KOC

[purplefaithful]

A whole 7 years, huh? :-) Sit down, son, and let me tell you about the push off, the Nelson drop, McNown to Poole, 41-donut, Favre's pick, wide left 1, wide left 2.............................

Lol...

I go back to D. Pearson push-off on what many believe to be the best Viking team ever (1975)

[MaroonBells]

Lol...

I go back to D. Pearson push-off on what many believe to be the best Viking team ever (1975)

That was the first in my memory of several tragic, heartbreaking ends to Viking seasons. I think one can make an argument that the two best Vikings teams ('75, '98) maybe even the three best Viking teams (if you include '09) never even made it to the Super Bowl.

[supafreak84]

A whole 7 years, huh? :-) Sit down, son, and let me tell you about the push off, the Nelson drop, McNown to Poole, 41-donut, Favre's pick, wide left 1, wide left 2.............................

It's no coincidence that a lot of us long timers probably have PTSD from years of Viking heartbreak and mental anguish. 

Just one, one, before I die!

[Greylock]

It's no coincidence that a lot of us long timers probably have PTSD from years of Viking heartbreak and mental anguish. 

Just one, one, before I die!

Mine goes back to the late sixties watching every Sunday on a black and white tv with the roof top antenna that had to be adjusted according to the weather.  The frozen turf at the old Met stadium where it seemed every playoff game had to go through Dallas or the Rams.  You would think with a stretch of 4 Super Bowls they could have at least gotten one win but thanks to the Buffalo Bills at least the Vikings share the futility of never winning in 4 appearances.

[purplefaithful]

Mine goes back to the late sixties watching every Sunday on a black and white tv with the roof top antenna that had to be adjusted according to the weather.  The frozen turf at the old Met stadium where it seemed every playoff game had to go through Dallas or the Rams.  You would think with a stretch of 4 Super Bowls they could have at least gotten one win but thanks to the Buffalo Bills at least the Vikings share the futility of never winning in 4 appearances.

As long as we're reminiscing, I remember sitting out at the olde met watching games in dead of winter...On cold, hard steel benches for 4 hours...

I dont know how the hell I did it -  youth I guess. I mean, it's not like you could go inside to warm-up at that place either. 

The Metrodome seemed like a palace coming from the Met. Least you didnt freeze your nadz off there.

[Vikesrock]

A whole 7 years, huh? :-) Sit down, son, and let me tell you about the push off, the Nelson drop, McNown to Poole, 41-donut, Favre's pick, wide left 1, wide left 2.............................

I meant to say Miracle in the Met.  I am 52 years old.  I had the Minneapolis Miracle on my mind as I was looking at the WR1 rankings with Stefon Diggs on it when I typed that out...Freudian slip.  

I remember the 1982 strike season when I absolutely hated John Riggins.  Does that give me enough credence?

[Vanguard83]

The whole Drew Pushovson day was a nightmare. First I saw the "orange" that I thought was a flag.....Then came the whisky bottle at the ref....then the news of Tarkenton's father.

[greediron]

Have always wondered why when Goff or Love or Mahomes or Burrow or Allen have a bad game—and there have been plenty—it's a bad game, but if Darnold does, he "implodes" or it's further proof of the prevailing "can't play well in big games" narrative. 

Agree on KOC. I think he's a helluva coach. And an even better designer of offenses. But he obviously has things to work on.

Because when he sucked, he saw ghosts, he was awful.  Allen had a bad rap for that as a young guy, but has also carried the team in ways that Darnold didn't.  Darnold hasn't had any "big games" yet IMO.  He has won big games, but often while being mediocre and relying on their D.  

I haven't seen him step up and carry the team.

[MaroonBells]

Because when he sucked, he saw ghosts, he was awful.  Allen had a bad rap for that as a young guy, but has also carried the team in ways that Darnold didn't.  Darnold hasn't had any "big games" yet IMO.  He has won big games, but often while being mediocre and relying on their D.  

I haven't seen him step up and carry the team.

Fair. But I think that's largely a myth. I would argue that it's pretty hard to throw for 8,000 yards, 60 TDs and win 28 games over two seasons without being capable of playing well in important games. If anyone saw ghosts in the playoffs this year it was reigning MVP Josh Allen. 

I'd say last week's NFCC was a big game for Sam. Against the Rams whose rush packages flustered him twice before, he threw for 346 yards, 3 TDs and 0 picks. Who knows, maybe bad Sam shows up in the Super Bowl, but if not he's going to completely rewrite his narrative.

[Zanary]

Because when he sucked, he saw ghosts, he was awful.  Allen had a bad rap for that as a young guy, but has also carried the team in ways that Darnold didn't.  Darnold hasn't had any "big games" yet IMO.  He has won big games, but often while being mediocre and relying on their D.  

I haven't seen him step up and carry the team.

I think it gets dismissed with others like you mentioned. When the Saints crushed Tampa-era Brady and late-Packers era Rodgers around the same time, both terrible performances were quickly swept under the carpet.

The truth is, and I've never seen any real argument, that any/every QB looks very "mortal" and makes their worst mistakes when they face their least favorite kinds of pressure. Our IOL issues were nightmares for Kirko, and it's not hard to imagine why.