I'm sick of the Green Bay Packers. I'm sick of Aaron Rodgers torching the Vikings like the defensive backs aren't there. I'm sick of Clay Matthews being Clay Matthews. I'm sick of their perennial success. Call me bitter, call me jealous, I don't care. I am bitter, and as a fan who has never seen my favorite team even reach the Super Bowl, I am jealous of every team that has won the damn thing. Every year they are there, contending for a championship, with a deep and balanced roster, playing right across the border. Every year we're here, disappointed.
I'm sick of watching the Vikings try to compete in the 21st century NFL without anything resembling a competent passing attack. I'm sick of watching quarterbacks play so bad that I clamor to see what the backup can do, and I'm sick of seeing that backup get in the game and muttering to myself "Oh. Yeah."
There are always going to be teams that can pass, and if the Vikings are going to ever compete in the playoffs, they're going to need a quarterback armed with wide receivers that can hang with quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers. A team with a good quarterback is often going to get 24 points--and another team with another good quarterback isn't going to sweat that because it knows that it can keep up. You can compete with running, defense, and special teams--but you go far with a passing game, and you can knock off other good offensive teams if you've got a good passing game. You know what a good quarterback can do? Come back. 21 point leads aren't safe from Tom Brady or Peyton Manning or Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers. When the game has gone badly and those quarterbacks go to all-throwing mode, they start to make things happen and they get their teams in the game. We've rarely seen a team that has that comeback ability: 10 point leads are often safe against the Vikings.
I'm sick of waiting for a wide receiver (coming soon: weekly posts about how the Vikings should stop worrying and pay Mike Wallace 55 million dollars). A playmaking WR can open up everything for an offense: getting downfield, leaping and fighting for a ball, gaining yards after the catch, making the defense account for him.
I'm sick of the Vikings losing in the playoffs. That's 27 playoff appearances now, and 27 playoff losses. When's our turn? I thought it was our turn in '98, and I thought it was our turn in '09. Will it never actually be our turn? Well it isn't our turn now. After 52 seasons of it not being our turn, it's hard to feel like it ever will be.
It's time for a bitter tradition: reading A.E. Housman's "Loveliest of Trees, the Cherry Now." Another season has passed without the Vikings winning the Super Bowl. Who knows how many more seasons any of us get to watch, but one more chance to see them win it all is gone.
I also am sick of the Packers. They claim to be a class organization, and act like a bunch of punks. I am not a 49er fan but I am now.
ReplyDeleteMany professional teams keep a veteran QB on the roster (Sage). We have 3 with little or no experience. We need some help there and a lot of help in the wide receiver position.
AP is a beast!
One may wonder if Webb was given 16 games to play, and no matter how bad he played, he stays int he game.
ReplyDeleteWhere would his progress level be?
I do not think he is the answer at QB, but not sure Ponder is either. This team is in need of receivers. But, if our QB was better, would our receivers be OK?
I understand the frustration, but I don't feel all that bad this morning. Making the playoffs was special, especially after the last two years of crap. Now I want the Vikings to install a modern passing game and be an elite team. That should just take one more year, right?
ReplyDeleteThere are tons of good things to take away from this season, the biggest being a good draft corps. Next year better, right?
Peder:
DeleteI don't feel too bad, either. Once I heard Webb was playing my expectations for the game (which weren't great to begin with) went down considerably.
As for how long it will take to install a modern passing game - it could take 2 or more years. If the Vikings only improve their WR corps through the draft and adding low risk/low reward FA talent in the offseason (Jerome Simpson), then we're probably looking at 2014 before the passing attack gets good because rookie WRs don't tend to make a big impact until their 2nd or 3rd year.
If Speilman signs an impact WR like Wallace or Jennings, that could accelerate things, especially if Jarius Wright improves in season #2. Then there is Harvin. It's looking more and more like he might not be back.
And let's not forget CP7. He was good at times, OK at times and awful at times. He wasn't great any time. Can he make use of better WRs. I'm not convinced.
I'm sort of with you, Darren. Free agency in the NFL is tricky stuff, particularly at a position like WR, with so many variables in play. (Remember when Vikings fans were excited for Bernard Berrian?) Can a team justify setting the receiver market when they're not sure they have their quarterback yet? Would anyone be terribly shocked if Jerome Simpson goes elsewhere next year and posts a decent year (for him)? I just always think the calculus of these things is a little more complicated than plugging in some stud receiver and watching him pile up the stats.
DeleteIf I'm Spielman, I think I sign a QB who's potentially good enough to replace Ponder but not necessarily a household name (think Colt McCoy, Matt Moore). That way the message is Ponder's still the team's guy (and I think they want him to be, particularly since there doesn't appear to be an alternative available in the draft or FA or wherever) but, if he falls into another one of his month-plus-long funks in year 3 of his career, they have a legitimate alternative to turn to before moving on in 2014, if necessary.
I then hope I can work things out with Harvin and find a receiver or two in the draft.
--jianfu
jianfu:
DeleteI think Webb's faceplant in Green Bay will steel Spielman's resolve to find a better backup alternative. I've heard Moore mentioned as one. Hadn't thought of Colt McCoy, but he'd either have to get released or traded to be available as I think he might still be under contract with the Browns.
I guess the question is what decent backup would come to Minnesota when they know Ponder is going to get every chance to succeed or fail? Maybe they are back to signing Rosenfels again, who can probably still be a competent relief guy, but who isn't at this point in his career expecting to start for anybody. Shawn Hill would be nice to add, also. But I don't see Detroit letting him go and I think him and Linehan are joined at the hip.
Well, that was underwhelming. The one good thing Webb did was silence those fans that were calling for him to replace Ponder.
ReplyDeleteI love musgrave's play design skills, but the playcalling on Sat was atrocious. very poor adjustments made considering personnel.
and for crying out loud, is Schwartz so bad that Fusco's mediocre play continues to win him starts at left guard?
This made me sad. :(
ReplyDeleteSal Spice on the KAB comment board!
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