The Vikings loss to the Eagles did not officially eliminate them from the playoffs. That doesn't mean it isn't over. The Purple are currently 14th in the NFC with a 2-5 record. They're last in the NFC North and currently sport a 2-4 conference record, which is tied for the 12th best conference record. The Eagles and Cowboys would win a head to head tiebreaker, while the best the Purple can hope for is a split against the top two teams in their division, which means that they'll likely lose the next tiebreaker to the Lions or Packers. At this point, the Vikings would likely need to sweep their remaining six games against NFC opponents and pick up at least one win against an AFC team. That means they'd have to go 7-2 over their last nine games. It's not happening folks, not unless Brooks Bollinger is the real Jesus.
Brooks versus the 'Roided One
Brooks Bollinger played well in his limited time on the field yesterday. He showed more mobility than I remember him having, as well as the ability to throw an accurate pass. At this point, he should be starting on Sunday against the Chargers, even without the injuries to Kelly Holcombe and Tarvaris Jackson. The Vikings better have a backup that can play, however, because there is a very good chance that Bollinger is going to get killed by Shawn Merriman. Merriman is currently tied, with his teammate Shaun Phillips, for ninth in sacks, with 5.5. In his career, Brooks Bollinger has been sacked once every 8.4 times he's dropped back to pass. That's worse than David Carr's sack rate, which is once every 9.4 passing attempts. (If you're wondering, Peyton Manning, who is amazing at not getting sacked, has only been sacked once every 30 attempts). And it doesn't bode well for Bollinger that his blindside is being protected by lineman with a broken hand.
More Rice Please
Of the wide receivers taken in the first two rounds, only Anthony Gonzalez and Dwayne Bowe have more catches and more receiving yards than Sidney Rice. Rice also has more receptions than Ted Ginn, Jr. and Calvin Johnson, albeit for fewer yards. You may notice that every one of those receivers went in the first round, which means the Vikings would have had to pass on Adrian Peterson to draft them. Dwayne Jarrett, whom many Vikings fans wanted instead of Rice, has one catch for six yards. Steve Smith, the other receiver chosen in the second round, has 4 catches for 26 yards. Rice is showing the potential to be a very good receiver and it's important that the Vikings feature him as much as possible in their passing game.
Something to Cheer You Up
There's been a lot of negativity around this blog the past two days (deservedly so, I think). I don't want to be nattering nabob, however, so I'll close out this post by pointing you in the direction of a highlight that should cheer you up--the Purple Jesus performing a miracle by walking on the Defensive Line (It's play #3 in the top ten-you might want to skip straight to it, as there are Eagles highlights as well)
Of the wide receivers taken in the first two rounds, only Anthony Gonzalez and Dwayne Bowe have more catches and more receiving yards than Sidney Rice. Rice also has more receptions than Ted Ginn, Jr. and Calvin Johnson, albeit for fewer yards. You may notice that every one of those receivers went in the first round, which means the Vikings would have had to pass on Adrian Peterson to draft them. Dwayne Jarrett, whom many Vikings fans wanted instead of Rice, has one catch for six yards. Steve Smith, the other receiver chosen in the second round, has 4 catches for 26 yards. Rice is showing the potential to be a very good receiver and it's important that the Vikings feature him as much as possible in their passing game.
Something to Cheer You Up
There's been a lot of negativity around this blog the past two days (deservedly so, I think). I don't want to be nattering nabob, however, so I'll close out this post by pointing you in the direction of a highlight that should cheer you up--the Purple Jesus performing a miracle by walking on the Defensive Line (It's play #3 in the top ten-you might want to skip straight to it, as there are Eagles highlights as well)
1 comment:
I completely agree that the season is lost. Post season hopes died with the loss to Philly since they'll likely be in the wild card hunt so head to head would have been crucial.
What I disagree with is why play Bollinger? Especially if the season is lost. Why not give the snaps to Jackson so we can make an informed decision in January about his future. If he sits on the bench, you know the coaching staff will plan to give him another shot next year.
Purple Kool-Aid
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