FanPost

And the first of the finger points go towards... Rick Spielman!

What we witnessed against the Lions was a good old-fashion 17-3 butt-kicking that makes us question our beloved Vikings once again. A few takeaways from the game:

1. Our offensive line is one of the worst in the NFL

The o-line was intact for almost 2.5 seasons, but it has finally decided to implode on us. Matt Kalil has lost his form and is looking a lot like the former starting LT, Charlie Johnson. Speaking of Johnson, he is still a very bad offensive lineman. Why in the world is he still starting? And as for Brandon Fusco's replacement, Vladimir Ducasse, all I have to say is yuck.

2. Teddy Bridgewater needs more time

The offensive line did give up 8 freaking sacks (14 over the past 2 weeks), but Teddy still held on to the ball way too long. Norv Turner's game plan to give Teddy check downs to warm him up backfired as they were still doing it in the 4th quarter. This is probably a reflection of the fact that Teddy isn't confident enough yet to rifle the ball down the field. It's ok for a rookie to struggle, but if his play takes a turn for the worse let's not start making a bunch of excuses for him like we did with Christian Ponder.

3. For the second straight week, the Vikings appeared to play emotionless

Losing a star player for ANY team would be hard, but c'mon, do we really suck this bad without him? No. The 5,000 drops we say today showed just how lazily this team is playing. I trust that Zimmer can and will light a fire underneath the Vikings' butt's. In the end though, we need to see the results on the field, which obviously isn't happening.

4. Patterson isn't getting the ball

One carry for 3 yards. Two catches for 15 yards. Plain and simple: Why isn't our biggest play-maker getting more touches? Yes, he is a little banged up, but seriously? There are no excuses, Turner.

5. Mike Zimmer's defense is still missing a few players

The defense made some nice stops, but still couldn't take the ball away. We still need another good CB, SS and decent LB's in order to keep up with opposing WR's, TE's and RB's. I like how the defense can bring the heat at times, but as the game drags on our defense appears gassed. Some of the blame can go towards the offense not being able to hold on to the ball for more then 5 seconds. But this could also be a sign of the lack of the defensive depth on the team.

This isn't the most miserable season in the Vikings +50 year history, but it is easily one of the most frustrating. The Vikings roster is caked with talent that is ready to explode, if only... Wait a second, this seems to be the story every year, doesn't it? The Vikings always seem to have an embarrassing amount of talent, and yet too many thing go wrong and the season is trashed by week 8. One thing has always been the same through these years, though: Rick Spielman.

You can have all the cool nicknames ("Darth Spielman") and be a fan favorite as an NFL GM. You can acquire all the best talent at every position. You can sign the most team friendly deals the league has ever seen. But when the results aren't seen on the field, it's time for you to go. Rick Spielman needs to be fired. The Vikings were praised for their draft his year. They are 2-4. And yet the Cowboys were scrutinized for their draft. They are 5-1. Spielman may be the greatest draft genius ever, but the pressure to win eventually starts to build up. And in my opinion, Spielman's clock has struck zero,

Maybe the Vikings can get something going against the Bills next week... But right now, it seems as if they're going to lay another egg.

This FanPost was created by a registered user of The Daily Norseman, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the site. However, since this is a community, that view is no less important.