SB Nation - Ray Edwards

Interview: Daily Norseman stop by to give us knowledge on the Vikings

Kirkendall — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:01:58 -0000

Some are already looking towards week 15 against the Chargers as the biggest game of the year for the Bengals, limiting the importance of this weekend's game against the Minnesota Vikings. However, in an odd world of things, both the Vikings and Bengals have proven very little against winning teams this year. If it wasn't for the Packers, neither team would have won a game against a team that has a winning record at this point in the season. So while Sunday's game has little to do with playoff implications, it does have a lot to do with proving that they belong with the NFL elite. Confidence is a big thing in the NFL and from Cincinnati's perspective, they'll need to beat the Vikings to prove that they can travel to California and beat the Chargers with the second seed in the AFC on the line.

But what about these Vikings? What should we expect? I sat down with Gonzo from Daily Norseman, who gives us some knowledge on our opponent this weekend, in a game that features two teams with a combined 19 wins this year.

1) The Vikings have played the Packers twice already. This is significant because before losing to the Cardinals, the Vikings had only beaten one team with a winning record. Then they lost by 13 to the Arizona Cardinals during last week’s Sunday Night football. Is there a feeling that the Vikings have a lot to prove against the Bengals, who are the third-ranked team in the AFC?
This week's game against the Bengals is, in my opinion, the most vital game of the season for Minnesota, because it could really set a tone for the team the rest of the way. If they beat the Bengals, it becomes easier to write the Cardinals' game off as simply a one-time bad performance, which I'm sort of under the impression it was. A loss to the Bengals, however, means that we could end up completely out of control going into what should be a relatively easy final three games of the season. The Vikings DO have a lot to prove against the Bengals this Sunday, and I think they'll be more than up for the challenge. I'm of the opinion that Sunday night in Arizona was the perfect storm of the Vikings coming out flat, the Cardinals being fired up, and Minnesota putting together their worst game of the season. I would be shocked if they played as badly against the Bengals as they did against Arizona.

2) Brett Favre is arguably having his best statistical season in his career. It seems that he’s willing to check down more often. Are there any concerns that Favre could take a downward spiral late in the season like last year when he played through an injury with the Jets?
With a guy Favre's age behind center, the concern obviously has to be there, but I don't think it's completely warranted. As you stated, last season Favre got injured during the course of the season, and it affected his ability to throw the football. As anyone this year that's watched Favre can see, his ability to physically throw the football is as good as ever. He's not playing through an injury this year or anything like that. What worries me more than that, however, is his admission that he let his emotions get the better of him against the Cardinals, which led directly to one of his interceptions. He can't afford to have that happen if the Vikings are going to continue to play well in the regular season and the post-season. He needs to continue playing smart, solid football, check it down when he has to, and just do what he's been doing through the first 3/4 of the season.

3) How will losing E.J. Henderson impact the defense?
The loss of E.J. Henderson is a significant one, to be sure. After he missed most of 2008 after dislocating his toes, it looked like he was finally back to being the old E.J. Henderson. Henderson is also one of the linebackers in the nickel package for the Vikings, as well as the defensive signal caller. Ben Leber will most likely take over Henderson's responsibility on both those fronts, and Jasper Brinkley, Minnesota's fifth-round pick in the 2009 draft out of South Carolina, will man Henderson's spot in the middle on first and second down. Brinkley has a world of potential, and with the Williams Wall in front of him, hopefully there won't be a lot of drop-off for Minnesota.

3a) The Vikings have one of the best rush defenses in the league. We’ve argued at Cincy Jungle that the Bengals need to attack the Vikings secondary. What would you say is the weakness in the Vikings defense this year?
Minnesota's front seven can compete with any team in the league, but the secondary has been no better than average for most of the year. More specifically, the safety play for most of the year has bordered on atrocious. Granted, the team has been without Antoine Winfield since Week 7, and you obviously have to change up your schemes when you lose someone of that caliber, but it doesn't excuse what we've seen from Madieu Williams and Tyrell Johnson for most of the year. (Johnson is unlikely to play on Sunday, and he'll likely be replaced by Jamarca Sanford, the Vikings' seventh-round pick in the 2009 Draft out of Ole Miss.) But the safeties are definitely the weak link in the Minnesota defense, because I think the Vikes have been pretty solid at CB for most of the year despite the loss of Winfield.

3a) Reports suggest that Antoine Winfield could return this week after missing the previous six with a foot injury. What does his return mean to the secondary?
Winfield's return is huge, particularly when you're lining up against a team with one of the most talented receivers in the league. Winfield goes back to being the #1 guy, which allows Cedric Griffin to go back to the #2 spot and Benny Sapp can go back to being the nickel guy instead of starting. Winfield's presence in stopping the run also can't be underestimated, as there's no better run-support corner in the NFL, in my opinion. Every account I've read says that he's rested, healed, and ready to go, and I hope to heck we see him out there tomorrow afternoon. His presence against the Bengals could be huge, both against the run and against the pass.

4) Jared Allen is a beast. How should the Bengals game plan against one of the league’s best pass rushers?
I think you have to do what the Cardinals did against him... you constantly have to have someone over on his side along with the tackle, whether it's a tight end, a running back, or sometimes both. If you try to block Jared Allen one-on-one for the better part of a game, he's going to beat you unless you have a truly elite left tackle like a Joe Thomas or someone along those lines. You need to double-team him, you need to chip him, try to get him frustrated... and then hope that the rest of the line does their jobs against the Williams Wall and Ray Edwards (who is having a surprisingly good season thus far).

5) Sidney Rice is having a career year, already surpassing the 1,000-yard receiving mark. However, he only has four touchdowns. Does the Vikings offense tend to look away from their receivers in the red zone?
I'm not sure if it's that they "look away" from Rice in the red zone. . .it's just that Favre has been so good about spreading the ball around to all of the options he has this season that Rice has just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, for lack of a better way to put it. Whenever a Favre-led offense gets into the red zone. . .and it's been this way ever since he was in Green Bay. . .the tight end is the guy he loves to look for, and the nine touchdown catches for Visanthe Shiancoe this season are a testament to that. The go-to guy in the red zone can change from one day to the next. . .it might be Shiancoe, it might be Rice, it might be Bernard Berrian, it might be Percy Harvin...it just depends on matchups and who's open at that particular time. That's the thing that Favre has brought this year, the fact that defenses can't just key on one particular guy in the passing game.

6) Arizona limited Adrian Peterson to 19 yards rushing on 13 attempts. What did the Cardinals find out that shutdown Peterson?
They found out that the Vikings were way too quick to give up on the run, which is something that's been rare this season, and something that absolutely can not happen against the Bengals. As good as Brett Favre has been this season, the Vikings' offense needs to run through Adrian Peterson. Granted, Peterson seems to be a bit more impatient this season than he was his first two years. . .he's not letting his blocks develop at times. . .but he's also not getting a ton of help from the offensive line. According to the folks at Football Outsiders, the Vikings have the most "stuffed runs" in the NFL this season, and after what the Vikings' offense has done on the ground the last two seasons, that's completely unacceptable. I would be thoroughly shocked, however, if Peterson had a performance against Cincinnati as bad as his performance against the Cardinals.

The Vikings Red Zone Review, Sponsored by Comcast

Gonzo — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:00:04 -0000

by Carlos Gonzalez - AP

about 1 month ago: Minnesota Vikings tight end Jeff Dugan (83) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Star Tribune, Carlos Gonzalez)

View full size photo »

Before we move along to tomorrow's matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, it's time to take one final look back at last week's 27-10 victory over the Detroit Lions. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for another installment of the Vikings Red Zone Review. Comcast brings you the NFL Red Zone channel every week, and it's your way to keep in touch with all the biggest plays from every NFL game week in and week out. It's great for fantasy players, or for the late games when you're not sure which game you want to view while celebrating the Vikings' latest conquest. The Red Zone Channel is your season ticket for every single NFL game, and nobody brings it to you like the folks at Comcast.

What kind of performance did the Vikings put together in the red zone last weekend? Let's have a look and find out.

Vikings Red Zone trips - 6
Vikings Red Zone scores - 4 (2 TD, 2 FG)
Red Zone touchdown percentage - 33%

Not the finest red zone performance the Vikings have put together this season, but it was good enough to get the job done.

The Vikings took the opening kickoff and immediately began moving downfield. Brett Favre was on early, connecting on a 12-yard pass to Bernard Berrian, a 13-yarder to Visanthe Shiancoe, and a 20-yarder to Sidney Rice. The pass to Rice set the Vikings up at their own 11-yard line, but after an 8-yard run by Adrian Peterson, a false start penalty on Jim Kleinsasser and a couple of misfires left the Vikings to settle for a 22-yard Ryan Longwell field goal to give themselves an early 3-0 lead. The Vikings' drive went 66 yards in 10 plays, taking 5:42 off of the clock.

After the Lions missed a field goal on their next drive to set the Vikings up at their own 38, Minnesota went to work again. Peterson carried the ball twice for 15 yards, and Favre found Rice on two different plays for a combined 30 yards, moving the Vikings to the Detroit 17-yard line. Then, on a play that looked to be pretty well-blocked, Peterson botched a pitch on a reverse to Percy Harvin, and the ball found its way to the turf. Defensive tackle Sammie Lee Hill jumped on the loose ball for the Lions, and the Vikings' red zone efforts were thwarted in short order by the Lions' defense. The play call wasn't THAT bad, but the pitch by #28 was horrible. Ah, well. . .I'm sure the next time that play is called, the execution will be better.

Minnesota didn't see the red zone again until near the end of the first half, though they did score another touchdown on yet another Adrian Peterson "Holy cow, how did he do that" run to put themselves up 10-0. After another big pass to Rice for another 43 yards and a shorter completion to Shiancoe, the Vikings were inside the Detroit red zone again. The Vikings got down to the Lions' 8-yard line, and when faced with fourth and one and with unlimited weapons at their disposal, the Vikings tried to convert by. . .handing the ball to Jeff Dugan? (Actually, Dugan has been pretty good in one yard to go situations, but pretty much all of those came on third downs.) So, the Vikings had another unsuccessful red zone sojurn, and went into the locker room leading 10-3 when they could have had a lot more.

After the Lions fumbled on their first offensive play of the second half, the Adrian Peterson show started again, as he took the ball from the Lions' 28 and rumbled all the way to the 1-yard line, setting the Vikings up in the red zone again with first and goal. Peterson ensured that there would be no further drama, as he gained that one yard on the next play. The Vikings scoring drive went 28 yards in 2 plays, taking only 22 seconds of game time to accomplish, all of it gained by the best running back in the NFL.

To the Lions' credit, they responded to that score by putting up their only touchdown of the game, and the only trip they would make into the red zone on the afternoon, aided by a questionable call on Ray Edwards that negated a Minnesota fumble recovery. After a few punts were exchanged, we moved on to the fourth quarter of play, and on the first play of the quarter, Favre unleashed another huge bomb to Rice for 56 yards and another trip to the red zone at the Detroit 4-yard line. After a run by Peterson lost four yards, Favre rolled out to his left and found Jeff Dugan on a crossing route in the end zone, and Dugan made up for his earlier problems by hauling it in for an 8-yard touchdown pass to make it 24-10, Vikings, and effectively put the game out of reach. That Viking drive went 61 yards in four plays and took only 2:03 to complete.

The Vikings' final red zone journey was set up by another "holy cow" moment, this one supplied by Percy Harvin. Your 2009 Offensive Rookie of the Year took a short pass from Brett Favre, bounced off a Lions' linebacker, and turned what initially looked to be a 3-yard hitch into a 40-yard catch-and-run. A 21-yard pass to Shiancoe put the Vikings into the red zone. Unfortunately, the Vikings couldn't do anything else with it, and had to line up for a Ryan Longwell field goal try from 35 yards out. Longwell made it, of course, because. . .say it with me. . .that's what Ryan Longwell does. That drive moved 71 yards in eight plays, and gave us our final score of 27-10 in favor of the Beloved Purple.

The results of the game against the Lions mean that the Vikings, through nine games, have made 37 trips into the red zone this year. In those 37 trips, they've come away with touchdowns on 19 of those (51.3%), tacked on 12 Ryan Longwell field goals (32.4%), and failed to come away with points on six trips (16.2%). Their opponents, on the other hand, have entered the red zone 23 times, and have come away with 10 touchdowns (43.5%), seven field goals (30.4%), and have gotten nothing on six occasions (26.1%). Here's hoping that the Seahawks will give us a chance to improve our numbers both offensively and defensively.

Periera: Edwards Hit Not a Penalty

Gonzo — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:28:41 -0000

According to the good folks at SI.com, immediately after Minnesota's 27-10 victory over the Detroit Lions yesterday, Vikings' coach Brad Childress was on the phone with the NFL's VP of Officiating, Mike Periera. Chilly was apparently livid over the helmet-to-helmet hit call against defensive end Ray Edwards that led directly to the lone Detroit touchdown of the afternoon, particularly considering that it didn't appear that Edwards hit Lions' quarterback Matthew Stafford's helmet at all.

And in response, Periera. . .agreed?

Edwards was flagged for unnecessary roughness after hurdling a cut block with a Superman-style leap to take down Stafford and force an incompletion on third down at the 13, leading to Detroit's only TD. Childress called NFL officiating VP Mike Pereira after the game to complain about that call, and he said Pereira agreed with him that it wasn't a penalty.

Well, yeah. . .after seeing the replay, it was pretty clear that it wasn't a penalty. For starters, Edwards didn't "launch" himself at Stafford. . .he was leaping over an attempted cut block by a Detroit running back. It didn't appear that Edwards had any sort of malicious intent towards Stafford on the play. Secondly, it appeared that Edwards hit Stafford with his shoulder, not with his helmet.

I'm sure that Edwards will still get fined for this. . .but he shouldn't. It was an outstanding play from a guy that had a monster game yesterday. The Lions were bound and determined to not let Jared Allen beat them on Sunday, and to their credit, he didn't. Ray Edwards, on the other hand, certainly beat them and helped administer a beating to Matthew Stafford and company that certainly left the rookie from Georgia a little sore this morning.

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.

2010 NFL mock draft

Mocking Dan — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:15:55 -0000

Here is the first half of my mock draft. The other half will go up tonight after I get home from work.

Quick note: I swapped Sam Bradford in the draft for Washington quarterback Jake Locker. The reason was mainly following an email exchange with 3k from Turf Show Times. And listening to Bradford's recent press conference, it sounds like he's ready to go pro.

For the draft order, I used the one put together by ejrulz in his mock draft.

1. St. Louis Rams - Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
The Rams have no direction on offense. Taking a quarterback first overall would provide as much. Bradford has only played a half this season, but listening to a recent press conference, he sounds like a man ready to go pro.

2. Cleveland Browns - Eric Berry, SS, Tennessee
The Browns might have Abram Elam currently at strong safety, but Berry looks like a player who comes along once a decade. The Browns need help on the right side of their line, but Berry is hard to pass up.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
Whether it's Suh or Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, the Buccaneers need help along the defensive line. Suh has been arguably the best player in college football this season and will be a difference maker immediately.

4. Kansas City Chiefs - Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
Branden Albert has been only average, and that's not good enough for a left tackle. Bulaga has the ability to be an elite player. If his health checks out fine, there's no reason to think he won't be a top five selection.

5. Tennessee Titans - Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
Clearly the Tennessee has skipped a beat this season without Albert Haynesworth. Many considered McCoy an early first rounder had he come out following his redshirt sophomore season. He's a quick, penetrating defensive end with great character.

6. San Francisco 49ers (via Carolina) - Taylor Mays, FS, USC
This is just a great fit for San Francisco. He's the physical presence the team doesn't have in its secondary. Mays might conjure thoughts of Ronnie Lott for Niners fans.

7. Detroit Lions - Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
This would be a tough spot for Detroit with the top two defensive tackles off the board. If that's the case, the team could reach a little bit to take the left tackle many expected them to this season.

8. Oakland Raiders - Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
Lame Al Davis jokes aside, Dunlap is a great fit for the Raiders. Richard Seymour's contract is up at the end of the year and he's not expected to re-sign. Even with Seymour, a better pass rush is needed.

9. Buffalo Bills - Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
Really, is Trent Edwards the future of quarterbacking for Buffalo? The team seems to have settled on Demetrius Bell at left tackle and no outside linebackers are really worth a top 10 pick.

10. Seattle Seahawks - Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech
It can be hard to justify taking a running back this early in the draft, but Dwyer has immense talent. Julius Jones is better as a second option and Edgerrin James has shown it's time for him to retire.

11. Miami Dolphins - Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
While Miami could use a nose tackle or future pass rushing linebacker, Bryant could be the best receiver in the draft since Calvin Johnson. Being ruled ineligible shouldn't affect Bryant's draft stock.

12. Arizona Cardinals - Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
Williams is still a project at left tackle, but Mike Gandy has struggled for the Cardinals. At the least, Williams is an NFL-ready run blocker.

13. Washington Redskins - Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Clearly Redskins owner Dan Snyder is done with current starter Jason Campbell. The team tried to get Jay Cutler and Mark Sanchez. McCoy is a dependable passer who has better arm strength than people think.

14. San Diego Chargers - Damian Williams, WR, Southern California
The Chargers could be forced to replace receivers Vincent Jackson and Chris Chambers after this season. Williams has emerged as a legit No. 1 receiver for the Trojans.

15. Houston Texans - Joe Haden, CB, Florida
Everyone expected the Texans to take a difference maker in the secondary this year, and they didn't. Haden can get out position in pass coverage, but he's a great all-around corner.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers - Brandon Spikes, MLB, Florida
Steelers fans might be convinced Lawrence Timmons is the future inside, but I am not. Good middle linebackers average more than three tackles a game. Spikes would be a steal here. And even if Timmons sticks at middle linebacker, James Farrior is 34.

17. Green Bay Packers - Ciron Black, OT, LSU
Black might not be the best left tackle, but he's the best one available in this scenario. The Packers clearly need help along the offensive line.

18. Jacksonville Jaguars - Morgan Burnett, SS, Georgia Tech
Everyone seems to think Tim Tebow should be the choice here, but the team has a better chance of winning immediately by filling other holes. Wide receiver is a possibility as well, but Mike Sims-Walker is having a breakout season.

19. Dallas Cowboys - Brandon LaFell, WR, LSU
Since getting rid of Terrell Owens, justifiably, the Cowboys have lacked a dependable wide receiver. That's what LaFell would provide. He's not the fastest or the flashiest, but he gets the job done.

20. Atlanta Falcons - Greg Hardy, DE, Mississippi
Thirty-four games into his career, it's official: Jamaal Anderson is a bust. He has two sacks, which won't cut it for a 4-3 end. Hardy, when motivated, is as good of a pass rusher as there is in the nation.

21. Philadelphia Eagles - Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas
Philadelphia's current group of outside linebackers feature a bunch of players who are only average. Kindle could be a sensation in the team's blitz-heavy scheme.

22. Cincinnati Bengals - Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
Gresham's season-ending knee injury shouldn't stop a team from taking him in the first round. That's especially true if you consider that the Bengals' starting tight end is Daniel Coats.

23. New England Patriots - Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
Whether they used him inside or outside, McClain could make a big impact for the Patriots. Other than Jerod Mayo and an aging Adalius Thomas, New England is somewhat light on linebacker talent.

24. Denver Broncos (via Chicago) - Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama
Cody would be the last piece the Broncos need to finish off the conversion to a 3-4. While I'm not the biggest fan of Cody's, the Broncos need someone in the middle to regularly take up multiple blockers.

25. New York Jets - Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse
In the Jets' 3-4, Jones would get moved over to end, a position the team needs to address. Jones has the quickness and size to play end and would give coach Rex Ryan another good pressure guy.

26. San Francisco 49ers - Eric Norwood, OLB, South Carolina
Many expect San Francisco to take a quarterback, but Shaun Hill might be the kind of game manager coach Mike Singletary wants. Norwood would help a pass rush that's below-average from the linebacker spot.

27. Baltimore Ravens - Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame
Tate is the kind of playmaking wide receiver the Ravens have never had. He can make big plays out of short passes and will be able to help on special teams.

28. Minnesota Vikings - Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
Ray Edwards is a free agent after the season and is average at best. Morgan has shown flashes of dominance this season. He can get after the passer or stay at home and handle the run.

29. New York Giants - Marvin Austin, DT, North Carolina
Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins are facing free agency following this season and if both don't come back, tackle could be a big need. Austin has been inconsistent thus far, but has great talent. A coach like Tom Coughlin could harness it nicely.

30. Seattle Seahawks (via Denver) - Charles Brown, OT, Southern California
The career of left tackle Walter Jones is winding down. Brown is a similar kind of offensive lineman who has good athleticism and drive. While safety and quarterback can be considered needs, no players seem worth this slot.

31. Indianapolis Colts - Selvish Capers, OT, West Virginia
Some project Capers to play left tackle, but he's been on the right side for the Mountaineers this season. Either spot he plays, the Colts could use him. Middle linebacker could be a need, but that is a position that traditionally be addressed later in the draft.

32. New Orleans Saints - Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri
Outside linebacker and defensive tackle are the top needs for an overachieving Saints defense. Weatherspoon would be a perfect fit outside. He's a good tackler and can make up for the mistakes of teammates.

Okay, That's Over. . .So Now What?

Gonzo — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:42:40 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

Are you not entertained? ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!? (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)

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EDITed to add poll. . .enjoy!

Honestly, folks, is there a better time than right now to be a fan of Minnesota sports? We got to watch the Minnesota Twins win five consecutive must-win games (starting with Thursday's series finale in Detroit and concluding with Tuesday's play-in victory), and sandwiched in-between was the Vikings defeating their cross-border rivals in what was, quite possibly, the most hyped and most heavily promoted regular-season game in the last couple of decades. Now, at the quarter pole of the 2009 NFL season, the Beloved Purple are one of only five teams in the National Football League whose record remains unblemished (along with the Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, and New York Giants).

Yep, it's a pretty good time to be cheering for teams that call Minnesota home. So let's go into what happened on Monday night. . .oh, and if you want to re-live everything again, the NFL Network will be re-playing the Packers/Vikings game at 8:30 PM Central time. I'll be flipping back and forth between that and the new episode of South Park from 9 to 9:30. Hey. . .man's gotta get away every once in a while. (-:

Last season, had you come out before a Vikings game and said that Adrian Peterson would rush for 55 yards, average around two yards/carry, and that he'd lose a fumble that was taken back for a touchdown, the only question you would have gotten from a Vikings fan would have been along the lines of "So, did we lose by three touchdowns, or did we manage to keep it within two?" Over the last couple of years of the Brad Childress era, when Adrian Peterson has had a bad game, the Vikings have gotten beaten (with a couple of exceptions). But watching Monday night's game, you knew things were going to be different. . .and you didn't know how you knew, you just knew.

On a night when the best running back in the National Football League just couldn't get himself going, a guy that will turn 40 years old on Saturday put his new team on his back and showed his old team. . .and the rest of America's doubters. . .that he's still plenty capable of getting the job done. After he connected on a beautiful 31-yard rainbow to Bernard Berrian in the third quarter to make the score 28-14, he was 18-for-21 for 226 yards and three touchdowns. For a team. . .and, specifically, a secondary. . .that allegedly knew everything there was to know about Brett Favre, #4 spent a lot of time making the guys in green and yellow look foolish. On the touchdown pass to Berrian, Al Harris looked about as lost as he did on a certain touchdown pass in a certain playoff game a few years ago, as he thought he had deep help that simply wasn't there, and Berrian slipped untouched into the end zone.

Favre's performance was good enough to earn him the NFC's Offensive Player of the Week for Week 4, as he finished up with a stat line of 24/31, 271 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. More importantly, he didn't take a single sack during the entire evening after taking nine in the first three weeks, and was rarely even pressured by Green Bay's front seven.

This was a pretty stark contrast to his counterpart on the other side, Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers spent his night under constant pressure from the Vikings' defensive line, and the pressure came almost exclusively from the outsides, as Jared Allen, Ray Edwards, and Brian Robison continuously made the Packer offensive tackles on both sides look silly. Allen wound up with 4.5 sacks on the evening, half a sack shy of tying the Vikings' single-game record of five, and that included a forced fumble by Rodgers on the opening drive of the game, and Allen's third safety in the last two Viking/Packer games at the Metrodome, as he took Rodgers down in the end zone after a beautiful Chris Kluwe punt in the fourth quarter. At first, it appeared as though it was another fumble by Rodgers that Allen recovered at the Green Bay 1-yard line, but the Packers challenged it, and replay confirmed that #69 had taken Rodgers down in the end zone before the ball came loose. Overall, the Vikings wound up with eight sacks on the evening, and seven of them came from defensive ends (4.5 for Allen, 1.5 for Robison, and 1 for Ray Edwards). Jimmy Kennedy was the lone interior lineman to register a sack for Minnesota on Monday night.

Not everything about Monday night's game was all sunshine and lollipops, however. On the rare occasions that Rodgers did get time to throw, he ripped the Vikings apart pretty good, finishing the game with 347 yards passing and two touchdown passes of his own (along with his first interception of the season, a pick by Antoine Winfield that led to another Minnesota touchdown). The Vikings also got mauled by a fast, strong tight end again, just as they did by Vernon Davis against the 49ers the week before, as Jermichael Finley caught six passes for 128 yards, including the 62-yard touchdown pass that answered the Vikings opening score.

I'm not the world's biggest Aaron Rodgers fan. I don't think he's the next Johnny Unitas or anything crazy like that. But after the absolute beating the Vikings subjected him to on Monday night and for him to answer the way he did, it's really, really hard to question his toughness at this point. That guy put his big boy pants on this Monday night, and it was darn near enough for him to lead his team to a victory even after getting sacked eight times and spending his evening running for his life almost every time he dropped back to pass.

Speaking of quarterbacks, much was made of the quarterback makeover that the NFC North underwent this season. Rodgers is the only quarterback starting for an NFC North team this year that started for the same team last year, with the Lions, Bears, and Vikings all bringing in new starters. At the quarter point of the season, how do those quarterbacks compare? Well. . .see for yourself:

Player	Team	Comp	Att	Comp %	Yards	TD	INT	Sacked	Rating
Jay Cutler	CHI	83	129	64.3	901	8	5	8	89.3
Brett Favre	MIN	85	125	68.0	837	8	1	9	104.6
Aaron Rodgers	GB	77	127	60.6	1,098	6	1	20	101.1
Matthew Stafford	DET	79	139	56.8	894	3	6	10	65.5

Yep. . .the old guy seems to be living up to the hype after all, I'd say. Will he be able to maintain his current pace? Well, I don't think he's going to end the season with a 32/4 TD-to-INT ratio or anything, but I think he's still going to have a significantly larger number in the TD column than he'll have in the INT column. In any event, it sure as heck has been fun to watch so far, hasn't it?

So, what do we have to look forward to in the second quarter of the season? Well, only one of Minnesota's next four games will be in the comfy confines of the Metrodome, for starters. They'll start this stanza with a trip to St. Louis. . .a potential trap game if there ever was one. . .for a date with the Rams before hosting the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6 in what should be an extremely physical, hard-hitting contest. No rest for the Vikings after that, however, as they travel to the House that Ketchup Built in Week 7 to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, and then make the annual pilgrimage to Lambeau Field to take on these same Packers before heading into their bye in Week 9.

As far as the rest of the NFC North, since we should be tracking them, too, both Chicago and Green Bay have Week 5 off. The Packers will host the Lions and travel to Cleveland before hosting the rematch with the Vikings. Chicago has a Sunday night date with the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6, followed by a trip to Cincinnati to take on the surprising Bengals and a home game against Cleveland. Detroit has the defending world champions at home this Sunday, followed by a trip to Green Bay, a bye week of their own, and a home contest against St. Louis.

It's been a great start to the 2009 season, ladies and gentlemen. . .and I'm happy as heck as you've spent it here with DN. Don't go anywhere the rest of the year, since we'll still be here providing the best Vikings coverage you'll find anywhere. Have a good rest of your evening, ladies and gentlemen. . .go Twins, and SKOL Vikings!!!!

Poll

Vikings MVP through the first four games. . .WHO YA GOT?

DE Jared Allen (18 tackles, 6 sacks, 3 forced fumbles)

477 votes

QB Brett Favre (104.6 QB rating, 8 TD, 1 INT)

874 votes

RB Adrian Peterson (84 carries, 412 yards, 5 TD, 2nd in NFL in rushing)

219 votes

CB Antoine Winfield (28 tackles, 1 INT)

52 votes

Someone else (specify in comments)

12 votes

1634 votes | Poll has closed

The Fight For First Place: Round One

Mitchell_M — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:02:24 -0000

More photos » by Andy King - AP

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CAN YOU FEEL THE TENSION? If you can't, it's probably because you're comatose. Either that, or you don't rightly care about either team involved in Monday Night's NFC North showdown. Which is fine, I guess.

For the rest of you that can feel the tension, let's take a deep breath and relax for a second. Here, watch Daniel Tosh make fun of Nebraska. It always makes me feel better.

As someone who has spent several fortnight-long excursions to Nebraska, I can't think of a state that would be more appropriate for Mr. Tosh's message. Unless you say Montana, but I'm convinced that Montana just flat-out doesn't exist.

Alright, enough of that foolishness. If you're looking for a breakdown of Packers-Vikings, have I got the treat for you...after the jump.

MIN rushing vs. GB defense: You've probably seen it, but it's pretty freakin' cool, so I'm gonna have you watch it again.

There are two glaring mistakes in this video: real life isn't in black and white, and AP doesn't have hexagonical scales that make him look like a cybernetic human-dinosaur-hybrid gladiator-assassin.

Everything else is fairly realistic. AP will smash, dash, cut, juke, spin, hurdle, and quite possibly double-stiff-arm his way through all challengers because, well, he's AP. Granted, San Francisco did manage to hold him to 85 yards on 19 carries. (WEAK! I SCOFF AT ADRIAN PETERSON AND HIS PUNY 4.5 YARDS PER CARRY!) That said, he's still managed to rack up 357 yards and 4 TDs with a 6.1 average. Yikes. But they have few other options to run the ball. Chester Taylor is averaging less than 3 yards on his 17 carries, and Percy Harvin only has five carries. They've generally been decent gains, but he lost 8 yards in his lone rushing attempt against San Francisco. This doesn't mean that neither of them are capable of putting up yards on the ground, but they haven't shown it in a way that's demonstrable through numbers.

It helps that the blocking is usually superb. Bryant McKinnie (6'8", 335) and Steve Hutchinson (6'5", 313) are stalwarts on the left side, but are 30 and 31, respectively. On the right side, Anthony Herrera (6'2", 315) and Phil Loadholt (6'8", 343) have significantly less experience, but are competent in opening running lanes. The weak link is definitely new center John Sullivan (6'4", 301), who is no Matt Birk. But these guys are big, they are nasty, and they don't like it when defenses try to tackle Peterson behind the line (even though it happens more frequently than you'd think).

Green Bay extended the consecutive streak of 100+ yard outings from opposing running backs when Steven Jackson gained 117 on 27 attempts. Jackson's performance was more impressive than Cedric Benson's before him because a) Jackson managed to break off some big gains (including a 20-yarder), b) he had weaker blocking than Cincinnati has, and c) the linebackers played well on Sunday. A.J. Hawk, Brandon Chillar, and Nick Barnett combined for 19 tackles and looked much better (but far from perfect) in run support.

Green Bay's best chance of corralling AP is to get good penetration from Jenkins, Jolly, Pickett, and Raji (if he is healthy enough) and string Peterson's runs to the outside where the linebackers and corners have a chance to flow and gang-tackle or use the sidelines. Of course, it might help to use Peterson's violent running style against him to force a fumble or two; his biggest weakness is carrying the football consistantly (9 fumbles in 2008).

Advantage: Minnesota. Unless Green Bay uses the 3-5-3 alignment with Kampman, Matthews, Hawk, Barnett, and Chillar to clog running lanes and direct defensive pursuit, which could actually keep AP under 100 yards.

Or if Peterson's "troublesome" back gives out. Because he's, you know, carrying the team. And some of those guys are heavy.

MIN passing vs. GB defense: Well, well, well, look who came crawling back to play Green Bay. Wait...you say he's not crawling back? He's playing well? He did this? Undefeated? Oh. Nevermind. Let's skip all the drama (or at least save it for the other posts) and get down to brass tacks; we need to talk about Brett Favre v.2009.

After skipping training camp, people said that the only way Favre could succeed early in the season is if he played the role of game manager and let Adrian Peterson carry the offensive load. Those people were correct. In the first two weeks, Favre was 37 for 48 (77% completion) with 265 yards and 3 TD's. Those are good-day Kyle Orton-esque stats, especially the 0 INTs and the 5.5 yards per attempt. Peterson did what he did best, and the Vikings won both games despite being somewhat hampered by slow starts.

Whether it's simply getting into the groove of the offense, or healing from his bicep injury and subsequent surgeries, or even a result of the Vikings wanting him to get warmed up only in the week before the Packer game (/conspiracy theory'd), Favre was not the same quarterback against the 49ers. Against a tough defense, he went 24 of 46 for 301 yards and 2 TDs. He actually put some force behind his throws and displayed the touch on the deep ball and mobility in the pocket we came to know and love.

His biggest vulnerability is his pass protection, surprisingly. Over three games, Favre has been sacked 9 times, and it would have been 10 were it not for a sweet side-step on the last play in week 3. He is showing his age when defenses come at him, and his offensive line is showing a weakness I didn't know they had. Part of it might be McKinnie's age (unlikely), Loadholt's inexperience (possible), or Sullivan's poor line adjustments (probable). I don't follow the team well enough to know why Favre has been hit so many times against teams like Cleveland and Detroit. But he is vulnerable back there.

As far as receivers go, there are three main targets that pose a significant threat: Percy Harvin, Visanthe Shiancoe, and Chester Taylor. Adrian Peterson would be dynamic in the passing game if he were a better catcher, and Bernard Berrian's deep route skills have not yet been displayed in the regular season (and I'm not sure they've done it in practice). Harvin is extremely adept after the catch, Shiancoe has developed into a solid underneath and seam TE, and Taylor has always been an excellent 3rd down back.

Green Bay's pass rush isn't imposing statistically (5 sacks), but they do a good job of getting to the quarterback, disrupting his rhythm, and giving him a good hit when they're close enough. Jenkins and Jolly should be able to get decent pursuit on passing downs, and Pickett and Raji should draw enough double teams to open up a lane for one or two of the linebackers, primarily Clay Matthews and Aaron Kampman.

The best hope Green Bay has of stopping Minny's offense is by baiting Favre into bad throws and forcing interceptions. Charles Woodson, Nick Collins, Tramon Williams, and Al Harris are all outstanding ball hawks who can take advantage of poor routes by some of Minnesota's lesser receivers. Favre has historically struggled against 3-4 zone blitzes, and he is certainly capable of a ~~Favre-esque~~ Cutler-esque multiple INT day.

Advantage: Green Bay by the slightest of margins. Again Favre has struggled against zone blitzes from the 3-4, so let's hope this week is when Dom Capers earns his paycheck. But don't think that Favre isn't licking his chops to get a chance at his old team, especially if they load the box with 8 defenders.

GB rushing vs. MIN defense: Green Bay's rushing attack is the very definition of the term "meh". As a team, the Packers have 317 yards through three games (meh). They're averaging 4.1 yards per carry (meh). They have four touchdowns against one fumble (meh). There's just nothing notable about this team's rushing attack.

I'm at a disadvantage because I haven't watched the games from the last two weeks, but either Grant isn't finding the running lanes or the offensive line isn't opening any up for him. Grant is notorious for running into the backs of his linemen, but he's also well-known for his ability to break off a huge gain. Considering his longest run of the season is 17 yards, I might be inclined to blame the offensive line.

Minnesota's rush defense has struggled to return to their regular insurmountable selves on a regular basis. While they held San Francisco to 58 yards on the ground, 54 of those yards were after Frank Gore's first (and last) attempt of the game. They did allow Jamal Lewis to rack up a 5.2 ypc against them in Week 1, and then Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris put up decent numbers before Detroit fell behind and abandoned the rush. So it's not like they're a seive, but they aren't as suffocating as we're used to.

A big reason for that is the alleged decline of Pat Williams. While I'm not sure it's true, it is certainly a feasible argument to say that a 36 year old defensive tackle might start to fall off after 13 seasons. Regardless, he's still a mammoth load in the middle of the line and will eat up space in a hurry. His line-mate and namesake Kevin Williams is significantly younger and more athletic. Jared Allen is above average against the run, as is Ray Edwards. E.J. Henderson's return from his freak toe injury gave the defense a huge boost, mainly because it took the pressure off of Chad Greenway and Ben Leber, who are outstanding complimentary linebackers but falter when burdened with higher-level responsibilities.

Advantage: Minnesota, but Ryan Grant has historically found success playing against the Vikings. I would be more surprised if he was held below 50 yards than if he breaks 100.

GB passing vs. MIN defense: There are two statistics in the passing game that have been huge in keeping Green Bay at 2-1 rather than 1-2 or even 0-3: Rodgers has been sacked 12 times this season (losing 92 yards in the process), but has committed exactly 0 turnovers. That's downright remarkable. His yardage (714), completion percentage (56.7), and QB rating (97.2) are middling at best, but he has kept the team afloat whenever he was able. Those 12 sacks are the most troubling thing, though. While I'm glad that Rodgers has kept the ball despite getting smacked around (one fumble, which was recovered by Allen Barbre), I'm doubtful that he can keep such a streak alive for long.

My biggest concern has actually been the receiving corps. Donald Driver has been the only guy to really step it up so far in 2009 (he's playing as if he's a #1 guy again). Greg Jennings seems to have reverted to being a deep-route specialist. James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and Jermichael Finley were supposed to be dynamic contributors, but none of them have stood out yet. Perhaps the offensive line's issues have disrupted the timing so much that the receivers' routes need to be recalibrated, and only the eldest member (Driver) has figured out how to do it. Still, Green Bay's passing game remains a highly potent group that hasn't performed to capacity yet.

Minnesota's pass defense has been outstanding, allowing only 167.7 yards per game (4th in the NFL). That stat needs to be tempered with the list of quarterbacks Minnesota has faced: Brady Quinn, Matthew Stafford, and Shaun Hill. Additionally, they have only played against two receivers that can be compared to Green Bay's receivers: Braylon Edwards and Calvin Johnson. While the duo of Driver and Jennings will give cornerbacks Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin and safeties Madieu Williams and Tyrell Johnson a difficult test, the more concerning matchup is the duo of Edwards and Allen against Green Bay's tackles.

Allen Barbre is lucky that Ray Edwards is not nearly as dangerous as his counterpart, but he will still have his hands full if McCarthy trusts Barbre to take on Edwards one-on-one. Green Bay faces a tough decision on who to put against Jared Allen. On the one hand, Chad Clifton may be available from his ankle sprain, and he has been somewhat effective against Allen in the past. On the other hand, Clifton routinely resorted to holding Allen whenever he got beat, and his lateral quickness was in decline before he injured his ankle.

As counterintuitive as it seems, I actually think Daryn Colledge might stand a better chance of locking down Allen. Colledge is much faster than most LTs, which matches up well against Allen's speed rushing. He also plays higher than most LTs are taught to play, which is usually a problem, but playing higher will make lateral movement easier and could help him ride Allen out of the pocket. It also makes him more susceptible to double moves, which Allen is highly proficient at, so Colledge might give up some hits all the same. In any case, I feel more comfortable matching up the younger, healthier, more athletic Colledge against Jared Allen than the older, injured, and surgically-repaired Clifton.

Advantage: Push. If the trends from this season continue, Minnesota has the edge. If the players actually perform up to their potential, Green Bay has it.

Preliminary verdict: This is a game that both fans are overly optimistic about their team's chances. Both teams have significant strengths and weaknesses, and both fan bases are convinced that their team will have the upper hand. I am firmly on the fence about what's going to happen on Monday, but I can tell you that there will be a whole lot of Favre-centric coverage.

Just imagine what this scene would look like if it were being played in Green Bay. Yikes.

Poll

What outcome do you see for Week 4 vs. Minnesota?

Big GB win.

142 votes

Slim GB win.

434 votes

Too close to call.

271 votes

Slim MIN win.

361 votes

Big MN win.

262 votes

1470 votes | Poll has closed

Vikings Explode in Second Half, Pull Away from Browns 34-20

Gonzo — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 01:30:45 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

Hold on. . .you think YOU are going to stop ME!? I don't think so. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

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At halftime of today's game, there weren't a lot of reasons to think that 2009 was going to be any different than 2008. Despite the presence of Brett Favre, the Vikings' passing game was limited to dinking and dunking down the field, Adrian Peterson was on the sidelines losing his lunch, and the punt coverage unit had given up another huge return for a touchdown to the highly dangerous Joshua Cribbs. A lot of folks had come into the 2009 season opener with a great deal of confidence, almost overlooking the Cleveland Browns, and it was starting to look as though the Vikings players and coaches may have done the same thing.

Then the second half started, and we got the first installment of Season Three of The Adrian Peterson Show.

The single best player in the National Football League spent his halftime getting an IV after dealing with dehydration. The weather in Cleveland was a bit warmer than anticipated, and the dehydration caused him to only gain one yard in the second quarter of play.and only 25 yards on 9 carries in the first half overall. However, he came back in the second half with a vengeance, and on 16 second half carries he gained 155 yards. His last carry was the most impressive, as he took a handoff and traveled left. As he got to the sidelines, he broke one tackle, and then hit Browns' cornerback Eric Wright with a pie-face that Moe Howard would have been proud of, sending Wright about three yards into the sidelines. After a very nice assist from Sidney Rice, Peterson soon found himself in the end zone celebrating a 64-yard touchdown run that pretty much iced the game for the Beloved Purple.

Honestly. . .#28 in purple is the single-best player in the National Football League, and you're going to have a hell of a time convincing me that it could possibly be anybody else.

So what else is there to say about today's game for the Vikings? We'll discuss it further after the jump.

The Vikings' defense was, quite frankly, suffocating this afternoon. While Jared Allen spent most of his afternoon being pretty well handled by Browns OT Joe Thomas, the rest of the front seven had Brady Quinn running for his life all day long. The Vikings' defense brought Quinn down five times, with Kevin Williams, Ray Edwards, E.J. Henderson, and Letroy Guion marking the stat sheet in that category (one sack was classified as a "team" sack). While the run defense was uncharacteristically soft, ultimately allowing 4.5 yards a carry to the Browns, the pass defense did a fine job. . .and don't worry about Jared Allen. He doesn't have to go against Joe Thomas every week.

Cedric Griffin managed to notch an interception for the Vikings as well, as Brady Quinn hit him on a perfect fade route during the third quarter. The third quarter was the real turning point of today's game, as the Vikings held the ball for 12:25 of the quarter's 15 minutes of play.

Oh, what about that Favre fellow, you say? Well, he did what we want him to do. . .he completed a high percentage of passes (14/21 or 66.7%), he managed the game (zero turnovers), and he made plays when the Vikings needed him to. The two best examples of that came in that aforementioned third quarter. The first came on the Vikings' opening drive after halftime, Facing a 3rd and 10 from the Cleveland 33 and facing a heavy blitz, Favre hung in. . .and hung in. . .until the very last second, where he released on a tight end screen to Visanthe Shiancoe, who picked up 11 yards and kept the drive going. The drive ultimately concluded with Peterson's second TD run of the day and gave Minnesota a lead they'd never relinquish..

The other came on the Vikings' next drive, which came after the Cedric Griffin interception. After a sack gave the Vikings a 2nd and 18 from the Minnesota 21, Favre took a shotgun snap from John Sullivan, calmly stood in the pocket, and absolutely drilled a pass to Percy Harvin that turned into a 21-yard play and a first down for Minnesota. That drive concluded with Percy Harvin's first NFL touchdown, a six-yard pass from Favre to make the score 24-13. We'll explore Harvin's game further as the week progresses.

It wasn't all sunshine and lollipops for the Beloved Purple, unfortunately. The one sore thumb from today's game was the same one that stuck out for a better part of last year, and that was the special teams. It started out with a call I absolutely hated, as Ryan Longwell unleashed an awful onside kick on the opening kickoff that gave the Browns the ball at midfield. (Can you "unleash" an onside kick? I couldn't come up with a better word there.) If you have a defense like Minnesota's, just blast the ball deep and go for the field position. The Browns' offense didn't do much today before garbage time, and giving an offense like that a short field is a recipe for disaster.

The other special teams failure can be largely pinned on punter Chris Kluwe, and it came towards the end of the first half. Kluwe's punt towards the dangerous Josh Cribbs was a low line drive that Cribbs fielded, made one move to his left, and went basically untouched for 67 yards and a touchdown that put Cleveland ahead going into the locker room. Not every team has a return man as dangerous as Josh Cribbs, to be sure, but I said in the Game Thread prior to the game that Kluwe needed to work on getting more air under his punts to prevent this sort of thing from happening. Hopefully that play was more of a function of Cribbs being the NFL's most dangerous return man than it is of the Vikings' special teams relapsing from what they showed us last season.

All in all, it wasn't as smooth as most of us would have liked, I'm sure, but the VIkings went on the road and beat an opponent by 14 points. . .and it conceivably could have been 21, if not for the Vikings playing their second-string defense for most of the Browns' final drive. And we expected it. This is what the Vikings were supposed to do in this game. They've gotten themselves off on the right foot for 2009, and can start preparing next week for a divisional tussle against their divisional rivals from Detroit. Hopefully, with the rust having been shaken off, things will go more smoothly in Week 2 than they did in Week 1 and we won't have to sweat quite so much. Of course, we remember what happened in our two meetings with Detroit last year. . .and if you've forgotten, I'm sure we'll be reminded of it on a few occasions over the next seven days.

The Vikings are 1-0, ladies and gentlemen. Here's hoping that it's the start of something big.

Nightlink: Olsen on SN All-Breakout Team 2009

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:47:33 -0000

by Nam Y. Huh - AP

View full size photo »

The Sporting News just released their 2009 All-Breakout Team, as done by Vinny Iyer with special input from Brian Baldinger. Some of the selections are just no-brainers, it makes you say DUH! Bears Tight End Greg Olsen is getting picked by just about every publication as a guy that will breakout this year, and he makes their list as well. After the jump see what they said about Olsen and a few other picks.

Here is the criteria they used for selecting their team:

Include no rookies, and go with players with at least one year of experience who either haven't quite reached their potential or haven't received the recognition they deserve.

And here is what they said about Olsen:

TIGHT END
Greg Olsen, Bears. This athletic freak figures to be Jay Cutler's favorite target.
Baldy's take: "You or me could be a pretty productive receiver with Cutler throwing to us often."

Great insight by NFL Network analyst Baldinger. No other Bears made the list, but do you think any should have?

Other notables on the list;

QUARTERBACK
Matt Ryan, Falcons. Ryan is the reigning Rookie of the Year, was a Pro Bowl alternate and led Atlanta to an 11-5 record during his first NFL season. But his statistics were modest: 16 touchdown passes, 11 interceptions. With a year's experience and an elite tight end, Tony Gonzalez, look for Ryan to become an elite QB.
Baldy's take: "Expect him to throw for about 25 TDs this season."

I agree with Baldy on this one, and Gonzalez may have his best season in a while. Ryan is one of 3 Falcons on the list.

WIDE RECEIVERS
DeSean Jackson, Eagles. For the first time since Terrell Owens, Donovan McNabb has an elite receiver.
Baldy's take: "An easy pick."

One of 3 Eagles on the list, Jackson should eclipse the 1,000 mark with ease this year.

Ray Edwards, Vikings. He's just another fine Minnesota defensive lineman, following Kevin Williams, Pat Williams and Jared Allen.
Baldy's take: "He is ready to take full advantage of playing next to those guys."

The only other NFC North representative on the list. On a side note, could Jarred Allen just go away?

Here's a link to the article, 2009 NFL Preview: Selecting All-Breakout Team a challenge

Poll

Will another Chicago Bear "break out" this year?

Yes, RT - Chris Williams

48 votes

Yes, S - Kevin Payne

28 votes

Yes, WR - Earl Bennett

269 votes

Yes, All of the Above!

144 votes

Yes, Other

39 votes

No

34 votes

562 votes | Poll has closed

Vikings Complete Cuts; Final 53-Man Roster Announced

Gonzo — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 01:09:15 -0000

We'll get cut together
So now it's farewell
And maybe we'll come back
To the league, who can tell?
The coach wants to see me he said
"Bring your playbook"
Well I'll still get paid I hope because. . .

IT'S THE FINAL CUTDOWN!!
DUH NUH NUH NUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. . .DUH NUH NUH UH UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

Stupid Youtube making me put this below the video rather than right next to it. Took me half an hour to realize that you apparently can't do that like you used to.

Anyway, let's hit the jump here and we'll compare the Vikings' roster to what I had envisioned them doing.

Quarterback

Gonzo's Prediction (3): Brett Favre, Sage Rosenfels, John David Booty
Actual Roster (3): Favre, Tarvaris Jackson, Rosenfels

I didn't think they'd cut Booty, but I'm guessing they'll try to get him to the practice squad. Whether that actually happens or not is another matter. However, based on what we've seen from him the last two pre-seasons, I don't think I'll be terribly disappointed if he slips through our grasp.

By the way, the order in the "actual roster" list there reflects how I think the depth chart should look. Jackson clearly outplayed Rosenfels for most of the post-season, which means we spent a fourth-round pick and gave a three-year extension to a guy that should be inactive most Sundays. Peachy.

Running Back

Gonzo's Prediction (4): Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor, Albert Young, Naufahu Tahi
Actual Roster (4): Peterson, Taylor, Young, Tahi

No real suspense here. The coaching staff has liked Albert Young since last year, and Ian Johnson just couldn't overcome that. I honestly don't think that he'll get through to the practice squad, which is a real shame.

Wide Receiver

Gonzo's Prediction (6): Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, Bobby Wade, Jaymar Johnson, Darius Reynaud
Actual Roster (6): Berrian, Rice, Harvin, Wade, Johnson, Reynaud

Kevin Seifert said in his "Three and Out" about the Vikings that they "suddenly have the deepest group of receivers in the NFC North." That became obvious today when, for the first time in the Brad Childress era, the team chose to keep six wide receivers instead of five. With this group of receivers and Brett Favre behind center, I can't help but think that this might be the year that the "Kick Ass Offense" finally starts. . .you know. . .kicking ass.

Tight End

Gonzo's Prediction (3): Visanthe Shiancoe, Jim Kleinsasser, Jeff Dugan
Actual Roster (3): Shiancoe, Kleinsasser, Dugan

Dugan is technically listed as a fullback. Meh. Garrett Mills has, indeed, been released, so he's now free to be injured and take up an inactive roster spot for one of the other 31 NFL teams.

Offensive Line

Gonzo's Prediction (8): Bryant McKinnie, Steve Hutchinson, John Sullivan, Anthony Herrera, Phil Loadholt, Drew Radovich, Artis Hicks, Ryan Cook
Actual Roster (8): McKinnie, Hutchinson, Sullivan, Herrera, Loadholt, Hicks, Cook, Jon Cooper

Cooper over Radovich is a small surprise, since Cooper is strictly a one-position backup at this point (as Mike Mayock pointed out last night). I'm not sure how much versatility Radovich had, but he didn't look spectacular last night by any means. No other surprises along the rest of this unit, although I'm sure that some people will still be surprised that the Vikings only kept eight offensive lineman rather than nine.

Defensive Line

Gonzo's Prediction (9): Jared Allen, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, Ray Edwards, Brian Robison, Fred Evans, Letroy Guion, Jimmy Kennedy, Jayme Mitchell
Actual Roster (9): Allen, Williams, Williams, Edwards, Robison, Evans, Guion, Kennedy, Mitchell

Again, no surprises here. The team will no doubt try to slide Martail Burnett back to the practice squad, and it remains to be seen whether he gets that far. That's a disadvantage that teams like the Vikings have. . .they have to cut some really talented guys, and as a result their potential practice squadders tend to get "poached" more frequently than those from some other teams.

Linebacker

Gonzo's Prediction (7): Ben Leber, E.J. Henderson, Chad Greenway, Heath Farwell, Erin Henderson, Jasper Brinkley, Kenny Onatolu
Actual Roster (7): Leber, Henderson the Elder, Greenway, Farwell, Henderson the Younger, Brinkley, Onatolu

I guess Erin Henderson's injury isn't all that serious. Sorry, David Herron. . .if Bill Belichick wants to "steal" you back again, he can have at it. I'm actually really excited to see this group in action, particularly with the return of the man beast wearing #56 in the middle again.

Defensive Back

Gonzo's Prediction (10): Antoine Winfield, Cedric Griffin, Madieu Williams, Tyrell Johnson, Asher Allen, Karl Paymah, Benny Sapp, Jamarca Sanford, Husain Abdullah, Eric Frampton
Actual Roster (10): Winfield, Griffin, Williams, Johnson, Allen, Payman, Sapp, Sanford, Abdullah, Frampton

They. . .and by "they," I mean "some of you guys". . .thought I was crazy to suggest the Vikings would keep ten defensive backs. Well, lo and behold, there they are. There was just too darn much talent there to cut guys from this portion of the team. . .which is a nice problem to have, considering that the Vikings are going to have a lot of leads this year and opposing teams are going to have to throw a lot.

Special Teams

Gonzo's Prediction (3): Chris Kluwe, Ryan Longwell, Cullen Loeffler
Actual Roster (3): Kluwe, Longwell, Loeffler

Duh.

Okay. . .so, I went 51 for 53, which is a pretty decent percentage, I think. Just missed on a backup offensive lineman and how the QB battle would shake out. I don't see any huge surprises in the final 53 man roster. How's about everybody else? Any major heartburns or problems with what Rick Spielman, Brad Childress and company have done here? Have at it!