SB Nation - John Sullivan

Viking Fans Apparently Stuffing the Ballot Box

Gonzo — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:06:02 -0000

For the past few years, fan voting has accounted for 1/3 of the balloting for the NFL Pro Bowl, and you can go to NFL.com in order to vote for your favorite players (read: Vikings) to play in this year's exhibition. However, according to the folks at Viking Update, a lot of your fellow Vikings fans are way ahead of you on that front.

Right now, members of the Minnesota Vikings are leading at TEN DIFFERENT POSITIONS on the NFC's Pro Bowl ballot. Ten, I say. That's a lot.

As it stands now, Adrian Peterson is the #3 overall vote getter, and Brett Favre is (appropriately enough) the #4 overall vote getter. Unfortunately, since Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints has the most overall votes, that means that Favre is only second among NFC quarterbacks.

Who are some of the other Vikings that are leading at their positions? Well, let's take a look. . .

John Sullivan is the leading vote getter at center
Bryant McKinnie is the leader among offensive tackles (Phil Loadholt is fourth)
Steve Hutchinson has more votes than any other guard
Naufahu Tahi is the leader at fullback. . .and if you're currently drinking anything, I apologize for making it shoot out of your nose. But that statement is true.
Jared Allen is the pace setter among NFC defensive ends (almost twice as many as second place Julius Peppers)
Pat Williams and Kevin Williams are the top two defensive tackles in the NFC
Percy Harvin is leading all NFC kick returners in the voting thus far
Ryan Longwell is the top NFC kicker thus far
And Heath Farwell is the top in the NFC special teams category

Four Vikings hold down the #2 spot at their positions as well. Those three are punter Chris Kluwe, cornerback Antoine Winfield, outside linebacker Chad Greenway, and guard Anthony Herrera.

Now, will all these Minnesota players make the Pro Bowl? Certainly not. Heck, hopefully we won't see any of them in the Pro Bowl this year. After all, the NFL has changed the schedule so that the Pro Bowl will be played the weekend before the Super Bowl, not the weekend after as it has been for all these years. Hopefully our guys will have more important things to worry about.

The Vikings Red Zone Review, Sponsored by Comcast

Gonzo — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:48:18 -0000

More photos » by Jerry Holt - AP

about 1 month ago: Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre reacts after throwing for the Vikings' final touchdown in a 38-26 win over the Green Bay Packers in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Star Tribune, Jerry Holt)

Browse more photos »

I skipped this last week with the Vikings being on their bye and everything, but now we're back for more. And I'm not sure about anything else, but the bye week gave me an opportunity to experience just how awesome the Red Zone Channel is. Obviously, during most weeks I'm wholly and solely focused on the Vikings, but during the bye week the Red Zone channel was constantly moving me to different games all over the league. Whether it was the Bears getting destroyed by the Arizona Cardinals, the Packers losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or any of the other action around the NFL during Week 9, the Red Zone Channel made sure that I didn't miss any of the best action around the NFL. The action flows seamlessly, and you get to see all of the biggest plays from all the live action around the league. The Red Zone Channel is your season ticket for every NFL game, and the only cable company that brings it to you is Comcast.

So how did the Vikings' red zone offense look in their last game against Green Bay? Let's take a look.

Vikings Red Zone trips - 5
Vikings Red Zone scores - 4 (4 TD)
Red Zone touchdown percentage - 80%

The Vikings' first red zone appearance of the day against the Packers came on their third possession. After a bad snap from John Sullivan resulted in a fumble, the Packers took an early 3-0 lead. Then they made the mistake of kicking the ball to 2009 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Percy Harvin. Harvin wasted no time in responding to the Packer score, as he torched the Packers special teams unit and took the ball all the way down to the Green Bay 14-yard line. From there, Adrian Peterson handled most of the work. After a couple of carries by #28, the drive appeared to stall after a pass from Brett Favre to Chester Taylor, but Green Bay DT Johnny Jolly inexplicably head-butted Taylor after the play, drawing a personal foul penalty, and the drive continued. Peterson hammered the Vikings down to the 1, and on 4th down he punched it in for the score to give Minnesota a 7-0 lead. The drive took 7 plays to move 14 yards and took 3:48 off of the clock.

The Vikings held the Packers to a three and out on their next possession, and a good punt return by Jaymar Johnson set the Vikings up just short of midfield. This time, Favre did most of the heavy lifting, as he hit Sidney Rice for six yards, Harvin for nine, and Bernard Berrian for 12. After Peterson carried the Vikings into the red zone at the 19-yard line, Favre found Rice again for seven yards. Then, on first down from the Green Bay 12, Favre found Visanthe Shiancoe. . .it's a verb, to Shank. . .for a 12-yard touchdown pass and a 14-3 lead for the Vikings. Minnesota's scoring drive went 51 yards in 7 plays, taking 3:37 to accomplish.

After another Packer three and out, the Vikings appeared to be on their way to scoring again, as Peterson went 33 yards on first down to put the Vikings into the red zone again at the Green Bay 16. After a couple of short runs and an incomplete pass, the Vikings had lined up to attempt a field goal, but the Packers were whistled for a neutral zone infraction that took the Vikings from fourth and six at the 12 to fourth and one at the 7-yard line. Brad Childress put his offense back on the field and, to the Packers' credit, they rose up and stopped Peterson in that short yardage situation, and the Vikings turned it over on downs. That would turn out to be the only red zone failure of the afternoon for the Minnesota offense.

The only other Viking score prior to intermission came on a 41-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell, and Minnesota went into the locker room with a 17-3 lead.

After the Vikings' lone non-red zone touchdown of the afternoon, a 51-yard bomb from Favre to Harvin, the Vikings had a 24-3 lead and appeared to be on cruise control. However, things got a bit dicey for the Purple after that, as Green Bay got a field goal and two touchdown passes to something named Spencer Havner to give them 17 unanswered points and pull the score to 24-20. Then the Packers decided to kick to Harvin again, and again #12 made them pay, ripping off another huge return (48 yards) and letting the Vikings start at the Green Bay 38-yard line. A 15-yard pass to Harvin that was sandwiched between a couple of Peterson runs (and a B.J. Raji face mask penalty) moved the Vikings inside of the Green Bay 10. After Chester Taylor toted the rock down to the 2, Favre rolled right and found Jeff Dugan at the goal line for his third touchdown pass of the evening and made the Viking lead 11 points again at 31-20. The drive went 38 yards in seven plays, taking 3:22 to accomplish.

The Packers answered on their next drive with a TD pass from Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings, and the score went to 31-26 after a failed two-point conversion attempt. After a punt from the Vikings and a missed field goal by Mason Crosby, the Vikings set about putting the game on ice. Peterson took a ~~handoff~~ screen pass (Editor's Note: Oops.) on the first play of the drive and raced over the left side for 44 yards, moving the Vikings to the Packers' 15-yard line. After a couple of unsuccessful carries brought up third and 11, Favre dropped back and fired a quick pass to Bernard Berrian, who was subsequently tossed into the end zone by his helmet by Al Harris for a 16-yard touchdown for Minnesota. It was Favre's fourth touchdown of the day, their fourth red zone touchdown of the day, and it provided the final margin of victory by a count of 38-26.

All that means that, through the first half of the 2009 season, the Minnesota Vikings' offense has made 31 trips into the red zone, and have come away with points on 27 of those occasions. 17 of those have been touchdowns, with 10 being Ryan Longwell field goals, giving the Vikings a red zone touchdown percentage of roughly 63% on the season. The game against Green Bay was one of the poorer performances of the year for Minnesota's red zone defense, as they allowed the Packers to convert points on all five of their red zone appearances (three touchdowns, two field goals). So, for the year, Viking opponents have gotten into the red zone 22 times, and have come away with nine touchdowns and seven field goals, giving them a red zone touchdown percentage of roughly 41%. Hopefully both of these numbers will improve on Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

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.

Favre Wins in Homecoming, but Harvin Steals the Show

Anthony21 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:39:37 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

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Percy Harvin is ridiculous.

If there's any conclusion to be made from The Game Of The Year, it's that there are many teams who should be ashamed of themselves for deciding against selecting The Steal Of The Draft last spring. This game was supposed to be the Brett Favre Show, and to a large extent, it was. He lived up to the occasion -- I hardly need to elaborate on the pressure he was under and his skill at maintaining poise throughout a roller coaster of a game.

But Favre is hardly the headline from this game. That distinction belongs to Percy.

Anyone who watched even part of the Vikings' encounter with the Packers in Lambeau immediately understood the extent to which Harvin can change a game in an instant. Down three early in the first quarter, discouraged after a boneheaded play in which John Sullivan inexplicably snapped the ball when Brett wasn't expecting it? No matter. Harvin pulls off a huge kickoff return and the offense uses the short field to take a 7-3 lead.

Green Bay is storming back after a painful-to-watch fumble by Brian Robison on a kickoff? A commanding lead has been cut to 24-20 in the third quarter? No worries. After pulling to within four, the Packers dumbfounded an audience of millions by putting the ball in Percy's hands on the ensuing kickoff. A return into Packers' territory gives the Vikings offense another short field, and Favre tosses a touchdown to Jeff Dugan to complete the drive.

Indeed, this game was the Percy Harvin Show. Despite the defense's best efforts to melt down once again in the second half, the magnificence of Harvin was too much for the Packers to handle.

Of course, that leads me into the downers of this game. Leslie Frazier, in his infinite wisdom, once again took his foot off the acceleration when the Vikings pulled ahead by three scores. His defense had been absolutely slaughtering Aaron Rodgers in the first half, but as Frazier has proven, he can't pass up a golden opportunity to become complacent and let a dying team back into the game. The Robison fumble can't be blamed on the defense, and that play undeniably swung the momentum in Green Bay's direction. But if that play gave the Packers some much-needed momentum, the Vikings defense ensured that the momentum would remain with Green Bay.

Frazier deserves a head-coaching gig? At times this season, I've wondered if he even deserves to be the defensive coordinator for this team. Granted, that's little more than a knee-jerk reaction to a host of late-game defensive meltdowns, but this isn't the first time the defense has been atrocious this season when given a big lead.

In addition to the embarrassing lack of pressure imposed on Aaron Rodgers in the second half, the players themselves have no excuse for the carnival of missed tackles we witnessed. Frazier bizarrely took the defense's pace down way more than he should have, but the poor tackling hardly helped matters.

And yet, the Vikings still pulled it out. Adrian Peterson was slowed down early on but he became progressively more productive. Sidney Rice was a dependable target for Favre, as was the phenomenal Percy Harvin.

Really, you can't say enough about what Harvin accomplished out there today. 261 all-purpose yards later, we were seeing comparisons of Harvin's performance to Randy Moss' breakout performance in Lambeau. Not a topic I care to explore too deeply, but the mere fact that the comparison was made speaks volumes about Harvin.

So despite the disappointing defensive effort in the second half, the Vikings persevered. An unflappable veteran quarterback leading his team to a pair of key fourth quarter touchdowns (we can't thank Teddy T. enough). An electrifying rookie giving the Vikings momentum boosts at the right moments. There's a lot to be happy about.

That's how we head into the bye -- with some concerns but lots to be excited about. This team's inability to put teams away has been a consistent theme in the first half of the season. But Percy Harvin is unquestionably The Steal Of The Draft and your early-season favorite for Rookie of the Year honors. And the old man has been great. How sweet is it that, after getting booed by the classy Lambeau fans, Favre left with the last laugh?

7-1. A memorable eight games. Here's to a strong finish.

Get Ready for the Biggest Most Important Game Ever of All Time Ever. Or Something.

ericj69 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:00:47 -0000

Of course this picture has to do with Monday's game--this is a picture from the 2009 Vikings Cheerleaders swimsuit calendar. These girls are going to be a big part of the game! I would NEVER post a gratuitous picture to get more attention drawn to my articles.

View full size photo »

So yeah, has anyone heard about the game coming up on Monday? To borrow from Ron Burgundy: I don't know how to put this, but, it's kind of a big deal. This has to be the most-hyped Week 4 game of all time. Depending on who you talk to, the importance of this game ranks somewhere between the invention of fire and sliced bread. I would be absolutely shocked if it doesn't break all sorts of ESPN ratings records. (Unless of course ESPN makes 98% of the country throw their TV sets out the window with their ridiculous Sports Nation stunt on Monday afternoon.)

Of course there is that one little detail that makes this Vikings/Packers matchup just slightly different than the previous 95. Judas or Savior (depending on which side of the fence you're on) Favre is going to suit up for...well, let's face it, the wrong team this time around. After sixteen years of despising Ye Olde Gunslinger, Vikings fans will be cheering for him. And after sixteen years of borderline-uncomfortable idol worship of #4, Packer fans will undoubtedly infiltrate the Dome with the odd perspective of venomously despising their former deity.

I've stated this before, and although I've had more time to get familiar with it, Favre playing against the Packers is still really, really weird to me. I have started to mentally reprogram all those years of loathing Brett, but I'm not there yet. I'll admit that last week's heroics didn't hurt the process of learning to love, but my guard is still up. Favre has the most unbreakable record in sports (the career interception mark) for a reason. I just hope he doesn't have one of "those games" I used to enjoy so much in his first game against the Packers.

Although you won't hear about it at all from the media, other players will actually take the field on Monday night. I believe the biggest key to the game won't be how Favre or his counterpart Aaron Rodgers play, but which offensive line does the better job keeping their quarterback upright. The Packers have given up a league-high 12 sacks through three games, and their tackle play has been sub-par to be generous. Jared Allen and the Williams Wall are probably drooling after looking at Packers game film.

On the other side, the pass protection for the Vikings hasn't exactly been stellar either. First year starting center John Sullivan has been decent after struggling in Week 1 against the Browns, but he isn't Matt Birk. Favre has spent too much time on the ground this year, and the Vikings can't keep letting that happen. Because, you know, just look at him. He's old. You can just let him get hit like that, he's...too old.

More analysis and my Week 4 NFL picks after the jump.

On the defensive side, we pretty much know what to expect from the Vikings. The rushing defense hasn't been as stout as the back-to-back-to-back top-ranked unit it has been, but we're starting to see some improvement. The pass rush hasn't been outstanding, but after seeing Green Bay's O-line, that may change this week. If we can keep Rodgers running for his life, it will go a long way towards a Vikings win.

Green Bay's transition to the 3-4 defense has gone much more smoothly than I had anticipated. Although Dom Capers made Brad Childress look like Chuck Noll as a head coach, the man knows his defense. He has the Packers D playing well in the new scheme and causing a lot of turnovers. The Vikings have already faced a 3-4 this season including last week against the 49ers, so hopefully they'll be prepared for what Capers throws at them.

I haven't heard anyone say that this game will be a blowout either way, and I'm no different. These two teams know each other way too well, especially when you throw Brett into the mix. I think it will be back-and-forth all night, but in the end, I just like Minnesota's array of weapons more than Green Bay's. Percy Harvin is downright scary every time he touches the ball, and I think he makes another big play on the big stage. Unless Chad Clifton is 100% (which sounds doubtful), we should see plenty of this on Monday.

Before I move on to my picks, I have an easy drinking game for you to play during the game to make sure you aren't hung over for work on Tuesday. Every time a full minute goes by during ESPN's broadcast and somebody doesn't mention Brett Favre, take a drink. I'm guessing you'll take three drinks the entire night, tops. Five if you include commercials while you count. (Remember, Sears and Wrangler will probably be heavily involved.)

Prediciton: Vikings 34, Packers 31

As for the rest of the NFL in Week 4 that doesn't matter nearly as much as The Biggest Most Important Game Ever of All Time Ever (home team in CAPS):

BEARS over Lions: Congratulations Detroit, you won for the first time in 20 games! Just don't get greedy. I wouldn't expect two wins in a row for another decade or so.

Bengals over BROWNS: This game falls under one of my sacred picking rules: whenever a team puts their backup quarterback in after halftime, said backup throws three interceptions, and the same backup STILL GETS THE START THE FOLLOWING WEEK, don't pick that team.

TEXANS over Raiders: I have no idea what to make of this Houston team. Except that they're easily better than the Raiders no matter how they play. I'm picking the Texans as my Eliminator pick because JaMarcus Russell has a QB rating of 39.7 this year. If I played quarterback for the Raiders, took every snap and immediately spiked it into the ground, my QB rating would be 39.6. So Al Davis, if you're reading this, I can guarantee you a QB rating only 0.1 less than your current starter, and I'll only ask for 10% of his salary.

COLTS over Seahawks: Even if I thought Seattle was going to win this game, I'd still pick against them because of the irreparable damage they caused my retinas last week.

Titans over JAGUARS: Tennessee can't be 0-4, can they? If the Jags keep feeding Maurice Jones-Drew like they finally did last week, perhaps. But I think Jeff Fisher's mustache still has some of its mystical power left.

Giants over CHIEFS: Wow, the G-Men get Tampa followed by KC? Now I don't feel so guilty about starting our season with the Browns and Lions.

Ravens over PATRIOTS: The game of the week in the AFC. I think Baltimore's surprising offense will be too much for the Pats D to handle, although the Ravens defense hasn't looked great so far either. I also think that if you told me two years ago that I would have typed that previous sentence, I would have laughed you out of the room.

REDSKINS over Buccaneers: I'd rather thrust a rusty corkscrew in my eye than watch this I-bet-the-final-will-be-something-like-9-to-6 snooze fest. Yuck.

DOLPHINS over Bills: My quasi-upset pick of the week. I don't think it matters which mediocre Chad the Dolphins start at QB. I just think they have a better team overall than Buffalo. And yes, I'm cheering for another zero-catch game for T.O. He can't keep it bottled up forever.

SAINTS over Jets: If it wasn't for Favregeddon, this would probably be the game of the week. I dare Rex Ryan to blitz Drew Brees as much as the Jets have blitzed the first three weeks. Brees will pick that apart all day with his quick release. I'm calling a Darren Shaper pick off of Mark Sanchez this week too.

Cowboys over BRONCOS: Denver, welcome to the part of your 2009 season where you come crashing down to Earth. I know Felix Jones is out and Marion Barber is still a little banged up, but Tashard Choice is still a great option. Dallas just has more talent. The next four games for Denver after this: New England, Baltimore, San Diego, Pittsburgh. Don't be surprised if the Broncos are 3-5 halfway into the season.

49ERS over Rams: Even if San Fran is dwelling on their heartbreaking loss to the Vikings last week, they'll still stomp the hapless Rams. Speaking of the Rams, is there a secret competition for Most Dreadful Team in 2009 that I don't know about? Between the Rams, Browns, Raiders, and Chiefs, I'm wondering if the NFL should instate some English Premier League-style relegation rules so we don't have to see the awful brand of football these teams are playing.

Steelers over Chargers: I'm rooting for the Steelers here because I don't want to see anyone's head explode from the sheer force of Mike Tomlin's menacing stare if Pittsburgh loses this game.

Last week: 12-4

Season so far: 36-12

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

Official Vikings/Lions Injury Reports

Gonzo — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:54:02 -0000

Good evening/morning, campers! Glad to see that things have been relatively normal here, with the exception of some of the more creative FanPosts (all of which have been deleted). I would have gotten to these injury reports a bit sooner, but I spent my evening last night in New Orleans at a retirement party for a very good friend of mine that is moving on to the civilian world after putting in his 20 years. Let me tell you. . .Disney World might advertise themselves as the happiest place on Earth, but they've got nothing on Bourbon Street.

And I'll just leave it at that. This is, after all, a family show.

So, let's move on to the injury reports. As is customary here, we'll look at the visiting team first, so his Minnesota's injury report for tomorrow's game.

Minnesota Vikings Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Anthony Herrera	back	09/18/2009
Jim Kleinsasser	hand	09/18/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Heath Farwell	hamstring	09/18/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Erin Henderson	calf	09/18/2009

Henderson is going to be out, we know that already. The big question here is Heath Farwell's status. According to Access Vikings, Henderson was the only member of the team that didn't practice on Friday, so since Farwell practiced, I'm guessing that he'll be a go for tomorrow's game, barring anything surprising. So, the Vikings should basically have their entire complement of players going into Ford Field tomorrow.

And here's the injury report for the Lions:

Detroit Lions Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Grady Jackson	knee	09/18/2009
William James	foot	09/18/2009
Jason Hanson	knee	09/18/2009
Phillip Buchanon	neck	09/18/2009
Daniel Loper	knee	09/18/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Eric King	shoulder	09/18/2009
Andre Fluellen	knee	09/18/2009

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cliff Avril	hamstring	09/18/2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Cody Spencer	knee	08/18/2009
Daniel Bullocks	knee	08/20/2009
Jared DeVries	achilles-tendon	08/11/2009
Chris Roberson	undisclosed	09/05/2009
Damion Cook	triceps	08/07/2009

Grady Jackson is probable despite not having practiced on Friday, and his matchup against Vikings' center John Sullivan will be one of the more interesting ones to watch tomorrow. Sullivan had his difficulties with Shaun Rogers last week in Cleveland, and while Jackson is no longer in the class of guys like Rogers, he's still a big run-stuffing body in the middle of the Detroit defense.

Cliff Avril will likely be inactive for the Lions tomorrow, and I haven't seen anything indicating that anyone else on the Lions' injury report is a definite deactivation for tomorrow.

So there are the bumps and bruises for both teams going into the Week 2 matchup at Ford Field. Not a lot of hugely game-changing injuries for either side. We're about 12 hours away, folks, so make sure you're here for the Game Thread and all the fun that's involved with that. We'll see you here then!

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.

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!

Gonzo's Fearless 53-Man Roster Projection for the 2009 Minnesota Vikings, Part II

Gonzo — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 05:32:37 -0000

by Paul Battaglia - AP

Will Vikings' seventh-round choice Jamarca Sanford (#33) be a member of Minnesota's 53-man roster? We'll know for sure by 5 PM Central time Saturday.(AP Photo/Paul Battaglia)

View full size photo »

So on Wednesday, I took a look at who I thought would stay on the Vikings' roster for Opening Day on the offensive side of the ball. If you'll recall, I had 27 of the 53 spots on the roster reserved.

QB (3) - Brett Favre, Sage Rosenfels, John David Booty
RB (4) - Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor, Albert Young, Naufahu Tahi
WR (6) - Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, Bobby Wade, Jaymar Johnson, Darius Reynaud
TE (3) - Visanthe Shiancoe, Jim Kleinsasser, Jeff Dugan
OL (8) - Bryant McKinnie, Steve Hutchinson, John Sullivan, Anthony Herrera, Phil Loadholt, Ryan Cook, Drew Radovich, Artis Hicks
Special Teams (3) - Ryan Longwell, Chris Kluwe, Cullen Loeffler

So we need 26 more names in order to fill out the roster, and unlike the offense, there's a chance that this could potentially change due to injuries, since DE Brian Robison and LB Erin Henderson were both carted off of the Metrodome field this evening. But, assuming their injuries aren't that serious, here's who I'd go with if I were in charge of things at Winter Park. Believe me. . .I do not envy Rick Spielman right now.

Defensive Line

Starters: Jared Allen, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, Ray Edwards
Backups: Fred Evans, Letroy Guion, Jimmy Kennedy, Brian Robison, Jayme Mitchell
Cut: Otis Grigsby, Antoine Holmes, Tremain Johnson, Martail Burnett

Kennedy is pretty much here for insurance as far as the whole StarCaps saga is concerned. If it were to come out between now and 5 PM Central tomorrow that the trial of the Williams' brothers wouldn't affect their availability for the 2009 season, you can scratch Kennedy off the list. He just hasn't done enough this pre-season, in my opinion, to warrant keeping him around in the event that #93 and #94 are going to be around all season. I originally had Martail Burnett on the big roster, but he unfortunately got caught up in a bit of a numbers game. The Vikings might be able to sneak him back onto the practice squad again, though.

Mitchell has made pretty good progress coming back from a torn ACL that ended his 2008 campaign in the pre-season, and Evans and Guion have shown themselves to be serviceable in the middle of the defensive line. Ten defensive linemen may seem like a lot, but with the way this team likes to rotate players around, particularly at defensive tackle, it might not be such a bad idea.

Linebackers

Starters: Ben Leber, E.J. Henderson, Chad Greenway
Backups: Heath Farwell, Jasper Brinkley, Erin Henderson, Kenny Onatolu
Cut: David Herron

If Erin Henderson's injury is serious enough to put him on IR, then Herron makes the team. I think he'd be a bit of a downgrade from Erin Henderson, but hey. . .injuries happen.

If you're of the mindset that the Vikings' special teams will be much improved in 2009. . .and I am. . .then this unit is probably going to be at the heart of that transformation, and that's what you're looking for when you're deciding the back half of the roster. We know that Henderson, Leber, and Greenway are outstanding, and I don't need to drum it into your heads any further. But we saw what losing Heath Farwell did to this team in 2008, and his presence will definitely be felt in 2009. Jasper Brinkley has been regarded as one of the bigger steals of the draft, and his combination of size and speed make him a good candidate to be a special teams demon as well. Henderson the Younger played on special teams last year as well, and should only get better with another season.

The guy that intrigues the heck out of me, however, is Kenny Onatolu. Having played his college ball at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, he went undrafted by the NFL and spent two seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League and was signed by the Vikings after the 2008 season. If you saw the final pre-season game, you saw #55 flying all over the place and hitting everything in sight. He might be a little raw, but I think the guy could be great on special teams for the time being and eventually develop into a pretty good outside linebacker as well.

Defensive Backs

Starters: Antoine Winfield, Cedric Griffin, Tyrell Johnson, Madieu Williams
Backups: Asher Allen, Benny Sapp, Karl Paymah, Eric Frampton, Husain Abdullah, Jamarca Sanford
Cuts: Marcus McCauley, Marcus Walker, Colt Anderson, De'Von Hall

I know that keeping ten defensive backs might be a bit excessive, too, but there's also a lot of special teams impact to be had here as well. Frampton was one of the team's leading special teams tacklers last year, and Abdullah is also a capable special teamer. Paymah was brought in, at least in part, because of his special teams prowess as well, and Jamarca Sanford has too much speed and heart (in my opinion) to warrant cutting him. Now, if the team has to flip a coin as to whether to keep an extra DB or keep a d-lineman line Martail Burnett on the roster, I think they'll probably lean towards keeping the extra lineman. In that case, I think either Abdullah or Sanford is most likely to find themselves on the chopping block.

This also closes out the fairly disappointing Marcus McCauley era in Minnesota. After looking promising as a rookie in 2007, the third-round pick out of Fresno State couldn't even get on the field in 2008, and has spent most of this season playing too soft in zone coverage and getting beaten on a fairly regular basis by backup wide receivers on opposing teams. He's officially a disappointment, and it's time for the Vikings to cut their losses with him and move on, in my opinion. Asher Allen has looked really good, and looks to be taking after current Vikings' CB Antoine Winfield when it comes to sticking his nose into the running game and mixing things up. He could certainly have a worse role model, that's for sure.

There you have it. . .my 53-man Vikings' roster prediction for the 2009 season. Obviously there are some unanswered questions after tonight's pre-season finale, and we'll look over those tomorrow before the final cuts come down. Also, we're still awaiting word on the injuries to Erin Henderson and Brian Robison, and we'll pass that info along as soon as we've got it.