The call outs were a fairly popular feature on this blog in 2007 – by popular I mean someone would actually comment on them every now and then. But I haven't had a chance to post any the first three weeks of this season – a combination of busy-ness and laziness. Now I'm trying to make amends.
So here is the first edition of call outs for Grant's Tomb in '08, where I look at the best and the worst performances put forth by the Vikings each week. In this edition, we'll start with the good and work our way down to the bad and the ugly. As you might suspect coming off a 30-17 loss, there is a lot more bad and ugly to write about than good.
The Good
Bobby Wade: Congratulations Bobby. On the strength of your seven-catch, 75-yard performance against Tennessee, you are now the Vikings new #1 receiver. You may not have the speed to beat guys deep. And you don't catch many touchdown passes (just five in six-plus NFL seasons). But you do catch what is thrown to you, which is rare in these parts, and you have no problem going over the middle and taking hits to do so.
Bobby Wade, you're alright in my book. Unless you fuck up against New Orleans.
Chad Greenway: Another Vikings loss. Another excellent performance by the Vikings weakside linebacker that was wasted. The Vikings defence did not have a good game against the Titans. But it wasn't Greenway's fault. He had 11 tackles and was one of the few Viking defenders to get any pressure on Titans QB Kerry Collins.
In his third year Greenway is displaying All-Pro potential. And he'll need to continue that level of play because middle linebacker E.J. Henderson probably won't suit up Monday night with all those dislocated toes.
Maurice Hicks: Okay, this is a big reach. But in Hicks' first regular season game with the Vikes after missing three games due to injury, he averaged 27.5 yards on four kick-off returns, he had a long return of 34 yards, ran authoritatively and gave the Vikings good field position. It's the best the kick-off return game has looked all season.
The Bad
Leslie Frazier: I know you want your front four to get to the quarterback all by themselves. But it wasn't working against the Titans. It was only midway through the third quarter that you started blitzing Collins on obvious passing downs with your linebackers. And it worked. Collins, like most QB's, doesn't throw the ball well when he's got defenders in his face.
I just wish you had done this in the first half.
Paul Ferraro: Lookit, we all realize you've lost Heath Farwell. That hurts. You also didn't have Vinny Ciurcui (snicker) Sunday. Still, the coverage units, which are your responsibility, are giving up at least one big return every week. That 52-yard kick-off return the Vikes gave up to Tennessee's Chris Carr was a killer.
Consider the Vikings had just scored a touchdown to make it 23-17. The defence had been stopping the Titans offence much of the second half. We needed your boys to go down there and stuff Carr around the 25 yard line, then the defence forces a three-and-out, the Vikes get the ball back at our 30 and drive for the winning touchdown. Instead, Carr brings it out to the Minnesota 47. Are Vikings fans asking too much to go a week without seeing the coverage units getting gashed?
The Ugly
The offensive and defensive lines: Guys, you got bitch-slapped on Sunday. The defensive line got no pressure on Collins. None. There was also no outside containment on Titans rookie running back Chris Johnson – even though you had to know that's where he'd be running.
The offensive line gave up four sacks and the Titans got pretty good pressure on Gus Frerotte most of the day even though they rarely blitzed. And you couldn't open up enough holes for Adrian Peterson.
You're supposed to be physical, dominant units. On Sunday, you got dominated.
Bernard Berrian, Jared Allen, Madieu Williams and Thomas Tapeh: I know, there's 16 games in a season, be patient, take the long view, don't pick on Williams, he's been hurt, blah, blah blah.
But here is what the Vikings big off-season pickups have been giving us: Williams has yet to play a game with a neck injury and we have no idea when he'll be back. Tapeh can't beat out Naufahu Tahi. Berrian has 11 catches, NO touchdowns and numerous dropped passes. Allen's had one great game, one good game and two games where he's been a non-factor.
Not nearly good enough.
Brad Childress: Let me just write this – I do not want Brad Childress to fail. I don't want it because if Childress fails it means the Vikings will have failed. Again.
Now about that punt on Sunday. It's fourth-and-13. You have the ball. You have two minutes left. You are down 13 points. Chilly, perhaps it didn't occur to you at the time, but your team still had a chance to come back and win the game. You had one more down to work with. One more play to get a first down and keep the hopes, however slim, of a victory alive.
Sure, Tarvaris Jackson probably takes another sack there and the Titans get the ball back and the game is over.
Or maybe Jackson makes a play, or maybe Berrian makes a play, or maybe there's a pass interference penalty or a roughing the passer penalty that gives the Vikings a first down and keeps the drive alive.
But we'll never know. You gave up. You punted the ball to the Titans and rolled over. I can't get behind that. And I don't think your players can either.
Around the NFL
So the Bengals have signed ex-Bear Cedric Benson. Perfect.
Could Benson have landed on a better team than the character-challenged Bengals? I know Cincy's got running back issues (and many other issues, as they are 0-4) but what's next for these guys, place Rae Carruth on the practice squad?
I don't know what made him say it, but Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams admitted this week he had an urge to smoke pot during the Dolphins bye week.
I know marijuana use is a touchy subject in the U.S. But Williams is obviously addicted to the stuff, so what if he got some doctor to say he needed marijuana for "medicinal" purposes? What would the NFL do then? This could be a lot of fun.
It's firing season in the NFL. Scott Linehan – gone. Lane Kiffin – gone. Is Brad Childress next?
If the Vikings get blown out by the Saints, it could happen.
If the Vikings get blown out by the Saints and then lose to Detroit at home, it definitely happens.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
He's at it again
Vikes Geek, I mean.
The veteran Vikings blogger, who has long had a serious hate on for Brad Childress, posted today, asserting owner Zygi Wilf will probably fire Chilly if Minnesota loses to New Orleans next week.
This post is pretty similar to the one VG wrote just over a year ago (scroll down to the "Childress Out?" column) after the Vikings were thrashed 34-0 by the Packers.
That post didn't turn out to be true – despite VG's claims that an inside source in the Vikings organization supplied the hot tip – so take this new one for whatever it's worth.
I don't think Wilf fires Childress if the Viking lose to New Orleans and go 1-4. But I do think it's entirely possible that if the Vikings lose the week after that, to Detroit, at home, that Zygi pulls the trigger and gives Chilly the heave-ho.
I don't want the Vikings to go 1-5. But a big part of me wonders if - in the long run – it wouldn't be for the best if the Vikings were done with Chilly.
As always, feel free to discuss.
The veteran Vikings blogger, who has long had a serious hate on for Brad Childress, posted today, asserting owner Zygi Wilf will probably fire Chilly if Minnesota loses to New Orleans next week.
This post is pretty similar to the one VG wrote just over a year ago (scroll down to the "Childress Out?" column) after the Vikings were thrashed 34-0 by the Packers.
That post didn't turn out to be true – despite VG's claims that an inside source in the Vikings organization supplied the hot tip – so take this new one for whatever it's worth.
I don't think Wilf fires Childress if the Viking lose to New Orleans and go 1-4. But I do think it's entirely possible that if the Vikings lose the week after that, to Detroit, at home, that Zygi pulls the trigger and gives Chilly the heave-ho.
I don't want the Vikings to go 1-5. But a big part of me wonders if - in the long run – it wouldn't be for the best if the Vikings were done with Chilly.
As always, feel free to discuss.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Childress, Vikings submit to Titans
The odds weren't good, almost nil really, but with the Minnesota Vikings needing two scores to win the game, they had the ball, they had two minutes left on the clock and they still had one down left – albeit a 4th and 13 – to keep their slim hopes of a victory over the Tennessee Titans alive.
Just about any coach would go for it in that situation, you would think. You never know. Crazier stuff has happened in football. And the Vikings had no timeouts left, so punting the ball away would be admitting defeat. The Titans could take a knee three times in a row and run out the clock.
But Brad Childress isn't your normal NFL head coach. Faced with that fourth and 13 situation, he did indeed send Chris Kluwe in to punt the ball to the Titans and acknowledged defeat.
I know this move well. My dog does it all the time. He's a Yellow Lab/Rottweiler cross and weighs about 100 pounds, but there's hardly an aggressive bone in his body. When confronted by another canine with a meaner streak and a more dominant personality, my boy will often lie down, roll on his back and expose his underside. Despite his size, he's no alpha dog.
As we've reached the first quarter of the 16-game 2008 NFL season, Vikings fans are realizing their team is no alpha dog, either. The Vikes – a trendy pre-season Super Bowl pick by some – are now 0-3 against teams that made the playoffs in 2007. And in Sunday's 30-17 loss to the Titans, the Vikings were pushed around as the Titans offensive and defensive lines administered a beatdown on their Vikings counterparts that Childress and his players won't soon forget.
Perhaps that's what is so discouraging about this loss. Not only were the Vikings known weaknesses (the pass offence, the pass defence and special teams coverage) exposed – the team's strengths failed them as well.
The All-Pro laden defensive line barely dirtied the jersey of Titans statuesque QB Kerry Collins and gave up far too many healthy gains on the ground to rookie sensation Chris Johnson. As for the Vikings offensive line, it lost the battle in the trenches, handily, to Albert Haynesworth and Co.
Throw in four turnovers, which led to three Tennessee touchdowns, and one wonders how the Vikings were actually within a touchdown of the tying the game before Gus Frerotte was picked off by Nick Harper deep in Vikings territory late in the fourth quarter.
Speaking of the offence, it continues to be dysfunctional with Frerotte in there. It's always something with this group. Either Frerotte throws inaccurately and misses an open Vikings receiver, or the receivers drop the ball (not you again, Bernard Berrian), or the unit kills itself with a motley assortment of holding/offside/illegal motion penalties.
The grim reality is this: the unit has yet to score 20 points in a game and is averaging just 16 per game. That's not enough production to win games even when the defence plays very well. And it's certainly not enough when the defence has an off game – like it did today.
One thing the offence must avoid if it hopes to enjoy any success in 2008 is third-and-long situations. Against Tennessee, the average yardage the Vikings needed to pick up on third down was 6.9 yards. That's a tough down and distance situation for any offence to convert. But it's especially difficult for this Vikings offence. Frerotte is about as mobile as the Mall of America, the Vikings receivers have trouble getting open and the defence knows the Vikings have to pass. That is not a good combination if you want to extend drives. And the Vikings haven't been extending drives, which is reducing Adrian Peterson's touches and keeping him off the field.
Getting better yardage on first and second down would solve this problem. But don't expect it to happen. The Vikings offence was like this in 2006 under Childress. It was like this in 2007 under Childress. By now we have to face up to the fact that the offence is what it is. Kick ass it isn't.
All is not lost, I guess. The Vikings were 1-3 last season, too, only to turn it around and make a playoff run. It also helps that they play in the NFC North, where Green Bay and Chicago are tied for first with 2-2 records and there is always the Detroit Lions to kick around for a couple of cheap wins.
But to get this season back on track, it's time for the Vikings to channel its inner alpha dog – if it has one.
It didn't against Tennessee.
Just about any coach would go for it in that situation, you would think. You never know. Crazier stuff has happened in football. And the Vikings had no timeouts left, so punting the ball away would be admitting defeat. The Titans could take a knee three times in a row and run out the clock.
But Brad Childress isn't your normal NFL head coach. Faced with that fourth and 13 situation, he did indeed send Chris Kluwe in to punt the ball to the Titans and acknowledged defeat.
I know this move well. My dog does it all the time. He's a Yellow Lab/Rottweiler cross and weighs about 100 pounds, but there's hardly an aggressive bone in his body. When confronted by another canine with a meaner streak and a more dominant personality, my boy will often lie down, roll on his back and expose his underside. Despite his size, he's no alpha dog.
As we've reached the first quarter of the 16-game 2008 NFL season, Vikings fans are realizing their team is no alpha dog, either. The Vikes – a trendy pre-season Super Bowl pick by some – are now 0-3 against teams that made the playoffs in 2007. And in Sunday's 30-17 loss to the Titans, the Vikings were pushed around as the Titans offensive and defensive lines administered a beatdown on their Vikings counterparts that Childress and his players won't soon forget.
Perhaps that's what is so discouraging about this loss. Not only were the Vikings known weaknesses (the pass offence, the pass defence and special teams coverage) exposed – the team's strengths failed them as well.
The All-Pro laden defensive line barely dirtied the jersey of Titans statuesque QB Kerry Collins and gave up far too many healthy gains on the ground to rookie sensation Chris Johnson. As for the Vikings offensive line, it lost the battle in the trenches, handily, to Albert Haynesworth and Co.
Throw in four turnovers, which led to three Tennessee touchdowns, and one wonders how the Vikings were actually within a touchdown of the tying the game before Gus Frerotte was picked off by Nick Harper deep in Vikings territory late in the fourth quarter.
Speaking of the offence, it continues to be dysfunctional with Frerotte in there. It's always something with this group. Either Frerotte throws inaccurately and misses an open Vikings receiver, or the receivers drop the ball (not you again, Bernard Berrian), or the unit kills itself with a motley assortment of holding/offside/illegal motion penalties.
The grim reality is this: the unit has yet to score 20 points in a game and is averaging just 16 per game. That's not enough production to win games even when the defence plays very well. And it's certainly not enough when the defence has an off game – like it did today.
One thing the offence must avoid if it hopes to enjoy any success in 2008 is third-and-long situations. Against Tennessee, the average yardage the Vikings needed to pick up on third down was 6.9 yards. That's a tough down and distance situation for any offence to convert. But it's especially difficult for this Vikings offence. Frerotte is about as mobile as the Mall of America, the Vikings receivers have trouble getting open and the defence knows the Vikings have to pass. That is not a good combination if you want to extend drives. And the Vikings haven't been extending drives, which is reducing Adrian Peterson's touches and keeping him off the field.
Getting better yardage on first and second down would solve this problem. But don't expect it to happen. The Vikings offence was like this in 2006 under Childress. It was like this in 2007 under Childress. By now we have to face up to the fact that the offence is what it is. Kick ass it isn't.
All is not lost, I guess. The Vikings were 1-3 last season, too, only to turn it around and make a playoff run. It also helps that they play in the NFC North, where Green Bay and Chicago are tied for first with 2-2 records and there is always the Detroit Lions to kick around for a couple of cheap wins.
But to get this season back on track, it's time for the Vikings to channel its inner alpha dog – if it has one.
It didn't against Tennessee.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
GT's abbreviated week four two minute drill
Didn't get this thing out on Friday like I'd hoped. So, a preview of the game seems a bit pointless at this point.
Instead, here are a few questions for Minnesota Vikings fans to consider on the eve of their favourite team playing its mirror image (except when it comes to win and losses) on Sunday in the 3-0 Tennessee Titans.
Is Albert Haynesworth better than Kevin Williams?
Let's call this one a draw. Although to Williams' credit, he has always played hard. The same can't be said for Haynesworth.
Is Chris Johnson faster than Adrian Peterson?
Maybe. But A.P.'s still better.
Is Lendale White as fat as Pat Williams?
No way. But White sure is fat for a running back.
Is Jeff Fisher that much better of a coach than Brad Childress?
Oh yeah. And we might just find out how much on Sunday.
Great expectations (and what happens when you don't meet them)
Here is what probably keeps Tarvaris Jackson up at night.
Jackson's stats from his first two starts in 2007: 30-56; 329 yards; 1 TD; 5 INTs; offence scores 20 points in total.
Jackson's stats from his first two starts in 2008: 30-59; 308 yards; 1 TD; 1 INT; offence scored 34 points in total.
Those are pretty much the same stats. You could maybe even argue – very mildly – that Jackson had improved in '08 because he had cut down on his interceptions and the offence was scoring more points than it had a year earlier under his stewardship. It was also still early in the season and Jackson had showed improvement as the year went on in 2007. So why press the panic button and bench him in favour of retread Gus Frerotte, even after starting the season 0-2?
A lot of it probably comes down to expectations. In 2007, nobody had any for the Vikings. Most experts were picking them to finish 6-10 or 5-11 and finish last in the NFC North. So Chilly could get away with throwing Jackson out there, all in the name of developing him for the better days that would lie ahead.
But when the Vikings finished 8-8 and made a playoff run, then spent millions to add Bernard Berrian, Madieu Williams and Jared Allen in the off-season, those better days arrived a bit earlier than Chilly expected. The football press started touting the Vikings as Super Bowl contenders, fans and probably owner Zygi Wilf's expectations were raised and Childress couldn't afford to be patient with Jackson like he had been 12 months earlier.
The other thing is that while Jackson certainly wasn't any worse than he was at the beginning of 2007, he wasn't any better either. You would expect a guy to show some improvement in his second year as a starter – the kind of improvement your seeing right now from guys like the Broncos Jay Cutler and even Washington's Jason Campbell. The Vikings weren't getting that and they went 0-2. That was all it took for Childress to say, "Hello Gus. Sit down Tarvaris."
Yet, if the Vikings had beat the Colts, Jackson still gets the start against Carolina last Sunday and who knows what happens?
I bet Jackson wonders about that too – every day.
Instead, here are a few questions for Minnesota Vikings fans to consider on the eve of their favourite team playing its mirror image (except when it comes to win and losses) on Sunday in the 3-0 Tennessee Titans.
Is Albert Haynesworth better than Kevin Williams?
Let's call this one a draw. Although to Williams' credit, he has always played hard. The same can't be said for Haynesworth.
Is Chris Johnson faster than Adrian Peterson?
Maybe. But A.P.'s still better.
Is Lendale White as fat as Pat Williams?
No way. But White sure is fat for a running back.
Is Jeff Fisher that much better of a coach than Brad Childress?
Oh yeah. And we might just find out how much on Sunday.
Great expectations (and what happens when you don't meet them)
Here is what probably keeps Tarvaris Jackson up at night.
Jackson's stats from his first two starts in 2007: 30-56; 329 yards; 1 TD; 5 INTs; offence scores 20 points in total.
Jackson's stats from his first two starts in 2008: 30-59; 308 yards; 1 TD; 1 INT; offence scored 34 points in total.
Those are pretty much the same stats. You could maybe even argue – very mildly – that Jackson had improved in '08 because he had cut down on his interceptions and the offence was scoring more points than it had a year earlier under his stewardship. It was also still early in the season and Jackson had showed improvement as the year went on in 2007. So why press the panic button and bench him in favour of retread Gus Frerotte, even after starting the season 0-2?
A lot of it probably comes down to expectations. In 2007, nobody had any for the Vikings. Most experts were picking them to finish 6-10 or 5-11 and finish last in the NFC North. So Chilly could get away with throwing Jackson out there, all in the name of developing him for the better days that would lie ahead.
But when the Vikings finished 8-8 and made a playoff run, then spent millions to add Bernard Berrian, Madieu Williams and Jared Allen in the off-season, those better days arrived a bit earlier than Chilly expected. The football press started touting the Vikings as Super Bowl contenders, fans and probably owner Zygi Wilf's expectations were raised and Childress couldn't afford to be patient with Jackson like he had been 12 months earlier.
The other thing is that while Jackson certainly wasn't any worse than he was at the beginning of 2007, he wasn't any better either. You would expect a guy to show some improvement in his second year as a starter – the kind of improvement your seeing right now from guys like the Broncos Jay Cutler and even Washington's Jason Campbell. The Vikings weren't getting that and they went 0-2. That was all it took for Childress to say, "Hello Gus. Sit down Tarvaris."
Yet, if the Vikings had beat the Colts, Jackson still gets the start against Carolina last Sunday and who knows what happens?
I bet Jackson wonders about that too – every day.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
What I like about you, Vikings
I wasn't overly impressed with the Vikings 20-10 win over the Carolina Panthers last Sunday. It was too sloppy an effort and not the kind of performance that screams playoff team. Yet some observers considered it the team's best game of the season. If that's the Vikings best, don't expect to see them playing in January.
But that doesn't mean there wasn't some good to take out of the game. Such as...
Chad Greenway
Vikings middle linebacker E.J. Henderson gets a lot of praise and he should – he is a very good player. But Chad Greenway is pretty good, too. Greenway was solid in 2007 but he was not a strong run defender. Opposing blockers had no problem pushing him 20 yards backward. That doesn't seem to be happening in 2008.
Greenway's led the team in tackles two of the first three games. He's been all over the field taking down opposing ball carriers and knocking down passes. Against Carolina he got his first NFL sack and caused a fumble on the play. With Greenway, Henderson and the always solid Ben Leber, the Vikings have one heck of a linebacking corps. Just don't get hurt guys. Vinny Ciurciu, David Herron and Erin Henderson (who I really, really like) are your backups.
The front four
For the Vikings defence to work the way it should, the front four needs to consistently get to the quarterback so coordinator Leslie Frazier doesn't have to blitz with his linebackers (something he had to do all the time last year) and, instead, can drop them in pass coverage.
It's not going to happen every game. And it didn't happen in the loss to Green Bay. But the D-line terrorized the Colts Peyton Manning for much of game two and after a slow first half, the front four made the pocket a dangerous place to be for Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme, sacking him four times in the second half.
Particularly encouraging was the two sacks All-Pro defensive tackle Kevin Williams had. Opponents are going to pay special attention and devote extra blockers to ward off Jared Allen. So it's up to the other guys on the D-Line to do something when Allen isn't. Williams can be one of those guys.
Remember, he had 11.5 sacks in 2004. He hasn't had more than five since. With Allen around, Williams could be primed for a big sack year.
The play calling (at least in the first half)
Fox announcers Ron Pitts and Tony Boselli didn't like it, but I agree with Vikes Geek on this one, they obviously haven't watched the Vikings play much the past 12 months if they are complaining about the Vikes getting away from what they do best – running the ball. Look where that's got them: a 15-20 record in two-plus seasons under Brad Childress.
I had no problem with Chilly and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell going pass-happy in the first half against Carolina. In fact, 11 of the first 15 plays were passes – an unheard of ratio in the Chilly/Bevell era.
It would have worked, too, if the Vikings hadn't sabotaged themselves with penalties, dropped passes and some errant throws by Gus Frerotte. But the pass plays brought more balance to the offence and gave the Panthers defence something to worry about besides Adrian Peterson. I hope this continues.
Gus Frerotte
Let's give Frerotte a B-minus for his work on Sunday as the Vikings new starting quarterback. His stats weren't a whole lot to hoot about but he took some shots down the field, he completed a couple and the Vikings won.
Let's also not forget he completed just 57 per cent of his passes, was sacked three times and the one interception he threw was as much his fault as it was Bernard Berrian's (who seems to be getting blamed for the pick by Vikings fans).
One thing I really did like about Frerotte was that he showed good awareness of what was going on around him in the pocket. He knew when to step up and move around a bit – often just in time to avoid a sack and buy the extra milliseconds required to get a pass off. We should probably expect this sort of thing from an NFL player. But it's been so long since we've seen a Viking quarterback do it, it seems almost miraculous.
I still don't think this ends well with Frerotte at the helm and I'm not buying into this, "all the Vikings need to win is for their quarterbacks to be average" talk. However, while Frerotte was average against Carolina, he also got the job done.
His next assignment: play well enough to knock off the 3-0 Tennessee Titans. But against that defence, I'm not sure average is going to cut it.
But that doesn't mean there wasn't some good to take out of the game. Such as...
Chad Greenway
Vikings middle linebacker E.J. Henderson gets a lot of praise and he should – he is a very good player. But Chad Greenway is pretty good, too. Greenway was solid in 2007 but he was not a strong run defender. Opposing blockers had no problem pushing him 20 yards backward. That doesn't seem to be happening in 2008.
Greenway's led the team in tackles two of the first three games. He's been all over the field taking down opposing ball carriers and knocking down passes. Against Carolina he got his first NFL sack and caused a fumble on the play. With Greenway, Henderson and the always solid Ben Leber, the Vikings have one heck of a linebacking corps. Just don't get hurt guys. Vinny Ciurciu, David Herron and Erin Henderson (who I really, really like) are your backups.
The front four
For the Vikings defence to work the way it should, the front four needs to consistently get to the quarterback so coordinator Leslie Frazier doesn't have to blitz with his linebackers (something he had to do all the time last year) and, instead, can drop them in pass coverage.
It's not going to happen every game. And it didn't happen in the loss to Green Bay. But the D-line terrorized the Colts Peyton Manning for much of game two and after a slow first half, the front four made the pocket a dangerous place to be for Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme, sacking him four times in the second half.
Particularly encouraging was the two sacks All-Pro defensive tackle Kevin Williams had. Opponents are going to pay special attention and devote extra blockers to ward off Jared Allen. So it's up to the other guys on the D-Line to do something when Allen isn't. Williams can be one of those guys.
Remember, he had 11.5 sacks in 2004. He hasn't had more than five since. With Allen around, Williams could be primed for a big sack year.
The play calling (at least in the first half)
Fox announcers Ron Pitts and Tony Boselli didn't like it, but I agree with Vikes Geek on this one, they obviously haven't watched the Vikings play much the past 12 months if they are complaining about the Vikes getting away from what they do best – running the ball. Look where that's got them: a 15-20 record in two-plus seasons under Brad Childress.
I had no problem with Chilly and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell going pass-happy in the first half against Carolina. In fact, 11 of the first 15 plays were passes – an unheard of ratio in the Chilly/Bevell era.
It would have worked, too, if the Vikings hadn't sabotaged themselves with penalties, dropped passes and some errant throws by Gus Frerotte. But the pass plays brought more balance to the offence and gave the Panthers defence something to worry about besides Adrian Peterson. I hope this continues.
Gus Frerotte
Let's give Frerotte a B-minus for his work on Sunday as the Vikings new starting quarterback. His stats weren't a whole lot to hoot about but he took some shots down the field, he completed a couple and the Vikings won.
Let's also not forget he completed just 57 per cent of his passes, was sacked three times and the one interception he threw was as much his fault as it was Bernard Berrian's (who seems to be getting blamed for the pick by Vikings fans).
One thing I really did like about Frerotte was that he showed good awareness of what was going on around him in the pocket. He knew when to step up and move around a bit – often just in time to avoid a sack and buy the extra milliseconds required to get a pass off. We should probably expect this sort of thing from an NFL player. But it's been so long since we've seen a Viking quarterback do it, it seems almost miraculous.
I still don't think this ends well with Frerotte at the helm and I'm not buying into this, "all the Vikings need to win is for their quarterbacks to be average" talk. However, while Frerotte was average against Carolina, he also got the job done.
His next assignment: play well enough to knock off the 3-0 Tennessee Titans. But against that defence, I'm not sure average is going to cut it.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Playoffs? You're talking playoffs?
The Minnesota Vikings did what they had to do Sunday – beating the Carolina Panthers 20-10 to get their first win of the season. But the victory did little to erase doubts that the Vikes are not the playoff caliber team they were supposed to be heading in 2008.
The Vikings were lucky to win this one. The offence sputtered the entire first half. The team was flagged nine times for 100 yards worth of drive-killing penalties. The kickoff and punt coverage units frequently gave up big returns – something that is developing into an unwanted trend. Fortunate bounces allowed Chester Taylor and Aundrae Allison to recover fumbles they otherwise would have lost to Carolina. A blocked field goal by the Panthers was nullified by a late time out call by their head coach John Fox.
Yes, the Vikings defence and running game are very good. But the Vikes, right now, are not playing like a playoff football team. It's a sloppy squad that put in another sloppy effort against Carolina. Fortunately for the Vikings, Carolina played even sloppier.
And only the most optimistic of Vikings fans could look at the team's performance in the first three games and believe Minnesota could beat a conference opponent like, say, the Dallas Cowboys, or the Philadelphia Eagles, or the New York Giants, or even Tampa Bay or Washington. This team is just not solid in enough areas to hang with the NFC's big boys.
That could change if the offence ever shapes up. That's a huge "if", by the way. Through three games the Vikings have scored 56 points (only the punchless St. Louis Rams have scored less in the NFC) and against Carolina, the Gus Frerotte-led offence managed to score 13 points. Tarvaris Jackson, the man Frerotte replaced as the Vikings starting quarterback, produced 19 and 15 points in the previous two games. Uh oh.
Still, no matter what the scoreboard says, the Vikings offence looked better with Frerotte under centre than it had with Jackson. The completion percentage was typical Gus (57 per cent) and some of his throws were way off the mark. But we'll have to live with it. That's Gus Frerotte.
What 37-year-old veteran did do well was skillfully shuffle in the pocket to buy himself and his receivers more time. He didn't lock in on one receiver. He showed an ability to complete passes beyond 10 yards – something Jackson has never been able to do. Most importantly, Frerotte made the routine throws routinely. Wide open receivers weren't having passes land at their feet or sail over their head. Frerotte's passes were on time and on target more often than not. It wasn't a Tony Romo kind of performance. But it's a start. Vikings fans will take it.
Thank God for Antoine Winfield, too. With the Vikes down 10-3 with less than two minutes to go in a mostly miserable first half for the home team, Minnesota defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier dialed up a rare corner blitz. It worked. Winfield wasn't picked up and not only did he sack Panthers QB Jake Delhomme, he had the smarts to strip the ball, locate it, recover it and return it for a 19-yard touchdown. It was a hell of a play.
The Vikings defence seemed to feed off that for whatever reason. The Vikings front four wasn't able to pressure Delhomme much in the first half. That changed in the second, as the Vikings got four of their five sacks in the final 30 minutes and the Panthers could only manage four first downs.
The Vikings defence has been as good as advertised in 2008. The running game has been as well. But until the Vikes get the passing game woes sorted out and the special teams woes sorted out, this is a team that looks like it's no better than last year and could be looking at a fourth straight season without a postseason appearance.
That's not the kind of 2008 Vikings fans had in mind.
The Vikings were lucky to win this one. The offence sputtered the entire first half. The team was flagged nine times for 100 yards worth of drive-killing penalties. The kickoff and punt coverage units frequently gave up big returns – something that is developing into an unwanted trend. Fortunate bounces allowed Chester Taylor and Aundrae Allison to recover fumbles they otherwise would have lost to Carolina. A blocked field goal by the Panthers was nullified by a late time out call by their head coach John Fox.
Yes, the Vikings defence and running game are very good. But the Vikes, right now, are not playing like a playoff football team. It's a sloppy squad that put in another sloppy effort against Carolina. Fortunately for the Vikings, Carolina played even sloppier.
And only the most optimistic of Vikings fans could look at the team's performance in the first three games and believe Minnesota could beat a conference opponent like, say, the Dallas Cowboys, or the Philadelphia Eagles, or the New York Giants, or even Tampa Bay or Washington. This team is just not solid in enough areas to hang with the NFC's big boys.
That could change if the offence ever shapes up. That's a huge "if", by the way. Through three games the Vikings have scored 56 points (only the punchless St. Louis Rams have scored less in the NFC) and against Carolina, the Gus Frerotte-led offence managed to score 13 points. Tarvaris Jackson, the man Frerotte replaced as the Vikings starting quarterback, produced 19 and 15 points in the previous two games. Uh oh.
Still, no matter what the scoreboard says, the Vikings offence looked better with Frerotte under centre than it had with Jackson. The completion percentage was typical Gus (57 per cent) and some of his throws were way off the mark. But we'll have to live with it. That's Gus Frerotte.
What 37-year-old veteran did do well was skillfully shuffle in the pocket to buy himself and his receivers more time. He didn't lock in on one receiver. He showed an ability to complete passes beyond 10 yards – something Jackson has never been able to do. Most importantly, Frerotte made the routine throws routinely. Wide open receivers weren't having passes land at their feet or sail over their head. Frerotte's passes were on time and on target more often than not. It wasn't a Tony Romo kind of performance. But it's a start. Vikings fans will take it.
Thank God for Antoine Winfield, too. With the Vikes down 10-3 with less than two minutes to go in a mostly miserable first half for the home team, Minnesota defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier dialed up a rare corner blitz. It worked. Winfield wasn't picked up and not only did he sack Panthers QB Jake Delhomme, he had the smarts to strip the ball, locate it, recover it and return it for a 19-yard touchdown. It was a hell of a play.
The Vikings defence seemed to feed off that for whatever reason. The Vikings front four wasn't able to pressure Delhomme much in the first half. That changed in the second, as the Vikings got four of their five sacks in the final 30 minutes and the Panthers could only manage four first downs.
The Vikings defence has been as good as advertised in 2008. The running game has been as well. But until the Vikes get the passing game woes sorted out and the special teams woes sorted out, this is a team that looks like it's no better than last year and could be looking at a fourth straight season without a postseason appearance.
That's not the kind of 2008 Vikings fans had in mind.
GT's week three two minute drill
These regular two minute drill posts are supposed to be up on Fridays. Now that I'm back from vacation, maybe that will start happening. But for this week, readers get it on Sunday.
Kill me now and get it over with
Jeez, could things get any worse?
Now I'm glad we've got Chester Taylor in case Adrian Peterson can't play against the Carolina Panthers today. But when you're trying to avoid going 0-3 and you're playing a hot team and that team is getting its best player back from a suspension just in time to play you and you've just made a quarterback change and your starting left tackle won't be back till week five and three of your top four wide receivers might not play Sunday because of injuries, well, I think you get the idea.
It sure would be nice to have Peterson in the lineup Sunday.
A must win
Just how big is Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers? Pretty big. The Minnesota Vikings having been playing football since 1961. The team has started the season 0-3 just three times. They have never made the playoffs any of those seasons.
In case you are curious, here is how those glorious campaigns turned out. The Vikings started the season 0-3 in 1962 (the franchise's second) under Norm Van Brocklin and went 2-11-1. In 1967 – Bud Grant's first season as head coach – the Vikes went 3-8-3. In 2002 – Mike Tice's first season as head coach – the Vikes went 6-10.
The Vikings better win this game.
Other ailments
Most everybody agrees Tarvaris Jackson's struggles are the main reason the Vikings are 0-2. But if football is a team game, there must be more to it than that. In fact, there is. Here are a few other areas where the Vikings are hurting themselves.
The return game is a mess: The Vikings have had Aundrae Allison and Chester Taylor returning kickoffs and Allison and Charles Gordon returning punts. Nothing is settled here. None of these players have really stood out and the return game has scuffled along. On a team that was rolling, this probably isn't a big deal. But the Vikings are 0-2 and have an offence that has trouble sustaining drives. Big kickoff and punt returns that shorten the field would be a plus. So far, it hasn't happened.
Our top receivers are doing jack: The Vikings top two receivers on the depth chart – Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice – have combined for five catches , 69 yards and one touchdown in two games, numbers that would constitute a decent first half for Randy Moss.
Certainly Jackson's play (and his inaccurate throws) have a lot to do with this non-production. But we're also not seeing Berrian or Rice burning opposing defensive backs and getting a yard or so of separation, either. This is a problem.
It looks like Rice won't play against Carolina because of a sprained knee. That isn't good. But it would hurt less if Berrian and Allison – the guy who would likely replace Rice in the starting lineup – were healthy. They're not. Berrian's been bothered by turf toe for weeks and Allison shows up on the injury report with a foot injury. He might not play. That could mean the Panthers defence will see a lot of Bobby Wade and Robert Ferguson this afternoon.
If there are any football gods out there, Vikings fans would like a word with them.
Big plays are killing us: In 2007, the Vikings had a knack for making big plays. Thus far in 2008, the Vikings have had a knack for giving them up.
In the loss to Green Bay, a 56-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings led to the Pack's first touchdown. Then Will Blackmon returned a punt 67 yards for the Packers second touchdown. Ryan Grant's 57-yard run set up the Green Bay's third and final touchdown.
In the loss to Indy, the Peyton Manning–to–Anthony Gonzalez–to–Reggie Wayne 75-yard pass/catch/lateral set up the Colts first touchdown after the Vikings defence had pitched a shutout for 40-plus minutes. The play turned the game around. It was all Colts after that.
I don't know if this is a case of bad luck and will pass. But whatever it is, the Vikings have to start making big plays of their own and stop giving up so many if they want to beat Carolina.
Gus starts
The eyes of all Vikings fans will be on the Vikings new starting quarterback Gus Frerotte today. Can he get the Vikes into the win column?
My hope is that Frerotte's experience and strong arm allows him to make better decisions and complete some passes beyond 10 yards, something that will make the Panthers respect the pass and open up big holes for the running game.
My fear is that Frerotte's receivers can't get open for him and he makes inexplicable throws (like his interception in the pre-season game against Baltimore) that result in interceptions and easy points for Carolina. It also worries me that Frerotte looked less impressive than Jackson during the pre-season even though Frerotte worked with the first-team offence almost as much as his justly-maligned predecessor. And we're to believe this is the guy that can turn things around – not just in this game but for the rest of the season?
As always, I'm hoping for the best but expecting the worst.
Kill me now and get it over with
Jeez, could things get any worse?
Now I'm glad we've got Chester Taylor in case Adrian Peterson can't play against the Carolina Panthers today. But when you're trying to avoid going 0-3 and you're playing a hot team and that team is getting its best player back from a suspension just in time to play you and you've just made a quarterback change and your starting left tackle won't be back till week five and three of your top four wide receivers might not play Sunday because of injuries, well, I think you get the idea.
It sure would be nice to have Peterson in the lineup Sunday.
A must win
Just how big is Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers? Pretty big. The Minnesota Vikings having been playing football since 1961. The team has started the season 0-3 just three times. They have never made the playoffs any of those seasons.
In case you are curious, here is how those glorious campaigns turned out. The Vikings started the season 0-3 in 1962 (the franchise's second) under Norm Van Brocklin and went 2-11-1. In 1967 – Bud Grant's first season as head coach – the Vikes went 3-8-3. In 2002 – Mike Tice's first season as head coach – the Vikes went 6-10.
The Vikings better win this game.
Other ailments
Most everybody agrees Tarvaris Jackson's struggles are the main reason the Vikings are 0-2. But if football is a team game, there must be more to it than that. In fact, there is. Here are a few other areas where the Vikings are hurting themselves.
The return game is a mess: The Vikings have had Aundrae Allison and Chester Taylor returning kickoffs and Allison and Charles Gordon returning punts. Nothing is settled here. None of these players have really stood out and the return game has scuffled along. On a team that was rolling, this probably isn't a big deal. But the Vikings are 0-2 and have an offence that has trouble sustaining drives. Big kickoff and punt returns that shorten the field would be a plus. So far, it hasn't happened.
Our top receivers are doing jack: The Vikings top two receivers on the depth chart – Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice – have combined for five catches , 69 yards and one touchdown in two games, numbers that would constitute a decent first half for Randy Moss.
Certainly Jackson's play (and his inaccurate throws) have a lot to do with this non-production. But we're also not seeing Berrian or Rice burning opposing defensive backs and getting a yard or so of separation, either. This is a problem.
It looks like Rice won't play against Carolina because of a sprained knee. That isn't good. But it would hurt less if Berrian and Allison – the guy who would likely replace Rice in the starting lineup – were healthy. They're not. Berrian's been bothered by turf toe for weeks and Allison shows up on the injury report with a foot injury. He might not play. That could mean the Panthers defence will see a lot of Bobby Wade and Robert Ferguson this afternoon.
If there are any football gods out there, Vikings fans would like a word with them.
Big plays are killing us: In 2007, the Vikings had a knack for making big plays. Thus far in 2008, the Vikings have had a knack for giving them up.
In the loss to Green Bay, a 56-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings led to the Pack's first touchdown. Then Will Blackmon returned a punt 67 yards for the Packers second touchdown. Ryan Grant's 57-yard run set up the Green Bay's third and final touchdown.
In the loss to Indy, the Peyton Manning–to–Anthony Gonzalez–to–Reggie Wayne 75-yard pass/catch/lateral set up the Colts first touchdown after the Vikings defence had pitched a shutout for 40-plus minutes. The play turned the game around. It was all Colts after that.
I don't know if this is a case of bad luck and will pass. But whatever it is, the Vikings have to start making big plays of their own and stop giving up so many if they want to beat Carolina.
Gus starts
The eyes of all Vikings fans will be on the Vikings new starting quarterback Gus Frerotte today. Can he get the Vikes into the win column?
My hope is that Frerotte's experience and strong arm allows him to make better decisions and complete some passes beyond 10 yards, something that will make the Panthers respect the pass and open up big holes for the running game.
My fear is that Frerotte's receivers can't get open for him and he makes inexplicable throws (like his interception in the pre-season game against Baltimore) that result in interceptions and easy points for Carolina. It also worries me that Frerotte looked less impressive than Jackson during the pre-season even though Frerotte worked with the first-team offence almost as much as his justly-maligned predecessor. And we're to believe this is the guy that can turn things around – not just in this game but for the rest of the season?
As always, I'm hoping for the best but expecting the worst.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Back to the future
I always wanted Tarvaris Jackson to succeed. I wanted it because after Daunte Culpepper blew out his knee and then e-mailed his way out of town back in '06, the Vikings needed a new talent to become the quarterback of the future and save us from taking one of those long, slow rides on the quarterback carousel that teams like the Chicago Bears have been on, it seems, forever.
Jackson certainly looked the part. He had a thick build, he was strong, he had a great arm and he could run. All the physical tools you would think one needed to be a star NFL quarterback seemed to be there.
But something never seemed quite right with Jackson. He made quarterbacking look hard. I mean, it is hard – being a quarterback in the NFL – but the great ones, like Peyton Manning, and even the very good ones, like Donovan McNabb, often make it look easy. They make it look easy firing a 20-yard strike on a critical third down play that sets up a game-winning field goal, like Manning did last Sunday against the Vikings. They make it look easy sidestepping pass rushers, keeping the play alive inside the opponent's 20-yard line and then finding an open receiver for a touchdown.
It rarely came easy for Tarvaris Jackson. He struggled with short passes and with long passes. He struggled with making good decisions. He struggled with knowing when to run. He struggled with knowing when to slide when he did run. He invented that wacky jump pass of his (patent still pending.) He threw footballs 10 feet over the head of open receivers. He threw footballs 10 feet in front of the feet of open receivers.
And now his many strugles have cost him his job. Vikings head coach Brad Childress announced today Gus Frerotte will start Sunday against Carolina and will remain the starter for the rest of the season.
Is it the right decision?
Frankly, there is no right decision here. Jackson is Jackson. We know that. But Frerotte is a 37-year-old NFL vagabond with a career 37-44-1 record as a starter and two playoff games (both losses) to his name and John David Booty has a job because he played at USC and he's not Brooks Bollinger. This is the talent Childress has assembled to lead an otherwise talented team to its first playoff game since 2004.
It ain't gonna happen.
When we last saw Frerotte in extensive action as a Viking, it was 2003. He subbed for an injured Culpepper back then, went 2-0, threw for seven touchdowns (and only two interceptions) and averaged 10.6 yards per pass attempt. Those are pretty good numbers. But that was also six seasons ago.
I actually think the Vikings will beat Carolina on Sunday and I suspect Frerotte will play reasonably well. He may even provide a spark for a game or two more. But it won't be long before opponents begin to prey on Frerotte's weaknesses. I mean, there's a reason he's played for seven different teams in his career. He's not that good.
If you need more convincing consider that there are a lot of teams in the NFL that have needed a number one quarterback since Frerotte last held a starting job in Miami in 2005. Yet none of those teams saw fit to sign him for that purpose in 2006 and 2007. That should tell us a lot about where the Vikings 2008 season is heading with Frerotte under centre. You can bet it won't be Tampa on Feb. 1, 2009.
However, the larger and more painful issue for Vikings fans is the failure of Jackson to develop into the quarterback of the future leaves the team in the same position it was in three seasons ago at the most important position in football. The Vikings have no franchise quarterback.
Even if Frerotte plays well this year, he's a stopgap measure and not the long-term answer. Meanwhile, Jackson has quickly proven he's backup material at best and will likely be playing elsewhere in '09 (he certainly will be if Chilly is fired). As for Booty, he looks light years away from being ready to play, let alone star, in the NFL.
And what this means is that in 2009, either Childress, or some new coach, will have to draft another young quarterback, bring him along for a season, or two, or three and hope that young quarterback becomes the player Jackson did not become.
Let the quarterback carousel ride begin.
Jackson certainly looked the part. He had a thick build, he was strong, he had a great arm and he could run. All the physical tools you would think one needed to be a star NFL quarterback seemed to be there.
But something never seemed quite right with Jackson. He made quarterbacking look hard. I mean, it is hard – being a quarterback in the NFL – but the great ones, like Peyton Manning, and even the very good ones, like Donovan McNabb, often make it look easy. They make it look easy firing a 20-yard strike on a critical third down play that sets up a game-winning field goal, like Manning did last Sunday against the Vikings. They make it look easy sidestepping pass rushers, keeping the play alive inside the opponent's 20-yard line and then finding an open receiver for a touchdown.
It rarely came easy for Tarvaris Jackson. He struggled with short passes and with long passes. He struggled with making good decisions. He struggled with knowing when to run. He struggled with knowing when to slide when he did run. He invented that wacky jump pass of his (patent still pending.) He threw footballs 10 feet over the head of open receivers. He threw footballs 10 feet in front of the feet of open receivers.
And now his many strugles have cost him his job. Vikings head coach Brad Childress announced today Gus Frerotte will start Sunday against Carolina and will remain the starter for the rest of the season.
Is it the right decision?
Frankly, there is no right decision here. Jackson is Jackson. We know that. But Frerotte is a 37-year-old NFL vagabond with a career 37-44-1 record as a starter and two playoff games (both losses) to his name and John David Booty has a job because he played at USC and he's not Brooks Bollinger. This is the talent Childress has assembled to lead an otherwise talented team to its first playoff game since 2004.
It ain't gonna happen.
When we last saw Frerotte in extensive action as a Viking, it was 2003. He subbed for an injured Culpepper back then, went 2-0, threw for seven touchdowns (and only two interceptions) and averaged 10.6 yards per pass attempt. Those are pretty good numbers. But that was also six seasons ago.
I actually think the Vikings will beat Carolina on Sunday and I suspect Frerotte will play reasonably well. He may even provide a spark for a game or two more. But it won't be long before opponents begin to prey on Frerotte's weaknesses. I mean, there's a reason he's played for seven different teams in his career. He's not that good.
If you need more convincing consider that there are a lot of teams in the NFL that have needed a number one quarterback since Frerotte last held a starting job in Miami in 2005. Yet none of those teams saw fit to sign him for that purpose in 2006 and 2007. That should tell us a lot about where the Vikings 2008 season is heading with Frerotte under centre. You can bet it won't be Tampa on Feb. 1, 2009.
However, the larger and more painful issue for Vikings fans is the failure of Jackson to develop into the quarterback of the future leaves the team in the same position it was in three seasons ago at the most important position in football. The Vikings have no franchise quarterback.
Even if Frerotte plays well this year, he's a stopgap measure and not the long-term answer. Meanwhile, Jackson has quickly proven he's backup material at best and will likely be playing elsewhere in '09 (he certainly will be if Chilly is fired). As for Booty, he looks light years away from being ready to play, let alone star, in the NFL.
And what this means is that in 2009, either Childress, or some new coach, will have to draft another young quarterback, bring him along for a season, or two, or three and hope that young quarterback becomes the player Jackson did not become.
Let the quarterback carousel ride begin.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
At least we've got Ryan Longwell
If Vikings fans needed any more evidence of the immense chasm that separates the play of Pro Bowl quarterback Peyton Manning from that of their own starter, Tarvaris Jackson, they witnessed it on just one play Sunday - the throw that set up Adam Vinatieri's field goal that allowed the Indianapolis Colts to sneak out of the Metrodome with an undeserved 18-15 victory.
To refresh your memory (although I doubt it's necessary), the play in question was a third and nine from the Vikings 49-yard line. There were 34 seconds left in the game. The score was tied 15-15. The Colts probably needed, not just a first down, but a gain of 10 yards or more to give Vinatieri a legit shot at making that field goal. So in a pressure situation, on the road, with the pocket collapsing around him, Manning stepped up and delivered a beautifully thrown ball into pretty decent coverage to Reggie Wayne for a 20-yard gain.
Unfortunately for Vikings fans and the rest of the players on this 0-2 team, it doesn't take much of an imagination to visualize what Jackson would have done if faced with a similar situation.
Here's my take: Jackson drops back to pass, he feels a little pressure, then double-clutches indecisively, then looks for somewhere, anywhere to run, before launching a pass 20 feet over Bernard Berrian's head that either gets intercepted or falls harmlessly to the turf.
Such is the sorry state of the Vikings quarterback situation with Jackson under centre. Completing anything other than a short slant or screen pass appears unattainable. Converting any third down situation requiring a gain of more than two yards, unthinkable.
This is no way for an NFL starting quarterback to perform. That's why I'm officially giving up on the Tarvaris Jackson Experience after just 16 starts. All the praise from Vikings head coach Brad Childress about Jackson's hard work and improvement during the off-season seems pretty hollow now. And his strong play during last season's late playoff run and the pre-season seems like a mirage.
Now that the real games have started we're learning Jackson is exactly what he has always appeared to be - a strong kid with a rocket arm and good running ability. But also a quarterback who possesses absolutely no feel for the game, has no touch on any pass beyond five yards and a guy who throws the worst deep ball in the NFL.
The Vikings may yet recover from the 0-2 start and make this a season to remember for their fans and players. But if they do, it will be in spite of Jackson, not because of him.
I don't like their chances.
What's even more frustrating is that Childress has little choice but to keep trotting Jackson out there. The Vikings have really no one else to turn to for help. Gus Frerotte is not the answer. And based on what we saw from rookie John David Booty during the pre-season, he is not ready, at all, to play quarterback at the NFL level or even the NFL Europe level (if it still existed).
So it's T-Jack or bust for the Vikings in 2008. So far, we're in full-blown bust mode.
Of course, there are several other areas I could pick on to explain how the Vikings let this one slip away. Darrell Bevell and Chilly's play calling (again), Visanthe Shiancoe dropping what should have been a first quarter touchdown pass (where have I seen that before?), the Joseph Addai touchdown that probably wasn't, Ryan Longwell missing that sixth field goal attempt and on and on it goes.
But let's face it. This loss is on Jackson. The passing game was beyond pathetic. How soon before the Metrodome crowd starts chanting: "We want Gus! We want Gus!", Jackson loses all confidence in his abilities and the 2008 season turns into an unwatchable train wreck?
To refresh your memory (although I doubt it's necessary), the play in question was a third and nine from the Vikings 49-yard line. There were 34 seconds left in the game. The score was tied 15-15. The Colts probably needed, not just a first down, but a gain of 10 yards or more to give Vinatieri a legit shot at making that field goal. So in a pressure situation, on the road, with the pocket collapsing around him, Manning stepped up and delivered a beautifully thrown ball into pretty decent coverage to Reggie Wayne for a 20-yard gain.
Unfortunately for Vikings fans and the rest of the players on this 0-2 team, it doesn't take much of an imagination to visualize what Jackson would have done if faced with a similar situation.
Here's my take: Jackson drops back to pass, he feels a little pressure, then double-clutches indecisively, then looks for somewhere, anywhere to run, before launching a pass 20 feet over Bernard Berrian's head that either gets intercepted or falls harmlessly to the turf.
Such is the sorry state of the Vikings quarterback situation with Jackson under centre. Completing anything other than a short slant or screen pass appears unattainable. Converting any third down situation requiring a gain of more than two yards, unthinkable.
This is no way for an NFL starting quarterback to perform. That's why I'm officially giving up on the Tarvaris Jackson Experience after just 16 starts. All the praise from Vikings head coach Brad Childress about Jackson's hard work and improvement during the off-season seems pretty hollow now. And his strong play during last season's late playoff run and the pre-season seems like a mirage.
Now that the real games have started we're learning Jackson is exactly what he has always appeared to be - a strong kid with a rocket arm and good running ability. But also a quarterback who possesses absolutely no feel for the game, has no touch on any pass beyond five yards and a guy who throws the worst deep ball in the NFL.
The Vikings may yet recover from the 0-2 start and make this a season to remember for their fans and players. But if they do, it will be in spite of Jackson, not because of him.
I don't like their chances.
What's even more frustrating is that Childress has little choice but to keep trotting Jackson out there. The Vikings have really no one else to turn to for help. Gus Frerotte is not the answer. And based on what we saw from rookie John David Booty during the pre-season, he is not ready, at all, to play quarterback at the NFL level or even the NFL Europe level (if it still existed).
So it's T-Jack or bust for the Vikings in 2008. So far, we're in full-blown bust mode.
Of course, there are several other areas I could pick on to explain how the Vikings let this one slip away. Darrell Bevell and Chilly's play calling (again), Visanthe Shiancoe dropping what should have been a first quarter touchdown pass (where have I seen that before?), the Joseph Addai touchdown that probably wasn't, Ryan Longwell missing that sixth field goal attempt and on and on it goes.
But let's face it. This loss is on Jackson. The passing game was beyond pathetic. How soon before the Metrodome crowd starts chanting: "We want Gus! We want Gus!", Jackson loses all confidence in his abilities and the 2008 season turns into an unwatchable train wreck?
Saturday, September 13, 2008
GT's two minute drill
The Minnesota Vikings get a chance to even the record at 1-1 Sunday and they get to do it against a team led by a quarterback they've picked off eight times in two previous contests - returning four of them for touchdowns. The Vikings defence must be licking it's chops at the thought of facing...
What's that you say? The Vikes aren't facing Eli Manning in their 2008 home opener? Rather its Peyton Manning they will be up against?
Oh shit.
Unlike his little bro' Eli, Peyton has few bad memories of past contests against the Vikings. He's owned the Vikes, really, winning both games and throwing eight touchdowns in doing so. Now, those touchdowns were thrown several seasons ago against the all offence/no defence purple softies of Denny Green and Mike Tice. Nobody from those bad Vikings defences will be playing Sunday. But still, have things really changed for the better with the Vikings when it comes to defending the pass?
I didn't see the game last weekend but I hear Peyton Manning was rusty as the Indianapolis Colts lost to the Bears. Don't expect him to play poorly two weeks in a row.
Vikings fans can dissect this game in a lot of ways and come up with a number of matchups that could determine the outcome of this one. But I think it really comes down to this: Does anybody really see Tarvaris Jackson out duelling Manning?
Me neither. That's why the Vikes are probably headed to an 0-2 start.
Other stuff
When Heath Farwell was lost for the season with a knee injury a month ago I wrote that the loss shouldn't be viewed as a major blow to the Vikings.
I may have to reassess that analysis after watching Green Bay's Will (Who?) Blackmon return a Chris Kluwe punt for a killer second half touchdown Monday night. If Farwell's on the field there, does he quickly take down Blackmon for a small gain – something he's done so many times to other punt returners in his short Vikings career? And what happens when the Vikings face Devin Hester twice this season without their best special teams player in the lineup?
All Sidney Rice does ...
....is catch touchdowns.
Rice has caught 33 passes as a Viking. That's not a noteworthy number. But five of those catches have gone for touchdowns. For a Vikings offence that struggles to score through the air, that is a very noteworthy number.
Rice has got very good hands. He's got enough speed to separate from defenders and beat them deep. He's six-foot-four, which makes him a difficult guy for shorter defensive backs to defend. The Vikings need to make a serious effort to throw the ball to Sidney Rice against the Colts. Good things happen when Rice is involved in the passing game.
Road woes
Even casual Viking fans know that their favourite team has been a very poor road team over the years. But when ESPN showed the stat Monday night that the Vikings haven't won a road game after trailing in the fourth quarter since 1989 – a streak that spans, I believe, 39 games now – well, that was surprising.
Or is it? Think back to the all the quarterbacks who have started games for the Vikings during that 19 year period. Rich Gannon - before he was good. A past-his-prime Jim McMahon. Sean Salisbury. Jeff George. Todd Bouman. The aged and weak-armed version of Brad Johnson. Brooks Bollinger. Tarvaris Jackson. Even Spergon Wynn.
The Vikings had Warren Moon and Daunte Culpepper during that period, too. But Moon was on the downside of a great career when he came to Minnesota and Culpepper, talented as he was, never had a knack for orchestrating fourth quarter comebacks.
So when you look at that list of Vikings quarterbacks from 1989 to now, I guess it's not that surprising at all that the Vikings haven't been able to register a fourth quarter comeback win on the road in almost 20 years. The team hasn't exactly trotted out a bunch of Hall of Famers at the position.
What's that you say? The Vikes aren't facing Eli Manning in their 2008 home opener? Rather its Peyton Manning they will be up against?
Oh shit.
Unlike his little bro' Eli, Peyton has few bad memories of past contests against the Vikings. He's owned the Vikes, really, winning both games and throwing eight touchdowns in doing so. Now, those touchdowns were thrown several seasons ago against the all offence/no defence purple softies of Denny Green and Mike Tice. Nobody from those bad Vikings defences will be playing Sunday. But still, have things really changed for the better with the Vikings when it comes to defending the pass?
I didn't see the game last weekend but I hear Peyton Manning was rusty as the Indianapolis Colts lost to the Bears. Don't expect him to play poorly two weeks in a row.
Vikings fans can dissect this game in a lot of ways and come up with a number of matchups that could determine the outcome of this one. But I think it really comes down to this: Does anybody really see Tarvaris Jackson out duelling Manning?
Me neither. That's why the Vikes are probably headed to an 0-2 start.
Other stuff
When Heath Farwell was lost for the season with a knee injury a month ago I wrote that the loss shouldn't be viewed as a major blow to the Vikings.
I may have to reassess that analysis after watching Green Bay's Will (Who?) Blackmon return a Chris Kluwe punt for a killer second half touchdown Monday night. If Farwell's on the field there, does he quickly take down Blackmon for a small gain – something he's done so many times to other punt returners in his short Vikings career? And what happens when the Vikings face Devin Hester twice this season without their best special teams player in the lineup?
All Sidney Rice does ...
....is catch touchdowns.
Rice has caught 33 passes as a Viking. That's not a noteworthy number. But five of those catches have gone for touchdowns. For a Vikings offence that struggles to score through the air, that is a very noteworthy number.
Rice has got very good hands. He's got enough speed to separate from defenders and beat them deep. He's six-foot-four, which makes him a difficult guy for shorter defensive backs to defend. The Vikings need to make a serious effort to throw the ball to Sidney Rice against the Colts. Good things happen when Rice is involved in the passing game.
Road woes
Even casual Viking fans know that their favourite team has been a very poor road team over the years. But when ESPN showed the stat Monday night that the Vikings haven't won a road game after trailing in the fourth quarter since 1989 – a streak that spans, I believe, 39 games now – well, that was surprising.
Or is it? Think back to the all the quarterbacks who have started games for the Vikings during that 19 year period. Rich Gannon - before he was good. A past-his-prime Jim McMahon. Sean Salisbury. Jeff George. Todd Bouman. The aged and weak-armed version of Brad Johnson. Brooks Bollinger. Tarvaris Jackson. Even Spergon Wynn.
The Vikings had Warren Moon and Daunte Culpepper during that period, too. But Moon was on the downside of a great career when he came to Minnesota and Culpepper, talented as he was, never had a knack for orchestrating fourth quarter comebacks.
So when you look at that list of Vikings quarterbacks from 1989 to now, I guess it's not that surprising at all that the Vikings haven't been able to register a fourth quarter comeback win on the road in almost 20 years. The team hasn't exactly trotted out a bunch of Hall of Famers at the position.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Jackson's no bargain
After the Minnesota Vikings lost their fifth straight game to the Green Bay Packers Monday night, one of Brad Childress' post-game comments went something like this: "We need to throw it a little bit better."
That line ought to be on this guy's business card, because as we head into game 34 of the Chilly era, the Vikings have needed to throw the ball, not a little better, but a lot better in just about every one of the previous 33 games.
If you don't believe me, then check out these seasonal passing stat averages from the Childress-coached Vikings of 2006 and 2007: 3,170 passing yards (an average of 198 per game); a 59.6 completion percentage; 12.5 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. That ain't good folks.
Theories abound as to why the Vikings passing game wasn't up to snuff the past two seasons. The conservative play calling of Childress has often been cited by critics as one of culprits, so has leaky pass protection, inexperienced and ineffective quarterback play and a piss-poor receiving corps that couldn't get open or catch the ball when it did.
But 2008 was supposed to be different. Childress has been raving about the maturation and improvement he's seen this off-season from third-year quarterback (and second-year starter) Tarvaris Jackson. The Vikes also spent big bucks this winter to sign a deep threat at wide receiver in Bernard Berrian.
Unfortunately, against Green Bay, the 2008 Vikings passing offence looked a lot like the 2006 and 2007 versions. And that's what cost the Vikings this game.
Now as the Vikings prepare to take on the Indianapolis Colts in the home opener on Sunday, here is what is more troubling than the fact Minnesota lost to the Packers again.
Troubling issue number one: Chilly's offensive gameplan against the Packers – particularly in the first half.
Childress showed he still doesn't trust Jackson enough to put the game in his starting quarterback's hands. ESPN colour commentator Ron Jaworski called the offence “unimaginative” Monday night and complained that the Vikings too often used the run to set up the pass when they should have been doing the opposite.
He makes a good point. Every team knows the Vikings can run the ball and have been scheming for them accordingly. During the pre-season, Childress and his offensive staff seemed to recognize this and had Jackson throw pass-after-pass against surprised Seattle and Baltimore defences. The result - the Vikings marched the ball up the field with ease and scored at will with Jackson at the controls.
But Childress was having none of that on Monday night. Instead, he and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell went the safe route, feeding the Green Bay defence a heavy dose of handoffs to Adrian Peterson on first downs and also on critical third-and-short situations. This didn't fool the Packers and Jackson and the Vikings couldn't get anything going, scoring just three points in the first half.
It was only in the second half, when Childress and Bevell seemed to open things up a bit more, that Jackson and the Vikings offence started looking like a competent NFL offence. So will the Vikings offensive brainthrust build on that against the Colts and employ a more pass-happy gameplan? Based on Childress' body of work as Vikings head coach, the answer is no, which will probably be a mistake.
Troubling issue number two from the loss: The play of Jackson.
You know the gory details by now – 2-7 in the first half for 16 yards; 16-35 and 178 passing yards for the whole game; a completion percentage of just 46 per cent, well below the NFL gold standard of 60 per cent.
Those numbers are simply not good enough and watching Jackson play Monday night got me thinking about the five days I spent in New York City last week.
Bear with me on this one.
As anyone who has been there can tell you, there are a lot of street vendors in the Big Apple, many of them selling purses and handbags for women. At first glance, most of these handbags look just as sharp as any Louis Vuitton model you could buy. And you can get them for $25 or $30, which seems like a great deal. But then a month or so passes and one of the shoulder straps break, the stitching starts to go and the damn thing develops a hole or two. The bag turns out to be pretty useless.
That's kind of what I fear the Vikings have done here – in Tarvaris Jackson they've purchased a useless street vendor knock-off of Michael Vick. Physically the two look pretty similar and the arm strength and passing accuracy are about the same. But as good a scrambler as Jackson is, he's not in Vick's class and the only year Vick threw more interceptions than touchdowns was his rookie season in 2001 – a year he started only two games and threw just 113 passes. Jackson rarely has had a game where he's thrown for more touchdowns than interceptions.
Here's the real problem though. As much as Vick is a phenomenal athlete, he was (and still is) a seriously flawed NFL quarterback. So if Jackson is really some lesser version of Michael Vick, how much better is the Vikings passing attack really going to be?
That's been the big question the entire off-season for the Vikings and Jackson did little to answer it in a positive way on Monday night.
Of course, Jackson is still young and he doesn't even have 20 NFL starts to his name. There's still time for him to improve. Childress has also hitched his future with the Vikings to Jackson, so we don't have any choice but to hope this experiment turns out for the best. But as Vikings fans witnessed once again against Green Bay, the experiment has been painful one thus far.
That line ought to be on this guy's business card, because as we head into game 34 of the Chilly era, the Vikings have needed to throw the ball, not a little better, but a lot better in just about every one of the previous 33 games.
If you don't believe me, then check out these seasonal passing stat averages from the Childress-coached Vikings of 2006 and 2007: 3,170 passing yards (an average of 198 per game); a 59.6 completion percentage; 12.5 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. That ain't good folks.
Theories abound as to why the Vikings passing game wasn't up to snuff the past two seasons. The conservative play calling of Childress has often been cited by critics as one of culprits, so has leaky pass protection, inexperienced and ineffective quarterback play and a piss-poor receiving corps that couldn't get open or catch the ball when it did.
But 2008 was supposed to be different. Childress has been raving about the maturation and improvement he's seen this off-season from third-year quarterback (and second-year starter) Tarvaris Jackson. The Vikes also spent big bucks this winter to sign a deep threat at wide receiver in Bernard Berrian.
Unfortunately, against Green Bay, the 2008 Vikings passing offence looked a lot like the 2006 and 2007 versions. And that's what cost the Vikings this game.
Now as the Vikings prepare to take on the Indianapolis Colts in the home opener on Sunday, here is what is more troubling than the fact Minnesota lost to the Packers again.
Troubling issue number one: Chilly's offensive gameplan against the Packers – particularly in the first half.
Childress showed he still doesn't trust Jackson enough to put the game in his starting quarterback's hands. ESPN colour commentator Ron Jaworski called the offence “unimaginative” Monday night and complained that the Vikings too often used the run to set up the pass when they should have been doing the opposite.
He makes a good point. Every team knows the Vikings can run the ball and have been scheming for them accordingly. During the pre-season, Childress and his offensive staff seemed to recognize this and had Jackson throw pass-after-pass against surprised Seattle and Baltimore defences. The result - the Vikings marched the ball up the field with ease and scored at will with Jackson at the controls.
But Childress was having none of that on Monday night. Instead, he and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell went the safe route, feeding the Green Bay defence a heavy dose of handoffs to Adrian Peterson on first downs and also on critical third-and-short situations. This didn't fool the Packers and Jackson and the Vikings couldn't get anything going, scoring just three points in the first half.
It was only in the second half, when Childress and Bevell seemed to open things up a bit more, that Jackson and the Vikings offence started looking like a competent NFL offence. So will the Vikings offensive brainthrust build on that against the Colts and employ a more pass-happy gameplan? Based on Childress' body of work as Vikings head coach, the answer is no, which will probably be a mistake.
Troubling issue number two from the loss: The play of Jackson.
You know the gory details by now – 2-7 in the first half for 16 yards; 16-35 and 178 passing yards for the whole game; a completion percentage of just 46 per cent, well below the NFL gold standard of 60 per cent.
Those numbers are simply not good enough and watching Jackson play Monday night got me thinking about the five days I spent in New York City last week.
Bear with me on this one.
As anyone who has been there can tell you, there are a lot of street vendors in the Big Apple, many of them selling purses and handbags for women. At first glance, most of these handbags look just as sharp as any Louis Vuitton model you could buy. And you can get them for $25 or $30, which seems like a great deal. But then a month or so passes and one of the shoulder straps break, the stitching starts to go and the damn thing develops a hole or two. The bag turns out to be pretty useless.
That's kind of what I fear the Vikings have done here – in Tarvaris Jackson they've purchased a useless street vendor knock-off of Michael Vick. Physically the two look pretty similar and the arm strength and passing accuracy are about the same. But as good a scrambler as Jackson is, he's not in Vick's class and the only year Vick threw more interceptions than touchdowns was his rookie season in 2001 – a year he started only two games and threw just 113 passes. Jackson rarely has had a game where he's thrown for more touchdowns than interceptions.
Here's the real problem though. As much as Vick is a phenomenal athlete, he was (and still is) a seriously flawed NFL quarterback. So if Jackson is really some lesser version of Michael Vick, how much better is the Vikings passing attack really going to be?
That's been the big question the entire off-season for the Vikings and Jackson did little to answer it in a positive way on Monday night.
Of course, Jackson is still young and he doesn't even have 20 NFL starts to his name. There's still time for him to improve. Childress has also hitched his future with the Vikings to Jackson, so we don't have any choice but to hope this experiment turns out for the best. But as Vikings fans witnessed once again against Green Bay, the experiment has been painful one thus far.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Let me explain
Not that I'm making excuses (I am) but posting regularly on this blog over the next two weeks or so is going to be a challenge. I'm on vacation for three weeks on the East Coast of Canada and away from my normal routine, which usually includes some evening writing sessions working on Grant's Tomb.
What will make posting even trickier is the wife and I have worked in a five-day mini-vacation to New York City during our actual vacation and it starts on Thursday. While we're in the Big Apple we'll be taking in three days of U.S. Open tennis (I'm excited), a Mets/Phillies game (I admit it - I'm a Phillies fan) and probably a Broadway show to keep my spouse placated.
But all this fun in New York is going to hurt my blogging output. I'm not even sure I'll be able to watch the Vikings/Packers opener Monday night in its entirety. It will be our last night in NYC. My guess is the wife will not want to spend it sitting next to the TV in our hotel room while I watch the Vikes beat up on the Packers (she's not a football fan).
So, dear readers, I promise you nothing this week. But I do apologize to those who care. And to be honest, posting here will likely be pretty sporadic until vacation ends on Sept. 20. That won't help me get more hits to this site, but, that's life. By week three things should be back to normal.
In the meantime, enjoy reading Pacifist Viking, Vikes Geek, etc, etc.
What will make posting even trickier is the wife and I have worked in a five-day mini-vacation to New York City during our actual vacation and it starts on Thursday. While we're in the Big Apple we'll be taking in three days of U.S. Open tennis (I'm excited), a Mets/Phillies game (I admit it - I'm a Phillies fan) and probably a Broadway show to keep my spouse placated.
But all this fun in New York is going to hurt my blogging output. I'm not even sure I'll be able to watch the Vikings/Packers opener Monday night in its entirety. It will be our last night in NYC. My guess is the wife will not want to spend it sitting next to the TV in our hotel room while I watch the Vikes beat up on the Packers (she's not a football fan).
So, dear readers, I promise you nothing this week. But I do apologize to those who care. And to be honest, posting here will likely be pretty sporadic until vacation ends on Sept. 20. That won't help me get more hits to this site, but, that's life. By week three things should be back to normal.
In the meantime, enjoy reading Pacifist Viking, Vikes Geek, etc, etc.
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