NFC North's Best Team Clinches Division Title As Bears Blow Out Vikings

We NEED a QB in the first round of the draft, we’ll have a top-10 pick to get one with.

the Oline was HORRIBLE. Only Loadholt didn’t seem to stand out as horrible — and maybe that’s just because I missed it. I understand the backups not being all that good, but both Left Tackle and Center were just AWFUL! Sullivan was constantly missing blocks. And what’s the deal with the terrible shotgun snaps. McKinney was slow.

Big deal, the players like him. They probably all like Anna Kournakova too but I wouldn’t make her head coach!

… but I won’t comment on it because I like this place, and don’t want to be banned like you are about to be.

I think the proper terminology would be a QB who is more of a young stud pocket passer than a running threat.

??

The disappointments like ‘98 were extremely painful. But I don’t remember ever being as disgusted as I am this year.

there have been worse seasons, but, if they are expected, not so bad to take. The outcomes of this season’s games have been tremendously disappointing. To be swept by both GB and Chicago is unthinkable. I am also a lifelong NY Met fan. Their first season in 1962, they won something like 40 games. But, from what I have heard, they were a fun team to go see play. They did not take themselves too seriously, and one never knew what goofiness would occur.
1998, IMO, was far more disappointing than last year. The Vikings were clear favorites to advance against the Falcons. Last year, they were not. As far as the Super Bowl years go, IV was the most disappointing, followed by IX. The Dolphins were clear favorites as were the Raiders.

Michael Vick is one of the top passers in the league right now, along with several rollout QBs and a couple scramblers who use their feet to draw coverage off their receivers. 2-4 of the very best QBs in Vikings history were scramblers or guys who could make plays with their feet.

Webb looked better tonight than TJ did with more than a year of experience. I’m glad that much of the DN posters’ hype about how Webb was a future HoFer with the greatest ceiling ever who is absolutely our QBotF probably died tonight, but he is a worthwhile backup who could still prove himself someday as a QB and will always be useful.

..we will likely suck for next 3yrs..i want to flat out murder madiont williams in cold blood..

That will be more maintenance than anything with the likely retirement of Phat Pat. The Vikes have proven in the past few years that a great run D by itself means nothing in today’s pass-happy NFL.

How many starters have we gone without in these last two weeks?

Hutch
AP
Harvin
Hererra
Ray Ray
Favre
C. Cook

That would be a tall order for anyone. Let alone an interim head coach.

Otherwise it won’t get funded since it won’t be usable during the off-season to be profitable. Doesn’t make sense to build an open-air stadium, cool as might sound to us average rubes.

Doug Williams is NOT coming through that door guys!

..bears and even pack are real deal.. deserver to be where they are.. vikes barely better than detroit , can claim 2nd division champs…

Abdullah has been starting most of the season but I agree with you that Madieu needs to go ASAP. I think Berrian’s replacement is Jaymar Johnson unless we draft somebody better(I’m assuming Berrian is released as he should be). Edwards is a good player but is not worth the money he’ll want so I hope we re-sign Robison and rotate Griffen in instead of paying big money to Edwards that should go to a free-agent O-lineman. Looks like our draft position is going to be pretty good so I hope we get a good QB.

Remember, Favre came here because, in his opinion (and other people’s), the Vikings were just a star quarterback away from a Superbowl run. Last year, that was true. This year, it’s all gone to shit.

At this point, the Vikings look like a team that needs a major rebuild. Possibly a new center, guard and tackle. Possibly a new nose tackle. Definitely a better defensive backfield. Definitely a new deep threat WR. Definitely a new future QB, shorter term than Webb.

Without a reasonable chance at a Bowl run, I don’t think McNabb would come here without Favre-type money. $15 to $20 million per year. It might be better to chase Kevin Kolb, a guy more willing to grow with the team.

It was his failure last night that let Favre get sacked and get a concussion.

It was his failure last week that got T-Jack sacked and injured.

I wish I could go back and check all the sacks that Vikings QBs have taken, and all the times a Viking RB has been nailed in the backfield, in the past year, and see which offensive lineman was the one who failed to hold up his end. At this point, I have a strong feeling it would be McKinnie.

maybe not next week, but definitely the last game of the season/career.

… and I didn’t see all negative either. We got whipped yeah, but I think when you play against a good defense like the Bears have (most of the time), and your two starting guards are out, it might be a rough night.

The biggest disappointment to me was the defense. The run defense was the most shocking thing, because we couldn’t stop the run or pass.

But on the positive side, I thought Joe Webb had good moments and it was about the best you could expect. He’s worth keeping on the roster, at the minimum. I don’t think you could conclude he’s not got a future because of what happened tonight, when the Bears were blitzing and hardly getting slowed up in the pass rush. He looked lost in his reads and was hesitant, but I saw some good plays too.

Give him an average, healthy O-line to play behind, and a little time a blitz pickups, then who knows?

Next, other than the fumble, I thought Toby had a very nice effort. Harvin played outstanding as we expect.

I think the VIkings need to really address the O-line. Maybe a QB in the first round, but it seems to me the O-line is the biggest need. They don’t have good enough tackles and have a lack of depth. I think Loadholt still might be good, but he is a lot like McKinnie. Big and slow. I think tonight the lack of depth really showed up. I can’t figure out DeGeare yet. But having Cook and DeGeare in there, with a totally average (at best) Sullivan wasn’t pretty.

As for Frazier, I think the smartest thing is to have an open search, with maybe a football guy like Parcells to oversee things. Frazier might be the guy, maybe not. I’m not going to judge based on two bad efforts when they are decimated by injuries.

But have an open search, let Frazier be part of the search, and see what is the best coach you can get. Maybe it’s Frazier, maybe not. But just because you have a guy there, don’t make the mistake of not looking for possibly a better alternative. But, I think there is a possibility Frazier might make a good coach. Not enough data to tell.

I had to work tonight but just read the game thread and jeebers

Agree that the O-Line, Safeties and QB positions need a lot of work. Unfortunately, we also need a Linebacker, Cornerbacks, at least one Tight End, a Wide Receiver or two, and a Defensive Tackle.

I wouldn’t trade AP, unless the Vikings think they will only be able to keep him for one more year. Then I’d suggest they pull a New England Patriots move and get what they can for him.

…. on this one game, with so many injuries on this team? What if you even swap QB’s? Would the Bears win with Joe Webb, and we have Cutler?

I’m not saying Frazier is the right guy, but I’m not going to rule him out based on that. We just should look at all possibilities to hopefully pick the best one. Maybe that’s Frazier, maybe not. But they should have an open search, with guys at the top who are good making the decision about a coach, and keep any and all possibilities in mind.

Nothing wrong at this stage with considering Frazier in the mix. But likewise, I’d hate to see him be the coach just by default, if there might be a better option there.

Same thing with any player. I don’t know any rookie QB could succeed with the O-line playing that poorly. Webb might still have a shot. I’m not going to assume he can’t succeed based on that game. Even M. Williams. We’d all like him replaced by a better player, but at this point it isn’t obvious who that would be. T. Johnson same story. LIkewise, McKinnie. We are all tired of his slow, lazy play, and seeming lack of effort and heart. But, let’s wait to replace him until we have a better guy lined up.

Just like you do for any position, get the best players you can that are worth what they cost. And then do that for the coach. Who’s the best guy we can get? We probably can’t get Cowher, but maybe there is another good option that will come available.

 There are a handful of guys that will be next year for sure, but honestly there are a lot of positions where no one is sure of a job on that team. Coaches and players alike.

Webb didn’t play a full game. And Jackson hasn’t played safety all season.

However, I agree that the O-Line and the Tight Ends have been penalty prone which puts a rookie QB in a hole right away. In fact, I think when Webb first came into the game, someone on the O-Line got a penalty right away. Pretty stinky.

I forgot to poke my eyes out before I read the games threads as per your last week instructions. Since football doesn’t allow a mulligan – you’re right. Remember “Eddie and the Cruisers” the movie, well “Season in Hell” is about what this year has amounted too. It’s always wise to learn from your mistakes, and if we could do that we would be the smartest peoples on earth. We have a lot of work to do, so let’s do it, shall we? (I write like I actually have something to do with it lol)

… completely. You can’t conclude much from this game, other than that the Vikings are average probably when healthy, and pretty bad when as banged up as they are.

We had a rookie third string QB, AP down, and are starting guards both out. Getting blown out like that isn’t exactly shocking or surprising.

Some fans invariably will think the unknown is somehow better or more attractive than a known guys who are losing. In reality, it is always the case that a few key additions and subtractions, players and coaches, can turn it around. You never have a pro bowler at every spot.

 The Bears whipped us tonight, but we have a lot of players I’d take any day over the corresponding player. I’d take AP over anyone in the league. I’d take Harvin and Rice over any receiver on the Bears. And I’d take Shank over Olsen any day.

But, with Joe Webb, a defense playing some terrible football for reasons I don’t fully understand, and a good Bears defense, we got whipped. Give us a couple of O-lineman and a better QB, we might just whip them.

I’m particularly surprised by some of the negative comments about Webb. Let’s see. He’s a rookie. He only had SIX snaps prior to this game (according to MNF). He’s playing in cold, wet weather. AND his O-Line was terrible! Give the guy a break. He looked okay under the circumstances, and I do believe he’ll get better.

But some changes definitely have to be made.

The 2010 Vikings have self-destructed in the most amazing fashion, I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It’s time for a complete rebuild, and that means reassessing every coach and every player.

And to do that properly, you have to start at the top. The Head Coach. While I like Frazier, I would rather see a known quantity, a proven winner with lots of experience, take the helm. No more taking chances on newbie coaches.

And yes, bundle McKinnie into a trade with our 1st round pick, to move up in the draft and grab us a top-rated QB prospect. Add Madieu Williams and Berrian to the that pot, such a deal we have for you! :)

New blood is needed at the top. Frazier isn’t the answer. Get a real GM. Get an attitude adjustment across the board. If Jerry Jones is stupid enough to flush Garrett as HC, grab him pronto.

Start with your secondary, o-line, and defensive tackles. Secondary and o-line should be obvious, and you’re getting way too long in the tooth in the middle of the d-line. Consider using later picks to stock up at positions of strength as well – it’s rebuilding time, so guys you rely on now won’t likely be around when you’ve emerged on the other side.

For QB: I’d give Webb a try, at least as a solid #2 guy with potential. Find a serviceable QB for next year, or get a reasonably priced (draft pick wise, not necessarily $) stopgap guy, like McNabb. Don’t trade anything better than a 5th for any established QB. If you do decided to draft a QB, unless he shows in the preseason that he’s the next Fran Tarkenton AND your o-line returns to dominance, plan on him not playing until week 10 at the earliest, preferably wait until year 2. Consider it an investment.

The biggest challenge y’all face is the labor unrest next year coinciding with a much-needed overhaul at the top of your organization, ON TOP OF the looming stadium crisis. There’s a shit-ton of pressure on the Vikings to produce now to justify spending on a new venue and establishing a long-term plan for the team.

As a devoted Vikings-hater myself, it sorta pains me to root for a speedy recovery, but it’s the loathing of your team that makes our division fun (grin), so I’m totally in your corner in turning it around. Good luck!

Favre sits at 298 regular season starts. If his arm is attached to his body, I expect him to make his 299 and 300 and then call it a career.

The issue with the D-line isn’t just a matter of playing up to potential. Phat Pat is done. Sadly, I think Kevin Williams is slowly down. It had to happen eventually, and unfortunately, I think it started this year. Don’t get me wrong. K. Williams is still good, but he doesn’t appear to be dominant like in years past.

Winfield hasn’t been playing much outside corner if any. He’s usually positioned in the slot like a nickel back. I think it’s a sign that he’s slowing down.

You are right that we need safeties in a bad way. We also need a lot of O-Line help. We also need a QB. Basically, that’s almost half of the team. On the basis of that, I think we’ve got next to no shot of being contenders next year. Sorry. I wish it weren’t so.