Minnesota Vikings????

D9Male

Yeah, I think we can give the Seahawks a game if we can get healthy. Great to win the division.

Realt Dearg Sec

SameOleJay wrote: »

Enjoy the division title folks. Great season and one of the best drilled teams in the league.

I think it's fair to say once Chicago were out of the running we were all hoping ye'd pull off the division and break the hold they've had on it.

Mysterypunter

Was a good controlled performance by an up and coming team. One or two hiccups, especially later in the game from a 17 point lead. But a great defensive performance was the key. Good luck in the playoffs.

yorlum11

I'm positive about Sunday. I think if we bring our A game we have a chance. Also the temp is forecast to be 4f. Around -11/12/13 Celsius. Should favour us.

Magico Gonzalez

yorlum11 wrote: »

I'm positive about Sunday. I think if we bring our A game we have a chance. Also the temp is forecast to be 4f. Around -11/12/13 Celsius. Should favour us.

I don't know, not like the players are Minnesota natives! I doubt TB and Peterson are looking fwd to the cold, we have been a dome team primarily before we moved to temp accommodation at the UofM.

I worry about missing Ellison who has played a big role with some solid run blocking for us. We have struggled against QBs who dont mind being flushed out of the pocket and are good on the move.

Not confident!

Hulk Hands

The cold makes passing games more difficult, makes turnovers more common, and thus equalizes the abilities between the 2 teams. If people believe the Seahawks have more talent then us, then the cold should be a positive. I think we've more chance of winning a low scoring game also. Only somehwat cold games we've played, we beat Carolina and GB last week so might suit us. We're massively underrated by the gambling markets going into this one, to a quite baffling degree

Christy42

Hulk Hands wrote: »

The cold makes passing games more difficult, makes turnovers more common, and thus equalizes the abilities between the 2 teams. If people believe the Seahawks have more talent then us, then the cold should be a positive. I think we've more chance of winning a low scoring game also. Only somehwat cold games we've played, we beat Carolina and GB last week so might suit us. We're massively underrated by the gambling markets going into this one, to a quite baffling degree

I reckon Wilson playing the best football of his career has something to do with it. That said I agree with you, this is a side that lost to the rams just a few weeks ago so they are hardly invulnerable.

D9Male

I was amazed that Seattle were getting 5 to 6 points earlier this week from us. 4 points now, I think 2-3 points sounds about right.

I think we need two things to happen in order for us to have a chance. Our pass rush needs to get after their OL and quarterback. This is possible. And I am hoping that Beastmode is not able to have a big game.

Lots of mitigating circumstances on why we lost so badly the last day. With Joseph, Smith et al all playing well, we don't get gashed no matter how well Wilson plays.

Hulk Hands

D9Male wrote: »

I was amazed that Seattle were getting 5 to 6 points earlier this week from us. 4 points now, I think 2-3 points sounds about right.

I had it priced as a rock solid 3. Plenty of +5s out there still. I got +7 10/11 on Sunday night with Pinnacle when they first went up

JCTO

Lads jump on a flight they are practically giving tickets away we ll not really but people selling cheap and vikes selling them cheap as no one wants to go to sit in "Real Feel" of -17 degrees Fahrenheit/-27 celcius"

$45 for tickets

http://www.businessinsider.com/freezing-minnesota-weather-causing-cheapo-playoff-tickets-2016-1

Magico Gonzalez

Sick. Absolutely sick.

helimachoptor

yeah tough one, expected that kick to sail over

TheDoctor

Hard luck lads, really thought ye had it. Bar one strip from AP ye played flawless. Couldn't see us winning it.
After last years SB I know how ye feel.
Have a good team in Minnesota and ye should be confident for next season.

Hulk Hands

Depressed. Team wasn't ready yet though. Huge future. Arguably the best defense in the league and they're only going to get better.

adrian522

Unlucky on the last play, but Peterson fumble and not keeping contain on Wilson cost ye more. Still a division title and a good season.

Magico Gonzalez

All about patching the OL now in the off season, get guys fit, do something in the draft.

D9Male

Played brilliantly. I am sick as a dog. Well done to Seattle. They kept in the game despite playing poorly in attack...Wilson is annoying to play against.

Great season, but what might have been! I think we would have beaten Arizona.

D9Male

So what are the thoughts as we move to the draft and free agency?

I think both Peterson and Wallace have no guaranteed money, so there is scope to restructure them or let them walk if they get greedy.

I wouldn't be averse to cutting either of them, many of you might disagree with me completely on AP, and I get both sides of the argument.

Not sure what the story is with Loadholt and Sullivan contract-wise for next season. Either way, we need to beef up our OL significantly.

I think we will need more protection at safety. Our one good safety Harrison is up for renewal soon, so any FA splash we make this summer is likely to be on a safety that is ready to plug and play.

I am sickened about yesterday still, and don't really have the stomach to "look forward" to the rest of the season and Packers v Cardinals etc. I might spend a few days looking at cap issues and scenarios for us next season and hopefully I will be in a good enough mental state to "enjoy" the rest of the season.

Magico Gonzalez

I could get on board with letting AP go, Wallace is nearly a no brainer for me. AP - Sounds nuts, but the fumbles hurt , mckinnon looks good and you wonder how many mores years you get from AP - 1? , 2?

I do think we need more physically gifted WRs, i think Teddy has the making of a good west coast style QB if we could get him some more options and protect the him more. I think our style of play will evolve and the next draft will be interesting in showing us Zimmers vision.

FWIW I was watching the pack - skins game last night thinking we would have beat these!

Cheering for the Panthers now.

D9Male

Aware that this is in danger of becoming a monologue, but I can't think of much else today

A further thought (and justification for cutting AP) is that this is a quarterback driven league. I think we all have various degrees of confidence/hope on Teddy becoming the business. But I would guess we would all say he has not been given the framework this season to succeed. I think that in addition to the OL that Magico mentions, he needs to have a few more weapons and focus on the passing game to hit the heights.

Edit: We are furiously agreeing it seems, Magico = posts crossed.

D9Male

I think since the turn of the century there are very few running backs who have had more attempts than AP. Less than 10 I think. Smart money is to take what we can from another organisation and run. There are plenty of teams with staff on the line desperate for a quick hit at RB. I am looking at the Colts here mainly.

Magico Gonzalez

D9Male wrote: »

I think since the turn of the century there are very few running backs who have had more attempts than AP. Less than 10 I think. Smart money is to take what we can from another organisation and run. There are plenty of teams with staff on the line desperate for a quick hit at RB. I am looking at the Colts here mainly.

Everytime he catches a ball and takes it into traffic I wince...could do without that I suppose!

Hulk Hands

AP has had a down year I agree despite being top rusher. However he commands 8/9 men in the box and that's something that helps our passing game massively. I love McKinnon but we saw last season that teams simply respect him as a normal rb, not the huge respect afforded to AP. This lead to receivers not getting open and many more Int's in crowded backfields. I really like Diggs, and really don't want to possibly stunt his development by subjecting him to double coverage at times, which would likely happen with no AP. Also, the teams we would try and exploit in a trade are 'win now' teams. That's exactly what the Vikings will be for the next two years. Keep him and run him til he breaks down. Wallace gone, certainly. Would love to see them go all out for Alshon Jeffrey, or even Megatron

Magico Gonzalez

Looks like Mike Wallace is going to be cut, I'd be ok with that. Decent player, but not a great fit for us.

Charles Johnson would go if I had my choice too.

Magico Gonzalez

Looks like Mike Wallace is going to be cut, I'd be ok with that. Decent player, but not a great fit for us.

Charles Johnson would go if I had my choice too.

Magico Gonzalez

Gotta make a call on Khalil soon. Who knows....can we get better? Not sure. it's a gamble either way.

D9Male

Yep, looking at the offensive line figures now. Case for cutting Kalil, Loadholt and Sullivan. That would be a huge amount of turnover, though.

Looks like AP is sticking around. Fair enough seeing as Zimmer fought so hard to keep him last summer.

Magico Gonzalez

D9Male wrote: »

Yep, looking at the offensive line figures now. Case for cutting Kalil, Loadholt and Sullivan. That would be a huge amount of turnover, though.

Looks like AP is sticking around. Fair enough seeing as Zimmer fought so hard to keep him last summer.

I dont know if we can afford (in terms of risk rather than money) to cut all three. Might come down to a priority call, cut one, cut two maybe...would be worried if we cut three.

We're definitely in the market for someone more physical to play wideout too.

Magico Gonzalez

Sendejo??? I'm giving up on trying to guess our pre-season moves.

D9Male

We're thin in the backfield, though. I don't mind if we draft or splash big in the secondary.
Not sure if the money he gets is big for a backup? I am not au fait with NFL finances.