Lessons Being Learned In the Playoffs
Jan 16, 2021 22:59:50 GMT -6
Reignman, Minniman, and 4 more like this
Post by whoskmoon on Jan 16, 2021 22:59:50 GMT -6
Every year we learn what it takes to win the in playoffs and every year people forget those lessons a month after the Super Bowl, when they start believing their .500 at best team actually has a shot.
To avoid that eventual case of intentional forgetfulness, lets put the lessons we learn in this thread so that Vikings fans can hop in it whenever they might start to feel a tinge of hope creeping after the Vikings beat a 1-5 Bengals team convincingly.
Lesson #1: It isn't all about the QB, it is just mostly about the QB. If your team goes into every game in the playoffs the underdog at the QB position, eventually, almost always, your luck will run out and you will lose when your QB gets outplayed by the opposing team's QB. The Rams got by the WC round with Kirk Cousins' Junior, but in the end, despite the #1 defense in the NFL, they couldn't overcome Rodgers. Which brings us to...
Lesson #2: Defense doesn't always win championships. 4 of the top 5 scoring defenses (pts per drive) made it to the playoffs this year. Baltimore, Pitt, LA and Washington all made it in, all are going to be sitting at home next week. In fact, after this weekend only 1 defense in the top 10 in scoring will remain in the playoffs since TB and NO are the only two left. Indy and Chicago are gone, which leaves the 13th, 16th, 17th and 23rd best defenses. 2 above average D's 3 very average ones.
Lesson #3: It is hard to win in the playoffs, or even get to them with a bad defense. Only TN and Cleveland made it to the playoffs this year with a bottom 10 defense, and after tomorrow no team outside of the top 17 will remain. This is not a contradiction to Lesson #2, just a clarification that while defense doesn't always win championships, bad defenses almost never make it to the playoffs.
Lesson #4: Greg Roman is not the answer at HC. That was a disaster of a game plan today, and Jackson never stood a chance.
Lesson #5: The Vikings are really far away from being as good as any of the remaining teams. Even the two teams that were knocked off today, Baltimore and LA would have destroyed the Vikings if it had been us playing them this weekend. We have a long way to go, as evidenced by our record against winning teams this season.
Edit: The Vikings were 1-6 against teams with a winning record this season. The teams in the playoffs record's:
GB: 2-2 (Wow did they have an easy schedule)
Buffalo: 5-2
Baltimore: 3-4
TN: 3-3
Chi: 1-6
Pitt: 4-3
Cle: 3-3
Wash: 1-4
KC: 4-0
LAR: 1-4
To win in the playoffs you have to be able to beat winning teams. If you can't, you will be lucky to get out of the first round and likely won't even compete in the playoffs if you can get there due to a favorable schedule.
Lesson #6: Having a good pass rush is such a difference maker. Jackson got completely flustered today by Buffalo's rush, and key sacks ended LA's chances of marching down the field multiple times. That is more than just one all pro DE coming back from an injury though. Almost the entire line needs to be able to get after the QB. On LA, Floyd, Fox and Donald each had 5+ pressures on the Wilson and he stood no chance. If you can't get pressure, you better be ready to win a shootout as the Steelers learned when their Oline could only generate 5 pressures total and Cleveland steamrolled them.
That is all I can think of for now. Feel free to add your own lessons learned to help with selective memories in the upcoming 2021 off season.
To avoid that eventual case of intentional forgetfulness, lets put the lessons we learn in this thread so that Vikings fans can hop in it whenever they might start to feel a tinge of hope creeping after the Vikings beat a 1-5 Bengals team convincingly.
Lesson #1: It isn't all about the QB, it is just mostly about the QB. If your team goes into every game in the playoffs the underdog at the QB position, eventually, almost always, your luck will run out and you will lose when your QB gets outplayed by the opposing team's QB. The Rams got by the WC round with Kirk Cousins' Junior, but in the end, despite the #1 defense in the NFL, they couldn't overcome Rodgers. Which brings us to...
Lesson #2: Defense doesn't always win championships. 4 of the top 5 scoring defenses (pts per drive) made it to the playoffs this year. Baltimore, Pitt, LA and Washington all made it in, all are going to be sitting at home next week. In fact, after this weekend only 1 defense in the top 10 in scoring will remain in the playoffs since TB and NO are the only two left. Indy and Chicago are gone, which leaves the 13th, 16th, 17th and 23rd best defenses. 2 above average D's 3 very average ones.
Lesson #3: It is hard to win in the playoffs, or even get to them with a bad defense. Only TN and Cleveland made it to the playoffs this year with a bottom 10 defense, and after tomorrow no team outside of the top 17 will remain. This is not a contradiction to Lesson #2, just a clarification that while defense doesn't always win championships, bad defenses almost never make it to the playoffs.
Lesson #4: Greg Roman is not the answer at HC. That was a disaster of a game plan today, and Jackson never stood a chance.
Lesson #5: The Vikings are really far away from being as good as any of the remaining teams. Even the two teams that were knocked off today, Baltimore and LA would have destroyed the Vikings if it had been us playing them this weekend. We have a long way to go, as evidenced by our record against winning teams this season.
Edit: The Vikings were 1-6 against teams with a winning record this season. The teams in the playoffs record's:
GB: 2-2 (Wow did they have an easy schedule)
Buffalo: 5-2
Baltimore: 3-4
TN: 3-3
Chi: 1-6
Pitt: 4-3
Cle: 3-3
Wash: 1-4
KC: 4-0
LAR: 1-4
To win in the playoffs you have to be able to beat winning teams. If you can't, you will be lucky to get out of the first round and likely won't even compete in the playoffs if you can get there due to a favorable schedule.
Lesson #6: Having a good pass rush is such a difference maker. Jackson got completely flustered today by Buffalo's rush, and key sacks ended LA's chances of marching down the field multiple times. That is more than just one all pro DE coming back from an injury though. Almost the entire line needs to be able to get after the QB. On LA, Floyd, Fox and Donald each had 5+ pressures on the Wilson and he stood no chance. If you can't get pressure, you better be ready to win a shootout as the Steelers learned when their Oline could only generate 5 pressures total and Cleveland steamrolled them.
That is all I can think of for now. Feel free to add your own lessons learned to help with selective memories in the upcoming 2021 off season.
... and neither is this Chris guy.