ESPN.com - NFL - Take 2: Jaguars vs. Vikings Friday, November 26, 2004
Scouts Inc.
Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Jaguars and Vikings. Now they're back with a
second look.
No quarterback in the NFL throws on the move better than Minnesota's
Daunte Culpepper. And what makes the Vikings passing game so consistently
effective when Culpepper leaves the pocket is the coordination between
Culpepper and his receivers. When you watch Minnesota on film, you see
very well defined and synchronized "scramble" rules that are clearly
practiced and refined.
CulpepperOne thing that really jumps out when studying the Vikings offense
is the lack of continuity and rhythm in their passing game in recent
weeks. You can count on one hand the number of times in one game that
Culpepper drops backs, plants his back foot, and delivers the ball on
time. Culpepper's outstanding mobility, and his ability to throw the ball
consistently on the move camouflage this lack of efficiency, but it is
very difficult to be consistent offensively when you rely too heavily on
improvisational plays.
The Vikings offense without Randy Moss has undergone a total
transformation. In recent weeks, their approach has been more methodical
and less explosive. Their passing game has lacked the big play element
that was its defining feature with Moss. The few times they do take deep
shots, they do it out of base personnel, and they "max protect."
PetersonWhen you break down the Jaguars defense, the first thing you
notice is the physical play of the interior defenders: DTs Marcus Stroud
and John Henderson, MLB Mike Peterson and SS Donovin Darius. They are
difficult to run against consistently, and Peterson in particular flashes
on film.
He was an outside linebacker in Indianapolis, and when he signed as a free
agent in Jacksonville a couple of years ago, he was moved to the middle,
where many felt he was too small to play effectively. Peterson plays fast,
and with relentless aggression, and he is a force both against the run and
pass. When the Jaguars go to their dime package, with six defensive backs,
he is the only linebacker who stays on the field.
FavorsOne player who could prove to be a significant factor in this
matchup is Jaguars DE Greg Favors. Favors is a former linebacker who has
played very well for Jacksonville as a starting defensive end, and he
brings linebacker quickness and speed to the equation. The Jaguars blitz
packages are predominantly zone blitz schemes, and Favors can effectively
drop into coverage and defend the underneath zones. In addition, that puts
him in position to defend Culpepper's mobility, which has become an
increasing element of the Vikings offense.
The Vikings front seven must play with more discipline in this matchup
against the Jaguars running game, and Fred Taylor in particular. Last week
against the Lions, the Vikings run defense was erratic and inconsistent.
Their defensive line struggled to hold the point, and their linebackers at
times did not fill in the correct gaps, leading to huge running lanes for
Detroit's Kevin Jones.
In studying the tape, one thing that stood out was the inconsistent play
of their DTs, a rotation that features Kevin Williams, Spencer Johnson and
Steve Martin. They must do a better job stalemating double-teams at the
point of attack, or the Vikings linebackers will have little chance to
flow to the football.
In breaking down the Vikings offense, we noticed that LOT Bryant McKinnie
and LOG Chris Liwienski -- struggle at times handling stunts by the
defensive line. McKinnie, in particular, seems a step slow in recognizing
the stunts, and his inability to pick them up mentally has led to physical
breakdowns in pass protection. Overall, after careful film study, it is
evident that McKinnie still lacks the toughness and strength necessary to
be an elite left tackle in the NFL.
WinfieldWhen we study the Vikings defense, the player who continually
flashes is CB Antoine Winfield. Even though he's a corner who is normally
removed from the offensive formation due to his coverage responsibilities,
Winfield is the player who gives the Vikings defense its physical
presence. In the Vikings nickel package, Winfield comes down inside and
plays over the slot, where he can be more effective in defending the
running games that work out of three receiver offensive sets.
Defensively, the Vikings struggle to defend the run in their base 4-3
personnel. If they can do a better job of controlling the opposing
offense's running game, then they will force more long yardage situations.
The Vikings, on film, are much better defensively with their nickel and
dime sub packages. They played a 3-2-6 package against the Lions last
week, with the defensive ends being Williams and Lance Johnstone.
Johnstone is the Vikings defensive wild card; he is the only defensive
lineman who can apply any kind of consistent pressure on the quarterback,
and at times, defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell moves him around,
including standing him up as a linebacker.
The best chance for the Jags to establish consistency play-to-play and
game-to-game is for Taylor to be the foundation. If the Jaguars feature
Taylor, they will dictate eight in the box, single high safety defenses,
and that will then create the one-on-one matchups on the outside that they
can exploit, especially with Jimmy Smith.
Special Teams
The Vikings will look to exploit a Jaguars' special teams unit that is out
of sorts right now. Not only is Chris Hanson's punting been more
inconsistent than ever in the past, the cover units -- both punt and
kickoff -- have been atrocious recently. The Jaguars inability to bottle
up Detroit RS Eddie Drummond (two returns for touchdowns vs. Jacksonville
in Week 10) single-handedly lost them a football game they should have
won.
Vikings PR Nate Burleson has shown explosive return ability this
season. He and KOR Onterrio Smith are players to keep an eye on in this
game.
The Vikings' cover teams haven't been nearly as inconsistent as
Jacksonville's, but they also suffered a breakdown versus Drummond
(92-yard TD last week) and need to patch things up in order to prevent
another big return versus PR Jermaine Lewis and KOR Troy Edwards.
Prediction: Vikings 27, Jaguars 23
Scouts Inc.
Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Jaguars and Vikings. Now they're back with a
second look.
No quarterback in the NFL throws on the move better than Minnesota's
Daunte Culpepper. And what makes the Vikings passing game so consistently
effective when Culpepper leaves the pocket is the coordination between
Culpepper and his receivers. When you watch Minnesota on film, you see
very well defined and synchronized "scramble" rules that are clearly
practiced and refined.
CulpepperOne thing that really jumps out when studying the Vikings offense
is the lack of continuity and rhythm in their passing game in recent
weeks. You can count on one hand the number of times in one game that
Culpepper drops backs, plants his back foot, and delivers the ball on
time. Culpepper's outstanding mobility, and his ability to throw the ball
consistently on the move camouflage this lack of efficiency, but it is
very difficult to be consistent offensively when you rely too heavily on
improvisational plays.
The Vikings offense without Randy Moss has undergone a total
transformation. In recent weeks, their approach has been more methodical
and less explosive. Their passing game has lacked the big play element
that was its defining feature with Moss. The few times they do take deep
shots, they do it out of base personnel, and they "max protect."
PetersonWhen you break down the Jaguars defense, the first thing you
notice is the physical play of the interior defenders: DTs Marcus Stroud
and John Henderson, MLB Mike Peterson and SS Donovin Darius. They are
difficult to run against consistently, and Peterson in particular flashes
on film.
He was an outside linebacker in Indianapolis, and when he signed as a free
agent in Jacksonville a couple of years ago, he was moved to the middle,
where many felt he was too small to play effectively. Peterson plays fast,
and with relentless aggression, and he is a force both against the run and
pass. When the Jaguars go to their dime package, with six defensive backs,
he is the only linebacker who stays on the field.
FavorsOne player who could prove to be a significant factor in this
matchup is Jaguars DE Greg Favors. Favors is a former linebacker who has
played very well for Jacksonville as a starting defensive end, and he
brings linebacker quickness and speed to the equation. The Jaguars blitz
packages are predominantly zone blitz schemes, and Favors can effectively
drop into coverage and defend the underneath zones. In addition, that puts
him in position to defend Culpepper's mobility, which has become an
increasing element of the Vikings offense.
The Vikings front seven must play with more discipline in this matchup
against the Jaguars running game, and Fred Taylor in particular. Last week
against the Lions, the Vikings run defense was erratic and inconsistent.
Their defensive line struggled to hold the point, and their linebackers at
times did not fill in the correct gaps, leading to huge running lanes for
Detroit's Kevin Jones.
In studying the tape, one thing that stood out was the inconsistent play
of their DTs, a rotation that features Kevin Williams, Spencer Johnson and
Steve Martin. They must do a better job stalemating double-teams at the
point of attack, or the Vikings linebackers will have little chance to
flow to the football.
In breaking down the Vikings offense, we noticed that LOT Bryant McKinnie
and LOG Chris Liwienski -- struggle at times handling stunts by the
defensive line. McKinnie, in particular, seems a step slow in recognizing
the stunts, and his inability to pick them up mentally has led to physical
breakdowns in pass protection. Overall, after careful film study, it is
evident that McKinnie still lacks the toughness and strength necessary to
be an elite left tackle in the NFL.
WinfieldWhen we study the Vikings defense, the player who continually
flashes is CB Antoine Winfield. Even though he's a corner who is normally
removed from the offensive formation due to his coverage responsibilities,
Winfield is the player who gives the Vikings defense its physical
presence. In the Vikings nickel package, Winfield comes down inside and
plays over the slot, where he can be more effective in defending the
running games that work out of three receiver offensive sets.
Defensively, the Vikings struggle to defend the run in their base 4-3
personnel. If they can do a better job of controlling the opposing
offense's running game, then they will force more long yardage situations.
The Vikings, on film, are much better defensively with their nickel and
dime sub packages. They played a 3-2-6 package against the Lions last
week, with the defensive ends being Williams and Lance Johnstone.
Johnstone is the Vikings defensive wild card; he is the only defensive
lineman who can apply any kind of consistent pressure on the quarterback,
and at times, defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell moves him around,
including standing him up as a linebacker.
The best chance for the Jags to establish consistency play-to-play and
game-to-game is for Taylor to be the foundation. If the Jaguars feature
Taylor, they will dictate eight in the box, single high safety defenses,
and that will then create the one-on-one matchups on the outside that they
can exploit, especially with Jimmy Smith.
Special Teams
The Vikings will look to exploit a Jaguars' special teams unit that is out
of sorts right now. Not only is Chris Hanson's punting been more
inconsistent than ever in the past, the cover units -- both punt and
kickoff -- have been atrocious recently. The Jaguars inability to bottle
up Detroit RS Eddie Drummond (two returns for touchdowns vs. Jacksonville
in Week 10) single-handedly lost them a football game they should have
won.
Vikings PR Nate Burleson has shown explosive return ability this
season. He and KOR Onterrio Smith are players to keep an eye on in this
game.
The Vikings' cover teams haven't been nearly as inconsistent as
Jacksonville's, but they also suffered a breakdown versus Drummond
(92-yard TD last week) and need to patch things up in order to prevent
another big return versus PR Jermaine Lewis and KOR Troy Edwards.
Prediction: Vikings 27, Jaguars 23
