It's odd how a game can turn on a play or two.
Everyone's going to say the big goal line stand by the Vikings D is what turned this game around. And certainly it was a big play. But if the Vikings offence, looking hopeless and backed up on their one-yard line, had gone three-and-out after that big stop, Chris Kluwe's punting the ball away from the back of his end zone, to the Bears Devin Hester, with that Vikings return team covering it. If that happens, there's a pretty good chance the Bears 7-3 lead is about to get three-to-seven points bigger.
So when Bears cornerback Charles Tillman decided to leave Bernard Berrian all by his lonesome and Gus Frerotte hit Berrian with the deep pass for a 99-yard TD to make it 10-7 Vikings, that was THE play of the game in my mind. (Side note: For Vikings fans stumping for Tarvaris Jackson to get another shot as the starting quarterback after Gus' recent poor play, just how far do you think T-Jack would have overthrown Berrian on that throw?)
For good measure, Tillman's horse collar penalty on Berrian a few minutes later set up the Vikings second touchdown of the first half, giving them a 17-7 lead and forcing Chicago to play catch up the rest of the way. If Tillman doesn't do those two things, perhaps we're writing the Vikings (and Brad Childress') epitaph instead of soaking up an ultra-satisfying 34-14 win.
The 2008 Minnesota Vikings are far from a perfect team. I'm still not convinced they are even a good one. The performance of the offence, which outside of Adrian Peterson's 59-yard run and the Berrian TD, didn't do diddly when it wasn't given a short field via turnovers from the Vikings defensive unit, should haunt us all.
And there are a few other warts on this squad. But I'll save the complaining for another day. The Vikings just beat the Chicago Bears by 20 points. They are 7-5 after an 0-2 start. They are in first place in the NFC North. They are one game up on the Bears and two games up on Green Bay. It's time to enjoy this one.
The first place Minnesota Vikings. Say it again. Repeat it to yourself the rest of the week. It feels pretty good, doesn't it?
Work's going to be a bitch the next couple of days, so I don't have time for a longer post right now. But I'll leave you with a few final observations.
I'm assuming after tonight that anyone who questioned the wisdom of the Vikings trading three draft picks for Jared Allen aren't questioning it any longer. What a game the guy had. And what a player Jared Allen is.
When John Madden referred to Tillman as one of the NFL's "best strippers", I mean that was just classic Madden and classic TV.
Sticking with the subject of Madden for another second, I do agree with his observation that Chilly should have had Peterson out of the game with the Vikings way ahead late in the fourth quarter.
This guy is our franchise player. You've won the game. Peterson's limping a bit. The Bears are teeing off on him because they know we're running out the clock. Just put Chester Taylor in there and let him finish the game and take the hits from Tommie Harris and Lance Briggs. We don't need Peterson hurt in garbage time.
He may have got his first interception of the year but watching Darren Sharper totally whiff on the Devin Hester TD and then take a bad angle on the Matt Forte run that set up the big goal line stand showed me that the demise of Sharper has been greatly under-exaggerated.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Week 13's two-minute drill
Alert - shameless self-promotion segment
I've stumbled upon a site that has Grant’s Tomb on a short list for best Canadian sports blogs of 2008.
There are times when I can be a vain, shallow person. This is one of those times. Vote for my blog here. I don’t think I’ll win anything if I come out on top. But it would be sweet if votes from this blog’s mostly American readership resulted in Grant’s Tomb being selected as the best Canadian sports blog.
We now return to our regularly scheduled programming.
Vikings vs. Bears
I wish I was one of those fans who go into each game confident his or her team is going to win. But I’m not one of those fans. I’m a worrier. I spend most weeks talking up the other team’s strengths in my head – figuring out ways the opposition will exploit the Vikings weaknesses. By the time the game arrives, I’ve usually concocted a number of doomsday scenarios involving the Vikings.
I haven’t felt like that this week. Chicago is an okay team. But I don’t think they are really better than the Vikings. They barely beat the Vikes at home on a day when Minnesota’s defence played poorly and its special teams strategy and the execution of that strategy was terrible. Playing at home, in front of a frothy, noisy crowd, where the pass rush is at its best, this is a game the Vikings should win.
Vikings 23 Bears 17
Here are a few things to monitor in this game.
The Metrodome effect
My favourite Vikings blogger, Pacifist Viking, thinks the Metrodome gives the Vikings the edge in this game.
I agree with him. The Bears Kyle Orton carved up the Vikings pass defence a month ago at Soldier Field. He used the no-huddle to great effect in doing so, plus he wasn’t pressured much.
But the Metrodome is a tough place to play in. When the fans are loud and into it, which they should be in this game, it creates all kinds of problems for the visiting offence. Players can’t hear the QB barking out signals. Getting plays off in time is difficult. Offensive lineman false start more or get caught standing still because they don’t know the ball has been snapped. It all leads to penalties and sacks and hurried throws and botched plays that put the visiting team in poor down and distance situations.
Vikings fans attending Sunday’s game need to be loud. They could be the Vikings 12th man (or woman - I don’t want to show any gender bias) against the Bears.
Gus Frerotte
Whenever I read a preview of an upcoming Vikings contest, one of the first things mentioned is how Adrian Peterson has to have a monster game for the Vikings to win.
That kind of statement makes perfect sense. It’s also perfectly wrong. This season there’s been no correlation between Vikings wins and big games from Peterson. In the four games where Peterson’s posted his best rushing totals, the Vikings are 2-2.
So here’s the deal. As Gus Frerotte goes, so go the Minnesota Vikings.
I know that sounds like crazy talk. But when Frerotte plays okay-to-good, the Vikings win. When he stinks, the Vikes are probably going to lose, unless the other team self-destructs (Jacksonville) or Peterson goes completely bonkers (the second Green Bay game).
Frerotte’s stink quotient has been going up steadily in recent weeks, which isn’t good. It’s time for him to have another okay-to-good game. If he doesn’t, it probably won’t matter what Peterson does.
Chad Greenway and Ben Leber
The Vikings struggle to cover tight ends. The Bears throw a lot to their tight ends Their names are Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen and they are pretty good. This is not a favourable (Canadian spelling alert!) matchup for the Vikings.
Covering opposing tight ends is often left to Greenway or Leber. I don’t know why they struggle doing it. One of Greenway’s strengths is supposed to be his quickness. And if Leber can run stride for stride with a wide receiver like New Orleans’ Devery Henderson, I don’t know why he can’t do the same against bigger and slower tight ends.
Anyway, Greenway and Leber better do a bang-up job of this on Sunday because the tight end play sets up a lot of the other stuff the Bears do on offence.
Corey Graham
One of the reasons Frerotte had success throwing the ball against the Bears in the first Bears/Vikings game is because Chicago's starting corners, Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher, did not play.
Tillman will be playing Sunday night. Vasher will not. And starting in place of Vasher will be Corey Graham.
I’ve always felt Vasher’s a pretty good corner. Tillman’s also pretty good, so expect Frerotte to throw more to Graham’s side than Tillman’s. Gus needs to take advantage of the backup and hook up with Bernard Berrian on a couple of big pass plays.
Darius Reynaud
I’m not a pro football scout but during the pre-season it looked to me like Reynaud was clearly the Vikings best kick returner.
Naturally, the Vikings coaching staff decided to cut Reynaud, sign him to the practice squad and stick with Maurice Hicks as the primary kick-off returner.
If Hicks were ever to put out an instructional video on how to return kicks, the following would be his teaching points:
1) Run as fast as you can into a pile of players.
2) Collide with one of those players.
3) Fall down.
4) Slam a fist into the turf to show the coaches you just missed breaking a long one.
5) Repeat if necessary.
I was quite happy to see Hicks deactivated last week and Reynaud signed off the practice squad and put back there to return kicks.
Reynaud didn’t really get too much of a chance to show what he could do. And when he got a chance he didn’t really show much. But I hope he gets another crack at returning kicks against the Bears. I’ve got a feeling he could break a long one.
I've stumbled upon a site that has Grant’s Tomb on a short list for best Canadian sports blogs of 2008.
There are times when I can be a vain, shallow person. This is one of those times. Vote for my blog here. I don’t think I’ll win anything if I come out on top. But it would be sweet if votes from this blog’s mostly American readership resulted in Grant’s Tomb being selected as the best Canadian sports blog.
We now return to our regularly scheduled programming.
Vikings vs. Bears
I wish I was one of those fans who go into each game confident his or her team is going to win. But I’m not one of those fans. I’m a worrier. I spend most weeks talking up the other team’s strengths in my head – figuring out ways the opposition will exploit the Vikings weaknesses. By the time the game arrives, I’ve usually concocted a number of doomsday scenarios involving the Vikings.
I haven’t felt like that this week. Chicago is an okay team. But I don’t think they are really better than the Vikings. They barely beat the Vikes at home on a day when Minnesota’s defence played poorly and its special teams strategy and the execution of that strategy was terrible. Playing at home, in front of a frothy, noisy crowd, where the pass rush is at its best, this is a game the Vikings should win.
Vikings 23 Bears 17
Here are a few things to monitor in this game.
The Metrodome effect
My favourite Vikings blogger, Pacifist Viking, thinks the Metrodome gives the Vikings the edge in this game.
I agree with him. The Bears Kyle Orton carved up the Vikings pass defence a month ago at Soldier Field. He used the no-huddle to great effect in doing so, plus he wasn’t pressured much.
But the Metrodome is a tough place to play in. When the fans are loud and into it, which they should be in this game, it creates all kinds of problems for the visiting offence. Players can’t hear the QB barking out signals. Getting plays off in time is difficult. Offensive lineman false start more or get caught standing still because they don’t know the ball has been snapped. It all leads to penalties and sacks and hurried throws and botched plays that put the visiting team in poor down and distance situations.
Vikings fans attending Sunday’s game need to be loud. They could be the Vikings 12th man (or woman - I don’t want to show any gender bias) against the Bears.
Gus Frerotte
Whenever I read a preview of an upcoming Vikings contest, one of the first things mentioned is how Adrian Peterson has to have a monster game for the Vikings to win.
That kind of statement makes perfect sense. It’s also perfectly wrong. This season there’s been no correlation between Vikings wins and big games from Peterson. In the four games where Peterson’s posted his best rushing totals, the Vikings are 2-2.
So here’s the deal. As Gus Frerotte goes, so go the Minnesota Vikings.
I know that sounds like crazy talk. But when Frerotte plays okay-to-good, the Vikings win. When he stinks, the Vikes are probably going to lose, unless the other team self-destructs (Jacksonville) or Peterson goes completely bonkers (the second Green Bay game).
Frerotte’s stink quotient has been going up steadily in recent weeks, which isn’t good. It’s time for him to have another okay-to-good game. If he doesn’t, it probably won’t matter what Peterson does.
Chad Greenway and Ben Leber
The Vikings struggle to cover tight ends. The Bears throw a lot to their tight ends Their names are Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen and they are pretty good. This is not a favourable (Canadian spelling alert!) matchup for the Vikings.
Covering opposing tight ends is often left to Greenway or Leber. I don’t know why they struggle doing it. One of Greenway’s strengths is supposed to be his quickness. And if Leber can run stride for stride with a wide receiver like New Orleans’ Devery Henderson, I don’t know why he can’t do the same against bigger and slower tight ends.
Anyway, Greenway and Leber better do a bang-up job of this on Sunday because the tight end play sets up a lot of the other stuff the Bears do on offence.
Corey Graham
One of the reasons Frerotte had success throwing the ball against the Bears in the first Bears/Vikings game is because Chicago's starting corners, Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher, did not play.
Tillman will be playing Sunday night. Vasher will not. And starting in place of Vasher will be Corey Graham.
I’ve always felt Vasher’s a pretty good corner. Tillman’s also pretty good, so expect Frerotte to throw more to Graham’s side than Tillman’s. Gus needs to take advantage of the backup and hook up with Bernard Berrian on a couple of big pass plays.
Darius Reynaud
I’m not a pro football scout but during the pre-season it looked to me like Reynaud was clearly the Vikings best kick returner.
Naturally, the Vikings coaching staff decided to cut Reynaud, sign him to the practice squad and stick with Maurice Hicks as the primary kick-off returner.
If Hicks were ever to put out an instructional video on how to return kicks, the following would be his teaching points:
1) Run as fast as you can into a pile of players.
2) Collide with one of those players.
3) Fall down.
4) Slam a fist into the turf to show the coaches you just missed breaking a long one.
5) Repeat if necessary.
I was quite happy to see Hicks deactivated last week and Reynaud signed off the practice squad and put back there to return kicks.
Reynaud didn’t really get too much of a chance to show what he could do. And when he got a chance he didn’t really show much. But I hope he gets another crack at returning kicks against the Bears. I’ve got a feeling he could break a long one.
Monday, November 24, 2008
In brief
Yeah!
It's always a good day when the Packers get hammered. So, is it time to stick a fork in Green Bay?
Not so fast, Tim.
Look at the Packers schedule. They've got home games against Carolina, Houston and Detroit and road games against Jacksonville and Chicago.
You figure they can win all the home games. As for the road games, we saw last weekend how hopeless Jacksonville has become. The Chicago game will probably be a loss. Still, I can see the Packers going 4-1 the rest of the way and pulling a division title out of their ass. I could also see the Vikings going 1-4 over their final five games. Anything is possible in this division. Don't count the Packers out yet. Sigh.
Surely this is the end of Donovan McNabb's time in Philly.
Starting now, you're going to see a lot of stories suggesting McNabb would be a great fit in Minnesota with Brad Childress (assuming, of course, Childress is in Minnesota next season). Would a quarterback with multiple Pro Bowls on his resume look good in purple? You bet. But McNabb does come with some baggage and he's on the downside of his career at 32, which is why he's going to be available. Also, if Childress does get canned after the season, maybe the new coach doesn't think McNabb is the right guy. Anyway, it will make for some interesting speculation in Minnesota over the next few months.
Here's a funny little story. But not one mention of the S.O.D. - Onterrio Smith.
And I found I couldn't take my eyes off the Fox robot while watching the Vikings/Jaguars game Sunday.
I've always been confused as to what the point of the robot is anyway. But who within the network decides that, hey, this Sunday we're going to give the robot a guitar and have him strut around performing Jimi Hendrix and Pete Townsend-like guitar moves? I was disappointed when the robot didn't get down on its knees, pour lighter fluid on the guitar and set it on fire ala Hendrix at Monterrey in '67.
Meanwhile, we all await word on the Williams brothers (bom, ba ba bom!)
New addition
Check out Mike Lombardi's quick assessment of Childress' KOA at the bottom of this post.
Day One Installation? Pretty damning stuff.
It's always a good day when the Packers get hammered. So, is it time to stick a fork in Green Bay?
Not so fast, Tim.
Look at the Packers schedule. They've got home games against Carolina, Houston and Detroit and road games against Jacksonville and Chicago.
You figure they can win all the home games. As for the road games, we saw last weekend how hopeless Jacksonville has become. The Chicago game will probably be a loss. Still, I can see the Packers going 4-1 the rest of the way and pulling a division title out of their ass. I could also see the Vikings going 1-4 over their final five games. Anything is possible in this division. Don't count the Packers out yet. Sigh.
Surely this is the end of Donovan McNabb's time in Philly.
Starting now, you're going to see a lot of stories suggesting McNabb would be a great fit in Minnesota with Brad Childress (assuming, of course, Childress is in Minnesota next season). Would a quarterback with multiple Pro Bowls on his resume look good in purple? You bet. But McNabb does come with some baggage and he's on the downside of his career at 32, which is why he's going to be available. Also, if Childress does get canned after the season, maybe the new coach doesn't think McNabb is the right guy. Anyway, it will make for some interesting speculation in Minnesota over the next few months.
Here's a funny little story. But not one mention of the S.O.D. - Onterrio Smith.
And I found I couldn't take my eyes off the Fox robot while watching the Vikings/Jaguars game Sunday.
I've always been confused as to what the point of the robot is anyway. But who within the network decides that, hey, this Sunday we're going to give the robot a guitar and have him strut around performing Jimi Hendrix and Pete Townsend-like guitar moves? I was disappointed when the robot didn't get down on its knees, pour lighter fluid on the guitar and set it on fire ala Hendrix at Monterrey in '67.
Meanwhile, we all await word on the Williams brothers (bom, ba ba bom!)
New addition
Check out Mike Lombardi's quick assessment of Childress' KOA at the bottom of this post.
Day One Installation? Pretty damning stuff.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
We'll take it
Pretty? No way. But when you are 1-4 on the road and have had a nasty habit of allowing opposing teams to hang around in games all season, the Minnesota Vikings will take a win where – even though the performance featured plenty of blemishes - they were the better team in the second half. And being better resulted in turning a tenuous 17-10 halftime lead into a 30-12 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
What’s there to like about this win? Well, the Vikes performance in the second half, mainly.
Throughout this season, the Vikings have often lost the battle of the second half adjustments and appeared to be outschemed and outcoached in those second half swoons even more than usual.
But today, it was the Vikings coaching staff that appeared to make the better moves. The offence (Canadian spelling alert) at least showed a little bit of coherence after looking punch-drunk in the first half. The defence did a better job tackling and by creating pressure on nimble Jags quarterback David Garrard made it harder for him to execute the short passing game. Jaguar fans might note that it doesn’t take much to outwit Jack Del Rio’s staff. But I don’t know. The guy was a coach of the year candidate last season. He developed into a bad coach the past 11 months? Let’s give the Vikings staff some credit here.
Vikings fans should also like the five turnovers the team’s defence and special teams forced. It was also encouraging to see Sidney Rice featured regularly in the passing game. The kid does have nice hands.
And what has happened to the Visanthe Shiancoe we have come to know and loathe? It used to be all he did was drop touchdown passes. Now he’s a guy making tough catches in tight coverage and hauling in tipped passes. The big tight end has actually emerged as a useful weapon the past five games. It’s a pity Brad Childress and Darrell Bevell only seem to be able to get him the ball two or three times a game. (Now there’s a paragraph I never, ever, ever thought I’d write.)
So what’s not to like about this win?
I wonder about the benching of Adrian Peterson for the first two offensive series’. I’m sure we’ll be told after the game that he was benched for the nebulous “he violated a team rule” reason. But the benching comes a week after Childress pooh-poohed a late game sideline argument between Peterson and running backs coach Eric Bieniemy. Childress keeps on yanking Peterson for Chester Taylor in third down situations and I don’t think this is sitting well with Peterson. Sounds like there is some trouble in paradise. That can’t be good for a team fighting for a playoff spot.
You also can’t like the fact the Vikings defence was picked apart - for three quarters anyway - by a mobile quarterback again. It was maddening to see Leslie Frazier’s boys victimized time-after-time by shovel passes and short screens from Garrard to Maurice Jones-Drew, plus an assortment of short passes to the Jaguars ordinary wideouts. It’s not hard to envision future opposing QB’s Kyle Orton, Kurt Warner and Matt Ryan having big days using a similar gameplan.
And the Vikings offensive performance in this game should concern us all. Gus Frerotte did not look good and the big passing plays to Bernard Berrian have dried up lately, which was the guy's saving grace when he first took over for Tarvaris Jackson. We actually had a quarterback who wouldn't overthrow a wide receiver deep by 15 yards.
It’s also alarming when Frerotte does get time to throw the ball (despite what the Fox announcing team of John Lynch and Chris Rose kept saying, I thought the O-line gave Frerotte plenty of time to throw) and he has to hold onto the thing for 10 seconds and then takes a sack. Clearly the Vikings wide receivers were not getting open and they didn’t get open a whole lot against Tampa Bay the week before.
The problem: Opposing defences know Frerotte isn’t going to run the ball and the Vikings playbook doesn’t seem to be very imaginative or extensive. It seemed like the Jaguars knew what play was coming every down. And the Vikings have a devil of a time when the play call on first down nets minimal gains. Childress and Bevell don’t seem to be able to come up with any decent play calls when faced with second-and-long situations. Instead they call quick screens passes delivered at the line of scrimmage to Jim Kleinsasser and Naufahu Tahi. As we saw today, those plays don’t have much chance of success, which leads to third-and-long situations and on and on it goes.
Still, we’ll all enjoy the win. Vikings fans will also look forward to playing Chicago at home next week with first place on the line.
What we won’t look forward to are the pending suspensions of Kevin and Pat Williams. Their appeals were heard last week and you can expect this to come to a head by Tuesday. If both players are suspended for four games as expected (it seems the players rarely win these appeals) it will make it tougher than usual to beat the Bears and everybody else the Vikings play during those four games.
Maybe it’s time to say a prayer or two to the football gods. Surely the Vikings have some good karma coming their way.
What’s there to like about this win? Well, the Vikes performance in the second half, mainly.
Throughout this season, the Vikings have often lost the battle of the second half adjustments and appeared to be outschemed and outcoached in those second half swoons even more than usual.
But today, it was the Vikings coaching staff that appeared to make the better moves. The offence (Canadian spelling alert) at least showed a little bit of coherence after looking punch-drunk in the first half. The defence did a better job tackling and by creating pressure on nimble Jags quarterback David Garrard made it harder for him to execute the short passing game. Jaguar fans might note that it doesn’t take much to outwit Jack Del Rio’s staff. But I don’t know. The guy was a coach of the year candidate last season. He developed into a bad coach the past 11 months? Let’s give the Vikings staff some credit here.
Vikings fans should also like the five turnovers the team’s defence and special teams forced. It was also encouraging to see Sidney Rice featured regularly in the passing game. The kid does have nice hands.
And what has happened to the Visanthe Shiancoe we have come to know and loathe? It used to be all he did was drop touchdown passes. Now he’s a guy making tough catches in tight coverage and hauling in tipped passes. The big tight end has actually emerged as a useful weapon the past five games. It’s a pity Brad Childress and Darrell Bevell only seem to be able to get him the ball two or three times a game. (Now there’s a paragraph I never, ever, ever thought I’d write.)
So what’s not to like about this win?
I wonder about the benching of Adrian Peterson for the first two offensive series’. I’m sure we’ll be told after the game that he was benched for the nebulous “he violated a team rule” reason. But the benching comes a week after Childress pooh-poohed a late game sideline argument between Peterson and running backs coach Eric Bieniemy. Childress keeps on yanking Peterson for Chester Taylor in third down situations and I don’t think this is sitting well with Peterson. Sounds like there is some trouble in paradise. That can’t be good for a team fighting for a playoff spot.
You also can’t like the fact the Vikings defence was picked apart - for three quarters anyway - by a mobile quarterback again. It was maddening to see Leslie Frazier’s boys victimized time-after-time by shovel passes and short screens from Garrard to Maurice Jones-Drew, plus an assortment of short passes to the Jaguars ordinary wideouts. It’s not hard to envision future opposing QB’s Kyle Orton, Kurt Warner and Matt Ryan having big days using a similar gameplan.
And the Vikings offensive performance in this game should concern us all. Gus Frerotte did not look good and the big passing plays to Bernard Berrian have dried up lately, which was the guy's saving grace when he first took over for Tarvaris Jackson. We actually had a quarterback who wouldn't overthrow a wide receiver deep by 15 yards.
It’s also alarming when Frerotte does get time to throw the ball (despite what the Fox announcing team of John Lynch and Chris Rose kept saying, I thought the O-line gave Frerotte plenty of time to throw) and he has to hold onto the thing for 10 seconds and then takes a sack. Clearly the Vikings wide receivers were not getting open and they didn’t get open a whole lot against Tampa Bay the week before.
The problem: Opposing defences know Frerotte isn’t going to run the ball and the Vikings playbook doesn’t seem to be very imaginative or extensive. It seemed like the Jaguars knew what play was coming every down. And the Vikings have a devil of a time when the play call on first down nets minimal gains. Childress and Bevell don’t seem to be able to come up with any decent play calls when faced with second-and-long situations. Instead they call quick screens passes delivered at the line of scrimmage to Jim Kleinsasser and Naufahu Tahi. As we saw today, those plays don’t have much chance of success, which leads to third-and-long situations and on and on it goes.
Still, we’ll all enjoy the win. Vikings fans will also look forward to playing Chicago at home next week with first place on the line.
What we won’t look forward to are the pending suspensions of Kevin and Pat Williams. Their appeals were heard last week and you can expect this to come to a head by Tuesday. If both players are suspended for four games as expected (it seems the players rarely win these appeals) it will make it tougher than usual to beat the Bears and everybody else the Vikings play during those four games.
Maybe it’s time to say a prayer or two to the football gods. Surely the Vikings have some good karma coming their way.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Week 12's two minute drill
“Our” opponent – the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars appear to be a team in freefall mode. They’ve lost three of the last four games. Coach Jack Del Rio has benched starting middle linebacker Mike Peterson for arguing with him during a team meeting. And they can’t seem to win at home (1-4).
So there's plenty of reason to feel optimistic about the Vikings chances of winning this important game.
Of course, the Vikings aren't a good road team and haven't been for years. I could go into some detail about what the Vikings need to do to win this one: The special teams can't make any mistakes. The offence needs to be able to pass the ball some. Gus Frerotte can't give out interceptions like Halloween candy. But you've heard it all before.
I think it comes down to this. Good teams win games like this on the road. The Pittsburgh Steelers would win this game. The New York Giants would win this game. But the Vikings are not the Steelers or the Giants. They are not a good team, so they’ll most likely lose.
Prediction: Jaguars 20 Vikings 17
How the Vikings will do the rest of the way – take two
A few weeks ago during the Vikings bye week, I ran an article on how I saw the Vikings final nine games turning out. So far I’m 3-0 in my predictions. But I feel I have to revisit and revise them a bit.
Here’s how I expect the Vikings final six games to go down.
@Jacksonville: I’ve already covered this one.
Chicago: With the season on the line, the Vikes play inspired and knock off the Bears.
@Detroit: In true Vikings fashion, they come up limp on the road against a team they have no business losing to. The Lions dream of a 0-16 season dies.
@Arizona: Kurt Warner completes 99.9 per cent of his passes, throws for 500 yards, four touchdowns and fumbles three times. The Cards win a shootout and eliminate the Vikings from playoff contention.
Atlanta: It’s at home, so naturally the Vikings tease us - no, make that, infuriate us – and look like world-beaters again in beating the Falcons.
New York Giants: The Giants have sewn up home field advantage in the NFC and they rest all 22 starters. The Vikings win the meaningless game but cost themselves a higher draft position in doing so.
One hour after Giants game: Vikings owner Zygi Wilf fires head coach Brad Childress.
Two hours after Giants game: ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports Wilf has offered Bill Cowher a 10-year, $50-million contract.
Jared Allen and dirty play
Glad to hear Jared Allen was only fined and not suspended after his Tuesday meeting with the NFL’s discipline Gestapo.
Allen’s never had a reputation for being a dirty player and I don’t think his hits on Matt Schaub and Aaron Rodgers were dirty plays (Houston and Green Bay fans would disagree with me on that one).
I think fans overestimate the control athletes have over their bodies in fast-moving sports like football or hockey. It’s not that easy for Jared Allen to avoid inadvertently hitting a knee when he’s running full speed after someone, with a helmet and facemask obscuring his vision and all the while trying to escape the grasp of 350-pound lineman and their fat arms and legs.
It all looks cut and dried after we see the replay of these hits – in slow motion – five straight times. I don’t think it’s so cut and dried when you’re out on the field playing the game. But then, most fans have never been out on the field playing.
Quarterbacks
Pacifist Viking is salivating at the thought that the latest Donovan McNabb controversy in Philly could see him leaving the Eagles and maybe wearing purple in ’09.
I think we can all agree that whatever happens with the Vikings this season, their top priority in 2009 should be improving the quarterback position.
So how about making a run at Carson Palmer?
The Bengals are probably going to blow things up after this season. They’ll be looking for a fresh start and lots of draft picks. Palmer’s the franchise quarterback. But he’s also coming off a season that’s been destroyed by an elbow injury. Management might consider him damaged goods and be looking to get rid of Palmer.
Palmer is under contract until 2014 and his salary is hefty and that might also be a reason the rebuilding Bengals would trade him – to give themselves salary cap space in an effort to quickly retrofit the roster. Cincinnati’s management has made lots of stupid moves in recent years. Do you think they would be stupid enough to trade away Palmer?
I know, this is blue sky thinking at its worst.
The Jaguars appear to be a team in freefall mode. They’ve lost three of the last four games. Coach Jack Del Rio has benched starting middle linebacker Mike Peterson for arguing with him during a team meeting. And they can’t seem to win at home (1-4).
So there's plenty of reason to feel optimistic about the Vikings chances of winning this important game.
Of course, the Vikings aren't a good road team and haven't been for years. I could go into some detail about what the Vikings need to do to win this one: The special teams can't make any mistakes. The offence needs to be able to pass the ball some. Gus Frerotte can't give out interceptions like Halloween candy. But you've heard it all before.
I think it comes down to this. Good teams win games like this on the road. The Pittsburgh Steelers would win this game. The New York Giants would win this game. But the Vikings are not the Steelers or the Giants. They are not a good team, so they’ll most likely lose.
Prediction: Jaguars 20 Vikings 17
How the Vikings will do the rest of the way – take two
A few weeks ago during the Vikings bye week, I ran an article on how I saw the Vikings final nine games turning out. So far I’m 3-0 in my predictions. But I feel I have to revisit and revise them a bit.
Here’s how I expect the Vikings final six games to go down.
@Jacksonville: I’ve already covered this one.
Chicago: With the season on the line, the Vikes play inspired and knock off the Bears.
@Detroit: In true Vikings fashion, they come up limp on the road against a team they have no business losing to. The Lions dream of a 0-16 season dies.
@Arizona: Kurt Warner completes 99.9 per cent of his passes, throws for 500 yards, four touchdowns and fumbles three times. The Cards win a shootout and eliminate the Vikings from playoff contention.
Atlanta: It’s at home, so naturally the Vikings tease us - no, make that, infuriate us – and look like world-beaters again in beating the Falcons.
New York Giants: The Giants have sewn up home field advantage in the NFC and they rest all 22 starters. The Vikings win the meaningless game but cost themselves a higher draft position in doing so.
One hour after Giants game: Vikings owner Zygi Wilf fires head coach Brad Childress.
Two hours after Giants game: ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports Wilf has offered Bill Cowher a 10-year, $50-million contract.
Jared Allen and dirty play
Glad to hear Jared Allen was only fined and not suspended after his Tuesday meeting with the NFL’s discipline Gestapo.
Allen’s never had a reputation for being a dirty player and I don’t think his hits on Matt Schaub and Aaron Rodgers were dirty plays (Houston and Green Bay fans would disagree with me on that one).
I think fans overestimate the control athletes have over their bodies in fast-moving sports like football or hockey. It’s not that easy for Jared Allen to avoid inadvertently hitting a knee when he’s running full speed after someone, with a helmet and facemask obscuring his vision and all the while trying to escape the grasp of 350-pound lineman and their fat arms and legs.
It all looks cut and dried after we see the replay of these hits – in slow motion – five straight times. I don’t think it’s so cut and dried when you’re out on the field playing the game. But then, most fans have never been out on the field playing.
Quarterbacks
Pacifist Viking is salivating at the thought that the latest Donovan McNabb controversy in Philly could see him leaving the Eagles and maybe wearing purple in ’09.
I think we can all agree that whatever happens with the Vikings this season, their top priority in 2009 should be improving the quarterback position.
So how about making a run at Carson Palmer?
The Bengals are probably going to blow things up after this season. They’ll be looking for a fresh start and lots of draft picks. Palmer’s the franchise quarterback. But he’s also coming off a season that’s been destroyed by an elbow injury. Management might consider him damaged goods and be looking to get rid of Palmer.
Palmer is under contract until 2014 and his salary is hefty and that might also be a reason the rebuilding Bengals would trade him – to give themselves salary cap space in an effort to quickly retrofit the roster. Cincinnati’s management has made lots of stupid moves in recent years. Do you think they would be stupid enough to trade away Palmer?
I know, this is blue sky thinking at its worst.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Decisions, decisions
In the 2007 NFL draft the Minnesota Vikings selected Adrian Peterson with the seventh overall pick. It was a decision that surprised fans and NFL connoisseurs alike because the Vikings didn’t have a pressing need at running back. Quarterback was a different story, where Brad Childress was about to go into the 2007 season with Tarvaris Jackson and Brooks Bollinger as his number one and number two guys.
Debate over whether the Vikings made the right move died out quickly though – once Peterson stepped on the field. When he ran over a cornerback during a pre-season drubbing of the New York Jets, fans got their first glimpse of what they had. Then came his 50-yard catch and run touchdown in the season opener against Atlanta. Then came the first Chicago game. Then came the San Diego game. Then came the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Peterson was sensational.
A little further east in Cleveland, Ohio, where Quinn had landed when the Browns selected him with 22nd overall pick, the Notre Dame golden boy found himself on the bench watching former sixth round pick Derek Anderson have a breakout year.
However, things have changed a bit since 2007. Anderson was mostly ineffective this season and was benched. Quinn took over as the starter. And after watching Quinn play the past two weeks, I wonder if the Peterson/Quinn debate is about to be reprised.
Peterson’s been pretty sensational in 2008. But it seems to be much easier to find good running backs than good quarterbacks. Despite Peterson’s brilliance, the Vikings are just 13-13 during his time with Minnesota. And what has held the Vikings back the past two seasons? Most of the time – okay, all of the time – it’s been the quarterback play.
You could make a solid argument that if the Vikings had Chester Taylor as the feature back and a stud quarterback like Drew Brees directing the offence, they would be much better off than what they’ve had in ’07 and ‘08, which is Peterson and the flotsam and jetsam of Jackson, Kelly Holcomb, Bollinger and Gus Frerotte taking snaps.
Which brings us back to that Brady Quinn guy. If you’re going to bypass a talent like Peterson and take Quinn, then Quinn better turn out to be pretty good. He better turn out to be an elite player.
And while you can’t draw too many conclusions from two games, I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Quinn. His arm strength is pretty good. He’s shown good pocket presence. He knows how to avoid sacks even though he’s not a scrambler. He can deliver an accurate ball under duress. He doesn’t look like he’s scared of anything he’s up against.
He hasn’t shown the ability to hit on the deep ball yet and his numbers Monday night against the Buffalo Bills were pretty ordinary (14-36, 185 yards, 0 TDs). But here is what Quinn did Monday night. He went on the road, in a venue that’s tough to play in, on a cold, windy night (perhaps that goes without saying in Buffalo this time of year) against a good defence. And he won. I don’t think Frerotte, Peterson and the Vikings could have done that.
I love Adrian Peterson. I wouldn’t trade him for anyone in the NFL. I’m still glad the Vikings took him instead of Brady Quinn. But Quinn’s play has me wondering if, after both of their careers are over, whether history will show the Vikings made the right decision in April of 2007.
Thoughts, anyone?
Debate over whether the Vikings made the right move died out quickly though – once Peterson stepped on the field. When he ran over a cornerback during a pre-season drubbing of the New York Jets, fans got their first glimpse of what they had. Then came his 50-yard catch and run touchdown in the season opener against Atlanta. Then came the first Chicago game. Then came the San Diego game. Then came the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Peterson was sensational.
A little further east in Cleveland, Ohio, where Quinn had landed when the Browns selected him with 22nd overall pick, the Notre Dame golden boy found himself on the bench watching former sixth round pick Derek Anderson have a breakout year.
However, things have changed a bit since 2007. Anderson was mostly ineffective this season and was benched. Quinn took over as the starter. And after watching Quinn play the past two weeks, I wonder if the Peterson/Quinn debate is about to be reprised.
Peterson’s been pretty sensational in 2008. But it seems to be much easier to find good running backs than good quarterbacks. Despite Peterson’s brilliance, the Vikings are just 13-13 during his time with Minnesota. And what has held the Vikings back the past two seasons? Most of the time – okay, all of the time – it’s been the quarterback play.
You could make a solid argument that if the Vikings had Chester Taylor as the feature back and a stud quarterback like Drew Brees directing the offence, they would be much better off than what they’ve had in ’07 and ‘08, which is Peterson and the flotsam and jetsam of Jackson, Kelly Holcomb, Bollinger and Gus Frerotte taking snaps.
Which brings us back to that Brady Quinn guy. If you’re going to bypass a talent like Peterson and take Quinn, then Quinn better turn out to be pretty good. He better turn out to be an elite player.
And while you can’t draw too many conclusions from two games, I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Quinn. His arm strength is pretty good. He’s shown good pocket presence. He knows how to avoid sacks even though he’s not a scrambler. He can deliver an accurate ball under duress. He doesn’t look like he’s scared of anything he’s up against.
He hasn’t shown the ability to hit on the deep ball yet and his numbers Monday night against the Buffalo Bills were pretty ordinary (14-36, 185 yards, 0 TDs). But here is what Quinn did Monday night. He went on the road, in a venue that’s tough to play in, on a cold, windy night (perhaps that goes without saying in Buffalo this time of year) against a good defence. And he won. I don’t think Frerotte, Peterson and the Vikings could have done that.
I love Adrian Peterson. I wouldn’t trade him for anyone in the NFL. I’m still glad the Vikings took him instead of Brady Quinn. But Quinn’s play has me wondering if, after both of their careers are over, whether history will show the Vikings made the right decision in April of 2007.
Thoughts, anyone?
Monday, November 17, 2008
In a nutshell
The main reason the Minnesota Vikings are 5-5 after a 19-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is Jeff Garcia.
Yes, there were other factors. But with the 38-year-old, 180-pound Bucs quarterback bobbing, weaving and slithering around the pocket all day, Garcia did what other opposing quarterbacks have been unable to do lately – escape a smothering Vikings pass rush.
Garcia is adept at this and his ability to keep plays alive with his legs and make accurate throws on the run (he completed 23 of 30 passes for 255 yards, several of them while running for his life) gave the Vikings defence (Canadian spelling alert!)fits – even in the first half when the Bucs scored just six points.
In the second half, the Bucs scored 13 and Garcia engineered two clock-killing scoring drives that, along with a fumble by Maurice Hicks during a fourth quarter kick-off return, kept the ball away from Adrian Peterson and the Vikings offence (Canadian spelling alert!). Minnesota had only four offensive drives the entire half and the third drive came with just 3:23 left in the game.
Certainly the Vikings pass rush has had better days. But even when a linebacker or defensive lineman did generate some pressure, Garcia always managed to get out of the jam and make a play. The Vikings defence couldn’t take him down and Garcia made them pay. If Brian Griese was still the Bucs starting QB, the Vikings probably win this game.
So we have another disappointing road loss by the Vikings to wail about. The Vikings, Packers and Bears all have 5-5 records now. They have six more games to sort the NFC North out.
Next up for the Vikings - the 4-6 Jacksonville Jaguars. Meanwhile, the Bears play the Rams. The Packers play the Saints. All three teams will be playing on the road. The Vikings better win that game. The fat lady is warming up the pipes and getting ready to sing.
Other stuff
1. Late in the game, Fox commenter Tim Ryan wondered why the Vikings didn’t use a “spy” on Garcia.
Interesting observation. Assigning one defender to follow an opposing player may take him away from some of his regular defensive responsibilities, but if that one opposing player were hurting you – as Garcia was – wouldn’t you adjust your scheme to try to stop him?
I know most teams playing Randy Moss always have a safety shaded to his side. And if you’re playing Adrian Peterson, you’re wise to do the eight-in-the-box routine. You do what you can to stop one player from beating you. But the Vikings didn’t do anything special to try to stop skinny little Jeff Garcia – like spy him.
Maybe they should have.
2. Don’t know if anybody else noticed it, but on the last Vikings drive, Fox showed a shot of running backs coach Eric Bieniemy having a heated discussion with an angry Peterson on the sidelines.
It’s not hard to speculate what was going on there. As I mentioned, Peterson was on the sidelines. When the Vikings were trying to score a touchdown. To win the game.
This must drive Peterson nuts and he must have said as much to Bieniemy, which I imagine led to the little heart-to-heart.
If that’s the case, and I think it is, it comes a week after Peterson shouted at Childress, demanding the Vikes go for it on that fourth-and-one play against the Packers.
The media coverage of Peterson has been overwhelmingly positive during his short time in the league. Apparently he’s hard-working, God-fearing, polite and has a hell of a handshake. But is he starting to show some unwanted diva-like qualities on the football field?
Actually, Peterson is probably just frustrated the Vikings coaching staff can’t figure out how to make the most of his talents.
And I can understand why. The Vikings are probably the only team in the NFL that when they absolutely, positively need a score late in the game, take their best player out of that game.
Think about it. The Vikings are down to their last possession and they need a score to tie or win the game and Peterson isn’t out there. I realize Chester Taylor is pretty good. But do the Patriots take Tom Brady out and put in Matt Cassell in that situation? Do the Chargers insert Darren Sproules for Tomlinson? It’s madness.
3. When Gus Frerotte jogged onto the field – twice – to try to engineer a game-winning touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter, did anybody really believe it was going to happen?
Me neither.
I know it’s not an easy thing to do. But I’ve been watching guys like Favre, Marino, Montana, Brady, Elway and Peyton Manning do this regularly over the years. When was the last time the Vikings had a quarterback who had a knack for generating game-winning drives?
I don’t remember Daunte Culpepper doing it much. They used to call Tommy Kramer “Two-minute Tommy” but if memory serves he seemed to throw as many game-ending interceptions as game-winning touchdowns.
Was Fran Tarkenton the last Vikings QB who had any success at this? Man, we need a quarterback bad.
4. When Brad Childress was hired to replace Mike Tice, besides being brought in to restore law and order, the hope was he would turn the Vikings into a much better road team. During Tice’s tenure, the Vikings were terribly soft on the road, often getting beat soundly by inferior teams and getting blown out by the talented ones.
But the turnaround on the road hasn’t happened under Childress. The margin of loss is less under Chilly than it was under Tice (7.9 vs. 12.6) but a loss is still a loss. In fact, Childress’ winning percentage on the road (.333 – 7-14 career road record) is the same as Big Mike’s (.333 - 11-22 career road record).
Yes, there were other factors. But with the 38-year-old, 180-pound Bucs quarterback bobbing, weaving and slithering around the pocket all day, Garcia did what other opposing quarterbacks have been unable to do lately – escape a smothering Vikings pass rush.
Garcia is adept at this and his ability to keep plays alive with his legs and make accurate throws on the run (he completed 23 of 30 passes for 255 yards, several of them while running for his life) gave the Vikings defence (Canadian spelling alert!)fits – even in the first half when the Bucs scored just six points.
In the second half, the Bucs scored 13 and Garcia engineered two clock-killing scoring drives that, along with a fumble by Maurice Hicks during a fourth quarter kick-off return, kept the ball away from Adrian Peterson and the Vikings offence (Canadian spelling alert!). Minnesota had only four offensive drives the entire half and the third drive came with just 3:23 left in the game.
Certainly the Vikings pass rush has had better days. But even when a linebacker or defensive lineman did generate some pressure, Garcia always managed to get out of the jam and make a play. The Vikings defence couldn’t take him down and Garcia made them pay. If Brian Griese was still the Bucs starting QB, the Vikings probably win this game.
So we have another disappointing road loss by the Vikings to wail about. The Vikings, Packers and Bears all have 5-5 records now. They have six more games to sort the NFC North out.
Next up for the Vikings - the 4-6 Jacksonville Jaguars. Meanwhile, the Bears play the Rams. The Packers play the Saints. All three teams will be playing on the road. The Vikings better win that game. The fat lady is warming up the pipes and getting ready to sing.
Other stuff
1. Late in the game, Fox commenter Tim Ryan wondered why the Vikings didn’t use a “spy” on Garcia.
Interesting observation. Assigning one defender to follow an opposing player may take him away from some of his regular defensive responsibilities, but if that one opposing player were hurting you – as Garcia was – wouldn’t you adjust your scheme to try to stop him?
I know most teams playing Randy Moss always have a safety shaded to his side. And if you’re playing Adrian Peterson, you’re wise to do the eight-in-the-box routine. You do what you can to stop one player from beating you. But the Vikings didn’t do anything special to try to stop skinny little Jeff Garcia – like spy him.
Maybe they should have.
2. Don’t know if anybody else noticed it, but on the last Vikings drive, Fox showed a shot of running backs coach Eric Bieniemy having a heated discussion with an angry Peterson on the sidelines.
It’s not hard to speculate what was going on there. As I mentioned, Peterson was on the sidelines. When the Vikings were trying to score a touchdown. To win the game.
This must drive Peterson nuts and he must have said as much to Bieniemy, which I imagine led to the little heart-to-heart.
If that’s the case, and I think it is, it comes a week after Peterson shouted at Childress, demanding the Vikes go for it on that fourth-and-one play against the Packers.
The media coverage of Peterson has been overwhelmingly positive during his short time in the league. Apparently he’s hard-working, God-fearing, polite and has a hell of a handshake. But is he starting to show some unwanted diva-like qualities on the football field?
Actually, Peterson is probably just frustrated the Vikings coaching staff can’t figure out how to make the most of his talents.
And I can understand why. The Vikings are probably the only team in the NFL that when they absolutely, positively need a score late in the game, take their best player out of that game.
Think about it. The Vikings are down to their last possession and they need a score to tie or win the game and Peterson isn’t out there. I realize Chester Taylor is pretty good. But do the Patriots take Tom Brady out and put in Matt Cassell in that situation? Do the Chargers insert Darren Sproules for Tomlinson? It’s madness.
3. When Gus Frerotte jogged onto the field – twice – to try to engineer a game-winning touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter, did anybody really believe it was going to happen?
Me neither.
I know it’s not an easy thing to do. But I’ve been watching guys like Favre, Marino, Montana, Brady, Elway and Peyton Manning do this regularly over the years. When was the last time the Vikings had a quarterback who had a knack for generating game-winning drives?
I don’t remember Daunte Culpepper doing it much. They used to call Tommy Kramer “Two-minute Tommy” but if memory serves he seemed to throw as many game-ending interceptions as game-winning touchdowns.
Was Fran Tarkenton the last Vikings QB who had any success at this? Man, we need a quarterback bad.
4. When Brad Childress was hired to replace Mike Tice, besides being brought in to restore law and order, the hope was he would turn the Vikings into a much better road team. During Tice’s tenure, the Vikings were terribly soft on the road, often getting beat soundly by inferior teams and getting blown out by the talented ones.
But the turnaround on the road hasn’t happened under Childress. The margin of loss is less under Chilly than it was under Tice (7.9 vs. 12.6) but a loss is still a loss. In fact, Childress’ winning percentage on the road (.333 – 7-14 career road record) is the same as Big Mike’s (.333 - 11-22 career road record).
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Week eleven's two-minute drill
Vikings vs. Tampa Bay
You know what really concerns me about this game?
It’s not Jeff Garcia. It’s not Warrick Dunn. Or Earnest Graham. Or Gaines Adams. It’s Raymond James Stadium.
That’s right, I’m concerned about multi-million-dollar mixture of steel and concrete and plastic and whatever the hell else a stadium is made out of. And I’m concerned because when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have stepped onto the turf at Raymond James Stadium in 2008, they’ve turn into some alien lifeform, complete with two heads, four eyes, tentacles, large teeth and claws that slice human flesh. They’re nasty.
Tampa Bay is 4-0 at home. The Bucs have scored 25.3 points per game at home and given up a stingy 10.8. On the road, the Bucs’ averages in these two areas are 19.8 and 20.8. The Bucs have also created more turnovers at home than on the road (2.75 per game vs. 1) and are much tougher to run on and pass on there. Tampa Bay also passes it and runs it better at home.
This matchup is very similar to the Tennessee game. The Vikes are going up against a team with a tough defence (Canadian spelling alert!) and an offence (Canadian spelling alert!) that likes to run the ball, throw it short and is led by a veteran quarterback who has seen some shit.
You might remember the Titans feasted on three Vikings turnovers and scored three touchdowns on those takeaways in beating the Vikes 30-17. If the Vikings want to win this game, they’ll have to avoid doing what they've done a lot of lately – turning the ball over.
But I worry about Gus Frerotte. He’s so sketchy. He’s coming off his worst performance of the year. He’s thrown eight interceptions the past three games and made some poor, poor decisions in doing so. Can he play effective, mistake-free football? The kind that the Vikings need to beat a tough opponent at home? Vikings fans would have to take a big leap in faith to think that’s going to happen.
So here is what the Vikings coaching staff might want to do. Brad Childress and Darrell Bevell can’t get all conservative and call running play after running play. The Bucs will be all over that. There has to be some semblance of a passing game if the Vikings are going to score enough points to win.
But if the game is close and the Vikes offence is at its own 20 or 30-yard line and faced with some unfavourable down and distance situations, calling low risk/low reward plays might be a wise strategy.
Don’t put the game in Frerotte’s hands against an opportunistic defence unless you have to. Play it safe. Screens are okay. Draws are okay. Punting is okay – if you’re in the lead or tied. Put it on your defence to stop the Bucs offence. Allow them to get the ball back for you. Give Frerotte as little opportunity as possible to throw more pick-sixes.
Jeff Garcia
The Vikings haven’t really faced a mobile quarterback yet, the kind of guy who can escape pressure with his scrambling ability. But on Sunday, the Vikes meet that guy.
Garcia’s hard to sack (only five times in six games) and he’s comfortable moving around in the pocket. He won’t scramble much. At 39 years of age his movement is all about buying time to find someone to dump the ball off to.
The Vikings pass rushers have been very effective in recent weeks, even dominant at times, applying pressure on the quarterback. But they have also been facing guys like Dan Orlovsky, Matt Schaub and Aaron Rodgers, players who weren’t very good at sidestepping pass rushers. Garcia is very good at this. Vikings pass rushers can’t expect Garcia will be there, just waiting to be sacked, if they beat their blocker on the rush. Garcia’s ability to keep plays alive with his legs is an important part of who he is. And it could play a big part in how effective or ineffective the Vikings defence is.
One other thing: Garcia doesn’t turn the ball over. He’s only thrown three interceptions in 200 passing attempts this season. By comparison, Frerotte’s thrown 11 in 226 attempts.
When we’re on defence
Assuming Kevin and Pat Williams play in this game (when is a decision on the water pills thing happening anyway?), I don’t expect the Bucs to have any more success running the ball on the Vikes than anyone else has. That means the Bucs are going to throw the ball. A lot.
Based on the Garcia item above, you might think I’m in love with the guy. I’m not (though I do have a soft spot for him because he got his start in the CFL). Garcia does have his faults. For example, he can’t throw the deep ball. But that’s not much of a worry in Jon Gruden’s West Coast offence, where the playbook is filled with short slants, screens and throws to the tight ends. You might have noticed the Vikings sometimes struggle covering this kind of stuff. They’ll need to struggle a little less than normal in this game if they want to win.
One guy that does worry me is Bucs wide receiver Antonio Bryant. A notorious head case, Bryant’s actually having a pretty good year in Tampa (45 catches, 566 yards, two TDs). If he’s going up against Cedric Griffin – and other teams always seem to find a way to get their top wideout on Griffin – that’s going to be a matchup the Vikes must win.
When we’re on offence
I hate to sound like some kind of Dan Dierdorf-like dinosaur, but with Frerotte giving out more gifts than Santa Claus lately, the Vikings best chance at succeeding is to run the ball at the Bucs. This won’t be easy. Tampa is only giving up 69 net yards rushing per game at home this season.
But we’ve got Adrian Peterson and the Bucs defensive line isn’t that impressive. You can push ex-Viking Chris Hovan around all day inside. If the Vikings offensive line does its job and we get a helmet on Bucs middle linebacker Barrett Rudd, we should be able to run enough to keep the Bucs defence honest. Sprinkle in a few long throws by Frerotte to Bernard Berrian and underneath stuff to Bobby Wade and it might be enough.
Oh yeah – Chester Taylor needs to be featured in this game. Peterson’s workload has increased quite a bit this season compared to his rookie year. The coaching staff needs to be wary of overusing Peterson right now. It’s something that’s hard to resist given Peterson’s jaw-dropping ability. But you don’t lose much with Taylor running the ball. And as we saw against the Packers, he can be a deadly pass-catching threat out of the backfield. I’d like to see him get 15-18 touches.
The skinny
The New York Giants came into Raymond James Stadium last year and won a playoff game 24-14. They did it partly because Eli Manning had an efficient day passing (20-27, 188 yards, two TDs), they ran the ball just enough to make it worthwhile (100 net yards rushing on 30 carries) and didn’t turn it over once.
I think if the Vikings offence pulls off a similar performance, they win this game. I don’t fear the Bucs offence. I think the Vikings defence can win that battle. But it’s the turnovers, and more specifically, Frerotte’s recent interception binge, that makes me think it won’t happen.
So … taking into account the Bucs strong play at home, the Vikings penchant for coughing up the ball and the real possibility of more Vikings special teams hi jinx (the Bucs have blocked a punt and returned it for a TD and returned a kickoff for a TD this year), I see a loss in our future.
Bucs 23 - Vikings 13
One side note: I’ll be cheering for the Packers to win this weekend as insurance in case the Vikes lose. They play the Bears at home this week. After Sunday’s games are over we could see three teams in the NFC North tied for first with 5-5 records.
Mediocrity isn't so bad.
You know what really concerns me about this game?
It’s not Jeff Garcia. It’s not Warrick Dunn. Or Earnest Graham. Or Gaines Adams. It’s Raymond James Stadium.
That’s right, I’m concerned about multi-million-dollar mixture of steel and concrete and plastic and whatever the hell else a stadium is made out of. And I’m concerned because when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have stepped onto the turf at Raymond James Stadium in 2008, they’ve turn into some alien lifeform, complete with two heads, four eyes, tentacles, large teeth and claws that slice human flesh. They’re nasty.
Tampa Bay is 4-0 at home. The Bucs have scored 25.3 points per game at home and given up a stingy 10.8. On the road, the Bucs’ averages in these two areas are 19.8 and 20.8. The Bucs have also created more turnovers at home than on the road (2.75 per game vs. 1) and are much tougher to run on and pass on there. Tampa Bay also passes it and runs it better at home.
This matchup is very similar to the Tennessee game. The Vikes are going up against a team with a tough defence (Canadian spelling alert!) and an offence (Canadian spelling alert!) that likes to run the ball, throw it short and is led by a veteran quarterback who has seen some shit.
You might remember the Titans feasted on three Vikings turnovers and scored three touchdowns on those takeaways in beating the Vikes 30-17. If the Vikings want to win this game, they’ll have to avoid doing what they've done a lot of lately – turning the ball over.
But I worry about Gus Frerotte. He’s so sketchy. He’s coming off his worst performance of the year. He’s thrown eight interceptions the past three games and made some poor, poor decisions in doing so. Can he play effective, mistake-free football? The kind that the Vikings need to beat a tough opponent at home? Vikings fans would have to take a big leap in faith to think that’s going to happen.
So here is what the Vikings coaching staff might want to do. Brad Childress and Darrell Bevell can’t get all conservative and call running play after running play. The Bucs will be all over that. There has to be some semblance of a passing game if the Vikings are going to score enough points to win.
But if the game is close and the Vikes offence is at its own 20 or 30-yard line and faced with some unfavourable down and distance situations, calling low risk/low reward plays might be a wise strategy.
Don’t put the game in Frerotte’s hands against an opportunistic defence unless you have to. Play it safe. Screens are okay. Draws are okay. Punting is okay – if you’re in the lead or tied. Put it on your defence to stop the Bucs offence. Allow them to get the ball back for you. Give Frerotte as little opportunity as possible to throw more pick-sixes.
Jeff Garcia
The Vikings haven’t really faced a mobile quarterback yet, the kind of guy who can escape pressure with his scrambling ability. But on Sunday, the Vikes meet that guy.
Garcia’s hard to sack (only five times in six games) and he’s comfortable moving around in the pocket. He won’t scramble much. At 39 years of age his movement is all about buying time to find someone to dump the ball off to.
The Vikings pass rushers have been very effective in recent weeks, even dominant at times, applying pressure on the quarterback. But they have also been facing guys like Dan Orlovsky, Matt Schaub and Aaron Rodgers, players who weren’t very good at sidestepping pass rushers. Garcia is very good at this. Vikings pass rushers can’t expect Garcia will be there, just waiting to be sacked, if they beat their blocker on the rush. Garcia’s ability to keep plays alive with his legs is an important part of who he is. And it could play a big part in how effective or ineffective the Vikings defence is.
One other thing: Garcia doesn’t turn the ball over. He’s only thrown three interceptions in 200 passing attempts this season. By comparison, Frerotte’s thrown 11 in 226 attempts.
When we’re on defence
Assuming Kevin and Pat Williams play in this game (when is a decision on the water pills thing happening anyway?), I don’t expect the Bucs to have any more success running the ball on the Vikes than anyone else has. That means the Bucs are going to throw the ball. A lot.
Based on the Garcia item above, you might think I’m in love with the guy. I’m not (though I do have a soft spot for him because he got his start in the CFL). Garcia does have his faults. For example, he can’t throw the deep ball. But that’s not much of a worry in Jon Gruden’s West Coast offence, where the playbook is filled with short slants, screens and throws to the tight ends. You might have noticed the Vikings sometimes struggle covering this kind of stuff. They’ll need to struggle a little less than normal in this game if they want to win.
One guy that does worry me is Bucs wide receiver Antonio Bryant. A notorious head case, Bryant’s actually having a pretty good year in Tampa (45 catches, 566 yards, two TDs). If he’s going up against Cedric Griffin – and other teams always seem to find a way to get their top wideout on Griffin – that’s going to be a matchup the Vikes must win.
When we’re on offence
I hate to sound like some kind of Dan Dierdorf-like dinosaur, but with Frerotte giving out more gifts than Santa Claus lately, the Vikings best chance at succeeding is to run the ball at the Bucs. This won’t be easy. Tampa is only giving up 69 net yards rushing per game at home this season.
But we’ve got Adrian Peterson and the Bucs defensive line isn’t that impressive. You can push ex-Viking Chris Hovan around all day inside. If the Vikings offensive line does its job and we get a helmet on Bucs middle linebacker Barrett Rudd, we should be able to run enough to keep the Bucs defence honest. Sprinkle in a few long throws by Frerotte to Bernard Berrian and underneath stuff to Bobby Wade and it might be enough.
Oh yeah – Chester Taylor needs to be featured in this game. Peterson’s workload has increased quite a bit this season compared to his rookie year. The coaching staff needs to be wary of overusing Peterson right now. It’s something that’s hard to resist given Peterson’s jaw-dropping ability. But you don’t lose much with Taylor running the ball. And as we saw against the Packers, he can be a deadly pass-catching threat out of the backfield. I’d like to see him get 15-18 touches.
The skinny
The New York Giants came into Raymond James Stadium last year and won a playoff game 24-14. They did it partly because Eli Manning had an efficient day passing (20-27, 188 yards, two TDs), they ran the ball just enough to make it worthwhile (100 net yards rushing on 30 carries) and didn’t turn it over once.
I think if the Vikings offence pulls off a similar performance, they win this game. I don’t fear the Bucs offence. I think the Vikings defence can win that battle. But it’s the turnovers, and more specifically, Frerotte’s recent interception binge, that makes me think it won’t happen.
So … taking into account the Bucs strong play at home, the Vikings penchant for coughing up the ball and the real possibility of more Vikings special teams hi jinx (the Bucs have blocked a punt and returned it for a TD and returned a kickoff for a TD this year), I see a loss in our future.
Bucs 23 - Vikings 13
One side note: I’ll be cheering for the Packers to win this weekend as insurance in case the Vikes lose. They play the Bears at home this week. After Sunday’s games are over we could see three teams in the NFC North tied for first with 5-5 records.
Mediocrity isn't so bad.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Don't try this at home
Imagine for a second that you are a member of the Minnesota Vikings defence. You've spent the day harassing Aaron Rodgers. You've sacked him four times. Forced two safeties. You've held Ryan Grant – who has been a pain in your ass since becoming the Packers starting running back – in check. You've taken Greg Jennings and Donald Driver out of the game. The Packers tight ends are invisible. And you're forcing lots of Packers punts and giving your offence great field position.
And then Gus Frerotte and the special teams nearly undo your masterpiece.
It’s tough to do what the Vikings did yesterday. They beat Green Bay despite having an interception and a punt returned for touchdowns against them. They turned the ball over four times, which the Packers used to score 20 of their 27 points. The Vikings number one receiver and deep threat Bernard Berrian was shut out. The other Vikings receivers caught only eight balls for 34 yards.
Normally, when you put all of this together, it’s a blowout loss for the offending party. But this Vikings team isn’t normal. It’s wildly talented and wildly erratic. It’s great and horrible, often during the same play. It’s also tied for the NFC North lead after Sunday’s 28-27 win.
Still, you’ve got to wonder how long the Vikings defence can handle this kind of stress. The standings say the Vikings have given up 215 points this season. But 56 of those points have come off of the following: Frerotte interceptions returned for touchdowns (two); punts returned for touchdowns (four and counting); a fumbled snap during a punt recovered in the end zone by the opposing team; and a punt that glanced off a Viking returner and was recovered by the opposing team in the end zone.
If the Vikings defence falters for a couple of contests during the final seven games while the offence and special teams continue to do what they do, which is turn the ball over and give up long returns, this team is going to fall out of the NFC playoff picture as quickly as it got back in it.
However, if Brad Childress and his staff can find a way to correct the team’s penchant for turnovers and giving up backbreaking returns, the Vikings will take control of the NFC North and win the division.
Too bad that’s such a big “if”.
Here are a couple of other issues from Sunday’s game that are worth mentioning.
Gus Frerotte
Vikings fans that are now pining for Frerotte to morph into some kind of Brad Johnson-like game manager are not going to see it. Frerotte always has been a gunslinger and a gunslinger who often makes bad, bad decisions throwing the football.
Those tendencies weren’t as noticeable in his first few starts because he was getting used to his receivers and used to the offence. But if you read the Star-Tribune sports section last week, you may have noticed this article that revealed Vikings coaches were gaining more trust in Frerotte and giving him a bit more freedom in calling audibles and helping the coaches with gameplanning.
This is just my theory, but what happens when you give a strong-armed veteran QB with so-so accuracy and a history of making poor passing decisions more authority on where to throw the football? Well, maybe the checkdowns to the running backs, tight ends and slot receivers become less frequent and the high-risk throws occur more often.
Frerotte is no game manager. He's going to throw the ball. It's going to result in some good things for the Vikings offence (more first downs, more passing touchdowns) and some horrible things (more pick-sixes). We just have to hope he gets on a streak where the horrible isn't happening all that much.
Defensive depth
Nickleback Charles Gordon’s season is over because of a dislocated ankle.
Nobody’s making too big of a deal about this yet but the injury will test the Vikings depth on defence again. E.J Henderson is already gone for the year, weakening the linebacker corps. The loss of Gordon weakens the defensive backs.
Gordon’s done a very good job as the nickleback this season. Now that he is gone, Benny Sapp probably takes over as the primary nickleback. Can he do as good a job as Gordon has on the slot receiver? Doubtful. And how many more completions, first downs, extended drives, touchdowns and field goals given up by the Vikings defence does that translate into over the next seven games?
The return of Robison
One personnel adjustment Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has made that’s paid off is playing the previously underutilized Brian Robison inside on passing downs. It’s a move I’ve only noticed occurring the last two games (it may have been going on earlier but I didn’t see it). It also makes a lot of sense.
When it’s third and long, your opponent isn’t going to run the ball, especially against the Vikings, so you should have your best pass rushers in the game in those situations. The Vikings best pass rushing defensive linemen are Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Robison and Ray Edwards. Fred Evans and Ellis Wyms haven’t been creating much of a pass rush from the inside, so why not see if Robison could get something done playing there instead? In the last two games he has. Nice adjustment by Frazier there.
And then Gus Frerotte and the special teams nearly undo your masterpiece.
It’s tough to do what the Vikings did yesterday. They beat Green Bay despite having an interception and a punt returned for touchdowns against them. They turned the ball over four times, which the Packers used to score 20 of their 27 points. The Vikings number one receiver and deep threat Bernard Berrian was shut out. The other Vikings receivers caught only eight balls for 34 yards.
Normally, when you put all of this together, it’s a blowout loss for the offending party. But this Vikings team isn’t normal. It’s wildly talented and wildly erratic. It’s great and horrible, often during the same play. It’s also tied for the NFC North lead after Sunday’s 28-27 win.
Still, you’ve got to wonder how long the Vikings defence can handle this kind of stress. The standings say the Vikings have given up 215 points this season. But 56 of those points have come off of the following: Frerotte interceptions returned for touchdowns (two); punts returned for touchdowns (four and counting); a fumbled snap during a punt recovered in the end zone by the opposing team; and a punt that glanced off a Viking returner and was recovered by the opposing team in the end zone.
If the Vikings defence falters for a couple of contests during the final seven games while the offence and special teams continue to do what they do, which is turn the ball over and give up long returns, this team is going to fall out of the NFC playoff picture as quickly as it got back in it.
However, if Brad Childress and his staff can find a way to correct the team’s penchant for turnovers and giving up backbreaking returns, the Vikings will take control of the NFC North and win the division.
Too bad that’s such a big “if”.
Here are a couple of other issues from Sunday’s game that are worth mentioning.
Gus Frerotte
Vikings fans that are now pining for Frerotte to morph into some kind of Brad Johnson-like game manager are not going to see it. Frerotte always has been a gunslinger and a gunslinger who often makes bad, bad decisions throwing the football.
Those tendencies weren’t as noticeable in his first few starts because he was getting used to his receivers and used to the offence. But if you read the Star-Tribune sports section last week, you may have noticed this article that revealed Vikings coaches were gaining more trust in Frerotte and giving him a bit more freedom in calling audibles and helping the coaches with gameplanning.
This is just my theory, but what happens when you give a strong-armed veteran QB with so-so accuracy and a history of making poor passing decisions more authority on where to throw the football? Well, maybe the checkdowns to the running backs, tight ends and slot receivers become less frequent and the high-risk throws occur more often.
Frerotte is no game manager. He's going to throw the ball. It's going to result in some good things for the Vikings offence (more first downs, more passing touchdowns) and some horrible things (more pick-sixes). We just have to hope he gets on a streak where the horrible isn't happening all that much.
Defensive depth
Nickleback Charles Gordon’s season is over because of a dislocated ankle.
Nobody’s making too big of a deal about this yet but the injury will test the Vikings depth on defence again. E.J Henderson is already gone for the year, weakening the linebacker corps. The loss of Gordon weakens the defensive backs.
Gordon’s done a very good job as the nickleback this season. Now that he is gone, Benny Sapp probably takes over as the primary nickleback. Can he do as good a job as Gordon has on the slot receiver? Doubtful. And how many more completions, first downs, extended drives, touchdowns and field goals given up by the Vikings defence does that translate into over the next seven games?
The return of Robison
One personnel adjustment Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has made that’s paid off is playing the previously underutilized Brian Robison inside on passing downs. It’s a move I’ve only noticed occurring the last two games (it may have been going on earlier but I didn’t see it). It also makes a lot of sense.
When it’s third and long, your opponent isn’t going to run the ball, especially against the Vikings, so you should have your best pass rushers in the game in those situations. The Vikings best pass rushing defensive linemen are Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Robison and Ray Edwards. Fred Evans and Ellis Wyms haven’t been creating much of a pass rush from the inside, so why not see if Robison could get something done playing there instead? In the last two games he has. Nice adjustment by Frazier there.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Duty calls (and thank God it did)
It was my little girl's birthday party today, so I had to cut my Sunday Vikings viewing short.
When I left for the party, The Packers had just returned an interception for a touchdown and cut the score to 21-17 late in the third quarter.
I guess I missed quite a bit after that.
There are two ways to look at this game.
1) If the Vikings can win a game like this while screwing up in so many areas, they must be good.
2) If they make that many mistakes in a game that should have been a Vikings blowout, they really are nothing but a 7-9 or 8-8 team.
So which is it?
A longer post later.
When I left for the party, The Packers had just returned an interception for a touchdown and cut the score to 21-17 late in the third quarter.
I guess I missed quite a bit after that.
There are two ways to look at this game.
1) If the Vikings can win a game like this while screwing up in so many areas, they must be good.
2) If they make that many mistakes in a game that should have been a Vikings blowout, they really are nothing but a 7-9 or 8-8 team.
So which is it?
A longer post later.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Midterm grades!
Just in time for this weekend’s big game against Green Bay, Grant’s Tomb brings you the Minnesota Vikings midterm report card. With the team at 4-4, it will come as no surprise to readers that the Vikes get middling grades in just about every area.
Quarterback
Tarvaris Jackson was a disaster as a starter, going 0-2 and looking more like Quincy Carter than Donovan McNabb. I was highly skeptical about the decision to sign Gus Frerotte. But it’s worked out okay. Frerotte’s numbers thus far are in line with what he’s posted his entire career – a completion percentage south of 60 per cent; a roughly 1-1 TD to INT ratio – but there’s little doubt he’s resurrected the passing game. Vikings fans no longer close their eyes and hope for the best when their quarterback drops back to pass. He’s also 4-2 as a starter. Grade: C
Running back
Not too many concerns here. Peterson’s development (or lack of development) as a blocker and a pass receiver is a bit disappointing. But it also gives Brad Childress an excuse to use the excellent and underutilized Chester Taylor and keep Peterson fresh. Thomas Tapeh was a waste of time and money. But what would an off-season under Childress be if he didn’t sign at least one ex-Eagles offensive player? Rumour has it he’s looking at bringing in Mike Quick for 2009. Grade: B+
Wide receivers
The benching of Jackson upgraded two positions at once: quarterback and wide receiver. Bernard Berrian has been the deep threat he was signed to be since Frerotte took over. He’s also flashed so-so hands. The rest of this bunch has been okay – at best. Bobby Wade leads the team in catches but hasn’t scored a touchdown. Injuries have made Sidney Rice’s sophomore season a bust. Aundrae Allison has almost as many pass interference penalties (three) as catches (nine). I almost forgot about Robert Ferguson. But then, so did you. Grade: C
Tight ends
Visanthe Shiancoe is averaging a touchdown every four catches and a drop on every two passes thrown his way. It’s an improvement over last season. Jim Kleinsasser continues to function as an extra offensive lineman. More was expected of Garrett Mills. But maybe that’s as much the fault of the coaching staff as it is Mills. Grade: C-
Defensive line
Kind of a good news, bad news situation here. Jared Allen’s doing what he’s supposed to do – getting after the opposing quarterback. His presence has also freed up Kevin Williams (seven sacks, countless quarterback hurries) to put more heat on QBs. And you know what Pat Williams brings to the table (besides a fork, a steak knife and a huge appetite). But the rest of the line isn’t doing much. Ray Edwards has been THE enigma. Lots of talent. Little production. He’s only got 1.5 sacks and has had only one game – last week against the Texans – where he’s stood out. I think he’s been playing hurt. He also bites too hard on misdirection plays and often gets caught out of position. The D-line has been good. But it could be better if Edwards was playing up to his potential. And what ever happened to Brian Robison? Grade: B
Linebackers
The season-ending injury to E.J. Henderson sucks. But what can you do? Overall, this is a group that is strong against the run but gets abused in pass coverage. And I don’t think it’s something that can be fixed with the personnel in place. Chad Greenway has really stepped up his game. His tackling is better and so is his blitzing technique. He struggles in pass coverage. But what Vikings linebacker doesn’t? Grade: B-
Secondary
As has been the case for a while, the defensive backs don’t give up many deep balls but allow lots of short completions. This seems to be the defensive philosophy. Give the other team the short stuff. Force them to make a bunch of completions in order to score. Bend but don’t break. Sometimes it works. Sometimes, it’s just…aggravating.
Antoine Winfield is still very good. The Vikings might be 2-6 if not for him. We’ll see if the return of Madieu Williams helps at all. I waffle on whether Cedric Griffin's inept or just mediocre (why doesn’t Charles Gordon start?). Griffin's frequently praised for being a good tackler. But that’s only because he allows so many receivers to catch balls in front of him, it gives him ample opportunity to practice his tackling skills. It’s also been 23 months since his last interception. He’s not knocking down a whole lot of passes, either. Not good for a guy who gets thrown at a lot. Grade: C+
Special teams
Can’t complain about Ryan Longwell. He’s been as accurate and dependable as ever. But aside from him, and a couple of blocked field goals, this unit has been awful, awful, awful. Special teams blunders have played a starring role in two Vikings losses and almost doomed them in a third (the Saints game). The coverage teams have been putrid. They are getting nothing from the return game. This unit is heading for summer school. Grade: F
Coaching
Outside of defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, if the rest of the Vikings coaching staff was killed in a plane crash, would the team be any worse off? For some reason, the players still play hard for Childress and Co. But the coaching staff doesn’t seem to know how to make the most of the players it’s been given or take advantage of their strengths. I also get that queasy feeling before every game that the Vikings are about to be outcoached. Zygi Wilf fired Mike Tice for this? Grade: D-
Quarterback
Tarvaris Jackson was a disaster as a starter, going 0-2 and looking more like Quincy Carter than Donovan McNabb. I was highly skeptical about the decision to sign Gus Frerotte. But it’s worked out okay. Frerotte’s numbers thus far are in line with what he’s posted his entire career – a completion percentage south of 60 per cent; a roughly 1-1 TD to INT ratio – but there’s little doubt he’s resurrected the passing game. Vikings fans no longer close their eyes and hope for the best when their quarterback drops back to pass. He’s also 4-2 as a starter. Grade: C
Running back
Not too many concerns here. Peterson’s development (or lack of development) as a blocker and a pass receiver is a bit disappointing. But it also gives Brad Childress an excuse to use the excellent and underutilized Chester Taylor and keep Peterson fresh. Thomas Tapeh was a waste of time and money. But what would an off-season under Childress be if he didn’t sign at least one ex-Eagles offensive player? Rumour has it he’s looking at bringing in Mike Quick for 2009. Grade: B+
Wide receivers
The benching of Jackson upgraded two positions at once: quarterback and wide receiver. Bernard Berrian has been the deep threat he was signed to be since Frerotte took over. He’s also flashed so-so hands. The rest of this bunch has been okay – at best. Bobby Wade leads the team in catches but hasn’t scored a touchdown. Injuries have made Sidney Rice’s sophomore season a bust. Aundrae Allison has almost as many pass interference penalties (three) as catches (nine). I almost forgot about Robert Ferguson. But then, so did you. Grade: C
Tight ends
Visanthe Shiancoe is averaging a touchdown every four catches and a drop on every two passes thrown his way. It’s an improvement over last season. Jim Kleinsasser continues to function as an extra offensive lineman. More was expected of Garrett Mills. But maybe that’s as much the fault of the coaching staff as it is Mills. Grade: C-
Defensive line
Kind of a good news, bad news situation here. Jared Allen’s doing what he’s supposed to do – getting after the opposing quarterback. His presence has also freed up Kevin Williams (seven sacks, countless quarterback hurries) to put more heat on QBs. And you know what Pat Williams brings to the table (besides a fork, a steak knife and a huge appetite). But the rest of the line isn’t doing much. Ray Edwards has been THE enigma. Lots of talent. Little production. He’s only got 1.5 sacks and has had only one game – last week against the Texans – where he’s stood out. I think he’s been playing hurt. He also bites too hard on misdirection plays and often gets caught out of position. The D-line has been good. But it could be better if Edwards was playing up to his potential. And what ever happened to Brian Robison? Grade: B
Linebackers
The season-ending injury to E.J. Henderson sucks. But what can you do? Overall, this is a group that is strong against the run but gets abused in pass coverage. And I don’t think it’s something that can be fixed with the personnel in place. Chad Greenway has really stepped up his game. His tackling is better and so is his blitzing technique. He struggles in pass coverage. But what Vikings linebacker doesn’t? Grade: B-
Secondary
As has been the case for a while, the defensive backs don’t give up many deep balls but allow lots of short completions. This seems to be the defensive philosophy. Give the other team the short stuff. Force them to make a bunch of completions in order to score. Bend but don’t break. Sometimes it works. Sometimes, it’s just…aggravating.
Antoine Winfield is still very good. The Vikings might be 2-6 if not for him. We’ll see if the return of Madieu Williams helps at all. I waffle on whether Cedric Griffin's inept or just mediocre (why doesn’t Charles Gordon start?). Griffin's frequently praised for being a good tackler. But that’s only because he allows so many receivers to catch balls in front of him, it gives him ample opportunity to practice his tackling skills. It’s also been 23 months since his last interception. He’s not knocking down a whole lot of passes, either. Not good for a guy who gets thrown at a lot. Grade: C+
Special teams
Can’t complain about Ryan Longwell. He’s been as accurate and dependable as ever. But aside from him, and a couple of blocked field goals, this unit has been awful, awful, awful. Special teams blunders have played a starring role in two Vikings losses and almost doomed them in a third (the Saints game). The coverage teams have been putrid. They are getting nothing from the return game. This unit is heading for summer school. Grade: F
Coaching
Outside of defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, if the rest of the Vikings coaching staff was killed in a plane crash, would the team be any worse off? For some reason, the players still play hard for Childress and Co. But the coaching staff doesn’t seem to know how to make the most of the players it’s been given or take advantage of their strengths. I also get that queasy feeling before every game that the Vikings are about to be outcoached. Zygi Wilf fired Mike Tice for this? Grade: D-
Thursday, November 06, 2008
A Thursday two minute drill
The Vikings are going to beat the Packers on Sunday.
To come to this conclusion, there were no stats I researched and no team strengths and weaknesses I assessed to determine who had the edge. It basically came down to a hunch (please note: my hunches are often wrong) and the fact that’s it’s damn hard in the NFL to beat an opponent six times in a row – especially when the talent level is pretty much equal between the two teams.
I suppose the Vikings should be concerned that Aaron Rodgers will complete a lot of short and medium-range passes to his tight ends and wide receivers. They should probably be concerned about Ryan Grant. They should definitely be concerned about Jared Allen’s shoulder (I think he’ll play. But how effective will he be with only one arm?). And frankly, we all should be concerned about Brad Childress matching wits with Mike McCarthy.
But the Packers also need to be concerned. The Vikings appear to have a passing game to go with Adrian Peterson. Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe is no longer dropping sure touchdown passes. Bernard Berrian is making big plays. Pat and Kevin Williams likely won’t be suspended in time for Sunday.
Don’t expect a low-scoring game. The Packers defence has looked weak against both the run and pass at times this season. Getting Al Harris back helps that unit. But only if the refs don’t call a tight game in front of a (mostly) pro-Vikings crowd because Harris and his partner Charles Woodson are, – how should I put this? – “physical” players. There could be some costly pass interference penalties called against Harris and Woodson that will help the Vikes. The Vikings should be able to move the ball consistently and score 20-plus points on this defence.
Meanwhile, expect Rodgers to complete a lot of passes to Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, et al. over the heads of Vikings linebackers, in front of our cornerbacks and in between the large gaps of our defensive zones. I admit I’ve been impressed by Rodgers through eight games. He handled the whole L’affair Favre thing very well. And from what I’ve seen this year he’s accurate, gets rid of the ball quickly, makes good decisions and his arm is strong enough to make all the throws required of an NFL quarterback.
I know I’m spending more time talking about the Packers strengths than the Vikings in this post. So why do I think the Vikings will win?
I already warned you my prediction wasn’t based on logic. It’s the law of averages. It’s the difficulty of beating a team six times in a row. I say Vikings 28 Packers 24. The guys wearing the purple uniforms are due.
Food for thought
As much as Vikings fans appreciate how Gus Frerotte has brought the forward pass out of retirement in Minnesota, he’s not the long or even the short-term answer at quarterback. Which means the Vikings have to find an answer. And quickly, because Tarvaris Jackson and John David Booty aren’t it.
Where is the answer going to come from? If you read this post about the Bears Gross Rexman by former Vikings beat writer Kevin Seifert, it looks like it won’t be coming from 2009 free agent crop at the position.
Look at that list. See anybody there who would be an upgrade over Frerotte? Perhaps Jeff Garcia. But he’s older than Frerotte. No long-term answer there, either.
If the Vikings are going to find the quarterback of the present and future, they will have to do it in the off-season with a trade (Perhaps Derek Anderson? He’s had a tough ’08. But the price will be right) or in next April’s draft.
Marino’s midterms
I had to Google Tom Marino to find out his credentials. His credentials say he spent 30 years as a professional scout. This week Marino published a Vikings midterm report (I hope to do the same tomorrow) on www.theinsiders.com.
Some of the grades are suspect (he actually gives the Vikings special teams a B- grade!!!) but his evaluation of the Vikings coaching staff seems pretty accurate. They get a D+ and Marino notes that Chilly has “done little to distinguish himself.”
It’s always interesting when experts see the same things the fans do.
To come to this conclusion, there were no stats I researched and no team strengths and weaknesses I assessed to determine who had the edge. It basically came down to a hunch (please note: my hunches are often wrong) and the fact that’s it’s damn hard in the NFL to beat an opponent six times in a row – especially when the talent level is pretty much equal between the two teams.
I suppose the Vikings should be concerned that Aaron Rodgers will complete a lot of short and medium-range passes to his tight ends and wide receivers. They should probably be concerned about Ryan Grant. They should definitely be concerned about Jared Allen’s shoulder (I think he’ll play. But how effective will he be with only one arm?). And frankly, we all should be concerned about Brad Childress matching wits with Mike McCarthy.
But the Packers also need to be concerned. The Vikings appear to have a passing game to go with Adrian Peterson. Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe is no longer dropping sure touchdown passes. Bernard Berrian is making big plays. Pat and Kevin Williams likely won’t be suspended in time for Sunday.
Don’t expect a low-scoring game. The Packers defence has looked weak against both the run and pass at times this season. Getting Al Harris back helps that unit. But only if the refs don’t call a tight game in front of a (mostly) pro-Vikings crowd because Harris and his partner Charles Woodson are, – how should I put this? – “physical” players. There could be some costly pass interference penalties called against Harris and Woodson that will help the Vikes. The Vikings should be able to move the ball consistently and score 20-plus points on this defence.
Meanwhile, expect Rodgers to complete a lot of passes to Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, et al. over the heads of Vikings linebackers, in front of our cornerbacks and in between the large gaps of our defensive zones. I admit I’ve been impressed by Rodgers through eight games. He handled the whole L’affair Favre thing very well. And from what I’ve seen this year he’s accurate, gets rid of the ball quickly, makes good decisions and his arm is strong enough to make all the throws required of an NFL quarterback.
I know I’m spending more time talking about the Packers strengths than the Vikings in this post. So why do I think the Vikings will win?
I already warned you my prediction wasn’t based on logic. It’s the law of averages. It’s the difficulty of beating a team six times in a row. I say Vikings 28 Packers 24. The guys wearing the purple uniforms are due.
Food for thought
As much as Vikings fans appreciate how Gus Frerotte has brought the forward pass out of retirement in Minnesota, he’s not the long or even the short-term answer at quarterback. Which means the Vikings have to find an answer. And quickly, because Tarvaris Jackson and John David Booty aren’t it.
Where is the answer going to come from? If you read this post about the Bears Gross Rexman by former Vikings beat writer Kevin Seifert, it looks like it won’t be coming from 2009 free agent crop at the position.
Look at that list. See anybody there who would be an upgrade over Frerotte? Perhaps Jeff Garcia. But he’s older than Frerotte. No long-term answer there, either.
If the Vikings are going to find the quarterback of the present and future, they will have to do it in the off-season with a trade (Perhaps Derek Anderson? He’s had a tough ’08. But the price will be right) or in next April’s draft.
Marino’s midterms
I had to Google Tom Marino to find out his credentials. His credentials say he spent 30 years as a professional scout. This week Marino published a Vikings midterm report (I hope to do the same tomorrow) on www.theinsiders.com.
Some of the grades are suspect (he actually gives the Vikings special teams a B- grade!!!) but his evaluation of the Vikings coaching staff seems pretty accurate. They get a D+ and Marino notes that Chilly has “done little to distinguish himself.”
It’s always interesting when experts see the same things the fans do.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Egad!
Add this to your list of concerns about the Vikings.
So, if Jared Allen can't play against the Packers because of a shoulder injury and Pat Williams AND Kevin Williams are suspended for taking illegal water pills this week as expected, who does this leave on the Vikings defensive line?
Do we sign Lance Johnstone or Kenny Mixon or Roy Barker? Has Chris Doleman kept himself in shape? Maybe he's available.
And just how much time is Aaron Rodgers going to have in the pocket to pick apart our pass coverage if Allen and Kevin Williams aren't in the lineup on Sunday?
So, if Jared Allen can't play against the Packers because of a shoulder injury and Pat Williams AND Kevin Williams are suspended for taking illegal water pills this week as expected, who does this leave on the Vikings defensive line?
Do we sign Lance Johnstone or Kenny Mixon or Roy Barker? Has Chris Doleman kept himself in shape? Maybe he's available.
And just how much time is Aaron Rodgers going to have in the pocket to pick apart our pass coverage if Allen and Kevin Williams aren't in the lineup on Sunday?
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Pounding the rock and keeping it close
Not a bad weekend for the Minnesota Vikings. They get a 28-21 home victory over the Houston Texans and go to 4-4. The Green Bay Packers lost. Chicago Bears starting quarterback Kyle Orton was knocked out of the Detroit Lions game with what looked like a shoulder injury. If the Lions had been able to upset the Bears and drop them to 4-4, it would have been perfect.
Still, it sure would be sweet to see this Vikings team put an opponent away for once. The defence forced three Texans turnovers. Adrian Peterson rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown. Gus Frerotte threw for three touchdown passes. If you were given those basic facts about this game and nothing else, you would think the Vikings must have won this one comfortably. Instead, the Texans still had a chance to tie the game in the last two minutes.
Here is why Vikings fans will never like head coach Brad Childress. After the Vikings got a 21-7 late in the second quarter, he basically shut down the Vikings offence.
One big difference between the Vikings offence led by Frerotte as opposed to Tarvaris Jackson is Frerotte hasn't been afraid to throw the ball deep downfield. It's been a relatively successful strategy for Frerotte and has certainly turned free agent acquisition Bernard Berrian's season around. And the Vikings started this game throwing beyond 10 yards of the line of scrimmage with great success again.
But once they got that two touchdown lead, Childress refused to let his offence deliver the knockout blow. He and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell decided to go into the prevent offence, pound the ball with Peterson (even though he had little success running until the fourth quarter) and tried to grind out a win.
Childress and his supporters – if he has any – will say it worked and point to Peterson's long runs late in the second half as an example of the Vikings pound-the-rock philosophy wearing down the Texans defence in the second half.
But I think you can look at it the other way. Childress, playing as if he's afraid to lose, let the Texans back in the game. You've scored 21 points in the first half. Your offence is moving the ball very well through the air against a Texans defence that isn't very good. You've got Jacques Reeves (who Football Outsiders considered one of the NFL's worst cornerbacks in '07) regularly getting toasted by Berrian. Keep throwing the ball down the field.
Frerotte went 4-for-7 for just 34 yards in the second half. No throw was beyond five yards – except for the touchdown pass down the middle to Visanthe Shiancoe, a play that was available only because the Texans were overplaying the run, something it did much of the second half in an effort to keep Peterson in check.
Given Frerotte's penchant for throwing picks, I can kind of understand the temptation to play it conservative with a big lead. But a 14-point lead with a whole half of football to go is not big. But Childress got away with it this time.
But enough complaining by me. The Vikings won and there was as much to like as there was to lament about this win. Here is what we should like.
The coverage units
The opponent didn't return a punt or kick off for a touchdown against us. Yay!
The Texans' Jacoby Jones has been a dangerous return man this year. The Vikings coverage units completely shut him down on punts and kick offs. The players appeared to be much more under control covering the kicks and punts and much more disciplined staying in their lanes than in past games. And they tackled Jones right away, instead of whiffing on him and allowing him to get a full head of steam. Well done.
Jared Allen
Vikings fans who have been disappointed by Allen's impact thus far in '08 (I'm not one of them) had to like his performance in this game. He'll probably get credit for 2.5 sacks against the Texans and he forced a fumble and was a pain in the Texans ass all night. Hopefully that shoulder he injured is okay. It looked like it was bothering him and Brian Robison seemed to be taking some snaps for Allen as a result.
Madieu Williams
Who said Williams wouldn't make an impact in this game?
Actually, I did. But no matter. I don't mind being wrong in this case. That was a big pick he made off of Sage (he coulda' been a Viking) Rosenfels in the second half, even if Rosenfels should never have thrown the ball in the first place.
Bernard Berrian
He only had two catches. But they went for 104 yards and a touchdown. He still drops too many balls. But he's making big plays, too. That's what we signed him for. He's delivering them after a slow start.
Gus Frerotte
Three touchdown passes! He'll audible out of running plays when the defence overloads to stop Peterson! He completes touchdown passes in the red zone! I like it! (These exclamation marks are brought to you by Pacifist Viking.)
Frerotte's not going to make the All-Pro team. But Tarvaris Jackson could never have done the things Frerotte did today. Gus is kinda, sorta starting to win me over.
Still, it sure would be sweet to see this Vikings team put an opponent away for once. The defence forced three Texans turnovers. Adrian Peterson rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown. Gus Frerotte threw for three touchdown passes. If you were given those basic facts about this game and nothing else, you would think the Vikings must have won this one comfortably. Instead, the Texans still had a chance to tie the game in the last two minutes.
Here is why Vikings fans will never like head coach Brad Childress. After the Vikings got a 21-7 late in the second quarter, he basically shut down the Vikings offence.
One big difference between the Vikings offence led by Frerotte as opposed to Tarvaris Jackson is Frerotte hasn't been afraid to throw the ball deep downfield. It's been a relatively successful strategy for Frerotte and has certainly turned free agent acquisition Bernard Berrian's season around. And the Vikings started this game throwing beyond 10 yards of the line of scrimmage with great success again.
But once they got that two touchdown lead, Childress refused to let his offence deliver the knockout blow. He and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell decided to go into the prevent offence, pound the ball with Peterson (even though he had little success running until the fourth quarter) and tried to grind out a win.
Childress and his supporters – if he has any – will say it worked and point to Peterson's long runs late in the second half as an example of the Vikings pound-the-rock philosophy wearing down the Texans defence in the second half.
But I think you can look at it the other way. Childress, playing as if he's afraid to lose, let the Texans back in the game. You've scored 21 points in the first half. Your offence is moving the ball very well through the air against a Texans defence that isn't very good. You've got Jacques Reeves (who Football Outsiders considered one of the NFL's worst cornerbacks in '07) regularly getting toasted by Berrian. Keep throwing the ball down the field.
Frerotte went 4-for-7 for just 34 yards in the second half. No throw was beyond five yards – except for the touchdown pass down the middle to Visanthe Shiancoe, a play that was available only because the Texans were overplaying the run, something it did much of the second half in an effort to keep Peterson in check.
Given Frerotte's penchant for throwing picks, I can kind of understand the temptation to play it conservative with a big lead. But a 14-point lead with a whole half of football to go is not big. But Childress got away with it this time.
But enough complaining by me. The Vikings won and there was as much to like as there was to lament about this win. Here is what we should like.
The coverage units
The opponent didn't return a punt or kick off for a touchdown against us. Yay!
The Texans' Jacoby Jones has been a dangerous return man this year. The Vikings coverage units completely shut him down on punts and kick offs. The players appeared to be much more under control covering the kicks and punts and much more disciplined staying in their lanes than in past games. And they tackled Jones right away, instead of whiffing on him and allowing him to get a full head of steam. Well done.
Jared Allen
Vikings fans who have been disappointed by Allen's impact thus far in '08 (I'm not one of them) had to like his performance in this game. He'll probably get credit for 2.5 sacks against the Texans and he forced a fumble and was a pain in the Texans ass all night. Hopefully that shoulder he injured is okay. It looked like it was bothering him and Brian Robison seemed to be taking some snaps for Allen as a result.
Madieu Williams
Who said Williams wouldn't make an impact in this game?
Actually, I did. But no matter. I don't mind being wrong in this case. That was a big pick he made off of Sage (he coulda' been a Viking) Rosenfels in the second half, even if Rosenfels should never have thrown the ball in the first place.
Bernard Berrian
He only had two catches. But they went for 104 yards and a touchdown. He still drops too many balls. But he's making big plays, too. That's what we signed him for. He's delivering them after a slow start.
Gus Frerotte
Three touchdown passes! He'll audible out of running plays when the defence overloads to stop Peterson! He completes touchdown passes in the red zone! I like it! (These exclamation marks are brought to you by Pacifist Viking.)
Frerotte's not going to make the All-Pro team. But Tarvaris Jackson could never have done the things Frerotte did today. Gus is kinda, sorta starting to win me over.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Can't wait to see you
Daunte Culpepper is back in the NFL and back in the NFC North – with the (gulp) Detroit Lions.
Not sure how much better this makes the Lions. But at least Culpepper has a substantial NFL resume – unlike the Lions other active quarterbacks, Dan Orlovsky and Drew Stanton.
What are the Lions getting in the 31-year-old? Well, based on what we saw last year when he came to the Metrodome as an Oakland Raider, they'll be getting a guy who can still throw the ball but who is almost as immobile as Gus Frerotte at this point in his career. Culpepper has never been the same since he suffered that horrendous knee injury in 2005. They also get a guy who still fumbles the ball a lot and throws a fair bit of interceptions.
But at least he should be able to make better use of Calvin Johnson and the other Lions wideouts. Once he gets comfortable with the offence in Motown, you can expect him to have a couple of monster games and get the Lions a win or two (they weren't getting any with Orlovsky or Stanton). Expect Culpepper to be starting when the Vikings travel to Detroit later this season, which makes the Lions a more dangerous opponent for the Vikes. Damn.
One other thing. The Lions offensive line isn't very good. That's going to make Culpepper's job harder, if and when he does become the starting quarterback in Detroit. He can't run away from trouble anymore. I hope he doesn't get killed.
Anyway, I'm happy to see Culpepper back in the league. He gave the Vikings some good years and I've got soft spot for him because of that. The age of 31 is too old to be retiring from anything.
Now after that brief interlude. it's time to focus on kicking Houston's ass. Are the Vikings up for it? Feel free to discuss if you wish.
Not sure how much better this makes the Lions. But at least Culpepper has a substantial NFL resume – unlike the Lions other active quarterbacks, Dan Orlovsky and Drew Stanton.
What are the Lions getting in the 31-year-old? Well, based on what we saw last year when he came to the Metrodome as an Oakland Raider, they'll be getting a guy who can still throw the ball but who is almost as immobile as Gus Frerotte at this point in his career. Culpepper has never been the same since he suffered that horrendous knee injury in 2005. They also get a guy who still fumbles the ball a lot and throws a fair bit of interceptions.
But at least he should be able to make better use of Calvin Johnson and the other Lions wideouts. Once he gets comfortable with the offence in Motown, you can expect him to have a couple of monster games and get the Lions a win or two (they weren't getting any with Orlovsky or Stanton). Expect Culpepper to be starting when the Vikings travel to Detroit later this season, which makes the Lions a more dangerous opponent for the Vikes. Damn.
One other thing. The Lions offensive line isn't very good. That's going to make Culpepper's job harder, if and when he does become the starting quarterback in Detroit. He can't run away from trouble anymore. I hope he doesn't get killed.
Anyway, I'm happy to see Culpepper back in the league. He gave the Vikings some good years and I've got soft spot for him because of that. The age of 31 is too old to be retiring from anything.
Now after that brief interlude. it's time to focus on kicking Houston's ass. Are the Vikings up for it? Feel free to discuss if you wish.
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