I'm still in shock.

[trotsky]

My pathetic Vikes beat the Giants (the team that's had their number ever since that NFC championship game pasting) IN New York with less than 150 yards of total offense.

Becoming the first team in NFL history to return an interception, a kickoff, and a punt for touchdowns, they needed every damn one of those to generate enough points to be close enough at the end for a gamewinning FG.

I'm happy about the win, but man, that was a game where nearly everything fell in place for them, and they still almost lost.

[LoveMyCali]

1. I'm a big Vikes fan too

and they really need to find some way to generate some offense. Isn't there some happy medium ?
Duante moves the ball but screws up at crucial times or Brad Johnson, no mistakes but that's because he's not doing a heck of a lot to begin with.
There has to be another answer. :shrug:

[trotsky]

2. Yeah, I dunno.

Brad did a great job not screwing up. But if not for those 3 special touchdowns, we get blown out on the road AGAIN.

Something is seriously wrong with this team - they have way too much talent to be struggling this much. Is it the O-Line? Birk was a big loss, Marcus Johnson wasn't quite ready for prime time, and Rosenthal was never meant to be a 1st-stringer.

[KitchenWitch]

3. Birk was a huge loss

I think that accounts for about 60 % of the problem...We lost Linehan as O-coordinator too.

[trotsky]

4. I'm not so sure about Linehan.

He's not exactly ripping it up in Miami.

BUT, he was a hell of a lot better than Loney. Shit, Loney makes me long for the days of Bob Schnelker.

[KitchenWitch]

5. OH GOD!

Now there is a blast from the past!

[trotsky]

6. I can still picture in my mind...

Burnsie having a conniption on TV about people criticizing Schnelker. :)

[KitchenWitch]

7. Burnsie's HAIR is forever etched in my memory!

[trotsky]

8. Did you see him at the Ring of Honor ceremony?

My gosh, his hair is exactly the same. That guy hasn't aged in 20 years. I guess the secret is to look really old early in life, then you don't get much worse. ;-)

[KitchenWitch]

9. LMAO

I missed it...but that sounds about right.

At least no one can accuse him of wearing a rug.

[trotsky]

10. Burnsie is the pioneer of the Weed Whacker haircut.

Still, he was a fun coach and probably coaxed more wins outta that rag-tag bunch of the late 80s than they deserved to win. Possibly one play away from the Super Bowl. CATCH THE BALL, DARRIN NELSON!

[LoveMyCali]

11. I think our big problem

is Mike Tice. Then again I'm biased because I'm convinced if the Vikings hadn't been in such a hurry to grab Tice as soon as Denny was fired that we could have had Tony Dungy back.
Mike Tice has more lives than a cat. Why hasn't he been fired yet?

[KitchenWitch]

12. one of the great mysteries of life

:shrug:

[trotsky]

13. I'll tell you why.

Denny's last year, the Vikes go 5-11.

Tice's first year, 6-10. Just barely an improvement, but you can't judge a coach based on one year. Except if that coach is named Les Steckel, of course.
Tice's second year, 9-7. Coulda won the division if not for a freak lucky play.
Tice's third year, 8-8 but made the playoffs AND won a game, then lost to the eventual NFC champions.

That's why he's still here. Oh and did I mention he's the lowest-paid head coach in the league and our skinflint previous owner wanted to trim as much payroll as possible before he sold the team, because why make 400 million from your sale when you can make 400.01 million?

Zygi is just keeping things the same for now. I'd wager though, that unless the Vikes come up with a miracle turnaround and somehow make the playoffs, Tice will be gone after this year.

[LoveMyCali]

14. OK

but they never should have been in the position to be knocked out of the playoffs by a freaky play two years ago. They got off to a fast start and then just died each of the last two years.
You have to admit they backed into the playoffs last year.