This is my first analysis here. I know other guys do it, but I just had to do one since they released the coaches film.
This is not a play-by-play. I am only covering questionable reads, big plays, etc. If it's not in here, there's nothing questionable about it, i.e, it's a good play that needs no further review.
First half. We spread them out. We were actually very effective. Moss had some key mistakes. Our receivers were not open the majority of the time. There were two questionable check downs, but the coverage was there to warrant them.
The over throw to Moss is on Smith.
Just to get it out of the way:
Ponder's TD Run.The best view is at 24:11. Ponder drops back. Sets his feet, pump fakes. It takes a full second for the pocket to start collapsing from the edges. Soap gets pushed out of the middle to his left, leaving a wide open lane up the middle. Great read, but he had enough time to make it. Good play.
First Offensive Drive
1. Pass to Delanie was a designed screen. Both WRs were blocking before the ball was thrown.
2. Real good pass to Davis who had a guy on his outside shoulder. Smith put it right on his inside shoulder where only he could catch it for a first down.
3. The first drop by Moss should have been caught.
4. On Alex's sack when he rolled out and braced himself for the sack, he had immediate pressure, avoided the first sack, no receiver was open. The sack was inconsequential, it was 3rd down and we punted anyway. Had he thrown it away we would have gained 2 yards. As he was rolling, he crept back up to the LOS.
Second Drive
1. Alex makes a good hot route read. Has immediate pressure right up the middle, throws it quick to Moss on an inside seam, Moss doesn't really attempt to catch it. Looks like the ball got there before Moss was ready for it. Alex looked immediately. Looks like a miscue on Moss.
2. Alex's slip. Moss was the read and the only guy open. Problem is, Moss doesn't look back until it's too late. He gets into the zone, and as he's turning around, a LB steps into the bottom of the zone. Pressure comes from the left side, Alex rolls and slips.
3. Boone still makes me laugh, although Gore might have gotten a lot more on the play. On second look, there was a Viking right there with the right angle, but Boone's shove seems to have thrown Gore into a different angle and velocity. He actually helped on the play.
4. at 16:42 in the video on the check down when Davis looks open, Smith is reads left, middle, check down. DB has WR covered, LB has Davis covered. As Smith goes to his check down, the linebacker pulls off, making it look like Davis is open. No other WR is open until Smith reads his check down.
5. Good throw to Moss on an out before he make his cut.
6. 18:00 Overthrow to Moss. I'm on the fence. Moss makes a great double move. Beats his defender flat out. Did he take the wrong angle? Smith has enough time gets hit just after the throw. It looks like it was just over thrown. But Moss has been making mistakes all day up to this point. Final verdict: Overthrown.
Third Drive
1. Smith's next rollout. He has Davis on a drag who is the only man open, but gets pressure when Jared Allen beats Staley. Smith avoids the sack. Davis ends up with two defenders just behind him, Alex tucks it and gains those yards anyway. Manningham is directly behind on of the defenders, and the throw would have been possible, but there's also a DB right behind him. Alex would have had to float it over a defender and risk the DB being able to make a play.
2. Checkdown to Crabs 28:27. It looks like Manningham makes a good move and gets open, but the DB on Walker slides off into the zone in front of Manningham, and the safety is just over the top. Alex could have made a bullet pass, but the DB could have made a lay on it.
3. 29:24 Quasi-Sack/Throwaway. Jared Allen just makes a damn good play after beating Staley again. Allen beats Staley to the outside, leaving a huge hole up the middle. Right side of the line is holding up fine. Alex starts running up the middle just like Ponder did, Allen manages to just barely grab him. Would have been a huge gain had Staley been able to hold half a second longer.
4. 29:50 Allen beats Staley again BAD. Staley gets beat so bad, he falls down. No receivers are open. Quick pass to Davis for a short gain.
5. Field goal blocked. They pushed EVERYONE back 5 yards.
Second half tomorrow.
Second Half
First Drive
1. Great kick return followed by 2 runs and a roll out. Davis had a designed outlet, but it looks like he let his block go to soon. Alex could have floated it over Gore and a defender to hit Crabtree in the end zone.
Second Drive
1. Designed roll out with a dump to Crabs in space, followed by a nice slant to Moss with a guy on his back shoulder and a LB dropping into the sone.
2. Pass to Manningham crossing over towards the sideline. Had Alex held the ball for another second, the deep man would have beat his coverage. He did read the deep man first, but was covered, went to his third read and rolled out of the pocket to give the receivers time to get open.
3. Nice out to Williams. Smith throws it before Williams turns.
4. Wheel to Davis. Dropped in just over the defender. Nice throw.
5. Got away with a false start. Alex makes a beautiful throw to a wide open Davis with a defender in Smith's face. Ponderesque.
The miracle TD to Rupdolph.
We have an all out blitz. Ponder in the shotgun. Bowman takes Cowboy's gap, allowing him to break off his block, Ponder stutter steps, panics, tosses up a prayer before Smith gets within arms reach. Adrian Peterson was wide open. There was never a chance of Ponder getting sacked.
Third Drive
1. Gore fumbles.
Fourth Drive
1. Pocket collapses, Smith runs for the first down. The DL just kept going as the left side started collapsing. The only open man before Alex runs is the left wideout, but since the left side got blown back, the DL was able to jump up, blocking the throwing lane as the right side came around.
2. ML delayed blitz. Good coverage down field. ML blitzes, literally throws Hunter backwards. Alex avoids the sack, starts to run, decides to throw to Williams. Throw is behind Williams. Manningham was there too, and probably would have been a better throw... he had some space.
Fifth Drive
1. Curl to Manningham. All the routes were underneath routes, except the right wideout. Smith reads the safety and throws it to Manningham, who, coincidentally, is the only guy open. Had Smith waited, he would have had his slot man open for huge yards.
2. Davis drops it. Ball is outside shoulder at the facemask.
3. Well covered cross to Davis. Cornerback dives, can't tell if he makes the play, but the ball was put just in front of Davis. Good coverage all around.
The rest is pretty much garbage time, but here's a few more and Smith's INT:
1. The Vikes go into a 4 man rush. at 3:29 left in the game, first play of the drive, Boone gets beat pretty badly... He falls down he got bead so bad. Smith avoids the sack and gets spun around. Boone gets up and grabs Alex, rights him. Smith runs for 6 yards.
2. We line up two wide right. Vikes are in cover 4. The DB on the slor drops into his zone and Smith tries to put it over him. DB makes a good jump to knock it away. Slot man was open.
3. Smith's INT. 10 yard slant. Just plain threw it behind him.
There you have it. Final Verdict: Smith had a very solid first half. An average 3rd quarter, and a bad 4th quarter. Moss had a bad game. Crabs and Manningham had a good game. Davis had a good game.
[ Edited by mkmasn on Sep 28, 2012 at 1:13 AM ]