Welcome to the Vikings Postgame Report. The Minnesota Vikings dropped their wild card weekend matchup against the Los Angeles Rams 27-9 down in Glendale, AZ. The Rams jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the 1st quarter and the Vikings were chasing the scoreboard all night. Sam Darnold was under duress throughout the game, taking 9 sacks in the contest. He ended with 245 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown, and threw an interception. The Vikings finished with 106 rushing yards, led by Aaron Jones with 48 yards of his own. T.J. Hockenson led the receiving group with 5 receptions for 64 yards and a receiving touchdown late in the 3rd quarter. Kicker Will Reichard converted his lone field goal attempt in the second quarter from 34 yards out. Defensively, Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel notched the two Vikings sacks on the night. Cashman also led the team with 11 total tackles. Paul Allen and Pete Bercich breakdown the season finale, including: the need for the coaches to breakdown what happened in the final losses, the roster questions surrounding the team in the offseason, and even though it was a hard way to finish the season the Vikings exceeded expectations. Plus, Kevin O'Connell and Sam Darnold spoke in the postgame press conferences about the victory. All of this and more is in tonight's edition of the Vikings Postgame Report. Thanks for listening all season long!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Hey, what's going on? Welcome to State Farm Stadium for
the final Minnesota Vikings game of the twenty twenty four
season it ends in twenty twenty five and a playoff
loss to the La Rams. It was a wild card
Monday from Glendale, Arizona. First to the a topic, the
game was in Arizona because of the sad fires that
(00:39):
are taking place in southern California. So therefore the Arizona Cardinals,
along with the employees here at State Farm Stadium, on
very short notice, they handled a lot of difficult tasks,
including a lot of fine tuning of things because they're
team's out of the playoffs, the Arizona Cardinals, but they
(01:00):
welcomed the Minnesota Vikings in the La Rams here in gracious.
Second to non fashion, very very impressed with how they
handled things.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Yeah, you have to be. I mean, you talk about
a team that has every excuse to be distracted. You know,
their families are all affected, where they practice has been affected,
and for them to come out and really you look
at the beginning of the game, because that's where a
lot of that shows up. If it's if you're going
to be distracted, I mean, they were up and down
the field early on us and had ten points on
(01:32):
the board before we knew what could happen. And really
they're the only ones that stopped themselves on that second
drive with the with the personal fall in their center,
and you know, it took a little bit for the
defense to wake up. I think they did respond. We
were very very close to a fumble recovery for a
touchdown major moment, right, So they had they had some
(01:54):
fighting them defensively. It's just offensively, it's what two weeks
in a row now that we put up nine points
and you know, you're just not You're not gonna win
a lot of football games, especially playoff football when you
can't be efficient on offense. It's everything that we saw
out of this offense going in and it's like it's
(02:15):
just evaporated after the Green Bay game. Now, what exactly happened,
how it happened, you know, we we shall see. But
when you're getting sacked, you know, fifty six seven, fifty
eight times.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
A year, nine times.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Yeah, he was sacked six or seven against Detroit, So
that's sixteen in the last two weeks. Z. Yeah, that's
a problem, right, And so what is that problem? Well,
they got to rip this thing apart and figure exactly
what's going on, because just think about.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
What you just said, how strange means that. I mean,
it's a fourteen and four team and you're saying they
have to rip it apart. And I'm not going to
argue with you, not all of it, but bastlets of it.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Right, well, at least rip it apart and figure out
what exactly happened toward the end of the season. Why
could we now protect the quarterback? Was he not moving
around in the pocket the way he should? Were we
just being out physical at the line of scrimmage?
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Right?
Speaker 2 (03:07):
I mean early on it didn't look like they were
running a long line games. They were just trying to
collapse the pocket on Donald to make them uncomfortable. So
it's there's so many things that you have to look at,
and you you're right, Paul, you get to a wild
card type game, you should have a thing here or
there to say, hey, we're this close. We just need
a little bit here, a little bit there, and now
(03:27):
we gotta sweat. You know, we're gonna sweat the offseason
to see if Brian Flores sticks around, if he gets
his opportunity to be a head coach point because defensively,
I think we're a defensive tackle away from being even better.
And then offensively, yeah, there there are a lot of questions, uh,
you know, with the offensive line and the development of
(03:47):
those guys and to see what we're gonna do going forward.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Well, Sam Donald actually was sacked only two times against
the Lions, but I see what you're saying here. You know,
Sam Donald was sacked nine times a career worse going
back to twenty eighteen or twenty nineteen, his second year
in the league with the New York Jets, he got
sacked eight times by the Jacksonville Jaguars, nine against the
La Rams. And we can go back more than a month, ma'n.
(04:13):
He was sacked twice by the Lions, once by the
Packers the previous the game before that, three then two.
So we're looking at eight sacks over the last four games,
six in the first half tonight by the Rams alone,
and a nine in the game. So that's a major talker,
no doubt about it. But you know what, before we
(04:35):
pivot to Kevin O'Connell. By the way, Paul Allen with
Pete Bursige on the Vikings postgame report. Good evening, good morning,
good afternoon, whenever you listen to this at Vikings dot com.
The Los Angeles Rams absolutely can get to the Super Bowl.
I mean, this is a quarterback who has won a
Super Bowl. They have so much youthful, vigor and talent. Defensively,
(05:00):
Ice running back Puka Naku is a high end receiver.
They got tight end Tyler Higbee back. They love him.
He's a super Bowl winning tight end. Their offensive lines
pretty solid, and their head coach has already been to
two Super Bowls in one to one. So we did
run into a buzz saw this evening the Rams at
ten and seven. Man, they're the into this game. They're
(05:20):
a very good team.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yeah, they are a very good football team. I think
the only weakness that they have maybe depth at the
interior defensive line. Yeah, you know, and outside of that,
I mean, you know, I don't know how much I
mean a Keller Witherspoon came out, so they'll be I'm
sure a big question mark heading into their next playoff
game out in the East coast of Philadelphia. So yeah,
but yeah, I mean the way Stafford is playing right now,
(05:42):
he's he's on his game. He's not misfiring much. It's
going to be on the Philadelphia front to be able
to provide pressure without having to blitz and get it
to him, you know, get it on him quickly and
then tackling. I mean that was a little bit frustrating.
Early on in the game. We knew that they're going
to want to get the ball in a hand to
pookin the kua, right, you know, get some things in
the outside and and I don't you know, we didn't
(06:05):
we didn't you know, make a statement, so to speak.
And and you know, stop these seven eight nine yards
you know, yards after contact if you will. But again,
it's so hard to point a finger at the defense,
you know, after a game like this where it's it's
it's really the offense. I mean, they didn't provide much
(06:27):
breathing room for the defense. They you know, they put
us behind the eight ball and then the turnover for
a touchdown. I mean, that's that's a killer in most
in most games. And it was the second time they
blitzed the corner. So ku kudos to them because they
I don't think they had shown that for at least
the last six or seven weeks. Wow, So you know,
it's one of those things. They called it once and
(06:48):
got a sack, called it twice and got a sack,
force fumble and a touchdown. I mean, yeah, it was
a night of first.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
I mean the first playoff game relocated since nineteen thirty six.
Kello Witherspoon, an eight and eight year corner from Colorado.
He was the one who blitzed Darnald that led to
the Jared Verse scoop and score. Rookie from Florida State,
by the way, is the bomb. It was the first
touchdown of his career all Witherspoon. Not only had they
(07:17):
not shown that for you say, like the last whatever
amount of weeks. Yeah, this was his ninety sixth game.
He had zero sacks in his career, and he got
his first tonight. So it was a night of first
and it was the first playoff start for Sam Darnold.
There's so much to unpack. We don't have time on
the Vikings postgame report. Listen to the Flagship f N
(07:37):
one hundred point three kfa N. There will be a
lot of unpacking beginning Tuesday and all throughout the week
because the Vikings have a lot of free agents. They
have JJ McCarthy on the mend and so on. But
in closing here before we hear from Kevin O'Connell, it's
accurate and very interesting the way you put that last
statement about you know, tough to figure out despite mistackles,
(07:58):
you know what to think of the d in certain situations.
They played their tails off for a long time in
that Lions game and then they just got tired. And
then you know, they ran into a bit of a
buzz saw tonight, but really didn't do that poorly. But
and this is a team that has an identity of offense.
They went twenty one consecutive possessions without a touchdown. Cam
(08:22):
Akers caught a touchdown end of the third quarter against
Green Bay and that was the Vikings last touchdown drive
until TJ. Hawkinson caught a touchdown in the second half tonight.
And here you got Sam Darnold, who has the most
completions of any quarterback in the NFL of twenty five
yards or more. You have Jefferson with ten touchdowns, Addison
(08:43):
with a combined ten touchdowns. You put Jalen Naylor on six.
I mean, how crazy is that?
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
It is, And that's again, that's what you're talking about
having to dissect this thing and take it apart and
realize what are defenses doing and what and or what
didn't we do right to you know, to continue that
and that's that's the ebb and flow. That's the season.
That's what this is all about.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
And so.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
But yeah, you talk about taking the win out of
your sales. You talk about, you know, not finishing the
season per se on a high note. Yeah, that's a
you know, back to back losses to the same two
teams that you lost back to back to in the
regular season, you know, to have that come back again,
that's right, that's a that's a tough bit.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
The Vikings finished fourteen and four overall after the playoff
lost to the l. A. Rams, And let's hear from
former Rams Super Bowl winning offensive coordinator and Minnesota Vikings
head coach Kevin O'Connell.
Speaker 5 (09:36):
No, very tough feeling in that locker room right now.
Speaker 6 (09:39):
This team was really one of one in my mind
as far as the feeling that's in there right now,
the brotherhood. This team truly did a lot of special
things this year. But you know, we just we didn't
play well off to win the football game and first
first and always. I know I've got to be better
(10:00):
for our team. I've got one confidence in our players,
our coaches. We've got the right kind of things going
on in this organization. But we've got to find a
way to play better as a team, compliment each other,
and do the things we need to do to win
games against the class of the NFL. And that's what
(10:20):
we're going to go back to work and do. I
love this organization. I love those players more than anything,
and I just appreciate everything about those guys and what
they mean to me.
Speaker 5 (10:32):
They're a part of me and they all know that.
But you know that only gets you so far.
Speaker 6 (10:38):
You got to play to a certain standard, and we
did not do that way too many negatives on offense,
missed opportunities and things that we could all do better.
And that's where we're going to go back to work
and do. But yes, it's obviously very fresh right now
for a team that from the moment I stood before
in training camp to right now, all they've ever done
(11:00):
is uh, you know, will be the exact team you
want as a head coach.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
And I'm very very fortunate to have this group.
Speaker 6 (11:07):
If you feel very blessed to be able to stand
before them back to where we go. But the stings,
I know it stings for our fans. It hurts, and
we've got to use this as fuel moving forward. But
at the same time understand the special group we had
and acknowledge it and acknowledge it and make sure we're
aware of how we move forward trying to build upon
(11:30):
this team.
Speaker 5 (11:32):
In the next year.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Cony Sechs, Did you think it was Sam holding the ball?
Is difficulty difficult? Pressure?
Speaker 7 (11:39):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (11:40):
I thought we you know, I thought we gave up
some pressure, you know, some you know, some a couple
of those there where they they were able to scheme
up a guy here or there that that you know,
on paper you have accounted for, but it doesn't matter
on paper.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (11:54):
And then I did think, you know, there were some
other times where you know, we're not going to be
able to win.
Speaker 5 (11:59):
The game on one play and me.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
Included, but there was, you know, there was just some
plays there that if we go back and look at it,
I'm sure you know everybody in that in that room
will acknowledge we'll play here or there And just far
too many negatives really over the last two weeks, just
too many negative plays that set you.
Speaker 5 (12:17):
Behind and in in a.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
Game like that, you know, you've you've got to find
a way to sustain a little bit more forward momentum
and still try to have your playmakers make plays, give
Sam the chance to put the ball in play. We
just got to, you know, find a way to eliminate
some of those negatives, because that's never going to be
a formula for any kind of success, regardless of if
(12:40):
it's January.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
Or not, just not a formula to win.
Speaker 7 (12:44):
A lot of things that go into it, just broadly,
what do you think happened to say in these past
two weeks?
Speaker 6 (12:49):
You know, I think I think it's important that we
look at it really two ways, you know, football wise,
playing the position a quarterback, you know, areas that that
we can focus on to improve, areas as an offense
where we can pick our quarterback up with a little
bit of execution, give him another click when it is
a four man rush, you know, whatever it is, we've
(13:14):
got to find a way to look at it from
that standpoint. But also I just want to say, you know,
I think it's very important we all think about, you know,
Sam's body of work, what he was able to do
this year when not very many people thought he would
be able to lead a team to fourteen wins.
Speaker 5 (13:29):
I'm very rare for a quarterback in their first year.
Speaker 6 (13:31):
In fact, it is rare the most wins by a
first year quarterback with a team, and just the way
he came in committed himself to just a daily process
to be the best version of himself. It did not
work out in the end, and I think Sam would
be the first one to tell you could he have
played better tonight?
Speaker 5 (13:52):
I'm sure he would tell you that he could have.
Could I have coached better? I promise you I could have.
Speaker 6 (13:58):
Could our team have rallied around, you know, all play
here or there to try to keep that thing competitive?
Speaker 5 (14:04):
For sure? But the other phase of it.
Speaker 6 (14:07):
For Sam is acknowledging the things that made him a
winning quarterback this year and the consistency at the times
he had it throughout the year and what that meant
for our team, because I think that can stay with
him moving forward as he goes back to work. Proud
of him, proud of you know, really everybody in that
locker room. But Sam and the journey him and I
(14:28):
went on this year will always, you know, be a
you know something that's a special place in my heart
for sure.
Speaker 8 (14:34):
How much did you feel like him holding the ball
had to do with the pressure?
Speaker 5 (14:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (14:38):
I think you know, Ben, There's there's just times where
no matter how much you believe in the scheme and
how much you believe in in things, especially when you
know sometimes you're calling quick game and if they take
away your first throw, there's completions to be had if
you've got to find a way to check the ball
down and just keep moving the ball forward. Completions have
negative effects on defense, is they just do and those
(15:01):
moments where you're holding that ball and your reaction is
to try to make a play. We can't talk out
of both sides of our mouth, because he sure as
heck made a lot of plays doing that this year.
But I think that's part of the growth. Remember this guy's,
you know, twenty seven years old or whatever he is,
and I think he has a foundation now of both
(15:22):
the things you do at the quarterback position to have
success in the things that sometimes you have to learn
the hard way. You talk to some of the greatest
players that ever played the game at that position, and
they all had learning moments throughout their journey. And I
think Sam will take a lot of positive out of
this year, and I think he'll look, you know, like
we all will very much, you know, inward, and what's
(15:43):
the next step, what's the next phase for him to
find that consistency?
Speaker 5 (15:47):
Then you know, I'm going to do the same thing.
Speaker 6 (15:50):
And I still feel there's there's so many ways I
could be better for this team. So fortunate to have
this group's coaching staff, and that's what we're gonna do.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
You've talked a lot all.
Speaker 9 (16:01):
Year about rhythm and timing, eyes and how those all
operate together. How much does the type of pressure that
that he saw tonight and last week affect like trusting
that rhythm and timing.
Speaker 6 (16:14):
It's the number one to turn for it because you know,
I think there were some examples where when you go
back and watch the tape and you're in an air
conditioning room tomorrow, it's going to feel like, man, why
didn't I just do this or that?
Speaker 5 (16:27):
But it's hard in the moment.
Speaker 6 (16:29):
It's hard with how fast things happen out there, and
it's just it's it's all part of of it.
Speaker 5 (16:35):
And I think Sam uh, you.
Speaker 6 (16:37):
Know, showed us all in there in real time he
could make h you know, adjustments throughout the season to
find that consistency. We just didn't do that over these
last two weeks. And that's a wee thing.
Speaker 5 (16:49):
That's all of us.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
How close do you think this franchise is to a
championship level?
Speaker 5 (16:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (16:54):
Well, what I would tell you is when you have
the makeup of players that are smart, tough, love football,
being great teammates, you have the feeling that exists in
that locker room right now.
Speaker 5 (17:03):
That's the foundation.
Speaker 6 (17:05):
We've got to find a way to match that foundation
with our performance across the board as a team and
a coaching staff.
Speaker 5 (17:13):
And like I said, it starts with me.
Speaker 6 (17:15):
I think the important parts of building this organization to
where we want to get to is acknowledging these moments
and feeling these moments, but also never underestimating the power
of the way we do things and why we do
things the way we do, and then understanding that that
is a foundation of rock that we can build upon
(17:36):
as we continue to improve and improve our team, improve
the way we coach our team as and and and
I'm sure is Heck going to be excited, uh, you know,
to to get right back at it with this group
to be to compete.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
And beat these delete teams in these big games.
Speaker 9 (17:52):
Where would you put improving the offensive line in this offseason.
Speaker 5 (17:57):
Yeah, there's there's no question. You know, we've we've got
to find a way to be able.
Speaker 6 (18:00):
To give a quarterback, especially with you know, players like
Justin Jordan TJ. We've got to find a way to
solidify just the interior of the pocket, starting first and foremost.
And there there can be a thousand excuses made, whether
it's losing CD or even you know, midway through the
(18:20):
game losing b O tonight, But for me, it's the
foundation of the interior of the pocket that we're gonna
have to take a long look at. I thought those
guys battled that's a good, young, fast, athletic front. But
really when you look at it, over the course of
the of of you know, the entirety of the season,
we lost the two football teams, and both of them
(18:40):
were able to do some similar things against us via pressure,
via some four down pressure, non pressure, you know, non
blitz pressure, and we just weren't able to ever find
that rhythm, find those two or three plays that can
kind of you know, take a little bit of of
of the steam out of what they're doing and sustain
a little bit.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
And that's a lot of different things.
Speaker 6 (19:02):
Mark, That's that's a lot of things that we're going
to take a look at and find ways to you know,
win the games we did and and acknowledge the things
we did well in those games throughout the year. But
there's no question that to get to where we want
to get to where our fans deserve for us to
go to. As you know, we got the greatest fans
of the National Football League and we uh, you know,
(19:25):
we've got to find a way to host games at
US Bank Stadium, have our home environment and and and
put the kind of performance together in these moments, uh
that allows you to keep playing.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
In the single elimination.
Speaker 10 (19:36):
Tournament fumble by Sam that got returned for a touchdown.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
Is is that an example of trying to do too much?
Speaker 6 (19:42):
It's you know, that's probably one that comes to mind.
You know, it's it's one of those things where, like
I said, it's you you have to be very careful
with the quarterback position, talking out of both sides of
your mouth. You know, all those plays that he does
make off schedule. A lot of guys around the league
can make those plays, but there is a level of
(20:03):
understanding the situation. Hey, you know, we can't allow such
a game changing play to happen. I've got to acknowledge
it with the play call, making sure that we consistently
just have multiple eligibles for them while also having a
you know, a pressure plan and making sure we're taking
care of the matchups that maybe we aren't having.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
Uh, you know, the.
Speaker 6 (20:25):
Best of days against and and when you think about
losing the two teams, you know, really a combined four
times they had a matchup on us wherever it was,
and they were able to expose that enough to beat
us four times. When you look at the two teams
we lost to this year, and that's where you know,
I've got to do a better job finding ways to
mitigate that. But also our players will be the first
(20:48):
one to tell you that there'll be a you know,
a total toe of the line of us all together
as we attack this thing.
Speaker 11 (20:54):
What was the explanation for the fumble return for touchdown
that they turn over today?
Speaker 6 (21:00):
Tell you, yeah, they just said that, you know, seventeen
was in the area and.
Speaker 5 (21:05):
Uh, and it was an incomplete pass.
Speaker 6 (21:08):
I know that quarterback pretty well and and know when
he's trying to throw it to somebody and when he's not.
But that was the explanation I got, and we had
to just keep playing.
Speaker 8 (21:18):
What did you think there was so much space for
Stafford onds first couple drives is kind of attacking coverage?
Speaker 4 (21:23):
I guess probably almost.
Speaker 6 (21:24):
Yeah, they found they found some similar spots there with
some you know, drive starter kind of plays.
Speaker 5 (21:30):
And that's the thing with Matthew.
Speaker 6 (21:32):
I mean, you know, we'll go back and watch the
tape and on some of those explosives, Uh, there's gonna
be a viking within a step of him, and he
and his willingness to stand in there even versus some
of those free runners and uh put the ball up
and and they were coming down with a lot of
those with a lot of whether it was Higbee's catch,
Cooper's catch, Pooka was finding a Robinson and they and
(21:55):
I loved the aggressive nature at which we tried to
play the game, kind of of looking back on the
previous matchup and and playing true to our style, and
they just made some plays against it. That's gonna that's
what's going to happen when you know you're playing against
Matthew Stafford. Like I said, I know, I know that
guy pretty well, and uh, he made some plays and
and those are win As an offense, you've got to
(22:16):
go out and try to respond and try to make
a few.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
And I've got to give.
Speaker 6 (22:21):
Our guys better plays and and try to find a
way to be consistent and put the ball in the
end zone and and show our defense and our you know,
our special teams that we can respond in those moments.
And and that's when the negative plays just kind of
was a wait, you know, a weight on our whole
football team.
Speaker 5 (22:37):
God, how does a I.
Speaker 7 (22:39):
Know it's very raw right now, but how as you
walk off the field, how does a fourteen win season
that ends with these past two weeks?
Speaker 4 (22:45):
Kind Of?
Speaker 5 (22:46):
Yeah, definitely, I think it's important.
Speaker 6 (22:49):
Just uh, it's important, Kevin, that we acknowledge and really
take a true, true centered focus into the why.
Speaker 5 (22:58):
And that's what that's what we do as coaches.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
And you know, you hate you hate it more than
anything for your team, for the looks.
Speaker 5 (23:07):
You know, the look in the eye of this.
Speaker 6 (23:08):
Group all year long, every time I spoke with them,
every time I was fortunate enough to stand before him.
You want you certainly have such a strong desire to
do absolutely anything to make these guys not feel that
and for us all to feel it. But you know,
I think it's important we got to take a look
at what we did throughout the season to make us
(23:30):
a good football team. What were our weaknesses as a
team throughout the year, not just over these last two weeks,
and acknowledge all those things and and craft a path
moving forward where we where we do everything we can
to eliminate some of those things that that hurt our
football team. And like you guys know, I'm gonna spend
(23:51):
every waking moment doing it. And I've got such belief
in the core of that locker room and the team
that we had this year. We've got to go back
to work and build it all, build it all from
scratch again with next year's team, and make sure we
stay true to who and what we want to be
as an organization as we continue to chase improvement.
Speaker 8 (24:12):
Just kind of similar lines of questioning here. But you
have the two seasons of thirteen wins and fourteen wins,
and then you both those with one and done playoffs.
What is the disconnect between being able to win regular
season games and then being able to turn over and.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
Doing the playoffs.
Speaker 6 (24:27):
Yeah, I think, you know, two out of three years
we've we've done the things that we wanted to do
to get into the tournament. Last year, I thought we
overcame a lot and did not did not do enough
in the end to get into the tournament.
Speaker 5 (24:40):
But these are one game, you know, eliminations, and.
Speaker 6 (24:44):
If you don't find a way to play well in
those sixty minutes against the type of teams you're going
to play in January, Ben, You're gonna lose. So I think,
you know, it's it's very very I understand the question,
and I appreciate the question and the big picture.
Speaker 5 (24:57):
Thought process of the results.
Speaker 6 (25:02):
Driving that question. But what I've got to do is
make sure that I continue to reinforce the process we
have here, the teams we've built up from the inside
out of that locker room being the strongest point of
our organization. And then when it comes time to make
sure we're improving in the areas we need to, we're
ready to do that against the best teams in this
league to continue to play on in the month of January.
Speaker 5 (25:23):
But that's how I feel about that, all right.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
So the Vikings do finish fourteen and four, and they
do have those ballet hoot offensive numbers. It's just so
strange as a Vikings fan, for all of you listening,
or fans like Pete and I, you know who call
the games, to think, just two weeks ago the team
in won nine games in a row and was heading
to the Motor City playing for the one seed in
(25:49):
the NFC. They don't score a touchdown in that game.
It feels terrible, but that's okay.
Speaker 5 (25:53):
You know what.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Let's go on the road in the postseason with this
nice offense and opportunistic defense which led the NFL and
interceptions was tied for the most takeaways in the regular season.
They shoot, they're a plus twelve turnover differential into the game,
and and then it finishes like this. It's just what
a tough business man, what a tough.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Business I mean, there's no question that this team exceeded expectations, Paul,
I mean, no one, no one put a put this
team on a fourteen win season with all the question
marks that were that were there going into it, and
there will be the same a lot of the same
question marks going into this year, especially at the quarterback position.
(26:33):
So you know, I don't want to overlook all that
was accomplished this year by this team. Great Jonathan Bernard,
we haven't even mentioned him. He's he's he's the most
consistent pass rush that back. He and Van Ginkle have
been fantastic this year. What a what a what a bookend?
What a pair a bookends? Defensive ends or outside linebackers
if you want to call him? That cashman coming in
(26:55):
and playing playing so well. And so yeah, this team,
I no question exceeded expectations. But you see the talent
that's there and the possibilities that are there, and so
where you know, where did that go off the rails?
And then maybe make a couple of changes and some fixes,
and now you get yourself a team that really has
(27:16):
to be contented with him. We're in a tough division.
You know, I don't see I don't see Green Bay
or Detroit changing much over the next season either. So
it's a it's gonna be a tough road again next year.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
Uh. The loss, the playoff loss to the Rams, by
the way, very well could be Sam Darnold's final game
as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. As he was
on a one year deal, and a lot of things
will play themselves out in the off season. Speaking of Sam,
here's what he had to say after the l.
Speaker 12 (27:43):
Yeah, obviously a tough loss.
Speaker 11 (27:45):
Uh, you know, first off, you know, I felt like,
obviously we played a really good team, really good team today,
and they were just better than us today. And I
felt like, you know, I left a couple of throws
out there that you know, I could be better on,
(28:05):
especially early in the game, really the first half, third quarter.
That one to speedy in the middle of the field,
I got to hit that, But yeah, just just missed opportunities.
Got to take care of the football, cam the interception,
can have the fumble obviously returned for a touchdown. That's
a huge play in the game. Uh yeah, just just
too many mistakes on my end. But again, just you know,
(28:28):
really proud of the guys in the locker room for
the way they fought all season. We just didn't come
out on top this time around. And yeah, it's pretty
much it.
Speaker 9 (28:40):
Right, obviously, well for you, but how do you process
just I mean, the.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
Mistakes that you had was tonight last week.
Speaker 11 (28:52):
Yeah, you know, I clearly just didn't play good enough
the last couple of weeks.
Speaker 4 (28:56):
You know.
Speaker 11 (28:57):
Uh, just like like I said, you know, left too
many throws out there that I would usually make and
got to.
Speaker 12 (29:04):
Take better care of the football today especially. Yeah.
Speaker 10 (29:10):
Same.
Speaker 12 (29:10):
I know it's a combination of teams that happen through
the game.
Speaker 11 (29:13):
But they what were they doing, especially in the first
first half to step Yeah, you know, they they had
a really good plan. You know, they they brought some
good pressures, you know, played played some good man coverage
in those you know, second and longs even third downs.
But again, you know, I feel like I can be
(29:33):
a lot better in terms of just moving on with
my progressions, not trying to force anything. And you know,
but yeah, again, I give them a lot of credit
for the way they came out, they played in the
plan that they had.
Speaker 5 (29:47):
Sam.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
I asked Kevin the same thing.
Speaker 9 (29:49):
But how much like you talked, You've talked to you
about feet dies rhythm, how how much does the pressure
specifically interior pressure affect what you want to do from
guys perspective.
Speaker 5 (30:03):
Yeah, it doesn't change anything, you know.
Speaker 11 (30:05):
For me, I'm always going to continue to go through
my progressions if I feel, you know, people in my
face or people you know, coming off the edge. It's
it's up to me to be able to move and
still find a window to throw it. You know, I'm
one hundred percent responsible for the football and what happens
to it, you know, and and for me, it's it's
it's up to me to be able to feel that
(30:25):
and and either step up, move, go run for first down,
or just simply throw it away. You know, I felt like,
you know, there were a lot of sacks today that
that you know, I was responsible for where I was
just holding onto the football and and taking sacks where
I could have either dirted at someone's feet or just
simply thrown over someone's head.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
Why didn't.
Speaker 11 (30:47):
Just in the moment decision trying to trying to get
away and and.
Speaker 12 (30:52):
You know, wasn't able to get the ball out.
Speaker 4 (30:55):
Just how do you reflect on this season as a whole?
You know, it's very fresh, but.
Speaker 12 (30:59):
Just yeah, you know, obviously it was.
Speaker 11 (31:04):
You know, at the end of the day, all that
matters is when you have a good season, what do
you do in the playoffs? And we didn't get it
done to them, and that's all that matters.
Speaker 10 (31:14):
Yeah, You'll take away from it nothing about I'll have
a lot of time after this to be able to
think about, you know, what the season entailed, but to
be honest and you know, just thinking about today and
what I could have done better.
Speaker 8 (31:28):
Say, I'm on the fact that it looks like you
guys were able to pick up some of the pressure
in the front side. Did you feel Witherspoon coming around
the backside at all.
Speaker 11 (31:35):
Or what was your Yeah, they brought a good pressure,
like I said, you know, kind of like I said
about just bringing different pressures, you know, obviously bringing the
corner cat there with Witherspoon.
Speaker 12 (31:47):
Yeah, and he did a really.
Speaker 11 (31:48):
Good job of of timing it up and getting to me.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
Sam.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
How much do you think these past two weeks will
impact your future?
Speaker 5 (31:57):
Uh?
Speaker 11 (32:00):
Yeah, I mean I'm not worried about that, you know,
that's in the past right now. I'm just I'm thinking about,
like I said, what I could have done better today,
and just really spending time with the guys in the
locker room. That's That's really all I'm focused on right now,
is just you know, because at the end of the day,
in the NFL, you only get one season with one
(32:20):
team with everyone together, and today wasn't our day. And
it's as simple as that. And for me, I'm just
going to be focused on spending as much time as
I can with those guys in the locker room, and
and then I'll think about, you know, whatever the future
holds after that.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
Knowing the type of group you guys have have, Yeah, absolutely,
you know we you know, we knew right from the
jump what kind of group we had, and obviously it
sucks to be able to come up short.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
All right, you heard from Sam Darnold and Kevin O'Connell.
You've also heard from Pete Bersich and yours surely, Paul Allen.
All season, thank you very much for listening to the
postgame report when you do. We thank Eric Davidson and
the Curly Heares for the production all season, and it
was great calling games with you this year. Man, Thanks
very much for your work.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Being awesome, Paul, and we enjoyed it and like I said,
fourteen wins, I mean, yep, what a great ride.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
Thank you for listening for Pete versage. I'm Paul Allen.
That's the Vikings postgame report. Sad news to finish hip.
Vikings lose twenty seven to nine in Arizona to the
Los Angeles Rams and the season is over.
Hey, what's going on? Welcome to State Farm Stadium for
the final Minnesota Vikings game of the twenty twenty four
season it ends in twenty twenty five and a playoff
loss to the La Rams. It was a wild card
Monday from Glendale, Arizona. First to the a topic, the
game was in Arizona because of the sad fires that
(00:39):
are taking place in southern California. So therefore the Arizona Cardinals,
along with the employees here at State Farm Stadium, on
very short notice, they handled a lot of difficult tasks,
including a lot of fine tuning of things because they're
team's out of the playoffs, the Arizona Cardinals, but they
(01:00):
welcomed the Minnesota Vikings in the La Rams here in gracious.
Second to non fashion, very very impressed with how they
handled things.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Yeah, you have to be. I mean, you talk about
a team that has every excuse to be distracted. You know,
their families are all affected, where they practice has been affected,
and for them to come out and really you look
at the beginning of the game, because that's where a
lot of that shows up. If it's if you're going
to be distracted, I mean, they were up and down
the field early on us and had ten points on
(01:32):
the board before we knew what could happen. And really
they're the only ones that stopped themselves on that second
drive with the with the personal fall in their center,
and you know, it took a little bit for the
defense to wake up. I think they did respond. We
were very very close to a fumble recovery for a
touchdown major moment, right, So they had they had some
(01:54):
fighting them defensively. It's just offensively, it's what two weeks
in a row now that we put up nine points
and you know, you're just not You're not gonna win
a lot of football games, especially playoff football when you
can't be efficient on offense. It's everything that we saw
out of this offense going in and it's like it's
(02:15):
just evaporated after the Green Bay game. Now, what exactly happened,
how it happened, you know, we we shall see. But
when you're getting sacked, you know, fifty six seven, fifty
eight times.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
A year, nine times.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Yeah, he was sacked six or seven against Detroit, So
that's sixteen in the last two weeks. Z. Yeah, that's
a problem, right, And so what is that problem? Well,
they got to rip this thing apart and figure exactly
what's going on, because just think about.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
What you just said, how strange means that. I mean,
it's a fourteen and four team and you're saying they
have to rip it apart. And I'm not going to
argue with you, not all of it, but bastlets of it.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Right, well, at least rip it apart and figure out
what exactly happened toward the end of the season. Why
could we now protect the quarterback? Was he not moving
around in the pocket the way he should? Were we
just being out physical at the line of scrimmage?
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Right?
Speaker 2 (03:07):
I mean early on it didn't look like they were
running a long line games. They were just trying to
collapse the pocket on Donald to make them uncomfortable. So
it's there's so many things that you have to look at,
and you you're right, Paul, you get to a wild
card type game, you should have a thing here or
there to say, hey, we're this close. We just need
a little bit here, a little bit there, and now
(03:27):
we gotta sweat. You know, we're gonna sweat the offseason
to see if Brian Flores sticks around, if he gets
his opportunity to be a head coach point because defensively,
I think we're a defensive tackle away from being even better.
And then offensively, yeah, there there are a lot of questions, uh,
you know, with the offensive line and the development of
(03:47):
those guys and to see what we're gonna do going forward.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Well, Sam Donald actually was sacked only two times against
the Lions, but I see what you're saying here. You know,
Sam Donald was sacked nine times a career worse going
back to twenty eighteen or twenty nineteen, his second year
in the league with the New York Jets, he got
sacked eight times by the Jacksonville Jaguars, nine against the
La Rams. And we can go back more than a month, ma'n.
(04:13):
He was sacked twice by the Lions, once by the
Packers the previous the game before that, three then two.
So we're looking at eight sacks over the last four games,
six in the first half tonight by the Rams alone,
and a nine in the game. So that's a major talker,
no doubt about it. But you know what, before we
(04:35):
pivot to Kevin O'Connell. By the way, Paul Allen with
Pete Bursige on the Vikings postgame report. Good evening, good morning,
good afternoon, whenever you listen to this at Vikings dot com.
The Los Angeles Rams absolutely can get to the Super Bowl.
I mean, this is a quarterback who has won a
Super Bowl. They have so much youthful, vigor and talent. Defensively,
(05:00):
Ice running back Puka Naku is a high end receiver.
They got tight end Tyler Higbee back. They love him.
He's a super Bowl winning tight end. Their offensive lines
pretty solid, and their head coach has already been to
two Super Bowls in one to one. So we did
run into a buzz saw this evening the Rams at
ten and seven. Man, they're the into this game. They're
(05:20):
a very good team.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yeah, they are a very good football team. I think
the only weakness that they have maybe depth at the
interior defensive line. Yeah, you know, and outside of that,
I mean, you know, I don't know how much I
mean a Keller Witherspoon came out, so they'll be I'm
sure a big question mark heading into their next playoff
game out in the East coast of Philadelphia. So yeah,
but yeah, I mean the way Stafford is playing right now,
(05:42):
he's he's on his game. He's not misfiring much. It's
going to be on the Philadelphia front to be able
to provide pressure without having to blitz and get it
to him, you know, get it on him quickly and
then tackling. I mean that was a little bit frustrating.
Early on in the game. We knew that they're going
to want to get the ball in a hand to
pookin the kua, right, you know, get some things in
the outside and and I don't you know, we didn't
(06:05):
we didn't you know, make a statement, so to speak.
And and you know, stop these seven eight nine yards
you know, yards after contact if you will. But again,
it's so hard to point a finger at the defense,
you know, after a game like this where it's it's
it's really the offense. I mean, they didn't provide much
(06:27):
breathing room for the defense. They you know, they put
us behind the eight ball and then the turnover for
a touchdown. I mean, that's that's a killer in most
in most games. And it was the second time they
blitzed the corner. So ku kudos to them because they
I don't think they had shown that for at least
the last six or seven weeks. Wow, So you know,
it's one of those things. They called it once and
(06:48):
got a sack, called it twice and got a sack,
force fumble and a touchdown. I mean, yeah, it was
a night of first.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
I mean the first playoff game relocated since nineteen thirty six.
Kello Witherspoon, an eight and eight year corner from Colorado.
He was the one who blitzed Darnald that led to
the Jared Verse scoop and score. Rookie from Florida State,
by the way, is the bomb. It was the first
touchdown of his career all Witherspoon. Not only had they
(07:17):
not shown that for you say, like the last whatever
amount of weeks. Yeah, this was his ninety sixth game.
He had zero sacks in his career, and he got
his first tonight. So it was a night of first
and it was the first playoff start for Sam Darnold.
There's so much to unpack. We don't have time on
the Vikings postgame report. Listen to the Flagship f N
(07:37):
one hundred point three kfa N. There will be a
lot of unpacking beginning Tuesday and all throughout the week
because the Vikings have a lot of free agents. They
have JJ McCarthy on the mend and so on. But
in closing here before we hear from Kevin O'Connell, it's
accurate and very interesting the way you put that last
statement about you know, tough to figure out despite mistackles,
(07:58):
you know what to think of the d in certain situations.
They played their tails off for a long time in
that Lions game and then they just got tired. And
then you know, they ran into a bit of a
buzz saw tonight, but really didn't do that poorly. But
and this is a team that has an identity of offense.
They went twenty one consecutive possessions without a touchdown. Cam
(08:22):
Akers caught a touchdown end of the third quarter against
Green Bay and that was the Vikings last touchdown drive
until TJ. Hawkinson caught a touchdown in the second half tonight.
And here you got Sam Darnold, who has the most
completions of any quarterback in the NFL of twenty five
yards or more. You have Jefferson with ten touchdowns, Addison
(08:43):
with a combined ten touchdowns. You put Jalen Naylor on six.
I mean, how crazy is that?
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
It is, And that's again, that's what you're talking about
having to dissect this thing and take it apart and
realize what are defenses doing and what and or what
didn't we do right to you know, to continue that
and that's that's the ebb and flow. That's the season.
That's what this is all about.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
And so.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
But yeah, you talk about taking the win out of
your sales. You talk about, you know, not finishing the
season per se on a high note. Yeah, that's a
you know, back to back losses to the same two
teams that you lost back to back to in the
regular season, you know, to have that come back again,
that's right, that's a that's a tough bit.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
The Vikings finished fourteen and four overall after the playoff
lost to the l. A. Rams, And let's hear from
former Rams Super Bowl winning offensive coordinator and Minnesota Vikings
head coach Kevin O'Connell.
Speaker 5 (09:36):
No, very tough feeling in that locker room right now.
Speaker 6 (09:39):
This team was really one of one in my mind
as far as the feeling that's in there right now,
the brotherhood. This team truly did a lot of special
things this year. But you know, we just we didn't
play well off to win the football game and first
first and always. I know I've got to be better
(10:00):
for our team. I've got one confidence in our players,
our coaches. We've got the right kind of things going
on in this organization. But we've got to find a
way to play better as a team, compliment each other,
and do the things we need to do to win
games against the class of the NFL. And that's what
(10:20):
we're going to go back to work and do. I
love this organization. I love those players more than anything,
and I just appreciate everything about those guys and what
they mean to me.
Speaker 5 (10:32):
They're a part of me and they all know that.
But you know that only gets you so far.
Speaker 6 (10:38):
You got to play to a certain standard, and we
did not do that way too many negatives on offense,
missed opportunities and things that we could all do better.
And that's where we're going to go back to work
and do. But yes, it's obviously very fresh right now
for a team that from the moment I stood before
in training camp to right now, all they've ever done
(11:00):
is uh, you know, will be the exact team you
want as a head coach.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
And I'm very very fortunate to have this group.
Speaker 6 (11:07):
If you feel very blessed to be able to stand
before them back to where we go. But the stings,
I know it stings for our fans. It hurts, and
we've got to use this as fuel moving forward. But
at the same time understand the special group we had
and acknowledge it and acknowledge it and make sure we're
aware of how we move forward trying to build upon
(11:30):
this team.
Speaker 5 (11:32):
In the next year.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Cony Sechs, Did you think it was Sam holding the ball?
Is difficulty difficult? Pressure?
Speaker 7 (11:39):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (11:40):
I thought we you know, I thought we gave up
some pressure, you know, some you know, some a couple
of those there where they they were able to scheme
up a guy here or there that that you know,
on paper you have accounted for, but it doesn't matter
on paper.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (11:54):
And then I did think, you know, there were some
other times where you know, we're not going to be
able to win.
Speaker 5 (11:59):
The game on one play and me.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
Included, but there was, you know, there was just some
plays there that if we go back and look at it,
I'm sure you know everybody in that in that room
will acknowledge we'll play here or there And just far
too many negatives really over the last two weeks, just
too many negative plays that set you.
Speaker 5 (12:17):
Behind and in in a.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
Game like that, you know, you've you've got to find
a way to sustain a little bit more forward momentum
and still try to have your playmakers make plays, give
Sam the chance to put the ball in play. We
just got to, you know, find a way to eliminate
some of those negatives, because that's never going to be
a formula for any kind of success, regardless of if
(12:40):
it's January.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
Or not, just not a formula to win.
Speaker 7 (12:44):
A lot of things that go into it, just broadly,
what do you think happened to say in these past
two weeks?
Speaker 6 (12:49):
You know, I think I think it's important that we
look at it really two ways, you know, football wise,
playing the position a quarterback, you know, areas that that
we can focus on to improve, areas as an offense
where we can pick our quarterback up with a little
bit of execution, give him another click when it is
a four man rush, you know, whatever it is, we've
(13:14):
got to find a way to look at it from
that standpoint. But also I just want to say, you know,
I think it's very important we all think about, you know,
Sam's body of work, what he was able to do
this year when not very many people thought he would
be able to lead a team to fourteen wins.
Speaker 5 (13:29):
I'm very rare for a quarterback in their first year.
Speaker 6 (13:31):
In fact, it is rare the most wins by a
first year quarterback with a team, and just the way
he came in committed himself to just a daily process
to be the best version of himself. It did not
work out in the end, and I think Sam would
be the first one to tell you could he have
played better tonight?
Speaker 5 (13:52):
I'm sure he would tell you that he could have.
Could I have coached better? I promise you I could have.
Speaker 6 (13:58):
Could our team have rallied around, you know, all play
here or there to try to keep that thing competitive?
Speaker 5 (14:04):
For sure? But the other phase of it.
Speaker 6 (14:07):
For Sam is acknowledging the things that made him a
winning quarterback this year and the consistency at the times
he had it throughout the year and what that meant
for our team, because I think that can stay with
him moving forward as he goes back to work. Proud
of him, proud of you know, really everybody in that
locker room. But Sam and the journey him and I
(14:28):
went on this year will always, you know, be a
you know something that's a special place in my heart
for sure.
Speaker 8 (14:34):
How much did you feel like him holding the ball
had to do with the pressure?
Speaker 5 (14:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (14:38):
I think you know, Ben, There's there's just times where
no matter how much you believe in the scheme and
how much you believe in in things, especially when you
know sometimes you're calling quick game and if they take
away your first throw, there's completions to be had if
you've got to find a way to check the ball
down and just keep moving the ball forward. Completions have
negative effects on defense, is they just do and those
(15:01):
moments where you're holding that ball and your reaction is
to try to make a play. We can't talk out
of both sides of our mouth, because he sure as
heck made a lot of plays doing that this year.
But I think that's part of the growth. Remember this guy's,
you know, twenty seven years old or whatever he is,
and I think he has a foundation now of both
(15:22):
the things you do at the quarterback position to have
success in the things that sometimes you have to learn
the hard way. You talk to some of the greatest
players that ever played the game at that position, and
they all had learning moments throughout their journey. And I
think Sam will take a lot of positive out of
this year, and I think he'll look, you know, like
we all will very much, you know, inward, and what's
(15:43):
the next step, what's the next phase for him to
find that consistency?
Speaker 5 (15:47):
Then you know, I'm going to do the same thing.
Speaker 6 (15:50):
And I still feel there's there's so many ways I
could be better for this team. So fortunate to have
this group's coaching staff, and that's what we're gonna do.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
You've talked a lot all.
Speaker 9 (16:01):
Year about rhythm and timing, eyes and how those all
operate together. How much does the type of pressure that
that he saw tonight and last week affect like trusting
that rhythm and timing.
Speaker 6 (16:14):
It's the number one to turn for it because you know,
I think there were some examples where when you go
back and watch the tape and you're in an air
conditioning room tomorrow, it's going to feel like, man, why
didn't I just do this or that?
Speaker 5 (16:27):
But it's hard in the moment.
Speaker 6 (16:29):
It's hard with how fast things happen out there, and
it's just it's it's all part of of it.
Speaker 5 (16:35):
And I think Sam uh, you.
Speaker 6 (16:37):
Know, showed us all in there in real time he
could make h you know, adjustments throughout the season to
find that consistency. We just didn't do that over these
last two weeks. And that's a wee thing.
Speaker 5 (16:49):
That's all of us.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
How close do you think this franchise is to a
championship level?
Speaker 5 (16:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (16:54):
Well, what I would tell you is when you have
the makeup of players that are smart, tough, love football,
being great teammates, you have the feeling that exists in
that locker room right now.
Speaker 5 (17:03):
That's the foundation.
Speaker 6 (17:05):
We've got to find a way to match that foundation
with our performance across the board as a team and
a coaching staff.
Speaker 5 (17:13):
And like I said, it starts with me.
Speaker 6 (17:15):
I think the important parts of building this organization to
where we want to get to is acknowledging these moments
and feeling these moments, but also never underestimating the power
of the way we do things and why we do
things the way we do, and then understanding that that
is a foundation of rock that we can build upon
(17:36):
as we continue to improve and improve our team, improve
the way we coach our team as and and and
I'm sure is Heck going to be excited, uh, you know,
to to get right back at it with this group
to be to compete.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
And beat these delete teams in these big games.
Speaker 9 (17:52):
Where would you put improving the offensive line in this offseason.
Speaker 5 (17:57):
Yeah, there's there's no question. You know, we've we've got
to find a way to be able.
Speaker 6 (18:00):
To give a quarterback, especially with you know, players like
Justin Jordan TJ. We've got to find a way to
solidify just the interior of the pocket, starting first and foremost.
And there there can be a thousand excuses made, whether
it's losing CD or even you know, midway through the
(18:20):
game losing b O tonight, But for me, it's the
foundation of the interior of the pocket that we're gonna
have to take a long look at. I thought those
guys battled that's a good, young, fast, athletic front. But
really when you look at it, over the course of
the of of you know, the entirety of the season,
we lost the two football teams, and both of them
(18:40):
were able to do some similar things against us via pressure,
via some four down pressure, non pressure, you know, non
blitz pressure, and we just weren't able to ever find
that rhythm, find those two or three plays that can
kind of you know, take a little bit of of
of the steam out of what they're doing and sustain
a little bit.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
And that's a lot of different things.
Speaker 6 (19:02):
Mark, That's that's a lot of things that we're going
to take a look at and find ways to you know,
win the games we did and and acknowledge the things
we did well in those games throughout the year. But
there's no question that to get to where we want
to get to where our fans deserve for us to
go to. As you know, we got the greatest fans
of the National Football League and we uh, you know,
(19:25):
we've got to find a way to host games at
US Bank Stadium, have our home environment and and and
put the kind of performance together in these moments, uh
that allows you to keep playing.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
In the single elimination.
Speaker 10 (19:36):
Tournament fumble by Sam that got returned for a touchdown.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
Is is that an example of trying to do too much?
Speaker 6 (19:42):
It's you know, that's probably one that comes to mind.
You know, it's it's one of those things where, like
I said, it's you you have to be very careful
with the quarterback position, talking out of both sides of
your mouth. You know, all those plays that he does
make off schedule. A lot of guys around the league
can make those plays, but there is a level of
(20:03):
understanding the situation. Hey, you know, we can't allow such
a game changing play to happen. I've got to acknowledge
it with the play call, making sure that we consistently
just have multiple eligibles for them while also having a
you know, a pressure plan and making sure we're taking
care of the matchups that maybe we aren't having.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
Uh, you know, the.
Speaker 6 (20:25):
Best of days against and and when you think about
losing the two teams, you know, really a combined four
times they had a matchup on us wherever it was,
and they were able to expose that enough to beat
us four times. When you look at the two teams
we lost to this year, and that's where you know,
I've got to do a better job finding ways to
mitigate that. But also our players will be the first
(20:48):
one to tell you that there'll be a you know,
a total toe of the line of us all together
as we attack this thing.
Speaker 11 (20:54):
What was the explanation for the fumble return for touchdown
that they turn over today?
Speaker 6 (21:00):
Tell you, yeah, they just said that, you know, seventeen
was in the area and.
Speaker 5 (21:05):
Uh, and it was an incomplete pass.
Speaker 6 (21:08):
I know that quarterback pretty well and and know when
he's trying to throw it to somebody and when he's not.
But that was the explanation I got, and we had
to just keep playing.
Speaker 8 (21:18):
What did you think there was so much space for
Stafford onds first couple drives is kind of attacking coverage?
Speaker 4 (21:23):
I guess probably almost.
Speaker 6 (21:24):
Yeah, they found they found some similar spots there with
some you know, drive starter kind of plays.
Speaker 5 (21:30):
And that's the thing with Matthew.
Speaker 6 (21:32):
I mean, you know, we'll go back and watch the
tape and on some of those explosives, Uh, there's gonna
be a viking within a step of him, and he
and his willingness to stand in there even versus some
of those free runners and uh put the ball up
and and they were coming down with a lot of
those with a lot of whether it was Higbee's catch,
Cooper's catch, Pooka was finding a Robinson and they and
(21:55):
I loved the aggressive nature at which we tried to
play the game, kind of of looking back on the
previous matchup and and playing true to our style, and
they just made some plays against it. That's gonna that's
what's going to happen when you know you're playing against
Matthew Stafford. Like I said, I know, I know that
guy pretty well, and uh, he made some plays and
and those are win As an offense, you've got to
(22:16):
go out and try to respond and try to make
a few.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
And I've got to give.
Speaker 6 (22:21):
Our guys better plays and and try to find a
way to be consistent and put the ball in the
end zone and and show our defense and our you know,
our special teams that we can respond in those moments.
And and that's when the negative plays just kind of
was a wait, you know, a weight on our whole
football team.
Speaker 5 (22:37):
God, how does a I.
Speaker 7 (22:39):
Know it's very raw right now, but how as you
walk off the field, how does a fourteen win season
that ends with these past two weeks?
Speaker 4 (22:45):
Kind Of?
Speaker 5 (22:46):
Yeah, definitely, I think it's important.
Speaker 6 (22:49):
Just uh, it's important, Kevin, that we acknowledge and really
take a true, true centered focus into the why.
Speaker 5 (22:58):
And that's what that's what we do as coaches.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
And you know, you hate you hate it more than
anything for your team, for the looks.
Speaker 5 (23:07):
You know, the look in the eye of this.
Speaker 6 (23:08):
Group all year long, every time I spoke with them,
every time I was fortunate enough to stand before him.
You want you certainly have such a strong desire to
do absolutely anything to make these guys not feel that
and for us all to feel it. But you know,
I think it's important we got to take a look
at what we did throughout the season to make us
(23:30):
a good football team. What were our weaknesses as a
team throughout the year, not just over these last two weeks,
and acknowledge all those things and and craft a path
moving forward where we where we do everything we can
to eliminate some of those things that that hurt our
football team. And like you guys know, I'm gonna spend
(23:51):
every waking moment doing it. And I've got such belief
in the core of that locker room and the team
that we had this year. We've got to go back
to work and build it all, build it all from
scratch again with next year's team, and make sure we
stay true to who and what we want to be
as an organization as we continue to chase improvement.
Speaker 8 (24:12):
Just kind of similar lines of questioning here. But you
have the two seasons of thirteen wins and fourteen wins,
and then you both those with one and done playoffs.
What is the disconnect between being able to win regular
season games and then being able to turn over and.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
Doing the playoffs.
Speaker 6 (24:27):
Yeah, I think, you know, two out of three years
we've we've done the things that we wanted to do
to get into the tournament. Last year, I thought we
overcame a lot and did not did not do enough
in the end to get into the tournament.
Speaker 5 (24:40):
But these are one game, you know, eliminations, and.
Speaker 6 (24:44):
If you don't find a way to play well in
those sixty minutes against the type of teams you're going
to play in January, Ben, You're gonna lose. So I think,
you know, it's it's very very I understand the question,
and I appreciate the question and the big picture.
Speaker 5 (24:57):
Thought process of the results.
Speaker 6 (25:02):
Driving that question. But what I've got to do is
make sure that I continue to reinforce the process we
have here, the teams we've built up from the inside
out of that locker room being the strongest point of
our organization. And then when it comes time to make
sure we're improving in the areas we need to, we're
ready to do that against the best teams in this
league to continue to play on in the month of January.
Speaker 5 (25:23):
But that's how I feel about that, all right.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
So the Vikings do finish fourteen and four, and they
do have those ballet hoot offensive numbers. It's just so
strange as a Vikings fan, for all of you listening,
or fans like Pete and I, you know who call
the games, to think, just two weeks ago the team
in won nine games in a row and was heading
to the Motor City playing for the one seed in
(25:49):
the NFC. They don't score a touchdown in that game.
It feels terrible, but that's okay.
Speaker 5 (25:53):
You know what.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Let's go on the road in the postseason with this
nice offense and opportunistic defense which led the NFL and
interceptions was tied for the most takeaways in the regular season.
They shoot, they're a plus twelve turnover differential into the game,
and and then it finishes like this. It's just what
a tough business man, what a tough.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Business I mean, there's no question that this team exceeded expectations, Paul,
I mean, no one, no one put a put this
team on a fourteen win season with all the question
marks that were that were there going into it, and
there will be the same a lot of the same
question marks going into this year, especially at the quarterback position.
(26:33):
So you know, I don't want to overlook all that
was accomplished this year by this team. Great Jonathan Bernard,
we haven't even mentioned him. He's he's he's the most
consistent pass rush that back. He and Van Ginkle have
been fantastic this year. What a what a what a bookend?
What a pair a bookends? Defensive ends or outside linebackers
if you want to call him? That cashman coming in
(26:55):
and playing playing so well. And so yeah, this team,
I no question exceeded expectations. But you see the talent
that's there and the possibilities that are there, and so
where you know, where did that go off the rails?
And then maybe make a couple of changes and some fixes,
and now you get yourself a team that really has
(27:16):
to be contented with him. We're in a tough division.
You know, I don't see I don't see Green Bay
or Detroit changing much over the next season either. So
it's a it's gonna be a tough road again next year.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
Uh. The loss, the playoff loss to the Rams, by
the way, very well could be Sam Darnold's final game
as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. As he was
on a one year deal, and a lot of things
will play themselves out in the off season. Speaking of Sam,
here's what he had to say after the l.
Speaker 12 (27:43):
Yeah, obviously a tough loss.
Speaker 11 (27:45):
Uh, you know, first off, you know, I felt like,
obviously we played a really good team, really good team today,
and they were just better than us today. And I
felt like, you know, I left a couple of throws
out there that you know, I could be better on,
(28:05):
especially early in the game, really the first half, third quarter.
That one to speedy in the middle of the field,
I got to hit that, But yeah, just just missed opportunities.
Got to take care of the football, cam the interception,
can have the fumble obviously returned for a touchdown. That's
a huge play in the game. Uh yeah, just just
too many mistakes on my end. But again, just you know,
(28:28):
really proud of the guys in the locker room for
the way they fought all season. We just didn't come
out on top this time around. And yeah, it's pretty
much it.
Speaker 9 (28:40):
Right, obviously, well for you, but how do you process
just I mean, the.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
Mistakes that you had was tonight last week.
Speaker 11 (28:52):
Yeah, you know, I clearly just didn't play good enough
the last couple of weeks.
Speaker 4 (28:56):
You know.
Speaker 11 (28:57):
Uh, just like like I said, you know, left too
many throws out there that I would usually make and
got to.
Speaker 12 (29:04):
Take better care of the football today especially. Yeah.
Speaker 10 (29:10):
Same.
Speaker 12 (29:10):
I know it's a combination of teams that happen through
the game.
Speaker 11 (29:13):
But they what were they doing, especially in the first
first half to step Yeah, you know, they they had
a really good plan. You know, they they brought some
good pressures, you know, played played some good man coverage
in those you know, second and longs even third downs.
But again, you know, I feel like I can be
(29:33):
a lot better in terms of just moving on with
my progressions, not trying to force anything. And you know,
but yeah, again, I give them a lot of credit
for the way they came out, they played in the
plan that they had.
Speaker 5 (29:47):
Sam.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
I asked Kevin the same thing.
Speaker 9 (29:49):
But how much like you talked, You've talked to you
about feet dies rhythm, how how much does the pressure
specifically interior pressure affect what you want to do from
guys perspective.
Speaker 5 (30:03):
Yeah, it doesn't change anything, you know.
Speaker 11 (30:05):
For me, I'm always going to continue to go through
my progressions if I feel, you know, people in my
face or people you know, coming off the edge. It's
it's up to me to be able to move and
still find a window to throw it. You know, I'm
one hundred percent responsible for the football and what happens
to it, you know, and and for me, it's it's
it's up to me to be able to feel that
(30:25):
and and either step up, move, go run for first down,
or just simply throw it away. You know, I felt like,
you know, there were a lot of sacks today that
that you know, I was responsible for where I was
just holding onto the football and and taking sacks where
I could have either dirted at someone's feet or just
simply thrown over someone's head.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
Why didn't.
Speaker 11 (30:47):
Just in the moment decision trying to trying to get
away and and.
Speaker 12 (30:52):
You know, wasn't able to get the ball out.
Speaker 4 (30:55):
Just how do you reflect on this season as a whole?
You know, it's very fresh, but.
Speaker 12 (30:59):
Just yeah, you know, obviously it was.
Speaker 11 (31:04):
You know, at the end of the day, all that
matters is when you have a good season, what do
you do in the playoffs? And we didn't get it
done to them, and that's all that matters.
Speaker 10 (31:14):
Yeah, You'll take away from it nothing about I'll have
a lot of time after this to be able to
think about, you know, what the season entailed, but to
be honest and you know, just thinking about today and
what I could have done better.
Speaker 8 (31:28):
Say, I'm on the fact that it looks like you
guys were able to pick up some of the pressure
in the front side. Did you feel Witherspoon coming around
the backside at all.
Speaker 11 (31:35):
Or what was your Yeah, they brought a good pressure,
like I said, you know, kind of like I said
about just bringing different pressures, you know, obviously bringing the
corner cat there with Witherspoon.
Speaker 12 (31:47):
Yeah, and he did a really.
Speaker 11 (31:48):
Good job of of timing it up and getting to me.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
Sam.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
How much do you think these past two weeks will
impact your future?
Speaker 5 (31:57):
Uh?
Speaker 11 (32:00):
Yeah, I mean I'm not worried about that, you know,
that's in the past right now. I'm just I'm thinking about,
like I said, what I could have done better today,
and just really spending time with the guys in the
locker room. That's That's really all I'm focused on right now,
is just you know, because at the end of the day,
in the NFL, you only get one season with one
(32:20):
team with everyone together, and today wasn't our day. And
it's as simple as that. And for me, I'm just
going to be focused on spending as much time as
I can with those guys in the locker room, and
and then I'll think about, you know, whatever the future
holds after that.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
Knowing the type of group you guys have have, Yeah, absolutely,
you know we you know, we knew right from the
jump what kind of group we had, and obviously it
sucks to be able to come up short.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
All right, you heard from Sam Darnold and Kevin O'Connell.
You've also heard from Pete Bersich and yours surely, Paul Allen.
All season, thank you very much for listening to the
postgame report when you do. We thank Eric Davidson and
the Curly Heares for the production all season, and it
was great calling games with you this year. Man, Thanks
very much for your work.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Being awesome, Paul, and we enjoyed it and like I said,
fourteen wins, I mean, yep, what a great ride.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
Thank you for listening for Pete versage. I'm Paul Allen.
That's the Vikings postgame report. Sad news to finish hip.
Vikings lose twenty seven to nine in Arizona to the
Los Angeles Rams and the season is over.
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