Vikings Looking To Run Less?
September 17th, 2011
Now Joe isn’t buying much of what’s coming out of Minnesota, but it seems the Vikings are kicking themselves for not throwing the ball enough last week and are talking about working the ball around the field — the opposite of the Bucs’ takeaway from Week 1.
BSPN blogger Kevin Seifert spit out this observation early this week.
Most revealing, an unofficial review of the play-by-play showed that offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave called running plays on 15 of the team’s 19 first-down plays. Of the four passing plays, one ended up as a 23-yard scramble by quarterback Donovan McNabb.
And Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com fame notes Musgrave on local radio accepting the playcalling heat and talking about opening up the offense, even if Donovan McNabb might not be up for it.
It’s unclear why the Vikings were so obvious and predictable. It’s possible that Musgrave got a little skittish after McNabb threw a first-and-10 interception on the team’s first play from scrimmage, with the Vikings up 7-0 but quickly in a tie game after the Chargers drove six yards in three plays.
While Joe can see the Vikings looking to get Mason Foster to bite on the run and work the middle of the field early in the game, Joe has no illusions that somehow the Vikings won’t look to drive Adrian Peterson down the Bucs’ throat.
Historically, Peterson runs his best on the home turf, and the Vikings didn’t just write him a massive contract extension last week to get cute in the home-opener.
Good luck, Mr. Foster.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:29 am
If they try to ditch the run and focus on the pass the same thing will happen to them that happened to the Bucs last week: a loss and a bunch of angry fans who don’t understand why you have a premier running back sitting around twiddling his thumbs.
Joe is right…they will dish out a heavy portion of AP, although I do expect more downfield passing as well because McNabb’s short game is atrocious.
The problem is that the Vikes don’t have a Calvin Johnson or Nate Burleson. And they let Sidney Rice walk. Downfield passing won’t work well against the Bucs’ secondary unless they first establish the run game and the short-intermediate stuff with Harvin. This should be an interesting match up.
September 17th, 2011 at 11:34 am
McNabb can be an awesome QB, but perhaps his best days are behind him ? Maybe he ate too much Campbell’s Soup lately ? This game will be an interesting test of our Run defense.
I see Tampa winning this game, Go Bucs!
September 17th, 2011 at 11:44 am
Bucs 33, Vikes 27. … Everybody’s defense is exposed but we move the ball and get a couple of big picks.
September 17th, 2011 at 12:00 pm
This is what every team says. They say that the new game plan will be well balanced. But if the Viking are picking up 6 yards a carry, have a lead of over 10 points. The Vikings are going run, run, and run the ball.
September 17th, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Oh yeah, they’re gonna run. Last week, Black spent more time at MLB. And as ever Raheem Mortis admitted, he Sucked. Foster can stop the run. He needs to be playing MLB. That said, the guy has shown no coverage ability so far. Hopefully McNabb is washed up. Otherwise, he’ll throw all day to the TE and RBs in the middle of the field. But changing black in won’t stop that. He sucked at coverage last week , too.
Name yer poison.
But I do think Yhe Great McNabb has finally lost
It- so I see a Buc win!!
September 17th, 2011 at 1:06 pm
McNabb is done, his legs are shot and his arm is gone. Keep 8 in the box and make them ride McNabb’s arm, besides Harvin who else is there, Berrian? Besides their OLine is a disaster did you see any of the Chargers game last week.
September 17th, 2011 at 1:24 pm
I think our D-Line will have an even better week this week, with a few sacks for
Bowers and Clayborn
September 17th, 2011 at 2:31 pm
Oh sheet, I forgot they have Percy Harvin too. That’s a gamebreaker if ever there was one.
One missed tackle and lookout Tampa. Still, I see a Buc’s win tomorrow in a close game.
Harvin can really burn us over the middle and deep. I hope Foster gets a few hard hits on him, if he goes over the middle.
September 17th, 2011 at 3:24 pm
If I was Musgrave, I’d bring the Navy option run playbook to the game on Sunday and never let McNabb throw the ball once.
If they even go to him out of “balance” sake one time over handing the ball off to AP, then awesome, I’ll be happy. But AP is the type of physical running back who also happens to have speed that has traditionally destroyed us over the past few years.
I said this last week about Calvin and I’ll say it this week about Adrian. We have to keep them off the field, period. Running the 2 minute offense all game and rushing Blount 5 times is not the way to do that.
September 17th, 2011 at 7:20 pm
Well Tim, the d line certainly can’t do worse this week. I don’t know how you apply less pressure than 0 sacks and at most 1 arguable pressure by bowers. Also, they had given up 100 yards rushing and 300 yards passing through 3 quarters. The 09 Bates d line was better than that.
However, the Vikes are lost with McNabb, this will be an ugly redskins type game. Whoever misses an extra point will lose.
September 17th, 2011 at 7:43 pm
Thomas. The D-line gave up 128 yards total. 72 to Best. That’s pretty good ( 12 in Run Defense), the 300 yards passing was by Our”team Strength” secondary, that I said needed upgrading since January.
You keep blaming McCoy, but you should look a lil harder. McCoy does his job. He gets penetration, and closes the gap at his spot. The pathetic part of Run defense isn’t the Line( although they need improvement, they are. Still young). The OLBErs do not play the run at all. Neither of them should be starting on an NFL team. This is being acknowledged by Coach Morris, and several outside experts. I don’t know who those two are related to, but they killed our Run defense last year, and looked just as bad this year.
And Talib sure didn’t look “elite” last week. Biggers played better against Johnson last year. Johnson owned Aqib last Sunday, and scoffed at Him after the game! “team strength” my ass
September 17th, 2011 at 10:39 pm
I agree with a lot of what you said. The backers are underwhelming. I thought that Talib was in position but he was over-matched athletically all day.
Where I completely disagree relates to the D Line. I will give them a C on run defense. On pass rush, they were abysmal. SGW said they, especially McCoy, looked “confused” in pass rush. Tim he is lost in pass rush. Price and Bowers are pretty good, Clayborn stinks in pass rush but it was his first game.
Tomorrow is a test for this d line. Minnesota has the worst o line in the NFC, if they can’t wreak havoc, they suck.