From One Year Ago Today

 My Verdict: The Vikings' brain trust fumbled with the decision to go all in on McCarthy. It is clear that in the 2025 season and into the foreseeable future, Darnold will be a top QB in the league. I trusted them to do the right thing, and they blew it.

The Vikes got outcoached badly in their final two games. It is hard for me to feel too bad about the outcome. KOC is a great coach but has a lot to learn. I am not going to jump on the kick Sam when he is down bandwagon for it is for fools. Super Sam is still in there. And now it is quite possible that he can be resigned for a reasonable amount, think Baker Mayfield type contract. Kwesi and KOC know what they have in Sam. I will be shocked if they let him leave. If he does leave I think it will be to the 49ers or Rams. That would suck!

Vikes Lose Again, Time to Exhale and Breathe Again

 JJ McCarthy is an accomplished winner who doesn't have a lot of history as a passing quarterback. He was projected to be a work in progress on that front when drafted, and that has turned out to be the case.  The kid is young and raw. Being Kevin O'Connell's quarterback is not an easy job description. At this point, I don't think anybody knows if McCarthy is up to the task or not. It is just too much to expect a second -year player starting for his first time in the NFL to have anywhere near a mastery of KOC's PHD-level offense. It looks like the kid is drowning most of the time, with a few glimmers of good play. KOC asked for too much too soon in my opinion. KOC's reliance upon passing is borderline pathological, but that has served KOC very well. With the loss to the Bears this week, it is time for the team and JJ McCarthy to breathe. They have almost no shot at making the playoffs. That isn't even worth giving an ounce of effort in pursuit of at this point. Without the pressure of making the playoffs, the team is now free to build McCarthy's confidence level for next year. If they win games great, but that shouldn't be the focus. Getting McCarthy to play as well as possible and limiting mistakes should be the new focus. KOC will have his hands full harnessing the kid.  Let Flores cook on the Defence and have fun as a team. It's a game; get better at it.  

Can KOC and Uncle Sam Win A Playoff Game?

 Going into the Lions game last week, I had zero worries about KOC and Uncle Sam. Then, they both laid an egg in a winnable game. Now, I have very little confidence in the offensive side of the ball. Sam looked terrible. KOC has Campbellitis. I can't get that bad taste from last week out of my mouth.

What will tonight's game bring? Will the squad play with grit and win this winnable game?

I'll believe it when I see it. 

Prove you can do it, coach.

Update: They lost to the Rams 27-9.  Uncle Sam was better than he was in the Lions game, but not enough to make a difference. The Packers and Lions were both one and done as well. It was an all-NFC East Conference Championship Game, with Philly destroying Wash 55-23.

Uncle Sam Folds Under The Pressure, Vikes 14-3

 

Uncle Sam drove the car into the ditch last night, and I don't know if it is salvageable or not. He may have been too amped up and then got frustrated instead of becoming focused when he couldn't get things back on track. His performance was an A+ disaster. The Vikes would have won if Uncle Sam had shown up instead of Bad Sam. I think Bad Sam only showed up one time this year. Bad Sam was definitely the guy in London missing passes left and right. In Jacksonville, Uncle Sam threw three interceptions in the red zone, but other than those plays was dealing that day. 

I had quibbles this game with KOC not running the ball enough per usual. KOC got Dan Campbelitis, and we have had Special Teams lapses yet again. Gink dropped, an almost sure Pick-6 had he been able to catch the ball. Nailor tripped on himself and fell out of bounds with tons of open field ahead of him. Jets dropped a couple of passes, one of them being in the endzone. But all that stuff doesn't matter much when Bad Sam completes under 50% of his passes. That just won't work with a KOC offense because he was missing just about every downfield throw.

B Flo's Defense played Championship level football up until the drop by Gink at the start of the 3rd Quarter. That sucked the spirit right out of the unit. Game Over! A few plays later, the Lions went up 24-9, and the route was on. Gibbs padded his numbers on the next series, which was garbage time in my mind.

Uncle Sam and the team just need to throw this game in the dumpster and get back to themselves next week, and the team will be fine in LA. I thought the Vikes first loss to the Rams was a fluke based on a perfect storm of factors that worked against the Vikings. That theory gets put to the test on Monday Night Football. It's a chance for Sam to redeem himself a bit and prove the doubters wrong. One step at a time is the only way to get anywhere you need to go. I am still on the bandwagon, even if we are in the ditch.

If the Vikes do lose next week, I will be disappointed this magical season is over, but depression won't set in. I was playing with house money in every game with Uncle Sam, and he delivered 14 wins, which is outstanding! It is just a bad break that the Lions are 15-2 and got the #1 Seed.

If the Vikes do win next week, I will be grateful for another week in a magical season! 

What To Do With Uncle Sam?

 Honestly, I'm not very worried about what the Vikings brain trust decided to do. They have earned my trust by putting together this season's roster. They know what they have in-house better than anybody. I doubt they let him walk. His skill set is too elite. He and KOC have proved to be a perfect match for each other. The guy has won 14 games with a shot at 15. He is tough, cold-blooded, and puts in the work. I'm sure they will figure something out that works for Uncle Sam and the team. It will shock me if that isn't the case. Uncle Sam knows he's got a good thing going here, and his priorities will dictate what the Vikings organization will do. If Sam chooses to chase the $ like Kirk, the Viking's brain trust will be forced into some hard decisions. Hopefully, it doesn't come to that, and they can work something out where everybody wins, and Sam stays for multiple successful seasons. If the team is forced to go another way because the asking price doesn't meet the budget, I wish Uncle Sam well. Business is business.  

4-0, Vikes Win At Lambert

 

The refs made this game closer than it was by not overturning the Darnold INT call. KOC needs to run more often. Addison is so fricken good, as is Jets and AJ. Who is going to beat this team? The Jags, SeaChickens, or Lions at home, maybe. I don't see this squad losing at home. This team is elite and the front-runner for the #1 Spot in the NFC.

Historical note: I was under the impression the impression that Hock would be back for the Lions game at home after the buy. Cashman got injured in London just before the bye. The Lions lost at home to Tampa Bay in Week 2. So, the Vikes led the Division at this point. I will always maintain that had Cashman and Hock been able to go, the Vikings wouldn't have lost that game at home to the Lions. Also, the Rams were not on my radar at this point. They only had one win vs. the 49er squad that got beat up by the Vikes in a heavyweight fight the previous week. I think both Kupp and Puka were out with injuries by this point. Unfortunately, they both returned for the Vikings game on Thursday Night after we had just lost to the Lions home in a slugfest. The Vikes didn't have Hock or Cashman for the game in LA, either. The LA game will be memorable for the dropped pass by Speedy Nailor at a key juncture and the uncalled facemask of Uncle Sam that resulted in Safety ruining any chance of Super Sam saving the day. Everything was working against the Vikes in LA. It was a very hard-luck loss    

2-0, Lions, Pack, And Bears Say "Oh Crap!..."

 

...the Vikes are one of the best teams in the league. 

The Vikings victory over the 49ers was hella impressive. The Vikes were the better team against the top of the class in the NFC, straight up. The Vike's composure held in the midst of taking haymakers from the 49ers on both sides of the ball. This was a heavyweight fight and the Vikes came out victorious. This wasn't a fluke, in my opinion, this Viking squad is impressive. If the team stays healthy the sky is the limit.

Let's Go Purple!

  

Vike's Draft Little KOC, Me Likes

 The 2024 NFL Draft couldn't have worked out better for the Vikings, IMO. Kwesi played his hand as well as can be. JJ sounds just like KOC, extremely impressed with his first press conference. And the nice thing is he doesn't have the weight of the world on his shoulders from Day 1, thanks to the Darnold signing. I think the team could contend for a wild card next year with Darnold at the helm. The NFC North matchups will be must-watch for the next few years if all the QB's stay healthy.

3 Weeks to Win 2 Games

Coach KOC has gone from my good graces after last week's win to back into my doghouse. The no-brainer call on both 3rd and long plays in the red zone that resulted in interceptions was to run the ball and kick for 3 points. With a backup QB playing in his first game action of the season, a pass play was not worth the risk. Both times, they got burned in the worst way possible. Both times before the play was snapped, I was yelling at the TV for them to run the ball and take the kick. Instead, two turnovers. 

KOC's lapses of strategic acumen have cost us two out of the last three games. I thought maybe he learned his lesson last week by not asking too much of the Offense and not taking unnecessary risks. Then, this week, his playcalling choices took two great opportunities to get points off the board. So Stupid!

Now, instead of being a shoo-in to make the playoffs, it is white-knuckle panic button time. So unnecessary. 

All is not lost. Mullens is serviceable and has the potential to win games against anyone with our Defense. I am astonished that 24 points was not enough to win today. Tough luck on them not converting for that 1st Down in overtime. The O-Line has to win there and they had been winning on short yardage in the game. KOC should have run the ball more in the 2nd Half. We had 3 timeouts left after the Bengals tied up the score with 39 seconds left. I thought running the ball on 1st down was the best option to not put us behind the chains. Instead, sacked. Disaster! 

What To Do? What To Do? (Vikes)

 After an unbelievable start, AstroDobbs crashed as his performance got shakier with each start.  There is only so much you can drink from a firehouse before you drown. What Josh Dobbs accomplished while drinking from the fire hose was amazing, but almost certainly wasn't sustainable. Thankfully, with the bye this week, the Vikings Coaching Staff and Management can take extra time to evaluate where things stand and come up with the best plan of action for how to attack the stretch run, with contingencies if things go awry. It is possible that all hope for the Vikes was lost when Kirk went down. Maybe Dobbs is the best option at quarterback, but maybe not. That is why Kwesi and KOC get paid big bucks. Their job is to work on the problem and find solutions. Bringing in Dobbs worked, but maybe a change or QB by committee is in order. Has that ever been tried? Why not dress three QBs and use them all according to their strengths. If it blows up, it blows up. What do they have to lose? Nothing! I didn't expect Dobb's to win a single game, but after the first one, I knew he gave us a chance. With the D playing as well as they are, this team has a chance in all of the remaining games. The Vikes just have to get a handle on those turnovers.

Historical Note: The team's defensive play really fell off coming down the stretch.

Good Play, Just Used At The Wrong Time

 During the first drive of the game in Denver, the Vikes had the ball 4th and 1 yard-to-go near midfield. We elected to go for it. The ball was snapped to our TE Hock who was under center. Hock then pitched it to QB Tark 2.0 who ran outside to get the ball the ball was stripped, and took a vicious hit that wasn't flagged, but got the player suspended after the league looked at it. 

I really liked the idea of Hock under center, we should try it in the future with both a "Brotherly Shove" and a pitch out to a WR or RB Chandler.

I didn't care when KOC chose to use it. I think he should have waited until we were on the goal line or in the second half.

Three Vikings turnovers resulted in the team losing the game. We almost recovered a fumble MN LB Pace Jr. forced, but he didn't gain control until he was out of bounds on Denver's final drive. The Vikings losing the game wasn't the end of the world. The Packers beat the Lions on Thanksgiving, which I thought was a possibility. If the Vikings get back to winning this Monday night then everything gets back to being right with the world again. If the Vikings get beat by Da Bears, it isn't panic button time yet because we have the bye week next, the Sea Chickens are in free fall with a brutal schedule ahead, and the Packers play the Chiefs when we are on the bye. I can't wait for the Monday Night tilt. I think the Bears will play well, but the Vikes are at home and the better team. If we get those turnovers under control or force some, we should win. Jet may or may not be back.

Tark 2.0 Leads The Vikes To Victory In Atlanta

 

The rook, Jaren Hall, only lasted two series before he got a concussion trying to run the ball into the endzone on third down. Hall did look good in that second series. So the QB that we traded for last week was thrust into the game. Zero practice reps with the Offense, because they were getting a rookie QB ready to play. What Dobbs, KOC, and the Vikings Team pulled off in a hostile stadium with a solid defense was astonishing. The Vikes got one TD with Dobbs and I was impressed. Then he got a second TD to tie the game at 21 on an amazing scramble. Wow! Then we got an interception and the Vikes took the lead on a field goal. The teams then traded off punts before finally, the Atlanta OC came to his senses and started pounding the ball right down the field and into the endzone. With two minutes left in a raucous domed stadium, Tark 2.0 went to work and could not be denied. Vikings 31 Falcons 28, scoreboard at 0:00.

Coach Kevin O'Connell now owns three of the most improbable victories in Vikings history. I still can hardly believe this happened. I don't think it's an understatement to say this was one of the all-time great total team wins in NFL history. Simply incredible!

I don't know what the future holds. I am sure the Saints Defence is chomping at the bit to get their shot at Tark 2.0 in Minneapolis this week. If nothing else, we will always have Atlanta, Mr. Dobbs. 

Good Luck, Rook!

Jaren Hall gets his first NFL start today. My expectations are not high. I think we are going to lose the game. The kid probably doesn't have enough experience. Maybe KOC is a miracle worker and will be able to tailor a game plan around the kid's strengths. If we score 20 Points I'll be amazed.

Has KOC's Luck Run Out?

I really do not like our head coach's philosophy of not playing the starters in the pre-season, but last year, he had results I can't argue with. Well, now we are 0-1, with a tough game on Thursday night in Philly. I think the short week may be a blessing. I expect the boys to be a little salty after losing the home opener, and it's possible the Eagles may come into this one a little overconfident. I think it's going to be a good game;  not the usual getting blown out in Philly loss. Even if we start 0-2, it's not time to hit the panic button, provided the team comes out of this one healthy. 
 

Vikings Season Coming Soon!

 

I love me some Vikings Football, but I think our chances of going to the Super Bowl this year are slim. Losing Cook was huge, but it had to happen with that contract. Our O-Line and D will have to improve significantly if we are going to have any shot at making the playoffs or a Division title. Also, when it comes to playoff victories, I'll believe it when I see it. KOC's 0-1 playoff record is miles different in my mind from Zim's fluke 0-1 loss to the SeaChickens on a missed chip shot field goal. KOC clearly got outcoached, while Zim was just unlucky. 

I hope Flores is a significant upgrade at D.C.. If he can bring that side of the ball to the middle of the pack on yards allowed and keep the turnovers-forced numbers around last year's at a minimum, we should be a wild-card contender if Kirko stays healthy. 

 I'll also be rooting for J-E-T-S! this season. I'm hoping A-a-a Ron leads them to the Super Bowl for the schadenfreude, plus they have Cookie who I wish nothing but success. He gave his all as a Vike and earned my respect.

I Want KOC's Head On A Pike

 It is no secret I will forever be a Zim guy. He was an excellent head coach, but the fan base and ownership abandoned him because of player injuries. I don't care if his style rubbed some players the wrong way. He was a winner, and he proved it every time he was in the playoffs. The loss to Seattle was 100% on Blair Walsh. He beat a HOF Coach and QB combo at home and as an underdog on the road. We gave up on that winning pedigree for an Offensive whiz kid with a positive approach. I remained skeptical as he racked up wins, but you can't argue with the results. A 13-win season is fantastic! Still, I was not on board the KOC train. 13 wins are almost meaningless if we get upset at home. With the D that showed up yesterday, we get beat 10 out of 10 times by that Giant's Offense. If they had to have points, they got 'em.   Where was the toughness and aggression to start the game on D? They looked lost and were as soft as a marshmallow on the first two Giant drives. That isn't acceptable. It should be a dogfight from the very first snap. It's playoff time at home. Send a message. Instead, they rolled on their bellies. What the...? The Giants seized the initiative due to a bad strategic choice of play call, took the lead, and went up by two scores like they were taking candy from a baby. That baby was our whiz kid coach. That is playoff football, and your team got steamrolled by a better coach who understands playoff football better than you. If I were the Team owner, you would be gone, but you wouldn't be the coach in the first place. If Zim was coach, he would be gone if the team performed like that, but I don't think a Zim-coached team loses that game with an equivalently healthy roster. No way!

I don't think the KOC high-flying magic show is worth a darn come playoff time. I don't think KOCs team will be able to make the playoffs next year. How long will I have to wait to determine if he figured out how to win in the playoffs? This coach is dead to me until he proves he can win a playoff game. Good luck with that, Coach Soft Soap GigaChad.

Vikes Fail At Home, Season Over

 

A soft defense that didn't start getting physical until the Vikes were behind. A lack of commitment to the run with a healthy Dalvin Cook. The team wasn't tough enough. I  don't know where the team goes from here, and I don't envy Kwesi. The Vikes are now in a tough spot with many hard decisions ahead. They got rid of Zim one season too early, and this loss in the playoffs confirms that. Cousins played a pretty darn good game; The pass play to him on third and short was flat-out a mistake, and TE Butterfingers let us down once again. I have more to say about our head coach, but I'll leave that for another blog.

I am now rooting for McCarthy's Cowboys, Burrow's Bengals, and Diggs's Bills.

Vikings Get Win #13 And The Pack Get Eliminated

Vikes beat Da Bears 29-13

 

Pack lose to the Lions 20-16

I did not expect the Vikes to be a 13-win team, but here we are. Do I think the Vikes have a shot at making the Super Bowl? Absolutely. They have a shot if the team can put three straight games together where the three phases of the game hit on all cylinders for 60 minutes. It all starts with Kirk being at his best. No bad Kirk, no disappearing Kirk. This is an opportunity for Kirk to write a new narrative for his career. If our O-Line can raise their game and create holes for Dalvin, this team will be dangerous. If the D can hold opponents to 20 points or less, that should give us a shot. I don't think we have seen this team's best effort yet. Good Luck, Boys! SKOL!

Packer Get Revenge, Crush Vikings At Lambert

 I'm giving the team a pass on this one. Crazy start to the game. Losing our backup center after the blocked kick exposed a player that wasn't ready to fill the role. The O-Line was a mess, then a disaster after O'Neil went down. Worst O-Line play of the year. I am just thankful Kirk, and the playmakers didn't get hurt. Hopefully, O'Neil's injury isn't serious. Being the 3 seed isn't the end of the world. It will be interesting to see if the Eagles can hold on to the #1 seed and if the Pack can beat the Lions next week. I think the Lions will win, as I believe the Packers are smoke and mirrors. However, I think the Packers are who I would prefer to win next week to shake things up. Let A-Rog go to Philly or the Bay. Maybe he can steal a victory or two. The #7 knocking out a #2 makes this loss almost meaningless

BP's Strategic Advice To The Vikings

 I think the Vikes should basically sit Cook for the next couple of games. He looks fresh right now. I want him 100% for the playoffs. Madison is quality back. In the Packers game, they should use Cook as a play-action decoy for three quarters giving Madison 100% of the carries. Only giving Cook carries in the 4th if the game is on the line. Yes, the Vikes could use the win this Sunday, but not at the expense of the healthy Dalvin we have right now. It's a delicate balance. If Coach KOC chooses to go in a more aggressive direction and it comes back to bite him. I will not be happy. My position, or even going more conservative with Cook, is the wise play.