All Episodes

January 13, 2025 • 38 mins
Pete Bercich continues the Vikings conversation. Alec Lewis calls in from AZ to preview Vikings/Rams further. Plus, Vikes Bites!
Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Welcome back nine to noon final hour upon as Alec
Lewis or the Athletic will be joining me in about.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Fifteen ish minutes. We got vits bites.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
They got some talkbacks that don't want to roll through.
But first, the analyst Pete Bursage at Pete Bursich via
x thanks to Sue Cup manufacturing Pete Bursage weekly guest,
usually recapping the game from the day before, but in
this case leading you up to ultimately the boom and
then sitting shotgun with Pa down in Arizona.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
How you doing, Pete good Man?

Speaker 3 (01:04):
Where the hell is the play by play guy?

Speaker 4 (01:06):
He's like right down the hall and he's not What's
what the hell is he doing?

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Well? Have you checked the hot tub?

Speaker 4 (01:14):
You know what? There's a series of hot tubs in
this compound. So I only see about half a dozen
of them, and there's probably another two dozen of them
I can't see, so I'll have to go.

Speaker 5 (01:26):
I don't know.

Speaker 4 (01:26):
Do I want to go? Look? No? No, you probably yeah, No,
I think I'll just stay here.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
In this case. I think that's the best choice. You
got any gut vibes on what the crowd mix is
going to look? Like tonight, I was talking with Pa
about that to open the show, and I'm just I know,
I've I've seen it. A ton of people are heading
down there today, so there's going to be this purple
rush out of State Farm Stadium later for the game.
But any I mean, you think maybe it's a Viking's
heavy crowd.

Speaker 4 (01:51):
You know, I yeah, even if it's even partially Vikings heavy.
And then you wonder about the status of the La fans.
I mean it for them, it's it's a matter of Okay,
I want to go see my team play, and then
you got to buy a ticket, and then you got
to buy either fly or drive five and a half
hours to get out here. And with all the craziness

(02:12):
going on there, I just don't it's going to be
it's going to be a weird game. It is it
going to be as weird as us playing the New
York Giants, you know in Detroit? Maybe? Right, I don't know,
you see, but I don't know. I talked a little
bit to Byron Murphy about that last night, and you know,

(02:34):
he was he was really on and ready to go,
which made me, you know, it made me feel good.
But that guy was dialing and he's like, listen, I
played in a I played in a playoff game my
rookie year when he was here at Arizona. It's the
only other game that he's played in. This is the
second playoff game and it was in LA against the
Rams and they lost. So he's like, he kind of

(02:57):
has that. Well, we got him back on the home
turf and home turf at him being a farm stadium,
and yeah, I'm excited because he's that group. The DBS,
the cornerbacks in particular, need to have a great night tonight.
They're facing a very good wide receiving core that is
very physical. So the physicality we can match it, which
we have in the past with teams, will look a

(03:20):
lot better than we did the first time we played it.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
Do you have confidence that we can affect?

Speaker 1 (03:25):
Matthew Stafford talking with Lieber a bit about it last segment,
is you know that that immobility factor and we had
talked about it into the first matchup, and suddenly the
quick game was working. It's yards after catch and and
they kind of put one on us. You know, surprisingly
Puka able to play and all of that, but no
surprises here. Can we affect Matthew this evening.

Speaker 4 (03:45):
Well we have Here's the thing, Sean McVay knows who
he is too, and that's what's built in to their
to their system is they will three step drop, one
two three plan throw, which means even if you're free
target to the quarterback, they'll run jet sweeps, they'll run bootlegs, throwbacks,
you know, kind of throwback screens. They'll do all these

(04:08):
types of things to get the ball to Niku, who's
kind of a running back on the edges kind of thing.
But they're doing all that to protect Stafford. The time
that we have to put pressure on him is whenever
he takes a five and seven step drop. Now we
can help ourselves by keeping him in third, medium, third

(04:28):
and long, which means you got to tackle and do
a good job on first and second down. But yeah,
I believe we can get to him. And if you
that's the only real way I think on his spectrum.
You look at what he did against San Francisco where
he could he should have thrown two interceptions in the
first In the first quarter of that game, they played quarters,
threw some things at him. I don't think he was

(04:48):
ready for. And then you go back a few weeks
and look at him against the Buffalo Bills, where he
was just absolutely unconscious. He was on fire. He was
just sitting back there and throwing darts. So that's kind
of the full spectrum of Stafford that you can see.
Right one game they score forty four point seven of
which was on a punk blocker touchdown, So you know,
it's just what's to say. It's a you know, thirty
seven and then they score six, I believe, or nine

(05:12):
against San Francisco. So yeah, there's a whole gamut with
which I think he can he can look and this
offense can perform. It's about being physical. It's about literally
beating the tar out of the guy in front of
you and winning that battle, whether you're dB, a safety,
a corner, or whatever. It's kind of like what we

(05:32):
have seen out of our team. You play a physical
Detroit team, it messes with the timing, it messes with
the flow. We have to do that to this Rams
offense and we'll see to what extent. I feel good
about it because of how well our defense played for
Detroit for most.

Speaker 2 (05:48):
Of the game.

Speaker 4 (05:49):
If they come out with that type of physicality and
tackle as well, as they did early on against Detroit,
because I mean, Karen Williams is good, right, but he's
not He's not as good as that cat they got
run around me to trade. So I'll just say that.

Speaker 1 (06:06):
Well, and I must just be the only one just
into this game. Just it's it's hit me that Kiren
And you're right, I mean he's I don't think he's
he's in the same conversation as Jamiir Gibbs.

Speaker 2 (06:18):
It's just I'm thinking about it though, he is.

Speaker 1 (06:20):
And he's a guy that if you get that going
and he's just going to get you four yards a clip,
that that can be a significant concern tonight. Blake Cashman
back in the mix. And you're right that the Vikings
held Jamiir Gibbs to like three and a half yards
of carry until the damn broke late third quarter, So
that kind of lends to some confidence certainly.

Speaker 4 (06:40):
Right. Well, and here's the other thing is that in
that first game they had eighty seven yards of rushing
in the first half total. That's him and pukin Nakua
and it's everything together, right, So that tells you what
they tried to do. They tried to run the ball early,
you know, and did wear down that and we did

(07:01):
wear down I mean, this is the one game where
I wrote in my notes after watching the film, you know,
eight weeks ago. Yeah, we looked tired at the end.
We wore out. That was obviously two games in four days,
and they were smart about it, just they just ran
the ball, kept our defense on the field, but still
were able to end with points on these drives. By

(07:22):
the way, we helped a ton of them on. I mean,
we have a third and seven holding tunnelty on that
second TV drive. We had another pass interference on later on,
you know, and of the game first drive. First thing
we do is we had twelve men in the huddle.
We had we had a lot of penalties that sustained

(07:43):
drives for them in that first game. And so that's
another huge part of tonight. It's just the pre snap
penalties making sure we don't have any of those, which
again that goes back to the crowd noise, which I
think will be okay. But that was their plan the
first time we play them, and we'll see, I mean again,
if we can hold those runs to one or two

(08:05):
yards early on and make him third and six right
instead of third and three. Yeah, it makes all the
difference in the world.

Speaker 1 (08:14):
Kind of the theme last one or two for you here, Pete,
kind of the theme this morning has really been taking
kind of the pressure off Sam. Sam's got to do
some work, He's got to get the footwork right. He's
got to find those guys and not make the same
mistakes he made on Sunday. But I think that we
could help. Two of the worst games that the Vikings
have had this season in terms of time of possession
was the twenty six minutes at the Rams and the

(08:36):
twenty three This last game against Detroit is in part
of taking the pressure off of Sam. Are we going
to be able to run a little bit on these guys?
I know, Cam excuse me, Cam Akers might be ill.
I've I've heard a little bit about that, and of
course Aaron Jones is banged up. Talked about that with Lieber.
But in the end, I want to see Aaron. I
want to see this being Aaron Jones Opus type of game.

Speaker 4 (09:00):
Yeah. I think I think if Aaron Jones faces the
lines again and he's feeling better than he'll then he
because he had some plays where I think it was
early in the season he would have he would have
broke them for big. It's but it's a you know
as far as that goes. Noway, it's about completions and efficiency.
I mean against Detroit. Yeah we we didn't. We didn't

(09:22):
have the clock or you know, twenty four minutes on
the clock. But how many incompletions did we throw?

Speaker 2 (09:26):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (09:27):
Right, I mean we were we were completing at what
forty percent? That has to change. It's going to be different. Kell.
You know, Keller Witherspoon and Darius Williams and Kobe Durant
can curl. They're good, but they're not like the guy
in Detroit. They at least they haven't shown it, shown
it on film. They don't roll up and jam at

(09:49):
the line of scrimmage and they're you know, physical at
the point of attack. They're there, they play zone. So
it's outside of their character. So what the Rams have
to figure out is, Okay, this works and helps slow
down the Vikings, But can we replicate it?

Speaker 2 (10:04):
Yeah? Right?

Speaker 4 (10:05):
Can we replicate what the Lions? Did? You know? They're
a five man rush, you know, three hundred three d
bass downs a lot. What worries me is just the
guys up front they're a better group up front, right,
Iron Young and Jared Versus are very good, but Kobe
Turner is a very very good pass rusher in the inside.

(10:26):
So our guards need to be on their marks tonight.
The part that worries me is just them getting pressure
up the gut. I'm not worried about as much as
our receivers. And as soon as I see Sam Donald,
you know, sling the ball across the field in a
tight zoner and a tight window, I'll take it. I'll relax.

(10:46):
But until then, I'm not gonna right. I can't. I
see everything he saw a week ago was off. So
until I see you know that throw and catch and
pitch and catch on the money, and that that that
machine running again, I'm gonna be a little bit concerned.
I think we can do it, you know, And if
we can just make throws and completions, then that time

(11:07):
of possession will not get as out of balance as
it was.

Speaker 2 (11:11):
You're the best man. Have fun tonight in the in
the booths.

Speaker 1 (11:14):
Let's see a Vikings victory and we'll catch up later
this week as we If the Vikings win, we're headed
to Philly, which has its own little Boogeyman history to it.

Speaker 2 (11:23):
But but let's focus worry about.

Speaker 4 (11:25):
Why when we get there. Hey, I see a great
bearded man with a bandana on. But he's in the
He's swimming in the pond.

Speaker 2 (11:32):
With the pool on the golf course, does he?

Speaker 4 (11:35):
And so I don't know if that's Pa or not.
I can't I can't quite tell.

Speaker 2 (11:38):
Does he look lost, Well, it.

Speaker 4 (11:43):
Looks more like a It looks more like a manatee
floating around him. I don't know if he's lost. I mean,
he's think he's enjoying himself.

Speaker 2 (11:50):
Maybe check on him. All right, thanks Pete, see later.

Speaker 4 (11:54):
All right, see you.

Speaker 1 (11:55):
That's Pete Bursage, Vikings radio analyst. Maybe he's in the
perfect spot right now, swimming in the When we return,
we'll stay with Arizona. We'll stay with Vikings Rams and
this time it'll be the Athletics. Alec Lewis joining us
thanks to suk Up Manufacturing for bringing us Pete Bursag,
Alec Lewis and a new piece that he put out
on the Athletic this morning.

Speaker 2 (12:15):
We'll talk about that in the game next.

Speaker 6 (12:18):
And before we go to break, the fan wants to
give you a shot to put a grand in your
hand with our national cash contest. Enter the keyword green
at cafe dot com now for your shot at winning
US keyword green. Enter it now at cafe an dot com.
Head over to our contest page and enter for your
chance to win a pair of passes for an early

(12:39):
screening of the new historical thriller September five in theaters
January seventeenth.

Speaker 2 (12:44):
That's campan dot com keyword contest to enter nowt free.
iHeartRadio app the talkback Machine.

Speaker 1 (12:50):
Let's listen to one or two here and then actually
Alex is going to join us during the final segment.
A little bit of a schedule mishap that we'll be rectified,
but we'll do Vikes bits in just a moment.

Speaker 2 (13:02):
Let's check the talkback machine though.

Speaker 5 (13:04):
Hey guys, Ralph from the Laca Man Skull Vikes love
the show. I think we're gonna be okay. I think
Darnold just needs to stay out of his head and
make some good passes. Maybe do the same thing that
they did us last time, just some quick hitters and uh,
let's see what happens. And I think a good alliteration
with McVeigh would be let's manhandle McVeigh.

Speaker 2 (13:23):
These guys school school.

Speaker 1 (13:26):
That's yeah, that's infinitely mangled McVeigh. I mean that sounds awful.
That sounds a little bit more brutal.

Speaker 2 (13:31):
I don't want to hurt the guy.

Speaker 6 (13:33):
I just want to beat his team about stifle Stafford.

Speaker 2 (13:36):
What about that stifle Stafford? Stifel Stafford. I like that.

Speaker 1 (13:39):
See, everyone's better at a literation today than I am.
Back to the talkback machine.

Speaker 2 (13:47):
Go Vike.

Speaker 3 (13:48):
See three years of following the Bikes. Cam Robinson is
one of the best free agent pickups to replace Darisol
that I've almost seen in my lifetime.

Speaker 2 (14:00):
Kudoles the Quays, Yeah, thanks for the talkback.

Speaker 1 (14:05):
I agree, Cam Robinson again midstream the ability to you
get darisaw and the awful injury at SOFI on Thursday night,
and then Kuesnberry has to do his thing, but to
be able to pick him up like the following Monday
or Tuesday, Quasy makes the move and then he's starting
in that Indianapolis game and hasn't really missed a beat

(14:27):
since the penalties have provided the issues. That's the thing
with Cam is Cam's always been sturdy. He started a
ton of games. He's not awful. He's not the best
of the best, and that's really what we've gotten from
him in absence of darisaw So certainly a significantly, I mean,
just an absolute home run given what we gave up,
given on the fly and the situation of it. Indeed,

(14:50):
it's a home run transaction for quasi udofa mensa.

Speaker 2 (14:54):
Let's jump into some Vike spites. Vike Spites brought to.

Speaker 1 (14:56):
You by a Thousand Hills lifetime grazed grass fed beef.
You can shop online, box and metals show up at
your doorstep. You can go to your local co burns
your local co ops as well, and they're proud sponsors.
You know, they love Vikes. They love the Vikings. They're
a Clearwater, Minnesota company. They support Vikes bites. They're also
a proud sponsor of Gopher Athletics, where we headed to

(15:17):
Vikes bite style.

Speaker 2 (15:18):
First, Max, We're sticking.

Speaker 6 (15:19):
With the offensive line since the talkbacker just brought it up.
The Rams have one of the best offensive lines in
the NFL, ranking sixth in sacks surrendered this season. The
Vikings know that all too well, as they were not
able to get to Stafford, not even one time.

Speaker 2 (15:34):
Yeah, when the two teams met just a couple months ago.

Speaker 6 (15:36):
It is the only game this season the Vikings did
not log at least one sack.

Speaker 2 (15:42):
Weirdly, this is a weird stat.

Speaker 6 (15:43):
Nordo Stafford is consistently he has one of consistently one
of the best passer ratings against the Blitz in the league.
I think they said this year was like his fifth
or sixth time having a plus one hundred passer rating
against the Blitz. But if they can get to him,
he has one of the worst passer ratings in the
NFL under duress. He was down there with the likes

(16:04):
of Mac Jones on the Jacksonville Jaguars and some other
bottom feeders. So if they can get to him, he's
one of the worst under duress. The problem is not
a lot of teams get to him.

Speaker 1 (16:14):
So he's a lead against the Blitz, but he's awful
when pressure. Yeah, so when he's forced out of his spot,
I mean, you know, he's old. He's been doing this
for a long time. That was what was so frustrating
into that game.

Speaker 2 (16:26):
Max.

Speaker 1 (16:26):
The first one is the Vikings and Vikings fans know
this during his tenure with the Lions. I mean just
chalk up at least three. I mean, you just get
out of bed. You're getting Stafford three times. And the
Vikings set their franchise record. I forget what year was
eighteen or nineteen. Daniil Hunter had three and a half
sacks and he had a fumble return touchdown in that game,

(16:49):
but it was a franchise record ten or ten and
a half sacks they put on Stafford that day. I mean,
just think about having did you just go home, kiss
the gallon the kids and then just find the coldest
wall are possible and just sit in it for an
hour as long as possible. And he was older back
then and now at his current state, you know, he's
he's been so good for so long.

Speaker 2 (17:09):
But that plays into it.

Speaker 1 (17:11):
And even if you're not and I'm glad you mentioned
the under durest the pressure stats part of that, because
I don't think we're gonna have five sacks tonight. I
don't think we will. But if we can pressure him
and affect him. That's kind of why I've been using
that term all morning, is you have to just affect
him to the point you have to knock him off
his spot, put some contact on him. You know after

(17:34):
a throw within you know, we're not doing roughing the
passer bits here, but certainly making him uncomfortable.

Speaker 2 (17:40):
He will throw it to the other team.

Speaker 1 (17:43):
He will throw a ton of incomplete passes, he will
get jitterate, and he's gonna screw up.

Speaker 2 (17:48):
You just got to affect him.

Speaker 1 (17:50):
And the Vikings weren't good enough of doing in that
doing that Week eight, they have to be tonight.

Speaker 2 (17:56):
Seasons on the line.

Speaker 1 (17:57):
According to everybody, it's gotta happen tonight. If the Vikings
are gonna win.

Speaker 2 (18:02):
Kes by Vikes Botes.

Speaker 6 (18:06):
Kes will be looking for a little red zone redemption
of this week and nor Oh. They scored zero touchdowns
on four trips to the red zone against the Lions
last week. The Vikings fifty five percent TD rate is
tenth among the fourteen playoff teams. Heading into the weekend,
the Rams have the sixth best red zone defense in
the league when it comes to tds surrendered.

Speaker 1 (18:26):
Yeah, and it's something that it's it's tough to it's
tough to pretend that. I mean, it's tough to pretend
that Detroit game didn't happen. It's it's tough to pretend.
Are you on the you're on the morning show talking
about nos Faratu and horror movies and things. I mean,
you can put that in the you can put that
Detroit game certainly in the nose Faratu genre of spookiness

(18:49):
and just terrible scary things that happened to the Vikings
with how awful that game is. But it was the
four in the red zone. It was the three in
goal to go situations. Prior to the Lions game. Max,
I don't have this in front of me. I'm gonna
shoot from the hip slash lip. The Vikings in their
previous like six or seven games, they were like eleven

(19:12):
for thirteen with red zone touchdowns, So eleven touchdowns and
thirteen opportunities.

Speaker 2 (19:17):
It was. It was some ungodly good number in that respect.

Speaker 1 (19:21):
And to see the malaise, to see the incompetence, and
really specifically I've been I've been hard on the offensive
line this morning a bit, and they have to have
a better game, certainly, but the incompetence from the QB
in that spot was just unacceptable and so and the
Rams are tough inside the twenty, so that that absolutely
has to be better. Now, I will say this, the

(19:45):
Vikings were ninth or tenth in the red zone into
the Lions game, and they left it after the four
nineteenth or something like that. Yeah, so it tells you
that just those four trips, like how close some of
these percentage numbers are. And certainly I mean ten out
of fourteen is what she said. In terms of the

(20:05):
playoff teams, it has to be that. That's where and
we'll talk with Alec more about it. For me, if
if the Vikings win tonight, they'll be flawless in the
red zone and they're fifty percent on third down and
that's not even I'm not asking them to be amazing.
That's the key here is Sam Darnold does not have
to go out of body. He just has to be
the guy that we saw in the Border battle. He

(20:27):
just has to be the guy we saw at Seattle.
And part of that is just being competent in the
red zone and moving the chains. And that's you know,
oh wow, you know, everyone, just you know, everyone, just
hold on to something here. The earthquake of knowledge is
coming your way. How enlightening Nordel on a Monday. But
it can be that simple. That's that's just my point.
I'm glad you hit me with that. With that red
zone stat that has to be they just fifty percent

(20:50):
on third down and flawless in the red zone and
the Vikings will move on out of face affiliate Lincoln
Financial bits by Fikes, bites one more for you, Nordo.

Speaker 2 (21:01):
It's kind of weird.

Speaker 6 (21:02):
Obviously, a lot of focus heading into this game is
on the Rams offense. You got Stafford, Puka Nakua, even
limiting Kyvin Williams, who has been instrumental to their success,
especially towards the end of this season. But shockingly, it
feels like Cooper Cup of all people is flying under
the radar. And just to remind people, this is a
former triple Crown winner. Obviously, he didn't have his best

(21:25):
season this year six tds, seven hundred and ten yards.

Speaker 2 (21:28):
I think he only played something like twelve games.

Speaker 6 (21:30):
But playoff Cup is a different beast. He has the
third most receiving yards per game in NFL history at
ninety three a clip. I mean, that's absurd numbers right there, Nordo.
And obviously we know Puka had an insane debut last
year in the playoffs, but Cooper Cup of all people
flying a little bit under the radar not hearing him

(21:51):
mentioned nearly as enough as a point of concern for
the Vikings.

Speaker 2 (21:55):
Two things they'll get to that.

Speaker 1 (21:56):
Two Harbor's guy text in Max, please let Nordo know
that that knows Feratu analogy just don't fit the picture.

Speaker 2 (22:04):
Is it not a horror movie? It is a horror movie.

Speaker 6 (22:06):
There is one other very crucial element that is blended
in with that horror. That is that does not fit
the analogy. But the horror part does. The horror part
does fit. It gets a little Ronchet's horror does horror
and ronchiness, which doesn't.

Speaker 2 (22:21):
Doesn't fully match up with the analogy. But I was
letting you cook, all right. Well, that's yeah, and that's
what I do with Pa once in a while.

Speaker 1 (22:27):
So I'll let him just make the most asinine and
inaccurate comment about something, you.

Speaker 2 (22:32):
Know, the type of comment that he shows.

Speaker 1 (22:34):
He hasn't watched new television or new movies in a while,
still making Horatio Caine CSI references, And I just let
it happen.

Speaker 2 (22:41):
And I think you played it. You played it the
right way. That was perfect. Let me let me sound
like an idiot, and then I'll come back to it.

Speaker 1 (22:47):
I'm always happy to admit when I'm wrong. Okay, so
forgetting not Sparatu. But I think people get the point. Yeah,
Now with Cooper, he's.

Speaker 2 (22:55):
Not flying under my radar, man.

Speaker 1 (22:57):
I mean, whether it's Kiren and my obsession with with
stopping the run tonight, and the fact is, I don't,
I don't, I don't care. Cooper has had three straight games,
three targets, I think a total of four catches in
his last three games.

Speaker 2 (23:10):
Maybe he's old, maybe he's injured.

Speaker 1 (23:12):
Uh, he's He's been dealing with a lot of nick
ups in recent years.

Speaker 2 (23:16):
I get it. He's not flying under my raider.

Speaker 1 (23:18):
You're gonna hear Cooper's name mentioned seven, eight, nine times.
He's gonna get the targets tonight. And if things are
going the right way for us, regardless, he's gonna have
to because that means that that Stafford and in this
quick game pushing it to Tapooka as often as they
possibly can, that they're gonna have to spread it around
a bit.

Speaker 2 (23:36):
And Cooper is still game.

Speaker 1 (23:37):
He just got a week off to chill, and he's
gonna be ready, man. He and but those numbers in
historical context with what he's done from a career standpoint,
the triple crown that you mentioned, the yards per game,
and how steady Eddy he's been for the duration of
his career.

Speaker 2 (23:52):
No, no, no, no, no, no, we do not discount Cooper
Cup in this house.

Speaker 1 (23:56):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (23:56):
You gotta be ready for that tonight.

Speaker 1 (23:57):
Absolutely, but yeah, just nutty the numbers and just kind
of the fact that that Pooka in such a short
period of time has really become the a topic of
the receiver group and the Cooper no pay attention to him.
He's he can make magic in a hurry and if
that week did anything for him healthwise, he's he's going
to be ready to go tonight.

Speaker 2 (24:18):
Thank you for the Vikes Bites.

Speaker 1 (24:19):
Max, thank you Thousand Hills, Lifetime Grazed grass Fed Beef
for being an awesome partner for the Vikes Bites, awesome
partner for Gopher Athletics as well. And when we return,
we're gonna check in with Alec Lewis of the Athletic.
He's out in Arizona. So final segment nine to noon,
we'll check in with Alec talk about the game and
a fresh piece that he put out on the Athletic
this morning.

Speaker 2 (24:40):
Don't leave. It's nine to noon on the Fan Fan
Final segment nine.

Speaker 1 (24:56):
To noon Vikings at the Rams, but in Arizona, wild
Card weekend comes to a conclusion tonight with our favorite
team five pm.

Speaker 2 (25:06):
Pregame right here on your home.

Speaker 1 (25:07):
For Vikings Football the Fan Vikings Radio Network at six
and the boom shortly after seven with Pa and Pete
and Ben and covering the game for Theathleticviathletic dot Com
Alec Lewis at Alec Underscore Lewis via X joining me.

Speaker 2 (25:23):
Now, how you doing, man, I'm great, Ordo.

Speaker 3 (25:27):
I don't know how I'm gonna waste the next seven hours,
but this is helping. So I appreciate you having me no.

Speaker 1 (25:31):
And I'm glad you had the time, And that's my
favorite thing. You do a terrific job covering the team,
but there is also this inherent excitement for it, and
you know, weird circumstances, tragedy taking place in SoCal, so
you got to move the game. A fourteen win team
playing on wild Card weekend, that feels weird. But all
things considered, whether when you join the feast and even

(25:53):
now and texting with you over the weekend, there's an
inherent excitement about this, and I love hearing that from you.

Speaker 3 (26:00):
Yeah, well, I appreciate you saying that, but I was
I was telling somebody, I think it was last night,
and I was just talking to them, like about this team.
And and I've said this on the radio before, but
like I mean, there are there are teams you cover
and this is I mean, I'm young, so I haven't
done this forever, but you just feel a special energy

(26:21):
from that group. And that's the way this team has
been from pretty early on going back even to to
kind of the spring and summer, and so yeah, I mean,
you just try to take advantage of the opportunity to
even get to do this, and and for me, that
just displays itself in the form of I just enjoyed.
I enjoy going to the games. I enjoy being around

(26:42):
this this this team, these coach this coaching staff. It's
been really great to work with. And there's nothing I mean,
I'm I'm a sports fan at heart, so to be
able to be in Arizona for a game like this
is pretty cool, even though obviously, like you mentioned, the
circumstances are awful just for those.

Speaker 1 (27:01):
In La absolutely, and you know, before I hate to
bring it down and then bring it up again as
we as we find our way to kick off.

Speaker 2 (27:08):
But you did write, and part of what you do
the ability to tell a.

Speaker 1 (27:12):
Story, the ability to kind of connect Vikings fans, not
just with the x's and o's of wins and losses.
And it's been a fun season and it's a cool team,
a team to root for and be excited about. But
this most recent piece that you put out this morning
on the Athletic kind of brings us back to the
summer and brings us back to the loss of Kyrie
Jackson and his family in particular, as they have continued

(27:35):
to follow the Purple in twenty twenty four. Tell me
about this piece and kind of what Drea to the
idea of it and what fans can expect when they
read it on Theathletic dot Com. Catching up with Kyrie
Jackson's family being a part of this twenty twenty four
journey for the Vikings.

Speaker 3 (27:51):
Yeah, I mean, so much of the way I've thought
about this team is just a specific and distinct connectivity,
and that is between coaches, that is among players. It
just feel there's a camaraderie with this group that differs
from the first two years that I was in Minnesota,
in really all five years that I've covered professional sports,

(28:11):
and one of the I mean, I think reasons for that,
and and the coaches and players have admitted this is
like when they were forced to kind of just lean
on each other in the uh, I mean, in the
aftermath of Kyrie Jackson's passing in July. And so I mean,
I don't know, I say this all the time. It's
like the game sometimes you can forget, but the people

(28:34):
you just don't, and and their stories and what they
go through. And so for me, I just was curious, like,
you know, how the family, Kyrie Jackson's parents and his
younger brother Colston, like how they've felt about this year,
and and you come to find out by spending time
with them just how much of a rock the organization

(28:56):
has been for them and how much I mean, in
some of their darkest times, like it has been people
within this organization that have given them any similars of joy.
And so for me like it to me as I
listened to them talk about this team and about this
organization and about Kevin O'Connell and KWASI it just it's
hard not to endear you more to just what these

(29:18):
people stand for beyond just the football games. Like I
think his mom said to me, like, the organization's support
does not be like checking a box. It feels genuine
and it's it's it's a great reflection on the organization,
and I think that starts at the top with ownership.

(29:39):
But but it also to me, it's just a core
aspect of what has galvanized this group to accomplish what
they had to this point.

Speaker 1 (29:47):
Yeah, and you you did talk to Kyrie's mother really
shortly after the accident, and then you had the opportunity
to kind of catch up again. Have you have you
kind of felt the evolution of his family grieving but
still living.

Speaker 2 (30:01):
How is that converw what.

Speaker 1 (30:02):
Is that that been like kind of catching up in
the summer in the face of something that's awful and
life changing, but but now in this.

Speaker 3 (30:10):
Spot, Yeah, I mean, I think it's it's I don't
feel as if I from talking to them in the
in the aftermath of it and then talk to you know,
flying to DC last weekend, I don't know if I
could say there's been a straight line progression or growth.
And I don't know I think grief probably talk to

(30:32):
people that have experienced much more than than I probably
have in my life. You just hear that. I mean,
there are days, there are moments that pop up at
any given time from any specific situation and can really
get you. But I just like so much of what
I that story came to be for me is like
when you are grieving such a tragedy in terms of

(30:54):
losing your child who had accomplished as much as.

Speaker 4 (30:57):
He did or he had.

Speaker 3 (31:00):
I mean, it's like finding joy in any at any time,
at any moment as well. And I think that's what
this Viking team has done for them, both in their
support but also like watching them celebrate on the field,
watching them win the games, watching Sam Darnold get Dallas
with water in the locker room and Kevin O'Connell looked
upon it like a proud dad. Like I think they've

(31:23):
they've they've they've really like felt a warmth and seeing
some of that stuff, and I know they'll be watching
the night.

Speaker 1 (31:31):
Well terrifically stated and incredibly well written article, and I
encourage people to check that out on the Athletic. I'm
glad you got that story and put the work into that,
and there's I mean just absolutely just no way to
transition out of that. But that is, you know, that
is a part of just again a fourteen and two

(31:52):
season and a team that has experienced so many of
those highs, in those moments of joy after what really
was such a tragic summer and the story of the
twenty twenty four Vikings leading them down to Arizona just
kind of ten thousand foot view top of head, what
pops in your mind about this matchup? And we saw

(32:12):
week eight what happened. Now we get another crack at
mcveigh's bunch. What are you thinking about down in Arizona
with this game tonight?

Speaker 2 (32:19):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (32:20):
Well, for me, I mean it starts with Sam Donald. Obviously,
can he be more accurate than he was last Sunday
Night and like he's been throughout most of this year.
And I expect him to be just because his story,
his entire path, like the theme of Sam Donald's career
in the NFL and of this season is resilience, Like
that is what, that is what, That's why the Vikings

(32:43):
were as successful this year as they were, And so
I expect him to be more accurate tonight. I expect
them to respond from last Sunday. But my mind goes
there at first, and then it segues to the offensive line.
There is a serious challenge I'm sure you talked about
the course of the show with this rams front. Jared
vers Branden, Fifth, Kobe Turner and Byron Young are young, athletic, physical,

(33:08):
tough and if if you're not leaning on those guys
and you're not taking the thing out of that front,
it's going to be a very hard challenge for Sam
Ronald to be in the type of rhythm that you'd
want him to be this time around as opposed to
Week eight. The Vikings don't have Christian Darstol, but they
do have Dalton Reisner at right guard. So how how

(33:29):
they protect tonight is probably the number two fast of
what I'm watching them defensively. Can this Viking defense find
a way to limit Pooka Nakua. There has not been
a receiver who has received a higher target share since
Week eight of his routes run than Pooka Nakua.

Speaker 4 (33:48):
He is their guy.

Speaker 3 (33:49):
I know Cooper Cuff has been unbelievably impactful over the
years for them, but Pooka is as dynamic.

Speaker 2 (33:55):
As they come.

Speaker 3 (33:56):
Right now, and so limiting him to me is going
to be essential. Those are really the three things.

Speaker 4 (34:00):
Top of mind.

Speaker 3 (34:01):
And then I'll say this just because I don't know
how much time we have, Like I've heard a lot
and I've had a lot of people ask me about like,
if they lose tonight, I mean, I'll be so disappointment,
what a disappointment of a season. And I just vehemently
want to push back on that because I mean, I
just I know fans are going to react however they
want to react, and they have a right to do that,

(34:23):
and that's what makes this so great. But you have
a team that entered a season with a six and
a half over underwin total, and it's in a team
that won fourteen games, be far beyond any the most
rosy expectations. And so a loss in a neutral site
game to a Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford Puoka Nakua team,
to me, would not signal disappointment. It would be a

(34:44):
tough loss, It would be a very abrupt ending to
what has been such a special season. But I don't
think at all that should take away for the job
and the work and the overachievement that this season has
already been Again, not to take anything away from the
importance of tonight, I just feel like that's how I feel.

(35:05):
That's how I feel watching the course of the season,
knowing all the data points. So I just wanted to
say it a little bit.

Speaker 1 (35:12):
No, I appreciate that, and one more for you here
it's Alec Lewis Vathleticviathletic dot com. You can follow him
Alec underscore Lewis via X the way I kind of
framed it up earlier this hour, and it may be
too simplistic as you dig into things, but I'm just thinking,
if this squad is fifty percent on third down tonight

(35:34):
and flawless in the red zone, I mean, the focus
on the defense limiting Pook, I'm completely in on that.
I'm looking at Cooper having a fantastic, a huge factor
in this game, I should say, and all of that.
But I'm just looking if offensively we're fifty percent on
third down and we're flawless in the red zone. I
think it could be that simplistic in terms of a

(35:54):
Vikings victory. You think I'm making it too simple when
I put it that way, No, I really know.

Speaker 3 (36:01):
I don't think so. I mean the red zone, you know,
was so fascinating because it was such a Sunday night
in Detroit, was just so abysmal. There's one of two
games that Kevin O'Connell has coached in it's time in
Minnesota where they've reached the red zone four times and
not scored a touchdown. And then for those that have
been so many goal to go situations as they were,

(36:22):
I mean, it's just like you don't want to I
don't want to stay outlier anomaly as if like it's
this thing that can never happen again, because if you
don't execute, it will happen again. But I do think
it's a pivotal aspect of the game, as is third
down because I mean, you know this, Nordo haven't watched
longer than I have. Like these games and it's so cliche,
but they come down to those moments where it can

(36:44):
you convert in these tight downs and important situations, can
your star players make plays? And the Vikings have loads
of them, So I would be pretty surprised if there
were multiple red zone opportunities and they can't find a
way to punch it in. And that's just the faith
I have in this staff. So yeah, I mean I think,

(37:07):
I think, I mean, you're right to Mischion Cooper Cup.
But I think defensively stopping Kyron Williams is gonna be
tough and it's gonna be huge. But yeah, if we
look at the stats after the game, and we look
at turnovers first and foremost, uh, and then we look
at red zone efficiency and third down efficiency, you probably
have a pretty good indication of who won the game
and why.

Speaker 1 (37:27):
Hey, I appreciate you carving out some time for the
for me this morning. Try to keep that energy, kind
of keep it level as long as you can. It's
gonna be a long day, but looking forward to uh
to reading your stuff after hopefully of Vikings victory.

Speaker 2 (37:40):
Enjoy your time down in Arizona, sir, appreciate.

Speaker 4 (37:43):
It, Ordo.

Speaker 3 (37:44):
Yeah, I gotta calm down, I gotta go eat, I
gotta go run. I don't know, I just waste the
time somehow, but I can't wait for it. So thanks
for having me as always appreciated.

Speaker 2 (37:53):
Order Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (37:54):
That's Alec Lewis of The Athletic Theathletic dot Com, and
that puts a wrap on nine to noon today, ladies,
and gentlemen, thank you to everybody for joining Pa bursch Lieber,
sharing in the misery a certain Packers fan in Dave Sinneken.
But here we are with an opportunity to move on.

(38:14):
All things considered. Bad night in Detroit, bad five days
earlier in the season.

Speaker 2 (38:20):
Just go down to Arizona.

Speaker 1 (38:21):
So do what got you there and you're gonna be
moving on to face Philadelphia a week from now at
Lincoln Financial. Thanks for hanging out with me today, Max,
Max Fuller producing. It's Game Day five pm, pregame, seven
pm ish kickoff. Be here for the boom. It's your
home for Vikings football the fan. Have an awesome afternoon.
The program is next. You're listening to the Fan.

Speaker 2 (38:46):
Podcast Today's Paul Allen Show.

Speaker 5 (38:48):
We're listening back to a previous show and interviews like
going to the iHeartRadio app or kefan dot com.
Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club

The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.