It’s gonna be a rough winter across the country, as we find ourselves once again in the throes of Covid-19. So when FOCO reached out to me about partnering, I wanted to find a way to incorporate their stuff into DBB and try and have some fun with these crazy times.
Above is the gaiter scarf. They sent me one. It’s warm as hell and it can serve as a mask. And it ain’t that expensive. (Like $15.) Here’s the link to the product. Christmas is coming, folks, even if we’re not spending the day with our families. (We’ll have a giveaway from FOCO in Monday’s Volume II post.)
Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears This Week?
I always like the Chicago Bears.
But this is a unique time. I have reached the point with this offense where I no longer believe they’re capable of first downs. And when they do manage a few first downs, or make a splash play, I just assume the penalties and sideline mistakes that follow will sabotage the progress and keep the offense from scoring points. There can’t be a less fun unit in the NFL, especially considering their talent on the outside.
A Little Look at Minnesota
- Minnesota is 25th in points allowed, allowing nearly 30 points per game. But ask yourself, does that matter? Is there any scenario in which you can imagine the Chicago offense scoring 30 points?
- Dalvin Cook has been torturing bad defenses for the last five weeks. Outside of Seattle holding him to 65 yards on 17 carries, Cook’s rushing totals have been 206, 163, 130 and 181. The Bears did the job against Derrick Henry a week ago. The test doesn’t get an easier Monday night.
- Vikings don’t have a single player on their defense in the top 50 in sacks. This is not a team that threatens the opposing passer. (Neither was Tennessee and one of their DL ended up Defensive Player of the Week in the AFC.)
- Stefon Diggs is having a remarkable year in Buffalo but the Vikings have a younger, more-talented version of Diggs in Justin Jefferson. He’s averaging 18.4 yards per reception, which is better than DK Metcalf and DJ Moore and probably DL Hughley. (The only player with a higher average is Nelson Agholor in Vegas but he’s got half the number of catches.)
- Doesn’t this Courtney Cronin headline from ESPN tell the story for the Vikings? “Key to Vikings’ success: Keep ball out of Kirk Cousins’ hands?”
Chasing the Quarterback, A Cautionary Tale
The Bears don’t have a quarterback. Does Minnesota?
Kirk Cousins is a living, breathing mediocrity. But he’s a very expensive mediocrity.
- Record: 21-17-1
- Salary: About $30 million a year.
Cousins is difficult to analyze statistically because he pads his numbers against bad opponents. (As Bears fans, we’ve seen what he is against a top caliber defense.) When you look at his playoff record, you get a better sense of what type of player he is against the better opponents. He’s 1-3 in four playoff games. His passer rating nosedives ten plus points. So does his completion percentage. So do his touchdown numbers. Cousins is the type of quarterback who is a clear upgrade over the journeyman-types. But he’s also clearly not among the best quarterbacks in the sport.
So where do the Vikings find themselves three years into the Cousins experiment? With a decayed defense, a head coach on the hot seat and an organization who’ll be doing serious work on the incoming quarterback class.
Of the 14 teams currently in playoff position in the NFL, 11 of them drafted their current starting quarterback. The other three are the Drew Brees anomaly, the Tom Brady rental and Ryan Tannehill. The veteran QB market can often stop bleeding at the position. It rarely, if ever, leads to sustained success.
The Best Cousin in Movie History: A Salute
Cousin Eddie, in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, is the greatest cousin in the history of cinema. Here are his five best moments from that film.
(3) “Nice Surprise”
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(2) “Real?”
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(1) “Shitter Was Full”
Volume II, complete with hot seats and prediction: Monday.
