Pondering Her Percy wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2019 12:16 am
Agree with some of this, disagree with other parts.
We struggle against good pass rushes when cousins is left to die in the pocket. Look at the games where we weren’t using rollouts nearly as often and dropping cousins in the pocket: Chicago, denver (first half), Green Bay. That’s when our OL looks the worst
Agreed we need to stick to the run and get back to our game plan.
As for their offense, their running game has fallen off for sure. Brees is arm isn’t what it use to be, yes. But their OL is an excellent pass blocking OL. We need to find ways to dial up blitzes against them. Zim has gotten after Brees before so I hope he doesn’t just rely on hunter and griff to do all the work.
Yeah they put up 46 on SF but also put up 9 on Atlanta. They might be good but they are far from impossible to slow down or stop.
The main thing I disagree with is that they are a much better team than we are. I would say they are more consistent than we are. But they are definitely not a “much better” team than we are. Talent for talent it’s awfully close.
QB: Saints
RB: Vikings (close push but cook is a better pure runner than Kamara)
WRs: Vikings
TEs: Push. Cook is better than Rudy but having Smith in the mix makes this a push
OL: Saints
DL: Vikings
LBs: Vikings
CBs: ours should be way better but aren’t somehow. Push?
Ss: Vikings
That’s 5-2 Vikings arguably with a few pushes. It comes down to executing and starting fast. The defense has the talent to stop this team but have been a let down most of the year. The offense should be able to match up well but it all depends on play calling, cooks health/finding the run game again and Thielens health. This is a team you can’t make many mistakes against because they will make you pay.
Call me crazy but I have this gut feeling that we’re going to win this game and that’s being 100% honest and not being a homer.
Nobody thinks the Vikings will win this game and we will be underdogs across the board. And that’s when it seems like we’re the most dangerous. I have a much better feeling about this game than I have in past playoff games and I don’t know why. But I truly think we win this game for whatever reason and I’ll eat crow if we don’t
Nothing wrong with being a homer at this point but I agree. Cousins can be afraid to Target down the field, especially against this secondary. The are going to be looking to take Cook out so the play calling can be too predictable. As for the Defense its gonna be a challenge obviously. Brees is going to be looking for the blitz and Thomas and Kamara will be his bailout guys. Got to figure out a way to shut them down.
I don't know the Saints team very well but if their CBs are a push with ours then their secondary isn't very good. I'm not sure why our DL is rated higher. Has anyone seen the amount of yards our team gives up in the ground game. A team getting 100 is almost a given. A good team it's 200+. If our DL is better we should be able to run at will on them. This could be a Falcon deal all over again 10 pass attempts. No need to even bother throwing. Just with that we should win.
As for Cousins being afraid he better be. Their pass rush will destroy our crappy OL. If the Saints are smart enough to put Jordan on Reif there's a good chance Cousins will be knocked out. No way Reif can block this guy. Straight path to the QB. So yea he's afraid.
What helps us is Brees isn't a runner. They need to bring pressure big time. I hope Zim sees this and brings it. If not Brees will pick our secondary apart. At least for half the game which will make it close.
VikingLord wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 4:39 pmBut he's not superman, nor is he unbeatable. The Vikings can make life very difficult for him and the Saints offense. Despite their many flaws, they have a lot of talented players and the capability to stop pretty much any offense in the league if they're on top of their game.
Unfortunately that's rare, especially on the road.Their road playoff record has been abysmal over the last 30 years or so and their last road win in the postseason was when Tice's Vikes upset GB at Lambeau in 2004 playoffs (which was sweet!).
Nevertheless, the Vikes have a chance to win this game. They will have to be at their very best. How often have we seen that in a big game, under Zimmer or anybody else? I fear the odds that Zimmer out-coaches Payton, Cousins steps up big in the playoffs AND the defense holds up for 4 quarters against one of the league's best offenses are very slim.
Of course, I'll be watching and hoping for the best anyway.
Jim, your last line resonates so much! Here we are, being Charlie Brown again and Lucy's smirking in the corner.
I love that we are major underdogs in this game. I think one of our largest Achilles heel this year has been insufficient play in the trenches, especially on D. We HAVE to get pressure on Brees, if we want any chance to win this game. Zimmer better figure out how to dial up some unexpected blitzes or rotate our DL more frequently to get fresh motors running at Brees, otherwise our secondary will look like Swiss cheese. In a lot of ways, Kirk and Zimmer are similar in that they are at their best when they get away from their conservative and hesitant tendencies. Zimmer really needs to go after this game, balls to the wall, or he's going to be in the hot seat. Rumors are flying that the FO may ask him to resign so that they can promote Stefanski. Don't know if I buy 'em, but it sounds plausible to me.
Nothing wrong with being a homer at this point but I agree. Cousins can be afraid to Target down the field, especially against this secondary. The are going to be looking to take Cook out so the play calling can be too predictable. As for the Defense its gonna be a challenge obviously. Brees is going to be looking for the blitz and Thomas and Kamara will be his bailout guys. Got to figure out a way to shut them down.
I don't know the Saints team very well but if their CBs are a push with ours then their secondary isn't very good. I'm not sure why our DL is rated higher. Has anyone seen the amount of yards our team gives up in the ground game. A team getting 100 is almost a given. A good team it's 200+. If our DL is better we should be able to run at will on them. This could be a Falcon deal all over again 10 pass attempts. No need to even bother throwing. Just with that we should win.
As for Cousins being afraid he better be. Their pass rush will destroy our crappy OL. If the Saints are smart enough to put Jordan on Reif there's a good chance Cousins will be knocked out. No way Reif can block this guy. Straight path to the QB. So yea he's afraid.
What helps us is Brees isn't a runner. They need to bring pressure big time. I hope Zim sees this and brings it. If not Brees will pick our secondary apart. At least for half the game which will make it close.
Their secondary is not great at all and our 2 DEs alone make us a better DL IMO
The saddest thing in life is wasted talent and the choices you make will shape your life forever.
-Chazz Palminteri
Texas Vike wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2019 12:01 pm
Rumors are flying that the FO may ask him to resign so that they can promote Stefanski. Don't know if I buy 'em, but it sounds plausible to me.
If the Vikings lose and the defensive performance is a major reason why, I could see Zimmer coming under heavy criticism. If they lose and the offense put in another sub-10 first downs performance, I highly doubt anyone seriously throws around the idea of promoting the architect of that type of performance in this type of game as a solution to improve the overall team. That is a real stretch.
CharVike wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2019 10:09 am
I don't know the Saints team very well but if their CBs are a push with ours then their secondary isn't very good. I'm not sure why our DL is rated higher. Has anyone seen the amount of yards our team gives up in the ground game. A team getting 100 is almost a given. A good team it's 200+. If our DL is better we should be able to run at will on them. This could be a Falcon deal all over again 10 pass attempts. No need to even bother throwing. Just with that we should win.
As for Cousins being afraid he better be. Their pass rush will destroy our crappy OL. If the Saints are smart enough to put Jordan on Reif there's a good chance Cousins will be knocked out. No way Reif can block this guy. Straight path to the QB. So yea he's afraid.
What helps us is Brees isn't a runner. They need to bring pressure big time. I hope Zim sees this and brings it. If not Brees will pick our secondary apart. At least for half the game which will make it close.
Their secondary is not great at all and our 2 DEs alone make us a better DL IMO
I don't know... I just read that the Saints have not allowed a single back to go over 100 yards all year. That's insane and it suggests their overall DL might not get after the passer better than the Vikings, they sure seem to be better rounded than the Vikings. If you go to vikings.com and watch the "Move the Sticks" segment, they also mention how the Saints have one of the top overall pressure rates in the NFL this year, while the Vikings are in the bottom third. So while the Vikings have guys who can get sacks, they aren't great at getting pressure per se. None of that suggests the Vikings have the better overall DL, and the game is going to be on the road, so the Vikings DL won't have the aid of a lot of crowd noise either.
I think the Vikings front 7 can hold its own against the Saints provided the Vikings offense can stay on the field. If they can't and the defense has to be out there for 35+ minutes as it has against the Packers and Bears, I don't think they're going to be able to hang with the Saints.
Offense HAS to be much better than they have been recently. They have to convert on 3rd down, keep drives alive, and score TDs if the Vikings are going to win this game.
Texas Vike wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2019 12:01 pm
Rumors are flying that the FO may ask him to resign so that they can promote Stefanski. Don't know if I buy 'em, but it sounds plausible to me.
If the Vikings lose and the defensive performance is a major reason why, I could see Zimmer coming under heavy criticism. If they lose and the offense put in another sub-10 first downs performance, I highly doubt anyone seriously throws around the idea of promoting the architect of that type of performance in this type of game as a solution to improve the overall team. That is a real stretch.
Look around and you'll see that it's already being discussed, and not just by conspiracy theorist fans. I think it's far fetched, but a possibility that is being entertained by the FO, as it should be, honestly. They should consider many options, unless this season somehow flips around.
If the Vikings lose and the defensive performance is a major reason why, I could see Zimmer coming under heavy criticism. If they lose and the offense put in another sub-10 first downs performance, I highly doubt anyone seriously throws around the idea of promoting the architect of that type of performance in this type of game as a solution to improve the overall team. That is a real stretch.
Look around and you'll see that it's already being discussed, and not just by conspiracy theorist fans. I think it's far fetched, but a possibility that is being entertained by the FO, as it should be, honestly. They should consider many options, unless this season somehow flips around.
If they're going to go that route they should go it with someone who has demonstrated something positive, which, if the Vikings lose to the Saints and the offense is again the primary reason, isn't Stefanski IMHO.
Seriously,
I have so much faith in this team to come out and perform against the Saints. I am not sure why but I feel like once we are clicking, no one can stop us offensively. Cook is going to have a good game against them and AT and Diggs are going to do their thing. The defense is also going to do just enough to win. It looks like everything defensively is clicking at the right time.
Texas Vike wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2019 12:01 pmJim, your last line resonates so much! Here we are, being Charlie Brown again and Lucy's smirking in the corner.
We just can't help ourselves.
I love that we are major underdogs in this game. I think one of our largest Achilles heel this year has been insufficient play in the trenches, especially on D. We HAVE to get pressure on Brees, if we want any chance to win this game. Zimmer better figure out how to dial up some unexpected blitzes or rotate our DL more frequently to get fresh motors running at Brees, otherwise our secondary will look like Swiss cheese. In a lot of ways, Kirk and Zimmer are similar in that they are at their best when they get away from their conservative and hesitant tendencies. Zimmer really needs to go after this game, balls to the wall, or he's going to be in the hot seat. Rumors are flying that the FO may ask him to resign so that they can promote Stefanski. Don't know if I buy 'em, but it sounds plausible to me.
Yikes. I find that prospect pretty scary. I don't see Stefanski as a head coach-worthy assistant at this stage of his career.
I think you make good points about both the need for Zimmer/Cousins to cut loose and about the Vikings performance in the trenches. They've had problems there on both sides of the ball.
I'm really worried the Saints will rush for 130+ on them and then kill them with play action passes.
