vikings/nfl

Gosh darn it, Sid! If the Viking players didn't have to worry about the indignity of not playing in a new stadium, I'm sure their performance would improve exponentially. Let's all dig deep now, so the boys can feel better about themselves and perform as they would if worry free.

Sid, surely you see the land-grab, rip-off this Arden Hills deal is. The question Gov. Dayton and lawmakers have to ask themselves is whether taxpayers can get a less expensive deal in Minneapolis at the Farmers Market site next to Target Field where parking, freeways and rail transit already exist.

Much like the Twins and Wild, the Vikings have misguided arrogance. All of these teams stink and fail to acknowledge what the problems are and how to fix them. The Vikings need a new O-Line, some recievers and some defensive backs. New coaching and a real GM would also help, again, just like what the Twins need but fail to recognize. There is no local buyer for this team or one would have stepped up when Red was selling.

What about last week's talk about still being possible to make the playoffs? Nothing now??

"Sunday night, the Bears held Peterson to 12 carries for 39 yards as they stacked eight and nine men on the line of scrimmage and challenged Donovan McNabb to beat them with the passing game." Even Sid gets it and Chris Collinsworth too. When you have no passing attack and insist on keeping one or two tight ends in the game with a blocking back, you can bet the two wide receivers, who time and again did not split out far enough, are going to get single coverage, and the rest of the defense is going to be in the box. Peterson did not stand a chance. This happens week in and week out, with the defensive game plan to stop Peterson, and with the vikes weak (pathetic?) offensive line, sack the QB as many times as you can.

Further, if you want change, the goal on offensive would be to spread out the field, so Peterson has a chance. You have the wide receivers to do it, and I still would consider Webb lined up as a wide receiver. You have nothing to lose. Then see if some holes are there for AP who now has to defeat the defensive line, the linebackers, and even a couple of safeties who are up on the line. They have nothing to fear in a deep threat. I like Scianco but as long as you keep him and Kleisasser in the game, you are going to get safeties playing the run and Peterson is in trouble.

Finally, on defense, you need to ask yourself where the linebackers were the entire game. EJ Henderson is decent. After that, watch the first touchdown run by Chicago. That play was the most embarrassing play for one linebacker who was not even blocked and simply fell down. I watched it on replay, and it looked like junior high. After that, you have to question the defensive backs. Simply, they cannot be that bad, with different players, making the same mistakes, year after year after year. To me that would indicate another problem; defensive philosophy? bad coaching? Drafting light weights instead of aggressive safeties and corners?

PS. It was good to see Mike Tice standing on the sidelines too. I wish he was standing on the other side of the sidelines though. Frazier, is not the answer.

At least Sid got one thing right...this team won't have to worry about going 3-13....they will probably make it 2-15, although looking at the schedule, I don't know who they will beat for that one!

Didn't anyone in the organization know how bad our offensive line was last year? Why has there not been any improvements? We need a full time general manager who can evaluate talent. Put Ponder in and let him play!