Mothman wrote:Well, that was a healthy dose of perspective on just where the Vikes are in their development and how much work they have to do. Ouch.
A few quick thoughts/fears before I call it a night:
— Rick Spielman needs to wake up and smell the need for quailty and depth on the offensive line.
— Run defense still appears to be the Achilles heel of this Vikes defense. They were pushed around all night.
— I fear Norv is the wrong coordinator for the Vikes offense. His playcalling, game plan and use of personnel were all brutal tonight. I'm not impressed with what he's done thus far in Minnesota.
I couldn't agree more on every point. I honestly didn't realize just how badly the OL had been neglected until seeing them last night. Teddy didn't play well but I believe it all starts in the trenches, and the Vikings OL lost the battle there.
There is no run defense on the Vikings team, not with the disjointed flailing and missing we see from the D players every time there is a running play.
As you know, I questioned Turner's decisions a lot last year. I went into the season trying to trust him but I'm beginning to once again wonder if his best days as an offensive coordinator are behind him.
losperros wrote:I couldn't agree more on every point. I honestly didn't realize just how badly the OL had been neglected until seeing them last night. Teddy didn't play well but I believe it all starts in the trenches, and the Vikings OL lost the battle there.
There is no run defense on the Vikings team, not with the disjointed flailing and missing we see from the D players every time there is a running play.
As you know, I questioned Turner's decisions a lot last year. I went into the season trying to trust him but I'm beginning to once again wonder if his best days as an offensive coordinator are behind him.
Was Turner forcing us to be in Base Set or was the play of the personnel forcing it? Last night was awful, but it is far from clear as to what was driving what.
Did we not attempt more deep passes because of Teddy's Deep Ball or because of poor protection? Did we not use AP more because the blocking was bad or because AP was bad?
I'd argue that there were examples last night where both sides were at fault. The only unassailable conclusion at this point is that the level of play last night is not good enough. The big question is can they be better. At this point I'd say the failure is a blanket covering the whole team vs. specific individuals.
Winning is not a sometime thing it is an all of the time thing - Vince Lombardi
I'm still split on how I feel about Norv. On one hand, he's got such an amazing weapon in Peterson and the offense should be designed around that strength. On the other hand, that's been happening for years now and hasn't exactly gotten the team anywhere either.
Yet again, Minnesota falters in prime-time. What a surprise. Yet again, the team loses on the road. What a surprise.
New year, same old Vikings. If anything, last night's game really proves that 1). we don't deserve to have any of the hype surrounding the team, and 2). the preseason means absolutely nothing.
Minnesota is in for a rough year if they give up six sacks to a defense like that. That offensive line we trotted out there last night was absolute garbage.
Honestly, I don't see any positives to take away from the game. Blair Walsh still sucks. Jeff Locke still looks like he doesn't belong in the NFL. The defensive line couldn't stay in their gap to save their life.
On to another tough one vs. Detroit. This team could easily be 0-2 after Sunday.
A Randy Moss fan for life. A Kevin Williams fan for life.
Cliff wrote:I'm still split on how I feel about Norv. On one hand, he's got such an amazing weapon in Peterson and the offense should be designed around that strength. On the other hand, that's been happening for years now and hasn't exactly gotten the team anywhere either.
Yes, but not because that aspect of the team didn't work. It didn't get them anywhere because they didn't build a good enough team as a whole.
Zimmer made an inside run drill -- with contact in full pads -- a staple of the Vikings' training camp, as he drilled his defensive front to be stout against the run before getting after the quarterback. On Monday night, though, whatever progress the Vikings made in the preseason didn't show up.
They were gashed for 230 rushing yards -- the most a Zimmer defense has given up since Jan. 3, 2009 -- in Monday's 20-3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, who were content mostly to stick with one approach and dare the Vikings to stop it. The 49ers opened the game in a heavy set, and kept two tight ends on the field for much of the game, sealing off the edge as they ran Carlos Hyde on zone stretch plays. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the 49ers gained 129 of their 230 yards before contact, and accumulated 120 yards on 16 runs outside the tackles.
No other team in the NFL gained more than 64 yards outside the tackles in Week 1. And when the 49ers ran inside, they found plenty of space too; they gained 110 yards on 23 carries.
Exactly. Linebackers overpursued, couldn't get off blocks and the defensive ends couldn't set the edge. Just awful. They looked like a bunch of individuals playing recklessly than a team playing disciplined. And it needs to get fixed. Fast. Watching that film should be more of a wakeup call than anything Zimmer said post-game.
“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.” --- Bill Shankly
Oh my. What that says to me is that the 49ers saw something on tape and took advantage of it. I'm sure every team will do the same until the Vikings prove they can stop it.
* The margin on the rushing defense is huge. While the Vikings rank dead last at 230 yards surrendered, the next worst run defense after week one (Green Bay Packers) gave up 189 yards.
Something tells me we're about to see that passing ranking change dramatically after next Sunday, although if the Vikings really are this bad against the run I suspect most teams will be content to emphasize that.
A lot went wrong last night. That was really really bad all around. Not going to focus too much on the negative stuff though.
One positive was that Barr looked pretty good. No lingering issues with the injuries he had. He was moving well and one of the only defenders making plays.
Wallace was good on the offensive side. He was getting open and should have drawn a flag in the endzone for PI. That was good to see moving forward. Once AD gets going, Wallace will probably get even more looks.
OL was a mess but one bright spot was that it mostly wasn't Kalil's fault. He wasn't bad at all. There's huge issues there and I'm not sure how they can be fixed with the current personnel but at least the LT looks competent.
Based on offseason talk here I know some people don't like hearing it and disagree but I once again have to say, Greenway is just awful. We know he can't cover anyone because he can't run but last night he got washed out on most of the running plays as well. He was either a step slow to react or just got overpowered. Many others looked terrible against the run too but Greenway was especially bad. He's a liability out there and it's very unfortunate he's getting snaps over the younger guys.
Im just happy the Vikes didnt overshoot my expectations. Now i can relax and enjoy some good ole Viking football. Maybe next Sunday they can dazzle and put me back on the misery of the great expectation.
After watching the film, it was even more clear that they manhandled us upfront on both sides of the ball. Our line provided no holes for the run game - though surprisingly not terrible against the pass. Their line on the other hand, pushed us around like it was HS vs College. Our LBs were terrible at getting to the ball and off their blocks - we waited for the play to come to us while they attacked the ball on every play. Anthony Barr had a solid game, but other than that (and maybe Griffin and Wallace) everyone was bad.
Teddy played probably his worst game (at least as far as I can remember), and he needs to improve (it seemed like he was just in over his head, which is strange, because that is usually the main praise people give, that he is always even keel).
The difference between men is not lack of strength, not lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.
