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!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
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....
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