Ditkaless Wonders
Footballguy
I am kidding. Still, if it were to happen by some confluence of events you have to admit the first few meetings would be fun.
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Minnesota Vikings Team Thread (4 Viewers)
- Thread starter Heatman
- Start date
Biabreakable
Footballguy
Fun for you sure.
Fun for us?
Unlikely.
My opinion is McCarthy should be done coaching but it would be interesting to see how well he does without a HoF QB.
Just not for the Vikings. I mean that kind of move would cause me to hate the team about as much as when they were playing Ponder.
Biabreakable
Footballguy
I agree. There just went the depth at corner fwiw.
They still have Hill. I am not sure what they do at nickle corner. None of the healthy guys have played much there.
Maybe they use Kearse more? He has played there and maybe can match up with Cook?
It's a lot to ask but Kearse has played well with his opportunities.
Ditkaless Wonders
Footballguy
Hey, good luck this weekend. I just finished re-watching the Minnesota Miracle game and am ready for some interesting action. Between that game, the bounty bowl, and now this you guys have a pretty interesting rivalry going with the Saints. Would you say that is your best out of division rivalry?
Biabreakable
Footballguy
Thanks for the kind wishes (aside the McCarthy thing lol)
I dont know what other team in the NFC is the Vikings biggest rival right now. Probably Seattle.
The Eagles fans think everyone cares about their team more than they do. If the Vikings hadn't beat them the last two times then maybe it would be more of a rivalry than it is.
It is kind of interesting seeing these teams playing several former Vikings players. It's hard to hate the Saints when they have Teddy, Murray Easton, Zach Line playing for them.
Watching the Eagles this year was a bit like 2017 Bears teams Jordan Howard and Jeffrey. Those guys are hurt by now though.
No rivalry could come close to the desire for the Vikings to beat the Packers though.
At least not to me.
I dont know what other team in the NFC is the Vikings biggest rival right now. Probably Seattle.
The Eagles fans think everyone cares about their team more than they do. If the Vikings hadn't beat them the last two times then maybe it would be more of a rivalry than it is.
It is kind of interesting seeing these teams playing several former Vikings players. It's hard to hate the Saints when they have Teddy, Murray Easton, Zach Line playing for them.
Watching the Eagles this year was a bit like 2017 Bears teams Jordan Howard and Jeffrey. Those guys are hurt by now though.
No rivalry could come close to the desire for the Vikings to beat the Packers though.
At least not to me.
encaitar
Footballguy
As of right now? I'd have to say yes. The last 11 years have featured some pretty important games between us and them. Given the outcome of some of those fixtures, it makes for some great back and forth action IMO.
Historically though I'd say Dallas is our biggest out of division rivalry.
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Ditkaless Wonders
Footballguy
Going back to Grant vs Landry, Purple People Eaters vs Doomsday. Some classic tilts during the 70's. Long time ago. That would have been my answer as well but I thought recent history might prevail, I mean Bountygate and the Minneapolis Miracle, that's some amazing stuff and here we are with round 3.
Doug B
Footballguy
We haven't forgotten about the 1987 wild-card game in the Superdome. Hassan Jones is probably still running free down here somewhere :(
Ditkaless Wonders
Footballguy
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Doug B
Footballguy
Not really the thread for this, but ...
Would it surprise you all to learn that (a) Saints fans - as a collective - pretty much believe Bountygate didn't happen, and that (b) Paul Tagliabue's conclusion was essentially "Roger -- you had nothing on the Saints and you invented a narrative out of not much. You went too far."
Or are we just homers being homers?
Ditkaless Wonders
Footballguy
Would it surprise me to learn that fans are fans, no, not at all. Was I personally horrified by Bountygate, no. Do I think they went beyond the pale, no. Is there and has there always been a dark side to the game, sure, but I love it because of that, not in spite of that. Could such stuff go too far, yes, see for example Charles Martin, Green Bay Packers.
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Biabreakable
Footballguy
What Greg William's was doing with the $$ rewards for injuring specific parts of opposing teams players should have him out of the league.
That isnt why the Vikings lost that game against the Saints. The Peterson fumbles and Favre interception is why they lost.
Still no place in the NFL for what William's was doing but he continues to be allowed to coach anyways.
I dont hold that against the whole Saints team hough and they let William's go.
If Dallas didnt suck it would be more of a rivalry. I'm still upset about the Hetshel Walker trade.
Ditkaless Wonders
Footballguy
Biabreakable
Footballguy
It was a terrible trade.
At the time my Cousin was a huge Walker fan. He wished for Walker to be a Vikings a year before the trade happened. The talk at that time was that the Vikings were stacked everywhere but RB. That a RB would push them over the top.
Well he got his wish. I've been pissed ever since.
If the Vikings trade Zimmer to them maybe they can get some of that value back.
Gopher State
Footballguy
SKOL to all you Viking fans, amazing win
BigJim®
Footballguy
ooooooooOOOOOOOO ooooooooooOOOOOOOO
Great win by the Vikes. Many of their creative play calls did not work, particularly in the second half, but you definitely cannot say this was a vanilla game plan. Particularly on the most important pass of the game... the deep play to Thielen in OT. They really earned it by going for broke, so hats off to them and hoping they continue to play that way in SF.
Great win by the Vikes. Many of their creative play calls did not work, particularly in the second half, but you definitely cannot say this was a vanilla game plan. Particularly on the most important pass of the game... the deep play to Thielen in OT. They really earned it by going for broke, so hats off to them and hoping they continue to play that way in SF.
3 hour lunch
Footballguy
sports_fan
Footballguy
Zimmer deserves a huge amount of credit for the win. Defense stepped up against a great offense, despite several injuries. Sendejo played well out of position. Pressure kept Brees from getting in a rhythm until late in the game. Sucked to see Hill go off, but other than that very few miscues
Stefanski on the other hand nearly lost us the game with odd play calling
Stefanski on the other hand nearly lost us the game with odd play calling
Biabreakable
Footballguy
Its going to be fun listening to all the talking heads having to backtrack their statements after the past week.
Heatman
Footballguy
What nearly lost us the game was the conservative play calling and defense in the 4th quarter. Drives me nuts. I told my wife it was going to happen. Zimmer would have them playing that soft bend but don't break defense and let the Saints back in it. That's exactly what happened. Down by 3 with just over a minute left and your playing close to a prevent defense? Luckily they went for the score on the first drive in overtime. But it should have been over in regulation. Hoping Kubiak sits down with Zim and says "Look, that almost did us in. If you want to win a championship here you have to go for the throat and put teams away."
Hopefully none of the analysts give them a chance next week either. That's when they play their best. When it's them against the world. As soon as people start saying they are favored or they should win this game it's over. They come out flat and play conservatively.
I hate thinking like this but I've been a fan since the 70's and I see the same thing over and over. It's time to break out and bring a Lombardi home. If making them the underdog with little chance each weak is what it takes. I'm all for it!
Hopefully none of the analysts give them a chance next week either. That's when they play their best. When it's them against the world. As soon as people start saying they are favored or they should win this game it's over. They come out flat and play conservatively.
I hate thinking like this but I've been a fan since the 70's and I see the same thing over and over. It's time to break out and bring a Lombardi home. If making them the underdog with little chance each weak is what it takes. I'm all for it!
Heatman
Footballguy
I hope they don't. I hope they talk about the Saints letting an inferior team beat them so the Vikings have that "Us vs the world" mentality next week as well.
Biabreakable
Footballguy
I am with you Heatman. No chance the Vikings beat the 49ers next week.
BigJim®
Footballguy
Also props to Cousins. I'm a Cousins bobo and he even had me grumbling in the 1st when he did not roll away from pressure and took an immobility sack - but the throws to Thielen and Rudolph on the winning drive were exactly where they needed to be. I even thought his pass to Hollins on a 3rd down late in regulation to maintain possession & a running clock was perfectly placed and he was not rewarded. JMHO, getting a win when completing receptions like that in one of the more hostile stadiums in the NFL to earn a victory is more rewarding than something that becomes nicknamed a miracle.
ETA: Also the 40 yard lollipop he completed to Thielen at some point earlier was perfectly placed.
ETA: Also the 40 yard lollipop he completed to Thielen at some point earlier was perfectly placed.
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Biabreakable
Footballguy
In regards to what happened with the miracle is that it was just a high emotional point of the season. The Vikings just couldn't really top that. They came out totally flat and exhausted as a team the following week. Their season was over with the crescendo of that play.
That isn't the case this time. They earned the win in a lot of ways. I agree with what is a pretty universal observation that the Vikings do not play with a lead well. They get conservative and let teams get back in the game. I wish they wouldn't do that, but they won the game.
I do hope they get Diggs the ball early on in the next game. I think that is important to get him involved. It seems like they went back to the game plan where he is running decoy too often again.
Biabreakable
Footballguy
My cousin says there is no way the Vikings can block the 49ers defensive line Heatman.
Maybe one of them says bad stuff about the Vikings too. We can hope.
Maybe one of them says bad stuff about the Vikings too. We can hope.
FunkyPlutos
Footballguy
Love the win!
Did Kearse play at all?
Did Kearse play at all?
snogger
Footballguy
Most relaxing and fun playoff win for me in years.. Just didn't think the way our defense had played this season that they had a chance shutting down Brees and company. Sat back and just enjoyed the game with no expectations..
Loved that Zimmer moved the play makers on defense to the weakest part of the OL. Caught the Saints off guard and they never seemed to correct it.
Cousin's got the monkey off his back with that huge throw to Theilen and then perfectly placed throw to Rudolph for the win... Quick shout out to the refs for eating the flag
Loved that Zimmer moved the play makers on defense to the weakest part of the OL. Caught the Saints off guard and they never seemed to correct it.
Cousin's got the monkey off his back with that huge throw to Theilen and then perfectly placed throw to Rudolph for the win... Quick shout out to the refs for eating the flag
Biabreakable
Footballguy
Snap counts have not been posted yet.
I am seeing one tackle for Kearse on special teams.
I did not notice Kearse playing on defense during the game and I was kind of looking for that and paying attention to the slot defender when I could.
I saw mostly Sendejo or Wilson playing the slot. I thought the Vikings were in base personnel a lot more than I expected.
They finally played Griffen at under tackle a bit. As I said before the season started I think that puts the best 4 defensive linemen on the field by having him or Odenighbo move inside to under tackle.
They didn't do it as much as I think they should now that its the playoffs. It sure was effective when they did though.
FunkyPlutos
Footballguy
I thought they would put Kearse on Cook...they decided to play Sendejo in the slot. I think Kearse on Kittle would be a good matchup for the Vikings.
Hopefully Alexander can play this week.
Hopefully Alexander can play this week.
Doug B
Footballguy
Zimmer needs to have a chat with Diggs, who was doing the Choppa dance at Sean Payton when Payton approached him for a "good game" post-game handshake.
Yeah, I know Payton is seen as an arrogant bag to fans elsewhere. Yeah, it was probably cool to Minnesota fans to see one of your players rub it in Payton's face. But it looked to me that Diggs took his eyes totally off the prize in that moment -- the Lombardi is still three weeks away.
Was it Diggs and only Diggs who felt like that? Or were his actions representative of the entire team's peaked emotions in the moment? Does it feel like "Mission Accomplished" in the Vikings locker-room?
BigJim®
Footballguy
That seems like something trivial to focus on and cascade across an entire team... using the one guy who lost his composure during the game as a barometer for the team. JMHO
Good game Saints fans, I thought Payton was very gracious in defeat and think there is a lot of mutual respect among the organizations.
The Favre interception did not cost them the game. The 12 men in the huddle after a time out to push them out of FG range is the nail in the coffin. Favre was just trying to make something happen when they really had no chance to win at that point. It was 3rd and long with very little time on the clock. The int was the same as a punt in that situation.
AP's fumbles hurt throughout but they were in FG range to win the game with virtually no time on the clock and they took a 12 men in the huddle penalty AFTER A TIME OUT! That is inexcusable and the biggest issue at the end of the game.
It wasn't a vanilla game plan for the most part...…..until they went ultra conservative in the 4th quarter. They almost gave it away because they did. Instead of putting it to them and closing the game they went in a shell and just hoped time would run out. You cannot win the Super Bowl doing that. This was a great win but they need to learn from it. They came out throwing and it opened up the run. They need to ditch the toss play at the goaline (too many players near the line of scrimmage) and need to go play action roll outs on 1st down late in the game. Safe passes but not the obvious run. If they did that on their last possession in regulation it would never have gotten to overtime. One first down more and the Saints never get the ball back.
Overall I was very pleased with the game plan......they just need to keep it going even when protecting a lead. I actually think SF is a better match up for the Vikes than the Saints were which probably means they lose.....haha
Hov34
Eephus's Great Great Great Love Child
Ditkaless Wonders
Footballguy
The Vikings surprised me, or perhaps the Saints did. Regardless the Vikes are moving on and have a large task in front of them. They will have to be much sharper in this next one, Cousins in particular.
Doug B
Footballguy
encaitar
Footballguy
No need to be so salty. Diggs was a bit of an ####### after the game, no doubt.
He'll get talked to, I guarantee it. Especially given that it was just a wild card game. Even more so because Zim and Payton are really good friends and I doubt that will sit well with Mike.
BigJim®
Footballguy
You might be right... I'll maybe watch a re-airing on NFL Network. My take on the offensive side was not that they went vanilla, but rather that they became too cute running plays to the left which were doomed from the go. Sort of a "they'd never expect us to scheme left when all of our success has been to the right" cuteness. I'm sure what I'll see when I re-watch is Reiff/Elflein getting steamrolled. We just are not strong enough on that side of the line to string out plays that direction. I thought the 3rd down pass to Hollins was a bold call, but candidly did not like the target. Who knows, maybe using a nobody like Hollins as the target is what makes the play work, but you need to use a guy who can make that catch.
Hollins actually made a great effort and the DB made a good play to keep it from being completed. In reality it was one of the lesser throws by Cousins in the game. If he leads him and puts it out in front he catches it going away and may even score. He had to hold up which allowed the defender to be able to make a play on the ball. A better thrown ball and that is a huge play and probably wins them the game in regulation. I loved the play call and think they need more of it.BigJim® said:
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simey
Footballguy
When I read what Doug wrote, I instantly thought about the incident in your link. Payton also gave a choking gesture to Devonta Freeman in a game a couple years ago.Hov34 said:
I'd like to see the Vikings pull another upset this weekend. I don't dislike the 49ers, but I like rooting for underdogs (that I like), therefore I am rooting for the Vikings. Good luck.
BigJim®
Footballguy
Yeah, just rewatched on game pass and I agree with you that it would have been a difficult catch after the defender got his arm in there. More difficult than I'd recalled.
Johnny Rock
Footballguy
I don’t think it happened that way. They ran ran ran and the Saints couldn’t stop Dalvin. That’s why I was disappointed but not devastated when Thielen fumbled. Cook was dominating and our defense held them to a FG.Gally said:
It wasn't just run-run-run. Play action on early downs and then got big chunk gains on runs. There was a mixture albeit the run was getting chunk yards so they were able to continue. However, it wasn't just vanilla Dalvin dives on 1st and 2nd down.
1st Drive: Pass-Run-Pass (fumble) --> 2 passes and 1 Run
2nd Drive: P-R-P-R-R-R-P-R-P-R-P-R(FG) ---> 5 passes and 7 runs
3rd Drive: R-P-P-R-P-P-R (TD) ---> 4 passes and three runs
4th Drive: R-R-P (punt) --> 2 runs and 1 pass
5th Drive: P-R-P-P-P-R-P-R-R (TD) ---> 5 passes and 4 runs
6th Drive: R-P-R (punt) ---> 2 runs and 1 pass
Halftime
They were passing enough to keep the Saints off balance and then got chuck plays in the run game. They used the pass to set up the run.
Biabreakable
Footballguy
Just following up on this now that snap counts have been posted.FunkyPlutos said:
Sendejo played on 62% of the defensive snaps and Eric Wilson played on 30% of the snaps. So there are your replacements for Alexander and Hughes.
Javon Kearse did not play any snaps on defense. He had 10 special teams snaps.
Heatman
Footballguy
https://twitter.com/FletcherWDSU/status/1214318388471848962?s=09Doug B said:
Context is everything.
BigJim®
Footballguy
I hope the Vikings know this, because it is probably true. The Achilles heel for this team is OL, and when it fails, everything crumbles. It will be like the Bears/Packers games... maybe worse. Stopping a DL of Armstead/Buckner/Bosa/Ford is a whole different animal than double teaming a single 15.5 sack guy like Jordan.
I hope we hear the name Aviante Collins repeatedly Saturday, because it will mean the Vikes game planned with a focus on neutralizing this DL. Using the extra tackle could give the run game a push, and pass protection a chance. They have enough playmakers to forego the WR3 or extra TE. Focus on getting Cooks/Mattison holes to run through.
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MikesVikes
Footballguy
I think ESPN Cronin tweeted out that Sendejo was playing the slot after just a few snaps into the game. I didn’t see a single positive response to that at the time.
