Saturday Impressions: The Minnesota Vikings Turn Attention To 2021

Eagan MN

28 December, 2020

6:42 AM

Description

Press release from purplePTSD: December 26, 2020 Well, folks, that was an unpleasant way to end Christmas day. To be fair, I think we all expected a certain outcome yesterday, and (for the most part) yesterday lived-up to these expectations. Perhaps the biggest surprise was just how awful the defense was. As Mike Zimmer said after the game, "you've gotta work really hard to give up 52." As we look forward to 2021, both the Leadership Trinity and Minnesota Vikings roster needs a considerable amount of work. Offense The opening few moments of the game were exactly what Vikings fans have been clamoring for for a long time. Gary Kubiak got his stud receivers involved while also finding a way to ensure Dalvin Cook was productive with the run. There is no reason to be paying Kyle Rudolph top-5 money for his position. At this point, it's clear that he is more of a hindrance than a help for the Minnesota offense. Tyler Conklin and Irv Smith Jr. are both the present and the future at TE. Continuity on OL is important. No one should be debating that simple fact. At what point, though, does continuity take a backseat to consistent incompetence? Kirk Cousins played well yesterday. It's unfortunate his team let him down. Both Mike Boone and Ameer Abdullah have something to offer this offense. The former had a nice touchdown run. The latter had a first down off of a great jet sweep. It's hard not to wonder what someone like Andy Reid or Sean McVay could do with this elite collection of offensive talent. Even the role players present big issues for the opposing defense. 'Tis the season for touchdowns. @swervinirvin_ gets six for the @Vikings! #Skol: #MINvsNO on NFLN/FOX/PRIME VIDEO: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/MeYokV02A6 pic.twitter.com/4QlcM7NFmh — NFL (@NFL) December 25, 2020 Defense After the game, Zimmer was asked about his statement that he has never had a bad defense. He admitted the obvious: this Vikings defense is indeed really bad. When asked about fixing the defense, Zimmer first discussed getting his good players back: Eric Kendricks, Anthony Barr, Danielle Hunter, and Michael Pierce. He lamented the various other injuries while also saying that if a player has an "NFL jersey," then they need to play better. He's right. The issues with the Minnesota Vikings' roster are obvious. Nevertheless, the defense knew what was coming and simply had no fight. On Notes from the North, TVG's podcast, we've discussed the struggles on defense and the personnel. For the most part, the Vikings don't have bad players on defense, the Vikings have bad roles. Is Eric Wilson bad at playing linebacker? By no means. Should he be a three-down LB who is trusted to shut down the run? By no means. It isn't his role. There are so, so many players who are forced to play in a manner that isn't well-suited to their strengths. It was encouraging to see the two interceptions. I know they mostly came because of an elderly Drew Brees who was still nursing a rib injury. Even still, it was good to see Harrison Hand make a nice play on the ball, and Hardy Nickerson Jr. was in the right place at the right time. Not much more to be said about the tackling, or lack thereof. Frankly, the effort on defense looked like that of a group that had given up. Take a look for yourself: Count 'em. That's FIVE Christmas TDs for @A_kamara6! @Saints #Saints: #MINvsNO on NFLN/FOX/PRIME VIDEO: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/MeYokV02A6 pic.twitter.com/rEWBT04PGJ — NFL (@NFL) December 26, 2020 Special Teams On the one hand, it's discouraging to see Dan Bailey miss another extra point. On the other hand, it was encouraging to see him bounce back and drill his next kick. We need our special teams to be resilient, and Bailey was resilient. Harrison Hand continues to be really impressive in special teams coverage. He made a couple excellent tackles on the coverage units. Of course, the lasting memory fans will have is of his interception, but his impact went beyond one play. This press release was produced by purplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author's own.