Week #4 - @ Minnesota Vikings

[MGMT]

It’s already Tuesday which means our next game is less than a week away which I would consider positive news for a Tuesday.

Kirk Cousins is seemingly playing well:

He hasn’t been intercepted; he’s completing 73.9% of his passes albeit on 7.7 YPA. Overall he’s 88/119. I know they’re just counting stats without context, but you’re going to struggle to convince me that he hasn’t been perfectly solid with his 8 TDs.

Offensively they’ve been running for 128 YPG at 4.5 yards per attempt but I’d venture to guess this is largely in part to Dalvin Cook. He’s ruled out this week — hint hint.

44% of passing attempts against their defense are going for 1st downs which — isn’t ideal for them. They’re also allowing almost 4.8 YPC as a rush defense.

i would like to be more thorough but I’m on my phone and want to kick start game discussion for the week. Cook being out is a big deal but we are still going to have our hands full with this air attack; the good news is — I think we match up favorably from an offensive standpoint.

what are everyone’s thoughts? Week 4 baby; we only get so many a year.

 

[col63onel]

He hasn’t been intercepted; he’s completing 73.9% of his passes albeit on 7.7 YPA. Overall he’s 88/119. I know they’re just counting stats without context

*puts Math teacher hat on*

A percent or an average are not counting stats. Counting stats are discrete and almost always are only measured in whole numbers (sacks, where you can get .5 of a sack is still a counting stat).

Completion % and YPA are rate stats.

 

[2 For The Brew]

We were fortunate that the Bears offense is awful and our defense stepped up. Offense had so many missed opportunities in the first half. Against a better team - and Minnesota is better than the Bears - failure to capitalize on opportunities on the road could cost us a winnable game. Baker was all over the place with first half passes.

AFC is a dogfight this year. Chiefs are 1-2 so no team is assured of anything.

I think part of the problem is that there is no preseason for most of the starters and it takes a few games to clean up errors. Let's clean up the unforced errors and we'll be fine.

 

[MGMT]

*puts Math teacher hat on*

A percent or an average are not counting stats. Counting stats are discrete and almost always are only measured in whole numbers (sacks, where you can get .5 of a sack is still a counting stat).

Completion % and YPA are rate stats.

well this is humiliating but I will leave it there for all to see the rest of the week

 

[col63onel]

well this is humiliating but I will leave it there for all to see the rest of the week

Public shaming is the key to top level educating, IMO.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

The Vikings have played well. They are a well-coached team, and a well-coached team with average talent is a hard team to beat in the NFL.

The Browns are a better-coached team with more talent on the field. I'd expect us to be favored.

On offense, the Vikings offensive line has always been a weakness. Well, in the past few drafts they've added Darrisaw/Cleveland/Bradbury/Davis. They've added a ton of talent that really fits what they like to do well--and that's run wide zone.

I expect us to use our wide-zone stopping defense this week, which means more than four guys up on the line of scrimmage nearly every play. I think that JOK could be a very nice weapon to have, as his speed and ability to slip through traffic around the line of scrimmage should be incredibly valuable here, especially if Dalvin Cook is healthy.

Their passing game is set up by their run game. It's play action that will kill you. Justin Jefferson is the 1A, and he's getting to that Stefon Diggs level where you can't expect anyone to cover him one-on-one. Luckily, outside of JJ, there isn't much left in Minnesota. Osborn is just a guy, and Thielen has slowed. He's still a red zone weapon that you need to account for, but he's not the threat he once was.

On defense, they've gotten exploitable. Zimmer has had tremendous defenses in Minnesota for a while, but their secondary appears cooked. Patrick Peterson is a shell of his former self, and without speed on the back end, they're susceptible to big plays. Just make sure Danielle Hunter doesn't destroy Baker, and make sure to account for Harrison Smith's intelligence and savvy, and you should be set. The worst thing Baker could do outside of taking a strip-sack from Hunter, or not seeing Smith bait him into a bad throw, is lay a receiver out with a hospital ball--Woods and Smith might be the hardest hitting safety duo in the league. Let's not get anyone killed this week.

 

[2 For The Brew]

Public shaming is the key to top level educating, IMO.

Great scene in "Stand and Deliver" (one of my very favorite movies) where a student who wasn't engaged had to sit in front of the class. My son's seventh grade history teacher did something similar - if a student (almost always male - props BTW to any seventh grade teachers, that's the worst age) was not paying attention, he'd make the kid stand at his desk. In order to sit, he had to answer a question correctly (but not earlier than the teacher calling on a few other students first). Very effective technique. NOBODY likes public shaming.

First episode of "The Paper Chase" (TV) had this as a theme. John Houseman was awesome in that series.

 

[tristan+kyrie=$]

going to be poolside in Vegas watching this at the new Circa pool sportsbook...hope to see a bunch of browns fans there as well

 

[bob2the2nd]

Public shaming is the key to top level educating, IMO.

my father is a firm believer that mandatory testing should continue through your life to encourage those people that fall behind to continue education. Also to serve as a reminder that they are in fact not as smart as they think they are


as far as the game goes i think we see the browns pound the ball. I watched a good chunk of the seahawks/vikings game and the seahawks had their way running the ball for the most part. There is zero reason the browns shouldnt just continue the two man attack. The vikings actually seemed pretty well prepared for Wilson, which gives me even more reason to lean on the rush attack just a bit more

 

[Randolphkeys]

(almost always male - props BTW to any seventh grade teachers, that's the worst age)

I've focused professionally on 7th grade the past 11 years.

How much of my persona on RCF has changed because of it? Probably a lot...

 

[bs80]

It’s already Tuesday which means our next game is less than a week away which I would consider positive news for a Tuesday.

Kirk Cousins is seemingly playing well:

He hasn’t been intercepted; he’s completing 73.9% of his passes albeit on 7.7 YPA. Overall he’s 88/119. I know they’re just counting stats without context, but you’re going to struggle to convince me that he hasn’t been perfectly solid with his 8 TDs.

Offensively they’ve been running for 128 YPG at 4.5 yards per attempt but I’d venture to guess this is largely in part to Dalvin Cook. He’s ruled out this week — hint hint.

44% of passing attempts against their defense are going for 1st downs which — isn’t ideal for them. They’re also allowing almost 4.8 YPC as a rush defense.

i would like to be more thorough but I’m on my phone and want to kick start game discussion for the week. Cook being out is a big deal but we are still going to have our hands full with this air attack; the good news is — I think we match up favorably from an offensive standpoint.

what are everyone’s thoughts? Week 4 baby; we only get so many a year.

Wait, where have you seen that Dalvin Cook has already been ruled out against us?

 

[2 For The Brew]

I've focused professionally on 7th grade the past 11 years.

How much of my persona on RCF has changed because of it? Probably a lot...

Much respect for that. From what I've seen there are too few men in teaching, particularly at that grade level. My son's male teacher was a godsend because my kid didn't like most female teachers and the feeling was mutual. Some boys just need teachers that are either male OR are the type of female teacher that gets boys and is as effective or more effective than the men (like my wife's best friend). Jr High is a tough age for everyone.

Funny thing was that the "enforcer" vice principal 7th - 8th at his school was the wife of a co-worker. Thin & wiry, short black hair, wore her cell phone on a hip holster, mother of five, total badass that even the tough kids at the school respected.

 

[DJTJ]

The Vikings have played well. They are a well-coached team, and a well-coached team with average talent is a hard team to beat in the NFL.

The Browns are a better-coached team with more talent on the field. I'd expect us to be favored.

On offense, the Vikings offensive line has always been a weakness. Well, in the past few drafts they've added Darrisaw/Cleveland/Bradbury/Davis. They've added a ton of talent that really fits what they like to do well--and that's run wide zone.

I expect us to use our wide-zone stopping defense this week, which means more than four guys up on the line of scrimmage nearly every play. I think that JOK could be a very nice weapon to have, as his speed and ability to slip through traffic around the line of scrimmage should be incredibly valuable here, especially if Dalvin Cook is healthy.

Their passing game is set up by their run game. It's play action that will kill you. Justin Jefferson is the 1A, and he's getting to that Stefon Diggs level where you can't expect anyone to cover him one-on-one. Luckily, outside of JJ, there isn't much left in Minnesota. Osborn is just a guy, and Thielen has slowed. He's still a red zone weapon that you need to account for, but he's not the threat he once was.

On defense, they've gotten exploitable. Zimmer has had tremendous defenses in Minnesota for a while, but their secondary appears cooked. Patrick Peterson is a shell of his former self, and without speed on the back end, they're susceptible to big plays. Just make sure Danielle Hunter doesn't destroy Baker, and make sure to account for Harrison Smith's intelligence and savvy, and you should be set. The worst thing Baker could do outside of taking a strip-sack from Hunter, or not seeing Smith bait him into a bad throw, is lay a receiver out with a hospital ball--Woods and Smith might be the hardest hitting safety duo in the league. Let's not get anyone killed this week.

I watched the Cardinals/Vikings game and this is basically spot on.

The one thing I’ll add- Arizona running backs gashed them from the shot gun. I expect Kareem Hunt to be a major focal point.

 

[ChicagoCavFan]

Yea, I wouldn't count Cook out (he's on my fantasy team, so I am all knowing). He was questionable Sunday, so I picked up his backup and ended up starting him Sunday morning....but it was a "wait and see" on Sunday. I expect it to improve this week (think it was his ankle)...

 

[bubba52782]

Yea, I wouldn't count Cook out (he's on my fantasy team, so I am all knowing). He was questionable Sunday, so I picked up his backup and ended up starting him Sunday morning....but it was a "wait and see" on Sunday. I expect it to improve this week (think it was his ankle)...

I think we can't sleep on his back up, Alexander Mattison, either. Is he Dalvin Cook? No of course not. But he did rush for over 100 yards, over 4 yards a carry, and had another 6 catches for almost 60 yards on the day. Pretty solid.