Bright Lights
Kam Chancellor ...
Richard Sherman ... Russell Wilson ... Earl Thomas ... Doug Baldwin ... these
are the guys that have been playing for the NFL's greatest prize on the worlds
greatest stage. There has been much written about Pete Carroll ...
Seattle's Head Cheer Leader ... and his group of established veterans but most
of it isn't true. The question is, is this Viking team going to get caught
up in the bright lights or is it going to play ball to exploit the weaknesses in
every aspect of these flailing birdies. This is the game that Teddy is not
supposed to win.
As it turns out, our prior tilt with the Green Bay Packers was an excellent
dress rehearsal for this contest in that the key to victory is to not
underestimating the skills of Russell Wilson, as if you give him the opportunity
... he'll light you up. The question is ... exactly when are we going to
stop players like A. A. Ron Rodgers from performing multiple fist pumping
celebrations upon our field. Don't worry about it too much ... as if it
happens again ... expect peoples heads to roll. As Jimmy Johnson so
eloquently recently stated, he'd be willing to tell Troy Aikman to wake up in
one of his meetings ... but for you, there might never be another down you'd
ever play in the NFL. If you thought the physical nature of the NFL game
was brutal ... you might not be so inclined when you see real nature under Mike
Zimmer's wielding hand. Why? Everyone has a boss. The player
next to you doesn't have the patients for your repeated stupid stuff and someone
is waiting in the wings for their opportunity to prove that they have what it
takes to be a champion. Zimmer isn't here to waste time ... precious as it
is ... and he's willing to look at cards ... to see if the ball really just
might loves this guy (Antone Exum Jr.) ... as the ball does find a way into his
mitts.
There's another reason for Zimmer's consternation. It's questions like
these. Every day the question is asked. Do you have a player ... or
do you have a contract. Now apply that question to Bair Walsh or Mike
Wallace. Now apply it to Adrian Peterson. At some point in this
season, point-scoring has to be taken out of the hands of a contract and into
the hands of the Bridge Over So Much Trouble Waters ... dating back to
1961. At some point, Zimmer has to make his move on Teddy into making a
2-point conversion that releases him from tentative ... into warrior mode.
This option has to be practiced live repeatedly before playoff mode when there
is no choice. It is time to break the mold. At some point, Zimmer
has to say ... the way things have been going ... I really had nothing to lose
... only to gain. You can't miss extra points and field goals in games
when the Falcons can only put up 3 points. You don't coddle a kickers ego
... you must harden it ... in time, this is what he will appreciate. When
you're playing teams like the Packers, Cardinals and the Hawks ... every
opportunity at every possible point cannot be overlooked as a one point
differential can be integral to my defense. It is who we are and I'll make
no apologies for that.
For Mike Wallace, it's really not his fault. We swapped dead money with
the Dolphins, costing us a draft pick and leaving them the shorter end of the
stick. Spielman, on paper, is always improving the roster, granting Zimmer
useful tools that in this case was to open the field for Teddy to exploit.
We just haven't has the experience and continuity in our offensive line to
exploit it ... to this point, however each and every opportunity presented to
this group gives them the opportunity to gain both experience and
continuity. In time, something just might break in our favor but Teddy has
to remain upright for that to happen. The good news is that the NFL needs
players like Teddy to be healthy for the playoffs as no one wants to see
back-ups when the words Sudden Death Play Offs are in play.
During the rise of Russell Wilson, we played contest after contest in Seattle,
always wondering what might have transpired playing these contests in
Minnesota. It was a wish ... seeing those #12 flags fly ... understanding
that there really was no 12th man in Seattle after all. Anyone that knew
the Metrodome understood that the 12th man was fine ... if the Vikings were
winning, or were in contention ... but the fan base fell quiet when things
didn't go so well.
The true 12th man occurred playing out doors in Minnesota back when I was a
child and a Teenager. I would awake wondering what the weather would be
like in the old Met stadium. Would it be snow ... would it be rain ...
would it be wind? Then I'd think back to the People Eaters ... knowing
when that sun would eventually dip the true 12th man of winter would cast his
spell. It was then that Joe Kapp would ask the question ... did you want
to catch that ball with the laces up ... or the laces down ... after pounding
Grants rock all day long? Or think back to Jim Marshall chanting the words
... ODIN ... ODIN ... ODIN ... knowing that he stood right there in that end
zone ... and in their hearts ... while we watched the swaying light
towers. When the frozen of winter calls ... the 12th man has arrived ...
and he is now your constant companion. The weather of the mud bowl can
attest to it ... as the elements became our constant companion.
For the Vikings to lose to Green Bay, playing out doors ... all three phases of
our team needed to break down. Don't expect the same thing to happen this
Sunday versus the birdies. The whether... and the weather ... isn't your
tormentor ... it is the answer to a long held wish when all of the old salts
said ... tear the roof off that dome. Four of the last five games in this
season will be played in the elements and for the other birdies of Arizona ...
they will have wished that they played out doors too.
The Viking Ghost Writer
http://MyVikingBlood.org
Date: December 1, 2015