Vikings Fans

[AlohaStyle]

btw, I'm a diehard Viking fan. Never missed a game on TV since I moved away from MN 11 years ago. Flew to San Diego for the opener this year, Boston last year and a bunch of other road games other years. Nothing good happening this year so better to get a laugh at myself at least!?!

Originally Posted by AlohaStyle

btw, I'm a diehard Viking fan. Never missed a game on TV since I moved away from MN 11 years ago. Flew to San Diego for the opener this year, Boston last year and a bunch of other road games other years. Nothing good happening this year so better to get a laugh at myself at least!?!

Well, dang. This ruined one of only three chances this year to talk trash. Thought you were a redskins fan from your earlier post.

[AlohaStyle]

Actually this week showed we can't do anything right this year... the players played tough showing they won't give up, then Peterson goes down with a bad knee injury, Ponder gets hurt and we still win the game blowing our chance at the top pick!?!

[Gophernut]

Ugh. Peterson will have surgery next week, and the Vikings trainer says he could be ready by early next season. We ruin our draft pick options, lose Peterson, Ponder gets concussed, what next? Maybe Webb can beat the Bears this year...

It was starting to look like the vikes were going to give up another draft position but they've allowed CHI to come back. We should be solidly in the third place position for the draft.

[Mattso3000]

How can we not seriously look at Webb as a possible starting QB? This kid is just good.

Allen got the franchise record! The way it's going he should have the league record too.

Originally Posted by Mattso3000

How can we not seriously look at Webb as a possible starting QB? This kid is just good.

I agree that Webb is looking pretty good. he may end up being the QB next season if Ponder has a bad camp this summer.

[Volusianator]

Well, I guess if you can't win games...you can at least hang your head on that.

Hell, the Vikings couldn't do well enough to make the playoffs, they were even so poor they fudged up the first pick in the draft, guess they have no Luck! Ha, that was punny!

Originally Posted by goomer

Allen got the franchise record! The way it's going he should have the league record too.

[icehog3]

Gotta say Webb is tough to bring down...kid is strong as an ox. His arm? We shall see.

[mkarnold1]

Originally Posted by icehog3

Gotta say Webb is tough to bring down...kid is strong as an ox. His arm? We shall see.

He was pretty damn accurate on most of his passes, even under duress.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by mkarnold1

He was pretty damn accurate on most of his passes, even under duress.

Agreed....but it's one game. Kid might turn out to be a star, might not. Like I said, time will tell.

[Mattso3000]

Originally Posted by icehog3

Agreed....but it's one game. Kid might turn out to be a star, might not. Like I said, time will tell.

Just about brought them back against Detroit, looked good against the skins, and played a solid game against the bears...the kid's good it's just a matter of whether or not the Vikes have the guts to let him play after putting so much stake in Ponder.

The other problem, of course, is that when he wasn't hurt Ponder was solid as well. Team has a lot of issues, but hopefully qb will be taken care of next year.

[icehog3]

Didn't know he had played that much already, Matt...thanks for the insight.

[Mattso3000]

Originally Posted by icehog3

Didn't know he had played that much already, Matt...thanks for the insight.

Yeah, Ponder's been hurt a lot this year. We need to work on getting an offensive line that doesn't allow the kids back there to either get the crap beat out of them or have to run for their lives. Webb is just better at running for his life.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by Mattso3000

Yeah, Ponder's been hurt a lot this year. We need to work on getting an offensive line that doesn't allow the kids back there to either get the crap beat out of them or have to run for their lives. Webb is just better at running for his life.

[Gophernut]

Originally Posted by Mattso3000

Yeah, Ponder's been hurt a lot this year. We need to work on getting an offensive line that doesn't allow the kids back there to either get the crap beat out of them or have to run for their lives. Webb is just better at running for his life.

Watching this team all year, the O-line cost us more games than anything else on this team, with the possible exception of the defensive secondary.

Originally Posted by Gophernut

Watching this team all year, the O-line cost us more games than anything else on this team, with the possible exception of the defensive secondary.

...and the lack of receivers. Here's my theory why the O-line looked so bad...

The receivers are/were so poor that the defenses did not have to worry about any downfield threats, so they could single cover the guys out there. That allowed the opposition to blitz more and put more pressure on the offensive line to get their blocks made, which they failed to do.

As I've said, I don't know where they're going to get the guys, but they DESPERATELY need DB and WR help first. That kid from OSU looked pretty damn good last night, and he's a 2 time Biletnikoff Award winner. If he's available at #3, I've love to see him in purple. He seems to have good speed and looked pretty strong, breaking tackes.If they go that route, then they need to go through free agency to address the DB needs for a frontline CB and/or safety. If Winfield could come back healthy, I think he'd be a tremendous safety, but I dont know if he'd be willing to move.

The QB "controversy"...I have no idea what to say there. Webb played very well when he was in. He played well in a big start last year vs Philly. He's strong, mobile, and has a good arm. The question is whether he has the consistency to make it as a starter. I don't know. If a team has time to plan for him, how would the results be different? Ponder has an excellent skillset, as well. He's mobile, ha made some good decisions, and decent accuracy. The question is who has the higher ceiling as an NFL QB? remember that when Webb was drafted, he was drafted to be a WR, because of his tremendous athletic ability, so that's not a surprise with what has been seen from him. Either way, having two seemingly quality young guys there is not a bad thing, as long as they make the right choices in who plays. For the first time in a while, it seems like a bright spot for the franchise.

Now, I've heard a LOT of people call for the jobs of Frazier and Musgrave. I do NOT agree with that. You have to look at the season as a whole, and start with the lockout. The coaches couldn't have contact with their players, and they were trying to implement a new system. Right there, they were behind the 8 ball. Add to that bringing in a new QB (McNabb) and a rookie QB (Ponder). Then you add the poor play by a WR they were counting on (Berrian), and the injuries, et al, with the secondary. Things just deteriorated as the season went on. They just couldn't right the ship, and the injuries to Peterson didn't help things much, though Gerheart is a solid backup. As good as he was, he is no AP. Give Frazier and his staff a full, real offseason to work with their players. If there is no improvement seen next year (in results or general play), then I'd call for firing him. It's different than what I rememebr seeing with Childress. Childress was clearly not head coach material. He didn't know how to call plays to keep drives moving and help a team win (I saw way too many 3rd and 10s where he had all receivers running 5-7 yard patterns, when none of them had tackle breaking ability). Frazier had players not tackle and completely blow coverages late in games especially early in the year to help a few losses along. I hope they spend a couple $ and bring in some quality players at key positions, in addition to making the right pick at #3. But, no matter what, it seems like they'll be chasing the rest of the division for a few more years.

I have no doubts that AP will come back and be an absolute beast. He won't be rehabbing at a strip mall, eating fast food, and being lazy. The man is an animal, and they will have to hold him back from his rehab, I think. Next season may not be a "regular" year for him, but I have no doubt he will regain his place at the top of the NFL Rb food chain soon.

[mkarnold1]

Good take on needing a WR, but we already have a guy on our team that can take that role and own it, if the team would just make the move a reality and not hedge. I think that Joe Webb is the most talented QB on our team, but not necessarily the answer at that position. Ponder has skills and can be the guy that moves this team to the next level. What the Vikings need to do is get Joe Webb involved in the gameplan as the big play WR they need. He has all of the intangibles and is almost freakishly strong and fast. He has huge hands and could jump over any d-back in the league. If the offense stays the same, Joe already has the knowledge to be the back-up QB, spend all of the off-season and training camp refining his skills as a WR. With the WR position addressed from available roster talent, the Vikes can concentrate on addressing the OL and DB from the draft and free agency.

I agree that it would make sense to just make the move and stick with it (given that's what he was drafted for). But at the same time, how is his route running skills? He can have all the physical tools in the world, but if he can't run a good crisp route, then it won't work. And that is not something learned overnight. It does take time to learn it. How to go into and come out of cuts. Then there's unlearning the things that may be natural to him that work against running good routes. If a guy runs poor routes, I could almost cover him (I said almost, LOL). The Blackmon kid already runs good routes, and has honed his skills as a WR. Harvin seems to work best out of the slot, as well. If you move Webb to WR, and draft Blackmon, in a couple years, you'll have a SCARY WR corps to defend. Throw in a recovered AP to that with Kyle Rudolph at TE, and it almost won't matter who the QB is.