A false start against Jim Kleinsasser on Monday summed up the Vikings' season. When the most valuable member of the offensive line consistently false starts in an attempt to gain the edge he needs to compensate for his fellow linemen's short-comings the end is never far behind. That end was obtained on Monday night, when the Vikings put forth one of their all-time worst performance en route to a pig-like 21-3 loss. All that was missing was the lipstick.
How bad was the performance? The Vikings trotted out two quarterbacks who each performed to the tune of sub-50 passer ratings. One quarterback's performance, that of rookie Joe Webb, was excusable, particularly given his clear assets. The performance of the other, was unacceptable and was merely one more nail in the coffin of a Minnesota career that never should have begun for Tarvaris Jackson.
For the game, Jackson was 15 of 30 for 118 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception. Sidney Rice had five of those receptions, but for just 60 yards despite being targeted 12 times. Jackson chipped in 8 yards on four carries. Favre could have done that with his left hand and no legs.
The loss means the end to the Vikings' playoff hopes and a season ahead full of considerable questions. Who will play quarterback next season? Can the Vikings rebuild their offense and keep their defensive stars? Who will coach the team? The answers might make Vikings' fans content to suffer through protracted CBA negotiations.
Up Next: Voice of Vikings Embarrasses Self in Shilling for New Stadium.
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2 comments:
Wow, was that ugly last night. I'm a diehard, but I have to say that even back in training camp I had an overwhelming feeling of dread about this season. Last year was the Vikings' year in terms of lucky bounces, breaks, lack of injuries, etc., and those planets do not align very often. The fact that the Vikings got as far as they did last season in spite of the Brad Childress restrictor plate is a testament to how good that team really was. Now the purple is saddled with an aging, broken down roster full of pending free agents, no quarterback targeted, and a dimished stock of draft picks by finishing in the middle of the pack and trading away the 3rd rounder for the Moss rental. Childress thinks he left this team in better shape than the one he inherited? Maybe from a discipline standpoint, but he has left Frazier or whoever gets hired a real mess...
The Vikes appear to be bottoming out -- heading towards a couple of rebuilding years before they can become competitive again. As last night proved - the defense is in as much of a shambles as the offense. I hope Les Frazier gets the head coach job, but no matter who gets the job, this teams looks like it needs rebuilding. The Vikes need upgrades everywhere (including their stadium). We could be in for a couple more 4-12/6-10 years before we see the playoffs again. It's not going to be pretty.
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