Latest / The Skol Hop / TSH Ep. 2 - More Offseason News & A Preview of the 2023 Schedule

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TSH Ep. 2 - More Offseason News & A Preview of the 2023 Schedule · The Skol Hop

0:30
Hey everybody. Welcome in.
0:32
This is the skull hop. My name is Evan.
0:34
Got Austin over here. Hello.
0:36
And we're just a couple of dudes from Iowa.
0:39
We love the Vikings and we love drinking beer.
0:42
What are we drinking today? We have some beers from reunions
0:46
Brewery, in Iowa City right now. I am drinking the Amber ale and
0:52
it is very delicious and I've got the tank puncher IPA.
0:57
Yeah, let's have a lot of times fast.
0:59
Well, Yeah, a little better of a name, more more exciting than
1:04
Amber ale but I'm actually partial two embryos myself.
1:07
Yeah just about it. It's a good one.
1:10
We have a tradition that we only drink Iowa beer while we're
1:13
recording these episodes. Yes.
1:16
So every week you tuned in, we will feature a different Iowa
1:21
beer. Hopefully, we don't come to the
1:23
end of Iowa beer. I don't think that's possible.
1:27
I think we're good. Yeah, we've got a lot to choose
1:29
from. Maybe we shouldn't be like,
1:31
trying different ones from the same Brewery, like, we could
1:35
like, paws on a brewery for a little while and try go through
1:38
their beers to can come. Yeah, we'll figure it out.
1:41
There's some good ones locally to that we featured yet.
1:44
So we'll get to that. We could even a true our own the
1:47
skull hop as long as it's brewed in Iowa.
1:51
That's true. It would have to be we can drink
1:53
it. All right.
1:54
None of that. Illinois swill over here.
1:59
Anyways so if you listen to our first episode, we spent some
2:04
time discussing all things off season so far, I believe our
2:10
last episode was recorded around the beginning of May.
2:14
It's now a month later it's June 4 and we're going to continue to
2:18
talk about the offseason obviously.
2:20
It's kind of a slow time in the NFL but there are still things
2:25
that are happening. So we've got a list of things to
2:28
kind of chat about Here. And then I think, eventually
2:30
we'll talk about the schedule. Yeah, well, yeah.
2:33
But let's start with the offseason.
2:36
Had some some big things. Well, some movement is a
2:40
movement. Yeah, significant maybe not
2:43
huge. Yeah, but first one big Z, he's
2:48
gone. Yeah.
2:49
I think it was like two days after we recorded the first
2:51
episode. The Vikings they did a trade
2:57
with Cleveland and And they improved a couple of draft
3:01
picks. They didn't get too much back,
3:02
but what they did get was some some salary cap relief.
3:09
And za'darius Smith is now a Cleveland Brown brown brown.
3:13
There's no D in that team but this is Darius Smith is on the D
3:17
I guess. So, there we go.
3:18
Yeah, Brown D, that's what you're going for the Browns DVD
3:23
will go with that. Okay, so yeah, he's he's gone,
3:26
which is kind of sad. I mean, he his first half of the
3:31
season last year was Elite. I mean he was a pro bowler last
3:35
year but I think it was based off of his first half of the
3:38
year. He kind of slowed down.
3:39
I don't know if he had some injuries, he never missed any
3:42
games but he kind of slowed down.
3:45
So it's not immediately hurtful to lose him because he kind of
3:50
slowed with the rest of the defense slowing down.
3:52
Yeah, the defense struggled mightily.
3:54
Now the stretch and so right after the season.
3:58
He kind of tweeted like thanks Vikings and fans.
4:01
I loved it. Loved playing for your team and
4:03
then nothing happened. So I think he would have.
4:08
Ultimately I don't think he loved his salary, which, okay?
4:15
And I think he would have ultimately kind of respectfully,
4:18
forced his way off the team. Anyways, so good for the Vikings
4:21
to get a little bit. Nothing crazy, and good for him
4:24
for being in a spot where hopefully, he hopefully does
4:27
well just not against Team, he was on a one-year contract with
4:30
me. So he had signed.
4:31
I believe it was a three-year contract so he was still under
4:37
contract. I think there may have been like
4:38
a void year or something, they like to do those things.
4:42
Yeah, he was on a three-year. He was fully under contract and
4:46
he didn't love it. So it was weird to see that post
4:50
by him. Yeah, it was definitely wasn't
4:54
even cryptic. It was just like, yeah, I'm out.
4:56
Thanks for the Memories have A good one is very abrupt and
5:00
nothing happened. He was still on the roster and
5:04
yeah. Yes, kind of weird.
5:06
But but I guess it worked out and hopefully he doesn't do
5:11
anything against our team ever. But yeah, good for him.
5:14
Good, goodbye. And best of luck, best of luck,
5:17
exactly. Speaking of another defensive
5:21
player. That's now a former Viking, he's
5:25
also now a former Commander. Yeah.
5:27
Yeah, cam So they cut him right after the season.
5:31
Yep. He didn't he didn't really have
5:32
a chance. He his Vikings career started
5:36
off with a flash. I think he was a third-round
5:39
pick and he looked like he was a rising star.
5:43
He was doing some good things had that Unforgettable strip
5:47
fumble from a mere Smith marcet that was awesome to solidify
5:52
that win against the Bears last year and that was amazing.
5:55
You his that's probably his best moment.
5:58
Absolutely. Absolutely, absolutely and but
6:01
yeah he kind of went downhill again.
6:03
He went down as the defense went down and he lost his job to a
6:08
Caleb Evans essentially. And yeah, he never never really
6:13
came back up. And then cut right after the
6:15
season ended but the Commander's picked him up pretty quick after
6:20
that, and then they just cut him again.
6:24
It's like they went through OTAs and didn't see what they wanted
6:27
to see and he was And so I don't know, he'll get picked up.
6:30
You think so he's good enough. I mean, he's better than the
6:34
XFL. You know?
6:35
Like, he'll get somewhere but yeah, I don't know what he is
6:40
like, personality-wise. I don't know if he got in his
6:44
own head and that's why his play was suffering.
6:47
No clue, but that's the luck to him.
6:49
He might have been a victim of Zimmer's, coaching style a
6:52
little bit. Did he ever overlap?
6:54
Yeah, he overlapped was summer. Yeah, he wasn't a rookie last
6:57
year, okay? He was In like a second or third
6:59
year. Yeah, I see but I think he was
7:03
he flashed pretty quickly as a rookie and then I think Zimmer
7:07
put a lot of trust in him and then he Quickly lost that trust
7:13
you know Zimmer was Notorious for putting a lot of trust into
7:18
specifically cornerbacks that you know, the fans were pretty
7:22
ready to move on. You know, I've got faces to
7:26
names but I mean Xavier roads. He, he kind of wore out his
7:32
welcome in the fans as a little bit but Zimmer wouldn't let him
7:35
go. What was his name?
7:37
Michaud Breeland from a couple years ago, he just Kept not
7:42
playing good and Zimmer kept making him play so.
7:46
So I think Dantzler was a victim of that.
7:49
I think Dantzler could have fit well with this.
7:53
Kevin O'Connell Brian Flores maybe system.
7:57
Had, they kept him around. I think he had declined a lot
8:01
and I think it was it was time to move on.
8:03
Yeah, I should know this but I wonder if he was cut before
8:08
Flores was hired. I think he was but I would have
8:12
said maybe Flores just didn't like him, I don't know.
8:16
But I think he was cut before Flores was hired that could be.
8:19
So yeah. Anyways, on the other side of
8:22
the ball tight end Ben ellefson. Yeah.
8:25
Three. Your Viking.
8:26
Four years in the league total, he's retired.
8:30
Yeah he just announced that a couple days ago and and you know
8:34
he wasn't a big stats guy. I think he had like three or
8:37
four catches with the Vikings total Really a blocking tight
8:41
end. Yeah, but yeah it's kind of kind
8:44
of sad because I'm pretty sure it's injury motivated as why he
8:47
retired. I think he put out in his
8:51
Instagram post that you know he's happy to be able to walk
8:56
away from the game so hopefully he's healthy enough.
8:59
That he's still got a good long life.
9:01
He's 26 years old, he's got forever forever to go, you know,
9:05
and his life so hopefully football hasn't ruined
9:07
everything for him, maybe still. The he'll have that nagging
9:11
injury maybe when he's 60 from his playing days.
9:14
But yeah, it is kind of sad to see a promising.
9:18
Young player, have his career, cut short, but good for him to
9:22
have that the guts to make that tough decision, kind of an
9:26
injury luck. Early retirement.
9:28
Yeah. All the success.
9:30
Yeah. Yeah.
9:31
Yeah. That Andrew Luck thing.
9:32
That probably still hurts the old spans definitely roof.
9:36
Well anyways, let's stop. Talking about players that
9:39
aren't there. Yeah, let's talk about the ones
9:41
that are. Yeah, because OTAs have started.
9:44
And that means there's been kind of an uptick in both official
9:49
and unofficial Vikings. Twitter activity, almost daily
9:56
highlight videos, just a little one minute, Recaps of some of
10:00
the big moments that are happening.
10:03
And yeah, it it's just exciting. Yeah, I like watching those one
10:08
minute highlights, you know. Yeah, upbeat music and you see,
10:12
you know, quarterback throw a really far past and maybe you
10:15
don't see where that pass goes. But it's all exciting and
10:18
everybody's you know, undefeated right now and it's cool to see
10:22
some of the new draft picks and their practice jerseys and get
10:26
excited for fall. Oh yeah.
10:29
And we're definitely seeing some more of that sort of those young
10:33
defensive backs that got a little banged up last year.
10:37
Louis seen. He had a pretty gruesome.
10:40
Kusum injury in London, last year had to stay there for a
10:43
while. Had surgery and London was it
10:46
kind of like Teddy Bridgewater ask, you think?
10:49
Well, we were officially never really known what happened to
10:51
Teddy Bridgewater? But I mean, if you go back,
10:53
don't go back. And what about the other Smith?
10:55
Like, is it Alex Smith? Did you have you ever seen his
10:58
know his? Oh, no, I haven't but big after
11:01
he broke it. Didn't that like it like
11:03
spirally Twisted. I don't know.
11:05
That was just and he came to see pictures of it.
11:07
It was gruesome. Yeah, I don't know.
11:10
At lose scenes injury well if you like gory stomach-churning
11:16
injuries, look up, Louis scenes injury in London.
11:20
And yeah, it's like his foot, hit the ground and it just just
11:24
shattered. So, but he's been back.
11:27
And in those one minute long, YouTube videos of OTAs, he's,
11:32
he's been looking, okay, I think they showed a video of him,
11:34
intercepting an under thrown pass the other day and he's he's
11:38
fully back fully. Not injured anymore, which is
11:41
amazing. Like you think about going
11:43
through an injury like that less than a year later, you're
11:45
playing professional football. Like, that's kind of crazy, so
11:48
good for him. Hopefully it turns into
11:51
production this year. You got Andrew Booth, Junior and
11:54
a Caleb Evans back. Yeah.
11:55
And then we're kind of plagued with injury last year.
11:57
We saw them at points, mmm, but they didn't finish the season
12:01
healthy and yeah, out quite a bit Andrew Booth.
12:05
I feel like I mean, he was a second-round pick last year.
12:09
There's Decent amount of hype forum and he never really got
12:13
off the ground. You know, he just I don't know.
12:15
Was it a hamstring injury or some some leg injury that just
12:19
never left him alone and maybe it was a multitude of injuries
12:22
but it seems like he's back and so hopefully that'll be good for
12:27
our young cornerback room. I talked about it last episode
12:30
how that's a weak point right now.
12:32
It looks like and then also Caleb Evans like he he made some
12:36
flashes he kind of he cut cam dancer.
12:40
They're pretty much like he stepped in when dancer wasn't
12:43
playing well and and then he got, he got some scary
12:46
concussions and you know, that's that's not good right now.
12:50
You know, especially the the, in the news those concussions are a
12:54
big deal and that can end a guy's career early.
12:57
So it looks like he's back. He's talked about how he has a
13:00
plan and what he's changing for his playstyle and stuff for
13:03
concussions, maybe as a different helmet.
13:06
I don't know, but it seems like he's back and that's human him
13:09
with. The guardian cap maybe maybe I
13:13
don't know. Yeah but yeah those three guys
13:15
stayed. Yeah it seems like this.
13:17
The what the the world is right in front of them they can be
13:21
really good players for us this year lots of you optimistic
13:24
about in the young secondary for sure especially after a pretty
13:28
tough year last year. Yeah yeah that that we don't
13:32
talk about that of but that last year for defense was pretty
13:37
pretty rough. It made for some exciting
13:41
come-from-behind wins though. But did.
13:44
Yeah, don't don't make us come from behind anymore.
13:47
Defense, Brian fluoresces here. He's going to fix the team and
13:52
then he's probably going to coach himself into a head
13:54
coaching job the year after. So let's not talk about that.
13:59
We want to We want to be good for a while.
14:02
Yeah. Number 12 isn't in the division
14:05
anymore. No, so forget that guy.
14:07
Exactly. So I don't know, we have one
14:11
less problem now and I mean, I'm saying it Kirk Cousins.
14:18
He is the best quarterback in the division.
14:21
Come at me. Come tell me I'm wrong.
14:23
Tell me I'm wrong. Jared Goff fans, definitely tell
14:25
me I'm wrong. Just infield spans and agree.
14:28
Yeah, Jordan love will of a hard year.
14:32
I think, I think I sure hope so. I think he will struggle and I
14:35
think truth be told I think Justin Fields will struggle to.
14:38
Yeah, I'm not a Fields believer. I wanted him that draft night
14:42
when the Vikings it seemed like he was gonna fall to the
14:44
Vikings. I wanted him bad, but I mean,
14:47
he's a running back. He he's an elite athlete but I
14:53
don't believe in him as a quarterback.
14:55
Yeah, it'll be very interesting to see what happens with the
14:58
Bears. I think it'll be interesting to
14:59
see what happens with the Lions. This Yeah, I'm more.
15:02
I'm actually afraid of the lens right now.
15:04
We'll get to that because yeah, we'll talk schedule.
15:07
Yeah, but we would be remiss if we didn't talk about Dalvin cook
15:12
because it's June 4th as of right now.
15:16
And June 1st is kind of a milestone in the league year
15:19
kind of turns a new page that the official new league year.
15:23
I don't know. It's something it has to do with
15:25
salary. So anyways, a lot of Vikings
15:29
fans were expecting Dalvin cook to be traded hmm within the last
15:34
couple of days and as of 119 p.m. hold on Aging for me, check
15:40
Twitter before you say that there may have been news, right?
15:43
You check that but I'll say as far as we know, Dalvin cook is
15:47
still a viking. Yep.
15:48
For the time being, which is surprising for several reasons.
15:54
Obviously, Alexander Madison sign.
15:57
A new contracts. Yeah, he's making more than
16:00
back. Money now and I'm good with
16:03
that. But in that movie was made what
16:05
a month ago, two months ago, it was right away at the beginning
16:08
of free agency, like maybe even right before free agency
16:11
officially started because he was, he was about to be a free
16:13
agent. So we kind of saw the writing on
16:16
the wall there, that maybe Alexander Madison is now moving
16:20
into that. Starting running back role in
16:23
Dalvin. Cook is on his way out.
16:26
Yeah, but as of right now, still Viking.
16:30
Yeah, he's still on there. Roster and we can both agree on
16:34
the field. We are huge down, cook fans, you
16:37
know, even I think he's I guess I don't know off the field.
16:42
You know personality-wise he seems like a good dude he is
16:46
good to have on the team but his salary is pretty high.
16:52
He's definitely one of the highest-paid running backs and a
16:57
my opinion is that you shouldn't pay running backs the whole lot
17:00
because A injury-riddled position.
17:03
And I mean it's not good to rely on one guy for that position so
17:10
it will be good for the dollars when when they're able to trade
17:14
him or I think if they're not able to work a trade, he's going
17:18
to be cut anyway. So yeah, I don't think either
17:21
way he's going to be a viking this year.
17:23
So the two destinations that have been highly speculated for
17:28
Dalvin cook, our buffalo in Miami.
17:31
Yeah, where do you think he ends up between those two?
17:34
So I think you could end up somewhere else.
17:36
Yeah, it will trade, could send him anywhere true but I feel
17:42
like it makes sense for the Dolphins because you know,
17:45
that's his hometown team. He played college in Florida.
17:50
He I assume has family down there from what I've heard, is
17:54
he after his surgery? You know this offseason he's
17:57
just been living down there. I think he does that all the
18:00
time which Good for you Florida's, beautiful.
18:02
Yeah, but yeah, I think if I had to put my money on it, I'd say
18:06
the Dolphins, the bills makes sense to his brothers over
18:09
there. They have a need for an elite
18:12
running back. He is an elite running back.
18:16
So I wouldn't be surprised of either of those teams, but my
18:19
money would be on the Dolphins. So, one last item here, talking
18:24
about the offseason. Typically teams will make a cut
18:30
that no one's expecting at some point in the offseason.
18:34
Yeah. Who who is on The Chopping Block
18:37
in your mind? So I think you're right there.
18:41
Are there seems to be every year at least one guy from every team
18:45
that gets cut, you know, at the end of training camp and
18:48
surprises, all the fans and everybody.
18:51
But I think this year a surprise cut could be cam Bynum.
18:56
He was essentially a starter last year.
18:58
I think he was just the uncontested starter alongside
19:02
Harrison Smith. His position as a starter was
19:07
only even more solidified I'd when Louis seen had his gruesome
19:11
injury but like we were talking about earlier, he's looking
19:14
healthy looking better and that may pave the way for, you know,
19:19
a more expensive veteran. Which I don't think Kim Bynum is
19:23
a huge hit to the salary cap but pave the way to, you know, get a
19:27
little bit younger at that position and get rid of by them.
19:31
I liked by him. I don't want him to be cut, he's
19:33
good. Yeah, he's not, he's not a pro
19:35
bowler but he's good but I think that could be a one surprise.
19:39
Seems by them, seems kind of like a hype man in the locker
19:42
room. He's very vocal, kind of in your
19:46
face, not in a bad way, but yeah, from some of the stuff
19:49
I've seen, he's just like a positive locker room guy.
19:52
Yeah, sure. And pretty vocal that way.
19:55
But you're right, he's maybe slightly above average on the
19:59
field. He'd be like a Madden.
20:02
He'd be like a 79, you know, like he's not a bad player, but
20:08
definitely not up. Pro bowler or anything.
20:10
Right? What about you?
20:11
Do you have a name that could be a surprise.
20:14
I think as much as I don't want this to happen and I'm not
20:20
trying to speak this into existence by any means don't
20:23
dare but I wouldn't be surprised if CJ.
20:28
Mm-hmm, doesn't make the 53-man roster.
20:33
Okay I'll be surprised reason being the full-back position is
20:38
really. Fading in the NFL.
20:40
I think the Vikings are one of only a handful of teams that
20:44
carry a fullback. Yeah.
20:47
The active 53-man roster and they don't use them very much
20:52
and I don't think they pay him very much.
20:53
I don't know what his hit is to the salary cap.
20:56
It's not A ton. Yeah, it's not going to move the
21:00
needle either way too much, but I could see, you know, a little
21:05
bit of maneuvering that way by quasi to free up, some money.
21:10
Free up another roster spot. I suppose something you.
21:13
And I hadn't talked about when we talked about this earlier,
21:16
was the fact that Teams can carry three quarterbacks.
21:22
Yeah. Right like that could be you
21:26
know one of those things that management considers is it worth
21:32
it to have a fullback and only two quarterbacks.
21:35
Yeah, where is it worth it to have a third quarterback suited
21:38
up ready to go? Just in case the worst of the
21:40
worst happens. Yeah, I think you know in that
21:44
world ending scenario like the Niners had in the NFC
21:47
Championship Game. You do anything to have another?
21:50
Other guy who can throw the ball but and teams could always carry
21:55
as many quarterbacks as they wanted.
21:56
It's just on game day, you could have an emergency quarterback.
22:01
That doesn't count towards that 46 men, you know, suit up
22:05
roster. But yeah, I that's a interesting
22:09
thought on that. If, if you have especially if
22:12
there is I don't know if they'd signed like a undrafted free
22:17
agent fullback. But if there is a guy that plays
22:21
good enough, maybe you do save a little bit by cutting CJ him.
22:26
I don't want him cut. He's, he is on that.
22:28
Adam thielen level of ban love, and absolutely.
22:33
It would definitely be a surprise.
22:35
I know people that know him. Yeah.
22:38
But that far, separated, from the six degrees of CJ ham.
22:42
I'm only like two degrees. Nice seven.
22:45
All right. Well, now that we've said all
22:46
that, maybe we should try really hard to get him on the podcast.
22:48
Yeah, there we go. I know people that know him.
22:52
All right, breaking news we will have CJ Ham on the podcast.
22:58
Maybe sometimes more listening CJ.
23:04
CJ all right, let's move on here.
23:12
Let's talk about the schedule. Just general thoughts.
23:16
I'm going to pull it up here so we can both be looking at it.
23:19
Yeah, as we've spent some time looking at this already and when
23:23
the schedule first came out, we'd kind of texted back and
23:26
forth. I was in the middle of track
23:28
season, so I was a little preoccupied when the schedule
23:32
first came out, but now that we've had some time to digest.
23:37
What are some general thoughts? Yeah.
23:40
Well, right off the bat. I know we didn't plan on talking
23:42
about preseason, just because it's pretty, Season, that's
23:45
still basically training camp but one thing they did announce
23:48
last week is that they're going to have joint practices with.
23:53
I believe it's the Titans and the Cardinals.
23:56
Oh, nice. So, you know, the week, I know
23:58
that the week before the Titans game, they'll be here here in
24:02
Minnesota with joint practices. And then, again, the next week
24:06
with the Cardinals Cardinals, will be in Minnesota.
24:09
Practicing with them to which I heard it on the radio.
24:14
So, I said those are really cool, but that is even lessening
24:17
the importance of the preseason because you're going to get all
24:20
your your one-on-ones. You know, the the first team,
24:23
our first teamer is against the first team receiving to do that
24:25
in practice. Yeah, so we may not see that.
24:29
As fans as much, that may mean that the starters play even less
24:35
during the preseason, which is okay, you'd hate to have a huge
24:38
injury in the preseason when you don't have to.
24:40
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I just thought that was interesting.
24:43
It's cool when you can get joint.
24:44
This is going as long as they, you know, make it meaningful and
24:47
don't just have fights every day because that happens to, which
24:50
is entertaining. But yeah, well, it's just not
24:54
the time or the place necessarily either.
24:56
Like yeah, I don't know, but I will say, you know, up in
25:02
Minnesota in August. Let's yeah.
25:06
Good spot. That is the reason minnesotans
25:08
live in Minnesota. They don't live there because
25:11
they love January. And if you are a minute, In that
25:15
loves January who. Tell me?
25:17
I'm wrong. That's okay.
25:18
I'll eat that one but I can't imagine we live in Iowa.
25:22
In the winters are bad enough. It's true.
25:24
They're even worse up in Minnesota but anyways, August,
25:29
it's lovely. Yes.
25:29
Late August, early, September. It's lovely.
25:32
All right, regular season. Now, let's just run through like
25:38
just even looking at the first eight games.
25:40
We alternate HomeAway home away for the first eight weeks.
25:43
Yeah. Starting the season top at home,
25:47
with Tampa Bay and then we were all right into a Thursday night
25:52
game. Four days later at Philadelphia.
25:56
Yeah. That sucks.
25:58
God, help anyone that chooses to go to Lincoln Financial that day
26:02
because you're putting your personal safety at risk.
26:06
And those I don't have nice words for Philly fans, so I will
26:13
never go there. Yeah, and we'll go game-by-game
26:17
I think next episode we talk to the we're going to actually like
26:20
do some predictions on wins and losses and stuff like that, but
26:24
it is interesting that you're going to play.
26:27
The Vikings are going to play. Two full NFL games in a span of
26:33
four days. Yeah, that's tough.
26:35
That is tough. And not only is it tough to do
26:38
at any point in the season. I think it's really tough to do
26:42
at the beginning of the season. Oh yeah.
26:43
Well and especially Ali. When I mean you're the second
26:45
game, you're traveling. Yeah, so hard.
26:49
I had, I don't know. They're going to have to do a
26:51
lot of prep for the first, even three games of the Season.
26:55
They're basically going to have to have their game plans,
26:58
totally done. And I'm not a coach.
27:00
I've, I don't know how NFL coaches plan out their whole
27:04
game plans, but I mean just timing-wise like, Coach
27:08
O'Connell's, not sleeping, you know.
27:10
And there's those that first week of the Season, like there's
27:13
not enough time to even recover, can you imagine somebody twist
27:16
an ankle, you know, a little bit in the Buccaneers game and then
27:20
has to try to play four days later like, yeah, I don't know,
27:25
I think if you get hurt week one at home against the Bucks, I
27:29
don't know that you're playing week to at Philly.
27:31
Oh yeah, easily. It may even because I mean that
27:36
the next game is you know, the Fourth.
27:38
So in the span of 14 days, you have finished three games.
27:43
Yeah which is crazy. That is crazy.
27:47
I'll just say it again. That sucks.
27:48
Yeah it's a hard way to start the season from there it kind of
27:53
Goes somewhat back to normal but we have to pick.
27:55
We have to play the Chiefs. Yep.
27:57
That'll be interesting early October and that's a, that is
28:01
not a noon game. Which I mean the the rhetoric
28:05
rhetoric has been that the Vikings as a whole and even Kirk
28:08
Cousins played best during their Newton games.
28:12
So that Chiefs game is a 325. And it is, is that at home?
28:17
Yeah, it's yeah. Well at least it's at home but
28:21
you're just coming off the week before playing that.
28:24
Emotional game against Adam, thielen and Carolina.
28:27
Yeah, but yeah. It's kind of a gauntlet to start
28:31
off the season and you mentioned it earlier going home Away Home
28:35
Away Home Away through week eight and then week nine is
28:38
another away. So hopefully that'll That
28:42
Gauntlet will, you know make the rest of the season a little bit
28:46
or a little bit easier. Some optimism though we go to
28:50
Chicago and to Green Bay in October.
28:55
Yeah that's that's the first thing I thought when I saw the
28:58
schedule is you don't have any cold games.
29:00
Yep. In theory, like I mean, looking
29:04
at it, maybe Cincinnati. In December.
29:08
Maybe you're looking a little bit of coldness but other than
29:10
that. Yeah, I mean, Denver might be a
29:13
little cold at Denver November 19th.
29:15
Yeah, kind of chilly. Yeah, but you're not.
29:18
You think that you're playing the Packers week 17, December
29:22
31st. But that's at home.
29:24
So like you're not going to Lambeau in the Arctic tundra
29:28
like and then you know to end the season against Detroit they
29:34
play inside. That might even let's hope those
29:36
are Cheap tickets. Maybe.
29:37
We can get a skull hop trip to Detroit and go see that game.
29:42
Let's go hop on a plane. Yeah, I'm headed to Detroit.
29:45
A skull skull. Skipping a hot.
29:47
Let's go. There you go.
29:51
Speaking of Detroit though, twice in three weeks.
29:54
Yeah, that's interesting. You have three divisional games.
30:00
You know, between New Year, ER, between Christmas Eve and the
30:05
end of the season and Detroit twice which they, they were the
30:11
toughest team in the division, the second half of the Year.
30:14
Absolutely. I mean, they beat the Vikings I
30:17
don't have any problem saying at the end of the year, Detroit was
30:21
probably a better team. They were playing better than
30:24
the Vikings. They're playing better than us.
30:25
They were playing better than the Packers.
30:27
Hmm. I mean yeah they were the Best
30:29
team in the division at the end of this.
30:31
I think for sure until either the betting odds favorite to win
30:34
the division this year, which that's hard to refute.
30:37
I mean you can say what you want about individual players on the
30:40
team but like Jared Goff make fun of him but if he plays well,
30:44
he's still playing well. Like yeah.
30:47
And I'm hoping Campbell's a heck of a coach and players is run
30:50
through brick walls for. He's very motivational.
30:53
Yeah, for sure. So, I'm more afraid of the Lions
30:56
than I've been of any NFC North team and if there if there
30:59
Booming at the end of the season, it's that's going to
31:04
let's just let's just hope because the schedule always
31:07
looks way different, you know, at the end of the year than it
31:11
does, when it first comes out and we'll do this, we're going
31:14
to pencil in wins and losses next episode.
31:16
But like, it'll be fun at the end of this season, to look back
31:21
at those wins and losses that we penciled in to see how wrong we
31:24
were, because teams are way different.
31:26
You never know what rookie is going to explode and maybe the
31:29
others are going to be the next Chiefs because of their
31:32
brookies, you know, like, you never know.
31:35
Well, and I mean, looking back on last season, like I don't
31:37
think anybody would have expected the Vikings to be as
31:39
good as they were. So when their team games, that
31:42
exceeded GM new head coach, a lot of question marks all over
31:46
the roster and then all of the defensive woes that we went
31:50
through in the later half of the Season like yeah.
31:54
And I mean some historic moments to like greatest comeback of all
31:58
time. Yeah, that was Huge win against
32:00
the bills. Like I did not expect us to win
32:03
the game against the bills. There was like four different
32:06
times at the end in the last minute that I was convinced.
32:10
The Vikings were going to lose and then I was convinced there
32:13
are going to win I walked out like yeah my my dad was here.
32:17
Mowing my lawn. I was gonna go help my
32:20
father-in-law was something. My wife was watching the game
32:23
and I left. We were like it was the end of
32:25
the game. It looked like we were going to
32:27
lose and then the Fumble happened in the end zone, we got
32:31
the ball back. I think over time, I think that
32:35
is the game that I first enacted, the ice cream rule her.
32:39
My kids went great rule that oh, yeah.
32:42
And it's, I can't take credit for that rule.
32:44
I saw it on a viral video. Yeah.
32:47
Whenever the Vikings win our family, gets ice cream.
32:51
All right, we gotta start to wrap it up here, but before we
32:54
do, One definite win. We will absolutely win this game
33:01
and one definite loss. We will probably lose.
33:03
Not probably, we will lose this game.
33:06
What are you thinking? All right, I've my definite win.
33:10
The one that I know for sure, at this moment, the Vikings will
33:15
win is when they travel in 2009 to Atlanta.
33:22
They are winning that football game.
33:25
Fair enough, that will happen. Write it down and make fun of me
33:28
when I'm wrong, but they will win that game.
33:31
Okay, so definite win, Austin says week 9.
33:35
November 5th at Atlanta? Yes, all right, noted.
33:40
All right, I've what's your definite win and then we'll go
33:43
on to our definite losses definite win.
33:47
I think. I'm going to be a little more
33:50
conservative here, but I think we take care of the Bears at
33:54
home. Okay, Monday, Monday Night,
33:57
Football, November 27th. My birthday is four days before
34:02
that. I think they're gonna give me a
34:03
late birthday present. Well, and beat the Bears at home
34:06
on that talking point. If the Vikings ever, give me a
34:09
birthday present on February 7th, that we will all be happy
34:13
campers. All right, so you're saying the
34:16
Bears Monday night definite win. And week 12.
34:20
I mean, we've struggled against the Bears at times in recent
34:25
history and we've struggled on Monday night.
34:26
So I think we Rectify both of those things at home going into
34:31
the bye. Week are by week is week 13.
34:33
Yep. So I think we get the dub Monday
34:36
night week, 12 at home against the Bears and heading to buy
34:41
week with some, some good vibes, alright?
34:46
Alright, definite losses, you think we?
34:48
Yeah, where do you think we lose?
34:49
Sure, without my 100% loss without question will be.
34:56
Don't pick the one having a baby.
34:58
I'm not going to pick the one. You're going to pick it will be
35:00
week. 12 Monday night against the Vickers.
35:05
All right. That's not what I was going to
35:06
pick and it's funny because I had chosen that as my definite
35:09
lost before, I knew what you're definitely in was just because
35:14
the week before. You're coming home from Denver,
35:18
which, I mean traveling to Denver, regardless of, if the
35:22
Broncos are good and not good or not, you made the point earlier.
35:24
I think off mic that it's hard to travel to Denver and play,
35:28
just their elevation schedule. So, you're coming off that, it's
35:34
a back-to-back Prime Time games, you've played a late Sunday
35:39
games that kind of cuts out a whole day of prep for you into
35:43
the next week. And then a Monday night game.
35:47
In a time, when everybody will be watching the entire world
35:51
will be watching because you know Thanksgiving just came.
35:54
It's Monday Night Football. It's a classic NFC North
35:57
division game. I think I think this is my
36:00
definite loss. It's going to be too much
36:03
injuries will have piled up by that point players are already
36:07
going to be looking at the bye week the next week.
36:09
That's my definite loss. All right, well, we're gonna
36:12
have to remember that next week. Yes, we can't double back on.
36:15
Yep. What was that now?
36:16
So that's a dub for me and it's an L for you.
36:19
All right, so all right, I think my definite loss.
36:23
And again, this is maybe a little conservative, but I don't
36:26
think we make it past the Chiefs.
36:29
Okay, at home. Yep.
36:30
I just don't see that happening now.
36:33
I think it's a close game. Yep.
36:38
But I don't know that. We don't know that we win that
36:40
one. Yeah, I agree.
36:43
Well, if you remember the last time, the Vikings played the
36:45
Chiefs. I think it was a couple seasons
36:48
ago. They, I think it was in Kansas
36:52
City. They went to Kansas City, played
36:54
the Chiefs without Pat Mahomes. He was injured that week, I
36:58
don't know, it was their backup and I wish I remembered who the
37:01
backup was doesn't matter because he beat the Vikings.
37:04
It was a close game, came down to the last drive and the Chiefs
37:07
came away with the with a win and going in, everybody's like
37:12
homes isn't playing. All right.
37:14
Now we have a chance. They did not so I agree with
37:17
you. I think that's a good pick.
37:20
Yeah, I think we lose that game. I hope you're wrong, especially
37:23
especially coming off of the week before at Carolina.
37:26
That's going to be an emotional game.
37:28
You especially for the guys that have been on the roster for a
37:31
while, playing against Adam. Thielen that stuff, who knows?
37:35
Dalvin cook could end up in Carolina did a running back.
37:38
I don't know. We should probably know that the
37:40
traded away McCaffrey but yeah, yeah.
37:45
Well, all of that remains to be seen but we'll make our official
37:48
picks next riddle. Lock it in or next to next
37:51
episode. We're hoping it's June 4th right
37:53
now. Hopefully in a month or so we'll
37:56
get another episode together and yeah, we're just continuing to
38:02
kind of iron out the details here.
38:04
We had some technical issues, earlier that forced us to make
38:08
some adjustments, but we're learning as we go.
38:10
And by the time, the season rolls around, we'll have this.
38:15
Yeah, this all ironed out. Yeah, we're hoping to do weekly
38:18
episodes for this season. Um, I know some podcasts get
38:22
bold and they do like a two episodes a week, like a
38:25
prediction and then a reaction. But now we're going to do one
38:29
one a week, this year, looking back at the previous game and
38:35
towards the next game and yeah, yeah, it'll be great.
38:39
What in the next episode, not only are we going to make our
38:42
picks for all 18 games 17 with a bye week, but we're also going
38:48
to coin flip. So we will let fate decide
38:52
that'll be fun to see how accurate that coin will be.
38:55
And then our homework is going to be getting our wives and our
38:58
kids. You're going to have more work
39:00
than I do because that's okay. I want an extra kid.
39:02
I will just have are we doing picks per kid or the kids as a
39:09
whole? That's a good question.
39:10
We'll have to talk about that, right?
39:12
And figure that out but One way or another, our kids will make
39:17
picks our wives will make picks and we will make a picks.
39:20
Let's do it. All the pics will tell you all
39:22
about it in the next episode. In the meantime, follow us
39:28
social media at the school hop. Yeah, interact with us will will
39:33
interact with you and maybe it'll be so fun to interact with
39:37
you that that content will talk about on the podcast to.
39:41
So yeah alright well until next time school school