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How did our defense become so offensive??

RpMc

By RpMc
in Minnesota Vikings

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Nozizaki

Nozizaki

Posted
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On 9/29/2018 at 5:46 AM, SteelKing728 said:

...and just an penny to my $.02, if we decide to start selling because the season is lost or something, I wouldn't mind looking at what we can get for Sendejo or Barr. This likely won't happen ever, but it's something fun I've been thinking of. 

But it's not. Even if we start 1-3-1, we legitimately have a 5 game stretch after where we should be favored in every game and could get hot.

And I wouldn't get rid of anyone on the Defense, besides Barr. But Smith, Rhodes and Sendejo could all wake up tomorrow and remember they're good, so I'd at least keep those guys through next season. Now, if they're not performing on the field/in practice, I would bench them.

I think the biggest thing the 10 days could help us with is game planning. Because, if I'm being honest with you, Zimmer's game plans  are very vanilla. McVay this week, for instance, just amended his game plan from last year. We stopped their zone runs, so they ran traps and counters. That got them running enough to wear down our pass rush. then he just attacked the tendencies we put on tape (like willingness to match a LB + Safety against a slot WR). Granted, the Rams are very talented offensively, and we got them off the field more times than other teams will this season, but there's no doubt we could've schemed WAY better.

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VikeManDan

VikeManDan

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6 hours ago, SteelKing728 said:

I've seen Dom Capers put together a better performance from his defense than what we did on Thursday.

Something has got to give or someone will be losing their job!

...and just an penny to my $.02, if we decide to start selling because the season is lost or something, I wouldn't mind looking at what we can get for Sendejo or Barr. This likely won't happen ever, but it's something fun I've been thinking of. 

A Dom Capers defense probably would've gotten shredded for 60+. Do you not realize how good the Rams offense is?

Additionally this isn't the MLB there are no buyers/sellers because the season is lost (the season is not lost even if we lose against the Eagles).

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pacman5252

pacman5252

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It’s a combo of playing good passing teams, the secondary, and lack of pass rush.

1. Good passing teams... enough said

2. Pass rush- the 2017 team had Everson Griffen and B Rob (who was still a serviceable part time rusher). In 2018 Griff has been out and the team has little edge depth 

3. Secondary- Even going back to last year, teams with good OL could throw downfield on this team (see playoffs). Sendejo and Smith are good but don’t have plus range.Throw in injuries to corner and you have a problem.

 

An easy stretch after next week, griff coming back, and hopefully the corner position becoming more sound will help. Maybe even experiment with Barr in different alignments will help 

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VikeManDan

VikeManDan

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Back to the place it all started...let's kill this bad defense where it all started...in Philly. Similar to how some Rams fans said McVay was going to be ready for the Vikings after last year Zimmer needs to have the same attitude about the Eagles this year. 

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Guest

Guest

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1 hour ago, VikeManDan said:

Back to the place it all started...let's kill this bad defense where it all started...in Philly. Similar to how some Rams fans said McVay was going to be ready for the Vikings after last year Zimmer needs to have the same attitude about the Eagles this year. 

Pretty sure the bad defense started in the 2nd half against New Orleans in the "Minneapolis Miracle" playoff game...but I get where you're coming from.

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solidvikingfan

solidvikingfan

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On 10/4/2018 at 1:58 PM, Virginia Viking said:

Pretty sure the bad defense started in the 2nd half against New Orleans in the "Minneapolis Miracle" playoff game...but I get where you're coming from.

That game also had a blocked punt and a bad interception by Keenum that put the defense in bad spots on short field.

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Krauser

Krauser

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Barr isn’t the problem. Two of the TDs in the Rams game (Kupp, Woods) would’ve been TDs against any LB, and the 3rd (Gurley) Barr played well but got beat anyway. The penalties in the Bills game were his worst moment this year. He’s otherwise played pretty well, quite a bit better than Kendricks. 

Zimmer isn’t “vanilla” and his scheme hasn’t been “figured out”. They don’t play a particular scheme, the whole point of the defense is how variable their approaches are in coverage. 

The Rams did exploit Barr on that one play switching to empty at the last second from I formation with 13 personnel and running 4 verts (Woods TD). Not much the defense can do about that except maybe check to a different coverage (not cover 3) in that situation. Recognizing when teams are likely to scheme passes using run personnel (Rams and Eagles) and having checks to coverages that keep CBs on WRs (man schemes) might help. 

Miscommunications have been a major problem. Zimmer might need to simplify a few things for his younger corners, though Kendricks, Alexander and Sendejo have all been part of the problem there too. Dropped coverages led to the 2 big plays allowed in the Bills game.

The other problem for me is that they haven’t had enough guys making plays. Smith, Hunter and Richardson have been good, but even stars like Joseph and Rhodes have been ineffective, and 2nd tier guys we were counting on to play well (Waynes, Kendricks especially) have been flat out terrible.

Waynes was particularly to blame in the Rams game where he got burned twice by Cooks (the deep vertical route for a TD and an intermediate dig route for a huge gain) and didn’t get enough depth playing cover 3 on another TD (to Kupp in the corner of the end zone). Waynes also dropped an INT that might’ve sparked a turnaround in the Bills game. 

Beyond all that, the Vikings have also seen a run of great QB play, not only by Brees and Rodgers but by Foles and Goff (who was insanely accurate in the TNF game), and some great coaching, particularly McVay but also Pederson and Shanahan. Plus they’ve had terrible fumble luck, recovering only one of some,thing like 7 fumbles they’ve forced this year on D/ST. 

And then there’s the Griffen situation, which I think had a lot to do with the fiasco vs the Bills, at least.

It’s true the defense hasn’t been nearly good enough, and they’re primarily responsible for the loss to the Rams, as the offense did enough to win. But I don’t think they can’t or won’t get better, or that it’s time to get rid of Zimmer or significantly change the personnel. 

I hope they play big nickel against the Eagles 2 and 3 TE sets, with Iloka on the field instead of Gedeon. I hope Hughes and Hill can play more and better than Waynes and Alexander as the season goes on. I hope Kendricks gives his head a shake and gets back in the groove. I hope Griffen comes back soon, and they get Tom Johnson and/or Holmes on the field more in pass rushing situations. 

Sunday will be a great test for Zimmer and the leaders on the team. Can’t say I’m confident they’ll win but I hope they show up to play. Season might be just about over already if they don’t. 

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Bermuda Viking

Bermuda Viking

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Great post Krauser.  I don't see the heart in the defense.  Does it really come down to that?  I see the Vikings getting crushed Sunday for everyone on the team seems to be looking to someone else to make it happen.  Right now we are 2 WR's and one QB.  Maybe Harrison can wake up and find a voice and fire the defense up.

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