Some Football Thoughts

Here are some football thoughts as we enter December of the NFL season. 

1. After attending two Minnesota Vikings games in three weeks (@ Chargers and @49ers) here are some jersey observations.

@Chargers:

-there were a lot of Vikings jerseys

I’ve only been to one home Vikings game. This felt close to that. So much purple. 

-most surprising Vikings jersey-Onterrio Smith

I saw two Onterrio Smith jerseys. Couldn’t believe it. One was signed. Couldn’t believe it. 

@49ers

-no where near as much purple as Los Angeles but still strong numbers

-there were many throwback jerseys

Alan Page, Carl Eller, Fran Tarkenton, Chuck Foreman, Cris Carter, Randy Moss, John Randle

I was sporting a ‘69 Page.

-it was a little strange to see a fan wearing Page in a current jersey

-speaking of throwback jerseys, I’m surprised that I don’t see Joey Browner jerseys

2. The Vikings should’ve won both California games. 

3. After Sunday’s game, I expected to see the 49ers and the officials celebrating their win. That must’ve taken place outside the view of the general public. 

4. 49ers holding. I probably wouldn’t be thinking so much about the 49ers illegal tactics if Mike Zimmer hadn’t addressed it during his postgame press conference. I see what I think that I see. His views confirmed what I saw. The 49ers run a beautiful zone-blocking scheme. It appears that it’s beauty is dependent on dirty deeds. Holding. Loads of it. They get called for it on occasion but not nearly enough to stop. More often, they’re celebrating in the end zone. As long as the rewards outweigh the penalties the 49ers will keep holding. At the risk of fines from the league, Zimmer voiced his frustrations with the 49ers tactics and the officials unwillingness to control it. 49ers tight end George Kittle bitched about Zimmer’s bitching. He said that the Vikings should just shut up and make plays. Get this George, it’s difficult for the defense to make plays when you’re illegally preventing them from doing so. Deebo Samuel’s 20-yard touchdown run got the 49ers on the scoreboard. On the play, Kyle Juszczyk had a solid hold on Anthony Barr in the backfield. That was Hold #1. Eric Kendricks was in pursuit of Samuel. Somehow, Kittle erased Kendricks from the play. It was a physical impossibility and minor miracle that Kittle managed to block Kendricks while trailing him. That was Hold #2. Zimmer’s right. The 49ers are going to keep holding as long as the officials allow it. It’s been said that holding can be called on every play. For most teams, it’s legal blocks getting a little sticky. For the 49ers, holding is actually part of their blocking scheme.

5. The Vikings need to go on a run. I’ve been saying and thinking that for about a month. They’ve been so close to winning each of the games that they’ve lost. They’ve had leads of at least seven points in every game. Every damn game. They keep doing something to flip winnable games to losses. Stop! Stop doing that! Go on a run! Hit the playoffs with a winning stride. 

6. Mike Zimmer doesn’t enjoy talking to the media in general. I don’t blame him. He really doesn’t like talking about injuries. I hope that he’s right about Dalvin Cook’s shoulder injury. I’ll put more weight on practice participation than Zimmer’s optimistic words. 

7. It’s silly to put too much thought on an in-season draft order with six games still to play. So much can change. Still, it’s interesting to see this.

Current draft order:

4. New York Jets

5. New York Jets

6. New York Giants

7. New York Giants

8. Philadelphia Eagles

9. Philadelphia Eagles

There’s still six games to play but it looks like much of the action of the top of the draft will involve those three teams. 

8. Speaking of the draft, the Athletic’s Dane Brugler released his way-too-early mock draft. Any mock draft before the draft order is set is way too early. I like Brugler’s draft takes, analysis, and mocks. I also like his way-too-early mocks. Here are a few thoughts on his too-early mock.

-his draft starts in the trenches

1. Detroit Lions-Aidan Hutchinson, Edge, Michigan

2. Houston Texans-Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge, Oregon

3. Jacksonville Jaguars-Evan Neal, OT, Alabama

5. New York Jets-Ikem Ekwonu, OT, North Carolina State

-after a couple drafts topped by talented pass catchers, Brugler’s first receiver is off the board at #13

13. New Orleans Saints-Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State

The next receiver doesn’t drop until #23

-the first quarterback appears at #10. Brugler has three first-round quarterbacks.

-Brugler has the Vikings selecting Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. at #12.

12! I can see the Vikings drafting a cornerback in the first round but at 12? They’ll be drafting much lower than that. 

9. 79 NFL players tested positive for COVID in November. That’s a ridiculous number. There have been more positive tests this year with a vaccine than last year without a vaccine. That’s ridiculous. I wonder how many fewer positive tests there’d be if all players were vaccinated. The stubborn selfishness of some people is stunning. This is a societal epidemic. The decision to not get vaccinated isn’t just a personal decision. It’s a decision that impacts everyone. The virus is dependent on a line of acceptable hosts. Why willingly make that line longer. People are choosing to make things easier for the virus. We’re never going to get to the other side of this shit if so many are choosing to make it more difficult to get there. When it comes to the NFL, at least the positive tests this year haven’t been as disruptive as the positive tests last year. I suppose that’s due to a year of experience and the protocols in place. But players are still missing games. Many of those wouldn’t miss games and wouldn’t impact the lives of others if they’d gotten vaccinated. 

10. Leave it to St. Paul Pioneer Press slappy Chris Tomasson to stir up shit between Adrian Peterson’s family and the Vikings. After the Seattle Seahawks signed Peterson this week to their practice squad, shit-stirrer Tomasson reached out to Peterson’s father Nelson. Instead of covering actual football in Minnesota, Tomasson wanted to get senior Peterson’s thoughts on the Vikings not signing his son. For those that might care and hadn’t heard, Nelson wasn’t happy about it. If this was terrific and necessary reporting, why didn’t Tomasson hassle the Peterson family the first time Dalvin Cook was injured this season? Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said that the signing of Peterson was a win-now move. Unlike the Seahawks, the Vikings actually are in a win-now situation. Signing 36-year old Peterson now wouldn’t improve that situation. Alexander Mattison is a capable replacement back for Cook. He already has two 100-yard games this season. Adding Peterson in Week 13 would hinder more than help. Unlike most of the other Vikings beat-writers, I’ve never learned a single thing about football from Tomasson. I doubt that he knows the difference between a hitch and a zone blitz. He’s more investigative journalist than football writer. He’s a grinder and would probably find more satisfying employment at a gossip rag. 

11. Some college football. Coaches bolting from programs for other programs during the season is horseshit. A lot of people and all of the players have been busting their ass from months to years to get to and through this season. Then they have their coach bolt for money before it’s done. Nice. The next job is more important than the current job. There’s got to be a better way.