Vikings are going to leave it all out there

Steve from Colorado Springs, CO

“His car doesn’t have rear-view mirrors.” “60 Minutes,” a long time ago, did a story on the Lamborghini Countach (“Holy cow” in Italian). When the driver had to back the car into a spot, the driver opened the door and leaned out to back up. I believe it was Mike Wallace who asked about the rear-view mirror being unusable, because of the small rear window. The driver responded, “At 140 miles per hour, it’s not what’s behind you that matters.” Keep pushing the gas and never look back.

I gotta start using “Countach” in the live blog. Somebody hold me to it.

In the world of racing, there is an axiom that “you have to know when to go slow to go fast.” A Rock Report showed Kevin King braking (breaking?) down to get a good angle and waiting for help while he corralled a receiver after the catch. This seems to have caught on with some of the younger guys although a few are still figuring it out. Is this the teaching of Jerry Gray? Or great film study? Tackling is just better this year.

Joe from Wausau asked about the genesis of the defense’s improved tackling, too. I think it mostly comes down to improved positioning and angles. Those concepts under Barry have taken hold across the board, and I don’t doubt Gray’s tutelage in the secondary has reinforced them.

With all the recent praise flying around for Joe Barry, let’s not forget that the defense’s turnaround took place the week Jerry Gray led the defense. Last year’s team was one DB away from the Super Bowl. It was then gifted with an upgraded DB in the draft and a Pro Bowl ILB. Not overlooking how well this defense is playing under Barry, I think Gray deserves way more credit than he is getting. Gray’s unit is the strength of the defense in my opinion.

C’mon now, the turnaround began in the second half vs. Detroit in Week 2, didn’t it? But to your larger point, Gray’s group has dealt with the most significant injuries but has remained the backbone of the entire unit, to his great credit, but also thanks to a steady pass rush in key situations that sped up QBs’ timing. Now it’s Mike Smith’s edge rushers dealing with a heaping pile of adversity, and the secondary might have to do its part to help out the pass rush. They always work hand in hand.

In the pre-draft chatter before his selection, the only negative I heard about drafting Rashan Gary was a single report that he might be vulnerable to a really serious injury to one of his shoulders. I don’t recall hearing anything after that. Do you recall hearing the same report? If so, was the injury to his arm on the same side as this rumored weakness? I hope he is not out long as he has developed into a key player on defense with the drive to become really great.

Gary injured a shoulder his last year at Michigan, and I recall the Packers being very careful with that shoulder his rookie year. But it hasn’t come up since. I don’t know if this current elbow injury is to the same arm.

Good morning! Is the Rams game now the single most important game remaining on the schedule?

No. Not when the Packers will have five more after that, and the Rams six more.

Wes said this was “the best statistical defense he’s covered,” which seems to imply that he might have another defense he covered that he thinks was better overall. Any thoughts on which defense that might be?

The 2014 unit in the second half of the season, after Clay Matthews moved inside, was the best one here since XLV. Following the switch, it allowed more than 21 points only once until the playoff loss. But it’s overall stats didn’t measure up because of the rough games early. Time will tell where this defense ends up when it’s all said and done.