All Things 2020 Minnesota Vikings In-Season Thread

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Worse offense: the Bears or the Jets?
 

It's amazing to me how many yards defenses are willing to surrender in order to go for a strip. Chicago must have given up 25 yards tonight on plays like that (YASA). I can see it more if it's a shootout and offenses are having their ways anyway, but tonight in a closer defensive game those yards are important.
 

I've said it before and I'll say it again...the Tennessee game and the Seattle game :cry:
 




MplsGopher said:
Nope.

I don't care, and I don't wanna hear it.


The. Vikings. Are. Going. To. The. Playoffs. 👏👏
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Honestly it is very likely now. Our next 3 games are not difficult. Plus the Bears and Lions again. Maybe Brees is out for a while and we play the Saints without him. I mean we could still win 10 games.
 

Somehow I doubt we win out or get to 10. You never know, but I think 9 is a reasonable goal. If they keep playing this well and barring any further covid or injury problems, I feel like you can pencil us to win every game except @Tampa and @NO.

Still need help though, between the top two in the South (granted we play both) and all the teams in the West.
 

MplsGopher said:
Somehow I doubt we win out or get to 10. You never know, but I think 9 is a reasonable goal. If they keep playing this well and barring any further covid or injury problems, I feel like you can pencil us to win every game except @Tampa and @NO.

Still need help though, between the top two in the South (granted we play both) and all the teams in the West.
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Even NO though. Will Brees be back? They'll still be tough without him, but if he's out 5-6 weeks then I like our chances there too.
 

per Shama:

Mike Zimmer expressed frustration with the Vikings’ special teams after last night’s 19-13 win over the Bears in Chicago. Cordarrelle Patterson ran a kickoff back for a 104-yard touchdown to give the Bears a 13-7 third quarter lead. In Minnesota’s previous game against the Lions, Zimmer saw his team have two punts blocked.

“We weren’t very good tonight (on special teams),” Zimmer said on KFAN. “We weren’t supposed to kick the ball to Patterson and we did, and that was bad. We’re going to have to really look at our personnel on that. See if we can change some things up. This is not good. It’s been bad the last two weeks, and quite honestly I am tired of it.”


Skol Vikes!!
 



tmvander said:
Honestly it is very likely now. Our next 3 games are not difficult. Plus the Bears and Lions again. Maybe Brees is out for a while and we play the Saints without him. I mean we could still win 10 games.
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If they stay at 7 teams, it will still be tough. The NFC West has 3 teams at 6-3. The Tampa/NO loser is also likely to claim a spot. 9-7 might not be good enough depending on how the West shakes out.

If they add an 8th team due to COVID cancellations then the odds go up a lot. I'm fairly certain we'll finish ahead of Detroit and Chicago and this point and the East will not get a 2nd team. Ironically, Atlanta could end up being a problem.

Estimates are that Brees is out 2-3 weeks. We don't play them until Christmas Day.
 

Let's take a step back and remember the couple of games this team choked away earlier in the season. Not saying this to cry over spilled milk but instead to remind people that they're good enough to easily be 6-3 right now, even with all the injuries. That ain't bad. Even if this goes nowhere this year, they're in a good position to make some noise next year. As is often the case, young players forced into action is sometimes not a bad thing. Those young defensive backs have talent and are now looking like they belong.
 

I have to say I am perplexed at how well the D has played. Yes, they've played some poor offenses, but with how bad they looked at the beginning of the season, even a poor offense should be blowing them out. But the backups are playing really well. Is it scheme or players that has changed so much at DB? They started with young guys, and had a bunch of injuries, yet they're playing better. Eric Wilson has been playing really well too. I have to tip my cap to Zimmer, as he seems to be making it work with the players he currently has.

I've pounded on this drum so many times, but it bears repeating- they need to get rid of Barr and his contract. Competent LB's that are not rush specialists are (relatively) easy to find in the 2nd/3rd round or via free agency. Likewise, Harris would be not too difficult to replace. They need that money elsewhere. Assuming Hunter and Pierce return in 2021, they still need some DL help to rush the passer. Run D has been decent. QB pressure has been largely non-existent, however. I'd love to see Barr and Harris gone, and that money used on either the OL and/or a veteran CB or DE.
 

One worry for next year: I think Elway is going to beg Kubiak to come back as the HC for the Broncos. Though that would free up Pat Shurmer.
 




Bad Gopher said:
Let's take a step back and remember the couple of games this team choked away earlier in the season. Not saying this to cry over spilled milk but instead to remind people that they're good enough to easily be 6-3 right now, even with all the injuries. That ain't bad. Even if this goes nowhere this year, they're in a good position to make some noise next year. As is often the case, young players forced into action is sometimes not a bad thing. Those young defensive backs have talent and are now looking like they belong.
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Also Cleveland looks like a friggin' dude.

Gotta be kicking ourselves not playing him sooner for Samia. Jeez that guy screwed us in some of the games. I know they're keeping him for depth because he's cheaper than Elfbust, but he needs to be cut as soon as possible.

(Granted, Cleveland's first start was the disaster Atlanta game ... but I think he played OK)
 

forever a gopher said:
I have to say I am perplexed at how well the D has played. Yes, they've played some poor offenses, but with how bad they looked at the beginning of the season, even a poor offense should be blowing them out. But the backups are playing really well. Is it scheme or players that has changed so much at DB? They started with young guys, and had a bunch of injuries, yet they're playing better. Eric Wilson has been playing really well too. I have to tip my cap to Zimmer, as he seems to be making it work with the players he currently has.

I've pounded on this drum so many times, but it bears repeating- they need to get rid of Barr and his contract. Competent LB's that are not rush specialists are (relatively) easy to find in the 2nd/3rd round or via free agency. Likewise, Harris would be not too difficult to replace. They need that money elsewhere. Assuming Hunter and Pierce return in 2021, they still need some DL help to rush the passer. Run D has been decent. QB pressure has been largely non-existent, however. I'd love to see Barr and Harris gone, and that money used on either the OL and/or a veteran CB or DE.
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I think Zim and staff know how to develop DBs, and Gladney, Dantzler, and Kris Boyd have played really well on this winning streak.

DL I think has been more solid as well. Wonnum is having a good year. Holmes from Ohio St has emerged as a solid end as well. Also the guy who looks like Kendricks, except they line him up on the line, Mataafa has been getting some good plays.

Too bad Fleck doesn't know how to develop young players like that.
 

howeda7 said:
One worry for next year: I think Elway is going to beg Kubiak to come back as the HC for the Broncos. Though that would free up Pat Shurmer.
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Been there, done that? Try to win a Super Bowl with Zim as DC and Kub as OC?

For what Cousins is and does, even last night, I still feel he's worth $10M/yr less. He's getting paid like Rodgers, and he's not. Could use that money elsewhere.

Barr needs to be traded. Wilson is a star.
 

forever a gopher said:
I have to say I am perplexed at how well the D has played. Yes, they've played some poor offenses, but with how bad they looked at the beginning of the season, even a poor offense should be blowing them out. But the backups are playing really well. Is it scheme or players that has changed so much at DB? They started with young guys, and had a bunch of injuries, yet they're playing better. Eric Wilson has been playing really well too. I have to tip my cap to Zimmer, as he seems to be making it work with the players he currently has.

I've pounded on this drum so many times, but it bears repeating- they need to get rid of Barr and his contract. Competent LB's that are not rush specialists are (relatively) easy to find in the 2nd/3rd round or via free agency. Likewise, Harris would be not too difficult to replace. They need that money elsewhere. Assuming Hunter and Pierce return in 2021, they still need some DL help to rush the passer. Run D has been decent. QB pressure has been largely non-existent, however. I'd love to see Barr and Harris gone, and that money used on either the OL and/or a veteran CB or DE.
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Hard not to think about how much better the defense would have been this year with Michael Pierce on the DL. Having him back next year (hopefully) will be like a FA signing without having to do the legwork of actually courting and signing
 

https://www.startribune.com/after-e...in-delivers-in-the-clutch-vs-bears/573102641/

They’re effectively three games behind the Seahawks, who hold the NFC’s No. 7 seed and beat the Vikings in Week 5. Arizona, which improved to 6-3 on Kyler Murray’s Hail Mary to DeAndre Hopkins, has back-to-back road games against the Seahawks and Patriots, and the 6-3 Rams have games left against the Bucs (on Monday night), Seahawks and Cardinals (twice). The three NFC West teams in contention have four games left against each other; the right distribution of losses between those teams could help the Vikings out. The win over the Bears was big, as well, in the sense that it allows the Vikings to get to nine wins without beating the Buccaneers or Saints on the road in December. But there’s not much room for a slip-up anywhere else.

The Vikings’ best bet is for the NFC West teams to beat up on one another (preferably with the Seahawks winning the division, to eliminate a head-to-head tiebreaker from the equation). With that, and a continued hot streak, a wild-card berth might be possible.
 

As a side note, holy shit, just how bad has the Vikings special teams been since they let Mike Priefer go? That was a colossal mistake.
 

Ugh, Cleveland hurts ankle (in practice?). At least they aren't stupid enough to put Samia back in. That should be emergency only, and hopefully doesn't happen.

Right guard Ezra Cleveland was held out of Wednesday’s practice because of an ankle injury. The rookie played all 73 snaps during Monday night’s victory at Chicago. Veteran Brett Jones, recently re-signed to the active roster, took Cleveland’s place in practice.

Tight end Irv Smith Jr. returned to practice after being sidelined since a Nov. 8 groin injury. He was limited. Cornerback Cameron Dantzler remains in the concussion protocol. Dantzler, center Garrett Bradbury (shoulder) and Mata’afa (ankle) were also limited. Fullback C.J. Ham (noninjury) missed practice again.
 

howeda7 said:
If they stay at 7 teams, it will still be tough. The NFC West has 3 teams at 6-3. The Tampa/NO loser is also likely to claim a spot. 9-7 might not be good enough depending on how the West shakes out.

If they add an 8th team due to COVID cancellations then the odds go up a lot. I'm fairly certain we'll finish ahead of Detroit and Chicago and this point and the East will not get a 2nd team. Ironically, Atlanta could end up being a problem.

Estimates are that Brees is out 2-3 weeks. We don't play them until Christmas Day.
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The Cards loss last night helps the Vikings cause for now as that gives Seattle an edge to win the NFC West. It would have really helped had they not converted the Hail Murray against the Bills.
 

Cleveland out at RG for the game today, Brett Jones in. Give me a vet who knows everything about playing interior OL (and also helped Bradbury develop), who maybe/maybe can't quite perform, over Samia.

Guessing Smith Jr. won't play, and Dantzler won't play if he doesn't have to. We "should" be able to win this game without much worry, with everyone else playing as well as they did last week.
 


GophersInIowa said:
The refs are gift wrapping this game for the cowboys
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Bill Vinvovich is the worst ref in the league. And yes they were. The missed hit on Cousins fumble was awful and the Cook fumble was very borderline. If either one of those goes the Vikings way, they win. Not to mention every holding call in the game was against the Vikings.
 

You got me @GopherVotary .

Can't lose a game to a 2-7 team and expect to go to the playoffs, even in an expanded year. Now they have to win one of the @Tampa or @NO games, along with winning all the rest of the "should win" games. Carolina nice win today, so who knows.

Defense awful today. Cowboys suddenly choose this week to play like a 7-2 team.
 

howeda7 said:
Bill Vinvovich is the worst ref in the league. And yes they were. The missed hit on Cousins fumble was awful and the Cook fumble was very borderline. If either one of those goes the Vikings way, they win. Not to mention every holding call in the game was against the Vikings.
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Some of the calls were drive killers, although the offense did overcome some of them.

We went down and scored to go up 28-24. That's on the defense to hold them. Played awful today.
 


GophersInIowa said:
Thought we should have blitzed a lot more. Bad loss even with how one-sided the refs were.

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This. The DL pressure has been non-existent. It makes sense as to why it hasn’t been there, but that does mean you have to supplement somehow. You have to bring some blitzes occasionally.
 

forever a gopher said:
This. The DL pressure has been non-existent. It makes sense as to why it hasn’t been there, but that does mean you have to supplement somehow. You have to bring some blitzes occasionally.
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I think they said at one point that nobody on our D Line was drafted in the 3rd round or higher. These are still professionals and should be able to get the job done, but kind of hard to expect a lot of production from the guys we have in there.

Just get this year over with.
 

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