vikes game reactions

I read the media’s versions first and then watched. Defense looked pretty damn good and is it just me or did Williams bring a little extra after Zimmer called him dirty last year on Joyner’s hit on Bridgewater ? Zimmer looked like he was crying on the sidelines after both his QB’s took that beating. Morgan Fox who I had never heard of looked unblockable. I didn’t think Goff was terrible. The int looked like a fluke to me and they didn’t give him too much to work with. That throw to Britt was freakish. Thomas might have just cut Quick who looked terrible again. Two muffed punts and KR TD special teams not looking well.

No major injuries.

That’s all I wanted.

Bring on the 49ers and lets see what
we got here.

w
v

http://www.foxsports.com/north/story/minnesota-vikings-st-louis-rams-nfl-sunday-bittersweet-victory-in-overtime-110815

Vikings earn bittersweet victory in overtime against Rams

MINNEAPOLIS — Angered by a hit to Teddy Bridgewater’s head that knocked the quarterback out of the game, the Minnesota Vikings kept their composure and steered their feelings toward another steely victory.
Vikings 21, Rams 18 (OT)

Then they let the St. Louis Rams have it.

Adrian Peterson rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries, helping set up Blair Walsh’s 40-yard field goal in overtime that gave the Vikings a 21-18 victory over the Rams on Sunday.

“We’re a disciplined football team. We do things right. That’s why we are the least-penalized team in the league because we play by the rules,” said Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, who had a hard time holding back.

In a predictably grind-it-out game between similarly constructed teams, the Vikings (6-2) ended Todd Gurley’s streak with 125-plus yards rushing at four straight games. Gurley gained 89 yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts for the Rams (4-4), who took the overtime kickoff at Zimmer’s deferral but quickly went three-and-out.

Marcus Sherels tiptoed along the sideline for a 26-yard return of Johnny Hekker’s 63-yard punt, and Peterson ran the ball well into Walsh’s range to give the Vikings their seventh straight win at home.

Greg Zuerlein made four field goals for the Rams, including a 53-yarder with 17 seconds left in regulation to make up for the 48-yarder that went wide right a few minutes before.

“It wasn’t pretty, but it doesn’t have to be,” Vikings left guard Brandon Fusco said. “As long as we have more points than the opponent at the end, that’s all we care about.”

With Green Bay’s loss at Carolina, the Vikings forged a tie for the NFC North lead, taking momentum into a tough second-half schedule. Bridgewater greeted his teammates as they ran through the stadium tunnel after the game, clapping and slapping their backs.

On a 5-yard scramble early in the fourth quarter, Bridgewater slid to protect himself when cornerback Lamarcus Joyner dived at him shoulder-first. Bridgewater appeared to be out cold, before walking slowly off the field and eventually jogging to the locker room for evaluation.

Asked if he felt the Rams played dirty, Zimmer said simply: “Yes.”

“If we were out on the street,” he said, “we probably would’ve had a fight.”

Zimmer’s postgame handshake with Rams coach Jeff Fisher was rather icy, but both Fisher and Joyner expressed regret about the play and wished Bridgewater well.

“It’s a part of the game. I’m disappointed that he went out. I hope he returns to play as soon as he can,” Fisher said.

Joyner is actually a lifelong friend of Bridgewater’s.

“If I could take it back, personally, I would take it back because I’m not a dirty player. I wouldn’t want to take joy from his mom or from his team,” Joyner said. “Was it intentional? Not at all.”

Zuerlein had a career-long 61-yarder among three field goals in the second quarter, the first from 60-plus yards in the NFL in nearly two years. Zuerlein became the second kicker in NFL history with multiple field goals from 60-plus yards, joining Oakland’s Sebastian Janikowski.

Bridgewater, who was replaced by former Rams backup Shaun Hill, finished 13 for 21 for 144 yards with one interception. He ran for a touchdown in the third quarter to regain the lead for the Vikings, and then had a bootleg rollout for a 2-point conversion.

Late in the third quarter, Rams defensive end William Hayes drew the ire of the Vikings and the crowd with a low hit on Bridgewater, who grabbed his right knee. That was not penalized.

Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was suspended by the NFL for an entire season for his oversight of a bounty system while in the same role with New Orleans. The Saints were found to have been paid bonuses for hard hits that hurt the other team, including Brett Favre and the Vikings in the NFC championship game after the 2009 season.

Nick Foles completed 18 of 33 passes for 168 yards for the Rams, who punted eight times and were penalized 12 times for 87 yards. They rallied from being down 10-0 less than 10 minutes into the game, but Fisher, wary of the wind, called for a 2-point conversion after Gurley’s touchdown run. The relentless rookie was stuffed for no gain.

Went to the game, here is what I think.

I think Goff is not close to ready. He plays with little sense of urgency or energy, he does not move much in the pocket to improve his view or throwing lane, he missed open receivers at least twice with high throws. He appears to drop back with confidence in the pocket, then kind of forget why he’s there. Personally, I think he was outplayed by the Vikings rookie QB, Joel Stave. I thought Mannion looked at least as good as Goff. I am fine with Goff holding a clipboard for this season behind Keenum, then compete for the starting job again next year.

I think the Rams will be one of, maybe the best, rushing offenses in the NFL this year. This team can run block and we have backs with size and strength, but can make tacklers miss too. This can make play action passes effective.

I think the Viking cheerleaders are for the most part small breasted but athletic and they never stop smiling.

I think the Rams defense is stout and has depth of talent. Another poster mentioned Morgan Fox, he was a standout. Akeem Ayers sniffed out a bootleg by Stave in the second quarter and destroyed the play. Cody Davis is a quality safety.

I think the new Vikings stadium looks better from the outside, though it has some nice features on the inside. Two big jumbotrons (do they still call them that?) at both ends of the field; they had the big doors open throughout the game, letting in some fresh air and mosquitoes; I like how they sort of flicker the lights when the Vikings score – that’s a cool effect; glass along much of the outside lets natural light into the concourse and field area; glass wall instead of metal railings so the view from the first row was not obscured. And the in-game announcer had this “voice of God” vibe. Whenever the Rams faced a third down, low, rumbling music would play and God would say in a deep, baritone threatening voice, “IT’S THIRD DOWN, AND SEVEN YARDS TO GO!” Literally gave me chills, like if we don’t get this, were all gonna die!

I think we are going to come up short of making the playoffs, but be one of those teams “in the hunt” up until the end. i think our running game will be excellent and our defense will be very good; we will go as far as our passing game will let us.