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Vikings @ Rams
What an abysmal showing by the Minnesota Vikings offense last night. If you’re gonna play like that, you might as well not bother showing up. I wish they would’ve told me they were gonna just take a big dump on the field, I wouldn’t have wasted 3+ hours of my life watching them do it. They basically performed the same way they performed against the Lions last week, they even finished with 9 points just like they did against the Lions. Darnold couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with the broad side of a barn. He was indecisive, inaccurate, and looked completely lost. The last two weeks, he looked just like he looked when he played for the Jets and the Panthers. At least he ended all the talk about what the Vikings might do at quarterback next year. Heal up, JJ McCarthy, we can’t wait to see you.
That being said, I’m still excited for the future of this team, as they have a solid nucleus of talent, a talented head coach who will continue to improve, and most of all, the best fan base on the planet. For now, the season is over for the Vikings and we can begin looking to off-season moves, the draft, and building next year’s juggernaut with all that cap space they’re going to have to play with. I’m excited for the future, and I’m still pissed about last night’s abysmal performance. SKOL!
Vikings News
From Vikings.com, you can see full highlights from last night’s game, but I’m not sure why you’d want to. They should call them lowlights.
NFL News
See all the NFL scores and highlights from the wild card weekend, from CBS Sports.
Mike McCarthy is out as Dallas’ head coach, from CBS Sports.
According to NFL.com, Deion Sanders and the Cowboys are interested in Deion being Dallas’ new head coach.
Media Selection
It seems like a good time for Primus. Enjoy!
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After a long day at work, my Viking indifference is kicking in. I’m sure they will suck me back in, but for now, I don’t care.
Apathy is somewhere on the path to healing.
Or is that acceptance?
So, in three of the games this past weekend, the losing teams QB was very, very bad. QB’s like for instance, Jordan Love.
Love threw three interceptions, took two sacks and averaged only 6.4 yards per attempt. His 41.5 passer rating was befitting of the overall performance from the Packers passing game. Only once — on a 29-yard contested catch by Dontayvion Wicks against a blitz — did the Packers hit on a shot down the field. The rest was all underneath completions. Love undershot a go ball to Wicks on his first interception, and he didn’t see Zack Baun on his second. Love wasn’t good enough individually and wasn’t the elevator his team needed him to be in a big spot.
Just saying, Sam was not alone this past weekend. Herbert was terrible too.
Ohhhh thanks.
That make it all better.
Welcome
Been trying to combine adages about “Bridge QBs” and “burning bridges” to come up with something funny.
Someone do better than me.
Like a (burning) bridge, over troubled waters, Sam just let us down…
I got nothing… sorry. Plainly I’m not up to the task.
As Ms Kathy alluded too below.
“Sometimes it is better to have your Bridge QB burn down before you sign them to a huge contract’.
It is a work in progress.
I’m glad sam burned the bridge before Kwesi crossed it
Agreed.
‘Better to burned and pass than to sign and regret it’.
Time to pass the baton to JJ. Like i said, shore up line play to help him. I like Sam for what he did this year but not long term. IMO. JJ did look good in that preseason game. Not much of a barometer but i’ll roll with it.
I have about a 35 year old former co-worker who is a Vikings fan.
Here was our text exchange before kickoff.
Friend: How you feeling brother?
Me: I can’t be positive with decades of disappointment. But we will see.
Friend: What’s your true thoughts about tonight?
Me: They gonna lose. Too big of moment for Darnold.
Friend: Wow. you’re really negative. We won with Keenum with a much worse team.
Me: Darnold sucked last week. Over threw everybody. Even bigger game tonight.
Friend: I believe our team comes out with plenty of life. They believe in each other and love their coach. Darnold knows what’s at stake. He has a lot to play for.
Me: Until he does it, I’m not assuming he does it. Call me a doomer.
3rd Quarter…
Friend: Darnold is blowing it.
Me: Ya think?
Me: See what I mean about the Vikings? I never let myself get overhyped.
Friend: I didn’t come in hyped.
Moral of the story….
Don’t let younger Vikings fans get you overly excited about the Vikings.
My secret hope was moving it to Arizona would help Darnold. He didn’t have to deal with the expectations of a home game or the hostility of a road game. He could just go play.
Narrator: He couldn’t just go play…
Very sorry guys, that was truly awful. Have to confess that I’m relieved Sam regressed to the mean before the Vikings gave him a mega fully guaranteed contract.
Can’t stop thinking about the Rams resting their starters for game 18, while the Vikings and Lions beat each other up in play your guts out game 18. I hate the 18 game season, hate the travel abroad games, and especially hate the play 3 games in 11 days.
Hey Kathy, agree with you across the board. I was very happy with Darnold this season. I was pleasantly surprised, and as the season wore on, he seemed to pass every test satisfactorily. Then these last two games he just fell apart. Don’t know why.
Who can fully understand anyone’s psychological and mental makeup. This has been his history in the NFL though. Plays well for a while, but “sees ghosts” if he’s continually under seige by defenders. Did his awful experience with the terrible Jets cause flashbacks to that or is there some other underlying cause? Who knows.
Indeed… he went from capable to incompetent very quickly.
3 games ago, some drunk idiot said something to the tune of “….we keep Darnold…there’s no debate about it.”
What do the kids say……That didn’t age well…………………….
I got no excuse, as I made essentially the same statement, only sober as a judge.
When’s the last time the Vikings have had a good IOL?
I would definitely like to see an upgrade there, but I think they need a stud DT more. Need somebody who can get consistent pressure up the middle.
Can’t remember.
under Chili
JJ loves fatties?
The more the cushin…..
I have never seen his girlfriend, but I bet she isn’t a fatty.
they look like they are 15
The older you get, they all start looking like they are 15.
We recently hit the point where we hired somebody who wasn’t even born when I graduated high school. That one hurt.
The ones that hit me personally are the 60 year olds with advanced cancer. I used to say, oh no widely metastatic colon cancer…well they are 60 so hopefully they had a good life. Now I say, only 60 with widely metastatic colon cancer. Man, that sucks.
Wow, his girlfriend is pretty tiny. He can hold her in one arm…
Now THAT’S funny…
Thought he lost his right arm for a second, that’d been troublesome.
They look like they belong on Outer Banks.
hawt
he is cute…
Love is Love.
The Lab I mean…
Yes, a bit of a strange post.
didn’t he post this when he tore his MCL or whatever he tore?
Maybe, but he posted it last night too.
Another question. And I admit I have my biases and one is that KOC is a great coach.
And Sam deserves a lot of the criticism he has received. Oline seems to have gotten off a bit lightly given their performance.
But – simply put did KOC (and Flo) get out coached?
Yes
2 weeks in a row
There are two types of coordinators in the NFL. The first runs their scheme against every opponent with little change, week to week. The second changes their scheme somewhat each week to suite the opponent. I think KOC is the first type of coordinator. he thinks he can beat any team, with any defense, with his scheme. This is just my opinion and perspective of course. Flores changes his defense up a lot week to week, but he likes to bring pressure as a standard. Unfortunately we didn’t get much pressure on Stafford last night.
Were we outcoached? I’d say yes, by a wide margin on both sides of the ball.
We had coaches in last night’s game?
I lean more towards outplayed.
Yes, we were outcoached.
much more outplayed
One more question: How does Greuger-Hill or whatever miss that punt block? That would have been a game-changer. Just terrible awareness. He somehow got through so clean he like over-dove the block. So dumb.
I don’t know… he’s running at a full sprint and dives at a spot in front of the punter to try and block the ball. As I watched it last night, I thought he executed perfectly. No idea how he missed it.
He missed it because Vikings.
Laughing… well there is that, Bow.
‘dives at a spot in front of the punter’
He did not aim ‘in front’ of the punter he aimed to side as to avoid the ‘roughing the kicker’ call if he missed the ball.
Part of the problem, caused the miss but saved us from the penalty.
I probably should have written that differently. Special teams coaches teach guys to pick a spot in front of the punter to rush towards, that will let them dive to where the ball should be. It’s not an exact science of course. I thought our guy was in great position, and I couldn’t believe he somehow missed the ball.
The reversal on Stafford’s obvious weak grounding attempt (lucky that a WR was right there) and then that missed punt block sealed the deal. The Vikes were gone from there. Needed momentum and a game-changing play, and both sucked the life out.
That’s exactly how I felt.
Is this an indication of KOC ready to move on from Sam?
“It did not work out in the end,” O’Connell said after praising Darnold’s work to get his team to 14 wins this season. “I think Sam would be the first one to tell you, could he have played better tonight? I’m sure he would tell you he could have. Could I have coached better? I’m positive I could have.”
The author seems to think so, at this point I hope he is right.
https://thevikingage.com/kevin-oconnell-reveals-sam-darnold-vikings-fate-playoff-disaster
To each his own, but I wouldn’t put two cents into a coach’s, or a player’s for that matter, comments minutes after a huge and disappointing loss.
The ‘it did not work out in the end’ comment could have referred to the game or the season.
Just concerned that KOC still sees Sam as a ‘work in progress’ that he can fix.
Looking at the 8 remaining Starting QB’s. I realize the Vikings have not had that kind of talent in a very, very long time.
I hope JJ is in the category. The remaining QBs are all very good in some way. I would say Hurts is probably my least favorite of the bunch.
They have all shown the ability to handle pressure, and still be accurate.
Hegseth’s confirmation hearing has been a clown show by the Dem’s. Insane.
This confirmation process needs to be changed. If Senators are going to act like complete assholes there needs to be consequences for that type of behavior and it needs to be very severe.
Otherwise, do away with the process completely!
Laughable… what a dolt. To think she ran for President.
Don’t you go besmirching a respected member of the indigenous community.
OK, I’ll reprimand myself severely for that transgression, and feel bad about myself for a month.
Don’t forget to update your pronouns and post a rainbow flag as penance.
You have this down to a science, Bow.
She’s native American. Show some GD respect.
Isn’t it a “First Nations Person” now?
Could be, i can’t keep up with the wokes. (thank GOD)
BTW, I much prefer the “first” moniker to the “native” moniker. First Canadians were the first in Canada, but were not native to Canada.
Go Redskins!
I don’t care much but that does remind me of something that drives me bonkers. All the people that want to save the “wild horses”. They are NOT wild horses. They are FERAL horses and should be treated as such. They are not native to this country and deserve zero protection or tax payer dollars. Rant over.
I loved his response, got a chuckle out of the room too.
Hilarious… how many pushups can you do? Dumber than dirt.
Hey, that’s our Senator.
I think he was making a counter point to the character assassination attempts by the Dems.
Damn right he was. And a guy who understands the real needs of the actual war fighters and where they come from. And it’s not about the hot air crowd in DC.
And although they would never mention it, the “elitists” out there really look down there noses at the ordinary masses.
Sorry Bow, I didn’t watch the clip before responding. He was indeed showing support for Hegseth.
BTW, depending on the manufacturer, typically our night vision devices are powered by one or two CR123A batteries.
I could have guessed that, but that was a pretty random question to ask.
Sheehy is a Republican and former Former Seal.
Don’t confuse him with Pocohontus.
Helped us finally get rid of the flat top phony.
Thank goodness.
5 sets of 47? Why not a round number? Guy is a psycho!
4 plus 7 add up to 11 which is a lucky number. Makes perfect sense.
I’m not going full Lifer, but I may not watch a single game next year. I promised myself not to by into any hype if we went on a run, but like an addict, I took the bait. It may be easier to just go cold turkey.
I will come around here to keep everyone on their toes.
I have felt the same almost every year. Kirko in 2018 cured me from high expectations.
I will be all in when JJ is healthy and looks good. The year will still end in disaster.
In 2018, Cousins was top 10 in the league in passing yards and TD’s and was third in completion percentage with a 70.1% rate. His passer rating was just shy of 100 for the year. THAT disappointed you? All that with a coach who hated him, and an OC that got fired before the end of the season, but it was Cousins who made you feel bad about the team?
Surly, you jest…
His KDS and Viking fan PTSD has flared up today.
Only thing KDS stands for is Kirk Defense Syndrome. There is no other ailment but reality.
Wanna bet? You’re so full of KDS it’s laughable son.
Same here, despite promising myself the exact same thing. I’m not going to stay up or pull all nighters to be able to watch the Vikings next season, just not worth the time and the loss of sleep. They still are the same old Vikings, seems to be in their DNA.
For those of you interested in current events.
The Senate Confirmation Hearings for Cabinet Positions are both a joke and an absolute tragedy.
I’m pretty sure the founders never ever imagined ‘advise and consent’ would evolve into this shit show. This is a disgrace!
I am listening to the Hegseth one at work…What a circus.
Very clearly biased with no intention to understand the truth, only to smear a candidate one doesn’t like. Constantly interrupting their attempted answer indeed makes it a circus and not a real hearing.
Those D votes do not count anyway.
Let them rant and let the vote take place so he can do the job.
Yeah, the Dems have absolutely no couth. No decorum, no sense of civility, not an ounce of professionalism, and clearly no clue. This is just a character assassination board.
So why in the hell isn’t the Republican Senator who is running the meeting doing something about it. Start putting those asses in their places.
Because they’re pussy’s.
I tried to watch the Hegseth one, but had to turn it off. That guy who kept berating him for “violating his oath” by cheating on his wife. I don’t condone cheating, but how many of the Dems have done the same.
How about that President who had sex with his intern in the Oval office?
not so not so … if you define sex as consensual penetrative vaginal intercourse.
One of the Republicans pointed that out and asked how many of them would ask their colleagues to step down when they showed up for a late night vote after a couple drinks or cheated on their wives.
Thanks for that, must have been after I checked out.
I was born a Viking.
Literally….. Vikes beat Detroit 17-7 @ Met Stadium on November 5, 1978. I was born later that evening. My parents watched the game in the Windom Hospital while my mother was in labor.
The first Vikings game I remember? November 1, 1987. Day after my Grandfather died. Vikes lost to Seattle in the Kingdome. Watched that with family as we wrote Grandpa’s obituary.
That was the strike-shortened season of 1987 – Vikes would go on to win 4 straight on their way to the playoffs, capped by a 44-38 OT win in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day. Highlight was Joey Browner dragging Mike Renfro out of the end zone and dropping him on his head. That game cemented my love for this team.
Demolished FT* in their first ever playoff game. Anthony Carter outplayed Jerry Rice a week later and Minny stunned San Francisco. Then heartbreak a week later….. but I was hooked. Still am.
Each meaningful Vikings season of my lifetime has ended the same way – with a crushing loss. This was no different.
I’m bummed but over it. Looking forward to next season. The future is bright IMO. And all we’ve ever had as Vikings fans is the future.
SKOL
🔨🔨🔨
If the scab games had not counted, the redskins would have travelled to the dome for that NFCCG. Could have been a much different outcome.
I still remember Wade Wilson and that awesome SF game.
Good times.
SKOL!
Joe Biden cares.
Is this enough for what, maybe 3 nights in a hotel???
Blue State economics. Red State hurricane victims were provided no help, and in fact FEMA directed its workers to avoid “Trump” areas.
Now what folks are getting is a pittance, for sure, but our corrupt leadership is hugely partisan when it comes to “help”.
That was merely a safety precaution. Those people crazy enough to have a Trump flag are dangerous.
Laughing… good call Bow.
It was almost all on him too, held the ball like a moron with open receivers
Or do what Stafford did for pete’s sake – just a little wrist flick towards someone and call it “receiver in the area”. I kid – we all know they would not allow that for the Vikings…. But seriously, throw it away if you hold it for 5 seconds and nobody appears to be open (someone is, but he can’t see them).
But seriously, with our “elite” WR talent, why weren’t they getting open?
So Darnold turned back into a pumpkin at the most important time of the year, Vikings need to move on.
I think they moved on by halftime last night and the lack of urgency in the second half was just KOC trying to get Sam’s locker cleaned out sooner.
lol, hopefully, he sucks
To think a few short weeks ago I was beating the drum he was our QBOTF. Oh the ignominy.
Thanks for a fun year Sam, but don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.
Exactly
At the end of the day, most here didn’t think the Vikings would even be close to the playoffs. I thought they’d have a shot (partially assuming JJ was going to play before the injury), but I never would have guessed 14 wins. It was a fun year and with the cap space they have coming, I think the trajectory is still up.
I mean, we could be Jets fans. No cap space, no QB, no hope for anything in the next couple years.
I didn’t expect 14 wins, but also, the first 14 win won and done ever is so Vikings
Deep down I was afraid that we’d get that record. And, of course, we did. Should have trusted my gut feeling. What I didn’t see coming were the 9 sacks, another typical record for the Vikings to “achieve”.
Yep.
Beaker 2.0
Worse.
*worser
Now that the should he stay or should he go debate seems to be settled, what are we supposed to talk about for the next 8 months?
Would guess there’s still a ‘fair’ chance he will be here next year.
KOC’s press conference sure seemed like he’s already moved on. Not to mention the look on his face last night looked to me like “God I can’t wait until JJ is healthy”. Bring Jones back as the backup. He’s at least won a playoff game and shown some modicum of talent. If KOC can’t get this year out of Sam, JJ and Jones are going to be great.
We have 24 unrestricted FA and a garbage O-line. Let someone else pay Sam to hold on to the ball. Seen enuf last 2 games.
Yep. I wonder if they bring back both Greenard and the Ginkster or do you trade one of them?
Why would they trade either? They were both stellar
Because they have Turner and no draft picks. I think it will depend on if Flo stays. If Flo goes then it will depend on what type of system they bring in. I really don’t want to see them try to switch to more of a 4-3 base now that they have built the 3-4.
you can never have enough pass rush so I don’t see them trading either, I don’t think Flo is going anywhere, he’ll her interviews because of the Rooney rule but with his lawsuit still pending he won’t get hired
I would lean towards them staying as well, but I think Kwesi is going to trade somebody that we don’t expect to get draft picks back. Addison? Hock?
I’d keep Van Ginkel. Period.
Keep them both. Good players, good guys, and need pass rush. Year 2 should be even better?
Need someone to push the interior backward. Also need multiple someones to push the interior forward on offense. (Our short yardage running game is embarrassing.)
Need a center and guard, Brandel was ok and should get better but the other two suck
KOC loves his QB’s and never wants to let them go.
…
QBotF? –> check
cap space? –> check
obvious need for OL –> check
Trump election –> check
draft (no picks) –> check
Maybe smoking recipes?
You forgot Underwear reviews.
MT still owes us one.
Oh man the ManMade ones are sublime.
I am a fan of True Classic. Out performing Duluth Trading co or Chillboys for comfort. Costs a bit less also.
I still like Cariloha as the most comfortable ever (the Bamboo ones) but they do not hold up as long
How JJ is going to lead the Vikings to the superb owl
NFCCG or SB in 2025? They’ll win one by 2027.
The years ending 7-9 are the years when we compete each decade, so it’s coming!
@yay@
Can the NFL shorten our season to 16 games?
Super Bowl homeboy
Haha. Cripes, the NFC North hasn’t had a team in the Super Bowl since 2011. Sad.
Me: The Oilers. They beat LA last night, despite the fire virtue signaling.
I’m not surprised that they lost, but having that likely be the last game that Harry plays sucks. He deserved better.
Agreed. Great Viking.
Sure looks like he is going to retire. Sucks we couldn’t get a championship for him. Hopefully, he would be willing to come back as a coach.
I agree. Someone that talented would be nice to have in the building.
What? Diving on the QB when he’s already on the ground? Kelly Stafford would have been out there with her sick kids yelling at the refs if that happened to Matt.
The Viking player doing it would have been banned for life.
We don’t get calls like this. Don’t know what the team would have to do to get such calls.
That being said I felt Jets got his fair share of DPI penalties this season that were iffy. Was glad they let them play last night, I believe there were no DPI penalties.
Nothing too egregious from what I remember, but I stopped paying close attention pretty soon.
JJ is going to bring a whole new group of teenage girls to the NFL.
Just what we need in a QB.
Worked great for the Jaguars, with Lawrence.
I never met anybody who became a Jags fan because of him. I do however have friends who’s daughters are Vikings fans now because of JJ. Most notably one of my friends who is a Packer fan. Drives him nuts that his daughter is now a Vikings fan.
Move to Florida, you’ll find an few.
Indeed. When Lawrence was drafted, Jacksonville blew up with adoring fans. Tickets sales and merchandise sales went through the roof.
OK, the difference is that JJ is going to also be a winner.
You obviously never saw Five label Lawrence as the young GOAT.
All the time, but he’s from Colorado so I took it with a grain of salt. I think he went to the shops downtown too often.
If JJ will be as good as we all hope he should eventually get “specially protected QB” status with the NFL. Hopefully. Unless Vikings QB are excluded in general… not even Favre was safe when he rocked a Vikings uni.
Give him help on line, take advantage of rookie contract.
Lol. That’s perfect.
So he was pressured on 26 passes, and sacked 9 times. That’s 35 plays where the defense got to him. Sam attempted 40 passes last night. The Rams got pressure on him 26 times. When a QB is under pressure 65% of the time… yikes.
If you factor in the 9 sacks, that ends up tallying pressure on 35 of 49 dropbacks which ends up being a pressure rate of over 71%. That’s a tough way to play.
So Pressure Rate does not include plays that he was sacked?
Seems like a sack would indicated an extreme amount of pressure.
Yeah, the calculus on pressure rate is fuzzy math sometimes. The bottom line to me is, he dropped back 49 times, and the Rams got to him on 35 of those dropbacks. That is insane.
Perhaps this is correct, or not? when a QB is standing there 4.4 seconds and has not thrown it, Some folks running down the field aren’t getting open. Something is way off here.
Was Sam standing there unmolested for 4.4 seconds??? No. That number is totally bogus. He was running around a lot trying to avoid defenders. That time is included in those 4.4 seconds. Bad number there to be throwing around.
He also tries to run backwards when there is a pocket in front of him to slide up into. Seems like every single sack is for 12 yards.
He had success earlier in the season escaping posterolaterally, probably a combination of his DNA/playing style and the confidence he garnered getting away with that earlier.
Sam was pretty nifty in the pocket throughout the season. The Lions and Rams seemed to have figured his tendencies out and knew how to squeeze them.
Yeah, but that is a feel thing Bow. When I played, I escaped the pocket laterally for the most part. Whenever I tried to step up in the pocket, I got creamed. Lots of QB’s drop deeper and deeper under pressure in the NFL. If you don’t see a place to go in front of you, or feel it, you go backwards.
That said, Darnold is clearly not the best at dealing with pressure in the NFL. Absolutely.
I get it, but he seems to always go backwards. I noticed it halfway through the season. There would be room to slide up and sometimes even take off up the middle but he goes backwards and tries to spin. Every time.
4.4 seconds.
Most NFL QBs release the ball by 2.5 to 3.0 seconds.
The amount of time he held onto the ball made Kirk last year look like Brady.
That’s a misleading metric DE. Running for your life eats up time.
Numbers need to be in context.
There were plenty of times that he just stood there and you could see open receivers. Even Buck and Aikman got to the point of yelling at him to throw the ball mid play.
Plenty of times? I counted six.
Well that’s not what the analysts from this morning’s football shows were saying, or showing. They showed several plays against tight press coverage and our guys were not getting open.
Now, I’m sure there were some open. But we are suppose to have an elite receiving group and they should beat this type of coverage with ease.
Even on the live broadcast they showed a couple sacks that had Jones standing wide open for a dump off. Not that Sam could even hit a screen pass last night, but still better than running backwards 7 yards.
Itg seems all QB’s are different. Cousins always stepped up in the pocket under pressure and caught shit for that. Darnold goes deeper and then tries to run sideways.
Still think our playmakers needed to beat tight coverage better.
Not my role to argue your viewpoint, of course Darnold had warts last night and all, (he is no Mahomes but entertained the heck out of me for a $10M rental) but the Vikings got beaten in all facets of the game, heck even their punter was dropping dimes inside the 10 yard line. JJ may or may not turn out to be a better QB but even a great QB would have struggled with the pressure and play calls and complete lack of a running game.
Can’t blame the refs, can’t blame crowd noise, this is squarely on the quality of the roster and the coaches.
Out of 24 pressures he had more than 2.5 on 13.
More than 2.5 seconds total time on 24 pressures? That’s the norm. When you’re under pressure, you’re moving around trying to avoid it, which of course increases the time to throw. That time to throw stat is one of the most misleading stats in all of sports IMO. It implies that the QB had a lot of time to throw, but that’s completely wrong. It’s the time from when the QB takes the snap to when he throws the ball. What he’s doing in that time, like running for his life, is not considered. It’s a raw, arbitrary, out of context number. It’s not worthwhile in any regard.
Yet Sam’s average TTT is still longer than some scrambling QBs.
We all know that KOC’s scheme does not include a lot of quick throws. Mostly, the receivers are working routes downfield, making multiple moves. All the scrambling QB’s are near the top of the list in pocket time. Sam’s average time in the pocket before throwing or pressure is 2.6 seconds. There are a few with 2.5 seconds, and 25 QB’s with 2.4 seconds.
I agree with you the play call makes a diference. Our o-line does not allow for a double move so maybe that’s on coaching. Can’t see entire field on tv so i can only speculate.
I will take Tommy Kramer’s word for it.
That’s all narrative and blather. Yes, 2.5 seconds is the “standard” but there are many play action calls that take much longer, especially on the deep ball. The play call, the progressions and reads, pressure avoidance, etc all factor in to how much time a QB has.
Way too much.
Not even worth that. 20M/year tops IMO. He’ll get more, but waste of money.
I guess if you were a QB desperate team you could get Sam for that and spin to your fanbase that he is an upgrade over nothing.
I think he’ll get 28-30/year for one of those teams. Will be worse than this year and they’ll regret it. But maybe better than what they have.
No matter the amount of money, I will be disappointed if the Vikings sign Sam.
I’m ready for some hope. JJ will have growing pains, but I’ll watch with hope that it’s building to something.
I agree. Please no. Also Aaron Jones is a super nice guy but let someone else pay him.
Yeah I would like a rookie late round bowling ball of a RB thats cheap and has some pop.
My NFC Rooting interests are now
For the AFC
Swap Houston and Chiefs, a 3 peet would not be cool, at all. No one who cucks for Phizer should be involved in NFL history that way imo.
Meh.
I like watching good QB play. Mahomes has been one of the best.
I hated Michael Jordan but enjoyed watching him play.
I can respect that stance, but also disagree with it ha
What’s a Phizer cuck?
Him and his family shilled for them and did those all too common propaganda commercials for the COVID vax.
Oh no, the horror. However, I wasn’t sure what you meant as I guess I never saw Travis in a Pfizer ad. Then again, I usually ff through the ads.
Well, as a doctor you are obviously also simply a shill for the pharmaceutical companies too.
I guessed 34-17 Rams winning yesterday, and told my friends the same. I was not far off. If the stupid state of MN would allow gambling, easiest money ever. Maybe they don’t want us all to be rich…
Welp, that made the QB decision A LOT easier for the front office this off season. By Sam, thanks for the magical, and cheap run, I had more fun watching the Vikes this season then the 6 years before so that was nice. Excited to see what Kwesi does with cap space now, future is bright. Let build our trenches, get a healthy, young, cheap RB, draft some corners. And were off to the races in 2025.
Agreed. Next season may be better, and it probably will end with the same disappointment. However, the team is out from Salary-Cap hell and can afford to build a strong interior line on both sides of the ball.
Problem with the draft part of your statement is how limited we are for the 2025 draft.
We will be picking up a few more with comp picks/trades. In fact I will bet right now they trade out of the first for a decent haul.
I was perplexed in the 4th quarter, it was clearly noticeable (and of course Buck and Aikman waxed poetic about it) that the Vikings were taking their sweet time in bringing in offensive plays, running the ball, almost like they were clocking out. Ironically I was fine with them surrendering by that point as there was no way we were scoring 18 points. Yet when we gave the ball to the Rams the coach used the last two time outs to prolong the agony. That was a BAD look to me…no urgency to score on offense but let’s pretend we have a chance when the defense is on the field.
You were still watching in the 4th Quarter?
What are you a Masochist?
I had game off by then but the game thread with NLNFVs play by play doom march on in another page in case something changed.
Funny thing, I normally watch the game in my office, but the remote wasn’t working (I may have “accidentally” damaged it during the Detroit game), so I had no way to open the streaming app etc. My wife offered to let me use the “main” TV if I rubbed her feet. So I made the best of a bad lie and at least got some brownie points, when I said to her after 5 minutes of the 4th quarter that we could watch something else she said, no that’s okay and you should stick with them, you’ve always watched the entire game even when they got dismantled in the NFCCG etc…
If I had been in the office I would have likely bailed.
Honestly with five minutes in the game I would have been happy to see the Vikings kneel. No sense in risking injury by that point.
We surrendered. We went through the motions to end the game. Tried to make some plays, but the will was gone. That was from the head coach down. It was a bad look, but it was the reality being accepted by the competitors.
Infuriating. Slap to the face of fans IMO.
HUN made an interesting thought/question below – how do you win 14 games in regular season and then shit the bed like last two weeks.
Here’s a reason. We lost to the Lions and then the Rams. Then we played and beat the Colts, Jax, Tenn, Bears, Arizona, Atlanta, Chicago and then GB. Other than GB which usually finds a way to beat themselves, That is hardly Murderer’s Row of competition and you can beat those teams playing with less than good play.
The playoffs, you are facing a different level of competition.
Definitely a goodpoint JR.
I think Troy Aikman had a comment, last night: “I guess winning 14 games doesn’t mean anything, anymore.”
Good point. We did win a lot, but we didn’t play quality opponents in those games. When we met playoff quality teams, we crumbled. It’s clear that the Vikings are nowhere near being contenders at this point in time. Guess we’ll have to find out if Queasy and KOC are able to build a SB worthy team.
We almost beat Detroit the first time, losing on a last second FG.
We lost a close game on the road to the Rams the first time, on a Thursday night.
Everyone here said we’d lose the first five games because the competition was too good. Now people are saying we beat no one.
We were a good team that could have won each of the last two games but our QB pooped the bed.
More truth than the ‘We did play anyone’ crowd would have us believe.
Rec for you.
I was merely answering an earlier question and suggesting a reason of how we might look so good winning 14 games and then looking so bad.
That said, winning close and losing close nor what a team did ‘early’ in the season aren’t always the best harbingers of what may happen come playoff time.
Very true. Sadly also proven in KOC’s two playoff years.
Sam’s stepping up to pressure is worse than Kirk’s IMO. Big ol’ yikes.
Yep. Only saving grace for Sam is the cost. Low budget rental, and outperformed his contract until the last two games.
Time to move on.
Look at these fine outstanding people protesting the Hegseth Hearings.
Wouldn’t you like to go to war with that crowd?
China and Putin sure do.
OK, why are people like that, allowed into a serious set of hearings? Who let’s a circus like that go on, while we’re selecting the Nation’s Secretary of Defense? Our politicians are ridiculous in the extreme to allow the dignity of the proceedings to be so embellished like this.
Looks similarly to the crowd that protested US Bank Stadium.
Do we get comp picks this season for guys that leave or is it next season?
I suspect we might not get many though because I assume we’ll be going after FAs.
It will be for 2025.
It’s a netting process.
FA leaving, minus FA signed.
We will get 2026 picks for people who leave this offseason.
Ok. Yeah.
I guess I misunderstood MP’s question.
We will get 2025 comp picks for free agents that happened in 2024.
You both have answered it. Thanks!
The Vikings should get a comp pick for Khyree.
Should but won’t.
It is a slippery slope.
Died, yes get comp pick.
Killed someone (DUI) get pick?
Addicted so can’t play? Get pick?
Sent to jail for felony? Rape? Domestic Abuse? Get pick?
Changed your gender? Get Pick?
The woke NFL would have issues with that.
So, I need to watch the all 22 to make my final assessment of Sam’s play last night, but part of me is like “so what”? Game is over, season is over, and now it’s clean out your locker and go home. This past weekend though, we saw a lot of bad QB play on the losing teams side, with the exception of the Redskins/Bucs game. Herbert had a horrible day, and he had played well all season. Maybe if I watch the all 22, I’ll see some things to caveat Sam’s performance, but really, at the moment, it looks like he just finally hit the wall the last two weeks, and it all came crashing down.
Maybe you should and Would be interested in. what you find.
Noticed Stafford was getting the ball, three steps, and throw. But, he had open receivers that quickly. Maybe a defensive question there, but that is another matter.
Now, when Same hits the third step, did we have OPEN receivers to throw to?
This is the factor I want to review JR. This seems to be a consistent issue with KOC’s passing offense. Every QB seems to hit their back foot, and hold the ball, looking downfield. In my past reviews, I’ve seen receivers running routes and were not open, or looking for the ball, giving the QB nowhere to go. No ability to check the ball down either on many plays.
I do think Sam succumbed mentally to the big game pressure, as well as the actual defensive pressure, but there may be more to it than that.
The dude missed like 20 screen passes. Sam shit the bed and made the decision to move on to JJ much easier.
honestly, the whole team seemed to hit the wall and come crashing down.
the Oline finally crumbled.
the Dline finally crumbled.
the Secondary finally crumbled (that were really not that good the entire season)
our tackling was blah.
we got outcoached in the last 2 games SIGNIFICANTLY
not to mention sam darnold being poopy
KOC’s mantra of “be at your best, when your best is required” and “be situational masters” are nice thoughts, but it requires players and coaches to actually live up to all that when the heat is on.
I feel like all that rhetoric just amounts to a lot of empty words in the end. Championship teams have an edge to them, a core self belief. KOC talks a good game, but it’s all just hot air till you prove you have what it takes to come out on top “when your best is required”.
We have won a lot of close games, come from behind, closed and finished well, etc this season. These are good things, and indicators we have something going on that we can build on. But, when our best was required, we absolutely shit the bed across the board. That shows, we have a big hole in our team.
Yup, something is missing. I don’t know what it is, multiple reasons most likely, but how do you win 14 games in the regular season and shit the bed that badly twice when it matters most?
That’s why I’m losing faith in KOC and the coaching staff. Team looked flat and deflated the last two games, the offense especially. How can that be? I’m sure it’s not just on the QB, though Sam did look atrocious the last two weeks.
THAT is the question I want posed to KOC directly, on camera. I want a journalist who will ask him a salient, direct question like that. “So coach, exactly why does this team shit the bed when their best is required?”
See comment above.
Would be very interesting to see what his answer would be to such a question.
Remember we won most of those games by just a couple – few points. Also had a ton of defensive takeaways. Not sustainable against playoff caliber teams. Oh and once again we let the opponent score to end the half and then put up a three and out approximation to start the second half.
Yup, all good points. I once again made the mistake of buying into this team too much. They have been fool’s gold, once again.
I, too, have a short leash for putting KOC on the hot seat. Makes hay while the sun shines but can’t win when the going gets tough.
Yes, and that has me worried for the future of this team. It’s nice – and of course necessary – to win in the regular season, but if you can’t do it in the playoffs… not good.
Remember the Washington Capitols? For years they dominated in the regular season, then got bounced in the first round of the playoffs. Finally won the Cup, but it was so hard to watch them for a LONG time.
At first I thought you were going to talk about the Washington Generals until you said dominated, then I realized you were going in a different direction comparison-wise.
Oh man, does that bring back memories. I was able to see the the Globetrotters play the Generals live, several times in my youth.
The Vikings (players and coaches) are mentally weak. I’ve said it for years. I don’t know if it’s a culture thing or what, but they just can’t step up like other teams do when it matters. Not worth wasting time with.
They do seem to be mentally weak. Not buying in again until they win a NFCCG and make it to a SB.
You bought in on a rebuilding year with a QB rental, thats on you haha.I for one feel just fine.
Yup, it is on me. That’s why I’m going to significantly reduce the time I spend on the Vikings.
‘I’m going to significantly reduce the time I spend on the Vikings’
I hope that does not include time with us here.
Most definitely not. I’ll hang out here as often as possible.
Unfortunately, even if they don’t shoot themselves in the foot, it may not be in the NFL script for them to win a SB even if they make it there. So it’s even hard to buy in then, IMO. Hard to relive 2009’s bullshit-fest.
We may be the very last team to win a Superbowl. League just seems to hate us.
There are teams that do not even exist yet that have better Super Bowl odds than the Vikings.
LOL, probably.
All teams need that QB to vault the team from maybe-good to contenders.
Goff has been playing great.
Allen is uber-talented.
Mahomes is unworldly clutch.
Stafford has done it before and is matched with an offensive genius coach.
Lamar is also uber-talented.
Jayden may be the next one.
Hurts is two-dimensional and tough to stop, especially paired with that OL.
Stroud may be developing, but I suspect they’ll be done this next round.
Until proven otherwise, I will believe that JJ McCarthy is that next guy because of proven past leadership and clutchness.
JJ was pretty clutch last year in the playoffs.
Wasn’t required to be often but was when he needed to be in high pressure games.
Stafford wasn’t successful till he left the Lions. He played at a high level on a bad team. Good QB’s on good teams, do great. The QB doesn’t carry a team. Allen hasn’t won shit. Goff has a strong team around him the last two years, (best O-line in the league, strong running game) and he is doing great now. Lamar is uber talented, but hasn’t done shit yet either.
The QB must be strong, and talented, or the team has no chance to contend, but they don’t win shit without the other 52 guys on the team.
Minnesota nice is a thing.
“Poor LA. Wildfires. We can’t beat them up.”
correct. Well said.
Again, not a big believer in KOC and his tendency to make poor decisions in big spots. Can he win 14 games in a season? Sure, he’s done it. Can he win when the spotlight is big? It doesn’t seem so. He’s the coach version of Kirk Cousins. I said it.
Could be true, and that would be tragic for the foreseeable future of the Vikings. They’d waste a few seasons at least that way, looking good in the regular season and bring one and done in the playoffs. Let’s hope KOC evolves, not holding my breath though.
Well, except for the fact that if you looked at Kirk’s actual performance in “big” games, he was statistically better in them than his norm (which was very good). There is a false narrative that Cousins “shrank” in big games. Not true. On average he was better in them.
Oh, I know – I’m just using the logic of the haters of KC (most people here, it seems).
Laughing… well you’re right there.
What did the all 22 show you after the Loins loss?
I expect them to be similar.
I didn’t watch it. Was too depressed.
Guess you could watch and compare the two of them now.
See if the same thing happened.
Once your recovery is complete of course.
I will.
Need interior line upgrades on both sides of the ball.
Until that happens, this team will fail in the playoffs.
Next year should be entertaining, since JJ is starting if his leg does not fall off.
I’m going to respectively disagree a little bit, for this reason.
Darnold holds the ball for 4 seconds. If he can have that much time, it isn’t on the OL.
Granted the OL isn’t great, and it should be upgraded.
A QB needs to get rid of the ball at 2.5 seconds. If a QB can’t consistently get rid of the ball by 3 seconds, he is not a very good NFL QB.
Holding the ball while being pressured, resulting in 4 or 5 seconds of “time” isn’t a fair, or credible measure. Sometimes these kinds of metrics out of context bug me. That said, Sam clearly couldn’t pull the trigger at times last night and that is an undeniable fact.
Did we have open receivers and Sam didn’t throw it?
Think there is more to this than Sam just holding the ball too long.
Yes, this is the reality, and we need good data to base our perspective on.
Was just watching some analysis of our offense from last night. They were playing tight press coverage with a safety over on JJ. And our guys couldn’t get open.
In my game reviews over the last three seasons, I have seen that as a recurring theme. The QB has been forced to make spectacular throws, and receivers make spectacular catches, far too often to make the offense go.
Part of that is play design. You guys know I’ve been saying it for a while now. Long crossers instead of slants. Long comeback routes instead of quick, easy hooks in the zones.
I’m sure there were guys open, but KOC has to scheme better. Quick passes for 6 or 7 yards are just fine and can open up the deep passes.
Also need more bootlegs. Everything this year was out of the shotgun.
No question the long play development is part of it.
But if KOC thinks his QB will have 4 seconds plus on every play, he is crazy.
Exactly. Especially with the interior OL.
Another reason I think he isn’t the savior everyone proclaims him to be. Barely better than average coach IMO.
I agree with your position on this. I have looked at the all 22 of the games throughout KOC’s tenure, and his play calling and play design aren’t always up to snuff. That said, no OC gets it right on every play, all the time. I do hate the fact that we basically don’t run timing routes, or slants at all. KOC gives his receivers “the freedom” to run their routes with multiple options (his actual words). Everyone claims that Sam knows exactly where his receivers will be on any given play, but if the receivers have options on their routes, even THEY don’t know where they are going to be on any given play, until it’s underway.
I am not defending Sam at all.
Sam needed to throw the ball away vs taking 9 sacks.
I am hopeful (hope is all we have as Vikings fans) that JJ is not as bad when pressured. That is all.
Well, McCarthy has had a front row seat on what NOT to do when pressured the last two games. Should have a clear, definitive understanding of that.
JJ will need better protection and better play calling to be successful.
Not to mention NO panic button whenever he see ‘ghosts’.
Darnold was lost and has held the ball too long all season. Not fun to watch, not a recipe for success unless you’re Aaron Rodgers and your line can hold the entire time without consequence (and you know enough to throw the ball away).
As they say there are horses for courses.
The Lions and Rams are bad matchups for us. They have the horses to neutralize our strengths and exploit our weaknesses.
It was a fun season but ends the way we have all come accustomed to. On the bright side we did set some new NFL records. Most sacks allowed in a playoff game and the only team to win 14 games and lose in the wild card round.That’s so Vikings. Next year should be interesting. A lot of money to spend and JJ hopefully taking over as QB1.
I feel like a horrible father.
I got my kids SO EXCITED for the Vikings this year, we watched most of every game, i got them jerseys, we watched locker room speeches, hype videos, etc etc….
my son was DEVASTATED when they returned the fumble for a TD because he knew, and he’s only 8.
Once again, when the game matters most, the Vikings, per usual, were completely GUTLESS. it’s getting old.
It is indeed getting old. That loss yesterday was a real punch to the gut for me as well. I’ve decided to not stay up late for Vikings games next season, it’s just not worth the effort.
i’m SO GLAD i went into the game telling myself and my kids “let’s just enjoy it, not get mad and we’ll see what happens”
i didn’t yell once. i didn’d get upset.
just sat there and was like wow.
Same here, pretty much. I kinda knew it was over when they took Cashman’s TD off the board with a very iffy reasoning. Was just suffering through the rest from there on out.
I’m still not angry, just very disappointed.
was it really a pass – yes. Was it intentional grounding – also yes
Yeah, but you know if that was the Vikings QB they leave “the call on the field” and say he just lost control. That was a “I’m important enough to convince you to change the call” moment. Just like the facemask later in the game that Stafford forced them to call without flag.
That later facemask was odd for sure, but at least it was a real facemask. I have to say that 4th and 15 personal foul call on the punt was a stretch, maybe a 5 yarder there but I didn’t see any intent behind the defender rolling into the punter after getting spun and shoved.
Oh, I agree with your punt comment – they were trying to equalize their BS call on Stafford’s fumble-that-wasn’t. Usually the NFL doesn’t make amends for any bad calls, but that was probably it.
But that arguing for a facemask for 2 minutes (after not throwing a flag) and then calling it is another big example of favoritism, especially after the Sam facemask safety debacle when it was the most obvious call in the world.
To be clear, I don’t think the refs costed the Vikings the game. But there were some….. interesting calls that you just know are gonna happen. I’m very surprised they overturned the Oliver fumble (though that was the right outcome).
Same. I got all my yells out last week in Detroit.
Better team and I think better coach won that game.
Not a rip on KOC, as he has done well with average QB play for all three seasons.
I think Campbell did a better coaching job by overcoming the injuries this season.
Same here. Last week wore me out. Last night, I was just meh.
…and so were the Vikings…
I yelled twice in the game: “No!” when they “reviewed” Stafford’s obvious grounding attempt and called it incomplete, and once when I turned the game back on in the 4th quarter and Sam took a sack instead of trying to make a play when down 18 points in the 4th quarter.
That’s tame for me. 🙂
Just like words up top, wish I had just not wasted time on the game.
Echo many of the sentiments here. Flores needs to go, if the defense doesn’t get home on blitz we get cooked. Interior OL needs to be gone today. Need a young RB built like a brick shithouse. Need to spread the ball around the receiving corps.
I almost feel I would be in a better frame of mind if we went my original prediction of 3-14. At least we would have a big draft pick in the first round to play with.
Now I want McCarthy to get warmed up nicely and start playing by midseason, go 3-14. Learn to throw the ball away by the count of 3.
This is the only way to remain a fan and not go crazy.
After the 2018 Kirko meltdown, I would just turn the tv off and do something else once the team looks like shit. Sure, I missed a few epic finishes, but were fun to watch on replay.
I realize that I am a fair weather fan, and that works for me.
JJ should be more fun to watch, but KOC needs to prove he is not the modern day Denny Green. Good during the regular season, shit in the playoffs.
That might be the way to do it, think I’ll become a fair weather fan as well going forward. Just can’t do it anymore otherwise.
Your overnight efforts have been truly amazing. I wish the Team would match your efforts.
Thank you, I had hoped that the team could live up to my (probably misguided) expectations for once. They once again did not, so I have to reconsider how much time I can spend to watch them play in the future.
It was a nice fumble six, though. A nice highlight if you are a Rams fan.
Speaking of which, I’m a Detroit fan for the remainder of the season. Gotta have one team from the NFC North make the SB, for once. Detroit and Buffalo would be a great game.
KOC has now been destroyed in two playoff games. Can he get it done?
I grit my teeth when I see his smirk of resignation, arms thrown in the air in exasperation, scowl of disappointment. Moments like your QB getting sacked a record number of times make me wish for a ass kicking fire breathing coach.
I remain confused by the QB situation in the NFL. In the CFL if your starting QB gets the yips you put in the other guy. In the NHL if your goalie gets the yips you put in the other guy. In the MLB if your pitcher gets the yips you yank him. But oh no in the NFL even when it is clear your QB is done (and I thought he was done the opening drive of the second half) you just can’t put in Mullens? Ridiculous.
There is a lot made of protecting the QB’s psyche by coaches these days. I remember when Tom Landry had issues with Roger Staubach’s play. He rode Staubach so hard he wanted to quit. In today’s NFL the coaches want to “reinforce” their QB’s self belief.
Just my thoughts.
We had that with Zimmer and look where that got us.
If they would have put in Mullens and came back, then what do you do next week? Gotta roll with the horse that got you there. That horse just turned back into a rat and cost himself about $100 million.
I am not disappointed, we were only 5 or 6 big plays from winning that game.
.
that period reminds me of my dad when he texts, if you don’t respond in HIS time frame, he will send a text with just a period and then another and then another
The disconcerting thing to me is not Darnold’s play (because he’ll be gone, right? Right??), it’s KOC’s inability to adjust his passing plan to the moment. 9 sacks! Maybe don’t call long crossing routes?
Oh well. Season was more enjoyable than expected. Hope JJ Mac can be ready and can stay healthy. Open up them purses, Wilfs! We need an OL!
Skol!
I want to watch the film to see if it was a play calling or just Darnold not pulling the trigger.
Agreed. Both. Sam sucked, play calling was bad, and the worst of all was the interior O line pretending to be professionals.
I can’t say the loss was unexpected because I picked the Rams over the Vikings in Pick ‘Em League. I hoped the Vikes wouldn’t completely roll over, though. Vikings should have been wearing purple LAFD shirts on the sideline. Big fail for their PR department. They were the bad guys from the beginning.
The difference between Stafford and Darnold was stark.
Stafford was one, two, three, throw. One, two, three, throw.
Darnold was one, two, three, wait, wait, scrabble, wild throw/sack. How much of that is him and how much is being KOC Blocked by the offense? These are the questions of inquiring minds. KOC needs to do some soul searching. He continues to come up small in big moments, as well.
Also, what is the point of a $35 million receiver if that is how we operate at gut check time?
Regardless, the Rams were the clearly superior team in all facets. They took our lunch and ate it in front of us.
Onto the JJ era!
Darnold missed 2 or 3 screen passes. BADLY
Darnold has no ability to throw quick passes and/or timing routes.
KOC has no ability to change the passing game to throw quick passes.
I can see Darnold back as the backup for $5 million.
Beyond that, eff it.
Time for Mock Drafts !!!!!!
Oh wait, we have 3 draft picks.
Nevermind.
Good point about the limited draft picks. Hadn’t thought about that. Darnold was a pleasant surprise to us this season, playing FAR better than folks were expecting. Unfortunately, he really seemed to collapse when the season came to a sizzling climax.
I mentioned yesterday prior to the game that I felt the Rams defense is much better than the Lions, and that it would be tough.
I did not think Sam Darnold would completely forget that throwing the ball away is an option.
It was fun to listen to the Manning cast, since it was less rage inducing. Belichick mentioned that the Vikings interior O line has been an issue all season, and they would have trouble with the Rams defense. Spot on.
If he can see it, and other coaches can see it, certainly it will be addressed in the offseason, right?
Thanks for a fun season Sam, and best of luck to you.
JJ/Jones/Rypien for the QB room.
Sign some beef that can move people.
Find a young and healthy RB1.
Win 8-10 games next year maybe, but have a better chance of making a playoff run if you can run the ball, and have a QB that will not panic as often.
It was a fun year for a “rebuilding” year. I wish JJ had not gotten injured so he could have played when Sam turned into the proverbial pumpkin.
Sam looked about as bad as Kirko last night. At least he was from the bargain bin. I am glad that neither will be wearing a Vikings jersey next season. The end of the season always sucks for Vikings fans. That is not changing.
Enjoy the long cold off season.
Skol
or