The Official Vikings@Packers Gameday Thread

[Fritz]

Great win for the team...needed it badly. Still upset with some of MMs decisions...not challenging the spot before the second 4th-and-1...the fake FG play...running the same damn 4th-and-1 play after it didn't work the first time...continuing the trend of tossing 40 yard bombs on 3rd and short. Amazingly, he gets some credit this week for rushing the extra point after the Quarless TD, which was huge.

This game was won in spite of another mediocre showing from the offense. Rodgers did not seem to be on the same page with many of his receivers, and got happy feet again at times. Driver has all but disappeared the last 2-3 weeks and we need to think about promoting both Jones and Nelson over him IMO. Running game had its moments, but it seems they either gain 12 yards or gain 2 yards...not much in between. Can't gain a yard when they need it either.

Defense played well again considering how many regulars are out. Capers is nothing short of a magician considering what he's working with. The guy has a college level DL in there half the time. Still were able to collapse the pocket on occasion. Coverage made big plays when the defense did get pressure on Favre.

Chilly tossing Bert under the bus is funny...Favre was driving that team for a win until their RT decided to yank Clay's facemask around a few times to see if he could play a role in The Exorcist. Chilly should've been calling AP's number all night anyway. The Vikings win if they just pound the ball on the ground all night long.

Leap, take a deep breath...

Challenging the spot on Rodgers run (that was the one you were referring to?) would have still left them short.

Driver was catching all the balls that everyone was complaining weren't going to Jennings until last week. That plus Driver was hurt this game. He is OK.

McCarthy got more out of the run game than at almost any other time this season and had better results on 3rd downs.

I am not a fan of the second 4th down call because you are running it behind your worst blocking TE and Nance was a wasted player as no one was buying the possibility of pitch when they had never done it in short yardage before.

Like the fake FG as it will help cause other teams to prepare and pull players away from the LOS.

I thought the D was shakier this week than the previous two but the offense they faced was better manned. Capers seemed to choose to let AP beat him rather than Favre. But with other lineman out, he might not have had a choice.

McCarthy got better production in the redzone, but the offense still faltered in second half. Rodgers feet looked much better and he looked more confident. But he can't get so comfortable that he makes two bad decisions like the two INTs were. And someone needs to cover back shoulder throws with the QBs and WR.

I think PB's got the post of the game and maybe of the week. I liked the fake FG, even though it didn't work. I like that MM showed confidence in his team by going for it on fourth down. But I don't like the play call - that fullback dive hadn't worked two times before - why now? Had he called the pitch to Nance, Nance would have been able to pussyfoot all the way to the end zone.

I am disappointed with Rodgers - those two picks, wow. The first was a brain fart, the second was just trying to throw back and not throwing it far enough back - another yard left and Jennings might've had a score. But still, in that situation, better for Rodgers to not throw that ball.

Some of the play calling mystified me. Third and three, fourth quarter, a first down would be huge, and the Packers or Rodgers or someone elects to throw long? And of course, all first half Rodgers is throwing that back shoulder thing while his receivers are motoring downfield...and this time he throws it downfield while his reciever tries to cut off the route. What happened to the short four or five yard throw just to get the first down and keep that clock moving?

Having said that, I think the defense was nearly heroic this game. My god, they lost Pickett and Jenkins and basically had only three down linemen for the entire game, and somehow they beat Favre, Peterson, Harvin, et al? That's incredible. Huge props to the defense and to Capers.

And finally, yes, funny what a lack of penalties and winning the turnover battle can do....

[ThunderDan]

Actually, I was impressed with our O this game. We moved the ball efficently. We kept ARod clean. We ran the ball well. We ran right at J Allen and trhew screen plays to slow down the Viking rush. Arod just needs to perform more like the stats padding QB of 08 and 09 ( ) and less like the gunslinger this year. We only needed to punt 2 times all game (OK could have been 3 except the 4th down tries). We picked up 3rd downs regularly and kept drives alive. We scored on long fields other than Bishops TD.

Last night the O started to show its preseason form. Keep making little improvements every week and we will be putting up the 30+ points per game that we expected at the beginning of the year.

[mmmdk]

his limp got noticeably worse after he got into the tunnel

Camera was still on him. Limp got noticeably worse after each interception.

I couldn't hear what Longwell spoke to Favre but sources tell me that Longwell said:

Longwell: [As Ryan reaches out to Favre's helmet] "May I carry your helmet, Jesus?"

Favre/Jesus: "Yeah ok, I'll be laying on hands on myself all night long for sure".

[pbmax]

Yes. Offense did not fix everything, but it was a definite step forward against a good defense. And the Packer D really locked down in the 2nd half and late.

CJ Wilson made a name for himself in this game.

If the Packers can figure out 4th quarter offense again, they will win some of these going away.

[mission]

One also needs to realize that MM is still one of thee shittiest coaches ever in GB

Na; we've had some really bad ones

Ray Rhodes
Bart Starr
Forrest Gregg
Dan Devine


He may be closer to a Lindy Infante/Mike Sherman than a Mike Holmgren....but I wouldn't put him as low as you do

Pretty hard to disagree with that and I'm a MM "hater"... he's right in that Infante / Sherman category no doubt. Not quite Rhodes, definitely not close to Holmy.

[Tarlam!]

What the Twin Cities media had to say about the game

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/105647303.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUvckD8EQDUs

Vikings' bad mood rising after loss
The Vikings coach grumbled about the performance of Brett Favre and what he thought was substandard officiating on a couple of calls, and he also has to look at the prospect of having his banged-up quarterback sit out next week.

By JUDD ZULGAD, Star Tribune
Last update: October 25, 2010 - 9:14 AM

http://www.twincities.com/vikings/ci_16425965?nclick_check=1

Tom Powers: Vikings hobbling along with Brett Favre
Pioneer Press
Updated: 10/25/2010 09:18:47 AM CDT

TOM POWERS
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Legends shouldn't go down on their knees. They shouldn't stagger and fall under the weight of fatigue and old age. But on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, Brett Favre looked a hundred years old.

With the New England Patriots on tap for next week, the situation appears to be exceedingly grim.

"It ain't over yet," tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said. "Championships aren't won in the first quarter or first half of a season."

Further links: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/105665313.html

[hoosier]

Chilly showed us again what he is made of in his long-winded complaint about the officiating. If that in itself wasn't bad enough, he had the nerve or the idiocy to complain about the facemask call on their RT against Matthews, which was about as obvious as you can get. According to him they had missed some earlier calls so they should have let that one go too. Favre may be on his way out but for the sake of my inner train-wreck seeker I sure hope Chilly sticks around for a while.

[mngolf19]

Chilly showed us again what he is made of in his long-winded complaint about the officiating. If that in itself wasn't bad enough, he had the nerve or the idiocy to complain about the facemask call on their RT against Matthews, which was about as obvious as you can get. According to him they had missed some earlier calls so they should have let that one go too. Favre may be on his way out but for the sake of my inner train-wreck seeker I sure hope Chilly sticks around for a while.

Hoosier, if he feels the play was allowed all night long and then called at a most inopportune moment, don't you think he should be upset about it?

[Old School]

We can all be proud of the job the young guys did in stepping up last night - offense and defense. I can't wait for the return of the injured starters coupled with the promise the youngsters are showing, and the improvement experience will bring. The Pack will be a real force. TT has put quite a group together.

I question people like DD who have quad injuries, but refuse to wear thigh pads.

I have a mixed take on BrINT's injury. Until his game started going south he was running around like a twelve year old. Suddenly he was limping. That is, except when he threw a TD. Then he could jumpo like he was on a tramboline

It was the same in the Jets game. When he made bad throws, he held his elbow. When he threw a TD. he jumped and pumped his bad arm like there was nothing wrong.

One thing I'm thinking of doing is taping a picture of BrINT on my bathroom mirror. That way when I hobble to the bathroom in the morning with all my aches and pains, I can look at a picture of a guy 30 years younger who looks older than me.

[Joemailman]

Chilly showed us again what he is made of in his long-winded complaint about the officiating. If that in itself wasn't bad enough, he had the nerve or the idiocy to complain about the facemask call on their RT against Matthews, which was about as obvious as you can get. According to him they had missed some earlier calls so they should have let that one go too. Favre may be on his way out but for the sake of my inner train-wreck seeker I sure hope Chilly sticks around for a while.

Hoosier, if he feels the play was allowed all night long and then called at a most inopportune moment, don't you think he should be upset about it?

So, if a guy gets away with a personal foul, you tell him to keep doing it as long as the officials don't call it? It's generally understood you can't grab a guy's face mask. There's not a lot of interpretation there.

[denverYooper]

Chilly showed us again what he is made of in his long-winded complaint about the officiating. If that in itself wasn't bad enough, he had the nerve or the idiocy to complain about the facemask call on their RT against Matthews, which was about as obvious as you can get. According to him they had missed some earlier calls so they should have let that one go too. Favre may be on his way out but for the sake of my inner train-wreck seeker I sure hope Chilly sticks around for a while.

Hoosier, if he feels the play was allowed all night long and then called at a most inopportune moment, don't you think he should be upset about it?

He had a right to be upset about it but to complain about it to the media makes him look weak.

Anyhow, I thought it got called after the Umpire moved after the 2 minute mark. Maybe he got a better look at it? It could have been us getting called for a hold or something if we had the ball inside of 2 for the same reason and it would have sucked. It doesn't really matter, though, it was clearly a facemask whether or not the ref suddenly decided to be concerned about it. Clay was getting mauled on that last drive before that. The Packers are no stranger to those kinds of calls.

I'd agree that the officiating was pretty bad last night but the Packers were dealt some as well and frankly, it makes Chilly look bad to complain about it. The fact of the matter is that they'll get their share.

[ThunderDan]

Chilly showed us again what he is made of in his long-winded complaint about the officiating. If that in itself wasn't bad enough, he had the nerve or the idiocy to complain about the facemask call on their RT against Matthews, which was about as obvious as you can get. According to him they had missed some earlier calls so they should have let that one go too. Favre may be on his way out but for the sake of my inner train-wreck seeker I sure hope Chilly sticks around for a while.

Hoosier, if he feels the play was allowed all night long and then called at a most inopportune moment, don't you think he should be upset about it?

Not when CMIII was thrown to the ground by that facemask! If it was hands to the face and part of the trenches I could see getting upset but it occured on the outside and had to be flagged.

[Guiness]

Chilly showed us again what he is made of in his long-winded complaint about the officiating. If that in itself wasn't bad enough, he had the nerve or the idiocy to complain about the facemask call on their RT against Matthews, which was about as obvious as you can get. According to him they had missed some earlier calls so they should have let that one go too. Favre may be on his way out but for the sake of my inner train-wreck seeker I sure hope Chilly sticks around for a while.

Hoosier, if he feels the play was allowed all night long and then called at a most inopportune moment, don't you think he should be upset about it?

Not when CMIII was thrown to the ground by that facemask! If it was hands to the face and part of the trenches I could see getting upset but it occured on the outside and had to be flagged.

As I mentioned in the other thread, this was about as blatant a facemask penalty as there could be. Don't know how you can complain about it.

The tackle grabbed a hold of the facemask (not got his fingers caught), and changed Clay's direction using it. No way you can argue that.

I think the penalty really had an effect on the rest of the game. Minn obviously felt that was going to be watched. A play or two later, the announcers commented that 'half the state of Minnesota was blocking Mathews' and showed that Minnesota had three guys on him! TE off the LOS, then the back chipped him. After he got by that, the Loadholt engaged him. THEN he got the pressure

Can't tell me dedicating all those bodies to occupying Mathews didn't affect their offensive gameplan. A lot nicer when you can do as we did, tell our LT to take care of business and be done with it.

[Guiness]

Do we need to play better going forward? Absolutely, but you know... never apologize for a win (or a loss by the team that you were just playing ).

I can agree with what you wrote and it's your perogative to see it anyway you choose. By no means am I apologizing for a "W".

I'm just not celebrating it like Rogers and many here. To quote Silversten on JSO

There were all kinds of reasons the Packers should have lost, but they didn't.

I would say if you are a glass half empty kind of person, you would say that the Vikings did more to lose that the Packers did. Which amounts to a backhanded compliment, we screwed up less then they did?

[Kiwon]

The Packers and Farve are still the NFL's biggest draws (i.e.- moneymakers for the League).

Big ratings for the game:

"NBC just released the overnight ratings for last night's Sunday Night Football game between the Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers. It scored a big 16.0/25 rating, the best for an October NFL primetime game in 12 years, since, coincidentally, another matchup between the Minnesota and Green Bay on Oct. 5 1998 on ABC. This was the third-best SNF overnight rating ever, up 54% from last year's Week 7 game."