Browns game

[Montana Tom]

Was up slaying walleye on bitter lake SD. during the Steelers game, so I missed it.
My thoughts on this one.
At 3-2 they are still in this thing despite all the injuries. I think Carson Wentz is a good placeholder for JJ. Has a crazy big wind up before throwing the ball and holds the ball sometimes, but seems better than what I would expect out of a backup.
As absurd as it may sound, this version of the O-line may be the best so far! Cleveland has a very good front 4.
I do have concerns about the defense's ability to stop the run against physically superior defensive lines.
That has more to do with team building philosophy than anything. I'm a build from the inside out guy and prefer physically dominant lines. But there are many ways to win. But when you get down to it, it's still a physical sport.
Addison seems to lack professionalism but some team is going to pay him a boatload of money. I don't think the Vikings can afford him, so a trade at some point wouldn't surprise me.

Yes, it was Cleveland's stout defense that I was most concerned about.
Had we not turned the ball over on those two fumbles, this would have been a runaway.

In the 4th quarter I saw a graphic on the comparison numbers between JJM's first two games and Wentz's two full games.
After comparing apples to apples, I think Wentz stays in there until he earns himself a boot out to warm the pine.  He kept us in the Steeler's game despite numerous miscues and errors.  He could have easily been 3-0 instead of 2-1.

---

I'm sitting on the sidelines looking at our QB comparison. Not making any judgements, but now that Wentz has some games under his belt:
J.J. McCarthy's 2025 season stats (Two Games)
Statistic Total Rank (among QBs)
Passing Yards 301 35th
Touchdowns (TD) 2 Tied for 33rd
Interceptions (INT) 3 Tied for 40th
Completion % 58.5% —
Quarterback Rating (QBR)21.2 —
Passer Rating 67.2 —

Carson Wentz 2025 Season stats (Three games)

Passing Yards 759
Touchdowns (TD) 5
Interceptions (INT) 2
Completion % 69%
Quarterback Rating (QBR)41.2
Passer Rating 99.5

[JimmyinSD]

Yes, it was Cleveland's stout defense that I was most concerned about.
Had we not turned the ball over on those two fumbles, this would have been a runaway.

In the 4th quarter I saw a graphic on the comparison numbers between JJM's first two games and Wentz's two full games.
After comparing apples to apples, I think Wentz stays in there until he earns himself a boot out to warm the pine.  He kept us in the Steeler's game despite numerous miscues and errors.  He could have easily been 3-0 instead of 2-1.

---

I'm sitting on the sidelines looking at our QB comparison.  Not making any judgements, but now that Wentz has some games under his belt:
J.J. McCarthy's 2025 season stats (Two Games)
Statistic Total Rank (among QBs)
Passing Yards 301 35th
Touchdowns (TD) 2 Tied for 33rd
Interceptions (INT) 3 Tied for 40th
Completion %         58.5% —
Quarterback Rating (QBR)21.2 —
Passer Rating         67.2 —

Carson Wentz 2025 Season stats (Three games)

Passing Yards         759
Touchdowns (TD)         5
Interceptions (INT) 2
Completion %         69%
Quarterback Rating (QBR)41.2
Passer Rating         99.5

The question is though,   are we playing this year with superbowl aspirations,   or more to get our OL some cohesion ( failure to date)  and our QBoTF some much needed experience?  Nobody will ever say its a throw away year,  but do we see this offense led by Wentz competing with the best in the league?  Hell I think our D has enough holes to eliminate that conversation itself.

And what the hell is going on with the Hitman?

[purplefaithful]

With coach Kevin O’Connell in his ear, telling him to trust the protection schemes, the previously cautious Wentz awakened the echoes of his one great NFL season.

On the Vikings’ last gotta-have-it drive, Wentz went 9-for-9 for 71 yards and no sacks. On the game-winning, 12-yard touchdown pass to Addison in the right side of the end zone, Addison recognized a gap in coverage, adapted his route, and caught a perfect and quickly thrown pass from Wentz to send the Vikings into their bye week at 3-2.

Thus, the question rings out like a Gjallarhorn: Should Wentz keep the starting job, even for another game, if J.J. McCarthy is healthy enough to return after the bye?

I believe that the Vikings are fully invested in McCarthy and that he will return when he is fully healthy.

What Wentz has done the last three weeks hasn’t erased the Vikings’ quarterback plans. No, what he has done is establish that he would be McCarthy’s ideal backup for the rest of this season, and into the future, if he’s willing to accept that role.

Wentz displayed guts, toughness, accuracy under pressure, situational understanding and leadership. And when he tried to run, he displayed that his legs are better suited to pickleball than the NFL.

“Yeah, I’m not as athletic anymore,” Wentz said. “I’m getting older. It’s one of those things. Guys are fast on the other side of the ball. Guys are athletes. At any given time, there’s at least one guy faster than me on the other side of the ball. That’s just the way it is. So, I’m not trying to run around.”

Near the end of the first half, he did run, but not around the Browns defense, leading to a collision that sent him to the blue trainer’s tent and then the locker room.

Former Gopher Max Brosmer warmed up but was required only to take a snap and kneel at the end of the half. Wentz returned in the second half and made the plays that made the Vikings sideline exult like the team had won a championship.

Someone asked the inevitable: Did he expect to remain the starter?

“I’ve done plenty of looking ahead in my life,” he said. “I’m done doing that. I’m very much trying to live in the moment and appreciate the moment right now.”

What a moment it was.

STRIB

[mblack]

All I know is that a full strength Packers team lost to Cleveland. So I am good with the result.

[StickierBuns]

Kevin Seifert
@SeifertESPN
·
20h
Ryan Wright with a massive flip of the field. Browns are taking over at their 1 yard line after a 77-yard punt and a half-the-distance penalty. Wow.

[MaroonBells]

• I tend to think we lose that game if Flacco is the QB. Gabriel wasn't terrible. He just couldn't be accurate beyond 15 yards. 

• KOC put together a quick-game strategy and it worked. He sounded damn near pissed about that fact though.

• Kudos to the OL. They held up remarkably well in the quick game. But damned if every time we tried a 5-step drop it resulted in a sack. Kev, can we now put this quick package in our back pocket so we can use it when we need it? Thx.

• Btw, I still think KOC is one of the best coaches in the NFL. You can criticize him and still think he's one of the best. Every time I have doubts about that, I watch another NFL game. The amount of boneheaded decisions in the NFL is astonishing. And you don't go 25-9 in one score games and suck at time management. 

• Will people please stop pretending this is 1998, 2017 or 2024? Wentz has done exactly what he was supposed to do. Come in for an injured starter and not hurt us too bad. But this is not great QB play. JJ McCarthy should be our starting QB when he's healthy. 

• We went from the best free agent class in our history, to what might be the most disappointing. Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave have been invisible and been outplayed by Redmond and LDR. And Will Fries and Ryan Kelly, even before the injury, are not at all playing like they were expected to. I have hope that it's just them adjusting to the new scheme. Continuity is the most underrated factor in football and we have none of it.

[StickierBuns]

Around The NFL
@AroundTheNFL
28m
Vikings limited Myles Garrett to two pressures on 35 pass rushes (5.7%) in win over Browns, his second-lowest pressure rate in a game since 2021, per @NextGenStats

[purplefaithful]

• I tend to think we lose that game if Flacco is the QB. Gabriel wasn't terrible. He just couldn't be accurate beyond 15 yards. 
• KOC put together a quick-game strategy and it worked. He sounded damn near pissed about that fact though.
• Kudos to the OL. They held up remarkably well in the quick game. But damned if every time we tried a 5-step drop it resulted in a sack. Kev, can we now put this quick package in our back pocket so we can use it when we need it? Thx.
• Btw, I still think KOC is one of the best coaches in the NFL. You can criticize him and still think he's one of the best. Every time I have doubts about that, I watch another NFL game. The amount of boneheaded decisions in the NFL is astonishing. And you don't go 25-9 in one score games and suck at time management. 
• Will people please stop pretending this is 1998, 2017 or 2024? Wentz has done exactly what he was supposed to do. Come in for an injured starter and not hurt us too bad. But this is not great QB play. JJ McCarthy should be our starting QB when he's healthy. 
• We went from the best free agent class in our history, to what might be the most disappointing. Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave have been invisible and been outplayed by Redmond and LDR. And Will Fries and Ryan Kelly, even before the injury, are not at all playing like they were expected to. I have hope that it's just them adjusting to the new scheme. Continuity is the most underrated factor in football and we have none of it.

I think this season is it for Kelly and Fries will be fine. But yah, Hargrave and Allen are looking every bit like "a year too late." Its early, hopefully they come around and GINK gets healthy. 

Something is off with this D - against the run and pass. Cashman being out hurts, but I think its more than that. 

I'm not sure I'm buying into the media slathering about BFlo's terrific scheme anymore. That sounds harsh, juvenile and knee-jerk, but Ive been watching ball for 50 years and I know when something aint working well. 

Turner and Greenard are not flashing either...Truth be told, I am getting more concerned about Turner the longer the season goes...Once an OT gets their hands on him? He stays blocked too easily. 

Is his ceiling mediocrity??? Where is my purple Micah? Is this his best???

My biggest concern coming into the season was the backend of the D, now its the front 7.

[mblack]

Around The NFL
@AroundTheNFL
28m
Vikings limited Myles Garrett to two pressures on 35 pass rushes (5.7%) in win over Browns, his second-lowest pressure rate in a game since 2021, per @NextGenStats

So are you saying Dallas Turner played better than him? 

[purplefaithful]

Around The NFL
@AroundTheNFL
28m
Vikings limited Myles Garrett to two pressures on 35 pass rushes (5.7%) in win over Browns, his second-lowest pressure rate in a game since 2021, per @NextGenStats

So a make-shift OL like yesterday can do this....U go figure out this league week to week, cause I sure as hell can't.