RC's Honest Look At The Vikings Remaining Schedule

[J. Kapp 11]

I must have watched the wrong game. All this praise has gotten to our heads. We barely beat a team that had 14 yards of offense in the 2nd half and could have lost if not for an overthrow. Thank God Hicks got hurt because we didn't have a prayer with him in the game.

The praise of us beating Green Bay is equally silly. The weather conditions took away their best weapon in Rogers. The football Gods gifted us turbulant weather, no crowd, and a few bounces.

We are still an average team. Our pass rush is terrible based on our ability to consistently apply pressure. We have 1 or 2 splash plays a game but on the whole, a good oline beats us down.

Yes, we're an average team. We're 4-5. Nobody here is saying we're great.

But if you're going to deny that the Vikings have played solid football over the past three weeks, then I have to wonder what games YOU are watching.

And since you insist Green Bay would have beaten us if the weather gods hadn't conspired against them (never mind that we had to play in the same conditions) then I think it's fair to ask who they've beaten. Yes, they beat New Orleans. Good win for them. Other than that, they've beaten Detroit (4-5), the Falcons (3-6), the Texans (2-7), the 49ers (4-6), the Jags (1-8) and us. They lost huge to 7-3 Tampa Bay.

To sum it up, Green Bay has played two teams with winning records out of 9 games. They've beaten one of them. Meanwhile, we've beaten one team with a winning record (them) while losing two.

So I'd say that if we're average, then Green Bay, the No. 1 seed in the NFC, is also average.

[YikesVikes]

I must have watched the wrong game. All this praise has gotten to our heads. We barely beat a team that had 14 yards of offense in the 2nd half and could have lost if not for an overthrow. Thank God Hicks got hurt because we didn't have a prayer with him in the game.

The praise of us beating Green Bay is equally silly. The weather conditions took away their best weapon in Rogers. The football Gods gifted us turbulant weather, no crowd, and a few bounces.

We are still an average team. Our pass rush is terrible based on our ability to consistently apply pressure. We have 1 or 2 splash plays a game but on the whole, a good oline beats us down.

Yes, we're an average team. We're 4-5. Nobody here is saying we're great.

But if you're going to deny that the Vikings have played solid football over the past three weeks, then I have to wonder what games YOU are watching.

And since you insist Green Bay would have beaten us if the weather gods hadn't conspired against them (never mind that we had to play in the same conditions) then I think it's fair to ask who they've beaten. Yes, they beat New Orleans. Good win for them. Other than that, they've beaten Detroit (4-5), the Falcons (3-6), the Texans (2-7), the 49ers (4-6), the Jags (1-8) and us. They lost huge to 7-3 Tampa Bay.

To sum it up, Green Bay has played two teams with winning records out of 9 games. They've beaten one of them. Meanwhile, we've beaten one team with a winning record (them) while losing two.

So I'd say that if we're average, then Green Bay, the No. 1 seed in the NFC, is also average.

I don't care who else Green Bay has beaten. They beat us earlier in the year. Their offensive strength is their passing game. Their defensive strength is their pass rush. Our Offensive strength is our run game and our defensive weakness is our pass defense. It is logical that weather conditions that made it very difficult to pass the ball in affected the game in a manner more favorable for us.A

Bad weather removed Rogers from personal = a positve
Bad weather made took the ball out of Cousins hands = a positive
Bad weather made limited the Smith brothers pass rush attempts = a positive.
Bad weather exposed the poor rush defense of GB to more rushing attempts = positive.

We would not have won that game if the weather allowed Rogers his usual 275 yards and 2-3 tds. We were very fortunate.

[YikesVikes]

I must have watched the wrong game. All this praise has gotten to our heads. We barely beat a team that had 14 yards of offense in the 2nd half and could have lost if not for an overthrow. Thank God Hicks got hurt because we didn't have a prayer with him in the game.

The praise of us beating Green Bay is equally silly. The weather conditions took away their best weapon in Rogers. The football Gods gifted us turbulant weather, no crowd, and a few bounces.

We are still an average team. Our pass rush is terrible based on our ability to consistently apply pressure. We have 1 or 2 splash plays a game but on the whole, a good oline beats us down.

Pierce opted out, Hunter has a neck injury, and Vikings traded Yannick so it is not a surprise that the pass rush can not apply pressure

Im agree with you... its not surprising. However, it doesn't mean we currently have a good pass rush. That was my point.

[J. Kapp 11]

Yes, we're an average team. We're 4-5. Nobody here is saying we're great.

But if you're going to deny that the Vikings have played solid football over the past three weeks, then I have to wonder what games YOU are watching.

And since you insist Green Bay would have beaten us if the weather gods hadn't conspired against them (never mind that we had to play in the same conditions) then I think it's fair to ask who they've beaten. Yes, they beat New Orleans. Good win for them. Other than that, they've beaten Detroit (4-5), the Falcons (3-6), the Texans (2-7), the 49ers (4-6), the Jags (1-8) and us. They lost huge to 7-3 Tampa Bay.

To sum it up, Green Bay has played two teams with winning records out of 9 games. They've beaten one of them. Meanwhile, we've beaten one team with a winning record (them) while losing two.

So I'd say that if we're average, then Green Bay, the No. 1 seed in the NFC, is also average.

I don't care who else Green Bay has beaten. They beat us earlier in the year. Their offensive strength is their passing game. Their defensive strength is their pass rush. Our Offensive strength is our run game and our defensive weakness is our pass defense. It is logical that weather conditions that made it very difficult to pass the ball in affected the game in a manner more favorable for us.A

Bad weather removed Rogers from personal = a positve
Bad weather made took the ball out of Cousins hands = a positive
Bad weather made limited the Smith brothers pass rush attempts = a positive.
Bad weather exposed the poor rush defense of GB to more rushing attempts = positive.

We would not have won that game if the weather allowed Rogers his usual 275 yards and 2-3 tds. We were very fortunate.

When a running back goes for 100 yards, and 80 of them come on a single play, invariably someone says, "He only would have had 20 yards without that run." And no one lets that person get away with saying it. Why? Because the 80-yard run counts just as much as all the other runs.

We won. Period. Stop making excuses for the stupid Packers.

And ... in case you missed it. Rodgers threw for 291 and two touchdowns. We still won.

[YikesVikes]

I don't care who else Green Bay has beaten. They beat us earlier in the year. Their offensive strength is their passing game. Their defensive strength is their pass rush. Our Offensive strength is our run game and our defensive weakness is our pass defense. It is logical that weather conditions that made it very difficult to pass the ball in affected the game in a manner more favorable for us.A

Bad weather removed Rogers from personal = a positve
Bad weather made took the ball out of Cousins hands = a positive
Bad weather made limited the Smith brothers pass rush attempts = a positive.
Bad weather exposed the poor rush defense of GB to more rushing attempts = positive.

We would not have won that game if the weather allowed Rogers his usual 275 yards and 2-3 tds. We were very fortunate.

When a running back goes for 100 yards, and 80 of them come on a single play, invariably someone says, "He only would have had 20 yards without that run." And no one lets that person get away with saying it. Why? Because the 80-yard run counts just as much as all the other runs.

We won. Period. Stop making excuses for the stupid Packers.

And ... in case you missed it. Rodgers threw for 291 and two touchdowns. We still won.

We won isn't the answer to the question my friend. My question is would we have won if the conditions had not been as favorable. I say likely no. Weather (joke) we agree or not, using this game as a prognostic example of future wins is like building a house on a terrible foundation.

[Bowhunting Viking]

When a running back goes for 100 yards, and 80 of them come on a single play, invariably someone says, "He only would have had 20 yards without that run." And no one lets that person get away with saying it. Why? Because the 80-yard run counts just as much as all the other runs.

We won. Period. Stop making excuses for the stupid Packers.

And ... in case you missed it. Rodgers threw for 291 and two touchdowns. We still won.

We won isn't the answer to the question my friend. My question is would we have won if the conditions had not been as favorable. I say likely no. Weather (joke) we agree or not, using this game as a prognostic example of future wins is like building a house on a terrible foundation.

Awesome news guys!!! Last night Dana White and I finally hammered out the details of a contract.
You guys will now be the co headliners at UFC 257 McGregor vs Porier !!!! Winner will fight the winner of the headliner for a chance to fight Kabib for the belt.
Just having some fun with your little rivalry. Lighten the mood

[J. Kapp 11]

When a running back goes for 100 yards, and 80 of them come on a single play, invariably someone says, "He only would have had 20 yards without that run." And no one lets that person get away with saying it. Why? Because the 80-yard run counts just as much as all the other runs.

We won. Period. Stop making excuses for the stupid Packers.

And ... in case you missed it. Rodgers threw for 291 and two touchdowns. We still won.

We won isn't the answer to the question my friend. My question is would we have won if the conditions had not been as favorable. I say likely no. Weather (joke) we agree or not, using this game as a prognostic example of future wins is like building a house on a terrible foundation.

Dude ... if you're a team who plays outdoors in the coldest environment in the NFL, you can't use the weather as an excuse for losing to a team that practices and plays indoors!

And I could not disagree with you more on using this game as an example of how we want to build this team. We won the game, yes, but it's HOW we won the game that matters. Our offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage. Go back and look at the tape. Look at Baldy's breakdown. Look at the all-22. This was the game our line began to play like a winning O-line, and it's continued ever since. Second, we shut down the Green Bay running game. We all know how important it is to be able to stop the run in December and January.

Like it or not, this is the kind of team Mike Zimmer wants the Vikings to be. The fact that they accomplished what they did against the so-called "team to beat" in the NFC speaks volumes to the progress the Vikings have made.

The only thing I could possibly give you in this argument is that the Packers are, as usual, pretenders in the playoff picture. They did absolutely nothing in the offseason to improve their team. They let their best defensive player, Blake Martinez, walk in free agency. They still can't run the ball, and they can't stop the run. Jacksonville proved that after we did. We beat the No. 1 seed, but that's a title they've gained solely because 7 of the 9 teams on their "first-place" schedule have losing records. If any team is a mirage, it's the Pukers. We know what we are. They think they're more than they are.

[Rhodes Closed]

So I just had a look at everyone's schedule, and we either:

A.) Need to win the rest of our games in order to get a playoff spot, furthermore, the Bears and Lions need to split with Green Bay (who also needs to lose to Tennesee) in order for us to win the NFC North.

B.) Go 10-6 and have the Cardinals lose to every NFC West opponent, or... Have Rams lose to Arizona twice and Seattle once, while also losing to the Buccaneers.

C.) Go 9-7, Cardinals get swamped by NFC West, and loses to New England, and if we lose to the Bears, hope they lose at least one game less than us.

So my predictions are going to be:

1. Seahawks - 13-3
2. Saints - 12-4
3. Packers - 11-5
4. Eagles - 5-10-1
5. Buccaneers - 12-4
6. LA Rams - 11-5
7. Minnesota Vikings - 10-6

7. Vikings vs. 2. Saints - Vikings BIG W
6. LA Rams vs. 3. Packers - Packers W
5. Buccaneers vs. 4. Eagles - Buccaneers W

7. Vikings vs. 1. Seahawks - Vikings W
5. Buccaneers vs. 3. Packers - Packers W
7. Vikings vs. 3. Packers - Vikings W.
Super Bowl - ???



Every team is flat out beatable, baby in this outlook. We almost beat the Seahawks. With our defense being better, I think we beat them easily. The Saints are the Saints, they are who we think they are. We beat the Pack before, so let's do it in the NFC Championship so its all the sweeter.

[YikesVikes]

Dude ... if you're a team who plays outdoors in the coldest environment in the NFL, you can't use the weather as an excuse for losing to a team that practices and plays indoors!

My point was not about whether we are indoor or outdoor team. The issue was about the weather being beneficial to us. It was not typical outdoor weather that weekend. The wind gust were up to 40 MPH. It was so bad both teams stop kicking. We essentially played an Aaron Rogers less Packers team.

And I could not disagree with you more on using this game as an example of how we want to build this team. We won the game, yes, but it's HOW we won the game that matters. Our offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage. Go back and look at the tape. Look at Baldy's breakdown. Look at the all-22. This was the game our line began to play like a winning O-line, and it's continued ever since. Second, we shut down the Green Bay running game. We all know how important it is to be able to stop the run in December and January.

No argument here. We ran the ball and blocked well. They had to run the ball because they could not attempt long passes due to the weather. We got an assist because we didn't have to defend the long pass (their strength and our weakness) and they couldn't stop the run (our strength)

Like it or not, this is the kind of team Mike Zimmer wants the Vikings to be. The fact that they accomplished what they did against the so-called "team to beat" in the NFC speaks volumes to the progress the Vikings have made.

This isn't close to being the point I was making.

The only thing I could possibly give you in this argument is that the Packers are, as usual, pretenders in the playoff picture. They did absolutely nothing in the offseason to improve their team. They let their best defensive player, Blake Martinez, walk in free agency. They still can't run the ball, and they can't stop the run. Jacksonville proved that after we did. We beat the No. 1 seed, but that's a title they've gained solely because 7 of the 9 teams on their "first-place" schedule have losing records. If any team is a mirage, it's the Pukers. We know what we are. They think they're more than they are.

So you don't think that the Packers inability to go downfield had a major impact on the game? Outside of the #### that was the TB game.... His Y/A was 7 yards compared to his average 8+ for the entire season. His yards gained per attempt was almost 2 yards lower.

[YikesVikes]

We won isn't the answer to the question my friend. My question is would we have won if the conditions had not been as favorable. I say likely no. Weather (joke) we agree or not, using this game as a prognostic example of future wins is like building a house on a terrible foundation.

Awesome news guys!!! Last night Dana White and I finally hammered out the details of a contract.
You guys will now be the co headliners at UFC 257 McGregor vs Porier !!!! Winner will fight the winner of the headliner for a chance to fight Kabib for the belt.
Just having some fun with your little rivalry. Lighten the mood

LMAO. J-Kapp knows how highly I think of him. A difference of opinion doesn't ruin relationships to me. He and are will always respectful disagree. We agree more than we disagree I think. If you want to see a fight... revive the PHP and I post on Hakeem Butler

[J. Kapp 11]

So I just had a look at everyone's schedule, and we either:

A.) Need to win the rest of our games in order to get a playoff spot, furthermore, the Bears and Lions need to split with Green Bay (who also needs to lose to Tennesee) in order for us to win the NFC North.

B.) Go 10-6 and have the Cardinals lose to every NFC West opponent, or... Have Rams lose to Arizona twice and Seattle once, while also losing to the Buccaneers.

C.) Go 9-7, Cardinals get swamped by NFC West, and loses to New England, and if we lose to the Bears, hope they lose at least one game less than us.

So my predictions are going to be:

1. Seahawks - 13-3
2. Saints - 12-4
3. Packers - 11-5
4. Eagles - 5-10-1
5. Buccaneers - 12-4
6. LA Rams - 11-5
7. Minnesota Vikings - 10-6

7. Vikings vs. 2. Saints - Vikings BIG W
6. LA Rams vs. 3. Packers - Packers W
5. Buccaneers vs. 4. Eagles - Buccaneers W

7. Vikings vs. 1. Seahawks - Vikings W
5. Buccaneers vs. 3. Packers - Packers W
7. Vikings vs. 3. Packers - Vikings W.
Super Bowl - ???



Every team is flat out beatable, baby in this outlook. We almost beat the Seahawks. With our defense being better, I think we beat them easily. The Saints are the Saints, they are who we think they are. We beat the Pack before, so let's do it in the NFC Championship so its all the sweeter.

Dude, I love your optimism here!

First off, there is NO WAY Seattle wins out to go 13-3. No way. I would bet my house on it. Matter of fact, I have them losing tonight. You can't play defense as poorly at Seattle and go 13-3. They've given up the most yards, been on the field for the most plays, and have given up the 6th most points. They're 27th in total defense and dead-last in pass defense. They are INCREDIBLY LUCKY that their toughest remaining games are at home. I'm going to say 11-5 is the best the Chickens will finish, and as ridiculous as it may sound, I could actually see them missing the playoffs.

Tampa at 12-4? I have my doubts. They still have games against the Chiefs, Rams, us, and two division games against the suddenly competent Falcons. I could go for 11-5, but I could also see 10-6 in their future if we can manage to beat them (big "if," I realize).

New Orleans. Man, this is a tough one. Drew Brees has 5 broken ribs, and they say he's going to be out 3 weeks because "he heals fast." Nobody heals fast at 41 years old. They have the talent to finish 12-4 or even better, but without Brees, they aren't a lock against any team. 12-4 could happen. So could something less if Jameis hasn't learned to stop throwing picks.

I think you could be missing the Cardinals, who I believe will have an inside track to finish 11-5 if they handle Seattle tonight. They do have to play the Rams twice, and they're unproven, which means they could lay an egg against a team they should beat. I could see Arizona finishing 10-6.

The Rams should win that division. They're the best, most complete team. But they also have four tough games left, with three of them on the road: at Tampa Bay, at Seattle and Arizona twice. Hard to say how it will play out. I could see them winning the division, and I could see them with 7 losses.

The Vikings. I think 10-6 is the most we can realistically hope for. I could see us beating New Orleans OR Tampa Bay, but probably not both. And that assumes we don't stub our toe against the remaining losers on our schedule. The Vikings being the Vikings, I could see 8-8 or 7-9 just as easily. But I'll say this. If the Vikings somehow win out to finish 11-5, it would be the greatest turnaround in league history ... and nobody would want to go against them in the playoffs.

[J. Kapp 11]

Awesome news guys!!! Last night Dana White and I finally hammered out the details of a contract.
You guys will now be the co headliners at UFC 257 McGregor vs Porier !!!! Winner will fight the winner of the headliner for a chance to fight Kabib for the belt.
Just having some fun with your little rivalry. Lighten the mood

LMAO. J-Kapp knows how highly I think of him. A difference of opinion doesn't ruin relationships to me. He and are will always respectful disagree. We agree more than we disagree I think. If you want to see a fight... revive the PHP and I post on Hakeem Butler

We're never going to agree on this YV. I'm way too old school. You play who you play, when you play them, where you play them. Again, the Vikings had to deal with the same wind. If the Packers truly are the "team to beat in the NFC," then they should have handled the 1-5 Vikings.

And honestly, they didn't play any better against Jacksonville. If not for the Jags getting two TDs reversed on phantom penalties, they probably would have lost. My point being ... maybe at this point in the season, we're just the better team.

I know you won't agree with that, so here we stand!

[Rhodes Closed]

Alright, gentlemen, we can breathe a little easier because the Cardinals lost to the Seahawks tonight. We need to capitalize by winning on Sunday.

[Bowhunting Viking]

Awesome news guys!!! Last night Dana White and I finally hammered out the details of a contract.
You guys will now be the co headliners at UFC 257 McGregor vs Porier !!!! Winner will fight the winner of the headliner for a chance to fight Kabib for the belt.
Just having some fun with your little rivalry. Lighten the mood

LMAO. J-Kapp knows how highly I think of him. A difference of opinion doesn't ruin relationships to me. He and are will always respectful disagree. We agree more than we disagree I think. If you want to see a fight... revive the PHP and I post on Hakeem Butler

Having some fun with the back n forth. It's cool when members can disagree but still have fun with it and remain civil.
Believe me I am well aware of some of the other situations where members don't agree and do NOT remain cool about it. I won't mention names but anyone who regularly posts here knows. Lol
Hell a year ago a (or maybe even longer cuz when u hit my age time is hard to keep track of) I suddenly ended up being pulled into that situation. Well, myself and a few other members who became the target of one individual. That deal actually became the final straw for that member because he was banned and has never returned.
So keep on keeping on. Lol. We are all here because we share the same thing, a crazy fanatical love of all things Purple, and the dream of seeing the Sacred Lombardi Trophy to find a home in Minny.
SKOL VIKINGS

[J. Kapp 11]

Alright, gentlemen, we can breathe a little easier because the Cardinals lost to the Seahawks tonight. We need to capitalize by winning on Sunday.

Yep. No way the Sea Chickens win 13 games.

See, this is why I normally refrain from making predictions. I suck at them!