As I sat in my chair at 2 P.M. on a Sunday afternoon with no football games to watch that I'd care for, I happened upon the wonderful world of Wikipedia.
Out of boredom I began to look up the history of the Minnesota Vikings. Seeing as how both the Iowa Hawkeyes and Vikings had a bye week, thus leaving me hung out to dry for a whole week, I started to think about things I could do with the information I found on this site for my weekly blog post.
The result...A top ten list of the best teams in Minnesota Vikings history. That's 47 years worth of football teams to review from. Some of them are pretty obvious. The Super Bowl teams of the '70s. The roller coaster 1998 season with Moss, Carter and Cunningham. So many memories and only 10 to pick from. So without further delay, the Ten Best Teams in Vikings History:
10. 1999 (10-6)- It was a tweener year for this Vikings squad. Coming off of the unforgettable 1998 season, expectations were again high for Minnesota. However, injuries and lack of execution held the Vikes to a 2-4 start to the season. A suddenly ineffective Randall Cunningham was replaced by veteran QB Jeff George and the Vikings found their offensive touch once again, going an impressive 8-2 in their final 10 games to finish 2nd in the NFC Central, a game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and make the playoffs for the 4th year in a row. Minnesota would dominate the Dallas Cowboys 27-10 in the Wild Card game, but lost a wild shootout to the destined Super Bowl champions St. Louis Rams, led by Kurt Warner. That season set the stage for another banner year in 2000 for Minnesota, especially with the acquisition of Daunte Culpepper in the NFL Draft before the season.
9. 1992 (11-5)- After a two year absensce from the playoffs, under the guidance of new head coach Dennis Green (eventual Coach of the Year), the Vikings went on to win the NFC Central and make the playoffs for the first time since 1989, which was coincidentally the last time Minnesota also won the Central division title. The Vikings were upset in the Wild Card game, however, by the Washington Redskins 24-7.
8. 1988 (11-5)- After a miracle run in the NFC playoffs in 1987, in which the 8-7 Vikings got all the way to the NFC Championship before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins in one of the best NFC title games of the '80s, the '88 Vikings looked to take it up a notch. They finished 2nd again, a game behind the Chicago Bears, but made the playoffs with an even better record than in 1987. However, the magic wasn't there this time as Minnesota lost in the Divisional round to the powerhouse San Francisco 49ers 34-9.
7. 1970 (12-2)- Just a year removed from Minnesota's first Super Bowl appearance, the Vikings looked poised for another shot at the title. They finished with the best record in the new NFL (the AFL and old NFL merged following the 1969 season), won the first-ever NFC Central division title, and became just the second team in NFL history to lead the league in fewest points allowed and fewest yards allowed in consecutive seasons. All of that was for naught, however, as the Vikings were knocked off in the Divisional round by the San Francisco 49ers 17-14.
6. 1974 (10-4)- A team chalked full of future Hall of Famers, the 1974 version of the Minnesota Vikings was all about repeats. They had repeated as NFC North division champs, then repeated as NFC conference champions (defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 30-14 and the Los Angeles Rams 14-10), and they once again lost a hard-fought battle 16-6 in the Super Bowl. This time to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that would win four titles in the 1970s. The Vikings, meanwhile, would go on to lose four Super Bowls in the '70s.
5. 1975 (12-2)- A determined Vikings team took the field in 1975, eager to get back to the Super Bowl and prove their worth after losing their third NFL title game in three tries. Minnesota dominated en route to their third consecutive Central division title finishing five games ahead of 2nd place Detroit. The Vikings were again No. 1 in the NFC to end the regular season.Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton won several awards that year including Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year, and the Bert Bell Award given to the best football player of the year. Yet, once again it just wasn't enough as the Vikings were ousted in the Divisional round by the eventual Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys, losing 17-14.
4. 1976 (11-2-1)- Minnesota continued its dominating play in the NFC picking up right where they left off in 1975. The Vikings won their fourth consecutive NFC Central division title (they would win 11 of 13 division titles from 1968-1980). Chuck Foreman continued to be one of the league's best running backs and was named to the NFC All-Pro team. Meanwhile, another offensive threat stepped into the spotlight for the Vikings. Fresh out of Grambling State, Sammy White was the unanimous choice for NFL Rookie of the Year at Wide Receiver, a title Foreman had earned three years earlier. Minnesota romped through the playoffs taking out Washington 35-20 and the LA Rams 24-13 to earn their fourth trip to the Super Bowl in eight seasons. The Vikings faced John Madden and the Oakland Raiders in the Rose Bowl for Super Bowl XI. The game was never in doubt, however, as the Vikings would lose 32-14 making them the first to lose four Super Bowls, a feat later outdone by the Buffalo Bills as they decided to lose four straight Super Bowls. It's the kind of thing you wouldn't wish upon your worst enemies.
3. 1973 (12-2)/ 2000 (11-5)- Alright so I lied. I'm listing the Top Eleven teams....that and I accidentally put the two in the same spot when I was picking out the Top 10 teams. Both teams are very deserving, but my apologies all the same. Anyways:
1973- The 1973 Vikings was a squad that was finally starting to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. They had the feared "Purple People Eaters". They had a fiesty gunslinger at QB in Fran Tarkenton. But they needed a running back. Enter Chuck Foreman. Foreman won NFL Rookie of the Year honors and gave the Vikings another viable threat to their offense. Meanwhile, leader of the Vikings defense, defensive tackle Alan Page, won the George S. Halas award for Defensive Player of the Year boosting his future Hall of Fam resume. Minnesota won their 5th Central division title in six years, and this after finishing third the year before going 7-7. They defeated the Redskins 27-20 in the Divisonal round, and the Cowboys 27-10 in the NFC championship to earn the right to face the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VIII, the Vikings second Super Bowl appearance. The Dolphins, led by Don Shula, were too much for the Vikings, though, defeating them 24-7.
2000- The 2000 Minnesota Vikings took the NFL by storm. They had a opportunistic defense, a veteran receiving corp with Jake Reed and Cris Carter and a young phenom in Randy Moss, and a solid, grind-it-out running back in Robert Smith, who rushed for a career-best 1,521 yards and seven touchdowns. The Vikings just needed some consistency at quarterback. They found that in a young man out of Central Florida named Daunte Culpepper. In his second year as a Viking, Culpepper took over for the aging Jeff George and led the Vikings to a 7-0 start. Minnesota would get to 11-2 clinching their second division title in three years, but lost their last three games while Culpepper was battling injuries. The Vikings took care of the upstart New Orleans Saints 34-16 in the Divisional round and then faced a stern test against the New York Giants in the Meadowlands for the NFC Conference championship.
It was the first time the Vikings and Giants met in the playoffs since 1997 when the Vikings rallied from a 22-13 deficit with a 1:30 remaining to beat the Giants 23-22 at New York. In that game, Minnesota improbably recovered onside kicks on consecutive possessions to spark the unlikely comeback. Minnesota was not so fortunate in their next meeting, getting blown out 41-0. The Giants would then lose to the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl. However, Minnesota officials accused New York of listening in to what the Vikings coordinators were saying in the press box and tampering with their equipment. Nothing came of this, however, and Minnesota was yet again denied a shot at the Super Bowl. It was Dennis Green's last shot and it was the closest the Vikings have been since.
2. 1969 (12-2)- The team that started it all. A year after they won their first Central division title, Minnesota upped the ante. This time they won the conference title. Minnesota won their first 12 games of the season before dropping their last two. They led the league in points scored (379) and points allowed (133). They won the last Western Conference Championship game (divisional playoffs) over the Los Angeles Rams 23-20 and then won the last NFL championship game before the NFL-AFL merger over the Cleveland Browns 27-7. They became the first NFL expansion team to win the NFL championship. Bud Grant was named Coach of the Year for his efforts.
The Vikings were loaded with star athletes on both sides of the ball. The defensive unit earned its legendary nickname "Purple People Eaters". This unit consisted of DTs Gary Larsen and Alan Page and DEs Carl Eller and Jim Marshall. They were considered one of the best defensive front-fours in NFL history. Minnesota also had playmakers in the secondary. Bobby Bryant led the team with eight interceptions while Earsell Mackbee had six and future Hall of Famer and former Iowa Hawkeye alum Paul Krause had five interceptions and a touchdown. Joe Kapp was the Viking leader at QB, known for his versatility both on the ground and through the air. Kapp tied the record for most passing TDs in a game with seven against the Baltimore Colts that season. Kapp led the Vikings to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.
Still, as dominant as the Vikings had been, they could not find their offense against a determined Kansas City Chiefs team from the upstart AFL. The Chiefs upset the mighty Vikings 23-7 in Super Bowl IV. To this day, the '69 Vikings are considered one of the best teams to never win a Super Bowl.
1. 1998 (15-1)- They were arguably one of the greatest teams in NFL history. They set franchise records, they set individual records and they set the NFL record for most points scored in a single season (556). The 1998 Minnesota Vikings had it all. They were the best team in the NFL by season's end. Only a 3-point loss at Tampa Bay kept Minnesota from achieving perfection. They won the NFC Central with ease (their first division title since 1994). Their offense never scored less than 24 points in a single game. It was a team that clicked for one amazing season. Up and down the roster are some of the more recognizable names in NFL history.
With the addition of to-be Offensive Rookie of the Year Randy Moss, Minnesota had a fearsome trio at WR in Moss, Jake Reed, and Cris Carter. Moss would set a record for most receiving touchdowns by a rookie with 17. They had pro bowlers all across the offensive line. Behind them the shifty running back Robert Smith, who would rush for 1,187 yards and six touchdowns despite injuries. And then there was the key that unlocked the magic. After sitting out the 1996 season, an aging Randall Cunningham was signed by the Vikings in 1997 and used as a backup to Brad Johnson. But early in 1998, Johnson was injured an Cunningham would step in and change the complexion of the '98 Vikings for good. Cunningham would go on to pass for 3,704 yards and 34 TDs and win the Bert Bell Award. He was the orchestrator behind Dennis Green's new West Coast offense, in which Offensive Coordinator Brian Billick (who would leave for the Baltimore Ravens the next season) helped design. Green would win Coach of the Year.
Even the defense had veteran playmakers. Guys like John Randle, Ed McDaniel, Orlando Thomas, and Robert Griffith were all instrumental in Minnesota's success defensively.
And then there was Gary Anderson. The old school kicker with the single bar helmet. Anderson was much like the Vikings were that season: perfect in just about every way imaginable. He went 35-for-35 on field goals in the regular season and set a record for most points scored in a single season.
Minnesota dominated the Arizona Cardinals 41-21 in the Divisional round of the playoffs. All they had to do was defeat the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game, which would be played at the Metrodome, and Minnesota would be off to the Super Bowl to face the defending champion Denver Broncos.
But, as has been the case throughout Minnesota's history, it wasn't meant to be.
Atlanta defeated the Vikings 30-27 in Overtime in one of the bigger upsets in NFL history. In that game, Anderson missed a 38-yard field goal that would've potentially sealed the victory for the Vikings. Instead, Atlanta would force overtime, get the ball and sink a 38-yarder of their own by Morten Anderson and walk away with the NFC title and a bid in Super Bowl XXXIII. The Vikings were so close to reaching their ultimate goal, but were denied by fate. As it was, Minnesota became just the third team in NFL history to win 15 games, but they were the first to fail to reach the Super Bowl.
Despite the unfortunate ending to the season, it is hard to argue that the 1998 Minnesota Vikings were the greatest team in franchise history.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
NFC North Recap- week 7
Houston 28, Detroit 21- The Houston Texans (2-4) continued to climb out of the cellar with a hard-fought win at home against Detroit. Matt Schaub was solid at QB for the Texans going 26-of-31 for 267 yards and 2 TDs. Houston built up a 28-10 lead into the fourth, but Detroit rallied for 10 points in the final quarter and had the ball at the end of the game, but being stuck at their own 2-yard line proved to be too big a hole to climb out of for the winless Lions.
Next game: Washington (5-2) at Detroit (0-6)
Green Bay 34, Indianapolis 14- The Green Bay Packers pulled off a minor surprise last Sunday, whipping up on the struggling Indianapolis Colts (3-3) despite injuries at key positions. Peyton Manning was picked off twice and kept out of the end zone through the air, while Aaron Rodgers was effecient enough in the passing game to open things up for Ryan Grant (31 carries 105 yards, TD) and the Packer running attack. Both Manning interceptions were returned for touchdowns, one from 62 yards out and the other from 99. The Colts find themselves in a bad spot now with three of their next five games on the road against solid teams. Their next task will be to tackle an undefeated Tennessee Titan squad on Monday Night Football. Meanwhile, the Packers move into a first place tie in the NFC North division with Chicago after the Bears knocked off the Vikings earlier in the day.
Next Game: BYE; week 9- Green Bay (4-3) at Tennessee (6-0)
What does it mean for Minnesota- The Vikings lost a 48-41 shootout to the Bears in a battle for top spot in the North division, so that means they'll have to bide their time until the opportunity to reclaim first presents itself again. With the way the teams in this division are playing it could come at almost any point in the season. Three of the four teams in the division, including the Vikings, have a bye this coming Sunday so they'll definitely use that time to get rested up and figure out how to correct the mistakes that were made. Minnesota is going to need to find out how to bottle that 41-point offensive output they had against Chicago and use it more often. It's sad to say, but Minnesota could have done a LOT better offensively (Frerotte's four interceptions didn't help much), and putting up 41 points in the NFL is a pretty tough thing to do so that is saying something. Of course that's what has left Vikings fans scratching their heads. Score 41 but look ugly doing it. That's hard to do, but I guess that's what the Vikings are good for.
The other side of things is that 48-point showing the Bears had. Despite two of those touchdowns being mental miscues by Minnesota, its still gotta leave a bad taste in the defense's mouth that they even allowed 34 points to a football team. The defense knows they are much better than what they showed against Chicago last Sunday, even though they held the Bears to 53 yards rushing. But they are gonna have to make those corrections in a hurry, because they face a surging Houston Texans team that is hungry to make a name for themselves this season. Also Minnesota doesn't want to lose back-to-back games. That would not be good for the playoff hopes.
Next game: Washington (5-2) at Detroit (0-6)
Green Bay 34, Indianapolis 14- The Green Bay Packers pulled off a minor surprise last Sunday, whipping up on the struggling Indianapolis Colts (3-3) despite injuries at key positions. Peyton Manning was picked off twice and kept out of the end zone through the air, while Aaron Rodgers was effecient enough in the passing game to open things up for Ryan Grant (31 carries 105 yards, TD) and the Packer running attack. Both Manning interceptions were returned for touchdowns, one from 62 yards out and the other from 99. The Colts find themselves in a bad spot now with three of their next five games on the road against solid teams. Their next task will be to tackle an undefeated Tennessee Titan squad on Monday Night Football. Meanwhile, the Packers move into a first place tie in the NFC North division with Chicago after the Bears knocked off the Vikings earlier in the day.
Next Game: BYE; week 9- Green Bay (4-3) at Tennessee (6-0)
What does it mean for Minnesota- The Vikings lost a 48-41 shootout to the Bears in a battle for top spot in the North division, so that means they'll have to bide their time until the opportunity to reclaim first presents itself again. With the way the teams in this division are playing it could come at almost any point in the season. Three of the four teams in the division, including the Vikings, have a bye this coming Sunday so they'll definitely use that time to get rested up and figure out how to correct the mistakes that were made. Minnesota is going to need to find out how to bottle that 41-point offensive output they had against Chicago and use it more often. It's sad to say, but Minnesota could have done a LOT better offensively (Frerotte's four interceptions didn't help much), and putting up 41 points in the NFL is a pretty tough thing to do so that is saying something. Of course that's what has left Vikings fans scratching their heads. Score 41 but look ugly doing it. That's hard to do, but I guess that's what the Vikings are good for.
The other side of things is that 48-point showing the Bears had. Despite two of those touchdowns being mental miscues by Minnesota, its still gotta leave a bad taste in the defense's mouth that they even allowed 34 points to a football team. The defense knows they are much better than what they showed against Chicago last Sunday, even though they held the Bears to 53 yards rushing. But they are gonna have to make those corrections in a hurry, because they face a surging Houston Texans team that is hungry to make a name for themselves this season. Also Minnesota doesn't want to lose back-to-back games. That would not be good for the playoff hopes.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Mistakes Bite Vikings in Loss to Bears
If you were a Vikings fan on Sunday watching the Bears-Vikings game, you probably got that feeling, all-in-all while watching the game, that Minnesota just wasn't going to win.
It just wasn't meant to be. Minnesota had several golden opportunities to beat the Bears and blew just about each and every one of them in a 48-41 loss to Chicago at Soldier Field.
It probably surprised anyone who turned on their TV set to find the Bears-Vikings game such a high-scoring affair considering both teams boast two of the best defenses in the NFL. It didn't help that the Bears had injuries throughout their secondary and that the Vikings kept spotting the Bears wonderful field position throughout the game.
But perhaps the thing that really set the two apart was the discipline level between the two teams.
Whether it was more drive-killing penalties, or Jarod Allen diving onto a pile of players 3 seconds after the whistle had blown, that little yellow hanky found it's way onto the field way too many times (8) for the Vikings. Most of which were at crucial times.
Ray Edwards jumped offsides on what would've been a 53-yard field goal attempt by Bears kicker Robbie Gould, but instead made it a 48-yarder that he coasted through the uprights.
Vinny Ciurciu was flagged for a questionable pass interference call on 4th-and-goal from the 1 that gave the Bears new life and Matt Forte walked into the end zone on the next play to make it 48-31, a deficit too great for the Vikings to overcome.
The mistakes on special teams were even more evident. Minnesota spotted the Bears 14 points on mental errors despite getting a 7-0 lead early after Adrian Peterson scored on 4th and-goal from the 1 in the 1st quarter.
Veteran punter Chris Kluwe botched the snap and then had his kick blocked, but instead of falling on hit he tried to kick it again and it was batted into the end zone and recovered for a Chicago touchdown.
Then to make matters worse, on a Bears punt in the second quarter, returner Charles Gordon decides to try and block a Bears defender, instead of waving for a fair-catch, and gets pushed into the ball which conveniently makes its way into the end zone and the Bears promptly fall on it for another gift-wrapped touchdown to make it 24-17 at that point.
Couple that with 4 Gus Frerotte interceptions and the Vikings never had a chance.
Well, that's almost true. Despite trying their hardest to lose this game, Minnesota still found themselves with the ball trailing by 7 at the end of the game. If there's any negatives the Bears can take away from this, that is one of them.
Minnesota out gained the Bears 439-327 in offensive yardage. Frerotte passed for 298 yards and 2 TDs while Orton only threw for 283 and 2 TDs. The difference was the interception ratio- 4/0.
Adrian Peterson again rushed for over 100 yards against the Bears with a 121 yard, 2 TD performance, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. But it wasn't enough. Peterson only had the big 54-yard run that provided a brief spark to Minnesota's otherwise schizophrenic offense.
It must also be a very vindicating day for Chicago fans to get a win over the Bernard Berrian-led Vikings. Berrian was a receiver for the purple and orange last year, but led the Vikings with 6 catches for 81 yards and a TD today.
To add to just how bizarre this game was, Minnesota's only punt attempt was Kluwe's blocked punt. That usually means one of two things: you're either winning by a lot and scoring at will or; you did what the Vikings did today and turnovers, special teams included, served as your "punts".
Chicago (4-3) now is atop the NFC North, but will soon be joined by the Packers who are putting a hurt on the up-and-down Indianapolis Colts. Minnesota (3-4), meanwhile must regroup as they may be down but are certainly not out. One loss to the Bears is not the end of the season. Minnesota will head into the BYE week and hope to correct a lot of their mistakes before they return to the friendly confines of the Metrodome to face the Houston Texans (2-4), a team they can and should beat.
Monday, October 13, 2008
NFC North Recap- week 6
Green Bay 27, Seattle 17- Aaron Rodgers wasn't about to watch his team lose four games in a row. After falling behind 10-3 in the 2nd quarter, Green Bay rolled off the next 24 points to take a 27-10 lead in the 4th and they would hold on to beat the Seattle Seahawks (1-4) and move into a first place tie with Minnesota and Chicago atop the NFC North standings. Rodgers had a decent day, passing for 208 yards and 2 TDs and rushing for another one during Green Bay's 24-point swing. Aaron Kampman had four tackles and two sacks to anchor a depleted defense that has four starters out, some for the remainder of the season, from injuries. Seattle, meanwhile found itself riding a roller coaster throughout the game. At times it looked like 3rd-stringer QB Charlie Frye was really gonna be able to lead the Seahawks to a win over the Packers, but an inconsistent offense throughout the game and two Frye interceptions on the day would dull any sense that Seattle was going to win. Things will get a little tougher for Green Bay as a very raw secondary will be tested when Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts come calling next Sunday.
Next game: Indianapolis (3-2) at Green Bay (3-3)
Atlanta 22, Chicago 20- I wanted to save the best for last. The Chicago Bears had a golden opportunity slip right through their fingers. Kyle Orton was going to be the hero. He had orchestrated a 4th quarter drive for what was thought the be a game-winning, 17-yard touchdown pass to Rashied Davis with 11 seconds left. It's not often you hear such words about Bears quarterbacks. Atlanta had practically no chance. But somehow, rookie sensation Matt Ryan set the Falcons up with a chance to win. Following a controversial decision to squib kick the ball, Atlanta would have the ball at their own 44 yard-line with six seconds left. Ryan hit Michael Jenkins, who planted two feet in bounds, for a 26-yard gain to the Bears 30.
Then with one second left, Jason Elam broke the hearts of Bears fans everywhere and brought joy to Vikings, Packers, and of course Falcons fans when his 48-yard field goal sailed through the uprights. The celebration that ensued at midfield looked like Atlanta had just won the World Series. In reality, all's it did was knock the Bears back into a three-way tie in their division and move a surprisingly impressive Atlanta squad to 4-2 on the year making many question whether or not this Falcons team could actually make the playoffs as the NFC South champions. Matt Ryan also made a major bid for Rookie of the Year with his performance on Sunday. The Bears, meanwhile, will try and shake this one off and get focused for a home date with North division rival Minnesota on Sunday.
Next game: Minnesota (3-3) at Chicago (3-3)
Detroit (0-5)- lost to Minnesota 12-10, next: at Houston (1-4). The Lions just can't catch a break. What's worse is that even though they play a team with only a 1-4 record, Houston just got their first win this past week in dramatic fashion so they should be reenergized for their game against Detroit.
What does it mean for Minnesota- The Vikings somehow have a chance to be all alone atop the NFC North standings thanks to the Bears loss. A win over Chicago and a likely Green Bay loss to Indianapolis could make this scenario a reality. Not bad for a team that started 1-3. But the offense is going to have to start playing more consistently and they are gonna have to start scoring more points. For this game I could understand a 12-10 finish because both defenses are very good, despite a few knicks to the Bears' secondary. But Minnesota is gonna need to start finding the endzone more often than once or twice a game or the potential lead in the division won't last very long. The Vikings will meet the Bears again in the Metrodome later in the season, but this game in Soldier Field on Sunday is perhaps even more important than the opener against the Packers as it will give either team a much needed boost of confidence heading into the remainder of the season. And since first place in the division is on the line, one can be sure that both teams will come ready to play.
Next game: Indianapolis (3-2) at Green Bay (3-3)
Atlanta 22, Chicago 20- I wanted to save the best for last. The Chicago Bears had a golden opportunity slip right through their fingers. Kyle Orton was going to be the hero. He had orchestrated a 4th quarter drive for what was thought the be a game-winning, 17-yard touchdown pass to Rashied Davis with 11 seconds left. It's not often you hear such words about Bears quarterbacks. Atlanta had practically no chance. But somehow, rookie sensation Matt Ryan set the Falcons up with a chance to win. Following a controversial decision to squib kick the ball, Atlanta would have the ball at their own 44 yard-line with six seconds left. Ryan hit Michael Jenkins, who planted two feet in bounds, for a 26-yard gain to the Bears 30.
Then with one second left, Jason Elam broke the hearts of Bears fans everywhere and brought joy to Vikings, Packers, and of course Falcons fans when his 48-yard field goal sailed through the uprights. The celebration that ensued at midfield looked like Atlanta had just won the World Series. In reality, all's it did was knock the Bears back into a three-way tie in their division and move a surprisingly impressive Atlanta squad to 4-2 on the year making many question whether or not this Falcons team could actually make the playoffs as the NFC South champions. Matt Ryan also made a major bid for Rookie of the Year with his performance on Sunday. The Bears, meanwhile, will try and shake this one off and get focused for a home date with North division rival Minnesota on Sunday.
Next game: Minnesota (3-3) at Chicago (3-3)
Detroit (0-5)- lost to Minnesota 12-10, next: at Houston (1-4). The Lions just can't catch a break. What's worse is that even though they play a team with only a 1-4 record, Houston just got their first win this past week in dramatic fashion so they should be reenergized for their game against Detroit.
What does it mean for Minnesota- The Vikings somehow have a chance to be all alone atop the NFC North standings thanks to the Bears loss. A win over Chicago and a likely Green Bay loss to Indianapolis could make this scenario a reality. Not bad for a team that started 1-3. But the offense is going to have to start playing more consistently and they are gonna have to start scoring more points. For this game I could understand a 12-10 finish because both defenses are very good, despite a few knicks to the Bears' secondary. But Minnesota is gonna need to start finding the endzone more often than once or twice a game or the potential lead in the division won't last very long. The Vikings will meet the Bears again in the Metrodome later in the season, but this game in Soldier Field on Sunday is perhaps even more important than the opener against the Packers as it will give either team a much needed boost of confidence heading into the remainder of the season. And since first place in the division is on the line, one can be sure that both teams will come ready to play.
Can Frerotte lead the Vikings to the playoffs?
Gus Frerotte is 37 years old. He's been around the NFL for 15 years and with 7 different franchises. He was with the Vikings before in 2003 and 2004 before being picked up by Miami in 2005. At the beginning of the 2008 season, Minnesota signed the veteran QB in the hopes to provide some experience at a position that was a question mark coming in.
However, in four starts for the Vikings, since Head Coach Brad Childress's decision to bench former starter Tarvaris Jackson, Frerotte has helped Minnesota return to a .500 record at 3-3 and has thrown for over 200 yards in all four starts. Frerotte's passing ability and experience in situations have proven valuable for Minnesota in climbing back from a 1-3 start. Frerotte was poised in leading the Vikings to comeback wins over New Orleans and Detroit and has a chance to put Minnesota into first place in the NFC North division next Sunday against the rival Chicago Bears.
Frerotte's numbers haven't been that impressive. His best completion percentage (58.1) came in a loss to the Tennessee Titans. He passed for a season high 296 yards, but has 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions thus far. The Vikings are still not lighting up the scoreboards on offense, nor is the addition of a passing threat one that's going to make opposing defenses shutter, but the ability to make plays and execute in crucial situations has been more prevalent when Frerotte is in.
He may not put up impressive fantasy football stats, but it's his leadership skills that he has acquired over the years that make him a viable threat for the Vikings. His ability to come up with key plays is a reason Minnesota can still hope for a shot at the playoffs.
For example, in the last two games, he has hooked up with Bernard Berrian for two deep balls that resulted in critical touchdowns and drew two major pass interference penalties from deep passes late in the game as well, which aided in the Vikings' past two comeback attempts. That's what veteran knowledge will get you.
The Vikings may win ugly, but a win is a win, and if veteran leadership at quarterback is what it's gonna take to get the Vikings into the 2008 playoffs then they may have found the right guy in Gus Frerotte. He will have a chance to lead the Vikings against a Bears' secondary that will be battered up in the hopes of stealing a win at Soldier Field, moving above .500, shifting into first place in the division, and giving Vikings fans a bit more hope for the near future.
All of this...and he's 37 years old.
However, in four starts for the Vikings, since Head Coach Brad Childress's decision to bench former starter Tarvaris Jackson, Frerotte has helped Minnesota return to a .500 record at 3-3 and has thrown for over 200 yards in all four starts. Frerotte's passing ability and experience in situations have proven valuable for Minnesota in climbing back from a 1-3 start. Frerotte was poised in leading the Vikings to comeback wins over New Orleans and Detroit and has a chance to put Minnesota into first place in the NFC North division next Sunday against the rival Chicago Bears.
Frerotte's numbers haven't been that impressive. His best completion percentage (58.1) came in a loss to the Tennessee Titans. He passed for a season high 296 yards, but has 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions thus far. The Vikings are still not lighting up the scoreboards on offense, nor is the addition of a passing threat one that's going to make opposing defenses shutter, but the ability to make plays and execute in crucial situations has been more prevalent when Frerotte is in.
He may not put up impressive fantasy football stats, but it's his leadership skills that he has acquired over the years that make him a viable threat for the Vikings. His ability to come up with key plays is a reason Minnesota can still hope for a shot at the playoffs.
For example, in the last two games, he has hooked up with Bernard Berrian for two deep balls that resulted in critical touchdowns and drew two major pass interference penalties from deep passes late in the game as well, which aided in the Vikings' past two comeback attempts. That's what veteran knowledge will get you.
The Vikings may win ugly, but a win is a win, and if veteran leadership at quarterback is what it's gonna take to get the Vikings into the 2008 playoffs then they may have found the right guy in Gus Frerotte. He will have a chance to lead the Vikings against a Bears' secondary that will be battered up in the hopes of stealing a win at Soldier Field, moving above .500, shifting into first place in the division, and giving Vikings fans a bit more hope for the near future.
All of this...and he's 37 years old.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
A win is a win...
My weekend is complete. As I sat on a stool in Buffalo Wild Wings watching four great NFL games come down to the wire, with each TV screen lined up right next to the other, I couldn't help but think about how good a day it was for me as a football fan. My Iowa Hawkeyes finally ended their three-game losing streak with a 45-9 win over Indiana. Iowa State lost although that's more for those diehards that hate the Cyclones. And the Vikings and Bears were fighting for a victory in the closing minutes to set the stage for their showdown at Soldier Field next weekend.
The end result? I watched Houston come back in the closing seconds to knock off Miami 29-28, St. Louis making one spectacular play after another in route to a stunning 19-17 win over the Redskins in Washington thanks to the first of three game-winning field goals, Chicago take the lead over Atlanta late and then in two plays lose it thanks to a Jason Elam game-winner, and of course the Vikings who overcame terrible offensive execution to beat the Detroit Lions 12-10 on another game-winner by Ryan Longwell.
I missed the whole first half of the Vikings-Lions game thanks to FOX deciding to broadcast that amazing Bears-Flacons game, but if it was anything like the second half then it wasn't pretty.
The Vikings trailed at halftime 3-2 after a 50-yard run by Kevin Smith set up a Detroit 40-yard field goal with 1:56 to go in the 2nd qtr. Minnesota got on the board first when the defense forced backup QB Dan Orlovsky out of the back of the endzone for a safety in the first quarter. Orlovsky was starting for the injured John Kitna (back).
Things looked even worse for Minnesota when Calvin Johnson, first caught a 37-yard deep ball on 3rd and 19, and then caught a 12-yard touchdown pass to give Detroit a 10-2 lead.
But then the Vikings caught lightning in a bottle. After forcing a three-and-out on Detroit's next possession, the first play the Vikings ran was a slant route in which Gus Frerotte hit Bernard Berrian, who broke a few tackles and raced down the field for an 86-yard touchdown to make it 10-9.
The Vikings had the momentum back. However, penalities and turnovers killed scoring opportunities for much of the remainder of the game for Minnesota. They just couldn't capitalize. Even Ryan Longwell, who was 13-of-15 on field goals coming in, had a kick blocked by former Hawkeye Jared DeVries (who ended the game with 6 tackles and a sack).
It just looked like it wasn't meant to be for Minnesota yet again.
Then with 2:22 left to go in the 4th, and the Vikings with the ball needing to get it down the field in a hurry, Frerotte went deep to Aundrae Allison. Allison stretched out for the ball, but it looked as if he was slightly pushed from behind by Lions DB Leigh Bodden causing him to lose his balance. The play drew a pass interference penalty and Bodden was quite upset with the call. Even the announcers were unsure about the legitimacy of the call. From my perspective it looked like he pushed off on Allison and the contact kept him from being able to make the play. Call it ticky-tack (I will), but it was not a horribly incorrect call in my opinion.
That set up Minnesota at the 32 with 2:15 to go and of course here I am thinking they will try and punch it in or at least take some shots. Well they get to about the 15 yard-line and low and behold they go run-run-run taking a page right out of Mr. Conservative's play book. The good news is that they had enough faith in Longwell to give him the opportunity for a game-winner after they ran the clock down to 12 seconds on a 4th and 4 from the Detroit 9.
Longwell had hit 13 game-winners is his career. This 26-yard attempt would be number 14. The kick gave Minnesota a 12-10 win and moved them back to a .500 record (3-3).
But my what a terrible game.
- It's sad that when the Vikings accumulated 392 yards of total offense you could nitpick about the poorness of their offensive showing. Gus Frerotte threw for 296 yards and a touchdown. Adrian Peterson carried 25 times for 111 yards. Bernard Berrian had 131 yards receiving and become the first player since Nate Burleson in 2004 to have back-to-back 100 yard games for Minnesota.
But against one of the worst defenses in the National Football League...they should've done more.
Adrian Peterson had the quietest 100 yard rushing performance I had ever seen. This was mostly due to the two fumbles he lost in the game, both on potential scoring drives for Minnesota (although the first later resulted in a safety). For whatever reason, All Day is not finding the same success he had last year when he won Rookie of the Year. The holes aren't there as much anymore and he has already lost 3 fumbles this year, which is 3 more than you would like your running back to have. He is trying too hard to run people over and is missing opportunities to cut outside for bigger gains.
I realize that defenses are keying much more on stopping Minnesota' run game, but for arguably one of the best offensive lines in the league you should expect better. The O-line also gave up 5 sacks today.
- The defense did their part aside from a few miscues here and there. Some examples would be on that 3rd and 19 when Orlovsky hit a WIDE OPEN Calvin Johnson, Kevin Smith's 50-yard run, and Rudi Johnson ripping off 6-7 yards at a time setting up the Lions with more manageable downs. Detroit's offensive line is not good, so to allow 100 yards of rushing from the Lions has obviously gotta leave the defense with a bad taste in their mouth.
Nonetheless, in the second half the stout D-line was the determining factor in keeping Detroit out of the endzone. The Williams Brothers (Pat and Kevin- no relation) were in the face of Orlovsky the whole game. Defensive tackle Kevin Williams had an exceptional game recording 8 tackles and 4 sacks. Despite giving up the touchdown early on, the Vikings defense played with a certain tenacity for he rest of the game and really put the hurt on Detroit's offense.
- Gus Frerotte didn't do too bad a job. But for more on him stay tuned as I will be discussing Frerotte in an upcoming post.
- And finally....just who the heck is Dan Orlovksy? The guy was 12-of-21 for 150 yards and a TD and almost led Detroit to an upset win over Minnesota. There were times where the Vikings were letting this guy look like Tom Brady. But thankfully the Vikings D stepped up and got in his face in the second half.
Oh and in case you really were wondering who Orlovsky is: click here.
Thanks to the Atlanta Falcons, the Vikings are now in a three-way tie atop the North division with the Bears and Packers. Next week's showdown with Chicago is going to be a big time matchup to establish some early separation in this division race. Despite the Bears loss, Minnesota is going to need Adrian Peterson to repeat the performance he put on a year ago - (224 yards rushing, 3 TDs, 128 KR yards) - in Soldier Field if the Vikings have any hope of taking them down.
The end result? I watched Houston come back in the closing seconds to knock off Miami 29-28, St. Louis making one spectacular play after another in route to a stunning 19-17 win over the Redskins in Washington thanks to the first of three game-winning field goals, Chicago take the lead over Atlanta late and then in two plays lose it thanks to a Jason Elam game-winner, and of course the Vikings who overcame terrible offensive execution to beat the Detroit Lions 12-10 on another game-winner by Ryan Longwell.
I missed the whole first half of the Vikings-Lions game thanks to FOX deciding to broadcast that amazing Bears-Flacons game, but if it was anything like the second half then it wasn't pretty.
The Vikings trailed at halftime 3-2 after a 50-yard run by Kevin Smith set up a Detroit 40-yard field goal with 1:56 to go in the 2nd qtr. Minnesota got on the board first when the defense forced backup QB Dan Orlovsky out of the back of the endzone for a safety in the first quarter. Orlovsky was starting for the injured John Kitna (back).
Things looked even worse for Minnesota when Calvin Johnson, first caught a 37-yard deep ball on 3rd and 19, and then caught a 12-yard touchdown pass to give Detroit a 10-2 lead.
But then the Vikings caught lightning in a bottle. After forcing a three-and-out on Detroit's next possession, the first play the Vikings ran was a slant route in which Gus Frerotte hit Bernard Berrian, who broke a few tackles and raced down the field for an 86-yard touchdown to make it 10-9.
The Vikings had the momentum back. However, penalities and turnovers killed scoring opportunities for much of the remainder of the game for Minnesota. They just couldn't capitalize. Even Ryan Longwell, who was 13-of-15 on field goals coming in, had a kick blocked by former Hawkeye Jared DeVries (who ended the game with 6 tackles and a sack).
It just looked like it wasn't meant to be for Minnesota yet again.
Then with 2:22 left to go in the 4th, and the Vikings with the ball needing to get it down the field in a hurry, Frerotte went deep to Aundrae Allison. Allison stretched out for the ball, but it looked as if he was slightly pushed from behind by Lions DB Leigh Bodden causing him to lose his balance. The play drew a pass interference penalty and Bodden was quite upset with the call. Even the announcers were unsure about the legitimacy of the call. From my perspective it looked like he pushed off on Allison and the contact kept him from being able to make the play. Call it ticky-tack (I will), but it was not a horribly incorrect call in my opinion.
That set up Minnesota at the 32 with 2:15 to go and of course here I am thinking they will try and punch it in or at least take some shots. Well they get to about the 15 yard-line and low and behold they go run-run-run taking a page right out of Mr. Conservative's play book. The good news is that they had enough faith in Longwell to give him the opportunity for a game-winner after they ran the clock down to 12 seconds on a 4th and 4 from the Detroit 9.
Longwell had hit 13 game-winners is his career. This 26-yard attempt would be number 14. The kick gave Minnesota a 12-10 win and moved them back to a .500 record (3-3).
But my what a terrible game.
- It's sad that when the Vikings accumulated 392 yards of total offense you could nitpick about the poorness of their offensive showing. Gus Frerotte threw for 296 yards and a touchdown. Adrian Peterson carried 25 times for 111 yards. Bernard Berrian had 131 yards receiving and become the first player since Nate Burleson in 2004 to have back-to-back 100 yard games for Minnesota.
But against one of the worst defenses in the National Football League...they should've done more.
Adrian Peterson had the quietest 100 yard rushing performance I had ever seen. This was mostly due to the two fumbles he lost in the game, both on potential scoring drives for Minnesota (although the first later resulted in a safety). For whatever reason, All Day is not finding the same success he had last year when he won Rookie of the Year. The holes aren't there as much anymore and he has already lost 3 fumbles this year, which is 3 more than you would like your running back to have. He is trying too hard to run people over and is missing opportunities to cut outside for bigger gains.
I realize that defenses are keying much more on stopping Minnesota' run game, but for arguably one of the best offensive lines in the league you should expect better. The O-line also gave up 5 sacks today.
- The defense did their part aside from a few miscues here and there. Some examples would be on that 3rd and 19 when Orlovsky hit a WIDE OPEN Calvin Johnson, Kevin Smith's 50-yard run, and Rudi Johnson ripping off 6-7 yards at a time setting up the Lions with more manageable downs. Detroit's offensive line is not good, so to allow 100 yards of rushing from the Lions has obviously gotta leave the defense with a bad taste in their mouth.
Nonetheless, in the second half the stout D-line was the determining factor in keeping Detroit out of the endzone. The Williams Brothers (Pat and Kevin- no relation) were in the face of Orlovsky the whole game. Defensive tackle Kevin Williams had an exceptional game recording 8 tackles and 4 sacks. Despite giving up the touchdown early on, the Vikings defense played with a certain tenacity for he rest of the game and really put the hurt on Detroit's offense.
- Gus Frerotte didn't do too bad a job. But for more on him stay tuned as I will be discussing Frerotte in an upcoming post.
- And finally....just who the heck is Dan Orlovksy? The guy was 12-of-21 for 150 yards and a TD and almost led Detroit to an upset win over Minnesota. There were times where the Vikings were letting this guy look like Tom Brady. But thankfully the Vikings D stepped up and got in his face in the second half.
Oh and in case you really were wondering who Orlovsky is: click here.
Thanks to the Atlanta Falcons, the Vikings are now in a three-way tie atop the North division with the Bears and Packers. Next week's showdown with Chicago is going to be a big time matchup to establish some early separation in this division race. Despite the Bears loss, Minnesota is going to need Adrian Peterson to repeat the performance he put on a year ago - (224 yards rushing, 3 TDs, 128 KR yards) - in Soldier Field if the Vikings have any hope of taking them down.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
NFC North Recap- week 5
Chicago 34, Detroit 7- The Chicago Bears routed the Detroit Lions and took a one-game lead in the NFC North division race thanks to another Green Bay loss. The Lions have been established as the worst team in the NFC at least, and probably the NFL too, only mustering 185 yards of total offense against the Bears resurgent defense. Kyle Orton, an Iowa native, had another big game passing for 334 yards and 2 TDs, one of those going to Devin Hester as the Bears are looking to utilize the All-Pro athlete more in any way possible to put points on the board. The Bears are starting to look like a formidable opponent down the road, but impending match-ups with Green Bay and Minnesota loom so we'll see what the Bears have in store for them when the time comes.
Next game: Chicago (3-2) at Atlanta (3-2); Detroit (0-4) at Minnesota (2-3)
Atlanta 27, Green Bay 24- The Atlanta Flacons, led by rookie QB Matt Ryan, went into Lambeau Field and knocked off the Packers to hand them their third straight loss. Aaron Rodgers threw for 313 yards and 3 TDs but also threw a pick and the Falcons kept Green Bay off the scoreboard for long enough to win the game. After the Packers tied it early in the 4th quarter at 17-17, Atlanta racked up 10 more points to make it 27-17 with 3:35 to go. Rodgers' third TD pass, which was to Donald Lee, cut the lead to 27-24 with 1:56, but Green Bay could not get the ball back and the Falcons continue to surprise as many thought it would be a rebuilding year for Atlanta. Green Bay is now tied for second in the division with Minnesota.
Next game: Green Bay (2-3) at Seattle (1-3)
What does it mean for Minnesota?- With the Vikings' exciting win over the Saints on Monday night, it should give them plenty of momentum heading into a week 5 showdown with the winless Detroit Lions. It will also help that they are returning home after a two-game road stint. A win on Sunday will get the club back to .500 and will be an important step in getting back into the playoff picture. Meanwhile, Chicago travels to face off against a surprising Atlanta team that's looking to make it two wins against two NFC north teams in two weeks. A loss by the Bears could find the Vikings right back in the thick of things with a match-up against the Bears coming up next week at Soldier Field.
It also means that if Minnesota wants to continue to build momentum as the season goes on, they're gonna need to keep getting better on offense. The run game was nonexistent against New Orleans, so hopefully that can get back on track against Detroit. The defense continues to play well though so I'm not so worried on that front, but they can't overlook the Lions. They just aren't good enough to be looking past anybody.
Next game: Chicago (3-2) at Atlanta (3-2); Detroit (0-4) at Minnesota (2-3)
Atlanta 27, Green Bay 24- The Atlanta Flacons, led by rookie QB Matt Ryan, went into Lambeau Field and knocked off the Packers to hand them their third straight loss. Aaron Rodgers threw for 313 yards and 3 TDs but also threw a pick and the Falcons kept Green Bay off the scoreboard for long enough to win the game. After the Packers tied it early in the 4th quarter at 17-17, Atlanta racked up 10 more points to make it 27-17 with 3:35 to go. Rodgers' third TD pass, which was to Donald Lee, cut the lead to 27-24 with 1:56, but Green Bay could not get the ball back and the Falcons continue to surprise as many thought it would be a rebuilding year for Atlanta. Green Bay is now tied for second in the division with Minnesota.
Next game: Green Bay (2-3) at Seattle (1-3)
What does it mean for Minnesota?- With the Vikings' exciting win over the Saints on Monday night, it should give them plenty of momentum heading into a week 5 showdown with the winless Detroit Lions. It will also help that they are returning home after a two-game road stint. A win on Sunday will get the club back to .500 and will be an important step in getting back into the playoff picture. Meanwhile, Chicago travels to face off against a surprising Atlanta team that's looking to make it two wins against two NFC north teams in two weeks. A loss by the Bears could find the Vikings right back in the thick of things with a match-up against the Bears coming up next week at Soldier Field.
It also means that if Minnesota wants to continue to build momentum as the season goes on, they're gonna need to keep getting better on offense. The run game was nonexistent against New Orleans, so hopefully that can get back on track against Detroit. The defense continues to play well though so I'm not so worried on that front, but they can't overlook the Lions. They just aren't good enough to be looking past anybody.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Crazy Game Ends With Vikings Victory
The Vikings had the lead at half. And then in two plays watched it shift right back to New Orleans.
On a night where the improbable was more than likely to happen though, the Minnesota Vikings overcame two Reggie Bush punt returns for a touchdown to beat the New Orleans Saints in the Super Dome 30-27 on Monday Night Football.
Minnesota had a 20-10 lead. All was going well. Antoine Winfield became the first player in the NFL since they started recording sacks in 1982, to record a sack, force a fumble and recover it, and return a blocked kick for a touchdown in a single game. The defense was making plays left and right and all signs pointed to a Viking victory. But that soon changed with a punt.
Minnesota's offense was stagnant for most of the game. Once again the Vikings were faced with 4th down and had to punt from their 23 yard-line. Chris Kluwe, one of the best punters in the league, boomed another kick that Reggie Bush fielded at the 29 yard-line. Bush made them pay. He ran right around would-be tacklers and got two huge blocks downfield on his way to a 71-yard return for a touchdown. Just like that it was 20-17. Momentum Saints.
Next possession, Vikings must punt. They punt to Bush again. And again Bush shakes poor tackling attempts and it looks like he is going to do it again, but thankfully he trips over his own feet after a 29-yard return. With good field position the Saints move into range for Martin Gramatica, who boots a 53-yard field goal to tie the game.
Minnesota gets it back. And then two penalties and two incompletes later, it's time to punt again...and again they kick to Reggie Bush. Kluwe's 39-yard punt is taking by Bush at the 36 yard-line and returned 64 yards for the go ahead touchdown. Saints lead 27-20. The Super Dome is going nuts. 1-4 for the Minnesota Vikings is imminent now. It makes sense after all. Minnesota was outgained in total offense 375-270 and gave up 354 return yards, two returns for touchdown, and several more that put Minnesota's defense behind the eight-ball all night long.
But the way the night had gone, you just couldn't count them out.
The Vikings had punted in five straight possessions since the end of the half. They had done literally nothing on offense to suggest that they could mount a rally. New Orleans defense was flying off the ball and stuffing Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson for little to no gain and sometimes even for a loss. The Saints had the momentum and the crowd and Minnesota had Gus Frerotte at quarterback. Que the comeback.
On the fourth play of their next drive, Frerotte hooked up with offseason acquisition Bernard Berrian for a 36-yard gain and suddenly the Vikings were in business. But then two plays later that trusty old yellow hanky made another appearance as Aundrae Allison was flagged for offensive pass interference after he picked up what would've been a first down completion. This made it 3rd and 16 and it looked like Minnesota was gonna shoot themselves again. But oddly enough the Vikings did something out of the norm in this situation. They took a shot down field, and it paid off. Frerotte launched a pass towards the endzone and out of four players (2 Saints DBs and 2 Vikings WRs), Berrian came up with the ball after running into his own teammate in the process. Touchdown Minnesota. Game tied 27-27 with 7:18 to play in the fourth quarter.
The Saints got the ball back with a chance to retake the lead again, but this time Bush was not back deep to return. New Orleans did manage to do what it had all night long, however, moving the football down the field under the guidance of Drew Brees and allowing Martin Gramatica to come in once again to try and give the Saints the lead and possibly the win. But as fate would have it, Gramatica's 46-yard try went wide left and hope was restored in the Vikings for they now had the final shot at a game-winning score with two minutes to go.
It wasn't easy getting there though. Faced with a 3rd-and-3, Frerotte took another shot downfield for Berrian, who was bear-hugged by two Saints defenders drawing a defensive pass interference penalty that set Minnesota up at the 14 yard-line of New Orleans.
The Vikings ran the clock down and on 4th-and-8 from the 12, Ryan Longwell netted his 13th career game-winning field goal capping off another perfect night going 3-for-3, none more important than the one that gave Minnesota their second win of the 2008 season. Vikings win 30-27.
So it was a crazy game to say the least. A few things I want to knaw on before I go though.
- I am still sold on Minnesota's defense being one of the best in the league. They already have the stats to back up their claim to most opportunistic (16 turnovers returned for a touchdown and now a blocked kick returned for a touchdown). The Vikings were in this game because they were able to come up with key stops and force critical turnovers (2 INTs, 2 fumble recoveries) that kept the high-octane Saints off the score board. Antoine Winfield practically played himself into the Pro Bowl with his performance last night ( 8 tackles, 1 sack, forced fumble and recovery, blocked kick return for TD). Though Winfield has been making plays for Minnesota all year long, he got a chance to highlight his talent on the brightest stage of the week. Cedric Griffen also put on a display with 10 solo tackles including a bone crunching hit on Saints tight end Billy Miller. The good news is that Minnesota's D allows them to win games.
- Now for the bad news. Aside from a few big plays and lucky breaks, the Vikings offense did absolutely nothing and looked overmatched by the Saints defense, which isn't even that good to be honest. Peterson was held in check and the offensive line is just not getting things done up front like they were last year. The pass protection is better at times, but what happened to the NFC's best ground game and the monsters that cleared the way? If we don't start seeing more of that soon, the Vikings are gonna need more than a few big plays and luck-of-the-draw penalties to get any more wins.
It was also nice to see Bernard Berrian finally produce on offense as well. Berrian had a solid evening with six receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown. Berrians was traded from the Bears in the hopes that he could give a very thin wide receiver corp a much-needed boost and make the Vikings' passing game seem a little more threatening. Hopefully after tonight, teams will start loosening up by trying to defend the deep ball from Frerotte to Berrian, which should open the lanes for Peterson and Chestor Taylor to run through.
- And speaking of Chestor Taylor, FINALLY this coaching staff breaks from the dull and throws in a little trickery and look what happens. Taylor threw a 4-yard toss to Visanthe Shiancoe for Minnesota's first touchdown. It was the first of a few occassions where the offensive coordinators decided to break away from their standard plays that have resulted in stagnant offensive production. The other most noticeable play calls were on 3rd downs when Frerotte was called upon to take a shot down field to a streaking Berrian. It takes guts and ingenuity to make those calls and I'm glad to see this staff actually show some signs of thos qualities. ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast crew even criticized the Vikings' staff for a lack of urgency and imagination in the final minutes of the first half as they settled for a field goal when they could've taken more shots in the endzone. More imaginative play calling and more trust in the players to make plays such as Taylor's TD pass will go a long way in improving the production of this offense.
Up next for the Vikings (2-3), they return home to take on the winless Detroit Lions (0-4) in an NFC North showdown. Hopefully playing the hapless Lions will be just what the Vikings need to put together, perhaps, their first complete game and keep pace with the Packers and Bears in the early division race.
On a night where the improbable was more than likely to happen though, the Minnesota Vikings overcame two Reggie Bush punt returns for a touchdown to beat the New Orleans Saints in the Super Dome 30-27 on Monday Night Football.
Minnesota had a 20-10 lead. All was going well. Antoine Winfield became the first player in the NFL since they started recording sacks in 1982, to record a sack, force a fumble and recover it, and return a blocked kick for a touchdown in a single game. The defense was making plays left and right and all signs pointed to a Viking victory. But that soon changed with a punt.
Minnesota's offense was stagnant for most of the game. Once again the Vikings were faced with 4th down and had to punt from their 23 yard-line. Chris Kluwe, one of the best punters in the league, boomed another kick that Reggie Bush fielded at the 29 yard-line. Bush made them pay. He ran right around would-be tacklers and got two huge blocks downfield on his way to a 71-yard return for a touchdown. Just like that it was 20-17. Momentum Saints.
Next possession, Vikings must punt. They punt to Bush again. And again Bush shakes poor tackling attempts and it looks like he is going to do it again, but thankfully he trips over his own feet after a 29-yard return. With good field position the Saints move into range for Martin Gramatica, who boots a 53-yard field goal to tie the game.
Minnesota gets it back. And then two penalties and two incompletes later, it's time to punt again...and again they kick to Reggie Bush. Kluwe's 39-yard punt is taking by Bush at the 36 yard-line and returned 64 yards for the go ahead touchdown. Saints lead 27-20. The Super Dome is going nuts. 1-4 for the Minnesota Vikings is imminent now. It makes sense after all. Minnesota was outgained in total offense 375-270 and gave up 354 return yards, two returns for touchdown, and several more that put Minnesota's defense behind the eight-ball all night long.
But the way the night had gone, you just couldn't count them out.
The Vikings had punted in five straight possessions since the end of the half. They had done literally nothing on offense to suggest that they could mount a rally. New Orleans defense was flying off the ball and stuffing Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson for little to no gain and sometimes even for a loss. The Saints had the momentum and the crowd and Minnesota had Gus Frerotte at quarterback. Que the comeback.
On the fourth play of their next drive, Frerotte hooked up with offseason acquisition Bernard Berrian for a 36-yard gain and suddenly the Vikings were in business. But then two plays later that trusty old yellow hanky made another appearance as Aundrae Allison was flagged for offensive pass interference after he picked up what would've been a first down completion. This made it 3rd and 16 and it looked like Minnesota was gonna shoot themselves again. But oddly enough the Vikings did something out of the norm in this situation. They took a shot down field, and it paid off. Frerotte launched a pass towards the endzone and out of four players (2 Saints DBs and 2 Vikings WRs), Berrian came up with the ball after running into his own teammate in the process. Touchdown Minnesota. Game tied 27-27 with 7:18 to play in the fourth quarter.
The Saints got the ball back with a chance to retake the lead again, but this time Bush was not back deep to return. New Orleans did manage to do what it had all night long, however, moving the football down the field under the guidance of Drew Brees and allowing Martin Gramatica to come in once again to try and give the Saints the lead and possibly the win. But as fate would have it, Gramatica's 46-yard try went wide left and hope was restored in the Vikings for they now had the final shot at a game-winning score with two minutes to go.
It wasn't easy getting there though. Faced with a 3rd-and-3, Frerotte took another shot downfield for Berrian, who was bear-hugged by two Saints defenders drawing a defensive pass interference penalty that set Minnesota up at the 14 yard-line of New Orleans.
The Vikings ran the clock down and on 4th-and-8 from the 12, Ryan Longwell netted his 13th career game-winning field goal capping off another perfect night going 3-for-3, none more important than the one that gave Minnesota their second win of the 2008 season. Vikings win 30-27.
So it was a crazy game to say the least. A few things I want to knaw on before I go though.
- I am still sold on Minnesota's defense being one of the best in the league. They already have the stats to back up their claim to most opportunistic (16 turnovers returned for a touchdown and now a blocked kick returned for a touchdown). The Vikings were in this game because they were able to come up with key stops and force critical turnovers (2 INTs, 2 fumble recoveries) that kept the high-octane Saints off the score board. Antoine Winfield practically played himself into the Pro Bowl with his performance last night ( 8 tackles, 1 sack, forced fumble and recovery, blocked kick return for TD). Though Winfield has been making plays for Minnesota all year long, he got a chance to highlight his talent on the brightest stage of the week. Cedric Griffen also put on a display with 10 solo tackles including a bone crunching hit on Saints tight end Billy Miller. The good news is that Minnesota's D allows them to win games.
- Now for the bad news. Aside from a few big plays and lucky breaks, the Vikings offense did absolutely nothing and looked overmatched by the Saints defense, which isn't even that good to be honest. Peterson was held in check and the offensive line is just not getting things done up front like they were last year. The pass protection is better at times, but what happened to the NFC's best ground game and the monsters that cleared the way? If we don't start seeing more of that soon, the Vikings are gonna need more than a few big plays and luck-of-the-draw penalties to get any more wins.
It was also nice to see Bernard Berrian finally produce on offense as well. Berrian had a solid evening with six receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown. Berrians was traded from the Bears in the hopes that he could give a very thin wide receiver corp a much-needed boost and make the Vikings' passing game seem a little more threatening. Hopefully after tonight, teams will start loosening up by trying to defend the deep ball from Frerotte to Berrian, which should open the lanes for Peterson and Chestor Taylor to run through.
- And speaking of Chestor Taylor, FINALLY this coaching staff breaks from the dull and throws in a little trickery and look what happens. Taylor threw a 4-yard toss to Visanthe Shiancoe for Minnesota's first touchdown. It was the first of a few occassions where the offensive coordinators decided to break away from their standard plays that have resulted in stagnant offensive production. The other most noticeable play calls were on 3rd downs when Frerotte was called upon to take a shot down field to a streaking Berrian. It takes guts and ingenuity to make those calls and I'm glad to see this staff actually show some signs of thos qualities. ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast crew even criticized the Vikings' staff for a lack of urgency and imagination in the final minutes of the first half as they settled for a field goal when they could've taken more shots in the endzone. More imaginative play calling and more trust in the players to make plays such as Taylor's TD pass will go a long way in improving the production of this offense.
Up next for the Vikings (2-3), they return home to take on the winless Detroit Lions (0-4) in an NFC North showdown. Hopefully playing the hapless Lions will be just what the Vikings need to put together, perhaps, their first complete game and keep pace with the Packers and Bears in the early division race.
Monday, October 6, 2008
20-10 at the half
The Vikings are happy that Antoine Winfield is in their defensive backfield. Winfield, an opportunistic Viking defense, and a trick play near the goal line are the main reasons Minnesota has a 20-10 lead over the New Orleans Saints at halftime.
After New Orleans went nearly uncontested into the endzone for a quick 7-0 lead on their first posession, Minnesota struggled on their opening posession, having to punt, and it looked like the Saints were gonna walk away from this thing in a hurry. The Saints marched down the field, but were finally slowed at the 26 and Martin Gramatica went out to add to the Saints lead. However, the Vikings got penetration and blocked the kick and Winfield took it 59 yards for the touchdown to make it 7-7. It was the first blocked kick return for a touchdown in Vikings' regular season history and just the second overall.
Both teams traded field goals and then Winfied came up with another big play. Saints' QB Drew Brees dropped back to pass on a 3rd-and-5 and was blindsided by a blitzing Winfield, who took the ball right out of Brees' hands and rolled his way forward for a few yards after the fumble recovery.
Minnesota couldn't get anything going running the football though inside the red zone, so they turned to trickery to take their first lead of the game. On a 3rd and goal from the 4, Chestor Taylor took the handoff from Gus Frerotte, probably surprising everybody in the stadium. More often than not in those situations, when Taylor is in and not Adrian Peterson it is going to be a pass. Therefore, when Taylor got the ball, the Saints defense, which had been snuffing out the run since the opening kick, got a little overzealous and started to fly at Taylor hoping to stuff him behind the line. Taylor, however, reared back his arm and, to further surprise everybody and their mother, lofted a touchdown pass to Visanthe Shiancoe. Vikings lead 17-10.
Another Ryan Longwell field goal made it 20-10 at half.
The other theme of the half has been the penalties. The first was when Saints' RB Reggie Bush took a hand off around the right side, Vikings LB Chad Greenway reached out and forced a fumble that was recovered by Minnesota and then illegally advanced by one of the linemen, though it was still Minnesota's ball. The thing was that it was clearly visible on the replay that Greenway had ahold of Bush's facemask and used it to help him get ahold of Bush in order to force the fumble. Had the penalty been called it would've been Saints ball still. But the call was missed and Minnesota got the ball. And of course they could not capitalize, having to punt shortly afterward.
The other was when Adrian Peterson got one of his longest runs of the half, his helmet strap was pulled off and then he took a shot to his helmet, which was partially off his head at the time, causing him to lose the ball and the Saints recovered. The play was reviewed, however, and the ruling was that the ball was still secured in Peterson's hand when his knee touched the ground, even though it was moving, therefore it was still Minnesota's ball. The Vikings had to settle for a field goal though.
Thus far the story has been that the Vikings are capitalizing on New Orleans' mistakes. New Orleans is dominating the offensive statistics and Minnesota cannot run the ball at all, but the Vikings still lead 20-10 thanks to the efforts of their defense.
Minnesota must get the run going in th second half and they need to be better on special teams especially against the return. The Saints have been getting great starting position off of returns. If the defense can keep making plays and Minnesota can put a few more points on the board, the Vikings could be on their way to a 2-3 record.
After New Orleans went nearly uncontested into the endzone for a quick 7-0 lead on their first posession, Minnesota struggled on their opening posession, having to punt, and it looked like the Saints were gonna walk away from this thing in a hurry. The Saints marched down the field, but were finally slowed at the 26 and Martin Gramatica went out to add to the Saints lead. However, the Vikings got penetration and blocked the kick and Winfield took it 59 yards for the touchdown to make it 7-7. It was the first blocked kick return for a touchdown in Vikings' regular season history and just the second overall.
Both teams traded field goals and then Winfied came up with another big play. Saints' QB Drew Brees dropped back to pass on a 3rd-and-5 and was blindsided by a blitzing Winfield, who took the ball right out of Brees' hands and rolled his way forward for a few yards after the fumble recovery.
Minnesota couldn't get anything going running the football though inside the red zone, so they turned to trickery to take their first lead of the game. On a 3rd and goal from the 4, Chestor Taylor took the handoff from Gus Frerotte, probably surprising everybody in the stadium. More often than not in those situations, when Taylor is in and not Adrian Peterson it is going to be a pass. Therefore, when Taylor got the ball, the Saints defense, which had been snuffing out the run since the opening kick, got a little overzealous and started to fly at Taylor hoping to stuff him behind the line. Taylor, however, reared back his arm and, to further surprise everybody and their mother, lofted a touchdown pass to Visanthe Shiancoe. Vikings lead 17-10.
Another Ryan Longwell field goal made it 20-10 at half.
The other theme of the half has been the penalties. The first was when Saints' RB Reggie Bush took a hand off around the right side, Vikings LB Chad Greenway reached out and forced a fumble that was recovered by Minnesota and then illegally advanced by one of the linemen, though it was still Minnesota's ball. The thing was that it was clearly visible on the replay that Greenway had ahold of Bush's facemask and used it to help him get ahold of Bush in order to force the fumble. Had the penalty been called it would've been Saints ball still. But the call was missed and Minnesota got the ball. And of course they could not capitalize, having to punt shortly afterward.
The other was when Adrian Peterson got one of his longest runs of the half, his helmet strap was pulled off and then he took a shot to his helmet, which was partially off his head at the time, causing him to lose the ball and the Saints recovered. The play was reviewed, however, and the ruling was that the ball was still secured in Peterson's hand when his knee touched the ground, even though it was moving, therefore it was still Minnesota's ball. The Vikings had to settle for a field goal though.
Thus far the story has been that the Vikings are capitalizing on New Orleans' mistakes. New Orleans is dominating the offensive statistics and Minnesota cannot run the ball at all, but the Vikings still lead 20-10 thanks to the efforts of their defense.
Minnesota must get the run going in th second half and they need to be better on special teams especially against the return. The Saints have been getting great starting position off of returns. If the defense can keep making plays and Minnesota can put a few more points on the board, the Vikings could be on their way to a 2-3 record.
Monday Night Primetime
The Vikings are back in action on Monday Nigh Football facing the surging New Orleans Saints in a game that is almost a must-win scenario for Minnesota. The SuperDome will play host to this primetime game on ESPN and will feature two of the league's most dynamic running backs in Reggie Bush and Adrian Peterson.
The Vikings are coming off a tough 30-17 loss at the hands of a surprisingly good Tennessee Titans squad and need to get a win tonight in order to keep up with their NFC North rivals. If things keep going like they are now, chances are the only team going to the playoffs from the North will be the division champion. Green Bay lost and Chicago moved ahead of the Packers with a win, so it's imperative that the Vikings try and keep pace. However, it's not going to be easy going on the road against the Saints.
New Orleans features a revamped offense that struggled at times last year. Drew Brees is back to form and one could say that he looks like the best quarterback in the NFL right now. Brees has 1343 passing yards and eight touchdowns in this young 2008 season and a passer rating of 106.9, which is second only to Brett Favre. Minnesota's pass defense is going to have to be up to the challenge if they want to keep this game close.
The difficulty will be if Minnesota cannot stop the pass it will open things up for the Saints duo at RB in Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush. If those two can eat up yardage then it's going to be a long night for Minnesota.
The key for Minnesota's offense will be to capitalize on opportunities and not hurt themselves with penalties. Many times in the last few weeks the Vikings hurt themselves with drive-killing penalties and in close games every point matters. A penalty can be the difference between six and three or even no points on the board, and right now Minnesota needs to start putting more points on the board if they want to even get back to where they were in the middle of last season- when they won 5 in a row and looked poised for a playoff run only to fall short. The Vikings need to execute more efficiently tonight on the line. Giving Peterson more room to run and Frerotte more time to pass will go a long ways to getting this team back on track.
I'll be back with updates at the half. Right now it's game time.
The Vikings are coming off a tough 30-17 loss at the hands of a surprisingly good Tennessee Titans squad and need to get a win tonight in order to keep up with their NFC North rivals. If things keep going like they are now, chances are the only team going to the playoffs from the North will be the division champion. Green Bay lost and Chicago moved ahead of the Packers with a win, so it's imperative that the Vikings try and keep pace. However, it's not going to be easy going on the road against the Saints.
New Orleans features a revamped offense that struggled at times last year. Drew Brees is back to form and one could say that he looks like the best quarterback in the NFL right now. Brees has 1343 passing yards and eight touchdowns in this young 2008 season and a passer rating of 106.9, which is second only to Brett Favre. Minnesota's pass defense is going to have to be up to the challenge if they want to keep this game close.
The difficulty will be if Minnesota cannot stop the pass it will open things up for the Saints duo at RB in Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush. If those two can eat up yardage then it's going to be a long night for Minnesota.
The key for Minnesota's offense will be to capitalize on opportunities and not hurt themselves with penalties. Many times in the last few weeks the Vikings hurt themselves with drive-killing penalties and in close games every point matters. A penalty can be the difference between six and three or even no points on the board, and right now Minnesota needs to start putting more points on the board if they want to even get back to where they were in the middle of last season- when they won 5 in a row and looked poised for a playoff run only to fall short. The Vikings need to execute more efficiently tonight on the line. Giving Peterson more room to run and Frerotte more time to pass will go a long ways to getting this team back on track.
I'll be back with updates at the half. Right now it's game time.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
NFC North Recap- Week 4
Tampa Bay 30, Green Bay 21- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers knock off their second cosecutive NFC North opponent in the Packers. The Bucs were formerly in the same division with the Packers as part of the Central division before the divisional realignment. The Buccaneers built a 20-7 lead only to watch Green Bay comeback and take a 21-20 lead early in the 4th. However, turnovers and a stingy Buccaneer defense allowed them to make a comeback of their own as Matt Bryant's 24-yard field goal with 2:26 remaining gave the Bucs the lead again, and then Earnest Graham's 1-yard score 30 seconds later put the Bucs on top 30-21. Graham finished with 111 yards rushing on 20 carries and the TD. Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers struggled at times despite throwing two touchdowns in 14-of-27 passes for 165 yards . Rodgers also threw three critical interceptions, including one right after Tampa Bay had retaken the lead in the 4th. Green Bay was held to just 28 total yards rushing.
Next game: Atlanta (2-2) at Green Bay (2-2)
Next game: Atlanta (2-2) at Green Bay (2-2)
Chicago 24, Philadelphia 20- The Chicago Bears used a terrific goal line stand to stop the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football and be the only team in the NFC North to come out a winner in week 4. The Bears are now in a tie with Green Bay atop the division standings and will face their first divisional opponent next week in Detroit. The Bears were outgained in total offense (340-256), but were able to put points on the board and the defense was able to come through when needed. Kyle Orton went 18-of-34 passing for 199 yards 3 TDs and 2 interceptions. One of those TD passes was to Devin Hester in the 2nd quarter to give Chicago a lead they would not relinquish. After Robbie Gould's 41-yard field goal gave the Bears a 24-20 lead in the 4th, Philadelphia marched down the field from their own 24 yard-line and had 1st and goal from the 4 with 5:40 to play. The Eagles' first run gained 3 yards but, with just a yard to gain, the Bears tightened up and stuffed the Eagles' next three running plays to keep Philadelphia off the scoreboard. The Bears would eventually have to punt the ball away giving Eagles' QB Donovan McNabb one last shot at the endzone, but the pass play was snuffed out by Nathan Vasher and the Bears sealed the victory.
Next game: Chicago (2-2) at Detroit (0-3)
Detroit- Bye week. Next game vs. Chicago. The good news for Lions fans is that Detroit didn't lose this week.
What does it mean for Minnesota?- It means that Minnesota is right back where they were last year and in probably worse shape on both sides of the ball. Teams are figuring out how to stop Minnesota's ground game, and since the Vikings don't have a passing game that scares anybody folks up north are getting a little nervous about whether or not the Vikings will even make the playoffs this year. Minnesota's 30-17 loss at Tennessee drops them to 1-3 on the year. Next week they play at the New Orleans Saints (2-2), who took care of San Francisco last week. If the Vikings fall to 1-4 you can pretty much assume the Vikings will be done. Both Green Bay and Chicago have very winnable games next week and Minnesota is gonna need to start winning some games if they want to keep pace. Gus Frerotte will still be the starter at QB despite cutting his hand at the end of Sunday's loss. The defense will be in for a stern test against one of the more high-powered offenses in the NFC and if the Vikings' offense can't find ways to score more than 20 points in a game then 1-4 is looking like a very good possibility. Despite the fact that the odds are not in their favor, Sunday's game is a must win.
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