Just a tremendously moving account of the mother of Will, one of the kids who Stafford helped. As a Packer fan, (but resident of Southfield), absolutely love hearing things like this. I just hope that we never meet in the playoffs, because after reading this it will be very difficult to cheer against this young man. Hats off to anybody and everybody who makes a difference. Its not just the money, but was the personalization of the gesture. Good for him and hope that family has a greta time and Lions kick some butt!

http://myfaithsjourney.com/2012/05/21/matt-stafford-from-the-inside-out/

Born and raised a Packer fan, but live and work in Detroit so also have a soft spot in my heart for the Lions. Just a tremendous acomplishment and something the organization and fans should be very proud of. The moment that I realized something was different within the Lions organization was the drafting of Petigrew. Great front offices seperate themselves by getting solid players and rarely missing. Not every draftt choice needs to be an All Pro, When the Lions took mayhew (over the sexy Oher pick), it showed they were commited to bringing in football talent not just pleasing the draft "experts". The lions have truely built a successful foundation and the future looks very bright. In the playoffs, anything can happen and witha front 4 that can get after the QB, the Lions have as good as a chance as anybody. ( I personally see alot of similarities with '07 Giants). I hope for an injury free finale next week for both our teams and have a feeling we might see each other again in a few weeks.

First off, in the spirit of transperency, I am a life-long Packer fan. (pauses waiting for the masses to head for the exits).  So I understand that to many of you, my opinion matters very little .  Nevertheless....... here is my forcast for the Vikings season and the near future.

Offseason -  While it has become fashionable to downgrade the Vikings off-season, I find myself in great disagreement with the unwashed masses.  My supporting evidence is as follows....

• Christian Ponder -  It always amazes me that every year so many teams over think the draft.  While it is always a crap-shoot, taking a QB, I do think there are ways to minimize the risk.  Christian Ponder was accurate, intelligent as hell, a competitor that played through injuries and also a leader.  But because he didn't have a huge cannon he is considered a reach.  I think this pick showed the intelligence and discipline from the Viking organization and foreshadows a bright future.
•   2011 draft in general -  I thought they did an excellent job of not "settling" for potential, but rather got football players.  Besides Ponder, thought Rudolph was a great pick and also a safe solid pick.  The Tackle/guard they selected out of Arkansas (Demarcus love?) , i think could really be an excellent pick.
• Coaching staff - thought the hiring of Musgrave was such a brilliant move.  Guys who can develop Qbs are rare, and although they may have other short-comings as a coach, the benefits completely outweigh the negatives.   Guys like Norv Turner, Mike McCarthy, Sean Payton. and Bill Musgrave just have that special touch when it comes to developing QBs.  Couple his track record with an intelligent and coachable student in Ponder and I think the ceiling is quite high..and maybe more importantly, the bust factor is also low.
• New Age of accountability - This always gets over-looked every year on every good team and yet it is vital.  Bryant Mckinnie shows up overweight....cut him.  Yes in the short term, it is a donwgrade, but I believe it will have a strong, positive effect on the locker-room.
• Various observations - Love getting McNabb as a vet until Ponder is ready.  Defense will still be disruptive and I look for a good/very good year from Chris Cook.  Offense, still has Percy and AP, which is more than enough.  Overall, while I think this is a transition year, I could see the Vikings having a  very good year.  I think 8-8 is the more realistic end result, but I also wouldn't be surprised at a 10-6 record and a trip to playoffs.  I also think that future is very, very bright for the Viking organization as long as the coach and GM stay on same page.  I think both Spielmen and Frazier are very talented and look forward to many more years of best rivalry in sports  (Packers-Vikings) .  Hope you guys and gals enjoy the game tonight and the rest of the year.

        + There are no perfect coaches.  Many times us fans get too wrapped up in offenisve rankings of a candidates previous team or teams.  And while that is one aspect to look at, it is by no means the only benchmark.  All coaches are imperfect, so a head coach and organization needs to decide on what strengths and traits are the most important at that particular time for a team.  

        +  A good QB is vital to the consistent success of a team. Does having a great QB mean a Super Bowl? Maybe not, however, it means that you will have  a shot for the post season on most years.  And once you get in the play-offs, anything can happen.

       + Drafting the right QB is important, but I really think only part of the equation.  Equally important or even more so, is the development of a QB.  It is teaching, motivating, working out...basically having a plan. It is being able to communicate effectively and get the player to understand and act on all the challenges that lie ahead. Not everybody with the title QB coach can do this effectively.  But the Vikings just got themselves one of the rare guys on this earth who has outstanding success in this area.

      +  Although the CBA kinda throws some uncertantity into the plan, I can envision the hiring of Bill Musgrave means drafting a QB in the first round.  I can also see them going with a VET for a year.  But this is where I think things shake up.  Coach Musgrave is a proffesional and a very good one at that.  He understands that at the QB position, each and every rep is vital to the development of a QB.  So i think Joe Webb will be the odd man out.  I know it sounds ridiculous, considering the potential he showed in a few games and his age.  But I believe the new coach will have an influence and will feel a higher rated QB out of college will be the answer.  I think Webb will stick around as the 3rd QB/Wr giving the team some roster flexibility.  But I do see the new QB (2011 draft) will get almost all the 2nd team reps.

     + The Veteren QB will most likely need to be someone who willing accepts his position is to be a bridge unto the future for the organization.  For this reason, I don't see any QBs like Vince Young or Kevin Kolb.  Carson Palmer, Matt Hassleback and Donovan McNabb would all be ideal candidates who don't embarrass your organization and should be willing mentors to the new kid.

All in all I thought this was a tremendous hire for Coach Frazier and showed me that the organization has a succesful plan moving forward

Part of the frusterating thing about being a fan in todays society is being bombarded with the opinions of loud mouth ignorant "fans" who are constantly complaining and looking for reasons to jump off the bandwagon.  Unfortunately for both our fan bases, it seems we both suffer from this affliction. 1-3  and you would think from listening to these fans, that the vikings season is finished.  Well to be honest, I wish that were the case.  But this team still has all the ingredients to make a legitimate and probale late season run.

- Moss showed how important a verticle threat is to the offense.  With each week, there will be an increasing comfort level and will also open up opportunities for others on offense.

- Adrian Peterson is amazing. 

- Percy harvin looks to have regained his explosiveness

- Defense is simply great at not giving up alot of points

The NFC is wide open this year and looks to have a whole lot of teams beating up each other.  The Vikings are still in a great position (Green bay is very, very beaten up and looks lost on offense, NFC east doesnt scare anyone and Saints and Falcons really arent elite teams.  The NFL season is a long journey but one the Vikings are very well equipped to handle..  I still expect to see the vikings in the playoffs at the end of the year and best of luck going frward (although...please let us at least split one game with you this year... i don't think I can take another sweep :)

       I thought the victory for you guys today was an impressive win.  While it may seem ugly to some on the surface, I feel it really showed some of the positives of the Vikings that will continue to make them a threat. Without further adieu....

- Defense again was very impressive.  One thing about playing the Vikings, is that you earn every score.  While maybe not a "stats" defense, I have become more and more impressed with them this year.  Pettgrew wanted no part of catching passes with a Viking defender anywhere in the vicinity.  

- Percy Harvin is simply amazing.  He is another guy who may not have the best stats when you look at the box score at the end of the game, but he contributes so much.  He is so good at converting 3rd downs and his toughness is inspiring to me a Packer fan, so I can only imagine what it does for his teammates. To battle through his hip injury, migranes and grandmother's death is a great story. As much as I know he is a threat to Green Bay, I still wish nothing but the best health wise for the kid.  Such a worthy adversary (true to the recent Vikings in general)

- Adrian Peterson....pretty much nothing else needs to be said

- eventhough it got called back, Camarillo just looks like he will be a good return guy

Don't want to dwell on the negatives....Lord knows each of our fan bases has enough of "the sky is falling" crowd.  Enjoy the win.... have a very good team.  I still think the defense and running game will keep the Vikings into contention until Sidney comes back.  And even at less than 100%, he still is a dangerous player and will help the team. 

    The remainder of the season points towards an extremely important chapter of Favre's legacy.  While on the surface 14 games (plus possibility of playoff games) seems ludicrios to define a player who has played 2 decades, I really do feel it could serve as a microcsim.  Right now at 0-2, the Vikings have put themselves in a hole, albeit a slight shallow one.  The defense has been playing lights out and has kept the team within striking distance with a chance to win each game.  This is not even mentioning the return of Chris Cook who should provide a substantial impact to an already dangerous defense.  The Vikings defense alone will make sure that the Vikings are in each and every one of he remaining games.  Next there is the running game that looks rejuvenated this year with a possesed and motivated Adrian Peterson and a promising rookie in Toby (Admission, I really was skeptical of him as a pro).  Besides the running game, you have one of the best and most accurate field goal kickers in the game.  So ignoring the passing game for now, the Vikings have arguably one of the best defenses, probally 1st or 2nd running game and an upper echelon field goal kicker.  These 3 units alone should all but guarntee the Vikings a playoff birth.  But now we should look at what Favre's impact will be and the implications for his legacy.

 Option #1 - Favre gets better each game similar to last year.

                      result:

                              - happy locker-room (maybe except Adrian Peterson...but will not be a distraction).

                              - very succesful team that will come down to final weeks battling for home-field advantage

                              - extrmely impacting his legacy in a positive way 

                               - even for haters like me, will be forced to grudgingly respect the high level of play

  Option #2 -  Favre recognizes that teams identity has changed on offense due to injuries and willingly accpets a secondary role as  game manager and defers to defense and Adrian Peterson.

                      result:

                                - happy locker-room for EVERYONE.

                                - Increased respect among teammates and level of play rises across the board.

                                - while not as flashly as last year, offesne is methodcal refusing to beat itself.

                                - extrmeley tough to beat team taking advantage of field position to score often

                               - Best possible case for favre's legacy as there will be millions of words written about his sacrifice 

                               - forgotten will be training camp absence and slow start.

   Option #3 - Favre ignores that team identity has changed and continues to press

                         result:

                               - fractured locker-room (whispers about his commitment)

                               - probally a 8-8 record or 7-9 barely missing playoffs

                               - Viking fans turning on him

                              - players and coaching staff pointing fingers (behind scenes)

To be honest, I have absolutely no clue which option will come closer to reality.  Last year kinda turned my whole world upside down as Favre played near flawless.  I will say Favre made it more difficult on himself with his training camp absence and then accepting more money.  Just doesnt look god on surface, regardless of his true intentions.  Now, if Favre plays lights out and the Vikings have a very succesful year, then this issue is moot. But if he continues to throw interceptons, then I think he does lose a little respect in the locker-room.

(My personal opinion is I never like when players put themselves above the team.  I did not think it showed proper leadership to miss training camp.  Does he need trining camp? maybe, maybe not. But I do think it would be better for morale if your leader is around. Not that the Vikings or favre  need my permission or care about my opinion though :)))

Curious about your thoughts and your feelings if each of the options above play out

Gentlemen and distinguished ladies, I have noticed the morale is low around these parts.  While it would give me great pleasure to see the Vikings struggle all year, I am all but certain that a rally is about to commence for your team. And if you don't mind, just a few observations.....

- Defense is playing lights-out (ballin' outta control, for you young bucks).  This is quite impressive due to the fact that Ced and Cook haven't played yet.  The defense matches up against teams very, very well.  This will keep the Vikings in every game.

- Toby looks like he will be a very good player. This I think will surprise some people (looking down with an ashamed look).  I was not sold on Toby as a prospect.  Well check that, I am usually never sold on hardly any big backs period.  While, I still think the Vikings gave up slightly too much, I was very very impressed with his few carries against the dolphins.  As we all know, the NFL is a whole  'nother animal.  There are guys who can run over people in college, but for them it ain't happening at the next level.  Well, I think we can safely say that Toby is a punishing runner at any level.  This bodes very well for the remainder of the season where him and AP will provide a formidable (to say the least) combination. This leads me to....

- Adrian Peterson looks like a man possesed this year. enough said.

- Recievers will get better week by week and Sidney will be rounding into prime shape by the stretch run.

- Favre will not look this bad all year.  He has looked as bad as he ever has and yet the Vikings were in position to win both games.  His play will pick up and even if it might not be on the level last year, it will be good enough to propel the Vikes to the playoffs. 

      + I still see a 10-6 record for the Vikings, barely losing out on the division title but making the Wild card.

      + I see Chris Cook impacting games and becoming one of the better rookies.

      + Percy harvin will eventually get his hip right and migranes will become manageable and will be a threat for big plays again.

        + The improved win/loss record down the stretch will be more to do with the defense and running game than Favre. 

disclosure..I am not a Favre fan going back to reasons going back to late 90s which I will detail in a futire fan post (editor: Yay! we are anxiosuly awaiting your keen insight)

PS.  Daily Norseman continues to be simply excellent site and kudos to Chris, Ted and all the other intelligent, interesting posters.  It has been a daily read for close to 3 years....not bad for a team I hate ;)

In a post 2 days ago I offered a few thoughts on the Vikings going into the 2010 season.  This post, I want to focus on an issue that I sometimes think gets overlooked: Advanced Scouting (of the opposition).  On a somewhat related note, I have a childhood friend who is now an assistant coach with an NBA team.  He worked his way up to that position by toiling away for years as the teams video editor and then advanced scout (person who scouts an upcoming opponant).  It is very interesting to hear his stories of others in his profession.  Like all sports  (and all jobs actually), there are people who are just good at what they do and then there are those who aren't very good.  My friend made his reputation on advanced scouting and studying opponants tendencies. But he said his problem early on, was that he wasn't an effective communicator.  So eventhough, he would spend hours and hours on a game report, it sometimes wasn't implemented as well as it could have been because of communication.  People learn differently, and the job of a coach is to prepare players for situations where their instincts take over influenced by succesful preperation whether in the film room or practice field.

This leads me to Brad Childress and The Vikings.  Childress has been degraded by numerous people for his apparant poor coaching.  This may or may not be true, but it is not the subject for this post.  Besides focusing on his play-calling or his motivating techniques (inlcuding fashion) or his trips to the airport, I want to focus on the preperation he has the Vikings undertake for upcoming opponants. Again, for those who are unaware, but I am a die-hard Green Bay fan who strives (imperfectly) to be somewhat objective.  As I noted in my previous post, I have tremendous respect for the Vikings organization as they have provided us with the premier rivalry in the NFL for the past almost 20 years.  When I was reviewing the comments on my last post and thinking about the upcoming season, I realize that I (and probally many other fans) often over-look some of the things that make winning essential.  I feel Childress and the Vikings coaching staff does an excellent job (maybe the best) in getting their players prepared for the upcoming opponant and scouting the opposition.  Rightfully alot of credit goes to Brett Favre for the success of last year. I have watched Favre since 1992 and truely believe that last year was far and away his best and most efficent year.  Made the big plays and more importantly, didn't have the turnovers. But are we to think Favre at the age 40 suddenly learned to stop ebing such a risk taker? And are we to give the offensive staff barely any credit?  Anyone who has ever watched favre, recognizes he was a different player last year.  He has always been great, but he played on a whole other level (much to my chagrin btw). Obvioulsy it would be disingenious to discount motivation as a factor for his success.  He definately wanted and succeded in getting revenge on Green Bay.  But I really feel Childress and his staff implemented and executed a near flawless game-plan.

    - In the first game he completed 77% of his passes, simply astounding.  Now we all realize now how Green bay could be exploited against a top flight QB.  But we didn't know then, nor did Green Bay's first 3 opponants.  Childress came into that game with a plan on how pick apart the vulnurable points and Favre executed that to perfection.  It wasnt about big plays or fluke plays.  It was about a steady, methodical whoopin. And from my perspective, it wasn't just Green Bay but almost every important game in 2010.  From this outside perspective it really seemed like Childress and his staff had great game plans and the players really bought into it.  I think of both playoff games as an example.  Dallas was another whoopin that they didnt see coming.  The Orleans game was just bad luck with turnovers or that game might not have been close.  So while Childress get his fair share of criticism (fair or unfar), i want to see what you guys think of my supposition that the Vikings offenisve staff is one of the better ones at creating a game plan and exploting other teams weaknesses.

As a Packer fan, I am obviously biased in my opinions but I also tremendously respect the Vikings organization and the excellent rivalry between the two rivalries.  For almost the past 20 years, (with the execption of a few fluke seasons from Chicago), it has been a battle between Green Bay and Minnesota for division supremecy. I still see the greatest rivalry continuing for the forseable future.  Now that I got that out of the way...here is how I see somethings:

1).  Sidney Rice situation - While I think his injury definately affects the Vikings quest for 3 straight NFC North titles, I don't think it makes them less likely to make the playoffs. As long as he comes back from this in midseason, he has time to work him way back into shape for the stretch run and playoffs.  Now obviously, I didn't watch the Vikings as close as all you guys, but the one thing I noticed about Sidney was that he just made plays.  Perfect coverage didn't matter on many plays, as sidney just either out-jumped or out-willed his opponant.  While he might not be the deep threat this year, I still think he is going to have such an impact in the red-zone.

2).  Percy Harvin -  This really is an unfortunate situation beacuse he is a true warrior and his ailment is truely sad.  I loved this kid in college and I remember really being disappointed when the Vikings selected him as I felt he was such an explosive player.  What I really remember about watching him last year was that he exceeded my expectations and entered that rare category of the true definition of 'warrior'.  Here is a guy who is tiny by football standards, yet is physcial. Never afraid to throw his body around, he was a willing blocker even against linebackers...nevermind cornerbacks.  As a packer fan he truely earned my respect as a football player, so I can only imagine how he inspires his teammates.  This is not even mentioning his versatility in the running and passing game as well as a difference maker in the return game.  (I still have nightmares from his KO return in Green Bay last year).  I think none of know what will become of his future.  While having him on the sidelines would definately help Green Bay's chances, I think it would be a travesty to Minesota and for the league.  If he is healthy down the stretch and for the playoffs, the Vikings will be a threat in any and every game.

3). 2010 Draft -  Ever since the new front office took over, they have done a remarkable job getting good players and a few great players (more difficult than I think the casual fan understands).  Just seem to do a good job filling their needs.  I think Chris Cook will be another good to great selection for the Vikings.  While it seems Patrick Robinson has been struggling immensly down in NO, Chris Cook seems to be ready right away.  His play on special teams has been remarkable and always around the ball.  From the practice reports I have been reading, it seems like he is playing pretty good ball at the cornerback position.  the second round selection I don't think will help the team much this year.  Now obviously I could be proved wrong and if I was a Viking fan I could see myself being talked into his positives.  It is not so much the player, but the strategy behind this pick. I think selecting a running back was a luxury pick, but i feel they could have helped the roster in other areas. Now I do feel he will be at the very least an excellent short yardage running back this year, but I don't feel the value is there for trading up into the second round.  Getting Everson in the 4th i really think was a steal and he is going to the right situation.  With the Williams brothers and JA, he has good veterns to mentor/motivate him and probally do a good job keeping him in line.  It will be very interesting to see his impact this year. Webb I liked as a WR prospect, but him as a QB this year won't be a factor.  The guard you took (Degear ???? can never remember his name), I really really like and think he will be an excellent addition.  I also see him making an impact this year, either through injury or performance.

4). Vikings Offense -  while the injuries to Harvin and Rice will obviously affect the Vikings regular season, i also think it might in a strange way help protect the health of Favre.  Without those 2 playmakers, I think the Vikings will become more run oriented and defensively dominant team.  I think Adrian Peterson is poised for a monster year and playing with a chip on his shoulder. While I think the Vikings record won't be as great and may affect their chances for an NFC North title, I also think this will help take pressure off favre and make sure he is healthy down the stretch whn all his weapons return.

Summary,  I feel Green bay has the slight edge this year within the division during the regular season due to the injuries to key players and a slightly more difficult schedule this year.  I think the division race will come down to the very end with Green Bay narrowly edging the Vikings.  But, once the playoffs begins and  key players retrun, I feel the Vikings will be as difficult as a match up as any team in the league.  And we all know, teams playing well down the stretch have as good as a chance as any.