Vikes/Seahawks post-game thoughts

[VikeFanInEagleLand]

....

[Mothman]

I meant to touch on Zimmer's decision to go for a two point conversion in the third quarter. I'm not sure why he felt the need to chase the points and tie it up at that stage of the game but the failed conversion came back to haunt them. If they had simply kicked the XP it would have changed the entire situation that evolved later.

Also, I'm curious; when was the last time the Vikes won outdoors? I didn't see last week's game. Was the roof open in Houston?

[J. Kapp 11]

no it wont, because the GM doesnt know how to build a winner.....until spielman is gone nothing will change.

and pLEASE, explain what we have gained by NOT kicking a Field goal and going up by 9 points on the road with little time left on the clock.....Zim is a senile defensive coordinator pretending to be a Head Coach.

That's easy.

A field goal only would have put us up 8.

[J. Kapp 11]

I meant to touch on Zimmer's decision to go for a two point conversion in the third quarter. I'm not sure why he felt the need to chase the points and tie it up at that stage of the game but the failed conversion came back to haunt them. If they had simply kicked the XP it would have changed the entire situation that evolved later.

Also, I'm curious; when was the last time the Vikes won outdoors? I didn't see last week's game. Was the roof open in Houston?

The roof in Houston was not open.

Last outdoor win was December 15, 2019, against the Chargers. In perfect weather, of course. Before that it was against the Giants last October.

[J. Kapp 11]

Since I'm depressed enough to need therapy this morning, I thought I'd share some mind-numbing stats that are sure to drive you to your shrink's couch, as well.

• We ran 83 plays to 52 for Seattle.
• We had nearly 40 minutes time of possession to roughly 20 for Seattle.
• We had 31 first downs.
• We rushed for 201 yards.
• We had 449 yards of total offense.

Yet. We. Lost.

Gonna be a long season.

[Mothman]

The roof in Houston was not open.

Last outdoor win was December 15, 2019, against the Chargers. In perfect weather, of course. Before that it was against the Giants last October.

Thanks, Kapp!

[Mothman]

Since I'm depressed enough to need therapy this morning, I thought I'd share some mind-numbing stats that are sure to drive you to your shrink's couch, as well.

• We ran 83 plays to 52 for Seattle.
• We had nearly 40 minutes time of possession to roughly 20 for Seattle.
• We had 31 first downs.
• We rushed for 201 yards.
• We had 449 yards of total offense.

Yet. We. Lost.

Gonna be a long season.

Aargh. It's hard to believe they could do so much right and still find a way to lose the game.

I might bypass the shrink's office and go straight to an asylum.

[J. Kapp 11]

Since I'm depressed enough to need therapy this morning, I thought I'd share some mind-numbing stats that are sure to drive you to your shrink's couch, as well.

• We ran 83 plays to 52 for Seattle.
• We had nearly 40 minutes time of possession to roughly 20 for Seattle.
• We had 31 first downs.
• We rushed for 201 yards.
• We had 449 yards of total offense.

Yet. We. Lost.

Gonna be a long season.

Aargh. It's hard to believe they could do so much right and still find a way to lose the game.

I might bypass the shrink's office and go straight to an asylum.

Jim, something just occurred to me.

My dad died on January 11, 1977 ... the day after the Vikings' last Super Bowl appearance. I had not yet reached my 17th birthday.

I'm going to retire next year.

That means I've lived my entire adult, working life and never witnessed a return to the Super Bowl by the Minnesota Vikings.

It's looking less and less like I'm going to witness it before I die. Not that I had any illusions that this was going to be the year. But that loss last night was soul-crushing.

The optimist in me wants to believe that the team will take this as a huge step forward, dominating an undefeated team at a place they rarely lose. Unfortunately, the optimist in me is on the brink of retiring, as well.

[VikeFanInEagleLand]

I was 9 years old in 1972 when I started to become interested in sports, My first love was baseball. My dad and brother were big Philadelphia fans. I jumped on the Pirates bandwagon because they were the current champions. The next year, I became interested in football also, and I adopted the Vikings as my team, mainly because my best friend was also a Vikings fan. A Superbowl loss in '73 & '74 followed by the "Hail Mary" loss in '75, and then another Super Bowl loss in '76. Along the way, they have certainly had my hopes high, but ultimately in the end...another let down.

In the recent years, I have been critical of Cousins by stating that I don't feel he has the makeup to take us to the promised land. I definitely think he has the physical tools, just not the mental ones. But I have held out hope that his physical gifts will overcome the shortcomings, and prove me wrong. Maybe with the right teammates beside him he could do it. BUT, after last night, another layer has been piled on top of the losing probabilities. We won't win with Zimmer. I have to admit it. So, indeed any optimism that I had left, was ripped from me last night.

[VikingLord]

Couple of comments:

- On the 4th-and-short, why not do another QB sneak like they did earlier in the game? They needed like 6 inches for the first down. I don't necessarily disagree with the decision to try to pick up the 1st and win the game outright, but I do disagree with a handoff in that particular situation.

- What are the odds the Vikings will ever see the day when they stop handing victories out in games they should have easily won? Two Seahawk TDs were basically gift-wrapped by turnovers deep in their own territory. Other than that, they kicked the daylights out of Seattle on both sides of the ball for the most part. If you're going to lose, the least you can do is make the other team actually beat you. Put another way, I can accept losses like the first two to open the season where the other team was just better. Losses like the one last night are much harder to accept because simple competence wins that game by 2 TDs.

- Can anyone explain to me why the Vikings were so high on Dantzler at the start of this season? He's flat-out bad. Yes, he's a rookie, but what he was doing on that 4th down duck Wilson threw up is beyond me. He's got to be the first pro CB I've ever seen, rookie or otherwise, who seemed oblivious to where both the ball AND the guy he was assigned to cover were. What was he looking at on that play? It wasn't a good throw and simple competent CB play almost ensures the game ends there.

- Cook injured. Again. Guy is dominant when he can stay on the field. He just can't stay on it. And the Vikings just dumped a ton of money into him.

- Is Drew Samia really the best option the Vikings have at RG? Really?

- Another moral victory for a team hard up against the cap and tied to it's key players and leadership for what, another 2 full seasons beyond this one? A 1-4 team that beats itself almost as frequently as its opponents beat it? Aren't the Wilfs tired of this show by now? If not, when will they be? It's hard to believe they've stretched to keep this particular core - GM, coaching staff and key players - together this long with so little to show for it. Talk about running in place. This team is as dominant in being mediocre and underperforming over a long period of time as dynasties like the Patriots were in being competitive for Superbowls over a long period of time.

I'll give it to the Vikings on one thing - they don't give up. The players are doing their best and continue to exert a lot of effort. If only that were enough to matter in the end.

[Pondering Her Percy]

You guys want to hear some good ones and this is why I’m losing faith in Zimmer and his ability to recognize talent....

1.) Out of our 4 DTs, Stephen, Johnson, Mata’afa, and Watts they’ve played 568 snaps this year combined and have ZERO sacks.

YET....

James Lynch has played EIGHT snaps this year (all last night) and has 1 sack.

2.) Dru Samia is the worst guard in football, literally, according to PFF.

YET....

Our 2nd round pick has yet to take an offensive snap this year.

3.) Bisi Johnson caught 5 balls in the first two games and do virtually nothing in those games.

YET....

Justin Jefferson was sitting the bench. Jefferson was the #1 WR in the nfl according to PFF heading into last night.


....this has been my gripe with Zim all year. He decides on his starters and rarely every strays away from them unless he’s absolutely forced to. It doesn’t matter how disgustingly bad they are play. You have draft picks literally sitting your bench that are screaming with potential and you continue to watch your DTs do absolutely nothing, your #2 WR drop balls and do absolutely nothing and watch your QB get killed because he has 0 pocket to step into because Samia gets knocked a mile backwards on a consistent basis.

Like what in the hell are you doing? I’m done listening to the bull crap of “they aren’t ready”. You’re fricken 1-4, what the hell are you waiting for? Our offense has taken a giant jump just with getting Bisi out of the lineup alone. I don’t care if Cleveland is a bust, I can just about guarantee he’s not worse than Samia. And I can already tell you right now that James Lynch is the best pass rushing DT on this team. He had 13 damn sacks at Baylor last year for a DT!! That’s crazy! I don’t think we have a DT that’s touched a QB with their pinky all year.

Why fricken bother drafting if you aren’t going to get these guys on the field. It’s just insanely frustrating to watch

[makila]

I think going for it and forcing Seattle to go full length wasnt a horrible decision. Defense needed to get a stop on fourth and longs when presented the situation.

Of course one can easily argue I wouldn't trust relying on the defense this season the way they've played. I get the logic either way and am not really upset by the decision. First down and the call is hailed as genius.

Line played better. Interior still trash imo.

[J. Kapp 11]

Here's another thought.

It was really, really bad luck that the 2-minute warning came right before that play.

Seattle was gassed. Giving them a 3-minute break had to help them.

Also, why did we call a jet sweep with Adam Thielen on the play before the 4th-and-inches play? I know AT is a good player, but he's not likely to break a tackle near the line of scrimmage. Why not go back to Mattison there on 3rd down if you're going to run it? Or better yet, throw the ball. Try to put the ball in the end zone and win the game. Mike Zimmer gets so hung up on the clock that I think he neglects the game situation.

Finally, the holding penalty on Brian O'Neill was huge. Wiped out a nice run by Mike Boone that would have put the Vikings in 3rd-and-short.

[VikeFanInEagleLand]

Why not go back to Mattison there on 3rd down if you're going to run it? Or better yet, throw the ball. Try to put the ball in the end zone and win the game. Mike Zimmer gets so hung up on the clock that I think he neglects the game situation.

This what I really don't get. Once they were in FG range, Zimmer has to make the decision "Are we going to be aggressive and not settle for a FG. Let's put the nail in the coffin and score TD" or "Let's stay on the ground, and run as much time off the clock as we can. If we can get in the end zone...great. If not, let's kick the FG and go up by 8"

So it appears he decides on the second choice UNTIL it's 4th down and then he switches to the aggressive choice. Doesn't make sense. I will not sway in my opinion that you MUST kick the FG. If WIlson can drive the distance (in the rain) and then convert a 2-point conversion (in the rain), and then score again in OT (in the rain)...so be it. You can't give a QB like Wilson the opportunity to just need a TD with almost 2 minutes on the clock.

[Sandpounder27]

I was 9 years old in 1972 when I started to become interested in sports, My first love was baseball. My dad and brother were big Philadelphia fans. I jumped on the Pirates bandwagon because they were the current champions. The next year, I became interested in football also, and I adopted the Vikings as my team, mainly because my best friend was also a Vikings fan. A Superbowl loss in '73 & '74 followed by the "Hail Mary" loss in '75, and then another Super Bowl loss in '76. Along the way, they have certainly had my hopes high, but ultimately in the end...another let down.

In the recent years, I have been critical of Cousins by stating that I don't feel he has the makeup to take us to the promised land. I definitely think he has the physical tools, just not the mental ones. But I have held out hope that his physical gifts will overcome the shortcomings, and prove me wrong. Maybe with the right teammates beside him he could do it. BUT, after last night, another layer has been piled on top of the losing probabilities. We won't win with Zimmer. I have to admit it. So, indeed any optimism that I had left, was ripped from me last night.

Wow, small world. I am also a Viking fan in eagles land. I was also born in 1963 and a Pirates fan. So you and I share the same agony of 40 plus years of not reaching a Super Bowl or a World Series. I feel your pain!