You know it’s 2020 when people from Aitkin to Austin, Wayzata to Willmar collectively held their breath last Sunday, hoping for… Aaron Rodgers to connect on that last-second Hail Mary?
Damn you, D.J. Wonnum, let the man throw the ball!
As the ball fell out of Rogers’ hand and rolled dribbled aimlessly down the field, the Minnesota Vikings’ chances at landing Trevor Lawrence, Trey Lance or Justin Fields slipped away.
2-5 is just too good to get one of those guys, unless both New York teams and the Jacksonville Jaguars get relegated to the Canadian Football League. At this point, Minnesota is going for it. It means the playoffs, folks.
I’m serious.
Obi Wan must have waved his hand in front of Rick Spielman during the bye week and dictated, “These are not the quarterbacks you’re looking for,” because we’ve seen Spielman act accordingly. Truthfully, Spielman and Mike Zimmer were never going to tank. Both could lose their jobs, and it’s not in their nature anyways.
We all heard it. One game at a time. No one thinks the season is over. Nobody has lost faith in Kirk Cousins.
The shame here is that the Vikings would be a great destination for a young quarterback. They have two of the best receivers in the league, Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, a defense that put it together against the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers and veteran leaders like Eric Kendricks, Anthony Barr and Harrison Smith.
The offensive line has traditionally been an issue, but they looked good against Green Bay. Dalvin Cook keeps defenses preoccupied, taking pressure off the quarterback and setting up play-action. Even Irv Smith Jr. has gotten more involved recently.
All of this creates an environment a rookie quarterback can thrive in. He would have receivers he can trust, a defense to keep games from getting out of hand, and he has tight ends and a star running back to throw to in a pinch.
The problem is that teams built like the Vikings don’t often lose enough to land a blue-chip quarterback prospect. They probably would have played better in the first two weeks if there had been a regular camp and a preseason. They almost beat the Tennessee Titans, Seattle and Green Bay. They’re better than 2-5.
If the Vikings rally and go to the playoffs, it will be a good experience for the young players on the team — and in a year like this, anything can happen. If they don’t, they’ll land in football purgatory where they don’t get a top pick or the benefits of playoff experience. In that case, Rodgers may have pulled off a feat more rare than the last-second Hail Mary.
He may have beaten the Vikings without winning the game.
