Irv Smith Jr. out for start of season

[Dames]

I don't have a great feeling about this offense in general this year, and I sure hope I'm wrong. I hope the D can carry the team until the O can figure out some things, because the vibe from camp and preseason has not been good so far.

The preseason was pretty bad on offense, but I keep telling myself Jefferson wasn't out there, Thielen wasn't out there, Cook wasn't out there, and the OL has some new players who will still need time to jell.

But like you I don't get a good vibe from the starting offense.

Here's hoping we're both wrong! Getting those 3 guys back certainly can't hurt. I'm definitely ready to see some real games and hoping the preseason just fades away.

[Maelstrom88]

I knew it. I've seen this movie before. Not a fan of the trade either. Typical.

[StanM]

Well, the reports that Irv was going to miss a few weeks escalated when they did the surgery and had to do a repair instead of a trim. Out for the season unless they make a run in the playoffs and Irv is a fast healer. I’m already feeling like the Vikings are snake bit by their bad karma and the season has not even started.

[VikingsVictorious]

Sam Bradford was the #1 pick in the NFL draft. Still young and showing lots of promise. Didn't we win the first 5 games he played for us? Maybe I'm remembering wrong. If Bradford had ever stayed healthy he would have consistently been a pro bowl QB. A first round pick for him was within reason. If the Vikings had of wanted Ertz they would have given a 3rd round pick for him and the Eagles would have gladly accepted. We are both speculating and neither of us can prove anything.

He was going into his 7th season in the NFL, statistically was the worst starting QB of the 2010's, he had already been traded once (for less than a 1st) was coming off a really bad year, and the team he was currently on had just given up the farm to move on from him. The Eagles didn't want him and the Vikings taking on the 11 million guaranteed that was still left on his contract gave the Eagles enough cap to sign Alshon Jeffrey who would go on to put 85 yards and 2 TDs on us in the NFCCG and giving them the 1st round pick that would be used draft a DE who would strip sack our QB in that same NFCCG was the greatest thing to ever happen to that franchise. We did not win the first 5 games he played for us btw, the backup who had better career stats than the guy we gave up a 1st for won the first of those 5 games.

It amazes me people still defend that trade. "Consistently a pro bowl QB". Let's see some numbers to back that up.

His numbers when healthy for the Vikings were good.

[VikingLord]

He was going into his 7th season in the NFL, statistically was the worst starting QB of the 2010's, he had already been traded once (for less than a 1st) was coming off a really bad year, and the team he was currently on had just given up the farm to move on from him. The Eagles didn't want him and the Vikings taking on the 11 million guaranteed that was still left on his contract gave the Eagles enough cap to sign Alshon Jeffrey who would go on to put 85 yards and 2 TDs on us in the NFCCG and giving them the 1st round pick that would be used draft a DE who would strip sack our QB in that same NFCCG was the greatest thing to ever happen to that franchise. We did not win the first 5 games he played for us btw, the backup who had better career stats than the guy we gave up a 1st for won the first of those 5 games.

It amazes me people still defend that trade. "Consistently a pro bowl QB". Let's see some numbers to back that up.

There is some nuance to that trade though. While taken on its face it was a gross overpayment for Bradford, Spielman's hand was forced a bit by the unexpected injury to Bridgewater pretty close to the start of the regular season and the overall expectations for the Vikings heading into that season.

Did Spielman panic a bit? Probably. Did that panic cause him to overpay a bit? I don't think anyone would argue that. Had Bridgewater not gotten hurt when he did and had the Vikings not had the expectations they had going into the season I doubt Spielman makes that trade.

Bradford was never consistent at anything other than getting injured. Can't blame him for that per se, but there is no doubt he had talent and could play at a high level.

[CharVike]

The preseason was pretty bad on offense, but I keep telling myself Jefferson wasn't out there, Thielen wasn't out there, Cook wasn't out there, and the OL has some new players who will still need time to jell.

But like you I don't get a good vibe from the starting offense.

Here's hoping we're both wrong! Getting those 3 guys back certainly can't hurt. I'm definitely ready to see some real games and hoping the preseason just fades away.

I don't think preseason record or play amounts to much. Rose was the star this year. He was cut and is still here. The Packers sucked are they done? IMO we hurt the offense by letting our LT walk and now we have some bum starting. You can't go in like that and it comes down to drafting a guy coming off surgery. No way in hell having a bum at LT helps the passing game. That's why good LTs are worth a fortune. Theilen is banged up and so is Jefferson. Are they 100 % ? I doubt it. Nothing looks good right now. Wait until it starts.

[StumpHunter]

Here's hoping we're both wrong! Getting those 3 guys back certainly can't hurt. I'm definitely ready to see some real games and hoping the preseason just fades away.

I don't think preseason record or play amounts to much. Rose was the star this year. He was cut and is still here. The Packers sucked are they done? IMO we hurt the offense by letting our LT walk and now we have some bum starting. You can't go in like that and it comes down to drafting a guy coming off surgery. No way in hell having a bum at LT helps the passing game. That's why good LTs are worth a fortune. Theilen is banged up and so is Jefferson. Are they 100 % ? I doubt it. Nothing looks good right now. Wait until it starts.

Good play means very little. A guy being great in preseason doesn't mean he will be great, or even average in the regular season. Poor play in the pre season usually continues into the regular season though, from an individual standpoint. At a team level even that means nothing.

[VikingLord]

I don't think preseason record or play amounts to much. Rose was the star this year. He was cut and is still here. The Packers sucked are they done? IMO we hurt the offense by letting our LT walk and now we have some bum starting. You can't go in like that and it comes down to drafting a guy coming off surgery. No way in hell having a bum at LT helps the passing game. That's why good LTs are worth a fortune. Theilen is banged up and so is Jefferson. Are they 100 % ? I doubt it. Nothing looks good right now. Wait until it starts.

Good play means very little. A guy being great in preseason doesn't mean he will be great, or even average in the regular season. Poor play in the pre season usually continues into the regular season though, from an individual standpoint. At a team level even that means nothing.

I agree with what you're saying, but if we're looking at how the starters play against the other team's starters that can be an indication of what to expect, at least in the early part of the season. And so far, those returns for the Vikings haven't been great on the offensive side of the ball. The starting offense looked pretty bad from what I saw. The couldn't run the ball and couldn't pass it either. I think they finished with like what, 2 first downs and no TDs over 3-4 quarters of work, some of which wasn't against the opposing team's starters. It wasn't good.

The offense just looked punchless to me. They looked disinterested and almost like they were going through the motions. That might be because it is preseason and the games are meaningless, and I hope that is the explanation. We'll find out soon enough.