2018 Minnesota Vikings In-Season Thread

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Ogee Oglethorpe said:
Upgrading the offensive line isn't exactly as easy as it sounds. There are NOT 160 starting quality offensive linemen in the NFL, it's a weakness for a good number of NFL teams. Not saying they couldn't have done more to address the issue but there aren't enough quality linemen to go around; getting 1 or 2 of the better ones to sign with your team isn't that easy.

Their window hasn't closed just yet, it'll be interesting to see what they do this coming offseason, both in the draft and in FA
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They took one OL in the first 5 rounds of the draft last year. Just two overall. They could have taken Will Hernandez who has been great for the Giants.
 

Not sure if anyone has noticed but one side bar to the season is that the Raiders picked up K Daniel Carlson a few weeks after the Vikings dumped him and Carlson has quietly been pretty solid for the Raiders. He's been a perfect 6-for-6 on XP and has been 6-for-7 on FG's, including the game winner as time expired at Arizona last night for the Raiders 2nd win of the season. I was at the game and on the Raiders final drive I was quietly hoping for Carlson to have a chance at a game winner after his rough start with the Vikings.

The Vikings pulled the trigger on dumping Carlson pretty damn early and I supported it at the time, but he could turn out to be a really good pickup for the Raiders that cost them nothing when it cost the Vikings a 5th rounder.
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
Not sure if anyone has noticed but one side bar to the season is that the Raiders picked up K Daniel Carlson a few weeks after the Vikings dumped him and Carlson has quietly been pretty solid for the Raiders. He's been a perfect 6-for-6 on XP and has been 6-for-7 on FG's, including the game winner as time expired at Arizona last night for the Raiders 2nd win of the season. I was at the game and on the Raiders final drive I was quietly hoping for Carlson to have a chance at a game winner after his rough start with the Vikings.

The Vikings pulled the trigger on dumping Carlson pretty damn early and I supported it at the time, but he could turn out to be a really good pickup for the Raiders that cost them nothing when it cost the Vikings a 5th rounder.
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I've said it before, and I'll say it again: with his leg he could end up in the hall of fame.
 

Free agency is one way to build a team.
Another is through the draft.

Since 2012, when the vikings selected Kalil 4th overall. They didn't draft a single offensive lineman in the first 3 rounds until Elfein in the 3rd in '17, and O'Neil in the 2nd in '18. 2 picks in 5 years of the draft they do not need anyone to defend this, utter stupidity! Remember when Detroit, Dallas, and now Seattle ignored their o-line?

https://www.profootballfocus.com/ne...ine-rankings-all-32-teams-units-after-week-10

It's not a bunch of unexpected crazy injuries, they have sucked at oline for years and everybody nationally new it would undue this team. Slot corner for your top ranked defense over trading up for a quality offensive lineman when that is by far the worst position on the team?
 

RandBall: Well-paid Kirk Cousins takes Joe Mauer's place in angry fan pecking order

The Vikings in 10 games this season have turned the ball over 16 times, tied for seventh-most in the NFL. Last year they turned it over just 14 times all year (third-fewest). Cousins has been Exhibit A in that uptick.

The good and bad of Cousins and the circumstances of Joe Mauer’s $184 million contract expiring (combined with Mauer’s retirement) have created a sort of passing of the torch.

As with Mauer, every failure on Cousins’ part is now being micro-examined and griped about. Successes are still celebrated but they also carry a weight of “that’s what he’s paid for” with fans.

For a while, I thought the Wolves’ Andrew Wiggins and his max contract might be the new big thing to whine about. But it’s not even close. Remove the 1 from Mauer’s deal, shrink it by five years, and assign it to the most important player on the most important team in this market.

The $84 million QB has stepped up nicely to fill the void left by Mauer as the guy everyone is mad at for making so much money and not succeeding 100 percent of the time.

http://www.startribune.com/well-pai...s-place-in-angry-fan-pecking-order/500838662/

Skol Vikes!!
 


BleedGopher said:
RandBall: Well-paid Kirk Cousins takes Joe Mauer's place in angry fan pecking order

The Vikings in 10 games this season have turned the ball over 16 times, tied for seventh-most in the NFL. Last year they turned it over just 14 times all year (third-fewest). Cousins has been Exhibit A in that uptick.

The good and bad of Cousins and the circumstances of Joe Mauer’s $184 million contract expiring (combined with Mauer’s retirement) have created a sort of passing of the torch.

As with Mauer, every failure on Cousins’ part is now being micro-examined and griped about. Successes are still celebrated but they also carry a weight of “that’s what he’s paid for” with fans.

For a while, I thought the Wolves’ Andrew Wiggins and his max contract might be the new big thing to whine about. But it’s not even close. Remove the 1 from Mauer’s deal, shrink it by five years, and assign it to the most important player on the most important team in this market.

The $84 million QB has stepped up nicely to fill the void left by Mauer as the guy everyone is mad at for making so much money and not succeeding 100 percent of the time.

http://www.startribune.com/well-pai...s-place-in-angry-fan-pecking-order/500838662/

Skol Vikes!!
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He's already thrown as many picks as Keenum did for the whole season last year and he has fumbled EIGHT times and lost SIX of them. Keenum fumbled ONCE and lost it.

Cousins cant turn the ball over this much with this defense.
 

JimmyJamesMD said:
He's already thrown as many picks as Keenum did for the whole season last year and he has fumbled EIGHT times and lost SIX of them. Keenum fumbled ONCE and lost it.

Cousins cant turn the ball over this much with this defense.
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How many passes did Kesse throw into the facemask of a defensive lineman? Zero? KC definitely leads that race too.
 

GopherJake said:
How many passes did Kesse throw into the facemask of a defensive lineman? Zero? KC definitely leads that race too.
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Ha! I forgot about that stat. I can't believe KC is 6'3. Would figure he's Doug Flutie's height?
 

JimmyJamesMD said:
He's already thrown as many picks as Keenum did for the whole season last year and he has fumbled EIGHT times and lost SIX of them. Keenum fumbled ONCE and lost it.

Cousins cant turn the ball over this much with this defense.
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So has Keenum. In fact he threw a pick in something like the first 10 games in a row. You can criticize Cousins, but let's not act like Keenum would be putting up a repeat of last season if he were here. He wouldn't be.
 



Zimmer is either clueless or dishonest. I don't like either.

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per Sid:

Thielen on Green Bay battle

Being a Detroit Lakes native means Vikings receiver Adam Thielen knows a thing or two about the importance of facing the Packers.

“For sure, [the games] are special to this organization,” Thielen said. “You look at the rivalry and normally who comes out of the division and it’s usually one of the two. These are always big games for us and we have to make sure we’re focused and ready to go.”

Thielen had some of the best games of his career against Green Bay. In 2016, he grabbed 12 receptions for 202 yards and two scores in a game that cemented him as a rising star. Then in the 29-29 tie this year, he had 12 receptions for 131 yards and a score.

On top of that, Thielen said he has gotten to know Packers star Aaron Rodgers. Both are avid golfers and they play in a lot of tournaments together.

“He is a Hall of Famer, one of the best to ever play the game,” Thielen said. “That’s why you have to make sure as an offensive player that you’re staying on the field and keeping him off the field. He is good enough to really hurt you.”

Does any of Rodgers’ talent extend to the golf course? “He makes it tough to beat him at anything,” Thielen said.

http://www.startribune.com/gophers-...wing-p-j-fleck-s-signature-victory/501187401/

Skol Vikes!!
 

Two more missed FG's against the Packers. Unbelievable.
 

So, Vikes were driving, nice clock killing drive, a la the Gophers. Get stopped, punt, Packers botch it, and Vikings are in the red zone. That works lol.
 



And the Border Battle sweep is complete. Vikings and Gophers victorious.
 

Meat grinder schedule ahead for the Vikes, so hard to say what their postseason chances are, but this all but eliminates the Packers. It's a good day.
 

If Diggs doesn’t catch that ball, it gets very interesting. Great play, great game for all the offensive skill players.
 

GopherJake said:
If Diggs doesn’t catch that ball, it gets very interesting. Great play, great game for all the offensive skill players.
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I loved the call, and I loved going for it on that 4th and 2. Playing to win instead of just making it more difficult for the opponent to come back.
 

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Skol Vikes!!
 

Bad Gopher said:
I loved the call, and I loved going for it on that 4th and 2. Playing to win instead of just making it more difficult for the opponent to come back.
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I agree. However, the play clock was a factor on that 4th and 2. I am vigilant about saving timeouts, but with a 10 point lead, and a couple in the bank, I would have used one there to be sure we don’t rush the play and get the Em Effer knocked down. That was blown by Zimmer. That’s his responsibility in that situation. Unless KC really understands the situation, in which case he could have called it too. I don’t like the snap at 1 second when we are barely set.
 

Bad Gopher said:
Meat grinder schedule ahead for the Vikes, so hard to say what their postseason chances are, but this all but eliminates the Packers. It's a good day.
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The East blows and Carolina has to play NO twice I believe. I think 9-6-1 gets us in. So beat Detroit, Miami and one of @NE, @Sea and home with Chicago. There's a decent chance Chicago will be locked into the #3 seed and have nothing to play for, unless we are still within reach for the division.
 

GopherJake said:
I agree. However, the play clock was a factor on that 4th and 2. I am vigilant about saving timeouts, but with a 10 point lead, and a couple in the bank, I would have used one there to be sure we don’t rush the play and get the Em Effer knocked down. That was blown by Zimmer. That’s his responsibility in that situation. Unless KC really understands the situation, in which case he could have called it too. I don’t like the snap at 1 second when we are barely set.
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The clock management was a mess before halftime, too, but that was sort of on purpose, trying to keep the ball away from the Packers. It's strange that they played fearfully at the end of the first half and boldly at the end of the second half. I wonder if Zim came to his senses or if someone got in his ear.

Edit: I suppose the common thread in all these decisions was keeping the ball away from Rodgers. Maybe that was a standing tactical approach for the game.
 
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Souhan: These are the kind of matchups, and playoff races, where big-game quarterbacks are made

“The effort he puts in, the time he puts in, the energy he puts in, it’s really why we brought him in. He’s a leader and a gamer.’’

Cousins’ teammates have been saying that since this summer, but compliments ring truer in the midst of a playoff race, and when the quarterback has put his head down on a couple of stubborn runs, and when he has statistically outperformed the great Aaron Rodgers.

“He makes amazing throws, he makes great reads, he gets the ball to whoever needs to get the ball in certain situations,’’ defensive end Stephen Weatherly said. “That throw that he had to Thielen when he looked to be double-covered and Thielen makes that catch — there are only a handful of quarterbacks in the league who can make that throw, and luckily we have one of those guys.’’

Tom Brady and Russell Wilson await. The target is always moving, and the record is written in pencil.

http://www.startribune.com/these-ar...ere-big-game-quarterbacks-are-made/501222012/

Skol Vikes!!
 

Bad Gopher said:
The clock management was a mess before halftime, too, but that was sort of on purpose, trying to keep the ball away from the Packers. It's strange that they played fearfully at the end of the first half and boldly at the end of the second half. I wonder if Zim came to his senses or if someone got in his ear.

Edit: I suppose the common thread in all these decisions was keeping the ball away from Rodgers. Maybe that was a standing tactical approach for the game.
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They still waited too long at the end of the half. They could have snapped the ball with about 40 seconds left instead of 25.
 

per Rand:

*For the last Saturday/Sunday sweep in the series, you have to go back to Nov. 20 and 21, 1982 when the Badgers beat the Gophers 24-0 in Madison and the Packers beat the Vikings 26-7 (in Milwaukee, back when Green Bay played multiple home games a year away from Lambeau Field).

*But the Gophers and Vikings? They never had a Saturday/Sunday sweep of the Badgers and Packers before this weekend. They sure came close. From 1966 to 1973, the Gophers were 6-2 against the Badgers and the Vikings were 12-4 against the Packers. They twice shared a weekend. In both cases, the Vikings won … but the two Gophers losses in that span came on those weekends (in 1966 and 1970).

So yes, no matter how old you are — whether you were born on Friday or 100 years ago — this Saturday and Sunday was the first time in your lifetime that the Gophers and Vikings swept the Badgers and Packers.

http://www.startribune.com/this-was...weekend-wisconsin-sweep-in-history/501253241/

Skol Vikes!!
 

I'm going to Vegas on Monday. Wish I was going on Sunday. I'd put money down on them since the line is +7. Pats have not looked great this year, I'll take the Vikings.
 

per Shama:

Mike Zimmer Still Confident about Kicker

Enjoy a Tuesday notes column focusing on the Vikings.

Mike Zimmer is working with his fourth kicker in five seasons as Vikings head coach. There have been enough ups and downs to write a book about those experiences, with the latest tribulation coming Sunday night when Dan Bailey missed on two of three field goals.

“I still have a lot of confidence in this kid. I believe in him,” Zimmer told KFXN-FM after the game. “I watch him every single day. It was big for him to go out there and get that last one.”

Bailey’s 37-yard third quarter field goal against the Packers put the Vikings ahead 17-14 in a vital game they went on to win 24-17. The subject of field goals in a Packers game is a touchy one after Minnesota rookie Daniel Carlson missed three in the opening game for both teams in September.

That game ended in a 29-29 tie that doesn’t do much for the Vikings’ postseason ambitions. At 6-4-1 Minnesota is pursuing an NFC North Division title, or a wild card entry, to make the playoffs. Tight games in the fourth quarter could mean Bailey’s leg will be the difference in winning during the five remaining games on the regular season schedule and qualifying for the playoffs.

Bailey has made 75 percent of his field goals since joining the Vikings and all but one of his extra points. In seven previous seasons with the Cowboys he converted on 88.2 percent of his field goals.

Meanwhile, Carlson, who was cut and replaced by Bailey after the Green Bay opener, is seven of eight on field goals and a perfect eight for eight on extra points after playing in five games for the Raiders.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Skol Vikes!!
 

Another missed FG under 50. Re-sign Kai Forbath already. You arrogantly "fixed" what wasn't broken and now you're cursed. Also fire Prieffer. How he keeps his job no matter how many kickers and punters he cycles through on top of his other "flaws" is amazing.
 

howeda7 said:
Another missed FG under 50. Re-sign Kai Forbath already. You arrogantly "fixed" what wasn't broken and now you're cursed. Also fire Prieffer. How he keeps his job no matter how many kickers and punters he cycles through on top of his other "flaws" is amazing.
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+08. They blew it by getting rid of Forbath and were too stubborn to admit the error and go get him back. Instead they overpaid for a guy that is playing just as poorly.
 

stocker08 said:
+08. They blew it by getting rid of Forbath and were too stubborn to admit the error and go get him back. Instead they overpaid for a guy that is playing just as poorly.
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I'm a bit surprised no one else has signed him yet, but as far as I know, there's no injury issue or anything. His only issue with the Vikes was missed PATs which he had fixed.
 

NE has mostly dominated the game, and the Vikes are a missed FG from being tied at half. However, Waynes and Rhodes are out.
 

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