Vikings Flounder on Offense, T Jack is to Blame
NFL January 5th. 2009, 9:45am
Saturday was thrilling, and Sunday was anticlimactic. After a terribly exciting Colts-Chargers finish that ended with a memorable call by Al Michaels, the Ravens were never really threatened by the turnover-prone Dolphins, and woefully-inept Tarvaris Jackson failed miserably (as predicted), which derailed our attempt to go 4-0 this weekend and build on our surprising “5th place” regular season media finish.
If you’re in the “it’s not Jackson’s fault” camp, you’re delusional – the defense bent but didn’t break, sacking McNabb twice, and generating two turnovers. After the pick, Jackson led the Vikings to a 3-and-out; after the fumble, another 3-and-out. After the freak Westbrook TD, you guessed it – another 3-and-out. Through three-and-a-half quarters, the Eagles had three field goals and a defensive touchdown. That’s a good enough defensive performance to get you a playoff win at home … assuming the offense did its part. Of course, it didn’t - one long Peterson run and one TD drive was it. The rest of the afternoon was horrid. Vikings fans should storm the front office and demand a real QB next year. Matter of fact, depending on what happens in free agency, the case could be made for the Vikings to use their 1st round pick on a QB.
(And please, please don’t compare T Jackson to Mike Vick because they both wear No. 7 and are black QBs who excel at running. In Vick’s 2nd year in the league, he led the Falcons to the playoffs, where he was dominant in beating the Packers at Lambeau. If there’s some form of greatness in Jackson’s college career that we’re unaware of, please let us know. Otherwise, start thinking on whether you like Sam Bradford or Mark Sanchez better. Sorry, never been a fan of Stafford.)
The other games, in a sentence: The Big Play is Arizona’s only friend. Darren Sproles is about to get paid. Ed Reed is on his way to being the best safety the NFL has ever seen.
“Rematch Weekend” musings … we like all the home teams … if forced to pick an upset, it might be the Ravens, with the Eagles coming in second … don’t know we feel about the Chargers sans LT … the weather in Charlotte is calling for the 50s and rainy Saturday, which doesn’t bode well for the pass-happy Cards.
78 Responses to “Vikings Flounder on Offense, T Jack is to Blame”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:48 am
I dont know how you actually put money on Tavaris Jackson.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:49 am
Ed Reed is on his way to being the best safety the NFL has ever seen
yes sir
January 5th, 2009 at 9:49 am
TJack doesn’t excel at running, in fact as poorly as he throws he needs to run more. I don’t know why they never went back to Ferrott after he got injured. They sure as hell better not go into next year saying “Tavaris is our QB.”
January 5th, 2009 at 9:51 am
You know, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Arizona beats Carolina (lost @ Carolina by 4 in Oct.) and then beats Philly (if they beat NYG) at home to go to the Super Bowl.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:53 am
I don’t understand why you think Micheals’ call is memorable.
Raise your voice + Explain what’s happening = Memorable call
January 5th, 2009 at 9:53 am
It isn’t T-Jack’s fault. It is the Head Coach himself who drafted this guy in the first place and put an inept player in this situation. It is Brad’s fault and I hope he gets fired this morning.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Cracker thank you he bets on Minny and when they lose he puts all the blame on T Jax. TBL has it ever occurred to you that the Eagles are pretty good and they will beat the Giants next week? Westbrook on a bitch!
Yea this doesn’t happen alot.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:53 am
He’s to blame, sure, but he’s really, really bad, so expectations should not have been that high to begin with. Can you imagine had this team signed Pennington?
Boldin, LDT both possibly out this weekend.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:54 am
Yes, Sam Shepard puts my hometown on the map! Wonder if Jessica Lange was table dancing.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Any particular reason Tampa abbreviates cracker jack’s name that way?
/Somewhat racist
/Getting there
January 5th, 2009 at 9:56 am
The crop of winners this past weekend including a 8-8 SDG team, Arizona and Philly could be some of the worst teams to ever win a playoff game. Baltimore seems more complete than the rest and they are relying on a rookie QB.
I think all 4 teams that had byes last week, will win next weekend.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:58 am
TBL, Ronnie Lott is going to cut off the tip of his finger, come to your house and beat the living shit out of you for spouting such nonsense. Great ballhawk, average openfield tackler. Lott could do everything – and kill your whole family doing it. Don’t forget about the Night Train, either.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:59 am
T-Jack played well in the first half but the Eagles played extremely well in the second half. Oh and Pennington didn’t play that well either.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Was that racist I didn’t know, I was just trying to be funny. I am sincerely sorry.
/White People after the election’d
January 5th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Forgot Night Train actually spent more time at corner than safety, but still…Lott > Reed.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:02 am
Was that racist I didn’t know, I was just trying to be funny. I am sincerely sorry.
/White People after the election’d
Tampa: Don Imus wants to have a word with you
January 5th, 2009 at 10:02 am
Every fifth black person who comes in here for a bypass doesn’t leave this table.
/Inner monologue of Tar Baby after the election’d
January 5th, 2009 at 10:03 am
I agree that the situation is unfair to Jackson. The Vikings got him knowing he was raw and a project. When you get a guy like that it is understood you will need to be patient with him. He showed some real improvement towards the end of this season.
The Vikings seemed to decide earlier this year that they were in it to win NOW — installing Frerotte. If that was indeed the mindset they should have gone back to him when he came back healthy.
Make a decision on the team’s direction and stick with it — and be willing to live with the consequences.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:03 am
short – spoles inside the 10, sproles inside 5, the chargers win the game – sweet, and then silence. plus, the other factors at play – bedlam in the stands, the camera bouncing due to the bedlam, and of course, i won a bet
January 5th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Seems like hyperbole based on a few things fresh in our minds, but there’s no denying the man is awesome. I made a mistake of listening to Mike and Mike this morning though and Weinberg said something like if he was starting a team and he could pick one guy on defense, it’d be Ed Reed. Silliness.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:03 am
if this made memorable calls then Chris Berman would be the king of play buy play.
It wasn’t spectacular, it was actually pretty average. it’s only memorable b/c michaels did the miracle on ice, clearly this guy has been resting on his laurels since then.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:04 am
t-jack couldn’t cut it at arkansas in college, what made the vikings think he was going to lead them through the playoffs is beyond me. i was so dillusional that they even made the playoffs i thought they had a chance yesterday. even busted out my old school cris carter jersey for the first time in years. didn’t help.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:04 am
Two more TD drives than Eli led against the Eagles a few short weeks ago.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Cowherd is totally ripping Dungy and his playoff record today, it is about effing time somebody did.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu both make that position something special for their teams. Safeties are usually just plain vanilla. Those two guys dominate football games from that position, which is rare.
Kenny Easley and Ronnie Lott were 2 others that did so, but the total number of dominant players from that position can be counted on 2 hands, at most.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:08 am
yes, for now Lott remains the best. that’s why i said ‘on his way.’
but if reed keeps up his play for a few more years … i mean, this guy is a dominant game-changer. Lott was a great great tackler and a hard hitter … but when Reed picks a pass or pounces on a fumble, he’s got a chance to score.
14 years, lott had 6 def TDs (4 in his rookie year)
http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/nfl/hof00/lott-stats.html
63 interceptions
reed – 7 years, 7 def TDs
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5910/career
43 interceptions
January 5th, 2009 at 10:08 am
The Indy Star is trying to run him out of town. Congrats Cracker, your dream of Dungy getting the Belicheat-ment is coming true!
January 5th, 2009 at 10:09 am
i was so dillusional that they even made the playoffs i thought they had a chance yesterday. even busted out my old school cris carter jersey for the first time in years.
Hope it was Carter’s Eagles jersey (you know, the one with the beer spilled on the front and the crack burn-holes all over it). The Vikings and Dolphins ones wouldn’t have helped, and I don’t think the “tOSU” jersey will either later tonight or whenever they’re playing that bowl game.-lol
January 5th, 2009 at 10:09 am
t-jack couldn’t cut it at arkansas in college, what made the vikings think he was going to lead them through the playoffs is beyond me.
You can blame Steve McNair and the SWAC for this.
He has a ring and makes the playoffs every year right?
January 5th, 2009 at 10:10 am
Really? No, I mean really? Only 1 team wins the Super Bowl every year. Those aren’t good odds. This year his team goes 12-4, and what do they get for it? A wild card road game.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Polamalu isn’t in Reed’s league.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Nah, if he was getting the Belicheatment(very nice), more would be made of this:
http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/01/03/the-colts-are-cheaters/
…but it won’t be.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:12 am
no clue who weinberg is, but what’s so silly about it? Guess it depends what you think is the most important position on D. i can see Reed going in the top 5.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:13 am
save the colts stuff for later. post coming
January 5th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Polamalu isn’t in Reed’s league.
Whoever said that he was needs to be slapped with a highlight tape.
Bob Sanders > Polamalu
January 5th, 2009 at 10:16 am
DE first, then LB or DT, then maybe S. (Unless you want a corner, though I think those are a dime a dozen.)
January 5th, 2009 at 10:16 am
I actually like Cowherd most of the time, but really, since about 2003 the AFC has been absolutely loaded with great teams. Some are great one year and implode (2006 Ravens), some are great and stay great (Patriots, Steelers, Chargers to a lesser extent). So they got beat by the team that won the Super Bowl three straight years, had a bad home loss when the couldn’t get a pass rush, then had to go on the road as a completely one-dimensional team and face a Chargers team whose punter had one of the all-time great games in NFL history resulting in three Charger scoring drives from 45 yards or less?
Should the Colts have more than one Super Bowl. Absolutely. Has their team been getting progressively better since 2003, 2004? No. But man, calling Dungy and Manning chokers sure is an easy story that gets listeners, clicks and eyeballs!
January 5th, 2009 at 10:17 am
If you’re in the “it’s not Jackson’s fault†camp, you’re delusional
Sorry TBL. I’ll take you up on the delusional tag (and the free and delicious pills that come with it).
I saw all I needed to see of the Vikes in that MNF “win” against the Saints. They were disorganized, prone to mistakes, had their best player shut down and were scored on in big plays on defense AND special teams.
In short, they are who I thought they were.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:18 am
I can see Reed going in the top 5 also, but only by teams who build from the outside in. Give me a dominant end first, then a dominant linebacker.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Bsanders did you not see this?
January 5th, 2009 at 10:19 am
Man I rarely agree with a Kravitz column, but that one is spot on.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:19 am
I keep going to the star tribune website hoping to see something about the Vikings firing the coach. I say coach, because I refuse to speak that man’s name.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:21 am
I don’t see how some defensive coordinator spouting a theory to make his defense look better (Florio forgets to mention that Madden said on the air “I think he’s just paranoid”) is comparable to getting caught videotaping signals. But hey if there’s even one spec of dirt to be had on the Colts, Florio will turn it into a pile by noon
January 5th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Football is a team game. Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu “fly around the field and make plays”, because the other 10 guys on their defenses are so good and allow Reed and Polamalu to play out of position.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Cracker
- Kravitz is a moron. Case and point:
This is moronic. I suppose Chuck Knoll’s four Super Bowls, Tom Landry’s two Super Bowls and Bill Walsh’s three Super Bowls mean nothing. The image of Cowher slobbering all over himself in Detroit and Belichick scowling on the sidelines in Arizona are more recent, but there’s no “one way” to win a Super Bowl. Players win Super Bowls, not coaches. And until the Colts upgrade the interior of their offensive and defensive lines, they’re fucked come January. But that wouldn’t be a column that would grab readers, so Kravitz goes for the easy story.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:29 am
TBL you listenin to Howard? Artie’s on the phone talking about detox
January 5th, 2009 at 10:31 am
@cgb… I buy that completely. Still amazed at what those guys accomplish on the field weekly, in completely different ways. The NFL is all about exposing weaknesses, and it is rare that either of them get exposed regardless of how out of position or reckless they are from play to play.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:31 am
I hate to break it to you, but it ain’t happening.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:35 am
Cracker
- Kravitz is a moron. Case and point:
Right now, angry, frustrated Colts fans want a spittle-spewing, butt-chewing SOB who will inspire this team to play as well in the playoffs as it does in the regular season — and I don’t blame them. They don’t want soft-spoken. They don’t want even-keel.
This is moronic. I suppose Chuck Knoll’s four Super Bowls, Tom Landry’s two Super Bowls and Bill Walsh’s three Super Bowls mean nothing. The image of Cowher slobbering all over himself in Detroit and Belichick scowling on the sidelines in Arizona are more recent, but there’s no “one way†to win a Super Bowl. Players win Super Bowls, not coaches. And until the Colts upgrade the interior of their offensive and defensive lines, they’re fucked come January. But that wouldn’t be a column that would grab readers, so Kravitz goes for the easy story.
bsanders: usually agree with you it appears, but on this one, I have to completely disagree. Having lived in Buffalo and going to all the games during their “glory years” in the early ’90’s, I can tell you 100% that Buffalo fans ALWAYS wanted the “spittle-spewing, butt-chewing SOB” ie Parcells and Cowher types) rather than Marv Levy, Wade Phillips, Mike Mularkey, Gregg Williams, and now Dick Jauron.
Most fans will tell you that if they had that type of coach, instead of “Grandpa Marv”, the Bills would have won at least one, and probably two Super Bowls. Don’t know if they would have, but I know that’s the feeling.
I can see Colts fans feeling the same way w/ “St. Tony.” Time for him to go save the world.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:36 am
I actually read the other Kravitz column, about the Colts being underachievers. Perfect comparison:
January 5th, 2009 at 10:38 am
Damn, TBL acts as if TJack performed at a Chad Pennington fuck up level. He wasn’t bad, and his numbers were similar to Flacco’s, except Flacco played on a better team against a weaker defense. But of course, the Brothers never have the opportunity to be young developing QB’s.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Colts lost Right? Why are we talking about them? How bout them Ravens.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Depends on how you look at it. How many of those 12-win seasons have the Colts had the best team? One – 2005. They couldn’t pick up Pitt’s blitzing in the playoffs that year and made up for it by winning the Super Bowl next year. Could they – should they – have at least made it to one other Super Bowl during that period of time? Absolutely.
Oh, and all those people putting Cowher on a pedestal and putting Dungy out to pasture, St. Spittle won only one Super Bowl and came up short in the playoffs SEVERAL times. Cowher never had a QB, Dungy’s never had a D he could count on to get off the field in crunch time. That bastard Belichick has had both. So spoiled.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:44 am
crackerjack…what’s the colts equivalent to umpires not wanting to make tom glavine sad so they give him every single pitch that hits the “corner?”
i say “corner” but what i really mean is a good 6″ to a foot outside because glavine is a pussy for the ages. tom glavine is such a pussy, his entire house reeks of tuna and he bleeds the same time every month.
/fuck tom glavine that piece of shit
January 5th, 2009 at 10:46 am
I have no idea what that means. So I’ll just assume it’s supposed to mean baseball sucks. Alright, then.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:50 am
spencer is just already in a bad move in anticipation of the beating tOSU is going to get in the Fiesta
/actually, could care less
January 5th, 2009 at 10:51 am
I think Cowher is overrated too, FWIW.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:51 am
uh…did you forget tommy maddox?
January 5th, 2009 at 10:52 am
I would say it would be refs not wanting to make Bill Polian mad.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:52 am
im actually in a great “move” because tonight i might actually see texas’ defense make their first tackle of the season.
/big xii blows
January 5th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Cowher never had a QB
uh…did you forget tommy maddox?
Neil O’Donnell was a beast.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Every current NFL coach (or those who just recently retired) is overrated, except for Belichick. He’s the guy who gets the most of his talent and last year he was gifted the biggest individual difference maker in NFL history and got a little greedy by trying to rip peoples’ hearts out. This year, he was back to his usual self. Belichick is like Jordan or Manning or Brady, they could give him the Coach of the Year every year and it’d absolutely be justified. Sportswriters just get bored. Hence, Karl Malone and Shaun Alexander.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Fixed for sodomy.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:57 am
What team over the Dungy run has the Colts lost to team they should have beaten?
January 5th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Oh, and all those people putting Cowher on a pedestal and putting Dungy out to pasture, St. Spittle won only one Super Bowl and came up short in the playoffs SEVERAL times. Cowher never had a QB, Dungy’s never had a D he could count on to get off the field in crunch time. That bastard Belichick has built both. So much better.
/Fixed
And Spence I think the equivalent would be the contact with the receivers bitching some five/six years ago about contact. I could be wrong though.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:01 am
They were favored over the Patriots in 03… they were favored over the Patriots in 04…they were favored over the Stellers in 05…and they were favored over the Chargers last year.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:03 am
First FCS opponent of the season, spencer. You might see a Longhorn tackle yet.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Betting lines, really? Considering the Pats had beaten them in the regular season both years and were playing in Foxboro, those aren’t upsets. They’ve really only lost two postseason games they SHOULD’VE won. Steelers in 05 and Chargers in 07. They also won at Baltimore in 06 when they were the underdog, so I guess overall they’re -1. If that’s underachieving, so be it.
As for this year’s loss, the Chargers game was toss up. If you look at both games they played in San Diego this year and the margin for error/victory either way, those teams are as equal as you can get. But hey, I realize this is a great time for Pats fans and the Colts losing makes their day, so I’m probably going to cease defending them now.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Betting lines…..LOL
January 5th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
peter king, on overtime. this was a big discussion saturday night.
January 5th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Mark Sanchez better than Stafford? Laughable. If you had watched Sanchez all year like I do, since every USC game is Christmas out here, you would see an average QB with weapons everywhere.
The one big knock on Stafford is that he tries to force throws in there because he thinks his arm is strong enough.
January 5th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
it isn’t all about numbers. if you watched the games, it is night and day. baltimore moved the ball, sometimes at will. the vikings couldn’t move the ball, and t jack threw a pick six.
January 5th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I’m sure would have been saying this last year when Favre led the Packers down the field in OT in the NFC title game. Except he didn’t.
January 5th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Funny, I figured the only reason he brought it up is because Favre and the Jets defeated his rebound girl Matt Cassel and the Pats–it’s the only plausible reason that a game between two non-playoff teams (Pats and Jets) that happened two months ago could be the second item in his piece on wild-card weekend.
January 5th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Also, TBL: yesterday
Tarvaris Jackson >>>>>> Chad Pennington
January 5th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
TBL, I love ya, but how the hell can you take credit for that? Your post lists a handful of ways the Vikings could lose (one of which is T-Jack) then ultimately picks the Vikes to win!
January 5th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
re: Ed Reed
January 5th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
reverse jinx, WCT. I gambled on the Vikings precisely because they had “no chance” to win (or the “public” was betting heavily on them) and EVERYONE picked the eagles. went 3-0 with that strategy … until the Vikings let me down.