Vikings At Titans: Pre-Season Report Card
by Ted Glover on Aug 14, 2011 11:14 PM CDT
in Minnesota Vikings 2011 Season
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PrintHi Gang! Hey, sorry about the delay in getting this out, but I didn't get to see the game live...well, I sort of did, for about the first quarter or so, but the Internet feed was real choppy. Looked more like a YouTube video with still shots set to announcing. But I did see the game this morning, but had a lot of things to do, like drink beer and go to a party, so yeah, sorry for the delay.
And, well, it's a pre-season game. And as much as I love that football is back, I hate to do a full blown Stock Market Report...which will return with week 1. But we can do a report card.
But not the typical run of the mill report card that EVERYBODY else does, nope.
Do you guys remember, back in the day, when you were in like first and second grade? The grades you got were S for Satisfactory, I for Improving, and N for needs improvement. I ran across one of my early report cards from elementary school just the other day. We were cleaning out some stuff, and I found it in one of the boxes we were going through.
Mrs. Andriotti, my teacher at Central Elementary School, Richfield, MN (right next to the high school on Harriet Avenue, if you're curious. And if you're not, hey, you learned something new today!) had a couple of interesting things to say about little first grader Teddy Glover:
'Acts Appropriately at All Times': N..."Teddy is a charming little boy, but has an affinity for swearing. When he thinks an adult isn't around, he would embarrass construction workers. I never knew the eff word could be used as a dangling participle.'
'Is Respectful of Others': N...'Teddy almost got into a fight with Mark, who wore a Green Bay Packers shirt to school a few weeks ago. When asked why he was so angry with Mark, Teddy replied 'because only jackasses and future Blackhawk pilots wear Green Bay Packers clothing, so in either case, he deserved an ass beating'. I really think Teddy might benefit from military school.'
Eh, what the hell did Mrs. Andriotti know? Oh, one other thing: There are two people in my life who call me Teddy, and none of you are those two. If you know what's good for you, don't do it. You've been warned.
1st grade report card, after the jump.
QB: I--Improving. I'm not disappointed with what I saw, for the most part. Yeah, Joe Webb threw a terrible pick, but McNabb was all right, and Ponder seemed to get more comfortable as his time on the field wore on. Granted, they were all running for their lives, but what looked like a big problem area three weeks ago is a position that I feel comfortable with, at least for the most part.
OL: N--Needs improving. Didn't really matter who was in, there were issues. Toby Gerhart got stuffed early on a 3rd and 1, and pass protection was an issue up and down the line. In what little I paid attention to Charlie Johnson, I thought he looked better than he did in Mankato, and with Anthony Herrera still out, I'm not panicking, yet. Remember, these guys have only had 9 practices and a game, and I think they'll get better. I am seeing progress, so I'm not going to set my hair on fire about these guys yet.
RB: S--Satisfactory. Almost an incomplete, but pre-season is the time to see the backups, not the regulars. and I liked what I saw from Lorenzo Booker. Nice field vision, good hands (other than the fumble); I think he'll be a nice surprise for the Vikes this year. It also looks like Toby Gerhart is going to have an increased workload this season as well, and although he had a brief appearance, I thought he looked okay. Still a bit hesitant hitting the hole, but seemed more comfortable catching the ball out of the backfield.
WR/TE: N--Needs Improvement. Still a work in progress as they get their timing down with the QB's, and Michael Jenkins didn't even play. The Vikings look they're going to run a lot of short stuff and try and get a lot of yards after catch...or they just might be doing the short timing stuff so the QB's can get their...timing...down with the receivers. Tough to say at this point. Like the offensive line, I'm not getting too worked up yet.
DL: N--Needs Improvement. Yes, Jared Allen didn't play, but the way that Tennessee was gashing the run defense early kind of bothered me. The run defense is going to have to be stout if this team is going to contend, and the pass pressure was just okay. Christian Ballard and Everson Griffen stood out for me, but like the offensive line, I'm going to reserve final judgement until I see more of them in action. It does seem, just from the eye test, the the depth is going to be better than I thought, and that's a plus. But depth isn't beans if the starters don't play well, amiright?
LB: S--Satisfactory. The law firm of Greenway, Henderson, and Henderson (© Eric Thompson) seems to be an early strength, and replacing Ben Leber with Erin Henderson looks like a good move so far. Henderson the younger was everywhere last night, and EJ and Greenway looked like they were their solid selves.
DB: N--Needs Improvement. The key to success for a good defensive backfield is, in part, a defensive line that can generate pressure. When that doesn't happen, defensive backs get burned. Again, not everyone that will start the regular season played last night, but Asher Allen still doesn't impress me. Chris Cook? Early on, I saw some decent coverage, but he's still young, as was evident on that fumble/TD pass by Jake Locker. Again, still kind of early to pass judgement, but there's plaenty of work that needs to be done.
Overall impressions for me? It was a sloppy game, by both teams, and the game turned on the two turnovers in the second quarter. It's tough to throw out too much praise...or too much criticism...over the first pre-season game that was preceded by only two weeks of practice and no off-season. As we progress onward, I'm going to be looking for improvement, not regression.
The good thing is, there's plenty of room for that, and three weeks to get ready.
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Now that that's out of the way
That game wasn’t really a surprise. All the weak points that were constantly discussed here over the past few months were on display, as well as the strong points. There’s no ambiguity as to what needs improvement at this point, and I’m sure it will be addressed in practice. IMHO, McNabb looked solid and I’m not concerned at this point at that position. O-line needs fixin’ or it’s gonna be a rough year. If that’s addressed I don’t think we’ll do too bad, even if the DB play continues to be mediocre.
Chris Cook cannot be blamed for a touchdown.
Locker made two major errors on that TD play. He dropped the ball (obviously) and he picked the ball up rather than falling on it. Any DB, Antwoine Winfield included, would hesitate for a split second when he saw a fumble. That being said, he didn’t have a good game overall and I look forward to our backfield getting some confidence when their facing the jump-pass in Seattle.
The road to fulfillment in any line of endeavor is always marked by an initial breakthrough; however, that first taste of success needs to be replicated again and again in order for supremacy to be sustained. We are Vikings, and we shall rise again.
by Alittlemore_cowbell on Aug 14, 2011 11:57 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
And by the way
Rec’d for the picture descritpion
The road to fulfillment in any line of endeavor is always marked by an initial breakthrough; however, that first taste of success needs to be replicated again and again in order for supremacy to be sustained. We are Vikings, and we shall rise again.
by Alittlemore_cowbell on Aug 15, 2011 12:11 AM CDT up reply actions
...but he did make a mistake.
He maybe shouldn’t be blamed, but I believe he made a serious mistake for which he paid dearly. He was watching the quarterback instead of his receiver assignment. Shouldn’t his focus been on the receiver he was covering and NOT let him run past him? He shouldn’t have known that the ball had been fumbled until someone told him after the play.
by jimuellenbach on Aug 15, 2011 9:55 AM CDT up reply actions
It depends on what coverage he's in
If he’s in man coverage and playing bump and run, then yeah, he shouldn’t have seen the fumbled, but if he’s playing off the man, he’s supposed to have an eye in the backfield and get a read on the QB. My assumption is the latter.
Skol!
The football field is full of communication
When I played in high school, if you missed a block you yelled block; if you let a WR get past you, you yelled cover; and if you saw a fumble, you yelled fumble. So no, he wasn’t staring at the QB, he just heard the communication and made a decision.
The road to fulfillment in any line of endeavor is always marked by an initial breakthrough; however, that first taste of success needs to be replicated again and again in order for supremacy to be sustained. We are Vikings, and we shall rise again.
by Alittlemore_cowbell on Aug 15, 2011 1:28 PM CDT up reply actions
...who is yelling?
That’s comforting. So, next time the offense should yell, “fumble” and our backs would stop covering their receivers. Good plan!
by jimuellenbach on Aug 15, 2011 2:24 PM CDT up reply actions
...he wasn't using just his ears.
You think that he “heard” the fumble, but Tom Pelissero looked at it a little diffirently in today’s article… “Chris Cook got caught peeking”
by jimuellenbach on Aug 15, 2011 2:32 PM CDT up reply actions
As far as the got caught peeking
This is always about the results. If you’re looking at the QB and you pick him off, you’re “reading his eyes, and making a great play on the ball” or you’re “playing cat/mouse with the QB” If you start to play the football like Cook did and the QB pops up with the ball, then you’re toast and you “got caught”.
Skol!
I couldn’t have put it better.
The road to fulfillment in any line of endeavor is always marked by an initial breakthrough; however, that first taste of success needs to be replicated again and again in order for supremacy to be sustained. We are Vikings, and we shall rise again.
by Alittlemore_cowbell on Aug 15, 2011 4:15 PM CDT up reply actions
... he didn't say he "heard" it.
“I definitely saw the ball on the ground and just came up thinking that we were going to get the ball,” Cook said. “Just pursuing the ball, and they got a lucky play on me.”
by jimuellenbach on Aug 15, 2011 2:36 PM CDT up reply actions
That's funny
A buddy and I literally drove by Central when we took the scenic route through Richfield home from Edina last week. He even pointed it out as the school he went to Elementary at.
That said, I haven’t seen the game yet. Was working when it was going on and I don’t have NFL network. Said buddy has it dvr’d for me, I just have to be unlazy and go over and watch it.
Talk of the Oline play worries me though. We almost got Brett Favre killed last year and I don’t want Webb/Ponder’s careers cut short because they got hammered into the ground on every play.
Since no one’s mentioned him yet, I imagine it cant have been all that great but how was D’Imperio? Did he throw a few blocks at least, or is he allergic to physical contact like Tahi was?
I lived right across the street from Central on Harriet
Drove by the house when I was in the Homeland last year, and that street hasn’t changed since the 1970’s.
This is like O. Henry and Alanis Morrisette had a baby and named it "this exact situation"--Sterling Archer
I was stoked...
to watch the game. It wasn’t live here in Arizona… so I had to stay away from football until Sunday. I couldn’t watch any other pre-season games, cause I didn’t want to see the score scroll across the bottom and ruin the game for me. NFL Network showed the replay, and I had to record it, cause I don’t wake up that early on Sunday.
What I observed:
E. Griffen looked good at times (as mentioned above by Ted), BUT he did give up a couple of HUGE plays because he didn’t keep his CONTAINMENT.
Chris Cook… I was disappointed in his overall play, although I don’t blame him so much for the Locker-fumble-deep pass-TD.
I thought LT C. Johnson, looked horrible. I am worried for the future of any and all of our QB’s. Good thing our QB’s our mobile.
Erin Henderson – to shore it up, I’m sure he made his bro proud. He was a beast, he was always where the ball was, making plays everywhere.
QB play, just as Ted said above… Improving. They were not too shabby looking, other than Webb’s pick. The penalty that negated Ponder’s long 3rd and long, looked IMAGINARY… as replay after replay, didn’t show that Fusco did ANYTHING illegal.
I’m more worried about our D-line now, than I was before our 1st pre-season game. I was pretty confident that we would be alright even without Williams… now, after getting trampled on our run defense, I’m quite concerned. All I can say is, good thing it’s the preseason. Yes, we didn’t have KWill or Allen, but they didn’t have Chris Johnson either…
I know I’m skipping around, but I’m just going as fast as my thought process is whizzing…
Kyle Rudolph didn’t get as many looks as I would have hoped, although Ponder seemed to have a connection with him. He should, since they’ve been working together quite a bit this summer.
We are stacked at TE… STACKED!!!
Booker was fun to watch…
I was disappointed that we didn’t see ANY Michael Jenkins. I was also disappointed that Jaymar Johnson didn’t seem to get a shot at playing WR. JJ did have a sweet punt return though.
Things could have gone better, there were a lot of positives though. There’s still more pre-season to go, so we will see more development.
Actually Jaymar did play a decent amount.
He was the WR who caught the slant route ball that Webb threw into a VERY TIGHT window (as they say) right after his interception.
Thing about Webb
He seems stuck in a “run first, throw second” mode. He’s got to learn that basic kindergarten concept of sharing. Come on, Joe, let the other kids play. Quarterback isn’t supposed to hog the ball, especially in the NFL!
Snark aside, Webb actually does have a good arm. He just needs to use it a lot more. The only way he’s going to get better at passing is to DO IT MORE IN GAMES. We all see how good he is running the ball. Now show us that arm, baby!
i think he is too fast for his own good.
in his roll outs, he basocally sprints and creates so much separation, that he really doesn’t “extend the play”. he seemed to just gain the edge, and get a running head start for a nice ground gain. i think if he slowed up his roll out, he could focus on the receivers downfield and be able to pull the trigger at the right instant. i think it is an adjustment he can make to improve his qb skill set. i like that he is a commander and a leader out there, that is something that stands out right away to me about him.
warcraft, you are my guitar hero !!!
that's a good point
he probably is creating so much separation that tucking and running appears to be the best option. thing is, that won’t make him a better QB.
i love Webb and i do think after McNabb is gone, it’ll be a Ponder/Webb show. but he does need to improve his skill set and stop the “first read, nope… second readohcraprun” schtick. it makes for 1st downs on a semi-frequent basis, but won’t win us football games.
"Th_r_'s n_ h_p_ f_r _ssh_l_ f_ckw_ts."
Can I buy a vowel...?? +1, Kluwe.
Get used to seeing it in the preseason
because Frazier doesn’t see anything wrong with it.
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 16, 2011 6:32 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't say this with full conviction, but...
…Webb is such an extraordinary athlete, is so fast and so strong, that maybe gaining the edge and picking up six yards at time and then stepping out of bounds is a prescription for success. I don’t know, because I haven’t seen it done before. However, I can understand Frazier telling his QB to do what he does. After all, 6 yards is 6 yards, and 6 points is 6 points. There are a lot of people on this board who felt that Webb’s stats stunk because he didn’t throw any TDs in his two starts. Rice dropped one (didn’t really, but the refs reviewed the play and said he did), but Webb scored two TDs on his feet. Those points still count. Just because Favre didn’t score two rushing TDs in his life (I don’t really know that for sure) doesn’t mean that Webb’s feet can’t win games. I know. I know. I’m not saying that he shouldn’t pass, or even pass first. I’m just saying that this guy is a phenom and making him a pocket passer might be the absolute wrong thing to do with him. He has the capability to take it to the house on every scramble. In fact, given his position, I think he can cause more disruption on his runs that even Peterson is likely to be able to do. In space, Peterson and Webb are both a huge threat. However, in Webb’s position, he’s more likely to get into space because half the defense is out in coverage when he decides to run. Just a thought. I’m not wedded to it, but I like that Frazier is being open minded in thinking about how to use Webb at QB.
In the end, though
a Quarterback has to pass. That should be his first instinct. That’s the whole point of the position. Otherwise we may as well put Peterson out there to take a direct snap all the time. Just look at the Philly game a couple years back in the playoff for proof you need a passer.
Running QBs are flashy, sure, but look at Vick or McNabb. They were runners early in their careers, but you certainly didn’t hear about them being good quarterbacks until they stuck around the pocket and started throwing. If that’s not Webb’s strength, then, honestly, we need to put him in a better position to succeed.
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 16, 2011 11:11 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I agree. A QB has to pass. And it should be his first instinct.
Nothing from last Saturday’s game suggests to me that Webb can’t do the former and doesn’t operate on the latter. Perhaps he moves out of the pocket too soon but I can understand that as few of us have much faith in our O-line’s ability to hold up the pocket. Once he’s on the move, he causes the defense to react * either they stay in coverage or come after the QB. With Webb’s skills, I think the team is better off either way (i.e. less coverage to throw into or any easy five yard gain or more).
I just watched, I didn't see the stats...
I guess I just didn’t notice him, although, I was trying to keep a specific eye out for him. He had that great punt return…
I would be scared to keep him on punt return duty, if he could be more of a threat as a full time WR. Same with Harvin, I love to see him get his hands on the ball, but punt return is a scary place to put these valuable guys.
Jaymar
actually had a really nice catch & run showed good hands & great speed, slant or crossing pattern.
L. A. Player
by L. A. Player on Aug 15, 2011 8:45 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Glad for Jaymar
I really hope this is the season Jaymar Johnson gets to show the world what he can do. Vikings really need a legitimate deep threat, and Bernard Berrian ain’t it.
Jaymar's not really a deep-threat kind of guy so I doubt he shows the world that
He’s more like Percy. Pretty good at getting open and very quick and dangerous after the catch.
Skol!
I wanted to argue with your point, but I can't.
Jaymar’s 40 time was a 4.54. Not exactly a burner. (I learned something right there).
However I would not at all be surprised if Berrian was a 4.5 or worse at this stage in his career. CBs seems to cover his deep routes with ease.
I actually thought Jaymar's 40 was around 4.40
but I guess that makes sense too. He’s really not a sprinter, but he sure does look fast when he’s weaving in and out of traffic. I’m glad he’s gonig to be back to returning punts for us this year. We didn’t really know what we had until Camarillo started returning punts. Cam did well, but he was hardly considered “dangerous”
Skol!
Yeah
I thought when we got him it was because he was speedy. At least, from what I remember that was the reports. He had the speed and whatnot, but not the route-ability or catching skills just yet.
Of course, Rice wasn’t much of a burner either. He just knew how to get into spaces within a defense.
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 16, 2011 6:34 PM CDT up reply actions
Maybe he's become faster.
The knock on him coming out of college is that he didn’t have a second gear and that he had trouble getting off the line. He’s not a big guy which makes those two attributes problematic. However, I like the fact that Cris Carter thinks highly of him. Cris said the same thing about Sidney Rice right before Rice’s breakout year.
it's hard not to root for jaymar. he's exciting and i think plays faster than his 40 time.
warcraft, you are my guitar hero !!!
No Teddy?
Crazy uncle’s still cool right? : )
The road to fulfillment in any line of endeavor is always marked by an initial breakthrough; however, that first taste of success needs to be replicated again and again in order for supremacy to be sustained. We are Vikings, and we shall rise again.
by Alittlemore_cowbell on Aug 15, 2011 2:27 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
Sure, why not?
This is like O. Henry and Alanis Morrisette had a baby and named it "this exact situation"--Sterling Archer
Great Picture/Caption!
Hard to take away much from this game – so little of the offense has been installed. With the emphasis on getting a look at the lower part of the 90-man roster it was more aimed at coach’s tape than us football fans. But oh well, I know its important that the best 53 get filtered out.
I thought Christian Ballard looks promising. Seemed like Brian Robison was getting buried on runs to the right. Mcnabb looks good as a Viking.
This first week has shown a big disparity of where teams are compared to each in preparation – like KC vs. Tampa Bay, Jacksonville vs. New England, Cincinnati vs. Detroit, etc. Tennesee looked like they’d had 3-4 more days of practice than we did. Next week will be a better game to watch I reckon.
One thing
I thought Remi Ayodele (sp?) looked pretty slow compared to all the other players. I Don’t know if he’s just not in shape or is more of a “Big guy who blocks a hole”..maybe I’m just used to the big quickness of Phat Williams. Article pretty much nails my thoughts on the game otherwise.
Ponder just got moved to second string for Seattle, He had the highest rating of the three QB’s.
Did anyone one see Chilly on the NFL Network talking about McNabb and the Vikings….I thought he was going to cry.
Not trying to take anything away from Jake Locker
because it took some real presence of mind to keep focused after the fumbled snap, pick out his receiver running free, and make the touchdown pass, but it was a fluky play. Scratch that 45 yard TD, and Ponder would have had the highest QB rating in the game. Also, can anyone tell me what Fusco supposedly did to earn the 15 yard penalty which resulted in the 17 yard, first down pickup being called back? I’m assuming that it was a personal foul, but I never heard any sort of explanation.
It’s because he was wearing purple.
The road to fulfillment in any line of endeavor is always marked by an initial breakthrough; however, that first taste of success needs to be replicated again and again in order for supremacy to be sustained. We are Vikings, and we shall rise again.
by Alittlemore_cowbell on Aug 15, 2011 1:30 PM CDT up reply actions
It was unnecessary roughness
Though for what, I have no idea.
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 16, 2011 6:35 PM CDT up reply actions
they must have thought he smacked the DT in the face when he was blocking him
That’s what the announcers said, but they didn’t see the act either.
Skol!
seemed like the vikes
picked up right where they left off last season. still the same problems with the OL, Defense and WR’s. it was just the first preseason game so i’mnot overly concerned yet but I had hoped to see some small improvement somewhere.
the QB depth
is better. If you want some sort of silver lining. And the TE position is better than last season. Other than that… yeah. Nada.
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 16, 2011 6:36 PM CDT up reply actions
Can't say too much
Vikings didn’t play 4 of their key starters at all, including top two corners. AP was not featured much.
O-line…scary right now. That could be our achilles heel.
Jaymar returning punts will be a boost.
Passing game I will totally reserve judgement on. Way too early to tell considering 10 days of practice. I thought Ponder looked pretty good, but I still need to see him make some big downfield throws, which are his biggest criticism. He has to put that to bed.
Defense I think will have a very good pass rush, but back end is leaky and we are on paper softer against the run. We’ll have to see where that goes.
OUR PUNT TEAM WAS AWESOME!!!
Other than that… i am reserving judgement. Way too early to judge based on little practice (as others have mentioned).
I do have to say it felt REALLY REALLY GOOD to sit down and watch an actual football game again. (warm fuzzy)
Vikings Valhalla .com
YEAH
Punts, whoo! GO KLUWE! PUNT THAT BALL!
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 16, 2011 6:36 PM CDT up reply actions
If only punters were actually responsible for putting points on the board...
…for their own team that is. DON’T PUNT TO REGGIE BUSH!!!
We may not go 16 and 0, but I’m willing to cast my MVP vote for Kluwe right now. Who says the off season shouldn’t count?
by kcskol on Aug 17, 2011 3:10 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Asher Allen
makes me want to revive a nickname from years past…when a former Giants cb named Elvis Patterson was burned so often he was nicknamed “Toast”! He doesn’t cover well, he doesn’t play the ball well, but at least he makes up for it by not tackling well.
I did see some flashes of pretty good from the D-line, but the O-line is still a BIG mess. Lb is the strong point from this game, & I think Mr. Henderson the younger showed that he can replace Leber quite nicely. Not really sure how good or bad the wr spot is because the qbs were running for their lives way to often to get them the ball
L. A. Player
by L. A. Player on Aug 15, 2011 9:13 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
LOL but I'm crying on the inside.
Yeah, Allen didn’t look good. Burton did though. That’s something at CB.
Special Teams: S-Satisfactory
Both Kluwe and Longwell were their solid selves. Kickoff and Punt coverage teams didn’t get burnt, which happened a few too many times in recent seasons. Punt returns with Jaymar Johnson look dangerous. (Well, anything will look dangerous compared to Greg “sure handed, but slow as hell” Camarillo returning punts.) Plus, kickoffs from the 35 instead of the 30 will only help our aging, but still awesome kicker.
WR, CB, K & P of the Minnesota Machine
Chris Cook
Chris Cook played terrible. He doesn’t hustle, doesn’t want to hit, and I wonder if he knows that he’s 6’2" 212? Maybe his knee is still bothering him?
I spent most of the first half watching the CB play, and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a CB play worse. I don’t even care about the touchdown, that was a weird play. He just seems lazy out there.
I CARE that he can’t get off a block, doesn’t tackle, gets stiff armed into oblivion, and didn’t actively go after that fumble that went back 30 or so yards in the first half. You know when there’s a fumble like that, that the linemen are never going to land on it cleanly. He could’ve been all over that play and taken it for 6, but he just half-assed it.
Any run play that went his way he was completely neutralized, especially the touchdown run on his side.
I’m pissed that we’re going to be stuck with this guy for years. I know it’s only pre-season, and that he only played what, six games last year? But, until he does something remotely worthy of being on the team aside from where he was drafted last year, I’m going to keep bringing it up.
We’re quick to compliment guys like Jaymar, Booker, and Camarillo for being hustle guys. We should be equally quick to call Cook lackadaisical.
by All'Aboard'The'Purple'Love'Boat on Aug 15, 2011 12:04 PM CDT reply actions
Time to step up
I agree that it’s time for Chris Cook to start playing like the high draft pick he was. It’s scary thinking that the D-backfield is relying on a guy with 2 rebuilt knees and a 34 year old CB. It’s way too early to panic but the pressure is going to be on Cook and Johnson to perform this year. No more excuses.
by Siegfried59 on Aug 15, 2011 12:20 PM CDT up reply actions
It's the first preseason
To say that anyone, including Asher is terrible is a bit ridiculous. They have THREE more games and plenty of practices to improve. They’ve only had 2 weeks of football and they’ll get better and get more comfortable. Maybe some of those guys are “thinking” too much out there right now and they’ll get their instincts back and be able to play a little looser. I thought they looked a little timid, but it’s still early.
Skol!
Watch the tape.
I never said anything about Asher.
Cook played terrible in his first pre-season game, that’s all that matters. I guarantee you that the coaches noticed, and are chewing his ass out right now. I’m sure they aren’t saying it’s only a pre-season game. This is the time of year when these guys should be busting their ass to show what they’ve got and to make the team, right? Chris Cook appears to know that he isn’t going to be cut, THAT’S my whole take on the guy. It’s one thing if he’s trying to hustle and just gets beat, I’m not ever going to blame a guy for that.
So when should I start commenting on anyone’s play? Week 6? There are a lot of DB’s fighting for a spot on the team, and as Siegfried59 noted, we need the secondary to step up this year. We have a 4-year contract with Cook in place, and he has $5 mil in the bank. It’s not too much for me to question whether or not our top draft pick last year is living up to what we gave for him.
by All'Aboard'The'Purple'Love'Boat on Aug 15, 2011 1:25 PM CDT up reply actions
Looks like others are talking too.
by All'Aboard'The'Purple'Love'Boat on Aug 15, 2011 1:35 PM CDT up reply actions
Sorry, not going to get caught up in the media hoopla
They get paid for circulation, web-clicks, and ratings. Sure, they do a good job covering all things Vikings most of the time, but they have to have a story. Is there story going to be about how good Adrian Peterson is? No, it’s preseason, they’re going to talk about how much someone sucks and how unstoppable someone else looks. They’ll make th epositives on the team look all-pro and they’ll talk about the people who are struggling right off the bat as borderline getting cut. You can listen all you want. Like I said before, I’ll wait until a game that means something.
Skol!
Why would they talk about how good Peterson is?
That’s old news. Chris Cook getting burned, however, is not. At least, not after all the talk before about how he was going to improve and make up for last season’s disappointment etc, etc.
You can wait until the games mean something, but the fact is this guy was drafted with our first pick, which you typically use for starter-quality players, and he hasn’t been playing up to his drafted slot. Peterson didn’t have that problem. Percy Harvin didn’t have that problem.
I’m hoping Cook’s regression isn’t anything more than some hesitancy to injure himself again, but the last time we saw him he was getting turned into charcoal in Green Bay, and now in his first game he has the same issue. I’m sure that’s understandable why some of us are getting nervous about him.
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 16, 2011 6:43 PM CDT up reply actions
You can wait until the games mean something, but the fact is this guy was drafted with our first pick, which you typically use for starter-quality players, and he hasn’t been playing up to his drafted slot.
This. But another thing is these games DO matter for a lot of guys. This is their chance to show the coaches how they’ve improved, and whether or not they’ll be a starter, back-up, or even on the team. And imo, they especially matter for guys like Cook and Allen. They’re both young, and probably want to prove themselves.
Fire Slocum
by packallday555 on Aug 17, 2011 10:41 PM CDT up reply actions
Thank you
That is exactly correct. Alot of the fans are like ‘oh, its just preseason. No big’ but I can practically guarantee you that Cook was kicking himself over the big plays he gave up because he’s battling for position on the team.
And the coaches aren’t going to say ‘Oh, its just preseason’ and overlook how badly he got burnt.
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 18, 2011 10:30 AM CDT up reply actions
About Asher, I didn't word any of that correctly.
I was just trying to say that it’s a little premature to throw Cook under the bus. I’ve heard the same comments for Asher Allen too so that why I was trying to throw his name in their too and do a blanket statement for both these CBs.
You’re certainly entitled to your opinion. Personally, I’m going to reserve judgement after ONE preseason games and NINE practices. Are they clearly behind where they need to be? yes, absolutely. We got owned in preseason by a bad Titans team. Do we have concerns? Yes, especially if we plan on making the playoffs this year. Can we be disappointed in their play? Sure, why not. They’re professionals still getting paid to do something they’ve done all their lives. I’m just making the point that I’m not going to dismiss anyone and I’ll reserve my judgement for when “real” games start. People get too caught up in results in the preseason. Who cares who wins, loses, or who scores TDs or whatever. It’s a glorified practice. It’s about getting better. I would love for Cook and Asher to make all the mistakes in the world in preseason just to have them all behind them once the regular season starts. Mistakes aren’t a bad thing and it’s about learning from those mistakes and improving off of them.
Skol!
Yep, sounds good.
Alright, let’s see how it plays out this year. I’d love nothing more than to eat some crow and have Cook turn out to be a strong player for years.
Unfortunately, with the jawing he did with Ray Edwards on the sideline last year as a rookie, his ‘misunderstanding’ about brandishing a gun in an argument with his neighbor, looking lazy on the field, and not being able to come off a single block in his first pre-season game, I have a sneaking suspicion this guy’s a punk.
by All'Aboard'The'Purple'Love'Boat on Aug 16, 2011 8:59 AM CDT up reply actions
Well, to be fair to him,
he says he didn’t actually brandish a gun. The neighbor made it up when he called the police to report the incident. And the fact he got the charges dropped lead me to believe he’s telling the truth. The other points are solid though.
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 16, 2011 6:48 PM CDT up reply actions
The problem with that is
these aren’t new mistakes for Cook. They’re old mistakes, and they’re rearing their heads again. Flukey play or not, he got burned for 6.
You can write this off as being a pre-season game, but the fact is they should be treating these as a real game while they’re on the field against an opposing team. Especially when they’re fighting for roster-position. Yes, it is a pre-season, but if a player’s not going to give their best then they shouldn’t even be on the field.
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 16, 2011 6:47 PM CDT up reply actions
Houshmanzilly
side note: anyone see the vikings put in offer for Houshmanzilly again?
read my fanpost
Chris Cook did have a bad performance
but if your going to blow up in the 1st pre-season game after a long lock-out then your getting caught up in this pre-season hype. He certainly needs to get better, and just because he had a bad showing doesn’t make him lazy or weak or incapable.
I knew there would be an exaggeration this pre-season, and cries for petty play (as there is every year) From the past 10 years i’ve learned to expect little to nothing out of the pre-season other then something better to watch on Television then boring reality shows and lame late night shows.
Cook was not playing his role on this team during this pre-season game and he isn’t ready for that role yet, which is why we have 2 other guys that will be having that task.
SKOL
No Hype.
No reality tv, no late night tv, no media illusions, no pre-season hype.
I rip on Cook because I watched the game.
Hope he gets better, hope I’m wrong.
by All'Aboard'The'Purple'Love'Boat on Aug 16, 2011 9:06 AM CDT up reply actions
Pre-season isn't just hype
They have these games for evaluation reasons. And from evaluating Chris Cook’s play in that game, he is disappointing. He can bounce back, sure, but everyone railing on him is well justified.
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 16, 2011 6:50 PM CDT up reply actions
Grade School
We would have gotten along! I love ‘because only jackasses and future Blackhawk pilots wear Green Bay Packers clothing, so in either case, he deserved an ass beating.’ thanks for a good laugh. I’ll make sure and attribute that quote to you when I use it.
by Ryan Aeschliman on Aug 15, 2011 4:22 PM CDT reply actions
We'll know better after another couple preseason games
With the lockout, the missed OTAs and training time, this is going to be a tough year for anyone but the established vets. Right is when all our newbs need to be stepping up, almost half the guys currently on the squad are going to get their walking papers in a couple weeks. But here’s what I saw when I watched the game again today;
QB – They looked good. Webb and Ponder did alright, all things considered.
I absolutely loved the way the Titans respected McNabb, they knew what he could do to them if they over-extended themselves. Webb and Ponder didn’t get that level of respect, they haven’t earned it yet.
O-Line – Needs Improving – And that’s an understatement. The pocket’s collapse was a foregone conclusion, consistently. 3 mobile QBs is the right answer, though. I’d like to knock on Fusco, but he’s a rookie, lol, I have to give him a lot of slack for his miserable performance.
RB – Great Googleymoogly, the Vikings are suffering an embarassment of riches here. Even if AD is taking a break, Toby’s stepped up beautifully and this Booker guy is the perfect complement to either AD or Gerhart. The running game would be crazy-good if we had an O-line to make a few holes now and again. Watching Lorenzo Booker in a little bit of open field is a real pleasure.
TE – Once again, here’s another spot where the Vikings are looking extremely good. Shanko’s pulled a hammy and while I got to watch a rare Kleinsasser ball-drop, I have faith that the Big Man still has it. Shanko will return, K-Sauce is a staple, and Rudolph looks like he’s going to be outstanding. I liked what I saw of Rudy, but I wished I could have seen more. I’ll be watching him in the weeks to come. Can Dugan survive? I hope not.
WR – Needs Improvement – I noticed that Berrian guy is still hanging around. I still don’t know why. I heard some noise about him building a rapport with McNabb but that doesn’t justify his inability to get separation and questions about his catching ability. He’s still not getting separation, he’s still dropping balls he should have caught. Loved what I saw out of JJ, he needs to get the ball more often. Both Ashmodu and Arceneau (spelling) looked about the same to me, with the edge to Arceneau for speed. I hope Jenkins still has what it takes.
D-Line – They got a LOT tougher towards the end of the game, good to see. In the beginning, they seemed to be allowing an average of 9+ yards per RB carry. I liked what I saw of E. Griffen and Ballard, I think they’re going to step up sooner rather than later.
LB – Erin was a beast. EJ is a force to be feared in the middle. Chad is a constant threat to intercept. What more can you ask? We’ve waited years for the Brothers Henderson to play together on the first time, looks like it’s finally going to happen.
CB – I didn’t want to talk about this…. but if Griff and Winfield need to be spelled, or go down, we’re in trouble. Cook didn’t have an ‘off-game’, he played like crap, consistently like crap, every play he was on the field. He didn’t cover well, he didn’t tackle, he seemed slow… was he on Purple Drank?! He needs to step up this pre-season, show something to suggest that he’s getting better.
S – These guys are mostly non-competitive. I saw some nice tackling when they came up to cover holes, but when it came to covering receivers, they seemed too small. Too short. Incapable of competing.
None of the secondary were ball-hawking. None of them were focused on the ball or even had much of a chance to interfere with the ball.
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 agree
We’re deep at RB and TE. Too deep at TE. I liked our starting safeties (Abdullah and Sanford). They were in the plays and covering assignments well. It’s been years since I’ve seen that at the safety position for the Vikings. Cook did look bad.
I totally agree about Berrian. I actually liked what I saw from Ashmodu(?). If one pre-season game was all that mattered, he’d make my team.
O-line will make our entire offense look bad this season. (sigh)
Safetys
Both Abdullah and Sanford were doing fine in tackling, and I liked Sanford’s aggression. But what I didn’t see were these guys shutting down their zones, covering their men sufficiently to discourage the QB from going there, or breaking up passes, or, be still my beating heart, intercepting the ball.
On the TE business; if Musgrave is serious about running a lot of 2 TE sets, we’ll need 4. But that 4th one has to come from somewhere….
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!
Wait, wat?
DBs can catch the football too? Are you sure they’re not supposed to just drop it once it hits their hands?
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 17, 2011 12:04 PM CDT up reply actions
I understand your "live some other team's fan's" dream of having a secondary that makes interceptions...
…I share that fading dream. However, I’m actually okay with the play of Abdullah and Sanford from a coverage perspective this past Saturday. They kept the plays in front of them and were on their men within a second (or less) of them making the catch. (Actually I’m more referring to Sanford than Abdullah, because I was more focused on him). In the Tampa Two variant these guys (including Winfield) keep stressing about keeping the play in front of them. However, Sanford was so close to his guy on one or two occaisons that I wouldn’t be surprised to see fumbles, dropped passes and (dare I say it) maybe, possibly an errant throw that becomes an interception (or the Minnesota variant thereof “the spilled milk on aisle two mop up”).
What is this 'intercepting the ball' that you speak of?
I remember the elders speaking of it from when I was a boy, but this concept…it is foreign to me.
This is like O. Henry and Alanis Morrisette had a baby and named it "this exact situation"--Sterling Archer
they spoke of a man named Kraus...
Childress gone, TJack gone, new stadium on the way: it's like that Christmas when Santa brought prostitutes!
Let's waste more money on receivers, qb's and middle line backers
Because, as we’ve seen, our qb’s can make due with 1.25 blockers on the front line.
Well..
QBs are pretty important to have.
I get your point, but really, you can’t say they didn’t try to improve the O-line. The Front Office tried prying Bushrod away from the Saints and simply failed, just as they did with Jordan Gross a couple seasons ago. Really, it’s a good thing we snagged that new LT from the Colts since we had to cut McKinnie. Yes, the line sucks, but there was really nothing to do about it once McKinnie came in to camp out of shape.
If you want somebody to blame for the O-line woes, he’s your man. Just like Rice last year suddenly deciding to get surgery and not allowing us to properly prepare for his absence.
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 16, 2011 6:53 PM CDT up reply actions
well, the vikes were over the salary cap, and didn't have a lot of room to work with.
but that is still no excuse for how they prioritized the position needs the last few years. we are now a bit hamstrung and paying for the overblown “win-now” mentality of the last regime. thanks a bunch chilly and co….oh wait, we still have spielman and brez, DOH!
warcraft, you are my guitar hero !!!
by danny lloyd on Aug 16, 2011 10:30 PM CDT up reply actions
Honestly it looked like they got the tackle from the Colts before McKinney showed up
And I heard talk that he was going to be tried at the right guard position which would have been nice. A left tackle at right guard can’t be all that bad and should be able to open up some holes for AD. Then we would have had Load, Johnson, Sully, Hutch and McKinney which doesn’t look to bad at all. The fact that McKinney was a total ass hat pretty much killed that plan though and since we are so close to the cap we can’t even go out and try someone like Gaither to shore us up. (even though he does have some serious questions about his back)
Childress gone, TJack gone, new stadium on the way: it's like that Christmas when Santa brought prostitutes!
Naw
McKinnie showed up fat and out of shape, and then they scrambled fast to get a replacement because we need at least a starter-quality LT for the line to succeed. So they made the move in reaction to what happened. Kudos for that I guess.
When we got him, McKinnie was still on the team and I was super excited because I thought it was a move to give us more depth. And then they cut McKinnie and now the line doesn’t seem nearly as impressive.
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 18, 2011 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions
Oline is the most troubling sign
There seemed to always be at least one defending coming at the QB without much effort. It did look like the Titans blitzed and awful lot and that’s something our team needs to be ready for. When y ou’ve got a RB that is deemed “weak” at picking up protections and a line that struggles protecting against 4, we need to be ready for that. I’m not going to go over every position, but a couple I wanted to hit on:
I actually like what I see out of the WR. We didn’t see Jenkins which was disappointing, but he’ll get there. I think it was Arceneaux that caught a pass and ran down the sidlines for about 15 yds and Camarillo had a nice catch and run. he actually looked like he had a little speed there too, which was nice. We’ll see on Berrian and we know what we get from Percy day in and day out. LBs are solid but our DLine needs to keep those blockers from getting to the second level. I’m an Iowa guy and I smiled a lot when Ballard blew up that play and stuffed the QB before he could even turn around. EGriff moved well around the edge, but reading the pass/run will help him with his contain. Our D got eaten up on the ground. That worries me, but we don’t even have our full starting lineup in so we’ll see what the progresses. i was happy with the TE play. Didn’t pay too much attention to their blocking, but Ksauce had a nice catch and so didn’t Rudy. UDFA Allen Reisner had a nice catch and run when he got in there. He did drop a tough one on 3rd down that he’ll normally catch. I see some promise there and yes, I love the Hawks on the team. Kluwe was a sugeon with his foot. Longwell do what he do. The secondary is in disarray right now, but again, we didn’t even have our starters in there and there’s still some guys getting their feet wet. Hopefully, they keep learning and improve to the point where they’re not sucha liability. QB was sound and I know I aleady mentioned the OLine, but when Ponder and Webb were in there, those 2 QBs held onto the ball al ittle bit longer than needed so some of that might not be on the OLine. Some could be on the WR for not getting open, but that’s hard to disect when we’re watching on TV because the cameras aren’t showing what he WR are doing. All in all, lot of work to do, but there’s some positives to build on there. #1 reminder: This team will play much better before week 1, that much I know.
Skol!
It was Iglesias who made the 26 yard catch and run down the sidelines
Arceneaux was a non factor, in fact didn’t even hear his named called at all.
What about Cord Parks
I thought he looked great in camp. He also had a nice stop in the 4th.
Also Marcus Sherels He may have been exposed against tougher compitition.
I would really like to see those two boys start the next game.
I’d also like to see more of Burton.
You guy’s also have to remember that the Titans have one of the best O-lines in the NFL.
I think Guion out played Ayodele and, should get that spot on the chart.
Safetys again
Yes, they’re tacking pretty good, which is a relief after last year when they weren’t doing that very well.
But I’d like to see our Safety’s breaking up the receptions (without drawing penalties!) or even snagging some interceptions. They didn’t seem capable of either.
I’m with you on Burton tho, he was interesting.
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!
Yes,
interceptions from the DB would be amazing. We certainly don’t get to see that very often. Its kind of sad, and I’m too lazy for fact check this, but it seems to me like we get more ints from our LBs/D-line than we do our safeties and cornerbacks.
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 17, 2011 12:06 PM CDT up reply actions
Okay I lied
I checked out the stat sheets. The DBs do have more. 12 vs 7 the last two years. Still, that’s kind of close enough that it still makes me wish we could catch better. What I wouldn’t give for a safety with half of Ed Reed’s ballhawking ability.
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 17, 2011 12:16 PM CDT up reply actions
make that 7 a 10, I forgot to add in Allen's 3 ints.
Which, coincidentally, is as many ints as Winfield has had the last two years and more than Tyrell Johnson his entire career.
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 17, 2011 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions
Not good when the LDE is leading the team in Ints
But the bright side man Jared Allen rocks!
Childress gone, TJack gone, new stadium on the way: it's like that Christmas when Santa brought prostitutes!
Actually, and I found this kind of surprising, but..
Abdullah led the team in ints with 4. Still, when your DE is only one behind, that is kind of almost comically awful.
by REVENGE4KLUWE on Aug 18, 2011 10:34 AM CDT up reply actions
I think Ballard should get thrown in against 1st teamers and see how he plays
All of those guys are going to get playing time early in the season with KWill probably getting suspended. Ayodele really went unnoticed, good point on that. Good point on the Titans OLine. Maybe we’re looking into this too much.
Skol!
For the record
Michael Jenkins played, he just had zero targets. He’s number 84 and I saw him on the field several times.
Considering our starting lineup was barely on the field for 2 series, it’s not that surprising.
D. Love and B. Burton
Love actually surprised me, he played pretty damn well at LT, all things considered (i figured he’d be a Guard reserve, but…hrrm…).
Burton played better than both Asher and Cook. hopefully he keeps it up.
"Th_r_'s n_ h_p_ f_r _ssh_l_ f_ckw_ts."
Can I buy a vowel...?? +1, Kluwe.
Absolutely right!
Love seemed fine but candidly I didn’t pay that much attention. I thought Burton looked good. Yes, “good.” That gives me some hope that all is not lost.
Hate?
Number 75 grabbing a handful of McNabb’s face. Is his name Hate? If so, that is the single greatest name ever for a defensive player, especially a dirty one.
Haye, actually
But if I was him, I think I’d change it
This is like O. Henry and Alanis Morrisette had a baby and named it "this exact situation"--Sterling Archer
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