Tag Archives: Minnesota Vikings

NFL Week 2 NFC North: Is This The New Toughest Division In Football??

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The Vikings 7 yr / $96 million man. Think he's not going to get the ball? Think again!!

The NFL saw some serious change swept in during it’s second week of play. For most they would think the Bears losing to the New Orleans Saints proved Chicago has a long way to go. Another loss by Minnesota is pushing us closer to the Christian Ponder era and the end of the Donovan McNabb experience. Yet upon further review, the Green Bay Packers at 2-0 are the defending NFL Champion and Aaron Rodgers is off to a torrid start. Then you have the Detroit Lions, who followed up a week one win over Tampa, with a 48-3 trouncing of Kansas City who made the playoffs last year. An eye opening experience to say the least. However when you look at the totality of this division, keep in mind the Bears throttled the Atlanta Falcons in week one and had one of it’s leaders playing with a heavy heart in Brian Urlacher in the loss to the Saints. The Vikings still possess the league’s best running back in Adrian Peterson, who’s ink just dried on a new contract worth $96 million over 7 years. He is the new millenium’s Eric Dickerson, we may not know how great he can be, but he will be getting the ball the remainder of this campaign with the passing game in an anemic state. Count on it.

How can we be so adamant about asking the question concerning the overall division?? Take a look at who these teams beat in the first two weeks of this new season. The Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, were all playoff teams last year and the losses by the Vikings to the Buccaneers and the Chargers, who finished last year #1 in offense and #1 in defense, all figure prominently in the 2011 NFL campaign. Then throw in the loss to New Orleans by Chicago, who are just one year removed from being NFL Champions themselves, and you have a powerful division.  At the present, this is how the landscape shapes up:

NFC NORTH W L T PCT HOME ROAD DIV CONF PF PA DIFF STRK
Detroit 2 0 0 1.000 1-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-0-0 75 23 +52 Won 2
Green Bay 2 0 0 1.000 1-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 2-0-0 72 57 +15 Won 2
Chicago 1 1 0 .500 1-0-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 1-1-0 43 42 +1 Lost 1
Minnesota 0 2 0 .000 0-1-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 0-1-0 37 48 -11 Lost 2

Start of the oncoming storm....Suh and the Detroit Lions!

So lets take a look at the timing of the Peterson signing and understand one thing, he will be getting the ball. Especially with a defensive minded coach in Leslie Frazier, who benefitted as a rested defender in his day while Walter Payton bludgeoned opposing defenses.  His aging defense needs help so they figure to be a run first team. After a dysmal 39 yards passing in week one (cut it out Freddie Mitchell..lol) from Donovan McNabb, they dropped this signing and gave Peterson the ball for the remainder of the season figuratively. Now he has to carry the ball the team on his back this season with the biggest game coming this week versus the Detroit Lions. Yes, the team that is showing a gaudy +52 point differential against their opponnets.

We tried to warn you that one of the ways a team rises from the ashes as a franchise is when they learn to win as a group. https://taylorblitztimes.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/2011-detroit-lions-preview/  This team won the last four games of last season to get a taste of winning. Much like a killer dog that’s tasted blood for the first time, it’s going to take a huge effort to keep this team from marching forward. As we spoke in our team journal to kick off this season, they need the onfield maturation of Matthew Stafford to see this team ascend to their rightful place. This year they will come real close to the NFL championship that they will be in play for soon.

Understand that in this young season, the NFC North has faced the #2, #3, and #5 offenses while the Lions and the Packers register at the #8 and #9 offensive spots respectively. This group of players are about to reshape the NFC this year and folks should be ready for this situation. The Lions season is about to shape around their matchups with the Vikings and Bears respectively in weeks 3 and 5. The world champion Packers are about to take on the Bears, Broncos, and Falcons. The next few weeks should provide how strong the Packers can defend their title. Especially with the news of FS Nick Collins’ season neck injury. As last year showed, the Packers should be bolstered by an offensive array that will cover defensive deficiencies…will it cover them for the majority of the year?? Time will tell…

Who will come out of this division??

2011 NFC North Previews & Predictions

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We are marching toward the 2011 NFL season and the anticipation has gotten to many a football fan. We are no different. As we look forward to an exciting 2011, it’s hard to believe we are just 7 months removed from the most important NFC North game ever. The rumble for the NFC Championship Game between the Chicago Bears, and the Green Bay Packers.

The NFC North, formerly the NFC Central, had it’s first NFL champion in 15 years and ironically both times it was the Green Bay Packers. So how much has changed?? Does this division still hold the NFC’s best two teams?? Did the Chicago Bears let a golden opportunity get away from them by not capitalizing in the 2010 NFC Championship Game??  Will Donovan McNabb solidify the Vikings and give them another chance to get to the Super Bowl as Favre did for them two years ago?? What about the Lions?? Have they made enough of the right moves to chase down their heated rivals in Chicago and Green Bay?? Huh, ….oh and what about the Lions??

2011 NFC NORTH PREDICTIONS

Green Bay Packers 13-3*

Detroit Lions   11-5#

Chicago Bears 7-9

Minnesota Vikings 5-11

We were the first to speak of the champion Packers having won the Super Bowl with their second string. Aaron Rodgers ascended to the upper echelon of quarterbacks who are playing this game and at 28 has a ton of time left to become an all time great. Accurate, mobile, and fearless he stands to wrest the mantle of NFL’s best QB from Tom Brady and Peyton Manning with an excellent 2011.  Think about it.  Of the 3 Super Bowl seasons Tom Brady had the best statistically in 2004, where he threw for 3,690 yards 28TDs, and 14 interceptions.  Last year despite missing 2 games with injury, Rodgers threw for 3,922 yards 28 TDs and only 11 interceptions for the Packers. That’s before we get into last year’s magnificent playoff run.

The Packer offense will see some transition with RB James Starks fighting it out with injured incumbent Ryan Grant returning. Jordy Nelson nearly broke Jerry Rice’s Super Bowl record for receiving yards so he will take some time away from aging Donald Driver. As for the defense, gone is longtime Packer Nick Barnett who was admirably replaced by new ILB starter Desmond Bishop. Clay Matthews has entered the realm of NFL super star. He is a complete defender and an excellent pass rusher with 10.5 sacks last year who is only going to get better in his 3rd year.

The new safety tandem is Morgan Burnett and Nick Collins, with Atari Bigby having moved on to  Seattle. The Packers young secondary is still anchored by All Pro Charles Woodson who has had a positive influence on the growth of fellow corners Tramon Williams and Sam Shields.  All told, this secondary was responsible for 24 interceptions (2nd in the NFL) and should improve in 2011. No chance they are unseated as NFC North champion, they are just too well equipped.

Yet there is a storm brewing to Green Bay’s southeast. Dormant for more than an NFL decade, has been the moribund Detroit Lions. Draft busts of the Matt Millen regime behind them, his former Washinton Redskin teammate Martin Mayhew is putting together a championship caliber squad. One that will see great gains this year if Matthew Stafford can stay healthy. Its paramount he matures with his team onfield this season.  The Lions also brought in Titus Young from Boise St. to give them another deep threat alongside Calvin Johnson.

There was a setback when they lost draft pick RB Mikel Leshoure, fomerly of Illinois, for the season. This team still has quick striking Jahvid Best out of the backfield and signed Jerome Harrison and Maurice Morris to pick up the slack.

However it was the selection of DT Nick Fairley in the 1st round that sent shockwaves throughout the league.  He is joining a Motown defensive line that had 44 sacks last year. Fairley should terrorize NFC North quarterbacks with Ndamokung Suh for years to come. He should be fully recovered and ready to roll when the regular season will get under way.  After a four game winning streak to conclude last season, this team was bolstered by a solid beating handed to the Patriots in last week’s pre-season game.  Never underestimate what it means for a team to learn how to win and see themselves as winners.

Sadly, the great Devin Hester (The U)  is being legislated out of the game.

Now lets be fair… the new kickoff moving to the 35 yard line, was a bullshit move by rule makers to negate the special teams advantage the Chicago Bears have enjoyed with Devin Hester. The NFL’s greatest kick returner. It’s backlash for his turning close games into Bear victories over favored opponents.

There is no other way to see it.  There in lies the problem.  It’s not a television show of who’s to be voted off of the island, it’s a sporting endeavor. The Bears play smashmouth, close to the vest  football in cold weather and rely on stout defense and superior special teams. Last year they had improved play from the quarterback position as Cutler trimmed his interception totals and showed more command of the offense.

Team brass finally brought in some help with the signing of Marion Barber and Roy E. Williams, fomerly of Dallas to help with the running game and the receiving corps. With the shortened off season, most teams will struggle to find their offensive rhythm early and the Bears could be one of those offenses. Yet they have drafted several young offensive linemen and should be ready to roll in 2012. Problem is they should have a few growing pains in ’11.

When will the Vikings learn to bite the bullet and develop a quarterback?? They have run retread after retread at this position and haven’t come up with a championship yet. There was magic in the first year with Favre, however reality set in once he was injured and Sage Rosenfels had been released.

The Donovan McNabb experience should only be one year, unless he has an outstanding season. Which is the two fold problem. When do you take the reigns from an elder quarterback and take the lumps with a young and growing one?? From Sean Salisbury to Jim McMahon, to Warren Moon, to Randall Cunningham, to Jeff George…they’ve been doing this since 1992 at the expense of developing a young signal caller. The one exception was to allow Daunte Culpepper to develop and he gave the Vikings some great seasons.  So if the season goes well, McNabb could retard Christian Ponder’s growth.

With McNabb, we see a quarterback going through the motions, not one with a chip on his shoulder to prove himself. That won’t bode well for the Vikings if they look to him for leadership. They have a strong running game in Adrian Peterson and Toby Gerhart yet are suspect at receiver. Right now the strength of this team would be to run the football and keep their aging defense off the field.

If it doesn’t go well this year, be ready to move in another direction and build with your young quarterbacks. At this point we see a fading legend hanging on with a mediocre receiving corp and a defense that last year started to give up  yards on the ground toward the end of the season. Donovan takes a look at the tapes of last year’s offensive line performance and the hits on Favre, he may audible to all rollouts. Add to that LT Bryant McKinnie (The U) gets cut for coming into camp out of shape?? Donovan could be in for a long year. As Donovan goes, so go the Vikings. A tough year indeed

Randy Moss Belongs In The Hall of Fame

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Randy Moss after a “lambeau leap” into the Metrodome Stands

With the advent of the bigger, stronger athlete on the defensive side of the ball starting in the mid 1980s, one of the plays that seemed to fade in the NFL was the bomb. As more teams mimicked the West Coast (hate that term) offense, quarterbacks were being taught to be more docile in their decisions on where to throw the ball. Gone was the daring of Darryle Lamonica, Dan Marino, Dan Fouts, Terry Bradshaw, and Kenny Stabler to throw the ball deep and give your receiver a fighting chance to catch a bomb. Teams were teaching quarterbacks to throw where the defense wasn’t and not take chances. Enter Randy Moss

Absolutely one of the most electrifying players ever when you think of explosive wide receivers, burst onto the scene after a 1997 collegiate season in which he should have won the Heisman Trophy. At 6’4 210lbs, Moss ran a sub 4.3 40yard dash and by some accounts ran a 4.2 with great leaping ability. As a junior at Marshall, he had 96 receptions for 1,820 yards and 26 touchdowns in a season so great, it could only be rivaled by Barry Sanders 1988 Heisman campaign.

Even though it was his second season with huge numbers, it was his checkered past that kept him from getting Heisman votes and Charles Woodson, became the first defensive player ever to win the coveted collegiate award. It was this reluctant acceptance of him that fueled him as a player and brought out some of his broodish behavior. Yet going into the 1998 draft, he certainly would be taken early, on the fact that he was tremendously talented.

Although teams had told him that they were interested, he slipped in the draft all the way to Minnesota where Head Coach Dennis Green had Cris Carter on board to mentor their prized #1 pick.  Offensive Co-ordinator Brian Billick realized that at 6’4, Randy had the speed to run by most NFL cornerbacks and at the same time was normally 5-6 inches taller also. Why not throw it deep to him?? He epitomized the old John Madden axiom of “when he’s even, he’s leavin’.” Which meant that once a wide receiver reduced the cushion between he and a covering defensive back to the point they were side by side, the receiver would run by the defender giving him a scoring advantage.

Daring returned to the NFL and in Dennis Green’s words Moss “reinvented the bomb in the National Football League” as described in the NFL Films production “Missing Rings”. Moss electrified as he made good on his promise to “wreck the whole league.”  He gathered in 69 receptions for 1,313 yards and an NFL rookie record 17TDs. Never had a rookie had that type of impact. He was the impetus for turning a good Viking offense into a great one. They went on to become the highest scoring team in league history to that point with 556 yards. Randall Cunningham won the Miller Lite NFL Player of the Year Award and Bert Bell Award winner for “Chuck it up there Dawg”,  the matra spoken by Randy Moss which meant throw it up there and give him the chance to make a play.

Randy Moss hauls in his record breaking 23rd TD pass in the 4th quarter against the Giants

Yet we dont’ have time to go over all his career moments for so many of us already know them. His exploits on the football field are of legendary status. After being exiled in Oakland for several years, teams crept back up in their coverage with all these short throws.  Bill Belichick resurrected his career teaming him with Tom Brady and the bomb was alive and well again in the NFL. Randy Moss again became the scourge of the league hauling in 98 passes for 1,493 yards and an NFL record 23 receiving touchdowns, which broke the old mark of 22 set by Jerry Rice. Tom Brady (NFL MVP) went on to throw for 50TDs to set the all time mark while the Patriots broke the record of the ’98 Vikings for most points ever with 589 to 556. Where the ’98Vikings went 15-1, the ’07 Patriots went 16-0.

Now it’s at this point that Moss detractors leap on the bandwagon. “Oh his team didn’t win a ring” and there is something that can be said for that, as short sighted as it may be. In the 1998 NFC Championship, he helped the Vikings to a 20-7 lead. Well before Gary Anderson’s missed FG with 3:00 left gave the Falcons hope. Had he made it, the Vikings are up 10 points and headed to Super Bowl XXXIII. As a result a great team went unfulfilled.

The same can be said for 2007 when the undefeated Patriots were held down in Super Bowl XLII, yet it was Randy Moss who scored the game winner with a little over 2:00 to go in the game at 14-10. Well, they thought was the game winner until the frantic final drive of the Giants. Randy Moss didn’t drop the interception that would have sealed the game, that was Asante Samuel. He didn’t let David Tyree catch the ball, Rodney Harrison did. He didn’t get burned on a post corner fade route into the back corner for the real winning score, that was Ellis Hobbs. They lost 17-14. Yet some folks want to point to his not winning a ring as his not being worthy of the Hall.

Lets face facts, with 954 receptions 14,858 yards for 153 TDs, these are worthy numbers on their own. Its for those that can’t separate personal feeling from assessment that cant see past their blind spot. Many cite his attitude and his “I play when I want” mantra as to why they feel his candidacy is invalid.  How can he not make the Hall of Fame?? Because of a few down years in Oakland?? He wouldn’t give former Head Coach Mike Tice his own vote of confidence?? Or was it the mock moon that Joe Buck, who was announcing the 2004 Minnesota v Green Bay Wildcard Game, voiced complete outrage to set another wave of bad publicity to descend on Moss.

First off Joe Buck, just announce the game, no one gives a rat’s ass what you think?? The next day other players up to and including Coach Tony Dungy came to Moss’ defense, explaining that he was mocking a ritual the Packer fans have in really mooning the other team as they approach the stadium. Sure there were a few times in his career he didn’t help himself with his antics yet the media painted him in a very terrible way. The truth is Randy Moss understood the reluctant acceptance of him and in interviews didn’t always channel it in a politically correct way… but on the field??

Aside from Barry Sanders, he was the one player defenses feared. You could see it in the demeanor of rival cornerbacks that knew he would get deep on them at least twice in that ball game. On all the offenses he ever played on, his deep threat capabilities backed off safeties which allowed teammates to flourish underneath. This is how and where a Wes Welker got his sea legs with a Tom Brady in 2007… This is how a Duante Culpepper thew for 4,717 yards and 39TDs with only 13 int. in 2004, Randy’s last year in Minnesota, then returned to throw 6TDs to 12 int in 2005. His career decline started the second Moss left town after shattering team records the year before.

Moss pulling away from the Saints in a 2000 NFC Playoff game

Randy Moss’ legacy? The greatest deep threat the NFL has ever seen! He is in league with the Lance Alworths, the Cliff Branchs, the Don Hutsons. Yet he was even bigger and faster than those Hall of Fame talents. For a career he averaged 73 rec. 1,142 yards and 11TDs for his 13 year career. Those numbers would get another player to the pro bowl. Yet he only made the Pro Bowl 7 times and couldn’t escape the negative stint the media portrayed him as until his play forced them to say something great. That is what happened during the 2007 season.

What fuels the fire for a player to be great is to overcome slights, even if they’re perceived slights, to force colleagues or officials  to recognize you. As it is with many minorities it’s hard to overcome a negative stigma once its placed upon you. The media never let him run away from his demons as easily as he could defenses. Even when all was said and done in New England…he towed the company line. Accepted his trade to Minnesota and was still lambasted for his praising Bill Belichick as a coach.

Well The Chancellor of Football likes to think of Randy Moss and remember the 10, 1,000 yard seasons. The nine seasons with double digit touchdowns with 3 of which 17 TDs or more including a record 23 in 2007.  The numerous records achieved in both a Viking uniform and a Patriots uniform. To remember that he is the only link to the two highest scoring teams in NFL history. The 556 points scored by the ’98 Vikings only to be surpassed by the 589 scored by the ’07 Patriots. Thats too much talent to go overlooked….way too much

For induction to the Hall of Fame, I present to you Randy Moss

Hail Mary: Dallas Cowboys 1975 Miracle Finish

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Roger Staubach lets fly against the Minnesota Vikings in the 1975 Hail Mary Game

There are some NFL games that last in the memory longer than others, especially when it comes to playoff games.  None holds true more than the miracle finish that won the 1975 NFC Playoff game for the Dallas Cowboys over the Minnesota Vikings 17-14. Minnesota was trying to equal the feat of the Dolphins in terms of reaching their 3rd straight Super Bowl. Yet they had to get by the rebuilding Cinderella Cowboys who were in the midst of a rebuilding year. The window was closing for this great team to win that elusive Super Bowl.

After the upset loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV, the Purple People Eater defense had stayed among the league’s best while the offense had to be revamped. After going a few seasons without having adequately replaced Joe Kapp, the Vikings reacquired Fran Tarkenton in 1972 to add leadership and a grade A quarterback to the offense.  Also in 1972, they acquired John Gilliam who became the first deep threat ever for the Vikings. In that first year, Gilliam teamed with Tarkenton to become the first Viking in team history to top 1000 yards in receiving.

They finally had some offense but needed one more element and got that boost in the 1973 draft.  Chuck Foreman gave the Vikings their first great running back. Combining his skills with Gilliam and Tarkenton and the Vikings made it to the top of the NFC.  However back to back Super Bowl losses to Miami and Pittsburgh dulled some of the luster to the 1973 and ’74 seasons. Yet they were seasoned and primed to win it all in 1975. Just have to get past a youthful Dallas Cowboys team that made the playoffs as a wildcard. Easy money….right??

After missing the playoffs in 1974 while transitioning in 14 new players, the Cowboys had said goodbye to familiar faces like Bob Lilly, George Andrie, Chuck Howley, Calvin Hill, and Walt Garrison.  Players that had epitomized the era of the “Next Year’s Champion” Cowboys through their ultimate triumph in Super Bowl VI.  From 1966-1972 this team was among the league’s elite playing for multiple championships. Yet as we make it into the mid 70s, those aging great players started to retire and a new breed of Cowboys started to infuse the roster. An Ed “Too Tall” Jones in place of a George Andrie, a D.D. Lewis to replace a Chuck Howley. Understand this team had plenty of veterans to lead this young team into this playoff game. MLB Lee Roy Jordan, OLB Dave Edwards, DT Jethro Pugh, and CB Mel Renfro were among the mainstays on defense.

On offense Roger Staubach had developed into a complete NFL quarterback. His ability to move within the pocket was enhanced with the installation of the “Shotgun” formation. Coach Landry had re-introduced a formation that was the birth-child of the early 1960s San Francisco 49ers and Coach “Red” Hickey.  This hodge podge set of Cowboys made the pilgrimmage to Minnesota’s Metropolitan Stadium for an NFC Playoff Game.  The ’75 Cowboys didn’t even win their division, they came in with a 10-4 record and seemed to go as far as their talent could take them…right??

To borrow a line from Chris Berman “That’s why they play the games!!”

Drew Pearson scoring on the “Hail Mary” with :18

Epilogue: It was this game that launched the mid to late 70’s Dallas Cowboys. Roger Staubach had already performed a great come from behind playoff game against the 49ers in the 30-28 epic1973 NFC Divisional Game out in Candlestick. Yet it was this second one that spread the belief in his team psychologically that they were never out of a ball game with Roger at the controls.

This was also the game that ushered in Drew Pearson as a playmaker that would be a scourge for many a Cowboy foe over the next decade or so in the playoffs. They would go on to win the NFC Championship in an upset blowout of the Los Angeles Rams in the LA Coliseum 37-7 before falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-17,  in Super Bowl X.

As for the Minnesota Vikings a window was narrowing shut on their championship chances.  The great line of Hall of Famer Carl Eller, Hall of Famer Alan Page, Jim Marshall, and Doug Sutherland was aging and wasn’t as dominant as in years past. In the 1976 season, Buddy Ryan was hired to coax one more good year out of this group. They got it even though they wore down toward the end of the season. They made it to their 3rd Super Bowl in 4 years, and 4th  Super Bowl in 8 years total yet they lost to the Oakland Raiders 32-14 in the 11th edition.

The latter part of the 1970s saw the great play of the Vikings diminish as their stars retired or were phased out. Fran Tarkenton would go on to retire with more passing yards than any quarterback in  NFL history with 47,003 yards. The day of the “Hail Mary” game dealt Tarkenton a more severe blow when he learned his father had died of a heart attack while watching the game in Georgia.  He was standing in a CBS truck when he learned of his father’s passing.

Yet there is one lingering question from the “Hail Mary” game… Did Drew Pearson interfere with CB Nate Wright or did Nate Wright simply overrun the play?? While it can be noted that if you look at the play before the touchdown, you can see Preston Pearson lose his footing. So it doesn’t seem implausible…. Did he push off??

2011 Minnesota Vikings Preview

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New Head Coach Leslie Frazier

When a team reaches a championship game, in many instances the team doesn’t recognize all that transpired to propel them there.  So when they come up short you’ll hear the tried and true axioms being thrown around: “Wait ’til next year.” “We’ll learn from this lesson and come back stronger.” etc…etc That is not how the sporting landscape is shaped.  Other teams are developing specific player match-ups that may not have gone in their favor this year yet will do so in the following season.  Some teams had injuries at critical times where your team didn’t suffer such setbacks. Draft picks and free agents are signed by your divisional brethren in an attempt to tilt the player match-ups in their favor if they don’t have those talents already on the roster.  While at the same time the team that was on top tries to match what they did the season before. The teams that fall hard are those that dont’ counter opponents personnel and strategic changes and think they can beat those teams again.  Especially when they disregard age at key positions. This was the plight of the 2010 Minnesota Vikings and the failures cost Coach Childress his job at mid-season.  Where do they go from here?

Enter new Head Coach Leslie Frazier.  Frazier should realize that he has to run the football more effectively to take pressure off of an aging defensive front. He has the horses in Adrian Peterson and Toby Gerhart to do it and since he is a former defensive coach, seems like a good strategic start.  He brought in former teammate and 49er Head Coach Mike Singletary to aid with teaching his linebackers and to be a sounding board for gameday decisions. How do we know this? He made Singletary assistant head coach.   The first thing is the Vikings need to learn who they are where under Childress they lost their way.  Too often in the modern NFL, offensive co-ordinators who become head coaches want to take to the air to prove their genius to the sports writing pundits instead of doing what is best for their team.  Subsequently you put your team into a series of 3 and outs or interceptions and your aging, tiring defense has to be on the field 2-3 more times in a half.  Frazier needs to reverse this immediately to be successful. The first thing to watch out for.

Will Tavaris Jackson be back in ’11?

Quarterback: Alright it’s time to move on from the Brett Favre experiment.  The timing of his signing was great two years ago but the shelf life for this product ran out last year and ….wait …Who is throwing the football in Mississippi?  Nope, just kidding. Favre Watch is over and the Vikings have moved on and drafted QB Christian Ponder for their future and have Tavaris Jackson who should be the starter this year if they resign him. http://www.vikingsgab.com/2011/03/02/vikings-plan-no-tender-offer-for-tavaris-jackson/  Going into his 6th season, this should be his make or break year.  Last year, in a move that we didn’t support, the Vikings released Sage Rosenfels to keep Jackson as the number 2.  Looking back that was actually a good move because he didn’t fit what they were trying to do last year (multiple receiver sets & throwing 40 times) to one that should benefit his talents in a more run heavy attack this year.  Also the Vikings have to stand behind their young quarterback so he doesn’t feel like he’ll get yanked or too dressed down when any mistakes are made.  He is going to have to be a leader on this team and its up to the coaching staff to help him get there.

Jackson has a strong arm and can move effortlessly with the football.  He’s a stronger, faster version of Mark Sanchez. Use the running game and get him into the game with rhythm throws from a play action standpoint. If they continue to run that stretch play to Peterson, the first counter to that is the play action boot off that motion. This will keep the opposing defensive line from tearing up the field, hold the linebackers who will check to see if Peterson has the ball, and open up gaps 10-15 yards down field to get the ball to Shiancoe, Rice, or Harvin. Another key would be to borrow an old Hank Stram ploy that the Patriots used against Julius Peppers in Super bowl XXXVIII, and roll him out often so the rush can’t tee off on him at any time. This way if he has to take off with the football he’s in motion and can accelerate from there. Or the offside linebacker(s) that is sliding with him maintaining zone discipline open up those routes to the TE and RBs. Go with a steady passing tree early in the season from 2RB, 2WR, 1TE sets, and 3 WR, 2RB sets and this would set him up for success.

These strategies would be the best to implement because if he goes down or is replaced, its an easier passing tree for a young Christian Ponder to step in and achieve some success. Another is you’ll back teams out of blitzing your quarterbacks. This is not a dumbing down of the offense. Keep in mind, passing out of traditional sets is when Tom Brady won his 3 Super Bowl rings, same with Kurt Warner in St. Louis in ’99. Its when these teams were lined up in 4 receiver sets 40% of the time is when they lost. Ask Coach Childress, who kept missing that point last year…then tried to blame Favre…yet I digress.  This is how the aforementioned Sanchez has been successful early on and the same to be said for Matt “Matty Ice” Ryan down in Atlanta. The play action pass is the best weapon in football. Defensive coaches and players know this….if Frazier holds true to form, quarterback is average for now.

Peterson putting in work

Offensive Backfield: Lets think about this for a second….really give this some introspective thought. One back holds the NFL record for rushing for 296 yards in a game and has averaged 4.8 yards per carry, while rushing for 5,782 yards and 52TDs in 4 years. The other should have won the Heisman Trophy his senior season when he ran for over 1,700 yards and last year as a rookie averaged 4.0 yards per carry spelling the first guy.  They have a new quarterback that will be under center too.  Still  thinking over here…hmmmm what should they do?

Aha!! How about running the football!! If we fused Eric Dickerson with Walter Payton you’d have Adrian Peterson.  He’s a violent runner who punishes tacklers yet can break the big one with his speed. His longest run last year was an 80 yard touchdown. The best part of the last two years is with all the passing, they saved him some wear and tear.  Even on a pass first team he ran 283 times for 1,298 yards and 12TDs in a supporting role while going to his 4th Pro Bowl. Like Dickerson he has a reputation for fumbling, yet last year he only fumbled once.  The game needs to be geared through this talent. If the Vikings knuckle up and come off the ball he could rush for 2,000 in a season. Run out of traditional sets to have more players at or among the line of scrimmage so when he breaks it, he’s gone. It was once said that if you take a TE off the field, the defense removes a LB. Remove a FB and the defense adds a dime back. This removes 17% of body mass from the line of scrimmage so when your back breaks into the open, there are defenders off the line of scrimmage to cut him off and force fumbles coming in from multiple angles. Thats how Barry Sanders was caught from behind many times and Ernest Byner had “The Fumble” in ’87.  So get the defense up near the line of scrimmage and then pop him through it.

As for Gerhart, he came into his rookie season quietly and ran tough. He is a hard nosed runner and at 234 lbs., he fell forward at the end of many of his runs in the style of a John Riggins. He ran 81 times for 322 yards and 1 TD while showing decent hands, catching 21 passes for 167 yards.  The Vikings may want to have a few drives per game that are his to punish and wear down the defense so Peterson gets strategic rests and can break the long one on a tiring defense.  It might be in their best interest to run some 2 halfback plays as well. This has to be the engine that powers the Vikings in 2011, and their so well suited to do so.  With two thumpers in the backfield, get away from the slick ’em and just get into some sic ’em!! Run right at your opponent with these guys…Super Bowl quality at the running back spot in the Twin Cities.

Receivers: The Vikings missed Sidney Rice last year.  The 11 games missed was one of the main reasons the season got away from them.  In his absence, 3rd down receiver Percy Harvin picked up the slack from a first down production standpoint. Harvin caught 71 passes for 868 yards and 5 TDs and many of the 5 yard dumpoff variety.  He would make that first guy miss and pick up the first down and did so 41 times last year. Especially once Rice was injured and defenses crept up on a team devoid of deep threats. He became more invaluable in the passing game or they may have lost even more games. Still more of a 3rd down back / slot receiver.

Before Vikings brass decided to shelve him for the season, Sidney Rice caught 17 for 280 yards and 2 TDs. It was his loss that doomed last season. The Vikings tried every stopgap measure including bringing back Randy Moss for a few weeks to offset his absence. Coming off his breakout 2009, he’s just entering his prime and could return to the 80 catch 1,200 yard club (83 for 1312 in ’09) with defenses moving more 8 in the box to stop Peterson.

To free him from double teams they need someone to emerge on the other side. Don’t think they have done enough for that.  They drafted a big possession receiver with 7th round pick Stephen Burton. Really?? This would have Harvin and TE Visante Shiancoe’s (47rec. for 530yds) intermediate routes further crowded if he’s on the field with them. This may be where a veteran like Hank Baskett could get the nod and solidify this receiving unit. Have to stretch the field a little more.  Otherwise obvious passing situations will turn into throwaways and punts. Receiver is average in Minnesota unless they get their “other” wideout downfield.

LT Bryant McKinnie from The U

Offensive Line: Did we say something about running the football before? Geez, before we get into this, think back to last year and how many Brett Favre flashbacks sandwiched between defensive linemen come to mind? Like Green Bay early last year this team was allowing too many sacks with 36 compared to the Packer’s 38. They ranked 18th and 19th respectively yet the difference between the Vikings season coming to an abrupt halt to where their rivals went on to achieve greatness is where Viking quarterbacks were hit 87 times to the Packers 67.  Those subsequent 20 hits knocked Favre into retirement, Jackson out for a few weeks and had Joe Webb thrown to the wolves in the latter part of the season. Thats terrible…you do realize that getting your quarterback hit 87 times not only ranked 24th but should get everyone fired.

Until you realize what this group could do going forward. This unit pushed other teams off the ball to the tune of 1,942 yards, a lofty 4.4 yards per carry average and 16TDs. These are NFL rankings of 10th, 8th, and 7th respectively and you wonder why we are imploring the Vikings to run the football. This was with LG Steve Hutchinson missing 5 games last year. Those numbers could go up to top five in all categories with a commitment to running the football behind these guys.  Bryant McKinney (The U) is his running mate at tackle on the left side. However the Vikings did take two 6th round OL picks to help solidify the RG spot that was manned by Anthony Herrera and Ryan Cook last year.  Its the same for young offensive linemen as it is for young running backs, just run right at your opponent and you don’t have to overthink.  Offensive line is average because of their inability to keep the heat off their quarterback. If they keep Jackson and utilize his mobility this ranking will be much higher.

Pat and Kevin Williams make up over 700lbs of defensive tackle for the Vikes.

Defensive Line: For several years its been “The Williams Show” upfront with Pat and Kevin manning the defensive tackle spots. However age is catching up to 38 year old Pat Williams and soon the Vikings may need to find Kevin a new running mate.  These guys eat up blockers and allow the linebackers to make tackles and Ends Jared Allen and Ray Edwards to chalk up sacks with 11 and 8 respectively.  The pass rush would be able to pin their ears back if they could play with a few more leads.  However this line was the impetus to the NFL’s 8th best defense.  Even though the defense is giving a little more ground the Vikings ranked 9th against the run and 10th against the pass.

They drafted a defensive tackle Christian Ballard, from the Iowa Hawkeyes with their 4th round selection. This should help with in keeping each Williams fresh throughout the season since they have a median age of 34 between them. At DE they are a little bit fresher and younger.  The Chiefs should still be kicking themselves for letting RDE Jared Allen get away. Last year was the first time in 4 years that Allen was not an All Pro or Pro Bowl performer. His sack total of 11 is 4 shy of the 15 sacks he’d been averaging over those same 4 years. His effectiveness will increase if he’s able to play with a lead.  After a second season of 8 or more sacks by Ray Edwards, this team is primed to have their bests sack totals since the  ’89 Vikings of Keith Millard & Chris Doleman fame. With both DEs under 30 years of age there is a lot of life left among this front four.  This defensive line is Super Bowl quality if this team plays to its strengths.  If they do as they did last year this is a playoff grade at least.

E.J. Henderson

Linebackers: In any 4-3 defense, its the defensive line’s job to keep blockers off of the linebackers and they did so to the tune of Chad Greenway leading the team with 144 tackles. Job well done to the Williams’ boys. Pro Bowl MLB E.J. Henderson was 2nd on the team with 100 tackles yet displayed more range producing 3 interceptions and forced 1 fumble. Going into his ninth season, Henderson is finally getting recognition for being one of the best at his position and can also supplement the front four with an occasional blitz. He had one sack last year but tallied as many as 4.5 back in 2007.

Ben Leber rounds out this linebacking corps that really doesn’t have a weakness. The one thing they could do more of is force turnovers but upon further review, this group combined to force 4 fumbles, gathered in 4 interceptions, and recording 3 fumble recoveries betwen them.  This group is active and instinctive. Leber’s 45 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and an interception seem to be decent numbers until you realize that he missed all of six games. Yikes!!  Greenway has really come into his own as a former 7th round selection and the Vikings hope to strike gold like that again in drafting Ross Homan in the 6th round from Ohio St. With Henderson and Leber’s ages starting to creep up on them, a developing linebacker within the team is a sound move. Linebackers are playoff quality.

Antoine Winfield from Ohio St.

Secondary:  This defense is starting to age and show some wear and tear.  The tear came in the form of CB Cedric Griffin’s knee during the 4th quarter of the 2009 NFC Championship Game.  He was slow to recover and only appeared in 2 games during 2010 and had 7 tackles. Hopefully he can return with full range of his knee in 2012 and reclaim his starting role.  He should have one to empathize with him in Head Coach Leslie Frazier. Frazier’s CB career came to an end with a knee injury running a punt return reverse in Super Bowl XX. The wear has come in the form of Pro Bowl CB Antoine Winfield who was dinged up toward the end of the year.  He did record 89 tackles, 2 sacks, and nabbed 2 interceptions. However various injuries have started to mount on his 34 year old body and the Vikings may need to look at replacing him within a year.  His style is physical and it would be hard for him to change that.

Asher Allen filled in at one of the cornerback spots and had a solid year.  He had 53 tackles, 2 interceptions and defensed 7 passes.  However he’s not the most physical cornerback and he is better suited to be a nickel back just like reserve CB Lito Sheppard. However help is on the way in the form of Brad Burton out of Utah with the Vikings 5th round pick and  Mistral Raymond in the 6th. These youngsters should be able to bolster the special teams in the least yet if one proves to be a more solid player who can crash the roster like a Chad Greenway? Hmmm.

At safety the pairing of Williams and Abdullah was a solid one from a tackling standpoint with their ranking 4th and 5th on the team in tackles with 74 and 71. Great they want to tackle but 1 interception and only 2 passes defensed for your FS in Williams is a weak count no matter how you slice it. That’s playing too much predictable cover 2 and they have to take chances from time to time and force more turnovers. He was only in on 3 passing plays over the season? I almost did that from the couch. SS was a little more active with 7 passes defensed and 3 interceptions by Abdullah.  Without question I would start a game against the Vikings in a double slot formation and run double posts on Madieu Williams 5 times and I bet we’d score on 3 of them. This is the Vikings weakest link and he has to respond to the ball better than that.  He has a good pass rush in front of him. What is he waiting for?  Secondary is above average with a mark against the free safety

Overall: This team has obvious strengths to play to and why they didn’t you can easily see how Childress was let go last year.  Most offensive co-ordinators turned head coach can’t wait to be called genius by virtue of their play calling.  Once Favre was in tow, the Vikings forgot to look at the rest of their personnel and see what they were built for. Jared Allen is a beast when you’re up 10 and he can rush the passer, not so when you’re down 10 and the opponent is running the ball at him. Catch our drift?  Can this team get back to the playoffs in 2010? They have to have several things bounce their way including injuries to catch Green Bay or Chicago in the division. Deficiencies at quarterback could be their ultimate downfall, if they throw in rookie QB Ponder in the season will be one of growing pains and 6 wins is all they can get.  With a Tavaris Jackson in there they can get that total up to 9. So this team should miss the playoffs but if they get a few lucky bounces…