Divisional Round: Vikings vs Saints Pre-Game Discussion

[Pondering Her Percy]

I feel like this is going to be the longest work week ever. I just want this game to be here right now. All I keep envisioning in my head is the Vikings whooping the Saints up and down the field and heading the the NFC Championship game against the Falcons. Who we will then beat to advance and beat the Steelers in the Super Bowl. All these years of heartbreak and bad losses to these teams we now cant stand.....will all get what they have coming from our Vikings. If it lines up like this, it would be an unbelievably satisfying season to say the least.

Mark my words, if (and when) we win this game, we are winning the Super Bowl.

[S197]

my biggest concern is still Forbath funnily enough. Kickers are key this late in the season and I think there's still a big question mark over him. Gano missed that 25 yarder early on yesterday, if he made that Panthers are only 2 behind on that last drive with less pressure and a relatively short 3 pointer to lead. (I know football isn't that easy and the game shakes out differently if he makes the 3 early, but the point still stands)

Titans beat the Chiefs by 1 point...Chiefs missed their only field goal attempt from 48 yards.

That's two games that could have swung the other way with better kicking. I really hope kicking doesn't cost us again

This a hundred times over. It's rare to blow out a team in the playoffs, especially in the divisional round (if anyone brings up that year that never existed I keel you!). We need to execute in all 3 phases. Look at the Rams, great special teams but that's really what killed them with all the turnovers.

Honestly this week was a bunch of sloppy games. So many dropped passes. I hope the coaches key on keeping guys focused, you could really see the inexperience of some teams this past weekend.

Also, unleash the Barr!!

[808vikingsfan]

Forgot how bad the officiating was in 2009. Start at 00:43. V

[808vikingsfan]

Also, unleash the Barr!!

Have a feeling he's going to get close to MVP this post season.

[dead_poet]

Forgot how bad the officiating was in 2009. Start at 00:43. ]

No.

[808vikingsfan]

No.

lol. Just adding some fuel for this weekend.

I think the Vikings are good enough this year to beat the Saints and refs.

[Mothman]

Since we know it's going to come up. People are going to point to the Saints RB's and claim that will be the reason they are a better team than the Vikings. So, I did a little number crunching and came up with this. Yes they have been better than the Vikings RB's. But not by much. I took the numbers from the last 12 games. Since Murray/Mckinnon didn't really play much those first 4 games I thought it was only fair to compare the players in the same amount of games. This actually benefits the Saints players because in those first 4 games the Saints RB's only had 1 TD between the two of them. Yeah, 4 games, 1 TD, rushing or receiving.

Anyway. Stats are on a per game basis.

Code: Select all

                 ATP    YPG   YPA   REC   YPG    YPC
Murry/McKinnon	28.5	112	3.9	4.7	39.7	8.5
Kamara/Ingrahm	24.4	133	5.5	8.7	80.8	9.3

It should also be noted that in those last 12 games, the Saints played 6 games against teams ranked in the bottom 10 of rushing defense in the league. So 56% of their yardage came against teams ranked 23rd or worse in rushing for the year. Tampa, 23rd. 2 games. Jets 24th, Rams 28th, Bills 29th, Redskins 32nd. Vikings only had 3 games against teams in that range(Redskins, Rams and Bengals). 25% of Vikings yardage came against teams ranked in the bottom 10.

An average difference of 62 yards from scrimmage a game actually seems pretty substantial.

[Muqali]

Thielen was a rookie in 2013.

I think you meant Robison but you are right. We need to be aggressive on all front. Not too aggressive of course, but Shurmur and Zimmer only needs to look at KC and see that going conservative in the playoffs is not always smart.

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Sorry guys I was trying to be subtle but failed, all I mean is Thielen was a Viking fan before he was a player so was there with us in those losses. I actually thought Robison was on the team in 2009 but looked it up and didn't see him on the roster so didn't mention it.

[Raptorman]

An average difference of 62 yards from scrimmage a game actually seems pretty substantial.

Yes it would be normally. But.............considering that Kamara and Ingrahm are the second and third in passes caught on the team, I would expect it. Vikings spread the ball around more.

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                 Rec   Yards 
Michael Thomas   104   1245
Alvin Kamara      81    826 
Mark Ingram       58    416
Ted Ginn          53    787
Brandon Coleman   23    364

Adam Thielen      91   1276
Stefon Diggs      64    849
Kyle Rudolph      57    532
Jerick McKinnon   51    421 
Laquon Treadwell  20    200

[Purple Domination]

Sorry guys I was trying to be subtle but failed, all I mean is Thielen was a Viking fan before he was a player so was there with us in those losses

Ah, I see what you did there

[808vikingsfan]

Ah, I see what you did there

Sherels too?

[84BreaksAnkles]

I think the Vikings rushing defense is a lot better than some of the others he had. In 2009, for example, his defense was 24th in rushing yards per game allowed. This Vikings team is 7th in that area.

Minnesota is actually 2nd in the leage in Rushing Yards allowed per game/total for the 2017 season.

[Mothman]

Yes it would be normally. But.............considering that Kamara and Ingrahm are the second and third in passes caught on the team, I would expect it. Vikings spread the ball around more.

Code: Select all

                 Rec   Yards 
Michael Thomas   104   1245
Alvin Kamara      81    826 
Mark Ingram       58    416
Ted Ginn          53    787
Brandon Coleman   23    364

Adam Thielen      91   1276
Stefon Diggs      64    849
Kyle Rudolph      57    532
Jerick McKinnon   51    421 
Laquon Treadwell  20    200

I see your point. Thanks!

[PurpleMustReign]

Sherels too?

CJ Ham.

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[Cliff]

Minnesota is actually 2nd in the leage in Rushing Yards allowed per game/total for the 2017 season.

Thanks for the correction. I had somehow flipped to offense where we're 7th in rushing yards per game.