vikings/nfl

Many people thinks its Ponder's fault, and he does not have a strong arm to complete long pass. Let me tell you, I watched tonight's MNF game, and watched River and Manning. River had 4 ints and 2 fumble. River is in this leauge past several years, but have problem throwing the deep pass. He picked off twice for those 2 deep pass. Plus Manning does not have a strong arm either. I would take Ponder over River. When we win the game, all credit does to QB and coaches. When we loose the game all blame goes to QB and coaches. Its a team effort. Any team can win any game, as we have seen this week (Sea Hawk, Packer, Browns, Loins, Broncos...) Please don't expect Vikings to win every single game (specially on the road). It is a young team, and it will take couple more years.

Field goals and lots of them is what you get when you run a "dink & dunk" style offense which is all the vikings are able to run with this current coaching regime. Having no long ball threat will certainly make Blair Walsh the team's leading scorer for a long time to come.

Unless the Vikes D turns into the 2001 Ravens sometime soon Ponder will not cut it. Only being able to complete bubble screens and check downs isn't ending the Vikings superbowl-less streak, and last time I checked that is why they play right? It's not playcalling its not lack of offensive weapons it's the QB it's pretty glaring. You can't expect to go anywhere with a QB that can't put a team on his shoulders to win a game, not in the NFL in this day and age.

Throw the ball downfield. Hello!!! Throw bombs to keep the defense honest. Even with Ponders meager arm. This nauseating five to fifteen yard pass offense will yield two interceptions a game from here out. Dbacks are playing these slow recievers (except Harvin) tight. There will be tips and fumbles. That is a given. And defensive line, if you have an RG3, stay in your lanes and stop worrying about sacks. This isnt rocket science Vikings!!!!

You throw the ball down field when you have someone to throw it to. Percy is double teamed and the remainder of the vikings face single coverage leaving the rest of the defense to harass Ponder and stop Peterson. Don't believe me; even the announcers on TV saw it. They miss Simpson, or anyone who can run a deep threat legitimately. The day of "here is where we are going to run the ball and we will out execute you" is long over in the NFL. Defenses are too good. Say it again.... line up Webb in the slot and run him on post routes. If they ignore him, throw him the ball, but at least one defensive back HAS to stay with him along with a safety. Bringing in the blocking back? Well, at best, he picks off one lineman for Peterson and that hasn't happened much either.

Rogers may be the best QB in the NFL. Put him behind the vikings offensive line and watch him run for his life. Ponder was "flushed" almost all the time because the receivers could not get open and the blocking broke down too fast. Dare you to put a side by side screen of the packers next to the vikes on a passing play to compare. Ponder is the focal point of the problem, but he is far from the real problems.

Finally, the bottom line. If you are praising the kicker for being the bright spot on the team, and add maybe Winfield to the top ten list of who played well last Sunday, I would suggest you check out the other names on that list. You won't find any. Now, if you want to start the top ten list of who disappeared on Sunday, put "linebackers" at the top and "wide receivers" in second place, and you don't have to go much further.

The real question is how many carries did AP get??? The answer is 17. Just how does a 100 million dollar back only get 17 carries?? The Vikes imposed their will on the skins but let up. AP should be P.O'D

It is, as it always was and probably always will be with the Vikings. If you want to beat the Vikings, simply pass the ball. They panic and start playing in prevent mode, after that it's nothing but pass/complete, pass/complete, pass/complete ... touchdown. It shocks me that other franchises don't realize this. When an offensive mostly runs they stand a great chance of losing to the Vikes, when they do quick passes up the middle, or to the side, you'll "jar" the defensive coordinator, and the next thing you know everyone is playing zone. It always happens. If all the teams just did this, Minnesota wouldn't stand a chance, and maybe, juuuuust maybe they might consider playing man to man coverage, at least on the opposing teams best receivers.

I laugh when I see how "perplexed" the Vikings are re: why they can't score touchdowns in the red zone. What do you expect when you RUN the ball up the middle (directly into the opposing defense) on 80% of all plays, including 100% (!!!) of all first downs?? Pass the ball down the field! The Vikings have the most boring and predictible offense in the history of the NFL. Playbook (every series): 1) run it up the middle. 2) run it up the middle again. 3) throw a short pass well short of a first down. 4) punt. Over... and over... and over again. Incorporate some CREATIVITY!