What DIDN'T happen today...

Today is supposed to be, next to Christmas morning or a Charlie Sheen webcast, the greatest day of the year.....the first day of NFL free agency. Right about now, I should be hitting 'F5 on nfl.com to see who is coming to Winter Park, who is rumored to be coming to Winter Park, and who I WANT to come to Winter Park. I remember when message boards were still kind of a novelty, staying up past 3 AM the year the Vikings signed Antoine Winfield, and when (I think it was him) Kevin Seifert confirmed that Mike Tice got a buddy of his to send a jet to New York to fly Winfield to Minnesota, then and only then, did I allow my vigil to end.

But....no, there will be none of that today, because of the labor strife. Thanks for kicking us in the collective junk, NFLPA and owners.

But what I can do is provide a list of players at the biggest "need" position for the Vikings had free agency began today..... quarterbacks. And then I can determine which unrestricted free agent, if any, will send a thrill up my leg. Let's break it down......

Kyle Boller (Oakland): No. He was terrible in Baltimore, terrible in St. Louis, and I had no idea he was even signed by the Raiders.

Todd Bouman(Jacksonville): Can you see Bouman coming back here? I can't.

Marc Bulger (Baltimore): I think Bulger is the best of a mediocre lot, but he sees more shadows than the kid in The Sixth Sense. Bulger had some very good years in St. Louis, but with the Vikes' questions at the offensive line, I don't know that he would be anything better than the 2007 or 2008 versions. You know, the guy that got benched for Kyle Boller.

Kerry Collins (Tennessee): He was the conductor of 41-doughnut in 2001 NFC Championship Game. Screw him.

Kellen Clemens (NY Jets): I remember when the Jets made a draft day trade and moved just ahead of the Vikings and drafted Clemens in 2006. And I remember how a segment of the Vikings fan base was pretty upset about it. Yes, yes it WAS an over reaction.

Todd Collins (Chicago): Oh HELL no.

Brodie Croyle (Kansas City): I'd rather take my chances with Joe Webb.

Charlie Frye (Oakland): See Collins, Todd.

Rex Grossman (Washington): Ah, Rex the Wonder Dog. Just when I think he's done, he goes off for 300 yards and 4 TD's and I think, "you know, maybe". And then I remember how bad he was in Chicago, and I quickly come back to my senses.

Matt Hasselbeck (Seattle): If Hasselbeck's back could hold up, he's an intriguing option. He still has some talent, and could put up some big numbers with Rice, Percy, and Shiancoe, which are big upgrades to what he had to throw to in Seattle. But I think the first time he bent over center he'd throw his back out, and it would be a moot point.

Tarvaris Jackson (Minnesota): I think it's safe to say that if TJack comes back to Minnesota, the Libya protests will look like a backyard cook-out compared to the wailing and gnashing of teeth we will see in Vikingland.

Matt Leinart (Houston): I thought Leinart was going to have a good NFL career. Which, coincidentally, is reason # 6,407 you should never take anything I say or write seriously.

J.P. Losman (Seattle): No.

Luke McCown (Jacksonville): No.

J.T. O’Sullivan (Oakland): For the Love of God, no.

Chad Pennington (Miami): If signed, Pennington would become the first quarterback to make an NFL roster with only one arm following successful amputation surgery in the off-season. What's that? It was just his 312th shoulder surgery? Oops, my bad.

Patrick Ramsey (Minnesota): Quick...what was YOUR favorite Patrick Ramsey moment?

Chris Simms (Tennessee): Seriously? I'd rather sign his dad....

Alex Smith (San Francisco): Intriguing option, but with Mike Singletary on the Vikings coaching staff now, I don't see Smith interested in coming here. Part of me thinks Smith could be good, but part of me thinks he's marginally better than Tarvaris Jackson.

Jim Sorgi (NY Giants): Uhhhhhhhhhh, no.

Brian St. Pierre (Carolina): If you can't beat out Jimmy Clausen, I don't want you on my football team.

Billy Volek (San Diego): Probably my third pick behind Bulger and Hasselbeck. That's still not saying much, but hey, he's third!!

All said and done, I might be more interested in a trade for either Carson Palmer, Kevin Kolb, or Donovan McNabb...yes...in that order. However, I don't want us giving up too much for any of them. Specifically the 1st round pick. Might be the year the Vikes go QB with the 12th overall pick....Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert anyone?

2010-2011 NFHell Season...

I apologize for flat out skipping on blogging during this past season. With the birth of my first child and the added responsibilities at my job, I just never seem to get that peace and quiet I needed to let my feelings be heard. This past year started out incredibly. The Vikings came within a breath of a Super Bowl appearance and even though the season ended in heartbreak, it gave me something to look forward to (Or so I thought). Then two months later, the birth of my daughter. Wow, easily the best day of my life. The emotions you go through that day are just overwhelming. Wouldn't trade it for anything. And then, despite all the years of heartbreak as a sports fan, my Chicago Blackhawks rewarded my perseverance with a Stanley Cup. The rest of the summer was spent enjoying the company of my little girl, being grateful I didn't have to grow that ridiculous playoff beard anymore, and planning my first to trip to the Metrodome.

Then the 2010 NFL season began. I find it poetic that in a lost season of blogging, the Minnesota Vikings season really did turn out to be...well...lost.

I heard somewhere a few years ago that whenever you have a tough calender year, one way of ridding yourself the burden of the previous year is to "kill it with fire." Simply toss that year's calender into a fire was supposed to symbolize that we can forget about what's behind us. Give us energy to face what was on the horizon. What's done is done. Pick up the pieces and move on.

And so it is with the 2010 NFL season for me as a Vikings fan. What began with such promise ended with an indifferent loss to Detroit in the season finale. In between I was asked to face a variety of issues--The Hip That Wouldn't Heal, The Secret Flight of the Three to Make Four, The Prodigal Son Returning, Wishing said Prodigal Son Would Go Away, Chilly's Firing, The Vikings Becoming Homeless, 1-5 in the Division, and...well... I'm sure I'm missing something. Now that I've had time to decompress, I think most Viking fans should file for disability, because if you're not suffering from a Vikings induced PTSD, then by God, you're not really a fan of the Purple and Gold. And with the lockout and stadium fight looming, it's not over.

The phrase 'that which does not kill you makes you stronger' keeps rolling around in my head, but I don't know why.

But I am a Vikings fan. I keep my chin up and move forward into the fire.

But c'mon, Lord, could you let up on me just a little? Did you really have to put the Bears AND the Packers in the NFC Championship?

Really?

Really. The conference championship games are, for me, such a perfect storm of shitastic that I really think my football season has already ended. I've been beaten into submission. The AFC has the Steelers-Jets. Pretty sure my feelings towards the Steelers need no explanation whatsoever. They are the NUMBER ONE reason I considering moving out of state. That's right, not a career move, not for family purposes, because of the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's a hate nobody can ever understand. The Jets? Let's put it this way. If Rex Ryan was the Vikings coach, I would love him. LOVE him. But he's not. He's the Jets coach. Never really liked the Jets, can't really stand New York anything, so it's easy to hate them and their brash trash talk. Who am I pulling for then? Give me the Jets while I hold my nose.

Well, it's time. Time to talk about what I don't want to, but must.

That game. That. Game. With those teams.

God. Damn. It.

Packers v. Bears. Historical blah blah blah. Franchise quarterbacks blah blah...excuse me while I throw up and then roll around in it. Two great defenses blah blah blah.

Here's my best case scenario. The Bears beat the Packers in the NFC championship, and then the Jets blow out the Bears in the Super Bowl. And for any fans that will come on here posting about "you should cheer for the NFC North", I say no. If it was the Lions, yeah, I'd cheer for them. Their fan base is more tortured than a victim of the Spanish Inquisition, so I could get behind them. But not the Bears, and especially not the Packers. I hope they both lose Sunday, and I would rather the NFC North be perceived as the NFC West before I ever see those teams in the NFC Championship again.

Because understand this, and let me make this clear: I hate three of these teams. Well, I do. I respect them, and the accomplishments of the teams are to be acknowledged, but I will never cheer for them unless doing so would somehow benefit the Vikings. And I would hope, as fans of the Bears, Packers, and Steelers you can appreciate this sentiment, and would reciprocate. When you watch the games on Sunday, watch knowing that I am in NFHell, and you can rejoice in that. Because one day the Vikings will scale the mountaintop, and I promise you, I will rejoice knowing you are in your own NFHell.

It's not personal, it's football fandom.

My Dad asked me last night if I was going to watch the NFC Championship game on Sunday.

"Well", I said, "I can't cheer for that bitch or that baby, so I don't think so."

"Who's who, Son?" he asked.

"Rodgers is a bitch, and Cutler is a baby, but it's pretty much interchangeable at this point."

Good luck to both teams. I hope you both lose.

As for possible Super Bowl match-ups and my viewing plans? I can put it to you this way, if the Jets aren't in it, I'm not watching.....

Oh, one more thing. I'm off work today and on my way outside to burn some boxes that I have piled up in my basement. Will I burn my 2010 calender along with it? No, how can any year when your child was born be bad? I saw my favorite hockey team win the Stanley Cup in 2010. I made my first trip to the Metrodome this past year, and even though they lost that game, it was quite the experience. So no, I'm not burning...wait, I have a 2010 Vikings calender of events I was given at the home opener...hmmm....

Anyone got a match?

Vikings @ Saints - NFC Championship Game

What a game. And what a shame.

Sorry it took me so long to come up with anything about this game. The four hours of constant suspense I witnessed two Sunday's ago was a lot to take in. The Vikings had their chances. The Saints gave them plenty of room to steal the win. But it wasn't meant to be.

Another heartbreak. I've been through my share as a fan of this team, but this one stings. Really, really stings. Reminds me of that feeling just over a decade ago when a perfect field goal kicker missed a field goal.

Tough to know where to start. Adrian Peterson's fumbles, including a game-changing one deep in Saints territory. Brett Favre getting absolutely pummeled throughout the night, and capping off the game, the season, and perhaps his career with an interception. Poor kickoff coverage on special teams. The endless fumbles and turnovers that killed momentum. A complete lack of pressure on Drew Brees. A Saints team that threatened to take control but gave the Vikings an outstanding opportunity to win the game late in the fourth quarter. An inexplicable, inexcusable 12 men in the huddle penalty when the Vikings had just barely pushed into field goal range, arguably costing this team a Super Bowl bid. A mundane penalty that may have ruined it all.

It's a lot to process. With two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, I thought this was their year. I thought it was FINALLY the year. I began to get emotional because I thought they were going to Miami. But after the 12-man penalty pushed the Vikings back to their 38 yardline, Favre tossed a pick. The Saints took over possession and, in the process, took the game to overtime. They won the toss (guess the Vikings didn't hear everyone in Barry Dyngle's scream that "tails never fails"), and after several key plays, including a questionable spot on 4th down, a questionable pass interference penalty, and a bobbled reception that was reviewed, a field goal gave the Saints a win.

And then at 10:18 pm EST it was over. An exhausting, exhilarating year had ended in an instant.

It certainly could be argued that the Vikings were the better of these two teams. As it turns out the Vikings had the biggest total yardage advantage by a team to LOSE a postseason game. But make no mistake about it, they weren't the most deserving team. With a complete inability to take care of the football at key moments, the Vikings weren't the deserving club.

Despite the interception that ended the season, it was an absolute pleasure to watch Brett Favre this season. Despite the fumbles, it's always enjoyable to watch Adrian Peterson do his thing. Despite allowing the Saints to push into field goal range in overtime, this defense deserves credit for keeping the Beloved Purple in the game.

It was a thrilling game, one of the most thrilling ones I've ever seen. It was also one of the most devastating. No, the Vikings didn't do enough to say they deserved to win. But take away a few mistakes, and they're Miami-bound.

None of that matters, though. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. If there is one thing I learned over the years of being a sports fan is that all that stuff is irrelevant. What I'm left with though is unquestionably one of the most crushing Vikings losses of all time. And I've been through plenty of those.

As for the Saints-Colts matchup in Super Bowl 44??? Gee...let me know who wins...

Cowboys @ Vikings - NFC Divisional Playoff

The Hottest Team In The NFL?
The Team You Don't Want To Play Right Now?

After last Sunday's game, it's hard to believe that the NFL experts were using those labels to describe the Cowboys, and not the Vikings. However three hours after kickoff, there was no doubt about which was the better of these two teams.

Credit a dominant performance by Ray Edwards, who played the game of his life. Take that a step further, and credit a defensive line that suffocated Tony Romo and left him with little time and little space to throw the ball. Credit a great performance by Brett Favre, who displayed the value of having a poised veteran quarterback under center in the playoffs. Credit Sidney Rice, who caught a pair of touchdowns in the first half and another touchdown in the second half and prompted me to ask Tonya if we can consider naming our 2nd daughter after him. Credit Chris Kluwe, who did an excellent job of helping the Vikings win the field position battle.

After humiliating the long line of analysts who spent the week breathlessly praising the Cowboys and hardly mentioning the other team slated to take the field, the Vikings are heading to New Orleans for a shot at the Super Bowl. Not quite a perfect performance, but it was really dang good and we have reason to be confident heading into this Sunday's game. After all the hype surrounding other NFC teams, it's down to the Vikings and Saints.

And indeed, Edwards tops the list of guys to credit for this win. Constantly harassing Romo, Edwards finished the game with five tackles, a trio of sacks, and even more hits on the quarterback. He wasn't the only difference-maker up front.

Jared Allen roped Romo for a sack, as did Jimmy Kennedy and Chad Greenway. Romo did have open receivers out there. And when the Cowboys ran the ball, they were largely successful. But when Romo dropped back to pass, the Vikings were all over him and made his life miserable.

On the offensive side, Adrian Peterson turned in another nondescript game, but Brett Favre made up for that. The opening drive was rough, and Dallas quickly jumped out to huge advantages in time of possession and total yardage. But Favre responded on the next drive, targeting Sidney Rice for a 47-yard touchdown.

The Vikings took the lead with that score, and they extended their lead after a much more methodical drive early in the second quarter. The drive lasted 10 plays, 80 yards and nearly five minutes. Brett capped it off with another touchdown toss to Rice, and after a Ryan Longwell field goal, the Vikings took a 17-3 lead into the half.

After a scoreless third quarter, a flurry of scoring in the fourth quarter sealed the deal. A bit of controversy over the fact that the Vikings offense kept the pace up after the game had been decided, but I have no sympathy for any member of the Cowboys who didn't like it. Should have played better. Should have stopped Brett.

Clearly, the Vikings owe a great deal to all people around the league and media who doubted them. They quite arguably entered this game as the underdogs, and they came out as a team with something to prove. Particularly the guys up front on the defensive side. By the conclusion of the afternoon, a statement was made.

Once again, that's not to say the Vikings played a perfect game. They were flagged far too often for my liking, partly due to uneven officiating from Walt Anderson's crew. Adrian Peterson was held to under three yards per carry. On the occasions that Romo had time, he had plenty of options. And when the Cowboys kept the ball on the ground, Felix Jones proved tough to stop (though for some reason, he was rarely given the ball).

But aside from those ever-so-slight negatives coming out of this game, the Vikings played about as well as we could have hoped. Need to keep up the pressure on the quarterback, need to continue feeding Sidney Rice, and need to avoid playing from behind. All three of those factors were instrumental to this victory, and all three must continue into next week to land a spot in the Super Bowl. It's a tough task, but a doable one.

The Mission to Miami shall continue.

Giants @ Vikings - Week 17

Holy cow. That was a massacre. Absolute domination.

Of course, it helped that the Vikings couldn't possibly have faced a more disinterested New York Giants team. I've seen more spirited efforts from teams playing their fourth game of the preseason. As the final score indicates, the Vikings took full advantage of an opponent that quit on this game and this season long before the opening kickoff.

The Vikes did their part, and the Dallas Cowboys did their part by beating down the Philadelphia Eagles, so the Beloved Purple were able to capture a first round bye.

As for the game, the Vikings switched course from last Monday by establishing the pass before seeking to pound the ball on the ground. And their pass-first offense was extremely effective: At the half, Brett Favre had 271 passing yards and a trio of touchdowns (one to Visanthe Shiancoe, two others to Sidney Rice), and he finished the game with a few more yards and another touchdown (to Tahi). Percy Harvin got numerous touches through the air, which was a welcome change from previous weeks.

Favre was never sacked and had plenty of time to throw the ball, as the offensive line had their way with the Giants defense. It was truly a dominant performance up front. The Giants had no interest in covering Rice or Shiancoe, and both finished the season with big games.

The game was done long before halftime, but that didn't stop Chilly from keeping his offensive starters in the game for two additional drives when the second half got underway. An interesting decision on his part, and as a result, the first teamers put up some second half points before the day was done. Extending the lead to 41-0 after a touchdown and field goal to start the third quarter? I'd call that a good day.

On the defensive side, the Vikings allowed just four New York first downs in the first half, along with 16 rushing yards and 66 passing yards. Eli Manning made a play or two, but he was surrounded by a lackadaisical team and didn't have any help out there. The defense highlighted the afternoon with a couple turnovers. The first being a Chad Greenway interception (he then fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Ben Leber), and the second being a forced fumble by Jared Allen (who also recovered it). Not a challenging afternoon for this defensive unit.

The only negative I can muster up? Darius Reynaud fumbled a couple of punts, a factor that was irrelevant in the long run today (the Vikings recovered the ball both times), but this still can't happen in the playoffs.

But seriously, that's all I can come up with. Take a near-perfect performance by the Vikings, throw in Giants players who were already getting their golf clubs out of storage, and this game was a laugher. Never in doubt for 90% of the afternoon. For a Vikings team that was struggling, this is the absolute right way to enter the playoffs.

So bring on the Cowgirls....

Vikings @ Bears - Week 16

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.

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..

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.

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...

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!!

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!

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"

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!

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....

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 : )

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...

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...

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.

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...

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G