Quote: @MaroonBells said:
@ StickyBun said:
@ purplefaithful said:
@ MaroonBells said:
@ purplefaithful said:
@ RS Express said:
When it comes to road games in the NFL, I rewrite Steve Miller: "Go on, take the W and run"
Anyway, anyhow, U-G-L-Y we don't need no alibi I'll take it.
This is where my head is at too...
Week1 in the NFL is infamous for weird things going on, upsets and peril for favored teams
Its a road game and this is the Vikings
I'll take a 1 point, last second win and run like hell with it.
Sure, of course we'll take it. But you know as well as I do, a one point squeaker over a bottom dweller is not going to alleviate all concerns (among fans, media or even team), and send us skipping doo da into Arizona. I just want to see a performance equal to the talent on the roster. Really shouldn't be too much to ask.
Our DL is stacked. Play like it.
Our QB has the best WR/WR/RB combo in the league. Play like it.
Our OL, a cause for concern for the last two decades, now has 1st and 2nd rounders all over it. Play like it.
I could go on....
Sorry to be a negative nellie....I dont have faith in the staff to get that out of this team on a regular basis.
Me either. But I really do appreciate MB's enthusiasm and optimism because I think it comes from a place of intelligence....although a small tinge of homerism. Just a smidge. And that's fine. MB keeps me hoping, and honestly I like hoping that the team could be good....until I'm slapped back into reality which always happens.
Demanding the team finally play up to its talent is homerism? It sounds like we're saying the same thing. I'm saying this team is talented. OK, so play like it. PF thinks the coaching staff isn't capable of getting that from its players. I wouldn't go that far, but I do have concerns that what we see on the field may not match the team we have on paper.
The only real argument, then, is that this team just ISN'T as talented as we think..even on paper. Now, I don't hear anyone actually making that argument, but THAT'S the argument.
You want homerism? I think this team blows out Cincinnati. I will be shocked and horrified if this game is within 14 points. I'll break down why when we get into predictions.
I hope you are right, MB. Seriously. I'd love nothing better. Maybe its the jaded fan in me hedging. I know I do that to mitigate potential disappointment in the team.
Quote: @Vikergirl said:
@ MaroonBells said:
@ purplefaithful said:
@ RS Express said:
When it comes to road games in the NFL, I rewrite Steve Miller: "Go on, take the W and run"
Anyway, anyhow, U-G-L-Y we don't need no alibi I'll take it.
This is where my head is at too...
Week1 in the NFL is infamous for weird things going on, upsets and peril for favored teams
Its a road game and this is the Vikings
I'll take a 1 point, last second win and run like hell with it.
Sure, of course we'll take it. But you know as well as I do, a one point squeaker over a bottom dweller is not going to alleviate all concerns (among fans, media or even team), and send us skipping doo da into Arizona. I just want to see a performance equal to the talent on the roster. Really shouldn't be too much to ask.
Our DL is stacked. Play like it.
Our QB has the best WR/WR/RB combo in the league. Play like it.
Our OL, a cause for concern for the last two decades, now has 1st and 2nd rounders all over it. Play like it.
I could go on....
That's just it, play like it. Until they do it on a consistent basis and have complete games, that uncertainty will be there even if it's in the background. Also COVID uncertainty will always be there because dumbasses gotta dumbass. Do I honestly think all areas of the team gel right away? Nope.
I think that's a reasonable concern. I have that concern as well. But I would add that this concern exists on most teams, not just ours.
Just in terms of the 1st game, I would argue that Joe Burrow, having missed a year, gelling right away with a struggling Ja'Marr Chase against a Mike Zimmer D no one has seen before is a big concern for them. That Riley Reiff, having played left tackle the last four years, gelling right away on the right has to be a concern as well. Especially considering he'll be trying to protect his gimpy QB against his old practice nemesis, Danielle Hunter. That Hendrickson and the very average Larry Ogunjobi effectively replacing Carl Lawson and Geno Atkins is probably up there among their concerns. Especially considering the Bengals were the 2nd worst run defense in the league last year and you could argue that they didn't really upgrade that with Dalvin coming to town.
So, yeah, I'm hopeful. :-) Covid and our unvaccinated QB is my biggest concern...and will be all year.
Quote: @StickyBun said:
That's what it comes down to for Zimmer and Company. Changing punters, getting Mannion back, looking like warm dog shit in the preseason, etc. Its all fine until its not. Week 1 at Cincinnati needs to be a win. This isn't some kind of unwinnable game on the road. Their QB is coming back off of major surgery and its just his second year in the NFL. They won 4 games last year.
A win and this uncertainty that I feel right now as a fan will mostly go away.
I think the first couple of games will fill in the narrative of the preseason. Right now, the preseason feels like a dumpster fire. If the Vikes start slowly (again), the preseason will be pointed at as a cause of the slow start and Zim's coaching ability will come into further question. If the Vikes slap around the Bengals, we can all take a collective breath.
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