Vikings-Rams

The NFL wants offensive football. The NFL got offensive football last night from the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings. The Rams scored more. 38-31. It wasn't really so much the total points but the ease with which both teams put up those points. Neither defense really got in the way of either offense. I guess the NFL got what they wanted. If I wasn't so invested in the game as a Vikings fan maybe I would've enjoyed the offensive fireworks more. Personally, I'd rather it not be so damn easy for offenses.

The quarterback numbers:
Jared Goff: 26/33, 465 yards, 5 TDs, 158.3 passer rating
Goff averaged a ridiculous 14.1 yards for each of his 33 throws

Kirk Cousins: 36/50, 422 yards, 3 TDs, 117.3 passer rating
Cousins averaged a respectable 8.4 yards for each of his throws

The passing performance of each quarterback was terrific. The above numbers show that the scoring was a little easier for Goff and the Rams.

Most talking heads had taken to writing Goff off as a bust after his shaky 2016 rookie season. Those same talking heads were surprised when he rebounded beautifully last season. Most attributed his success last season to the arrival of Sean McVay as the Rams head coach. There's no doubt that it's a wonderful quarterback-coach pairing but anyone that's the least bit surprised at the way that Goff has played the last 21 games didn't watch him play at Cal for three seasons.

At this point in the 2018 NFL season it's fairly safe to say that the Vikings are an offensive football team. They've been known as a defensive football pretty much since the moment Mike Zimmer was hired as the head coach in 2014. The Vikings defense was the best in the league last season. They haven't looked like the best in the league this season. Last night they weren't even close. Granted, the Rams offense is probably the best in the league. They are loaded with talent and McVay is a brilliant playcaller. They added receiver Brandin Cooks in the offseason but it's still basically the same offense that the Vikings defense held to a single touchdown last season. Right now, the Vikings defense is reeling. They started the season in fine fashion against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1. They actually did ok against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2. The Packers offense only scored one touchdown but they kicked five field goals. Last Sunday, the Vikings defense struggled against a modest, at best, Buffalo Bills offense led by rookie quarterback Josh Allen. Last night, they were barely an obstacle for Goff and his little friends. It's tough to determine the source of the Vikings defensive difficulties. They certainly miss the pass rushing presence of defensive end Everson Griffen. On three of Goff's touchdown throws linebacker Anthony Barr was trailing the play in coverage. On the first touchdown he was trailing Todd Gurley. The Rams were in the red zone and Goff threw a nice pass over Barr's coverage. The other two touchdowns were deep throws to Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. I can't think of a single reason why Barr would be covering receivers down the field. That's a mismatch from the moment that the ball is snapped. It's no wonder that Goff passed for 465 yards and five touchdowns. Whatever is troubling the Vikings defense they now have 10 days to work on it. In 10 days they travel to Philadelphia to play the Eagles team that took them apart in the NFC Championship game last January.

Despite the offensive successes of both teams the game was ultimately decided by a couple defensive plays. Unfortunately, it was the Rams that made them. The Vikings had the ball, down by a touchdown, with just over two minutes to play. They had an opportunity to tie the score. The Rams defense led by Aaron Donald put a stop to that. The only turnover of the game came on the Vikings final offensive play.

The NFL didn't do the Vikings any favors with the scheduling of this game and they did a whole lot of favors for the Rams. It's been my understanding that these Thursday night games are scheduled so that the traveling team doesn't have to travel too far. Due to a long run of horrific games played on three days rest the league decided to throw the traveling team a bone. The traveling team is supposed to play in their own time zone. Or close to it. So I thought. The league sent the Vikings half way across the country. Not only that, they sent the Vikings half way across the country to play a Rams team that hasn't had to travel since Week 1. Also, this is Mike Zimmer's fifth season as the Vikings head coach. He has yet to coach a Thursday night home game. For five years the Vikings have traveled to their Thursday game.

The loss to the Rams drops the Vikings to 1-2-1. They were 2-2 at this point last season. The Vikings didn't lose their third game last season until Week 14. Maybe they can go on a similar run this season. To do that they have to play better. The offensive line needs to improve. The Rams game was the first game with all five starting linemen on the field. That's a step in the right direction. They need to get Dalvin Cook and the running game going. Cook still doesn't look right. Maybe the ten days off will get him right. The passing game is starting to click. If the running game can compliment the passing game well the Vikings offense will be tough to stop. They were tough to stop last night and they were very much one-dimensional. But, it's the defense that really needs to get it together. That's a stunning development. The talent is there for the defense to be as strong as it's ever been. The players just don't seem to be on the same page. I think that the retirement of cornerback Terence Newman is a big reason for that. He's now a Vikings coach but his guidance and calming presence is missed on the field. He played for Zimmer in Dallas, Cincinnati, and Minnesota. He knows the defense as well as anyone. Player or coach. When he was on the field the entire defense always appeared to be on the same page. Now that he's on the sideline there appears to be uncertainty. That was especially true last night against an offense designed to create uncertainty. As difficult as it was to play this game on three days rest, one practice, and a walk-through the Vikings now have ten days off. It's time for them to go on another run and it starts in Philadelphia.