The Leslie Frazier Era – Week Six

Vikings – Lions

The question I’m asking myself this week is: Do I care whether the Vikings finish the season 6-10 or 7-9?

The answer is, no, I do not. And a win against the Lions on Sunday might be counterproductive.

The Vikings would pick 14th overall in April’s college draft if the season had ended with that lovely 24-14 win over Philly on Tuesday. That draft position already puts them out of Andrew Luck and Cam Newton territory, and maybe even out of Ryan Mallett territory.

A win over Detroit and the Vikings drop even lower in the draft order and probably won’t get a sniff at the aforementioned college players – who happen to be the top three quarterback prospects in this year’s draft (Luck and Newton are underclassmen, but let’s assume for now that they will leave college early and enter the draft.)

So if you’re thinking long-term, you can argue that beating Detroit is not in the Vikes best interests because they need a franchise quarterback more than anything else.

However, I think there is an argument to be made that if the Vikings play well and beat Detroit this Sunday, that this is also in the best interests of the team long-term.

Because what the Vikings will lose in draft position with a win, they will gain in knowledge about their team – like what players and coaches should be relegated to the past and who should be part of the future.

The improbable win over the Eagles Tuesday night reminded Vikings fans what this team is capable of when it gets decent quarterbacking, plays mostly error-free football and its players play hard.

This is not a team that needs to be blown up and rebuilt brick by brick. But it is a team that needs to make some wise personnel decisions this offseason if it is to quickly return to the top of the NFC North heap.

Playing another strong road game and winning it would be a signal that the Vikings win against the Eagles wasn’t some kind of kooky mirage.

But what would beating the Detroit Lions on the road prove?

Well, these Lions aren’t the Lions who have beaten the Vikings just twice since the 2000 season and have a 2-19 record against Minnesota during that period.

This Lions team can do some things. It has won three straight games. It has scored 342 points this season. It’s got Calvin Johnson and Ndamukong Suh. Ex-Viking Shaun Hill has played pretty decently (It’s true. Look it up). This will not be a meaningless game for the Lions. They will play hard. They might even play well.

So if the Vikings win this game – another road game – it will say something about this coaching staff and about this group of players. It will be an indication that the Vikings can still be successful with the core members of the roster they currently have. It will be an indication that we don’t have to start from scratch and wait two or three years to be competitive. It will be an indication that a quick turnaround is possible and, more importantly, probable.

I haven’t favored the Vikings to win many games lately. But against my better judgment (and with Joe Webb likely starting at QB again), I’m going to favor them this week.

Vikings 20 Lions 17

Other stuff

Cover Two Blues

Recently Vikes Geek wrote that the Cover Two defensive system the Vikings employ has outlived its usefulness in Minnesota and in the NFL.

I won’t pretend that I understand football enough to know whether that is true or not. But I do know that the Vikings have frequently been ineffective pressuring opposing quarterbacks in 2010. The front four hasn’t gotten it done. And when the Vikings have blitzed, it’s been mostly with the linebackers and from predictable spots on the field. That tactic hasn’t worked, either.

In Tuesday night’s win over Philly, I saw the most aggressive, most blitz-happy Vikings defence I can remember. The strategy turned Michael Vick – the slipperiest and most elusive quarterback in NFL history and a guy enjoying an MVP caliber year – into a jittery, inaccurate and pretty ordinary quarterback.

It was an impressive performance by the Vikings defence and I wonder why Leslie Frazier and his defensive staff didn’t try this against, say, Aaron Rodgers or Jay Cutler.

I like aggressive defences. I think sending pass rushers from odd spots and angles create confusion and are often effective.

I’d like to see the Vikings be a more aggressive defence in 2011. If it can work against Michael Vick, it can work against a lot of NFL teams

The Joe Webb Experience

The National Football Post’s Matt Bowen was impressed by Joe Webb’s play Tuesday night. He thinks the Vikings might have found their quarterback of the future.

But it was only one game. Obviously we need to see more from Webb, which is one of the reasons I’m hoping Brett Favre doesn’t pass his baseline concussion tests this week.

I don’t think there is any question the Vikings need to bring in a veteran quarterback next season with a reasonably impressive resume to be the starter. I also don’t think there is any question they should draft a quarterback early in April’s draft if they have a shot at one they like.

What Joe Webb is playing for right now is whether he should be seriously considered for the Vikings backup job in 2011 (I don’t think so) or for the third string job.

Limbo land

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert thinks Leslie Frazier is not Vikings owner Zygi Wilf’s top choice to be the Vikings next head coach.

If I were grading Frazier’s performance as interim head coach through five games, I’d give him a B-.

Tuesday’s upset win over the Eagles will be the gold star on his report card, and he’s certainly had to deal with some unusual circumstances. But the blowout losses to the Giants and the Bears trouble me.

The Vikings need to get this head coach hire thing right. Leslie Frazier hasn’t established himself as the obvious choice for the job. So after Sunday’s game, let a thorough search for the Vikings next head coach begin.

Good reading

I’m enjoying these weekly Viking positional rundowns by ESPN 1500 writer Tom Pelissero. He is giving readers very honest and frank opinions on the performances of various Viking players.

Lately Pelissero’s assessments haven’t been very kind to most Viking players. But this week, the Vikings get glowing reviews, which they should.

2011 - bring it on

And by the way, happy new year everyone. Feel free to leave a comment or two as well. I'm currently on a streak of three straight posts with no comments from anyone. I'm starting to take it personally.

(Sniff, sniff).