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Minnesota Vikings Player Power Rankings, Mid-Season Edition

Gonzo — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:44:23 -0000

I really meant to do one of these back during the pre-season so that we'd have something to compare it to at this point, but I forgot to. I apologize for that. But, as usual, we'll have our mid-season version. . .conveniently designed to go along with the Vikings' bye week. . .and our post-season version to compare.

I've done these for the past couple of seasons, after originally getting the idea from our friends over at Dawgs by Nature. (See the 2007 mid-season and post-season versions, as well as the 2008 mid-season and post-season versions.) These aren't official or anything, and are more designed to spark conversations/debate than anything else. Since the table that these rankings are placed in is pretty huge, I'll put it in after the jump for everyone to have a look at. Enjoy, and tell us what you think!

Player Power Rankings
Rank	Player	Comment
1	Jared Allen, DE	Greatest trade in Vikings' history? If it's not, it's certainly on the short list. In 24 games since coming to Minnesota, #69 has 25 sacks (3 of which have resulted in safeties), 5 passes defended, 6 forced fumbles, and has generally just been the best 4-3 defensive end in the National Football League. He'd probably be the Defensive Player of the Year if the season ended today.
2	Brett Favre, QB	Okay, raise your hand if you thought the guy would be this good. looks around I doubt it was that many, but anyhow. . .in eight games, Favre has turned the ball over all of four times (only one of which. . .against St. Louis. . .could probably be classed as egregiously awful), has a 4:1 TD/turnover ratio, and a quarterback rating of a cool 106.0. Yes, it remains to see how he'll perform over the second half of the year, but the returns have been good so far.
3	Adrian Peterson, RB	You know the bar has been set pretty high for you when you're tied for second in the NFL in rushing yards, averaging almost 5 yards/carry, are second in the league in rushing touchdowns. . .and some folks are under the perception that you're struggling. He's on pace for 40 fewer regular season carries this year than he got last year, and as long as teams still want to defend the Vikings like they have Gus Frerotte at quarterback, his numbers will probably stay low. . .keeping him fresh for the post-season.
4	Percy Harvin, WR	Surprised to see him this high? Don't be. How much of an impact has Harvin had? With him returning kickoffs, the Vikings have the best average starting field position in the NFL. He's also been a big part of the Vikings going from having one of the worst special teams units of the last 20 years to being one of the better units in the league, according to the DVOA rankings from Football Outsiders. Oh, and he's done alright catching the ball, too. Barring an injury, we can probably just stop the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting right now and hand the award to #12. (Oh, and another big thank you to T.J. Houshmandzadeh for signing with the Seahawks. . .because if we had him, we likely wouldn't have Harvin.)
5	Kevin Williams, DT	The best all-around defensive tackle in football has been blowing up interior linemen all season long. He's on pace to have his first double-digit sack season since 2004, and he's still incredible against the run. Oh, and he's thrown in 6 defended passes, too. To borrow a phrase from Eric. . .greatest "missed draft pick" ever? Greatest "missed draft pick" ever.
6	Sidney Rice, WR	Nobody on the Vikings' roster has benefited more from the addition of Brett Favre than El Sid. It's hard to believe that the University of South Carolina produced both Rice and Troy Williamson, since Sidney is pretty much the anti-Williamson. He's on pace to have 1170 receiving yards (and hopefully more than the 2 TDs he has currently), and he has the most ridiculous set of hands this team has seen since Cris Carter left town. Yes, Randy Moss included.
7	Ryan Longwell, K	Ridiculous to put the kicker this high? Perhaps. . .but ponder this: Every time this season a ball that he's kicked has gone past the line of scrimmage, it's gone through the uprights (his only "miss" this season was the block at the end of the first half of the San Francisco game). His kickoffs have been pretty darn good, too. One can't underestimate the importance of a kicker as good as Longwell has been this season.
8	Chad Greenway, LB	The Vikings' leading tackler after the first half of the season, he's also tossed in a couple of interceptions and 4 passes defended. He's really gotten a lot better in coverage over the course of his Viking career, and has become one of the better all-around linebackers in the NFL.
9	Steve Hutchinson, G	Still the best at his position in the National Football League, despite getting called for his first holding penalty in 27 games last weekend against Green Bay. Meanwhile, Nate Burleson is still doing nothing in Seattle. Yeah, I still think the Vikings got the better of that little exchange.
10	Bryant McKinnie, T	McKinnie has been much maligned over the course of the past couple of seasons, and we would lament how he would get abused by speed rushers. However, after making the adjustment to having Brett Favre at QB early in the season (along with the rest of the O-line), McKinnie has done a hell of a job, and is finally really starting to live up to the huge payday he got a couple of years ago. He looks like the tackle the Vikings thought they were getting when they drafted him in 2002.
11	Antoine Winfield, CB	Ordinarily he would be much higher on this list, but his injuries. . .coupled with the fact that the Vikings haven't missed him nearly as much this year as anybody might have thought. . .push him down a little bit. Don't get me wrong, he's still one of the best in the league at his position, but he hasn't had quite the impact so far this season that one would think.
12	Pat Williams, DT	Phat Pat got off to a bit of a rough start in 2009, some of which could possibly be attributed to getting a late start on the pre-season festivities, but has come around over the course of the past few games, and is back to being his usual bad-ass, run-stuffing self. He's even contributed his annual sack with his takedown of Aaron Rodgers in Week 8.
13	Ray Edwards, DE	You know. . .when he's not busy jumping offsides or getting ridiculous late hit penalties, Ray Ray has actually had a pretty solid year thus far, with 26 combined tackles and 3.5 sacks. Sure, he might be the "weak link" on the defensive line, but being the weak link on a defensive line this good is sort of like being a MENSA member with an IQ of "only" 135.
14	Visanthe Shiancoe, TE	Second in the NFL in touchdown catches among tight ends, he gives the Vikings yet another weapon to utilize around the goal line. One could argue that he should be getting more catches, but with the emergence of Harvin and Rice, I'm not sure where those catches would come from. (Yes, I know, "Tahi" is the obvious answer.)
15	Ben Leber, LB	Still the quietest member of the defense, but as always, you don't hear his name called very often, which means he's doing what he's asked to do. Occasionally spectacular, but always solid. Still the only good thing Fran Foley ever did for the Minnesota Vikings.
16	Phil Loadholt, OT	The massive rookie from Oklahoma grabbed hold of the starting RT slot in training camp and, like most things he gets a hold of, he hasn't shown any signs of letting go of it any time soon. He did miss a game because of injury, but overall has provided a level of play that few may have expected from him as a rookie. We'll have to keep an eye on him to see if he hits the "wall" during the course of the year.
17	E.J. Henderson, LB	I'm surprised that he's down this far, too, but really. . .who ahead of him do you move? Frankly, E.J. just hasn't looked like E.J. most of the time this season. A good portion of the Vikings' woes against tight ends can be attributed to him (though there is blame to be spread around. . .give me a bit), and he just hasn't been the beast that he was prior to the dislocated toes that caused him to miss most of 2008. He is getting better, though, and hopefully will continue to do so as the season goes on.
18	Bernard Berrian, WR	He's had some injury problems this year, and his average yards/catch is significantly lower than it was in 2008, but he's still providing a pretty steady presence on the outside. He's become pretty much automatic on slant routes thus far this season, and it's only a matter of time before corners and safeties start biting on those and opening up big gainers over the top. He's not the #1 option any more, but he's still solid.
19	Cedric Griffin, CB	This is just my personal opinion, but there isn't a more frustrating player on the Vikings' roster to watch than Cedric Griffin. The guy has a ton of talent, and we know he has the capability to be really good (see the second half of last year), but there are too many times when he forgets how to tackle and gets beaten in coverage. Sadly, he's not even the most disappointing member of the secondary this season.
20	Anthony Herrera, G	Another guy we haven't heard a whole lot from this season, which is a positive. For the most part, he seems to be doing a relatively solid job at the right guard spot.
21	John Sullivan, C	For a guy starting at center for the first time in the NFL to be the pivot on an offense this good says a lot about Sullivan's ability. Has he been great all the time? No. . .but he hasn't been a tremendous drop-off from Matt Birk's play last year, either, and he's still been pretty good, despite a couple of mental errors (like the mis-timed snap in Green Bay).
22	Chris Kluwe, P	Yeah, he had a crappy ~~game~~ half against Pittsburgh, and Joshua Cribbs got a punt return TD against the Vikings in Week 1. . .he does that to a lot of teams. . .but Kluwe has made a lot of strides over last season, in my opinion. The willingness of the Guitar Hero to (finally) sacrifice some distance for hang time has been another part of the Vikings' special teams turnaround.
23	Jimmy Kennedy, DT	If Jimmy Kennedy isn't a testament to the amazing abilities of Vikings' defensive line coach Karl Dunbar, I'm really not sure what is. Kennedy has served the Vikings very well as a rotation player to this point of the season, and may be putting himself in line to be a replacement for Pat Williams in the near future. Yeah, "solid rotation" player isn't necessarily what you want from a guy that was once drafted #11 overall. . .but it's a hell of a lot more than St. Louis, Jacksonville, or Chicago got out of him.
24	Madieu Williams, S	One of the bigger disappointments on the team this year, in my opinion. There have been a few occasions where Williams has just looked completely lost this season, and for a veteran guy like him, that shouldn't happen. He really, really needs to step up his level of play in the second half of the season in order to bring the Vikings' pass defense up to where it needs to be.
25	Tyrell Johnson, S	The other biggest disappointment for the Vikings this year. I know this is his first year as the full-time starter, but he just hasn't been all that good. Nobody questions Johnson's physical ability, to be sure, but he needs to show more of why the Vikings took him in the second round in 2008.
26	Jim Kleinsasser, TE	We just keep putting Kleinsasser out there as a blocker every year, and he just keeps destroying everything in his path. I'm not sure how many years the guy can keep doing this, but he certainly hasn't shown any signs of slowing down.
27	Cullen Loeffler, LS	I'll put the same thing I put next to his entry every year. . .when's the last time you remember the Vikings' special teams units being victimized by a bad snap? Loeffler is solid.
28	Heath Farwell, LB	The Vikings had a lot of turnover in their special teams coverage units between 2008 and 2009, but the return of Heath Farwell has been huge. He's always around the ball on special teams, whether it's kick returns or punt returns, and his tackling is as sure as ever.
29	Jeff Dugan, FB/TE	Remember when most of us thought the only reason the Vikings drafted Jeff Dugan was because he went to Maryland like Mike Tice did? Yeah, that was five seasons ago, and Dugan is still here. He's a solid blocker, and has even gotten a couple of passes this year. One of the more underrated Vikings. . .probably underrated on this list, too.
30	Chester Taylor, RB	This may seem way too low for Chester, but his yards/carry average is way down this year, and I really think we're seeing his last season in Minnesota, as he's in the final year of his contract. With the expansion of Adrian Peterson's role as a receiver and the improvement in his pass blocking, #29 just isn't as vital as he's been in years past.
31	Naufahu Tahi, FB	Good enough blocker, but again, I'll go with something I say every year. . .STOP THROWING HIM THE FOOTBALL. (Although he did have a 30+ yard catch-and-run against St. Louis, which means there are probably more plays in the playbook for him than ever.)
32	Brian Robison, DE	It's not that Robison is bad or anything, because he's clearly not. He just doesn't get a whole lot of opportunities with the guy he has in front of him taking all the snaps. Oh, and Brian. . .the next time a kickoff bounces into your hands, just fall down. . .please?
33	Jaymar Johnson, WR	Another guy that could probably be a few spots higher, he's stepped into the punt return role quite nicely after the injury to Darius Reynaud. Wouldn't mind seeing him get a few more shots as a receiver, but who's he going to displace, barring injury?
34	Kenny Onatolu, LB	I was really rooting for this guy to make the squad after his pre-season performance, and he hasn't disappointed, adding more solid play to the Vikings' special teams units.
35	Greg Lewis, WR	IT'S GREG LEWIS! TOUCHDOWN! OH MY GOODNESS! GREG LEWIS! WELCOME TO MINNESOTA! OH MY HEAVENS!
36	Fred Evans, DT	Twenty-nine taser-free months and counting for Evans. Way to go, #90!
37	Benny Sapp, CB	Could make an argument that he could be higher, I suppose. He's had his moments but, like many parts of the Vikings' secondary this season, he's made a few highlight reels for the wrong reasons, too.
38	Tarvaris Jackson, QB	Hasn't been a disruption, and has actually taken his demotion quite well. Has seen a bit of time in mop-up duty as well. I hope we don't have to see him this year, but if we do, I have confidence that he could do the job for a little while, at least.
39	Letroy Guion, DT	Has bounced back and forth between the active roster and the inactive list, but has done a solid enough job in the time he's gotten.
40	Artis Hicks, OL	Filled in for Phil Loadholt when the big guy was out with an injury, and played pretty well. Still a solid backup at numerous positions.
41	Asher Allen, CB	Has spent most of the year on the inactive list, but has been up for the last two games and has asserted himself pretty well. Easy to see the potential the Vikings seem to think he has.
42	Jasper Brinkley, LB	Hasn't seen much time as a LB, but has been a very good special teamer thus far.
43	Karl Paymah, CB	After watching him get thoroughly abused against Baltimore, it became clear why he was brought in as a special teamer and not a cornerback. He recovered nicely against Pittsburgh, though. . .and, hopefully, will be finding his way back to a strictly special teams role here soon.
44	Darius Reynaud, WR	Was doing an outstanding job as a punt returner before his injury, and now might not get his punt returner spot back thanks to Jaymar Johnson's performance.
45	Eric Frampton, S	Hasn't gotten the opportunity to come alive on defense. . .yes, I continue to murder that joke. . .but has been a good special teamer.
46	Husain Abdullah, S	See above, but without the reference to Peter Frampton.
47	Jamarca Sanford, S	Hasn't been up for all the games, but again has been a solid special teamer in the games that he has been.
48	Ryan Cook, OT	No Ryan Cook on the field makes Gonzo a happy blogger and Vikings quarterbacks much healthier than they may normally be.
Non-Ranked Players/Incomplete Grades
Rank	Player	Comment
NA	Sage Rosenfels, QB	The best-compensated #3 quarterback in the league. Nice work, if you can get it.
NA	Jayme Mitchell, DE	Still pretty talented, but there just isn't room for him in Minnesota's defensive line rotation. Damn shame, too.
NA	Erin Henderson, LB	Heck, I'm not sure if Henderson the Younger is even still on the team.
NA	Jon Cooper, C	Was signed, then released, then signed again, and I don't think he's seen the field this year.
NA	Albert Young, RB	Hasn't seen the field this year, either.

And there you have it. I'm pretty sure that I haven't missed anybody. . .if I have, let me know, and I'll work them into the rankings at the appropriate place.

First Day of Vikings Training Camp in the Books

Gonzo — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:37:39 -0000

I have no idea what you're talking about, so here's a Pro Bowl defensive tackle with a bird on his head. (Picture courtesy of Vikings Now, St. Paul Pioneer Press)

View full size photo »

Yes, after a little less than seven months of waiting, the Minnesota Vikings are back on the football field. Even though it's just Blakeslee Field in Mankato and not the raucous confines of the Metrodome, it's just the sign we've been waiting for. We're less than two weeks away from the first exhibition game of 2009, and right around five weeks away from the kickoff of the 2009 regular season.

One of these days, I'm actually going to make it up to training camp and see what it's like to watch these guys do their thing. Not sure when "one of these days" will be, exactly, but it will eventually happen. For now, though, I. . .like 99% of the rest of you. . .am reduced to following the Twitter feeds of roughly every journalist in the Twin Cities area with even a remote connection to the Vikings. (If you're scoring at home, that would be Judd Zulgad, Chip Scoggins, Sean Jensen, Rick Alonzo, and Phil Mackey.)

What, exactly, did our intrepid reporters tell us about today's happenings in Mankato? Well, hit the jump, and I'll give you some of the highlights.

-The big story in training camp is, obviously, the quarterback situation. Tarvaris Jackson started out the day with the first team, but he and Sage Rosenfels split the first-team snaps equally After Day 1, we apparently don't have a winner in the QB derby, which will probably upset some folks. (Yeah, that was sarcasm. . .mostly.)
-By all accounts, however, Jackson looked much better than Rosenfels did during today's drills.
-Jackson threw the best pass of the day, as he connected with Sidney Rice on a 65(!?)-yard pass where Rice had Marcus Walker draped all over him.
-The second-team cornerbacks were Benny Sapp and Marcus McCauley. Sapp, by all accounts, is out there in the role of nickel back.
-The second team defensive tackles are Fred Evans and Letroy Guion. . .we may have to get used to seeing those two in the middle of the line.
-Jaymar Johnson continues to impress, but Aundrae Allison made a couple of nice plays today, too. These two guys probably realize that they're competing for one roster spot, and it might be the most interesting non-QB position battle of camp.
-Karl Paymah is wearing #41. That was Charles Gordon's number last season.
-Tyrell Johnson says that he feels much more comfortable in the defense this year and hopes to be more of a playmaker. Which is nice when you consider he's pretty much the starting strong safety by default this year.
-Glenn Holt managed to drop a pass when there wasn't a defender within five yards of him.

-From our friend Capital J: "Phil Loadholt is the hugest mofo I have ever seen. He makes McKinnie look miniscule. He lined up as the starting RT all practice from what I could see."

We'll be here following tomorrow's Twittering as well. If any of you good folks are at camp or anything like that tomorrow, please take advantage of DN's (fairly) new mobile commenting features and let us know what's going on from your perspective. So, with that, start enjoying your weekend, folks. . .because, by God, it's FOOTBALL SEASON again!

Minnesota Vikings Player Power Rankings: 2008 Final Edition

Gonzo — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:06:32 -0000

Back at the halfway point of the season, I put forth a set of Player Power Rankings for everyone's viewing pleasure. Now that the season is over and we've had a chance to see some of our players grow and mature while some others fell off the map, it's time to take a look at how those have changed since late October. The table comes after the jump. Remember, these are strictly my opinions, and are certainly open for discussion. . .in fact, discussion is encouraged, as I'm sure there will be some disagreements.

Player Power Rankings
Rank	Player	Mid-Season Rank	Change	Comment
1	Jared Allen, DE	4	+3	When you're made the highest-paid defensive player in the National Football League, you'd better be prepared to go out and prove why that was. Jared Allen did that this season, and then some. 14.5 sacks and three forced fumbles during the regular season, followed up by two sacks and a forced fumble in the playoff loss to the Eagles, showed the world what Jared Allen was brought here for. He's clean, he's tough, and he's the best pass-rushing DE in football. Oh, and he turns 27 in April.
2	Adrian Peterson, RB	2	0	I know he's getting the ball, you know he's getting the ball, the guys in the booth know he's getting the ball, everyone in the stands knows he's getting the ball, everyone on the other team knows he's getting the ball. . .and he led the NFL in rushing anyway. Sure, he had a case of the yips toward the end of the season. . .but is there a running back in the National Football League that you'd trade him for right now? Yeah, I didn't think so.
3	Kevin Williams, DT	1	-2	Tailed off a little bit at the end of the season, certainly, but still finished with 8.5 sacks and was his usual tremendous self against the run. Albert Haynesworth is going to end up getting paid more than #93 this off-season. . .but given the choice, I wouldn't trade Kevin Williams for him. In my opinion, Kevin Williams is still the best all-around defensive tackle in the NFL.
4	Pat Williams, DT	7	+3	The game against the Giants at the end of the year showed us what a valuable asset Pat Williams is to the Minnesota defense. As a run-stuffer, he's absolutely without peer, and was a huge part of the reason why the Vikings' defense was #1 against the run for the third consecutive year. One has to wonder how many more years we can get out of the big man, but if Ted Washington played at a fairly high level until he was 85 years old, I think Pat Williams can do the same.
5	Antoine Winfield, CB	5	0	The biggest little man in the NFL has finally been rewarded for his high level of play with his first trip to Honolulu for the Pro Bowl. Everyone knows about his ability against the run, but this year the Vikings' pass defense was 5th in the NFL in DVOA against #1 wide receivers, and the #1 guy on the other team almost always lined up against #26. It's about time he got the recognition that he deserves.
6	Steve Hutchinson, G	5	-1	Having the best guard in the NFL this far down on the list isn't so much about how he played in 2008. . .it's more about the high level that the five guys in front of him performed at. He's blocked for a 1,000 yard rusher every year he's been in the NFL, and as long as Adrian Peterson is in Minnesota, that streak should continue for a few more seasons, at least.
7	Ryan Longwell, K	8	+1	Tremendously consistent, and in fact might be getting better with age. He was 6-for-6 from 50+ yards this season, including the kick that put the Vikings into the post-season. Why? Because that's what Ryan Longwell does.
8	Chad Greenway, LB	17	+9	One of the big risers on the list, Greenway was an absolute monster over the second half of the season, despite the absence of fellow LB E.J. Henderson. He led the Vikings in tackles with 115, managed to throw in 5.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and got markedly better in coverage as the season went on.
9	Visanthe Shiancoe, TE	11	+2	Shank has developed into a serious threat at the TE position, particularly over the second part of this season. He was in the top 10 in receiving yards at the tight end position, and averaged 14.2 yards/reception. The only two TEs in the NFL that had more touchdowns than he did are a couple of guys that you might have heard of. . .Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates. Finally appears to be worth the money that was spent on him in 2006.
10	Bernard Berrian, WR	6	-4	Berrian certainly did what he was asked to do when the Vikings signed him away from the Chicago Bears. Minnesota wanted him to come in and stretch the field, and his 20.1 yards/reception says that he did just that. But he did have a couple of games where he completely disappeared, and is probably more suited to be a #2 guy than a true #1. Hopefully we can find that true #1 here very soon and let Berrian do what he does best.
11	Madieu Williams, S	NR	NA	After he finally got himself healthy, he got on the field and was pretty effective for the most part. With the likely departure of Darren Sharper this off-season, Williams will likely move into more of a free safety/center fielder type of position, with Tyrell Johnson moving into the strong safety spot.
12	Matt Birk, C	9	-3	Another player that has, more than likely, played his last game for the Vikings. While still one of the best at his position, it certainly appears that he's lost a little bit. He'll turn 33 in July. . .he's the last holdover from the 1998 squad. . .and it probably won't be cost-efficient to bring him back at this point. Stranger things have happened, though.
13	Bobby Wade, WR	18	+5	The Vikings caught a lot of flack for signing this guy after the 2006 season, but you know something? This guy can play on my team any time. He led the Vikings in receptions again this season, he makes tough catches, he gets first downs, and he knows what his role in the offense is. I'm quite happy to have him here for another couple of years.
14	Ben Leber, LB	10	-4	Leber was his usual understated self in 2008. He goes out there every week and does his job in a solid, but not spectacular, fashion. He might be someone that the Vikings need to look at replacing in the near future, as he'll turn 31 this season, but he's still a good veteran leader and an asset to the defense at this point.
15	Cedric Griffin, CB	25	+10	Another big riser here, Griffin looked like a completely different player in the second half of the season. It appears that the coaching staff finally realized that Griffin isn't a "lay back and play zone" cornerback. He needs to be allowed to get up in people's faces and be physical. With Antoine Winfield getting up in age, Griffin will probably face more of a burden in the near future. . .oh, and he has a contract year coming this next season, too.
16	Artis Hicks, OL	15	-1	Played well in Bryant McKinnie's stead when he was called upon to do so, and filled in on other spots in the line as well. His versatility makes him a valuable part of the roster, but injuries clearly hampered him down the stretch, causing him to miss some time.
17	Gus Frerotte, QB	12	-5	Gus was brought here to be the backup, and he performed the way a backup quarterback would be expected to. He had some moments of brilliance, coupled with some throws that make you wonder how the heck he's lasted in the league as long as he has. His comments after the Eagles' game were particularly grating, since I really don't think he would have given us any more of a chance than Tarvaris Jackson.
18	Tarvaris Jackson, QB	28	+10	In the last 4 1/2 games of the season, we caught a glimpse of both what's so intriguing about Tarvaris Jackson, and what absolutely drives us crazy about him. Again, he's got all the physical ability in the world, but at this point, I don't think he's going to be able to put it all together as a consistent NFL QB. He gets bumped up the list, though, based on his performance at the end of the regular season when the Vikings were fighting for a division title.
19	Darren Sharper, S	14	-5	The greatest safety in Green Bay Packer history has probably played his last game in purple. As the season progressed, Sharper looked older and slower than he has at any point in his career, and started taking bad angles to the football. He's given us a few great seasons as a member of our secondary, but it doesn't look like he can get it done any more. If Sharper does prove me wrong, he'll more than likely have to do it in another uniform.
20	Chester Taylor, RB	23	+3	He didn't get nearly the number of touches that he got over the past couple of seasons, but Taylor proved why he and Adrian Peterson are still the best 1-2 running back punch in the National Football League. One of the best pass-catching backs in the league and a vital asset on third downs, he's approaching that 30-year old point where running backs tend to start declining, but he hasn't had a lot of carries over his career for the most part. We'll have to keep an eye on him.
21	Bryant McKinnie, OT	16	-5	Paid like an elite LT. Not an elite LT. Not to mention one stupid, drunken incident away from taking a year's vacation from the NFL. There are few players on the Vikings' roster as disappointing as Bryant McKinnie. Need more proof? I listed three other offensive linemen, one of whom is a backup, before I got to him.
22	Brian Robison, DE	29	+7	An interesting study. . .he played well this season, largely when spelling Pat Williams at DT on obvious passing downs. He also played pretty well when called upon against the Eagles as well. If nobody else is brought in this off-season, I firmly believe that he should be starting opposite Jared Allen at DE in 2009, but we'll have to see.
23	Tyrell Johnson, S	13	-10	His drop isn't because he played horribly or anything. . .but with Madieu Williams insertion into the lineup, he simply didn't get to contribute in the same way he did during the early part of the season. I think he's still got some promise as an in-the-box type of safety, and he's likely going to be a starter in 2009.
24	Anthony Herrera, G	19	-5	Still solid against the run, but his pass protection seemed to slip a bit in the later stages of the season. It seemed that whenever the quarterback had pressure on him, it was generally coming from his right. . .although I'm not sure how much of this is a function of Herrera's play as much as the play of someone we'll get to here in a while.
25	Ray Edwards, DE	21	-4	Talked a lot in the pre-season about Michael Strahan's single-season sack record. Came up roughly 17 sacks short of that mark. He's solid at DE, but with the talent that he's playing next to, he should be significantly better. The competition between him and Brian Robison in training camp in 2009 should be interesting.
26	Fred Evans, DT	24	-2	Again, solid, but not spectacular. At least he managed not to get tasered this season, which is always a plus. He is a pretty valuable backup, however, all joking aside.
27	Jim Kleinsasser, TE	27	0	How much fun was it watching ol' Jimmy K rumble downfield with that little slip screen in the Eagles' game? But his purpose here isn't to catch passes, it's to crush people as a blocker, something he still does tremendously well. Hopefully he'll be back next season.
28	Naufahu Tahi, FB	22	-6	I've said it before, and I'll say it again. . .good blocker, but for the love of God, STOP THROWING HIM THE FOOTBALL!
29	Napoleon Harris, LB	NR	NA	Same Napoleon Harris we saw the first time he was in Minnesota. . .solid against the run, can't blitz, can't cover. Good depth, but I really hope we don't have to rely on him to start for any length of time.
30	Charles Gordon, CB	31	+1	Showed some real juice as a punt returner, and was starting to improve as a cornerback as well. . .up until he got his ankle mangled against the Packers. His comeback from that injury is going to be interesting to watch. He really gives us a solid nickel option if he can come back.
31	Cullen Loeffler, LS	35	+4	Hey, let's give the guy some more props. . .again, I ask, when was the last time we saw a bad snap on either a field goal or a punt? It was before Cullen Loeffler came along, that's for sure.
32	Marcus Johnson, OL	30	-2	Played well in the early part of the season, particularly against Indianapolis, when he was asked to play LT (a position he had no experience at). Just didn't get a lot of chances as the season wore on. Still, he's the only member of Minnesota's 2005 draft class that has any chance of being worth anything in the NFL.
33	Benny Sapp, CB	41	+8	He committed some dumb penalties, to be sure, but overall wasn't completely awful or anything like that. He should be back competing for a spot next season.
34	Ryan Cook, OT	20	-14	By far the weakest link on the offensive line. Seems to be good for at least one drive-killing false start penalty a game, and gets beaten far more often than a third-year guy should be getting beaten. He probably won't be starting in 2009, and it wouldn't surprise me if he was off the roster all together.
35	Chris Kluwe, P	26	-9	A very disappointing season for Kluwe, to say the least. After the Eagles' game, DeSean Jackson came right out and basically said, "Man, that guy outkicks his coverage on almost every play." And you know what? He's right. Part of the Vikings' punt-return woes this year came from lack of special teams discipline, but a lot of it came from opposing returners having a lot of space to work with after they catch the ball, too.
36	Husain Abdullah, S	37	+1	Minnesota's leading special teams tackler in 2008. Given the state of the Minnesota special teams, I'll let you decide whether that's good or bad.
37	Vinny Ciurciu, LB	32	-5	This guy, on the other hand, was brought in a few years ago to be almost exclusively a special teamer, and he hasn't been up to snuff. Should be fighting for his job this coming training camp.
38	Marcus McCauley	42	+4	Actually wasn't all that bad when he got on the field. . .but for someone that was a third-round pick and showed a lot of promise a year ago, he should be getting on the field more frequently than he is.
39	Eric Frampton, S	38	-1	Another guy whose main job is to bolster the special teams. Have you noticed that a lot of these "special teams" types are going to be fighting for their jobs next season? Curious, that.
40	Ellis Wyms, DT	48	+8	Hey, at least I noticed he was on the field in the later part of the season. . .that's more than I can say for him over the first half.
41	David Herron, LB	33	-8	Played well in place of E.J. Henderson until Napoleon Harris was brought in. Then we really didn't hear from him much.
42	John Sullivan, C	47	+5	Barring a change via the draft or free agency, this is probably our starting center in 2009. Didn't do much this year.
43	Sidney Rice, WR	36	-7	Like I said on the mid-season list, it absolutely kills me to put Sid the Kid this low, but he had a terrible season. Injured for most of it, and when he did play, he didn't perform terribly well. . .and the route he ran on the play against the Eagles that wound up being a pick-6 was as horribly lazy a route as you're ever going to see. I don't know how much of that was the lingering effects of his knee injury, but he's on the verge of being a bust here.
44	Maurice Hicks, RB	43	-1	I expected nothing, and he delivered. Bravo, Maurice.
45	Otis Grigsby, DE	39	-6	Was actually hoping for big things out of Grigsby this season, but with the way the line rotation set up, he just didn't get a lot of chances.
46	Jeff Dugan, TE	45	-1	Probably should be a little bit higher, but I'm not sure where else I'd slot him at this point.
47	Erin Henderson, LB	44	-3	Has the potential to be more than "E.J's little brother," but didn't get a lot of opportunities to show it this season. He's one to watch for the future, though.
48	Aundrae Allison, WR	34	-14	Another guy that had huge expectations going into the season, and had next to nothing in production. There were questions about his work ethic when he came out of college, and it appears that it might be catching up to him once again. I hope he snaps out of it here soon, or he might find himself without a job.
49	Garrett Mills, TE	40	-9	Again. . .3 catches for 49 yards in the season opener. 2 catches for 16 yards the rest of the way, and spent most of the second half inactive.
50	Letroy Guion, DT	NR	NA	Was expected to be a project, and spent most of the year inactive.
Non-Ranked Players/Incomplete Grades
Rank	Player	Comment
NA	E.J. Henderson, LB	The Minnesota defense was #6 in the NFL in total yardage, #1 against the run, one of the best in terms of DVOA for the season. . .and they played without this guy from Week 5 onwards. I can't wait to see him back next season.
NA	Heath Farwell, LB	Based on the performance of the Vikings' coverage units this year, Heath Farwell may be the greatest special teams player in the history of the universe. Hopefully he'll be back healthy in 2009.
NA	Dontarrious Thomas, LB	He was here. I don't know how many games he was active for, but he was here.
NA	Drew Radovich, OL	Future prospect. Went on IR with a "shoulder injury" early in the year. Should compete for a spot in training camp.
NA	John David Booty, QB	Didn't see the field after the pre-season finale. Thank goodness.
NA	Robert Ferguson, WR	"Veteran leadership" and "downfield blocking" will only get you so far in this league.
NA	Jayme Mitchell, DE	It would have been nice to have him around to work into the line rotation.
NA	Michael Boulware, S	IR'd in pre-season. Hasn't seen the field as a Viking.
NA	Kenderick Allen, DT	IR'd in pre-season. Hasn't seen the field as a Viking.
NA	Thomas Tapeh, FB	Epic fail. What else can be said, really?
NA	Jimmy Kennedy, DT	Interesting signing, I think. . .brought in late in the year as Pat Williams insurance. Was a first-round pick a few years ago, so he's got some talent. I think he might stick. . .because, hey, if anybody can tap into the talent that he has, it would be Karl Dunbar. Keep an eye on him this off-season.

In Case You Had Forgotten, Roger Goodell Is Still A Joke

Gonzo — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 05:01:10 -0000

Well, the NFL's weekly list of fines came out today. The great thing about this week's list, compared to the list over the past couple of weeks, is that it shows that Roger Goodell might finally be getting tired of Pat and Kevin Williams making him and the league's front office look like an idiot.

To wit. . .in the Sunday night game against Chicago, we all saw Chicago defensive end Adewale Ogunleye hit Gus Frerotte in the back approximately half an hour after Frerotte had released a pass and was backpedaling away from the play. (Well, not really half an hour, but it certainly wasn't a split-second thing, either.) Yes, Frerotte flopped like a British soccer player, but the fact remains that it was still a cheap shot by Ogunleye. He was not fined for that hit.

This past weekend against Detroit, while Jared Allen was attempting to chase down Daunte Culpepper, Lions' rookie offensive tackle Gosder Cherilius, who was on all fours on the turf, saw Allen coming and basically just stuck his head into Allen's knee. Was Cherilius' hit legal? Sure it was. . .by the same definition, so was the "hit" that Allen had laid on Matt Schaub a few weeks previous that he got fined over and had everyone screaming bloody murder over for a week. And "hit," in this case, is defined as, "Jared Allen being on the ground and Schaub getting pushed into him by Kevin Williams."

Cherilius' fine for a similar offense? Exactly zero dollars.

The NFL DID, however, decide it would be a good idea to fine Vikings' DT Fred Evans for a face mask he committed on Lions' RB Kevin Smith during the same ball game. Evans was fined $5,000 for his offense. Only one slight problem.

Had anyone from the league office bothered to take the five or ten whole seconds it would have taken for them to view a replay of the play where that penalty was called, they would have seen that Evans didn't lay so much as a single finger on Smith's face mask, but instead grabbed Smith's shoulder pad in such a manner to make his head jerk to the side. I'm not making this up. . .if anyone has the game TiVo'd (TiVoed? I don't know), go back and view the replay of it for yourself.

But, when two of your teammates are pimp-slapping the league office in court, some repercussions are to be expected, I suppose.

Roger Goodell might want to consider sitting down at some point. . .his agenda is showing.

Minnesota Vikings Player Power Rankings, Mid-Season Edition

Gonzo — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 15:14:16 -0000

If you'll recall, I did this last year at the mid-season point and at the end of the season. Yes, I know we're not "technically" at the mid-season point yet, but we're pretty close to it, and I don't think one game is going to change these that much anyway.

Now, these aren't "official" or "scientific" or anything like that. They're my take on how the players that the Minnesota Vikings have put on the field this season have performed. I'm anxious to hear what some of you folks think about these. . .should be a good topic for discussion.

So, without any further ado, here are your mid-season Minnesota Vikings Power Rankings:

Player Power Rankings
Rank	Player	Comment
1	Kevin Williams, DT	The beast is back, and he's again showing why he's considered by many to be the best all-around DT in the National Football League. He's the team leader in sacks with 6, which also puts him in a tie for #6 in the league in that category, and he's again an anchor of what will be the NFL's best run defense.
2	Adrian Peterson, RB	With LaDanian Tomlinson finally showing some signs of wear, the mantle of "Best Running Back in the NFL" now rests squarely on the shoulders of All Day. He's on pace to eclipse the numbers from his outstanding rookie season, and only two running backs in NFL history reached 2,000 career yards faster than he did. And he's only going to continue getting better.
3	Antoine Winfield, CB	After some. . .including myself. . .questioned some of his ability last season, he's come back this year with a vengeance. He's got two sacks that forced two fumbles and led to two momentum-changing touchdowns in Viking victories, and he's been playing lights-out coverage for most of the year.
4	Jared Allen, DE	Has he been everything that he was advertised to be? Well, almost. . .he has five sacks on the season, and has been demanding the double teams that have opened Kevin Williams up to have the monster season that he's been having to this point. He's also among the league leaders in QB pressures, which are always helpful. Look for him to pick it up even more in the second half.
5	Steve Hutchinson, G	Another Viking, along with Williams and Peterson, that carries the title of best in the NFL at his position. This is his third season as a member of the Vikings, and he's still worth every penny. Meanwhile, Nate Burleson is still a glorified kick returner and went on IR after Week 1 this year. Boy, the Seahawks sure got us good with that poison pill, didn't they?
6	Bernard Berrian, WR	After the first two games of the year, I didn't think that #87 would be anywhere near this high on the list. However, as of now, he's on pace for nearly 1,200 yards and has given the Vikings a couple of huge plays since the quarterback switch took place. He's another guy that will look like a bargain in a couple of seasons.
7	Pat Williams, DT	Phat Pat has been fairly quiet this season. . .of course, for him, "quiet" is a relative term. He's still the Immovable Object to Kevin Williams' Irresistible Force, and continues to make every play he's asked to make in the running game.
8	Ryan Longwell, K	He's still amazingly consistent, he still doesn't miss from 45 yards and in, and he might still be the Vikings' most consistent offensive weapon that doesn't have the name "Peterson" on his jersey. With the way Brad Childress' "Kick Ass Offense" runs most weeks, you have to be happy to have a reliable guy like Longwell to turn to.
9	Matt Birk, C	Still among the best in the league at his position, and still makes pretty good calls at the line. You have to wonder whether or not this will be his last season with the Vikings. I have a sneaky suspicion that it just might be.
10	Ben Leber, LB	Going into his third season as Minnesota's most overlooked, most unheralded defensive player. Has been a leader on the defense since he's been here, and that role has only increased with the injury to E.J. Henderson. You won't hear his name much, but that's pretty much because he never gets beaten or finds himself out of position.
11	Visanthe Shiancoe, TE	Surprised to see him this high on the list? Me, too, quite frankly. It only took him about 20 games or so to get himself established, but since the change at quarterback, he's catching more passes and been infinitely more effective. He could be developing into a real weapon for the Vikings' offense.
12	Gus Frerotte, QB	Since becoming the starter, Gus has been basically the same quarterback he's been his entire career. He has moments and games where you think he's capable of being the guy for the long haul (see the New Orleans game), and then he has moments and games that remind you of why he's been a backup for most of his NFL career (see the Chicago game). Sadly, that still makes him more consistent than Tarvaris Jackson, and that's what the Vikings need at the QB position right now.
13	Tyrell Johnson, S	Another nice surprise for the Vikings. With Madieu Williams being out, teams have largely avoided Darren Sharper and tried to go after the rookie from Arkansas State, and he's been equal to the task thus far. He'll make a nice replacement for Sharper, who will probably be gone after this season.
14	Darren Sharper, S	As I said above, this is probably the last season in Minnesota for the best safety in Green Bay Packer history. He may have finally lost that step that Packer fans have been convinced that he lost three years ago. No interceptions this season yet for #42, but I can't help put think that will change as the season goes on.
15	Artis Hicks, OL	You know, considering the guys he was lined up across from in the Vikings' first four games, he really didn't perform that badly. He wasn't great or anything, but then again, you could say the same thing about. . .
16	Bryant McKinnie, OT	. . .the guy he was standing in for. Seriously. . .have I been the only one that's noticed that the offense really hasn't been THAT drastically different with McKinnie at LT than it was with Hicks lined up over there?
17	Chad Greenway, LB	Still a fine athlete with a knack for the big play. . .but, strangely enough, there are still times where the guy looks completely lost in coverage. He's in his third year. . .he really needs to cut down on those sort of incidents.
18	Bobby Wade, WR	Actually leads the Vikings in receptions this season with 30, and his on his way to eclipsing his stats from last season when he was the "#1 wide receiver." Still a very good YAC receiver, and can be counted on most times to the a first down when the Vikings need one.
19	Anthony Herrera, G	To be honest, I haven't heard his name very many times this year, either. For an offensive lineman, this can only be considered a good thing.
20	Ryan Cook, OT	Same for Cook. . .he's certainly not an elite right tackle by any stretch, but he's not getting regularly abused, either. Still, you can't help but have the nagging feeling that both parts of the right side of the line could use an upgrade.
21	Ray Edwards, DE	Only needs to average about 2.5 sacks per game from here on out to break Michael Strahan's single-season record. "It will be interesting to see if he can do it," the author said sarcastically.
22	Naufahu Tahi, FB	With as many times as he's thrown to in this offense, you'd think that he'd be the Vikings' leading receiver. He's averaging an amazingly low 2.2 yards/catch, but he has provided decent blocking to this point. And his name is still fun to say.
23	Chester Taylor, RB	It saddens me that I have to put Taylor this far down on the list. However, for reasons that I'm really not sure of, he's not being used in the offense this year nearly as much as he should be. He's only had 10 carries or more in two different games this year, and hasn't rushed for more than 44 yards in a game this season. He's still catching the ball well, but I still think he needs to be used more frequently. I love Adrian Peterson as much as anyone, but #29 shouldn't be getting ignored like this.
24	Fred Evans, DT	Has provided some pretty decent relief for the Williams' boys when he's rotated in. Had the bonehead play in Chicago that made a end-of-half field goal attempt five yards closer than it needed to be, but otherwise has been relatively solid.
25	Cedric Griffin, CB	When you think of somebody being "lost in coverage," Griffin is the first guy that should come to mind. Part of the reason that Antoine Winfield is having the season he is comes from the fact that, when Griffin is on the field, teams have no reason at all to throw Winfield's direction. I still think that Griffin could be an elite NFL safety, but it looks like the Vikings want to have Tyrell Johnson and Madieu Williams at the position for the long haul. It will be interesting to see what Griffin's Vikings future holds.
26	Chris Kluwe, P	You have to wonder if the guy's head isn't completely messed up at this point. The punt returns for TDs, the bungled snap in Chicago, Brad Childress bringing in punters to try out during the week. I still think he's a pretty decent punter, but he may have had more screw-ups this season than in his entire Minnesota career, and we're not even to the half way mark.
27	Jim Kleinsasser, TE	North Dakota's favorite son is still a killer in-line blocker, and his 34-yard reception against the Lions a couple weeks ago flashed us back to what he used to be capable of. One of the guys that I hope that this franchise always has room for in some capacity.
28	Tarvaris Jackson, QB	Well, what can I say. . .except that I was wrong about this guy. I doubt that he'll ever take another meaningful snap for the Minnesota Vikings, which in a way is kind of sad. He's still got a world of physical ability, and he appears to be relatively smart. He just got thrown into the fire way too soon. It will be interesting to see if he catches on with another team (because I don't think he'll be here next year) and, if so, how he does under the direction of a real NFL coach.
29	Brian Robison, DE	Another guy that really, really needs to get on the field more often. There's a very good chance that he's better than Ray Edwards, although Edwards remains the starting DE across from Jared Allen. I like Robison's intensity, and hope he starts seeing more playing time in the near future.
30	Marcus Johnson, OT	Has actually been pretty good when called upon, making him the only member of Minnesota's 2005 draft class to be worth a damn at the NFL level.
31	Charles Gordon, CB	Has performed ably as the nickel back this season, but hasn't shown much as a punt returner, other than an inability to get the hell away from the football when it's going to bounce inside the 10-yard line. Yeah, I'm still miffed about that play.
32	Vinny Ciurciu, LB	Actually didn't perform too horribly as MLB when called upon, other than getting penalized on a 4th and goal play against the Bears for getting pushed down by Desmond Clark. But, honestly, we don't want him out there at MLB.
33	David Herron, LB	Had two games where he started in place of E.J. Henderson, and then got hurt. Wasn't terrible, but wasn't great either. Good depth, but probably won't ever be a full-time guy.
34	Aundrae Allison, WR	Hasn't gotten quite the chances I had hoped that he would this season, and has inexplicably been stripped of his returner duties. I, personally, don't understand. . .but that's probably why I don't run an NFL franchise or anything.
35	Cullen Loeffler, LS	Hey. . .when's the last time you remember seeing a bad snap? And don't say "last week against Chicago." That snap was perfectly fine.
36	Sidney Rice, WR	Yes, it pains me to put him here. But, the reality is that he's missed 4 or 5 straight games with a knee injury. He's been alright when he's been on the field, but he's developing a reputation for being soft. The Vikings NEED him on the field, and he hasn't been there.
37	Husain Abdullah, S	Looks like he might be our team leader in special teams tackles. For a guy that I didn't even project to make the roster, that's pretty good.
38	Eric Frampton, S	Hasn't come alive the way I had hoped. Yes, I will run that joke completely and thoroughly into the ground. Thank you for asking.
39	Otis Grigsby, DE	Haven't really noticed him much this season. Not surprising, since he only has one tackle through seven games and has been inactive a couple of times.
40	Garrett Mills, TE	Was the Vikings' leading receiver in the season opener with 3 catches for 49 yards. Has 1 catch for 10 yards since. Maybe we bought into the hype too quickly.
41	Benny Sapp, CB	Decent enough in coverage, but I wonder what, exactly, it is that he does that. . .
42	Marcus McCauley, CB	. . .couldn't do. McCauley looked like he was really starting to come on at the end of last season, but has spent most of this year on the inactive list. Another one I don't understand.
43	Maurice Hicks, RB	I remember why I hated the Hicks signing now. It's because he didn't make us appreciably better at any spot on the field. He's not a great kick returner, he doesn't return punts, and he's not a very good RB. Other than that, great signing by Minnesota.
44	Erin Henderson, LB	The thing that people remember about Henderson the younger this season is seeing him get absolutely clocked on one of Reggie Bush's punt returns for a TD against the Saints. I really have nothing else to add here
45	Jeff Dugan, TE	Spent most of the year inactive. . .really hasn't done a whole lot when he's been on the field. Not a lot to say.
46	Robert Ferguson, WR	Yes, I know. . .veteran leadership, blocking, yadda yadda yadda. Seriously, we could have kept Martin Nance here.
47	John Sullivan, C	Has been active for every game this year. Can't say that I've noticed. Have you?
48	Ellis Wyms, DT	I know he's been on the field, but he's yet to register any sort of a stat this season. I haven't seen anyone do that since the glory days of Chris Hovan.
Non-Ranked Players/Incomplete Grades
Rank	Player	Comment
NA	E.J. Henderson, LB	With the level he was playing at prior to his injury, he probably would have been #1 on this list if he was still healthy. The guy's a monster in the middle, and is already sorely missed by the Minnesota defense.
NA	Madieu Williams, S	Williams says that he "hopes to play" against the Texans coming out of the bye. I've been hoping to see him play since we signed him in March. Hopefully he can help shore up the pass defense a little more.
NA	Heath Farwell, LB	If you don't think losing a special teams leader can make a big difference, look at the special teams coverage last year WITH Farwell, and then this year without him. A bigger loss than even we could have imagined during the pre-season.
NA	Dontarrious Thomas, LB	Well, he's familiar with the system, so it will be interesting to see how the Vikings use him.
NA	Napoleon Harris, LB	Same story as Thomas. Started at MLB against the Bears and got worked over pretty good. We'll have to see if he's better adjusted after the bye week.
NA	Drew Radovich, OL	Appeared to be stricken with "Hey, we want you on the team, but we really don't have a spot for you at the moment, so hang out on IR"-itis. That's my diagnosis, anyway. I'm not a doctor or anything.
NA	John David Booty, QB	Inactive all season as the #3 QB. With the way he looked in the pre-season, I can only consider this a blessing in disguise.
NA	Letroy Guion, DT	Inactive most of the season. Hasn't done much.
NA	Jayme Mitchell, DE	It would have been nice to have him around to work into the line rotation.
NA	Michael Boulware, S	IR'd in pre-season. Hasn't seen the field as a Viking.
NA	Kenderick Allen, DT	IR'd in pre-season. Hasn't seen the field as a Viking.
NA	Thomas Tapeh, FB	Pretty much epitomizes the Brad Childress era to this point. Signed a 5-year contract, played in exactly two games, was inactive for a month, and then got cut. Epic fail. Probably wouldn't have been signed if the knee surgery he had in the off-season had been discovered. Whether that's Tapeh's fault or Minnesota's fault is up for debate, but the end result is still bad for the Beloved Purple.

And there they are, folks. . .my take on the Vikings' roster to this point of the 2008 season. Feel free to discuss, debate, agree, disagree, or whatever it is that you feel like doing with these.

Mid-Week Musings: Kluwe, Point Spreads, and Ridiculous Stats

Gonzo — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:16:42 -0000

Like many of you on Monday night, I spent much of the second half screaming at my television for the Vikings to NOT punt the damn ball to Reggie Bush. The Saints were basically doing nothing offensively in the second half, and there was no logical reason for the Vikings to keep kicking the ball to the one guy that could have made a huge difference.

But whenever Chris Kluwe punted the ball away, it kept landing in the hands of Reggie Bush, and giving him plenty of room to work with to boot. Reggie Bush had five punt return opportunites in the second half on Monday night. His average was a cool 35.2 yards a crack. . .more impressive given the fact that one of those five punt returns was a two-yard loss. So why the heck did the ball keep landing in Bush's hands?

Apparently it was because Chris Kluwe wasn't doing his job.

In his Tuesday press conference, Brad Childress threw Kluwe under the nearest speeding Greyhound by telling the media that he had told Kluwe to punt the ball out of bounds on those occasions. Now, I know that Kluwe has had some issues with directional punting, but for him to be unable to place a single punt out of bounds in five opportunities to do so (or at least two opportunities, because after the first TD, there's no way Bush should have gotten the ball again) seems a bit strange to me.

Whether it was Kluwe's fault or not, though, I still really don't like the way he handled the situation. Public ridicule of one of your players, even if it IS "only the punter," isn't the way to get things accomplished. Praise your players publicly, but admonish them in private. Keep any potential dirty laundry in-house.

I'm still not a huge Childress fan at this point, and stuff like this is a big part of the reason why. Whether he told Kluwe to punt out of bounds or not is something that only the team should know. Now we all know it, and it's just another thing that could potentially open up a rift.

Looking ahead to next week's contest. . .and I hope you're sitting down when you read this. . .depending on what sportsbook you're looking at (for informational purposes only, of course), the Beloved Purple have been installed as a 13.5 to 14 point favorite over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Yes, this Viking team is expected to beat an opponent by two touchdowns.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that the Lions have been nothing short of completely dreadful this season. In the first halves of their games this year, they've been outscored 80-20. . .and 14 of those points came in the season opener in Atlanta after they had gone down 21-0. They're in the bottom 4 in the NFL in every major defensive category (31st in points allowed, 32nd in yards allowed, 29th against the pass, 30th against the run). They haven't won at the Metrodome since 1997, and have only beaten the Vikings once in the last 12 meetings. . .last year's 20-17 disaster at Ford Field. The Vikings later went on to avenge that loss in a big way, thumping the Lions 42-10 in Minneapolis.

All of those numbers. . .and, yet, I feel a bit uneasy with this team being a two-touchdown favorite over anybody. It's a division game, and there are few teams with a history of playing down to the level of their opponent that rivals Minnesota's. I think we can win the football game, and I'd LOVE to see a blowout, but I'm skeptical of it actually happening.

And, finally, from the "Who Comes Up With This Stuff" department, the good folks from the Elias Sports Bureau, per Access Vikings, tell us that Monday night's game was the first game in NFL history that featured two punt returns for touchdowns (both courtesy of Reggie Bush), a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown (Fred Evans/Antoine Winfield), a touchdown pass by a non-quarterback (Chester Taylor to Visanthe Shiancoe), and two field goals of more than 50 yards (one each for Martin Gramatica and Ryan Longwell).

Someone needs to pay me to come up with this sort of stuff. Well, I guess, in a way, they already do. . .but even I probably wouldn't have been able to come up with that.