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Minnesota Vikings Column
 

By: Adam Boland

12/5/09

            The Vikings struggles or at least media imposed struggles over the last month of the season have been well documented.  Whether you believe that Favre is too old to be effective at the end of the year, the defense is not what is was at the beginning of the year, or the team is being torn apart by the Childress/Favre feud, it is all irrelevant because the Vikings won the NFC North for the second consecutive year and are the number 2 seed in the playoffs, therefore, something must be going right. 

 

            Favre’s play in the second half against Chicago and in the final game against the Giants appears to have effectively dispelled rumors that he has lost something at the end of the season.  In both situations, the offense, although very pass heavy, returned to dominance after struggling for about three weeks.  Additionally, there does not appear to be much credence in the Favre/Childress feud anymore.  I am not surprised that Favre would not want to come out of several games based on his competitive nature.  I also do not think it makes any sense, on the part of Childress, to bench Favre in a competitive game.  When Childress picked Favre up from the airport in August Childress effectively tied the 2009-2010 season to Favre, regardless of whether it is good or bad.  So far, with Childress’ extension and the Vikings No. 2 seed it looks like a good decision.

 

            This biggest concern with the Vikings over the last month is the play of their defense.  The defense was playing at a very high level for most of the year, but has struggled lately getting pressure up front and coverage in the secondary.  Although, well documented, the loss of E.J. Henderson against Arizona is a huge hurdle for the defense to overcome.  Henderson was the defenses quarterback; he played excellent against the run and covered tight ends very well.  Brinkley has stepped in and played well, especially against the run, but seems to not cover down the field as well as Henderson did.  Brinkley is still young and will improve in this area, but with the Vikings primed and ready to win now Brinkley has to learn on the go.  It also appears that Winfield is not 100%.  He appears to have struggled lately in coverage.  Winfield’s coverage seems to not be as tight and consistent as it was at the beginning of the year; this is probably a product of a lingering ankle injury.  This week off may benefit Winfield as much as anyone on the team.  With rest, this defense will be able to return to early season form, have Winfield and Pat Williams recuperate and be ready to go next week at home.  The pass rush also seems to more dominate at home, and they are at least guaranteed one home game in the playoffs.

 

            Looking at the NFC playoffs first round, it looks like Dallas and Green Bay have a very good chance of being victorious.  Both teams are playing rematches of week 17 games where they dominated their opponent.  I would be more surprised if Green Bay lost to Arizona, although Dallas dominated the Eagles, they did this at home against a team that did not play as well as they could have.  Green Bay on the other hand went on the road and totally dominated Arizona.  Arizona’s starters while in the game were out played and did nothing to slow down Rodgers or move the ball.  If Dallas and Green Bay win, then Green Bay will play New Orleans and Dallas will travel to Minnesota.  Out of all the teams in the playoffs, I would love Minnesota to host Dallas in their first home game.  Dallas, out of the three remaining teams, has the least explosive passing game.  They are good with Witten and Austin, but they lack playmakers in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots.  Dallas has a solid running game which Minnesota could neutralize, but there passing games is not as dangerous as Arizona, Green Bay or Philadelphia.  Dallas’ defense is solid, but on the road they have struggled against well rounded offenses.  If Green Bay were to travel to New Orleans, I would not be surprised with a Green Bay win; Green Bay is maybe the most dangerous team in the playoffs.   

 

            That said, the Vikings are still probably the most well rounded team in the NFC playoffs and will be a very hard out for anyone.  My projection is that Minnesota will play San Diego in the Super Bowl. 

 

There are very few changes the Vikings could make on the current roster to improve for next year and we will discuss those changes in future columns.  But for now lets celebrate the Vikings winning the NFC North division for two years in a row, and here is hoping for a long playoff run.    

 

11/17/09

            At 8-1 the Vikings are one of the best teams in the NFL, if not the best.  It appears that they have a very good shot at obtaining a first round bye in the playoffs and potentially having home field advantage for one if not two games before the Super Bowl.  To get home field advantage all the Vikings can do is continue winning and hopefully one of these days the Saints will lose.  The Vikings only loss was to Pittsburgh on the road.  That game, however, could have easily been a win except for a tipped pass by Taylor and a fortunate interception by Pittsburgh.   

 

            The Vikings next four opponents will present interesting matchups for the Vikings. Although, I feel the Vikings will probably win all four games each one could be a unique challenge.  The next game is against the up and down Seahawks.  One week the Seahawks seem decent and the next week they play poorly.  The Vikings clearly outmatch the Seahawks in talent and should easily dominate this team at home.  The following game is against the Bears at home.  The Bears are not the team everyone expected them to be this year.  Once again, the Vikings have too much talent and should beat the Bears at home.  If Cutler is accurate he could present problems for the Vikings secondary, but he would have to dramatically turn around his performance against probably the best defense he will have seen all year.

 

            The next two games are very interesting.  The Cardinals will be at home, were oddly enough they are not as good, but who have an excellent passing attack.  The Cardinals will present problems for the Vikings, but the Cardinals also have been up and down this year.  If the Vikings can generate the pass rush they have been so far it will be a long day for Warner.  This game will be won with the Vikings front seven, who are probably one of the best units in the NFL. 

 

            The fourth game is against a very good Cincinnati team.  The Bengals have an efficient offense and a solid defense.  I feel like this will be the best opponent the Vikings will face this year until the playoffs.  I predict that this game will be low scoring and the Vikings will win at the end of the game.  This game is the biggest roadblock left on the Vikings schedule.  Hopefully, in four weeks, the Vikings will be 12-1.

 

            Personnel wise the Vikings are in a very good position.  Not many teams can lose a player like Winfield for several weeks and continue to play defensively like they have.  That is a testament to the Vikings depth. 

 

At this time, looking at next season there are a few areas were added depth and future playmakers will help.  The Vikings primary concern this offseason is finding the replacement to Favre.  It would be great if the Vikings were able to draft a top notch QB with their first round pick.  I would love to see Bradford fall to the Vikings.  He will drop on a lot of boards because of his injury, but he would be a great pickup for the Vikings.  If Favre stayed one more year, that is a big question, Bradford could have a year to develop and continue healing.  This would be the ideal scenario.  Outside of the Vikings finding their future quarterback, they could also focus on the following positions: defensive tackle; offensive guard; and, linebacker.  The Vikings currently have a lot of talent at these positions, but added depth would help.

 

            First, at defensive tackle Kevin Williams is one of the best in the league at his position.  With the continued improvement of Evans and Kennedy, this position looks solid.  But, Pat Williams, although still playing at a high level, has played a long time at a very physical position.  If a top notch run stuffer similar to Pat were available to the Vikings in the draft then he should be strongly considered.  At guard, the same logic is true, Hutchinson is like Kevin Williams one of the best at his position.  Herrera has shown steady improvement and is playing well.  Hutchinson, however, has played a long time in the league, so if the Vikings were able to find an athletic guard who could add depth behind Hutchinson and Herrera, such a pickup would be a solid investment. The last position of interest is linebacker; the Vikings have done very well in the draft with Henderson and Greenway.  Leber was also a good pickup and the youngsters have done well.  But, if the Vikings could add a really athletic pass rushing linebacker they should look at it.  Such a player would add a new dimension to the pass rush in passing situations. 

 

            That said, the Vikings brass deserve a lot of credit for putting together a super talented football team on both sides of the ball.  The offense has playmakers and impact players at almost every position.  The defense is also equally talented.  Just look at the players and talent drafted: Rice (who is playing lights out); Kevin Williams; Harvin (who adds the special teams threat); McKinnie; Loadholt; Sullivan; Peterson; Edwards; Henderson; Greenway; and, Griffin.  Then add in the following signings: Pat Williams; Jared Allen (worth every penny); Madieu Williams; Berrian; Shiancoe; Hutchinson; and Favre.  And it is easy to see why the people calling the shots deserve a round of applause.   

 

9/24/09

VIKINGS COLUMN  

 

            Two weeks into the season and the Vikings are off to a great start.  Although the Vikings have started with a somewhat weak schedule, the Vikings are doing what good teams do to bad teams – beat them.  Both wins were by double digit deficits where the Vikings pulled away late in the game. 

 

            So far the offense has looked proficient and effective.  Favre has been limited in his throws, but at this time of the year that is what is probably best for him.  Even though his yardage is down, he has no interceptions and is completing a high percentage of his passes, both things that will greatly improve the Vikings offense from years past.  Peterson has been as advertised; the best running back in football.  The offensive line has been solid and the wide receivers have been productive. Childress has heard some complaints about not throwing the ball down the field, but these complaints should not bother him.  The Vikings offense is built to control the game, run the ball, and be efficient in the passing game.  This is not a vertical passing team.  Berrian will get his shots, but so far they have not had to force the ball down field and forcing deep passes could lead to unwanted turnovers. 

 

            The defense has also looked solid.  Although their rankings have not lived up to the preseason expectations, they are a very strong unit and it is still early in the season.  The defense will limit every offense they face, except for maybe New Orleans, I do not know if there is a defense that can stop them right now.   

 

This week’s game against San Francisco will be a very good test.  It is the home opener so emotions will be high. Besides the 49ers being 2-0 like the Vikings, they play solid defense and have an efficient offense.  The 49ers appear to be a less talented version of the Vikings.  The Vikings should win this game; as long as they play to the level they can and do not turn the ball over.  Honestly, if the Vikings do not turn the ball over they should be able to compete with and beat most teams in the league.  

 

Personnel wise, the Vikings roster is set and barring a late trade of one of the backup quarterbacks the roster spots will probably not change very much week to week.  It was tough to see Bobby Wade go, especially after he agreed to restructure his contract, but with the quick development of Harvin and play of Reynaud, Wade could be released.  I just hope the Vikings did not destroy any good karma by the way they handled the situation. 

 

So far the rookies look great.  Loadholt is quietly playing excellent at right tackle. Harvin has scored in both of the first games and is showing flashes of his playmaking ability.  Also, last years top pick, Tyrell Johnson is showing excellent range at safety.  Simply by looking at the current roster and talent level of this team, it appears that the Vikings have made some great draft picks, for example, Peterson, McKinnie, Greenway, Kevin Williams, Henderson, and Griffin, just to name a few.

 

Looking forward to the 2010 draft, it looks like the Vikings should target one position in the first round – quarterback.  With a very deep quarterback class (McCoy, Bradford, Tebow, Robinson, and Snead).  They should have a solid chance of getting their future starter. 

   

8/5/09

            Sadly, when the Vikings started training camp the main issue for discussion was the most recent re-retirement of Brett Favre. The talk should have been, however, about how this Vikings squad is one of the most talented teams the Vikings have fielded in probably a decade. Regardless, at least we think, there is finally resolution to the Favre situation. Hopefully, this closes the book. That said, even if Favre hints of returning, there is no way, even if Jackson’s injury lingers into the season; the Vikings should even consider bringing Favre to Minnesota.  Not because of the way he left the Vikings at the alter, but because of the morale and chemistry of the team. Favre has made his decision; the team should not allow any sequels to this story. 

 

            In the wake of Favre not coming to play for the Vikings, there was one story that unfortunately got overshadowed. The retirement that Vikings’ fans should care about is that of Kenechi Udeze. Unfortunately, Udeze will not be able to make a complete comeback in his NFL career from cancer.  Udeze courageously fought and beat cancer, but Udeze is retiring because a side effect of chemotherapy.  Apparently, in some cases chemotherapy causes patients to develop excessive pain in their feet.  In the demanding world of the NFL, this pain could not be ignored. Udeze’s fight with cancer and courage to try and return to the field are exemplary. A person is not a hero because they put on an NFL helmet, they are a hero because what is under their helmet. Udeze’s courage and heart are attributes that everyone in society should respect and commend.  

 

            One last note on the Favre retirement, I was driving home form work and listening to a local sports talk radio show after Favre’s announcement; and the host stated well I guess this destroys the Vikings 2009 season.  I thought to myself that is a dumb comment.  Obviously, and maybe the national media has this perception, but if you know the talent level of the Vikings it is clear they do not need Favre.  Yes, they wanted Favre, but they do not need him. I think that Sage Rosenfels would have been and now will be a more consistent starter this year then had Favre been a Viking.  I think Favre would have had some great highlights, but the long season would have probably worn him down. 

 

            Now, why do I say the Vikings do not need Favre, oh let me count the reasons: 1) they have a top 5 defense (no one is looking at Baltimore and saying their season goals will be limited); 2) they have the best defensive line in football; 3) they have one of the best young line backing cores in football; 4) they have a very talented secondary; 5) they have the best running back and maybe tandem running back duo in football; 6) they have a top 10 offensive line; and, 7) they have a uniquely talented wide receiving core. 

 

            That said you put Sage into that talented mix and I guarantee the Vikings passing offense will be in the top half of the league.  There is too much talent with Berrian, Harvin, Rice and the TEs.  The future is bright for this team and I am predicting that the Vikings will play in the NFC championship game.

 

            It is good to see that the Vikings and Antoine Winfield were able to get a contract extension in place.  Winfield is one of the best all around cornerbacks in the league and he will provide leadership to the young talented players around him.        

 

            My initial thoughts on Jackson’s injury are that it is unfortunate, but not devastating.  He has faced a lot of adversity over his young career and it is sad to see him get injured.  That said, I do not think he was going to be the Vikings’ starting quarterback this year, barring Rosenfels being injured.  Sage was brought in to run the offense, make it more consistent (not turn the ball over) and to get the wide receivers involved in the offense. Jackson has a lot of talent, but when he started last year the passing numbers and turnovers were bad. There is too much talent, especially with Harvin now, in the WRs for them to be decoys or not involved in the offense.  Sage was brought in to get the ball to the playmakers on the outside.  I think this was always Rosenfels job to lose. Jackson will be his backup and maybe featured in certain packages that can highlight his athleticism (the wildcat with Harvin and Peterson), but his injury is not a major problem in the development of the offense.

 

            If you watch preseason football, like I do, do not be surprised over the next month to see a very vanilla offense from the Vikings.  But come opening day, this offense should be very exciting to watch. If you are into fantasy football and you can draft a utility player, I strongly advise you to look at Harvin.  I think you will be very happy with his production this year.

 

7/9/09

Approximately six weeks after the Favre to Minnesota rumors started, it looks like it is only a matter of time before Favre is officially introduced as the Vikings starting quarterback. The surgery and rehab are unavoidable signs that everything, probably including a contract, have been agreed to verbally, but not yet finalized.  Favre is clearly not the long term solution at quarterback, but this is a sign that the Vikings think they can win a super bowl this year with the right leader.  He will probably only play one year, but we hope it will be a year to remember.

 

With the start of training camp less then three weeks away there is not a lot of news in Viking world.  Most players and coaches take this time off before beginning the long haul.  This gives us a chance to look back at the Vikings’ undrafted free agents.  With the ever increasing number of talented players to pick from on draft day and the set slots of draft picks, the undrafted free agent signings are becoming more and more important in building a team.  Last year the Vikings put together a solid undrafted class, with players like Husain Abdullah (S), Martail Burnett (DE), Erin Henderson (LB), Drew Radovich (T), Darius Reynaud (WR), Marcus Walker (CB), and Albert Young (RB).  All these players played sparingly, but still contributed to team depth and will have unique opportunities to contribute this year.  Like last year, this year’s group is very strong and will probably have several solid contributors. This year the Vikings picked up:

 

1.                  Ian Johnson – RB – Boise State

2.                  Colt Anderson – S – Montana  

3.                  Khalil Bell – RB – UCLA

4.                  Jon Cooper – C – Oklahoma

5.                  Robert Francois – LB – Boston College

6.                  Sean Glennon – QB – Virginia Tech                  Already Released

7.                  De’von Hall – S – Utah State

8.                  Antoine Holms – DT – N.C. State

9.                  Tremaine Johnson – DT – LSU

10.              Andy Kemp – G – Wisconsin

11.              Bobby Lepori – T – Fresno State                     Already Released

12.              Nick Moore – WR – Toledo

13.              Vinny Perretta – WR – Boise State

14.              Nick Walker – TE – Alabama                          Already Released

 

The Vikings also added Nick Urban a guard from Winona State and Juan Garcia a center from Washington on May 5.  On May 18, the Vikings signed Nehemiah Broughton a veteran fullback. The Vikings undrafted free agents all coincide, naturally, with areas the Vikings need additional depth in.  Out of these players, probably only 4 or 5 will stay around and only one or two will make the 53 man roster. 

 

The two RBs, Ian Johnson and Khalil Bell, were both solid college running backs, but may not make the Vikings roster. Johnson has the better notoriety, third down back skills and probably has a slight advantage over Bell going into camp. Johnson and Bell; however will have to compete with Albert Young to fill the third down running back slot left open by Hicks’ departure. Even if one of these players makes the final roster, I would not expect much from them this year because the touches on offense out of the RB position will be dominated by Peterson and Taylor.  These players will be auditioning to take over the number two running back spot behind Peterson if Taylor does not comeback after next year. 

 

The next group of players will most likely compete for a special team’s position.  This will include: Colt Anderson, Robert Francois, De’von Hall, Nick Moore, and Vinny Perretta.  The best special team’s player out of this group will probably have a good chance of making the team.  If Perretta or Moore makes it then they will add depth to the receiving core.  If Anderson, Francois, or Hall makes it then they could add more depth to a young safety or linebacker core.  Most likely, no player will contribute at their college position due to the depth in front of them, but they will have a good shot at making the team if they follow in the footsteps of Heath Farwell.

 

The remaining undrafted free agents will add depth to the offensive and defensive lines.  It will be hard to make the team on the defensive side of the ball.  Over the last two years a lot of young players have been groomed and played well for the Vikings, so it is very difficult for me to see an undrafted player pushing a veteran out of the way.  The DTs are set with the Williams brothers, Kennedy, Evans, and Guion.  At DE you have Allen, Edwards, Grigsby, and Robison. Then you also have Udeze making a comeback, who I wish the best of luck to, and Burnett.  There appears to already be a lot of depth and talent here. 

 

On the offensive line side, however, I think there is an active roster spot available.  The starters are pretty much set, but with new and young starters in Loadholt, Herrera and Sullivan there is always a need to get insurance.  Cook and Radovich will most likely be good insurance policies for the tackle and center positions, but I think a solid guard could be extremely valuable to the Vikings and may push Herrera in years to come for his starting position. Cooper and Garcia may have a chance to push Cook for the backup center position, but I think Cook’s experience and size will win out.  The guard position, however, is probably where a young player could find a spot.  The battle to watch will be between Kemp and Urban.  The early front runner is probably Kemp.  Given how physical he was in college and the fact that he played at a big time run oriented college program in the cold weather, I think Kemp will prevail in this battle.  Not to say Urban will not make it, he might.  I just always like Wisconsin and big ten lineman because late in the year the Vikings are going to have to play in the cold and run the ball.

 

My predictions out of this group is that Ian Johnson, De’von Hall, and Andy Kemp have a decent chance of making the Vikings 53 man roster, but good luck to everyone. Hopefully, the next three weeks will go by fast and finally football, at least preseason football, will be back.        

 

5/30/09

            The talk in Vikings land should be about the their solid 2009 draft and good undrafted free agent class, but unfortunately all we hear about is the Brett Favre comeback.  I don’t want to go into a lot of detail, but I think the Vikings need to make a quick decision on this situation.  It appears the Vikings want to sign him, but please either say he is a Viking or he is not.  There is no doubt that Favre would provide more experience and an upgrade to the quarterback position from last year, but we should try to avoid a long drawn out situation because it will distract from the good team already in place.  Please note, I did not say he would provide an upgrade to the current quarterback roster, potentially only to the quarterback play from last year. 

 

            I know Favre has more experience then Sage, but I think Sage is our guy for the next couple years.  (I am assuming that Sage will beat Jackson out for the starting quarterback spot, I think that is a safe assumption).  One of the reasons I think Sage should be the focus is because he has had time to develop and grow with the young receiving core this offseason and through OTAs.  If Favre were signed, it would be sometime before he is able to acclimate with the wide receivers.  Sage also would probably be more consistent through the entire 2009 season then Favre.  Let’s remember Favre’s Jet carrier started off strong, but faded at the end.  I anticipate the same for this next year, if he were to return.  He would come out like a barn burner in the first 4 to 6 games, but his play would decrease as age and injuries set in over the season.  Sage would probably not have the peaks that Favre might have, but he also might not have the valleys either.  Regardless, if the Vikings feel they have to have Favre, the only thing the fans ask is to make the decision as soon as possible so the team, especially the young receivers, can acclimate to Favre.   

 

            Besides Favre, I think there should be another quarterback signing that the Vikings should be talking about – Michael Vick.  Of course, any signing of Vick depends on the NFL letting him play, but my opinion is that the man has paid his debt to society and should be allowed to pursue any opportunity he is talented enough to accomplish.  This is the same ability every man and woman is provided when they have served their debt to society, regardless of how you feel about the crime.  That said, the Vikings should consider Vick for several reasons.  First, his speed and elusiveness would be magnified on the Vikings home turf.  (We all remember the home game years ago were Vick ran past the Vikings defense like they were standing still.) Could you imagine a wild cat formation were you have to stop Vick, Peterson, or Harvin, are you kidding me!  Second, Minnesota is a small market team with limited national media exposure.  He would not face the same kind of treatment for example if he were to go to New York or Dallas.  This might ease his transition to the game, as he is sure to face belligerent protesters.  Third, the Vikings have a veteran locker room that, in my opinion, would accept and work well with Vick.  Lastly, the Vikings do not need a full time quarterback, so Vick would not be asked to run the whole show.  He would have set packages and plays he would run and allow Sage to run the offense the majority of the time.  Vick would not have to learn everything at once and take over a team, but could be worked in slowly.  Even if Vick only ran 3 plays a quarter, those would be 3 existing plays.  Plus, his runs would take additional wear and tear off of Peterson (I know Peterson is young, but any fewer carries that he can take over the early years will just provide him more longevity in the backfield.)  I think Vick signing with Minnesota should be strongly considered if he is allowed an opportunity to play this year.

 

Now let’s talk about the draft.  Overall, the Vikings had a great draft.  I was very pleased with the first two picks.  The pick of Asher Allen in the third round was interesting because D.J. Moore was still on the board, but Allen fills an area of need and has a lot of talent.  The pick of Brinkley was also interesting because Duke Robinson was on the board, but there is no doubt Brinkley is a playmaker.  Below is the Vikings draft in detail:

 

Round One, Pick 22

 

Percy Harvin WR Florida, 5’11” 195 – This was a great pick for the Vikings, I know that people will question his off field issues, but the Vikings needed a playmaker and they got one of the best in college football.  We will ultimately see if this is a good pick several years down the road, but this is a player I lobbied for and I am very excited to see him in a Vikings uniform.  The only hesitation that I had at this pick was that Michael Oher was still on the board, he would have been a great pick too, but Harvin’s abilities could not be passed on.

 

Round Two, Pick 54

 

Phil Loadholt OT Oklahoma, 6’8” 337 – Another great pick.  The Vikings drafted their road grater right tackle for the next decade.  He should be a great bookend for McKinnie and provide stability to the right side of the offensive line.  As he is learning this year, expect to see Kleinsasser lined up next to him to give him some additional protection. 

 

Round Three, Pick 86

 

Asher Allen CB Georgia, 5’9” 194 – Allen was a very productive player in college.  He is an aggressive corner that also has kick returning ability.  This is a solid pick, as Allen played against top notch talent in the SEC and played well.  He seems to be a good fit for the two-deep scheme.  He will get some good experience this year on special teams and maybe as a nickel back.  My only hesitation here is that D.J. Moore, a projected late first round pick, was still on the board.  Moore eventually went to the Bears in the fourth round, but it appears the Vikings had Allen rated well above Moore.

 

Round Five, Pick 150

 

Jasper Brinkley ILB South Carolina, 6’2” 262 – The Vikings must have really loved Brinkley because they moved up to get him in the fifth round.  At first, I thought this was an odd pick.  Duke Robinson had fallen for some reason and was still available at this pick.  Honestly, when I saw the Vikings move up I thought it was to get Robinson.  After thinking about the Brinkley pick, it looks like a solid choice.  Brinkley was a stud before being injured for the 2007 season, he bounced back in 2008 and appears to have a good nose for the football.  When you consider that the Vikings have not re-signed Napoleon and E.J. Henderson is returning from a season ending injury, this pick looks like a good fit.  He will add depth to a young line backing core and could be a solid starting in years to come.

 

Round Seven, Pick 231

 

Jamarca Sanford FS Mississippi, 5’10” 207 – A solid college safety, that is characterized as a hard hitter.  Sanford will probably be a solid contributor on special teams and will add depth to a young safety core.  This pick seemed to address the Vikings efforts to improve their special teams.

 

Overall, the Vikings had a great draft.  The success of this draft will ultimately be determined probably in three years.  By that time, I think the Vikings could have as many as four starters out of these five picks.  Beyond these five picks, the Vikings once again had an excellent undrafted free agent class that we will talk about next month.           

 

4/24/09

            For NFL fans it is Christmas in April.  We get to gather around the television and see who our team will draft to secure our team’s future success with, sometimes we get game breakers (Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, Kevin Williams) and sometimes we get names that will go down in Vikings infamy as a bust (Erasmus James, Troy Williamson, Dimitrius Underwood). Hopefully, the Vikings will continue to build on their success since 2006 and add another dominating player.    

 

            This year the Vikings have six picks. 

 

Round 1:          Pick 22

Round 2:          Pick 22 (54)

Round 3:          Pick 22 (86)

Round 5:          Pick 22 (158)

Round 7:          Pick 12 (221)

Round 7:          Pick 22 (231)  

 

            With the six picks I expect the Vikings to draft several positions including: wide receiver; offensive tackle; offensive guard; defensive end; and, cornerback.  The Vikings could also potentially draft a running back, tight end, defensive tackle, or linebacker.  These positions have less need, but could add depth.  The Vikings will most likely not consider a quarterback in the draft because any player, even Freeman, would simply take up a roster spot and not be better then Booty who already has a year in the system.

 

            In the first round, the Vikings will probably consider players in three positions: offensive tackle; cornerback; and, wide receiver.  The following five players may be available:

 

1.                  Percy Harvin from Florida (WR)

2.                  Alphonso Smith from Wake Forest (CB)

3.                  Michael Oher from Ole Miss (OT)

4.                  Vontae Davis from Illinois (CB)

5.                  Eben Britton from Arizona (OT)

 

If these players are available then the Vikings draft order for these five, in my opinion, should be Oher – Harvin - Britton - Smith - Davis.  Most likely Oher will be long gone.  I realistically anticipate the Vikings to be looking at Harvin - Smith - Davis - Britton (barring some major drop – which if such a drop happens the Vikings are in the position to pick any player, especially if a top end player drops out of the top 10: hint Jeremy Maclin or Andre Smith).  If these four players are there then the pick should be Harvin, we can draft a solid corner or tackle in the second round, but the talent and ability of Harvin to affect both special teams and the offense can not be matched by any other player except Jeremy Maclin.  I feel Harvin’s potential to help the west coast offense and provide a pressure relief valve to Adrian Peterson is an enormous benefit and he should be the pick.  If Harvin is not available then to pick between Britton or Alphonso Smith would be a tough call, but I would take Britton. 

 

            The second round is subject to change based on who was drafted in round one.  If Harvin is the pick then the second round pick will most likely be the best offensive lineman, corner, or defensive end.  A few names that might be seen in the second round are:

1.                  Duke Robinson from Oklahoma (OG)

2.                  Phil Loadholt from Oklahoma (OT)

3.                  Paul Kruger from Utah (DE)

4.                  Hakeem Nicks from North Carolina (WR)

5.                  Victor Harris from Virginia Tech (CB)

 

Realistically, if Loadholt or Robinson is available then they are the pick.  I would even consider trading up in the second round to draft Loadholt.  He will be a rock at right tackle for years to come.  I also am very high on Robinson, but he will most likely be long gone.  If by some chance there is no offensive lineman with draft value in this range I would look at a player like Kruger.  He is a high energy player that could take some pressure off the defensive end rotation and fill in if injuries occur.  Nicks would be a great pick, if Harvin is not taken in the first round.  Harris would also be a solid pick as he was a standout in College. 

 

In the third round the Vikings most likely will look to add a player at wide receiver, corner, or offensive tackle, for whichever position was not covered in the first two rounds.  The Vikings could also look to add a defensive tackle, offensive guard, running back, tight end, or defensive end. 

 

Some players that the Vikings could consider in the third round are:

 

1.                  Javon Ringer from Michigan State (RB)

2.                  Shonn Greene from Iowa (RB)

3.                  Andre Brown from North Carolina State (RB)

4.                  Juaquin Iglesias from Oklahoma (WR)

5.                  James Casey from Rice (TE)

6.                  Troy Kropog from Tulane (OT)

7.                  Andy Levitre of Oregon State (OG)

8.                  Herman Johnson from L.S.U. (OG)

9.                  Fili Moala from U.S.C. (DT)

10.              Captain Munnerlyn from South Carolina (CB)

 

In the fifth round the Vikings could look at a host of players, including:

 

1.                  Quinn Johnson from L.S.U. (FB)

2.                  Mike Thomas from Arizona (WR)

3.                  Cedric Dockery from Texas (OG)

4.                  Matt Shaughnessy from Wisconsin (DE)

5.                  Jonathan Casillas from Wisconsin (LB)

6.                  Brice McCain from Utah (CB)

 

In the seventh round the Vikings could look for players like:

 

1.                  Patrick Turner from U.S.C. (WR)

2.                  Sammie Stroughter from Oregon State (WR)

3.                  Alex Boone from Ohio State (OT)

4.                  Andrew Gardner from Georgia Tech (OT)

5.                  Victor Butler from Oregon State (DE)

6.                  Roy Miller from Texas (DT)

7.                  Anthony Heygood from Purdue (LB)

 

Of course with the top ten picks of the draft being uncertain who knows who will be available in any round, but these players should start coming off the board in these rounds.

 

My ideal draft for the Vikings would be:

 

First Round:                  Percy Harvin

Second Round:             Phil Loadholt

Third Round:                Captain Munnerlyn

Fifth Round:                  Cedric Dockery

Seventh Round (1):       Sammie Stroughter

Seventh Round (2):       Victor Butler

 

This would provide us a starting right tackle, a dynamic playmaker, and needed depth on the offensive line, at defensive end, and corner.  I would have liked the Vikings to pick up a defensive tackle, but with only six picks we are somewhat limited.  Roy Miller would be an excellent undrafted free agent signing. 

 

Hopefully, this weekend will be a good one for the Vikings.  

 

3/16/09

      What can the Vikings do in the next two months to be dominating in 2009?  I do not have all the answers, but I thank I have a few suggestions.  Before we talk about players to add, let’s talk about holes or areas we need to shore up.

 

            I think the Vikings are in a good position approaching the draft and the end of free agency.  They have no glaring holes (after free agency), but do need to take steps to upgrade certain positions.  I think there are three areas the Vikings need to focus on in the first three rounds of the draft, and not in this exact order: 1) Wide Receiver; 2) Right Tackle; and, 3) Cornerback.

 

            Some people might think that the Vikings need to draft a center because of Matt Birk’s departure – I do not.  Although I wish Birk would have been resigned and never had a chance to go to Baltimore, the Vikings have enough players waiting in the wings, so that they do not need to worry with this position on draft day.  First in line is Sullivan, last years sixth round pick, a center drafted out of Notre Dame.  He has had a year to learn the system and get acclimated to the NFL.  Hopefully, he will be able to step in and replace Birk like Birk replaced Christy so many years ago.  If Sullivan struggles, Cook can also compete for the center position.  He played center at New Mexico and has good size.  He struggled at tackle, but he might be a better fit on the inside where he does not have to deal with the speed of an NFL defensive end.  He also has NFL experience.  In my opinion, although Mack is talented, I think we are set for this year at center.

 

            People are also concerned with defensive tackle.  It is true both of the Williams face potential suspensions for 4 games, but Evans and others can hold down the fort until the Williams brothers return.  For this position, I like the resigning of Kennedy.  He has a lot of talent and if he could feel comfortable and be in a system where the blocking schemes are not focused at him he could blossom.  Evans also played very well at the end of the year and will get more time in the rotation this year.  Lastly, Guion could also really develop this year after having a year of experience.

 

            Finally, I do not think we should draft a QB. We traded for Sage and he should have an opportunity to compete for the starting spot. Sage would not have been my first choice, as I have said I think Garcia’s scrambling ability would have been great for our offense.  Regardless, I do like the trade.  Sage played well for the Texans at times, I am concerned about his interception to touchdown ratio, but I think this will improve with experience and playing time.  Whoever takes over the QB position next year has two priorities, do not turn the ball over and get the wide receivers involved in the offense.  I think Sage could do this very well.  With Sage and Jackson competing for the starting spot, and Booty developing, the Vikings do not need another quarterback.  Additionally, this year’s draft class is not as good as they are being projected.  With the potential players the Vikings could pick up at the 22nd spot, picking up a QB is not their best choice.  I do not even think the Vikings should consider Freeman. 

 

            Now lets talk about the three areas we need improvement.  First, let’s talk about Cornerback.  Realistically, we are in good shape for this year.  I love the re-signing of Sapp.  He brought an attitude to the defense and really played well at the end of the season.  With him and Gordon coming back from his injury we will have the nickel and dime packages covered.  Add McCauley in to the mix and there is a lot of talent in the secondary.  The starters are set with Winfield and Griffin.  Yes, at times Griffin appears inconsistent, but he is also playing across from one of the best corners in the league, so offenses look his way more.  That said, the reason why this is a position of need is because frankly McCauley has not developed as expected, Gordon is returning from an injury and Winfield is entering the last year of his contract.  Hopefully, he will be resigned, but the unknown after next year leaves this position on my list of areas of need.  Who could we look at in the 22nd spot?  Simply, I love Alphonso Smith.  He is undersized, but is a play making machine.  I would not be surprised if he is strongly looked at as Winfield’s replacement.  The problem with picking him in the first round is this draft has a lot of cornerbacks and a solid CB could fall into the second round.  Also, I think there are some other players that could help the Vikings more potentially at the 22nd pick in 2009.  So my suggestion is to wait and see who is available at the 22nd pick and if Harvin or Andre Smith is not there then pick Alphonso Smith.

 

            The next area of need is right tackle.  The draft does have a lot of tackles, but I tell you this, Andre Smith is dropping on draft boards, but if he is available he should be the Vikings 22nd pick.  (I know I touted Duke Robinson, but RT is a bigger area of need, plus we could potentially draft Herman Johnson or see Duke in the second round.)  Andre Smith prior to the bowl game was a projected number one pick.  He won every college award imaginable and dominated against superior speed and defensive talent in the SEC.  I know he has struggled since then, but all that talent and ability does not disappear.  The technique and talent he has did not change, he just became undisciplined.  In his pro day he did very well in his position drills, last time I checked he was going to be drafted to play tackle which he has a track record of being able to do better then any other college player.  If he falls this far, the Vikings should take him and solidify the right side of the line for years.  If he is not available then I think Harvin is the pick.  If Andre is not there we should still look for RT in the second round, we will potentially see Loadholt or Robinson, which would be great.  If we do not get a RT, do not fret, there are still players via free agency and we have two undrafted free agents from last year that could compete against Cook for the position.

 

            The last area of need is wide receiver.  I would have loved to see TJ be a Viking, but I thought it would be a long shot.  The two players I love here are Maclin and Harvin.  The problem is Maclin is a top ten pick and Harvin might be taken by the Jets.  The next tier of wide receivers is good, I like Heyward-Bey and Nicks, but they remind me to much of Rice.  Although these players are faster, they are tall physical receivers that would be productive, but do not bring the skills Harvin would.  Harvin will improve two phases of the Vikings game, offense and special teams.  The Vikings have struggled at the return game for years and getting an impact player that can create havoc in the slot position would do wonders for this team.  If Harvin is not there, then we could wait to see if Hicks or Heyward-Bey drop in the second round or we could also go out and sign Tory Holt.  Holt is use to domes and is a great character guy and teammate. 

 

       I also want to point out that the Vikings have two solid tight ends, one a great blocker and one a good receiver, but watch out for Chase Coffman and James Casey out of Rice.  Coffman has amazing hands and is a steal in the second round.  Casey is a beast and played in a passing offense at Rice.  If Casey is available in the third round he should be a Viking.

 

            In conclusion, this is my approach; I would target three players with the Vikings 22nd pick, in this order Andre Smith, Percy Harvin, and Alphonso Smith.  If none are available I would turn to my board and take the highest rated player.  In the second round, I would look for Phil Loadholt, Duke Robinson, Hakeem Nicks, or even Chase Coffman.  In the third round I would look for Juaquin Iglesias, James Casey, Herman Johnson, or Victor Harris.  Our fourth round pick brought us our new signal caller. 

 

2/12/09

            I am going to cover three topics in this column, they are: what the playoff loss taught the Vikings; what the Vikings should do in free agency; and, my first round wish list for the Vikings.  With the draft a little over two months away, I plan on writing two more monthly columns pre-draft.  In my next column, I will go into detail about existing players, contracts, team needs and who in the draft could help.  The last column will be a mock draft with projections in each round and a listing of some players the Vikings fans should keep their eye on.

 

            But for now let’s talk about the playoff loss.  The loss, simply put, was extremely disappointing.  I felt strongly that the Vikings would beat Philadelphia and then play a very close game on the road in Carolina.  I was clearly wrong.  The Vikings defense played outstanding again, they applied consistent pressure, shut down Westbrook (except for one play) and controlled the tempo of the game.  The turning point was really only two plays.  The screen pass to Westbrook and the interception returned for a TD by Samuel.  Unfortunately, I thought if the Vikings had any turnovers they could not win - which turned out to be the case.  I do not want to go into a lot of details about the loss, but the interception throw was bad and late.  Although the Vikings fought back to be down by only 2 at half, with a offense like the Vikings you can not comeback very often.  In the second half the Vikings defense provided good field position several times to the offense, but no points and very few yards were produced.  It seemed like the Vikings offense regressed.  All I can say is that this offense appeared more like what we saw at the beginning of the season then the end, the common factor was Tarvaris Jackson was running the show.  Going 15 of 35 (42% completion percentage) will not get it done in the playoffs.  I question why Gus Frerotte was not given a chance to take the team back over when he returned from injury, but I assume that Childress felt Jackson had improved and wanted to give him a shot.  I do not think Jackson improved enough, but he did answer one question in my mind, that the Vikings need a new signal caller next year (Frerotte was a short term fix and will not be back).  I think Jackson is an okay NFL quarterback, but the Vikings will only be around 8-8 with him at the helm.  This team, especially this defense, is a lot better then 8-8.       

 

            Based on Jackson’s performance, the Vikings have to do something at quarterback, they have two options: one, bring in a good older quarterback (Jeff Garcia) and draft a young quarterback to develop; or, two, trade for Matt Cassel.  Lets look at option one.  I love Jeff Garcia, I think he would fit into Childress’ west coast offense, I think he is a fighter and his mobility would create better passing lanes.  I truly think he could come to Minnesota and have two good years and lead the Vikings to the playoffs.  This option would allow the Vikings to draft a young quarterback to develop.  Now, I do not think much of the 2009 quarterback class.  I am not sold on Stafford, he always seemed to under perform against top end talent in the SEC and I think Sanchez is a very risky pick.  I am also not sold on the second tier of quarterbacks.  But, with Garcia, the Vikings would have a two year window.  Next year’s draft class at quarterback will be very strong: McCoy, Bradford, Tebow, and maybe Snead or Robinson (there will also be a few players who develop that are not on the radar yet).  That means, a first round pick in 2010 will probably allow you to get one of these signal callers. You would also have a fall back plan in Tarvaris Jackson. The book is not closed on him and maybe with another year or two to develop he turns into a solid NFL quarterback. Regardless, the Vikings could bring in the best signal caller in Garcia they have had in years, give the existing team a real chance to be dominant and still setup the future with a big time quarterback. 

 

Now, the second option is that the Vikings go out and trade for Matt Cassel.  They will most likely have to make another big deal like they did for Allen last year; they will have to give up a couple picks, including a first round pick and also spend a lot of money.  (Side note: Allen’s deal was worth every penny) At this time, Cassel is the best free agent quarterback with Derek Anderson in second place. Both of these players have not had enough NFL experience to warrant the money they will demand.  I like Cassel, but he has only had one good year and not really started that many games.  Anderson who has more experience, really struggled this year, and although he can not catch the passes he was throwing it seems that his demotion was a bad sign.  Bottom line is Cassel would be too expensive and is too much of an unproven commodity in this league.  If he had not been franchised then I would strongly reconsider trying to sign him, but the Vikings team is to close to being dominate and one or two more good young players will solidify this team for years to come.  By signing Cassel we would gain a good quarterback, but I do not know if he would be worth what is lost.  Therefore, I would go with the first option.

 

            On a side note, I know we drafted Sullivan last year to replace Birk, but I want the Vikings to resign Matt Birk.  Players of his caliber on and off the field are few and far between, the Vikings owe it to the fans and Birk to make a solid effort to bring him back.  I know this is a business, but sometimes people earn special consideration and Birk has in my opinion.

 

            The last thing I want to talk about is a wish list for the 22nd pick in the draft.  I do not think the following players will be at the 22nd pick, but if they are the Vikings should draft them without any hesitation.  I have three players in mind. 

 

1.      Jeremy Maclin – I do not know if he will slip to 22, but he is a game breaker.  I also like Harvin (who is listed as the Vikings pick in the current mock draft), but Maclin is a better wide receiver at this point then Harvin.  Maclin will also give the Vikings special teams a serious weapon.  He would provide a receiver the Vikings desperately need and his playmaking skills paired with Peterson would be dangerous.  (Harvin is a close second, I would happily cheer for either one, I just think Maclin is a little more prepared to be an NFL receiver at this time)

 

2.      B.J. Raji – When I first put this list together a couple weeks ago Raji was projected as a mid-first round pick.  Since then he has shot up draft boards and will probably be a top ten pick.  Jerry could also be considered in the first round for the Vikings. But this is my wish list and if Raji dropped to 22 then there is no question on who should be drafted.

 

3.      Duke Robinson – Robinson is the best interior offensive lineman in the draft.  He would immediately start at right guard for years to come.  He has been compared to Hutchinson, he has a long way to go to be that kind of a player, but he has the potential.  He would go a long way in solidifying the right side of the offensive line.  A lot has been said about the OTs and Mack and maybe the Vikings will look at one of them, but if Robinson is there he is as sure of a bet as any, in my opinion.

 

Also, although I did not put him on my wish list, I really like Cushing.  He seems ideal for a 3-4, he reminds me of Suggs, but if the Vikings could find a way to fit him into the defensive scheme then they should do it, he is a stud.  I do not know if he is able to play the pure strong side linebacker position behind Leber or if he is big enough to be a pure defensive end, but he should be strongly considered if available. I should save this for next month, but I also really like Alphonso Smith, he had an incredible college career and reminds me of a young Antoine Winfield.   

 

1/4/09

           The Vikings are in the Playoffs, what a great start to the New Year, although, at times I had my doubts, especially when Carr hit Hixon in the end zone for a touchdown, but they did it.  They won the division and should be very proud.  I know the Vikings would still have made the playoffs because the Bears lost, but it is a lot better to earn your spot then it is to be given to you.  The Vikings win over the Giants was important for their mental state.  If they would have lost their last two regular season games to playoff teams at home, I think it would have made a win in the playoff game almost impossible.

 

            I will save the Vikings season recap for later, but I do want to point out that they finished 10-6, as I had optimistically projected in November.  Now it is time for the next prognostication, and that is if the Vikings do not turn the ball over on Sunday they will beat the Eagles. The Vikings are a better football team then the Eagles and they will prove it on Sunday.  The way they will lose the game is if they turn the ball over like they have at times this season. That means Peterson, who should have been given more consideration for the league MVP, can not fumble, not even a fumble that is recovered by his own team.  The reason why is Peterson is the heart of the offense, he always runs hard, but it seems to me that when he turns the ball over he is more hesitant.  With the Eagles fast defense, Peterson can not be hesitant.  If he does not fumble he will have the confidence to gash the Eagles defense.  Also, Jackson can not throw any interceptions.  Although the Vikings beat the Giants, that interception in the end zone could have been devastating, fortunately it was not, but this is the playoffs and red zone turnovers will kill you.  Jackson can also not fumble, please if you are being sacked do not try to make an amazing play, just tuck the ball away.  Twice against the Giants and several times this season, while being sacked Jackson is holding the ball out and looking to throw.  It would be safer just to put the ball down so a sack does not turn into a nightmare.     

 

            This week all the national media has talked about is how good the Eagles are and that they are a dark horse for the Super Bowl.  Is this the same Eagles that are 9-6-1, and 3-4-1 on the road?  The Eagles beat the Cowboys, they actually blew them out, but how good are the dysfunctional Cowboys, might be the better question.  The Eagles are not as good as the national media makes them out to be, now that said they might put 35 points up on the Vikings, but I do not think so. The Eagles have a mobile quarterback which has hurt the Vikings before, see the Tampa Bay game, but McNabb is not as nimble as he use to be and the Vikings have the ability at home on their turf to put a lot of pressure on McNabb. Westbrook is a stud, no doubt about it, but if the Vikings play run defense like they have all year and big daddy Pat Williams can play, I think Westbrook will be limited in running and will have to rely on his pass catching skills to make big plays.  The next question is can the Vikings cover the receivers of the Eagles.  The answer is yes. The Vikings should isolate Winfield on Jackson, he is the Eagles biggest threat from the wide receiver position.  McCauley, Sapp, and Griffin can cover the other receivers. That begs the question who will cover Westbrook out of the back field.  Westbrook in the passing game is the one glaring advantage I think the Eagles have.  Hopefully, the Vikings can rotate, Williams and Greenway on him with Sharper lurking in the background and slow Westbrook down or at least limit his yards after the catch.  If Westbrook is limited in the passing game to less than 50 receiving yards then I believe the Vikings will hold the Eagles to under 20 points. 

 

            I think the Vikings magic number on offense is to score 24 points.  If the Vikings offense can mount this many points, I think they will win.  The biggest problem with the Vikings offense will be handling the Eagles exotic blitzes and not making a bad read and giving up bad field position or points.  I normally like a wide open passing game, but Childress should stick with what got him to the playoffs - a lot of running sprinkled in with occasional play action.  I love Berrian going deep on people and hopefully he will have a couple chances, but I think the Vikings want to be very conservative.  More running of the ball will limit Jackson’s exposure in having to drop back and read the odd blitzes and complicated coverage schemes.  I think it is fair to say the Vikings can push the Eagles’ front seven around.  If this game is played in a phone booth, I like the chances of our offensive line getting it done against the Eagles.

 

            I have a lot I want to talk about concerning Vikings personnel and potential moves and draft picks, but the team on the field has made it to the playoffs and that should be celebrated.  So for now, let’s sit back and enjoy the accomplishments of this team and cheer them on Sunday. 

 

FINAL PREDICTION:

 

Vikings 24 --- Eagles 17.

 

12/5/08

The postseason is not far away or is it?

 

The Vikings sit at 7-5 with an upcoming game against the hapless Lions.  Expectedly at the end of this weekend the Vikings will be 8-5 with a commanding lead in the division.  That assumes that the Vikings, regardless of whether they have the Williams brothers, because they can win this game without them, come out and play well.  A win in the NFL on the road is always hard to come by, but they should escape Ford field with a W. 

 

            The Bears play host to the Jaguars this weekend, so we should probably chalk up a W for the Bears.  Side note: has any team in the NFL fallen farther faster than the Jaguars, there were people picking them to be potential Super bowl contenders this year.  After the Bears beat the Jaguars, I believe they will end the season 1-2.  Although they do not play dominating teams, they play (Packers, Texans, and Saints) three very good passing teams.  With the Bears struggling against the pass and only scoring a limited amount of points each game, I think there is a strong possibility they will lose 2 of these 3 games because they cannot stop the pass.  That will leave the Bears 8-8.  That means the Vikings to clinch the NFC North have to win one of their final three games.

 

            That could be a tough task, but I think they will win at Arizona and then the following week at home against Atlanta.  I also think they have a good chance against the Giants, but I will not count that as a win just yet.  Thus, the Vikings will end their season at 10-6.  It looks like my prediction last month is coming true, hopefully. 

 

This statement may be laughed at in some circles, but the Vikings remind me of the Giants from last year.  They are playing great defense, running the ball well, and being opportunistic in the passing game.  If the Vikings end the season 10-6, I think they will make a strong run in the playoffs, ultimately making it to the NFC championship game. 

 

            Last month, I discussed that the Vikings have to work on not turning the ball over.  Once again, although they have gone 3-1 over the last four games, they still need to emphasize not turning the ball over.  The Packer game was very close, they were actually fortunate to win it with a last second missed field goal.  In that game the Vikings committed 3 turnovers and won by 1 point.  The turnovers allowed the Packers to stay in the game even though the Packers offense only mustered 184 total yards.  A week later the Vikings lost 19 to 13 to the Buccaneers.  I do not want to take anything away form the Bucs, who have a solid team, but the Vikings two turnovers really limited the offense.  Although the main problem in that game was that Jeff “Crazy Legs” Garcia is such a fighter that he would keep plays alive and prevent the Vikings defense from getting off the field on third downs. 

 

              In the Vikings past two games, they have only had 1 turnover in each game while they have taken the ball away 8 times.  Conveniently, the Vikings also won both of these games easily.  If the Vikings continue to limit their turnovers they will probably beat Arizona and most likely the Falcons in a very close game.  Even if the Giants do not rest their starters for the last game, I think the Vikings can play with them because they play a similar type of game.

 

              Before I talk about the biggest story currently in the news about the Vikings, I what to mention two things.  First, although the Vikings final score against the Bears indicated an easy win.  If it were not for the defense and that goal line stand which sparked the 99 yard pass to Berrian, I do know if the Vikings would have won that game.  If the Bears score there, they take a 14-3 lead.  Additionally, prior to the big pass to Berrian, the Vikings offense looked stagnate.  The Bears defense was controlling the line of scrimmage and limiting the Vikings plays and yards.  If not for the spark from the goal line stand there might have been a different outcome Sunday night.  Secondly, although the defense is playing very well, I think it needs to be pointed out that prior to Madieu Williams coming into the lineup the defense was about average.  Since Williams has been playing the defense has excelled.  This is not to take away from the efforts of the best defensive line in football or Winfield and Greenway’s play to date, which doesn’t it seem that Greenway is around every tackle or play.  But ever since Williams has started, the defense seems to be playing better as a complete unit, rather then just individual stars dominating a game.  The Vikings brass should get a lot of credit, the two big offseason acquisitions of Williams and Berrian have really paid dividends.      

 

            Now to the main story, what will happen with the Williams brothers?  Wednesday state court Judge Gary Larson granted a temporary restraining order allowing Pat and Kevin to play.  However, the NFL almost immediately sought removal to federal court and a hearing has been scheduled to determine if the restraining order will stay in place.  I have two takes on this situation, as a Vikings fan I want the Williams brothers to play because losing them for the last four games would be extremely difficult and at the end of the day they did not test positive for steroids, only a potential masking agent.  But I also believe that if you have rules you have to follow them, sometimes even if there is no harm from the conduct.  At the end of the day, the judge who makes the decision to overturn or uphold the restraining order will be criticized one way or the other.  I am just hoping that if the restraining order is to be overturned, then please do it now prior to the Detroit game.  That way the four game suspensions will run during the regular season and not reach the Vikings potential first round playoff game.  Losing the Williams for the Vikings first playoff game in years would be to detrimental to overcome.  We will have to wait and see.  Regardless, if the Vikings do lose the Williams brothers for the last four games, I think they can still make the playoffs, it will be close, but it will make the Detroit game a must win.   

 

11/6/08

The Vikings season seems to have been turned in the right direction after Childress replaced Jackson with Frerotte.  Not only have the Vikings pulled to .500 (4-2 in the last 6 games), but the offense looks formidable.  The WRs are involved in the offense which correlates to larger running lanes for Peterson.  Berrian has developed into the deep threat the Vikings brass thought they were getting in free agency and the passing game has been averaging around 240 yards a game, up from 154 yards a game in the first two games.  Although the Vikings seem to be playing better football, they will face a tough second half of the season.  Hopefully, a few corrections here and there can lead to a playoff appearance. 

 

  There is a general rule I think the Vikings should live by that will allow them to have a successful remainder to their season.   It is nothing new and has been painfully apparent in their two recent losses and in their close win against the Saints.  The rule is do not turn the ball over and play solid on special teams.  I know this is nothing profound, but an emphasis on these points will lead this very talented team to a lot of victories.   

 

A perfect example of needing to emphasize these two points can be seen in the Titans, Bears, and Saints games.  First the Titans game, the Vikings had three turnovers on their end of the field.  A Peterson and Tahi fumble and a Frerotte interception.  All three turnovers resulted in a short field for the Titans offense and ultimately 21 points.  The Titans only scored a total of 30 points in the whole game.  Now the Titans have a very good defense, but if the Vikings cut down on the turnovers then they are in that game and might have a chance to win at the end.  In the Chicago game the Vikings had five turnovers, yes FIVE turnovers.  Two of the turnovers were on special teams that resulted in Chicago touchdowns.  Even with all the turnovers, the Vikings only lost by a touchdown.  Imagine the possibilities. 

 

Although the Bears game is a perfect example of needing to improve on turnovers and special teams, a pure example of bad special teams was in the Saints game.  The Vikings should have lost the Saints game.  The Vikings punted the ball to Bush in the second half and what does he do, runs it back for a touchdown.  Okay, that is fine it is a close game, but we would not kick to him again would we.  Oh yes we will, Bush’s second punt return after his first touchdown almost also resulted in a touchdown.  Bush tripped over himself at mid field, had he not I think he would have probably scored easily.  Okay, we dodged a bullet, note taken, we kick it out of bounds from now on right. Oh no, they kicked to Bush a third time and he runs it in for his second touchdown.  Watching this at home, I was more upset at the coaches then the players, but the players still have to make a tackle.  The Vikings were very fortunate they did not lose the game.  Hopefully, this is another lesson learned: do not give the other team’s best player multiple chances to beat you when he has already proven he can.            

 

The bye week came at a good time.  Coming off the very disappointing Chicago loss the Vikings could have had an emotional hangover, but the bye allowed them to get away and refocus.  They played very well against the Texans.  Most people think the Texans are not very good, and at times they are not.  But they had won their previous three games, they have a young and athletic defense and their offense is potent.  There is no denying that Andre Johnson is flat out one of the best, if not the best, WR in football.  Add in a few complimentary parts and a consistent running back in Slaton and you have a pretty good offense.  That said, the Vikings defense controlled the Texans most of the game.  They gave up some yardage, but played the kind of defense that has been expected.  The defense has flashed brilliance all year at times, but if they could put their flashes of greatness into a whole game they would be very hard to beat.  The defensive line put consistent pressure on the Texans quarterbacks and still filled the running lanes.  They only game up 14 points (one touchdown was on an interception return).  The offense looked equally good, Berrian has really being playing well and the running game has been steady all year.  With this kind of consistent performance they should be able to win most games.  They just have to avoid turnovers and special team failures. 

 

Six of the Vikings last eight games are against teams with a .500 record or better.  They kick off this tough stretch with the Packers this weekend.  Four of the last eight games are at home, fortunately those four homes games are against the tougher teams (Packers, Bears, Falcons, and Giants).  They also have to go on the road and play Tampa Bay, but they are not facing an overly dynamic offense and will have a good chance to win that game.  The status of Allen’s injury and potential league action against the Williams brothers will have a big effect on the upcoming stretch of games.  Vikings fans just have to hope for the best.  With all that said, I am going to go out on a limb and say if the Vikings win against Green Bay this weekend they will make the playoffs with a 10-6 record.

 

Go Vikings Go.

9/20/08

            What a start to the season.  I thought there would be a lot of national media coverage on the Vikings early in the season.  I was right, but the talk is not about a 2-0 start and a dominating team, instead the talk is about a 0-2 start and an unexpected quarterback change after week 2.  As a die hard Vikings fan I am very disappointed in their start to the season.  However, there is still a lot of football to play and there is plenty of time for the Vikings to turn it around.  The main issue confronting the Vikings is what is going on at the quarterback position.  The question I have is, is the change at quarterback the best thing for the Vikings.  Honestly, I do not know and only the next fifteen weeks will tell.

 

            Did Tavaris deserve the demotion?  Maybe he did.  Tavaris did play poorly at times over the first two games, but at times he also played average, as would be expected of a second year starter.  He showed a lot of progress in the preseason when the offense focused on improving the passing game.  Unfortunately, his preseason injury really set him back.  The injury caused him to lose valuable experience, timing, and maybe his starting job. 

 

Tavaris played poorly in the first half of the Packers game; however, he seemed to really pick it up in the second half.  In the Colts games he was average, but on several occasions missed the targeted receiver by sizeable margins.  He could also not get the offense into the end zone, but neither did Adrian.  Tavaris was also not the one who dropped a relatively easy touchdown; he put the ball right in the bread basket of his TE.  That said, this team is too good not to win; if the change to Gus leads to wins that is what matters.    

 

The change to Gus might have been unavoidable this season, but all the support that Childress showed for Tavaris this offseason disappeared pretty quickly.  Gus will hopefully be able to throw the ball down the field and be more efficient in the red zone.  The Vikings have too much talent at the WR position for them not to be involved in the offense.  If Gus does not get it done, then it is going to be very hard on the club and I would strongly doubt they would be playoff contenders.  Alternatively, only time will tell how this move affects Tavaris’ confidence and his future with this team.        

 

            The good news so far is that the defense has lived up to expectations.  They allowed 24 points in the Packers game.  There were a lot of points, but the three touchdowns came off of three big plays – Rodgers’ bomb, Grant’s long run, and the punt return for a TD.  In the Colts game the defense was lights out for two and a half quarters.  The pressure on Manning and the run defense were excellent.  The Colts ended up coming back and winning, but the Colts offense is too good to be held down for very long.  I think before the game if you tell Childress his defense is only going to give up 18 points he would take it and think they were going to win.  Side note: Addai did not get into the end zone on his alleged touchdown run.  He was caught at the line and big Pat Williams pushed him back.  The only reason the touchdown was upheld was because the ref made the wrong call on the field and there was not sufficient video evidence to overturn it.  The Colts game was a game the Vikings should have won, but you have to give credit to the Colts and Manning because he made some great throws under tremendous pressure. 

 

            This week will be a big test.  The Panthers’ defense is solid, but if the Vikings’ offense can throw the ball with more efficiency and continue to run the ball like in the Colts game, they will probably get their first win of the year.   I expect the Vikings defense to play very well against the Panthers offense, control their running game and put a lot of pressure on Delhomme.  One win at a time.       
 

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