Meltdown In Minnesota
June 9th, 2023
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins
Joe already is fired up for opening day in Minnesota as the three-month mark hits tomorrow.
Fanning Joe’s flames is what feels like a looming implosion with the Vikings.
Yes, the team that never seems to love its quarterback has a good roster coming off a 13-4 season, but the Vikings continue to shed talent while they hope/expect Brian Flores arriving as defensive coordinator will fix everything. (Joe already has noted that Flores defenses historically start slowly.)
As former Jets executive and linebackers coach Pat Kirwan ranted yesterday on SiriusXM NFL Radio, the Vikings are now down seven starters after cutting Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook yesterday.
The names are significant, including Adam Thielen (70 catches for 716 yards and 6 touchdown last season), Irv Smith, Cook, Dalvin Tomlinson, Eric Kendricks, Patrick Peterson and Za’Darius Smith, a double-digit sack man in 2022.
Joe also monitored Minnesota sports radio yesterday and Vikings fans are not a happy bunch.
Some spewed similar takes to those of Kirwan, who seems in disbelief that the Vikings are shedding talent after a huge window opened in their division with Aaron Rodgers leaving for the New York Jets.
More and more Joe is pleased to have pounced last week on the Bucs being a +7 underdog. No, Joe is not foolish enough to wager anything too significant on a game three months away, but this sure feels like a winnable game for Tampa Bay.
June 9th, 2023 at 11:20 am
“Joe also monitored Minnesota sports radio yesterday and Vikings fans are not a happy bunch.”
Wow. Talk about being dialed-in.
June 9th, 2023 at 11:20 am
I’m a big believer in the JoeJinx ™️ …a phenomenon where Joe gets ahead of his skis about a particular game/opponent…leading to a Buc drubbing.
June 9th, 2023 at 11:29 am
Yep this is the joes who routes for injuries during the season wanting to catch team at their worst. There’s no benefit in us playing weak opponents. Bucs need as much tough competition as they can get. Don’t want them thinking they are better than they are like the year after the Super Bowl.
June 9th, 2023 at 11:38 am
Three months… JFC.
June 9th, 2023 at 11:42 am
Adding to the exodus, the Vikings allowed the 2nd most sacks and had the 31st ranked defense last season.
June 9th, 2023 at 12:03 pm
Joe doing his Chris McCarthy impression from “Celtic Pride” lololololol
June 9th, 2023 at 12:05 pm
Short of a plane crash I’d rather face opponents at their weakest. At the end of the season there are no asterisks for injured players or teams with amoebic dysentary. Only wins and losses.
June 9th, 2023 at 12:08 pm
Might be a bloodbath, gets us on the right path quickly, love it
June 9th, 2023 at 12:12 pm
Mark it down September 10th one clown show meets the other.
June 9th, 2023 at 12:14 pm
So am I reading all this stuff correctly? Virtually none of the “experts” and few of the fans here at JBF feel any sense of optimism for the Bucs in 2023.
We never saw Tom Brady the GOAT last year. Let’s be honest. TB will always be the GOAT!!! TB fans will always be greatful for that SB and the 2nd year run.
But alas like many GOATS before him TB12 stayed one year too long! Add in the dissolution of his marriage and the ramifications for his sons and it’s no sin to admit to distraction. Distraction that literally cost a large chunk of the preseason.
But it obviously wasn’t just Brady. The OL didn’t really help.
This year looks far more promising, especially along the OL with a stud draft pickup and a good veteran pickup.
Neither Mayfield nor Trask needs to be a pro bowler at QB for the Bucs to have success. I’m not talking about the SB but I do mean more than just a visit to the playoffs and one and done.
This time next year I predict people with memories will go what a difference a year makes.
June 9th, 2023 at 12:24 pm
They had an impressive record last season but still didn’t get to the Stupor Bowl.
That is always sign for a change. Will the team be better at the start of the season, doubtful. The CBA makes it really hard to build a viable team during the off season, and there is always the chance of it all going to hell.
The Bucs are in close to the same place. The team might turn into something great or take the road to hell. It depends on an unproven OC, an unproven QB, and hopes of a maturing D-line.
To me the teams look even, but there is only one way to know, too bad it is still a few months off.
June 9th, 2023 at 12:39 pm
Kirk Cousins can’t play every game at 1pm to a non-National TV audience, but he does vs the Bucs on opening day. The Vikings (almost) annually start strong and flame out in December and January too. Joe better hope for a back door cover.
June 9th, 2023 at 12:48 pm
I know that print space is at a premium, but Minnesota is doing exactly the same thing the Bucs have been doing (shedding older high-priced players). Got a hunch we would’ve shed even more if the salary CAP had allowed (dead CAP is a killer).
Vikings’ offense scored 424 points, ranking #8 in Points Scored, but even that couldn’t save their miserable defense that allowed 427 points & ranked #28 in Points Allowed. Defense pretty much stunk it up week-after-week, but their offense kept bailing them out. Except for in their 4 losses, in which the Vikes’ offense only put a total of 50 points on the board, while their defense surrendered 139 points in those 4 losses. Hmmm, sounds somewhat familiar.
Vikings dumped the 7 players you noted (3 offense & 4 defense), but look at their ages & 2022 CAP hits:
o WR Thielen (age 32) … $11.7 mil CAP hit in 2022
o RB Cook (age 27) … $11.9 mil CAP hit in 2022
o TE Irv Smith (age 24) … $1.8 mil mil CAP hit in 2022
o LB Kendricks (age 31) … $13.5 mil CAP hit in 2022
o DT Tomlinson (age 29) … $7.5 mil CAP hit in 2022
o CB Peterson (age 32) … $3.1 mil CAP hit in 2022
o OLB Zadarius Smith (age 30) … $3.3 mil CAP hit in 2022
Almost all of those guys signed substantial contracts elsewhere. Za’Darius Smith, for instance, signed a 1-year $11.7 mil contract with the Browns after being traded to them by the Vikes (Smith had signed a 3-year $42 mil contract with the Vikings just last year, so I guess they figured they’d better cut bait now despite his 10 sacks). All the teams seem to be going younger (exact opposite of what we did in 2020 when Brady arrived & we loaded up on vets like Gronk & Brown).
June 9th, 2023 at 1:08 pm
Good if we do not beat them by 20 points we suck.
June 9th, 2023 at 1:16 pm
Remember when everyone was soooo happy with Jimmy G getting hurt so we could play against Brock Purdy?
Alexander Mattison might be a better runner than Dalvin Cook right now.
June 9th, 2023 at 1:28 pm
Wish there was a way to sign Cook….
June 9th, 2023 at 1:53 pm
It may be the only game we win.
June 9th, 2023 at 1:54 pm
Tennessee ready huh joe
June 9th, 2023 at 1:55 pm
Conversely, the SKOL crowd has marked off week 1 as a walk away victory already regardless of their cap shaving off season
Literally every team outside of our division thinks they are going to seal club us….and most of them are spot in correct
Six wins max and the Vikes are likely not one of them…
New qb, new OC, new OL, on the road in their first start together – crazy loud dome
Common sense says it’s 17-0 before we even get past midfield
June 9th, 2023 at 2:06 pm
Mattison is an explosive player. Don’t relax.
June 9th, 2023 at 2:33 pm
Should be a good game. JJ is a best and when he goes over 100 yards they win most of the time. Deff will be a great rest for our DBs in CDlll n JD. Idk who will cover him or if it will be a committee type to cover him but I’m excited to see this match up.
June 9th, 2023 at 2:42 pm
@ PewterPower
Must’ve just started following the Bucs when we signed Brady huh? Well bandwagon fan it would help,if you actually watched the games. The season after the Super Bowl we were one blown coverage away from being in the NFC championship game. We were definitely an elite team. Now if you mean the 2nd season after the Superbowl than I could understand your logic.
June 9th, 2023 at 2:55 pm
I wouldn’t get too happy. We may have some huge injuries prior to the season.
June 9th, 2023 at 2:58 pm
You like that game incoming
June 9th, 2023 at 3:07 pm
I don’t understand the fascination with the Vikings. Other than being the first game.
They are nothing special. And haven’t been in a long time. (I know how long)
Bucs win, start 1-0……. easy-peasy
June 9th, 2023 at 3:41 pm
The JoeJinx is real Winny.
June 9th, 2023 at 3:45 pm
I would feel more favorable about the matchup if we had Dalvin on a Lenny type deal going into week 1.
June 9th, 2023 at 4:01 pm
Feels to me like “Tennessee ready”. Expect Minny to be a tougher out than expected.
June 9th, 2023 at 5:20 pm
Brian Flores is a damn good defensive coach he will all summer to prepare for this game so it should be low scoring game. Hopefully TraskField won’t change that.
June 9th, 2023 at 8:12 pm
The Vikes will be a more competitive team against better caliber opponents this upcoming season. But they simply lack the horses to compete despite the NFC being wide open.
June 9th, 2023 at 8:57 pm
Ain’t skeered