Any chance cornerback Benny Sapp had of being retained by the Minnesota Vikings for the 2012 season has probably vanished after he had a bizarre altercation at a children's hospital in Minneapolis Friday morning.
Sapp has played reasonably well for a guy who was unemployed a couple of months ago. And even though he turns 31 on January 20, he might have been a candidate to be resigned considering the state of the Vikings secondary.
But when you've had the year the Vikings had and you're a fringe player, you can't create these kind of headlines and expect to stick around. I expect Sapp to be inactive for Sunday's game and we could see a lot of rookie Brandon Burton for once.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Vikings face "to win or not to win" dilemma against Bears
Vikings – Bears
Well, we've reached the end of our nightmare Vikings fans. The 2011 season has featured more lowlights than I care to rehash here. Very little went right for the organization. With 12 losses and counting, this squad will go down as one of the worst in team history. The acquisition of Donovan McNabb blew up in the team's face. Chris Cook allegedly tried to choke his girlfriend. Adrian Peterson's wrecked his left knee, an injury that could result in him being a shadow of the gamebreaking player he was just six days ago. And the team's future was not resolved as the high stakes game of stadium poker between the Wilf's and the State of Minnesota dragged on and on.
In another cruel twist of fate, the Chicago Bears will start Josh McCown at quarterback on Sunday. You might remember him from the starring role he played in one of those "punched in the gut" moments the Vikings specialize in.
But I'm not here to scratch at old sores. Actually, McCown has the opportunity to do the Vikings a solid in this contest if he plays well. He did not embarrass himself last week against the Packers. Playing against a Vikings defence that struggles even more than the Packers do to defend the forward pass, it's easy to envision that McCown will at least equal, and maybe even better, his passing totals from last week.
If he can do that, that helps the Bears beat the Vikings. And a Vikings loss will benefit the greater good, which is securing a top three draft pick in next April's college draft. This week, the Daily Norseman outlined how the whole draft slot scenario could play out for the Vikings. I won't be rooting for the Vikings to lose come Sunday – a loss to Chicago under any circumstance never sits well with me – but let's just say I won't be disappointed if on Sunday evening the Vikings are in position to draft Matt Kalil or Morris Claiborne.
The best-case scenario for Sunday's game from a Vikings perspective is that they lose, but it's a close game and the defence is to blame for that loss. This unit really doesn't have any young players Viking diehards are counting on to be the cornerstones of a turnaround. So if the defence stinks against a Bears offence sans Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, I'm not going into the offseason discouraged.
The Vikings offence is another matter, however. After a season of struggling to move the ball and score points, the unit has shown signs of life lately, scoring no less than 28 points in three of the last four games. But if rookie quarterback Christian Ponder hands out interceptions like candy and second-year running back Toby Gerhart gets stuffed by Chicago's defence, panic will settle in quickly for Vikings fans because where's the hope then?
So here are my benchmarks for a successful day at the Metrodome against the Bears:
– The Vikings lose 35-33.
– Ponder goes 20-28 for 220 (or more) yards, two touchdown passes and no picks.
– Gerhart rumbles for 85-100 yards on 20 to 25 carries.
– Rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph, who Football Outsiders writer Mike Tanier chose this week to his NFL All Rookie team, has his best game as a pro. His game high for catches is three and for yards it's 44. So I'm looking for him to catch five catches for 65 yards and haul in a touchdown on a fade from Ponder.
– Veteran tight end Jim Kleinsasser, who is retiring after Sunday's game, catches two passes (a season high) and scores a touchdown.
– Finally, I don't care if defensive end Jared Allen breaks Michael Strahan's sack record, but I would like to see Allen reach 20 sacks. It's extremely difficult to get even 10 sacks in today's NFL with the way quarterbacks get rid of the ball so quickly. In a year where so much went wrong, Allen has played as well as any defensive lineman has played, ever. He's been a pleasure to watch.
So who wins this game? The 2011 Vikings have been very consistent in one area this season. When you need them to do something, they usually fail to do it. And in a game where they need to lose, I have a feeling they won't oblige one last time.
Kiss goodbye the number three overall pick – and the opportunity to select Kalil or Claiborne.
Vikings 27 Bears 17
Well, we've reached the end of our nightmare Vikings fans. The 2011 season has featured more lowlights than I care to rehash here. Very little went right for the organization. With 12 losses and counting, this squad will go down as one of the worst in team history. The acquisition of Donovan McNabb blew up in the team's face. Chris Cook allegedly tried to choke his girlfriend. Adrian Peterson's wrecked his left knee, an injury that could result in him being a shadow of the gamebreaking player he was just six days ago. And the team's future was not resolved as the high stakes game of stadium poker between the Wilf's and the State of Minnesota dragged on and on.
In another cruel twist of fate, the Chicago Bears will start Josh McCown at quarterback on Sunday. You might remember him from the starring role he played in one of those "punched in the gut" moments the Vikings specialize in.
But I'm not here to scratch at old sores. Actually, McCown has the opportunity to do the Vikings a solid in this contest if he plays well. He did not embarrass himself last week against the Packers. Playing against a Vikings defence that struggles even more than the Packers do to defend the forward pass, it's easy to envision that McCown will at least equal, and maybe even better, his passing totals from last week.
If he can do that, that helps the Bears beat the Vikings. And a Vikings loss will benefit the greater good, which is securing a top three draft pick in next April's college draft. This week, the Daily Norseman outlined how the whole draft slot scenario could play out for the Vikings. I won't be rooting for the Vikings to lose come Sunday – a loss to Chicago under any circumstance never sits well with me – but let's just say I won't be disappointed if on Sunday evening the Vikings are in position to draft Matt Kalil or Morris Claiborne.
The best-case scenario for Sunday's game from a Vikings perspective is that they lose, but it's a close game and the defence is to blame for that loss. This unit really doesn't have any young players Viking diehards are counting on to be the cornerstones of a turnaround. So if the defence stinks against a Bears offence sans Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, I'm not going into the offseason discouraged.
The Vikings offence is another matter, however. After a season of struggling to move the ball and score points, the unit has shown signs of life lately, scoring no less than 28 points in three of the last four games. But if rookie quarterback Christian Ponder hands out interceptions like candy and second-year running back Toby Gerhart gets stuffed by Chicago's defence, panic will settle in quickly for Vikings fans because where's the hope then?
So here are my benchmarks for a successful day at the Metrodome against the Bears:
– The Vikings lose 35-33.
– Ponder goes 20-28 for 220 (or more) yards, two touchdown passes and no picks.
– Gerhart rumbles for 85-100 yards on 20 to 25 carries.
– Rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph, who Football Outsiders writer Mike Tanier chose this week to his NFL All Rookie team, has his best game as a pro. His game high for catches is three and for yards it's 44. So I'm looking for him to catch five catches for 65 yards and haul in a touchdown on a fade from Ponder.
– Veteran tight end Jim Kleinsasser, who is retiring after Sunday's game, catches two passes (a season high) and scores a touchdown.
– Finally, I don't care if defensive end Jared Allen breaks Michael Strahan's sack record, but I would like to see Allen reach 20 sacks. It's extremely difficult to get even 10 sacks in today's NFL with the way quarterbacks get rid of the ball so quickly. In a year where so much went wrong, Allen has played as well as any defensive lineman has played, ever. He's been a pleasure to watch.
So who wins this game? The 2011 Vikings have been very consistent in one area this season. When you need them to do something, they usually fail to do it. And in a game where they need to lose, I have a feeling they won't oblige one last time.
Kiss goodbye the number three overall pick – and the opportunity to select Kalil or Claiborne.
Vikings 27 Bears 17
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Vikings should look to soon-to-be-fired Spagnuolo to take over defence
It seems pretty much a done deal that Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier will fire defensive coordinator Fred Pagac and perhaps the rest of the staff on that side of the ball – except for his good buddy, linebackers coach Mike Singletary.
That's what happens when your defence gives up an average of 28.8 points per game (31st in the NFL), 260 passing yards per game (29th in the league) and your run defence – 108 yards per game (12th overall) has fallen out of the top 10 in that category for the first time in recent memory.
But whom should the Vikings target to replace Pagac? The guy Frazier and vice-president of player personnel Rick Spielman should have on speed dial is Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo, who is expected to be fired after St. Louis' season ends on Sunday.
Although I have read that Spagnuolo – if he is canned in St. Louis – will run back into the waiting arms of his old employer, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Vikings should at least make a strong pitch for his services if he's available. In 2008, his last year as the Giants defensive coordinator, the G-Men had the fifth-best defence in the league.
Scribes like ESPN 1500's Tom Pelissero have been beating the "Vikings should switch to the 3-4" drum somewhat this season. But as I've argued in the past, Minnesota's defensive struggles are talent-based, not 4-3-based. And with your best defensive player stating he's got no interest in becoming a pass-rushing linebacker in a 3-4 scheme, the team would have a tough time selling the switch to an already grumbling fan base.
However, if the Vikings are going to stick with the 4-3 system, they do need to shake up how they run it (and get some better safeties, cornerbacks and linebackers). The Vikings do have some talent on defence – Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Brian Robison, Everson Griffen, Chad Greenway and Antoine Winfield. But they also need a coordinator who can get the most out of them and design ways to free them up to make big plays.
Spagnuolo was able to do that with the Giants. I think he could do it with the Vikings. What we don't know is if the Vikings would be interested in Spagnuolo, and if Spagnuolo would be interested in the Vikings.
That's what happens when your defence gives up an average of 28.8 points per game (31st in the NFL), 260 passing yards per game (29th in the league) and your run defence – 108 yards per game (12th overall) has fallen out of the top 10 in that category for the first time in recent memory.
But whom should the Vikings target to replace Pagac? The guy Frazier and vice-president of player personnel Rick Spielman should have on speed dial is Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo, who is expected to be fired after St. Louis' season ends on Sunday.
Although I have read that Spagnuolo – if he is canned in St. Louis – will run back into the waiting arms of his old employer, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Vikings should at least make a strong pitch for his services if he's available. In 2008, his last year as the Giants defensive coordinator, the G-Men had the fifth-best defence in the league.
Scribes like ESPN 1500's Tom Pelissero have been beating the "Vikings should switch to the 3-4" drum somewhat this season. But as I've argued in the past, Minnesota's defensive struggles are talent-based, not 4-3-based. And with your best defensive player stating he's got no interest in becoming a pass-rushing linebacker in a 3-4 scheme, the team would have a tough time selling the switch to an already grumbling fan base.
However, if the Vikings are going to stick with the 4-3 system, they do need to shake up how they run it (and get some better safeties, cornerbacks and linebackers). The Vikings do have some talent on defence – Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Brian Robison, Everson Griffen, Chad Greenway and Antoine Winfield. But they also need a coordinator who can get the most out of them and design ways to free them up to make big plays.
Spagnuolo was able to do that with the Giants. I think he could do it with the Vikings. What we don't know is if the Vikings would be interested in Spagnuolo, and if Spagnuolo would be interested in the Vikings.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
What Grant's Tomb was reading – Dec. 27, 2011
A few links to Vikings-centric stories for you today, plus some commentary by me.
* The National Football Post's Andrew Brandt had an excellent piece on the financial decision the Vikings will have on their hands in 2013 in the wake of Adrian Peterson's severe knee injury.
Brandt makes a great point in this post. The contract extension Peterson signed this summer could end his career with the Vikings prematurely – assuming he is able to play again. That's because NFL management can't afford to be sentimental with the hired help. Since entering the league in 2007, Peterson has been an elite player, one of the NFL's biggest stars, the face of the Vikings franchise and a model citizen off the field. Those attributes are certainly worth a lot. But if the Vikings are paying Peterson elite running back money in 2013 when he is no longer elite, then – as Brandt points out – they have a problem. You can't be paying a good running back $11.25 million a year. If, in 2013, Peterson is merely good instead of great, he will have to agree to a pay cut to stay with the Vikings or get cut and shop his wares somewhere else. I hope it doesn't come to that.
* For a bit of good news about Peterson, check out Peter King's Christmas Day edition (scroll down the page a bit) of his regular "Monday Morning Quarterback" column where injury guru Will Carroll emailed King and wrote that ""There's no reason to believe Peterson won't be able to come back at or near the same level."
* More Peterson injury news. I'll link to two different views on Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier's decision to play Peterson on Sunday. Christopher Gates of the Daily Norseman has his opinion (he thinks the people who are crying about Peterson playing in this game are silly). But Vikes Geek has an opposing view.
I side with Gates on this one. I enjoy Vikes Geek's commentary, but he's often the king of 20-20 hindsight. The Washington game has been meaningless for weeks now, yet I didn't read any NFL expert or Vikings blogger hollering loudly prior to this game that Peterson should sit it out. But now that he's suffered a potentially career-altering injury, naturally you have people saying they would have done things differently.
* I'm torn about Christian Ponder's availability for the season finale against the Chicago Bears. I think it's somewhat important that Ponder get one last shot to have a good showing in his rookie season, especially now that plenty of people are no longer drinking the Ponder Kool-Aid. It would be nice for him to head into the offseason on a positive note.
But I'd also like to see Joe Webb – who has been dynamite in relief of Ponder – play a full game. I've got serious reservations that Webb can be a successful NFL quarterback. So I'd like to see how he does when the opponent is gameplanning for him – like the Bears should be this week. If he starts and plays well, the Vikings will probably have a bit of a QB controversy on their hands. I think that's good though. The better Webb plays, the more it pushes Ponder to be better and the more Webb's (and maybe Ponder's) trade value goes up. The Vikes need to look at the assets they have that are expendable and how they can turn them into other assets that can fill the numerous holes this team has. And there is no asset in football more valuable than a quarterback another team thinks is good – unless you have two quarterbacks another team thinks are good.
* On Tuesday the NFL's Pro Bowl selections were announced and Vikings defensive end Jared Allen was the only Minnesota player to be named to the team.
But in a column assessing the Pro Bowl selections, CBS Sportsline's Pete Prisco writes that linebacker Chad Greenway and center John Sullivan "just missed" making his Pro Bowl team. In the case of Greenway, good Lord, what Vikings games has Prisco been watching? Yes, Greenway has a ton of tackles, but anyone who has watched him each and every week knows he's had a poor year by his standards.
* The National Football Post's Andrew Brandt had an excellent piece on the financial decision the Vikings will have on their hands in 2013 in the wake of Adrian Peterson's severe knee injury.
Brandt makes a great point in this post. The contract extension Peterson signed this summer could end his career with the Vikings prematurely – assuming he is able to play again. That's because NFL management can't afford to be sentimental with the hired help. Since entering the league in 2007, Peterson has been an elite player, one of the NFL's biggest stars, the face of the Vikings franchise and a model citizen off the field. Those attributes are certainly worth a lot. But if the Vikings are paying Peterson elite running back money in 2013 when he is no longer elite, then – as Brandt points out – they have a problem. You can't be paying a good running back $11.25 million a year. If, in 2013, Peterson is merely good instead of great, he will have to agree to a pay cut to stay with the Vikings or get cut and shop his wares somewhere else. I hope it doesn't come to that.
* For a bit of good news about Peterson, check out Peter King's Christmas Day edition (scroll down the page a bit) of his regular "Monday Morning Quarterback" column where injury guru Will Carroll emailed King and wrote that ""There's no reason to believe Peterson won't be able to come back at or near the same level."
* More Peterson injury news. I'll link to two different views on Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier's decision to play Peterson on Sunday. Christopher Gates of the Daily Norseman has his opinion (he thinks the people who are crying about Peterson playing in this game are silly). But Vikes Geek has an opposing view.
I side with Gates on this one. I enjoy Vikes Geek's commentary, but he's often the king of 20-20 hindsight. The Washington game has been meaningless for weeks now, yet I didn't read any NFL expert or Vikings blogger hollering loudly prior to this game that Peterson should sit it out. But now that he's suffered a potentially career-altering injury, naturally you have people saying they would have done things differently.
* I'm torn about Christian Ponder's availability for the season finale against the Chicago Bears. I think it's somewhat important that Ponder get one last shot to have a good showing in his rookie season, especially now that plenty of people are no longer drinking the Ponder Kool-Aid. It would be nice for him to head into the offseason on a positive note.
But I'd also like to see Joe Webb – who has been dynamite in relief of Ponder – play a full game. I've got serious reservations that Webb can be a successful NFL quarterback. So I'd like to see how he does when the opponent is gameplanning for him – like the Bears should be this week. If he starts and plays well, the Vikings will probably have a bit of a QB controversy on their hands. I think that's good though. The better Webb plays, the more it pushes Ponder to be better and the more Webb's (and maybe Ponder's) trade value goes up. The Vikes need to look at the assets they have that are expendable and how they can turn them into other assets that can fill the numerous holes this team has. And there is no asset in football more valuable than a quarterback another team thinks is good – unless you have two quarterbacks another team thinks are good.
* On Tuesday the NFL's Pro Bowl selections were announced and Vikings defensive end Jared Allen was the only Minnesota player to be named to the team.
But in a column assessing the Pro Bowl selections, CBS Sportsline's Pete Prisco writes that linebacker Chad Greenway and center John Sullivan "just missed" making his Pro Bowl team. In the case of Greenway, good Lord, what Vikings games has Prisco been watching? Yes, Greenway has a ton of tackles, but anyone who has watched him each and every week knows he's had a poor year by his standards.
Monday, December 26, 2011
On Boxing Day, have the Vikings resolved their stadium issues?
While the Vikings beat reporters were napping after eating their turkey feasts on Christmas Day, NBC and Sports Illustrated's Peter King scooped them on the biggest story of the year for the franchise – revealing the Vikings might be close to a deal that will bag them a new stadium.
King's pretty well connected, so chances are good there is something to this story. And if this turns out to be true, it's obviously great news for all Vikings fans. It would also be great news for owner Zygi Wilf. Instead of having to focus on where the team will be playing beyond 2011, he can rest easier and turn his attention to on-field matters, of which the Vikings have several pressing matters.
Does Adrian Peterson's injury change the Vikings draft plans?
ESPN's NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert was quick to weigh in on the impact of Adrian Peterson's season (possibly career?) ending knee injury.
In the post, Seifert writes that "of all the issues the Vikings had on their plate this offseason, the running back position wasn't one of them. Now it might be their most pressing."
I'm a big fan of Seifert. But is running back now the Vikings most pressing need? Let's look at this issue with a clear head.
* First, let's consider the Vikings offensive performance in the five games that Peterson was basically out of the lineup for the entire game or large portions of the game. The Vikes scored 21 points against Oakland, 32 points against Denver, 28 against Detroit and 33 against Washington, plus a measly 14 against Atlanta. That's average of 25.6 points per game. In the 10 games that Peterson was healthy and playing, the Vikings averaged 19.9 points per game. It's a small sample size, but it doesn't seem like the Vikings offence suffered when it lost its best running back.
* Let's also consider that a team's running attack is often a function of how effective its offensive line is. If that unit is opening up running lanes, a running back is going to be effective. And it doesn't hurt if the team's quarterback can stay upright and complete a forward pass or two each game. But you need a strong offensive line to accomplish those things and the Vikings currently don't have that. Which is why drafting a franchise left tackle like USC's Matt Kalil early is more pressing than drafting a running back.
* Speaking of the Vikings offensive performance, the unit has been hamstrung for two seasons now because it doesn't have a viable passing attack that can take advantage of team's that crowd the line of scrimmage to stop Peterson. Opposing defences can do this because outside of Percy Harvin, the Vikes haven't had a single wideout who can beat the coverage of quality NFL cornerbacks consistently. The NFL is now a passing league. That makes finding someone to help Harvin, and quarterback Christian Ponder, more pressing than finding a replacement for Peterson.
* Another obvious problem the Vikings have had this season is that the squad's defence has immense trouble stopping teams who can throw the ball. That's had an impact on the squad's running game because it has limited the amount of touches Peterson has been able to get. When the other team is marching the ball up and down the field, your own offence doesn't have the ball and you can't hand the ball off to your superstar running back. Even with the loss of Peterson, the Vikings secondary is in worse shape than its running back situation. They have to fix that when they play in a division where Aaron Rodgers, Matt Stafford and Jay Cutler are starting QBs. That also makes drafting a cornerback early much more pressing than drafting a running back.
* Finally, we have to at least acknowledge that the Vikes have a capable replacement already on the roster – Toby Gerhart. No, he's not as explosive or anywhere near the gamebreaker that Peterson is. But despite playing with a weak offensive line, an even weaker group of wide receivers and a mistake-prone rookie QB, Gerhart averaged 83.5 yards on 17 carries a game during the five games Peterson missed significant playing time. That's an average of 4.9 yards per carry. I'd say that is pretty solid production from Gerhart, who has shown he is a capable pass catcher as well. Gerhart also looks like he's added about 15 to 20 pounds of muscle mass since his rookie season. He's a horse who can handle 25 carries per game. If he stays healthy, the Vikings are okay, perhaps even better than okay, here.
Couple all these factors with the fact that teams often find productive running backs in the latter rounds of the draft or as undrafted free agents – like Chicago's Kahlil Bell (Minnesota cut this guy in 2009), who ran with authority and vision against Green Bay Sunday night on his way to rushing for 121 yards – and drafting a running back early next April should not be front-of-mind for Vikings draft gurus Scott Studwell and Rick Spielman.
King's pretty well connected, so chances are good there is something to this story. And if this turns out to be true, it's obviously great news for all Vikings fans. It would also be great news for owner Zygi Wilf. Instead of having to focus on where the team will be playing beyond 2011, he can rest easier and turn his attention to on-field matters, of which the Vikings have several pressing matters.
Does Adrian Peterson's injury change the Vikings draft plans?
ESPN's NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert was quick to weigh in on the impact of Adrian Peterson's season (possibly career?) ending knee injury.
In the post, Seifert writes that "of all the issues the Vikings had on their plate this offseason, the running back position wasn't one of them. Now it might be their most pressing."
I'm a big fan of Seifert. But is running back now the Vikings most pressing need? Let's look at this issue with a clear head.
* First, let's consider the Vikings offensive performance in the five games that Peterson was basically out of the lineup for the entire game or large portions of the game. The Vikes scored 21 points against Oakland, 32 points against Denver, 28 against Detroit and 33 against Washington, plus a measly 14 against Atlanta. That's average of 25.6 points per game. In the 10 games that Peterson was healthy and playing, the Vikings averaged 19.9 points per game. It's a small sample size, but it doesn't seem like the Vikings offence suffered when it lost its best running back.
* Let's also consider that a team's running attack is often a function of how effective its offensive line is. If that unit is opening up running lanes, a running back is going to be effective. And it doesn't hurt if the team's quarterback can stay upright and complete a forward pass or two each game. But you need a strong offensive line to accomplish those things and the Vikings currently don't have that. Which is why drafting a franchise left tackle like USC's Matt Kalil early is more pressing than drafting a running back.
* Speaking of the Vikings offensive performance, the unit has been hamstrung for two seasons now because it doesn't have a viable passing attack that can take advantage of team's that crowd the line of scrimmage to stop Peterson. Opposing defences can do this because outside of Percy Harvin, the Vikes haven't had a single wideout who can beat the coverage of quality NFL cornerbacks consistently. The NFL is now a passing league. That makes finding someone to help Harvin, and quarterback Christian Ponder, more pressing than finding a replacement for Peterson.
* Another obvious problem the Vikings have had this season is that the squad's defence has immense trouble stopping teams who can throw the ball. That's had an impact on the squad's running game because it has limited the amount of touches Peterson has been able to get. When the other team is marching the ball up and down the field, your own offence doesn't have the ball and you can't hand the ball off to your superstar running back. Even with the loss of Peterson, the Vikings secondary is in worse shape than its running back situation. They have to fix that when they play in a division where Aaron Rodgers, Matt Stafford and Jay Cutler are starting QBs. That also makes drafting a cornerback early much more pressing than drafting a running back.
* Finally, we have to at least acknowledge that the Vikes have a capable replacement already on the roster – Toby Gerhart. No, he's not as explosive or anywhere near the gamebreaker that Peterson is. But despite playing with a weak offensive line, an even weaker group of wide receivers and a mistake-prone rookie QB, Gerhart averaged 83.5 yards on 17 carries a game during the five games Peterson missed significant playing time. That's an average of 4.9 yards per carry. I'd say that is pretty solid production from Gerhart, who has shown he is a capable pass catcher as well. Gerhart also looks like he's added about 15 to 20 pounds of muscle mass since his rookie season. He's a horse who can handle 25 carries per game. If he stays healthy, the Vikings are okay, perhaps even better than okay, here.
Couple all these factors with the fact that teams often find productive running backs in the latter rounds of the draft or as undrafted free agents – like Chicago's Kahlil Bell (Minnesota cut this guy in 2009), who ran with authority and vision against Green Bay Sunday night on his way to rushing for 121 yards – and drafting a running back early next April should not be front-of-mind for Vikings draft gurus Scott Studwell and Rick Spielman.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Even when the Vikings win in 2011, they lose
Just when you think 2011 can't get any worse for the Minnesota Vikings, this happens.
Normally when the Vikings are victorious, it's a happy time for me. But when that piece of shit Dejon Gomes crashed his helmet into Adrian Peterson's left knee in a game the Vikes would eventually win 33-26 over Washington, any joy from this win washed away quickly.
During my lifetime as a Vikings fan, I've been able to witness two once-in-a-lifetime talents play for my favourite team. These are players, much like Michael Jordan or Jim Brown, who could do things no one else could do. Those two guys were Randy Moss and Adrian Peterson.
So to read that Peterson has torn his anterior cruciate ligament – and according to ESPN 1500's Tom Pelissero, his medial collateral ligament as well – makes Sunday, December 24 the darkest day of an already dark 2011 season.
There were some other aspects of this game worth mentioning, and I plan on getting to them this weekend. But the fact we might not see anymore of these type of breathtaking plays from Peterson because of this knee injury makes me very, very sad.
Normally when the Vikings are victorious, it's a happy time for me. But when that piece of shit Dejon Gomes crashed his helmet into Adrian Peterson's left knee in a game the Vikes would eventually win 33-26 over Washington, any joy from this win washed away quickly.
During my lifetime as a Vikings fan, I've been able to witness two once-in-a-lifetime talents play for my favourite team. These are players, much like Michael Jordan or Jim Brown, who could do things no one else could do. Those two guys were Randy Moss and Adrian Peterson.
So to read that Peterson has torn his anterior cruciate ligament – and according to ESPN 1500's Tom Pelissero, his medial collateral ligament as well – makes Sunday, December 24 the darkest day of an already dark 2011 season.
There were some other aspects of this game worth mentioning, and I plan on getting to them this weekend. But the fact we might not see anymore of these type of breathtaking plays from Peterson because of this knee injury makes me very, very sad.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Vikings continue race to the bottom against Washington
Vikings – Washington
For readers looking for insight into the Vikings opponent on Saturday, please read Sam Monson's scouting report on Washington.
At one point, this looked like a game the Vikings had a chance to win. But no more. Washington beat the New York Giants on the road last week and gave the New England Patriots all they could handle the week before. They are playing much better than the Vikings at this point in the season. And even though Washington has Rex Grossman at quarterback, Sir Rex could very well carve up this Vikings secondary.
But Indianapolis' 19-16 win over Houston makes a Vikings victory even more irrelevant than ever. This team now has a legitimate shot at claiming the number one overall pick in April's college draft. That will be a valuable chip to have, as quarterback-starved teams will be looking for someway to land Standford quarterback Andrew Luck. They will probably be willing to pay a handsome price for getting the top pick from whatever franchise – Minnesota, Indy or St. Louis – has it.
But back to Saturday's game. What's important for the Vikings if the score ultimately isn't?
Obviously it would be nice if Christian Ponder showed some level of competency after putting up two stinkers in a row. But the suggestion this week that the Vikings might be having second thoughts about Ponder as their QB of the future is ridiculous.
As a rookie, playing behind the offensive line and the wide receivers the Vikings currently have, it would be tough for anyone to excel. The fact Ponder's been able to have some good games with the talent he's been given to work with suggests he has the stuff to be successful. What he needs to do now is make better decisions on where he's throwing the football and be more accurate with the throws he makes. I'd like to see some progress in that regard Saturday against Washington.
Besides Ponder, I'm mostly interested in seeing how the Vikings perform after playing so horribly at home against New Orleans last weekend. Another listless, uninspired effort won't give me much confidence that Leslie Frazier is the right man to lead us out of this dark age of Vikings football.
The performance of the members of the Vikings 2011 draft class is also worth keeping an eye on. When you are a 2-12 football team, as Minnesota is, you want to get excited about the young talent you have on the roster. They are the ones who should be the foundation of this franchise's rebuilding effort.
But the 2011 draft class hasn't shown much thus far. Ponder's been up and (mostly) down. Tight end Kyle Rudolph has been okay, but has only 21 catches despite receiving a fair bit of snaps. Defensive lineman Christian Ballard plays but doesn't do anything with the playing time. Mistral Raymond and Brandon Burton are only playing because the Vikings have nobody else that can. As for Brandon Fusco, DeMarcus Love and D'Aundre Reed, they are always inactive.
If these guys are the future of the Vikings, I'm afraid it's going to look a lot like the present.
Washington 27 Vikings 14
More Draft Talk
While the Colts victory over the Texans is a positive development for the Vikings draft, USC quarterback Matt Barkley's decision not to enter April's draft is a negative one.
Barkley figured to be a hot commodity among teams like Washington and Miami who need a quarterback and would be willing to trade up in the first round to get one. The Vikings could have been a potential dance partner with a pick in the top three. But with Barkley out of the mix, will the trade market dry up? It certainly will if Baylor's Robert Griffin III decides to stay in school.
For readers looking for insight into the Vikings opponent on Saturday, please read Sam Monson's scouting report on Washington.
At one point, this looked like a game the Vikings had a chance to win. But no more. Washington beat the New York Giants on the road last week and gave the New England Patriots all they could handle the week before. They are playing much better than the Vikings at this point in the season. And even though Washington has Rex Grossman at quarterback, Sir Rex could very well carve up this Vikings secondary.
But Indianapolis' 19-16 win over Houston makes a Vikings victory even more irrelevant than ever. This team now has a legitimate shot at claiming the number one overall pick in April's college draft. That will be a valuable chip to have, as quarterback-starved teams will be looking for someway to land Standford quarterback Andrew Luck. They will probably be willing to pay a handsome price for getting the top pick from whatever franchise – Minnesota, Indy or St. Louis – has it.
But back to Saturday's game. What's important for the Vikings if the score ultimately isn't?
Obviously it would be nice if Christian Ponder showed some level of competency after putting up two stinkers in a row. But the suggestion this week that the Vikings might be having second thoughts about Ponder as their QB of the future is ridiculous.
As a rookie, playing behind the offensive line and the wide receivers the Vikings currently have, it would be tough for anyone to excel. The fact Ponder's been able to have some good games with the talent he's been given to work with suggests he has the stuff to be successful. What he needs to do now is make better decisions on where he's throwing the football and be more accurate with the throws he makes. I'd like to see some progress in that regard Saturday against Washington.
Besides Ponder, I'm mostly interested in seeing how the Vikings perform after playing so horribly at home against New Orleans last weekend. Another listless, uninspired effort won't give me much confidence that Leslie Frazier is the right man to lead us out of this dark age of Vikings football.
The performance of the members of the Vikings 2011 draft class is also worth keeping an eye on. When you are a 2-12 football team, as Minnesota is, you want to get excited about the young talent you have on the roster. They are the ones who should be the foundation of this franchise's rebuilding effort.
But the 2011 draft class hasn't shown much thus far. Ponder's been up and (mostly) down. Tight end Kyle Rudolph has been okay, but has only 21 catches despite receiving a fair bit of snaps. Defensive lineman Christian Ballard plays but doesn't do anything with the playing time. Mistral Raymond and Brandon Burton are only playing because the Vikings have nobody else that can. As for Brandon Fusco, DeMarcus Love and D'Aundre Reed, they are always inactive.
If these guys are the future of the Vikings, I'm afraid it's going to look a lot like the present.
Washington 27 Vikings 14
More Draft Talk
While the Colts victory over the Texans is a positive development for the Vikings draft, USC quarterback Matt Barkley's decision not to enter April's draft is a negative one.
Barkley figured to be a hot commodity among teams like Washington and Miami who need a quarterback and would be willing to trade up in the first round to get one. The Vikings could have been a potential dance partner with a pick in the top three. But with Barkley out of the mix, will the trade market dry up? It certainly will if Baylor's Robert Griffin III decides to stay in school.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
How best to utilize Joe Webb still an unsolved puzzle for Vikings
Last week ESPN bloggers Tom Pelissero and Kevin Seifert weighed in on how the Minnesota Vikings had to find a way to make use of backup quarterback Joe Webb's athletic gifts (You can read both posts here and here.)
It's a difficult situation for the Vikings. The "Blazer" package designed to showcase Webb's talents has been a colossal bust – partly because the Vikings offence isn't good enough to sustain drives and give the team more opportunities to run it.
But it's mostly been a failure because the team isn't committed to it like Miami was with the Wildcat a few seasons ago. The Dolphins got good at the Wildcat because they ran it all the time and the system's occasional negative plays were more than balanced out by the positive ones. But the Vikings only dabble in the Blazer package. It isn't their offensive philosophy. And most of the time Webb only gets one or two plays per game to run the thing. When the Blazer predictably gains minimal yardage, the Vikings abandon it, and Webb heads back to the sidelines.
In last Sunday's loss to New Orleans, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave looked like he was intent on giving Webb more opportunities to play than usual. Unfortunately, the Vikings were more incompetent than usual on offence, so that didn't work out very well.
But the Vikings have two games left in the season and neither of them mean much. It's time to do some unorthodox stuff. You don't want to jerk around rookie starter Christian Ponder and disrupt his rhythm after two lousy games, but would it kill Musgrave to experiment with giving Webb at least one offensive series each half, just to see how much it screws up the Washington and Chicago defensive units in the final two games?
Maybe a little game of rotating quarterbacks would work. If it does it could give the Vikings some ideas or concepts on how to make Webb an effective weapon rather than the novelty act he is now.
If you had to list the best athletes on the Vikings, Webb would probably beat out Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin for top spot. As has been written previously by Seifert and Pelissero, it's in the team's best interest to find a way to make use of Webb.
Vikings links
Here are some of the more interesting Vikings-related stories I found on the Internet today.
* Pelissero gives his weekly grades for the Vikings, after reviewing the game tape from Sunday's 42-20 loss to New Orleans. It's painful reading.
* ESPN 1500 colleague Judd Zulgad has the first story on cornerback Chris Cook in a while. The theme of this piece – the handling of Cook has created more discord among the Viking players.
* The National Football Post's Andrew Brandt has an interesting article on what it takes to build a successful NFL organization. While you are reading this, ask yourself where the Vikings fit under Brandt's criteria.
* Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier still insists his team's offence will revolve around the running game, but Access Vikings writer Mark Craig doesn't think that's a wise idea.
It's a difficult situation for the Vikings. The "Blazer" package designed to showcase Webb's talents has been a colossal bust – partly because the Vikings offence isn't good enough to sustain drives and give the team more opportunities to run it.
But it's mostly been a failure because the team isn't committed to it like Miami was with the Wildcat a few seasons ago. The Dolphins got good at the Wildcat because they ran it all the time and the system's occasional negative plays were more than balanced out by the positive ones. But the Vikings only dabble in the Blazer package. It isn't their offensive philosophy. And most of the time Webb only gets one or two plays per game to run the thing. When the Blazer predictably gains minimal yardage, the Vikings abandon it, and Webb heads back to the sidelines.
In last Sunday's loss to New Orleans, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave looked like he was intent on giving Webb more opportunities to play than usual. Unfortunately, the Vikings were more incompetent than usual on offence, so that didn't work out very well.
But the Vikings have two games left in the season and neither of them mean much. It's time to do some unorthodox stuff. You don't want to jerk around rookie starter Christian Ponder and disrupt his rhythm after two lousy games, but would it kill Musgrave to experiment with giving Webb at least one offensive series each half, just to see how much it screws up the Washington and Chicago defensive units in the final two games?
Maybe a little game of rotating quarterbacks would work. If it does it could give the Vikings some ideas or concepts on how to make Webb an effective weapon rather than the novelty act he is now.
If you had to list the best athletes on the Vikings, Webb would probably beat out Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin for top spot. As has been written previously by Seifert and Pelissero, it's in the team's best interest to find a way to make use of Webb.
Vikings links
Here are some of the more interesting Vikings-related stories I found on the Internet today.
* Pelissero gives his weekly grades for the Vikings, after reviewing the game tape from Sunday's 42-20 loss to New Orleans. It's painful reading.
* ESPN 1500 colleague Judd Zulgad has the first story on cornerback Chris Cook in a while. The theme of this piece – the handling of Cook has created more discord among the Viking players.
* The National Football Post's Andrew Brandt has an interesting article on what it takes to build a successful NFL organization. While you are reading this, ask yourself where the Vikings fit under Brandt's criteria.
* Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier still insists his team's offence will revolve around the running game, but Access Vikings writer Mark Craig doesn't think that's a wise idea.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Vikings look bad – real bad – in getting pasted by the Saints
When you get flogged like the Minnesota Vikings did Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, people start talking. Adrian Peterson talked about not being happy with his playing time. Head Coach Leslie Frazier talked about still believing in struggling rookie quarterback Christian Ponder. And the people who are paid to cover the Vikings for a living are starting to talk about what future Frazier might have with the team beyond the final two games of this season.
The Vikings played terrible today. They looked helpless in coming up with any way to stop Drew Brees and Saints offence. But that was somewhat expected. At least there was some hope that the Vikings offence – after scoring 60 points in its last two games – could build on that progress in this game and provide the fan base with some hope.
It did not happen. Ponder looked completely confused by what the Saints were doing to him defensively. He had jumpy feet, missed badly on the few receivers that did get open and appeared afraid to throw anything into the middle of the field.
The Vikings "quarterback of the future" is going the wrong way as the team shuffles towards the finish line of the 2011 season. Sadly, he's got plenty of company. Witness the play of:
Chad Greenway
What has happened to this guy? He hasn't made a play in weeks.
Mistral Raymond
Because of injuries, Raymond is starting at safety out of necessity, but that doesn't change the fact he's been pretty much invisible while he's out there. Jared Allen talked after the game about guys playing scared. Raymond sure looks like one of those guys to me.
Brian Robison
After a strong start to the season, Robison has only a sack-and-a-half in his last eight games. And his run defence has been no hell either.
Jamarca Sanford
Sanford is a fine special teams player, but as a starting NFL safety, he couldn't cover Chaz Bono.
The Vikings offensive line
Yes, center John Sullivan got himself a nice contract extension this week, but as a group this starting fivesome consisting of Sullivan, Charlie Johnson, Steve Hutchinson, Anthony Herrera and Phil Loadholt continue to depress. No wonder Ponder has happy feet back there.
After watching this debacle on Sunday, I'm in a very dark place as a Vikings fan. The franchise seems a long way from being even a competent NFL team. The Saints were laughing at them on the sidelines today, all smiles, laughs and cockiness. The Metrodome was the quietest I've heard it in years. Was this franchise really in the NFC championship game just two years ago?
The Vikings played terrible today. They looked helpless in coming up with any way to stop Drew Brees and Saints offence. But that was somewhat expected. At least there was some hope that the Vikings offence – after scoring 60 points in its last two games – could build on that progress in this game and provide the fan base with some hope.
It did not happen. Ponder looked completely confused by what the Saints were doing to him defensively. He had jumpy feet, missed badly on the few receivers that did get open and appeared afraid to throw anything into the middle of the field.
The Vikings "quarterback of the future" is going the wrong way as the team shuffles towards the finish line of the 2011 season. Sadly, he's got plenty of company. Witness the play of:
Chad Greenway
What has happened to this guy? He hasn't made a play in weeks.
Mistral Raymond
Because of injuries, Raymond is starting at safety out of necessity, but that doesn't change the fact he's been pretty much invisible while he's out there. Jared Allen talked after the game about guys playing scared. Raymond sure looks like one of those guys to me.
Brian Robison
After a strong start to the season, Robison has only a sack-and-a-half in his last eight games. And his run defence has been no hell either.
Jamarca Sanford
Sanford is a fine special teams player, but as a starting NFL safety, he couldn't cover Chaz Bono.
The Vikings offensive line
Yes, center John Sullivan got himself a nice contract extension this week, but as a group this starting fivesome consisting of Sullivan, Charlie Johnson, Steve Hutchinson, Anthony Herrera and Phil Loadholt continue to depress. No wonder Ponder has happy feet back there.
After watching this debacle on Sunday, I'm in a very dark place as a Vikings fan. The franchise seems a long way from being even a competent NFL team. The Saints were laughing at them on the sidelines today, all smiles, laughs and cockiness. The Metrodome was the quietest I've heard it in years. Was this franchise really in the NFC championship game just two years ago?
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Good news – Matt Kalil is entering the draft (I think)
There were some reports last week that standout USC left tackle Matt Kalil would not enter next April's NFL draft. That would have been bad news for a 2-11 Minnesota Vikings team that is in desperate need of a blindside protector for last year's first round pick – quarterback Christian Ponder.
Now the reports are saying the opposite – Kalil will enter the draft after all. The Vikings might not get a chance to select Kalil (the St. Louis Rams have been keeping pace with the Vikes in the loss department and currently hold the second overall pick), but at least with Kalil in the draft mix, they have a shot.
And looking at the photo of Kalil that accompanies the post I've linked to above, this guy doesn't look like your typical offensive lineman with a big gut. He looks pretty cut for a big man. If he weren't an offensive lineman, you'd almost think he was an athlete.
Oh yeah, I'll have a Friday Vikings – Saints preview post up at some point.
Now the reports are saying the opposite – Kalil will enter the draft after all. The Vikings might not get a chance to select Kalil (the St. Louis Rams have been keeping pace with the Vikes in the loss department and currently hold the second overall pick), but at least with Kalil in the draft mix, they have a shot.
And looking at the photo of Kalil that accompanies the post I've linked to above, this guy doesn't look like your typical offensive lineman with a big gut. He looks pretty cut for a big man. If he weren't an offensive lineman, you'd almost think he was an athlete.
Oh yeah, I'll have a Friday Vikings – Saints preview post up at some point.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Ponder's benching more noteworthy than Vikings 11th loss of the season
The Minnesota Vikings have become the NFL's Detroit Lions. Not this year's Lions, who go to 8-5 with a 34-28 win over the Vikes, but those lovable losers from 2001 to 2010.
Like those Detroit teams, the 2011 Vikings can't get out of their own way, are often coached incompetently, have a losing culture and find new ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. About the only difference I see is that, faced with a similar 21-0 deficit on the road, the Lions of yore would have folded the tent and lost by 40 or more. At least these Vikings made a game of it. But that says more about the paper Lions than it does about the Vikes.
The raw numbers are hard to believe. The Vikings had 425 net yards to Detroit's 280. They had 29 first downs to Detroit's 13. They rushed for 269 yards and only took five penalties (for 37 yards) compared to the Lions 10 for 76. But they also had six (six!) turnovers and gave Detroit 24 easy points.
Yes, there are some things that a Vikings fan can take solace from in this game – Joe Webb's courageous work in relief of a struggling Christian Ponder, Toby Gerhart's pounding running style and Jared Allen's non-stop effort – but a loss is still a loss, the Vikings are still a 2-11 football team and they are starting to resemble a squad that expects bad things to happen. That can be a difficult vibe to shake once it's taken root, and it has for this group of players. I can only hope the Vikings aren't sinking into a long spell of putridity – like the Lions of 2001-2010.
Pulling Ponder
You can pin this loss largely on Ponder's poor decisions and four turnovers. But as we acknowledge that, I still question the decision to bench Ponder in favor of Webb. In this post by ESPN 1500's Tom Peliserro, Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier says the move was based on Ponder's play, not his health.
The move worked out and Webb played reasonably well, but if the whole point of playing Ponder is for him to gain experience and learn on the job, then stewing on the sidelines after being yanked (he looked pissed) isn't going to get that done. If he is going to be a successful NFL quarterback, he's got to be able to rally and overcome challenges – like games where he's thrown three interceptions. He didn't get that chance against Detroit. At least we learned Webb has made some progress from last year.
Like those Detroit teams, the 2011 Vikings can't get out of their own way, are often coached incompetently, have a losing culture and find new ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. About the only difference I see is that, faced with a similar 21-0 deficit on the road, the Lions of yore would have folded the tent and lost by 40 or more. At least these Vikings made a game of it. But that says more about the paper Lions than it does about the Vikes.
The raw numbers are hard to believe. The Vikings had 425 net yards to Detroit's 280. They had 29 first downs to Detroit's 13. They rushed for 269 yards and only took five penalties (for 37 yards) compared to the Lions 10 for 76. But they also had six (six!) turnovers and gave Detroit 24 easy points.
Yes, there are some things that a Vikings fan can take solace from in this game – Joe Webb's courageous work in relief of a struggling Christian Ponder, Toby Gerhart's pounding running style and Jared Allen's non-stop effort – but a loss is still a loss, the Vikings are still a 2-11 football team and they are starting to resemble a squad that expects bad things to happen. That can be a difficult vibe to shake once it's taken root, and it has for this group of players. I can only hope the Vikings aren't sinking into a long spell of putridity – like the Lions of 2001-2010.
Pulling Ponder
You can pin this loss largely on Ponder's poor decisions and four turnovers. But as we acknowledge that, I still question the decision to bench Ponder in favor of Webb. In this post by ESPN 1500's Tom Peliserro, Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier says the move was based on Ponder's play, not his health.
The move worked out and Webb played reasonably well, but if the whole point of playing Ponder is for him to gain experience and learn on the job, then stewing on the sidelines after being yanked (he looked pissed) isn't going to get that done. If he is going to be a successful NFL quarterback, he's got to be able to rally and overcome challenges – like games where he's thrown three interceptions. He didn't get that chance against Detroit. At least we learned Webb has made some progress from last year.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Why I'd like Adrian Peterson to take a seat against Detroit
I meant to link to this Access Vikings post by Dan Wiederer earlier in the week where Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson and Vikings great Chuck Foreman got into a discussion about whether Peterson should return from his high ankle sprain this Sunday.
Foreman was dead set against it, and even with Peterson now saying he's "80 per cent", I'd be happy to see him sit out against the Lions this Sunday as well. The reason is obvious enough. Why come back when you're not 100 per cent (or close to it), your team is 2-10 and you're playing a squad that's perceived as dirty?
Another week on the sidelines won't hurt the Vikings or Peterson. It also gives the team some more time to see what Toby Gerhart is like as the featured back. (For the record, when Gerhart gets some daylight, I enjoy watching him boll over a defender or three. He punishes defenders.)
I grimace when I hear Peterson talk like he did yesterday in this ESPN 1500 post by Tom Pelissero. But with Pelissero and his colleague Judd Zulgad wondering of late why the Vikings would play Peterson again in a lost season, they have to understand there is more at play here than the common good.
As Peterson points out in Pelissero's piece, he wants to rush for 1,000 yards again and he can't do that on the sidelines in street clothes. There are also monetary reasons why Peterson would want to get back in the lineup. He probably gets bonuses for reaching a 1,000 yards and earning a Pro Bowl berth.
My guess is we will see Peterson suiting up on Sunday. I hope Christian Ponder is feeling up to it as well.
Foreman was dead set against it, and even with Peterson now saying he's "80 per cent", I'd be happy to see him sit out against the Lions this Sunday as well. The reason is obvious enough. Why come back when you're not 100 per cent (or close to it), your team is 2-10 and you're playing a squad that's perceived as dirty?
Another week on the sidelines won't hurt the Vikings or Peterson. It also gives the team some more time to see what Toby Gerhart is like as the featured back. (For the record, when Gerhart gets some daylight, I enjoy watching him boll over a defender or three. He punishes defenders.)
I grimace when I hear Peterson talk like he did yesterday in this ESPN 1500 post by Tom Pelissero. But with Pelissero and his colleague Judd Zulgad wondering of late why the Vikings would play Peterson again in a lost season, they have to understand there is more at play here than the common good.
As Peterson points out in Pelissero's piece, he wants to rush for 1,000 yards again and he can't do that on the sidelines in street clothes. There are also monetary reasons why Peterson would want to get back in the lineup. He probably gets bonuses for reaching a 1,000 yards and earning a Pro Bowl berth.
My guess is we will see Peterson suiting up on Sunday. I hope Christian Ponder is feeling up to it as well.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Can the Vikings beat the Lions on Sunday? Nope
Vikings – Lions
Okay, the Vikings are not going to win this game. It's just a matter of how much they are going to lose by. And it could be more than normal if Christian Ponder isn't able to play Sunday. So there is no need to do any kind of analysis of this game.
Do you realize this should be the first sweep of the Vikings by Detroit since 1997?
Lions 31 - Vikings 17
So what are we watching for?
You know, there are still reasons for a diehard to watch the 2-10 Minnesota Vikings. Here is what I'll be paying attention to on Sunday.
Christian Ponder and Joe Webb:
I'll be disappointed if Ponder's hip pointer keeps him out of this game. Even without Ndamukong Suh, the Lions have a strong defensive line. They will be a good test for Ponder if he plays.
On the road, against a team playing for a playoff spot for the first time in a long time – this is a great developmental opportunity for Ponder. However, if he can't play, then it's a great developmental opportunity for Webb.
I gotta say, I get a buzz whenever Webb steps on the field. He's such a great athlete, I'm always anxious to see what he will pull off. Still, I haven't seen a great deal of evidence that he can be an effective NFL quarterback. But if he starts Sunday and can show something, it's gravy for the Vikings. The more Webb flashes as a QB, the more valuable he is as trade bait. The Vikes need draft picks over the next couple of years to rebuild the team - lots of them. Maybe Webb can bring them one in a trade.
Stephen Burton:
Burton only caught two passes against Denver last week. But one went for 21 yards and the other for 17. Considering it was the first time he got meaningful snaps on offence all year, I was encouraged.
Burton's a big guy (6'1, 224 pounds) from a small school. Besides Percy Harvin, the Vikings really haven't had much luck developing their own wide receivers. And the ones they have found – Nate Burleson and Sidney Rice – have been lost in free agency. Burton could be a diamond in the rough.
Chad Greenway:
Look, I don't care how much Greenway signed for this year. He's always been a good, sometimes very good, player for the Vikings and as long as he kept playing that way for the five years of his contract, I was going to be happy.
Unfortunately, Greenway hasn't been playing that way this season. He does have 110 tackles this year, but the impact plays have been very few. His performance last week against the Broncos was a microcosm of his entire season – missed tackles, getting wiped out on blocks, getting beat on pass coverage. I don't think Greenway has lost any skills (he's only 28), but it would be nice to see him have a bounce-back game against the Lions.
Jared Allen:
Allen isn't going to break Michael Strahan's sack record. He does have a shot at 20 sacks, an impressive feat in itself. It's been a magnificent season for Allen even if it's been a miserable one for the Vikings. Allen always gives you your money's worth.
Okay, the Vikings are not going to win this game. It's just a matter of how much they are going to lose by. And it could be more than normal if Christian Ponder isn't able to play Sunday. So there is no need to do any kind of analysis of this game.
Do you realize this should be the first sweep of the Vikings by Detroit since 1997?
Lions 31 - Vikings 17
So what are we watching for?
You know, there are still reasons for a diehard to watch the 2-10 Minnesota Vikings. Here is what I'll be paying attention to on Sunday.
Christian Ponder and Joe Webb:
I'll be disappointed if Ponder's hip pointer keeps him out of this game. Even without Ndamukong Suh, the Lions have a strong defensive line. They will be a good test for Ponder if he plays.
On the road, against a team playing for a playoff spot for the first time in a long time – this is a great developmental opportunity for Ponder. However, if he can't play, then it's a great developmental opportunity for Webb.
I gotta say, I get a buzz whenever Webb steps on the field. He's such a great athlete, I'm always anxious to see what he will pull off. Still, I haven't seen a great deal of evidence that he can be an effective NFL quarterback. But if he starts Sunday and can show something, it's gravy for the Vikings. The more Webb flashes as a QB, the more valuable he is as trade bait. The Vikes need draft picks over the next couple of years to rebuild the team - lots of them. Maybe Webb can bring them one in a trade.
Stephen Burton:
Burton only caught two passes against Denver last week. But one went for 21 yards and the other for 17. Considering it was the first time he got meaningful snaps on offence all year, I was encouraged.
Burton's a big guy (6'1, 224 pounds) from a small school. Besides Percy Harvin, the Vikings really haven't had much luck developing their own wide receivers. And the ones they have found – Nate Burleson and Sidney Rice – have been lost in free agency. Burton could be a diamond in the rough.
Chad Greenway:
Look, I don't care how much Greenway signed for this year. He's always been a good, sometimes very good, player for the Vikings and as long as he kept playing that way for the five years of his contract, I was going to be happy.
Unfortunately, Greenway hasn't been playing that way this season. He does have 110 tackles this year, but the impact plays have been very few. His performance last week against the Broncos was a microcosm of his entire season – missed tackles, getting wiped out on blocks, getting beat on pass coverage. I don't think Greenway has lost any skills (he's only 28), but it would be nice to see him have a bounce-back game against the Lions.
Jared Allen:
Allen isn't going to break Michael Strahan's sack record. He does have a shot at 20 sacks, an impressive feat in itself. It's been a magnificent season for Allen even if it's been a miserable one for the Vikings. Allen always gives you your money's worth.
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Reusse takes odd stance in Leslie Frazier column
I usually enjoy Star Tribune and ESPN 1500 columnist Patrick Reusse's contrarian writing. But his Wednesday column about the foolhardiness of Zygi and Mark Wilf in hiring Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier seems a bit off.
Reusse's premise is good, pointing out that the Wilf's haven't been very thorough when interviewing prospective head coaches nor have they been patient with the ones they have chosen. Reusse's thinks the Wilf's erred in hiring (and then firing) Brad Childress. He also suggests Frazier might be their worst hire yet, calling him "overmatched."
But in making this assessment, Reusse seems to be contradicting his own thesis – that the Wilf's need to be patient with the head coaches they hire. If that's his point, shouldn't he give Frazier more than a season in the job before suggesting he's the second coming of Les Steckel?
Stadium Chatter
So the Vikings stadium mouthpiece, Lester Bagley, let it "slip" Tuesday that another city besides Los Angeles has approached the owners about the Vikings leaving Minnesota.
If this sounds like a thinly veiled threat as talks heated up this week about where a future home for the Vikings should be located and whom should be paying for it, that's because it is.
The more suitors the Wilf's have for the Vikings, the more leverage they'll have as they try to get the stadium deal they want, rather than the deal legislators or the public wants. For month's there's been no mention of any other city having approached the Vikings other than Los Angeles. Now there's this mystery city, whose identity Bagley (naturally) won't reveal. This was a calculated slip by Bagley and the Wilf's. But I don't think Minnesota residents will appreciate it much.
Bill Musgrave – offensive mastermind
Football Outsiders' Mike Tanier didn't think much of a couple of plays the Vikings ran against Denver last Sunday in his weekly "Walkthrough" column (scroll down to the last item in the column to read the section.)
Vikings offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave – presumably the author of these play calls – isn't mentioned, but no matter. Vikings fans know who their coordinator is. Tanier wonders why Percy Harvin wasn't on the field as the Vikings had a first-and-10 deep in Broncos territory as they were driving for the winning score. I've been wondering why Harvin's been on the sideline a lot of times this year. It really is perplexing. Just as perplexing as these plays Musgrave drew up.
Reusse's premise is good, pointing out that the Wilf's haven't been very thorough when interviewing prospective head coaches nor have they been patient with the ones they have chosen. Reusse's thinks the Wilf's erred in hiring (and then firing) Brad Childress. He also suggests Frazier might be their worst hire yet, calling him "overmatched."
But in making this assessment, Reusse seems to be contradicting his own thesis – that the Wilf's need to be patient with the head coaches they hire. If that's his point, shouldn't he give Frazier more than a season in the job before suggesting he's the second coming of Les Steckel?
Stadium Chatter
So the Vikings stadium mouthpiece, Lester Bagley, let it "slip" Tuesday that another city besides Los Angeles has approached the owners about the Vikings leaving Minnesota.
If this sounds like a thinly veiled threat as talks heated up this week about where a future home for the Vikings should be located and whom should be paying for it, that's because it is.
The more suitors the Wilf's have for the Vikings, the more leverage they'll have as they try to get the stadium deal they want, rather than the deal legislators or the public wants. For month's there's been no mention of any other city having approached the Vikings other than Los Angeles. Now there's this mystery city, whose identity Bagley (naturally) won't reveal. This was a calculated slip by Bagley and the Wilf's. But I don't think Minnesota residents will appreciate it much.
Bill Musgrave – offensive mastermind
Football Outsiders' Mike Tanier didn't think much of a couple of plays the Vikings ran against Denver last Sunday in his weekly "Walkthrough" column (scroll down to the last item in the column to read the section.)
Vikings offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave – presumably the author of these play calls – isn't mentioned, but no matter. Vikings fans know who their coordinator is. Tanier wonders why Percy Harvin wasn't on the field as the Vikings had a first-and-10 deep in Broncos territory as they were driving for the winning score. I've been wondering why Harvin's been on the sideline a lot of times this year. It really is perplexing. Just as perplexing as these plays Musgrave drew up.
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Rosenfels could be a decent insurance policy for Vikings in 2012
A nice article by ESPN 1500's Judd Zulgad on the return of Sage Rosenfels today. I like the inside dirt about ex-Vikings head coach Brad Childress burying Rosenfels on the bench behind Tarvaris Jackson despite the fact director of player personnel Rick Spielman traded for Rosenfels and favored him over Jackson.
Rosenfels also says a lot of interesting things in the piece about his professional journey the past couple of years and his current role with the Vikings.
I'm pretty sure a veteran like Rosenfels doesn't want to be a third stringer next year, and you would think somebody (Seattle? Cleveland? Chicago?) could use a guy who has shown he can be a quality backup, but Rosenfels would be a great fit in 2012 as a third-string mentor in Minnesota.
He's a guy who isn't going to sulk if he isn't playing. He's been around the league a while, so he'd have a lot to teach Christian Ponder and Joe Webb. And if Ponder is hurt for an extended period and something similar happens to Webb, or he's ineffective (a distinct possibility), Rosenfels has had success in the league as a starter. I would like to see him back next year.
* I haven't paid much attention to what's going on with the Vikings stadium smozzle – I can't keep track of it all. But this Pioneer Press story caught my eye.
I haven't allowed myself to think what my NFL football experience would be like if the Vikings moved to another city – although during seasons like this one I fantasize often about what it would be like to not be emotionally invested in a team. I know I couldn't cheer for the relocated Vikings or whatever they would be called. And I probably couldn't get behind any new team in Minnesota that wasn't called the Vikings. It would be different.
* The National Football Post's Matt Bowen breaks down how Denver's Tim Tebow beat the Vikings Cover 2 on Sunday. As one of the commentors who responsed to the piece noted, you don't need to have played six seasons in the NFL – as Bowen did – to figure out how Tebow could go 10-15, throw for over 200 yards and post a quarterback rating of 149.3 against this team. There are four reasons Tebow was able to do what he did Sunday, and their names are Griffin, Sanford, Sapp and Raymond.
* Sam Monson gives us his weekly tape breakdown of the Vikings next opponent – the Detroit Lions. Calvin Johnson could very well set a world record for catches and receiving yards in this game.
* Finally, ESPN 1500's Tom Peliserro gives out his weekly grades for the Vikings positional units.
Rosenfels also says a lot of interesting things in the piece about his professional journey the past couple of years and his current role with the Vikings.
I'm pretty sure a veteran like Rosenfels doesn't want to be a third stringer next year, and you would think somebody (Seattle? Cleveland? Chicago?) could use a guy who has shown he can be a quality backup, but Rosenfels would be a great fit in 2012 as a third-string mentor in Minnesota.
He's a guy who isn't going to sulk if he isn't playing. He's been around the league a while, so he'd have a lot to teach Christian Ponder and Joe Webb. And if Ponder is hurt for an extended period and something similar happens to Webb, or he's ineffective (a distinct possibility), Rosenfels has had success in the league as a starter. I would like to see him back next year.
* I haven't paid much attention to what's going on with the Vikings stadium smozzle – I can't keep track of it all. But this Pioneer Press story caught my eye.
I haven't allowed myself to think what my NFL football experience would be like if the Vikings moved to another city – although during seasons like this one I fantasize often about what it would be like to not be emotionally invested in a team. I know I couldn't cheer for the relocated Vikings or whatever they would be called. And I probably couldn't get behind any new team in Minnesota that wasn't called the Vikings. It would be different.
* The National Football Post's Matt Bowen breaks down how Denver's Tim Tebow beat the Vikings Cover 2 on Sunday. As one of the commentors who responsed to the piece noted, you don't need to have played six seasons in the NFL – as Bowen did – to figure out how Tebow could go 10-15, throw for over 200 yards and post a quarterback rating of 149.3 against this team. There are four reasons Tebow was able to do what he did Sunday, and their names are Griffin, Sanford, Sapp and Raymond.
* Sam Monson gives us his weekly tape breakdown of the Vikings next opponent – the Detroit Lions. Calvin Johnson could very well set a world record for catches and receiving yards in this game.
* Finally, ESPN 1500's Tom Peliserro gives out his weekly grades for the Vikings positional units.
Monday, December 05, 2011
Cedric Griffin's struggles could put cornerback at the top of Vikings draft wish list
ESPN's Kevin Seifert posted about the Vikings current draft position today. If you believe the Vikings could lose their remaining four games, and many people do (although the season finale against Chicago could be interesting if Caleb Hanie is the Bears quarterback), that puts them in prime position to draft no lower than third overall.
And if you also believe the Indianapolis Colts are going to finish with the league's worst record and will pick Standford QB Andrew Luck first overall, the Vikings are in prime position to grab the top-rated player at any of the three positions where they have the greatest needs – left tackle, cornerback and wide receiver.
I've been thinking all season that the Vikings need to take a left tackle with their first round pick this April, but Judd Zulgad's piece today about cornerback Cedric Griffin's plight makes me think the team might want to grab a top cornerback like LSU's Morris Claiborne instead.
Although Zulgad lays it out pretty well in the piece I've linked to above, it's clear the Vikings cornerback situation is in a shambles. The team certainly isn't going to keep Griffin around at his current salary and production. Antoine Winfield can still play, but staying healthy for a full season is a major concern at his age. We don't know what plans the Vikings, the NFL or the legal system have for troubled Chris Cook. Also, everything I've ever read about and seen with my own eyes in regards to Asher Allen screams dime player.
The Vikings can get by with their defensive line right now, which is actually a pretty decent unit. The linebackers, especially Chad Greenway, can't be as bad as they've looked the past few weeks. But in a division with Aaron Rodgers, Matt Stafford and Jay Cutler starting at quarterback and receivers like Greg Jennings (beast), Calvin Johnson (beast-and-a-half) and even guys like Earl Bennett, Jordy Nelson and Nate Burleson, you can't beat your divisional foes when your corners are either a) old b) replacement level or c) on trial.
So forget left tackle for now (maybe draft one in round two), the Vikings need a cornerback. Or three.
And if you also believe the Indianapolis Colts are going to finish with the league's worst record and will pick Standford QB Andrew Luck first overall, the Vikings are in prime position to grab the top-rated player at any of the three positions where they have the greatest needs – left tackle, cornerback and wide receiver.
I've been thinking all season that the Vikings need to take a left tackle with their first round pick this April, but Judd Zulgad's piece today about cornerback Cedric Griffin's plight makes me think the team might want to grab a top cornerback like LSU's Morris Claiborne instead.
Although Zulgad lays it out pretty well in the piece I've linked to above, it's clear the Vikings cornerback situation is in a shambles. The team certainly isn't going to keep Griffin around at his current salary and production. Antoine Winfield can still play, but staying healthy for a full season is a major concern at his age. We don't know what plans the Vikings, the NFL or the legal system have for troubled Chris Cook. Also, everything I've ever read about and seen with my own eyes in regards to Asher Allen screams dime player.
The Vikings can get by with their defensive line right now, which is actually a pretty decent unit. The linebackers, especially Chad Greenway, can't be as bad as they've looked the past few weeks. But in a division with Aaron Rodgers, Matt Stafford and Jay Cutler starting at quarterback and receivers like Greg Jennings (beast), Calvin Johnson (beast-and-a-half) and even guys like Earl Bennett, Jordy Nelson and Nate Burleson, you can't beat your divisional foes when your corners are either a) old b) replacement level or c) on trial.
So forget left tackle for now (maybe draft one in round two), the Vikings need a cornerback. Or three.
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Vikings lose, and how about that defence?
Well, some entertaining football was played today at the Metrodome as the Vikings lost to Denver 35-32. I just don’t think it was good football. I’ll get to Christian Ponder’s play in a bit, but first a few words about Minnesota’s defensive performance in the second half.
I don’t know what happened. The unit had a standout first half. It stuffed the run, kept Denver quarterback Tim Tebow contained in the pocket and made the Broncos offence look like a high school outfit. In the second half, it was the other way around. It’s not like Denver did anything different, either. But the Vikings defence couldn’t tackle. Denver running back Willis McGahee – who’s not the most explosive guy anymore – made big runs with simple jump cuts and reversing direction. Then some blown coverages allowed Tebow to make some big (but pretty easy) throws. It was a mess.
We all know Ponder’s gift interception on the last Vikings drive set up Denver’s winning field goal, but I pin the blame for this loss much more on the Vikings D. The defensive line couldn’t get any penetration or get off any blocks. Linebackers Chad Greenway, E.J. Henderson and Erin Henderson were garbage – getting washed out on running play after running play, even though they knew what was coming, and they were unable to make the initial tackle when they had to.
Jamarca Sanford also proved he’s a very good special teams player, but that’s it. What a terrible game he had. He was juked out of his pants on the 41-yard catch and run touchdown by Demaryius Thomas and a 24-yard touchdown run by McGahee. It also looked like he made wrong reads on Thomas’ 21-yard touchdown catch on the Broncos first drive of the second half and the 42-yard catch Thomas had that set up McGahee’s 24-yard touchdown that tied the score at 29-29. Even with the injuries the Vikings secondary has, Sanford should no longer be alowed to start. Is Jarrad Page ready to play?
We all know the Vikings are playing shorthanded on defence (as well as offence), but you wonder what the future holds for defenisive coordinator Fred Pagac, and maybe even head coach Leslie Frazier. The unit plays pretty hard, but it doesn’t play very well. It's play in today's second half had to be an embarrassment. Maybe it’s not just the players that have to go.
Now for the Vikings offence.
On Friday I wrote that Ponder needed to have a breakout game to ease my doubts about his play of late. This could have been that kind of game – except for the turnovers. For all the good things he did in this one, and there were many, his turnovers of late are starting to kill the Vikings.
I like the kid, but the strip fumble by safety Brian Dawkins deep inside Denver territory can’t happen. I also don’t know what he was looking at on the pick six he threw to the Broncos Mario Haggan. Fox color guy Brian Billick felt Ponder didn’t see him – and he obviously didn’t – but he should have. It’s not like Haggan was hiding somewhere.
The late interception to Andre Goodman was a case of being tricked by the coverage. Teams have enough tape on Ponder now to know what he likes to do and to play off of that. And he’s shown he struggles when the Vikings get deep in an opponent’s territory. That’s partly the result of the personnel he has around him, but it’s also on him. It is impressive that Ponder could throw for 381 yards with the receivers he had at his disposal on Sunday. Still, he can’t turn the ball over three times and help his team win games.
Some other comments on the loss:
* Percy Harvin is pretty good, and the Vikings most valuable player this season. So how come every time he makes a catch or a run, he gets taken out of the game? The man’s in great shape, albeit a bit banged up. But I’d rather have a slightly winded Harvin in the game than a fresh Greg Camarillo.
* I couldn’t agree more with Fox play-by-play guy Thom Brennaman’s criticism of the Vikings personnel alignment on the first-and-six call with eight seconds left in the first half. Rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph is a guy who has shown he can catch jump balls in a crowd and he's standing on the sidelines. And not having Percy Harvin on the field when you need a touchdown is just madness.
* I thought the Vikings offensive line played very well in the second half after a typical lackluster first half. They opened creases for Toby Gerhart (21 carries for 91 yards) and gave Ponder a clean pocket on his many passes. It was the unit's best half this season.
* Biggest surprise of the day: Devin Aromashodu actually doing something. The Vikings need somebody besides Percy Harvin to make a play in the pass game. Aromashodu did that today (six catches for 90 yards.) I just don’t expect it to become a habit.
* Vikings offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave should consider using Rudolph on fades when the team is inside the 10-yard line. Rudolph’s not a shifty guy, but he’s bigger than any defender that will be covering him and as we saw on the 19-yard touchdown pass from Ponder, his hands are like Velcro.
* Fullback Ryan D'Imperio is growing on me. He's making some good lead blocks for Gerhart and he can catch whatever is thrown his way. He plays well on special teams as well.
I don’t know what happened. The unit had a standout first half. It stuffed the run, kept Denver quarterback Tim Tebow contained in the pocket and made the Broncos offence look like a high school outfit. In the second half, it was the other way around. It’s not like Denver did anything different, either. But the Vikings defence couldn’t tackle. Denver running back Willis McGahee – who’s not the most explosive guy anymore – made big runs with simple jump cuts and reversing direction. Then some blown coverages allowed Tebow to make some big (but pretty easy) throws. It was a mess.
We all know Ponder’s gift interception on the last Vikings drive set up Denver’s winning field goal, but I pin the blame for this loss much more on the Vikings D. The defensive line couldn’t get any penetration or get off any blocks. Linebackers Chad Greenway, E.J. Henderson and Erin Henderson were garbage – getting washed out on running play after running play, even though they knew what was coming, and they were unable to make the initial tackle when they had to.
Jamarca Sanford also proved he’s a very good special teams player, but that’s it. What a terrible game he had. He was juked out of his pants on the 41-yard catch and run touchdown by Demaryius Thomas and a 24-yard touchdown run by McGahee. It also looked like he made wrong reads on Thomas’ 21-yard touchdown catch on the Broncos first drive of the second half and the 42-yard catch Thomas had that set up McGahee’s 24-yard touchdown that tied the score at 29-29. Even with the injuries the Vikings secondary has, Sanford should no longer be alowed to start. Is Jarrad Page ready to play?
We all know the Vikings are playing shorthanded on defence (as well as offence), but you wonder what the future holds for defenisive coordinator Fred Pagac, and maybe even head coach Leslie Frazier. The unit plays pretty hard, but it doesn’t play very well. It's play in today's second half had to be an embarrassment. Maybe it’s not just the players that have to go.
Now for the Vikings offence.
On Friday I wrote that Ponder needed to have a breakout game to ease my doubts about his play of late. This could have been that kind of game – except for the turnovers. For all the good things he did in this one, and there were many, his turnovers of late are starting to kill the Vikings.
I like the kid, but the strip fumble by safety Brian Dawkins deep inside Denver territory can’t happen. I also don’t know what he was looking at on the pick six he threw to the Broncos Mario Haggan. Fox color guy Brian Billick felt Ponder didn’t see him – and he obviously didn’t – but he should have. It’s not like Haggan was hiding somewhere.
The late interception to Andre Goodman was a case of being tricked by the coverage. Teams have enough tape on Ponder now to know what he likes to do and to play off of that. And he’s shown he struggles when the Vikings get deep in an opponent’s territory. That’s partly the result of the personnel he has around him, but it’s also on him. It is impressive that Ponder could throw for 381 yards with the receivers he had at his disposal on Sunday. Still, he can’t turn the ball over three times and help his team win games.
Some other comments on the loss:
* Percy Harvin is pretty good, and the Vikings most valuable player this season. So how come every time he makes a catch or a run, he gets taken out of the game? The man’s in great shape, albeit a bit banged up. But I’d rather have a slightly winded Harvin in the game than a fresh Greg Camarillo.
* I couldn’t agree more with Fox play-by-play guy Thom Brennaman’s criticism of the Vikings personnel alignment on the first-and-six call with eight seconds left in the first half. Rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph is a guy who has shown he can catch jump balls in a crowd and he's standing on the sidelines. And not having Percy Harvin on the field when you need a touchdown is just madness.
* I thought the Vikings offensive line played very well in the second half after a typical lackluster first half. They opened creases for Toby Gerhart (21 carries for 91 yards) and gave Ponder a clean pocket on his many passes. It was the unit's best half this season.
* Biggest surprise of the day: Devin Aromashodu actually doing something. The Vikings need somebody besides Percy Harvin to make a play in the pass game. Aromashodu did that today (six catches for 90 yards.) I just don’t expect it to become a habit.
* Vikings offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave should consider using Rudolph on fades when the team is inside the 10-yard line. Rudolph’s not a shifty guy, but he’s bigger than any defender that will be covering him and as we saw on the 19-yard touchdown pass from Ponder, his hands are like Velcro.
* Fullback Ryan D'Imperio is growing on me. He's making some good lead blocks for Gerhart and he can catch whatever is thrown his way. He plays well on special teams as well.
Friday, December 02, 2011
Vikings more interesting off the field than on it
Vikings – Broncos
What a week. The Vikings placed four guys on the injured reserve, including starters Michael Jenkins and Husain Abdullah. Then they released Donovan McNabb. Then they put in a waiver claim on ex-Viking quarterback Sage Rosenfels and got him. And now the Vikings offence (i.e. Percy Harvin) is questionable for Sunday's game.
With all of this going on, the Vikings still have to play the Denver Broncos at home on Sunday. The Broncos are 5-1 since Tim Tebow took over as the starting QB. He's only completing 45.5 per cent of his passes, but he's also thrown just one interception compared to eight touchdown passes and he's averaging 5.8 yards a carry.
But I'm not worried about Tebow and the Broncos old-school offensive system as much as how the Vikings are going to move the ball against a Denver defence that's given up no more than 13 points in the last three games.
With Toby Gerhart starting for an injured Adrian Peterson at running back, Harvin questionable and the Vikings forced to run out Stephen Burton and Greg Camarillo at wide receiver, the Vikings don't have many offensive weapons. Maybe Minnesota should run the option on Sunday. I bet rookie quarterback Christian Ponder would be good at it.
Broncos 20 – Vikings 7
News and Notes
* It's early, but I'm a bit concerned about the accuracy of Ponder. Coming out of Florida State I had read he was a smart, accurate passer with decent arm strength. So far, it looks like his arm is stronger than advertised, but he's only completed 54.4 per cent of his passes. Part of the blame can be laid at the feet of a brutal offensive line and a pedestrian group of wideouts, but how much of it is on Ponder – a little, some, a lot? He needs to have a breakout game against Denver to erase some doubts for me.
* The Vikings could end up with the worst record in franchise history, but they won't be the lousiest team ever, writes Pioneer Press columnist Bob Sansevere.
* ESPN 1500's Judd Zulgad doesn't have kind words for the recently released McNabb.
* How well have the Broncos been playing lately? Read this scouting report by Sam Monson to find out.
What a week. The Vikings placed four guys on the injured reserve, including starters Michael Jenkins and Husain Abdullah. Then they released Donovan McNabb. Then they put in a waiver claim on ex-Viking quarterback Sage Rosenfels and got him. And now the Vikings offence (i.e. Percy Harvin) is questionable for Sunday's game.
With all of this going on, the Vikings still have to play the Denver Broncos at home on Sunday. The Broncos are 5-1 since Tim Tebow took over as the starting QB. He's only completing 45.5 per cent of his passes, but he's also thrown just one interception compared to eight touchdown passes and he's averaging 5.8 yards a carry.
But I'm not worried about Tebow and the Broncos old-school offensive system as much as how the Vikings are going to move the ball against a Denver defence that's given up no more than 13 points in the last three games.
With Toby Gerhart starting for an injured Adrian Peterson at running back, Harvin questionable and the Vikings forced to run out Stephen Burton and Greg Camarillo at wide receiver, the Vikings don't have many offensive weapons. Maybe Minnesota should run the option on Sunday. I bet rookie quarterback Christian Ponder would be good at it.
Broncos 20 – Vikings 7
News and Notes
* It's early, but I'm a bit concerned about the accuracy of Ponder. Coming out of Florida State I had read he was a smart, accurate passer with decent arm strength. So far, it looks like his arm is stronger than advertised, but he's only completed 54.4 per cent of his passes. Part of the blame can be laid at the feet of a brutal offensive line and a pedestrian group of wideouts, but how much of it is on Ponder – a little, some, a lot? He needs to have a breakout game against Denver to erase some doubts for me.
* The Vikings could end up with the worst record in franchise history, but they won't be the lousiest team ever, writes Pioneer Press columnist Bob Sansevere.
* ESPN 1500's Judd Zulgad doesn't have kind words for the recently released McNabb.
* How well have the Broncos been playing lately? Read this scouting report by Sam Monson to find out.
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