#92Noon! 9a Hour 11/10 - 8 false starts? Really?

Reaction, takes, talkbacks and more off yesterday's loss to the Ravens~!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Well, I guess I good morning. I guess it only
hurts when you laugh, It only hurts when you cry.
It only that good work with that montage Nordo by
the master mixer of the Monday montage Nine to Noon.
I'm disappointed. I could only fit.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
I could only fit I think five or six fall
starts in there.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
I left audio on the table. Yeah, so it wasn't
perfecte you were in the squad, if you were in
your producing bag with that, Diana Ross and the supremes,
stop stop, just stop. Stop in the name of love.
Just stop. Already first home team since two thousand and

(00:47):
nine to have at least eight false start in fractions
at home. Stop in the name of love when we
lovingly request our favorite football team, just stop with all
that and the airmailing of the passes and immortality stopping
for some reason on a pick and taking the highs

(01:11):
up to cloud nine and the lows then have us
all crashing to the ground and just splatting with football
fandom carnage all over the place. Stop like the lady saying,
stop in the name of love. Welcome to nine to Noon.

(01:35):
The Order Producers, master mixer Monday Montage impeccable, and I'm
Paul Allen. You know, into the season. I don't know
what triggered me to think of this last night, but
into the twenty twenty five Minnesota Vikings football season, yours
truly said, I expect the twenty twenty five Minnesota Vikings

(01:57):
to make the playoffs and win a game. Remember that,
I do remember that. Yeah, it had a little mandate,
would be too strong, but.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
I think it was in the spirit of a good team,
quality roster, good coaching. You've been to the playoffs twice,
you're zeroing two, and that's the next wrong on the ladder.
The evolution of it is you're going to go to
the postseason and this time you're actually going to come
out with the W.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
Well. There also was a side of to whom much
is given, much as expected. Yeah, So the context was
off fourteen victories last season and with the veterans brought
in and belief the kid quarterback, and belief in the
kid quarterback, it's time to win a playoff game. Lots

(02:43):
of accolades and flowers were heading the way of several
and to whom much is given, much is expected. Now
there was a qualifier, it's it's fiqua fairness and qualifying act.
I find this to be fair. The qualifier was that

(03:05):
predictive bet is off if you have a string of
season long, debilitating injuries. Remember that part the con Yes,
I can't remember, all right, So let's unpack that. Like
seventeen different offensive line combos, two quarterbacks, no Cashman for

(03:27):
a month, Van Ginkel out longer, No Aaron Jones for
a month, Aaron Jones out five of them. Yes, that's
a lot, and was at the time debilitating. Stop, but
they got all But they got all of them. Say
center Ryan Kelly back with ten to go and with

(03:50):
three victories, then they professionally beat one of the game's
best with said studs back intact, Then yesterday happened. All right,
My expectations have not changed. If most of the guys
playing now stay healthy the rest of the way. Yeah,

(04:14):
I'm foolhardy as people may think it is. I will
be frustrated and I will be mad if the Minnesota
Vikings do not make the playoffs. Stop, Okay, four and
five make the playoffs. I get a big money roster.
We know many of them are very, very good, and

(04:38):
to whom much is given much is expected. Yeah, so
I and I'm saying we expect leadership to figure out
things and win enough to make the playoffs without debilitating injuries.
The rest of the way and offensive line combinations eighteen, nineteen,
twenty twenty one, that all fact into it, no doubt.

(05:01):
And if debilitating injuries like that linger to like the
sixty seventy seventy five percent part of the season, well
that's a different conversation when it comes to the expectations
off the metaphorical predictive bet, the symbolic predictive bet, because

(05:23):
the majority of them outside of the former Indianapolis Center, well,
they're all bat and they're all playing, and they played
quite well. When you beat the Motor City Kitties, sweeping
Chicago and going three and zero in the division, well
that'd be a good start. That'd be a good start
to the old predictive into the season predictive bet comeback trail.

Speaker 2 (05:45):
It's kind of a necessary part of the part of
the predictive VAT And I mean we've worked together a
decade plus, man, I mean I make so many predictions.

Speaker 1 (05:55):
It's like God rest the soul of Jimmy the Greek
Schneider but when it comes to the local team, specifically
this football team, and when yours truly repeatedly gets rather
loud with the one four team. Yep, we saw Week
eight team, and we saw the playoff game, and we've
seen the bally hooed veterans that have come in, and

(06:18):
we like, for the most part what we have already. Yeah,
unless unless there are more than a handful that are
like lost for the year seventy five percent of the season,
I ain't backing off that thing then, I mean to
who much is given, much is expected, and whether it's
the false starts, whether it's myriad details that went into

(06:39):
what transpired yesterday and or against the LA Chargers, don't
I don't really have any reason to back off that prognostication,
which would lead to either Oh cool, they rattled off
a bunch of games and they got into the postseason,
and that sure would be sweet if they found a
way to win a game. The other side of it is,
you had significant injuries for fewer than half the games

(07:04):
of the season, and during that time you found a
way to win three. Then you get back the gink.
The gink. The gink is on fire. Cash Money's playing
out of his skin right now and at tall several others.
And what do you do. You go to the motor
City and you make greater hits than anybody in Motown
ever has Here we come on cloud nine. You can

(07:28):
be who you want to be. And then the next
week it's stop in the name of love with the
eight fall starts and all the details that led to
the loss yesterday. Yeah, to who much is given, much
is expected, and this has to be fixed because the
right players are playing and we are more Nine to
noon is more than welcoming, willing and of the acquiescing

(07:54):
variety with the patient's plan, with the second year quarterback,
first year playing regular season games, second year in the NFL.
Now we understand that and we are in it for
the patient's game. All the details off yesterday's loss and
opinions formulated off the sixty two O'Connell is coached, I mean,

(08:17):
like two point tries and when to run and when
not to run. They at this moment and that could
change segment by segment. At this moment, they just don't
really matter that much to me. Raising a kid quarterback
ain't easy, and we're living those highs and lows with
all of them right now, win the game had Soldier

(08:39):
field with your arm, your legs and your will. Then
you can't find a touchdown on the next one and
home against Atlanta, then you're gone. Upon return, you steal
one as a fat underdog against Aiden Hutchinson and Brian
Branch and display to the world the kid quarterback is
bursting at the seams with poise and confidence. And then

(09:07):
in the next one, stop I mean, in the next one,
you're sailing them like a new age Josh Freeman. I mean,
I'm sorry to play the Josh Freeman card here, but
somebody in the second row caught a pass yesterday. Heavy,
somebody in the second row caught a freaking pass yesterday.
And I don't mean second row of the bench. I

(09:29):
don't mean second layer of the end zone. I mean
second row of the stadium.

Speaker 2 (09:33):
That was what over Addison's had wasn't And I don't
know the stop of them.

Speaker 1 (09:39):
And and and along. We're both parents, all right. There.
There's personal and there's professional. It can be challenging raising kids,
but it also can be incredibly satisfying and incredibly rewarding.
And along the journey we just have to remember this
side of Tom Brady. The topsy turvy performances by new

(10:03):
quarterbacks have been happening forever. We don't need face changes.
We know that we've watched a lot of it. We
know that elite football minds listen to nine to noon.
Now we're talking about mad producer and yours truly God's
cartoon character. We know that we are in for the

(10:26):
patient's game, but it's required to recognize and factually remember
stuff like this with new quarterbacks has been happening forever.
I mean, shoot, John Harbaugh is one of the greatest
coaches in the history of the National Football League. Man
He's fifty three and eighteen against quarterbacks in their first

(10:48):
or second years. Year first or second year Zah. He
finished off Caleb earlier this season, did the same to
our kid yesterday and JJ McCarthy. Gaining experience and coming
down from emotional wins and realizing bad games won't be
the norm. One day matters immensely more right now than

(11:09):
some of the details to games on which we harp.
The details matter, but the overarcher is the progress, lack thereof,
or ascension of this kid quarterback and what's transpiring in
front of our very audio Ears is not new to

(11:32):
the National Football League. Considered the context with just a
few new England's Drake May through his first four last year,
was sixty five percent on his completions. Not bad this
year with all that experience emphasis on the word experience,
Now he leads the National Football League close to seventy

(11:55):
five percent. He also had four picks and took ten
sacks in his four games last year. Why Why Because
kid quarterbacks can be indecisive and hold the ball too long.
But the gifted push through and our guy JJ McCarthy

(12:15):
is very, very gifted and that can't be disputed. Denver's
bon Nicks is being raised by one of the greatest
offensive minds in the history of the National Football League.
His first four starts, he completed fifty nine percent of
his throws and threw a pick every single game. Now,
with experience, he might help guide a team to a

(12:41):
division title. Shoot. Matt Producer believed in bon Nick so
much into the season he put Denver in the AFC
title game. It looked fullhardy at the moment it might happen.
What about Lamar? What about Lamar? Two time MVP making
his one hundredth start yesterday. His first four starts in

(13:01):
twenty eighteen super special. He hit on fifty six percent
of his throws, kept fumbling, and had three touchdowns and
three picks, and then he gained experience. Josh Allen, you say,
Josh Allen the quarterback, not the pass rusher. First four starts,

(13:23):
completed fifty five percent of his passes, which is awful,
with one touchdown, three picks and sixteen sacks. Elle. I mean,
Josh Allen was running into sacks more than Josh Freeman.
So how much better at ages twenty six to say

(13:45):
twenty nine is Josh Allen than in twenty eighteen when
he was twenty two and riding that roller coaster we
all are on right now with our twenty two year
old quarterback. Yeah, JJ McCarthy is the team's a topic
and that's the end of the story. I mean, we

(14:07):
have talkbacks coming up later. We got two point try terrorism,
We have seven yards per run throwing forty two. I
mean I slash, we hear it, see it, read it all.
So we know what's out there. We know the slings
and arrows of the outrageous negatives that will be firing
our way and It's not that we disagree with everything,

(14:28):
we just don't want the main thing to be forgotten.
JJ McCarthy is this team's a topic to who much
is given, much is expected, and that's the end of
the story. I mean, shoot, who's the greatest quarterback in
the history of the Minnesota Vikings. I mean Frand the
man on the fan, random man on the fans, Sir

(14:49):
Francis Tarkenton. For Super Bowls, he hosted Saturday Night Live
multiple times. He was in the Monday Night Football Booth
h F in Tarkenton's first four starts, Well, you sure
look the part of a future hof, didn't he, you know,

(15:11):
completing fifty percent of his passes with one touchdown and
six interceptions. Nineteen sixty one, Twitter would have labeled Fraan
the Man on the Fan as a bummer and far
out man and all show no go and would claim
he's boguarding the football. I always love that one talkback

(15:31):
start around nine forty five. Talkbacks around nine forty five.
There's a lot talkbacks. Yeah, free, iHeart audio app thirty seconds.
I mean, you know the drill. It's it's a habit
state and a habit audience and the talkback machine was
exploding during the Vikings fan line yesterday and we fully

(15:53):
expected to explode during nine to noon today. Of those
talkbacks started nine forty five. The weekend rap. The weekend
rap starts right now. Stop in the name of love
before you break cons hard look conno over. This is

(16:18):
the weekend wrap, you're saying, as provided by Hoffman Cooling
and Eating Temps. Oh Temps took a major turn for
the negatory of late, didn't they. Hoffmannheating dot net for
a furnace to tune up Man with potential rebates saved
close to six thousand dollars emphasis on close too, six
thousand dollars on a new system if that's what's required.

(16:41):
Hoffmanheating dot net and right now, please let's wrap. The
bears are next and Soldier Field was rocking yesterday. Another
tenant's mike in motion.

Speaker 3 (16:52):
Here's the snap of the Playpake Williams rolling to his
left running now fifteen.

Speaker 1 (16:56):
Ten five, Holzird tiptoes in cutch down in the blue pain.

Speaker 2 (17:03):
Caleb Williams seventeen yards took.

Speaker 1 (17:07):
Care of business himself. He has had himself quite the
day running all.

Speaker 2 (17:11):
Over in between away from packing up, moving left, moving right,
and finally getting into the ends over the touchdown head
a Bears lead twenty three.

Speaker 1 (17:21):
Twenty Didn't hear the vox Jeff Joni X say that
much during Caleb Williams first four starts, did you bucks
ex spearience box experience, challenging professionally raising these kids. I
would imagine Caleb won the game. He and beloved Bjay
embraced after the game winner like they've been waiting for

(17:44):
this moment all of their lives. Caleb is hot and
the Baby Bears have won two in a row in
dramatic fashion. And I'm sure Wobble is going to be
high on his Hallas Hall horse Friday at the Lakeville Feast.
Holy oh great, Oh wait, that's right. He's out of town,
so he's going to be in studio Wednesday, three two.

(18:05):
I'm sure Wobble is going to be high on his
Hallis Hall horse Wednesday in the six five to one
carpets plus studios. But the Friday Football Feast is at
Buffalo Wild Wings Lakeville this week. See all there. The
Detroit Lions. The MotorCity Kitties still have not lost two
consecutive regular season games. In more than two years. Three

(18:29):
every sign every twenty.

Speaker 2 (18:33):
To five cut down Detroit Lions forty four yards, sir,
serve together a day, and the Lions have opened.

Speaker 1 (18:44):
Up that lead. It is now forty one to sixteen Nordo. Yes, sir,
I heard you laugh during the highlight. Is that because
it only hurts when we laugh? I always loscract what?
I don't know what these Lions. Maybe we pissed them off, yes, sir,

(19:04):
maybe the Vikings pissed them off. Well, Campbell took over
the play call in duties. I know I read that
this morning. Holy Cow goth three twenty and three, Gibbs
one forty two and two on the ground, Jamison six
and one nineteen six for one nineteen and one Jamison
Williams six one nineteen and one. Hey, you know what,
at least the Commander's got control of Sam Laporta. I

(19:25):
always love that one who failed to score. So the
Minnesota Vikings next took the Bears, uh then off the Lambeau,
and after that they get this guy.

Speaker 3 (19:36):
Opening drive by the Seahawks, playfake and Donald's gonna roll
left pastime, gonna let it fly, got a man.

Speaker 1 (19:41):
Deep reaching a touchdown stay Hawks and guess who Jackson
fifth and Jaca with the touchdown reception tightly covered but
dropping that baby in the buckets. Sam Donald from forty
three out six up, Sam the man who used to

(20:04):
be on the fan, through twelve passes all game, twelve passes,
and Seattle ran up forty four points and crushed the cards.
They got two defensive touchdowns from DeMarcus Lawrence Carol king,
I feel the earth move under my feet. I mean

(20:25):
the twelves must have been shaken with DeMarcus Lawrence rambling
up and down that field. They also got a rushing
touchdown from somebody named Olani o'lani and Darnold through twelve passes.
Strange game, strange case.

Speaker 2 (20:38):
It's going to be another Kamani Vidal situation. Do we
got to do a little deep dive in on Olani?

Speaker 1 (20:44):
Oh geez, I don't know about that. We got time.
This is aggressive, all right. The Minnesota wild I can't
find my wild notes. That's super duper special, all right, Minnesota,
while I've got the money last night sound a little
like this.

Speaker 4 (21:02):
Final minute wild at front one nothing one minute empty
net for the Flames.

Speaker 1 (21:06):
Cornado slashed that by Boldie. It comes free arc today
except past troublet center. He'll puck an egg caprice of
a an empty nut scoo caprice of just see on
the neil Tony Lean quick forty nine point three seconds.

Speaker 2 (21:23):
Ago capriz OFVN Boldy getting on the score sheet last.

Speaker 1 (21:26):
Night, Boldie gets the game winner in period number two
Calgary in town. Jasper Wallstett gets the first home shutout
of his lifetime and the Minnesota Wild hook the They've
gotten hot all of a sudden. They beat the Islanders
on a back to back. I thought they played quite well,
specifically offensively against the speedy Carolina Hurricanes, despite losing four

(21:48):
to three, so that frown has been turned upside down.
And now they've won two consecutive. They get the ratty
Sharks tomorrow night. And that's part of an elongated home
stand that has some cool teams here this weekend A
sky you Mom, Minnesota Wild sky you mob Uh, the
Minnesota Timberwolves. Basically within the last week it went like this.

(22:10):
Chris Finch turned fifty six years of age on Thursday.
On Wednesday, they basically ruined his fifty six birthday by
get getting killed by the new York Knicks at Madison
Square Garden. But then the Utah Jazz came to town
beat them by forty swampbuster, and last night they went
to dominating Demontes An shot his threes a heavy volume

(22:34):
once again.

Speaker 3 (22:35):
Cottley knocks it away from Simonis on the move, a
stop at pot.

Speaker 1 (22:40):
Free, got it in a fowl. It was four point
opportunity for that man. Anthony Edwards. Yeah, and went for
and went for like twenty five and thirty minutes last
night and he hit five threes. And it was this
third game back from that swoon over his Hammi A
Steifel Tower had a double. He also had five blocks

(23:02):
last night. So the hal went to Howling and his
won two in a row. They're at Utah this evening
on a back to back and then they chill until
Sacramento with a Domontes domination. Part two takes place Friday
night here at Target Center, and I think they host
Denver the day after that. Get a chill day and

(23:23):
a Cooper flag. Cooper flag number one overall picking the draft.
I think he's a Target Center next Monday. That is
the weekend wrap. Courtesy of Hoffman Cooling and Heating Offmanheating
dot Net, Scott Hendrix, thank you very much. Reaction to
the Vikings try at a two pointer yesterday has some fascinating,
has some fascination and fascinating to the chat at least

(23:45):
to me that then talkbacks around the corner. Segment three,
maybe segment two. Thank you very much for listening to
the fan when you do. Thank you timber Tech for
what's on deck. And from Fridley to France, this is
the wine to noon Minnesota Vikings, vast and never expanding

(24:05):
audio network. And here comes the cash thing.

Speaker 2 (24:11):
The fan and two men in a junk truck want
to give you a shot at some bonus bucks with
the National Cash Contest. Go to kfann dot com and
enter the keyword deposit.

Speaker 1 (24:20):
You might win some money.

Speaker 2 (24:21):
And make a deposit with the keyword deposit at KFA
dot com.

Speaker 3 (24:32):
Before the snap, fall start by the center.

Speaker 1 (24:35):
It's a five yard penalty.

Speaker 3 (24:36):
It's third down, first intent straight, I'm behind McCarthy, co C. J.

Speaker 1 (24:45):
Hammon in front of Aaron Jones.

Speaker 5 (24:47):
Fall start by the offense, number seventy five, five yard penalty, second.

Speaker 3 (24:52):
Down, twenty seven thirteen ravens. That's number six. You've got
to be kidding me with this.

Speaker 1 (25:00):
Offense number seventy five. It's a five yard penalty. It's
shut down Dustin Jefferson slot left, TJ. Hawkinson inside slot left. Oh,
here we go. This is our seventh all start in
one game, fall start offense number seventy five and one
five yard penalty. It's their death, all right. So down

(25:22):
twenty seven to nineteen. Late, the Minnesota Vikings opted to
try for two and make it a six point game
with three twenty three to go. Some fought the move
was dumb. Most have a little to say about it
because it for sure can be argued it was the
right thing to do. Get the two, make it a

(25:42):
six point game, get a stop, go win the game.
In fact, that's exactly how I think I heard Matt
Producer lay it out hosting Vikings fan line yesterday when
talking out both sides of the equation. Get the two,
make it a six point game, get a stop, go
win the game. That's the aggressive, cold blooded, take what

(26:03):
we want when we wanted approach. But is it right
and just to be aggressive and cold blooded when it's
the first touchdown you've scored in three and a half
quarters and the quarterback was five of twelve throwing in
the fourth up to the two point try. I think

(26:26):
that's a very fair question because the age old adage
in football especially but in a lot of sports is
you play to win at home and you played a
tie on the road. Now, I mean, that's as antiquated
as you know. It's it yet take three points when

(26:47):
you're a home team, and that's like the starting point
for where point spreads begin and stuff like that. It
has an antiquated side to it, but there also is
a cliche factor to it with approach, crowd on your side,
weather conditions, and in certain places, stuff like that. You
played a win at home, you played a tie on
the road. So with the two point try yesterday, while

(27:11):
calling the game, didn't really think it out because they're
down eight, and like I just said and fan line
shared yesterday, get the two, make it a six point game,
get a stop, go win the game. Aggressive, cold blooded,
damn it. We're going to take what we want when
we want it, and there's nothing you can do about it.
Problem is, they did a lot about it for three

(27:32):
and a half quarters. So from a talkback standpoint, if
anybody really wants to talk this out. Is is it
right and just? And is it the right approach to
be aggressive end or cold blooded when that's the first
touchdown you've scored in three and a half quarters and

(27:52):
the quarterback was having his problems with accuracy and cadence
and all starts and all that. If you argue Carthy
wasn't consistent or in control at that point and had
some Josh Freeman to his accuracy. So take the extra
point and just make it a seven point game. Yeah,

(28:12):
I'm not going to push back. I like Baltimore's offense
a lot. Lamar is so much better than the guy
we saw out there in twenty twenty one. Yet they
didn't find a touchdown until the third quarter and after
the Miles Price l so game flow, quarterback flow, just

(28:33):
the whole flow found a touchdown to Jailen Naylor and
now you're down eight. So the mantra I believe of
this head coach and this staff is going to be
we are going to play to win the game. We
are at home, We're going to get the two. We're
going to make it a six point game, We're going
to get a stop. We're going to go win this game.

(28:54):
We're going to go to five and four. I just
wonder if really that and that is yesterday's individual circumstance,
given it's the first touchdown you scored in three and
a half quarters and the quarterback was five of twelfth
rowing in the fourth. Yeah, if the two point try
was the right idea, I mean, it's twenty twenty five,

(29:16):
so therefore, no matter which side you're on, it requires
banging a fist down on four micah and making the
people on the other side of the conversation feel dumb.
Quite honestly, I could go either way on this thing,
because I don't mind the aggressive approach, and this team
has been good at two point conversions the last three

(29:37):
and a half years. They don't do it often, but
when they do, it's pretty good. But was it the
right time yesterday? So I can hear all about that
talkback machine if you're interested. Thirteen penalties, yeah, minus three
in the take give fans leaving early all negative butt,

(29:58):
which of course means and just think about this, if
everything we just shared, thirteen penalties minus three and the
take give fans leaving early, that of course means they're
gonna win on Sunday. Slow the Bears stand to feed
in the division, and the kid quarterback will manage the

(30:19):
game wonderfully, win, lose, win, lose bad, good, bad good, win,
lose win, lose bad, good, bad good. I mean that's
just like after the after the Chargers game, I mean,
ninety four percent of the football loving world gave the
Minnesota Vikings minimal if no chance at the Motor City

(30:43):
Davy because of what everybody just saw. Likewise, for yesterday
there it wasn't La Chargers bad, but thirteen penalties, eight
fall starts and the minus three and the take give. Yeah,
that will leave a mental mark, so to speak. So

(31:05):
a lot of people will be down on them into
the Bears game. And if it's if it's the way
the inconsistency of the twenty twenty five Minnesota Viking season
has gone to this point, of course, they win Sunday,
Hoping Bernards shoulder is okay. Kevin O'Connell is a press
conference later today, maybe an update on that. Plus Jonathan

(31:26):
Grenard joins the Power Trip each and every Tuesday morning
in the eight o'clock hour. That's one of my favorite
segments on KFA, and during the course of the week,
look forward to that hoping that shoulders. Okay, we need
to start grabbing some interceptions and four and six heading
to Lambeau then the Cappuccino capital. That ain't what the

(31:48):
doctor ordered. Because to who much is given, much is expected.
And the fixing of problems and the challenges associated with
raising a kid quarterback, well that's all part of the
to who much is given, much as expected. So we'll
see what happens Sunday at noon.

Speaker 6 (32:13):
Hey, guys, plenty of things to criticize on nine. And
he did not obviously play a great game, but he
didn't get a lot of help, and there was some
real embarrassing moments from other veterans. But I think what's
important to keep in mind is JJ maintained his composure,
He hustled his butt off until the last play of
the game, and most importantly, there was no semblance of

(32:34):
finger pointing, and he put the loss on his shoulders.

Speaker 1 (32:38):
That's mark. I'm a really good leader, so let's stick
with him. And I agree with every facet of that talk.
Back in JJ McCarthy's postcame press conference yesterday, yours truly
was in attendance, and I was curious to see what
the young man's demeanor was going to be like his
level of sadness, his level of contrition, and his level

(33:00):
of reality when it comes to He's not the first
bally Hood highly drafted quarterback through four starts to struggles
like this. We chronicled some of the moments in the
first segment of nine to Noon today. He indeed handled
things with a plumb and we'll just leave it at

(33:21):
that and see what happens against beloved Bjay's defense.

Speaker 5 (33:25):
Hey, Paul and Nordo just got a question regarding the
last few weeks in the Vikings and Kevin O'Connell's play
calling choices. Why does he abandon the run so quickly?

Speaker 4 (33:41):
I mean over forty pass attempts and we were averaging
I think it was definitely over five yards per carry.
I don't know how much longer this team can be
successful to keep abandoning the run.

Speaker 1 (33:55):
Nordo, you want to handle that one well. I just
when we could JJ's ups and downs.

Speaker 2 (34:02):
I think, as you noted, whether it's the first four
starts of other players or just raising a kid on
the fly. Not a mandate, but the predictive bet of
a team going to the playoffs and winning a game.
We heard kind of the terminology from from a Dan
Orlovski a few weeks ago when he was talking about
kind of the disappointing aspects of this team, and he

(34:24):
noted that, you know, kind of the idea that this
was a quarterback independent roster, So some of the things
that go into that relates to complimentary football. So defensively,
this is a team that was tied to top the
NFL in takeaways last year, and I think the team
ended the year like plus eleven plus twelve in the

(34:45):
take gift, And you can actually kind of, to be
honest with you, and this one at four and five
is trending that way.

Speaker 1 (34:51):
When you see the team winning.

Speaker 2 (34:52):
Thirteen and fourteen games two of the first three years,
you're seeing a team on the good side of the
take give twenty twenty three and right now twenty twenty
five bad side of the take gift.

Speaker 1 (35:02):
The vikings are thirty three and five when Kevin O'Connell
wins or pushes the take give, and I would imagine
as not just with KO, but maybe just about every
other coach in the history of the game. When you're
on the wrong side of that, your record is probably
the inverse part of it. Ye, to that end, the

(35:23):
running game is part of the complementary nature of this
football team, and so was is it ever going to
be fifty to fifty in totality? Absolutely not, we get that,
but the balance part of it and such a significant focus.
You know, we can go back in time and I'm
not going to do it would take forever, but we
can find all the segments that we talked about from

(35:43):
the spring, through free agency, post draft, throughout the summer
that a really important aspect once JJ McCarthy takes the
field is the exciting tandem, the efficiency potentially the explosion involved,
but certainly the productivity of not just an upgraded offsive
line interior, but the combination of Jordan Mason and Aaron

(36:05):
Jones and what that meant to the development of JJ
For a team that was built to be competitive and
contend right now, one aspect of that was going to
be good run game, help protect the kid as we
raise him on the fly, and you just you do
see it consistently in games. Specifically yesterday, we're starting out

(36:26):
first first downs with eleven yard twelve yard runs like
it was fantastic At times. I think the team ran
it seven times, and this is just a I think
it was five scrambles for McCarthy thirteen carries combined for
the backs. As important as it was in that win,
by the way, before he got hurt, the platform that
JJ could work from when you got all that explosion,

(36:48):
the catch and run and all those things that Aaron
Jones was doing. That first third down conversion, the catch
that was labeled to run, et cetera. How important that
was to the game.

Speaker 2 (36:57):
You saw moments with Jones yesterday, including op but in
drive you get the five yard score, beautiful excellent fishing
in the red zone, boom one for one. Vikings take
the lead, dig it and then he does deviate away.
And I'm not going to go through the game log
of yesterday play by play. I actually I'm not offended.
We talked about it last night. I'm fan line the

(37:18):
third and one and he throws it deep justin Jefferson falls.
It's an interception. I mean, take that shot. You get
one on one with the superstar.

Speaker 1 (37:26):
I mean.

Speaker 2 (37:27):
And then he mentioned in the press conference as well,
Kevin O'Connell I was going to go for it on
fourth down regardless of the results. So he kind of
explains that was two down territory for the team. That's
the mindset. We're right at midfield. Sad circumstance with the
kid falling down on the back end of it. I do,
I do want to see this team with a better
commitment to the run. I am not an offensive play

(37:49):
calling genius. So in terms of specific points, the flow,
the feel of the game, we had him on the
ground yesterday. We had him on the ground yesterday if
we want him. Implementary aspect of it is that either
instead of punting or scoring in two minutes, you keep
that team on that offense on the field for six
seven minutes in a scoring drive, and you keep the

(38:12):
defense not having to deal with Lamar and Dereck Henry
off the field for six and seven minutes.

Speaker 1 (38:18):
So it's never going to be fifty to fifty.

Speaker 2 (38:20):
But I think yesterday was a great opportunity to show
the true nature of balance where kids make mistakes. But
you were super productive nearly six yards of carry for
the most part from your backs. You had an opportunity
to keep the pressure off the kid a little bit
and move the chains on the ground, and I was disappointed.
I just think you know as we raise the kid

(38:42):
game by game, there will be certain circumstances. Forty two
attempts for the kid in his fourth game is not
a winning formula. I just don't see that as a
winning formula, neither for the kid nor the offense in general.
So yes, running the ball, I think is part of
the complementary nature of this team, the roster, the predictive

(39:02):
bet that we are not seeing maybe to the level
that we should be.

Speaker 1 (39:06):
There's a reason I deferred the question. And as part
of everything that we just heard through nine games, it
is fair to note the best of the two running
backs did not play in five and a half of them.
So how much does that change during the course of
that month and change? Yeah, well, of course it changes
on the offensive line combinations we've talked about too. Yeah right,

(39:28):
I mean, those are the details. The over archer is
a three and a half year take that many have
had regarding the head coach, the twenty twenty four coach
of the years approach to run and pass. The reason
I deferred is I can't answer the question. I'm just

(39:51):
going to be straight with I have no idea because
I don't know what to look for. How to look for.
But I can count at boxes with the best of them.
I can, you know, as an outsider, I can look
at game flow, I can look at series after series.
I can watch all all twenty two anybody ever wants

(40:12):
me to watch. And I can't explain why coach or
coach is do certain things at certain times that fly
in the face of what people think they should do.
But that's not just here. For instance, if you, if you,

(40:32):
if you do some deep diving into the Miami upset
of the Buffalo Bills, well you're gonna you're you're gonna
read reaction from a lot of Bills fans complaining they
don't pass enough. And then you're going to read Sean McDermott,
their coach, throwing his hands in the air, palms to

(40:54):
the sky, basically being like, we need to pass better,
we need to pass more. I don't know what's happening
right now, but we're here to fix it. So it's something.
It's something everywhere in the same fishbowl, but under different rocks,
and it all involves media slash fan opinions about how

(41:16):
they believe things should go. And that's great, that's fantastic
because guess what if they didn't have an opinion, then
nobody would come to the games, nobody would care, nobody
would listen, nobody would watch. They care. These opinions are
born of caring. But I deferred because I've thought it out.
I've looked at a lot of stuff. I've chatted with

(41:38):
people behind the scenes a little bit. I can't explain it.
I don't know what goes into setting up plays, running
plays that you potentially may be setting something up for later.
There's just so much, there's so much layering to it. Yeah,
that okay, third and one when they threw and like

(42:00):
Nordo said, the coach said, well, you know we were
going to run on fourth down or we were going
to go for it and for it and didn't get
the opportunity. All right, Well, I mean what did Baltimore
do around the line of scrimmage? I mean how many
were there nine players around there? And was the average
weight of those players two hundred and eighty seven and
a half pounds? And are you going to run wide

(42:23):
away from Kyle Hamilton and or Malachi Starks who may
or may not have been on the edge, or are
you going to take on John Jenkins and Travis Jones,
and it combined six hundred and seventy five and a
half pounds of beef right up the middle. Yeah sure great?
Or don't Yeah, sure great. That's that's That's why to
who much is given, much is expected. They're compensated to

(42:46):
do that job and make those decisions, and make those
decisions in real time, and make those decisions without the
ability to look back and second guess. What they do
is they look back and not second guess, but correct
if they feel mistakes were made. So that's why I deferred.

(43:06):
I can't. I can't answer the question. I just don't
know what to say.

Speaker 2 (43:09):
Yeah, and I'm not a coach and I've never designed
an offensive game plan. But again, I think at a
base level, my head is absolutely right along with any
listener or anybody that's questioning, hey, why didn't we run here?

Speaker 1 (43:24):
I don't have an answer.

Speaker 2 (43:25):
As to why in particular situations. I truly believe at
a base level, we cannot see forty two attempts, thirty
five attempts. We can't see that from the kid QB
and go down the road that you were talking about
where we can raise the QB.

Speaker 1 (43:41):
We have a talented roster.

Speaker 2 (43:43):
The dogs save for the new center, are healthy and
we can compete and still contend for a playoff spot.
Totally with you, but the complimentary aspect, when you take
that away in terms of the run game, I think
you're going to have problems in a big way.

Speaker 1 (43:57):
And agree and so yeah, I agree, But my point
would be, and why I defer things like that is
I just want to know where it stops, like what,
why are why are certain players being targeted X amount
of times when others are wide open? Right? Why? Okay,
so so? Now the next It just it can never

(44:18):
stop if you just keep going down that road. Why
was so and so in the game when he's in
the game defensively and they run for six seven a carry,
but when he's out of the game they run for
three to four. Well, he's in the game and they
just ran for nine. Does that mean somebody needs to
be fired? No, that means a correction needs to take place.
So it's just it's just that that I it's it's

(44:41):
it's like that two point try thing. It's like, I
agree philosophically with some things, but I want to hear
the context laid out for to get me over the hump.
I like how you put it. We got a pause,
we got burst it around the corner. I like how
you put it a little bit earlier. And if you
take the totality from play one twenty twenty two to

(45:07):
final play right now twenty twenty five, well, there's an
organic feel that you can get without analyzing minutia of
who's hurt, how many offensive line combinations? Is CJ blocking
as the quarterback executing play action? What are the safety's
doing right before the snap? Was that a six man
box and it ended up being a nine man box?

(45:29):
All of that, it's you can look at the total.
Like the first year O'Connell was the head coach, they
threw sixty percent of the sixty one percent of the time.
The offense was the bomb. The offense was the absolute bomb. Yeah.
Dalvin Cook went for well over one thousand scrimmage yards.
Well yeah, yeah, he was six run NFL with twelve

(45:50):
and change on the ground alone. Yeah, he's running and catching, yep,
but percentage wise it may not have been enough for
some people. He was the home run hitter, So I mean, okay,
why and then the next season, all right, well not
running enough? Cool? You should run more. You got Dobs
and you got Jaron Hall and the quarterback and run
and there's just so much to it that that's why

(46:11):
I you know, I'm sorry to heap that on you.
It's when the talkback came in, I thought a lot
about it. I can't answer the question.

Speaker 2 (46:18):
Yeah, And I just remember in twenty twenty two it's
there was there's you you mentioned, like, for instance, in
yesterday's game, why certain people were being targeted. Why weren't
there were open guys that were missed there there's the
other side of this too, by the way, the coach
when he schemes some of these plays, the guys are open.
When the kid QB was when he was sailing balls yesterday,

(46:38):
he had one to Jade Jefferson on the boundary that
was almost identical to that out route far hash boundary
throw that he aced at Ford Field and complete, and
he just completely ruined it.

Speaker 1 (46:48):
Yes made a mess of it. And I don't know
yesterday exactly so, but I think you know, no, no,
I'm sorry. I do understand it, and so do you.
Because it's not the first it's not the first time
it's happened to a quarter back in his first four starts. True, yes,
now that may be the example here Lamar kept dropping it.
There were a couple where just he like dropped the
ball and hit his knee and bumble lost. Fran Tarkentin

(47:12):
is Hall of Fame or one touchdown, six picks his
first four games. I don't know what happened there. May
maybe was sailing them over Bobby Richards, but anyway.

Speaker 2 (47:20):
But I just think so in a vacuum, each of
those games will have those moments, the inconsistencies of it.

Speaker 1 (47:25):
Why did this happen?

Speaker 2 (47:26):
There is a trend over the course of Kevin O'Connell's
tenure in terms of percentage of running the ball certain
spots specifically maybe some third and shorts. We can dig
into those numbers, but that's exhausting. Just in the end,
I think to protect the kid and to continue to
raise on the fly with the competitive nature that you're
talking about, I know, Jamame, I think there has to

(47:46):
be you know, whatever that commitment looks like, it sounds
weird as an outsider saying it. There has to be
some some push to make sure that everything's right with three,
three and two seven in the backfield.

Speaker 1 (47:58):
Let's keep those cats involved. I like that and a
term nine to noon created years ago plays into this too.
Competitive arrogance are our head coach is competitively arrogant And
that is not a negative term. That means that the
arrogance part of it is my stuff is proving out

(48:21):
to be better than your stuff. I will get them
open and they will hit them well when they don't
hit them. And you know, that's why the two point
try terrorism, that's why you know when you and I
were texting during fanline yesterday, it's I'm like, what's with
all this two point try stuff? I mean, in eight
goes to a six, So you get the two, you

(48:42):
stop them, you go win the game. Well, that's the
competitively arrogant. That is the competitively proven way to handle
a game at home when you're when you're four and
four trying to go to five and four, or is
it when you haven't scored a touchdown in three and
a half quarters and your quarterbacks five of twelve in
that quarter and was was tooth and nail on fourth

(49:05):
down to just get the next touchdown. Maybe you know
feel that moment, Maybe it's maybe it's a different decision
in that spot. Yeah, So that's why like I can hear,
I can hear either side of it. And same thing
with that talkback is the running plays are good. So yes, okay,
if they do it more and it works, great, But
it also can't be disputed that if you watch back

(49:27):
things that took place yesterday, whether it's TV copy replays
or all twenty two, they were wide open all over
the field. They were open all over the field. Kid
missed them and or didn't see them and held it
a long time because new quarterbacks hold the ball a
long time and they're indecisive. And he's not the first

(49:50):
to be that, and he won't be the last. We'll
be right back