The shit show that is the 2020 NFL season is now underway. Super Bowl LIV champions Kansas City Chiefs kicked off the season with a win against the Houston Texans on Thursday night 34-20 — which featured a small amount of fans booing the players.
Just in time for week 1, the Minnesota Vikings have signed a $63 million five-year contract extension($28 million of which will be guaranteed) with RB workhorse Dalvin Cook — who, at that price, better stay as healthy as possible. Of course, historically, Cook is not known for his ability to remain healthy. The extension continues the Vikings’ storied tradition of overpaying for slightly above average players. There’s still one thing millions will never buy the Vikings: a decent fanbase.
Speaking of fans, there will not be any at US Bank Stadium today as a precaution against COVID-19. This begs the question: will that annoying fucking horn still be blown? My guess: yes, yes it will.
Offensively, it will be interesting to see how the Packers’ new and improved receiving corps perform against a Vikings secondary in which the oldest cornerback is only 23 years old. WR Davante Adams is likely to give the Vikings secondary a very bad day.
As for Dalvin Cook, he is going up against a Packers run defense that was humiliated last season in the NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49ers. Cook also managed 191 yards from scrimmage the last time the Packers and Vikings met — however, the Packers managed to win both meetings last season.
Game Info:
When: 12:00pm – Central time
Where: US Bank Stadium – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Television: NFL on Fox
Radio: WTMJ – Newsradio 620
Commentary: Chris Myers, Greg Jennings, Brock Huard, and Jen Hale
Odds per Sportsline:
Vikings vs. Packers spread: Vikings -2.5
Vikings vs. Packers over-under: 44.5 points
Vikings vs. Packers money line: Minnesota -140, Green Bay +120
Well fuck me Jen Hale!
“……which featured a small amount of fans booing the players.”
Well, it was a small group in attendance.
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The announcers and players were throwing shade at those fans booing as people who were against their cause. One player stating “All those fans” as if he talked to them all and knew their intentions.
“All those fans”….pay for your bloated salary asshole.
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How the fuck do they know if the fans are against the cause or not? Do they know what everyone else is thinking at a given moment?
No, they don’t…..that is why it’s fucking ignorant to say that.
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“They are against us!!…waa waa waa”. Maybe the players think…your time….is their time.
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Maybe…just maybe…they are booing because they paid for, and came to watch a football game..where kickoff was delayed for 15 minutes. It’s a possibility amirite?
I don’t claim to know what the fans are thinking, i’m not as smart as the announcers or the players.
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In other great news……
Covid update…….5,000 people around the league concerning players, coaches, and personnel were tested for Covid yesterday.
Zero…zero…tested positive.
I just read the rest of the article….then i saw this nugget.
“Offensively, it will be interesting to see how the Packers’ new and improved receiving corps perform.
I agree with all of it except for….the new and improved part.
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But listen…i’m just funnin with ya. Thanks for the JIT Packer/Viking article
No question the Packer run defense struggled last year, and then were embarrassed by the 49ers. The Packers made one addition this off season that I think will help the run defense, and that addition was not a player.
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The Vikings have usually had a very good tackling and run support DBs. I think the Packers picking up Jerry Gray as a DB coach Should help The Packers run defense.
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I don’t think Gray is going to tolerate the DBs not being aggressively involved in run support, or recognizing run plays and getting off blocks and out of pass coverage. For the most part only Alexander and Amos were enthusiastic in run support. I anticipate that will change this year or else DBs will be sitting on the bench. Gray has probably spent considerable time teaching the DBs how to recognize run plays, disengage from pass coverage and blocks, and Aggressively support the run defense.
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No question the Packers interior lineman except Clark need to perform better against the run, and that includes the OLBs. Seeing that whole group being sealed and washed out Repeatedly during the entire 49ers game was embarrassing.
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I expect Gray will make the Packers DBs better as a group in both Pass and run defense. In fact Gray may also have some good information about the Vikings defensive Player and system weaknesses and how to attack those weaknesses. The same goes for the offensive skill players for the Vikings.
Halftime thoughts;
-Kirk Cousins isn’t worth a shit.
-Jaire is playing lights out
-Hope Kenny is Ok
-Rodgers is looking like his old self
-Great to see MVS hitting some stride
-Surprised how much Josiah D is playing
-Davante is so goddamn good
Keep the foot on the gas!
Like i’ve been trying to tell you people for months and months. This Packer team is the real deal!!
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Ive been saying since last year this team has players. The idea this team is void of talent is ridiculous. This is a Super Bowl team.
Credit when due……
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Props to linebacker Krys Barnes. An UDFA signed at the end of April, then cut going down to 53. Was brought up yesterday off the practice squad.
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Was 2nd on the team with 7 tackles, 5 solo and 2 TFL.
Some players wait to get noticed, some others don’t want to wait that long….Nice game kid!!
The Lions…Lioned. Then the Bears tried to Bear. Then the Lions Lioned again with a drop. Those teams are a disgrace.
LOL epic!
Best stat of the day. 1 punt.
I might have one better, but 1 punt is pretty damn impressive.
How about…Time of possession?
Packers…41:16
Queens….18:44
Two things that I noticed today that stood out more than anything else. One most of us knew was going to happen; and that was Rodgers would now have a new chip on his shoulder, and that usually pays dividends for Packer fans. It definitely showed up big today. He played very good all day! Crisp throws, in-stride with longer routes and pin-point accuracy. And this, all in the first game of the season? without any pre-season “shake off the cobwebs” games played? Lesson for anyone saying or doing something disparaging to Rodgers; he will make a statement. And that statement usually lasts throughout the season.
The second thing that I noticed was that Gutekunst’s LACK of good player acquisition during the off-season for our defense DID SHOW UP. Especially after Clark went down, The middle cannot contain, nor can the edges contain. They need help in the middle PERIOD!
I also believe that the first 3 to 4 games are always tougher for the defensive side of the ball. So many unscouted looks, etc. So i will give them a small break by not saying that they shit the bed . . . But that clusterfuck at the end of the first half was ridiculous! No way should the Vikings have scored before halftime! Unbelievable!
All in all, I was very surprised that they held up with the 3 major injuries (Clark, Patrick, Taylor) Runyan looked good as a replacement, while the defensive players did basically nothing to offset the loss of Clark! That was why Gutekunst NEEDED to plug the middle with a stud ILB and acquire another backup road-grater to compensate for Adams being injured. They had 3 on the PS, they probably should have considered signing one of them to the roster last week. Game time management was in the toilet . . . But it was the first game. Crisp stunts on both sides of the ball. Lazard looked very good, as did MVS (sans drops of course). Adams was a friggin’ stud. The Rb’s all seemed to have good moments! And Ervin continues to impress in limited time on the offense! Very happy with the outcome! Other than the fact that every time that the Pack pulled ahead, the Defense allowed the Vikings to get right back into it.
The loss of Clark is huge if it is more than a week or two! They WILL HAVE to go out and find someone ASAP to compensate. Or this could be a disappointing season because of it. Clark IS that important to the Defensive unit. He is a serious difference maker without question! Still not sold on R. Gary. He still seems out of sorts. I do Like the new LB Barnes, he seems to have an awareness most do not have. We’ll see how that plays out. A very good win for the Pack! I will gladly eat crow about my assessment of this teams player procurement and the possible negative impact that I believed this would have on the season if this keeps up! Go Pack Go!
Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t Kamal Martin looking really good before he was injured? Unfortunately, no NFL team has crazy depth at every position, and there will always be weaknesses. It is up to coaching to scheme their way to help cover weaknesses as much as possible without compromising other parts of the unit too much.
Kamal Martin looking good? Where?…when? In the team photo? In camp?
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Lets get Martin in an actual NFL game before we start talking about how good he looks.
Kato! Where in the hell has he been?
Where in the hell have you been?
As long as they can score 35 plus points every game this team can go undefeated and win the Super Bowl! Defense is still complete shit and is going to get their ass handed to them on a weekly basis. But it might not matter if they can keep the ball as much as they did today.
Yep!
Yawn. Look its great we kicked the Viqueens ass. Screw them. Rodgers looked good and would have no matter who we played, he was dialed in. But come on guys, could you name 3/4 of the Vikings defensive players? They didnt have 3 of their pro bowlers out there. Seriously I thought it was the 4th Q of a preseason game when the Vikings trotted out their defense for the Packers first drive. Lets not over due the excitement. The Packers couldnt run the ball against a team that had a no name defensive line. Now we are down 2 lineman. You arent gonna pass like that against good defenses, especially when there is no threat to run.
Yep, Rebel’s right…perspective…enjoy it, revel in it. Vikings were in a weakened state in pass rushing, and pass defense. D. Adams said he made the call on Friday that the offense was gonna roll.
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Like i said…one week at a time.
I do have to say after re-watching the highlights, I think we actually could have ran more and been successful. I think the passing was so damned easy we just didnt bother. Also the defense seemed to go into ULTRA prevent. Like a whole new level of prevent by the end of the 3rd quarter. I do wonder if that was in an attempt to prevent anymore injuries?
Ive been a critic of Aaron the last couple of years, i mean not stupid critic like some ass hats on here saying he should be benched, but pretty tough on him. That game yesterday was sick. He made some throws that holy shit….
MVS was promising except the two drops. Comon man. Gotta catch the damn ball. Rodgers played well, no doubt new motivation. The defense is still bothering me. No killer instinct and allowed the Vikings to claw back into it. Why is it this defense never has a killer instinct and goes for the throat?
I remember when I (all of us) wanted them to cut Adams over drops. Maybe MVS will be OK.
I wasn’t in that camp of wanting Adams cut. I said at the time the coaches see something in him that gave him extra time, so you have to trust them.
That something was superior route running.
MVS and Adams are kind of opposite receivers, but both shared the flaw of the drops. What MVS lacks in Adams route running, he’s trying to make up for in speed.
If MVS can get a handle on his drops, he can be the next Mike Wallace, but better, i believe.
Lets put things in perspective…it’s one game, 1/16th of the season is officially over.
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I try to look at things in perspective, with reasoning in judgement, as did some very astute fans who brought up very valid perspectives going into this game that i will mention later. But one game doesn’t give you a ticket to the Super Bowl. Hell yes enjoy it, but like last season, it’s one game at a time. We are tied for 1st place in the NFC North.
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Hell yea……I loved watching this game. I loved watching Adams own the day with 156 yards and two TD’s, I loved watching MVS come alive with a TD grab and almost 100 yards. I even liked that Rashan Gary had a better day than Preston Smith (did Preston play?) I loved that our running game by committee was good enough to get the job done and move the chains. I loved watching Rodgers being Rodgers, especially after watching the dink and dunk show in the first quarter.
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Now…not every team will offer up what the vikings did….as JP correctly pointed out pre-game. They have very inexperienced corners. Also he nailed it about Adams.
Someone mentioned that Hunter being out was going to be a blessing (so to speak). That proved absolutely true. I wrongly thought that Ngakoue would pick up some of that slack, but he was almost non existent with a stat line full of zero’s except for a QB hit.
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What to make of MVS. He could have had a career game for the ages. Still respectable with 96 yards and a TD…BUT…..i could have looked past one drop…but not two. MVS did what he’s supposed to do, be mainly a deep threat., stretch the field, and he did, averaging 24 YPC and a TD…outstanding. But son….ya gotta stop droppin dimes.
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The defense i was high on, i was excited for them, pumped up… until they let Cousins look like a good QB. Being short, i know that, here and there Alexander is going to get beat. A couple inches taller and that Theilen 4th quarter TD pass possibly doesn’t happen, he doesn’t have the length…his one downfall.
Kato has it right…. who gives up 24 points, just in the 4th quarter? Does that give anyone confidence if they were going into a playoff or Championship game?
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At the end of the day it was a great win. i’m going to enjoy it as much as i’m going to enjoy going a week in here with no fans saying Rodgers has lost it, or he’s too old, or he didn’t see all the open receivers, or their cat ran away from home. Jordan Love had a great seat today, watching how one of the great ones does it.
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Hopefully we’ll see more of the same against Detroit in week 2. Week 3 i’m sure i’ll have other concerns.
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GO PACK GO!!
Nice to see Rodgers take check downs, it made a huge difference.
After Kenny Clark went out, Z Smith was moved inside and Rashan Gary played OLB. Gary did nothing but look lost, but then again Smith didn’t do anything at that point either. MVS had 96 yards receiving, would have been 196 had he not had those drops. Lazard is a legit number 2 receiver. Dillion had two strong runs, and almost broke one. It appeared the Vikings game plan was to stop Aaron Jones and Rodgers took easy advantage of it. The tight ends only caught one pass.
Deguara had a case of the 2019 MVS virus. On one route, 3/4’s of the way out, Deguara slowed up, Rodgers threw it where it was supposed to go, down the left sideline eliminating a big gain or even 6.
The good news is it’s correctable.
Ah I was just about to ask about the TEs after working my way through the comments. Couldn’t watch the game and have only seen a couple of highlights on RedZone – I take it they were largely anonymous/unused in passing game?
Packers liked the match-ups with our receivers versus young viking corner-backs. Vikings have the safeties and LBs to take out TEs so why bother. Seems like a perfect game plan to me.
Loved to see the old Rogers albeit not for that time out thing. All the rest is said. I mean how long is it already we are beaten with the the run over and over? At 7:18 has Mark Zimmer parkinson’s desease? I didn’t understand that neck gaiters because wearing a neck gaiter may be worse than no mask at all, researchers find : https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/mask-test-duke-covid/2020/08/10/4f2bb888-db18-11ea-b205-ff838e15a9a6_story.html
I meant at 7: 59 to go.
Was checking the score and saw the skins are now calling themselves Washington Football Team. Shouldn’t we change our name? I mean Marsians might get offended with that green.
Oh, another thing. Rodgers ability to draw guys off sides, even when they prepare for it, even in their own stadium, is huge. This is almost the equivalent of having home field advantage every week.
Lots of positives..mwe can go elsewhere on the web if we want to drink Kool aid. We’re about accountability are we not?
The vikings shredded the packers ala the 49ers on their first drive via the run…so what did they do??? Start passing the ball. Oir run defense is still a big issue.
Secondly…did rashan Gary play?
Yeah he did, 2 QB hits and a few nice tackles actually (at least one I remember). I don’t blame Gary for the Packers drafting him so high and then burying him behind 2 quality starters. We’ll probably see more of him if in faux 4-3 looks if Clark is out for a bit, which I hope he’s not.
I think Gary took some of P. Smith’s snaps, but i’d have to look it up. Gary was in very early, way before Perry got hurt.
* before Clark got hurt
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