What can I say
By Tom Grout
November 12, 2007
You know, just what can I say about the Viking/Packer game? Well, one good thing I can say is that they did it together as a team. Offense, defense, coaching, they are all to blame.
The Viking defense just couldn't stop Brett Favre and the Packer offense. The Packers grinded it out on offense and kept the Vikings and Adrian Peterson off the field. They cut up the Viking defense at will and kept drives going with big third down and sometimes big fourth down plays. Favre pretty much kept the ball in the Packers hands for most of the game.
When the Vikings did get the ball they could not get a first down. In fact after the Vikings missed that third and one on thier first possession I knew it was over. Yeah I know, everyone calls me a pessimist, but hey I was right this time.
The Viking defense was missing Antoine Winfield but even if he was playing on Sunday it would not have made much differance. The Packers spred the Viking defense out so it made it hard to blitz so there was little or no pass rush all day. If there was a pass rush Favre's quick thinking and quick release got him out of it.
Pass coverage, pass coverage, can anyone in the Viking secondary explain what that is? Most of the time opposing recievers are open and when they are not they still manage to catch the ball sometimes after the Viking secondary goes into thier volleyball routine and bumps it to them.
Offensively the Vikings still don't have much imagination. That's where the coaching comes in. They need to mix it up a little, I mean, after the week Peterson had last week and all the media attention, they have to figure the Packers are going to key on the guy. They have to come up with something else in thier offense to free him up a little.
I guess that's what I don't like about Brad Childress and his staff right now. In sports the key is to adjust. It's a constant thing and I don't care what sport it is everyone is adjusting to certain players or situations and the coaches and players who can adjust will survive. If you don't adjust you don't last very long. Childress just doesn't adjust.
Hey Tom! You really seem to know what you are talking about. Maybe you should go back to coaching softball...you were the best coach ever.
Curtis Granderson, Carlos Pena, Adrian Gonzales, Deric Barton, Hank Blaylock, Brad Hawpe, Garrett Adkins, or Ryan Braun all sound like better additions to the Twins than the cuddly, ever-lovable Mr. Bonds. Rather than someone who may contribute for only a year or two, the goal should be to add strong young talent. If the Twins resign Silva, which they seem intent on doing, then there is no reason not to trade some of the dying-on-the-vine 4A pitching for a couple of these guys. We could have had Texiera for Liriano a year ago. If Hunter is not resigned, then presumably some money would be available for strong young talent, and adding one or two of these guys would take some of the sting out of loosing Hunter. It would also make us younger, and significantly better.
If you are insistent that the Twins add some big contract over-the-hill veteran, it should be a pitcher and not a hitter. Look at what Maddux did for the San Diego rotation -- an on-the-field pitching coach, and one with some credibility at that. We need our young pitchers to pitch like Maddux more than we need our young hitters to hit like Rondell White. If we can't pry Maddux away from the Padres, how about Jamie Moyer, Matt Morris, Mike Mussina, or Andy Pettite? You think they could teach Garza, Bonzer, Baker & Slowey something about the craft of pitching?
As for dumping Santana if we can't keep both he & Hunter, is your crane leaking? He's the best pitcher is baseball and, knock on wood, is not injury prone. He's in his prime. The Twins should be willing to pay market value. And with he, Silva, and maybe Mike Mussina in the rotation, we got a lot of trade bait to add 2-3 quality bats. Plus we can expect improvement from the guys we have. Morneau should bounce back, Mauer will be healthy (to start with), Bartlett will be healthy, and Cuddyer is still on the upswing. Loosing Hunter may give us the payroll room make some of these moves, which would improve the team and solidify the Twins' claim as contenders in 2008 and beyond.
Other than that, I agree with you 100%.
Are you serious? Moyer,Morris,Mussina,Pettite? Moyer and Mussina had era's over 5, the Twins don't score enough runs for these guys. The issue here is the Twins don't score enough runs. Had the Twins scored more runs the pitchers may have pitched better. Each time out they thought they needed to pitch a shutout to win.
oldtimer13 -- you missed the point on the pitching. I suggested that the Twins focus on the offense and get agressive about adding quality young offensive players. If they've got to have an old guy, I suggested a quality veteran pitcher with post season experience. The guys I named combined for 750+ innings this year and all were in double figures for wins. Between them they have 75 post-season appearances. You can't dump Santana and expect Silva to be the mentor to all the young guys -- Bonser, Baker, Slowey, Garza. If you want an ERA guy, you can probably find Alan Anderson and bring him back. My idea is qualitative upgrade rather than more one-ear fixes a la Rondell, Batista, and Gabe White. Your call.
Other than that, I agree with everything you said.
Turn out the lights....the party's over.....
best case...we get another top first round draft pick?? Worst case..they fire childress and they Hire Callahan LOL
Any chance we can put a call out to Bud Grant and Joe Kapp ?..
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