by Bill Belichick in the third round back in.
What year was it 2008?
So that's something that that a guy who Belichick want said,
put his name on the card he's gonna come here as one of
the various backup
quarterbacks to Tom Brady.
He now gets a crack at being,
the first Vikings coach to face
the Patriots, without Tom. Brady, it's a last time. The
Vikings beat the Patriots. The 2000 season.
With Brady on the roster but not on the field. The Vikings
won that game. They had a like a seven-game winning streak to
start the season in that
season culminated in 41, nothing not 42 341.
Nothing against the Giants and MetLife Stadium in the NFC
Championship, but that was the last year of the Vikings beat
the Patriots. There Owen, five
against the Patriots, since then, every one of those games.
Tom Brady played quarterback. Now they get a crack at them
without Tom Brady,
O'Connell the coach.
And so, what do you think? Think we're do. You think Alan
can move the ball
on them? You think you guys can like move the ball consistent
now? Yeah, I mean that's a big question that Christian Darris
saw. Yeah. That Christian Daris saw right? You know. Yeah.
Justin Jefferson saying yesterday we need to get
the ball out more quickly and it
wasn't a criticism of Kirk Cousins. He's not that way.
They need to get the ball out more quickly. Yeah. They need
to get open fast enough
for Kirk Cousins to spot a guy and get rid of it.
I just, I just don't think
it's going to work. I did not going to be able to run the ball.
All, they're not gonna be able to pass the ball and they're
not going to hold the Patriots. 23 points is not the Jets
defense. The Vikings defense has quietly been a major
liability.
They just can't stop anybody know. And and the thing that
alarm me the most Chris we talked about it, John Hicks
cover and Tony Pollard
a play that was specifically installed for that game because
they saw something on film. Yeah the at dodging defense
right? Has been Bend but don't break and on Sunday, it was
breaking break some more and I think it's going to break some
more
on Thursday night when
All the checking company, take further advantage of the holes
that they find in that in that scheme. And yeah, I think it's
it look it's hey, it starts out Todd.
We'll see how long it stays tied. But I think it's gonna be
a long night for the Vikings. Well it's
certainly, you know, a tough matchup for them. And we always
discuss it's a matchup league and, you know, the first thing
you look at is, yeah, the Minnesota defense, it hasn't
been good. You guys have been pretty good at keeping teams
out of the end zone,
but But the thing I worry about and what we saw them struggle
with last week where it's a little different than like,
Buffalo, we're Buffalo. You didn't really have to worry
about a run game and you can pipe past events for
the majority of the game.
You know. Dallas
there was the worry of wait,
we got to worry about the run
and they can just bludgeon Us in the Run game
and now, oh, wait. Now we got to put a linebacker man-to-man
on a running back out of the backfield that we don't like,
because we're so worried about stopping all the gaps in
the Run game. So now we're a little vulnerable in the pass game.
Now
the Patriots are not as explosive as the Cowboys.
That's the positive thing there but there is balance and we
know their offense is good enough to you know, put put
passes and plays together here to where they can drive
the field. So that's where at least
I give like your Minnesota defense. A little bit of
a chance is just the lack of explosiveness from that
Patriots offense is different than Dallas last week,
certainly. And you know, I think that's where you can hang
in there. But the big thing is that you're
talking about is that
It's defense. Patriots defense has
played an amazing football right now.
You take away just the Bears unveiling, the quarterback runs
for the first time in Justin Fields the career on that
Monday night and then you go to the two games before that. And
the games after that, man, and nobody scoring points
on the Patriots right now,
they are playing unbelievable, pass defense and run defense.
They got sighs. Jude on is arguably the best pass rusher
in football right now?
They can play man-to-man coverage and they're one of
the best Zone coverage teams in football as well. And that's
where they pose a lot of problems. And yeah, I could see
it. Be tough sledding for Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson
throughout the day.
And think about this, the Bears beat the Patriots, 33 214 in
that first game after an 11 day break following a loss, to
the Commander's that resulted in plenty of people saying,
why aren't you using designed run? Yes, with This incredible
dual threat quarterback, who makes it look easy when he
takes off with a ball and whether they decided it on
their own or whether they heard the outside noise, they claim
to ignore.
They started using design runs. They gave
Bill Belichick curveball. So I wonder this Chris. Yeah,
with only four days in between games, you know, and
this gets back to the fact that O'Connell
was in New England.
For a year that's long enough to get an idea, you were there
for a year or so you got an idea of how the sausage gets
made.
I wonder if there are wrinkles that were devised
in the summertime
that were held back.
Just for this game
that this is going to be a tendency shifter, because he
knows what Bella check will do to that offense based upon
what's on film from the first 10 games. So they got to have
something else ready.
Now and it would be helpful to have Christian era saw playing
Left.
But I just can't help but wonder whether or not they're
going to do some unexpected stuff
unexpected by the Patriots and obviously unexpected by
the rest of us. That that may be the only key to kick-start
the offense because there's enough film there. Now, they know what
they do. I've mentioned this before
friend of mine that grew up in Minneapolis, is an extremely
Ardent fan of the Vikings has been scared to death of this
game because this is the game where the O'Connell offense
gets exposed. While that ended up being Sunday against
the Cowboys. But
I you know, what does
Belichick know what will he be ready to do? And will there be
zigging to the expected zagging and will Connell? Have some
wrinkles? I think that's the game within the game here. And
as I've said multiple times, it's going to
be harder to execute without your best offensive, lineman
available there. To give Kirk Cousins a little more time to
let things work. Yeah, you know I mean Mike traditionally you
know you don't know. Or
you know I don't know of teams that kind of like hold things
back, right? Like and go. Wait, when do we get to play on
Thanksgiving, Maybe? During the bye week.
Maybe that could be a time where they could have maybe
taken a day or two and said, hey, let's just dive in the New
England, a little bit here and just, you know, get a base plan
together. See if there's some things we can maybe,
you know, trick them with game plan shots, whatever. Maybe
that could go on certainly.
But but, you know,
I don't know. I don't know if I look at that as being a huge
part of the game plan, and even Kevin O'Connell be in there.
Sure. He knows how things are made, but it's a
man. It's it's a different It's Taff now, right?
They there so you know they're so like
always changing up in New England
and doing things. It's just so different now compared to then
and they've evolved, that's why they're so good. Bill
you know, hey this is covered three and 2007 and cover, three
and 2022 is different up in New England. You know, they teach
it differently, the league has changed offenses change so
that's where it's interesting. But to your point,
With New England, that should always be part of the
equation at you. I mean,
I am huge into you play New England. One of the biggest
things you got to do with self Scout yourself, because they're
going to know you as good as you know, you
by the end of the week. So you better have a few things to go.
Wait, we always do this. When we're in this formation, we
always do this. When we're in for this formation this week,
we're going to do that and that and that and keep them off
guard that way and
maybe That's that's what I think we can look for now. What
is that? I don't know. I don't know, but they got a tough task
in front of them here because
this is a game where,
you know, no England's got enough, big people and
up front to where they don't have to go all out and crowd
the line of scrimmage to stop the run game, they should be
able to play it, pretty straight up. And that of course
then leaves some people in the back end to stop
dealing and Justin Jefferson.
So we'll see where this goes. But I do think I'll big of a
big part of this game really is goes to your defense
the Vikings defense, can they show up and make life hard on
a below-average? New England Patriots offense and, you know,
use your defense to keep them in the football game and make
it a defensive struggle type of football game
where then hey Kirk Cousins gets it in the fourth quarter
late in Primetime on John Madden. Thanksgiving and wins
for Mike Florio.
That's what you got to hope for right there.
Pride I'm Kirk's on Thanksgiving.
I hope hoping one And crap in the other and see which one
fills up first.
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