Chip Scoggins: Kirk Cousins trade is an act of desperation for Vikings — a necessary one

MINNEAPOLIS — The Monday night meltdown represented the point of no return. Hope, as the saying goes, is not a strategy. The Minnesota Vikings had no other option than to trade for a quarterback because they don’t have one on the roster capable of operating at a basic, functional level. Continuing down that path would be organizational malpractice given that their defense and special teams are playing at a championship level. kAm%96 C6EFC? @7 z:C< r@FD:?D >2<6D E96 >@DE D6?D6] #6\24BF:C:?8 9:> 4@DE 2 E9:C5\C@F?5 5C27E A:4<[ 3FE 56DA6C2E:@? 4@>6D H:E9 2 AC:46 E28]k^Am kAm|2<6 ?@ >:DE2<6[ z6G:? ~’r@??6== :D 56DA6C2E6] %96 {2D '682D #2:56CD 2?46 3J r2CD@? (6?EK 282:?DE E96 qF772=@ q:==D H2D 2? 6>32CC2DD>6?E 3C@2542DE E@ 2 AC:>6\E:>6 ?2E:@?2= 2F5:6?46]k^Am kAm%9@D6 @AE:4D 2?5 ~’r@??6==’D 8C:> >@@5 27E6CH2C5 C6:?7@C465 E92E 24E:@? H2D 4@>:?8] %96 ':<:?8D 2C6 H2DE:?8 2 9:DE@C:42==J 8C62E 5676?D6 2?5 yFDE:? y6776CD@?’D AC:>6 J62CD 3J 7:55=:?8 2C@F?5 2E BF2CE6C324<]k^Am kAmp e\_ DE2CE 76=E EC@F3=:?8 2== 2=@?8 3642FD6 @7 E96 @776?D6’D :?6AE:EF56 E92E 92D ?@H 42F89E FA E@ E96>] %96 C6DE @7 E96 }ur }@CE9 :D 82:?:?8 DE62>] %@ D:E :5=6 =:<6=J H@F=5 92G6 42FD65 E96 ':<:?8D E@ EF>3=6 @FE @7 E96 A=2J@77 C246 2?5 :?E@ D@>6 92C5 :?E6C?2= BF6DE:@?D]k^Am kAm~’r@??6==’D ;@3 D9@F=5 36 D4CFE:?:K65 962G:=J] w6 92D ?@E H@? 2 A=2J@77 82>6 :? |:??6D@E2] w:D @776?D6 :D 2 >6DD] %96 C@DE6C :D 4@?DECF4E65 E@ 4@?E6?5 6I46AE 2E E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E A@D:E:@?[ 2?5 96 :D E96 @?6 H9@ 92D 366? AF==:?8 DEC:?8D :? E92E 2C62]k^Am kAmzJ=6C |FCC2J H2D 2 325 7:E 7@C ~’r@??6==’D D496>6 7C@> E96 368:??:?8] w:D DEC6?8E9D 5@ ?@E 2=:8? H:E9 9@H ~’r@??6== AC676CD 9:D BF2CE6C324:D42=4F=2E:@? 5:5 ?@E 4@DE E96 @C82?:K2E:@? 2 E@? @7 >@?6J D:?46 E96 pC:K@?2 r2C5:?2=D 2C6 A2J:?8 >@DE @7 |FCC2J’D D2=2CJ] qFE E9:D H2D 2?@E96C HC@?8 A=2J :? 2 D6C:6D @7 E96>]k^Am kAm%96 ':<:?8D 49@D6 ?@E E@ C6\D:8? $2> s2C?@=5]k^Am kAm%96J 49@D6 E@ 5C27E y]y] |4r2CE9J]k^Am kAm%96J 49@D6 E@ D:8? |FCC2J]k^Am kAm%96J 49@D6 E@ EC256 |4r2CE9J 6DD6?E:2==J 7@C ?@E9:?8[ 2 92DEJ 564:D:@? E92E >256 :E ?646DD2CJ E@ @A6? J6E 2?@E96C 5@@C :? E96:C D62C49 7@C D@=FE:@?D]k^Am kAm~?=J EH@ BF2CE6C324256 D6?D6 @? E96 4FCC6?E EC256 >2C<6Ei r@FD:?D 2?5 s2?:6= y@?6D]k^Am kAmq@E9 92G6 6IA6C:6?46 :? ~’r@??6==’D DJDE6>] q@E9 6[ E96 A6CD@??6=[ E96 4@2496D[ E96 @C82?:K2E:@?] |2J36 r@FD:?D 42? >@G6 324< :?E@ 9:D @=5 9@>6 H:E9 E96 ?6:893@C H9@ D9@G6=D 9:D 5C:G6H2J]k^Am kAm~’r@??6==’D DJDE6> 42CC:6D E96 C6AFE2E:@? @7 36:?8 4@>A=6I] %2<:?8 2?@E96C 7=J6C @? 2 BF2CE6C324< F?72>:=:2C H:E9 E96 D496>6 :? E96 >:55=6 @7 E96 D62D@? H@F=5 36 C6A62E:?8 2 >:DE2<6]k^Am kAmr@FD:?D :D E9C66 J62CD @=56C WbgX E92? H96? 96 =67E[ 3FE 96’D 962=E9J 2?5 A=2J:?8 H6==] w6 92D E9C@H? E96 D64@?5\>@DE E@F495@H? A2DD6D :? E96 =628F6 2?5 :D 7:7E9 :? A2DD:?8 J2C5D 2?5 ``E9 :? BF2CE6C324< C2E:?8]k^Am kAm%96 ':<:?8D D@=FE:@?] v6?6C2= |2?286C }@=2? %62D=6J 4@F=5 ?@E 92G6 H2:E65 F?E:= E96 @77D62D@? E@ 255C6DD H92E :D 4=62C=J 2 >2;@C AC@3=6>]k^Am kAmr@FD:?D’ C6EFC? 4@>6D H:E9 2 =2C86 5@D6 @7 :C@?J] w:D 7:CDE 82>6 324< H:== E2<6 A=246 2E {2>362F u:6=5 @? $F?52J[ E96 D2>6 7:6=5 @? H9:49 96 DF776C65 2 E@C? p49:==6D :? a_ab]k^Am kAm%92E H2D 9:D 7:?2= 82>6 :? 2 ':<:?8D F?:7@C> W!2CE xX 2?5 D6E :? >@E:@? 2 C6G@=G:?8 5@@C @7 BF2CE6C324 E96 H2E6CD] w6 H:== 36 DFAA@CE65 3J E96 }u{’D 36DE 5676?D6] tG6? 2? 2G6C286 @776?D6 H@F=5 =@@< 7@C>:523=6 A2:C65 H:E9 E92E 5676?D6]k^Am kAm%96 >@@5 :?D:56 E96 =@4<6C C@@> =2E6 |@?52J ?:89E E@=5 2 DE@CJ] ~’r@??6== 2?5 A=2J6CD @? @776?D6 H6C6 6>@E:@?2==J 567=2E65] x?E6C?2= @AE:@?D 2=@?6 4@F=5?’E 7:I 2 3C@<6? @776?D6]k^Am kAm%96 ':<:?8D H@F=5 =@G6 7@C z:C<@ r92:?K E@ C62AA62C] p 4@>A6E6?E z:C< r@FD:?D 2=D@ H:== 36 2? :>AC@G6>6?E @G6C H92E’D E2<6? A=246 F?E:= ?@H]k^Am kAm0000k^Am