Vikings @ Bills Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 7

[Purple bruise]

gotta put this loss primarily on Bridgewater. It was a bad game for him. Worst so far as a pro.

I am not sure he pretty much sucked last week too.
They need to sit him before his confidence is destroyed for the rest of the year. This team isn't going to win "jack". anyway.

[mondry]

Well it sucks pretty bad to lose a game like that as it always does. I thought the defense turned in another solid performance and I really think the front 7 is starting to figure some things out. They are playing much better as a unit and for the most part were relentless today. Anthony Barr is making the plays I want to see him start making, the ones that show he's learning and improving. S197 said " Barr was a shade late on some throws but he also had a nice pass defense and good pressure on the QB. I think as he progresses he's going to be a solid contributor. " and I have to say, I think he's already a "solid contributor"! He's out there a lot, he's making some plays, missing others, but not being abused either. IF he continues to progress we're looking at something special.

I think Jennings and Wright had good games and I still think our receiving corps is serviceable / good enough to win. Mckinnon has already surpassed Asiata as the starter and looks pretty good out there. It's important to note with Barr / Mckinnon these guys didn't play their positions exclusively or for very long so a learning curve / development process should be expected and I'm happy to say I think they're both ahead of schedule.

I guess the positive for me is that I see a team that's still maturing and coming together and the problems are REALLY obvious, especially on the O-line which will make them easy to deal with next offseason.

[TSonn]

Teddy looked like a probowler against the weak Atlanta defense when the offense line played well. He has struggled against two top pass rush defenses when the offensive line played like crap. The reality is probably somewhere in the middle that when the line plays decent and we're not playing a top rated defense, Teddy is a middle-of-the-road QB right now. And, hey, that's pretty awesome for a rookie (and better than we've had since Favre and then Culpepper).

[yezzir]

Teddy looked like a probowler against the weak Atlanta defense when the offense line played well. He has struggled against two top pass rush defenses when the offensive line played like crap. The reality is probably somewhere in the middle that when the line plays decent and we're not playing a top rated defense, Teddy is a middle-of-the-road QB right now. And, hey, that's pretty awesome for a rookie (and better than we've had since Favre and then Culpepper).

[soflavike]

Kalil needs to sit a game or two. He is not getting any better. The OL is hurting.

In theory, I agree completely. In reality, who would you put in his place?

[PurpleMustReign]

In theory, I agree completely. In reality, who would you put in his place?

A dead squirrel? Couldn't be any worse.

[yezzir]

A dead squirrel? Couldn't be any worse.

"Tripping, #75 of the offe.....I mean, the squirrel...the dead squirrel. It's just laying there. Dead. That's a 10 yard penalty. First Down."

[Laserman]

Loadholt and Kalil Both need to sit a game at least and I don't care who plays n their place cause it doesn't matter anyway cause ANYBODY could be as bad as those two have been

[mosscarter]

the odd thing is i just listened to zimmer in the post game presser and he seemed optimistic. i was shocked i thought he would have flown off the handle by now.

[yezzir]

the odd thing is i just listened to zimmer in the post game presser and he seemed optimistic. i was shocked i thought he would have flown off the handle by now.

He seemed focused. He was in the kidney zone.

[fiestavike]

The offensive line are who we thought they were, but they showed improvement and more tenacity in this game against another great front. Overall much better than against Detroit. Best run blocking of the season today. Pass protection improved from last week for sure. Harris looked like he might have been an improvement over Ducasse at RG.

Jennings put in a little effort, McKinnon looked better than he has to date against the top run defense.

The defense played a lot better. Consistent pressure, better tackling. A few goofs, especially between Barr and Robinson, where twice they were on the wrong page and gave up first downs to ball carriers who caught the ball short of the first.

This one wasn't a heart breaker to me at all. I expected to lose and we lost, but we looked better than I anticipated and I appreciated the improved effort.

Teddy was very bad in this game and I think last weeks beating/mistakes took a toll on him. He got a bit better as this game progressed but against top d lines who collapse the pocket and don't leave him room to escape he has looked shaky.

I'm hoping he can bounce back against Tampa Bay and re-instill some confidence in himself and from the fan base!.

[tmscr]

In the last ten or so years, I've had the opportunity to watch former nfl doormats (Seattle, New Orleans, Tampa bay, Arizona, Tennessee/Houston) reach and/or win the Super Bowl. Organizations who, for the better part of their existence, were abysmal, but yet were able to put it together for a few seasons (or more) and WIN. I look at this franchise and I just wonder if the vikings will ever ever win it.

We've had arguably a top 5 running back in NFL history and won one playoff game. We had arguably a top 5 qb in nfl history have the best season in his HOF career and we didn't even reach the SB. We had the best offense (at that time) in nfl history and didn't reach the SB. I won't even touch the teams of the 70s.

There's just something about that organization that reeks of eternal failure. The players and coaches change, yet the results are the same. But THIS year will be different we say! Nope, the star RB is suspended for the year.

I've been watching religiously for 20 years, I'm now 27 and I think I've reached the point where my patience is gone and apathy is setting in. I'm sure this happens with most fans of a perennial disappointment. To not lose, but to lose so spectacularly (4th and 20, really?) again and again and again. To have hopes dashed annually. I stopped letting this team ruin my week back in my teens, but at what point do you just stop caring because the results never change? At what point do you become insane for expecting anything different? There's just something that stinks about this organization and I don't know if I'll live long enough to see it change.

[BGM]

In the last ten or so years, I've had the opportunity to watch former nfl doormats (Seattle, New Orleans, Tampa bay, Arizona, Tennessee/Houston) reach and/or win the Super Bowl. Organizations who, for the better part of their existence, were abysmal, but yet were able to put it together for a few seasons (or more) and WIN. I look at this franchise and I just wonder if the vikings will ever ever win it.

We've had arguably a top 5 running back in NFL history and won one playoff game. We had arguably a top 5 qb in nfl history have the best season in his HOF career and we didn't even reach the SB. We had the best offense (at that time) in nfl history and didn't reach the SB. I won't even touch the teams of the 70s.

There's just something about that organization that reeks of eternal failure. The players and coaches change, yet the results are the same. But THIS year will be different we say! Nope, the star RB is suspended for the year.

I've been watching religiously for 20 years, I'm now 27 and I think I've reached the point where my patience is gone and apathy is setting in. I'm sure this happens with most fans of a perennial disappointment. To not lose, but to lose so spectacularly (4th and 20, really?) again and again and again. To have hopes dashed annually. I stopped letting this team ruin my week back in my teens, but at what point do you just stop caring because the results never change? At what point do you become insane for expecting anything different? There's just something that stinks about this organization and I don't know if I'll live long enough to see it change.

Buck up little camper, there are guys here who have been fans for 40 years, 50 years, heck right from day 1, and they still find a way to cheer every week. Hope is what this game is all about. Yes, it will wane and ebb and flow, but hope is what keeps us cheering. And there are some bright spots that keep the hope flowing. At the worst, a rough season results in a high draft pick and the Vikings score a top notch talent to add to a young team. We take whatever consolation we can get.

[tmscr]

Buck up little camper, there are guys here who have been fans for 40 years, 50 years, heck right from day 1, and they still find a way to cheer every week. Hope is what this game is all about. Yes, it will wane and ebb and flow, but hope is what keeps us cheering. And there are some bright spots that keep the hope flowing. At the worst, a rough season results in a high draft pick and the Vikings score a top notch talent to add to a young team. We take whatever consolation we can get.

Indeed there are many lifelong fans, my father being one of them. At what point do you questions your sanity for supporting a team mired in underachievement while so many around us have gone to the next level and excelled? It's like a culture of failure that I'm having trouble finding support for.

[yezzir]

In the last ten or so years, I've had the opportunity to watch former nfl doormats (Seattle, New Orleans, Tampa bay, Arizona, Tennessee/Houston) reach and/or win the Super Bowl. Organizations who, for the better part of their existence, were abysmal, but yet were able to put it together for a few seasons (or more) and WIN. I look at this franchise and I just wonder if the vikings will ever ever win it.

We've had arguably a top 5 running back in NFL history and won one playoff game. We had arguably a top 5 qb in nfl history have the best season in his HOF career and we didn't even reach the SB. We had the best offense (at that time) in nfl history and didn't reach the SB. I won't even touch the teams of the 70s.

There's just something about that organization that reeks of eternal failure. The players and coaches change, yet the results are the same. But THIS year will be different we say! Nope, the star RB is suspended for the year.

I've been watching religiously for 20 years, I'm now 27 and I think I've reached the point where my patience is gone and apathy is setting in. I'm sure this happens with most fans of a perennial disappointment. To not lose, but to lose so spectacularly (4th and 20, really?) again and again and again. To have hopes dashed annually. I stopped letting this team ruin my week back in my teens, but at what point do you just stop caring because the results never change? At what point do you become insane for expecting anything different? There's just something that stinks about this organization and I don't know if I'll live long enough to see it change.

It will change. I think with the Vikings, it has been a mix of really bad luck (not being able to draft Andrew Luck due to a late game miracle win lead by Joe Webb. That cost us our selection of him. (one of many examples), and lack of consistency from the top of the organization, down.

It's confusing as all hell. I like to think of the last 10 years as a rebuilding decade. Bringing in Favre added to that mess (even though we were close to a super bowl) but we sold our soul to do it. Another rebuild, Ponder is our guy. That blows up in our faces, etc. etc. etc.

We've been extremely unlucky and with bad timing. Just know this, our roster will look foreign to us coming into next season. They say the 3rd year a coach is in is when all the cards are on the table. Fire him or extend him after that. By then, the coach should have "his guys" and had installed a different team culture.

I jumped around a bit there, sorry.

I still see brightness ahead for this team.