Thread: Fear rules the Vikings

This is my first time posting a new topic, so I hope it hasn't been discussed before.

IMO, fear is why the Vikes are losing.
Sure you could call it pressure, but in this case the pressure is resulting in fear as they are not doing well.

Brad Childress and his coaching staff are in fear of losing their jobs.
Zygi gave him everything he wanted, spending tons in guarenteed money.
Brad backed Jackson all off season and pulled the plug after 2 games, which increased the pressure.
This guy must be waking up in the middle of the night in panic.

Allen and Berrian were paid big bucks to fill in the Vikings weak spots.
Which so far they have been severly underachieving.
This can't be sitting well with them.
I read quotes from each making excuses or rationalizing their poor performance.

T Johnson is scared because he's a rookie put in a hard spot on one of last years worst pass defenses.
Gotta be tough.

Griffin should be scared, because if he doesn't start performing, the Vikes will be looking for a better CB in the off season.
He's had 3 years to step up his game.
Didn't get a INT all last year and so far none this year.

Shiancoe might be finally losing his fear, as he didn't do bad the last 2 games, but before he looked scared, especially in the endzone.
We will have to see next time he's there to see if he's over it.

All this fear is contagious and is infecting the rest of the team.


Fear = mistakes, which the Vikes have been doing regularly.

Isn't fear the greatest motivator?
;D

"Mr" wrote:

Isn't fear the greatest motivator?
;D

One would hope so...

"PurpleSun]<br" wrote:
[quote]

While "fear" may certainly play a part, it is a symptom and not the disease in this case.

"PurpleSun]Brad" wrote:
[quote]

Fear of losing his job isn't what is creating Childress' suckage....he had that long before he had any reason to fear losing his job....which is why he's afraid of losing his job.
Childress has paved the road he's walking with poor choices along the way.
Poor scheme selection, poor coach selection, poor player selection, poor play selection.
The culmination of which is the dismal shape our favorite franchise is in.


But, again, fear isn't what is crippling Childress.....he did that to himself a long time ago.

"PurpleSun]Allen" wrote:
[quote]

I haven't read those quotes.
First of all, while I'd agree that Berrian hasn't been everything we hoped he'd be after 4 games, I disagree that Allen is underperforming.


In Berrian's defense, one must consider that the guy who was supposed to be delivering the ball has failed miserably, and was subsequently replaced.
Since then, Berrian has been improving.
While he's not where we want him to be, none of our receivers are.
None of them are looking particularly good with the exception of Wade (with flashes from Allison).
But, again, much of this can be explained by looking at the plays they're asked to make, and the guy delivering the ball.
Childress/Bevell have failed on all levels, and Jackson proved incapable....given decent plays and a good QB, who knows what Berrian could do?

As for Allen, those claiming he's underproducing have unreasonably high expectations.
He's getting there, he's adding to the QB pressure.
That's what we paid him to do.
But he can't do it all alone.
He needs help, and I don't feel that our D-Coordinator is giving him that help.
We rush 4 an aweful lot.

"PurpleSun]T" wrote:
[quote]

Why would he be afraid?
I would think he'd be psyched!!!!
He has a great opportunity to make a name for himself!!!!
I don't think fear is an issue here at all.

"PurpleSun]Griffin" wrote:
[quote]

He isn't known for his ball hawking.....he's a hitter.
And I suspect that someone is trying to change what he is, and not letting him play full throttle (just a hunch).
I'd like to see him get back to ripping heads off, and I think if he does, we'll see fewer WR's looking to take advantage of him.
But fear?
Not here.

"PurpleSun]Shiancoe" wrote:

Did anyone think Shiancoe was going to be the solution when he was brought here?
Many of us have been saying we over paid for him since almost day 1.
I don't think "fear" is an issue here either...I think too many expect too much from a guy who can't deliver it.
There's a REASON he was the backup in NY.
Chiller & Company simply threw too much money at a guy who hadn't done anything to really deserve it.
We're not the first team to overpay someone, and we won't be the last.

But is he "afraid"?
I doubt it.
On the bright side, he already has 10 catches after only 4 games...which puts him on pace for 40 for the season, which is 13 more than he had last season.
And now that there's a QB who can actually hit a moving target, Shiancoe might start showing some life.......just so long as we don't start expecting him to be Tony Gonzales.

[quote author=PurpleSun]All this fear is contagious and is infecting the rest of the team.


Fear = mistakes, which the Vikes have been doing regularly.

So, again, I don't see fear as the culprit, I see poor coaching, poor personel decisions, and unrealistic expectations as the culprit.
Fear may be creeping in now...but, again, it's simply a symptom, an after effect of the aforementioned failings.


That's how I read it.

Caine

Not badly written.

But who is T Johnson the rookie?

Brad Chilldres
was in fear
since 1st game of 2006 and his job was not on the line at all.And yep the mental fragility of our stuff is well seen on the field.That´s the reason why we usually come out flat.

Nice first post btw.

Fear has nothing to do with it.
The fact that childress stinks has nothing to do with fear.
The bottom line is the Vikings hired a head coach that could not coach your kids Pop Warner team.

i dont think 53 men rosters, including several different 53 men rosters can collectively be in fear for 2 36 games under childress.
now if they are poorly coached and ill prepared then consistency of being unproductive, looking flat, and losing more than winning would persist.
this is just another case of making an excuse for a poor coach.
its been qbs, pass defense, wrs, dropped passes, poor pash rush, and on and on.
if nothing progresses thats not many left to point fingers at.

I've been say this half of last year and all of this year. It's isn't fear "team-wide." It's fear by key players that they might make a mistake. We all know Jackson was tentative and probably will never have the "smarts" to be a big-time QB. I think Gus has some fear, too although he's old enough and wise enough to not care in many cases. Williamson, even though he had "butterfingers" was even worse because he was so afraid of dropping the ball.
In a sense, I think Allen may have some fear that he's not living up to his hype and therefore over plays certain plays.
But the one that really has fear is Childress because he knows his job is on the line. There was a quote by one of the Twin Cities sportswriters after the Titans loss that Chilly was "white as a ghost" when Zygi opened the door to where Childress was sitting alone with his head in his hands.
Certainly any team needs leadership from a coaching staff, but I think it's time to just let the players play. (Whatever that means.)