Championship Mindset

Exactly, there’s a difference between playing conservative when the game is close and and doing it in a 28 point blowout. One of them is playing scared, as you’re not focusing on scoring the points needed to ensure victory. The other is playing smart because you already have the points necessary to win as long as you don’t give the game away to the opponent with unnecessary mistakes. The scoreboard becomes less a of a focus than the clock. No need to “win more” just close out the game healthy and move onto next week

To me, if you can't take into consideration the context of the game, the score, etc. when determining scared vs. smart, you're probably not making much of an analysis at all.

Choosing whether I drive 120 mph depends a lot on the context. If I won't drive that fast in an Indy Car race....I'm probably scared. If I won't do it through a school zone...it isn't fear that's making my decision, it's just being cognizant enough not to be a reckless idiot. The consequences aren't worth whatever minimal gain there would be.

The Vikings decided, wisely, that whatever minimal gains could be had by keeping the gas down weren't worth the myriad of negative consequences that could happen. Since there was zero risk of losing, it's a real stretch to call that calculus "fear".

How bout we take into consideration the context of a team that's in the Super Bowl every year, and a team that isn't? As Oracle Bone Diviner pointed out, some of you are conveniently replacing the word "scared" with "smart" like it makes your point more valid. Maybe it would be smart to instill an attitude of winning, or a kill instinct, or of sending a message to opponents. Maybe it'll get inside their heads before they even take the field. This team plays all 60 minutes. I think of some of the best teams and the attitudes they had, they carried a certain level of intimidation which gave them a psychological advantage, like the '85 Bears, '00 Ravens, '02 Bucs, '13 Seahawks. Imagine the Vikings playing all 4 quarters the way they played the first 3 and they blowout the Falcons 38-3 or something, the way the Patriots finished off and blewout the Steelers. An advantage the Vikings could have taken with them on the road to play a very important division rival next week.

You don't think the league took notice of what the Patriots did to the Steelers? Nobody took notice of the Vikings rolling over in the 4th quarter. 28-12 doesn't sound too intimidating. Having the players relax and coast in the 4th didn't teach them anything about finishing a game or winning. Things that could be important in games that we don't win by 28. It taught them to be nervous and careful, things that lead to choking. Some of us think it would be more smart to instill an attitude of intimidation, and finishing strong, not mercy. Like the teams who fill the trophy case every year.

But nah, lets keep up the same attitude of playing careful, and worrying about injury because that's worked out so well for us the past 4 decades. Lets not try a different attitude or anything. Championship mindset, I don't see any around here. I saw it again Sunday night though.

Bahaha we're not the Patriots, so lets try not to be like them. Makes sense. You're right, there are other successful teams in the league, and what do they have in common? Knowing how to finish games perhaps? What do you think it takes to beat the Patriots? Lets ask the Falcons what it takes to beat the Patriots in a Super Bowl ... oh wait.

There it is again, someone using the word "smart" when they really meant "scared". The play it safe crowd is cult-like xD. You're not fooling anyone.

Miss Straw Man, we meet again. We seem to be running into each other an awful lot these days, especially when VikingsBoss is around. Ain't nobody asking the Vikings to run up the score lol. Did you miss the stats? 22 yards rushing and 1 first down. Does that sound acceptable to you? B-b-but the first 3 quarters. If the goal is to run out the clock, don't you think it would go a little better if you picked up a few more first downs? Would it have killed us to throw a short pass or 2 to help us with that? Isn't Cousins the PA king? I wonder how effective PA would have been yesterday in the 4th quarter to pick up an extra first down or 2 when rushing alone wasn't working. Am I the only one who noticed how great that worked in the Patriots game? Ohhhh right, we're not the Patriots. They're the only team talented enough to throw passes in the 4th quarter with a 4 TD lead to finish games lol. Too complex for all these other teams with empty trophy cases.

Or, now stick with me here ... some of us want to win a championship and aren't satisfied when we see an obvious weakness that could bite us in the ass later? Some of us who remember this teams choking capability? Some of us might think there's always something to work on. Is that more inline with a championship mindset or is that more inline with the play it safe attitude? Some people just want to be content with 16th place, 8-8, and handing out participation trophies.

You got that right lol. But hey, lets not copy their style or anything. Lets not try to do everything we can to be like them, where we can. Nah, we'll just stick with our biannual 1 and done playoff appearance strategy, choking away 2 or 3 games every year and wondering why the trophy case is still empty, because we're the Vikings, and we have a franchise wide learning disability.

And why can't Kirk be like Brady? Maybe it just boils down to attitude and confidence? Do you think BB is in Brady's ear every series telling him to be careful? Which coach do you suppose had more confidence in their QB in the 4th quarter yesterday? The one who let his QB throw the ball downfield with a 4 TD lead, or the one who made sure his QB didn't throw a single pass, even though 2 or 3 after PA would have been a lot more effective than rushing for 22 yards and 1 first down? Why not at least put Mannion in and let him work on some chemistry? When Cousins dropped back to hand the ball off all those times, he could have shredded a knee. Are we worried about injuries or not? Why would we take that risk lol? B-b-but we were worried about injuries. Doesn't seem like it, because why was Cousins in there at all?

And maybe that's the problem lol? Am I the only one who notices how our trophy case is empty and how theirs is full? I can only conclude their approach is better than ours. Glad to see you're content with the 16th place approach.

I would say other teams that win championships have a lot more in common with whatever the Patriots are doing than they do to whatever Zim and the Vikings are doing lol. Just a hunch. Teams that know how to win are probably going to do all the winning. Or do point out the play it safe teams that have won a bowl, I'll wait.

The end of this discussion is far from over. Every time the Vikings choke, I'm going to be there to remind you how your play it safe lower standards asked for it, as we watch the Patriots (or some other team that knows how to finish games) win another Super Bowl. Besides, why would the conversation be over when I'm having so much fun lol?

I think my problem is that the smart play isn't as smart as you imply that it is... They certainly didn't need another score at 28-0... but how about this... stop being so predictable.  Mix in a few high percentage short yardage pass plays, use your thunder on your running plays instead of Cook, move the ball, force ATL to use some time outs, get a first or two, and take a bit more time off the clock before punting... then bring in the second team O and D. You don't even have to run up the score... just back them into a corner by picking up a first down or three before punting. 

The injury risk should certainly be stated here. The first teamers had to be out there the entire game due to that play calling... which was entirely predictable. Zimmer coasted too soon against the Saints and we needed a miracle to beat them. I know this was a bigger lead against a lesser team, but we have a history of "playing smart" way too soon and seeing a lot of games get to the wire that had no business getting there... and I'm not sure that's the smartest play. Letting the 2s get some valuable snaps is in my opinion a far more effective way of coasting. It also shifts injury risks to the backups and gives some experience when next man up becomes a reality. 

Again, I'm really not that upset. That game was over as 4 scores in a quarter is incredibly rare. I do think though, that Reignman and Oracle Bone Diviner have a point.  Our team has a history of not finishing games.