Vikings Patriots post game

[Texas Vike]

It's funny to me how the coaching carousel in the NFL turns. JDF, even before we hired him as OC, was being talked about as a season or two from being a HC candidate. Now, after a very mediocre to bad season with us, he's in discussion as one of the lead candidates for numerous HC openings. I don't understand it, but I'd be fine with him leaving, assuming we can find someone decent to replace him with. Zimmer has appeared outwardly frustrated and critical of him at times this year. Their chemistry is not great. I guess Zimm and Turner wasn't a happy marriage either. Shurmur called a heck of a game for the Giants against the Bears today, which made me miss him.

By my count, we need: 1) new OC, 2) new ST coach and 3) new OL coach.

[PurpleKoolaid]

It's funny to me how the coaching carousel in the NFL turns. JDF, even before we hired him as OC, was being talked about as a season or two from being a HC candidate. Now, after a very mediocre to bad season with us, he's in discussion as one of the lead candidates for numerous HC openings. I don't understand it, but I'd be fine with him leaving, assuming we can find someone decent to replace him with. Zimmer has appeared outwardly frustrated and critical of him at times this year. Their chemistry is not great. I guess Zimm and Turner wasn't a happy marriage either. Shurmur called a heck of a game for the Giants against the Bears today, which made me miss him.

By my count, we need: 1) new OC, 2) new ST coach and 3) new OL coach.

Whats Zimmer done to gain your approval?

[StpViking]

The Patriots are the Patriots. There is a reason why they have dominated for 2 decades.

I don't know if I will live long enough to see the Vikings organization put together a Team and Staff anywhere near the Patriot's level.

As for the game itself. I was just hoping the Vikings could make it interesting. It wasn't. Out classed in every way possible.

This Vikings team seemed to have peeked already. It may not ever get better then the NFC championship game last year.

[S197]

The problem started in April when we drafted Hughes, picked up Compton, and kept Remmers at a position he clearly struggled. Then for some inexplicable reason we keep Priefer who can't find a kicker or punter no matter how many picks he gets.

I like Zimmer but he definitely needs a strong OC and also much less say in the war room. Spielman's late round shotgun approach to interior line has failed for five years and he keeps going back to the same strategy.

If JDF is really a HC candidate then by all means, someone take him.

This team will muddle as above average until we fix our STs and get serious about our O-line. It could even regress as Cousins contract starts taking its toll on vets.

[808vikingsfan]

I think the Vikings just need better execution. Hit your receiver if they're open, catch the ball if it hits your hands, Tackle!

[VikingLord]

Observations on the game:

- Classic Vikings of 2018 - show little fire, fall behind early, need late-game heroics to try to get back into it. Attitude and preparation all seem to be lacking in this year's team.
- Vikings offense... Where to start... The Vikings on offense play afraid. No other way to describe it. You're on the road against a perpetually good team that has some question marks on defense and how do the Vikings attack that? Do they go out and try to leverage their receivers and downfield passing to at least test that defense's ability to defend the deep part of the field? Maybe a little, but not nearly enough. They played very conservatively, and when you play conservatively against a well-prepared team, you lose much more often than not. I don't know if it's Cousins, the OC, Zimmer, or a combination of all of them, but the Vikings did not come out with a "hit-em-in-the-mouth" swagger and against a very solid team like the Pats, that's just not going to get the job done.
- Run game had it's moments, but still can't be counted on in critical situations.
- Vikings defense... Can't stop the run on 1st down. Pats gashed them enough on 1st down and 2nd down rushing that the Vikings really never got Brady into uncomfortable positions, and the Pats killed them on 3rd and 4th down as a result. Further, they rarely blitzed and on many critical downs, didn't even attempt to disguise their rushers. They made things much easier for Belichek and Brady as a result. I can see why Zimmer would play against the Pats this way, but in retrospect, he probably wants a do-over. The Pats were never made to second guess their strategy or made remotely uncomfortable. When Smith finally went in and hit Brady late in the 4th, I could not believe it took that long for the Vikings to finally get to Brady. Zimmer had to be far more aggressive in his gameplan IMHO.

Overall, I tip my hat to Brady and the Pats. They are what I wish the Vikings could one day be. Zimmer and Spielman are going to watch yet another road loss to another team that is better prepared and more motivated to win next week I fear. Their best hope of making the playoffs at this point is going to come down to hoping the last 3 teams they play care less than they do about winning when they play them, and even then, they'll be ushered quickly out of the playoffs with their predictability and lack of motivation.

[Pondering Her Percy]

It's funny to me how the coaching carousel in the NFL turns. JDF, even before we hired him as OC, was being talked about as a season or two from being a HC candidate. Now, after a very mediocre to bad season with us, he's in discussion as one of the lead candidates for numerous HC openings. I don't understand it, but I'd be fine with him leaving, assuming we can find someone decent to replace him with. Zimmer has appeared outwardly frustrated and critical of him at times this year. Their chemistry is not great. I guess Zimm and Turner wasn't a happy marriage either. Shurmur called a heck of a game for the Giants against the Bears today, which made me miss him.

By my count, we need: 1) new OC, 2) new ST coach and 3) new OL coach.

Whats Zimmer done to gain your approval?

He’s the best coach we’ve had here in how long? He took a team that was bottom of the barrel awful when Frazier was here and turned it into a borderline SB contender and will constantly be in the mix for quite some time.

He’s currently 7th in the nfl in winning percentage. But yeah let’s fire him because we’re not having an up to par season. If that was the case In the nfl, coaches would be getting fired non-stop year after year. If you’re a consistent losing coach then after a few years, you’ll be gone. But not one year removed from an NFC championship birth.

Man I love the board and I love some of the guys on here but man oh man is it frustrating getting on here after a loss. I’m ticked to begin with when we lose then I’m dumb enough to get on here and read the overreactions that flood the board. It’s a joke. Criticism is one thing. Saying we need to fire our GM, fire our head coach, etc is another. And it’s asinine and unrealistic.

I honestly can’t even begin to count how many times guys on here bring up firing Zimmer or Spielman when we lose. Not just tonight, literally almost every loss we take. Whether we lose to the Rams or we lose to the Browns. It doesn’t matter. He’s not getting fired nor is Spielman. Literally, not gonna happen. So why is it even being discussed? That’s like us discussing trading for Todd Gurley. Not gonna happen.

I get being frustrated. But just like Kapp said in the chat, my goodness listening to some of you guys on here is depressing. We all want a SB for the Vikings. Chances are it’s not happening this year. But be realistic and not blow up the board and chat with overreactions and unrealistic situations. It’s zero fun to read and I know I’m not the only one that feels this way

[UKno1VIKING]

Whats Zimmer done to gain your approval?

He’s the best coach we’ve had here in how long? He took a team that was bottom of the barrel awful when Frazier was here and turned it into a borderline SB contender and will constantly be in the mix for quite some time.

He’s currently 7th in the nfl in winning percentage. But yeah let’s fire him because we’re not having an up to par season. If that was the case In the nfl, coaches would be getting fired non-stop year after year. If you’re a consistent losing coach then after a few years, you’ll be gone. But not one year removed from an NFC championship birth.

Man I love the board and I love some of the guys on here but man oh man is it frustrating getting on here after a loss. I’m ticked to begin with when we lose then I’m dumb enough to get on here and read the overreactions that flood the board. It’s a joke. Criticism is one thing. Saying we need to fire our GM, fire our head coach, etc is another. And it’s asinine and unrealistic.

I honestly can’t even begin to count how many times guys on here bring up firing Zimmer or Spielman when we lose. Not just tonight, literally almost every loss we take. Whether we lose to the Rams or we lose to the Browns. It doesn’t matter. He’s not getting fired nor is Spielman. Literally, not gonna happen. So why is it even being discussed? That’s like us discussing trading for Todd Gurley. Not gonna happen.

I get being frustrated. But just like Kapp said in the chat, my goodness listening to some of you guys on here is depressing. We all want a SB for the Vikings. Chances are it’s not happening this year. But be realistic and not blow up the board and chat with overreactions and unrealistic situations. It’s zero fun to read and I know I’m not the only one that feels this way

If i was to argue for the fire Zimmer side, i would possibly suggest that this is looking like the 3rd season out of 5, that Zim hasn't got this team full of talent to the playoffs. That's if i was arguing for Zim to be fired. Which i'm not.
He's got together this great group of players, which should be making a SB claim.
Now it's time to find out why they aren't motivated to play up to the talent they possess. Because lets not beat around the bush here. This team (outside of O-line) is the most complete team in the NFL.
If it lies with the coaches, then so be it.

[Bowhunting Viking]

Is Zimmer a big drinker? He always has that red nose and face look of drunks.

He is always talking about drinking his red wine, and in alot of articles written by reporters who have visited and interviewed him at his hunting lodge/home , which by the way is my dream place, and they about all end up with him getting out bottles of wine from his collection.
I brought that up to bring up and observation... is it possible that Flip and Preifer are buying him all his wine stash and they are drinking it when putting together the game plan???
I sure dont see any other reason to keep them around.
Sorry but Flips play calling to me has been abysmal. Like Howie Long said on pregame we look really good getting off the bus. On paper we are awesome. Too bad the fields are made of grass or field turf. If we played on a paper field we would be SB champs.
Rick better invest in that O line or his 83 million investment is gonna be a waste.

[Texas Vike]

Whats Zimmer done to gain your approval?

He’s the best coach we’ve had here in how long? He took a team that was bottom of the barrel awful when Frazier was here and turned it into a borderline SB contender and will constantly be in the mix for quite some time.

He’s currently 7th in the nfl in winning percentage. But yeah let’s fire him because we’re not having an up to par season. If that was the case In the nfl, coaches would be getting fired non-stop year after year. If you’re a consistent losing coach then after a few years, you’ll be gone. But not one year removed from an NFC championship birth.

Man I love the board and I love some of the guys on here but man oh man is it frustrating getting on here after a loss. I’m ticked to begin with when we lose then I’m dumb enough to get on here and read the overreactions that flood the board. It’s a joke. Criticism is one thing. Saying we need to fire our GM, fire our head coach, etc is another. And it’s asinine and unrealistic.

I honestly can’t even begin to count how many times guys on here bring up firing Zimmer or Spielman when we lose. Not just tonight, literally almost every loss we take. Whether we lose to the Rams or we lose to the Browns. It doesn’t matter. He’s not getting fired nor is Spielman. Literally, not gonna happen. So why is it even being discussed? That’s like us discussing trading for Todd Gurley. Not gonna happen.

I get being frustrated. But just like Kapp said in the chat, my goodness listening to some of you guys on here is depressing. We all want a SB for the Vikings. Chances are it’s not happening this year. But be realistic and not blow up the board and chat with overreactions and unrealistic situations. It’s zero fun to read and I know I’m not the only one that feels this way

I agree w/ Pondering regarding the general improvements that Zimmer has brought to this team. His defense is awesome and compared to the Frazier days when we were pathetic, especially in the secondary, I love watching them play. On the other hand, I differ from Pondering in that I DO think it is very much in the purview of this board to question everything this organization does. There's nothing wrong with that and the fact that it irks some posters so much is silly. The reaction you are having, Pondering, in defending Spielman, Cousins, Zimmer, etc., is just as emotional as those that you are critiquing.

If something is being discussed by some posters and you think it is "literally not gonna happen" and therefore unworthy of your time, then fine, don't engage. That is always an option. It seems that you forget that. Trying to control what topics / statements are discussed is the moderators' job, not posters', and the criteria for censure should never have to do with the issue you seem to routinely have, which is some poster is being too critical of a member of the Vikings for your liking.

[Mothman]

I agree w/ Pondering regarding the general improvements that Zimmer has brought to this team. His defense is awesome and compared to the Frazier days when we were pathetic, especially in the secondary, I love watching them play. On the other hand, I differ from Pondering in that I DO think it is very much in the purview of this board to question everything this organization does. There's nothing wrong with that and the fact that it irks some posters so much is silly. The reaction you are having, Pondering, in defending Spielman, Cousins, Zimmer, etc., is just as emotional as those that you are critiquing.

... and the argument that it's depressing doesn't wash. This isn't a cheerleading board and it never has been.

Everyone looks at the team differently but the GM and head coach are always going to be reasonable and relevant topics for discussion, pro or con.

I can't speak for anyone else but my reaction isn't emotional. As many people here know, I've wanted the Vikings to replace Spielman for a long time. That's not a kneejerk reaction after a loss. It's just a response to what I've seen for 12 years now (or 7 for the Spielman-wasn't-GM-until-2012 Vikes fans). I've never had blinders on about Zimmer either. I've said for a long time now that as a head coach, he makes a good defensive coordinator and I expressed my concern that Zimmer would be a good-but-not-good-enough type of coach years ago. It's not new. I just think it's turning out to be a well-founded concern.

If something is being discussed by some posters and you think it is "literally not gonna happen" and therefore unworthy of your time, then fine, don't engage. That is always an option. It seems that you forget that. Trying to control what topics / statements are discussed is the moderators' job, not posters', and the criteria for censure should never have to do with the issue you seem to routinely have, which is some poster is being too critical of a member of the Vikings for your liking.

Well said.

[Pondering Her Percy]

He’s the best coach we’ve had here in how long? He took a team that was bottom of the barrel awful when Frazier was here and turned it into a borderline SB contender and will constantly be in the mix for quite some time.

He’s currently 7th in the nfl in winning percentage. But yeah let’s fire him because we’re not having an up to par season. If that was the case In the nfl, coaches would be getting fired non-stop year after year. If you’re a consistent losing coach then after a few years, you’ll be gone. But not one year removed from an NFC championship birth.

Man I love the board and I love some of the guys on here but man oh man is it frustrating getting on here after a loss. I’m ticked to begin with when we lose then I’m dumb enough to get on here and read the overreactions that flood the board. It’s a joke. Criticism is one thing. Saying we need to fire our GM, fire our head coach, etc is another. And it’s asinine and unrealistic.

I honestly can’t even begin to count how many times guys on here bring up firing Zimmer or Spielman when we lose. Not just tonight, literally almost every loss we take. Whether we lose to the Rams or we lose to the Browns. It doesn’t matter. He’s not getting fired nor is Spielman. Literally, not gonna happen. So why is it even being discussed? That’s like us discussing trading for Todd Gurley. Not gonna happen.

I get being frustrated. But just like Kapp said in the chat, my goodness listening to some of you guys on here is depressing. We all want a SB for the Vikings. Chances are it’s not happening this year. But be realistic and not blow up the board and chat with overreactions and unrealistic situations. It’s zero fun to read and I know I’m not the only one that feels this way

I agree w/ Pondering regarding the general improvements that Zimmer has brought to this team. His defense is awesome and compared to the Frazier days when we were pathetic, especially in the secondary, I love watching them play. On the other hand, I differ from Pondering in that I DO think it is very much in the purview of this board to question everything this organization does. There's nothing wrong with that and the fact that it irks some posters so much is silly. The reaction you are having, Pondering, in defending Spielman, Cousins, Zimmer, etc., is just as emotional as those that you are critiquing.

If something is being discussed by some posters and you think it is "literally not gonna happen" and therefore unworthy of your time, then fine, don't engage. That is always an option. It seems that you forget that. Trying to control what topics / statements are discussed is the moderators' job, not posters', and the criteria for censure should never have to do with the issue you seem to routinely have, which is some poster is being too critical of a member of the Vikings for your liking.

I completely understand what you’re saying TV. But like I said in my last post, criticizing players or coaches is one thing, but saying Zim or Spielman need to be fired is another. And again, it’s not like it was just after this game. It’s been after MULTIPLE games the last few years. If we lose, Spielman and Zimmers heads must roll with some fans. I mean Zimmer has the 7th best winning percentage of all coaches in the nfl right now and rick Spielman has put together a team loaded with talent. Yeah, we haven’t played up to potential this year but is it REALLY fair to say they should both be fired?? If this continued for a few years? Sure. After 3/4 of a season following an NFC championship birth? Absolutely not. Say the eagles lost in the SB last year. And given the season they are having this year (worse than ours), would it be fair to say Roseman and Pederson should be fired? Absolutely not. It’s gotten to the point where I have took myself practically out of the chat on game days. As well as others. I’m frustrated too. But the problems lie in two places. The offensive coordinator and the offensive line. Yeah those tend to fall on the GM and HC but they are problems that can also be fixed by those guys this offseason. I like coming on here to discuss the Vikings, discuss games, etc. Not listen to overreactions due to frustration. I know it’s always going to be a thing on here but guys have came out and said, it’s borderline depressing listening to it every time we lose. I mean we go down 7-0 and guys and claiming game is over. We lose and guys are saying we need to fire our HC and GM. We’re still well in play for a wild card spot. And even the division. Pump the breaks

[Mothman]

I completely understand what you’re saying TV. But like I said in my last post, criticizing players or coaches is one thing, but saying Zim or Spielman need to be fired is another. And again, it’s not like it was just after this game. It’s been after MULTIPLE games the last few years. If we lose, Spielman and Zimmers heads must roll with some fans. I mean Zimmer has the 7th best winning percentage of all coaches in the nfl right now and rick Spielman has put together a team loaded with talent

... and yet they still underperform. Assembling talent isn't the same as assembling a really good team. Most GMs can find talent, Spielman's even pretty good at it. When it comes to building a great team? Not so much...

Yeah, we haven’t played up to potential this year but is it REALLY fair to say they should both be fired??

It's fair because it's about their limitations, not about winning percentage or defensive rankings.

Spielman's been in Minnesota for 12 years now, 7 as GM, 8 with basically that much authority, most of them mired in mediocrity, a few of them fun, successful seasons. Zimmer's in his 5th season and his talent-loaded team can't seem to beat a team with a winning record. Throughout his tenure with the Vikes, when faced with similarly talented and well-coached opponents, his teams have tended to come up short. Chronic problems don't get fixed.

In his column today, Jim Souhan pointed out that "The Vikings under Zimmer are 2-9 on the road against playoff teams. If the Bears and Patriots make the playoffs this season — virtual certainties — the record will be 2-11."

That's a problem. It's clear to me that as a head coach, Zimmer has often been overmatched.

[Mothman]

Another bright spot in yesterday's loss: Kendricks. He was making tackles all over the field and he made a great pick.

[Tavern_Wino]

Tough to walk into the Boston Mafia fairgrounds and win a game.

I think Cook needs to be fed more and more. He looked terrific last night on the minimal carries. It shouldn't be too much to ask for JDF to be a little bit more creative and mix in a play action pass every now and then.

In my opinion the offense line was much better with Tom Compton out of the lineup. I feel like we go through this cycle every season and they only address it by placing below average players in the position just to fill it. I'm so over it.