Vikes @ Cubs

[Mike Sixel]

Too early to give up on Bradbury, but it is amazing how bad they are at drafting OL in general.

 

Eiflein should never play again. He's proven bad, year after year. Their refusal to try other guys is mind boggling.

[Mike Sixel]

I've only seen a bit of each game, and the play calling is not great.

[Badsmerf]

I could be wrong, but it seemed like he was open after five seconds of route running. He didn't get separation within 10 yards. That could be coaching issues - maybe we should have called more intermediate routes rather than long ones - but when I watched him on replays, he was never really open until pretty late into the play. And that was usually after the interior line had collapsed.

 

I could be wrong but that's what it looked like to me.

by the time he gets the separation, the ball should be in the air. My problem with the play calling or Cousins, is how long he holds the ball. No timing routes. No back shoulder throws. No attacking the middle of the field. Is it Kubiak? Zimmer? Cousins? I'm not sure. I don't like Zimmer's opinions on running the ball... and think he could be influencing the offense in other ways.

[Vanimal46]

Too early to give up on Bradbury, but it is amazing how bad they are at drafting OL in general.

 

Eiflein should never play again. He's proven bad, year after year. Their refusal to try other guys is mind boggling.

Bradbury is supposed to be a fit with their EXOTIC zone blocking scheme. He fits in on the previous year's OL scheme of not blocking on pass plays at all.

[Mr. Brooks]

I could be wrong, but it seemed like he was open after five seconds of route running. He didn't get separation within 10 yards. That could be coaching issues - maybe we should have called more intermediate routes rather than long ones - but when I watched him on replays, he was never really open until pretty late into the play. And that was usually after the interior line had collapsed.

 

I could be wrong but that's what it looked like to me.

I mean, they so rarely show the all 22 replay during the game broadcast, that it's impossible for us to know, unless we're going back and watching the all 22.

 

Every player is going to see the film, so it'd be foolish for Thielen to call out Cousins for not getting him the ball when he's open, if he wasn't actually open.

[Mr. Brooks]

Too early to give up on Bradbury, but it is amazing how bad they are at drafting OL in general.

 

Eiflein should never play again. He's proven bad, year after year. Their refusal to try other guys is mind boggling.

I'm not saying give up on Bradbury, but maybe let him learn in practice instead of games for now.

This team has to win games now. Bradbury is a massive liability right now.

[Badsmerf]

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/27738185/week-4-nfl-qb-awards-kirk-cousins-abysmal-start-matthew-stafford-sideline-dime

 

No holding back in this article. Pretty much confirms our eye test of Cousins thus far. Too bad for the fans, even worse for Spielman and Zimmer.

 

The longer I chew on it, the less I like Zimmer. 538 had a great take on their weekly run down... The passing game wins games, running game chews up the clock. That is exactly how the elite teams roll. Favre would have have told Zimmer to shove the running game up his ass. Man, I would have loved to see Favre throwing to Diggs and Thielen.

[gunnarthor]

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/27738185/week-4-nfl-qb-awards-kirk-cousins-abysmal-start-matthew-stafford-sideline-dime

No holding back in this article. Pretty much confirms our eye test of Cousins thus far. Too bad for the fans, even worse for Spielman and Zimmer.

The longer I chew on it, the less I like Zimmer. 538 had a great take on their weekly run down... The passing game wins games, running game chews up the clock. That is exactly how the elite teams roll. Favre would have have told Zimmer to shove the running game up his ass. Man, I would have loved to see Favre throwing to Diggs and Thielen.

Yeah, I like our defense but even that seems like it's playing worse than the sum of its parts. I could be wrong but after Trubisky was injured, it seemed that the defense was still using Kendriks and/or Barr in a spy set against Collins for a few drives. Like, the defense didn't know to change it's game plan against a back up. And we resigned Barr and there was all this talk that they'd make use of his rushing skills and ability to disrupt the offense and instead he's back to the same not-quite-right-fit defense for him.

 

As for our offense, it's a mess. The line is a joke - I can't believe how much the center and left guard are just revolving doors right now. Gads. Cousins is what he is and the coordinator has to figure out what works - maybe the hurry up offense? - and slim down the playbook to get the most out of him. 

[Mr. Brooks]

I could be wrong, but it seemed like he was open after five seconds of route running. He didn't get separation within 10 yards. That could be coaching issues - maybe we should have called more intermediate routes rather than long ones - but when I watched him on replays, he was never really open until pretty late into the play. And that was usually after the interior line had collapsed.

 

I could be wrong but that's what it looked like to me.

Ben Goessling's film review seems to support the idea that guys were open, and Cousins just failed to get them the ball.

 

http://va.topbuzz.com/s/Fkrcxk

[Mike Sixel]

Cousins himself has tweeted as much.....guys were open and he didn't get the ball to them.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

“a lot of things... that are easily correctable”

 

- C. Ponder, 2011-2014

[Mr. Brooks]

Per Matthew Coller:

 

By PFF’s grading system, rookie Garrett Bradbury scored the second lowest grade of any Viking with a 32.4 (out of 100). Only backup guard Dakota Dozier was lower. Pat Elflein had the highest score on the OL at 62.1 but still gave up one hurry and one sack.

 

Through four games, Bradbury is far and away the worst center in the NFL by PFF’s standards with a 32.5 overall grade, 10.0 blocking grade and 45.5 pass blocking mark.

 

To put that in context, Elflein struggled mightily in 2018 but managed an overall grade nearly 10 points higher. As a rookie, the former Ohio State standout had a 66.1 overall score.

[Mr. Brooks]

If they want to develop Bradbury, fine, but then it's time to rebuild.

 

If they want to win now, they simply can't keep putting him out there.

[Mike Sixel]

The consensus top center in the draft... Something is wrong in Minnesota.

[Vanimal46]

If they want to develop Bradbury, fine, but then it's time to rebuild.

 

If they want to win now, they simply can't keep putting him out there.

The rebuild may happen soon. There's a ton of smoke to these Diggs trade rumors. At his press conference today he said "There's truth to all rumors."

 

He wants out. And I would trade him at this point. Having 2 stud receivers no longer makes sense in this 1972 offense that Zimmer wants.

[nicksaviking]

 

If they want to develop Bradbury, fine, but then it's time to rebuild.

If they want to win now, they simply can't keep putting him out there.

 

Worst thing that could happen to this team is go 9-7 or 10-6 and then stand pat. Either this crew needs to put it all together this second and go on a huge tear the rest of the season, or they need to clean house top to bottom.

 

Spielman has been here 14 years and has shown no ability to identify and develop offensive lineman, QBs or head coaches, all of which appear to be of significant importance for a football team.

 

I'm trying to figure out how the conversation went when his head coach told him the team wasn't going to throw anymore just after the team gave out huge contracts to a QB, two WR and extended a TE they barely needed. Did Spielman just nod and say, "Sounds great!"

[Badsmerf]

If it is between Diggs and the coaching staff.... I keep Diggs. Heck, depending on how the game goes next week, another poor performance and I'd fire the entire front office if I had to.

[Mike Sixel]

If it is between Diggs and the coaching staff.... I keep Diggs. Heck, depending on how the game goes next week, another poor performance and I'd fire the entire front office if I had to.

Preach it!

[Vanimal46]

If it is between Diggs and the coaching staff.... I keep Diggs. Heck, depending on how the game goes next week, another poor performance and I'd fire the entire front office if I had to.

I agree... But you know how these things go. He'll get traded and it will be spun by the Vikings that he was a malcontent.

[nicksaviking]

 

I agree... But you know how these things go. He'll get traded and it will be spun by the Vikings that he was a malcontent.

 

If the season goes down hill and everyone gets canned, I think they are going to have to restructure this team anyway. I'd like to have Diggs around longer, but if this team needs to be overhauled it wouldn't be terrible to get some more draft capital.

 

That is assuming Spielman isn't the one spending it.

[Badsmerf]

To me, it all comes down to building around a capable QB. Zimmer and Spielman have tried to build a great defense, and fill in the gaps. If it wasn't for hitting big on Diggs and Thielen, they'd already be rebuilding. Not often they best offensive weapons are found in the 5th round AND an underrated FA. I'd be interested in a duo found for less.

 

The Seahawks have been able to rebuild while staying competitive because Wilson is so dynamic. Saints because of Breese. Packers because of Rodgers and so on. It is a passing league; often decided by whether or not a team can march down the field and score in the last 5 minutes of the fourth quarter.

[Vanimal46]

To me, it all comes down to building around a capable QB. Zimmer and Spielman have tried to build a great defense, and fill in the gaps. If it wasn't for hitting big on Diggs and Thielen, they'd already be rebuilding. Not often they best offensive weapons are found in the 5th round AND an underrated FA. I'd be interested in a duo found for less.

 

The Seahawks have been able to rebuild while staying competitive because Wilson is so dynamic. Saints because of Breese. Packers because of Rodgers and so on. It is a passing league; often decided by whether or not a team can march down the field and score in the last 5 minutes of the fourth quarter.

Yep, and unfortunately Kirk has regressed massively since the middle of last year. Coincidentally it's around the same time Zimmer kept saying they need to run the ball more. Now here we are, living in a passing league but running the ball over 60% of the time.

 

I'm thinking it's multiple factors why Kirk has regressed this much. One, he's seeing ghosts coming to hit him and he balls up in the fetal position waiting for the sack. Two, I'm assuming Zimmer is telling him every week to protect the ball and don't make aggressive mistakes. So now it's all in his head.

[Mike Sixel]

Yep, and unfortunately Kirk has regressed massively since the middle of last year. Coincidentally it's around the same time Zimmer kept saying they need to run the ball more. Now here we are, living in a passing league but running the ball over 60% of the time.

 

I'm thinking it's multiple factors why Kirk has regressed this much. One, he's seeing ghosts coming to hit him and he balls up in the fetal position waiting for the sack. Two, I'm assuming Zimmer is telling him every week to protect the ball and don't make aggressive mistakes. So now it's all in his head.

Concur. It's the coach. Why sign Rudolph if you aren't going to pass? Ugh.

[Badsmerf]

Concur. It's the coach. Why sign Rudolph if you aren't going to pass? Ugh.

You could have stopped at why sign Rudolph.

 

Kirk can make big time throws. We've seen him do it. I think there is something to Zimmer messing with the gameplan and playcalling. The high risk high reward plays are lacking, or Cousins is not pulling the trigger on them. If it was Cousins, why would Diggs be so disgruntled and want completely out of MN instead of just a new QB? Writing is on the wall. Same things were happening when Childress was let go.

[gunnarthor]

Yeah, I'm on the fire Zimmer bandwagon after staying off the last few years. I suspect we will win quite easily against the Giants but the underlying problems - bad offensive identity, shoddy blocking, misusing talent (Barr) will haunt us all the way to a 9-7 record.

[Mike Sixel]

Zimmer hinting Diggs might not play this week. Can we fire the coach yet?