All Things 2024-25 Vikings Regular Season Thread

[GophersInIowa]

Agree. It didn't look like a fumble to me. But it absolutely should have been intentional grounding. He "threw" it directly into the ground......where he was staring. When the throw away is behind the LOS like that.....there has to be some aspect of catchability and it wasn't even close here.

Dropping the ball forward should not be considered a throwing motion IMO.

It was also crazy later on how they didn't throw a flag for facemask, then after LA complained about it, then just called a penalty without a flag ever being taken out. I get that it was the right call but after what happened with the missed facemask against them in the regular season, that's ridiculous.

 

[Ope3]

Agree. It didn't look like a fumble to me. But it absolutely should have been intentional grounding. He "threw" it directly into the ground......where he was staring. When the throw away is behind the LOS like that.....there has to be some aspect of catchability and it wasn't even close here.

I wouldn't even be against a rule that any forward pass that does not reach the line of scrimmage (when a QB is under pressure/in the grasp) ball is spotted where the throw occurred.

Probably too much ambiguity and the NFL doesn't want to minimize Offense. However, I feel as though the Defense should be rewarded when the QB just flings it anywhere to avoid the sack with zero or near zero odds of a completion for a gain.

 

[stocker08]

Dropping the ball forward should not be considered a throwing motion IMO.

It was also crazy later on how they didn't throw a flag for facemask, then after LA complained about it, then just called a penalty without a flag ever being taken out. I get that it was the right call but after what happened with the missed facemask against them in the regular season, that's ridiculous.

It was very borderline.....but the way throwing motion is called as basically any forwardish motion.....I think it fit. Didn't really look or feel like a fumble. Which is why I think that no intentional grounding was assessed was a total joke.

The facemask penalty was also absurd.

I wouldn't even be against a rule that any forward pass that does not reach the line of scrimmage (when a QB is under pressure/in the grasp) ball is spotted where the throw occurred.

Probably too much ambiguity and the NFL doesn't want to minimize Offense. However, I feel as though the Defense should be rewarded when the QB just flings it anywhere to avoid the sack with zero or near zero odds of a completion for a gain.

Yeah, they've got to figure that out or quarterbacks will begin to exploit it more. The Vikings have been screwed on that two times in two weeks now.

 

[forever a gopher]

I wouldn't even be against a rule that any forward pass that does not reach the line of scrimmage (when a QB is under pressure/in the grasp) ball is spotted where the throw occurred.

Probably too much ambiguity and the NFL doesn't want to minimize Offense. However, I feel as though the Defense should be rewarded when the QB just flings it anywhere to avoid the sack with zero or near zero odds of a completion for a gain.

I hate to bring intent (and thus more subjectivity) to refs, but if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck. That wasn't a legit attempt at completing a pass. With how often defenders are flagged for hitting the QB wrong, it has changed how they're hitting QBs, and seems that QBs are getting a few more milliseconds to throw balls away when they are absolutely dead-to-rights. I don't know what the answer is, but plays like that don't seem to be in the spirit of the rule. I wouldn't be opposed to a rule saying that if the throwing motion hasn't started before being contacted by the defender, the ref has the ability to bring intent into the ruling.

 

[howeda7]

I hate to bring intent (and thus more subjectivity) to refs, but if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck. That wasn't a legit attempt at completing a pass. With how often defenders are flagged for hitting the QB wrong, it has changed how they're hitting QBs, and seems that QBs are getting a few more milliseconds to throw balls away when they are absolutely dead-to-rights. I don't know what the answer is, but plays like that don't seem to be in the spirit of the rule. I wouldn't be opposed to a rule saying that if the throwing motion hasn't started before being contacted by the defender, the ref has the ability to bring intent into the ruling.

"We can't define intentional grounding but we know it when we see it." That's basically how they officiate pass interference so I don't see any issue with it.

 

[GopherGrit]

Houston is still playing. That's it, that's the list.

Decent argument could be made for winning at Seattle (Darnold made a really nice throw too).

Maybe argument for winning at home vs Colts (8-9).


But yeah ... man, not a ton.

 

[Ope3]

Decent argument could be made for winning at Seattle (Darnold made a really nice throw too).

Maybe argument for winning at home vs Colts (8-9).


But yeah ... man, not a ton.

I do agree, the win at Seattle was rather impressive. I put in the "still playing comment" just referring to it's the only team Vikings beat in 2024 that is among the NFL Teams that are in the Divisional Round.

The Seattle game and the 2022 victory at Buffalo are the most impressive road wins in the KOC era, in my opinion.