Why Don't We Run Left?

by JasonAve6413 on Dec 21, 2009 12:10 AM CST

I am absolutely LIVID at the pathetic attitude of our players and coaches tonight. &^*^%(@&#%&*%$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whew. Ok, now that I got that out of the way, can someone with a vivid imagination or some serious football smarts let me know why the heck don't we run left? Since I'm not paid to be an NFL coach, I always try to give the coaching staff the benefit of the doubt - that they know something I don't. But this is one I just can't figure out.

We have Mt. McKinnie, and the best left guard in football. On the LEFT. Here's the breakdown of our whopping 14 run plays tonight:

	Left		Middle		Right
	Plays	Yards	Plays	Yards	Plays	Yards
AD	2	17	5	14	5	4
CT	1	7	1	-1
Avg		8		2.17		0.8

Without simply saying the coaches suck, what could the reasons be that we don't run to the highly paid, pro-bowl left? I always hear that to slow a pass rush (e.g. Peppers), you run at it. Peppers was on our left. That would seem to reinforce the concept of running to our left. So what is it?

Does AD's left ankle hurt, so he wouldn't be able to cut upfield? Fumble-prone AD always runs with the ball in his right hand and doesn't exercise the fundamental of switching the ball to his outside hand, so we're afraid he'll fumble running left? Hutch's back hurting? McKinnie injured?

I haven't broken down every game, but it seems to me that when we run left, we move the ball. When we toss out, stretch, or do anything to the right, it's usually for minimal gain. What's the deal?

(btw, the TD was up the middle, but AD was hit by 2+ Panthers in the backfield. Not indicative of a strong point of attack.)

Thanks for your time.

Go Vikes.

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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Comments

Chilly is pathetic..

We will never win the Big one as long as he is here…

by WVVikings on Dec 21, 2009 7:10 AM CST reply actions

maybe we will if we run left! :D

by JasonAve6413 on Dec 21, 2009 7:23 AM CST up reply actions

For whatever reason it seems

as if we’ve been going away from what has worked in the past. I can’ t figure it out either.

by KC612 on Dec 21, 2009 8:21 AM CST reply actions

We throw too much!

Last year if we were getting stopped in the run, we still ran! Why? Because we knew Peterson would give us what we were waiting for! And if it wasn’t Peterson, it was Chester! Stop passing so much!

Why Do People Question The Vikings' Status?

by UnBannedVikingholic on Dec 21, 2009 10:37 AM CST up reply actions

I agree

We have 2 great running backs and it makes our passing game better if the other team is worried about the run.

"Is it normal to wake up in the morning in a sweat because you can't wait to beat another human's guts out?" -Joe Kapp

by less cowbell, more 'neau on Dec 21, 2009 12:08 PM CST up reply actions

It looked like either McKinney was having a bad game

Or he was playing hurt whatever the reason they took him out during the game. Now why they never double teamed Peppes I have no idea.

by Grime on Dec 21, 2009 8:33 AM CST reply actions

Now why they never double teamed Peppes I have no idea.

Maybe they should hire you as the new Line Coach :)

Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!

by DCPurple on Dec 21, 2009 12:31 PM CST up reply actions

Deal!

I already am the line coach at the local high school maybe I can move up :D

by Grime on Dec 22, 2009 3:26 PM CST up reply actions

Julis blew by a double team I remeber seeing once!

Why Do People Question The Vikings' Status?

by UnBannedVikingholic on Dec 21, 2009 10:22 PM CST up reply actions

You can blow by a double team once in a while I know I did it.

But good luck doing it the entire game. Sooner or later the double team will wear you out. Now the good ends will slack of a bit on the rush when they see that double team consistantly hitting them to make peopel think they are tired out or that they’ve had the agressivenes knocked out of them. Then they come back gang busters. I didn’t see that last night. All saw was Peppers kicking the living crap of whoever we put in at left guard..

We used to call those look out blocks, because that is the only help you coudl offer the QB.

by Grime on Dec 22, 2009 3:25 PM CST up reply actions

I San the same question every game

It just blows my mind that we can see it and the coaches can’t that we should run to the left. Maybe it’s a set up for the play-offs. You know all the tape will show us running right and then boom we start running left. I know that is crazy but why else would they choose to ignore the reality that we are more sucessful running left.

by SouthernNorseman on Dec 21, 2009 8:44 AM CST via mobile reply actions

Naaah

Probably just a brain cramp.

by medicineball on Dec 21, 2009 8:54 AM CST up reply actions

I think this game it was injured linemen

O-Line play was terrible and keyed the poor play. I’ll give Hutchinson some credit as he looked the best of the worst, but McKinney was like a statue.

by ChemErik on Dec 21, 2009 8:57 AM CST reply actions

scary...........

Well all I know is that we need to fix something.. and quickly… if not you stand no chance in the playoffs…. what happened to the team we had when we destroyed the pack, and the bengals… christ the way we played last night, I think the lions game would have been a toss up.. if not worse….

by Toes110 on Dec 21, 2009 9:10 AM CST reply actions

I know what happened.

We played on turf, at 68 degrees and stable. This team simply isn’t built to play outside, on a sloppy field, in the cold. Expect a Bear’s loss next week due to said conditions.

by Jepp The Viking on Dec 21, 2009 10:39 AM CST up reply actions

I dont think the Bears...

have a Defense that can stuff our run AND harrass our backfield like the Panthers did. (Arizona too.)

The field/weather conditions play a part… but not as much as an aggressive defense finding success exerting their will.

I BELIEVE...

by ArizonaVikingsFan on Dec 21, 2009 1:52 PM CST up reply actions

Left... that's McKinney's side

The answer is simple – McKinney isn’t mobile.

You run left, you need the left side to move forward. Hutch is one of the best pulling guards in the game, but McKinney doesn’t have the mobility to stay with the play or push it forward more than a few yards.

by DCPurple on Dec 21, 2009 12:30 PM CST reply actions

The numbers

Maybe, but looking at the stats we gained more yards on fewer carries to the left than we did on the right. So I don’t think that’s the issue. It’s Big Mac’s pass blocking that worries me more.

A good coach makes his team better, he doesn’t wait for a better team to make him look good.

by dwarg on Dec 21, 2009 12:35 PM CST up reply actions

Who was doing the running on the left?

Was it AP, or CT? I ask because I think it makes a difference.

by DCPurple on Dec 21, 2009 1:17 PM CST up reply actions

Both

AD had 2 for 17 to the left. Chester had 1 for 7 to the left.

by JasonAve6413 on Dec 21, 2009 2:20 PM CST up reply actions

Running to our strong side...

and the Defense playing toward it.
One good run (maybe 2) to the left surprised the D because we shy away from it.
I blame Mt McKinney. something is wrong there.

I BELIEVE...

by ArizonaVikingsFan on Dec 21, 2009 1:54 PM CST up reply actions

It's Possible

that the runs to the left worked b/c we’d been running right. I didn’t check the timing of those runs. That’s about the only explanation I can think of from looking at the raw numbers.

by JasonAve6413 on Dec 21, 2009 2:21 PM CST up reply actions

Thanks for pulling together that data.

There is no explanation. You’d think at least we could balance it 50% to each side but that wouldn’t be the K.A.O. in action. In the K.A.O you find ways to make it hard then look for better players so you can make it harder. Get your checkbook ready Zygi it’s an uncapped year next year and Chilly’s going to have a long shopping list.

My favorite play of the game was the 3rd and 1 where we pitched back to Peterson.

Brilliant, you’ve gained nine yards in your first three plays so you pitch back to turn 3rd and 1 into 3rd and 8. Why? Because third and short is for pussies! That’s why!

A good coach makes his team better, he doesn’t wait for a better team to make him look good.

by dwarg on Dec 21, 2009 12:31 PM CST reply actions