When the Las Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings completed the trade that sent Kirk Cousins to the Vikings the line on the Raiders upcoming contest against the Seattle Seahawks jumped three points. On Sunday, the Vikings meet the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field and the line on that game didn’t move for a day, it finally ticked down a half point to where the visitors in that game are now getting three points.
Why the dramatic shift in the Raiders line and little movement in the Vikings upcoming game?
Because Cousins is all the Raiders had that allowed them to win four games this season. Do you think a team that ranks last in rushing defense, 26th in passing defense and 31st in rushing offense would have won nearly half their games without Cousins passing game? The Raiders rank fifth in the NFL in passing offense, now the Vikings passing game will improve but the Silver and Black now turn to untested and first pick in the draft quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Is he ready?
Like in the kids' game hide-and-seek the call after the trade is, “Ready or not, here I come.”
I watched Mendoza when he played at Cal Berkeley. He was good, but not a Heisman Trophy candidate. At Indiana, where he transferred, he was special and did win the Heisman Trophy but, and I think this is important, he was at Indiana when all the cards fell right for his team.