What are everyone's thoughts? Here are my rankings: #1. Pass rush: Favre cannot have time to sit back and make throws. The pass rush needs to be there like it was against Buffalo. NO showed last week how to stop their offense. You know they are watching that tape over and over. #2. Secondary: If the secondary plays like they played last weekend, and comes up with a couple int's like we all know Favre is capable of throwing, they can be the difference maker of this game. #3. Miami's aerial attack: Will Henning open the playbook and let Henne take more shots down the field? Last weeks effort is not going to cut it against Minnesota. They need to score points and it's time to take the training wheels off. I don't know about everyone else but I am confident in this team and I think if the defense gets some turnovers and the offense stays turnover free, we'll have a real shot to win this game.
#1-We have to generate pressure without overly blitzing. Favre is great beating the blitz. #2-Yup #3-No wind inside the dome. I think Henne has a chance to make some deep throws early.
#1. Have Favre in a neck brace (or equivalent) by the end of the 1st quarter. #2. Stop the run. #3. Retrieve the Adrian Peterson fumbles. All 9 of them.
Gotta get all over Shiancoe. Hes a big guy and can make big plays. Have the LB jam him up at the Line and then get SS help on him past ten yards.
Turnover and penalties....simple as that... Especially penalties...in that dome, easy for false starts to happen...If Miami plays a TO/penalty free game, they have more than a good shot... I'm not kissing Favre's ring, I saw a real QB in my lifetime, Favre is a statue that if you beat him, he will make mistakes....you love to see Dansby get in his *** to start the game, like he did Edwards...I'm fired up and it is Tuesday...
I would focus on stopping Peterson first. If we put them in obvious pass situations then I think our pass rush can force Favre into multiple mistakes. I don't expect that we'll sack him much b/c he's so good at getting rid of the ball, but we should be able to hit him often. When we're on offense I think that they are susceptible to the counter run which IMO is RW's strength. I don't think they'll blitz much, but when they do I think Bess and Marshall should be open on quick patterns. I also think that Marshall can get deep on any of their CBs.
Stat of the Week No. 3: Since Brett Favre arrived, the Vikings are 9-0 at home and 4-6 on the road. About time we change that.
Correctomundo......Stop AP, however Nolan's schemes puts defenders in spots that you cant see them, if Favre holds on to long(something he doesnt do), he will be in trouble....I honestly think Cam MIGHT be their best WR, Berrian is an all or nothing type guy. But to win this game, it has to be mistake free...see that underthrown TD to Marshall 2 days ago.....cant freaking happen....if they have opportunites, they have to seize upon them Rafi...
Perfect list. Exactly right. This game will come down to Favre and Henne. As much as I think Favre is the greatest fraud ever perpetrated on the QB position, you still have to give him the edge over Henne. Which means our pass defense becomes very important.
#4. We have to contain AP and Percy Harvin. You rarely shut them down but we cannot allow too many big runs. I thought we did a pretty decent job tackling Spiller/Lynch this past week but AP and Harvin are a cut above them. I also agree we have to get in Favre's face and beat him to a pulp, twist that ankle of his, and get all over him. I remember when we played Favre when he was with the Jets and he threw a Hail Mary floater pass right before halftime that beat us for a TD. You have to pressure him and force him into mistakes.
I think we have a huge advantage if Loadholt has to face Wake as I see a big foot speed difference in our favor. IMO they're going to have to give him help. That means either Shiancoe, who I think is their best receiver, stays in to block (or is at least required to chip) or a back stays in. Either way that's one less receiving option for a team that has too few right now.
You guys are forgetting our OL. I think they are going to have a serious test this week. You got J. Allen and Williams, etc, to stop. I'm not really worried about Jake as long as his knee is felling well(I hope. I haven't heard reports about how it's feeling.) Carey is going to have to perform a lot better than this he did against the Jill.(He was responsible for giving up a lot of the pressure). The interior will really have to show if they got it this week. Jared. Allen can be a madman and Henne is going to have to show that he can elude pressure, step out of the pocket, throw on the move, etc. I think he can, but this will be a big test, imo. Obviously with guys like Shanko(sp?), Petersen, Harvin)if healthy) Dansby and Bell and the likes or going to have to be on top of their game. I'm not worried that they can't handle it, esecially if they played the way they did last week....especially Dansby. He was a madman, but this week will be a bigger test, imo.
We won't be able to pound all day. I'm looking for a lot of shotgun and quick slants. Play action shouldn't be too effective here. Quick shots to The Beast broken for big plays are what I'm looking for.
You are right Rafi, I forgot about him, he is DEFINATELY their best receiving option... Would love to see a Marshall TD here as well....nothing in pre-season, or Week 1....Time for the Beast to get one...
If you are going to pick a game for the Fins to lose this would be at or near the top of the list. An out of conference road game sandwiched in between two division games is usually a recipe for a loss. If the Fins play tough D they have a shot but if they allow 25+ points by Favre it will be a long day.
We also have to watch for Camarillo. We know he can convert well on 3rd down, better stop it because Favre knows it too. Dansby will definitely be looking to make AP fumble the ball. It will make for a good chance for us, and hopefully we can actually catch those INTs if we get any. They better start throwing more on offense. I believe the wind had a factor in that as well, and there is none in a dome. Minn secondary shouldn't be as tough as Buffalo's, and we know they have good run stopping. Open the field then try and run. They are one of the few teams that can probably push around our O-Line, they are extremely tough.
Right I suspect alot of strip drills this week at practice....also Miami knows like we know, like Minny knows that Cam converts 3rd downs....I believe they will spy somebody over to his side possiblly, and if a ball comes their way....they HAVE TO CATCH IT!!!!!!!!!!! the 2 drop INT's cant happen if they Miami wants a shot...
I thought I read somewhere that Harvin had been recently diagnosed with some condition that was the root cause of his migraines and now that it was receiving treatment the migraines would be under control. I'm sure it was diagnosed after he was taken into hospital at training camp EDIT: Here's an article from ESPN about it, although its not conclusive.
Good for him...I get a migraine once in a blue moon and I feel like I'm dying. He seems to have them weekly.
The Vikings were the only NFL team to go undefeated at home last year. The win would be even bigger. Yet it also now seems tougher after learning of that.
The question is how does Chad Henne react to seeing a cover 2 type scheme a good bit. IIRC the Viking will play a cover 2 and rely on that front to create problems. Henne has some iffy games against cover 2 last season so we'll see how much he's improved in terms of touch/fitting the ball into tight spaces. How much will Brandon Marshall produce under these same conditions with Henne at QB? Will we run shorter routes as we did last weekend, or do we look to threaten the safeties; something I think we need to do as this unit is not as good as the front 7 of the Viking defense.
Shouldn't have to worry about Vikings blitzing too much. They rarely blitz so Henne should have a bounce back game.
Just because we rarely blitz, it doesn't mean that re don't apply pressure. After all we lead the league in sacks last season.
Keys to winning the game from a Vikings Fan.... 1)Purchase a Shotgun and some holy water....lol kidding 1) Work the corner routes. Our Safties are routinely slow to this area of the field. It could be our Cbs fault but the majority of time we have a completion....it's in these areas. 2) Run cutback runs. The saints dismantled our usually stout DL in the 4th quarter with these plays. I user the word dismantled but we gave up 91 yards total. Still, we were out played in the 4th quarter. 3) Quiet the storm. Our fans are the loudest in the NFL considering we make as much noise as some of the other stadiums with only about 60K fans. However, they are a fickled bunch and are known to stop making noise when the game is not going well. 4) Do not over focus on Shank. He's a threat but percy and Brett have a much better connection. 5) Test Griffen early and often. He is coming back off major ACl surgery. It's his first game and first week back. I would go after him often. 6) Tackle AD. I know, he fumbles...but that has been overblown. I fyou think reaching for the ball is the way to stop him...you are going to be grasping for air. Tackle first and then worry about the football.
#1- Stop their pass rush and control the line in the running game. I f we cant do that it will be a long game. Long V. Allen will be a great matchup. If we can run will open up the passing game. The Vikes dont blitz much but if we can get them to come up and stop the run, playaction will be open. #2- Contain AP. We cannot allow him to get the edge, this is why we have IKE. #3- Cover their TE...Dansby. And make sure we tackle Harvin after the catch. We can not allow big plays. #4- Pressure Favre, he will make mistakes. (ie. his last game, his last game, and his last game.)
great point.... we cant really judge henne until hes had at least a couple of games in fair conditions. i mean its kind of hard to throw with almost 20 mph winds especially throwing deep. he still handled the game well with short throws and i think he can air it out on minnesota... inexperienced safeties and not top flight corners. other than that heres some keys to victory: 1. win turnover battle 2. establish solid run game 3. get pass rush on favre and contain peterson
this is a very winable game i really like our chances. im not scared of any of minnesotas recievers now that rice is out for a while, our secondary matches up very well with them. i also like our recievers against their secondary as long as we can protect henne.... i think marshall with have a big game. i expect us to be very physical and get pressure and hit favre early and often while covering their recievers and forcing turnovers, i also think our offense can get in a rhythm in the dome where there is no wind as long as we can establish a decent running game so we can get them on play action and open up the passing game.
Hartline needs to catch the ball too. Dolphins are apparently disappointed with him [as we are]. If he continues the drops, we're going to miss Camarillo even more. Marshall can't do everything, what about when Revis is covering him in 2 weeks? Bess we all trust and even Fasano so far, but I don't trust Hartline right now. And who knows what Moore can do in the regular season, maybe we'll find out.
Agreed. Although I agree with the OP, we need to play smart on O based on the situation. Henne needs to throw well in this game, no question. BUT the amount of throws he has to make depends upon the score. You DONT want Brett Favre on the field. So we need to get the running game going early and often. Basically something similiar to what we did against the Bills. At least until things get nasty. Though you never know, maybe they dont. Its not like Favre torched us in NY. Granted this isnt the Jets, but I still think our coaches know how to get to him. Henne needs to be ready and be on his game though because if for whatever reason our defense begins to collapse, we will need him to come out firing on all cylinders.
open the playbook!!!!!! im tired of us not putting a lot of points on the board that i know we are capable of!
1. Committ to running the ball. 2. Get Ronnie involved in the passing game. 3. Confuse Favre. 4. Chew Juicy Fruit.