2020 Long Island EFL Week#3 Tennessee Titans (1-1) vs. Minnesota Vikings (0-2)

[Long island EFL]

VIKINGS OFFENSE GETS GOING IN BIG 17-14 WIN OVER TITANS!

 

 August 27, 2020. Downtown Metro Minnesota.  What's going on in Minnesota? As Week #3 of the Long Island Electric Football League intensifies, we learned one thing about Coach Joey Pizz’ Minnesota Vikings (0-2), they play a very strong defensive game.  What's missing is the great scheming offense they had for the past two seasons. Last week the Vikings lost an overtime game to the Indianapolis Colts 13-6, in overtime, and then in Week#1 they lost to their division rival, the Green Bay Packers, 7-0.

Since 2008, the LIEFL-NFC North has produced one Super Bowl Champion in the three-time NFC Finalist Detroit Lions. So, where Pizz takes his Vikings from here is anybody's guess. One thing's for sure, Minnesota needs to get that offense going with Adrian Peterson. Peterson has been a great running back in the League for two or three seasons, but this year the Vikings offensive front can't seem to get going, which sends a huge red flag at this point in the season.  Peterson has only 17-yards rushing this season and an alarming 215 total yards, but more alarming is the back has not scored a touchdown for this team.

Since the seven-game season format launched in 2008, the Vikings are (23-17), but Pizz' Minnesota Vikings have won three division titles. What's next for his Vikings is the question. Pizz said, "This game will be our turning point. The guys will do what they need to do to elevate their game.  I know I have a defense, but now it's time for us to be a little more aggressive with our great running back in Peterson. I am looking for a few top linebackers in the 2021 Draft. We'll see."

Peterson's numbers don't lie. His best year was in 2017. He had 539 yards on 62 carries rushing, but he had 1570 total yards in regular season play with 10 touchdowns. Last year we saw a decline in Peterson's performance as he rushed for 233 yards and he had 66 carries for 1386 all-purpose-yards, with eight touchdowns. 

We realize the record-keeping my be inconsequential to people who read about our league, but the incredible part of our league is that at nine years-old one of our members kept every single record and detail of every single game. In 1992, we put it all on computer, but still have an entire bin with at least 40 folders dedicated to the Long Island Electric Football League. Imagine that! It is amazing!

VIKINGS BY THE NUMBERS

YEAR TEAM W L W L DIVISION FINISH 5 x Division Champion 1977-78 Minnesota 13 1 0 1 1st NFC Conference II, Round 1: Lost to Green Bay 14-2. 1978-79 Minnesota 5 9 0 0 4th NFC Central Division 1980-81 Minnesota 8 6 0 1 3rd NFC Central Division, NFC DG lost to Washington 17-10. 1982-83 Minnesota 7 7 0 0 4th NFC Central Division 1983-84 Minnesota 4 10 0 0 Last NFC Central Division 1991-92 Minnesota 12 2 0 1 1st NFC Central Division, NFC DCG lost to Chicago 35-34. 1995 Minnesota 5 9 0 0 3rd NFC Central Division 2000 Minnesota 5 9 0 0 4th NFC Central Division 2008 Minnesota 2 5 0 0 Last NFC North Division 2016 Minnesota 5 2 0 1 Tied 1st NFC North Division ROUND ONE: WILD CARD GAME Lost to Washington 20-17! (12:45 OT) 2017 Minnesota 5 2 2 1 1st NFC North Division Champions NFC DG beat Atlanta 24-17, NFC-DCG beat Washington 34-28, NFC CG Lost to Detroit 45-41 2018 Minnesota 5 2 0 1 1ST NFC North Division Champions, NFC-WCG Lost to Arizona 21-14 2019 Minnesota 4 3 0 0 2nd Place NFC North Division 2020 Minnesota               80 67 2 6 82-73 including playoff games--DOES NOT INCLUDE 2020 SEASON

 The Tennessee Titans are a team that we simply cannot ignore because what we're seeing is the dangerous wide receivers come to life for the Titans in Eron Kinney, and of course the All-Pro Brandon Jones, who can be game-breakers. That's what makes this team unpredictable. Kinney has put up 316 total yards with three touchdowns on the season, and Jones has not even touched the ball yet. Coach Kevin Mac’s Titans will pose lots of problems for the Indianapolis Colts to fight for this division. Coach Mac said, "I always try to show up at the game of the team we play the following week if I am not too tired from working all day. I didn't see anything special in the Vikings, but for sure, Pizz is a master of the game, so it's going to be an exciting one. We didn't come to lay-down and die on the Vikings."

THE GAME:

Just as Vikings Coach Pizz promised, his Vikings got off to a solid start with Sammy White returning the ball 33-yards. Minnesota put that offense to work early, handing the ball off to the slow starting Adrian Peterson who exploded on three running plays as the Vikings marched 77-yards on an 8, 26 yard pick-up, and finally Peterson ran for a 39-yard touchdown run with 8:43 left to go in the half to give the Vikings a 7-0 lead! Beautiful work by Coach Pizz as Coach Kevin Mac looked on in disbelief!

On the kickoff return Titans special teams return man All-Pro Brandon Jones, took the ball back-48 yards. On three fast plays Tennessee found themselves in a fourth-down situation as the Titans lined-up in a rare,  "T" formation! Something very different for Coach Kevin Maloney who must be watching lots of electric football game film because we have never seen him use a play like that, especially on fourth down. With one-yard to go for the first down with 1:03 left to go in the half, Eddie George ran for a huge risk-play, four-yards to get the first down with 35 seconds left in the half on a beautiful play executed by Coach Mac's Tennessee Titans!

The Titans showed a different side to them against this NFC North Viking team. And, on first down George ran straight up the gut of the tough Purple-People-Eater line and into the end-zone for a 36 yards touchdown, making the score 7-7, with 14:31 left to go in the game.

The Titan defense played very well in the second half. They were determined to stop Adrian Peterson, and they held him to just four yards after a 47-yard kick return by the running back. But on third down Chuck Foreman took a tremendous 61-yard pass into the end-zone put the Vikings ahead 14-7, with 7:50 left to go in the game. What a great game!

Titans Brandon Jones then returned a 33-yard play, but he was hit hard by Adrian Peterson. After a one-yard gain by Eddie George, who had a big day with 107 yards rushing on 7 carries, George exploded on the Vikings for a 47-yard run to the Viking 19-yard-line, with 3:58 left to go in the game. The clock was winding down on these two competitive teams. From 19-yards away George then scampered through the left side of the Minnesota defense to tie the game at 14-14, with 2:33 left to go in the game!

As time ran down on the clock, the  Vikings returned the ball on the ensuing kickoff, 36-yards by Adrian Peterson. Minnesota's Fran Tarkenton threw a quick 6-yard pop-pass to Peterson as Peterson sped to the 47-yard line. And on the last play of the game with 3 seconds left the Minnesota Vikings win their first game of the year on a dramatic Joe Pizz 58-yard field goal to make the score, 17-14, the Vikings (1-2) win!

Tennessee Titans and an angry Kevin Mac will play Pittsburgh (2-1) at home next week, and Coach Pizz heads to Houston to take on the Texans (0-3), and then their season can turn with a win over Carolina (1-1) and Chicago (1-1), to play two home games in a row.