Well, Like I've said before, I have a keen ability to predict the exact opposite of what happens in the Vikings games on Sundays. Saying the Bear-Viking Matchup would be a defensive slugfest was just a little of the mark, wouldn't you say?
Anyway, on to highest scoring Vikings-Bear matchup in their Rivalry's history:
Vikings 41 - Bears 48
OFFENSE
First game in a while where it was not painful to watch the Vikes attempt to move up and down the field as yards came easily against an injured Bear defense. Gus Frerotte briefly had the first 300 yard passing game for the Vikings under Brad Childress' direction, before taking a sack toward the end and falling back down to his final tally of 298 yards through the air. Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor combined for 155 yards and 3 TDs on the ground, and AP finally flashed some of his rookie season magic taking one carry 54 yards to the house that looked like an instant replay of one of his long TD runs at Soldier Field last year, turning on the jets to get the corner, running through an arm tackle, and cutting back against the grain to reach the endzone, beautiful.
The 3 TDs also bring up a point with me for this offense. On 2 of these TD runs, the Vikes were on the goal line and utilized their 2 back set of Taylor and Peterson side by side behind the QB. This is a FANTASTIC formation for the Vikes in this situation, as demonstrated by the leap over the line TD by Chester in which the Bears D followed AP and was caught unprepared. Further example as to why these two should be put on the same field at the same time FAR more often. The same logic on putting these guys together on the goal line should be applied all across the field. It will cause matchup problems and give the Vikes options to confuse a Defense with counters, reverses, and play action passes. What could possibly be wrong with having your 2 most explosive offensive players on the field at the same time? Just cause they are both RBs doesn't mean you can't use them both effectively. Anyway....
Bernard Berrian had another good day and is turning into a solid play for my Fantasy team every week. His 6 receptions for 81 yards ended his run of 100+ yard games, but he also added a nice TD catch at the sideline in the endzone which showed his ability and awareness to keep both feet in bounds and snag the ball. Bernard Berrian in my book is now officially worth the contract the Vikings gave him, he is looking like everything and more of what they expected from him.
In the end though, the offense still gets a B-/C+ rating because of turnovers and their ineptitude on 3rd downs (4-12, 33%, 32.7% on the season, 27th in the league). Gus Frerotte, in addition to his 2 TD throws, also had 4 INTs against first year or practice squad equivalent players. Each man substituting for an injured started in the Bears secondary had an INT, and without a couple of these, the Vikes very easily could have came out on the winning end.
I also am a little concerend that I am saying this, but it looks like TE Visanthe Shiancoe has also turned the corner, as he caught 4 balls for 68 yards and a TD, and finally looks like the vertical seam route runner the Vikes brought him in to be. I think all of these improvements could also be traced back to QB play, compare how they look with Frerotte running the offense to Tarvaris, just sayin...(another knock on Childress' coaching prowess...)
The Good: Adrian Peterson and the run game producting 3 TDs.
The Bad: Turnovers.
The Ugly: Brad Childress STILL has yet to coach a game that produced 300+ yards passing.
DEFENSE
I said in my preview that Kyle Orton scared me in this game, and that feeling proved to be on the mark as he lit up the Vikes for 283 yards and 2 TDs and ZERO interceptions. If Marty Booker could have found his hands sooner, Orton very likely could have had 400 yards and 4 TDs, and this game would have looked much worse, and this brings me to a new addition to 'Afterthoughts' entries:
BRAD CHILDRESS' COACHING INEPTITUDE 101:
The Vikings chose this week to try as hard as they could to keep the ball away from Devin Hester in the return game. They did this by squib kicking, pooch kicking, and anything else to keep the ball out of his hands. The results? In the first half the Bears average starting field position was their own 48 yard line, giving them a very short field to work with to score points. When the Vikes finally abandoned this tactic, Hester produced only 36 return yards on 2 tries. To be honest with you, as bad as the Vikes special teams have been so far, I'd still take my chances kicking a normal kickoff to the guy over simpling HANDING THEM great field position. At least make them WORK FOR IT. Yet another Brad Childress coaching decision that had a DIRECT result on the outcome of the game, that being a LOSS. End of this weeks lecture.
Jared Allen produced the defenses only 2 sacks, bringing his season total to 5, now only half a sack behind last years team leader from the DE spot. Newcomers to full time duty, filling in at MLB for injured E.J. Henderson, Napolean Harris and Vinny Ciurciu were extremely overmatched in this game. Though Vinny Ciurciu was flagged for a NON-pass interference penalty on a key 3rd down and goal play that gave the Bears another chance and a resulting TD. Combined they had only 6 tackles, which is about half of what could be expected from E.J. Lets hope Harris gets up to speed quickly and can prove serviceable.
The defense was handcuffed by field position and didn't seem like they came ready to play up to the level they had in previous weeks, but they did still hold the Bears and dynamic rookie RB Matt Forte to only 53 total yards on the ground. As long as the Williams are around, this dominance against opposing running games will continue.
The Good: Allen producing, Run D.
The Bad: Everything else.
The Ugly: The guys manning the MLB spot.
We'll now see how the boys fare against arguably the NFL's hottest offense and hottest QB when the Texans and Matt Schaub come to town on Sunday.
Skol Vikings! 'Til next time...
Friday, October 31, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Gameday: Vikings vs. Bears
To put it simply, I have no idea what is going to happen in this game. The Vikings play so far this season has been up and down (mostly down) but they've gotten lucky and been on the right end of a lot of calls so far this season. When will this catch up with them? This week, I don't know, but it will eventually.
Look for this game to be a defensive and boring slug fest that is won by whichever Defense makes the biggest play or gets a score. One thing that is on the Vikings side as they go into this one though is that Chicago's secondary is hurt, hurt at CB, hurt at S and don't bring 2 of their top players into this game. If AD can get to the second level its going to be another long day for the Bears at Soldier Field.
Never thought I'd say this, but Kyle Orton scares me in this game. He has been efficient and is even turning himself into a playmaker for the Bear offense. Gus Frerotte has also breathed some life into the Viking passing game, and I have a feeling these 2 will battle it out through the air as the game goes on and end up with similar numbers.
As for the score, I'm still goin with the Hometown team goin up against an injury riddled defense, but a few strange or big plays the other way can always change that, you never know whats going to happen to a Childress coached team.
Skol Vikings!
Look for this game to be a defensive and boring slug fest that is won by whichever Defense makes the biggest play or gets a score. One thing that is on the Vikings side as they go into this one though is that Chicago's secondary is hurt, hurt at CB, hurt at S and don't bring 2 of their top players into this game. If AD can get to the second level its going to be another long day for the Bears at Soldier Field.
Never thought I'd say this, but Kyle Orton scares me in this game. He has been efficient and is even turning himself into a playmaker for the Bear offense. Gus Frerotte has also breathed some life into the Viking passing game, and I have a feeling these 2 will battle it out through the air as the game goes on and end up with similar numbers.
As for the score, I'm still goin with the Hometown team goin up against an injury riddled defense, but a few strange or big plays the other way can always change that, you never know whats going to happen to a Childress coached team.
Skol Vikings!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Afterthoughts - Vikings vs. Lions
Well, I will never again question what couldn't or shouldn't happen in a Vikings game for as long as Brad Childress is still the head coach as my 'I just can't see the Vikings losing this game' quote from my preview could not have been further from the truth.
I'll get this out of the way: I am psyched as a fan that somehow the Purple are 3-3 and tied for first in a very weak NFC North Division, but they in no way shape or form deserved to win this game with how they played. Lucky for them, Detroit didn't deserve to win it by just a little larger margin as well (or they got screwed).
Brad Childress for the second week in a row was bailed out and basically handed a victory by a pass interference call that put them deep in the opposing team's territory on an end of the game drive. He was also fortunate again that the referees may have missed the call on another fumble play, though I personally still think Calvin Johnson was not hanging on to the ball as he went down. From what I saw, that's just how it looked to me. I say this because he got knocked the (bleep) out on that play and crumpled to the turf in a heap, and when that happens muscles and nerves go limp, and for this play that means he was not holding onto the ball, and I have a feeling that is what one of the refs saw and the head referee trusted his guy more than the replays. But I get the feeling I'm in a very small minority on this call. Either way, the Brad Childress blueprint for winning has now become having blown calls go his way and throwing it deep to draw pass interference penalties when they need a big play.
I also severely question why they did not go for two after Bernard Berrian broke his big reception for a touchdown. Ya, it was still a little early, BUT with how this game was going and how your team was playing, how is going for 2 not the right call?!? If you make it, you have tied the score in a game where both teams are struggling mightily and the feeling to me was they might not get another chance (and after that a FG was blocked, and a pass interference penalty set up the winning FG, so they were lucky they got that chance) . And if you don't make it, what difference does a 10-8 score make compared to a 10-9 score? Not a single shred. Personally, my philosophy would be if I can tie a game with a 2 point conversion at ANY point in the game, I'd go for it. Yet another piece of evidence that the Childress philosophy is to play not to lose, instead of playing to WIN.
The coach deserved every one of the 'Fire Childress' chants that erupted, and the players have a right to be upset about all those Boo's, but they were not directed at the players themselves on this team because I know for a fact these fans think they have got a group of players that can do great things. That is why the Boo's came down, because they are not playing up to there potential and they were directed at yet again the unimaginative and poor playcalling, the bad gameplanning, and lack of adjustments that is present week in and week out that causes this subpar play.
There were players and plays that hurt the Vikes chances, ie. AD fumbling, holding calls bringing plays back, etc... etc... But the Vikes still only converted on 3 of 15 3rd downs and as I sit on my couch and call out several plays before they happen keeps most of my blame for the uninspiring effort against the worst team in the NFL on the coach.
OFFENSE
Gus Frerotte and Bernard Berrian again looked like they have a good chemistry though Berrian did most of the legwork on the big pass play. B.B. has been earning his paycheck the last 2 weeks and continues to make an effort toward proving his worth. Gus also threw for 296 yards which has to be a team high for the Vikes under their current coach (which is pathetic), but it was nice to see. Adrian Peterson got back above the 100 yard markas well but also lost 2 fumbles to kill drives which probably would have produced points and made this game more tolerable.
As a team however, the Vikings only converted 20% of their 3rd down plays to keep drives alive and this is well below average and can not continue if they want to have a shot at the playoffs. This is also a stat that relies heavily on the playcalling of the coaching staff, who scores yet another F on my report card as this was the one team your offense should have been able to dominate. There also was yet another 3rd and short play where they threw it deep, I can't describe to you how much I hate those play calls.
The Good: Bernard Berrian.
The Bad: Everything Else.
The Ugly: Playcalling and gameplanning(for the third week in a row).
DEFENSE
These guys continue to go out every week and do everything they possibly can to keep Childress from losing them the game, and this should not be a position they should be put in. But Detroit QB Dan Orlavsky also helped them big time by demonstrating his lack of awareness and running out of the endzone for a safety.
DT Kevin Williams 4 sacks is a great stat line and he dominated the one-on-one matchups the Lions continued to give him the entire game. He looks like he has become the biggest benificiary of having a legit pass rushing DE in Jared Allen lining up alongside of him.
There were some big hits yet again in this game as S Darren Sharper laid out and produced the Calvin Johnson fumble later in the game which was one of those plays they had to make to keep the Vikes in it.
Detroit is a bad team on both sides of the ball and the Defense was able to do much more than what they should have had too for the Vikes to win this game in keeping them to only 10 points.
The Good: The Kevin Williams show.
The Bad: can't think of any off the top of my head.
The Ugly: Dan Orlavsky spotting the Vikes the games winning 2 points.
I'll get this out of the way: I am psyched as a fan that somehow the Purple are 3-3 and tied for first in a very weak NFC North Division, but they in no way shape or form deserved to win this game with how they played. Lucky for them, Detroit didn't deserve to win it by just a little larger margin as well (or they got screwed).
Brad Childress for the second week in a row was bailed out and basically handed a victory by a pass interference call that put them deep in the opposing team's territory on an end of the game drive. He was also fortunate again that the referees may have missed the call on another fumble play, though I personally still think Calvin Johnson was not hanging on to the ball as he went down. From what I saw, that's just how it looked to me. I say this because he got knocked the (bleep) out on that play and crumpled to the turf in a heap, and when that happens muscles and nerves go limp, and for this play that means he was not holding onto the ball, and I have a feeling that is what one of the refs saw and the head referee trusted his guy more than the replays. But I get the feeling I'm in a very small minority on this call. Either way, the Brad Childress blueprint for winning has now become having blown calls go his way and throwing it deep to draw pass interference penalties when they need a big play.
I also severely question why they did not go for two after Bernard Berrian broke his big reception for a touchdown. Ya, it was still a little early, BUT with how this game was going and how your team was playing, how is going for 2 not the right call?!? If you make it, you have tied the score in a game where both teams are struggling mightily and the feeling to me was they might not get another chance (and after that a FG was blocked, and a pass interference penalty set up the winning FG, so they were lucky they got that chance) . And if you don't make it, what difference does a 10-8 score make compared to a 10-9 score? Not a single shred. Personally, my philosophy would be if I can tie a game with a 2 point conversion at ANY point in the game, I'd go for it. Yet another piece of evidence that the Childress philosophy is to play not to lose, instead of playing to WIN.
The coach deserved every one of the 'Fire Childress' chants that erupted, and the players have a right to be upset about all those Boo's, but they were not directed at the players themselves on this team because I know for a fact these fans think they have got a group of players that can do great things. That is why the Boo's came down, because they are not playing up to there potential and they were directed at yet again the unimaginative and poor playcalling, the bad gameplanning, and lack of adjustments that is present week in and week out that causes this subpar play.
There were players and plays that hurt the Vikes chances, ie. AD fumbling, holding calls bringing plays back, etc... etc... But the Vikes still only converted on 3 of 15 3rd downs and as I sit on my couch and call out several plays before they happen keeps most of my blame for the uninspiring effort against the worst team in the NFL on the coach.
OFFENSE
Gus Frerotte and Bernard Berrian again looked like they have a good chemistry though Berrian did most of the legwork on the big pass play. B.B. has been earning his paycheck the last 2 weeks and continues to make an effort toward proving his worth. Gus also threw for 296 yards which has to be a team high for the Vikes under their current coach (which is pathetic), but it was nice to see. Adrian Peterson got back above the 100 yard markas well but also lost 2 fumbles to kill drives which probably would have produced points and made this game more tolerable.
As a team however, the Vikings only converted 20% of their 3rd down plays to keep drives alive and this is well below average and can not continue if they want to have a shot at the playoffs. This is also a stat that relies heavily on the playcalling of the coaching staff, who scores yet another F on my report card as this was the one team your offense should have been able to dominate. There also was yet another 3rd and short play where they threw it deep, I can't describe to you how much I hate those play calls.
The Good: Bernard Berrian.
The Bad: Everything Else.
The Ugly: Playcalling and gameplanning(for the third week in a row).
DEFENSE
These guys continue to go out every week and do everything they possibly can to keep Childress from losing them the game, and this should not be a position they should be put in. But Detroit QB Dan Orlavsky also helped them big time by demonstrating his lack of awareness and running out of the endzone for a safety.
DT Kevin Williams 4 sacks is a great stat line and he dominated the one-on-one matchups the Lions continued to give him the entire game. He looks like he has become the biggest benificiary of having a legit pass rushing DE in Jared Allen lining up alongside of him.
There were some big hits yet again in this game as S Darren Sharper laid out and produced the Calvin Johnson fumble later in the game which was one of those plays they had to make to keep the Vikes in it.
Detroit is a bad team on both sides of the ball and the Defense was able to do much more than what they should have had too for the Vikes to win this game in keeping them to only 10 points.
The Good: The Kevin Williams show.
The Bad: can't think of any off the top of my head.
The Ugly: Dan Orlavsky spotting the Vikes the games winning 2 points.
Now, with all that said, the Vikes did still pull out the Victory, and are still tied for the NFC North Division lead with the Bears and the Packers, so there is still hope and potential for something good to happen this season. But like all the fans at the game sending out the 'Fire Childress' chants, I just can't get excited about these guys with him at the helm and with how they have gone about pulling out their victories. I want this team to be, and think they should be great, but if you wan't the chants and boos to stop, you have got to show me a lot more.
Skol Vikings! 'Til next time...
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Gameday: Vikings vs. Lions
The Motor City Kitties come to town today in Minneapolis missing there starting QB Jon Kitna and send out a guy who I thought was a MMA fighter, at least by name in Dan Orlovski. The Lions have been terrible this year and the Vikes catch them at an even better time this week.
This is a big game for the Vikings that they should win and at least make an effort towards running away with. At 3-3 the Viking season would look much better than it did early on and I question whether the Chicago Bears will be able to shut down an Atlanta team that has been playing very well. Who'd have thought? If the Bears lose and Vikes win, its a potential 3-way or 2-way tie for first in the NFC North Division. Point is, the Vikings aren't anywhere near out of the playoff race in this young season, and we as fan's should at least be excited about that.
Heard a great stat the other day, and that is that Viking CB Antoine Winfield has given up only SIX pass completions TOTAL this season. That is amazing if you ask me. Granted, QB's have been picking on Cedric Griffin on the other side, but only 6 completions? As often as other teams pass against the Vikes? That has got to be tops in the NFL this season.
A backup QB playing for the Lions basically eliminates their passing game (I have benched Calvin Johnson in one of my Fantasy leagues...for Bernard Berrian...), and like everyone else, the Lions shouldn't be able to run the ball. I would be very surprised if the Lions were able to put up more than 10 points on offense, and unless something similar to last weeks game happens on Special Teams or Defense I don't see how they could put up 20 or more, which is what it will take at a minimum this week to beat the Vikings at home. Fact is, Detroit just isn't very good on either side of the ball.
Analyst's and prognosticators say Adrian Peterson is due for a big day against these guys and I agree with them, he is definitely DUE, but I think the Vikings will come out in this game passing and passing often to send a message to the rest of the NFL and more specifically the NFC North. Most of AD's offensive output will come later in the game after they've loosened up the D a little, but I do think at least once this game we get to see Peterson's high step trot into the endzone. I also predict that Brad Childress gets a week off from any negatives as I just can't see the Vikings losing this game.
Vikings 31 - Lions 16
Skol Vikings! 'Til next time...
This is a big game for the Vikings that they should win and at least make an effort towards running away with. At 3-3 the Viking season would look much better than it did early on and I question whether the Chicago Bears will be able to shut down an Atlanta team that has been playing very well. Who'd have thought? If the Bears lose and Vikes win, its a potential 3-way or 2-way tie for first in the NFC North Division. Point is, the Vikings aren't anywhere near out of the playoff race in this young season, and we as fan's should at least be excited about that.
Heard a great stat the other day, and that is that Viking CB Antoine Winfield has given up only SIX pass completions TOTAL this season. That is amazing if you ask me. Granted, QB's have been picking on Cedric Griffin on the other side, but only 6 completions? As often as other teams pass against the Vikes? That has got to be tops in the NFL this season.
A backup QB playing for the Lions basically eliminates their passing game (I have benched Calvin Johnson in one of my Fantasy leagues...for Bernard Berrian...), and like everyone else, the Lions shouldn't be able to run the ball. I would be very surprised if the Lions were able to put up more than 10 points on offense, and unless something similar to last weeks game happens on Special Teams or Defense I don't see how they could put up 20 or more, which is what it will take at a minimum this week to beat the Vikings at home. Fact is, Detroit just isn't very good on either side of the ball.
Analyst's and prognosticators say Adrian Peterson is due for a big day against these guys and I agree with them, he is definitely DUE, but I think the Vikings will come out in this game passing and passing often to send a message to the rest of the NFL and more specifically the NFC North. Most of AD's offensive output will come later in the game after they've loosened up the D a little, but I do think at least once this game we get to see Peterson's high step trot into the endzone. I also predict that Brad Childress gets a week off from any negatives as I just can't see the Vikings losing this game.
Vikings 31 - Lions 16
Skol Vikings! 'Til next time...
Saturday, October 11, 2008
College Gameday: Bison vs.Leathernecks, Gophers vs. Illini
Gophers just jumped out to a 14-3 lead over Illinois in Champagne early in the 3rd quarter. Some trickery in this one as P Justin Kucek completed a 12 yard 1st down pass to Duane Bennett deep in the Gophers own territory, they did not score on the continuation of that ensuing drive however. Defenses for both teams are playing well in this one.
Go Brewster and Co.!
#17 Western Illinois Leathernecks vs. #11 NDSU Bison
Tough matchup for the Bison today in the Fargodome as the Leathernecks sport the FCS' #6 ranked offense, though the Bison also send out the #14 ranked FCS defense that holds up very well against the run, the primary strength of WI. Also a matchup of Walter Payton Award candidates at RB for both teams, in Herb Donaldson(830 yards, 12 TDs) for WI and Tyler Roehl(407 yards, 4 TDs) for NDSU. Roehl has been banged up but you could say he won this matchup last year in Macomb, Ill with 136 yards to Donaldsons 97 in a 41-28 Bison victory(they both scored 3 TDs).
Homefield advantage has been huge for the Bison in Head Coach Craig Bohl's tenure, and I see this continuing today in a tough physical matchup that remains a close shootout throughout.
NDSU 34 - WI 27
-SCORE RECAPS, 10/12/08-
Gophers pulled out another great victory winning on the road 27-20. Starting to get mad at the Big Ten Network as I currently can't watch any of their games on TV and become more interested week after week... starting to appreciate Coach Tim Brewster (didn't think I'd ever say that...)
As for my Bison, I got the Western Illinois score right, but the Bison fall 27-22 at home in the Fargodome. This was a big hit to any playoff aspirations for the Bison as they fall to 3-3 and will have to go undefeated the rest of the way to even have a shot at the National Championship bracket in their first year of FCS eligibility. The Bison have been hurt this year by a banged up All-America RB in Tyler Roehl, and QB Nick Mertens at this point just isn't as great as Superman Steve Walker was over his career. If you ask me, I'd say turn this team into a spread offense and let Nick mature with his great stable of receivers because the running game has not been doing much this season (compared to others...) with Roehl playing hurt. Utilize that Big Arm and let Kole Heckendorf and company set all the NDSU passing records (which aren't even close to as great as you'd expect of ANY college FB team...), I think that would be fun to watch. The Bison are still a very good team however and the FCS powerhouses (Appalachian State, Northern Iowa, etc...) are all having down years, so who knows what could happen if the Bison put together a good run, lets hope for it... Go Herd!
Go Brewster and Co.!
#17 Western Illinois Leathernecks vs. #11 NDSU Bison
Tough matchup for the Bison today in the Fargodome as the Leathernecks sport the FCS' #6 ranked offense, though the Bison also send out the #14 ranked FCS defense that holds up very well against the run, the primary strength of WI. Also a matchup of Walter Payton Award candidates at RB for both teams, in Herb Donaldson(830 yards, 12 TDs) for WI and Tyler Roehl(407 yards, 4 TDs) for NDSU. Roehl has been banged up but you could say he won this matchup last year in Macomb, Ill with 136 yards to Donaldsons 97 in a 41-28 Bison victory(they both scored 3 TDs).
Homefield advantage has been huge for the Bison in Head Coach Craig Bohl's tenure, and I see this continuing today in a tough physical matchup that remains a close shootout throughout.
NDSU 34 - WI 27
-SCORE RECAPS, 10/12/08-
Gophers pulled out another great victory winning on the road 27-20. Starting to get mad at the Big Ten Network as I currently can't watch any of their games on TV and become more interested week after week... starting to appreciate Coach Tim Brewster (didn't think I'd ever say that...)
As for my Bison, I got the Western Illinois score right, but the Bison fall 27-22 at home in the Fargodome. This was a big hit to any playoff aspirations for the Bison as they fall to 3-3 and will have to go undefeated the rest of the way to even have a shot at the National Championship bracket in their first year of FCS eligibility. The Bison have been hurt this year by a banged up All-America RB in Tyler Roehl, and QB Nick Mertens at this point just isn't as great as Superman Steve Walker was over his career. If you ask me, I'd say turn this team into a spread offense and let Nick mature with his great stable of receivers because the running game has not been doing much this season (compared to others...) with Roehl playing hurt. Utilize that Big Arm and let Kole Heckendorf and company set all the NDSU passing records (which aren't even close to as great as you'd expect of ANY college FB team...), I think that would be fun to watch. The Bison are still a very good team however and the FCS powerhouses (Appalachian State, Northern Iowa, etc...) are all having down years, so who knows what could happen if the Bison put together a good run, lets hope for it... Go Herd!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Afterthoughts: Vikings vs. Saints
Talk about seeing 'stranger things happen'... to quote my preview of the game. Such a crazy game that there is so much to talk about this took me awhile. Anyway, on to that Crazyness:
-As everybody probably saw, this was the first game in NFL History with a Blocked FG return for a TD, 2 Punt Returns for TD, a non QB throwing a TD pass, and 2 FGs of over 50 yards(who comes up with this?...).
-CB Antoine Winfields snatch and return of a Blocked FG for a TD was a regular season first time occurence in Viking franchise history.
-Bernard Berrian turned in a career high 110 yards receiving (which was surprising to me, considering we paid him top of the NFL WR money), and was the first Viking to go over 100 yards in the last 35 games (even more surprising).
-The Vikings were the first team in NFL history to lead by 10 points at halftime after being outgained by more than 130 yards in the half.
-Adrian Peterson had the lowest rushing average for an NFL RB with at least 20 carries in a game in six seasons.
If we look at the History of these teams, one could say we should have expected something of this nature in this game, The Vikings had similar victories against the Giants in the past few seasons, having 3 intercceptions returns for touchdowns in a game, a Viking first, and being the first team to have an INT, Punt Return, and Kick Return TD in the same game. They also beat the Saints a few years ago courtesy of a last second 2 pt conversion from Daunte Culpepper, who fumbled the snap on the play. As for the Saints, they've shown a knack for being in weird games as well, and most of the time on the losing end.
Anyway, on to the game:
OFFENSE
After this game I'm a big Gus Frerotte fan, though I always kind of have been (ever since he took over for Culpepper a few years ago and in 2 1/2 games produced 690 yards, 7 TDs and only 2 INTs), that guy has got some big time competitive fire and Cajones to stand in there and deliver some passes when he knew he was going to take a shot from a D-Lineman.
The running game was pretty absent though, which was surprising considering the deficiencies of New Orleans' defense, but winning the turnover battle and scoring when it was needed proved to be enough.
And even though Childress and Bevell actually appeared to show some imagination in having RB Chester Taylor throw a pass on the goal line for a TD, it doesn't really score any points with me as I have seen this play run before (Shiancoe dropped 2 of them last year), and I'm looking for something NEW, like Taylor and Peterson in the same bacfield a LOT more, so much could be done with misdirections and what not with them both. And this also brings me to my evaluation of the Coaching Staff's playcalling. The Breakdown:
Total Offensive Plays(minus pre-snap penalty plays): 67 / 43 passes / 24 runs
1st Down Plays: 26 / 10 passes / 16 runs
Any down and less than 3 yards to go: 5 / 2 passes / 3 runs
I'll cut Childress a miniscule amount of slack for the disparity between total pass and run plays as the Saints were definitely putting all their resources into stopping the run, but what I think these numbers also point out is the still extremely predictable and poor playcalling, as 16 of 24 total team rushing attempts occurred on 1st Down, thats 66% of them, far too much. This also means that on 2nd and 3rd downs, 33 of 41 plays were passes, a whopping 80.5%. If I was a Defensive Coordinator, I'd love playing those odds, and If you ask me, it looked like Gary Gibbs did as well...
I also HATED, absolutely HATED, the 3rd and 3 play where we got the pass interference call that set up the winning FG. That pass never should have been thrown in that situation if you ask me, Childress caught a break with that one. And its not like Gus saw single coverage or something so he decided to take a shot, because Berrian was double covered by a corner and a safety, and I'm pretty sure somewhere in the playbook there is a play designed for a 3rd and short situation such as this where there isn't a go-route involved, I would have been much more confident in completing say a 5 yard out than going for it all with a bomb, but hey, a lot of the plays seemed to finally go the Vikings way in this game, and they got lucky with this one. If I was Childress, I would have bought that corner and the 2 referees who threw the flags dinner, because they may have well preserved his job.
Was very nice to see Bernard Berrian breakout in relation to his history that I pointed out above, 110 yards is good, but not a spectacular career high. He also dropped one 3rd down reception that would have kept a drive going and would have stopped Reggie Bush from returning one of his punts for a TD, at least for a few plays anyway. But it looks like he and Frerotte are developing a good chemistry and this is nothing but good news.
As for Adrian Peterson, I have this feeling that he is trying so hard not to try and break a big play every time he gets the ball, that he has lost some of his Killer Instinct. I say just let it loose man, it seemed to work just fine for you last year, don't waste that natural and uber ability by trying to be something that you're instincts and history say you're not. Just let your natural abilities guide you, and the mojo and big plays will come back. (This is not a knock on AD, just a 'maybe' observation, he's still the man, every RB has a bad game or two, ask LT). The return of Bryant Mckinnie also may have played a part in this as he hasn't played next to his teamates in a game for a long time. And on the plays where I actually decided to watch how Mckinnie looked, I saw nothing but good things, but I also know he had a False Start penalty and probably was part of the reason for a sack or two, but I'm still not as down on this guys play on the field over the last few years as a lot of people are, as I can't think of many Left Tackles in the league that I would want on my team over him, and he'll get back into the groove as he works in practice.
The Good: Gus Frerotte and Bernard Berrian developing chemistry, and 0 turnovers.
The Bad: Strong rushing game disappearing.
The Ugly: Still the playcalling from Childress and Bevell.
DEFENSE
The defense actually gets a pretty good grade from me in this game. They did give up 330 yards passing to Drew Brees, but who hasn't this season? But one thing they did do that nobody else has is force turnovers, and in bunches, getting 2 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions. Brees also only completed 56.5% of his passes after completing 73% of them this SEASON before this game. Thats a pretty good job of disrupting his comfort zone if you ask me. Fact of the matter is, New Orleans' high powered offense only produced 13 points on its own, and thats a number I'll take every week.
Can't say enough about Antoine Winfields play this year, he deserves all the credit he is getting and to be in the Defensive Player of the Year So Far conversations. He has been a HUGE part of both of the Vikings victories this season, and you could even say he IS the reason. Always loved this guy and thought he has deserved a Pro-Bowl appearance for the last few years, lets hope he gets it finally. Also love the nickname I heard for the first time from I can't remember who on KFAN, 'mighty mouse.' Anyway dude is awesome, I hope someone else can step up like he has with the loss of E.J. in the middle.
The Good: Antoine Winfield and forcing turnovers.
The Bad: Special Teams coverage.
The Ugly: Brad Childress blaiming the punter for Reggie Bush's 2 Punt Return TDs.
The ugly comment here was a very low blow in my opinion. Ya, you may have told him to kick it out of bounds, and he should have, but there are still 10 other guys on those coverage units that have a responsibility to undertake and execute, and that obviously wasn't done either. Don't forget that Chris Kluwe was the best P in the NFL last year in several significant punting categories Chili, this was one bad game, which everybody has, and I still think you deserve more of the blame than the player for not getting your guys to execute properly on something that should be pretty easy for an NFL team to do, and thats cover a punt. Even more disappointed that Brad Childress would resort to this type of under the bus throwing to try and deflect the blame from himself(you did still WIN by the way, you could almost blame him for that as well, seeing as how he gave the Vikings more time with the ball on offense to get the game winning FG because Brees' offense didn't use any for a drive after those...just sayin...), just more proof in my opinion that he is not the right guy to get the Vikings to the playoffs and a Superbowl.
Anyway, not sure If I should make any predictions before games anymore this season as it seems I have some clairvoyant ability to make the exact opposite of what I predict happen, your thoughts on this would be welcome...Very happy the Vikes pulled this one out though as it was a hard-hitting and history making game that was fun to watch.
'Til next time...
-As everybody probably saw, this was the first game in NFL History with a Blocked FG return for a TD, 2 Punt Returns for TD, a non QB throwing a TD pass, and 2 FGs of over 50 yards(who comes up with this?...).
-CB Antoine Winfields snatch and return of a Blocked FG for a TD was a regular season first time occurence in Viking franchise history.
-Bernard Berrian turned in a career high 110 yards receiving (which was surprising to me, considering we paid him top of the NFL WR money), and was the first Viking to go over 100 yards in the last 35 games (even more surprising).
-The Vikings were the first team in NFL history to lead by 10 points at halftime after being outgained by more than 130 yards in the half.
-Adrian Peterson had the lowest rushing average for an NFL RB with at least 20 carries in a game in six seasons.
If we look at the History of these teams, one could say we should have expected something of this nature in this game, The Vikings had similar victories against the Giants in the past few seasons, having 3 intercceptions returns for touchdowns in a game, a Viking first, and being the first team to have an INT, Punt Return, and Kick Return TD in the same game. They also beat the Saints a few years ago courtesy of a last second 2 pt conversion from Daunte Culpepper, who fumbled the snap on the play. As for the Saints, they've shown a knack for being in weird games as well, and most of the time on the losing end.
Anyway, on to the game:
OFFENSE
After this game I'm a big Gus Frerotte fan, though I always kind of have been (ever since he took over for Culpepper a few years ago and in 2 1/2 games produced 690 yards, 7 TDs and only 2 INTs), that guy has got some big time competitive fire and Cajones to stand in there and deliver some passes when he knew he was going to take a shot from a D-Lineman.
The running game was pretty absent though, which was surprising considering the deficiencies of New Orleans' defense, but winning the turnover battle and scoring when it was needed proved to be enough.
And even though Childress and Bevell actually appeared to show some imagination in having RB Chester Taylor throw a pass on the goal line for a TD, it doesn't really score any points with me as I have seen this play run before (Shiancoe dropped 2 of them last year), and I'm looking for something NEW, like Taylor and Peterson in the same bacfield a LOT more, so much could be done with misdirections and what not with them both. And this also brings me to my evaluation of the Coaching Staff's playcalling. The Breakdown:
Total Offensive Plays(minus pre-snap penalty plays): 67 / 43 passes / 24 runs
1st Down Plays: 26 / 10 passes / 16 runs
Any down and less than 3 yards to go: 5 / 2 passes / 3 runs
I'll cut Childress a miniscule amount of slack for the disparity between total pass and run plays as the Saints were definitely putting all their resources into stopping the run, but what I think these numbers also point out is the still extremely predictable and poor playcalling, as 16 of 24 total team rushing attempts occurred on 1st Down, thats 66% of them, far too much. This also means that on 2nd and 3rd downs, 33 of 41 plays were passes, a whopping 80.5%. If I was a Defensive Coordinator, I'd love playing those odds, and If you ask me, it looked like Gary Gibbs did as well...
I also HATED, absolutely HATED, the 3rd and 3 play where we got the pass interference call that set up the winning FG. That pass never should have been thrown in that situation if you ask me, Childress caught a break with that one. And its not like Gus saw single coverage or something so he decided to take a shot, because Berrian was double covered by a corner and a safety, and I'm pretty sure somewhere in the playbook there is a play designed for a 3rd and short situation such as this where there isn't a go-route involved, I would have been much more confident in completing say a 5 yard out than going for it all with a bomb, but hey, a lot of the plays seemed to finally go the Vikings way in this game, and they got lucky with this one. If I was Childress, I would have bought that corner and the 2 referees who threw the flags dinner, because they may have well preserved his job.
Was very nice to see Bernard Berrian breakout in relation to his history that I pointed out above, 110 yards is good, but not a spectacular career high. He also dropped one 3rd down reception that would have kept a drive going and would have stopped Reggie Bush from returning one of his punts for a TD, at least for a few plays anyway. But it looks like he and Frerotte are developing a good chemistry and this is nothing but good news.
As for Adrian Peterson, I have this feeling that he is trying so hard not to try and break a big play every time he gets the ball, that he has lost some of his Killer Instinct. I say just let it loose man, it seemed to work just fine for you last year, don't waste that natural and uber ability by trying to be something that you're instincts and history say you're not. Just let your natural abilities guide you, and the mojo and big plays will come back. (This is not a knock on AD, just a 'maybe' observation, he's still the man, every RB has a bad game or two, ask LT). The return of Bryant Mckinnie also may have played a part in this as he hasn't played next to his teamates in a game for a long time. And on the plays where I actually decided to watch how Mckinnie looked, I saw nothing but good things, but I also know he had a False Start penalty and probably was part of the reason for a sack or two, but I'm still not as down on this guys play on the field over the last few years as a lot of people are, as I can't think of many Left Tackles in the league that I would want on my team over him, and he'll get back into the groove as he works in practice.
The Good: Gus Frerotte and Bernard Berrian developing chemistry, and 0 turnovers.
The Bad: Strong rushing game disappearing.
The Ugly: Still the playcalling from Childress and Bevell.
DEFENSE
The defense actually gets a pretty good grade from me in this game. They did give up 330 yards passing to Drew Brees, but who hasn't this season? But one thing they did do that nobody else has is force turnovers, and in bunches, getting 2 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions. Brees also only completed 56.5% of his passes after completing 73% of them this SEASON before this game. Thats a pretty good job of disrupting his comfort zone if you ask me. Fact of the matter is, New Orleans' high powered offense only produced 13 points on its own, and thats a number I'll take every week.
Can't say enough about Antoine Winfields play this year, he deserves all the credit he is getting and to be in the Defensive Player of the Year So Far conversations. He has been a HUGE part of both of the Vikings victories this season, and you could even say he IS the reason. Always loved this guy and thought he has deserved a Pro-Bowl appearance for the last few years, lets hope he gets it finally. Also love the nickname I heard for the first time from I can't remember who on KFAN, 'mighty mouse.' Anyway dude is awesome, I hope someone else can step up like he has with the loss of E.J. in the middle.
The Good: Antoine Winfield and forcing turnovers.
The Bad: Special Teams coverage.
The Ugly: Brad Childress blaiming the punter for Reggie Bush's 2 Punt Return TDs.
The ugly comment here was a very low blow in my opinion. Ya, you may have told him to kick it out of bounds, and he should have, but there are still 10 other guys on those coverage units that have a responsibility to undertake and execute, and that obviously wasn't done either. Don't forget that Chris Kluwe was the best P in the NFL last year in several significant punting categories Chili, this was one bad game, which everybody has, and I still think you deserve more of the blame than the player for not getting your guys to execute properly on something that should be pretty easy for an NFL team to do, and thats cover a punt. Even more disappointed that Brad Childress would resort to this type of under the bus throwing to try and deflect the blame from himself(you did still WIN by the way, you could almost blame him for that as well, seeing as how he gave the Vikings more time with the ball on offense to get the game winning FG because Brees' offense didn't use any for a drive after those...just sayin...), just more proof in my opinion that he is not the right guy to get the Vikings to the playoffs and a Superbowl.
Anyway, not sure If I should make any predictions before games anymore this season as it seems I have some clairvoyant ability to make the exact opposite of what I predict happen, your thoughts on this would be welcome...Very happy the Vikes pulled this one out though as it was a hard-hitting and history making game that was fun to watch.
'Til next time...
Monday, October 6, 2008
A Message To Zygi Wilf:
Dear Mr. Wilf,
Can you please make Brad Childress the first NFL head coach to be fired Mid-season after a Victory?
Sincerely,
MinnesotaHomer
P.S. I'm dead serious.
Can you please make Brad Childress the first NFL head coach to be fired Mid-season after a Victory?
Sincerely,
MinnesotaHomer
P.S. I'm dead serious.
Gameday: Vikings vs. Saints
Well, I have to admit, I'm in a state of Minnesota Sport Fan Depression with today's announcement that Viking MLB E.J. Henderson, who had been playing at a phenomenal level so far this season and was the one player I've raved about, was placed on injured reserve, ending his 2008 season. His presence in the middle of the field and running the defense will be missed. Get well soon E.J.!
On to tonights game:
If there was an offense in the entire NFL that should scare the Vikings, its the one run by Drew Brees for the New Orleans Saints, who has been spectacular even without standouts Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey in the pass game. If ever there was a game where the pass rush needed to step up, this is it, and big time.
The Saint's run offense doesn't frighten me that much against the Viking front four, but Reggie Bush on swing passes in space and Brees' knack for spreading the ball to all his weapons does. Sean Payton will stick with what works for his team in this game, and that is passing the ball.
As good as New Orleans is on offense however, they are just as bad on defense, ranking 27th in the league overall giving up 372 yards per game, and 29th and 20th against the pass and rush respectively.
The Viking offense should be able to move the ball better than they have against any other foe so far this season, and despite their offensive production, the Saints haven't exactly run away with any of their games, which brings me to this:
Official Memo to Brad Childress:
Do not be enticed by the fact that New Orleans has given up a lot of pass yards to try and come out throwing in this game. The pass offense run by Gus Frerotte will not be able to keep up with Brees', and the thing that you do well on offense will be your best defense against their passing attack. That being controlling the clock and keeping the Saint offense off the field by running the ball with Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor behind your O-Line which should be able to control the trenches even moreso with the return of LT Bryant McKinnie from suspension.
If Adrian Peterson can rush for about or greater than 50% of the yards Drew Brees throws for, the Vikings will have a chance in this game, and my intuition (which is not exactly dependable so far, take it for what you will...) says that this game will (or should...) be closer than people think, but then again, the Vikes are still coached by Brad Childress so a 42-0 throttling (sorry Vike faithful for the reminder) isn't out of the question either.
The only silver lining to the season I can see so far is that the rest of the NFC North Division isn't exactly lighting it up either. Looking more and more like a 9-7 or 8-8 team could win this division, and thats still a record thats not out of reach with the worst part of the Viking schedule behind them. A win would go a long way towards restoring some swagger and confidence for the Vikes, and I have seen stranger things happen, so keep the faith, even if I'm picking against them.
Vikings 27 - Saints 34
Skol Vikings! 'Til next time...
On to tonights game:
If there was an offense in the entire NFL that should scare the Vikings, its the one run by Drew Brees for the New Orleans Saints, who has been spectacular even without standouts Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey in the pass game. If ever there was a game where the pass rush needed to step up, this is it, and big time.
The Saint's run offense doesn't frighten me that much against the Viking front four, but Reggie Bush on swing passes in space and Brees' knack for spreading the ball to all his weapons does. Sean Payton will stick with what works for his team in this game, and that is passing the ball.
As good as New Orleans is on offense however, they are just as bad on defense, ranking 27th in the league overall giving up 372 yards per game, and 29th and 20th against the pass and rush respectively.
The Viking offense should be able to move the ball better than they have against any other foe so far this season, and despite their offensive production, the Saints haven't exactly run away with any of their games, which brings me to this:
Official Memo to Brad Childress:
Do not be enticed by the fact that New Orleans has given up a lot of pass yards to try and come out throwing in this game. The pass offense run by Gus Frerotte will not be able to keep up with Brees', and the thing that you do well on offense will be your best defense against their passing attack. That being controlling the clock and keeping the Saint offense off the field by running the ball with Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor behind your O-Line which should be able to control the trenches even moreso with the return of LT Bryant McKinnie from suspension.
If Adrian Peterson can rush for about or greater than 50% of the yards Drew Brees throws for, the Vikings will have a chance in this game, and my intuition (which is not exactly dependable so far, take it for what you will...) says that this game will (or should...) be closer than people think, but then again, the Vikes are still coached by Brad Childress so a 42-0 throttling (sorry Vike faithful for the reminder) isn't out of the question either.
The only silver lining to the season I can see so far is that the rest of the NFC North Division isn't exactly lighting it up either. Looking more and more like a 9-7 or 8-8 team could win this division, and thats still a record thats not out of reach with the worst part of the Viking schedule behind them. A win would go a long way towards restoring some swagger and confidence for the Vikes, and I have seen stranger things happen, so keep the faith, even if I'm picking against them.
Vikings 27 - Saints 34
Skol Vikings! 'Til next time...
Saturday, October 4, 2008
College Gameday: Bison Homecoming, Gophers
Note: As of this writing the Bison trail the Southern Illinois Salukis 6-0.
The Bison got a much needed bye week after suffering consecutive losses to the Wyoming Cowboys and Missouri Valley Football Conference foe Youngstown State. QB Nick Mertens lost his mojo in these games for NDSU by throwing 7 interceptions, and this was the biggest factor in their losses.
But with the bye week the Bison are able to get healthy, with RB Tyler Roehl back near 100% and S Cyrus Lemon, and MLB Tyler Henry returning to strengthen the defense.
The Salukis are coming off a big victory over perennial power Northern Iowa and should provide a tough opponent for the Bison, but with their week off and the return to the Fargodome for Homecoming, look for Coach Craig Bohl to have his squad more than prepared and ready to come out and get back on the winning track.
The crowd plays a big factor and the Bison win a close one at home to claim their first MVFC victory.
NDSU Bison 24 - SIU Salukis 20
Gophers:
They lead the Hoosiers 13-7 in the 4th as I write this, for two teams that seem to give up and score a lot of points against eachother in recent history, this one has been kept close.
Gopher QB Adam Webber left the game briefly in the 1st quarter with an injury, but has returned to the lineup. WR Eric Decker is having yet another big game as he approaches 200 yards receiving on the day. Lets hope the Gophers can hold on and get that first big ten victory of the season.
'Til next time...
10/6/2008 - RECAPS
-NDSU Bison 35 - SIU Salukis 27
After falling behind 20-0 with 2 minutes left in the first half, the Bison came storming back, started by a 9 yard TD connection from NDSU QB Nick Mertens to TE Jeremiah Wurzbacher in the 2 minute drill to close the second quarter, and scoring on 4 0f 6 possessions in the second half, missing a field goal and running out the game clock on the other two.
RB's Tyler Roehl and Pat Baschall contributed 202 yards and 2 TDs on the ground, and Mertens finished with 195 yards passing and 2 TDs to go along with a rushing TD of his own and 0 interceptions (after throwing 7 in the past 2 games) to bring the Bison back for a Homecoming victory.
It was an entirely different team in the second half, and I give all the credit to NDSU's fantastic head coach Craig Bohl, who has shown a knack for making in game adjustments and getting the most out of his players. I hope this guy stays around a long time.
-UMN Golden Gophers 16 - Indiana Hoosiers 7
The Gopher defense stepped up big in this game and the Gophers gutted out a victory at home to improve to a surprising 5-1.
WR Eric Decker had another monster game, posting 13 receptions for 190 yards and the rest of the offense did enough to pull it out.
Was not a Tim Brewster fan the day they hired him or at all last season, but its looking like he's got his team moving in the right direction, lets hope they keep it up.
'Til next time...
The Bison got a much needed bye week after suffering consecutive losses to the Wyoming Cowboys and Missouri Valley Football Conference foe Youngstown State. QB Nick Mertens lost his mojo in these games for NDSU by throwing 7 interceptions, and this was the biggest factor in their losses.
But with the bye week the Bison are able to get healthy, with RB Tyler Roehl back near 100% and S Cyrus Lemon, and MLB Tyler Henry returning to strengthen the defense.
The Salukis are coming off a big victory over perennial power Northern Iowa and should provide a tough opponent for the Bison, but with their week off and the return to the Fargodome for Homecoming, look for Coach Craig Bohl to have his squad more than prepared and ready to come out and get back on the winning track.
The crowd plays a big factor and the Bison win a close one at home to claim their first MVFC victory.
NDSU Bison 24 - SIU Salukis 20
Gophers:
They lead the Hoosiers 13-7 in the 4th as I write this, for two teams that seem to give up and score a lot of points against eachother in recent history, this one has been kept close.
Gopher QB Adam Webber left the game briefly in the 1st quarter with an injury, but has returned to the lineup. WR Eric Decker is having yet another big game as he approaches 200 yards receiving on the day. Lets hope the Gophers can hold on and get that first big ten victory of the season.
'Til next time...
10/6/2008 - RECAPS
-NDSU Bison 35 - SIU Salukis 27
After falling behind 20-0 with 2 minutes left in the first half, the Bison came storming back, started by a 9 yard TD connection from NDSU QB Nick Mertens to TE Jeremiah Wurzbacher in the 2 minute drill to close the second quarter, and scoring on 4 0f 6 possessions in the second half, missing a field goal and running out the game clock on the other two.
RB's Tyler Roehl and Pat Baschall contributed 202 yards and 2 TDs on the ground, and Mertens finished with 195 yards passing and 2 TDs to go along with a rushing TD of his own and 0 interceptions (after throwing 7 in the past 2 games) to bring the Bison back for a Homecoming victory.
It was an entirely different team in the second half, and I give all the credit to NDSU's fantastic head coach Craig Bohl, who has shown a knack for making in game adjustments and getting the most out of his players. I hope this guy stays around a long time.
-UMN Golden Gophers 16 - Indiana Hoosiers 7
The Gopher defense stepped up big in this game and the Gophers gutted out a victory at home to improve to a surprising 5-1.
WR Eric Decker had another monster game, posting 13 receptions for 190 yards and the rest of the offense did enough to pull it out.
Was not a Tim Brewster fan the day they hired him or at all last season, but its looking like he's got his team moving in the right direction, lets hope they keep it up.
'Til next time...
Thursday, October 2, 2008
A Brief Twins Season Recap
Well, it was a good fight, but Jim Thome and Ken Griffey Jr. pulled off a feint and counter right hook that knocked the Twins out of the postseason. Great pitchers duel from Blackburn and Danks, too bad the lineup couldn't find their mojo at any point.
This season was a very welcome surprise for the Minnesota faithful as they outplayed how everyone thought they would after losing Johan Santana and Torii Hunter in the offseason. The question raised now as we head to the offseason and next year is were they overachievers or the real deal?
A young pitching staff laid the groundwork for becoming a very solid pitching group for years to come as all Twins pitchers who started a game posted at or above .500 Win-Loss marks, led by Glen Perkins at 12-4, and Scott Baker at 11-4. Kevin Slowey and Nick Blackburn also posted 12 and 11 wins respectively, and the Franchise returned (perhaps a week or two late) to go 6-1 in the stretch toward the playoffs. The youth and ability of these pitchers should be encouraging for all Twin fans as the future is very bright for these guys who should be together as a Staff for at least the next few seasons. Scott Baker showed he's ready for top of the line status, Francisco Liriano returned to the 'Ace' position late in the year despite a dropoff in velocity, Kevin Slowey and Nick Blackburn were Radke esque, and Glen Perkins showed he has what it takes to be a starter in the majors.
The bullpen started the season strong but then fell off dramatically toward the end of the season. Joe Nathan is still one of the best closers in the game, but he can't do much if the bullpen doesn't hold a lead for him going into the ninth. Pat Neshek going down hurt them big time, but AL hitters figuring out Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain, Dennis Reyes, and Boof Bonser being inconsistent (and very hittable) didn't help. The emergence of Craig Breslow and Jose Mijares toward the end of the year was nice, but it was just a little too late. They offer hope for next season though.
Justin Morneau again put together a fantastic season, posting a team high 23 HRs and 129 RBI (2nd in AL) and was a big part of the MVP conversation up until his semi-slump in September. Much like in '06, I think if the Twins made the playoffs and he led the AL in RBI's that he would be the MVP. But mediocre HR numbers and the playoff failure knock him out of consideration. Joe Mauer won his second career batting title at the age of 25 (amazing), at the catcher position (more amazing). Jason Kubel contributed 20 HRs to the offense, but only one other player posted double digits in HRs, and barely, with big offseason acquisition Delmon Young slamming 10.
This is the biggest dificiency on this teams offense that needs to be addressed for the second straight year. The Twins need a RH power swinging bat. You can make the argument that they scored a lot of runs this year, but that was while they hit for an extraordinary average with runners in scoring position, and that will not stay consistent. They would be amazing if there was ONE guy who could come up with a big homerun in a close game (not sure if that happened once all season...at least it seems like that).
But overall, I was very excited to see these young guys succeed as much as they did, and lets hope they move forward and improve even more next year, a season I think they could be dangerous with all the SP returning and a year under the belts for guys like Span, Gomez, Young, Buscher, and Harris and some viable talent coming up in the Minors.
'Til next time...
This season was a very welcome surprise for the Minnesota faithful as they outplayed how everyone thought they would after losing Johan Santana and Torii Hunter in the offseason. The question raised now as we head to the offseason and next year is were they overachievers or the real deal?
A young pitching staff laid the groundwork for becoming a very solid pitching group for years to come as all Twins pitchers who started a game posted at or above .500 Win-Loss marks, led by Glen Perkins at 12-4, and Scott Baker at 11-4. Kevin Slowey and Nick Blackburn also posted 12 and 11 wins respectively, and the Franchise returned (perhaps a week or two late) to go 6-1 in the stretch toward the playoffs. The youth and ability of these pitchers should be encouraging for all Twin fans as the future is very bright for these guys who should be together as a Staff for at least the next few seasons. Scott Baker showed he's ready for top of the line status, Francisco Liriano returned to the 'Ace' position late in the year despite a dropoff in velocity, Kevin Slowey and Nick Blackburn were Radke esque, and Glen Perkins showed he has what it takes to be a starter in the majors.
The bullpen started the season strong but then fell off dramatically toward the end of the season. Joe Nathan is still one of the best closers in the game, but he can't do much if the bullpen doesn't hold a lead for him going into the ninth. Pat Neshek going down hurt them big time, but AL hitters figuring out Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain, Dennis Reyes, and Boof Bonser being inconsistent (and very hittable) didn't help. The emergence of Craig Breslow and Jose Mijares toward the end of the year was nice, but it was just a little too late. They offer hope for next season though.
Justin Morneau again put together a fantastic season, posting a team high 23 HRs and 129 RBI (2nd in AL) and was a big part of the MVP conversation up until his semi-slump in September. Much like in '06, I think if the Twins made the playoffs and he led the AL in RBI's that he would be the MVP. But mediocre HR numbers and the playoff failure knock him out of consideration. Joe Mauer won his second career batting title at the age of 25 (amazing), at the catcher position (more amazing). Jason Kubel contributed 20 HRs to the offense, but only one other player posted double digits in HRs, and barely, with big offseason acquisition Delmon Young slamming 10.
This is the biggest dificiency on this teams offense that needs to be addressed for the second straight year. The Twins need a RH power swinging bat. You can make the argument that they scored a lot of runs this year, but that was while they hit for an extraordinary average with runners in scoring position, and that will not stay consistent. They would be amazing if there was ONE guy who could come up with a big homerun in a close game (not sure if that happened once all season...at least it seems like that).
But overall, I was very excited to see these young guys succeed as much as they did, and lets hope they move forward and improve even more next year, a season I think they could be dangerous with all the SP returning and a year under the belts for guys like Span, Gomez, Young, Buscher, and Harris and some viable talent coming up in the Minors.
'Til next time...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
