Take Solace, Vikings Fan, In These Three Positives
K. Joudry
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As strange as it may sound, there are some positives for Vikings fans to hang onto from yesterday’s brutal loss against the 49ers.
Consider all that went wrong in yesterday’s game:
- Another TD allowed at the end of the half
- A missed 2-point conversion
- A missed PAT
- A brutal INT
- A tough fumble
- A ridiculous officiating decision on the Thielen catch
- Injuries to Barr, Darrisaw, and Cook
- A missed PI on Osborn on the final drive
- A DT starting at DE
- None of the starting four DL available
- Somehow, Josh Norman not getting flagged for punching Thielen
There are likely several other things I’m missing, but you get the point. Yesterday’s game featured plenty of errors. Some were self-inflicted, others were from the refs. Some were just plain ol’ bad luck, others were on the coaching staff. The end result was still a one-score game.
Consider these positives, Vikings fans.
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Sheldon Richardon has had some really nice moments at defense end. Admittedly, it’s not like he is moving from DT to QB; the position isn’t completely different. Nevertheless, it is a different position, one that requires some different abilities and strengths to succeed. So far, Richardson has done well. Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen are both absent due to injuries; Stephen Weatherly was traded before these injuries occurred. The DE depth has therefore been really depleted, leading the Vikings to not only sign Tashawn Bower during the week but also play him for 19 snaps yesterday. The need at DE led to Richardson being used heavily at that position. He put up 5 tackles and 2 QB hits. He pressured Jimmy G 5 times.
Speaking of the defensive line, there is some reason to believe it could be much improved in the near future. Michael Pierce is eligible to come off the IR this week; Dalvin Tomlinson could return from the Covid-19 list. Having both of those players in the middle would make a massive difference. The Vikings knew their run defense wasn’t nearly good enough last season. Their solution was to bring in Tomlinson to partner with Pierce. If they’re back, then things really change for that defense. Eric Kendricks is much more free to pursue the ball carrier. The DEs get better matchups since the opposition’s OL needs to devote more attention to the DTs. Zim can often avoid needing to play a safety in the box. A Wonnum-Pierce-Tomlinson-Richardson DL offers a lot of positives for the Vikings. Not elite, but likely good enough to help the team win.
Finally, the OL did considerably better than I anticipated. The Christian Darrisaw injury is concerning. The broader point remains that the OL played well, though. SF only sacked Cousins once. Take a peak at what PFF had to say: “Christian Darrisaw played 38 offensive snaps before exiting the game with an injury. He allowed just one pressure on his 23 pass-blocking snaps. The rest of the Vikings’ offensive line allowed zero total pressures combined. Minnesota’s woes were definitely not in pass protection.” Mason Cole played much better. There weren’t the abundance of penalties. Brian O’Neill is still great.
Somehow, the Vikings are still in a playoff spot. The team should also be getting talent back soon, especially along the DL. Moreover, they face the Lions. 6-6 awaits and the playoffs remain a real possibility.
Don’t abandon hope.
