MN Vikings Rumors + News + Blog + Draft 2012: Vikings Mix

Percy-verance

2010-11-08T09:49:00.000-08:00

Archie

archambault.mn@gmail.com

By now, Vikings fans are well aware of the team's well-circulated drama off the field. ESPN seemed to lead off every episode of Sportscenter with an update on whether coach Childress will keep his job following the waive of Randy Moss and the reported displeasure by Viking's ownership on Childress' decision to cut the All-Pro wide receiver and the team's underachievement thus far. Reporters locally and nationally have heavily criticized the team all week long. Despite the negative attention surrounding the Viking's organisation, the team was able to come out on Sunday and manufacture a win against the Arizona Cardinals. I won't go any further into the negativity swirling around Eden Prairie right now. For the moment, let's focus on the positives.

Specifically, I'd like to highlight the performance of Percy Harvin on Sunday.

First, I'll take you back to the beginning of the week when Harvin expressed disappointment regarding the release of WR Randy Moss. Harvin had got along well with Moss and looked up to him as a mentor. Harvin was also unable to practice Wednesday and Thursday and was severely limited on Friday due to a bothersome ankle sprain.

Tensions were at a high on Friday when coach Childress and Harvin got into a shouting match at practice and had to be separated from each other. Coach wanted an MRI on Harvin's ankle, though Harvin refused, later saying “We had a little dispute. Me and coach are fine. It was about whether I was going to get an MRI or not.” Harvin did have the MRI on Saturday morning and it revealed no significant damage had been done to his ankle, thus clearing him to come out and play on Sunday.

And it was a game he'll always remember. The kid caught nine passes for 126 yards against the Arizona Cardinals, both career highs for Harvin. He looked to be running on all cylinders with the ball in his hands, though it was clear that Harvin was bothered by the sore ankle as he was slow to get up after several tackles.

The low point came on the 2nd half kickoff, which Harvin returned for a short gain but had the ball stripped from his hands, allowing the Cardinals to retrieve the football and run it in for a score. “They did a great job stripping the ball out” Harvin said. “I just have to have better ball security.”

If Brett Favre is the captain of this ship, Percy Harvin is his first mate. The tandem first showed terrific chemistry in the 2009 season and so far this year that chemistry has strengthened. Harvin called Sunday's performance the best game of his short career. Brett Favre contributed by throwing a career-best 446 passing yards and in doing so may have turned the ship around. If the Vikings can continue to play at a high level and persevere through the next two weeks, with games at Chicago and hosting Green Bay, we may have a very interesting 2nd half of the regular season on our hands.

Falling Behind

2010-10-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

The Minnesota Vikings battled hard across the border in Green Bay, Wis. Sunday night against the Packers, but were unable to take advantage of a 4th quarter final-minute scoring opportunity and lost 28-24. The Vikings (2-4) look ahead next Sunday to the New England Patriots (5-1), but must first look in the mirror and find an identity the team can claim as it's own. Is the team one “of almosts” as Jared Allen put it, or is it one that “will” win a championship in this Super Bowl-or-bust season?

In the early goings of this one it looked like the game plan of the Vikings was to run the ball effectively and to sustain drives by converting on 3rd and short situations. That strategy worked effectively against the Packers, as Adrian Peterson finished with 131 yards off 28 carries and a score. Brett Favre played mistake-free football in the 1st half and the Vikings took a halftime lead into the locker room. But the team came out with a different identity in the 2nd half and disaster struck. Favre's play suffered severely. He threw 3 INTs in the 2nd half, two of them right into the hands of Packer defensive players almost as if he thought they were his own wide receivers. Could it be that Favre's senility made him believe he was a Packer again? His age must really be catching up with him. The turnovers resulted in 14 points for the Packers. Favre has 14 turnovers on the year.

Highlights come in no short supply for the Vikings offensive side of the ball. Against the Packers, the Vikings were able to use their young play makers Percy Harvin and Adrian Peterson to run the ball into the end zone for two scores. On the game's final drive it appeared that Percy Harvin made a spectacular catch in the back of the end zone for the win, however official review determined he did not get both feet down before going out-of-bounds. Randy Moss contributed with his 15th TD against Green Bay in 15 games on his career and his 2nd TD catch in as many games as a Viking.

The Vikings were in a position at the end of the game to win. A 63 yard drive got the team down to the 10 yard line with a minute to go, but crucial penalties against the Vikings backed them up to the 30 yard line and spelled L-O-S-S for Minnesota.
The Vikings sit at 1-2 in the month of October, which is arguably the toughest portion of the team's schedule. A terrifying match-up in New England on Halloween awaits. Which Viking team will show up to play, the ghastly helpless squad we saw for quarters 3 and 4 Sunday night or a team with a purpose and the competitiveness to defeat an NFL powerhouse like the New England Patriots? Mirror, mirror, on the wall...

The IMossible has Happened

2010-10-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

By Brandon Merrill

Back in 2004 when Randy Moss was making his exit out of Minnesota, Vikings fans everywhere were heartbroken to say the least. He ended up playing for a terrible organization in the Oakland Raiders (well anyway a team that has little implications in the Minnesota sporting world). After several sub par seasons there, the idea of becoming a Packer and joining Brett Favre came into play. As a die hard Vikings fan, you would think that I would absolutely hate that very notion, but I must say that it may have been entertaining to see how the two would mesh. As we all know, Moss ended up playing for the Patriots, but that final question still remained. What if? What if the best wide out in the game teamed up with the best QB to have ever graced the gridiron?

Ask and thou shall receive. Vikings owner Zygi Wilf once again comes through in fine fashion and gives the fans what they want. Many are saying that this is more of a move of desperation by giving up a 3rd round draft pick to hire a “play when he wants to” wide out in the wake of finding a temporary replacement for the injured Sidney Rice. That is a sound argument, but Randy Moss wants to play for an organization that appreciates him, and I can tell you with a record of 1-2 and no deep pass threat, he will be more than appreciated.

Others argue that the Vikings are overly catering to Favre and giving him whatever he wants for his presumably last season. The pay increase and now Moss are signs of that, and maybe the Packers organization dodged a bullet in having to deal with that by signing Aaron Rodgers. What is clear with a slew of decent receivers, the man they call Favre can make magic happen on the field. With veteran Randy Moss on the team, this is not another dime a dozen move like Javon Walker or Hank Baskett. We have hired some real talent; a player who we know firsthand can play like no other.

You cannot stand there with a straight face and say that no improvement has been made with this deal. For starters a couple of people get put back into their comfort zones with the acquisition of Moss. Percy Harvin is back in the slot, Visanthe Shiancoe can focus on being a tight end, and not a receiver, Adrian Peterson will have more open running lanes, and defenses will have to plan for a deadly deep threat. Let us not forget that Sidney Rice will be back at some point. Do you remember the 3 Deep Crew in 1998 of Cris Carter, Jake Reed, and Randy Moss? That trio could make any quarterback look incredible. With Harvin, Moss, and Rice doing what they do best, I think it will make for a spectacular rest of the season. Oh yeah we also have Adrian Peterson, and Visanthe Shiancoe.

Finally, what this move should also do is be a serious morale booster for the entire squad. Yes the Vikes built some momentum with the victory over the Lions with Adrian Peterson having another breakout game, but they did that going into a bye week. Did they need the rest? You bet, and this move should force the rest of the team to wake up, the offensive line especially, and realize that they have the tools to comeback and make a serious Super Bowl run. Expect harder hits, faster play, and a protected QB Monday night and beyond for that matter. The naysayers claim that owner Zygi Wilf is running the team with a “Super Bowl or bust” mentality, and for the life of me I agree. Who, though, ever said that that was a bad thing?

No matter what happens, I think we will all be entertained and you can thank good ownership for that. Next season if we resign Peterson and Moss, I see no reason for a top flight quarterback to look our way if and when Favre decides to throw in the towel. The end goal of any professional sports organization is to win, but also to entertain the spectators, and I am as excited as I was last year upon hearing about Favre coming to MN. How could you not be ecstatic? This Monday Night you get to see “Purple Jesus” go deep to the “Super Freak” beating Darrelle Revis (again), watch how the Jets will crumble to a newly lifted offense, and see Jared Allen do a new sack celebration. I would guess if we are up by a huge margin late in the game he may still go down to one knee for no one other than you the fans.

Punch Up with Detroit at the Dome

2010-09-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

by Skol Girl

On Sunday when the Minnesota Vikings beat the scrappy Detroit Lions 24 to 10 at Mall of America Field it was as if Vikings fans everywhere breathed a collective sigh of relief. Gone were the dire predictions of what happens to teams that start the season 0-3—and not a moment too soon. Honestly, if I had to listen to another rousing rendition of “They’re Completely Screwed If They Start 0-3” statistics I would probably develop a twitch like Herbert Lom’s character Inspector Dreyfus did in the Pink Panther movies every time bumbling detective Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) made an appearance.

However, it looks as if statistics about how teams with an early bye-week perform will take its place so there’s still hope that I will become a twitchy mess.

While it would be nice to see the Vikings play again this coming weekend so it wouldn’t feel like a fluke or like the Vikings got lucky because the Lions still know how to sabotage their own success, that is not to be. Instead we’re staring down a bye-week and won’t see the Purple play again until they take on the New York Jets on the road.

I’m trying to be hopeful about it, but that’s still eleven days away and my post-win good vibrations could wear off by then. More concerning, the Vikings’ post-win good vibrations could wear off too—considering how long it took to get that winning feeling back, no one wants to see it disappear.

In a game that had moments of both amazingly brilliant plays (like Brett Favre’s touchdown pass to Percy Harvin or Adrian Peterson’s 80-yard touchdown run) and amazingly ugly flubs (the Vikings committed three turnovers and 12 penalties), one of the greatest moments of the team coming together didn’t exactly involve an actual play. Nope, it was a fight between Vikings defensive end Jared Allen and Detroit quarterback Shaun Hill.

If you can believe it, Shaun Hill actually went after Jared Allen in the fight for the ball after a Brian Robison sack. Hill gets points for spirit, but not brains because Allen is big and crazy. It flashed me back to the time Lions offensive lineman Gosder Cherilus leveled his helmet into Jared Allen’s knee back in 2008. Allen already had a third-degree shoulder separation and he came up from that hit to his knee hopping on his one good leg, swinging his one good arm, fully prepared to kick Cherilus’s ass. If Ray Edwards hadn’t gotten in Allen’s grill and stopped him, he probably would have done it too. Allen is crazy, who picks a fight with him at all, let alone when he’s healthy?

But Shaun Hill must have a good dose of the crazy himself because he came at Jared Allen, Allen refused to back down or take that, and in split seconds the field was swarming with Vikings and Lions players trying to either help embattled teammates or separate them. At one point Viking defensive back Eric Frampton was trying to pull Jared Allen away from half the Lions’ team—a pretty funny thing to watch because Frampton is 5’11” 205lbs and Allen is 6’6” 270lbs. Really, it was like a six-year-old trying to take the Great Dane for a walk and it was just about that successful.

It’s fairly likely that the league will mail out some fines this week, and they probably should, but that fight seemed like a much-needed tension-breaker for the Vikings. Even though the Vikings were leading by 14 points, they still seemed so tense and brittle that, regardless of the score, they didn’t project a winning countenance. Considering the previous two games, it’s possible that despite needing to win and having a lead, they didn’t feel like winners.

However, stalking back to the sidelines full of righteous indignation, adrenaline, and relief only to be teased/congratulated by Brett Favre, well, it looked like the game stopped being about the Vikings’ desperate need to prevent a slide to 0-3 and more about kicking some Detroit ass. It looked like football was fun again. Well, fun for the Vikings anyway.

After the bye-week when the Vikings get back to Winter Park and they prepare for their Monday night game against the New York Jets, let’s hope that spirit is still with them. Or, we might get lucky and Mark Sanchez might try to throw a punch at Jared Allen in the first quarter. Hey, whatever it takes.

*This post is also available at http://www.dailynorseman.com/ under the name Skol Girl and at http://chinspeaks.wordpress.com/ under my alter ego P.M. Chin.

Good Bye

2010-09-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

By Archie

The Minnesota Vikings will enjoy some much-needed time off as the team enters its bye week a little earlier than normal. The team will rest for Week 4 of the NFL season, the earliest a team is given a bye week. The break comes at a time when the Vikings need it most. The Vikings have earned just one win in three games, defeating the hapless Detroit Lions at home on Sunday handing the Lions their 13^th loss in a row to the Vikings at Mall of America Field and the team's 23^rd straight road game defeat.

The extra time off will be invaluable to the recovery of injured players and building on the cohesiveness of the offense as a whole, which took a couple steps in the wrong direction Sunday with injuries to starters Visanthe Shiancoe and John Sullivan.

Players looking to rehab from injuries will work hard throughout the off week to be healthy for the next game. Visanthe Shiancoe, the team's leading receiver through the first two games, was sidelined Sunday with a hamstring injury. In a depleted receiving corps, "Shiancs", as Favre calls his favorite tight-end, has been the most reliable target for Favre. He may be healthy in time to play in Week 5.

John Sullivan, center, played just one down on Sunday before leaving the game with a calf injury. It is unknown whether Sullivan will be able to play in Week 5. Ryan Cook delivered snaps to Favre in replacement for Sullivan on Sunday. Things started out shaky for Cook, who hesitated on some snaps and sometimes had a difficult time with Favre's hard count but after a couple of series he was able to handle the duties nicely. Cook should see extra practice time in the center position during the off week and be prepared for Week 5 should Sullivan be unavailable.

Sydney Rice is on schedule with his rehab from hip surgery and, with any luck, will be making his regular season debut for the Vikes on October 11^th on Monday Night Football. It will be great to have Syd back!

Speaking of receivers, did you see Percy Harvin's diving TD reception on Sunday? It came after the Lion's fumbled a punt return on their own 20 yard line. Favre only needed one play to capitalize on Detroit's mistake. Harvin got wide open and streaked for the end zone and made an amazing grab to tie the game at 7-7. Despite Harvin's migraines and nagging hip he still plays hard on every down and makes the difficult plays look easy. The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year's contributions on Sunday added up to 62 yards receiving, including the TD score, and 13 yards rushing on two carries. At first glance those numbers may not seem like much, but remember that this offensive squad is making progress each and every game and improvement is what the team, and the fans, are all eager to see. Harvin's involvement as a play-maker is crucial to the team's success.

What about the old man?

Well, Brett Favre always seems to be beaten up and nursing an ankle, shoulder, or elbow injury of some kind and has admitted to feeling fatigued and dehydrated after three games. Favre's play on Sunday was decent. He was able to connect with Percy Harvin on one TD score and threw the ball for 201 yards and 2 INTs. Not a bad day but there is still work to be done getting familiar with his receivers.

The start of the NFL season was not as expected for the Vikings. Picking up a win in Week 3 was the best-case scenario for improving the team's mental health going forward.

The road ahead is not a smooth one for the Vikings. Three of the next four games are on the road, starting Monday Night at the New York Jets. As a silver lining to the tough schedule just one game is against a divisional opponent. The Vikes play the Packers at Lambeau Field Sunday, October 24^th. The team's schedule also pits the Vikes on the road against the Patriots the 31^st. The lone home game is October 17^th vs the Dallas Cowboys. Getting healthy, both physically and mentally, is priority number one for the team during the off week.

Careful, They Bite: 2010 Lions Have Teeth

2010-09-24T17:39:00.001-07:00

By Skol Girl

There are some things in life that are reliable. These are the things that are so steady and predictable they could give Newton’s Laws of Motion a run for the money. For example, when you have something big coming up like a yearbook photo, or a hot date, or a class reunion, you will get a pimple so big and bad that it will alter your side profile. Or, when there’s an election brewing, at least one candidate will say the rich need to be taxed and at least one candidate will say that there need to be tax cuts. Or, the Detroit Lions will fight and scrap, but will inevitably lose when they play on the road—or pretty much anywhere else.

At least, that’s the way it’s been for several years, but there’s a change in the air.

The Lions are no longer the perfect losers they were in 2008. Between the changes in the coaching staff and the roster, the 2009 Lions looked vastly different from the previous year and, more importantly, they started winning. It was only two games (Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns), but it was a start. And, considering that in 2010 they’re already leading the league with 10 sacks, I think it’s fair to say that they won’t be satisfied with only two wins this season.

Actually, if it hadn’t been for that highly contested “process” call that deprived Shaun Hill and Calvin Johnson of a touchdown at the end of their opening game in Chicago, the Lions would already have their first win. The Lions’ second game against the Eagles, though a loss, was too close for anyone to write them off.

Sunday the Minnesota Vikings will face the Lions at Mall of America Field and…well, anything could happen. That isn’t a lack of faith talking, it’s history. On October 12, 2008, when the Lions were cruising toward a perfect losing season and, arguably, the worst they’d ever been, they came into the Metrodome and the Vikings managed to beat them by a score of only 12 to 10.

Even at their crappiest, the Detroit Lions find a way to give the Minnesota Vikings a tough fight. Divisional games seem to go that way. Hence, no player, coach, or fan should consider Sunday’s game a gimme for the Vikings.

While the Lions are without Matthew Stafford, and will be without him for weeks to come, Shaun Hill is a very capable back-up quarterback. Protection on the Lions’ offensive line has improved some and it still has Gosder Cherilus who has some history with Jared Allen—a helmet to Jared’s knee will do that. Their star receiver, Calvin Johnson, is a 6’5” pass-catching beast I wish I had been able to draft for my fantasy team*. Although the Lions’ secondary may not be the best in the league, on the defensive line they have rookie defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh giving us such memorable moments in football as driving Cleveland quarterback Jake Delhomme headfirst into the dirt. Oh, and there's also Jahvid Best, the Lions' speedy running back that the Vikings will have to account for early and often.

Clearly, the Vikings are a team with plenty of talent and they’re hungry for a win. That said, they were hungry last week against Miami too.

The encouraging news out of the Vikings locker room this week is that rookie cornerback Chris Cook has been participating fully in practice and might, fingers crossed, play on Sunday against the Lions. At 6’2” Cook is 4 inches taller than the next tallest member of the Vikings secondary, an asset against tall receivers like Calvin Johnson.

The less encouraging news from the Vikings is that they failed in their quest to procure Vincent Jackson from the San Diego Chargers. Instead they had to content themselves with 6’4” Hank Baskett. Let’s hope they decide to use him sooner rather than later. I keep waiting to see the Vikings use Greg Camarillo more extensively—two catches in two games? Seriously?

So, will the Vikings beat the Lions on Sunday? I really wish I could say yes firmly and unequivocally, but the fact is the 2010 Lions have teeth. If you are going to underestimate them simply because they haven’t won a game yet this seaon, you do so at your own risk. After all, the Vikings haven’t won a game yet either, and they are dangerous too.

*This piece is also posted at http://www.dailynorseman.com under the name Skol Girl and at http://chinspeaks.wordpress.com/ under my alter ego P.M. Chin.

Mojo Not Working

2010-09-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

By Skol Girl

The morning after the Minnesota Vikings lost to the New Orleans Saints, I found a new gray hair. Now, after the Vikings lost their home opener on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, I’m afraid to even look at my hair. I may just ignore the mirror altogether and go straight to making an appointment with my hairdresser. If the Vikings continue to play the way they have for the last two games, I’m going to need some serious all-over color to cover the damage.

While the Miami Dolphins are by no means a crappy team, it seemed like a safe bet to think the NFC North Champion Vikings could win on their home turf. And the crowd at Mall of America Field had every reason to believe that the Vikings would do it. After all, last year the Vikings were undefeated at home.

But Sunday, it was not to be. The Miami Dolphins beat the Minnesota Vikings 14 to 10 in Minnesota.

During the game I was flashing back to previous seasons, seasons when the Vikings didn’t have an MVP quarterback, seasons when the Vikings defense had to pull the offense’s butts out of the fire.

Far from being the vaunted run-stuffing defense they have been in seasons past, the Vikings defense looked porous in the first half, instead allowing the Miami offense to set the tempo for the game. Somewhere along the way the Vikings defense stiffened up, severely limiting the Miami offense. But the Vikings offense never had a similar regrouping in a game where quarterback Brett Favre never seemed to get comfortable throwing the ball.

If he keeps throwing interceptions at his current rate, The FavreTM is going to be into double digits before the season reaches the half-point. There are different ways to win games, but I’m pretty sure no one is going to include throwing lots of interceptions into even the most renegade game plan ever conceived. Championship ball clubs win the turnover war.

Last season, the Vikings won all of their home games. Ideally, a team likes to win all their home games and at least half of their road games to set up a winning season and a championship run. Unless the Vikings offense discovers a previously unopened can of whoop-ass, that plan is beginning to look like giddy optimism.

We’ve made a big deal in the press about the Vikings having almost the exact same starting roster as they had last season when everything looked much more rosy and the Vikings were off to a winning start. But it would seem that having the same names on the roster doesn’t mean the players are really the same. Yeah, I know that sounds like hair-splitting semantics, but hang with me for a second.

Brett Favre is a game changer. As he goes, so goes the team. It’s for that very reason, that intangible something, that the Vikings did everything in their power to bring him back for a second season in Minnesota. But this time…well, it doesn’t feel the same as it did in 2009.

Brett Favre doesn’t seem to have the same optimism and sense of fun that he did heading into the 2009 season and starting out 0-2 won’t help. Considering the disappointing way his tenure with the Jets ended, it wasn’t going to take much for him to top his 2008 performance. But, not only did Favre top his 2008 performance in his first season as a Viking, he posted some of the best numbers of his entire 19-year career and came within one game of the Super Bowl. So, I can’t help wondering if the pressure to repeat in season 20, when combined with his lack of reps with the starting offense, is draining The FavreTM of his mojo.

If it is, then it’s a shame because if ever the Vikings could use a little of that intangible Farvian mojo, it’s now. Star receiver Sidney Rice is out for weeks to come and the loss of Chester Taylor is still being felt. While Adrian Peterson is doing all he can to silence fumble talk and give his team a chance to win, he can’t run every single play—even if he wants to. The Vikings need at least a marginally effective passing game to keep opposing defenses honest, something that won’t happen if Favre keeps throwing to the other team.

While I can’t prove a lack of mojo, the Vikings record makes it apparent that something is going to have to change if they’re going to put themselves back in the running for the Super Bowl. If they keep to their current trend I may end up as gray as Brett Favre by January.

*This post is also available at http://www.dailynorseman.com/ under the name Skol Girl and at http://chinspeaks.wordpress.com/ under the name P.M. Chin

The Long, Hard Wait for the Vikings Home Opener Against Miami

2010-09-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

By Skol Girl

I don’t know about anyone else out there, but I’m really glad that the Minnesota Vikings season opener against the New Orleans Saints is done and over. The anticipation and hype leading up to that game had me so wired I was hopping around like a squirrel on meth. If it was over and the Vikings had won I would be happier and I probably wouldn’t have spent so much of Thursday night accusing the officials of doing immoral things with sheep, but it’s still a relief that a game with so much overwhelming hype is done.

The game shouldn’t be completely written off because it isn’t as if there weren’t bright spots in the Vikings performance against the Saints despite the loss, because there were. But when you want a win those bright spots aren’t quite bright enough.

But now it is a new week and the Vikings are preparing for a new game. It reminded me of the song “Walk and Don’t Look Back” by Mick Jagger and Peter Tosh because the Vikings need to learn what they can from Thursday’s disappointing loss without dwelling on it. I was even going to post the video to that song, but Mick Jagger acted so weird in it that it almost killed the song for me.

On Thursday night the Vikings offense looked out of sync and, well, kind of crappy but even then there was reason for hope. The Vikings offensive line did a fantastic job of keeping Brett Favre upright and giving him time to find a receiver. He didn’t, but that was hardly their fault. Even Bryant McKinnie put in a solid performance until he left the game with a dislocated finger. Adrian Peterson, despite getting mugged, did not fumble the ball. He was also on track to have what would have been a 100-yard game, but the Vikings, for reasons I don’t understand, abandoned the run in the second half. New acquisition Greg Camarillo’s hands were just as sure as advertised, but the Vikings didn’t put him in the game until the fourth quarter.

The Vikings defense, with the exception of the Saints first offensive series, held one of the league’s most dynamic offenses to a paltry 14 points. Drew Brees was able to exploit the Vikings’ corners during the first series, but after that the Vikings secondary put on the brakes and held firm. The Vikings linebackers were men on a mission, making flying tackles and showing that E.J. Henderson really is up to game speed. And Jayme Mitchell even got a sack on Drew Brees who didn’t look comfortable all night.

So yeah, it was a loss, but there were plenty of positives for the Vikings to build on and that has me impatient for the Vikings match-up on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.

The Miami Dolphins are sitting at the bottom of the AFC East, but that doesn’t mean they won’t put up a fight when they face the Vikings at the Dome on Sunday. On Sunday they won their first season opener in five years and they did it on the road in Buffalo. Quarterback Chad Henne and receiver Brandon Marshall flashed a growing chemistry that could prove challenging for opposing defenses to contain. And the Dolphins defense set a fast pace that Buffalo had a hard time answering. Will they be as much of a challenge as the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints? Probably not, but you never can tell what will happen.

Even with time off for his grandson’s christening [insert your own Brett Favre is old joke here], The FavreTM will have another week learning his receivers and how they run their routes. Favre didn’t unretire to lose, so I’m willing to bet that he’s logging his characteristic long hours in practice and looking at film. His favorite target from last season, Sidney Rice, may not be available, but something tells me that the 29-yard pass Favre lobbed at Greg Camarillo on Thursday night is just the beginning. Not only that, but it was reported that Percy Harvin’s migraines may have been triggered by sleep apnea. If that diagnosis is accurate, then now that Harvin is under treatment for sleep apnea, look for a surge in his production as he kicks off the rust.

And, for the love of Ragnar, give Adrian Peterson the damn ball! He’s running angry trying to show the team and everyone else that his fumbles are behind him and that Chris Johnson is full of hot air. Let him.

On defense, there is a good chance that possibly both Chris Cook and Cedric Griffin will be healthy enough to play in the next two games. If so, the secondary will get a nice upgrade and, just maybe, a few interceptions. He’s a nice, tall cornerback and I have a feeling that Cook will be able to win the jump-ball battle. Other than the secondary, the defense’s greatest problem on Thursday night seemed to be fatigue—the Vikings offense didn’t stay on the field long enough for the defense to catch their collective breath. By the fourth quarter the line that had done such a good job of stuffing the run suddenly seemed porous. I believe that as the offense improves the defense will too.

So, once again, I’m counting down until a Vikings game. But this time, I think there’s a much better chance that I’m counting down to a win. I’ll leave you with a song that no corny video can ruin for me. Which is good because the video really is pretty corny.

*This piece is also posted at http://www.dailynorseman.com/ under the name Skol Girl and at http://chinspeaks.wordpress.com/ under my alter ego P.M. Chin.

My Futile Resistance

2010-09-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

by Skol Girl

With as much as he’s done to improve the Minnesota Vikings over his tenure as head coach, you’d think I’d be a big fan of Coach Brad Childress. I try to be. The Vikings record has steadily improved each year he’s been head coach and they’ve been the NFC North champions for the last two years. And yet, I still can’t quite give myself over to becoming a Brad Childress super fan.

The problem, for me, is that I’m beginning to suspect he’s a member of the Borg.

In Star Trek the Borg run around sporting mechanical implants and spouting, “You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.” This comparison comes to mind because that is how I feel when Childress talks about Tavaris Jackson.

Whenever asked about the quarterback situation and the depth chart at that position Childress firmly tells us that he’s seen “an evolution” in Tavaris Jackson during training camp. I keep waiting for this much touted evolution to make itself visible on the field during a game. So Jackson looks basically the way he’s always looked to me—good arm, good athleticism, sketchy leadership, nervous under pressure. I’m not quite sure where the evolution is.

But despite the fact that I have yet to see the promised evolution, Childress says it so much, that I am beginning to feel that resistance really is futile. No matter what I see in his performance, Tavaris Jackson is still going to be the apple of Childress’ eye—I will eventually be assimilated. Maybe I’m just one game away from saying, “We are 3 of 4. Tavaris Jackson has evolved as a starting quarterback. He’s taking steps within the system. You will be assimilated.”

I’m just not there yet.

So far this preseason, Sage Rosenfels performance at quarterback has yielded better results than Jackson’s. After some rough and disorganized play from the Vikings offense during the St. Louis game, Rosenfels rallied his troops and led them down the field for not one, not two, but three touchdowns. Three.

Granted, that comparison is slanted because, as the presumed starter for the 2010 season Tavaris Jackson played very little. He also played relatively little in the games against the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. While neither Jackson nor Rosenfels scored a touchdown in the game against San Francisco, Rosenfels did connect with Javon Walker for a touchdown in the Seattle game.

While the comparisons are slanted toward Rosenfels because Rosenfels took more snaps and thus had more opportunities to make plays, he still looked better at quarterback to me than Jackson. But, as Childress pointed out to me via the reporters for the Pioneer Press, I’m using the wrong criteria to evaluate the quarterbacks.

That’s right, I had things all ass-backwards. How a quarterback plays in an actual game (even a preseason one) isn’t how Childress and his staff are evaluating the quarterbacks for the depth chart. In the article “Odd Man Out?” by Jeremy Fowler of the Pioneer Press Childress said,

“You can say, ‘Well, it’s about the games,’” Childress said. “We give them opportunities based on what we see in practice.”

While I can see awarding opportunities based on how a player performs in practice, what a player actually does with those opportunities during a game seems, to me, like it ought to be the clincher. But that’s just me thinking winning games is more important than being brilliant on the practice field.

However, no matter how freaking fantastic Tavaris Jackson might have been in training camp, it still wasn’t good enough to prevent Childress from sending Ryan Longwell, Steve Hutchinson, and Jared Allen off to Mississippi to lean on (and, I suspect trank) Brett Favre, load him into the private jet, and get him to return to the Vikings for another season. Apparently, even Borg assimilation has it’s limits.

Viva la resistance!

This piece is also posted at http://www.dailynorseman.com/ under the name Skol Girl and at http://chinspeaks.wordpress.com/ under my alter ego P.M.Chin

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Catching Up with the Vikings

2010-08-31T12:02:00.000-07:00

by Skol Girl

It is always a challenge to get caught up after a vacation. When the vacation you’re catching up from isn’t yours, it’s also a surprise.

My sister swept into town, her husband and her baby in tow, and I wasn’t able to find the time to even skim the sports page until they left. Which was tough because plenty of interesting things happened in the wide world of Vikings football while I was distracted by the cuteness of my teething eight-month-old niece.

As far as I can tell, this is what I missed. Percy Harvin spent a night in the hospital for observation after collapsing on the practice field because of migraine complications—he was released the next day. The Vikings lost to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football. Sidney Rice went to Vail, Colorado for hip surgery. Javon Walker, who once elicited criticism from Brett Favre for contract antics back when they were teammates together in Green Bay, signed with the Vikings to help shore up the depleted receiving corps. The Vikings completed a rare player-for-player trade with the Miami Dolphins, exchanging corner back Benny Sapp for wide receiver Greg Camarillo. Former member of the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff, Pete Carroll came to town with the Seattle Seahawks to face the Vikings on Saturday night—the Vikings won, but their performance was a mixed bag.

Actually, I did manage to see both the 49ers game and the Seahawks game, but I’m kind of writing off the 49ers game because I was distracted. My niece was watching the game with me and Rookie was a cute, non-sleeping, handful in her Vikings onesie. So I’ll just speak to the game against the Seahawks which I watched without Rookie.

Saturday night reminded me of a Clint Eastwood movie, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Really, there was a little bit of everything.

I’m more of a bad news first kind of person, so that’s where I’ll start. The Vikings offensive line needs to gel, protect the quarterback, and give the running game a fighting chance. Certainly, they are affected by not having John Sullivan in at center and having a rookie on the line too, but in the meantime, the quarterbacks are suffering. There were some plays Saturday night where, I don’t know if there was a miscue or what, but Seahawks defenders barreled through the line untouched and flattened Brett Favre. To make matters worse, one of the times he was being flattened Favre fumbled the ball.

For his part, Favre was mostly what you would expect. He some showed signs of fatigue and rust, but it was liberally sprinkled with accurate missiles spread out to nine different targets. Perhaps the most shocking reception was Farve’s first pass over the middle to Percy Harvin. I didn’t even realize that Harvin was going to play because he hasn’t been able to participate much in practice. While Favre did throw two picks, one of them wasn’t his fault—Bernard Berrian couldn’t quite hang on to it and the Seahawks defense snagged it on the bobble.

But now, onto better things.

I’m just going to highlight a few things, but there were lots of good things peppered into an up-and-down game.

Greg Camarillo pulled in passes with his sure hands showing Vikings fans why the team traded Benny Sapp to get him from Miami. Camarillo may not have breakaway speed, which was a liability when the Seahawks defender got two yards ahead of him and intercepted Brett Favre’s pass, but Camarillo’s fantastic sticky fingers could still make him a favorite target for Brett Favre. Some of the local journalists have sneered a bit that he isn’t particularly explosive or dynamic, but I think with Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin (when available), and Bernard Berrian (when he’s on the same page as Favre) not every player on the offense needs to be exciting and dynamic—some of them can just get the job done.

Despite being treated a bit like a redheaded stepchild, Sage Rosenfels marched the Vikings downfield and distinguished himself as the only Vikings quarterback to pass for a touchdown during Saturday’s game. He connected with newcomer Javon Walker in the end zone. Walker was in thick coverage but fought to come up with the ball. With the latest talk being that Tavaris Jackson is going to be the second quarterback on the depth chart, I hope that other teams recognize Rosenfels abilities and give him a chance to do more than fondle a clipboard on the sidelines this season.

And on defense, young Chris Cook is making a strong bid to be a starter in the September 9 game at New Orleans. With his height and his speed Cook was a desirable pick, but the coaches have said how much they like his sheer drive to learn everything they have to teach. Buzz-worthy through training camp, Cook was in on several great stops Saturday night. He’s got confidence, ability, and drive—and Lito Sheppard and Asher Allen are going to have to work hard on Thursday night if they want to win the starting job away from him.

On special teams Darius Reynaud had a fantastic game. His kick return from around the Vikings 4-yardline up to the Seahawks’ 22-yardline was a thing of beauty. If he can keep making plays like that, you have to believe he has a future with the Vikings.

It is going to be interesting to see how many starters the coaches decide to play on Thursday. Will we get a repeat of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, or will we see a more cohesive team? Guess we won’t know until Thursday. Is anyone else getting twitching about September 9?

This piece is also posted at www.dailynorseman.com under the name Skol Girl and at http://chinspeaks.wordpress.com under my alter ego P.M.Chin.

Ankles, migraines and a little Vikes fan "oh my!"

2010-08-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

It's been an interesting few days! The black Beemer became 2010's version of the White Bronco. MN Fans came out in droves to see the man, the myth, the legend....Favre is back! This guy is still not sold on T-Jax, and not sold on Sage (come one....impressive stats against #2's and #3's - and the Ram's suck anyways).

The press conference left one thing off the table - were his allegations of texts of his wiener to a Jets cheerleader true or not? If so, how much waffling did he do before he finally decided to send it, or not send it? HA! Just trying to inject a little humor into the situation. All in all, this Vikes fan is glad he's back. He won't have as good a year as last year, but it'll still be a solid year! And the ankle injury will come up in each press conference after each game - so Vikes fans....be ready for it.

On another note, Percy was rushed to the hospital today because he passed out at practice today. My thoughts and prayers are with him for a speedy recovery - if his recovery time is anywhere near his 40 speed, we'll hopefully see him soon!

It's been a while since I've written - the last time was just after the draft. Since that time my wife and I found out that we are having a baby boy, and he is due in November!! YAY - another little Vikes fan in the house. Only problem....my wife's a Packer fan, and last week at a baby shower, her damn grandfather bought him a Packer onsie! WTF?!?! I honestly will not hold my baby boy if he is wearing those gawdawful colors and that horrible outfit.

That's all I got....

I want to know what you have to say! Leave it here!!

Kudo

Brett Favre Returns to Football, Again, Er, Again-Again

2010-08-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

by Skol Girl

Ah, here we are again. Once again, on the Tuesday before the Vikings second preseason game football just got a lot more interesting because Brett Favre unretired (yes, again) to play quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings (yes, again). There were months of speculation, there were rumors, there were dire predictions, and there were lots, and lots of jokes—but here we are once again, with Brett Favre.

I don’t know about you, but I’m beginning to think I could write about this with a template. All the important stuff would stay the same, I could just change the dates and some of the details. In fact, I strongly considered simply reposting the piece I wrote last year about Favre’s signing. However, on rereading it, I discovered that, even though the pertinent details about Brett Favre were more or less the same, my opinion about him had undergone at bit of a change*.

Turns out, a year ago I wasn’t quite sold on Mr. Favre. In my defense, his year with the New York Jets was not the sort of thing that would ignite Super Bowl dreams. But his 2009 season with Minnesota Vikings made me a believer. I remember the moment with almost crystal clarity when I was watching the Vikings play and suddenly realized I was screaming, “Yeah, go Brett! Go BRETT!!!” I stopped mid-scream I was so surprised. The real kicker (yes, the pun is intentional) was that it was still preseason. He endeared himself to me, a hardened cynic, just that fast. Good thing he doesn’t sell Amway.

So yes, this season I’ve already planted my skeptical Scandinavian butt firmly on the Favre bandwagon—I staked out my seat early.

But for as much as things seem the same, with Favre swinging into Minnesota just one day shy of the day he arrived last August, there are a lot of notable differences. Probably the biggest difference is that both Favre and his teammates have a better idea of what they are getting from one another. I honestly do not care how many millions of dollars the Wilfs throw at the guy, Brett Favre is worth every penny on several levels. Here are a few of them.

Good to great. Having Favre under center immediately elevates the Vikings offense from good to down right dangerous. The guy reads the blitz like nobody I’ve ever seen, adjusting on the fly, and audibling out of doomed plays—and that was before he was 40-years-old. Now, with 20 years of experience, there is nothing he hasn’t seen. That kind of knowledge is invaluable and enables the offense to take advantage of situations that might otherwise have cost them.

“Do or do not. There is no try.” Brett Favre is like Yoda**, he really is the Jedi master who brings out the best in his teammates. I can’t tell you how many times last year I read or heard about Favre sending Harvin or Rice a text telling them about some film they should watch because he thought it would help them. He operates like an extra coach helping to develop the young players on the team. When you consider the youth of most of his offensive weapons it’s apparent that that is the kind of investment that can benefit the Vikings for years to come. The gift that keeps on giving, if you will.

Cash money. Brett Favre means money. Period. People are excited about getting to see him play and they buy tickets which means no local media blackouts for the Minnesota faithful and it means that those attending the games are buying concessions, spending money in the merchandise tent, and patronizing local businesses before the game. Not only that, his jersey is still one of the top selling jerseys of all NFL merchandise—his name on gear is like a direct line of revenue. And, if he propels the Vikings to another winning season, it helps the Wilfs gain greater traction for new stadium discussion with the Minnesota legislature. This guy equals cash for a whole lot of people.

I want it all and I want it now. With the current Vikings roster you can’t swing a cat without hitting a Pro Bowler. The Vikings are thick with talent, but some of that talent is aging and thinking about retirement, like Pat Williams. We have heard the dread term “rebuilding year” so often that it is almost hard to believe we’re in a year where the team is built, but it is built—and it is built to win now. I include coaches because Leslie Frazier (probably) will be a head coach somewhere next year and some of the staff will likely go with him. With the Vikings current player and coaching roster Favre isn’t the star, he’s part of the mother-freaking constellation.

Well, it was several months in the making, but I have to say, I think I like Brett Favre’s 2010 arrival in Minnesota may lead to an even better season than last year. Don’t burst my bubble.

*Just in case you're curious what made me suspicious last year http://chinspeaks.wordpress.com/2009/08/19/favre-fest-is-all-thanks-to-his-daughter/
**I have a deep and amazingly geeky affection for Star Wars (but only Episodes 4-6, the others suck) so I assure you that I’m not using this comparison lightly.

This post is also available at http://www.dailynorseman.com/ under the name Skol Girl and at http://www.chinspeaks.wordpress.com/ under my alter ego P.M.Chin. Chin writes about things other than football too, but don't hold that against her.

Minnesota Vikings Idol: Saturday Night's Look at Deep Talent

2010-08-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

By Skol Girl

How great is it to get to watch Minnesota Vikings football again, even if it is only preseason? I’ll confess, I didn’t always like preseason football. While I always welcomed the return of football, I used to see preseason football as the redheaded step-child of regular season football because the games didn’t “count” and the star players hung out on the sidelines wearing visors. However, I have seen the error of my ways and have new appreciation for preseason.

After avidly following the Vikings draft choices and practice squad for the past couple years, the preseason now has a certain American Idol quality. Even though I don’t get a vote on who stays on the team and who goes home, I do like that feeling that I was there at the start of their NFL career.

But, if I did have a vote about who makes the Vikings roster and who doesn’t, here are a few guys who got my attention last night in the Vikings 28-7 win over the St. Louis Rams.

Asher Allen. Not only does this guy have a rock star name, he also is showing that he means business at cornerback. Only 5’9”, Allen is hitting big, not unlike Antoine Winfield, and prevented a few deep plays with good coverage forcing a Rams fourth down.

Colt Anderson. Sometimes it isn’t so much about stunning ability as it is about tenacity. On special teams Anderson was flattened into the turf twice trying to stop a Rams return but he kept getting up, kept honing in on the play, and eventually was in on the stop.

Chris Cook. A lankier cornerback at 6’2”, Cook really got my attention on a special teams play where he slapped the ball out of the returner’s hands and Kenny Onatolu recovered it.

Garrett Mills. With so many of the Vikings offensive stars injured, guys farther down on the depth chart have gotten more reps. Mills showed off all that practice, pulling in four catches for 106 yards and a touchdown.

Jayme Mitchell. With the cloud of uncertainty that has followed Pat and Kevin Williams in their legal fight against a four-game suspension, the Vikings have quietly built up the depth on the defensive line. Mitchell sacked, hurried, and all-around terrorized the Rams first-round pick Sam Bradford.

Logan Payne. A former Minnesota player, Payne caught 7 passes for 52 yards and a touchdown. Even when he was getting mugged by the Rams secondary, he showed a scrappy persistence.

Joe Webb. His footwork was kind of a mess and there were a few times when he was running for his life from the Rams defense, but what a run he had. Webb rushed for 24 yards and connected with rookie Mickey Shuler for a touchdown. There is no doubt that Webb is raw, but the talent is there validating the decision to switch him from receiver to quarterback.

This post is also available at http://www.dailynorseman.com under the name Skol Girl and http://chinspeaks.wordpress.com/ under my alter ego P.M.Chin.

John Randle Joins Hall of Fame--Who's Next?

2010-08-09T18:13:00.000-07:00

By Skol Girl

Last night watching the Bengals and the Cowboys fight it out on national television it seemed that all was once again right with the world. I don't like the Cowboys (a guy who broke my heart was a Cowboys fan and they will forever suffer from that association) and I'm mostly apathetic about the Bengals, but the professional football season is finally upon us so, regardless of who's playing, I like to mark the event. But, for me, the really fun part of last night's game had nothing to do with the game and everything to do with capping off the annual induction festivities at the Hall of Fame.

I was decked out in my John Randle jersey in honor of his induction. Probably should have painted my face too, but...I just don't have the moxie for face-painting. John Randle's story is the stuff that NFL dreams are made of--he came from nothing, went undrafted and signed with the Vikings as a rookie free-agent, hoping they wouldn't switch him to linebacker because he was undersized for a defensive end. He worked hard and in two years, he had his break out season and quickly becoming as well-known for his speed as he was for his trash-talking and face-painting. And now he's enshrined with the rest of the greats in Canton, Ohio.

Thinking of that made me wonder which players on the current Vikings roster might eventually make it to Canton to join Randle. Which players from the 2010 team will join the other greats in the Hall of Fame?

Despite concerns about his tendency to fumble, Adrian Peterson is the kind of rare talent that makes everyone stand up and take notice. I still giggle thinking of last season's opener against the Browns when Peterson tossed a defender out of his way in a move Ray Edwards coined "kiss the baby". So you can't daydream about future Hall of Famers without tossing Peterson's name in there.

Jared Allen is crazy in a similar vein to John Randle. The Vikings sack leader last year, I think (but can't definitively remember) he was second in the NFL. Allen is also just plain fun to watch, with all of his calf-roping and trash-talking. Remember that game against the Lions when a member of the Lions offense put his helmet into Jared's knee? Jared already had a third degree shoulder separation and only one good leg to stand on, but he was going to hop over on his one good leg to kick that Lion's ass. Good thing Ray Edwards kept him from doing it.

There are so many good players on the current Vikings roster that I'm almost loath to write anyone off. E.J. Henderson at middle linebacker adds an important element to the Vikings defense. Percy Harvin is an incredible receiver/running back hybrid who has a talent for making things happen. Steve Hutchinson is a guard who has the distinction of having his name mentioned very little--people only hear about offensive linemen when they screw up. Ray Edwards has benefited from the double-teams that Jared Allen draws, giving him the opportunity to make some brilliant defensive plays. Then there's Ryan Longwell whose kicking is so steady he's practically money in the bank. And there's a certain quarterback from Mississippi who will no doubt make it into the Hall of Fame the first year he's eligible.

Only time will tell who makes it into the Hall of Fame and when, but it's fun to speculate. With at team this loaded with talent, it isn't such a stretch to believe it's possible.

This piece is also available under the name Skol Girl at http://www.dailynorseman.com along with lots of other good Vikings-related material. Some of it not even written by me.

The Story of the Prodigal Gun

2010-08-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

By Brandon Merrill

The hottest topic on most sports writers’ minds in late summer always seems to be centered around Brett Favre, and his seemingly endless style of tormenting fans, teammates, coaches, and media on the decision of whether or not to leave the game of football. As we all know, last year he did just that and in the end the Vikings had a magical season just ending short of making a Super Bowl run. In all of the hoopla, one question still remains, will the “Mississippi Mudslinger” comeback for his 20th NFL season? This writer is going to be the 12 man on the field and say “absolutely.”

There are several reasons for him to comeback, as well as thirteen million more why she should wait one more year before retiring. The fact that Brad Childress and the Minnesota Vikings have not done anything to go after other playoff caliber quarterbacks speaks volumes. Vikings owner Zygi Wilf has made it abundantly clear in years past that he is committed to bringing top talent to Minnesota. If Favre was not coming back, he and Coach Brad Childress would be a little more on edge.

The same thing happened last year when Favre was brought into the mix. It was the day that camp broke that Favre raised up a Vikings Jersey showing off the beautiful #4 in purple and gold. We all know that Favre likes to dance around before the preseason starts, so that is nothing new. I truly believe that there are at least three people who know that he is coming back, and that would be, Zygi Wilf, Deanna Favre, and of course Brad Childress. Favre’s constant indecision has to be bringing in some extra coin for him as well being that his website is getting a barrage of hits, his TV commercials for Sears, and even the comedic Super Bowl ad where he is 50 years old and still thinking about coming back for one more year. So I believe him when he says it’s not about the money. It is a constant dance we will all remember, but when he steps onto a football field, we forget all about it.

My prediction is this: Favre will come back for one more NFL season with the Vikings. Whether he wins a super bowl or not is irrelevant. He will call it quits, but in the off chance he says he will be back, expect another summer where the Silver Fox Circus comes back to town for a full on performance. So after the 2010 season is finished, and Favre does call it quits, I would not be surprised to see the Vikings take a serious look and try to pick up Tom Brady of the New England Patriots. Even though Brady took a pay cut to resign current players, and to pick up other players, the Patriots do not seem too enthused about giving Brady a huge pay increase. Brady would want to play for a contender and who better than the Minnesota Vikings? Let us not forget the prospect of QB turned WR turned QB rookie Joe Webb who is looking very impressive down in Mankato.

The Wrangler jean wearing good ole boy will be back, and I will agree it is quite reminiscent of the Rocky movies where southpaw “Rocky Balboa” keeps coming back and Brad Childress is his “Uncle Paulie.” As far as Hollywood goes, if Favre comes back to win a Super Bowl down in Dallas, you can expect a movie based on his “comeback” story to hit the silver screen in the Next 3-6 years. If I was the casting director, Tim McGraw would be casted to play Brett Favre, and Sandra Bullock would be casted as Favre’s wife. They already starred in a football movie together playing a married couple in the box office blast The Blindside.

OK I digress, but the bottom line is this; Favre will lead the charge to “Destination Dallas” and you can take that to the bank.

Surly Summer: Farve Watch Takes a Toll on Sports Writers

2010-08-05T13:52:00.000-07:00

Maybe we should blame it on the hot sticky weather in Minnesota, but some of the sports writers covering the Minnesota Vikings training camp in Mankato are beginning to sound surly. Normally I don’t read the Star Tribune. There isn’t a good reason for it, I just don’t feel like I have time to read both the Minneapolis and St. Paul papers. So imagine my surprise yesterday upon reading it to find just how wrathful the Star Tribune writers were becoming about Favre-a-palooza 2010.

Reading the remarkably cranky coverage in Minneapolis’ Star Tribune it sounded as if their collective undies were in a serious bunch. Honestly, I haven’t heard that much angry rhetoric outside of politics or a throw down between Team Edward and Team Jacob. To quote Jack Sparrow, after reading Chip Scoggins, Judd Zulgad, and Jim Souhan, I felt “sullied and unusual.”

I guess I just don’t understand why the late summer dance Favre does with retirement should provoke so much anger in the Trib’s writers. Shoot, if anyone should be irritable it is the Vikings players and organization, and they seem to be managing Indecision 2010 just fine.

More to the point, all the Favre drama with the annual “will-he-won’t-he play” stuff drums up reader interest. It makes for a much more interesting story than Albert Haynesworth not passing his conditioning test, or Adrian Peterson wanting to start talking new contracts already, or how Terrell Owens is fitting in with the Bengals.

Characterizing Brett Favre’s indecision as selfish, drama-queen behavior seems overly simplistic and petty. Football is not a sport that favors age, making Favre’s string of consecutive starts nothing short of epic. You’d have to wonder at his intelligence if he wasn’t weighing his desire to play against his body’s ability to handle another punishing season of football.

And it isn’t as if we don’t know what happens if he doesn’t return to play for the Vikings this season, Tavaris Jackson will start at quarterback. Coach Brad Childress keeps telling us that Tavaris Jackson is continuing to take steps in learning the system and running the offense. Seriously, Childress repeats it like a mantra. While T-Jack has displayed good athleticism, he has yet to show that he has the mental toughness to be a premiere NFL quarterback. Maybe that is simply inexperience, or maybe he was never as good as Childress thought when they drafted him. At any rate, it is likely that Jackson will be the starter this season if Favre doesn’t return.

With Favre taking the snaps on a Vikings team that is largely unchanged since last season, the Vikings are a major threat. With Jackson taking the snaps the Vikings will not have as good a chance to win the NFC north or anything else. Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler both are better than Jackson, and I might even be tempted to add Matt Stafford to that group too—the rookie got pummeled last season and rather than looking panicked when he’d take a hit, he looked annoyed. That’s the kind of crazy an NFL quarterback needs to have.

Whatever Favre should decide, I beseech the embittered writers at the Star Tribune to remember, it’s not personal, it’s business. And as long as people want to know what Brett Favre is doing, business is good.

-Skol Girl

My Training Camp Wish List

2010-07-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

It’s been six long months since the Minnesota Vikings lost to the New Orleans Saints on January 24, 2010. It might take the edge off of my football withdrawal if I could get into baseball, but when I’m craving smash mouth football complete with calf-roping antics, baseball doesn’t quite do it for me.

But now it’s late July and soon, tantalizingly soon, Minnesota Vikings training camp will start up again and we’ll get to see what kind of a shot at redemption the veteran-heavy team has for the coming season. For a football-deprived fan like myself, it feels like Christmas in July. Truly. I’m filled with as much joy and anticipation for the start of training camp as I was when I was seven and hoping for a Cabbage Patch Kid.

So, in the spirit of Christmas, I’m making out my wish list for the coming season. How weird and wonderful would it be if a sleigh pulled by eight tiny linebackers landed on my rooftop and a jolly giant like, say, Pat Williams hopped down the chimney to deliver everything on my list? Well, a girl can dream.

Wish #1
Doubtless, this is at the top of many people’s lists, but it would be so very nice if Brett Favre came back to the Vikings for another season. Kind of a no-brainer wish. However, the chances of Brett Favre making a return in time for or during training camp isn’t likely given his well-documented disdain for training camp. Still, this is a wish list, not a likely list—might as well aim high.

Wish #2
Adrian Peterson is a dynamic, hard-working running back. Every time he gets the ball he pours his heart and soul into trying to make something happen. Here’s a thought: How about you hang onto the ball. While not as flashy as a break-away run into the end zone, reducing fumbles and turnovers probably would have won that NFC championship game against the Saints.

Wish #3
He’s big and he, occasionally, shows flashes of ability that validate the Vikings decision to keep him around, but I would dearly love to see Bryant McKinnie play up to his potential every game, not one in five. If Favre does return, then, for the love of Zeus, protect the guy! Last year Julius Peppers pushed 6’8” 330lb Bryant McKinnie around like McKinnie was on castors. I don’t know if that means Peppers is jus that good or if McKinnie is just that lazy. During the off-season Peppers signed with the Chicago Bears meaning the Vikings will have to face him at least twice next season.

Wish #4
Please, oh please, don’t let Brad Childress’s decision to bring in Rhys Lloyd mess up Ryan Longwell’s head or kicking consistency. While bringing in Lloyd to pin opposing offenses against their end zones is great, Longwell says kick-offs give him a chance to get a feel for field conditions before he kicks for points. Longwell is money in the bank, don’t throw him off his game.

Wish #5
I love linebackers. Leber, Greenway, Farwell, they make me smile. But, and I don’t say this lightly, I really, really love E.J. Henderson. Most of his highlights show him flying Super Man style to make a tackle. Who doesn’t love seeing that? And with a healthy Henderson at middle, I like the Vikings chances of forcing three-and-outs much better. So, here’s hoping that E.J. Henderson is back to his pre-injury form and that his season isn’t cut short with an injury the way it has been for the past two years.

Wish #6
Maybe it’s because I added his jersey to my collection, or maybe it’s because I like seeing an under-dog come out on top, but I would dearly love to see Sidney Rice build on the amazing season he had last year. A participant at Larry Fitzgerald’s summer training camp, last season Rice debunked the theory that he was a draft bust. Let’s hope that this season, regardless of who is ultimately playing quarterback for the Vikings, he proves that last season’s performance is just the start of many good things.

A football fan could keep wishing all day, but I think six is a good place to stop. Something tells me that as the Vikings training camp heats up there will be plenty of new things to wish for.

-Skol Girl

Deja Favre

2010-07-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

In this changing world it should be reassuring that some things never change. However, when one of those non-changing things is the “will-he-play-or-not” dance between the Minnesota Vikings and Brett Favre, it’s debatable just how reassuring sameness really is.

Reading the paper this week I was having a serious case of déjà vu. Once again Brad Childress was in Mississippi chatting with Brett Favre and trying to find out if he wants to come back for another season in the NFL. Once again every sports reporter worth his jockstrap* is asking every Vikings player and coach he can find if they think Favre is going to play for the Vikings. Once again, no one will probably know anything until after training camp.

Last year Brett Favre proved that he could miss training camp and play football just fine. Better than fine. With the Vikings Brett Favre posted one of his best years ever. That strikes me as an incredible fete considering that even if his mechanics were great he still didn’t know his teammates and what their tendencies and abilities were.

Maybe it’s because I’m drawing on last year’s experience where I got all worked up about the possibility of Favre coming to Minnesota, despaired when he refused, and then rejoiced when Childress picked him up at the airport, but I’m promising myself that this year will be different. This year I will not succumb to apoplexy with every little update on what the MVP quarterback thinks or feels. Nope, I’m practicing being cool as a cucumber, taking deep cleansing breaths, and just waiting this one out. Valium may also be employed to keep me in a Zen-like mindset. And I think there is some justification for that approach.

With the exception of the loss of Chester Taylor and Artis Hicks and the addition of Toby Gerhart, the offense is essentially the same as it was last year. So unlike this time last year, Favre knows his teammates and their capabilities. Seems to me that would be a very important factor in Favre’s decision-making process. He can weigh what he knows of those players against their chances of winning a championship.

He also knows that, with the possible exception of Tavaris Jackson, his teammates appreciated him and want him back—no training camp, no problem. By all accounts, the Vikings players embraced Brett Favre like a legend, a coach, and a friend all rolled into a grubby hat and hooded sweatshirt. Loyalty and admiration seem to have been part of the intangible “it” factor that helped the Vikings to win the NFC north last season for the second year in a row. For as much as football players are professionals who are paid to perform, and for as much as they are also competitors who want to win because they like it, after a loss Vikings players routinely expressed sadness that they hadn’t won for Favre. Are you kidding me? There’s a dome full of fans, there’s an even larger audience watching on television, there are disgruntled owners and coaches, but the players said they wanted to win for Brett Favre.

To a guy who felt, justified or not, as if the Green Bay Packers gave him the professional equivalent of “It’s not us, it’s you” and “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out”, knowing that nearly everyone (again, T-Jack might not be so keen on it) in the organization appreciates his contribution and wants him to return has to be like ambrosia. More than any assurances Childress and Rick Spielman make, I would imagine that all that goodwill and appreciation could be the deciding factor.

So, that is why I’m going to keep practicing my yoga breathing and make an effort not to get too worried every time Coach Childress mutters into is mustache something inconclusive about the Favre situation.

*Yes, I know there are some women who report on football, but, by and large, the area is dominated by men.

It's Not Right, But It's Legal

2010-06-07T21:26:00.000-07:00

With the early summer sun shining and mini camps going on at Winter Park, it’s finally possible for me to dare to believe that football will be beginning, in earnest, in just about two months. The off-season feels longer every summer with stories about football and the Vikings few and far between. However, on and off, since the end of the 2009 season, Pat and Kevin Williams, stars of the Vikings defensive line, have been in the news as they continue to fight the 4-game suspensions the NFL handed down when they tested positive for a banned substance.

If nothing else, the StarCaps debacle has been profitable for the lawyers and educational for the public. Way back in the summer of 2008 Pat and Kevin Williams and three players from the New Orleans Saints tested positive for bumetanide in a standard drug screening. Bumetanide, a diuretic, is banned by the NFL because it could be used to mask the use of steroids. However, as anyone who has ever experienced fluid retention might tell the NFL, diuretics can also be used to shed water weight. And, being big, chubby guys with weight clauses in their contracts, that’s the reason Pat and Kevin gave for taking StarCaps diet pills.

So the lines were drawn. The NFL wanted to suspend the players saying that they are responsible for what they put in their bodies regardless of the fact that bumetanide was not listed anywhere as an ingredient in StarCaps. The players felt they were being portrayed as dopers when they were simply trying to lose weight. The legal battle focused on personnel law regarding workplace drug testing. Eventually, the courts ruled for the NFL and the NFL has been trying to make sure that players aren’t ever again allowed to legally challenge suspensions this way. However, an injunction remains in place allowing Pat and Kevin to play the 2010 season while they appeal their case.

As this case has dragged on, it’s begun to feel like a case of the millionaire players chafing at restrictions laid out by the billionaire owners, focusing on loopholes in workplace law. But it seems to me that there is a bigger issue that isn’t being talked about, an issue of ethics rather than legality.

According to Brian Murphy’s reports in St. Paul’s Pioneer Press last year, the NFL was aware as early as November 2006 that StarCaps contained bumetanide even though bumetanide was not listed as a StarCaps ingredient. When prescribed by a physician, bumetanide is used to treat congestive heart failure and renal disease. Further toxicology testing showed that, not only was bumetanide present in StarCaps, but the levels at which it was present met or exceeded prescription levels. By it’s own admission, the NFL knew that StarCaps contained therapeutic levels of a controlled substance and their only move toward player safety regarding StarCaps was to say that NFL players were prohibited from endorsing StarCaps.

Even if protecting players’ health in the hard-hitting NFL seems like a contradiction in terms that’s right up there with military intelligence, it can’t be overlooked that the NFL knew a potentially harmful substance was in StarCaps and, apparently, did nothing. They didn’t promote the use of StarCaps or allow their players to endorse StarCaps, but there’s also no evidence that the NFL reported their findings to the Food and Drug Administration or any other government regulatory agency.

Vikings fans don’t have to look back too far to remember the tragedy that can come from mixing heat, exertion, and diet pills. That combination contributed to the heat stroke that killed Vikings player Korey Stringer in 2001.

But supposing you don’t care about big, burly football players trying to drop weight because of their contracts, consider some of the people who might use diet pills. There are the teenage girls with body image issues, mothers trying to lose baby weight, people going to high school reunions, guys going through a divorce, guys going through a mid-life crisis, debutants walking the red carpet, women who are getting married, mothers whose daughters are getting married, people nervous about bathing suit season… Well, there are a lot of potential diet pill users. So, in withholding the information that StarCaps contained bumetanide, the NFL withheld information that could have damaged the health of anyone who might have used StarCaps, not just millionaire football players.

While the NFL may not have done anything illegal, to me, there is something distinctly smarmy about not releasing the information that StarCaps was tainted with bumetanide, an issue all but lost in the legal proceedings.

Draft Thoughts

2010-04-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

By Rob Leath

Picks: Chris Cook (2nd); Toby Gerhart (2nd); Everson Griffen (4th); Chris DeGeare (5th); Nate Triplet (5th); Joe Webb (6th); Ryan D’Imperio (7th)

The Vikings have a well-stocked roster, and it looked as though they were more interested in attaining quality over quantity despite the depth of the 2010 draft. They kicked things off with Chris Cook, whom they’ve been high on throughout the whole process. Cook burst onto the scene this year after missing 2008 due to academic issues and really cemented himself as a top cornerback prospect. The Vikings have a huge need at the position with Cedric Griffin’s 2010 in doubt and Antoine Winfield aging. Cook is versatile (he could move to safety at some point) and gives the Vikings size and youth in the secondary.

The Toby Gerhart pick raised some eyebrows – including my own – but it shows that the Vikings made replacing Chester Taylor a priority. Gerhart won’t be the receiving threat that Taylor was, but he’s a bull and should be able to absorb some carries and potentially extend Adrian Peterson’s football lifespan. In a two-back league, the Vikings now have one of its best tandems. You can make a case that spending a premium pick on a pure backup is questionable, and that’s valid; but Gerhart is another weapon in an offense that is loaded at the skill positions.

The 4th round netted an elite talent who fell due to motor issues: Everson Griffen. Nabbing his type of talent this late is a great gamble, especially with Ray Edwards potentially moving on sometime soon. You would have liked to see more focus on the offensive line given McKinnie’s age (he’s already on the decline and was overrated to begin with) and the upgrade needed at right guard, but the Vikings waited until Round 5 to add Chris DeGeare, who’s got the girth they love in their lineman and should provide depth at both guard spots.

GRADE: B -
Minnesota was clearly interested in addressing their most glaring needs – perhaps signaling that they’re gearing up for one more run with a roster that’s built to win now. This draft will always be remembered for what could have been if Jimmy Clausen develops into a top quarterback, but for now, it looks as though the Vikings added some quality talent, even if none of them ever become superstars.

You've got to be KIDDING me!!

2010-04-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

The KFAN sound-bite says it all. Apparently Jimmy Clausen is too big of a diva and has some maturity issues - who the heck wasn't while they were in their early 20's! And apparently Colt McCoy isn't tall enough and has the small hands like the guy on that McDonalds commercial. Regardless, as a lifelong Vikings fan, the QB issues will continue on a little while longer.

So we got a safety and another RB. Not terrible, but also not a QB. Why am I so high on a QB? Bcause for years I've watched Brett Favre and the Packers destroy us. For years Peyton Manning has dominated as the leader of the Colts. For years Tom Brady has dominated as a leader for the Pats. Roethlisberger....Palmer....Flacco....Ryan. I know there are tons of busts out there as well, but come on Vikes!! Take a shot at closing the revolving door that is the QB position in MN!

Well, at least Tony Pike is still out there!

I want to know what you have to say! Leave it here!

Kudo

Day One of the NFL Draft

2010-04-23T09:45:00.000-07:00

We could’ve won! Why were there 12 men on the field? Just give Longwell a chance to kick! Well…that’s all behind us now (even if it does still sting a bit). I’ve moved on….kind of. OK, not really. But this week I put the past behind me……because this week I celebrated “Draft Week”. I donning the Vikings cap, went to a Buffalo Wild Wings, ate some wingies….and had a draught beer (yeah….bad pun was intended).

There were some scheduling conflicts in the Kudo household as a result of the first game of the kickball season getting underway at 6 bells. Thanking my lucky stars for DVR - couldn't wait to get home to watch the draft. With the age of iPhone updates, emails on the phones, radio talk shows, etc, I had to out ALL the blinders on for the ride home as I didn't want to hear or see how the draft was going until I could watch it myself.

As I sat ont he couch, take-out in hand, remote in the other hand, I pressed play - and BOOM - Sam Bradford is gone....just like that. As player and player went off the board, I was beginning to wonder what was going to be available at #30. The anticipation had me on the edge of my seat.

Many mock drafts had the Vikings taking a CB with their first pick in this years NFL Draft – the predictions were backed up by an aging Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin coming off of an ACL injury. With the addition CB Lito Sheppard to the roster, those mock draft predictions go bye-bye.

Opinion-time: As far as first-rounders go…..first-round draft picks are supposed to make an immediate impact on your team. You don’t pick someone and pay them tons of money to ride the pine (except for a QB to learn the ropes for a year). Look at the past few years for the Vikings first-rounders….Percy Harvin (Rookie of the Year – worth every penny!), Adrian Peterson (already is holding rushing records), and Chad Greenway (good ‘ol boy who likes to hit people!). For this article…and to back up my point, we’ll leave the 2005 draft of Troy Williamson in the first round outta this (because the nay-sayers will clearly point out that he was a first-round bust – and I agree). That being said, there is no predictability after about the first 5 picks – anything could happen.

After #29, I see that Jimmy Clausen is still available!! So now what? Do the Vikings go with him? Do we get an answer to the revolving door that is the QB position in MN? WTF?! The Vikings traded #30 to an inter-league rival?!

At the close of Day 1 I'm satisfied with the move to get an additional draft pick in a later round. Clausen is still available, too. Who cares about what addition the Vikes can make to make Brett look better on the field....Brett won't be here after this year (new topic for a different blog). Let's shore up the future of the franchise!

You want to agree with me, tell me I’m wrong, or offer your thoughts? BRING IT! I’ve got a pregnant wife who likes to bark orders at me…..I’ve got some aggression that I’m ready to release!

Your Vikings comments matter to me - what do you want to say?

Kudo

Vikings Trade Out Of First Round, Eying Jimmy Clausen?

2010-04-22T21:53:00.000-07:00

After Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen fell out of the Top Ten, Minnesota Vikings fans were hoping Clausen would fall into their laps with the 30th pick.

Vikings fans remember 2006, when virtually-unknown-before-the-draft Jay Cutler was poised to fall to them at pick 24, but was scooped up by the Denver Broncos at pick 11. The Vikings selected LB Chad Greenway with their pick.

As Clausen fell past Jacksonville, Seattle, San Francisco and Arizona, teams that many mock drafts had taking Clausen, Vikings fans began to grow antsy at the idea that their new franchise quarterback may be on their way to town.

As commissioner Roger Goodell stepped up to the podium to announce the pick, he announced that the Vikings had traded their pick to the Detroit Lions, who then selected RB Javid Best.

Minnesota sports fans may remember Best, who ran for five touchdowns against the Gophers while playing for the University of California. Cal won the game 35-21.

For the 30th pick and the Vikings' fourth round pick (128), the Vikings received the second pick in the second round (34th), the second pick in the fourth round (100), as well as the second pick in the seventh round (214).

If the Vikings were eyeing Clausen, they still have a chance to get him.

But there is only one explanation why the Vikings didn't grab Clausen when they had the sure chance: He wasn't that high on their draft board.

Reportedly, the quarterback the Vikings were interested in was Tim Tebow, who was ironically taken by the Denver Broncos, who acquired the pick via a trade with the Baltimore Ravens.

Reportedly, 30 of the top 32 players on the Vikings board were taken, and there are four players in which they are interested in taking in the second round. The Vikings may even be looking to move down a few more spots to acquire another pick.

In my opinion, there are eight players the Vikings should conceder taking with their next pick:

Colt McCoy, QB: Reportedly, the McCoy was ranked higher on the Vikings draft board than Clausen.

Toby Gerhard, RB: The Heisman finalist would fit well into Chester Taylor's role as a third-down back.

Brian Price, DT: Could fill in for an aging Pat Williams, and could even step in as a starter if the Williams Wall is suspended the first four games of the season for using Star-kaps. Price was the PAC 10 Defensive Player of the Year.

Taylor Mays, S: Would step in as an immediate starter and would upgrade the poor safety play of Tyrell Johnson and Madieu Williams.

Sergio Kindle, OLB: With Chad Greenway and Ben Leber entering the final year of their contracts, the Vikings should look at Kendall. Kendall was ranked as a top 15 pick in most mock drafts. Would fit in better in a 3-4 defense, but would be able to play weak side linebacker if the Vikings don't re-sign Leber.

Roger Saffold, OL: Not a speed guy. Could move from guard to tackle, but would not be fast enough to play left tackle. Would fit in well to replace Artis Hicks' swing role. Hicks signed with the Washington Redskins.

Chris Cook, CB: Very physical corner. Not afraid to get dirty. Would be very involved in stopping the run, which the Vikings have been very good at the past five seasons. Not a speed corner.

Originally, I had the Vikings selecting CB Patrick Robinson, but Robinson was selected 32nd by the New Orleans Saints. I still think the Vikings will upgrade their secondary, with Antoine Winfield aging and Cedric Griffin coming off an ACL injury. The Vikings will draft Chris Cook and will pray or try and trade up for Colt McCoy.

Minnesota Vikings Have Options with 30th Pick

2010-04-20T18:30:00.001-07:00

The Minnesota Viking’s defense isn’t getting any younger.

With Pat Williams likely entering his last NFL seasons, Cedric Griffin rehabbing a torn ACL, and Antoine Winfield become a liability in the backfield late in the season, the Minnesota Vikings should look to upgrade their secondary with a young cornerback or defensive tackle.

With top-ranked cornerbacks Eric Berry, Joe Haden, and Kyle Wilson all expected to be taken when the Vikings go on the clock with the 30th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft next weekend, expect them to take a hard look at Patrick Robinson.

Robinson has drawn a lot of praise the last couple weeks as a prospect. His combintion strength and size will be best suited as a rolled up corner in two deep schemes. He is also a solid perimiter defender, has the good size and straight-line speed needed in a starting cornerback.

But he does have his issues. He has been criticized for not being physical against larger ball carries. He also needs to learn to use his hands to jam receivers off the line as well as work on his overall body positioning.

Robinson also had durablity issues in college and dealt with multiple injuries.

Robinson will benefit from learning from veteren Antoine Winfield, but will more than likely see most of his rookie season making an impact of special teams, much like Jamarca Sanford did last season.

Another route the Vikings could go would be to select Terrence Cody to fill Pat Williams’ void when he retires.

Cody weighs in at 364 lbs, and would be a dominant run stopper alongside Kevin Williams. He needs to develop his hand use, reads and ability to leverage his blocker, but has a high ceiling of potential. He would fin in the best as a nose tackle in a 3-4 defence, but would be a good successor to half of the Williams wall.

Another route the Vikings might be willing to go would be to select Tim Tebow.

Tebow, who may be enjoying his final hours as a quarterback, will likley be converted into a halfback or tight end, depending on who drafts him.

The Vikings have a reputation for taking the best player available, even if it is not their highest need. The Vikings drafted Adrian Peterson one year after Chester Taylor ran for 1,200 yards. They also drafted WRs Percy Harvin and Randy Moss…players who had Top Ten talent but had off-the-field issues.

If Tebow is the best player available, look for the Vikings to address their corner and defensive line in the second and third round.

Vikes Talking Teebow?

2010-04-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

By Brandon Merrill

With the 2010 NFL draft just a few days away and like all other drafts, there is a sports media frenzy going on about who should go where, which team should pick who, or which player will be the biggest bust. Even if you are not a football fan, it is hard to get away from hearing about how much of a zoo the draft will be. Tim Teebow has been at the center of this frenzy for the last couple of years and after all the waiting we will finally get to see where he goes.

Tim Tebow from what the newspapers say, has the team player type mentality, and that is key for any NFL quarterback. His life and college football career has been gone through with a fine tooth comb, more so than anyone else on this year’s draft ballot. After watching more and more about this dominating college QB, I saw a couple of things that I liked and did not like about his style of play. Regadless, the Vikings seem to have a strange interest in him even after resigning back up Tavaris Jackson.

Aside from the mechanical things that Tim Tebow needs to do to fix his delivery, he still seems like an impressionable young mind open to suggestion, or a simple yes man. His work ethic is great, and he showed his team dedication by staying in college for another year instead of being in the 2009 NFL draft. I say “yes man” because all he did while watching film and doing exercises with NFL coaching great John Gruden was agree with him. Do you think you should have changed this play, did you wait too long, could you have done it better; all these questions were answered with a yes by Tebow. He never stood up for himself or engaged in a constructive argument over his decision making as a player. From that aspect Tim Tebow may not be such a great choice for our Vikings seeing that he has a lot of things to work on before he can become an NFL caliber quarterback. I just hope for his sake that he is not just agreeing with constructive critics to avoid conflict, and therefore is not likely going to make adjustments based on the fact that what he has been doing has been working for him so far. In any event, that will be exposed in due time.

On the other hand if Tebow is not a “yes man”, and is truly a guy who wants to improve and is open to listening to others, then maybe we would like to have him work with the Vikings. This only of course if a certain someone agrees to play another year. If Tim Teebow needs an effective quarterbacking coach, who better than Brett Favre? Yes like any rookie, the kid has a lot to learn, but being with Brett Favre and the Vikings, Tebow could learn more in one year with them than he could in 5 years with other teams. Favre was decently furious when the Packers drafted his replacement in Aaron Rogers. Now he knows that his time will be up when his watch decides, and so he can now groom his replacement the way he sees fit.

Tebow has a lot of talent and potential, but it all needs to be put together in an effective manner. Otherwise he has the potential of being another QB bust like a Tim Couch, or Ryan Leaf. I guess only time will tell.

With Donovan McNabb Going to Redskins, Is Brett Favre's Return Imminent?

2010-04-08T13:07:00.000-07:00

Perhaps Vikings head coach Brad Childress knows something we don't know.

With Childress' protege Donovan McNabb on the trade block in Philadelphia, the Vikings seemed to be front runners in the McNabb sweepstakes.

Childress was McNabb's QB coach from 1999-2002 and his offensive coordinator from 2003-2005.

Childress personally lobbied the Eagles to select McNabb with the second pick of the 1999 NFL Draft ahead of other top-rated quarterbacks like Akili Smith, Daunte Culpepper, and Cade McNown.

The Vikings are becoming known for making splashes during the offseason, most recently the acquisitions of Brett Favre, Steve Hutchinson, Bernard Berrian, and Jared Allen.

If Childress wanted McNabb, he could have gotten him.

But only one thing stood in the way of McNabb coming to Minnesota.

Brett Favre.

The NFL legend who led the Vikings to the doorstep of the Super Bowl last season is still undecided if he will return or retire.

This is a different scenario than last offseason, when the Vikings were waiting for Favre to sign. This time, Favre is under contract.

With the Vikings not actively pursing McNabb, it has to lead fans to believe that Favre is expected by Vikings management and coaches to return for a 20th NFL season.

Keeping Up with the Williamses

2010-04-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

By Brandon Merrill

The NFL has taken a strong stance on performance enhancing drugs, the use of illegal drugs, anti-doping policies, player conduct, and a whole other laundry list situations regarding player conduct. From OJ Simpson, to Ben Roethlisberger, The NFL seems to be having headache after media headache with its own players. Which of those stories merit the most intense media coverage? I do not know, but what seems to make the headlines 10 out of 10 times is sex, scandal, and violence. What about the other cases?

It has been coming up on two years since the Williams duo Kevin and Pat Williams (not Related) tested positive in the fall of 2008 for Bumetanide, the steroid masking diuretic and unlisted ingredient found in the weight loss supplement StarCaps if you have not already heard or if you have forgotten. It is now April of 2010, and the players are just now finally taking the stand and speaking on their own behalf. The court case and charges have not been over ruled in the appeal, and I do not see any end in the near future.

I see a few conflicts with this. Aside from showing how slow the court systems are nowadays depending on the case, how is it that other players found of more sadistic crimes back on the field and in shorter time? I know that the Williams brothers have not been suspended yet, but it seemed that other cases were resolved without restraint. A good example would be the whole Donte’ Stallworth episode, which was resolved in a much more timely fashion. Not to go too in depth, but he struck and killed a pedestrian while driving under the influence back in March of 2009. A mere year ago, the man killed another person. I repeat, KILLED a man, reached a settlement, did 30 days in jail, and is now back on an NFL roster within a year.

I am not saying that Stallworth was not remorseful for what he did; I am simply stating that the judicial system is extremely flawed especially when it comes to professional football players or athletes in general. The low profile cases are unnecessarily drawn out, and the more scandalous are expedited so the players can get back to playing ball. This also shows what a waste of resources the judicial system has become. The Williamses, and the other players who tested positive for this diuretic are made to go through the slow process that is the

court system.

In all reality, they took a pill that did not list all its ingredients. It is open and shut. Had Bumetanide been on the label, then yes, those boys are guilty as charged. It was not though, so let’s stop wasting time and money, and let them get back to work without all of the distractions. These boys work their backsides off to be as dominating as they are. They took a diet pill, yes a diet pill, something that has become the most common form of weight loss strategy nowadays, to cut weight, and be more competitive without breaking the NFL list of rules.

Forgetting for a moment that idea of the punishment fitting the crime, these boys should not be punished. They did not break the law, they will not be facing any jail time, and the NFL in all its wisdom has not admitted that this “offense” is a no case. Nobody is going to win, so drop the case, and worry about more important issues, such as finding out what ever happened to Ocho Cinco’s gold fronts.

Vikings Eye The NFL Draft

2010-03-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

Written By: Rob Leath

Two months have passed since the latest Vikings post-season disappointment. Fans have been left to wallow in their own perdition during that time, looking for any forms of solace as they sift through the debris of a once-promising season. As the spring air permeates through the state, optimism begins to surface again; Vikings fans are once again proud to don purple as the free agency period and NFL draft signal the early stages of the 2010 season.

The annual Brett Favre drama will be the topic de jour for the Minnesota faithful, but lost in the talk of number four’s return is the ambivalent approach the Vikings took towards free agency. In recent years, the team opened up its pocketbooks and ushered in the likes of Steve Hutchinson, Antoine Winfield, and Bernard Berrian – among others – with monster deals. This year was a bit different (the Vikings were handcuffed by an odd rule brought about by an uncapped season and CBA unrest, allowing them to only add a free agent if they lost one of their own) and unless you’re doing backflips over the addition of former Gopher and kickoff specialist Rhys Lyoyd, you were likely bored as the organization sat back and observed during the free agency period.

They kicked the tires of future Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson before he ultimately signed with the Jets, but LT was a big signing in name value only – his better days are behind him. Perhaps it was an indication that the Vikes are content with their current roster, among the most talented in the league. In any event, they now turn their attention to the NFL Draft, where good teams build their foundation. With few glaring needs yet plenty of areas that need improvement, the team could go almost any direction. Here are few potential options with the draft merely a month away.

Tennessee DT Dan Williams: The massive Volunteer tackle had a big year under former defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and has seen his draft stock go in the right direction. He’d be an excellent replacement for Pat Williams and would ensure that the “Williams Wall” remains intact. There is, however, a good chance he is off the board at #30.

UCLA DT Brian Price: Another potential Williams replacement, Price is much smaller than Williams (about 30 pounds lighter) but he is a quick, penetrating tackle that is stout enough to hold his own against the run.

Rutgers CB Devin McCourty: McCourty is a well-rounded cornerback who looks ideal for a Cover-2 defense. The Vikings are fairly deep at corner, but with Ced Griffin recovering from injury and Antoine Winfield advancing in age, they may opt to look at a corner early.

Florida C/G Maurkice Pouncey: Minnesota struggled to get push in the run game in 2009, and adding some talented pieces on the interior is certainly an option. Pouncey would be an upgrade over Anthony Herrera at right guard and could push John Sullivan at center as well.

California RB Jahvid Best: Best is a luxury pick at 30, and it might not make sense as they’re giving Adrian Peterson 300+ carries, but Best is an explosive weapon. He is untested in pass protection and durability is a question mark, which may turn off many suitors.

Those are just a few options for the team, but it gives you an idea of what type of players they may be looking for as they attempt to make another run in 2010.

The Glass is More than Half Full

2010-03-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

By: Brandon Merrill

The Minnesota Vikings always seem to come up short in their seemingly impossible dream of bringing a championship to the Twin Cities area. The recent addition of Brett Favre this last season, along with the previous acquisition of Jared Allen, and the development of Adrian Peterson and Sidney Rice shows that the Vikings have been making the right moves in the pursuit of Super Bowl pay dirt. With the illustrious show displayed last season by our Vikings, what else do we need to do besides hang on to the ball? Nothing.

The team owner, Zygi Wilf, has placed his confidence and money in this team and this state to bring home a championship and new stadium to the Minnesota fans. Does Brett Favre have it in him to go another season? Yes, but he needs to have the pass protection there. The acquisition of an above par 3^rd down/pass protection back is a must for the “Silver Fox” to make it all year. I can say with great confidence that Brett Favre will in all likelihood have the same media frenzy this fall with switching back and forth between comeback vs. retirement, and finally signing at the last minute. The only way that he can play football, without enduring the rigorous training camp, and still look like a team player is to do what he did all those months ago. He has proven his worth, and passion for the Vikings so let him do what he needs to do. If that includes resting up for and extra couple of weeks, so be it.

We all saw how missing training camp had no ill effects on the soon to be Hall of Famer. Age is irrelevant here, and if you think he is way too old to be playing, try telling that to the face of 45 year old UFC fighter Randy Couture and see what happens. I can guarantee that you will be the one walking around like a senior citizen after that debacle. Not only is Brett playing and competing, he is decimating. That will not fade in one year’s time. He still has the fever, and the only prescription is a Minnesota Super Bowl Ring.

Bottom line with the addition of one more decent back and a slightly improved pass protection game, the Vikings are a shoe in to make it to the Super Bowl. Who knows, maybe even 3^rd stringer Albert Young has the ability to step up and make a name for himself. Minnesota has always had a great string of backup running backs; Michael Bennett, and Mwelde Moore, and yes Chester Taylor to name a few. I think Young has it in him to thrive if given the opportunity.

In closing, SKOL VIKINGS!

With No LT, Whats Next For Vikings?

2010-03-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

After wining and dining with Vikings GM Rick Speilman, and touring Winter Park in Eden Prairie, free agent RB LaDainian Tomlinson chose to sign with the loser of the AFC Championship Game rather than the loser of the NFC Championship Game.

The day after visiting Minnesota, LT flew to New York and talked with the Jets. He left New York the next day, and was rumored to be planning trips to Philadelphia and New Orleans before it was announced that he had agreed to a two-year deal to play with the Jets.

In New York, LT will be coached by Brian Schottenheimer, who was a Quarterback Coach in San Diego from 2002-2005, and is the son of LT's former head coach, Marty Schottenheimer.

LT was looking for two things in free agency this season: Playing time and a Super Bowl ring. He has a legit chance for both in New York. The Jets released workhorse RB Thomas Jones (1402 yds, 14 TD, 4.2 ypc) to avoid paying his $2.8 million roster bonus. Jones signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Jets were left looking for a veteran running back to complement second-year player Shonn Green (540 yds, 2 TD, 5.0 ypc).

New York's signing of LT signaled the continuing of the Vikings' quest to find a replacement for Chester Taylor (727 total yds, 2 TD, 5.3 yd avg), who signed a four-year deal with the Chicago Bears earlier this month.

With LT off the market, the Vikings must start exercising their other options. There are plenty of options for someone who would be willing to play second fiddle to Adrian Peterson.

There are three unrestricted free agents the Vikings should turn their attention to: Willie Parker, Brian Westbrook, and Adrian N. Peterson.

Westbrook seems the logical choice right now. Despite his knack for being injury-prone, Westbrook can still make a play. The Vikings like to run screen plays, which is where Westbrook is known to excel. He will turn 31 in September, but he may excel in a back-up role. The less you are on the field, the less chance you have to get hurt.

Parker is also a legit option. A veteran running back with playoff experience (two Super Bowl titles), "Fast" Willie Parker would be a good compliment to Adrian Peterson's aggressive style of running.

The power-speed duo back had a lot of success last season. Carolina's Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams combined for 2,250 yards and 17 touchdowns, Tennessee's Chris Johnson and LenDale White combined for 2,228 yards and 16 touchdowns, and Miami's Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown combined for 1,769 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Another option the Vikings could pursue would be Adrian N. Peterson, not to be confused with Adrian L. Peterson. ANP spent the last eight seasons in Chicago, primarily as a back-up, and could fit well into the Vikings' system. It would also be awesome to have Adrian Peterson on the field every play. ANP has proven he can play: he was in the Heisman conversation during his time at Georgia Southern. His has been in the NFC North his entire eight-year career and knows the division's defenses well.

Although the Vikings have promising rookies Albert Young and Ian Johnson on the roster, or could address the need for a third-down back through the draft, a championship caliber team needs veteran players to carry the workload. And a big name player, like Parker or Westbrook, might sway QB Brett Favre into coming back.

Quarterback Search 2010

2010-02-01T18:11:00.000-08:00

Another off-season is upon us, another season of speculation about the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback situation. Brett Favre unretired for the second time last year to lead the Vikings to another NFC north title but not quite to the Super Bowl. Not only did he return to play football at an age that is down right geriatric in the hard-hitting and fast-paced NFL, but Brett Favre also had one of the best seasons of his career. Fans and players both hope the 40-year-old quarterback will don purple again in 2010.

While it would be fantastic to have another season with Brett Favre leading the Vikings offense, I have a sinking feeling we won’t get it. I’m a ray of sunshine that way. The only certain thing in all this uncertainty is that no one really knows who’ll be the starting quarterback for the Vikings in 2010.

Gee, like that’s a new one.

Just look at the last two seasons. This year Sage Rosenfels and Tavaris Jackson were to duel it out in training camp for the starting position, then Brett Favre signed with the team and Rosenfels and Jackson were warming the sidelines, clipboards in hand. The previous year Tavaris Jackson was the starter. And Coach Childress was adamant that Jackson was the starter, right up to the point when he benched Jackson in favor of Gus Frerotte. Why should next season be any more certain than the last couple?

Life is sometimes described as “nasty, brutish, and short.” Life in the NFL looks a little worse but with better compensation. Football is remarkably temporary. It’s a fickle, what-have-you-done-for-me-lately sport where the average career is somewhere around 11 to14 years. No one knows from one violent, fast play to the next who will be the starter for the next play. If you like consistency or long careers, watch golf.

It’s one of the wonders of the age that Brett Favre managed to play every game in the 2009 season. In just the Vikings game against the New Orleans Saints for the NFC championship Favre was hit so many times that I winced every time he took a snap because the odds were pretty good that he’d be pounded into the turf like a tent peg. But that game wasn’t unique. Vikings coaches and players sold Favre on playing for Minnesota saying he’d simply have to hand the ball to Adrian Peterson. Easy peesy lemon squeezy. But the running game stymied and Favre ended up throwing the ball like it was going out of style. And, since he spent all that time in the pocket trying to throw the ball, it would have been nice if he had had the offensive line to protect him. Sure Steve Hutchinson is good and so it Anthony Herrerra, but both Phil Loadholt and John Sullivan were first year starters. And then there’s Bryant McKinnie.

Is anyone really surprised that Bryant McKinnie, Love Boat scandal graduate, was dismissed from the Pro Bowl for excessive partying? He lobbied for fans to vote him to the Pro Bowl and then blew off most of the meetings, the picture, and all but one of the practices leading up to the Pro Bowl. His foot and ankle, apparently, hurt too much to show up for a picture or practice, but not enough to interfere with his busy schedule of partying and going to strip clubs. While this happened in the off-season, I can’t help remembering the amazing frequency with which Favre got hit because defenders were able to over-power 6’8” 330 lb Bryant McKinnie. Would you want to come back for another year if you knew all that stood between you and being horribly mangled was Bryant McKinnie?

If the Vikings are going to seriously court Brett Favre and bribe him into playing the second year on his contract with them, then they have to give him better protection than he’s been getting. And, with all the hassles of an uncapped 2010 season, the Vikings don’t have the same freedom to acquire that protection for Favre that they did a year ago. Faced with that, I don’t see Favre coming back for another year. Having Favre on the Vikings was fun while it lasted, but the 2010 looks like it will be yet another quarterback surprise.

-Skol Girl

The End of the Road

2010-01-26T10:31:00.000-08:00

Monday morning I broke with tradition and did not read the sports section. I even turned it over so I wouldn’t have to look at the picture on the front of the section. This season I’ve wimped out and refused to read about a Vikings’ loss first thing in the morning a couple times. Generally I get around to reading it later in the day, but Monday I decided to let the day’s retelling of the Minnesota Vikings’ overtime loss to the New Orleans Saint slip by without so much as a peek.

I didn’t need the literary rehash, I watched Sunday’s NFC championship game with the kind of attention generally given to bomb defusing. The Vikings let Favre get hit a lot, they lost the turnover war, and then they got dinged with costly (occasionally questionable) penalties. I didn’t need to read several articles and commentary to remind me.

And that loss was a shame because, overall, the Vikings were the better team. It reminds me of that part in Sun Tzu’s book The Art of War, about how you don’t need to have a total advantage over an opponent so long as you have the advantage over him at a strategic point.

The Saints had some fantastic strategic advantages. They had home-field advantage and, with all the noise the Saints fans made, I think the victory belongs to the fans more than it belongs to the Saints. As well as the home-field advantage, the Saints also had a great story that all the commentators were in love with—an under-dog team that had never been truly great before, embraced by and winning for a town still bearing the scars of hurricane Katrina. Cue the orchestra. When you looked at the pass-interference call on Ben Leber in the fourth quarter, it looked suspiciously as if the officials wanted the Saints’ Cinderella story to come true too, because it’s a real stretch of the imagination to believe that ball was even remotely catchable.

But all of that was Sunday and it doesn’t matter now. The Vikings’ season is over and the players are cleaning out their lockers at Winter Park. And in my head Boyz 2 Men is singing “End of the Road.” Fickle bandwagon fans are claiming that they, somehow, knew the Vikings’ playoff run would come to this sort of an end, that it doesn’t matter who’s on the team, the season always ends in a loss.

What a bunch of belly-aching crap.

Only one team out of the whole NFL ends its entire season with a win (probably the Colts). Everyone else has to pack it in at the end of the season wishing for at least one more win. While I realize the truth in the saying, “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand-grenades” I think that all the stalwart Vikings fans know that our team had a really good season.

For all those so enchanted with the Cinderella storyline for the New Orleans Saints, you still can’t top a 40-year-old Brett Favre signing with his long-time divisional rivals the Minnesota Vikings, leading them in a winning season, improving all the players on the offense, and nearly taking them to the Super Bowl. That is still a good story in my book.

-Skol Girl

A Very Good Year to Be a Fan

2010-01-22T18:00:00.000-08:00

I grew up hearing that children should be instilled with good core values so, ideally, they’ll cling to those good values and not grow up to be jerks. And that is why I’m going to do my part to instill good values in my new niece, Emma.

Not long after my sister told me that she was going to have a baby I decided to help this new, little person to become a good person. Armed with a plan, I took action—and made her a baby-size Helga horn hat. She may not know it yet, but Emma’s going to become a Vikings fan. Some things are too important to be left to chance.

Emma may have ample opportunity to be led astray and wooed by other NFL teams, but I’m going to do my best to keep that from happening. And there is a whiff of destiny to this because of all years to become a Vikings fan, this is one of the best ones since 2002, the last Vikings’ appearance in an NFC championship game. Being born in a year when the Vikings were the NFL sack leaders, were the second-ranked run defense, and when Brett Favre threw a career-low of seven interceptions has to be a good sign. If ever there was a good year to become a Vikings fan, this is it.

Even before the hoopla surrounding Brett Farve’s ousting from Green Bay, the Vikings were an ascending team. Team owners, Zygi and Mark Wilf, wanted to build a team to win championships and they have been willing to shake things up and lay out the cash to make it happen. In the four years the Wilfs have owned the team the Vikings have drastically changed personnel throughout the entire organization. A dome team, they built the Vikings for speed, an old-fashioned running game, and tough defense. They drafted the best players available regardless of position and signed free agents strategically. And this seems to have been a successful combination because this year the Vikings have ten players named to the Pro Bowl. Ten. The last time the Vikings had ten players named to the Pro Bowl was 1998.

And then, on August 18, 2009, the Minnesota Vikings signed long-time Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre.

Adding Favre to the team would have made the 2009 season one to watch even if the rest of the team was mediocre at best. But the Vikings were a good team whose only glaring deficit was at the quarterback position. In August the strength of Brett Favre’s surgically repaired arm was unknown, but it’s January now and it seems safe to say that his arm is looking pretty darn good. Which is handy because he’s had to gun the ball downfield a lot more than he thought he would back when he signed with the Vikings.

This year has been a great year for Vikings football and a great year for stories about Vikings football. Back in August I speculated that there had to be at least a couple executives at Disney watching how Favre’s year would unfold because his 40-year-old season has “inspirational sports movie” written all over it. However, he’s hardly the only story, just the most obvious one. Several players have had a fantastic season, which is something of an understatement considering that half the NFC Pro Bowl team will be sporting purple helmets.

Probably my favorite development to watch this season has been the breakout performance of Sidney Rice. Considered a draft dud last year, now in his third year with the Vikings Sidney Rice is one of Favre’s favorite deep targets, hauling in three touchdowns during the Vikings victory over the Dallas Cowboys. And, I know it is a petty thing, but I’ve been comparing Rice to Randy Moss for a long time and it’s a little annoying to see the rest of the sports media world jumping on that bandwagon now.

Yup, if ever there was a good year to become a Vikings fan, this is it. And in a few years when I’m taking Emma to her first Vikings game, I’ll remind her that she became a fan in a very good year.

-Skol Girl

Brooking No Opposition

2010-01-19T11:56:00.000-08:00

Was it Abraham Lincoln who said, “Better to be silent and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt”? Too bad Dallas Cowboys linebacker Keith Brooking didn’t embrace that saying. Instead, following the Minnesota Vikings fourth touchdown pass, this time to Visanthe Shiancoe, Brooking said the Vikings showed a lack of class, running up the score when Minnesota’s victory was secure. Apparently, despite talking trash about the Vikings for executing a winning game-plan and failing to help his team neutralize the scoring threat of Brett Favre and company, Keith Brooking is a really classy guy. Yes, he’s the kind of Boy Scout who followed Brett Favre to the sideline after that touchdown, making threats to Favre’s back the whole way.

Brookings was hardly the sole person to show the Vikings a decided lack of respect heading into Sunday’s game, just the last and loudest one to voice it. Absent from the cameras during their bye week while the media gushed about the Cowboys’ decisive victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round, it seemed everyone assumed the Cowboys would stomp the Vikings and face the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship game. And, even the normally deadpan Brad Childress stated how sick they were getting about hearing how the Cowboys were going to ride in from Texas on their wave of momentum and just roll over the Vikings.

But, rather than counter all the pro-Cowboy sentiment flying around with words, Childress focused his team in what appeared to be the spirit of another former president, Teddy Roosevelt. The Vikings may have talked softly during the last week, but on Sunday they carried a very big stick. And, they used it to beat the Cowboys silly.

To say that the Vikings beat the Cowboys on every game front doesn’t quite do justice to the total ass-kicking that they dealt the Cowboys in Sunday’s showdown. The Vikings absolutely dominated every aspect of the game, offense, defense, special teams.

It wasn’t as if the Cowboys weren’t putting in the effort on Sunday, they just didn’t seem to have enough effort to win. They had some success completing short passes to Jason Witten, kicking the ball deep so the Vikings couldn’t return it, and sacking Favre three times. However good that was, their effort was no match for the Vikings, who prevented the Cowboys from scoring even one touchdown, or getting decent field position on a kick return, or keeping Favre in the pocket.

On Monday as I watched Sunday’s game highlights, the thing that struck me was that, while there were clearly a few Vikings that had an uber spectacular game (Sidney Rice, Ray Edwards, Ben Leber spring to mind), overall, the entire team played great, no goats to be found. In light of the entire team’s brilliant performance, that final touchdown to Shiancoe was simply the product of a tremendous, sustained, four-quarter effort from the Vikings. And it seems like that should be a measure of respect and class in the NFL—preparing for an equal opponent all week and playing them all four quarters as if they could rally at any time—not playing down to save a whiny linebacker’s feelings.

-Skol Girl

Brett Favre is 0-3 vs Dallas in the Playoffs, But Who Cares?

2010-01-16T11:06:00.000-08:00

As fans of the Minnesota Vikings gear up for their most anticipated playoff run in ten years, the media begins another propaganda war against the Vikes.

As the Vikings (12-4) get ready to take on the Dallas Cowboys (11-5) at the Metrodome on Sunday, Vikings fans are thankful that sports "experts" don't chose the outcome of the games.

On ESPN's bottom line, which shows stats and info for upcoming games, it noted that Dallas has outscored its last three opponents 75-14. It then showed that Brett Favre is 0-3 against Dallas in the playoffs.

As accurate as that stat is, it is irrelevant now.

Yes, Favre is 0-3 vs Dallas in the playoffs. He lost to Dallas in the '93, '94, and '95 playoffs...over fifteen years ago.

Two of those seasons, Dallas won the Super Bowl. In the third season, Dallas lost in the NFC Championship game to the eventual champion San Francisco 49ers.

All three games Favre played against Dallas were in Texas. Dallas had a first round bye all three times.

A stat that have been more interesting, perhaps, is that 50% (5/10) of teams that beat Brett Favre in the playoffs go on to play in the Super Bowl, and 80% of those teams win the championship.

Even Minnesota's sports reporters are feeding the fans propaganda. Thanks to KSTP-Minneapolis's Joe Schmidt, fans now know that January 17th has been a cured day for the Vikings. In 1988, they lost the NFC Championship game to the New York Giants, 17-10. On January 17, 1998, the Vikings lost to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game.

And now, ironically, the Vikings play the Cowboys on January 17, 2010.

The Star Tribune has ran the 1975 "Hail Mary" story on the front page of their sports page almost every day this week, whining about how unfair it was.

The only ESPN anchor I've heard pick the Vikings to beat the Cowboys on Sunday has been Chris Berman. He also picked the New Orleans Saints to beat the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 77-75.

Since coming into the league in 1961, the Vikings have won the fourth most games (401), but still haven't won a championship. Beating the Cowboys on Sunday will help them get one step closer to getting the monkey off their back.

For more articles by Zeke Fuhrman, check out his blog at BleacherReport.com!

Bravado and Spirit Needed, All Vikings May Apply

2010-01-15T14:24:00.000-08:00

It is a very good thing that I’m just a fan and not a player, because the sudden-death nature of post-season football makes me all nervous, twitchy, and slightly gloomy. For example, yesterday I got a Sidney Rice jersey for my birthday. My birthday isn’t until January 21, but I wanted to get the jersey now so I would be guaranteed to wear it for at least one game this post-season. See what I mean, gloomy.

And I’m extra gloomy about what I’ve been reading all week in the paper. The Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys have been engaging in so much mutual admiration and respect that it is enough to make me heave. Seriously, all this sweetness is right up there with the Academy Awards when everyone talks about what an honor it is just to be in the same category as the other actors. Jared Allen is a big fan of DeMarcus Ware’s physical pass rushing style. Tony Romo grew up in Wisconsin idolizing Brett Favre and now gets to duel it out with him in the playoffs. Adrian Peterson grew up in Palestine, Texas cheering for Emmitt Smith and the Cowboys. Favre even had to back-peddle, saying his previous statement about the Vikings being around for another week in the playoffs was referring to his focus on just one game at a time rather than the future or the suggestion that they will actually win on Sunday. And on and on it goes with everyone talking about how great everyone else is and how much respect they have for one another. Blah, blah, blah.

While this charming exchange might be interesting from a sportsmanship standpoint, it’s not the sort of thing that gets me, the fan, filled with the confidence and the conviction that Minnesota’s home-field advantage turns this game into a sure thing for the Vikings. Granted, there is no such thing as a sure thing in the NFL, but it’s nice to believe there could be and that the Vikings are it.

But, maybe a conservative tack is the safer way to look at things. Yes, again with the gloominess.

This year the Vikings have managed to flub a couple games that seemed like sure things. Given Carolina’s record, there was little reason to think they would give the Vikings the butt-whooping they did, or that the Chicago Bears would pull off an overtime win. But it happened and my Scandinavian pessimism once again took hold.

Normally, it would go against my nature to say this, but it’s the playoffs and I’m willing to give in to moral ambiguity for the sake of team spirit. We need more trash talking. I want bravado, bragging, confidence, over-confidence, and just plain smack. This polite exchange of compliments might be doing it for the players, but football is also about entertainment and this kind of Ladies Aid Society chatting is thin on entertainment and excitement. Is it asking so much that the Cowboys and Vikings get together over tea and scones to hash out a workable strategy of insults and invective the way professional wrestling does?

The Vikings are playing their first playoff game of the postseason against a team I have disliked for a long time. So, I put it to the Vikings team in general and Jared Allen in particular, give me a quip, a dig, a barb or a stab. Anything to remind us that this is post-season football and not a charity fundraiser or the Oscars.

-Skol Girl

Tony Romo Spotted With 3rd cousin twice removed of Jessica Simpson

2010-01-13T11:23:00.000-08:00

The superstitious fans of the Cowboys held their collective breath today as rumors and few grainy photos began to surface of Tony Romo sharing a Big Mac with the 3rd cousin of Jessica Simpson. Cowboy fans remember well how the blond vixen put some bad mojo on their team just a few years back and nose dived Tony's season. Does the sour luck run in the Simpson family? Die hard Cowboy fans better hope not as the showdown with the Vikes comes closer with every passing day.
Most folks are asking why Romo would put himself in this situation anyway. Especially considering that Jessica's cousin does not share her trademark good looks or irresistable aloofness. In fact Jessica's cousin, affectionately known as "The Texas Size Lolita", is hardly what one would call conventionally pretty. She is listed at 315 lbs but I think Pat Williams is also listed at 315 and we know that is no where near accurate. She is fond of keeping her hair in a butch like mullet, loves McDonald's Big Macs, and also rides a Harley chopper.
But what this lady lacks in looks and a healthy diet she seems to make up for in smarts. She apparently has earned a Masters Degree from the on-line school Phoenix University majoring in Auto Detailing. How this was achieved on-line is anyone's guess.
So, why Tony? Do you not remember the fallout from Jessica sporting that pink cowboys jersey? Why risk this with you and your teams superbowl dreams on the line? Those closest to Tony claim he is eager to put the superstition to rest and prove that he can perform under pressure even if he is dating the 3rd cousin twice removed of one of showbizes biggest stars. Romo has gone so far as to reserve two seats for his new girlfriend in the lower level of the metrodome. Word also has it that the Cowboys marketing team is designing a XXXXXL pink cowboys tent, errr, jersey for Tonys new love interest to don on Sunday.
For Viking fans this could be the big break we have been waiting for because according to most sport writers and personalities we have no real shot at beating the Cowboys in the conventional way. We now must rely on the Simpson curse and hope that just maybe the 315 lbs that Tony just can't get enough of will distract him just enough to swing the pendulum our way. My guess is that if she wears that pink jersey on Sunday Tony won't be the only one distracted. Just look for the giant pink #9 sitting in section 104 row 11 seats 1 and 2.
Go Vikings!!!

What the Vikings need to do

2010-01-12T15:39:00.000-08:00

The Vikings come into the Cowboys game this week with a very simple goal. All they need to do is win 2 more games and they are in the super bowl. The goal is simple, achieving it may not be quit as simple, but it is attainable. What do they have to do make it a reality?

The best things to happen would be the Cardinals beat the Saints on Saturday; and the Vikings beat the Cowboys on Sunday. The Cardinals would then have to come here for the NFC championship game. The Vikings beat the Cardinals and they are off to Miami. Playing both games here would be a huge advantage. If the Saints win and the Vikings win, the challenge of beating the Saints in New Orleans would be a much bigger hill to climb.

One thing that is very important in the Vikings winning is they need to not try to be a running team. I think they were primarily a running team for the past several years because we didn’t have a quarterback that could make us a passing team. The offensive line is just not as good as it was. I feel losing Matt Birk is a big part of that, but that is irrelevant now. We still have a good running game, but we have a very good passing game.

The ability of the coaching staff and Favre to run the game and take what the Cowboys will give them, and mix up the plays in a way to take advantage of what is working best, will be the key to scoring enough points. If the offense can score in the neighborhood of 30 points, they will have done their job.

The defense on the other hand, has to step up and play as good as they have played all year. The Cowboys are on a roll. The defense needs to stop them and do it from the start. It will be a tough task, although I am confident that if they can beat the Cowboys, they can win it all. The Cowboys are the best executing team in the league as of last week.

The other piece of the puzzle is for the special teams to play like they did in the last game, not like in the 3 games before that. They need to not give the Cowboys the ball in good field position.

If the offense can start fast and get a lead, and the defense can step up and play the way that they know they can. The Cowboys can be beaten. It would feel good to take Dallas out of the playoffs, and be a huge step toward winning it all.

To read more writing by Steve Go here
Photo credit creative commons

Is Leslie Fraizer Going to the Buffalo Bills?

2010-01-10T22:27:00.001-08:00

Just as he was during the last offseason, Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier is certainly going to be considered a head coaching position.

Fraizer has a very impressive resume. As a player, he won the 1985 Super Bowl as a defensive back for the Chicago Bears. Fraizer led the Bears' squad in interceptions that season, and had it not been for a knee injury in the first half of the Super Bowl, Fraizer could have had a long and productive career.

After retiring due to his injury in 1985, Fraizer became the head coach of the Trinity College (now called Trinity International University) in 1988. Fraizer was the first coach at Trinity, and built the program from the ground up, winning two Northern Illinois Intercollegiate Conference titles before becoming the defensive backs coach for the University of Illinois in 1997.

Fraizer got his first NFL job as the defensive backs coach with the Philadelphia Eagles. It was here that he met current Vikings head coach Brad Childress, who was the offensive coordinator. The Eagles defense improved steadily while he was in Philly.

Fraizer became the defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003, where he helped turn the unit into a group that increased takeaways from 24 in 2003 to 36 in 2004. The Bengals' 36 takeaways in '04 ranked 3rd in the NFL. The 2004 Bengals notched 20 interceptions, the most since 1996. The Bengals defense improved from #28 in total yards allowed in 2003 to #19 in 2004, and declined in the two years after Fraizer left.

Fraizer joined Tony Dungy's Colts staff as the defensive back coach in 2005, and won the Super Bowl with the Colts in 2006. During his time in Indy the Colts passing defense improved from 15th in 2005 to 2nd in 2006.

Fraizer joined the Vikings in 2007 after defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin replaced Bill Cowher as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Fraizer helped establish the Minnesota Vikings' defense as one of the best in the NFL. The Vikings' rush defense was the best in the league in 2007 and 2008, and was second best in 2009.

Last season, Fraizer was courted by multiple NFL teams with head coaching vacancies. With Eric Mangini being kept in Cleveland, Mike Shanahan filling Washington's void, and Pete Carrol resigning from USC to take the Seattle job, the most likely place for Fraizer to go will be Buffalo.

While Fraizer is reportedly on the Bills' radar, their first choice is rumored to be Brian Schottenheimer, the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets.

With Fraizer in the last year of his contract, and an NFL head coaching job the only thing missing from his resume, don't expect Fraizer to be on the sidelines for the Vikings in 2010.

Late Season Sell-Out

2010-01-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

Regular season football is done for another season. Glad as I am to see the Minnesota Vikings in the postseason, knowing the regular season is done for yet another year makes me a little sad because there’s a very long football dry-spell ahead. I may have to soothe my football withdrawal by sleeping in my Helga horns come February.

But the end of the regular season has its consolations as well. Other than the obvious, that with the playoffs under way this weekend we’re building toward the biggest game of the year, I have the satisfaction of no longer having to sell out for the sake of my team.

During the end of the regular season I was watching the NFC standings with the same attention normally given to severe weather bulletins during a tornado watch because the Vikings’ late-season hiccup meant they weren’t the only factor in where they ranked. Until their loss to Arizona in week 13 the Vikings looked like a lock for the number 2 seed, and their subsequent losses to Carolina and Chicago didn’t do much to help shore up their standing. This left the Vikings in need of a little help from around the league, and me feeling smarmy, cheering for teams I didn’t like.

For several completely arbitrary reasons and one valid one, I don’t like the Dallas Cowboys. My valid reason for not liking them goes back to the Herschel Walker trade in 1989 (I liked Jesse Solomon and didn’t like the Vikings trading him for a one-hit wonder) and they haven’t done much to win me over since then. So you can imagine just how much I loved cheering for them to beat the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday so the Vikings could reclaim the number 2 seed spot, guaranteeing a first week bye and home field advantage for their first playoff game.

I don’t like cheering for teams I don’t like, it makes me feel disingenuous and a little dirty. And I really don’t like it when my team is in a situation where their standing is based as much on whether another team wins or loses as much as on their own effort. But, with close losses to the Pittsburg Steelers and the Chicago Bears, the Vikings had lost the ability to be the master of their own destiny and I was willing to part with my fan integrity for the greater good.

Taken singly, there are plenty of good players on the Dallas Cowboys’ team worth cheering for so I tried to focus on that while I watched them thrash the Eagles, twice. Felix Jones, Marion Barber, Miles Austin, Tony Romo, and Jason Witten are all fun to watch. Granted, I think they’d be more fun to watch if they weren’t Cowboys, but some things can’t be helped.

Not that the Dallas Cowboys noticed the miniscule disturbance in the force that was me cheering for them, but that train has sailed. No more opportunistic cheering for sake of ranking and home field advantage…at least not for another year. Come next Sunday I can go back to just cheering for the Vikings, and life will be back to the way it is supposed to be.

-Skol Girl

Remains Of Giants Discovered

2010-01-03T17:52:00.000-08:00

Paul Bartel

Remains of Giants were discovered ground into Mall of America Field Turf. While it has long been rumored that the United States was once home to a race of Giants many have searched since week 6 for proof of their existence. It was announced late Sunday afternoon that small pieces of Giants were discovered at the Metro dome ground into the field turf. Even though it may be next summer be fore enough fragments have been discovered to actually reconstruct what these once proud, and amazing creatures looked like it is enough to know that their existence was ended by Vikings.

The Viking made the final leap into the #2 seed in the N.F.C. playoffs look easier than peanut butter on toast. So thorough was their domination that Brett Favre spent the entire 4th quarter staring manically into the crowd dreaming of home playoff games.

This team could win it all. Will they? Who knows. Aperantly Dallas will become the flavor of the week replacing Philly. This much is fact the home town heros are 8-0 at home. Stay tuned

Time to forget about December

2010-01-03T16:01:00.000-08:00

After having a poor December, the Vikings did what they needed to do against the Giants. The main thing that this game does is restore the confidence of the Vikings. Hopefully they have their mind back where it was after they got the 10th win of this season. Forget the last month and look to the future.

The offense came out and played like we know they can. They moved the ball and scored without much trouble. I have to mention that the Giants are a terrible team, they have a lot of talent, but they are terrible as a team. That fact does not take away from the Vikings performance, this game was huge, the pressure was enormous, and they came through. The Vikings could have probably scored 70 points against this defense without much trouble if all the starters would have played to whole game. All the pieces of the offense appeared to be clicking and playing as a team.

The defense played with effort and looked to be fired up and ready to play. I would still like to see more pressure on the quarterback. Against better teams, they need to pressure the quarterback like they were doing it back in October and November.

One of the best things about the Giants game was the fact that the special teams played much better than they have been playing. Even in the second half of the Bears game, the special teams did not play well. They made no mistakes today, and didn’t give the Giants good field position on any kicks, a very positive sign.

It’s unfortunate that the Vikings needed the Cowboys to win and Eagles to lose for the second seed in the playoffs and the bye week. But it all worked out good; Dallas gave the Eagles a beating. Now the Vikings can rest for a week and get healed up and get pumped up and ready to make the run for Miami.

It’s like a new season now. Looking ahead the Vikings have good momentum and appear to have confidence and a good attitude going forward. They are also healthy for the most part. If the Vikings keep winning, they will have to play one more Sunday night game this year but lets worry about that when we get there.

For more articles by Steve go to Examiner
Photo credit Creative commons

Three thoughts about the Vikings Loss to the Bears

2009-12-30T16:43:00.000-08:00

Not a thought about the Vikings but it is amazing how the things we resent or hate the most about life can sometimes become our saviors. I had a commitment that was going to make me miss the first hour (I figured) of the game, as it happens it ran late, and as I jumped into my car to head home Percy Harvin was returning the 2nd half kick off. What a 2nd half it was.

1.) Antwan Winfield was burned twice on fly patterns by speedy receivers, as Jerry Glanville used to say "The N. F.L. stands for Not For Long" Antwan plays a position (corner back) that chews people up faster than most in an Industry that the average carrier lasts 3 years. Is mighty mouse showing his age. Despite his diminutive stature he is still on of the most feard hitters in the N.F.L. Physically he may not be the prototype body, but his ability to diagnose plays, and make receivers wonder why they wanted that ball anyway makes him an excellent candidate for safety. Just the mere thought of it should make every receiver in football's blood run cold.

2.) What a privilege it has been to watch Brett Favre operate. I have been forced to observe him through the bile of my own tears and broken heart for to long. I'm not saying there are no negetives about him, but i've never seen such passion, will to succeed, and commitment to excellence I'ts inspiring.

3.) Maybe I'm blinded by loyalty, but maybe officals are blinded by something else. Is it possible that the in court victories of Pat, and Kevin Williams has caused the powers that be to order the officials to treat the vikes differently. The flag on Jeff Dugan for ghost tripping in pitsburg. Childress asking for a measurment in Carolina? and being refused. Calling the time out against the Bears to beg officals to review the fumble they refused. When was the last time an opposing team has been called for ruffing Brett Farve? I'm just sayin is all.

Minnesota Vikings To Hold Offensive Lineman Tryouts

2009-12-29T22:48:00.002-08:00

After seeing Brett Favre on the ground numerous times, Pro Bowler Bryant McKinnie benched, and a decrease in Adrian Peterson's production, the Minnesota Vikings announced early Wednesday that they will be holding try-outs to help fill the holes in the offensive line.

The Vikings, who began the season 10-1, are now 11-4 and fighting for the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Peterson's production has dwindled in recent games. Peterson saw two games in which he touched the ball 25 times for 54 yards.

First time Pro Bowler, Bryant McKinnie, was benched during the third quarter of a 26-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers, after DE Julius Peppers pitched a tent in the Vikings backfield.

Favre has seen an increase in sacks, hurries, and hits. Due to multiple pocket collapses, Favre has been desperate enough to throw to Naufahu Tahi and Anthony Herrera.

The Vikings announced Wednesday through a spokesperson that they will be holding the lineman try-outs on Friday at Winter Park.

The Vikings recommend that you are at least 6'4'', 300 lbs, or share genes with Jim Kliensasser if you plan on trying out.

Naufahu Tahi Misses Pro Bowl Cut As Eight Vikings Make It

2009-12-29T22:48:00.001-08:00

After beginning the Pro Bowl voting as the leading vote-getter among NFC fullbacks, Minnesota Vikings Naufahu Tahi's Pro Bowl status has mirrored that of his team's play.

Slowly fading into nothingness.

Tahi, who has two rushing attempts for three yards, as well as nine receptions for 66 yards and a touchdowns, was beat out by Philadelphia Eagle Leonard Weaver.

Weaver, who was signed by the Eagles in the off-season, has 69 rushing attempts for 321 yards and two touchdowns...triple his career yards heading into the season. He also has 15 catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns.

The Vikings are sending eight players to the Pro Bowl: QB Brett Favre, RB Adrian Peterson, WR Sidney Rice, DE Jared Allen, DT Kevin Williams, G Steve Hutchinson, T Bryant McKinnie and ST Heath Farwell.

Perhaps a bigger shock other than Tahi not making the Pro Bowl is Vikings rookie Percy Harvin not making it.

Harvin made a strong case for being the NFC's kick returner, after fielding 43 kicks for 1156 yards and two touchdowns, the longest being 101 yards.

The returner slot is occupied by Eagles DeSean Jackson, who has returned 27 punts for 432 yards and two touchdowns, and is averaging a league-high 16 yards per return.

Jackson is also a starting wide reciever for the NFC.

Too little too late

2009-12-28T22:08:00.000-08:00

The Vikings came into the game Monday night with several goals and many things to prove. What they proved was, they are not as good of a team as we thought they were. The importance of this game could not be overlooked. This was a huge game in determining how the playoffs would set up. The Vikings had a chance to control many things about their trip into the playoffs.

In the first half, the problems from last week continued. The defense did not play like one of the highest-ranking defenses in the league; they were tackling poorly, and not getting any pressure on Cutler. It was also very evident how important E.J. Henderson is to this defense.

The offense also did not open holes to run through, and gave Favre very little protection. The special teams let the Bears have good field position through most of the game. Letting the Bears come back when it looked like the Vikings were going to make a comeback and win the game. In the end it was more mistakes that let the Bears have another short field and allow them to win in overtime.

The future is a lot less certain now. Now the Vikings need help to have the playoff advantage that they should have easily had if they had played better the last month. Now the chance of being the first seed is gone, and being the second seed is something they need help to get. The Vikings have to beat the Giants, and Philly has to lose to Dallas.

Now the playoffs are going to be tougher. The way the Vikings are playing is not a good way to enter the post season. There are some very hot teams in the NFC coming into the playoffs. Another negative is the fact that the games may not be at the Metrodome.

It’s frustrating being a Viking fan right now, but it’s not over yet. They need to figure out what is wrong with the defense, what is wrong with the offensive line, and why Adrian Peterson keeps fumbling the ball, and they need to do it in 5 days. The Vikings can beat the Giants if they can fix the problems, and Dallas has a great chance of beating Philly, so getting the bye week is still possible, but they have to fix the problems now.

Read more article by Steve Pease at Examiner

Mother Love

2009-12-28T11:04:00.000-08:00

With the Minnesota Vikings bracing for their next game in the national spotlight on Monday, I find myself wishing that Sandra Bullock would reprise her roll as Leigh Anne Tuohy from The Blind Side and give them a hug-and-a-kiss-and-a-kick-in-the-ass pep talk to get them back on track. Simplistic as it is, sometimes I think the team needs a mom.

Okay, it’s the height of overly simplistic, but there are a number of team issues that I can’t help think a mom would help them get through. Here are a few of them.

• Bernard Berrien and Adrian Peterson both getting ticketed for driving more than 100mph on Minnesota roads. That isn’t just speeding, driving that fast generally falls under reckless endangerment. And, I find myself seriously wishing that those two had a mother like a friend of mine who had been known, on occasion, to very loudly ask her progeny, “What is your goddamn problem?” In the face of an angry maternal figure asking that question, answering back, “I didn’t want to be late for team check-in,” or “I just didn’t realize how fast I was going” would be relegated to their proper place as lame and ineffectual answers, not to be repeated.
• Brett Favre and Brad Childress can’t seem to see eye-to-eye on audibles and when Favre should come off the field. For those of us with siblings, there comes a time when you realize you are going to have to find a way to get along because you are stuck with each other—at least that’s what I was told when I suggested we send my sister back where she came from. Likewise, Childress and Favre are stuck with each other. Childress hitched himself to Favre in order to deliver what Vikings owners the Wilfs want, a championship. I doubt Childress would have his lucrative contract extension if not for the success of our friendly quarterback from Mississippi. Favre hitched himself to the Vikings and Childress to get what he wants, a championship. Considering they have the same goal, folks need to put aside differences and figure out how to get the job done. They need a working compromise giving Favre the freedom to audible out of run plays based on what he sees on the field and do what he does best—use his experience to make things happen. They also need to agree that, since Favre isn’t a spring chicken, sometimes Childress is going to have to take Favre out of the games so to rest him for the postseason. If Favre is really a team player, then he has to view his health heading into the postseason as a team asset.
• Last week against the Carolina Panthers Bryant McKinnie said he had one of his worst games ever. When the St. Paul paper spoke with former Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer, he said it looked like McKinnie was on “roller skates” the way Julius Peppers pushed him around the field. I’ve tried to understand why people say McKinnie is good when it seems like every time the quarterback gets hit it’s from McKinnie’s side. The guy is 6’8” and weighs 335 pounds and yet Peppers pushed him around the field like he was on wheels. Make no mistake, I recognize that Peppers is good, but it is hard to believe he could sack and hurry Brett Favre as much and as consistently as he did if McKinnie wasn’t having a performance that was tepid at best. Since players don’t generally make it to the NFL by phoning it in, I think it is fair to say that somewhere along the way McKinnie may have lost some of that drive and urgency to do his best and be the best possible player at his position. If he took just a fraction of the passion he fuels into his bar fights and put it into his on-field performance, I don’t think ol’ Bretty would spend so much time getting pummeled.

Let’s hope the current NFC North Division champs don’t end up having to call in a little football mama to set them straight, but if they do, I hope that the Wilfs have Leigh Anne Tuohy on speed-dial.

-Skol Girl

GREATNESS SANDWICHED BY TWO ATROCITIES.

2009-12-26T14:54:00.001-08:00

Thoughts by: Matthew Deery
www.DisputedKnowledge.com

Vikings fans are not used to seeing their football team not show up on game day. Apparently the Vikings forget to show up on nationally televised Sunday Night Football games. The first time around the Vikings get outplayed in every facet of the game by the Arizona Cardinals. The Vikings played well in almost no aspect of the game. They allowed the average Cardinals defense to somehow stop their potent offense. Adrian Peterson had the second worst rushing performance of his NFL career. The defense played mediocre but got burned by the big time Wide Receivers the Cardinals feature. Not to mention the Vikings lose the leader of their defense, leading tackler E.J. Henderson for the season. What an absolute nightmare.

Fast forward to a week later, the juggernaut Vikings squad shows up again and dominates the Cincinnati Bengals. A Bengals squad that is set for the playoffs and a team that many consider to be one of the most complete teams in the NFL. The Vikings got their ground attack working again and Favre managed the game very well. Cincinnati even has a top ranked defense and the Vikings still. put up 30 points on them. The most important part of the game was the outstanding play from the defensive unit. Week 14 marked the return of Antoine Winfield. Not a second too soon after losing Henderson for the season. In his return Winfield dominated by leading the team in tackles with 9 and also forcing a fumble. What a performance he put on, hands down star of the game.

Moving up to last Sunday the team that didn't show up Week 13 was present again for the nationally televised Sunday Night Football game against the Panthers. I can honestly say I was not really concerned even after the third quarter when the score was still 7-6 Vikings. We were playing bad but I thought with just one more score the Vikings could put that game in the bag. Then the defense that played so well against the powerful Bengals offense lets unproven Matt Moore lead the Panthers offense to score 20 unanswered fourth quarter points.

I know Steve Smith killed and did a lot of the damage, but even when he wasn't catching the football the offense was still moving efficiently. The biggest damage caused by the Panthers was the menacing influence of Julius Peppers. He dominated both Guards on the Vikings line, and was in the backfield too much. Surprising stat about the game, Peppers only notched one sack and one tackle in the game. That's it. Even with Peppers dominating the line of scrimmage it was horrendous to see the Vikings top tier offense not mounting anything against the Panthers very, VERY average defense.

Now the discussion of the most important things from the past 3 weeks.

#1 Where oh where has Adrian Peterson gone? Against the Cardinals he was out rushed by Percy Harvin, a Wide Receiver! His rushing totals from the past 3 weeks are unnerving. Even his 96 yards against the Bengals came on 26 carries. In the other two Sunday night games AP rushed for a total of 53 yards on 15 carries. He has gotten fewer carriers in his two poor performances, but actually I would have pulled the plug on the running game even before Childress did.

I know, we have a dynamite back who can break it at any time. But not lately. When is the last time we have seen AP break loose like years past? It just isn't happening. Did you know this season Adrian has only 3 rushing touchdowns more than 7 yards? Those 3 touchdowns came agaisnt the Lions and Browns. Where is that home run? When something isn't working like the Vikings running game lately, especially while losing, you have to try something else. I hate becoming one dimensional, but I would rather see the Vikings try and get vertical and throw down field then continue to fail with AP.

Granted I know it is not all his fault because the offensive line has played like a middle school powder puff team over the past few weeks. But isn't this one of the league's elite backs? Shouldn't he be able to create some damage on his own? He definitely isn't the best anymore because that title goes to Chris Johnson. All Adrian seems to be good for is punching in the football from the goal line. He better step it up in the coming weeks or the Vikings playoff lives will be short and bitter.

#2 The offensive line gets its own portion of this discussion even though I already mentioned them above. What a joke this unit has become over the past weeks. Sure, they played well against Cincinnati and three other garbage teams (Seattle, Chicago, Detroit), but against the better squads the Vikings line cannot seem to get the running game going. There doesn't seem to be any push from them as a unit. Fans have been getting so used to Favre leading the team down the field and then Adrian falling into the end zone. Don't offensive lineman love to run the football because they get to hit and push forward instead of falling back into pass protection? And now against Carolina they can't even protect Favre? What does this line do right anymore? They, like Adrian, better pull their heads out of the sand, the postseason is looming.

#3 Oh my I hate penalties!! The Vikings have been playing crisp football for most of the season. Now in the past few weeks we have been racking up the penalties. The past three weeks the Vikings have gotten 20 penalties for 164 yards. That is an average of 8.2 yards per penalty. The penalties are coming at crucial points in the game which is the most alarming.

#4 How will our defense play in the next two games? We play an easier Chicago opponent away and then host the ascending Giants to close out the season. Both games in my opinion need to be won by our struggling football team. If we beat the Bears and lose to the Giants it begs the question: Can the Vikings really beat good teams?

#5 Can the Vikings really win on the road? All three losses this year have come away from Mall of America Field. In the Steelers game the Vikings played good enough to win, but that was weeks ago. Our two most recent tests on the road seemed like the dominant Vikings squad stayed on the airplane instead of showing up to the field. The Bears may not be a great team, but this will be a big test for Minnesota. The game is away from the comforts of home in a cold weather situation while struggling mightily on offense and somewhat on defense. The Vikings have lost two of their last three, how will they respond?

#6 Favre has looked more human than Superman the past 3 weeks. I can't honestly say I blame him with the offensive line playing like a joke and Adrian Peterson with a weak pulse. What can Favre do by himself? And now the media is talking about Favre demanding to stay in the game, blah, blah, blah. Of course the media just wants to blow up drama to have something to talk about between Sundays (how about the actual game of football?). The real question isn't whether Favre is a drama queen (we already know he is), it is: how the Vikings offense will rebound after two horrid performances? Will the troops rally around their fearless leader? Or will Favre fade into the sunset?

#7 These next two weeks will be defining ones in the Minnesota Vikings season.

IMPORTANT THINGS FROM WEEK 15:

#1 Cleveland Browns fans finally have something to cheer about. Talk about a great football game to watch. Joshua Cribbs returns not one, but two kickoffs for touchdowns. With those returns Cribbs notched his seventh and eighth career return touchdowns with number seven making him the NFL's all time leader. He has already broken the record, but he has the potential to shatter it. Cribbs is only 26 years old, so he still has some juice in the tank. Strangely the dominant kick returners don't stay on top very long. Where has Devin Hester been? (Daunte Hall's reign was short too) Cribbs has to be one of the best undrafted free agent pickups of all time.

Playing second fiddle in the game was the work of little known Jerome Harrison. He rushed for 286 yards and 3 touchdowns breaking Jim Brown's Cleveland rushing yards record. Harrison was only 10 yards off Adrian Peterson's NFL record 296 against the Chargers. To start the game Harrison only had 301 yards on the season, but almost doubled his output with one game.

#2 The Colts won a tight one against a tough Jaguars squad. The Colts while playing bad at times have showed the are the most resilient team in the NFL. It's hard to count out #18 in a close game, and that is all the Colts seem to play. They Colts have a great opportunity to run the table and finish 16-0. This week they play an up and down Jets squad and then finish out with the weak Buffalo Bills.

#3 The Saints finally lost a game. Rightfully so since they have been putting out small fires with gasoline at the end of games and still somehow end up winning (come on Redskins!). They finally faced off against a quality football team and got punched in the mouth, hard. The Cowboys also showed the Saints' glaring weakness of stopping the run, especially up the middle. Mix that with some pressure on Drew Brees and the Saints are a beatable football team. This week should prove to be an easy rebound for the Saints as the face the lowly Buccaneers. Don't count your chickens though Saints fans, the Falcons two weeks ago should prove a team needs to be on their game at all times to win football games in the NFL. Even without Michael Turner and Matt Ryan the Falcons gave the Saints almost more than they could handle.

#4 The Chargers even before their win on Christmas night look like the second best team in the NFL. Phillip Rivers has never looked better or more precise as an NFL Quarterback and the rest of the team is following his leadership. Watch out Colts, and the rest of the league. Don't be surprised if San Diego is playing in February.

Any thoughts?

*

The problems with the Vikings

2009-12-21T13:19:00.000-08:00

This is certainly not the story I wanted to write tonight. The Vikings went into this game against the Panthers sitting in great position to at least get a first round bye in the playoffs, and possibly be able to get home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Vikings needed to stop the Panthers running game and put enough pressure on the very inexperienced quarterback, Matt Moore to throw the ball and make mistakes. On paper is looked fairly easy. The defense started out good, but spending almost 40 minutes on the field took its toll.

The Vikings running game was never a threat to the Panthers. 41 total rushing yards by Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor, against a Panther defense that is rated 26 in the league, is embarrassing. What is the problem with the running game? Losing Matt Birk is a big part of it. There is no doubt that he was one of the best centers in the league.

The job of the center is much more than snapping the ball. The center plays a major role in opening holes and lanes for the backs to run through. The center is key in moving the defensive lineman sideways to create holes. Who is the Vikings center? Most people probably don’t know. How many times have you heard John Sullivan mentioned for making a great block, or opening a hole for Peterson to run through? I can’t remember any this year. Conversely, how often did you hear about and see clips of Matt Birk making great blocks and opening big holes? Not only did he open holes in the middle, he pulled both to the left or the right and opened holes. The offensive line needs to give Favre more time to throw, which also leads back to the center.

When the panthers shut down the run and made Favre start passing most of the time, Julius Peppers turned it on and had a fantastic game pressuring Favre and causing him to be hurried and off balance for most of the game.

If the Vikings are going to go anywhere in the playoffs, it is crucial that they fix the problem with the running game. I know the coaching staff knows how critical the running game is, and how important it is to fix the problem. The Vikings have one of the top 3 backs in the league in Peterson, and an excellent backup in Chester Taylor, but neither of them is going to run over 360 pound defensive lineman. They need to have holes to run through.

Looking ahead the Vikings need to go into Chicago and beat up on a very mediocre Bears team. Then come back to the dome and finish off a Giants team that can be very good. The possibility of home field through the playoffs is gone but a first week bye is very important for the Vikings to hold on to. If they fix the problems with the running game, the talent is there for the rest of the game to come together and be a threat in the playoffs.

Steve Pease

Read more article by steve on Health and fitness here.

What a Difference a Week Makes

2009-12-16T15:07:00.000-08:00

What a difference a week makes. Against the Arizona Cardinals the Vikings looked like dispirited pod people, but just a week later they’re playing some good, old-fashioned smash mouth football. Once again, the Minnesota Vikings once again looked like they belonged in the Black and Blue division. Reading the sports section on Monday morning with my coffee it felt like the universe was back the way they should be.

While it is hard to give a game in which the home team’s offense gets so many false start penalties a completely glowing review, but it was still pretty darn good. The Vikings looked like they spent the week leading up to the game against the Bengals getting back to basics. Adrian Peterson was able to run the ball for 97 yards and showed off some receiving skills. Most importantly, he didn’t fumble the ball. Brett Favre seemed like more of a game-manager, simply handing the ball to Peterson and Chester Taylor, than a gunslinger who fires it downfield. Considering the Vikings receiving corps was having a hard time hanging onto the ball Sunday, that wasn’t all bad. Oh, and after being gone for weeks (felt like years) Antoine Winfield was back on the field.

There are all sorts of interesting things one could take from the Vikings victory over Cincinnati, but the thing that struck me was just how fortunate the Minnesota Vikings are to have Antoine Winfield back. The loss of E.J. Henderson during the game with Arizona was, arguably the biggest loss for the team. Henderson was once again playing at the speed and intensity he was at last year before his season-ending foot injury, but more than that, he seemed to know how to quietly marshal his defense to game-winning action. But, the same week the Vikings lost Henderson they regained Antoine Winfield—and that makes all the difference in the world.

Antoine Winfield reminds me of the dachshund we had when I was a kid--give me a second, this is more complimentary than it might appear at first glance. The dog didn’t know he was small. He barked big, he fought big, and he could scare off German Shepherds. If you tried to make this dog a purse puppy he probably would have taken your arm off. Like that dachshund, Antoine Winfield is small, only 5’9”, but the guy hits harder than a Mac truck. A small stature could be seen as a detriment for a corner back going up against lanky receivers, but you would never know it by the way Winfield plays. In his first game back from the fractured foot that sidelined him for weeks, he had nine tackles and a forced fumble. It’s almost as if he’s making up for lost time.

That time spent recuperating has the added advantage of keeping Winfield fresh for the end of the season and the start of the post-season. Considering how beat-up players can get by this point in the season, having a rested and recovered weapon like Antoine Winfield to add back into the line-up looks almost strategic. Almost. At any rate, the Vikings couldn’t have gotten him back at a better time and his return bodes well for a little Vikings redemption after their previous poor showing on Sunday night football. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I can't wait for Sunday night.

-Skol Girl

Getting To Know Linebacker Jasper Brinkley

2009-12-10T08:57:00.001-08:00

When Minnesota Vikings linebacker EJ Henderson was lost for the season due to injury in 2008, the Vikings re-acquired Napoleon Harris, who was sent to the Vikings by the Oakland Raiders with a first-round pick for WR Randy Moss in 2005.

This season, after Henderson suffered a season-ending injury in the Sunday Night game against the Arizona Cardinals, the Vikings have named rookie Jasper Brinkley the starting middle linebacker.

Brinkley, a fifth round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, played his college ball along with his twin brother, Casper, at the University of South Carolina. Casper now plays for the Carolina Panthers, who the Vikings play on Dec. 20.

He started 29 of his 30 games as a Gamecock, racking up 193 tackles (20 for lost yardage), 7.5 sacks, and three interceptions.

As a senior, Brinkley was named to the All-SEC second team.

Scouting reports on Brinkley suggest he struggles in coverage, but could find his niche in short yardage defensive formations.

Brinkley will not play as much as Henderson, who was the defensive signal caller. In nickel situations, Ben Leber will stay on the field with Chad Greenway while Brinkley is replaced by a defensive back. This is similar to what the Vikings did last season after losing Henderson.

Brinkley is the last of five Vikings 2009 draft picks who has not seen significant playing time this season. WR Percy Harvin and OL Phil Loadholt have started the entire season, while CB Asher Allen and S Jamarca Sanford have filled in due to injury-plauged secondary.

Brinkley has been a standout on special teams, along with Sanford.

Some argue that Brinkley's inexperience at the linebacker position will ultimately be the un-doing of the Vikings defense. Some fans argue that the Vikings should sign a veteran free agent, like Derrick Brooks.

They say a veteran linebacker is needed to run the defense of a 10-2 football team.

But the Vikings, who traded up to draft Brinkley, believe that they have their man.

The Vikings drafted Brinkley in case an emergency arose. It is time for him to show that they made the right choice.

For more of Zeke Fuhrman's articles, check out his blog at www.bleacherreport.com!

Morning Papers, Pod People, and Thoughts on a Vikings Loss

2009-12-09T13:55:00.000-08:00

Reading the sports page is much more fun after a Vikings win than after a loss. This season, the sting has been taken out of most Mondays because I can relive the Minnesota Vikings’ Sunday win, play-by-play while I drink my coffee. However, this Monday the play-by-play picked apart what went wrong during the Minnesota Vikings loss to the Phoenix Cardinals on Sunday night. And, pretty much everything went wrong.

From offense, to defense, to special teams, the Vikings were not looking like a Super Bowl-bound team. They looked so bad that executives at NBC probably wondered why they decided to flex the game and show it on Sunday night to a national audience—no doubt, a poorly paid intern will be savagely beaten for this oversight.

There are multiple theories about why the Vikings played so poorly, but I’m leaning toward alien abduction. The pod people left in place of the Vikings players who are now having a close encounter with an alien proctologist did not have enough time to understand and execute the team’s game-plan for Sunday night. Think I’m wrong? Well, maybe I am, but how do you explain the dramatic failure and rampant mediocrity the Vikings (a team dominating Pro Bowl voting) displayed in every facet of the game? See, alien abduction is looking more plausible all the time.

Perhaps it is my natural Scandinavian pessimism, but when things look too good I begin to wonder what will go wrong. The Minnesota Vikings were looking good, like this was THE year when they would go to the Super Bowl and win. And a big part of the reason for that was the Favre Effect—as Brett Favre goes, so goes his team. He’s a difference maker.

Until Sunday’s game it was safe to say that the Vikings 40-year-old quarterback was playing as well as he has ever played. And, when Brett Favre is playing well he brings out the best in the players around him, but I remember back to the days when he was wearing the dreaded green and gold that if the Vikings defense could put enough pressure on him, get in his face often enough, that he would get rattled and throw incompletions and interceptions.

Well, that’s exactly what the Cardinals were able to do Sunday night. They exploited a dinged-up Vikings offensive line, got in Favre’s face, and, like the ghost of seasons past, he threw incompletions and interceptions. Forced to throw because the Cardinals completely denied the Vikings offense any chance to rev up the run game, the Cardinals defense prevented the Vikings offense from being able to complete passes, making the Vikings go three-and-out way too many times to win. But the Favre Effect continued when the Vikings defense took the field, partly because, with the offense going three-and-out, the defense was on the field a lot—getting tired, getting hurt. Kurt Warner, given good protection by his offensive line, picked the Vikings apart through the air without getting sacked even once. Not only that, but the Cardinals managed to sneak in some effective run plays as well. By the end of the game the Cardinals were looking like the NFC defending champs that they were and the Vikings were looking more like, well, dispirited pod people.

It seems the slow-starts and the missed tackles that marred the beginning of the Vikings season have returned to plague them just when they should be fine-tuning their play in preparation for their much-lauded post-season run. And now, not only do they have to return to the basics of protecting Favre, finding a way to run the ball, and making tackles, they have to do it missing key players.

The Vikings’ loss to the Cardinals may be a wake-up-call rather a death knell, pointing out weaknesses that they can correct before the play-offs and serving as a reminder to stay focused. Considering that the team is comprised of group of highly paid professionals who like winning, I think it is safe to assume that these lessons will be learned. And, I hope that Jared Allen’s predictions for the can of whoop-ass that they will open on the Cincinnati Bengals when Vikings seek to redeem themselves next Sunday is prophetic rather than testosterone-fueled bravado, wins go much better with coffee.

-Skol Girl

One-on-One with Chuck Foreman

2009-12-08T10:54:00.000-08:00

Chuck Foreman was a groundbreaker. The 1973 Rookie of the Year with the Minnesota Vikings, Foreman spent seven of his eight pro seasons with the Vikings, leading them to three Super Bowls during the 1970s.

Foreman was a five time Pro Bowl selection and a four time All-Pro.

In 2007, the Minnesota Vikings inducted Foreman into the Ring of Honor.

His pass-catching ability out of the backfield, combined with the ability to make the first tackler miss, was a key component in the Minnesota Viking offense, which was sort of a pre-cursor of the West Coast Offense. Chuck is widely known as "The Spin Doctor" for his elusive way of avoiding would-be tacklers.

Recently, Chuck was signing autographs at Fan HQ at the Ridgedale Mall in Minnetonka, MN. I was able to sit down with him and ask him some questions.

Q. Besides you, who is the best player to come out of the University of Miami?
A. There have been so many talented players to come out of the U. So many guys. But I was the first. I led the pack. It could be Michael Irvin. But from athletic standpoint, I'd have to say it would be Andre Johnson. It probably goes me, Johnson, then Irvin.

Q. What was your "Welcome to the NFL" moment?
A. My rookie season against the Kansas City Chiefs. I met Buck Buchanan. It hurt.

Q. Who do you consider to be your mentors?
A. My family. I came from a great family. Great father, great mother, great brothers, great sisters. I'm blessed to come from a home like that. I had a great high school coach in Adam Craban. I had a great college coach in Fran Cerci. Alot of younger people don't know this, but I played some cornerback in college. Cerci taught me alot about the game. But athletically, my mentor would be Jack Griffith. Jack was an Olympic woman's track coach. I used to run hurdles, and he helped me harness my speed and running ability.

Q. Do you consider yourself to have any proteges?
A. I don't think so. Everybody is their own person.

Q. It's 4th and Goal. One second left, and you are down by six points. Who don't you want to see on defense?
A. Easy question. Green Bay Linebacker Fred Carr. The guy was 6'5", 250 lbs. He had about a 4.4 40. I would like to see Hollywood (Thomas) Henderson back there. Guy was all talk. By the time he was done talking, you were already by him.

Q. What was your favorite play to run?
A. My favorite play was probably 34-35 Outside. It was an option play designed for me. I could do what I wanted. I could pop it in or pop it out. Whatever I wanted to do.

Q. What was your least favorite play?
A. Anything in the JAM formation. I don't even want to talk about it. You can ask Coach (Jerry) Burns about that one.

Q. Who were your favorite teams or players growing up?
A. I grew up in the DC area, so my favorite teams were the Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Colts. Favorite players would have to be guys like Johnny Unitas, Charlie Taylor, Sonny Jurgenson, Otis Taylor. Both those teams had some really talented players.

Q. Were you interested in any sports besides football?
A. I ran track and played basketball, but basketball was probably my favorite. I had a 40" vertical. I played above the rim, man.

Q. What play do you think defined your career?
A. I think my versitility defined my career more than one single play did. I could do things other guys couldn't do. I could go out for a pass and catch the ball with one hand behind my head. Nobody else could do that. I was the first guy to be used out of the backfield as a receiving threat.
(Man in background): There wasn't anybody after you like that until Marshall Faulk.
(Foreman): Faulk? No. Faulk was good but he wasn't next. It was Roger Craig. It went me, Craig, and then you can fill in the blanks with whoever you want after that.

Q. Who was the nastiest player you ever played against?
A. Hands down it was Isaiah Robinson. He wasn't the best, but he was a cheap shot.

Foreman is now a substitute teacher at Bloomington Kennedy High School. He also hosts a weekly internet radio show called SPINIT! with Chuck Foreman.

For more articles by Zeke Fuhrman, check out his blog at www.bleacherreport.com!

Decking the Halls in Purple: Shopping for a Vikings Jersey

2009-12-01T13:48:00.000-08:00

With the Vikings fresh from one of their most decisive victories of the season, crushing divisional rivals the Chicago Bears, and maintaining a three game lead at the top of the NFC North division, Vikings fans are staring down the very real prospect of witnessing that much touted deep playoff run. Thus, the question on every Vikings fan’s mind is, “What am I going to wear?”

Okay, that could just be me, but with the holidays and the playoffs fast approaching it doesn’t hurt to find out if the Vikings fans on your list are looking for more wardrobe options to show their purple pride—especially those band-wagon fans who cheer for the Vikings only when a winning season is guaranteed. I’ve devoted some thought to this question because, much as I love my John Randle jersey, with so many talented players on the 2009 Vikings roster it seems like a crying shame not to support current players too. However that leaves me with the problem of deciding whose jersey I want to add to my purple collection. Here are some strategies for choosing a jersey that I hope helps you choose a jersey for yourself or the Minnesota Vikings fans on your list.

Superstar! Like Mary Katherine Gallagher, SNL’s irrepressible Catholic school-girl, some players are just superstars. They are full of flash and talent, they break records, and they are fan favorites. Obvious Vikings superstars include Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, and Jared Allen. And, as the obvious superstars, they sell the most jerseys so you might want to shop early to make sure stores have their jerseys in the size you’re looking for.

Vikings to the end. I don’t like to share, this is the reason why it makes me twitch when the players I cheer for sign with other teams. One way of getting around that problem is to wear the jersey of a player who is going to retire a Viking. This year that includes Antoine Winfield and Jim Kleinsasser, both of whom signed contracts last off-season to guarantee that they will end their playing days as Minnesota Vikings.

Workhorses. Although some players possess the kind of talent that makes football look easy, football is a team effort. For every superstar on the field racking up points and stats, there are several players doing unlauded work to make those plays possible. The running game wouldn’t be anything without blockers. No matter how MVP the quarterback, he can’t do much if his offensive line doesn’t protect him. And the pass rushers wouldn’t have a pass to rush if the nose tackle wasn’t stuffing the run. A list of those players would include Steve Hutchinson, John Sullivan, Naufahu Tahi, Jim Kleinsasser, and Pat Williams—to name a few. Oh, and one of the best third-down backs in the league, Chester Taylor.

Up and comers. Maybe you, or someone you’re shopping for likes to be the first to support the team’s youngest players. This year Sidney Rice (third season) is silencing critics who, last year, suggested he was a draft dud. Percy Harvin is tearing up the field and proving he was worth the risk of drafting. John Sullivan, now in his second year, is helping to keep Favre from taking so many punishing sacks. Tyrell Johnson and Asher Allen have been in the rotation since Winfield has been out with a broken foot—both show real promise.

Pick your position. Another way of choosing whose jersey to wear is to choose by offense, defense, or special teams. If your fan doesn’t have a specific player in mind but loves running backs, safeties, or linemen, you have a starting place. Me, I love linebackers (E.J. Henderson, Chad Greenway, Ben Leber) because I grew up watching Scott Studwell. Others love the receivers who race down the field, make flying leaps, and catch passes that don’t seem catchable (Rice, Harvin, Bernard Berrien). Vikings special teams is dramatically improved from where it was last year (Ryan Longwell, Heath Farwell, Darius Reynaud). And, this year’s defensive line (Jared Allen, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, and Ray Edwards) feels destined to go down in history alongside the famed Purple People Eaters.

I just like him. Some players are just likeable. It may be for their stats, their personality, or even their off-field charitable work. Last year, for me, that player was Bobby Wade. But there are plenty of current candidates too. E.J. Henderson, in addition to becoming the E.J. he was before last year’s season-ending injury, he uses his foundation to reach out to urban youth. Steve Hutchinson hosts a Thanksgiving meal every year at UM Amplatz Children’s Hospital for patients and their families. Artis Hicks supports the Ronald McDonald House charities. Adrian Peterson has his All Day foundation. Chad Greenway supports breast cancer awareness. Bernard Berrien teams with the Second Harvest organization to combat hunger. The list goes on and on, but my point is that, in this season of giving and charity you can also chose a player to support based on what they support.

Well, I hope this gives you some ideas as you set forth on your jersey-shopping adventure. To be honest, I have convinced myself that I need a jersey for just about everyone on the roster so I hope this worked out better for you than it did for me.

Happy holidays and Purple Pride!

Favre Is A Shot of Southern Comfort For Vikes

2009-12-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

No doubt about it. Brett Favre has invigorated the Minnesota Vikings, and the entire state of Minnesota, maybe like never before. He’s been an unexpected surprise, like the tingling you get after a shot of good whiskey—a little Southern Comfort. It revives you and gives you relaxed confidence. It almost makes you feel like you could do anything—talk to the pretty girl at the bar, get that job you’ve been wanting, heck, even go to the Super Bowl.

You can’t dispute the difference Favre has made in the Vikings this season. Can you imagine the San Francisco, Baltimore or Green Bay games with Tarvaris Jackson at the helm? Favre’s performance has been at the top of the league, and the top of his own storied career. He has given the Vikes more confidence in their talents and abilities than any quarterback the team has had in a very long time.

Favre has provided the shot in the arm the Vikings have needed all along—a real quarterback to bring out the best in all their talented position players. Not a pretender to the throne. Just like a good whiskey, smooth and mature, Favre’s play leaves you with a warm feeling. And just like a good whiskey, he seems to be getting better with age.

Brett is as much team security blanket as Hall of Fame quarterback. A good shot of Southern Comfort is all the Vikings seem to need to beat the next opponent, whoever it is. They feel like they can’t lose with ‘ol whiskey under center. Of course, he is playing at an MVP level, as well.

Other recent Vikings quarterbacks have possessed less satisfying spirits. Tommy Kramer could be compared to a whiskey, and memory says he had too much of a passion for it, but a less accomplished distillation. Perhaps a Wild Turkey. Brad Johnson was more like a beer that came to a head quickly and then flattened out when you needed it most. Daunte Culpepper was a trendy and affordable champagne—bubbly and full of sparkle early, but then fizzing out fast. As for Tarvaris Jackson, well, does the name Mad Dog 20/20 mean anything to you?

So here’s to you, Brett Favre. A toast to your special brand of Southern Comfort, from the land of Hamm’s, Grain Belt and the Great White North!

By Rick Jourdan

THE COMPLETE PACKAGE.

2009-11-28T16:34:00.001-08:00

Thoughts by: Matthew Deery
www.DisputedKnowledge.com

The Minnesota Vikings played their most complete football game of the year Week 11 vs. the Seattle Seahawks. The game featured 4 different receivers catching touchdowns, a solid two headed running attack, and a defense that didn't allow the Seahawks any breathing room.

Although the Vikings did not score any points in the first quarter I would like to credit the Seahawks defense for a job well done on the Vikings potent offense. Mix in some Viking penalties and you have your answer for the scoreless first quarter. When it came to the second quarter the Seahawks weak defense could not hold on anymore by allowing the Vikings to march down the field and score on a drive that started on their own 16 yard line.

The Vikings poured on the points with Favre's precision passing hitting all his different dangerous down field weapons. Couple that with a punishing running attack that did not only come from Adrian Peterson, but also Chester Taylor. The Vikings did not let an inferior football team hang around long enough to even sniff a victory. Many times against weaker teams the Vikings have played with their prey before finishing them off; but that was not the case against the Seahawks.

The Vikings got on the board and never looked back. Forget the first quarter hiccup. Minnesota put the pedal to the metal and played like the best team in the NFL should. That's right, I said it. The Minnesota Vikings are the most COMPLETE team in the NFL and that makes them the BEST team in the NFL. The Vikings score the ball anyway they want on offense, have a dangerous special teams unit, and have a defense that stacks up with the best in the league. No other team in the NFL can get it done in every category like the Vikings can.

7 IMPORTANT THINGS FROM THE GAME:

#1 The most important thing from this football game was Brett Favre playing like a god. He threw for 213 passing yards by going 22/25. That is the highest completion percentage of his career and the highest in Vikings history. Oh yea, he also threw 4 touchdown passes. It is truly difficult to imagine Favre after all the accomplishments in his career and being virtually the possessor of every single quarterback record in the NFL still breaking records as a 40 year old. Believe it or not Favre actually has better numbers through Week 11 this year than he did through Week 11 when he won all three of his MVP Awards. Higher completion percentage, more touchdowns, less interceptions...as a 40 year old.

Favre is definitely in the running for a 4th MVP Award with how he stacks up to the leagues best passers this year. Even though a player besides a quarterback can win it, a quarterback probably will win it this year. Unless Chris Johnson stays on his pace and the Titans rally off 10 straight wins after starting 0-6. Favre has more than 600 fewer passing yards than Peyton Manning and Tom Brady who are atop that coveted passing yards list. But you have to expect Manning to get all those passing yards considering Indianapolis rushes for the second fewest yards per game in the NFL averaging a mere 85 yards. Favre has one less touchdown than the leagues leaders (Brees, Rodgers) with 21 total. He has a 69.7 completion percentage which is only a tenth behind the league leader Peyton Manning.

With Favre being in the top tier of all those passing categories, can you guess where the all time interceptions leader in the NFL stands this season in that very category? NUMBER ONE (minus Shaun Hill who has only attempted 155 passes). Who would have thought gunslinger Favre would have the fewest interceptions in the entire NFL through 11 weeks? Not I. Even precious Peyton and Drew Brees have 9 interceptions this season. When all is said and done, if Favre plays out the season like this his name should be a major player in the MVP discussion.

#2 What a dominating game by the Minnesota defense. The best stat a fan can pull from their performance is holding the Seahawks to only 4 rushing yards the entire game. With this overwhelming performance the Vikings are now 3rd on the defensive rushing list only giving up 85.5 yards a game.

Once Seattle realized they wouldn't be rushing the football (they only had 13 attempts) they went to the air where they still could not find a whole lot of success. Nate Burelson had a nice game, but he only racked up yards. No passing touchdowns from the Seahawks. Seattle was 1-10 on 3rd down conversions which is always important in the NFL. The defense also forced and recovered a fumble and rookie Asher Allen got his first career interception.

A little cause for concern is the two sacks hauled in by Linebacker E.J. Henderson and Safety Husain Abdullah. The Vikings do not blitz too often and that was the only way Hasselback was sacked the entire day. No sacks by the D line. Jared Allen had 3 Quarterback hits, but the team only had 5 total. (2 of those equal sacks) Not the pressure Vikings fans are used to.

#3 It was nice to see Chester Taylor get into the rushing attack with AP. Even though neither back finished with over 100 yards they both were inflicting damage on the Seattle defense with their carries. Especially Taylor who only had 11 carries but netted 73 rushing yards. It was also nice to see AP catching more passes out of the backfield (he grabbed 4). Both backs were productive and that is more than a good sign heading down the stretch of this season.

#4 Can I even stress enough how awesome Sidney Rice is. This past week he just locked his Pro Bowl spot by catching 2 touchdown passes to give him 4 total on the season. That was the only stat he was lacking in receiving, and 4 puts him in the middle of the pack. He is already 4th in the NFL in receiving yards, and is 3rd in the NFL with catches over 40 yards. The only thing Sidney didn't do this week was have 200 receiving yards, but he made up for it with 2 touchdowns. The second touchdown he caught from T-Jack was a fine example of a player making a huge play.

#5 If one thing seems to remain consistent from week to week it is that Visante Shiancoe catches a touchdown pass, and this week was no different. His 7 receiving touchdowns this season are towards the top of the league and second best among Tight Ends (Vernon Davis has 8 touchdowns). Shiancoe was especially valuable in this game catching 8 passes and playing the role of Favre's go to guy in tight situations. Shiancoe works extra hard every week staying after practice catching passes from different angles and speeds. His hard work has payed off.

#6 The Vikings secondary continues to play well in the absence of Antoine Winfield. Despite allowing decent passing numbers from the Seahawks, something has got to give when a team throws it more than two thirds of the time. The secondary is needed to continue playing well even with the addition of Winfield to the unit in coming weeks. Upcoming on the schedule are the dynamite passing attacks of the Bengals and Cardinals. And you can never count out a man like the Panthers Steve Smith who can destroy a defense by himself.

#7 Haters can hate, but you cannot deny Tarvaris Jackson looking good when he stepped in late in the game. Say what you want about the team we were playing, or the score, but the kid stepped in a got it done. His passes looked accurate with some zip on them. He still looked a little indecisive, but I think Favre's influence has helped him go through his reads better. Jackson finished 6/8 with 77 pass yards and a touchdown. That is an average of 9.6 yards per pass. This play is just as efficient as Favre. If you are going to give Favre the credit for playing well against a bad team the same needs to be given to Jackson. I always like to see him have success.

IMPORTANT THINGS FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Which teams are pretenders and which teams are contenders?

After everyone annointing Dallas the NFC East Champions, they barely squeak out a win against an inferior football team in the form of the Washington Redskins. Dallas was only able to muster 7 points against a defense that was missing its best player (Haynesworth). The Cowboys could have easily lost this game if the Redskins kicker Shaun Suisham had not missed two field goals. The Cowboys did win on Thanksgiving, but they played the up and down Raiders. Speaking of the Raiders...

The red hot Cincinnati Bengals cooled off in Oakland as the Raiders toppled to AFC North Division leaders. The Bengals called a conservative game once they had the lead which ended up burning them in the end. They allowed 10 fourth quarter points while scoring none. Idiot of the Week is the Bengals Andre Caldwell who fumbled the football on a kickoff with :33 second left on the clock in a tie football game. The Raiders used that fumble to kick the game winning field goal.

The Steelers losing to the lowly Chiefs has to be the upset of the week. With how well the Steelers have been playing it is a shocker to see them lose to the 3-7 Chiefs. Not a surprising loss when you consider the Steelers had 3 turnovers and gave up a kickoff return touchdown. This is a perfect example of any team in the NFL having the ability to win no matter the opponent.

The Broncos are pretenders (even though they beat the Giants on Thanksgiving, but anyone can beat the Giants these days). The Broncos didn't even show up for a game of utmost importance against the charging Chargers (pun intended). The Chargers demolished the Broncos 32-3 to take the AFC West Division lead. My biggest question is why even start crappy Chris Simms to destroy any momentum in the game and just start Orton. Once Broncos coach Josh McDaniels realized like the rest of us the Chris Simms is a joke in a NFL jersey he put in Orton who facilitated some offensive success. That isn't the only mistake McDaniels made as a coach this past Sunday. He foolishly tried an onside kick only to be recovered by the Chargers who took that field position and easily scored. The Broncos are not for real. The division is the Chargers and Denver is not near good enough to win the Wild Card.

Very quietly the Jacksonville Jaguars are 6-4. After staring 0-2 it seemed everyone in the NFL counted them out. Now they have rallied off 3 straight victories. Their upcoming schedule will display their true colors as they face off against the Colts again, the Texans, the Patriots, the 49ers, and the Dolphins. That is a tough 5 game stretch. If this team is a force, victories in those games will prove it.

Lastly I want to take my hat off to Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans. After staring 0-6 the Titans needed to shake things up. Enter the talented but doubted Vince Young. Not only has this kid played efficiently to win football games but has played great down the stretch to get his team needed yards for first downs making crucial passes and using his legs to rush the ball. I am sure many NFL fans like me are rooting for a nice comeback for this team. With a back like Chris Johnson on your team you can never count the Titans out.

*

Sidney Rice Earns NFC Offensive Player of the Week

2009-11-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

Minnesota Vikings WR Sidney Rice was awarded the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Detroit Lions.

Rice caught seven passes for 201 yards, including a 56 yard reception that helped the Vikings pull away early in the fourth quarter.

Rice leads the NFC in receiving yards with 786, although he has caught only two touchdown passes. TE Visanthe Shancoe leads the Vikings by catching six of Brett Favre's 17 touchdown passes.

In his first two NFL seasons, Rice had a total of 537 receiving yards. He has topped that in just his last four games, with a combined 553 yards.

Rice's 201 yards were fourth most in Vikings history. He also becomes the first Vikings WR to win Player of the Week honors since Randy Moss in 2001.

Rice becomes the Vikings fifth Player of the Week, joining LB Chad Greenway (Week 1 vs Detroit), KR Percy Harvin (Week 3 vs San Francisco) and QB Brett Favre (Week 4 vs Green Bay and Week 8 vs Green Bay).

To read more of Zeke Fuhrman's articles, check out www.bleacherreport.com

Breakthroughs and Blunders in the Vikings Victory Over Detroit

2009-11-17T10:51:00.000-08:00

My throat was scratchy when I woke up Monday. It seems that during the bye week my football cheering screams got out of practice. I spent my time speaking in dulcet murmurs at baby showers and my vocal chords got lax. However, it seems that relaxing and getting slightly out of practice was not solely a fan phenomenon during Sunday’s Minnesota Vikings victory over the Detroit Lions.

Coming off of an emotional victory against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, the Vikings had a bye week to kick back, relax, and recuperate from eight-weeks worth of wear and tear. In theory, they were supposed to come back refreshed and continue to play like they would become NFC north champions again. In reality, they may have been well rested, but they also seemed sloppy. How sloppy? The Vikings had 13 penalties for 91 yards. But, sloppiness aside, the Vikings hustled and hurried with moments of absolute brilliance to pull off another win, bringing their record to 8-1.

The Vikings defense maintained steady, demoralizing pressure on Detroit’s rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford. This kid had purple shirts rushing through his porous offensive line all afternoon. It’s a tribute to his ability to run and scramble that he was sacked only three times. Considering the sacks, tackles, and hurries he faced from the Vikings front four, I was impressed that he was able to complete 29 of 51 passes for 224 yards and no interceptions. Given an offensive line that is slightly more solid than Swiss cheese, there is no telling how dangerous Stafford will become, especially if the chemistry he’s developing with his receiver Calvin Johnson continues.

The Vikings defensive man of the hour was Ray Edwards. He was responsible for two sacks and five tackles. The only blight on Edwards’ afternoon was a penalty for roughing the passer that eventually resulted in Detroit’s sole touchdown of the game. Edwards’ was called for helmet-to-helmet contact on Matthew Stafford when he leaped over Maurice Morris to avoid a chip block. Coach Childress was so displeased with the call that he (again) called Mike Pereira, the NFL’s vice president of officiating, to make his feelings known before the post-game press conference.

The Vikings offensive play-calling must have been getting tired of being referred to as “boring” and “plain vanilla” in the press because they decided to try some razzle-dazzle. It didn’t work well. A bad pitch from Adrian Peterson to Percy Harvin on a reverse got the Vikings their first fumble of the game. After that, the razzle-dazzle was shelved in favor less interesting plays with a history of working.

The second fumble of the game was the result of a disgustingly good defensive play from Detroit cornerback Phillip Buchanon. Buchanon turned what looked like a touchdown run from Adrian Peterson into a turnover recovered in the end zone. Coach Childress wasn’t a fan of the calling on this play either, suggesting that Buchanon’s move bore a striking resemblance to an illegal horse-collar.

Apart from the two fumbles, Adrian Peterson had a good game, rushing for 133 yards, but Sidney Rice was the offensive story of the day. I would like to take this opportunity to state that I was saying Sidney Rice was beginning to bear a very favorable resemblance to Randy Moss weeks ago. However, it probably is a more convincing statement after he beasted his way to a 201-yard game. I don’t know if it is Brett Favre’s confidence in him that has helped Rice have a breakthrough season, but whatever it is, I hope it continues.

The Vikings came away with a convincing win against the Lions, only slightly marred by all the opportunities they gave the Lions to come back. Despite their record, you could see flashes of the talent developing in the Lions. Against tougher teams with good offensive chemistry (like the New Orleans Saints), it is going to be much harder for the Vikings to win if they give up 91 yards in penalties. I suspect that my cheering scream is going to get a work out in the next few weeks.

-Skol Girl

Vikings have the Lions by the tail

2009-11-11T17:52:00.000-08:00

If you walk into the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis this week, you might be able to feel the building tension for Sunday’s game. It will be a battle between the top of the NFC and the bottom. After their bye week off, the Minnesota Vikings will be taking on the Detroit Lions for the second time this season. The Vikings aren’t too worried about taking on a team that has lost to them for 6 straight seasons, but the Lions have quite a bit to consider. The only game they’ve won this season was earlier in the year for the Lions vs. Washington Redskins 19-14. And, while Detroit Lions owner William Clay Ford was hoping this would give them a seasonal, winning “pick-me-up”, let’s put it this way: for all you Lions fans in Minnesota, you might want to trade in that blue and white jersey for some far more colorful purple and gold.

Almost two months ago, the Vikings-Lions game left Detroit feeling a little caged, as they lost 27-13 to the purple. While they held the lead of 10-0 through the second quarter, the Vikings met with almost no opposition as they jumped to a 27-13 win. This was Detroits 19th straight regular season loss. Lions #51, Dominic Raiola said “We didn't do our jobs in the second half, and that's very frustrating.” He added “We're better than that." The team believes that the Vikings are putting too much stock in Brett Favre as a player, saying that “he often carries the whole team on his shoulders.” Lions’ fans are hoping that this will maybe give the team more advantage; since Detroit is a younger, and therefore more unified, team.

But, are they better than that? Detroit is talking a big game for this Sunday. However, it’s hard to ignore the statistics. The Vikings stand almost undefeated at 7-1, while the Lions remain at 1-7. Also, the Vikings have been cutting their teeth on the Lions for 6 years. Their only loss against Detroit came in 2007. The Vikings also have a lot to gain from this Sunday, while the Lions don’t have much to lose. If Minnesota won, it would put the Vikings at 4-0 in the NFC rankings, and sending them on their way to the 2010 Super Bowl. So far, it looks really good Minnesota.

Watch the game this Sunday 11/15 at 1:00 P.M. at the Mall of America Field. It will also be broadcast live through FOX television.

-Lauren Marosok

Keeping Up with the Old Man

2009-11-05T22:17:00.000-08:00

It’s rare. It really is. It feels like watching an 8-year old boy walk into the world’s biggest amusement park for the first time. There’s so much to do, so much to see. And every ride just so happens to be the most thrilling invention ever made. Even the Tilt-a-Whirl looks appealing. That’s rare. It is this kind of boyish excitement that drives the most experienced and most aged man on the Vikings roster, Brett Favre. It seems as if every game is just as fresh as the first and just as important as the last for the 40-year old quarterback.

There was so much controversy and media attention over the “will he retire, won’t he retire” back and forth seesaw ride that he took us on this past offseason, but the underlying cause of Favre’s return leaned heavily on his love for the game and his desire to compete. The 7-1 Vikings sure aren’t complaining. NFL analysts are touting this year’s squad as a legitimate Super Bowl contender for the first time since the magical Cunningham-Moss season of ‘98 that unexpectedly ended in the NFC Championship game. However, this time around there will be no Jamal Anderson, no dirty bird, and no Gary Anderson boo-boo. On the flip side, there will be all-day Adrian Peterson, the Purple People Eaters, and old man Brett. So far it appears as if Favre has been the missing ingredient to the Vikings ‘Stew of Success’. Although it leaves opposing teams with a bitter taste (just ask the Packers who went back for seconds this past weekend), everyone behind the purple and gold can’t seem to get enough.

With nearly half of the NFL season already over, the Vikings are comfortably settled on top of the NFC North division with no real threat to be overthrown. They still have yet to face the newly revamped Chicago Bears that are looking to find their pulse somewhere on Jay Cutler’s inner wrist, but given how the Bears seem to be flatlining it may be safe to deposit two more victories into the Vikings bank. Outside of the Bears, the only other team in the division left to play is the lowly Detroit Lions who are struggling to have the same ferocious bite they had in the days of Barry Sanders. Looks like the Vikings’ pillaging will continue into the playoffs and possibly further.

For the sake of all those that bleed purple, let’s hope the 8-year old in Favre stays away from the Tilt-a-Hurl long enough to help lead his new team on the right track towards Miami and Dolphin Stadium for Super Bowl XLIV. Game on, kids.

--Ryan Fortune

PROOF WE ARE SUPERIOR.

2009-11-05T15:27:00.000-08:00

Thoughts by: Matthew Deery
www.DisputedKnowledge.com

The Minnesota Vikings did not waste time this past Sunday letting their rival Packers know who the best team in the NFC North really is. Not a great start for Vikings fans when first quarter miscommunication between Favre and the Center John Sullivan gave the Packers the football deep in Minnesota territory. Fortunately this was the Vikings first half defense which did not allow the Packers any breathing room and only allowed Green Bay to gain 2 yards. This held the Packers to a field goal, their only points of the first half.

Percy Harvin, enter stage right. What can I say about this kid that I haven't already? Vikings fans have become so accustomed to watching Percy do whatever he wants on the football field. His game is starting to resemble greatness similar to that of our monster running back.

After the Packers put the game's first points on the board Percy wasted no time dashing Packer fan's euphoria about their small lead by taking the ensuing kickoff 77 yards all the way to the Green Bay 14 yard line.

For all the people who said Childress and Bevell call a dangerously conservative game plan (me), prepare to get your mind blown. Childress decided to go for a 4th and 1 on the Packers goal line. Big pay off because AP punched it in for the 1 yard score.

Surprisingly, this was not the only time Childress went for it on 4th in this game. The second time around the Vikings failed to get the 1st down, but gutsy on Childress's part. I commend him for it. A touchdown in the second situation would have put the Vikings up 24-3 in the first half. That is what I like to call going for the jugular; my hat is off to you Brad.

The Packers next three drives after the Vikings touchdown gained a total of 7 yards. This can be accredited to the Vikings relentless pursuit of Aaron Rodgers by sacking him 3 times on those possessions.In the first half the Minnesota defense looked decisive in pass coverage, tackled well, and got pressure by rushing only four lineman. The only good trend to carry into the second half however, was the four man pressure. The pass coverage was still decent in the second half, but not shut down like the first half. I expected the Packers to be able to move the ball through the air on our already weakened pass defense (but for the second straight week the Vikings coverage held their own) because Ryan Grant obviously could not run the rock on the Vikings defense.

Honestly, you have to expect a smart and strong armed quarterback like Rodgers with two top tier wide outs and a strong supporting WR core to have success and score against any defense. Need proof? Check Greg Jennings 4th quarter touchdown with a Vikings defender draped all over him. The Vikings secondary did fine work Week 8 against the potent Packer passing attack.

After Percy Harvin hauled in his 3rd receiving touchdown of the year on a 51 yard strike to put the Vikings up 24-3, the Packers went on to score 17 unanswered points. This put the score at 24-20, way too close for any Minnesota fan who was enjoying a comfortable football game.

The Vikings defense is going to get chewed out when they sit down and watch game film of the second half with their coaches. The defense went from a solid all around first half to forgetting how to wrap a guy up and tackle. I could not believe all the extra yards the Packer players were getting after contact. In football lingo, we call that YAC (yards after catch). Credit to the Packers for fighting for those extra yards, but shame on the Vikings for giving up so much more ground with poor tackling. Even Chad Greenway's dynamite first half was tainted by some ugly tackling. I hope the coaching staff stresses the importance of sure tackling over the Bye Week.

If Viking ineptitude becomes a reoccurring theme I am going to post a weekly Idiot of the Week. The winner for Week 8 is Brian Robison. He receives the award for picking up a squib kickoff and fumbling because the Packers are terrified of Percy Harvin. Does Robison think he has a #12 on his jersey?

This play happened just after the Vikings defense held Green Bay to another field goal from the Minnesota 7 yard line! I'm sure most of you can't forget Rodgers about to scramble off into the end zone when big Pat Williams grabbed the quarterback's arm out of the air and ripped him to the turf. Huge stop for the Vikings defense.

The Robison fumble from that kickoff put the defense back on the field with literally no rest on the sideline and horrible field position starting at their own 41. If anyone noticed, that was when the momentum changed and the Packers scored two straight Havner touchdowns.

Well, I am so happy to say that Brett Favre is my quarterback because it feels good having him dominate for my team rather than dominate my team like he did for 16 seasons. I used to watch Favre do this to my purple all the time when he played for the Packers. The Vikings would score, but then he would march down the field with almost disgusting ease. A fourth quarter lead never meant anything as long as there was enough time for Brett to mount a drive. He did it all the time, and I hated it, and I hated him. But now I can see how good it feels to be on the winning side of the equation. How ironic it is to have Mr. Viking killer, killing his old team with 4 touchdowns at his old stomping grounds, sacred Lambeau.

Favre responded when the Packers were within four points. He lead the Vikings deep into Green Bay territory by throwing a 3rd and 2 touchdown pass to the TE Dugan. Of course this was all set up by the 48 yard kick return from Percy when the Packers did indeed kick to him again. Idiots, they were afraid. Percy also hauled a 15 yard pass on 3rd and 7 to continue the scoring drive. Favre is so clutch. Two big time 3rd down plays on that possession.

The Packers went on to score again by moving the ball with huge passing plays and that amazing touchdown catch that will be forever featured on Greg Jennings highlight reels.

The Vikings quickly responded. The nail in the coffin for the Packers was set up by the screen pass erupted into 44 yards deep into Green Bay territory by AP. Favre then threw his 4th touchdown, this time on 3rd and 11 to Bernard Berrian. Clutch.

Game, set, match.

IMPORTANT THINGS FROM THE GAME:

#1 Brett Favre is obviously the man. He not only has led the Vikings to a 7-1 record, but his stats against his former team are the most impressive. Favre has thrown for 515 yards, 7 touchdowns, and no interceptions vs. Green Bay. Talk about a slap in the face, huh Packer fans? I think Favre's most impressive stat of the season are his 3 interceptions. Remember that 2 of those interceptions were caused from tipped passes. Who would have thought that Favre could still be a dominant Quarterback without throwing interceptions. It is wonderful to see Brett embrace a more conservative role at his position and still dominate. Favre is 4th in the NFL in passer rating only behind #3 Drew Brees, #2 Peyton Manning, and guess who at #1? Yes sir, Aaron Rodgers. Just if the Packers could keep him from getting sacked.

#2 Favre going back and winning at Lambeau should be the headline, but all fans who watched the game know the real story. Percy Harvin = Offensive Rookie of the Year. For those faithful readers, you know that I predicted Percy winning this award Week 1. Now it is almost a certainty. He could break his leg tomorrow and still win. It is nice to see Percy get some national recognition (see ESPN's story here) which now would be impossible to avoid after what he did to the Packers. Percy had 5 receptions for 84 yards and 1 touchdown, on top of the 175 return yards he racked up. That is 259 total yards for Week 8! It is hard to believe we have a player on offense that is as dangerous as #28.

#3 Chad Greenway had a monster game at the Linebacker position. Despite Greenway having a less impressive second half, his first half work was enough to warrant him getting props from yours truly. He had 11 total tackles, 10 of them solo. Chad's most impressive play of the game came when he dove from out of the play to bat down a pass from Rodgers just as it was about to reach the waiting arms of James Jones on a 3rd down play.

#4 Aaron Rodgers was bombarded by our defensive line in Week 8. The Vikings took Rodgers to the turf for 6 sacks giving them a total of 14 sacks in their two meetings with the Packers. This time around was even more impressive than the first. The Packers obviously stressed the importance of protecting Rodgers in their game planning for this week but still could not protect their Quarterback. Jared Allen got 3 sacks, which gives him 7.5 against the Packers this season and also put him at #1 in the NFL at 10.5 total sacks. Ray Edwards continued to enforce his will with 2 sacks while Big Pat Williams flattened Rodgers for the other sack. The most important stat Vikings fans should pay attention to is that all these sacks came from our defensive line. The first game the Vikings had blitz too much to get pressure on Rodgers. Week 8 the Vikings rushed four and still were in Rodgers jollies.

#5 How many times was Favre sacked during the two match ups vs. Green Bay you ask?? How does ZERO sound?? Gotta protect the old man.

#6 Favre continues to use all his weapons in the passing game. Bernard Berrian looked solid after re aggravating his hamstring last Sunday. His best catch came when he willed himself into the end zone to put the ice on Sunday's NFC North Battle.

Sidney Rice has his quietest game in a few weeks, but still worked in 4 catches for 40 yards. Shiancoe caught his 6th touchdown of the season too making him #2 in touchdown receptions for a TE. Our passing game is a thing of beauty.

#7 Last but certainly not least is the man known as "The Diesel." He showed he will not be stopped by the Packers and their 3-4 defense. Last week I predicted 100+ rushing yards, he finished with 97. He made up for those 4 yards by taking his only reception 44 yards down the field to set up the Vikings final touchdown. He played very well, but he is yet to have his best game.

In my opinion AP is still dancing at the line of scrimmage too much. I think his game is better served when he hits the holes running hard, but he is still dominating none the less.

4 IMPORTANT THINGS FROM WEEK 8:

#1 The New Orleans Saints are not unbeatable. In their MNF match up the Saints squeaked out a win vs a tough Atlanta squad, an Atlanta squad the Minnesota Vikings are much better than. The Saints are considered by most the best team in the NFL at 7-0 and have looked impervious to anything NFL teams threw at them in the first part of the season. Well I had my first hard look at the Saints on Monday, and they are beatable...very beatable.

The Falcons had a chance to go ahead of the Saints in the 4th quarter if it wasn't for a beautiful defensive play from Johnathan Vilma where he tipped a possible touchdown pass into his teammates hands for a Saints interception. The Vikings have a defense that compares to the Falcons, but I would give the edge to the Vikings defense because of the pressure we can put on opposing Quarterbacks. That is the way to beat the Saints, pressure Drew Brees.

Our offense is just as powerful as the Saints. We could go punch for punch with them on the offensive side. The Saints have a soft defense that cannot stop the run, intercepts a lot of passes setting up their offense for scores, and gives up tons of points. As I stated above, Favre doesn't throw interceptions or get confused by defensive schemes. We have the best running back in the NFL. We score a ton of points. Advantage Vikings.

#2 The undefeated Colts are beatable too. The scrappy 49ers defense gave the Colts high powered offense a lot of trouble. The Colts only scored 18 points. I also cannot believe the Colts defense has given up the fewest points in the NFL with 91. But honestly the Colts have played one of the easiest schedules with their only real competition coming from the 49ers and I would even say the Dolphins too. Thankfully the Colts have a tough four weeks approaching with match ups against the Patriots, Ravens, and two against the Texans.

#3 The Dallas Cowboys and Phildelphia Eagles have emerged in the NFC East. Both had convincing victories over their competition this weekend. The Eagles victory much more impressive as they stomped the slumping Giants. What happened to the Giants? They have not even been compettive in their match ups during their three game losing streak. The best part about the Eagles and Cowboys...they play on Sunday night for sole possession of first place in the difficult NFC East.

#4 The RAMS won a game! Some guy said the Rams were as bad as last years 0-16 Lions, and this proves they are not. Steven Jackson rolled through the, well Lions defense to win the game in the 4th quarter. With a beast like that in your backfield,, no NFL team could go win-less.

Thanks, Ted!

2009-11-02T12:13:00.000-08:00

Mike McCarthy’s Green Bay Packers are 5-2 against the Minnesota Vikings. Well, that is, before yesterday they were. Now it’s 5-3 and the most recent loss probably outweighs the five wins in the minds of Packer fans everywhere. But, honestly it’s not McCarthy’s team, it’s Ted Thompson’s. And for him, yesterday’s loss had more sting than any other.

From signs that said “We’ll never 4get you, Brent” to “Halloween is over Brett, take off that silly purple costume” the Packer faithful was determined to take a page from Thompson and show Brett Favre that everything he did for their franchise meant nothing anymore.

Thankfully for Viking fans, Favre had no qualms giving yet another stellar performance inside the vaunted walls of Lambeau Field. Going 17 of 28 for 244 yards and an amazing 4 touchdowns, Favre certainly let it be known his professional services and loyalty belonged to the Purple Pride. With seven of his closest friends on the receiving end of those passes, and all four touchdowns delivered to different men, Favre bewildered the Packers defense the same way he’d done it to others on their behalf for over 250 games in the past.

When Favre first demanded to be released by Green Bay, the word was “he thinks he’s bigger than the game”. Well, when you consider the fact that football is entertainment and Favre has been the man in the spotlight in some of the NFL’s biggest games, including the highest ranked cable sports broadcast in history, you have to ask yourself, what if he is?

However, that’s a murky, nebulous debate for a later day. What we can discern with laser like accuracy is the fact that Favre is more important than Packer GM Ted Thompson. This of course, begs the question “is that why Thompson sent Favre packing in the first place?” Was it ego, uncut and unmitigated, or was it truly a pure business decision? Favre himself stated that it was (Thompson had to do something with Aaron Rodgers as he came up to his first new contract and cutting him didn’t seem to be an option), but circumstances seem to say otherwise.

Case in point: rewind to early 2007. Sitting before Ted Thompson was a trade offer from Oakland, whereby the Raiders would send Randy Moss to Green Bay in exchange for Aaron Rodgers and DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila. Sure Thompson would have lost a marquee defender and his QB of the future, but here’s a newsflash: this is the NFL where the future doesn’t matter anymore, only this season counts and if you aren’t Lombardi hunting, you’re consider to be a fool. Bringing Moss into Green Bay would most certainly have tipped the scales in the Packers last deep playoff run and Thompson would have a nice new piece of jewelry.

Instead, he has a “solid business decision” to share with his grandchildren.

After the fallout from that faux pas, we fast forward to 2009, seconds after Thompson watched his Packers get swept by the hated Vikings, and we begin to wonder, how solid was that decision? For Packers fans, Brett Favre spent sixteen seasons being their Superman, the question now is: Has Ted Thompson become Lex Luthor?

One thing’s for sure, the man of steel has won this round, with 515 yards, 7 touchdowns and zero interceptions to show for it.

Good job, Ted. On behalf Viking’s fans everywhere, keep up the good work.

For more football coverage from Mike Bullock, check out www.realfootball365.com

Packer Fans: It Takes A Waffle to Know A Waffle

2009-10-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

For the past decade-and-a-half, Sunday afternoons in Wisconsin have sounded something like this:

"Our Favre,Who art in Lambeau,Hallowed be thine arm.The bowl will come,It will be won.In (insert Super Bowl city here) as it is in Lambeau.And give us this Sunday,Our weekly win.And give us many touchdown passes.But do not let others pass against us.Lead us not into frustration,But deliver us to (insert Super Bowl city here).For thine is the MVP, the best of the NFC,and the glory of the Cheeseheads,now and forever. Amen."

Well, at least 16 of the past 18 years.

This Sunday, when Favre's Vikings (oh, you haven't heard? Favre plays for the Vikings now...) goes to Green Bay to take on the Packers, there will be nothing but a hateful respect.

Meh, who am I kidding. It will be down-right, blinded by rage hate.

Green Bay mayor Jim Schmitt asked Packerland for "tasteful" ways to welcome the former Green Bay god back to Lambeau field. The itinerary for Sunday's game includes waffle fries (reflecting on the QB's retirement troubles) and has requested that fans wear flip-flops to the game.

Packer fan site cheeseheadtv.com wants to have a video montage of Favre's interceptions, concluding with his last pass as a Packer, which was an interception in a 23-20 loss to the New York Giants in the 2007 NFC Championship Game. The Pack was 13-3 that season, which was tied for the best record during the Favre era.

They have even temporarily renamed Minnesota Ave in Green Bay to Aaron Rodgers Place.
Never mind that Favre broke every offensive passing record while with the Packers. Never mind the three consecutive MVP awards. Never mind a Green Bay's first NFL championship in 30 years. Never mind that Green Bay had two winning seasons from 1970 to 1992. Never mind that Green Bay had one losing season from 1992-2007. Never mind that he is one of the most recognizable and respected NFL stars over the last 20 years.

Never mind that he still wanted to play for the Green Bay Packers when they traded him to the New York Jets in 2008.

If anything, Packer fans should be grilling Packers GM Ted Thompson for trading the legend in the first place. Favre has shown that he can still obviously play, going 15-8 since leaving the Pack.

If you think that that is interesting, read this:

On KFAN-1130 AM out of St. Louis Park, MN, radio host Dan Barreiro read an e-mail from a fan:

"Aaron is the second best quarterback ever in Green Bay after Bart Starr."

I don't know if this was a sincere e-mail from a sincere Packer fan, but it wouldn't surprise me.
After all, last year's 6-10 season is behind them. The Packers are 4-2, and one of their losses has come from Favre's Vikings.

Last Wednesday, there was a long discussion on a local Milwaukee radio station debating A-Rodg's bid for the Hall of Fame.

Are you kidding me? Obviously it is a case of withdrawal from trading one of the greatest quarterbacks ever. A-Rodg doesn't have a winning record. He hasn't won a playoff game, let alone made the playoffs.

Yes, you can argue that he has put up some lofty numbers, but how many legit teams has he beaten?

Rodgers has a career 10-12 record. In 2008 they beat the Lions twice (0-16), they beat the Seattle Seahawks (4-12). Yes he beat the Indianapolis Colts (12-4), the Chicago Bears (9-7), and the Vikings (10-6).

In 2009, off to their hot 4-2 start, they have beat the Chicago Bears (3-3), the Detroit Lions (1-5), the Cleveland Browns (1-6), and the St. Louis Rams (0-7), while they have lost to the Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) and the Vikings (6-1).

We will see what stage Rodgers is at when he plays the tougher part of his schedule (at Pittsburgh, vs. Baltimore, at Arizona) later during the season.

Favre is the only quarterback to have beaten every NFL franchise.

In a August 2008 interview, Rodgers was quoted as saying, "The things I can't understand and take personally is when I'm punching in my punch code and somebody says (bleep) you to me. It kinda bothers me. Or when a little kid is yelling swear words at me. That kinda gets to me. The boos, they expect a high level of play and they miss Brett Favre. I understand that. But the (bleep) you, and the little kids saying swear words to me? I don't understand that."

It has gone from there to Packer fans, being what they are (waffles) who used to wear at their quarterback now swear by him.

I have nothing against Aaron Rodgers. The guy is a class act and will probably have a good career.

But seriously, Packer fans. All the hype and all the pressure you are putting on this kid is way too much.

You used to have the greatest pressure-situation quarterback of all-time. And you traded him. Brett Favre only comes once in a lifetime. You could have had him for his entire non-bench-sitting career. He would have been remembered as a Packer and only a Packer.

But from now on, when you mention Brett Favre, the Vikings are going to come up.
And for Vikes fans, there is nothing sweeter than to have the best player in your franchise history extend all of his records and play for the "best team he (Favre) have ever played for", have dramatic come-from-behind wins, be all over the media in Minnesota when you could have kept him in Green Bay.

The only explanation for the sudden Rodgers swing is having Favre in purple. Before, Packer fans didn't care much. Favre was traded to New York. He was in the AFC.
But now he is back, and he is playing in the division.

The entire anti-Favre pro-Rodgers saga is a defense mechanism. Fans, in my opinion only love Rodgers to get back at Brett Favre.

It is love at second sight. And the only reason that it is love at second sight is that they are desperate.

Check out more of Zeke Fuhrman's articles at www.bleacherreport.com!

Officially Irate

2009-10-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

I have been mulling it over since Sunday and I can’t take it anymore—the officiating during the Minnesota Vikings loss to the Pittsburg Steelers was highly suspicious. So suspicious, in fact, that a cynical person would suspect them of taking bribes from the Steelers organization. It’s a good thing I’m such a starry-eyed optimist.

Although it smacks of being a poor loser, and I am, I maintain that the officiating played a pivotal role in the Vikings’ loss to the Steelers. I’m not saying that the Vikings’ own shortcomings didn’t come back to bite them, they definitely did, but for the bulk of the game they were hanging in there with the defending champion Steelers—for three quarters they remained within three to four points of each other. While the Vikings were plagued by messy play that brought on its own share of penalties, there were at least three highly questionable calls. It is too bad that Coach Childress had only two challenge flags and that one of those flags was wasted early in the game.

The first incredibly hinky call I noticed was the ruling on the field that Sidney Rice was not in bounds when he caught a pass for a nice gain. Not in bounds? When they showed the replay you could see a margin of green between Rice’s feet and the sidelines. And he had control of the ball. Fortunately, Childress still had a challenge flag at that point in the game and the ruling on the field was over-turned on challenge.

The next call to make Vikings fans cock their heads and squint with incredulity was on another great play with Sidney Rice. Rice hauled in a sweet ten-yard pass from Brett Favre for a touchdown, but the play was undone by a tripping penalty called on Jeff Dugan. Watching the replay, I couldn’t see evidence of tripping, just a cut, and I wasn’t the only one. Childress was so rankled that he reportedly phoned Mike Pereira, the NFL’s vice president of officiating, on Monday to make his displeasure known.

Finally, and I found this very educational, there was a call on Cedric Griffin for a defensive delay of game. I didn’t even know it was possible for the defense to delay the game, but, apparently, it is. Like I said, that call was educational. The guys in the booth who were calling the game had to look it up because they weren’t familiar with that call either. My friend Kyle has some experience officiating football games and was probably the sole person in the viewing audience familiar with the existence of a defensive delay of game rule. But, familiar or not, the call very graciously provided Pittsburg with a fresh set of downs so they could take more time off the clock, denying the Vikings time to rally a comeback.

One questionable call isn’t surprising. Things happen fast and the officials might not have a good angle on the action. Two questionable calls look odd, but it happens. However, three questionable calls at pivotal points in the game, one of which took away a touchdown, looks more like services rendered. It also expands the definition of “home field advantage.” And it isn’t as if the refs needed to dig up obscure and suspicious calls to nix the Vikings chances in the game, they were already playing sloppily and had incurred eight penalties that no one batted an eye at.

Would the Vikings have been able to beat the Steelers if it hadn’t been for those calls? I don’t know. But it seems fairly clear that they weren’t going to win if they had to beat the Steelers and the officials. And, this is a small point, but officials imposing themselves on the game the way they did, well, that is just insulting to a great football team like the Pittsburg Steelers.

-Skol Girl

MISSED OPPORTUNITES.

2009-10-29T14:08:00.000-07:00

Thoughts by: Matthew Deery
www.DisputedKnowledge.com

Let me start off by saying that Sidney Rice is a beast, period. One would think his performance against the Ravens could not be topped as he pulled in 6 balls for 176 yards. Fast forward to last week against the Steerlers, he caught 10 passes for 136 yards. I'd say he topped his Raven performance. He really had an 11th catch which turned out to be a touchdown only to be taken away by one of the worst tripping calls by the referees I have ever seen.

The Vikings SHOULD have beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, exclamation point!

There is no way to describe this football game other than the title of this article. The Vikings missed or blew more opportunities in this game then I have seen since last year's team. The Vikings could have put this game out of reach against a very good team, the defending champion Steelers, in many different parts in football game.

The glaring failure by Minnesota was not the two red zone turnovers, but a 3rd quarter possession that made it all the way to the Steelers one yard line. How do the Vikings have first and goal on the one yard line and only come out with 3 points? The Vikings feature the best RB in the entire league and still can't punch it in? I personally believe the play calling is to blame for this disappointment. Bevell or Childress called two pass plays, and only one run play. Really, from the one yard line? I was watching the game with my father, and I told him over and over the rest of the game, "The Vikings needed to score a TD there, we are going to pay for that." What do you know...

Not to mention the 3rd and goal pass went to Jim Kleinsassser?? Someone needs to tell Favre, and tell him now, never to throw block hands Kleinsasser the football, EVER! He is a good blocker, but his pass catching abilities are that of Edward Scissorhands and I am disgusted anytime the Vikings waste a play throwing him the ball.

With a touchdown from the one yard line the Vikings would have only been down by 6 points with 1:00 left on the clock following the two red zone turnovers. Don't think for one second that the Vikings could not have scored in that last minute situation. They made it all the way to the Steelers 36 yard line, but it didn't matter at that point because they were down by 10 and not 6.

What a waste of a quality game turned in by most of the Vikings team (especially the weakened secondary), only to be wasted by a horrible call by the officials and two red zone turnovers to be returned for touchdowns. Two times the Steelers get turnovers in their own territory and run it all the way back for touchdowns? What kind of ridiculous blessing is that?

Don't get me wrong, the Steelers made those plays happen and I respect that. But any real football fan has to admit that a lot of luck is involved for two plays like that to happen and for two Steeler defenders to run 75+ yards untouched for touchdowns. Not to mention the strip on Favre happened on a 3rd and 8 that should never have happened because Sidney Rice made a great play to score and the refs took it way for a ridiculous tripping call on 1st and 10. So if the 3rd down never happens there is a 14 point swing, game over. The refs get reprimanded when they make bad calls, and I bet they will be getting a phone call from their boss.

I watch a lot of football, and I can honestly say I have never seen anything like that in my life. Two promising Viking drives that would put them on top terminated by a strip of Favre (not his fault) and a pass off Chester Taylor's hands that falls right into the arms of Keyaron Fox (also not Favre's fault). How could the Steelers get so lucky to be in the right place and time twice to return Viking turnovers for 77 yard and 82 yard touchdowns? A good defense might make plays like that two or three times in a season, but for it to happen twice in the 4th quarter? Even more importantly once on the "game winning" drive the Vikings had working with less than 2 minutes left on the clock, come on Chester.

I don't know about you, but when Adrian Peterson ran through William Gay like the Steelers cornerback was a 4th grade girl playing flag football in gym class I was 99% sure Minnesota was going to improve to 7-0. After the first huge turnover, the Vikings showed resilience and were still in position to win that football game.

Resilience took the form of soon to be Offensive Rookie of the Year Percy Harvin. He has shown that he is not just a fast or tough player, but a big time player who makes plays when it counts. I am sure Minnesota fans could never believe we would get a steal better than the 2007 draft when AP fell into the Vikings lap at #7 overall. Percy Harvin joining our roster as the #22 pick in the draft is by far a steal that surmounts getting AP. Twenty one NFL teams passed up this kid and now are kicking themselves.

IMPORTANT THINGS FROM THE GAME:

#1 Steve Hutchinson had a false start penalty. You must be thinking, "A false start penalty, who cares?" Believe this next piece of information or not, that was Hutchinson's first penalty in 27 games. I cannot even wrap my head around that. 27 games?! My hat is off to you Steve Hutchinson, Mr. Never-Gets-Penalties-football-plaaayer! (real men of genius, anyone?)

#2 The Steelers defense is definitely the best defense the Vikings have faced yet. If it wasn't for some bad play calling and unfortunate events (i.e. turnovers) the Vikings offense would have thrown a big number points-wise on the Steel Curtain.The offense also showed that even after a horrific turnover like the fumble return for a touchdown they can still bounce back and mount a drive, or return kick offs. Unfortunately for us the next promising possession also screeched to a crashing halt with an interception. But as I stated earlier, resilience is a trait our team has, and it is a very important one. A football team never actually believing they are out of a game no matter what happens is paramount. Every play is a new opportunity.

#3 The vulnerable pass defense held its own against one of the leagues fiercest passing attacks. Pittsburgh's two biggest threats Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward were held to 3 catches between them. Even the dangerous Heath Miller was held in check. He caught 6 passes but only netted 38 yards and no touchdowns. Pittsburgh scored 27 points and 14 of those came from well....you know by now. The Vikings defense held the Steelers offense to 13 points, which should fare very well against the Packers potent passing attack next week.

#4 Speaking of the Packers, Favre makes his anticipated return to Lambeau for the first time in a jersey other than green and gold. The ironic thing will be the hated purple jersey he will be wearing. Who would have honestly thought 2 or more years ago Favre would ever be a Viking?

An important stat from last weeks Packers/Browns game is the number of times Aaron Rodgers was sacked, 0. Granted stats versus the Browns are hardly an accomplishment, but the Packers have worked hard to protect Rodgers since the first match up. Go get'em again Jared.

#5 Bernard Berrian, E.J. Henderson, and Antoine Winfield have all been missing practice time this week because of injuries. I am sure E.J. will play because he only has a sore knee and he is a warrior. We all saw Berrian get hurt on Sunday, and this is the same hamstring that kept him out of preseason action. Not good. Antoine is almost a surefire absence on Sunday in Green Bay, especially with the prospective of the bye for week 9. We need Antoine healthy for the long haul, and his substitutes held their own against the Steelers. The Packers have some notable injuries themselves including: Jermichael Finley, Charles Woodson, Jordy Nelson, and Clay Matthews. Only Nelson is out indefinitely.

#6 Sidney Rice cannot be stopped by any cornerback in the NFL today. Favre and Rice are not only on the same page, but the same sentence so to speak. I always had confidence that Sidney could turn out to be a big time NFL wideout, and he has proven his worth with a quarterback like Favre. How about that sideline grab he held onto while being whacked by Troy Palamalu while still keeping his toes in bounds?
Legen...wait for it, DARY. Bring on Champ Bailey!

How about this equation: Pro + Bowl = Sidney + Rice

Sidney has 545 receiving yards on 33 catches. He is 7th in the NFL and 3rd in the NFC in yards. Only two touchdowns, (should be three!) so we gotta put him in the paydirt.

#7 Look for AP to rebound from his lack luster performance against Green Bay the first time around. I'm sure he cannot be pleased with being held in check by the hated rival Packers. AP proved he can have plenty of success against the leagues best 3-4 defense, the Ravens. Any observer could tell he was pumped up at the end of the Steelers game; look for that to carry over into this important NFC North battle. We need a big game out of him to take some pressure of Favre's shoulders, and he knows it. Just for one of my faithful readers Mitch, I am going to predict The Diesel finishing with over 100 yards...hopefully a couple touchdowns.

3 VERY IMPORTANT THINGS FROM WEEK 7:

#1 The Bengals gave any team playing the Bears this year the recipe to destroy their defense. Pass first, run second. The Bears secondary is so weak. Favre and his arsenal of wide receivers should have no problems picking apart their heralded Cover 2 scheme that is a shell of what it used to be. Carson Palmer threw for 5 touchdowns by the 3rd quarter! The Vikings need to follow suit with a heavy passing attack when we play Chicago. After the Bengals jumped up to a huge lead, the started pounding Cedric Benson down the Bears throats. The Vikings also have to play this amazing Bengals offense Week 14.

#2 The Saints look impervious to anything a NFL team throws at them. They have not even had a close game yet. There closest game was their 12 point over the Dolphins this week, and the Miami wasn't even the best team the Saints played. The Saints showed some Vikings type resilience against the Dolphins this past week overcoming a 21 point deficit to stay perfect. The Saints have outscored opponents 238 to 127. Their defense allows points, but they score so much and so often it doesn't matter. Not looking forward to seeing them in the post season.

#3 The Giants lost again. They lost to the Arizona Cardinals, who are also and upcoming foe for the Vikings. The Giants looked like the best team in the NFL (arguable obviously) through the first 5 weeks and now have dropped 2 straight. The Giants secondary is greatly weakened by injuries and the Vikings has an opportunity to take advantage of that on Week 17. The Cardinals have rebounded with three straight victories after looking nothing like a 2008 Superbowl team the first three weeks of the season. Just another NFC opponent for Minnesota faithful to worry about.

Any thoughts?

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2nd Half Strikeout

2009-10-27T16:32:00.000-07:00

Like many games so far this season, the Vikings had another thriller of a 4^th quarter. In a marquee matchup versus the defending Super Bowl champion, Pittsburgh Steelers, the boys in purple had three prime opportunities to take the lead and close out the game for good. Unfortunately, things didn’t finish up like MN fans have grown accustomed to as of late with the Steeler’s handing the Vikes their first loss of the 2009 NFL season.

Perhaps the best chance the Vikings had was the first and goal series that started inside the Steelers 1-yard line in the 3^rd quarter down 13-7. When you have the best running back in football, a monstrous offensive line, and at least four chances to stuff it in for six, it kind of makes you wonder how that drive ended with a field goal that was a shorter kick than an extra point attempt. Why not take another opportunity on 4^th down to come away with a touchdown with the worst case scenario resulting in the Steelers offense starting at their own goal line? Needless to say, the conservative play-calling from Childress continued and our first real chance to take the lead slipped away. Strike one.

The next breakdown occurred after an impressive drive that began at the Vikings own 3-yard line. The Vikings methodically marched down the field, taking nearly eight minutes off the clock. This time, the team was killed by poor calls from the officials. On a third and 18, Sidney Rice made a beautiful 25-yard catch on the sidelines for a first down, clearly planting both feet in bounds before being shoved from behind by Mr. Polamalu. The officials ruled ‘no catch’ and a peeved Childress immediately threw the red challenge flag. The call was overturned, but the challenge shouldn’t have even needed to happen in the first place. And it didn’t end there. Later in the drive, Favre connected with Sidney again, this time for a touchdown. This would have given the Vikings that much-needed lead, but the play was nullified by a tripping call on backup tight end, Jeff Dugan. The replay showed Dugan taking out linebacker James Harrison with a low block that resulted in Harrison going airborne. There was no tripping involved, but the damage from the penalty had been done and the Vikings were forced to have another crack at a score. Two plays later on 3^rd down, Favre had the ball slapped loose and a very excited LaMarr Woodley scooped it up and scampered 77 yards the other way for a touchdown and the first major counterattack by the Steelers D. Strike two.

At this point, most of us were too disgusted to even think about what needed to happen for us to have a legitimate shot at coming back. The only way we might have a chance would be to gain some momentum back through an equally big play as the fumble TD. No sooner had this though crossed my mind than our rookie sensation, Percy Harvin, turned on the afterburners and outran all 11 of the Steeler’s special teamers on the ensuing kickoff for an 88-yard return score. And just like that, we were all given another dose of false hope.

After a quick offensive series for the Steelers, the Vikings got the ball back with a little more than 3 minutes remaining and were looking like they’d make it another last second nail biter. It was during this drive that the best “Dear God!” moment of the game went down. AP got a short pass from Favre coming across the middle and absolutely plowed over cornerback, William Gay. The destruction that was unleashed on this play even made Steeler fans giddy. Down 17-20 at this point, the Vikings moved the ball to the Steelers 19 with about a minute to go. The play calling again comes into question as a screen to a usually reliable Chester Taylor was set up, only to have the ball bounce off the hands of Taylor and into the lap of linebacker Keyaron Fox who ran with a cloud of Steelers defenders for an 82-yard slap in the face, putting the game out of reach for good. Strike three, you’re out.

You can chalk up the loss to a number of different meltdowns by the Vikings offense. Every time there was the slightest mistake made, the Steelers defense countered and countered fast. It’s tough to enter Heinz Field and leave victorious even with a perfect record in the mix. Overall, it was not a poorly played game by either team. Sure, there were certain plays that could have and probably should have yielded different results, but this is the world of sports and nothing is a given. It’s time to start planning for next week when the Vikings travel next door to Green Bay to square off against a dangerous Packers squad that’s reeling to even the score.

-- Ryan Fortune

When Run Teams Go Pass

2009-10-26T16:03:00.000-07:00

The Vikings had this one. They had it like Minnesota has lakes. It was simple really. Run the ball, run down the clock, punch it in for six with too little time left for the Steelers to retaliate and game over, 7-0 here we come.

And, that’s when it happened. You could almost feel the paradigm shifting.

Somewhere between Adrian Peterson bulldozing Mr. Gay, and the phantom tripping call, our beloved Vikings turned their back on being a running team. Somehow, somewhere, someone decided the best way to run down the clock was to… here it comes… pass the ball.

Sheesh.

The team itself deserves an “A” for effort. Minus Antoine Winfield, the defense managed to hold the league’s best passer to only 175 yards through the air. Yes, the same D that gave up more than that to Joe Flacco in the fourth quarter manned up and rolled the London fog out on Big Ben.

Sydney Rice continued to do his best impersonation of Larry Fitzgerald, Brett Favre continued to look as if he was twenty-five instead of forty and Jared Allen brought the heat, even through Pittsburgh’s highly vaunted o-line.

But, apparently that wasn’t good enough.

For a coaching staff that spends far too much time being criticized for conservative play calling to suddenly throw caution, and the ball, to the wind in a moment where conservation is key boggles the mind.

And, in the blink of an eye, despite Percy Harvin’s best efforts to the contrary, the Vikings were dealt their first loss.

However, there are quite a few positives to take away from this game.

A lot of Minnesota’s critics have called them soft, said they beat teams that anyone can beat, then struggled when it came time to do the same against the stout Raven’s defense.

However, if one play… ONE PLAY had been called differently from the sidelines into Favre’s helmet, Peterson and company most likely would have scored again, preserving the win streak and showing those critics that Minnesota is for real.

Even in light of that singularly disastrous play, the critics don’t have much food for fodder anymore. Unless, that is, they want to question why a power run team thinks pass in obvious running situations.

-Mike Bullock

DEFENSIVE COLLAPSE.

2009-10-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

Thoughts by: Matthew Deery
www.DisputedKnowledge.com

Let me start off by saying that Sidney Rice is a beast, period. With the exception of Brett Favre, he is the second biggest reason for the Vikings victory Sunday.That and the missed field goal seen left.

Secondly, Joe Flacco is an absolute stud. He will be a feature quarterback in the NFL for a long time to come. One of the television commentators stated during the broadcast, "There isn't anything that you can dislike about Joe as a quarterback in this league." I agree with that statement 100%, besides when he is facing Minnesota. The unbelievable precision throws he made under duress from our assaulting defense is something any football fan should revel and feel fortunate to be able to see this rising star play. Joe is a player who goes about his business the right way on and off the field with a humble heart. His calm demeanor on the side line and in the game looked that of a veteran, not a second year quarterback.

Wow, and I bet most of us thought the 49ers game was going to be the biggest nail biter of this season. The match up on Sunday was a game that the Vikings had in hand for the duration of three and a half quarters. Then the defense collapsed; but with a missed 44 yard field goal from former Viking Steve Hauschka as time ran off the clock sealed the Raven's fate and moved the Vikings to 6-0.

The first two drives of the game for the Vikings could not have gone any better for a Minnesota fan. The Vikings moved the ball seamlessly down the field with the passing and running game. Completing each drive were touchdown passes to Shiancoe to Berrian. Seeing the Baltimore defense allow our offense to move the ball like that did not seem right.

In addition to the 14-0 deficit the Baltimore offense struggled in every facet of their attack. The Vikings run defense looked of years past by only allowing the Ravens to accumulate 11 first half rushing yards. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh stated before the game he wanted to establish the running game early, but the Vikings saw to deny that plan. The pass defense was stellar despite losing Pro Bowler Antoine Winfield early in the game with a sprained foot. The line created pressure making Flacco out of rhythm and which never allowed the passing game to never pick up steam.

The Ravens manufactured 3 points by halftime with a nice drive complemented with plenty of Vikings penalties.

At halftime I was scratching my head a little. I was not thinking of the complete domination the Vikings put on the Ravens with a 14-3 lead. I was thinking of how this team full of dangerous weapons at every position would not be kept at bay this entire game. I was thinking about the Vikings drives succeeding the first two all had the common theme of the Raven defensive prowess. When I began to see the Raven defense pick it up I knew that their high powered offense would not remain stagnant the entire game.

The third quarter resembled the first half with the Vikings forcing the Ravens to a 3-and-out on their first possession. The Vikings picked up the scoring again by moving the ball with their running attack and setting up a field goal from Ryan Longwell.

Then the Ravens coaches went online to www.DisputedKnowledge.com and looked at my last weeks recap of the Vikings/Rams game. In the article I describe the Vikings glaring weaknesses on defense like: allowing short pass plays to turn into huge chunks of yardage, our weak secondary coverage while we blitz (and even more so without Antoine), and our inability to stop teams that use their running backs effectively in their screen game.

So what do the Raven's come out and do? They begin to pick away at our defense with short yardage passes, use Ray Rice perfectly in their screen game, and burn our secondary with huge pass plays as Joe Flacco is bombing the ball down field with all sorts of Viking pressure in his face.

I knew at halftime that the Ravens were not just going to lose by 2 scores like the first half indicated; they are a top 10 offense and a far superior team than that.

Well anyone who watched the game knew that the Vikings defense not only gave up points to the Ravens defense, but it was lightning fashion. The Ravens scored so much so quickly it was only a matter of minutes between Vikings fans counting that sixth victory to forcing down a first loss. After a Vikings score to increase the lead 27-10, the Ravens next 3 possessions lasted 1:33, 0:49, and 0:07 all resulting in touchdowns. That is a total of 21 points in 2 minutes and 29 seconds of game time!

After the Vikings went down from the 33 yard touchdown in which Ray Rice was untouched (Tyrell Johnson missed his spot), they got the ball back with a chance to take the lead with a score. With 3 minutes left in the game Favre hit Sidney Rice in single coverage down the field for a 58 yard strike setting the Vikings up on the Ravens 18. Of course, three consecutive running plays for nothing and another Longwell field goal.

I remember thinking as Sidney caught the ball, "Oh no, the Ravens still will have so much time left if we score here!" The field goal instead of a touchdown did not help my anxiety.

The Ravens easily moved the ball yet again as Flacco looked like a seasoned vet leading his team on the "game winning" drive. Well thankfully the kicker missed, Vikes are 6-0.

I really hate when games are determined by field goal play.

Important things from the game:

#1 Favre gets it done.

#2 E.J. Henderson played the worst game I have ever seen him play. He was stiff armed away from Ray Rice on the Raven running back's first touchdown run, missed another tackle on Rice which would have prevented his screen pass from turning into 63 yards, and was absent in the role as defensive leader. It is going to be a tough week of film for E.J. and his coaches to watch.

#3 AP got back on track against one of the best defenses in the NFL. It was nice to see him push the field with some big runs again, and also gain consistent yardage on the small ones. The Diesel has now reclaimed the lead atop the NFL leader board for yardage by RB's.

#4 Each time the Ravens were punching in the 4th quarter, the Vikings had a counter punch. The unfortunate thing is our counter punches were much weaker because the play calling got conservative in Raven's territory (i.e. field goals). A huge pass to Sidney and a huge run by AP amounted to nothing but 6 points. I honestly would like to see the play calling get aggressive in those situations and see if we can't walk out with 7 points.

When your opponent is down, you step on their throat. We needed touchdowns to offset the Raven's clicking offense, and the three conservative running plays to AP after the Sidney bomb was a huge coaching mistake. With the ball so close, why not take a shot at the end zone? Sure three running plays gets the Ravens to burn all their time outs. But what respectable NFL quarterback can't lead their team to field goal range with no time outs and 2+ minutes left? I would argue Flacco is a soon to be great QB, and with the way the Vikings defense was playing why would the coaches feel complacent settling for a FG? With Favre and Sidney killing the Raven's secondary, why not give them a shot at six? A touchdown is absolutely necessary there, and it obviously showed. I am concerned.

#5 Our secondary is more frail than Lindsey Lohan's bones without Antoine Winfield to hold it down. Great quarterbacks like Flacco will pick apart a secondary that allows big yardage like ours. I recant my earlier statement that E.J. is the defenses best player; it is clearly Antoine. Today Childress addressed the injuries of Winfield, AP, and Harvin. Antoine's status is uncertain as Childress sugar coated his delivery by saying "all players heal differently."

Well that is inherently bad news because most likely Antoine will not be ready to go next week against the defending champion Steelers and the leagues leading passer for yards Ben Roethlisberger. It is going to be a tough week to watch our pass coverage try and hold the Steelers #2 overall passing game in check.

#6 Ray Lewis is still a dominant force in this league as a middle linebacker. His 7 tackles and sack on Favre in the 4th quarter was proof.

#7 Ryan Longwell is $.

Good teams find ways to win, and that is exactly what the Vikings did on Sunday. It was not pretty by any means, but the hometown purple got it done. Don't under value this victory against the now 3-3 Raven team that will surely finish with a much better record. We beat a really good team on Sunday, a team even better than the Packers. Next Sunday Minnesota faces a team better than the Ravens.

Other notes from the NFL:

Denver is a lot better than I gave them credit for. They play so well in uniforms so ugly. Their defense is stellar, and they are definitely a force to be reckoned with in the AFC.

Tom Brady threw 5 touchdown passes in the 2nd quarter, an NFL record! Who could have predicted that the once prominent Cinderella team of last season the Tennessee Titans could fall so far from grace in just one season. They lost 59-0 to Brady and the Patriots!

What football fan could have possibly predicted that the impressive looking Philadelphia Eagles would lose to the lowly Raiders? Not me.

What football fan could have predicted that the New Orleans Saints would not only beat the New York Giants, but absolutely dismantled them. Seven different Saints scored touchdowns on Sunday, seven!

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Too Much Excitement

2009-10-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

I like an exciting football game as much as the next person, but there are some forms of excitement I can do without. Biting my nails and hoping that the Baltimore Ravens kicker Steven Hauschka would miss a field goal so the Minnesota Vikings could win, falls into that category. Considering the first quarter that the Vikings played, I didn’t think the game would be decided in the last two seconds. I don’t think anybody did.

In what seemed like proof of the fabled offensive gelling we’ve been hearing so much about, Brett Favre and the Vikings offense took the field (with obscenely good field position, thanks to Percy Harvin) and set about kicking some ass. Just nine minutes into the first quarter the Vikings had put 14 points on the board and the defense prevented the Ravens from answering back with so much as a first down.

For a Minnesota Vikings fan, life was good. And then things started getting…interesting, and not in a good way.

The Ravens, eventually, mounted retaliation, but nothing that seemed like cause for concern. The Viking lead was still firmly in place. Normally, when a team is up 27-10 in the fourth it looks like they will win, but the Ravens, whose offense had been stifled for most of the game, scored 21 points in an incredible surge with just ten minutes left in regulation. Joe Flacco and Ray Rice made it look easy.

Worse than the points on the board, which were bad enough, Antoine Winfield, Adrian Peterson, and Percy Harvin were injured. The loss of Peterson and Harvin, though very bad, is somewhat mitigated by the depth at those positions. However the loss of Antoine Winfield seriously maimed the Vikings defense exposing a major deficit in the defense’s depth at cornerback as they tried to defend against Joe Flacco’s laser-guided passing attack. Jared Allen was in Flacco’s face, Kevin Williams was giving him a “welcome-to-gravity” hug, and they guy was still hitting his receivers in stride. Karl Paymah may be good, but it is readily apparent that if Winfield isn’t playing, the Vikings defense isn’t good enough to stop a red-hot passing game.

That saying “Old age and treachery will overcome youth and ability” came into play in the last two seconds of the game when Childress called a time out just as Steve Hauschka was going to kick a 44-yard field goal. Childress iced the kicker, the kick went wide left, and the extremely lucky Minnesota Vikings won.

I hate feeling depressed about a win. There is nothing wrong with luck and football is not like figure skating, you don’t get style points. So, a win is a win.

Let us now turn to what went right. In the midst of all the uncertainty that the Vikings’ uneven play against the Ravens garners, let’s all cheer Sidney Rice on his breakthrough game. Favre connected with him on six catches for a scorching hot career-high of 176 yards. It is probably too early to say this, but seeing some of the catches Rice made reminded me of watching Randy Moss. Brett Favre threw no interceptions, kept his cool when the game was on the line in the fourth, and bombed out his own laser-guided missiles as often as the conservative play-calling allowed him to. And, Adrian Peterson had his first game of more than 100 yards since the season opener.

If the Minnesota Vikings are going beat teams with winning records, then consistency and aggressiveness are going to have to be their watchwords. And that isn’t just for the players, that goes for the coaching staff too. Another team started their game Sunday hitting hard and scoring fast, the New England Patriots. Unlike the Vikings, the Patriots didn’t score a couple touchdowns and then start calling conservative, eat-up-the-clock plays. Who eats up the clock in the first quarter? They stayed aggressive and piled up the points against the Tennessee Titans faster than the snow on their field. Tom Brady threw 5 touchdown passes in one quarter. There wasn’t any of this eat-up-the-clock madness, champions just don't do that.

There have been plenty of times when the Vikings defense has bailed out the offense, now it is time for the offense to step it up and return the favor. For the Vikings to win big games against tough teams, they need the tough play-calling that will bury opposing teams, not let them hang around for a fourth-quarter comeback. We don’t need that kind of excitement.

-Skol Girl