With a 16-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Minnesota Vikings finished the 2008 NFL pre-season 1-3.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
The Vikings didn't play any starters in this game. Neither did the Cowboys. Both teams probably would have preferred that the game not have been played at all. And after suffering through a quarter and a bit of this game myself, I feel the same way.
But anyway, the next big event for Vikings fans comes when the Vikings settle on the 53-man roster that will roll into Lambeau Field for the season opener. Who should make the team – guys currently thought to be on the bubble?
Well, I'll be disappointed if linebacker Erin Henderson doesn't stick.
I'll be somewhat disappointed if second-year linebacker Rufus Alexander doesn't stick.
And that's about it. Peace out. Whatever that means.
Booty or Bollinger?
Before the pre-season started I figured Brooks Bollinger was a goner. But John David Booty hasn't exactly separated himself from Bollinger in the battle for the third quarterback spot. In fact, he's been slightly outplayed by the veteran. This could be a close call.
So who stays and who goes? In this case, head coach Brad Childress shouldn't base his decision on Bollinger's ability, a guy who is in his sixth NFL season, who will be 29 in November and who is probably as good now as he's ever going to be.
Rather, Childress has to make a call on what kind of player Booty is going to be in two or three years. What kind of player he is right now doesn't really matter. As the team's third quarterback, Booty isn't going to play unless both Tarvaris Jackson and Gus Frerotte go down. And if that does happen, it doesn't matter whether Booty or Bollinger are playing in 2008. The Vikings will be toast either way.
So if Childress decides to keep Booty and cut Bollinger it's because he thinks the former will be of more use to the Vikings in 2009, 2010 and beyond.
Booty's bigger. He's got a slightly better arm. He's younger. He should get better with more experience and coaching. Those are all good enough reasons to cut loose Bollinger. But Booty hasn't helped his case with his ho-hum play in pre-season.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Pope cut – Vatican up in arms
Well, Derrick Pope's career as a Minnesota Viking didn't last very long.
The former Miami Dolphin was one of four players the Vikings cut on Monday as the team trimmed its roster to 75.
I'm surprised by this move, yet not surprised – if that makes any sense. The surprise comes because I didn't think the Vikings would really cut Pope. He was one of the team's off-season free agent signings, albeit a second tier one, and acquiring him was designed to shore up its special teams and linebacker depth. Pope seemed like the favourite to become the 2008 version of Dontarrious Thomas – the first guy off the bench if starters Ben Leber, E.J. Henderson or Chad Greenway were to get injured. The fact he was drafted by Rick Speilman during Speilman's tenure in Miami and looked like one of Speilman's "guys", made it seem like Pope's roster spot was secure.
But then the games started. Pope didn't show much on special teams. He showed even less when playing linebacker with the second and third-team defensive units. He was outplayed by guys like Rufus Alexander and, especially, Erin Henderson. That's why I'm not surprised by the move. He earned it.
But sometimes a veteran gets the benefit of the doubt – especially when the guy that drafted said veteran is running the player personnel show, as Spielman is in Minnesota. But that didn't happen here. The Vikings coaching staff decided to keep the guys that were playing better. And that's really what it should be about – getting the best players.
Now if that same coaching staff would only get rid of Vinny Ciurciu too.
What's left to say?
I missed most of the first half of Saturday's 12-10 loss to Pittsburgh and it's been a couple of days since the game was played, so I'll pass on any in-depth analysis of the game.
The shallow analysis of the game goes like this: The Vikings starting defensive line looked dominant against the Steelers, which was good. The Vikings running game, sputtered (again), which was not so good.
Granted, Adrian Peterson hasn't had much work. But he hasn't done much with the work he's received. When you consider how opponents bottled him up at the tail end of 2007, Vikings fans may begin to wonder if maybe, just maybe, the league has figured Peterson out.
But Peterson also needs some holes to run through and the Vikings offensive line hasn't opened up many of them this pre-season. The players on the line will say they're not worried about it (they always do in pre-season) but the sight of Peterson and Chester Taylor getting smothered by opponents isn't encouraging.
Then there's the pass blocking. Watch All-Pro left guard Steve Hutchinson completely whiff on a block and give up a sack against Pittsburgh. Watch right tackle Ryan Cook get, literally, run over by a Steelers defender and give up another sack. Ugly.
I guess there's time to clean things up. But Sept. 8 isn't far away.
The former Miami Dolphin was one of four players the Vikings cut on Monday as the team trimmed its roster to 75.
I'm surprised by this move, yet not surprised – if that makes any sense. The surprise comes because I didn't think the Vikings would really cut Pope. He was one of the team's off-season free agent signings, albeit a second tier one, and acquiring him was designed to shore up its special teams and linebacker depth. Pope seemed like the favourite to become the 2008 version of Dontarrious Thomas – the first guy off the bench if starters Ben Leber, E.J. Henderson or Chad Greenway were to get injured. The fact he was drafted by Rick Speilman during Speilman's tenure in Miami and looked like one of Speilman's "guys", made it seem like Pope's roster spot was secure.
But then the games started. Pope didn't show much on special teams. He showed even less when playing linebacker with the second and third-team defensive units. He was outplayed by guys like Rufus Alexander and, especially, Erin Henderson. That's why I'm not surprised by the move. He earned it.
But sometimes a veteran gets the benefit of the doubt – especially when the guy that drafted said veteran is running the player personnel show, as Spielman is in Minnesota. But that didn't happen here. The Vikings coaching staff decided to keep the guys that were playing better. And that's really what it should be about – getting the best players.
Now if that same coaching staff would only get rid of Vinny Ciurciu too.
What's left to say?
I missed most of the first half of Saturday's 12-10 loss to Pittsburgh and it's been a couple of days since the game was played, so I'll pass on any in-depth analysis of the game.
The shallow analysis of the game goes like this: The Vikings starting defensive line looked dominant against the Steelers, which was good. The Vikings running game, sputtered (again), which was not so good.
Granted, Adrian Peterson hasn't had much work. But he hasn't done much with the work he's received. When you consider how opponents bottled him up at the tail end of 2007, Vikings fans may begin to wonder if maybe, just maybe, the league has figured Peterson out.
But Peterson also needs some holes to run through and the Vikings offensive line hasn't opened up many of them this pre-season. The players on the line will say they're not worried about it (they always do in pre-season) but the sight of Peterson and Chester Taylor getting smothered by opponents isn't encouraging.
Then there's the pass blocking. Watch All-Pro left guard Steve Hutchinson completely whiff on a block and give up a sack against Pittsburgh. Watch right tackle Ryan Cook get, literally, run over by a Steelers defender and give up another sack. Ugly.
I guess there's time to clean things up. But Sept. 8 isn't far away.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Decisions, decisions
“There are a couple of things he can do and a couple of things he can’t do. I do not want to insinuate with him that he’s not a tough guy or has to play injured. He has to have some of his faculties. He’s got to be able to protect himself. That’s usually the biggest factor that we look at. Are we putting a guy in peril? Does he have to play the game a different way? Can he protect himself? We just need to make sure that he can.”
Vikings head coach Brad Childress responding to questions on whether starting quarterback Tarvaris Jackson will play against Pittsburgh this Saturday.
Despite Chilly’s best (and, arguably, pointless) attempts to not tip his hand on whether Jackson will be in the lineup when the Vikings play their third pre-season game on Saturday, there is one decision and one decision only to be made here: sit Jackson.
Sure, Jackson could use the extra work against a Dick LeBeau defence that likes to blitz. But the Vikes don’t face a 3-4 defence on their 2008 regular season schedule, so Jackson facing that type of opponent doesn't serve as much purpose as it would if the Vikes were playing a handful of teams that use the 3-4.
Did I also mention this is a pre-season game? When your starting quarterback has a banged up knee and you've got two weeks to keep him out of harms way before the real games start, this should be an easy decision. It's especially easy when the other alternatives at quarterback are named Gus Frerotte, Brooks Bollinger and John David Booty. So I expect Chilly to do the right thing here. Don't play Jackson against Pittsburgh. And don’t play him against Dallas the following week, either.
What to watch for
Because I don't expect to see Jackson play Saturday night, that eliminates my main reason for watching Saturday's Vikings/Steelers game. I'll still tune in but there aren't any starting position battles on the line that Vikings fans can focus on and Jaymar Johnson, Darius Reynaud and Aundrae Allison fighting it out for the punt returner job lacks some sex appeal.
But I will be paying attention to how the Vikings first team defence fares against the run Saturday night. You may have heard the Vikings haven't performed very well in this area the first two pre-season games. The coaches and players say they aren't concerned (really, what else are they going to say?) but when Maurice Morris and Ray Rice are averaging 10 yards a carry against your first-teamers, worry-wart fans start to worry. The Vikings defence needs to turn in a good effort against the run Saturday night.
We can only hope
Scroll down to the "Uh- Oh" part of this Football Outsiders article because there's a couple of interesting quotes from Peyton Manning there. Sounds like he's not sure he'll be ready to play in the Colts season opener.
Which means...
Well, it doesn't mean anything. Yet. But if Manning can't play in week one, that means there is a possibility he might not play in week two. Of course, the Colts face the Vikings in week two. If Manning somehow isn't ready to go that game, I'll be thrilled.
Now you may say to yourself, "DC – if the Vikings truly are a Super Bowl contender, they need to be able to beat teams when the Peyton Mannings and the Tom Bradys are playing."
I understand that point of view. But also understand I'm just a Vikings fan looking for the team to make the playoffs. Beating the Indianapolis Colts early in the season would certainly be a step in that direction. That figures to be a bit easier with Jim Sorgi under centre than Manning. So take your time coming back from that surgery, Peyton. No need to rush it big fella.
For whom this Bell trolls
Warning: This next item doesn't affect American readers.
I got a letter in the mail a couple of weeks ago from my satellite TV provider, Bell ExpressVu, telling me how great its NFL Sunday Ticket feature is going to be in 2008.
There was no need for Bell to send me the letter. I was going to sign up for it again this year. It's the only way I can watch every single Vikings regular season game.
Usually I don't read these form letters all the way through. I get a million of them every week – I'm sure everybody does – and there are other things I'd rather waste my time doing. But for some reason, I did read this letter all the way through. I hope other Canadians who subscribed to this service did. Especially the ones that don't plan on signing up for NFL Sunday Ticket this season.
That's because at the bottom of the form letter, Bell informs its customers that your NFL Sunday Ticket subscription will continue from season to season, UNLESS you call them and tell them otherwise. And you have to do this before Sept. 3, before the NFL regular season starts, or there will be no refund on the $189 (Canadian) price of the subscription.
This kind of "sales" tactic by Bell bothers me. They have to know a lot of customers don't read these letters. They also have to know that if they place some important piece of information at the bottom of that letter, there's even less chance the customer will read it. When I paid for the NFL Sunday Ticket subscription in 2007, I paid to watch it for ONE year. Not two years. Not three years. One year. If I want that service again, it should be up to me to call Bell and sign up for it. Bell shouldn't be able to automatically renew it and then inform me of that in one paragraph contained at the bottom of a fucking form letter.
Seems to me that Bell is trying to sucker thousands of Canadians into paying for a service they don't want. And that's a tactic I don't respect.
Vikings head coach Brad Childress responding to questions on whether starting quarterback Tarvaris Jackson will play against Pittsburgh this Saturday.
Despite Chilly’s best (and, arguably, pointless) attempts to not tip his hand on whether Jackson will be in the lineup when the Vikings play their third pre-season game on Saturday, there is one decision and one decision only to be made here: sit Jackson.
Sure, Jackson could use the extra work against a Dick LeBeau defence that likes to blitz. But the Vikes don’t face a 3-4 defence on their 2008 regular season schedule, so Jackson facing that type of opponent doesn't serve as much purpose as it would if the Vikes were playing a handful of teams that use the 3-4.
Did I also mention this is a pre-season game? When your starting quarterback has a banged up knee and you've got two weeks to keep him out of harms way before the real games start, this should be an easy decision. It's especially easy when the other alternatives at quarterback are named Gus Frerotte, Brooks Bollinger and John David Booty. So I expect Chilly to do the right thing here. Don't play Jackson against Pittsburgh. And don’t play him against Dallas the following week, either.
What to watch for
Because I don't expect to see Jackson play Saturday night, that eliminates my main reason for watching Saturday's Vikings/Steelers game. I'll still tune in but there aren't any starting position battles on the line that Vikings fans can focus on and Jaymar Johnson, Darius Reynaud and Aundrae Allison fighting it out for the punt returner job lacks some sex appeal.
But I will be paying attention to how the Vikings first team defence fares against the run Saturday night. You may have heard the Vikings haven't performed very well in this area the first two pre-season games. The coaches and players say they aren't concerned (really, what else are they going to say?) but when Maurice Morris and Ray Rice are averaging 10 yards a carry against your first-teamers, worry-wart fans start to worry. The Vikings defence needs to turn in a good effort against the run Saturday night.
We can only hope
Scroll down to the "Uh- Oh" part of this Football Outsiders article because there's a couple of interesting quotes from Peyton Manning there. Sounds like he's not sure he'll be ready to play in the Colts season opener.
Which means...
Well, it doesn't mean anything. Yet. But if Manning can't play in week one, that means there is a possibility he might not play in week two. Of course, the Colts face the Vikings in week two. If Manning somehow isn't ready to go that game, I'll be thrilled.
Now you may say to yourself, "DC – if the Vikings truly are a Super Bowl contender, they need to be able to beat teams when the Peyton Mannings and the Tom Bradys are playing."
I understand that point of view. But also understand I'm just a Vikings fan looking for the team to make the playoffs. Beating the Indianapolis Colts early in the season would certainly be a step in that direction. That figures to be a bit easier with Jim Sorgi under centre than Manning. So take your time coming back from that surgery, Peyton. No need to rush it big fella.
For whom this Bell trolls
Warning: This next item doesn't affect American readers.
I got a letter in the mail a couple of weeks ago from my satellite TV provider, Bell ExpressVu, telling me how great its NFL Sunday Ticket feature is going to be in 2008.
There was no need for Bell to send me the letter. I was going to sign up for it again this year. It's the only way I can watch every single Vikings regular season game.
Usually I don't read these form letters all the way through. I get a million of them every week – I'm sure everybody does – and there are other things I'd rather waste my time doing. But for some reason, I did read this letter all the way through. I hope other Canadians who subscribed to this service did. Especially the ones that don't plan on signing up for NFL Sunday Ticket this season.
That's because at the bottom of the form letter, Bell informs its customers that your NFL Sunday Ticket subscription will continue from season to season, UNLESS you call them and tell them otherwise. And you have to do this before Sept. 3, before the NFL regular season starts, or there will be no refund on the $189 (Canadian) price of the subscription.
This kind of "sales" tactic by Bell bothers me. They have to know a lot of customers don't read these letters. They also have to know that if they place some important piece of information at the bottom of that letter, there's even less chance the customer will read it. When I paid for the NFL Sunday Ticket subscription in 2007, I paid to watch it for ONE year. Not two years. Not three years. One year. If I want that service again, it should be up to me to call Bell and sign up for it. Bell shouldn't be able to automatically renew it and then inform me of that in one paragraph contained at the bottom of a fucking form letter.
Seems to me that Bell is trying to sucker thousands of Canadians into paying for a service they don't want. And that's a tactic I don't respect.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Good news, bad news
I missed the first quarter and a bit of the Vikings/ Ravens game Saturday night. Household chores and the wife's insistence on watching the Olympics got in the way. When I finally did get a chance to switch it over to the NFL Network, it was the second quarter, the Vikes were up 10-7, Gus Frerotte was in the game and the TV cameras were panning to a smiling Tarvaris Jackson on the sidelines. No problem, I figured. Chilly must have decided to get Jackson out of the game early and give Frerotte a few extra snaps.
How wrong I was. It was only a few minutes later that the Baltimore announcers mentioned Jackson had hurt his knee on a second quarter scramble. Vikings head coach Brad Childress described the injury as little more than a boo-boo during a sideline interview later in the game. But by Sunday the team was admitting Jackson had sprained his MCL. It's not a devastating injury. But it would still be surprising if Jackson plays at all in the Vikings final two pre-season games. And that's a blow for Jackson – who needs all the reps he can get – and a Vikings offence (Canadian spelling alert!) that is still learning what it has in Jackson.
Still, if roughly two quarters of pre-season action is all Jackson gets to play this August, he's at least exhibited signs that he might actually be the Vikings quarterback of the present and the future. Here is what I like about what Jackson has done thus far.
First, there is Jackson's ability to orchestrate long drives. One of the problems the Vikings offence had last season was that if somebody (usually Adrian Peterson) didn't make a big play, the team struggled to score because the offence couldn't churn out those long, 15-play, clock-killing scoring drives. Part of the problem was pass protection. Part of it was having to throw to Troy Williamson and Robert Ferguson on a regular basis. But a large part of it was also because Jackson was too inaccurate, too jumpy in the pocket and too often overwhelmed with being a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Not so this pre-season. Yes, it's a small sample size. But in the five drives he's led, Jackson and his offensive teammates have put together an 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive against Baltimore and a nine-play touchdown drive against Seattle. The Tarvaris Jackson of 2007 could never have strung together long drives like that consistently. But he's done it so far in the pre-season and it doesn't look like a case of mere luck. Jackson just looks better.
What's also been encouraging about Jackson's play has been his performance in third-down situations – a weakness for the Vikings offence going on two seasons now. In the Brad Childress era, when the Vikings have been faced with anything more than a third-and-five situation, they have often failed. But in the five drives that Jackson has led, the Vikings are seven-for-seven in third down conversions and six-for-six in third down conversions with Jackson under centre (Canadian spelling alert!). Five of those conversions have been with the Vikings needing six yards or more to get a first down. Again, it's pre-season, but this kind of competence in third-and-long from Jackson was unheard of in 2007. And I don't think it's a mirage. I think we're seeing real improvement, real growth here.
So that's the good news when it comes to Tarvaris Jackson. The bad news? Well. it's the injury thing.
It's been pointed out that Jackson struggled to stay healthy in 2007. He missed four games with a variety of injuries – groin, thumb and concussion. But Jackson's injury history actually goes back to 2006. In his rookie season Jackson hurt his knee and had minor surgery and subsequently missed some action because of it. Childress was not too happy with this at the time, insinuating that the rookie was slow to heal and hadn't yet learned how to practice and play through pain. Now comes the sprained MCL. So is Jackson injury-prone? Soft? Or just unlucky?
One thing that is clear is that Jackson still hasn't learned how to slide safely to the turf and avoid a big hit. When he does do it, his technique is bad. Jackson tends to keep his upper body and head upright far too long on his slides and exposes that part of his body to flying defenders. That's how he got knocked out by Shawne Merriman's knee in the San Diego game last season. And if Jackson continues to slide that way, he'll accumulate a few more concussions and broken bones along the way – perhaps even this season.
For a Vikings team that has Frerotte, Brooks Bollinger and John David Booty as the quarterbacking alternatives if Jackson goes down again, that's a thought that should worry the Vikes coaching staff and fans alike.
How wrong I was. It was only a few minutes later that the Baltimore announcers mentioned Jackson had hurt his knee on a second quarter scramble. Vikings head coach Brad Childress described the injury as little more than a boo-boo during a sideline interview later in the game. But by Sunday the team was admitting Jackson had sprained his MCL. It's not a devastating injury. But it would still be surprising if Jackson plays at all in the Vikings final two pre-season games. And that's a blow for Jackson – who needs all the reps he can get – and a Vikings offence (Canadian spelling alert!) that is still learning what it has in Jackson.
Still, if roughly two quarters of pre-season action is all Jackson gets to play this August, he's at least exhibited signs that he might actually be the Vikings quarterback of the present and the future. Here is what I like about what Jackson has done thus far.
First, there is Jackson's ability to orchestrate long drives. One of the problems the Vikings offence had last season was that if somebody (usually Adrian Peterson) didn't make a big play, the team struggled to score because the offence couldn't churn out those long, 15-play, clock-killing scoring drives. Part of the problem was pass protection. Part of it was having to throw to Troy Williamson and Robert Ferguson on a regular basis. But a large part of it was also because Jackson was too inaccurate, too jumpy in the pocket and too often overwhelmed with being a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Not so this pre-season. Yes, it's a small sample size. But in the five drives he's led, Jackson and his offensive teammates have put together an 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive against Baltimore and a nine-play touchdown drive against Seattle. The Tarvaris Jackson of 2007 could never have strung together long drives like that consistently. But he's done it so far in the pre-season and it doesn't look like a case of mere luck. Jackson just looks better.
What's also been encouraging about Jackson's play has been his performance in third-down situations – a weakness for the Vikings offence going on two seasons now. In the Brad Childress era, when the Vikings have been faced with anything more than a third-and-five situation, they have often failed. But in the five drives that Jackson has led, the Vikings are seven-for-seven in third down conversions and six-for-six in third down conversions with Jackson under centre (Canadian spelling alert!). Five of those conversions have been with the Vikings needing six yards or more to get a first down. Again, it's pre-season, but this kind of competence in third-and-long from Jackson was unheard of in 2007. And I don't think it's a mirage. I think we're seeing real improvement, real growth here.
So that's the good news when it comes to Tarvaris Jackson. The bad news? Well. it's the injury thing.
It's been pointed out that Jackson struggled to stay healthy in 2007. He missed four games with a variety of injuries – groin, thumb and concussion. But Jackson's injury history actually goes back to 2006. In his rookie season Jackson hurt his knee and had minor surgery and subsequently missed some action because of it. Childress was not too happy with this at the time, insinuating that the rookie was slow to heal and hadn't yet learned how to practice and play through pain. Now comes the sprained MCL. So is Jackson injury-prone? Soft? Or just unlucky?
One thing that is clear is that Jackson still hasn't learned how to slide safely to the turf and avoid a big hit. When he does do it, his technique is bad. Jackson tends to keep his upper body and head upright far too long on his slides and exposes that part of his body to flying defenders. That's how he got knocked out by Shawne Merriman's knee in the San Diego game last season. And if Jackson continues to slide that way, he'll accumulate a few more concussions and broken bones along the way – perhaps even this season.
For a Vikings team that has Frerotte, Brooks Bollinger and John David Booty as the quarterbacking alternatives if Jackson goes down again, that's a thought that should worry the Vikes coaching staff and fans alike.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Damn you, NFL Network – part two
Well, it turns out the NFL Network will show the Vikings/Ravens game tonight after all – at 8:30 p.m. (mountain time). I'm waiting to see how Tarvaris Jackson and the Vikings receivers fare against a good Baltimore defence for two quarters.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Damn you, NFL Network
Thanks, NFL Network.
I’m just a guy trying to blog about the Vikings from a place far, far away from the state of Minnesota. I’m depending on your organization to re-broadcast the Vikings pre-season games promptly (read: within 24 hours) being as I can’t watch it live on a Twin Cities affiliate. That's the only way I can make a quick post about what transpired shortly after the game.
Instead, the network is going to show Saturday's Vikings/Ravens game on Monday at 2 p.m. (mountain time) and again on Wednesday at 4 a.m. (mountain time.) This is no good. I’ll be working Monday when the game is first re-broadcast. As for getting up at 4 a.m. on Wednesday to watch a pre-season game? Not happening. So it looks like any observations about Saturday’s game, will be made after I gleaning the stats from the game.
But why do I care about watching and then posting about another meaningless NFL exhibition game? Here’s why.
I’d be watching because I want to see if the Vikings defence rebounds after – let’s face it – a pretty bad effort against the Seahawks last week. It’s one thing when Matt Hasselback – who is a good quarterback – is cutting your first-team defence to shreds. It’s quite another if Troy Smith or Kyle Boller is doing it. A second poor performance could be a cause for concern.
I'd also be watching to see if Leger Douzable has the talent to step in for Jayme Mitchell as a backup defensive end, or if Darius Reynaud or Jaymar Johnson look like legit punt returners, or if Erin Henderson or J. Leman or some other rookie can makeup a bit for the loss of Heath Farwell on special teams. There's not a lot of drama this pre-season as far as position battles go with the Vikings. Most of them are already spoken for. But depth is important – as we've seen this week. If the Vikes find some gold with some of these rookie free agents, the Vikings become a deeper team.
And of course it’s important for Tarvaris Jackson to be solid against the Ravens. Even if Balitmore is playing some sort of vanilla/plain yogurt/bagel with no cream cheese defence, I don’t think it matters. Success breeds more success. If Jackson is hitting his receivers in stride, making good, quick decisions with the football and moving the offence through the air against Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, et al., that’s a heck of a lot better than if Jackson stinks it up against them. Jackson needs to keep playing well – so he can believe in himself, so his teammates can believe in him and so Vikings fans can believe in him.
The march towards Lambeau Field and the season opener continues.
I’m just a guy trying to blog about the Vikings from a place far, far away from the state of Minnesota. I’m depending on your organization to re-broadcast the Vikings pre-season games promptly (read: within 24 hours) being as I can’t watch it live on a Twin Cities affiliate. That's the only way I can make a quick post about what transpired shortly after the game.
Instead, the network is going to show Saturday's Vikings/Ravens game on Monday at 2 p.m. (mountain time) and again on Wednesday at 4 a.m. (mountain time.) This is no good. I’ll be working Monday when the game is first re-broadcast. As for getting up at 4 a.m. on Wednesday to watch a pre-season game? Not happening. So it looks like any observations about Saturday’s game, will be made after I gleaning the stats from the game.
But why do I care about watching and then posting about another meaningless NFL exhibition game? Here’s why.
I’d be watching because I want to see if the Vikings defence rebounds after – let’s face it – a pretty bad effort against the Seahawks last week. It’s one thing when Matt Hasselback – who is a good quarterback – is cutting your first-team defence to shreds. It’s quite another if Troy Smith or Kyle Boller is doing it. A second poor performance could be a cause for concern.
I'd also be watching to see if Leger Douzable has the talent to step in for Jayme Mitchell as a backup defensive end, or if Darius Reynaud or Jaymar Johnson look like legit punt returners, or if Erin Henderson or J. Leman or some other rookie can makeup a bit for the loss of Heath Farwell on special teams. There's not a lot of drama this pre-season as far as position battles go with the Vikings. Most of them are already spoken for. But depth is important – as we've seen this week. If the Vikes find some gold with some of these rookie free agents, the Vikings become a deeper team.
And of course it’s important for Tarvaris Jackson to be solid against the Ravens. Even if Balitmore is playing some sort of vanilla/plain yogurt/bagel with no cream cheese defence, I don’t think it matters. Success breeds more success. If Jackson is hitting his receivers in stride, making good, quick decisions with the football and moving the offence through the air against Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, et al., that’s a heck of a lot better than if Jackson stinks it up against them. Jackson needs to keep playing well – so he can believe in himself, so his teammates can believe in him and so Vikings fans can believe in him.
The march towards Lambeau Field and the season opener continues.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Oh, oh
So much for hoping the injuries to Heath Farwell and Jayme Mitchell would be the most significant the Vikings faced this season. I'll just shut up now.
It's hard to gauge how much this will affect the Vikings defence for the three regular season games Madieu Williams is supposed to be out. I really didn't know much about the ex-Bengal when the Vikings signed him this offseason – except that he was considered one of the best free agent safeties available. The Vikings snapped him up pretty early and gave him a lot of money, so they must think he's okay. One of the reasons the Vikings targeted Williams was because he's thought to be strong in pass coverage. I'm not sure what Tyrell Johnson's strengths are but we're about to find out.
Good to see Chilly and the Vikings being so forthcoming about what is wrong with Williams' neck too. It makes you wonder if the injury is even more serious than they are letting on.
It's hard to gauge how much this will affect the Vikings defence for the three regular season games Madieu Williams is supposed to be out. I really didn't know much about the ex-Bengal when the Vikings signed him this offseason – except that he was considered one of the best free agent safeties available. The Vikings snapped him up pretty early and gave him a lot of money, so they must think he's okay. One of the reasons the Vikings targeted Williams was because he's thought to be strong in pass coverage. I'm not sure what Tyrell Johnson's strengths are but we're about to find out.
Good to see Chilly and the Vikings being so forthcoming about what is wrong with Williams' neck too. It makes you wonder if the injury is even more serious than they are letting on.
Monday, August 11, 2008
What – me worry?
If All-Pro berths were given out based on pre-season performance, Vikings linebacker Heath Farwell would have been named to the NFC’s team the previous two seasons. In exhibition games I’ve watched of recent vintage, Farwell’s all over the place – in a good way – making tackles, sacking the quarterback and doing whatever else one might expect a linebacker to do.
But as the Vikings prepare to make do without Farwell in 2008 after revealing he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in Friday’s 34-17 loss in the pre-season opener against Seattle, let’s not get carried away worrying about what his loss means to the Vikings playoff hopes.
It’s a blow but a minor one. Despite his prowess in exhibition games, the Vikings coaching staff has yet to play Farwell for a single defensive snap during the regular season in his three years with the squad. This was the case even when Dontarrious Thomas was Farwell’s chief competition as the first backup to get the call if regulars E.J. Henderson, Ben Leber and Chad Greenway ever went down.
Of course, Farwell’s made his mark with the Vikes on special teams – not as a linebacker – in his short career. He was the Vikings special team MVP in 2007, so losing him hurts that unit. But, again, let’s not overstate things here. We’re not talking about Devin Hester, a player who returns punts or kick-offs for touchdowns or sets his offence up with a short field with his returns. We’re talking about Heath Farwell. He made 25 special teams tackles last season. He’s very good at what he does but it’s hard to say he was a major contributor to any Vikings wins or losses last season. If this is the most significant loss the Vikings suffer due to injuries this season, the team will be fortunate. And this is coming from a guy who loves what Farwell does for the team.
The same can be said for the other player the Vikings lost Friday night for the rest of the season – defensive end Jayme Mitchell. I know. I know. The Vikings depth at defensive end is not what it is at linebacker. Kenechi Udeze won’t play this year because he’s battling leukemia and Brian Robison is currently out after having surgery on a varicose vein in his calf. Mitchell was being counted on to play a more prominent role at defensive end than he's played his previous two seasons.
Still, Mitchell is a player who was inactive for six games in 2007 and had one sack. Robison should be back before the regular season starts and will slide into the backup role at left end. Rookie free agent Leger Douzable showed some promise Friday night and perhaps he makes the team with Mitchell out of the picture and can play just as well as Mitchell would have. The Vikings can also probably pick up a serviceable backup defensive end when teams make their final cuts later in August. Maybe now they'll re-sign Darrion Scott.
Just kidding.
Seriously though, the loss of Farwell and Mitchell will hurt the Vikings. But not to any large degree. Let’s not worry unnecessarily about it.
Another word (or two) about Tarvaris Jackson
Today, I continue my fixation on the play of Jackson.
Once again, acknowledging that this was pre-season and opposing defences typically use pretty basic alignments and all the other caveats one uses during exhibition games, didn’t Jackson look pretty good Friday night? Didn't he look in command of the offence? Didn't he look like a bonafide NFL starter? He sure didn't look like the same player who produced stat lines like 6-19 for 72 yards in the loss to Dallas last season.
One play this season that should be money every single time – as long as the Vikings don’t overuse it – is the play they ran a few times against the Seahawks where Jackson fakes a hand off to his right and then rolls out left looking to pass.
That is going to be a tough play for opposing defences to have an answer for. You know every potential hand off to Adrian Peterson or Chester Taylor is going to attract a lot of attention. This play takes advantage of the defence flowing in the direction to Peterson and Taylor and then using Jackson’s mobility to go the other way and hit a wide open receiver for a first down. But even if one defender remembers to stay at home and is waiting for Jackson, that's a good thing too. One pump fake by Jackson gets him by that defender and running upfield for positive yardage. If Jackson follows up his strong performance against Seattle with another strong performance against Baltimore, I may even start to get giddy.
But as the Vikings prepare to make do without Farwell in 2008 after revealing he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in Friday’s 34-17 loss in the pre-season opener against Seattle, let’s not get carried away worrying about what his loss means to the Vikings playoff hopes.
It’s a blow but a minor one. Despite his prowess in exhibition games, the Vikings coaching staff has yet to play Farwell for a single defensive snap during the regular season in his three years with the squad. This was the case even when Dontarrious Thomas was Farwell’s chief competition as the first backup to get the call if regulars E.J. Henderson, Ben Leber and Chad Greenway ever went down.
Of course, Farwell’s made his mark with the Vikes on special teams – not as a linebacker – in his short career. He was the Vikings special team MVP in 2007, so losing him hurts that unit. But, again, let’s not overstate things here. We’re not talking about Devin Hester, a player who returns punts or kick-offs for touchdowns or sets his offence up with a short field with his returns. We’re talking about Heath Farwell. He made 25 special teams tackles last season. He’s very good at what he does but it’s hard to say he was a major contributor to any Vikings wins or losses last season. If this is the most significant loss the Vikings suffer due to injuries this season, the team will be fortunate. And this is coming from a guy who loves what Farwell does for the team.
The same can be said for the other player the Vikings lost Friday night for the rest of the season – defensive end Jayme Mitchell. I know. I know. The Vikings depth at defensive end is not what it is at linebacker. Kenechi Udeze won’t play this year because he’s battling leukemia and Brian Robison is currently out after having surgery on a varicose vein in his calf. Mitchell was being counted on to play a more prominent role at defensive end than he's played his previous two seasons.
Still, Mitchell is a player who was inactive for six games in 2007 and had one sack. Robison should be back before the regular season starts and will slide into the backup role at left end. Rookie free agent Leger Douzable showed some promise Friday night and perhaps he makes the team with Mitchell out of the picture and can play just as well as Mitchell would have. The Vikings can also probably pick up a serviceable backup defensive end when teams make their final cuts later in August. Maybe now they'll re-sign Darrion Scott.
Just kidding.
Seriously though, the loss of Farwell and Mitchell will hurt the Vikings. But not to any large degree. Let’s not worry unnecessarily about it.
Another word (or two) about Tarvaris Jackson
Today, I continue my fixation on the play of Jackson.
Once again, acknowledging that this was pre-season and opposing defences typically use pretty basic alignments and all the other caveats one uses during exhibition games, didn’t Jackson look pretty good Friday night? Didn't he look in command of the offence? Didn't he look like a bonafide NFL starter? He sure didn't look like the same player who produced stat lines like 6-19 for 72 yards in the loss to Dallas last season.
One play this season that should be money every single time – as long as the Vikings don’t overuse it – is the play they ran a few times against the Seahawks where Jackson fakes a hand off to his right and then rolls out left looking to pass.
That is going to be a tough play for opposing defences to have an answer for. You know every potential hand off to Adrian Peterson or Chester Taylor is going to attract a lot of attention. This play takes advantage of the defence flowing in the direction to Peterson and Taylor and then using Jackson’s mobility to go the other way and hit a wide open receiver for a first down. But even if one defender remembers to stay at home and is waiting for Jackson, that's a good thing too. One pump fake by Jackson gets him by that defender and running upfield for positive yardage. If Jackson follows up his strong performance against Seattle with another strong performance against Baltimore, I may even start to get giddy.
Friday, August 08, 2008
Brett who?
A few observations about tonight's 34-17 loss to Seattle.
Earlier on Friday I wrote that Tarvaris Jackson had to show Vikings fans something this pre-season and that it would be a good idea for head coach Brad Childress to play his starting quarterback a lot and have him throw the ball a lot.
Well, consider it mission accomplished after one game. Jackson played a quarter and a bit, Childress called pass plays on virtually every snap while Jackson was in there and T-Jack led the Vikings to two touchdown drives with absolutely no assistance from Adrian Peterson. There were a couple of throws where Jackson's mechanics were out of whack and he still throws an awkward deep ball but he looked like a confident and poised quarterback against Seattle. Perhaps Chilly and his teammates weren't blowing smoke with all those nice things they've been saying about Jackson during training camp. Brett who?
I think Bernard Berrian is going to be asset for the Vikings.
Obviously, the Vikings run defence isn't quite the same when Pat Williams doesn't play.
I wasn't very impressed with the play of the Vikings corners. But, taking the glass is half full approach, it's still early.
Visanthe Shiancoe – please learn to hold onto the ball.
Poor Brooks Bollinger. Here he is, fighting with John David Booty for a roster spot and two plays into his first series, his running back Albert Young fumbles and the Seahawks recover. Next series, five plays in, Bollinger is stripped of the ball. The Seahawks recover. Was he in the game when Maurice Hicks fumbled on the first play of the next Vikings offensive series? I can't remember.
On the other hand, Booty wasn't all that impressive either.
Vikings special teams ace Heath Farwell gets carted off the field with a knee injury. I don't like that.
Bubble players that looked good: Rookie linebacker Erin Henderson was pretty impressive. Hard to believe this guy didn't get drafted. I thought second-year linebacker Rufus Alexander and rookie wide receiver/return man Darius Reynaud showed some things as well. Reynaud's got wheels and Alexander's a tackling machine.
I was impressed with the NFL Network's Mike Mayock and his work Friday night as the Vikings colour commentator during the first half (the NFL Network switched to the Seahawks broadcast team in the second half, which includes ex-Vikings QB Warren Moon). Mayock's very knowledgeable about the game. You learn things listening to him – like how a cornerback's body should be positioned while defending a pass. He lapses into footballese sometimes but that's a forgivable sin in my view. I think I'm going to enjoy listening to him call the other Vikings pre-season games.
Well, that's it for now. I might be back with more analysis about the game this weekend. But I'm not convinced anymore analysis is needed. Even though the Vikings lost by 17, Tarvaris Jackson looked good. That was Vikings fans main concern. Let's see if he can build on this against Baltimore.
Earlier on Friday I wrote that Tarvaris Jackson had to show Vikings fans something this pre-season and that it would be a good idea for head coach Brad Childress to play his starting quarterback a lot and have him throw the ball a lot.
Well, consider it mission accomplished after one game. Jackson played a quarter and a bit, Childress called pass plays on virtually every snap while Jackson was in there and T-Jack led the Vikings to two touchdown drives with absolutely no assistance from Adrian Peterson. There were a couple of throws where Jackson's mechanics were out of whack and he still throws an awkward deep ball but he looked like a confident and poised quarterback against Seattle. Perhaps Chilly and his teammates weren't blowing smoke with all those nice things they've been saying about Jackson during training camp. Brett who?
I think Bernard Berrian is going to be asset for the Vikings.
Obviously, the Vikings run defence isn't quite the same when Pat Williams doesn't play.
I wasn't very impressed with the play of the Vikings corners. But, taking the glass is half full approach, it's still early.
Visanthe Shiancoe – please learn to hold onto the ball.
Poor Brooks Bollinger. Here he is, fighting with John David Booty for a roster spot and two plays into his first series, his running back Albert Young fumbles and the Seahawks recover. Next series, five plays in, Bollinger is stripped of the ball. The Seahawks recover. Was he in the game when Maurice Hicks fumbled on the first play of the next Vikings offensive series? I can't remember.
On the other hand, Booty wasn't all that impressive either.
Vikings special teams ace Heath Farwell gets carted off the field with a knee injury. I don't like that.
Bubble players that looked good: Rookie linebacker Erin Henderson was pretty impressive. Hard to believe this guy didn't get drafted. I thought second-year linebacker Rufus Alexander and rookie wide receiver/return man Darius Reynaud showed some things as well. Reynaud's got wheels and Alexander's a tackling machine.
I was impressed with the NFL Network's Mike Mayock and his work Friday night as the Vikings colour commentator during the first half (the NFL Network switched to the Seahawks broadcast team in the second half, which includes ex-Vikings QB Warren Moon). Mayock's very knowledgeable about the game. You learn things listening to him – like how a cornerback's body should be positioned while defending a pass. He lapses into footballese sometimes but that's a forgivable sin in my view. I think I'm going to enjoy listening to him call the other Vikings pre-season games.
Well, that's it for now. I might be back with more analysis about the game this weekend. But I'm not convinced anymore analysis is needed. Even though the Vikings lost by 17, Tarvaris Jackson looked good. That was Vikings fans main concern. Let's see if he can build on this against Baltimore.
The dog days of August
August is an inconvenient time to be a blogger following the Minnesota Vikings when you live outside the state of Minnesota.
During the regular season I can order NFL Sunday Ticket from my satellite TV provider and watch every Vikings game live. During the preseason – not so much. While Vikings fans living in Minnesota or the general vicinity will get to watch the team’s pre-season opener tonight against Seattle at 6 p.m. (mountain time) on their local affiliate, I’ll have to wait till 9:30 p.m. (mountain time) to catch the replay of the game on the NFL Network. And that’s the way it’s going to be for all of the Vikings pre-season games this month – except for the nationally televised game against Pittsburgh on Aug. 23. So please don’t be too hard on me if I’m a bit tardy with the post-game analysis this month. It can’t be avoided.
That’s assuming there will be anything worth analyzing from tonight’s game or any of the other pre-season games. The Vikings starters won’t get much extended action except for the Steelers game and that’s means we’ll be seeing a lot of Albert Young and Leger Douzable.
Still, that doesn’t mean Vikings fans can’t learn anything from these preseason games. Here are a few players to pay attention to.
Tyrell Johnson: There’s an expectation (on my part anyway) that the Vikings top pick in the 2007 draft will replace Darren Sharper in 2009. But he’s a rookie and we don’t know much about him. Is he more of a run stopping safety? Is he a better pass defender? This month we’ll start finding out what the Vikings might have in Johnson. I always find that exciting, and scary, all at once.
John David Booty: I never paid much attention to Booty when he played at USC. I’ll be paying attention now. Tarvaris Jackson makes me very, very nervous. I’d feel better about the Vikings long-term prospects if there was another potential “quarterback of the future” on the roster. Booty’s a fifth-round draft pick but he’s used to playing in big games against big schools possessing big talent. We’ll see.
All the new blood: Actually, I’m usually pretty enthused about all the draftees and rookie free agents the Vikings bring in every training camp. If the Vikings have done a good job scouting, some of these no-names will become familiar names in a couple of months. Does John Sullivan look like he can play centre in the NFL? Is linebacker Erin Henderson as good as advertised? And what about this Nate Jones guy whose name keeps popping up when I read the training camp blogs? John Randle was an undrafted free agent. So was Robert Griffith. There’s always wheat amongst the chaff.
Aundrae Allison: I don’t know what it is, but there’s just something I like about Allison. When he touches the ball he’s got that burst (which is a word I really hate hearing when football people use it, but it applies to Allison). He was a little loose with the football as a rookie but if he’s gotten a bit stronger and improved his technique and knowledge of the pro game, he could help the Vikings not only in the return game but the passing game.
Marcus McCauley: Remember how good we kept hearing McCauley was at last year’s training camp? We didn’t see that player during the 2007 regular season. McCauley won’t play tonight due to injury. But when he does play, I’ll be looking to see if he’s gotten better or if he’s content to let opponents catch passes in front of him and then attempt to tackle them, which is basically what he did last year.
Ray Edwards and Kevin Williams: We’ve all heard about what Jared Allen is going to do for the Vikings pass rush. He’ll sack the quarterback plenty and draw double-teams that will make his linemates better. So I’ve got high hopes for Edwards. I think he’s going to have a nice year playing left end with Allen around. In other news, have you noticed Kevin Williams hasn’t been a pass rushing force in three seasons? Maybe Allen’s presence reverses that trend.
Tarvaris Jackson: I know I’m beating a dead horse here. I can’t help it. Jackson has to show us something in the pre-season. Last year I felt the Vikings staff really babied Jackson during the preseason. He didn’t get nearly enough snaps and Brad Childress and his offensive staff were over-protective to the point that Jackson was as unprepared to be a starting quarterback in the NFL as one could expect a second-year player to be.
That can’t happen this year. The Vikings are playing some quality defences this pre-season and Jackson should be throwing – a lot – against those quality defences. The running game will be fine. It’s the passing game that needs work. Jackson needs to establish a relationship with his receivers. He needs to improve his pocket presence. He needs to do a lot of things. Pre-season is the time to work on this stuff. Chilly, I beg of you, give Jackson the proper reps. Let him air it out.
On Deck: Pre-season post mortem
During the regular season I can order NFL Sunday Ticket from my satellite TV provider and watch every Vikings game live. During the preseason – not so much. While Vikings fans living in Minnesota or the general vicinity will get to watch the team’s pre-season opener tonight against Seattle at 6 p.m. (mountain time) on their local affiliate, I’ll have to wait till 9:30 p.m. (mountain time) to catch the replay of the game on the NFL Network. And that’s the way it’s going to be for all of the Vikings pre-season games this month – except for the nationally televised game against Pittsburgh on Aug. 23. So please don’t be too hard on me if I’m a bit tardy with the post-game analysis this month. It can’t be avoided.
That’s assuming there will be anything worth analyzing from tonight’s game or any of the other pre-season games. The Vikings starters won’t get much extended action except for the Steelers game and that’s means we’ll be seeing a lot of Albert Young and Leger Douzable.
Still, that doesn’t mean Vikings fans can’t learn anything from these preseason games. Here are a few players to pay attention to.
Tyrell Johnson: There’s an expectation (on my part anyway) that the Vikings top pick in the 2007 draft will replace Darren Sharper in 2009. But he’s a rookie and we don’t know much about him. Is he more of a run stopping safety? Is he a better pass defender? This month we’ll start finding out what the Vikings might have in Johnson. I always find that exciting, and scary, all at once.
John David Booty: I never paid much attention to Booty when he played at USC. I’ll be paying attention now. Tarvaris Jackson makes me very, very nervous. I’d feel better about the Vikings long-term prospects if there was another potential “quarterback of the future” on the roster. Booty’s a fifth-round draft pick but he’s used to playing in big games against big schools possessing big talent. We’ll see.
All the new blood: Actually, I’m usually pretty enthused about all the draftees and rookie free agents the Vikings bring in every training camp. If the Vikings have done a good job scouting, some of these no-names will become familiar names in a couple of months. Does John Sullivan look like he can play centre in the NFL? Is linebacker Erin Henderson as good as advertised? And what about this Nate Jones guy whose name keeps popping up when I read the training camp blogs? John Randle was an undrafted free agent. So was Robert Griffith. There’s always wheat amongst the chaff.
Aundrae Allison: I don’t know what it is, but there’s just something I like about Allison. When he touches the ball he’s got that burst (which is a word I really hate hearing when football people use it, but it applies to Allison). He was a little loose with the football as a rookie but if he’s gotten a bit stronger and improved his technique and knowledge of the pro game, he could help the Vikings not only in the return game but the passing game.
Marcus McCauley: Remember how good we kept hearing McCauley was at last year’s training camp? We didn’t see that player during the 2007 regular season. McCauley won’t play tonight due to injury. But when he does play, I’ll be looking to see if he’s gotten better or if he’s content to let opponents catch passes in front of him and then attempt to tackle them, which is basically what he did last year.
Ray Edwards and Kevin Williams: We’ve all heard about what Jared Allen is going to do for the Vikings pass rush. He’ll sack the quarterback plenty and draw double-teams that will make his linemates better. So I’ve got high hopes for Edwards. I think he’s going to have a nice year playing left end with Allen around. In other news, have you noticed Kevin Williams hasn’t been a pass rushing force in three seasons? Maybe Allen’s presence reverses that trend.
Tarvaris Jackson: I know I’m beating a dead horse here. I can’t help it. Jackson has to show us something in the pre-season. Last year I felt the Vikings staff really babied Jackson during the preseason. He didn’t get nearly enough snaps and Brad Childress and his offensive staff were over-protective to the point that Jackson was as unprepared to be a starting quarterback in the NFL as one could expect a second-year player to be.
That can’t happen this year. The Vikings are playing some quality defences this pre-season and Jackson should be throwing – a lot – against those quality defences. The running game will be fine. It’s the passing game that needs work. Jackson needs to establish a relationship with his receivers. He needs to improve his pocket presence. He needs to do a lot of things. Pre-season is the time to work on this stuff. Chilly, I beg of you, give Jackson the proper reps. Let him air it out.
On Deck: Pre-season post mortem
Thursday, August 07, 2008
T-Jack or bust
Congratulations, Eric Mangini and the New York Jets. You were going nowhere with Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens as your quarterbacks. Now you've swung a trade for a Hall of Fame quarterback coming off a stellar 2007 season and have given the Jets a chance to be relevant again.
Congratulations, grudgingly, also goes out to Ted Thompson, Mike McCarthy and the Green Bay Packers. It was messy. But with seemingly no leverage, your organization got rid of a huge distraction before you played your first preseason game, you kept that huge distraction from landing with a division or conference rival and even managed to wrangle a draft pick out of another team in the process.
As for the Minnesota Vikings – no congratulations are in order, just muted disappointment that with Brett Favre reportedly pining to play for the Vikes, the team's management couldn't get something done.
However, it's hard to fault the Vikings - although some will try – for how this went down. It's clear now there was no way the Packers were going to trade Favre to Minnesota and allow a fired-up legend the opportunity to beat his old team twice a year. The only way the Vikes could have landed Favre was if the Packers were forced to release him. But that would have meant there was no team interested in his services and willing to trade for him. Unfortunately for the Vikings, the quarterbacking is not that good in the NFL.
So once again, it's all on Tarvaris Jackson. And I get the sense a lot of Vikings fans are alright with that. There never seemed to be much enthusiasm from the fan base about the possibility of acquiring Favre. He would have been a hired gun and what's more, he wasn't one of our guys.
But Tarvaris Jackson – big, fat ugly warts and all – is one of our guys. The Vikings drafted him. Brad Childress is committed to developing him. And if the Vikings are successful with Jackson lining up under centre, I suspect the team's fans will be more at peace with that than if the Vikings were successful with Favre as the starting quarterback.
But whether Jackson can be successful is the big unknown for the Vikings. And what's bothersome is that in his two previous seasons with the team, there's no one game where you can point to and say, "That's the game where Jackson put it all together." There's been flashes – like the fourth quarter in the 2007 season finale against Denver, or the first half against the 49ers – where Jackson's looked surprisingly competent. But that's all it's been, flashes.
On the flip side, Vikings fans have seen several games in their entirety, like T-Jack's four interception performance in week two against Detroit, where he's looked no better than Gino Torretta. As of right now, there is little evidence that Jackson will be a great, good or even an average NFL quarterback. And with a playoff calibre team that is solid at just about every other position, that should be a much more unsettling thought for Vikings fans than the possibility that Brett Favre wanted to wear a Vikings uniform.
On Deck: What to watch for in August.
Congratulations, grudgingly, also goes out to Ted Thompson, Mike McCarthy and the Green Bay Packers. It was messy. But with seemingly no leverage, your organization got rid of a huge distraction before you played your first preseason game, you kept that huge distraction from landing with a division or conference rival and even managed to wrangle a draft pick out of another team in the process.
As for the Minnesota Vikings – no congratulations are in order, just muted disappointment that with Brett Favre reportedly pining to play for the Vikes, the team's management couldn't get something done.
However, it's hard to fault the Vikings - although some will try – for how this went down. It's clear now there was no way the Packers were going to trade Favre to Minnesota and allow a fired-up legend the opportunity to beat his old team twice a year. The only way the Vikes could have landed Favre was if the Packers were forced to release him. But that would have meant there was no team interested in his services and willing to trade for him. Unfortunately for the Vikings, the quarterbacking is not that good in the NFL.
So once again, it's all on Tarvaris Jackson. And I get the sense a lot of Vikings fans are alright with that. There never seemed to be much enthusiasm from the fan base about the possibility of acquiring Favre. He would have been a hired gun and what's more, he wasn't one of our guys.
But Tarvaris Jackson – big, fat ugly warts and all – is one of our guys. The Vikings drafted him. Brad Childress is committed to developing him. And if the Vikings are successful with Jackson lining up under centre, I suspect the team's fans will be more at peace with that than if the Vikings were successful with Favre as the starting quarterback.
But whether Jackson can be successful is the big unknown for the Vikings. And what's bothersome is that in his two previous seasons with the team, there's no one game where you can point to and say, "That's the game where Jackson put it all together." There's been flashes – like the fourth quarter in the 2007 season finale against Denver, or the first half against the 49ers – where Jackson's looked surprisingly competent. But that's all it's been, flashes.
On the flip side, Vikings fans have seen several games in their entirety, like T-Jack's four interception performance in week two against Detroit, where he's looked no better than Gino Torretta. As of right now, there is little evidence that Jackson will be a great, good or even an average NFL quarterback. And with a playoff calibre team that is solid at just about every other position, that should be a much more unsettling thought for Vikings fans than the possibility that Brett Favre wanted to wear a Vikings uniform.
On Deck: What to watch for in August.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Not...gonna...do...it
It's a holiday weekend here in Canada and there have been some updates to the Brett Favre drama but nothing concrete involving the Vikings. Because so many of those updates are stories based on information from various shadowy figures, I'm going to try to stay away from posting about them until either Favre is traded somewhere or not. Only then will I have an opinion – I think.
Anyone who reads this blog regularly has Internet access and so you know just as well as I do what's the latest news on Number 4. In the meantime, I'll be attempting to write some posts this week about other pressing issues for the Vikings that are not Favre-related. There has to be a few of those? Right?
One of the posts will hopefully be an update on the Vikings linebacker and defensive back situation, which I've only been trying to write about since January. Another could be about the difficulty in assessing the Vikings preseason performance when you don't live in the Minnesota area and can't watch all their games, in what some people like to refer to these days as "real time". I'll also be writing about what Vikings fans should be looking for – if anything – when the Vikes play their first preseason game against Seattle this week.
And if this report turns out to be legit, it could be an indication as to what kind of punishment NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is going to hand out to Viking left tackle Bryant McKinnie.
Anyone who reads this blog regularly has Internet access and so you know just as well as I do what's the latest news on Number 4. In the meantime, I'll be attempting to write some posts this week about other pressing issues for the Vikings that are not Favre-related. There has to be a few of those? Right?
One of the posts will hopefully be an update on the Vikings linebacker and defensive back situation, which I've only been trying to write about since January. Another could be about the difficulty in assessing the Vikings preseason performance when you don't live in the Minnesota area and can't watch all their games, in what some people like to refer to these days as "real time". I'll also be writing about what Vikings fans should be looking for – if anything – when the Vikes play their first preseason game against Seattle this week.
And if this report turns out to be legit, it could be an indication as to what kind of punishment NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is going to hand out to Viking left tackle Bryant McKinnie.
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