At first, it was a "red alert, everyone abandon ship" kind of night. The Vikings had recently turned in two clunkers against Arizona and Carolina, but make no mistake about it, this time it appeared they were heading for their worst game yet. The Vikings were shut out in the first half, as Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson's protection was nonexistent and any attempts to establish the run were laughable. Meanwhile, Jay Cutler was playing excellent football.
But then something happened.
After a horrendous showing in the first two quarters that left the Vikings behind 16-0, the offense suddenly opened up. Brett was running the show. He had more options than ever before. Adrian was running the football like a man with something to prove. A team that appeared dead was taking the game to overtime.
Unfortunately, while the Favre-led charge was enough to tie the game, it wasn't quite enough to steal the win. And when handing out the blame, I'm going to put the special teams at the top of the list. An Adrian Peterson touchdown knotted the game at 23-23, but on the ensuing kickoff, Daniel Manning returned it 59 yards and set up a Cutler touchdown toss two plays later. And that brings up another key problem: The pass defense.
For much of the game, Cutler had his way with the Vikings defense. On one hand, the pass rush didn't get much traction until later in the game, and Jared Allen might as well have been on the inactive list. The issues in the secondary though are starting to piss me off. The tackling was once again awful, particularly in the first half. Then there's the game winning touchdown pass in overtime in which Antoine Winfield got absolutely torched. O-H.....OH NO!!
Aside from the defensive mishaps and shoddy kickoff coverage, quite a bit of attention will clearly center on Adrian's fumble in overtime. There were bigger reasons that the Vikings lost this game, but that fumble put the Bears in position to win the game.
The Vikings have now choked away homefield advantage and are no longer in control of their own destiny for even a bye week (which we desperately need to have any chance). We need a win against the G-Men and a Cowboys win over the Eagles to secure a first round bye. Quite a fall for this team, but the second half of this game shows that there are still reasons for optimism.
When Brett Favre is given options, when he is given control, and when he can spread things out, this offense remains dangerous. When they can generate a pass rush and can actually TACKLE...the defense remains a serviceable unit.
This is hardly the ideal way to be entering the playoffs, as the Vikings have clearly been on the decline throughout the past four weeks. Here's hoping their comeback on a cold night in Chicago, although ultimately unsuccessful, provides some momentum and some important lessons.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Vikings @ Panthers - Week 15
There's something about Sunday nights.....
Once again, the Vikings laid an egg in primetime. I don't get it. The two worst games of the season for the Vikings have come on Sunday nights, and it's not even close. Two weeks ago in Arizona, they had a thoroughly disastrous game that involved an absolute thrashing by Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, a bumbling missed-tackle fest on defense, and a complete inability to utilize this team's many offensive weapons. This past Sunday was largely the same story, but the caliber of the opponent was just much worse.
A single poor game in Arizona is unfortunate, but it probably isn't worth getting too worried about. However, when the same issues emerge against a team not nearly as tough as the Cardinals, you have to start wondering.
The offensive line? It got shredded by Julius Peppers. Favre's performance? Well..Jim Kleinsasser was the team's leading receiver in the first half..what's that tell ya? And for the record....if you are looking to this blog to see my thoughts on the whole Favre-Childress saga...look somewhere else. Adrian Peterson? When he actually had the ball, which wasn't terribly often, there was no room to run. The defensive performance? It had a tough time handling Matt Moore, a scrub who made high percentage throws and was sacked just twice. The tackling was ugly and the pass rush belonged on the side of a milk carton.
Despite my gripes about the defense, the offensive performance was horrendous. The #1 thing you can do to get beat by a mediocre team is allowing them to hang around early in the game. That's just what the Vikings did in this game. Check out the first four offensive drives of the game:
5 plays, 8 yards
3 plays, 0 yards
4 plays, 4 yards
3 plays, 8 yards
Embarrassing. The first half stats: 66 total yards, 1/5 on third down, Matt Moore passes for double the yards that Favre did. Yet, still 7-6 Vikes at the half.
Here is the second half for you:
3 plays, 5 yards
4 plays, 23 yards
3 plays, 4 yards
3 plays, - 3 yards
5 plays, 16 yards
4 plays, 15 yards
When you perform incompetently in the first half and come out and perform just as incompetently in the second half, you're an offense that stopped caring. You're an offense that faced adversity and flopped.
Some called this a trap game, and some said the Vikings got complacent after clinching the NFC North title earlier in the day. I'll call it this: GETTING CRUSHED. I'm not gonna make excuses for this team, because they don't deserve it. What's most disappointing of all is that they seemed to be on the right track just one week ago. After having quite a few problems exposed by the Cardinals, they responded in a big way against the Bengals.
Ultimately, don't call it a fluke when it happens twice in three weeks. The Beloved Purple are slipping at a time when they need to be building momentum, and suddenly, a first round bye is hardly a sure thing. However, I'm not so concerned with the bye or homefield advantage as I was Sunday morning after the Saints had lost. I'm just worried about this team even winning a playoff game..
Once again, the Vikings laid an egg in primetime. I don't get it. The two worst games of the season for the Vikings have come on Sunday nights, and it's not even close. Two weeks ago in Arizona, they had a thoroughly disastrous game that involved an absolute thrashing by Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, a bumbling missed-tackle fest on defense, and a complete inability to utilize this team's many offensive weapons. This past Sunday was largely the same story, but the caliber of the opponent was just much worse.
A single poor game in Arizona is unfortunate, but it probably isn't worth getting too worried about. However, when the same issues emerge against a team not nearly as tough as the Cardinals, you have to start wondering.
The offensive line? It got shredded by Julius Peppers. Favre's performance? Well..Jim Kleinsasser was the team's leading receiver in the first half..what's that tell ya? And for the record....if you are looking to this blog to see my thoughts on the whole Favre-Childress saga...look somewhere else. Adrian Peterson? When he actually had the ball, which wasn't terribly often, there was no room to run. The defensive performance? It had a tough time handling Matt Moore, a scrub who made high percentage throws and was sacked just twice. The tackling was ugly and the pass rush belonged on the side of a milk carton.
Despite my gripes about the defense, the offensive performance was horrendous. The #1 thing you can do to get beat by a mediocre team is allowing them to hang around early in the game. That's just what the Vikings did in this game. Check out the first four offensive drives of the game:
5 plays, 8 yards
3 plays, 0 yards
4 plays, 4 yards
3 plays, 8 yards
Embarrassing. The first half stats: 66 total yards, 1/5 on third down, Matt Moore passes for double the yards that Favre did. Yet, still 7-6 Vikes at the half.
Here is the second half for you:
3 plays, 5 yards
4 plays, 23 yards
3 plays, 4 yards
3 plays, - 3 yards
5 plays, 16 yards
4 plays, 15 yards
When you perform incompetently in the first half and come out and perform just as incompetently in the second half, you're an offense that stopped caring. You're an offense that faced adversity and flopped.
Some called this a trap game, and some said the Vikings got complacent after clinching the NFC North title earlier in the day. I'll call it this: GETTING CRUSHED. I'm not gonna make excuses for this team, because they don't deserve it. What's most disappointing of all is that they seemed to be on the right track just one week ago. After having quite a few problems exposed by the Cardinals, they responded in a big way against the Bengals.
Ultimately, don't call it a fluke when it happens twice in three weeks. The Beloved Purple are slipping at a time when they need to be building momentum, and suddenly, a first round bye is hardly a sure thing. However, I'm not so concerned with the bye or homefield advantage as I was Sunday morning after the Saints had lost. I'm just worried about this team even winning a playoff game..
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Bengals @ Vikings - Week 14
After last week's debacle I wrote:
"Plenty of problems were exposed, and plenty of challenges have emerged. Now we get to see just how resilient this team is."
Answer: Pretty damn resilient.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Vikings jumped out to a two score lead over the Bengals by halftime, extended that lead by a touchdown in the third quarter, and iced the game in the fourth quarter. Between missteps by a sloppy Bengals team, an impressive defensive effort headlined by the return of Antoine Winfield, a productive afternoon for Adrian Peterson, and a solid special teams performance, the Vikings looked good during their 30-10 victory.
Having Winfield back was huge as Carson Palmer managed just 94 yards passing on 25 attempts. Beyond Ochocinco's 15 yard touchdown, there wasn't many highlights for the Cincy offense. Sure, Cedric Benson put up some impressive numbers, 16 carries for 96 yards, but nearly half of those yards came on a single carry. The teams also combined for 20 penalties in the game, 11 for Cincy and 9 for Minny. Although the Bengals' penalties seem to be more costly.
On the offensive side, AP rebounded nicely from a rough night in Arizona, finishing the game with 137 total yards on the ground and through the air. He also scored twice, breaking the team record for rushing touchdowns in a season.
Brett Favre continued to struggle a bit, completing just over 50% of his passes while tossing a TD and an INT. The absence of Percy Harvin couldn't have helped matters, but Brett never targeted Shank and Rice with any sort of consistency on Sunday.
Jasper Brinkley made three tackles in relief of E.J. Henderson, but the real story was the emotional lift provided to this defense through the return of Antoine Winfield. After nine tackles and a few push-ups..ha ha...Antoine had given everyone a reminder of just how valuable he is to this defense. You would have never guessed this guy had been sidelined for as long as he was, since he didn't miss a beat out there.
And that ladies and gentlemen was what this game was all about: Rebounding from a setback. And I'm happy to say, the Minnesota Vikings did just that.
"Plenty of problems were exposed, and plenty of challenges have emerged. Now we get to see just how resilient this team is."
Answer: Pretty damn resilient.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Vikings jumped out to a two score lead over the Bengals by halftime, extended that lead by a touchdown in the third quarter, and iced the game in the fourth quarter. Between missteps by a sloppy Bengals team, an impressive defensive effort headlined by the return of Antoine Winfield, a productive afternoon for Adrian Peterson, and a solid special teams performance, the Vikings looked good during their 30-10 victory.
Having Winfield back was huge as Carson Palmer managed just 94 yards passing on 25 attempts. Beyond Ochocinco's 15 yard touchdown, there wasn't many highlights for the Cincy offense. Sure, Cedric Benson put up some impressive numbers, 16 carries for 96 yards, but nearly half of those yards came on a single carry. The teams also combined for 20 penalties in the game, 11 for Cincy and 9 for Minny. Although the Bengals' penalties seem to be more costly.
On the offensive side, AP rebounded nicely from a rough night in Arizona, finishing the game with 137 total yards on the ground and through the air. He also scored twice, breaking the team record for rushing touchdowns in a season.
Brett Favre continued to struggle a bit, completing just over 50% of his passes while tossing a TD and an INT. The absence of Percy Harvin couldn't have helped matters, but Brett never targeted Shank and Rice with any sort of consistency on Sunday.
Jasper Brinkley made three tackles in relief of E.J. Henderson, but the real story was the emotional lift provided to this defense through the return of Antoine Winfield. After nine tackles and a few push-ups..ha ha...Antoine had given everyone a reminder of just how valuable he is to this defense. You would have never guessed this guy had been sidelined for as long as he was, since he didn't miss a beat out there.
And that ladies and gentlemen was what this game was all about: Rebounding from a setback. And I'm happy to say, the Minnesota Vikings did just that.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Vikings @ Cardinals - Week 13
If the Vikings were going to have a game that needs to be forgotten immediately, I'm glad it came now rather than later. Because this was an ugly, tough to watch, all-around terrible game.
After jumping out to a 7-0 lead, the Vikings completely shut down the rest of the night. The problems were numerous, the gaffes were many, and the game was easily the ugliest of the year for the Beloved Purple.
Take the ingredients of a Vikings win this year: Get an efficient game out of Favre, get a variety of receivers involved, feed the playmakers, get a productive performance from Adrian Peterson, pressure the quarterback, and make good tackles. Now...do NONE of the above and that's a recipe for an embarrassing loss.
Actually, embarrassing puts it too mildly. Favre threw a pair of interceptions, and a few additional should have been. AP had 19 yards on 13 carries..and no, that's not a typo. Rice and Shiancoe were...wait...did they even play?!? Ignoring these two guys is how you lose football games.
So with nothing going well on the offensive side, the defense was going to have to dominate this one for the Vikings to have any chance. But in a variety of ways, the defense wilted. Kurt Warner was hardly breathed on, let alone hit. Anquan Boldin caught a pair of touchdowns before the Vikings remembered they were on the field, and incompetent tackling resulted in too many big gains. And speaking of players not in the game...where was Jared Allen?
Things got worse...much worse. E.J. Henderson is done for the year. Don't need to wait for the official injury report to figure that out. An absolutely devastating and gruesome leg injury in the fourth quarter, after the result of the game was no longer in doubt. What a shame. Kudos to NBC for only showing ONE replay of this...it was disgusting and I had no intentions of rewinding the PVR to relive this. I just hope the injury isn't career threatening.
The 30-17 final score was actually deceiving. This game was far worse than the score indicated. Adjustments need to be made in the coming weeks. The tackling desperately needs to improve and we definitely need Antoine Winfield back on the field. Warner had all day to throw, can't let this happen especially if we meet Drew Brees in the playoffs. The Vikings for the second straight year are without Henderson, putting pressure on Chad Greenway and Ben Leber to step up. The lack of production from Adrian is frightening. The lack of throws to the best targets is concerning.
The Vikings left Arizona as a battered team. They come home with a lot of changes that need to be made for them to be a competitive team next Sunday....some related to player execution, others related to game planning. But amidst the endless list of problems from last Sunday, there's a chance for redemption in front of a friendly crowd next week against a good Bengals team.
Plenty of problems were exposed and plenty of challenges have now emerged. Now we get to see just how resilient this team really is...
After jumping out to a 7-0 lead, the Vikings completely shut down the rest of the night. The problems were numerous, the gaffes were many, and the game was easily the ugliest of the year for the Beloved Purple.
Take the ingredients of a Vikings win this year: Get an efficient game out of Favre, get a variety of receivers involved, feed the playmakers, get a productive performance from Adrian Peterson, pressure the quarterback, and make good tackles. Now...do NONE of the above and that's a recipe for an embarrassing loss.
Actually, embarrassing puts it too mildly. Favre threw a pair of interceptions, and a few additional should have been. AP had 19 yards on 13 carries..and no, that's not a typo. Rice and Shiancoe were...wait...did they even play?!? Ignoring these two guys is how you lose football games.
So with nothing going well on the offensive side, the defense was going to have to dominate this one for the Vikings to have any chance. But in a variety of ways, the defense wilted. Kurt Warner was hardly breathed on, let alone hit. Anquan Boldin caught a pair of touchdowns before the Vikings remembered they were on the field, and incompetent tackling resulted in too many big gains. And speaking of players not in the game...where was Jared Allen?
Things got worse...much worse. E.J. Henderson is done for the year. Don't need to wait for the official injury report to figure that out. An absolutely devastating and gruesome leg injury in the fourth quarter, after the result of the game was no longer in doubt. What a shame. Kudos to NBC for only showing ONE replay of this...it was disgusting and I had no intentions of rewinding the PVR to relive this. I just hope the injury isn't career threatening.
The 30-17 final score was actually deceiving. This game was far worse than the score indicated. Adjustments need to be made in the coming weeks. The tackling desperately needs to improve and we definitely need Antoine Winfield back on the field. Warner had all day to throw, can't let this happen especially if we meet Drew Brees in the playoffs. The Vikings for the second straight year are without Henderson, putting pressure on Chad Greenway and Ben Leber to step up. The lack of production from Adrian is frightening. The lack of throws to the best targets is concerning.
The Vikings left Arizona as a battered team. They come home with a lot of changes that need to be made for them to be a competitive team next Sunday....some related to player execution, others related to game planning. But amidst the endless list of problems from last Sunday, there's a chance for redemption in front of a friendly crowd next week against a good Bengals team.
Plenty of problems were exposed and plenty of challenges have now emerged. Now we get to see just how resilient this team really is...
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Bears @ Vikings - Week 12
Pictures speak a thousand words, eh?To put it bluntly, the Vikings were amazingly dominant in the second half of Sunday's 36-10 victory over Chicago. How dominant you ask? Here's how Chicago's four second half drives went:
Drive #1 - 3 plays, - 12 yards (yes, minus twelve)
Drive #2 - 3 plays, 9 yards
Drive #3 - 3 plays, 3 yards
Drive #4 - 3 plays, - 3 yards
Four three and outs, and a second half yardage total of minus three yards. As a result, the Vikings more than tripled the Bears' total yardage on the afternoon.
The Bears did exactly what Seattle did the week before, they focused most of their attention on stopping Adrian Peterson. All Day once again had an average rushing day (Still managed to get 85 yards and a touchdown) and proved once again that his only weakness is hanging on to the football. The Ol' Man once again stepped up, throwing for 392 yards (10 short of his career high), 3 more touchdowns and for the ninth time this season he threw ZERO interceptions.
In addition, Percy Harvin reached a personal milestone with his first 100 yard receiving game of his career. His sixth catch, in which he was blasted by the Chicago secondary, gave him 101 yards on the afternoon, and he also scored the first touchdown of the game. I still chuckle to myself when I remember on draft day that it was a mistake to draft this kid because he didn't know how to run routes properly.
So, should the Vikings be victorious this Sunday night against the Cardinals, they will guarantee themselves a spot in the playoffs for the second year in a row. They can also clinch the division with a win and a Green Bay loss on Monday night against the Ravens.
So Skol Vikings...and I know it's a total stretch...but... Go Redskins as well!!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Seahawks @ Vikings - Week 11
When Tarvaris Jackson is getting some third quarter playing time, and it's not because Brett Favre has been knocked out of the game, you know the Vikings have controlled the game and are winning convincingly. That was the case Sunday as the Vikings dominated the Seahawks in the first half and cruised to an easy 35-9 win.
Sure, there were a few early stumbles, and the game remained scoreless after the first quarter. Adrian Peterson's production was surprisingly limited by a Seattle defense committed to stuffing the run. However, Brett Favre threw himself into the MVP race with one of his most efficient performances of his career, going 22 for 25 for 213 yards and four touchdowns.
The defensive effort by the Vikes was tremendous. Seattle was just for 1 for 10 on third downs and finished the game with just four rushing yards on 13 attempts. This is one of those games where you just have to read the box score to understand the outcome. The Vikings offense was on the field for an astounding 42 minutes, almost 75% of the game.
AP's performance was below standard: 24 carries for 82 yards, but again Seattle was focused on stopping the run. This game just displayed that teams need to pick their poison when facing the Beloved Purple. If you concentrate on stopping Adrian, you risk Brett having a big day through the air. You can either get beat on the ground by stopping the most exciting running back on the planet, or you can get beat through the air by an MVP candidate. Your choice.
The 9-1 Vikings are at home against Chicago next weekend, while the 10-0 Saints are at home against the Patriots on Monday night. The race for homefield advantage is on...GO PATRIOTS!
Sure, there were a few early stumbles, and the game remained scoreless after the first quarter. Adrian Peterson's production was surprisingly limited by a Seattle defense committed to stuffing the run. However, Brett Favre threw himself into the MVP race with one of his most efficient performances of his career, going 22 for 25 for 213 yards and four touchdowns.
The defensive effort by the Vikes was tremendous. Seattle was just for 1 for 10 on third downs and finished the game with just four rushing yards on 13 attempts. This is one of those games where you just have to read the box score to understand the outcome. The Vikings offense was on the field for an astounding 42 minutes, almost 75% of the game.
AP's performance was below standard: 24 carries for 82 yards, but again Seattle was focused on stopping the run. This game just displayed that teams need to pick their poison when facing the Beloved Purple. If you concentrate on stopping Adrian, you risk Brett having a big day through the air. You can either get beat on the ground by stopping the most exciting running back on the planet, or you can get beat through the air by an MVP candidate. Your choice.
The 9-1 Vikings are at home against Chicago next weekend, while the 10-0 Saints are at home against the Patriots on Monday night. The race for homefield advantage is on...GO PATRIOTS!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Lions @ Vikings - Week 10
This wasn't quite the dominant performance I expected coming out of the bye week, but the Vikes nevertheless overcame some stumbles to avoid yet another dramatic finish.
So, what went wrong for the Beloved Purple on Sunday? Simple answer: unforced errors. Too many penalties (Some, most notably a roughing the passer call which ultimately gave the Lions seven points instead of three, were horrible calls), too many dropped passes (Yes..I'm looking at you, Bernard Berrian) and a couple of promising drives early on that failed to land any points.
However, the negative aspects of this game were mainly self-inflicted wounds, so that could almost be considered a positive. It gives Chilly something to bug his players about. It also proves that this team still has progress to make, despite its 8-1 record and commanding lead in the NFC North.
On the positive side, Sidney Rice was absolutely spectacular. His outstanding breakout season continued with seven receptions for 201 yards. Favre totaled 344 passing yards in all, combined with AP running for 133.
It's tough to say much more about this game, the Vikings really should have taken control earlier than they did as three different possessions inside the red zone led to zero points in the first half. Two fumbles and a questionable handoff to Jeff Dugan on a fourth down play kept it a 10-3 halftime lead for Minnesota.
The Ol' Man continues to be able to stretch the field while limiting his mistakes and avoiding turnovers. The missed opportunities in the first half, along with the penalties, give the Vikings something to build off of in future weeks. However, 27-10 looks the same in the standings as 45-0.
P.S. My vote for the Vikings defensive line nickname: "Maul of America"
So, what went wrong for the Beloved Purple on Sunday? Simple answer: unforced errors. Too many penalties (Some, most notably a roughing the passer call which ultimately gave the Lions seven points instead of three, were horrible calls), too many dropped passes (Yes..I'm looking at you, Bernard Berrian) and a couple of promising drives early on that failed to land any points.
However, the negative aspects of this game were mainly self-inflicted wounds, so that could almost be considered a positive. It gives Chilly something to bug his players about. It also proves that this team still has progress to make, despite its 8-1 record and commanding lead in the NFC North.
On the positive side, Sidney Rice was absolutely spectacular. His outstanding breakout season continued with seven receptions for 201 yards. Favre totaled 344 passing yards in all, combined with AP running for 133.
It's tough to say much more about this game, the Vikings really should have taken control earlier than they did as three different possessions inside the red zone led to zero points in the first half. Two fumbles and a questionable handoff to Jeff Dugan on a fourth down play kept it a 10-3 halftime lead for Minnesota.
The Ol' Man continues to be able to stretch the field while limiting his mistakes and avoiding turnovers. The missed opportunities in the first half, along with the penalties, give the Vikings something to build off of in future weeks. However, 27-10 looks the same in the standings as 45-0.
P.S. My vote for the Vikings defensive line nickname: "Maul of America"
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Bye Week - Minnesota Viking Style....
If you gave every NFL team the option of when they wanted their bye week, I'm guessing most teams would pick Week 9 because it is the precise median of the 17 week NFL season. Thankfully, the Vikings get that perfect weekend off to kick back and enjoy their perch atop the NFC North. So, how do you still manage to "win" during a bye week? Well..
Step 1 - Watch Jay Cutler and the Bears get completely undressed at home by Kurt Warner and the Cardinals.
Step 2 - Watch the Green Bay Packers ensure that there will be NO winless teams in the NFL in 2009.
And....well, that's all you need, really.
So, if the Vikings play .500 ball the rest of the way, the Bears would have to go 7-1 to catch them and hope the one loss isn't to the Vikings. The Packers would have to go 8-0 in order to catch and pass them for the NFC North title. I don't want to say it's over...but there's a rather large woman off-stage getting her vocal chords warmed up.
Now, I don't know any of the players personally, but I tried to envision how some of them spent their free time this past week:
Jared Allen: Probably hunted at least four species of wild animal using a variety of weapons: bow, shotgun, rifle, his bare hands, and his mullet. The nice thing for Jared is that he doesn't have to change his wardrobe at all when he goes hunting.
Brad Childress: Worked the drive-thru at McDonald's. You didn't think Mickey D's was going to give him that headset for free did ya? He's got to work it off! He probably watched his favorite DVD too, "Awesome Beards in History, narrated by Chuck Norris."
Adrian Peterson: Was out destroying brick walls, large construction equipment, and William Gay by simply lowering his shoulder into them. You know, just to stay sharp.
Percy Harvin: With all due respect to Timmy Reges and Mike Wallace, he was making room in his trophy case for the 2009 NFL Rookie of the Year Award. And thinking up more mysterious illnesses to get out of practice during the week.
Asher Allen: Hopefully threw away his "How to Tackle, by Deion Sanders" book.
Antoine Winfield: Miraculously healing his sprained foot in time for next week's game (Please?!?!) Also probably attended Ohio State-Penn State game leading the cheers...O-H...
Brett Favre: Finally choosing that TV at Sears....maybe....
Tarvaris Jackson: Watching the game film from last year's Arizona game alone in his house and quietly sobbing. "I had FOUR touchdowns!! FOUR! I can do it too guys!!!
Sage Rosenfels: Finished writing his autobiography titled "The Easiest Money I Ever Made: My time with Brett and the 2009 Vikings."
Pat Williams: Eating. A lot.
So, it's time for a three game home stand against the Lions, Seahawks, and Bears. Sitting at 7-1 currently, the Vikings should be able to keep pace for home field advantage, let's just hope SOMEBODY can knock off the Saints. See ya all next week!
Step 1 - Watch Jay Cutler and the Bears get completely undressed at home by Kurt Warner and the Cardinals.
Step 2 - Watch the Green Bay Packers ensure that there will be NO winless teams in the NFL in 2009.
And....well, that's all you need, really.
So, if the Vikings play .500 ball the rest of the way, the Bears would have to go 7-1 to catch them and hope the one loss isn't to the Vikings. The Packers would have to go 8-0 in order to catch and pass them for the NFC North title. I don't want to say it's over...but there's a rather large woman off-stage getting her vocal chords warmed up.
Now, I don't know any of the players personally, but I tried to envision how some of them spent their free time this past week:
Jared Allen: Probably hunted at least four species of wild animal using a variety of weapons: bow, shotgun, rifle, his bare hands, and his mullet. The nice thing for Jared is that he doesn't have to change his wardrobe at all when he goes hunting.
Brad Childress: Worked the drive-thru at McDonald's. You didn't think Mickey D's was going to give him that headset for free did ya? He's got to work it off! He probably watched his favorite DVD too, "Awesome Beards in History, narrated by Chuck Norris."
Adrian Peterson: Was out destroying brick walls, large construction equipment, and William Gay by simply lowering his shoulder into them. You know, just to stay sharp.
Percy Harvin: With all due respect to Timmy Reges and Mike Wallace, he was making room in his trophy case for the 2009 NFL Rookie of the Year Award. And thinking up more mysterious illnesses to get out of practice during the week.
Asher Allen: Hopefully threw away his "How to Tackle, by Deion Sanders" book.
Antoine Winfield: Miraculously healing his sprained foot in time for next week's game (Please?!?!) Also probably attended Ohio State-Penn State game leading the cheers...O-H...
Brett Favre: Finally choosing that TV at Sears....maybe....
Tarvaris Jackson: Watching the game film from last year's Arizona game alone in his house and quietly sobbing. "I had FOUR touchdowns!! FOUR! I can do it too guys!!!
Sage Rosenfels: Finished writing his autobiography titled "The Easiest Money I Ever Made: My time with Brett and the 2009 Vikings."
Pat Williams: Eating. A lot.
So, it's time for a three game home stand against the Lions, Seahawks, and Bears. Sitting at 7-1 currently, the Vikings should be able to keep pace for home field advantage, let's just hope SOMEBODY can knock off the Saints. See ya all next week!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Vikings @ Packers - Week 8
Percy Harvin is ridiculous.
I don't know if I should say this or not..but..what the hell...I TOLD YOU SO! ha ha. Two things I guaranteed at the beginning of the year. 1.) That we would sweep the Green Gay Fudge Packers. 2.) That Harvin would be Rookie of the Year.
If there's any conclusion to be made from The Game of The Year, it's that there are many teams who should be ashamed of themselves for deciding against selecting the steal of the draft last spring. This game was supposed to be the Brett Favre show, and to a large extent it was. He lived up to the occasion throughout a roller coaster of a game.
But Favre is hardly the headline from this game. That distinction belonged to Percy Harvin.
Anyone who watched even part of the game in Lambeau immediately understood the extent to which Harvin can change a game in an instant. Down three early in the first quarter, discouraged after a bonehead play in which John Sullivan snapped the ball when Brett wasn't expecting it? No problem. Harvin pulls off a huge kickoff return and the offense uses the short field to take a 7-3 lead.
Green Bay is storming back after a painful to watch fumble by Brian Robison on a squib kickoff? A commanding lead of 24-3 has been cut to 24-20 in the third quarter? No worries. After pulling to within four, the Packers dumbfounded an audience of millions by putting the ball in Percy's hands on the ensuing kickoff. Another huge return sets up shop in Packers' territory and Favre tosses another touchdown pass.
Indeed, this game was the Percy Harvin Show. Despite the defense's best efforts to melt down once again in the second half, the magnificence of Harvin was too much for the Pack to handle.
Of course, that leads me into the downers of the game. Leslie Frazier, in his infinite wisdom, once again took his foot off the acceleration when the Vikings pulled ahead by three scores. He can't seem to pass up a golden opportunity to become complacent and let a dying team back into the game. The Robison fumble can't be blamed on the defense, he just needed to realize he's not a kick returner and just get down on the ground and not worry about the extra yard.
Frazier deserves a head-coaching gig? At times this season, I've wondered if he even deserves to be the defensive coordinator for this team because this isn't the first time the defense has been atrocious this season when given a big lead.
In addition to the embarrassing lack of pressure imposed on Rodgers in the second half, the players have no excuse for the carnival of missed tackles I witnessed. And yet, the Vikings still pulled it out.
Adrian Peterson was slowed down early, but as is custom for him, he progressively got more productive as the game wore on. But ultimately you can't say enough about what Harvin accomplished out there. 261 all purpose yards later he really has the NFL talking about my prediction back in August...Rookie of the Year.
Quick shout out to Ted Thompson too by the way. Thanks a bunch for the veteran quarterback dude. In two games against his former team..Favre has 7 touchdown passes and ZERO interceptions. Throw in an explosive, powerful running back, and an electrifying rookie and there's a lot to be happy about being a Vikings fan.
So, that's how we head into the bye week...with some concerns but lots to be excited about. This team's inability to put teams away has been a consistent theme in the first half of the season. But with the best player on the planet, the steal of the draft, and the old man playing great the Vikings are 7-1.
So after getting booed by the classy Lambeau fans, Favre left with the last laugh. It's been a memorable eight games. Here's to a strong finish....
If there's any conclusion to be made from The Game of The Year, it's that there are many teams who should be ashamed of themselves for deciding against selecting the steal of the draft last spring. This game was supposed to be the Brett Favre show, and to a large extent it was. He lived up to the occasion throughout a roller coaster of a game.
But Favre is hardly the headline from this game. That distinction belonged to Percy Harvin.
Anyone who watched even part of the game in Lambeau immediately understood the extent to which Harvin can change a game in an instant. Down three early in the first quarter, discouraged after a bonehead play in which John Sullivan snapped the ball when Brett wasn't expecting it? No problem. Harvin pulls off a huge kickoff return and the offense uses the short field to take a 7-3 lead.
Green Bay is storming back after a painful to watch fumble by Brian Robison on a squib kickoff? A commanding lead of 24-3 has been cut to 24-20 in the third quarter? No worries. After pulling to within four, the Packers dumbfounded an audience of millions by putting the ball in Percy's hands on the ensuing kickoff. Another huge return sets up shop in Packers' territory and Favre tosses another touchdown pass.
Indeed, this game was the Percy Harvin Show. Despite the defense's best efforts to melt down once again in the second half, the magnificence of Harvin was too much for the Pack to handle.
Of course, that leads me into the downers of the game. Leslie Frazier, in his infinite wisdom, once again took his foot off the acceleration when the Vikings pulled ahead by three scores. He can't seem to pass up a golden opportunity to become complacent and let a dying team back into the game. The Robison fumble can't be blamed on the defense, he just needed to realize he's not a kick returner and just get down on the ground and not worry about the extra yard.
Frazier deserves a head-coaching gig? At times this season, I've wondered if he even deserves to be the defensive coordinator for this team because this isn't the first time the defense has been atrocious this season when given a big lead.
In addition to the embarrassing lack of pressure imposed on Rodgers in the second half, the players have no excuse for the carnival of missed tackles I witnessed. And yet, the Vikings still pulled it out.
Adrian Peterson was slowed down early, but as is custom for him, he progressively got more productive as the game wore on. But ultimately you can't say enough about what Harvin accomplished out there. 261 all purpose yards later he really has the NFL talking about my prediction back in August...Rookie of the Year.
Quick shout out to Ted Thompson too by the way. Thanks a bunch for the veteran quarterback dude. In two games against his former team..Favre has 7 touchdown passes and ZERO interceptions. Throw in an explosive, powerful running back, and an electrifying rookie and there's a lot to be happy about being a Vikings fan.
So, that's how we head into the bye week...with some concerns but lots to be excited about. This team's inability to put teams away has been a consistent theme in the first half of the season. But with the best player on the planet, the steal of the draft, and the old man playing great the Vikings are 7-1.
So after getting booed by the classy Lambeau fans, Favre left with the last laugh. It's been a memorable eight games. Here's to a strong finish....
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Vikings @ Steelers - Week 7
Oh how it burns me to live in Steeler country...ha ha. In a matter of minutes last Sunday the Vikings were the probable victors, then were suddenly heading towards a shocking defeat, then were threatening to retake the lead, and then...BAM....knocked out of Pittsburgh in a stunning manner.
Dramatic? Well, that's what us Viking fans call "Sunday."
Luck had been on the Vikings' side in previous close games this year (FINALLY), but last Sunday was a different story. A poorly officiated game, combined with far too many unforced errors and a tough, tough Steelers defense teamed up to hand the Vikings their first loss of the season. It was a game the Vikings could have still won, but there was simply too many things working against them. I'm actually more impressed with how they hung in there in this game than I have been with the six previous WINS. I felt they played that well considering who they were playing.
There were two big missed opportunities for the Vikings: an absurd tripping penalty on Jeff Dugan that wiped away a Sidney Rice touchdown, and the pass that went through Chester Taylor's hands and sealed the deal for the Steelers. Both drives could have resulted in Viking touchdowns, and yet BOTH resulted in seven points for the Steelers.
Certainly those two plays are the most obvious reasons for the defeat, but keep in mind some other factors. We saw glimpses of the old, undisciplined Vikings...11 penalties for 78 yards. Several of those penalties were garbage calls, but the fact remains that you don't win too many games on the road with so many unforced errors.
We should also recall the final Steelers drive of the first half, in which Big Ben sliced and diced a defense that was only rushing four while leaving a wide gap in between the linebackers and safeties. The Vikings could have entered the locker room with a 7-3 lead or at worst 7-6, but instead Pittsburgh led 10-7. Leslie Frazier is getting bizarrely soft in these situations.
Other than that though, the defense played well enough to win despite the absence of Antoine Winfield. It was the offense that self-destructed through penalties, not getting the running game established, and turning the ball over twice down the stretch putting 14 points on the board for the Steelers. Not even Percy Harvin (told you this kid was gonna be awesome) taking his 2nd kickoff return of the year back could make up for the mistakes.
It's also worth noting a third quarter drive by the Vikings that stalled at the one yard line and resulted in a field goal. First and goal from the one, and yet only one of the ensuing three plays went to AP. Talk about a blatant misuse of a great running back.
It stings that a gutsy defensive effort was wasted, it stings that numerous opportunities to win this game went to waste, and it really stings I know far too many Steeler fans. But it's important I keep this game in perspective. Disappointing as this game is, it's 1/16 of the season and we're still 6-1 overall.
Who knows...maybe we'll get our rematch : )
Dramatic? Well, that's what us Viking fans call "Sunday."
Luck had been on the Vikings' side in previous close games this year (FINALLY), but last Sunday was a different story. A poorly officiated game, combined with far too many unforced errors and a tough, tough Steelers defense teamed up to hand the Vikings their first loss of the season. It was a game the Vikings could have still won, but there was simply too many things working against them. I'm actually more impressed with how they hung in there in this game than I have been with the six previous WINS. I felt they played that well considering who they were playing.
There were two big missed opportunities for the Vikings: an absurd tripping penalty on Jeff Dugan that wiped away a Sidney Rice touchdown, and the pass that went through Chester Taylor's hands and sealed the deal for the Steelers. Both drives could have resulted in Viking touchdowns, and yet BOTH resulted in seven points for the Steelers.
Certainly those two plays are the most obvious reasons for the defeat, but keep in mind some other factors. We saw glimpses of the old, undisciplined Vikings...11 penalties for 78 yards. Several of those penalties were garbage calls, but the fact remains that you don't win too many games on the road with so many unforced errors.
We should also recall the final Steelers drive of the first half, in which Big Ben sliced and diced a defense that was only rushing four while leaving a wide gap in between the linebackers and safeties. The Vikings could have entered the locker room with a 7-3 lead or at worst 7-6, but instead Pittsburgh led 10-7. Leslie Frazier is getting bizarrely soft in these situations.
Other than that though, the defense played well enough to win despite the absence of Antoine Winfield. It was the offense that self-destructed through penalties, not getting the running game established, and turning the ball over twice down the stretch putting 14 points on the board for the Steelers. Not even Percy Harvin (told you this kid was gonna be awesome) taking his 2nd kickoff return of the year back could make up for the mistakes.
It's also worth noting a third quarter drive by the Vikings that stalled at the one yard line and resulted in a field goal. First and goal from the one, and yet only one of the ensuing three plays went to AP. Talk about a blatant misuse of a great running back.
It stings that a gutsy defensive effort was wasted, it stings that numerous opportunities to win this game went to waste, and it really stings I know far too many Steeler fans. But it's important I keep this game in perspective. Disappointing as this game is, it's 1/16 of the season and we're still 6-1 overall.
Who knows...maybe we'll get our rematch : )
Ravens @ Vikings - Week 6
Sorry it's taken me so long to get a summary from this game, had a really hectic week last week starting the new job and all. I'm off every Wednesday for now, so I'll start updating the site then. Guess we need to knock out two games today though, so we'll jump back to last week first.
The first two offensive drives of the game for the Vikings? Dominant. The first half defensive effort? Very impressive. The defensive line? Quite good.
The defense's performance in the fourth quarter? An absolute embarrassment. An absolute joke.
On the offensive side of the ball, Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson came out with all guns blazing. Favre was targeting Visanthe Shiancoe and Sidney Rice, and things were looking way too easy for the Vikes. Two drives resulted in two touchdowns, with still half of the first quarter left.
And then...complacency set in. Three of the next four Viking drives resulted in three and outs. They started playing not to lose, rather than playing to win. The Vikings went into the locker room with a 17-3 lead, but after Ray Rice scored to start the 3rd quarter for the Ravens we suddenly had a ballgame.
A 63 yard connection to Sidney Rice put the ball inside the 10 yard line for Minnesota the next drive, but they settled for a field goal to at least give them some breathing room. The Vikings then extended the lead to 17 on the next drive, a commanding lead at this point.
Or was it commanding? Well, theoretically, a 17 point fourth quarter lead is a commanding one. But once the defense proceeded to humiliate themselves in front of the home crowd, such a lead was hardly commanding.
In one of the most stunning defensive collapses I have ever seen (Vikings game or otherwise), the Ravens scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Unreal. The pass coverage was absolutely pathetic. The absence of Winfield had a lot to do with it, but still...three touchdowns...that hardly can be blamed on just one player.
But Brett Favre, like he's done his whole career, came up big again in the fourth quarter and hit Rice with another long pass to set up shop inside the 20 yard line. Longwell kicked a FG and despite the defense's best efforts to lay down and die on Baltimore's last possession of the game, Steven Hauschka missed the potential game winning field goal.
Game. 6-0. Whew
That's the kind of day it was. But after a heart stopping game, the Vikings remained perfect heading to Pittsburgh...
The first two offensive drives of the game for the Vikings? Dominant. The first half defensive effort? Very impressive. The defensive line? Quite good.
The defense's performance in the fourth quarter? An absolute embarrassment. An absolute joke.
On the offensive side of the ball, Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson came out with all guns blazing. Favre was targeting Visanthe Shiancoe and Sidney Rice, and things were looking way too easy for the Vikes. Two drives resulted in two touchdowns, with still half of the first quarter left.
And then...complacency set in. Three of the next four Viking drives resulted in three and outs. They started playing not to lose, rather than playing to win. The Vikings went into the locker room with a 17-3 lead, but after Ray Rice scored to start the 3rd quarter for the Ravens we suddenly had a ballgame.
A 63 yard connection to Sidney Rice put the ball inside the 10 yard line for Minnesota the next drive, but they settled for a field goal to at least give them some breathing room. The Vikings then extended the lead to 17 on the next drive, a commanding lead at this point.
Or was it commanding? Well, theoretically, a 17 point fourth quarter lead is a commanding one. But once the defense proceeded to humiliate themselves in front of the home crowd, such a lead was hardly commanding.
In one of the most stunning defensive collapses I have ever seen (Vikings game or otherwise), the Ravens scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Unreal. The pass coverage was absolutely pathetic. The absence of Winfield had a lot to do with it, but still...three touchdowns...that hardly can be blamed on just one player.
But Brett Favre, like he's done his whole career, came up big again in the fourth quarter and hit Rice with another long pass to set up shop inside the 20 yard line. Longwell kicked a FG and despite the defense's best efforts to lay down and die on Baltimore's last possession of the game, Steven Hauschka missed the potential game winning field goal.
Game. 6-0. Whew
That's the kind of day it was. But after a heart stopping game, the Vikings remained perfect heading to Pittsburgh...
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Vikings @ Rams - Week 5
Sorry it has taken me a few days to come up with a recap of last week's game, but in all honesty, it was probably the least excited I have ever been about a win. Last Sunday the St. Louis Rams completed a decisive victory over...the St. Louis Rams. The Vikings? Well, they did indeed show up. They hopped on a plane from Minneapolis, took a bus to the Edward Jones Dome, put their uniforms on, and did what they needed to do to win. Scored some points, completed some drives. But honestly, without numerous key turnovers by the Rams, this game could have been a much different story.
So, basically in a nutshell we're left with a generic win. Not an Obama bailout but not exactly a domination either. Turnovers were the difference. A 52 yard fumble return for a touchdown by Jared Allen halted a St. Louis drive that was moving into Vikings territory. Later on in the first half, Stephen Jackson fumbled near the goal line, and Jared Allen once again scooped it up. Yet another promising Rams drive was shut down by a turnover, with the ball popping out of Daniel Fells' hands inside the 10 yardline and ending up in the hands of E. J. Henderson. Those three plays were why the Vikings entered the half with a 17-3 lead.
When the Vikes defense wasn't getting bailed out by St. Louis turnovers, it was busy allowing Kyle Boller to perform well. Once again, the Vikings made a mediocre quarterback look like a Hall of Famer. His effectiveness was aided by Stephen Jackson's surprising success on the ground as well. Overall the Rams offense was well balanced, unlike that of the Beloved Purple.
It was a shocker to see Adrian Peterson only get seven carries in the first half. True, we saw last week that Favre's arm can win a game for the Vikings, but this should still be a run first offense. To be fair, Favre did have yet another solid performance as he continues to get more comfortable with his receiving corps. The Favre-Harvin combo is also displaying that Percy may end up being exactly what I thought he was, the steal of the draft.
But still, there's some reason for concern despite the 5-0 start. This felt like a game the Vikings should have controlled from the opening kickoff, and yet they relied on several turnovers to maintain a solid lead throughout the game. The Vikings defense remains suspect on third downs, which plagued them in the first half of the Packers game as well.
I've heard the argument before: it doesn't matter HOW you win games. Sure, I'd rather win ugly than lose pretty, that goes without saying. But as a gauge for how the Vikings will perform in the next three weeks (Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Green Bay), HOW they win games against the easier teams on the schedule does begin to become relevant. If Kyle Boller can carve up the secondary, we have a serious problem. This team can't always rely on turnovers to bail us out.
A quick glance at the scoreboard (38-10) would suggest that this was a dominant victory, but to me the Vikings got lucky this week. Lucky they were playing the Rams, a team that is obviously 0-5 for a reason. I know it's hard to complain when a team doesn't perform to its full potential and still manages to win by several touchdowns, getting the opportunity to rest its key players in the process, but the score was deceiving.
I guess I should feel great that my Beloved Purple is 5-0, but we haven't yet seen them play a complete game. Hopefully that means only more good things to come, but I can't help but wonder if we have already peaked. The next three games will probably show us all who we are and where we may end up...
So, basically in a nutshell we're left with a generic win. Not an Obama bailout but not exactly a domination either. Turnovers were the difference. A 52 yard fumble return for a touchdown by Jared Allen halted a St. Louis drive that was moving into Vikings territory. Later on in the first half, Stephen Jackson fumbled near the goal line, and Jared Allen once again scooped it up. Yet another promising Rams drive was shut down by a turnover, with the ball popping out of Daniel Fells' hands inside the 10 yardline and ending up in the hands of E. J. Henderson. Those three plays were why the Vikings entered the half with a 17-3 lead.
When the Vikes defense wasn't getting bailed out by St. Louis turnovers, it was busy allowing Kyle Boller to perform well. Once again, the Vikings made a mediocre quarterback look like a Hall of Famer. His effectiveness was aided by Stephen Jackson's surprising success on the ground as well. Overall the Rams offense was well balanced, unlike that of the Beloved Purple.
It was a shocker to see Adrian Peterson only get seven carries in the first half. True, we saw last week that Favre's arm can win a game for the Vikings, but this should still be a run first offense. To be fair, Favre did have yet another solid performance as he continues to get more comfortable with his receiving corps. The Favre-Harvin combo is also displaying that Percy may end up being exactly what I thought he was, the steal of the draft.
But still, there's some reason for concern despite the 5-0 start. This felt like a game the Vikings should have controlled from the opening kickoff, and yet they relied on several turnovers to maintain a solid lead throughout the game. The Vikings defense remains suspect on third downs, which plagued them in the first half of the Packers game as well.
I've heard the argument before: it doesn't matter HOW you win games. Sure, I'd rather win ugly than lose pretty, that goes without saying. But as a gauge for how the Vikings will perform in the next three weeks (Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Green Bay), HOW they win games against the easier teams on the schedule does begin to become relevant. If Kyle Boller can carve up the secondary, we have a serious problem. This team can't always rely on turnovers to bail us out.
A quick glance at the scoreboard (38-10) would suggest that this was a dominant victory, but to me the Vikings got lucky this week. Lucky they were playing the Rams, a team that is obviously 0-5 for a reason. I know it's hard to complain when a team doesn't perform to its full potential and still manages to win by several touchdowns, getting the opportunity to rest its key players in the process, but the score was deceiving.
I guess I should feel great that my Beloved Purple is 5-0, but we haven't yet seen them play a complete game. Hopefully that means only more good things to come, but I can't help but wonder if we have already peaked. The next three games will probably show us all who we are and where we may end up...
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Packers @ Vikings - Week 4
Last season, had you told me before a Vikings game that Adrian Peterson would rush for 55 yards, average two yards a carry, and lose a fumble that was taken back for a touchdown, the only question I would have asked is "Did we lose by three touchdowns, or did we manage to keep it within two?" Over the last couple of years under the Brad Childress era, when AP had a bad game, the Vikings have gotten beaten. But watching Monday night's game, I just knew things were going to be different.
On a night when the best running back in the NFL just couldn't get himself going, a guy that will turn 40 on Saturday put his new team on his back and showed his old team....and the rest of America's doubters...that he's still got plenty in the tank. After he connected with Berrian on a 31 yard touchdown in the third quarter to make the score 28-14, he was 18 for 21 for 226 yards and three touchdowns. For a team, and specifically a secondary, that said they knew everything there was to know about Brett Favre, #4 spent a lot of time making the guys in green and yellow look foolish.
Favre's performance was good enough to earn him the NFC's Offensive Player of the Week, as he finished up with a stat line of 24/31 for 271 yards, three touchdowns, and for the third time in four games, ZERO interceptions. More importantly, he didn't take a single sack during the entire evening after taking nine in the first three weeks.
This was a pretty stark contrast to his counterpart on the other side, Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers spent his night under constant pressure from the Vikings' defensive line, and the pressure came almost exclusively from the outsides, as Jared Allen, Ray Edwards, and Brian Robison continuously made the Packer offensive tackles look silly. Allen wound up with 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and his third safety in the last two Viking/Packer games. Overall the Vikings wound up with eight sacks on the evening.
Not everything about Monday night's game was all sunshine and lollipops though. On the rare occasions that Rodgers did get time to throw, he ripped the Vikings apart pretty good, finishing the game with 376 yards passing and two touchdowns. The Vikings also got mauled by a fast, strong tight end again, just as they did by Vernon Davis last week, as Jermichael Finley (who?) caught six passes for 128 yards, including a 62 yard touchdown that answered the Vikings opening score.
As for the old guy, he seems to be living up to the hype after all. Favre has 8 touchdowns, and just one interception so far this year. Will he be able to maintain his current pace? Well, I don't think he's going to end the season with a 32/4 TD to INT ratio or anything, but I do think he's still going to have a significantly larger number in the TD column than he'll have in the INT column. In any event, it sure as heck has been fun to watch so far, hasn't it?
So, what do we have to look forward to in the second quarter of the season? Well, only one of the Minnesota's next four games will be in the comfy confines of the Metrodome. They'll start this stanza with a trip to St. Louis...a potential trap game if there ever was one...for a date with the Rams before hosting the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6 in what should be an extremely physical, hard-hitting contest. No rest for the Vikings after that, as I travel to Heinz Field to watch them take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. After that game they make the annual pilgrimage to Lambeau Field to take on the Packers again.
It's been a great start to the 2009 season, and I'm happy as heck for those of you who have spent it here with me.
On a night when the best running back in the NFL just couldn't get himself going, a guy that will turn 40 on Saturday put his new team on his back and showed his old team....and the rest of America's doubters...that he's still got plenty in the tank. After he connected with Berrian on a 31 yard touchdown in the third quarter to make the score 28-14, he was 18 for 21 for 226 yards and three touchdowns. For a team, and specifically a secondary, that said they knew everything there was to know about Brett Favre, #4 spent a lot of time making the guys in green and yellow look foolish.
Favre's performance was good enough to earn him the NFC's Offensive Player of the Week, as he finished up with a stat line of 24/31 for 271 yards, three touchdowns, and for the third time in four games, ZERO interceptions. More importantly, he didn't take a single sack during the entire evening after taking nine in the first three weeks.
This was a pretty stark contrast to his counterpart on the other side, Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers spent his night under constant pressure from the Vikings' defensive line, and the pressure came almost exclusively from the outsides, as Jared Allen, Ray Edwards, and Brian Robison continuously made the Packer offensive tackles look silly. Allen wound up with 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and his third safety in the last two Viking/Packer games. Overall the Vikings wound up with eight sacks on the evening.
Not everything about Monday night's game was all sunshine and lollipops though. On the rare occasions that Rodgers did get time to throw, he ripped the Vikings apart pretty good, finishing the game with 376 yards passing and two touchdowns. The Vikings also got mauled by a fast, strong tight end again, just as they did by Vernon Davis last week, as Jermichael Finley (who?) caught six passes for 128 yards, including a 62 yard touchdown that answered the Vikings opening score.
As for the old guy, he seems to be living up to the hype after all. Favre has 8 touchdowns, and just one interception so far this year. Will he be able to maintain his current pace? Well, I don't think he's going to end the season with a 32/4 TD to INT ratio or anything, but I do think he's still going to have a significantly larger number in the TD column than he'll have in the INT column. In any event, it sure as heck has been fun to watch so far, hasn't it?
So, what do we have to look forward to in the second quarter of the season? Well, only one of the Minnesota's next four games will be in the comfy confines of the Metrodome. They'll start this stanza with a trip to St. Louis...a potential trap game if there ever was one...for a date with the Rams before hosting the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6 in what should be an extremely physical, hard-hitting contest. No rest for the Vikings after that, as I travel to Heinz Field to watch them take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. After that game they make the annual pilgrimage to Lambeau Field to take on the Packers again.
It's been a great start to the 2009 season, and I'm happy as heck for those of you who have spent it here with me.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
49ers @ Vikings - Week 3
"I don't believe what I just saw!"
The words of Jack Buck couldn't be more appropriate after the game I witnessed on Sunday. Screw the blocked field goal. Screw the fourth quarter drive by the 49ers to retake the lead. Screw the fact that Adrian Peterson was largely shut down today. Screw the fact that Bernard Berrian had one of his roughest games in a Vikings uniform.
Screw all of that. Because the play we saw today, the Brett Favre to Greg Lewis connection for the game-winning touchdown, makes all of the negatives from this game worth overlooking.... at least, for the time being.
This, my friends, is why adding Brett Favre to the mix finally does make sense to me. For games like this. Games when you need a veteran under center, someone who has been in these situations before. So yes, I'm officially drinking the Kool-Aid on Favre.
With no timeouts, Brett took the Vikings on an 80-yard drive. It lasted 1:27 and ended with a 32-yard strike to a double-covered Greg Lewis. Favre will get the majority of the credit for the win, and rightly so. To put it simply, that drive was awesome. But Lewis' catch was spectacular and he certainly deserves all the props in the world. How bout that as your FIRST catch as a Minnesota Viking?!?
Congratulations to Favre. In less than 90 seconds, he won over a fan base that had gradually grown to accept him but still wasn't quite all the way there. If you're not a Favre fan after today, something is wrong. And on a related note, if Favre hasn't won over 100% of the locker room after today, something is seriously wrong.
Schism? What schism?
On another congratulatory note, kudos to Percy Harvin. By now, he's done a nice job of shaming the teams that passed him up in this year's draft. The kickoff return went for 101 yards, and there was never any doubt about it, Harvin flew through gaping holes in San Fran's coverage on his way to a touchdown. Three games for the rookie...three touchdowns. So thank you Percy for making me looking good purchasing your jersey before the season even started.
This is the type of game that sets the tone for a season. With the Vikings' backs against the wall, Favre orchestrated an unforgettable victory, a victory made possible by the simple fact that #4 is wearing purple.
So bring on the Green Gay Fudge Packers this Monday night...
The words of Jack Buck couldn't be more appropriate after the game I witnessed on Sunday. Screw the blocked field goal. Screw the fourth quarter drive by the 49ers to retake the lead. Screw the fact that Adrian Peterson was largely shut down today. Screw the fact that Bernard Berrian had one of his roughest games in a Vikings uniform.
Screw all of that. Because the play we saw today, the Brett Favre to Greg Lewis connection for the game-winning touchdown, makes all of the negatives from this game worth overlooking.... at least, for the time being.
This, my friends, is why adding Brett Favre to the mix finally does make sense to me. For games like this. Games when you need a veteran under center, someone who has been in these situations before. So yes, I'm officially drinking the Kool-Aid on Favre.
With no timeouts, Brett took the Vikings on an 80-yard drive. It lasted 1:27 and ended with a 32-yard strike to a double-covered Greg Lewis. Favre will get the majority of the credit for the win, and rightly so. To put it simply, that drive was awesome. But Lewis' catch was spectacular and he certainly deserves all the props in the world. How bout that as your FIRST catch as a Minnesota Viking?!?
Congratulations to Favre. In less than 90 seconds, he won over a fan base that had gradually grown to accept him but still wasn't quite all the way there. If you're not a Favre fan after today, something is wrong. And on a related note, if Favre hasn't won over 100% of the locker room after today, something is seriously wrong.
Schism? What schism?
On another congratulatory note, kudos to Percy Harvin. By now, he's done a nice job of shaming the teams that passed him up in this year's draft. The kickoff return went for 101 yards, and there was never any doubt about it, Harvin flew through gaping holes in San Fran's coverage on his way to a touchdown. Three games for the rookie...three touchdowns. So thank you Percy for making me looking good purchasing your jersey before the season even started.
This is the type of game that sets the tone for a season. With the Vikings' backs against the wall, Favre orchestrated an unforgettable victory, a victory made possible by the simple fact that #4 is wearing purple.
So bring on the Green Gay Fudge Packers this Monday night...
Monday, September 28, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Vikings @ Lions - Week 2
So I read Kevin Seifert's NFC North blog at ESPN.com about the lack of "explosion" from guys not named Adrian Peterson in the Vikings' offense, and one guy in particular. This is a good point he brings up, however the Vikings are 2-0 with a quarterback who quite clearly doesn’t have a firm grasp of the nuances of their offense. Favre is tossing to his checkdown receivers and making other high-efficiency throws at a historic rate relative to his career, essentially using the Vikings’ soft early schedule to catch up on a nonexistent offseason.
Now that Favre has essentially played his pre-season when you consider his two actual pre-season games and his two efforts against Cleveland and Detroit to start the regular season, you would think that the offense might now start opening up a little bit, especially with the Vikings finally getting to head to the Metrodome for their next two contests.
It's a bit arrogant to say. . . or even imply. . . that a team has looked at a couple of regular season opponents as "tune-up" games before they really get into the swing of things, but the more I think about it, the more it becomes pretty clear that that's how Brad Childress looked at the games against the Browns and the Lions. The Vikings have come out sluggish in both of their contests thus far in 2009, having gone into the locker room against Cleveland trailing 13-10 and trailing Detroit 10-7. Against the Browns, they came out in the second half and scored 24 unanswered points before allowing a garbage-time touchdown in a 34-20 victory. Against the Lions, they scored the last seven points of the first half and the first 20 points of the second half en route to winning 27-13. That gives them a margin of 44-10 in the second half of the first two contests. . . and, frankly, that's what good football teams do. They come out of the locker room at halftime, make the necessary adjustments, and destroy the team on the other side of the line from them.
And, yes, I just used the phrase "make the necessary adjustments" to describe a team coached by Brad Childress. Believe me, I'm as surprised as you are.
As of now, Brett Favre is on pace to throw a mere 384 passes at his current rate of 24 attempts/game. That would be, by far, the lowest total of his NFL career. Adrian Peterson is also on pace thus far to only rack up 320 carries. Then again, if he were to somehow keep up at his current pace. . . not likely, but work with me here. . . he'd rush for 2,176 yards and 32 touchdowns this season, both of which I think we could handle.
Is the Vikings' offense full of flash at this point? Outside of Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin, it is not. But right now we have a quarterback that's clearly still learning this offense, yet still went out on Sunday and completed an astonishing 85% of his passes (and is at a 77% clip on the season thus far). They have the best player in football lining up in the backfield, and a serious Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate lining up wherever the Vikings want to put him. They still have the steady inside presence of Visanthe Shiancoe, they still have the deep speed of Bernard Berrian, and they still have the outstanding athletic ability of Sidney Rice.
Is the Vikings offense going to continue along the path it is now? It's hard to imagine that it will. It's going to get a heck of a lot better before things are all said and done.
Now that Favre has essentially played his pre-season when you consider his two actual pre-season games and his two efforts against Cleveland and Detroit to start the regular season, you would think that the offense might now start opening up a little bit, especially with the Vikings finally getting to head to the Metrodome for their next two contests.
It's a bit arrogant to say. . . or even imply. . . that a team has looked at a couple of regular season opponents as "tune-up" games before they really get into the swing of things, but the more I think about it, the more it becomes pretty clear that that's how Brad Childress looked at the games against the Browns and the Lions. The Vikings have come out sluggish in both of their contests thus far in 2009, having gone into the locker room against Cleveland trailing 13-10 and trailing Detroit 10-7. Against the Browns, they came out in the second half and scored 24 unanswered points before allowing a garbage-time touchdown in a 34-20 victory. Against the Lions, they scored the last seven points of the first half and the first 20 points of the second half en route to winning 27-13. That gives them a margin of 44-10 in the second half of the first two contests. . . and, frankly, that's what good football teams do. They come out of the locker room at halftime, make the necessary adjustments, and destroy the team on the other side of the line from them.
And, yes, I just used the phrase "make the necessary adjustments" to describe a team coached by Brad Childress. Believe me, I'm as surprised as you are.
As of now, Brett Favre is on pace to throw a mere 384 passes at his current rate of 24 attempts/game. That would be, by far, the lowest total of his NFL career. Adrian Peterson is also on pace thus far to only rack up 320 carries. Then again, if he were to somehow keep up at his current pace. . . not likely, but work with me here. . . he'd rush for 2,176 yards and 32 touchdowns this season, both of which I think we could handle.
Is the Vikings' offense full of flash at this point? Outside of Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin, it is not. But right now we have a quarterback that's clearly still learning this offense, yet still went out on Sunday and completed an astonishing 85% of his passes (and is at a 77% clip on the season thus far). They have the best player in football lining up in the backfield, and a serious Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate lining up wherever the Vikings want to put him. They still have the steady inside presence of Visanthe Shiancoe, they still have the deep speed of Bernard Berrian, and they still have the outstanding athletic ability of Sidney Rice.
Is the Vikings offense going to continue along the path it is now? It's hard to imagine that it will. It's going to get a heck of a lot better before things are all said and done.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Favre 4 Life??
Thought this was interesting...This is a map that shows the most popular NFL jerseys sold by state. Do any of the states that are colored in as purple strike you as a bit funny? (Hint, the state directly east of Minnesota)
Monday, September 14, 2009
Browns @ Vikings - Week # 1
By halftime of yesterday's game, there weren't a lot of reasons to think that 2009 was going to be any different than 2008. Despite the presence of Brett Favre, the Vikings' passing game was limited to dinking and dunking down the field, Adrian Peterson was on the sidelines losing his lunch, and the punt coverage unit had given up another huge return for a touchdown to the highly dangerous Joshua Cribbs.
Then the second half started, and we got the first installment of Season Three of The Adrian Peterson Show.
The single best player in the entire NFL spent his halftime getting an IV after dealing with dehydration. The weather in Cleveland was a bit warmer than anticipated, and the dehydration caused him to only gain one yard in the second quarter of play and only 25 yards on 9 carries in the first half overall. However, he came back in the second half with a vengeance, and on 16 second half carries he gained 155 yards. His last carry was the most impressive, as he took a handoff and traveled left. As he got to the sidelines, he broke one tackle, and then hit Browns' cornerback Eric Wright with a pie-face, sending Wright about three yards into the sidelines. After a very nice assist from Sidney Rice, Peterson soon found himself in the end zone celebrating a 64-yard touchdown run that pretty much iced the game for the Beloved Purple.
So yeah.... #28 in purple is the single-best player in the National Football League, and you're going to have a hell of a time convincing me that it could possibly be anybody else.
The Vikings' defense was, quite frankly, suffocating yesterday afternoon. While Jared Allen spent most of his afternoon being pretty well handled by Browns OT Joe Thomas, the rest of the front seven had Brady Quinn running for his life all day long. The Vikings' defense brought Quinn down five times. While the run defense was uncharacteristically soft, ultimately allowing 4.5 yards a carry to the Browns, the pass defense did a fine job. . . and don't worry about Jared Allen. He doesn't have to go against Joe Thomas every week.
Cedric Griffin managed to notch an interception for the Vikings as well, as Brady Quinn hit him on a perfect fade route during the third quarter. The third quarter was the real turning point of today's game, as the Vikings held the ball for over 12 minutes.
Oh, what about that Favre fellow, you say? Well, he did what we want him to do. . . he completed a high percentage of passes (14/21 or 66.7%), he managed the game (zero turnovers), and he made plays when the Vikings needed him to. The two best examples of that came in that aforementioned third quarter. The first came on the Vikings' opening drive after halftime, facing a 3rd and 10 from the Cleveland 33 and facing a heavy blitz, Favre hung in. . .and hung in. . .until the very last second, where he released on a tight end screen to Visanthe Shiancoe, who picked up 11 yards and kept the drive going. The drive ultimately concluded with Peterson's second TD run of the day and gave Minnesota a lead they'd never relinquish.
The other came on the Vikings' next drive, which came after the Cedric Griffin interception. After a sack gave the Vikings a 2nd and 18 from the Minnesota 21, Favre took a shotgun snap, calmly stood in the pocket, and absolutely drilled a pass to Percy Harvin that turned into a 21-yard play and a first down for Minnesota. That drive concluded with Percy Harvin's first NFL touchdown, a six-yard pass from Favre to make the score 24-13. Guess sporting the Harvin jersey in Week 1 paid off.
It wasn't all sunshine and lollipops for the Beloved Purple. The one sore thumb from yesterday's game was the same one that stuck out for a better part of last year, and that was the special teams. It started out with a call I absolutely hated, as Ryan Longwell unleashed an awful onside kick on the opening kickoff that gave the Browns the ball at midfield. If you have a defense like Minnesota's, just blast the ball deep and go for the field position. The Browns' offense didn't do much today before garbage time, and giving an offense like that a short field is a recipe for disaster.
The other special teams failure can be largely pinned on punter Chris Kluwe, and it came towards the end of the first half. Kluwe's punt towards the dangerous Josh Cribbs was a low line drive that Cribbs fielded, made one move to his left, and went basically untouched for 67 yards and a touchdown that put Cleveland ahead going into the locker room. Not every team has a return man as dangerous as Josh Cribbs. Hopefully that play was more of a function of Cribbs being one of the NFL's most dangerous return man than it is of the Vikings' special teams relapsing from what they showed us last season.
All in all, it wasn't as smooth as most of us would have liked, but the Vikings went on the road and beat an opponent by 14 points. . . and it conceivably could have been 21, if not for the Vikings playing their second-string defense for most of the Browns' final drive. And I expected it. This is what the Vikings were supposed to do in this game. They've gotten themselves off on the right foot for 2009, and can start preparing next week for a divisional tussle against Detroit. Hopefully, with the rust having been shaken off, things will go more smoothly in Week 2 than they did in Week 1 and we won't have to sweat quite so much. Of course, we remember what happened in our two meetings with Detroit last year. . . and if you've forgotten, I'm sure we'll be reminded of it on a few occasions over the next seven days.
The Vikings are 1-0, ladies and gentlemen. Here's hoping that it's the start of something big.
Then the second half started, and we got the first installment of Season Three of The Adrian Peterson Show.
The single best player in the entire NFL spent his halftime getting an IV after dealing with dehydration. The weather in Cleveland was a bit warmer than anticipated, and the dehydration caused him to only gain one yard in the second quarter of play and only 25 yards on 9 carries in the first half overall. However, he came back in the second half with a vengeance, and on 16 second half carries he gained 155 yards. His last carry was the most impressive, as he took a handoff and traveled left. As he got to the sidelines, he broke one tackle, and then hit Browns' cornerback Eric Wright with a pie-face, sending Wright about three yards into the sidelines. After a very nice assist from Sidney Rice, Peterson soon found himself in the end zone celebrating a 64-yard touchdown run that pretty much iced the game for the Beloved Purple.
So yeah.... #28 in purple is the single-best player in the National Football League, and you're going to have a hell of a time convincing me that it could possibly be anybody else.
The Vikings' defense was, quite frankly, suffocating yesterday afternoon. While Jared Allen spent most of his afternoon being pretty well handled by Browns OT Joe Thomas, the rest of the front seven had Brady Quinn running for his life all day long. The Vikings' defense brought Quinn down five times. While the run defense was uncharacteristically soft, ultimately allowing 4.5 yards a carry to the Browns, the pass defense did a fine job. . . and don't worry about Jared Allen. He doesn't have to go against Joe Thomas every week.
Cedric Griffin managed to notch an interception for the Vikings as well, as Brady Quinn hit him on a perfect fade route during the third quarter. The third quarter was the real turning point of today's game, as the Vikings held the ball for over 12 minutes.
Oh, what about that Favre fellow, you say? Well, he did what we want him to do. . . he completed a high percentage of passes (14/21 or 66.7%), he managed the game (zero turnovers), and he made plays when the Vikings needed him to. The two best examples of that came in that aforementioned third quarter. The first came on the Vikings' opening drive after halftime, facing a 3rd and 10 from the Cleveland 33 and facing a heavy blitz, Favre hung in. . .and hung in. . .until the very last second, where he released on a tight end screen to Visanthe Shiancoe, who picked up 11 yards and kept the drive going. The drive ultimately concluded with Peterson's second TD run of the day and gave Minnesota a lead they'd never relinquish.
The other came on the Vikings' next drive, which came after the Cedric Griffin interception. After a sack gave the Vikings a 2nd and 18 from the Minnesota 21, Favre took a shotgun snap, calmly stood in the pocket, and absolutely drilled a pass to Percy Harvin that turned into a 21-yard play and a first down for Minnesota. That drive concluded with Percy Harvin's first NFL touchdown, a six-yard pass from Favre to make the score 24-13. Guess sporting the Harvin jersey in Week 1 paid off.
It wasn't all sunshine and lollipops for the Beloved Purple. The one sore thumb from yesterday's game was the same one that stuck out for a better part of last year, and that was the special teams. It started out with a call I absolutely hated, as Ryan Longwell unleashed an awful onside kick on the opening kickoff that gave the Browns the ball at midfield. If you have a defense like Minnesota's, just blast the ball deep and go for the field position. The Browns' offense didn't do much today before garbage time, and giving an offense like that a short field is a recipe for disaster.
The other special teams failure can be largely pinned on punter Chris Kluwe, and it came towards the end of the first half. Kluwe's punt towards the dangerous Josh Cribbs was a low line drive that Cribbs fielded, made one move to his left, and went basically untouched for 67 yards and a touchdown that put Cleveland ahead going into the locker room. Not every team has a return man as dangerous as Josh Cribbs. Hopefully that play was more of a function of Cribbs being one of the NFL's most dangerous return man than it is of the Vikings' special teams relapsing from what they showed us last season.
All in all, it wasn't as smooth as most of us would have liked, but the Vikings went on the road and beat an opponent by 14 points. . . and it conceivably could have been 21, if not for the Vikings playing their second-string defense for most of the Browns' final drive. And I expected it. This is what the Vikings were supposed to do in this game. They've gotten themselves off on the right foot for 2009, and can start preparing next week for a divisional tussle against Detroit. Hopefully, with the rust having been shaken off, things will go more smoothly in Week 2 than they did in Week 1 and we won't have to sweat quite so much. Of course, we remember what happened in our two meetings with Detroit last year. . . and if you've forgotten, I'm sure we'll be reminded of it on a few occasions over the next seven days.
The Vikings are 1-0, ladies and gentlemen. Here's hoping that it's the start of something big.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
It happened......
Well, what an early birthday present for me, huh? In his dual role as savior and Anti-Christ, Brett Favre is officially a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
In all these years, I never, ever thought that those words would cross my keyboard, but there they are. Everyone that I've talked to about this since the story developed yesterday afternoon assumed I would have my reaction all sorted out and everything by this point. But that would be a wrong assumption.
To be honest, I thought I was prepared for this to take place, despite the fact that everybody thought the whole situation was over. However, when it comes to Favre, nothing is over until I guess he decides it is.
I wish I had something deeply profound to say about this whole thing. . . but, to be honest, I really don't at the moment. I have a lot of questions that are swirling around my head about this whole ordeal. But let me address the one thing that I know for sure as of right now.
Brad Childress and Zygi Wilf have, in poker terminology, gone all-in with this move. The 2009 season won't end in a middle-of-the-road fashion for the Minnesota Vikings. It's either going to end incredibly well. . . or incredibly bad. The Vikes are either going to the promised land, or Brad Childress is going to be looking for a job come next January and the Vikings will be looking to start the process of rebuilding the franchise around Adrian Peterson.
The Vikings are playing their 49th season of NFL football in 2009. Yours truly has been a fan for 21 of those seasons. I can't think of any season that started with more intrigue than this one, and it's all because of this one move. And, honestly, that's all my mind can come up with at the moment. Rest assured there will be more in the days to come, but for some reason it's taking me an inordinate amount of time to get my head wrapped around this.
In all these years, I never, ever thought that those words would cross my keyboard, but there they are. Everyone that I've talked to about this since the story developed yesterday afternoon assumed I would have my reaction all sorted out and everything by this point. But that would be a wrong assumption.
To be honest, I thought I was prepared for this to take place, despite the fact that everybody thought the whole situation was over. However, when it comes to Favre, nothing is over until I guess he decides it is.
I wish I had something deeply profound to say about this whole thing. . . but, to be honest, I really don't at the moment. I have a lot of questions that are swirling around my head about this whole ordeal. But let me address the one thing that I know for sure as of right now.
Brad Childress and Zygi Wilf have, in poker terminology, gone all-in with this move. The 2009 season won't end in a middle-of-the-road fashion for the Minnesota Vikings. It's either going to end incredibly well. . . or incredibly bad. The Vikes are either going to the promised land, or Brad Childress is going to be looking for a job come next January and the Vikings will be looking to start the process of rebuilding the franchise around Adrian Peterson.
The Vikings are playing their 49th season of NFL football in 2009. Yours truly has been a fan for 21 of those seasons. I can't think of any season that started with more intrigue than this one, and it's all because of this one move. And, honestly, that's all my mind can come up with at the moment. Rest assured there will be more in the days to come, but for some reason it's taking me an inordinate amount of time to get my head wrapped around this.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Put this "Dog" to sleep
Note to NASCAR: It is time to scrap the Lucky Dog. The Free Pass. The I-just-happened-to-be-in-front-of-Tony Stewart-when-the-caution-flew award. Whatever. Just get rid of it.
I know NASCAR has threatened to put the rule on the chopping block before. After the 2004 season they said they would consider killing it off. But yet it lives and creates just as much confusion as it did when it was instituted.
It is not unheard of for a lap-down car to come back and win or have a great finish, and great drivers certainly don't need a glorified Mickey Mouse rule to make it happen. The rule was created to help discourage racing back to the yellow, but the rule has done nothing but create confusion between drivers, fans and even NASCAR's broadcasters, who refuse to use a standard name for the rule.
Sure, the rule has helped NASCAR's safety initiative, but NASCAR also has the ability to score drivers multiple times per lap. Why have a rule that is designed to prevent racing back to the caution, yet it only affects a solitary car?
Jimmie Johnson may not want to do away with the Lucky Dog. At Pocono yesterday, he was THREE laps down more than halfway through the race, yet since it was a 2.5 mile track and nobody else was a lap down, he was able to get the Lucky Dog each time a caution came out and eventually was able to finish 13th on the lead lap, ahead of 20 other drivers that actually ran all 200 laps, not 197 of them.
With NASCAR's various scoring loops, is the rule even needed?
Even if NASCAR refuses to do away with the rule, can you at least give it a better name than the Free Pass or the Lucky Dog?
To me those two names just mean a gift that was not earned, which is exactly what the rule has represented in the last several years. We get it. The rule stops drivers from racing back to the caution flag. But that very concern was more realistic years ago. Drivers' habits have changed since then. The rule can afford to die without it compromising safety.
I know NASCAR has threatened to put the rule on the chopping block before. After the 2004 season they said they would consider killing it off. But yet it lives and creates just as much confusion as it did when it was instituted.
It is not unheard of for a lap-down car to come back and win or have a great finish, and great drivers certainly don't need a glorified Mickey Mouse rule to make it happen. The rule was created to help discourage racing back to the yellow, but the rule has done nothing but create confusion between drivers, fans and even NASCAR's broadcasters, who refuse to use a standard name for the rule.
Sure, the rule has helped NASCAR's safety initiative, but NASCAR also has the ability to score drivers multiple times per lap. Why have a rule that is designed to prevent racing back to the caution, yet it only affects a solitary car?
Jimmie Johnson may not want to do away with the Lucky Dog. At Pocono yesterday, he was THREE laps down more than halfway through the race, yet since it was a 2.5 mile track and nobody else was a lap down, he was able to get the Lucky Dog each time a caution came out and eventually was able to finish 13th on the lead lap, ahead of 20 other drivers that actually ran all 200 laps, not 197 of them.
With NASCAR's various scoring loops, is the rule even needed?
Even if NASCAR refuses to do away with the rule, can you at least give it a better name than the Free Pass or the Lucky Dog?
To me those two names just mean a gift that was not earned, which is exactly what the rule has represented in the last several years. We get it. The rule stops drivers from racing back to the caution flag. But that very concern was more realistic years ago. Drivers' habits have changed since then. The rule can afford to die without it compromising safety.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
What it's like to be a Vikings fan...
The soap opera that was the Brett Favre saga over the last few months has brought up an interesting discussion I had with another diehard Viking fan. The embarrassing roller coaster that the Vikings were a part of raised a question that some of we wondered aloud: Is this the most disappointing thing to happen to the Beloved Purple? My short answer is absolutely NOT.
As Viking fans, we've been through way more and way worse than this. Somehow though we've managed to persevere for this long. To be honest, I'm not even sure if the whole Brett Favre situation would crack a list of the Top 20 most disappointing things to ever happen to the Minnesota Vikings.
Wait a second.... the twenty most disappointing things to ever happen to the Vikings, eh? Consider that gauntlet picked up, even if I'm the one who threw it down. First off, there needs to be ground rules, to which the I reserve the right to make up off the top of my head.
Randy Moss' mock-mooning at Lambeau Field during the 2004 playoffs does not count. It came in a game where the Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Scratch running back Robert Smith retiring from football in 2001 when he still had a few good seasons left, since that was his personal decision. Mocking former running back Onterrio Smith for getting busted at the airport with something called an Original Whizzinator is also out since that incident was symbolic with his problems with addiction. The rest is in play, and even though I may not have been alive for a few of these I understand and respect the entire history of the franchise to know exactly where each incident stands.
20. Starting quarterback, Spergon Wynn
Spergon Wynn was hardly cut out to be a CFL quarterback, let alone a NFL quarterback. Wynn made two starts for the Vikings late in 2001. He threw one touchdown and six interceptions and never started another game. He is the answer to a great trivia question for you diehards from Barry Dyngle's: Who started at QB in the Vikings' last game under Dennis Green and the first under Mike Tice?
19. Drafting Troy Williamson
He's open deep and ... oh, he can't hang on! There is another NFC North team which is synonymous with spending first-round draft choices on wide receivers whose 40-yard dash times turn out to be fool's gold, but Williamson ranks with any of the approximately 72 receivers Matt Millen drafted when he was doing to the Lions what a bunch of dopes in suits did to the U.S. auto industry. Williamson, the No. 7 pick in 2006, was expected to give the Vikings the deep threat they had lacked since Moss left. Three years later, his name is mostly a punchline to me. Some of his drops were so bad that the director of a cheesy football comedy wouldn't have even included them, for lack of believability.
18. Paul Ferraro's special teams unit (2008)
SEVEN return touchdowns allowed in one season, a NFL record. The crazy part is Ferraro moved up the coaching ladder after that showing, since he was hired by the St. Louis Rams to coach their linebackers. Granted, that means worrying about three players, not all 11 on the field at one time.
17. Tony Dorsett runs 99½ yards
Perhaps it was not disappointing in the classic sense. It's just that the NFL Network seems bound by policy to have to air the clip of Dorsett's dash at least once every 24 hours. No one remembers that the Vikings actually won that 1982 Monday nighter, no mean feat when you allow a running back to go 99 yards on a play when his team lined up with only 10 guys. True story.
16. Vikadontis Rex (1995-2000)
There is only room for one lame dinosaur mascot in the four major sports. The Toronto Raptors totally called this one. Vikadontis was introduced in the wake of the Jurassic Park phenomenon in the early '90s, probably as a way to appeal to the kids. Of course, the Vikings already had a mascot, Ragnar, played by a guy who holds the world record for shaving with an ax, so it just ended up destroying the brand.
15. Antonio Freeman's catch
I'd like to shy away from using the word fluke. However, what happened on the night of Nov. 6, 2000 was nothing but a damn fluke. The Vikings and Packers never should have been in overtime in the first place, but in a driving rainstorm, the Vikings botched the hold on a last-second field goal try. In OT, Freeman slipped on the wet field while running a deep route and Dishman appeared to bat it to the turf. However, it hit Freeman, who managed to complete the catch, get to his feet without being tackled and cut inside a defender to score and give Green Bay a 26-20 win. It also cost the Vikings home-field advantage throughout the playoffs which in turn would set up something that will most definitely come up later in this blog.
14. Dennis Green tries to sue the team
To be fair, you might call a lawyer too if you had coached a perennial playoff team and found out the highers-up tried to replace you with a rah-rah college coach like Lou Holtz who was a failure in his one shot in the NFL. To me the Vikings are still trying to find a suitable replacement.
13. Randy Moss' long goodbye (about 2002 to '04)
There are reasons Randy Moss is great and wonderful beyond him being in the picture when people talk about the greatest pass receivers in NFL history (after Jerry Rice and somewhere in there with Marvin Harrison and Lance Alworth). Moss showed an outcast could make it in an American team sport. That point was generally lost amid the "I play when I want to play," the meter-maid bumping and leaving the field before the game was over.
12. Daunte Culpepper's knee injury
When pro football historians (how do you get that job?) talk about the great passing combos whose first names need not be mentioned, they'll talk about Montana-to-Rice, Manning-to-Harrison, Unitas-to-Berry, and Brady-to-Moss. It will ignore Culpepper, who threw to Moss during his prime years, from the time he was 23 until he was 27. It went so well for so long, then one day it did not anymore. Since '05, Culpepper has played for the Dolphins, Raiders and the Detroit Lions, so you could say the injury was career-ending.
11. Pass not intended for Darrin Nelson
Plenty of teams have seen their Super Bowl dreams dashed in the final minute of the conference championship game, just yards from a tying or winning touchdown. My dad (of course being a Redskins fan) refers to this game as the "Game with a hundred punts." The killer is that the final play of the 1987 NFC championship vs. Washington, the underdog Vikings ended up with Anthony Carter and running back Darrin Nelson in the same area of the field. That made it easier for Hall of Famer Darrell Green, who was covering Carter, to break up the pass. It was intended for Nelson, but considering that Carter had set a playoff receiving record the week before, it's hard to ignore the thought that Wade Wilson was throwing for him. That was also the season when the NFL used scrub players for three games during a players' strike. The fake Vikings went 0-3, but they still made the playoffs and were six yards from victory.
10. Super Bowl IV
The first of the Vikings' four Super Bowl losses might not be well-remembered. The fact remains is they were 12-point favorites going in against the Kansas City Chiefs and lost by 16. No team ever favored by such a large spread ever lost again until 1998, when a certain bunch of Cheeseheads, thanks to a couple key turnovers by a quarterback wearing No. 4, lost to Denver after being favored by 13.
9. Love boat scandal
Easy enough to laugh this off now, but the general mood was less tolerant in 2005. Between Moss leaving and Culpepper suffering a devastating knee injury, it was a rough few months.
8. Jim Marshall's wrong-way run
Marshall's record of playing in 282 consecutive games across 20 seasons basically makes him the NFL's answer to Cal Ripken Jr., except Ripken did not have to get cut-blocked or leg-whipped on a semi-regular basis. However, there's a belief the member of the Purple People Eaters is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame all because of one boner he pulled in 1964 when he picked up a fumble and ran the wrong way all the way to the end zone for a safety against the 49ers. Much like the embarrassment that was the 99 yard TD, the Vikings also won this game so it didn't really matter.
7. Nooooo! Nooooooo!
Six years later, the question how remains unanswered. An 11-point fourth-quarter lead against the worst team in the NFL should have been safe. Somehow, the Arizona Cardinals, led by depth-chart fillers such as Josh McCown and Nathan Poole, scored two touchdowns and recovered an onside kick all after the two-minute warning, helping Favre and the Green Bay Packers get into the playoffs, keeping the Vikings out after they had started the season 6-0. Of course, since the best a Vikings fan can usually hope for is justice delayed, several years later the NFL changed the so-called force-out rule, so Nathan Poole's end-zone catch would not count if they were playing the game today.
6. Metrodome opens
Let's get this straight: You gave up the best home-field advantage in the NFL? How did that work out? Baseball's Twins, the NBA's Timberwolves and the University of Minnesota football team have each scored sweeter digs, but only the Vikings remain unable to score a modern stadium.
5. Korey Stringer's death
As a fan, there is a lot you don't wanna know when it comes to the sacrifices pro athletes have to make. Springer's death due to complications from heat stroke uncovered the dark side of the sport. Pushing someone that far was so needless, so unnecessary that it hardly seemed like a game.
4. 41-doughnut
Have you ever sat there as a sports fan after your team lost by a slim margin and wondered if it would have been easier to take if they had never been in the game? Losing 41-0 in the NFC championship game to the New York Giants, getting shut out by a defence which had Jason Sehorn on it, well, there's your answer. Again, if the Freeman catch doesn't happen, the Vikings may well have hosted this game at home, but would it have made a difference? True story, I watched the 1st quarter of this game at my brother's house (Giants fan..yes this makes me 0-2 against my family in conference championship games) and I left with my girlfriend after the Vikes fell behind 14-0 because "I could tell where this game was headed." I told her "Look, the Vikes will come back, make it a game, only to break my heart at the end and I don't want to put myself through that misery. It's not like they're gonna lose 42-0 or anything." As it turns out...I was one point off...
3. Drew Pearson pushes off
Pass interference is like disorderly conduct. There is no clear definition of it, but everyone knows it when they see it. Pearson's look of restrained jubilation and guilty body language as he looks around for a penalty flag after catching the Hail Mary pass from Roger Staubach to beat the Vikings in the '75 playoffs is all the proof one needs to know he pushed off on Hall of Fame defensive back Paul Krause, even if the replays are actually inconclusive.
2. Herschel Walker trade
This trade was so bad the temptation is to believe it was a conspiracy to restore the Dallas Cowboys to NFL prominence as "America's Team" and help the league's TV ratings recover in the wake of the 1987 strike. It's easier to accept that trust me. The truth of the matter is two of the draft picks the Cowboys received for this ridiculous trade were used to draft Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith. Enough said.
1. Almost perfect
All together now: Damn! It's a burn, not a serious one mind you since this is just football (yeah right), to never know how Randall Cunningham and Cris Carter might have done in a Super Bowl. This team was just way too good to not even have the opportunity to play in a Super Bowl. They lost two games that season, to the Bucs 27-24 in Week 8 and 30-27 to the Falcons in the NFC Championship game. I still don't blame Gary Anderson for missing his first kick in TWO years. Instead I share the blame with the touchdown that Moss dropped in the 2nd quarter (Vikes settled for a FG), the prevent defense they played after the Anderson miss while still leading 27-20, the TWO dropped interceptions by Robert Griffith on the Falcons ensuing TD drive, and the "kneel down" on 3rd down with 30 seconds on the clock and the Vikes with the ball on their own 35 yard line with the most explosive offense in the entire league. I still watch this game every year before the new season starts. It helps me to get over a loss much quicker because nothing will ever compare to the 1998 NFC Championship game.
As Viking fans, we've been through way more and way worse than this. Somehow though we've managed to persevere for this long. To be honest, I'm not even sure if the whole Brett Favre situation would crack a list of the Top 20 most disappointing things to ever happen to the Minnesota Vikings.
Wait a second.... the twenty most disappointing things to ever happen to the Vikings, eh? Consider that gauntlet picked up, even if I'm the one who threw it down. First off, there needs to be ground rules, to which the I reserve the right to make up off the top of my head.
Randy Moss' mock-mooning at Lambeau Field during the 2004 playoffs does not count. It came in a game where the Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Scratch running back Robert Smith retiring from football in 2001 when he still had a few good seasons left, since that was his personal decision. Mocking former running back Onterrio Smith for getting busted at the airport with something called an Original Whizzinator is also out since that incident was symbolic with his problems with addiction. The rest is in play, and even though I may not have been alive for a few of these I understand and respect the entire history of the franchise to know exactly where each incident stands.
20. Starting quarterback, Spergon Wynn
Spergon Wynn was hardly cut out to be a CFL quarterback, let alone a NFL quarterback. Wynn made two starts for the Vikings late in 2001. He threw one touchdown and six interceptions and never started another game. He is the answer to a great trivia question for you diehards from Barry Dyngle's: Who started at QB in the Vikings' last game under Dennis Green and the first under Mike Tice?
19. Drafting Troy Williamson
He's open deep and ... oh, he can't hang on! There is another NFC North team which is synonymous with spending first-round draft choices on wide receivers whose 40-yard dash times turn out to be fool's gold, but Williamson ranks with any of the approximately 72 receivers Matt Millen drafted when he was doing to the Lions what a bunch of dopes in suits did to the U.S. auto industry. Williamson, the No. 7 pick in 2006, was expected to give the Vikings the deep threat they had lacked since Moss left. Three years later, his name is mostly a punchline to me. Some of his drops were so bad that the director of a cheesy football comedy wouldn't have even included them, for lack of believability.
18. Paul Ferraro's special teams unit (2008)
SEVEN return touchdowns allowed in one season, a NFL record. The crazy part is Ferraro moved up the coaching ladder after that showing, since he was hired by the St. Louis Rams to coach their linebackers. Granted, that means worrying about three players, not all 11 on the field at one time.
17. Tony Dorsett runs 99½ yards
Perhaps it was not disappointing in the classic sense. It's just that the NFL Network seems bound by policy to have to air the clip of Dorsett's dash at least once every 24 hours. No one remembers that the Vikings actually won that 1982 Monday nighter, no mean feat when you allow a running back to go 99 yards on a play when his team lined up with only 10 guys. True story.
16. Vikadontis Rex (1995-2000)
There is only room for one lame dinosaur mascot in the four major sports. The Toronto Raptors totally called this one. Vikadontis was introduced in the wake of the Jurassic Park phenomenon in the early '90s, probably as a way to appeal to the kids. Of course, the Vikings already had a mascot, Ragnar, played by a guy who holds the world record for shaving with an ax, so it just ended up destroying the brand.
15. Antonio Freeman's catch
I'd like to shy away from using the word fluke. However, what happened on the night of Nov. 6, 2000 was nothing but a damn fluke. The Vikings and Packers never should have been in overtime in the first place, but in a driving rainstorm, the Vikings botched the hold on a last-second field goal try. In OT, Freeman slipped on the wet field while running a deep route and Dishman appeared to bat it to the turf. However, it hit Freeman, who managed to complete the catch, get to his feet without being tackled and cut inside a defender to score and give Green Bay a 26-20 win. It also cost the Vikings home-field advantage throughout the playoffs which in turn would set up something that will most definitely come up later in this blog.
14. Dennis Green tries to sue the team
To be fair, you might call a lawyer too if you had coached a perennial playoff team and found out the highers-up tried to replace you with a rah-rah college coach like Lou Holtz who was a failure in his one shot in the NFL. To me the Vikings are still trying to find a suitable replacement.
13. Randy Moss' long goodbye (about 2002 to '04)
There are reasons Randy Moss is great and wonderful beyond him being in the picture when people talk about the greatest pass receivers in NFL history (after Jerry Rice and somewhere in there with Marvin Harrison and Lance Alworth). Moss showed an outcast could make it in an American team sport. That point was generally lost amid the "I play when I want to play," the meter-maid bumping and leaving the field before the game was over.
12. Daunte Culpepper's knee injury
When pro football historians (how do you get that job?) talk about the great passing combos whose first names need not be mentioned, they'll talk about Montana-to-Rice, Manning-to-Harrison, Unitas-to-Berry, and Brady-to-Moss. It will ignore Culpepper, who threw to Moss during his prime years, from the time he was 23 until he was 27. It went so well for so long, then one day it did not anymore. Since '05, Culpepper has played for the Dolphins, Raiders and the Detroit Lions, so you could say the injury was career-ending.
11. Pass not intended for Darrin Nelson
Plenty of teams have seen their Super Bowl dreams dashed in the final minute of the conference championship game, just yards from a tying or winning touchdown. My dad (of course being a Redskins fan) refers to this game as the "Game with a hundred punts." The killer is that the final play of the 1987 NFC championship vs. Washington, the underdog Vikings ended up with Anthony Carter and running back Darrin Nelson in the same area of the field. That made it easier for Hall of Famer Darrell Green, who was covering Carter, to break up the pass. It was intended for Nelson, but considering that Carter had set a playoff receiving record the week before, it's hard to ignore the thought that Wade Wilson was throwing for him. That was also the season when the NFL used scrub players for three games during a players' strike. The fake Vikings went 0-3, but they still made the playoffs and were six yards from victory.
10. Super Bowl IV
The first of the Vikings' four Super Bowl losses might not be well-remembered. The fact remains is they were 12-point favorites going in against the Kansas City Chiefs and lost by 16. No team ever favored by such a large spread ever lost again until 1998, when a certain bunch of Cheeseheads, thanks to a couple key turnovers by a quarterback wearing No. 4, lost to Denver after being favored by 13.
9. Love boat scandal
Easy enough to laugh this off now, but the general mood was less tolerant in 2005. Between Moss leaving and Culpepper suffering a devastating knee injury, it was a rough few months.
8. Jim Marshall's wrong-way run
Marshall's record of playing in 282 consecutive games across 20 seasons basically makes him the NFL's answer to Cal Ripken Jr., except Ripken did not have to get cut-blocked or leg-whipped on a semi-regular basis. However, there's a belief the member of the Purple People Eaters is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame all because of one boner he pulled in 1964 when he picked up a fumble and ran the wrong way all the way to the end zone for a safety against the 49ers. Much like the embarrassment that was the 99 yard TD, the Vikings also won this game so it didn't really matter.
7. Nooooo! Nooooooo!
Six years later, the question how remains unanswered. An 11-point fourth-quarter lead against the worst team in the NFL should have been safe. Somehow, the Arizona Cardinals, led by depth-chart fillers such as Josh McCown and Nathan Poole, scored two touchdowns and recovered an onside kick all after the two-minute warning, helping Favre and the Green Bay Packers get into the playoffs, keeping the Vikings out after they had started the season 6-0. Of course, since the best a Vikings fan can usually hope for is justice delayed, several years later the NFL changed the so-called force-out rule, so Nathan Poole's end-zone catch would not count if they were playing the game today.
6. Metrodome opens
Let's get this straight: You gave up the best home-field advantage in the NFL? How did that work out? Baseball's Twins, the NBA's Timberwolves and the University of Minnesota football team have each scored sweeter digs, but only the Vikings remain unable to score a modern stadium.
5. Korey Stringer's death
As a fan, there is a lot you don't wanna know when it comes to the sacrifices pro athletes have to make. Springer's death due to complications from heat stroke uncovered the dark side of the sport. Pushing someone that far was so needless, so unnecessary that it hardly seemed like a game.
4. 41-doughnut
Have you ever sat there as a sports fan after your team lost by a slim margin and wondered if it would have been easier to take if they had never been in the game? Losing 41-0 in the NFC championship game to the New York Giants, getting shut out by a defence which had Jason Sehorn on it, well, there's your answer. Again, if the Freeman catch doesn't happen, the Vikings may well have hosted this game at home, but would it have made a difference? True story, I watched the 1st quarter of this game at my brother's house (Giants fan..yes this makes me 0-2 against my family in conference championship games) and I left with my girlfriend after the Vikes fell behind 14-0 because "I could tell where this game was headed." I told her "Look, the Vikes will come back, make it a game, only to break my heart at the end and I don't want to put myself through that misery. It's not like they're gonna lose 42-0 or anything." As it turns out...I was one point off...
3. Drew Pearson pushes off
Pass interference is like disorderly conduct. There is no clear definition of it, but everyone knows it when they see it. Pearson's look of restrained jubilation and guilty body language as he looks around for a penalty flag after catching the Hail Mary pass from Roger Staubach to beat the Vikings in the '75 playoffs is all the proof one needs to know he pushed off on Hall of Fame defensive back Paul Krause, even if the replays are actually inconclusive.
2. Herschel Walker trade
This trade was so bad the temptation is to believe it was a conspiracy to restore the Dallas Cowboys to NFL prominence as "America's Team" and help the league's TV ratings recover in the wake of the 1987 strike. It's easier to accept that trust me. The truth of the matter is two of the draft picks the Cowboys received for this ridiculous trade were used to draft Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith. Enough said.
1. Almost perfect
All together now: Damn! It's a burn, not a serious one mind you since this is just football (yeah right), to never know how Randall Cunningham and Cris Carter might have done in a Super Bowl. This team was just way too good to not even have the opportunity to play in a Super Bowl. They lost two games that season, to the Bucs 27-24 in Week 8 and 30-27 to the Falcons in the NFC Championship game. I still don't blame Gary Anderson for missing his first kick in TWO years. Instead I share the blame with the touchdown that Moss dropped in the 2nd quarter (Vikes settled for a FG), the prevent defense they played after the Anderson miss while still leading 27-20, the TWO dropped interceptions by Robert Griffith on the Falcons ensuing TD drive, and the "kneel down" on 3rd down with 30 seconds on the clock and the Vikes with the ball on their own 35 yard line with the most explosive offense in the entire league. I still watch this game every year before the new season starts. It helps me to get over a loss much quicker because nothing will ever compare to the 1998 NFC Championship game.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Feel free to come mow my lawn now...
Well, it's finally "official", Brett Favre has decided to stay retired and not come and play for the Minnesota Vikings in 2009. Yes, this should be considered pretty big news. After all, this has been THE story of the Minnesota Vikings' off-season, and it has finally come to a conclusion that absolutely nobody expected.
Am I surprised? Certainly.
Am I angry or disappointed? Nope. Not even a little bit.
Why am I not angry or disappointed? Because the wonderful thing about this resolution to the Favre situation is this:
The Minnesota Vikings are still, with or without Brett Favre, the best and most talented team in the NFC North.
Lots of people won't agree with my assessment on that front, and quite frankly that doesn't matter to me. The facts are the facts. Last year, the Vikings won the NFC North with the combination of bad Tarvaris Jackson, Gus Frerotte, and good Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback. And there's no reason to think that the combination of Sage Rosenfels and good/bad Tarvaris Jackson won't do the same thing.
After all the Vikings still have the best running game in the NFC North, possibly the best in the NFC, and maybe the best in the NFL. They also still have a defense that's one of the best in the NFL and light years ahead of any other defense in the NFC North.
Yeah, they have a perceived "hole" at the quarterback position. Ask last year's Packers how far an allegedly wonderful young quarterback and a vastly overrated defense will get you in the NFL. About 6-10, that's what it will get you. If the Bears and Packers want to try their luck with that formula again in 2009, more power to them. . . they'll finish in the same place they finished 2008. . . looking up at the best team in the North.
Reportedly the Vikings have officially closed the door on Favre. Thank you, Brad Childress.
So, our long, unnecessarily drawn out nightmare is over. Bring on the regular season.
Am I surprised? Certainly.
Am I angry or disappointed? Nope. Not even a little bit.
Why am I not angry or disappointed? Because the wonderful thing about this resolution to the Favre situation is this:
The Minnesota Vikings are still, with or without Brett Favre, the best and most talented team in the NFC North.
Lots of people won't agree with my assessment on that front, and quite frankly that doesn't matter to me. The facts are the facts. Last year, the Vikings won the NFC North with the combination of bad Tarvaris Jackson, Gus Frerotte, and good Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback. And there's no reason to think that the combination of Sage Rosenfels and good/bad Tarvaris Jackson won't do the same thing.
After all the Vikings still have the best running game in the NFC North, possibly the best in the NFC, and maybe the best in the NFL. They also still have a defense that's one of the best in the NFL and light years ahead of any other defense in the NFC North.
Yeah, they have a perceived "hole" at the quarterback position. Ask last year's Packers how far an allegedly wonderful young quarterback and a vastly overrated defense will get you in the NFL. About 6-10, that's what it will get you. If the Bears and Packers want to try their luck with that formula again in 2009, more power to them. . . they'll finish in the same place they finished 2008. . . looking up at the best team in the North.
Reportedly the Vikings have officially closed the door on Favre. Thank you, Brad Childress.
So, our long, unnecessarily drawn out nightmare is over. Bring on the regular season.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Fourth Quarter: Elevation?
Yes, only two months or so after blogging about the upcoming Viking's schedule, I'm finally getting around to finishing it. Pretty awesome, huh? I apologize for not having a lot to write about on here, but with the whole Favre thing going on I just haven't been in the mood to discuss my Beloved Purple.
However, it's time to stop procrastinating and look at the fourth quarter of the Vikings' 2009 schedule. The Vikings should have some solid momentum going their way at this point, and based on their first 12 games, I think there's a very good chance they could be looking at an 8-4/9-3 kind of mark before we head into the home stretch. If you need to review the previous three articles to remind yourself where we're at then go ahead...I'll wait for ya.....
Caught up? Good.....
The thirteenth game of the 2009 season will have the Vikes playing host to the Cincinnati Bengals. Now, contrary to what a couple of folks I know think, I don't have the feeling that the Bengals will be that great this year. Even with the return of Carson Palmer, their offense is a mess, and Chad Ocho Cinco is liable to go off at any time. It's going to be a little bit rougher for him, as he'll no longer have T.J. Houshmandzadeh lined up on the other side of the formation. Chris Henry may or may not end up in jail again, too. . . really, you never know. I guess what I'm saying is that the Bengals should have trouble scoring against the Minnesota defense, to put it mildly.
The Vikings, on the other hand, should have no such problem. While the Bengals were #12 in the league in total yards allowed in 2008, they were 21st against the run. They were also a blistering 1-7 on the road. There are no easy wins in the National Football League. . . but I would be pretty surprised if Minnesota didn't handle this one with some level of ease. The final three games of the 2009 season, however, should be pretty tough. They're winnable football games, but they definitely won't be easy wins.
It starts out with what (as of now) is projected to be the first of two consecutive prime-time games for the Beloved Purple, as they travel to Bank of America (insert new name here) Stadium to take on the Carolina Panthers. I say projected to be consecutive prime-time games, because this game is on NBC's Sunday Night schedule, which means it could get "flexed" if there's another, more compelling matchup out there. However, if these two teams play the way they're capable of, I wouldn't expect this game to get moved.
Now, we all remember the 2008 game between these two teams, with Antoine Winfield crushing Jake Delhomme and the defense completely dominating the second half as the Vikings won 20-10. The Panthers have one of the best one-two rushing tandems in the NFL in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. However, as we all know, this plays right into Minnesota's strength and in last year's matchup the Viking defense limited Williams and Stewart to 42 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor fared slightly better against Carolina's defense, combining for 121 yards on 28 carries. Yes, I looked this all up...ha ha.
The outcome of this game could depend on whether we see "good" Jake Delhomme, or whether we see the Jake Delhomme that showed up in the NFC Divisional Playoffs in January that used Arizona Cardinal defenders for target practice. If Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, and company can get after Delhomme the way they did in Minneapolis last year (where they registered five sacks), "bad" Delhomme could be out in full force (along with the boobirds) in Charlotte. This is one of the more interesting games on the schedule, though, and it could really go either way.
The final road game of the year will definitely occur in prime time, as the Vikings will travel to what should be a cold and blustery Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears. Last year's game at Soldier Field was a nightmare, with Gus Frerotte throwing four interceptions, Chris Kluwe being awful, and the special teams just being generally terrible. Despite all of that, the Vikings managed to stay within a touchdown of the Bears and put up their highest scoring output of the year in a 48-41 loss. Since I can't imagine the Vikings' special teams being that awful again, and I can't envision that many turnovers, this game could easily go the other way.
This will be the one game the Vikings play all season where weather should have any significant effect. . . and if it's anything like it usually is in Chicago in December, it's going to be a display of power football on both sides, and both defenses should be amped up and ready to go for this one. If that's the case, the easy choice is Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor over Matt Forte and Kevin Jones, I think.
"But what about Jay Cutler," you might say. The thing is. . . the next time Jay Cutler carries his team in a big situation will be the first time. He was terrible down the stretch in 2008, and has never won a single NFL game that actually meant anything when there was any sort of pressure on him. Since this game could very easily be for the division title, it wouldn't surprise me one single bit to see the diva fall apart again, this time on national TV. I know it's a division game and you can throw the records out and all those other cliches. . . but if you could rest your team's chances of winning on the shoulders of either Adrian Peterson (who has put a team on his back before and carried them when they needed it) or Jay Cutler (who has really done no such thing). . . who are you taking? I know who I'm taking.
The season finale will be the same as the 2008 season finale, as the Vikings will play host to the New York Giants at the Metrodome. Yes, we heard all the crap last year. . . "the Vikings only beat the Giants' backups. The Giants starters would have destroyed the Vikings." Blah blah blah.
The Vikings did enough in their first 15 games to put themselves in a situation where they could have a game against a team that had nothing to play for with a playoff spot on the line. The Bears had a game against a team that had nothing to play for with a playoff spot on the line, too. . . and they would have gotten in, had they beaten the Houston Texans. But, they didn't, so they got to sit at home and watch us in the post-season.
(Oh, and when the Giants pulled their starters, the Vikings were winning the football game. Minor thing, but I thought it should be mentioned.)
There's a good chance that one or both teams will be resting players for this one if there's nothing on the line. I can hope that the Vikings are in a situation to rest players, unless there's a first-round bye to be had or something like that. So, I'm not going to project this one too much, since we don't really know who's going to be on the field for either team at this point.
And that's the final look at the 2009 schedule, ladies and gentlemen! Despite what many of the "experts" are thinking at this point, I don't see any reason that this team can't be in the 10-6/11-5 range and celebrating their second consecutive NFC North division crown on or before January 3rd, 2010.
However, it's time to stop procrastinating and look at the fourth quarter of the Vikings' 2009 schedule. The Vikings should have some solid momentum going their way at this point, and based on their first 12 games, I think there's a very good chance they could be looking at an 8-4/9-3 kind of mark before we head into the home stretch. If you need to review the previous three articles to remind yourself where we're at then go ahead...I'll wait for ya.....
Caught up? Good.....
The thirteenth game of the 2009 season will have the Vikes playing host to the Cincinnati Bengals. Now, contrary to what a couple of folks I know think, I don't have the feeling that the Bengals will be that great this year. Even with the return of Carson Palmer, their offense is a mess, and Chad Ocho Cinco is liable to go off at any time. It's going to be a little bit rougher for him, as he'll no longer have T.J. Houshmandzadeh lined up on the other side of the formation. Chris Henry may or may not end up in jail again, too. . . really, you never know. I guess what I'm saying is that the Bengals should have trouble scoring against the Minnesota defense, to put it mildly.
The Vikings, on the other hand, should have no such problem. While the Bengals were #12 in the league in total yards allowed in 2008, they were 21st against the run. They were also a blistering 1-7 on the road. There are no easy wins in the National Football League. . . but I would be pretty surprised if Minnesota didn't handle this one with some level of ease. The final three games of the 2009 season, however, should be pretty tough. They're winnable football games, but they definitely won't be easy wins.
It starts out with what (as of now) is projected to be the first of two consecutive prime-time games for the Beloved Purple, as they travel to Bank of America (insert new name here) Stadium to take on the Carolina Panthers. I say projected to be consecutive prime-time games, because this game is on NBC's Sunday Night schedule, which means it could get "flexed" if there's another, more compelling matchup out there. However, if these two teams play the way they're capable of, I wouldn't expect this game to get moved.
Now, we all remember the 2008 game between these two teams, with Antoine Winfield crushing Jake Delhomme and the defense completely dominating the second half as the Vikings won 20-10. The Panthers have one of the best one-two rushing tandems in the NFL in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. However, as we all know, this plays right into Minnesota's strength and in last year's matchup the Viking defense limited Williams and Stewart to 42 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor fared slightly better against Carolina's defense, combining for 121 yards on 28 carries. Yes, I looked this all up...ha ha.
The outcome of this game could depend on whether we see "good" Jake Delhomme, or whether we see the Jake Delhomme that showed up in the NFC Divisional Playoffs in January that used Arizona Cardinal defenders for target practice. If Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, and company can get after Delhomme the way they did in Minneapolis last year (where they registered five sacks), "bad" Delhomme could be out in full force (along with the boobirds) in Charlotte. This is one of the more interesting games on the schedule, though, and it could really go either way.
The final road game of the year will definitely occur in prime time, as the Vikings will travel to what should be a cold and blustery Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears. Last year's game at Soldier Field was a nightmare, with Gus Frerotte throwing four interceptions, Chris Kluwe being awful, and the special teams just being generally terrible. Despite all of that, the Vikings managed to stay within a touchdown of the Bears and put up their highest scoring output of the year in a 48-41 loss. Since I can't imagine the Vikings' special teams being that awful again, and I can't envision that many turnovers, this game could easily go the other way.
This will be the one game the Vikings play all season where weather should have any significant effect. . . and if it's anything like it usually is in Chicago in December, it's going to be a display of power football on both sides, and both defenses should be amped up and ready to go for this one. If that's the case, the easy choice is Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor over Matt Forte and Kevin Jones, I think.
"But what about Jay Cutler," you might say. The thing is. . . the next time Jay Cutler carries his team in a big situation will be the first time. He was terrible down the stretch in 2008, and has never won a single NFL game that actually meant anything when there was any sort of pressure on him. Since this game could very easily be for the division title, it wouldn't surprise me one single bit to see the diva fall apart again, this time on national TV. I know it's a division game and you can throw the records out and all those other cliches. . . but if you could rest your team's chances of winning on the shoulders of either Adrian Peterson (who has put a team on his back before and carried them when they needed it) or Jay Cutler (who has really done no such thing). . . who are you taking? I know who I'm taking.
The season finale will be the same as the 2008 season finale, as the Vikings will play host to the New York Giants at the Metrodome. Yes, we heard all the crap last year. . . "the Vikings only beat the Giants' backups. The Giants starters would have destroyed the Vikings." Blah blah blah.
The Vikings did enough in their first 15 games to put themselves in a situation where they could have a game against a team that had nothing to play for with a playoff spot on the line. The Bears had a game against a team that had nothing to play for with a playoff spot on the line, too. . . and they would have gotten in, had they beaten the Houston Texans. But, they didn't, so they got to sit at home and watch us in the post-season.
(Oh, and when the Giants pulled their starters, the Vikings were winning the football game. Minor thing, but I thought it should be mentioned.)
There's a good chance that one or both teams will be resting players for this one if there's nothing on the line. I can hope that the Vikings are in a situation to rest players, unless there's a first-round bye to be had or something like that. So, I'm not going to project this one too much, since we don't really know who's going to be on the field for either team at this point.
And that's the final look at the 2009 schedule, ladies and gentlemen! Despite what many of the "experts" are thinking at this point, I don't see any reason that this team can't be in the 10-6/11-5 range and celebrating their second consecutive NFC North division crown on or before January 3rd, 2010.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
My Pick to win Game Seven...
Okay, so who’s the genius who slipped a note to the Red Wings saying that Game Six of the Stanley Cup Finals didn’t start until 10:20, instead of 8:20? Nicely done, whoever you are. In what should have been potentially the biggest night of their season, the Red Wings came out flat as a pancake for Game Six of the Stanley Cup Finals in Pittsburgh Tuesday night.
How does a team as experienced, skilled, and focused as the Red Wings usually are come out and lay a big, fat egg onto the Mellon Arena ice surface for the first 40 minutes is beyond me. Then again, this entire series has been beyond me.
First, we had the "back-to-back" to kick things off: Games One and Two played on Saturday and Sunday in Detroit. This was supposed to be damaging to the older Red Wings, who were only a couple days removed from taking my beloved Chicago Blackhawks from the conference finals.
The Red Wings won both games.
Then we had Games Three and Four in Pittsburgh, and the Penguins were supposed to be deflated and discouraged by their oh-fer in Detroit, despite playing some pretty damn good hockey at times.
The Penguins won both games.
So, naturally, the old, tired Red Wings were in trouble heading into Game Five. They looked staggered; the champs were on the ropes. Maybe one or two more punches could finish them off.
Of course, the Red Wings destroyed the Penguins, 5-0.
The stage was set for Game Six. Morons such as yours truly said that these stages were made for the Red Wings. With the Stanley Cup in the building, I said there’s all the urgency in the world, right there. You didn’t even have to manufacture it. Plus, there would be the extra benefit for the Red Wings of an additional day off after Game Five.
Of course the Penguins went out and made the Red Wings look like that old, tired bunch from Games Three and Four.
Do I dare make a guess about Game Seven? This series, so far, has been like six different plays of NHL '09 on your PlayStation 2. None of the games have anything to do with the other. It’s a Finals series that only a Las Vegas bookie can love. There really are only two sure things I know of after watching this series: death and taxes.
Take Pens goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, for example. The kid looks like a bad seed after some weird goals in Games One and Two. Then he bounces back in Games Three and Four. Then he’s so awful in Game Five that he gets the hook. So Fleury is the game’s No. 1 star in Game Six, even stopping Dan Cleary on a heart-thumping breakaway with about 90 seconds to play.
Want another series myth to bust? How about the one that says the Penguins can’t win if Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby aren’t playing in stellar form? The Pens got goals from Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy in Game Six, and Malkin and Crosby were borderline milk carton material for long stretches. There was a Malkin sighting in the third period.... when he was whistled for a penalty.
The Red Wings, meanwhile, played the first two periods as if they expected the Stanley Cup to be awarded to them after the game no matter what. The Red Wings should have had the sense of urgency of a toddler crossing his legs while his mother dragged him through J.C. Penney’s in search of the nearest bathroom. Instead, the Red Wings played, maybe, their worst game of the entire playoffs. And I’m talking anything you got, from Columbus to Anaheim to Chicago. I’ll even throw in Games Three and Four of the Finals, and I’ll still beat it with the Red Wings’ performance through the first 40 minutes of Game Six. They were awful.
If it wasn’t for Osgood, the Penguins would have matched the Red Wings’ five-goal win of Game Five, and maybe even have beaten it. Detroit had three shots on goal in the first period. Three. About one every seven minutes. Unless you plan on Fleury having a save percentage of about .566 for the game, that’s not going to cut it.
I’m done with trying to figure these Finals out. I predicted Pittsburgh in six before this goofball of a series began. After all I’ve been wrong about since they dropped the puck to start Game One and I’m not the Lone Ranger in that regard.
So it’s winner-take-all. There’s no tomorrow. All the chips are on the table. One-and-done. Women and children first. Buckle up, it’s gonna be a rough ride.
Okay okay... my pick for Game Seven? Well, considering every game in this series has been won by the home team the answer to that question is extremely simple:
Penguins: 3 Red Wings: 2
How does a team as experienced, skilled, and focused as the Red Wings usually are come out and lay a big, fat egg onto the Mellon Arena ice surface for the first 40 minutes is beyond me. Then again, this entire series has been beyond me.
First, we had the "back-to-back" to kick things off: Games One and Two played on Saturday and Sunday in Detroit. This was supposed to be damaging to the older Red Wings, who were only a couple days removed from taking my beloved Chicago Blackhawks from the conference finals.
The Red Wings won both games.
Then we had Games Three and Four in Pittsburgh, and the Penguins were supposed to be deflated and discouraged by their oh-fer in Detroit, despite playing some pretty damn good hockey at times.
The Penguins won both games.
So, naturally, the old, tired Red Wings were in trouble heading into Game Five. They looked staggered; the champs were on the ropes. Maybe one or two more punches could finish them off.
Of course, the Red Wings destroyed the Penguins, 5-0.
The stage was set for Game Six. Morons such as yours truly said that these stages were made for the Red Wings. With the Stanley Cup in the building, I said there’s all the urgency in the world, right there. You didn’t even have to manufacture it. Plus, there would be the extra benefit for the Red Wings of an additional day off after Game Five.
Of course the Penguins went out and made the Red Wings look like that old, tired bunch from Games Three and Four.
Do I dare make a guess about Game Seven? This series, so far, has been like six different plays of NHL '09 on your PlayStation 2. None of the games have anything to do with the other. It’s a Finals series that only a Las Vegas bookie can love. There really are only two sure things I know of after watching this series: death and taxes.
Take Pens goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, for example. The kid looks like a bad seed after some weird goals in Games One and Two. Then he bounces back in Games Three and Four. Then he’s so awful in Game Five that he gets the hook. So Fleury is the game’s No. 1 star in Game Six, even stopping Dan Cleary on a heart-thumping breakaway with about 90 seconds to play.
Want another series myth to bust? How about the one that says the Penguins can’t win if Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby aren’t playing in stellar form? The Pens got goals from Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy in Game Six, and Malkin and Crosby were borderline milk carton material for long stretches. There was a Malkin sighting in the third period.... when he was whistled for a penalty.
The Red Wings, meanwhile, played the first two periods as if they expected the Stanley Cup to be awarded to them after the game no matter what. The Red Wings should have had the sense of urgency of a toddler crossing his legs while his mother dragged him through J.C. Penney’s in search of the nearest bathroom. Instead, the Red Wings played, maybe, their worst game of the entire playoffs. And I’m talking anything you got, from Columbus to Anaheim to Chicago. I’ll even throw in Games Three and Four of the Finals, and I’ll still beat it with the Red Wings’ performance through the first 40 minutes of Game Six. They were awful.
If it wasn’t for Osgood, the Penguins would have matched the Red Wings’ five-goal win of Game Five, and maybe even have beaten it. Detroit had three shots on goal in the first period. Three. About one every seven minutes. Unless you plan on Fleury having a save percentage of about .566 for the game, that’s not going to cut it.
I’m done with trying to figure these Finals out. I predicted Pittsburgh in six before this goofball of a series began. After all I’ve been wrong about since they dropped the puck to start Game One and I’m not the Lone Ranger in that regard.
So it’s winner-take-all. There’s no tomorrow. All the chips are on the table. One-and-done. Women and children first. Buckle up, it’s gonna be a rough ride.
Okay okay... my pick for Game Seven? Well, considering every game in this series has been won by the home team the answer to that question is extremely simple:
Penguins: 3 Red Wings: 2
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
This is your brain on steroids...
It's been a long standing tradition in American sports history that when a team (seemingly any team) wins a championship they get to go to the White House and meet the president. Sometimes the mixing of athletes and political figures can create an awkward moment. However, for the most part the whole thing is just a good photo opportunity for all involved. As the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare to make their visit to the White House and celebrate their Super Bowl victory, there is one player who will not make the trip, actually he is flat-out refusing the invitation.
James Harrison was one of the most feared men in the NFL last season. He had nothing short of a phenomenal season. He capped off the 2008 campaign by making one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history as he rumbled nearly 100 yards for a touchdown. There is no doubt that the Steelers wouldn't have won the Super Bowl, if Harrison was not on the team last season. Now it appears that Harrison is ready to make his impact off the field, by turning down the invitation to travel with the Steelers to Washington D.C. to meet President Obama.
Harrison had the following to say about the whole situation:"This is how I feel—if you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, invite us when we don't win the Super Bowl. As far as I'm concerned, he [Obama] would've invited Arizona if they had won."
Really? You mean if the Cardinals had won they would have gotten the Lombardi trophy and not you?!? I think the Steelers should be presented the trophy if they don't win the Super Bowl...yeah...umm...that would make sense!
It definitely comes across as arrogant that Harrison feels that it should be Obama who is honored to meet him and not the other way around. I suppose that James Harrison's offseason is just too busy to take a day out to visit the president.
I mean really, how busy can Obama be that he doesn't take time out to visit the star linebacker on his own time? You've got to sit back and think seriously: who does this guy think he is? I'd actually prefer it if Harrison had refused the White House visit because he was making a political statement. However, if the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES invites you to his house...you go!
With behavior of this nature, it is not surprising that half the NFL seemingly gets arrested on a regular basis. It should be noted that Harrison also refused to go to the White House in 2006 to meet President Bush. I guess he was too busy on that day as well.
James Harrison was one of the most feared men in the NFL last season. He had nothing short of a phenomenal season. He capped off the 2008 campaign by making one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history as he rumbled nearly 100 yards for a touchdown. There is no doubt that the Steelers wouldn't have won the Super Bowl, if Harrison was not on the team last season. Now it appears that Harrison is ready to make his impact off the field, by turning down the invitation to travel with the Steelers to Washington D.C. to meet President Obama.
Harrison had the following to say about the whole situation:"This is how I feel—if you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, invite us when we don't win the Super Bowl. As far as I'm concerned, he [Obama] would've invited Arizona if they had won."
Really? You mean if the Cardinals had won they would have gotten the Lombardi trophy and not you?!? I think the Steelers should be presented the trophy if they don't win the Super Bowl...yeah...umm...that would make sense!
It definitely comes across as arrogant that Harrison feels that it should be Obama who is honored to meet him and not the other way around. I suppose that James Harrison's offseason is just too busy to take a day out to visit the president.
I mean really, how busy can Obama be that he doesn't take time out to visit the star linebacker on his own time? You've got to sit back and think seriously: who does this guy think he is? I'd actually prefer it if Harrison had refused the White House visit because he was making a political statement. However, if the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES invites you to his house...you go!
With behavior of this nature, it is not surprising that half the NFL seemingly gets arrested on a regular basis. It should be noted that Harrison also refused to go to the White House in 2006 to meet President Bush. I guess he was too busy on that day as well.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
It's Your Fault!!
Dear Mainstream Sports Media Types,
We're really not that different, you and I. We've all been given a medium to express our opinions about sports, and we've all done so with varying degrees of success. While many of you have been given an opportunity to work for major newspapers or television stations, I'm just some schmuck with a computer and an opinion that's been fortunate enough to have roughly 200 people read about my feelings about different sports topics. To be quite honest about it, a lot of you out there are the inspiration behind what I do here on my site, and for that I thank you.
However, I feel that something needs to be said about the coverage of the Brett Favre situation that has arisen in recent weeks. Not the fact that there's a ton of coverage of it, because that's the way it should be, whether we like it or not. Big names get more ink than smaller names, and I understand that. Rather, it's the tone that this coverage has taken that leaves me with some cause for concern. Allow me to explain.
As someone that has been a fan of the Minnesota Vikings for as long as he's been able to grasp the basic concepts of football, I've had a long and healthy dislike for Brett Favre. Was it due to the fact that he was always beating the Minnesota Vikings? Well. . . not really. Until the latter part of his stint in Green Bay, Favre had never been terribly successful against the Vikings, and in fact has turned in some of the worst performances of his career against them.
Was it because he was the face of the league for a while and is regarded as one of the best players in the history of the NFL? Certainly not. I understand that big names will get that sort of spotlight, and that the Vikings have had a couple of those players over the course of their history. Honestly, I've seen some of the all-time greats line up against the Vikings over the years I've been watching them. . . names like Barry Sanders, Reggie White, Mike Singletary, and so forth. . . and I didn't have the active disdain for any of them that I've harbored for Brett Favre.
No, the reason for my dislike of Brett Favre during my time as a fan of the Minnesota Vikings is this: I've been watching NFL football for almost twenty years now. . . and over the course of those years, no player in the history of the National Football League has had more excuses made for them or had their ass kissed on a more frequent basis than the man that many simply refer to as "#4." It may have been enhanced somewhat by being a fan of a rival team, but it isn't just Viking or Bear or Lion fans that feel this way about the guy, and I'm sure that many of those fans would attest to that.
It's not just a couple of mainstream media outlets that I'm focused on here, either, quite frankly. Everyone from Peter King to Joe Buck to John Madden to ESPN has had a role in creating this monster. When Brett Favre went out against the St. Louis Rams in the playoffs in 2002 and threw an NFL post-season record six interceptions, he went out in the post-game press conference and proceeded to throw his entire receiving corps under the bus. And you let him do it.
When he went out against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004 and, in the face of a blitz, proceeded to throw a pass 30 yards over the head of receiver Javon Walker for an interception, who did you folks blame? It certainly wasn't Brett Favre. . . it was Javon Walker for not catching a pass that Usian Bolt wouldn't have caught up to.
When he faced the Minnesota Vikings in 2005 and completely stunk up Lambeau Field for four quarters, including underhanding a pass after being five yards over the line of scrimmage because he was scared to get hit, all you could do is remind us repeatedly about how much fun Brett Favre was having. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that Favre was the only guy in NFL history that actually enjoyed playing the game.
When he spent the entire 2006 season looking horrible and turning the ball over 36 times, the blame didn't go to #4. . . it immediately went to his "supporting cast." In the eyes of the mainstream media, Brett Favre spent 15 years doing absolutely no wrong, whether it was on the field or off the field. All of you gave Brett Favre the impression that he was running the franchise in Green Bay. All of you gave Brett Favre the impression that he was bigger than any team in the league, and frankly bigger than the league itself.
And now you're "tired of the Favre saga?" Now you think it's pathetic and sad that the man is doing this? Please. I hate to break the news to all of you, but you created this monster. Sure, superstars should be treated a bit differently than your average player, but the way you treated Brett Favre for the majority of his career was above and beyond all of that. How can you possibly be surprised by the way he's acting now after the way that all of you have chosen to enable him for the better part of his NFL career?
I don't know if Brett Favre is going to end up a member of the Minnesota Vikings. None of you know and, quite frankly, he probably doesn't know right now either. And whether he joins the Vikings or not, it won't change the fact that he's a primadonna or a jackass or a diva. But, by God, much like Randy Moss during the time he was in Minnesota, for that one year he'll be our primadonna, our jackass, and our "diva." Some will embrace him, some will reject him, and some (like myself) don't even know where they'd stand on such a situation.
But, please. . . drop the outrage and anger over the entire situation playing out the way it has. Again, you were the enablers in this relationship, and if you don't like where it's gone, you have nobody to blame but yourselves.
Sincerely,
Kevin R. Blackann
We're really not that different, you and I. We've all been given a medium to express our opinions about sports, and we've all done so with varying degrees of success. While many of you have been given an opportunity to work for major newspapers or television stations, I'm just some schmuck with a computer and an opinion that's been fortunate enough to have roughly 200 people read about my feelings about different sports topics. To be quite honest about it, a lot of you out there are the inspiration behind what I do here on my site, and for that I thank you.
However, I feel that something needs to be said about the coverage of the Brett Favre situation that has arisen in recent weeks. Not the fact that there's a ton of coverage of it, because that's the way it should be, whether we like it or not. Big names get more ink than smaller names, and I understand that. Rather, it's the tone that this coverage has taken that leaves me with some cause for concern. Allow me to explain.
As someone that has been a fan of the Minnesota Vikings for as long as he's been able to grasp the basic concepts of football, I've had a long and healthy dislike for Brett Favre. Was it due to the fact that he was always beating the Minnesota Vikings? Well. . . not really. Until the latter part of his stint in Green Bay, Favre had never been terribly successful against the Vikings, and in fact has turned in some of the worst performances of his career against them.
Was it because he was the face of the league for a while and is regarded as one of the best players in the history of the NFL? Certainly not. I understand that big names will get that sort of spotlight, and that the Vikings have had a couple of those players over the course of their history. Honestly, I've seen some of the all-time greats line up against the Vikings over the years I've been watching them. . . names like Barry Sanders, Reggie White, Mike Singletary, and so forth. . . and I didn't have the active disdain for any of them that I've harbored for Brett Favre.
No, the reason for my dislike of Brett Favre during my time as a fan of the Minnesota Vikings is this: I've been watching NFL football for almost twenty years now. . . and over the course of those years, no player in the history of the National Football League has had more excuses made for them or had their ass kissed on a more frequent basis than the man that many simply refer to as "#4." It may have been enhanced somewhat by being a fan of a rival team, but it isn't just Viking or Bear or Lion fans that feel this way about the guy, and I'm sure that many of those fans would attest to that.
It's not just a couple of mainstream media outlets that I'm focused on here, either, quite frankly. Everyone from Peter King to Joe Buck to John Madden to ESPN has had a role in creating this monster. When Brett Favre went out against the St. Louis Rams in the playoffs in 2002 and threw an NFL post-season record six interceptions, he went out in the post-game press conference and proceeded to throw his entire receiving corps under the bus. And you let him do it.
When he went out against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004 and, in the face of a blitz, proceeded to throw a pass 30 yards over the head of receiver Javon Walker for an interception, who did you folks blame? It certainly wasn't Brett Favre. . . it was Javon Walker for not catching a pass that Usian Bolt wouldn't have caught up to.
When he faced the Minnesota Vikings in 2005 and completely stunk up Lambeau Field for four quarters, including underhanding a pass after being five yards over the line of scrimmage because he was scared to get hit, all you could do is remind us repeatedly about how much fun Brett Favre was having. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that Favre was the only guy in NFL history that actually enjoyed playing the game.
When he spent the entire 2006 season looking horrible and turning the ball over 36 times, the blame didn't go to #4. . . it immediately went to his "supporting cast." In the eyes of the mainstream media, Brett Favre spent 15 years doing absolutely no wrong, whether it was on the field or off the field. All of you gave Brett Favre the impression that he was running the franchise in Green Bay. All of you gave Brett Favre the impression that he was bigger than any team in the league, and frankly bigger than the league itself.
And now you're "tired of the Favre saga?" Now you think it's pathetic and sad that the man is doing this? Please. I hate to break the news to all of you, but you created this monster. Sure, superstars should be treated a bit differently than your average player, but the way you treated Brett Favre for the majority of his career was above and beyond all of that. How can you possibly be surprised by the way he's acting now after the way that all of you have chosen to enable him for the better part of his NFL career?
I don't know if Brett Favre is going to end up a member of the Minnesota Vikings. None of you know and, quite frankly, he probably doesn't know right now either. And whether he joins the Vikings or not, it won't change the fact that he's a primadonna or a jackass or a diva. But, by God, much like Randy Moss during the time he was in Minnesota, for that one year he'll be our primadonna, our jackass, and our "diva." Some will embrace him, some will reject him, and some (like myself) don't even know where they'd stand on such a situation.
But, please. . . drop the outrage and anger over the entire situation playing out the way it has. Again, you were the enablers in this relationship, and if you don't like where it's gone, you have nobody to blame but yourselves.
Sincerely,
Kevin R. Blackann
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Here we go...again.....
It's like the Capulets telling Romeo he should run the family business. It's like Israel electing a Palestinian President. It's like Kareem suiting up at center for the '86 Celtics. It's like Garfield freely sharing a pan of lasagna with Nermal.
Have I made my point yet? That this whole thing just feels very wrong on every level? OK, good. I swore to myself up and down that I wouldn't write a single article about you-know-who again until something actually happened. Well, much to my amazement and horror, something has happened (or is about to happen).
I'm 27 years old. I have spent well over half of my entire life hating Brett Favre. Of course I have; I was supposed to! He was the most notable player on my least favorite team for the better part of two decades. It felt really, really good to unleash my passionate disdain for all things Brett Favre. I'm the exact opposite of John Madden if you think about it. Now it seems as though there's a very real possibility that he may play for my favorite team this year. What the hell am I supposed to think?!
Before I even attempt to talk myself into being OK with this, I have some questions to ask:
1.) Is he too old and beat up to be effective?
To paraphrase Happy Gilmore: "But he's an old man. I mean, look at him, he's--old! You can't just make him our quarterback, he's--too old!"
Favre is going to turn 40 early in the 2009 season. Name me some athletes that have had played at a championship level professionally after 40. And what about those shoulder and bicep injuries? He hasn't had surgery since he faltered down the stretch last season; has rest magically cured his ailments? If so, Wrangler should run advertisements about the miraculous healing power of their denim.
2.) How much would it cost?
In 2008, Favre made $12 million with the Jets, making him the 5th highest paid quarterback in the league. I don't think it's much of a stretch for me to say that he's not going to be a top-5 quarterback in 2009. So unless he takes a "screw the money, I just want to stick it to Ted Thompson" discount, why would the Vikings want to overpay Favre when they don't have a ton of cap room to begin with?
3.) What happens to the 3 QBs the Vikings already have on the roster?
Look, I get it...none of the three quarterbacks currently on Minnesota's roster scream out "perennial Pro Bowler." Favre definitely has the track record to out-perform RosenCopter, T-Jax, and Booty Call. Even the most rabid Favre hater will admit that...because I am, and I just did.
But since the Vikings are almost certain to keep less than four QBs on their 2009 roster, do they give up on the Booty Experiment after just one year? Are they OK with giving up a 4th round pick for Sage riding the pine most of the season? Is Childress willing to swallow his pride and admit The Tarvaris Jackson Experiment was for the most part a failure? Even if my nightmare ends and Favre doesn't sign with the Vikes, what damage has already been done to their psyches? I don't have an easy answer for any of those questions.
4.) Are we really OK with every story about the 2009 Vikings revolving around one player?
Because that's exactly how it's going to be in the mainstream media. Sure, Favre will bring the Vikings more press coverage than we've ever dreamed of. But is that necessarily a good thing? Will the best running back in the NFL be OK with the 'round-the-clock Favre Circus overshadowing his awesomeness? How will Jared Allen, Percy Harvin, Antoine Winfield, the Williams Wall & co. deal with the constant distraction? Remember, not everyone on the Jets was thrilled with the team bringing in Favre last year. Would the extra national scrutiny be worth it?
Don't get me wrong, I realize that Favre to the Vikings has a chance to be something special. If he plays well and the team stays healthy, the Vikings might have a Super Bowl caliber team. It would also be really fun to see Packer fans squirm and try to convince themselves that they're just fine while the mere thought of Favre coming to Lambeau in purple gives them hives.
I also realize that this kind of thing isn't completely unheard of in the sports world: look at Johnny Damon going from the Red Sox to the Yankees. Heck, even the younger sister in "A League Of Their Own" switched teams. But Favre to the Vikings would be roughly a million times bigger than any of these.
If this actually goes through and Favre does become a Viking, I'm guessing I'll probably just have to stay loyal to my team and try to ignore the dry heaves I get every time I see that purple #4 jersey. I'll have to slowly re-program my brain's reaction from "glee" to "disappointment" when I see a Favre interception, and vice versa for touchdowns.
I have one last thought, and this one is for Mr. Favre himself:
Brett, if you're actually serious about joining the Vikings, I have the perfect way for you to start winning over new fans in Minnesota: DO US A FAVOR AND MAKE UP YOUR FREAKING MIND SOONER RATHER THAN LATER FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE! Whatever you decide, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE just let this be resolved well before August. I have a summer to enjoy as a newly wed, and I don't want to spend it writing about what you may or may not do. Thank you.
OK, I'll stop there. I'd like to say writing this made me feel a lot better, but it really didn't. There's no simple on/off switch for diehard sports fans and their hatred. I will still hate Brett Favre until further notice. If he does become a Viking, I guess I'll just have to carry a puke bucket around with me when I watch the first few games. Because it's like a Michigan football star going to law school at Ohio State.....it just doesn't feel right.
Have I made my point yet? That this whole thing just feels very wrong on every level? OK, good. I swore to myself up and down that I wouldn't write a single article about you-know-who again until something actually happened. Well, much to my amazement and horror, something has happened (or is about to happen).
I'm 27 years old. I have spent well over half of my entire life hating Brett Favre. Of course I have; I was supposed to! He was the most notable player on my least favorite team for the better part of two decades. It felt really, really good to unleash my passionate disdain for all things Brett Favre. I'm the exact opposite of John Madden if you think about it. Now it seems as though there's a very real possibility that he may play for my favorite team this year. What the hell am I supposed to think?!
Before I even attempt to talk myself into being OK with this, I have some questions to ask:
1.) Is he too old and beat up to be effective?
To paraphrase Happy Gilmore: "But he's an old man. I mean, look at him, he's--old! You can't just make him our quarterback, he's--too old!"
Favre is going to turn 40 early in the 2009 season. Name me some athletes that have had played at a championship level professionally after 40. And what about those shoulder and bicep injuries? He hasn't had surgery since he faltered down the stretch last season; has rest magically cured his ailments? If so, Wrangler should run advertisements about the miraculous healing power of their denim.
2.) How much would it cost?
In 2008, Favre made $12 million with the Jets, making him the 5th highest paid quarterback in the league. I don't think it's much of a stretch for me to say that he's not going to be a top-5 quarterback in 2009. So unless he takes a "screw the money, I just want to stick it to Ted Thompson" discount, why would the Vikings want to overpay Favre when they don't have a ton of cap room to begin with?
3.) What happens to the 3 QBs the Vikings already have on the roster?
Look, I get it...none of the three quarterbacks currently on Minnesota's roster scream out "perennial Pro Bowler." Favre definitely has the track record to out-perform RosenCopter, T-Jax, and Booty Call. Even the most rabid Favre hater will admit that...because I am, and I just did.
But since the Vikings are almost certain to keep less than four QBs on their 2009 roster, do they give up on the Booty Experiment after just one year? Are they OK with giving up a 4th round pick for Sage riding the pine most of the season? Is Childress willing to swallow his pride and admit The Tarvaris Jackson Experiment was for the most part a failure? Even if my nightmare ends and Favre doesn't sign with the Vikes, what damage has already been done to their psyches? I don't have an easy answer for any of those questions.
4.) Are we really OK with every story about the 2009 Vikings revolving around one player?
Because that's exactly how it's going to be in the mainstream media. Sure, Favre will bring the Vikings more press coverage than we've ever dreamed of. But is that necessarily a good thing? Will the best running back in the NFL be OK with the 'round-the-clock Favre Circus overshadowing his awesomeness? How will Jared Allen, Percy Harvin, Antoine Winfield, the Williams Wall & co. deal with the constant distraction? Remember, not everyone on the Jets was thrilled with the team bringing in Favre last year. Would the extra national scrutiny be worth it?
Don't get me wrong, I realize that Favre to the Vikings has a chance to be something special. If he plays well and the team stays healthy, the Vikings might have a Super Bowl caliber team. It would also be really fun to see Packer fans squirm and try to convince themselves that they're just fine while the mere thought of Favre coming to Lambeau in purple gives them hives.
I also realize that this kind of thing isn't completely unheard of in the sports world: look at Johnny Damon going from the Red Sox to the Yankees. Heck, even the younger sister in "A League Of Their Own" switched teams. But Favre to the Vikings would be roughly a million times bigger than any of these.
If this actually goes through and Favre does become a Viking, I'm guessing I'll probably just have to stay loyal to my team and try to ignore the dry heaves I get every time I see that purple #4 jersey. I'll have to slowly re-program my brain's reaction from "glee" to "disappointment" when I see a Favre interception, and vice versa for touchdowns.
I have one last thought, and this one is for Mr. Favre himself:
Brett, if you're actually serious about joining the Vikings, I have the perfect way for you to start winning over new fans in Minnesota: DO US A FAVOR AND MAKE UP YOUR FREAKING MIND SOONER RATHER THAN LATER FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE! Whatever you decide, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE just let this be resolved well before August. I have a summer to enjoy as a newly wed, and I don't want to spend it writing about what you may or may not do. Thank you.
OK, I'll stop there. I'd like to say writing this made me feel a lot better, but it really didn't. There's no simple on/off switch for diehard sports fans and their hatred. I will still hate Brett Favre until further notice. If he does become a Viking, I guess I'll just have to carry a puke bucket around with me when I watch the first few games. Because it's like a Michigan football star going to law school at Ohio State.....it just doesn't feel right.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
