Tom Powers: Are Vikings underachieving or just plain bad?

[thatguy]

When you look at last years playoff field. one of these things doesn't belong. Even with Joe Webbs sorry performance the Vikings would have gotten smoked. The Pakers could have put up 50. The Vikings overachieved by a mile last season, setting up false perspective on where this team really is. Now I thought they would be slightly better in 2013, but with a tough schedule still slip back a tad, but with major slips just about everywhere it turned into a freefall.

See, when someone gives that perspective on it, I feel like no matter how good of a season the Vikings would have had, if they didn't perform as well the next season, you would just say that they "overachieved" instead of a team that is "underachieving" this season. I think you'll find that this team is far closer to underachieving this season than they did "overachieve" last season.

[PurpleHalo]

See, when someone gives that perspective on it, I feel like no matter how good of a season the Vikings would have had, if they didn't perform as well the next season, you would just say that they "overachieved" instead of a team that is "underachieving" this season. I think you'll find that this team is far closer to underachieving this season than they did "overachieve" last season.

This season is closer to reality imo than last season was, without Adrian going for almost 2100 this team was 4-12 last season. The passing game would have been far worse without him, and it wasn't too good with him.

[mosscarter]

webb was the worst qb to ever step on the field, a total joke. that playoff game was over the second they said he would start.

[yezzir]

webb was the worst qb to ever step on the field, a total joke. that playoff game was over the second they said he would start.

Musgrave also made the same calls he would have with Ponder. HE should have played to Webb's strengths.

[Webbfann]

Learn how to capitalize sentences if you don't want to be a joke yourself.

Webb was our best chance to win that game, but he needed a Webb game plan. Musgrave only has one game plan and we'll see it Monday as soon as Freeman makes his first mistake, just like we saw it last week as soon as Cassel made his first mistake. I call it the Purple Turtle Plan.

webb was the worst qb to ever step on the field, a total joke. that playoff game was over the second they said he would start.

[thatguy]

This season is closer to reality imo than last season was, without Adrian going for almost 2100 this team was 4-12 last season. The passing game would have been far worse without him, and it wasn't too good with him.

That's what I don't get. If AP is what determined the success for this team, why are the Vikings 1-4 with AP OUTPACING his total yardage at this point last season? I don't buy it.

[thatguy]

Learn how to capitalize sentences if you don't want to be a joke yourself.

Webb was our best chance to win that game, but he needed a Webb game plan. Musgrave only has one game plan and we'll see it Monday as soon as Freeman makes his first mistake, just like we saw it last week as soon as Cassel made his first mistake. I call it the Purple Turtle Plan.

With Ponder not starting, yes, Webb was the best chance to win. And actually, if you all recall, Webb had a very productive first drive when he ran some version of the read-option. For whatever reason, Musgrave/Frazier decided they wanted to have him start throwing from the pocket after that and the offense was stalled from there on out. Very puzzling.

Sorry dude, Webb isn't an NFL-quality QB; however, I'm so glad to still have him on this roster - he's an athletic beast...just wish they would unleash him!

[Eli]

With Ponder not starting, yes, Webb was the best chance to win.

Instead of 3rd string QB McLeod Bethel-Thomspon? Boy, that's really going out on a limb.

[Texas Vike]

That's what I don't get. If AP is what determined the success for this team, why are the Vikings 1-4 with AP OUTPACING his total yardage at this point last season? I don't buy it.

All that indicates is that AD had a slow start last year coming off a serious injury. PH was a monster for us early in the season. He was looking like the league MVP. He carried the team early and then AD really carried us late. Our D has fallen off considerably due to 2 areas: less pass rush and loss of Toine = severe weak spots in secondary.

[Webbfann]

Yes I recall very well the first drive and how the rest of the offensive day we turtled into the normal Musgrave dinky-dunky Ponder plan that doomed us. Its the same old same old we've come to know so well this year: the coaches aren't putting the players in a position where they can win. That wasn't Webbs fault, nor was it his fault he hadn't played all year. No way Ponder would have won that game for us. Unlike the Vikings, the Packers make adjustments when something isn't working, and after the loss to Ponder they would have studied the film and made those adjustments. Everyone has.

With Ponder not starting, yes, Webb was the best chance to win. And actually, if you all recall, Webb had a very productive first drive when he ran some version of the read-option. For whatever reason, Musgrave/Frazier decided they wanted to have him start throwing from the pocket after that and the offense was stalled from there on out. Very puzzling.

Sorry dude, Webb isn't an NFL-quality QB; however, I'm so glad to still have him on this roster - he's an athletic beast...just wish they would unleash him!

[S197]

That's what I don't get. If AP is what determined the success for this team, why are the Vikings 1-4 with AP OUTPACING his total yardage at this point last season? I don't buy it.

As mentioned, Peterson was coming off injury and his snaps were limited at the beginning of the year. Right now he's on pace for a little north of 1,500 yards for the season.

[Just Me]

As mentioned, Peterson was coming off injury and his snaps were limited at the beginning of the year. Right now he's on pace for a little north of 1,500 yards for the season.

And we had the luxury of Percy Harvin tearing it up until Peterson got healthy. IIRC there was a murmur of Harvin being an MVP candidate before he got hurt. Patterson might get us in the ball park of that type of a performance, but of course, he is not seeing the field as much as I would like.

[DanAS]

I like the article and agree with it. Powers doesn't excuse the coaching or the players, but he does bring up an important point, which is that this current team simply isn't a good one.

I'll buy that. And I think the fans get it too. They want to see changes because (a) the current team simply isn't a good one, (b) it is bad in multiple areas, and (c) it doesn't appear to be on the right track to getting better. Under these circumstances, the thing that fans hate the most is when neither the owner, GM or coach suggests that heads will roll and instead appear to have the patience of Job. The best thing that happened all year was that they brought in Freeman -- not because he is a proven star but because it shows some degree of appreciation for accountability.

Personally, I'm not sold on Spielman (at least from the standpoint of building a Championship team). I'm not sold on Frazier (understatement). And I'm not sold on a lot of the players (equally great understatement). But other than that Mrs. Lincoln ...

[DanAS]

No one likes sugar coating, so that's why the OL can't be left off the hook. Nobody is debating that there is a lot of blame, so I'm not sure what you're getting at but I agree with the statement that there is plenty of blame to go around.

As for the "players aren't executing," you may not want to hear it but they aren't executing well at all, regardless the reasons.

Coaches get paid to coach, yes. The players get paid to execute on the field, even the highly paid players.

Is it possible to overrate the importance of an offensive line? I used to think it wasn't. Then I realized that no matter who you have playing on the offensive line, as long as your defense includes Josh Robinson ...

Seriously, the OL has been a mega disappointment this year and really scares me about the near future. Without a fine OL, I don't care who you are -- you won't win in this league. It would be a shame if Freeman turns out to fail simply because at this point, no QB could succeed with this OL (and without Hall of Fame receivers).