Vikings open at +4.0

https://www.bovada.lv/sports/football/nf...2511091300

I just saw GB TE Tucker Craft is out with ACL.

• Offensive Line won the battle up front.  defenders on the ground, huge holes for the RBs.  That mistake by JJM late in the game where he turned the wrong way, Mason had a massive hole to run thru and seal the game.
  
• JJM's feet give our offense that other dimension.  That TD run was beautiful.  Addison (not Nailor as I said elsewhere) played that well, taking his guy back inside giving JJ the corner.
  
• JJ isn't afraid to throw a tight window pass.  The TD to Jets and the final pass to Nailor.  Those were tight.  And perfect.
  
• Kudos to KOC for bringing the physicality.  The OLine, the RBs, the commitment to the run.  Something we haven't seen from KOC in the past.  That is a winning game plan.
  
• Defense played physical too.  None more that Wilson.  That sack where he just blew up Gibbs.  He looked like D Hunter coming thru there, he seemed massive and it was the determination.
  
• Tackling.  They brought the RBs down when they made contact.  Other than that first TD by the TE where everyone was trying to strip the ball rather than taking out his legs, our D tackled well.
  
• Wilson again.  Might be the FA signing of the year.  
  
• Smith showed up as well.  That edge blitz and knockdown.  Huge play at a huge time.
  
• Special teams: A blocked FG.  Been a while since we had one up the middle.  And the Price is right on the returns.  Seems our ST coach is hitting his stride as well.
  

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/colum...?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z116654p119750c119750d00----v116654b0046xxd004665&gca-ft=64&gca-ds=sophi

Mitch Albom: "If you thought the Lions had an easy game upcoming with Minnesota, you don't know JJ McCarthy"

Its was a tough day for many Lions fans as they not that long ago rooted like mad for him at the University of Michigan. They love him....but now they have to hate him. And I think its bittersweet for them to see him as a Viking.

Who is the best running back in the NFL? I think Saquon Barkley and Jahmyr Gibbs would get a lot of votes. Against the Vikings, Barkley had 18 carries for 44 yards. Gibbs had 9 carries for 25 yards.

Highest graded #Vikings @ Lions (min. 10 snaps)

1. LB Blake Cashman: 90.8
2. DT Javon Hargrave: 81.4
3. RB Aaron Jones: 76.6
4. EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel: 75.1
5. CB Fabian Moreau: 73.4
6. WR Justin Jefferson: 72.8
7. C Blake Brandel: 68.0
8. LG Donovan Jackson & S Harrison Smith: 67.4
9. LT Christian Darrisaw: 65.7
10. EDGE Dallas Turner: 64.2

Purple FTW! Podcast
@PurpleForTheWin
·
1h
"Center Ryan Kelly is eligible to return off IR Sunday. It could be the first snaps the Vikings Starting O-Line has together all season.
Get momentum at the right time."

I think they'd give him a week to acclimate....a week from this Sunday.

Lets talk this through,  Nailor had the ball pinned to his leg prior to the defender grabbing at it,  as they went to the ground it didnt hit the ground,  did the defender ever clearly take possession away from Nailor as they rolled through the play prior to the whistle?   I dont under stand how Nailor possessed the ball first,  never lost the ball, that I saw, but yet they called it an INT and they didnt see anything to over turn it?

Did I miss an angle that showed the defender ever having sole possession of the ball prior to the whistle?

I was pretty full yesterday so.... I might have seen that one wrong,  but it looked like a catch to me, ugly catch,  but a catch none the less.

I have a lot of affinity for Darnold...The ginger jesus would have kept me highly entertained. 

Too bad he's a Seahawk..

If we didnt have JJM? I could have been persuaded to sign him long-term and hope KOC can excorcise the remaining ghosts.

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

LANDOVER, Md. -- At halftime of the Seattle Seahawks' blowout win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday night at Northwest Stadium, Sam Darnold had four touchdown passes and zero incompletions, having connected on all 16 of his attempts.

He didn't know it until someone told him -- a no-no in football akin to talking about a no-hitter in baseball.

By the time Darnold missed for the first time, the Seahawks were well on their way to a win that improved their record to 6-2 -- and boosted their quarterback's MVP odds in the process.

"Not going to say who it was," Darnold said with a smile, refusing to give up the culprit.

Darnold finished 21-of-24 for 330 yards, four touchdowns and one interception before he was pulled in favor of Drew Lock with just over seven minutes left. That was good enough for a Total QBR of 97.8, the best in any game of his eight-year NFL career.

According to ESPN Research, there have been four instances of a player recording a QBR of 97 or higher in a game this season, and Darnold has three of them. The others are his performances against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5 (97.4) and the New Orleans Saints in Week 3 (97.3). Darnold's three such games are tied with Tom Brady (2007), Tony Romo (2014) and Lamar Jackson (2019) for the most by a starting quarterback in a season since ESPN began tracking Total QBR in 2006.

"Sam's execution right now, he's just ridiculous," coach Mike Macdonald said. "All the things we've talked about that he's been doing, but decisive, making smart decisions, our receivers are doing a great job, I thought the protection was really good."

The Seahawks were short-handed at receiver, with Cooper Kupp, Jake Bobo and Dareke Young inactive. It didn't look like it, though, with Darnold throwing touchdown passes on each of Seattle's first four possessions. He connected twice with rookie Tory Horton -- who assumed Kupp's role of No. 2 receiver -- before hitting rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo and veteran receiver Cody White.

Darnold's 87.5% completion rate was the second highest in a game in Seahawks history (minimum 10 attempts), behind only Russel Wilson's 88.6% in a 2020. By completing his first 17 passes, Darnold tied the franchise record that Warren Moon set in 1998, which was also to begin the game.

"Believe me when I say it, I'm not surprised," Macdonald said of Darnold's completion streak. "We watch Sam every day and how he operates, and he's the same guy every day, which is what you love about him. We're chasing it. 

The guys are determined, and it's fun to watch. When the team comes together, that's the type of stuff you can do when you play the right way, you prepare the right way. Our coaches deserve a lot of credit. I thought [offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak] called a great game."

According to ESPN Research, Darnold began the day with 60-to-1 odds to win MVP, per ESPN BET. Those odds improved to 18-to-1 by the end of the game.

With their win, the Seahawks are 4-0 on the road this season and 11-1 since the start of last season.

ESPN