IF this roster can't beat last years .500 record...

[purplefaithful]

Then the "eye of Sauron" turns to the coaching staff and maybe front office.

On a positive note, I refuse to believe we can't win more than 8 games unless we lose key players for extended periods. Even after this s hit-show of a preseason.

[Guest]

God I hope not.  This organization hasn't had much stability since Dennis Green was here and we could really use some.  Plus I think Zimmer is a coach we can build around long-term.

We really need to get the O-line fixed though, it's been a complete shit show during Zimmer's entire tenure here.

[Guest]

A losing season is certainly going to put the whole front office in the hot seat, as it should.

I really hope that doesn't happen though.

[Guest]

This is a playoff roster. If the team doesn't win more than 8 games, then Mike Zimmer is on the hot seat. Front Office not as easy to blame. Any objective evaluation of the talent collected on this team will tell you that ain't the problem. 

I'm holding out hope that our preseason was just Mike Zimmer trying to see how the team would respond to surprises, changes, etc. The answer is a resounding "not very well." OK, asked and answered, now it's time to get back to preparing for opponents. 

[Guest]

I just don’t think Zimmer or Spielman
are really on the hot seat due to mediocre performances.  I think we can all feel that we are on the
cusp of doing good things.  We’re way
closer than at any time in the Frazier era. 
I think we would have to have some sort of melt down, where Zimmer lost
the team.  Assuming that our team, if
similar to last year, where we were good in a lot of aspects of the game, but
catastrophic in one or a few, I think we would likely see the jettisoning of
guys like Sparano (for the OLine) or whoever the individual underperforming
coach was.


I think the most likely candidate for getting let go due to
mediocre team performance is Bradford. 
You’ve got a guy who’s pretty much his equal, and should be healthy
sometime during the season, who’s got the label of a winner.  You can only keep one of them anyway, and it’s
an easy change to make.


I could see Zimmer and Spielman on the hotseat going into
2018, and possibly being replaced in 2019 after two mediocre seasons.


That said, I think people are dramatically overstating the
issues on the team.  Once again, Zimmer
will have a top 10 defense.  Our not great
offense can only get better.  Even though
we looked sloppy this preseason and possibly into the regular season, one of
the hallmarks of Zimmer’s teams is being disciplined.  He will have those issues corrected not too
long into the season.

[Guest]

@medaille said:
That said, I think people are dramatically overstating the
issues on the team.  Once again, Zimmer
will have a top 10 defense.  Our not great
offense can only get better.  Even though
we looked sloppy this preseason and possibly into the regular season, one of
the hallmarks of Zimmer’s teams is being disciplined.  He will have those issues corrected not too
long into the season.

I hope you're right.  And I know it's only preseason, but I just don't remember seeing the Vikings starters look as listless and incompetent as I've seen them look this year.  They've been complete garbage and I'm not convinced that an offense that has only scored 3 points all preseason or a defense that has been as sloppy as ours has can all of a sudden do a 180 and start playing well when the regular season starts.

[Guest]

Brees and the rest of The Saints offense is not an easy draw game #1. At least it's here and at least it's strength vs strength team wise. 

Big test, should be a hell of a game - MNF to boot! 

[Guest]

Sam has never won 8 games-I'm not sure how hard it is to be that 'unlucky' if you are an 'uber talent' top draft pick franchise QB type.  It's not all on him but there is enough talent to win with, barring major injuries.  The OL may not be loaded with "top" talent but it has lots of NFL starts in 3-4 key veteran spots, guys that have started and been functional at least in Reiff, Boone, Berger, and Remmers plus they added a highly regarded top draft pick to the mix and Easton as enough start that he could be called functional also at a very minimum he hasn't been a liability when he has started.  The WR corps is the best it's been since Moss/Burleson and Cook looks like a legit complete RB with good backups.  Sam is playing for his career this year-if they don't win he will join the ranks of journeymen/bridge/backup vet QB's.

[Guest]

@medaille said:
I just don’t think Zimmer or Spielman
are really on the hot seat due to mediocre performances.  I think we can all feel that we are on the
cusp of doing good things.  We’re way
closer than at any time in the Frazier era. 
I think we would have to have some sort of melt down, where Zimmer lost
the team.  Assuming that our team, if
similar to last year, where we were good in a lot of aspects of the game, but
catastrophic in one or a few, I think we would likely see the jettisoning of
guys like Sparano (for the OLine) or whoever the individual underperforming
coach was.


I think the most likely candidate for getting let go due to
mediocre team performance is Bradford. 
You’ve got a guy who’s pretty much his equal, and should be healthy
sometime during the season, who’s got the label of a winner.  You can only keep one of them anyway, and it’s
an easy change to make.


I could see Zimmer and Spielman on the hotseat going into
2018, and possibly being replaced in 2019 after two mediocre seasons.


That said, I think people are dramatically overstating the
issues on the team.  Once again, Zimmer
will have a top 10 defense.  Our not great
offense can only get better.  Even though
we looked sloppy this preseason and possibly into the regular season, one of
the hallmarks of Zimmer’s teams is being disciplined.  He will have those issues corrected not too
long into the season.

I agree it's a pivotal year for Sam...

He's playing for a long-term extension and has his best surround since he came into the league. 

That said, the only way he's on the "hot-seat" is if he plays like crap.

IF the TEAM underperforms and is not racked by injuries? Then I refer back to my finger pointing at the staff and not a given personnel group. 

[Guest]

I understand why Sam is seeing ghosts, but in order to get better, he has to get beyond that. And in order for the offense to get better, the OL has to improve. They don't have to be outstanding if they can offer stability, that would help. I still am not totally sure about what Shurmur is planning for this offense. I hope that it's that he doesn't want to reveal his hand. But there has to be more. The defense needs to clean things up too. Still concerned about the run defense and they seem to be playing far off in the passing game, the middle is left open. Greenway and Munnerlyn are missed.