Week 2 Recap: Dolphins @ Vikings

We knew it was going to be hard to repeat the same success as last year with a much tougher schedule (especially, right out of the gates)...however, losing home games...to the Dolphins of all teams...is gut-wrenching and depressing...here's what stood out for me during this game:

* Electing to go for a fourth down (and not converting) and not getting any points on the board with at least a field goal during the first drive of the game was a mistake. The Vikings are playing with a short deck on offense and should take any and all scoring possibilities available to them. Unless we are up against the clock and playing from behind, this team just needs to put points on the board whenever they can.

* I find it a little troublesome that our defense has let up two touchdowns in the opening drives of each game. Miami targeted Lito Sheppard for two of the biggest plays on that drive that resulted in the touchdown. Was it just me or when you saw Lito Sheppard turned around on those plays and seeing him sporting the #29 jersey (by the way, never a good sign to be able to see the whole backside of a defensive back during the game) didn't you yearn for Chester Taylor to be back on our squad...?? I miss him and so does our offense.

* Brett didn't play that well, but he has NO wide receivers stepping up. Percy bobbled the ball into the air for the interception at the goal line. Bernard Berrian was pathetic. On the other two interceptions, Brett put the ball up hoping Berrian could make a play on the ball (pretty much did this all of last year with Sidney Rice). Not only does he not make a play...he doesn't even try to turn into a defender and disrupt the ball and/or defender to break up the interception. Like I said, Brett didn't play well...but, these receivers are not doing him any favors. Shiancoe is pretty much the most reliable receiver...credit Shiancoe for his play and improvement, but that's not an ideal candidate to have as your "go to" receiver when the team was considered a Super Bowl contender at the beginning of the year.

* Toby Gerhart looked solid in limited time. However, with the offense looking very pedestrian like in Childress' first few years on the job...wouldn't you rather have an undersized, but explosive play maker like Jahvid Best rather than the lumbering and bruising Gerhart? Adrian Peterson is a one of kind running back, anyone you roll out there will be considered a change of pace compared to him...and if Childress had an ideal plan entering the season to pound the rock relentlessly at opponents, that's fine...however, when we play from behind our game plan gets thrown out the window quicker than Tim Brewster changing coordinators.

* Do the Vikings pursue Vincent Jackson? I think they have to. Not because I think it's a good move short term and/or long term. Mainly, because the Vikings need to do whatever they have to do to get into postseason, since they pretty much already went all in by begging Brett Favre to come back. And let's not forget about other elephants in the room such as the possible lockout in 2011 and the Vikings REALLY want to parlay another successful season into a new stadium.

* The defense played well (only really allowed 7 points, on the first drive of the game), but I still feel that they're not playing up to their potential. Miami didn't score much, but they were able to extend drives and take valuable time off the clock. When we needed three and outs, Miami converted crucial 3rd downs...not enough to score (field goals or touchdowns), but enough to put our mediocre offense in a position to have to drive the length of the field in order for us to score points.

SBG