Analysis

Preseason Game #1: Post-Game Thoughts (No Huddle)

August 11, 2012, by 15 comments

Well, the first preseason game of the Vikings 2012 season is in the books. Ultimately, the Vikes ended up losing in San Francisco with a final score of 6-17. While there were some good things to take away from the game, there were also quite a few hiccups (primarily after the first teamers were done for the night). I jotted some notes down during the game and wanted to get them up here for everyone. These are just observations – my personal opinions and analysis. But first, let’s start off with injuries as, ultimately, not suffering injuries during preseason is one of the most important goals.

Injuries

The Vikings managed to get through a game against one of the best defenses in the NFL while suffering only one injury – and a minor one at that. (Pretty good if you ask me.) Defensive tackle Letroy Guion suffered a minor PCL injury to his right knee. He is expected to only miss a week or two and should be able to return in time for the regular season. Very happy to see the Vikings not have to suffer any serious injuries, especially after the loss of Greg Childs for the season.

“No Huddle”

  • It was great to see Matt Kalil in a Vikings uniform tonight. Overall, in my opinion, he performed well. Ponder seemed to have pretty good protection for the most part and the line gave him a nice pocket to throw from most snaps. However, he was torched on one particular play by Aldon Smith which resulted in Ponder running for his life. Aldon Smith is quite the competition for Kalil to have to go up against in his first real game and only blowing it on one play is a pretty good accomplishment if you ask me.
  • The Vikings first drive on offense looked good. Ponder was poised and did a good job of moving the Vikings down the field. He finished the night 4/9 but 3 of those incompletions were balls that hit and bounced off the hands of the targeted receiver. Simpson dropped an easy, easy catch on the first drive. Stephen Burton and Michael Jenkins also dropped easy catches. My only gripe with Ponder tonight is he seemed to float the ball a little bit and held on just a little too long for my liking. Overall though, Ponder’s performance tonight was promising.
  • The defenses first drive on the field wasn’t too bad, but there are definitely some things to work on. Towards the beginning of the drive, the Vikings had a nice play on third down to stop the 49ers just short of a first. The Niners decided to go for it though and ended up rushing for the first on 4th and short. In a regular season game, it would have been very unlikely that the Niners would have gone for it considering they were still on their side of the field (just shy of the fifty). The 49ers offense then went on to run the ball down our throats and cap off the drive with a touchdown where Chris Carr got burned by 49ers receiver Brett Swain. With that being said, it should be noted that Jared Allen, Kevin Williams and Antoine Winfield did not play tonight. I imagine our run defense would have been a little more stout had they been playing.
  • Rookie kicker Blair Walsh looked great tonight. I think there was a collective sigh of relief amongst Vikings fans as Walsh nailed his first field goal with a beautiful kick right down the middle. Walsh was 2/2 for the night and accounted for the only points scored by the Vikings. His longest field goal was from 39 yards out and he did a great job on kickoffs. One kickoff was out of the end zone while another was just a foot from being out. (The kick returner decided to bring the ball out of the end zone anyway, resulting in the Vikings stopping him at the 15 yard line.)
  • The defense gave up a huge touchdown run by Niners backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The quick quarterback from Nevada took off on a designed QB run after the entire Vikings defense bit hard on play action. I don’t know… It really didnt’ bother me too much. It was a very college-like play and Kaepernick, who ran the pistol at Nevada, is very good at that type of thing. After the entire team (literally) went right with the running back, there was a valley for Kaepernick to run through. And that guy is fast. Nobody was catching him…
  • The inability to respond well to play action seemed to be a trend tonight, though. The Vikings defense consistently got worked on play action runs. Definitely something they need to work on.
  • Zachary Bowman dropped an easy pick in the second quarter. Surprise, surprise.
  • Tight end Rhett Ellison had a nice grab in tight coverage. Ellison finished the night with two receptions for 17 yards.
  • Lex Hilliard got the nod at running back #3 tonight. Hilliard had a lackluster performance only gaining 12 yards on four carries.
  • I was excited to see how rookie safety Harrison Smith would do tonight hoping to see some glimmer of greatness that would make me feel a little better about  our safety situation. Overall, though, Smith had a pretty quiet first game. He did not start with the first teamers and didn’t get playing time until the second quarter. He did have a nice play where he came up to make a tackle in the backfield on a reverse handoff. Smith didn’t get burned or anything, was just looking to see a little more.
  • Marcus Sherels and Stephen Burton were the primary kick returners tonight. Neither had amazing or horrible returns. Pretty normal performance on special teams.
  • Joe Webb… I think it’s pretty easy to see after tonight why Joe Webb is not a starting-caliber quarterback. Granted, it is just a preseason game. Still though, Webb looked horrible. While the second team offensive line didn’t help much, consistently letting defenders enter easily into the pocket, I just don’t think Webb has the throwing accuracy or vision to be a starter. He did a great job of avoiding sacks and scrambling around – extending plays much longer than most quarterbacks could. But when he throws the ball, it is just not good. It seems Webb instantly gives in to blitzes and immediately starts scrambling after the snap. I noticed a few plays were the Niners would bring multiple linebackers leaving players wide open. Instead of noticing the blitz and locating one of these easy open targets, Webb panics, turns and bolts for his life. Honestly, after tonight, I would not be surprised to see Sage Rosenfels or McLeon Bethel-Thompson start as QB #2 next week. Seriously.
  • Solomon Elimimian had a super easy interception after defensive end Nick Reed used a sweet spin move to get after the Niners third string quarterback Scott Tolzien (who otherwise had a great night). If Elimimian would have dropped that pick… I wouldn’t have been that surprised because we always drop those picks. Yeah…
  • Arkansas rookie wide receiver Jarius Wright had a dropped pass on third down that would have put the  Vikings in field goal range. Instead, the Vikings were forced to punt. I was looking for Wright to produce more tonight as he was one of my favorite picks of the draft. Wright finished the night with zero receptions.
  • The above mentioned punt (by Kluwe) sure was a nice one though. Coverage managed to get down field and stop the ball at the one yard line. Love to see that.
  • Quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who I thought had a pretty good night overall, threw the only interception with a late, underthrown ball to Jarius Wright on a hook route.
  • It’s also worth noting that Percy Harvin did not play tonight. This allowed other wide receivers to get some playing time with the first team. Stephen Burton had a huge 52 yard gain on the first play of the game via a pass from Christian Ponder. It’s really hard to complain about such a long completion so early in the game from a quarterback who we are looking to stretch the field… But, the pass was a tad bit underthrown and had Ponder led Burton just a little more, the play could have easily gone for a touchdown. Again, was very happy to see a 50+ yard completion from our offense – just nitpicking here.
  • The 49ers kneeled at the end of the game a few feet away from our goal line. The announcers applauded 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh for showing such sportsmanship. Personally, it kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I don’t know, I guess I would have rather had them score. Kneeling so close to the goal line just felt too much like mercy. It’s not a huge deal by any means and I’m probably the only one that was irked by it. Nevertheless, I was irked by it.

Things To Know About Monday’s TC Session

July 31, 2012, by 5 comments

A continuation of the news roundup from training camp.  Day three came and went, and here are the top 10 items that you should know:

1.  Michael Jenkins Is Feeling Good

30 year old receiver Michael Jenkins might have an uphill battle when it comes to making this roster, but if he is cut it won’t be because of his torn meniscus from last November.  Jenkins pronounced himself fully recovered from his surgery, which had seemed to hamper him earlier this offseason, on Monday.

2.  Chris Stroud In, Nick Taylor Out

Training camp has claimed its first victim.  A torn labrum landed cornerback Nick Taylor on the injured waivers on Monday, and the Vikings replaced his spot with rookie cornerback Chris Stroud out of Webber International.  Stroud had participated in the Vikings rookie minicamp back in May.  You might remember that Taylor was the “point guard” that Rick Spielman took a lot of grief for signing somewhat early into free agency.

3.  Jared Vs. Matt

The much anticipated matchup between Jared Allen and Matt Kalil got its first action on Monday.  Allen was able to put the moves on Kalil only once during their first head-to-head session, and Kalil largely held his own over the course of the day.  All accounts are that Kalil looked the part of a top five left tackle, and in being compared to Charlie Johnson’s first day on the job is an obvious and immediate upgrade at the position.

4.  Robinson’s Hammy Still Hurtin’

Third round pick Josh Robinson has the skill set to contribute to the Vikings defense, perhaps as a starter.  However, his hamstring injury is causing the Vikings to take a cautious approach and he has been missing practice time and that could continue for a while.  The Vikings and many others view Robinson as a valuable player to have, but he is missing important repetitions that could stunt his growth from a learn-the-game standpoint.

5.  Vikings Are Copy Cats Part I

The Vikings want to copy their divisional rival Chicago Bears when it comes to at least one phase of the game.  Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer admitted on Monday that when the Vikings signed Zack Bowman, a key member of Chicago’s annually fantastic special teams, he jumped on the chance to “grill” Bowman about Chicago.  He intends to not only use the information as a resource when playing against the Bears, but to also perhaps try and emulate the league’s best unit in recent years.  What did Bowman tell Priefer?  That it helps to have a really good returner (i.e. Devin Hester) on your team.  Zack Bowman’s new nickname here at VT is officially Captain Obvious.

6.  Vikings Are Copy Cats Part II

Last year, the tight end duo of the New England Patriots was insane.  Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Henandez combined for 169 catches, over 2,200 yards, and 24 touchdowns.  Talk about trend setting.  A number NFL teams would love to duplicate those stats and the Vikings are one of them, which had to play into their decision to invest so heavily in John Carlson this offseason despite the presence of Kyle Rudolph.  The Vikings gave their own duo a set of game tapes from Patriots games and asked them to study the way the Patriots use their tight end, which has Rudolph all excited about things to come.

7.  A Cautionary Tale

Today is July 31st which means it is the 11th anniversary of the saddest day in Vikings history:  the death of Korey Stringer.  Peterson’s seafood issue on Monday surely scared a number of people that have been with the organization to remember Stringer’s death which was caused by heat stroke.  It is hot right now in Mankato, and we have all read the stories year after year since Stringer’s passing, but you know that today’s date carries special meaning to those guys practicing today.

8.  Cook Standing Out

There are a number of good tidbits in this post from the Daily Norseman, who have a man on the ground at training camp, but one stuck out to me in particular.  Chris Cook, according to the report, is looking like a very good corner now that his off-field issues are (hopefully) behind him.  Cook looked decent before his mid-season arrest last year, and finding a true talent to play with Antoine Winfield and company could be a huge boost to this defense.

9.  Receivers Getting Some Attention

I’m not sure if this is a good sign for our defense, but I am encouraged by the sheer number of good reports coming out of camp about the Vikings receivers.  Jerome Simpson seems to be as advertised, Percy Harvin has been tearing it up, and every time I turn around another receiver is getting praise.  On Monday a Jarius Wright touchdown turned some heads (see below for more), Devin Aromashodu made the play of a day with a leaping catch, and even tight end John Carlson is getting praise from the local media.  Greg Childs was the only one to stand out in a negative way on Monday, as he dropped a wide open pass after burning a defensive back.

10.  Shocker:  Allen Is Vocal

A funny story originated from one of the final plays of Monday’s practice.  The third string offense, led by Sage Rosenfels, had a first down at the one yard line with eight seconds remaining on the clock.  Rosenfels lobbed a pass to rookie receiver Jarius Wright who caught the lob in the back corner of the end zone and stretched to get his feet down.  It was apparently a close call, but the referee on hand signaled it was a touchdown, and then all hell broke loose.  The offense celebrated while the defense argued, spearheaded by Jared Allen who wasn’t even in on the play.  “This is not college! This is not college! This isn’t high school,” Allen hollered as he got in the refs face, in good fun. “You gotta have two feet in!”  Mike Wobschall has a number of other great moments to check out right here.

Top Ten Things To Know About TC So Far

July 29, 2012, by 14 comments

After a couple of days away from my computer, I got back and immediately took to the internet to see what I have missed.  I am glad to report that the worst news I was able to find is that AMC cancelled The Killing after only two seasons.

So, consider it good news that after two days of Vikings training camp nothing disastrous has taken place.  Here are the top ten notes I took away from the first two days of camp:

1.  Ponder And Rudolph Have Serious Chemistry

All reports out of camp indicate that Kyle Rudolph is far and away Christian Ponder’s favorite target.  Rudolph already had ideal size coming out of Notre Dame, but he has supposedly bulked up this offseason, and Ponder is regularly connecting with the tight end in the flats.  Take note, fantasy players.

2.  Peterson Fights But Loses

Adrian Peterson vowed to fight if the Vikings placed him on the PUP list to begin training camp.  He lost.  The Vikings place Peterson on the PUP list but plan to run him through individual drills that are custom tailored and require him to “read and react” to real-time simulated obstacles in an effort to make him cut.  Frazier said he would like to see Peterson play in the preseason at some point, but I am glad to see them playing it safe with their franchise back.

3.  Harvin Is Killing It

While Jerome Simpson has had a few good moments in the first two days, Percy Harvin has reminded everyone who the most talented receiver on the team is.  He has reportedly made a few sprawling grabs and is consistently beating the defense.  Oh, and he is currently being considered the top kick returner, but it remains to be seen if the Vikings will again try to reduce his reps at that spot.  Oh, and about that whole unhappy trade request thing, Harvin declared himself “happy” on Saturday.

4.  Todman Breaks One

With Adrian Peterson on the mend, the third string running back position could very easily prove to be one of great importance in 2012.  Second year player Jordan Todman has been getting a fair share of reps in the beginning of camp.  On one run, he broke free and got himself into a footrace with cornerback Zack Bowman.  Todman ran 80 yards and Bowman was unable to catch him, with Todman scoring a would-be touchdown.

5.  Injury Update

Peterson isn’t the only guy to worry about when it comes to staying healthy.  In fact, we would prefer to see every Viking come out of camp at 100%, but that is not going to
be the case.  The most notable non-Peterson injury is Josh Robinson’s hamstring which happened on Friday after practicing just long enough to impress reporters with his speed during punt return drills.  Tight end Mickey Shuler and wide receiver Stephen Burton both began camp on the non-football related injury list.  Shuler made it onto the field on Saturday, while Burton’s continued absence is disappointing considering he was one of the candidates to have a break through offseason.  Simpson and Bowman both were shaken up when they collided with each other at one point, and linebackers Marvin Mitchell and Corey Paredes were both hobbled on Saturday.  So far, none of the injuries appear to be uber-serious (knock on wood).

6.  Battle At Right Guard

One of the best battles to keep track of this preseason will be that of the starting right guard.  Brandon Fusco and Geoff Schwartz are the top candidates for the job, with Chris DeGeare as a dark horse.  Fusco is getting the most reps with the first team as it stands now.

7.  Reed Impressing

With Everson Griffen focusing on becoming an NFL linebacker, there is suddenly some room for backup defensive ends to make a lasting impression.  So far, it is last year’s seventh round pick D’Aundre Reed that is standing out, using his speed rushing abilities to notch at least one touch sack already.  Frazier described Reed as a “different player” from his rookie season a year ago.

8.  Pressure On Walsh

Blair Walsh is being handed the kicker position on a platinum platter, but the Vikings want to make sure the lack of competition doesn’t hinder his practice routine.  While there may not be much pressure coming in the form of another kicker on the roster, coaches are planning to bombard him with simulated pressure during game-like situations.  Walsh was two of three from 55 yards out on Saturday.  He also made six straight from 46 yards.  Oh, and on Friday, Walsh nailed a 60 yarder while working on his own.

9.  Staying Out Of Trouble Is Key

Leslie Frazier has told the media that he is disappointed in the Vikings arrest record over the last couple of years and is making a point to connect with his roster, doing what he can to ensure they keep out of trouble.  Training camp is not when you want to see a player get thrown behind bars… just ask Rhett Bomar.  Frazier said that the new CBA does not allow him to impose a curfew during training camp, but he suggested a time for players to return to their dorms.  Here’s hoping our guys heed Frazier’s advice.

10.  Felton Over D’Imperio

With roughly 72 of the Vikings 90 roster spots being taken up by fullbacks, there is no doubt going to be some healthy competition there.  Right now, it is Jerome Felton getting the most reps with the first team right ahead of Ryan D’Imperio.  I am still curious to see how fourth round selection Rhett Ellison figures into the team’s plans.

Vikes Cave To Kalil On Offset Language

July 26, 2012, by No comments yet

As Brett mentioned in the post below this one, Matt Kalil will report on time to training camp after signing his rookie deal on Thursday morning, effectively ending any chance for unneeded drama during the preseason.

The deal was able to get done because the Vikings caved on language in the rookie deal that allows Kalil to collect payment from two different teams should he be cut by the Vikings and subsequently signed by someone else.

While the Vikings caved in the end, there is absolutely no reason for them not to attempt to get the best deal for the organization as long as there are negative impacts on the team as a result.  Negative impacts, such as a holdout, would have started to shown up tomorrow so there was no reason to flinch in this game of chicken until today.

Kalil’s contract, according to PFT, is for four years and worth $19,770,598.

The deal is completely guaranteed and included a signing bonus of $12,818,620.

The place where he was selected combined with the contract he was given suggests that the team plans on Kalil being their starting left tackle for a decade or more, so I am betting this is the last we hear about this offset language in relation to Kalil… unless he busts.

Which he won’t.

TOP FIVE TC STORYLINES: The Defense

July 26, 2012, by 4 comments

Today, the Minnesota Vikings officially will open training camp in Mankato, and there will be plenty of storylines to follow on offense as chronicled here.

The defense provides even more intrigue and drama for us to follow, however, as there is a surplus of jobs up for grabs across the board.  Here is my look at the top five storylines to follow on the defensive side of the football in the coming weeks:

5.  The Alan Williams Show

“Hey, Alan, I have a job for you.  I want you to come to Minnesota and coach up the defense that, outside of Jared Allen, was atrocious last year.  Oh, by the way, I want you to supervise the guy you are replacing and also try to get Singletary to keep his pants on.  Thanks, see you soon.”

New defensive coordinator Alan Williams inherited a mess, to be frank, and the unique arrangement of the coaching staff could prove to be a point of drama moving forward.  It will be mighty interesting to see how he responds to the challenge and how his players respond to him.

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Top Five TC Storylines: The Offense

July 24, 2012, by 11 comments

I’ve said it a number of times before, and I’ll gladly say it again:  I am looking forward to this season more than any in recent history.

I can’t wait to watch the Vikings (hopefully) begin to take strides towards a rebuild and (hopefully) grow and develop into what will (hopefully) become a true Super Bowl contender in the somewhat near future.

All of that begins in Mankato on Thursday, and here are the five things I will be keeping the closest eye on when the offense takes their training camp reps.

5.  Adrian Peterson’s Health

I’ll be honest, I still haven’t figured out any upside to rushing Peterson back into action for a season that is likely to end with the Vikings looking at the playoffs from the outside.  Still, the Vikings invested an astronomical amount of money into their superstar running back, and seeing the same old Adrian at some point this season would please many fans.

So, in training camp, it is natural that a number of stories will be written about Peterson’s participation or lack thereof.  Don’t get your hopes up too high, however, as Toby Gerhart is likely to carry the load while his young backups gain some experience with the twos and threes.

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Vikings Try To Head Off Off-Field Trouble With Untraditional Approach

July 15, 2012, by 8 comments

If you are a professional athlete with the financial ability to spend tens of thousands of dollars in one weekend, and happen to enjoy seeing naked women, then you are the stuff dreams are made of for strip club owners.

Of course, you are also the stuff police blotters are made of.

The Vikings are constantly struggling to keep their players out of trouble (hey, facts are facts) so their efforts to do so have now reached unprecedented heights.

Sean Bishop, a felon and former strip club owner (and current strip club worker) is flown to Winter Park every year to let the team’s rookies know some blunt truths about the industry.

“I don’t need their money,” Bishop said. “I tell them I am a scumbag club owner who will use and abuse you. I just don’t want to see any of them ruin their lives. They need to be protected from themselves.”

So how does a guy with such questionable morals make his way into the locker room of an NFL team?  Well, Bishop himself was once a football player that was coached by Les Pico.  Pico is the executive director of player development for the Vikings.  Oh, and Zygi Wilf is happy to sign the checks to make it happen.

“He’s not a choirboy by any means,” Pico said about Bishop. “I can’t legislate morality. Sean’s a guy who isn’t afraid to talk negatively about the business he’s in. Our owners give us great latitude allowing us to run these programs and put a convicted felon on a plane to come here and talk to our rookies about why they shouldn’t be in strip clubs.”

“We have two gentlemen who own car dealerships in Pennsylvania and lumberyards in North Carolina who don’t pay for anything here, but average about $15,000 per night in tips (and dances), and they’ll do it for 10 straight nights,” Bishop continued. “There’s plenty of money out there. I don’t need (players’) money. I’m in a dark business. It’s almost sad. They’re too easy to push into trouble.”

Bishop also explained why strip clubs can become such traps for young athletes.

“These guys get comfortable in the VIP section and think they’re not being seen and forget where they’re at,” he said. “Being a competitive athlete, it’s hard for them to turn the other cheek or swallow their pride and walk away from bad situations. Instead, they make a scene and forget where they’re at because the owner’s treating them like a king, they’re young and think they’re invincible when all it takes is one snapshot and you’re done.”

Anytime I hear of the Vikings going to extra lengths to keep their players out of trouble it makes me happy.

Maybe one of these days it will start working.