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Not concerned:
QB - Like all QBs, Cousins has bad games. Though he struggles to bounce back WITHIN a bad game, he typically bounces back fairly well from game to game.
OL - They've got to get better at picking up blitzes, but they weren't horrible against Philly. They should continue to improve. Quietly, Bradbury had the 2nd highest pass blocking grade last week.
Weapons - This offense still boasts one of the best QB-RB-WR-WR groups in the NFL.
Safeties - I doubt Harry plays on Sunday, but I think this group is solid.
ST - Best special teams we've had since the 70s.
Concerned:
CB - I fear Dantzler isn't on the trajectory of improvement he should be in his 3rd season. Peterson has worried me since training camp. With the Booth injury, there's just not much margin for error here.
LB - Vikings played in a shell against Philly, baiting Hurts to beat them underneath, which he proceeded to do....too easily. Has Kendricks lost a step? Can Hicks cover at all? Asamoah is too young to trust, but his speed and range might be what this group needs.
DC - One of the things I hated about Zim was that he was seldom as prepared as he should have been for an offense's opening script. But more often than not he seemed to adjust well and take many of those things away by the 2nd half. Vikings held the Eagles scoreless after the half on Monday, but I suspect that was due more to their miscues than adjustments Donatell made. They still moved the ball fairly well.
I read that Dantzler was benched after giving up the long TD, some dude broke down the video on utube. watching i thought it was Bynums fault. appears i was wrong.
Hurts was burning us on the hashes, not really underneath i think, taking advantage of the S deep quarters we played.
Ingram struggled in pass pro, whatelse is new with that spot jeesh.
We are not running the ball enough, and when we do it is not effective, but that is this offense, hopefully KOC can figure that out. Ham was not in the game plan at all this week and our HB screens are not fooling anyone. Maybe WR screens would be better. What happened to the power sets with Hammer and Mad dog that worked so well last week?
Our backup DT’s are not cutting it at all and our LB’s are not getting to their gaps consistently.
ST are great, if they keep this up, our guy may be HC material next season.
The OL and defense are still issues, imagine that? Seriously though. These are definitely things to keep an eye on. Watching how they respond will be important.
Quote: @Vikergirl said:
The OL and defense are still issues, imagine that? Seriously though. These are definitely things to keep an eye on. Watching how they respond will be important.
I really think the defense could take another year or so to right. The OL is getting closer but definitely still a work in progress.
I am really curious to see the team responds Sunday.
Quote: @MaroonBells said:
QB - Like all QBs, Cousins has bad games. Though he struggles to bounce back WITHIN a bad game, he typically bounces back fairly well from game to game.
Not to eviscerate Kirk because he's normally solid but this is what's most infuriating to me about him. If things look bad after 2-3 drives, they almost always stay bad the entire game. There's a couple lone exceptions (I recall a game versus a terrible Broncos team from a year or two ago) but for the most part it's every time. So then watching the next two hours of the game becomes an endurance test and a slog for fans. Monday night was no different.
Kirk strikes me as a guy who has eaten Raisin Bran every day for the last 30 years and if he woke up tomorrow with a Cinnamon Toast Crunch in his bowl smoke would start blowing out his ears and he'd malfunction.
He's a solid QB but performances like Monday-- while rare-ish, I agree-- are still getting old.
EDIT- So as to not be completely negative, I agree with MB: not too concerned about OL, DL (I'd add them), Weapons, and ST. DL ineffectiveness I'm chalking up to bad scheme rather than bad players. Hoping for bounceback.
Quote: @pattersaur said:
@ MaroonBells said:
QB - Like all QBs, Cousins has bad games. Though he struggles to bounce back WITHIN a bad game, he typically bounces back fairly well from game to game.
Not to eviscerate Kirk because he's normally solid but this is what's most infuriating to me about him. If things look bad after 2-3 drives, they almost always stay bad the entire game. There's a couple lone exceptions (I recall a game versus a terrible Broncos team from a year or two ago) but for the most part it's every time. So then watching the next two hours of the game becomes an endurance test and a slog for fans. Monday night was no different.
Kirk strikes me as a guy who has eaten Raisin Bran every day for the last 30 years and if he woke up tomorrow with a Cinnamon Toast Crunch in his bowl smoke would start blowing out his ears and he'd malfunction.
He's a solid QB but performances like Monday-- while rare-ish, I agree-- are still getting old.
EDIT- So as to not be completely negative, I agree with MB: not too concerned about OL, DL (I'd add them), Weapons, and ST. DL ineffectiveness I'm chalking up to bad scheme rather than bad players. Hoping for bounceback.
I look at the whole defense as a mild concern because it is essentially 9 new starters within a new scheme. We have 6 new starters on Defense alone and then you add guys like Hunter, Kendricks, Tomlinson playing new positions in the new scheme. This is going to take some time to gel. How long I don't know but I just look for improvements or the learning from mistakes (Eagles game many). I really want to see how the overall defense performs vs the Lions which is more a Packer run offense then an Eagle run offense.
I just want and hope for continual improvement and a buildup to a playoff caliber team. We have a nice stretch of games (schedule-wise fwiw) from week 10 - 15 and if we can be in good shape entering that 5 game stretch then we will be gearing up for a playoff push and a team that can actually compete in the playoffs and not just squeeze-in but a non-contender.
New defense, new offense and new mistakes. Its a week to week league. As far as a record goes, I would have happily taken 1-1 a month ago. But of course the taste in your mouth usually is the last thing you ate and as a Viking's fan, we just ate a shitty loss. I'm having a hard time shaking it personally. I'm a little more down with this loss than I was up with the win against Green Bay.
Detroit will be a good test. Can the team make adjustments and improve? I'm not sure, but admittedly I'm still suffering the loss hangover so maybe I'm a little clouded.
My biggest concern coming into the season was the D and they've done little to alleviate the concern.
Lots of football left to play, but how they lost in Philly is just "Viking ugly" and re-opened some scars from 17.
But yah, I would have taken 1/1 a mos ago too.
- OLine: I think the issues with the Oline (like picking up blitzes) will improve as they play together more. Blitz pick up is so much about communication and Oline play is like a dance where you have to communicate with your dance partner. Best olines have played together for seasons not just 2 games. The best way to look at the current oline is to try to find a thread talking about how Bradbury needs to be benched.
- Run defense: Worries me because the opposing oline has been able to get to the second level so easily and, let's face it, Kendricks is not great getting off of blocks. With the safeties playing back so much, a lot of what should be 3 yard gains goes for 8.
QB - I was really hopeful that we would see a more consistent Kirk especially in the big games with KOC, but the real concern with Monday wasn't just the bad game that everyone will have, but that it was his pattern of bombing in primetime and big games, so it looks like the same Kirk we have seen the past 3 seasons. I am sure we will see great Kirk again against Lions and after that.....??
Defense - my biggest concern coming into the season, just don't think this team is built for a 3-4, it all seems so forced, what I didn't know is how clueless our DC is, I have no idea how he had the secondary in another zip code all night and never changed, it was maddening to watch and listen to everyone on the telecast see it, but no one on our sideline seemed to have a clue.
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