SB Nation User Blog: footballninja

Football Ninja's Bye Week Thoughts

footballninja — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:41:41 -0000

I know how important it is for everyone to take a whip around the brain of the football ninja, so here is a quick summary of my thoughts as it relates to your 2009 Minnesota Vikings. Of course the thought must start with...

The Bye Week.

Could it come at a better time? Ummm… No. Perfect timing, smack dab, right in the middle of the season. Now, seeing as how there is concern with Favre and his ability to stay healthy, if I could choose a place to put the bye it would be right here especially considering….

The Schedule.

…Coming out of the break we get to play 3 straight home games? And get to start that stretch against the lions? Shit, that’s almost like two bye weeks in a row. Plus what this means, in terms of the whole teams health, is we play our first 8 games, get a week off, play our second 8 games, get a week off, play two tough games, get a week off, and then play one more… In Miami… The schedule looks perfect… But…

The Saints.

God Damn, they look good. Real good.   Reminds me of the 98 vikes. High powered passing attack. High powered running game. Not a dominant defense, but a solid opportunistic and play making defense. A dome game between these two to get to the Superbowl would be a fun game to watch for NFL fans everywhere. By the end of year there is a very good chance these could be the number 1 and number 2 offenses in all of Pro Football… And I wouldn’t hate our chances in a dome against the Saints especially considering our newfound ability in the area of…

Game Planning.

The game planning for this coaching staff seems to be better than I remember, but maybe that is the Favre effect. Or maybe just the ‘having-a-starting-caliber-QB’ effect.   We cruised to 5-0 before everyone was like: ‘the next three will tell us where we are at’. Well first with the last game. We came out with a great game plan. We shut down that high potent offense. Shut them down. We got pressure on Rodgers while rushing only four and covered downfield with the other 7 long enough to put Rodgers on his back again and again. Offensively we had a great game plan for Brett. We neutralized the emotions by calling nice safe efficient “TJack-proof” passes. Got AP into the mix early, and let Brett slowly push back the situation allowing him to just play the game, and eventually help us take over. Our Game plan and execution of said plan put us up 24-3. The Pittsburgh game was the same way (good game plan). We felt them out in the beginning offensively and made sure to avoid the big mistake.   Played it safe to see what we could do and what we couldn’t do against that defense in one of the hardest places to play an away game. Defensively we shut down a qb and receiving core that was firing on all cylinders coming in, without our best player in the secondary. Our game plan put us in position to beat the Super Bowl Champs on their home turf. And we would have, if not for a TD taken away, and a couple of unfortunate defensive touchdowns for Tomlin’s crew. Oh yeah and Baltimore. Baltimore is a really good team. You won’t find many who will disagree with that. Strong offensively and defensively, and very well coached. We were up 27-10 with about 10 minutes left in the 4th quarter! We had a plan and executed that plan to near perfection, until the end of the game which brings me to…

Late Game Near Collapses.

First keep in mind. These were near-collapses, not total collapses, not total meltdowns. I don’t know exactly what is happening here. I hope Fraier and Childress can figure it out. I disagree with those who think we are losing our aggressiveness late in games, blitzing wise. Maybe our secondary is backing up another couple of yards in order to stop the huge plays which is creating spaces that aren’t usually there which is snowballing into the offense being able to get into rhythms which then swings momentum and confidence for both sides and so on. Maybe. I can buy that, get more aggressive in the sense that we should stick with the same exact defense we had been playing the whole game, sure. But I don’t like this ‘we need to blitz more and more’ attitude. These late game situations are exactly where JA and company should excel. Up big, opposing offense is turning one dimensional, pin the ears back and get that QB. When both the big collapses happened we were playing Rodgers and Flacco. Both, especially Rodgers, had been beating us almost exclusively WHEN we were blitzing. He would find the void that the blitzer left and get the ball out fast. No, I will argue, we should have everyone in coverage and get to the QB in those passing situations which makes me think that the real reason for such a collapse is…Conditioning. I think those guys were tired in both those games. Look at the classic tell tale sign. The hands on the hips. Re-Watch the games if you can. They were tired, just tired enough to not get to the QB, just tired enough to not be able to tackle ray rice, just tired enough to not be able to get to the point of the field where they should be just a fraction of a second earlier. That’s my take. In the earlier years of my Viking fanship, these collapses would have ended in losses, but not this year, because this year we have…

The KAO.

Wow. This offense is kicking ass. Very entertaining. Did they actually call an 18-yard pass route on 3rd and 17 last week? No draw play to Chester? Yes, they did. And it worked.

But then again, this offense should Kick Ass. I mean seriously… Solid offensive line. HOF QB. Best RB in the League. Very good TE. Speedster field stretching WR. 6-4 Huge radius, amazing hands, WR. That new slot guy… Yeah, you know, that slot guy. He is one of the very impressive …

Rookies.

Percy Harvin is awesome. This guy is explosive. Can you say, Rookie of the year? I don’t know what to say about him. He looks amazing on special teams. He has made huge plays at huge times. Momentum changing plays. He is special. He is doing wonderful in the passing game. And remember, WR is one of the toughest positions for rookies to come in and excel in. He wasn’t running these routes in college. But he is running them great already. 8-Games in. Awesome. I can’t wait to see what he looks like a couple years down the road. Oh yeah, and DAMN, he is a tough little son of a bitch. I was not expecting that, he is only 5-11, 184 but he does not go down easy. He fights, and twists, and turns, and puts on the Jets. Awesome. Also, Loadhalt is playing great. Yes great. He is pass protecting beautifully the last couple of games and run blocking equally as well. What a draft choice that is going to be. I’m telling you right now, Loadholt will be holding down a tackle position in the NFL for a long time. These first two rounds worked out perfect.    The book is open on Asher Allen. And the other rookies? I have heard their names called on special teams a couple times, speaking of…

Special Teams.

Wow. What a turn around. Coverage and return teams look SOOOOO much better. The vikes lead the league in average starting position after kick offs and coverage teams look completely different from last year. Credit this coaching staff. (And Harvin, and Farwell) But especially this coaching staff. This was a huge problem last year, so they went out and got special teams play makers through the later rounds in the draft and through free agency. And now that phase of the game is a strong suit, not the weak link it was last year. I like the attitude of ‘there is a problem, lets fix it’. I like it alot! What a great job by…

The Organization.

Organizations win super bowls. Not Quarterbacks, Not Defenses, Not Players, Not Coaches, Organizations. And wow what a job of personnel building this organization has done. The Vikings are stacked with talent. And they built the team just the way that they wanted to. We drafted and pieced together the puzzle. Without going through all the pieces, I’ll just look at a couple instances.  Great operations.   Go back a couple years, what did they say: Start in the trenches. Soooo... they steal Hutch away from Seattle. Then, when we all knew that our defense was good but hated that the secondary was getting burned, we knew what we needed was an edge rusher. So... we go out and trade for Allen, what a signing. Awesome. Or remember when we desperately needed some kind of receiving threat, I do. So... we went out of our way and got the best free agent WR available in Berrian, and paid him because he was the best available. How about this past offseason?  We needed help on special teams, well we saw what we did. And, of course, finally, we needed a conductor of the orchestra so we went and got…

Brett Favre.

Is there really anywhere else to end in a thought process of the 2009 Vikings? I don’t need to break down stats, or convince anyone of anything. If you watched the 2008 Vikings and compare them to the 2009 Vikings, there is one huge difference, one thing that is going to shine brighter than everything else….

Brad Childresses’ Beard.

Yup. That’s why the 2009 Vikes are destined. Because of the Beard.

That’s all.

Go Vikes.

Into Enemy Territory

footballninja — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:19:52 -0000

Up until this last weekend, I have been stuck in a see-saw battle of thoughts and emotions as it relates to this #4 character. I understand the possible upside, see the downside, and feel stuck wanting to wait to make judgment until I see if this union is actually gonna happen. That is, those were my thoughts, until this weekend.

See, my parents have a nice little cabin on a nice little lake in a nice little town in North West Wisconsin. Trees, water, beer, cheese, and…. packer fans. And of course, it is Wisconsin, so it is inevitable that every time I visit, I will end up hanging out at the local bars, at least for a while. And for those who have never been to a Wisconsin bar, it is basically a nest of packer fans. It is basically a packer fan nest. They have these little nests scattered all across the state, all littered with green and yellow patrons. Every single one. Now, I usually stay away from starting any banter about the supremacy of the Vikings or my disdain for the packers when I am visiting their nests, I know I am outnumbered and, well, the locals just don't think it is as funny as I do. In fact usually I don't even bring up my Minnesota roots. But this, well this last weekend was different. And it led to an epiphany, a sudden deep 'got it' moment, a vision of the truth, a profound understanding on what my stance should be, as it relates to Mr. Favre...

It was cold and crappy out all day Saturday, so no lake, no pontoon, no laying on the dock, its 2:00 in the afternoon…So, well…what should we do? If I was a native, I wouldn't even have to ask that question, but of course the answer is: hit the bars. Bar one and its packed. 2:00 in the afternoon, completely packed. Here, a group of Wisconsinites are finishing up a golf tournament and starting a drinkfest, some of the usuals have their spots perched in front of the bar slot machines, while some others are just casually having a couple of shots before the big 'toilet shoot'. Yes, this is Wisconsin, they have 150 different weapons, a years worth of scrounged up toilet bowls, and they are gonna have some drinks and go blow the crap out of them. Don't get me wrong, this sounds sweet to me too, but only in Wisconsin. Then on to Bar two. Then bar three. Then bar four. Fast forward to bar five, 10:30 pm I've been drinking all day and I am tanked. I am tanked, smack dab in the middle of enemy territory and a friend of my parents who I have met on occasion walks up to me and I decide to greet him and immediately break my peace-keeping silence.

"Packers are gonna get their ass kicked this year…by…Brett and the Vikes! HA! What do you guys think about that?' He immediately drops his head. An automatic reaction. He looks almost…well, defeated I guess, he takes a deep breath, slightly raises his chin and I can see the anger pulsing through his eyes. "We are pissed. Absolutely pissed." For some reasons his words invigorate me, I am filled with an energy, a spirit, "Yeah," I mumble in a friendly manner, "I think it's pretty funny."… He continues, "Let me tell you what, he is a traitor. That son of a bitch. We are so pissed, we all planned on going to his big Hall of Fame Induction when it happens down the road, well, not now. Nope. Not now. We don't even like to utter his name…Ya know there's a lot of people that want him to get seriously injured, some even want him dead. "

Wow, I think, that’s probably going a bit far, and probably not entirely true, but, wow, they really hate this. They are miserable. The face of their team, their leader, their god, is crossing the mighty divide that keeps packer backers and Minnesota maniacs apart. Favre is coming to the good side…And they cannot stand it. Just then, his son walks up, right in the middle of this conversation and, of course, he is wearing a packers shirt. A brand new, bright green, Green Bay Packers shirt. On the front of the green shirt was this faded picture of Brett Favre's face, and under it, with big yellow letters it reads, " We Will Never Forget You, BRENT." BOOM! This is when it finally hit me, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. The enemy of the Packers, is not an enemy of mine. Forget the past feelings I had for him, he is coming to the good side. I finally understood, I must embrace number four. I must. And this is going to be so entertaining, plus it will probably help our team in the short run, and, ultimately, this will add fuel to this great rivalry. One of the best rivalries in all of sports. And it is going to absolutely sting my bitter enemies across the border. And that alone could outweigh all the possible negatives of this impending union. And in the end all I can say is: Welcome, Favre, Good to have ya, let's go kick some green and gold ass!

Skol Vikings.

Fred Evans and Jeff Garcia

footballninja — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:06:30 -0000

Just read two Vikings related stories over at profootballtalk.com that I thought some of you may be interested in.

First, "Defensive tackle Fred Evans, a restricted free agent tendered at the second-round level by the Vikings, has accepted the one-year, $1.545 million contract"

I believe this is a great signing. Especially with possible suspensions to the Williams'. Even if they don't get suspended I think its a good signing because from what I have seen of Evans he has potential to become a pretty damn good player. Time will tell.

Second, for those of you who still hate our QB situation and were hoping that Mr. Jeff Garcia could possibly still enter into the picture... It would appear that will not happen, for according to PFT.com, he is the newest member of the Oakland Raiders.

That is all.

Vikes the first to go after Cutler?

footballninja — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:16:44 -0000

Well, I figured there hasn't been a post about Cutler in the last couple of posts...so...

From Yahoo Sports:

"Before Tampa was involved in a potential three-way trade for Cutler, Minnesota was actually the first team to become engaged in talks for the quarterback. McDaniels acknowledged Tuesday that another team had inquired about Cutler prior to Tampa Bay’s interest, but he declined to name that team. A personnel source confirmed it was the Vikings. According to two league sources, the Vikings would have shipped draft picks to Denver for Cutler, and Denver would have turned around and sent picks to New England for Cassel. However, the deal fell apart early on, after some elements in the Minnesota coaching staff weren’t entirely sold on Cutler."

Interesting...

Risk Vs. Reward

footballninja — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:26:27 -0000

Ok, so far everything that I have read since Matt Cassel was franchised has been about the risk of the Vikings making a serious move towards acquiring the services of Mr. Cassel.

First, you are all correct. Matt Cassel did take over, arguably, one of the best offenses of all time. With Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and a grade A offensive line. And was given game plans by the best coaching staff in the NFL.

Yes, his success could be in large part due to the situation by which he was thrust into.

Yes, the Vikings would have to compensate the patriots heavily, not 2 first rounders heavily, but heavily, to be able to *pry* Cassel away. (Side note: I believe Tom Brady to be on his way to a full recovery and hence the reasoning for the franchise is to make sure that the Pats can get full value for losing him, not so that they can ensure they can keep him.)

Yes, the Vikings would have to give Cassel a hefty multi-year contract.

Yes, there is no way of knowing for certain that Cassel can play at a high level outside of the Patriots system and personnel.

This all creates a huge risk. Money, time, other players. I think its fair to say, that most of us understand the risk...

...But...

Let us not forget about the potential reward. Matt Cassel could be the next face of quarterbacking in this league. He stepped into a pressure situation, after not truly playing since high school! Since HIGH SCHOOL! Think about that. And he stepped up. He stepped up big time. This could be an opportunity for the Vikings to pick up a true franchise quarterback. He might turn out to be a true superstar. That is a distinct possibility. It is. For real. It is.

So you have to ask yourself: How often does a possibility like this arise?

*cue Jeopardy music*

...Well.... Ummm... The draft? HA! Roll the dice three times on a top 5 pick and you would be lucky to get one QB who can step in his first 16 games and perform half as well as Cassel, even if you gave him that offensive talent...Seriously. You guys are gonna tell me that TJack coulda done that? HA! You're blinded by your own bias and hopes.

...Ok....How about free agency? Ummm... I can't really remember any QB off the top of my head that has hit free agency with this kind of upside...None... Maybe some at the bottom end of their career...but not young ones.

...Well... On other teams through a trade? Yes. Once in a while. Which is the situation we are looking at right now.

So, the question is, should the Vikings take a shot? Its a risk but there is certainly a potential reward. A huge reward. A reward that can thrust an entire organization towards greatness.

My guess is that the Vikes front office studies every bit of tape they have on this guy, every piece of information, puts together the puzzle, and tries to figure out exactly what their risk tolerance is. My guess is they will make an attempt at him. They will find the price they are willing to pay, and if they can snatch him for that they will, if they can't....Enter Jeff Garcia?...

And a little more...
For those of you who think I am giving Cassel too much credit... Remember, also, that he has learned from Tom Brady, Belichick, and the rest of his staff. This is a good thing. Kind of takes away the need for Chilly to try and coach some fundamentals of being a NFL QB, because he has already been coached them. And keep in mind, unlike Derek Anderson, most QB's get better with experience and a year under their belt. I mean, Cassel could just be at the beginning of a huge upward swing (I suppose thats the whole message of this post...). ALSO, if you listen to the *ahem* experts on espn you will hear all the time that QB'ing in the NFL is about alot of things, but when you break down all the Great QB's throughout the NFL they have one thing in common... The intangibles. The things that can't really be taught. They show up differently in every QB... Well, I ask you, do you think, getting thrust into a starting role on the first day of a season for the super bowl favorite, replacing one of the best QB's of all time, after not starting a game since high school, and throwing almost 3700 yards and 20+ TDs and leading your team to an 11-5 record qualifies as having something special? Some intangible skill set, ability, or mentality? I certainly believe it says something.

To me it says, potential. I say its worth a risk. A contract and some draft picks, risk. Double down, Roll the dice. Hope we roll the 7... If we hit, oh how nice it will be. If we miss, it will hurt. But, when all is said and done...its simply risk vs. reward.

Not gonna happen, but...

footballninja — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:20:33 -0000

Super bowl ninja formula.

Fire Ferraro, I'm sure there is someone out there that the Wilf's could find to do a better job than this guy, seriously.

...Plus...

Fire Bevell, not sure if all of the offensive woes are to be placed at his feet, but, maybe some of them, plus I have the perfect replacement....

...Plus...

Demote Brad Childress to OC. Keep the continuity and familiarity. (I know this is not really realistic...but I do not care.)

...Plus...

Promote Mr. Frazier. I was skeptical of Frazier at first and thought that he was just riding the success that Mike Tomlin put in place...but... this season...First, he lost M. Williams for the first X amount of games, but kept the D going by filling in with a rookie. Then he lost his all pro monster middle linebacker, and picked up an unemployed NFL linebacker to take one of the most important spots on the defense. Kept the D in elite status. His veteran free safety seemed to lose a step midway through the season, the D remained strong. Then his D had to cope for weeks with ongoing suspensions to the almighty Williams Wall. Then he lost Phat Pat for the final couple of games. Then he hit the playoffs, minus his starting ML, Pat, and his other starting DE. And the D played phenomenal. He mixed up the game plan, threw in some exotic blitzes, bluffed some exotic blitzes, kept the very dangerous Westbrook in check pretty much the whole game, frustrated the eagles offense holding them to field goals, shutting down the run, and pressuring McNabb all day. One bad play. Late. Maybe because of tiredness... seeing as how the offense wasn't on the field for very long. Anyway, yeah Frazier rocks.

...Plus...

Promote Karl Dunbar to DC. Everyone seems to like this guy. And he is fiery.

...Plus...

Sign Garcia. Pay him. It won't cost a ton, but offer him more than everyone else. He is competent, can throw, can move, can run a NFL offense.

...Plus...

Draft a right tackle.

...Plus...

Convince Birk to stick around for another year....probably convince via money.

...Equals...

Super Bowl. For real. Super bowl. Trust me.

Not alot of money, not alot of moves. This team is close.

Honestly, I think keeping Frazier for another year and getting ahold of Garcia would put us as one of the top two teams in the NFC, without having to say, "Great team IF <insert a bad QBs name here> can prove he can play..." I'm sick of hearing that crap.

Great Game....BUT....

footballninja — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:51:17 -0000

I don't want to be the one to bring up any negatives because overall the vikings played a very complete game.

BUT...

Can ANYONE give me ONE reason why in the hell we are running AP deep in the 4th quarter with a big lead after watching him come off limping on multiple plays???

Doesn't make much sense to me... Other than that, I actually believe this was a well coached ball game. (I think I just complimented childress....uh...weird)

Oh yeah, and Sapp is a retard.