Mid Iowa Posted September 12, 2017 Share Posted September 12, 2017 Offense: The offensive play calling was pathetic, and Brees' execution was just as pathetic. He was off target constantly! I know people are saying he wasn't protected, yet even when he was, he was off target in the short game, always throwing low. His long game was pretty dang good... and we didn't exploit it. Timing sucked, speed sucked, Line play sucked. The O-Line couldn't open a hole with an H-Bomb. Every running play had little to no development, so whoever is talking about AP not being worth anything, well, it's pretty hard to run through 2-5 defenders AT the line of scrimmage on every play. I'll give Kamara a pass for being a rookie and especially in that environment. That said, the kid couldn't keep his feet at all. He looked like he was on ice skates pretty much the whole game. Cook made him look like just another running back. Our receivers couldn't do squat to get open. Their routes were garbage, their enthusiasm was mediocre, and they all looked defeated after drive #2 showed no success. Defense: Everybody is talking about the front 7 looking pretty good? Insert The Price is Right trombone sound here. They couldn't close a gap, they couldn't pressure Bradford, they couldn't keep an eye on Cook, and they were absolutely winded when it mattered. Jordan played like the all pro we expect, and Anzalone is a mean mother! I like what he's doing, and that's about it. Our secondary.... guys.... our secondary is baaaaaad. If Da'Vonte Harris gets the start next week, we'll all know he and Payton and DA are having a 3 way affair. There is absolutely no excuse for a guy being that lost, constantly. Always a step behind, not turning his head, waiving has hands in the receiver's face even when the pass was going elsewhere, because he had no clue what he was doing. It was horrible. They did stay away from Latimore, though. He actually looked like the star or the secondary, so there's a bright spot. But he'll be traded or released in 3 years when he's really good, so it doesn't matter. Special Teams: They were actually good. Not great, but good. Only 1 wiffed tackle on a punt return, but other than that, punt coverage was solid. Punt returning was another story. That was just plain. Kickoffs were outstanding! Kick returning was plain and boring. Overall: To only lose by 10 with the way they played last night is either a miracle, or a poor performance by the Vikings. It felt much worse than 19-29. I still don't know if the Vikings offense is that good, or if our defense is just that bad, but I'm thinking the latter of the two. What really worries me is the opposite. Is their D that good, or are we that bad. Guys, we couldn't do anything right last night. I'll simply assume the offense will fix their problems (they made lots of changes this off season, so learning curve) and become a top 10 offense. The defense....... I'm not certain this can be fixed, but at least they have film now. At this rate, we'll be lucky to go 7-9 again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dome Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 18 hours ago, Mid Iowa said: I'll give Kamara a pass for being a rookie and especially in that environment. That said, the kid couldn't keep his feet at all. He looked like he was on ice skates pretty much the whole game. Cook made him look like just another running back. I'd definitely like to see him with a line that isn't missing 3 Pro Bowl caliber players Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dome Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 18 hours ago, Mid Iowa said: To only lose by 10 with the way they played last night is either a miracle, or a poor performance by the Vikings. It felt much worse than 19-29. Ehhhh, a two score game heading into the 4th isn't exactly a blowout. The game wasn't actually out of reach until a good chunk of the 4th was behind us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWATcha Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 2 hours ago, domepatrol91 said: Ehhhh, a two score game heading into the 4th isn't exactly a blowout. The game wasn't actually out of reach until a good chunk of the 4th was behind us. The garbage time TD by Brees made the box score look closer than I believe the game actually was. To me, it felt like the Vikings pretty much had control of that game all the way thru. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dome Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 16 minutes ago, SWATcha said: The garbage time TD by Brees made the box score look closer than I believe the game actually was. To me, it felt like the Vikings pretty much had control of that game all the way thru. I think the Vikings had control all the way through, but I'm just saying it's not like the Saints laid down, not until at least the 4th quarter. It was competitive up until the 12 something left in the 4th and Rudolph scored Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jlowe22 Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 On 9/13/2017 at 1:52 PM, SWATcha said: The garbage time TD by Brees made the box score look closer than I believe the game actually was. To me, it felt like the Vikings pretty much had control of that game all the way thru. As soon as we settled for the first two field goals I knew we were in trouble. By that time, the playcalling was getting questionable, and the defense suspect. But when you really think about it, despite how terrible we were, we were never really out of it until late in the fourth. We made 5 trips to the red zone, just couldn't finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mid Iowa Posted September 15, 2017 Author Share Posted September 15, 2017 On 9/13/2017 at 10:43 AM, domepatrol91 said: I'd definitely like to see him with a line that isn't missing 3 Pro Bowl caliber players It wasn't just between tackles, it was also on swing passes. He'd get his feet all fumbled up, ultimately taking what could be a large gain to just a standard play. I truly think it was rookie jitters. I feel like he'll get much better once he acclimates to the NFL atmosphere. BTW, who's the 3rd pro bowl player? We've spoken about Strief and Armstead. Are you talking about Unger being rusty? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dome Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 2 minutes ago, Mid Iowa said: He'd get his feet all fumbled up, ultimately taking what could be a large gain to just a standard play. I truly think it was rookie jitters. Agreed. On his very first kick return he tensed up right before contact. You could tell he was nervous about what that first real game hit was gonna feel like Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dome Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 3 minutes ago, Mid Iowa said: BTW, who's the 3rd pro bowl player? We've spoken about Strief and Armstead. Are you talking about Unger being rusty? TBH, I thought I read he was inactive. I watched the game and realized he wasn't but have a hard time shaking that out of my noggin. So just 2 guys missing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mid Iowa Posted September 15, 2017 Author Share Posted September 15, 2017 30 minutes ago, domepatrol91 said: Agreed. On his very first kick return he tensed up right before contact. You could tell he was nervous about what that first real game hit was gonna feel like Yeah, there was also a swing pass where he was all alone, he spun to catch it, and never got his feet right. He stumbled big time and eventually a LB (Barr I think) caught him. It would have been a big gainer if Brees were on target and put the ball in front of him, and if Kamara would have kept his feet. Edit: If you check the tape, it would have been in the 2nd quarter, around the Vikings 30 and to Brees' left side. Like I said, I think it was rookie jitters. Watching him in preseason, his feet were much, much different. That Vikings atmosphere is loud, so I can see how it would get in his head a bit. Monday night, first real game, on the road... That's a bunch to deal with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler735 Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 After having a few days to really think about the game. It was a big bummer that we lost. However there is something to be said about getting into the Redzone that many times against what I think is the best Defense in the NFL. The Vikings have so much talent at just about every position on Defense. Plus they have good depth on the Dline to keep guys fresh. There's a reason the Vikings were the last undefeated team in the NFL last season. Injuries killed them on the O-Line, but when healthy they have the talent to go deep in the playoffs. Obviously it would've been nice to see us finish off with a TD a couple more times. Obviously this week will be another battle, but if we can squeak out a win against the Patriots I think we are still in good position. Nobody looked great in the NFC South last week. Falcons barely got by the Bears. Panthers beat San Fran, but they were far from dominant against possibly the worst team in the NFL. The defense is still a big question. I'm also curious to see how they work the RB's this week. Hoping to see more holes in the run game against a worse Dline, and maybe a bit more AP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whodatworm23 Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 25 minutes ago, tyler735 said: After having a few days to really think about the game. It was a big bummer that we lost. However there is something to be said about getting into the Redzone that many times against what I think is the best Defense in the NFL. The Vikings have so much talent at just about every position on Defense. Plus they have good depth on the Dline to keep guys fresh. There's a reason the Vikings were the last undefeated team in the NFL last season. Injuries killed them on the O-Line, but when healthy they have the talent to go deep in the playoffs. Obviously it would've been nice to see us finish off with a TD a couple more times. Obviously this week will be another battle, but if we can squeak out a win against the Patriots I think we are still in good position. Nobody looked great in the NFC South last week. Falcons barely got by the Bears. Panthers beat San Fran, but they were far from dominant against possibly the worst team in the NFL. The defense is still a big question. I'm also curious to see how they work the RB's this week. Hoping to see more holes in the run game against a worse Dline, and maybe a bit more AP. Theres no doubt injuries played a major role in the Saints output opening day but that cant continue to be an excuse for this front office. The biggest issue i saw Monday night was the way Sean Payton coached and called the game... I really dont think even he knows what his offense is anymore and it was clear that he was expecting much more from his young defense this year. It appears to me that Payton is coaching under a lot of pressure and that pressure hit him as things began to unravel Monday night. Even after the game in a post game presser Payton looked defeated, almost like his young team just went 0-4 and not 0-1. Payton's ability to lead this franchise has taken a major hit already this year and i feel their is a chance that we can begin to see him just going through the motions by week 8 if things dont turn around in a big way very soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWATcha Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 31 minutes ago, whodatworm23 said: Payton's ability to lead this franchise has taken a major hit already this year and i feel their is a chance that we can begin to see him just going through the motions by week 8 if things dont turn around in a big way very soon. As a fan, if this happens it will really p*ss me off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dome Posted September 16, 2017 Share Posted September 16, 2017 Honesty Payton's just been going through the motions for a while now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.