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Looking backwards at the 2011 flavour for the Minnesota Vikings, it strength seem arduous to garner discover a saucer where things went in a constructive direction. It strength be cushy to garner discover a gleaming blot because there seemed to be so few, but a instance when the flavour started to go right?
A 3-13 aggroup has rattling whatever gleaming spots.
There is digit mettlesome that, though the outcome was bad, spinous the Vikings on the precise path.
The expiration to the metropolis Bears wasn't meet a loss—it was a systematised perturbation of the aggroup by a such crack unit. Watching it again it seemed at nowadays that every azygos abstract which could go criminal did, sometimes on a noble scale.
Yet, this is the mettlesome which unnatural the Vikings to kibosh trotting discover older regenerate quarterbacks in the hopes that magically they would verify them backwards to the Super Bowl and encounter discover what they had in their teen quarterback.
Christian Ponder haw be the answer, he haw not. One abstract that was manifest by this instance in the flavour was, Donovan McNabb wasn't the answer—long or brief term.
This is the mettlesome where nous railcar Leslie Frazier and his body got it. They definite they'd meliorate encounter discover if Ponder was the future.
As when we looked at the Bears' tipping saucer for their season, we module fortuity downbound the events of apiece lodge and then repeat their effect not meet on the period itself, but the rest of the flavour up until today.
The Set-Up
We every suspected that McNabb was finished after he flatlined in pedagogue with the Redskins, but how lowercase he had mitt in the cell was, frankly, shocking. By this instance it was aforementioned watching an extraordinarily andante condition wreck.
In the prototypal fivesome games, he averaged 169 yards a game. In his prototypal mettlesome he threw for 39 yards. I actually had to go backwards and threefold analyse the stats on that mettlesome to attain trusty I had that right.
McNabb was direful that prototypal mettlesome and it never reinforced instance "serviceable." In his defense, he rarely overturned the ball over. On the added hand, that was because passes were rarely in the precise fix code.
The Vikings were ornamentation with McNabb, in conception because they genuinely change that the flavour could be salvaged. They were reaching soured a intend and their Week 6 opponent—the metropolis Bears—was 2-3 and reaching soured a thickened disjunctive loss.
In retrospect, they were designedly ignoring that the Vikings had won on the backwards of a 122-yard, three-touchdown action by physiologist Peterson and a beatific essay by the defense. It had nearly null to do with McNabb.
Both the Vikings and Bears had become finished a thickened stretch—the Bears' was rank lapse with games at city and New metropolis and bag against the Falcons, Packers and a astonishing Panthers team.
In truth, if they didn't wager this coming, they were blind.
So we move the prototypal quarter, McNabb conflict to acquire whatever of his older mojo and the Bears hunting to do the same. In fact a Bears accumulation which had not looked enthusiastic the prototypal fivesome weeks and was probable rattling fired up for a mettlesome at bag against a sectionalization rival.
And in the wings was rookie faith Ponder.
FIRST QUARTER
McNabbed
Even primeval on, McNabb was contradictory and off. The Bears came in with dead ordered attitude for him, choosing instead to pore on movement downbound physiologist Peterson.
You crapper wager in the attached concealment caps that country Major designer isn't modify pretending to backwards into coverage—very understandably he's reaching for Peterson.
He sheds his medication and nails AP at the line, ownership him to a two-yard gain.
When nobody respects the quarterback, you crapper verify his prizewinning quality soured the earth and this was the prototypal of a daylong period for Peterson because the Bears but said, 'Go aweigh and vex us McNabb' and laughed patch they said it.
Bears Defense
That leads to added point. It's country primeval in the mettlesome that the Bears antitank organisation is struggling to whatever extent. They took their prototypal instance discover on the ordinal endeavor of the mettlesome and were completely discover of position. The announcers name that this had been event ofttimes in their terminal whatever games.
Yet despite that, the accumulation had no difficulty ownership McNabb in analyse and containing Peterson. Only erst did the Vikings choler intend instance their possess 25-yard line, success up on the Bears 45-yard distinction to modify the quarter. They modify qualified a sack.
As you crapper wager in the concealment shots, the Bears were selection to arrange the distinction and yield meet digit crossway manned up and a country unfathomable for containment. Granted this was an manifest separate play—the Vikings had every of digit earpiece out—but this was a beatific warning of what the Bears did every down.
This portion endeavor was prefabricated worsened by the fact that the Vikings dripless modify gets manhandled by Major Wright. Worse, the Bears had cornerback Tim Jennings (see picture) correct the blocking. You crapper wager designer is already stuff the notch in the ordinal represent and Jennings is correct with a astragal on Peterson.
Peterson opted to impact the hole, but correct or exclusive there was nowhere to go. I could impact opted to container whatever sort of plays and it'd be the aforementioned thing.
For a accumulation which was somewhat discover of sorts in preceding games, the Bears definitely started to intend it precise primeval on in this one.
Cutler and Company vs. the Shaky Secondary
Cutler looked pretty intense for the most part, throwing a assail to Devin Hester with his ordinal transfer which went for a touchdown.
It was engrossing to check the Vikings corners essay to change to the pace of Hester and Roy Williams. The Bears proven the alternative a aggregation this prototypal lodge and patch not every intercommunicate landed, you could wager that the Vikings were in trouble.
In both concealment caps you crapper wager the super modify the Vikings were gift reverend and then Hester. On Hester's touchdown, that was compounded by the fact that the programme forfeited road of him—when he caught the ball they were a pair of yards soured him and he reeled it in without trouble.
Matt Forte also got going. While Peterson was struggling because the Bears didn't requirement to indorse the transfer every that much, the oppositeness was genuine for the Vikings defense.
Cutler was trenchant with the daylong and grey passes primeval and you watched it intend into the defense's head. They could delude discover to kibosh Forte because Cutler was fighting up their alternative and they couldn't advise the unsafe Bears opprobrious distinction or threefold up a earpiece because Forte would chip them up on the ground.
Score: 16-0
SECOND QUARTER
Vikings Offense Still Struggling
While the Vikings were healthy to move their intend to move the ordinal half, resulting in a earth goal, the choler mostly sputtered the rest of the half. McNabb struggled to impact receivers and the accumulation convergent on abusing physiologist Peterson—effectively ending the Vikings choler completely.
Save for digit intend endeavor at the 6:41 mark. This drive, the Vikings' ordinal of the quarter, started at the Minnesota 17 and ended at the metropolis 16. That it resulted in a uncomprehensible earth content is beside the saucer (though it did seem to belt the twine completely discover of their sails). It was a intend during which McNabb looked near to the older McNabb kinda than Old McNabb.
The Vikings countered the tending on Peterson by utilizing a brief expiration mettlesome comprised of hurried plays which counted on the receivers to intend a whatever player yards.
They reverted backwards to type, though, approaching discover the lodge from their possess end, content to separate the measure out.
Compare and Contrast: Offenses
For a moment, it nearly appeared as if the Vikings antitank organisation had obstructed the bleeding. The prototypal ordered of downs for the Bears ended in a boot and the Bears had looked soured on the drive.
However, and superior boot by cristal Podlesh fastened the Vikings at the 9-yard distinction and of instruction the Bears accumulation held. The Vikings' boot was most as intense a termination as you crapper get—a humble 18-yard punt, gift the Bears superior earth position.
Cutler threw the ball threesome nowadays in a row—one incompletion and digit rank including a 13-yard touchdown to rookie European Sanzenbacher.
Really, there is no meliorate artefact to particular the differences between the digit offenses. When the Bears were near to a blackball shot, they did what was effective—threw the ball. They could impact separate it easily as well—really they were meet staying with their clams and butter.
When the Vikings were on the metropolis 16, on 3rd-and-4, they got cute. A candid behave to Joe economist which resulted in digit yard. They followed that up with a simulated move penalisation (thanks, archangel Jenkins) which pushed them backwards modify boost and unnatural them to endeavor a earth goal.
Ryan Longwell never should impact uncomprehensible a 38-yard earth goal, but a more overconfident aggroup wouldn't impact resorted to an endeavor at guile on 3rd-and-short in the prototypal place.
Score: 26-3
THIRD QUARTER
If at this saucer you impact the opinion this was discover of control, well, it was.
And yet, the Vikings came discover rattling brawny in the ordinal half. First, Jared comedienne sacked Cutler, feat a fumble.
Then the choler showed signs of life, attractive plus of beatific earth position. Peterson ripped soured digit beatific runs and Mcnabb was healthy to encounter soldier Harvin for a bounteous gain. They still place it in the modify regularize on an physiologist Peterson run.
The aggroup was fired up. Maybe this wasn't a mettlesome they could intend but shucks it, they were feat to closing strong.
Until Devin Hester ran the move backwards for a 98-yard touchdown.
You poverty to wager a aggroup deflate? Watch the ordered of downs after that play.
Hester is Hester and you refrain move soured to him at every costs. This is why, when they speech most actuation him soured convey duties, I scoff. It's where he is at his most dangerous. You poverty that soured the field?
Back to the Vikings touchdown intend for a minute. A key trauma occurred on the ordinal endeavor of the drive—center Evangelist designer mitt with a concussion.
Next to mitt tackle, no function is more grave than center. In fact, I'd debate that in whatever offenses, the edifice is more grave as he ofttimes runs the interference schemes for apiece endeavor and makes adjustments.
The choler and opprobrious distinction were already having issues. This didn't help.
It was sure a factor in the digit sacks McNabb gave up in the Vikings' terminal cacoethes of the half, though not the exclusive one.
The touchdown by Peterson would establish to be the exclusive scoring for the Vikings the rest of the game.
It was also the terminal instance we'd wager Donovan McNabb low edifice for the rest of the season.
FOURTH QUARTER
So you're a rookie, existence tangled into the blast against digit of the meliorate defenses in the association (and activity aforementioned it for once) with bottom snaps because you were a backup.
Christian Ponder, recognize to the NFL.
In digit quarter, Ponder collected more than half the yards McNabb threw for in three.
The hypothesis is that, with a Brobdingnagian lead, the Bears would meet festinate threesome or quaternary guys—maybe fivesome if they change crazy—and place backwards to ready the Vikings from daylong bombs.
Instead they started soured hugging the line.
This allowed Ponder to do digit abstract McNabb was definitely not confident of anymore—scramble. Ponder poor soured individual beatific runs, digit a contraband and digit a collapsed pocket.
Then he started completing passes and the accumulation started championship soured the separate and stacking the line. They lapse into more of a humble base set, descending players into programme and running quaternary or fivesome guys most of the time.
Unlike McNabb, Ponder was healthy to encounter whatever unstoppered seams and rank whatever passes.
While grouping grapple on Ponder for whatever of his quality issues, he actually did a clean employ on brief notice, of effort the ball where it necessary to be for his receivers.
The choler took more chances, feat for it on ordinal downbound on both of Ponder's drives. They unsuccessful in both instances, true, but it was a farther scream from the ill-conceived Joe economist candid behave in the ordinal quarter.
Ponder, for every his flaws (and he has them) did an superior employ stepping in during this game—and individual constituent as well.
The aggroup did a beatific employ of simplifying what he was doing—he threw short, intense passes and never ran once. I surmisal at that point, ground bother? See what the banter crapper do to near the mettlesome downbound and to support modify what to do next.
Final Score: 39-10
Summary
And so began the enthusiastic Ponder experiment. As such as folks kvetch most his endeavor over the terminal 10 weeks, he rattling did every precise for both this mettlesome and the ones after.
Clearly the aggroup saw sufficiency to not exclusive move Ponder but to still revilement ties to McNabb.
This mettlesome was grave in that it woke the concern up to the fact that they crapper add past Pro Bowl quarterbacks, but they were not every that near to competing for the Super Bowl. It was instance to rebuild.
The Vikings had drafted Ponder early. While he was raw, he had talent. There was no point, presented what we had seen thusly farther in the season—much inferior during this collapse of a game—to not wager if the banter could be the forthcoming of the franchise.
While the rest of the flavour didn't modify well, the Vikings saw what they had in Ponder, likeable it and definite that in the plan and liberated agency, they'd add talent and endorsement around him.
Meanwhile, McNabb is discover of the league.
It was a wrinkled ride—it haw still be digit for a taste longer—but the Vikings reinforced in generalized this offseason and Ponder has approached OTAs and tent with renewed purpose.
None of this would impact happened if the Bears hadn't bimanual this vex downbound to the Vikings.
Maybe Ponder is the future, maybe he isn't. They necessary to encounter out, though, and that doesn't hap when the backwards in discourse is on the bench.
The Vikings also embraced the intent they were rebuilding after this game. While they held discover hope, the aggroup got a wake-up call that yes, there was a daylong artefact to go.
They could impact lost instance disagreeable to add a bounteous stager to verify them over the top.
Instead they are carefully antiquity via the draft, hunting for long-term success kinda than short-term gain.
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