The Vikings Are Nowhere Near Perfect

The Vikings escaped with a 33-31 victory this past Sunday against the Ravens. The score was 27-10 with eight minutes left to go in the fourth quarter and then the wheels came off, particularly on defense. The Ravens went on to score 21 points in the fourth quarter and should have won, but for a missed field goal by Steven Hauschka at the end of regulation.

Although there is no such thing as a bad win in the NFL, where each game could decide the team’s playoff fate, this win was riddled with red flags and warning signs of potential pitfalls going forward.

1. Poor Tackling and Improper Angles to the Ball Carrier

The first touchdown for the Ravens came with four minutes to go in the third quarter. Ray Rice went off left tackle and broke through a gaping hole for a 22-yard touchdown run. Madieu Williams had a clear shot at bringing him to the ground, but was stiff-armed by Rice en route to the endzone.

The touchdowns scored by Mason and Rice in the fourth quarter would have been touchdowns in flag football, as no defender laid a hand on either player before they headed to the endzone.

Mason’s touchdown (which came with five minutes to go in the fourth quarter) came via a screen pass that saw two Vikings defenders get blocked into the endzone while Mason scored. These blocks were not by imposing linemen, but were applied by a receiver. This is inexcusable as Cedric Griffin and Benny Sapp were in position to prevent Mason from waltzing into the endzone. Neither Griffin nor Sapp made a solid effort and the Vikings were scored on as a result.

As to Ray Rice’s second touchdown (which came with three and half minutes to go in the fourth quarter) this was Tyrell Johnson’s responsibility. From his safety spot Johnson had a clear shot to bring Rice down, who again busted off left tackle through a gaping hole. Instead of breaking down his feet and making an attempt at tackling the human bowling ball that is Ray Rice, Johnson took a poor angle and was in no position to even lay a hand, let alone tackle, the ball carrier.

Whether it was poor tackling or improper angles, the defenders exhibited a lack of discipline that almost cost the team a win. These issues must be resolved going forward, as opponents such as the Steelers, Packers, Bears and Giants all have imposing runners and pass catchers that will exploit this weakness.

2. Poor Play by the Cornerbacks

This issue was due in large part to the departure of Antoine Winfield from the game, who left with a sprain to his right foot. His replacement, Karl Paymah, was exploited early and often by Joe Flacco & Co. On Sunday, the poor play of the cornerbacks was almost the deciding factor in the Vikings losing the game.

Even before Winfield left the game in the second quarter, Cedric Griffin was beaten several times by Derrick Mason on comeback and out routes. Griffin often overplayed the routes with poor technique or slipped, which allowed Mason to be uncovered for Flacco to throw him the ball. Of the seven catches Mason had, five of those were on Cedric’s side of the field, including the 12-yard screen pass that would have been a score in touch football.

Winfield’s replacement, Karl Paymah, was torched right from the outset of his appearance on Sunday. Flacco and Mason connected on a deep pass down the right sideline for 27 yards on Paymah’s first play of the game. From there it only got worse for Paymah, who was victimized several times by Mason and Clayton in pass coverage.

The worst came in the third quarter when Flacco threw a jump ball to Mark Clayton in the endzone that went for a 32-yard touchdown. Paymah was in perfect position to intercept or at least knock the ball away, to which he did neither. A smaller receiver in Clayton out jumped Paymah for the touchdown, which started the snowball effect for the Ravens on offense.

Injuries are a part of the NFL and there are no excuses. The Vikings have a deep team and should be prepared for injuries at the drop of a hat. On Sunday, Winfield’s injury exacerbated the already poor play of his counterpart, Cedric Griffin. Instead of doing his job, Paymah was a liability that the Ravens exploited, almost to the point of winning the game. It is highly unlikely that Winfield will play versus the Steelers, so the Vikings better have a contingency plan in place. Otherwise, the Steelers will torch Paymah all day long until the Vikings double cover his man.

3. Poor Conditioning on Defense

Outside of Jared Allen, the defense was noticeably winded by the fourth quarter. The entire defensive line had their hands on hips and the Ravens exploited this with quick-hitting plays off tackle and wide receiver screens, both of which went for touchdowns (Rice and Mason). Even the secondary looked tired, as nobody touched Ray Rice when he busted off left tackle for the 32-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

This is unacceptable and is an ominous sign going forward. A team as talented as the Vikings cannot let their poor conditioning be a deterrent to them going far in the playoffs. The season only gets tougher from here, as the opponents and travel schedule suggest that stamina will be paramount to continued success going forward.

This issue is correctable, as the coaches need to monitor who is winded and replace them with a fresh player. The Vikings tout themselves as a deep team, with talented players at every key position. Now is the time to test that depth, otherwise another fourth quarter collapse is on the horizon.

[Shahaab Tehrani can be reached at: shahaabt@yahoo.com]