Add new comment

In stealing Hutch the Vikings walked away holding the thread that unraveled our sweater.
Jones was the talent and Hutch and Tobeck were the snarl. I still think teams get there identity from the top down and Mike Holmgren was a conservative gentlemen. That O line group was studly but they didn't sap the will to win out of their adversaries. Like the rest of the team they reflected the gentleman who was their coach.
After Walter made a crater with your body he wouldn't spit in your eye, he'd offer you a hand up. He'd frustrate and outplay his man but he wasn't mean. He opened nice holes Alexander would slither through, angle his shoulders and fall forward for nice yardage. For a probowl back Alexander was soft, a nice guy. Hasselbeck? Not a tough guy. Jackson and Engram? Not scary. Even Mack Strong, a very underrated talent, just wasn't a mean guy. They didn't intimidate or scare anyone, they just out executed.
And that's okay if you have the talent. The Tony Dungy Colts were a finesse team that had the identity of their gentleman head coach. The difference is that if you fell down in the first quarter you'd never catch them. They had the talent to just run away from you if you didn't keep up. Everyone in the NW waxes on about how great that 05 team was but they always frustrated me because I didn't believe in their identity. They didn't physically crush teams and they didn't have the talent to run away and hide. To win a super bowl you'd better do one or the other. If you could hang around with the Seahawks, the conservative play calling would let you back in it and your team would likely still have the gas and the will to do it.
Now, this team here? It has an identity that I can believe in.