09-21-2021, 03:06 PM
Usually after bad losses (actually, any loss) I have to get away from everything football related for a bit and decompress. My first inclination after the game was to run in front of a moving bus, but alas....cooler thoughts prevailed and I for one am glad they did. Really wish the Vikings offered health insurance for fans.
With that being said, I mentioned before the season we'd win 11-12 games. That prediction would have been looking good if the Vikings won both games, games that should have been wins. I for one am going to stick with my prediction, and I'll keep it at 11 wins....IF they beat Seattle this weekend.
The reason for my optimism stems from the fact that not only have we had chances to be 2-0 (due to bad call/whatever you want to call it, and a missed short kick), but the team improved in many ways from week 1 to week 2. Just some observations from a fan, not a coach/player with keen insight:
Anyone else changing/keeping their season predictions?
With that being said, I mentioned before the season we'd win 11-12 games. That prediction would have been looking good if the Vikings won both games, games that should have been wins. I for one am going to stick with my prediction, and I'll keep it at 11 wins....IF they beat Seattle this weekend.
The reason for my optimism stems from the fact that not only have we had chances to be 2-0 (due to bad call/whatever you want to call it, and a missed short kick), but the team improved in many ways from week 1 to week 2. Just some observations from a fan, not a coach/player with keen insight:
- The O-Line made HUGE improvements from week 1 to 2. Pretty much kept Chandler Jones & JJ Watt in check all game long and kept the pocket clean for Kirk, and opened up some huge holes in the run game. Also great to see a lack of flags attributed to them. If they can play like this most of the season this O will be hard to stop.
- Klint Kubiak called a helluva game. Good amount of balance between running and passing. Hopefully this gets him into a groove calling plays going forward
- Cousins and the skill players are ballin, especially Thielen, KJ, and Cook. Once JJ starts getting more involved, watch out.
- ST's for the most past have been OK, and that's an improvement over what we've had in the past. Still some things to correct (Return game and obviously keep the missed kicks to a minimum).
- D-Line has played well for the most part. Arizona was a tough game to defend when you have a guy like Kyler Murray running around like a jitterbug and extending plays. I was disappointed in the Run Defense after the Cincy game, and AZ didn't do much to change the narrative on that part even when not running the ball all that often.
- Need to see more out of Dalvin Tmlinson & Sheldon Richardson.
- Hunter is an absolute beast and is going to get paid BIG TIME.
- Wonnum & Weatherly had some moments but it seemed they missed Everson as a bookend to Hunter on passing downs.
- Nick Vigil is playing lights out and has shown to be a key piece in the LB core. Not sure what's going on with Barr, but at this point Vigil has to stay on the field.
- Kendricks is Kendricks. Best off the ball LB in the game imo.
- The one unit that is playing really badly is the secondary, you could see it in the games with the safeties and corners looking at each other pre-snap as if they're deer in the headlights. My hope is that they need time to gel, otherwise things could get ugly real quick. Hopefully Dantzler took the demotion to heart and plays as well as he did in the AZ game (albeit in limited snaps).
- I've been a Zimmer fan for quite some time, but his decision to not give starters meaningful snaps in the preseason hurt. There are times he makes the aggressive play call and then in crunch time he scales it back as if all the nightmares of games past come to haunt him. If Cousins keeps playing as he is I hope Zim lets him loose (doubtful, but one can hope).
Anyone else changing/keeping their season predictions?
