Are you ready for some scoring?
We should get some on Sunday, when Minnesota hosts Carolina. The Vikings' lackluster defense should be something of a cure for Carolina -- and if it's not, we can be guaranteed that the offense's problems are rooted very deeply. The picture above (shot by The Observer's David Foster) is worth the ol' one thousand words about that -- it is of Brandon LaFell dropping what should have been a fourth-down completion inside Arizona's red zone last Sunday in Carolina's 22-6 loss.
Minnesota has given up at least 27 points in every game this season, which is a large part why the Vikings are 1-3, just like Carolina.
On the other hand, the Vikings have scored at least 24 points in every game, primarily because fearsome running back Adrian Peterson is almost impossible to keep out of the end zone. That opens up the passing attack for whichever quarterback the Vikings are currently employing. If Carolina doesn't get into the end zone Sunday -- which is what happened last week in the Panthers' horrid 22-6 loss to Arizona -- it will be a huge surprise.
-- The Vikings and Panthers have played 10 times in team history, and my favorite single play in those games was referred to in the boxscore simply as "Johnson 3 pass from Johnson." This was in 1997. The game was tied 7-all in the fourth quarter. Minnesota had it third-and-goal from the Carolina 3. Minnesota quarterback Brad Johnson faded back, fired – and had the ball knocked into the air by Panther nose tackle Greg Kragen. But it came right back to him. Johnson caught the ball and scored -- one of the few times in football history a quarterback actually threw a TD pass to himself. I still wonder how that was scored in fantasy football.
-- What a day Sunday will be for the Kalil family. Offensive linemen Ryan (Carolina) and -- Matt (Minnesota) play against each oter, and sister Danielle sings the national anthem beforehand. I imagine they will be all over the TV coverage -- at least as much as a couple of offensive linemen can be. We're not going to be filming "The Book of Kalil" anytime soon -- it's not quite that big.
-- Vikings offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave served the same role for Carolina in 2000, but then he quit early in the season in a "Take This Job and Shove It" sort of moment with then-coach George Seifert.
-- Hard to imagine that the Vikings made the playoffs last season. Both these teams look a long way from that goal right now -- each has only a single win against an otherwise winless team this season. I have picked the Panthers' outcome correctly the past two weeks -- including a pick of Arizona to upset Carolina last week -- after missing the first two. This time around I see the Panthers rebounding in a high-scoring game. Carolina 30, Minnesota 26.
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11 comments:
Scott - i hope you are right re: the outcome. I would love for the Offense to find it's identity, and begin to click...
If we lose by double digits will you start calling for a change at QB? It strikes me as odd you and your staff ran Calusen out of town for poor performance, yet you turn a blind eye to Cam and his horrible play this season. My guess is you are afraid of getting the Beason experience. He dared to call Cammie out for not working out with the rest of the team, and poof he is gone.
I like the optimism, but don't see a scenario where an offense that has sunk to 30th with Mike Shula as the O-Coordinator will put 30 up.
People continue to talk Cam (and yes he needs to improve), but the fact of the matter is and was: every occurrence of Mike Shula as Offensive Coordinator has resulted in offenses that are bottom of the barrel statistically.
1988-1990- Tampa Bay (never won more then 5 games)
1996-1999 - Tampa Bay
heck in 1999, Tampa Bay won 11 games... and their offense was 28th! (http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?tabSeq=2&offensiveStatisticCategory=GAME_STATS&conference=ALL&role=TM&season=1999&seasonType=REG&d-447263-s=TOTAL_YARDS_GAME_AVG&d-447263-o=2&d-447263-n=1).
I like Mike Shula- but this team is going nowhere offensively with him; and he's a bad offensive mind and mindset for the QB we have (and perhaps with any QB).
Not this week.
The Panthers were painfully unwatchable on offense during the 3 losses. It is a surprise when they complete a pass. Nothing will change while Shula is still here. Cam has regressed under Shula.
Until our quarter back stops drawing attention to himself after first downs and touchdowns and plays football for the team we will be losers
for anyone who wants Cam benched this year, keep this in mind. Derek Anderson was benched for Brady Quinn, Max Hall and John Skelton. Anderson isnt that good. Cam does give this team the best chance to win. now if you want to change a QB next year, i'm ok with that, but it better be the right guy. in other words, i will say NO to Aaron Murray, AJ McCarron, Derek Carr and Stephen Morris. i wont hate Boyd or Manziel as replacements.
Cam Newton is not the main problem, their offensive system . When you pick a guy with his skill set as number one and then mold the team around him and then have changes in coaching it has a significant impact. They need to go to a spread offense with more option reads to utilize the running attach with shorter passing read. Adjust the system, what have we got to loose?
change the system to more option reads and short passing to utilize the quarterback's and running back skills set. Newton's drop back passing has little to be disired and he holds on to the ball to waylong waiting for an open receiver. What have we got to loose at this point?
I am so tired of these fans blaming the majority of the loss on CAM. The elite quarterbacks did not start their first years of being great. When the COLTS drafted Luck, they drafted the talent to support him. I am in full support of CAM. I think the offensive line is the problem; as well as the coaches. Also, on the defense, Munnerlyn is has not been that good; and yes, he has made some interceptions; but overall, he cannot cover a Tony Gonzalez; yes defense has improved greatly; but at times that cannot keep the lead because they cannot play for 60 minutes. I guess the fans want CAM to be the quarterback, receiver, offensive line and all; but he cannot. If they get rid of CAM, I will not support this organization again. Yes, they got rid of Clausen; but they kept him long enough; as well as Armanti; and they are no way made an impact like CAM.
Shula is NOT the problem! Its CAM, he needs to go and get out of town fast!
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