DeFilippo took the fall for Compton, O'Neill & Remmers
Dec 11, 2018 14:54:47 GMT -6
OdinHammer likes this
Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2018 14:54:47 GMT -6
Well, after the offensive performance last night I guess it wasn't a total shock. It was still a significant disappointment. This team seems to be mis-diagnosing the root of their problems CONSTANTLY this season. Zimmer has got to figure that out. That could undo his tenure here in Minnesota if he doesn't start laying the blame where it belongs.
Did John DeFilippo struggle as OC? I would say yes, but that is not unusual for a first-year offensive coordinator. Maybe I remember the past too easily, but I think Vikings fans forget how utterly abominable Bill Musgrave and Brad Childress were at designing and calling offenses. DeFilippo was worlds better than them and I think Vikings fans (and coaches) got stuck looking at a gift horse in the mouth.
DeFilippo was hired to open up the offense more than Shurmur did. Lest we forget, last year a HUGE complaint against Shurmur was that there were too few downfield passing plays and that undid the Vikings in all four of their losses (especially at Philadelphia). DeFilippo was hired to keep Shurmur's system but to start throwing in some downfield passing to open up the offense and so take more pressure off the defense. Based off DeFilippo's body of work, I think he was doing that. Were there struggles with it? Yes, but Shurmur struggled getting his system implemented in 2016. Things like this take time.
No, what undid DeFilippo was an offensive line that belongs on the trash heap. Outside of Riley Reiff and Pat Elflein (and MAYBE Danny Isidora), NO ONE on this offensive line deserves to be starting for (or maybe even employed by) an NFL team and that especially applies to the Vikings starters at guard and right tackle. (You could make an argument that Mike Remmers would do better if moved back to tackle, but that remains to be seen).
It should have been painfully obvious as the team tried to run the ball against Seattle that the offensive line was the reason the plays weren't working. Cook and Murray got stuffed so often by penetrating linemen from the middle and the right that it was painful to watch. Cousins got pressured up the middle frequently and kept having to dodge pressure from his right (Interesting note: The strip-sack touchdown by Seattle was caused by intense pressure from Cousins' right). They were the reason DeFilippo's playcalls weren't working. It wasn't DeFilippo's scheme by any stretch of the imagination.
In closing, I will state that I strongly believe the Vikings fired the wrong person today. The guys who should've been handed the pink slips this morning were Tom Compton, Brian O'Neill and Mike Remmers. They hold the responsibility for many of the Vikings losses this season. Not DeFilippo. Until Zimmer realizes this, he is just setting up his offense for failure. Unless we see a change in the O-Line depth chart before Sunday, he is setting up Kevin Stefanski for failure too. That is inexcusable blindness on Zimmer's (and Spielman's) part.
Farewell Coach DeFilippo. I wish we could have given you an offensive line that would have done justice to your offensive scheme. I know when you got it to work, it was a beauty to watch and gave me flashbacks of Brian Billick and Scott Linehan.
Did John DeFilippo struggle as OC? I would say yes, but that is not unusual for a first-year offensive coordinator. Maybe I remember the past too easily, but I think Vikings fans forget how utterly abominable Bill Musgrave and Brad Childress were at designing and calling offenses. DeFilippo was worlds better than them and I think Vikings fans (and coaches) got stuck looking at a gift horse in the mouth.
DeFilippo was hired to open up the offense more than Shurmur did. Lest we forget, last year a HUGE complaint against Shurmur was that there were too few downfield passing plays and that undid the Vikings in all four of their losses (especially at Philadelphia). DeFilippo was hired to keep Shurmur's system but to start throwing in some downfield passing to open up the offense and so take more pressure off the defense. Based off DeFilippo's body of work, I think he was doing that. Were there struggles with it? Yes, but Shurmur struggled getting his system implemented in 2016. Things like this take time.
No, what undid DeFilippo was an offensive line that belongs on the trash heap. Outside of Riley Reiff and Pat Elflein (and MAYBE Danny Isidora), NO ONE on this offensive line deserves to be starting for (or maybe even employed by) an NFL team and that especially applies to the Vikings starters at guard and right tackle. (You could make an argument that Mike Remmers would do better if moved back to tackle, but that remains to be seen).
It should have been painfully obvious as the team tried to run the ball against Seattle that the offensive line was the reason the plays weren't working. Cook and Murray got stuffed so often by penetrating linemen from the middle and the right that it was painful to watch. Cousins got pressured up the middle frequently and kept having to dodge pressure from his right (Interesting note: The strip-sack touchdown by Seattle was caused by intense pressure from Cousins' right). They were the reason DeFilippo's playcalls weren't working. It wasn't DeFilippo's scheme by any stretch of the imagination.
In closing, I will state that I strongly believe the Vikings fired the wrong person today. The guys who should've been handed the pink slips this morning were Tom Compton, Brian O'Neill and Mike Remmers. They hold the responsibility for many of the Vikings losses this season. Not DeFilippo. Until Zimmer realizes this, he is just setting up his offense for failure. Unless we see a change in the O-Line depth chart before Sunday, he is setting up Kevin Stefanski for failure too. That is inexcusable blindness on Zimmer's (and Spielman's) part.
Farewell Coach DeFilippo. I wish we could have given you an offensive line that would have done justice to your offensive scheme. I know when you got it to work, it was a beauty to watch and gave me flashbacks of Brian Billick and Scott Linehan.
... and neither is this Chris guy.