Impressions from LA game

This doesn't look like a Zimmer team...  pass too much, can't run the football, and it looks like Leslie Frazier is coaching our defense.
Hopefully Zimmer can figure things out in the next 10 days...  the Vikings absolutely need to figure out how to establish a good running game to take pressure off of Cousins and shorten the game. 
The defense needs to get its swagger back, which is the most disconcerting thing.  We went from the #1 defense last season to #32 thru the first 4 games.  It's fucking awful.  Lack of communication seems like the main culprit...  it's the only thing I can think of for why we are giving up so many big plays.

Bravo, MB.  Well stated.  I, too, was worried which offensive team would show up last night. I had a feeling Cook was not up to snuff yet and when I heard he was on a "pitch count" I thought "oh-oh'. 
We still gave the Rams D a bruising, but our own D issues are glaring and Special Teams weaknesses are worrisome.

@"Ralphie" said: Bravo, MB.  Well stated.  I, too, was worried which offensive team would show up last night. I had a feeling Cook was not up to snuff yet and when I heard he was on a "pitch count" I thought "oh-oh'.  We still gave the Rams D a bruising, but our own D issues are glaring and Special Teams weaknesses are worrisome.

You chose wisely, Ralphie. I, on the other hand, put Cook in my lineup about 5 minutes before kick off, then seconds before, I tried to take him back out, but the roster locked. I've been playing fantasy for 25 years and EVERY. SINGLE. TIME I wring my hands over a lineup decision, I make the wrong decision. Ah fantasy, I love you and hate you. 

On the runs that failed, what I saw was one guy missing his block (usually Remmers).  On a sweep left, we had a receiver go 12 yards downfield to block a safety; meanwhile there was slot DB who came untouched and blew up Cook.  If the WR had only blocked the slot- at worst- Cook would've been 1-on-1 vs. the safety.  Guys just aren't blocking well.  Maybe the loss of Sparano is hurting the run game more than anyone realizes.

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Ralphie" said: Bravo, MB.  Well stated.  I, too, was worried which offensive team would show up last night. I had a feeling Cook was not up to snuff yet and when I heard he was on a "pitch count" I thought "oh-oh'.  We still gave the Rams D a bruising, but our own D issues are glaring and Special Teams weaknesses are worrisome.

You chose wisely, Ralphie. I, on the other hand, put Cook in my lineup about 5 minutes before kick off, then seconds before, I tried to take him back out, but the roster locked. I've been playing fantasy for 25 years and EVERY. SINGLE. TIME I wring my hands over a lineup decision, I make the wrong decision. Ah fantasy, I love you and hate you. 

@"pumpf" said: On the runs that failed, what I saw was one guy missing his block (usually Remmers).  On a sweep left, we had a receiver go 12 yards downfield to block a safety; meanwhile there was slot DB who came untouched and blew up Cook.  If the WR had only blocked the slot- at worst- Cook would've been 1-on-1 vs. the safety.  Guys just aren't blocking well.  Maybe the loss of Sparano is hurting the run game more than anyone realizes.

Yeah, Donald was killing us in the run game.  Thought we handled him well enough in the pass game until late, but that interior disruption made running near impossible.

@"MaroonBells" said: 1. Cousins is everything I'd hoped he'd be. This dude can freaking play QB.

2. The Rams are really really REALLY good at offense and they are going to very hard for anyone to stop. Goff won't always be that "on" but that was the best QB performance I've seen in a long, long time. And yes that includes Yellow Jesus. In a game of inches Goff was playing in sub-atomic particles. And I wish we had that line. 
 
3. Despite the short week, despite the Griff drama, despite being away and on the west coast, Vikings came to play.  This was a totally different team than the one that played last week. That was encouraging and I have no doubt the Vikings will be there at the end. I know the Vikings had a few calls that didn't go their way, and this was a very close game, but you could tell the Rams were the better team on this day. I do NOT want to see them again. 

4. Why can we not run the ball and why can we not stop the run? Goff was shit-hot and I'm not going to worry too much about that, but this team MUST be able to run and stop the run. Last night's game is totally different if you do just those two things--things the Vikings have typically done very well. FIS IT! 

MB,

In addition to your observations, the lack of a pass rush which started towards the last quarter of the season in 2017 is exposing the inexperience and miscommunication in the secondary. We were able to get some decent pressure on Jimmy G in the 49ers game, but that has been it. Goff was way too comfortable all night and we had no answers. We are getting gashed with chunk yardage plays on every drive instead of forcing teams to dink and dunk down the field to force a mistake or create a turnover which is another glaring weakness of this defense. 

@"TBro" said:

@"MaroonBells" said: 1. Cousins is everything I'd hoped he'd be. This dude can freaking play QB.

2. The Rams are really really REALLY good at offense and they are going to very hard for anyone to stop. Goff won't always be that "on" but that was the best QB performance I've seen in a long, long time. And yes that includes Yellow Jesus. In a game of inches Goff was playing in sub-atomic particles. And I wish we had that line. 
 
3. Despite the short week, despite the Griff drama, despite being away and on the west coast, Vikings came to play.  This was a totally different team than the one that played last week. That was encouraging and I have no doubt the Vikings will be there at the end. I know the Vikings had a few calls that didn't go their way, and this was a very close game, but you could tell the Rams were the better team on this day. I do NOT want to see them again. 

4. Why can we not run the ball and why can we not stop the run? Goff was shit-hot and I'm not going to worry too much about that, but this team MUST be able to run and stop the run. Last night's game is totally different if you do just those two things--things the Vikings have typically done very well. FIS IT! 

MB,

In addition to your observations, the lack of a pass rush which started towards the last quarter of the season in 2017 is exposing the inexperience and miscommunication in the secondary. We were able to get some decent pressure on Jimmy G in the 49ers game, but that has been it. Goff was way too comfortable all night and we had no answers. We are getting gashed with chunk yardage plays on every drive instead of forcing teams to dink and dunk down the field to force a mistake or create a turnover which is another glaring weakness of this defense. 

@"TBro" said:

@"MaroonBells" said: 1. Cousins is everything I'd hoped he'd be. This dude can freaking play QB.

2. The Rams are really really REALLY good at offense and they are going to very hard for anyone to stop. Goff won't always be that "on" but that was the best QB performance I've seen in a long, long time. And yes that includes Yellow Jesus. In a game of inches Goff was playing in sub-atomic particles. And I wish we had that line. 
 
3. Despite the short week, despite the Griff drama, despite being away and on the west coast, Vikings came to play.  This was a totally different team than the one that played last week. That was encouraging and I have no doubt the Vikings will be there at the end. I know the Vikings had a few calls that didn't go their way, and this was a very close game, but you could tell the Rams were the better team on this day. I do NOT want to see them again. 

4. Why can we not run the ball and why can we not stop the run? Goff was shit-hot and I'm not going to worry too much about that, but this team MUST be able to run and stop the run. Last night's game is totally different if you do just those two things--things the Vikings have typically done very well. FIS IT! 

MB,

In addition to your observations, the lack of a pass rush which started towards the last quarter of the season in 2017 is exposing the inexperience and miscommunication in the secondary. We were able to get some decent pressure on Jimmy G in the 49ers game, but that has been it. Goff was way too comfortable all night and we had no answers. We are getting gashed with chunk yardage plays on every drive instead of forcing teams to dink and dunk down the field to force a mistake or create a turnover which is another glaring weakness of this defense. 

@"Ralphie" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Ralphie" said: Bravo, MB.  Well stated.  I, too, was worried which offensive team would show up last night. I had a feeling Cook was not up to snuff yet and when I heard he was on a "pitch count" I thought "oh-oh'.  We still gave the Rams D a bruising, but our own D issues are glaring and Special Teams weaknesses are worrisome.

You chose wisely, Ralphie. I, on the other hand, put Cook in my lineup about 5 minutes before kick off, then seconds before, I tried to take him back out, but the roster locked. I've been playing fantasy for 25 years and EVERY. SINGLE. TIME I wring my hands over a lineup decision, I make the wrong decision. Ah fantasy, I love you and hate you. 

MB, last week against the Bills, I put in Cousins and get 15 points.  And yes, I sat Brees who got 43.7. (Oh and did I mention I had Cal Ridley resting comfortably on the pines...along with his 33.7 points?)
This week, Cousins (back on the bench) gets 36.3.  I just can't wait to see how Brees does.
FFB, you are a cold, heartless b****!!! ;)

I've rewatched that game a few times. Cousins is a good QB. Our D sucks. We have talent, but we are missing playmakers. We had several guys in positions all night (Waynes, Barr, Alexander, etc...) but they just never try to make a play. They don't stick their hand out when they are a CM away as they watch the ball go into Kupp's hands. As other threads mention how we don't have any leadership, well its true. People are out of place this year on the field. It started vs the 49ers with their TEs being WIDE OPEN and has continued to Barr getting isolated on 3 TDs. I'm still pissed we sucked vs the bills, but that's over and done with, we just didn't come to play on O or D. This week we balled on O, but our D the only players consistently playing were Hunter, Smith, and Hughes. The rest? Rhodes is back to his "pissed off" player, Barr just sucks, EK is trying too hard, Linval isn't much when we are in pass D 55 times a game, WHY ISN'T ILOKA ON THE FIELD!!!! and the rest? well, c'mon Zim!?
The team looks confused. Our OL looks like its in the situation it is in... half the team is hurt and it has no coach (peace to Sporano) and our ST sucks balls.
We are still on par with the NFC. We only have 2 losses and we just gave the Rams a run for their money on a Thursday night on their turf. I think we are going to be OK, plus GB and CHI are using up all of their home games before week 8! haha.

@"pumpf" said: On the runs that failed, what I saw was one guy missing his block (usually Remmers).  On a sweep left, we had a receiver go 12 yards downfield to block a safety; meanwhile there was slot DB who came untouched and blew up Cook.  If the WR had only blocked the slot- at worst- Cook would've been 1-on-1 vs. the safety.  Guys just aren't blocking well.  Maybe the loss of Sparano is hurting the run game more than anyone realizes.

I think Shurmur changed our blocking schemes significantly in 2017 and it showed a huge improvement over 2016, Sparano's first season. I think the loss of Shurmur is much bigger than Sparano.