Week 3 Thoughts

The Minnesota Vikings start the 2013 NFL season 0-3 with a 31-27 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Are you kidding me? The Browns?

Perhaps the best play of the game for the Browns was the play when Vikings cornerback Chris Cook pulled a groin. Or, some injury like that. I didn't even see it happen. Didn't even know that it happened until backup AJ Jefferson was brutalized in something not even close to coverage on Josh Gordon's 47-yard touchdown to start the Browns scoring. All of a sudden Cook was on a stationary bike instead of the football field. Cook has shown some nice potential when he's on the field. He isn't on the field enough. Gordon had a huge game with 10 catches for 146 yards and the long touchdown. He took apart most every Vikings corner put in front of him. Marcus Sherels made some plays on him in the second half but not enough. Sherels did an admirable job. The 5'10" 175 lb Sherels was at a distinct disadvantage against the 6'3" 225 lb Gordon.

With starting quarterback Brandon Weeden out with a thumb injury and the much discussed trade of running back Trent Richardson, the Browns came into Minnesota with nothing to lose. They played like it too. They ran a successful fake punt in the first quarter. That led to a their second touchdown and the lead, 14-7. They scored a touchdown on a fake field goal that put the Browns ahead 24-14. That one was probably the worst. Tight end Jordan Cameron was split wide. No Vikings player was near him. It was fairly obvious that the Browns had something in the works. The Vikings should have called a timeout as soon as Jordan lined up all by his lonesome.

The Vikings would be in much better shape if they can figure out how to handle tight ends. Chicago Bears tight end Martellus Bennett had his way with the defense last week. He scored two touchdowns including the winner with 10 seconds to play. Cameron scored three touchdowns including the winner with 51 seconds to play.

Like last week against the Bears, the Vikings defense had some breakdowns in the first half and then turned it around in the second half. Like last week, the Vikings defense dominated the second half and then broke down on the final, game-winning drive. The Vikings prevent defense hasn't prevented anything in the final minute of the last two games.

The Vikings third loss wasn't solely on the defense breaking down in the final minutes. The offense shouldn't have let it come to that. Quarterback Christian Ponder played a gritty game. He scored two touchdowns on the ground. He converted a couple of key first downs with his feet. His one interception was on a tipped pass but a better throw wouldn't have been tipped. His receiver was open. He has to make that throw. He had to make a third down throw late in the game that might have allowed the Vikings to run out the clock. He has to make those throws. He didn't. Like last week, I think that Ponder still played well enough to win. But, three and outs have to be avoided. The Vikings had six, if I counted correctly. Their opening drive was a beauty. 80 yards in 11 plays. Adrian Peterson with a 2-yard touchdown. Then two three and outs. Then, another beautiful touchdown drive. 80 yards in 9 plays. Then a bunch of flopping around. The defense got the ball back to the offense four times. The offense gave it right back a couple of times.

The Vikings three first round draft picks defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, corner Xavier Rhodes, and receiver Cordarrelle Patterson are progressing nicely. All three made plays yesterday. Floyd tipped the pass that became an Erin Henderson interception. Rhodes is getting better every game. Even if Chris Cook is on the field, Rhodes might already be the Vikings best corner. Patterson made two terrific catches yesterday for 49 yards. One for 37 yards. It was nice to see him on the field more but he has to get the ball more than twice through the air.

Overall, the defense played well enough to win. It should never have come down to that final drive of the Browns. Ponder played well enough to win. If the quarterback plays well enough to win and the defense plays well enough to win, you can usually expect a win. It's the second week in a row that the Vikings had a game that was theirs to win and they didn't win.

The top teams are able to win games despite some stumbles. The Vikings, clearly, aren't one of those teams. They have so much that they need to tighten up. I would start with the offensive line. Ponder has to get rid of the ball quicker but the line isn't doing him any favors. I feel like he's getting more comfortable. I feel like he's getting more confident. He's better at stepping up in the pocket. The line is allowing too many defenders to meet Peterson in the backfield. The Browns have an excellent defense. The Vikings offensive line had a tough task but I'd say the Browns defense controlled the line of scrimmage too much of the game. That can't happen.

I'm one of the few Vikings fans that believes that Ponder is slowly creeping in the right direction. He has to speed up that process.

The Vikings-Browns game was officiated by Bill Leavy's crew. They should not be allowed on another NFL football field. This was the crew that failed to know the rule book in the Green Bay Packers-San Francisco 49ers game on opening weekend. They failed in their knowledge of the rule book again yesterday. In the second quarter, Vikings linebacker Larry Dean recovered a muff of a punt by Browns returner Travis Benjamin. Dean returned it for a touchdown. You can return a fumble of a punt return. You can't return a muff of a punt. It was ruled Vikings ball at the spot of the recovery. Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier thought that Benjamin had the ball long enough for the loss of possession to be considered a fumble rather than a muff. He challenged the call on the field. Since it was a change of possession, the play was going to be reviewed anyway. So, Frazier wasn't allowed to challenge the call. So, it was a penalty. This penalty was changed during this past offseason so the new rule should have been fresh in the mind of Leavy. Apparently that freshness was missed on Leavy. The new rule calls for the offending team to lose a timeout. The old rule called for a 15-yard penalty. Leavy chose the old rule. The Vikings were left with a 1st and 25 from the Browns 41-yard line and three timeouts with over two minute to play in the first half. It should have been 1st and 10 from the Browns 26-yard line and two timeouts. This is a pretty significant blunder. The Vikings gained about 16 yards before Blair Walsh converted a 43-yard field goal. Officials blowing a judgement call is one thing. Officials not knowing the rule book is something else entirely. It should never happen. Leavy and his crew should be gone.

The Vikings face the Pittsburgh Steelers next week in a home game far from home in London.

What happened to the New York Giants? They lose to the Carolina Panthers 38-0. Now, 0-3. Wow.

I really liked Jake Locker as a quarterback for the Vikings in the 2011 NFL Draft. He was a game-changing football player for the University of Washington. The Tennessee Titans selected Locker a few picks before the Vikings selected Ponder. I think that both quarterbacks will have nice NFL careers. Locker might have had his coming out moment yesterday. He brings his team back against a San Diego Chargers that's been doing a lot of things right. Locker hits rookie receiver Justin Hunter with a game-winning 34-yard touchdown. It completed a 10 play 94-yard drive. Nice.

The sloppy play of the Green Bay Packers-Cincinnati Bengals game surprised me more than the 34-30 Bengals win. I expected a score like that. I didn't expect eight combined turnovers. Each team with four.

The Vikings at 0-3 looks a little better next to the Packers 1-2.

Trent Richardson's first carry with the Indianapolis Colts was a 1-yard touchdown run. Good start.

1-2 is a surprising start for the San Francisco 49ers. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been in a two week funk. He has to shake it off. Now, they might be without pass rusher Aldon Smith for his off-field stunts. The 49ers have too much talent for this to last but they can't fall too far behind the Seattle Seahawks.

The Atlanta Falcons loss to the Miami Dolphins, like the Packers loss to the Bengals, shouldn't be a surprise. The Falcons defense has a bunch of injuries. The Dolphins are progressing nicely. They're a good team.

The Vikings head to London today. This could be a good time for Christian Ponder to get out of the country.