Not only is Allen third in the league in sacks, he’s tied for the lead in forced fumbles and fumbles recovered and has a safety to boot. Read between the lines and you’ll instantly know Allen is creating havoc for opposing offenses.
All too often, we hear about players who “take a play off”, but that never happens with Allen. If he isn’t terrorizing opposing QBs, he’s in the flat hitting running backs, chasing down tight ends or generally making himself a nuisance to offensive linemen not wearing purple and gold.
Oh, and he runs a mean 52-yard dash.
What does all that mean for Vikings fans? Interceptions by Chad Greenway, sacks by Ray Edwards, furious hits by Antoine Winfield. If you try to get away from Allen, all you’re going to do is pad the stats for the other players. Just ask Kyle Boller, who couldn’t seem to believe that every down Allen was there.
Boller rolls right, Allen chases him to the sideline. Boller steps into the pocket, Allen forces him out. Allen gets double-teamed, Kevin Williams gets a forced fumble… that Allen picks up and takes to the house.
If this keeps up, projections have Allen making over twenty sacks on the year, nine forced fumbles, six fumbles recovered and at least twenty points scored.
However, the next few games are a little tougher than what’s come so far. Baltimore and Pittsburgh are in the elite category, unlike St. Louis, Detroit and Cleveland. So, we can’t count Allen’s chickens before they grow mullets.
Looking ahead to week six, we see one of the best defensive matchups this season. Ray Lewis and the Raven gang on one side, Jared and the Williams Wall on the other. Now, don’t forget that Baltimore has a great young QB, but Flacco hasn’t faced Jared Allen yet.
With the Vikings currently putting up a league leading 31.2 points per game, often with the assistance of Allen and the defense creating havoc, next weekend’s game will be the first real test for the offense. But, what happens on the other side will determine this game’s outcome. Put your money on the mullet. Chances are, you won’t be disappointed.
-Mike Bullock
Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the Herschel Walker trade and I still twitch when there is a big, sell-the-farm kind of trade for that one player who is supposed to complete the team. However, Jared Allen and his mullet were well worth it. He brings a refreshing dose of crazy and happy-to-be here to every game that, from a fan standpoint, is great to see. I think the way he harassed Aaron Rodgers when the Vikings played the Packers on Monday Night Football is a good indicator of what he can do against teams better than Cleveland, Detroit, and St. Louis. I'm really hoping that he has a big game against the Ravens.
ReplyDelete"He brings a refreshing dose of crazy and happy-to-be here to every game..."
ReplyDeleteMy new favorite quote. :)