Vikes -SkinsPost-Game Reaction:At least the Vikes did not throw in the towel in the 2nd half and end up totally embarrassed. If we did not have that review penalty for 12 men on the field and had gotten that turnover, the game might have gotten interesting. As it was we were never really in the game thanks to that disaster of a first half. As a whole things just didn't break the Vikes way very often today. I don't know if tonights game was just a preview of what we would have witnessed in the playoffs from a Childress team. I don't think we will get the answer to that question this season. I expect Washington to beat the Cowboys who don't have anything to play for and the Vikes won't make the playoffs yet again.
Certainly a lot of fault goes to the offence and Tavaris, but I think for the Vikes to be competitive the defence has to play much better than they did tonight. The Redskins were able to sustain medium length drives, made big plays, and did not turn the ball over. In retrospect I think it was not good that the Skins touchdown was called back on replay, thus leading to that safety. A safety is a turnover plus 2 points. The Skins just had it too easy on offence in the 1st half. If we cut 2 out of 3 of their 1st half touchdowns to fieldgoals, it is a much different game.
The Skins were just the better team tonight and are probably a better team period. Tavaris is still green and our running game with AP/CT is inconsistant (actually close to non-existant in this game). Overall I think this season was a positive one whether we finish 8-8 or 9-7. I thought the team was gonna finish 4-12, 5-11, or 6-10. As it turns out we might end up one missed field goal away from 10-5. Who knows, we might even give the Packers a run for the division title next year or then again we could take a step backward. Hopefully AP will improve rather than the drop off as we have seen since the 49er game.
Liveblogging the Game:And the choke is on. Tavaris 1st pass for INT. Somehow we get lucky and stop em on 4th down on the inch line thanks to instant replay. So we get the ball on the inch line and proceed to hand off to our fullback Tony Richardson. He doesn't get the ball out of the endzone, Safety. Well 2 points is better than 7. But wait Redskins get the free kick and take it the distance. Skins 9 Vikes 0
Vikes 3nd offensive possession. No where on 1sr and 2nd down. Troy Williamson catches ball 1yard short of 1st. Punt
Stop the Skins deep, get good field position, do nothing thanks to a false start penalty on 3rd down and Tavaris with poor throw on 3rd down. Miss 52 yard fieldgoal so Skins get good FP.
Madden says Tavaris doesn't have NFL mechanics and I think he is right.
Skins get into 51 yard FG range but a bad snap botches that. Vikes with good FP.
We haven't seen much of AP at this point. Only 3 carries for 3 yards. We do make it past mid field but Shencoe fumbles it, Skins ball with good FP!
D holds Skins Punt.
Come on Tavaris and AP, we need you to show up now!!!
Tavaris throws up another bad INT and the Skins take this one for 7. Skins 16 Vikes Zip
I hate to say it but I'm faulting the play caller for that INT. On 1st down is a roll out pass that turns into a scramble for 1 yard. Then on 2nd down we pass and that is the INT. 2nd down should have been a run.
Vikes get ball on 12. Make 1 1st and out. AP 1 more carry for nadda.
Redskins make 2 1st downs and it's the 2 minute warning. I have decided NO blogging of the 2nd half. So far the Vikes have way to many mistakes 3 tunovers and 1 fumble that we got back. NOT GOOD.
Skins driving, now in the red zone. NOT GOOD!
Half Back option pass works to perfection. Randle El wide open in the end zone. 22-0!!!
What to say at this point, the queens are getting it handed to them. What a sucky game to watch!!! AP: 5 carries for 4 yards. Tavaris 7/11 which wouldn't be so bad except for 2 INT's. Add Shencoe's fumble and we are lucky it isn't worse.
2nd Half Question: Will the Vikes be embarrassed like the last Green Bay game? It sure is heading that way.
This Sunday in Football:The Packers and Bears do the Vikes no favors as the Bears crush the Pack at Soldier field. This means that Dallas clinched home field and will not have anything to play for next week against the Redskins, thus the Redskins will probably win this game if the playoffs are on the line.
The NY Giants do the Vikes no favors in beating the Bills and clinching the #5 seed. Had the Giants lost they would have been in huge danger of getting bounced from the playoffs by the Vikes because we owned the tie breaker.
The Saints effectively eliminated themselves from the playoff chase. For them to get in the Vikes have to lose out and the Skins would need to lose to the Cowboys in the last game of the season and the Saints would have to win next week. A very unlikely scenario to fall in place.
Bottom Line: As I stated earlier, the Vikes season really comes down to this game against the Redskins. I am not confident.
Bassfan's Jay Kumar on FLW's Million Dollar Fantasy Bass FishingThe Wall Street Journal on FLW Fantasy Bass FishingFrom WSJ
The Web site, FantasyFishing.com, was tested last year and attracted several hundred thousand participants.I'm sorry but that can't be right. I don't think even 5,000 people played FLW Fantasy Bass Fishing Game last year and ESPN's version only gets about 12,000. I think they must have mistaken participants for web hits.
At the bottom of the WSJonline there is linking to blogs on this subject and guess who they linked too?
A BassNblog oversight corrected.
