Packer Post Game Postings

[StumpHunter]

Well, that sucked.

Oline was really bad, defense was awesome, Cousins was terrible, run game was horrible, Diggs had some great plays, and STs were there.

What went so wrong and how do you make this team better this year or in 2020?

Some stats from the game:

Time to throw for one QB: 2.49

The other 2.94, the seventh longest this week.

7 total first downs after 20 on average for the rest of the year.

TOP killed the defense and they just wore down (NFL.com's team stats are down so I can't get the exact number atm)

184 rushing yards versus 57.

3 to 1 turnover ratio.

3 sacks given up versus 5.

[4mnvikings82]

Well, that sucked.

Oline was really bad, defense was awesome, Cousins was terrible, run game was horrible, Diggs had some great plays, and STs were there.

What went so wrong and how do you make this team better this year or in 2020?

Fire the coaching staff have not been able to get the team ready to play any big games this year or last year we will always be a mediocre team with this coaching staff

[Purplepain2018]

I know the O-Line was just terrible tonight. I get that. However, Cousins does not play well against the good teams. Period. He plays really well against bad teams, but against the good teams he stinks it up. In the playoffs, the Vikings will be playing against good teams so that tells me Cousins is going to struggle.

Cousins is not the long term answer for the Vikings. They really need to look seriously in the draft this year for their next franchise QB. When things break down with the Oline, as they did tonight, he cannot move or create anything. He is like a sitting duck. I cannot explain the Oline tonight. Guess what, the Bears have a better Dline than the Packers.

Really as bad as it gets.

[StpViking]

It's just this franchise's usual outcome. In the biggest moments this team just chokes, it doesn't really matter who's the coach or who's the QB.

So anyone who thinks just changing coaches or QB will help, be honest with yourselves, will that actually lift the curse?

And no, I have no idea how to lift the curse. The Football teams in this area, both Pro and College are just what they are!

[Maelstrom88]

Kirk is not the answer. No one on the oline can block. The cornerbacks can't cover. The passing game consists of check downs to the running back that are thrown in the ground.

They need to draft offensive line, QB, and CB in the first 3 rounds in no particular order. Zimmer most likely isn't the answer either unless you're just happy to make the playoffs. Also, Cook gets injured too much to give a lucrative contract to.

[Raz]

I thought the play calling was bad. No passes to the te no screens early in the game it seems like he just calls random plays of course the line was terrible.

The decision making baffles me at times. The pass to cousins maybe I don't know. Another poor play choice on fourth then the wasted timeout when trying to get them to jump of sides just take the delay.

And just face it we are all homers this is just an average team like an NFC titans or colts

[halfgiz]

D played a good game tonight! 3 turnovers and 3 sacks.
Offense totally stunk it up. And Kirk is 0-9 MNF.
I hope Kendricks and Barr injuries aren't bad.

Packers 55 Smith...the offense couldn't contain him.

I think it's time for change.

[ERIK the PURPLE]

Some of the worst offense I’ve ever seen by the Vikes. Boone, despite the recent hype, never impressed me in the pre-season. Looks like Cook, with the hair, but doesn’t play like Cook. Always 2 to 3 yds. Per carry. We need a LT and guard more than the breath of life itself. For the most part, I thought Rhodes played one his better games. Seemed to contest many of the targets.

[YikesVikes]

Team clinched on Sat and we played like it. They didnt really care tonight.

[S197]

This game basically confirmed all my fears. This is a mentally weak, poorly coached team that simply puts out constant low effort performances in December. This game was EXACTLY like the Bears last year. Both games the rush D was absolutely gashed, the O-line was horrid, Cousins was ineffective, and the game plan laughable. Both games at home with playoff implications.

How many OCs do we need to go through before we realize there’s a bigger problem? Reiff and Bradbury are 1st rounders, O’Neill a 2nd and Elflein a 3rd. And they looked horrendous. Rick has failed to put together a halfway decent line and he’s had over a decade. Not to mention paying a truckload for Cousins who while I’m sure has amazing NextGen stats, can’t elevate this team when it’s needed most. Rick needs to go.

Zimmer is also over his head. The constantly underprepared teams. Questionable calls (going for it on 4th down, calling a timeout to punt, punting when down 2 scores). And a regressing defense despite immense amounts of draft capital. He needs to go too.

The problem is both of them are good but not good enough. If you’re a fan of having a proverbial wildcard team then I guess you’re content. I’m not. We deserve better and I really feel neither of these guys can deliver it.

Fans need to stop selling themselves short. We deserve a championship. Or at least a team that can contend. Average simply isn’t acceptable anymore. I’d rather clean house and risk losing our above average status for a chance at greatness. What we have now, it’s capped out, they’ve proven over and over they simply do not have the wherewithal to get to the next level.

[S197]

Daily Norseman summed it up pretty well:

Sell: The Vikings can break into the rarefied air of elite. But I am starting to feel that there might be a ceiling with Zimmer, though. Maybe I’m wrong. It just feels with the exception of the 2017 regular season that there are 3-4 games a year, games that one could classify as franchise altering or season defining games, where the Vikings just look flat and completely uninterested. Tonight was one of those games, and it’s baffling to me.

How can a team, with so much to play for, with this much talent on offense, look so bad for an entire game? There’s no excuse this late in the year for that kind of performance. It’s true that Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison were out, but you have $265 million in contracts doled out to Cousins, Diggs, Thielen, and Kyle Rudolph, and call me crazy, but a reasonable expectation would be that you should get more than seven first downs over 60 minutes of football for that kind of money.

That just doesn’t seem like a great return on investment.

And the thing of it is that the Vikings deliver more than one of these performances a year under Zimmer, and it always seems to be when they matter the most. In 2015, they got throttled at home against the Packers and Seahawks. In 2016, they lost back to back games against Detroit on Thanksgiving and at home against Dallas, then got their #### kicked two weeks later at home to the Colts, ending any realistic playoff hopes. Last year they lost late season road games to Seattle and New England, and then with a playoff spot on the line they lost at home in the season finale to the Bears.

The Vikings come up small in big moments under Mike Zimmer. It needs to change, unless you’re cool with this in perpetuity under Zim.

https://www.dailynorseman.com/2019/12/2 ... rt-packers

[CharVike]

I guess the Pack are average BS has ended. Beat us twice. They have changed that team with a first year coach. Also this stat that has Rodgers as less than average is another joke. The guy has one WR. The rest are a bunch of Bisi Johnson if that. IMO he's still the best in the NFC. The Packer D puts pressure on the QB. This Smith guy abused our OL. Didn't matter were he lined up. With all that if they need to hit the road during the playoffs they are probably done. Now the Cousins abuse starts. He is what he is. He's the 2nd best QB in the division and our best sine Fran. Diggs made the worse play of the game when he couldn't complete a pass to a guy with nobody around him. Did they practice it? I wanted us to pick that Lock guy last year. He fell to us and Speilman ignored it. He blew this year of course but there's great potential. He'll ignore the position again this year. That means a Cousins resign at 40+ million. I still think Cousins is dam good. He was shaky last night because of the pressure. That's every QB getting pressure. If the Bears turn Mack loose it will be the same deal. I would rest our top guys against the Bears including Cousins. If he gets knocked out by Mack or whoever we can't compete. 5th or 6th slot doesn't matter either. I would perfer not to go into Lambo and get beat again by that avg team. So that's what will happen.

[Texas Vike]

When we were up 3-0 in the turnover column and only led 10-9 at half, I knew it was likely we were going to get roasted in the 2nd. Our D just got tired, which was to be expected with the lopsided TOP.

The offensive woes can be attributed to a horrible game plan and play calling by Stef-Kubiak, a terrified of the primetime lights performance by Kirk Cousins, and the inability of our OL to run or pass block all night long. I was hoping that we would make halftime adjustments and come out and move Kirk on some roll outs, dial up some quick hitting shots, some screens, but instead it looked like the same old BS. There were also some horrendous coaching decisions made (going for that 4th down at midfield with tons of time left, punting w/ three minutes left, etc.).

This loss is an illustration of what it feels like to be a Vikings fan. Utter disappointment.

[halfgiz]

Excellent posts S197 spot on

[J. Kapp 11]

I am as optimistic as any Vikings fan alive, and that after 50+ years of following the team. But I can’t disagree with anything said here.

In all my time as a fan, there have been just a few times I’ve been so disappointed in this team that it made me seriously wonder why I don’t just stop watching football and save myself the heartache. Those would be the ‘76 loss to the Raiders, the ‘98 loss to Atlanta, the ‘15 loss to Seattle, the ‘17 loss to Philly ... and last night. Why those games? Because those were good teams that underachieved in the biggest moments.

That’s three of the worst gut punches delivered courtesy of a Mike Zimmer coached team.

Here’s what I think it is with Cousins. This team under Zimmer is so risk-averse that Cousins is simply shell shocked. How many times did Cousins double clutch on throws last night? He was afraid to turn it over. You could see it in his eyes. Not making excuses for Cousins. He was beyond horrible. But I’m beginning to think it doesn’t matter who is playing QB. If Zimmer is coaching, they’re going to be less than their best. The only exception was Keenum ... he didn’t seem to care what Zimmer thought, which is probably why Zimmer couldn’t stand him.

Think this team would ever play this poorly on offense under somebody like Kyle Shanahan or Andy Reid? Somebody who realizes that your offense has to be able to do more than not turn it over?

Never thought I’d say this, but the house cleaning needs to start with the head coach.