Bad or wtf decision

@"PapaScott" said: The Vikings win the toss and elect to receive the opening kickoff. That was a head scratcher.  Why would you do that?   your coming off an emotional improbable win, your 8-1 and your fan base is lubed up.  instead of making it a hostile environment ,you let the cowboys take control , silence the crowd and it was all down hill from there.  

  so quiet you could hear the music coming from the elevators  

It wasn’t until Bill Belicheat kicked off in the SB if I remember correctly that teams always used to take the ball first. 

@"AGRforever" said:

@"PapaScott" said: The Vikings win the toss and elect to receive the opening kickoff. That was a head scratcher.  Why would you do that?   your coming off an emotional improbable win, your 8-1 and your fan base is lubed up.  instead of making it a hostile environment ,you let the cowboys take control , silence the crowd and it was all down hill from there.  

  so quiet you could hear the music coming from the elevators  

It wasn’t until Bill Belicheat kicked off in the SB if I remember correctly that teams always used to take the ball first. 

@"PapaScott" said: The Vikings win the toss and elect to receive the opening kickoff. That was a head scratcher.  Why would you do that?   your coming off an emotional improbable win, your 8-1 and your fan base is lubed up.  instead of making it a hostile environment ,you let the cowboys take control , silence the crowd and it was all down hill from there.  

  so quiet you could hear the music coming from the elevators  

Agree. Not that this would've made a difference, but electing to receive...at home...was just stupid. And always will be. I couldn't believe it when I heard it. 

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"PapaScott" said: The Vikings win the toss and elect to receive the opening kickoff. That was a head scratcher.  Why would you do that?   your coming off an emotional improbable win, your 8-1 and your fan base is lubed up.  instead of making it a hostile environment ,you let the cowboys take control , silence the crowd and it was all down hill from there.  

  so quiet you could hear the music coming from the elevators  

Agree. Not that this would've made a difference, but electing to receive...at home...was just stupid. And always will be. I couldn't believe it when I heard it. 

Pretty sure they elected to receive the opening KO earlier this season, but they drove the field and scored.  KOC mentioned he wanted an early lead.I see a bigger problem with having the team prepared and play calling on offense and defense as a way bigger issue than the opening KO.

@"HappyViking" said:

Pretty sure they elected to receive the opening KO earlier this season, but they drove the field and scored.  KOC mentioned he wanted an early lead.I see a bigger problem with having the team prepared and play calling on offense and defense as a way bigger issue than the opening KO.

Of course. No one would argue that the coin toss was the reason, or even part of the reason, we lost. Just one among many head scratching decisions we made. 

If Hockensen catches that pass they'd be up 7-3 with a decent stop on D after a fumble.  Not a bad position.  But they were physically dominated in the trenches all day and I think the outcome would have been the same.  To focus on who takes the opening kick is just, some sort of seeing a tree and missing the forest kinda deal.  It would have been 40-7 instead of 40-3, maybe.  It was not our day.

@"comet52" said: If Hockensen catches that pass they'd be up 7-3 with a decent stop on D after a fumble.  Not a bad position.  But they were physically dominated in the trenches all day and I think the outcome would have been the same.  To focus on who takes the opening kick is just, some sort of seeing a tree and missing the forest kinda deal.  It would have been 40-7 instead of 40-3, maybe.  It was not our day.

nobody is focusing on that as some sort of turning moment in the loss,  just that in a game of inches, somethings that KOC is doing are head scratchers... you get your ass smoked like that and nothing is off the table for scrutiny.

@"HappyViking" said:

Pretty sure they elected to receive the opening KO earlier this season, but they drove the field and scored.  KOC mentioned he wanted an early lead.I see a bigger problem with having the team prepared and play calling on offense and defense as a way bigger issue than the opening KO.

Actually, this was the first time we, or any of our opponents, elected to receive after winning the toss. 

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"HappyViking" said:

Pretty sure they elected to receive the opening KO earlier this season, but they drove the field and scored.  KOC mentioned he wanted an early lead.I see a bigger problem with having the team prepared and play calling on offense and defense as a way bigger issue than the opening KO.

Actually, this was the first time we, or any of our opponents, elected to receive after winning the toss. 

@"comet52" said: If Hockensen catches that pass they'd be up 7-3 with a decent stop on D after a fumble.  Not a bad position.  But they were physically dominated in the trenches all day and I think the outcome would have been the same.  To focus on who takes the opening kick is just, some sort of seeing a tree and missing the forest kinda deal.  It would have been 40-7 instead of 40-3, maybe.  It was not our day.

Yeah, not talking about the whole game, just the decision on the coin toss.  I'm certainly not blaming the shitshow on that decision.  That argument may have some merit although not a very strong argument.   All things considered I'm not sure why you take the ball in that situation, unless of course your hoping to save the fans energy/voices for the end of the game.  I said it to clients in the shop when it was announced that they would receive the ball instead of deferring.   Obviously there was a whole 58 mins to recover from the decision, but my point being.    It was a head scratcher to take the ball in that situation,  

Here's why, we were 6-0 when getting the first possession.

Week 1 Packers - got first possession and wonWeek 2 Eagles - got second possession and lostWeek 3 Lions - got second possession and wonWeek 4 Saints - got first possession and wonWeek 5 Bears - got first possession and wonWeek 6 Dolphins - got first possession and wonWeek 7 ByeWeek 8 Cardinals - got first possession and wonWeek 9 Commanders - got first possession and wonWeek 10 Bills - got second possession and wonWeek 11 Cowboys - got first possession and lost

Most of the games that I saw when the Vikings had their first offensive possession, they usually scored.  Disaster would come by later in the 3rd quarter.  KOC probably thought they could score first before Dallas made any adjustments.  Anyways, losing 40-3 this probably didn't affect the outcome of the game any.  A blowout is a blowout, if you can only muster 3 points.

@"HappyViking" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"HappyViking" said:

Pretty sure they elected to receive the opening KO earlier this season, but they drove the field and scored.  KOC mentioned he wanted an early lead.I see a bigger problem with having the team prepared and play calling on offense and defense as a way bigger issue than the opening KO.

Actually, this was the first time we, or any of our opponents, elected to receive after winning the toss. 

I remembered thinking it was unusual the Vikes didn't defer after winning the coin toss against Chicago, and I remember KOC explaining the reasoning.  I found this article from that game.

https://www.dailynorseman.com/2022/10/9/23394716/chicago-bears-minnesota-vikings-first-quarter-recap-second-quarter-discussion

We’ve made it through the first fifteen minutes at U.S. Bank Stadium with your Minnesota Vikings leading the Chicago Bears by a score of 7-3.
The Vikings won the coin toss and, rather than defer like
they usually do, chose to receive the kickoff instead. Minnesota wanted
to set the tone early, and they did that on an opening drive where Kirk
Cousins went 7-for-7 and the Vikings moved the ball at will. After
Justin Jefferson was ruled down just short of a touchdown, Dalvin Cook
went over from a yard out to make it 7-0 in favor of the purple.

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"HappyViking" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"HappyViking" said:

Pretty sure they elected to receive the opening KO earlier this season, but they drove the field and scored.  KOC mentioned he wanted an early lead.I see a bigger problem with having the team prepared and play calling on offense and defense as a way bigger issue than the opening KO.

Actually, this was the first time we, or any of our opponents, elected to receive after winning the toss. 

I remembered thinking it was unusual the Vikes didn't defer after winning the coin toss against Chicago, and I remember KOC explaining the reasoning.  I found this article from that game.

https://www.dailynorseman.com/2022/10/9/23394716/chicago-bears-minnesota-vikings-first-quarter-recap-second-quarter-discussion

We’ve made it through the first fifteen minutes at U.S. Bank Stadium with your Minnesota Vikings leading the Chicago Bears by a score of 7-3.
The Vikings won the coin toss and, rather than defer like
they usually do, chose to receive the kickoff instead. Minnesota wanted
to set the tone early, and they did that on an opening drive where Kirk
Cousins went 7-for-7 and the Vikings moved the ball at will. After
Justin Jefferson was ruled down just short of a touchdown, Dalvin Cook
went over from a yard out to make it 7-0 in favor of the purple.

Interesting. But the box score says otherwise. Guess it could be wrong. 

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/202210090min.htm

@"FLVike" said:

Here's why, we were 6-0 when getting the first possession.

Week 1 Packers - got first possession and wonWeek 2 Eagles - got second possession and lostWeek 3 Lions - got second possession and wonWeek 4 Saints - got first possession and wonWeek 5 Bears - got first possession and wonWeek 6 Dolphins - got first possession and wonWeek 7 ByeWeek 8 Cardinals - got first possession and wonWeek 9 Commanders - got first possession and wonWeek 10 Bills - got second possession and wonWeek 11 Cowboys - got first possession and lost

Pretty easy when you were 8-1

@"HappyViking" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"HappyViking" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"HappyViking" said:

Pretty sure they elected to receive the opening KO earlier this season, but they drove the field and scored.  KOC mentioned he wanted an early lead.I see a bigger problem with having the team prepared and play calling on offense and defense as a way bigger issue than the opening KO.

Actually, this was the first time we, or any of our opponents, elected to receive after winning the toss. 

I remembered thinking it was unusual the Vikes didn't defer after winning the coin toss against Chicago, and I remember KOC explaining the reasoning.  I found this article from that game.

https://www.dailynorseman.com/2022/10/9/23394716/chicago-bears-minnesota-vikings-first-quarter-recap-second-quarter-discussion

We’ve made it through the first fifteen minutes at U.S. Bank Stadium with your Minnesota Vikings leading the Chicago Bears by a score of 7-3.
The Vikings won the coin toss and, rather than defer like
they usually do, chose to receive the kickoff instead. Minnesota wanted
to set the tone early, and they did that on an opening drive where Kirk
Cousins went 7-for-7 and the Vikings moved the ball at will. After
Justin Jefferson was ruled down just short of a touchdown, Dalvin Cook
went over from a yard out to make it 7-0 in favor of the purple.

Interesting. But the box score says otherwise. Guess it could be wrong. 

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/202210090min.htm

It's wrong, and obviously PFF didn't watch the game like I did. B)
KOC Presser.  Go to the 2:55 mark as he explains his reasoning for wanting the ball.https://www.vikings.com/video/o-connell-addresses-the-media-following-sunday-s-up-and-down-win-over-chicago

@"MaroonBells" said:

Interesting. But the box score says otherwise. Guess it could be wrong. 

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/202210090min.htm

Something else to consider with this decision is the analytical data.  Dallas had not given up a touchdown in the first quarter yet this season, so Dallas was probably happy to go on defense first.  Exert their will and get the ball around midfield after a punt, hell ya we will kick off.