2023 Vikings Regular Season Thread

[Danchat]

Shoulda been fired after that inexcusable playoff loss...

We got Scorigami!

[Vanimal46]

Here are my Coaches on the Hot Seat List with 4 weeks to go in the regular season... 

CURRENT OPENINGS:

Raiders and Panthers

HIGHLY LIKELY TO BE FIRED:

LAC Brandon Staley - I’m surprised this wasn’t a mid season firing to attempt to save the season. Now it’s over for them... Herbert is on the IR and they just gave up 63 points to the Raiders... He should be fired tomorrow. 

TEN Mike Vrabel - He’s a great defensive coach, but there’s something to be said about the 3 QB circus he’s been using the last 2 seasons. He’s not going to be the guy to develop Willis or Levis.

WAS Ron Rivera - New owner, new GM, new HC. Rivera has had plenty of time to turn things around.

CHI Matt Eberflus - The Bears are looking better in recent weeks, but Eberflus is not the right coach to lead them out of the rebuild.

SEAT IS SIMMERING:

NYJ Robert Salah - The fact that he started Tim Boyle at QB for 2 games and pretended like he was the best option on the team is laughable at best.

NYG Brian Daboll - Yes, Daniel Jones was lost to a torn ACL. When healthy, he wasn’t good. NYG hasn’t developed a WR since Odell Beckham Jr. He has tons of young, highly drafted talent that isn’t producing.

TB Todd Bowles - They are about to head into a hard rebuild. Their team is old and mediocre. They should trade one or both of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. They will likely franchise tag Antoine Winfield Jr and they should trade him too. 

THE BELICHICK SITUATION:

The Patriots are in as good of a position as anyone to draft either Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. I think he will want to stay and draft one of these guys. If I was Robert Kraft, I would talk Belichick into giving up his GM duties. I don't think he will do that in New England, but maybe he will be just a HC somewhere else. He could easily be traded to someone else for a 1st or early 2nd round pick if he agrees to be a HC on a traditionally structured team. 

[Vanimal46]

Seattle coach Pete Carroll (age 72) and Andy Reid (age 65) could also retire at any season and not be a surprise. 

[gunnarthor]

9 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

Here are my Coaches on the Hot Seat List with 4 weeks to go in the regular season... 

CURRENT OPENINGS:

Raiders and Panthers

HIGHLY LIKELY TO BE FIRED:

LAC Brandon Staley - I’m surprised this wasn’t a mid season firing to attempt to save the season. Now it’s over for them... Herbert is on the IR and they just gave up 63 points to the Raiders... He should be fired tomorrow. 

TEN Mike Vrabel - He’s a great defensive coach, but there’s something to be said about the 3 QB circus he’s been using the last 2 seasons. He’s not going to be the guy to develop Willis or Levis.

WAS Ron Rivera - New owner, new GM, new HC. Rivera has had plenty of time to turn things around.

CHI Matt Eberflus - The Bears are looking better in recent weeks, but Eberflus is not the right coach to lead them out of the rebuild.

SEAT IS SIMMERING:

NYJ Robert Salah - The fact that he started Tim Boyle at QB for 2 games and pretended like he was the best option on the team is laughable at best.

NYG Brian Daboll - Yes, Daniel Jones was lost to a torn ACL. When healthy, he wasn’t good. NYG hasn’t developed a WR since Odell Beckham Jr. He has tons of young, highly drafted talent that isn’t producing.

TB Todd Bowles - They are about to head into a hard rebuild. Their team is old and mediocre. They should trade one or both of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. They will likely franchise tag Antoine Winfield Jr and they should trade him too. 

THE BELICHICK SITUATION:

The Patriots are in as good of a position as anyone to draft either Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. I think he will want to stay and draft one of these guys. If I was Robert Kraft, I would talk Belichick into giving up his GM duties. I don't think he will do that in New England, but maybe he will be just a HC somewhere else. He could easily be traded to someone else for a 1st or early 2nd round pick if he agrees to be a HC on a traditionally structured team. 

I don't think there is a scenario where either NY coach is there next year. I'd place them both above Eberflus and Vrabel. If Fields starts playing well, Eberflus stays. Vrabel, it seems to me, is very well liked although he might leave to go to NE. 

[gunnarthor]

9 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

Seattle coach Pete Carroll (age 72) and Andy Reid (age 65) could also retire at any season and not be a surprise. 

Reid is going to coach until he dies. Like, he literally has no life outside of coaching. 

[Danchat]

10 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

TEN Mike Vrabel

I think he's safe, they have a bad roster and he's a strong leader of men. Heck, I could see another team trading for him if Ten really wants to move on.

10 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

CHI Matt Eberflus -

The more I watch the Bears, the more I think they are fooled into keeping him.

10 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

If I was Robert Kraft, I would talk Belichick into giving up his GM duties. I don't think he will do that in New England, but maybe he will be just a HC somewhere else.

It sounds like Kraft is going to axe him once the season is over, but there have been trade talks floating around. He's still a great DC but he's been a horrid GM for years now and the offensive side of the ball has deteriorated under his management. No way would I take him as a HC at this point, despite how great he was for a long time.

[nicksaviking]

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39113246/joe-flacco-signs-1-year-deal-browns-incentives-wins

Interestingly, the Browns gave Flacco an incentive laden contract signing him from their practice squad. I'm quite confident that's not normal and makes me think maybe they DID have teams trying to steal him away.

Well, specifically one team, which we talk about here in this thread.

[Danchat]

25 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39113246/joe-flacco-signs-1-year-deal-browns-incentives-wins

Interestingly, the Browns gave Flacco an incentive laden contract signing him from their practice squad. I'm quite confident that's not normal and makes me think maybe they DID have teams trying to steal him away.

Well, specifically one team, which we talk about here in this thread.

It seems too late in the year to add another QB who'd need to learn O'Connell's system, but I wouldn't completely rule it out. You have to think the Jets inquired, with how they were starting Tim freaking Boyle.

[nicksaviking]

12 hours ago, Danchat said:

Shoulda been fired after that inexcusable playoff loss...

We got Scorigami!

Perusing Staley's ProFootballRef page is interesting. So looks like before he became a bigshot DC with the Rams (surely in no way due to HOFers like Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey), he was the LB coach for the Broncos and before that the Bears. His Bears LBs included Roquan Smith, Khalil Mack, Leonard Floyd and Danny Travathan. That mush have been a pretty tough job coaching up that group of bums.

Prior to that he had one FBS job as a 30-year-old Grad Assistant at Tennesee, otherwise it was all FCS, JUCO and Div III stops, including Minnesota's most successful college program St. Thomas.

[Vanimal46]

This was the only way to go for the Chargers. They flat out gave up in that game last night. 

[gunnarthor]

Strange season. Charges gave up 63 points and that wasn't the largest total given up this year. Ouch. 

[Mike Sixel]

Wow. They must really have wanted that coach fired. You'd have to try to give up that many points to LV.

I suspect Flores will get an offer from one of these teams, though young OC is the trend....

[nicksaviking]

39 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Wow. They must really have wanted that coach fired. You'd have to try to give up that many points to LV.

I suspect Flores will get an offer from one of these teams, though young OC is the trend....

I bet Flores gets interviews, but I don't see the Chargers going back to the defensive side of the ball for a HC after this last hire. With a stud young QB, I'd put money on them going the upstart offensive mind route. If I was Houston, I'd be sweating being able to keep Bobby Slowik longer than a single season. CJ Stroud could be doing this all on his own, but NFL GMs will always hope it's a genius coordinator pulling the strings.

[nicksaviking]

1 hour ago, Vanimal46 said:

This was the only way to go for the Chargers. They flat out gave up in that game last night. 

OK, a bit off topic, but Schefter is maybe the worst of the worst modern "reporter". Everyone knows he doesn't care about accuracy or him being a willing propaganda machine for whomever will feed him BS intel, but come one, could he find a more unflattering photo of Staley for this report? 

I mean, the guy was a bad coach, but that doesn't mean he was a bad guy. This looks like the cover of some slanderous grocery store tabloid. 

[nicksaviking]

1 hour ago, gunnarthor said:

Strange season. Charges gave up 63 points and that wasn't the largest total given up this year. Ouch. 

Yeah, the guy who gave up more is now in the Coach of the Year conversation.

Gross.

[Vanimal46]

We know everything we need to know about this team in 2023, right? Except Jaren Hall... There's honestly nothing this team will do over the next 3 weeks to change my opinion about these things:

- Brian Flores did an amazing job coaching this defense. 

- The team blew games that they should have easily won thanks to turning the ball over like crazy on offense - Bucs, Chargers, Broncos, 2nd Bears game, and this Bengals game, 

- No matter if they win, lose, or tie the next 3 games I'm not calling for anyone's head on the coaching staff. 

[Mike Sixel]

12 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

We know everything we need to know about this team in 2023, right? Except Jaren Hall... There's honestly nothing this team will do over the next 3 weeks to change my opinion about these things:

- Brian Flores did an amazing job coaching this defense. 

- The team blew games that they should have easily won thanks to turning the ball over like crazy on offense - Bucs, Chargers, Broncos, 2nd Bears game, and this Bengals game, 

- No matter if they win, lose, or tie the next 3 games I'm not calling for anyone's head on the coaching staff. 

On the last bullet, my issue isn't execution, it's decision making. I'm looking for growth. I don't see it. Dobbs started last week because KoC refused to move on. He's been very conservative at the end of games. And just overall bad at the end of games tactic wise

[Vanimal46]

4 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

On the last bullet, my issue isn't execution, it's decision making. I'm looking for growth. I don't see it. Dobbs started last week because KoC refused to move on. He's been very conservative at the end of games. And just overall bad at the end of games tactic wise

I'm giving KOC a pass because of the circumstance. No coach is expected to do well with their backup QB. Today we started the franchise record 4th QB in a regular season and gained 400 yards of offense. Mullens played hero ball when he has no business doing so and turned the ball over twice. The 2nd interception is the worst INT I've seen since the Josh Freeman disaster game. 

[Mike Sixel]

42 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

I'm giving KOC a pass because of the circumstance. No coach is expected to do well with their backup QB. Today we started the franchise record 4th QB in a regular season and gained 400 yards of offense. Mullens played hero ball when he has no business doing so and turned the ball over twice. The 2nd interception is the worst INT I've seen since the Josh Freeman disaster game. 

So if they have no Kirk next year, another pass? At some point, decisions matter. I don't love his 

I have no idea if he's a good coach or not. Last year they were historically lucky and got obliterated in the playoffs by a bad team. This year they have been historically unlucky. How do you judge a coach in those circumstances? I have no idea

[Aggies7]

Most of our secondary lacks size. That prayer TD to Higgins was a joke. Size disadvantage to the max 

[Vanimal46]

1 hour ago, Mike Sixel said:

So if they have no Kirk next year, another pass? At some point, decisions matter. I don't love his 

I have no idea if he's a good coach or not. Last year they were historically lucky and got obliterated in the playoffs by a bad team. This year they have been historically unlucky. How do you judge a coach in those circumstances? I have no idea

Of course he doesn’t get a pass next year. This season he lost his starting QB for the season and is making do with what he can. 

[Aggies7]

Vikings have now had 6 straight games where the defense has been asked to hold a one score lead in the final minutes of the 4th quarter. They’ve been successful 3 out of 6 times.

[Aggies7]

Detroit up 21-0 at half. They’ll be 3 ahead after tonight. Making week 18 a possible “rest the starters” 

[Vanimal46]

7 minutes ago, Aggies7 said:

Detroit up 21-0 at half. They’ll be 3 ahead after tonight. Making week 18 a possible “rest the starters” 

No chance Dan Campbell is the type to rest the starters. He went balls to the wall last year to be a playoff spoiler. 

[Aggies7]

9 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

No chance Dan Campbell is the type to rest the starters. He went balls to the wall last year to be a playoff spoiler. 

If they’ve got their seed locked in, I disagree. 

[Aggies7]

42 points for Detroit against Denver. Not feeling too hot about next week

[Aggies7]

 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

It’s crazy that we are seeing calls for O’Connell’s job already, not even through his second full season. I will get to that point eventually, but this is waaaay too soon. Where are these passionate voices for accountability when it comes to the proven mediocrities still running the Twins?  🤣

There is going to be an adjustment period transitioning to life without Kirk. Montana to Young and Favre to Rodgers are the exceptions not the rule. 

The difference for me this year is if they do make the playoffs, I will have no expectations whatsoever. I do think it’s fair to call the season a failure if they don’t. 

[Aggies7]

33 minutes ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

It’s crazy that we are seeing calls for O’Connell’s job already, not even through his second full season. I will get to that point eventually, but this is waaaay too soon. Where are these passionate voices for accountability when it comes to the proven mediocrities still running the Twins?  🤣

There is going to be an adjustment period transitioning to life without Kirk. Montana to Young and Favre to Rodgers are the exceptions not the rule. 

The difference for me this year is if they do make the playoffs, I will have no expectations whatsoever. I do think it’s fair to call the season a failure if they don’t. 

He does make some head scratching moves but no he shouldn’t be fired. I do question why it took until week 15 (and an injury) to feed Ty Chandler. The two qb sneaks may not have been good calls but my god, you needed less than a yard and couldn’t get it because the line got no movement. Execute.

Kirk should be brought back next year and a quarterback can be drafted if one is available. Kirk is outstanding and gives us the best chance to win. Give him a couple more years and the rookie can sit the bench like they did for decades. 

I still want to see the team make the playoffs. Guys can get that experience and at the same time nobody expects anything of them. 

[Aggies7]

GB down 10 in the third against TB. If all 3 NFC teams win today, they’ll all be 7-7.