Vikings @ Lions Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 1

[PurpleKoolaid]

And whats up with wasting a 5th round pick on this punter Loche? Or is our coaching so poor? Wasn't he one of the ok things in preseasons?

[allday1991]

Not the only guy. Patterson only returned that ball to the 22 yard line. It's not like he had one guy to beat at the 50.

But that was the last guy near him, he misses the tackle CP is gone, I don't know how you get any closer to breaking a run without tripping 1 yard before the end zone..

[King James]

True story. No reason we can't be more aggressive. He is reactive instead of proactive. "Too little, too late Musgrave" is my new nickname for him.

We've always do this too ourselves. Play too conservative when the score is either tied or we're ahead and then in 4th quarter, if we're still trailing, we decide to get aggressive. But the Vikings are not built to come from behind. If we're down by more than one possession in the fourth, we're toast.

Next week we will have to pass the ball more. I hear all this talk about Peterson getting carries because he's our most explosive player. Well apparently Peterson having a monster game does us no good if the rest of the offense isn't performing as well. Im not saying lets go trigger happy, but I need to see more shotgun plays. I think Ponder works better in the gun passing than he does under the the center.

[allday1991]

Anyone watching the 9ers-Packers game? Just watching Kaepernick play...this is what, his 10th game as a pro? And he's already audibling like a pro. Just makes me sad and mad at the same time.

I hear ya, man Ponder sucks lol

[Funkytown]

But the defense needs to make stops then they wouldnt be on the field all game it goes both ways , at some point they had to play better but they were terrible against the run and the pass today .

Agreed, but the offense is more to blame. Everything just sort of snowballs eventually, but it usually starts with the offense having too many really short drives in a row.

[yezzir]

Anyone watching the 9ers-Packers game? Just watching Kaepernick play...this is what, his 10th game as a pro? And he's already audibling like a pro. Just makes me sad and mad at the same time.

Even watching him hand the ball off to Gore is much quicker/smoother/better than Ponder to AD.

[Just Me]

I'm sorry to say it, but Ponder is out of chances. He is STILL staring down receivers, and although the two long passes to Simpson were a welcome development, I just don't see anything there that points to success. Not one thing.

To be fair: His one long pass (the one that Simpson caught despite being interfered with) was on target. The second pass was all Simpson, who simply made a spectacular catch to pull in an overthrown ball. So yeah, there is one thing that might point to success. It's the other 20 things that point to disaster in this game that has me troubled

[allday1991]

Even watching him hand the ball off to Gore is much quicker/smoother/better than Ponder to AD.

Ponder doesn't look like an athlete in the pocket, sure he has ok speed when he gets out, but looks un athletic handing the ball off and sliding in the pocket.

[mondry]

To be fair: His one long pass (the one that Simpson caught despite being interfered with) was on target. The second pass was all Simpson, who simply made a spectacular catch to pull in an overthrown ball. So yeah, there is one thing that might point to success. It's the other 20 things that point to disaster in this game that has me troubled

Yeah, I would say there were about 4 things I really liked and 11 things I really hated from him. For Musgrave it's even worse, 3-4 plays I really liked, 20 more calls that I hated.

[BGM]

Remember when everyone and their brother was pooh-poohing Kaepernick as a terrible draft pick, and certainly not an NFL caliber QB prospect? We gotta stop the backward thinking that smaller college programs can't produce great QBs. Obviously the FSU pipeline has done crap for the Vikings.

[BGM]

To be fair: His one long pass (the one that Simpson caught despite being interfered with) was on target. The second pass was all Simpson, who simply made a spectacular catch to pull in an overthrown ball. So yeah, there is one thing that might point to success. It's the other 20 things that point to disaster in this game that has me troubled

I want him to succeed in the worst way. I do. But he won't. ARGH! Tomorrow, I'll be a bit less doom and gloom.

[yezzir]

Remember when everyone and their brother was pooh-poohing Kaepernick as a terrible draft pick, and certainly not an NFL caliber QB prospect? We gotta stop the backward thinking that smaller college programs can't produce great QBs. Obviously the FSU pipeline has done crap for the Vikings.

I was a big supporter of the Ponder draft pick initially. An athletic, intelligent person who could be groomed over a few years. But I can't see improvement. He's making the same "lucky-ish" passes he made his rookie year, and making the same legit mistakes he made his rookie year.

You know what makes me feel a bit better about the situation? The Wilfs aren't scared to make changes.

[justinkendle]

Still dislike the 2011 #12 draft pick

[BGM]

And whats up with wasting a 5th round pick on this punter Loche? Or is our coaching so poor? Wasn't he one of the ok things in preseasons?

Well, Kluwe is probably cringing at the way the Vikes got manhandled, and probably a little happy that, at least in this game, the Vikes really missed his punting ability. I know I did.

[CalVike]

@seankjensen: Christian Ponder: "It's a tough one. We knew coming into this game that we would have a chance, but we would have to play flawlessly."