November 25, 2025 • 20 mins
Minnesota Vikings play-by-play voice and radio broadcaster Paul Allen joins Dave Softy Mahler to talk about their 2025 season so far, Sam Darnold going to Seattle and tearing things up, the changes from 2024, Sunday’s game here, and their quarterback situation.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wheeling will let it fly from about his own forty
miles Price heals on the ten end over end production
by Wheeland. Price is going to let it sail over
his head. Nice bounce for green Bay. At the sixth,
Price ran in there and touched it.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
What are you doing? It's bouncing about at the five.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
It all depends on who it touched first. Right, But
why is Miles even by the ball? I have no
idea to get them out of the Are you kidding?
That's ridiculous? I mean, that's just so ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Seriously, after the special teams l on Devin Dupern a
last game, what.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Is it better ridiculous that ridiculous or this ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Has to be a flag on that. That's ridiculous.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
A lot of ridiculous coming out of Minnesota right now. Man,
But what do you say? We mention all of it's
and bringing that guy the best there ever was, is
and ever will be. His words, by the way, not mine.
The legendary voice of the Vikings nine to noon on
kfa N, the voice of Canterbury Park Racetrack in Minnesota.
My friend our pal Paul Allen with us on the
(01:03):
radio program Pa How are you.
Speaker 5 (01:05):
Man, Well, David Softing, have I told you how lately
how great your radio show is and I listen to
it every day on the pre iHeart Audio app. And
just what you do for the iHeart family and how
important and vital you are, and the endorsements and the
advertising revenue for your station. I mean, you just do
(01:25):
you guys do an unbelievably good job man, And quite honestly,
we give thanks for you this Thanksgiving week. I don't
know if our team wasn't four and seven on a
three game losing Threek, if I would have said all that. Yeah,
but I'm ready to take my medicine, Softy, so give
it to me.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Well, I don't know if there's much medicine to give.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
I mean, there's a big part of me that feels
badly for what's happening out in Minneapolis. I've told you
forever that if the Seahawks can't be the team to
represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, I would gladly
root for the Minnesota Vikings. And then I see this video,
this archival footage b roll from the end of last year,
with Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones standing on the sideline
(02:07):
and now Sam is starring in Seattle and Daniel is
ripping it up in Indianapolis. I mean, for lack of
a better question, man, how is that all being received
back home in Minneapolis.
Speaker 5 (02:19):
Well that's a very good question. Now you frame that up,
because you know McCarthy Week number one, twenty two years
of age. All right, first National Football League start. We're
at Soldier Field, Monday night football. It's terrible for three
quarters and we're not going to win. And then McCarthy,
who does have the clutch gen legitimately has that clutch.
(02:40):
Gene catches fire, throws two touchdown passes, runs one ind
and single handily wins the game. Well, then the next
week we don't have a touchdown against Atlanta home opener,
bad for business. So then he hurts his ankle. Fast
forward after that, we're at Ford Field, big underdogs like
we are this weekend. We win the game. McCarthy had
a lot to do with it against the Lions at
(03:01):
Ford Field, holy out, so you know, but then it's
just been so up and down, and now he has
a concussion and and I don't know if he's going
to play this weekend. So that that's kind of what
we have been through this year in a nutshell. All right, Well, Sam,
the man who used to be on the van, well,
now he's lighting it up in Seattle. But then we
get to that Rams game. Okay, his in my estimation,
(03:24):
his most pressure filled, biggest moment as a quarterback for
the Seattle Seahawks, and we got the four picks and
they lose. Okay, So now that's that's part of the
narrative until it's not so. But but with one hundred
million dollar deal and trying to fortify things here and
re signing players, you know that that never was going
to happen, all right now with Daniel Jones, you know,
(03:47):
just just quite honestly, and I'm hoping this is public,
but it is not. Now it is. You know, I
think the Vikings offered Daniel Jones more money than Indianapolis
gave him, But Daniel didn't want to play the game
of I don't need to compete with the kid you
took in the first round. So I'm going to roll
the dice that the Richardson kid in Indianapolis that there
(04:09):
are problems, and I'm going to start there. Great move
by Daniel, and he bet on himself and he won,
So the Vikings made a strong attempt to get Daniel
Jones back, not necessarily the.
Speaker 6 (04:19):
Case with Donald. Here we are with a McCarthy.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
You might get undrafted Gopher Max Brozmer this weekend, and
we'll see how the whole thing shakes out. The softy Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
Well, Paul Allen's with us on the show, and I
got to go back to the Donald thing for a second, right,
And I really hate I don't want to rub it in.
I really hope you don't feel like I'm doing that.
I'm trying not to. But you well, you said something
there about how it was never gonna happen with Sam.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
There were other players that had to be re signed.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
And I guess my question would be what player, what
position is more important.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Than the one that Sam Darnald plays?
Speaker 4 (04:57):
What could have been possibly more important than then bringing
back Sam Darnald? And I wonder how much of their
lack of interest in bringing him back, Paul was the
fact that they were concerned that twenty twenty four was
a aberration versus we drafted this kid in the first round.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
We have to see what he's all about.
Speaker 5 (05:18):
Well, I should not have said never, okay, because that
meant that means I'm speaking for the team, and I
can't say it was a never. I was just riding
my vibe, but it it, you know, it's I always
felt McCarthy would be the quarterback in twenty twenty five,
so therefore never's too strong a longer shot. May it
may have been wrong, okay, but really, I mean it's
(05:40):
and I have nothing against Sam Man. I mean, Donald
was nice to me when he was here. You know,
I'll do these little drive by interviews in the locker
room after they win where I go player to player
to player to player. Sam doesn't even know me, super
cool with it. So I have nothing against Sam Darnald.
But and I was the one when the Vikings signed him,
and I knew he was going to.
Speaker 6 (06:00):
Start first game against the Giants, and.
Speaker 5 (06:03):
It never was going to be anybody else, including McCarthy.
You know, I would say, guys, I mean there's a
reason he was third overall picking the draft. His skill
set's fantastic. And if you think, if you think setting
up offense to Robbie Anderson with the Jets and tight
Endie and Thomas with Carolina, yep is what O'Connell does
here with Jefferson, Addison and Hawkinson, you're out of your mind.
(06:23):
And that went to burying its fruit. And you know,
so Sam, in a great situation, really came through. Then
we got to week eighteen in the Lions game, and
if you watch it back, I'm telling you I've said
this to you before. There were four or five opportunities
for touchdowns in a game that would have led the
Vikings to becoming the one seed that Sam just missed. Man.
(06:46):
I mean, the receivers ran the right routes, they protected
it nicely, and he blew it. He missed them. Next
week against the Rams with the nine sacks. I can't
put all that on Sam, but if you look at
the past performances, and I'm racetrack raised. So therefore we
got all all these task performances in that Lions game
and in that Rams game it didn't work. We'll just
stop it there. So now you get all these wins
(07:09):
in Seattle, which is great. It's fantastic, man, Clint Kubiak,
Andrew Jenoko, Rick Dennison, Leslie Fraser, Jeff Howard. There are
a lot of people on that staff that I've known
for a long time, and I love Andrew Jinoko, Leslie Fraser,
and Clint Kubiak. I've known him forever. I hope you
guys win at a high level, man, because we ain't
gone anywhere. So with that said, I'm pulling for you
(07:30):
from afar. Nothing against Sam, but I was watching closely
that Rams game this year because that is the most
pressure filled moment that he's faced wearing those colors and
we had the four picks. Okay, again, nothing against Sam,
but until you guys are going to the playoffs and
you might have a really good seed and you might
have a home game. So let's just get through that
(07:51):
before we fully determine what the Minnesota Vikings lost and
what the Minnesota Vikings gained.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Well, and we have to let McCarthy play this thing
out for a while. I mean, the kid is basically
a rookie, for God's sakes, in his first year in
the NFL. So I think you're right on both counts,
and you're also right about the narrative about Sam. I mean,
there's not a lot of data of big games to
go back and see how he performs. The problem is,
(08:18):
you know, we have three of them in the last
year that we can point to. Two of them against
the division arrival and one of them against the Lions.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
But that narrative is not going to go away.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
You're exactly right until the guy steps up and delivers
when the lights are the brightest.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
My question though, to you call out going.
Speaker 5 (08:36):
Let me sorry to be a human clipping penalty, but
let me lay it out like this. Say I'm the
owner of the Minnesota Vikings. Yes, and the general manager
and the head coach, and the head coach is the
coach of the year. They come to me and they
implore me to give him the deal that he got,
maybe even a little more. And McCarthy's not going to start.
(08:56):
He's going to be the guy. If I'm the owner
of the team, I look at somebody and I'm like, okay,
I'm going to sign off on this. But I also
remember week eighteen in that first playoff game, as do you.
So if that happens again, that's on you, and that's
how people get fired. Man. So plus plus they have
(09:17):
the first round pick, you know who. It's going to
take some time raising this kid and everything. So it's
a tricky talker. I understand the stance that you've taken.
I've heard it before, but my stance has to be
respected until he pushes through it. And I'll just be
straight with you, softy, I hope Sam Donald pushes through it.
(09:39):
I don't care if you guys win the Super Bowl, man,
and if Sam Donald's the super Bowl MVP, that doesn't
eed at me. Stuff like that doesn't eed a me. Okay.
I want that staff I mentioned, and for you and
for the fan base. I like the Seahawks man, I
always have. So I hope he pushes through the playoff
related pressure, yeah, and is able to do things at
(10:01):
a high level.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
Paul Allen, longtime voice of Minnesota Viking Football nine to
noon host on Kfan, the Jaggernaut, the flame Thrower in Minneapolis,
voice of Canterbury Park as well in Minnesota with us
on the radio program. But the four and seventh start
after eleven, Paul, for you guys versus nine to two
(10:23):
a year ago, is it all about Sam Darnold not
being there and all about the quarterback play? Because I'm
looking at a defense, dude. If I'm in my exhaustive
research to prepare for this conversation, I noticed that you
led the league in interceptions a year ago with twenty
four and now you've only got three after eleven games,
so what gives.
Speaker 5 (10:44):
Okay, in fairness, now you're starting the twenty two year
old quarterback and then he gets hurt, so now you
go with Wentz and then he gets hurt, and now
McCarthy's hurt again. Okay, that's a problem. Ye, that's just
a problem right there. And when macarthy gets hurt, it
keeps taking place in game for nobody exactly knows where
it is, and that kind of bugs me. Loki. Secondly,
(11:06):
before last week when the Vikings lost at Lambeau and
it was just a bad loss, man, they just didn't
look good at all, that was the first time all
year the preferred offsive line from left tackle to right
tackle had been together. Well. Of course, in the second
half the left tackle and the left guard both leave
Donovan Jackson, rookie from Ohio State and Christian Darisol one
of the best in the game. But before that they
(11:28):
had eighteen different offensive line combinations during the season. Who
in the hell is going to win consistently with that?
Now we go to the defense. I've watched the defense
all year hold this team in games to the best
of its ability. We keep getting killed in the time
of possession. Man, I mean the Packers had it like
thirty eight minutes. Man, we had it twenty two. Wow,
(11:51):
We're leaving games running forty five to forty nine plays.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
That's absurd.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
So defensively they're mostly holding it together. But from an
interception standpoint, well, just I mean we have three interceptions.
Speaker 6 (12:05):
Okay, that is so by far.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
The fewest through eleven games in the history of Minnesota
Vikings football. It's a problem. Were minus like twelve in
the take give the only team below us is the Jets.
Well that's bad for business. So you got those things.
But there have been injuries defensively too. Our two best
defensive players are Jonathan Garnard and Andrew Van Ginkle, and
(12:28):
they both have missed at least well for Gernard a
handful of games, maybe a little less. Van Ginkle missed
like a month and change. Okay, hopefully Gernard can play
this weekend. It's super super key there.
Speaker 6 (12:40):
So I just sent the defenses.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
Wearing down a little bit because the.
Speaker 6 (12:43):
Offense just like our first three.
Speaker 5 (12:46):
Possessions in the second half at lambeau Field, Man we
went three plays minus twelve. It took two minutes three
plays minus twelve yards, it went two minutes, three plays
one yard, or it went to and a half minutes.
So we've just seen a lot of that this year.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
Yeah, yeah, well, Paul Allen's with us. I think this
conversation is going great. It's the exact opposite of that
podcast that you and I did together a couple of
years ago during the crack and wild Game. Are our
bosses have both had every now and then a good
idea that was not one of them.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
And I could have been, yeah, I could have been, Okay,
put the what's the guy's name, Stephanopolis or Picadopolis.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Petros Papadocus.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
Yeah, yeah, you put us three together. And and now
see I'm not I'm not a team employee with the
Minnesota Vikings, all right, I'm a hired gun that gets
like one of the worst ten ninety nine humanity ever
can see. So therefore I'm like gray Area when it
comes to talking about gambling on podcasts or Softy Show
or my show, I'm gray Area there. But if you,
(13:51):
myself and.
Speaker 6 (13:52):
Petro ever get the opportunity, well, first.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
And foremost gambling would have to be legalized in this
in this, in this foolish state. I don't know if
it is out there or not. It is not here
and it ain't close. So if that ever happened, you,
Petros and I for iHeart spotting up on money line couts. Yeah,
let's put it this way, it wouldn't be a podcast
to which people were listening. It would be supplemental income
(14:16):
for them.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
Well as the kids like to say, we would kill
it with that podcast, no doubt, so, no cap. Let's
see maybe one day when all three of us are
looking for a little more freedom in our careers, maybe
when we're not shackled, you know, by the bonds of iHeartMedia.
Maybe one day we'll go down that road. But Paul
Allen's with us, the voice of the Viking.
Speaker 5 (14:38):
Be careful, be careful with this weekend, okay, because the
Vikings are a talented bunch. There is a different form
of pressure coming on your quarterback this weekend, given the defense,
the defensive coordinators and coordinator, and the players on the
other side. I'm not offended. The Seattle's a nine ten
point favorite. I completely undernderstand that, and I respect the season,
(15:02):
but it's just astounding to me, man that that team
is eight and three and they're minus seven and the
take gift, I can't say I've ever seen that in
my life. So you know, we have twenty one turnovers
and Seattle is twenty and the quarterback has given the
ball away fourteen times. So I just would be careful
with you know, with this whole trash talking equation here.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
Well, I don't think anybody's really talking trash.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
It's it's hard.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
It's hard to talk trash to a guy that's representing
a four and seven football team.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
I'll be totally honest with Williams.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
If this was seven and four versus eight and three,
I think we might have a little more fireworks on
the radio show. But I will tell you and you
can feel free to use this on your program out there.
But I know you've done a lot of research yourself,
so you probably already know this that Mike McDonald Paul
in a year and a half in Seattle is twelve
and two on the road. He's six and eight at
(15:55):
lumen Field. He's under five hundred at lumen Field. And
they're two things to that number one. There's gonna be
a lot of Viking fans, I'm certain in the stands
on Sunday and then number two.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
I wouldn't bet on that.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
Okay, Well, at some point we think that sixth and
eight's gonna turn around and this team is gonna start
winning games on the road. My question to you and
to wrap this up, and I'm not trying to be
a smart ass here. I know nothing about Max Brosmer.
You saw him play at Minnesota with the Gophers. Brosmer, sorry,
you saw him play while he was rowing the boat
at at at you know, Minnesota for PJ. Now he's
the number two guy behind McCarthy. Do we a Sea
(16:30):
Hawk fans, honestly, do we want to see Brosmer versus
McCarthy or do the Vikings maybe still have a better
shot of winning this thing with JJ.
Speaker 5 (16:40):
Okay, first and foremost, you're gonna need to know his
name just in case he beat you. It's Brosemer.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
I thought I said Brosmer.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
You kept saying Brosmer. Well, that's okay. Ever Brosmer a
million times?
Speaker 2 (16:53):
You know what, I'll tell you what.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
I'll tell you what if he starts, If he starts
on a Sunday afternoon, I'll have it nailed down by then.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
How's that?
Speaker 5 (16:59):
Well? The kids would say, I just don't want bros
murketching strays. So with that said, uh, I'm just gonna
I'm just gonna leave it with a couple of things
for you. Okay, A I'm guaranteeing you. They hit on
an undrafted quarterback. Okay, to what level, I don't know,
but they hit on one.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (17:20):
This kid is not afraid. He processes things very quickly.
And we saw that in the preseason and training camp
in the joints with New England, and you can't teach
coool and he has it.
Speaker 6 (17:31):
This kid is not afraid.
Speaker 5 (17:33):
And and he will give absolutely every single thing Kevin
O'Connell wants in this game. Hopefully it's good enough. I'm
starting to work on your defense today. Wow, all we
cow with all this speed?
Speaker 6 (17:45):
Wow?
Speaker 5 (17:46):
I mean there's like like the Ernie Jones bit. I
don't know if he's gonna play or not, but I
mean rieke Willan's a backup. Are you kidding me?
Speaker 6 (17:52):
I mean with Witherspoon.
Speaker 5 (17:54):
Witherspoon is so good at what he does from what
I watched this morning. So yeah, man, and DeMarcus Lauren
with the touchdown. So it's it's a tall task. That's
a reason Brosmer in the Vikings if Brosmer plays, are
ten point underdogs here, and you know what, I guess,
I guess we probably shouldn't even show up the way
you made this conversation sound until they unleash Grenard and
(18:17):
or Van Ginkel, assuming Grenard plays, and you better hide
the women and children.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
My friend Brosmer, Max Brosmer, He's.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
Might not even play, but if he does, you got
to get it right.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
He's not your Brosmer, he's your Brosmer.
Speaker 5 (18:31):
There's a and I you know, I call game for
a team that employs Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and
Jefferson has gone six games without a one hundred yard game.
I mean that's so by far the longest stretch of
his career. He's frustrated, understandably, So yeah, I can argue
Justin Jefferson, Jamar Chase. Those guys best two receivers in
the NFL, maybe for the next ten years. Jackson Smith
(18:54):
and Jigba is unfreaking believable. How he runs his routes
and that full speed thing in the shoulder shake and
the break it at the top of the route. What
a freaking handful he's become.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Nobody can stop him. It's unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (19:10):
We keep waiting for it, Paul, Honestly, every single week,
we keep waiting for someone to shove an elbow right
in his mouth. We wait for someone to put a
forearm into his chest. Press this guy, knock him off
his route, get him at a sink.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Nobody can do it. It's unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
And now he's on pace to break Calvin Johnson's record,
by the way, with like thirty five less targets than
Calvin Johnson got when he was running around playing for
the Lions. So yeah, Jsn's gonna be a problem because
he's been a problem for everybody.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
All right, you're the man. Can't wait to see you
this weekend.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Travel safe, enjoy Turkey Day Thursday, and we'll talk soon,
My man, appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
And happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. I and
we back here give thanks seriously for your friendship and
helping with the radio sh and just how seriously you
take your craft. And may God bless you and your
family and go Huskies against those ducks this weekend, and
know that matters to you. And I hope, I hope
I get a chance to see you this weekend.
Speaker 4 (20:13):
Okay, yeah, you bet, Buddy, Paul Allen. Always great to
have him on the show, Love having him on. He's
he's a great broadcaster, but he's an even better dude.
Really honestly mean that. Always fun having him on the show.
Wheeling will let it fly from about his own forty
miles Price heals on the ten end over end production
by Wheeland. Price is going to let it sail over
his head. Nice bounce for green Bay. At the sixth,
Price ran in there and touched it.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
What are you doing? It's bouncing about at the five.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
It all depends on who it touched first. Right, But
why is Miles even by the ball? I have no
idea to get them out of the Are you kidding?
That's ridiculous? I mean, that's just so ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Seriously, after the special teams l on Devin Dupern a
last game, what.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Is it better ridiculous that ridiculous or this ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Has to be a flag on that. That's ridiculous.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
A lot of ridiculous coming out of Minnesota right now. Man,
But what do you say? We mention all of it's
and bringing that guy the best there ever was, is
and ever will be. His words, by the way, not mine.
The legendary voice of the Vikings nine to noon on
kfa N, the voice of Canterbury Park Racetrack in Minnesota.
My friend our pal Paul Allen with us on the
(01:03):
radio program Pa How are you.
Speaker 5 (01:05):
Man, Well, David Softing, have I told you how lately
how great your radio show is and I listen to
it every day on the pre iHeart Audio app. And
just what you do for the iHeart family and how
important and vital you are, and the endorsements and the
advertising revenue for your station. I mean, you just do
(01:25):
you guys do an unbelievably good job man, And quite honestly,
we give thanks for you this Thanksgiving week. I don't
know if our team wasn't four and seven on a
three game losing Threek, if I would have said all that. Yeah,
but I'm ready to take my medicine, Softy, so give
it to me.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Well, I don't know if there's much medicine to give.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
I mean, there's a big part of me that feels
badly for what's happening out in Minneapolis. I've told you
forever that if the Seahawks can't be the team to
represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, I would gladly
root for the Minnesota Vikings. And then I see this video,
this archival footage b roll from the end of last year,
with Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones standing on the sideline
(02:07):
and now Sam is starring in Seattle and Daniel is
ripping it up in Indianapolis. I mean, for lack of
a better question, man, how is that all being received
back home in Minneapolis.
Speaker 5 (02:19):
Well that's a very good question. Now you frame that up,
because you know McCarthy Week number one, twenty two years
of age. All right, first National Football League start. We're
at Soldier Field, Monday night football. It's terrible for three
quarters and we're not going to win. And then McCarthy,
who does have the clutch gen legitimately has that clutch.
(02:40):
Gene catches fire, throws two touchdown passes, runs one ind
and single handily wins the game. Well, then the next
week we don't have a touchdown against Atlanta home opener,
bad for business. So then he hurts his ankle. Fast
forward after that, we're at Ford Field, big underdogs like
we are this weekend. We win the game. McCarthy had
a lot to do with it against the Lions at
(03:01):
Ford Field, holy out, so you know, but then it's
just been so up and down, and now he has
a concussion and and I don't know if he's going
to play this weekend. So that that's kind of what
we have been through this year in a nutshell. All right, Well, Sam,
the man who used to be on the van, well,
now he's lighting it up in Seattle. But then we
get to that Rams game. Okay, his in my estimation,
(03:24):
his most pressure filled, biggest moment as a quarterback for
the Seattle Seahawks, and we got the four picks and
they lose. Okay, So now that's that's part of the
narrative until it's not so. But but with one hundred
million dollar deal and trying to fortify things here and
re signing players, you know that that never was going
to happen, all right now with Daniel Jones, you know,
(03:47):
just just quite honestly, and I'm hoping this is public,
but it is not. Now it is. You know, I
think the Vikings offered Daniel Jones more money than Indianapolis
gave him, But Daniel didn't want to play the game
of I don't need to compete with the kid you
took in the first round. So I'm going to roll
the dice that the Richardson kid in Indianapolis that there
(04:09):
are problems, and I'm going to start there. Great move
by Daniel, and he bet on himself and he won,
So the Vikings made a strong attempt to get Daniel
Jones back, not necessarily the.
Speaker 6 (04:19):
Case with Donald. Here we are with a McCarthy.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
You might get undrafted Gopher Max Brozmer this weekend, and
we'll see how the whole thing shakes out. The softy Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
Well, Paul Allen's with us on the show, and I
got to go back to the Donald thing for a second, right,
And I really hate I don't want to rub it in.
I really hope you don't feel like I'm doing that.
I'm trying not to. But you well, you said something
there about how it was never gonna happen with Sam.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
There were other players that had to be re signed.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
And I guess my question would be what player, what
position is more important.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Than the one that Sam Darnald plays?
Speaker 4 (04:57):
What could have been possibly more important than then bringing
back Sam Darnald? And I wonder how much of their
lack of interest in bringing him back, Paul was the
fact that they were concerned that twenty twenty four was
a aberration versus we drafted this kid in the first round.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
We have to see what he's all about.
Speaker 5 (05:18):
Well, I should not have said never, okay, because that
meant that means I'm speaking for the team, and I
can't say it was a never. I was just riding
my vibe, but it it, you know, it's I always
felt McCarthy would be the quarterback in twenty twenty five,
so therefore never's too strong a longer shot. May it
may have been wrong, okay, but really, I mean it's
(05:40):
and I have nothing against Sam Man. I mean, Donald
was nice to me when he was here. You know,
I'll do these little drive by interviews in the locker
room after they win where I go player to player
to player to player. Sam doesn't even know me, super
cool with it. So I have nothing against Sam Darnald.
But and I was the one when the Vikings signed him,
and I knew he was going to.
Speaker 6 (06:00):
Start first game against the Giants, and.
Speaker 5 (06:03):
It never was going to be anybody else, including McCarthy.
You know, I would say, guys, I mean there's a
reason he was third overall picking the draft. His skill
set's fantastic. And if you think, if you think setting
up offense to Robbie Anderson with the Jets and tight
Endie and Thomas with Carolina, yep is what O'Connell does
here with Jefferson, Addison and Hawkinson, you're out of your mind.
(06:23):
And that went to burying its fruit. And you know,
so Sam, in a great situation, really came through. Then
we got to week eighteen in the Lions game, and
if you watch it back, I'm telling you I've said
this to you before. There were four or five opportunities
for touchdowns in a game that would have led the
Vikings to becoming the one seed that Sam just missed. Man.
(06:46):
I mean, the receivers ran the right routes, they protected
it nicely, and he blew it. He missed them. Next
week against the Rams with the nine sacks. I can't
put all that on Sam, but if you look at
the past performances, and I'm racetrack raised. So therefore we
got all all these task performances in that Lions game
and in that Rams game it didn't work. We'll just
stop it there. So now you get all these wins
(07:09):
in Seattle, which is great. It's fantastic, man, Clint Kubiak,
Andrew Jenoko, Rick Dennison, Leslie Fraser, Jeff Howard. There are
a lot of people on that staff that I've known
for a long time, and I love Andrew Jinoko, Leslie Fraser,
and Clint Kubiak. I've known him forever. I hope you
guys win at a high level, man, because we ain't
gone anywhere. So with that said, I'm pulling for you
(07:30):
from afar. Nothing against Sam, but I was watching closely
that Rams game this year because that is the most
pressure filled moment that he's faced wearing those colors and
we had the four picks. Okay, again, nothing against Sam,
but until you guys are going to the playoffs and
you might have a really good seed and you might
have a home game. So let's just get through that
(07:51):
before we fully determine what the Minnesota Vikings lost and
what the Minnesota Vikings gained.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Well, and we have to let McCarthy play this thing
out for a while. I mean, the kid is basically
a rookie, for God's sakes, in his first year in
the NFL. So I think you're right on both counts,
and you're also right about the narrative about Sam. I mean,
there's not a lot of data of big games to
go back and see how he performs. The problem is,
(08:18):
you know, we have three of them in the last
year that we can point to. Two of them against
the division arrival and one of them against the Lions.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
But that narrative is not going to go away.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
You're exactly right until the guy steps up and delivers
when the lights are the brightest.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
My question though, to you call out going.
Speaker 5 (08:36):
Let me sorry to be a human clipping penalty, but
let me lay it out like this. Say I'm the
owner of the Minnesota Vikings. Yes, and the general manager
and the head coach, and the head coach is the
coach of the year. They come to me and they
implore me to give him the deal that he got,
maybe even a little more. And McCarthy's not going to start.
(08:56):
He's going to be the guy. If I'm the owner
of the team, I look at somebody and I'm like, okay,
I'm going to sign off on this. But I also
remember week eighteen in that first playoff game, as do you.
So if that happens again, that's on you, and that's
how people get fired. Man. So plus plus they have
(09:17):
the first round pick, you know who. It's going to
take some time raising this kid and everything. So it's
a tricky talker. I understand the stance that you've taken.
I've heard it before, but my stance has to be
respected until he pushes through it. And I'll just be
straight with you, softy, I hope Sam Donald pushes through it.
(09:39):
I don't care if you guys win the Super Bowl, man,
and if Sam Donald's the super Bowl MVP, that doesn't
eed at me. Stuff like that doesn't eed a me. Okay.
I want that staff I mentioned, and for you and
for the fan base. I like the Seahawks man, I
always have. So I hope he pushes through the playoff
related pressure, yeah, and is able to do things at
(10:01):
a high level.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
Paul Allen, longtime voice of Minnesota Viking Football nine to
noon host on Kfan, the Jaggernaut, the flame Thrower in Minneapolis,
voice of Canterbury Park as well in Minnesota with us
on the radio program. But the four and seventh start
after eleven, Paul, for you guys versus nine to two
(10:23):
a year ago, is it all about Sam Darnold not
being there and all about the quarterback play? Because I'm
looking at a defense, dude. If I'm in my exhaustive
research to prepare for this conversation, I noticed that you
led the league in interceptions a year ago with twenty
four and now you've only got three after eleven games,
so what gives.
Speaker 5 (10:44):
Okay, in fairness, now you're starting the twenty two year
old quarterback and then he gets hurt, so now you
go with Wentz and then he gets hurt, and now
McCarthy's hurt again. Okay, that's a problem. Ye, that's just
a problem right there. And when macarthy gets hurt, it
keeps taking place in game for nobody exactly knows where
it is, and that kind of bugs me. Loki. Secondly,
(11:06):
before last week when the Vikings lost at Lambeau and
it was just a bad loss, man, they just didn't
look good at all, that was the first time all
year the preferred offsive line from left tackle to right
tackle had been together. Well. Of course, in the second
half the left tackle and the left guard both leave
Donovan Jackson, rookie from Ohio State and Christian Darisol one
of the best in the game. But before that they
(11:28):
had eighteen different offensive line combinations during the season. Who
in the hell is going to win consistently with that?
Now we go to the defense. I've watched the defense
all year hold this team in games to the best
of its ability. We keep getting killed in the time
of possession. Man, I mean the Packers had it like
thirty eight minutes. Man, we had it twenty two. Wow,
(11:51):
We're leaving games running forty five to forty nine plays.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
That's absurd.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
So defensively they're mostly holding it together. But from an
interception standpoint, well, just I mean we have three interceptions.
Speaker 6 (12:05):
Okay, that is so by far.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
The fewest through eleven games in the history of Minnesota
Vikings football. It's a problem. Were minus like twelve in
the take give the only team below us is the Jets.
Well that's bad for business. So you got those things.
But there have been injuries defensively too. Our two best
defensive players are Jonathan Garnard and Andrew Van Ginkle, and
(12:28):
they both have missed at least well for Gernard a
handful of games, maybe a little less. Van Ginkle missed
like a month and change. Okay, hopefully Gernard can play
this weekend. It's super super key there.
Speaker 6 (12:40):
So I just sent the defenses.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
Wearing down a little bit because the.
Speaker 6 (12:43):
Offense just like our first three.
Speaker 5 (12:46):
Possessions in the second half at lambeau Field, Man we
went three plays minus twelve. It took two minutes three
plays minus twelve yards, it went two minutes, three plays
one yard, or it went to and a half minutes.
So we've just seen a lot of that this year.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
Yeah, yeah, well, Paul Allen's with us. I think this
conversation is going great. It's the exact opposite of that
podcast that you and I did together a couple of
years ago during the crack and wild Game. Are our
bosses have both had every now and then a good
idea that was not one of them.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
And I could have been, yeah, I could have been, Okay,
put the what's the guy's name, Stephanopolis or Picadopolis.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Petros Papadocus.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
Yeah, yeah, you put us three together. And and now
see I'm not I'm not a team employee with the
Minnesota Vikings, all right, I'm a hired gun that gets
like one of the worst ten ninety nine humanity ever
can see. So therefore I'm like gray Area when it
comes to talking about gambling on podcasts or Softy Show
or my show, I'm gray Area there. But if you,
(13:51):
myself and.
Speaker 6 (13:52):
Petro ever get the opportunity, well, first.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
And foremost gambling would have to be legalized in this
in this, in this foolish state. I don't know if
it is out there or not. It is not here
and it ain't close. So if that ever happened, you,
Petros and I for iHeart spotting up on money line couts. Yeah,
let's put it this way, it wouldn't be a podcast
to which people were listening. It would be supplemental income
(14:16):
for them.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
Well as the kids like to say, we would kill
it with that podcast, no doubt, so, no cap. Let's
see maybe one day when all three of us are
looking for a little more freedom in our careers, maybe
when we're not shackled, you know, by the bonds of iHeartMedia.
Maybe one day we'll go down that road. But Paul
Allen's with us, the voice of the Viking.
Speaker 5 (14:38):
Be careful, be careful with this weekend, okay, because the
Vikings are a talented bunch. There is a different form
of pressure coming on your quarterback this weekend, given the defense,
the defensive coordinators and coordinator, and the players on the
other side. I'm not offended. The Seattle's a nine ten
point favorite. I completely undernderstand that, and I respect the season,
(15:02):
but it's just astounding to me, man that that team
is eight and three and they're minus seven and the
take gift, I can't say I've ever seen that in
my life. So you know, we have twenty one turnovers
and Seattle is twenty and the quarterback has given the
ball away fourteen times. So I just would be careful
with you know, with this whole trash talking equation here.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
Well, I don't think anybody's really talking trash.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
It's it's hard.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
It's hard to talk trash to a guy that's representing
a four and seven football team.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
I'll be totally honest with Williams.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
If this was seven and four versus eight and three,
I think we might have a little more fireworks on
the radio show. But I will tell you and you
can feel free to use this on your program out there.
But I know you've done a lot of research yourself,
so you probably already know this that Mike McDonald Paul
in a year and a half in Seattle is twelve
and two on the road. He's six and eight at
(15:55):
lumen Field. He's under five hundred at lumen Field. And
they're two things to that number one. There's gonna be
a lot of Viking fans, I'm certain in the stands
on Sunday and then number two.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
I wouldn't bet on that.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
Okay, Well, at some point we think that sixth and
eight's gonna turn around and this team is gonna start
winning games on the road. My question to you and
to wrap this up, and I'm not trying to be
a smart ass here. I know nothing about Max Brosmer.
You saw him play at Minnesota with the Gophers. Brosmer, sorry,
you saw him play while he was rowing the boat
at at at you know, Minnesota for PJ. Now he's
the number two guy behind McCarthy. Do we a Sea
(16:30):
Hawk fans, honestly, do we want to see Brosmer versus
McCarthy or do the Vikings maybe still have a better
shot of winning this thing with JJ.
Speaker 5 (16:40):
Okay, first and foremost, you're gonna need to know his
name just in case he beat you. It's Brosemer.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
I thought I said Brosmer.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
You kept saying Brosmer. Well, that's okay. Ever Brosmer a
million times?
Speaker 2 (16:53):
You know what, I'll tell you what.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
I'll tell you what if he starts, If he starts
on a Sunday afternoon, I'll have it nailed down by then.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
How's that?
Speaker 5 (16:59):
Well? The kids would say, I just don't want bros
murketching strays. So with that said, uh, I'm just gonna
I'm just gonna leave it with a couple of things
for you. Okay, A I'm guaranteeing you. They hit on
an undrafted quarterback. Okay, to what level, I don't know,
but they hit on one.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (17:20):
This kid is not afraid. He processes things very quickly.
And we saw that in the preseason and training camp
in the joints with New England, and you can't teach
coool and he has it.
Speaker 6 (17:31):
This kid is not afraid.
Speaker 5 (17:33):
And and he will give absolutely every single thing Kevin
O'Connell wants in this game. Hopefully it's good enough. I'm
starting to work on your defense today. Wow, all we
cow with all this speed?
Speaker 6 (17:45):
Wow?
Speaker 5 (17:46):
I mean there's like like the Ernie Jones bit. I
don't know if he's gonna play or not, but I
mean rieke Willan's a backup. Are you kidding me?
Speaker 6 (17:52):
I mean with Witherspoon.
Speaker 5 (17:54):
Witherspoon is so good at what he does from what
I watched this morning. So yeah, man, and DeMarcus Lauren
with the touchdown. So it's it's a tall task. That's
a reason Brosmer in the Vikings if Brosmer plays, are
ten point underdogs here, and you know what, I guess,
I guess we probably shouldn't even show up the way
you made this conversation sound until they unleash Grenard and
(18:17):
or Van Ginkel, assuming Grenard plays, and you better hide
the women and children.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
My friend Brosmer, Max Brosmer, He's.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
Might not even play, but if he does, you got
to get it right.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
He's not your Brosmer, he's your Brosmer.
Speaker 5 (18:31):
There's a and I you know, I call game for
a team that employs Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and
Jefferson has gone six games without a one hundred yard game.
I mean that's so by far the longest stretch of
his career. He's frustrated, understandably, So yeah, I can argue
Justin Jefferson, Jamar Chase. Those guys best two receivers in
the NFL, maybe for the next ten years. Jackson Smith
(18:54):
and Jigba is unfreaking believable. How he runs his routes
and that full speed thing in the shoulder shake and
the break it at the top of the route. What
a freaking handful he's become.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Nobody can stop him. It's unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (19:10):
We keep waiting for it, Paul, Honestly, every single week,
we keep waiting for someone to shove an elbow right
in his mouth. We wait for someone to put a
forearm into his chest. Press this guy, knock him off
his route, get him at a sink.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Nobody can do it. It's unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
And now he's on pace to break Calvin Johnson's record,
by the way, with like thirty five less targets than
Calvin Johnson got when he was running around playing for
the Lions. So yeah, Jsn's gonna be a problem because
he's been a problem for everybody.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
All right, you're the man. Can't wait to see you
this weekend.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Travel safe, enjoy Turkey Day Thursday, and we'll talk soon,
My man, appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
And happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. I and
we back here give thanks seriously for your friendship and
helping with the radio sh and just how seriously you
take your craft. And may God bless you and your
family and go Huskies against those ducks this weekend, and
know that matters to you. And I hope, I hope
I get a chance to see you this weekend.
Speaker 4 (20:13):
Okay, yeah, you bet, Buddy, Paul Allen. Always great to
have him on the show, Love having him on. He's
he's a great broadcaster, but he's an even better dude.
Really honestly mean that. Always fun having him on the show.
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