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Buddah · 01-05-2018, 01:21 PM

Fans throughout the league have in years past asked that respect be given to their team. Demanding the media take notice. I think our defense has done enough to garner this respect. I think undrafted stars like Theilen and Case Keenum have showed what they can do. Yet, respect is overrated. You do not need 1 ounce of respect to win a Super Bowl. So if you think the media isn't given the Vikings a fair dose of it, then tell yourself that it just does not matter in the end. Only a Super Bowl victory will satiate that need for respect.

Lets talk about the most important reason why the Vikings are where they are at right now - The Maturation Process. The team is gelling on defense. Our offensive weapons and leadership Keenum, Theilen, Diggs, Rudolph, McKinnon, Murray are all finding their sweet spot. Our O-Line was patched together in the off-season, but the lineman had never started one game together when the 1st game kicked off. Not even in the preseason. Most of the season they have shifted to accommodate injuries, so the backups like Hill and Sirles have just gotten more experience. Together they have all played exceptional. Experience is the key here.

The Maturation Process is not just for the players, but it is for the coaching too. Zimmer has put together the #1 defense in football, and by numbers they are dominating. Behind Shurmur we have an offense that has made very little mistakes and can score proficiently from the red zone. Under Norv Turner that was one of the biggest struggles. This team is not one dimensional anymore. Mike Priefer might be one of the best special teams coaches in the game. They rarely give up the big play anymore. Sure the Bears tricked us, but that is rare for us. How about that Tony Sparano? Zimmer's old coaching buddy from the Parcells' Cowboys days. Fear not the loss of Shurmur, because Sparano might be the next man up if he does not give it Priefer to keep him from leaving. What Tony has done for the O-Line has been short of miraculous. How about QB Coach and longest tenured Vikings' coach, Kevin Stefanski who coached up Bradford at game one to have his career best game and now has repackaged Keenum to the NFL Universe and he looks to be in for big money in the off-season. Kevin has coached the RB's and the TE's in the 12 years with the Vikings. Could he be ready for the Offensive Coordinator if not Sparano or Priefer? So many solid choices if Shurmur gets hired away.

On the other side of the coaching spectrum is Mike Zimmer's son Adam who is coaching up the LB's in his 4th year. Could he be ready to be leap to Defensive Coordinator if Edwards gets hired away? Probably not because they have Jerry Gray, our defensive backs coach. Jerry is a former defensive coordinator, and he deserves so much credit in producing what might be the best backfield in football. Alexander has emerged in just 2 years to be someone very special, and Waynes is starting to finally get his due. Jerry Gray is the next man up for a job with us or a job with someone else looking for a defensive coordinator. People worry so much about teams stealing our coaches, but when you get this good, people notice it. There is a lot of "respect" for our staff right now, and teams will show that "respect" by interviewing our talent.

Our coaches led by Mike Zimmer have all matured to get to this point. All the mistakes they have made are the building blocks when you learn from them. They call that wisdom folks. I am not sure if what happened with the Ellison's drama in the off season had some impact on how Zimmer coached this year, but I know Zimmer wanted to change things after last season's fall after going 5-0 and ending up 8-8. He talked with his captains and got the necessary feedback he needed. Whatever happened, whatever lessons he has learned from his first 3 years as the Vikings' Head Coach, Zimmer has put the team at the doorstep to the big show. Let's hope this squad knows what it takes to finish the job. They have never been this ready for it. SKOL to the BOWL!

01-05-2018, 01:52 PM

Nice write up. The talking heads are going to say whatever they want to anyway. How this team has handled adversity has shown how tough they are. Shoot, seeing what their coach went through galvanized them. We knew that the defense was getting ready for the next level and now the offense is making things happen. So many players are signed so there isn't as much hand wringing. Special teams has done their job. Enjoy the ride. Savor the moment.

01-05-2018, 02:00 PM

Thanks. I would love to see our guys get accolades for their hard work. I saw that our training staff just got an award, and hopefully more are coming for our team, from Spielman to Zimmer to players. This team was so well put together and coached.

01-05-2018, 02:14 PM

Ultimately, wins are what matters. Its a results oriented business. Such a great year, 13 wins. Strong team that can compete with anyone in the playoffs. Talented roster. But if you want to get 'respect' in a real way in the NFL, its about championships.

The Vikings did well to get the bye week, which they needed. They'll play at home, which is huge. All of the angst that I saw on this board, i.e. 'This next game is huge'...'this is a must win game', etc. all season now leads to a new season: the playoffs. They dotted every i and crossed every t to get to this point. They deserve credit and I think they've been getting it, quite frankly. Fans are thin skinned, no amount of media adulation will be enough because they'll focus on the few that won't give it.

But if you want real respect, that comes in the form of winning a Superbowl. All you can ask for is that your team has a decent shot and the Vikings do. Legitimately. But you need a little luck along the way in the playoffs, too. We'll see what happens!

01-05-2018, 02:37 PM

Very nice writeup, and I agree we not only have depth in roster, but also the coaching staff. If we lose Shurmur, I expect a successful replacement moving forward. Great teams lose assistant coaches every year, and most survive just fine.

This is the most brilliant thing I've read all week: SKOL to the BOWL! B)

01-05-2018, 02:44 PM

Well written

01-05-2018, 02:57 PM

Thank much. SKOL!

01-06-2018, 02:55 AM

Good read Buddah. nice job.

It has been a week by week grind and they havent disappointed at all. They have a tough mentality that is a reflection of their coach and the community they play for.