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.

Adrian Peterson Is Better Than Chris Johnson

   

Adrian Peterson With More Rushing Yards Than Chris This Season

Chris Johnson Tennesse Titans

     Who’s the best running back in the NFL? Fans and sport writers commonly debate the merits and accomplishments of Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson, but for one week, we have a clear answer. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has won the first battle of the 2010 season in a war that should go on all season. Peterson was the NFC’s offensive player of the week for his performance against the Lions on Sunday.







The Minnesota Vikings beat the Detroit Lions by a score of 24-10. The victory was led by Adrian Peterson and his 160 yards rushing on 23 carries. He also ran for two touchdowns, including a career-high 80-yard touchdown scamper where he outran every player on the field.







And despite what my headline might say, I’m still on the fence about who is a better running back. They both have the rare balance of size and speed, and what they are able to do on the football field is mind boggling. Why did I write this particular headline then? Well, you read my entire post, didn’t you?

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings Defense Carry Team To Win...Get Used To It

AP Rushed For Over 160 Yards Vs Lions

  The Vikings finally turned over a new leaf on Sunday, collecting their first victory of the season.


It started out rocky, as Brett Favre threw an early interception that led to a Detroit Lions touchdown. Favre didn't look terrible, but again looked fairly rusty facing a poor Lions pass defense.




Favre mustered just 201 yards on 34 attempts with a touchdown and two interceptions. He continues to look his age in 2010.



Granted, Favre was a slow starter last season and can obviously still play at a high level. But we can't expect 2009 from him. It's not going to happen.




Sunday was the beginning of a pattern we can expect for the rest of the season: Adrian Peterson and the stout Vikings defense will carry this team.



Peterson continues to run with tenacity while protecting the football. He has zero fumbles through three games to go with 392 yards, three touchdowns, and a Peterson-of-old 5.6 yards per carry.



In reality, the run blocking has not really been better than last year, it has been merely adequate.



However, Peterson has run like the best running back in football. No disrespect to Chris Johnson, who had a solid day on Sunday, but Peterson looks unstoppable right now.





He cannot be tackled.




On Peterson's 80-yard touchdown run, he weaved through traffic, delivered a ferocious stiff arm, then simply outran the Lions secondary.


On multiple occasions through the first three games, Peterson has delivered impossible broken tackles, jukes, and bursts of speed. He simply will not go down without at least three defenders getting a lick in.




Not to mention, on Sunday, Peterson faced eight men in the box nearly all game long. Something Peterson saw less and less of last year with Favre and Sidney Rice connecting on deep passes.




Hats off to Peterson, who obviously put in a lot of hard work this offseason to get better. It will take a whole season to show it, but he looks like the best running back in football right now.




Another hats off to the Vikings defense. This unit looks much better than anticipated before the season.







Even when the offense falters, the defense is picking up the slack.







While they delivered just one sack, the Vikings hit quarterback Shaun Hill six times. They also forced two interceptions while giving up just 237 yards through the air. This despite the Lions attempting 43 passes.











The Vikings also gave up just 63 yards on the ground, despite a 21-yard reverse play by the Lions.







Overall, the Vikings secondary looks vastly improved. The front four have not produced a consistently nagging pass rush like last year, but coverage downfield has been excellent.







Rookie cornerback Chris Cook did a great job in his first major action and Cedric Griffin looked healthy after returning from a torn ACL.







A first-year starter at safety, Hussain Abdullah looked significantly improved over his first two games. He was on-time to the ball for the most part and made a couple big plays.







Overall, the Vikings defense did a great job on Sunday, as they have through each game this season.







Granted, this first victory came against the lowly Lions. There is no reason to immediately start dreaming of the Super Bowl, but there is hope.







Despite losing their first three games, the Lions played close with the 2-0 Chicago Bears and the 3-0 Philadelphia Eagles. This is a significantly improved Lions team. Beating the Lions in 2010 means more than beating them in 2009.







However, the Vikings need to show they can beat a legitimate contender. They'll have that chance in weeks five through eight.











The Vikings will face difficult tasks when they meet up with the New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and New England Patriots in consecutive weeks.







Three of those games are on the road as well.







To win those games, the Vikings need to take note of Sunday's game against the Lions:







Rely on the defense and Adrian Peterson to win football games. Hope for the occasional Favre-to-Harvin or Favre-to-Shiancoe hook-up, but above all, rely on Peterson and the defense.







The defense is certainly good enough to hold up against any team in football. They showed that when they held Drew Brees and the Saints to just 14 points.







The Vikings can win their next few games, but they will have to play their best football and avoid costly turnovers. Favre needs to protect the ball better and quit making risky throws.







If the Vikings can get away from relying on Favre to win every game, dish the rock to Peterson, and hit opponents in the mouth on both sides of the ball, they will have success. Just like they did on Sunday.

Miami Dolphins Defense Smacks Brett Favre Into Submission In Minnesota

    The Miami Dolphins are back after a narrow 14-10 victory in Minnesota. The defense put on a dominant performance highlighted by Jason Allen's two interceptions and Cameron Wake's game altering forced fumble leading to a touchdown.



Let's break down the game in its entirety as the Dolphins look to continue their success this season with the New York Jets at home next week.









ESPN

Individual Stats

Miami Passing



C. Henne – 9/15 114 YDS, TD (106.0 QB Rating)



Minnesota Passing



B. Favre – 22/36 225 YDS, 3 INT (44.3 QB Rating)




Miami Rushing



R. Brown – 13 RUSH, 80 YDS, FUM



R. Williams – 10 RUSH, 30 YDS, FUM



Minnesota Rushing



A. Peterson – 28 RUSH, 145 YDS, TD



T. Gerhart – 4 RUSH, 10 YDS



Miami Receiving



B. Marshall – 4 REC, 71 YDS



B. Hartline – 3 REC, 28 YDS, TD



Minnesota Receiving



V. Shiancoe – 6 REC, 86 YDS



A. Peterson – 5 REC, 41 YDS



Miami Defense



J.Allen – 2 INT, 11 TACK, 3 PD



V. Davis – INT, 6 TACK, 2 PD



C. Wake – FF, 1.5 SACK,



K. Langford – SACK



R. Starks – 0.5 SACK



K. Misi – TD





Minnesota Defense



J. Allen – SACK



K. Williams – SACK



C. Greenway – 8 TACK, 2 TFL





Grades

Quarterback – Although on paper Chad Henne played an efficient, mistake-free game, there is major room for improvement. He still locks onto receivers and the defensive line has learned to read his eyes, which resulted in a few balls batted down at the line yesterday.



Still, he faced a hostile road crowd and managed the game pretty well. He connected on his first throw, a 50 yard bomb to Brandon Marshall. I’d like to see him have more opportunities down the field because he throws a pretty good deep ball.



Grade: C+



Backs – Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown played well until two major mistakes. They both had costly fumbles, especially Ricky, who coughed up the ball on the Dolphins own one-yard line.



Grade: D



Receivers/Tight Ends – Brandon Marshall proved why he’s one of the game’s most dominant receivers on Sunday. He beat his man for a 50-yard strike on the Dolphins first offensive play. Brian Hartline ran a perfect route on his touchdown grab in the first quarter.



Grade: A-



Offensive Line – The line handled an excellent Vikings front with efficiency. Jake Long played superb against Jared Allen. The pass protection was solid, giving up two sacks, with both resulting from Henne holding the ball too long.



Run blocking was pretty good, but the Vikings stacked the line for most of the game so production was limited. They did an excellent job on Ronnie Brown’s 46-yard burst off the Dolphins own goal line.



Grade: B+



Defense Line - Brett Favre was beat up, harassed, and hit all day. They did an amazing job in the passing game, but struggled to contain Adrian Peterson in the running game. He racked up 145 yards on the day and often broke into the second level of the defense with ease.



Grade: C+



Linebackers – Cameron Wake is impressing more and more with every game. He forced a game-deciding fumble for a touchdown and also was in on another sack with Randy Starks. Karlos Dansby played solid as usual, providing the touchdown saving hit on the Dolphins goal-line stand in the second half.



The one negative was the missed tackles in the running game. I know Peterson is a load, but they have to work on tackling technique (Misi, Wake). Arm tackles are not going to bring down backs like AP.



Grade: A -



Secondary - To think that this unit was the biggest question mark heading into the season. Jason Allen (2 INT) looks like a shutdown corner in this man-heavy scheme. Wait, did I really just write that? He had the game of his career yesterday. Vontae Davis is looking like a Pro Bowl corner and didn’t give up anything to Favre. He’s aggressive, instinctive, and reminds me of a more physical Patrick Surtain.



Grade: A+



Special Teams - Dan Carpenter didn’t get much action Sunday. Brandon Fields was great as usual, pinning the Vikings back within their own 20 several times. The return game wasn’t much of a factor, and return coverage was excellent, forcing a fumble in the second half.



Grade: B



Coaching – Defensively, Mike Ryan and crew proved again to have a huge edge. Favre was never comfortable at any point yesterday and much of that goes to the various coverages thrown at him. Offensively, there are some issues. It still appears the coaches are lacking confidence in Henne. Outside of the bomb to Marshall, it was an extremely conservative game plan.



What frustrated me the most was the decision to not try to score with 3 timeouts and a minute remaining in the first half. Play to win the game!



Coaching B+



Overall – It was another gritty, ugly, win. But any win is a good win in this league and the fact that both wins came on the road is all the more impressive. We might not know how good this team is just yet, but we do know one thing. They are physical and mentally tough.



The defense looks absolutely dominant. Wake is going to get double teamed as the season progresses, so it will be important that other guys become factors in pass rushing situations. The secondary has been incredible thus far.



Offensively, I’m a little worried about Chad Henne. He doesn’t seem like he has all the confidence in the world. The fact that the coaches don’t let him play is disturbing. It’s time to let the kid give it all he has and if he screws up, so be it. At times he was a gun slinger last season and I haven’t seen any of that yet this year. They should open up the play-calling against a banged up Jets defense at home next week.



It was a great win.



Next Week: Sunday night against the Jets at Sun Life Stadium

Still No Favre, But Percy Harvin Returns

Adrian Peterson Back

Sidney Rice Still Injured

Percy Harvin Returns

Cedric Griffin Readt to Play

Monday Morning Practice Notes:

The Vikings practiced for about an hour and 20 minutes late Monday morning on the outdoor practice fields at Winter Park as they recuperate from Saturday night’s game and get ready for Sunday night’s contest at San Francisco. Temperatures were moderate and the breeze was brisk, providing a nice change from the conditions that came with training camp in Mankato.

The big news of the day was that WR Percy Harvin was back with the team after an extended absence due to the death of his Grandmother and another battle with migraines. Harvin looked fit while practicing and was targeted by QB Tarvaris Jackson several times. Harvin did not meet with reporters following practice but will likely do so later this week.

Sidney Rice, who hasn’t practiced with the team during training camp because a hip injury has him on the PUP list, worked with trainers and strength staff on the side. In speaking with reporters following practice, Rice said he’s had a setback or two in his recovery but that he continues to improve and feels comfortable running in a straight line. He declined to put a percentage on his health at this point.

Another guy on the PUP list – CB Cedric Griffin (knee) – was also working out on the side, as he’s been doing all of training camp. Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress described Griffin’s progress recently as rapid and said it’s almost to the point where they’d like to remove him from the PUP list so he can participate in individual drills during practice, something he’s prohibited from doing under the rules of the PUP list. Childress also said Griffin is “chomping at the bit” to get back, something that became apparent near the commencement of training camp when Griffin disclosed he was hopefully he’d be able to participate in camp rather than go on the PUP list.

It was good to see so many of the players putting in extra time after practice, working on various areas of the game. Harvin and Greg Lewis were running routes with Jackson throwing to them, TEs Jeff Dugan and Garrett Mills were hitting a blocking sled, various players were fielding kicks, Marko Mitchell was working with WRs coach George Stewart and TEs Visanthe Shiancoe and Mickey Shuler were doing drill work with TEs coach Jimmie Johnson.

The team will have lunch and meetings the rest of the afternoon and will return to the practice fields late Tuesday morning.

Still no sign of Brett Favre, but give him a few more weeks and he'll be here... he has to. Looking at uour roster the only position that doesn't speak Superbowl is Quarterback, with no offense to Rosenfels or Jackson.

   Favre, get off your John Deere tractor and hang up those fishing lines because we need you to win the Superbowl. Looking at the past five Superbowl's;  it's not defense that won it,  but  the top quarterbacks in the league outscoring the adversary. Look at the past winners: Roethlisburger , Manning, Brees, Manning, and Tom Brady. Without the gunslinger we can't shoot only defend. Point is, without Brett Favre there's no silver lining on our year; Jackson nor Rosenfels can't produce the points lie Brett Favre and we will end up in another streak of 1st round playoff losses to Philly,Cincinnati, Dallas, etc. We have everyone but Favre ,but he's our ticket to the Superbowl. Pray with me Viking fans.

Brett Favre On His John Deere Mower

Vikes Will Find Out If Missing Stars Have Effect

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John Sullivan

Adrian Peterson

Percy Harvin

Sidney Rice

Brett Favre

Vikes Will Find Out If 
Missing Stars Have Effect


 MANKATO, Minn. Join the Conduit Affiliate Program!J 

The Minnesota Vikings want another season from their offense just like the last one.

The reunion has been difficult to organize.

One week into training camp, the Vikings - heard this one before? - still don't have a commitment to play from ageless quarterback Brett Favre. All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson has been bothered by soreness and tightness in his left leg. Their top two wide receivers, Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin, aren't on the field. Even their starting center, John Sullivan, has been held out because he hurt his right calf muscle.

The opener at New Orleans remains more than a month away, so these absences are not yet cause for alarm. So how important is this time together for a veteran team? Well, the Vikings will find out if all these absences by important players in early August affect their rhythm when it counts in September and thereafter.

"I worry for those guys because you don't get another time at missed snaps," coach Brad Childress said.

Favre's arrival a year ago triggered a flourish by the offense unseen in Minnesota since Randy Moss's final year in 2004, and the swagger the Vikings developed rivaled that of the 1998 team that went 15-1 and set the later-broken NFL record for most points in one season. With the exception of backup running back Chester Taylor, the entire unit that finished second in the league in scoring behind the Super Bowl champion Saints is on track to return.

Favre, of course, didn't join the Vikings last year until three weeks of practice were completed. Though wide receiver Bernard Berrian's nagging right hamstring injury hampered his familiarity with Favre, the rest of the team had no problem.

This season, whether Favre comes back or not, the Vikings will again have to prove their ability to develop cohesion for the regular season - and in a shorter window, too.

Peterson returned to practice on Friday morning in pads, but his participation was limited to individual drills. Rice remains on the physically unable to perform list while rehabilitating his injured hip, and Harvin has missed six straight days following the death of his grandmother.

Plus, Peterson didn't work out with the team at headquarters during the winter and spring, skipping the mandatory minicamp for a personal event. Rice and Harvin were mostly away from Winter Park, too. Favre has been practicing with high school kids in Mississippi, while his left ankle recovers from surgery, but he hasn't thrown a pass to the Vikings since January.

"The guys that are out there right now, I think we're developing a good rhythm these last couple days," said running back Albert Young, who has filled in on the first team with Peterson resting. "You can only work with the guys that are out there."

Favre's success last year was an argument against the importance of two-a-day practices, but teams don't schedule them for no reason.

"Camp is huge. Every team in the league is trying to find an identity right now," Young said.

Left guard Steve Hutchinson brushed off any frustration that the absent stars might be causing the offense in the preparation process for the season.

"You're always going to have tweaks and bumps and bruises and guys in and out of camp, so you just learn to deal with that," Hutchinson said. "The offense has just got to keep going. You can't stop or slow down because Adrian's not running the ball or Sidney's been out or Percy. You run the same routes. You run the same plays, and guys have to step up."

Rice said he's not concerned.

"I feel like we've gotten a lot of work in minicamp," he said. "Hopefully it's not going to take too much longer to get healthy and get back out there, get a couple of snaps with those guys."

Rice added: "I think everything is still going well. We've got leaders on this team that know how to handle themselves and we're holding each other accountable to our own job. So we're not going to let any kind of distractions hold us back."

Peterson was not made available for questions following his first practice in three days. Childress declined to put a timetable on the process of putting him back in full-team drills.

"As a coach you want every guy to take every turn. That's the way we're wired. Reps are the best thing. No substitute for 'em," he said, adding: "As much as I want him to ... right now that's not the prudent thing to do."

Brett Favre Says He Will Play If Healthy

Brett Favre And Adrian Peterson Minnesota Vikings Leaders

  Brett Favre's flip-flopping is at full throttle, the surest sign yet that training camp is under way in Minnesota.
Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and Favre's agent, Bus Cook, said Wednesday that the veteran quarterback plans to return to the team if he is healthy. The 40-year-old Favre is still rehabbing his surgically repaired left ankle that he injured in the NFC title game loss at New Orleans.
"I know it's a decision that he wrestles with," Bevell said after a morning practice as Favre was throwing the ball around with high school students in Mississippi. "He's a great player. He's a great competitor. He mulls things over. He's an emotional guy. So he thinks things through long and hard and takes his time with his decision. So I'm not surprised that things started to come out. We just have to wait and see."
A day earlier, Favre texted some teammates and Vikings officials to say that his ankle was not healing like he had hoped and that he planned to retire. Favre denied sending any such messages and there was no explanation for the discrepancy.

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Bevell, who became close friends with Favre during three years as his quarterbacks coach in Green Bay, said he has spoken to Favre recently, but not in the last 24 hours. He said it's been his understanding that if Favre's ankle heals, he will return to play for the Vikings this season.
"That's what I've been getting all along," Bevell said.
Cook told The Associated Press that Favre will visit his surgeon, Dr. James Andrews, next week for an evaluation.
"He's working out really hard and everything seems to indicate that if he is healthy and can contribute and play at the level that he has become accustomed to, he will play," Cook said.
The two-year, $25 million contract Favre signed last year calls for him to make $13 million this season. Cook said there have been no negotiations on any adjustments to the deal.
"If they want to reward him, nobody's going to walk away from that," Cook said. "But it's not a factor in his decision."
Outside Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Miss., Favre told reporters his decision is "not about the money." He also said he has been in touch with the team and "they know what's going on with me."
On Tuesday, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Favre had contacted teammates and team officials to tell them his ankle was not healing well enough and that he wasn't going to return for a second season in Minnesota. Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe confirmed the report, saying Favre "told a couple guys on our team he's going to retire."
Shiancoe said Wednesday he still had not heard from Favre directly and declined further comment.
The drama is nothing new for the Vikings, who have been answering questions about Favre's intentions for three years. Favre told the Vikings just before training camp last year that he was staying retired, only to change his mind and join the team before its second preseason game.
An entire advertising campaign has been built around his indecision and his teammates have become accustomed to hourly changes in his status.
"It's been about three years now I've been getting asked the Brett Favre questions," said a grinning Tarvaris Jackson, who would take over as the starter if Favre does not return. "It's kind of part of my life now. I actually might miss it."
Favre has considered retiring every summer since 2002. The famous waffling helped prompt the Packers to trade him to the Jets in 2008. After a so-so season in New York, he announced his retirement in early 2009 for the second time, then wound up signing with the Vikings.
He had one of his best seasons last year, with career bests in completion percentage (68.4), quarterback rating (107.2) and fewest interceptions (7), while throwing for 33 TDs and 4,202 yards to lead the Vikings (12-4) to an NFC North title. Most people around the NFL figured he'll come back for another run at what would be a third Super Bowl appearance.
"He is an emotional guy. He does tell you how he's feeling. He is very honest," Bevell said. "That's what I love about him and that's what a lot of people love about him. Sometimes it serves him well, sometimes it doesn't."
Like the rest of the league, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he was taking a "wait and hear" approach to the latest twist in the Favre saga.
"Brett Favre is great for our game. And I think the passion he has for the game is extraordinary," he said. "I think we all love to see him play, but we want him to do what's best for him at the end of the day."
Same goes for Drew Brees, whose Saints play the Vikings in the NFL season opener on Sept. 9.
"Haven't we all seen it before?" Brees said. "I'm not going to believe it until he doesn't walk out of the tunnel on Sept. 9."