Minnesota Vikings????

Magico Gonzalez

D9Male wrote: »

Our schedule so far has been p1ss easy.

The rest of the schedule is very tough.

You're right. If we win those two games, we are 7-2, and I would say long odds on for a wild card.

This had to be the season the Raiders came good! That loss to the 9ers really sticks in my throat, especially now they are benching Kap and going with Blane Gabbert. Might not win another bloody game!

Hulk Hands

This is one of the 3 most important games left, along with the Seahawks and away to the Falcons. Win two of those 3 and we'll make the playoff's imo. Kinda worried about Kendricks and Floyd being out on Sunday. Both are great in run support. Barr and Smith are going to have to be all over the field. A big turnover of special teams play could swing this one. Should be a good game

Magico Gonzalez

6-2, ugly. Teddy wasn't great, but Hill was rubbish. AP carried us home.

Less said about the Bridgewater concussions the better. Blatant.

Hulk Hands

Id really worry about next weekend. Unless BW is 100% I really don't think they'll bother playing him, and with that they'll leave out any other sort of questionables aswel. This is also an incredibly obvious flat spot for the team. Whichever way you look at it, it's not near as important a game as yesterday or the following Sunday. Just hope it doesn't come back to bite us if we do lose it

Magico Gonzalez

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Id really worry about next weekend. Unless BW is 100% I really don't think they'll bother playing him, and with that they'll leave out any other sort of questionables aswel. This is also an incredibly obvious flat spot for the team. Whichever way you look at it, it's not near as important a game as yesterday or the following Sunday. Just hope it doesn't come back to bite us if we do lose it

I'd nearly rather see Heinicke play than Shaun Hill.

D9Male

Tough to avoid the conclusion that we were watching two mediocre teams yesterday.

Teddy was not good, but we really need him in two weeks' time when we host the stuttering Pack.

Magico Gonzalez

D9Male wrote: »

Tough to avoid the conclusion that we were watching two mediocre teams yesterday.

Teddy was not good, but we really need him in two weeks' time when we host the stuttering Pack.

Thats very harsh. Mediocre passing offense certainly. For me, special teams looks good, run game is good when AP is good, WR core is good, OL is mediocre but that's an improvement from awful, DL is good and secondary is OK.

I think we are were we should be, developing team with a shot at being a good side in the near future. TB still has question marks, mostly around the deep ball but he isn't losing us any games and in the clutch moments he is getting it down.

Sure we have some safety (Sendejo!) issues, but we have a lot of positives and we aren't conceding many points. We look sharp on offense until we hit the redzone. Work to do there.

All that with some notable injuries, I think we're better than mediocre. We're in a tough division, we have no complete pushovers to guarantee wins. We have to earn every win.

D9Male

Maybe you're right.I think our results have been padded by playing teams with losing records.

I am aware that I seem very negative. On the plus side, I think our defensive line (Joseph in particular) was excellent. And it is great that we got rid of that useless kicker Blair Walsh. The new guy we signed is much better.

Magico Gonzalez

D9Male wrote: »

Maybe you're right.I think our results have been padded by playing teams with losing records.

I am aware that I seem very negative. On the plus side, I think our defensive line (Joseph in particular) was excellent. And it is great that we got rid of that useless kicker Blair Walsh. The new guy we signed is much better.

I dunno what happened with Walsh! He was a few bad games away from the chop and now he looks like he is going to hit every kick.

Magico Gonzalez

If Teddy isnt back, and I see the betting lines are suspended because it's not confirmed, we may as well not turn up. Shaun Hill is worse than Ponder or Cassels.

Hulk Hands

Teddy will play. Looks like we're actually reasonably healthy this week.

Not sure what you were expecting with Hill? He's an above average backup QB. Given Teddy's injury history, it's reasonable to expect that we should see his backup at some stage over the course of the year. As backup's go, he's a decent one. He is probably slightly worse than Ponder/Cassel, but given that they're borderline starting QB's, that's surely to be expected. If Hill did play, he'd be a lot better this week than last. The Rams are an excellent D, we were ahead and game managing, and he was coming in cold with no prep. I wouldn't be worried about a sample size of about 4 passes in that scenario

Magico Gonzalez

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Teddy will play. Looks like we're actually reasonably healthy this week.

Not sure what you were expecting with Hill? He's an above average backup QB. Given Teddy's injury history, it's reasonable to expect that we should see his backup at some stage over the course of the year. As backup's go, he's a decent one. He is probably slightly worse than Ponder/Cassel, but given that they're borderline starting QB's, that's surely to be expected. If Hill did play, he'd be a lot better this week than last. The Rams are an excellent D, we were ahead and game managing, and he was coming in cold with no prep. I wouldn't be worried about a sample size of about 4 passes in that scenario

He is not an above average backup QB!! He's awful, I'd be all in favour of Heinicke being the backup. Cassels is not a borderline starting QB, he is a backup, and he is struggling at the Cowboys. To be worse than that you have to suck in a fairly large way.

Hulk Hands

Magico Gonzalez wrote: »

He is not an above average backup QB!! He's awful, I'd be all in favour of Heinicke being the backup. Cassels is not a borderline starting QB, he is a backup, and he is struggling at the Cowboys. To be worse than that you have to suck in a fairly large way.

Give me 12 better backup QB's than Hill? Heinicke? Seriously? Are you basing all your opinions on a few meaningless preseason games? You'd rather start an undrafted rookie whose never played a regular season down over a 12 year vet with a solid career behind him?

Cassels easily in the top 40 QB's in the entire league so yes, he is by definition a borderline starting QB

yorlum11

Good win on the road by the Vikes. Big test next week against the Packers. Defense dominant in last quarter. Peterson on fire. Bridgewater steady but hesitant. Skol Vikings!!!

D9Male

The juggernaut is rolling now. I only saw the highlights because of GamePass blackout.

Seems like we did it on the ground and with our defence. Roll on the Packers. We couldn't pick a better time to play them.

Magico Gonzalez

Stating the obvious, we are either going to beat the Packers, get to Rogers and his dodgy foot and it will be beautiful or they are going to extremely angry, pumped up and ready to have at us! If we win I might just leap aboard the hype train.

Notes of caution for the division, the Bears are getting better. Could definitely nick a game off us.

D9Male

Agreed on the Bears. Big, big win for them yesterday. Cutler is playing well again.

jman0war

I would be delighted if i were a Vikings supporter and the Packers were coming to town right now.
Talk about 2 clubs heading in opposite directions.

Vikings looking tough and gritty, Packers looking defeated in full-on melt down.

Hulk Hands

D9Male wrote: »

The juggernaut is rolling now. I only saw the highlights because of GamePass blackout.

Seems like we did it on the ground and with our defence. Roll on the Packers. We couldn't pick a better time to play them.

Download Hola onto chrome and switch the country to somewhere like Greece. Bypasses the blackouts. I haven't a clue generally about IP addresses etc but its really really simple

Magico Gonzalez

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Download Hola onto chrome and switch the country to somewhere like Greece. Bypasses the blackouts. I haven't a clue generally about IP addresses etc but its really really simple

I wouldn't use Hola!

http://adios-hola.org/

yorlum11

I'm thinking AP will have a field day against the Packers defense. Another 200+ yards hopefully. I would like to see Bridgewater be a little bit more positive throwing the ball. Skol Vikings!!

yorlum11

yorlum11 wrote:

I'm thinking AP will have a field day against the Packers defense. Another 200+ yards hopefully. I would like to see Bridgewater be a little bit more positive throwing the ball. Skol Vikings!!

Well that didn't work out as I thought. Packers beaten by bears on thanksgiving so Vikes back top of division.

Magico Gonzalez

Packers put us back in our box, bears bros did us a favour by putting them back in theirs!

Still sulking here.

yorlum11

Great defensive display this evening against the Falcons!!

Magico Gonzalez

yorlum11 wrote: »

Great defensive display this evening against the Falcons!!

Still underwhelming in the air, mike wallace seems to be there to pick up PI calls rather than catch the ball. Another sub 200 no TD day for Teddy.

Winning ugly seems to be our thing! Solid foundations but we are far from the finished article.

Hulk Hands

Thought it was a superb performance on the road. Anthony Barr is a machine, should have a great future with him Kendricks and Smith (contract dependant). Gimme a good D and solid run game all day over a good passing offense. Seahawks have shown this is the way forward. Will make sure we're right in every game with a chance in the playoffs. Just hope we can win he division now and get homefield

Magico Gonzalez

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Thought it was a superb performance on the road. Anthony Barr is a machine, should have a great future with him Kendricks and Smith (contract dependant). Gimme a good D and solid run game all day over a good passing offense. Seahawks have shown this is the way forward. Will make sure we're right in every game with a chance in the playoffs. Just hope we can win he division now and get homefield

Better teams have better balanced offenses, we dont yet. I think we'll get there but we're not there yet.

D9Male

I don't rate the Falcons much, but we are getting it done. The season has been a success, and the D keeps on making big play after big play. Seattle, Arizona, Bears, Giants and Packers is a fiendishly tough schedule. If we can go 2-3, we should win the division if one of the wins is against the Packers. Looking at the Packers' schedule, their only gimme is hosting the Cowboys.

Yeah, we are really bad through the air. But first in rushing and our defence is second in points allow....as mentioned above this is the recipe for success in January.

And our offence does not stink. We are sixth in terms of offensive turnovers per game, so we are taking care of the football. If the offence starts to click a little bit more, we are a serious football team.

But mostly, AP.

Magico Gonzalez

It's all very dependent on AP, that's fine now, but next year we need WRs and some help on the OL. We are doing a lot better with run blocking but the pass protection on TJ Clemmings' side still needs a lot of work. He is too slow getting up out of the blocks and its limiting our pass options. Am sure he can get better...hopefully.

Hulk Hands

Magico Gonzalez wrote: »

Better teams have better balanced offenses, we dont yet. I think we'll get there but we're not there yet.

We gain 186 yards a game passing and 146 rushing. That's about as balanced an offense as you can get. In years gone by the word would be that the other team dont rush the ball well enough as opposed to us not passing it well enough. The Seahawks and 49ers have set the blueprint on being postseason contenders anyway without the luxury (luck) of having an elite QB. We're following that to a tee at the moment. These "better" teams dont have as good a D as us either. I know which i'd prefer long term. We're too young to go close to winning it this year, but I expect a decent playoff show and them primed to contend next year