Thread: NFC North Preview From SI

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/bucky_brooks/07/10/tc.preview.nfc.north/index.html
Minnesota Vikings

Challenge No. 1: Find a No. 1 receiver.

The Vikings enter training camp without a clear cut go-to-guy in the passing game.

"COJOMAY" wrote:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/bucky_brooks/07/10/tc.preview.nfc.north/index.html
Minnesota Vikings

Challenge No. 1: Find a No. 1 receiver.

The Vikings enter training camp without a clear cut go-to-guy in the passing game.

That Bucky is a friggen genious.
I wonder how long it took him to figure that out.

Challenge No. 3: Take the defense to the next level.

The Vikings quietly built a top-10 defense last season under defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin. New defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has the challenge of taking the defense to the next level. He inherits a defense that finished No. 1 versus the run, but was the 32nd against the pass.


But when you really examine the Vikings closely, you discover that they are not that far away from being a top-rated overall defense. Despite giving up more yards than any other team, the Vikings were impressive in several areas on pass defense. They only allowed 15 passing touchdowns and came away with 21 interceptions. Both totals ranked among the top five in the league. Frazier has to focus on getting more production from defensive ends Kenechi Udeze and Darrion Scott.

This is really the key for the vikings in 07. I think most have a pretty good idea of what the offense will be, strong running and poor/average in the pass. I think there is a good chance that the defense can be great this year. With the offense running the ball all day the defense shouldn't be on the field that long and if they can add some pass rush and still stop the run like they did last year they will be great, getting turnovers and forcing 3 and outs.

"jmcdon00" wrote:

Challenge No. 3: Take the defense to the next level.

The Vikings quietly built a top-10 defense last season under defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin. New defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has the challenge of taking the defense to the next level. He inherits a defense that finished No. 1 versus the run, but was the 32nd against the pass.


But when you really examine the Vikings closely, you discover that they are not that far away from being a top-rated overall defense. Despite giving up more yards than any other team, the Vikings were impressive in several areas on pass defense. They only allowed 15 passing touchdowns and came away with 21 interceptions. Both totals ranked among the top five in the league. Frazier has to focus on getting more production from defensive ends Kenechi Udeze and Darrion Scott.

This is really the key for the vikings in 07. I think most have a pretty good idea of what the offense will be, strong running and poor/average in the pass. I think there is a good chance that the defense can be great this year. With the offense running the ball all day the defense shouldn't be on the field that long and if they can add some pass rush and still stop the run like they did last year they will be great, getting turnovers and forcing 3 and outs.

That's the stat I've been pointing out all off-season - scoring defense.
The Vikings were top-10 in that category.
Lots of good things there with a bend-but-don't-break mentality when you get towards the red zone.

=Z=

"Zeus" wrote:

"jmcdon00" wrote:

Challenge No. 3: Take the defense to the next level.

The Vikings quietly built a top-10 defense last season under defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin. New defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has the challenge of taking the defense to the next level. He inherits a defense that finished No. 1 versus the run, but was the 32nd against the pass.


But when you really examine the Vikings closely, you discover that they are not that far away from being a top-rated overall defense. Despite giving up more yards than any other team, the Vikings were impressive in several areas on pass defense. They only allowed 15 passing touchdowns and came away with 21 interceptions. Both totals ranked among the top five in the league. Frazier has to focus on getting more production from defensive ends Kenechi Udeze and Darrion Scott.

This is really the key for the vikings in 07. I think most have a pretty good idea of what the offense will be, strong running and poor/average in the pass. I think there is a good chance that the defense can be great this year. With the offense running the ball all day the defense shouldn't be on the field that long and if they can add some pass rush and still stop the run like they did last year they will be great, getting turnovers and forcing 3 and outs.

That's the stat I've been pointing out all off-season - scoring defense.
The Vikings were top-10 in that category.
Lots of good things there with a bend-but-don't-break mentality when you get towards the red zone.

=Z=

What? you guys weren't happy with the Vikings pass rush last year?
;D

In all reality we're probably going to have to be OK with sacrificing SOME of our run D for a much improved pass D.
32nd in the NFL isn't going to cut it if we want a legit chance at beating our our defense.
In all likelyhood, the Lions are not going to fall to us twice again this year with pass defense like last year.

"BloodyHorns82" wrote:

What? you guys weren't happy with the Vikings pass rush last year?
;D

In all reality we're probably going to have to be OK with sacrificing SOME of our run D for a much improved pass D.
32nd in the NFL isn't going to cut it if we want a legit chance at beating our our defense.
In all likelyhood, the Lions are not going to fall to us twice again this year with pass defense like last year.

You are definately right there.
A lot of the reason we had the run defense that we did was because of the positions the LBs were in when the play started.
I suspect that will be tweaked a bit to provide more pass protection over the middle, which will also pull one man out of the box sometimes.

But we had such a dominant run defense last year that we can afford to give up some and still be #1 or #2.

Honestly, I would rather have a top 10 run defense coupled with a top ten pass defense than a #1 run D and #32 pass D like last year.

"Zeus" wrote:

That's the stat I've been pointing out all off-season - scoring defense.
The Vikings were top-10 in that category.
Lots of good things there with a bend-but-don't-break mentality when you get towards the red zone.

=Z=

That is definetly one thing the Viking-2 did well last year and I hope Frazier can continue. We must remember that in the Tampa-2 yards are insignificant as long as you don't give up points.
Turnovers and red zone D are key.

Hopefully the additions of AD, Shiancoe and Rice should all be very good red zone threats.
If we can keep them to three early on and convert in the red, it should be a good year and my prediction will be validated!

"BloodyHorns82" wrote:

What? you guys weren't happy with the Vikings pass rush last year?
;D

You know, if the Vikings had a pass rush last year, their defense would have been positively Bears/Ravens-like.
Imagine how many more interceptions from rushed/poor throws and fumble recoveries from blindsiding the QB (which is hard to do when your blindside DE records zero sacks).

"NodakPaul" wrote:

"BloodyHorns82" wrote:

What? you guys weren't happy with the Vikings pass rush last year?
;D

In all reality we're probably going to have to be OK with sacrificing SOME of our run D for a much improved pass D.
32nd in the NFL isn't going to cut it if we want a legit chance at beating our our defense.
In all likelyhood, the Lions are not going to fall to us twice again this year with pass defense like last year.

You are definately right there.
A lot of the reason we had the run defense that we did was because of the positions the LBs were in when the play started.
I suspect that will be tweaked a bit to provide more pass protection over the middle, which will also pull one man out of the box sometimes.

But we had such a dominant run defense last year that we can afford to give up some and still be #1 or #2.

Honestly, I would rather have a top 10 run defense coupled with a top ten pass defense than a #1 run D and #32 pass D like last year.

Nodak hit the nail on the head there.
LBs positioning in the box on most plays stopped the run well but it left the middle wide open.
So we give up being #1 against the run.
Reposition the LBs and be a top ten in both areas.