What happened to our Special Teams

by lifelongvike on Oct 20, 2009 5:23 PM CDT Comment 21 comments

Hey guys lets give a shout out to a special teams effort that we haven't seen for a couple of years. I rewatched the game yesterday and noted that we did not have ONE bad special team play. Every punt was good, Returns were good. Tackles on kickoffs and punts were unbelievably solid. Not one missed Field Goal.

I don't know how we won the game but I can sure tell you why we didn't lose it. Baltimore had numerous penalty flags for holding or "block in the back" on special teams. Ten yards after ten yard penalties. Not so with the Vikes

No interceptions. Hmmm, again mistake free football will help you win the games. If you don't think special team effort is 1/3rd of the game just watch Denver and Chicago. Chicago gives up Two huge touchdowns on returns in the first half.

Thank you Viking Special Teams. I've yelled at you in the past but not this week.

Thank you.

This FanPost was created by a registered user of The Daily Norseman, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the site. However, since this is a community, that view is no less important.

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i also like

how we have such a dynamic threat at both punt return and kick return…reynaud is 2nd in the league in ypr and i’m not sure about percy but i know he’s up there.

by vikesfan4lyf on Oct 20, 2009 5:43 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Reynaud is second?

Thats so nice. Hasn’t he been out like half the games too?!

by loafrat on Oct 21, 2009 10:46 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That’s why he’s in 2nd, because he hasn’t returned as many punts to lower that average.

by Frost on Oct 21, 2009 2:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

but when he does happen to return the punts he gains really good yardage on them and sets us up with real good field position

by vikesfan4lyf on Oct 21, 2009 3:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Absolutley

I should have mentioned that. Good call vikesfan4lyf

by lifelongvike on Oct 20, 2009 6:10 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Its actually kinda sad

When you think about it, we played nearly a flawless game on special teams and offense and yet we still deserved to lose. That just goes to show how god aweful our defense is right now. We would have lost that game had the offense/special teams made even one more tiny error. And, though it worked for one Sunday, you can’t keep putting that much pressure on one phase like that. Its disheartening, not encouraging.

by Jayrome007 on Oct 20, 2009 6:30 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Where is the optimism?!?!

As I recall the Defense was stout and dominant the first 3 quarters. Especially in the first half when all Baltimore rushers were combined for like 14 yards. Give them a little credit for total domination in the beginning, just need to learn how to finish a little better or even out their effort so they aren’t gassed so bad at crunch time

The Vikings=$600 Million
The Metrodome=$55 Million
Adrian Peterson=Priceless

by 4 AP Jerseys on Oct 20, 2009 11:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dude!

WTF… Our Defense Isn’t Awful… The Titans Are Awful Wtf Is wrong with you. Our running defense is getting back to form, and the passing defense gives up a huge play here and there, but how can you say we’re awful?

As The Play Snaps, One Dream, One Team, One Head Coach will be on top! Will It Be The Vikings?

by UnBannedVikingholic on Oct 21, 2009 8:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ok, I admit aweful might be pushing it a bit. We might be decent at best but we sure are far from great. I don’t know if you can even call us good anymore. Good defenses don’t get shlacked on a daily basis.

by Jayrome007 on Oct 21, 2009 10:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

And we didn't deserve to lose!

That comeback from the Ravens might have opened the eyes of our defense, and they will finally play a full game against the Steelers! Even Jared Allen Knows That!

As The Play Snaps, One Dream, One Team, One Head Coach will be on top! Will It Be The Vikings?

by UnBannedVikingholic on Oct 21, 2009 8:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The key word there is “might”. You are just guessing. Come back in two weeks and brag about how great our defense looked against Pitt and Green Bay. Ain’t gonna happen.

by Jayrome007 on Oct 21, 2009 10:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

But your missing the point

Your only accounting for last week’s 4th quarter not the entire season… If our defense wasn’t “Good” than we wouldn’t had to put in 2nd stringers at the end of some of our games…!

As The Play Snaps, One Dream, One Team, One Head Coach will be on top! Will It Be The Vikings?

by UnBannedVikingholic on Oct 21, 2009 11:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Plus defense doesn't only account for the yards given up!

Turnovers count to, your disregarding all these facts.

As The Play Snaps, One Dream, One Team, One Head Coach will be on top! Will It Be The Vikings?

by UnBannedVikingholic on Oct 21, 2009 11:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You're very close but...

The things you are saying are all good points, but I feel they are just to incomplete when analyzing our potential this week. We’ve now given up 300+ yards passing 2 weeks in a row. And that’s with an excellent pass rush. I’m trying to look forward at the upcoming game, but in order to do that we need to decifer what our problems were in the previous games. I think its clear as day that our issues lie with a vulnerable secondary. When you take that and match it against Pittsburgh and Green Bay’s insanely good passing attacks you have a formula for major defeat.

by Jayrome007 on Oct 22, 2009 10:18 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

YES DOING MUCH BETTER

They gave the Vikes good field position for most of the game and no real long returns – towards the end (4th) the runs were a bit longer, but still 1000% better than last year, when you had to worry if the opposing team was going to yet once again break one for a TD….

I would rather be IN the Arena than watching from the stands...That is my life!
* Read Teddy Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" if you need further explanation...

by vikingfanfrom afar on Oct 20, 2009 6:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Special Teams

has been superb compared to last year. Farwell is the biggest reason, but other players have been making great open field tackles. As far as the Vikings as a whole: we are in week 7; and I think alot of people have a strong feeling that we aren’t playing our best football. That means this team can (will) get better. Our defense did have a meltdown in the 4th quarter, but they’ved played solid for atleast 20 of the 24 quarters played. Its still early, this team doesn’t need to be playing its best football right now. The bottom line is they aren’t playing their best football and they are 6-0. My hope is that we start really dominating in all 3 phases of the game come week 12 or 13. Its good we found out a glaring weakness in week 6, not come december. Gives us time to work on it, and strengthen it.

SKOL VIKES

by PurpleJesuZ on Oct 20, 2009 9:55 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

It's simple

The guys finally decided to MAN UP – our new ST coach is keeping them on their toes…

by mjmrad on Oct 20, 2009 10:28 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

And our top 3 special teams aces aren’t on IR… That helps a bit as well :)

by Frost on Oct 20, 2009 11:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's one of the reasons

our yards per game isn’t as high as others but out TD’s are. You can’t complain when you keep starting on your 30+

by Grime on Oct 21, 2009 9:30 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Return Yards...

Return yards are great, but I’ve been more impressed with the coverage units. Giving up scores in special teams kills an otherwise balanced approach (i.e. last seasons Vikings). The return of Farwell has been huge, but the addition of Paymah to the unit has also paid huge dividends. The KO unit is giving up 21 yard per and the punt unit about 8 yards per.

by LoveHate on Oct 22, 2009 12:48 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs