Vikings Message Board.Com

vikeinmontana wrote: ↑Thu May 15, 2025 9:20 am Pretty crazy schedule tv-wise. Monday night to open the season. Two Sunday night games. Back to back games overseas televised early morning. And a Christmas contest.

VikingsFan12345 wrote: ↑Wed May 14, 2025 5:24 pm I am glad Vikings are getting a bye before Vikings play the Eagles

Cliff wrote: ↑Fri May 16, 2025 8:12 am

VikingsFan12345 wrote: ↑Wed May 14, 2025 5:24 pm I am glad Vikings are getting a bye before Vikings play the Eagles

I've kind of got mixed feelings about it. Week 6 is a little early for a bye. It'd be nice to have it closer to week 9.

CharVike wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 10:39 am Looks like the 4 game stretch after the bye will tell much about this team.

Cliff wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 4:56 pm

CharVike wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 10:39 am Looks like the 4 game stretch after the bye will tell much about this team.

You never really know. I don't know how many games were supposed to be "prove it" games for them last season but then after they won there was always some reason they actually weren't lol

CharVike wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 10:39 am Looks like the 4 game stretch after the bye will tell much about this team.

CharVike wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 6:54 pm

Cliff wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 4:56 pm

You never really know. I don't know how many games were supposed to be "prove it" games for them last season but then after they won there was always some reason they actually weren't lol

Our fold was expected all season. We weren't considered that strong going in. You're right and things can change.

Cliff wrote: ↑Wed May 21, 2025 8:07 am

CharVike wrote: ↑Tue May 20, 2025 6:54 pm
Our fold was expected all season. We weren't considered that strong going in. You're right and things can change.

All the experts predicted them to be last in the division and for Darnold to be terrible all year. Every win proving them wrong came with another excuse for why the Vikings were able to beat the odds. They weren't wrong, the Vikings were just lucky 14 times.

In the end they lost to the Lions which was a better team and the Rams where the coach that taught our coach handed him another lesson.

They definitely weren't winning the super bowl last year, but I'm not sure they "folded" as much as had their worst possible matchups.

Cliff wrote: ↑Wed May 21, 2025 8:07 am In the end they lost to the Lions which was a better team and the Rams where the coach that taught our coach handed him another lesson.

They definitely weren't winning the super bowl last year, but I'm not sure they "folded" as much as had their worst possible matchups.

VikingLord wrote: ↑Thu May 22, 2025 4:27 pm

Cliff wrote: ↑Wed May 21, 2025 8:07 am In the end they lost to the Lions which was a better team and the Rams where the coach that taught our coach handed him another lesson.

They definitely weren't winning the super bowl last year, but I'm not sure they "folded" as much as had their worst possible matchups.

I know a lot of people said McVay came up with a great game plan to neutralize KOC's offense, but after watching a lot of the tape and listening to the commentary I think it was more a combo of McVay learning from how the Lions successfully attacked the Vikings OL and got into Darnold's head more than some novel gameplan that KOC couldn't anticipate or adjust to. And that is what playoff sports in general are all about - creating situations and matchups that maximize an opponent's weaknesses while minimizing their strengths. In that sense I agree they didn't fold as much as they were just unable to adjust to the tactics that worked against them at that point in the season. If they'd run into those two teams at a different point in the season I'd bet that KOC would have found ways to compensate.

Sometimes it's necessary to take a step or two back to take three or four forward though, and I think that's exactly what the Vikings did this offseason. Maybe they couldn't adjust quickly enough to salvage the playoffs last year, but those two late losses provided the clarity that guided this offseason, and while the personnel moves that were made might have been made even if the team had enjoyed playoff success, I suspect the team would have been tempted to stick with guys like Darnold and Bradbury if it had. As it is, they moved on and, more importantly, resisted the temptation to go down geezer lane at QB and are going with younger guys who have upside potential.

It's a gamble but I like the payout if it hits.