Vikings are needing a victory

I always hang around to learn more about BB’s coaching philosophy and draft strategies. You guys do a good job of discussing those things.

We looked great at the start of camp. Cedrick Griffen would be returning and our top draft pick Chris Cook made the starting roster. Then Cook got injured and is just now returning. Cedrick is out for the year with the same injury to his other knee that he suffered last year.
We had to pick up Frank Walker just two games ago and he was torched by Aaron Rodgers last night.
Last years back up safety Hussain Abdulla earned the starting job over our 2008 2nd round draft pick Tyrell Johnson, that started last year. Abdulla was hurt this week and did not play. Surprisingly the safeties are playing pretty good. Much better than last year. Its the CB’s we are having trouble with.

Our ST are very good. We don’t kick off deep but we cover very well. Our punter is excellent. Harvin is a man on returning kick-offs. We don’t return punts far but we never drop one or make mistakes.

No One expects iorn man Farve to play another season. The Vikings have Travaris Jackson as
our QB experienced with the system. We have Joe Webb as our developmental QB. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Vikes go after a free agent like Vick, Hasselbeck, McNabb, or even Vokey. But if a West Coast Offense orientated QB comes along in the draft I can see us taking one. Luck plays in our kind of system but I doubt he will be available. I don’t like Mallet’s accuracy when rushed. Same with Locker. At this point I want what everyone else does.
Accuracy, strength, height, and football acumen. Who that would be is beyond me.

Last year we passed on Claussen and McCoy because they didn’t qualify as franchise guys to our front office. That might give you an indication of what they are looking for.

when is Bevell going to tell Favre that taking a sack is monumentally better than throwing an interception? Or is he in such hot water that he’s just keeping quiet?

I would much rather Tom Brady take a sack that throw a pick. I’d much rather Tom Brady do neither, but sometimes that isn’t an option.

Farve was the real deal last year. A lot of folks were like me. Didn’t want another aging old QB has been to come in and play. In the past the Vikings have been successful with QBs like Warren Moon, Randall Cunningham, and Jeff George. Brett played lights out last year and won over every Viking fan in the world. The coaches and players wanted him back. They went and got him.

Now you sort of Dance with those that brought you to the party. We are all in with Brett. For better or worse. If injuries stop him from playing T-Jack will play. I don’t expect Webb to be far enough along yet to play. However, if the season gets away from us I see an early injury retirement for Brett and a couple of QBs getting playing time for next year.

… than a winded AP ? OR just a desire to keep AP fresh through the game ?

Adrien ( All Day AD, as we call him) is the engine that runs the Vikings offense. We have our center back and the run blocking looked much better the last game. Pass blocking assignments were also better. We have a good line but all teams want perfection.

But Adrien was simply resting. Gerhart has gotten better each week. He can catch. He can ram. He can pick up blitzing LBs ( which is why he is in on third down). Adrien can do those things but not exceptionally well. Adrien has been running like a man possessed this year. No fumbles to date. Zero, Nada , Ziltch.

He is the best running back in the NFL. This year he has developed patience with his burst of speed. Its a thing of beauty.

Most of the linemen we have can play multiple positions, like Vollmer and Connolly. They were drafted for that reason (especially Connolly). We have lost a road grader of a guard but, other than last game, it seemed minimal. If Jared Allen were playing better and faster, I’d say he could have a field day against Matt Light but that might not be the case.

The bigger issue is currently depth. After Connolly, our depth for the O-Line is pretty weak. The Pats already lost Kaczur and with Mankins holding out, we’re 2 men down. Injuries could plague us if we aren’t careful. That’s kinda why I picture Mankins as the “break glass” player. He’s the guy that’s not really on the roster than can fill in immediately if we get beat up and are willing to pay alot.

And he’s particularly gifted in the screen-game, and he’s the best linemen at pulling, and they haven’t done so much of either without him. With him on the field, the playbook would be a bit fatter, but in the meantime they can muddle through without him fairly well.

The Pats considered him good, too – they offered him top-5 Guard money at $7M per season, but he wanted top-1 Guard money and wanted a contract equal to that of Jahri Evans. They Pats didn’t think he was worth it.

Couple of things to throw out there……

First….. I’ve found the Pats offensive line historically plays outstanding as a group and can often overcome the loss of one (sometimes two) piece of that group and still play solid. I’ve never known them to have one dominant beast who could be called the “anchor” under the Belichick era… But I have known them to have several “2nd string pro-bowler” type guys who blend together for the common goal of protecting the QB.

Secondly…. The play calling enables the offensive line to keep their counterparts off balance moreso than the average team. The Pats are probably 70% – 30% in the pass to run ratio….. So, when you think about the offense, the majority of the passes are short and a big percentage of the running plays are “somewhat gimmicky” (meaning draws and counters and screens…. when the defense is suspecting a downfield pass)… Sort of a “reversed play-action” form of play calling. These plays enable the guards to run a shitload of trap and open field blocking which often gives the offensive player the initiative in head to head blocking scenarios.

In my opinion, Mankins is a good lineman who excelled significantly in this scheme. It’s perfect for the type of game he brings to the table and it shocks me he’s taking the kind of approach to this situation he is. I personally can’t stand when a player takes the “low road” in contract negotiations. I say…. LET HIM SIT no matter how much we may need his services.

Ever since they’ve moved Wilfork to end, the Run D has been outstanding. You can watch the chargers and ravens games for good examples of it. Mayo and Spikes are great at run stoppage too. The only weakness that could destroy us on defense is dump off passes to Peterson. We’re prone to allowing alot of those and he could really punish us in that area. That said, I’d still expect Peterson to get around 80 yards but I don’t think he’ll pass the century mark unless they do alot of outside runs on Wilfork’s side.

3-4, Wilfork moves out to DE and Gerard Warren moves into the NT position. Wilfork gets extra push outside and that funnels RBs up the gut, where Spikes and Mayo make three-dozen tackles between them. That’s what happened with the Ravens (limited Ray Rice to 3.1 yards per carry over 28 carries and the Ravens to under 3 ypc overall), and against the Chargers (limited Ryan Matthews to 2.8 ypc when his season average was at 5.1ypc).

with Steve Hutchinson and Bryan McKinnie on the left side it has been really steady. But that was without our starting center. Last game Sullivan was back and the right side looked much better. Let me put it this way. If we have 3rd and 2 I can’t guess which way they will run. But if its 4th and 2 I pray they go to the left.,

he’s good in gameplanning. Good from Monday-Saturday. Bad game manager, and probably isn’t great with player relationships (although that might be only Favre).

Is Chilly effective?
Year 1- 6-10
Year 2- 8-8-
Year 3 – 10-6 playoffs
Year 4- 12-4- Conference Championship game

Forget what the media writes. Just look at that record and tell me that he isn’t effective.

He has a simpleton look about him. Fans seem to lap it up that he is some kind of dumb dirt farmer. But he has built a team. He has done this without a QB ( except for Farve last year).
The man can coach. The man can draft. The man can hire and maintain a good staff.

Anyone who says different simply isn’t looking at the facts.

is actually on the Packers.

Yhis is a mystery to all Vike fans. He was told by two Drs to have the surgery. Another said he didn’t need it. Just about the time training camp occurs he decides to have the surgery. No one but Sidney and the FO really know what went on. Whatever the reason the rumors were wrong. This is his contract year. He needs to play well. He wanted to play well. It just didn’t work out. But I know of no fans that think the FO could have forced the surgery on a player that was following a Dr’s advice.

As a coach Childress knew about the injury, he knew what it would take to fix it surgically and knowing the heal time should have brought Rice in for a check up at that point to see if his hip was healing on its own. As it wasn’t he should have stated surgery was necessary to play this year. Honestly, it makes me worried about Rice’s intelligence. The guy is in his contract year and this honestly makes no sense to me.

Farve gets the headlines but Jared is the key. We know tthat it isn’t the scheme or the quality of the competition. It is Jared. Teams are going one on one and not letting him in. The last couple of games he has been extremely close and has caused giant disruptions. But no one knows the answer ( or at least no one is talking). Hopefully all is well this week and he and Tom can become friends as they fall to the ground together.

last year against the ravens, they did a great job of making him a non-factor. they had rookie micheal oher blocking him, and on several plays, he baited allen into his standard outside speed rush move. and then he just road him outside and stuck with the block, but let him turn the corner enough that he kept going on that path of pursuit. this pushed jared allen 8-10 yards deep into the backfield and behind the center. meanwhile, the guards blocked the tackles into the center and pinched them off from the left side.

this created a void open pocket space right where the tackle normally lines up, this allowed flacco to step up into this nice pocket (while keeping his eyes on the receivers) and to deliver the ball without any defender pressuring him. they burned us on 3-4 memorable plays like that….it’s on film now.

i have seen several plays this year where the o-line lets allen do his outside rush move and just ride him out in similar fashion. to his credit, though, he has got to the qb several times, but just a hair late, thus no sacks for the newlywed.