Bewerbungen » The 2018 Minnesota Vikings seem to be the p

roverbial conundrum Harrison Smith Jersey , wrapped around a riddle, packaged in to a mystery. On paper, they have as much talent as anyone in the league. They’re strong on both sides of the ball, and when you look at their week to week matchups, more often than not they seem to be the better team.Yet, when they take the field, there seems to be an air of apathy, or lethargy, or something about them that makes me scratch my head, damn near every week. On Sunday in Foxboro, against the defending AFC Champion New England Patriots, it was more of the same. On a day when the Chicago Bears were upset by the Giants and the Packers literally fired their coach, Minnesota had a golden opportunity to get within half a game of the division lead and solidify their wildcard positioning. Yet after they pulled even at 10-10 early in the third quarter, the Vikes pretty much sleep walked through the rest of the game and lost 24-10. The offense insisted on a slow, plodding gameplan that didn’t get anywhere, the defense broke down when they couldn’t afford to, and at 6-5-1, this is a team that’s getting harder and harder to care about, because it seems like they don’t care anymore.Do they Mr. Collins?Well you can tell everyone I’m a down disgrace Drag my name all over the place I don’t care anymoreYou can tell everybody ‘bout the state I’m in You won’t catch me crying ‘cause I just can’t winI don’t care anymore, I don’t care anymoreThe SMR that’s fighting for a one and done in the wildcard round follows.Blue Chips:Anthony Harris, S. Since Andrew Sendejo went out several games back and Harris took over, Harris has played better than Sendejo, and I don’t see him relinquishing the job anytime soon. Today he had a huge pass break up on the goal line that forced New England to kick a field goal. Later, he had a huge stop on a short Rob Gronkowski catch that was initially ruled a first down, but on review Harris stood Gronk up and held him short. Dalvin Cook, RB: This is the Cook we’ve expected to see for most of the season, and the Vikings made some money with him on the edge running that ball. The Patriots showed zero ability to stop Cook running wide, so naturally, the Vikings quit running to the edge in the second half, especially when they got down to the red zone. It’s not Cook’s fault he only carried the ball nine times in a road game Adam Thielen Jersey , outside, in bad weather. But more on that later. Solid Investments:Kyle Rudolph, TE: Rudolph had some big catches today, including a catch which was ruled a catch but no one could really be sure, because hey, what’s a catch in today’s NFL, amirite?Stefon Diggs, WR: Diggs was a gametime decision due to swelling in his knee overnight, but played. He ended up being the Vikings leading receiver today with 49 yards, and he had two big catches during the Vikings lone TD drive right before the end of the first half.Junk Bonds:Laquon Treadwell, WR: I’m good with pulling the plug on Treadwell as WR3 and putting in Aldrick Robinson if you are.Tom Compton, G: His nickname should be velcro becuase he holds on to everything.Dan Bailey, K: The second most accurate kicker in NFL history now has more shanks than a prison shakedown. If you want to tell me the Vikings should move on from Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer at the end of the season, because he’s the only common denominator in all these kicking issues, you have my attention.Kirk Cousins, QB: Cousins is not being paid 28 large a year to play like he did for about 50 of 60 game minutes today. There is no excuse that an offense with this much firepower struggles so badly. You can talk about the poor offensive line play, but this line is no worse than last year’s, and the offense didn’t struggle like this. Cousins just isn’t making a play when it needs to be made right now, flat out. When he does, this offense is a lot of fun to watch. When he doesn’t, this offense is like watching someone slowly drown.Buy/Sell:Buy: Running the ball with Dalvin Cook early. For the first time since the Lions game, which feels like it was about two seasons ago, Dalvin Cook and the running game got going early in the game. Cook had 32 and 18 yards on consecutive runs in the first half, and the Vikings really looked good running to the perimeter.Sell: Mostly ignoring Dalvin Cook on the ground. So, that 32 and 18 yard run? the 32 yard run came with 7:41 left in the first quarter, and the 18 yard run, the next time he carried it as a running back, came with 5:39 left...in the second quarter. In the meantime, Minnesota kept dumping off the Cook in the flat for a couple yards here and there (Cook ended up with 8 catches for 23 yards), and one would think after about the 37th dump off pass for three yards Kirk Cousins Jersey , one would try something else. One would be wrong, though. Buy: The two minute drive to end the first half. Cousins was crisp, throwing dimes down field to Diggs, Rudolph, Robinson, and managed the clock perfectly. He hit Adam Thielen on a perfect out route in the end zone, and there was only :15 seconds left when the Vikings scored; too little time for Tom Brady. Hands down the best two minute drive the Vikings have orchestrated this year.Sell: The 28 minutes that opened the first half. Other than Cook running the ball, though, the Vikings offense looked flat out putrid for the rest of the first half. The offensive line had trouble protecting Cousins, which led to either designed short passes or checkdowns that went for minimal gains. The result was an offense that went punt, missed fg, punt, punt in their first four possessions before their lone TD drive.Buy: The Mike Zimmer challenge on the Gronkowski catch felt like a momentum shift. With 2:34 left in the first half, the Pats had a second and five from their own 22. Tom Brady completed a pass to Rob Gronkowski, which was ruled a first down. However, the spot was wrong, and Mike Zimmer challenged. He won, and instead of first and ten, it was third and one. On third down, the Vikings stuffed the Pats, they punted, and it felt like a seminal moment in the game.Sell: The Vikings seized the moment. Yes, the Vikings took the ball on their ensuing drive and scored a touchdown, and went into halftime down only 10-7. Last year, a moment like that felt like it would be a lunching pad to take over the game and win it. But the offense reverted to what they did much of the first half, and didn’t find the end zone again. The defense had trouble getting off the field on third down, and couldn’t get a stop when they needed it. It’s become a broken record at this point, but the complementary football that the Vikings talk about, and were so good at last year, isn’t there this year. Buy: The Vikings offense should be a top ten unit. They have a talented young running back Marcus Sherels Jersey , a good quarterback, a reliable tight end, and the best WR tandem in the NFL. I’m not saying this offense should be Oklahoma, but they’re built to score pointsSell: The Vikings offensive play calling. Honest to goodness, I have no idea what offensive coordinator John DeFilippo is thinking anymore. It feels like he tries to figure out what works, and then intentionally decides not do that thing. Look, when you have a running back that’s averaging 9.3 yards a carry, (and had two more good runs nullified because of penalties), why would you want to keep running the ball with him in bad weather? Silly cake eaters, what do we know? And once the Vikings do fall behind, there seems to be zero sense of urgency as time winds down. There is no quick huddle, the plays called are short dump offs that don’t stretch the field or get chunks of yards, and the clock bleeds time. By the time the Vikings do open it up, it’s much too little, too late. Nothing says ‘I don’t care anymore’ like a three yard slant on 4th and 11 down 14 with less than seven minutes to go.It’s incredibly frustrating to watch, and the reputation Flip brought with him seems to be based on a resume every bit as flimsy as George O’Leary’s was when he was the Notre Dame coach for about 20 minutes back in the day. Late in the game, after about the 27th three yard pass that felt like it ate up 40 minutes of game clock and produced no first downs, Fox commentator Troy Aikman mentioned that Flip would be a head coaching candidate for a lot of teams in the off-season. I thought to myself ‘good, he won’t be on the Vikings anymore’, which was a completely different feeling than when Pat Shurmur left for the Giants last year.Buy: Brian O’Neill has helped to fix the offensive line: When O’Neill was drafted, the general consensus was that he was going to have to sit for a year and bulk up, because he lacked upper body strength to be able to be effective in his rookie year. O’Neill has proven that narrative to be demonstrably false, and looks to be a fixture on the offensive line for a long time.Sell: Brian O’Neill fixed the offensive line. All that said, the Vikings offense is struggling, in large part, to another poorly constructed offensive line. For all the good Spielman has done in constructing a roster in all other areas, the offensive line has been an ongoing issue for almost every season since he’s been named full time GM in 2012. The interior of the line is very subpar, the backups inspire little to no confidence, and if it’s not a priority for GM Rick Spielman in the off-season it could all quickly unravel for the Vikings. Sorry, but no quote of the week this week. I didn’t really see any of the grandkids much Xavier Rhodes Jersey , as I was in Indianapolis watching one of my other football teams not fill me with doom and gloom, and win a championship. It was refreshing. Tobin Heath and Alex Morgan each scored twice in the first half and United States earned a spot in the World Cup next summer in France with a 6-0 victory over Jamaica on Sunday in the CONCACAF qualifying tournament.Heath's first came in the first two minutes of the match and she added a second in the 29th. Megan Rapinoe, Julie Ertz and Morgan also had first-half goals as the United States built a 5-0 lead.Morgan's second goal was a penalty kick in the 84th minute.The top-ranked United States is the defending champion of the sport's premier event, having won the final in the 2015 World Cup against Japan. It was the team's third World Cup title.Canada, ranked No. 5 in the world, also clinched a spot in France with a 7-0 victory over Panama in the earlier game Sunday at Toyota Stadium.The top three finishers in the CONCACAF Women's Championship represent the region in France, so the winners of both semifinals earned a berth before the final. The title match and the third-place game are set for Wednesday in Frisco.GENOA, Italy (AP) — Former Italy international Antonio Cassano has announced his retirement after training for less than a week with Virtus Entella.Cassano says in a statement: "The day has come where you decide that it's really over. I have other priorities now."Entella, based near Cassano's current home in Genoa, announced a week ago that Cassano would begin training with the club "without any contractual obligation."The 36-year-old Cassano last played for Sampdoria in May 2016. He signed with Hellas Verona before last season but left the club after two weeks, saying he missed his family.Cassano scored 10 goals in 39 appearances for Italy. He was known almost as much for his passing wizardry and scoring abilities as for his temperamental behavior.BASEBALLBOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox say ace left-hander Chris Sale has a stomach illness and will spend the night in the hospital.The Red Sox made the announcement Sunday night in the seventh inning of Game 2 of the AL Championship Series against Houston.Boston said Sale reported the illness earlier in the day and was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital. He will be held overnight for observation.The 29-yaer-old Sale struggled with his control in Boston's 7-2 loss to the Astros in the series opener Saturday night. He allowed two runs with four walks and a hit batter in four innings despite giving up just one hit.NFLJim Taylor, the ferocious Hall of Fame fullback who embodied the Green Bay Packers' unstoppable ground game during the Vince Lombardi era and helped the team win four NFL titles and the first Super Bowl, died Saturday. He was 83.He died unexpectedly at a hospital in his hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the team said.Taylor played on the great Packer teams and was the league's MVP in 1962. He scored the first rushing touchdown in Super Bowl history.Taylor was voted into the Hall in 1976. David Baker, president of the Hall, lauded Taylor for not only personifying Lombardi's "run to daylight" philosophy but for living his life as he played game, with "passion, determination and love for all he did."Taylor spent 10 seasons in the NFL after being drafted in the second round out of LSU in 1958. He joined a backfield that featured Paul Hornung and began to thrive when Lombardi took over in 1959.COLLEGE FOOTBALLNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee State linebacker Christion Abercrombie has been upgraded from critical to stable condition after sustaining a head injury Sept. 29.University officials said Sunday night that the linebacker has been off a ventilator for over 24 hours and is breathing on his own.The linebacker has been in the neurological intensive care unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center since Sept. 29. Abercrombie went to the sideline during the first half of the Tigers' loss to Vanderbilt, told trainers he had a headache, then required oxygen on the sideline before being taken to the hospital with a head injury for emergency surgery.The linebacker redshirted at Illinois in 2016 and played 11 games in 2017 before transferring to Tennessee State. He went into last week's game as the Tigers' second-leading tackler and was credited with five tackles and a quarterback hurry before being injured.LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California linebacker Porter Gustin will miss the rest of his senior season after fracturing his right ankle.Coach Clay Helton said Sunday night that Gustin was hurt in the final moments of the Trojans' 31-20 victory over Colorado on Saturday night.Gustin had made a strong return to USC's starting lineup this season after appearing in just four games last year, missing the Pac-12 title game and the Cotton Bowl due to injuries.He leads the Trojans with seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss, and he is their third-leading tackler overall. The rest of the defense has just six sacks combined.MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Gophers running back Shannon Brooks has been arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic assault.The Star Tribune reports the 22-year-old senior was arrested at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday in Minneapolis and was booked into the Hennepin County jail about an hour later.Police spokeswoman Sgt. Darcy Horn says the arrest occurred on the same block near campus where Brooks lives.It's unclear whether Brooks has an attorney who could comment on his behalf.Head coach P.J. Fleck says he's not able to comment on the arrest.BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (AP) — Bowling Green has fired coach Mike Jinks midway through his third season, with the Falcons winless against FBS competition.Athletic director Bob Moosbrugger announced the move Sunday. Defensive coordinator Carl Pelini, the former head coach at Florida Atlantic, was named interim coach.Jinks was 7-24 with Bowling Green and the team seemed to be sliding backward. The Falcons won four games in 2016, two last season and are 1-6 after falling 42-35 at home to Mid-American Conference rival Western Michigan on Saturday.Bowling Green's only victory this season was against FCS-level Eastern Kentucky.OLYMPICSBUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Patrick Baumann Mike Remmers Jersey , the secretary general of basketball's world governing body who was seen as a potential IOC president, has died at the Youth Olympics. He was 51.Baumann "unexpectedly succumbed to a heart attack" in Buenos Aires despite getting immediate medical help, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) said Sunday in a statement."Basketball has lost a leader, an advocate and a friend and our thoughts are with Patrick's wife and two children at this tragic time," the Switzerland based FIBA said.Baumann was FIBA's top administrator for 15 years, and an International Olympic Committee member since 2007.GYMNASTICSOlympic champion Simone Biles is upset about an anti-Nike tweet from USA Gymnastics interim president and CEO Mary Bono.Bono was appointed Friday to hold the position while USA Gymnastics searches for a permanent successor to Kerry Perry, who resigned under pressure from the United States Olympic Committee in September after spending nine months on the job.Biles responded Saturday to a tweet from Bono last month criticizing Nike following the release of its advertising campaign featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Bono, a former Republican congresswoman, had posted a photo of herself drawing over a Nike logo on a golf shoe.Biles quote-tweeted Bono's photo and wrote: "(asterisk)mouth drop(asterisk) don't worry, it's not like we needed a smarter usa gymnastics president or any sponsors or anything."Bono deleted her tweet about five hours later, saying she regretted the post and respects "everyone's views & fundamental right to express them."Nike is one of Biles' sponsors.TENNISBUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Juan Martin del Potro has fractured his right patella bone in what the Argentine called "a hard blow that leaves me without strength."Del Potro retired Thursday against Borna Coric at the Shanghai Masters after injuring his knee. Third-seeded Del Potro fell near the end of the first set. The U.S. Open finalist had the knee wrapped but called it quits after losing the first set 7-5.Tests on Saturday showed the fracture, Del Potro's spokesman Jorge Viale tweeted Sunday.BOXINGOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Terence "Bud" Crawford stopped Jose Benavidez with 18 seconds left in the 12th and final round to retain his WBO welterweight championship on Saturday night.Crawford had knocked Benavidez to the canvas with a powerful right hand with 46 seconds left, and then Crawford finished him off with consecutive right hands.After referee Celestino Ruiz stopped the fight, Crawford stuck out his tongue at his fallen opponent, who had made this a personal grudge match with insults he's directed toward Crawford for months.Next up for Crawford could be a unification bout with IBF champion Errol Spence Jr., something promoter Bob Arum has said he would like to make happen sometime in 2019.AUTO RACINGHOCKENHEIM, Germany (AP) — That's one more racing title for the Schumacher family.Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher, secured the Formula 3 European Championship title on the final weekend in front of a home crowd at Hockenheim.The 19-year-old German finished second in the second race on Saturday to reach an insurmountable 347 points."It's a slightly unreal feeling, I'm absolutely delighted," Schumacher said. "All I can say is thank you to everyone in the team for your support during this incredible season."Schumacher had eight wins on his way to the title in his second season with the PREMA Theodore Racing squad.CORRUPTIONKenyan distance-running great Kip Keino is one of seven suspects in a corruption investigation and has been ordered to report to police by the end of Monday to face charges of embezzlement and the misappropriation of more than $545,000.The two-time Olympic champion and honorary member of the International Olympic Committee is accused of playing a role in the misuse of money meant for Kenyan athletes at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, when he was chairman of the Kenyan Olympic committee.The money was part of more than $5 million given to Keino's Olympic committee by the Kenyan government to fund Team Kenya in Rio.But prosecutors allege Keino was at the head of an Olympic committee rife with corruption.The 78-year-old Keino was one of seven former Olympic and government officials named as suspects in the investigation. Two other high-ranking former Kenyan Olympic committee officials were named, as was the former Kenyan minister of sport, Hassan Wario, and three ministry officials who worked under him.