Pondering Her Percy wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 8:15 am
No doubt there was a couple he held onto too long but there were others where he was getting hit before he got to the back of his drop. And that occurred more often than him holding it too long. I think Cousins is a stud.
That's true, he did get pressured due to the offensive line being terrible more than holding onto it too long. The offensive line was also bad but he didn't help.
I'm starting to worry that Cousins is a product of garbage time yards. He had a lot of garbage time to inflate himself in Washington. His stats at the end of this game are the same story. He'll end the game with a 72.7% completion percentage for nearly 300 yards 1/1 td/int for an 83.6 rating. Sure he had the fumbles but we can lay that on the offensive line. So all in all - not too shabby it seems.
This does not represent how he preformed (whether or not it was his fault or the offensive lines) in the game when it mattered *at all*. His 4th quarter stats are worthless in this game and I wonder how many others in his career?
I wasn't against them signing Cousins and considering their history at QB getting someone stable (even if they were just a bit above average) seemed like a good move. I don't want overreact to one game but it was U.G.L.Y.
Pondering Her Percy wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 8:04 am
I'm 100% against getting rid of Richardson. You have to think about what you're saying here. You want to get rid of Barr, Richardson, cut Remmers and be in need of both a RG and LG. That is now 4 spots we need filled. It's not that easy. I don't care how loaded the 3 tech class is, keep Richardson, draft either a LB or OG in the first and the other in the 2nd. Find a good flier in FA to fill the other guard spot. But you can't just say lets open up 4 positions and just fill them in the draft. A lot more difficult than that.
Yeah, the draft can be loaded with 3 techs, but we also need O-line help. Other teams are going to be drafting O-linemen and D-linemen, too. Just because you have a need doesn't mean you can fill it in the draft.
With Sheldon Richardson, you have a relatively young player who is a disruptive force. Yes, he's going to cost you, but not as much as Barr would, and nowhere near what an Aaron Donald type player would get. Totally agree with drafting O-line. But I think the Vikings need to re-sign Richardson. I think he actually represents the best value for us at the position.
As for Barr ... what a colossal disappointment. This guy seemed like a HOFer during his rookie year, but it just doesn't seem like he can make plays anymore. He got embarrassed yesterday, and his play hasn't matched his talent for quite some time now. With Zimmer already questioning his motivation, it sure seems like Anthony Barr might be playing his last season in Minnesota.
IMO this game was more about the coaching staff than the players. The players were not ready to for this game in any phase. It seems quite likely that the entire organization was thinking about next Thursday. It is obvious that the entire team overlooked the Bills and we all saw the results.
The only - ONLY - positive from this debacle is the fact that it is September. The Patriots just got man handled by the Lions last night. Pretty sure nobody thought that would happen either. It took about 4 games for this squad to get rolling last year if you may recall. We dropped that game in PIT and played a total dumpster fire of a game at home against the Lions in Week 4.
My take on this is that we know that for the most part, every single one of these guys can play about 10x better than they played on Sunday. That to me is why this is on the coaching. They have not been sharp in any game this year. They are not playing like a contender, at least not RIGHT now. I'm witholding final judgement for a few weeks yet. Usually by week 6 or week 7 the real teams emerge. The Vikings have a lot of work to do.
Winning is not a sometime thing it is an all of the time thing - Vince Lombardi
I wonder if some of our offensive line woes are a continuation from losing Coach Sparano.
Zimmer deserves a ton of criticism - both for having the team unprepared/unmotivated but also for the defense underperforming for a while now. The defense has been mediocre at best since the second half of the Saints game last year.
Probably an overreaction but I am concerned that NFL offenses have figured out Zimmer's defense and he can't figure out how to adjust it.
TSonn wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 9:49 am
I wonder if some of our offensive line woes are a continuation from losing Coach Sparano.
Zimmer deserves a ton of criticism - both for having the team unprepared/unmotivated but also for the defense underperforming for a while now. The defense has been mediocre at best since the second half of the Saints game last year.
Probably an overreaction but I am concerned that NFL offenses have figured out Zimmer's defense and he can't figure out how to adjust it.
I said that same thing after the game in Philly two years ago. He adjusted some things but his defense has been terrible this season, especially when you look at how much money and talent is invested in it.
The Devil whispered in the Viking's ear, "There's a storm coming." The Viking replied, "I am the storm." #SKOL2018
It isn't like these guys forgot how to play football. Does anyone think Linval forgot how to play NT, Barr/Kendricks LB, Smith S, or Rhodes CB? Hardly. The problem is they are not playing at their peak levels. Neither is anyone else on the defense. That is on Coaching. This team is not as sharp or crisp as it was last year.
PART of this is that it is September. Every NFL teams is "off" in September. Especially those that play tougher competition.
That being said, the game yesterday was particularly sloppy and there are obvious issues that the team didn't have last year. So do they get fixed or do they fall apart. So far this season is feeling more like the middle of 2016 than the middle of 2017. Time will tell how it all ends up.
I suspect we are going to be in a dog fight most of this year, probably getting into the playoffs on a 10-6 or 11- record. The most important thing is that the team starts peaking in December and gets hot. I'm confident that if this group can play it's best football, then it is the best team in the NFC. If it isn't playing it's best, ie what we've seen so far, then it is far less likely to succeed.
Winning is not a sometime thing it is an all of the time thing - Vince Lombardi
What bothers me about the Vikings defense is the way they screw up. They can play tight man and be disruptive at the LOS and bring a lot of pressure on one play, but then the next play they allow a freaking fullback to run 40 yards downfield uncovered or the pass rush completely disappears and they lose contain to boot. And then there are the penalties. Guys doing really dumb and unnecessary things at really inopportune times. Yesterday, they should have been off the field after forcing a 3-and-out for the mighty Bills offense on their opening drive, but instead, they get flagged for unnecessary roughness that kept the drive alive. The defenders know the refs are calling things tight when it comes to hits on QBs this season. Got to be smarter than that. Your teammate has the QB wrapped and ready for delivery by Christmas. There is no reason to add next-day air delivery on that play.
The other thing that really bothers me about the defense is their lack of fire. I mean, other than maybe Andrew Sendejo I see almost no evidence of anyone getting really peeved about anything out there. It seems like if the other team is starting to get some momentum, the Vikings defenders start to crumble mentally. You can almost see it happening. They seemed resigned to a certain fate after facing a little adversity rather than rising up and starting to claw their way back. Now granted, that can happen to anyone who has to watch Riley Reiff playing Wiley Coyote against Jerry Hughes as the Roadrunner, but this lack of fortitude and leadership on the defense goes back a few games at least. If the defense has success, all is well. If they face some adversity, they fold like a cheap tent. Hardly the mark of greatness. Not sure if that is coaching, mentality, lack of player leadership, or what, but it is disheartening to know that when the going gets tough for this group, they seem more inclined to give up than grow up.
Harsh critique? Maybe, but that's what I've been seeing, and for a group with as much raw talent as this one has, that is just not acceptable.
The Rams are no joke on offense. They can pass it. They can run it. They are at home. They are hungry and won't take the Vikings, or any opponent this year, lightly no matter what happened the prior week with that opponent. You can bet they have watched the tape on the Vikings defense and will try to exploit all of the weaknesses they see. This upcoming game is going to show a lot about the character of this group of defenders and the guys coaching them.
Cliff wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 9:07 am
I'm starting to worry that Cousins is a product of garbage time yards. He had a lot of garbage time to inflate himself in Washington. His stats at the end of this game are the same story. He'll end the game with a 72.7% completion percentage for nearly 300 yards 1/1 td/int for an 83.6 rating. Sure he had the fumbles but we can lay that on the offensive line. So all in all - not too shabby it seems.
This was my concern prior to signing Cousins. While he puts up huge numbers every year, I have wondered (and continue to wonder) how much of that is due to him playing garbage time. When I brought it up before, I was told that it wasn't the case. I was told that in Washington the losses came from the defense and most of the time it was "close games". I didn't go back and check, but I'm thinking Cousins is the master of garbage time stat padding. Only time will tell, I reckon.
Edit: looking back at the post I was referencing I see that Cliff raised this same concern during the off season. While I want the Vikings (and thus Cousins) to do well, these last two games have been examples of Cousins padding his stats (I include the Packers game because a majority of his yards came in the 4th quarter when the Vikings were down multiple scores).
akvikingsfan wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 11:19 am
This was my concern prior to signing Cousins. While he puts up huge numbers every year, I have wondered (and continue to wonder) how much of that is due to him playing garbage time. When I brought it up before, I was told that it wasn't the case. I was told that in Washington the losses came from the defense and most of the time it was "close games". I didn't go back and check, but I'm thinking Cousins is the master of garbage time stat padding. Only time will tell, I reckon.
We all just got done salivating over his clutch performance against Green Bay. "Finally, a real QB!" "Haven't seen chucks like that since Tarkenton!" "Put the team on his back!" etc., etc. It was just a crappy game, all around. I don't really have any hard insider information to back any of this up, but would anyone be that surprised if they were putting installs in for the Rams game on Thursday leading up to the Bills game?
"Never underestimate your opponent," "any given Sunday," blah, blah, blah. I'm sure a handful people can attest that they called trap game, but the majority of the world, including the Vikings, thought they'd coast. That's okay, live and learn. It was probably already discussed somewhere, but I bet that if we played the Rams yesterday, Dalvin and Everson would not have been inactive. They approached the game like an extra bye, and paid the price. If we get curb stomped by Los Angeles, I'll find the most revealing Cousins stats with the best of y'all. I'll dig up high school film and chastise him. But for now, this game is just a shrug to me.
I'm not saying I'm advocating a change in head coaches yet because I really like Zimmer. However, I've always felt it is better to have an offensive head coach due to the fact that when you don't and your offense of coordinator leaves you are changing systems for your QB. With all of the rule changes favoring offensive football all of the time defensive coaches now have less value imo. The NFL is making it so hard to play good defense to the point where it's almost impossible. So if they do make change in the future I would hope they would bring in a respected offensive mind. Of course Defilippo was supposed to be just that...
mael·strom
a powerful whirlpool in the sea or a river.
a situation or state of confused movement or violent turmoil.
First 5 completions all were caught behind the LOS.
-Out of 196 passing yds, 125 were YAC, by my calc.
-Allen was 4 for 8 when passing 10 yds beyond LOS.
-Only threw FOUR second half passes.
The saddest thing in life is wasted talent and the choices you make will shape your life forever.
-Chazz Palminteri
Zimmer is going to have to re-look at his defensive philosophy. The Eagles provided the blueprint on how to beat the double-A gap blitz look with a quick passing attack and that is exactly how Buffalo excelled yesterday.
The offense sucked and didn't help, but this defense is getting exposed left and right now.
Maelstrom88 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 12:06 pm
I'm not saying I'm advocating a change in head coaches yet because I really like Zimmer. However, I've always felt it is better to have an offensive head coach due to the fact that when you don't and your offense of coordinator leaves you are changing systems for your QB. With all of the rule changes favoring offensive football all of the time defensive coaches now have less value imo. The NFL is making it so hard to play good defense to the point where it's almost impossible. So if they do make change in the future I would hope they would bring in a respected offensive mind. Of course Defilippo was supposed to be just that...
The last 18 seasons in New England offer a rather harsh counter to this statement. Sorry.
Winning is not a sometime thing it is an all of the time thing - Vince Lombardi
mansquatch wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 12:52 pm
The last 18 seasons in New England offer a rather harsh counter to this statement. Sorry.
Yes they have had offensive stability in New England but most defensive head coaches don't do it that way. They bring in a new coordinator and let them run what they want.
mael·strom
a powerful whirlpool in the sea or a river.
a situation or state of confused movement or violent turmoil.
Pondering Her Percy wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 12:10 pm
For anyone complaining about our defense....
My only comment here is that the Bills didn't exactly have to do much passing in the 2nd half. The yards allowed by the defense in the first half were more than enough to last the whole game.
The defense merited complaints yesterday. You can paper it over a little, but they did almost nothing to alter the trajectory of that game in either half even if statistically the 2nd half looked better.
