Thread: 4 Vikings Question Marks that Need to be Addressed

"midgensa" wrote:

Pretty decent ... but he also failed to mention the fact that we had the No. 6 defense in the league despite only have EJ for four games. He is acting like our defensive excellence relies on EJ and that simply was not the case.
No doubt he makes us better though and hopefully he is back at full strength tearing shit up.

EJ could possibly be the most underrated MLB in the game. He gets overlooked quite a bit.

Right, two toes.
My bad on that one.
Still, if he is healthy, he is going to make our run defense go from awesome to historic.
Has a team ever led the league in rushing defense four years in a row?
We've had it the last three years, right?

With Udeze back, we'll have more depth on the line.
EJ will solidify the linebackers.
Prepare for something special.

"C" wrote:

"midgensa" wrote:

Pretty decent ... but he also failed to mention the fact that we had the No. 6 defense in the league despite only have EJ for four games. He is acting like our defensive excellence relies on EJ and that simply was not the case.
No doubt he makes us better though and hopefully he is back at full strength tearing shit up.

EJ could possibly be the most underrated MLB in the game. He gets overlooked quite a bit.

I can't think of a player off the top of my head, currently in the nfl, that hits harder than EJ. EJ can get crazy explosion in such a small spaces, he'll kill you in a phone-booth, and in the open field, fuggedaboutit. If EJ gets a hit he makes sure it's a good hit, and he's consistent.

Right, two toes.
My bad on that one.
Still, if he is healthy, he is going to make our run defense go from awesome to historic.
Has a team ever led the league in rushing defense four years in a row?
We've had it the last three years, right?

3 years in a row was already historic and the only team to do so if I remember correctly.

"Json" wrote:

Right, two toes.
My bad on that one.
Still, if he is healthy, he is going to make our run defense go from awesome to historic.
Has a team ever led the league in rushing defense four years in a row?
We've had it the last three years, right?

3 years in a row was already historic and the only team to do so if I remember correctly.

I actually think it was 3-4 toes... but either way, Chilly said earlier in the offseason that EJ could have came back with a couple games left to play last year.. so he'll be good to go when training camp starts..

i'm not sure i'm as sold as this guy is on Sullivan.... He hasnt' even played yet and from what i gather, he isnt' exactly ready to just step in and replace Matt...

"bleedpurple" wrote:

i'm not sure i'm as sold as this guy is on Sullivan.... He hasnt' even played yet and from what i gather, he isnt' exactly ready to just step in and replace Matt...

This is where our close mouthed coaching staff drives us bonkers.
This guy contends that because our Staff doesn't seem concerned, he shouldn't be.
However our Staff isn't the type to raise a red flag and say we're concerned about Center and have every team in the NFL blitz that guy.

What I'm wrestling with is the lack of competition for him at that role, specifically Cook.
Given that Hicks took his starting RT role away from him prior to getting injured and Load was brought in as a RT, it would appear Cooks days at RT are numbered at best.
Why aren't we hearing more about a competition between Cook and Sulli for Center?
Part of me wants to believe that Sulli is just showing the coaches that much that a competition isn't warranted... but part of me also questions some of our coaching decisions and believes any first year starter should have his position challenged before offering it to him.

"C" wrote:

"midgensa" wrote:

Pretty decent ... but he also failed to mention the fact that we had the No. 6 defense in the league despite only have EJ for four games. He is acting like our defensive excellence relies on EJ and that simply was not the case.
No doubt he makes us better though and hopefully he is back at full strength tearing shit up.

EJ could possibly be the most underrated MLB in the game. He gets overlooked quite a bit.

He might be the most underrated defensive player in football, hell, maybe the most underrated of all players... he's really an excellent linebacker, but you'll never hear a word about him outside of an injury report or an actual Vikings broadcast.

"midgensa" wrote:

Pretty decent ... but he also failed to mention the fact that we had the No. 6 defense in the league despite only have EJ for four games. He is acting like our defensive excellence relies on EJ and that simply was not the case.
No doubt he makes us better though and hopefully he is back at full strength tearing shit up.

Good post "midgensa"!
I agree with you. I love E.J. Henderson (just take a look at my sig) but I wouldn't go as far to call him the heart of our defense. We don't have a heart of the defense... we have many hearts. Players like Jared Allen, Kevin Williams and Antoine Winfield were just as important - if not even more important - to the Vikings last season.
I think it will be much worse when the Williams Wrecking Crew is gonna sit a few games.


Adrian Peterson is the heart of our offense thought

"PurpleTide" wrote:

1. Udeze coming back, 2. EJ coming back.... 3. Farve..????, what about Charles Gordon's return, floop Farve. 4... Farve seriously???? :

1. I still don't think Udeze will be back.
Even if he does, he won't start.
What some fail to realize is this guy is coming off a LIFE THREATENING disease.
He had to undergo therapy on a constant basis.
He probably dropped about 40 lbs of muscle in the process.
IF he's completely better from the Leukemia, he still has to put the weight back on and get back in football shape, which I don't think anyone can do by September.

2. EJ will be a beast.
We did great without him, we'll do even better with him.

3. Like it or not, Favre would help our offense.
Even if he only throws as many balls as TJ did last season, teams will have to respect him, and can't crowd the LOS.
It will open up the run big time.

4. Gordon is in the same boat as Udeze.
That break was bad.
He probably lost some muscle mass in his ankle recovering from it.
We don't know how his lateral motion and change of direction will be.
He'll likely be the #4 or 5 corner next season.