Photo provided courtesy of Vikings.com
Finding a positive word to write after the Vikings were embarrassed by the Carolina Panthers on Sunday is a daunting task, even for an optimist like me.
My mother taught me; if you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all.
Well, I can’t just leave this blog blank, can I? No, I need to find a ray of light in this dark Vikings’ cellar I am stuck in. It’s a deep, damp hole for sure, but I do see a glimmer of light shining down on the Vikings’ 6-foot-6 TE, Kyle Rudolph.
Rudolph had 9 catches for 97 yards and a TD on Sunday. He was also just inches away from getting both feet down in the end zone just before halftime. With 22 seconds left in the second quarter, Cassel and Rudolph nearly connected for what would have been a nice score and a game changing moment on 3rd and 1 from the 4 yard line. Unfortunatly, the Vikings had to settle for a field goal to cap-off a 15 play drive that started at the Vikings 20. The Vikings trailed at halftime 14-3.
With 12 minutes to go in the game and the Vikings faced with a 4th and 1 on their own 17, Rudolph made a nice 8 yard catch to keep the drive alive. On the very next play, Cassel targeted Rudolph again for 9 more yards. However, 2 plays later Cassel over threw Greg Jennings which resulted in an interception.
The Vikings only touchdown of the game came with just over a minute left to play. Cassel connected with Rudolph in the flat on a short dump off. He broke a couple tackles and picked up a great block from Joe Webb to scamper 23 yards for the score. Sure, it was too little too late… but it was nice to see Rudolph and Webb battling to the very end.
Kyle Rudolph and Jerome Simpson are both on pace to have their best year as a pro. Rudolph has 21 reception on the year for 200 yards and 2 scores, while Simpson leads the team with 23 reception for 372 yards.
In a year that seems like a complete loss… it is good to know that the pass catchers are still working hard and fighting for every snap they can get.
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we'd pretty much have to run the table now, so it's all draft positioning from here on out. we do have a new QB to watch for the future, and that is potentially a big development
Josh Freeman will start
Most interesting tid-bit from Freeman starting is that Ponder has been named the backup with Cassel dropping to #3, a position that we generally deactivate on game-day.
I don't understand how J. Webb gets more snaps than Patterson.
I would say go ask Musgrave but that would be a exercise in futility.
Because Joe used to be a back up quarterback.
But, nothing matters if you can't simply block and tackle.
Carl,
A lot of problems with the team right now.Hang in there, Things will get better.
It probably will be a while.
Things get "dark and blurry" with me also when I watch the Vikings. That is probably due to the Johnny Walker kicking in when the Vikes have lost the game by mid 2nd quarter. It does relieve the pain though.
with the short time freeman has had to learn the offense, musgrab will surely get another 'c;mon, man' when we see that his play card fits on a postage stamp
OK, for those who say all is lost, team is a mess, Musgrave is a ______, fire everyone on the Viking payroll, etc., etc. etc., a different perspective...
1. Last Sunday was a debacle. Yes. It happens, and maybe a wake-up call.
2. The win in Pittsburgh gave all fans some sense of optimism (although it does remain the Steelers highest point game of the year)..
3. IF... yes, I know, IF... the defense stops the final drives in the Bear and Brown games, we are 3-2, tied for second with the Packers a half game out of first place in the division. That puts us 2 plays away from being very much in the thick of things. That's not a "mess".
My point is that while we admittedly seem an unlikely candidate for the playoffs right now, and while we are coming off a very disappointing game, this is NOT the team some fans are claiming it to be. This will continue to be a team to reckon with, and a team that can reel off some wins. I will also repeat that while offense, and especially the passing game, seems to be everyone's focus and object of venom, it is that unit that has performed far closer to the necessary level of winning games than has the defense. The offense has had one bad game, the defense has had, well, five bad games. Rail on Musgrave and sign all the QB's you want from now until the cows come home, but the fact is we will get better as a team when we can defend much better than we have, And (ha ha Tomb) when we do, our offense will be even better.
Have you been hitting the moonshine again Buds?
" It happens, and maybe a wake-up call" An excellent point, much like when Freds has a meeting at 9:00 am, leaves a wake up call for 6:00 am and sleeps until 11:30 am. He's awake now, but still didn't make the meeting at 9:00am and is screwed. No playoffs for Freds.
" IF… yes, I know, IF… the defense stops the final drives in the Bear and Brown games..." Freds gets it! Much like IF Adrian wears a condom we he goes out to "meat and greet", oh never mind... you know the rest.
Freds hasn't railed on Mustgrove, but the offensive line has been bad all pre season and season and the defense just stinks. 4-12 .
By the way Freds knows darn well you don't believe that crap you just wrote, you're just trying to be different and cool. Well, maybe just different.
Shouldn't you be having another grandchild pretty soon?
I hear you Coach but I'm of the mind that you could have ended the post after you said;
"all is lost, team is a mess, Musgrave is a ______, fire everyone on the Viking payroll, etc., etc. etc., a different perspective…"
My point is this gentlemen (and Tomb)... people are reacting as if all five of our games resembled the Carolina game. The fact is in the other four games, Vikes were in a very winnable position heading into the fourth quarter, and were very much in a winnable position with less than two minutes to go in three of the games.
That doesn't mean we don't have issues. We sure do. Our defense is very disappointing right now, our offensive line does seem lost at times, and our passing game is not among the best. You can acknowledge those issues without throwing the coaches and team completely under the bus and into the storm sewer.
bud, i was thinking today of why i don't feel as bad about williams as i do muskunk, as i do think our D sucks right now. the difference is that our D has been pretty good up until just recently, and musky has been proving he's poor at being the OC for quite a while. in fact, i don't remember any considerable length of time that i thought our OC was making good calls