vikings/nfl
Dan Wiederer began covering the Vikings in 2011, enthusiastically delivering insight on the team across the Star Tribune's print and digital products. Prior to joining the Access Vikings team, he spent seven seasons covering ACC basketball at The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer. He also covered the Chicago Bears in 2003 and 2004. Follow him on Twitter @StribDW.
Mark Craig has covered football and the NFL the past 20 years, including the Browns from 1991-95 and the Vikings and the NFL since 2003. Since 2008, Craig has served as one of the 44 Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors. He can be followed on Twitter at @markcraignfl.
Notes: Alan Williams addresses Vikings' suspect run defense
Posted by: Dan Wiederer under Vikings Updated: August 13, 2012 - 1:13 PM
The Vikings’ Monday walk-through is complete and they will return to the practice field in Mankato again at 2:45 p.m. In the meantime, here are a handful of items worth discussing …
By Kent Youngblood
Stopping the run
Of course the big question for defensive coordinator Alan Williams faced today revolved around the work the run defense needs ceding 260 yards on 43 carries in San Francisco on Friday.
Williams’ verdict? Most of the problem can be traced to gap control and alignment.
“I saw a few misfits,” Williams said. “There were a few bad angles to the football. But I also saw some good things. I saw guys running to the ball with great effort, saw guys taking care of their responsibilities – just not consistently enough. And, of course, when you’re in the NFL and you don’t take care of your assignments, that’s the type of game you can have against a good team.”
Exhibit A in that department would be backup 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s 78-yard run for a score in the second quarter.
To be fair, Williams said defending the read-option is more difficult when you enter a game without a specific game plan, which was the case for the preseason opener. Still, better angles have to be taken. On Kaepernick’s run, for example, Williams said safety Jamarca Sanford took a bad angle.
“We want those plays, if they get out, to be 15 yards,” Williams said. “Not (78).”
But, even without that big run, the 49ers totaled 182 rushing yards.
“It was not a whole bunch of physical things,” Williams said. “Mostly it was guys who were not in their gaps.”
Removing the rust
Williams said middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley is still working off the rust of having missed last season following hip surgery. Still, Williams went out of his way to say he was happy with his personnel up the middle, starting with nose tackle with Letroy Guion, moving to Brinkley at middle linebacker and back to safety.
Williams said he was particularly pleased with the way Brinkley has looked so far in camp.
“He’s knocking it off,” Williams said of the rust. “He’s coming along just like we thought he would come. We’re pleased with Jasper.”
Better decisions
Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer said Stephen Burton needs to make better decisions on kickoff returns. Burton averaged 12 yards on two returns Friday night. Priefer said Burton made a bad decision on one return he took up the middle, and appeared hesitant at times.
“I don’t think he made a great decision on the one middle return,” Priefer said. “We talked to Stephen about hitting the hole, hitting the seam, a little faster. I think he understood his mistake.”
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