The Minnesota Vikings are OFFICIALLY Scary!!

[Texas Vike]

We may be better than the 17th best team in the NFL, but we may not end up with better than the 17th best record. The Vikings play in an incredibly tough division, and they drew a brutal schedule. I think that's probably factored into the predictions of most prognosticators.

The article was interesting, especially the Ryan-Ponder comparison. Never thought to compare those two, but it makes a ton of sense.

For the Vikings to improve on last year, Ponder MUST make the same kind of year-2-to-year-3 progress that Matt Ryan did. If he doesn't (or, God help us, he regresses) then we're in for at least two more years of rebuilding unless we find a really good QB in free agency. Personally, I think Ponder will progress. He showed flashes early, and he rebounded nicely down the stretch after a truly awful 8-game run in the middle of the season. That showed me a lot. With better receivers to work with, I think he can progress similarly to Matt Ryan.

I think you're giving ESPN's writers too much credit. I highly doubt that they are taking next year's strength of schedule for each team into account.

The mainstream press just doesn't think much of the Vikings, especially because of Ponder. #7 did suck at times last year: he single handedly lost us that game in GB last year (regular season), for example. But he also had a huge role in our defeat of the Pack in the final game of the year. I don't think the Vikings are top 8, but they probably should be in the 11-14 range.

[Mothman]

Nope -I don't think Ryan throws a better deep ball. And if you lived here in Atlanta you would notice that every other caller says Matt Ryan has a noodle arm. But what has happened is, they have gotten him possibly the best deep ball guy they could've in Julio Jones. He will go get anything, and will adjust when the ball is in the air. Sometime's it's more about the player receiving the ball than the guy throwing it. And Ponder had possibly the worst receiving corps period last season. And I'm sure you Vikings fans know - Harvin wasn't much of a deep ball threat. he could do it - but his strength was taking short passes like 80 yards. Possibly the best after catch receiver in the league. Jennings is that as well - but we know he can also work downfield with the best of them. And in due time, Patterson will do the same. He will be able to get behind the defense right away - it's just about procuring the catch. But get him the ball exactly the way you got it to Harvin and you will see similar results on that front...As for the 3 balls over 50 yards - who did he have as a threat to really go and get a ball like that? Imagine how good he would be if he were throwing to Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White and Julio Jones?!?! I'm sure every category would look a lot better...But thanks for the read bro - drop your boy Uptown a comment on that site...

Well said! Of course, that may just be because i agree and have made the same point many times. Successful deep passes require effective deep ball receivers. That isn't to say the Qb isn't a significant factor as well but as you said, sometimes it's more about the player receiving the ball than the guy throwing it.

I enjoyed your take on the Vikes, Uptown. Thanks for alerting us to it!

Interesting analysis, Murf.

I find it more accurate than what most mainstream press thinks of the state of the Vikings. For example, ESPN's power rankings has us as the 17th best team after the draft. That puts no less than 9 teams with the same or worse records last year ahead of us.

We are inherently biased in favor of the purple, but I think 17th is absurd. It's good to hear a reasoned take from "outside" that doesn't paint such a grim picture.

That #17 ranking is probably due to the ridiculously QB-centric point of view so many at ESPN possess. Ponder's not considered a top QB, therefore the Vikings can't possibly be a playoff team, right?

[mansquatch]

Moth that is it exactly, Ponder does not fit the "Cult of the QB" mold therefore we'll never get any respect.

I think we could be on the cusp of a strong season. Both our Offense and our Defense our poised to get better. We've got some question areas, but they are not gaping holes they were a year ago. Consider:

WR: Will be better. JS has a year in the system and is healthy, GJ is himself, Rudolph is a stud, Wright will improve. Given how bad this group was at the end of last season, this group can really only go up. Patterson is an X-Factor, but even without him, I think they have the pieces to be better than last season
RB: AP, duh
OL: Very likely to improve as group is intact and has experience playing together, already plays at high level
QB: The big question mark on offense, can he continue to improve.

Thus on offense, the question to me is really whether Ponder improves or not. I think he'll get better.

Defense:
DL: SALY, big question I have is what happens if they line up Floyd at NT while we still have KWill? My guess is that is an upgrade over Guion and Co.
LB: Biggest question on team. What happens at Will and Mike? No clear answer here.
CB: How good is Rhodes going to be as a Rookie? Does having him plus Robinson with 1 year of exp compensate for Winfield, probably no, but it should equal better overall talent in nickel and dime situations. Big key here is injuries
S: I think we'll see improvement here as Raymond battles back from Injuries and Sanford continues to improve. Also have to expect Smith to be even better with 1 year under his belt.

Defense is probably less likely to make a giant leap, but if the secondary can stay healthy I think we've got the makings a very solid unit against the pass which is big in our division and the playoffs.

Overall this is the makings of a well balanced team without insurmountable weaknesses. There is game on the schedule where you look at it and say "there is no way they win that game." Also, if the Offense takes a step in the passing game and the defense hits "par" then there is no reason to think a 12 win season is out of reach. Obviously many other factors will play into it, but you have to like the direction of the club.

[Texas Vike]

Interestingly, as if on cue, NFL network sees things more accurately:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100000 ... -nfl-draft


Vikings are 12th, exactly where I'd rank them.

[Mothman]

Personally, I think Ponder will progress. He showed flashes early, and he rebounded nicely down the stretch after a truly awful 8-game run in the middle of the season. That showed me a lot. With better receivers to work with, I think he can progress similarly to Matt Ryan.

That darn slump keeps getting longer. It's like a fishing story where the fish gets bigger with each telling!

Kidding aside, I agree that with better receivers and more experience, Ponder will continue to progress. In fact, I think he's actually shown a good, and somewhat typical, learning curve thus far. At times he's tried to to do too much and, perhaps as a reaction to that, there were also times when he may have been too conservative. During the final stretch of last season, he seemed to get a better handle on the game and I took that as a sign of growing maturity at the position. Hopefully, he'll continue to show better judgment in 2013 and put together a stronger, more consistent season than he did in 2012.

Overall this is the makings of a well balanced team without insurmountable weaknesses. There is game on the schedule where you look at it and say "there is no way they win that game." Also, if the Offense takes a step in the passing game and the defense hits "par" then there is no reason to think a 12 win season is out of reach. Obviously many other factors will play into it, but you have to like the direction of the club.

Well said. I do like the direction of the team. They need a little luck, especially at positions where depth appears thin, but the rebuilding effort seems to be going well and going quickly. If, indeed, they can field a team without glaring weaknesses this year, then with some key re-signings, another good draft, and the continued progress you expect from young, developing players they might be a Super Bowl contender in 2014. It's even possible they could contend for it all this season if things really come together for them!

I hope we see another good year, a season that shows they're on the right course and convinces them to stay on it. If things go well, a Super Bowl appearance in the near future isn't out of the question but the dark side is that if things go poorly, a new QB, coaching staff and massive change on the d-line soon aren't out of the question either. In other words, as the thread title says, the Vikings are scary. I think they're going in a very, very positive direction but that dark side is lurking out there and it makes me nervous. Of course, that's the natural state of a Vikings fan.

[indianation65]

Scary? Simply put, I'll believe it when I see "3" games with a real passing attach and points to prove it!

...wisdom

[VikingLord]

Nice article Murf. Are you sure you're not a Vikings fan?

I really felt like last year's finish was made more impressive by the fact that Ponder did have a big stretch of epic struggle at QB at around the same time the that team lost the services of arguably it's 2nd-best offensive weapon when Harvin went out. They could easily have collapsed at that point and most wouldn't have been surprised given the expectations for the team prior to the season. And then they went on the road and got a few impressive wins about the same time Ponder's play appeared to stabilize and some of the younger guys like Jarius Wright emerged on offense. That late-season performance was what made me more optimistic about their chances going forward. The team seems to have a backbone and character about it, and if Ponder continues to build on his late-season performances, they've got as good a chance as anybody by the end of the season.

[Mothman]

Scary? Simply put, I'll believe it when I see "3" games with a real passing attach and points to prove it!

How about:

258 yards, 2 TDs and 30 points
352 yards, 2 TDs and 26 points
221 yards, 2 TDs and 34 points
234 yards, 3 TDs and 37 points

The Vikes showed they can put a "real' passing game on the field last year and those are totals from games they played in 2012. What they need now is for all the elements of their passing game to work better together and to play more consistent football.

[mondry]

Scary? Simply put, I'll believe it when I see "3" games with a real passing attach and points to prove it!

...wisdom

Check out last year, there are quite a few good games if you mean passing attack.

[HardcoreVikesFan]

Very nice article, especially coming from a Falcons fan.

As I have said numerous times this offseason, this season will be determined by Ponder's ability. If Ponder can show improvement yet again this season we will be a playoff team. However, should he falter, it will be back to the drawing board at QB. I think Ponder can, and will succeed this year.

[mansquatch]

That is where I'm at. WR is going to be better this year barring injury. The depth chart is just vastly improved. The rest of the offense is the same as last year. That is why I think it comes down to Ponder. If he can take another step they should be a very solid unit given their ability to run almost at will with 28.

The bigger question in my mind is at LB and CB. How do the changes there net out in terms of impact to our defense?

[VikingLord]

That is where I'm at. WR is going to be better this year barring injury. The depth chart is just vastly improved. The rest of the offense is the same as last year. That is why I think it comes down to Ponder. If he can take another step they should be a very solid unit given their ability to run almost at will with 28.

The bigger question in my mind is at LB and CB. How do the changes there net out in terms of impact to our defense?

That will be interesting to see. I expect the two bigger CBs to man the outside spots and play more of a mix of press coverage in addition to zone. Could be risky, but the Vikes are now equipped to do that. I think Robinson shifts inside to nickel, but hard to say. All I can say is I wish the Vikes retained Antoine because the Vikes are forced to play in nickel and dime so much in their division. That slot cover guy is going to be on the field a lot, so if it's a weakness I don't think the Vikings have many options to hide it.

The other factor will be the MLB. Right now that looks like Henderson. He got some reps in the nickel at MLB last year, although the results were mixed. I don't see Henderson as a great cover option at MLB, but maybe he'll surprise everyone. Assuming Henderson shifts inside, Vikes are also going to have to find someone to play at WLB. Putting Hodges there makes some sense, but asking a 4th rounder to start at WLB is expecting a lot. The offensive coordinators in the North will exploit that all day if that's a weak spot.

Honestly, Vikes are pretty solid defensively, but have 3 major potential weak spots and if any of them prove to be weak it could be real trouble. The safety spot opposite Smith is also a big question mark IMHO. Mistral struggled there and I don't know who else the Vikes can put out there that will make things better. The defense is really going to have to generate a lot of pressure up front, and luckily I think they are in a position to do that with the personnel they have on the line.

[VikingLord]

How about:

258 yards, 2 TDs and 30 points
352 yards, 2 TDs and 26 points
221 yards, 2 TDs and 34 points
234 yards, 3 TDs and 37 points

The Vikes showed they can put a "real' passing game on the field last year and those are totals from games they played in 2012. What they need now is for all the elements of their passing game to work better together and to play more consistent football.

Ponder definitely had some nice games, and he even had some of his better games without Percy later in the season, so for me it's just Ponder getting more consistent and confident. Having Jennings alone might be the best thing to happen to Ponder at this point in his development because Jennings is known as a reliable, hard worker and a leader. Harvin, for all his physical gifts, I don't think could be characterized as reliable or a leader. He seemed to have that Moss mentality about working hard that only the most gifted athletes can get away with having in the pros. If Jennings can stay healthy, I think he's going to really help not only Ponder develop, but also the younger receivers the Vikings have.

[Uptown Murf]

Uptown: I want to applaud you on some astute observations and some well-developed insight. After my initial response, I started letting the article sink in, especially the analysis on Ponder, and I think it could be close to spot on.

Being a Viking board, and the fact that Minnesota probably reached when they drafted Ponder, most conveniently neglect how early he is in his NFL development. With the influx of hot shot Q's these days that come in the NFL with guns a' blazing, people sometimes need to be reminded that there are still other ways that a quarterbacks career arc can progress. This article definitely has helped me a bit, because while I find myself an objective observer, when you're involved with talking about your favorite team constantly, you can still have some blinders on. I was adamant in Ryan's second year that it wasn't a regression, but that it was in fact progression in sense that more of the offense was being opened to Ryan and his role became more all-encompassing than it did in his rookie year. Down the road, that eventually leads to a better all-around quarterback. It's natural for QB's to take more of a load and more at the line responsibilities (audibles, check with me's and such) that it's completely natural for Q's to struggle putting it all together in year two. And after all, last year was only his first full year as starter.

I agree. Ponder could really surprise this next season.

Now this man knows his stuff! Way to point out that Ponder didn't even get the necessary reps that come with being a starter until his 2nd season. Mcnabb was the unquestioned starter his rookie year so he got the majority of the reps in practice. And QB's get better in practice as much as the game. So the improvement he made in his second season is even better than you think. And I think he's in the perfect scheme to take advantage of his skill-set. he just needed more talent around him. now he has just that!! Now he will get the benefit of Musgrave opening up the game for him much in the manner as they did for Ryan when he got those weapons..Now Ryan is arguably the new "Peyton Manning" of the regular season. And this isn't with any particular attribute that's off the charts besides his short to intermediate accuracy. ponder has that and he's a VERY good athlete. Ponder is still learning too - he didn't play as much as you think at FSU. he was hurt a lot and in a battle with EJ Manuel. So sky is the limit my man!!

[Mothman]

That is where I'm at. WR is going to be better this year barring injury. The depth chart is just vastly improved. The rest of the offense is the same as last year. That is why I think it comes down to Ponder. If he can take another step they should be a very solid unit given their ability to run almost at will with 28.

As you know, I have a different view.

To me, saying WR is going to be better barring injury and the rest of the offense is the same as last year so it comes down to Ponder doesn't make any more sense than saying the WRs should be better and the QB is the same so it comes down to the o-line. There's room to improve all over the offense, not just at QB. If the Vikings offense is going to be better, the pass protection needs to be better. That's not even optional as far as I'm concerned. Poor pass protection played a huge role in some of the Vikings bad passing games last year. WR should be better but that unit still has to prove itself too, just like the QB. I know I beat the same dead horse every time this subject comes up so I apologize but if the Vikings passing game is going to take a serious step forward in it's development, it's going to take much more than just improvement from Ponder. That's just where it begins.The improvement has to take place across the board. They have to pick up more of the blitzes that got to Ponder last year. Receivers have to run their routes well, get open and give Ponder options when the pressure gets in his face and he has to handle that pressure and make the right throw. They can't continue to have games like they did against Seattle last year where the QB is under siege and nobody is open.

That's not to cut Ponder slack because he can't have games like he did against GB last year either, where foolish decisions led to disastrous turnovers.

Sorry, I tend to get a little fired up about this subject. It's just that I was angry last year when I watched defenses blitzing right past confused o-linemen, TEs and RBs. That happened way too often.

The bigger question in my mind is at LB and CB. How do the changes there net out in terms of impact to our defense?

It's a big question. I suspect they'll feel Winfield's loss more on run defense than in pass defense and as VikingLord said, we should see more press coverage this year. I think they'll be okay at LB but it's an area they will likely still be looking to upgrade when the 2014 draft rolls around.