Week 8 Decisions

The Vikings are at a crossroads. 

They're 4-4 and firmly in the hunt for a wild-card spot, with only 5 NFC teams with a better record. At the moment the only trail the Lions by one win, prior to the Lions playing tonight. 

In the standings, their season still has hope. 

But they just lost Cousins for the year AND it was his last year of his contract. So they needed a new QB of the future before this Achilles injury. Plus, Justin Jefferson is dealing with a hamstring injury and is a couple weeks away from returning. 

So you have two paths. 

1) Replace Cousins with a stop-gap solution. Spend draft capital to go get someone like Jacoby Brissett or someone of that quality. Get Jefferson back in the building as soon as you can and push to make the playoffs this year. Very possible to get a wild-card spot. Maybe even win a first-round playoff game if everything falls right. 

2) Play out the rest of the year with the QB room you have. Save your draft capital, and in fact, accept that you could end the year with a top-10 pick if you essentially tank from here on out. Let Jefferson get all the way healthy. Don't risk any further injury. Ya know what, take December off too Justin. Finish at 5-12 and draft a new QB in the top 10 next year. 

I realize it sucks to give up on the season before Halloween. But I would extend the coach and just say hey, let's build something next year. 

- - -

Three weeks ago, the 49ers were fresh off stomping the Cowboys by 32 and were 5-0. Seemed like the best team in the league. The discussion was who would get the #1 seed, 49ers or Eagles. Now they're not even in 1st place in their division. 

Literally, the 49ers lost to the Eagles last year in the playoffs because the 49ers were too injured. And once again, the 49ers get banged up and are struggling. 

Your QB that couldn't lose a game, now can't win a game. 

Suddenly, whiffing on Trey Lance seems like a much bigger failure. Of course, in a league with so few quarterbacks playing well, it's not like they can upgrade during the season. Perhaps the only thing they can do is spend money on the medical staff at this point.

- - -

Speaking of so few good QBs, let's dive into that. Here's my current top ten with the Ringer's rankings mostly intact after the top ten. 

The point of this is not to debate Baker Mayfield vs Mac Jones, (though I'd rather have Mayfield) but just to show the sheer drop off. 

Dak is not a QB you'd be thrilled to have locked up for a guaranteed 5-year deal. 

Goff is a QB the Rams had to trade away to win the Super Bowl. 

And they're still in my top 10!

Geno is in my mind a solid average starter. He should be the 16th best QB in the league. 

Stafford is old and just got hurt. Cousins is out for the year. Anything after Cousins is something you absolutely do not want. With the exception of Stroud looks good for a rookie. Richardson is talented but too fragile. Levis isn't even on the website yet. He's only had one good game. But because of the bleak situation I'd rather have him than Carr, or either Jones.

Even though I just said Geno is solid/average, I'll be generous and say we have 11 good, healthy QBs in the league right now. That's pitiful. There are 14 playoff teams!

Let's go one notch deeper. 

Let's align my top 11 QBs by division. 

AFC East

Allen

Tua

AFC North

Lamar

Burrow

AFC South

Lawrence

AFC West

Mahomes

Herbert

NFC East

Hurts

Dak

NFC North

Goff

NFC South

(none)

NFC West

Geno

This kinda tells the whole story of the league right now, right?

Based on this alone, you would say those should be the 7 AFC playoff teams. 

And in the NFC, you're missing the 49ers. That says so much.