So after two weeks off, the Vikings are finally back to playing NFL football. It's good to have them back, too, because Sunday just isn't the same without the boys in purple. Though it remains to be seen whether any remaining opponent will put up any fight. I don't feel like the Vikings have really been tested, except for their only loss of the season.
There's plenty to like about the details. Except for some big plays, the defense shut down the Seahawks, both through the air and the ground. Not a lot of sacks, but except for the mentioned plays, most of the completions were short, underneath, and harmless. Those big plays came during garbage time, but they ruined several things for the Vikes:
1. The shutout, which they haven't had all season.
2. Every improvement that their pass defense seemed to show against the Steelers
3. Their season-long redzone rushing shutout. To a guy weighing less than 200.
All of these, against an awful Seahawk O-line, pretty much spells out what's been true all season: the Vikings defense is not dominant. They'll show flashes of dominant play, but when the sacks aren't coming, receivers are going to get open. Wide open. For big gains. Tyrell Johnson and Madieu Williams don't do anything from their safety positions. Karl Paymah couldn't cover a guy in a wheelchair, and Cedric Griffin seems invisible. Have you heard of or seen Griffin making a play in the past month? Me neither. I'll give him a pass (ha), since teams haven't thrown one his way since Antoine Winfield went down. I don't think Winfield being out is the main problem though.
Even Darren Sharper, he of 7 interceptions this season, never made a large amount of plays for the Vikings under Leslie Frazier. Not that I completely blame Frazier's scheme or believe Sharper's derogatory comments towards it. It's a combination of poor play and a passive two-deep scheme. Ed Reed isn't the best safety in the league because he sits back in prevent mode. He takes risks, and thrives by being allowed to do so. The Vikings safeties don't take risks, whether it's their decision or Leslie Frazier's. Either way, the corners can't do it by themselves, because they just aren't that good. Asher Allen in the starting line-up would definitely be an upgrade though. The kid can play, let him.
The special teams didn't generate any touchdowns, but didn't allow any and forced a fumble. The offense shook off the rust from their bye weeks and started to cruise in the second quarter through some good short-passing before the Seahawks' weariness opened up the route-tree. The Vikings have three legitimate weapons for Favre to use, and that excludes Adrian Peterson. If defenses take away one or two, like they did to Sidney Rice and Peterson in the first quarter, then Percy Harvin, Visanthe Shiancoe, and even Bernard Berrian can make them pay.
Of course, it all depends on Favre, who has played nothing short of spectacularly. That's what I'm still getting used to: the dependency of my team's success on an elite quarterback, and the knowledge that a one-two year rental will get credit for every win. It won't be our championship, it will be Favre's, because he'll have earned it.
Showing posts with label Vikings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vikings. Show all posts
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
With and Without him
Wins are wins, but "Great Wins" come in two categories:
1) The game is close throughout. The teams trade the lead several times. Spectacular plays are needed, whether they're an awesome third down catch or interception/kick-off return for a touchdown. A great example would be if the Vikes had won last week at Pittsburgh.
2) Your team completely, entirely, and utterly dominates the opponent in every facet of the game without remorse. The losing team is left questioning whether they were ever meant to play football. The losing fans do not remember the game, be it from the untold crushing of their competitive spirit or the untold amount of alcohol they consume. A good example would be last week's Atlanta-Chicago game, where Atlanta made Jay Cutler look even more petulant. Yeah, I didn't know it was possible either.
I could easily go on, but suffice to say that today was not a "Great Win." The Packers never had the lead after the first quarter, and the Purple seemed on their way to an elusive Great Win over the cheeseheads. Brian Robison had other thoughts. After the Packers decided to squib every kickoff (thanks Percy, you're the best), the backup defensive end enjoyed carrying the ball so much he did not go down immediately upon fielding it. Needless to say, DEs aren't given the ball for a reason. Brian fumbled, and the Packers scored off the turnover.
After that moment, the Vikings D could not generate the pressure they had, and Aaron Rodgers knew what to do with the extra time. So disappointing after such dominance in the first half (forgive me for being without a number, but it was less than 100). I don't know what else they can do. Different calls, higher effort, whatever. The second half defense has seen a let-down in every game against a competent opponent except for Pittsburgh last week.
It's got to stop, because the offense isn't goint to remain this hot. Last week (yet again) the offense was unable to get it done. This week the defense did not. Maybe one of these weeks, they'll both show up for sixty minutes. Then again, maybe neither of them will.
1) The game is close throughout. The teams trade the lead several times. Spectacular plays are needed, whether they're an awesome third down catch or interception/kick-off return for a touchdown. A great example would be if the Vikes had won last week at Pittsburgh.
2) Your team completely, entirely, and utterly dominates the opponent in every facet of the game without remorse. The losing team is left questioning whether they were ever meant to play football. The losing fans do not remember the game, be it from the untold crushing of their competitive spirit or the untold amount of alcohol they consume. A good example would be last week's Atlanta-Chicago game, where Atlanta made Jay Cutler look even more petulant. Yeah, I didn't know it was possible either.
I could easily go on, but suffice to say that today was not a "Great Win." The Packers never had the lead after the first quarter, and the Purple seemed on their way to an elusive Great Win over the cheeseheads. Brian Robison had other thoughts. After the Packers decided to squib every kickoff (thanks Percy, you're the best), the backup defensive end enjoyed carrying the ball so much he did not go down immediately upon fielding it. Needless to say, DEs aren't given the ball for a reason. Brian fumbled, and the Packers scored off the turnover.
After that moment, the Vikings D could not generate the pressure they had, and Aaron Rodgers knew what to do with the extra time. So disappointing after such dominance in the first half (forgive me for being without a number, but it was less than 100). I don't know what else they can do. Different calls, higher effort, whatever. The second half defense has seen a let-down in every game against a competent opponent except for Pittsburgh last week.
It's got to stop, because the offense isn't goint to remain this hot. Last week (yet again) the offense was unable to get it done. This week the defense did not. Maybe one of these weeks, they'll both show up for sixty minutes. Then again, maybe neither of them will.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
You already knew he was a waffler.
This was a complete game by the Vikings. The defense held the high-flying Steelers to thirteen points. Three in the second half. The Steelers had been averaging near 300 yards passing per game. The Vikings held Big "WWE" Ben to 147. It was a defensive struggle all the way, with the only major defensive lapse being the forty yard touchdown to Mike "who the heck are you" Wallace at the end of the first half.
The Vikings did all the big things right. They dominated on defense, got a return TD on special teams without allowing Pittsburgh any damaging returns of their own, and though their offense struggled in the beginning, they found a groove on several drives. The big picture didn't cost them, the big plays did. The Steelers defense scored more points than the Vikings offense, because of two fourth quarter turnovers. Both by, though not necessarily caused, by our man Brett. Both in, or very close, to the red zone.
The first play should not have happened. On the preceding play, Jeff Dugan's cut block was called a trip, negating Sidney "#1" Rice's ten yard touchdown catch. Instead of a seventeen to thirteen lead, Favre was stripped by Brett, the Keisel version. LaMarr Woodley picked up the ball, and played James Harrison by returning the ball into the Vikings end zone.
Any defensive touchdown in the fourth quarter would normally spell game over, but Percy Harvin played The Man for the Vikings yet again, running over a weak tackle from the kicker to the endzone. He might have saved the day for the Vikings, who forced a punt. That left over three minutes for Our Man Brett to construct a game winning drive.
He needed some help, and he got it from Adrian Peterson. All Day finally included himself in the two minute drill, taking a screen on third-and-five nigh thirty yards to put the Vikings in tying field goal range yet again. Yet again, the Steelers would outscore the Vikings on their own drive. This time there was no one to blame except Chester Taylor and Brett Favre, who failed to complete a middle screen. Taylor got his hands on the football, but could not control it, deflecting the ball to Keyaron Fox, who also mimicked James Harrison by scoring the dagger-in-the-heart touchdown.
Neither of the deciding plays were guys trying to do too much. Good effort by Keisel caused the fumble, and bad concentration by the Vikings gave the ball to Pittsburgh on the last significant play of the game. Two plays. That's all that lost the Vikings this game. Reductive projections are always dangerous, but in this case we know the Refs cost the Vikings a touchdown. If the Refs had their heads on straight? Vikings win. That's how narrowly this game escaped the Vikings grasp.
Just like last week's win asked more questions, this week's loss answered all of them. This is a strong football team. As long as they avoid costly turnovers, hell as long as they avoid the other team scoring on costly turnovers, they can hang with anyone in the NFL. On to Green Bay.
The Vikings did all the big things right. They dominated on defense, got a return TD on special teams without allowing Pittsburgh any damaging returns of their own, and though their offense struggled in the beginning, they found a groove on several drives. The big picture didn't cost them, the big plays did. The Steelers defense scored more points than the Vikings offense, because of two fourth quarter turnovers. Both by, though not necessarily caused, by our man Brett. Both in, or very close, to the red zone.
The first play should not have happened. On the preceding play, Jeff Dugan's cut block was called a trip, negating Sidney "#1" Rice's ten yard touchdown catch. Instead of a seventeen to thirteen lead, Favre was stripped by Brett, the Keisel version. LaMarr Woodley picked up the ball, and played James Harrison by returning the ball into the Vikings end zone.
Any defensive touchdown in the fourth quarter would normally spell game over, but Percy Harvin played The Man for the Vikings yet again, running over a weak tackle from the kicker to the endzone. He might have saved the day for the Vikings, who forced a punt. That left over three minutes for Our Man Brett to construct a game winning drive.
He needed some help, and he got it from Adrian Peterson. All Day finally included himself in the two minute drill, taking a screen on third-and-five nigh thirty yards to put the Vikings in tying field goal range yet again. Yet again, the Steelers would outscore the Vikings on their own drive. This time there was no one to blame except Chester Taylor and Brett Favre, who failed to complete a middle screen. Taylor got his hands on the football, but could not control it, deflecting the ball to Keyaron Fox, who also mimicked James Harrison by scoring the dagger-in-the-heart touchdown.
Neither of the deciding plays were guys trying to do too much. Good effort by Keisel caused the fumble, and bad concentration by the Vikings gave the ball to Pittsburgh on the last significant play of the game. Two plays. That's all that lost the Vikings this game. Reductive projections are always dangerous, but in this case we know the Refs cost the Vikings a touchdown. If the Refs had their heads on straight? Vikings win. That's how narrowly this game escaped the Vikings grasp.
Just like last week's win asked more questions, this week's loss answered all of them. This is a strong football team. As long as they avoid costly turnovers, hell as long as they avoid the other team scoring on costly turnovers, they can hang with anyone in the NFL. On to Green Bay.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Chillyball
A win is still a win, but when you win like this, it's about the worst one can feel after a win. I was at the game. I screamed my guts out, much to the chagrin of the neighboring fans. My mood while ruining my voice varied greatly however.
The game could not have started better. The Vikings made the rare decision to receive the ball on the kickoff, and it paid off with a quick touchdown drive, set up by All Day's first of over twenty yards in a few weeks. He stayed quiet for the rest of the first half, but he wasn't needed.
Brett Favre has transformed this offense. The threat of Peterson gives Favre very good looks, and he's taking advantage. After a season with a forty-seven:fifty-three pass:rush ratio, the Vikings have already passed ten more times than they've ran. That's a great thing because, after the first two games of dinking and dunking, Brett's leash is off. He's developing a good rapport with Sidney Rice between the red zones and with Visanthe Shiancoe in the red zone. What's odd is that Bernard Berrian hasn't gotten a lot of long looks, which seems a side-effect of the play-calling. Either way, you know the offense is absolutely humming.
The defense is humming in a different way. When the pass rush doesn't hurry the quarterback, e.g. the entire fourth quarter, the secondary lets receivers get open. It didn't help that Antoine Winfield got hurt (seriously, why can't they announce that at the stadium?), putting Karl Pay-dirt-for-you-mah into the line-up. As you can imagine, it did not work well. He overran Mark Clayton on his touchdown catch, in addition to completely whiffing (with his half of the Vikings defense) on Ray Rice for a big preface to another touchdown. That's fourteen points that Winfield might have prevented. He's one of their best defenders. When he's not on the field, twenty one points in the fourth quarter happens, game-winning field-goal drive happens, and a well-deserved loss should have happened.
Yet that gift-wrapped win could have been taken on the Vikings last offensive possession. Third and nine at the Baltimore seventeen yard line. Childress had ridden Favre's hot right arm all day, yet with the game within grasp, Chilly stepped off his steed and rode another. Peterson had a great game as well, but the likelihood of gaining nine yards on a draw play on such a crucial play? Very low. I've no doubt that Childress would say he was trying to catch the defense off-guard. The truth is he settled. He settled for the small hope that his tired, injury-depleted defense could do what they hadn't done the entire fourth quarter. He played so as not to lose. He did not play to win, and it's a miracle they ended up winning despite him. It was Chillyball at its very finest, in the most leveraged of moments. Kudos to Brad for collecting all this great talent. It does not make him a good game-manager.
The Vikes are undefeated, but I'm still bitter that Childress made me feel otherwise.
The game could not have started better. The Vikings made the rare decision to receive the ball on the kickoff, and it paid off with a quick touchdown drive, set up by All Day's first of over twenty yards in a few weeks. He stayed quiet for the rest of the first half, but he wasn't needed.
Brett Favre has transformed this offense. The threat of Peterson gives Favre very good looks, and he's taking advantage. After a season with a forty-seven:fifty-three pass:rush ratio, the Vikings have already passed ten more times than they've ran. That's a great thing because, after the first two games of dinking and dunking, Brett's leash is off. He's developing a good rapport with Sidney Rice between the red zones and with Visanthe Shiancoe in the red zone. What's odd is that Bernard Berrian hasn't gotten a lot of long looks, which seems a side-effect of the play-calling. Either way, you know the offense is absolutely humming.
The defense is humming in a different way. When the pass rush doesn't hurry the quarterback, e.g. the entire fourth quarter, the secondary lets receivers get open. It didn't help that Antoine Winfield got hurt (seriously, why can't they announce that at the stadium?), putting Karl Pay-dirt-for-you-mah into the line-up. As you can imagine, it did not work well. He overran Mark Clayton on his touchdown catch, in addition to completely whiffing (with his half of the Vikings defense) on Ray Rice for a big preface to another touchdown. That's fourteen points that Winfield might have prevented. He's one of their best defenders. When he's not on the field, twenty one points in the fourth quarter happens, game-winning field-goal drive happens, and a well-deserved loss should have happened.
Yet that gift-wrapped win could have been taken on the Vikings last offensive possession. Third and nine at the Baltimore seventeen yard line. Childress had ridden Favre's hot right arm all day, yet with the game within grasp, Chilly stepped off his steed and rode another. Peterson had a great game as well, but the likelihood of gaining nine yards on a draw play on such a crucial play? Very low. I've no doubt that Childress would say he was trying to catch the defense off-guard. The truth is he settled. He settled for the small hope that his tired, injury-depleted defense could do what they hadn't done the entire fourth quarter. He played so as not to lose. He did not play to win, and it's a miracle they ended up winning despite him. It was Chillyball at its very finest, in the most leveraged of moments. Kudos to Brad for collecting all this great talent. It does not make him a good game-manager.
The Vikes are undefeated, but I'm still bitter that Childress made me feel otherwise.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Complete victory?
That was one boring football game, for really only one reason: The Vikes completely stomped them. As they should have.
The offense was humming. AD got his two touchdowns on only fifteen carries, gaining 69 yards on the ground (4.6 yds/carry, very good but not dominant. Brett Favre got his as well, throwing for a couple hundred yards, keeping drives moving while increasing his lead on the all-time lists: touchdowns and interceptions. The touchdown was about as easy as you can get. Shiancoe got past the coverage, and there was not a safety in sight. The interception was about as bad as you could get. Brett leaked out of the pocket, under pressure, and Brett Favre does not throw balls away. He instead throws them into quadruple coverage, without a passing lane, unless you count the space between James Laurinaitis' hands as a "lane." The first real bad interception of the year for his man Brett, but he seemed to learn from it, not by throwing it away, but avoiding throws into double-plus coverage.
Brett put the defense in a bind with his hubris, but the D was up to the task. The Rams got a field goal, but they started in long field goal range anyway. The Rams put together several long drives against the Vikings, gaining the red zone four times, and gaining Vikings territory at least twice more. Yet all times except one, the Rams gave the Vikings the ball back with unforced fumbles, interceptions, or turnovers on downs. It was a similar pattern to last week's Monday Night Football game, where the opposing offense would gain plenty of yards, but not cash in on what should have been scoring drives by giving the ball away. It's an effective way to keep points off the board, but I don't believe that those big plays will keep happening for the Vikings. They're going to have to start forcing more 3-and-outs, and avoiding the big pass plays that have come mostly on screens and to tight ends. The offense is really clicking right now, along with the big play ability of the defense. The defense just needs to be consistent and explosive. The offense won't move the ball so easily every game, and the defense won't always negate the opponent's chances right before they score.
All in all, there isn't much room for complaint, as the Vikings easily took care of a terrible opponent. For some reason, it still doesn't feel like the Vikes have been tested yet. San Fran just got blown out by Atlanta, and Green Bay still threw for 380+ yards. Until the Vikings D completely dominates and shuts down a decent opponent, I won't be satisfied, and neither should they. They have the personnel to do it, now they just need to execute and start covering opposing tight ends and receivers more consistently. Baltimore will be a good test, and Todd Heap better not have a good game.
The offense was humming. AD got his two touchdowns on only fifteen carries, gaining 69 yards on the ground (4.6 yds/carry, very good but not dominant. Brett Favre got his as well, throwing for a couple hundred yards, keeping drives moving while increasing his lead on the all-time lists: touchdowns and interceptions. The touchdown was about as easy as you can get. Shiancoe got past the coverage, and there was not a safety in sight. The interception was about as bad as you could get. Brett leaked out of the pocket, under pressure, and Brett Favre does not throw balls away. He instead throws them into quadruple coverage, without a passing lane, unless you count the space between James Laurinaitis' hands as a "lane." The first real bad interception of the year for his man Brett, but he seemed to learn from it, not by throwing it away, but avoiding throws into double-plus coverage.
Brett put the defense in a bind with his hubris, but the D was up to the task. The Rams got a field goal, but they started in long field goal range anyway. The Rams put together several long drives against the Vikings, gaining the red zone four times, and gaining Vikings territory at least twice more. Yet all times except one, the Rams gave the Vikings the ball back with unforced fumbles, interceptions, or turnovers on downs. It was a similar pattern to last week's Monday Night Football game, where the opposing offense would gain plenty of yards, but not cash in on what should have been scoring drives by giving the ball away. It's an effective way to keep points off the board, but I don't believe that those big plays will keep happening for the Vikings. They're going to have to start forcing more 3-and-outs, and avoiding the big pass plays that have come mostly on screens and to tight ends. The offense is really clicking right now, along with the big play ability of the defense. The defense just needs to be consistent and explosive. The offense won't move the ball so easily every game, and the defense won't always negate the opponent's chances right before they score.
All in all, there isn't much room for complaint, as the Vikings easily took care of a terrible opponent. For some reason, it still doesn't feel like the Vikes have been tested yet. San Fran just got blown out by Atlanta, and Green Bay still threw for 380+ yards. Until the Vikings D completely dominates and shuts down a decent opponent, I won't be satisfied, and neither should they. They have the personnel to do it, now they just need to execute and start covering opposing tight ends and receivers more consistently. Baltimore will be a good test, and Todd Heap better not have a good game.
Monday, October 5, 2009
That was... disappointing?
I really wanted to see Adrian run all over the Packers. That's what this football team is, or should I say was? The last two weeks we've seen AD locked in a box. He had no room up the middle. He couldn't gain the edge much either. I'm fine with Brett Favre being on the team. He's been a god-send when Peterson can't get going, but with all of Favre's success winning games with his arm, he's gaining more and more hype. He seems a natural leader, but he's still on his last legs. He's not a long-term solution, but the past two games have made the Vikings "his" team. If anyone wants that for these Vikings, I'd have to question their sanity.
The defense played fantastic tonight in big ways, both good and bad. They sacked Aaron Rodgers EIGHT times, they forced him into an interception and a fumble, both killing what looked like scoring drives. Yet Rodgers still had a 110.6 rating, throwing for 384 yards of offense. Jermichael Finley (a tight end, no wonder) could not or would not be tackled or covered by the Vikes D. Pack (ha!) on 82 yards of rushing (those draws really did a number), and you have a pretty horrendous day in terms of yard prevention. Of course, point prevention is what matters, so the turnovers, sacks, and clutch fourth and goal stop add up to a good defensive performance.
Aaron Rodgers' performance is the kind that you can really get excited about, if you're a Packer fan at least. He's young, and he shook off EIGHT SACKS and two early turnovers to keep the game close. He stayed collected, and his throws were accurate. And he's young. He's going to ensure the Packers offensive success a year for every time he was sacked tonight. Assuming the Packers ever build a good team around him. Maybe they'll do a trade for their former legend?
It's weird how negative one can be on such a great win, but the Vikes did almost everything they could to keep the game close, from their inability to get push from their offensive line, to their flashy but unproductive wildcat passing play and completely unnecessary bomb to Berrian, both of which stopped the clock. Luckily the Vikings have a power-forward like Sidney Rice to reach up to heaven and snatch any extra possessions and all hope from the Packers.
I'm worried about the Vikings D and running game, the supposed strengths of this team. Big plays are great, but they can't be consistently generated by even the best defenses. Consistently minimizing the offense's big plays and first downs are how defenses win championships. You don't face the Packers' offensive line every week, and Brett Favre won't throw three TDs every week. The defense and running game need to step it up.
The defense played fantastic tonight in big ways, both good and bad. They sacked Aaron Rodgers EIGHT times, they forced him into an interception and a fumble, both killing what looked like scoring drives. Yet Rodgers still had a 110.6 rating, throwing for 384 yards of offense. Jermichael Finley (a tight end, no wonder) could not or would not be tackled or covered by the Vikes D. Pack (ha!) on 82 yards of rushing (those draws really did a number), and you have a pretty horrendous day in terms of yard prevention. Of course, point prevention is what matters, so the turnovers, sacks, and clutch fourth and goal stop add up to a good defensive performance.
Aaron Rodgers' performance is the kind that you can really get excited about, if you're a Packer fan at least. He's young, and he shook off EIGHT SACKS and two early turnovers to keep the game close. He stayed collected, and his throws were accurate. And he's young. He's going to ensure the Packers offensive success a year for every time he was sacked tonight. Assuming the Packers ever build a good team around him. Maybe they'll do a trade for their former legend?
It's weird how negative one can be on such a great win, but the Vikes did almost everything they could to keep the game close, from their inability to get push from their offensive line, to their flashy but unproductive wildcat passing play and completely unnecessary bomb to Berrian, both of which stopped the clock. Luckily the Vikings have a power-forward like Sidney Rice to reach up to heaven and snatch any extra possessions and all hope from the Packers.
I'm worried about the Vikings D and running game, the supposed strengths of this team. Big plays are great, but they can't be consistently generated by even the best defenses. Consistently minimizing the offense's big plays and first downs are how defenses win championships. You don't face the Packers' offensive line every week, and Brett Favre won't throw three TDs every week. The defense and running game need to step it up.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Yeah... that Bobby Wade guy...
Wow. I think this is how you develop bipolar disorder, because emotions could not have swung any faster. Institutionalize me baby, because my poles just doubled.
The Vikes got out to a halftime lead with a big run by AD, a great seam route for a touchdown by Sidney Rice, and a couple of field goals. The defense was dominant, knocking Frank Gore out of the game on the first play from scrimmage, and rattling Purple reject Sean Hill. The only blemish was their complete inability or unwillingness to cover Vernon Davis. He's not the only tight end to find success against the Vikings, as Robert Royal became the Browns leading receiver in week one. They've now allowed four TD passes, and three of those have been to a tight end. I hope Leslie has some tricks to shore that up, because it is their only perceivable weakness right now. It was good to see them return to their run-stuffing ways though.
So the Vikes lined up to pad their lead before the end of the first half, and holy ten-point-swing batman, my blood-curdling scream might have taken a few years off Bogey's (my dog) life. It hushed the crowd, and it fired up those gold-rushers in white. When the game resumed, they started to shut down the Viking passing game, which left AD no room to run. After a couple of flailing drives, Percy Harvin took the game into his own hands, returning the lead to the Vikings... which they coughed up two series later with Davis' second TD of the game.
The Vikings managed to drive to a fourth and four on the Niners' forty yard. And they punted. Regardless of the result (a net gain of twenty yards), they should have went for it. There was no guarantee of another drive into Niner territory. You have to take advantage of your opportunities.
Childress passed on that one, counting on his defense and stockpiled timeouts to give the ball back to his offense. It didn't look good. Favre on his own twenty, a minute-thirty-six, and no timeouts. Fans were already leaving the Metrodome, because they probably half-expected a kneel-down based on the passive, "don't lose" strategy the Vikes had shown in the past. These were the moments in which the Vikings had failed. Except T-Jack was gone.
This was the reason the Vikings allowed Brett Favre to skip training camp: for this moment. He had gotten them close once, and against all odds, he got them close again. On the last chance they had, he passed into triple coverage, allowing Greg Lewis to go up and seize the lead, with two seconds remaining. That's right, the Vikings won a game on a last second TD pass.
Childress made two right calls, passing on the fourth and four, and passing on Bobby Wade, who would not have made that play. Dare I say it? Childress is doing a half-decent job thus far. He (well, Brett Favre) made a difference this week. Now let's hope Brett's body doesn't fall apart.
BOO YA!
The Vikes got out to a halftime lead with a big run by AD, a great seam route for a touchdown by Sidney Rice, and a couple of field goals. The defense was dominant, knocking Frank Gore out of the game on the first play from scrimmage, and rattling Purple reject Sean Hill. The only blemish was their complete inability or unwillingness to cover Vernon Davis. He's not the only tight end to find success against the Vikings, as Robert Royal became the Browns leading receiver in week one. They've now allowed four TD passes, and three of those have been to a tight end. I hope Leslie has some tricks to shore that up, because it is their only perceivable weakness right now. It was good to see them return to their run-stuffing ways though.
So the Vikes lined up to pad their lead before the end of the first half, and holy ten-point-swing batman, my blood-curdling scream might have taken a few years off Bogey's (my dog) life. It hushed the crowd, and it fired up those gold-rushers in white. When the game resumed, they started to shut down the Viking passing game, which left AD no room to run. After a couple of flailing drives, Percy Harvin took the game into his own hands, returning the lead to the Vikings... which they coughed up two series later with Davis' second TD of the game.
The Vikings managed to drive to a fourth and four on the Niners' forty yard. And they punted. Regardless of the result (a net gain of twenty yards), they should have went for it. There was no guarantee of another drive into Niner territory. You have to take advantage of your opportunities.
Childress passed on that one, counting on his defense and stockpiled timeouts to give the ball back to his offense. It didn't look good. Favre on his own twenty, a minute-thirty-six, and no timeouts. Fans were already leaving the Metrodome, because they probably half-expected a kneel-down based on the passive, "don't lose" strategy the Vikes had shown in the past. These were the moments in which the Vikings had failed. Except T-Jack was gone.
This was the reason the Vikings allowed Brett Favre to skip training camp: for this moment. He had gotten them close once, and against all odds, he got them close again. On the last chance they had, he passed into triple coverage, allowing Greg Lewis to go up and seize the lead, with two seconds remaining. That's right, the Vikings won a game on a last second TD pass.
Childress made two right calls, passing on the fourth and four, and passing on Bobby Wade, who would not have made that play. Dare I say it? Childress is doing a half-decent job thus far. He (well, Brett Favre) made a difference this week. Now let's hope Brett's body doesn't fall apart.
BOO YA!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Minnesota wins 3 of 4
Jim Leyland's wisdom on the non-existence of pitching momentum held true, as Scott Baker couldn't build on Duensing and Pavano's success nor on his own personal run of effective pitching. He cruised through four innings, with an rbi double that Jason Kubel played into a triple marking Baker's only mistake. Until the fifth that is. The lead-off walk to Gerald Laird is what really hurt Scott. All the hits didn't help either. There was no doubt about any of those hits. Whatever the Tigers did to adjust, Baker was unable to respond.
I tried as hard as I could to avoid any Vikings updates, but wearing my AD jersey to the Twins game undid me, as everyone who saw it thought it best to spoil whatever surprise awaited in the DVR. You can imagine how I felt overhearing "10-7 Lions" and "Adrian Peterson fumble" from the loudmouths behind me.
The Twins batters responded as long as they could, but Nate Robertson (NATE ROBERTSON) stumped them with his 86 mph fastball. It was all they could do to scratch out a single run in separate innings. I had a feeling that Washburn being scratched would be a bad thing, and I think I was right. I can't imagine such a Cuddfire, Kubel noodle, and Spaneurysm all on the same day. I hope it doesn't happen in Chicago.
The tide turned after halftime, eerily similar to last week, as HalfDay found some daylight for the go ahead touchdown. The question still remains though: will the defense come up with those key turnovers against a quality offense? The 49ers aren't a powerhouse, but their running game exploded against the Seahawks. Maybe the Lions and Browns have underrated O-lines/RBs. I doubt it. For whatever reason, the Vikes' vaunted run defense just surrendered 129 yards rushing to THE LIONS. The Niners will be a real test for the entire team. We'll see if they're up for it.
Francisco Liriano plays the voodoo doll of the Twins season. As his (never good) fastball was crushed and the walks piled up, the Twins struggled in mediocrity. Then in August he really hit the wall, before falling off the map to the disabled list. Well he's back, just like the Twins' season. And just like their early season struggles, he gave the Tigers the breathing room to avoid the late inning heroics of the prior nights. The winning streak is over, but just as the Twins lost "momentum," they can gain it right back just as quickly.
I tried as hard as I could to avoid any Vikings updates, but wearing my AD jersey to the Twins game undid me, as everyone who saw it thought it best to spoil whatever surprise awaited in the DVR. You can imagine how I felt overhearing "10-7 Lions" and "Adrian Peterson fumble" from the loudmouths behind me.
The Twins batters responded as long as they could, but Nate Robertson (NATE ROBERTSON) stumped them with his 86 mph fastball. It was all they could do to scratch out a single run in separate innings. I had a feeling that Washburn being scratched would be a bad thing, and I think I was right. I can't imagine such a Cuddfire, Kubel noodle, and Spaneurysm all on the same day. I hope it doesn't happen in Chicago.
The tide turned after halftime, eerily similar to last week, as HalfDay found some daylight for the go ahead touchdown. The question still remains though: will the defense come up with those key turnovers against a quality offense? The 49ers aren't a powerhouse, but their running game exploded against the Seahawks. Maybe the Lions and Browns have underrated O-lines/RBs. I doubt it. For whatever reason, the Vikes' vaunted run defense just surrendered 129 yards rushing to THE LIONS. The Niners will be a real test for the entire team. We'll see if they're up for it.
Francisco Liriano plays the voodoo doll of the Twins season. As his (never good) fastball was crushed and the walks piled up, the Twins struggled in mediocrity. Then in August he really hit the wall, before falling off the map to the disabled list. Well he's back, just like the Twins' season. And just like their early season struggles, he gave the Tigers the breathing room to avoid the late inning heroics of the prior nights. The winning streak is over, but just as the Twins lost "momentum," they can gain it right back just as quickly.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Just as Expected
So after the first half, I'm sure there were other fans besides me that were not feeling it. Not angry or sad, just numb. All the hype about Favre, the defense, and the improved special teams had turned into trailing the Cleveland freakin' Browns without giving up an offensive touchdown.
Speaking of special teams, what was up with the opening kick? It's the kind of aggressive play that Childress hates, and he only looked like an idiot for it, because without it the Brown lumps wouldn't have scored on the opening drive, and the halftime result would have been half as dubious. It was the first of a few special teams gaffes. The return game was ok, with a big return from Darius "D-Reyne" Reynaud (say goodbye to Jaymar "Inactive" Johnson). Kicking was another story.
I don't like saying it, but Chris Kluwe isn't a good punter. Chris leg go boom, Cribbs get lot of room. Guitar Hero outkicked the coverage, and voila, touchdown. On his next punt, he kicked it away from Cribbs... about 27 yards net. Jeff Feagles of the Giants can't kick it nearly as far as Kluwe, but he's able to limit the returns using accurate directional kicking. You know, subtlety and strategy, something Kluwe lacks. He ruined a splendid effort on defense and specials coverage.
Of course, the offense did pick up after the break. Adrian "All Day with a Bleeding Arm" Peterson did the heavy lifting. He's awesome. Favre took some sacks that he might've avoided as a young man, but he held onto the ball. In fact, the Vikes did not turn over the ball, taking advantage of Brady Quinn's Cutler-esque fumble and interception. The Purple shook off their first-half jitters, and took care of business against a bad team. Let's hope they do the same next week.
*Things to Eat*
1. AD AD AD AD AD AD AD
2. Percy Harvin
3. Turnovers
*Things to Puke*
1. Chris Kluwe
2. 4.4 yds/ Brown rush
3. Sullivan got schooled by Shaun Rogers
Speaking of special teams, what was up with the opening kick? It's the kind of aggressive play that Childress hates, and he only looked like an idiot for it, because without it the Brown lumps wouldn't have scored on the opening drive, and the halftime result would have been half as dubious. It was the first of a few special teams gaffes. The return game was ok, with a big return from Darius "D-Reyne" Reynaud (say goodbye to Jaymar "Inactive" Johnson). Kicking was another story.
I don't like saying it, but Chris Kluwe isn't a good punter. Chris leg go boom, Cribbs get lot of room. Guitar Hero outkicked the coverage, and voila, touchdown. On his next punt, he kicked it away from Cribbs... about 27 yards net. Jeff Feagles of the Giants can't kick it nearly as far as Kluwe, but he's able to limit the returns using accurate directional kicking. You know, subtlety and strategy, something Kluwe lacks. He ruined a splendid effort on defense and specials coverage.
Of course, the offense did pick up after the break. Adrian "All Day with a Bleeding Arm" Peterson did the heavy lifting. He's awesome. Favre took some sacks that he might've avoided as a young man, but he held onto the ball. In fact, the Vikes did not turn over the ball, taking advantage of Brady Quinn's Cutler-esque fumble and interception. The Purple shook off their first-half jitters, and took care of business against a bad team. Let's hope they do the same next week.
*Things to Eat*
1. AD AD AD AD AD AD AD
2. Percy Harvin
3. Turnovers
*Things to Puke*
1. Chris Kluwe
2. 4.4 yds/ Brown rush
3. Sullivan got schooled by Shaun Rogers
Thoughts before Kickoff
This is going to be an interesting season, regardless of how the Vikes finish. It's an opportunity to see how AD has expanded his game, and whether the coaches trust his growth. It's an opportunity to see how so many young receivers (Rice, Harvin, Johnson, Reynaud) can make plays behind the primary veterans. It's an opportunity to see if the defense's point-prevention (13th in the NFL) can match their yard-reducing prowess (6th in the NFL). It's an opportunity to see if Childress still has any respect in his locker room. And yes, it's an opportunity to see Brett Favre continue to look strange in purple.
Brett's effect on locker room chemistry is debatable. His reported speech to the guys has helped in that regard, and I think the chemical problems stemming from Favre's signing have been overblown for the most part. Everybody seems to like Favre once they get to know him, but then again the problems were never with Favre. They were with Brad Childress. He played it coy throughout the summer, continued with the "QB competition" (which T-Jack won, makes you wonder...) but allowed Favre to finagle his way out of training camp, which I think a 39-year old needs more, physically, than younger veterans. The wounds from that seem to be bandaged, but how about Bobby Wade's release?
He's been the leader in receptions for two years, and always seemed to be the guy on third down. Wade wasn't great, but he was solid despite having a couple of younger guys who could fill his role. Not to mention that he was liked in the locker room, and by fans. So they release him, piss off the locker room, for Greg Lewis. No you've never heard of him. Apparently, he's more versatile and makes the team "better." We'll see how that works when Childress tells the team to get "fired up," and the team asks him, "like you fired Bobby?" What I'm wishing for, if a super bowl run doesn't happen? Childress fired, Leslie Frazier promoted.
Brett's effect on locker room chemistry is debatable. His reported speech to the guys has helped in that regard, and I think the chemical problems stemming from Favre's signing have been overblown for the most part. Everybody seems to like Favre once they get to know him, but then again the problems were never with Favre. They were with Brad Childress. He played it coy throughout the summer, continued with the "QB competition" (which T-Jack won, makes you wonder...) but allowed Favre to finagle his way out of training camp, which I think a 39-year old needs more, physically, than younger veterans. The wounds from that seem to be bandaged, but how about Bobby Wade's release?
He's been the leader in receptions for two years, and always seemed to be the guy on third down. Wade wasn't great, but he was solid despite having a couple of younger guys who could fill his role. Not to mention that he was liked in the locker room, and by fans. So they release him, piss off the locker room, for Greg Lewis. No you've never heard of him. Apparently, he's more versatile and makes the team "better." We'll see how that works when Childress tells the team to get "fired up," and the team asks him, "like you fired Bobby?" What I'm wishing for, if a super bowl run doesn't happen? Childress fired, Leslie Frazier promoted.
Friday, August 21, 2009
The Worst Perfect QB Rating you'll see...
... belongs to Tarvaris Jackson. Daily Norseman has their own take, but still seem to think that these are hollow numbers because the complete lack of pressure facing Jackson. I would argue that the performance itself was not as good as the numbers.
Against KC's first-team defense, T-Jack missed Sidney Rice out of bounds on a deep ball (following a pump fake... to Sidney Rice), threw a pass when he was five yards past the line of scrimmage, and put together a decent drive of hitting stationary receivers and extending the play with his legs. Even his touchdown pass wasn't that impressive. He rolled out to avoid an unblocked defender, and threw behind his savior Shiancoe, exposing the tight end to a hit in mid air. Shiancoe looked a little shook up on the play, which should have included any contact in the end zone.
The next drive seemed impressive, with Jackson hitting Shiancoe on a seam route for what seems like the first time in T-Jack's career. Breeming with confidence, he waited and waited and waited and finally hit a standing still Sidney Rice within field goal range, but by dallying Jackson had used all of the seven seconds he had to gain some yards and call a timeout. Hesitation is at the heart of Jackson's game. Either Chilly has pounded caution into Tarvaris' brain or he just doesn't know which way to go with the ball, either way he holds onto the ball. That's not a good thing. Even on his best throw of the night, the long TD to Darius Reynaud, Jackson took a few seconds to find his man. This of course was against the second-team defense of the Chiefs, one of the worst defensive teams in the NFL last year, playing the 3-4 for the first time.
No doubt that I've taken the glass-half-empty approach when it comes to T-Jack's performance last night, but when has he ever earned a better one? If Favre gets injured... and then Sage gets injured... maybe we'll be able to see if Jackson can perform some real NFL passes against real NFL defenses. We might not get that chance, and personally I don't mind.
Against KC's first-team defense, T-Jack missed Sidney Rice out of bounds on a deep ball (following a pump fake... to Sidney Rice), threw a pass when he was five yards past the line of scrimmage, and put together a decent drive of hitting stationary receivers and extending the play with his legs. Even his touchdown pass wasn't that impressive. He rolled out to avoid an unblocked defender, and threw behind his savior Shiancoe, exposing the tight end to a hit in mid air. Shiancoe looked a little shook up on the play, which should have included any contact in the end zone.
The next drive seemed impressive, with Jackson hitting Shiancoe on a seam route for what seems like the first time in T-Jack's career. Breeming with confidence, he waited and waited and waited and finally hit a standing still Sidney Rice within field goal range, but by dallying Jackson had used all of the seven seconds he had to gain some yards and call a timeout. Hesitation is at the heart of Jackson's game. Either Chilly has pounded caution into Tarvaris' brain or he just doesn't know which way to go with the ball, either way he holds onto the ball. That's not a good thing. Even on his best throw of the night, the long TD to Darius Reynaud, Jackson took a few seconds to find his man. This of course was against the second-team defense of the Chiefs, one of the worst defensive teams in the NFL last year, playing the 3-4 for the first time.
No doubt that I've taken the glass-half-empty approach when it comes to T-Jack's performance last night, but when has he ever earned a better one? If Favre gets injured... and then Sage gets injured... maybe we'll be able to see if Jackson can perform some real NFL passes against real NFL defenses. We might not get that chance, and personally I don't mind.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Favre, Favre Away
I can't believe it
I dismissed Jay Glazer's recent speculation as just that: speculation. I wanted to believe that Vikings management wouldn't cave to an over-the-hill prima donna's desire to avoid training camp. It is already ten days later than when he joined the New York Jets last year, and I'm a firm believer that the physical preparation of training camp is a necessity for the health and continued high performance over the course of a season. Favre, Ryan Grant, Steven Jackson, and Larry Johnson are all examples of players who entered training camp late, and suffered injuries and poor performance the following season.
I doubt how quickly Favre can adapt to the Vikings offense. I doubt how quickly he can get comfortable with the Vikings' receivers, but most of all I doubt his ability to be in good enough shape to avoid not only last year's late season fade, but the poor late-season performance that he's shown in recent seasons (since 2004 December has been his worst month).
Just like with the Jets last year, I don't expect this to end well. It's hard to say that Favre would do worse than Sage Rosenfels, but I don't think the drop off would be extreme enough to justify this one year push for a Super Bowl. Sage is more mobile, which will help avoid the sacks that could at any point end Favre's career. The Vikings offensive line wasn't as good as advertised last year, and this year will have two new members. Pass protection will continue to be a problem, and Favre is going to get injured sooner or later. What then? Does Childress have the balls to end the streak? I hope he does, because the Vikings season may depend on it.
I dismissed Jay Glazer's recent speculation as just that: speculation. I wanted to believe that Vikings management wouldn't cave to an over-the-hill prima donna's desire to avoid training camp. It is already ten days later than when he joined the New York Jets last year, and I'm a firm believer that the physical preparation of training camp is a necessity for the health and continued high performance over the course of a season. Favre, Ryan Grant, Steven Jackson, and Larry Johnson are all examples of players who entered training camp late, and suffered injuries and poor performance the following season.
I doubt how quickly Favre can adapt to the Vikings offense. I doubt how quickly he can get comfortable with the Vikings' receivers, but most of all I doubt his ability to be in good enough shape to avoid not only last year's late season fade, but the poor late-season performance that he's shown in recent seasons (since 2004 December has been his worst month).
Just like with the Jets last year, I don't expect this to end well. It's hard to say that Favre would do worse than Sage Rosenfels, but I don't think the drop off would be extreme enough to justify this one year push for a Super Bowl. Sage is more mobile, which will help avoid the sacks that could at any point end Favre's career. The Vikings offensive line wasn't as good as advertised last year, and this year will have two new members. Pass protection will continue to be a problem, and Favre is going to get injured sooner or later. What then? Does Childress have the balls to end the streak? I hope he does, because the Vikings season may depend on it.
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