Thoughts Week 1

[S197]

Regarding AD, I just think they need to give him reps in the preseason. There weren't a lot of holes for him to run through but he also looked out of sync with the o-line. If you watch McKinnon in preseason, he's very patient to let blocks develop. What looks like nothing, turns into a hole after a second or two. It's hard to make a hole when your RB is crashing into your back at full speed in 1/2 a second.

I'm not saying AD needs to change his style or even that he's lost a step but historically he has started the season slow. I just have to wonder how much of that is from going through OTA, camp, and preseason with no contact.

[PsyDanny]

Regarding AD, I just think they need to give him reps in the preseason. There weren't a lot of holes for him to run through but he also looked out of sync with the o-line. If you watch McKinnon in preseason, he's very patient to let blocks develop. What looks like nothing, turns into a hole after a second or two. It's hard to make a hole when your RB is crashing into your back at full speed in 1/2 a second.

I'm not saying AD needs to change his style or even that he's lost a step but historically he has started the season slow. I just have to wonder how much of that is from going through OTA, camp, and preseason with no contact.

I am thinking that as he is getting older (time stops for no one), that he will have to work harder to stay productive. And by work harder, I mean more of the preseason snaps, to stay in synch with the OL. Particularly so, as the OL itself is in flux.

[mosscarter]

a guy like peterson does not need a single rep in the preseason. it is not his fault. first off, nobody respects our passing attack. secondly, why run him only between the tackles all game? have they ever heard of a pitch or a sweep?

[Mothman]

Running a few preseason plays might have helped AD but I doubt that had much to do with the running game's performance yesterday. I think it was the OL that looked more out of sync and it didn't help that Turner called some running plays in very predictable situations. He has to get away from those tendencies because they give the defense a big advantage.

Other than the potential cut to the outside Peterson didn't see early in the game (Chris Spielman pointed it out on the broadcast), when he had a hole to run through, he seemed to get through it just fine. Unfortunately, most of the time, the Titans were dictating the line of scrimmage and getting into the backfield, Running games simply aren't productive under those circumstances, no matter who's carrying the ball.

Personally, rather than dissecting his game as if it's a problem, I'm inclined to just sit back and watch the best RB this team has ever had do his thing. It may not be perfect but we've never seen a Viking do it better and we may never see his like again.

[slapnut19]

good points on the oline. we have to remember that three positions lg, rg, and rt are being filled by players who weren't in those spots last year, and even tough fusco is back at rg, he's playing in between a different c/rt duo that he was used to.

[Pondering Her Percy]

Diggs is nowhere even close to being Hopkins level, not. even. close.

Strong struggled to get playing time last year? So did Johnson.

It seems to me like the Vikings and Texans depth is pretty comparable, except they have a bona fide star in Hopkins.

Dude what are you even talking about? I never once tried to compare Diggs to Hopkins. I'm talking about depth so that really has nothing to do with Hopkins or Diggs. They are both #1's. And Johnson was also hurt for a good portion of the year.

[720pete]

We have reached peak Shaun Hill. It was enough to beat the Titans but we need someone else to beat the good teams.

[Skoltastic_Voyage]

I always hated the way we use AD, ask my friends the type of cursing I do when he runs up the middle into a wall. We need yards not hope. However anyone taking anything away from the man seems a bit hasty I think he still has some gas left in the tank, but we really need to stop this feast or famine crap and go for you know, 4 - 5 y run plays that, well move the ball to manageable 2nd and 3rd downs. save that running into a meat wall crap for goal lines.

[Mothman]

http://www.startribune.com/vikings-seek ... 393196011/

Zimmer, however, didn’t believe a lack of chemistry with five linemen starting a game together for the first time was one of the contributing factors, nor did he think Peterson being held out of the preseason had anything to do with it.

He did, though, admit that all the Titans near the line complicated matters.

On 20 of the Vikings’ 28 running plays, there were at least eight Tennessee defenders in the box, according to Pro Football Focus. On 11, the Titans crammed nine defenders in there and dared Peterson to slalom through all of them or for quarterback Shaun Hill to check into a passing play and throw it over their heads.

Zimmer said “there was a couple” of plays when Hill aborted a running play that seemed likely to fail. But with Peterson, a first-team All-Pro last season, still in the backfield, the Vikings want to be persistent with the running game instead of letting opposing defenses dictate what they do by loading the box.

“There’s times where you have to run the football with extra guys in there. We understand that. It’s not going to go away. That’s how it was a year ago. When you’ve got Adrian in the backfield, you’re going to get those [looks],” Zimmer said. “If that’s the case, you’re going to throw it every down. There are some times where you get out of [run plays] and times where you have to man up.”

[dead_poet]

Look what happened to Gurley when the 49ers sold out to stop him daring Keenum to beat them. Is he "done"? Let's just pump the breaks on AD.

[halfgiz]

If we can get a passing game going then they won't be stacking the box. You have to take advantage of what they want to give.

[w_huisman]

IMO, we should throw the ball EVERY SINGLE PLAY when AD is in the backfield, until the defense starts to back off.

Yes, I mean EVERY SINGLE PLAY, every single game.

[CbusVikesFan]

I wonder when the last time the Vikings did that was. Maybe against the Giants in 2005 when Mewelde Moore and Koren Robinson returned kicks for TDs?

WOW! That is a blast from the past. I vaguely remember that game.

[mansquatch]

It depends though, can the QB make the throws available? how well do the defenders play despite being 9 in the box? We saw with TJACK under center and that horrendous WR corps that it didn't always add up to easy passing. Also, if 9 guys are stacked, they can also jailbreak with ease since they are already up tight.

Thankfully, Shaun Hill and Bradford are not Tavaris Jackson. Still, I do not think it as simple as throw on every down.

Bottom line for me. It was week 1 which a trend does not make and we were playing against Dick Lebeau who isn't exactly a slouch on defense. This week we'll have a better indication of what is what. You can bet AP will be chomping at the bit to right the ship after the performance on Sunday.

[Mothman]

Here's a good article from the Washington post, published in the wake of Bridgewater's injury and prior to the Bradford trade:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fan ... idgewater/

The article contains some analysis of how defenses are likely to defend the Vikings this year. It certainly seemed like the Titans used the very strategies discussed in this article, or at least variations on them.