12-31-2017, 11:42 PM
A few things are critical about this game, and it starts with:
1) In past years, when a Viking team was in a must-win game against lesser competition, they tended to struggle and play down to the competition. That did not happen today. Regardless of the 4th quarter push, the Vikings dominated this game
2) Latavius Murray is not your typical starting RB. He runs very upright, but he has great vision and a unique wiggle in the hole. Yet, the knock on Adrian Peterson was that he couldn't block, couldn't be relied on as a pass receiver, and lost yardage on about half his carries. Murray does not have the dynamic nature, power and speed of Peterson in his prime, but he NEVER loses yardage. If there is 2 yards to get, he gets them. Since his recovery from his ankle surgery, he is more decisive and has a burst. He will rarely take it to the house, but 20 carries for 111 yards will get it done every time.
3) Murray is successful, because Jerick McKinnon is such a change of pace. Teams can no longer key on run or pass, as you never know what they will do with McKinnon in the game.
4) Case looked pedestrian today, yet still had a 22 for 29 game for 189 yards, a TD and a 101 QB rating. Not every game will be 350 yards and 4 scores. He takes chances, but makes plays with his legs to keep passing plays alive. He can play better, but don't discount the difficulty of playing with 4 lineman in different positions and Bear defense that is pretty good.
5) The Bears had 46 yards of offense at the half! 46!!! They had just 68 at the end of 3 quarters. The Viking defense was on the field too long in the 4th quarter, as the offense could not sustain drives in the 2nd half. The defense is scary good.
6) The Vikings had 2, 4-down goal line stops in one game. When was the last time you saw us get 1?
7) Linval Joseph is the key to the defense, as he collapses the middle and requires 2 blockers. When that happens, one of the DLinemen is free to the QB.
8) Terence Newman was all over his receivers today. 39 years of age, and you could not slip a sheet of paper between him and a receiver.
9) Trae Waynes has learned to cover tightly, and without touching the receiver. He also has good tackling skills at the line of scrimmage in the run game.
10) Ben Gedeon showed you on a goal line stop, why the Vikings trust him to start. He has good pursuit and he will not miss a tackle. He only plays about 30% of the snaps, but he is more than capable.
11) No one ever talks about Punter Ryan Quigley, but not having one punt go in the end zone in an entire season is amazing. It is not always about a 55-60 yard booming punt that is returned 20 yards because you out kicked your coverage. Most times in football, field position is key, and with this Viking defense, field position "tilting" is devastating for the opposition.
12) The home field advantage - The Vikings play so much better at home and the Bank is very loud. They Vikings may just play 3 playoff games at home - huge advantage.
13) Mike Zimmer - his team up by 16 midway through the 4th, Zimmer was upset, engaged and adjusting to keep the Bears from scoring. No easy scores vs a Mike Zimmer defense. He is a competitor.
14) Worried about the offense? Don't be. 4 of the 5 starters will be healthy and in their normal positions in 2 weeks. Thielen looks his normal great, and Diggs is emerging too. David Morgan a surprise, and Kyle Rudolph will be healthy in 2 weeks. The run game is strong. Case? Well, Case is up and down, but he is a fiery competitor. Although a small soundbite from Teddy is all we got this year in mop-up time (a bit of an unfair comparison), Case looks so much more confident and in command. Will Case make mistakes? Yes, because he forces balls trying to make plays (something that Viking fans and coaches were begging Teddy to do 18 months ago), but those same chances will open up opportunities. He's the right choice. Teddy is not ready to lead yet (just the nature of being out so long), and Sam is a great backup plan, but he is a statue with no mobility. As good as the Offensive Line has been, Case's escapability has made them look better. With Sam, the opposition may have had 30-40 sacks this year. That said, Sam is the most accurate of the 4 quarterbacks.
15) Worried about the defense? Yeah, me neither....
In the end, this was a dominating display against a Bear team that will be on the rise. That team never quit, and so they were a good test. I'm glad the Vikings were forced to play the starters - having them sit this week, next week and then play in 3 weeks seems like they'd gather some rust and lose continuity. Like a supercar needing to be driven, Football players were made to play, not sit on the sidelines.
This team is now 13-3 (the only Viking team in Franchise history to reach 13 wins in a season - only the 1998 Vikings had more wins in the regular season, with 15), they play in a stadium that can intimidate even a team like the Patriots, and they are on a roll. They play as a unit, not as a group of individual stars.
The team is loaded, the time is now, the Vikings have their chance to bring a Super Bowl title home to Minnesota.
Hammer-Down Vikings, Hammer-Down!
1) In past years, when a Viking team was in a must-win game against lesser competition, they tended to struggle and play down to the competition. That did not happen today. Regardless of the 4th quarter push, the Vikings dominated this game
2) Latavius Murray is not your typical starting RB. He runs very upright, but he has great vision and a unique wiggle in the hole. Yet, the knock on Adrian Peterson was that he couldn't block, couldn't be relied on as a pass receiver, and lost yardage on about half his carries. Murray does not have the dynamic nature, power and speed of Peterson in his prime, but he NEVER loses yardage. If there is 2 yards to get, he gets them. Since his recovery from his ankle surgery, he is more decisive and has a burst. He will rarely take it to the house, but 20 carries for 111 yards will get it done every time.
3) Murray is successful, because Jerick McKinnon is such a change of pace. Teams can no longer key on run or pass, as you never know what they will do with McKinnon in the game.
4) Case looked pedestrian today, yet still had a 22 for 29 game for 189 yards, a TD and a 101 QB rating. Not every game will be 350 yards and 4 scores. He takes chances, but makes plays with his legs to keep passing plays alive. He can play better, but don't discount the difficulty of playing with 4 lineman in different positions and Bear defense that is pretty good.
5) The Bears had 46 yards of offense at the half! 46!!! They had just 68 at the end of 3 quarters. The Viking defense was on the field too long in the 4th quarter, as the offense could not sustain drives in the 2nd half. The defense is scary good.
6) The Vikings had 2, 4-down goal line stops in one game. When was the last time you saw us get 1?
7) Linval Joseph is the key to the defense, as he collapses the middle and requires 2 blockers. When that happens, one of the DLinemen is free to the QB.
8) Terence Newman was all over his receivers today. 39 years of age, and you could not slip a sheet of paper between him and a receiver.
9) Trae Waynes has learned to cover tightly, and without touching the receiver. He also has good tackling skills at the line of scrimmage in the run game.
10) Ben Gedeon showed you on a goal line stop, why the Vikings trust him to start. He has good pursuit and he will not miss a tackle. He only plays about 30% of the snaps, but he is more than capable.
11) No one ever talks about Punter Ryan Quigley, but not having one punt go in the end zone in an entire season is amazing. It is not always about a 55-60 yard booming punt that is returned 20 yards because you out kicked your coverage. Most times in football, field position is key, and with this Viking defense, field position "tilting" is devastating for the opposition.
12) The home field advantage - The Vikings play so much better at home and the Bank is very loud. They Vikings may just play 3 playoff games at home - huge advantage.
13) Mike Zimmer - his team up by 16 midway through the 4th, Zimmer was upset, engaged and adjusting to keep the Bears from scoring. No easy scores vs a Mike Zimmer defense. He is a competitor.
14) Worried about the offense? Don't be. 4 of the 5 starters will be healthy and in their normal positions in 2 weeks. Thielen looks his normal great, and Diggs is emerging too. David Morgan a surprise, and Kyle Rudolph will be healthy in 2 weeks. The run game is strong. Case? Well, Case is up and down, but he is a fiery competitor. Although a small soundbite from Teddy is all we got this year in mop-up time (a bit of an unfair comparison), Case looks so much more confident and in command. Will Case make mistakes? Yes, because he forces balls trying to make plays (something that Viking fans and coaches were begging Teddy to do 18 months ago), but those same chances will open up opportunities. He's the right choice. Teddy is not ready to lead yet (just the nature of being out so long), and Sam is a great backup plan, but he is a statue with no mobility. As good as the Offensive Line has been, Case's escapability has made them look better. With Sam, the opposition may have had 30-40 sacks this year. That said, Sam is the most accurate of the 4 quarterbacks.
15) Worried about the defense? Yeah, me neither....
In the end, this was a dominating display against a Bear team that will be on the rise. That team never quit, and so they were a good test. I'm glad the Vikings were forced to play the starters - having them sit this week, next week and then play in 3 weeks seems like they'd gather some rust and lose continuity. Like a supercar needing to be driven, Football players were made to play, not sit on the sidelines.
This team is now 13-3 (the only Viking team in Franchise history to reach 13 wins in a season - only the 1998 Vikings had more wins in the regular season, with 15), they play in a stadium that can intimidate even a team like the Patriots, and they are on a roll. They play as a unit, not as a group of individual stars.
The team is loaded, the time is now, the Vikings have their chance to bring a Super Bowl title home to Minnesota.
Hammer-Down Vikings, Hammer-Down!
