Well, that was a crazy game. It didn’t mean a whole lot, but here are ten random things you should know following all the chaos:
1. The Vikings are currently slotted to have the 4th overall selection in the 2014 NFL Draft. Houston, St. Louis (via Washington), and Atlanta are the only teams currently slotted to pick in front of the Vikings. Assuming the Vikings lose to the Eagles this week, they should end up with the third slot a week from now, because Atlanta and Washington play each other this week. Houston will play Indianapolis.
2. The Ravens and Vikings saw six lead changes in the fourth quarter on Sunday. That is an NFL record, officially making it one of the craziest endings in history.
3. As if the double fist pump by the official upon announcing the Ravens final touchdown on Sunday wasn’t enough, the refs’ performances from Sunday are under heavy scrutiny. Almost every Vikings coach, player, fan, and media member have stated publically that the game was handled in ridiculous fashion. Leslie Frazier said he got a call from the NFL on Monday, and that it was unsolicited, so it wouldn’t be too big of a surprise to hear that others higher up the chain also felt our team was at an artificial disadvantage.
4. Adrian Peterson immediately took to Twitter following the game to call out the refs and said Ravens fans are a no-good snowball-throwing fanbase. Both Peterson and Frazier have mentioned getting hit by snowballs in Baltimore. I’m not sure that calling out an entire city was Peterson’s smartest move, especially after a loss, but I could certainly understand the frustration. Hey, at least these next two years playing outdoors in Minnesota are sure to be void of drunken fans that think it is acceptable to throw… umm, uh oh.
5. Peterson gave us all a scare when he went to the ground on Sunday and didn’t get up, but instead lay on the ground flailing around in obvious agony. Peterson will see a foot specialist soon, but the good news is that they have yet to find any major breaks, tears, or other horrible things. The team, in my opinion, should still consider shutting him down for the season, but it seems unlikely that this foot injury will have any impact on the 2014 season.
6. The crazy day didn’t end at the stadium. Vikings players took to Twitter to complain that their team plane was sitting on the runway when a catering truck struck the plane, causing them to seek an alternate aircraft. A plane had to come in from Detroit to pick them, delaying their takeoff by about three hours, and it just seemed like a fitting end to the day. Somewhere, regarding caterers, Randy Moss is saying “Told Ya’ll.”
7. Peterson is big news, but he isn’t the only injury plaguing this team right now, and the list is actually quite lengthy. The Vikings have officially placed tight end Kyle Rudolph on injured reserve and wide out Greg Childs on the PUP list. Tight end John Carlson will have to pass concussion tests this week in order to continue filling in for Rudolph. Toby Gerhart has filled in nicely for Adrian Peterson at times this season, but a strained hamstring suffered in Baltimore could slow him up a bit. Xavier Rhodes has really started to look like a top-tier cornerback in recent weeks, but he is also hobbled from a sprained ankle.
8. While the injuries are stacking up, at least one promising young player is on the mend and appears close to returning. Safety Harrison Smith is rumored to be set to return this week. The big-hitting safety could breath some life into this defense upon his return, but it is too little too late, and one has to wonder if the Vikings shouldn’t just keep him out and focus on being more successful next year.
9. This team is discovering some of it’s less experienced talent is looking to be quite talented as the get more experience (got that? good.). Cordarrelle Patterson had the best overall performance of his young career and is looking like one of the best rookie wide outs in the NFL, and is certainly the most versatile. Andrew Sendejo got his first career interception on Sunday, had a second called back on that Chad Greenway interference call, and should easily be a starting safety on this team moving forward even after Smith returns. Xavier Rhodes may have been hurt on Sunday, but not before he broke the record of Orlando Thomas for passes defended by a rookie with 20. Audie Cole led the Vikings with 13 tackles and had another decent showing in his third consecutive start.
10. The Vikings are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Just in case you were still holding out hope.
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A miserable year for the Vikings and their fans, for sure. I'd been telling everyone how I wanted them to lose, and then after the game I was pissed for hours! Those calls did suck, Blaming the refs, I don't know. . Really it's good they lost. The games are meaningless.. After thinking how they have collapsed when they could've won all those games in the 4th quarter, they'd be leading the charge this year, In all those games, on the last drives, it SHOULD have been Jared Allen time, the guy getting MOST of the money. He should've decided the games like Peterson does, He got all that money and he's so happy the Vikings honored the contract. It's on HIM. He was suppose to rise up there and be the great pass rusher and he sucked each time and we lost each time. If he does what he promised, we're ,leading the NFC north. I mean really..Next in line is your buddy, Chris Cook. He turns into Helen Keller when the ball gets there. WTF?. The X man has embarrassed Cook. First on the sh*tlist tho, it Frazier for sticking with that stupid 1st round QB pick, I can't even say his name, god. Viking nightmare. Ha ha. Is this the vent line?
I agree Frazier is the main problem for those who disagree, look at New Orleans to see the difference a head coach can make. Chris Cook is also a head scratcher. He's had phenomenal games and kept Megatron in check but recently he's been getting worse but I'd still keep him as a backup.
The one point I'll argue is Allen. He's had a terrible year statistically but he's still pressuring the qb instead of sacking him. He also did get us the win in London remember.
Everson Griffen was the one that got the strip sack in London if that's what your referring too. My main beef with Allen this year is he's blown containment on some big run plays trying to pad his sack stats, but the effort has been there from him the entire season. The dip in production isn't really his fault in my opinion, and I don't recall seeing any NFL player voluntarily give back some of his paycheck because his skills have dropped off a bit because of age.
"The dip in production isn’t really his fault in my opinion...."
Who's fault is it Dan? Freds agrees, Jared continues to work hard, but he sure isn't the player he used to be. Heck, most teams don't even chip him anymore with a running back or carry over a tight end to help out. Are you referring to the fact that he is just getting old, thus not his fault? Or...Musgrave perhaps?
Age doesn't effect Joe Webb.... Age is afraid to creep up on Joe.
Definitely Musgrave Freds...Nah, I'm talking about old father time when it comes to Jared. It's hard to say how far his play really has fallen off though, like Skol says, he still is getting pressure, but the fact that he's not getting home tells me he may have lost 1/4 step or so.
vikes could be a very different team next year. look at how the bears have changed. a change in HC and a fresh new QB can re-make a team
I wouldn't have agreed with you a few weeks back Cal, but the improvement of the defense because of the young players that will be back next year has me optimistic that a new staff and the right QB could easily have this team back in the playoffs next year.
also consider the chefs. i hate 'em with a passion, but, also the taints. the four teams with the worst records right now were all playoff teams last year, too
Yeah....but we did beat those Bears.
Not really a Vikings note, but is anyone else getting tired of defensive players defending a cheap shot they put on a guys knee on the Goodell? Ward's hit that ended Gronk's season was ridiculous and this clown is attempting to say he had no choice because he would have been fined if he went higher on the play? Give me a break, Gronkowski was not airborne or defenseless at the time he dove directly into his knee. He easily could have targeted the midsection for a clean hit. I hate some of the new rules as much as these d-backs do, but some of these guys just seem to be using it as an excuse to not take a physically imposing player up high and that's crap.
That should just read Goodell, originally had the league office...forgot to take out "the"....
punk cheap shot
I'm siding with the players here. Goodell got the rule wrong; he got rid of hits to the head he should have got rid of hits to the lower legs. As a player I would have rather had a high hit and at WORST gotten a concussion I'd be over in 3 weeks (I stupidly played through one once even though I was literally seeing stars) than a torn up knee that takes a year or more to heal and will cripple you as you age.
This concussion stuff has gotten out of hand; the lawsuit is ridiculous the players make millions just make them sign a waiver. They study former players and say they have brain damage but I've got to wonder 1. How much was from drugs/steroids, and 2. Were they kinda crazy to begin with(a lot of players are especially us defensive guys!
They should difinitley have a low hit rule that applies to offense and defense. My point is that there are guys using the rule to say they can only make a legal hit at a dude's knee and that's total crap. There is a pretty big target zone above the knee and below the shoulders that is perfectly fine to hit. I do think Goodell has taken things way to far, especially when it comes to contacting a QB's helmet where it seems that if dirt flies off a defenders shoe and grazes the QB a flag will be thrown. Taking helmet to helmet hits out of the game is a good rule, they just need to find a way to enforce it properly and they need to recognize that low hits are just as damaging to a career.
Ok then I've gotta ask, take Mike Tolbert and Andrew Sendejo. Tolbert(5' 8" 265lbs) is running straight at Sendejo(6'2" 200maybe?) Tolbert there's no way Sendejo could tackle him without either a lower leg or high tackle. I'm sure you ask Tolbert or any other rb in the NFL they'd ask for high.
I'm just trying to say it's a lose lose situation but if players are making this kind of money they can take the risks or quit.
watched frazier's pressor again this week.....yeah, tough loss, but man, that guy is "dead" on the inside....no matter the reasons, that's not the spirit I want for the Purple Head Coach!
he's a quiet dude who has to manufacture his enthusiasm, it doesn't come naturally to him. naturally, he's a great statue, tho
This Viking stuff is all well and good, but is that old kook Bud Grant still stranded at the airport with a flight delay since Sunday? Freds has this vision of old Buds holding a nice tall tonic water, spinning yarns to anyone that will listen about the "good old days" at the Met when he used to wear nothing but a tee shirt when it was 60 below zero, when real men played the game and the snow was 3 feet high.
Freds shouldn't think old Bud can't handle today's modern day technology however, dude was working the chat room this past Sunday putting in his two cents whenever he was able. Buds, props to you on using your "cell phone", some of those typos were a bit out of character, but who even knew you could type. By the way, it might be time to upgrade, Sprint might not support your phone anymore. That rig must be a bitch to carry around all day. Where is the key pad?
http://oldtelephones.com/images/footer-phone-large.png
freds, how do you know he didn't use a telegraph for the chat room?
I'll have you know, Freds and Cal, that I am safely at home and packing a Droid Razr (that's what its called, right dear?) Good thing I was in touch with you guys, as some clown was proclaiming that Peterson tore up his knee again. I got everyone properly informed and calmed down. I could not believe what I read when the plane landed. One of my boys picked me up and filled me in.
How were the Brady Bunch episodes, Freds? Were any of your favorites shown?
but did you get all your tan lines filled in? must not be too hard when you wear speedos
Naw, I'm not into those fancy, high priced sunglasses, Cal.
Glad to hear your travel plans went well.
Marcia is still pretty hot Buds.
have we set the record yet for the most losses in a season with ten seconds left in the game? bend, don't break.....bend, don't break.....bend, don't break.....well, mr defensive minded HC, it's broken! I think we lose that Chicago game too if during that last time out the players didn't say "either we blitz the house on these last three plays or we all quit"
haha, yeah, a mutiny
sorry to take this completely off topic.....but I'm looking for a Vikes jersey for my 11 year old.....any advice on where to look online! Thanks! (Cordarrelle Patterson for those interested in knowing :-) )