Texans at Vikings

[VikingLord]

Probably the most impressive two games in the KOC era. I am really impressed with this team. Barring injuries, they will be competitive the whole season, but they are raising expectations each game.

The national media still doesn’t seem real impressed. Maybe I missed it, but hardly a mention of the Vikings on SNF pregame show. A bunch on the Steelers, but who have they played?

Anyway, so impressed with the defense, Darnold, and KOC. Extend KOC right now!

I'm fine with the Vikings not getting any press or acknowledgment all year. What matters to me is they finally win a Superbowl, and I could care less if they do that with a team that is hyped up all preseason or a team nobody sees coming.

I think another thing a lot of people who don't know the Vikings are missing at this point is the fact that Addison and Hockenson aren't even playing in these wins. The Vikings have a lot of depth at receiver and tight end this year, and once everyone is healthy this is a an offense that will just keep coming at everyone and can rest the starters and still not miss a beat.

Speaking of impressive, I think the offensive line deserves some recognition at this point. This is the 3rd straight game they have faced a good defensive front 7. Yeah, the Texans got pressure, probably more pressure overall than the Gians and 49ers did, but I thought the Vikings handled it pretty well. They were able to sustain a few drives and would have sustained more had JJ not gotten a case of the dropsies late. I thought they blocked in the run game pretty well too. Again, this OL has been battle-tested early and in my view they've passed the test with flying colors. That is what the good teams are able to show and do.

And lastly, the Vikings defense showed up again. Other than some weakness on those slants and middle short routes I thought they played some amazing football yet again. They got to Stroud, limited his off-script plays well, were consistent stopping the run, and I thought they had the Texans off base most of the game. Another really solid all-around performance from that group, and I was especially impressed again with their depth as #54 filled in nicely for Pace. The depth along the DL is also impressive.

The way this season set up to start I thought they'd be fortunate to have a single win heading into their bye. So far they're 3-0 and winning, and not just scraping by, but comfortably. My brain is having a hard time processing what I'm seeing to be honest and I'm not sure I can trust it, but they sure look like one of the better teams in the league this year so far. Here's to hoping they can keep it up as they face a surprising Packers squad that has been winning sans Jordan Love. Tough divisional contest on the road and yet another game that will tell us a lot about who they are and how far they might be able to go this year.

[CharVike]

Probably the most impressive two games in the KOC era. I am really impressed with this team. Barring injuries, they will be competitive the whole season, but they are raising expectations each game.

The national media still doesn’t seem real impressed. Maybe I missed it, but hardly a mention of the Vikings on SNF pregame show. A bunch on the Steelers, but who have they played?

Anyway, so impressed with the defense, Darnold, and KOC. Extend KOC right now!

I'm fine with the Vikings not getting any press or acknowledgment all year. What matters to me is they finally win a Superbowl, and I could care less if they do that with a team that is hyped up all preseason or a team nobody sees coming.

I think another thing a lot of people who don't know the Vikings are missing at this point is the fact that Addison and Hockenson aren't even playing in these wins. The Vikings have a lot of depth at receiver and tight end this year, and once everyone is healthy this is a an offense that will just keep coming at everyone and can rest the starters and still not miss a beat.

Speaking of impressive, I think the offensive line deserves some recognition at this point. This is the 3rd straight game they have faced a good defensive front 7. Yeah, the Texans got pressure, probably more pressure overall than the Gians and 49ers did, but I thought the Vikings handled it pretty well. They were able to sustain a few drives and would have sustained more had JJ not gotten a case of the dropsies late. I thought they blocked in the run game pretty well too. Again, this OL has been battle-tested early and in my view they've passed the test with flying colors. That is what the good teams are able to show and do.

And lastly, the Vikings defense showed up again. Other than some weakness on those slants and middle short routes I thought they played some amazing football yet again. They got to Stroud, limited his off-script plays well, were consistent stopping the run, and I thought they had the Texans off base most of the game. Another really solid all-around performance from that group, and I was especially impressed again with their depth as #54 filled in nicely for Pace. The depth along the DL is also impressive.

The way this season set up to start I thought they'd be fortunate to have a single win heading into their bye. So far they're 3-0 and winning, and not just scraping by, but comfortably. My brain is having a hard time processing what I'm seeing to be honest and I'm not sure I can trust it, but they sure look like one of the better teams in the league this year so far. Here's to hoping they can keep it up as they face a surprising Packers squad that has been winning sans Jordan Love. Tough divisional contest on the road and yet another game that will tell us a lot about who they are and how far they might be able to go this year.

The OL deserves much credit. Once you get beat at the LOS all bets are off. Keeping Stroud in the pocket helped us also. Phillips has played great on defense. I was expecting a fold on D based on the past and on the O we faced but it didn't happen. The 3rd quarter seemed to take forever to end. That OL guy for Houston who was getting those penalties helped also. Not as bad as our former F up holder Oli but it screws things up.

[makila]

I think it's time that this front office gets serious credit for the off-season moves they made. The players they let go, and the players they signed, have been excellent decisions. All the new additions are making impacts. They fit so well together.

The defense is real. Front seven is playing aggressive, getting pressure, and everyone seems to know their roles. The vets added in the secondary are smart, they know how to compensate for (potential) declining physical skills with savvy angles and leverage. Hopefully, and I assume, we aren't showing the whole playbook yet. Last year Flores' scheme definitely got figured out by the end of the season, he was very limited personal wise though.

The offense is playing great considering receiving options 2a and 2b are out. We can run the ball too! IOL still makes plays here and there that are head scratchers, but they are minimized right now, and they are mostly doing a good job. Once Hock and Addison are back, the offense is going to be more of a threat. Crazy exciting.

Darnold's showing his physical skills that made him a top 3 pick. His bad habits turn up once or twice a game still (some throw that makes you cringe), KOC has kept them minimized though. He also showed a lot of toughness yesterday after the Hunter low hit.

Was there any word on why Darrisaw and O'Neill both went out in the second half for periods of time?

JJ needs to catch those two 3rd down balls (think both were 3rd downs).

And we got a DOINK IN FG!!

Also think the criticism regarding the drafts is warranted, hopefully they make similar improvements there that they did with FAs.

[makila]

I'm fine with the Vikings not getting any press or acknowledgment all year. What matters to me is they finally win a Superbowl, and I could care less if they do that with a team that is hyped up all preseason or a team nobody sees coming.

Exactly. Keep under the radar. No worries if the talking heads aren't talking about them.

[psjordan]

Fun game to watch. It seems some of the (seemingly) small breaks that went against us in the past are now going for us. I firmly believe those types of things are a result of process and not happenstance. Meaning our coaches and players are doing a good, SMART job out there. Man that is fun football to watch.

I think it’s time to start recognizing the job Kuper has done with the OL. He’s a Mike Munchak guy, and has pretty much helped every OL he’s worked with over the years. He’s an 8-year player in the league, ex-Broncos captain, so I’m sure our players can relate to him and vice versa. It looks like he has made each of our guys either a little bit or a lot bit better. Whether that’s due to scheme, technique, effort or confidence, hat’s off to Kuper.

Our OL looks very good but also Darnold is complementing that with his “slippery” ability. Wouldn’t really call it scrambling, but he’s getting out of really tight spots and making plays. Makes the OL look even better.

Darnold's … bad habits turn up once or twice a game still (some throw that makes you cringe),

Oh boy did he get away with one on the TD pass to Mundt - who was pretty much triple covered. That pass is one inch off in any direction and it’s a knock-down or a (gulp) deflection. Darnold had other options for sure on that play but seemed zeroed in. Got away with it, which again was due to the accuracy of his pass more than anything. Not sure I’d want him to try that again however.

My brain is having a hard time processing what I'm seeing to be honest and I'm not sure I can trust it, but they sure look like one of the better teams in the league this year so far.

I too am unable to 100% say this is a solid playoff team. It certainly SEEMS so, and yes in theory getting missing pieces back should make things even better. But it’s funny how a decent percentage of the time it doesn’t work that way. Missing pieces come back and somehow the whole is “off” from where it was. I think (actually hope) that Addison and Hock are not coming back the same time/week, which I think will actually help matters. I hate to see a guy like Nailor lose time - and I bet his teammates seeing him busting arse out there feel the same way. But there’s only so many balls to go around. I just hope they can all handle it gracefully and successfully.

Again, another game coming up that will show us what we’re made of. Should be a blast to watch.

[cmoss84]

I think it's time that this front office gets serious credit for the off-season moves they made. The players they let go, and the players they signed, have been excellent decisions. All the new additions are making impacts. They fit so well together.

The defense is real. Front seven is playing aggressive, getting pressure, and everyone seems to know their roles. The vets added in the secondary are smart, they know how to compensate for (potential) declining physical skills with savvy angles and leverage. Hopefully, and I assume, we aren't showing the whole playbook yet. Last year Flores' scheme definitely got figured out by the end of the season, he was very limited personal wise though.

The offense is playing great considering receiving options 2a and 2b are out. We can run the ball too! IOL still makes plays here and there that are head scratchers, but they are minimized right now, and they are mostly doing a good job. Once Hock and Addison are back, the offense is going to be more of a threat. Crazy exciting.

Darnold's showing his physical skills that made him a top 3 pick. His bad habits turn up once or twice a game still (some throw that makes you cringe), KOC has kept them minimized though. He also showed a lot of toughness yesterday after the Hunter low hit.

Was there any word on why Darrisaw and O'Neill both went out in the second half for periods of time?

JJ needs to catch those two 3rd down balls (think both were 3rd downs).

And we got a DOINK IN FG!!

Also think the criticism regarding the drafts is warranted, hopefully they make similar improvements there that they did with FAs.

JJ had 0 catches after he jammed his finger (no break).

[VikingLord]

Fun game to watch. It seems some of the (seemingly) small breaks that went against us in the past are now going for us. I firmly believe those types of things are a result of process and not happenstance. Meaning our coaches and players are doing a good, SMART job out there. Man that is fun football to watch.

It's noticeable, especially with the defenders. They are well-prepared for the offense they are facing at every level. Not sure if KOC and his staff are doing something different this year between games or it's the players or a combination of both, but good defenses at the pro level show awareness and the Vikings defense is showing that. In week one, Daniel Jones was contained and wasn't able to hurt them with his feet. In week two I felt the defense made things tough for Purdy. His first and second reads were often taken away and he was forced to make some difficult throws. And in week three, they pressured and contained one of the better scrambling QBs in the league. Stroud has made a living escaping pressure and making plays outside the pocket, but he wasn't able to do that against the Vikings. They were clearly ready for him.

I think it’s time to start recognizing the job Kuper has done with the OL. He’s a Mike Munchak guy, and has pretty much helped every OL he’s worked with over the years. He’s an 8-year player in the league, ex-Broncos captain, so I’m sure our players can relate to him and vice versa. It looks like he has made each of our guys either a little bit or a lot bit better. Whether that’s due to scheme, technique, effort or confidence, hat’s off to Kuper.

Yeah, I agree. The OL has been, well, competent this year. Last year they'd have 4 of 5 linemen playing well on a given play with one guy getting beat badly. This year, it seems like all five play like a unit. And again, it's not like the OL have faced chump defensive fronts the last three weeks. These last three teams all have bonafide top pass rushers and solid run stoppers up front. So if Kuper is responsible for that, he's done an amazing job. It's notably better than I've seen it in a long, long time.

Our OL looks very good but also Darnold is complementing that with his “slippery” ability. Wouldn’t really call it scrambling, but he’s getting out of really tight spots and making plays. Makes the OL look even better.

Darnold seems to handle pressure pretty well. He's definitely got an ability to keep a play alive and keep his eyes downfield in addition to the timely run. I can see why he was drafted where he was. If KOC has finally figured out how to squeeze that potential out of him, we're in for a heck of a ride this year.

Oh boy did he get away with one on the TD pass to Mundt - who was pretty much triple covered. That pass is one inch off in any direction and it’s a knock-down or a (gulp) deflection. Darnold had other options for sure on that play but seemed zeroed in. Got away with it, which again was due to the accuracy of his pass more than anything. Not sure I’d want him to try that again however.

Yeah, he locked on to Mundt and just fired that puppy in there. But to be honest, the window to Nailor on the TD he caught wasn't any greater. There was one defender on Nailor there as compared to three around Mundt, the but pass had to be on the money in both situations. His TD pass to JJ against the Giants was the same. The passing windows in that close to the goal line are rarely going to be wide open, so I'm glad Darnold isn't afraid to fire it in there and give his guys a chance to make plays.

Again, another game coming up that will show us what we’re made of. Should be a blast to watch.

Packers have surprised me with Love out. This is a big game for both teams.

[StpViking]

Darnold's … bad habits turn up once or twice a game still (some throw that makes you cringe),

Oh boy did he get away with one on the TD pass to Mundt - who was pretty much triple covered. That pass is one inch off in any direction and it’s a knock-down or a (gulp) deflection. Darnold had other options for sure on that play but seemed zeroed in. Got away with it, which again was due to the accuracy of his pass more than anything. Not sure I’d want him to try that again however.

So this is my take on that. The Vikings fan base has been through many weak armed QBs for so long, that type of throw makes SOME cringe. But there are QBs who throw into triple coverage all the time because they have the arm to do so. I'm thinking of a prime Brett Favre. Sam Darnold is just one of these guys that can throw a ball and put a hole through a brick wall. I personally have not witness anything like this since the days of Warren Moon, Randle Cunningham and Daunte Culpepper. I'm enjoying the ride.

[JJBreaksRecords]

That was one of the best games ive seen the Vikings play. I wasnt afraid of losing during a single minute of the game.

Kweasi, Koc, Flores and Wes have been doing a super job all year. The trading and signing of players are darn near perfect. They nees to make some I LOVE SAMMY stickers!

[VikingLord]

I think it's time that this front office gets serious credit for the off-season moves they made. The players they let go, and the players they signed, have been excellent decisions. All the new additions are making impacts. They fit so well together.

KAM made some really good moves in free agency for sure. The top of his first draft didn't pan out, but he's managed to minimize the damage from that. I'm not sure how sustainable any success they have this year will be because if they do end up successful this year they'll have a lot of hard decisions to make, but at least as far as this year goes they did a heck of a job.

The defense is real. Front seven is playing aggressive, getting pressure, and everyone seems to know their roles. The vets added in the secondary are smart, they know how to compensate for (potential) declining physical skills with savvy angles and leverage. Hopefully, and I assume, we aren't showing the whole playbook yet. Last year Flores' scheme definitely got figured out by the end of the season, he was very limited personal wise though.

This might be where the experience and veteran leadership come into play. From what I understand, Flores' scheme is very flexible pre-snap. I watched a post-game interview with Gilmore(?) where he said that guys can call out pre-snap adjustments on the field because they trust each other and they can communicate. I'm not sure if they had that capability last year. He also said that a lot of defensive coordinators in the NFL just play a set scheme and dare opposing offenses to beat that scheme, but he seemed to imply that Flores is not one of those coordinators.

It will be interesting to see how things play out over the course of the year, but I don't get the sense the Vikings defense is doing it with smoke and mirrors. They seem to be genuinely capable of causing problems for otherwise very talented offenses. Both the 49ers and Texans can credibly claim to have among the best overall offensive team talent in the league, and neither was able to do much against the Vikings defense.

Was there any word on why Darrisaw and O'Neill both went out in the second half for periods of time?

I think O'Neill got rolled up on. Not sure what happened with Darrisaw.

JJ needs to catch those two 3rd down balls (think both were 3rd downs).

Agreed. The first one he dropped I think he was thinking about some extra yardage. The second one was either a bad throw or the route was off but it was pretty far out in front of him. That would have been an impressive catch had he made it, but it shouldn't have been that hard of a catch to make, so not sure where the blame falls on that particular play.

And we got a DOINK IN FG!!

The sound when it hit the post was super funny.

[VikingLord]

Oh boy did he get away with one on the TD pass to Mundt - who was pretty much triple covered. That pass is one inch off in any direction and it’s a knock-down or a (gulp) deflection. Darnold had other options for sure on that play but seemed zeroed in. Got away with it, which again was due to the accuracy of his pass more than anything. Not sure I’d want him to try that again however.

So this is my take on that. The Vikings fan base has been through many weak armed QBs for so long, that type of throw makes SOME cringe. But there are QBs who throw into triple coverage all the time because they have the arm to do so. I'm thinking of a prime Brett Favre. Sam Darnold is just one of these guys that can throw a ball and put a hole through a brick wall. I personally have not witness anything like this since the days of Warren Moon, Randle Cunningham and Daunte Culpepper. I'm enjoying the ride.

That's a good point illustrated clearly on that 97 yard TD pass to JJ against the 49ers. That was a spectacular deep ball and on the money too. He's had a couple of other nice deeper balls too. The one he threw to the TE that the Texans DB interfered on was also a beauty. Too bad there was interference on that play because that would have made some highlight reels.

It's not just the arm strength either - it's the anticipation. While Mundt was surrounded by defenders, he was open in that small pocket, and Darnold saw it and hit it. The ball comes a bit earlier, Mundt can't locate it most likely. A little later, it will be broken up (or worse). So Darnold has to see it and deliver it and he did that. Ditto on the deep pass to JJ. That ball has to come out as soon as JJ makes his break or Darnold won't be able to hit him in stride. Darnold's recognition and decision-making have been as key to his success as his arm strength.

[makila]

So this is my take on that. The Vikings fan base has been through many weak armed QBs for so long, that type of throw makes SOME cringe. But there are QBs who throw into triple coverage all the time because they have the arm to do so. I'm thinking of a prime Brett Favre. Sam Darnold is just one of these guys that can throw a ball and put a hole through a brick wall. I personally have not witness anything like this since the days of Warren Moon, Randle Cunningham and Daunte Culpepper. I'm enjoying the ride.

That's a good point illustrated clearly on that 97 yard TD pass to JJ against the 49ers. That was a spectacular deep ball and on the money too. He's had a couple of other nice deeper balls too. The one he threw to the TE that the Texans DB interfered on was also a beauty. Too bad there was interference on that play because that would have made some highlight reels.

It's not just the arm strength either - it's the anticipation. While Mundt was surrounded by defenders, he was open in that small pocket, and Darnold saw it and hit it. The ball comes a bit earlier, Mundt can't locate it most likely. A little later, it will be broken up (or worse). So Darnold has to see it and deliver it and he did that. Ditto on the deep pass to JJ. That ball has to come out as soon as JJ makes his break or Darnold won't be able to hit him in stride. Darnold's recognition and decision-making have been as key to his success as his arm strength.

Yup, this is a good take imho.

Against SF there was a throw to Nailor (I think it was) that was like that too. Darnold has physical talent and body for the nfl. You put him, and say Bryce Young, next to each other and without watching tape, people are taking Darnold all day. It's been locking on and getting to second reads as the issue for most of his career. Even in college, that was the problem. However he's got arm talent that's god given, not trained.

[makila]

This might be where the experience and veteran leadership come into play. From what I understand, Flores' scheme is very flexible pre-snap. I watched a post-game interview with Gilmore(?) where he said that guys can call out pre-snap adjustments on the field because they trust each other and they can communicate. I'm not sure if they had that capability last year. He also said that a lot of defensive coordinators in the NFL just play a set scheme and dare opposing offenses to beat that scheme, but he seemed to imply that Flores is not one of those coordinators.

It will be interesting to see how things play out over the course of the year, but I don't get the sense the Vikings defense is doing it with smoke and mirrors. They seem to be genuinely capable of causing problems for otherwise very talented offenses. Both the 49ers and Texans can credibly claim to have among the best overall offensive team talent in the league, and neither was able to do much against the Vikings defense.

I concur. It feels different. I do wonder if having CMC or Mixon would have made it look different. I think SF knows how to overcome it with their scheme for a period of time. Houston I think missed Mixon more than SF missed CMC though. The talent appears to be overall at a higher level on the defense, across all three levels. I know I'm a broken record, it's all just fitting together better. Who would have thought year two with cohesiveness between coaching staff, front office, scouts, and an off-season cycle, would have been a good thing.

I think O'Neill got rolled up on. Not sure what happened with Darrisaw.

Haven't been able to find anymore on Darrisaw, so hopefully it was just cramping. Just casually, at one point in the 2nd half, he was out and the announcers just said something like... Quessenberry is at LOT now.

Agreed. The first one he dropped I think he was thinking about some extra yardage. The second one was either a bad throw or the route was off but it was pretty far out in front of him. That would have been an impressive catch had he made it, but it shouldn't have been that hard of a catch to make, so not sure where the blame falls on that particular play.

Knew he banged up his finger, and cmoss posted about it above. Just seemed so out of character, and yeah it's not fair, I expect him to catch balls he can get his hands on. He's that good. We're that spoiled.

The sound when it hit the post was super funny.

I was convinced it didn't go in, I had to rewind it. Hahahaha

[VikingLord]

Got to love this...

After 3 weeks, ESPN's power rankings have the Vikings at #3.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/414 ... ense-issue

The preseason rankings had the Vikings at #23.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/408 ... -execs#MIN

After beating the Giants to open the season, the Vikes moved from #23 to #22 in the rankings.

After beating the 49ers, the Vikes jumped up to #11 (while the 49ers moved from #2 down to #3).

So 3 weeks, a 20 point rise in the rankings.