Bevell Calls Favre's Status 'Day To Day Thing'

Favre did not practice Wednesday because of tendinitis in his right elbow. Favre said he would consider not playing and thus ending his record consecutive games streak if he feels like he's hurting the team.





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Could This Be It For The 40 Year-Old QB?

Bevell said he can't envision Favre not being on the field, but he said his status this week is a "day-to-day thing." Bevell also said he didn't see Favre clutching his arm after making several throws Monday night until he watched the highlights.







Bevell was asked if Favre's injury will affect how he has to call the game.







"No," Bevell said.







Not at all?







"No," Bevell said.







Because you have confidence he can make every throw or you can't worry about it?







"If a guy is going to play then you have to play it the way you're going to play it," Bevell said. "You're not going to be able to hide the quarterback obviously. If he's got to make throws, he's got to make throws. If he can't make them, you have to put somebody else in there."







Of course, we also know that Bevell is not going to tip his hand on any game plan thinking. No coach would. But it seems reasonable to think the Vikings will want to establish the running game and rely on that heavily Sunday against Dallas to limit the amount of throws Favre has to make.







"If that's the approach we take then I'm all in for it," Adrian Peterson said. "I'm ready to do my part. But that's the mindset we come into every game. Make sure we estsblish the run game."

Minnesota Prepares For Detroit

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Brett Better Come Looking To Go Big Early

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Childress Better Call Some Passing Plays In The Redzone!

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Allen Could Use A Game Like Last Game

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Peterson Needs To Keep On Trucking

The Vikings will spend this week telling everyone within earshot that they aren’t taking the Detroit Lions lightly. They will talk about how their games against the Lions are always hard fought and that winning in the NFC North is never easy.











It will be in their best interest if they listen to the lip service they deliver to the media.







After losing to New Orleans and Miami, the Vikings can ill afford to give anything less than a full effort on Sunday when they play host to Detroit. The Vikings have dominated this series—they haven’t lost to the Lions at home since 1997 - but given the struggles of this offense to score points nothing is an automatic.









That could be especially true because the Lions seem to be gaining confidence.









Detroit is 0-2 but has played close games against Chicago (19-14) and Philadelphia (35-32). The additions of defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch(notes), defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh(notes) and running back Jahvid Best(notes) among others has improved the roster of a team that hasn’t won on the road in 21 games.











The Vikings, meanwhile, are a team that started this season as one of the favorites in the NFC after losing in overtime to the Saints in the conference championship game last season.











The issue is that so far the Vikings have only 19 points and after a magical season in 2009, Brett Favre(notes) has thrown four interceptions and only one touchdown.











The feeling among many Vikings observers is the soon-to-be 41-year-old isn’t having as much fun as he did a year ago—Favre’s birthday is Oct. 10—and one big reason is the absence of wide receiver Sidney Rice(notes) for at least half the season.











Rice, who presented Favre with a 6-foot-4 target, had hip surgery in August. Bernard Berrian(notes) was expected to pick up much of the slack in Rice’s absence but that hasn’t been the case.











Berrian, who is 6-foot-1 and known more for his speed than his physical play, has only three receptions for 27 yards in two games. Two passes thrown his way Sunday ended up being intercepted.











The Vikings have explored trading for suspended San Diego wide receiver Vincent Jackson(notes) but that fell through. They did make a move to sign 6-foot-4 Hank Baskett(notes) on Wednesday after he was released by Philadelphia.











“I think Bernard’s heart is in the right place,” Favre said of Berrian. “I believe in my mind he did all he could do. If I felt otherwise, I wouldn’t throw it to him. We go to bat with who we’ve got, me included. That’s the way it is. I’m not going to look out to my left or look out to my right and say, ‘I’m not going to throw it over there.’ I’m not going to play that way.”











Coach Brad Childress and Berrian both swear the receiver is on the same page with Favre and that chemistry isn’t an issue. If that is the case, Favre, Berrian and several of their teammates are going to need to take a big step forward on Sunday and prove they have solved some of their issues.











The Vikings will have a bye week following that game, so a failure to right the ship could make for a miserable off week in Minnesota.











Series History: 98th meeting. Vikings lead regular-season series, 65-30-2, and are 18-2 in the past 20 games against Detroit. The Vikings have won the past 12 games against the Lions at the Metrodome. Minnesota is 14-3 in its last 17 regular-season home games. Vikings coach Brad Childress is 7-1 against the Lions.











NOTES, QUOTES







• DE Jared Allen(notes) has 30 sacks with Minnesota, a team record for the most in the first three seasons as a Viking.











• QB Brett Favre needs two touchdown passes to become the first player in NFL history to throw for 500 and 275 yards passing to become the first to throw for 70,000 yards.











• Favre broke the NFL record for most consecutive starts in his first game against Detroit as a member of the Vikings on Sept. 20, 2009. Favre threw two touchdown passes and had a 115.3 passer rating in a 27-13 victory.











• RB Adrian Peterson ran for 133 yards against the Lions on Nov. 15, 2009, making him the seventh Viking to reach 4,000 rushing yards in a career. That set a team record and tied for fourth in NFL history for fewest games needed to reach 4,000.











• DT Kevin Williams(notes) had a career-high four sacks against Detroit on Oct. 12, 2008, which tied for the most in a single game in 2008 and ranks tied for second in franchise history.











• LB Chad Greenway(notes) intercepted two passes off Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford(notes) and returned them for a combined 49 yards when the Vikings played the Lions on Sept. 20, 2009. That performance earned Greenway NFC Player of the Week honors.











• The Vikings have swept the Lions eight times since 2000 and Detroit hasn’t scored a rushing touchdown on the Vikings in the past six meetings, dating to Oct. 8, 2006.











• The Vikings have an all-time record of 165-123-5 against the NFC North and are 91-54-1 in home games against the division.











By The Numbers: 65—Victories by the Vikings over the Lions, their most against any opponent.











Quote To Note: “Have I seen improvement from Game 1 to Game 2? I did. Just want to keep being incremental. There’s always something we can get better on and those guys take it to heart in there, and I know they will.”—Coach Brad Childress talking about the Vikings’ offense and if he saw improvement from the first game to the second.











STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL







The Vikings attempted to add San Diego holdout wide receiver Vincent Jackson in a trade but were unable to work an agreement by the 4 p.m. deadline on Wednesday.











The 6-5 Jackson, who would have been eligible to play for the Vikings on Oct. 17, would have provided Brett Favre with the exact type of big target he is missing in Sidney Rice. Rice is expected to miss half the season after having hip surgery last month.











The Vikings did add a big receiver, signing 6-4 Hank Baskett. Baskett was released by the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday.











Baskett is far from Jackson’s equal in terms of ability but the fifth-year player will present another option and also provides some insurance. Percy Harvin(notes) has been slowed by a strained right hip and also is battling another round of migraine headaches. Bernard Berrian also landed on the injury report Wednesday because of a knee issue.











That means the Vikings’ healthy receivers are Baskett, Greg Camarillo(notes) and Greg Lewis(notes).











Player Notes











• WR Bernard Berrian was limited in practice Wednesday because of a knee injury.











• CB Chris Cook(notes), who is recovering from a torn meniscus in his right knee, was able to take part in all of practice Wednesday and might be able to make his NFL debut Sunday.











• CB Cedric Griffin(notes), who is recovering from surgery to repair a torn left anterior cruciate ligament suffered in last season’s NFC title game, is doing limited work in practice but probably will sit out again Sunday against Detroit. Griffin, like Cook, should return after the bye.











• WR Percy Harvin aggravated a hip strain last Sunday against the Dolphins and also has had another recurrence of migraine headaches. He did not practice Wednesday.











• DT Jimmy Kennedy(notes) (knee) is back practicing for the second consecutive week and took part in all drills Wednesday. Kennedy hasn’t played in the first two games.











• LB Ben Leber(notes) was limited Wednesday because of a back injury but said he will be good to go on Sunday.











• OT Bryant McKinnie(notes) (dislocated finger) did not miss any of practice Wednesday and played in last Sunday’s game despite the injury.











• QB Brett Favre continues to be listed on the injury report because of soreness in his surgically repaired ankle but he hasn’t missed any practice time.











• C John Sullivan(notes) (calf) did not miss any practice time Wednesday.











Game Plan: The Vikings will look to get their offense on track against a Lions defense that has given up 54 points in its first two games, including 35 in a loss last Sunday to Philadelphia.











The Vikings offensive line figures to have its hands full with rookie defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and end Kyle Vanden Bosch putting pressure on Brett Favre. Minnesota’s greatest success so far has come on the ground, as Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson is off to a good start.











The Lions are giving up an average of 131.5 yards per game on the ground—27th in the NFL—and Peterson has rushed for 232 yards in two games, putting him third in the league.











Minnesota needs to get quarterback Brett Favre on track. He has thrown only one touchdown and four interceptions and hasn’t developed a rhythm with any of his wide receivers.











This includes Bernard Berrian, who was expected to be Minnesota’s go-to receiver with Sidney Rice sidelined. Berrian has only three receptions for 27 yards.











The Lions defense has given up 304.5 passing yards per game, putting them near the bottom of the league in that category as well.











Defensively, the Vikings surrendered 120 rushing yards to the Dolphins on Sunday. That’s a rarity for one of the better run defense in the NFL. Shaun Hill(notes) is expected to start at quarterback for the Lions in place of the injured Matthew Stafford.











The Vikings defense is going to have to be aware of rookie running back Jahvid Best at all times because of his play-making ability. If wide receiver Nate Burleson(notes) (ankle) is unavailable for the Lions that will take a weapon from a passing attack that also features Calvin Johnson(notes) and Brandon Pettigrew(notes).











Matchups To Watch: Vikings CB Lito Sheppard(notes), who is playing the left corner in the nickel package, vs. Lions WR Calvin Johnson, who has caught eight passes for 95 yards and a touchdown this season. The Miami Dolphins had immediate success against the Vikings nickel package last Sunday by going right at Sheppard on the Dolphins’ first play from scrimmage. The result was a 46-yard pass completion from Chad Henne(notes) to 6-foot-4 Brandon Marshall(notes) that set up a touchdown. You think the Lions aren’t going to notice that? Johnson is 6-5 and stands to create trouble for Sheppard or Asher Allen(notes), who is starting at left corner. Sheppard is only 5-10 and Allen is 5-9. Antoine Winfield(notes), the starter at right corner who moves inside in the nickel, also is 5-9 but he is the Vikings’ best cornerback. If Chris Cook (6-2) and Cedric Griffin (6-0) remain out, look for Johnson to be a primary target. Cook could provide some much-needed size against Johnson if he can play.











Vikings LT Bryant McKinnie, who played last week despite a dislocated finger, vs. Lions DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, who has 1.5 sacks this season after being signed to a four-year, $26 million free-agent deal this offseason. McKinnie has had issues at times with top-flight defensive ends and he now will be facing Vanden Bosch and Chicago’s Julius Peppers(notes) twice a season. This will be McKinnie’s first test. The key for McKinnie, who is in his ninth season, is simply showing consistency because he has the athletic ability to be a very good player. Vanden Bosch plays with a motor that never quits and will spend the afternoon using a variety of moves to try to get around the 6-8, 335-pound McKinnie.











Injury Impact: Cornerback Chris Cook could make his NFL regular-season debut, but it looks as if Cedric Griffin will remain out until after the bye week. Wide receiver Percy Harvin is dealing with a hip injury and migraines, meaning he could be a long shot to play. Wide receiver Bernard Berrian already is struggling and considering his game is based on speed the last thing he needs is a knee problem.

Recap Of Vikings Loss To Dolphins

Adrian Peterson could not be contained by the Dolphins defense but there were too many mistakes and miscues for the Vikings to overcome in their home opener. The result was a 14-10 victory for the Dolphins at Mall of America Field on Sunday, as a visiting team won a regular season game at the Vikings home stadium for the 1st time since December of 2008.




The mistakes and miscues added up for the Vikings, as they were penalized 7 times for 44 yards and turned the ball over 4 times. While one Vikings superstar - Peterson – was up to his old tricks (28 carries for 145 yards and 1 TD), another Vikings superstar just couldn’t get it going. Favre lost a fumble in the endzone that was recovered for a TD and he threw 3 INTs.



Usually dominant at home, where they accumulated a 9-0 record last year, the Vikings were held scoreless in the 1st half. Favre drove the Vikings from their own 29 to Miami’s 32 in just 9 plays on the game’s opening drive, but a decision to go for it on 4th down ended up costing the Vikings points. Miami’s defense held and the offense immediately drove on the Vikings defense to take a quick 7-0 lead.



Both teams scored TDs in the 3rd quarter. Miami scored when LB Koa Misi fell on Favre’s endzone fumble and the Vikings scored when LB Erin Henderson recovered a Miami fumble forced by his older brother, E.J., near the Dolphins goal line. Peterson plowed his way into the endzone 2 plays after the Hendersons combined to turn Miami over.



The Vikings held Miami to just 1 first down and 4 total plays on the ensuing drive, giving the offense possession after a punt on the Vikings 11-yardline. That’s where the Vikings relied on their workhorse, Peterson, to take over. Peterson accounted for 62 yards on the Vikings drive and after a sack of Favre, Ryan Longwell came on to salvage a few points by splitting the uprights on a 28-yard try that cut Miami’s lead to 14-10.



The Vikings defense rose up 3 more times from that point on but the Vikings offense wasn’t able to capitalize. Following Longwell’s FG, Minnesota forced the Dolphins to a 3-and-out. But Favre followed with an INT, giving the Dolphins possession on their own 34. One play later, the Vikings defense forced another Dolphins fumble and Favre and Co. took possession on Miami’s 24.



Five plays after the recovered fumble, the Vikings had a 4th and goal from the 1, but Miami’s defense bowed up and stopped Peterson, giving their offense possession on the 1.



From there, the Dolphins picked up 1 first down via a holding penalty against the Vikings defense, but DT Kevin Williams batted down a Chad Henne pass on 3rd down, which gave the Purple another chance to mount a game-winning drive.



The Vikings took over after a punt on their own 45. Favre drove the team down to the Dolphins 31 on 3 plays, but from there he threw 3 incompletions and eventually the ball was turned over to Miami, where they were able to kneel on the ball and run out the clock.



The loss drops Minnesota to 0-2, the same record they had in 2008 before they won 10 of their next 14 on the way to a division title.

Favre Surronded By Receivers Again

Greg Camarillo

Brett Favre Embraces Percy Harvin

Jevon Walker

Brett Favre

Brett Favre And Sidney Rice

 


EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP)—One of the biggest reasons Brett Favre(notes) decided to return to the Minnesota Vikings this year was his familiarity with an offense that he enjoyed being around so much in 2009.
Suddenly, in some ways, Favre feels as if he’s starting all over again.
His two favorite targets—Sidney Rice(notes) and Percy Harvin(notes)—have struggled with ailments throughout the preseason. Rice had hip surgery on Monday and likely will miss the first half of the regular season while Harvin has hardly practiced because of recurring migraines.

“Not a lot different than last year as far as chemistry is concerned,” Favre said Wednesday. “It would have been nice to come in and go to bat with the guys that we finished with last year, but that is part of football. Every coach will say the same thing. Regardless of who is put in there we have to play the same way.”
With Favre leading the way, the Vikings changed from a run-oriented offense in the first three years under coach Brad Childress into a pass-first unit that finished second in the league in scoring.
Vikings receivers caught 207 of the 377 passes completed last season, nearly all of which were thrown by Favre. When Favre stepped into the huddle in San Francisco on Sunday night, Rice and Harvin were not even in the stadium, meaning 143 of last season’s receptions weren’t around.
Bernard Berrian(notes) (55 catches) and Greg Lewis(notes) (eight) are the only healthy receivers on this year’s roster who caught a pass from Favre in 2009.
Harvin did practice on Wednesday for the first time since a scary collapse last week brought on by migraines. He was taken from the field in an ambulance, spent the night in the hospital and did not make the trip to San Francisco. His availability for Saturday night’s game against Seattle is in question.
The reigning rookie of the year forged a bond quickly with Favre last year, emerging as his security blanket on third down. Harvin missed one game in the regular season because of migraines and several practices in the playoffs as the Vikings marched to the NFC title game.
“Percy’s situation is kind of iffy,” Favre said. “We expect big things from him, bigger than last year. He has to take care of himself first.”
While Harvin dealt with the headaches last year, Rice’s need for surgery came as a surprise to nearly everyone. He was injured in the NFC title game loss to New Orleans, but said that doctors told him his hip would heal without surgery.
Rice posted an update on his blog on Wednesday, saying that he tweaked the injury during minicamp in June but still hoped to avoid surgery. But doctors told him on Monday that a new MRI showed “a problem that could shorten my career.”
“Once the Doc got in there and checked everything out, he said having the surgery was the best move I could have made, so I don’t regret it now,” Rice wrote. “He said it could have been much worse if I would have tried to play on it during the season. He said it could have been my last year of playing football, so I know I made the right decision.”
Favre said he kept in contact with Rice, who led the team with 83 catches and 1,312 yards, while he spent the summer deciding whether he should come back for a 20th NFL season.
“I really felt like at some point here in training camp he would be able to go,” Favre said. “Obviously that’s not the case. Probably like most people, I was pretty optimistic that he would be OK.”
So Brett, if you knew Rice would be out so long, would you have come back?
“I don’t know that for certain because that obviously wasn’t the case,” Favre said. “It’s hard enough at 40 to play. You take a guy out that had roughly 90-something catches and was obviously pretty productive … but there’s more guys on this team, too.”
Rice said he hopes to be back before the first half of the season ends. There have been theories that he did not get the surgery because he was in the final year of his contract and was hoping to sign an extension, and Rice addressed that issue in his blog.
“It’s not my concern what people say about my contract, whatever happens, happens,” Rice wrote. “If the Vikings decide to give me an extension, that’s great. If not, life goes on. I’ll continue to work hard and do everything I can to be successful in what I’ve been doing my whole life, and that’s playing football.”
The Vikings scrambled this week to add depth to a receiving group short on experience, signing veteran free agent Javon Walker(notes) on Tuesday and trading with the Dolphins for slot receiver Greg Camarillo(notes) on Wednesday.
Walker caught passes from Favre for four years in Green Bay, but he has just 41 receptions in the past three years combined in Denver and Oakland.
Camarillo has 105 receptions for 1,165 yards and two touchdowns over the past two years in Miami.
“Without Sidney, it sure makes it tougher, Favre said. “But going into the season last year, no one expected the season that Sidney was going to have. So, maybe there’s another guy that can step up and do that.”

Sack Brings Brett Favre's 2010 Debut With The Vikings To An Early End

Brett Favre Smiles After Being Sacked

Patrick Willis Sacks Brett Favre On His 3rd Play

  

Trench Battle At CandleStick Park

       One proclamation and three preseason practices were all Vikings quarterback Brett Favre needed to leverage a start Sunday night in his 2010 debut against the 49ers.

Peterson Redeems Himself After

One brief offensive series and leaky pass protection were all it took to convince coach Brad Childress to put Favre back in the box and let the more prepared Tarvaris Jackson line up behind the first-team offensive line.

Favre was on the field for only four plays during the Vikings' 15-10 loss at Candlestick Park before he was seen donning a baseball cap and basking in the northern California sunshine on the sideline.

Afterward, with little to evaluate about his appearance, Favre did damage control, scoffing at a report last week that he does not trust Childress because they clashed several times last season about how the offense should be managed.

"I would say at times we disagreed on certain things but our relationship is fine. It really is," Favre told reporters after the game. "We were fine the next day. We worked it out. I thought our results last year spoke for themselves."

On Wednesday, the day after Favre reported to Minnesota, Yahoo! Sports quoted an anonymous teammate saying Favre had little respect for Childress and questioned Childress' clumsy attempts to control news about the three-man reconnaissance mission to bring him back.

Favre called a team meeting Thursday, when Childress was visiting Percy Harvin at the hospital after the receiver collapsed during practice, to dismiss the Yahoo! story and caution his teammates about unfounded leaks.

"I felt like it was important that we cleared the air and made sure that we were together in that room when we left, and we were," Favre said. "(Childress) was made out to be the scapegoat but it was a totally ridiculous article. The guys that spoke in that meeting said, 'Hey, if someone has a problem with another player or another coach in here, speak up like a man.'

"No one obviously spoke up. That's not to say there would be someone who would say that. But I don't believe it. I really don't. That was addressed, and I think that's behind us now."

Much like his first preseason start last year against Kansas City, when Favre was leveled by Chiefs linebacker Corey Mays on his third snap, Favre's ordinary series Sunday will be remembered for him getting flattened by another blitzing linebacker.

The 49ers' Patrick Willis easily shed Adrian Peterson's block in the backfield and teamed with fellow linebacker Takeo Spikes to swarm Favre and drive him to the turf for a 10-yard loss. "



What can the Vikings foreshadow  this season from Favre's short performance against the 49er's, not much. Favre looked a little hesitant on his throws and didn't have the spark in his eye that we know. All we can conclude is that he's eager to play again and hopefully ready to go after that Superbowl this season. Brett remarked, "when I'm I decided to return the only way I know how to go is all in and if I wasn't ready to return and play at that level than I wouldn't have returned." Brett Favre says he's all in mentally but how about physically. Quarterbacks need to have resiliency and this year Favre's ankle and aging body could prevent him from playing to his potential. We all know Favre's "all in " mentally, but his ankle might keep him out of games.


     Favre's biggest play came to RB Adrian Peterson for a sidleine dump pass for 13 yards. Two plays later 49ers linebacker and pro bowler Patrick Willis sacked him for a 10 yard loss forcing Favre out of the game and the Vikings to punt. But be realistic Vikings fans. Don't talk smack about Brett Favre just because his first offensive series was unsuccessful. He played four plays not even enough to warm him up. Preceding the game vs the 49ers, which the Vikings lost 10-15, Favre only practiced three times. So, it's like going from throwing to high school kids with nobody trying to sack you, to stud pro bowlers like Takeo Spikes and Patrick Willis sacking you. We all know that Brett Favre is going to unload his strikes come game day against the Saints and will kick ass again this season. When Brett gets going there is no stopping him so all that's got to happen is for Brett to start seeing the plays and getting used to moving in the pocket and throwing tight passes again. Anyways, here;s a recap of the Pre-season loss vs the San Fransisco 49ers:


It took Brett Favre all summer to decide he'd play football again. Patrick Willis helped end Favre's night after one series.




Willis brought the rush to Favre on the Vikings' third play of the game for a 10-yard sack with teammate Takeo Spikes closing as well.



Willis considered it payback for a down field block Favre threw on him in a Week 3 loss last season.



"He's a wise old vet," Willis said after Sunday's 15-10 victory over the Vikings at Candlestick. "I guess he was like, 'This is a little too much for me right now just coming back.' I guess a lot of people thought he shouldn't have played.



"I was happy to be out there myself."



Willis played two series with the starting defense, and made sure it was ready to go with the season opener still three weeks away.



Dropping a 40-year-old quarterback just off the Mississippi farm is one thing. It was quite another how Willis ankle-tackled Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson in the open field.



And, going back to that Favre sack ... it happened as Willis shoved Peterson into the quarterback.



"That was my fault," Peterson said. "Willis, being the great 'backer that he is, got underneath me and pushed me right into him."