WEEK 13: Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons Discussion

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Raptorman
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Re: WEEK 13: Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons Discussion

Post by Raptorman »

PurpleKoolaid wrote: LOL
We get no respect.
So much for the "Red Hot" Atlanta Falcons...............
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Re: WEEK 13: Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons Discussion

Post by 808vikingsfan »

Raptorman wrote: LOL
We get no respect.
So much for the "Red Hot" Atlanta Falcons...............[/quote]


I still can't figure that out. The red hot Falcons with 3 wins in a row versus the Minnesota Vikings who won 7 games in a row
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Re: WEEK 13: Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons Discussion

Post by J. Kapp 11 »

808vikingsfan wrote:So much for the "Red Hot" Atlanta Falcons...............
Everybody is red hot BEFORE they play us.
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Re: WEEK 13: Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons Discussion

Post by mansquatch »

Yesterday during the game the announcers didn't realize the Vikings were winning until the last 2 minutes of the game. It was a total Julio Jones slobber fest until Adam Thielen daggered the Falcon with that 21 yard catch. It was ridiculous. Hey you know what, you just called a game with the #1 seed in the NFC, but they weren't wearing red and black. Idiots.

You know who isn't excited about the Vikings? Cam Newton. His body language at the end of that game on Sunday was awful. Wait until we show up. :slice:
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Re: WEEK 13: Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons Discussion

Post by J. Kapp 11 »

mansquatch wrote:Yesterday during the game the announcers didn't realize the Vikings were winning until the last 2 minutes of the game. It was a total Julio Jones slobber fest until Adam Thielen daggered the Falcon with that 21 yard catch. It was ridiculous. Hey you know what, you just called a game with the #1 seed in the NFC, but they weren't wearing red and black. Idiots.

You know who isn't excited about the Vikings? Cam Newton. His body language at the end of that game on Sunday was awful. Wait until we show up. :slice:
Charles Davis never gives the Vikings any credit. He did the same thing when we played the Redskins, and the same thing when we played Rams. In fact, the question with him against the Rams was never whether the Vikings were going win. It wasn't even whether the Rams were going to win. It was HOW the Rams were going to win.

And you know what? It's going to continue, probably right on through the Super Bowl, should we make it that far. Chris Collinsworth last night talked about his weekly power rankings, and he talked about the Vikings in this way: "How can you overlook what the Vikings are doing in the NFC North? I think you have to put them in the Top 5, don't you?"

Ya THINK? Thanks for the analysis, Captain Obvious.
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Re: WEEK 13: Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons Discussion

Post by PurpleMustReign »

I like Charles Davis. I like Kevin Burkhardt too. The hate for the Vikings isn't limited to Davis though. It's been all announcers. It will be interesting to hear Nantz and Romo this Sunday.

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Re: WEEK 13: Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons Discussion

Post by VikingLord »

For what it's worth, if I were a national commentator and I looked at the Vikings starting QB and some of the names on the offensive side of the ball, I'd probably discount them too. That's through no fault of their own or a reflection on their performance or ability to perform - it's more about name recognition and, to some extent, physical attributes and where they were drafted, or not drafted. I mean, everyone knows Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. They are well-established names who were drafted high and have had a lot of success as pros. People expect them to perform well. In the case of guys like Keenum and Thielen, I think there is going to be a tendency to believe that yeah, these guys have done some amazing things this year, but they will come back to earth. After all, if they were really this good or could be this good consistently, someone would have noticed them and drafted these guys. If Case Keenum were really this special and capable of playing at this high level, he'd have gotten a bigger offer than the Vikings gave him, no way would he have gone to any team as the 3rd string QB in a QB-starved league, and no way would a team that had him on the roster have even let him go. I mean, when a QB is on a roster he's getting snaps in practice and can show what he's capable of, yet Keenum went through that process with two different teams and neither found a way to keep him. So it's just disbelief, really, that whatever magic pixie dust the Vikings have found to sprinkle on these guys is going to last.

It's actually not an unreasonable perspective, and to be honest, even if the Vikings win out from here on out, it won't change, at least not this season. If they win the #1 seed, every team they could face in the playoffs is going to be the one that has the better name recognition and the more established track record and should win. Every single one, and every time the Vikings come out on top it will be more about what their opponents did wrong than what the Vikings did right.

And you know what - that is fine by me because it takes away all expectation and all pressure. They can go out and just play their game and if they fall short, well, that's what everybody expected to happen sooner or later anyway. In the meantime, they can just keep exceeding expectations and winning. I hope if the Vikings do make it to the Superbowl this year they are huge underdogs and all the pundits talk about how Brady/Big Ben is going to eat them alive.
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Re: WEEK 13: Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons Discussion

Post by S197 »

VikingLord wrote:For what it's worth, if I were a national commentator and I looked at the Vikings starting QB and some of the names on the offensive side of the ball, I'd probably discount them too. That's through no fault of their own or a reflection on their performance or ability to perform - it's more about name recognition and, to some extent, physical attributes and where they were drafted, or not drafted. I mean, everyone knows Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. They are well-established names who were drafted high and have had a lot of success as pros. People expect them to perform well. In the case of guys like Keenum and Thielen, I think there is going to be a tendency to believe that yeah, these guys have done some amazing things this year, but they will come back to earth. After all, if they were really this good or could be this good consistently, someone would have noticed them and drafted these guys. If Case Keenum were really this special and capable of playing at this high level, he'd have gotten a bigger offer than the Vikings gave him, no way would he have gone to any team as the 3rd string QB in a QB-starved league, and no way would a team that had him on the roster have even let him go. I mean, when a QB is on a roster he's getting snaps in practice and can show what he's capable of, yet Keenum went through that process with two different teams and neither found a way to keep him. So it's just disbelief, really, that whatever magic pixie dust the Vikings have found to sprinkle on these guys is going to last.

It's actually not an unreasonable perspective, and to be honest, even if the Vikings win out from here on out, it won't change, at least not this season. If they win the #1 seed, every team they could face in the playoffs is going to be the one that has the better name recognition and the more established track record and should win. Every single one, and every time the Vikings come out on top it will be more about what their opponents did wrong than what the Vikings did right.

And you know what - that is fine by me because it takes away all expectation and all pressure. They can go out and just play their game and if they fall short, well, that's what everybody expected to happen sooner or later anyway. In the meantime, they can just keep exceeding expectations and winning. I hope if the Vikings do make it to the Superbowl this year they are huge underdogs and all the pundits talk about how Brady/Big Ben is going to eat them alive.
This is what I was somewhat alluding to in the other thread. We don't have a superstar on this team now that Peterson is gone. We have a pretty complete team but people want to talk about the superstar's, not a journeyman QB or an UDFA WR. Their turnaround actually make great stories but that's simply not what the media is focused on.

And Zimmer and some of the players are right, they haven't done anything. Yet. Wrap up the division, get a bye, get home field. All those are still not locked in. Yes, they're 90% or something like that to get a bye but lets not forget we were 90% to make the playoffs last year after the initial run. Not trying to pee in anyone's cheerio's or anything, I'm just saying the Vikings will get respect if/when they make it and perform well in the post-season.
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Re: WEEK 13: Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons Discussion

Post by mansquatch »

I'm not upset that we are not getting media attention, so much as the overall stupidity and inanity of the broadcasters just drives me up a wall. It's like they are trying to be John Madden. You listen to most of those guys talk and for the most part they are just recycling bits that have been done for the past 10-20 years. Look at Aikman as an example. Aikman should have forgotten more about football than any of us would know, yet his comments are almost universally qualitative in nature, as if he some how can divine the attitude of the player. That isn't on any level what I would refer to as "analysis."

You'd think that a guy like Gruden would be better as he was an HC just 10 years ago and even his comments are lame. My guess is the network brass and clinging to an old formula of what they think will work based on what has worked and it created a general stagnation by squashing originality. No risk = no reward = Bland and Boring. This is a big reason why I enjoy Romo as a commentator. He is the first announcer I've heard in probably a decade where I actually learn something new. What a breath of fresh air!

If i had more capital I'd find a way to challenge the networks. They are all old and tired and ripe for some creative destruction.
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Re: WEEK 13: Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons Discussion

Post by mansquatch »

S197 wrote: This is what I was somewhat alluding to in the other thread. We don't have a superstar on this team now that Peterson is gone. We have a pretty complete team but people want to talk about the superstar's, not a journeyman QB or an UDFA WR. Their turnaround actually make great stories but that's simply not what the media is focused on.

And Zimmer and some of the players are right, they haven't done anything. Yet. Wrap up the division, get a bye, get home field. All those are still not locked in. Yes, they're 90% or something like that to get a bye but lets not forget we were 90% to make the playoffs last year after the initial run. Not trying to pee in anyone's cheerio's or anything, I'm just saying the Vikings will get respect if/when they make it and perform well in the post-season.
The issue I have is we have done just as much as everyone else and with the sole exception of the Eagles, done it better, at least in 2017.
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Re: WEEK 13: Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons Discussion

Post by S197 »

mansquatch wrote: The issue I have is we have done just as much as everyone else and with the sole exception of the Eagles, done it better, at least in 2017.
I think it's a fair gripe. Unfortunately the media wants to focus on the stars and in the NFL that's almost always the QB. The Eagles and Rams don't have the resume of some of the other teams that are being hyped but having the #1 and #2 picked QB's in the draft and that helps. To me, the resurgence of Keenum and the play of Thielen would make great stories but it just doesn't seem like the media feels the same way. We are quickly approaching a point where the media can't ignore this team so as long as they do what they do, the respect will come.

I think the Jaguars are the AFC equivalent of the Vikings. Both teams have great defenses but get passed over for "flashier" teams in their conference.
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Re: WEEK 13: Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons Discussion

Post by J. Kapp 11 »

S197 wrote:I think it's a fair gripe. Unfortunately the media wants to focus on the stars and in the NFL that's almost always the QB. The Eagles and Rams don't have the resume of some of the other teams that are being hyped but having the #1 and #2 picked QB's in the draft and that helps. To me, the resurgence of Keenum and the play of Thielen would make great stories but it just doesn't seem like the media feels the same way. We are quickly approaching a point where the media can't ignore this team so as long as they do what they do, the respect will come.

I think the Jaguars are the AFC equivalent of the Vikings. Both teams have great defenses but get passed over for "flashier" teams in their conference.
The difference, though, is that the Vikings are actually explosive on offense. Jacksonville, on the other hand, has Blake Bortles. Yes, they have Leonard Fournette, but he's controllable. And besides, 10 years of AP gave us a pretty clear picture of how much a bell-cow running back matters in the modern NFL.

To me, the story in the AFC is the Chargers, who have come storming back from an 0-4 start (see how I did that? ... storming). Their rise, of course, is coupled with the collapse of the Kansas City Chiefs. Isn't it interesting ... KC started 5-0, and now are in serious danger of missing the playoffs.

That storyline for the Vikings seems like a century ago, but I'm glad our players and coaches haven't forgotten. I love our team's "we've done nothing yet" attitude.
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Re: WEEK 13: Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons Discussion

Post by S197 »

J. Kapp 11 wrote: The difference, though, is that the Vikings are actually explosive on offense. Jacksonville, on the other hand, has Blake Bortles. Yes, they have Leonard Fournette, but he's controllable. And besides, 10 years of AP gave us a pretty clear picture of how much a bell-cow running back matters in the modern NFL.

To me, the story in the AFC is the Chargers, who have come storming back from an 0-4 start (see how I did that? ... storming). Their rise, of course, is coupled with the collapse of the Kansas City Chiefs. Isn't it interesting ... KC started 5-0, and now are in serious danger of missing the playoffs.

That storyline for the Vikings seems like a century ago, but I'm glad our players and coaches haven't forgotten. I love our team's "we've done nothing yet" attitude.
True, the Chargers are on a roll right now. It seems like since the Steelers game, everyone has figured out how to defend KC. Interestingly, three years ago, the Falcons had a very similar hot start to the season before collapsing the second half like the Vikings last year. Although their collapse was not nearly as much attributed to injuries. Then they make the SB last year. Hopefully the Vikings don't have the same choke job if they make the SB but they're on a very similar trajectory.

Need to also keep an eye on Seattle. Not just because they beat Philly but if they win out, they have the tiebreaker over us as they would be undefeated in their division. All that is moot of course if the Vikings take care of business but they seem like the most likely spoiler to losing our 1st round bye.
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Re: WEEK 13: Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons Discussion

Post by jackal »

Until we win a Super Bowl this will not change
for a lot of experts ...

It will be another almost year or could have been
story ..
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Re: WEEK 13: Minnesota Vikings @ Atlanta Falcons Discussion

Post by cstelter »

S197 wrote: Need to also keep an eye on Seattle. Not just because they beat Philly but if they win out, they have the tiebreaker over us as they would be undefeated in their division. All that is moot of course if the Vikings take care of business but they seem like the most likely spoiler to losing our 1st round bye.
I don't think a tie breaker between Seattle and us relies on division record, rather conference record. I think this bit applies for 1,2,3,4 seeds:
http://www.nfl.com/standings/tiebreakingprocedures wrote: http://www.nfl.com/standings/tiebreakingprocedures
TO BREAK A TIE FOR THE WILD-CARD TEAM

If it is necessary to break ties to determine the two Wild-Card clubs from each conference, the following steps will be taken.
  1. If the tied clubs are from the same division, apply division tie breaker.
  2. If the tied clubs are from different divisions, apply the following steps.
Two Clubs
  1. Head-to-head, if applicable.
  2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
  3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
  4. Strength of victory.
  5. Strength of schedule.
  6. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
  7. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
  8. Best net points in conference games.
  9. Best net points in all games.
  10. Best net touchdowns in all games.
  11. Coin toss.
So if we end up tied, we will have lost 2 more games than they will. We would only end in a tie for NFC games if we both lost our final AFC game or both did *not* lose our AFC game. If one of loses the AFC and the other wins and we end up tied, then the one who wins the AFC game will then have lost an extra NFC game and lose the tie breaker then.

Next up is common opponents-- I counted GB, LAR, ATL, WAS. Our record is current 4-0 and theirs is 1-3 and we have one more against GB and they have 1 more against LAR. No scenario will change that tie breaker, so we only need to worry about the NFC record.

So to not lose a 1st round bye to SEA, we must
1) win no more than 1 game less than them.
2) If we win 2 games less than them, our wins had better be NFC wins (resulting in our having better NFC record outright, or tied winning common opponents), or one of their wins had better have been against JAX next week (resulting in NFC record tie and our winning common opponents).
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