Blocking Aside, Favre Looks Good in Houston

Moreso with T-Jack than with Gus, but I know exactly what you mean. Nice to be able to breathe again :)

You’re right, all anyone wanted was a ‘game manager’, and Favre definitely kept the D more honest. They weren’t always up crowding the line and the result is a more productive running game as well.

I think it will only get better once Berrian returns. We should have some better speed on the outside, stretching the field properly.

I’d happily watch this ‘unexpanded’ offense all season because he actually executed it. That little pass to Chester? Awesome. The pass to Shank? Awesome. These are the types of plays that seem to elude Tarvaris (and formerly Gus) all to frequently last year. The Vikes looked great on their screens and slants (even though receivers dropped a few of those slants). Our offense will be devastatingly effective and consistent if Favre keeps executing those plays like he did last night. To me, that’s what’s been missing from this offense. TJax has the arm and abilities—hopefully he can learn the decision making and timing this year.

That BB wasn’t playing either. I’m sure when he’s back Favre will look to him often.

Lots of exotic, complicated plays with a quarterback who’s only been here 12 days, his main receiver out, and the #2 receiver a rookie who’d played only a few snaps in real-game NFL conditions before last night? On top of that, in a preseason game? You really expected them to tip their hand on their playbook in those circumstances?

chili brings a boring conservative passing offense. we might see some excitment from the wildcat (i’m still not 100% sold that it will actually be used in the regular season) but other than that, this offense is a vanilla dink and dunk down the field offsense. defenses know it and will adjust accordingly just like last season.

On the TD run, Houston had a standard 7 man front, and the Vikings burned them. That is what Brett Favre does for the Vikings…he puts opposing defenses at a disadvantage.

huh?? i hope you were being sarcastic here. how did favre put the defense at a disadvantage on this play? 7 in the box instead of 8? we saw the same thing last year. defenses didn’t put 8 in the box on every single play.

Ya, I noticed that too. Looked really odd.

Also, how big of an impact on the downfield game is Berrian’s absence having?

Give Sullivan most of this season, and we wont be missing Birk. And I do love Birk alot folks. In a totally heterosexual way of course, just like I did with Millard back in the day! Still remember wearing #75 playing for Centennial Jr./Sr. High back then till my back gave out.

Rookies, of course, never lack focus or awareness. They also never try to do too much.

it’s a rookie mistake because in college, harvin’s athletic ability against lessor talent would have allowed him to get the first down regardless of catching it behind the marker. the sheer difference in talent would have allowed him to make a play after the catch. that’s why we always hear how rookies have to adjust to the speed of the game.

the pros know and execute the proper angles and they are so much more athletic than the vast majority of college players. you can’t rely on sheer athleticism at the pro level.

I’ve seen some NFL vets pull that boneheaded move too, there’s no excuse for them; they should know better and be tracking their position, esp relative to the chains. The only time it’s forgivable is if they’re being used as a safety valve and the QB is dumping to avoid a sack.

if he can’t execute the plays and we have to coddle him on the field, he doesn’t need to be on the field.

But there’s absolutely no way he lasts a complete 16-game season if we see more plays like that. A warrior perhaps, but a warrior who will be sidelined come January.

Actually he can when you have a QB that can do it. Chilli should b working on Tjax catching ability. From the wildcat you can still throw you know.

what they need to do is run AWAY from Favre!

how do i have a picture like your pic of cris

Of course TJack is going to be upset last night. He was told that he would play the third quarter, and that sage would play the 4th. Chilly understandably wanted to keep Favre in there to keep his flow going and get him ready for the season, but that obviously wasn’t what was discussed before the game. In turn, TJack played one series, making a couple of nice throws, and was sacked to end the drive because the third string receivers couldnt get open.

Like it or not, and I hope you do because you are a fan of the Vikings, TJack has progressed every year, and the guy looks a lot more comfortable and in touch with his skills back there. He wants to play, and he was essentially lied to by the coaching staff. Sage played the whole 4th as promised – people can get angry and disheartened, thats normal. And how can you learn from Favre sitting on your ass when Favre isn’t even in the game?

Sometimes LB’s were getting through, other times Favre had no where to throw. One sack came when Sage tripped on Sullivan’s foot and fell down.

Overall Houston brought a lot of pressure and our offensive line looked a little shaky in handling it. They’re going to have to iron that out by the regular season or Favre will get hurt back there. Having said that, though, I think it’s good experience for us to face this right now because everyone’s going to do it to us until we beat it. I’d rather that happen now than in the middle of the season (like what has happened in the past to us where around game 5 or 6 a team just blitzes and blitzes us and we drop 3 games trying to adjust).

part of that is i saw jared allen and pat williams (pat williams!!!) in coverage.

why? i’m all for trying to be creative, but pat williams in coverage? it’s bad enough when they pull allen off the line for this crap but phat pat too?? i find this trend disturbing and potentially dangerous.

I think it may have been caused by a healthy respect for the Shaub-Johnson connection. While the Texans got a few of those in, they weren’t able to put together a consistent deep-game threat all night. Not all of that was Viking brilliance, some of it was because Shaub just wasn’t very accurate past about 30 yards, overthrowing receivers that had our secondary beat.

Some great points, but on the comment about not lots of long downfield attempts – I’d remind you that Berrian is still out, and Harvin is a rookie seeing his first sustained action last night. Give it time.

I did see some happy feet on at least one play. Needless to say it was incomplete. Once Favre calms down and has a better feel for things that should go away virtually immediately.

He threw it with his back.

Wasn’t even looking at Favre, all Favre had to do was throw his left shoulder into the guy to knock him off his lane to Harvin. He threw his entire weight into the guys knees, when the guy wasn’t even looking at him. I don’t think we’d like it if a defensive player threw their entire weight into Favre’s knees when he wasn’t looking in the direction of defensive player, and taken off the field because of a knee injury.

Protecting his teammates? respect? come on that was a lazy block, for a guy considered to be gritty and tough.

can cover Andre Johnson 1on 1

If Favre is like the Titanic, it’s the Titanic on its 210th voyage (I think that is how many consecutive games he has now if you count postseason). You can call Brett Favre many things, but I don’t think “maiden” would apply (as in “maiden voyage”)

Maybe Favre is the Lusitania?

Green Bay do the two minute drill all those years. I used to hate that—we’d be up on them, 2 minutes or so left, and sure enough Favre would just keep moving them down the field. I used to get so upset, sometimes shouting at the TV—the Vikes had to know this was coming, right? They’ve only seen Favre do it 20 or 30 times before. It hit me part way through that drive last night that he was doing it again, only for us this time.

I agree with WVV, I don’t see how any rational person, who actually watched the game, can say TJ or Sage could have done that. The checkdowns, the reads, the look to the outside then throwing back to the middle, the respect the defense gave the passing game with Farve on the field. The 30 yd td pass that Harvin didn’t catch was perfectly thrown to a place where only Harvin has a play on it. If Harvin catches it (which a receiver that wants to start in the NFL has to do), it would have made every highlight reel for the week and would have everyone talking about what a stellar performance Farve had, instead of talking about Farve only throwing the short passes. Mentally, playing Farve puts a general on the field; TJ and Sage aren’t even officers.

If you think TJ or Sage could have made that throw please reach between your legs, grab your neck, and pull your head out. I think the lack of oxygen you are experiencing may be causing you brain damage.

Sage could have done that.

They just look up the numbers the next day, and let those from their opinions for them.

For those that ACTUALLY WATCHED THE GAME, what we saw, besides that missed TD you describe, was a few other receptions nullified by penalties, some nice lookoffs by Favre to get his ultimate receiver open & some room to pile up YAC, some split-second adjustments to defensive pressure (particularly on that taylor TD play), and only one truly bad throw, which because it came on a “free play” due to offsides, was not actually really a bad decision at all.

Tell us what Farve’s Qb rating would have been if Harvin could catch. That was a perfect throw 30 yds down filed to a spot where only the receiver had a play on the ball and people are still saying Sage or TJ could have done that?!?!?!? Harvin couldn’t even look back at Farve he was so ashamed for letting it slip through his fingers. 30 more passing yards another completion and another td.

During that play Harvin had his jersey grabbed by the defender and he slowed down a step as if expecting a pass interference call instead of staying with his route. The pass was perfect. It should have been caught.

you honestly think Chilly had ANYTHING to do with Favre throwing that block? That was a Favre decision that he made impulsively. He’s been blocking like that for many many years.

you can’t take out the long scamper and then say it wasn’t a good rushing game. AD breaks a long run almost every game. If you took out all AD longest runs from each game, of course his remaining yards per carry will drop significantly. What would the point of doing that be?

I agree about the HARVIN needing to catch that ball though.

" about five that Favre’s lack of mobility turned into sacks or bad throws that TJack would have turned into positive plays."

That is one thing that Jackson could which helped you guys a lot. Your o-line is and has been suspect against the blitz, and Favre not being able to elude the rush will hurt a bit. On the flipside of that, Favre can make the throws and reads that Jackson has not been able too. I think the two will sort of cancel each other out, though Favre being able to make reads and throws is more important then not being able to elude the pass rush. Your o-line will probably give up many more sacks then last year.

Hawkeye Tech, Please see my post above for an explanation of what you need to do to allow more oxygen to get to your brain. This is a common condition for hawkeye fans.

BTW – GO Cyclones!!!!! :-) LOL.

first good, honest review i’ve read and i agree with all of it.

picking up the blitz was a big problem last year and so far this preseason it looks like it will probably be a big problem again this year.

It’s not a question if Favre can play. It’s about having to look at him.

You make it to my neighborhood and I’ll buy you as many beers as you want.

My Favre jersey is on the way.