Gus Frerotte

should sign Brett Favre is actually four reasons rolled into one: Tarvaris Jackson, Sage Rosenfels, Gus Frerotte, and John David Booty. It is a sad state of affairs at quarterback in Minnesota and has been really since the departure of Fran Tarkenton as a series of washed up has-beens and young never-will-bes have been paraded through in hopes of leading the Vikings back to the promised land. Frerotte has the most experience of the four, but at 39 years old hasn't accomplished nearly as much as Favre has at 40. Rosenfels has the next most experience in the group with a grand total of 32 games under center. Rosenfels however has never played more than nine games in one season, and has played more than six games just twice. Jackson has gone back and forth as the pet project of head coach Brad Childress and has seen more up than down in his young NFL career. Booty, who had a solid collegiate career has yet to throw a pass in a meaningful NFL game. The Vikings have a championship caliber team with star talent at every position on the field except the most important, at quarterback.

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okie season of 2007 and even stunk as the anointed starter early in 2008 (before he was benched for Gus Frerotte), but the last few games of '08 he looked like a completely different QB.  His passes were on-target, he wasn't making boneheaded decisions, and he was scrambling not for his life, but in order to deliver big gains.  One or two games into his replacement of the injured Frerotte, I remarked that I hadn't been this excited about the Vikings' offense since Daunte Culpepper was heaving the rock to Randy Moss.  Of course, Tarvaris did stink in the playoff game against the Eagles, but one must remember that the Philly defense is perhaps the toughest in the NFC.  After the Vikes, the Giants couldn't do anything against them and only the Kurt Warner-Larry Fitzgerald combination could post any points (and that was only for about one half!).

Continue reading "Issue #2: The Quarterback"

d that pressure and find the open man (something that always exists against the Eagles D).  If Gus Frerotte were the starter right now, I would be praying for his safety, but Jackson has proven (over the past 3-4 games) his ability to scramble when necessary.

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playoff-implication game!  At the beginning of the season, I was one of those fans calling for Gus Frerotte to replace the struggling Jackson, and even supported Rot with a post about a month ago on this very blog.  However, it became clear in that much-too-close game against the Lions that

Continue reading "The Right Man Under Center"

ying another terrible game yet walking out with a victory.

Let's begin with the first half, where Gus Frerotte threw two interceptions, 70 yards, and led the Purple to a whopping three points.  I know that I was one of the Purple fans calling for Gus after Tarvaris Jackson started off the season so poorly, but it is all too clear now that Gus is NOT the answer at QB for the Vikings.  Sadly, he probably is the best option going forward, but don't confuse that with his talent level.  He is completely immobile, takes too many huge hits, and throws just as many interceptions as Jackson ever did (if not more).

Continue reading "Vikings 20, Lions 16: Getting Away ..."

Coming into Sunday night's nationally televised contest against the Bears, the Vikes were a team (and a fan base) that expected a victory.  Remarkably (if you know anything about the Vikes in pressure situations!), that is exactly what transpired, with an exclamation mark!  Why did the Vikings have no excuse not to win this game?  A quick recent-history lesson:

Continue reading "Vikings 34, Bears 14: Doing What Needed To Be Done"

chance to do so.

Finally, I also wanted to note that I was very impressed by the toughness of QB Gus Frerotte.  I do not feel a bit bad for him, as he was purely responsible for most of

Continue reading "Vikings 30, Jaguars 12: One Tough Son Of A Gus"

well as Garcia did.  Pretty impressive for an old fogey like him.

Then, on our side, we have Gus Frerotte...whereas the Vikes usually bring pressure from the D-line, Tampa favors their exotic blitz packages, where linebackers, cornerbacks, and even safeties are often seen dropping the signal-caller.  So, as was predictable, Frerotte was never (or very rarely) able to have a comfortable pocket from which to throw.  However, unlike Garcia, Gus could not escape the pressure and was instead sacked five times and threw for just 138 yards mainly due to his accostment by blitzing Bucs.

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a feeling we will be holding our collective breath on every opponents' return down the stretch.

-Gus Frerotte also had a very poor performance against the Packers (151 yards, 3 INTs), which just underscores the sad point that the Vikings likely cannot make any kind of championship run with him behind center.  I have said this many times before (though perhaps not on this blog) that Brad Childress has modeled this Viking offense off his time in Philadelphia under Andy Reid.  The Eagles always had a star running back (Bryant Westbrook), no notable wide receivers (James Thrash and Freddie Mitchell, anyone?!), and a defense that stifled the run.  The Vikings have those three components as well, but whereas the Eagles had Donovan McNabb at the helm, the Vikes have Rot (because Tarvaris Jackson bombed).  It was perhaps the most short-sighted move of the entire Brad Childress tenure to put all his hopes on Jackson without a viable back-up plan after he alienated Daunte Culpepper.

Continue reading "Vikings 28, Packers 27...A Few Thoughts"

s, and Detroit coach Rod Marinelli is considering Pep to replace the struggling Dan Orlovsky.  Gus Frerotte is the starting QB for the Vikings.

In other news, Scott Linehan (former Vikings and Dolphins offensive coordinator and Rams head coach) sits unemployed.  Brad Childress is (still) the Head Coach of the Vikings.

Continue reading "Blast(s) From The Past"

ne (especially in his legs), and thus has rarely played with all his body parts at decent health.

Gus Frerotte:

Pros-Gus is a veteran who rarely (the Bears game was likely an exception) throws too many interceptions or makes the kind of bone-headed plays that costs teams points and games.  He can throw a great deep ball with accuracy and thus allows the Vikings to stretch the field at least to some extent (or, as much as their shabby WR corps. will allow him).

Continue reading "The Lesser Of Two Evils"

.

Surprisingly, though, the Vikings came right back after that clownish miscue to score a TD on a Gus Frerotte 24-yard strike to Visanthe Shiancoe, tying things up at 14-14.

As the second quarter began, each team traded field goals (17-17), and then the next boneheaded Vikings play occurred.  With Charles Gordon back to receive Chicago's punt with about five minutes left in the first half, the punt bounced backwards off the five yard line and hit Gordon (who was making a block instead of getting out of the way) in the arm, making it a live ball.  The Bears fell on it in the end zone...24-17.  Most defenders just clear the area in those situations, but Gordon inexplicably stuck around and was befallen by a bit of bad luck.

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, Pep was terrible in '05 before wrecking his knee.  Linehan then went to Miami, where with QB Gus Frerotte (sound familiar?!) turned the Dolphins into a respectable offense working with primarily old farts and young whipersnappers.  Sure, the brunt of the Rams' collapse this season was laid on him, but the Rams have been a competitive team for quite awhile and salary restrictions always come back to bit you eventually.  I believe that Linehan could compose an offense that, at the very least, could score two touchdowns a game, with his eyes closed.

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the visitors a 10-2 lead and perpetuating the biggest boo-bird moment of the afternoon.  Gus Frerotte was quickly intercepted in the resulting possession after the Detroit score, but Detroit was then forced to punt, setting up perhaps the biggest play of the contest.  Trailing by eight points with 4:33 remaining in the third quarter and at their own 14 yard line, Frerotte found receiver Bernard Berrian on the left side and Berrian turned on the jets, running 86 yards for the score (exactly what we are paying him to do).  The Vikes elected to kick the extra point (I decision I didn't take too much offense with, as so often missed two-point conversions come back to haunt teams) and thus cut the deficit to 10-9.

Continue reading "Despite Safety, Win Over Lions Is Anything But"

With respect to Patsy Cline (or Gnarls Barkley, for this generation), the recent Monday Night Football game between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints was the epitome of "Crazy".

Continue reading "Crazy"