Post by Purple Pain on Mar 6, 2019 19:22:42 GMT -6
32 Teams/32 Days: Day 18: The Minnesota Vikings by Citronaut1
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Lots more at the link:
https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/axz3kq/32_teams32_days_day_18_the_minnesota_vikings/
Team: Minnesota Vikings
Division: NFC North
Record: 8-7-1 (3-2-1 vs. Division) (2nd in NFC North) (Missed Playoffs)
Introduction
Heading into the 2018 season, Minnesota Vikings fans had every reason to be optimistic about their teams' future. They were a young, hot team coming off of a 13-3 season that included one of the NFL's most memorable plays in recent memory. They had also gone out of their way to grab what they believed to be their "missing piece" in quarterback Kirk Cousins. He would be paired with a young and up-and-coming offensive mind: Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo.
If that weren't enough, the Vikings then proceeded to bolster their already-dominant defense with the signing of former Defensive Rookie of the Year Sheldon Richardson and selected cornerback Mike Hughes in the first round of the NFL Draft. Star defenders Eric Kendricks and Danielle Hunter were also handed lucrative multi-year extensions.
From top to bottom, the Vikings were locked and loaded for another postseason run. With all of these additions to a team that was already one game away from a Super Bowl, there's no way the Vikings were going to miss the playoffs, right? Right???
Wrong. Despite having a winning record, the 2018 season was somewhat of a squandered opportunity for Minnesota. Although they had plenty of talent on both sides of the football, the Vikings never seemed to reach their full potential.
In the following piece, I, along with other members of the Vikings community, will be taking a look back on the 2018 season, and how the team can get back to their 2017 form. So, with all of that said, please enjoy this rendition of 32 Teams/32 Days: The Minnesota Vikings.
Division: NFC North
Record: 8-7-1 (3-2-1 vs. Division) (2nd in NFC North) (Missed Playoffs)
Introduction
Heading into the 2018 season, Minnesota Vikings fans had every reason to be optimistic about their teams' future. They were a young, hot team coming off of a 13-3 season that included one of the NFL's most memorable plays in recent memory. They had also gone out of their way to grab what they believed to be their "missing piece" in quarterback Kirk Cousins. He would be paired with a young and up-and-coming offensive mind: Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo.
If that weren't enough, the Vikings then proceeded to bolster their already-dominant defense with the signing of former Defensive Rookie of the Year Sheldon Richardson and selected cornerback Mike Hughes in the first round of the NFL Draft. Star defenders Eric Kendricks and Danielle Hunter were also handed lucrative multi-year extensions.
From top to bottom, the Vikings were locked and loaded for another postseason run. With all of these additions to a team that was already one game away from a Super Bowl, there's no way the Vikings were going to miss the playoffs, right? Right???
Wrong. Despite having a winning record, the 2018 season was somewhat of a squandered opportunity for Minnesota. Although they had plenty of talent on both sides of the football, the Vikings never seemed to reach their full potential.
In the following piece, I, along with other members of the Vikings community, will be taking a look back on the 2018 season, and how the team can get back to their 2017 form. So, with all of that said, please enjoy this rendition of 32 Teams/32 Days: The Minnesota Vikings.
Three Things to Know:
1. Our rushing defense got WAY worse. So much worse that it can't all be explained just by us playing from behind more often.
2. Notice our total points allowed was ninth. Our points/drive was 3rd. This shows how often the defense was on the field and put in bad situations by the offense.
3. The one stat we improved on from 2017 was takeaways, and it was only by one.
Season Highs and Lows
Low Points:
The loss of offensive line coach Tony Sparano deeply affected the Minnesota Vikings both on and off of the field. Last July, Sparano died suddenly in his Eden Prairie home due to an abrupt heart failure. The passing shocked the Minnesota Vikings and rest of the NFL. Sparano was loved by not only his offensive linemen, but every player on the team. His no-nonsense attitude made him popular with rookies and veterans alike, and he was sorely missed this season. It is hard to quantify how impactful the death of Tony Sparano was on the field, but it was clear that the offensive line lacked the direction they did the year prior. After years of being one of the worst offensive lines in the league, the 2017 Vikings seemed to be improving thanks to coach Sparano. Although his tenure in Minnesota was short, he will always be remembered fondly for contributing to the Vikings' magical 2017 season.
Another off-the-field issue that weighed on the back of the team's mind was the departure of Everson Griffen halfway through the season. After missing Week 3's defeat to the Buffalo Bills, it was revealed that Griffen was currently seeking help over apparent mental health issues. Much of the situation was clouded by rumors, but there was no doubting that the veteran defensive end was missed. In total, Griffen missed six games, returning for the team's Week 8 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.
Originally, this was going to be about the Vikings' Week 3 loss to the Bills, but I'd like to instead talk about all of Kirk Cousins' fumbles this year. Cousins fumbled ten times this season, usually at the worst possible time. In at least three games (Weeks 3, 4, and 14), Cousins' looseness with the football essentially iced the game. This isn't even including some of his disastrous pick-sixes, which in itself lost a handful of games. Kirk Cousins had a great year on paper, but in game-defining situations he always seemed to be the problem, not the solution.
High Points:
The Vikings' Week 5 win against the Eagles was great for the team's morale and provided us with the team's best play of the year. Linval Joseph's iconic touchdown return caused r/minnesotavikings to be flooded with sh!tposts like this, and the play was broadcasted on highlight reels across the league. The win also allowed the Vikings to get revenge on the defending Super Bowl champions who had spoiled their own postseason run many moons ago. In addition, it was their only win against a playoff team in 2018.
The Minnesota Vikings' 2018 season can't be explained without mentioning Adam Thielen's insane stretch of games to start the season. In the first eight weeks of the season, Thielen tied the NFL record for most consecutive 100-yard receiving games and set the record for most consecutive 100-yard receiving games to begin a season. The insane run made him a front-runner for the "best receiver in the NFL" debate, with 74 catches for 925 yards and six touchdowns. His production slowed down significantly in the second half of the year, but Thielen's dominance was something to behold up until Week 9.
Coaching Staff Review
Head Coach- Mike Zimmer
Although he can be a bit of a jerk at times, there's no doubting that Mike Zimmer is an excellent head coach. Since joining the team in 2014, Minnesota's defense has been one of the best in the NFL. This trend continued this season, with the Vikings ranking in the top ten for both points and yards allowed. His coaching style is, in a word, traditional. Zimmer's bread and butter is a strong defense, dominant running game, and having a quarterback that makes little mistakes. We saw shades of that in 2018, but the offense needs to improve to allow more complimentary gameplay.
If there is anywhere where you can fault coach Zimmer, it is with his mismanagement of the offensive side of the ball. Since his tenure began, the Vikings have had seven quarterbacks start under center. Most of the time, those seven quarterbacks have been given little to no protection behind one of the league's worst offensive lines. However, Zimmer seems to dodge most of this criticism by being labeled as a "defensive-minded" coach. While these issues certainly haven't been all his fault, there will be some concern with Zimmer if this continues.
All in all, Mike Zimmer is a good head coach that the Minnesota Vikings are lucky to have. In his five years with the team, the Vikings have won the division twice and have a win percentage of .594. He has also only had one losing season (7-9 in his first year) and led the team to their best record (13-3 in 2017) since the 1998 season. The Vikings understand how important coach Zimmer is to the team, which is why his contract was extended through the 2020 season.
1. Our rushing defense got WAY worse. So much worse that it can't all be explained just by us playing from behind more often.
2. Notice our total points allowed was ninth. Our points/drive was 3rd. This shows how often the defense was on the field and put in bad situations by the offense.
3. The one stat we improved on from 2017 was takeaways, and it was only by one.
Season Highs and Lows
Low Points:
The loss of offensive line coach Tony Sparano deeply affected the Minnesota Vikings both on and off of the field. Last July, Sparano died suddenly in his Eden Prairie home due to an abrupt heart failure. The passing shocked the Minnesota Vikings and rest of the NFL. Sparano was loved by not only his offensive linemen, but every player on the team. His no-nonsense attitude made him popular with rookies and veterans alike, and he was sorely missed this season. It is hard to quantify how impactful the death of Tony Sparano was on the field, but it was clear that the offensive line lacked the direction they did the year prior. After years of being one of the worst offensive lines in the league, the 2017 Vikings seemed to be improving thanks to coach Sparano. Although his tenure in Minnesota was short, he will always be remembered fondly for contributing to the Vikings' magical 2017 season.
Another off-the-field issue that weighed on the back of the team's mind was the departure of Everson Griffen halfway through the season. After missing Week 3's defeat to the Buffalo Bills, it was revealed that Griffen was currently seeking help over apparent mental health issues. Much of the situation was clouded by rumors, but there was no doubting that the veteran defensive end was missed. In total, Griffen missed six games, returning for the team's Week 8 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.
Originally, this was going to be about the Vikings' Week 3 loss to the Bills, but I'd like to instead talk about all of Kirk Cousins' fumbles this year. Cousins fumbled ten times this season, usually at the worst possible time. In at least three games (Weeks 3, 4, and 14), Cousins' looseness with the football essentially iced the game. This isn't even including some of his disastrous pick-sixes, which in itself lost a handful of games. Kirk Cousins had a great year on paper, but in game-defining situations he always seemed to be the problem, not the solution.
High Points:
The Vikings' Week 5 win against the Eagles was great for the team's morale and provided us with the team's best play of the year. Linval Joseph's iconic touchdown return caused r/minnesotavikings to be flooded with sh!tposts like this, and the play was broadcasted on highlight reels across the league. The win also allowed the Vikings to get revenge on the defending Super Bowl champions who had spoiled their own postseason run many moons ago. In addition, it was their only win against a playoff team in 2018.
The Minnesota Vikings' 2018 season can't be explained without mentioning Adam Thielen's insane stretch of games to start the season. In the first eight weeks of the season, Thielen tied the NFL record for most consecutive 100-yard receiving games and set the record for most consecutive 100-yard receiving games to begin a season. The insane run made him a front-runner for the "best receiver in the NFL" debate, with 74 catches for 925 yards and six touchdowns. His production slowed down significantly in the second half of the year, but Thielen's dominance was something to behold up until Week 9.
Coaching Staff Review
Head Coach- Mike Zimmer
Although he can be a bit of a jerk at times, there's no doubting that Mike Zimmer is an excellent head coach. Since joining the team in 2014, Minnesota's defense has been one of the best in the NFL. This trend continued this season, with the Vikings ranking in the top ten for both points and yards allowed. His coaching style is, in a word, traditional. Zimmer's bread and butter is a strong defense, dominant running game, and having a quarterback that makes little mistakes. We saw shades of that in 2018, but the offense needs to improve to allow more complimentary gameplay.
If there is anywhere where you can fault coach Zimmer, it is with his mismanagement of the offensive side of the ball. Since his tenure began, the Vikings have had seven quarterbacks start under center. Most of the time, those seven quarterbacks have been given little to no protection behind one of the league's worst offensive lines. However, Zimmer seems to dodge most of this criticism by being labeled as a "defensive-minded" coach. While these issues certainly haven't been all his fault, there will be some concern with Zimmer if this continues.
All in all, Mike Zimmer is a good head coach that the Minnesota Vikings are lucky to have. In his five years with the team, the Vikings have won the division twice and have a win percentage of .594. He has also only had one losing season (7-9 in his first year) and led the team to their best record (13-3 in 2017) since the 1998 season. The Vikings understand how important coach Zimmer is to the team, which is why his contract was extended through the 2020 season.
Lots more at the link:
https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/axz3kq/32_teams32_days_day_18_the_minnesota_vikings/
... and neither is this Chris guy.