Former Vikings LB Sees Impact of New Free Agent
While many people who have never played professional football can deeply understand and know the game, there is no better backing than when a former player gives their opinion.
Former Vikings LB Sees Impact of New Free Agent
It tends to add a bit of legitimacy to decisions made by the team. It also helps when that player watches and analyzes every Vikings game and has no problem calling it like he sees it.
Pete Bercich is the man in the booth breaking down the plays on the field after Paul Allen gives us one of his vaunted play-by-play calls. If Pete sees a player doing something very right or wrong, he will let the audience know about it. Trust me, as my years in radio listening to sports broadcasts from slightly east of here have shown me not everyone can be impartial even when they know a player has screwed up royally.
Running the Vikings game for a local affiliate for several years, I’ve heard Paul Allen at his highest highs and lowest lows, and Bercich won’t sugarcoat those calls either way.
If you’ve never listened to a Vikings gameday broadcast and listened to Pete get angry over poor play or stupid decisions, then you are missing out.
One of my favorite Bercich quotes is, “If it was a spear, it would have killed him,” when a receiver drops a highly catchable ball. Even kids I’ve coached get the analogy of that statement. If a player has a bad, unsportsmanlike penalty, he doesn’t hold back, and sometimes I feel like he’s on the verge of making an FCC violation. He is also great at pointing out when a player does something smart away from a play or during a play that others might find frustrating.
When he does a film breakdown of games, plays, or individual players, I pay close attention. He just broke down film on newly acquired defensive tackle Jonathan Allen for the Vikings Entertainment Network. He likes what he sees.
“So, when you turn on the film on Jonathan Allen, the first thing you’re gonna notice is his power… he’s strong,” is the first thing Bercich showcases. It shows Allen going up against some of the better players in the NFL on the offensive line. Add his quick twitch off the line, and he shows you that he is a “menace”.
Bercich’s background as an NFL player always shows with these breakdowns in that he isn’t just playing back highlights of big sacks or touchdowns and patting them on the backside. The player he’s studying will have plays where maybe things didn’t go too well, and he shows how the player reacted to it immediately or when that scenario popped up again, as well as the adjustments they made.
Pete is also quick to point out the “tools” Allen brings with him to his pass rush, breaking down every aspect of his game.
It’s not just fluff.
Johnathan Allen doesn’t have any fluff, according to Pete, and you can hear actual joy in his voice as he breaks down the film. I truly feel that joy reflects fans’ excitement and finally having a player (or two when you consider Javon Hargraves) that can add inside push to a defense that can already be a handful for the opposition.
If Pete doesn’t like something he sees, you will know even if he applies a vocal salve to the wound. While I’m concerned with Johnathan Allen’s age and the injury he’s returning from, having Pete Bercich give a ringing endorsement calms the jitters and makes me excited for when he breaks down Javon Hargrave’s film. Good or bad, you’re getting the truth.
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