Paul Allen | Minnesota Vikings Radio PxP Voice

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Visit felixcatinsurance.com slash terms for all terms and limitations. Paul Allen. He is long-time radio announcer, long-time radio play-by-play for those Minnesota Vikings, also K-fan in Minneapolis, and yeah, it was a tough go, but he brings the energy, and we're excited that he's still on adrenaline, though I've heard it on good authority, actually because I listen to the game, that his voice could use a break. So we're going to grab what time we can with you, Paul. I'll just start out with a wide open question after Monday Night Football.

What happened? First of all, good chatting with you, and secondly, the four interceptions, I mean, you know, whether they're tipped or, you know, whether, I mean, just if you turn the ball over four times, you're probably going to lose. So if you look at the last two games, the Vikings had four picks tonight, and in the Denver game, we go minus three in the take-give, and we lose by a point.

So just look at that. I mean, we have seven turnovers in the last two games, and we've lost by a combined three points, and in those games, the defense has held the adversary to nine field goals. I mean, it's just, I mean, I've done this a long time, and this is just one of the craziest, most topsy-turvy Vikings seasons I've ever been part of.

Isn't that how they started the season with a seven-to-one turnover ratio as they were trying to figure it out as they were going 0-3? Well, I mean, Kevin O'Connell's 19-10 in his tenure as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, and I adore that man. I mean, he has elite intentions, he's incredibly smart, and just the spirit that came into our building last year and still was there. You know, I just really have a lot of respect for Kevin. So, you know, I want to see him do incredibly well, and the best way to do well is to not turn it over.

Think about this. During the O'Connell regime, Amy, the Vikings are 16-0 when they win the turnover battle with O'Connell. I mean, that could be plus one, plus three, whatever. And so now, you know, like where it goes from here is when you have a weak 13-by, you know, you play 12 regular season games and three preseason games, the Bears did too. So that's 15 games, you know, and when you do that and you do seven of them without Jefferson, you lose the hottest quarterback in the NFL to an Achilles, and, you know, you deal with the normal bumps and bruises of the season. But, you know, then you're on your third quarterback who created just Dobbs delirium with jumping in at Atlanta on four days rest or four days notice, and, you know, that was unbelievable. And then his home debut against the Saints was unbelievable, you know, but it's starting to come back to the pack a little bit because Dobbs runs and he's good at it and Cousins doesn't.

Cousins passes and he's good at it. Now, Josh can pass too, but to reconfigure an offense that was completely designed for Kirk Cousins with no bye week, it absolutely hit its threshold tonight or Monday night. What are they asking Josh to do as the quarterback who, as you point out, steps into an offense that's not designed for him?

Well, it's a terrific question because, you know, in the first game against Atlanta, Josh, you know, he got here, they traded for him on a Tuesday, gets there on a Wednesday, we play on a Sunday at Atlanta. And, you know, so therefore he's running what's known as the scout team. So he's running basically the Atlanta offense and he's mimicking Desmond Ritter and or Taylor Heineke. So therefore he's not getting the play calls. Well, now all of a sudden Jared Hall's knocked out early and Josh has to go in. So O'Connell, like when he was giving him the plays, it seriously, instead of it being like Blue 126 Buffalo 7 Heaven, like that kind of stuff, it was it was like, all right, so here's the call. Now Powell is going to run a shallow cross. Addison's going to run a nine and and he's flying through it.

And then the communication cuts out of 15. So he couldn't even get them all in. And yet yet jobs, yet Dobbs captured the imagination of the nation. And so so now what they're asking of him four games into it is third start for us. 13th overall is there was a lot of pocket passing tonight. And I don't know if it was the Bears keeping him in the pocket. He only ran for 11 yards, which is ridiculous, but he he is being kept in the pocket either by design or by the adversary keeping him there.

And I just don't think that's who he is, personally speaking. To see what he did those first two games without any knowledge was really incredible. So I'd love to know what the atmosphere was like in that first home game in which the the Vikings won and he was making just his second start.

It was unbelievable. But I mean, you know, that that's that's exactly what we were talking about where those first two games, you know, it's OK to run willy nilly because you've only been here a week and change. And even if you're a rocket scientist, no pun intended, it still is going to be the nuance of what's expected in the National Football League offense ain't easy to learn.

And so therefore, if you see like like when Josh Rand, well, those those weren't designed to play. You know, in fact, when he ran for a touchdown in the Atlanta game, his first touchdown with the Vikings, TJ Hockinson was wide open middle of the field in the end zone for a touchdown. You know, I think the the offensive play calling head coach would probably prefer the pass to go to TJ than his quarterback running in from 18. But so now we get to games three and four. And, you know, when you're when you're at Denver, you're on the road on Sunday night football. And then you're at home against the Bears defense that, by the way, is heading the right direction. And they got some unknown players, man, who, you know, the league doesn't know a lot about. But but they have some nice young players on that defense. You know, it's now more scripted and it's more constrained within the scheme and the offense and all that.

And he's just regressed. So O'Connell, offensive coordinator West Phillips, quarterbacks coach Chris O'Hara and the rest of the group on offense, they need the bye week. And, you know, sadly for them, because it's been a grind for these coaches to go 70, 80, 90 hours a week.

Well, they're not going to get as much R&R as they originally thought they were because they have to rework this thing and they have time to do it. Rework it to complement and amplify what the new quarterback does. Or if you're bored with a running quarterback, then you just go back to Jaron Hall or Nick Mullins. So, man, we got some decisions to make, don't we? Paul Allen, you recognize that voice from the Vikings radio network always brings great energy and humor to the broadcast.

So I enjoy listening to him. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence, CBS Sports Radio. We haven't heard much other than Justin Jefferson not ready. Could the bye mean that we see him afterwards in week 14?

Yeah, I've kind of felt the entire time, you know, over the last month that it was about 20 percent Bears Monday Night Football, 80 after the bye, so you can buy that extra time. So, you know, they've had games the last two games against Denver and Chicago. I'm telling you right now, I mean, if they have Justin, they're going to win those games.

But you know what? In fairness, though, it is difficult to say that because turnovers have just been terrible this year, Amy. You know, it's, you know, we're killing the Bucks and we fumble at the two and lose the game. And then we go to Philly, JJ, I mean, winning at Philly.

Yeah, that's really easy. JJ dives for the end zone to put the Vikings in a great position to win the game. And it's that pylon. What? The Eagles get the ball? What?

It's that weird role. You know, then we get the Chargers and, you know, our cornerback, Caleb Evans, has an interception down by the goal line to win the game. And not only does it bounce out of his arms, it goes into the arms of Josh Palmer, a wide receiver for the Chargers, then they win. So, I mean, whether it's like these 14 fumbles, fumbles or fumbles loss we had at one point of the season to the four picks Monday night is turnovers have been the common thread of the 2023 Minnesota Vikings.

And if they don't stop, they won't win a game the rest of the year. Obviously, Kirk Cousins was a big loss, especially the way he was playing. Any shots in the dark about what happens when the season is done with Kirk?

That's a good question. Yeah, I adore Kirk. I've gotten to know his father, Don, a pastor in Orlando, quite well. I mean, I really, really like those guys and what they're all about. And I'd love for Kirk to be the quarterback here the rest of his career, quite honestly. You know, so the Achilles pops and then you've got to start thinking business a little bit where he might not be back until, what, April, May, June, something like that. You know, but now you're thinking, all right, well, you know, it's, you know, nothing personal here. It's business.

But that may cut the rate as to what you thought you would have to pay. And Kirk wants to finish his career here. So then Dobbs comes in and now all of a sudden we're running for 60 a game with the quarterback. And I've called Vikings football 22 years, including Dante Culpepper, who could run a little bit. I've never seen anybody run for the Minnesota Vikings as a quarterback the way Dobbs did in those first two games. So now you become smitten with, hmm, all right, well, if he can throw just 60 percent on completions with this, with these legs, which are God's gifts for him.

I mean, he's good at it and it's natural. And if you can break the pocket with him and threaten to run legitimately with Justin, Addison and Hockinson, you're going to be onto something. So hopefully that's the case in 13 days, 12 days, 13 days when we go to Vegas to play the Raiders. We know what happens when you're constantly changing quarterbacks.

Yeah. And look at the NFC situation, Amy. I mean, you know, the Vikings into tonight had six conference wins.

All right. So they have six conference wins. I mean, they're still in a wonderful position to become one of those wildcards. But now all of a sudden, you know, McVeigh gets Kyron Williams back. Cooper Cup eventually is going to catch stride.

Nakua is quality stock and staff are tie in. You know, so now all of a sudden they're sneaky. Well, Green Bay is going to Ford Field and embarrassing the Lions on Thanksgiving. You know, so now all of a sudden Jordan loves starting to feel good about himself.

And Rashawn Gary, personally speaking, I don't think he's ever played better. So now we got those teams on our heels for the wildcards and I ain't tripping on that. I mean, we kind of killed Green Bay early in the year and we'll beat them again.

What is New Year's Eve at U.S. Bank Stadium? So I ain't tripping on them that much. But the Vikings are still, despite all the turnovers, no Jefferson for seven games, losing the hottest quarterback in the game, doing Achilles and dramatic change down to your third quarterback there. They're still in an excellent spot to make the playoffs as a wildcard team. But the caveat there is, I mean, if these Niners keep playing like they're playing, likewise for the Eagles, and you're the third wildcard, you got to go out to Levi's Stadium. I mean, yeah, I take it because it's a playoff game and you got a chip chair and a chance. But see, that's where these turnovers and losing by one at Denver and two to the Bears and and and just running the Chargers up and down the field. And losing the game, same with the Bucks, that they just needed one or two of those to go their way.

And so far, they didn't get them. Paul Allen is with us following Monday Night Football and a two point loss in which the Chicago Bears only had field goals. What about the Lions? What stands out about that team? Because that right now is the leader in the division. I have just such a high level of respect for their offensive line from Decker over to Sewell.

Frank Ragnow, Chan Asson, Minnesota, I've known Frank for years, quality individual, one of the two or three best centers in the NFL. Their offensive line, it just hasn't played as well in some of these games that I've watched back. And I watched back their game against the Bears really closely because we have the Bears next.

And then I watched Thanksgiving and it's just different. There's just a different vibe right now with their pass defense and their offensive line. And I have immense respect for Detroit. I picked them to win the division into the season. I still feel they're going to win the division, you know, and who knows? I mean, we still got them twice. But maybe we get into a spot where they win the division or we hook them in the first round of the playoffs.

I'd take that. So the Vikings sitting six and six heading into their bye. What would you say are the bright spots of the season to this point?

The bright spots are the first and foremost for me. Brian Flores defense has, despite playing a lot of plays. And at one point tonight, it was, I mean, the Bears were 80 percent in the time of possession to like 20 percent for us.

It was ridiculous. Flores defense is as advertised. It's like, you know, when Brian got here, I mean, I knew he was the head coach of Miami and worked with Belichick in New England and was well respected. But I didn't exactly know what he did. Well, now I've seen it and and everybody in the NFL who told me there aren't many better than Brian at taking mediocre players and making them good, good players and making them very good, very good players like Danielle and making them high into elite.

Well, I've now seen it. I mean, we have so many players on this defense having the best seasons of their lives. And again, you know, we gave up four field goals against the Bears, five field goals to Will Lutz and the Broncos. And we've had countless moments where there's been a turnover in inside the 20, the 15, the 10, like literally right down by the goal stripe. And the defense has bucked up and either turned them over or held them to field goals. So the defense has been a shining star for this team this year. Kevin O'Connell said in his press conference after the loss to the Bears Monday night that they just have to be more.

They just have to be more balanced. And that's that's coming at himself and that's coming at the offensive side of the ball where I mean, shoot. We were hanging thirties on teams left to right last year. So getting Justin back, reconstructing things a little bit for the new quarterback during the bye. I think what you see beginning in that Raiders game out of the bye.

I think you're going to like it a lot. Daniel Hunter, you mentioned leading the NFL or near the top of the NFL in so many categories like sacks and tackles for loss. Man, he has been a wrecking ball. You know, Kevin's in his thirties, so, you know, we're not talking, you know, curmudgeonly, you know, old school coach. So therefore, he just handles players of this generation a little differently, you know, than a lot of people over the history of the NFL. Now, with that said, you know, Kevin, he does stuff like this and I'm not saying is purposely calculated, but Kevin's very smart and he's going to have a fantastic career as a television analyst whenever his head coaching career is done.

He's that sharp. But, you know, like Daniel Hunter was sacked in the quarterback left and right earlier in the season. And when Kevin would talk about him in his press conferences, he would praise his run defense. And Daniel's run defense this year has never been better.

And it was unbelievable tonight against a run first team on Monday night. But, you know, so he didn't take the low hanging fruit. He empowered the individual with something that was not obvious that nobody was talking about. When your coach who runs that line of father figure slash boss praises something that you've been working hard at, but nobody's talking about, that's the kind of nuance that O'Connell brings that gets the best out of everybody. Helped us win all those one score games last year by empowering everybody. I mean, winning from the bottom, you know, with players who didn't play that much. And he's just very innately good at that.

And it's natural, it's organic and it's authentic. And that's what he's done with Daniil and Daniil's never played better. Paul Allen needs to take the bye and rest his voice.

Although he's a hardworking man, so he doesn't often take time off. But the voice of the Vikings, I don't know if we'll talk to you again before the holidays. Crazy enough, it is now the holiday season. So thank you for a couple of minutes. It's always good to have you.

When it's between 1 and 5 a.m. Central, after an arduous kind of boring, weird game, if Amy Lawrence sends a text and I don't fall asleep and take a nap because I'm tired and forget about it, here we are heading into Tuesday together and that's a beautiful thing. Imagine you're looking at a balancing scale with everything you do for other people on one side and everything you do for yourself on the other side. If it isn't balanced, maybe it's time to spend a little more time on you. And therapy is a great place to start. BetterHelp connects you with a licensed therapist online who can help you find that balance and stick to it. Visit betterhelp.com slash positive to get 10% off your first month.

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