Vikings Fanline: Vikings vs Cowboys 12-14-25

Eric Nordquist and Ron Johnson take your calls, texts, and talkbacks following the Vikings 34-26 win over the Cowboys.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hike football heard here them one hundred point three kify
in the fan.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Time. Now for Vikings Fan Line on the Minnesota Vikings
Audio Network, your chance to talk about today's game with
the Vikings broadcast team. Joined the conversation on Vikings Fan
Line by sending us a talkback through the iHeart app,
Text the studio at six four six eighty six, call
eight hundred and three two oh five three two six,

(00:35):
or send us a message to any of our kfans
social channels. Now it's your turn. Vikings Fan Line starts.
Now here's kfans. Ron Johnson and Eric Nordquist.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
In primetime thirty four twenty six the final the Vikings. Hey,
this is six and eight radio. The Vikings beat the Cowboys.
They win to and zero, making Ron Johnson laugh.

Speaker 4 (00:59):
Why not?

Speaker 3 (00:59):
It's a night and thank you for listening to your
home for Vikings Football the Fan.

Speaker 4 (01:04):
JJ McCarthy.

Speaker 3 (01:05):
If you were looking for growth steps, you got that
fifteen to twenty four tonight, two hundred and fifty yards,
a couple of touchdowns that all coming after whatever. That
first a weird interception was early on in the game,
but you needed more from the quarterback tonight, just seventy
seven yards on the ground productive yards at time, but
grinding yards less than three a kerry for the Vikings offense.

(01:27):
But in the end they found their way through and
it was will riker to believe, as the vox said,
if there's a will, there's a win, and the Vikings
founded six and eight stacking it. As you heard Aaron
Jones chatting with Ben Lieber last segment, I am going
to bring Ron Johnson to the conversation momentarily, but right
off the bat, I do believe we're headed back to Dallas,

(01:49):
and Ben Lieber is with linebacker Blake Cashman.

Speaker 5 (01:52):
All right, thanks luck guys down here with Blake Cashman,
you know, also talking to Aaron Jones, and he was
telling me kind of getting me through a TikTok dance
on one of those songs. Are you familiar with some
of these TikTok dances you guys are doing here in
the locker room.

Speaker 6 (02:06):
I am not, but I do get educated on them
very quickly.

Speaker 4 (02:11):
I do.

Speaker 6 (02:11):
Yeah, you know, between the guys in the locker room
and my fiance at home, who's always scrolling on.

Speaker 4 (02:17):
TikTok, I get copped to speed pretty quick.

Speaker 5 (02:20):
I was gonna say, not a shocker to me that
you're not up to speed on that. You don't seem
like a TikTok guy that's keeping up with the trends.
But either way, it's really fun to be in this
locker room see you guys dancing around. You know, statistically
you guys were dominant on third down. I think there
were two or twelve. What did you see from your
perspective that was working with your guys' defense.

Speaker 6 (02:39):
Well, we we kind of had a good jump on
how they were gonna protect, especially when they would walk
their back up, the running back up, and we wanted
to throw our like max pressure look at them early
see how they would handle it. And you know, we
felt like it was giving them frustration. So that was

(02:59):
kind of of our our answer even in g bot situation.
Second along, we just wanted to keep throwing it, throwing
it at them, uh, and then we would counter it
with some different coverages, whether it be you know, a
Tampa Tampa two, a tricky two. We threw in some
three deep in there. Uh, and we just try to
keep them honest.

Speaker 5 (03:20):
Can you Is it just a sense and a feel
that you guys have them confused? Or can you actually
see and hear things that they're talking about?

Speaker 7 (03:27):
Uh?

Speaker 6 (03:28):
Well, we we we listened to their calls a little bit,
or at least I'm trying to and you know, see
which way they're sliding. But I would say they they
changed up how they were protecting it quite often. But
it kind of worked in our favor just because of
how often we were making our checks. And I mean

(03:49):
it got to a point where you know, we were
sitting in really one call.

Speaker 4 (03:54):
But it's just a check system.

Speaker 6 (03:56):
So based off the formation and the alignment of back
and tight end, Harry Harris, the smith had the freedom
to check it and then you know, I'm waiting on
him and then I'm echoing it down to the front.

Speaker 4 (04:07):
Yeah, dude, he was. He was everywhere.

Speaker 5 (04:09):
I mean he's normally everywhere during the course of the game.
I mean he's deep center field, line of scrimmage only
win back and forth. I mean, could you imagine the
amount of running and miles that he can run?

Speaker 4 (04:19):
Can you do? Do you think you'd be conditioned enough
to do that?

Speaker 8 (04:22):
Uh?

Speaker 4 (04:23):
Not right now?

Speaker 3 (04:24):
No.

Speaker 4 (04:24):
I was very impressed.

Speaker 6 (04:25):
I mean, it felt like absolute chaos out there, but
you know, I felt like everyone was executing the play
call and the quick adjustments on the fly really well.
I mean there was times where we were checking out
of a max pressure to like a tricky too, like
a split second before the ball was being snapped, and

(04:45):
we were able to get it done.

Speaker 4 (04:46):
Is that all done verbally? Hand signals? Because I mean
obviously you're in both a little both.

Speaker 6 (04:50):
I mean I'm I'm really in tuned and so is
uh he will you know, and hearing the safeties, Uh
make the check, I can echo it down to the front.
But you know we we did a good job and
you know you will and I we tried to mix
up which gap we were lining up into quite often
to try to mess up their protection and just based

(05:14):
off where we were at. Uh, you know, we would
get to our drop last second, or we would be
rushing the quarterback.

Speaker 5 (05:21):
You know, some some negative plays that that happened out there.
They kind of got the running game going a little
bit downhill. What did you see there that kind of
cast some leakiness there in the run defense?

Speaker 4 (05:31):
I would I.

Speaker 6 (05:32):
Would say a lot of their I mean everything was downhill,
even their counterplays.

Speaker 4 (05:36):
They were just trying to keep.

Speaker 6 (05:37):
It on the hash and you know they got they
squirted some in the in our like mug looks, which
you know is tough.

Speaker 4 (05:45):
I know there was one I could have played better.

Speaker 6 (05:47):
I was trying to too gap with a guard and
I had the right leverage. I felt, you know, the
flash of the tight end. I tried to shed the
other way, and of course, you know how it is
in football, right when you do that if running back
cuts it back. But you know, we we got to
a point in the game where you know, we were
really playing the past, trying to you know, get up

(06:09):
in the line of scrimmage, present pressure and then get
out late. And we were just trying to mix it
up and sometimes we got caught, just as linebackers as
specifically talking about me, where like I wasn't getting enough
depth because I'm trying to show the preditation and I'm
backing up the ball and then I'm late on my
on my key work and footwork. But you know, I

(06:31):
felt like we were able to situationally come up big
when it mattered most.

Speaker 5 (06:37):
As you guys go into the rest of the season,
we all found out that we're not going to make
the playoffs. We found out this afternoon. But you guys
still came out and played really really hard. What's the
messaging going to be like the rest of the season,
as you guys are just out here just playing for fun.

Speaker 6 (06:49):
Well, we love uh, you know, we love what we do,
and we love this group and we love playing together.
And so you know, the reality of it is, yeah,
we are. We are out of the We're not getting
into the dance. There was very you know, odds were
not in our favor anyways, but we enjoy playing together.
And you know, we understand we're professionals. We have a

(07:11):
job to do and people are counting on us. So
we're gonna show up and get the work and looft
the continued stacks and wins.

Speaker 4 (07:18):
Well, we enjoy watching you guys go to work. Congratsmen,
thank you, appreciate it. All right, guys, back to you as.

Speaker 3 (07:23):
Blake Cashman, Vikings linebacker with Lieber in the locker room
in Dallas.

Speaker 4 (07:28):
Big night for the Vikings defense.

Speaker 3 (07:30):
I mean, in the end, you're looking at the score line,
you're like, all right, well, it's kind of a fantasy
football feast actually, But in spots the Vikings defense just
styming Dak Prescott when it mattered and finding their way
into the winner circle.

Speaker 4 (07:43):
Thirty four to twenty six.

Speaker 3 (07:44):
Let's pause, reset, we heard from the player, let's hear
from Ron, and let's hear from you. I got calls
on hold, I got talkbacks locked and loaded. Vikings Fan
Line is going to continue around the corner as we
bring Ron Johnson into the fold. Max Fuller produces I'm
Nordo from nine to noon. It's Vikings fan Line. This
is Minnesota Vikings Football, your.

Speaker 1 (08:04):
Home for all things purple. Come on FM one hundred
point three.

Speaker 4 (08:11):
KFA n the fan. Hey guys, I love it. We
got the win.

Speaker 9 (08:21):
JJ looks like he's improving, and it's just going to
really upset everybody who's hoping we lose every game for
a better draft pick, because I'd rather watch him entertaining
football games right now and then after a crazy batches
the picks from the springtime you complain about that.

Speaker 3 (08:43):
Thanks, how's quasy getting ripped on after a thirty four
to twenty six win. That's part of the talkback machine.
Free iHeartRadio app. You can just hit that microphone, give
us up to your best thirty seconds and let her
rip after the again the victory, down and down Allas.
It's two in a row for the Minnesota Vikings. A
lot of people focused on the QB as you heard

(09:04):
from that talkback, and we can jump to the phone
lines now, Ryan and Maple Grove. Ryan, welcome to Vikings
fan line.

Speaker 4 (09:15):
Ryan, you there, Hey, guys, how you doing Hey?

Speaker 10 (09:18):
Yeah, I'm here.

Speaker 4 (09:19):
Okay.

Speaker 10 (09:20):
So we've all been critical of JJ right the whole time,
and what has been a quarterback that has won at Chicago,
at Detroit, at Dallas. And I know we're out of
the playoffs, but we just focus on next year and

(09:42):
what do you guys think about this guy being our
man for the next ten years?

Speaker 4 (09:48):
Well, I think that I appreciate your phone call. Ryan.

Speaker 3 (09:51):
Ron Johnson into the mix at three the number three
Ron Johnson via social media.

Speaker 4 (09:57):
What did you think of the QB tonight?

Speaker 11 (10:00):
Well, Kevin O'Connell did a great job, So I mean
it starts there, like everything we talked about before, about
the play call and how he calls the place, when
he calls the place. One thing that I loved because
we broke it down in the pregame show was the
Dallas defense on first down was absolutely terrible this year.
Like their offense wants to keep the ball on the

(10:21):
field as long as possible because their defense can't stop
a running nose. And when you look at first down,
they were giving up five point seven yards per play,
which was twenty seventh in the NFL. Ninety two first
downs came on first down, which is twenty ninth. And
so what did Kevin O'Connell do tonight. He gained one
hundred and fifty yards on first down, which is six

(10:42):
point five two yards per place. So it just made
it easier for JJ McCarthy to get into more manageable situations.
But here's the key, it didn't come down to third down.
Even like JJ McCarthy was attacking on first and second down.
They had fourteen first downs converted, only two of them
were on third down and third one at third and eight,
So it was an attack offense like a couple first

(11:02):
on plays. He had eighteen yards eighteen yards again to
both tight ends. He had a fifty eight yard bomb
to Jordan Addison. I liked how kind of took the
kid gloves off a little bit, but he still rained
them in when he would throw some quick game slants
here and there, some quick dumb offs to the running
backs and tight end.

Speaker 4 (11:16):
So I loved it. I think he did a great job.

Speaker 11 (11:18):
But it starts with Kevin O'Connell calling the right plays
on first down, and then I think Chris collins Worth
trying to bring it up, talk about like the read
hey read this guy first. If he's there, go to him,
and that's what you saw. And then you saw him
come back to two every once in a while. But
they were put him in favorable situations and it comes
down to that, like take away a lot of that
pre snap stuff and just let Jaj McCarthy play.

Speaker 3 (11:38):
And that's the thing we're seeing right now. I heard McCarthy.
I was listening to the TV copy. I was at
this gravest food haul downtown cool spot, did a watch
party there. He at one point said Aubrey the Cowboys kicker,
watching him kick was like watching Deon Sanders run.

Speaker 4 (11:56):
And he missed too.

Speaker 12 (11:57):
I mean, I mean, I just he equated the kicker
to Dion if a will Reker is like watching Dion Sanders, Like,
let's let's not expand on the proposteros.

Speaker 4 (12:08):
I don't know, we love our kicker.

Speaker 3 (12:10):
Aubrey's good, uh, and just I mean just uncharacteristic, characteristically
off tonight, Nathan and Ossio. Nathan, welcome to Vikings fan line.

Speaker 10 (12:20):
Hey, I appreciate the welcome.

Speaker 13 (12:23):
We were hanging out at neighbors Bar and grill and Rogers. Uh,
kind of Chris Hockey territory. And you know one thing
we were paying attention to is that the offensive lion,
the old lion, telling you that that's the reason why
that we won two games in a row. Gave JJ
time to relax, put some throws on and win the game.

Speaker 2 (12:47):
So take them here.

Speaker 4 (12:49):
Okay, I appreciate it. I hope you had a great night.

Speaker 7 (12:51):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (12:52):
The offensive line without Darris that that was kind of
a frustrating. And it's just been we've seen that, now
what twice in the last three weeks where derisatt isn't
proud just two of the days goes limited on the Friday,
and then there's this on field like can you do it?

Speaker 4 (13:05):
Can you do it? You can't do it? And so
that was in Seattle and then again tonight.

Speaker 3 (13:10):
But justin school and McCarthy plays into this, and it's
part of that O'Connell conversation. Part of the kid QB
taking steps as well is getting the ball out quicker,
the processing improving. That lends to Justin's school not having
to deal with a pass rush for three full seconds.
JJ's got the ball out on time and he even

(13:32):
used his legs a couple times. I mean, other than
that sweet fake, just some smarter quicker play from the
kid QB. Today, we're gonna pause and come back and
continue the conversation. Vikings win thirty four twenty six are
now six and eight.

Speaker 4 (13:48):
You heard that talk back.

Speaker 3 (13:49):
All the quote unquote haters that want them to tank, well,
the Vikings are still picking twelve, so not a lot
changing in regard to the draft stock. While the it's
building some confidence on the field and the team is
having some measure of success.

Speaker 4 (14:04):
Two in a row for the Purple. Now at six
and eight, more.

Speaker 3 (14:07):
Of your phone calls, more of your talkbacks and text messages.
It's Vikings fan line. This is Minnesota Vikings football.

Speaker 1 (14:14):
The twa City Song for Viking. Scott f one hundred
point three kfa N.

Speaker 14 (14:26):
Two hundred and fifty yards passing, two touchdowns, one amazing fake,
our rushing touchdown. JJ is getting better and better each game.
Let's go to all the JJ haters for comment. Oh nothing,
That's what I thought. He's going to continue to get better.
This is showing the progression. Have him practice more, be healthy,

(14:47):
and he'll continue to grow. The future is bright. Minnesota
Viking fans believe in them. Scull Vikings, thanks for the talkbacks.

Speaker 3 (14:56):
Free iHeartRadio app Ooh, I think this one's this one
specifically for you, Ron, Hey.

Speaker 8 (15:02):
Ron, I would just like to ask if you had
a preferred style of ball thrown onto you or if
it was just a route, because JJ seems to be
trying to figure it out. He's getting some layered in
He's getting a lot of fastballs, though, which one would
you prefer to catch?

Speaker 4 (15:23):
There were a couple he had some touches.

Speaker 3 (15:25):
He had a little I mean by his standards, he
was showing a little touch.

Speaker 4 (15:28):
There's some maybe some work to be done on that.
One balls and two balls in there. Welcome back to
Vikings Fan line.

Speaker 3 (15:33):
Thirty four to twenty six is the final Vikings improved
to six and eight winning at.

Speaker 4 (15:38):
The Dallas Cowboys.

Speaker 3 (15:40):
JJ McCarthy of those fifteen completions, Yeah, there were a
lot of fastballs tonight, A couple with some touch, some layering,
if you will, as part of the growth process. I
got some text messages on this as well. Let me
just find one well, I mean just simply enough to
paraphrase it, JJ can't throw a catchable football and so

(16:00):
and Jefferson, Well, this one he gets a little melodramatic.
Jefferson has sacrificed his career. Damn shame, et cetera. Rips
the coach. Uh, Jefferson needs to catch that one in
the end zone and you just never hear it. Like
Josh Allen doesn't throw a hard ball at times, Aaron

(16:22):
Rodgers never threw a fastball.

Speaker 4 (16:25):
I mean that was the bit with Farv.

Speaker 3 (16:26):
Farv basically only had fastballs, but nobody was complaining. Now
with JJ, when it's leading to overthrows and inaccuracy, that's
where the validity I think in the conversation takes place.
But I mean in the end, if it's within that zone, man,
you got to catch it right right?

Speaker 11 (16:43):
Oh yeah, you have to into the caller's answer, what
is your what is your favorite?

Speaker 4 (16:48):
FABA?

Speaker 11 (16:49):
Come on now, faith FA, tlet me the fade. I'm
six three, two hundred and thirty pounds. I wanted to fake.
Give me a little cornerback on me. I'm taking that
all a day every day, but for for you, did
you need a soft ball and.

Speaker 4 (17:03):
Catch?

Speaker 11 (17:03):
All right, the dB was in front rock, if the
DV was in front of me, I want it on
my back shoulder. If he's you know, Trell, let me
put it on the outside so I can kind of,
you know, let it fall into the basket. So you know,
somebody just posted one from the Purdue game. I didn't
even remember. I think a sot of Dual coaleig or
Travis Cole threw it. It was perfect, like I had
late hands. I kind of waited for the ball. It
just kind of fell right over the DB's shoulder. And

(17:23):
still don't know how I caught that one. But yeah, somebody,
I don't know who tweeted it out, but somebody tweeted
out because they were tagging Travis Cole in it and
saw of Dual College.

Speaker 4 (17:30):
It was a couple of plays in ESPN. But anyway you.

Speaker 3 (17:32):
Were, you had a pretty good run playing the sport
a football rod.

Speaker 11 (17:37):
It was decent kind of imagine how you caught it.
Decent college career. I mean the quarterback made a perfect throw. Honestly,
I didn't have to do much. I just kind of
ran and it fell into my arms. But to his
point about JJ McCarthy, he's going to have to learn
Justin Jefferson. And here's the thought. We have to remember,
Justin Jefferson did not go through training camp with JJ
McCarthy his hamstring. Remember, So JJ McCart when we were

(18:00):
out there on the perch and we're watching practices and
we're watching joint practices, he was getting comfortable with Jordan Adison,
he was getting comfortable with Jaalen Naylor, he.

Speaker 4 (18:08):
Was getting comfortable with TJ. Hockinson.

Speaker 11 (18:10):
He was not getting comfortable with Justin Jefferson. And then
when we're expecting him to get comforted with Justin Jefferson,
he gets hurt. JJ McCarthy we're talking about. So now
he's out and we got to bring in Carson. With that,
we got to bring in Max Brosmer. And so JJ
McCarthy needs more time to learn what Justin Jefferson does.
And honestly, with three games left, I don't know if
he's gonna completely figure it out. I mean, I hope

(18:32):
he gets some one hundred and what's sixty eight yards
to get to one thousand yards, But I don't know
if he's going to figure him out in three games.

Speaker 3 (18:38):
I don't know if he's gonna get there one hundred
sixty eight, I don't know.

Speaker 4 (18:41):
I want him to two for twenty two or over
twenty two today. I mean, honestly, you look at the Giants.

Speaker 11 (18:48):
Could be that gay like he could have one hundred
and eighty against the Giants.

Speaker 3 (18:51):
But if he has him figured him out, like you're saying,
give him, give him some slants and hitches and let
him run.

Speaker 4 (18:56):
I gotta be out of that. I the deep post.

Speaker 11 (18:59):
I'm wondering why that wasn't Justin Jefferson's play though. I mean,
I do know Addison is to take the top off
guy and you're in. You're hoping that their eyes are
on Justin Jefferson. He using them as a just like
the Jayalen Naylor touchdown. They completely use Justin Jefferson as
the watch me, watch me, watch me. Oh, you guys
forgot about number one. So that's the tough thing too,
is guys are coming to the game. They're not gonna
not watch eighteen. You just have to figure out the coverage.

(19:22):
And the minute you know you got man coverage, which
he did it today, you throw the fade. But it
just wasn't a great throw, Like you either got a
back should room or you got to put a little
bit higher so he can go catch it over his
head like you like he has to make better throws
because Duran Blain is good, but not that good.

Speaker 3 (19:37):
I'm much where you feel like you watched the opportunities
when you see when you see the amount of space
that TJ had on that one up the middle, when
you see Jalen Naylor getting the opportunities that he has,
how much of that is related to Jefferson requiring the
amount of attention he gets all of it.

Speaker 11 (19:54):
So in the pregame show, when we broke down a
three minute drill, and I actually tweeted the video out too.
If people want to go see it, just hashtag three
minute drill ass on my Twitter's three Ron Johnson. But
the Cowboys screw up a lot when they have drop
seven coverage, and the reason is because of a guy.
So when you watch the Eagles game I put up there,

(20:17):
it was aj Brown. They took him when they had man,
so he threw a hitch, he threw a slant, and
then what happened? He threw a dig because they were
worried about Saquon Barkley. They used Sakuon Barkley as the bait.
The linebackers took it and was scared of Sakuon Barkley
and the flat catching the ball and jumping over somebody's head.

Speaker 4 (20:34):
So then who was wide open the dig route?

Speaker 11 (20:36):
So yeah, I think they're using Justin Jefferson in the
same way because he is the guy that they're all
going to be watching. So that's the problem is at
this point, if I have man coverage and I'm a
corner and I got Justin Jefferson, I'll probably have safety help.

Speaker 4 (20:49):
Like let's be real, like I'm not on an eye.

Speaker 11 (20:51):
I'm not you know, it's not Champ Bailey, it's not
you know, Dion Sanders out there anymore.

Speaker 4 (20:56):
They're gonna have some type of help.

Speaker 11 (20:57):
So that's the biggest issue is when you run that
deep ball, it's addison because you know, if I got
Jefferson on a dig, that safety in quarters is watching
Justin Jefferson, and that's what happened. You know, Like whenever
you go quarters, you want to send Justin Jefferson to
the side to make the safety bite. And that's that's
what you're getting in a lot of these guys is like, hey,
JJ your cover man, I don't know how we get

(21:19):
to the ball besides a one step, and.

Speaker 4 (21:21):
Then we can't always guarantee you're gonna get yards on that.

Speaker 3 (21:24):
So but to that to that end, the reason I
asked that question is because then that is another growth
opportunity for because Justin Jefferson can't just be a sacrificial
lamb every game. Correct and whether and whatever type of
ball he gets a touchdown that's pulled back on the
formation penalty. I think Mason was covering up all over there,

(21:46):
you know, and Jordan Mason, And.

Speaker 4 (21:48):
How often has Jordan Mason motioned to be the receiver.

Speaker 3 (21:51):
You know, like, hey, you know what, we're out of
the playoffs. That doesn't mean we're not going to keep
it trying to get tricky. He gets that one pulled back.
Then the one that getting back to this is it
just feels like, as Jji McCarthy continues to take, you know,
the lower hanging fruit in the entire offensive concept that
is going to be nailor more often it's going to
be Addison, et cetera. And he's feasting on at the

(22:13):
last two games. So he dig that but that means
that when you have eighteen, you got to get eighteen.
And once he had him, it was pulled back by penalty.
Two or three times tonight. He tried to force it,
and maybe on one of them you possibly get bland
on a penalty because he kind of turns his head back.
But basically he had his army hand in the shirt.

(22:33):
He was trying to reach for those chains man. He
was trying to steal his money and his jewelry, all in.

Speaker 4 (22:38):
On playing like I need his money and so.

Speaker 3 (22:41):
But then the one that goes through his hands, like
eighteen's got to get that. All ball related jokes aside,
I don't care if he's a South Paw. I don't
care if it's soft, I don't care if it's one
hundred miles an hour. Jefferson has to catch that, and
I just hope that he sees that or feels that
understanding post, you know, after the game.

Speaker 11 (23:01):
Yeah, and McCarthy's probably gonna watch that. Back to saying, ah, yep,
I knew I had him on the corner. I could
have thrown it a little bit sooner, a little bit softer,
you know, on the fade ball, like you said, when
Bland had the hand in the in the jyro in
the collar area. He probably could have said, you know,
I could have floated this a little bit to let
you jump up and make that catch. I don't know
if you watch any of the Lions Rams game, but

(23:21):
Davante Adams had a similar like I think three or
four plays in the same drive ran kind of like
a stutter out, stutter corner. He was killing the cornerback,
and Matthew Stafford threw like a perfect ball before Devonte
Adams broke, but it was soft and it was high,
so that once he broke to the corner, even if
the corner is there, now it's a jump ball between

(23:43):
Davante Adams and the corner route or sorry, in the
corner back. That's the stuff that Jaj McCarthy's gonna learn.

Speaker 4 (23:48):
Again.

Speaker 11 (23:49):
This is Matthew Stafford's what twelfth I don't know how
many years he's been in the league now.

Speaker 4 (23:53):
Oh eight, so, but that's in eighteen seasons. Yeah, that's just.

Speaker 11 (23:56):
Learning, right, that's just learning, guys, learning receivers, learning the
game and how quick you need to get the ball
out of your hands when you need to throw a
three ball or four ball versus a two or one. Again,
this is game eight or nine for JAJ McCarthy, Like
we we just haven't he hasn't learned this stuff yet.
But the fact that he's making some of those throws,
like the play action to his left and he throws

(24:18):
absolute dime, that's the things you can say like man,
And then the one he threw the.

Speaker 4 (24:23):
Oliver, like, yeah, he drove it through guys, you know, like.

Speaker 11 (24:26):
That's the balls You're like, okay, man, but then the
the interception, you're like, maybe that's when you need to
pump and in.

Speaker 4 (24:35):
Or just go yeah.

Speaker 11 (24:36):
Like and there's a couple of times where you could
have run the day and he either took a sack
or threw a bad ball, And again that's just that's
just again growing learning knowing, Hey, if we're if we're
in four down territory, let me go get nine yards
and then let's go forward to fourth for one. So
again that's Jalen Hurts. We know he knows that because
he knows that offense. We know Patrick Mahomes knows that
he knows that offense or Jayling there. This is JJ

(24:57):
McCarthy's first year, so it sucks to Ke saying that.
But it's the truth, Mike, Honestly, it's the truth. Think
about your first year marriage. It wasn't great, you know
he used to marry that's pretty good.

Speaker 4 (25:08):
With a lot of kids, you made it.

Speaker 3 (25:12):
Each one of those years has been equally amazing in
by any stretch of the imagination, of course, a blessing.

Speaker 4 (25:18):
Indeed, it is good points all around from Ron.

Speaker 3 (25:21):
That's Ron Johnson DOMNRDO from nine to noon and we're
gonna continue fan line eight hundred three to two zero
five three two six talkback machine in full flow, some
text messages around the corner. Vikings win thirty four to
twenty six over the Cowboys.

Speaker 4 (25:33):
The Vikings now six and eight.

Speaker 3 (25:36):
They were eliminated from postseason conversation by the Bears. W
Niners won today. All wild cards have at least ten wins.
Vikings can max out at nine, so you can do
the math there and understand why the postseason will not
be in the mix for your favorite football team. But
more around the corner Vikings fan line KFAN and the
Minnesota Vikings Audio network.

Speaker 7 (25:56):
This is Vikings Football on f F one hundred point
three KFA and get this now streamed live to Minnesota
residence on iHeartRadio.

Speaker 15 (26:14):
I mean when you watch, when you watch Jefferson in
his route tree from McConnell, like the play calling, he's
running deep all the time, corners, posts, flies, goes deep
deep corners that that ball is so hard to layer
in and it's a great play.

Speaker 4 (26:29):
I get it.

Speaker 15 (26:29):
But can you imagine he needs to be running slants
and ins and outs.

Speaker 4 (26:34):
He needs to just.

Speaker 15 (26:35):
So that he could set up his own double moves
later on in the game, or he could be running
it instead of blocking.

Speaker 4 (26:41):
He can just run a route and then have Jones
come out of the back.

Speaker 3 (26:46):
Talkback machine clipped by the thirty second limit, but what
a thirty seconds It was free iHeart Radio app. It's
Vikings fan line Vikings Win thirty four twenty six.

Speaker 4 (26:57):
That talkback you just heard.

Speaker 3 (26:59):
They're kind of in the I mean, you've had you
you've talked about this a bit in terms of and
and we saw it a couple of times. Uh and
and one worked for for JJ, not JJ, the other
one Jefferson justin Jefferson. One of his receptions tonight was
actually just he's going to take two steps and he's
going to jump inside and just beat his guy and

(27:19):
make the catch. We actually saw that. We saw a
couple last week. I think it's I think it's something's
happening here. Yeah, and uh was it Chris Collins word
for somebody. I don't know who said it, Tarico. Somebody
was like yeah, and see they're trying to run the
progression here, and this is what they're teaching them on
the pure progression crap.

Speaker 4 (27:37):
Right, it's just read read the defense, not get it.
You give it a word. So it's pure progression.

Speaker 11 (27:42):
Cause I talked to Wes Phillips about this, and you
know the ever evolving NFL offensive calls and how you
make things sexy and you know, hit, what's what's What's
a buzzword?

Speaker 4 (27:52):
Right? Pure progression is a buzzword. Now we're seeing our
Lowski and everybody.

Speaker 11 (27:55):
He was able to come on line his scrippage and say, okay,
you're five yards off. I know you're going to back
up at least one or two steps. I know what
my guy has. He has a one or two stepper.
He's gonna break in. I'm gonna throw the ball on
time boom, I'm gonna look to my left. I'm not
gonna let the safety. No, I'm going right because if
he had stared it, now I think Justin Jefferson season
is over because the safety would have killed him. But

(28:17):
he looked him off, So it's just a little bit
late mention. He threw a fastball, and he threw a
fastball and Justin Jefferson caught it. He needed that fastball.
If it was being decapitated, he would have got killed,
like I was. Even when he threw it, I was
like oh, and I was like, oh wait, he missed.
The guy missed the hit. Now, I will say this though, Nordo,
if this would have been five six years ago, that's

(28:39):
a hit.

Speaker 4 (28:39):
That guy's actven going for the ball. He still gets hit. Yeah,
he's not going for the ball.

Speaker 11 (28:43):
See now they kind of have to play it where
they're like, oh my god, to make a play on
the ball.

Speaker 4 (28:45):
Let me se if I can break this up. If
that was Ryan Clark ed Reeve Man, they're de capitate him.
That's the difference. They took that out the game.

Speaker 11 (28:53):
Now, you can't hit a guy after he as soon
as he catches the ball anymore like that.

Speaker 4 (28:57):
That would he would have got to he would have
got killed. Isn't it kind of the.

Speaker 3 (29:00):
Interesting culture change in football over the course of time.
Where Ed, I mean Ed Reid did a ton of
great things in the return game, I mean, his ballhawking ability,
just I mean, the total thing was hof no doubt.
But a big part of his game was the physical intimidation.
And so fifteen years ago, Ed Reid knocking a guy's
head off, it's not only not a penalty, it's talked

(29:22):
about on the top ten list on Sports Center.

Speaker 4 (29:25):
He's being celebrated. He's that's dollars.

Speaker 3 (29:29):
Williams, it's dollars in his pocket in the form of
future contract considerations, all Pro honors and all of those things.

Speaker 4 (29:36):
These guys are freaking heroes.

Speaker 11 (29:38):
Cam Chancellor, Roy Williams, Brian Dawkins, Like you don't have
that anymore, Like you can't do that. I remember playing
Brian Dawkins and it was scary.

Speaker 4 (29:47):
This is one of those back in my day. I
was scared.

Speaker 3 (29:49):
Right now, I realized, like he was literally a scary guy,
like you just knew.

Speaker 11 (29:53):
But I mean we were prepared for that, Like we
were like, look, you're gonna get hit. Like I remember
like getting hit and I was miked up. Maybe guess
the Saints. And the only reason I remember this because
I heard the micd up. I lost, like I couldn't breathe.
I was in the huddle and Chris Redman's like, are
you all right? And I didn't say anything. I couldn't
get knout. He hit me so hard I couldn't talk.

(30:15):
But that was legal back then. They could decapitate us
and I had to play the next play. Who knows
if I was concussed or not, but literally Chris repmins
like all right, and I just didn't say anything, like
it was just the mic was quiet, and I remember,
like we did the little show back in the day
of the mic of stuff, and they're asking me like,
do you remember what happened? I was like, yeah, I
got hit, that's all I remember. I don't remember what
else happened. But you can't do that anymore. So now

(30:36):
safety's in college. You know they're getting.

Speaker 4 (30:39):
Kicked out of the game.

Speaker 13 (30:40):
Guy.

Speaker 4 (30:41):
Now yeah, now it's targeting. Before it was just maybe
a flag. Now you're you're losing.

Speaker 11 (30:45):
If it's second half, you're losing the next half of
another game.

Speaker 4 (30:48):
So it's crazy, how like they've taken that out the game.

Speaker 11 (30:51):
So to go back to that though, justin Jefferson he
made that catch, because that's there.

Speaker 4 (30:56):
They're protected now.

Speaker 11 (30:57):
But JJ McCarthy throwing a fastball also saves him from
his rib because again, you can still put your shoulder
into his ribs, you just can't go to his head
and try to try to knock him out.

Speaker 3 (31:06):
Now, you mentioned that he looked off the safety or
maybe yeah, Quick was first a linebacker off or something
like that. He did have one earlier in the game
where he just eyeballed him and it was nearly disastrous
as well, and it was incomplete, so maybe they're just learning.
Even within the game. He goes and sits down, he's like, yeah,
that's right, I was. I mean, as as fun as

(31:27):
it's been watching him see success on the field, JJ
still eyeballs the bleep out of the a topic and
a route once in a while, and I just wonder, well,
and we saw it. It was in the end zone
and I forget, I forget who, and maybe it was Bland.

Speaker 4 (31:43):
It was Bland following him.

Speaker 3 (31:45):
For a large part of that game, for the most part, Jefferson,
the most part, because and he ends up throwing it
maybe a foot or two over his head and it
was way too far back towards the pylon, and there
was just no chance Jefferson was going to have a
true opportunity on that ball. But it was almost like
JJ just decided five seconds pre snap, this is absolutely

(32:05):
where it's going. And again kind of getting back and
this is in some ways too much Jefferson conversation maybe,
but hey, it's six and a radio. The Vikings won
the what we're seeing there in those moments, and there's
much there's far fewer of them now as he's taking
advantage of these opportunities, as you have Hawkinson open on
that play, you have Naylor as an option. Yeah, and

(32:27):
not only is Bland on Jefferson, but I believe one
of the safeties or potentially even a slot corner just
stayed over on that side. So in every moment he's
being double teamed and in that compressed area like that
just should never be a pre.

Speaker 4 (32:41):
Snap lock in for him. I don't.

Speaker 11 (32:43):
Yeah, And so it's it's not so much pre snap,
but more of the minute he saw the coverage and
so the way when Ix West phillips this the way
I'm learning it because I know how we did it
back in the day, Like as a tight end receiver.

Speaker 4 (32:57):
Like what I knew the quarterback was reading, It's nothing's changed.

Speaker 11 (33:01):
The biggest difference of the pure progression I'm doing air
quotes for those that can't see the pure progression part
of this is the minute he knows he Justin Jefferson
has a certain coverage that this this route is gonna
work versus coverage. He does lock in, but I think
he I'm pretty sure, like unless I'm wrong, he's supposed
to look the other way just for a little bit,

(33:25):
just to hold the safety.

Speaker 4 (33:26):
Yeah, just hold the safety and then come back.

Speaker 11 (33:30):
But again, I mean it's tough, Like I if I'm
a quarterback and I know I got Justin Jefferson. I mean,
the human nature of it is you get a little
antsy and you stare him down. You know, you you
want to make sure he's gonna be where he's supposed
to be when's supposed to be there, and you want
to get the ball to him when you're supposed to
get the ball to him.

Speaker 4 (33:45):
And coach total so freaking badly.

Speaker 11 (33:48):
The crazy thing I look at sometimes because he's my guy,
is a Jimmy neutron, which is Josh McCown.

Speaker 4 (33:54):
If you look at his hair. It just reminds me
of Jimmy Neutron. I don't know why.

Speaker 11 (33:56):
Sometimes when he's to walking across the screen, I'm like, man,
look at the look at the hair. But when you
watch Josh McCown, like you're saying, after a play happens,
I feel like that's what Josh McCown is telling JJ
because he's going up and telling them something. I feel
like he is saying that, like, hey, don't you know,
like whatever, don't stare this down, or hey make sure
you look the safety off or whatever it might be,
because again, that's just what time.

Speaker 4 (34:18):
The more you play, the more that becomes easy. You know.
We joked about.

Speaker 11 (34:23):
The no look you know, mahomes passes and the no
look Aaron Rodgers and the no look Josh Allen. It
takes time to get to that, right. You gotta know
where guys are gonna be. Are you looking at Jimmy
newshown pictures now?

Speaker 3 (34:34):
No, I just I got to talk back and it's
a shot at you. But I think it's funny, so
I'm gonna play it.

Speaker 9 (34:39):
Unless he was knocked completely unconscious, I don't believe for
a second that Ron Johnson was unable to talk.

Speaker 4 (34:48):
How about that?

Speaker 11 (34:49):
Even in my I did get a good cussion one
time in Calgary. I'm pretty sure I still probably was
talking with the stam Peters. Yeah, I got flipped on
top of my head and I was out, Wow.

Speaker 3 (35:00):
How many let me see did you play? So you
were specifically with Calgary? Yeah, it was with Calgary. Okay,
we were interronogi happen?

Speaker 4 (35:07):
How much time did you spend in the CFL? Just
a year and a half, two years? Basically a year
and a half. I got like back then, how much
different different there?

Speaker 13 (35:14):
Oh?

Speaker 4 (35:15):
Way different?

Speaker 11 (35:15):
Like the motioning towards the line of scrimmage that was
a learning you know, learning curve.

Speaker 4 (35:19):
You have like a fifteen yard head start.

Speaker 11 (35:21):
Yeah, you could just run full speed and block a
dB like you get a full head start to hit.

Speaker 4 (35:25):
A DV like it's ramming fans. Oh yeah, they were crazy.

Speaker 11 (35:29):
But the cool thing about Canadians too is like they
get to they like come to the bars after the
game because like the team is sponsored by like a
local bar, So after the games we get to go
to a bar and we drink for free, eat for free,
and all the fans show up. That was part of
the bit like you go to the bar and they
tell the fans those Stampeder's are going to be at
this bar after the game. Doesn't feel kind of like

(35:51):
the NFL, like thirty some years ago, partying with the fans. Well,
I just remember, and I saw it as a kid,
and then as I got the high school and then
in college and man Cato, I mean training camp down
to Mankato.

Speaker 4 (36:05):
You can see the players.

Speaker 11 (36:06):
Yeah to my social media now corraud cell phones videos
Like I mean, I'm not gonna say guys' names, but
I've still been out. You know, we'll go out and
I'll see guys out, and you know I'll be like,
oh man, what you're doing here about?

Speaker 4 (36:16):
But where? You know?

Speaker 11 (36:17):
So, yeah, I still see some guys out. But I
think more's Incognito. Like one of the people saw out.
It was the funniest thing ever. But like in a
full like turtleneck trench coat. It looked like Nino Brown
from a New Jack City, like in the corner, And
unless I had known who he was, I wouldn't even
realize that was him, Like he was just in the corner.
Super Incognito had his own little booth with a couple

(36:39):
of people, and I just happened to see him, and
you know, he kind of did the tap on the
shoulder and I'm like, what are you? Why are you
in the corner like this? But then I realized, like
I get it. You don't want to be seen, like
you don't want people video in.

Speaker 4 (36:50):
You just trying to relax with your people. So yeah,
you guys.

Speaker 11 (36:53):
Can't go out, you know, fifteen players deep anymore because
I mean, imagine if fifteen players were on a right
now for the vikings, It's gonna be all over Twitter.

Speaker 3 (37:02):
Well that's a terrible Yeah, yeah, I mean just from
a historical context, this is why history matters. There will
be no kes were both people though they're all just
wearing Groucho marks glasses just where just where Pooh Shisty's
and nobody knows just where the shisty with some swim
trucks going like nobody would know. He must have had

(37:23):
the sisty over his eyes because Pickens and his three
catches and thirty.

Speaker 4 (37:27):
Three yards they did not even look for him. I
didn't see it was tough.

Speaker 11 (37:31):
Yeah, and and even for so here's the thing, CD Lamb,
I think I don't know if you heard it too
in the broadcast, but they were talking about how Dak
Prescott said, I'm gonna find George Pickens and he went
off and then he said some in his eyes change
where he's like, Okay, I'm going to Cede Lamb now.

Speaker 4 (37:47):
And then Brian Flores brought up the you know, they said,
Brian floor Is brought up the Jeckel and hide. Yeah.
I think that's what we're That's what they're probably experienced
right now, like eleven hundred yards. Man, he's great, whoa
what just happened? In practice? What is he doing?

Speaker 13 (37:59):
You know?

Speaker 4 (38:00):
To think about three games left now that I mean,
losing this one was.

Speaker 11 (38:03):
Nasty and they're trying to get Yeah, so he's probably
gonna check out this eminated Yeah one percent chance if
they if I forgot who has to win Saturday? But
whoever plays Saturday, if they win, the Cowboys are out.

Speaker 4 (38:16):
They're effectively where we were today. I think is the
Eagles commanders maybe just like that.

Speaker 11 (38:21):
I don't have this sketch. If the Eagles play, I
think the Eagles play Saturday. But they were talking about
whoever wins Saturday, which I think is the Eagles eliminates
the Cowboys. So they basically say that the Cobboys could
be eliminated before their next game because the only way
they can get in is through the division. So the
Eagles effect, if the Eagles win, Yeah, the Eagles win Saturday,
they must play Saturday and then they're out. And so
if that happens, just keep an eye on George Pickins

(38:42):
watch because that's I mean literally, that's what Mike Tomlin
talked about.

Speaker 4 (38:45):
Flores talked about it. That's that's the stuff we used
to see on social media. We hadn't seen it this year.

Speaker 11 (38:51):
He was getting the ball, he was happy and uh, yeah,
we might find out what's.

Speaker 3 (38:54):
What's really under that shisty well and uh and Flores
new pickings from that year.

Speaker 4 (38:59):
He spin still, so maybe he knew how to turn.
I can't believe.

Speaker 11 (39:04):
Somebody said that or did that. And then he's like, wait,
he did that though, you know, it's just like Laws
definitely knows how to probably get under his skin. Here's
what oh absolutely does.

Speaker 3 (39:14):
Here's what we're gonna do is we're gonna pause as
you're six and eight. Vikings sounds like they they knocked
the Cowboys out of the playoffs. How about that for
a consolation six and eight radio as we call it,
Vikings win down in Dallas thirty four to twenty six.
They've won two in a row, loving that, loving the
steps taken by the quarterback, and loving independently, albeit in

(39:35):
a bad season, some of the performances that we've been
seeing across the board, specifically on defense, and that's where
we're going to leave you here, at least on the
greater Vikings Audio Network. We're gonna continue fan Line for
a few truncated segments. You can tune into the flagship
one hundred point three FM the Fan. You can continue
listening and sending talkbacks via the free iHeartRadio app as
we have some calls on hold. We got talkbacks ready

(39:57):
to rock, but until then nine to noon, pumping it
up tomorrow, excited about that. We got happy drive bys,
We got live and local with the Power Trip at
five thirty, and then we try to go make six
and eight, seven and eight next weekend a nooner Vikings
at the Giants, pump for that. This has been Vikings
Fan Line Kfan and the Minnesota Vikings Audio Network.

Speaker 2 (40:27):
Vikings fan Line now continues on FM one hundred point
three Kfan and the fan radio network. Posting coverage on
the fan is presented by our broadcast partners, by Will Shier,
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Joined the conversation on Vikings fan Line by sending us

(40:50):
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Speaker 4 (41:00):
Our kfa ins social channels.

Speaker 2 (41:03):
Now continuing to take your talkbacks, direct messages and calls.
This is Vikings Fan Line with Ron Johnson and kfans
Eric norton Quist.

Speaker 3 (41:13):
Hey what up, thanks for tuning into the fan Happy
Monday at twelve oh two am. A few truncated segments
here on the flagship one hunder point three FM the
Fan remaining as part of Vikings Fan Line. Vikings win
in primetime down in Dallas. JJ McCarthy once again kind
of looking the part fifteen to twenty four, two hundred
and fifty yards, a couple of passing touchdowns. He did

(41:35):
have that early pick that was just hideous, But then
he asked he had one of the great the Peyton
Manning esque fake as he ran his way and as
the box said, sauntered in, galloped in, skipped in, gritted
in to the end zone for a rushing score as well.

Speaker 4 (41:53):
CJ.

Speaker 3 (41:53):
Ham That may have been his first carry of the season,
by the way, one carry for one yard.

Speaker 4 (41:59):
Resulting in a touchdown. That's how you get to thirty
four points.

Speaker 3 (42:02):
Will Rekerd continues another fantastic season for the Kid and
the Cowboys six seven and one the Vikings. Effectively, they
still have one percent chance, but there are seasons about over.
Because of this victory tonight, here for the Purple eight
hundred and three two zero five three two six talkback
machine and play text messages are always welcome six four

(42:23):
six eighty six Brad, Shawn, Brian, KFA and text line
and let's jump to the phones Christine and Woodbury.

Speaker 4 (42:30):
Christine, welcome to Vikings fan line.

Speaker 16 (42:33):
Hey guys, that's us. I just wanted to add on
to when you were saying, yes, this is eighth game, right.
Everybody says that, But it's so much deeper than that
when you put the numbers to it, if you think
about it. Let's take Williams for example, it's what his
thirty first game that he's playing like we're talking thirty

(42:56):
one to eight. Yeah, I mean that's a lot of games, right,
And what I remember watching last year, what was he
like in his seventh and eighth game. I remember Chicago
wanting him to run out of town and people were
laughing because he was laying down pouting on the bench,

(43:17):
you know. And McCarthy is the opposite of that, which
is what you can't develop. You can't develop that inner strength.
And honestly, I am I shocked at the strength that
this young kid has with all the media nowadays and
what he hears and the pressure, he just keeps coming

(43:39):
back and there's no attitude.

Speaker 3 (43:43):
Well, I appreciate, I appreciate your thoughts, and I appreciate
the perspective on that, Christine. Yeah, that is you know,
trying to trying to figure out and you know the
difficulty to what you're saying. And I'd not disagreeing with Christine.
Ron Johnson here remaining as part of Vikings fanline, I'm
not disagreeing with with what Christine when you put it

(44:03):
in those sorts of contexts. Just again reps the head coach,
Kevin O'Connell said it after the game mentioning just continuing to.

Speaker 4 (44:10):
Get more time on task.

Speaker 3 (44:12):
I think was part of his response when when someone
asked him just kind of impressed by his poise, JJ's
poise and just how he came back after that interception
and ultimately played a very very good game. But as
we've felt kind of the ebbs and flows of this season,
you know, there has been a significant lack of patience

(44:33):
for many in terms of giving this kid that opportunity
to accrue that time on task.

Speaker 4 (44:39):
And you know, I'm not I.

Speaker 3 (44:41):
Personally, it's so difficult to look at individual QBS schemes, systems,
scenarios and circumstances and say McCarthy's first eight games versus
you know, even a Caleb Williams who who did struggle mightily.

Speaker 4 (44:54):
At times last year and is now looking much better.

Speaker 3 (44:56):
Yeah, or Josh Allen how bad things looked for him
at times his rookie season, et cetera. It's tough to
really find like kind instances. But in the end, regardless
of that, to Christine's point, kid needs more than eight
games before the book is written.

Speaker 11 (45:12):
Right now, season of sixteen games, so he hasn't even
gotten a full season yet.

Speaker 4 (45:17):
Seventeen games, seventeen games. Yeah, sorry, that's just how old
I am. I keep forgetting the.

Speaker 11 (45:22):
Game from when he got hit in that game. Yeah,
when I couldn't talk. I'm just I'm just catching up now.
But I'm sorry to agree with that.

Speaker 4 (45:29):
There's no chance here. I mean I might have been like,
but here's one thing.

Speaker 11 (45:35):
So average completed air yards today, right, JJ McCarthy and
Matthew Stafford both at ten point one yards. So when
you think about that, right time to throw for JJ
McCarthy today two point nine to seven, So that means
he's getting the ball out of his hands, he's not
holding on to it for a long period of time.

Speaker 4 (45:55):
Matthew Stafford two point eight.

Speaker 11 (45:57):
You look at intended air yards in point four, so
meaning Kevin O'Connell was calling the plays and he's throwing
it where it's intended to go, like he's not asked to, like, oh,
here's a five yard dump off and you're gonna go
get me eighty yards. He's making the throws in the
air and making the completions in the air. You look
at for his aggressiveness number sixteen percent, almost seventeen percent,

(46:19):
Like all of that little stuff there where he's right
up there with here's the names he's with in time
or sorry in a lot of these metrics today, Trevor Lawrence,
JJ McCarthy, Matthew Stafford, Jarrett Goff, Caleb Williams, and bow Knicks.
Like that's a good group to be around when you
think about aggressiveness, you think about air yards all that stuff.
So again, this is only eight games. This is week fifteen.

(46:40):
I'm just looking at one week. But he's only had
eight games for some of this stuff. So yeah, we
got three more games. Season's over for the most part,
no playoffs. But let's see what he does. He's next
three at the end. Because people keep saying like the
Commander's defense was bad, the Cowboys defense is porous. Well,
you got the Giants that great either, So another week

(47:01):
from note to poll on. But then you got the
Lions and the Packers, Like you'll get your answer at
the end of the year. Where when two pretty you know,
better defenses coming to the someone get to the bill
and sorry coming to Minnesota.

Speaker 4 (47:12):
Absolutely, that's Ron Johnson. I'm Nordo. We're gonna pause, come back.
I'm gonna give you.

Speaker 3 (47:16):
Our local Chevy Dealers drive of the game. Thanks to
our local Chevy dealers, I got several to choose from.
So I'm gonna take this next break and find a
goodie for y'all. Is the Vikings win thirty four to
twenty six. It's Vikings fan line. Ron Johnson's here, I'm Nordo.

Speaker 4 (47:30):
This is the fan let's hear from the talkbackers. Hey guys,
Hey love what JJ has been doing the last couple
of weeks.

Speaker 3 (47:45):
I'm just trying to figure out if we should play
spoiler for the rest of the Central Division or do
we just kind of hang back try to figure.

Speaker 4 (47:55):
Out something for the draft.

Speaker 8 (47:57):
Okay, we got Harrison Smith coming up on the end
and maybe a dB.

Speaker 4 (48:05):
Thanks for the talkbacks. Free iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 3 (48:08):
Hit that microphone, give us up to your best thirty seconds.

Speaker 4 (48:12):
Yeah, what do you? What do you think? Ron at three?

Speaker 3 (48:14):
Ron Johnson via social media. I mean, with with the
way that they're playing these games, clearly they're they're trying
to unleash something in the quarterback. They're trying to find
something over this final stretch. I think naturally becoming a
potential spoiler could be.

Speaker 4 (48:31):
Part of that conversation.

Speaker 3 (48:32):
Now you know, I'm not familiar with the Central Division anymore.

Speaker 4 (48:36):
I think that the Tampa Bay Bucks are now in
the NFC South.

Speaker 3 (48:39):
Yeah, they I apologize to the Talkbacker. Some things have
changed since the nineties, and so now we actually have
the NFC North that would be the division. There are
just four teams in it, no longer five. The Bucks
really probably should never been affiliated with the rest of
us up here in the.

Speaker 4 (48:55):
North, but well, they needed they needed two more teams
to join the end. They needed a place, yes, and
more team. We were happy to house them.

Speaker 3 (49:01):
But now they are nestled not so nicely in the
NFC South with these freaking Panthers.

Speaker 8 (49:06):
Now.

Speaker 3 (49:07):
I think the Panthers lost today, but it is Bucks
and Panthers play each other twice over the final three
I think to determine who's going to win the South.
How about those Panthers at seven and six or seven
and seven whatever they are, seven and seven they are, Yeah,
they lost to the Saints today. The Saints winning games.
By the way, there are three or four win team
weird things in the NFL.

Speaker 4 (49:28):
It is interesting the.

Speaker 3 (49:28):
Mentality though, Ron where you heard it, you heard it
during that and it was kind of it was almost amusing,
just like I don't know how like you get into
that place mentally. Liber was talking with play Cashman, and
it's kind of like you are kind of just playing
for fun, right, and you know it's like, well, I mean,
you're playing for a paycheck, you're playing for statistics, you're

(49:49):
playing for you know, good tape into the offseason and beyond.

Speaker 11 (49:54):
And I mean, honestly, if they win the next three,
the Lions have to play the Steelers and the Bears,
so they could potentially not be in the basement.

Speaker 3 (50:03):
Well with the way things are going here now, the
Lions losing today kind of hurts them because I think
it's still two games. Instead of just saying I think,
how about I just look at the freaking standing. So
Detroit's eight and six, Packers nine to four and one,
so they're a game and a half back.

Speaker 4 (50:22):
So it makes things a little dicey.

Speaker 3 (50:24):
You can effectively keep the Lions out of the playoffs
if you win on Christmas, and that's fun. Additionally, you
have the ability here. Now we'd have to do some
more math on it. I think Packers losing Parsons is
potentially catastrophic for that team, but I still the Packers

(50:45):
are a good squad. I think they're going to end
up in the playoffs, but that could be a potential
seeding l if you're able to kind of play that spoiler.
I think it's more likely that the Vikings on Christmas
actually could send a just a nice Christmas gift, just
a bag of dog who set it on fire and
say you're.

Speaker 4 (51:03):
Out of the if we're not.

Speaker 3 (51:04):
Going to the playoffs, you're not going.

Speaker 4 (51:06):
To the playoffs either.

Speaker 3 (51:08):
Merry Christmas, Lions fans, you could so playing spoiler. I
think there could be an element of it, specifically with
these division rivalries and the frustrating way of the season.
But all that comes into I think seeing JJ McCarthy
just make plays right.

Speaker 11 (51:22):
Yeah, and you think about the Packers being the seventh
seed right now, Lions are the A seed. So Packers
the tie nine four and one first, the Cowboys save them.

Speaker 4 (51:34):
I think that's what they tied. They did, yeah, forty
forty That saved them.

Speaker 11 (51:38):
So instead of them being nine and five, you know,
or particularly to help them, they were ten and four,
but being not, you know, instead of being nine and
five and one game back from the Lions, that half
game gives them a little bit more cushion. So the
Vikings could easily just beat the Lions and say, hey,
you're done too, Like if we're going down, where not
going You're coming down with us. But again, if the

(52:00):
loose of the Steelers and they're probably going to lose
to the Bears, that's an eight to nine season for
the Lions.

Speaker 4 (52:06):
Which the Bears are really going to be the two set,
aren't they? Yeah? Right now? I mean here's the thing.

Speaker 11 (52:11):
Man like Caleb Williams every once in a while still
does the unbridled horse thing and throws an absolute just
I mean, I don't know if you saw the Dj
Moore back of the end zone touchdown today, it.

Speaker 4 (52:22):
Was pure insand it was a prayer.

Speaker 11 (52:24):
Yeah, and he just to his right threw off his
back foot as hard as he could. I don't know
how both Browns players missed the ball. Like I didn't
even realize it was a touchdown because the ball was
on the ground so quick like Dj Moore caught it
and then just strew it on the ground. I was like,
was that an incomplete ball? And then I look, I'm like,
these dudes are celebrating that's a touchdown. So when you

(52:46):
see Kayleb Williams do that, but then fast forward, nice
little outroute, nice little hitch, nice little goal ball.

Speaker 4 (52:52):
He does the basic stuff.

Speaker 11 (52:54):
Like I think almost that's like a little fix like Okay,
I no, you need to do some crazy do it here, Okay,
do it and I'll be done. And so that's what
Ben Johnson is done. He's turned Kayleb wins Toto, Jared Golf,
Jared Goff. Remember he used to go eight for eight
to start games, seven for seven, sixteen for sixteen. Why
because it's just I'm gonna give you the script and
you just follow it. Jared Goff follows it better than

(53:14):
Kayleb Williams. But that running game too, like the Bear
and the Cole Comett deal. I mean, I'm not co Comett, sorry,
Coaston Loveland like he is playing like a veteran tight end,
like nobody's even talking about Travis Kelcey and some of
these other guys. And because the Chiefs aren't doing anything,
but you know, it's the Bears. The Bears offense, like
the Bears might be in the super Bowl.

Speaker 4 (53:34):
That's that's how that's how good they're playing right now.

Speaker 3 (53:37):
They're the twenty twenty two vikings Man you think so,
because that ball is picked in the end zone.

Speaker 4 (53:44):
Nine at the very least, it's batted down.

Speaker 11 (53:48):
Because what was the Vikings they love They won every
one score game that year, right or something like that.

Speaker 4 (53:53):
They were eleven to zero in one score game or
something like that.

Speaker 3 (53:56):
I mean, it was just it was always hanging by
a thread, and they fought the season, but.

Speaker 4 (54:00):
They found and they found a way.

Speaker 11 (54:01):
I mean, the Bears are built for the postseason though,
because one, if they can run well that they can run,
and the weather in Chicago, like if you have to
go to Chicago for an NFC championship game, like the
only hope is the Rams get the host. But if
the Rams somehow screw up and it's in Chicago, that's
a tough place to win in January, Like.

Speaker 4 (54:21):
It's going to be freezing. Let me do this and
then we're gonna pause.

Speaker 3 (54:24):
I took the break and I found, thanks to our
local Chevy dealers, the drive of the game, and I'm
taking this one here. Late stages of the third quarter,
Aubrey kicks a field goal after a five and a
half minute drive, put the Cowboys up twenty three to seventeen,
and McCarthy and the Vikings offense went eight plays seventy

(54:44):
three yards and they take the lead. And of course, now, man,
we got we got a wonky system today, don't we
hear there? It is CJ Ham touchdown time, second and
goal from the two, trying to get a touchdown in
the nextra point.

Speaker 4 (54:59):
Take the lead off, I write McCarthy. Puts Addison in
motion to the right hand.

Speaker 15 (55:04):
Off CJ Ham, pump the middle touchdown.

Speaker 3 (55:08):
Nobody's not coming, see J with this first touchdown this year.
And we're all tied to twenty three about minute twelve
to go in the third quarter. Man, they needed that
the three and out after the field goal drive to
start the third quarter. Then you get a five and
a half minute field goal drive to make it twenty
three seventeen. If you were to falter there and give

(55:31):
the Cowboys back the ball at the late stages of
the third early fourth, could have been curtains. However, it
was not. Eight plays seventy three yards. First first carry
of the season for CJ. Is a touchdown. It's leap
to fifteen.

Speaker 4 (55:45):
Not a bad conversion rate for a CJ.

Speaker 3 (55:48):
We're gonna pause, come back, put a rap on this thing,
moving forward Vikings Fan Line on the fan final segment,
Vikings Line six and eight Radio Vikings beat the Cowboys
thirty four to twenty six, and it's early on a Monday.
Excited to be back with you. It'll be live in
Local five point thirty with the Power Trip. I will

(56:10):
be in I believe for at least half the show.
Four pas PA and the squad will be traveling back
from Dallas.

Speaker 4 (56:17):
Super late arrival time.

Speaker 3 (56:18):
I mean, I think there's still maybe four hours out,
but he's going to jump into the studio as soon
as he's able to. He did send back some cool
drive by chats in the locker room from after the game,
and we're going to continue to break this thing down
into the day, and then over the course of the
week we turn this thing around and then we go
beat the Giants hopefully a week from today at nooner

(56:38):
at MetLife Stadium in Jersey Ron. You know, darisaw just
kind of just kind of odds and ends that just
kind of sparked from that from that talkback we had
about the Central Division, but the point of it playing spoiler,
et cetera, looking ahead to the draft. These are all
things I'm sure inside the building that they're having conversations about.
But you look at a guy like Darisaw you paid

(57:00):
over the next few weeks, maybe you start seeing it's like,
we want as much on the field as possible for
JJ McCarthy to utilize offensively.

Speaker 4 (57:09):
But whether it's darisof.

Speaker 3 (57:11):
And just I mean, what a freaking roller coaster ride
that thing's been from a health standpoint. In twenty twenty five,
I think about Jonathan Grinard, you know, reaggravating potentially that
shoulder and he left the game early nicking an ankle.
Was Brian O'Neill. You know, things like that. I mean
you envision potentially not being playoff bound. Maybe they just

(57:34):
kind of say you're gonna chill, you know, dearis a
let's let's shut it down and try it again in
twenty twenty six, you anticipate anything like that.

Speaker 4 (57:42):
Yeah, I mean, so there there's always performers bonuses. We
know that.

Speaker 11 (57:47):
So you got players that you know still want to
play because they want to get their bonuses. I'm pretty
sure JJ McCarthy or sorry, Justin Jefferson, has you know
something for a thousand yards potentially multiple thousand yards seasons,
all that kind of stuff to get more money. Also,
that's a way to pay guys the money you probably
told them to be easy to get. You know, hey,
take less money up front, we'll backload your deal. But

(58:09):
for FORGT like Christian Darrisaw, I mean, when you think
about the youth of his, you know the age, right,
there's no reason to risk potential longer term injury knowing
you're not going to go to the playoffs and you
want him back day one of OTA's in mini camp.

Speaker 4 (58:24):
So that could potentially be.

Speaker 11 (58:25):
One of those with him where if justin school actually
wasn't bad today, like he's been bad in the past,
justin school wasn't bad today.

Speaker 4 (58:32):
So I think that's another part of it.

Speaker 11 (58:34):
But if you're putting JJ McCarthy out there, you do
want as healthy of an offensive line as possible, and
so you can't really just throw, you know, throw out
just whoever and say, hey, you guys, go out there.
Just do what you can do to keep his say
that's what it feels like the Cleveland Browns are going
to do at some point, right, Like, whoever wants to
go out there, go out there.

Speaker 4 (58:52):
I don't care. Paper says a rock for it. But
the Vikings can't do that, so I could see Christian
Darasaw just because.

Speaker 11 (58:59):
If it's the Nie swelling and it's not getting any better,
you know, at what point do you just shut him down?
Do they maybe put him on a one or two
quarter pitch count just to get through the last three games?
Potentially Grenard if it is bad, Yeah, he's probably done.
And that's the other key to that too.

Speaker 3 (59:15):
Yeah, And just with Darrisaw, I mean, I just wonder
how that impacts game planning. I mean, think about it,
if it's a true mystery each you know, for the
last handful of weeks effectively and specifically two of the
last three where he ends up bound out, if we
can't get this thing right, and I'm trying to plan
a script in a game plan against whether it was

(59:35):
the Seattle Seahawks at the time with Brozmer really could
have used him in that game or most recently now
against the Cowboys, And I kind of got a Willie
won't he factor, knowing that there is a significant difference
between having seventy one there and then justin school. I mean,
I just think at some point you just got to say, hey,
CD man, like we just need to.

Speaker 4 (59:55):
Get you right.

Speaker 11 (59:55):
Yeah, so you got to get him healthy and we're
going to stop the roller coach. You know, I think
went out today too, th ankles. So you know, it's
just it's it's one of those things where this has
been one of those seasons.

Speaker 4 (01:00:03):
Your center was out.

Speaker 3 (01:00:05):
Because Brandell played every position on the line then probably
except for right guard.

Speaker 4 (01:00:08):
Maybe probably. Yeah, I mean, let's get let's get a game.

Speaker 11 (01:00:12):
Fifteen different offensive line jaepins.

Speaker 4 (01:00:15):
I don't know what it is. It's only been fifteen
weeks of the season. Yeah, it's not. So that's that's
not great.

Speaker 3 (01:00:21):
Well, that's how you come into a game like tonight
with only five wins.

Speaker 4 (01:00:24):
But that's why you go quick game. But if you put,
if you put your if.

Speaker 11 (01:00:27):
Your blind side is not Christian Darisol, you got to
get the ball out your hands quick.

Speaker 3 (01:00:31):
All right, let's say good night to all of you
who have been listening to Vikings fan line. The Vikings
have improved as six and eight at six and eight Radio.
They beat the Cowboys thirty four to twenty six. No,
they're not going to the playoffs, but yes, it was
cool to see the defense standing up against dak It's
cool to see a team potentially keeping the Cowboys out

(01:00:52):
of the playoffs. A dig that spoiler like fashion and
I like seeing the quarterback taking steps. So thanks to
Ron Johnson. Thank you to our local Chevy dealers for
providing the drive of the game. Thank you to Max
Fuller for producing, and again live at Local tomorrow with
the Power Trip at five thirty am and then nine
to noon.

Speaker 4 (01:01:09):
Now we're going to jump into it.

Speaker 3 (01:01:10):
There is also, you know, kind of a little ho
hum Minnesota Wild transaction made over the weekend with Quinn
Hughes scored a goal.

Speaker 4 (01:01:17):
Today, we're going to talk.

Speaker 3 (01:01:18):
With the voice of the Wild, Joe O'Donnell on that
and so much more as we dig into as Vikings
victory the Wild one. Oh how about the Wolves making
it a trifecta today too against the sack Kings. That's
been it for Vikings fan line. Everybody, have a great sleep,
Thanks for listening to the fan