Observations After Getting Plucked by the Eagles
Well, s**t. I was hoping we had this one.
It’s gonna be a short one this week, because…well, it’ll have the same depth the team showed in its efforts, today. I’m hoping that today’s game was just a hangover from all the hubbub over the 5-0 start and the bye week.
Like pulling a band-aid: let’s make this quick and minimize the pain:
QB- Sam had his worst day, by miles, as a Viking. 24/41, 1 pick and 1 garbage-time TD. He was pummeled, sacked (6 times), pressured all game long, and had the ball slapped out of his hand with terrifying regularity…en route to a pair of fumbles to go with the INT. He also had a lot of passes that showed no signs of his previous accuracy, so it was an altogether horrible day for our vaunted staring QB. I don’t think it’s necessarily a sign of problems for the rest of the season, but the Purple fanbase will be needing to see him return to previous form before we’ll exhale.
RBs/FB- The Asiata/McKinnon combo combined for less than 100 yards, though Matt was most of our offensive success today. Line got bounced backward on his carry, and…well, their day was as forgettable as the rest of the offense’s.
WRs/TEs- Patterson was our leading receiver in terms of grabs, yards, and got our single TD…which is a rare feel-good story for the game. Rudolph and Thielen were also solid, and Diggs added a couple of catches. However, with Sam getting mugged and not having a banner accuracy day…this bunch wasn’t going to be much of a factor.
O-Line- COMPLETELY, UTTERLY, AND THOROUGHLY FUGGIN’ FIRED. Long was a disaster, and Philly spent more time in our backfield than Sam did. While some running lanes opened and Sam got occasional time, both were exceptions. This unit remains the weakest link, and by many miles.
D-Line/LBs- Hard to deny some disappointment. No sacks, and while they largely held Philly’s offense in check, Philly was able to make yards and keep the ball when it mattered. Kendricks, our leading tackler today, continues to look overwhelmed by powerful RBs, and this group overall never seemed to take the heart out of the Eagles’ offense like they’ve gone to other teams.
CBs/Safeties- First up: worried for Sandejo. Glad to see him get his second pick in as many games, and hope he’s OK. Rhodes had both a pick and a forced fumble, so he remains the monster we know and love. Harry was our 2nd leading tackler, and it’s still a great group…but they can’t make up for an ineffective offense.
Special Teams- Sherels had a fumble, which was the last wheel to come off our bus today. Walsh hit everything he needed to, Locke had some solid punting, and the coverage was solid (minus the TD, something I apparently had blocked from my mind when I wrote this). CP84 saw touchbacks all day.
Coaching- I’m very rarely disappointed in this group…but Philly handled us today, and the offensive side of the ball was a disaster for the Purple People. Norv and his bunch have a lot of ‘splaining and amends ahead this week.
Officiating- Not real impressed with the penguins, especially for denying a measurement and a timeout in successive plays.
Conclusion- Kinda worrisome. The team looked sluggish today, especially on offense. The Eagles won the mental/emotional battles early and that’s not something we’re used to seeing. Good thing that we have Chicago next, which should be a great bounce-back opportunity for our team.
SKOL VIKINGS!!!
