ESPN's Kevin Seifert isn't so sure, but I think Brett Favre is done.
Yes, we likely won't know for sure until late August, but here is why I'm convinced Favre will retire and stay retired this time.
1. At the age of 40, he had perhaps the finest statistical season of his career.
2. His play was greatly responsible for the Vikings 12-4 record, NFC North divisional crown and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
3. By playing as well as he did, he removed the stain of his one, disappointing year with the New York Jets, a year that had many fans and experts claiming he was done.
4. He beat his old team, the Green Bay Packers, twice and played about as well as a quarterback could possibly play in both games.
In short, I think Favre accomplished just about all of that he set out to do when he unretired for a second time this summer – except for winning that Super Bowl championship.
So, ask yourself, where is the upside for Favre in coming back for another year? Could he possibly play any better? Could he help the Vikings beat the Packers twice again next year? Could he win that Super Bowl with a team that might not have Pat Williams, E.J. Henderson and Cedric Griffin next year?
No, I think Favre will walk away for good his time. He may have enjoyed his Viking teammates and he really seemed to enjoy slapping Jared Allen hard on the ass, but he's got nothing invested in the Vikings. They were a means to an end for him. A vessel he used to redeem himself and further buff up that bust for Canton.
I don't begrudge him for that – it certainly worked out pretty well for the Vikings. But what it does mean is that the Vikings are back to where they've been every year since Daunte Culpepper's knee was shredded in Carolina in 2005.
They are left looking for a long-term solution at the game's most important position. They are looking for their quarterback of the future. And they are looking for it in a division with Aaron Rodgers (a legit star), Jay Cutler (a fallen star, but one with a lot of talent who can't possibly play worse than he did in 2009) and Matt Stafford (who looks like a potential star.)
The Vikings still have a lot of talent. But can they reach the heights they did this season and seriously challenge for a Super Bowl with Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels as their starting quarterback?
Probably not.
But we're Viking fans. So we'll trick ourselves into believing it.
R.I.P. PV
Geez, some people take these losses pretty hard.
Joe Fischer, the mastermind behind the wonderful Pacifist Viking blog claims he's done.
I hope it isn't true.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
The end
Dear Vikings fans:
Let us not grind our teeth about the two brutal calls in overtime by Peter Morelli's officiating crew (the Ben Leber pass interference call/upholding the ruling that Robert Meachem, indeed, made that second-and-14 catch) in Sunday's devastating 31-28 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
And let us not stew over the last three plays calls as the Vikings were driving for a game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter, or the offence's mistake-prone ways, which contributed plenty to yet another Vikings loss in an NFC Championship game.
Instead, let me throw out this hypothetical situation to all of you.
Let's say the god of professional football came to you tonight and offered you two choices regarding your favorite NFL franchise.
The choices were:
1. A guarantee that from now until as long as the Vikings exist, they will always be competitive, make regular playoff appearances, regularly win divisional titles and they will occasionally be one of the elite teams in the NFL.
However, in exchange for being regularly good, this god will not guarantee the Vikings will ever win a league championship.
2. No guarantee that the Vikings will be regularly competitive. No guarantee they will not make regular playoff appearances and they may even go through long stretches where they are among the dregs of the league and have no hope of making the playoffs (like the Detroit Lions.)
However, to make up for all the potential suffering and empty Sunday's cheering for the Vikings, this god will guarantee the Vikings will win at least one league championship in your lifetime.
What option would you choose?
After the Vikings lost another NFC Championship game Sunday evening in gut-wrenching fashion, I'm leaning – heavily – towards option #2.
With a winning percentage of .555 – sixth best among NFL franchises – and having made the playoffs in 26 different seasons, the Vikings are often a good, sometimes great, football franchise.
During their history, they have generally been well run and only rarely have they fielded teams that sucked on the magnitude of the 2008-2009 Detroit Lions.
This kind of consistent competitiveness is what fills every Viking fan every August with hope that this year could actually be the year.
But we also know how each year since 1961 has ended – with no Super Bowl or league championship. And so we get to hear from Packer fans, Cowboy fans, Raider fans, Steeler fans, geez, even Buccaneer and Rams fans say, "Well, what has your team ever won?
The Vikings have done it all in the NFL, except the one thing that really matters – winning a Super Bowl – and that drought continues. After today's events, I'm staring to really doubt if they will ever win it.
And that's why, right now, I'd be ready to accept option #2 even if it meant the Vikings went 0-16 every season for the next decade. At least I'd know at some point, despite all that ugliness, I'd finally witness the Vikings winning a Super Bowl.
That's better than what I'm experiencing now.
How about you?
Let us not grind our teeth about the two brutal calls in overtime by Peter Morelli's officiating crew (the Ben Leber pass interference call/upholding the ruling that Robert Meachem, indeed, made that second-and-14 catch) in Sunday's devastating 31-28 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
And let us not stew over the last three plays calls as the Vikings were driving for a game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter, or the offence's mistake-prone ways, which contributed plenty to yet another Vikings loss in an NFC Championship game.
Instead, let me throw out this hypothetical situation to all of you.
Let's say the god of professional football came to you tonight and offered you two choices regarding your favorite NFL franchise.
The choices were:
1. A guarantee that from now until as long as the Vikings exist, they will always be competitive, make regular playoff appearances, regularly win divisional titles and they will occasionally be one of the elite teams in the NFL.
However, in exchange for being regularly good, this god will not guarantee the Vikings will ever win a league championship.
2. No guarantee that the Vikings will be regularly competitive. No guarantee they will not make regular playoff appearances and they may even go through long stretches where they are among the dregs of the league and have no hope of making the playoffs (like the Detroit Lions.)
However, to make up for all the potential suffering and empty Sunday's cheering for the Vikings, this god will guarantee the Vikings will win at least one league championship in your lifetime.
What option would you choose?
After the Vikings lost another NFC Championship game Sunday evening in gut-wrenching fashion, I'm leaning – heavily – towards option #2.
With a winning percentage of .555 – sixth best among NFL franchises – and having made the playoffs in 26 different seasons, the Vikings are often a good, sometimes great, football franchise.
During their history, they have generally been well run and only rarely have they fielded teams that sucked on the magnitude of the 2008-2009 Detroit Lions.
This kind of consistent competitiveness is what fills every Viking fan every August with hope that this year could actually be the year.
But we also know how each year since 1961 has ended – with no Super Bowl or league championship. And so we get to hear from Packer fans, Cowboy fans, Raider fans, Steeler fans, geez, even Buccaneer and Rams fans say, "Well, what has your team ever won?
The Vikings have done it all in the NFL, except the one thing that really matters – winning a Super Bowl – and that drought continues. After today's events, I'm staring to really doubt if they will ever win it.
And that's why, right now, I'd be ready to accept option #2 even if it meant the Vikings went 0-16 every season for the next decade. At least I'd know at some point, despite all that ugliness, I'd finally witness the Vikings winning a Super Bowl.
That's better than what I'm experiencing now.
How about you?
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Your NFC Championship game football post
They're due.
I mean the New Orleans Saints, not the Minnesota Vikings.
With a .421 franchise winning percentage (fifth worst in the NFL) and not even a single Super Bowl appearance in 42 years of existence, there's not much to brag about if you're a Saints fan. In fact, it's probably been miserable existence for you.
But every dog has its day and when I try to think objectively about this game, I keep coming back to the same thought – "they're due."
It just seems like this is the Saints time doesn't it? (At least, it's they're time to reach the Super Bowl. I don't think anyone is stopping Peyton Manning this year.)
They had the best record in the NFC. They will be playing in front of a crowd that will break eardrums, and as it happens, the Vikings have won the last three games against the Saints in the Superdome.
The law of averages is not in the Vikings favor.
Objectively, I think both teams are pretty equal in talent. And you'd have to think any team that can lose to Tampa Bay at home is vulnerable.
The Vikings have the potential to score a lot of points. But can they duplicate their defensive performance from last week's game against Dallas? I doubt it.
It's also time for Adrian Peterson to come to life.
He's become increasingly irrelevant to the Vikings offensive success and he's come up small in several high profile games this year. But he can't do it again on Sunday. I really think Peterson has to have his best game of the season for the Vikings to win this one.
Why? Well, if the Vikings are forced into too many bad down-and-distance situations, and if Brett Favre is forced to throw when the Saints expect him to throw, this game might not be very competitive.
But if Peterson can be the force he hasn't been since, arguably, the season opener, the Vikings will have the balance they need to keep the Saints defence on its heels, keep the crowd out of the game and score enough points to keep up with the Saints.
Oh yeah, Peterson can't put the ball on the ground either. Not once.
So I'll root hard on Sunday. I'll yell loud. I'll stick with routines during the game (how I was sitting, what I was drinking) where I notice the Vikings seem to be successful. And I'll tell myself over and over and over that there is no reason why the Vikings can't win this game and reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 1976.
But again, I don't think the signs are good.
It ends here.
Saints 34 Vikings 21
And for your gaming pleasure ....
If you've got the time and software, why not play Pro Football References' Saints-Vikings Tecmo NFC Championship game?
I mean the New Orleans Saints, not the Minnesota Vikings.
With a .421 franchise winning percentage (fifth worst in the NFL) and not even a single Super Bowl appearance in 42 years of existence, there's not much to brag about if you're a Saints fan. In fact, it's probably been miserable existence for you.
But every dog has its day and when I try to think objectively about this game, I keep coming back to the same thought – "they're due."
It just seems like this is the Saints time doesn't it? (At least, it's they're time to reach the Super Bowl. I don't think anyone is stopping Peyton Manning this year.)
They had the best record in the NFC. They will be playing in front of a crowd that will break eardrums, and as it happens, the Vikings have won the last three games against the Saints in the Superdome.
The law of averages is not in the Vikings favor.
Objectively, I think both teams are pretty equal in talent. And you'd have to think any team that can lose to Tampa Bay at home is vulnerable.
The Vikings have the potential to score a lot of points. But can they duplicate their defensive performance from last week's game against Dallas? I doubt it.
It's also time for Adrian Peterson to come to life.
He's become increasingly irrelevant to the Vikings offensive success and he's come up small in several high profile games this year. But he can't do it again on Sunday. I really think Peterson has to have his best game of the season for the Vikings to win this one.
Why? Well, if the Vikings are forced into too many bad down-and-distance situations, and if Brett Favre is forced to throw when the Saints expect him to throw, this game might not be very competitive.
But if Peterson can be the force he hasn't been since, arguably, the season opener, the Vikings will have the balance they need to keep the Saints defence on its heels, keep the crowd out of the game and score enough points to keep up with the Saints.
Oh yeah, Peterson can't put the ball on the ground either. Not once.
So I'll root hard on Sunday. I'll yell loud. I'll stick with routines during the game (how I was sitting, what I was drinking) where I notice the Vikings seem to be successful. And I'll tell myself over and over and over that there is no reason why the Vikings can't win this game and reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 1976.
But again, I don't think the signs are good.
It ends here.
Saints 34 Vikings 21
And for your gaming pleasure ....
If you've got the time and software, why not play Pro Football References' Saints-Vikings Tecmo NFC Championship game?
Sunday, January 17, 2010
I hope NFL Replay shows the game
I've been snowed under with work the past two weeks, so I missed the Vikings first playoff win in five seasons on Sunday.
So how did it look?
Anyway, we can soak in this victory for a little while, but there are a couple of issues the Vikings will have to resolve positively if they are to beat New Orleans at the Superdome in next week's NFC Championship game and advance to their first Super Bowl since 1976.
1. Can the Vikings front four get enough pressure on Drew Brees?
Brees was sacked 20 times this year. But half of those sacks came in two games. Brees doesn't get sacked very often even though he threw the ball 514 times this year. If he consistently gets time to throw the ball, he could throw for 600 yards against the Vikings secondary.
So whatever Ray Edwards, Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, Brian Robison and Jimmy Kennedy ate before Sunday's game against Dallas, they probably should order the same meal next week.
2. Don't waste opportunities with penalties.
In a game where both offences figure to score some points, the Vikings can't afford to take those maddening offside and false start penalties that turn 1st-and-10s into 1st-and-15s and third-and-fives into third-and-10s. If even a Viking drive or two is scuttled because of penalties, that might be all it takes to lose this one because I don't know how often the Vikings defence is going to stop Drew Brees and the Saints. It should be entertaining though.
Expect another slow week at the blog here. Work ain't slowing down.
So how did it look?
Anyway, we can soak in this victory for a little while, but there are a couple of issues the Vikings will have to resolve positively if they are to beat New Orleans at the Superdome in next week's NFC Championship game and advance to their first Super Bowl since 1976.
1. Can the Vikings front four get enough pressure on Drew Brees?
Brees was sacked 20 times this year. But half of those sacks came in two games. Brees doesn't get sacked very often even though he threw the ball 514 times this year. If he consistently gets time to throw the ball, he could throw for 600 yards against the Vikings secondary.
So whatever Ray Edwards, Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, Brian Robison and Jimmy Kennedy ate before Sunday's game against Dallas, they probably should order the same meal next week.
2. Don't waste opportunities with penalties.
In a game where both offences figure to score some points, the Vikings can't afford to take those maddening offside and false start penalties that turn 1st-and-10s into 1st-and-15s and third-and-fives into third-and-10s. If even a Viking drive or two is scuttled because of penalties, that might be all it takes to lose this one because I don't know how often the Vikings defence is going to stop Drew Brees and the Saints. It should be entertaining though.
Expect another slow week at the blog here. Work ain't slowing down.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Dome field advantage
* ESPN's Kevin Seifert looks at the effect of the Metrodome on opponents during the regular season and playoff time.
* And Football Outsiders looks at the Top 10 tackling cornerbacks in the NFL. Our very own Cedric Griffin makes the cut.
I guess the argument could be made that Griffin isn't so much a great tackler as he still lets a lot of passes get completed in front of him and then makes the tackle.
But my view after watching him all season is Griffin has played pretty well for most of the year – save a few games (the Arizona game comes to mind) where the entire Vikings defence played like crap.
* And Football Outsiders looks at the Top 10 tackling cornerbacks in the NFL. Our very own Cedric Griffin makes the cut.
I guess the argument could be made that Griffin isn't so much a great tackler as he still lets a lot of passes get completed in front of him and then makes the tackle.
But my view after watching him all season is Griffin has played pretty well for most of the year – save a few games (the Arizona game comes to mind) where the entire Vikings defence played like crap.
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Bring it on
If there is a successful head coach in the NFL who’s more lightly regarded than Brad Childress, it’s probably the Dallas Cowboys’ Wade Phillips.
But after the Cowboys handed it to what we’re told is a very good Philadelphia Eagles team in the NFC Wildcard playoff round, Phillips is suddenly getting a lot of respect and so are his Cowboys.
So even though the Vikings won one more game than the Cowboys during the regular season and will host Dallas next Sunday at a stadium where they are 8-0 in 2009/2010, don’t be surprised to see just about everyone (except Viking fans) figuring the Cowboys will win this one.
Personally, I relish the opportunity. It’s a tough matchup for the Vikings. But eventually you are going to have to beat somebody good to win a Super Bowl. The Cowboys are good.
First, some fears about Dallas.
Tony Romo’s mobility makes him a tough guy to sack, which will be annoying at times next week when he escapes the clutches of Jared Allen or Ray Edwards and completes passes against a weak Viking secondary.
And obviously, you don’t want Felix Jones still upright when he gets to the second level of the defence.
But the real concern for me is the Dallas defence. I’ve watched them a few times the past four weeks and if there is a unit playing better in the NFL right now, I’m not aware of it.
The pass rushing abilities of DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer are particularly bothersome. If it was only one guy, you’d figure the Vikings could find a way of dealing with it (although they didn’t against Carolina and Julius Peppers.) But when it’s two guys, that’s a difficult assignment. And nose tackle Jay Ratliff – six sacks and a Pro Bowl selection – is pretty good, too. Bryant McKinnie, Phil Loadholt and John Sullivan will have to have the games of their lives next week.
However, a few things should be noted before anyone automatically sends the white-hot Cowboys to the NFC Championship game.
1. Beware of the team that wins big at home. I’ve seen so many teams over the years look unbeatable at home in the playoffs, then go on the road the next week and get beat – often quite easily.
Winning on the road during the playoffs is not easy in the NFL.
2. It will be even less easy playing in the Metrodome (I refuse to call the place Mall of America Stadium). The crowd will be a factor as long as the game is close and instead of Jason Peters committing false start penalties that benefits the Cowboys D, it could be the Cowboys Flozell Adams committing false start penalties that benefits the Vikings D.
Silly penalties created by Metrodome crowd noise could be a small, but significant, factor that tips the scales in favor of the Vikings in this game.
3. In the Cowboys five losses this season, opposing quarterbacks completed 63.7 per cent of their passes, threw for eight touchdowns and only two interceptions and averaged 255 passing yards per game. Those are pretty good numbers.
The Cowboys can be passed on – provided the opposing offence doesn’t get in too many unfavorable down and distance situations.
Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, Visanthe Shiancoe, Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor and even Bernard Berrian – those names represent a deep and talented receiving corps for Brett Favre to throw to. Somebody will be open. Favre just has to be given enough time to find them.
This is a game that will make me nervous all week. It will likely feature several big plays and it could be brutally physical and tense. But it’s also a game the Vikings are quite capable of winning.
Let’s keep that in mind while the experts talk up the Cowboys this week.
But after the Cowboys handed it to what we’re told is a very good Philadelphia Eagles team in the NFC Wildcard playoff round, Phillips is suddenly getting a lot of respect and so are his Cowboys.
So even though the Vikings won one more game than the Cowboys during the regular season and will host Dallas next Sunday at a stadium where they are 8-0 in 2009/2010, don’t be surprised to see just about everyone (except Viking fans) figuring the Cowboys will win this one.
Personally, I relish the opportunity. It’s a tough matchup for the Vikings. But eventually you are going to have to beat somebody good to win a Super Bowl. The Cowboys are good.
First, some fears about Dallas.
Tony Romo’s mobility makes him a tough guy to sack, which will be annoying at times next week when he escapes the clutches of Jared Allen or Ray Edwards and completes passes against a weak Viking secondary.
And obviously, you don’t want Felix Jones still upright when he gets to the second level of the defence.
But the real concern for me is the Dallas defence. I’ve watched them a few times the past four weeks and if there is a unit playing better in the NFL right now, I’m not aware of it.
The pass rushing abilities of DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer are particularly bothersome. If it was only one guy, you’d figure the Vikings could find a way of dealing with it (although they didn’t against Carolina and Julius Peppers.) But when it’s two guys, that’s a difficult assignment. And nose tackle Jay Ratliff – six sacks and a Pro Bowl selection – is pretty good, too. Bryant McKinnie, Phil Loadholt and John Sullivan will have to have the games of their lives next week.
However, a few things should be noted before anyone automatically sends the white-hot Cowboys to the NFC Championship game.
1. Beware of the team that wins big at home. I’ve seen so many teams over the years look unbeatable at home in the playoffs, then go on the road the next week and get beat – often quite easily.
Winning on the road during the playoffs is not easy in the NFL.
2. It will be even less easy playing in the Metrodome (I refuse to call the place Mall of America Stadium). The crowd will be a factor as long as the game is close and instead of Jason Peters committing false start penalties that benefits the Cowboys D, it could be the Cowboys Flozell Adams committing false start penalties that benefits the Vikings D.
Silly penalties created by Metrodome crowd noise could be a small, but significant, factor that tips the scales in favor of the Vikings in this game.
3. In the Cowboys five losses this season, opposing quarterbacks completed 63.7 per cent of their passes, threw for eight touchdowns and only two interceptions and averaged 255 passing yards per game. Those are pretty good numbers.
The Cowboys can be passed on – provided the opposing offence doesn’t get in too many unfavorable down and distance situations.
Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, Visanthe Shiancoe, Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor and even Bernard Berrian – those names represent a deep and talented receiving corps for Brett Favre to throw to. Somebody will be open. Favre just has to be given enough time to find them.
This is a game that will make me nervous all week. It will likely feature several big plays and it could be brutally physical and tense. But it’s also a game the Vikings are quite capable of winning.
Let’s keep that in mind while the experts talk up the Cowboys this week.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Better Harvin than Heyward-Bey
* It's old news now, but Percy Harvin is your Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Keeping in mind how far Harvin dropped in the first round of last April's draft, here is a refresher on how the first round went down.
I cringe when I think that some draft analysts had the Vikings considering Darrius Heyward-Bey (he of the Troy Williamson speed and Troy Williamson hands) as their pick.
* A couple of interesting posts today by ESPN's Kevin Seifert.
In the first, he reports that Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier is interviewing for Buffalo Bills head coaching job.
I've always liked Frazier and I think he is a good coach. However, if I was an owner looking for a new head guy for my football team, I'd ask myself why I was considering a fellow whose defence in 2009 ranked 15th in Football Outsiders' defensive rankings with players like Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Chad Greenway and Antoine Winfield playing for him.
* In the second post, Seifert also analyzes the Vikings and the other NFC North teams here. His points are bang on, particularly the one about how lucky the Vikings were to not sign T.J. Whatshisname.
Keeping in mind how far Harvin dropped in the first round of last April's draft, here is a refresher on how the first round went down.
I cringe when I think that some draft analysts had the Vikings considering Darrius Heyward-Bey (he of the Troy Williamson speed and Troy Williamson hands) as their pick.
* A couple of interesting posts today by ESPN's Kevin Seifert.
In the first, he reports that Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier is interviewing for Buffalo Bills head coaching job.
I've always liked Frazier and I think he is a good coach. However, if I was an owner looking for a new head guy for my football team, I'd ask myself why I was considering a fellow whose defence in 2009 ranked 15th in Football Outsiders' defensive rankings with players like Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Chad Greenway and Antoine Winfield playing for him.
* In the second post, Seifert also analyzes the Vikings and the other NFC North teams here. His points are bang on, particularly the one about how lucky the Vikings were to not sign T.J. Whatshisname.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Will the Favre move be considered a success even without a Super Bowl victory?
ESPN's Kevin Seifert examines that question in this post and determines, that, yes, the move will be a success if Favre even leads the Vikings to the NFC Championship game.
Some Vikings fans might disagree. After all, there surely is some debate that Favre's great play – and the Vikings great season – hurts the team in the long run because Favre's a short-term answer to a question that requires a long-term answer.
For example, if Tarvaris Jackson is the starting quarterback in 2009, with the way the defence has played, maybe the Vikings finish 7-9 or 8-8, which would be disappointing. But that kind of record would give the Vikings a decent shot at drafting a Sam Bradford or Colt McCoy – two potential franchise quarterbacks expected to be picked early in the first round of this April's college draft.
But with a 12-4 record, they won't have a shot at any of those guys now and so some might think only a Super Bowl victory makes acquiring Favre worthwhile.
It's an interesting way to look at it. Personally, I'm more than okay with how the Favre acquisition has turned out, long-term ramifications be damned.
* Meanwhile, Judd Zulgad writes about a topic that never goes away – the possibility of the Vikings leaving Minnesota for Los Angeles.
Maybe the Los Angeles group isn't targeting the Vikings to move there. But that doesn't mean Zygi Wilf won't target Los Angeles as the expiry date on the Metrodome lease in 2011 gets closer.
That seems especially likely if you read about the Vikings financial situation in this post.
Some Vikings fans might disagree. After all, there surely is some debate that Favre's great play – and the Vikings great season – hurts the team in the long run because Favre's a short-term answer to a question that requires a long-term answer.
For example, if Tarvaris Jackson is the starting quarterback in 2009, with the way the defence has played, maybe the Vikings finish 7-9 or 8-8, which would be disappointing. But that kind of record would give the Vikings a decent shot at drafting a Sam Bradford or Colt McCoy – two potential franchise quarterbacks expected to be picked early in the first round of this April's college draft.
But with a 12-4 record, they won't have a shot at any of those guys now and so some might think only a Super Bowl victory makes acquiring Favre worthwhile.
It's an interesting way to look at it. Personally, I'm more than okay with how the Favre acquisition has turned out, long-term ramifications be damned.
* Meanwhile, Judd Zulgad writes about a topic that never goes away – the possibility of the Vikings leaving Minnesota for Los Angeles.
Maybe the Los Angeles group isn't targeting the Vikings to move there. But that doesn't mean Zygi Wilf won't target Los Angeles as the expiry date on the Metrodome lease in 2011 gets closer.
That seems especially likely if you read about the Vikings financial situation in this post.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Take your pick
The Vikings get a week off after all and when they play their divisional round playoff game in two weeks, they will face the highest remaining seed left in the NFC.
So a matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles (the number six seed) is out – the Eagles will play the Saints if they advance on Wild Card weekend. But games against the Arizona Cardinals, the Dallas Cowboys and .... wait for it .... the Green Bay Packers, are all possibilities.
Here's a Twitter-like breakdown of the Vikings three potential divisional round opponents.
Dallas Cowboys
• The defence is beastly and Miles Austin against our secondary scares the shit out of me.
• On the other hand, Wade Phillips is the Cowboys head coach.
Green Bay Packers
• Since Mark Tauscher unretired and took over at right tackle seven games ago, Aaron Rodgers has been sacked just seven times.
• Oh yeah, the Packers are 6-1 during that span.
Arizona Cardinals
• Ladies and gentlemen, your 2009 Bipolar Team of the Year.
• One week they smack around a 10-1 team (the Vikings.) Another week they get smacked around by a mediocre team (the 49ers.) I can't figure these guys out.
None of these opponents will be easy ones for the Vikings and the Vikes might be considered the underdog in all three.
But of all three, I cringe the most thinking of another matchup against the Packers.
It's difficult to beat a team three times in one season in the NFL and the Packers biggest weakness – pass protection – doesn't appear to be the issue it was when they last played the Vikings.
The Packers are playing as well as any team right now. A loss to them in the playoffs would really blow.
Who do you think the Vikings match up the best with and the worst with?
So a matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles (the number six seed) is out – the Eagles will play the Saints if they advance on Wild Card weekend. But games against the Arizona Cardinals, the Dallas Cowboys and .... wait for it .... the Green Bay Packers, are all possibilities.
Here's a Twitter-like breakdown of the Vikings three potential divisional round opponents.
Dallas Cowboys
• The defence is beastly and Miles Austin against our secondary scares the shit out of me.
• On the other hand, Wade Phillips is the Cowboys head coach.
Green Bay Packers
• Since Mark Tauscher unretired and took over at right tackle seven games ago, Aaron Rodgers has been sacked just seven times.
• Oh yeah, the Packers are 6-1 during that span.
Arizona Cardinals
• Ladies and gentlemen, your 2009 Bipolar Team of the Year.
• One week they smack around a 10-1 team (the Vikings.) Another week they get smacked around by a mediocre team (the 49ers.) I can't figure these guys out.
None of these opponents will be easy ones for the Vikings and the Vikes might be considered the underdog in all three.
But of all three, I cringe the most thinking of another matchup against the Packers.
It's difficult to beat a team three times in one season in the NFL and the Packers biggest weakness – pass protection – doesn't appear to be the issue it was when they last played the Vikings.
The Packers are playing as well as any team right now. A loss to them in the playoffs would really blow.
Who do you think the Vikings match up the best with and the worst with?
44-7!
The New York Giants offered no resistance to the Vikings in Sunday’s 44-7 beatdown, so it’s difficult to assess if the Vikings are back or if they just beat up on a team that didn’t want to be there and was missing a number of starters because of injuries.
But that’s a debate for another day. What we know right now is that if the Philadelphia Eagles lose to Dallas, the Vikings get the number two playoff seed, a week off and would only have to win two games to reach the Super Bowl – both of which would be played indoors, on turf and (if New Orleans loses its divisional round game) in the Metrodome.
As Pacifist Viking points out, the Vikings have been deadly on turf. Their Super Bowl chances are greatly enhanced if they don’t have to play on grass and are really enhanced if they play at home, where the offensive production has been superb and where opposing offences have to worry about crowd noise and false starts and all that stuff, not the other way around.
So while we all wait to see how the Cowboys-Eagles game goes, here are some thoughts on the Vikings after the win over the Giants.
12-4
Twelve win seasons are not easy to get. The Vikings 12-4 record is only the sixth time in 48 seasons the franchise has had 12 wins or more. Outside of the 15-1 team in 1998, this is the best Vikings regular season record since the 1975 Vikings went 12-2.
Brett Favre
Four touchdown passes, 316 passing yards, a season high 148.7 quarterback rating and no interceptions – and all of this was done in three quarters of action. Favre doesn’t look like a player who is fading right now.
If the Vikings flame out in this year’s playoffs, I’m confident it won’t be because of Favre.
Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin
The amazing thing about Rice is even when he isn’t open, he’s open. He’s got great body control, great hands and great leaping ability, which allows him to make difficult catches, often by jumping over or around defenders.
As for Harvin, last week against the Bears, I remember he caught a screen pass from Favre and was tackled for no gain. Now why do I remember that play? Because it’s the first time I’ve seen Harvin go down on first contact all season.
We all knew Harvin was fast. But what we didn’t realize is how tough he is. The first defender never brings him down.
Adrian Peterson
Did anybody find it odd Peterson didn’t touch the ball on the Vikings first drive? ESPN’s Kevin Seifert did.
Jasper Brinkley
We didn’t hear much positive or negative about Brinkley in this game because the Vikings won so easily, but it seems the rookie middle linebacker is viewed as a key reason for the Vikings defensive failings of late.
I won’t argue that Brinkley has played all that well or that the Vikings don’t miss E.J. Henderson. But what I will argue is that the Vikings problems the past five games aren’t any different than they were when Henderson was playing in the previous 11.
All season long the tackling has often been shoddy, the secondary has routinely been abused, tight ends have too often beaten our linebackers on pass routes downfield and the run defence has been surprisingly vulnerable.
So this isn’t all Brinkley’s fault. The Vikings defence might be worse off with him in there, but the problems are team-wide and require improvement from everyone if those problems are going to be fixed.
The Vikings just don’t need Jasper Brinkley to play better. They need Jared Allen and Kevin Williams and Madieu Williams and Ben Leber and Chad Greenway and the rest of the defensive starters to play better.
All those players seemed to play better in this win, but it's easy to look good when the opposition plays so badly. Those players need to play better for the rest of this month if the Vikings hope to play in February.
But that’s a debate for another day. What we know right now is that if the Philadelphia Eagles lose to Dallas, the Vikings get the number two playoff seed, a week off and would only have to win two games to reach the Super Bowl – both of which would be played indoors, on turf and (if New Orleans loses its divisional round game) in the Metrodome.
As Pacifist Viking points out, the Vikings have been deadly on turf. Their Super Bowl chances are greatly enhanced if they don’t have to play on grass and are really enhanced if they play at home, where the offensive production has been superb and where opposing offences have to worry about crowd noise and false starts and all that stuff, not the other way around.
So while we all wait to see how the Cowboys-Eagles game goes, here are some thoughts on the Vikings after the win over the Giants.
12-4
Twelve win seasons are not easy to get. The Vikings 12-4 record is only the sixth time in 48 seasons the franchise has had 12 wins or more. Outside of the 15-1 team in 1998, this is the best Vikings regular season record since the 1975 Vikings went 12-2.
Brett Favre
Four touchdown passes, 316 passing yards, a season high 148.7 quarterback rating and no interceptions – and all of this was done in three quarters of action. Favre doesn’t look like a player who is fading right now.
If the Vikings flame out in this year’s playoffs, I’m confident it won’t be because of Favre.
Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin
The amazing thing about Rice is even when he isn’t open, he’s open. He’s got great body control, great hands and great leaping ability, which allows him to make difficult catches, often by jumping over or around defenders.
As for Harvin, last week against the Bears, I remember he caught a screen pass from Favre and was tackled for no gain. Now why do I remember that play? Because it’s the first time I’ve seen Harvin go down on first contact all season.
We all knew Harvin was fast. But what we didn’t realize is how tough he is. The first defender never brings him down.
Adrian Peterson
Did anybody find it odd Peterson didn’t touch the ball on the Vikings first drive? ESPN’s Kevin Seifert did.
Jasper Brinkley
We didn’t hear much positive or negative about Brinkley in this game because the Vikings won so easily, but it seems the rookie middle linebacker is viewed as a key reason for the Vikings defensive failings of late.
I won’t argue that Brinkley has played all that well or that the Vikings don’t miss E.J. Henderson. But what I will argue is that the Vikings problems the past five games aren’t any different than they were when Henderson was playing in the previous 11.
All season long the tackling has often been shoddy, the secondary has routinely been abused, tight ends have too often beaten our linebackers on pass routes downfield and the run defence has been surprisingly vulnerable.
So this isn’t all Brinkley’s fault. The Vikings defence might be worse off with him in there, but the problems are team-wide and require improvement from everyone if those problems are going to be fixed.
The Vikings just don’t need Jasper Brinkley to play better. They need Jared Allen and Kevin Williams and Madieu Williams and Ben Leber and Chad Greenway and the rest of the defensive starters to play better.
All those players seemed to play better in this win, but it's easy to look good when the opposition plays so badly. Those players need to play better for the rest of this month if the Vikings hope to play in February.
Friday, January 01, 2010
The New Year's Day football post
Vikings-Giants
I suspect not a lot of people are going to be reading blogs on New Year’s Day, so I’ll keep this preview relatively brief.
It has not mattered where the 8-7 New York Giants have played this season. At home or on the road, they’ve played both spectacularly and craptacularly. They are 4-4 at home and 4-3 on the road.
However, it does matter where the Vikings play. They are 7-0 this season at the Metrodome and the fewest points the team has scored at home is 27. On the road, they’ve been held to 17 points twice and seven points once. And they went scoreless last Monday night at Soldier Field for a half against an average Bears defence.
So in this critical game for the Vikings, with a number two playoff seed still a possibility, it’s good news the team is playing in a place where they walk taller and play better.
That doesn’t mean the Vikings will win this game easily though. The Giants might not be a good team, but they are a dangerous team, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.
Eli Manning has had his usual two bad games this season, yet statistically he’s having an excellent year. Steve Smith is the kind of receiver who could eat up the Vikings defence – an excellent route runner adept at finding holes in zone coverages. And Manning has plenty of other receiving options in Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks and Kevin Boss to throw to when Smith isn’t open.
With the Vikings really struggling to pressure opposing quarterbacks and cover opposing receivers, Manning could have a big day passing the ball and the Giants could score a lot of points. Also, don’t get too excited that Giants starting running back Brandon Jacobs won’t be playing. His running mate Ahmad Bradshaw is averaging 4.9 yards per carry and has more rushing touchdowns (seven) than Jacobs (five) and he’s done all this with just 156 carries.
If there is one thing that does make me think Manning and the Giants won’t light up the Vikings defence, it’s this – Manning’s been sacked 21 times in the past eight games. That’s only an average of three sacks per game, but it does indicates some pass protection problems along the Giants offensive line that the Vikings defensive line could exploit at home with a noisy crowd backing them up.
Even if the Vikings don’t sack Manning a bunch, if they can get him moving and jumpy in the pass pocket, that could result in several missed passes and even an interception or two, ruining enough Giants drives to allow the Vikings to win this one.
That’s assuming the Vikings continue to be the offensive machine they have been all season at home – no sure thing considering the offensive line’s continuing struggles.
However, I’m expecting the Vikings to win a shootout Sunday and go 12-4. After that, they’ll need some help from Dallas against the Eagles to secure the number two playoff seed and a week off.
Vikings 34 Giants 30
Other things
ESPN's Kevin Seifert examines the importance of having momemtum on a team's side heading into the playoffs.
I suspect not a lot of people are going to be reading blogs on New Year’s Day, so I’ll keep this preview relatively brief.
It has not mattered where the 8-7 New York Giants have played this season. At home or on the road, they’ve played both spectacularly and craptacularly. They are 4-4 at home and 4-3 on the road.
However, it does matter where the Vikings play. They are 7-0 this season at the Metrodome and the fewest points the team has scored at home is 27. On the road, they’ve been held to 17 points twice and seven points once. And they went scoreless last Monday night at Soldier Field for a half against an average Bears defence.
So in this critical game for the Vikings, with a number two playoff seed still a possibility, it’s good news the team is playing in a place where they walk taller and play better.
That doesn’t mean the Vikings will win this game easily though. The Giants might not be a good team, but they are a dangerous team, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.
Eli Manning has had his usual two bad games this season, yet statistically he’s having an excellent year. Steve Smith is the kind of receiver who could eat up the Vikings defence – an excellent route runner adept at finding holes in zone coverages. And Manning has plenty of other receiving options in Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks and Kevin Boss to throw to when Smith isn’t open.
With the Vikings really struggling to pressure opposing quarterbacks and cover opposing receivers, Manning could have a big day passing the ball and the Giants could score a lot of points. Also, don’t get too excited that Giants starting running back Brandon Jacobs won’t be playing. His running mate Ahmad Bradshaw is averaging 4.9 yards per carry and has more rushing touchdowns (seven) than Jacobs (five) and he’s done all this with just 156 carries.
If there is one thing that does make me think Manning and the Giants won’t light up the Vikings defence, it’s this – Manning’s been sacked 21 times in the past eight games. That’s only an average of three sacks per game, but it does indicates some pass protection problems along the Giants offensive line that the Vikings defensive line could exploit at home with a noisy crowd backing them up.
Even if the Vikings don’t sack Manning a bunch, if they can get him moving and jumpy in the pass pocket, that could result in several missed passes and even an interception or two, ruining enough Giants drives to allow the Vikings to win this one.
That’s assuming the Vikings continue to be the offensive machine they have been all season at home – no sure thing considering the offensive line’s continuing struggles.
However, I’m expecting the Vikings to win a shootout Sunday and go 12-4. After that, they’ll need some help from Dallas against the Eagles to secure the number two playoff seed and a week off.
Vikings 34 Giants 30
Other things
ESPN's Kevin Seifert examines the importance of having momemtum on a team's side heading into the playoffs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
