The Minnesota Vikings have vanquished the Devil! Yay! The Vikings obliterated the Falcons, 42-21, while making Cousins look like a little school boy bitch. I can't fully explain how satisfying it was to watch this Vikings team utterly destroy Cousins, in Minneapolis, the season after we let him walk. If you know me or have ever read my blog, you know how much I hate Curtis Cousins. I hate him as a football player and as a human being, equally. I tend to see people say how "nice" of a guy he is... why? I have never seen anything that tells me he is a nice person. He only cares about his stats and bank account, winning is super low on his list of priorities, he hates gay people, he has a fake ass personality and any normal person can see right through his bullshit (poop comes out of his mouth when he talks), and he has the most punchable, smug face in all of sports. It's also funny that the most memorable game from the last 6 seasons (the Curtis Cousins era) was a game he wasn't even playing in. It was the Joshua Dobbs masterclass game against the Atlanta Falcons last season. I understand this is my opinion and some may say the Buffalo or Colts games from 2022, but for me it was the Dobbs vs Falcons game.
Step 2 (out of 4) of Birdman's Blog's ultimate Vikings revenge against Curtis Cousins has been completed. You may be wondering what Birdman's Blog's 4 steps of ultimate revenge against Cousins are. Step 1: Let Cousins walk and immediately improve as a better team than any of the previous 6 seasons. Done! Step 2: Destroy Cousins and the Falcons in Week 14 of 2024. Done! Step 3: Return to the NFC Championship Game, like Keenum was able to but Cousins was not good enough to. Step 4: Win the Super Bowl. All 4 steps instantly became attainable the second Cousins signed with Atlanta. If you aren't a Washington, Minnesota, or Atlanta fan, you don't fully understand how devastating the Curtis Cousins experience actually is. Many fans just look at stats, rather than watching games for full context. But that is Cousins' whole shtick. He succeeds in the basic stats, making it appear that he is a solid QB. When in reality, he has never been much better than a top 15-20 QB at any point in his career. People will still argue this against me, but I have been writing my reasoning about this for 6+ seasons and don't feel the need to go into detail again. We are experiencing a magical 2024 Vikings season that has the chance to end in pure joy for us fans! Completing step 2 now allows us to sit back, with a huge smile, and enjoy the remainder of the 2024 season! :)
2024 Minnesota Vikings:
The Vikings are now 11-2 after beating the Atlanta Falcons 42-21. We are second in the NFC North behind the 12-1 Detroit Lions.
The Vikings have the 4th best point differential at +99, behind only the Lions, Bills, and Eagles. This is the biggest indicator that we are not a fraudulent team.
Sam Darnold had the best game of his career. He is absolutely proving to be the type of player to raise his level of play in big moments and stressful situations, the opposite of our previous QB. Darnold went 22/28 for 347 yards, 5 Touchdowns, and a 157.9 passer rating... which is a Minnesota Vikings franchise single-game record!
Sam Darnold became the first Vikings QB to throw 5 TD passes in a game since Daunte Culpepper in 2004.
Sam Darnold is now the Vikings lone leader having 11 games with a passer rating of 100+ in a single season.
Since 2000, only 2 QBs have started 11-2 or better in their first season after changing teams. Brett Favre (2009 with the Vikings) and Sam Darnold (2024 with the Vikings).
Jordan Addison went for 8 receptions, 133 yards, 3 TD, including a 49 yard TD. Justin Jefferson went for 7 receptions, 132 yards, 2 TD, including a 52 yard TD. Jefferson and Addison became the first pair of players in Vikings franchise history to each record at least 100 receiving yards and at least 2 touchdown catches in the same game. Crazy considering the plethora of wide receiver duos that have played for the Vikings in the 64 season history.
Aaron Jones had 84 total yards and 1 TD. The key stat for Jones this week was no fumbles. With the way the passing offense is going, I expect Aaron Jones to have a huge final 4 games of the regular season.
Josh Metellus and Byron Murphy Jr each had 1 INT. Murphy's INT was a sick, one-handed pick that led to a Vikings 98 yard TD drive, effectively ending the game.
Hell of a game by our Minnesota Vikings! Let's keep this season rolling and win the damn Super Bowl, BABY!
2024 Atlanta Falcons:
After losing to the Vikings, 42-21, the Falcons have now dropped their 4th straight game. They drop to 6-7 and have fallen to 2nd place in the NFC South, behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Curtis Cousins went 23/37, 344 yards, 0 TD, and 2 INT. Typical Cousins game. Big yards with nothing to show for it.
During the Falcons 4 games losing streak, Cousins has thrown 8 INT and 0 TD (In the last 4 games for Darnold, he has 12 total TD and 0 INT). Curtis Cousins is the first quarterback to go 4 straight games in a single season without a TD and at least 8 INT since Brett Favre in 2005.
After losing 42-21 to the Vikings, and throwing 0 TD and 2 INT, this is what Curtis Cousins had to say "Last week (against the Chargers) was a low bar. I felt better today. I felt more like myself." This was his ACTUAL quote after losing by 21-points! This is literally what all 6 seasons with Cousins in MN was like. He got his 344 passing yards, so he is happy. He has always been a joke and has never cared about winning, he only cares about his stats and his bank account.
On the bright side for the Falcons, wide receiver Darnell Mooney had 6 receptions for 142 yards and running backs Bijan Robinson & Tyler Allgeier combined for 155 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. The Vikings defense was obviously missing cornerback Stephon Gilmore (who would have helped stop Mooney) and Ivan Pace Jr (who is our premier run stopping linebacker that would have held the Falcons rushing attack down a bit). Overall, the Vikings defense played extremely well. Even though we gave up a handful of chunk plays, we never let the levee break against a team that does have some impressive playmakers.
Like I had said in my preseason predictions, the Falcons will not make the playoffs. They have fallen behind Tampa Bay in the division, and it is only a matter of time until the Saints also jump ahead of them.
Don't be surprised if QB Michael Penix Jr makes a start before the end of the season. Time is running out for Cousins in Atlanta and it is hilariously glorious.
General Thoughts from Birdman's Blog:
I am so f**king happy with what KOC, Darnold, JJ, Addison, Jones, Flores, the defense, and special teams accomplished vs the Falcons. We finally got after it and it was like someone at halftime said "Alright guys, we are done letting Cousins live in the minds of Vikings fans. Time to put a stake through this M**F**'s heart and kill his name from Vikings lore for good." A few weeks ago, KOC may have played things safe...played not to lose. Instead, KOC and the Vikings got a taste of what it is like to crush an opponents neck, and they didn't want to stop. This Vikings team continues to prove why they are an absolute championship contender this season.
Sam Darnold career 5 touchdown games: 1. Curtis Cousins career 5 touchdown games: 0.
Vikings 42-point performances in the Sam Darnold era (13 games): 1. Vikings 42-point performances in Cousins era (88 games): 1.
If we combine the Vikings regular season record the year before the Cousins era started (2017) with the year after the Cousins era (2024), our record is currently 24-5. Even further vindication that Birdman's Blog was correct and that the Vikings made the right decision to move on from that clown.
Sam Darnold's stats through 13 games: 68.4% completion (7th), 3,299 passing yards (6th), 28 passing touchdowns (3rd), 10 interceptions, 108.1 passer rating (3rd), 2,211 air yards (1st), 5.7 air yards per attempt (1st), 194 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, and 21 rushing first downs. Sam Darnold is having one of the best seasons in Minnesota Vikings history. He likely won't win the MVP, but he is absolutely in the conversation.
I would be shocked if the Vikings don't end up extending Sam Darnold after this season. You don't just let a QB who is 27 years old, former 3rd overall pick, and setting franchise records walk out of the building. I could also see Darnold agreeing to stay for slightly less money than what a crappy franchise might offer, because he might see staying as an actual opportunity to make more money in the long run, while creating a winning and successful legacy for himself. Either way, we have the money to make it happen. (If you don't understand the different between giving a contract to Darnold vs Cousins at this point, I don't know how to help you.) There is nothing wrong with letting JJ McCarthy sit and learn for a couple more seasons. He is only 21 years old and has had 2 knee surgeries this season. If he ends up being the future, sitting and learning will only make him better. His time will come. Side note: I will support whatever decision the Vikings make on the QB front this offseason. KOC and Kwesi have earned Minnesota's trust when making a decision with the most important position in all of sports.
Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football:
The 11-2 Minnesota Vikings will host the 4-9 Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. The Vikings are currently on a 6-game winning streak, while the Bears come in with a 7-game losing streak and are falling apart. The Vikings are 7-point favorites, and even though division games are tough, I don't expect this one to be close. The Bears pulled a rabbit out of their hat at the end of the first matchup to force overtime. Minnesota will have learned their lesson from that matchup and are going to crush any hope the Bears may have, early and often. I predict the Vikings to beat the Bears 34-9, improving to 12-2 on the season. Go Vikings!
My friend, Jake, hopes that we piss-pound the Bears, but thinks it will be a close game. He predicts Rome Odunze will have over 100 yards receiving but Caleb Williams throws 3 INT.
My brother, Justin, predicts a Vikings win, 27-12. Caleb Williams will throw 3 INT, Sam Darnold will throw 2 TD, and Aaron Jones will have 1 rushing TD.
Let me know your predictions in the comments! SKOL Vikings!
Here are some cool pictures of Sam Darnold that I wanted to share, as well as my hand written predictions from the day we signed Curtis Cousins on March 15th, 2018. You should be able to click on the first picture, tab through them, and zoom in. Enjoy:
