Stock Market Report, Week 8
by Ted Glover on Nov 1, 2010 12:52 AM CDT
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What...the...hell. 2-5.
Two wins. Five losses. Eight stitches. 2 passes thrown to Moss. One idiot of a head coach. Zero sacks in three games---for the first time in franchise history.
The wheels are coming off, the bandwagon is as empty as a politician's promise, and after what happened today, as your Vikings financial advisor, I have one word:
Sell.
Sell everything, convert all your cash into things that you can barter, and find a shelter to hole up in. If this were an airplane, we'd be in a death spiral, if it were a helicopter, we'd be looking at a high gross weight, low altitude dual engine failure, and if we were the German Army in WWII, we'd be the last holdouts of the defense of Berlin.
But I do have a plan.
You, in the third row, set your hair on fire. You, you, annnnnnd...you, roll into the fetal position and suck your thumbs.
Everyone else, panic, because it's time.
Yeah we're free, free ballin' fallin'. Stock Market Report, after the jump.
Blue Chip Stocks:
There are none. When you are 2-5, there are too many problems to think you have an area of your game that is head and shoulders as good as anyone else in football. You could make a case for Adrian Peterson, but if he's the best running back in football, he scores on 4th and goal, so you fail. You could argue the offensive line, but when your starting QB is carried off on a cart with a gash on his chin bigger than the Fulda Gap, you fail. You could argue the defense, but when their glaring inability to tackle is overshadowed by an indifference to rush the QB, you fail.
Sound Investments:
Percy Harvin, WR: Harvin was magnificant on Sunday, but his effort wasn't enough. Although Randy Moss hasn't been used--AT ALL--in the offense since he came back home, he has diverted attention away from Harvin, who has benefitted tremendously. He also had a great catch for a two point conversion that got the Vikes to within three, but that went to waste when the freaking $100 million defense couldn't get a stop.
Brett Favre, QB. Favre was having a pretty good game, right up until the point he got knocked out. Yeah, he had a pick, but that was more a great defensive play as opposed to a bad Favre throw. He was surprisingly mobile for a guy with two fractures in his ankle, and made some good throws. Still, it seems that the magic is gone. Do I have stats to back me up? No, I don't. All I have is my fan's intuition. Last year, I thought that if the Vikes had the ball late and the game was on the line, Favre was going to drive them down the field and the Vikes were going to win. I no longer feel that way.
Junk Bonds:
Asher Allen, CB. Just make a tackle, dude. You make that third down stop, it's fourth and five. VIkes get the ball back, and maybe, just maybe, the sun shines on the dog's ass and the Vikings get a win. Or, if you can't tackle, how about...and this is just a thought I had...how about you don't get beat deep when the d-line is finally putting pressure on Tom Brady. You know that you're not going to get something crazy like safety help up top, so if you get beat, it's over. Even if it's by a stiff like Brandon Tate.
Madieu WIlliams, Allegedly a Safety. Nice pick in the first half. You broke on the pass, stepped in front of the receiver, and made a nice interception. Textbook, just textbook play. What? He didn't? But, it was right in his hands. Jesus in a diaper, but he CRADLED the ball in his arms as he was falling to the ground, and he didn't pick it off? Why no, no he didn't. He decided to play 'tip drill', and Brandon Tate, who looked like a first ballot hall of famer today, caught it and got down to the Vikes 10 yard line. Coloring book, not text book. So if you can't cover, how about you tackle? On the play that Allen was beat deep, Madieu WIlliams moved in to make the tackle and limit the damage, and the best way to do that, of course, is to play the mirror game. You remember the mirror game, right? That's where you copy everything that the person in front of you does. Williams stutter stepped with Tate, moved laterally with him, and kept pace step for step all the way into the endzone. Awesome job at the mirror game, sorry ass job of professional football.
Jared Allen, DE. Allen has become a one trick pony that the rest of the NFL has figured out. Let him speed rush upfield and take himself out of the play, and in the enormous area that he has vacated, which for some reason a linebacker hasn't covered, run your play in that area and watch it go for HUGE gains. Or maneuver a battleship, because there's just that much space to work with, and we wouldn't want to let it go to waste like that, would we?
The Rest Of The Defensive Line: You make more money than the entire GDP of Afghanistan, and you can't register a sack in three games? You almost have to try to do that. Maybe you should just donate your game checks to Whitney Houston. She'd at least put forth a better effort to hustle some crack than you guys are at hustling after the quarterback. And she'd be more entertaining.
Brad Childress, Soon To Be Former Vikings Coach (if there is a God). Okay, let's not challenge a TD pass by Green Bay last week, but let's challenge an obvious, albeit juggling, Patriots catch? Let's not put three sure points on the board right before halftime after an impressive drive and go into the locker room with some momentum and the lead. Instead, let's piss away the three points by going for a TD and not making it. Wait, I have an even better idea. Let's not get Randy Moss involved...at all. Let's just keep him on the outside and let him run patterns directly into double coverage. Let's not put him in motion, let's not change his positioning on the field, and most importantly, let's only target him TWICE. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Buy/Sell:
Buy nothing. Stock up on canned goods, charcoal, lighter fluid, matches, guns, and ammunition. If those are running low at your local militiaman survival store, just get booze. A lot of it. In an unrealted note, I just robbed the Leinenkugel's brewery of 6,402 cases of Sunset Wheat beer. That should get me through Christmas.
Sell: Third down defense. If you can't get off the field, your offense can't get on the field.
Sell: Randy Moss coming back if Childress is back. So, when one of your best players, who hasn't spoken to the press in over a week, waxes poetically about how great his coach and teammates...of his former team...are, I think it's safe to say that he's dissatisfied and we've hit critical mass.
Sell: Percy Harvin's ankle. He sounded like it was pretty painful after the game, and if he's limited or out against the Cardinals next week, the chances of the Vikings being able to win that game are almost zero.
Sell: Randy Moss. And not because Moss has been ineffective, but because the Vikes seemingly have no interest in incorporating him into the offense. It's obviously come to a boil for Moss, and it should infuriate every Vikings fan as well. At this rate, just put Sidney Rice on IR, because he's going to be nothing more than a decoy, either.
Sell: Brad Childress as a head coach. From the bowing at the Favre altar, to the inability to think on the fly, to his inability to get the ball to playmakers after ownership makes a ballsy trade to jump start the club, to playcalling that borders on the criminal, to play challenging that is stupefyingly ignorant, Brad Childress is the anti-Bill Belichick. The reason Moss was speaking so wistfully about the Patriots is because he now knows first hand that the Vikings go into every NFL chess match with a high school checkers player, and there isn't a damn thing he can do about it.
Sell: Making the playoffs in 2010. That sound you heard was the Super Bowl window slamming shut. Look, I'm going to cheer like hell for the rest of the season, but 2-5 is a hurdle that probably can't be overcome. October was going to be the make or break month, and well, the Vikes broke. What's even more unsettling is what lies over the horizon, in 2011 and beyond. This will be a team in transition, and based on who's getting paid in comparison to their production, it will be interesting to see who the VIkings bring back.
Today was the low point for me. A lot of things hit home, and none of them were good. Favre is too old to be effective, the defense is aging before our eyes and cannot impose their will on a good offense when they have to, and the head coach has no business being one. It's a lethal combination, and one I have a hard time believing the Vikings will be able to overcome.
Skol.
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Definitely sucks
But, I’m not abandoning ship. I’ll be a Favre-fan till the guy gives me a real reason not to be. Not gonna turn on him or the team because they aren’t winning.
Get well soon, Brett. And go GO VIKES! I can still say it without a smidge of regret.
________________________________________________
www.lordkayoss.com
We're all Captains today........
I’m fine with going down with my Vikes.
The end is in sight but there still is a chance. It’s past time to let Favre sit to get him healthy and rally around TJ. Hope for the best, 9-7, and sneak into the playoffs. By that time Favre should be a little healthier and ready to go if we need him. If not, we can go all out with TJ and Webb’s athleticism.
In fairness to Jared Allen
He wasn’t rushing up field to open up holes as much this game. There were lots of plays where he just got hooked and blocked legitimately. It’s not really better, but at least it wasn’t as bad as last week.
The only positive that can come out of this is if the ownership figures this out and fires Childress immediately. I doubt that they will, but I would. This is like buying someone a sports car and then watching them drive it into a wall repeatedly. After a while you start to wonder if they’re really that stupid or doing it out of spite.
Let me repeat:
We win against Packs, Lions, Skins, Cards, Bears x 2, Bills and beat one out of Eagles or Giants = 10-6 season.
Easier said than done but still…
Lose to both Eagles and Giants = 9-7
All hope is not lost…yet!
Wish I had your optimism, izziefans....
but our beloved Vikes have won 2 of the first 7. What makes anybody think they’re going to win 7 of the next 9?
Even if they did, they’d squeak into the playoffs and have to play on the road and just get spanked anyway. We can be let down now or let down later, it seems.
Remember last year, the Titans started out 0-6 and got completely embarrassed
by the Patriots to the tune of like 60-0. Then they almost made the playoffs, in fact were playing for a spot until the last week I believe.
We are in a much better position than they were. It can be done, we have talent.
Sure it is easier said than done...
Beating Bears in away game, Packs, Eagles and Giants is not going to be easy. Who knows if McNabb+Shanahan show up on the game day…they can give us a hard time as well.
But if we cannot win these games, we are not a good team. Right now, we are a good team and there is some hope.
at 9-7 got Mike TICE the wave
9-7 Got Mike TICE a wave with a lesser talented team. How long before the MOSS bomb goes off. Who has the owners ear, does BF? They should let him know what an idiot he is and the rest of the offensive staff. Like many others the first year I was sold on Jared but not last year. How many meaningful sacks did he have last year? How many non-backup linemen did he beat. TJ would be 3rd or 4th sting on any other team.
Hopefully they pull out a miracle, but if they don’t go 10-6 I hope they go 3-13 and for sure get Chilli fired no 8-8 and one more year. The Jets post BF got a coach and a QB to go with, hopefully we can do the same. Only good thing to come from this year. The Cowboys will not be playing in the Superbowl either.
Why have some players gotten better? Rice got better because he worked with Chris Carter and others over the summer. Harvin got better when BF arrived. None of the coaches (especially offense) has made any of the players better in fact if it were not for his determination and unbelievable skill AP would be ruined. They still have not taught TJ how to drop back 3,5,7 step drop back. This is a very bad staff and HC and everyone knows it. No interviews for Bevell even after an NFC run last year and the staff stayd together because no one wants them. Just like no one want TJ,
Last but not least 2 weeks to design and run illegal play (the pass to BF). I know that was last week but COME ON MAN!
Tice got the wave cause he was a poor coach...
who lost control of his team and embarrassed the organization (Love Boat, Head Coach Scalping Tickets, etc.).
The sad truth is we haven’t had a decent coach since Bud Grant. Clearly they’re hard to come by. Rumor is his son is in the coaching business—-but probably way too smart to leave a cushy job like Eden Prairie High to try to make it in the ruthless, whacked-out world that is today’s NFL.
"well i'm freeeee, free basing....ya i'm freeeee, free basing"
in the future there will be no war...there will only be rollerball.
Yeah was disappointing...
… but losing to the Patriots, no shame in that. They are very good.
Childress has got to go. I’ve not been one to bash him, or really support him for that matter. I’m not so quick to blame the coach as I used to be when I was younger and Denny Green was mismanaging the game.
But I really think Childress has just completely lost this team. Moss is just, tactfully, speaking to what I suspect the rest of the team is thinking: We get out coached practically every week, and still are competitive.
So, can we launch a “fire childress” page, somewhere here, to send a message? Ziggy has got to get the message: this superbowl isn’t going to happen, time to clean house starting with the coach.
Skol. Let’s hope we grab a few more wins, maybe even a wildcard. At any rate, save some face and win some games in the division.
And then let’s hope for a new coach + a good draft.
Next year is a new year. I predict no Favre, no Moss, probably big O-line changes. No Pat Williams. Maybe a stadium.
To me, this is easier to take in some ways than losing to NO in the NFC championship game.
agreed
Bring on the process of rebuilding!!!!
by norsemenxpress on Nov 1, 2010 7:24 AM CDT up reply actions
But are they good?
Buffalo put up points on the Pats! The only team that scored less than the Vikes against them was Miami, a divisional opponent.
But yeah, Childress and the rest of the offensive staff is just sad.
The bills also put up A LOT of points on the Ravens too.
I’ll take 11 players with heart on the field over 11 guys with just talent. Talent is fleeting, it goes away over time. Heart is what drives you to be better. To push yourself beyond what you think your capabilities are. To show us that when you strive, all things are possible.- SMP
These players, a lot of other people didn't believe in them, but they believe in themselves. And that is all that matters."- Bill Belichick
I'm also a Raider Fan dammit!!! RAIDER NATION!!!!
Well perhaps....
… but they have only one loss, and their offense is pretty productive, and extremely consistent. It runs like a machine.
The defense, perhaps you are right. I don’t know. I only saw them play a little. I didn’t think their defense looked awful against the Vikings. Maybe average, but no worse than that.
by HammeroftheGods on Nov 1, 2010 11:40 AM CDT up reply actions
My point was...
… that any of these games, and this one in particular, was not a “gimme”. Wherever the Patriots are in the scheme of things, winning at Foxboro right now is very, very hard.
We’ve lost most of our games to quite good teams. But, if we think we are/should be good, we’ve got to win some of them.
Losing last night was not that unexpected, but it is crushing because of our hole now at 2-5.
by HammeroftheGods on Nov 1, 2010 11:42 AM CDT up reply actions
Agreed, hammer...
Zygi, god bless him, has assembled a high-priced cast with his OWN MONEY——3rd highest payroll in the NFL for chrissakes!—-and has nothing but a bland, slow-witted, stubborn, little man coaching them.
It’s like he’s got a garage full of Porsches and nobody smart enough to know how to drive em.
Crikey, somebody step in do something Zygi. In the business world, Chillly would’ve been whacked long ago.
Randy bomb is ticking...
Did you see him at the press conference?
It’s obviously come to a boil for Moss
I agree he is definitely not pleased. I am legitimately scared now. It’s not bad enough that Childress has sucked for 4 years, now he has to ruin Randy’s prophesied homecoming. This sucks.
i'm not jumping ship
but this team is in a baaaddd place. 2-5, a record that has them tied for LAST PLACE with the lions (yes, those lions) and even if they get to 9-7 it might not be enough for a wild card with the saints and/or bucs getting one and the eagles most likely getting the other.
childress needs to go. he just doesnt seem to have a backbone. not good for a team leader. and can we get some DB’s that can cover…..please?? winfield is good enough on his side but the other 3 can go. and i dont know what happened to the d-line……they went from great to worst in the division in one year.
all that said, this team has enough talent in place to catch fire, kinda like the titans last year, and win a good chunk of games left on the schedule and finish with a respectable record.
Good things come to those who keep fighting
Ted, I would love to say you're overreacting
but you aren’t…at all.
Childress and his awful coaching staff are the biggest problem. Normally, when a guy like Childress lucks into a job by giving an outstanding interview and taking credit for things on his resume that would have happened even if he hadn’t been born, they will at least bring in a good staff to make themselves look better. But Chilly seems to have the opinion that anyone with any capabilities will only serve to highlight his inadequacies. The good assistant makes the HC look bad by comparison.
Childress is in over his head and is the completely wrong coach for the job. He doesn’t relate to the players, doesn’t motivate them, and is obviously incapable of getting anywhere near full potential from extremely talented players. Put this roster in the hands of a real coach and they would be unstoppable.
This philosophy of drafting defensive backs because of their ability to tackle has got to stop. Not only does it allow the WR more catches for more yards and more TDs because of the fact that you must cover them to make a difference, the guys end up not being able to tackle anyway. Our pass defense seems to be summed up in this statement : “Watch them catch it in front of you, then try and catch them to bring them down before they score”. Couldn’t we at least try and prevent them from catching the ball?
Here is a question: Why were we so anxious to allow Darren Sharper to leave town when he was the only DB we’ve had in ages that could actually come up with more than an interception per year? He made plays, so naturally we should send him packing. But Madeiu (It doesn’t deserve to be spelled correctly) Williams, now that guy we’ve got to keep! Hooboy.
But regardless of the outcome guys, Brad Childress’ dream did come true against the Patriots. Tarvaris Jackson threw a TD pass to Tahi! The kickass offense is back of track!!!!
Now I feel like a real Vikings fan! The depression is setting in… I guess last year was a fluke and it’s too much to ask for the practically identical roster to produce anything close to that amazing season : ( WildCard!!!
LOLOL!
Last year wasn’t a fluke in terms of personnel and talent.
Last year was pretty much what you would expect with an all-star, super-talented group of players who had a fairly easy schedule.
This year the schedule has been absolutely brutal and an all-star, super-talented group of players isn’t enough to bluff your way through it. This year, what’s needed is a team. The head coach has had a year to make his group of all-star, super-talented players into a super-team that should have dominated the NFL, but it didn’t happen. Why?
Let’s look at the wonderful world of music, what happens to all the super-groups there? Most of the time they self-destruct, no leadership and too much ego for one room to cope with. In the NFL, a team of mostly nobodies (e.g. the ’Aints) can go all the way if the head coach can mold them into a team that executes well in all phases.
In other words, the bottom line is coaching and leadership. Without it, there is no team, just a collection of individuals.
Hang in there man, you do indeed, now have the feel of what it’s like to be a Viking fan :). They may break your heart, but just as often they’ll give you unforgettable moments of beauty and victory. Never give up.
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!
I think at the end of last season...
… you could see the offensive line having problems. We lost down the stretch a lot last year. I don’t think the offensive line has been better than average since Matt Birk left.
Last year wasn’t a fluke, but players age, get hurt, you name it. You need new guys all the time. We had some good pieces, Hutch on the O-line for example, but even he’ll wear down eventually.
by HammeroftheGods on Nov 1, 2010 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions
Nice write up Ted
Enjoyed it as always. Chances of making it to the play offs this year are surely slipping. One thing I did notice was that after Brett threw that int it let the air out of everyone. It was like the team was waiting for it to happen and when it did they all just realized they weren’t going to win.
I’ve been yelling for Childress’s head for years. I just wish I wasn’t right so often…
I think we have a solid chance in the next couple of weeks to turn this ship around. I believe that if we start winning the team will gel back up. The first half of out schedule was brutal and I think we all realized that in the beginning of the year. It would have been nice to get a couple more games out of this, but honestly I figured we’d be in a bad place by the time we got to the Cards. Maybe not THIS bad, but it’s been a tough draw for sure. Now if we lose to the Cards, well then we are pretty much sunk for the season.
It's a lot easier to love the Vikings when they win...
why do you guys keep calling that interception on Favre
Even the bloody nfl.com said it wasn’t on him. That the receiver bobbled the ball into the hands of defender. And it’s his fault for “taking all the air out” of the offense you say.
C’mon. Just gotta play that blame game, no matter if it’s true or not. He was one of handful of guys on that team that really looked like he gave a rats tush.
Man, did you watch the Steeler/NO game? Those guys were all in the game, 200% effort. That’s Chilly’s biggest problem: he can’t get that kind of inspiration out of his team.
by lorenzo4 on Nov 1, 2010 8:21 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Well, it couldn't possibly be Percy Harvin's fault :)
Rec’ed.
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!
It’s officially in the books as a pick so it’s easier to refer to the play that way. What it actually should have been called was a catch and strip (basically a brilliant play by a Patriot player since Harvin had it).
It might be described that way if the NFL rules on what constituted a catch didn’t suck (and vary upon which part of the field you’re in…)
by ViolentSilence on Nov 2, 2010 7:11 PM CDT up reply actions
problems
we should have addressed our O line in the off season. it is the root of our problems. we have the worst safties in the nfl. hard to dog the corners when there is O pass rush. what is up with the d line!!?? had high hopes for loadholt but he is weak; herrerra is pitiful. fourth and goal and load got stood up in the hole and pushed out. teams with a solid O line win rings. look at the giants up front. peterson runs for his life every weekend. pack winning at jets was perhaps the last gasp of hope. we’ll see. chemistry doesn’t seem to be there; starts and ends with head coach.
Actually
I think the line has had two pretty good games in a row. John Sullivan has really made a difference, but they weren’t terrible with Cook and Cooper.
I agree 100% with the safeties. Terrible, just terrible play so far this year.
The Daily Norseman
Off Tackle Empire
SB Nation Minnesota
"A parent's only as good as their dumbest kid. If one wins a Nobel Prize but the other gets robbed by a hooker, you failed."
"Pull your 84 jerseys out, man. I think this is going to be a fun ride." Randy Moss, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Sullivan
yeah, a difference. But look at what you are comparing him to. How many times do you see him not holding his block and watching as his guy makes the tackle. It’s quite disturbing. But singling him out of the O-line, just isn’t fair. They all need to check themselves.
Safeties and CBs…..besides Winfield, who else is there?
Center play
Yeah, when you are comparing a second stringer on any other team (sullivan) to Cook and Copper, sure he looks better. Just look at the play of the center on Detroit and the rook center the steelers have. They get off the block and hit a line backer to boot. We have NO chemistry.
2009 put us in a bad position....
2009 gave us the schedule that we received. Our strength of schedule is harder this year!
Not to mention, it’s like we have the Superbowl hang over w/o the Superbowl win or appearance for that matter.
What I mean by this, is that all opposing teams are bringing their A-game against us. They are doing the same against the Saints and they’re struggling too.
Luckily, team mentality of opposing teams will see our current record and not prepare correctly… Our team has talent, but the win/loss ratio does not show it.
We’re not getting blown out of games, and we are always in it up until the Clock ticks 0:00.
Our schedule seems to get slighly easier for the back-9 of this season and we can still see some higher production once Rice returns.
Maybe he kicks the offense into high-gear and we become a high potent offense that seems nearly instoppable.. Which pushes us to have a basic winning out the season.
But, only one can hope….. I’m only crossing my fingers, because this whole season… Seems messed up for the NFC. (remember folks, most of our losses are AFC and the defending Superbowl champs).. We’re losing close to good teams..
2009 only contributed two games
Cardinals and Saints. The rest of your schedule is the same as every other NFC North Team: Division, AFC East, NFC East.
You're wrong, Danwood....
If you understood how the NFL schedule works, as division champs the Vikes the last two years the Vikes got the other divisions’ champs. #2 team in each division gets #2 team from other divisions, etc.
Each NFC North team plays every AFC East and NFC East team, yes. But the Vikes as division champs have a more difficult schedule.
Part of it is just the timing—-of the first 7 games, they’ve had to be away (at NO, at NYJ, at NE, and at GB)—-most of them primetime games which make it even ahrder. Just a brutal schedule.
Good teams find a way to win some of these. Vikes were division champs in 2008, as well, and where too busy stomping everybody to worry about the schedule.
Different year, friends. The bounces the VIkes were getting last year are all bouncing their opponents’ way this year. That’s the beauty of sports, eh?
You pretty much agreed with me...
Only 2 games on your schedule are different and more difficult than any other team in the North (and with the Cards imploding, even that’s a bit of a stretch). The rest are predetermined common opponents, NOT based on 2009 performance.
I fully understand how the scheduling rules work.
Brett Favre, QB. Favre was having a pretty good game, right up until the point he got knocked out. Yeah, he had a pick, but that was more a great defensive play as opposed to a bad Favre throw. He was surprisingly mobile for a guy with two fractures in his ankle, and made some good throws. Still, it seems that the magic is gone. Do I have stats to back me up? No, I don’t. All I have is my fan’s intuition. Last year, I thought that if the Vikes had the ball late and the game was on the line, Favre was going to drive them down the field and the Vikes were going to win. I no longer feel that way.
Really? Maybe I’m a blind optimist, but if Favre had not been knocked out, and if the D had been able to make a stop on that last Patriot drive, then … yeah, if Favre & Co. got the ball back on the 20 at the two minute warning & down by three, then yes I would have believed in them, that they would have gone far enough down the field to at least get Ryan “Automatic” Longwell on the field. They were moving the ball pretty well at that point.
And IF my aunt had a set of testicles
She’d be my uncle. This season’s record has come down to two or three plays and/or coaching decisions in each game, and you can argue that if this happened, or if Chilly did that, the game would’ve had a different outcome.
Last year, for the most part, all of those plays or calls went Minnesota’s way. They made the tackle, caught the pass, didn’t have a crippling turnover. This year, not the case.
Yeah, you can say if this and if that, but you are what your record says you are. And right now, the Minnesota VIkings aren’t any better than the Detroit Lions.
The Daily Norseman
Off Tackle Empire
SB Nation Minnesota
"A parent's only as good as their dumbest kid. If one wins a Nobel Prize but the other gets robbed by a hooker, you failed."
"Pull your 84 jerseys out, man. I think this is going to be a fun ride." Randy Moss, WR, Minnesota Vikings
??? Let me quote you again, and highlight to make my point
Last year, I thought that if the Vikes had the ball late and the game was on the line, Favre was going to drive them down the field and the Vikes were going to win. I no longer feel that way.
It’s actually your “if” not mine. I am just responding to it.
come on pud…he was talking about if it were last year and the team had the mojo that it had then
you were talking about if this and if that in the game yesterday
two different things.
by iseepurplepeople on Nov 1, 2010 12:24 PM CDT up reply actions
If ifs and buts were candy and nuts
We’ve had three games this year where favre had the ball with a game winning drive on the line. How have those games worked out for us? Packers game, Dolphins game, and Jets game. All losses. You could throw in the Saints game too. Before our defense couldn’t get off the field on the last drive, our offense had plenty of chances to make a drive and didn’t. I’m with Ted when his fan intuition says that it just isn’t going to happen like last year. There are stats to back it up too.
All is not lost, but man it's close.
We could end up 9-7 or be real optimist & go with 10-6. If things just can start to click for this team. I’m of the opinion that Tarvaris will have to do it. The team could rally behind this kid if he can gain some confidence. At least Tarvaris can run for his life.
Favre's good game?
His stat line was nice, but was it really a good game? It felt like we had the playbook for a young QB in there. Reads and throws that are short and safe with plenty of dump offs. Don’t get me wrong, I like that he wasn’t the turnover machine that we’ve seen this year. But, don’t don’t you think with that gameplan TJ could have made those throws?
How many down field targets where there anyway?
One good pass to Moss
which was a TD if he didn’t get pulled by the DB. Harvin had a good shot to make a TD, but the pass was about a foot short.
So, 2? One sure TD, and one that had a very good chance to be a TD catch in stride.
+1
the offensive play calling was limited to limit the amount that favre had to move around
no 7step drops means no long passes. the pats could simply shorten the field in bring up the linebackers to stop the run which they did.
and how many rollouts and bootlegs did we see? 2? 3? the offense was limited on purpose.
by iseepurplepeople on Nov 1, 2010 12:27 PM CDT up reply actions
My two cents
First: I will not blame chilly for going for it on 4th down. The offense needs a serious kick in the pants. I think Chilly made the right call, they make it and the offense gets some confidence restored. They missed, hindsight is 20-20. If he made the fg, everybody would be saying we should of gotten the td…
Second: All blame for this team falls squarely on the coaching staff. Mistakes and bad play were enough to go around. No one in particular was good. Everyone had blame. The poor tackling, the lack of pass rush, ap’s consistent poor 3rd down/goal line. Moss, where are you? Moss carries some blame here too, get open, i guarantee favre chucks it at you if he thinks you have a 50-50 shot…berrian and shank dropping passes. the list goes on. The immense breadth of talent squandered on 2-5 is pathetic, and its the coaching staff’s fault. When players are not succeeding across the board, there is only one place to look.
I hate to say it, but moss is right. i hate the way he just said i miss being on a real team. that is going to hurt the locker room more than help it. but damn, he is right and we all knew it.
i dont care to hear of about strength of schedule. fact is that superbowl teams beat other superbowl teams. and who actually thinks the saints, dolphins, packers, are super bowl contenders? good yah, but sb?
i am excited
to start to see some beatable teams. i will still wear my purple jersey and fight the good fight, but the vikings have shown us what kind of team they are. excuses are over. gotta take it or leave it. i still plan on taking it…maybe they’ll click again.
Mediocre
I agree with everything written Ted. Aside from Peterson and Harvin (except for the two gifts to defensive backs) the entire team is mediocre. They play as though they’ve read too many articles about their talent; they expect to walk on the field and perform without the intensity and effort required. That is on the individuals and the COACHING staff. How many times over the past thirty years have we heard that the Vikings are a talented team that “under achieves”. We heard it with the Burns coaching staff, we heard it with Green after the first couple of years and now we hear it with Childress. The Tice coaching staff was actually mediocre in all aspects, drafting, play calling, assessing talent and using talent. If the ownership is serious about staying in Minnesota and getting a new stadium, they will make the change that is obvious to everyone. Get a coach that knows how to get the most out of the talent on the team.
Moss
Why did Childress trade for Randy Moss? What a waste!
No...
… it would be a good trade if they knew how to use him.
Besides, we gave a 4th rounder. Or maybe it was a third. At the time, it was worth it. If we had known we’d lose anyhow, then yeah I’d take the draft pick. But it was a good move at the moment.
by HammeroftheGods on Nov 1, 2010 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions
As a lifelong Viking fan, I'm used to the pain and disappointment....
The same old feeling was back, came flooding back like it always does.
But yesterday my 12—year-old son had to sit and take it—-poor kid was on the verge of tears in the second half, when you could see it all unraveling again, like being forced to watch the same bad movie over and over.
Poor bastard. He’s young, there’s still time to find another team—but it’s like a sickness or a family curse or something. They say suffering builds character, and there’s a special place in heaven for those that do….
Poor bastard?
What are you talking about? I thought you said it was your son.
by HammeroftheGods on Nov 1, 2010 11:50 AM CDT up reply actions
You sir, are pressuring your son too much.
It is too late for the rest of us but you could teach him to always side with the winners.
Excellent write up Ted
The truth of the matter is that coaching has led the Vikings to their current record.
Plain and simple.
Miami game – BC does not go for the FG on the first drive and it comes back to haunt them. Don’t even mention the play they tried to run to pick up the 4th and 2 either.
Later on the last drive needing a TD to get the lead he tries a run in a bunch formation to the right side and it gets stuffed. Bad play call.
Look at New England yesterday. They faked a shotgun snap to Brady and Woodhead snatched it and slashed in for a 3yd TD while the WRs were spread out. That is called creativity and it left options for Brady to change the play.
Green Bay – BC fails to at least call a timeout to get a better look (if there was one) at the Quarless TD. You do not do that when it involves 6 points and you are on the road against a division opponent and have a losing record. Look at Belichek yesterday wanting to challenge the Berrian non-catch but at least using a timeout to get another look. Then he decided against the challenge.
Also, BC decides to just go into the locker room without even trying to throw a long pass with Moss in the lineup. And he left two timeouts on the table.
New England – BC repeating history and failing again by not taking the 3 points at the end of the half. Sure they would have had to kickoff and Brady still would have had 1:00 minute to try and score but so be it. And he REPEATED HISTORY AGAIN with the same running play that FAILED against Miami.
These are all decisions the coach messed up. Sure Favre threw his picks and put the Vikings in bad situations but Chilly needs to do his job as well.
IMO the team does not seem inspired and I do not believe that Chilly gets them fired up at all. A guy like Tomlin can fire up his team. I do not see it with Chilly.
If I was Wilf I would let him go now and promote Frazier. IMO it is a perfect time and it lets Wilf get a good look at Frazier to see if he wants to keep him as the head coach beyond this year.
We know what we have in Chilly and it is not good enough after 5 years.
If not for Favre then it MAY have been that Chilly does not get that new deal.
while i agree coaching needs an overhaul
LF is not the man. He needs to take some blame too, after-all, the defense is mediocre.
Also I highly doubt chilly’s removal after the contract extension
I do not know about this
I think that LF is handcuffed by Chilly in what he is allowed to do.
I recall reading an article in the Pioneer Press last year where they asked LF about the old Bear “46” defense and if he uses or teaches it to the current Vikings. LF said they practiced parts of it every day but Chilly will not let him call it.
Take that for what you will but it would seem to me if he had autonomy you would at least get a chance to see a glimpse of what he can do and how the team responds to him which is also very very important (and the area where I do not see with Chilly).
Well part of the reason...
… for not challenging is you waste a time out on a bad challenge. I’m not sure calling a time out to decide on a challenge is a good move.
by HammeroftheGods on Nov 1, 2010 11:52 AM CDT up reply actions
I think it is a mandatory move and it has been done by other coaches
When you are talking about 6 points, on the road, vs a division opponent, with a losing record, & the receiver almost landing out of bounds, YOU DEFINITELY SHOULD USE A TIMEOUT.
There was no way to know that you would leave two timeouts on the table at the end of the first half at that moment but we are talking about 6 POINTS.
Combine that with GB hustling out to kick the extra point and you HAVE TO AT LEAST CALL A TIMEOUT.
Timeouts are wasted by the offense and defense all the time for screw ups so why not use a timeout to see if a play was really a TD?
Saying it is not a good move is surprising to read.
Anytime you can get a better look at what may be a questionable TD, you take it.
Notice I did not say use a challenge. Just take a timeout to see if there are any other angles. Clearly this is something that most coaching staffs MUST game plan for.
If it was Chilly’s first year then maybe I could understand.
But on scoring plays it should be a no brainer.
Agree they look flat - every game this season
Where’s the joy? were is the inspiration? these guys are playing like they are afraid to make a mistake. I just read a quote on the Raiders (the f^*&(^&) raiders!), they said their season turned around when a fired up HC implored them have fun and play with no holds bar! It sure has worked for those underachievers the last two weeks. You see our lack of spirt on offensive and the defensive side of the ball. Why the hell did we keep 10 DL players again? How’s that worked out for us? Why haven’t they at least tried to switch up Allen by letting him play the other side? Change might to good. Just like at this point, a coaching change is in order. I continue my support for the purple until the last game.
This loss is squarely on the defense.
0 sacks in 3 games, for the first time in team history. We don’t have a good enough secondary for that. Madiue Willams belongs checking out at Walmart. He is absolutely worthless. Even when we blitzed we couldn’t get to Brady. I hope all the talk of wanting Fraser for our head coach goes away, because with the talent we supposedly have on the offensive line, he is not getting it done.
Our offense looked good for pretty much a whole game this time, not just one half or another. We led time of poss. by a lot. Yet when they needed the defense to make one stop at the end of the game, they were using the ole defensive scheme.
If our defense does not do any better than that, we will get blown out in quite a few of our upcoming games.
Look how GB’s sorry defense made the Jets offense look totally inept, yet they had no problem moving the ball up and down the field on our defense. There needs to be some changes made. Starting with the D line. Bench em all if you have to. The only guys on our defense that should feel safe are the linebackers and AW.
Linebackers have sucked less but they have still sucked some
Not sure why you think the LB’s are safe, they have not done their job either. Watch the runs yesterday or hell any of the past games. Once the back clears the line there is not a LB to be seen. Late yesterday JA finally crashed down inside and the back went outside. That’s ok if the LB is there. I am not sure where he was but instead we gave up a 21 yard run to the goal line. All the runs inside were the same way. The lineman would go one way either by design or by a block and there was a hole that I could run through. That’s the LB’s job. The biggest problem I am seeing is no communication between LB’s and Line. This is a coaching problem. I know LF has been a good coach in the past, but this vanilla Tampa-2 has got to go. Everyone knows how to beat it and we cannot find enough superior players to make it work.
by SouthernNorseman on Nov 1, 2010 2:04 PM CDT up reply actions
If I was a betting man . . .
who was completely impartial, I’d say we’re gonna finish with a 7-9 record:
Wins—AZ, @Wash, Chi, Buffalo, @ Det
Losses— GB, @ Chi, @ Philly, NYG
However, I’m not impartial, so I (optimistically) see the season unfolding like this:
Wins: AZ, @ GB, Wash, Chi, Buffalo, @Chigaco, @ Det
Losses: NYG, @ Philly
That puts us at 9-7. The NFC is filled with parity, so I think the 9-7 record gives us a puncher’s chance at qualifying for the playoffs. All is not lost . . . hope maybe dwindling, but it’s not lost yet. We have a lot of talent on the roster and we’re more than capable of ripping through the rest of our schedule, especially considering that Sidney is coming back. But make no mistake, the time is now. We’ve gotta start imposing our will, on both sides of the ball, or we’ll end up on our sofas watching playoffs come January. The time for excuses is over.
Wow
Still surprized at the lack of football knowledge here. I’ll stand by my posts from the start of the season. People still trying to count on “when the sched gets easy”, The Vikes will go no better than 4-12 and that will be a fight.
And dont be tossin me that negative fan crap. You can be a fan and still see the writing on the wall. I’ve been saying it from the get go. If you dont then get a good book on football and stop relying on stats and hype.
@}-----You've been Touched-----{@
OK, if we’re not allowed to “toss the negative fan crap,” can we at least “toss the insulting condescending fan crap” instead?
Still surprized at the lack of football knowledge here
p.s.
I’ll stand by my posts from the start of the season. … I’ve been saying it from the get go
Clicking on your ID, any idiot can see your first post here was less than three weeks ago. So spare me the “Neglected Cassandra” act. That is the real “crap” being tossed here.
Fire Childress
With 2 minutes left, the only chance was a deep pass that was completed or drew an interference call, followed by a quick score and an onside kick. Long odds, of course, but the only way to win. Childress ran out the clock with short passes.
He will say you take what the defense gives you, but they give you that because you can’t win that way. Sometimes you have to try to take something, particularly when you are down 2 scores with 2 minutes left and no timeouts. He is brain-dead.
Ted, you rock!
All the writers on here are great, but Ted, you just have a knack for making me laugh, even after a pathetic showing by our beloved Vikings.
Anyway, we’re in a world of hurt this year, and I hear so much talk about next year, but that’s assuming we HAVE a next year. With contract talks looming, we might not have a season; it’s happened before. Also, with the lease on the Hubert H. Marshmallow dome coming due, it’s possible (God forbid) that this team could end up elsewhere!!!
If all things go wrong, this could be the last year of the purple and gold in Minnesota.
sniff
I sure hope they can turn this drifting ship around!
Skol Vikings!
Childress
I really hope Zygi gets a clue and fires this idiot. But, considering he resigned him last season (something NO ONE I know understood) I doubt he is smart enough to figure it out this time either.
Someone needs to tell Jared Allen
that just because the NFL said he can’t go the ground to do his calf-roping sack dance HE CAN STILL SACK THE QB!
"That sound you heard was the Super Bowl window slamming shut."
Yup, that’s the big picture behind all the problems on the field and on the side line.
Brett Favre and Pat Williams are not going to play in a Super Bowl for the Vikings, much less win one for Minnesota. Randy Moss still/again isn’t hoisting the Lombardi for the Vikings, either.
I am not familiar with the contract situations of Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, AD, and the rest, but the window has closed on the Phat Pat/Purple Favre heart of this squad. Time to reload and make a run with the Harvin generation. Start the housecleaning with a new head coach next year.
by Midnight Rambler on Nov 1, 2010 1:51 PM CDT reply actions
Rebuilding the Vikings next year: addendum
Rebuilding around Harvin, AD and a new coach assumes that there will be an NFL season next year, and that the Vikings won’t be playing in LA or London the year after that…FML.
by Midnight Rambler on Nov 1, 2010 1:56 PM CDT up reply actions
On the bright side...
…the blond skateboarding chick in the “Free Fallin” video was HOT.
Relax, I was about twelve when I first saw that video. She was older than me.
by Midnight Rambler on Nov 1, 2010 1:53 PM CDT reply actions
Someone needs to tell Madieu Williams
to go to the hospital and see about getting that football sized hole in his torso sewn up.
Hindsight 20/20
These games have been relatively close… I was definitely being optimistic last night with the Vikings scoring first and AP taking the load and pounding it pretty hard.
Once again, I noticed that we reduced touches from AP after the he is proving to be successful to switch it to run plays and different rushers. Its like we’re attempting to switch up the play calls before the defense starts to adjust. And weirdly enough, once we switch up it fails..
I’d rather be a firm believer of keep working with what works until it fails, than try something else. For example: if we were to run AP and consistently get 6-8 yards per carry. Why not keep doing it until they stop him right at the line?
Moss has not been a waste…. P. Harvin has had some shine to him since his arrival. Most can admit to that.. He has really been freed up. And its not like the Pats were going to put some attention towards Randy considering his threat. Randy could create the big play… P. Harvin will create the check downs.
Remember folks, we could be getting Rice back very soon as well.
Our line-up could easily be Moss, Rice, Harvin, & Shank. + Lewis, Camarillo, and Berrian to swap in particular plays. I believe a Moss & Rice duo could make the offensive very explosive….
Other than Favre having some minor injury issues w/ ankle, tendinitis, etc. and also losing Griffin & Cook at times. Injuries have been pretty minimal. I hope to see the rest of the division lose their games os we can have a come-back.
Gotta take the games one at a time.. I’m pretty sure we’ll take the AZ game and confidence will be rebuilt.
Divisional games are always tough, but I think the Bears are overrated.
And I bet Favre lights up GB at home.
Only two teams that scare me remaining are Eagles/Giants.
It ain’t over until the Fat lady sings.. Imagine if we were to win out the season… 11-5…. I’d say that would be playoff material w/ how the NFC has been going.
It’s not impossible, but also, not necessarily likely.
except Moss is now gone.
I agree AP runs 13 times for 60 something yards first quarter and then runs only 12 more times the rest of the game. I am no math genius but that averages to just 4 a quarter after the first. WTF. If the Vikings had not been a lifelong obsession, I would jump ship right now.
The masochist goes up to a sadist and says beat me and the sadist says no. That is the life of a Viking fan these days.
Skol if I can’t drink in celebration I will drink to drown my sorrows
by SouthernNorseman on Nov 1, 2010 2:22 PM CDT up reply actions
From a Vikings fan not in MN
The only positive I can see from this is that Ziggy will sell the team after he keeps getting rejected further by the taxpayers of MN for a new stadium, which will force him to sell the team to an owner in LA or somewhere else (crossing fingers for them to come to Chicago but I know it’s a longshot despite the demographic), and then the new ownership will almost certainly want a new head coach in there.
Ugh.
This, to me, is the worst season I’ve ever had the privelage agony of watching. Yes, there have been worse seasons to be sure, and this probably won’t be our worse season ever when all of the W/L are said and done, BUT- those other pathetic seasons, well, we expected to some extent. Either we were in transition, we lacked the talent at key areas… something, something gave us fair warning that it wasn’t going to be fun to watch.
This season, though- we thought Super Bowl. We thought revenge. Revenge on the whole NFL, revenge and justice. We thought huge blow-out games. The murderer’s row in October? A mere chance to SHOW our greatness, to beat and batter the NFC North into a third straight year of submission. The Bears and the Packers were going to be good, better than last year- even the LIONS were going to be halfway decent- and yet we, the mighty Purple and Gold, were to stand atop it anyways, and it was all going to be nothing more than confirmation of our raw awesomeness.
And even AFTER the weak start, even after all the sudden, outta nowhere stumbling blocks like Rice’s surgery, Brett Favre’s decline- what did we do? We picked up RANDY F*CKING MOSS, baby!!!! (Wait, what? We just waived him? Come on, you AT LEAST said TRADED him, right? I mean, we lost a draft pick to get him. No? Waived? Just like that? Oh, ok.) We brought our son home, the man to fix our problems. Even when we were all flipping the cover off of the Panic Button, the FO came over and SLAMMED that right back shut with the blockbuster, cure-all-ails trade. Hells yeah!
…And then? Nada. (Oh wait, we waived him? Damn, I forgot. I thought it was an effect of the hangover. OK, worse than nada- we just pissed away a draft pick!! A draft pick in a rebuilding offseason! SWEET!)
I’m not even posting a damn ‘my thoughts’ FanPost. They’re too negative. The only decent thing I had to say was that Brett Favre looked pretty damn good and really showed us, and even better (in a weird way), TJack came out and showed us too!
But so f*cking what. We just waived Moss and a white flag all at the same time. We lost because our ‘bend but don’t break’ D went to ‘bend some, bend lots, bend some more, and THEN break’ D. Our offense actually started to click some last game and this game. Last year it is not, but the beginning of the season it is not, either.
And what do we do? We waive the guy who was brought on to get just that to happen, and, arguably, did that! With Moss, Harvin AND Berrian’s production increased. (Sad to say about Berrian, considering how few times he’s been targeted since, but it’s true.) Hell, maybe TARGET the SuperFreak on a few more plays and you get just what happened against the Jets- big TD.
But what the f*ck ever. Our Super Bowl is about 5-10 years away again, at best. Hang tight, hunker down, like we’ve done time and time again.
And for G-d f*cking sake, fire that f*ckwad Childress. NOW. That is one witchburning that can help.
…sorry for all the F-bombs, I just can’t get over all this right now.
How to handle the rest of 2010
I say we take off and nuke the entire team from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.
Some belated thoughts....
I thought Brett Favre had a good game, but in a very Kyle Orton way – very safe and reliable, but not with the spark you need to come from behind.
Now the positive is out of the way
WHAT IN THE NAME OF CHRIST ON A POGO-STICK HAPPENED TO THE PLAY-CALLING??!?!? Against GB we had some interesting formations and some different looks. Against one of the smartest coaches in the league we went back to our predictable worst.
Tackling. It’s kind of useful…
Short yardage plays – I don’t blame Peterson for this. He’s a powerful back, but can’t run over 3-4 D-Line personnel. He can crush linebackers and the secondary (and most 4-3 D-Ends) but he ISN’T Mike Alstott or Jerome Bettis. SO why did we basically have one short yardage play that involved our line getting enough of a push for Peterson to go a little bit further. Why not go with three or four wide receivers, or audible out of the heavy personnel so someone like Jimmy Kleinsasser is up against a linebacker on a quick pitch, and can spread the D out so maybe you can give it to Peterson on a delay (or even use T-Jack in that situation to boot leg it in if the D key on all the receivers). I didn’t think the Vikes TD that NE challenged should have stood (a belated apology from the NFL or do they just dislike Belicheck even more than us?….).
What on earth was going on in the last two minutes? No deep shots, no hitting the sidelines for quick gains. If you’re going to just surrender, take knees and keep the players safe. If you’re going to go for it, give players a chance to achieve something.
Jared Allen – might be worth developing a spin or swim move that’ll take you INSIDE the tackle. Watching you is like watching the Holland winger Arjen Robben – just put you on the right foot and you’re nothing.
Challenges – are the cameras time synced? It seems like the refs are required to have one perfect angle that tells them everything. On the Pats final TD I thought that the ball was about 2" short of breaking the plane as it looked like it was half of the thickness of the players forearm away from crossing when his album hit the ground, but you couldn’t see the ball from the shot from the players back, and you couldn’t see the elbow from the other side. If the cameras are synced, the refs could see the different angles at key moments (and should be fairly easy to use – possibly faster too since you only need to watch one angle initially). Not complaining about this as I thought they were hosed on their first challenge against the AD TD.
My thoughts on the Moss debacle are coming in another thread…
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