The Minnesota Vikings held on to defeat the Seattle Seahawks 18-11 in the second preseason game for both teams. The game didn't carry anything near the importance of the frigid game that these two teams played in January. It's only a preseason game but a win is always nice. It's fun to beat the Seahawks. And it's really great to see Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll sad. That gum-chomping little elf can be so annoying.
Leave it to the Vikings beat writers to fixate on something other than the game. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was a surprise scratch right before the game. Backup Shaun Hill got the start. Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer simply said that it was a coach's decision. Fine. It's a preseason game. Who really cares? I was looking forward to seeing Bridgewater face the Seahawks defense but the coach makes those decisions. If Zimmer wants to check out his backup quarterback in preseason game #2 why does anyone need to hassle him about it. He was asked about it before the game, at halftime, and repeatedly after the game. How many times does a coach have to say that it was simply his decision? By the postgame press conference Zimmer was clearly agitated by the questions about his decision. It was revealed yesterday that Bridgewater had a sore shoulder. It wouldn't have kept him out of a regular season game but it was enough to keep him out of a preseason game. It was a coach's decision. A decision made just before the start of the game. Just like the coach said. And he had to say it about a dozen more times than he should. Beat writers always claim that they are simply doing their jobs. That they are asking the questions that the fans want answered. Well, the Minneapolis Star Tribune is running the following poll on the matter.
Are you satisfied with Mike Zimmer's answer about why Teddy Bridgewater didn't play?
As of last night:
Yes: 68%
No: 32%
That's pretty decisive. In this case, the reporters aren't just doing their jobs. They aren't asking the questions that the fans want answered. They are just pissing off the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. I was more concerned about cornerback Xavier Rhodes hamstring injury. That's the question that this fan wanted asked. Enough of this. A preseason game was actually played Thursday night.
The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Seattle Seahawks 18-11.
Just like that frigid playoff game in January, this was a defensive battle. Neither offense could do much. At least in the first half while most of the starters were on the field. The game was scoreless until Shaun Hill led a couple of scoring drives in the final 6:30 of the second quarter. An 8-play, 77-yard touchdown drive and a 9-play, 69-yard field goal drive in the final minute. Vikings led 11-0 at the half.
The Seahawks didn't score until the fourth quarter. Their 11 points in the final quarter tied the score. Vikings cornerback Marcus Sherels returned an interception 53 yards for a touchdown with just over a minute to play for the deciding points. It felt like that play should have been the end of it but it wasn't. Thanks mostly to a 51-yard pass interference penalty, theVikings defense was forced to make some game-saving plays in the final seconds to preserve the win.
The Vikings defense was mostly great in the first half. The starters held the Seahawks offensive starters scoreless. They gave up a few too many rushing yards but the pass rush had Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson on his heels or on his back throughout his time in the game. He only completed 5 of 11 passes for 77 yards and was sacked four times. Seahawks backup quarterback Trevone Boykin had some success against the Vikings backups. The Seahawks runners were successful, too successful, throughout the game. It didn't matter who was carrying the ball. Each Seahawks ball-carrier found running room nearly every time they carried the ball. That can't continue.
The Vikings offense was able to pass the football far more effectively than they were able to run it. To be more precise, they couldn't run the ball at all but Shaun Hill had a nice game passing. 10 of 17 for 129 yards. The Vikings backup quarterback took advantage of his surprise start. He floated a couple passes but he had nice touch on a few more.
Improving the offensive line was offseason priority #1 for the Vikings. The pass protection was much improved on Thursday. Hill had time to throw as did third-stringer Joel Stave in the second half. The Seahawks managed a single sack. The run blocking is another story. It has to improve.
This game was televised live on NFL Network. Those that watched the game were treated to some of the most biased announcing that I've ever heard. Former Seahawks quarterback Brock Huard and Curt Menefee were the incredibly biased announcing team. It was really difficult to listen to them. They cover Seahawks preseason games. That's what they do this time of the year. I've heard a lot of local teams cover a lot of games. They all favor the home team but I've never heard a more one-sided broadcast. One would think that they'd tone it down for a game that is being nationally televised. They spent damn near an entire minute raving about a hit put on Shaun Hill by a Seahawks defender. It was a play in which Hill completed an 18-yard pass. It wasn't even a successful play by the defense yet Huard and Menefee spoke of this defensive player, a player that had arrived at the quarterback a tick too late, as if he'd saved the world. At one point they threw it down to fellow Seahawks-honk David Wyman on the sideline for some football wisdom. Wyman spoke of the Seattle offensive and defensive lines mauling Minnesota's respective lines. I don't think that giving up eight sacks a mauling by the Seahawks offensive line. Who would?
The Vikings next preseason game will be against the San Diego Chargers on August 28. This will be their first game in Minnesota's spiffy, new US Bank Stadium.
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