The biggest mistake Minnesota made....
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...was misplaying their hand with Daniel Jones. He was their ace-in-the-hole. There was a reason he was signed before the end of the year to the practice squad. I'm sure that JJM NOT being able to practice for so long rehabbing the knee injury and getting up to playing weight there were question marks. He's very young. I think if he could have run the PS team and get QB2 reps behind Uncle Sammy all year they wouldn't have felt that way. All the mental work in the world won't cut it against actual reps. He had none of those. Then they gave serious thought to Aaron Rodgers as the offseason/training camp went on but JJM started to get in a positive groove, showed he knew the offense and commanded it and that practice against New England I think put the nail in the coffin of bringing Rodgers aboard. Impartial observers thought he seriously outplayed Drake Maye during those.
So it really was a confluence of things that worked to undermine the season, but even with those things having Daniel Jones as QB2 or he wins that job outright would have changed the Viking's season last year and they would have made the playoffs. Hell, they almost made them without him and all the turmoil. All the fans screaming over KOC's playcalling, the Wilfs, JJ's bad plays, not running enough, etc. and really by far the lynchpin for a subpar season were injuries and no Daniel Jones. Simple as that. The NFCN is oh so winnable. Hey, let the sunshine in.... ;)
[video=youtube]https://youtu.be/gwm_HvukqJA[/video]
So it really was a confluence of things that worked to undermine the season, but even with those things having Daniel Jones as QB2 or he wins that job outright would have changed the Viking's season last year and they would have made the playoffs. Hell, they almost made them without him and all the turmoil. All the fans screaming over KOC's playcalling, the Wilfs, JJ's bad plays, not running enough, etc. and really by far the lynchpin for a subpar season were injuries and no Daniel Jones. Simple as that. The NFCN is oh so winnable. Hey, let the sunshine in.... ;)
[video=youtube]https://youtu.be/gwm_HvukqJA[/video]
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Feb 17, 9:52 AM
Feb 17, 2026 9:52 AM
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MaroonBells wrote:
It really is shocking when you think about it. Vikings were a half game from the playoffs and likely would've won the division if it weren't for that last second, 56-yard return in the Bears game. This despite what was probably the worst season of QB play in our history.
Former GM Mike Tannenbaum said the other day that the Vikings are Super Bowl contenders if they get the QB right.
It really was. Between JJ's rough patches, old man Wentz and completely overwhelmed Brosmer....KOC almost pulled a huge rabbit out of his hat. I'm ok with others questioning JJM, I really am, but IMO he was playing much better at the end of the year. He's going to be The Man IMO. But he needs those reps....and more reps.
edited Feb 17, 2026 10:16 AM
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And for the Kyler Murray lovers....yikes.
Nick Miller
@NicholasMMiller
Over the last three years, Kyler Murray has:
- Missed 41% of games either to injury or being benched
- 34 out of 34 in EPA in throws over 10 air yards
- 14.3% of throws from under center (MIN: 27.7%)
From 2022-2024 he ranked 41 out of 41 in EPA on throws over 25 yards
Career P2S: 19.5%
edited Feb 17, 2026 11:23 AM
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medaille wrote:
I don't get too worked up over things that we did the right thing, but they turned out not the best. I think you're still looking at trying to hope a failed QB can go all the way vs a young QB developing into their potential, and I think the young guy is the right long term choice if you can develop them.
For me, the biggest mistake is just KOCs scheme in relation to the QBs he had and it should be a preventable mistake. You've got to know who your players are and mold your scheme around them. For whatever reason KOCs scheme didn't work for Howell, JJM or Brosmer. It doesn't really work for when the OLine needs extra help. Sometimes a defense can just take it away, and there's no counter punch. I don't think its a bad scheme and needs to be wholesale replaced, but I think its the one thing that we can control that would make the most impact.
For me, plays are plays are plays. But how well are they being executed? Its not rocket science. Are players making plays? Moving players they are supposed to move? Block them? When you have a decimated O-line, how do you exactly 'help them'? The short answer is you don't, you suffer as an offense. Why does an offensive line coach like Chris Kuper get let go by Minnesota (with all the blame from fans) and then get hired by an organization like Philadelphia? Why do so many coordinators get recycled around the NFL with various degrees of success? Why does a guy like Andy Reid get let go by Philly and then has great success in KC?
The answer is simple: its the players. Always has been. Scheme is so damn overrated...its always the execution of ANY scheme that is way more important. And as good as BFlo's D is, it aint much without turnovers. Because the turnover ratio is where teams lose and win games no matter what statistically. JJ looked very bad sometimes because he played poorly at times AND his offensive line was hot dogshit with injuries. It wasn't a coincidence that he played better when the line played better.
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Greylock wrote:
Don't get the fascination some have over Daniel Jones. He was less than average in NY and the Vikings pathetic defense got him a big payday. There is absolutely no reason to think he would have taken the Vikings to a playoff win or two, yet some think he is the one that got away. Had he stayed with the Vikings and done nothing many would be pissed they kept the guy.
My point was no doubt the Vikings would have won a few more games with Jones either starting or coming in for an injured JJ McCarthy. KOC's plan was for a really solid QB2 in either Jones or McCarthy...a better QB room most assuredly than what they ended up having.
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Still Hurtn wrote:
I said Jones would fail miserably and be a career back up. Darnold would come back to earth and Milton would start by week 10. Predicting on the internet is so much fun
Hey, we've all been there man. Sometimes we hit it and other times not so much.
Regardless, what is great from a fan perspective is we probably won't have to wait more than a month or so before we know on some of these QB rumors for Minnesota. Is KOC bringing in a true contender to battle for the starter position with JJ or more of a much improved QB2 that gives the ol' wink wink on it?
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