Lions @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 9

[VikingLord]

We need a second bye week to undo what we did during the first bye week.

I don't think it will help.

The team seems broken right now. They are making so many unforced and inexplicable errors I would think they are attempting to purposely lose if I didn't know better. The Tate TD in overtime is stunning, not because of Tate, but because Rhodes completely missed what should have been an easy tackle and Smith failed to bring him down or make a play on the ball despite being in good position to do both. Tate is double covered on what is a simple out and he scores on two of the Vikings supposed best defenders. That just shouldn't ever happen. For those old enough to remember, could you picture Tate scoring on that play if Joey Browner were the safety?

[Mothman]

Maybe it's just the shot from behind. The game play angle looks fine but from behind it looks shanked. I would assume you'd blame Bridgewater?

Very funny.

I blame the team. As I just said in response to Kapp, that's how team sports work.

[Jordysghost]

Little bit unfair to blame Walsh, imo.

[TSonn]

Blaming the loss on Walsh for that miss instead of on the defense for allowing the 27 yard TD that set up a 58 yard FG at the end of regulation or the botched possession after Greenway's (which set the Vikes up IN scoring position) or a penalty that helped extend a Detroit scoring drive, etc. is practically an arbitrary decision. it's just picking a scapegoat and letting everybody else off the hook.

They lost as a team. That's how team sports work.

Except when all of those plays lead to us being tied at the end of 4 quarters of play and our kicker missed a gimme XP. The past 2 losses have been team losses. This one was not. I hope Blair blames himself and Zimmer goes in front of the media and blames him too. Clearly supporting the guy hasn't done anything to help his confidence.

[Mothman]

Nothing, and that's why I am so pessimistic. I really expected this team to bounce back after the loss to the Eagles but it appears they lack the means to do that. So they can get back to fundamentals and keep trying which is what they should do as professionals. I'm just not sure it's going to be enough to right the ship.

That's why I was more pessimistic than you were after the loss to the Eagles.

[VikingLord]

That's why I was more pessimistic than you were after the loss to the Eagles.

On the bright side, we know they can win if they play perfect, so there is always that...

[Mothman]

If it was a single event I'd agree with you but it hasn't been. Walsh has consistently missed extra points and has been shaky on field goals. It is that trend of data and not this single event that is provoking the justified criticism of him.

The criticism is justified. Blaming the entire loss on him is not justified.

I agree with you that Walsh alone didn't cost the Vikings this game, or any other game, for that matter. It's a team sport and a lot of players, coaches and even refs contribute to the final result.

That's all I'm saying.

But saying that doesn't mean those individuals get passes for their performances, either, especially if they have consistently produced questionable results over a period of time.

Who's giving Walsh a pass? As far as I'm concerned, he's kicked himself out of a job, assuming they can actually find a more reliable replacement.

[Pondering Her Percy]

No, it's just different. It's not like he attempted as time expired.

Why do fans insist on singling out one player to blame for a loss? There were dozens of plays in this game that could have made a difference between winning and losing. Heck, Rhodes and Smith blew tackling attempts on the game-winning play and allowed but somehow it's Walsh alone who is responsible for the loss because he missed an extra point in the 3rd quarter? Who allowed the Lions to score 22 points? Did Walsh manage to drive the offense backwards and force a punt after Greenway set them up in great field position with an interception? why does the missed extra point matter more than that missed opportunity?

Give me a break.

It's a damn EXTRA POINT!!!! One of the biggest near-guarantees in the game. And that idiot has missed 3 and leads the NFL. What difference does it make if he missed it in the 1st quarter or the 4th quarter?? Bottom line is he missed it. That puts us up by 4 and Detroit needs more than a miracle at the end to win the game. Yeah there were other mistakes. But bottom line is, if that extra point is made, the game is over.

An extra point has no bearing on field position, play calling, etc. You can sit there all day and say, "well if Asiata got the first down we would've scored". You don't know that. Nobody knows what could've happened if he got it. Or if we didn't get penalties after the INT.

However, if the idiot makes the extra point, the only thing that could've beat us was a Hail Mary. Which are completed how often?? The guy is a bum. And should be singled out. He's a damn NFL kicker and leads the league in missed XP. That's pathetic. He was bound to cost us the game this year, and if he's still on the roster as of tomorrow, he'll cost us more. No less we have a stubborn a$$ coach that continues to give him more chances. What are we waiting for?!!! For him to maybe cost us a couple more with his pi$$ poor kicking. That's exactly what he did today

[VikingLord]

Little bit unfair to blame Walsh, imo.

I agree. Blaming him for the loss is unfair.

Blaming him for his play over the last 8+ games is not. In that context, his performance today continues a disturbing trend IMHO, and if it hasn't altered the confidence the Vikings have in him by now it soon will. If a professional coach doesn't have faith in his kicker the offense is in a world of hurt.

[Purple Reign]

Hoculii hates the Vikings

Again, why put all the blame on Hochuli? I don't know if he even threw his flag today. Just because he announces the penalty he shouldn't get the blame for calling the penalty in the first place. SMH

[Mothman]

Except when all of those plays lead to us being tied at the end of 4 quarters of play and our kicker missed a gimme XP. The past 2 losses have been team losses. This one was not.

So all of those plays that occurred before and after the missed extra point were completely inconsequential? They had no impact on the final outcome? That's basically what you're saying.

Look folks, the final score was 22-16, not 10-9, which was the score after the missed XP. But, hey, this fanbase loves a scapegoat so carry on and have a nice evening.

[The-Purple-Reign]

Listen, this is a team game, but it's a team of individuals. One of those individuals can screw it up.

There we many mistakes, but those mistakes where made in situations that have many factors into it (like every play), but an extra point has VERY little relative factors that have to be considered when going into it than a play. And those factors are easy to over come. and Walsh couldn't.

[TSonn]

So all of those plays that occurred before and after the missed extra point were completely inconsequential? They had no impact on the final outcome? That's basically what you're saying.

Look folks, the final score was 22-16, not 10-9, which was the score after the missed XP. But, hey, this fanbase loves a scapegoat so carry on and have a nice evening.

The entire game plan has to change when Walsh misses an XP. As the team stands right now, they don't have the ability to make up for his errors. Sure, if the entire team was healthy and we weren't treading water on offense a missed XP might not change our game plan much, but that's clearly not the case.

[J. Kapp 11]

Blaming the loss on Walsh for that miss instead of on the defense for allowing the 27 yard TD that set up a 58 yard FG at the end of regulation or the botched possession after Greenway's (which set the Vikes up IN scoring position) or a penalty that helped extend a Detroit scoring drive, etc. is practically an arbitrary decision. it's just picking a scapegoat and letting everybody else off the hook.

They lost as a team. That's how team sports work.

Interesting. You say that, and I'm sure Mike Zimmer will say that. But I guarantee you, the players in that locker room, especially the guys on defense who were out there for 60-80 snaps and only allowed 236 total yards in regulation, would like to take turns punching Blair Walsh. Mike Zimmer, if you give him truth serum, would like to be first in line, with Mike Priefer right behind him.

You mention the defensive players. The guys who are out there the entire game occasionally get beat. Many times, that failure is due to the effort of the guys on the other team (I've heard the other team's players are pretty good). Contrast that to a kicker who only has to make an extra point. It's all he does all week in practice. He's not in the weight room. He's not studying film. He's not working on the game plan. He's kicking over on another field. It's his only job.

Call it a "team loss." That's fine. But if I'm Xavier Rhodes or Harrison Smith, I'm fairly pissed at Blair Walsh.

[J. Kapp 11]

So all of those plays that occurred before and after the missed extra point were completely inconsequential? They had no impact on the final outcome? That's basically what you're saying.

Look folks, the final score was 22-16, not 10-9, which was the score after the missed XP. But, hey, this fanbase loves a scapegoat so carry on and have a nice evening.

Why do you have to act like everybody who has a different opinion than you is somehow an idiot?