Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions
Vikings 27
Lions 13
Normally I'd like to have this done the evening of a day game, but my two and a half year old daughter's fever had other ideas. Let's just say that it lead to a sleepless night and a call in to work this morning as I stayed home to take care of her. You gotta love being a father in these moments, right? I wouldn't have it any other way when it comes to her. No on to some Purple Pride Ponderings.
Consistency at QB
Something I and many other Vikings fans have been clamoring for since Adrian Peterson and a stout defense arrived is consistency at quarterback. After two games, it's clear that Favre fits that must needed mold to a tee. No, he's not going down field and hitting the big bombs, but instead is hitting the quick slants, check downs, and taking sacks rather than trying to force something. As his numbers show, he's managing the game with efficiency and has no issue taking a backseat on Peterson's team. Since most of us are men, and we are known to be visual, look at these numbers and see for yourself what consistency at the qb position for the Vikings looks like:
Week 1 - 14 for 21 | 110 yards | 1 TD | 0 INT | 66.7% | 95.3 QB Rating
Week 2 - 23 for 27 | 155 yards | 2 TD | 0 INT | 82.5% | 115.3 QB Rating
Season - 37 for 48 | 265 yards | 3 TD | 0 INT | 77.1% | 110.2 QB Rating
EJ's biggest fan
There's one guy in particular that missed EJ Henderson's presence more than anyone, Chad Greenway. Chad had a huge game with two interceptions, a fumble recovery, three tackles, and a recovered on-sides kick. He showcased how great his hands are with the picks and the fact that he's on the "hands team" for on-sides kicks. What's even more impressive is how humble he was when asked about his big game mentioning that EJ's return to middle linebacker allows him to make these plays.
Starting slow won't always be the way to go
2-0 looks good, but the reality is that it's been against the Browns and Lions, and in both games, the Vikings trailed in the first half. As the quality of opponents increases, digging out of a early hole could prove to be more of a challenge. The Vikings need to find some rhythm in first half and start setting the tone early if they truly want to be a Super Bowl contender. Is there something positive to take out of this in the first two games? Well sure, they were both road games to start the season with a quarterback that's only been with the team for one month and is still trying to establish a connection with his receivers. So in the end, this is an area I expect to become a non-issue as the season progresses.
Special Teams
Last week I ripped the special teams for giving up another touchdown even though they played solid aside from that mishap. Against the Lions, the special teams were solid and the return of specialist Heath Farwell was more than apparent. I'll be keeping a close eye on this unit all season. So far I have them at 1-1.
What's on tap
Next week the Vikings are finally at home against the 49ers. While I feel the 49ers are a much improved team and have a legit chance at making a run for the NFC West division, I think the Vikings offense will open it up a bit more. This could be the game where we see Favre toss a few deep balls and start making teams think about stacking the box to stop the run - which still doesn't work when you've got AD in the backfield. I expect the Vikings to win this one and go 3-0 to start the season.
No comments:
Post a Comment