DERP! That was a Festival of Pain.
...give up a slew of huge runs, give up 3 early points, go for a 4th deep in our territory and bobble it...
...and Atlanta just got another 1st down.
EDIT! Incomplete pass by Penix.
BARTENDER!!!
KOC, JJM, Flores...make a good plan, or you'll be following Kwesi....
Needing JJM to find some touch on a few of those intermediate amd deep throws to let hos play makers make plays, a big arm is nice, but every QB at this level can throw a fastball, touch is what separates the good from the great, noticed a little of the chiefs game that mahomes isn't throwing with as much touch as he's shown in the past as well and they are struggling as a result.
Lots of other issues as well, this was just one that stuck out to me.
Why isn't Chuck Foreman in the Hall of Fame?
Other than JJ, the player that disappointed me most was Ivan Pace Jr. He has to be one of the best penetrating linebackers in the game. Problem is, he can't make the tackle when he gets there. Over and over I saw him behind the line of scrimmage only to whiff on the ball carrier. I think when Cashman gets healthy, it should be him at Eric Wilson at ILB.
Losing Darrisaw and then Kelly had a big impact. But KOC has to be able to adjust to those realities. We saw the same thing against the Rams in the playoffs last year. In basketball, when your shooters are not hitting the 3-pointers, you attack the rim and play high-percentage basketball. KOC knows more about offense than I ever will, but he doesn't seem to have a high-percentage package he can pivot to when not getting the kind of protection required to run his full offense. The high-percentage game can also help a struggling QB establish some level of comfort and confidence.
On to the Bengals, and we won't win that one either if we play like we did last night.
Brutal. Injuries piling up and that's going to be a problem. JJ's growing pains and him being under so much pressure isn't a great combo. Defense getting gashed, having 3-4 starters out and then more injuries is a bad recipe.
MaroonBells wrote:
Other than JJ, the player that disappointed me most was Ivan Pace Jr. He has to be one of the best penetrating linebackers in the game. Problem is, he can't make the tackle when he gets there. Over and over I saw him behind the line of scrimmage only to whiff on the ball carrier. I think when Cashman gets healthy, it should be him at Eric Wilson at ILB.Losing Darrisaw and then Kelly had a big impact. But KOC has to be able to adjust to those realities. We saw the same thing against the Rams in the playoffs last year. In basketball, when your shooters are not hitting the 3-pointers, you attack the rim and play high-percentage basketball. KOC knows more about offense than I ever will, but he doesn't seem to have a high-percentage package he can pivot to when not getting the kind of protection required to run his full offense. The high-percentage game can also help a struggling QB establish some level of comfort and confidence.
On to the Bengals, and we won't win that one either if we play like we did last night.
I'm not one of these ALL-22 football heads that can dig into the Xs and Os, but I am with you-- Pace stood out to me last night as especially bad. Bijan Robinson was brushing him off all night like he was a 165 lb nickel corner.
To your second paragraph, I also agree. We tried one slip screen to Jones that he dropped and then never went back to it. Offense was devoid of rhythm the whole game and that falls on everyone but first and foremost our head coach.
This....
JJ McCarthy had 4 chunk completions in one drive that got us down to the two yard line.
— 𝙆𝙖𝙨𝙚 (@verysadvikings) September 15, 2025
Once protection is sorted out, they should open up the playbook for him. He can do this! pic.twitter.com/sUHPkgpSAy
Followed by this...
This is the one I keep coming back to.
— 𝙆𝙖𝙨𝙚 (@verysadvikings) September 15, 2025
JJ McCarthy has drove you down the entire field. You’ve been sworn by running the ball the entire game, but when you have the ball at the two yard line, you don’t. pic.twitter.com/hvNGGG5hx9
MaroonBells wrote:
This....JJ McCarthy had 4 chunk completions in one drive that got us down to the two yard line.
— 𝙆𝙖𝙨𝙚 (@verysadvikings) September 15, 2025
Once protection is sorted out, they should open up the playbook for him. He can do this! pic.twitter.com/sUHPkgpSAyFollowed by this...
This is the one I keep coming back to.
— 𝙆𝙖𝙨𝙚 (@verysadvikings) September 15, 2025
JJ McCarthy has drove you down the entire field. You’ve been sworn by running the ball the entire game, but when you have the ball at the two yard line, you don’t. pic.twitter.com/hvNGGG5hx9I haven't lost any faith in McCarthy. Doing so would be kind of silly, of course he's not a finished product in Game 2.
The guy I'm out on right now is TJ Hockenson. Brutal start to the season. Very few opportunities going his way for some reason (seems like a big TE would be a new QB's best friend...) and when he does get balls he's either dropping them, fumbling them, or trying to drop and fumble them.
I knew Nailor being bad was gonna drive me crazy while 3 is suspended (it has), but I didn't know TJH was going to be a ghost too.
Through 2 games has Jordan Mason been our best player on offense? ... LOL
Probably nothing new I can add to this mornings hangover;
D played well enough for us to win -- iffen we could score some points
Bijan is going to make a lot of D's look silly, he's a great back
- We dont have anyone of that caliber, most teams dont
I know as much about Penix this morning as I did going into the game last night
The injures are PILING-UP no doubt, but losing Kelly is catastrophic - too much on JJM's plate
The OL isnt playing well overall - maybe CD in there would have helped the last few games.
If you cant run or pass? You'll be drafting top 10 next year
I know we gotta live through growing pains, but JJM has looked over-matched for 7 of the last 8 quarters (not just part of a game).
- Is he the greenest of the 6 drafted that year???
Nights like last night can make you question every decision your team has made lol!
I agree with whomever posted our two best lb's maybe Cashman and Wilson. Pace did us no favors last night, and he never does when Cashman is out.
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
The Vikings won't win another game until they get their O-line fixed. This game belongs in the how to ruin a QB thread! The line sucked and the coach didn't do much to ameliorate the problem. Oh, and how about this, throw the damn ball to Jefferson.
hogjowlsjohnny wrote:
The Vikings won't win another game until they get their O-line fixed. This game belongs in the how to ruin a QB thread! The line sucked and the coach didn't do much to ameliorate the problem. Oh, and how about this, throw the damn ball to Jefferson.
Pretty much starts up front on offense for sure...It's hard for me to tell if JJM is holding on to the ball too long & too often? Or the pass pro just sucks.
Maybe its both
But a good running game would help a lot.
I think its time they just start Mason now too. Let Jones be the change of pace, line out wide guy. Mason can pickup a blitz as well as Jones too.
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
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