What We Learned News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/what-we-learned/ Minnesota sports, but different Sun, 05 Oct 2025 02:59:27 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg What We Learned News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/what-we-learned/ 32 32 What We Learned About the Minnesota Gophers in Homecoming Disaster vs Ohio State https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/what-we-learned-minnesota-ohio-state-postgame-recap/ Sun, 05 Oct 2025 02:59:24 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=69252 The Minnesota Gophers faced their toughest regular season task of the 2025 season on Saturday night in Columbus against the nation’s No. 1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.

Obviously, when you play on the road against arguably the most talented team in the country — a school that hand-picks its players every year in both the transfer portal and on the high school recruiting trail — odds are going to be stacked against you. That’s why the Gophers came in 23.5 point underdogs against the Buckeyes.

But this season, OSU came in as less of a high-powered team on offense, and more so built on the juggernaut it has built on the other side of the football. Entering Saturday, the Buckeyes defense ranked 1st nationally in points allowed per game (5.5), 8th in yards allowed (132.0) and 6th in first downs allowed (12.5).

What We Learned – Minnesota vs Ohio State

NCAA Football: Minnesota Gophers at Ohio State Buckeyes
Credit: Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

And the Minnesota Golden Gophers found out pretty quickly tonight in Columbus that, not only is the Buckeyes defense legit, but their offense is still unbelievably dangerous.

We’ll get into all of the numbers below, but what we learned on Saturday night is that our favorite college football team does not belong on the same field with the best teams in the country, which the Buckeyes clearly proved they are tonight at the Horseshoe, during a completely dominant 42-3 romping of the Gophers.

Minnesota Gophers start hot… then go ice cold

If Minnesota was going to have any chance to keep the game tight in Columbus, they had to play near perfect offensively and defensively. On top of that, they needed redshirt sophomore quarterback Drake Lindsey to do something this program has never really seen out of its QB.

The MN Gophers needed the right arm of their 20-year-old quarterback to keep them in it. Early on, he looked like he might be up to the challenge, starting the game 7-of-7, including an eye-opening first drive that seemed to catch the Buckeyes defense off-guard.

Unfortunately, that first 13-play, 66 yard drive ended in a field goal, which ended up being the only three points Minnesota scored in the entire first half. After his smoking hot start, Lindsey completed just 4 for his next 12, passes and finished the half 11-of-19 for only 99 yards.

It was Drake’s efficiency during the Gophers initial drive that made everyone watching believe, if only for a couple of minutes, that Minnesota stood a chance tonight vs the best team in the country.

But once Ohio State went to man defense, receivers struggled to get open, reads dried up and Lindsey was a sitting duck for the Buckeyes’ immensely talented pass rush… a recipe for disaster.

Minnesota does not belong on the same field as Ohio State

The second half on Saturday night didn’t get any better. After gaining 74 yards in the first quarter, the Minnesota Golden Gophers offense managed just 36 total yards in the second and third quarters combined (-1 yard in the 3rd).

Meanwhile, Ohio State’s struggles to find big plays on offense went out the window Saturday, as they hit on SIX pass plays for over 15 yards (232 yards total) and FOUR rush attempts that went for 10 or more yards (66 yards total).

The MN Gophers hit on FOUR big plays total, only one of which came from Lindsey — his 1st drive pass down the seam to Jameson Geers. When the dust finally settled in Columbus, Lindsey was 15-of-26 for 93 yards and 0 touchdowns.

In total, The Gophers offense mustered only 162 yards against Ohio State’s more than formidable defense, where they failed to gain even ONE first down after the first drive of the game. The Buckeyes offense, however, countered with 474 total yards, 326 of which came on the arm of Buckeyes QB Julian Sayin.

The Ohio State starting QB and Heisman outside candidate went 23-of-27 (85%) passing and threw 3 touchdowns. Wide receiver Carnell Tate caught 9 of those passes for a total of 183 yards and 1 touchdown.

How do the MN Gophers respond to this brutal loss?

While it’s certainly demoralizing in the moment, Saturday’s loss does not reflect on the eventual success or failure of Minnesota’s 2025 season, but it certainly was a reminder just how far away we are from competing with the national elites, like Ohio State.

Thankfully, they do not have to. Next up on the Gophers 2025 schedule is back at Huntington Bank Stadium against the Purdue Boilermakers. After that, they have Nebraska (home), Iowa (away) and Michigan State (home), before they head west to play another elite, the Oregon Ducks.

In other words, the Minnesota Gophers’ 2025 season will not be dictated by tonight’s results. It will be decided by how they respond and play over the next four weeks, between their matchups against two of the best teams, not just in the conference, but in the nation.

]]> Sat, 04 Oct 2025 21:59:27 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football What We Learned About the Vikings in Emotionally Draining Loss vs Steelers https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/what-we-learned-wk-4-vikings-steelers-postgame-recap/ Sun, 28 Sep 2025 17:14:50 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=68995 Minnesota Vikings fans woke up on Sunday excited for some early morning action. I mean, what could be better than football with your weekend coffee? There was really no reason for pessimism, either.

The Vikings came into week 4’s matchup in Dublin previously undefeated internationally, and coming off an extremely convincing victory over the Bengals in week 4. On top of that, the Steelers have struggled over the past two weeks to move the ball on offense and stop it on defense.

What We Learned – Minnesota Vikings vs Pittsburgh Steelers (Wk 4)

Of course, NFL games are not played on paper or by panelists at ESPN. And “any given Sunday” is cliche for a reason. Because it’s true. And from pretty the opening whistle in Ireland, the Minnesota Vikings looked like a shell of the team we saw mop up the Bengals just one week ago.

After falling behind by 18 points entering the 4th quarter, the Vikings’ lights turned on. But they ran out of juice in the expiring moments, outscoring the Steelers 15-3 in the final period, but still falling 24-21, when the clock hit 00:00. In the end, it was a dragging, depressing loss… with a flash of late-game devastation thrown in.

Vikings offensive line issues made worse by more injuries

Their struggles started on the offensive line, mostly due to injury. Ryan Kelly returned this week, after sitting out one week with a concussion. Unfortunately, he was pulled in the first half after suffering his second concussion of the season and fifth of his career.

Minnesota’s issues up front became desperate, however, when Brian O’Neill suffered a knee injury while blocking for a field goal attempt. With Donovan Jackson out coming into this game, after undergoing wrist surgery on Monday, the Vikings o-line played most of week 4 with backups at left guard, center and right tackle.

That led to Carson Wentz being under fire all morning. The Pittsburgh Steelers piled up 6 sacks on the day, along with 13 total QB hits. While the newly acquired veteran created plenty of his own problems (keep reading), it’s difficult to foresee any Vikings quarterback having success with the type of pressure Pittsburgh was getting today.

While injuries are mostly contributed to luck, the MN Vikings do not get to hide behind that excuse. They were the ones laughing off the risk of signing so many players who have had issues staying on the field during their career.

Now here we are, just a month into the season, and half of those oft-injured players are not contributing, including LB Blake Cashman, C Ryan Kelly and EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel. And while right guard Will Fries has remained healthy, he has not been the dominant interior presence we were sold on this offseason.

Inconsistent Minnesota Vikings defense

Let’s go back to that paper we were talking about earlier. Because when you look at the boxscore from Vikings vs Steelers, you will see a game where Minnesota was the better team in many categories.

Minnesota totalled more yards (372) than Pittsburgh (313). The Vikings also won the time of possession battle pretty decisively 33:34 to 26:18 and ran 19 more plays than the Steelers. But a closer look starts to unveil the story of Sunday’s contest.

After a slow start on the ground, backup running back Kenneth Gainwell and the Pittsburgh rushing game got going as the afternoon in Dublin wore on, eventually totalling 131 yards to the Vikings’ 70. And while Minnesota’s defense held Aaron Rodgers to 200 yards and just 1 touchdown, they failed to turn the Steelers over even once.

Overall, just like too many games so far this season, the Minnesota Vikings defense gave up too much, even if they weren’t the biggest reason for a loss. This team desperately misses Blake Cashman, but the former Gopher cannot be relied on to stay healthy, a reality that continues to bite Brian Flores & Co in the butt.

The Carson Wentz rollercoaster is a wild ride

All in all, Carson Wentz gutted out a performance overseas on Sunday that deserves more praise than it does ridicule. He was dealing with half of an offensive line that, for much of the first three quarters, couldn’t block anybody.

He finished the game 30-of-46 (65.2%) for 350 yards and 2 touchdowns. But there were way too many times where he should have gotten rid of the football and didn’t. He also makes decisions, every once in a while, that leave those watching wondering wtf he is thinking.

More time in the MN Vikings offense will help Carson Wentz settle in, but his performance next weekend in London will likely go a long way in deciding how quickly Kevin O’Connell hurries the injured JJ McCarthy back onto the active roster, out of the bye week.

Don’t look now, but during the game, a report came out that the Vikings may play McCarthy as their scout QB during practice this week, not only to give the No. 1 defense a really good look, but also to test his readiness to get back under center.

No matter what the Minnesota Vikings decide to do at QB in the near future, you’d rather choose as a 3-2 team than a 2-3 team, especially given that they have a gauntlet schedule out of the bye (Eagles, @ Chargers, @ Lions, Ravens).

]]> Sun, 28 Sep 2025 12:18:24 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Key Takeaways From the Minnesota Vikings’ Week 3 Annihilation of the Bengals https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/key-takeaways-mn-vikings-cincinnati-bengals-week-3-postgame/ Sun, 21 Sep 2025 20:55:11 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=68677 The Minnesota Vikings entered Sunday’s week 3 noon contest against the Cincinnati Bengals with a plethora of questions surrounding their future. The biggest storyline centered around Carson Wentz taking over at quarterback, for the injured redshirt rookie JJ McCarthy.

But when most of us went to bed Saturday night, there was a lot of doubt surrounding whether or not Wentz’ blindside would be protected by Christian Darrisaw, who did not sound confident about making his 2025 debut earlier in the week, following season-ending surgery after week 8 of 2024.

Thankfully, Darrisaw did suit up, as did Harrison Smith and Andrew Van Ginkel, on the defensive side. And without a doubt the impact of all three were felt immediately, as the Minnesota Vikings jumped out to a 31-point lead over a wounded Bengals squad playing without star QB Joe Burrow.

Key Takeaways: Minnesota Vikings DOMINATE Cincinnati Bengals

Minnesota Vikings vs Cincinnati Bengals
Credit: Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When the dust settled at U.S. Bank Stadium, the Vikings held a 48-10 lead on the scoreboard and many of the concerns that fans/media had coming in, were wiped away with the blowout victory.

Wentz made the Vikings offense look like a well-oiled machine, compared to what we saw with McCarthy, and Darrisaw’s talent was on display too, especially in the run game.

But the MN Vikings second victory of the season came on the back of Minnesota’s defense, which scored two touchdowns and forced FIVE total Cincinnati turnovers. So as we layout the biggest Vikings takeaways from Sunday’s game, come on that side of the football.

1.) MN Vikings defense throws out “bend but don’t break”

With a new quarterback taking over and the season prematurely teetering on the verge of a spiral, head coach Kevin O’Connell needed a big week out of his right-hand man and defensive coordinator, Brian Flores.

The defense responded to their week 3 challenge, in kind, with arguably the most dominant performance of Flores’ two-plus year tenure, holding the Bengals offense to just three points through the first half, before they added a touchdown in garbage time.

Even better, the biggest contributor on the defensive side came in the form of Isaiah Rodgers, who was handpicked as a the defensive coordinator this offseason, but who had yet to cement himself as a legitimate NFL starter.

All offseason long, there have been heavy questions surrounding the Minnesota Vikings secondary. Harrison Smith isn’t getting any younger, not to mention they let S Cam Bynum, CB Stephon Gilmore and CB Shaq Griffin all walk this offseason, leaving Rodgers as their CB2.

But on Sunday, Flores and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah were very much vindicated when Rodgers returned both an interception (above) and fumble (below) to the house for two defensive Minnesota Vikings touchdowns.

Through the first two weeks of the season, the Minnesota Vikings offense deployed a bend but don’t break style that put a lot of stress on them, there offense and the those of us watching the games.

On Sunday, that was out the window and replaced by sheer dominance from the opening whistle until the final buzzer. To go along with their five forced turnovers, Brian Flores’ defense held the Bengals to just 118 yards passing and 53 yards rushing and 171 yards in total and 3-of-13 on 3rd down.

2.) Carson Wentz’ veteran presence was all the Vikings offense needed

It helps when your defense is completely dominant, like the Vikings’ was in week 3. But it was Carson Wentz who lit off the initial fireworks this afternoon.

In his first drive ever as a Viking, Wentz methodically drove Minnesota’s offense down the field, where he capped things off with a touchdown pass to Josh Oliver, to make the game 7-0, purple.

That early score allowed the 70,000 at U.S. Bank Stadium and millions watching on TV cheer a loud sigh of relief. And from that moment on, the route was on. Wentz went on to complete 14-of-20 passes for 173 yards, 2 touchdowns and a 129.8 QB Rating.

Carson Wentz did on Sunday exactly what the Minnesota Vikings needed from him, and from JJ McCarthy prior to injury, and that’s a game manager. This team was built around a stout defense, uber-talented playmakers, a bulldozing run game and elite play-caller. The QBs job is to drive that Lamborghini in between the lines.

We quickly found out that McCarthy was not yet ready for that responsibility. In week three, Wentz proved he is more than capable. What that means, going forward, we do not know. But for now, Minnesota’s offense looks like it is in pretty good hands with the 32-year-old North Dakota State alum and lifelong Vikings fan.

3.) The Minnesota Vikings need to FEED Jordan Mason (w/Darrisaw back)

Much like the responsibility put on the Minnesota Vikings’ defense this week, newly acquired running back Jordan Mason came in knowing he’d be tasked with shouldering a rushing workload unlike he has seen very often throughout his four-year NFL career.

Just like Brian Flores’ crew, Mason responded with one of the best performances of his career, rushing for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 16 carries (7.3 YPC). Every time he got the football, Mason punished a Bengal defender or two before taking off for a big gain.

At no time on Sunday did the Vikings’ offense seem like it was in trouble or way behind the sticks. Wentz did a great job in his debut, but he can thank Jordan Mason for making his life easier.

It wasn’t all on Mason, however. When Kevin O’Connell realized Christian Darrisaw would start, he might have ripped out most of the plays on his sheet that had the running back going right. Repeatedly, especially in that first half, the Minnesota Vikings lined up Mason and ran him behind their all-pro caliber left tackle.

And when it ain’t broke, why fix it, right? The Vikings’ success in the run game also took superstar Cincinnati pass rusher, Trey Hendrickson out of the game. He finished with just 1 tackle on the day and ZERO sacks.

]]> Sun, 21 Sep 2025 15:55:14 +0000 Minnesota Vikings What We Learned About Vikings in Lullaby Loss vs Falcons https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/analysis-vikings-loss-falcons-what-we-learned-review/ Mon, 15 Sep 2025 16:56:23 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=68390 Sunday night was supposed to be a celebration at U.S. Bank Stadium. Not only was football back in the Twin Cities, but so was Adam Thielen, who was honored pregame, lathering up Minnesota Vikings fans in attendance at U.S. Bank Stadium for what we hoped would be the perfect weekend nightcap against the Atlanta Falcons.

Unfortunately, it was not that. Quite the opposite, in fact. On Sunday Night Football, with the entire world watching, the Vikings laid a dud. Outside of Brian Flores’ bend-but-don’t-break defensive creating some early game highlights, the 70,000+ packed into The Bank were rendered completely useless.

Steadily, Vikings fans went from rabid at kickoff, to nervous by halftime… and apathetic by mid-fourth quarter, after former Viking John Parker Romo kicked the Falcons to a late 15-6 lead that might as well have been 45-6.

What We Learned – Minnesota Vikings vs Atlanta Falcons

NFL: Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

That’s what happens when, less than one week after a historic comeback victory in Chicago — where we saw the Vikings score three fourth quarter touchdowns while Brian Flores’ defense wrapped Caleb Williams’ brain into a second half pretzel — the offense forgets how to move the ball and your defense how to stop the run.

So on that note, let’s dig into what we learned about the Minnesota Vikings during Sunday’s lullaby 22-6 week two home loss against the Atlanta Falcons.

Minnesota Vikings tough in the redzone, but soft against the run

Before we get to the struggles of JJ McCarthy, let’s discuss Brian Flores’ 2025 crew, and what to take away from their performance last night, one that raised just as many questions about the MN Vikings defense as it brought answers.

Flores knew that the Falcons were going to establish the run early, if they were allowed to do so. That’s how they built their team, behind the ultra-talented Bijan Robinson, especially once they moved on from Kirk Cousins as their starter.

It’s possible B-Flo was fine with that, which would explain Minnesota’s “bend-but-don’t-break” defensive strategy. You could even argue that it worked, being Atlanta didn’t score its first touchdown until there was just 3:22 remaining in the fourth quarter.

But how well did it work, really? Because the Falcons piled up a mind-numbing 218 rushing yards, on 5.6 yards per carry. Atlanta’s offense also passed for 198 yards. By himself, Bijan Robinson rushed for 22 times and accounted for 143 yards on the ground (6.5 YPC).

Combine all that with the Vikings’ offensive struggles, and there should be no surprise that the Falcons won the time of possession battle 36:32 to 23:28. And when your offense is only on the field for 1/3 of the game, you get QB stat lines like JJ McCarthy’s Sunday night.

JJ McCarthy takes major step back

It took a crazed comeback in Chicago for McCarthy to reach 143 yards passing in week one. That’s not a huge deal, especially in a win.

In week one vs the Bears, even before he led the comeback, McCarthy looked poised and somewhat comfortable in the pocket, against the Bears, especially for a redshirt rookie making his NFL debut. He progressed through his reads, before delivering accurately and on-time to open receivers, when they were there.

None of that was true last night, where the Vikings’ youngster looked more like a deer in headlights than he did a professional quarterback, finishing 11/21 for 158 yards, 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

But per usual, it isn’t what McCarthy did on paper that made me nervous, it was what I saw with my eyes. Sunday night, back at home with no crowd noise to deal with, JJ looked oddly uncomfortable, under the bright lights of U.S. Bank Stadium.

The 22-year-old struggled to get the team lined up on time, set protections properly and communicate with Kevin O’Connell. Those issues led to all sorts of free pass rushers, missed blocking assignments and multiple fumbled or bobbled exchanges between McCarthy and two different centers.

Related: JJ McCarthy’s Legendary Moment in Vikings Huddle Shook Teammates, Sparked Comeback

When he did get the ball in his hands successfully, life wasn’t much better., as McCarthy struggled to go through reads and get the ball out on time. Worse yet, he missed throws that are normally free throws for him.

The kid was bouncing footballs short of his receivers, throwing them over their heads. It was an ugly night for the redshirt rookie.

We all expect growing pains from the Minnesota Vikings’ young franchise QB this season. Last night, it was HOW he made his mistakes that was most worrisome. Going forward, what matters is how he responds.

Please, make the injuries stop

The Minnesota Vikings entered 2025 feeling downright cocky about their medical staff, even targeting injury-prone offensive and defensive linemen in free agency, in order to save a buck.

So far, not good. For weeks/months, coaches and those around TCO Performance Center have been touting Christian Darrisaw’s recovery and rehab from knee surgery that ended his 2024 season halfway through.

They were so sure of themselves that most of the fanbase and those in media expected the 25-year-old All-Pro caliber blindside protector to suit up week one.

He didn’t. Then in week two, after being a full-participant in practice all week, Darrisaw was inactive again. As a result, JJ McCarthy has been dealing with constant pressure from the left side.

To make matters worse, there is still concern over whether or not Darrisaw will be ready to play in week three, which would raise even bigger problems, being Skule and Kelly may very-well have to sit out too, after they suffered concussions vs the Falcons.

On defense, the injury list just keeps growing. None of Harrison Smith, Blake Cashman (IR) or Andrew Van Ginkel were active on Sunday night, leaving massive gaps at the second and third levels that helped lead to Bijan Robinson’s big day.

Related: Kevin O’Connell Says Jettas Isn’t the Diva He Sees Elsewhere

On both sides of the football, if the Minnesota Vikings cannot start to get healthier, it may not matter how much better McCarthy gets or how much KOC learns on the job. And for a team so confident in that department, it’s time to walk the walk.

This team has a lot of problems, but they can’t really fix them if most of their best players aren’t on the field. Thankfully, the upcoming Vikings schedule is the easiest it will be all season, so there is plenty of room to turn things around.

Kevin O’Connell needs to be better

There’s only one person, outside of McCarthy himself, who’s responsible for making sure JJ bounces back from Sunday’s brutal week two showing.

It took just three seasons for Kevin O’Connell to ascend up the NFL head coaching ranks and establish himself as, possibly, the best QB whisperer in the entire league.

But he needs to do more than whisper, if he wants McCarthy to develop into a top NFL quarterback. We all know that, behind the scenes, our young QB is being taken care of and coached better than most.

What about during games, though? Because the Minnesota Vikings are still missing their star left tackle, Christian Darrisaw, and injury issues up front just continue to get worse.

Beyond injuries, though, it sure seems like there is too much on the young QB’s plate pre-snap, when it comes to offensive checks and protections, causing late breaks out of the huddle and rushing at the line of scrimmage.

It’s on O’Connell, especially if the line doesn’t get healthier this week, to simplify the process for JJ McCarthy so he can play fast and loose.

Oh, and when you have short yardage situations, how about we just give the ball to Jordan Mason (since that’s why the Vikings got him), instead of play action fake tosses and/or QB sneaks that continue to fail?

There is no doubting KOC’s abilities as a play-caller or his future as an NFL head coach. But it’s on him to make life easier for JJ McCarthy going forward. And if he can’t, then nothing he has done to this point will matter.

MN Vikings hope on the horizon…?

Next week, they will host a Joe Burrow-less Cincinnati Bengals, before flying overseas to defend their undefeated international record against the Cleveland Browns (week 4) and Pittsburgh Steelers (week 5).

Both contests were supposed to be road games, Instead, they are at neutral sites, (Dublin and London) a scheduling outlier that the Vikings must take advantage of.

Related: Vikings HC Wastes No Time Delivering Legendary Message

To do so, however, their defense needs to be better against the run and JJ McCarthy needs to be better overall. That means moving on from an ugly week two lands at the feet of head coach Kevin O’Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

In the meantime, fans need to try and remember that there are still 15 games (of 17) remaining… so there’s a whole lot we have yet to learn about the 2025 Minnesota Vikings. A month from now, we’ll realize how little we actually knew about this team, after the Falcons loss.

]]> Mon, 15 Sep 2025 13:28:43 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Key Takeaways From MN Vikings Incredible Comeback Victory Over Bears https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/what-we-learned-mn-vikings-bears-recap-postgame-analysis/ Tue, 09 Sep 2025 04:16:45 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=68149 The Minnesota Vikings and their first round quarterback JJ McCarthy made their much awaited 2025 regular season debut on Monday Night Football in week one against the Chicago Bears.

There were a ton of storylines entering this national spotlight game. From McCarthy’s homecoming NFL debut to, the one-sided rivalry between Bears head coach Ben Johnson and Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores to Minnesota’s new ground and pound offensive commitments… this one had it all.

But once the game begins and bodies start flying around the football field, all bets are off. And without a doubt, that is the theme that unfolded in front of our eyes on Monday night.

Minnesota Vikings starters should have played more during preseason

The Vikings came into tonight’s game trying to establish the run… but they were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, KOC was trying with all his might to protect his rookie quarterback making his debut on national television, in a hostile NFC North environment.

Because of their tentative nature early on offensively, Minnesota looked nervous. But when O’Connell tried to entrust McCarthy early in the second half, he repaid him with the first pick-six of his NFL career. Welcome to the league (redshirt) rook…

Not only did JJ McCarthy struggle, but so did Vikings receivers, offensive linemen and running backs. Hell, both Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen dropped passes on third down tonight. If there was one obvious question, it was whether or not Minnesota starters got enough run in the preseason.

Caleb Williams looked like a different dude in first half

With JJ McCarthy struggled in his first career start, Caleb Williams looked like a completely different person with new Bears head coach Ben Johnson calling plays and whispering into his helmet.

The 2024 No. 1 overall pick started Monday night’s game 10-of-10 for 86 yards. Williams finished the first half 13-of-16 (81%) for 112 yards and a 95.8 QB rating. At halftime, Chicago Bears fans and coaches had to feel like they were one more score away from putting this one away… and they got the ball at halftime.

Related: Vikings Defense Extra Confident Entering Matchup vs Caleb Williams, Bears Offense

When Monday’s game went into the fourth quarter, the Vikings were down 17-6 and JJ McCarthy was 9-of-16 for 56 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception. Minnesota’s outlook at the time was bleak, at best.

MN Vikings defense got better as game went on vs Caleb Williams, Bears

But in the second half, after allowing 172 yards of first half offense, letting Caleb Williams look like Fran Tarkenton for two quarters and forcing just two punts, Brian Flores’ defense buckled down and began to suffocate the USC/Oklahoma product, like they had planned to all week.

During the final two quarters tonight, Caleb Williams completed only 8 of his 19 passes, good for an ugly 42% completion rate. His aforementioned 95.8 QB Rating also fell to 76.2.

JJ McCarthy reminds football world why he’s special

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings’ new quarterback seemed to find his footing as the game went on, as the game slowed down a bit for him. After struggling through three quarters, McCarthy looked like a different guy in the fourth, standing poised in the pocket, completing 6-of-8 passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns.

JJ also showed off his athleticism, running for a touchdown that capped a 8-minute, 21-0 Minnesota run that suddenly had the Vikings on top of the Bears by ten points.

The comeback happened so fast that if you had to go to the bathroom or left the living room for an old fashioned smoke break, you might have come back to a completely different game than the one you left.

Related: Vikings Legend Nails McCarthy’s First TD

Call it JJ’s clutch gene or Chicago’s tendency to fold late in games, but whatever it was, it ended in a Minnesota Vikings 27-24 Monday Night Football opening night victory. But the MN Vikings offensive surge in the fourth quarter tonight went beyond JJ McCarthy’s drive-over-drive improvement.

Minnesota Vikings new-look run games starts slow, finishes strong

In Monday’s final period, after the run game struggled to establish itself for three quarters, the offensive line finally started to wear down the Bears defensive front, opening holes for running backs Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason that were not there during the first three quarters.

Minnesota running backs carried the ball 9 times for just 35 (3.9 YPC) of Minnesota’s 80 offensive yards in the first half. In the second, it was a different story.

During the last two quarters, Jordan Mason carried 11 times for 54 yards, Aaron Jones 5 times for 17 yards. In total, the Vikings ran 17 times in the second half for 85 yards (5.0 YPC), slowly wearing away Chicago’s defense and allowing JJ McCarthy a lot more time on pass plays, especially off play action.

]]> Mon, 08 Sep 2025 23:17:17 +0000 Minnesota Vikings What We Learned About the MN Vikings in Sloppy Preseason Showing vs Patriots https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/what-we-learned-vikings-patriots-game-recap-preseason-2025/ Sat, 16 Aug 2025 20:37:48 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=66758 The Minnesota Vikings came into their second preseason game of 2025 without a lot of expectations. After two heated joint practice sessions against the New England Patriots on Wednesday and Thursday, Saturday’s exhibition matchup vs the Pats was about those fighting for depth roles and 53-man roster spots.

JJ McCarthy was in street clothes, as was Jonathan Greenard, Jordan Addison and just about every other player casual fans would be able to pick out of a lineup. Of course, for MN Vikings fans watching this weekend, all eyes were on the backup quarterback battle between Sam Howell, Brett Rypien and Max Brosmer.

What We Learned – Minnesota Vikings vs New England Patriots (Preseason)

The Vikings — who eventually fell 20-12 to the Patriots — played okay on both sides of the ball Saturday, at least periodically. But today’s loss was very more so due to preseason sloppiness, than anything else.

NFL: New England Patriots at Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Minnesota filled up their box score with drops on offense and missed tackles on defense that cost them both drives and points. Even worse may have been the constant penalty flags that were being thrown. So, let’s get after what we learned during the MN Vikings week two preseason game against the NE Patriots.

Minnesota Vikings 2nd Team mostly holds its own vs Patriots starters

Because head coach Kevin O’Connell decided early in the week (probably much sooner) that Minnesota’s starters were not going to play today, it was a bit surprising when noon rolled around and New England had all of their starters dressed in full pads.

They weren’t in uniform for show, either. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel actually rolled out his starters on both sides of the football, for two drives.

That included second year quarterback Drake Maye and just about every offensive starter, not named Stefon Diggs. New England even started one of the most expensive non-quarterbacks in football, defensive tackle Milton Williams, who’s making $32 million in cash this season.

Still, the Minnesota Vikings’ second team defense mostly held its own, limiting Drake Maye to 4-of-7 for 46 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions and 77.1 QB rating.

They were better on drive one, forcing a six-and-out, but did spring a leak on the second drive, allowing Drake Maye & Co drive 52 yards on 9 plays that ended on a TreVon Henderson 8-yard touchdown run.

Sam Howell just ain’t it…

At this point, I think it is only a matter of time before the Minnesota Vikings put an end to the Sam Howell experiment. Out of the three quarterbacks who played on Saturday afternoon, Howell was by far the worst.

Yes, he was playing against the Patriots’ 1st team defense, but that is no excuse for how poorly his only two drives of the game played out. Howell ended his second preseason game as a Viking 1-of-5 for 13 yards and one of the worst preseason interceptions in league history.

Related: Latest Vikings News Could Connect Them with a Pro Bowl WR

During Minnesota’s first preseason game vs Houston, Howell looked good, flipping the script on a conversation that mostly had him trending toward a training camp cut candidate. Unfortunately, his second exhibition opportunity went the opposite.

Meanwhile, Brett Rypien went 7-of-11, while looking calm, cool and collected in Kevin O’Connell’s offense. When his one quarter of work was done, Rypien had accumulated 83 yards through the air, 0 interceptions and an 86.6 QB Rating.

If the MN Vikings do not go out and get a veteran QB2 who can hold water behind JJ McCarthy, it’s become quite clear that Sam Howell is not as good of an option as Brett Rypien, or even the undrafted free agent rookie behind him on the depth chart, who impressed again on Saturday.

Max Brosmer impresses for MN Vikings again…

Max Brosmer had another damn good day this afternoon, even if his boxscore doesn’t necessarily show it. Sam Howell got the first quarter of Saturday’s preseason game, and Brett Rypien the second.

That left the third and fourth quarters for former one-and-done Minnesota Vikings quarterback, Max Brosmer. Once again, the 24 year-old quarterback who played most of his five years of college football at New Hampshire looked in full control of Kevin O’Connell’s NFL offense.

When the dust settled on his extensive day of work, Max Brosmer finished his extensive work Saturday 15-of-27 for 156 hards, 0 TDs and 1 interception that came on the last play of the game.

Related: MN Vikings QB Battle Heating Up – Max Brosmer Uncuttable, Sam Howell in Trouble…?

Before that game-sealing INT in the endzone, however, the former Gopher made multiple beautiful throws to give the Vikings a chance to push a game into overtime that never should have been that close. 0 INTs. He was sacked 4 times.

While he was far from perfect, most of the offensive inefficiencies during the second half were caused by bad penalties and constant pressure. And the pressure wasn’t all on the Minnesota Vikings offensive line, necessarily, either.

Unlike what we normally see out of NFL defenses during the preseason, New England’s defense was bringing extra pass rushers during just about every passing situation Brosmer and the Vikings offense got into.

That made many of his dropbacks messy. But again, even when the outcome isn’t positive, Max is almost always in the right spot. And when he gets time, there is little doubt in his accuracy.

Too many missed tackles, drops and penalties

In the end, the Minnesota Vikings fell 20-12 against the New England Patriots on Saturday, in their second of three 2025 preseason games, and it wasn’t because the Pats played their starters and the Vikes didn’t.

It happened because they had way too many missed tackles on defense, dropped passes on offense and penalties on both sides of the ball. Lucky Jackson, who has been a training camp success story for multiple years now, had two crucial drops early and there were missed tackles on both of New England’s touchdowns.

Related: Harrison Smith MIA from MN Vikings Camp

But even worse than the drops and missed tackles were the penalties. Whether it was the a defensive lineman lining up in the neutral zone or an offensive lineman jumping early, the 10 total penalties committed by the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday ended up costing them a game that came down to the very last play.

Obviously, it was the second, third and fourth teammers drawing the flags, but nonetheless, committing that many procedure penalties just is not acceptable.

]]> Sat, 16 Aug 2025 15:37:51 +0000 Minnesota Vikings What We Learned About the Timberwolves in Overpowering Game 4 Win Over Warriors https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/what-we-learned-game-4-wolves-warriors-nba-playoffs-postgame-recap/ Tue, 13 May 2025 05:07:21 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=63121 The Minnesota Timberwolves came into game four of the Western Conference semifinals with an opportunity to take a 3-1 lead back home to Minneapolis. But first, they knew they’d get the Golden State Warriors’ best effort on Monday night… which they did, at least for a half.

Steph Curry remained out for game four, and likely game five too, which is just another reason why the Warriors needed a win so desperately. If they can’t find a way to secure one victory in this series without their superstar, then he may not return in time to play superhero in the final games.

Like we have seen throughout this series, the Timberwolves got off to yet another slow start on Monday night. That allowed Golden State to secure a 28-27 lead at the end of one quarter and a 60-58 lead at half.

But yet again, Minnesota flipped the switch during halftime, and came out looking like a complete different team, lighting the Warriors up for 39 points in the third quarter, alone. Golden State, meanwhile, was just trying to keep up with Anthony Edwards, who nearly outscored them by himself, 16-17 in that period.

Just like that, the Wolves found themselves leading by 20 points going into the fourth quarter, a lead they held into garbage time. Because without Steph available to shoot them back into it, and Jimmy Butler looking like a shell of his former self, 20 points is a deficit this Warriors team is not capable of coming back from.

What We Learned – Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors (Gm 4)

When the dust settled on game four, the Minnesota Timberwolves stood on top 117-110. Julius Randle scored a game-high 31 points and kept the Wolves in the game early, while others were slow to get going. Jaden McDaniels put up a double-double, with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Nickeil Alexander-Walker and others made big contributions too.

NBA: Playoffs-Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden State Warriors
Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The final score makes game three look like a way closer contest than what it was, at least in the second half. That was mostly thanks to sloppy play by the Wolves’ B-squad, which allowed the Warriors B-squad to bring it within two possessions by the final buzzer.

Nonetheless, it’s a W and a 3-1 series lead. Minnesota went to San Francisco and took care of business… twice. Now, they get their aforementioned opportunity to close things out in game five, back in Minnesota.

So, here is what we learned about the Timberwolves during their game four dub (other than the fact that the Warriors can’t hang, especially without Steph Curry).

Thank the basketball gods (and Tim Connelly) for Julius Randle

In the first half Monday night, with Anthony Edwards once again off to a slow start, Minnesota needed Julius Randle to be a calming force offensively. So, per usual, the 30-year-old former No. 7 overall pick out of Kentucky did what was asked of him.

He lead all first half scorers with 19 points (including 3-of-5 from deep), to go with his 5 first half rebounds. He also scored the Wolves’ first five points of the game, after Golden State jumped out to an early 5-0 lead.

If you would have told me back in January that Julius Randle would be the Minnesota Timberwolves playoff MVP through their first seven wins of the postseason, I would have laughed at you.

Don’t get me wrong, Randle has been contributing big minutes all regular season, where he averaged 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.7 points per game. But he struggled to find where he belonged in the Wolves offense, not to mention his lack of effort oftentimes on the defensive end.

Related: Video Surfaces Proving NBA Refs Will Allow Just About Any Crime Against Rudy Gobert

But after sitting out for all of February with injury, Julius got an opportunity to watch the Minnesota offense work without him. And when he came back, he immediately looked like a much more natural fit in the Wolves offense. Since the playoff started, that has only intensified, as has his defense.

Now, Randle has become the Wolves baby blanket. Whether they need him to take the ball up the court and act as a point forward, or they need a bucket to stop a run, even a big stop on defense, head coach Chris Finch has learned that he can call Julius Randle’s number for just about anything right now, and he will deliver.

Minnesota Timberwolves love playing down to their competition early in games

As they have way too often in these playoffs, the Minnesota Timberwolves came out slow in game four. The Golden State Warriors jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, before Julius Randle realized he needed to calm the waters. But while it seems like the Timberwolves like to fall behind all the time, it has been especially bad in this series.

Why? Well, I have a theory. Minnesota knows that, especially without Steph Curry, they are a much better team than this iteration of the Golden State Warriors. Thus, the Wolves continue to come out of the opening gates lacking playoff-level intensity and focus.

At the end of the day, this team goes as Anthony Edwards does. And when the best player on the floor, outside of him, is a 35-year-old Jimmy Butler and washed up Draymond Green… it’s harder for him to get up for tip-off. I mean look at this kid. He might want Steph back in the series even more than Warriors fans do.

Of course, that’s not the best mentality to have. But at the end of the day, human nature almost always wins. And when you know you have a vastly superior team than your opponent, it’s more difficult to stay 100% engaged and locked in.

The Anthony Edwards we saw in round one never made it to San Francisco. He’s still back in LA talking shit to LeBron and flinging spider webs at Luka Doncic. Let’s be real, that hits different than flinging webs at Jonathan Kuminga or Buddy Hield.

Anthony Edwards takeover begins in, 3…2…1…

Anthony Edwards scored 14 points in the first half of game four, and his final three points of those first 24 minutes came in the final second, when he hit a deep step back three-pointer on two Warriors to close the half. While the Minnesota Timberwolves entered the second half down 58-60, you knew Golden State was in trouble after this.

And wouldn’t you know it, that is exactly how the 2nd half went. After scoring 14 points the entire first half, Anthony Edwards scored 16 points in the third quarter, nearly outscoring the entire Warriors team.

The third quarter Wolves onslaught on Monday night was so detrimental that, by the end of the period, Golden State had gone from up two points… to down twenty, after Minnesota outscored them 39-17. All this goes back to a point I have been making since before this series started, and especially after Curry went out with injury.

Related: Minnesota Timberwolves Announcer Lands a Couple More Jobs

Unless the Minnesota Timberwolves play like absolute trash, the Golden State Warriors — just like the LA Lakers before them — do not stand a chance. The Wolves have too much star power, followed up with waaaaayyy too much depth behind them. Most other NBA teams, including the Warriors, have one or the other.

Edwards hot third quarter was eventually put out by foul trouble. But by then, it was too late. The Minnesota Timberwolves were already up 20 and his teammates were already following their superstars lead by knocking down shots of their own, including Donte DiVincenzo, Julius Randle.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker even went a perfect 5-of-5 on the night, good for 11 points. In game six, it feels like the Warriors will need Steph Curry to stand a chance, especially if Jimmy Butler isn’t going to show up. We’ll see if they those dreams come true.

]]> Tue, 13 May 2025 09:09:22 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves What We Learned About the Timberwolves in Comeback Game 3 Win Over Warriors https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/what-we-learned-warriors-wolves-game-3-postgame-recap/ Sun, 11 May 2025 04:03:43 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=63086 The Minnesota Timberwolves entered game three against the Golden State Warriors as near touchdown favorites. As long as Steph Curry is out of the picture, we can expect that to continue all series.

Unfortunately, the Wolves came out sluggish in the first half, something they have shown a propensity for throughout the first two rounds of this series. Even without Steph on the other side, Minnesota found themselves trailing by two points at halftime, a lead the Warriors stretched to five, a couple times during the third quarter.

What We Learned – Minnesota Timberwolves @ Golden State Warriors (Gm 3)

Anthony Edwards was slow to go for three quarters, which explains why the Timberwolves were inconsistent for most of the night. That changed in the fourth (see more on that below), and as soon as it did, so did the outlook of game three.

While Ant was figuring it out, Minnesota struggled to find its identity. Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler had by far his best game of this series, scoring 33 points, to go along with 7 assists and 7 rebounds. Jonathan Kuminga had a career night as well, contributing 30 points of his own, along with 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

Anthony Edwards - NBA Playoffs - Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden State Warriors
Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images

But when the Minnesota Timberwolves flipped that switch in the fourth quarter, the Golden State Warriors suddenly looked like they didn’t belong on the same court as the Wolves, who outscored the Warriors 33-24 in the fourth quarter, pulling ahead in the closing minutes, before securing a 102-97 victory that pulled them ahead 2-1 in the series.

Without further ado, here’s what we learned tonight in game three of the western conference semifinals between the Timberwolves and Warriors on Saturday night.

Thank God Tim Connelly traded for Julius Randle

The longer we go on in these 2024-25 NBA Playoffs, the more appreciative I become for Julius Randle. Throughout the postseason, and during much of the second half of the regular season, Randle has unlocked something with the Wolves that he struggled to find immediately after being traded to Minnesota.

On Saturday night, not only did Randle put up a triple double — 24 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists — but just like he has all playoffs long, the former No. 7 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft has become the Timberwolves’ stabilizing force, whenever that is needed.

Struggling to make shots, get the ball in the high post to Julius Randle. Need a veteran to slow things down and setup the offense, Randle can do that too. Need a strong big man not named Rudy Gobert to lock down a LeBron James or Jimmy Butler? Call on Julius Randle.

Related: Minnesota Timberwolves Announcer Lands a Couple More Jobs

Whatever the doctor calls for, Randle is there to provide it. It may have taken a while for him to gel with his new teammates, but for two or three months now, the 30-year-old out of Dallas, Texas has been everything the Minnesota Timberwolves could have hoped for… and more.

It’s nice when Anthony Edwards shows up… he should do it more

Saturday night was the umpteenth time this postseason that nobody told Anthony Edwards the game had started, until the second half. In game three, Ant went 3-of-12 (25%) in the first half, including 1-of-5 from deep.

For much of the first three quarters, we watched our 23-year-old superstar work in sleepwalk mode. He looked hesitant to try and get downhill toward the rim, while also lacking confidence in his three point shot. And as Edwards struggled, it allowed the Warriors to hang around.

That was until midway through the third quarter, when Ant flipped the superstar switch and became a completely different player. How did he do it. By getting to the rim. In the third, Edwards went 6-of-10. Five of his makes were at the rim… but it was this dunk that changed everything about tonight’s game.

Then, the fourth quarter came along, and by then, Anthony Edwards was feeling himself a little bit, shooting 4-of-6 from the field, including 3-of-5 from three point land. And as Ant got hotter, the hopes of the Golden State Warriors went into the toilet.

Related: Timberwolves Coach Dumbfounded with Refs’ Mistreatment of Rudy Gobert

Edwards finished 13-of-28 for a game-high 36 points, to go along with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. And what we really learned tonight… was something we already knew deep down. As long as the Minnesota Timberwolves play semi-decent basketball against this Curry-less Warriors squad… this series is loser-proof.

Another playoff team that can’t hang with the Minnesota Timberwolves

Much like what we saw in round one against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Golden State Warriors do not have the firepower to hang with this incredibly deep Minnesota Timberwolves roster, as long as they perform anywhere near their capabilities.

For the Warriors to hang around, they need to play really well and the Wolves need to do the opposite. Tonight, that’s what took place for most of three quarters. Now, once the West Finals roll around and their opponent is… say… the OKC Thunder, laying off the gas pedal will no longer be an option, even for a quarter.

But the 2025 Golden State Warriors are not the Thunder. So until then, we’ll see if the Timberwolves can stay engaged enough to take this series in five.

]]> Sun, 11 May 2025 08:16:45 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves The One Thing We Learned From Timberwolves vs Warriors – Game 2 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/what-we-learned-game-two-warriors-wolves-postgame-nba-playoffs/ Fri, 09 May 2025 15:20:22 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=63043 Coming off one of the uglier losses in Minnesota Timberwolves playoff history, Anthony Edwards & Co. entered game two of the Western Conference semifinals vs the Steph Curry-less Golden State Warriors as huge -10 point favorites.

Immediately, the Wolves let the Warriors know that game two was not going to be like game one. After going 0-for-15 from deep in the first half of game one, Minnesota immediately drilled its first two three pointers of game two and jumped out to an early 13-0 lead, making a depleted Golden State team fight from behind right from the opening tip.

The Warriors stuck around (kind of) for most of the contest, and even cut the lead down to single digits a couple of times. But in the end, Golden State never threatened to take momentum away from the the Wolves, who finished on top 117-93 when the final buzzer sounded at the end of the 4th quarter.

There was plenty to take away from the Minnesota Timberwolves’ convincing game two win over the Warriors on Thursday night. But really, there was one thing we learned/confirmed during the Wolves’ blowout win at Target Center. Without Steph, the Warriors are screwed.

What We Learned (Gm 2): The Steph Curry-Less Warriors are no match for the Minnesota Timberwolves

Jimmy Butler, Julius Randle - NBA Playoffs - Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves
Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The Golden State Warriors entered this series overmatched in the first place — both from a high-end talent standpoint, and in terms of true roster depth. Against the Houston Rockets, in round one, the Warriors stuck with mostly a six-man rotation of Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Moses Moody and Draymond Green.

Three others — Gary Patron II, Jonathan Kuminga and Quinten Post — played between 16 and 17 fill-in minutes during the series, but they saw the floor only to get Golden State’s aging big three SOME rest. In contrast, the Minnesota Timberwolves had eight players who averaged over 20 minutes per game in their first round series vs the Lakers, and seven of them played over 24 minutes per night.

Steve Kerr searching for help… but there is none

Back to Thursday, game two between the Warriors and Wolves. With Curry dressed in street clothes, Golden State just did have enough talent available for Steve Kerr to conjure up some sort of magic against the barrage of weapons firing on the Minnesota side. If the Timberwolves play to their potential, not even Steph could save the Warriors.

Instead, Kerr was forced to throw rotation spaghetti at the Target Center wall for most of game two, in hopes of finding a spark or effective lineup combination against the superior talented Wolves. Hield and Podziemski got extended time in the back court, in Curry’s absence. Both played okay… but neither are Steph Curry.

Jonathan Kuminga played 29 of the best minutes in his young NBA career, leading the Warriors in scoring with 18 points, to go along with his 5 rebounds. He averaged just 16.7 minutes and 6 points per game against Houston.

Trayce Jackson-Davis shined as well, in his 19 minutes, shooting 6/6 from the field, scoring 15 points and grabbing 6 rebounds of his own. This, after the former Indiana Hoosier averaged only 4.8 minutes per game in round one. And… none of it mattered.

Related: Timberwolves Coach Dumbfounded with Refs’ Mistreatment of Rudy Gobert

Warriors top scorers can’t score on Timberwolves defense; Hield can’t escape Mike Conley…?

With Rudy Gobert guarding the paint, Golden State’s only real scoring threat, Jimmy Butler, struggled to initiate his offense inside of 15-18 feet, where he is most comfortable. He finished with 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting, with 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

Meanwhile, Minnesota attached shutdown defender (lol) Mike Conley (seriously) on Buddy Hield (seriously), who erupted for 24 points (5/8 3PT) and 8 rebounds in game one. And… it worked.

The former No. 6 overall pick out of Oklahoma — who the Thibs-led Wolves passed on in the 2016 NBA Draft in favor of Kris Dunn — shot just 5-of-14 from the field, totalling an underwhelming 15 points and 3 rebounds.

“To be 50 years old and still come out and defend and play with the effort that he does, I’ve talked all year about the leader that [Mike Conley] is for our team, and kind of how he just keeps a balance.”

Julius Randle on Mike Conley’s defensive effort in game 2 on Buddy Hield (quote via The Athletic)

Draymond Green, who put up 18 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in game one, managed only 9 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists in game two…. and he should have been tossed halfway through the game, which would have made him ineligible for game three.

Warriors only got Minnesota Timberwolves + Anthony Edwards’ B effort…

How he never got another technical foul through all that… well only the NBA can answer that question. No matter, because without Steph, Golden State isn’t beating Minnesota with or without Draymond. In game two, not one Warriors player topped 18 points.

And that was against the Minnesota Timberwolves’ B effort, at best. Yes, the Wolves shot much better than they had the previous two games of this playoff run (50.6% FG, 43.2% 3PT), but Anthony Edwards is still struggling to finish at the rim and has yet to recapture the intensity he had from games one through four vs LA.

Related: Minnesota Timberwolves Announcer Lands a Couple More Jobs

Yet, the Golden State Warriors never stood a chance in game two. The Wolves won by 24 points, and outside of a couple Warrior whimpers that cut Minnesota’s lead to single-digits, the Curry-less ghost of what was once an NBA dynasty was obviously outmatched right from tip.

So unless the Wolves decide not to show up to the arena, over the next four days, while Steph Curry is out of the Golden State lineup, this series is as good as over. In fact, without Steph, I’d be utterly shocked if the Warriors finish any game within 10 points of the Minnesota Timberwolves, let alone actually win another game.

]]> Fri, 09 May 2025 11:25:13 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves What We Learned About the Minnesota Timberwolves in Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Game One Loss vs Warriors https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/what-we-learned-game-one-nba-playoffs-warriors-postgame-recap/ Wed, 07 May 2025 04:51:47 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=62991 The Minnesota Timberwolves entered game one vs the Golden State Warriors with every reason to come out of the series on fire. They were fresh off a full week of rest, after closing out the LA Lakers on April 30. Meanwhile, Golden State was busy grinding through a seven-game series against the Houston Rockets.

Not only that, but the Wolves have the depth, size and youth advantage over an aging Warriors roster, desperately trying to hang onto whatever is left of its Steph Curry championship window. In every logical way, Minnesota entered Tuesday night’s contest looking like the clear favorite in round two.

What We Learned – Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors (Gm 1)

Anthony Edwards - NBA Playoffs - Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves
Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

But… that’s why they play the games, right? Because it became clear pretty early on that game one was going to be a grind for the Timberwolves, as they looked to knock off the rust from their week off. But after taking a second quarter haymaker, the Wolves couldn’t recover, and the fell 99-88 at home in what would up being a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad game one loss.

Were the Warriors good offensively? No, especially after Steph Curry left the game with a hamstring strain. But the way Minnesota shot, especially during the first half… it didn’t matter. With that, let’s get into what we learned about the Minnesota Timberwolves in game one of their second round playoff series vs the Golden State Warriors.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have forgotten how to shoot

I’m not sure how familiar you are with the game of basketball. But it’s a sport that is difficult to find success in if you cannot make any shots. And for the second-straight playoff game, the Minnesota Timberwolves really struggled to put the ball in the basket.

Wolves’ misses came early and often, but the offense really got ugly in the second quarter. After they entered the period with a 20-18 lead, the Wolves shot just 4/12 from the field, totaling 11 points.

When the dust settled on the first half, Minnesota found themselves down 44-31, good for the lowest first half total in Timberwolves playoff history. How does that happen? By shooting 14/44 from the field (32%) and 0/15 from deep, that’s how.

Anthony Edwards, who we will discuss in more detail momentarily, led the way of incompetence, shooting 0/8 and scoring just one total point during the worst postseason half in the Wolves’ 25+ years of existence. Minnesota did start to shoot better in the second half, where they went 20-of-42 (48%) from the field.

Related: MN Timberwolves Playoff Odds Entering Warriors Series That Has ALL the Storylines

But even when the Minnesota Timberwolves made runs in game one, they just didn’t seem to have the energy to hang finish off the type of comeback they needed vs Golden State. We’ve now gone two games in a row where the Wolves have struggled to shoot the basketball… something they need to figure out in game two.

Anthony Edwards needs to be better for MN Timberwolves

So, nobody woke Anthony Edwards up this morning to let him know that round two was starting tonight, huh? That’s sure what it looked like. Outside of one small offensive burst in the third period, Anthony Edwards played arguably the worst playoff game of his Minnesota Timberwolves career on Tuesday night.

You already read about how bad Ant was shooting during the first half, but Edwards’ struggles during game one went way beyond his inability to hit shots. He looked downright passive on the offensive end. Once he realized his shot wasn’t going to fall, it almost felt like the 23-year-old‘s unbreakable confidence went out the window too.

Still, Anthony Edwards found a way to contribute with a double-double, finishing with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 3 steals, which all led the team. And then finally in the fourth quarter, Ant even hit a 3-pointer, ending a an 0-of-15 stretch from deep that dated back to game four vs the Lakers.

But whether you are box score hunting or you watched every second of game one, sometimes seeing a player at his “worst” makes you realize how great they actually are.

Because not only did Ant end up stuffing the box score on Tuesday night for the MN Timberwolves, but he was also the motor that drove every offensive burst they were able to muster up in the second half, including when they cut the lead to single-digits twice during the fourth quarter.

In fact, Anthony Edwards was back to his normal self in the second half of game one, where he shot 9-of-14 and scored 22 of his 23 points. Chris Finch was right after Tuesday’s game when he said that he needs his superstar to come out ready to play and ready to set the tone for his team. But hopefully, he figured something out late.

Game one loss may probably won’t matter

But in the end, the Wolves didn’t have enough in the tank to make this game close. They walked into tonight and decided to play the entire first half blindfolded, on crutches and with one arm tied behind their back. By the time they decided to fight back, it was too late.

Still, you could tell Steve Kerr and his Warriors were on edge all evening, even though Minnesota couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn. That’s because he knows what everyone else watching this series knows. The Timberwolves are not going to play this poorly all series long.

Related: Turns Out, LeBron James Wasn’t Faking All of His Injuries vs Timberwolves

And not only will the Wolves be better in game two, and going forward, but it looks like the Warriors may be without Stephen Curry for at least a game or two, possibly the rest of the series, after he suffered a hamstring strain in the first half and was unable to return. After the game, Steve Kerr did not appear optimistic regarding Steph’s injury.

So while it is a bit concerning that the Minnesota Timberwolves couldn’t hang with a Steph Curry-less Golden State squad in game one, I can’t imagine a reality where the already-outmanned Warriors hang with the full-strength Wolves.

That’s why the NBA plays seven-game playoff series. Because in most cases, the best team usually wins. And if the Timberwolves were already the better team, with Steph Curry on the other side… what are they without the greatest shooter in world history on their team?

]]> Tue, 06 May 2025 23:52:10 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves