Patriots @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 2

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Mothman
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Re: Patriots @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 2

Post by Mothman »

allday1991 wrote:That about sums it up, did anyone else think Rudolph has dropped to many easy/open passes the last two games?
Yes. He definitely dropped some catchable passes today.

They started the game looking very sharp on offense but it was almost all downhill from there.
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Re: Patriots @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 2

Post by tmscr »

I don't think we want to rush it with teddy. Cassell was brutal today, he was fine last week. He lost any explosive threat in the run game today and the pats just sat back and picked apart him and his awful throws.

It's hard for me to bury the starting qb two games in because if teddy comes in and is way over his head, it creates a qb by committee situation. We all know how that goes. Do we really want the young draft pick/future to be thrown into the fire without a legitimate running threat?
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Re: Patriots @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 2

Post by 84BreaksAnkles »

TEH - D
TEH - D
TEHHHDDDYYY
Please just watch(04:39-05:18):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxXCuSyj18M&t=4m39s
This is a dog.
Compare that to this guy (00:46-01:01):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar3ioQywcAc&t=0m45s
"It's ok to hit the bag"
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Re: Patriots @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 2

Post by ponderwheelsbroads »

Xavier Rhodes looked more like Josh Robinson today, and when guys like Rudolph start dropping easy throws, you know they're in trouble.

On the plus side, Harrison Smith is a TANK...LOVE watching this guy play
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Re: Patriots @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 2

Post by HardcoreVikesFan »

What an awful game. Awful play calling. Awful execution. Awful everything. I have nothing to say other than next week is not going to be any easier. This team looks lost without Peterson. But, IDC whether or not he plays.
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Re: Patriots @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 2

Post by Pseudo Everything »

Don't know if this has been covered in this thread but thought Leber had a good observation about Patterson.
Ben Leber: If Patterson wants to be more than gimmick guy, he has to consistently beat the jam. Logan Ryan has beat him up all day.
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Re: Patriots @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 2

Post by PurpleKoolaid »

Pseudo Everything wrote:Don't know if this has been covered in this thread but thought Leber had a good observation about Patterson.
I noticed it. That's why I wanted him in on more rush plays. He is drawing a lot of coverage on him, with AD out, and Kyle dropping everything throw his way. Cassel was forced to try and throw one into him, but he had 3 guys all over him.

We need Simpson back. NO ONE is afraid of Wright. Jennings and Cassel wearnt on the same page either. Norv wasn't at this finest today.
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Re: Patriots @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 2

Post by Funkytown »

One thing: AP would have been SO proud with how well we handled that whoopin! :twisted:

Try to have a good night, gentlemen.

:govikes:
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Re: Patriots @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 2

Post by Just Me »

Funkytown wrote:One thing: AP would have been SO proud with how well we handled that whoopin! :twisted:

Try to have a good night, gentlemen.

:govikes:
I'll give you credit - You still maintain your sense of humor in what had to be a disappointing game for your 'road trip'.
I've told people a million times not to exaggerate!
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Re: Patriots @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 2

Post by Mothman »

Valhalla wrote:They just said that without a formidable running attack threat, the NE secondary could sit back and play pass more. Maybe there is a little something to that.
I think there's definitely something to it but that said, there were plays to be made in the passing game and the Vikes simply didn't make enough of them. They dropped passes, missed blocks and Cassel misfired or just threw it to NE. Execution. If Cassel throws a slightly better pass to Patterson near the end of the first half, the Vikes are set up to score a TD. Instead, a play later, their FG attempt was blocked and the pats end up with a TD instead. :wallbang:

I'm not ripping Cassel for that throw by the way. It wasn't off by that much and even the best QBs don't throw it perfectly every time. It's just a good example of a play that was there to be made and the Vikings failed to make it. It's the same thing we've been seeing for years. How many close calls like that did Ponder throw? No team is going to make every play but the Vikes have to start making a higher percentage of them on a consistent basis.
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Re: Patriots @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 2

Post by Funkytown »

Just Me wrote: I'll give you credit - You still maintain your sense of humor in what had to be a disappointing game for your 'road trip'.
Thank you. :-) My sense of humor keeps me from going insane!

I'm at Joe Senser's now watching the other games. I'm over being mad. lol.
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Re: Patriots @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 2

Post by Just Me »

Mothman wrote:There's a small rant ahead. Read it at your own risk:

I'm sorry, but watching that game, it was hard not to "hear" post after post about how the Vikings lost last year because Cassel didn't start, because they needed more emotion from the head coach (not much of that today), because the systems were bad, because the playcalling was bad, because they didn't know how to coach defense, played the wrong guys, etc. However, now they have a "stable" QB situation with Cassel and "real" coaches so it's a different team. It didn't look much different today.

I like some of the moves the Vikes made this offseason, I like the new coaching staff and I don't want to discount the impact the Peterson situation may have had on the team this week but the Vikes still have a lot of work to do in no small part because they still have talent/personnel issues and they still have far too many execution issues. Hopefully, this game will help dispel some of the illusions people maintain about these things and make that clear. The games are won and lost on the field and no system works if the execution isn't there. The talent to get the job done needs to be present too. I still believe the Vikes are on the right track but they need to clean this stuff up or the Zimmer era will end up looking a lot like the Frazier era.

Zimmer needs to keep working to instill more discipline into this team and they need to get Bridgewater ready to go as soon as they can because Cassel doesn't stabilize anything and we know Ponder's not likely to do it either.
I agree with 95% of what you posted. I underlined that point that I wanted to disagree with. To me, the defense looked different (in a good way), and perhaps it should have given we only have 3 of of the same starters from last year on the team. I thought they played well overall. Rhodes has some more growing to do, but he is going to be good. Mark my words. He's not quite there yet, but he will be. Robinson, (in admittedly only 2 games of observation) appears to be back to his 'Rookie form' (of showing promise again, instead of just awful). Much of that may admittedly being switching him back to where he is better suited to play, but still...

Offensively, (to plagiarize Kapp) we were offensive. Defensively, I didn't see a team that was likely to lose 25% of their games in the final two minutes. I saw an effort that never quit, and sans their contributions, the drubbing we took at the hands of offensive and special teams miscues would have been much worse. They were not perfect, and they contributed to the loss, but I see them growing and improving.

I did not have the 'fear' when the Pats were on offense that I had when other teams were on offense last year. It's not that we cam't be scored on (clearly) but I feel we will improve to the top 10-15 in defense this year. Coming from #32, that is huge. Offensively, Cassel is a 'minor upgrade' over Ponder. I've always maintained that opinion. He is too inconsistent (as we all know) to be anything other than a stopgap.

I saw a team that still looks much different today than one year ago. And it's for the better. It's not perfect, and with aggressive defenses come big plays (both positively and negatively) so we are likely to get 'burned' on some plays in upcoming games. My confidence in this squad to protect a lead in the 4th quarter (assuming we can get one, that is) is much higher than last year. If we squeak out one more win of the next 3, and finish our first 5 games at 2-3, we'll be sitting pretty good in my estimation.

As far as execution issues: Of course we have issues. We have a very young team and we are getting better every game. Granted, the team ultimately put forth a losing effort, but "not much different today" - I gotta disagree. :v):
I've told people a million times not to exaggerate!
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Re: Patriots @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 2

Post by Pseudo Everything »

Does Mike Preifer get his suspension reduced to two games?

I assumed that when the Vikings said that they would consider reducing Preifer's three game suspension to two games if he completed sensitivity training (or whatever they call it) that it was almost a foregone conclusion that it would be a two game suspension. Now with the Switch Scandal ... I'm not so sure. It might be that the Vikings don't want to do anything right now that would ignite another distraction.

The way our special teams played today it would probably be a good thing if Preifer comes back now.
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Re: Patriots @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 2

Post by Mothman »

Just Me wrote:I agree with 95% of what you posted. I underlined that point that I wanted to disagree with. To me, the defense looked different (in a good way), and perhaps it should have given we only have 3 of of the same starters from last year on the team. I thought they played well overall. Rhodes has some more growing to do, but he is going to be good. Mark my words. He's not quite there yet, but he will be. Robinson, (in admittedly only 2 games of observation) appears to be back to his 'Rookie form' (of showing promise again, instead of just awful). Much of that may admittedly being switching him back to where he is better suited to play, but still...

Offensively, (to plagiarize Kapp) we were offensive. Defensively, I didn't see a team that was likely to lose 25% of their games in the final two minutes. I saw an effort that never quit, and sans their contributions, the drubbing we took at the hands of offensive and special teams miscues would have been much worse. They were not perfect, and they contributed to the loss, but I see them growing and improving.

I did not have the 'fear' when the Pats were on offense that I had when other teams were on offense last year. It's not that we cam't be scored on (clearly) but I feel we will improve to the top 10-15 in defense this year. Coming from #32, that is huge. Offensively, Cassel is a 'minor upgrade' over Ponder. I've always maintained that opinion. He is too inconsistent (as we all know) to be anything other than a stopgap.

I saw a team that still looks much different today than one year ago. And it's for the better. It's not perfect, and with aggressive defenses come big plays (both positively and negatively) so we are likely to get 'burned' on some plays in upcoming games. My confidence in this squad to protect a lead in the 4th quarter (assuming we can get one, that is) is much higher than last year. If we squeak out one more win of the next 3, and finish our first 5 games at 2-3, we'll be sitting pretty good in my estimation.

As far as execution issues: Of course we have issues. We have a very young team and we are getting better every game. Granted, the team ultimately put forth a losing effort, but "not much different today" - I gotta disagree. :v):
I definitely see your point but you may have taken that line you highlighted a little more literally than I had intended. :) I see differences too but my point was that there were too many similar results, right down to the lack of execution and the lack of forced turnovers. To me, they looked more than capable of being that team that blows 4th quarter leads again. I suspect that's one of those things that's very much in the "eye of the beholder" though. Hopefully, they'll have plenty of 4th quarter leads this year and hopefully, they'll hold onto them.

You're right that they are a young team and that leads to some execution issues but that was part of my point. There was so much talk last year about all the games they would have won with Cassel instead of Ponder, about how the coaches were the main problem (not youth, not execution, not talent) and so on that I just hope this game drives home that a lot of that was just magical thinking. The team has to resolve it's talent issues, gain experience and grow into a better team. I think Zimmer has the right idea but solving the team's problems wasn't as simple as just benching Ponder and dumping the coaching staff. Most of the Vikes prior issues are still there, still visible, still problems Zimmer has to resolve. QB performance remains a big issue and the Vikes as a whole still look to me like a project that's going to take some time.
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Re: Patriots @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 2

Post by yezzir »

Funkytown wrote:One thing: AP would have been SO proud with how well we handled that whoopin! :twisted:

Try to have a good night, gentlemen.

:govikes:
:lol:

/thread.
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