Preseason Game #3 vs. San Diego Chargers game thread

[Mothman]

One of the things that stood out to me was McKinnon's patience behind the line of scrimmage. On several occasion, he had to wait until the blocks in front of him developed before finding an opening. This is one reason why I would have liked Peterson to get a few reps in preseason. I realize it's a little crazy to criticize a guy at his level on his running but there are times where he runs full speed into the backs of his linemen. He may need to develop a bit more patience and that could take some time.

He'll be fine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGPnWouY9P8

By the way, McKinnon ran the ball well yesterday but was I the only one who watched this play (below) and thought Peterson probably would have taken it to the house?

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/76994565 ... wsrc%5Etfw

That's not meant as a knock on McKinnon, just as an appreciation for Peterson's acceleration and how dangerous he is once he gets to the second level.

That play is also a nice illustration of why Zach Line actually odes bring value to the team. Kudos to Berger and Fusco for their blocks too. Those 3 players created a great hole for McKinnon.

[Mothman]

As long as I'm posting highlights... how much fun was this juke?

http://www.vikings.com/media-vault/vide ... 05fbe58cab

... and this throw was a beauty:

http://www.vikings.com/media-vault/vide ... 6348bf36bb

So was this one:

http://www.vikings.com/media-vault/vide ... e08eec87dc

THAT is what I want to see Bridgewater do this season! I was thrilled to see him throwing downfield with such authority in the second quarter yesterday.

[PacificNorseWest]

Defense looks great.

Two takeaways for the offense:

Redzone woes continue. Need that killer instinct, dangit.

This team has GOT to stop fumbling.

[Mothman]

Defense looks great.

Not against the run. They need to clean that up before the games count.

Two takeaways for the offense:

Redzone woes continue. Need that killer instinct, dangit.

This team has GOT to stop fumbling.

Amen.

As Mansquatch pointed out in another thread, the early schedule is tough. The Vikes will have to get a handle on all of the above if they're going to beat teams like Green Bay and Carolina.

[PacificNorseWest]

Not against the run. They need to clean that up before the games count.
Amen.

As Mansquatch pointed out in another thread, the early schedule is tough. The Vikes will have to get a handle on all of the above if they're going to beat teams like Green Bay and Carolina.

Yes...Run D is a concern as well. Must get better there. No doubt about it.

[VikingLord]

By the way, McKinnon ran the ball well yesterday but was I the only one who watched this play (below) and thought Peterson probably would have taken it to the house?

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/76994565 ... wsrc%5Etfw

That's not meant as a knock on McKinnon, just as an appreciation for Peterson's acceleration and how dangerous he is once he gets to the second level.

Really hard to say. I don't know how fast McKinnon is right now compared to AD who I think has lost a step since he came into the league, but AD might have been more likely to break the tackle than McKinnon.

There was another running play inside the red zone later that I actually thought AD might have scored on where a single defender brought McKinnon down. It was a run play to the left and McKinnon managed to break it outside and had one guy to beat. I can't find a highlight of it (because it wasn't really a highlight play), but I definitely thought AD might have smelled the end zone on the same run.

[VikingLord]

Yes...Run D is a concern as well. Must get better there. No doubt about it.

To some degree it requires striking a balance between wanting to disrupt the line of scrimmage and staying in position which requires more patience. Guys like Barr, Kendricks and Griffin are outstanding athletes, but they can overplay things at times. I'll take the occasional big run if it means the Vikings get more pressure and create more turnovers. What I don't want to see is them getting consistently run on. That would be a big concern, but I'm not convinced that is going to be a problem yet.

[VikingLord]

THAT is what I want to see Bridgewater do this season! I was thrilled to see him throwing downfield with such authority in the second quarter yesterday.

Bridgewater looked fantastic on that drive. I was honestly amazed because up to that point I was thinking "here we go again" with the conservative passes. Up to that point the offense looked much the same as last year save the offensive line was much more consistent in pass blocking.

[jackal]

still a little worried about the OL but I will admit their pass protection overall has been better.

I have been saying for two years Teddy will be fine and its great to see him sling the ball more..

I am hoping the line continues to improve in pass and run blocking ...

I honestly was a little surprised Adam Theilen has come this far.. I half expect him to be cut by now....
Hats off to the guy for making the most of his chances..

[Mothman]

Really hard to say. I don't know how fast McKinnon is right now compared to AD who I think has lost a step since he came into the league, but AD might have been more likely to break the tackle than McKinnon.

That's part of what I was thinking. Plus, I think he accelerates quicker when he gets a hole like that.That might be a matter of experience or instinct more than speed.

He may have lost a step but did you catch the part of the game where the announcers were talking about gordon training with AD over the offseason? They said Gordon told them the two ran plenty of races and Gordon lost a lot. That impressed me.

There was another running play inside the red zone later that I actually thought AD might have scored on where a single defender brought McKinnon down. It was a run play to the left and McKinnon managed to break it outside and had one guy to beat. I can't find a highlight of it (because it wasn't really a highlight play), but I definitely thought AD might have smelled the end zone on the same run.

I remember the play and I had the same impression.

That said, McKinnon did show impressive power on a short yardage run in the game. He's strong for his size!

[Mothman]

Bridgewater looked fantastic on that drive. I was honestly amazed because up to that point I was thinking "here we go again" with the conservative passes. Up to that point the offense looked much the same as last year save the offensive line was much more consistent in pass blocking.

I was feeling the same "here we go again" frustration. I wonder if maybe Bridgewater himself, or the coaching staff, were feeling it too because on that drive he just opened things up with 3 consecutive downfield passes that were really impressive.

[Mothman]

I honestly was a little surprised Adam Theilen has come this far.. I half expect him to be cut by now....
Hats off to the guy for making the most of his chances..

He's obviously shown a great deal of dedication to come this far.

[PurpleMustReign]

He's obviously shown a great deal of dedication to come this far.

He and Marcus Sherels are two of my favorites on the team. They aren't the most talented but they sure give their all each play.

Cold is temporary. Purple Pride is forever.