Alright, time to call it like you expect to see it. 

34-24 Vikings.

Something clicked in Detroit, and they're getting healthier....

  LFG!

Yikes. Thank god for indoor football at U.S. Bank stadium, let the sunshine in. Its going to be 86 degrees here in Boca today, lol....not trying to rub it in but that's a huge temperature difference. That's actually about 5 or 6 degrees warmer than it should  be this time of year. Buffalo is going to roast in Miami today, expect that to play a factor in the game against the Dolphins.

EAGAN, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings kept two essential principles in mind when searching for a quarterback in the 2024 draft. They needed to assess the skills of each player, of course, but they also wanted to project the type of team to build around the player they ultimately acquired.

"What people don't understand about the quarterback-selection process is that it's not just the quarterback themselves," coach Kevin O'Connell told ESPN at the time. "It's: 'What does the rest of the picture look like with that quarterback?'"

The second part drove the Vikings' team-building plan for this season, when they tapped J.J. McCarthy to take over the position and then assembled the NFL's third-oldest roster with a cash payroll of nearly $350 million to support his development in real time. It made sense. 

The No. 10 pick was the youngest member of the 2024 quarterback draft class, with by far the fewest college passing attempts and less of the transcendent physical traits that some of the others possessed.

After he missed his rookie season because of a torn meniscus in his right knee, McCarthy couldn't be counted on to elevate the team as the Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels and the New England Patriots' Drake Maye have. To succeed in 2025, the Vikings would need to win with McCarthy -- sometimes in spite of him and occasionally because of him.

Let's consider five ways the Vikings hoped to support McCarthy and how it has impacted their 4-4 start. 

Many of them hadn't surfaced until he returned from a five-week absence (high right ankle sprain) for Sunday's 27-24 upset of the Detroit Lions -- and it is not an exaggeration to say they will remain key to Minnesota's chances of reaching the playoffs.

"There were some real elements of quarterback play," O'Connell said this week of McCarthy's play in Detroit. "And then in the moments where maybe it got loose, or we can tighten things up, that's what we're here for, and that's all part of the journey he's on."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/4688...-jefferson

I mentioned on MB’s thread that I had an operation yesterday. So, I’m not feeling any too good physically today. But I AM feeling a lot of gratitude for this site. Thank you Vikesrock, for reminding me of the Viking Update days! I even remember its precursor the Viking Report. I think it was called Tommy Kramer’s Viking Report which morphed into the old Update. I loved those. And Purple Thoughts and now Vikefans. Vikefans has combined all that came before it—up-to-the-minute news, humor, and truly knowledgeable fans who teach me a lot. I love the back and forth on current topics and the effort to do it without bringing politics into it. That’s a tall order in these divided times. 

This site brightens my day. I always look forward to reading the latest from
VikeFans. Thanks for all who post, and a special shout out the the Mods!

Ivar Brogger aka Caactorvike

I hate plea deals like this one. IMO she should serve a long, long sentence in jail for what she did...

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


The driver accused of being drunk when she struck and killed Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson and two of his high school friends in a high-speed collision in Maryland has confessed and is now facing prison time.

Jackson, a fourth-round 2024 NFL draft pick out of the University of Oregon and a Maryland native, died in the wreck that occurred shortly after 3:10 a.m. on July 6, 2024, in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Upper Marlboro, Md.

Cori Imani Clingman, 25, pleaded guilty Friday in a Prince George’s County courtroom to three counts of negligent homicide under the influence of alcohol.

The county’s State’s Attorney Tara Jackson said her office will recommend Clingman receive a 15-year sentence, but with 12 of those years set aside. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 4, when a judge will decide whether to accept the terms.

Also killed in the same vehicle with Jackson were his close friends and fellow former Upper Marlboro Wise High School teammates: passenger Anthony Lytton Jr., 24, and the driver, 23-year-old Isaiah Hazel.

Speaking after the hearing to gathered news media, Jackson said, “Incidents like these are not just accidents. They are preventable tragedies that occur from conscious choices. Driving under the influence is a crime. Speeding at high rates of speed is a crime.”

Separately, in a statement issued by her office, Jackson said that “while [this] plea brings a measure of accountability, I know that it cannot ease the heartbreak or bring back Khyree, Isaiah, and Anthony. I hope that this case serves as a reminder of how quickly lives can change and brings greater awareness to our community about the dangers of reckless and impaired driving.”

Clingman was driving an Infiniti Q50 when she tried to change lanes on northbound Pennsylvania Avenue to pass a Dodge Charger, according to State Police, and instead struck the Charger, sending it off the road. Both drivers were traveling at more than 100 miles per hour after leaving the same location around the same time, according to prosecutors.

A Maryland grand jury indicted Clingman with three counts each of negligent manslaughter; criminally negligent manslaughter; negligent homicide while operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol; and homicide while driving impaired by alcohol. She was also charged with one count of drunken driving.


STRIB

Sounds like Ty Chandler started doing side work this week and could return in a week or two. It'll be interesting to see if he will be able to beat out Zavier Scott for the RB3 role late in the year, because he's probably lost all return duties to Myles Price. 

------------

Speaking of Chandler, it's never not a good time for some Raymond Chandler quotes. 

“From 30 feet away she looked like a lot of class. From 10 feet away she looked like something made up to be seen from 30 feet away.”
― Raymond Chandler, The High Window

“She gave me a smile I could feel in my hip pocket.”
― Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely

“I'm an occasional drinker, the kind of guy who goes out for a beer and wakes up in Singapore with a full beard.”
― Raymond Chandler, Philip Marlowe's Guide to Life

So its a complete train wreck in Vegas, Grandpa Pete isn't working out and Raiders' ownership is always basically a joke. So Carroll now fires the special teams coordinator? The guy (Tom McMahon) has been in National Football League for 16 seasons for teams such as the St. Louis Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, and currently the Raiders. Its not like he can't or forgot how to coach. These two got into a heated argument on the sidelines during that game. 

https://www.si.com/nfl/pete-carroll-fire...ss-broncos

I think its bullshit to fire a guy you handpicked this early in the season off the staff. Hell, I think its wrong to cut anyone off a coaching staff mid-year. What you are saying is you are solely responsible for us being shit.....which we know one coach isn't the problem. Anyway: rant over.