Case Keenum is the most interesting quarterback in football right now.

You wouldn’t expect this from the career Keenum has had. 35 touchdowns to 25 interceptions? Big deal. And with Teddy Bridgewater making his return, you’d think the starting gig for Vikings quarterback would be handed to Bridgewater.

But with what’s unfolded, it might be difficult for the Vikings to do that right away.

Starting as a backup to Sam Bradford (now on IR) entering the 2017 season, the former slave of Jeff Fisher (one of many) came into action once Bradford was forced to miss significant time due to a knee injury sustained in practice after week 1. Wit’s a backup coming in, the team was supposed to drop off significantly after high expectations coming into the new year.

Instead, Minnesota is on top of the NFC North at 7-2, and Keenum hasn’t gone anywhere. He’s been embraced by Vikings fans, much like Bridgewater and Bradford before him.

Suddenly, in 8 games (7 starts), Keenum has a 64.9 completion percentage for 1,914 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. In his last game, against the Redskins, Keenum threw for 304 yards, 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions with a 72.4 completion percentage.

You might be wondering what the hell is going on with Keenum. Where did this hot streak come from? How is it happening? Will it continue?

When answering these questions, there’s a few things to consider.

First, Case Keenum had the displeasure of playing for Jeff Fisher for a couple of years. He was clearly bad in those seasons, but was given zero help from his coach. The team had very little receiving talent, very little pass protection, and played in a quarterback unfriendly scheme that ran the same plays over and over again.

Second, In Minnesota, Pat Shurmur’s made a wonderful scheme for whoever is playing quarterback.

When Norv Turner was offensive coordinator, the Vikings ran a predictable vertical passing game that suffocated the quarterback because it wasn’t setting up the QB for success. The offensive line was bad enough, but the run heavy focus on Adrian Peterson, legendary as he is, didn’t give the QB any chance of succeeding because of the back’s lack of success in the passing game. This meant defenses could see what was coming, forcing the quarterback to attempt to succeed in an environment that crippled him.

In Shurmur’s system, the quarterback comes first. True, the attack of Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon (and Dalvin Cook before his ACL tear) gets attention, but the quarterback has been given a much more open playbook. Shurmur has been able to call for a diverse passing game that attacks all sides and distances on the field, and with a revamped and improved offensive line, Keenum has become comfortable during his stay in Minnesota.

In short, it’s no surprise that moving as far away as possible from Fisher has allowed Keenum (and Jared Goff, for that matter) to experience breathing room.

Third, and probably most obvious, no duo of wide receivers is playing better than Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. Both receivers offer a versatile skill set, combining insanely polished route running with wide catch radiuses (or radii if you will), incredible ball skills and explosiveness after the catch. These guys have been able to adjust to Keenum’s ball placement and help make his life easier.

Fourth, and most importantly, Case Keenum just cares.

For the record, if it were up to me, Teddy Bridgewater would be starting. In the past, he’s consistently shown the ability to carry his team when things go wrong. He’s been able to overcome severe pressure and make something out of nothing, allowing him to be a fan favorite in Minnesota.

That’s not what this article is about. Here’s what this article is about.

Case Keenum has been straight up fun to watch.

Backup quarterbacks are extremely valuable in the NFL. They’re not in the same ballpark as the starters they relieve, but a good backup can do just enough to allow his team to still win games by running what is asked of him. And in 2017, Keenum has become an extremely reliable backup that has earned his roster spot.

What separates Keenum from the backups that shouldn’t even be on a roster is that he cares. He knows his time as the starter for the Vikings might be short lived, so he’s been able to make the most out of his opportunity. Because of this, he’s been able to take necessary risks and allow Thielen and Diggs to thrive while at the same time allowing himself to be carried by the dynamic duo.

With that said, Keenum has proven he is capable of stretches of good play. These stretches aren’t of the same consistency as what Bridgewater and Bradford have done, but they’re still there. These stretches have been enough for the time being to allow the Vikings to continue to thrive even in the absence of Bridgewater and Bradford.

Keenum is well known for how aggressive he is downfield, and he certainly is way more aggressive than your garden variety journeyman backup QB. Because of the friendly route combos downfield and the pass protection providing just enough time, #7 has been able to do enough to help get the Vikings to 7-2.

Keenum is swarmed under heavy pressure on this play. He’s able to climb up the pocket, keep his eyes downfield, and fire a dime to Diggs as he gets hit. It’s something you’d regularly see from Bradford, especially the precision throw.

What’s made Keenum’s aggressive attack hold isn’t his accuracy. His 49.0 accuracy percentage on throws of 16+ air yards would rank 19th on last year’s Deep Ball Project. On throws of 20+ air yards, he’d rank 18th with a 45.2 accuracy percentage.

Conpare that to Bradford, who last year was first in accuracy on 16+ throws (66.7%) and third on 20+ throws (59.1%).

However his peak throws from this season have been spectacular, and his ability to keep his eyes downfield have allowed him to thrive.

The same thing happens here. This time, Keenum does a subtle pump fake to hold the secondary. He understands he has no choice but to take the hit and deliver the pass on target to Diggs. Keenum remains calm, throws the ball, takes the hit, and watches as it lands in the breadbasket of Diggs. It’s a really impressive play.

Aside from his aggressiveness, Keenum also stands out among backups with his mobility. He’s much more mobile than Bradford, and like Bridgewater, can create on unstructured plays. He can’t do it at the same level as Bridgewater due to his limited accuracy, but because of his ability to take chances, he’s been able to make that work to an extent.

Not many backups would make the play above. Most backups drop their eyes when the first read isn’t open, running into sacks or committing a costly turnover. In addition, said backups often lack the mobility Keenum has to extend these plays.

This is what I appreciate about Keenum. His mobile legs allow him to escape outside the pocket, and he tends to keep his eyes downfield. On this play, he exits a clean pocket, a no no in the league. However, he’s able to not only make this play work, but also make it fun.

From time to time, Keenum has been able to make some excellent throws into tight windows. This is a difficult throw to make. Not only does it have to be accurate enough to prevent it from being an interception or a pass to goes out of bounds, but it also has to force the receiver to make a tough (but possible) catch.

Thankfully, Keenum throws a perfect ball, putting it in a spot where only his receiver can make a play. The result is a completed pass that moves the chains.

As previously stated, the insane quality of Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs has helped carry Keenum this far, but even when they bail him out he’s still fun to watch.

Inadvertently, while Keenum’s accuracy is bad, it’s good enough that it allows Thielen and Diggs to show off their skill sets. For the most part, it’s been Thielen that’s gotten more chances.

On this play, the Browns send a blitz, allowing a couple of guys to get by. The left guard blows his block and allows the biggest pressure to face the QB.

Keenum gambles and fires in the area of Thielen. The accuracy of the pass is terrible, and Thielen bails his quarterback with a fantastic adjustment, but Keenum’s ability to even give Thielen an opportunity to show of his skill set is part of what makes him fun as a QB.

On this play, Keenum creates pressure on his own by leaving a clean pocket and allowing the defensive end to chase him. He rolls out, finds Thielen, and fires a bomb to him. Thielen adjusts a nudge on the catch and the result is a huge play.

Ignoring the fundamentals of pocket patience is part of what prevents Keenum from being consistently good. What makes him enjoyable to watch, however, is how he’s able to somehow make it work by his own rules.

Conclusion

Your skill set can be as bad as it gets, but if you consistently take chances and make it work to an degree, you can be exciting to watch even if you aren’t that good. That’s what #7 has been able to do. He has a limited skill set. He’s not an anticipation passer. His accuracy and arm strength, as aforementioned, are limited. He can make some boneheaded turnovers (much like the picks he threw against the Redskins).

Finally, Keenum shouldn’t start over Bridgewater. Bridgewater should take over as soon as he’s ready, and considering he’s active, that should be soon.

But as far as backups go, what makes Case Keenum valuable is how he’s taken his limited skill set and has been able to maximize it to the best of its ability. He isn’t a good starter, but he’s certainly a good backup, which makes him a necessity in today’s NFL.

All of this has made Keenum fun to watch, which is why he should be celebrated as a nice success story and one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league. Will his numbers regress? Maybe.

But for what it’s worth, he’s giving Vikings fans an enjoyable ride to see what’s next, and is living the dream as the underdog.