The Vikings played eleven games in 2011 against teams that finished .500 or better. They didn’t win a single one of those games.
Vikings offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave took a lot of heat during the season, especially when the Donovan McNabb experiment didn’t work out.
Leslie Frazier’s defense was a far bigger disappointment. Only one team gave up more points in 2011, and that was despite the presence of Defensive Player of the Year candidate Jared Allen.
So, yeah. Frazier and personnel chief Rick Spielman have a lot of work to do this offseason.
C’mon Peyton, this your health (life?) we’re talking about. You have more than enought money, records, respect and legacy. RETIRE already so you can enjoy your kids!
PS The only time I hated you is when you played against the Pats.
If Kalil is gone would it be Blackmon or RGIII? Why not, the Panthers drafted 2 qb’s in a row. Ponder threw 13 int’s in 9 games & was injured in each of his last 3 season’s. 1 season & Ponder could already be an anchor.
^^thats off subject
Tiki is flabbergasted
The problem is that the Vikings had a lot of work to do last offseason and didn’t do it. As a Vikes fan, I have no idea how so many people were surprised that they stunk this last season. They only went 6-10 in 2010 and didn’t make any improvements. They exchanged an old, washed up Favre for an old, washed up McNabb. Why did anyone think they would be any good in 2011? The OL is terrible. The defense is poor and the secondary is terrible. There are no quick fixes for this team.
Yeah. Off the top of my head the list would be:
1. Draft a WR corps.
2. Draft an entire secondary.
3. Acquire a DT so that Kevin Williams can get back to freelancing (Haynesworth, count it)
4. Draft a running back in the top two rounds. Peterson’s gears are already grinding, and the end is near with this injury. Gerhart is not even #2 caliber, so stop fooling yourselves.
5. Stick a fork in Hutch and cut the losses. Draft a guard and two tackles, dig in with Ponder.
It’s easier to evaluate what they actually have. You’re looking at the next stud TE in the league with Rudolph, and Ponder will be an effective QB in the right type of setup which capitalizes on the strengths of a mobile QB. Harvin will never be any better than an overpaid slot receiver, but he’s good at confusing linebackers and strong safeties in coverage. Peterson is still one of the league best, but that window is closing swiftly – accelerated by the knee injury. The line is atrocious, period. Sullivan and Herrerra are quite serviceable and may pick up in a situation with better talent around them. My God, the tackles are a travesty.
Defensively, aside from Greenway, Williams and that overrated trashbag Allen, the whole thing is able to be blown up. Tops would be getting immediate top-shelf talent in the draft for the secondary and acquire a DT in free agency (again, like Haynesworth) to space eat and allow Williams and the One-Move Wonder Jared Allen to get more one on ones to make plays against. If the Vikings poor record again gives them a full slate of teams whose LT’s are terrible at shuffling left and even understanding how to block a limited pass rushing rednecks like Allen, he’ll hit 20 again for sure. I’m still laughing at the tackles that populate his 2011 “highlight reel”.
Suffice it to say, this team is at least a good two seasons from competing in a now three team division in the NFC North.
If the Vikes play their cards right, they’ll find some team desperate enough for RG3, and fill 3-4 holes in this draft.
right on the money as usual mike.
The Vikings are NOT a short term fix.
The team needs to rebuild from its foundation — it’s going to be a three year process.
Any attempt to shorten that time-frame will only delay the return to respectability.
But nine of Minnesota’s 13 losses were by a touchdown or less…not sure if that says more about the Vikings or the league…
I recently per chance went over last year’s Viking’s schedule and I noticed a crazy thing. As God awful as the Vikings were last season (and Lord knows I’ve been their biggest fan since 1968), they’ve lost 9 games by seven points or less, that’s one play a game ………….remarkable and strange?
tominma says:
Feb 15, 2012 10:14 PM
C’mon Peyton, this your health (life?) we’re talking about. You have more than enought money, records, respect and legacy. RETIRE already so you can enjoy your kids!
PS The only time I hated you is when you played against the Pats
Huh? You thinking Peyton is reading about the Vikes and hoped to leave him a message here?
Lot of work to do? They are only a QB, a healthy AP, two or three WR’s, an offensive line, a couple defensive linemen, a few linebackers, two corners, two safties, and a few changes in the coacing staff away from contending for this thing…
Who better than Rick Spielman to get it done. Hey Rick, how about trading us your 2nd and 3rd rounders for AJ Feeley and Lamar Gordon?
They can make up a lot of ground by being aggressive in free agency. There are a lot of good, reliable players to be had this year.
Not to mention they have issues with their salary cap. So I guess so long Hutch, Herrera, and Remi.
Time to get some protection for Ponder and some CBs that can cover. Gonna be a lot of work. MinneSPORTa.com
C’mon Peyton, this your health (life?) we’re talking about. You have more than enought money, records, respect and legacy. RETIRE already so you can enjoy your kids!
PS The only time I hated you is when you played against the Pats.
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Agree with you (except for the Pats part), but I think you got the wrong thread.
First thing Vikes should do is go back to their old unis and gray facemasks.
Mike, you missed the offensive line, most especially a new LT, and a new G to replace the Hutch.
While it’s too early to tell whether Ponder works out as the team’s QB, one thing’s for sure. If this team passes on Robert Griffin III, and he turns out to be a superstar QB, Spielman will NEVER live that down.
The Vikings need to be VERY active in Free Agency, and fill as many holes as possible prior to the draft. They need to land (in FA) at least one starting WR, a two-gap run stuffing NT to play next to Kevin Williams, and an entire overhaul in the secondary. I don’t know about moving Winfield to safety, but Cedric Griffin might do better there than at CB with two repaired knees.
@shadowgm1
You are officially not allowed to speak for true Vikings fans.
Percy and Jared are overrated? Tobey is not a #2? Did he not average over 5.1 per carry in 109 attempts?
These players are not the issue, the issue is the surrounding cast could be replaced by random people walking the street and be an improvement.
shadowgm1 says:
Feb 16, 2012 12:05 AM
Yeah. Off the top of my head the list would be:
1. Draft a WR corps.
2. Draft an entire secondary.
3. Acquire a DT so that Kevin Williams can get back to freelancing (Haynesworth, count it)
4. Draft a running back in the top two rounds. Peterson’s gears are already grinding, and the end is near with this injury. Gerhart is not even #2 caliber, so stop fooling yourselves.
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Great take. We need to draft a WR corps and an entire secondary, but you want us to waste a first or second round pick on a running back. You must be cultivating a bit.
They don’t need to draft an entire WR corp. Percy Harvin is an elite slot receiver and one of the toughest pound for pound players in this league. Michael Jenkins showed me enough to think he is more than capable. Jenkins is not a #1 by any means and that is something that has to be addressed. But needing a #1 WR and needing to draft an entire WR are two different things. WR can always be had via free agency but the Vikes do not need to address this need right now.
Peterson’s gears are not grinding, nor is he near the end. AD is 5 years into his career. Emitt Smith had 11 seasons more than 1000 yards and 3 more of 900+. Thurman Thomas another great example. AD will recover from this injury and he will have another 4-5 years of elite productivity. A RB will need to be drafted in the next 3-4 years but it’s from an immediate need. (Toby showed us good progress last year)
OL and Secondary. Yes. major needs. Jasper Brinkley and Solomon Elimimian along with Erin Henderson & Greenway will do well as LB. Assuming Chris Cook finds his way to a second chance he was showing great promise at CB.
In my opinion the Vikings are at a minimum of 2 years away and likely have their best chance to enter another window of relevance 3-4 years from now, right at the end of AD’s window.
In my opinion the Vikings are at a minimum of 2 years away and likely have their best chance to enter another window of relevance 3-4 years from now, right at the end of AD’s window.
That doesn’t quite make sense…two years from now they might be competitive. 4 years from AD will in fact be near the end.
Draft OL and CB/S the next 2-3 years. WR can be had via FA. RB drafted 3-4 years from now.