Minnesota Vikings News and Links, 16 September 2023

Can he play gord?

Since yore last open thread …

• On the bright side, Justin Jefferson keeps setting records
• Norse Code Podcast Episode 480: It IS Philadelphia
• Vikings Stock Market Report: Week Two
• Alexander Mattison receives disgusting, disturbing, racist messages following Thursday night’s loss
• Oli Udoh out for remainder of season with quad injury

Other Vikings News

• Kevin O’Connell sees “some encouraging things” about 0-2 Vikings

“Although the results these first two weeks have not gone our way, I do think that there’s some encouraging things about our team right now from a standpoint of certain aspects of how we’re playing, whether it be Kirk’s performance last night, the way our pass game continues to keep us in football games, despite a lot of things that negatively affect us as far as turning the football over with the fumbling issue,” O’Connell said. “Our team’s fight to be an onside kick away from having a chance to win that game in a very, very tough place to go win on a short week. But there is, no doubt, some major, major areas of improvement from a standpoint of ball security. You just can’t be minus-6 after two games in the turnover differential. It goes against everything we do believe with our football philosophy, and we’re already in the process of finding new and hopefully more results-based ways of getting back to the basics of drilling and techniques and fundamentals of every rep we take to make sure ball security becomes a premium.”

Playing in the preseason may not mean diddly but getting hit might help the players get used to it and possibly not fumble as much later. Maybe? Probably not though. Turnovers could just be a matter of luck right now.

• Vikings fall to 0-2: Here’s why Kirk Cousins could soon make sense as a trade target for QB-needy Jets

I suppose the team could try to trade Cousins but that is only if they are going full tank mode.

I do not think the Jets make a lot of sense because they barely have enough cap space now. They could squeeze him in if maybe they traded Zach Wilson as part of the deal. Plus, they do not have draft picks.

But, if I am not mistaken, Cousins has a no trade clause. If so, it is hard to imagine him accepting a trade to the Jets knowing it would only be for the rest of this season.

The fact that the Jets are giving up draft picks for Rodgers should eliminate Cousins from the convo.

• Vikings robbed by refs on Eagles long TD to Devonta Smith

Whining about the refs and calls that are made or not made is really embarrassing. After Drew Pearson got away with pushing off, there is no need to even bother whining.

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