Forget whether the 1-4 Vikings are going to win tonight’s nationally televised game against the 0-6 Giants at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The question of the moment is will the Vikings play ugly again?
Last week’s 35-6 loss to the 2-3 Panthers was the Vikings’ most embarrassing defeat of the season. The team’s will to win was questioned and the coaches’ ability to prepare was second-guessed.
The Panthers possessed the football for about 13 minutes longer than the Vikings and held Minnesota to 75 yards rushing in their win at Mall of America Field. The results added on to a statistically unimpressive season for the Vikings that includes giving up 418 yards per game, the most in the 32-team NFL.
“You never see yourself losing a game like that. That’s for sure,” said defensive end Brian Robison. “It was not something that we wanted to show in front of our home crowd and we just gotta make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Robison’s teammate at the other end of the line, Jared Allen, was blunt after last week’s game when talking about expectations for tonight. “I hope people rebound a little angry,” he said. “I hope guys are pissed off. I hope their feelings are hurt.
“I am a positive human being. There’s something to a little negative reinforcement. I hope this sticks in everybody’s guts a little bit. Sticks in their craw and we can come back and remember this feeling.
“This is embarrassing and I hope they (Vikings teammates) remember that and come back and say, ‘Hey, I’ll flip that on somebody else and not on myself.’ That’s how you bounce back. You go to New York and we play physical football.”
Former Vikings defensive lineman Bob Lurtsema was emotional after the Panthers game. “If they (the Vikings) don’t like playing and they can accept getting beat as a competitor, then they’ve wore out their welcome to the National Football League and wore out their welcome to their career. I hate losing but I always learned from losing. How can I improve? How can I get better?”
Lurtsema said it’s not the responsibility of head coach Leslie Frazier to give motivational talks each week, emphasizing that players need to prepare mentally on their own. “Their whole season is on the line next week (Monday night),” Lurtsema said recently. “Everybody. …Any athlete who does not bring his ‘A’ game next week should be cut by the locker room after the game.”
To keep from playing ugly tonight the Vikings will not only need effort but solid fundamentals. That means knowing assignments, holding blocks, using proper tackling angles, eliminating turnovers and a lot more.
The Vikings will try their third starting quarterback of the season, newly signed Josh Freeman. If he can throw accurately and occasionally get the ball deep down field for completions, the offense will take a step in the right direction. But games are won and lost on the lines of scrimmage where both offensively and defensively the Vikings have struggled.
“Living room coaches” and other critics might be questioning whether the team’s defensive linemen are taking the proper angles after the ball is snapped. Asked about that, Robison declined to go into details. “You know you got a job to do and I got a job to do but I can’t really get into schematics right now. It’s just one of those deals where we gotta play better as players. We gotta coach better as coaches and we just gotta find a way to get a win.”
Then there is the issue of starters on the defensive line like Allen being on the sidelines more than they might like. “I hate coming off the field, especially in situations where they’re marching the ball down the field and then all of a sudden I gotta go in on the 10 yard line and make a play or something,” Allen said. “I ain’t coming off the field period. That’s not my choice. I am trying to be a team player. I am not trying to fight that. If they don’t need me on the field, or I need a rest, I guess that’s their call.”
So whether it’s schematics, playing time, revolving quarterbacks or other issues like an injury-weary secondary, there is usually drama involving the Vikings. Lots of moving parts that will determine one thing: whether this team shines in the dark tonight.
“If you go down fighting, you’ve won the game,” Lurtsema said.
Worth Noting
MetLife Stadium, the site of tonight’s Vikings-Giants game, will be the first outdoor northern facility to ever host the Super Bowl when the game is played there February 2, 2014.
Vikings ownership will likely host a larger than normal group of family and friends at the game. The Wilf family is based in the New York-New Jersey area. Owner-chairman Zygi Wilf was a passionate Giants fan for years. Owner-president Mark Wilf has also long been a football fan and was the radio voice of Princeton football in college.
If the Wilfs make a change in head coaches after this season it wouldn’t be surprising if NFL TV analyst and former Ravens Super Bowl champion coach Brian Billick has his name mentioned among possible candidates. Billick, who was a Vikings assistant coach from 1992-1998, is an extraordinary communicator and excels at public relations.
The Gophers coaches often talk about their roster’s lack of experience but seniors made some of the most important plays in Saturday’s 20-17 upset road win over Northwestern. Wide receiver Derrick Engle caught a pass for Minnesota’s only touchdown, placekicker Chris Hawthorne kicked two field goals, linebacker James Manuel returned an interception for a touchdown and defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman batted down three pass attempts and intercepted another ball. H-back Mike Henry caught two passes for 21 yards and his blocking helped the Gophers rush for 215 yards.
The Gophers depth chart prior to the Northwestern game listed two seniors starting on offense and four on defense. Along with Hawthorne, they made themselves noticed on Saturday as the Gophers, 5-2 overall and 1-2 in the Big Ten, moved closer to six wins and bowl game eligibility.
Minnesota’s losing tradition that includes only 10 conference wins dating back to the 2009 season had at least one Gophers fan feeling pessimistic before Saturday’s game. However, a sense of humor was also in place when he wrote this comment to Sports Headliners regarding his use of Maalox:
“I don’t bother with a spoon. I just unscrew the cap and drink it straight up. I must admit, however, that I’m not sure as to how effective it is. I’m still developing an ulcer from watching them (the Gophers) in action.”
Interim coach Tracy Claeys said on WCCO Radio yesterday morning he doesn’t know if Jerry Kill will coach this week, adding the Gophers head coach is “not 100 percent” but is continuing the process of addressing his seizures.
Don’t be surprised if University of Minnesota alum and former North Stars executive Lou Nanne heads the committee to assist Gophers athletic director Norwood Teague in raising $190 million for new athletic facilities.
The “M Club” Hall of Fame will have 10 new inductees on Thursday night during a ceremony at TCF Bank Stadium: Jon Andresen (baseball), Jim Carter (football), Natalie Darwitz (women’s hockey), Rick Naumoff (men’s tennis), Charlie Sanders (football), Krissy Wendell Pohl (women’s hockey), Gary Wilson (coach of women’s cross country and women’s track & field), Loyd LaMois (men’s track), Louis Lick (men’s golf) and Larry Ross (men’s hockey). LaMois, Lick and Ross will be inducted into the Pioneer Division, honoring those who were at Minnesota prior to 1950.
Mounds View High School football coach Jim Galvin won his 100th career game last week with a 50-47 victory over Roseville. He has a career record of 100-41.
Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio has his 23rd birthday today.
Timberwolves season ticket holders are being invited Wednesday to sample new items on the concessions menu at Target Center.