Vs Packers

This is going to be a short post. There isn't a lot to say. Against the Packers offense, we can't shoot ourselves in the foot. When Aaron Rodgers only throws for 156 yards, but throws 3 touchdowns, we obviously had problems.

Short and sour. Field position sucked. The Packers didn't have to move the ball far to score.

Turnovers. When Ponder throws an interception on back to back drives, in our own territory, it's not going to end well no matter who we play.

from: foxnews.com

Playcalling. I understand Ponder isn't Bridgewater. Ponder doesn't have the vision, but why do people forget about Ponder's legs? Ponder won't run linebackers over like Tebow could occasionally, but I believe he's just as fast. Why couldn't Ponder run the same read-option scheme that Bridewater was running against Atlanta? Or have him run a traditional read option like the 49ers scheme. Asiata and McKinnon would get a lot of running, and we could get Jerome Felton involved more. I understand Turner's offense is a lot different, but instead of cutting the playbook down because you can't trust Ponder, maybe tailor the offense for Ponder, for just a game? 

from: the-daily-news.com

The defense was put in a hard situation. With the Packers average starting field position the way it was, our defense played ok. They weren't amazing, but they didn't lose the game for us. Griffin notched another sack in what has been a quietly productive season for him. 

from: topbet.eu

Honestly, this didn't turn out as short as I had initially planned. It was just an ugly loss. I don't have the hate towards Ponder that everyone else does. He was an extreme reach by an organization that was in desperate need of a quarterback. Rather, they felt they needed a quarterback to keep up with the rest of the NFC North. Ponder never lived up to his draft status, but he shouldn't have been drafted that high in the first place. You're not going to find many coaches willing to tailor an offense to a specific style of quarterback play like the Broncos did for Tebow, but even if someone was willing to meet Ponder halfway, I think he would have turned out much better. But we need to move on. We've got Bridgewater. Yes, Bridgewater and the Detroit game, coming to a blog near you, if you happen to have access to a computer, the internet, and are actually reading my blog. 

Vs Falcons

This post has been a long work in progress. Unfortunately that doesn't necessarily mean quality. Most of this was written while on a high from our win. Trust me, the tone of this post would be much different if I'd written it after last week's game. So indulge me. Go back about nine or ten days and try to remember how we all felt. 

Whoa, who were those Vikings? We could run, we could stop the run, we could pass, we could stop the, well, uh, not really. But we were still amazing. 41-28 is one heck of a solid win, and it's going to go a long way towards boosting our morale (remember, nine or ten days ago). The combination of Asiata and McKinnon was too much for the Falcons to handle, and Bridgewater shredded their secondary without breaking a sweat. And credit needs to be given to the coaching staff, especially Norv Turner. Most of the time Bridgewater didn't need to go through his progressions because his first read was open. The Gloved Assassin (I can't take the credit for this; I read it in a Facebook post) gets credit for putting the ball where it needed to be, but Turner gets the credit for getting everyone in the perfect position.

Our run game has struggled without Peterson. Asiata isn't going to make anyone miss. He's a power back, and that's about it. But with the way our line has been playing, Asiata has to try to run over a whole defender when he should have at least a small hole to push through. He had that against the Falcons, bulling his way through for 77 yards and 3 touchdowns. Anybody have him on their fantasy team? And then McKinnon backed him up with 135 yards on 18 carries. Well, maybe backing up may not be the best phrase for that performance. This game allowed me, and probably many others, to feel slightly better about the future of our run game without Peterson.

from: zimbio.com

Our run game wouldn't have been nearly as effective if our line hadn't played so well. I didn't watch too closely, so maybe Turner was giving Kalil a little more help than normal. It was just a much more solid performance. Then again, the Falcons don't have a great defensive line, especially in the pass rush department. We didn't give up a single sack, a credit to the line and to Teddy Bridgewater, even if the Falcons aren't very good in that aspect.

The line also made our passing attack much more potent. Though Teddy did a lot for that, too, him and the great gameplan. He didn't seem to hold the ball for long as he was able to get the ball to his first read in most cases. And he had the precision and arm strength to get it to the receiver in the right spot at the right time for them to make the completion. Teddy didn't throw for a touchdown, but he did throw for 317 yards with a 10.6 yards per completion average and no interceptions. That latter part is what we need the most. No turnovers goes a long way towards our success. Teddy will go a long way towards success for the Vikings. Yet he twisted his ankle trying to get into the endzone, and while there was hope he'd be able to play in Thursday's game against Green Bay, we know how that turned out. Let's save the complaining for the next post coming. Teddy is definitely our future.

The defense played a very solid game. We did allow a little over a hundred rushing yards, and Matt Ryan threw for just under 300 and 3 touchdowns, but we stopped them when we needed to and we even notched two interceptions. Anthony Barr got his second sack, too. Matt Ryan's stats looked good, but he didn't look like he got into a rhythm. We didn't get burned on any big runs, either. It was a big improvement over the week before. I can't say I hope this continues into the next week, because we know how that turned out. I'd rather say I hope the game against the Falcons becomes more of the norm (though I could do with a bit better pass coverage). 

from: myajc.com

I've covered a bit already, but I have to gush about the gloved assassin for a bit. Norv Turner and the other coaches came completely prepared, so they get a ton of credit for calling the right plays at the right times. But ultimately Teddy has to make the throw, or the read, or get them out of a play when the defense shows something the offense didn't expect. And he made those throws, and those reads. 317 yards, no touchdowns or interceptions, and 27 yards rushing with a touchdown. There were quite a few read option plays, and passes based off a read option. I wouldn't say Teddy would be classified as a running quarterback-he's not Kaepernick or Wilson-but he's fast enough that his feet are a threat. That's not something we get from Cassel. I was all for Cassel playing the whole year and giving Teddy a chance to soak everything in, but Teddy's ready. I understand it's only one game, but he looked sharp, the kind of sharp that isn't just being in the groove on a particular night. I think we got lucky that he chose not to wear gloves for his pro day. 

from: csmonitor.com

One last note here. Jarius Wright looked good. He was running deep routes and taking short screens for good chunks of yards. He's not as explosive as Patterson, or as consistent and sure-handed as Jennings, but he will be a very complete receiver for us, if not this year then most likely next year. With Teddy only getting better, and defenses gameplanning and focusing on Patterson, the continued growth of Wright will go a long way towards making our offense potent. 

from: examiner.com

Normally this is where I'd say let's hope this carries to next week. Womp womp womp. At least we get Teddy against the Lions this Sunday. The post on the game on Green Bay should be up shortly. I don't have a lot I feel compelled to say. 

Injury Updates

Just a quick one here. Woke up to an update from vikings.com saying Cassell and Fusco were placed on injured reserve. Looks like it really is Bridgewater for the rest of the season.

They also signed Chase Ford to the active roster in the wake of Rudolph's injury. Rudolph will probably be out six weeks.

There's a video with the notification i got. Here's the link: Vikings Place Cassel, Fusco on IR, Announce Other Roster Moves (via http://ble.ac/teamstream-) http://teamstre.am/1tZ0IgG.

Vs. Saints

It was a considerable improvement over last week, in my opinion, even though I didn’t get to see it. For some reason the Lions and Packers were more important on the local channel here. Ugh. We still lost, but 20 to 9 is much better than 30 to 7.

from: nola.com

Biggest storyline first: Teddy played! I was always a proponent for giving him a whole year before playing, so I can’t say I was ecstatic. I was interested to see how he did, and he didn’t disappoint. 12 for 20 for 150 yards, no touchdowns but no interceptions. According to Bleacher Report and numerous tweets Bridgewater had very good pocket awareness, stepping up when he needed to and scrambling outside of the pocket when he was pushed out. With shaky line play (Fusco went out with an injury and Kalil continues to struggle), Bridgewater was either scrambling (he had nearly as many yards rushing as the running backs) or throwing on the run. Knowing that and then looking at his stats again says a lot. The Saints sent blitz after blitz at him, which only makes sense, and he seemed completely calm. Not at all like a rookie quarterback thrust into action. I’m not going to get all giddy and say our season is going to be great, but it’s a small spark in a dreary week.

from: courier-journal.com

Let’s go to the other side of the ball now. The Saints picked on Anthony Barr. Why not? He’s a pass rusher that has had little experience playing the strongside in a 4-3. He’ll figure it out. On the plus side, he got his first sack! Sadly, that was the only one of the game.

The rest of the defense had its ups and down. Harrison Smith had a good game. Brees did well, but that was to be expected. I read an article that said the Vikings had no answer for Jimmy Graham. Two things I say to that. One, haven’t analysts compared Graham to Calvin Johnson, in that he’s going to get his yards, you just have to do what you can to contain that, to prevent it from getting out of hand? So were we expected to have an answer? Two, Graham had six catches for 54 yards and no touchdowns. That certainly doesn’t seem like we let him have his way. Granted, I didn’t watched the game, but the stats don’t seem to say he could do whatever he wanted. Brandin Cooks, on the other hand, tore us up just like Edelman did last week. It appears as if we have an issue covering the quick receivers. Wait a second, wasn’t Captain Munnerlyn supposed to help that so Josh Robinson could move outside? Um, silence?

from: nola.com

Our running game is atrocious. I know we leaned heavily on Peterson because he was a stud, but we should be allowed to expect more than 34 yards out of our running backs. Yes, Asiata had 35 yards rushing, but Mckinnon had -1. Asiata and Mckinnon can’t take all the blame though, as Brandon Fusco went down with an injury and Kalil has struggled. Well, the whole line has been really. Either Mckinnon needs to be given more chances, or Banyard needs to get a look. Things can’t get that much worse.

Not much to say about our receivers. Rudolph is out with a groin injury for six weeks, but nobody panic! He will still be amazing. Sometime soon. I think. Patterson and Jennings were decent but not spectacular. They didn't have a lot of help, though. A solid run game goes a long way towards a solid passing game. Oh, and a pocket to throw from. With Bridgewater having to move around so much, the receivers didn't really have a chance to put up big numbers. Patterson didn't get a chance to run the ball much either, but we can’t overdue that too much. I guess.

from: vikings.com

I’ll just mention the Munnerlyn play once. I didn't see it, but the pictures didn't look nice. Regardless of what happened and who was at fault, the penalty gave the Saints a first down, which they turned into a score. We get them off the field at that point, maybe score on that next drive, and the game would have been entirely different.

Bridgewater can work solely with the first team now, and he’ll get a full game to run the offense. Our defense will be more confident and will hopefully continue to get better. The Falcons don’t have an Edelman/Cooks, but they do have Devin Hester. While the game the Falcons played against the Buccaneers might not be the best example, Hester played all over, running and catching the ball. We’ll have to gameplan for him. And Julio Jones. And the duo of Steven Jackson and Jacquizz Rodgers. But their defense isn't fantastic. If our defense plays like they did during the Saints game, minus a few mistakes, and our offensive line plays better, we have a very good chance of being 2-2 at the end of week 4. 

Who Could Make the Switch?

The Vikings have always run a 4-3 defense and will probably always run a 4-3 defense. Even with new defensive coordinators, our defensive scheme seems as stable as the horn that sounds after each Vikings’ touchdown. Mike Zimmer is shaking things up a bit, though. We expect to actually see blitzes from the linebacker position and linemen dropping into coverage at times.

But what if the Vikings ran a different defense? A 3-4 is the first that comes to mind. Who would play what position? I want to take that a step further: what 4-3 defensive ends would make the best 3-4 outside linebackers, and vice versa?

4-3 ends into linebackers

Everson Griffin. I have to start with a Vikings player. We’re going to get a good long look at Griffin this year, but we already know a bit about his production from last year. For 273 pounds, Griffin is fast; he ran a 4.66 forty yard dash at the combine. That was four years ago, but I doubt he’s lost any of that speed. With his ability to rush inside and out, and his combination of size and speed, Griffin would make a fearsome rush linebacker.

from: profootballfocus.com

Robert Quinn, Rams. He’s a stud. He has the power to bull rush, and, sadly to admit, an even quicker burst than Everson Griffin. With a slightly smaller frame, Quinn could be decent in coverage as well.

from: espn.go.com

Michael Johnson, Buccaneers. For all the same reasons as Quinn. Johnson is fast, and while he may not be as strong, he can still get to the quarterback. He’s bulked up to about 270, so he may benefit from dropping a bit of weight if he had to make the switch, but he would still be very effective.

Ezekial Ansah, Lions. A raw product who hasn’t played football long, he’s a crazy athlete. As a 3-4 outside linebacker, he’d be a bit big, but his athleticism would allow him to excel.

Dion Jordan, Dolphins. I love Oregon, and Dion Jordan was all over the defensive field playing multiple positions. While he hasn’t lived up to his early draft position yet, hopefully that turns around soon. Jordan will excel by being lined up all over the place. As an outside linebacker Jordan could rush from multiple positions.

from: philly.com

3-4 linebacker into ends

Aldon Smith, 49ers. He has some personal issues to deal with, but Smith would be a terror lined up as a left or right end. He can rush the passer and stop the run equally well, and he’s very fast for 265 pounds.

Quinton Coples, Jets. At 290 pounds (this varies based on what website you reference), Coples could really be a small 4-3 tackle or a 3-4 end, which means he could play a bigger 4-3 end. He’s not nearly as quick as the others in this article, but coming out of college playing at 280 he ran a 4.78 forty yard dash. That’s very good for his size. He’s got the arm length to reach to either side of the tackle to pull down a runner and enough of a burst to occasionally get a sack.

from: newsday.com

Jadeveon Clowney, Texans. Need I say anything? Ok, I will. He played a 4-3 end at South Carolina, and he’s a freak athlete. Done.

Brian Orakpo, Redskins. He’s just great at everything. He can shed blockers on his way to the passer and to bring down the runner. I would imagine he could do something similar from a three-point and four-point stance.

from: washingtonpost.com

Robert Mathis, Colts. Mathis has proven he can play both positions. He was a stud in their 4-3 defense two seasons ago and led the NFL with 19.5 sacks last year. If he needed to, I believe he could make the switch back to an end. If he hadn’t torn his Achilles, of course. That might slow him down.

I know I left plenty out as there are a lot of crazy defensive athletes in the league, but these are the first ones I thought of. Feel free to comment with others you think could easily make the switch.

Vs. Patriots

from: livewire.wcvb.com

How ‘bout that first drive? Yeah, we looked really good for that five minutes. And that was about it.

I will be honest and say I only saw about two and half quarters. I didn’t see the whole thing; I couldn’t stand it. So I’m going to share some of the things I saw knowing full well that I missed some other plays.

That first drive was amazing. The Patriots keyed in on Cordarrelle Patterson so heavily it gave Cassel wide open looks to the other side of the field. Phenomenal play calling. I understand that couldn’t go on the whole game, but we needed something else. Maybe start going back to Patterson, run him on some end arounds, something to keep the Patriots guessing.

Chandler Jones is great, yes, but he made Matt Kalil look like a rookie. And the rest of the line didn’t play much better. Loadholt got beat easily by a few of the Patriots slower pass rushers, and our guards weren’t doing much better.

from: pressherald.com

Asiata looked pretty good though, running and catching. No, he wasn’t Peterson. But like Cassel supposedly said before the game, playing without Peterson makes the Vikings more unpredictable. I didn’t see Asiata drop a pass, and while he isn’t going to juke his way around two defenders before being taken down, he runs hard through the line and almost always falls forward for two or three more yards. Granted, he ended with only thirty six yards and no rushing touchdowns, but he did have a pretty twenty five yard touchdown catch and run to cap off that first drive.

I don’t really need to say much about Cassel. He threw four interceptions. I only saw the first, and if you’re going chuck it, don’t underthrow your guy. I’m still all for Cassel starting to give Bridgewater more time to learn everything, but I may change my mind if we see a couple more days like yesterday.

from: usatoday.com

Where was the defense from a week ago? I know Tom Brady is much different than Austin Davis, but we were getting beat in so many other aspects that Brady didn’t even stress himself. With the defense causing so many turnovers and stopping our offense, the Patriots didn’t have to drive far to score. The blocked field goal that was returned by none other than Chandler Jones to end the first half didn’t help our situation at all either. Tom Johnson had the only sack, we had a few tackles behind the line, but the majority of tackles came from our safeties and linebackers four and five yards past the line of scrimmage. Brady never really had to pass, so we rarely had a chance for any sacks. When he did though, we gave him the space. Edelman in particular was all over the place. Our secondary could still use some work, but hopefully Zimmer will whip everyone into shape soon.

from: concordmonitor.com

It wasn’t pretty. That’s all I’m going to say. But it has to get better. Right? Well, we have a tough road ahead. The Saints, Falcons, Packers, and Lions. Granted, they all have their weaknesses, but the Vikings have a way to go for perfection. Let’s just hope next week we can see some progression. It has to be better than this week. Right?

Sunday Evening Present: Madden Style

from: fansided.com (yes, I understand this is Madden 25, but it looks great)

My Sunday was a lovely day spent cleaning the house and then hanging out at a friend’s house. I came home and had dinner with my wife. Good day. Then I popped open facebook like I’m wont to do a couple times a week and BAM! Full Madden 15 player ratings reveals for the AFC and NFC North! Present for me. So let’s dive in. How did the Vikings fare?

You can see the ratings yourself here: http://www.easports.com/.

Obviously AP is the best player on the roster, as he should be. Good job, Madden Ratings Czars, good job. John Sullivan comes in at a 92 overall; he may not get much recognition during the season, but Madden at least gives him his due credit. Then Phil Loadholt comes in third at a 90. I’d actually say Loadholt may be a tad overrated, but on the Vikings roster, as a mauling and run blocking right tackle, that would be an accurate rating.

from: gomadden.com

Loadholt may be overrated, on a team like the Patriots, but is there anyone else who is overrated on the Vikings’ roster? Linval Joseph is rated an 86, about what he was rated last year. I've been hearing that he’s good, but I don’t know if I’d go 86 good. He has more of a reputation than Shariff Floyd does, but Floyd’s 77 rating seems a bit too far away. Jamarca Sanford is another player I think may be getting a slight boost in ratings. At a 79, he’s the best strong safety on the roster, and that he should be. But throughout training camp Sanford has been running predominately with the second team. I understand Zimmer wants a safety that can play more coverage as opposed to Sanford’s run support, but I feel like a 77 may be more appropriate. Next one up is Jasper Brinkley, rated a 76 overall. He’s great in run support, which may be what Zimmer is ultimately looking for, but Brinkley was atrocious in pass coverage for us when he played for the Vikings. I think a drop in his awareness and zone coverage (though it’s already at a 60) are due.

These are all stretches. Honestly, I don’t believe any Vikings players should be rated lower than what they are. What kind of Vikings fan would I be then? I just felt that before I start listing the people that need a boost in ratings, I should attempt to be fair and list a few that maybe, kinda, roughly could be dropped a bit. Maybe.

from: gomadden.com

So now for those that I feel are underrated. We have to start with Teddy Bridgewater. At a 77 overall, he has the same rating as Johnny Manziel. Come on, man! Teddy has great accuracy on short and medium throws (87 and 82 respectively), but his 69 deep accuracy really kills his rating. While I would argue that Bridgewater probably has better awareness than the 60 he was given, I'm more concerned with this deep accuracy. From what we've heard out of Vikings training camp, Bridgewater has a much better deep ball than what was expected. Granted, every team will be saying their rookies are performing better than expected in problem areas. Still, a 69? I’d go with closer to 74 (and that will be the first thing I edit when I get my copy). Then we have Blair Walsh, who gets an 81 overall rating. With 92 kick power and 87 kick accuracy, he’s pretty good. But if those ratings, combined with his 78 awareness, only grant an 81 overall, then stuff needs to be pumped up. Walsh should be an 85. I know Justin Tucker of the Ravens is good, but he’s got a 93 overall rating. Blair Walsh is not 12 points worse than him. Definitely not. Last one I strongly believe got gypped is Matt Kalil. This guy is a stud. I understand he had a down year, so he isn’t at the same level as John Sullivan or Phil Loadholt, but Kalil gets just an 80 overall rating. With 79 awareness, he only has a run blocking rating of 76 and pass blocking rating of 87. Now, I love Iowa players, but Riley Reiff on the Lions is also an 80 overall. I scoff at that disparity.

Just some notes on other players: Cordarelle Patterson gets an 82 overall with 98 agility. That’s about right. In only his second year, his overall rating is hampered a bit by his awareness and catch in traffic. I’ll still probably start him and put Jennings at the number 2 spot. Then we have Kyle Rudolph at an 84. Expect to see that rating jump throughout the year. Then we’ve got Anthony Barr, The Vikings’ first, first round draft pick, sitting at a middling 75 overall. That’s ok for now, though, in my opinion. His speed and quickness are amazing for a linebacker of his size, 90 and 89, but he’s hampered by awareness and play recognition ratings in the lower sixties. He has great pass rushing moves, however, so he should be an immediate impact player with Madden 15’s new pass rushing controls, especially if you get the jump on the snap.

from: reddit.com

I felt like this year’s ratings—what is out so far—have been staggered better. There are more sixties and seventies than previous years, so there is a bigger difference between the elite players and those that are simply average. Of all the players in this release, only Calvin Johnson is a 99. AP, Aaron Rodgers, and Joe Thomas get 98s, but there’s a steady drop-off from there. I’m not comparing numbers to last year’s ratings at this point, so I could be completely wrong, but there seemed to be more low numbers on the bottom of those spreadsheets than in past years.

Madden 15 comes out August 26^th. Depending on how much time I get to play it, I think I can guarantee the Vikings a Superbowl by the second week of September. Yea, buddy.