What Vikings Fans Are Saying Before The Game

[Elmgrovegnome]

Man these Vikings fans are putting in a lot of work to convince themselves we're not that good.

All the while, they totally ignore that this is a new coaching staff implementing entirely new systems. It is expected that early in the season there is likely to be bumps, like the Skins and Shehawks games.

I'll tell you, man, it can be difficult discussing the game with Vikings fans. I tried discussing it with them today, and it went about as well as was expected. The defining moment for me was when a Vikings fan said he didn't believe in the Rams because 1) he doesn't trust our QB, 2) he thinks we've played a weak schedule, and 3) we've played a weak group of QBs.

Of course, I was kind enough to point out to him that every single one of those critiques applies to the Vikings to date. However, there's something that stood out to me when evaluating Minnesota. Here are Case Keenum's numbers against teams with a winning record (not counting the Packers because Brett Hundley played almost that entire game):
2 games (Pittsburgh and Detroit)
36/67
53.7%
386 passing yards
5.8 YPA
0 TDs
0 Ints
70.9 Passer Rating
8.0 PPG

That's right. They've averaged 8 points per game in those games. Those numbers look awful familiar to us Rams fans. The only noteworthy win the Vikings have this year is over the Saints, but that was before the Saints started playing well and with Sam Bradford (who had a stellar game).

Now, the Vikings are absolutely a good team. They're an equally-matched team to us. However, their fans are very blind to their own faults because they cite those faults in their criticisms of us (while seemingly not recognizing that it is also applicable to them). Why do I believe we will win on Sunday (I'm not predicting a blowout, though)? Because I trust Jared Goff. We have the better QB. I do not trust Case Keenum to get the job done against a quality team and a quality defense. I think if the pressure is on late, Keenum will melt down like he did so many times for us.

This why I called them one of the dumbest fan bases in the country. It's one thing going back and forth on a message board. Think how exasperating it is in person. It may be that, to their credit, the Minn, N. Dak, S. Dak. Region is overall a pretty positive thinking group of people. However in the case of the Vikings, it keeps them from being realistic.

Minnesota is no doubt one of the toughest defenses we'll face. However, imo, Seattle was tougher. And we should have scored quite a bit on them if not for our own foolish errors.

One other thing works in our favor. Sean McVay's Redskins put up 26 points and 375 yards of offense on the Vikings last year. He's not unfamiliar with the Vikings, and he's shown that he can have success against that team. Nevertheless, I'm not assuming that we'll score a lot in this game. They're a very tough D. The good news is that I think we stymie Case Keenum. If we do that, we don't need to score a lot to win.

I'll also note that we played it safe vs. Jax. Their defense feasts on turnovers. After our special teams helped us to a sizable early lead, we played it safe with Goff and rode Gurley and the defense to the win. It made a ton of sense to do that because the Jaguars are not designed to come from behind, and Goff was coming off his worst game of the year against Seattle. I think a big part of our lack of offensive success that day was McVay choosing to grind it out with Gurley and force Jacksonville to win the game with their offense.

Have you seen The Waterboy? I'd compare it to the Louisiana Cougars deciding to kneel three times and punt to take Bobby Boucher out of the game because he was the one doing all of the damage. We decided not to risk turning the ball over and giving Jacksonville favorable field position (or worse, a defensive TD) when their offense didn't seem capable of making the comeback against our defense.

Now THIS, is how to analyze a game to see what really happened. Nice job Jrry.

 

[OldSchool]

All the while, they totally ignore that this is a new coaching staff implementing entirely new systems. It is expected that early in the season there is likely to be bumps, like the Skins and Shehawks games.

They forgive their early season bumps even when there isn't a new coaching staff or a new offense and defense to learn. But don't forgive it in others.

 

[551staaa]

In 1973 the Los Angeles Rams were the best offense or at least one of the best going into a week 7 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, players like John Hadl and Lawrence McCuthreon and Harold Jackson were torching opponents with Big plays.

They went into Minnesota 6-0 to play the 6-0 Vikings the game was the battle of the unbeaten’s, the Viking defense was one of the best in the league and there offense was led by Fran Tarkenton with John Gilliam as his main weapon along with RB’S Chuck Foreman and Oscar Reed.

It was a Defensive battle as the Vikings held the potent Ram offense to 3 FG’S the Vikings scored the only TD, WINNING a 10 to 9 battle.

The Vikings went on to win due to shutting down the Ram offense, i believe this will happen again on Sunday

Two problems with this scenario:

1. The game was 44 years ago. I don't think you can infer a lot of trends from the game as it was played 44 years ago.
2. If I remember correctly, David Ray did not not have near the leg strength or distance of Greg Zuerlein, and Ray was kicking field goals outside in Bloomington.

But, it's good to hear from a Vikings fan who remembers that day. That was a good slobber knocker of a game!

 

[Prime Time]

https://www.dailynorseman.com/2017/...s-rams-minnesota-vikings-final-injury-reports

Los Angeles Rams at Minnesota Vikings: Final injury reports for both teams
The Vikings will be without a pair of starters in this one
by Christopher Gates

It’s injury report day across the National Football League, ladies and gentlemen. Both the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Rams have released their final injury reports for this weekend’s contest at U.S. Bank Stadium, so let’s take a look at both of those and see where the bumps and bruises are. As always, we start with the visiting team.

The Rams had a bunch of players that sat out for the first two days of practice, but only designated three players with any sort of injury designation and only ruled one player completely out for Sunday’s game. They appear to be a relatively healthy group going into this one, though some of the injuries they’ve listed could end up nagging a little bit.

Now, on to the home team.

The Vikings will be without two of their starters this week. Mike Remmers will miss a second consecutive game with a concussion, which has got to be troubling to the coaching staff, to say the least. The team will also be without safety Andrew Sendejo, who was injured during last week’s victory over the Washington Redskins.

Anthony Harris would be the presumed starter in Sendejo’s spot, but he was limited in practice earlier this week as well. It’s a bit surprising seeing Robison on the injury report, as he apparently didn’t have any issues on Wednesday or Thursday before being added to the report today.

Everson Griffen, who missed last week’s contest, has said that he’s definitely playing this week. Of course, he said that last week, too, but I think we should feel pretty good about his chances of playing in this one.
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Remmers must have suffered a pretty significant concussion a few weeks ago, which sucks any way you look at it.
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He was behaving odd yesterday.

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Setback in concussion recovery usually means a recurrence of symptoms. He keeps having them and we might have to shut him down for the season.
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Sendejo
will be missed, had a good game vs Redskins.
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We didn't get home a lot in the Wash game
but they had a lot of pressures and knock downs. Cousins is just a very solid mobile QB with check down receivers. The defense, and I think Zimmer alluded to this, better than they probably appeared to and we have a far greater need of quality O-line players than we do DE. Plus I think Bower makes strides with another year of camp.
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Good experience for Hill
I thought he played well against the Skins. Here’s hoping he continues the trend, better run blocking, keep the QB upright, fight fight fight. He could be legit in the very near future, which of course, we desperately need. Sometimes these are blessings in disguise. It’s not like Remmers is an absolute world-beater. You always want depth, but we have had an above-average-ly-clean-injury-wise year.
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Hill played exceptionally well
Was one of 8 tackles that didn’t allow a pressure last week, the others: Brandon Shell, Andrew Whitworth (Rams LT), Ereck Flowers, Matt Kalil, David Bacteria, Russell Okung, Dion Dawkins.

Hill also run blocked well as you stated. I think these are valuable game reps for future depth and even a possible rotation if needed in the playoffs. Shumur and Sparono were doing some unbalanced line sets last week, Reiff at the right TE position, Morgan at the LT position and running the ball. Caught the Skins off guard and we had three plays doing that in the game that produced positive runs.

Remmers just needs to rest up and get right for the stretch run.
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Odd that Griffen couldn’t manage a full practice this week...
That kinda scares me. It’s been 3 weeks and still not a full practice + it being a foot injury, which are notoriously tricky. Hopefully it’s nothing.
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So tired of these injuries
it’s getting ridiculous.
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It’s part of the game. Every team deals with it. You just have to hope you don’t have too many at once.
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rams doesn't seem to
they have so few injuries. I think they have one of the best strength and training staff. LOok how they gave Sullivan, Barron and Withworth so much rest this week without any injuries.
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They let experienced players determine how much rest they need
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Also if you go and read stuff players write about how they feel the day after a game
a lot of them are so banged up and bruised they honestly probably have a tough time figuring out what is just sore and bruised or something serious. It probably really takes them a few days to figure out if something is wrong unless it’s very clearly wrong on the field.
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Don't complain about the injuries
We’ve actually been pretty lucky compared to last year. COOK was tough to lose, but we’ve been able to roll with the next man up. I think I saw a stat that our injuries last year were the worst of any team since 2000.
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http://www.twincities.com/2017/11/17/vikings-aim-to-rattle-rams-qb-jared-goff-in-critical-nfc-showdown/

Vikings aim to rattle Rams QB Jared Goff in critical NFC showdown
By CHRIS TOMASSON

AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Jared Goff has come close this season to living up to his college nickname of “Mr. Perfect,” but the Vikings are determined to rattle him.

Taken with the top pick in the 2016 draft out of California, Goff has led the Los Angeles Rams to a 7-2 mark and has thrown 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions. But on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, he will run into a formidable Minnesota defense.

“We’ve got to go out there, execute our game plan and do our job and be aggressive, and we can affect this quarterback,’’ defensive tackle Tom Johnson said Friday. “He’s going to throw picks, he’s going to get irritated.”

The Vikings (7-2) are looking to put pressure on Goff, who has been sacked just 13 times this season. In the Rams’ only two losses this season, pressure on Goff was a factor. He was sacked twice and threw an interception in a 27-20 Week 2 loss to Washington, and he was dumped twice and threw two picks in a 16-10 loss to Seattle in Week 5.

“It’s important every week just getting (quarterbacks) off their spot,” Minnesota safety Harrison Smith said. “It helps us on the back end. Our guys up front do a great job.”

The Vikings have 25 sacks this season but just one in last Sunday’s 38-30 win at Washington. One reason for that was the absence of defensive end Everson Griffen, who has 10 sacks this year and missed the game because of a foot injury.

Griffen is listed as questionable for Sunday but is expected to play. That should help the Vikings.

“Everybody knows Griff’s a beast,” Johnson said. “When Griff’s out there playing, he’s very disruptive, he’s physical with the guys. Getting our top pass rusher back is definitely going to make them work harder.”

An argument can be made that it’s Minnesota’s biggest game of the season. The Vikings are tied with the NFC West-leading Rams and New Orleans for the second-best record in the NFC behind Philadelphia (8-1). Carolina (7-3) and Seattle (6-3) are right behind in the battle for playoff positioning.

“If we lose this game, the NFC right now is so tight that if anybody loses, they can be fourth or fifth, so we’re trying to stay on top, trying to stay where we’re at now,” cornerback Xavier Rhodes said.

The Vikings have a two-game lead over Detroit (5-4) and Green Bay (5-4) in the NFC North, but a Minnesota loss and a Lions win Sunday at Chicago would put the Lions in position to move into a tie on Thanksgiving Day in Detroit.

“It’s cool,” guard Nick Easton said of facing the Rams. “That’s what you dream about is playing big games, so it’s exciting.”

The Rams have won four straight; the Vikings have won five in a row. The Rams are formidable on both sides of the ball, ranking first in the NFL in scoring offense at 32.9 points a game and third in scoring defense at 18.0 points a outing.

On offense, the Rams also have Todd Gurley, fourth in the NFL in rushing with 754 yards. Leading the way on defense is defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons and twice was all-pro. But the Rams have plenty of athletic players.

“The thing that really stands out at you when you watch the (Rams’ defense) on tape is how fast they are,” said Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph.

The Rams have outscored foes 117-24 in their past three games, beating Arizona 33-0, the New York Giants 51-17 and Houston 33-7.

“They have a good offense, but right now they’re just blowing things out of the water looking at the scoreboard,” Rhodes said.

Now, the Rams will run into a Minnesota team that is fifth in the NFL in both scoring and total defense. Vikings defenders vow to be ready.

“Winning this game is huge because it will pay dividends in the end,” Johnson said.

 

[majrleaged]

I'm telling you, The Keenam pass I recall hangs in the air a LONG, LONG time. There's going to be some picks for sure.

Yes, he has to throw deep balls earlier to get them to the receiver. He is 2 interceptions waiting to happen.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

It's not just their fans. A Vikings' D lineman said they are going to "rattle" Goff. Not try to, going to. Hope he lights them up.

 

[I like Rams]

I like how they keep bringing up Goffs stats against Jax. You know why Goff didnt do much that game, viking fans? Bc Gurley was averaging 5 yds a touch. Why the hell would you throw it against one of the best if not the best secondary when you can just beat them on the ground?? C'mon man!!

 

[SteezyEndo]

rams doesn't seem to
they have so few injuries. I think they have one of the best strength and training staff. LOok how they gave Sullivan, Barron and Withworth so much rest this week without any injuries.
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They let experienced players determine how much rest they need

Damn right we do so don't be mad. Vets get rest because they deserve it.

 

[theduke]

http://www.vikingsmessageboard.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=30053

The rams offense is highly predicated on gimmick or trick plays. I haven't watched any of their games this year, so I can't confirm 100%.

So, you haven’t watched any of our games, but it’s predicated on gimmicks? Give me a break. We use misdirection, just as every team in the league does. We just do it better by taking advantage of your defensive schemes and with our superior personnel.

 

[theduke]

I'm telling you, The Keenam pass I recall hangs in the air a LONG, LONG time. There's going to be some picks for sure.

Yup. That’s exactly what I’m thinking. I think it’s more likely that he throws 4 picks than that he throws 4 TDs against us. If you’ve noticed this year, when teams have to throw on us, they struggle. I think we win with a score of like 37-13 or something.

 

[Mojo Ram]

-I would expect a smart D guy like Zimmer to really focus on stopping Gurley all day. I think they may be a little too overconfident in their pass rush though, thinking that they can just rush four, occasionally bring five on 3rd down and bother Goff whenever they feel like it. They will generate a ton of pressure i'm sure, but Goff has so many (checkdown)options thanks to McVay's scheme.

-I'm REALLY comfortable with how McVay/Phillips are able to make adjustments in game and particularly at halftime when matchups need to get tweaked. Zimmer and his staff don't strike me as being as versatile this way. Some of their fans have mentioned this.

-Thielen is a legit #2. Had a chance to watch him vs the Skins. Could be a tough matchup for us one on one.

-Seattle's D was the toughest early test for us and i still think McVay learned alot from that game(see the Jax game). The offensive gameplan will be designed to beat the Vikings D. Sounds like a Capt Obvious statement but that wasn't happening before McVay arrived. Ask Keenum. Or Goff.

-If Rams can keep it close at halftime and just have Gurley working and the TE's involved i really like our chances. IMO a team like Minnesota(at home) will fall asleep on us in the 2nd half if they feel really good about themselves after two quarters of smash mouth football.

 

[Classic Rams]

Two problems with this scenario:

1. The game was 44 years ago. I don't think you can infer a lot of trends from the game as it was played 44 years ago.
2. If I remember correctly, David Ray did not not have near the leg strength or distance of Greg Zuerlein, and Ray was kicking field goals outside in Bloomington.

But, it's good to hear from a Vikings fan who remembers that day. That was a good slobber knocker of a game!

The Rams were without their 1000 yard rusher, Lawrence McCutcheon, in this game, and the 2 slower white guys, Bertelsen and Smith, couldn't make up for the lack of speed in that department. But yeah... 44 years ago....

 

[jrry32]

So, you haven’t watched any of our games, but it’s predicated on gimmicks? Give me a break. We use misdirection, just as every team in the league does. We just do it better by taking advantage of your defensive schemes and with our superior personnel.

I actually explained our scheme to the guy and explained that Mike Zimmer's defensive scheme is predicated on the same things that he claims make our scheme gimmicky. Yea, it didn't get anywhere.

 

[DaveFan'51]

http://www.espn.com/nfl/game?gameId=400951775


Some basic team comparisons,Injuries and so forth

while Steve Young makes a few valid points, I really could give-a-rats-ass weather he becomes a "True Believer" were the Rams are concerned!!

 

[Prime Time]

https://www.dailynorseman.com/2017/11/18/16673712/watch-rams-vikings-1977-mud-bowl

WATCH: Rams vs Vikings in the 1977 “Mud Bowl”
A game where things got a little bit sloppy
by Christopher Gates


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1253&v=ryQOhVyOFws

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

While our stories about the history between the Minnesota Vikings and their opponents for a particular week focus solely on the regular season history between the two teams, our own wludford put this little beauty in the comments of that post, and I thought I’d put it up here for anyone that wanted to watch it.

This is the video. . .and it’s the full game, so I’m not sure how long it will actually stay on YouTube or anything. . .of the famous 1977 “Mud Bowl” playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings. This game does not take place in Minneapolis, but rather at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, proving that the old song that claims that it never rains in Southern California is a blatant lie.

The Rams had hammered the Vikings during the regular season on a Monday night by a score of 35-3, and the Vikings went into this one being forced to start Bob Lee at quarterback in place of the injured Fran Tarkenton. All the signs pointed to bad things for the purple, but by the end of the evening, they had managed to ride Chuck Foreman and a strong defensive effort to a 14-7 victory.

(Yeah, I told you who won. There’s no such thing as a “spoiler” for a game that happened 40 years ago.)

The Vikings would, ultimately, lose the NFC Championship Game to the Dallas Cowboys, but if you want to see a game from one of the great rivalries of the 70s that was played in some of the sloppiest conditions you’ll ever see, fire this one up and have a watch.

 

[Corbin]

Earth is definitely round, but the whole "billions of years" thing is kind of embarrassing, in light of most honest research these days. Around four thousand on the dinosaurs. Around six thousand on the earth, actually. Check it out.

Kind of sad, actually, that we keep teaching kids lies. Big Flood makes sense, however incredible. Big Bang: embarrassing.


View: https://youtu.be/l1msS71xL00

I hope your joking about this.

 

[Rabid Ram]

This game will hinge on one thing. Turnovers. Who ever loses that battle will lose the game.

And you have keenum

 

[Farr Be It]

I hope your joking about this.

Not the forum for this, but if you want to IM me with a credible explanation of how everything came into being from an explosion I will check it out.

 

[Loyal]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4InYu8OYUX8



The Rams have the best offense because of the sh*tty defenses they have played
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"Lol....You're kidding, right? You're best wide-out is I think Robert Woods? Lol. I don't even know because they are a bunch of nobodys. Do you guys even have a Tight End?"
and...
"well say goodbye to Sammy Watkins because Rhodes shuts down any #1 reciever on every team. So far he has shut down Antonio Brown and Mike Evans, and every other reciever he has faced."
and
"...and was Cooper kupp even on your guys team last year? Or was he some other team's practice squad?

 

[OldSchool]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4InYu8OYUX8



The Rams have the best offense because of the sh*tty defenses they have played
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Lol....You're kidding, right? You're best wide-out is I think Robert Woods? Lol. I don't even know because they are a bunch of nobodys. Do you guys even have a Tight End?"
and...
"well say goodbye to Sammy Watkins because Rhodes shuts down any #1 reciever on every team. So far he has shut down Antonio Brown and Mike Evans, and every other reciever he has faced."
and
"...and was Cooper kupp even on your guys team last year? Or was he some other team's practice squad?

Sounds like a real bright guy you're talking with there

Passing offense advantage" "if you're just comparing receiving options the Vikings run away with it"

That's all you need to know about this "review".