Lions @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 9

[TSonn]

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

If it makes you feel better, Kapp, I don't feel like an idiot and I'm actually a pretty smart dude!

[Pondering Her Percy]

Exactly!! Blair Walsh is the one that put Rhodes and Smith in that position by missing that extra point. It if falls on anyone's shoulders, it's his

[J. Kapp 11]

If it makes you feel better, Kapp, I don't feel like an idiot and I'm actually a pretty smart dude!

Oh, I don't feel like an idiot, either. Even though, in the immortal words of Jelly from "Analyze This," I'm a freaking moron -- everybody knows it.

I just don't think that having a difference of opinion is any reason to ridicule people.

[S197]

Zimmers presser takeaways. On Walsh, today is not a day for evaluations. Liked the fight in the team more this week than the last two, just failed to get the job done. Took the blame for rushing 3 at the end of the game. Treadwell needs more plays.

[S197]

Also, captain will get an MRI

[TSonn]

Sometimes defenders miss tackles. Sometimes receivers drop passes. Sometimes quarterbacks make an overthrow. Those are all parts of the game that are understandable. Kickers get a pass for missing multiple 50+ yarders, a few 40-50 yarders, and maybe one or two 30-40 yarders all season. With the new XP yardage, kickers get a pass on one or two all season as well. Walsh is so far below all those standards that, yes, a game in which he missed an XP that goes into OT can surely be pinned on him.

[Just Me]

Look folks, the final score was 22-16, not 10-9, which was the score after the missed XP.

While true, the score at the end of regulation was 16-16. Without the missed XP, the score at the end of the game is 17-16 Vikings. I'm not saying it's all Walsh's fault, but I'm hard pressed to criticize those who are giving Walsh the "lion's share" (or all) of the blame.

[The-Purple-Reign]

Ok, yes, I need a scape goat. But whoever tops the list to qualify as a scape goat has a significant actual role in the loss. And walsh tops as a scape goat candidate. And that says something.

[Mothman]

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.

I doubt it. I think this team has more character than that. I think most of those coaches and players would be more inclined to ask what they could have done to help the team get the win rather than blaming the kicker for a tough loss. I certainly hope that's true because if not, Laserman might be right that they're headed for 5-11.

[Hunter Morrow]

Overall, the offense and special teams get blamed more so than the defense. The defense got a turnover into the red zone and held the Lions to under 20 points in regulation.

Blair Walsh should be called out for missing a PAT, getting blocked and messing up on his last kick in regulation.

That being said, the biggest takeaway for me is our once again atrocious red zone "offense." We just can't get it in the endzone and this is a systemic, endemic problem for what, this season and 3 or 4 of them before hand? Minimum? God, we suck in the red zone.

[TSonn]

On a different note, our offensive line didn't look absolutely atrocious in pass protection today!

[The-Purple-Reign]

Pack down by 7... we could still come out of this week tied in the division.

eh guys, it's something

[RFIP]

While true, the score at the end of regulation was 16-16. With the XP the score at the end of the game is 17-16 Vikings. I'm not saying it's all Walsh's fault, but I'm hard pressed to criticize those who are giving Walsh the "lion's share" (or all) of the blame.

This is flawed logic. First of all no one wants rid of this guy more than me BUT if he made the XP the Vikings don't go for it on fourth and 4 when Sam hits Diggs at the 10, they kick the game TYING FG and it's 13-13 with 1:30 left...THEN the D would have folded like a cheap suit and allowed the game winning regulation FG with EASE.

This loss is on the defense, they punked in their own building. When you can't hold a 3 point led for :23 you are NOT a great defense PERIOD.

And the back end? 23 and 24 you never hear their names, those 2 old geezers are fine..but the young "studs" 26 & 29 do NOTHING but hold time and time again!!!

Zimmer, it's your defense friend, they ain't all that..

[Mothman]

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

So long...

Edit: On second thought, I will address your insulting question.

I'm not acting like people who don't share my opinion are idiots and I didn't say any such thing about anybody here. However, I'm not going to mince words about the obvious either. This post-game determination to make Walsh the scapegoat for the loss is no different than the kind of BS I used to see here years ago when people would blame a bad snap on the QB instead of the center who actually snapped it or call a pass 3 feet over a receiver's head accurate.

Opinions aren't facts. Opinions can be logical or illogical and when they're illogical, I find that both problematic and frustrating.

[mondry]

The facts say Blair leads the league with 3 XP misses and given how few touchdowns we actually score (and thus XP's) it's even more disturbing. This team has a couple things going for it and a couple things going horribly against it. They are far from a perfect team and that means they will be in a lot of these lower scoring / grind it out games so every xp and fg is even more crucial.

The team lost today, but Blair was one of the biggest factors in that loss.