Vikings 34, Cowboys 3: Death by Execution

playoff run will hopefully be better.

I’m not sure what the right formula for this team is. Win early, win late or what. But maybe we can start winning with good line play.

Which was 100% true, but when he mentioned that against the Giants, people jumped all over him for throwing the o-line under the bus. They deserved to be under the bus.

I’m glad Tony is just going to the cliche’s like in Bull Durham. People don’t want the truth, they want the cliche’s.

But I don’t have a good explanation for why. I suppose it is because the team exceeded my expectations this year. Jenkins (whom I slammed all preseason) is developing into one of the best corners in the league. Austin had a breakout year. We don’t have any desperate needs. The only needs I can see are:
OT – Flo shut Jared Allen down completely. Allen started making plays when Free came in. I think we still need to look for a LT candidate (or at least a backup)
FS – If we can find an upgrade over Hamlin.
OG – We can find an improvement to Kosier
WR – We need a replacement for Roy WIlliams – preferably a speed guy. (I wish we had a Percy Harvin type)
FB – The Cricket is not a good lead blocker. I wish we still had Lousaka Polite who has blossomed into a complete FB in Miami.
OLB/DE – Never can have too many pass rushers.

It was a good season, though not a great ending, but this was a team I was proud to say I rooted for.

If you watched the game he had NO time in the pocket. To suggest otherwise is just ingnorant.

he’s been doing for 17 years.

Steve Young used to do it to. Fake a pass when the guy is closing on you to get him to hop and then duck under him.

It sucks but Marcus has a lot of company on that move.

one of the strangest plays I’ve ever seen. He was completely oblivious to the fact that the ball was on the way. But then when the ball arrived and Rice was running into the end zone, he made some moves like he was aware the ball was nearby but never tried to make the tackle.

That he didn’t lose the game regardless of the turnovers, the media will still say that he is 1-3 in the playoffs.

I think better players will make the difference. Jason Garrett has had some rough play calling patches this year, but I think he is growing and getting better. And, I think Wade is a pretty good defensive coordinator.

Previously I would have said Wade should go, but he showed me something this year. I couldn’t stand all the excuse-making he does, and just his style in general. He didn’t seem the type of person that could command a room and get a team to play above their abilities.

However, if we can him, we can basically guarantee our defense takes a step back next year. Plus, the guys he’s drafted are starting to really come on. I’d see if we can build on this year.

I think we are just a flawed team at this point and the Vikings had the perfect personnel to expose it. The only silver lining today is that its obvious the o-line is a problem and we need some young blood. I think if the defense gets one more playmaker, they might be a truly dominant unit. Safety seems the best spot, we got solid play this year, but very few big plays from Sensi and Hamlin.

Wade doesn’t seem to motivate the players into a high level of play, but relys on them to motivate themselves and to play disciplined football. I don’t like that style, but I think he is a fine coach, and I would prefer him to be our defensive coordinator and not head coach, but I really don’t want Garrett as our head coach, and I’m not sure there are any other options out there that I like better than Wade. Maybe if Jimmy Johnson were to return.

excited. Maybe, I’m spoiled by the likes of Larry Allen and Erik Williams. But, to me, only Gurode and Davis are keepers. The other guys are OK, but not great.

and try to get one more year out of Flozell. Maybe a new LG can be taken in the first or second round?

I’m hoping that in the first two rounds we get a G who can start this year and a tackle who can start in a year.

3rd round future FS, 4th round NT depth.

We will likely need a DE if Spears leaves – maybe Hatcher could start, but he sure hasn;t pushed too hard.

If Jerry can trade Bennett for a third rounder I wouldn’t complain.

against a very aggressive defence

I was thinking the same thing after the 2nd series, where it was clear Colombo was getting overrun, and wondering if the team would consider putting Free back at RT with the season on the line.

Then, Flo got hurt, so Free had to play there. And that’s what happens on a team where you only have one quality backup. When you need two, you’re in for a looooong day.

that was an awful secondary and Roy WIllie played maybe his worst game of his Cowboys career, and there are a few to choose from. He gave up all of Seattle’s big plays blowing coverages. Jerramy Stevens couldn’t catch a cold but he destroyed Roy in that game.

Remember, that team allowed 33 ppg. that December. Parcells didn’t attack the loan officer because he feared getting into a shootout, because he didn’t think he could stop such an attack. He almost got away with it.

and either they covered really well, or our WR’s sucked. Heck, it was probably both.

Saints plus 2 Eagle whippins… should tide me over.

Flo has to go and go now. He is hobbled and this is not going to get better. He will always be prone to injuries that take him out at critical times. He is too inconsistent anyway. So, what to do? Package Hatcher, Ogletree, Bowen and send a pick to Tampa for Donald Penn. Draft a LT as well in round one. Bulaga from Iowa or another similarly talented LT would be available at the end of round one. That would give us three spots to develop at LT, with Penn and Free the challengers for the starting spot. If Penn comes through, then Free can challenge Colombo. Then I would find a veteran center to replace Gurode. This would move Gurode to the swing guard spot and let him challenge Kozier.

what we saw yesterday. So I’m in favor of that, but give the guys a ton of reps together. It takes a ton of effort for them to develop chemistry.

the one and only rotation I question was that crazy naked pitch to Barber at the start of the 3rd.
It works because your back and outspeed the end to the corner. It worked with Austin earlier in the game and it worked with Jones in weeks past.

Barber can’t beat a good end or OLB to the corner in his condition and he wasn’t going to beat Ray Edwards on a day like Edwards was having.

That play was the same as a sack. Put them in 2nd and long and they have not been able to convert those all year long.

. . . was actually an audible from Tony Romo? We had just made two great running plays off the B gaps and had a first down well inside Viking territory . . . then boom, a loss of 7 with MBIII going wide to the right side. It sure looked like Tony checked off into this play.

But there just wasn’t enough time for Tony to get the ball to them, let alone read the play.

Roy W must go. Romo played below par. Sure he was mauled but the interception and two fumbles were just bad plays by Romo. Safties for Dallas mostly suck and are inconsistent. TNewman failed to hit the receiver on the first pass play. Garrett game plans are too intricate and complicated; he forgets this is football, not some computerized chess game.

standpoint..but your right this year..the teams that had the extra week pretty much came through..The Colts looked rusty..the Jets got lucky..The Vikings I would swear had to be in the film room with the Cowboys ..and I don’t buy that “Secondary is good, just had a bad day” jazz..they were awful..period..and where were the screens and swing passes?..Roy Williams is just a high-paid body out there..useless…and when a guy is breathing down your QBs neck there is a thing called yelling for him to watch out..I played this game as I’m sure alot of you did..you never leave your QB s butt flapping in the breeze.