I’ll be the first to admit that Minnesota’s injuries on defense had to have hampered them in the campaign, because Seattle’s offense was largely unimpeded in marching down fields of almost any length (including 98 yards on one drive). It certainly made it easier for Russ Wilson to finally look like a productive pocket passer.
But the real eye-opener to me was how fast Minnesota’s offense was shut down. If any offense facing Seattle’s D wants to run-first, they’re going to have to be more subtle and tricksier than Minnesota was, because the Seahawk defensive line and linebackers were apparently listening to the Vikings play calls or something. It was eerie how fast they’d respond to a play, flow to the ball, and platoon tackle. Ask Adrian Peterson about that, although he seems to insist that the coaches gave up on the run too soon.
I would not make too much of Seattle holding Adrian Peterson to 18 yards. The guy has a big target painted on his helmet. Some Ds respond to that, others just fail to. Could be the Hawks D is finally gelling into a cohesive epoxy in which opponents will be mired. Their next 3 games are against pretty weak teams, so we shall see if they really do have the dominance thing going.
Well, most offenses have a Plan “B”. If Minnesota had one, Seattle smooshed it pretty thoroughly.
Agreed, gang-tackling AP was the obviously defensive first call. But after AP wasn’t a factor any more, it didn’t get any harder for Seattle’s D. That’s what bugs me out. Listening to the Minnesota game felt a lot like listening to the 2013 squad mess up opposing offenses, regardless of their schemes or play styles.
But it’s only one game against an opponent whose offensive quality hadn’t really been tested before. So who can say?
No, it isn’t. But they’ve already shot themselves in the foot a couple times on that one. It still seems that gathering some data on his ability to play NFL QB is better than gathering none, which seems to be Pettine’s Plan A.
I didn’t realize it was an early game until it was probably almost over. Turned the TV on to the channel that was supposed to be showing it, and it was Chicago/SanFran instead. I know they sometimes switch away from games that are blowouts, figured this was either very good news or very bad.
The game was almost decided before halftime (21-0). It wasn’t until 1 minute left in the 3rd Quarter that Minnesota got on the board, at which point it was 35-7.
I don’t think I would blame the TV network for switching away, especially since the Chi-SF game turned into an overtime upset special. Much more dramatic.
I just read the first post of that and it is fantastic. Here’s the opening few paragraphs as an enticement for others:
[QUOTE=Joe Posnanski]
When Brian Hoyer or Brandon Weeden or Jason Campbell or Colt McCoy or Johnny Manziel or Josh McCown or whoever the heck is playing quarterback for the Cleveland Browns these days began his furious rush toward the end zone in the first quarter of the Jets game Sunday — his whole body displaying genuine will, strength and speed oozing out of every step, NFL Films music playing in the background of my mind — there was only one thought that buzzed through:
Oh, man, this is going to end very badly.
Of course it would end badly. There was no other possibility. Josh Weeden or Colt Hoyer or Seneca Quinn or whoever made it to about the 3-yard line. Then Brady Frye decided to leap into the end zone. It was a gutsy move for Derek Manziel, only slightly mitigated by the fact that someone had already knocked the ball out of his hands.
Still, because of gravity, the play went on, and Spergon Couch Gradkowski McCown was in mid-air when someone from the New York Jets crashed into him, sending him into an awkward but visually pleasing helicopter spin. It’s not entirely clear if Trent Holcomb Detmer Shaw or whoever the heck is playing quarterback for the Browns got the concussion on the first hit, the second hit or when his head bounced off the turf after the fall. It is clear that the football, with the impeccable comedic timing of a Marx Brother, waited for him to hit the ground before landing on his head and then bouncing into the arms of a Jets player.
A Browns player then whacked that Jets player because the one thing the play lacked was a 15-yard penalty.
[/QUOTE]