Sunday was the exception for the Minnesota Vikings — they had been burned plenty of times this season, but apparently Brett Favre and the offense had not yet learned the lesson.
Just how many times can a team turn the ball over or make a crucial mistake and recover from it?
Every loss this season you were sitting there watching the game with your fingers crossed, hoping the Vikings defense could get one last stop to give the offense a chance to tie the game late. This time, against the Cardinals, the situation was no different — except for the result.
That’s always the case for one reason: a myriad of miscues.
First, Minnesota allowed LaRod Stephens-Howling to score a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff after Adrian Peterson gave the Vikings a 7-0 lead. Then there was yet another freak unfortunate play involving Percy Harvin when he was held up on a kick return of his own and forced to fumble the ball, which was returned for another touchdown.
And on offense, one of Favre’s two interceptions was thrown on the goal line and the other should’ve been returned for a touchdown had Greg Camarillo not have made a super-human effort type of play.
In the red zone, Minnesota turned the ball over on downs in the fourth quarter and also settled for a field goal earlier in the game — the Vikings missed opportunities.
It seems like during every Vikings game this year, the fourth quarter rolls around and Minnesota scrambles to erase the demons from the first three quarters. Usually the clock has run out, leaving the Vikings burned.
But against the Cardinals, Favre had a little bit of that magic dust left in him to squeeze two touchdowns into the final five minutes of regulation to force overtime. Maybe it wasn’t magic though. Maybe the Cardinals just aren’t that good.
Arizona only managed to score 10 points against the Vikings defense all game though. On the day, Minnesota only allowed 225 yards and forced the Cardinals to punt the ball eight times — including three to start the game and three times in the fourth quarter and overtime to help the Vikings come back.
So I’m sure it felt good to watch Favre’s rainbow pass fall right into the hands of Visanthe Shiancoe for the game-tying touchdown with less than 30 seconds left to play. Favre had just completed a 77-yard drive in less than two minutes, with no timeouts. But why should Minnesota have had to resort to that?
Clearly the Vikings were the better team on Sunday, right? Minnesota dominated on offense with over 500 yards. Well, that’s true, besides the mistakes and the turnovers that plagued the unit, until those final three possessions of the game. The defense certainly held up its end of the bargain. Larry Fitzgerald is going to get his yards, and there may have been a mistake or two on the Cardinals’ touchdown drive, but that’s forgivable compared to the offense.
There’s no reason not to expect Minnesota to win by three touchdowns if you saw how well the Vikings defense played and if you knew how talented the Minnesota offense is.
Turnovers and mistakes like the ones the Vikings make can kill teams. How can you expect to win games if you’re giving the opponent two touchdowns and repeatedly shooting yourself in the foot throughout the game. No one is questioning how talented this Minnesota offense is.
I wonder just how good are the Vikings, though.
Minnesota hasn’t been good enough, or lucky enough, or whatever you want to call it, to come back from these holes the team digs itself all season. Just because the Vikings pulled it off against Arizona doesn’t mean we should be encouraged.
Fool me once shame on you, fool me all season, then maybe that’s what this offense is: a talented group that turns the ball over, that struggles to score in the red zone at times and a group that can’t string together a consistent quality effort without a crucial mistake.
It’s easy to just say that the Vikings need to cut back on the mistakes — they haven’t done it though. There aren’t enough possessions in a game to do what Minnesota does game in and game out.
Favre finally found a way to pull off that late comeback win that the Vikings have fallen on the wrong side of all season. And 3-5 looks a whole lot better than 2-6. Minnesota still has playoff hopes today thanks to that comeback. The chance may be small, but it’s still alive. They can’t expect to continue to win games like this though.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if Minnesota is going to make the playoffs this year the Vikings need to stop playing with fire.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Vikings Need a Win Vs. Arizona. Duh.
There’s no way of finessing the situation – the Vikings need a win against Arizona or their season will be lost. At 2-5 they still have a decent shot at the playoffs, given the weakness of the NFC. But if they slide to 2-6? You can kiss any realistic hope of a 2010 playoff run goodbye. And, if last week’s reports are to be believed, you can probably kiss Brad Childress goodbye as well.
Judging from the sentiments being expressed by most Viking fans, there will be few tears shed if Childress is indeed sent packing by Zygi Wilf. The fact is that, from almost the moment of his hiring, Childress has been an unpopular figure with Minnesota fans. His manner has often seemed patronizing, his offense has often been boring, and his handling of players has often been clumsy. And I haven’t even mentioned his game management skills. However, if the Vikings should lose to Arizona this weekend, and Childress should subsequently be fired: I ask the vociferous Chilly-haters, what then? Would getting rid of Childress and elevating Leslie Frasier to head coach actually result in a run of wins? Or, would the Vikings’ problems remain even without Childress at the helm?
I have no doubt that Childress has done things to deserve being on shaky ground with his owner. However, if the owner fires Childress simply because Childress irritated him…well, how then would Wilf be any different than Childress himself, who got on the hot seat precisely because he allowed Randy Moss‘ comments about him to bother him personally? At some point, somebody in the Vikings organization has to put personal feelings aside and run this thing like a professional organization. In my mind, Childress getting fired now would demonstrate that Wilf is no more in command of things than Childress. The firing of the coach would not restore my faith in the organization; on the contrary, it would prove to me that the organization is in profound disarray, from the top down.
The fact is, a lot of what’s gone wrong this year has not been Childress’ fault. Did Childress injure Sidney Rice’s hip? Did he cause Brett Favre to suffer a bad elbow and bad ankle? Did he hurt Cedric Griffin’s ACL? Did he cause the pass rush to mysteriously vanish? Blaming Childress for everything that’s gone wrong in 2010 is, I think, a little too easy. And thinking Childress’ firing would magically fix the Vikings is naive at best.
No, the best thing for the Vikings now would not be a Childress firing but a win Sunday against the Cardinals. If the Vikings are going to get this much-needed victory, it appears they will have to do so without Percy Harvin, who injured an ankle early against the Patriots and has spent the whole week hobbling through practice. With Moss gone and Rice and Harvin hurt, the Vikings would be left with Bernard Berrian as their #1 receiver…but even Berrian was listed on the injury report this week with a bad groin. If you want to find a healthy Vikings receiver you have to go down the list to guys like Greg Camarillo, Greg Lewis and Hank Baskett. Needless to say, Brett Favre himself is not exactly 100%.
With Favre still not fully himself and the receiver corps greatly diminished, it figures to be another rough week for the passing game. At this point we should’ve long-since resigned ourselves to the reality that, if the Vikings do manage to put together some wins this year, they will not be pretty wins. The 2009 offense ain’t walking through that door. The only thing that’s working this year is running the ball with Adrian Peterson…and if Childress elects to leave Peterson on the field, maybe he will even have a chance to carry the team. If Childress has any survival instinct at all, he will scrap his “mixing in Toby Gerhart” plan and just ride Peterson. I wouldn’t presume to tell Mr. Childress how to do his job, but it seems to me that when you do get some offensive momentum going, it would be a good idea not to yank your best player.
The key word when addressing the defense this week is “bounce back.” As in, these guys need to bounce back from getting undressed in the second half by Tom Brady and the Patriots. Asher Allen got exposed as not a very good football player last week, and overall, the tackling was just not good enough – sort of shocking when you consider that, for the last few years, the Vikings have sported one of the best tackling units in the league. Obviously, with the secondary looking shakier by the week, the onus falls more-and-more on the front-four, which has not exactly been rising to the challenge. I could do the easy thing here and blame it all on Jared Allen, but the fact is, the line in general has just not been getting consistent penetration, and that’s showing up both in the pass rush and the run defense. If the guys in the middle – the alleged strength of our defense – get more penetration, quarterbacks will get flushed more and Allen will run into more sacks. Frankly, I’m beginning to believe our real problem is that Kevin Williams has hit the downslope of his career. Outside of the occasional batdown, what plays is he making? The Williams Wall this year has looked more like the Williams Chicken Wire Fence. I don’t want to sound too harsh, but frankly, Brett Favre isn’t the only old washed-up guy on our team. Pat Williams is about done; and if you want to extend this discussion out to the team as a whole, I think you can add Antoine Winfield and Steve Hutchinson to the list of guys who are fading quickly. We knew the window was going to close on this team this year, but what we didn’t realize was that, for a few of the key veterans, it was already down to a crack.
Brad Childress can’t stop Father Time any more than he could stop Randy Moss from being a prick. But, when you’re a coach in the NFL, the reality is that you’re going to be blamed for everything, even the stuff that’s out of your hands. Childress’ problem this year is that everything came to a head at once: certain key guys got old, certain young guys got hurt, and a certain desperation set in that led to the single most disastrous personnel move of Childress’ tenure. Of course, Chilly still deserves plenty of blame, for the sometimes bizarre and boneheaded way he reacted to all these issues. However, I reiterate, firing Childress won’t make that stuff go away. Only a win, ugly or otherwise, will dispel the Cloud of Doom currently darkening the Vikings’ skies.
Judging from the sentiments being expressed by most Viking fans, there will be few tears shed if Childress is indeed sent packing by Zygi Wilf. The fact is that, from almost the moment of his hiring, Childress has been an unpopular figure with Minnesota fans. His manner has often seemed patronizing, his offense has often been boring, and his handling of players has often been clumsy. And I haven’t even mentioned his game management skills. However, if the Vikings should lose to Arizona this weekend, and Childress should subsequently be fired: I ask the vociferous Chilly-haters, what then? Would getting rid of Childress and elevating Leslie Frasier to head coach actually result in a run of wins? Or, would the Vikings’ problems remain even without Childress at the helm?
I have no doubt that Childress has done things to deserve being on shaky ground with his owner. However, if the owner fires Childress simply because Childress irritated him…well, how then would Wilf be any different than Childress himself, who got on the hot seat precisely because he allowed Randy Moss‘ comments about him to bother him personally? At some point, somebody in the Vikings organization has to put personal feelings aside and run this thing like a professional organization. In my mind, Childress getting fired now would demonstrate that Wilf is no more in command of things than Childress. The firing of the coach would not restore my faith in the organization; on the contrary, it would prove to me that the organization is in profound disarray, from the top down.
The fact is, a lot of what’s gone wrong this year has not been Childress’ fault. Did Childress injure Sidney Rice’s hip? Did he cause Brett Favre to suffer a bad elbow and bad ankle? Did he hurt Cedric Griffin’s ACL? Did he cause the pass rush to mysteriously vanish? Blaming Childress for everything that’s gone wrong in 2010 is, I think, a little too easy. And thinking Childress’ firing would magically fix the Vikings is naive at best.
No, the best thing for the Vikings now would not be a Childress firing but a win Sunday against the Cardinals. If the Vikings are going to get this much-needed victory, it appears they will have to do so without Percy Harvin, who injured an ankle early against the Patriots and has spent the whole week hobbling through practice. With Moss gone and Rice and Harvin hurt, the Vikings would be left with Bernard Berrian as their #1 receiver…but even Berrian was listed on the injury report this week with a bad groin. If you want to find a healthy Vikings receiver you have to go down the list to guys like Greg Camarillo, Greg Lewis and Hank Baskett. Needless to say, Brett Favre himself is not exactly 100%.
With Favre still not fully himself and the receiver corps greatly diminished, it figures to be another rough week for the passing game. At this point we should’ve long-since resigned ourselves to the reality that, if the Vikings do manage to put together some wins this year, they will not be pretty wins. The 2009 offense ain’t walking through that door. The only thing that’s working this year is running the ball with Adrian Peterson…and if Childress elects to leave Peterson on the field, maybe he will even have a chance to carry the team. If Childress has any survival instinct at all, he will scrap his “mixing in Toby Gerhart” plan and just ride Peterson. I wouldn’t presume to tell Mr. Childress how to do his job, but it seems to me that when you do get some offensive momentum going, it would be a good idea not to yank your best player.
The key word when addressing the defense this week is “bounce back.” As in, these guys need to bounce back from getting undressed in the second half by Tom Brady and the Patriots. Asher Allen got exposed as not a very good football player last week, and overall, the tackling was just not good enough – sort of shocking when you consider that, for the last few years, the Vikings have sported one of the best tackling units in the league. Obviously, with the secondary looking shakier by the week, the onus falls more-and-more on the front-four, which has not exactly been rising to the challenge. I could do the easy thing here and blame it all on Jared Allen, but the fact is, the line in general has just not been getting consistent penetration, and that’s showing up both in the pass rush and the run defense. If the guys in the middle – the alleged strength of our defense – get more penetration, quarterbacks will get flushed more and Allen will run into more sacks. Frankly, I’m beginning to believe our real problem is that Kevin Williams has hit the downslope of his career. Outside of the occasional batdown, what plays is he making? The Williams Wall this year has looked more like the Williams Chicken Wire Fence. I don’t want to sound too harsh, but frankly, Brett Favre isn’t the only old washed-up guy on our team. Pat Williams is about done; and if you want to extend this discussion out to the team as a whole, I think you can add Antoine Winfield and Steve Hutchinson to the list of guys who are fading quickly. We knew the window was going to close on this team this year, but what we didn’t realize was that, for a few of the key veterans, it was already down to a crack.
Brad Childress can’t stop Father Time any more than he could stop Randy Moss from being a prick. But, when you’re a coach in the NFL, the reality is that you’re going to be blamed for everything, even the stuff that’s out of your hands. Childress’ problem this year is that everything came to a head at once: certain key guys got old, certain young guys got hurt, and a certain desperation set in that led to the single most disastrous personnel move of Childress’ tenure. Of course, Chilly still deserves plenty of blame, for the sometimes bizarre and boneheaded way he reacted to all these issues. However, I reiterate, firing Childress won’t make that stuff go away. Only a win, ugly or otherwise, will dispel the Cloud of Doom currently darkening the Vikings’ skies.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Who's underachieving and who's not on the Vikings
The Vikings return most of the same roster that went 12-4 last season, but many of those starters simply haven't maximized their potential during the Vikings' 2-5 start. Here's a closer look at how the 2009 starters are performing this season:
WR BERNARD BERRIAN UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Has disappeared for most of the season, with only nine catches for 87 yards.
WR PERCY HARVIN PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: Leads the team in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
WR SIDNEY RICE UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: The devastating news of Rice's hip surgery in late August decimated the Vikings' pass offense, and it has not recovered.
TE VISANTHE SHIANCOE UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Is no longer Favre's favorite red-zone target with one touchdown catch compared with 11 last season.
RB ADRIAN PETERSON PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: Is hoping for a long-term contract, and has kicked the fumble habit while setting a pace for more than 1,700 rushing yards.
QB BRETT FAVRE PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Age, injuries and passing inaccuracy have plagued Favre this season after a dream 2009 campaign.
LT BRYANT MCKINNIE PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Even arrow
Why: Gets burned occasionally, but he's generally a viable left tackle in this league.
STEVE HUTCHINSON UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: The bar has been set high for this seven-time Pro Bowler, and although he's been adequate, he's not been his dominant self.
C JOHN SULLIVAN PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Even arrow
Why: When healthy, he's proved to be steady, calling protections and run blocking.
RG ANTHONY HERRERA PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: At times, has created gaping holes for Peterson.
RG PHIL LOADHOLT UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Looked poised to make the leap in 2010, but he's been hampered by speed rushes and penalties.
DE JARED ALLEN UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Hasn't recorded a sack since the Miami game after two consecutive years of 14.5 sacks.
DT KEVIN WILLIAMS PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Even arrow
Why: Is still a beast up the middle with seven pass deflections and 30 tackles, but his sack production is down.
DT PAT WILLIAMS PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: A reliable run stopper in spurts, but he's not having a stellar season at age 38.
DE RAY EDWARDS UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Despite plenty of quarterback pressures early in the season, his overall body of work is not strong.
OLB CHAD GREENWAY PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: The team's defensive MVP this season is on pace for 169 tackles.
MLB E.J. HENDERSON UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: Recovered from a fractured left femur to record 47 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble through seven games.
OLB BEN LEBER PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: Is on pace for four more tackles than last season while recording a crucial interception in the Detroit game.
LCB ANTOINE WINFIELD PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: Is still the same physical open-field tackler and has kept a depleted secondary afloat.
FS MADIEU WILLIAMS PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Despite his pace for close to 90 tackles, Williams has whiffed on big-play chances and doesn't close the gap quickly.
SS TYRELL JOHNSON UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Has played sparingly after Husain Abdullah took over the starting job in the preseason.
RCB CEDRIC GRIFFIN UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Never got the chance to build on his four-interception 2009 campaign after suffering a second torn anterior cruciate ligament in October.
K RYAN LONGWELL PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: Hard to argue with 6 for 6 on field goals, but you'd have thought Longwell would get more work because the Vikings would be in the red zone more. Not the case.
P CHRIS KLUWE PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: Is tied for sixth in the league with 14 punts inside the 20-yard line.
HEAD COACH BRAD CHILDRESS UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Whether a fan of Childress or not, it's still hard to believe the Vikings have started off this poorly.
— Compiled by Jeremy Fowler
WR BERNARD BERRIAN UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Has disappeared for most of the season, with only nine catches for 87 yards.
WR PERCY HARVIN PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: Leads the team in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
WR SIDNEY RICE UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: The devastating news of Rice's hip surgery in late August decimated the Vikings' pass offense, and it has not recovered.
TE VISANTHE SHIANCOE UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Is no longer Favre's favorite red-zone target with one touchdown catch compared with 11 last season.
RB ADRIAN PETERSON PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: Is hoping for a long-term contract, and has kicked the fumble habit while setting a pace for more than 1,700 rushing yards.
QB BRETT FAVRE PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Age, injuries and passing inaccuracy have plagued Favre this season after a dream 2009 campaign.
LT BRYANT MCKINNIE PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Even arrow
Why: Gets burned occasionally, but he's generally a viable left tackle in this league.
STEVE HUTCHINSON UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: The bar has been set high for this seven-time Pro Bowler, and although he's been adequate, he's not been his dominant self.
C JOHN SULLIVAN PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Even arrow
Why: When healthy, he's proved to be steady, calling protections and run blocking.
RG ANTHONY HERRERA PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: At times, has created gaping holes for Peterson.
RG PHIL LOADHOLT UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Looked poised to make the leap in 2010, but he's been hampered by speed rushes and penalties.
DE JARED ALLEN UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Hasn't recorded a sack since the Miami game after two consecutive years of 14.5 sacks.
DT KEVIN WILLIAMS PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Even arrow
Why: Is still a beast up the middle with seven pass deflections and 30 tackles, but his sack production is down.
DT PAT WILLIAMS PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: A reliable run stopper in spurts, but he's not having a stellar season at age 38.
DE RAY EDWARDS UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Despite plenty of quarterback pressures early in the season, his overall body of work is not strong.
OLB CHAD GREENWAY PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: The team's defensive MVP this season is on pace for 169 tackles.
MLB E.J. HENDERSON UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: Recovered from a fractured left femur to record 47 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble through seven games.
OLB BEN LEBER PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: Is on pace for four more tackles than last season while recording a crucial interception in the Detroit game.
LCB ANTOINE WINFIELD PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: Is still the same physical open-field tackler and has kept a depleted secondary afloat.
FS MADIEU WILLIAMS PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Despite his pace for close to 90 tackles, Williams has whiffed on big-play chances and doesn't close the gap quickly.
SS TYRELL JOHNSON UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Has played sparingly after Husain Abdullah took over the starting job in the preseason.
RCB CEDRIC GRIFFIN UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Never got the chance to build on his four-interception 2009 campaign after suffering a second torn anterior cruciate ligament in October.
K RYAN LONGWELL PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: Hard to argue with 6 for 6 on field goals, but you'd have thought Longwell would get more work because the Vikings would be in the red zone more. Not the case.
P CHRIS KLUWE PREDICTABLE
Ranking: Up arrow
Why: Is tied for sixth in the league with 14 punts inside the 20-yard line.
HEAD COACH BRAD CHILDRESS UNPREDICTABLE
Ranking: Down arrow
Why: Whether a fan of Childress or not, it's still hard to believe the Vikings have started off this poorly.
— Compiled by Jeremy Fowler
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Childress, Why moss?
 |
| Childress On Bubble Of Being Let Go |
Say it ain't so!
After a five year absence, Randy Moss was finally back wearing the famed Minnesota Viking "84" jersey. The jersey, many Viking fans longed to see him in.
After four games back where he belongs, Brad Childress, you mean to report that you have waived him? Why? Was your ego jilted? Was your ultra-thinned skin damaged by the truth?
After your Minnesota Viking team was defeated in New England 28-18 last Sunday, were you left in envy of a franchise that is everything yours is not? A winner?
Yes, the Patriots, winners of three Super Bowls in four appearances during the 2000's, also currently stand at 6-1, the best record in the league. Your team is 2-5 and sinking fast.
You have more talent on your roster than they do, but they have a great head coach on their sideline and you Brad Childress, are no great head coach. Frankly, you are not even a good one.
In Moss' post-game press conference when he referred to Bill Belichick as the best coach of all time, were you insulted because he did not bestow that title upon you? Perhaps you feel your 1-2 playoff record outshines Belichick's 15-5 playoff record?
Maybe you acted in haste, because during that press conference, Moss revealed to everyone, how even with him explaining the Patriots offense to you and your coaching staff, you still could not stop them.
Or, could it be you wasted a future third round draft pick, because you are upset about Moss' alledged outburst over a locker room meal? Is that why you suddenly decided to waive the second most prolific receiver in Viking history?
Currently, do you not have a quarterback on your roster being investigated by the NFL for possible misconduct that could result in a lawsuit? Is he getting ready to be waived also, or is his 29th ranked quarterback passer rating so impressive it warrants him receiving preferrential treatment?
Oh that's right, you said that you want "good people" on your team. Really? Seriously? Are you not the one who cut Marcus Robinson on Christmas Eve? Yes, Christmas Eve, because the receiver - who led the team in touchdown receptions at the time - dared to speak out about your dreadful offense that was so predictable, it would not have been able to outsmart a fifth grader.
You are such a "good person", that a few years ago you simply could not resist fining Troy Williamson for taking too long in South Carolina, attending the funeral of his grandmother who raised him, and taking care of her affairs. Yes, such a wonderful show of compassion on your part.
During last season's playoffs, your "class act" was on full display as you had an- already-selfish, stat-driven quarterback throw two unnecessary late fourth-quarter touchdowns to drub your outmatched Dallas Cowboy opponent 34-3.
Zygi Wilf, you own the Vikings, it is time for you to break your silence, and begin cleaning up this mess that is your franchise. It is time to acknowledge that your first and only coaching hire thus far, has been a mistake. A big one. Cut your losses.
When you hired Childress in 2006, his first order of business was alienating Daunte Culpepper, the third most prolific passer in Viking history. He unceremoniously cut Culpepper, the franchise quarterback at the time, just prior to the start of that season.
Now the latest fiasco has Moss being cut suddenly without any reasonable explanation being provided. What sense does this make? Here says that Moss will one day be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and that Childress will not.
Moss has played on the two highest scoring offenses in NFL history, the '98 Vikings and the '07 Patriots. This year, in the four games he played in, Moss boosted the per game scoring average from a paltry average of 14, to a respectable average of 21. Yet, just like that, he is gone, and realistically, so is this season.
The time has come that Brad Childress should be fired. The team is in total turmoil, there is no present indication that a turnaround is soon on its way. So why wait? The Vikings need a fresh start.
Remember Mr. Owner, how on New Year's Day, 2006, you didn't even wait until then Head Coach, Mike Tice, could even make it to the locker room to address his players after the victorious season finale? You fired him right on the spot in a room off of the tunnel. You certainly did not wait then, why wait now?
Your current coach has turned your organization into a joke, that lacks humor. It is unimaginable how there could be any respect for him in that locker room now.
In his four and a half seasons, at most a handful of teams have had as many Pro Bowl players on their rosters as he has had on his, yet Childress has only been able to produce a mediocre overall regular season record of 38-33.
As Brad Childress continues to run the organization into the ground, his ineptitude begins to reflect more and more upon the ownership. Just curious to know Mr. Wilf, what is the ownership going to do about it?
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Minnesota Vikings: Randy Moss Explained
Vikings PhotosFull disclosure: I’ve been a Vikings fan since approximately 1970. I started attending about one home Vikings game per year in 1993. When 1998 came around, I told my then-wife that—if she still wanted to see the NFL on a yearly basis—we would need to buy season tickets.
The reason? No. 84.
Today marks the second day in my life that my favorite team has—and I cannot stress the next word enough—incorrectly decided to take Randy Moss away from Viking Nation.
The first time was after the 2004 season—a year in which an over-hyped QB named Daunte Culpepper would have won the NFL MVP had it not been for some guy named Peyton—and Randy was ignominiously traded to the Oakland Raiders. (Remember this, class. It comes up on the quiz.)
Randy languished in Oakland with no direction, no quarterback and no reason to excel. He considered retirement. (Actually, he considered retirement as soon as the trade was announced.)
Daunte Culpepper went on to…whatever. In his defense, I will say he entered the 2005 season in the best shape of his career. But without his bail-out option, he proved to be what most of us knew him to be—another guy wearing a purple jersey. Nothing special. Not bad, but not a world-beater, either. I hear he looks great in the UFL.
Fast-forward to 2007. After dealing with the loser mentality in Oakland for two years (quiz time!) Randy was traded to the New England Patriots. Under the coaching staff and imaginative game plans of Bill Belichick—which included such great plays as “Randy Go Deep”—the Patriots became the highest-scoring offense in NFL history. And who did they beat? The 1998 Vikings. But I digress…
Randy continued to produce in New England until this year, when he let it be known at the beginning of the season that he was looking for a contract extension. He said at the time that New England wouldn’t offer that because that isn’t the way they do business, which is true. Ask Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel or a host of others if you’re in doubt.
(Aside: Since 2001 and the Korey Stringer training camp death, the one thing I have said about Randy is, “Keep him away from a microphone unless you want to hear the truth.” Again, keep that in mind for the quiz.)
So here come the Vikings, offering a third-round pick for Randy. The Patriots gladly accept, the Minnesota Vikings fans go crazy—myself included—and Randy takes back No. 84. All is right with the world.
Except this: Randy smells Oakland, not New England. Randy knows this is a contract year. And—gasp!—Randy has access to a microphone!
So what does Randy do? If you’ve been paying attention, you know that Randy told the truth in front of that microphone. He told the world how the Vikings were out-coached by the Patriots. He said that he tried to help, but that it fell on deaf ears. He sensed a commitment to crap.
In a contract year, he needs to be somewhere where they will use him as John Madden once suggested. “You have to throw it deep to him once per quarter or he’ll sulk,” I can still remember the old man saying. And that’s kind of the deal.
The other side is that Randy wants to win. The Vikings are not winners. They don’t act like winners. They don’t smell like winners. And they sure as hell aren’t coached to win.
So, for the second time in my life, my favorite team has given up on my favorite player. And for the second time they fired the wrong guy. I can only wonder if Brad Childress will look great in the UFL. Lord knows I won’t watch him.
But I’ll watch Randy in Seattle, Denver, KC or wherever. And he’ll rise above it. Because he IS that good. And people will wonder, “Why couldn’t he do that as a Viking?”
The answer: We fired the wrong guy. Again.
The reason? No. 84.
Today marks the second day in my life that my favorite team has—and I cannot stress the next word enough—incorrectly decided to take Randy Moss away from Viking Nation.
The first time was after the 2004 season—a year in which an over-hyped QB named Daunte Culpepper would have won the NFL MVP had it not been for some guy named Peyton—and Randy was ignominiously traded to the Oakland Raiders. (Remember this, class. It comes up on the quiz.)
Randy languished in Oakland with no direction, no quarterback and no reason to excel. He considered retirement. (Actually, he considered retirement as soon as the trade was announced.)
Daunte Culpepper went on to…whatever. In his defense, I will say he entered the 2005 season in the best shape of his career. But without his bail-out option, he proved to be what most of us knew him to be—another guy wearing a purple jersey. Nothing special. Not bad, but not a world-beater, either. I hear he looks great in the UFL.
Fast-forward to 2007. After dealing with the loser mentality in Oakland for two years (quiz time!) Randy was traded to the New England Patriots. Under the coaching staff and imaginative game plans of Bill Belichick—which included such great plays as “Randy Go Deep”—the Patriots became the highest-scoring offense in NFL history. And who did they beat? The 1998 Vikings. But I digress…
Randy continued to produce in New England until this year, when he let it be known at the beginning of the season that he was looking for a contract extension. He said at the time that New England wouldn’t offer that because that isn’t the way they do business, which is true. Ask Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel or a host of others if you’re in doubt.
(Aside: Since 2001 and the Korey Stringer training camp death, the one thing I have said about Randy is, “Keep him away from a microphone unless you want to hear the truth.” Again, keep that in mind for the quiz.)
So here come the Vikings, offering a third-round pick for Randy. The Patriots gladly accept, the Minnesota Vikings fans go crazy—myself included—and Randy takes back No. 84. All is right with the world.
Except this: Randy smells Oakland, not New England. Randy knows this is a contract year. And—gasp!—Randy has access to a microphone!
So what does Randy do? If you’ve been paying attention, you know that Randy told the truth in front of that microphone. He told the world how the Vikings were out-coached by the Patriots. He said that he tried to help, but that it fell on deaf ears. He sensed a commitment to crap.
In a contract year, he needs to be somewhere where they will use him as John Madden once suggested. “You have to throw it deep to him once per quarter or he’ll sulk,” I can still remember the old man saying. And that’s kind of the deal.
The other side is that Randy wants to win. The Vikings are not winners. They don’t act like winners. They don’t smell like winners. And they sure as hell aren’t coached to win.
So, for the second time in my life, my favorite team has given up on my favorite player. And for the second time they fired the wrong guy. I can only wonder if Brad Childress will look great in the UFL. Lord knows I won’t watch him.
But I’ll watch Randy in Seattle, Denver, KC or wherever. And he’ll rise above it. Because he IS that good. And people will wonder, “Why couldn’t he do that as a Viking?”
The answer: We fired the wrong guy. Again.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Moss Takes The Podium After Loss To Former Team
FOXBOROUGH, MASS. — Randy Moss got fined $25,000 by the NFL this week for not cooperating with the media. The Vikings receiver had plenty to say Sunday after catching only one pass in a 28-18 loss to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
In one of the strangest "news conferences" you'll ever see, Moss announced that he will not conduct any more interviews the rest of the season.
Moss then said that if he does grant an interview, he will ask the questions and provide the answers. Wearing a black Boston Red Sox hat, he spoke nearly five minutes about his affection for the Patriots organization, his former teammates and coach Bill Belichick and the relationships he made during his three-plus year tenure. He said he "shed a tear" over an ovation he received after the game.
Moss then criticized Vikings coach Brad Childress' decision not to kick a field goal at the end of the first half and said he was disappointed his coaches and teammates didn't listen to the insight he gave on the Patriots last week.
Moss concluded by literally saluting the Patriots and Belichick.
"I love you guys, I miss you, I'm out," Moss said.
Moss was basically a nonfactor in his return. He caught one pass for 8 yards and was targeted only three times, one of which drew a pass interference penalty. The Patriots used deep safety help to take away his vertical threat. He also had a classic Moss moment in the fourth quarter. Moss drew an interference penalty on safety Brandon Meriweather on a deep pass down the sideline near the end zone. Meriweather fell down on the play, leaving Moss wide open with the ball in the vicinity. But he let up and inexplicably did not try to catch the ball.
Reporters gathered around Moss' locker after the game and he informed everyone that he would be talking on the podium. Did he ever.
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| Brett Favre Has His Chin Lacerated |
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| Randy Moss Sheds A Tear For His Former Team |
In one of the strangest "news conferences" you'll ever see, Moss announced that he will not conduct any more interviews the rest of the season.
Moss then said that if he does grant an interview, he will ask the questions and provide the answers. Wearing a black Boston Red Sox hat, he spoke nearly five minutes about his affection for the Patriots organization, his former teammates and coach Bill Belichick and the relationships he made during his three-plus year tenure. He said he "shed a tear" over an ovation he received after the game.
Moss then criticized Vikings coach Brad Childress' decision not to kick a field goal at the end of the first half and said he was disappointed his coaches and teammates didn't listen to the insight he gave on the Patriots last week.
Moss concluded by literally saluting the Patriots and Belichick.
"I love you guys, I miss you, I'm out," Moss said.
Moss was basically a nonfactor in his return. He caught one pass for 8 yards and was targeted only three times, one of which drew a pass interference penalty. The Patriots used deep safety help to take away his vertical threat. He also had a classic Moss moment in the fourth quarter. Moss drew an interference penalty on safety Brandon Meriweather on a deep pass down the sideline near the end zone. Meriweather fell down on the play, leaving Moss wide open with the ball in the vicinity. But he let up and inexplicably did not try to catch the ball.
Reporters gathered around Moss' locker after the game and he informed everyone that he would be talking on the podium. Did he ever.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Brett Favre vs. Brad Childress: Who's at Fault? The Saga Continues
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| Brett Favre And Brad Childress Don't Mix? |
For the 10th time, it looks like Brett Farve is finally at the tipping point. Regardless of playing in 291 games straight, leading the world in interceptions, and mastering the underhand flip pass before being smothered, Farve has finally hit a glass ceiling that cannot be broken through.
Public blunders, including his admitted creepy messages left on a female Jet's reporters cell phone, as well as head coach Brad Childress outing him on a nationally televised postgame press conference for "not knowing when to accept a punt" have been the icing on the cake for what is quickly looking like the end of the road for ol' Brett.
Never mind the fact that the Vikes have unheralded offensive potential with Moss and AP: The friction between Childress and his veteran QB will prove fatal in the 2010 Minnesota campaign.
To gain the utmost credibility as a head coach in the National Football league, the notion of keeping issues "in-house" is key. Similar to a shrink who swears confidentiality, then tells everyone involved what they think of your problems, Childress has laid all the blame on Brett Farve and his team. But wait a second: Wasn't it Childress who took Brett back, and gave the cold shoulder to a rapidly improving Tarvaris Jackson?
For a dynamic squad like the Vikings to be in a position where the Oakland Raiders have better depth at quarterback has the state of 10,000 lakes a little shaky. Stack on the fact that the Vikes face the Patriots in New England this weekend, you'd have to think that the bye week can't come soon enough.
After the bye, Minnesota then travels to Chicago, which should be a winnable match, but not one fan can consider that game as the lock it should be. Minnesota could very easily end up at 2-6 in as little as three Sundays from now
How Will The Vikings Finish The 2010 Regular Season Campaign?
6-10 or worse
7-9
8-8
9-7
10+ wins
Submit Vote vote to see results Farve has been limping since hopping off his tractor to talk with Jared Allen, Steve Hutchinson, and Ryan Longwell about a possible comeback this Fall. Everyone in the sports world knew that No. 4 wasn't the same guy after his interception last year in the playoffs sealed an eventual Saints Super Bowl win.
So why is it Brett's fault?
Childress is a man who looks uncertain of his own team, choosing to slate Jackson to the bench, and go with a quick fix in Farve, who now has fractured bones in his foot, and might be ending his amazing run at consecutive games played.
If only Childress had some inspiration in what to do...oh wait, that Aaron Rodgers guy is pretty good, how did he get the starting job again? Exactly.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Bevell Will Be Surprised If Favre Doesn't Play
Brett Favre left the Vikings walkthrough Thursday morning without the walking boot on his left ankle. Favre is not expected to practice Thursday and his status for Sunday's game remains in question.
Favre, who has two fractures in his left ankle, said Wednesday that he wants to play, and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said he will be surprised if Favre doesn't extend his NFL record for consecutive starts to 292 games.
"Surprising would probably be a good word," Bevell said during his weekly press conference. "He's never not been out there so it would probably be a surprise. I was there [in Green Bay] and he broke the thumb. Immediately the doctor said, 'Hey, we've got to pin it and you're going to be out six to eight weeks.' In his mind, he said, 'Well wait a minute, I just played really well.' We didn't know it was broken. He said, 'I'm going to give it a shot.' He played with that as well. It would surprise me if he wasn't able to be out there."
Bevell said the decision will rest with Favre and Coach Brad Childress. Childress criticized Favre's decision-making against Green Bay on Sunday after he threw three second-half interceptions. Favre now has 10 interceptions and 14 turnpovers on the season.
Bevell said the coaching staff always has candid conversations with Favre when evaluating each game.
"It's important for [quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers] and myself as well to break it down like we would do with any other player," Bevell said. "We don't pull any punches with him. We tell him exactly how we feel it should be looked at. Actually to be honest, Brett is great about it. He sits there in the meetings and understands.
"Now the one thing you have to understand as well is how many years of experience he has of standing out there looking at it. Sometimes it's important to listen to him. He says, 'Here's what I saw, here's why I went over there.' You can either say, 'OK, I understand that' or you can say, 'OK, I know you have all these years of experience but that's not the way we want to look at it. We want you to look over here and go from there to there.'"
Favre, who has two fractures in his left ankle, said Wednesday that he wants to play, and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said he will be surprised if Favre doesn't extend his NFL record for consecutive starts to 292 games.
"Surprising would probably be a good word," Bevell said during his weekly press conference. "He's never not been out there so it would probably be a surprise. I was there [in Green Bay] and he broke the thumb. Immediately the doctor said, 'Hey, we've got to pin it and you're going to be out six to eight weeks.' In his mind, he said, 'Well wait a minute, I just played really well.' We didn't know it was broken. He said, 'I'm going to give it a shot.' He played with that as well. It would surprise me if he wasn't able to be out there."
Bevell said the decision will rest with Favre and Coach Brad Childress. Childress criticized Favre's decision-making against Green Bay on Sunday after he threw three second-half interceptions. Favre now has 10 interceptions and 14 turnpovers on the season.
Bevell said the coaching staff always has candid conversations with Favre when evaluating each game.
"It's important for [quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers] and myself as well to break it down like we would do with any other player," Bevell said. "We don't pull any punches with him. We tell him exactly how we feel it should be looked at. Actually to be honest, Brett is great about it. He sits there in the meetings and understands.
"Now the one thing you have to understand as well is how many years of experience he has of standing out there looking at it. Sometimes it's important to listen to him. He says, 'Here's what I saw, here's why I went over there.' You can either say, 'OK, I understand that' or you can say, 'OK, I know you have all these years of experience but that's not the way we want to look at it. We want you to look over here and go from there to there.'"
Favre: I wouldn't put anything past me
Brett Favre had gotten rid of the walking boot on his left foot Thursday as he made his way through the Vikings locker room and continued to seem optimistic that he might be able to do some work in prepartion for playing Sunday at New England.
"I wouldn't put anything past me to be honest with you," said Favre, who suffered a stress fracture in his left ankle and a fractured left heel on Sunday at Green Bay.
The 20-year veteran seemed in good spirits as he walked gingerly and sorted through his locker looking for a shoe. Favre was looking for a size-15 shoe for his left foot, something he would wear against the Patriots. That is exactly what Favre did in 2000 when he suffered a severly sprained left foot but played the next week and led the Packers to a 26-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Favre wears a size-14 shoe ordinarily.
As far as talking to coach Brad Childress in the past day to make a determination about playing, Favre said: "We haven't talked really. I've been getting treatment. I don't think that is an unusual thing with me [to not have discussed it yet.]"
"I wouldn't put anything past me to be honest with you," said Favre, who suffered a stress fracture in his left ankle and a fractured left heel on Sunday at Green Bay.
The 20-year veteran seemed in good spirits as he walked gingerly and sorted through his locker looking for a shoe. Favre was looking for a size-15 shoe for his left foot, something he would wear against the Patriots. That is exactly what Favre did in 2000 when he suffered a severly sprained left foot but played the next week and led the Packers to a 26-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Favre wears a size-14 shoe ordinarily.
As far as talking to coach Brad Childress in the past day to make a determination about playing, Favre said: "We haven't talked really. I've been getting treatment. I don't think that is an unusual thing with me [to not have discussed it yet.]"
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Bill Belichick Expects Brett Favre To Play
As many of you know, Minnesota Vikings' quarterback Brett Favre has two minor fractures in his left ankle, and his playing status for Sunday's Halloween battle against New England is in jeopardy.
With Favre's injury looming, New England head coach, Bill Belichick, expects Favre to play Sunday.
“Of course,” Belichick said to the media Monday. “He's started 8,000 games in a row. Same thing we were all talking about with (Antonio) Gates last week. He wasn't going to play and all that. I don't think you can ever count players like that out."
However, I'm still going to be questioning Favre's status.
This is a perfect opportunity for Minnesota head coach, Brad Childress, to make a quarterback change.
After Minnesota's Sunday night loss against Green Bay, Childress publicly criticized Favre's decision making, and he put some thought into pulling Favre due to his poor performance.
This is not the first time Favre and Childress have butted heads, so this might be a perfect time for Childress to make the switch to quarterback Tarvaris Jackson.
There has been no word on Favre's injury besides him being in a boot, and his status for Sunday is being described as questionable.
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| Favre Has Two Fractures In His Left Ankle |
With Favre's injury looming, New England head coach, Bill Belichick, expects Favre to play Sunday.
“Of course,” Belichick said to the media Monday. “He's started 8,000 games in a row. Same thing we were all talking about with (Antonio) Gates last week. He wasn't going to play and all that. I don't think you can ever count players like that out."
However, I'm still going to be questioning Favre's status.
This is a perfect opportunity for Minnesota head coach, Brad Childress, to make a quarterback change.
After Minnesota's Sunday night loss against Green Bay, Childress publicly criticized Favre's decision making, and he put some thought into pulling Favre due to his poor performance.
This is not the first time Favre and Childress have butted heads, so this might be a perfect time for Childress to make the switch to quarterback Tarvaris Jackson.
There has been no word on Favre's injury besides him being in a boot, and his status for Sunday is being described as questionable.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Favre's Struggles
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| Favre Has Thrown 13 interceptions this year |
Vikings quarterback Brett Favre has 10 interceptions and four lost fumbles this season. Those 14 turnovers have led to 51 opponents' points.
Game 6: Packers 28, Vikings 24
Third quarter: A.J. Hawk intercepts Favre at the Packers 38-yard line; his 21-yard return sets up a touchdown drive that gives the Packers a 21-17 lead.
Third quarter: Desmond Bishop returns an interception 32 yards for a touchdown and a 28-17 lead.
Fourth quarter: Nick Collins intercepts at the Vikings 20 with 9:35 remaining. Trailing 28-24, the Vikings defense forces a punt.
Game 5: Vikings 24, Dallas 21
First quarter: Favre loses a fumble at the Dallas 49. Eight plays later, the Cowboys score for a 7-0 lead.
Game 4: Jets 29, Vikings 20
Second quarter: Favre's fumble is recovered by Bart Scott at the Vikings 47. The Jets drive for a field goal and a 9-0 lead.
Third quarter: Favre's fumble is recovered by Darrelle Revis at the Jets 44. They drive for a field goal and a 12-0 lead.
Fourth quarter: Trailing 22-20 with 1:30 left, the Vikings have a third-and-5 at their own 21. Favre's pass is intercepted by Dwight Lowery and returned 26 yards for a TD.
Game 3: Vikings 24, Detroit 10
First quarter: Favre is intercepted by Corey Williams, who returns it 27 yards to the Vikings 12. Three plays later, Detroit takes a 7-0 lead.
Second quarter: Alphonso Smith intercepts Favre's pass at the Lions 49 with 1:02 left. Detroit kicks a field goal as time runs out.
Game 2: Miami 14, Vikings 10
Second quarter: Trailing 7-0, the Vikings have the ball at the Miami 13. On third-and-12, Favre is intercepted at the 1 by Vontae Davis. Miami, however, is forced to punt.
Third quarter: Favre is sacked and fumbles into the end zone where Koa Misi recovers for a 14-0 Miami lead.
Third quarter: Trailing 14-0, Favre is intercepted by Jason Allen at the Miami 2. The Dolphins fumble on the next play, setting up a Vikings touchdown.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Game Review: This Time, Close One Goes Packers' Way
Back-to-back overtime losses will sap any team’s resolve, but in another down-to-the-wire finish on Sunday night, the Packers somehow found enough deep down inside to reverse their fortunes.
Holding off what in all likelihood was Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre’s final drive at Lambeau Field, the Packers hung on for a 28-24 victory over the Vikings as Favre came up 20 yards short of the potential game-winning touchdown in the final seconds.
“An excellent team win and an excellent character win,” Head Coach Mike McCarthy said. “And it was definitely something that we needed.”
That’s for sure. The consecutive overtime defeats the past two weeks had dropped the Packers to 3-3, and as the former Green Bay legend drove Minnesota from its own 17 as far as the Packers’ 15-yard line, it looked as though Favre might overcome his three second-half interceptions, pull off one last miracle in front of a sold-out Lambeau (71,107), and drop the Packers below .500 with their third straight last-second defeat.
But a false start followed by a facemask penalty on right tackle Phil Loadholt as he was trying to block linebacker Clay Matthews cost the Vikings 20 yards, pushing them all the way back to the 35. Ultimately, after replay correctly reversed a typical Favre rocket of a touchdown pass to Percy Harvin with 48 seconds left – Harvin’s second foot was out of bounds in the back of the end zone – the game came down to two throws intended for Randy Moss on third and fourth downs from the 20.
But both sailed high and incomplete, out of the back of the end zone, and with a huge sigh of relief the Packers not only had beaten their former quarterback for the first time in three tries but had pulled into a first-place tie in the NFC North with the Chicago Bears at 4-3. Minnesota dropped to 2-4.
“All the stuff we’ve been going through, these guys show so much heart, so much dedication just to go out there and fight, fight fight ‘til the end,” safety Nick Collins said. “This team can battle through anything.”
Including more injuries on defense, as if that even seemed possible. The Packers got Matthews back from his hamstring troubles but defensive end Cullen Jenkins strained a calf muscle during warm-ups about an hour before the game and couldn’t play. On top of that, defensive end Ryan Pickett re-injured the ankle that forced him to sit out last week, and he was out again early on.
But the defense overcame all that and was able to slow down the Vikings after they got on a roll in the first half.
The Packers had grabbed a 14-7 lead on the strength of some big plays by receiver James Jones (four receptions, 107 yards), a 1-yard touchdown run by Brandon Jackson and a 9-yard TD catch by tight end Andrew Quarless. But the Packers had squandered other chances to score in the half, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw two interceptions in scoring territory, one to defensive end Jared Allen on a screen pass, and the other to safety Madieu Williams, who snagged a bullett into the end zone intended for Greg Jennings that had been deflected by cornerback Frank Walker.
In the meantime, Minnesota’s big-play guys were starting to take over as the Vikings grabbed the lead by halftime.
Receiver Percy Harvin, who had 106 yards from scrimmage (65 receiving, 41 rushing), took an inside handoff and scored from 17 yards out for Minnesota’s first touchdown, tying the game at 7. Then, running back Adrian Peterson (28 carries, 131 yards) scored from a yard out to tie the game at 14 and Ryan Longwell’s 28-yard field goal gave Minnesota scores on three straight possessions for a 17-14 advantage.
But the Green Bay defense shifted the momentum back in a big way in the second half.
On Minnesota’s first possession, linebacker A.J. Hawk intercepted Favre as he was being pressured from behind by linebacker Brad Jones. The offense took advantage of the turnover and drove 41 yards for the go-ahead score, as Rodgers (21-of-34, 295 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 84.8 rating) connected with Jennings from 14 yards out to make it 21-17.
Then just two snaps into the Vikings’ next drive, Favre was trying to avoid pressure again as he threw a short pass right to linebacker Desmond Bishop, who returned the pick 32 yards. Suddenly, with two scores less than a minute apart, the Packers led 28-17.
“It’s huge to get the momentum in a game,” Hawk said. “We came out on fire as a defense (in the second half). They were really rolling against us, running the ball well, completing big third downs and scoring touchdowns, so we needed something, and luckily we got that.
“It’s crazy how fast it can switch, though.”
It did, as Favre and the Vikings answered with a 58-yard TD drive, capped by a 4-yard pass to Moss, to get within 28-24 with 4:12 left in the third quarter.
Strangely enough, there would be no more scoring in the game, but not for a lack of trying.
The Packers drove all the way to the Minnesota 34-yard line early in the fourth quarter, only to have running back John Kuhn stuffed on fourth-and-inches. Then the Vikings countered by getting all the way to the Green Bay 35, but Collins made an incredibly athletic play, jumping over and around Harvin to intercept a third-down pass for Favre’s third interception in a span of four drives.
Taking over with 9:18 left, Green Bay could only kill three minutes on the clock and punted, with Minnesota taking over on its own 17 for what turned out to be the final, nail-biting possession.
“Obviously it was a gut-check time,” said cornerback Tramon Williams, who was the primary reason Moss had just three catches for 30 yards on the night. “We’d pretty much been in this situation all year and been coming up on the short end of the stick.”
But not this time. After Favre’s final two heaves to Moss were no good, he was left with numbers (16-of-29, 212 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT, 50.4 rating) that paled in comparison those from last year against Green Bay, when he threw seven TDs with no picks, torching the Packers in two big victories.
The Packers had come so agonizingly close to victories the past two weeks, but this time it was their opponent who was left to lament what might have been.
“We knew it was going to be a grinder, character, gut-it-out type of performance and our guys stepped up big,” McCarthy said. “I was very, very proud of those guys today.”
As Collins said, the players were proud of each other, too, and rightly so after what the team has been through.
“We all have the intestinal fortitude to pull these games out,” nose tackle B.J. Raji said. “Early in the season it didn’t go our way. Tonight it did.
“This was a long time coming. I’m glad we got this one. Hopefully we can continue this like we did last year get on a roll.”
Holding off what in all likelihood was Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre’s final drive at Lambeau Field, the Packers hung on for a 28-24 victory over the Vikings as Favre came up 20 yards short of the potential game-winning touchdown in the final seconds.
“An excellent team win and an excellent character win,” Head Coach Mike McCarthy said. “And it was definitely something that we needed.”
That’s for sure. The consecutive overtime defeats the past two weeks had dropped the Packers to 3-3, and as the former Green Bay legend drove Minnesota from its own 17 as far as the Packers’ 15-yard line, it looked as though Favre might overcome his three second-half interceptions, pull off one last miracle in front of a sold-out Lambeau (71,107), and drop the Packers below .500 with their third straight last-second defeat.
But a false start followed by a facemask penalty on right tackle Phil Loadholt as he was trying to block linebacker Clay Matthews cost the Vikings 20 yards, pushing them all the way back to the 35. Ultimately, after replay correctly reversed a typical Favre rocket of a touchdown pass to Percy Harvin with 48 seconds left – Harvin’s second foot was out of bounds in the back of the end zone – the game came down to two throws intended for Randy Moss on third and fourth downs from the 20.
But both sailed high and incomplete, out of the back of the end zone, and with a huge sigh of relief the Packers not only had beaten their former quarterback for the first time in three tries but had pulled into a first-place tie in the NFC North with the Chicago Bears at 4-3. Minnesota dropped to 2-4.
“All the stuff we’ve been going through, these guys show so much heart, so much dedication just to go out there and fight, fight fight ‘til the end,” safety Nick Collins said. “This team can battle through anything.”
Including more injuries on defense, as if that even seemed possible. The Packers got Matthews back from his hamstring troubles but defensive end Cullen Jenkins strained a calf muscle during warm-ups about an hour before the game and couldn’t play. On top of that, defensive end Ryan Pickett re-injured the ankle that forced him to sit out last week, and he was out again early on.
But the defense overcame all that and was able to slow down the Vikings after they got on a roll in the first half.
The Packers had grabbed a 14-7 lead on the strength of some big plays by receiver James Jones (four receptions, 107 yards), a 1-yard touchdown run by Brandon Jackson and a 9-yard TD catch by tight end Andrew Quarless. But the Packers had squandered other chances to score in the half, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw two interceptions in scoring territory, one to defensive end Jared Allen on a screen pass, and the other to safety Madieu Williams, who snagged a bullett into the end zone intended for Greg Jennings that had been deflected by cornerback Frank Walker.
In the meantime, Minnesota’s big-play guys were starting to take over as the Vikings grabbed the lead by halftime.
Receiver Percy Harvin, who had 106 yards from scrimmage (65 receiving, 41 rushing), took an inside handoff and scored from 17 yards out for Minnesota’s first touchdown, tying the game at 7. Then, running back Adrian Peterson (28 carries, 131 yards) scored from a yard out to tie the game at 14 and Ryan Longwell’s 28-yard field goal gave Minnesota scores on three straight possessions for a 17-14 advantage.
But the Green Bay defense shifted the momentum back in a big way in the second half.
On Minnesota’s first possession, linebacker A.J. Hawk intercepted Favre as he was being pressured from behind by linebacker Brad Jones. The offense took advantage of the turnover and drove 41 yards for the go-ahead score, as Rodgers (21-of-34, 295 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 84.8 rating) connected with Jennings from 14 yards out to make it 21-17.
Then just two snaps into the Vikings’ next drive, Favre was trying to avoid pressure again as he threw a short pass right to linebacker Desmond Bishop, who returned the pick 32 yards. Suddenly, with two scores less than a minute apart, the Packers led 28-17.
“It’s huge to get the momentum in a game,” Hawk said. “We came out on fire as a defense (in the second half). They were really rolling against us, running the ball well, completing big third downs and scoring touchdowns, so we needed something, and luckily we got that.
“It’s crazy how fast it can switch, though.”
It did, as Favre and the Vikings answered with a 58-yard TD drive, capped by a 4-yard pass to Moss, to get within 28-24 with 4:12 left in the third quarter.
Strangely enough, there would be no more scoring in the game, but not for a lack of trying.
The Packers drove all the way to the Minnesota 34-yard line early in the fourth quarter, only to have running back John Kuhn stuffed on fourth-and-inches. Then the Vikings countered by getting all the way to the Green Bay 35, but Collins made an incredibly athletic play, jumping over and around Harvin to intercept a third-down pass for Favre’s third interception in a span of four drives.
Taking over with 9:18 left, Green Bay could only kill three minutes on the clock and punted, with Minnesota taking over on its own 17 for what turned out to be the final, nail-biting possession.
“Obviously it was a gut-check time,” said cornerback Tramon Williams, who was the primary reason Moss had just three catches for 30 yards on the night. “We’d pretty much been in this situation all year and been coming up on the short end of the stick.”
But not this time. After Favre’s final two heaves to Moss were no good, he was left with numbers (16-of-29, 212 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT, 50.4 rating) that paled in comparison those from last year against Green Bay, when he threw seven TDs with no picks, torching the Packers in two big victories.
The Packers had come so agonizingly close to victories the past two weeks, but this time it was their opponent who was left to lament what might have been.
“We knew it was going to be a grinder, character, gut-it-out type of performance and our guys stepped up big,” McCarthy said. “I was very, very proud of those guys today.”
As Collins said, the players were proud of each other, too, and rightly so after what the team has been through.
“We all have the intestinal fortitude to pull these games out,” nose tackle B.J. Raji said. “Early in the season it didn’t go our way. Tonight it did.
“This was a long time coming. I’m glad we got this one. Hopefully we can continue this like we did last year get on a roll.”
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Brett Favre Goes for 3 in a Row vs. the Packers
The stars aligned perfectly for the Vikings in their two match-ups with the Packers in 2009. The Packer line couldn’t contend with the Viking pass rush, the Packer defense could get no pressure on Brett Favre…and, oh yeah, Favre himself had that whole sticking it to Ted Thompson thing motivating him. The result: 2 wins over Green Bay on the way to a 12-4 finish and a division title. Things may not line up so perfectly for the Vikings this year however. The pass protection has not been good, so it’s unlikely Favre will have the kind of time he did in those two games last season. And Aaron Rodgers will face a Vikings pass rush that has not lived up to its fearsome reputation so far. As for Favre himself…this year, he seems more frustrated than motivated. Of course, we expect Brett will be up for tonight’s game more than most, because it’s still the Packers, and he still wants to shove Ted Thompson’s face in it. Whether that lingering revenge-lust will translate into a more focused and effective Favre performance remains to be seen.
Injuries are a big part of the story for both teams going into the game. Favre, as we know, has been dealing with elbow tendinitis, though that issue seemed to bother him less in the Dallas game than it did a couple of weeks ago against the Jets. The losses of Cedric Griffin and Husain Abdullah leave the Vikings once again scrambling to cobble together a secondary; this week they will get limited use of Chris Cook, who is still coming back from a meniscus tear, and will re-activate Tyrell Johnson who hasn’t played in several weeks (though Jamarca Sanford is expected to start). On the offensive line, they will get back center John Sullivan, who may split time with Jon Cooper. For the Packers, the injury issues are more profound and troubling. They are without Jermichael Finley, Ryan Grant, Nick Barnett, Brady Poppinga, Al Harris and Atari Bigby. The last two guys on that list were eligible to come off the PUP list this weekend but the Packers elected to keep them inactive. Their best pass rusher, Clay Matthews, is banged up but will play. Ryan Pickett and Mark Tauscher are also question marks. The Vikings, for all the health issues they’ve had the last few weeks, are in much better shape than the Packers for this game.
Tonight’s game will, among other things, be a match-up of two of the more disappointing offenses in the league. Both teams sported potent offenses last season, and were expected to come back this year with strong squads, but both Os have been derailed by a combination of injury and general inconsistency. The Vikings may be able to trace a lot of their offensive inadequacy back to Brett Favre’s lack of training camp; the Packers’ situation is a little more puzzling. Yes they’ve had injuries to key players, but they still have a Pro-Bowl quarterback and a formidable array of receivers. If you believe Aaron Rodgers, the weapons the Packers do still have are not being utilized correctly or enough. Rodgers himself has often been the problem, throwing interceptions in key spots, and generally not living up to the hype that has built around him ever since he took over for Favre. In Rodgers’ defense, his pass protection has not been good and he has had very little run support. However, if Rodgers is the MVP-caliber player some claim he can be, he needs to step up at some point and help the team overcome the injuries and spotty offensive line play. The same could perhaps be said for Brett Favre, who has at times compounded an already frustrating offensive situation, but at least Favre has a prior track record to lean on in reassuring fans that he knows what to do in big moments (Favre’s winning percentage in close games is slightly higher than Aaron Rodgers’ .083 mark).
Yes there are two entire teams playing tonight in Lambeau Field, but the story is the quarterbacks, the old grizzled warrior vs. the young turk who wants to prove himself by vanquishing the man who came before him. The last thing proud Favre wants is to let the upstart Rodgers get the better of him; the last thing Rodgers wants is to fall to 0-3 against Favre, especially amid the atmosphere of doubt that is beginning to accumulate around him and the team. If Rodgers does lose to Favre again, the legacy of #4 will only become a more haunting presence. But if Rodgers finally gets past the psychological hurdle represented by Favre, it could spur him and the Packers on to bigger things. For Favre, it’s all about picking himself up after a tough first five games and finally putting together a complete, solid, wire-to-wire Brett Favre performance – something closer to what he accomplished last year against the Packers. Playing Green Bay could be the perfect salve for what ails Favre, the thing that finally gets him back to where he needs to be psychologically and in executing the offense. If Favre struggles again though, Viking fans will have even more reason to worry that their leader has slipped too far physically and emotionally…and then they will have to wonder if there’s any hope at all of turning around what has thus far been a troubling season.
Injuries are a big part of the story for both teams going into the game. Favre, as we know, has been dealing with elbow tendinitis, though that issue seemed to bother him less in the Dallas game than it did a couple of weeks ago against the Jets. The losses of Cedric Griffin and Husain Abdullah leave the Vikings once again scrambling to cobble together a secondary; this week they will get limited use of Chris Cook, who is still coming back from a meniscus tear, and will re-activate Tyrell Johnson who hasn’t played in several weeks (though Jamarca Sanford is expected to start). On the offensive line, they will get back center John Sullivan, who may split time with Jon Cooper. For the Packers, the injury issues are more profound and troubling. They are without Jermichael Finley, Ryan Grant, Nick Barnett, Brady Poppinga, Al Harris and Atari Bigby. The last two guys on that list were eligible to come off the PUP list this weekend but the Packers elected to keep them inactive. Their best pass rusher, Clay Matthews, is banged up but will play. Ryan Pickett and Mark Tauscher are also question marks. The Vikings, for all the health issues they’ve had the last few weeks, are in much better shape than the Packers for this game.
Tonight’s game will, among other things, be a match-up of two of the more disappointing offenses in the league. Both teams sported potent offenses last season, and were expected to come back this year with strong squads, but both Os have been derailed by a combination of injury and general inconsistency. The Vikings may be able to trace a lot of their offensive inadequacy back to Brett Favre’s lack of training camp; the Packers’ situation is a little more puzzling. Yes they’ve had injuries to key players, but they still have a Pro-Bowl quarterback and a formidable array of receivers. If you believe Aaron Rodgers, the weapons the Packers do still have are not being utilized correctly or enough. Rodgers himself has often been the problem, throwing interceptions in key spots, and generally not living up to the hype that has built around him ever since he took over for Favre. In Rodgers’ defense, his pass protection has not been good and he has had very little run support. However, if Rodgers is the MVP-caliber player some claim he can be, he needs to step up at some point and help the team overcome the injuries and spotty offensive line play. The same could perhaps be said for Brett Favre, who has at times compounded an already frustrating offensive situation, but at least Favre has a prior track record to lean on in reassuring fans that he knows what to do in big moments (Favre’s winning percentage in close games is slightly higher than Aaron Rodgers’ .083 mark).
Yes there are two entire teams playing tonight in Lambeau Field, but the story is the quarterbacks, the old grizzled warrior vs. the young turk who wants to prove himself by vanquishing the man who came before him. The last thing proud Favre wants is to let the upstart Rodgers get the better of him; the last thing Rodgers wants is to fall to 0-3 against Favre, especially amid the atmosphere of doubt that is beginning to accumulate around him and the team. If Rodgers does lose to Favre again, the legacy of #4 will only become a more haunting presence. But if Rodgers finally gets past the psychological hurdle represented by Favre, it could spur him and the Packers on to bigger things. For Favre, it’s all about picking himself up after a tough first five games and finally putting together a complete, solid, wire-to-wire Brett Favre performance – something closer to what he accomplished last year against the Packers. Playing Green Bay could be the perfect salve for what ails Favre, the thing that finally gets him back to where he needs to be psychologically and in executing the offense. If Favre struggles again though, Viking fans will have even more reason to worry that their leader has slipped too far physically and emotionally…and then they will have to wonder if there’s any hope at all of turning around what has thus far been a troubling season.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Sullivan Tries To Keep Positive Outlook
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| Favre Embraces Sullivan After Touchdown |
In reality, Sullivan has missed three consecutive games. He injured his left calf on the first offensive play against Detroit in Week 3. He was inactive against the Jets coming out of the bye. He was active last week against Dallas but he did not play.
Sullivan also missed nearly all of training camp because of an injury to his right calf but was able to start the season opener even though his conditioning was not 100 percent.
Needless to say, Sullivan is disappointed by the start to his second season as the starting center.
"It's been frustrating at times but you've just got to roll with the punches," he said. "Having a negative attitude about it doesn't help anything. I've just been trying to get my treatment in and get better as soon as possible and go out there and help the team win."
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| Favre Embraces Sullivan After Touchdown |
Vikings coach Brad Childress said last week that Sullivan's injury could bother him all season. Childress said Friday that it's possible Jon Cooper, who started last week, could play a series or two Sunday depending on how Sullivan feels with his conditioning.
Sullivan said he actually feels stronger now than he did against New Orleans in the opener.
"I think I'm in better shape now than I was coming back for the opener," he said. "It shouldn't be as bad as that. Obviously I'm not in as good of shape as I want to be in, but that's just the circumstances."
Friday, October 22, 2010
No fly zone: the Vikings have a pass defense?
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| Antoine Winfield Disrupts A Pass Thrown By Aaron rodgers Last Year |
During recent history, time floated by and members of the Vikings defense changed, but one stinging reality always remained: Minnesota was the toughest team in the League to run on, but they could easily be beat through the air.
How could you expect anything different entering the 2010 season? The front seven stayed the same and the secondary might’ve been even more of a question mark than years before. Antoine Winfield was a year older, Cedric Griffin was recovering from an ACL injury (and then proceeded to injure his other ACL) and the remaining players, Husain Abdullah, Tyrell Johnson, Madieu Williams, Jamarca Sanford, Asher Allen and Chris Cook were either inexperienced or failed to instill confidence in any fan.
But Minnesota has the sixth-best pass defense in the NFL and has allowed less than 200 yards per game for the first time since 1996. Since freaking 1996.
Granted, the season’s not over yet and the pass defense could take a complete nose-dive during the last 11 games. But the Vikings have played Drew Brees and the Saints and Tony Romo and the Cowboys and still have come out relatively unscathed.
How on earth, then, has Minnesota pulled this off?
For one, that invincible rush defense led by the Williams’ Wall has shown a few chinks in its armor through five games. The Vikings uncharacteristically allow 102 yards per game and are No. 11 in the NFL. It used to be weird to see Minnesota outside of the top-three spots in that category.
Running backs have had mixed success on the ground and it changes on a game-by-game basis. Pierre Thomas ran for 71 yards in the season opener and Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams had success in week two — combining for 131 yards. LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene also ripped the Vikings for 151 yards. Those are the three games Minnesota has lost this season. When teams get ahead, they haven’t had to throw the ball anymore and can instead rely on the run game.
It’s disturbing how many times some of those backs were able to break past that front seven and get chunks of yards with ease. There wasn’t the feeling that Minnesota had this unstoppable force up front. So teams didn’t have to pass — for once they had a choice.
Another reason for the pass defense’s rise is the fact that the Vikings haven’t been prone to many big plays through the air. They’ll bend all right, but Minnesota won’t break. Every Sunday you’ve probably pulled your hair out with some of the pass plays that cornerbacks allow, but there aren’t giving up any 50-yard bombs.
And when teams reach the red zone, the Vikings aren’t letting teams just walk right in. Minnesota has held opponents to just five touchdowns in 13 red zone trips this season. That’s the best part of the unit, that the Vikings haven’t given up a lot of points — just 17.6 points per game. But if you just account for the touchdowns that the defense has allowed — and not the touchdowns from the offense’s turnovers — Minnesota has allowed 14.8 points per game, which would only trail Pittsburgh’s average of 12 points allowed per game.
It doesn’t matter how many yards the opposing team racks up — it’s who has the most points at the end of the game, no ifs ands or buts about it.
In the past, other teams would just throw in the red zone because of the Vikings’ rush defense. Now it seems that neither is a weakness inside the 20.
Maybe the scheme that Leslie Frazier has in place is working exactly how he wants it. It seems to be working so far, and there hasn’t been a loss that anyone could blame on the defense. That’s encouraging. And despite a lack of talent, on paper, in the secondary the pass defense seems to be getting the job done.
Vikings fans haven’t been able to say that in 15 years.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Brett Favre Returns To Green Bay
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| Bret Favre Statue Built In Green Bay |
“So a statue of Brett wiping his behind with a slice of funky French fromage is out of the question?” asks petulant Packers fan Jack Pepper.
“What if we draw up a banner showing Brett sandwiched between two waffle slices?” asks pretty perky Packers fan Pamela Muenster.
“I’ve got it! We’ll have a dummy wearing No. 4 mashed under a big pile of cheeseheads!” offers pesty Packers fan Colby Asiago.
“What if we make fun of Brett’s commercial where he can’t decide which TV to buy by showing the TVs have sprouted legs and are walking off in disgust?” asks particularly prickly Packers fan Jack Monterey.
"What if we showed Brett trying to make phone calls, but instead of getting reception, all his phone calls are intercepted...or maybe showing him making phone calls without his pants?” proposes pompous Packers fan Paneer Provolone.
“How in the heck are you going to depict phone calls as being intercepted?” asks perplexed Packers fan Feta Monchego. "I can see depicting him holding the phone in the crotchital area—but being intercepted?"
Adam Bettcher/Getty Images “I’m not exactly sure,” Provolone posits,“but we could hire the artist, Mike Krawczyk. He can draw anything.”
“I’m not sure we can afford Krawczyk,” says prudent Packers fan Brie Camambert, “and even then, I hear he might be a Steelers fan.”
“OK, how’s this?” replies the priggish Provolone, “We show Favre sitting at a big table in a Waffle House, since he’s such a waffler, and someone at the far end of the table asks him to pass the syrup. Then, when Favre passes the syrup, instead of the guy at the far end of the table who originally asked for the syrup getting the bottle, another guy in a Packers shirt intercepts it.”
“That would be a very complicated mural,” ponders periodontally prominent Packers fan Parmesan Ricotta. “I’m not sure that even an artist like Krawczyk could complete such a project in this short period of time.”
“Okay, how’s this?” the preening yet pragmatic Provolone poses. “We erect a statue of Brett facing a group of Packers fans who all have knives in their backs...with Jenn Sterger carrying the biggest knife.”
“Guys!” yells Mayor McCheese while wearing a cheese coat and a cheesehead hat with string cheese hanging from his nose. “Keep it tasteful!”
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Despite Win, Issues Still Exist
Does The Minnesota Vikings Offensive Line Have Problems?
I tried to keep it fairly positive around here following the Vikings three point victory against the Cowboys, but there is no doubt that there are still some issues, negative in nature, that plague this team.
The Vikings made some unusual moves when deciding who would be active for the game. They had Fahu Tahi inactive and instead Albert Young suited up. The idea seemed to suggest that the Vikings would protect Favre to the max with multiple tight end sets and having Young in there to pick up blitzes and take some third down duties.
Additionally, Jon Cooper became the third different center to start for this team this year.
I can’t honestly say that despite the effort in shaping the active roster, the pass protection did not seem to improve and the run blocking may have declined.
Favre was hit many times, especially early in the game, and the Vikings gave up three sacks. Anytime Favre tried to extend the play by holding onto the ball, it seemingly ended in disaster, which is why the longest pass play of the day was a 20-yarder to Jimmy Kleinsasser of all people. On a number of occasions, the Cowboys defense was daring Favre to go deep but even if his injured arm could chuck it down the field, he never had the chance to show it.
Peterson, on the other hand, was given his biggest opportunity of the year to be “featured” with 24 carries. It seemed like Peterson was constantly hitting a wall on his way to 73 yards, a three yard average per carry.
Peterson was able to break a fifteen yarder, but it seemed like every other time he broke a long run, it was negated by a penalty along the offensive line.
The Vikings only ended up having five penalties for 45 yards, but they all seemed to come at inopportune times (as if there is ever a good time for a penalty).
To make Peterson’s day even rougher, he came up limping after one play and was the self-proclaimed culprit of the bad exchange that resulted in the Vikings only turnover, despite Favre being credited with the fumble. Peterson’s only catch went for negative two yards.
Presuming Favre’s arm is hurting him, and considering the leaky offensive line, he did a decent job of not throwing the game away. He was pretty darn accurate as he went 14 of 19, but the type of game played is shown by the fact that he only gained 118 yards on those 14 completions. Seeing Favre manage the game was a positive, but seeing him so utterly ineffective only furthers the already existing worries that he is declining rapidly this season.
However, with every week that goes by, Favre can really only develop better chemistry with his receivers and guys like Sidney Rice are only going to get healthier. Speaking of injured pass catchers, Visanthe Shiancoe (hamstring) was once again nearly invisible, and his name was only really called on a penalty that negated an Adrian Peterson run.
In the end, the Vikings offense only managed 188 total yards, and it seems that most of the problems begin and end with the offensive line play.
It is kind of difficult to be too picky about this defense, as they played really well overall, yet again. They held the Cowboys potent running game in check, and Romo’s 220 yards passing was his lowest of the season so far.
Despite the victory and solid performance, there are always areas which can be improved on. The pass rush was better this week, in my opinion, despite the absence of any sacks. Jared Allen and Kevin Williams were able to be disruptive enough to cause at least one turnover, and Romo seldom was able to set up a long pass to his main playmaker Miles Austin who was held to 12 yards.
Perhaps Austin’s lack of production can be explained by the fact that he was never lined up against Lito Sheppard. Sheppard was a nightmare after playing somewhat solidly this season. All three touchdowns, two from Roy Williams and one from Dez Bryant, were the result of poor play from Lito Sheppard.
Asher Allen was almost the victim of a long touchdown caught by Austin Miles. The play was negated by offensive pass interference. By all appearances, however, Allen may have gotten lucky as the contact was quite minimal and the Cowboys may have had good reason to be upset about the call. Allen also got picked on a few times, and when it came time to end the game with an easy interception, he let it go right through his hands.
Husain Abdullah left early in the game with a concussion and was replaced with Jamarca Sanford at the strong safety position. There was no real notable drop off, and solid tackling all around for the Vikings made up for other shortcomings.
While there are always things to improve on, and the Vikings have their share, Sunday was a day to be celebrated. After all, the Vikings (who we love) beat the Cowboys (who we hate), and were the only team from the NFC North to win on Sunday.
I tried to keep it fairly positive around here following the Vikings three point victory against the Cowboys, but there is no doubt that there are still some issues, negative in nature, that plague this team.
The Vikings made some unusual moves when deciding who would be active for the game. They had Fahu Tahi inactive and instead Albert Young suited up. The idea seemed to suggest that the Vikings would protect Favre to the max with multiple tight end sets and having Young in there to pick up blitzes and take some third down duties.
Additionally, Jon Cooper became the third different center to start for this team this year.
I can’t honestly say that despite the effort in shaping the active roster, the pass protection did not seem to improve and the run blocking may have declined.
Favre was hit many times, especially early in the game, and the Vikings gave up three sacks. Anytime Favre tried to extend the play by holding onto the ball, it seemingly ended in disaster, which is why the longest pass play of the day was a 20-yarder to Jimmy Kleinsasser of all people. On a number of occasions, the Cowboys defense was daring Favre to go deep but even if his injured arm could chuck it down the field, he never had the chance to show it.
Peterson, on the other hand, was given his biggest opportunity of the year to be “featured” with 24 carries. It seemed like Peterson was constantly hitting a wall on his way to 73 yards, a three yard average per carry.
Peterson was able to break a fifteen yarder, but it seemed like every other time he broke a long run, it was negated by a penalty along the offensive line.
The Vikings only ended up having five penalties for 45 yards, but they all seemed to come at inopportune times (as if there is ever a good time for a penalty).
To make Peterson’s day even rougher, he came up limping after one play and was the self-proclaimed culprit of the bad exchange that resulted in the Vikings only turnover, despite Favre being credited with the fumble. Peterson’s only catch went for negative two yards.
Presuming Favre’s arm is hurting him, and considering the leaky offensive line, he did a decent job of not throwing the game away. He was pretty darn accurate as he went 14 of 19, but the type of game played is shown by the fact that he only gained 118 yards on those 14 completions. Seeing Favre manage the game was a positive, but seeing him so utterly ineffective only furthers the already existing worries that he is declining rapidly this season.
However, with every week that goes by, Favre can really only develop better chemistry with his receivers and guys like Sidney Rice are only going to get healthier. Speaking of injured pass catchers, Visanthe Shiancoe (hamstring) was once again nearly invisible, and his name was only really called on a penalty that negated an Adrian Peterson run.
In the end, the Vikings offense only managed 188 total yards, and it seems that most of the problems begin and end with the offensive line play.
It is kind of difficult to be too picky about this defense, as they played really well overall, yet again. They held the Cowboys potent running game in check, and Romo’s 220 yards passing was his lowest of the season so far.
Despite the victory and solid performance, there are always areas which can be improved on. The pass rush was better this week, in my opinion, despite the absence of any sacks. Jared Allen and Kevin Williams were able to be disruptive enough to cause at least one turnover, and Romo seldom was able to set up a long pass to his main playmaker Miles Austin who was held to 12 yards.
Perhaps Austin’s lack of production can be explained by the fact that he was never lined up against Lito Sheppard. Sheppard was a nightmare after playing somewhat solidly this season. All three touchdowns, two from Roy Williams and one from Dez Bryant, were the result of poor play from Lito Sheppard.
Asher Allen was almost the victim of a long touchdown caught by Austin Miles. The play was negated by offensive pass interference. By all appearances, however, Allen may have gotten lucky as the contact was quite minimal and the Cowboys may have had good reason to be upset about the call. Allen also got picked on a few times, and when it came time to end the game with an easy interception, he let it go right through his hands.
Husain Abdullah left early in the game with a concussion and was replaced with Jamarca Sanford at the strong safety position. There was no real notable drop off, and solid tackling all around for the Vikings made up for other shortcomings.
While there are always things to improve on, and the Vikings have their share, Sunday was a day to be celebrated. After all, the Vikings (who we love) beat the Cowboys (who we hate), and were the only team from the NFC North to win on Sunday.
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