Injury knocks out Vikings tackle Artis Hicks

[Mark]

fracas wrote:

I thought that the left tackles, Hicks and Johnson, played well enough. In my mind the biggest problem is the lack of imagination in the play calling (the so called KAO). The vikings are way too predictable on offense and generally do not throw the ball downfield enough. Jackson is an exceptional runner, but lacks accuracy on all throws, especially deep balls.
It is just one game, however. Better days will come and in the end the Vikings will still have a good shot at the playoffs. Hopefully they will open up the offense first.

I think you're right on all this. Peterson is being used as a fullback/battering ram between the tackles, when his strong suit is agility and outside speed. Peterson is a team player and tries to make it work, but you can lay the lack of imagination to the coach. Jackson's running, arm strength and courage were all on display, but his judgment is often poor, and his passes are frequently off. The team probably feels stung, so I think their next effort will see them in a much more determined mood. Let's hope our coach plays them to their strengths.

[Red Foreman]

MR EVER HOPEFUL wrote:

<quoted text>
I object! Being negative is one thing ... being realistic and hoping for change is another. As I and several said here: play calling (3rd & 1 and use the the shotgun?!), consistently inaccurate passes (when receiver is WIDE OPEN!- Where's Frerotte?), missed tackles, a receiver who is only 5'-10" who is always tightly covered, etc.
I hope this is Childress's last year. I want a team I can be proud of in the face of my Packer-fan coworkers.

On the positive side - At least it wasn't 34-0!

That's right it was an improvement from last year. Gee a big run formation on 3rd and 1? Now that's predictable. They kept plugging the box and even an idiot knows when they plug the box, even with AP as your back, you throw the ball. You can't go strength vs strength all the time, ITS PREDICTABLE.

[Morgan Mundane]

MR VERY DISAPPOINTED wrote:

I can't believe what I heard last night!!
TJ out of the shotgun ... to pass ... ON 3RD AND ONE!... with big guns, Peterson and Taylor in back (not being utilized for this very important conversion)!
What a stupid, nutty call! I caught the stupidity of this call at the same time the Packers radio announcers did. This time I would agree with them.

Shotgun? Or was it maybe the spread offense? Real big in College football and getting some time in NFL

[kaziklubey]

Johnny Utah wrote:

POS, what **** game did you watch? TJ actually played pretty well, its just too bad that our bum recievers can't get open consistently. He was patient enough to allow this to happen, and yet nothing. Either the packers are the best at getting away with holding and jamming recievers or we have the weakest 3 in the league. Our play call was suspect all game, and our defense disappointed me as expected. Where was the pressure? We blitzed maybe 10% of time, why? We are playing a first year starting qb, make him nervous, hit him, get him dirty...yet we faked the blitz more than we came with it. Our coaches look like sometimes they have no clue. 3rd and 1 and we are in the shotgun?****??? Give it to your best player. I saw no swing passes to Chester or Adrian...and we tried 2 screens all game. I'd like to say hey look at Jackson's numbers 16-35...and say he sucks, but he played well. That last pass may have not even been his fault, it looked like it got away from him and Shiancoe (who is a huge bust) stopped his route. Either way, we are no-where near superbowl contenders. Want to see what one looks like? Watch the Cowboys/Eagles game next Monday night.

the game I watched, had a QB who was 16 for 35, had a passer rating of 59, had 16 yards passing in the first half. Also threw a pick with under 2:00 to play. Unfortunately, I kept trying to change the color on my tube, but to no avail. He was still wearing purple.

So, because I am so "negative", I am a bad fan. I suppose I should sit back and wait for Jackson to morph into a legit QB. I guess if I wish really hard I will wake up one morning soon and the Vikes will have Tarvaris Jackson MONTANA. Tarvaris BRADY.

2 and a half seasons starting and T-Montana still has problems at the line with "footwork".
He just needs more time.

[top football fan]

oh for the guy up above by the way thats why they have a rule book just cuz you got away with it...doens.t mean it wasn't saw by everyone on national t.v. so you call it what you want an feel real good about that victory the ref's basically handed to rogers so he wouldn 't cry if he lost his first game...well see there's 15 more games friend an one more against you an i'm looking forward to it too in minnesota ..

[fred cox]

Not sure why I bother to post but damn frustrated.

Too early and an apples and oranges thing but look at Rogers vs. TJ and Denver vs. Minnesota. Rogers reads the D really well and checked down to his fourth receiver for a TD. Tj can't read past his second check before he gets flustered and either bails or tosses up a prayer.

Shanahan had a bad team with a young QB last year and comes out with an inspired offence that kept Oakland guessing the whole game. I realize it was only Oakland but Cutler looked the part of an experienced QB and clearly has the tools to win games.

Now look at TJ and Minesota and tell me the ptroblem isn't Childress. He has failed as a head coach and should be canned immediately. Don't give me this crap about it's early and Tj will get better. We've heard this song before and it's no better now than two years ago. He might improve but so long as Childress is the coach the team will never be better than a possible wild card contender.

[Al Choholic]

I agree with most others on play selection. IT seems pretty boring and lackluster. All of our games are going to be close games unless our D is able to score. Bevell should be canned if not Chili. Tired of this Wisconsin Badger offense. I also can't believe Chili hung his job on the back of a D2 QB. He should be fired just for that and the fact that he has lost 5 in a row to the Packers.

[Al Choholic]

CHILI IS A IDIOT! One pass to AD? Unacceptable. Dude needs to be fired.

[P-O-S]

Anyone defending TJack's play of last night should lose their posting rights for the day. In some cases longer depending on the "level of dumb" of the post. Blaming the receivers. Come on. There were a few catchable ones, yes. But most of them were low and inside for ball one. Long passes were just heaved as far as he could. Slant patterns at the feet or the back of the hip of the receiver. Timing patterns, not even going to defend that one. TJack posters, just go away for the day. Or have your wife or six year old watch game with you to discribe to you what is really happening.

[alphamale]

The begining of the end. Monday's game marked the begining of the end for the head coach of the Vikings and QB Jackson, a nice guy with limited NFL qb abilities.

Coach Chilly has staked not only the season but his job on Jackson who has not shown the total scales of skills needed by a NFL starting qb. Monday Jackson throw poor passes, and showed limited leadership abilities.

Of course Jackson was not helped by an overrated offensive line and a group of number 2 and 3 wide recievers. TE Mills was the only bright spot in the receiving corp. Nance was cut even though he showed greater effort than any other receiver in training camp. Both Berrien and Furguson are glass players. Both just waitng for the next toe or leg problem to happen.

The defense didn't exactly shine either and any comparison to the purple people eater is just a crazy coaches dream. Greenway did look good and Shaper perhaps should have retired.

There was no creativity in the coaches offensive or defensive game plan, sad when one consider some of the talent on this team, Peterson, Taylor,Williams and Williams. With the lack of blocking one can only wonder how long it will be before Peterson is hurt.

The end is near for Chilly and Jackson. A 9-7 or 8-8 season will not keep the fan base happy or the ownership of the Vikings.

Both

[Morgan Mundane]

Many people wonder if Tjack can make the step to NFL to read the defenses and know where to throw the ball. The point I've been making for two years is he can't make the throws. Short passes-too often no touch. Long passes-too flat with no loft to go over defender and no where near the reciever.

[Justice]

TJacks the man wrote:

TJack did not have his best game by far but he is not the reason why they lost. He had very little time to set up to get a nice pass away because the line was letting everyone through. I know this because he had 65 yards scrambling for his life. Algore why dont you go play in the middle of the street where a vehicle with a internal combustion engine can take you out the way you should go. Hopefully it will have a Hemi in it!

You must still believe in the Easter Bunny to buddy. What a fool.

[slim]

If they get rid of fat mac's overpaid, over hyped butt, they would have 7 million a year to get a good QB. Thats the big issue with this team. That and chilli sucks. Gus is a better QB. I was preying they would put him out there. But I still think they will be a better team than last year!!!!!!!!!

[Purple Faithful]

fracas wrote:

I thought that the left tackles, Hicks and Johnson, played well enough. In my mind the biggest problem is the lack of imagination in the play calling (the so called KAO). The vikings are way too predictable on offense and generally do not throw the ball downfield enough. Jackson is an exceptional runner, but lacks accuracy on all throws, especially deep balls.
It is just one game, however. Better days will come and in the end the Vikings will still have a good shot at the playoffs. Hopefully they will open up the offense first.

so, jackson throwing more incomplete long passes is the answer? you do realize this is your position, right?

now, to the people who want our d-2 qb playing a more complicated offense with more motion, check -offs and the like; don't ou think if t-jack could do it the vikes would do it?

[Purple Faithful]

P-O-S wrote:

Anyone defending TJack's play of last night should lose their posting rights for the day. In some cases longer depending on the "level of dumb" of the post. Blaming the receivers. Come on. There were a few catchable ones, yes. But most of them were low and inside for ball one. Long passes were just heaved as far as he could. Slant patterns at the feet or the back of the hip of the receiver. Timing patterns, not even going to defend that one. TJack posters, just go away for the day. Or have your wife or six year old watch game with you to discribe to you what is really happening.

dude you are hilarious! i love it!

[Purple Faithful]

Red Foreman wrote:

<quoted text>
That's right it was an improvement from last year. Gee a big run formation on 3rd and 1? Now that's predictable. They kept plugging the box and even an idiot knows when they plug the box, even with AP as your back, you throw the ball. You can't go strength vs strength all the time, ITS PREDICTABLE.

you do realize the packers send in personell to match what the vikes put out, right? i mean, when the vikes substitute & brng in 4 wideouts for 3rd and 1 that the packers also get to substitute. There would have been no spead offense if mckinney had been in at left tackle, i assume. only explanation i can think of for that gimmick. ranks right up there wth using randy moss as a decoy. just like new england did last year when he set the nfl record for td's.

let me say it plain. idiots use the nfl's best players as decoys. idiots use moss as a decoy idiots us adrian peterson as a decoy. When you hae the nfl's best running back, you run. when moss is on your team, you trow him the damn ball. any coach unable to grasp this, needs to find other employment.

[fracas]

Purple Faithful wrote:

<quoted text>so, jackson throwing more incomplete long passes is the answer? you do realize this is your position, right?
now, to the people who want our d-2 qb playing a more complicated offense with more motion, check -offs and the like; don't ou think if t-jack could do it the vikes would do it?

Jackson throwing more incomplete long passes is not my position. My position is that the vikings have to open up the offense more than what we saw in this game. This could mean draw plays, play action passes, an occasional reverse, a screen pass here and there, and more passes that are 10 to 20 yards downfield and don't just rely on YAC to attain a first down. I certainly think the occasional fly pattern serves a purpose as well, helping to keep the safeties deeper and less able to impact both the run game and the short pass game. I am fully aware that Jackson lacks accuracy, as I am the one who posted same. Perhaps TJ needs to spend more time in practice working on this, perhaps they need to find a different QB (for this and other reasons). But the play does serve a purpose even if incomplete.

Awaiting your reply although I doubt you will make one.

[40for60]

Jackson has not learned how to run this offense at any acceptable level to this point. I stated earlier that he is taking two steps forward, and one back by all the injuries. What he might have had going for him in the preseason seems to have vanished now during that first game.
When GB finally decided that Tarvaris was the same old player, then they started concentrating on the run and AD's day was over. Until TJ can make the defense pay for 8 in the box, we will have NO ONE RESPCTING OUR PASSING GAME.
Childress can probably already feel the heat on his neck from his little project, and if the project continues unabated to the bottom of the league in stats, Ziggy will have no choice but to cut his losses.

[Purple Faithful]

fracas wrote:

<quoted text>
Jackson throwing more incomplete long passes is not my position. My position is that the vikings have to open up the offense more than what we saw in this game. This could mean draw plays, play action passes, an occasional reverse, a screen pass here and there, and more passes that are 10 to 20 yards downfield and don't just rely on YAC to attain a first down. I certainly think the occasional fly pattern serves a purpose as well, helping to keep the safeties deeper and less able to impact both the run game and the short pass game. I am fully aware that Jackson lacks accuracy, as I am the one who posted same. Perhaps TJ needs to spend more time in practice working on this, perhaps they need to find a different QB (for this and other reasons). But the play does serve a purpose even if incomplete.
Awaiting your reply although I doubt you will make one.

vikings players have stated jackson limits amount of playbook available. he doesn't know the plays. i agree play action passes would help. reverses with 8 in the box might not :)
He must complete the occosional fly pattern for it to have any impact. 1 in three would be nice in man to man coverage. he complets 1 in 4, and this has not resulted in safetys backing up.

I appreciate your post. intelligent and well thought out.