Titans game/NFL Observations

[MaroonBells]

What does everyone think of that roughness call on the DB who hit Addison in the end zone? You have to admit that was a shit call. There was a point where we seemed to be getting all of the close ones. Sure as hell doesn't always happen like that (the opener against the Bengals a couple years ago comes to mind). But Callahan had every right to be livid.

[purplefaithful]

I think the explanation was the intent of the hit...Thats trending into a very grey area imo.

Does make you wonder if a couple of those calls don't come the Vikings way, are they 8/2 today?

[AGRforever]

There were a couple weak calls. The Addison hit. The Powell horse collar. The defensive holding to extend the drive.

We’re not the best team in the NFL but we’re more than good enough to beat anyone. Maybe we’ll get lucky!!

[medaille]

I think there's a couple things about the Addison call. I think the officiating crew overall erred on the side of player safety more than perhaps other crews would have and I think they were consistent within the game. I think from a vibe check, probably shouldn't have been a penalty, but from a letter of the law it was a penalty, but I'd have to rewatch the footage to see if he actually launched with both feet leaving the ground.

Combined with the procedure penalties (which I agreed with) and defensive holding penalties (more ticky tack), it did feel a bit one-sided. In an ideal world we would have been a little more dominating on offense and it would have felt more like a moot point, rather than us capitalizing on bad calls.

[Knucklehead]

What does everyone think of that roughness call on the DB who hit Addison in the end zone? You have to admit that was a shit call. There was a point where we seemed to be getting all of the close ones. Sure as hell doesn't always happen like that (the opener against the Bengals a couple years ago comes to mind). But Callahan had every right to be livid.

I thought the defender's helmet might've contacted the bottom of Addison's facemask. It wasn't clear to me either way after watching the review.

[badgervike]

Here's the rule:

Prohibited contact against a player who is in a defenseless posture is:
forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head or neck area with the helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder, even if the initial contact is lower than the player’s neck, and regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him

lowering the head and making forcible contact with the crown or ”hairline” parts of the helmet against any part of the defenseless player’s body

illegally launching into a defenseless opponent. It is an illegal launch if a player (i) leaves both feet prior to contact to spring forward and upward into his opponent, and (ii) uses any part of his helmet to initiate forcible contact against any part of his opponent’s body. (This does not apply to contact against a runner, unless the runner is still considered to be a defenseless player, as defined in Article 7.)

The defender briefly left both feet as he made contact with Addison combined with the hit being in the neck area.  I can see people's argument that it shouldn't have been called but the ref erred for safety.  

The horse collar was questionable but I think the ref saw how far the receiver was out of bounds being pulled back forcefully.  The defender should have let go and not completed the tackle.  That's what caught the refs attention.

[purplefaithful]

KOC said today O'Neil is having his best season since he got there - maybe ever.

Not sure if he even allowed a pressure yesterday. Dude is a stud.

[pattersaur]

One more observation since it's something I've been griping about prior to yesterday-- Holy cow! We converted some 3rd or 4th and shorts! Our schemed up plays still mostly didn't work but hey! We discovered the QB sneak! And it worked a couple times!

The willingness to do that, and for Bradbury to execute it, is to me a potentially massive deal going forward. Not saying we're the Eagles now but I've wondered why we don't sneak it more for a long time. Glad it worked on Sunday.

[purplefaithful]

Vikings tight end Josh Oliver, who left Nissan Stadium in a walking boot after Sunday’s 23-13 win against the Titans, is dealing with a left ankle sprain that leaves his status uncertain for this week’s game at the Chicago Bears, coach Kevin O’Connell said Monday.

“Still trying to figure out the severity,” O’Connell said, “and let him work through the early part of the week here treatment wise and see what his availability could be for Sunday.”

Oliver’s last snap on Sunday came in the fourth quarter, when fullback C.J. Ham fell forward while blocking a Titans defender and into Oliver’s back legs during a run play.

Oliver, in the second season of a three-year deal, has earned a prominent role for this Vikings offense. He has started every game and set a pace, playing about 60% of the snaps, that be a career high for a full season.

Tight end T.J. Hockenson would presumably step into a larger role in Oliver’s absence. Hockenson has been limited so far, playing less than 50% of all three games since returning from a 10-month absence and major knee surgery. He’s been on the field for more passing downs, while Oliver, the group’s best run blocker, has been given more early-down work. O’Connell said there’s “no set number” of snaps for Hockenson.

“When you have a player like Josh playing at that level, it really allows T.J. to have the maximum impact on the game with how we want to play,” O’Connell said. “Running the football a little bit more than maybe we have [before] during T.J.’s time here. But I think there’s really no set number. It’s kind of how the game goes. T.J. can do anything we ask him to do.”

“He’s just continuing to kind of makeup for some time lost of actual game action,” O’Connell added. “He’s getting better and better.”

Hockenson has been targeted in key situations with seven of his 13 receptions on third downs. Oliver, who already has a career-high 216 receiving yards and three touchdowns, has also been an effective target — even flashing a one-handed grab earlier this month in Jacksonville.

Risner’s ‘veteran moxie’
O’Connell said he’s “really happy” with the way right guard Dalton Risner played in his season debut. Coaches tapped Risner to replace guard Ed Ingram, a third-year starter whose struggles were deemed unacceptable during the 12-7 win in Jacksonville.

“Did some good things ... [against] a really good front,” O’Connell said of Risner, who started 11 games last year at left guard. “He battled. I thought he showed some of that veteran moxie to kind of win some downs that were some hard downs. And then there are some things that I think he’ll continue, just with the speed and physicality of it, to find his groove. So, I was really happy with the way Dalton stepped in, and just kind of with the poise of the veteran we’re looking for.”

Smith reaches 12,000 snaps in career
At 35 years old, safety Harrison Smith leads the Vikings defense playing 619 snaps through 10 games. 

He has played every snap in seven straight games. Just three defenders, the Commanders’ Bobby Wagner, the Buccaneers’ Lavonte David and former NFL cornerback Patrick Peterson, have played more snaps than Smith’s 12,009 since he entered the league in 2012, according to Pro Football Reference.

Smith’s fourth-quarter interception in Tennessee came during his 59th and final snap on the field.

“I really should have had about two [interceptions],” Smith said. “It was good to close the game out with one, but still mad at myself for not getting another.”

Source: Startribune

[Montana Tom]

Last miscellaneous note- How big of a nothingburger has the New AND Improved Kickoff Rule been? Maybe some team is waiting to unleash a new tactic in the playoffs but through 10.9 weeks it's been a nonfactor. Keep fishing, rule committee geniuses.

Worse than a nothingburger.  The biggest non-play in football...it's right up there with the kneel-down Victory formation.
I don't really see it sticking long-term.