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jayryp81 wrote:two words. Alan Williams!!!

SKrotem for 2016

Man you avatar looks familiar

I would say two things. A good draft that has rookies making an impact, and the coaching. I keep reading how the coach has kept things on the level all year. Kept the players focused on what they had to do. Taking one game at a time. I don't think that I have heard one player complain about anything all year. (Well once the season started)

Just how big was that extra 4th and 6th round pick the Vikes got from the Browns which enabled them to move back up into the first round and grab Smith Smith's play has been instrumental in not only shoring up the defensive backfield but the whole defense. What a great pick!

Purple bruise wrote:Just how big was that extra 4th and 6th round pick the Vikes got from the Browns which enabled them to move back up into the first round and grab Smith Smith's play has been instrumental in not only shoring up the defensive backfield but the whole defense. What a great pick!

And what a great move by Spielman to secure those extra picks.

dead_poet wrote: And what a great move by Spielman to secure those extra picks.

Yes I remember a lot of fans crying about the Vikes using that pick to take Smith. If only we knew

Purple bruise wrote: Yes I remember a lot of fans crying about the Vikes using that pick to take Smith. If only we knew

Really? I recall a lot of people happy with that pick. In fact, a lot of us had Smith as our 2nd round pick in our mock drafts.

One other thing. Not sure who to credit but the defense has certainly done it's job this year.

Points per game given up. 2011 28.1
Points per game given up. 2012 20.9
Difference: 7.2 Points per game.

Makes it a whole lot easier to win. BTW, the next closest team with a big defensive positive point swing. Denver at 5.8 PPG.

I think the biggest improvement has been in the secondary. This team has definitely been harder to pass on than in previous years and the number of times that an opposing receiver catches the ball, and there isn't a Viking defender in the screen shot, is WAY down. Even some of the touchdown completions have been well covered/great catches. Those happen. I think the play of Harrison Smith has been the difference.
Solidification of the O-line is the second best improvement. Matt Kalil at tackle has been quite a difference. I sure hope the prioritizing of the offensive line continues. ANY QB, with time, can be quite effective.
The kicking game comes next. What a great thing to be able to have opposing teams starting drives at the 20....or further. The stats point this out that a teams scoring success goes down significantly when having to drive X amount of yards. Blair Walsh is money.
You can't leave out better coaching. I can't think of one area that we are worse off other than Linebacker. I don't think they are worse per se but if not for the play of Greenway they would be sub par. We definitely need an improvement over Erin Henderson. I would have rather begged Ben Leber out of retirement.

Coaching and the players buying into what the coaches are trying to teach them.