quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

quote:

ORIGINAL: David F.

Our special teams are at an all-time low - and that is saying A LOT.

Atrocious.

• Kicking to Patterson.
• How do you have a guy on the punt team, with plenty of time, down the ball with his heel clearly on the line?
• Saving grace was the totally unforced muff that we recovered.

quote:

This was such a massive sequence in this one. 37 seconds left, Mata'afa gets pressure which forces Rodgers to throw in bounds, clock keeps moving, Packers can't get set and blow like 10 seconds and the next play is the strip sack.

quote:

ORIGINAL: David F.

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

quote:

ORIGINAL: David F.

Our special teams are at an all-time low - and that is saying A LOT.

Atrocious.

• Kicking to Patterson.
• How do you have a guy on the punt team, with plenty of time, down the ball with his heel clearly on the line?
• Saving grace was the totally unforced muff that we recovered.

Colquit's net punting average is currently dead last in the league. In fact he's #35. FG and PAT kicking is about all we have going for us.

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

The Ravens called the Vikings about Yannick Ngakoue and struck a deal.

Suddenly, the competition was wide open.

For the next three weeks, Mata’afa joined this party. He hadn’t played much edge rusher, staying mostly inside. He had tried linebacker for a few OTAs his rookie year but never as a hand-in-the-dirt edge rusher. The Vikings took a liking to this and activated him for their Week 8 game in Green Bay. He wasn’t fully promoted to the roster, but instead played as one of their COVID-19 exempt activations for the game. He played outside for 26 of his 32 snaps on defense. Those snaps went well, resulting in four pressures, including this heroic one:

quote:

This was such a massive sequence in this one. 37 seconds left, Mata'afa gets pressure which forces Rodgers to throw in bounds, clock keeps moving, Packers can't get set and blow like 10 seconds and the next play is the strip sack.

The Vikings promoted Mata’afa to the proper active roster on Nov. 6, just 24 days after his initial release and the clown emoji debacle. After a position switch, a social media hurricane, a firing and a re-hiring, Mata’afa was on the Vikings once again. And this time, he was in direct competition for a starting role. On Sunday’s game against the Lions, Mata’afa rotated with Holmes and Odenigbo, taking 27 defensive snaps. On those, he logged three more pressures and a split sack with Shamar Stephen.

https://zonecoverage.com/2020/minnesota-vikings-news/hercules-mataafa-from-clown-emoji-to-edge-rusher/

quote:

ORIGINAL: joejitsu

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

The Ravens called the Vikings about Yannick Ngakoue and struck a deal.

Suddenly, the competition was wide open.

For the next three weeks, Mata’afa joined this party. He hadn’t played much edge rusher, staying mostly inside. He had tried linebacker for a few OTAs his rookie year but never as a hand-in-the-dirt edge rusher. The Vikings took a liking to this and activated him for their Week 8 game in Green Bay. He wasn’t fully promoted to the roster, but instead played as one of their COVID-19 exempt activations for the game. He played outside for 26 of his 32 snaps on defense. Those snaps went well, resulting in four pressures, including this heroic one:

quote:

This was such a massive sequence in this one. 37 seconds left, Mata'afa gets pressure which forces Rodgers to throw in bounds, clock keeps moving, Packers can't get set and blow like 10 seconds and the next play is the strip sack.

The Vikings promoted Mata’afa to the proper active roster on Nov. 6, just 24 days after his initial release and the clown emoji debacle. After a position switch, a social media hurricane, a firing and a re-hiring, Mata’afa was on the Vikings once again. And this time, he was in direct competition for a starting role. On Sunday’s game against the Lions, Mata’afa rotated with Holmes and Odenigbo, taking 27 defensive snaps. On those, he logged three more pressures and a split sack with Shamar Stephen.

https://zonecoverage.com/2020/minnesota-vikings-news/hercules-mataafa-from-clown-emoji-to-edge-rusher/

27 plays, three pressures and half a sack. He also seemed to me in the mix on several other plays when he was in. He appears to be very comfortable coming off the edge.

quote:

ORIGINAL: joejitsu

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

The Ravens called the Vikings about Yannick Ngakoue and struck a deal.

Suddenly, the competition was wide open.

For the next three weeks, Mata’afa joined this party. He hadn’t played much edge rusher, staying mostly inside. He had tried linebacker for a few OTAs his rookie year but never as a hand-in-the-dirt edge rusher. The Vikings took a liking to this and activated him for their Week 8 game in Green Bay. He wasn’t fully promoted to the roster, but instead played as one of their COVID-19 exempt activations for the game. He played outside for 26 of his 32 snaps on defense. Those snaps went well, resulting in four pressures, including this heroic one:

quote:

This was such a massive sequence in this one. 37 seconds left, Mata'afa gets pressure which forces Rodgers to throw in bounds, clock keeps moving, Packers can't get set and blow like 10 seconds and the next play is the strip sack.

The Vikings promoted Mata’afa to the proper active roster on Nov. 6, just 24 days after his initial release and the clown emoji debacle. After a position switch, a social media hurricane, a firing and a re-hiring, Mata’afa was on the Vikings once again. And this time, he was in direct competition for a starting role. On Sunday’s game against the Lions, Mata’afa rotated with Holmes and Odenigbo, taking 27 defensive snaps. On those, he logged three more pressures and a split sack with Shamar Stephen.

https://zonecoverage.com/2020/minnesota-vikings-news/hercules-mataafa-from-clown-emoji-to-edge-rusher/

27 plays, three pressures and half a sack. He also seemed to me in the mix on several other plays when he was in. He appears to be very comfortable coming off the edge.

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

quote:

ORIGINAL: joejitsu

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

The Ravens called the Vikings about Yannick Ngakoue and struck a deal.

Suddenly, the competition was wide open.

For the next three weeks, Mata’afa joined this party. He hadn’t played much edge rusher, staying mostly inside. He had tried linebacker for a few OTAs his rookie year but never as a hand-in-the-dirt edge rusher. The Vikings took a liking to this and activated him for their Week 8 game in Green Bay. He wasn’t fully promoted to the roster, but instead played as one of their COVID-19 exempt activations for the game. He played outside for 26 of his 32 snaps on defense. Those snaps went well, resulting in four pressures, including this heroic one:

quote:

This was such a massive sequence in this one. 37 seconds left, Mata'afa gets pressure which forces Rodgers to throw in bounds, clock keeps moving, Packers can't get set and blow like 10 seconds and the next play is the strip sack.

The Vikings promoted Mata’afa to the proper active roster on Nov. 6, just 24 days after his initial release and the clown emoji debacle. After a position switch, a social media hurricane, a firing and a re-hiring, Mata’afa was on the Vikings once again. And this time, he was in direct competition for a starting role. On Sunday’s game against the Lions, Mata’afa rotated with Holmes and Odenigbo, taking 27 defensive snaps. On those, he logged three more pressures and a split sack with Shamar Stephen.

https://zonecoverage.com/2020/minnesota-vikings-news/hercules-mataafa-from-clown-emoji-to-edge-rusher/

27 plays, three pressures and half a sack. He also seemed to me in the mix on several other plays when he was in. He appears to be very comfortable coming off the edge.

If Hercules and Wonnum continue their play, it makes the offseason very interesting.

As strapped as we are, if Hunter does make a big deal about wanting a new deal, you have to consider moving him.

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

quote:

ORIGINAL: joejitsu

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

The Ravens called the Vikings about Yannick Ngakoue and struck a deal.

Suddenly, the competition was wide open.

For the next three weeks, Mata’afa joined this party. He hadn’t played much edge rusher, staying mostly inside. He had tried linebacker for a few OTAs his rookie year but never as a hand-in-the-dirt edge rusher. The Vikings took a liking to this and activated him for their Week 8 game in Green Bay. He wasn’t fully promoted to the roster, but instead played as one of their COVID-19 exempt activations for the game. He played outside for 26 of his 32 snaps on defense. Those snaps went well, resulting in four pressures, including this heroic one:

quote:

This was such a massive sequence in this one. 37 seconds left, Mata'afa gets pressure which forces Rodgers to throw in bounds, clock keeps moving, Packers can't get set and blow like 10 seconds and the next play is the strip sack.

The Vikings promoted Mata’afa to the proper active roster on Nov. 6, just 24 days after his initial release and the clown emoji debacle. After a position switch, a social media hurricane, a firing and a re-hiring, Mata’afa was on the Vikings once again. And this time, he was in direct competition for a starting role. On Sunday’s game against the Lions, Mata’afa rotated with Holmes and Odenigbo, taking 27 defensive snaps. On those, he logged three more pressures and a split sack with Shamar Stephen.

https://zonecoverage.com/2020/minnesota-vikings-news/hercules-mataafa-from-clown-emoji-to-edge-rusher/

27 plays, three pressures and half a sack. He also seemed to me in the mix on several other plays when he was in. He appears to be very comfortable coming off the edge.

If Hercules and Wonnum continue their play, it makes the offseason very interesting.

As strapped as we are, if Hunter does make a big deal about wanting a new deal, you have to consider moving him.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Arlowe84

Interesting read on Hercules going undrafted

https://walterfootball.com/wu2018hmataafa.php

quote:

ORIGINAL: Arlowe84

quote:

ORIGINAL: joejitsu

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

The Ravens called the Vikings about Yannick Ngakoue and struck a deal.

Suddenly, the competition was wide open.

For the next three weeks, Mata’afa joined this party. He hadn’t played much edge rusher, staying mostly inside. He had tried linebacker for a few OTAs his rookie year but never as a hand-in-the-dirt edge rusher. The Vikings took a liking to this and activated him for their Week 8 game in Green Bay. He wasn’t fully promoted to the roster, but instead played as one of their COVID-19 exempt activations for the game. He played outside for 26 of his 32 snaps on defense. Those snaps went well, resulting in four pressures, including this heroic one:

quote:

This was such a massive sequence in this one. 37 seconds left, Mata'afa gets pressure which forces Rodgers to throw in bounds, clock keeps moving, Packers can't get set and blow like 10 seconds and the next play is the strip sack.

The Vikings promoted Mata’afa to the proper active roster on Nov. 6, just 24 days after his initial release and the clown emoji debacle. After a position switch, a social media hurricane, a firing and a re-hiring, Mata’afa was on the Vikings once again. And this time, he was in direct competition for a starting role. On Sunday’s game against the Lions, Mata’afa rotated with Holmes and Odenigbo, taking 27 defensive snaps. On those, he logged three more pressures and a split sack with Shamar Stephen.

https://zonecoverage.com/2020/minnesota-vikings-news/hercules-mataafa-from-clown-emoji-to-edge-rusher/

27 plays, three pressures and half a sack. He also seemed to me in the mix on several other plays when he was in. He appears to be very comfortable coming off the edge.

It's interesting Ngakoue has turned into a part time player with Baltimore as LBer in the 3-4
Granted they have a ton of talent in their front 7, but maybe Zimmer concluded he's just not that good.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mark Anderson

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

quote:

ORIGINAL: joejitsu

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

The Ravens called the Vikings about Yannick Ngakoue and struck a deal.

Suddenly, the competition was wide open.

For the next three weeks, Mata’afa joined this party. He hadn’t played much edge rusher, staying mostly inside. He had tried linebacker for a few OTAs his rookie year but never as a hand-in-the-dirt edge rusher. The Vikings took a liking to this and activated him for their Week 8 game in Green Bay. He wasn’t fully promoted to the roster, but instead played as one of their COVID-19 exempt activations for the game. He played outside for 26 of his 32 snaps on defense. Those snaps went well, resulting in four pressures, including this heroic one:

quote:

This was such a massive sequence in this one. 37 seconds left, Mata'afa gets pressure which forces Rodgers to throw in bounds, clock keeps moving, Packers can't get set and blow like 10 seconds and the next play is the strip sack.

The Vikings promoted Mata’afa to the proper active roster on Nov. 6, just 24 days after his initial release and the clown emoji debacle. After a position switch, a social media hurricane, a firing and a re-hiring, Mata’afa was on the Vikings once again. And this time, he was in direct competition for a starting role. On Sunday’s game against the Lions, Mata’afa rotated with Holmes and Odenigbo, taking 27 defensive snaps. On those, he logged three more pressures and a split sack with Shamar Stephen.

https://zonecoverage.com/2020/minnesota-vikings-news/hercules-mataafa-from-clown-emoji-to-edge-rusher/

27 plays, three pressures and half a sack. He also seemed to me in the mix on several other plays when he was in. He appears to be very comfortable coming off the edge.

If Hercules and Wonnum continue their play, it makes the offseason very interesting.

As strapped as we are, if Hunter does make a big deal about wanting a new deal, you have to consider moving him.

I think Obenigbo is the odd man out. Unless he takes 2-3M a year.

I think LB position will be interesting. I say dump Barr(even with dead cap hit) and pay Wilson.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Arlowe84

Still think you could have Barr put on 10 lbs and play him at DE.

Always thought he was out of position as LBer in 4-3

Basically 10 lbs and he's the same size as Doleman.
Could see him having a very productive next 5 years.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Arlowe84

Pass Rushing

Getting to the quarterback is where Barr's athletic talents will be best put to use in the NFL. It all starts with a quick first step and devastating speed. When Barr has a speed advantage on the edge, he's able to flatten out and turn the corner with flexibility.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Arlowe84

Still think you could have Barr put on 10 lbs and play him at DE.

Always thought he was out of position as LBer in 4-3

Basically 10 lbs and he's the same size as Doleman.
Could see him having a very productive next 5 years.

quote:

ORIGINAL: beo

quote:

ORIGINAL: Arlowe84

Pass Rushing

Getting to the quarterback is where Barr's athletic talents will be best put to use in the NFL. It all starts with a quick first step and devastating speed. When Barr has a speed advantage on the edge, he's able to flatten out and turn the corner with flexibility.

It's possible... but I haven't seen it...
Wilson is already getting to the QB with more consistency than I've seen Barr do since his rookie year.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Arlowe84

quote:

ORIGINAL: joejitsu

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

The Ravens called the Vikings about Yannick Ngakoue and struck a deal.

Suddenly, the competition was wide open.

For the next three weeks, Mata’afa joined this party. He hadn’t played much edge rusher, staying mostly inside. He had tried linebacker for a few OTAs his rookie year but never as a hand-in-the-dirt edge rusher. The Vikings took a liking to this and activated him for their Week 8 game in Green Bay. He wasn’t fully promoted to the roster, but instead played as one of their COVID-19 exempt activations for the game. He played outside for 26 of his 32 snaps on defense. Those snaps went well, resulting in four pressures, including this heroic one:

quote:

This was such a massive sequence in this one. 37 seconds left, Mata'afa gets pressure which forces Rodgers to throw in bounds, clock keeps moving, Packers can't get set and blow like 10 seconds and the next play is the strip sack.

The Vikings promoted Mata’afa to the proper active roster on Nov. 6, just 24 days after his initial release and the clown emoji debacle. After a position switch, a social media hurricane, a firing and a re-hiring, Mata’afa was on the Vikings once again. And this time, he was in direct competition for a starting role. On Sunday’s game against the Lions, Mata’afa rotated with Holmes and Odenigbo, taking 27 defensive snaps. On those, he logged three more pressures and a split sack with Shamar Stephen.

https://zonecoverage.com/2020/minnesota-vikings-news/hercules-mataafa-from-clown-emoji-to-edge-rusher/

27 plays, three pressures and half a sack. He also seemed to me in the mix on several other plays when he was in. He appears to be very comfortable coming off the edge.

It's interesting Ngakoue has turned into a part time player with Baltimore as LBer in the 3-4
Granted they have a ton of talent in their front 7, but maybe Zimmer concluded he's just not that good.

quote:

ORIGINAL: bohumm

quote:

ORIGINAL: Arlowe84

quote:

ORIGINAL: joejitsu

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

The Ravens called the Vikings about Yannick Ngakoue and struck a deal.

Suddenly, the competition was wide open.

For the next three weeks, Mata’afa joined this party. He hadn’t played much edge rusher, staying mostly inside. He had tried linebacker for a few OTAs his rookie year but never as a hand-in-the-dirt edge rusher. The Vikings took a liking to this and activated him for their Week 8 game in Green Bay. He wasn’t fully promoted to the roster, but instead played as one of their COVID-19 exempt activations for the game. He played outside for 26 of his 32 snaps on defense. Those snaps went well, resulting in four pressures, including this heroic one:

quote:

This was such a massive sequence in this one. 37 seconds left, Mata'afa gets pressure which forces Rodgers to throw in bounds, clock keeps moving, Packers can't get set and blow like 10 seconds and the next play is the strip sack.

The Vikings promoted Mata’afa to the proper active roster on Nov. 6, just 24 days after his initial release and the clown emoji debacle. After a position switch, a social media hurricane, a firing and a re-hiring, Mata’afa was on the Vikings once again. And this time, he was in direct competition for a starting role. On Sunday’s game against the Lions, Mata’afa rotated with Holmes and Odenigbo, taking 27 defensive snaps. On those, he logged three more pressures and a split sack with Shamar Stephen.

https://zonecoverage.com/2020/minnesota-vikings-news/hercules-mataafa-from-clown-emoji-to-edge-rusher/

27 plays, three pressures and half a sack. He also seemed to me in the mix on several other plays when he was in. He appears to be very comfortable coming off the edge.

It's interesting Ngakoue has turned into a part time player with Baltimore as LBer in the 3-4
Granted they have a ton of talent in their front 7, but maybe Zimmer concluded he's just not that good.

This is what I heard from Matthew Coller. The trade is a big-time fail in the pro personnel scouting. You only make that trade if you plan to extend him at a high salary; figuring out after you've got him that he's not worth it is inexcusable.

quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

quote:

ORIGINAL: beo

quote:

ORIGINAL: Arlowe84

Pass Rushing

Getting to the quarterback is where Barr's athletic talents will be best put to use in the NFL. It all starts with a quick first step and devastating speed. When Barr has a speed advantage on the edge, he's able to flatten out and turn the corner with flexibility.

It's possible... but I haven't seen it...
Wilson is already getting to the QB with more consistency than I've seen Barr do since his rookie year.

Barr: 87 games. 15 sacks, 8 FF, 38 QB Hits, 26 PDs, 2 INTs. (7.5 of his 15 sacks and 5 of his 8 FFs came in his first 2 years)

Wilson, 2020: 9 games. 3.5 sacks, 1 FF, 7 QB Hits, 4 PDs, 3 INTs.