Mothman wrote:
I don't and such differences in perspective seem to be the crux of the disagreement here. I understand and appreciate the positive take on this game that you, Lenny and others are providing and hey, I'm a lot happier they had a chance to beat a 3-0 team on the road then I was after the 49ers manhandled them on MNF. However, whether this game is evidence of growth, whether it's seen as an indication that the team is moving towards better days and postseason wins or still mired in mediocrity and unable to get over the hump is largely a matter of perspective. Is the glass half full or half empty? The defense gave up the big running play they couldn't afford to allow. They gave up the late scoring drive they couldn't afford to allow. Sure, they hit hard. They made some great plays, intercepted Manning, etc. and all of that stuff is encouraging but how many times in recent years have we seen the Vikes give up that drive they couldn't afford to give up? Too many... and they're still doing it. Different team, same story. What I would really love is to see them shut down teams when those teams most need to score, close out games when it's time to close them out. That would make me love what I was seeing out of the defense. It's hard to love 144 yards rushing for a team that was one of the league's worst rushing teams going into this game, especially when improved run defense was a point of emphasis this summer.
This is fair and I especially agree with the first sentence. There's no use getting too bent over this discussion, because perspectives and opinions are so varied. But hey...It is a discussion board, so that's why this is the good stuff, in my opinion.
