Vikings Nipped By Lions - Who Gets The Deflated Ball?
Oct 21, 2024 11:44:15 GMT -6
via mobile
slapnut19 likes this
Post by mngopher35 on Oct 21, 2024 11:44:15 GMT -6
Overall though I agree that it was a well called game on offense. Being able to see the entire field in person this week really re-inforced everything I thought I had seen on the limited screen from the Jets game. There are guys open all over the field, including short options play after play. On that interception throw the entire crowd started yelling to throw the ball because he was holding it too long AND Jones was completely wide open short for a huge gain. There just isn't much you can do when Darnold is locking in on only one player and holding it until he thinks that guy is open enough to squeeze it in.
There are wide open guys, including short options, much of the game though. Even on the put away drive we had a guy open the QB just missed. This isn't a KOC thing it is a Darnold not making good decisions and holding on to the ball too long staring down one option thing. It is an issue that we have been able to mitigate more than any other team he has been on so far but seems like it will always be a limitation. We have limitations on the oline and also at RB as well (can't just run Jones into the ground and no other options). These are roster limitations that are out of the coaches control. Kwesi still has work to do but luckily he has set us up to be able to fill some of these holes in FA next year and Mccarthy will be the future at QB to hopefully improve from Darnold.
This is why back when the hypothetical 40+ million dollar contract nonsense talk was happening there was push back. He is doing a solid job of at least running this offense well enough to win games when the support is there and things are easy. He can occassionaly make the big throw as well and does not play scared checkdown football. You just aren't going to ever get much better than mid level play though due to these issues that were also there early in the season when we were winning. In games against top teams it will often show why these types of QB's shouldn't be given such massive pay checks. He had a solid game but his limitations and missing those open guys on some key plays easily is the difference here. As were some of the penalties, the four straight TD drives by the defense etc. etc. in a team loss like this. The key is that so long as the QB is limited in these ways and we are lacking on interior oline with only one (older, non workhorse type) RB to lean on the offense is going to remain limited.
We just need to keep on playing tough, being resilient and winning these tough ones as much as possible while continuing to win the games we should. This is likely not going to be a true contender season due to the roster limitations but if this team gets a home playoff game or a playoff win with the cap space and young QB we have it is still a great season and sign for our future.
KOC refuses to take away the bad options. Where were the screens? Have the Vikings thrown a WR bubble screen all year? Or a quick throw to a WR when the CB is giving a cushion to get an easy 4 yards? Or a TE chip and release? Or passes to the RB leaking out of the backfield?
Why doesn't he have any plays that gain short yardage on 3rd & 4th and Short?
Sam is missing wide open underneath options. But KOC continues to call plays with multiple deep options running long-developing routes. With a Center and Right Guard who are terrible at pass protection. Against Teams that blitz a lot.
He's not adjusting in-game. Kevin just expects better execution while he runs the same Offense regardless of what the Defense is doing. And he's still getting plays in late.
Sam is holding the ball too long and missing underneath options. But O'Connell is absolutely contributing to the problem because of his playcalling. Which is 1 dimensional.
What is being described is exactly that. Darnold hung onto the ball and threw a pick instead of a wide open jones in the flat. Against the jets I highlighted many plays with chips/release and the same flat to rb options as well. The screen game needs work, it has been called on occasion but isn’t successful since early in the season. It seems like many fans are seeing this too as Dan pointed it out, slap has as well as others. Same thing against the jets. I attend home games so was focusing on seeing the field this game and don’t understand how some fans still miss this happening when others see it clearly. As comet just noted the focus on the coach is odd give that even 1 or 2 better plays by the qb and we likely win given what was called.
As others also point out he has called plays to get them in short yardage and the qb doesn't execute or misses the short option. Whether it be a couple of the short options I highlighted last week or what slap is saying about the late one where Darnold missed.
Almost every team we have played has routes to different levels of the field most plays. This is to stretch the defense. Just because that happens does not mean you need to throw it every play and good qbs read the field and take what is given. That’s the real issue being highlighted and what we are really missing. There are shorter options and cousins used to over check down to them. Now with darnold we are seeing the opposite.
I agree that KOC has work to do and is not at elite level yet. The complaints seem to ignore obvious context many fans can see with their own eyes though and ignore that the execution is clearly the bigger issue. There is a reason our qb was 10 million on the open market. There is a level of shared blame for sure but a coach can only do so much. This is easily the best run of darnolds career for a reason and coaching will never make him elite.
... and neither is this Chris guy.