8/2

purplefaithful wrote:
Pretty crazy and they havent all been pretty, thats for sure. Thats probably too much to expect in the NFL. 

Honestly, I was more excited about this years squad earlier in the year than I might be now (and now their 8 and friggin 2!)

There are just enough things about the team that give me pause about their being able to go toe:toe with some of the heavy weights in the conference and even the division. 

Is this a team that can beat GB or ATL at home? Sea on the road? Win at Chicago???  We'll see...I gotta keep reminding myself I didnt have high expectations this year - and they have for most weeks entertained me. 

Lots of NFL fans would kill to have their team 8/2 right now.

I don't disagree with you.  Love the 8-2 start and especially as all the pundits and "experts said the Vikings would win 6 at best.
However the last few wins have been ugly but I also know a win is a win.
  Allowing Levis to beat the secondary deep on more than one occasion even under pressure is concerning. Vikes are old in the back and it
shows.    Darnold is well.....Darnold.    Want to be excited about 8-2 and remain optimistic but we settled for 4 FG'S versus Jville and the Lions
hung 52 on them ( albeit was it necessary to run up the score? )       Is this Vikings team a premier team??  A team that could go deep in the playoffs?
 I'll take last weeks win and today but it seems like a mirage.

Looking at the remaining schedules

Lions

at Colts
Bears
Packers
Bills
at Bears
at 49ers
Vikings

Vikings

at Bears
Cardinals
Falcons
Bears
at Seahawks
Packers
at Lions

I think we have a chance.

StickierBuns wrote:
The Vikings leave points on the field every game. Titans made some very opportune penalties that bailed out Minnesota. Darnold played better, a real gutsy performance. Not sure Risner made any kind of difference replacing Ingram. Our run game leaves a lot to be desired. Hero ball got some plays for Levis.

As does every team in the NFL every Sunday. My biggest concern about the Vikings is their corners. I think the disguises, the pass rush, the very strong front seven, and even the above average safety group, has disguised just how vulnerable our corners are. 

Corner has to be job #1 in the offseason.

As said above, it's hard to watch the Lions blow the Jags out to high heaven a week after we got our ugliest win of the year over them, and think we're as good as Detroit. But we can beat anyone, and lose to anyone any week- same as always.

Looking ahead, we are getting a Bears team at exactly the right time. It's divisional but GB just found a way, we have to too. Our lead over GB is still just a game (+tiebreaker, currently).

After that we get Arizona at home and Kyler will probably give us fits. I do think the Vikings have shut him down at least once before though, if memory serves. This will be a tough game, which makes the Bears one all the more important. With all of our losses at Soldier Field (is it still called that?) over the years and it being in Division, I hope the team isn't looking past them. That'd be a huge mistake.

Then it's the Falcons and Bears again! NFC matchups galore. All winnable, all losable. 3-1 would be lovely, 2-2 would be ok.

pattersaur wrote:
As said above, it's hard to watch the Lions blow the Jags out to high heaven a week after we got our ugliest win of the year over them, and think we're as good as Detroit. But we can beat anyone, and lose to anyone any week- same as always.

Looking ahead, we are getting a Bears team at exactly the right time. It's divisional but GB just found a way, we have to too. Our lead over GB is still just a game (+tiebreaker, currently).

After that we get Arizona at home and Kyler will probably give us fits. I do think the Vikings have shut him down at least once before though, if memory serves. This will be a tough game, which makes the Bears one all the more important. With all of our losses at Soldier Field (is it still called that?) over the years and it being in Division, I hope the team isn't looking past them. That'd be a huge mistake.

Then it's the Falcons and Bears again! NFC matchups galore. All winnable, all losable. 3-1 would be lovely, 2-2 would be ok.

I'm not sure we're catching the Bears at the right time...At Soldier Field is never the right time for the Vikings and Caleb looked better against GB with his OC gone. 

GB got super lucky walking out of there with a win yesterday. 

My $ is on Chicago winning this game.

NASHVILLE – Hall of Fame football coach Bill Parcells long ago provided a philosophical quote that will live for eternity as a means in evaluating a team’s season.

“You are what your record says you are,” Parcells said.

That’s a pretty good reminder in assessing another Vikings performance that was equal parts dominating and underwhelming.

If Sunday’s 23-13 win over the Titans was graded on style points, the Vikings would’ve been docked on cleanliness. But NFL games are decided on the scoreboard, not by optics, and finding a way to win on imperfect days reveals something about a team’s makeup along with its flaws.

The Vikings have played 10 games and won eight. And even though they cause fans to reach for the antacid and grumble in frustration, winning ugly is a lot more appealing than losing ugly.

News flash: The Vikings currently are tied for the fourth-best record in the NFL.

The final score was closer than it should have been. Same as last week in Jacksonville. And the game before that against Indianapolis.

The Vikings could have and should have made those games far less stressful by putting away inferior opponents with a cleaner performance. But the Vikings can continue to chase improvement while still putting themselves in playoff position by winning games.

“It’s hard to get a pretty win,” linebacker Blake Cashman said..

Said Smith, a 13-year veteran: “There are no homecoming games out here. It doesn’t matter what people’s records are. Everybody has Pro Bowlers. There are no easy buckets.”

The tone and message inside the locker room reflected a mature understanding of how to process a less-than-dazzling win. The Vikings were happy with the win but also realize the bar is much higher than what they delivered.

“I know that it would probably be really fun for us to just steamroll the NFL every single week,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “It’s just not the way it’s going to go, which also, in my opinion, provides a lot of opportunity to grow and get better … and improve, and just constantly chase that progression, knowing that we’re a good football team.”

How good might that be? O’Connell wasn’t biting.

“I’m old enough to remember when nobody thought we were very good,” O’Connell said, sarcastically. “So, the same way that I answered that question, I’ll answer it now: We just got to continue to get better and prove it.”

The main takeaway from Sunday was a bounce-back performance by Sam Darnold, who showed a steady hand despite facing constant pressure.

The Vikings aren’t content with winning ugly, nor should they be, because they can play much better. The Titans are a two-win team that had 13 penalties, including a few of the most backbreaking ones you’ll see. The fourth quarter did not need to be suspenseful.

The optics of the performance didn’t create a wave of overconfidence. Fans probably felt more relieved than giddy, which is understandable given the opponent. A similar performance against a playoff-caliber team won’t be as forgiving. The good news is the Vikings see the picture clearly.

“We definitely have room to improve,” Justin Jefferson said. “We’re 8-2, which is great, but going into these next few games and, of course, leading into the playoffs, we got to change a little bit of things around.”

The record says the Vikings are one of the NFL’s best teams. They might not resemble it at times, but winning while trying to fix problems sure beats the alternative.

Source: Startribune

StickierBuns wrote:

Well, KOC was also frustrated with that so its not just me. Some teams leave more points on the field than others. Your go to answer seems to be 'other teams do it too'.... doesn't mean the Vikings aren't suffering from this.

Mekhi Blackmon will be back and he's a legit corner, so that will help.

It's not a go-to answer, because it's true. You think KOC is the only coach talking about points left on the field? Not sure if I've ever heard a coach NOT say that in a post-game presser. OK, Dan Campbell probably didn't say that last night. There ya go. 

It's just that Viking fans typically suck at context. I was again reminded of this last night when Justin Herbert, who gets almost zero criticism, had a guy open by a mile and threw the ball 4 feet over his head. Just sailed it. Now imagine Darnold doing that. Or Cousins. Or Culpepper. Or any Vikings QB in the last quarter century. Saw a ton of criticism of Darnold over the Jones fumble too. Did they even watch the play? Does it not fit the narrative to blame Jones? 

And I'm not talking about you, or even this board, but the prevailing chatter by Viking fans on social media. I get it. Viking fans have earned the right be skeptical, ornery and pissy about a lot of things, but at least TRY to be objective. But I'm probably asking too much of this post-truth generation.

For some context:

We're 8-2, with some ugly wins...and our loss against Detroit was a statistical tie. They've also had some ugly wins, Houston in particular...but winning teams find ways.

KC has been winning ugly for awhile, but win when it counts. There's a big lesson, there, that we may be finally figuring out.

Da Bearz game concerns me, because it's ALWAYS tough at Soldier field and in divisional games...but, Caleb is far more athletic than wise, and his o-line is basically crap. If we play tough and smart, we'll add to their year of agony.

StickierBuns wrote:
Darnold stepped up, avoided tons of pressure

The main Vikings storyline entering Sunday’s game was Darnold’s play. He had thrown five interceptions in the last two weeks. Not only did he not throw one against the Titans, but his play was a primary reason the Vikings won. His numbers — 20-for-32 for 246 yards and two touchdowns — don’t do justice to his impact. The Titans defensive front created pressure throughout the majority of the outing. Specifically, the interior of the Vikings offensive line struggled to contain Titans interior defenders Jeffery Simmons and T’Vondre Sweat.

Vikings running backs ran for 52 yards on 20 carries. The lack of rushing success pushed the Vikings into long downs and distances on later downs. The Titans pass rush pinned its ears back, applying pressure on Darnold throughout the entire afternoon. In the first half, Darnold maneuvered tight quarters, both scrambling for extra yardage and giving himself windows to find receivers downfield.

The Vikings turned the ball over once, a fumbled pitch early in the game, but the Vikings will take just the one, considering they entered the game as one of the most turnover-prone offenses in the NFL. — Alec Lewis, Vikings beat writer

Nailor doesnt drop that dagger TD? Yesterday has a different feel to it for sure. 

The Vikings are a finesse team, not a punch you in the mouth team. I think this has to evolve in 25 if they want sustained success in the NFC. 

They dont run the football well. 

I cant remember the last time Jones was past the LB's. Not blaming him solely, but at 30 I would be asking myself if I were him why come back and hit a brick wall all game?

StickierBuns wrote:
Darnold stepped up, avoided tons of pressure

The main Vikings storyline entering Sunday’s game was Darnold’s play. He had thrown five interceptions in the last two weeks. Not only did he not throw one against the Titans, but his play was a primary reason the Vikings won. His numbers — 20-for-32 for 246 yards and two touchdowns — don’t do justice to his impact. The Titans defensive front created pressure throughout the majority of the outing. Specifically, the interior of the Vikings offensive line struggled to contain Titans interior defenders Jeffery Simmons and T’Vondre Sweat.

Vikings running backs ran for 52 yards on 20 carries. The lack of rushing success pushed the Vikings into long downs and distances on later downs. The Titans pass rush pinned its ears back, applying pressure on Darnold throughout the entire afternoon. In the first half, Darnold maneuvered tight quarters, both scrambling for extra yardage and giving himself windows to find receivers downfield.

The Vikings turned the ball over once, a fumbled pitch early in the game, but the Vikings will take just the one, considering they entered the game as one of the most turnover-prone offenses in the NFL. — Alec Lewis, Vikings beat writer

This is what I'm talking about. Is this the same QB Twitter was bitching about last night? Did we all watch a different game? For the most part, professional journalists are required to abide by basic standards of objectivity in order to keep their jobs. But so much of the information about "what really happened" in sports, politics, culture, is birthed, molded and crafted into narrative on social media by Gen Z bros who are incapable of critical thought....y'know, morons. 

And yes, as a matter of fact, I WOULD like you to get off my lawn.

MaroonBells wrote:

This is what I'm talking about. Is this the same QB Twitter was bitching about last night? Did we all watch a different game? For the most part, professional journalists are required to abide by basic standards of objectivity in order to keep their jobs. But so much of the information about "what really happened" in sports, politics, culture, is birthed, molded and crafted into narrative on social media by Gen Z bros who are incapable of critical thought....y'know, morons. 

And yes, as a matter of fact, I WOULD like you to get off my lawn.

Go to a bar and you'll find people drinking. Go on X for all your terrible take needs.

The Lions scored 8 touchdowns against the Jags. The Vikings scored 0 touchdowns against them.
Guess what? They count the same.
The only thing that matters right now is the wins. I don't care how ugly a win is , especially on the road. The Vikings are doing what they are supposed to be doing right now, stacking wins.
They need to keep working on improvement so they can play their best ball in December and peak going into the playoffs.
I will compare them to Detroit when they play head to head. Hopefully they will be good enough to face Detroit 3 times this year.
Until then it's one game at a time. The Bears wont be an easy victory. A divisional win on the road would be a big win for the Vikings. Some Vikings fans are expecting a loss. I don't see this team as the same old Vikings so I'm expecting a hard fought victory at Soldier field.

hogjowlsjohnny wrote:
The Lions scored 8 touchdowns against the Jags. The Vikings scored 0 touchdowns against them. Guess what? They count the same. The only thing that matters right now is the wins. I don't care how ugly a win is , especially on the road. The Vikings are doing what they are supposed to be doing right now, stacking wins. They need to keep working on improvement so they can play their best ball in December and peak going into the playoffs. I will compare them to Detroit when they play head to head. Hopefully they will be good enough to face Detroit 3 times this year. Until then it's one game at a time. The Bears wont be an easy victory. A divisional win on the road would be a big win for the Vikings. Some Vikings fans are expecting a loss. I don't see this team as the same old Vikings so I'm expecting a hard fought victory at Soldier field.

Exactly, wins are the only thing that matters. The first 4 tie-breaking procedures use Wins or Win percentage. And also the Lions didn't have to get on a plane for 3.5 hours the day before but the Jaguars and Vikings both did. As Vikings fans we all know that in the playoffs it doesn't matter if your record is 15-2 or 10-7 there is only one thing that matters, Just Win Baby!

Obviously all wins count the same, but that doesn’t mean that the two teams have an equal chance of winning going forward. Right now our offense isn’t performing at a level to carry our defense if they sustain injuries or have a bad day or face a dominant offense, or whatever. We certainly have to get better on offense if we want to make noise in the playoffs.

I get the feeling, somehow, that the offense has been reined in very intentionally...keeping cards close to the vest, among other things.

Looking at our late schedule, we have 4 division games, a tussle with old buddy Kirko's Falcons, plus two tough NFCW teams that are as worrisome as anyone. I think KOC is trying to only show what cards we have to, because we showed more ambition, earlier.

I think the stretch run will bring out some new plays, and maybe a real look at the team's full mindset/attitude. It's been feeling capped/restricted to me for weeks, and I can't help believing that as much as KOC (like all good coaches) tells the team not to look ahead, the coaching staff has been doing a fair amount of just that.

Zanary wrote:
I get the feeling, somehow, that the offense has been reined in very intentionally...keeping cards close to the vest, among other things.

Looking at our late schedule, we have 4 division games, a tussle with old buddy Kirko's Falcons, plus two tough NFCW teams that are as worrisome as anyone. I think KOC is trying to only show what cards we have to, because we showed more ambition, earlier.

I think the stretch run will bring out some new plays, and maybe a real look at the team's full mindset/attitude. It's been feeling capped/restricted to me for weeks, and I can't help believing that as much as KOC (like all good coaches) tells the team not to look ahead, the coaching staff has been doing a fair amount of just that.

youre right, its a tough remaining schedule when I re-look at it;

ATL, SEA, ARZ, DET, GB, LIONS, CHI (x2).

Whats crazy is if we go 4/3 the rest of the way? They are a 12/5 for the year. 

That's something NOBODY predicted and will net KOC a nice contract. Even nicer year if they win a playoff game.

purplefaithful wrote:

youre right, its a tough remaining schedule when I re-look at it;

ATL, SEA, ARZ, DET, GB, LIONS, CHI (x2).

Whats crazy is if we go 4/3 the rest of the way? They are a 12/5 for the year. 

That's something NOBODY predicted and will net KOC a nice contract. Even nicer year if they win a playoff game.

4-3 makes us 12-5?
Nobody predicted that.  Nobody.

StickierBuns wrote:

This is why its been so important to stack wins now, because .500 or just over for the remainder is going to get Minnesota a great record. But probably one of the best #5 seeds record-wise in recent NFL history because I don't think they catch Detroit.

I dont think so either....

But it would sure be a pretty amazing season/record if that last game at Detroit would be for the Division Title.

StickierBuns wrote:

This is why its been so important to stack wins now, because .500 or just over for the remainder is going to get Minnesota a great record. But probably one of the best #5 seeds record-wise in recent NFL history because I don't think they catch Detroit.

Odds are they wont catch Detroit, but not out of the question either.
If the Vikings can get past the Bears on the road, the rest of their tough games will be at home except the final game at Detroit.
Detroit still has games against Green Bay, Buffalo, Niners, and Vikings.

The Lions are playing at a high level for sure. But there’s a lot of ball yet to be played. As we well know, Goff could drop back to pass, plant, & then blow his achilles. You just never know… :cool: :angel: