Case Keenum and the Vikings have earned your respect
By Josh Hill
Case Keenum is the Most Improved Player of the Year, and it’s time to give Minnesota the respect it has earned.
For the better part of the last 25 years, the Minnesota Vikings have never had a quarterback. They’ve had quarterbacks, but not a franchise guy that seems to be a requirement to be considered as Super Bowl contenders.
Case Keenum is not a franchise quarterback. Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are not sexy names on offense. Yet through 13 weeks of the season, the Vikings offense has earned just as much respect as the defense.
Everyone knows that Mike Zimmer’s defense is one of the best units in football. The anchor has been the situation at quarterback and woes on offense. It’s what sunk the team in the playoffs two years ago and caused the Vikings to flame out after a hot start last year. No matter how well the Vikings were playing this year, the asterisk on any praise has been Case Keenum.
Everything is going right for Minnesota, and Keenum is the face of that. It’s not inexplicable and it’s not an accident.
No longer should that be the case.
Keenum is the epitome of how unfairly disrespected the Vikings have been all year long. Even at 10-2, folks are still holding Keenum against the Vikings case for being Super Bowl contenders. That’s a tired argument and one that looks less and less valid with each passing week.
He’s on pace to throw for close to 3,500 yards this year and lose to 20 touchdowns. Keenum, through 11 games started, only has five interceptions which highlight how great of a game manager he is. To assume that’s all he is would be to greatly overlook how good he actually is. Talking heads are quick to compare him to Trent Dilfer or Brad Johnson (quarterbacks who won Super Bowls despite not being franchise players). He’s closer to Matt Schaub at this point; there’s plenty of life left as a starter after this season in Minnesota. He’s going to get a job after this — whether it’s in Minnesota or with someone else is a different discussion for a different day.
Right now all we need to talk about is how Keenum can do no wrong and the Vikings are officially in good hands with him.
The last time Keenum went a game where he didn’t throw a touchdown was Week 7 against the Ravens. Minnesota won that game, but it wasn’t luck. When Keenum isn’t able to get the job done with his arm, the defense is usually still put in good enough a position to hold things down. He’s posted a QBR of 80.0 or higher in more than half of his starts this year and hasn’t thrown an interception in three weeks. Simply put, Keenum doesn’t make mistakes and it can’t be overstated how important that is.
He’s also only been sacked nine times, which a testament to how improved the offensive line has been for him. Carson Wentz, a guy many believe to be the MVP, has been sacked 24 times. Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees have all been sacked more — all three are potential playoff opponents for Keenum and the Vikings. We’re running out of reasons why the Vikings aren’t serious contenders, no matter if Keenum is starting or not. Beating a defense as good as the Rams was a notch on the belt, as was going into Atlanta and dropping the Falcons. Minnesota doesn’t win pretty but the team has never been interested in style points.
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Everything is going right for Minnesota, and Keenum is the face of that. It’s not inexplicable and it’s not an accident. Mike Zimmer, in addition to being a defensive guru, is a master of adjustment. The anonymous nature of the team’s star players is fitting for how under the radar they’re still flying. You don’t know their names the same way you don’t see them coming.
But at 10-2, and following wins over the Rams and Falcons, the Vikings should have everyone’s attention. It’s time to also give them the respect they’ve earned.