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.  

Super Sam Sweeps the Pack In 2024, 14-2 BOOM!

 

Super Sam was "The Man" yet again. He went 33/43 for 372 yards using 8 different receivers, throwing 3 TDs and had a QB rating of 116.1. Amazing day. The Vikes held the Pack down for three-quarters, then held on at the end to win 27-25. The game really wasn't that close, and I never doubted that the Vikes would win. I was not happy with the pick Uncle Sam threw that let the Pack think they had a chance, and our Special Teams had another bad game. Our kicker, Will the Thrill, needs to get himself squared away.

Now it is on to Detriot for the opportunity to be the NFC #1 Seed, which comes with a first-round bye and home-field advantage. I am bullish on the Vikes chances for so many reasons. Some of them are:

The Vikes are healthier as a team than in the first meeting this season. We got Cashman and Hock playing this time.

The Lions D is a MASH Unit and will be missing their power running back.

The Vikes got Uncle/Super Sam throwing the rock to our elite receiver corps.
Dan Campbell played his starters for the whole game vs. the 49ers. Not bright when they had nothing to play for.
The 49ers were hitting.

The Lions will have a short week and played on the West Coast.

The Vikes just played really well in Seattle, giving the offense experience and confidence in a really loud environment against a defense that is a couple of notches better than the Lions.

We won the Seattle game on a short week.

The Pack lost to us playing on a short week where they played at home, so they didn't have to deal with the travel headache the Lions do.

The Vikes will come in as underdogs with revenge on their mind.

The Lions are trying to hold on to the Division Crown and #1 Seed and the Vikes have positioned themselves to take it with the win.

I really like the Vikes chances, SKOL!

Uncle Sam Goes Off, Vikes 11-2

Put the tights and cape on the man, Uncle Sam turned into Super Sam; He along with Free 3, Jordan Addison, and Justin Jefferson, put on a show for Kirko, Viking Nation, and the world. It seemed to me that three weeks back, during the Titans game, things clicked for Uncle Sam and his play got locked in at a higher level. He was more confident, made better decisions, and let her rip every throw. With few exceptions, that has been Darnold ever since. Aaron Jones looked like he was close to being back to 100% yesterday. The O-Line had some problems early again but were rolling in the 2nd Half.

The D continued to produce turnovers, but I'm a bit concerned about the lack of pass rush and leaky run game the last couple of games. Hopefully, an extra day before Da Bears tilt at home will give the D a "second wind" that will allow them to get on a roll as the playoffs approach.

 

 

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