It's not SB or bust for me this year...

[Guest]

@Steve said:
There is no excuse to miss the superbowl this year.  I can't remember a team that made it to the championship game AND had plenty of money to make a free agency splash AND had a key player out for most of the season AND was returning their core starting lineup save for improvements made in FA.

But where the Vikings are concerned I'm like a puppy dog who always thinks that noisy keys means I get to go for a walk.  I'm eternally hopeful and always disappointed.  One of these days its going to happen.  I just KNOW it.

After a lot of years I have realized that a football really isnt round and seldom bounces as one might expect.  Each season is loaded with surprises.... few of them good.

Moves that are touted as improvements often actually arent and of course there is the injuries to throw in there to keep things unpredictable.

Ive learned to really enjoy the offseason side of things.

[Guest]

@Poiple said:

@Steve said:
There is no excuse to miss the superbowl this year.  I can't remember a team that made it to the championship game AND had plenty of money to make a free agency splash AND had a key player out for most of the season AND was returning their core starting lineup save for improvements made in FA.

But where the Vikings are concerned I'm like a puppy dog who always thinks that noisy keys means I get to go for a walk.  I'm eternally hopeful and always disappointed.  One of these days its going to happen.  I just KNOW it.

After a lot of years I have realized that a football really isnt round and seldom bounces as one might expect.  Each season is loaded with surprises.... few of them good.

Moves that are touted as improvements often actually arent and of course there is the injuries to throw in there to keep things unpredictable.

Ive learned to really enjoy the offseason side of things.

Yep. Enjoy what you can because anything can happen. The Eagles are still the best team in the NFC, so for a fan to say 'no excuse for missing the Super Bowl', its just not realistic. Sometimes, teams are just better. What Minnesota is doing is trying to set themselves up to be in the mix each year so if things go the right way, they can get that elusive Super Bowl. No doubt in my mind the Vikings will be a better team than last season, but that guarantees nothing other than a decent chance. 

If fans think 'move X guarantees result Y' then they don't really understand how it works.

[Guest]

@StickyBun said:

@Poiple said:

@Steve said:
There is no excuse to miss the superbowl this year.  I can't remember a team that made it to the championship game AND had plenty of money to make a free agency splash AND had a key player out for most of the season AND was returning their core starting lineup save for improvements made in FA.

But where the Vikings are concerned I'm like a puppy dog who always thinks that noisy keys means I get to go for a walk.  I'm eternally hopeful and always disappointed.  One of these days its going to happen.  I just KNOW it.

After a lot of years I have realized that a football really isnt round and seldom bounces as one might expect.  Each season is loaded with surprises.... few of them good.

Moves that are touted as improvements often actually arent and of course there is the injuries to throw in there to keep things unpredictable.

Ive learned to really enjoy the offseason side of things.

Yep. Enjoy what you can because anything can happen. The Eagles are still the best team in the NFC, so for a fan to say 'no excuse for missing the Super Bowl', its just not realistic. Sometimes, teams are just better. What Minnesota is doing is trying to set themselves up to be in the mix each year so if things go the right way, they can get that elusive Super Bowl. No doubt in my mind the Vikings will be a better team than last season, but that guarantees nothing other than a decent chance. 

If fans think 'move X guarantees result Y' then they don't really understand how it works.

You are right about being in the mix.  You have to get yourself as many realistic opprotunities as you can to get a shot.

I am not as confident or assured the Vikes have improved so far.  With the O line being the biggest negative from last season, they have done little to address the problem unless losing Badger and Sirles is a positive.  Simply adding Compton isnt much of an solution

Add in the less mobile yet more expensive Cousins into the mix and the “improvement” picture doesnt appear all that clear to me.

Cousins may be the better QB on most given days but one things Vikings fans (who have been paying attention) realize is that most QBs regress as protection breaks down.  Its not meant as a knock on Cousins by any means. Its a HUGE MFing knock on how they have approached improving the perennial walking hot mess that constitutes the Vikings O line.  

[Guest]

@Bezerker88 said:
  Not just be “happy” beating the Pack.  

You do have to admit, beating the Pack is damn fun though!!!

[Guest]

@AGRforever said:

@Bezerker88 said:
  Not just be “happy” beating the Pack.  

You do have to admit, beating the Pack is damn fun though!!!

It's even more fun beating the Packers twice a year. 

[Guest]

@Poiple said:
Until they fix the O line and add some quality depth there they will face a tough climb to make the NFCC. That was the lesson from last season.  Im hoping they learned it.

 Unless they somehow think like others here that the QB play hindered the O line from blocking..

This is my feeling as well.  As much as I like Zimmer and RS, the O line has been sorely neglected for the past 4+ years.  While Zimmer has built a pretty incredible team everywhere else, it seems the O line has always been our Achilles heel.

While they finally seemed to get serious with fixing the line last year, it feels like so far during this offseason, we've taken a step or two backwards.

[Guest]

My hope for the Vikings going forward, as has been the case since Zimmer took over, has been to be a consistent power in the NFC, and yes-to break the Superbowl curse (and the fuggin' NFCC curse) along the way.  I admit to some jealousy regarding the legacy teams like the Steelers, the 49ers, and even the Patriots (without the cheating, thank you).  I want our Purple People in the discussion every year for a long time, because it seems like we've had chunks of the formula forever...but always missing at least one big piece.  Whether offense, defense, line play, coaching, whatever...something was always tragically missing.  The Vikings would be their own worst enemies, and do more to stop themselves than the opponents did.

I have more faith in Zimmer and the current regime than I've had since Dennis Green's best years.  Our HC obviously wants to be better each season, our defense seems to get better each season, and our OC is one of the architects of the last offense to succeed against us...so the whole team should have plenty to learn from him.

I'm not really focused on the Cousins acquisition, because...well...I rarely obsess on our QBs 'til I see 'em play real games in our uniform.  Whether free agent or draft pick, none of their play counts 'til Week One; camp and preseason highlights be damned.  Yes, we're spending a ton of money on our QB...but I've watched teams all over the league spend for proven signal-callers, so the Cousins deal doesn't look anything but inevitable.

Can we become one of the teams that plays at a constant high level, spends wisely in getting/keeping talent while being able to draft and train the replacements as needed?  It seems like we're on the path, and the expectations have been consistently rising...

...I really wanna believe.

[Guest]

I just want them to stomp the Eagles at the cesspool in philthadelphia game 1.

[Guest]

They NEED to win that one.  They will need that tie breaker for home field advantage come playoffs.  Every game is important.

[Guest]

Pretty tough to expect Minnesota to beat the Super Bowl champs in the first game at their house. Looks like some fans are ready to set their expectations at 'bury the needle'. The Eagles are still the cream of the crop in the NFC. 

As tough as the NFC was last year, its even better this year (add the Packers with Rodgers). The NFC is really must-see football TV. I would think most of the prime time games will involve that conference.