Fortunately for me, I was unavoidably busy on Sunday afternoon and missed what sounds like the worst game Minnesota has played in the last two years. If there were any bandwagon fans left after the loss to Green Bay, they’re probably all gone now. The bad news started long before kickoff, as nose tackle Linval Joseph was listed on the injury report all week and then downgraded on Friday, so he and starting strong safety Andrew Sendejo were both out. Middle linebacker Anthony Barr and free safety Harrison Smith both started the game, but were standing on the sideline not long after the game started. Without Barr, Joseph, and Smith, the Vikings defence was a hollow shell, and Seattle took full advantage of the weakness. Usually, after a game I didn’t get to watch, I’ll read through the hundreds of Twitter posts in my Vikings list. Today, after looking at a couple of dozen of the most recent ones, I decided that I should just give the rest of them a miss:
The highest grade we gave out to anybody on the Minnesota Vikings offense this week was 0.0
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) December 7, 2015
— Arif Hasan (@ArifHasanNFL) December 7, 2015
So if this score holds the #Vikings are only going to have the THIRD worst loss of the day. Hooray!
— Eric Thompson (@eric_j_thompson) December 7, 2015
And to make a bad situation worse, Adrian Peterson is unhappy and willing to let the media know all about it:
For the second time in two home losses for the Vikings, star running back Adrian Peterson called into question his team’s coaching.
Peterson, while giving credit to Seattle after a 38-7 drubbing, said that the Seahawks were “more aggressive, played more physical, and they outcoached us as well.”
Peterson had just eight carries for 18 yards during the game, and a big reason why is that the Vikings trailed 21-0 by halftime, and essentially turned away from using Peterson as the focal point of the offense. Among all the games Peterson has finished healthy in his career, Sunday’s was the fewest carries and lowest rushing total since December of his rookie year.
By the end of Sunday’s lopsided defeat, the Vikings had been outgained by a healthy margin: 447 yards to 149. That paltry total for the Vikings included just 31 rushing yards and 118 yards through the air. About the only positive came when Cordarrelle Patterson returned a kickoff for a touchdown and saved the Vikings from being shut out at home.
After Peterson mentioned the Vikings coaching staff, he was asked how he thought the Vikings had been outcoached.
“So many different areas,” Peterson said. “And outplayed, too, in so many different areas as far as players as well.”
Did his assessment have anything to do with getting just eight carries?
“What you think?” Peterson asked rhetorically.
The reporter said yes, and Peterson silently gestured as if he agreed with the assessment.
Update: At the Star Tribune, Jim Souhan blames Teddy Bridgewater for the loss:
With Bridgewater at the helm, the Vikings’ offense on Sunday gave new meaning to the team’s Saturday morning gatherings, known as “The Donut Club.” Facing a defense that gave up 30 points at home the previous week, the Vikings’ offense produced zero points in a 38-7 loss, their only touchdown coming on a kickoff return that Cordarrelle Patterson may still be celebrating.
Patterson was so happy to cut Seattle’s lead to 28 points he may have asked where Adrian Peterson rented that camel.
The Seahawks stacked the line of scrimmage, playing only one safety deep, as is their custom. They dared the Vikings to run through them or pass over them. The Vikings accomplished neither.
That’s Bridgewater’s fault. He spent last December proving he could carry an NFL offense. He spent the first Sunday of this December demonstrating an alarming regression.
The operational theory for most observers this summer was that Bridgewater would thrive because of Peterson’s presence. Instead, the knowledge that the offense revolves around Peterson has turned Bridgewater into a overly cautious game manager instead of the confident passer he proved to be under less-advantageous circumstances at the end of his rookie season.
[…]
The last four games of the 2014 season, Bridgewater had completions of at least 40 yards. Over the last five weeks, he has only one completion of 40 yards or more.
There is a saying among those who build guitars: “Everything affects everything.” Translation: Changing one component could alter the way an instrument sounds, or functions, even if the new component is superior. Peterson’s return has made the Vikings a better team but has not had the desired effect on Bridgewater. Instead of capitalizing on defenses obsessed with Peterson, he has become obsessed with avoiding mistakes.
At this stage of his development, Bridgewater needs to be less like Ponder circa 2012 and more like Brett Favre circa forever. He needs to throw with confidence downfield. He needs to attack.
