Vikings @ Packers Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 17

[akvikingsfan]

I say this every time the Vikings don't play an early game, but I hate having to wait all day for the game. Today is just dragging. I need time to hurry up and get to kickoff.

[The Breeze]

.. or just more of AD, who's capable of really giving Matthews something to think about at the end of a play.

I'd really like to see AD be the recipient of some designed swing passes or little dinks after play action where he is the primary guy. It would really slow down the run blitzes if they did something like that more than once a game IMO, and might make running the ball a half second more efficient.
I just mentioned McKinnon cause they have been using him in that manner very effectively. I wanna see lots of AD tonight...but not if he's averaging 3yds per carrry because the Packers are just running blitzing with impunity.

[mike2mike]

Danelle Hunter is a beast. On obvious passing situations he will be a huge difference makers.
There are a led number of ways Packers can deal with him
1)not happening: leaving Griffin in single coverage, or letting inside pressure with Tom Johnson/S Floyd.
2)using their weird formation with a "spotlight" type of blocker--A TE lined up between the G and T. -- makes them predictable over the course of a game.
3)using quick spread offense and getting the ball out quickly - works fine on short yardage, but not as well on 3rd and long medium or longer and Rodgers greatness shines on big downfield plays when he can buy time inside the pocket and when he can make plays after the play breaks down outside of the pocket... Not as a quick game passer.

With a limited number of formations to be able to handle Hunter, Zimmer should be very well prepared defensively to really slow down the Packers and Vikings should control the pace of the game and pull off a quick win if they are able to do anything offensively and not give the game away.

Best case scenario, Hunter isn't given the attention he deserves, or is and dominates anyways and we rock the Packers on defense and the offense capitalizes off of all the opportunities they're given....


But... Since that game isn't for awhile....

Let's go Cardinals.... It would be nice to have the loss mean a game at Washington. On paper they're the weakest playoff team. I don't want us to lose the North, but I'd be more confident looking forward if the cardinals win and expose a few leaks in the SEA team as well along the way.

[mike2mike]

I'd really like to see AD be the recipient of some designed swing passes or little dinks after play action where he is the primary guy. It would really slow down the run blitzes if they did something like that more than once a game IMO, and might make running the ball a half second more efficient.
I just mentioned McKinnon cause they have been using him in that manner very effectively. I wanna see lots of AD tonight...but not if he's averaging 3yds per carrry because the Packers are just running blitzing with impunity.

McKinnon is the best fit for this offense in terms of synergy with a spread offense which Teddy does best with. Adrian doesn't really get going until the defense wears out and the holes and cutback lanes are just a bit bigger be ause the opponent is worn out on defense anyways. Vs a tough front 7 the best chance to wear them it is going spread offense and running out of the gun. Vs a weak front 7 just power away with Adrian.

Packers have done well recently with Adrian since the 9 yards short game. So I'd let McKinnon and Teddy wear them out a little bit and have Adrian shift the momentum of the game.
Teddy has noticably improved starting with the @Arizona game when passing from obvious run formations. In the past he was significantly better out of the gun. I still think that is the case, but not nearly as noticeable as before and he's flashing the oop rental to be able to pass out of the play action when his back is turned and he has to make quicker reads after seeing only half the play develop.

[The Breeze]

@M2M
I agree about AD becoming increasingly effective as the game wears on...I just think that using him and KcKinnon earlier in the pass game is not an either or option. AD can catch passes and be effective...if they would throw it to him regularly.
I could see them maybe moving to a more platoon style down the road...and I think that would be very effective in this offense.
But it won't happen tonight with the rushing title on the line.

[Mothman]

I'd really like to see AD be the recipient of some designed swing passes or little dinks after play action where he is the primary guy. It would really slow down the run blitzes if they did something like that more than once a game IMO, and might make running the ball a half second more efficient.
I just mentioned McKinnon cause they have been using him in that manner very effectively. I wanna see lots of AD tonight...but not if he's averaging 3yds per carrry because the Packers are just running blitzing with impunity.

That's fine with me if they take advantage of that run blitzing with the passing game. We've seen what happens to the Vikings offense this year when they don't stick with running Peterson and it's not pretty. Sometimes the attempts are almost as important as the production.

[TSonn]

Watching the Seahawks destroy the Cards in AZ makes my head want to root for a loss for us today. There's no way my heart lets me though.

[The Breeze]

@Jim
Yeah definitely don't want them to limit his touches....but rather make a legit effort to get the ball in his hands in ways that help the line and move the chains.
I've seen it a couple of times in the past 3 weeks and it's worked well.

[PurpleMustReign]

Seattle is a team that will make noise in the playoffs... Having to play them again will be tough. Washington is on fire too. The hottest teams are the ones who will continue playing, thats for sure. This reminds me od 2012 when it felt like the best teams made the playoffs rather than a weak team that won a weak division. Washington deserves to be there with how they have been playing the last two. Months.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[S197]

https://twitter.com/andycarlsonshow/sta ... 8585310209

[808vikingsfan]

Peyton Manning in.

[Jordysghost]

Watching the Seahawks destroy the Cards in AZ makes my head want to root for a loss for us today. There's no way my heart lets me though.

Why? You would theoretically have to deal with them or the team that beats them at some point regardless, if you want to make a SB run.

[Texas Vike]

Anyone watching the Seattle-AZ just catch Joe Buck's reference to Randy's mooning?

Sherman just got an unsportsmanlike conduct for acting like he was pulling down his pants at a Cardinal... Buck says, "I'm having flashbacks" when Aikman says, "Just what I was thinking" Buck responds: "Where were YOU that night? You have my back win or tie!"

[mike2mike]

Why? You would theoretically have to deal with them or the team that beats them at some point regardless, if you want to make a SB run.

I want to counter the logic that playing them later or a team that beats them is necessarily the same or worse than playing them now.

Yes, playing a team that beats them may in fact be easier. Playing them later on after a team exposes what scheme can slow down a particular facet of the game may absolutely make things easier. And certainly beating a team that beat them may be easier.
Case in point... The Rams beat the Seahawks and we beat the Rams... But that doesn't mean we beat the Seahawks as is obvious from the result of our game against them.

NFL is all about matchups. For example, I like our chances against the Cardinals in a rematch on the road rather than the Seahawks at home. The Cardinals have a better record though and I think are the better team overall. Why? We have a tough secondary and plenty of good blitz packages that can play press coverage and prevent big plays from John Brown and can keep Fitzgerald and Floyd's big plays limited enough to take away their big play ability. We struggle much more against a mobile QB as we're forced to play more contain which hasn't worked well, and a mobile QB can make big plays if we blitz and he either gets behind us or buys time to complete a pass with a ton of room to run.

The Seahawks match up well against the Cardinals because of their tough secondary as well... That doesn't make them the better team, but head to head they look like it.

So hell yes I'd prefer the easier matchup and let the strong teams find weaknesses in each other. Even if the Seahawks do win against the Packers and then beats the Panthers, at least we get something on tape of how a particular team slows down one facet of their game.... Not to mention see the Vikings play more than just one week.

Look at how we did vs the Cardinals on the road. We lost, but we had a very good chance of pulling out the win. Compare that to how we did vs SEA at home. The early deficiet forced us away from what we do best and that could go the other way, but I prefer our chances vs the Cardinals.

[mossbutt]

Green bay would never expect the ball to be handed off to Adrian on every first down. soooooooo........