Thread: Bye Week Review

Hey All! It has been a long time since I posted but I decided it was time to come out of retirement after attending the Vikings-Lions game.

I just thought I drop my thoughts about the 2006 Minnesota Vikings at their Bye Week.

Offensive Line: Really starting to come together and the Left side looks killer.
I'm excited for these guys as they get better every game. Grade: A+

Wide Receivers: If we still had Koren Robinson I think we would have put up 20 points by now.
Williamson drops a lot of passes and that has to stop.
If he can control that our offense is a lot better off. It seems to me that we have 3, #3 WRs right now with 2 almost #2s.
We need a #1 guy.
If Williamson can catch, he could be it.
Until then or untill Childress finds a way to get the Ball the Jermaine Wiggins, I will be holding my breath on every passing play. Grade: C-

Runningback:
I am very impressed with this group.
I really wanted Edge this offseason but Taylor has been great.
he can make things happen by himself and can pick-up tough yards and yards after contact. I like him out of the backfield too.
Mewelde and Fason are quality back-ups and I'd rather have Brock Lesnar running the rock than Artose Pinner. Grade: A

TE: Jimmy K and Jermaine are great TEs and we need to get them involved.
I think running screens to Kleiny and getting Wiggins to run midlevel perimeter routes will work in our favor.
With the lack of quality WRs I would definitely start 2 TEs every game. Grade: B+

FB: Richardson is awesome. Great pick-up. Nothing more to say. Grade: A

Quarterback:
I never liked the thought of going into the season with Brad Johnson as our starter.
He has no mobility has had made some pretty awful decisions this year.
I couldn't believe he lobbed the 4th and 2 pass to Williamson against the Bears.
That was our one chance to win the division and perhaps the only chance the Bears had to lose.
I don't feel confident in Chicago.
Then in the Bills game on 3rd down he hits Wiggins over the middle of field, short of the first down, bringing up 4th down and we need to spike the ball to have a chance at scoring.
Terrible.
He can rarely find the open receiver and when he does he leads the ball towards the defender making it hard for our guys to catch the ball.
It's hard enough for them already.
Throw in interceptions and intentional ground penalties because he doesn't know how to throw the ball away properly and you've got Brad Johnson 2006 edition. Start Jackson. Grade: F

Offensive Coaching: I don't see why we run the right side as much or more than we run to the left.
We have over 100 million dollars invested in those 2 guys over there and they are probably the best tandem in the league.
It's dumb to not run to their side 80-90% of the time. You throw in a 5 or 6 runs to the right just to keep them honest.
The Redzone offense is disgraceful.
Take a f-ing shot into the endzone just once when you're down there, please!
You can't be concerned about first downs in the Red Zone and that what is seems we are concerned with.
Get your butts in the endzone!
Also, whoever is calling this 4 yard passes on 3rd and 12 needs to be fired.
Getting some yards on first down once in a while instead of a run to the right for no gain will help our 3rd down conversation percentage.
Grade: F- (and I'm being generous).


Defense:

Line:
Fabulous. Ray, Kevin, Kenechi, Pat, and Scott are doing a wonderfull job getting to the passer and stopping the run.
15 rushing yards for the Lions last week.
The Lions put up 100 on the Bears, didn't they? Anyway, these guys are great and disruptive and are creating a lot of oppertunities for the Linebackers. Grade: A+

Linebackers:
Doing good in coverage and Blitzing.
I'm very impressed with their speed and instincts. Grade: A

CBs:
I was one of the few people who wasn't happy when we signed Fred Smoot.
I thought Brian Williams was better and it turns out I am right.
Our biggest mistake this offseason (besides the draft) was not keeping Brian Williams.
Smoot gives to big of a cushion and they can't seem to cover slants and comeback routes (see the Bills).
Also, the lack of turnovers is upsetting.
Winfield is the man though and they are doing a good job not giving up big plays. Grade: B-

Safeties: I like our safeties.
They are doing a good job keeping things infront them (except the last play of the Bears game) and they are jumping some routes but don't have interceptions to show for it.
They have been Solid.
Opposing TEs don't seem to be doing that much to us. Grade: B

Defensive Coaching:
Mike Tomlin is doing an incredible job installing this defense.
I look forward to move take aways.
He needs to do a better job defending the middle of the field and find some way that Smoot doesn't need to give a 12-50 yard cushion every play. Grade: A-

Special Teams:

Return Teams: Bad. Can't have turnovers.
Williamson is doing a good job on kick-offs and he saves the grade here.
What's wrong with Mewelde? Grade: C

Kick-offs:
Longwell and Heath Farwell are doing good with these.
Kepp it up! Grade A:

Punts:
Kluwe is the man.
He is doing really well. I knwo the Bills game wasn't his best but I'll give him a pass for the wind.
He was so great in the Lions game.
He got us that safety (that wasn't called).
I really like the guy and even bought his jersey - Twice.
Grade: A

FGs:
Longwell missed one, had an extra point blocked and Kluwe has muffed a snap.
This unit needs some work, but they are clutch. Grade: C+

Special Teams Coaching:
Should have kept Rusty Tillman.
This new guy is pretty bad. Grade: F

Head Coaching:
Team looks unprepared a lot. The Penalties are killer.
Discipline off the field is hurting discipline on the field.
Offense could be the leagues 2nd worse (we're better than Oakland, no matter what the stats say).
If this coaching staff wasn't all-rookie the Vikings could go very far with their season.
Grade: F

F for Brad Johnson.....he can't find the open WR? How do you manage a comp% that high and not find the open guy?

Coaching F-

O-line A+

I couldn't disagree more.

Brad Johnson has put us in position to win every game..

Our too losses against the Bears we had the game, and we gave it our.. that was not his fault and against the Bills M-Rob had that huge drop, that would have given us 4 tries at the endzone with time to do it..

BJ: C+

OL: B+

Coaching: C (3-2, with the two losses both possible wins with a few less mistakes)

We just need to be patient...and realistic.
With the EASY schedule that Chicago has plus the fact that they are pretty darn good, we will have to get one of the wild cards to get into the playoffs.
No matter though, because IF we meet up with them then, we are gonna do what we did to the Pukers two years ago!
And THAT will shut up all the Bears IDIOTS!!!!

You get a good completion percentage by running swing plays that gain no yardage and check down throws on 3rd down that don't help us at all.
I was at the game on saturday and he was consistently off target and missed guys in the dead zones.
It was pathetic.

What's wrong with the offensive line?
You like the coaching? HA!

Yeah, Johnson hasn't put us in a position to win anything. He has put us in a position to rely on the defense to make up for the offense.
He has put us a position to lose and has had to be bailed out by Ryan Longwell and our defense.

"VikemanX84" wrote:

You get a good completion percentage by running swing plays that gain no yardage and check down throws on 3rd down that don't help us at all.
I was at the game on saturday and he was consistently off target and missed guys in the dead zones.
It was pathetic.

What's wrong with the offensive line?
You like the coaching? HA!

Yeah, Johnson hasn't put us in a position to win anything. He has put us in a position to rely on the defense to make up for the offense.
He has put us a position to lose and has had to be bailed out by Ryan Longwell and our defense.

Well sorry it isn't enough for me that you were at the game and you saw some pooh. You saw a guy open down the field did you see if Brad was under pressure? Did you see where he was in his progression? He can't sit and stare at Troy Williamson the whole play like you can.

Your reasoning for your scores is horrible. You say he can't find the open WR and yet he has a killer comp%. Short passes or not he is finding open players.

The line is coming together they do not deserve an A+

Yes I do like the coaching. Look at all the rookie Coaching staffs in the NFL and see where we rate, right on top baby.

There is a huge difference between looking at something subjectively trying to make an honest assesment and just pulling grades out of your jiggly butt to fit your predetermined opinion on the issues. I think you have turned a blind eye to honest assesments on this one.

Do I give a shit? Nope. I just don't agree and I would be surprised if many people do either. I imagine most peoples grades would be a little more in the middle on damn near every area.

A great example of your predetermined bias is this.

You grade the QB an F, and you grade the O-line an A+. Yet every opening drive IN EVERY game Brad has marched down the field and had us in scoring position. But what happens? Offensive penalties. Holding, offsides, the drive stalls. We kick a FG.

So how in the hell is that on Brad? How does the line get an A+ when they are fricken us left and right with penalties?

You say Brad has done nothing for us and Longwell bails us out? Yeah well when your inside the 20 and your lineman screw you over I fail to see how that is his fault.

You were at the lions game and so I suppose while you watching our WR's run free down the field in "Dead Zones" you managed to watch A+ McKinnies get a holding call that ruined our momentum.

Like I said I really don't give a shit about this grading system. It's just so obviously biased and to the extreeme in everything I can't take it seriously.

I would have to disagree with some of your grades.

The Oline is not "elite" as of yet as a unit.
They have the potential, but are not showing it.
They are better then average.
I would personally give them a B-

RB, while showing imporvement, I can not give them a A quite yet.
They get a solid b from me.
A lot of what dissapoints me is the fact that they miss blocks.
and untill the O line as a while plays better the running game will suffer.
B

QB
while BJ has not put up 40 points a game, he has atleast eaten up the clock.
I would give him a C.
He is having a average season this year.
Untill things start clicking I don't see this changing.

Head coach.
To be honest, we have had mistakes.
Flags are killing us.
But given what team he was given, I think he has done quite well.
To be honest we don't have a super tallented team.
The coach knows this and uses everyones stregnts in the game plan.
B

Sorry, I don't compare coaching staff. So other teams coaching staffs suck mroe than ours.
I feel for them. Doesn't make ours any better.

Maybe I should have said he can't find the best open guy. He sure can find the guy running a 4-yard stop pattern or quick swing and these guys are open because they are right at the line of scrimmage.


Maybe you should look at his passer rating, which is 20th in the league, instead of just looking at an inflated comp%.
It wasn't just one play, it was many and even coaches have admitted there are guys open that need to get the ball. I also consistently see him getting 3-5 seconds to throw the ball.
Thats plenty in the NFL.

I was grading where we are at in those categories and maybe they don't deserve an A+.
I was very impressed with them this week and late games in other weeks.
I suppose I was jumping the gun a little with the plus. I think they deserve an A, at least.

People disagree. It's what we do.
I think this team is very close and reminds me a lot of Chicago last year.
Chicago needed a better Quarterback and some WRs to step up. I think thats what we need also.
If we can get that I thinkthis offense can do some damage with what seems to be a solid running game.

"VikemanX84" wrote:

Sorry, I don't compare coaching staff. So other teams coaching staffs suck mroe than ours.
I feel for them. Doesn't make ours any better.

Maybe I should have said he can't find the best open guy. He sure can find the guy running a 4-yard stop pattern or quick swing and these guys are open because they are right at the line of scrimmage.


Maybe you should look at his passer rating, which is 20th in the league, instead of just looking at an inflated comp%.
It wasn't just one play, it was many and even coaches have admitted there are guys open that need to get the ball. I also consistently see him getting 3-5 seconds to throw the ball.
Thats plenty in the NFL.

I was grading where we are at in those categories and maybe they don't deserve an A+.
I was very impressed with them this week and late games in other weeks.
I suppose I was jumping the gun a little with the plus. I think they deserve an A, at least.

People disagree. It's what we do.
I think this team is very close and reminds me a lot of Chicago last year.
Chicago needed a better Quarterback and some WRs to step up. I think thats what we need also.
If we can get that I thinkthis offense can do some damage with what seems to be a solid running game.

I don't need to focus on it, you need to put it in your grading description if you think it is viable because people cannot read your mind.

While it doesn't impress you the fact that our coaching staff has managed a 3-2 record with a rough set of opponents speaks volumes to me. Even moreso when there are teams with new staffs that are struggling against weaker opponents. You want to measure success by what we did years ago when we had vetran coaches that's your problem. What they are doing now in todays NFL against our opponents, that their peers cannot do is very impressive and worth a whole hell of a lot more then an F.

Yeah you are jumping the gun, and I think you are exaggerating both ends of the deal. I would agree with Twisted and his rankings seem more down to earth. We tore up the Lions, a team that every other team has beaten as well. It's pretty obvious your grades don't have much to do with the reality of the season as a whole but your perception of the Lions game and what you saw while you were there.

Like I said I don't give a shit. We see grades all the time on here. There is wiggle room in perception and opinion but the extreemes lead me to discount it as bias.