PRE-BAG PRIMER
Thank you all for your submissions. We have another excellent crop of thoughts and questions to get through this week. Subjects include the Minnesota Vikings running back situation, cornerback Xavier Rhodes’ coverage ability, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and, my favorite topic of all, the NFL Catch Rule.
To submit questions for the Zone Coverage mailbag, contact BJ Reidell on Twitter @RobertReidell or through email at [email protected]. Additionally, please use the hashtag #VGTweet, as it makes collecting questions on Twitter considerably easier. Thank you.
ONE
THE ANSWER
I think this is about as good of a time as any to explain the origin of the VGTweet hashtag — as I understand it, that is — and my reasoning for using it as The Official hashtag of the mailbag.
So, I have been writing about the Vikings and sports in general since I graduated from college in 2014. Along the way, I have come across a boatload of excellent people and sports guys. Ted Glover, naturally, is right at the top of this list — primarily because I think he’s hysterical, but likely more importantly because I think he’s a great person.
When I originally started the mailbag over at Vikings Territory, I used the hashtag #VTMailbag — shoutout to Jayson Brown — and when I made the switch over to Zone Coverage, I needed a new hashtag, naturally.
Ted, as I mentioned before, has always had a way of making me (and countless others) laugh. And sometimes, if you say something particularly hilarious or well-informed or something else along those lines, Ted will reply to you stating, “This is a VGTweet”, which, of course, stands for “very good tweet”.
So, when I made the switch over to Zone Coverage, I contacted Ted and asked him if I could use it as the official hashtag because not only do I think he makes people feel like a million bucks by saying this to them, but I personally find it to be hilarious.
To me, a “VG Tweet” is anything that forces me to laugh out loud or think critically on a subject matter. And when I say “force,” I mean not by choice, but more by instinct — so, yes, I have laughed at the wrong times on numerous occasions throughout my life.
But, simply, the best way to put it is that anytime someone makes me feel good or feel smart or feel, really, any positive emotion. That, my friends, is a VGTweet, in my opinion.
TWO
https://twitter.com/MaxWolfgang_/status/943232325957152769
THE ANSWER
First of all — I want to make it explicitly clear that I am aware that this VG Tweet is a joke — and a funny one at that — but I am going to answer it seriously cause that’s just what I do sometimes.
So, the simple answer here is probably not. And the reason I believe that is because one of the primary reasons that Xavier Rhodes has so much success is due to his arms, particularly their length. He does an absolutely tremendous job using his length to affect the football and pass-catcher at the last possible moment, which has been a primary reason for his ascension to the top of his position.
But, honestly, this question seems to be more about Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Breshad Perriman than anything else. Perriman is an electric talent out of the University of Central Florida who is likely best known for running an absurd 4.27-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine back in 2015.
He certainly has a lot of tools that could help him find success in the NFL, but — at least to date — has failed to do so for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons is health, something he has struggled with essentially since the day he was drafted, but the more pertinent reason is that he has not done a great job running effective routes.
Rhodes has been outstanding all season against a handful of the greatest receivers in professional football, and, well, Perriman is not one of those guys. As I said before, he certainly has the talent to get there, but he hasn’t yet, and for that reason, I believe he probably could have some success covering Perriman with no arms, as he could hypothetically mirror him with his body and create tight windows for Joe Flacco to throw into.
THREE
THE ANSWER
This is an interesting question, one that I have discussed with Mr. Krier here on a number of occasions in the past. I don’t necessarily believe that Mike McCarthy and the Green Bay Packers are a “dirty” football team, but based off the reaction I have seen since the Aaron Rodgers injury, I’d say there is a distinct possibility that at least one or two players find their way on to Santa’s naughty list.
Protecting your own is part of playing in the NFL, and sometimes players — and coaches, for that matter — do not do a great job of this. Intending to injure another player for any reason is just not acceptable, and I really hope I’m not the only one voicing this opinion.
So, to keep this simple, I think it’s a possibility, but I do hope that the Vikings and Packers both play within the rules this weekend because, at the end of the day, the entertainment value of football is at its best when everyone is healthy.
FOUR
THE ANSWER
This is an excellent question, and I think you have a great perspective on how rivalry matchups work, CJ. So, as you noted in your Tweet, the Vikings are significant favorites in this SATURDAY matchup. That said, the game is being played at Lambeau Field during the month of December and this is still a matchup between two professional football teams.
So, are Packers considerably better when Rodgers is on the field? Absolutely, and it’s really not a debate at all. But, the Packers still have a handful of talented players, and the Vikings would be wise to view this game as if Rodgers was playing.
If they can bring the same mentality they have throughout the season, then yes, this should be an “easy” matchup for the Vikings. But the competitive mentality is important here, as beating any team twice in a year can be extremely difficult.
FIVE
THE ANSWER
Another excellent question, and, to be quite honest with you, I’m not sure I have the answer at this point in the year. So, as we all know, Dalvin Cook is a tremendous athlete and running back. He flashed elite potential prior to injury during his rookie season, and I think he’s a strong candidate to return to the field as good as he was or possibly even better upon finishing his ACL rehabilitation.
What Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon have accomplished in relief of Cook, however, has been nothing short of impressive. I think both players have fulfilled their contractual obligations this season and could very well be candidates to make more money on the open market if they see fit — keeping in mind that the Vikings could release Murray after this year and/or allow McKinnon to walk during free agency this offseason.
So, at this point, knowing what we do about the running back position, I think the Vikings could decide to pass on, as you said, what appears to be a very strong running back class.
Now, is it possible that this could change in a blink of the eye? Absolutely, this is the NFL after all. But until then, I think the Vikings and their fans should feel very comfortable with what they have at this particular position.
BONUS
THE ANSWER
Mark here really knows how to hit me where it hurts. So, for those who are not aware, I am not a big fan of the NFL’s catch rule. In fact, one might go so far as to say that I absolutely cannot stand it. It’s garbage, really.
I definitely would like to see the NFL make sweeping changes this offseason regarding a couple of rules, and The Catch Rule is at the top of this list for me. The rule is subjective in nature, as are a couple of other frustrating penalty calls, which puts the game in the hands of the referees far too frequently. I will never be someone to blame the referees, as I like to follow the “Don’t give them any reason” rule of thumb on subjective calls.
But, that said, I think The Catch Rule and also the ridiculous Fumble-Out-of-the-Back-of-the-End-Zone Rule need to be reviewed in a timely manner. I don’t necessarily know how to fix the The Catch Rule, but I do know that it desperately needs to be addressed if the quality of the NFL’s product is to continue to get better over time.
Follow BJ @RobertReidell on Twitter Dot Com for more Minnesota Vikings news and analysis.
And check out his Minnesota Vikings Podcast About the Labor with Drew Mahowald available on iTunes, Stitcher, Castbox and YouTube. New episodes post every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
