Impressions from Pre-Season game 2 vs. Buffalo Bills

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Texas Vike
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Impressions from Pre-Season game 2 vs. Buffalo Bills

Post by Texas Vike »

This is my first post on this site. I must say that I'm really pleased to have found a forum that is properly moderated and with a respectful and intelligent level of discourse. I now wonder why I was wasting my time elsewhere.

To my thread's topic: I found plenty of reason for optimism after watching last night's game. Ponder looked sharp in his decisions and throws and poised in general. I like how he's grown. He seems to be a natural leader and seems genuinely interested in being "the guy" in MN for the long haul. His intelligence and character are strengths that should not be underestimated as important virtues for a QB.

I liked that he hit numerous targets and that the WRs, TEs and RBs caught the catchable balls. Our WR corps may be a weak point, but if we can get a committee approach to simply do the basics that may be perfectly sufficient. Loved Toby's catch and run as well as Simpson's.

Our run-defense still seems suspect and it's hard to watch given that we used to excel here. Our new d-backs look promising and what can you say about Audie Cole? Sweet reaction from Chris Cook and Jared on his 2nd TD.

Last, but not least, love to see Blair Walsh banging the ball w/ solid consistency. That could change things for us drastically. We're in a wicked division and we're still rebuilding, but we might just surprise some folks this year.
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Re: Impressions from Pre-Season game 2 vs. Buffalo Bills

Post by vikeinmontana »

:welcome

great board. and great first post. looking forward to future discussions. skol! :smilevike:
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Re: Impressions from Pre-Season game 2 vs. Buffalo Bills

Post by Eli »

Texas Vike wrote:Our run-defense still seems suspect and it's hard to watch given that we used to excel here.
Stopping the run is about linebacker play and defensive linemen staying in their lanes. The Vikings have two great pass rushing DEs, and all they mostly have to do is contain the outside run, but they're almost always going all out in the pass rush and sometimes fail to do that. In the middle, they miss a big body like Pat Williams _badly_ and then have Jasper Brinkley backing up the line. Brinkley is a far cry from E.J. Henderson, who was a great ball hawk.
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Re: Impressions from Pre-Season game 2 vs. Buffalo Bills

Post by saint33 »

our starters held the run very well this game, without our starting NT.
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Re: Impressions from Pre-Season game 2 vs. Buffalo Bills

Post by jackal »

I recorded the game off of the rebroadcast on NFL network this morning ..

I was really impressed the team seem fired up for sure. I have not seen the team play that way since 2009 when we had Farve..


The linebacker with the pick sixes I hope we can get him on the field. That one play that Harrison the rookie safety knocked down the
ball when he was rushing in on the blitz.

Then we had Simpson doing his leapfrog over the defender at full speed early in the game.
(reminded me of Jermaine Wiggins play years ago minus about 50 pounds wink*)

The offense line did give up a few sacks, but the bills have one of the best DL in the game with Mario Willams and company.


I think if we have a few more good drafts like this last year and be smart in FA I think we might get a Lombardi of are own someday.

Might be the Purple Kool aid talking, but it tasted good after watching that game ...
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Re: Impressions from Pre-Season game 2 vs. Buffalo Bills

Post by Texas Vike »

vikeinmontana wrote::welcome

great board. and great first post. looking forward to future discussions. skol! :smilevike:
Thanks for the welcome and responses.

I caught the first half of the Cowboys game tonight and noticed their recent FA pickup Brandon Carr had two picks. A lot of Vikings fans wanted the purple to pick him up from KC this offseason, but he was an expensive piece to a puzzle that's still a ways off.

I guess we had our own two interception defender last night in Audie Cole anyways... so who needs the uber-expensive FA? For now, drafting young talent is the way to go. We'll be one or two pieces away soon enough (I hope).
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Re: Impressions from Pre-Season game 2 vs. Buffalo Bills

Post by losperros »

:welcome

Welcome to the board, Texas Vike!

I'll be content if the Vikings show progress this season. No more bottom dwellers, hopefully.

On that note, this last preseason game revealed some spark in their step that I haven't seen for a couple of seasons. I'm glad that Spielman went with more youth and greater quickness.

Can they keep it up? Well, there will be stumbles, but it appears as if there has been improvement and that's what matters most.
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Re: Impressions from Pre-Season game 2 vs. Buffalo Bills

Post by Mothman »

Welcome to the board, Texas Vike!

The preseason win over Buffalo was definitely an encouraging performance but I'm always cautious about reading much into preseason football. Ponder looked sharp and I was very happy with the way the starting offense performed. Hopefully, when the regular season begins, they'll be finishing more drives with TDs than FGs. The only real issue I had with starting offense's performance on Friday were the breakdowns in pas blocking. They have some work to do in that department, including Kalil, who didn't sustain his block on that attempted flea flicker. His defender disrupted the play.

I thought Musgrave mixed the playcalling up nicely and the defense looked much better with Allen, Williams and Winfield involved. Josh Robinson, Audie Cole and several new Vikings made a nice case for themselves in the game and I have to give credit to Mistral Raymond. After a bad play that led to a big gain for Brandon Jacobs in SF, he came back with a very strong performance.

Walsh is looking like a find!

Hopefully, they'll keep up the positive momentum over the next two weeks and then stomp jacksonville in week 1.
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Re: Impressions from Pre-Season game 2 vs. Buffalo Bills

Post by J. Kapp 11 »

If any week in preseason matters, it would be next week.

The starters will play extended snaps for the first time. If the Vikings' starters can make a good showing against a decent Charger team, there may be some hope.
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Re: Impressions from Pre-Season game 2 vs. Buffalo Bills

Post by bigskyeric »

I saw a team that was playing with a sense of purpose again. To get that excited in preseason has to be a good sign of things to come. :smilevike:
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