Misc Thoughts: Cardinals

[VikingOracle]

Here are my miscellaneous thoughts from the Cardinals game:

• Thank the lord for KJ and Uli.  It is nice when you can watch a player bloom and improve.  I can also throw in Vigil here.  Those are the 3 players who have surpassed my expectations this season.  (I haven't done a Vikings PEE poll this year; I am not sure why not).  Question, do people think KJ could be the long term replacement for Thielen?
• Barr.  Is the Vikings medical staff that bad at prognosis?  Out 2 games already, if he had been put on IR (for a minimum of 3 games), the Vikes could have played the roster game better.
• CB Whisperer?  From Vikings.com:  "Through two games, the Vikings have allowed eight passing plays of 20-plus yards, the sixth-most across the league.  Overall, Minnesota has allowed 9.33 yards per passing play so far this season. That ranks 28th in the league and would be the highest amount the Vikings have yielded under Zimmer."  With all the assets spent on DBs during the Zimmer era, this should be the strength of the team.  However, they look pre-snap confused and have had a number of communication breakdowns.
• Tight Ends: TEs seems to always scorch the Vikes.  Uzomah of the Bengals had only 2 catches but he went for 35 yards.  Against the bears he also had 2 catches but for 4 yards total.  Yesterday, Max Williams had 7 catches for 94 yards -- even if you subtract the 34 yard fluke, he had a busy day.
• Preparation:  Murray's touchdown run -- seems like you should have a spy in the red zone for that.
• Holding The Edge:  Correct me if I am wrong, but it felt like the DEs were not holding the edge.
• D. Hunter: Yes!  I think in the first game he played tentatively but now is approaching full beast mold.
• Tiny Dancer: Yes!  I think he is someone who shines on (real) game day.
• Next Week:  The Vikes have given up an average of 420 yards a game so far -- good enough for the 6th worse in the league.  Seattle is the 4th worse at 434 yards a game (271 passing, 162 running).  Seems like a Cook game.  BTW, the two worse defensive teams: Ravens and Chiefs.  Titans and Henry definitely tired out the Seahawks defense yesterday (40 rushes, 35 by Henry).  You know Zimm is going to want to follow that blueprint. 

[Guest]

From the Slate article (a site my conservative brethren probably avoids):

Exasperating the people who love them has been the Vikings’ vocation for most of their six decades of existence. They have a fair claim to being the NFL’s most successful unsuccessful franchise, with four Super Bowl appearances all resulting in losses and another six Ls in conference championship games, including three this century. The people who love the Vikings understand the deal, and while they may not be emotionally free to stop caring about this team, they at least do not have a contractual obligation to live and breathe it at all times.

https://slate.com/culture/2021/09/mike-z...rself.html

[Guest]

We traded Mike Hughes to KC for literally nothing and he would be starting for this team. The CB whisperer moniker died that day.

[Guest]

@pattersaur said:
We traded Mike Hughes to KC for literally nothing and he would be starting for this team. The CB whisperer moniker died that day.

"Defensive Guru" moniker is dangling by a fraying thread as well.

[Guest]

@VikingOracle said:
Here are my miscellaneous thoughts from the Cardinals game:

• Thank the lord for KJ and Uli.  It is nice when you can watch a player bloom and improve.  I can also throw in Vigil here.  Those are the 3 players who have surpassed my expectations this season.  (I haven't done a Vikings PEE poll this year; I am not sure why not).  Question, do people think KJ could be the long term replacement for Thielen?
• Barr.  Is the Vikings medical staff that bad at prognosis?  Out 2 games already, if he had been put on IR (for a minimum of 3 games), the Vikes could have played the roster game better.
• CB Whisperer?  From Vikings.com:  "Through two games, the Vikings have allowed eight passing plays of 20-plus yards, the sixth-most across the league.  Overall, Minnesota has allowed 9.33 yards per passing play so far this season. That ranks 28th in the league and would be the highest amount the Vikings have yielded under Zimmer."  With all the assets spent on DBs during the Zimmer era, this should be the strength of the team.  However, they look pre-snap confused and have had a number of communication breakdowns.
• Tight Ends: TEs seems to always scorch the Vikes.  Uzomah of the Bengals had only 2 catches but he went for 35 yards.  Against the bears he also had 2 catches but for 4 yards total.  Yesterday, Max Williams had 7 catches for 94 yards -- even if you subtract the 34 yard fluke, he had a busy day.
• Preparation:  Murray's touchdown run -- seems like you should have a spy in the red zone for that.
• Holding The Edge:  Correct me if I am wrong, but it felt like the DEs were not holding the edge.
• D. Hunter: Yes!  I think in the first game he played tentatively but now is approaching full beast mold.
• Tiny Dancer: Yes!  I think he is someone who shines on (real) game day.
• Next Week:  The Vikes have given up an average of 420 yards a game so far -- good enough for the 6th worse in the league.  Seattle is the 4th worse at 434 yards a game (271 passing, 162 running).  Seems like a Cook game.  BTW, the two worse defensive teams: Ravens and Chiefs.  Titans and Henry definitely tired out the Seahawks defense yesterday (40 rushes, 35 by Henry).  You know Zimm is going to want to follow that blueprint. 

Good breakdown. I don't think KJ is our eventual Thielen replacement, but he sure is impressive as a WR3. Perfect for that role. Udoh and Cleveland are both playing well. And kudos to Hill for shutting down Chandler Jones without much help. 

Regarding Seattle, Vikings rushed for about 200 yards against them last year with Mattison leading the way. Also, Zim's game plan for Wilson worked incredibly well in the 1st half. Vikings led at the half 13-0. But, like he does, Wilson figured it out and got the 1-pt win as time expired.

Vikings should win this one at home this time around, but we'll see if that gut punch of a finish yesterday makes them flat next week. 

[Guest]

https://edjsports.com/posts/7382b4af-d5a...c27fc422c0

[Guest]

@VikingOracle said:
https://edjsports.com/posts/7382b4af-d5a...c27fc422c0

So down 1 with 3 minutes left, you go for it on 4th and 6 from your own 29? Who writes this shit? Vikings ended up attempting a 37 yard field goal to win the game. A kick that is probably good 90% of the time. Hard to argue with how they got there. It clearly worked. 

[Guest]

@MaroonBells said:

@VikingOracle said:
https://edjsports.com/posts/7382b4af-d5a...c27fc422c0

So down 1 with 3 minutes left, you go for it on 4th and 6 from your own 29? Who writes this shit? Vikings ended up attempting a 37 yard field goal to win the game. A kick that is probably good 90% of the time. Hard to argue with how they got there. It clearly worked. 

MB: you know I agree with you.  I thought it was fairly humorous -- basically almost every  time the Vikings didn't go for it on 4th down, it was a bad decision.  There are way too many "experts" out there.  

[Guest]

Dantzler forced to come in, shows up and what are we supposed to think as fans about the coaching? As I said before the season started, Kris Boyd sucks. Obviously Breeland is worse. 

[Guest]

@StickyBun said:
Dantzler forced to come in, shows up and what are we supposed to think as fans about the coaching? As I said before the season started, Kris Boyd sucks. Obviously Breeland is worse. 

I think one of the issues with Zimmer (and why I think of him like Childress) is that he does not scheme around a player's weaknesses -- he expects the player to play his scheme flawlessly.