Vikings @ Packers Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 17

[808vikingsfan]

It's huge. He was vital at helping protection and the occasional chunk play. Without him our protection goes even further in the toilet.

Any preliminary report on his injury?

[PurpleMustReign]

It's huge. He was vital at helping protection and the occasional chunk play. Without him our protection goes even further in the toilet.

Yeah, but like I told Jim, Pruitt is a pretty good blocker and they could put Asiata in as an extra blocker if they want.

[purplehaze]

Vikes open as 3.5 underdogs against the Seahawks. Sure that line will change as the week goes on.

Pinnacle sports has us 7 point dogs.

[dead_poet]

Yeah, but like I told Jim, Pruitt is a pretty good blocker and they could put Asiata in as an extra blocker if they want.

Pruitt is still a noticeable downgrade as a blocker, particularly in protection. I'm not sure it's quite as easy (formation-wise) to put Asiata in there as an Ellison replacement.

Rhett's injury isn't as crucial as, say, Peterson but any downgrade to blocking on this team is a nightmare scenario.

[PurpleMustReign]

Pruitt is still a noticeable downgrade as a blocker, particularly in protection. I'm not sure it's quite as easy (formation-wise) to put Asiata in there as an Ellison replacement.

Rhett's injury isn't as crucial as, say, Peterson but any downgrade to blocking on this team is a nightmare scenario.

I agree. Hopefully he isn't a serious injury, but it sure looked bad.

[DK Sweets]

I think I've started breathing again. Not 100% sure, though.

[Raptorman]

Pinnacle sports has us 7 point dogs.

I am sure by game time it will be 10 points

[Pondering Her Percy]

I think I've started breathing again. Not 100% sure, though.

I'm with ya man. Cant sleep right now because my heart is still beating 100 mph

[S197]

@MasterTes Titans turned down Mike Zimmer for Ken Whisenhunt.

Whisenhunt was fired after going 3-20. Zimmer just won the NFC North.

[Purple bruise]

I am sure by game time it will be 10 points

Who cares what the spread is anyway What matters is that the Vikes are at home and have to prove themselves in the next several weeks and if they can't win a big game at home then they deserve to be eliminated. Bring on the Sea Hawks

[PurpleMustReign]

I'm with ya man. Cant sleep right now because my heart is still beating 100 mph

I am so glad I have tomorrow off... there is no way I Will
be able to sleep tonight.

[Purple bruise]

You know what the sad thing is, he won't be considered for coach of the year.

11-5, 3rd seed in the playoffs, 1 pro bowl player, without an elite QB.

That's all the more reason why he should get the honor

[mike2mike]

Ellison is a key component of a gameplan that works well against a lot of teams, but won't work against Seattle unless we get off to an early lead AND manage to keep it...

Bellichek is the only coach that has seemed to figure this out yet...
Against a weak front 7 you power your way to yards running... (Blount)
Against a strong front 7 you finesse your way into the vacancies and use spread offense to create extra room. (Dion Lewis)

Seattle is a tough front 7 like Denver was. So get them in the Nickel and Dime and then run. And run with Jarius Wright on end arounds... Run with McKinnon... Run with Wallace on jet sweeps.... Run with Patterson even.

With an exceptional talent, you make some exceptions, certainly... It's not like I'm saying make McKinnon the primary back against Seattle.

Take Denver as an example... Eventually the Broncos defense wore out... But because the Denver defense was so good, they weren't on the field long enough to wear out until the 4th quarter, and by then it was a little too late. McKinnon would have been more reliable and more consistent and faced fewer 8-9 in the boxes and made our gameplan less predictable.

Teddy would have been better from the gun, and THEN after a few first down conversions, our patient approach to keep feeding Adrian can be put into effect.

Teddy statistically does much better in the gun and spread offenses, Adrian in the power I, big TE and traditional behind center offenses (not in shotgun)
http://www.dailynorseman.com/2015/12/7/ ... gotta-give

A lot of that is due to the OL. In shotgun, the early push the DL gets vs OL doesn't matter as much,.. Teddy isn't forced to roll left or right immediately and can slide while looking downfield or peddle straight back then slide and step up.... Under center Teddy has to react to the inside pressure and can't step up. He has to make plays with his legs first and if he is lucky enough to break a tackle or get enough room... THEN he can try to set his feet and pass. Hence, poor results from under center.

The solution seems simple to me... Use McKinnon early on as the primary back until you move the chains a few times. Run from spread formations and guns where the advantage is MORE space, not more power. McKinnon's vision, patience, and agility will allow him to consistently produce. He may not be able to get something out of nothing as consistently as Adrian, or be the big homerun threat everytime he gets the ball.. But he will not be faced with stacked boxes every single time like Adrian would with a 2TE set. That may produce nothing from mere mortal backs, but turn into no gain or a small gain for Adrian often, and the homerun every rare once and awhile.

Against a Seattle or Denver type of defense though, it is no gain more often then some gain, and the home run opportunities are too rare which lead to 3 and outs. That means the defense isn't getting worn out... And as soon as they start to score a few times off their consistently good field position, you have to think about abandoning the plan to wear the defense out.

Alternative... Go spread, pass more often on first downs to set up wide running lanes with wide space against a nickle or dime defense. Read option a few times with passing options... Then once you convert a few times, try Adrian and the wear them out gameplan. Repeat until you put up some points or Adrian begins to consistently get 5+ yards on multiple plays in a row... Then you can run like crazy against them.

Okay... well, one can only hope the Vikings get an early lead or Norv has been setting up his tendencies all year to switch them up in the playoffs and catch his opponents off guard. For now I just have to enjoy the NFC north championship win and look forward to another Home game!

[Raptorman]

Once again, the Vikings score first, and win. That's 9 games so far this year.

And oh yeah, 5-3 on the road. 5-1 in the division. Those two are huge.

[808vikingsfan]

NFLN: did the Vikings actually lose by winning?

I can't find the giving the finger emoji