard Vikings fan would say that the team doesn't have one #1 receiver. They have two. While my time spent on this topic might say otherwise, I don't really care what the national media thinks. If it didn't happen in New York or Los Angeles or involve the Dallas Cowboys, they are always slow to react. If it didn't happen yesterday, it might as well not have happened at all.

5. NFL Network's A Football Life is taking a two week, midseason break. Yesterday was the first Friday without a new episode this season. I missed it. Every A Football Life is excellent.

6. Speaking of missing something. I miss Dalvin Cook in the Vikings gameday lineup. But, I'm glad that the team is being extra cautious with his hamstring injury. I'd rather he not step on the field until his hamstring is 100%, no doubt ready to go. It's a tricky injury.

7. I love the Vikings Donut Club.

8. I can watch Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs run routes and catch passes all day. Two of the best, perhaps the best, at doing both.

9. Finishing up with Kirk Cousins. He has been worth the giant contract that the Vikings gave him. I thought that it would take at least the first quarter of the season for the offense to get on the same page. New quarterback, new offensive coordinator, jumbled line. That's a lot to pull together and I thought that it would take a while for the offense to click. Other than a team-wide train wreck against the Buffalo Bills in Week 3, Cousins has been outstanding.