Vikings 2019

[maplelakeduckslayer]

I didn't really watch, listened a bit. Are they backing down from the "run first" ideology and cousins is taking it and showing what he can do, or is it just the teams the are facing? I know the running backs had a stellar game today too, but just seems like cousins is getting a lot more pass ops. So maybe Zimmer was part of the problem? Maybe he put aside some of his self pride for what was good for the team?

Thursday should be a win...should be.

[lanyard]

Meh. They're winning. That's NOT new.

New will be winning in the playoffs.

So far, they've justified their payroll expense, not the full season plan.

[Fish Felon]

So maybe Zimmer was part of the problem? Maybe he put aside some of his self pride for what was good for the team?

He was definitely part of the problem. He's prioritized running the ball ad nauseam and openly admitted it's an effort to chew up clock and keep the offense on the field more....not so much as a direct way to win, but as a way to ensure 'his' defense gets a rest. He sees the pass-first offense as having too many quick three and outs where the defense has to run back onto the field without even getting a chance to catch their breath.

Thankfully Diggs, and to a lesser extent Thielen, had the balls go, "This is stupid. You have the best duo of wide receivers in the league you just paid....you have went out and signed the top free agent QB and made him the highest paid in the league (at the time) and after clearly illustrating that you're going in the direction the league has gone as a whole......you now decide to run the ball a ridiculous amount to where Diggs had a handful of targets and Thielen had only a handful more after four games?"

Zimmer would've lost the locker room had he been allowed to keep the offensive game plan the way he wanted. He's going to have a hard time going back after seeing that guess what? Diggs and Thielen were right. So keep throwing them the ball and letting them make plays.

How many guys in the league are making the catch Thielen made getting hurt? Not many.

I hate Cousins but not many guys are making that throw.

Hopefully he's starting to realize he can trust those guys. Hopefully if he gets picked off a time or doing it he won't revert to be a pussy, because it's going to happen. Putting up three or four TD's and a pick is going to win you a lot more games than putting up one or two without one....especially when you have a solid defense that isn't going to allow the other team to capitalize on it too often to where the risk outweighs the reward. Fukc it Kirk.....just keep chucking it downfield.

[lanyard]

Zimmer isn't going to change. At some point, when the win is on the line he's going to do one of two things:

1) make up some dippity-do like a "Triple Blind Shift w/Safety Drop" that will look like them line dancing

OR

2) Nothing. He'll do nothing. You will yell at the screen and throw things because he won't blitz. You'll pound the table so the pretzels flip when he drops into a prevent defense with a 14 point lead and 7:30 left in the 4th; you will swear in the longest string of curse words you ever put together when he decides Zone is the way to go.

He. Will. Kill you.

[Fish Felon]

2) Nothing. He'll do nothing. You will yell at the screen and throw things because he won't blitz. You'll pound the table so the pretzels flip when he drops into a prevent defense with a 14 point lead and 7:30 left in the 4th; you will swear in the longest string of curse words you ever put together when he decides Zone is the way to go.

That's a good take. There are things...tendencies....that I forget about until they inevitably re-emerge once again....

I'd forgotten about how bad Zim is at playing conservative way too early and letting opponents get back into the game towards the end as a result.

Why does he stop doing what was working and created a sizable lead? Why does he seem to like having games come down to the wire far too often when instead he could have stepped on their throats and won in blowout fashion? Why? Why? Why?

I totally forgot about that, but you're absolutely right.....it will happen.

[lanyard]

He over thinks, sometimes to the point of paralysis. When he creates too many game scenarios and options then all things seem plausible. Since all realities can't exist he ends up in a situation where none can be chosen so he falls back to High School football 101.

The most impressive thing in the last two wins: we stepped on their throats when we had the game in hand.

[9manfan]

How many guys in the league are making the catch Thielen made getting hurt? Not many.

I hate Cousins but not many guys are making that throw.

That throw to Thielen was like WOW,when he first caught it and scored I was like " good throw" but then when I seen what Cousins was looking at and the window he had to get the ball in I was like " WOW'.....that was a great throw...............seems as though since Zimmer got his run at all costs put in his face and went with alot more play action Cousins has played great, still not sold on him, will see how we do against some great teams....

But I will admit Cousins has played great the last 3 weeks and I was quite worried about the Lions as they have played well this year.............

[lanyard]

What I noticed: how wide open Thielen was coming across the end zone and how long cousins held onto it.

I don't know what the guy saw, but from the replay it looked like the NFL equivalent of a squirrel waiting until the car comes to cross the road..

[get-n-birdy]

Vikes will eventually end up pear shaped, it's habitual and inevitable.

[Fish Felon]

Vikes will eventually end up pear shaped, it's habitual and inevitable.

True. That's why I always root for them doing really well all season long.....



....it makes it that much more heartbreaking when they choke in the playoffs.