I want to start by saying that i was pleading on .net that Rawls would start vs Carolina in the regular season. Remember this was lynch's first week available back from injury, with Rawls dominating in his absence. While resting lynch another week was part of my plan, there were two true deciding factors:
1. In big games, you always play the hot hand.
2. Lynch has not put up numbers against Carolina that would be a difference maker anyway. I'm certain somewhere the statistics say he had a good game against them, and i don't have time to live on the internet finding stats, but back then i definitely saw where his most recent rushing performances against Carolina yielded roughly fifty to sixty yards and no touchdowns. By the end of my research and now with the retrospect of two Vikings games, i would say that lynch vs Carolina is similar to AP vs Seattle. There's just something about their defense that limits his performance. Then in that regular season game where Rawls didn't touch the field but maybe a couple times, you guessed it, lynch ran for fifty to sixty something and no touchdowns.
I'm posting these thoughts because last week i was somewhat pinning my hopes on Lynch. I wanted Washington bad and i knew the Vikings would give us all we wanted.
This week, however, losing lynch won't matter too much. Christine Michael is our hot hand. The numbers just don't favor lynch at all. Michael out performed AP in all facets of the game. I'm optimistic the staff will show him the film of missed yards to hopefully somehow improve his vision.
Not to mention, if he puts up sixty with no fumbles, he'll already contribute everything we ever got from Marshawn anyways.
Now lynch's history vs Arizona on the other hand, is as delicious as a fresh package of Skittles.
1. In big games, you always play the hot hand.
2. Lynch has not put up numbers against Carolina that would be a difference maker anyway. I'm certain somewhere the statistics say he had a good game against them, and i don't have time to live on the internet finding stats, but back then i definitely saw where his most recent rushing performances against Carolina yielded roughly fifty to sixty yards and no touchdowns. By the end of my research and now with the retrospect of two Vikings games, i would say that lynch vs Carolina is similar to AP vs Seattle. There's just something about their defense that limits his performance. Then in that regular season game where Rawls didn't touch the field but maybe a couple times, you guessed it, lynch ran for fifty to sixty something and no touchdowns.
I'm posting these thoughts because last week i was somewhat pinning my hopes on Lynch. I wanted Washington bad and i knew the Vikings would give us all we wanted.
This week, however, losing lynch won't matter too much. Christine Michael is our hot hand. The numbers just don't favor lynch at all. Michael out performed AP in all facets of the game. I'm optimistic the staff will show him the film of missed yards to hopefully somehow improve his vision.
Not to mention, if he puts up sixty with no fumbles, he'll already contribute everything we ever got from Marshawn anyways.
Now lynch's history vs Arizona on the other hand, is as delicious as a fresh package of Skittles.