Business Decision September
30, 2021
In the NFL, when you hear
the phrase, "Business Decision", you know that what is about to follow
just isn't going to be good.
The Viking faithful just came off another embarrassing gut punch having to
stomach having Joseph destroy a monumental effort by this franchise to get its
first earned victory of the 2021 season, only to have to witness the latest
first half versus the Sea-A-Hole-Sea Cocks. After tasting the thrill of
that first 2021 victory of the year, we might be quick to forget exactly how demoralized
that first Viking half defense was. Essentially, to a man on
defense, each might be considering their own business decision of whether to
continue to fight or just chuck another game into the toilet. If you
didn't see that ... then you weren't paying attention to the
game.
Now I ask you, if you were to look up the phrase "Business Decision",
would there be a photo of Bashaud Breeland next to it? Is he the poster
child of today's NFL business decisions? When I see two Viking defenders
string out a run to the right, knowing the runner is desperate to get up the
side line, where instead Breeland lays back, instead of getting his nose
up-in-there as a free defender, to shut the run down for a loss, only to instead
see the runner turn it up the side-line for a substantial gain, then you can
begin to understand the issue. Breeland's decision is to avoid contact ...
especially in the run game. Then you see the leading members of our
defense chirping after Breeland's soft coverage on an out route defending the
end-zone. There is a reoccurring issue here & it is alarming in its
scope. Your decision to trust Breeland to play corner for this franchise
is ripping the hearts out of our defense.
To be direct, this 2021 defensive squad has the makings of an elite top 5
defense ... of this there is little doubt ... because you are extremely strong
up the middle when you need to be & you have an elite set of defenders that
can get after an immobile quarterback. With Breeland on the field ...
you've got a problem. His business decision results in non-contact
whenever possible which puts him out of position repeatedly. He's given up
almost 1/2 of this years points on defense & this is facing the weakest side
of the offense as the elite receivers are generally on the other side of the
field. As such you have no hope whatsoever of getting this defense to an
elite level. Do you think for one moment that every defender on that field
cannot see this? It is as clear as the nose on your face.
Now what you are about to hear I have never said primarily because of the
immaturity of so many elite NFL athletes that have acted so badly over these
many years. However, I without doubt applaud Mr. Dantzler's attempt to
"Chirp-out" his exact feelings when it comes to this franchise.
Sure he's immature & sure he lashed out where he could have applied a
greater degree of tact. but what he did put this organization in front of his
own career. Unless you are from another planet, if you speak out under
Head Coach Mike Zimmer's regime ... you'd be packing your bags soon
enough. In most instances, these immature Chirps are toxic & are
counterproductive however in this case Mr. Dantzler just might hold the correct
doctrine on the field that is the proof of Zimmer's
defense.
Here's the obvious difference. Dantzler is playing to get paid ... and
just pushed his chips in ... all in. Breeland is playing to continue to
get paid, before he gets his ass canned. These are complete obvious extremes.
As we all know, if Coach Zimmer were to aqueous, in his mind is the fore-thought
of setting a bad precedent. Therefore, Zimmer's safe & only play is to
accept the challenge by making Dantzler prove his salt. "So your
argument is that if I let you play ... I'll get that elusive top 5 rated defense
that I do desire ... sounds like a challenge?" Again, a top 5 defense
has nothing to do with yards gained ... but in points scored. This is the
key transition period of the season.
If Dantzler represents the future of this defense & Breeland clearly does
not ... what will this unit collectively do to make it so. In other words,
did that meeting with Herb Brooks actually happen where he was told so many
things. "It's too late ... yeah, I'm telling you to send him home ...
because we're a family". I've seen that Smith vs. Xavier Rhodes
disconnect exchange play out once again. Just because you have more
experience, only means that you found a way to steal resources (playing time)
& it is not a reflection in any way of our future. Past experience can
provide results but investing the resource into the correct basket is always
much more important. Dantzler, was a rookie under this franchises most
dire circumstances which maybe deserves just one more gesture in an attempt to
get "Cool Hand Luke's mind right" again. Give me his fight any
day over having my guts ripped open once again to all those pesky jackals.
I'd rather have hunger & grit than some sort of business
decision.
Klint Kubiak deserves Kudos' for his recognition & masterful use of Tyler
Conklin versus the Sea-Holes. When he chose to exploit the seams, using
Conklin's skills, he imparted the enumerable knowledge of Tom Brady's offensive
concepts, that to this point, no one seemed to completely understand. Seattle's
linebackers appeared to be running a Chinese Fire Drill having to defense runs,
screens along with Conklin "Tom-Brady-Center-Field"
exploitations. Now ladies & gentlemen, we pay to see the players on
the field play but for a moment, I would have loved to see the young Mr. Kubiak
calling this thing wide open - running on all cylinders. A wish to be a
fly on that wall after so many tormenting losses to this squad. I wonder
if it brought a tear to his old dad eye. Up to that point in time,
although the offense had been progressing, it did so banging its head against
the wall. Smooth sailing in what had been a tempest
sea.
There is no question that the measuring stick will be out for Rashod Hill in
this upcoming contest facing Myles Garret this week. Rashod has had two
very good games however this is clearly one of this leagues stellar
specimens. To be direct, it is just another challenge for Rashod however
to achieve success he's going to have to rely on what got him to this
point. His coaches see every detail ... every movement ... where he's
going to have to trust deeply in their words. Things always go badly &
nothing ever runs smoothly in the trenches, so do your best to keep an
"Even Keel" by not getting flustered or drawn into the depths.
The people around you believe in you & you are achieving well beyond
everyone's expectations. That may not sound reassuring however you can
take solace knowing that your production to this point is the sum of your body
of work. Only a very select few can ever achieve this which means you can
hang your head proud. Let that be your guide. You've been hear
before.
Golly, it's hard to
imaging that this was only Oli Udoh's 4th start. Can we allow ourselves to
begin to imagine him as a seasoned veteran? These coaches have finally
found something & they are now on track in investing their resources
(playing time) into the right baskets. In no time at all we may be talking
about Darrisaw & Davis but that's for another day. As for now,
hopefully they are honing, absorbing & digesting everything as one's feet
can be thrown into the fire at any moment. Shortcomings are a matter of
life out there where collective work & effort cannot idly stand by for a
pedestrian effort. Time evolves everything.
Now the following is going to be very difficult to hear however this comes
directly from L.C. Greenwood of the famed Steel Curtin Defense. This has
been screamed into my ear on several occasions now but the result was to deflect
six (6) Fran Tarkenton passes in the Super bowl. As you are well aware Sir
Francis was known as this leagues first successful scrambling quarterback ...
that is because he could buy time with his legs to torch defenses searching for
an opening during a down the field fire drill. What L.C. said was that
that famed Steel Curtin Defense made the conscious decision not to try to sack
Sir Francis but instead to stay in front of him. The result was deflected
passes.
Today, this franchise has already faced a plethora of mobile quarterbacks with
more to follow. What is counterproductive, in this regard, is the thought
that a defenders greatness of value is measured only in the number of sacks
recorded. This thought is counterproductive in that these successful
mobile quarterbacks, like A. A. Ron, have the very real ability to escape &
once that happens, the defense is made to pay a very dear price for it. In
other words, you personal goals of recording sacks at all costs are preventing a
team victory. Although L.C., playing from the defensive tackle position,
was most certainly correct in always staying in front of a mobile quarterback,
what is most important of all is for the pass rushers to maintain a "viable
position" at all times. In the back of that quarterbacks mind is
all that success which came from buying time from his mobility. In other
words, the clock is telling his feet to run. If those happy feet are going
to become mobile, it is best to allow him to come to you rather than having to
regret that you chucked the integrity of a collapsing pocket. It's not
always what you did but rather it is in what you left behind.
Losing the game, to a shredding
Kyler Murry may have done more to help prepare us for Seattle's Wilson than we
could have possibly imagined. Said another way, not every week do we face
an immobile Tom Brady. The only question that remains from the harshness
of the start of this 2021 season is did we actually learn something when it
comes to facing mobile quarterbacks. Sometimes position means everything
rather to rely upon an imaginary set of circumstances under the guise of an
imagined clock ... where the clock actually works in two directions. Time
collapses all pockets ... which is the last place a time borrowing quarterback
... with big play potential ... wants to be. D. J. Wonnum's strip sack of
A. A. Ron last year proved
that.
The Viking Ghost Writer
http://MyVikingBlood.org
Date: September 30, 2021
