Mike Tice Thoughts
This week, I'm not going to give any Pre-Game comments, only post game comments for the Game versus Seattle. This is due to the uncertain situation about how much players are going to play. I expect a Vikings Loss by the way. I think against Tampa Bay they are going to have a tight ball game. I have seen mulitple remarks to Mike Tice's job security this week, so I figure I better comment on them.
The First comment comes from Jeremy Green. http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?id=2142807 at ESPN Insider
Mike Tice, Minnesota VikingsHe replaced Dennis Green (my father) after the 2001 season and took over a talented team that had been a regular playoff participant. Tice has made one playoff appearance in his first three seasons and it is generally accepted that his teams have underachieved. So this offseason, the Vikings underwent a major makeover. Gone is the so-called "cancer" Randy Moss. The belief is his departure will improve team chemistry. The defense has been overhauled (DC Fred Smoot, OLB Napoleon Harris and FS Darren Sharper have been added) and it looks like this team is more balanced than in previous seasons. Is this the year the Vikings will get over the hump? One thing is for sure -- Tice is working on the last year of his contract with a new ownership group in place. Will 10 wins and an early playoff loss be enough for Tice? Only time will tell.
He's wrong when he calls the 2001 team talented that team had about a half-dozen good players, a terrible O-line, and a bad Defense. The Defense was so bad they didn't have one player that would be considered good. So the team was down talent wise when Mike Tice took over.
I can't really speak to if Randy Moss was a "Cancer", and if his attitude distracted them from winning. I thought poor coaching, and a lousy defense had more to do with it, than Randy Moss' attitude. We shall see though.
PFW also commented on the situation, and they didn't really add anything new.
Charley Walters in the Pioneer Press today said the Vikings look like a 9-7 team and that deserves Mike Tice a contract extension.
My thoughts
1. Jeremy Green is dreaming if he thinks the 2001 Minnesota Vikings were anything close to a playoff team. As I said they had really gaping holes for a recap of their roster
http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/rosters.nsf/Annual/2001-min
2. The Vikings talent has no doubt improved under Tice bringing in players like Kevin Williams, Antoine Winfield, and Nate Burleson. But if the final product goes from a 6-0 start in 2003, to a 9-7 team in 2005. With a playoff win in-between. The progress on the field, is not correlating with the talent.
3. In 2003-The Vikings lost two late season games at Chicago and Arizona which they dominated. The reason they lost is because the Offense would play it so close to the vest they wouldn't let Daunte Culpepper throw in critical situations. This lack of balance. For instance at Chicago 393 yards with 10 points to 232 yards for the Bears. Versus Arizona 342 to 219 for yards, yet 17 points. The Cardinals had 98 yards more than half way through the forth.
4. The two 3-7 collaspes. I really don't know what injuries would have seriously contributed to such a collaspe.
5. The fact the only game they won in their last 5 regular season games last year, was versus a bad Lions team thanks to a botched extra point. This was no way indiciative of their talent.
6. Records of teams they lost to the second half of seasons.
2003-NYG 4-12, SD 4-12, OAK 4-12, CHI 7-9, Ariz 4-12, GB 10-6, Stl 12-4.
2004-NYG 6-10, Was 6-10, CHI 5-11, Sea 9-7, GB 10-6(2X), Ind 12-4.
So 8 of the 14 losses have been to teams that were below .500
They have lost games to the following starting QB's: Chad Hutchinson, Rex Grossman, Doug Flutie, Josh McCown, Rick Mirer, and Patrick Ramsey.
Conclusion: The Vikings have had serious coaching problems in the second half of seasons. I'm not sure if it's motivation, or just very poor X's and O's work. Loses like these are a sign of bad coaching. So the next question is what do I want for Mike Tice to get an extension.
I would look at anything less than a NFC title game berth as a lose cause, if all circumstances stay the way they are. I guess a real competive loss in the NFC semis would let me sign off. But their are things that could affect this. If Daunte Culpepper gets injured and Brad Johnson goes 8-8, since he really can't play, then I would have to agree to a Tice Extension. If the Vikings end real strong then I might look at things different (E.G. 0-5 start with 9-7 finish). It is basically going to come down to if I think the Vikings are a better team than the team that ended the 2003 season.
The First comment comes from Jeremy Green. http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?id=2142807 at ESPN Insider
Mike Tice, Minnesota VikingsHe replaced Dennis Green (my father) after the 2001 season and took over a talented team that had been a regular playoff participant. Tice has made one playoff appearance in his first three seasons and it is generally accepted that his teams have underachieved. So this offseason, the Vikings underwent a major makeover. Gone is the so-called "cancer" Randy Moss. The belief is his departure will improve team chemistry. The defense has been overhauled (DC Fred Smoot, OLB Napoleon Harris and FS Darren Sharper have been added) and it looks like this team is more balanced than in previous seasons. Is this the year the Vikings will get over the hump? One thing is for sure -- Tice is working on the last year of his contract with a new ownership group in place. Will 10 wins and an early playoff loss be enough for Tice? Only time will tell.
He's wrong when he calls the 2001 team talented that team had about a half-dozen good players, a terrible O-line, and a bad Defense. The Defense was so bad they didn't have one player that would be considered good. So the team was down talent wise when Mike Tice took over.
I can't really speak to if Randy Moss was a "Cancer", and if his attitude distracted them from winning. I thought poor coaching, and a lousy defense had more to do with it, than Randy Moss' attitude. We shall see though.
PFW also commented on the situation, and they didn't really add anything new.
Charley Walters in the Pioneer Press today said the Vikings look like a 9-7 team and that deserves Mike Tice a contract extension.
My thoughts
1. Jeremy Green is dreaming if he thinks the 2001 Minnesota Vikings were anything close to a playoff team. As I said they had really gaping holes for a recap of their roster
http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/rosters.nsf/Annual/2001-min
2. The Vikings talent has no doubt improved under Tice bringing in players like Kevin Williams, Antoine Winfield, and Nate Burleson. But if the final product goes from a 6-0 start in 2003, to a 9-7 team in 2005. With a playoff win in-between. The progress on the field, is not correlating with the talent.
3. In 2003-The Vikings lost two late season games at Chicago and Arizona which they dominated. The reason they lost is because the Offense would play it so close to the vest they wouldn't let Daunte Culpepper throw in critical situations. This lack of balance. For instance at Chicago 393 yards with 10 points to 232 yards for the Bears. Versus Arizona 342 to 219 for yards, yet 17 points. The Cardinals had 98 yards more than half way through the forth.
4. The two 3-7 collaspes. I really don't know what injuries would have seriously contributed to such a collaspe.
5. The fact the only game they won in their last 5 regular season games last year, was versus a bad Lions team thanks to a botched extra point. This was no way indiciative of their talent.
6. Records of teams they lost to the second half of seasons.
2003-NYG 4-12, SD 4-12, OAK 4-12, CHI 7-9, Ariz 4-12, GB 10-6, Stl 12-4.
2004-NYG 6-10, Was 6-10, CHI 5-11, Sea 9-7, GB 10-6(2X), Ind 12-4.
So 8 of the 14 losses have been to teams that were below .500
They have lost games to the following starting QB's: Chad Hutchinson, Rex Grossman, Doug Flutie, Josh McCown, Rick Mirer, and Patrick Ramsey.
Conclusion: The Vikings have had serious coaching problems in the second half of seasons. I'm not sure if it's motivation, or just very poor X's and O's work. Loses like these are a sign of bad coaching. So the next question is what do I want for Mike Tice to get an extension.
I would look at anything less than a NFC title game berth as a lose cause, if all circumstances stay the way they are. I guess a real competive loss in the NFC semis would let me sign off. But their are things that could affect this. If Daunte Culpepper gets injured and Brad Johnson goes 8-8, since he really can't play, then I would have to agree to a Tice Extension. If the Vikings end real strong then I might look at things different (E.G. 0-5 start with 9-7 finish). It is basically going to come down to if I think the Vikings are a better team than the team that ended the 2003 season.
posted by Stew at 2:36 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home