Per the announcers:

2007 - Last game

1991 - Six straight quarters

Hopefully we’ll have darrisaw and Jackson back. 

Despite the results this is not a bad team, except at QB, the most important and impactful position. Yes we have underachievers elsewhere obviously. 

The biggest issues that need cleaned up in order :

JJ’s development 
KOC being better at situational play calling
Stopping the run
Turnovers 
Stupid penalties 

Watching the games, there have been so many tipped balls and fumbles that we have not been able to secure on defense. Things haven’t bounced our way at all this year.  So I think turnovers will even out next year. 

It’s on KOC to fix the first 2 most important problems. If he doesn’t, his ass should be on the line end of next year. 

Kwesi needs to hit a good draft.  If his draft and FA work isn’t at least average, his ass should be on the line also end of next year.

So bottom line in all this, I will blow sunshine as long as possible. There has been a lot of good with this leadership. Just look at their overall record. 

It looks like the the rest of the year is gonna be for evaluation and development.  Hopefully JJ can right his ship. If he shows some improvement, we can at least have some hope for next year. 

I’ll post about positions and players at some point, but there have been several underachieving large dollar players this year as well.

Can't help but be extremely happy for the young man. 1st NFL start. An UDFA. Great kid, I'm sure his whole family, friends and the University of Minnesota is beyond stoked for him later today. Former coaches that saw his potential, how smart he is, what a hard worker, etc. Lots of pride in his circles and rightly so. I think he's the first University of Minnesota QB grad to start a NFL game? I know he loves the university and vice versa. 

I wish he had the table set a bit better for his first start, but that's how it goes. Tough sledding for sure on the road in Seattle. Uncle Sammy is going to want to lay it to the Vikings. Might get ugly, but I think this season is in tatters anyway. Anyway, good on ya Maxie for getting to The Show....best of luck. 

My $ is on LSU...

Three days after it was announced Frank Ragnow was coming out of retirement to help the Detroit Lions' playoff push, it was announced the four-time Pro Bowler won't be playing this season after all.

The Lions said on Saturday that Ragnow reported to their facilities for his physical when it was revealed he had a grade three hamstring strain that will prevent him from suiting up.

Per the Cleveland Clinic website, a grade three hamstring strain is considered a "severe strain where your muscles are completely torn."

Typical recovery time for a grade two or three hamstring strain is several months, and possibly longer if it requires surgery.

The team announced on Wednesday that Ragnow was ending his retirement. That marked the final day for him to decide if he wanted to play this season and be eligible for the postseason.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Ragnow's ended his retirement because he "loves the game." The 29-year-old announced he was walking away from football in June after seven seasons.

Asked about Ragnow after Thursday's 31-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers, head coach Dan Campbell said he was "fired up" to get him back:

"He's a good football player. He brings a lot of production back to that O-line and the game itself and he's also a great teammate. He was one of our captains, so he brings a lot to our team. I think this is something that's been on his mind for a while and then he called me, so we're good."

After the news of Ragnow's physical came out, Campbell said he was "disappointed" because of how much he has meant to the organization.

Ragnow would have slotted back into his normal spot as Detroit's starting center. Graham Glasgow has been the primary starter at the spot this season, though he missed Thursday's game due to a knee injury.

The Athletic's Colton Pouncy noted Detroit's offense ranked second in EPA per play with Ragnow on the field from 2022 to '24. They rank seventh in EPA per play through 12 games this season.

A first-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft, Ragnow appeared in 96 games over seven seasons with the Lions. He made the All-Pro second team three times, including each of his final two years.

There is a lot of pressure on the Lions going into Week 14. They have lost four of their last seven games since starting 4-1 and are currently outside of the NFC playoffs.

Detroit will host the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football on Dec. 4. Both teams currently have five losses and are one game back in the loss column of the San Francisco 49ers, who play the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, for the No. 7 seed in the NFC.

Bleacher Report

As a lifelong Notre Dame fan it pains me to say this, but....Go Blue!! I despise Ryan Day

For the soccer experts I’ll like to get your opinion on what we can learn from the recent Bears revival.
Background:

• Poles did not have a good season early in his bears career. Multiple questionable picks and he finally figured out. Monaghai, Loveland and that defense is legit. At one point it was rumored he was in the hot seat
  
• The QB situation was a laughing stock last year and early this season. Caleb is playing well (whatever that means) and not putting the team in harm’s way
  
• Ben Johnson and staff. When the season started they were in sixes and sevens and now they are on a 6 game win streak and about to beat the Eagles in Philly
  

EAGAN, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings will start quarterback Max Brosmer in Sunday's game at the Seattle Seahawks, coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed Friday, as J.J. McCarthy remains in the concussion protocol.

McCarthy reported concussion symptoms following the Vikings' 23-6 loss to the Green Bay Packers last Sunday. He advanced far enough through the protocol to participate in practice on a limited basis this week, but O'Connell elected to rule him out Friday. Veteran John Wolford will be elevated from the Vikings' practice squad to back up Brosmer. The Vikings also signed Desmond Ridder to their practice squad earlier this week.

"He's progressing," O'Connell said of McCarthy, "but just not able to clear the last few steps. And quite honestly, I just have pretty strong feelings on just when guys do get a concussion and where they're at in regards to the next week. I always want to leave it open to the doctor's ultimately say and decision and the protocol is in place for a reason."

Sunday will be the sixth game McCarthy has missed this season because of injury. He missed all of last season after tearing the meniscus in his right knee during a preseason game. Since the Vikings made him the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft, McCarthy has missed 24 of a possible 30 games, including playoffs.

More concerning is the way McCarthy has played in the six starts he has made. Entering Week 13, he ranked last in the NFL in QBR (24.8), completion percentage (54.1) and touchdown/interception ratio (0.6). The Vikings are 2-4 in those games.

Brosmer, an undrafted rookie who spent his final college season at the University of Minnesota, opened training camp as the Vikings' No. 4 quarterback. At 24, he is two years older and has twice as much college experience as McCarthy. The Vikings were impressed with Brosmer's quick processing skills during training camp, and he beat out veteran Brett Rypien for the No. 3 job.

Brosmer said Friday that he expected to have nerves before the game but wanted to avoid being nervous.

"I think for quarterbacks, nerves versus nervous is really important to distinguish between," Brosmer said. "I think it's great to have nerves because that's what locks you in, but the nervous piece comes with anxiousness and that's not me and that's not this team. I think the nerves, you grow up playing from third and fourth grade and you're like, 'I can't wait for game day. I'm riding in the car with my mom to go play Saturday with the guys and the kids playing little peewee football.' You have those nerves. That's what makes you great. And then you go to the NFL, it's the exact same thing."

The Vikings signed Carson Wentz to back up McCarthy on Aug. 24, and Wentz started five games while McCarthy recovered from a high right ankle sprain. Brosmer served as Wentz's backup during that period and remained in that role when McCarthy returned, which coincided with Wentz undergoing season-ending surgery to his left shoulder.

Brosmer will be playing behind an offensive line that will be missing one and perhaps two of its primary starters. Left guard Donovan Jackson (ankle) is out for Sunday's game, and left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee/foot) is questionable.

ESPN

I agree with much of this piece from LaVelle E Neal today. What he's missing is the injury piece, not an excuse but a reality unfortunately. Same thing has bit the Commodes, but they have a QB for tomorrow where as the Vikings have just a "?"

Hindsight being 20/20, I wish we would have signed Jones to compete with JJM this past summer. Handing the keys of a 14/3 team to an in-experienced rook was wrong, for JJM and the team. 

Why was it so wrong? Simply because he wasn't ready to start. 

I dont recall which poster said it, but I agree that the front office and coaching staffs miscalculation on the QB has set the team back immeasurably. It could be years. 

And for the record, I very much supported the approach at the time. 

==================================================

How did it get this bad this quickly? How did the Purple go from being a playoff-caliber team at the beginning of the season to being the caboose of the NFC North train by week 13?

You’re probably focusing on the guy under center, J.J. McCarthy, who was supposed to immediately flourish under the tutelage of offensive savant Kevin O’Connell.

But in most cases, there’s more than one reason success can be volatile from one season to the next. Here are five reasons that come to mind as I recover from my sister’s turducken.

1. Why this year?

This has been addressed elsewhere on this website in recent weeks. But here’s my take on the McCarthy saga.

I was all for drafting McCarthy. He was a winner in college and his charisma has been evident during his short professional career.
But handing him the keys to the 14-3 Maserati from 2024 reeks of organizational hubris.

The Vikings had Darnold operating at a high level. It led to him getting $100 million from Seattle.

They also had Daniel Jones in house. There was an attempt to sign him for 2025, but he opted for Indianapolis on a one-year deal for around $14 million.

The money wasn’t the problem. It was the situation.

Jones knew McCarthy was the preferred candidate going into camp and sought a more fair and balanced competition for a starting role.

“That’s been the communication,” Jones said at his introductory news conference with the Colts. “It’s an opportunity to come in and compete.”

Other things have gone wrong this season. This was failure No. 1.

Winning and developing is difficult to do in every sport. When it involves developing the most important position in sports on a team expected to win, that’s a dangerous mix.

McCarthy could have been a backup this season. Or been pushed harder to earn the job.

2. Free-agency failures
Before the 2024 season, General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel to free-agent deals. They quickly became part of engine that propelled that Maserati.


For 2025, his main signings were Javon Hargrave, Jonathan Allen, Will Fries and Ryan Kelly. They have not had the impact of the 2024 class.

The Vikings defense isn’t sacking the quarterback or defending the run as well as they did a year ago. That’s on Hargrave and Allen, and the Vikings aren’t getting the return on their investment they needed.

Fries has been fine at guard. But Kelly’s season has been derailed by the fourth and fifth concussions of his career. It will likely force the Vikings to address the long-term future of their center position during the offseason.

Another signing, wide receiver Rondale Moore, suffered a season-ending knee injury during preseason. It would have been nice to have seen how he impacted games.

3. Europe for two?
The Vikings were the first team to play consecutive NFL games in Europe, one in Dublin, Ireland and the other in London.

The Vikings were willing participants in this plan.

My response: Why?

They had to ship some equipment across the big pond to Ireland then ferry it to England. They had to pack all the ranch dressing they could carry. Two countries and 4,000 miles later, they split two games. When injuries piled up, they had to fly in an emergency lineman between the games to have enough bodies for practice.

It was also during the trip that the McCarthy conspiracy theories about him not being injured — but benched — had O’Connell bristling. Jordan Addison was late for a walkthrough and was benched for part of the Browns game — although he made up for it with a winning touchdown grab in the fourth quarter.

Not everyone was pleased with the accommodations at one of the hotels.

O’Connell had a bird fly into his hotel room in England.

All that was missing was Chevy Chase and a misplaced camcorder.

At the end, everyone was ready to escape Europe, see their families and get back on a routine.

Note to the Wilf family: It’s great that you’re growing your brand in Europe. But you are 1-5 since that trip.

4. Not complementary football
The combination of the aforementioned elements, plus injuries, add up to a 4-7 record.

Offensive inefficiency has led to stalled drives, forcing the defense back on the field. The defense was fifth in average points allowed last season, 18th this year. They are 24th in rushing defense after being second a year ago.

The Vikings have played from behind for the majority of the season, leading at the end of just 12 of a possible 44 quarters. Only twice have they lead in all four quarters of a game. Five times, they have trailed at the end of every quarter.

It used to be the other way around, which allowed defensive coordinator Brian Flores to unleash his fire-breathing defense on opponents trying to scramble back in games. Sacks and turnovers are down this year as a result.

Last week’s loss at Green Bay was their season in a nutshell.

O’Connell dialed up runs and screen passes to try to get McCarthy off to a good start. They trailed 10-6 at halftime and stuffed the Packers on their opening drive of the third. Then, a special teams disaster as Myles Price muffed a punt. Green Bay scored a touchdown and never looked back.

All three facets of their team have rarely clicked simultaneously.

5. Sam Howell fallout
After bungling the McCarthy strategy, the Vikings still needed a backup quarterback. They settled on Sam Howell, whose 18 career starts made him the most experienced QB in the room.

Howell wasn’t good in camp.

In fact, Brett Rypien occasionally ran with the second-stringers during practices instead of him. Howell did move the ball in two possessions during the preseason opener against Houston, after which he was a little defensive when a reporter approached him before writing about him providing positive tape.

He said Minnesota was appealing to him because of O’Connell. “He’s known as kind of a quarterback whisperer,” Howell said then.

As it turned out, KOC pointing a megaphone at Howell’s ear and screaming into it wouldn’t have mattered. Howell was traded to Philadelphia and Carson Wentz was immediately signed as a replacement.

When McCarthy went down, Wentz started five games. His fifth start was painful to watch, as he grimaced through a start against the Chargers because of a left shoulder injury that would require surgery.

Yes, this could have dovetailed with my first point. But the Howell trade put the Vikings down a path that brings them to where they will be on Sunday.

Because rookie Max Brosmer most likely has the keys to what is no longer a Maserati. More like a rusting station wagon.

7-5 and two home losses to NFCN teams. I had a feeling this offseason they may take a step back, its tough to keep up the grind year after year and honestly they blew 2 great chances to get to the Superbowl the prior two seasons. Still can be a dangerous team in a one-game scenario, but really should have lost to the Giants last week as well. No more balls to the walls offense for Meathead. Teams are understanding how to neutralize Gibbs. The constant 4th down-going-for-it is less effective.

The NFCN seems there for the taking this year....except for Minnesota. A pity.