I just think so much has been made about the back half of our schedule. Sure having a lot of road games isn't great especially with the 3 game stretch of road games, but it is 3 home and 5 away. A whopping 1 game difference between it being balanced.
I think at some point it's ok to admit that we have a pretty damn good team. And we will be getting players back and healthy too.
Mike, are you saying the 5-2 Rams are a dumpster fire? If so, I will start a gofundme to get you the NFL Redzone.
One thing is for sure... the NFC is WIDE OPEN this season. You could argue that the Eagles and the Vikings have been the two most impressive teams in the first half of the season and I don't think you'd get much of a debate.
Atlanta looks like they still have a Super Bowl hangover... the Panthers have looked really good and really bad... the Cowboys may not have Zeke for 6 of the last 9 games and are 3-3 with him in the lineup... the Packers don't have Rodgers and look terrible without him... the Lions are a middle of the road team that can't protect Stafford (he's been sacked 23 times in 6 games, OUCH)... the Redskins are inconsistent... the Rams are surprisingly 5-2, but I'm not sure if I'm a believer yet... the Seahawks have a terrible offensive line and no running game... the Saints have a nice win streak going, but we completely dominated them in Week 1.
As far as getting 5 more wins out of the second half of the schedule... sure we can do that if we win all of our home games (Rams, Bengals, and Bears). As long as the Vikings get a win this weekend, they will remain in control of their own destiny. The second half of the schedule doesn't look that daunting anymore IMO.
Quote: @Wetlander said:
One thing is for sure... the NFC is WIDE OPEN this season. You could argue that the Eagles and the Vikings have been the two most impressive teams in the first half of the season and I don't think you'd get much of a debate.
Atlanta looks like they still have a Super Bowl hangover... the Panthers have looked really good and really bad... the Cowboys may not have Zeke for 6 of the last 9 games and are 3-3 with him in the lineup... the Packers don't have Rodgers and look terrible without him... the Lions are a middle of the road team that can't protect Stafford (he's been sacked 23 times in 6 games, OUCH)... the Redskins are inconsistent... the Rams are surprisingly 5-2, but I'm not sure if I'm a believer yet... the Seahawks have a terrible offensive line and no running game... the Saints have a nice win streak going, but we completely dominated them in Week 1.
As far as getting 5 more wins out of the second half of the schedule... sure we can do that if we win all of our home games (Rams, Bengals, and Bears). As long as the Vikings get a win this weekend, they will remain in control of their own destiny. The second half of the schedule doesn't look that daunting anymore IMO.
That was my preseason point when I ran through the schedule and was accused of drinking spiked purple koolaid. the schedules rarely play out as tough or as easy as we think when they are released.
If our O-line continues their current level of play, we finish the season at least 12-4. If the O-line regresses, we go 10-6 or worse. Im putting it on the O-line for a successful 2nd half of the season.
Quote: @FSUVike said:
Mike, are you saying the 5-2 Rams are a dumpster fire? If so, I will start a gofundme to get you the NFL Redzone.
Oh strange I think when I was writing that out I might have accidentally put that on the wrong line.
Oh! I think I meant that for the browns game that isn't on my list. Opps.... Well the rest of my post stands though.
Quote: @Mike Olson said:
@ FSUVike said:
Mike, are you saying the 5-2 Rams are a dumpster fire? If so, I will start a gofundme to get you the NFL Redzone.
Oh strange I think when I was writing that out I might have accidentally put that on the wrong line.
Oh! I think I meant that for the browns game that isn't on my list. Opps.... Well the rest of my post stands though.
Cool. That game kind of worries me. LA can run it and throw it and have like 76 First Round picks on that Defense.
Don't see the Vikings winning a shootout with the Rams and the reality of the NFL is that Minnesota's Defense will have an off game sooner or later.
However, it wouldn't surprise me at all if the team wins 2 of the Washington/Detroit/Atlanta/Carolina road games.
Glad we're playing LA at home. As it is they might be one of our few home losses. Don't feel great about Washington, Atlanta, or Carolina. If we steal 1 or 2 of those, and wind up with 11 wins, it's a pretty impressive season given where we were last year, and playing without our #1 QB or #1 RB for most of the year.
I said before the season that this was an 11-5 team. But that was with Cook and Bradford. If we can maintain balance offensively and get either Sam or Teddy back for a playoff run, I think we can still get there. If we get to 6-2 (and we should), then we only have to go 5-3 the rest of the way to finish 11-5.
The game @Washington is going to be a good test coming off the bye. Its a winnable game and would definitely set the tone heading into the 2nd half of the season. But ultimately it'll come down to health.
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