Rotation, rotation, rotation…
At halftime, while thinking about how stupid the touchback rule in the back of the end zone was, I texted my dear friend (a lifelong Packers fan) these words:
“Honestly, I think the Vikings are playing better than the Eagles. If they don’t get the ball rolling again in the second half, they’re going to win this game.”
Whether or not I was right about the Vikings outscoring the Eagles in the first half, I neglected to knock anything made of wood after speaking into existence the fate of the Vikings coming out of the break. Of course, on the second play of the drive, we all got to see Ollie.”Dareshaw“Udoh was beaten to the edge by Josh Sweat (who had 5 other QB hits, by the way), who then proceeded to strip the ball from Kirk as he brought him to the ground. Another Jalen Hurts rugby-style touchdown, Vikings three-and-out, and a bomb Long to DeVonta Smith later, we’re suddenly staring down the barrel of a three-touchdown shotgun carried by Philly native DeAndre Swift. No one expected the Vikings to win this game, but it’s especially painful that they could have won if they hadn’t sustained so many self-inflicted injuries. Ugh. Here’s the stock market report.
Blue arrows
Kirk Cousins - Honestly, it’s hard to find things to pick up from Kirk in this. I thought he played very well, even when the Eagles knew he was going to pass. Not only were the Vikings down several goals in the second half, but the running game was nonexistent for this team to begin with. The Eagles knew Kirk would throw to them, and he still held them to 364 yards and four touchdowns. The touchdown to Addison is one of the best plays I’ve ever seen.
Justin Jefferson – This guy is insanely talented. Every time he gets a pass, he seems to try anything he can to score, almost by mistake, as we saw with the touch fumble. I’m not mad at him for it, but if he scores there, this game will be a lot different. But still, 11 catches for 159 yards is elite, in my opinion.
TJ Hockenson – Hawk got a lot of looks on Thursday, finishing with two touchdowns and seven catches. He has proven to be a reliable target for Kirk.
Danielle Hunter – Again, I’m glad we kept him around. Three sacks on one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the league, against one of the best offensive lines in the league, is a very good thing. He also had what could have been a game-changing play, sacking Hurts and putting the Eagles out of field goal range. This play came in a watershed moment and kept the Vikings’ hopes alive.
Jordan Hicks – This dude always seems to be in the right place at the right time. One play in particular that caught my attention was a read option by Jalen Hurts, and Hicks defended it perfectly, bringing him to the line of scrimmage. It was a great performance from Hicks.
Strong investments
Jordan Addison – Another play, another long touchdown. Addison has absolutely nailed it so far, and I couldn’t be happier.
David Quisenberry – Quessenberry came off the bench as a third-string left tackle, and he really stuck with it. I might argue that he outdid Udoh. Did he escape a scandalous hold on Osborne’s play? Yes, it is possible. Was he called for that? no! I’ll take that performance from Stringer III.
Junk bonds
Alexander Matteson – The run blocking can take a lot of the blame for Mattison’s lackluster performance over the first two games, but Alex needs to get some credit as well. He finished the game with just 28 yards receiving, and was directly responsible for one of the Vikings’ four turnovers. I want him to be successful, but he’s not a linebacker who can do that without getting in the way, and I don’t see any of that happening anytime soon.
holiday
offensive line – I got a lot of flak in the comments last week for blowing up the interior offensive line, and you know what? I’m willing to admit that I may have been overly critical, at least in terms of pass protection. Facing one of the best defensive lines in the league without Bradbury or Darrisaw on Thursday, I thought the line held up and performed well under the circumstances. I still stand by my opinion that they need to add a guard or center.
buy sell
Buy – This game gives us hope. Even though they trailed by three points in the second half, the Vikings still fought tooth and nail to give themselves a chance to come back. It was still fun to watch, and there was no way this ugly trading volume trend could continue.
Sell - This game gives us hope. Although good, the offense and defense were terrible. That has to change if the Vikings want to get anywhere this season.
Buy – Touch base should be changed. I don’t know, man. This doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, it always baffles me. Should Jefferson not try to score? I feel that if the NFL wants more exciting plays, they should eliminate the rule that discourages players from trying to make an exciting play. But what do I know?
Sell - Jefferson should be blamed for the fumble. In the same vein, I like that Jefferson tried to score and put the Vikings ahead in the first half. Elsewhere on the court, the ball falls out of bounds without damage. If this play ended in a touchdown instead of a touchback, I think the Vikings would win the game.
Buy – Start Kirk in My Fantasy League. Did I start Kirk mainly to spite my Packers-loving friend? Yes. Is my team called “Lightning McKirk”? maybe. Did you make a drawing of Kirk Cousins riding Lightning McQueen over US Bank Stadium? … Unfortunately yes. Is Kirk starting to pay off? definitely.
Thank you for coming by for this week’s stock market report. Be sure to put your feedback in the comments.
Read more
#Vikings #Stock #Market #Report #Week
