Official Game Day Thread - MIN @ ARZ September 19, 2021
Sept 13, 2021 3:48:52 GMT -7
FLCardinalFan, thomas cat, and 4 more like this
Post by End Zone on Sept 13, 2021 3:48:52 GMT -7
MIN @ ARZ GDT September 19, 2021
Hello and welcome to the Forum’s 2nd Arizona Cardinals Game Day Thread (GDT).
Who doesn't feel just a little bit giddy about last weekend’s game when the Arizona Cardinals (1-0) opened the 2021 season on the road at the tough Tennessee Titans house? That Cardinals victory was a statement win against an NFL Top 10 defensive and offensive team. A word of caution is appropriate here -- always remember that the first game or two of the year do not define a team's entire season; that goes for the Cardinals as well as the Titans. Remember the 2020 season? Uh-huh, well, I do. A 2-0 start quickly became a 2-2 start because the team was not fully functioning. "TEAM" is always a work in progress for the Cardinals. As noted by all the penalties in the 1st quarter of last weekend’s game, much Cardinals coaching and player headwork remains to be done to figure out actual teamwork on the field. The 1st quarter penalties, I attribute to hyper-aggressiveness and first-game nerves, almost caused the Cardinals win to be aborted in the cradle. Fortunately, the O/D/ST got rolling and the rest is history. Now, let's turn the page on game 1.
On September 19th, the Cardinals open their house to the Minnesota Vikings (0-1) from the NFC North Division. The two teams have met each other 28 times, including twice in the post-season, with the Vikings winning 17 games and the Cardinals winning 11 games. There are no tie games; the Vikings won 2 O/T games, the last on November 7, 2010. At the 28 games, the Vikings scored 693 points while the Cardinals scored 611 points. Since 1991, 30 years history and involving multiple Cards and Vikes site venues, the teams played 18 games, but the Cardinals managed just 4 wins (22%)--man, the wins are hard to come by against those Vikings maulers. At the last match-up on October 14, 2018, the Vikings playing at home cruised to a very easy victory over the Cardinals, 27-17. QB Josh Rosen completed 21-31 passes for 240 yards, no TDs, and 1 INT. QB Kirk Cousins completed 24-31 passes for 233 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. RB David Johnson struggled on the ground, rushing 18 times for 54 yards. Notable was the Cardinals dismal offense, going 0-10 on 3rd down and 0-2 on 4th down. HC Wilks had no answers for the Vikings Offense, Defense, and Special Teams—Wilks was fired after the 16th game.
Vikings History. Founded on January 28, 1960 as an NFL expansion team, the Minnesota Vikings began playing football in 1961. The team is named after the Vikings of ancient Scandinavia, reflecting the prominent Scandinavian American culture of Minnesota. Today, the team plays its home games at U.S. Bank Stadium in the Downtown East section of Minneapolis since 2016. The Vikings have an all-time overall record of 516–442–11 and the highest regular season and combined winning percentage among NFL franchises who have not won a Super Bowl, including the most playoff runs, division titles, and Super Bowl appearances (latter tied with the Buffalo Bills). The Vikings also have the most conference championship appearances of non-winning Super Bowl teams. The Vikings along with the Steeles and Rams have appeared in a Conference Championship game in every decade since the 1970s. Lastly, the Vikings own the NFL record for the most playoff losses—30. The team has played in the NFC North Division since 2002. Owners are the Wilf family. GM is Rick Spielman. HC is Mike Zimmer (8th season in 2021). Team colors are purple, gold and white. Fight song is, "Skol, Vikings." Mascot is "Victor the Viking." Team nicknames include The Purple and Gold and The Vikes, and The Purple People Eaters (1970s). The Vikings won the NFC North Division in 2008, 2009, 2015, and 2017. Viking team icons include HC Bud Grant (1967-1983, 1985), QB "Two Minute" Tommy Kramer (1997-1989), and WR Cris Carter (1990-2001), WR Randy Moss (1998-2004, 2010), and RB Adrian Peterson (2007-2016). Probably the most controversial Vikings play in the books -- The Vikings, led by their Top 5 Defense in 2015, earned an 11-5 record and the #3 seed in the playoffs; however, the Vikings lost to the Seattle Seahawks, score 10-9, after K Blair Walsh missed a 27-yard chip-shot FG as time ran out in the 3rd coldest game in NFL playoff history at the University of Minnesota "Gopher's" Stadium. In 2020, the Vikings record was 7-9, their worst since 2014. The team finished in 3rd place in the NFC North and did not qualify for a playoff spot. The team stumbled early, going 1-5 after six games and never recovered. After game 16, the team had conceded 475 points on defense, the 3rd highest in franchise history, but managed to score 430 points, also the 3rd most in franchise history!
Vikings Today. I’ll do a quick review of the Vikings performance against the Bengals playing at Cincinnati last weekend, Sept 12th. How bad was it for Vikings’ fans? Apparently terrible! On Offense, the Vikings were described by some Norsemen media hacks as hideous offensively,—a redundant adjective-adverb phrase—making error after error for 70 yards in penalties and killing QB Kirk Cousins opportunities to establish early rhythm on drives (he did make 36 of 49 passes for 336 yards). Moreover, the Vikings had a measly run game (22 rushes for 67 yards, 3.07 yards avg). While the offense amassed 403 yards total, the effect was dead on arrival (DOA) due to the 116 penalty yards (17 penalties total against the Vikings, but the Bengals accepted just 12 of those flags) awarded by the Zebras. On Sunday, in Cincinnati the Vikings faced 9 x 3rd-down situations of 10 yards or more, and 6 such situations where they needed at least 15 yards to convert and move the chains. If 4th down punts are added to the tally, the Vikings technically snapped the ball with 11+ yards to go 30 times (the Offense ran 75 plays). That’s the most long-range 4-down sets they’ve had in a game since the folks from Pro Football Reference (PFR) started keeping play-by-play stats in 1994; so, that’s at least 27 years since the Vikings’ offense had a performance that bad. The Vikings offensive line was a punching bag, got pushed around (yielded 3 sacks to CIN’s defense), and repeatedly caused plays to mis-fire. Minnesota’s blockers also gave up a pressure on 30.8 percent of QB Cousins’ drop backs. The Vikings do not have a reasonable way to fix the Offensive line’s many issues, as noted during pre-season and now manifested in the regular season. On Defense, the Vikings tackling mainstays were OLB Nick Vigil (8 tackles), MLB Eric Kendricks (7 tackles), and DB Bashaud Breeland (5 tackles). Credits: The Vikings defense did come to play versus the Bengals, gaining 5 QB sacks against QB Joe Burrow (first game since ACL injury, 2020). Other Viking stats of interest from game 1: 1st downs (24), total plays (75), yards per play (5.4), and turnovers (1). A YouTube Highlights video is available at: .
The Vikings are playing their 2nd consecutive road game of their 61st year in the NFL. The team opened on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals last week, and after the Cardinals game, the Vikings head to their home opener against the Seattle Seahawks on September 26th. I must mention the 2021 Vikings draft class here. The Vikings jumped round at the Draft, taking 11 players overall, and trading a 6th round pick to Arizona for C Mason Cole. With the 23rd pick, the Vikings selected OT Christian Darrisaw. With their next pick in the 3rd round (#66 overall) the Vikings selected QB Kirk Cousins' heir-apparent, QB Kellen Mond out of Texas A&M. The Vikings had 9 picks in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th rounds, taking 1 QB, 1 RB, 1 WR, 1 TE, 1 OG, 1 LB, 2 DEs, and 1 CB. The locker room has many new faces compared to 2020--everyone will quickly recognize Cardinals former CB #21 Patrick Peterson, signed as a FA; the coaching staff remained mostly stable. Despite the 7-9 2020 record, QB Kirk Cousins played well, starting 16 games, passing for 4,265 yards, and hitting 35 TDs. Cousins primary WR targets included Jefferson and Thielen who combined for 2,325 receiving yards and 21 TDs. The ground game was fierce and led by RB Cook with 1,557 rushing yards and 17 TDs (1 by air). Nonetheless, if Offensive Line woes continue, 2021 could be another “spoiler” team year for the Vikings.
Vikings Head Coach. HC Mike Zimmer is well known in the NFL, having coached well for the Vikings (2014-present and 8th year), the Bengals (2008-2013), the Falcons (2007), and the Cowboys (1994-2006). His total coaching record is 66-50-1 (.568). In July 2020, Mike Zimmer signed a 3-year contract through the 2023 season. 2020 was his toughest HC year and his first with a losing record (7-9). He was born on June 5, 1956, and is 65yo. HC Mike Zimmer comes from a football family. His father, the late Bill Zimmer, played in the NFL and also was a HC. HC Zimmer's son, Adam, is the LB coach and DC for the Vikings today. HC Zimmer has suffered personal tragedy in his life, unexpectedly losing his wife of 27 years while she was at home in October 8, 2009.
Vikings Quarterback. QB Kirk Cousins, 6'3", 202 lbs, 32yo, has played for the Vikings since 2018. Previously, he played for the Washington Redskins from 2012-2017. After two years of signing franchise tags and being unable to agree with the Redskins on a long-term deal, he signed a fully guaranteed 3-year $84 million contract with the Vikings as a FA in 2018. Cousins ranks 3rd all-time in completion percentage with at least 1,500 pass attempts, and is 6th in the NFL's all-time regular season career passer rating. Cousins was drafted out of Michigan State University by the Redskins in 2012, Round 4, pick 102--as back-up to QB Robert Griffin III drafted in Round 1 by the Redskins in 2012. Cousins highlights and awards include Pro Bowl selection 2016 and 2019, NFL completion percentage leader in 2015, NCAA "Outback Bowl" Champion 2012, and Second-Team All-Big Ten 2011. His NFL career statistics through 2020: Passing Attempts 3,662, Passing Completions 2,453, Completion Percentage .67%, TD/INT 190-84, Total Passing Yards 28,372, and Passer Rating 97.9.
Cousins versus Cardinals. QB Cousins has 2 wins and 2 losses versus the Cardinals from 2014-2018. October 12, 2014 summary: Home team Cardinals 30, visiting team Vikings 20. Cousins was 24/38 passing for 354 yards, 2 TD and 3 INT. December 4, 2016 summary: Home team Cardinals 31, visiting team Vikings 23. Cousins was 21/37 passing for 271 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. December 17, 2017 summary (HC Arians last season): Home team Vikings 20, visiting team Cardinals 15. Cousins was 18/26 for 196 yards, 2 TD and 0 INT. October 14, 2018 summary (HC Wilks last season): Home team Vikings 27, visiting team Cardinals 17. Cousins was 24/24 for 233 yardss, 1 TD and 1 INT.
QB vs. QB. As I hinted earlier, QB Kirk Cousins has a solid QB record since being drafted in 2012. He missed just 1 start in the last 3 years. Kirk Cousins played excellent football in 2020: Games played 16; Completions 349; attempts 516; Completion % 67.6; Yards 4265; Average 8.3; TDs 35; INTs 13; Longest pass 71 yards; Sacked 39; Fumbles 8; Rating 105.0; QBR 63.2. Cousins’ year-to-year stats demonstrate consistency, durability, and winning. QB Kyler Murray (born August 7, 1997) also played excellent football in 2020: Games played 16; Passes completed 375; Passes attempted 558; Completion percentage 67.2; Total yards 3,971; Avg 7.1 yards; Yards per game 299.4; Longest pass 80 yards; TDs 26; INTs 12; Sacked 27; Sacks yards lost 176; and QB Rating 94.3. No one puts more pressure on Murray than himself. He improved individual performances in every statistical category last season and should experience significant additional growth in 2021, his 3rd NFL year. WR DeAndre Hopkins was QB Murray's favorite target. “D-Hop” played 16 games; Receptions 115; Targets 160; Total yards 1,407; Avg yards pass 12.2; TD 6; Longest pass 60 yards; +20 yards pass plays 17; YAC 527; and 1st downs made 75. Expect WR A.J. Green, FA acquisition from CIN, to share much of the receiving load with D-Hop.
Injury Reports. See FLCF’s post. Moderators will post player injury data provided by the Cardinals medical or coaching staff no more than 24 hours prior to the game. It is NFL policy that, “If any player has a significant or noteworthy injury, it must be listed on the practice report, even if he fully participates in practice and the team expects that he will play in the team’s next game. This is especially important for key players whose injuries may be covered extensively by the media.” Moreover, the policy also reads, “The information must be credible, accurate, timely, and specific within the guidelines of the policy, which is of paramount importance to maintaining the integrity of the game.” Teams found in violation of the policy face the risk of being fined or forfeiting Draft picks.
Roster Information. Roster Information. The Cardinals team roster information (updated weekly) can be reviewed at www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/depthchart/ARZ . Roster Rules 2021 (COVID-19): (1) Expansion of practice squads to 16 players, including up to 6 who have more than 2 accrued seasons; (2) The ability to protect up to 4 practice squad players per week from being signed by other teams; (3) Elevation of up to 2 practice squad players to the active roster, without removing any current players, before 4 p.m. ET the day before a game; (4) Elevation of 1 additional practice squad player within 90 minutes before kickoff in the event of a late COVID-19 positive test result; (5) Players placed on injured reserve can return after 3 weeks, rather than 6 weeks as in normal seasons; (6) Removal of the limit for how many players can be activated from injured reserve.
Odds. Per the professionals on September 14th, the Cardinals are 3.5 point favorites over the Vikings (give is -3.5, up from -2.5 in just 48 hours). The O/U is 51, up from 49.5 in just 48 hours). The points and O/U both moved in concert and favor of the Cardinals since Sunday night; the convincing Cardinals defeat of the Titans is getting bettor’s attention.
Referee Crew. www.footballzebras.com/2021/06/officiating-crews-for-the-2021-season/. The Referee assigned to today's game is Bill Vinovich, #52. Vinovich has 20 years officiating experience, calling 236 games total, including 9 post-season games. He refereed 2 Super Bowls, the last on February 2, 2020. Vinovich was the referee for the 2018 NFC Championship Game (LAR @ NOS), in which the lack of a PI penalty called on a controversial play late in the fourth quarter became the most discussed part of the game, resulting in a change to PI Replay Rules the next season. Vinovich last worked a Cardinals game on November 29, 2020, when the Patriots entertained the Cardinals. Vinovich's crew awarded 12 penalties that day, 6 for 50 yards to the Patriots, and 6 for 42 yards to the Cardinals. The Cardinals lost the game, 20-17, on a late 4th quarter FG after a personal foul penalty on ILB Simmons; his penalty was deserved.
Other officiating information: For 2020, NFL games averaged 156.4 plays; there were 40,032 total plays; 99.1% of the plays were officiated on the field without Instant Replay Booth involvement; only 364 of the plays were reviewed; the most commonly reviewed plays were pass completion (82), incomplete pass (47), and runner broke the goal line plane (44).
Weather. For September 19th, Glendale's average weather is high 89F degrees and low 63F degrees. Expect the roof to be closed due to excessive outdoor heat.
Stadium Information. State Farm Stadium Information. See www.statefarmstadium.com/ for all necessary information to enjoy a great day. Additionally, see the Arizona Cardinals website at www.azcardinals.com/.
Game Broadcasts. The game will be carried by FOX and 98.7 FM. Check also SirrusXM for play-by-play. Kickoff at SFS is 1:05pm MST.
Next week's game: Next week's game: ARZ (1-0) visits JAX (0-1). Records are updated following the Monday Night Football (MNF) game each week.
Odd and Ends. The Vikings finished the 2020 season with a record of 7-9, 3rd in the NFC North Division, giving up 475 points and scoring 430 points. HC Mike Zimmer and GM Rick Spielman worked hard during he off-season to rebuild the team's O, D, and ST. HC Zimmer's job is safe for now, but he knows that FO management will not stay quiet for long if the Vikings stumble coming out of the gate again (1-5 start in 2020). The Vikings must keep pace with the ever-dangerous Packers and surging Lions. It will be hard for the Vikings to win the Division -- unless Rodgers is traded and Goff breaks a leg -- both deemed highly unlikely at the time I wrote this GDT. Bypassing the "Basement" Bears will not be a huge challenge for the Vikings in 9 of 10 years of any decade. As of June 2021, PFF had the Vikings OL ranked 26th in the NFL. Game 1 results indicated the ranking is correct. The Cardinals know what it's like to try to win in the NFL with an OL ranked in the high 20s—an offense-poor team just does not win many games. If there is a silver lining in the Vikings future, it's the enduring strength of the DL, which is ranked 15th in the NFL and theoretically got even better in the off-season. A good DL can cover some team sins, but not all team sins. Last summer, PFF cited that the Vikings will have one of the best overall rosters—at least on paper—for 2021. We'll know soon if that measure holds up after the first hit in the helmet. The Cardinals are not slouching anymore and will deliver mega hits versus teams invading the Desert nest.
Cardinals Football Trivia Q&A. Which signed or recently released Cardinals players played for Arizona NCAAF programs? CB Lorenzo Burns, #33, Arizona; CB Jace Whittaker, #39, Arizona, and RB Eno Benjamin, #26, Arizona State.
Vikings Football Trivia Q&A. Which Vikings RB rushed for 296 yards in a single game during his rookie season? On November 4, 2007, RB Adrian Peterson broke his own franchise record as well as the NFL single game rushing yard record (previously held by Jamal Lewis) when he rushed for 296 yards on 30 carries and three touchdowns against the San Diego Chargers. Which Vikings WR set the single-season rookie touchdown reception record? At the end of the 1998 regular season, WR Randy Moss was named a Pro Bowl starter and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for his rookie-record 17 touchdown receptions. Which Vikings player recovered a fumble and returned it 66 yards in the wrong direction? Hall of Fame DE Jim Marshall is famous for his "wrong-way run" which resulted in a safety for the other team. Who did the Vikings play in their first Super Bowl? Under wet conditions, the Chiefs defense dominated Super Bowl IV by limiting the Minnesota offense to only 67 rushing yards, forcing three interceptions, and recovering two fumbles. Which Minnesota Viking served as an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court? Judge Alan Page, one of the greatest defensive linemen ever to play the game, embarked on a legal career after retiring from football. He served as an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court from 1993 until he reached the court's mandatory retirement age of 70 in 2015.
PutMeIn’s Bottom Line. I favor the Cardinals to win a tough game against the Vikings on Sunday. The final score will be closer than the away-game blowout win (38-13) versus the Titans at Tennessee last weekend. Why do I like the Cardinals to win in a close game versus MIN? MIN’s coaching staff now has fresh video on the Cardinals offensive and defensive schemes. The Vikings will study the video, make plans to exploit match-up weaknesses and seams, and work hard during mid-week to fix their “hideously offensive” flaws on Offense as showcased at CIN. QB Kirk Cousins (NFL percentage completion leader 2015, and 2 x Pro-Bowl 2016 and 2019) can be very effective when protected by that beefy offensive line. Moreover, the Vikings are notorious for running the ball to set up the pass; the run-to-pass strategy has not worked well in 2021, but the strategy will come around eventually—just not this weekend. Special note: Cousins is slow afoot and susceptible to DE sacks. The Vikings defense was solid against CIN’s conservative approach for the 1st quarter, but sagged when CIN’s OC unleashed QB Joe Burrow and the passing offense. The Cardinals also made several many mental errors resulting in penalties at the start of game 1, but the team quickly settled down into a disciplined rhythm and moved the ball with relative ease against TEN’s premier defense. MIN has not faced QB Kyler Murray, now playing just his 34th NFL game. Murray can apply pinpoint passing accuracy and super-fast running speed at every play. He is explosive from under Center and in the Shotgun formation. The Cardinals WRs led by Hopkins and Green are among the NFL’s best. Murray has learned much in his 2 years as QB and dramatically reduced decision errors. On defense, the Cardinals are hugely improved over 2020, as noted by the near-total shutdown of RB Derrick Henry last weekend. The effect of DE Chandler Jones’ return from 2020 season-ending injury was dramatic, with him gaining a record 5 sacks in 4 quarters. Add DE JJ Watt along with LBs Hicks, Simmons, Collins, and a mixture of smart and fast DBs, and the Cardinals have a solid defense for countering all MIN offensive series. What can go wrong in the desert this weekend? In the recent past, years 2019-2020, whole-of-team mental errors and unfortunate injuries doomed Cardinals games. Sometimes, HC Kliff Kingsbury’s play-call decision-making led to bad outcomes. In 2021, so far at least, the Cardinals mental errors are fewer and no key player injuries have caused cancellation of a victory party. Last week, the Cardinals went into the Titans house, a place that NO ONE BELIEVED THE CARDINALS COULD WIN, and they shocked all naysayers. This team is skyrocketing upward in the NFL ranks. And why not? The Arizona Cardinals are a superb team now.
Final Score: Cardinals 31; Vikings 10.
Hello and welcome to the Forum’s 2nd Arizona Cardinals Game Day Thread (GDT).
Who doesn't feel just a little bit giddy about last weekend’s game when the Arizona Cardinals (1-0) opened the 2021 season on the road at the tough Tennessee Titans house? That Cardinals victory was a statement win against an NFL Top 10 defensive and offensive team. A word of caution is appropriate here -- always remember that the first game or two of the year do not define a team's entire season; that goes for the Cardinals as well as the Titans. Remember the 2020 season? Uh-huh, well, I do. A 2-0 start quickly became a 2-2 start because the team was not fully functioning. "TEAM" is always a work in progress for the Cardinals. As noted by all the penalties in the 1st quarter of last weekend’s game, much Cardinals coaching and player headwork remains to be done to figure out actual teamwork on the field. The 1st quarter penalties, I attribute to hyper-aggressiveness and first-game nerves, almost caused the Cardinals win to be aborted in the cradle. Fortunately, the O/D/ST got rolling and the rest is history. Now, let's turn the page on game 1.
On September 19th, the Cardinals open their house to the Minnesota Vikings (0-1) from the NFC North Division. The two teams have met each other 28 times, including twice in the post-season, with the Vikings winning 17 games and the Cardinals winning 11 games. There are no tie games; the Vikings won 2 O/T games, the last on November 7, 2010. At the 28 games, the Vikings scored 693 points while the Cardinals scored 611 points. Since 1991, 30 years history and involving multiple Cards and Vikes site venues, the teams played 18 games, but the Cardinals managed just 4 wins (22%)--man, the wins are hard to come by against those Vikings maulers. At the last match-up on October 14, 2018, the Vikings playing at home cruised to a very easy victory over the Cardinals, 27-17. QB Josh Rosen completed 21-31 passes for 240 yards, no TDs, and 1 INT. QB Kirk Cousins completed 24-31 passes for 233 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. RB David Johnson struggled on the ground, rushing 18 times for 54 yards. Notable was the Cardinals dismal offense, going 0-10 on 3rd down and 0-2 on 4th down. HC Wilks had no answers for the Vikings Offense, Defense, and Special Teams—Wilks was fired after the 16th game.
Vikings History. Founded on January 28, 1960 as an NFL expansion team, the Minnesota Vikings began playing football in 1961. The team is named after the Vikings of ancient Scandinavia, reflecting the prominent Scandinavian American culture of Minnesota. Today, the team plays its home games at U.S. Bank Stadium in the Downtown East section of Minneapolis since 2016. The Vikings have an all-time overall record of 516–442–11 and the highest regular season and combined winning percentage among NFL franchises who have not won a Super Bowl, including the most playoff runs, division titles, and Super Bowl appearances (latter tied with the Buffalo Bills). The Vikings also have the most conference championship appearances of non-winning Super Bowl teams. The Vikings along with the Steeles and Rams have appeared in a Conference Championship game in every decade since the 1970s. Lastly, the Vikings own the NFL record for the most playoff losses—30. The team has played in the NFC North Division since 2002. Owners are the Wilf family. GM is Rick Spielman. HC is Mike Zimmer (8th season in 2021). Team colors are purple, gold and white. Fight song is, "Skol, Vikings." Mascot is "Victor the Viking." Team nicknames include The Purple and Gold and The Vikes, and The Purple People Eaters (1970s). The Vikings won the NFC North Division in 2008, 2009, 2015, and 2017. Viking team icons include HC Bud Grant (1967-1983, 1985), QB "Two Minute" Tommy Kramer (1997-1989), and WR Cris Carter (1990-2001), WR Randy Moss (1998-2004, 2010), and RB Adrian Peterson (2007-2016). Probably the most controversial Vikings play in the books -- The Vikings, led by their Top 5 Defense in 2015, earned an 11-5 record and the #3 seed in the playoffs; however, the Vikings lost to the Seattle Seahawks, score 10-9, after K Blair Walsh missed a 27-yard chip-shot FG as time ran out in the 3rd coldest game in NFL playoff history at the University of Minnesota "Gopher's" Stadium. In 2020, the Vikings record was 7-9, their worst since 2014. The team finished in 3rd place in the NFC North and did not qualify for a playoff spot. The team stumbled early, going 1-5 after six games and never recovered. After game 16, the team had conceded 475 points on defense, the 3rd highest in franchise history, but managed to score 430 points, also the 3rd most in franchise history!
Vikings Today. I’ll do a quick review of the Vikings performance against the Bengals playing at Cincinnati last weekend, Sept 12th. How bad was it for Vikings’ fans? Apparently terrible! On Offense, the Vikings were described by some Norsemen media hacks as hideous offensively,—a redundant adjective-adverb phrase—making error after error for 70 yards in penalties and killing QB Kirk Cousins opportunities to establish early rhythm on drives (he did make 36 of 49 passes for 336 yards). Moreover, the Vikings had a measly run game (22 rushes for 67 yards, 3.07 yards avg). While the offense amassed 403 yards total, the effect was dead on arrival (DOA) due to the 116 penalty yards (17 penalties total against the Vikings, but the Bengals accepted just 12 of those flags) awarded by the Zebras. On Sunday, in Cincinnati the Vikings faced 9 x 3rd-down situations of 10 yards or more, and 6 such situations where they needed at least 15 yards to convert and move the chains. If 4th down punts are added to the tally, the Vikings technically snapped the ball with 11+ yards to go 30 times (the Offense ran 75 plays). That’s the most long-range 4-down sets they’ve had in a game since the folks from Pro Football Reference (PFR) started keeping play-by-play stats in 1994; so, that’s at least 27 years since the Vikings’ offense had a performance that bad. The Vikings offensive line was a punching bag, got pushed around (yielded 3 sacks to CIN’s defense), and repeatedly caused plays to mis-fire. Minnesota’s blockers also gave up a pressure on 30.8 percent of QB Cousins’ drop backs. The Vikings do not have a reasonable way to fix the Offensive line’s many issues, as noted during pre-season and now manifested in the regular season. On Defense, the Vikings tackling mainstays were OLB Nick Vigil (8 tackles), MLB Eric Kendricks (7 tackles), and DB Bashaud Breeland (5 tackles). Credits: The Vikings defense did come to play versus the Bengals, gaining 5 QB sacks against QB Joe Burrow (first game since ACL injury, 2020). Other Viking stats of interest from game 1: 1st downs (24), total plays (75), yards per play (5.4), and turnovers (1). A YouTube Highlights video is available at: .
The Vikings are playing their 2nd consecutive road game of their 61st year in the NFL. The team opened on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals last week, and after the Cardinals game, the Vikings head to their home opener against the Seattle Seahawks on September 26th. I must mention the 2021 Vikings draft class here. The Vikings jumped round at the Draft, taking 11 players overall, and trading a 6th round pick to Arizona for C Mason Cole. With the 23rd pick, the Vikings selected OT Christian Darrisaw. With their next pick in the 3rd round (#66 overall) the Vikings selected QB Kirk Cousins' heir-apparent, QB Kellen Mond out of Texas A&M. The Vikings had 9 picks in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th rounds, taking 1 QB, 1 RB, 1 WR, 1 TE, 1 OG, 1 LB, 2 DEs, and 1 CB. The locker room has many new faces compared to 2020--everyone will quickly recognize Cardinals former CB #21 Patrick Peterson, signed as a FA; the coaching staff remained mostly stable. Despite the 7-9 2020 record, QB Kirk Cousins played well, starting 16 games, passing for 4,265 yards, and hitting 35 TDs. Cousins primary WR targets included Jefferson and Thielen who combined for 2,325 receiving yards and 21 TDs. The ground game was fierce and led by RB Cook with 1,557 rushing yards and 17 TDs (1 by air). Nonetheless, if Offensive Line woes continue, 2021 could be another “spoiler” team year for the Vikings.
Vikings Head Coach. HC Mike Zimmer is well known in the NFL, having coached well for the Vikings (2014-present and 8th year), the Bengals (2008-2013), the Falcons (2007), and the Cowboys (1994-2006). His total coaching record is 66-50-1 (.568). In July 2020, Mike Zimmer signed a 3-year contract through the 2023 season. 2020 was his toughest HC year and his first with a losing record (7-9). He was born on June 5, 1956, and is 65yo. HC Mike Zimmer comes from a football family. His father, the late Bill Zimmer, played in the NFL and also was a HC. HC Zimmer's son, Adam, is the LB coach and DC for the Vikings today. HC Zimmer has suffered personal tragedy in his life, unexpectedly losing his wife of 27 years while she was at home in October 8, 2009.
Vikings Quarterback. QB Kirk Cousins, 6'3", 202 lbs, 32yo, has played for the Vikings since 2018. Previously, he played for the Washington Redskins from 2012-2017. After two years of signing franchise tags and being unable to agree with the Redskins on a long-term deal, he signed a fully guaranteed 3-year $84 million contract with the Vikings as a FA in 2018. Cousins ranks 3rd all-time in completion percentage with at least 1,500 pass attempts, and is 6th in the NFL's all-time regular season career passer rating. Cousins was drafted out of Michigan State University by the Redskins in 2012, Round 4, pick 102--as back-up to QB Robert Griffin III drafted in Round 1 by the Redskins in 2012. Cousins highlights and awards include Pro Bowl selection 2016 and 2019, NFL completion percentage leader in 2015, NCAA "Outback Bowl" Champion 2012, and Second-Team All-Big Ten 2011. His NFL career statistics through 2020: Passing Attempts 3,662, Passing Completions 2,453, Completion Percentage .67%, TD/INT 190-84, Total Passing Yards 28,372, and Passer Rating 97.9.
Cousins versus Cardinals. QB Cousins has 2 wins and 2 losses versus the Cardinals from 2014-2018. October 12, 2014 summary: Home team Cardinals 30, visiting team Vikings 20. Cousins was 24/38 passing for 354 yards, 2 TD and 3 INT. December 4, 2016 summary: Home team Cardinals 31, visiting team Vikings 23. Cousins was 21/37 passing for 271 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. December 17, 2017 summary (HC Arians last season): Home team Vikings 20, visiting team Cardinals 15. Cousins was 18/26 for 196 yards, 2 TD and 0 INT. October 14, 2018 summary (HC Wilks last season): Home team Vikings 27, visiting team Cardinals 17. Cousins was 24/24 for 233 yardss, 1 TD and 1 INT.
QB vs. QB. As I hinted earlier, QB Kirk Cousins has a solid QB record since being drafted in 2012. He missed just 1 start in the last 3 years. Kirk Cousins played excellent football in 2020: Games played 16; Completions 349; attempts 516; Completion % 67.6; Yards 4265; Average 8.3; TDs 35; INTs 13; Longest pass 71 yards; Sacked 39; Fumbles 8; Rating 105.0; QBR 63.2. Cousins’ year-to-year stats demonstrate consistency, durability, and winning. QB Kyler Murray (born August 7, 1997) also played excellent football in 2020: Games played 16; Passes completed 375; Passes attempted 558; Completion percentage 67.2; Total yards 3,971; Avg 7.1 yards; Yards per game 299.4; Longest pass 80 yards; TDs 26; INTs 12; Sacked 27; Sacks yards lost 176; and QB Rating 94.3. No one puts more pressure on Murray than himself. He improved individual performances in every statistical category last season and should experience significant additional growth in 2021, his 3rd NFL year. WR DeAndre Hopkins was QB Murray's favorite target. “D-Hop” played 16 games; Receptions 115; Targets 160; Total yards 1,407; Avg yards pass 12.2; TD 6; Longest pass 60 yards; +20 yards pass plays 17; YAC 527; and 1st downs made 75. Expect WR A.J. Green, FA acquisition from CIN, to share much of the receiving load with D-Hop.
Injury Reports. See FLCF’s post. Moderators will post player injury data provided by the Cardinals medical or coaching staff no more than 24 hours prior to the game. It is NFL policy that, “If any player has a significant or noteworthy injury, it must be listed on the practice report, even if he fully participates in practice and the team expects that he will play in the team’s next game. This is especially important for key players whose injuries may be covered extensively by the media.” Moreover, the policy also reads, “The information must be credible, accurate, timely, and specific within the guidelines of the policy, which is of paramount importance to maintaining the integrity of the game.” Teams found in violation of the policy face the risk of being fined or forfeiting Draft picks.
Roster Information. Roster Information. The Cardinals team roster information (updated weekly) can be reviewed at www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/depthchart/ARZ . Roster Rules 2021 (COVID-19): (1) Expansion of practice squads to 16 players, including up to 6 who have more than 2 accrued seasons; (2) The ability to protect up to 4 practice squad players per week from being signed by other teams; (3) Elevation of up to 2 practice squad players to the active roster, without removing any current players, before 4 p.m. ET the day before a game; (4) Elevation of 1 additional practice squad player within 90 minutes before kickoff in the event of a late COVID-19 positive test result; (5) Players placed on injured reserve can return after 3 weeks, rather than 6 weeks as in normal seasons; (6) Removal of the limit for how many players can be activated from injured reserve.
Odds. Per the professionals on September 14th, the Cardinals are 3.5 point favorites over the Vikings (give is -3.5, up from -2.5 in just 48 hours). The O/U is 51, up from 49.5 in just 48 hours). The points and O/U both moved in concert and favor of the Cardinals since Sunday night; the convincing Cardinals defeat of the Titans is getting bettor’s attention.
Referee Crew. www.footballzebras.com/2021/06/officiating-crews-for-the-2021-season/. The Referee assigned to today's game is Bill Vinovich, #52. Vinovich has 20 years officiating experience, calling 236 games total, including 9 post-season games. He refereed 2 Super Bowls, the last on February 2, 2020. Vinovich was the referee for the 2018 NFC Championship Game (LAR @ NOS), in which the lack of a PI penalty called on a controversial play late in the fourth quarter became the most discussed part of the game, resulting in a change to PI Replay Rules the next season. Vinovich last worked a Cardinals game on November 29, 2020, when the Patriots entertained the Cardinals. Vinovich's crew awarded 12 penalties that day, 6 for 50 yards to the Patriots, and 6 for 42 yards to the Cardinals. The Cardinals lost the game, 20-17, on a late 4th quarter FG after a personal foul penalty on ILB Simmons; his penalty was deserved.
Other officiating information: For 2020, NFL games averaged 156.4 plays; there were 40,032 total plays; 99.1% of the plays were officiated on the field without Instant Replay Booth involvement; only 364 of the plays were reviewed; the most commonly reviewed plays were pass completion (82), incomplete pass (47), and runner broke the goal line plane (44).
Weather. For September 19th, Glendale's average weather is high 89F degrees and low 63F degrees. Expect the roof to be closed due to excessive outdoor heat.
Stadium Information. State Farm Stadium Information. See www.statefarmstadium.com/ for all necessary information to enjoy a great day. Additionally, see the Arizona Cardinals website at www.azcardinals.com/.
Game Broadcasts. The game will be carried by FOX and 98.7 FM. Check also SirrusXM for play-by-play. Kickoff at SFS is 1:05pm MST.
Next week's game: Next week's game: ARZ (1-0) visits JAX (0-1). Records are updated following the Monday Night Football (MNF) game each week.
Odd and Ends. The Vikings finished the 2020 season with a record of 7-9, 3rd in the NFC North Division, giving up 475 points and scoring 430 points. HC Mike Zimmer and GM Rick Spielman worked hard during he off-season to rebuild the team's O, D, and ST. HC Zimmer's job is safe for now, but he knows that FO management will not stay quiet for long if the Vikings stumble coming out of the gate again (1-5 start in 2020). The Vikings must keep pace with the ever-dangerous Packers and surging Lions. It will be hard for the Vikings to win the Division -- unless Rodgers is traded and Goff breaks a leg -- both deemed highly unlikely at the time I wrote this GDT. Bypassing the "Basement" Bears will not be a huge challenge for the Vikings in 9 of 10 years of any decade. As of June 2021, PFF had the Vikings OL ranked 26th in the NFL. Game 1 results indicated the ranking is correct. The Cardinals know what it's like to try to win in the NFL with an OL ranked in the high 20s—an offense-poor team just does not win many games. If there is a silver lining in the Vikings future, it's the enduring strength of the DL, which is ranked 15th in the NFL and theoretically got even better in the off-season. A good DL can cover some team sins, but not all team sins. Last summer, PFF cited that the Vikings will have one of the best overall rosters—at least on paper—for 2021. We'll know soon if that measure holds up after the first hit in the helmet. The Cardinals are not slouching anymore and will deliver mega hits versus teams invading the Desert nest.
Cardinals Football Trivia Q&A. Which signed or recently released Cardinals players played for Arizona NCAAF programs? CB Lorenzo Burns, #33, Arizona; CB Jace Whittaker, #39, Arizona, and RB Eno Benjamin, #26, Arizona State.
Vikings Football Trivia Q&A. Which Vikings RB rushed for 296 yards in a single game during his rookie season? On November 4, 2007, RB Adrian Peterson broke his own franchise record as well as the NFL single game rushing yard record (previously held by Jamal Lewis) when he rushed for 296 yards on 30 carries and three touchdowns against the San Diego Chargers. Which Vikings WR set the single-season rookie touchdown reception record? At the end of the 1998 regular season, WR Randy Moss was named a Pro Bowl starter and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for his rookie-record 17 touchdown receptions. Which Vikings player recovered a fumble and returned it 66 yards in the wrong direction? Hall of Fame DE Jim Marshall is famous for his "wrong-way run" which resulted in a safety for the other team. Who did the Vikings play in their first Super Bowl? Under wet conditions, the Chiefs defense dominated Super Bowl IV by limiting the Minnesota offense to only 67 rushing yards, forcing three interceptions, and recovering two fumbles. Which Minnesota Viking served as an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court? Judge Alan Page, one of the greatest defensive linemen ever to play the game, embarked on a legal career after retiring from football. He served as an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court from 1993 until he reached the court's mandatory retirement age of 70 in 2015.
PutMeIn’s Bottom Line. I favor the Cardinals to win a tough game against the Vikings on Sunday. The final score will be closer than the away-game blowout win (38-13) versus the Titans at Tennessee last weekend. Why do I like the Cardinals to win in a close game versus MIN? MIN’s coaching staff now has fresh video on the Cardinals offensive and defensive schemes. The Vikings will study the video, make plans to exploit match-up weaknesses and seams, and work hard during mid-week to fix their “hideously offensive” flaws on Offense as showcased at CIN. QB Kirk Cousins (NFL percentage completion leader 2015, and 2 x Pro-Bowl 2016 and 2019) can be very effective when protected by that beefy offensive line. Moreover, the Vikings are notorious for running the ball to set up the pass; the run-to-pass strategy has not worked well in 2021, but the strategy will come around eventually—just not this weekend. Special note: Cousins is slow afoot and susceptible to DE sacks. The Vikings defense was solid against CIN’s conservative approach for the 1st quarter, but sagged when CIN’s OC unleashed QB Joe Burrow and the passing offense. The Cardinals also made several many mental errors resulting in penalties at the start of game 1, but the team quickly settled down into a disciplined rhythm and moved the ball with relative ease against TEN’s premier defense. MIN has not faced QB Kyler Murray, now playing just his 34th NFL game. Murray can apply pinpoint passing accuracy and super-fast running speed at every play. He is explosive from under Center and in the Shotgun formation. The Cardinals WRs led by Hopkins and Green are among the NFL’s best. Murray has learned much in his 2 years as QB and dramatically reduced decision errors. On defense, the Cardinals are hugely improved over 2020, as noted by the near-total shutdown of RB Derrick Henry last weekend. The effect of DE Chandler Jones’ return from 2020 season-ending injury was dramatic, with him gaining a record 5 sacks in 4 quarters. Add DE JJ Watt along with LBs Hicks, Simmons, Collins, and a mixture of smart and fast DBs, and the Cardinals have a solid defense for countering all MIN offensive series. What can go wrong in the desert this weekend? In the recent past, years 2019-2020, whole-of-team mental errors and unfortunate injuries doomed Cardinals games. Sometimes, HC Kliff Kingsbury’s play-call decision-making led to bad outcomes. In 2021, so far at least, the Cardinals mental errors are fewer and no key player injuries have caused cancellation of a victory party. Last week, the Cardinals went into the Titans house, a place that NO ONE BELIEVED THE CARDINALS COULD WIN, and they shocked all naysayers. This team is skyrocketing upward in the NFL ranks. And why not? The Arizona Cardinals are a superb team now.
Final Score: Cardinals 31; Vikings 10.