My thoughts on the offense as a whole

[Just Me]

My favorite football movie in relatively recent years was "Leatherheads" which I highly recommend if you haven't seen it.

I have not. I'll give it a view, thanks!

[Mothman]

I have not. I'll give it a view, thanks!

You're welcome. Let me know if you like it!

[John_Viveiros]

This is somewhat on the subject, but does it bother anyone else that on 3rd and 6 or better that the best player on the team can't be on the field?
I'm tired of this guy not being on the field when we need him the most!! You know who I'm talking about. #maddening

The only thing I can figure, and it's borne out by some observations, is that Peterson can't block a blitzer to save Teddy's life. They don't put him in during obvious passing situations because he isn't multidimensional that way.

I don't understand why he wouldn't work on it to the point where he can be in the backfield on 3rd and 10.

[jackal]

I understand peoples frustration ... I really don't like fans reasoning, and feel its unfair to Teddy

Our OL is crap and most times the pocket, does not even form ... I am not saying, I don't want Teddy too
improve. He needs to get better in several areas. A.P. was wrong in two ways. Zimmer and this staff have
stood behind him; since coming to Minnesota. He throws them under the bus, after a game. If he felt that
way, he needed to be behind closed doors. Peterson blocking has not been great. If Peterson wants to
blast others;he should focus on what he is doing wrong, first.

[autobon7]

I have the feeling that many of the players are frustrated with Norv. Perhaps it has been discussed some behind closed doors. With AP the "leader" of the team maybe he is the voice speaking for the rest. Just a hunch....

[Mothman]

I have the feeling that many of the players are frustrated with Norv. Perhaps it has been discussed some behind closed doors. With AP the "leader" of the team maybe he is the voice speaking for the rest. Just a hunch....

Ben Goessling made a similar suggestion in an article I read at ESPN's site this morning.

[losperros]

Ben Goessling made a similar suggestion in an article I read at ESPN's site this morning.

Thanks for not posting the link of that, Jim.

Here's another ESPN article that is painfully revealing regarding the Vikings offense last Sunday. Andrew Krammer's closing thoughts:

Game ball: Rhett Ellison – One of the few Vikings blockers capable of pushing back on Sunday.

Goat(s): O-line – A poor effort from a group that has played nearly every snap together, but has consistently crumbled under the weight of superior defensive fronts.

http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2015/ ... -in-years/

[Mothman]

Thanks for not posting the link of that, Jim.

Ha! You're going to have to work to find that one.

[mondry]

Here's another ESPN article that is painfully revealing regarding the Vikings offense last Sunday. Andrew Krammer's closing thoughts:
http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2015/ ... -in-years/

So they have a play where Teddy misses wallace where you gotta think Wallace is the primary option on that play. A play with the line failing to block what looks like 3 different assignments, including a simple double team for a Peterson run resulting in a bad play. A play with such long developing routes by Norv that Teddy get's sacked before they're even remotely ready to throw the ball.

Sounds about right. That's really the issue right now, Teddy is not playing well, the O-line is complete trash, and Norv isn't doing either of them any favors. If I had to put it into a % i'd say norv is 60% of the problem, the line's 110% of the problem and Teddy's 30% of the problem. You might be saying, hey that's 200%, well yeah, it is, I needed an extra 100% for how bad they're sucking right now.

You might be saying to yourself, hey that's way too low for Teddy, and I'd probably agree, but even on the 200% scale, I can't put enough of the blame on this O-line or Norv right now. I know Teddy's sucked, but for now I'm of the opinion that any QB in these situations would probably suck pretty bad. Swap Ponder, Tjack, or Rodgers in there and I wouldn't change the %' much in either direction. If Rodgers looks this bad just from losing one guy in Jordy Nelson, imagine what he'd look like if he didn't have all 3 of his most used receivers from 2014. Oh wait, that's basically what they did to Teddy, benching Patterson, Johnson, and Shipping Jennings out of town. (Hey mondry, you're missing the fact taht Wright was in the top 3 and we still use him!) (SHHH DONT TELL IM TRYING TO MAKE A POINT JEEZE!)

Norv's a goofy guy like that isn't it? He goes from calling Johnson the best WR on the team to not even playing him! At first I trusted him thinking well he knows what he's doing but now he just seems a little loony doesn't he? And man can this guy hold a grudge when it comes to Patterson, wowza!

Okay I'm done joking... kind of... you kind of have to joke right so it doesn't hurt so bad that it's true... sigh...

At the end of the day Zimmer has to do something about this like Jim said. =/

[autobon7]

Sounds about right. That's really the issue right now, Teddy is not playing well, the O-line is complete trash, and Norv isn't doing either of them any favors. If I had to put it into a % i'd say norv is 60% of the problem, the line's 110% of the problem and Teddy's 30% of the problem. You might be saying, hey that's 200%, well yeah, it is, I needed an extra 100% for how bad they're sucking right now.

You might be saying to yourself, hey that's way too low for Teddy, and I'd probably agree, but even on the 200% scale, I can't put enough of the blame on this O-line or Norv right now. I know Teddy's sucked, but for now I'm of the opinion that any QB in these situations would probably suck pretty bad. Swap Ponder, Tjack, or Rodgers in there and I wouldn't change the %' much in either direction. If Rodgers looks this bad just from losing one guy in Jordy Nelson, imagine what he'd look like if he didn't have all 3 of his most used receivers from 2014. Oh wait, that's basically what they did to Teddy, benching Patterson, Johnson, and Shipping Jennings out of town. (Hey mondry, you're missing the fact taht Wright was in the top 3 and we still use him!) (SHHH DONT TELL IM TRYING TO MAKE A POINT JEEZE!)

Norv's a goofy guy like that isn't it? He goes from calling Johnson the best WR on the team to not even playing him! At first I trusted him thinking well he knows what he's doing but now he just seems a little loony doesn't he? And man can this guy hold a grudge when it comes to Patterson, wowza!

Okay I'm done joking... kind of... you kind of have to joke right so it doesn't hurt so bad that it's true... sigh...

At the end of the day Zimmer has to do something about this like Jim said. =/[/quote]


It just doesn't make sense to see Patterson (for the second straight week) get zero offensive snaps and you are right about Norv going from saying that CJ was the best WR for us last year to no playing time/targets. It's not like Wallace is getting 12 targets a game....... The more we discuss this issue the more I point the finger to Norv. Sure, our OL could do a whole lot better but what is the OC doing to mitigate the deficiencies we are seeing? To this armchair QB....seems like not much.

[autobon7]

Ben Goessling made a similar suggestion in an article I read at ESPN's site this morning.

Honestly didn't see that article....just something that has been on my mind since the GB game.

[Mothman]

Honestly didn't see that article....just something that has been on my mind since the GB game.

Oh, I figured that. I wasn't trying to imply otherwise, just pointing out that you weren't the only one thinking along those lines.

[autobon7]

No worries Jim......can I address you as Jim.....still new around here.

[Mothman]

No worries Jim......can I address you as Jim.....still new around here.

Yes. I prefer to be addressed as Jim.

[dead_poet]

@NFLFilmStudy I REALLY hate the mindset that we can just flip linemen and expect them to be good. Completely changes muscle memory and instincts