Vintage

[DanAS]

Only our Vikings figure out new and creative ways to lose in the playoffs. But the fact is that our D played really well and has a great nucleus for next year. As for the O, it isn't good enough to have gone as far as some of the other great Vikings teams of the past have gone, so even if had won today we would still probably not get to the point where we could choke in the NFC Championship Game, let alone to the point where we could blow another Super Bowl by double digits.

As for "the big three" goats, I'm not impressed with Locke as a punter, so I'm not even thinking about his skills as a holder. As for Walsh, I have a preference for FG kickers who you can trust, even if their range isn't world beating. Let him find another team and choke for them. As for Peterson, I'm not a fan of building an O around a running back, and if I was, it would be a running back who can do more than just take handoffs and run (see, e.g., the guy who should have won the Heisman this year but played "too late at night" for the voters to watch him). I think it's no coincidence that AD fumbled on a passing play -- he never impressed me as having a feel for the passing game. Somehow, we've got to figure out how to build a good passing offense and if it means freeing up the cap space used on Peterson, so be it. I don't care for that man any way.

I'm also not a big Teddy fan, but he is an OK "game manager" -- certainly good enough to have won today if Peterson doesn't fumble and Walsh doesn't choke. On the other hand, I'm not convinced that our D is light's out enough to win with just an OK game manager as a QB. We need a good QB, and the jury is still out on whether he qualifies as that. We also need upgrades on the OL -- and that might be job one during this off-season.

For our young Vikings fans, this is how we roll. Sometimes it is closer to the Super Bowl, but it always happens that the good Vikings teams figure out horrible ways to end their seasons.

Hail Mary
Darren's Drop
Mr. "Can't Miss" Just Did
12 Men in the Huddle
No Kick is a Gimme for Walsh

Same team. Different year. And as always, we remain the answer to the trivia question: What is the only team to have won the NFL Championship but not the World Championship? The purple team that leaves its fans blue, that's who!

[VikingLord]

I think Spielman should try to find some competition for Locke, Walsh, and Bridgewater, not necessarily with the intent of replacing them, but with the goal of pushing them to get better and more consistent. I honestly doubt he'll find anyone better than those 3, but cutting them or trading even the kickers is a reaction that is understandable under these circumstances, and yet would be irresponsible for a GM charged with building a winning team. All 3 need to up their games in the consistency department.

As for AD, live by the RB die by the RB. This team has been built around AD for so long I think I've forgotten a time when the Vikes could just come out and surprise a defense. The nucleus is certainly there in the receiving corps for that to happen (although not sure what Spielman will do with Wallace and his huge contract). Spielman definitely needs to solidify the offensive line (although I think they played fairly well today), but not sure what, if anything, should be done with AD. He showed he can still be effective this year, but he'll always have that fumbling potential due to the way he runs and carries the ball. It won't be coached out of him at this point.

What I would do if I were Spielman, Turner and Zimmer is start to transition the offense away from a focus on AD and running to more of a RB-by-committee approach with McKinnon while also working on opening up the deeper parts of the field to more downfield passing. To do that they will need more from the offensive line, but I think Spielman can address that this offseason.

This team's future is quite bright. They'll be moving into some nice new digs next year and are very young. As much as today's result sucks and this team's basic penchant for seizing defeat from the jaws of victory will probably never change, I see them being highly competitive for several years. Maybe somehow, someway this group will be able to shake off whatever curse afflicts this team and take it all the way.

[720pete]

We has a season where we vastly exceed expectations.

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[VikingPaul73]

1. I agree on the Kicker comment. Walsh missed several XPs this year, but also had some booming kicks. He has huge potential, but is just too unreliable and inconsistent. We need a K who we can rely on and be consistent...even if as DaNaS says he doesn't have the best range. A coach needs to know what he can expect. A reliable K like Gary Anderson who hits every kick in the regular season and doesn't miss until a critical point in the NFC championship game!!! Ha ha, sorry couldn't resist

2. AD

3. Oh well, they did better by far both this season and in this game than I thought they would do. I'm actually shocked that they won the division and then even moreso that this game was even close.

4. Trae looked good. Robinson looked awful.

5. If it makes you feel any better about the Walsh miss....I am VERY confident that even had he made it, the Vikes would have lost the game in the last 20+ seconds....

[SP1966]

Only our Vikings figure out new and creative ways to lose in the playoffs.

Nah, the Bengals loss was far more painful for their fans IMO. A shanked kick happens, not just to the Vikings, the Bengals on the other hand lost stupid.

[Mogvet]

We has a season where we vastly exceed expectations.

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I hear this almost every season......sounds like a broken record to me.

[soflavike]

I'm also not a big Teddy fan, but he is an OK "game manager" -- certainly good enough to have won today if Peterson doesn't fumble and Walsh doesn't choke. On the other hand, I'm not convinced that our D is light's out enough to win with just an OK game manager as a QB. We need a good QB, and the jury is still out on whether he qualifies as that. We also need upgrades on the OL -- and that might be job one during this off-season.

I would like to see Teddy with a better OL. I'm not completely sold on him, either, but I have to think some of his troubles are protection-related. He seems very smart and has good accuracy in the short game.

[DanAS]

Nah, the Bengals loss was far more painful for their fans IMO. A shanked kick happens, not just to the Vikings, the Bengals on the other hand lost stupid.

We are a very well coached team that doesn't make many idiotic mistakes. In that sense, we can't be compared to bunch of teams, the Bengals being one.

But the problem is, no matter how well coached we are and how talented we are ... we always figure out a way .... I've seen it in the 60, the 70s, the 80s, the 90s, the 00s ... and now, this decade too. I find it to be excruciating, and I don't believe in "moral victories" in the playoffs.

[fiestavike]

I would like to see Teddy with a better OL. I'm not completely sold on him, either, but I have to think some of his troubles are protection-related. He seems very smart and has good accuracy in the short game.

I think 90 percent of Teddy Haters would be his biggest fans if he had a decent O line. Oh, and they'd probably want Norv promoted to replace Zimmer the first time the defense has a bad game. Fans are stupid.

[TSonn]

Welcome to the Vikings, Coach Zimmer! Hopefully he's the guy who can break that horrible tradition.

[DanAS]

I would like to see Teddy with a better OL. I'm not completely sold on him, either, but I have to think some of his troubles are protection-related. He seems very smart and has good accuracy in the short game.

Agreed. Though even the "weak armed" championship QBs, like Montana and Stabler could complete long passes at times. Teddy seems almost incapable of doing that. And when you don't have that deep threat, it's much harder to play dink and dunk -- especially when your starting RB doesn't have a feel for the passing game.

[fiestavike]

Agreed. Though even the "weak armed" championship QBs, like Montana and Stabler could complete long passes at times. Teddy seems almost incapable of doing that. And when you don't have that deep threat, it's much harder to play dink and dunk -- especially when your starting RB doesn't have a feel for the passing game.

They arent exactly high percentage passes for any QB, (as I watch Rodgers just missed on a deep pass badly), but Teddy only throws 1 or 2 a game this season so he doesn't connect on many. THAT needs to change, which requires protection.

[VikingLord]

I hear this almost every season......sounds like a broken record to me.

Seriously? This is what, their first time back in the playoffs since 2012 and yet you hear this almost every season? You must be talking to people who have really low expectations...

[PurpleKoolaid]

I hear this almost every season......sounds like a broken record to me.

Someone check this guys IP. I bet he has another user name he is using already.

[SP1966]

We are a very well coached team that doesn't make many idiotic mistakes. In that sense, we can't be compared to bunch of teams, the Bengals being one.

But the problem is, no matter how well coached we are and how talented we are ... we always figure out a way .... I've seen it in the 60, the 70s, the 80s, the 90s, the 00s ... and now, this decade too. I find it to be excruciating, and I don't believe in "moral victories" in the playoffs.

I'm 49, been a Viking fan my entire life, it sucks no doubt! I'm not making excuses for Walsh, nor am I looking for moral victories, I just think losing on a football play hurts less than losing because your team is manned by bleeping idiots. I can take solace in our kicker missing with everything on the line, I cannot even enjoy victories when our team is filled with ####.