Cardinals @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week 11

[Texas Vike]

Let's just say the refs I saw the other day at a local pee-wee football game did a better job.

Although some went our way, it's a sad state of penalty calling.

I agree, they were poor today. The only positive here is that they were poor in a way that seemed to even out over the course of the game, though we seemed to be getting the short end of the stick until one enigmatic series on which were the benefactors of three 15 yard penalties. Arians nearly had a heart attack today from the looks of it.

[Nunin]

great win ....huge win of a must win type game. they are all must wins unless/until they get up a couple in the division.
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i thought the defense got it's mojo back in the 2nd half. they looked good again.
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the offense was good IMO...considering the 'situation' and playing a very legit defense.
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it's a shame they didn't pull out those games against the lions and skins. but even so, i'm unconvinced this team can go very far if they make the playoffs.
I think on good day they will beat anyone but Seattle and Dallas. not saying they can't beat either of those two...just seems unlikely. Philly is probably a bad matchup for them.
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i thought they ran the ball pretty effectively today considering AZs Defense. But i think the Vikes are a year away...provided they get the line into some form of consistency~

[PacificNorseWest]

The officiating is an epidemic like the Oline play across the league. I thought Clete Blakeman was one of the better ones -- did a Super Bowl recently too iirc -- but it wasn't good. Vikings got a lot of calls, but the officiating also have a couple extra opportunities to assist an Arizona comeback. Most notably that roughing the passer in the 4th quarter... It's one more thing in a growing laundry lost of issues the NFL needs to address.

[S197]

I thought Peterson blasting Bradford on that wildcat was a smart call and a terrible penalty. Reminds me of when Kaepernick was really successful with the read option until people started hitting him like a runner. Vikings may have to rethink the wildcat or tell Bradford to hit the deck if it looks like the corner is coming for him

[Jordysghost]

The officiating is an epidemic like the Oline play across the league. I thought Clete Blakeman was one of the better ones -- did a Super Bowl recently too iirc -- but it wasn't good. Vikings got a lot of calls, but the officiating also have a couple extra opportunities to assist an Arizona comeback. Most notably that roughing the passer in the 4th quarter... It's one more thing in a growing laundry lost of issues the NFL needs to address.

Officiating is no worse then it has ever been, the real problem is people simply not being able to accept human error/calls that differ from their perspective/calls that go against their team.

[Jordysghost]

It is what replay has done to us.

[PacificNorseWest]

great win ....huge win of a must win type game. they are all must wins unless/until they get up a couple in the division.
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i thought the defense got it's mojo back in the 2nd half. they looked good again.
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the offense was good IMO...considering the 'situation' and playing a very legit defense.
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it's a shame they didn't pull out those games against the lions and skins. but even so, i'm unconvinced this team can go very far if they make the playoffs.
I think on good day they will beat anyone but Seattle and Dallas. not saying they can't beat either of those two...just seems unlikely. Philly is probably a bad matchup for them.
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i thought they ran the ball pretty effectively today considering AZs Defense. But i think the Vikes are a year away...provided they get the line into some form of consistency~

A year a way from being a year away.

I say, screw it...the expectations for fans and the mood around the league has tempered on the Vikings. Let us just shock the world and win it this season. Just get hot!

[PacificNorseWest]

Officiating is no worse then it has ever been, the real problem is people simply not being able to accept human error/calls that differ from their perspective/calls that go against their team.

Yeah, I do agree. Especially with your second post on the matter...replay. The NFL reality is multiple camera angles on top of the knowing-ness, if you will, of replay capabilities, so it magnifies every single flag/no flag to a point where every single play is scrutinized by one fanbase or the other....We all post what we see on VMB, facebook or any other social medium and it builds momentum up to the point of "the NFL has an officiating problem."

I see that...Good post, Jordy.

Go Skins!

[Nunin]

A year a way from being a year away.

I say, screw it...the expectations for fans and the mood around the league has tempered on the Vikings. Let us just shock the world and win it this season. Just get hot!

i think they could get hot in most phases of the game and it's not impossible for them to beat anyone...i just don't trust them up front on offense.
maybe AD returns and something magical takes place. i'm not gonna stop watching.
i don't like thinking 'next year'.....especially with how things look, not even sure there will be a next year~

[Texas Vike]

Game Balls:

Patterson
Rhodes
Locke

And THIELEN.

That TD catch was sweet and he made other great plays today too. 5 catches for 65 yards. Love that this guy has turned himself into a legit starting WR.

[autobon7]

Love that we are back to winning....however, we can't count on defensive and ST teams TDs every game. Take those away and we prolly lose today. Not trying to be a Debby Downer but what we did today was the formula for the first 5 wins. Good defense, + on take aways, getting after the QB and the above mentioned TDs from ST and D. Hell...we did it for 5 in a row, I'll take another 5 (not likely but hey?).

[PacificNorseWest]

Nunin:

Well, if we focus solely on the Vikings and their issues, then it's pretty damn apparent they have A LOT to work on...However, if we spin that a bit and realize what they have to build on then we may get somewhere, because if you look at the NFC, it's what I would call a down year.

Seattle looks strong again, but have their own Oline woes. Not as glaring, but it's something the Vikings can expose. Homefield advantage probably matters on that matchup, but I wouldn't call Seattle heavy favorites for the game that's played on the field, despite what Vegas says on the matter. I hate the excuse I heard in Seattle about the weather held their offense back in last seasons playoffs. It just wasn't true, in my opinion. Their offense has the edge for Minny's offense, but they don't go up against that 11, they go up against the defensive 11 and Russell has been hobbled all year behind a porous offensive line. The game is winnable as it was last season in the playoffs -- pending the health of the Vikings defense. If not, Minnesota gets destroyed, but I can see that with any potential playoff opponents.

Dallas...Tough! Offensive trenches have anyone in the NFL beat, but their defense is thin and starting to experience injuries. Dak is still rookie. He looks really good and Garrett and the Cowboys are playing it perfect, but you throw a wrench in them boots and suddenly they aren't strutting so much as they are limping along. That saying was cute, I know, but how can we not agree that on one Sunday in January that Zimmer can't devise a gameplan to stymie Dallas' offense, meanwhile exploit their -- at that point -- rundown defense.

Washington still kinda worries me, but it's not like the game was a blowout. One break here or there and the Vikings win that game a week ago just as they could if the met again in the playoffs.

Atlanta's offense is fire, but again, it goes against the strength of this defense. They probably provide the toughest test for the Vikings defense because they have to very good running backs that can collectively do it all. Again though, I wouldn't say that they are Goliath-type favorites over the Vikings as they have yet another one of the NFC's exposable-like defenses. I'd favor Atlanta, sure...but it's a winnable game, no less.

So, who else may they play? Detroit -- a division foe, where all bets are off, but either team can win and who?...The Giants? Another team the Vikings once defeated, which doesn't make them a guarantee, but we already know it's yet again..winnable.



I know this is basically a poor man's odyssey guide to the 2016 Vikings playoff run, but heck...as the NFL so often plays out in the postseason -- just get hot at the right time. And as you alluded to, what a shot in the arm would a surefire HOF'er be in AP coming back to join the quest? Even if he still can't beat the 2.5 or some crap avg per carry that the dudes behind Bradford are averaging now, tell me how human nature for those playing defense don't see #28 and think twice about where the ball is going. That second thought could be the difference. *shrugs*


***Then Kai misses the PAT and this write-up is all for nought and and a bunch of ####. :lol

[losperros]

And THIELEN.

That TD catch was sweet and he made other great plays today too. 5 catches for 65 yards. Love that this guy has turned himself into a legit starting WR.

He sure has. In my view, Diggs, Thielen and Patterson are unquestionably the best WRs on the team.

Agree also with soflavike about Game Balls for Patterson, Rhodes, and Locke a well.

[PacificNorseWest]

Love that we are back to winning....however, we can't count on defensive and ST teams TDs every game. Take those away and we prolly lose today. Not trying to be a Debby Downer but what we did today was the formula for the first 5 wins. Good defense, + on take aways, getting after the QB and the above mentioned TDs from ST and D. Hell...we did it for 5 in a row, I'll take another 5 (not likely but hey?).

You're right...and you're right! We, as fans, cannot count on it, but either way, that is the formula right now and it does win football games.

[Nunin]

@PNW
lol thanks for a most entertaining response.
every point you make is valid IMO.
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it is a matter of getting hot at the right time and i do think if AD joins the fray that there will be a spike on the offense.
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ultimately, they gotta make the playoffs first, so it's one game at a time til then. today was a good one. anytime CP84 is running wild is a good day for this team.
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if it comes down to a missed kick? ugh...this place will be ugly