Well, as of this writing the Vikings are 3-7. If you had asked most Vikings fans at the beginning of the season what the Vikings record would be after week 10, it probably would have been the reverse of what it is. But like the old/new cliche, it is what it is. The team is on the breaking point. Up to this point they have been very cool with the media saying all is copasetic in the locker room. What we saw yesterday was a near implosion, but of course that is to be expected. Are we surprised to see this? We shouldn't, don't most people allow things to fester before the veritable outward expressions that would indicate frustration. So, with that being said, here are some of the reasons the Vikings season has been less than expected.
First, as a Vikings fan for 40 years I have not seen a collapse of this magnitude. Forget about the Super Bowl expectations, this has been a collapse that's hard to compare to other collapses. Of similar fashion, there are 3 that come to mind: 1972 the Vikings went 7-7 after finishing 11-3 the previous year. 1972 was also Fran's first year back after the trade with the Giants.
The second one would be 2001. The previous year the Vikings went 11-5 and lost to the Giants (in an embarrassing fashion) in the playoffs, and in 2001 went 5-11 with basically the same team. That year Dennis Green was fired and replaced by Mike Tice.
And now here we are in 2010 looking at a total collapse from a 12-4 team the previous year and with essentially the same players on the roster, and would it not be ironic should they finish 4-12? I am not a superstitious man (insert Gregorian chant here) but here is an eery thought, so far this decade has been one not up to the standards of this organization. We started this decade in 2001 at 5-11, how will we end the decade in 2010?
So, how did this year’s collapse come to pass?
We would have to go back to the summer. It took a chartered plane and 3 players to woo Favre out of retirement, and then when he got to camp he heard the news that Sydney Rice was going to be out at least the first 8 games. Then he loses his starting center, Percy Harvin battled migraines of monstrous proportion, Bernard Berrian was his tender self, and then we lose both starting corners to start of the year. Yes, all teams have injuries, but it was the offensive injuries, coupled with their inability to work together that started the downslide. They attempted to patch things up with trades with Miami for Camarillo and then the Patriots for Randy Moss, clearly the beginning of the lowest point for this team this year.
In the NFL it can be a snowball effect. I think many pundits continued to believe in the Vikings because of the talent they had and the fact that #4 was under center, but when one loss led to another, then to another, and finally the debacle in Chicago, it was over. The Green Bay could have given them a glimmer of hope, but after the 1st quarter it was obvious, this team is just not very good right now.
I would not be surprised to see ownership make a move this week relative to coaching. The Green Bay disaster was the final nail in the coffin of this team's year. Sort of like Dallas versus Green Bay. Isn't that ironic? Green Bay fans can happily parade about while wolfing down their Brats and slurping down their beer, how they were responsible for the firing of 2 coaches in one year. I find that amusing and fitting. The Vikings will promote from within, so it will either be Bevell or Frazier. My money is on Frazier simply because of his current title as Assistant Head Coach, which in my world, he is part of the Childress problem and should be gone as well, but most likely not going to happen. If Childress is not fired there is a chance he stays for the entire year. What that says about Favre I cannot speculate other than to say, he should continue to start.
Now, as for Favre. Okay, the season is over, but you know what, the guy deserves to go out on his own terms. I say FIRE CHILLY, (which just happened a few hours ago) promote Bevell (which didn’t happen, they promoted Frazier) and let Favre basically Peyton Manning the rest of the season (call his own plays). I get tired of people saying all that they say about this guy. Vikings fans were all so excited we nearly wet ourselves when we got him, and when he returned we wet ourselves again, so stop crying and moaning about this guy. Look at all the exigent circumstances; predictable offense, predictable defense, inconsistent special teams play and that is the recipe for a 3-7 team.
Yes, this is a season that could have been, but isn't going to be. Like any setback, we can bemoan our situation, or find the positive and move forward.
We have 6 games remaining, let's have fun, and let's watch the old man play this out and finish it with a smile. But the first question Frazier will be asked is whether he will bench Favre in favor of Jackson? Stay tuned!
As always, given the title of this here blog, here's the Bottom Line. We had great hopes for this season, no doubt, but that didn't come to fruition, so it's up to the management, the insiders to the organization to get this thing figured out. Childress has obviously lost this team, and a movement will be made, but let's hope we don't just simply put this in the hands of someone they "think" might be able to do the job. I mention 4 names for the next head coach and they are: Bill Cowher (nearly impossible), Jon Gruden (possibly impossible), Rob Ryan or Mike Pettine, Jr.
Have faith Vikings fans, we'll be back before you know it, our history proves that out. SKOL VIKES!!!!
