Minnesota Vikings Discussion-TUESDAY SkolAsylum: 2 DEC 2025

What-The-Hell-Was-That-Meme-meme-5

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Vikings Discussion & Random Thoughts

I have to apologize here. I have stopped paying attention to any Vikings things like press conferences or articles about what this team needs to do. I am not buying any of it, and am rooting for the Patriots now because I like their coach and they have a competent QB. In the NFC, I am rooting for the Rams. Someday this team will be worth paying attention to again. I will still watch this Sunday, but only for the comedy.

FTP!

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DE Viking
2 December 2025 5:05 pm

Personally, Id call him play to play…

No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 5:01 pm

True…

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 5:40 pm

Woke logic does not equal logic.

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  SoCalMinnFan
2 December 2025 6:28 pm

Hell it’s harder to get on an airplane than vote.

DE Viking
2 December 2025 5:01 pm

Schism!

vikesfanincheeseland
vikesfanincheeseland
Reply to  DE Viking
2 December 2025 6:13 pm

Kwesi gonna get another draft. Wilfs won’t fire him this off season. He’s gonna have a few picks this time around, so he better not eff it up.

vikesfanincheeseland
vikesfanincheeseland
Reply to  vikesfanincheeseland
2 December 2025 6:15 pm

……and the way it’s going, probably earlier picks for every round.

HUNViking
2 December 2025 4:38 pm

Adam Steelen

1000018873
JRo_42
JRo_42
Reply to  HUNViking
2 December 2025 4:49 pm

Hopefully he can drop 4-5 passes and catch 3 for them for the end of the season.

No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 4:37 pm

Love this!

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 5:43 pm

Enough to make you choke up.
If you were not a ‘real man’ of course.
It is the dust in here that The Teacher is kicking up with all the decorations she is currently putting up that is making my eyes water.

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  SoCalMinnFan
2 December 2025 6:20 pm

Even though we hear a lot of crap, there are tons of very good people that make us proud to be Americans.

No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 4:15 pm

Well…

NoDakRube
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
3 December 2025 9:33 am

Thats pretty funny.

No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 3:57 pm

This is totally me now…

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 5:45 pm

My knees made me stop running, power walking is easier on the knees.
2.5 hrs of PW is equal to about 1 hr of running it seems.
Good thing I am retired and can afford the extra time 3Xs a week.

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  SoCalMinnFan
2 December 2025 6:21 pm

Heve you tried nd eliptical?

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 7:30 pm

I have.
We had one at the SoCal house. Of course The Teacher bought it before I met her and it was delivered broken. The lowest setting was a 5 or 6, I could only do an half hour on it.
I have used them in Fitness Centers when we travel and never gotten used to them vs running or power walking. They are very popular at the gym and always occupied so I adjusted my workouts to the indoor track and I find it less boring.

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  SoCalMinnFan
2 December 2025 7:36 pm

I was a runner too before knee replacement. Really loved running and felt like I could walk to Philadelphia and it just didn’t get it like running. Nothing dies I guess. Both the bike and eliptical are boring, but they do seem to get my heart beat up almost as well as running.
Still, I walk a lot and have learned to enjoy it

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 8:25 pm

The Army made me a runner. Then 10Ks, 20K, half marathons, 25Ks and finally a full marathon had me hooked.

But as I aged and my knees deteriorated and the prison work schedule and life in general reduced me to just walks.
These power walks (with weights) are almost as good, I had to order smaller pants on cyber monday.

No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 3:47 pm

Hmmm…

No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 3:38 pm

I love these…

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 4:54 pm

There are many of these out there and they are all funny as hell. The ones with Kamala and Sleepy Joe are just great. On one, Trump is playing golf with Baby Joe who shits his pants and stinks up the course. Funny stuff.

No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 3:33 pm

Hmmm…

freezeyface
2 December 2025 3:24 pm

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  freezeyface
2 December 2025 3:28 pm

Was just posting this. At least a team picked him up.

freezeyface
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 3:34 pm

i’m just glad he gets to chase his super bowl dream now………………….

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  freezeyface
2 December 2025 3:48 pm

I think he was sorta fascinated with having Aaron Rodgers as his QB… actually.

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  freezeyface
2 December 2025 4:56 pm

No way in hell Steelers are going to the Super Bowl.

freezeyface
2 December 2025 3:24 pm

LOL thielen to the steelers.

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
2 December 2025 3:11 pm

I guess if you search in the weeds hard enough you can find some ‘silver linings’ among that sh*t show that we endured on Sunday.

https://thevikingage.com/even-in-collapse-two-minnesota-vikings-defenders-made-history

No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 2:54 pm

This is gonna be a winner…

JRo_42
JRo_42
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 4:46 pm

I still don’t understand how those things work. I can’t imagine the longevity of the phone screen is great.

manly-purple
Reply to  JRo_42
2 December 2025 6:08 pm

Some vloggers do intensive testing at how many times they can open and close until they tear/crack. Makes me want to stay away.

Plus I don’t like the crease in the screen.

No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 2:52 pm

Well that didn’t last long…

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 2:58 pm

Thinking this means JJ (QB) is on track to clear concussion protocol this week.

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  SoCalMinnFan
2 December 2025 3:12 pm

Yep

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 5:48 pm

Monty Python Auto Rec.

No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 2:45 pm

Yeah, $20 oughta cover it…

JRo_42
JRo_42
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 4:47 pm

I think that was a $20,000 bill, not a $20 bill.

No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 1:36 pm

Stevie Nicks… one the greatest ever…

Edgecrusher71
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 2:24 pm

Ever seen the history behind the album Rumours album lyrical content? Buckingham wrote Go Your Own Way about Nicks so Nicks wrote Dreams in response to that and so on and so forth lol.

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  Edgecrusher71
2 December 2025 2:29 pm

No, I didn’t know that. Cool. Stevie’s voice is so singular though. So amazing. Their music was also off the charts great as well.

vikesfanincheeseland
vikesfanincheeseland
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 2:33 pm

She’s an amazing singer. I might be wrong, but I believe she is the only female artist that is enshrined in the rock and roll hall of fame twice. One solo, one with Fleetwood Mac.

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  vikesfanincheeseland
2 December 2025 2:46 pm

Didn’t know that either. You guys are educating me today!

vikesfanincheeseland
vikesfanincheeseland
Reply to  Edgecrusher71
2 December 2025 2:30 pm

I read something about that. They were apparently breakup songs that they each wrote.

Edgecrusher71
Reply to  vikesfanincheeseland
2 December 2025 2:37 pm

In some regards Stevie wrote songs that were “fuck yous” to him and made sure they had spots for him to do backup vocals so he had to sing songs aimed at himself. Haha

manly-purple
2 December 2025 12:59 pm

I dunno about y’all, but I cannot wait to see another 3rd and 1 handoff to Hockenson.

JRo_42
JRo_42
Reply to  manly-purple
2 December 2025 2:19 pm

Forget that! We want a 40 yard pass into double coverage!

Edgecrusher71
Reply to  JRo_42
2 December 2025 2:37 pm

Pard… that’s known as an interception round these parts.

bowbunch
Admin
2 December 2025 12:43 pm

I’m just ready for the Cats to beat the smarty pants from Yale this weekend and begin their trip to Nashville. Why don’t they just move the championship game to Minneapolis or Denver since its pretty much guaranteed to be a Montana/Dakota game?
comment image

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  bowbunch
2 December 2025 12:47 pm

Minneapolis and Denver – two of the great cities in the country. Maybe they could have a Pride Parade to start festivities.

bowbunch
Admin
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 12:52 pm

If they held it at US Bank at least there would be some good football once a year.

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 12:54 pm

Minneapolis and Denver’

The criminals/gangs/thieves are salivating at the prospect.

MT Viking
Reply to  bowbunch
2 December 2025 1:49 pm

@Why go to Nashville when MSU or UM are just gonna get beaten by NDSU?@

NoDakRube
Reply to  MT Viking
2 December 2025 2:22 pm

Agree they should just save the travel money and hand NDSU the trophy.

MT Viking
2 December 2025 12:37 pm

I’m surprised we haven’t heard of a signing for Thielen. Maybe they’ll give it a few days so no allegations of tampering haha. Figured he had a team all lined up…otherwise his phone might be really quiet.

bowbunch
Admin
Reply to  MT Viking
2 December 2025 12:40 pm

He might have to go through waivers, but as a vested vet I don’t think so. The rules could be different now that the trade deadline passed.

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  MT Viking
2 December 2025 12:45 pm

Thought he wanted to come ‘home’ and spend his last season as a Viking.

Northwoods
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 12:46 pm

He wanted to play football. Not watch football.

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  Northwoods
2 December 2025 12:48 pm

Why not stay with Panthers then. He and Young had a great chemistry.

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 12:57 pm

He wanted to finish up his career with the Vikings.
He also believed he would be a bigger part of the offense, not a healthy scratch like he was on Sunday.

Northwoods
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 12:57 pm

I’m guessing KAM/KOC lied to him, saying “Oh, you’ll get a LION’S SHARE of throws your way!!”

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 12:59 pm

I think Thielen felt the Vikings had a better chance at a playoff run than the Panthers, honestly. Plus there was a strong fan base here cheering him on.

Why KOC didn’t really do much with him is a mystery to me. The drops were very disconcerting though.

Northwoods
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 1:28 pm

8th grade flag football, I was QB for my team.

I had a guy who was scary fast, could get wide open, but dropped everything I threw to him.

I stopped throwing to him.

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  Northwoods
2 December 2025 1:39 pm

Laughing… I guess that would do it.

JacksonVike
Reply to  Northwoods
2 December 2025 1:47 pm

Was his last name Williamson?

MT Viking
Reply to  JacksonVike
2 December 2025 1:50 pm

Haha nice pull

vikesfanincheeseland
vikesfanincheeseland
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 2:36 pm

I think we all thought the vikes had a better chance at the playoffs than the Panthers did.

NoDakRube
Reply to  MT Viking
2 December 2025 2:23 pm

He needs to get signed by one of the Vikings opponents so he has a chance to one on vs Harry – he might actually get open.

DE Viking
2 December 2025 12:31 pm

Some discussion below about trading getting picks.

Based on KAM’s history, he should trade everything for 7th rounders.
Then sign UFA’s. He’s had way better luck doing that.

Slick was right.

No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 11:29 am

One thing I’d like to see KOC try on for size is a 13 personnel look (three TE’s and one WR). This would make running the ball, and passing the ball easier. The RB, WR, and two or even all three of the TE’s could be viable passing targets on every down, and play action would be really stressful on the linebackers. This alignment fundamentally forces a defense into playing an 8 man box on every play. Then it’s real, mano a mano football. This scheme takes a whole lot of pressure off the QB. Most throws will be within 7 yards of the LOS, but if the defense leaves the WR one on one (like Jefferson for instance) it could all be over but the cryin, because THAT guy is gonna win in that coverage situation.

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 11:33 am

Are we good enough tackle to tackle in the line to run this scheme.

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 11:39 am

This is the thing, we aren’t good enough tackle to tackle to NOT run this type scheme IMO. With five O-linemen, and three TE’s you have eight “blockers” initially on every play. This will give the QB a lot more protection, and if you run the ball, a lot better “push”. If the QB is considered as an additional runner, then there are nine guys (with the RB) who could open up running space for him.

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 11:49 am

Other than this sounding like Zimmer ball, it sounds good. But why wouldn’t other teams do this. Even the Eagles and Ravens who are strong running teams, don’t do much of this.

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 12:09 pm

The Ravens do run this concept, but because they have a lot of skill position players and an experienced QB, they can change up formations routinely. The Eagles have one of the best O-lines in the league. They don’t need to run this scheme. They plow right through you.

I think teams with young QB’s need to do two things. First, provide strong protection schemes on pass plays. Second, run the damn ball with real authority.

Edgecrusher71
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 11:35 am

I like it, think we should try it… But worried about the mano a mano situation… our backup mano get merked!

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  Edgecrusher71
2 December 2025 11:43 am

Basic football, and straight up takes a ton of the processing out of the QB play. McCarthy is weak in the processing department, and can’t really see defensive changes post snap. So let’s take all that off the table. One day he might could get there, but right now he isn’t. So every TE can go “hot” on any play call, block initially, then hit an open spot on the field for a simple pitch and catch play.

Defenses have to respect all three TE’s, especially if early on, you get some balls to each and every one of them.

manly-purple
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 12:03 pm

Would love to see it tried. Not holding my breath that it will be.

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  manly-purple
2 December 2025 12:14 pm

Unfortunately, it runs against KOC’s grain. He wants lots of guys running complex route combinations to confuse defenses. He loves the deep crosser to Jefferson, but you need a QB who can throw that ball. It’s one of the hardest throws for a QB to time up, and hit. He wants to throw the ball, force linebackers into coverage, and then attempt to run the ball. The problem is, he needs a QB who can see it quickly, and deliver it on target. Right now he doesn’t have a guy like that under center.

manly-purple
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 12:35 pm

Agreed all around.

This is why I appreciate coaches that make something out of what they have instead of shoehorning guys into “their” system.

bowbunch
Admin
Reply to  manly-purple
2 December 2025 12:39 pm

So to use the guys you have the suggestion is to take some of the best WRs in the league off the field and play mid to low tier TEs?

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  bowbunch
2 December 2025 12:46 pm

‘If it is stupid but it works then it is not stupid’??

manly-purple
Reply to  bowbunch
2 December 2025 12:47 pm

We have two good WRs. Thielen was Drop City this year sadly when he did get the ball thrown to him.

We’re actually paying a good amount of money to two TEs.

bowbunch
Admin
Reply to  manly-purple
2 December 2025 12:53 pm

Two TEs. To go to 13 personnel you need a 3rd and only get to put Addison OR Jefferson on the field.

manly-purple
Reply to  bowbunch
2 December 2025 12:57 pm

Not every down. Just would like to see KOC try something different.

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  bowbunch
2 December 2025 1:03 pm

WR’s are not targeted at a high rate anyway Bow. Going five wide, or even three wide, you need an O-line and RB that can provide the protection a QB needs to process five route combinations. Our O-line gets beat a lot.

No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 11:01 am

One man’s take…

Edgecrusher71
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 11:04 am

Yeah but whomever chose Byron Murphy must be really smart! Get rid of the guy who picked JMac and get the guy who picked him!

freezeyface
Reply to  Edgecrusher71
2 December 2025 11:05 am

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 12:19 pm

Plus we would not have needed to trade up from #11 to number #10 thereby saving a 4th and 5th (swapped for a 6th) if we stay in place and taken Nix or JJ (QB) whomever was still there.
They obviously they preferred JJ (QB) and currently that looks like a bad choice although the final results are not yet know.

manly-purple
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 12:35 pm

I think he dies on the field before he has that chance.

MT Viking
2 December 2025 10:30 am

Love reading about the generosity of Minnesotans and Tim Walz towards the Somalian diaspora…can the readers send some of that generosity my way?

Also, how could the military not mount a risky and expensive rescue mission to recover the severely wounded drug smugglers after the boat was inhumanely destroyed, fly them back to the US to receive the best surgical and medical care possible, and allow them legal representation and visits to Capitol Hill? MURDER!

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  MT Viking
2 December 2025 10:38 am

Only inside the Capital Beltway is this an issue. Most sane people think destroying drug boats that kill over 100,000 Americans is a good thing, as well as the thugs in the boats.
As to the Minnesotans, leave that subject to the folks who live there.

manly-purple
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 10:53 am

The MN I grew up in is very different from the MN I now see when I come back to visit family.

vikesfanincheeseland
vikesfanincheeseland
Reply to  manly-purple
2 December 2025 11:38 am

Minnesota is still a great state. So many beautiful places/areas throughout the state. I lived there for the first 38 years of my life, the last 12 years across the river. I think the somali thing is more Minneapolis than the whole state, maybe Rochester also.

MT Viking
Reply to  vikesfanincheeseland
2 December 2025 11:58 am

The five years we lived in Roch crime on the SE side of the city increased, a lot of bad blood between the Hmong and Somalis that lived in those neighborhoods.

Overnight call rarely involved much in the knife and gun club category but had a noticeable uptick my last couple of years.

vikesfanincheeseland
vikesfanincheeseland
Reply to  MT Viking
2 December 2025 2:45 pm

Yeah, it’s pretty noticeable in Rochester. I had a buddy that lived there for a while, lots of somali neighbors. I have no reason to go there anymore except for the occasional mall visit, yes the Apache mall is still opened, it has a great Scheels store.

bowbunch
Admin
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 12:36 pm

My family doesn’t understand why I don’t go visit more often. If I wanted to go to a foreign country I’d go to a nicer one than the frozen mosquito middle east.

DE Viking
Reply to  manly-purple
2 December 2025 12:26 pm

Same.
Was just there for two weeks, and everywhere I went, I felt like I was the foreigner.

Muslim garb everywhere.

vikesfanincheeseland
vikesfanincheeseland
Reply to  DE Viking
2 December 2025 2:49 pm

Don’t mean to pry, but I’m guessing you and bow are talking bigger cities. I grew up rural, SE Minnesota. Definitely different circumstances.

bowbunch
Admin
Reply to  vikesfanincheeseland
2 December 2025 2:51 pm

If I do go back I drive through St. Cloud and do not go to the cities. Even the “rural” part isn’t rural anymore unless you get up north, like Brainerd or higher.

vikesfanincheeseland
vikesfanincheeseland
Reply to  bowbunch
2 December 2025 3:31 pm

I don’t know, still a lot of “rural” from red wing down to the Iowa border.

JRobert
JRobert
2 December 2025 10:15 am

My question of the day, somewhat driven by reading below about dumping players to get draft choices.
Are we are bad team because we don’t have enough good players (overall roster talent) or simply because of poor QB play?

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 10:34 am

Thanks. Nice summary
Seems the defense is ‘good enough.’ Has some holes but. most all teams have holes.
The offense, we seem to always be lacking in the offensive line. That should or would be a priority to me. Regardless of the QB or RB, any of them will do better with improved line play.

MT Viking
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 10:35 am

Just read the WSJ article “The Costly Miscalculation That Sank the NFL’s Most Expensive Team”. In summary, JRobert, QB.

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 10:56 am

Sometimes I think KOC is not helping with scheme/play calling and so our QBs struggle.
But then I watch young QB around the league throw the ball successfully around the league. Even average QB play would have made all the difference in most of these games.
So is it more of a ‘chicken or the egg’ type of argument??

manly-purple
Reply to  SoCalMinnFan
2 December 2025 10:58 am

I think both together are creating the issue. Can’t pin it on just one or the other.

manly-purple
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 12:04 pm

JRo_42
JRo_42
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 11:02 am

Makes you appreciate competent QB play (i.e. Kirk), doesn’t it? A lot of people here take that for granted. And the “let’s just pay a cheap rookie and we’ll get to the super bowl” strategy is garbage unless you have a generational talent.

MT Viking
Reply to  JRo_42
2 December 2025 11:05 am

I never took Kirk’s durability for granted. Guy played something like 97% of the snaps.

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  JRo_42
2 December 2025 11:14 am

NFL QB is truly one of the hardest positions to play in all of sports. It takes high level processing at lightning speed, and a very impressive, accurate arm to come close to being good in the NFL. Young QB’s get by with exceptional athleticism (i.e. running around and making plays with their legs) while they evolve (or don’t). The NFL has sold the public on the idea that first round draft picks can somehow come in, and be an exceptional QB from day one. They can’t. They can be exceptional athletes with a whole lot to learn on day one.

You need a fast brain and exceptional arm talent to be a really good NFL QB, and you’re still going to take your lumps your first couple of years. That is of course, unless you’re the SeaHawks with Beast Mode and the Legion of Boom shutting down opposing offenses.

JRo_42
JRo_42
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 12:29 pm

That year for Seattle was just the defense being allowed to mug everyone with no penalties, since the NFL decided not to call defensive holding or pass interference that year. They would never have been as good if they actually called penalties like they should.

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  JRo_42
2 December 2025 1:07 pm

Definitely in todays NFL they would be flagged repeatedly. They were a physical defense and they did mug receivers a lot. Still they possessed one of the most athletic and fearsome defensive backfields, ever.

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 12:21 pm

Cousins was actually great though Surly. Our O-line has always been weak. Cousins was amongst the most hit, knocked down, and sacked QB in the league every year. Yet, over his five and half seasons (88 games) he threw for 171 TD’s and over 23K yards, with a 68% completion rate, and a 101.2 passer rating, under five different OC’s. It’s unbelievable how good Cousins was with that.

To contrast what Cousins dealt with, Tom Brady had three OC’s in 20 years with the Patriots, a top five O-line pretty much every year, and a top five defense pretty much every year. Opposite ends of the spectrum.

JRo_42
JRo_42
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 12:31 pm

None of that matters, though. QB WINZ! 😉

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  JRo_42
2 December 2025 1:11 pm

Laughing… indeed.

JRo_42
JRo_42
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 12:30 pm

It was a hell of a lot more fun to watch than this year’s garbage though.

MT Viking
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 11:04 am

I absolutely understand that bringing in expensive FA QB’s has led to short term success but long term failure. You and I have been there, seen that.

It was the brimming confidence in our young drafted QB, the Howell situation, late add of Wentz, and the oddity of the long ankle sprain recovery and now the concussion protocol that smell of poor decision making.

To bring it into my wheelhouse, it would be like my championing a complex medical procedure to be performed in house, working with the nurses and technologists day after day rehearsing how we will work together to accomplish our aim, spending money on the equipment and resources necessary, and then on the day of the liver transplant watching the team drop the liver on the floor, and then put it where the kidney belongs.

Someone has to be held accountable for the decision to wing it with McFragile™.Is Lane Kiffin available?

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  MT Viking
2 December 2025 11:28 am

Would seem like bringing in FA’s like Sam would do just fine for us.

JacksonVike
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 1:40 pm

The only washed up QBs that we brought in, in the past, that gave us any chance of a suberb owl win, were Favre and Cunningham. So out of the 20 or so veterans we had 2 competent QBs.

MT Viking
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 12:34 pm

Are we going to hang on to KAM for a decade or more as we did with Rick?

Edgecrusher71
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 10:41 am

And those changes made to the offense are like actual changes, the scheme actually changes, not let’s just dink and dunk, bubble screen inside the same scheme. This is my biggest gripe with KOC. Adjust the scheme for who you got, otherwise you are just literally spinning your wheels digging a deeper hole.

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 10:51 am

Coaching seems to be our major issue.
Play calling is not helping our young QBs and preparing the team to play/game plan/in game adjustments are all severely lacking IMHO.

Edgecrusher71
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 11:07 am

I’m not sold on him being outmatched but seems so stubborn he refuses to change.

Edgecrusher71
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 2:25 pm

Fok! Didn’t think about it that way but it’s kind of true!

JacksonVike
Reply to  Edgecrusher71
2 December 2025 2:46 pm

I can’t remember who it was, but it was a former NFL player, he said that teams should look at special teams coaches for head coaches. They require a knowledge (Nolege for the Nebraska fans) of both offense and defense. They are more in tune with the complete game rather than a DC or OC.

bowbunch
Admin
Reply to  JacksonVike
2 December 2025 2:49 pm

Yeah, but has a special teams coordinator ever been successful in the NFL as a head coach?

JacksonVike
Reply to  bowbunch
2 December 2025 2:51 pm

I’ve never looked it up. It may be interesting.

JacksonVike
Reply to  JacksonVike
2 December 2025 2:55 pm

John Harbaugh, Bill Belichick, Mike Ditka, Bill Cower, Dick Vermeil and Marv Levy were all ST coaches at one point in their career.

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  JacksonVike
2 December 2025 2:49 pm

John Harbaugh comes to mind…

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  Edgecrusher71
2 December 2025 10:53 am

What scheme would you suggest? We have spent big money and draft choices in our receiving group. If they are all already here. what scheme do we change to?

manly-purple
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 10:56 am

It’s the long-developing, WR choice/reaction routes that we can’t run effectively because our OL sucks and our QBs’ minds get scrambled with pressure.

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  manly-purple
2 December 2025 11:02 am

Watching this same offense for four years, our line always sucks, our QB’s get killed a lot. Yet guys like Cousins, Darnold seemed to make it work well. Hell, even Nick Mullens (despite INT’s) made this offense work well.
Maybe we just need to go find an average, competent QB to make this work.

manly-purple
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 11:04 am

This offense is not for a rookie or first-year starter, that much has been revealed.

Sadly our roster and contracts don’t line up with being contenders in three years.

JRo_42
JRo_42
Reply to  manly-purple
2 December 2025 11:08 am

Yep, and the NFL doesn’t have a powerhouse team this year. A great year to have a crap QB…. Bad decision-making by the front office.

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  JRo_42
2 December 2025 11:15 am

and that’s a real shame. This was a down year in the NFC

JacksonVike
Reply to  JRo_42
2 December 2025 1:35 pm

Who would have seen, back in February, that there would not be a powerhouse team this year. Nobody, including all of the GMs in the NFL.

Edgecrusher71
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 11:06 am

I would suggest not doing 3 wide. I saw a deal that ranked every teams EPA via formation and listed them and it was out of 300 and Minnesota running 3 wide was like 298 out of 300 and yet it’s one of our most ran formations… I don’t care how much money you have spent IT’S NOT WORKING! When something doesn’t work you don’t just keep doing it expecting different results.

JRo_42
JRo_42
Reply to  Edgecrusher71
2 December 2025 11:07 am

KOC is the king of doing the same crap that isn’t working, hoping it will get better. A big reason why I think he’s a garbage coach.

Edgecrusher71
Reply to  JRo_42
2 December 2025 11:12 am

I went back… So personnel groupings across the league ranked. Minnesota running 3 wide is the 2nd worst combination in the league for EPA and we’ve ran it 70% of the time!

JRo_42
JRo_42
Reply to  Edgecrusher71
2 December 2025 11:13 am

Yep, stupidity at it’s finest. He claims to want to run all the time, but when it’s working, he doesn’t. KOC is a fool.

Edgecrusher71
Reply to  JRo_42
2 December 2025 11:14 am

And to a degree that’s admirable and he really believes in that they are payed to do a job, here is the job I need you to do, now DO IT! That has worked in some years… it’s clearly not working this year. Time to show you can adapt and change. Plan B!

JRo_42
JRo_42
Reply to  Edgecrusher71
2 December 2025 3:09 pm

Yeah, I get what you’re saying – the trust and belief that they can make it happen. But the “we are averaging 6 YPC, so let’s stop running” plan is always going to be dumb. Especially in short yardage situations with a couple downs.

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 10:48 am

‘the O Line is still a huge weakness of this team’

I think the issue with the OL is health not talent.
Working the trenches in the NFL is brutal work so injuries are to be expected. Depth could be better but that is true of most, if not all, teams.

manly-purple
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 10:55 am

Yep, the offense is a huge mess, and it begins with the OL.

I thought this was supposed to be the year that all changed.

manly-purple
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 10:52 am

Don’t give the coaching a free pass.

Coaches make a huge difference. The culture created and the schemes planned are the biggest key to success.

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  manly-purple
2 December 2025 10:57 am

But that coaching took a losing team and turned it into 13 wins. Bad luck (Cousins injury) killed the next year. Last year that coaching won 14 games.
Seemed like there was a very solid culture created and since we have a fortune. tied up in our receivers, what scheme would be better?

manly-purple
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 11:02 am

Yet we all looked at those 13 wins and 14 wins with rose-colored glasses and refused to see the insane number of one-score games we were eking out.

The playoffs revealed the truth both seasons.

I don’t want another winning season. I want a frickin’ Super Bowl. I’m tired of this “we’re sort of good” crap. Get a solid coach and go win one.

I cannot see us winning anything with KOC or Kwesi at the helm.

JRobert
JRobert
Reply to  manly-purple
2 December 2025 11:05 am

Well we all want what we want. I’ll take a winning team over being dead last in the division, by three damn games.
We get to the playoffs, then I’ll worry about the next step forward.

MT Viking
Reply to  manly-purple
2 December 2025 11:07 am

What’s funny is when I became a Vikings fan (as an adult with decision making capability) in 1991 I was sure they would win a Super Bowl heck multiple SB’s in my lifetime. Now I’m 56 and I honestly don’t see it happening. Figure if I’m lucky I have 20 to 25 more spins around the sun.

MT Viking
Reply to  MT Viking
2 December 2025 11:09 am

Speaking of astrology I heard an amazing fact on Survivor of all things. All of the remaining planets in our solar system would fit between the Earth and Moon. Crazy. Just makes you realize how vast space really is.1300 Earths would fit inside Jupiter, for example.

MT Viking
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 12:34 pm

Dammit you are correct.

JRo_42
JRo_42
Reply to  manly-purple
2 December 2025 11:10 am

I’ve said this several times before. KOC and Kwesi aren’t the answers. They make too many bad choices and dumb mistakes to get anywhere.

JacksonVike
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 1:30 pm

The 13 and 14 win years, could have easily been 8-9 years if the ball bounces differently, just once in almost every game. In other words, we were lucky to win that many games. This year we are seeing what happens when the ball bounces to the other team, more than to us.

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  JacksonVike
2 December 2025 2:05 pm

if the ball bounces differently’

I suspect that is true of most teams, one bounce or turnover determines several games a year.

JacksonVike
Reply to  SoCalMinnFan
2 December 2025 2:09 pm

Yes, and how many times, over the last few years did we come on this site and say “I can’t believe we won that game” based on a couple of lucky breaks. The big one that comes to mind is the Buffalo game with JJettas great catch, followed up by the lucky fumble in the end zone to give us the win.

JacksonVike
Reply to  SoCalMinnFan
2 December 2025 2:09 pm

It happens to most teams, but not the great teams. The great teams win games on their own.

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  JacksonVike
2 December 2025 2:17 pm

When there are several good to very good teams but no ‘great teams’ (like this year) then the bounces/fluke plays/turnovers make all the difference. IMHO

No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 9:57 am

Laughing…

JacksonVike
2 December 2025 9:40 am

I would be okay with the Vikings losing the last 5 games and trading anyone of value, that does not want to be a part of the rebuild. If we can get a few extra 1st and 2nd round picks, we could replace Smith, Kelly, Fries, Metellus, Pace and all of our CBs. Maybe pick up a stud running back as well.

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  JacksonVike
2 December 2025 9:42 am

That would be some Trump level deal making.

JacksonVike
Reply to  No longer New Vikings Fan
2 December 2025 10:01 am

It wouldn’t be that difficult, if we lose the last 5 games. We should get a top ten pick which could be traded for either a couple of 1sts or a 1st and second depending on how high of a pick. Trade Hock for a 1st or 2nd. Trade Jefferson for a couple 1sts and a 2nd. We could probably get a 3rd or 4th round pick for Metellus. Throw in Oneil for a late 1st maybe early 2nd. We could possibly end up with 5-10 first and second round picks, and a couple 1st and 2nd round picks next year.

bowbunch
Admin
Reply to  JacksonVike
2 December 2025 10:21 am

Jefferson’s cap hit makes him untradeable. You’d be lucky to get a 4th for Hock. 5th or 6th for Metellus. Don’t get rid of the good O-line pieces.

MT Viking
Reply to  bowbunch
2 December 2025 10:33 am

Jackson sounds like me on Sunday, until just_rob brought me down to earth about Jefferson’s contract.

JacksonVike
Reply to  MT Viking
2 December 2025 1:27 pm

If we trade Justin after June 1st, it is a $33mil dead cap hit in 2027. Which would be a year we are loaded with rookie contracts.

vikesfanincheeseland
vikesfanincheeseland
Reply to  Surly Viking
2 December 2025 11:51 am

Yup, I think GF mentioned on here a few days back that half of kwesi’s draft picks aren’t even on the team anymore. That’s horrible drafting, and can’t build any depth like that.

JRo_42
JRo_42
Reply to  JacksonVike
2 December 2025 11:12 am

I agree – fire sale, Twins style. Except you can’t trust Kwesi with the picks. That’s the main problem with this strategy, but can’t keep getting nowhere with the team we have now, so try it.

MT Viking
Reply to  JRo_42
2 December 2025 11:23 am

Can we put them all in a bag Scrabble-style and redraw?

JacksonVike
Reply to  JRo_42
2 December 2025 1:24 pm

I still say his 1st draft was bad, but he has gotten better. Obviously the jury is still out on JJ but Donovan Jackson, Dallas Turner, Jordan Addison and others have turned out to be good.

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  JacksonVike
2 December 2025 9:53 am

I think Mason is a ‘stud running back’.
He might not get lots and lots of snaps and the OL isn’t helping much nor is the play calling.

JacksonVike
Reply to  SoCalMinnFan
2 December 2025 10:03 am

I think Mason is a good downhill running back that will get you 1-2 when you need it, but will not break away for a 50 yard TD. He is too slow to outrun DBs.

MT Viking
Reply to  JacksonVike
2 December 2025 10:31 am

I think of Mason as one of those “punishers” that wears down the secondary and seems immune to injury.

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  MT Viking
2 December 2025 11:18 am

one of those “punishers” that wears down the secondary and seems immune to injury’

Sounds like a stud to me.

manly-purple
Reply to  JacksonVike
2 December 2025 10:50 am

No way can we trust Kwesi with that much draft capital.

FloridaSKOL
2 December 2025 8:46 am

Good morning, SKOL!

FTP!

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  FloridaSKOL
2 December 2025 9:43 am

Rec for FTP and good morning.

SoCalMinnFan
SoCalMinnFan
Reply to  FloridaSKOL
2 December 2025 9:54 am

FTP Auto Rec.

JRobert
JRobert
2 December 2025 7:36 am

There’s always a silver lining.
We’re only three games out of next to last place in the division.

FloridaSKOL
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 8:45 am

MT Viking
Reply to  JRobert
2 December 2025 9:32 am

We’re that close!

JacksonVike
Reply to  MT Viking
2 December 2025 9:40 am

VikingPhilip
2 December 2025 7:30 am

comment image

VikingPhilip
2 December 2025 7:30 am

comment image

No longer New Vikings Fan
Reply to  VikingPhilip
2 December 2025 9:44 am

Rec for first!

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Surly Viking

Surly Viking

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