Categories: 1.2 Analysis 1.3 Opinion
| On 11 years ago

Frazier presser suggests he will be more hands on

By Nam Huynh

Following the Vikings’ 31-30 loss to the Bears Sunday, head coach Leslie Frazier was quick to take blame for not stepping in to adjust the defensive schemes on the final drive, which resulted in a game-winning touchdown pass for Chicago.

During Monday’s press conference, Frazier clarified on it.

“We’re talking about a sequence that was a very important sequence during the course of the game,” Frazier said. “You can’t take away all the good things our defensive did yesterday. There are just some things from my standpoint that I have to manage better. That’s all.”

The last defensive play is apparently not an isolated incident where a bad call or communication issue was the problem. Andrew Krammer of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities recalls multiples times where it “seemed to be multiple plays where communication broke down and defenders seemed to be playing different calls.”

Frazier was also not too pleased that Cordarrelle Patterson only had six snaps, saying that issue would be “rectified” next week. This comes a week after Frazier told reporters following Week 1 that Patterson getting limited reps was a “coaches decision”—not necessarily his decision—and that Patterson is fully caught up with the whole offensive playbook.

Nothing Frazier have said suggests offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave and defensive coordinator Alan Williams are in jeopardy of losing their jobs, but his latest presser suggests he is not happy with some of the decisions made by his staff.

Keep in mind that Frazier is fighting to keep his job, as he is only under contract through the 2014 season. Head coaches very rarely play out the final year of their contract so he is looking for a contract extension by season’s end.

Nam Huynh

Tags: alan williams bill musgrave leslie frazier

View Comments

  • Sometimes changes got to be made. I like spielman and Leslie, and I hope thier loyalties to coaches and some players to cost them their jobs. I firmly believe that spielman has been great and Leslie has the ability to coach us to a routinely competive team, however musgrave should have been gone and ponder needs to be competing for a job, only franchise qbs should have the privilege of knowing there job is safe

  • Hello to all, how is everything, I think every one is getting more from this website, and
    your views are fastidious for new people.

  • The biggest problem is that if Frazier did want to make a mid-season change on the offensive side of the ball, he doesn't have anyone to go to. None of the assistants have ever been play callers in the NFL, so we're kinda screwed on that side of the ball. On defense he could call it himself or put Singletary in charge at any given time, but they never addressed the need for another offensive mind on that coaching staff this off-season to keep Musgrave in check. The QB coach would probably be the most logical choice since he should have a decent grasp on what type of calls would help Ponder out. George Stewart is pretty well respected but I don't know that putting a WR coach in charge of a run oriented offense would be such a good idea. There were so many good offensive coaches available this off-season and they didn't even sniff around to see if someone would be interested in coming in under a "quality control" type title. I'm also starting to wonder how important that Cam Turner guy was to Frasier last season. He was Fraziers special assistant or something to that effect. It sounded like his role was more administrative but maybe he was a go-between on game-days? I'm just having trouble coming up with reasons why two games into the season we're having issues with coaching on both sides of the ball.

  • Can't help but wonder if the water boy wouldn't be better than Muskrat right now. Denzel needs to take the bull by the horns and turn this ship around or he's history plain and simple.

    • I think he's sensing his loyalty to his guys is terribly impacting the perception of his leadership,which will cost him his job sooner than later. I don't think he needs to sell his coordinators out publicly, but he sure as heck needs to have a come to Jesus talk with them and get them to turn it around.
      The water boy has my vote right now.....Musgrave needs to wake up.

    • johnny, i think we saw the beginnings of that yesterday in les' pc, he's been way too easy on these guys and might be waking up. it's time to see some passion and tough love from him. mustygrave must go, there's always another choice somewhere. CP84 also needs to get more involved. the entire defense needs to improve, we're giving up way too many yards and points, and bishop or the younger LBs need to get their chances

      on the slightly brighter side, ponder might get it going after that better second half in chicago, and our schedule favors us short term

  • "...but his latest presser suggests he is not happy with some of the decisions made by his staff..." Nam, I am going to respectfully disagree with this conclusion you drew, and I think it is the stuff of rumors. A football team is run by 4 people during a game, the HC, the OC, the DC and the Special Teams Coach. In nearly all cases, the Head coach holds final veto power of any decision being made, but carefully invokes it over his "guys". He needs that power because his job is to observe the game as a whole, while the coordinators focus their work on their world. I really believe the only thing Leslie is saying is that he needs to learn that, in a situation like Sunday, he failed to overrule when his perspective might have been the best one. For instance, maybe it was a good call, but in light of the game being on the line, familiarity was the most critical aspect of that call, and he should have stepped in. To declare that Leslie "is not happy with his coach's decisions" is to miss his point. He meant what he said, that he needs to learn to go ahead and step in when the game situation calls for it. Let's not turn 0-2 into theories of dissension and being on the brink of firing coaches. That's no way to run a football team.

    • bud, we don't know for sure what les is thinking about his coaches, but i don't think that statement is a reach. i watched that pc live, and i seem to remember him having a stern tone, which might be all we ever get from him in public. he's got to have thought some of these same things we fans have about mussy or he's completely out of touch, and i'm sure from that presser that he knows it's been a mistake to not let CP84 get more involved. i think part of the problem with frazier is that he's so low-key and non-confrontational, that he's got a comfort level he likes with the casper milk toast musty. les can't be afraid to have a coordinator under him that has a stronger personality who might be harder to control, but can do a better job

    • I don't expect everyone to agree any conclusion I draw. I agree with a lot of what you explained above, but I believe this "I take the blame" talk by Frazier is simply a very passive way of saying he didn't like some decisions made. Frazier is always careful with his words when he speaks to media, and the tone and language of the presser, at least me to, suggests he is not happy with decisions made by staff. What we DO know, is that he is not happy CP only played 6 snaps and he was not happy with how the defense looked on the defensive final series.

  • Ok, I know we have this anti-band wagon thing for Musgrave here in Viking land. It seems similar to the anti-Schnelker, anti-Billick, anti-Bevell, anti-(insert name of other previous Vikings OC's). The Vikings offense ranks 11th in the league in yards-per-play and 8th in points scored (I know, 14 points weren't by the offense. Other teams have those points, too.)

    I'm not trying to be a dick here, but are we just dumping on the handiest whipping boy because you can win any game if you score enough points? (When we have to punt, we should fire our OC?) I don't agree with everything the guy does either, but that is the nature of sports / coaches / fans. I still rank Musgrave ahead of the waterboy, who I am pretty sure would not have the Vikings at those league rankings.

    I'm not giving the offense a free pass by any means, but there is plenty of blame to go around for these first two losses. Seems like much of our fan base is putting 85% of it on Musgrave. I don't.

    • Coach, I put the this last loss on him. Here's why- Three point lead, bout 4 minutes left. 1st & goal on the 6. First and foremost you want to score the TD...do that and it effectively ends the game, you win. Secondly you need to run the clock and/or make them use their TO's.

      With AD on your team, you run the ball, on 1st and 2nd down. You see where that gets you. You go with what is the smart thing to do, In that situation. No time to be cute or try and trick the defense. If it gets you no where, you go with a play that gives you the best chance at scoring a TD from 5 yards out. I believe most folks see 3rd and 5 a passing down...that's because it gives you the best chance of getting those 5 yards. Again, this is no time to get cute. Nor is it time to play scared. He completely screwed up that set of downs. See...the most important thing was to score a TD. He didn't give his team the right leadership. With a young QB that is what you need, he's gonna screw up enough...be a leader and give him the best chance to succeed.
      If players get called out for their bad play, coaches should get the same when they screw up too. That was a situation, to me, that at that point the game could have been won. Didn't matter what had happened the 1st 56 minutes...you had a chance to win a division game on the road. He butt fumbled that situation, that's inexcusable for a professional coach.

      That being said, don't think firing him now is smart. But he should be put on notice...

  • Cals,

    Congrats to you breaking the 1,000 post mark. Very impressive, and your postings they have been, fastidious.

    Did Buds just say "I’m not trying to be a DICK here" ? Buds, is this what 0-2 does to you? Settle down, hunting season is upon us, go shoot a duck or goose or something. First, we've got Charles using LOL in one of his postings like he's some teenaged, pimple faced school boy, then old Buds uses the word dick in a sentence? The world just ain't right somehow.

    Not to worry, the Vike will win on Sunday.

    • Sorry Freds, didn't meant to be offensive. I would be appreciative of your (or anyone's) thoughts on a better word to communicate what I am pretty sure I communicated with that term. I admit it approaches the "inappropriate" barrier, but sometimes the right word is the best word. But if I can make the same point and clean it up, I'm all ears (eyes, actually).

    • Freds
      I won't be using that Anymore !
      This season has had nothing to laugh about so far ...
      Agreed, They Should win Sunday.

      • Win Sunday? LOL, I sure hope so. It's the stinkin' Browns...the Factory of Sadness!

        LOL.

          • The funny part is, Tomb's teenagers would NEVER deign to use "LOL," as that's an old person thing. They do the "haha" thing.

            Freds is backwards.

    • thanks, freds, i love my vikings. do you also remember that we had a reset that erased our numbers? we've all got a lot of posts here. i must have too much free time on my hands to be this fastidious, and the fact that i posted a lot during games on here, and my slower business time of the year is when football gets going. anyways, homeskillet would be proud

      remember, guys, one way to pay for your keep here is to click on the ads once in a while, and whenever you buy something through amazon, click their ad on the VT site here first. it's the least we can do, won't cost you anything, and helps our gracious hosts pay for the cyber basement we reside in