Episode 357

"The idea of trying to cover this race in any conventional press sense was absurd."

Hosts	Arif Hasan, James Pogatshnik
Guests	None
Type	Game Review December 3, 2020

Norse Code Episode 357: "The idea of trying to cover this race in any conventional press sense was absurd." aired on December 3, 2020.

Overview

The hosts review the Vikings' chaotic overtime victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, featuring missed extra points, turnovers, and a CJ Ham touchdown. The episode explores whether the Vikings are "bad and lucky" or building something with their ugly wins.

Segments

Opening: Live show announcement and Patreon/merch discussion
Jaguars Review: Comprehensive breakdown of the Vikings-Jaguars overtime game
Mailbag: Listener questions covering team evaluation, strategy, and analysis

Mailbag Questions

Kirk - For Arif's Seahawks Corner, is it time to panic after the loss to the Giants or is this a minor, unconcerning setback?
Ryan - Are we bad and lucky? Or good and misunderstood?
Damian Barrett - In other sports winning ugly is seen as a sign of a good team. However in the NFL, or with this Vikings team, I'm not sure. Do you think these performances are something we can build on, or are they papering over some sizable gaps & will ultimately cost us in terms of the draft?
Luke - If you could change one thing about the 2020 Vikings, what would be the easiest change you could choose that would have the biggest impact?
Matthew - Cover-2 for a while was thought a "solved" coverage - and as much as the Vikings aren't great in the back-7, they seem to be holding up well. Is there a specific wrinkle to cover-2 that Zim is putting in?
Raul - It seems like WR talent is outpacing CB talent league-wide. Good corners can't cover good WR's. While analytics suggest that coverage is more important than pass rush, does this talent gap suggest that investing in pass rush is the better approach?
Kyle Slaybee - Do they really distrust Kirk or do they really think a RB getting 32 carries for 120 yards is effective offensive strategy?
Ryan - Most exciting rookie this season (non-Jefferson category) and least exciting rookie?
Kenneth Allen - What do the various tracking sites have for Jefferson on drops? It seems like he's good to drop at least one catchable pass a game.
Krishna - If it were up to you Arif, would you have kept Stefanski over Zimmer? How has kubiaks playcalling differed from his and what are the stats showing on who may be better?
Ojibiwe Pun - Will the playoff win over the Saints be even more absurd than the recent regular season wins?
Chris - Would you trade Danielle Hunter to the Lions where he makes outside of the top ten for DE's for the rest of his career and knows that you are to blame for this and how to find you, for a top five interior offensive line for 5 years?
Beef Brewski - James's Theology Corner: if you could anoint with oil and heal a single injured Vikings player, who would you choose and why?
Ian Pauli - Why is there hesitation to try Jones at left guard?
Don from Ohio - Instead of talking about the game which caused permanent mental health issues to those who watched it... we just upgraded to a Costco Executive membership and the fiance and I feel so white privileged by this. What act of white privilege should we act out to consummate this glorious accomplishment?
Nolan - Question for Arif's Niche Football League Corner: how worried are you about CFL Grey Cup hero Chris Streveler ruining the Vikings chances at a wild card spot with the Cardinals? Question for James's Clown Corner: was this game more of a horror clown a la Pennywise, or a more traditional kids birthday party clown?

Key Bits & Lore

Don from Ohio makes his characteristic appearance with non-football commentary
James's Theology Corner segment referenced, noting James as "wise theologian and ordained minister"
Live show announcement for December 10 with 7:00 start time

Production Notes

Episode runs approximately 80 minutes
Live show scheduled for December 10th
January 3rd Zoom call mentioned

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