Do we gotta wear shades for 2021??

Find a 3T and a LG, and we are in the playoffs. We are down 10 pressures a game. Run D was bad. A healthy Hunter and Pierce immediately upgrade the D. The young CBs performed amazingly when you consider everything that happened this season. 

We can and did play with nearly anyone this year. The packers sole home loss, that was us. It was going to be a rebuild/reload when we had Hunter and Pierce available. We are closer to the playoffs than a rebuild.

Good rational post.  I agree there’s very little to get excited about.  The defense is a total mess, and I doubt one off season will fix it.  The OL is still bad for some reason.  Is it as simple as getting a new LG to finally get the protection KC needs to be a top tier QB?  Somehow I doubt that too.

I love the Vikes as much as anyone, but I think we’re at least 2 seasons or more from being a playoff team again.  Skol. :'(

Oh man, I think 2021 has so much potential...Seriously.

Going into the season, I really thought this was more of a playoff team than anything close to a rebuild, but after watching another year of not only mediocre football, but also totally uninspired, lethargic, going through the motions football, I think this team needs a complete rebuild.  Something has to be done to change the culture of this franchise and bring some kind of energy and passion to this team that has been missing an identify and spirit for years. Really tired of watching a team that doesn't seem to really care to be there.

@"purplefaithful" said: Oh man, I think 2021 has so much potential...Seriously.

I do as well. Just look at the close games Minnesota lost this year. But we have another offseason of potential veteran salary cuts so that may impact things. 

8-8.  Owner gives annual "this is our year" interview in August, 3/4 of fanbase gobbles it up only to have reality whack them hard in the face come winter.  Rinse repeat.  Just a matter of timing the next round of extensions for Rick/Zim/Kirk as the mediocrity continues in perpetuity.

We'll need at least another Safety, and starting LB. I'm not in the Pierce camp as he wasn't a priority for Baltimore, and not sure he's a full time DT for us. That said, we're still looking for a stud  who can push the middle. It's been mentioned, but who knows what the future is for Hunter, and who fills the void on the ends? Defense might be a rebuild around Kendricks and a couple of young corners.

Still need at least a left guard, and better depth, possibly LT depending on Reiff's contract. 

My guess is Rudy, Barr, Hughes, Bailey, and some dead wood from the D-line are gone after the season freeing up some money. 

Another lost season.

Vikegirl--I'm not sure if you're talking about fandom or my earlier years on the dating scene.  Ouch

But for me--I'll keep guzzling the purple koolaid, it's better than staring down the precipice of despair before we even get to season.

@"HappyViking" said: Good rational post.  I agree there’s very little to get excited about.  The defense is a total mess, and I doubt one off season will fix it.  The OL is still bad for some reason.  Is it as simple as getting a new LG to finally get the protection KC needs to be a top tier QB?  Somehow I doubt that too.

I love the Vikes as much as anyone, but I think we’re at least 2 seasons or more from being a playoff team again.  Skol. :'(

Disagree about the defense. They get Pierce, Hunter, Barr and Kendricks all back and healthy I think the defense will be a whole lot better. Get a quality LG and the offense should look even better. The biggest need may be the Special Teams and I don't really know where to start with that. 

I really think this team has the capability to be really good next year...obviously time will tell.

Definitely looks promising. 

We turned over our overpriced secondary and actually found some good young corners. Both Gladney and Dantzler look like hits. That's huge. 

And, for the first time since the Clinton administration, we have three young offensive lineman who actually look like players. Imagine that.

I'm sure I don't need to mention Dalvin and Justin and Kendricks...To me, there are two very big keys that the season will turn on...

1. The health of Danielle Hunter. I've heard nothing to suggest that his injury is career threatening, but if it is, then we have big problems. As we saw this year. 

2. Finding a starting 3T. Getting the fatty back will do wonders for our run defense. But we still have no interior pass rush. We need a 3T more than anything else on the team. 

Our entire draft should be dline with at least one 3rd and one 4th at OL and 2 safeties idc what round.   Its time  for Udoh and Samia to @&$! or get off the pot.  Our O is fine. This D needs talent up front in the worst way, our LB’s are highly paid and aging. If we dont stop the run we wont stop anything again. 

@"BarrNone55" said: Find a 3T and a LG   the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail  and we are in the playoffs. We are down 10 pressures a game. Run D was bad. A healthy Hunter and Pierce immediately upgrade the D. The young CBs performed amazingly when you consider everything that happened this season. 

We can and did play with nearly anyone this year. The packers sole home loss, that was us. It was going to be a rebuild/reload when we had Hunter and Pierce available. We are closer to the playoffs than a rebuild.

I think I fixed that. Seriously, given this team's recent track record finding 3Ts and OGs, I think Spielman might breathe a sigh of relief if he could look for the Ark and the Grail instead. 3T has been hopeless since Kevin Williams was in his prime, a decade ago. I suppose some people have inflated Sharif Floyd to Bridgewater-level fantasies of "the savior stolen from us by the football gods", but Floyd was up-and-down and hardly certain to become a star.

You're all really smart guys so it surprises me to hear so many talking about the resurgence when we get some combination of Hunter/Pierce/Kendricks/Barr back. You all know that counting on injured players coming back immediately at 100% is... risky. In 2016 the Spielman plan for our OL was based on John Sullivan, Brandon Fusco, and Andre Smith ALL being in top form after season-ending injuries. Sullivan needed more time to heal, Fusco probably did also and certainly wasn't ready to change positions, Smith got hurt again (because he always weighed 500 pounds and the Bengals dumped him because of that), and we had new injuries from Matt Kalil and Jake Long (surprise).

This team has no depth. We get some top talent in the first 3 rounds of the draft and at times it has been enough to put a half dozen guys in the Pro Bowl, but we fall apart when anyone goes down, because our loads of late-round picks are all washouts. Good teams have at least some backups who could start for other teams - or their own - when given the chance. When was the last time we had a story of, "A top player went down for a few games but the backup who took over did great and now we have to find room for both of them"?? NEVER. Someone will say, "Ezra Cleveland, Brian O'Neill, Ant Harris, Stevon Diggs"...but those guys were kept on the bench so lousy players could start. They replaced Dru Samia, Rashod Hill, Andrew Sendejo, and Charles Johnson. In each case, we were only 1-player thick - the coaches just had the wrong guy starting.

@"Jor-El" said:

@"BarrNone55" said: Find a 3T and a LG   the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail  and we are in the playoffs. We are down 10 pressures a game. Run D was bad. A healthy Hunter and Pierce immediately upgrade the D. The young CBs performed amazingly when you consider everything that happened this season. 

We can and did play with nearly anyone this year. The packers sole home loss, that was us. It was going to be a rebuild/reload when we had Hunter and Pierce available. We are closer to the playoffs than a rebuild.

I think I fixed that. Seriously, given this team's recent track record finding 3Ts and OGs, I think Spielman might breathe a sigh of relief if he could look for the Ark and the Grail instead. 3T has been hopeless since Kevin Williams was in his prime, a decade ago. I suppose some people have inflated Sharif Floyd to Bridgewater-level fantasies of "the savior stolen from us by the football gods", but Floyd was up-and-down and hardly certain to become a star.

You're all really smart guys so it surprises me to hear so many talking about the resurgence when we get some combination of Hunter/Pierce/Kendricks/Barr back. You all know that counting on injured players coming back immediately at 100% is... risky. In 2016 the Spielman plan for our OL was based on John Sullivan, Brandon Fusco, and Andre Smith ALL being in top form after season-ending injuries. Sullivan needed more time to heal, Fusco probably did also and certainly wasn't ready to change positions, Smith got hurt again (because he always weighed 500 pounds and the Bengals dumped him because of that), and we had new injuries from Matt Kalil and Jake Long (surprise).

This team has no depth. We get some top talent in the first 3 rounds of the draft and at times it has been enough to put a half dozen guys in the Pro Bowl, but we fall apart when anyone goes down, because our loads of late-round picks are all washouts. Good teams have at least some backups who could start for other teams - or their own - when given the chance. When was the last time we had a story of, "A top player went down for a few games but the backup who took over did great and now we have to find room for both of them"?? NEVER. Someone will say, "Ezra Cleveland, Brian O'Neill, Ant Harris, Stevon Diggs"...but those guys were kept on the bench so lousy players could start. They replaced Dru Samia, Rashod Hill, Andrew Sendejo, and Charles Johnson. In each case, we were only 1-player thick - the coaches just had the wrong guy starting.

This may seem minor but not having a home crowd was a huge loss this year.  They went from a team that is hard to beat at home, to one that was better on the road

@"Purplewhizz" said: This may seem minor but not having a home crowd was a huge loss this year.  They went from a team that is hard to beat at home, to one that was better on the road

Does that mean the crowdless Covid conditions hurt us (which doesn't make much sense since all teams had the issue) - or exposed this team? I don't know if they have been piping in noise or something to give an unusual advantage at home...but if you can only win consistently at home, you can't win a championship. 

@"Jor-El" said:

@"Purplewhizz" said: This may seem minor but not having a home crowd was a huge loss this year.  They went from a team that is hard to beat at home, to one that was better on the road

Does that mean the crowdless Covid conditions hurt us (which doesn't make much sense since all teams had the issue) - or exposed this team? I don't know if they have been piping in noise or something to give an unusual advantage at home...but if you can only win consistently at home, you can't win a championship. 

@"Purplewhizz" said:

@"Jor-El" said:

@"Purplewhizz" said: This may seem minor but not having a home crowd was a huge loss this year.  They went from a team that is hard to beat at home, to one that was better on the road

Does that mean the crowdless Covid conditions hurt us (which doesn't make much sense since all teams had the issue) - or exposed this team? I don't know if they have been piping in noise or something to give an unusual advantage at home...but if you can only win consistently at home, you can't win a championship. 

US Bank is a loud stadium advantage and we were one of fhe few that had no one at the games for covid.  

The weaker schedule take is a fallacy really. The rotation of divisions is what really dictates how tough a schedule looks going in. For instance next years “easy schedule” features the: Ravens, Steelers, Browns & Bengals in the AFC & the Seahawks, Rams, Niners & Cardinals in the NFC. The only games that reflect our 3rd place finish is a home date w/ Dallas, & a road tilt w/ Carolina. 

@"Akvike" said: Vikegirl--I'm not sure if you're talking about fandom or my earlier years on the dating scene.  Ouch

But for me--I'll keep guzzling the purple koolaid, it's better than staring down the precipice of despair before we even get to season.

I didn't know whether to like or laugh at that because there are definitely parallels there. 

We are guzzling the kool-aid but I add vodka because it soothes the gut punch when things go south.