Purple Kool-Aid

It's the Playoffs - who do the Vikings want to play?

2010-01-05T22:16:00.002-06:00

There is nothing better than the NFL Playoffs. OK, so maybe the NFL Playoffs aren't quite as exciting as the Insight Bowl, but they are pretty good.

The NFL is intense for 17 weeks and then it gets taken to a whole new level. 12 teams are allowed to participate in the ultimate game of texas hold em. Now they put all of their chips into the center of the table and it's win big or go home. There may not be a team in the playoffs that is more "all in" than the Vikings. With Bret Favre, his aging arm and his cavalier attitude holding the cards what is the path of least resistance for the Vikings.

The Second Round Contestants - Philadelphia and obviously New Orleans are off the table, so that leaves Green Bay, Arizona or Dallas as potential opponents. With the way they have all been playing I'm not thrilled about any of these opponents but we can't get two week's worth of byes so let's take a look.

Arizona - anyone remember Week 13? Anyone remember the Cardinal's run through the NFC last year? Their passing attack scares me and while I believe they are beatable in the Dome, I'd rather not see it.

Green Bay - I've never bought into the adage that it's tough to beat a team three times in the same season. I believe if you go 2-0 against a team you did it for a reason, you're better than they are. I think we can beat them but I'll wait until the NFC Championship game.

Dallas - I know they are incredibly hot and probably the most dangerous team of the wild card weekend. But this is the team I want to play. Mostly it is for the big picture. I think New Orleans would be ready for the Cowboys this time around and I don't want a home game for the NFC Championship game. I want to face the Cowboys and I want the Packers to beat Arizona and then handle the Saints. This is our best shot at hosting the NFC title game. We play great at home.

Bring on whoever but I think I'd prefer to see the Cowboys.

Fire Brad Childress and best available NFL Head Coches

2008-09-16T10:10:00.007-05:00

I have not been updating due to lack of time but I wanted to get the list started of potential replacements for Brad the red hot Childress pepper. Gonzo, over at The Daily Norseman has written his open letter to BTRHCP ripping his Kick Ass Offense and pleading with him to get this coaching thing figured out (or better yet, get out).

And that's why I, alone in my thought process though I may be, refuse to throw Tarvaris Jackson under the proverbial bus at this point in time. It's clear that Jackson has talent. . .he's mobile, he's got a strong arm, and he appears to be a relatively bright guy. All of that stuff leads me to ask myself how much better he could be if he wasn't hamstrung by one of the most inept offenses I've ever had the displeasure to witness. Let the guy loose and let him make plays. We heard all off-season about his improvement and his progress. . .let him prove it on the field.
Don't get me wrong, Mr. Childress. . .I love my team. I always have. It's been a 25-year love affair with myself and the Minnesota Vikings, and even your ineptitude isn't going to be enough to change that. Therein lies the only small joy that I can derive from this. Either things will change and the team will get things turned around. . .or you'll continue to waste the immense talent that you've been surrounded with over your time in Minnesota, and you'll be standing in the unemployment line shortly after Week 17. In any event, it's a win-win situation for the Minnesota Vikings and their fans.

Mike Tice was fired by Zygi Wilf, and he accomplished far, far more with far, far less than you've been given in your time as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. At this point, I would be more than happy to welcome ol' Meathead and his pencil back to the Minnesota sidelines in your stead.

Gonzo is absolutely correct in his assesment. Tice accomplished more with less. Jackson has been bad but he really hasn't been given an opportunity to succeed because the playcalling has been painfuly vanilla (not to mention his bandaid for an offensive line).

I have always been very patient with the head coaches of my favorite teams. I am usually the last to jump on the fire (Tice, Mason, Monson) bandwagon. But as of today, 9/16/08, I am officially ready for a new head coach. It was a good run for Childress and I appreciate how he has brought a culture of accountability to the team. I wish him the best but hopefully he won't end up in a drug treatment program.

The Vikings are not perfect but show me an NFL who hasn't received a negative headline. At the very least we are no longer the poster child for out of control NFL players. But that isn't winning football games.

We have a dominant defense and arguably the best running back in the NFL. The more time we waste with Childress the faster this window closes. Bring in someone new, now. There is still plenty of season left and most importantly plenty of time to establish himself and let the current veterans know that they are going to win and they'll do it in Minnesota. If Brad is the head coach heading into 2009 you will see many of the defensive veterans jump ship to a contender because they know they are wasting their time here.

The problem is I wouldn't want to waste 2008 by dumping Childress, letting Leslie Frazier play interim then going through a drawn out search in the offseason. If we can't upgrade now, then stick with status quo. But here are a few guys who I think would be an instant upgrade who are also long term solutions.

1. Brian Billick
Status - available now, working for FOX
Resume - won a Superbowl with dominant defense, power run game and an average QB

I would be thrilled to see Billick walk through the doors of Winter Park. He is tough, he is smart and he has won. Billick was known as an offensive guru who struggled to put together a great offense to match his great defenses in Baltimore. But he was able to get it together enough with Trent Dilfer and Jamal Lewis to win a Super Bowl in 2000. Obviously he has the blueprint to win with the current Vikings roster. This is a no brainer in my opinion and would be a slam dunk. Billick was the mastermind behind the 1998 offense which is the second most prolific in NFL history. The 2008 Vikings will never be confused with that offense, but imagine Jackson and Peterson in an offense with some creativity where they will actually call plays to take advantages of mismatches with the defense. These guys are like loose diamonds. In the right setting they'll be fantastic!

This would send a message to the fan base and your current group of veterans that you are serious about winning and winning now. Mr. Wilf has opened his checkbook to bring in the necessary parts but his mechanic can't put them together so it works.

2. Marty Schottenheimer
Status - available now, working for ESPN
Resume - racks up wins and more wins, knows how to utilize the run game to the max

Marty would also be a great hire. I know he "can't get to the Super Bowl" but in 21 seasons as a head coach he has had just two losing seasons and a .613 win %. Schottenheimer also knows a thing or two about winning with a dominant rushing offense and a great defense. He knows how to win. You can give me the argument that he is incapable of winning in the playoffs. But I'll counter by saying I think Childress is incapable of getting us to the playoffs. Let's worry about getting to the Super Bowl after we win a division and make the playoffs. The lack of a Super Bowl after dominating several regular season is the reason I put Marty second to Billick, but why not give the guy who can't win the big one a chance with the team known for not being able to win the big one. Maybe in some crazy chaos theory we can prove that this equation would equate to a Super Bowl.

One concern with hiring Schottenheimer is that he will be 65 years old in a week. But he does have a strong set of coaching connections that could provide a smooth transition when he is done as the Vikings one and only Super Bowl winning coach.

3. Bill Cowher
Status - available now, working for CBS
Resume - Super Bowl Champ, understands power running game

Cowher is young, he is as tough as they come and he'll get this team motivated to win immediately. Does anyone reading this doubt that Cowher could win with the 2008 Vikings roster? He did step down and one could question whether or not he wants to coach again. But maybe challenge of bringing Minnesota their first championship would be a worthy goal to step back onto the sidelines. Again, he is a coach who has won with defense and a power running game. He isn't going to have to reinvent himself to win with this roster and he could have immediate success. I'm not sure what Cowher would do for the develpment of Jackson but I'm certain he could get this offense into the end zone without the help of the Kick Ass Offense.

----------

There you have three outstanding choices for head coach who have a history of winning in the NFL. This list will grow as guys like Herm Edwards lose their job. If I told you that you could instantly upgrade at QB, we'd all be for it. I am telling you that you can instantly upgrade your head coach, I encourage Mr. Wilf to do so. I realize that this would have a negative affect on the 2008 season. There would be some major adjustments, changing the playbook, current coaches looking for jobs while still trying to coach the Vikes. But if you take a look ahead there is a very strong chance that we will be sitting at 0-5 or 1-4 through five games. The schedule then lightens up and includes a bye week over the next 12 weeks. Things are going to continue as they do now with a boring and unproductive offense that loses close games. Why not shake things up now, maybe we lose the next couple weeks because of adjustments but I guarantee you final 10/11 weeks you will see a different team on the field.

Ziggy can wait and let this play out. But deep down we all know how this season is going to play out. We will limp into the bye week with two or three wins at best. We will surge for a few weeks and get back into the playoff conversation only to lose a key game or two down the stretch and miss the playoffs.

Don't wait till the offseason when we are competing for Billick, Schottenheimer or Cowher and your vets have already packed their bags. Pull the trigger now and do what is best for this team now AND the future. Firing Childress two weeks into the season may seem rash and may tank the 2008 season. But with Childress wearing the headset we all know this team is looking at finishing somewhere between epic underachievers and just good enough to get an mid-round draft pick. The only thing worse than firing Brad Childress after 34 career games is letting him coach a 35th.

Love to hear it...

2008-08-13T08:35:00.002-05:00

I have no problem a little trash talking. Many players and teams are too afraid to ruffle feathers or on the other side of the spectrum are so freaking sensitive (ooohhh, they said they are going to beat us, they give us no respect, booohoooo).

But the Vikings defensive line isn't shying away from giving the Packers some locker room material.

Pat Williams - “Damn, that’s their problem,” Williams said. “They’re going through all that as a team, trying to figure out if Favre or [Aaron] Rodgers was the man, while we’ve got the same team we had all offseason. I’m glad they got all that darn press, ‘cause when we go down there it’ll be the kid’s first start and his first damn loss.”

Jared Allen - "Hopefully, I can put my helmet square in the back of [Rodgers’] spine,” Allen said. “If I can do that and knock the ball loose, it’ll be a good day.”

Handing Rogers his first NFL loss and interceptions one, two and three on his way to catching Favre's record, now that would be a good day.

Hitler is tired of Brett Favre Saga

2008-08-04T14:18:00.002-05:00

Personally, I still love this whole drama. It is a Win, Win, Win for Vikings fans.

WIN #1 - Favre ends up in purple.

I know this is considered a loss by many, but if you are able to step back at all and look at this objectively, there can be no doubt Brett Favre gives us a better chance to win more games than Jackson. I'll enjoy watching Jackson this year and am intrigued by what he brings, but if Favre actually gives us a shot at the Super Bowl I'll take that 100 out of 100 times. Not wanting Favre because we hate him is childish. You think Green Bay fans would have rejected Randy Moss because he torched the Pack on several occasions and mooned them in a playoff game? No, because when sober they understand how much he can help their football team. It is all about winning and if you hate Green Bay, watching Favre beat his hold team (TWICE) would be so much fun to watch.

WIN #2 - Favre stays in Green Bay as Roger's backup

This is going to be a total circus in Green Bay and is guaranteed to divide their fan base and more importantly their locker room. Favre in Green Bay has high potential to fracture their season.

WIN #3 - Favre is the starter in Green Bay

They'll win more games, but I would bet a fair amount that Favre starting right away will push Rogers over the edge and he'll get out of town ASAP. So 2008 may be good for Green Bay but with Rogers gone their 2009 QB situation is VERY bleak.

Anyway, the point of hte post is the video below. This Hitler clip has been used an awful lot for humor purposes and this one is relevant. Enjoy...

Let's take some weight off Jackson's shoulders.

2008-08-01T09:16:00.000-05:00

(ed note: I know this blog is often difficult to gauge the level of sarcasm and realness. My most recent post was clearly tongue in cheek, while the post you are about to read is meant to be serious)

The national consensus is that the Vikings will only be as good as their marginally mediocre quarterback will take them. While there is clearly some truth to this theory I don't think the equation is as simple as if Jackson has a good year we are going to the Super Bowl. There are so many other questions that this team has to answer. The did a phenomenal job in the offseason trying to answer these questions but they will remain questions until they are actually answered.

I am looking forward to this season as much as anyone, but there was more to an 8-8 season than just Tarvaris Jackson.

First of all it should be noted that Jackson was 8-2 as a starter in 2007. He was not very good last year finishing right behind Cleo Lemon in QB Rating and had a higher interception % than Rex Grossman. His numbers were bad yet he was 8-2 as a starter. An .800 win% is clearly misleading but on the surface it does give the impression that he can be average and we can still win.

Jackson improving dramatically and becoming the leader in the huddle is important but I'm here to argue it is not the only question this team still has to answer before we can book our rooms in Tampa.

1. We are the reigning NFL's worst pass defense (2 years running). Are we going to be able to stop the pass?

We added arguably the league's best pass rusher to speed up the decision making of opposing quarterbacks (too bad we can't play Eli every week). We also added a safety known for coverage skills. But is this enough? Four of our first six games are against teams who pass the ball well.

@ Green Bay - 2nd in NFL in passing (although Favre leaving may help)
Indianapolis - 6th in NFL
@ New Orleans - 3rd in NFL
Detroit - 9th in NFL

If these games turn into shootouts our passing game won't be able to keep up no matter how well Jackson plays. And all signs point to Dallas being the NFC team to beat, if we can't slow down the Romo/Owens train we don't stand a chance.

2. Our offensive line has little depth, especially if McKinnie is suspended. Is our offensive line good enough?

Is anyone convinced that Ryan Cook and Anthony Herrera are good enough to hold down the right side of the line? Hutchinson is great and I believe that Birk will regain his Pro Bowl form. Herrera is getting some hype locally as a more than adequate RG, but our tackle situation concerns me. Cook has yet to show he is a capable RT and McKinnie is his own mountain of question marks. IF he is suspended then we get to see Chase Johnson move from backup LT to starting (props to anyone who can tell me anything about Johnson off the top of their head).

Even if McKinnie is allowed to play 16 games, for my money he is one of the most overrated LT in the game. I was not shocked to hear that Jared Allen was able to speed rush McKinnie and get around the corner with some ease. With no depth and no experienced RT, is anyone else concerned about the offensive line? It is good but there are some concerns and unanswered questions.

3. Even if Jackson makes better decisions and develops as we hope he will, do we have the receivers for our passing game to be a threat?

Bernard Berrian was added in the offseason and it was a good move by the organization to get the best available receiver to strengthen a weakness. But we still don't have an established #1 WR and we don't even have a proven "good" #2. We are excited about Rice's potential and Berrian has speed to get behind the defense, but nothing is a given with these guys. If they are unable to get open for Jackson or have trouble hanging on to the ball, it won't matter how accurate TJax is.

4. Injuries can derail a season faster than Peterson will get to 2,000 yards. But if Purple Jesus gets injured can this team be considered more than a wild card team?

This offense becomes very average and Chris Kluwe quickly becomes the most important player not on defense if Peterson goes down for any extended period of time. I don't want to dwell on this because I'll have nightmares tonight, but injuries have been in his history. Chester is a great backup and we'll continue on the same path but that would put a Super Bowl hopes in serious jeopardy.

I never want to be the negative nancy of the group, so let me put a positive spin on this. We can win with Jackson and we can win if Jackson is only average. The point is he is not the ONLY question mark we have. Everyone seems to assume we have everything else answered outside of our quarterback. If we don't stop the pass and if our offensive line struggles, it won't matter how good Jackson is.

This has the potential to be an historic season for the Vikings and I can't wait to go for a ride on the bandwagon. I am excited about the new additions and I have downed enough Kool-Aid to think Jackson will surpass everyone's expectations. But I cringe when the entire season is put on his shoulders. Maybe I'm wrong (it's happened before), but this team is not guaranteed of anything and has more to prove than just QB play.

Spoiler Alert - 2008 Vikings Season

2008-07-28T09:31:00.001-05:00

Before training camp officially gets going let me go game by game and lay out for you how the season will play out for the Vikes.

Week 1 - @Green Bay - the emotional retiring of Brett Favre's jersey will be short lived. After Aaron Rogers throws three first half interceptions and completes just 2 other passes for 7 yards, they will take down #4 and he'll enter the game for the second half. Favre will make it close but the Vikings win. Also, it's a little known fact that Brad the Red Hot Childress Pepper is 4-0 when he has 2 weeks or more to prepare for a game.

Vikings 1-0

Week 2 - Indianapolis - not even I can foresee a win here. This team is very capable of beating Indy at home, but allow me to be realistic for a moment. Manning lights up the secondary, everyone believes this year will be more of the same and the bandwagon gets light. Peterson is the key to this game. Should he get some holes and run for 175, then there is no reason we can't win this. But we will be underdogs in our home opener.

Vikings 1-1

Week 3 - Carolina - The Panthers will get about 18 yards rushing and if we can slow down Steve Smith we win this one. But their run game is weak, their OLine is bad and their QB is average. Carolina's D is solid as their LBs and Secondary are top 10 in the league, plus you have Julius Peppers on the line. This will be a good test for Jackson to show he can play at this level and lead us to a win.

Vikings 2-1

Week 4 - @Tennessee - Vince Young's are the only thing that worry me here. Tennessee finished hot last year winning 4 of their last 5 before losing to San Diego in the playoffs. While they probably should, the really don't scare me. Behind a great defensive line are solid but not great second level defenders. This again will be a game for Jackson to show he is worth Childress's faith.

Vikings 3-1

Week 5 - @New Orleans - If the Saint's offense is clicking this will be a high scoring affair. New Orleans is a bottom 10 defense imo even with Jonothan Vilma being added. This will be the best chance for the Vikings offense to show some success. After this game I think we can adequately evaluate where Jackson is. So much of the spotlight is on Jackson and he'll be unfairly judged immediately. But I am a patient person, I encourage both of my readers to wait till now before we judge him. Anyway, Vikings win this road game and hurt Reggie Bush in the process.

Vikings 4-1

Week 6 - Detroit - Worst defense in the league last year and second worst running game. Kitna will be throwing to a great receiving corp, but we should be better defending the pass. This will be the first cushioned win of the season. We win and we win big.

Vikings 5-1

Week 7 - @Chicago - heading into the bye on the divisional road. The problem here will be us scoring then having to kick off. It will go something like Vikings +7, Hester scores on ensuing kick off (EVEN). Vikings score (+7), Hester returns kick off (EVEN). Vikings score (+7), Hester pulls a hammy and we go on to win by 28.

Vikings 6-1

Week 8 - BYE - time for a well deserved rest as we push for home field.

Week 9 - Houston - guaranteed win based on when you give BtRHCP two weeks he will put together an unbeatable game plan. Houston in the Dome doesn't really scare me, they were OK last year and didn't do anything to improve this offseason. Defense was bottom third, team was last in very tough division and they will likely remain there. This is a W.

Vikings 7-1

Week 10 - Green Bay - should be a challenging home game, but remember Brett Favre in his early years playing at the Dome? Expect that from Aaron Rogers. My personal prediction is that Favre is starting this game (for the Packers, NOT the Vikings) but the purple momentum is just too much to stop at this point.

Vikings 8-1

Week 11 - @Tampa Bay - Our first road game in a month and it is against a 2007 playoff team. But the Buccanneers were fortunate last year and will be one of the bigger NFC flops this year. The Tampa defense will provide a unique challenge as I think they match up very well against the Vikings. They have a solid LB corp which will challenge our run game, and they led the NFL in pass defense last year. But nothing about their offense scares me and the Vikes will win a low scoring game.

Vikings 9-1

Week 12 - @Jacksonville - This will be out most difficult game of the year. Both teams sport a top 10 defense and a very good running game. Our running game might be better but their offense is more experienced as a whole. Their offseason addition of Troy Williamson should be enough for me to pick the Vikings but I just don't see a W here.

Vikings 9-2

Week 13 - Chicago - back at home and taking on the Bears. By this game Caleb Hanie will probably be starting under center and handing off to Garrett Wolfe. This begins a nice portion of the schedule that should allow us to rattle off a few wins. The Bears are hard to figure this year but this should be a nice game to come home to and we pull this one off on national TV.

Vikings 10-2

Week 14 - @Detroit - see, I told you this was a nice little stretch in the schedule. I never have any respect for Detroit. Last year in Detroit they needed four INTs and a missed FG to beat us in OT. Even if they have delusions of a winning season, the Vikes will stomp at that dream this week.

Vikings 11-2

Week 15 - @Arizona - The Cardinal wide receives do scare me. But their OL, RB and QB do not. This game will be a Jared Allen special. Don't even worry about the run and just get to the QB on every play. Assuming some heat on whoever is QBing for Arizona the Vikings win this road game. It isn't very often we get a trip to the desert in December, so the team will be in great spirits and ready to roll.

Vikings 12-2

Week 16 - Atlanta - another team that is a mess and will be more of one in week 16. Nothing about Atlanta scares me. Peterson got his first NFL TD against the Falcons and he'll get 2 or 3 more here. I hope we win this game by 64 points. I still hate the Falcons and any retribution (no matter how meaningless) makes me feel better.

Vikings 13-2

Week 17 - New York Giants - We will even rest our starters and win this game at home. Eli Manning has always been our bitch and will continue to be so. The Giants will be fighting for a final playoff spot this week but they will be no match for the Vikings D as we do what we can to keep momentum going into the post season.

Vikings 14-2

I know that 14-2 is a little conservative and leaves room for the Cowboys to sneak into homefield, but as you know I look at every game with an unbiased eye and am compelled to give my honest evaluation.

To Favre or Not to Favre - that is the question

2008-07-11T15:30:00.003-05:00

For those of you who check in for my daily postings you may have noticed that I have yet to comment on the Favre Saga. I have gone around on this issue and had landed squarely on it will never happen. But the news today of Favre forcing the Packers to make a decision by requesting an unconditional release.

This is a brilliant saga to watch unfold. The Packers are sitting in an absolute lose-lose situation. That, first and foremost is what I enjoy seeing the most. Best case scenario they release Favre and he has a better season than Aaron Rogers with any team. Packers' front office looks terrible. Worst case they keep Favre have a mildly successful season but miss the Super Bowl. Another year of stunting Rogers' growth and there is every reason to believe he would force the Packers to make a move with him.

While I want to see the demise of the Packers, I'm more concerned about the success of the Vikings. So what does this mean for the Purple.

When news first surface that Favre was possibly rumored to potentially think about maybe coming out of retirement I wasn't too interested. Quickly Peter King thought it would make sense for Favre to wear Purple, then I was intrigued but not interested. Not only was I not interested but my initial reaction was that we don't want him and I convinced myself we also don't need him.

The more I sit on this and the more it becomes a possibility that he could end up playing 8+ games in the Dome, the more I am coming around on this.

FIRST and foremost, the chances of Favre wearing purple in Week 1 are thin for a myriad of reasons.

1 - The Packers just cannot let that happen. It would be bad if Favre left and went to the Super Bowl with Tampa Bay. But if he takes the Vikings, a division rival, to the Super Bowl it would be incredibly embarrassing and people might lose their jobs in Green Bay.

2 - I really believe that Brad Childress would not want him.

2A - Jackson is Childress' guy. He has put his reputation on him and I get the feeling he wants to prove that he was right.
2B - Favre takes a lot of chances his QB style is exactly what Childress is trying to teach TJax NOT to do.
2C - Chilli is big on what message is he sending. And the message he is sending to "his guy" is that you are not good enough to get it done.

3 - Who knows if Brett wants to be here. He has been around long enough to know what playing for a team like Minnesota or Chicago would do to his reputation and legacy.

So I really will be SHOCKED if Favre becomes a Viking. I think he wants the Pack to bring him back and this is his way to force that issue.

But knowing it is a much longer shot than your national pundits are making it out to be, lets discuss Brett Favre as a Viking. In the last 24 hours I have changed my position. I want to see Favre in purple.

IF you have a problem with this because we hate the Packers and we hate Brett Favre. How can we want to see the face of our most hated rival on our team? To this I have to say GET OVER IT. If (and I think this is a big IF) Favre can lead our team to the Super Bowl it would mean nothing less to me. If you honestly believe that you would enjoy it less, you are absolutely kidding yourself.

IF you are OK with Favre but you think, we could have a long term future with Jackson. Wouldn't this one year experiment stunt his growth and shatter his confidence? I like TJax and I can buy this argument, but it has two fatal flaws.

Jackson has done nothing to prove that he has a long term future in this league. We are excited about his potential based on two quarters at Denver and the information being disseminated to us out of Winter Park this offseason. Maybe he is more confident and maybe he's ready to take the next step, but MAYBE HE'S NOT. The likelihood of him throwing more INTs than TDs is just as likely (probably more) than him having a monster turnaround. I am excited for Jackson's future, I really am, but Favre is a much more quantifiable entity and you are kidding yourself if don't think he gives us a better chance to win NOW.
This is a win now league. And as I just stated above Favre gives us a better chance to win NOW.

IF Jackson were more of a sure thing then you don't sacrifice his future for a 1 year window with Favre, but Jackson might be the one piece that keeps us from the Super Bowl this year. I like his future but you have to roll the dice with Favre.

IF Favre is out there we can't let him go elsewhere. Don't let him go to Chicago. Don't let him go to Tampa. Letting him go elsewhere and succeed would be a massive swing and miss.

IF, IF, IF Favre gets his unconditional release the Vikings absolutely have to do what it takes to get him on their roster. John David Booty will have to give up his jersey and then we can all book our hotels in Tampa.

Finally, this needs to be done because as much as some of us may not want to see Favre in purple, what this would do to Packer fans is indescribable. They would put on a brave front and try to spin this somehow. But their team was 13-3 a year ago, went to the NFC Championship game, LET BRETT FAVRE GO and he wins it all with their rival. They can spin that however they want, but Favre finally gets to a team good enough to win the Super Bowl cause the 2008 Packers are not good enough to get it done!

Duante Culpepper's Summer To Do List...

2008-07-01T11:31:00.007-05:00

1 - Turn down a 1 yr, $1,000,000 offer to play for the Packers

2 - Set a World Record on Madden 2002 (yes, that is the one on which Culpepper graced the cover)

3 - Call up my buddy Smoot to go boating on the lake sometime! (waiting for a call back)

4 - Try to find a job. (eh, he's still got time to work this one out, what's the hurry?)

Dr. Z Drinks the Kool-Aid

2008-06-20T15:36:00.000-05:00

Clearly the most brilliant NFL mind amounst the nation media Dr. Z (of Sports Illustrated) is obviously drunk on the Purple Kool Aid and has picked the Vikings to win the Super Bowl.

Why would he pick the Vikings who have been a playoff team once in the last seven year?

1 - They run the ball, they stop the run.

"Their middle triangle of tackles Kevin and Pat Williams, backed up by E.J. Henderson, is classic, and now there's a serious element added to that mix."

The serious element he refers to is Jared Allen.

2 - Improved pass defense.

Pass rush begets pass defense, which begets better statistics than the Vikings had last year, one of their big failings. They finished last in yards allowed. Where's the fix there? Madieu Williams, an active free safety for the Bengals last year. Charlie Gordon, a good, quick, free-agent cornerback.

3 - Some sophomore running back named Adrian Peterson

I get the feeling that I haven't convinced anybody yet. How about the league's flashiest runner in '07, Adrian Peterson, working behind, arguably, the best run blocking left side of the line in the NFL, Bryant McKinnie and Steve Hutchinson?

4-Basically a gut feeling...

Well, could this be the year that Tarvaris Jackson takes the Vikings the whole way, under a coach who can do everything for the position except throw the ball? I kind of think so. There's a storybook angle here, older coach, young quarterback, as the troops rally round.

So en fin, do I like the Vikings to go all the way? Well, yeah, why not? A feeling of destiny, that's what I sense about Brad Childress and his baby quarterback.

I'll be honest with you here. I drink more Kool Aid than anyone I know. I have this dangling dream that this will be a special year for the Vikings. But not even I am willing to...

What the hell,

I couldn't agree more. Dominant Defense, Best Running Back ever to hit the field and a QB who will shock the world. All of that equals the first of many Super Championships for Brad Childress and his Minnesota Vikings!

This year is going to be FUN.

Did we give up too much for Allen?

2008-04-24T15:52:00.003-05:00

If you look at the 2007 draft here is "who" we gave up for Jared Allen.

#17 - DE - Jarvis Moss (Den) - finished season with 12 tackles and 1.0 sack
#73 - WR - Jacoby Jones (Hou) - 15 receptions, 149 yds and 0 TDs
#82 - DT - DeMarcus Tyler (KC) - 11 tackles and 0.0 sacks

Grand total? 23 tackles, 1.0 sack, 15 receptions and 0 TDs. Still think we gave up too much for Jared Allen?

Lets look at the 2006 Draft just for fun...

#17 - LB - Chad Greenway (Min) - Greenway missed his rookie season with an injury but had a very productive second season as we all know. 105 tackles, 2 INTs and 1 TD
#73 - DT - Dusty Dvoracek (Chi) - two career tackles in one game played, missed basically all of 2007 with injury.
#82 - WR - Derek Hagan (Mia) - career stats of 50 receptions, 594 yds and 3 TDs.

Even if you take the 2006 draft group which includes a decent WR and a good LB, still think we gave up too much for Allen?

Draft Specuation

2008-04-24T13:03:00.002-05:00

So we only get one pick in the first 116 selections this weekend. But as we are wont to do here, instead of focusing on our lack of selections (which were mortgaged for Jared Allen), we will choose to focus on that one pick.

Heading into the offseason here was our list of needs...

~~Pass Rushing DE~~ - we brought home the league's leader in sacks from 2008.
~~Wide Receiver help~~ - although Bernard Berrian isn't in that upper echelon of WRs around the league he is a significant upgrade and was the best available.
Offensive Tackle - undone - Ryan Cook was not ideal at RT last year and there is a chance Bryant McKinnie will miss some games this year due to being an idiot. This needs to be addressed in the draft.
~~Safety~~ - Sharper is aging and Dwight Smith is now available to have sex wherever he wants. So we made two moves to give us depth at S. Madieu Williams should improve our pass coverage and is a nice upgrade. Michael Boulware was also added for depth.
Tight End - undone - to date Shiancoe has been a bust. One would think that with a rookie QB in a west coast offense the TE would end up with more than 27 catches and 1 TD. Maybe in a Kick Ass Offense the TE isn't as productive as a true WC Off. This should be addressed in the draft.
QB Depth - there is no question that Jackson will be the starter (for better or worse). Gus Ferrote was signed to back him up but that doesn't exactly help me sleep at night. I'd like to see another QB drafted.

This team isn't perfect by any stretch and there are other minor holes to fill but those are the top 6 my my count. I love that the organization actually proactively tried to answer their most glaring needs. Allen, Berrian and Williams may not be the answers but they are good faith efforts to fill their needs as best as they could.

How do we handle the rest? To start with I think we can make a good run at covering these hole with our second round pick. Of course every round gives you diminishing chance of return on your pick. But positions such as OL, TE and WR often still have valuable players left in the second round.

Here is my top 5 desired picks for Saturday...

TE - Fred Davis - USC kid who is the second best TE in the draft. Davis is capable of playing right away and being a threat in the passing game.
OT - Duane Brown - Virginia Tech underclassman who ESPN actually projects the Vikings will take. If McKinnie plays and Cook is capable, this would be a great pick as a future OT given a year or two to develop. He began his collegiate career as a TE and then grew to 315 lb. tackle.
QB - Chad Henne, Joe Flacco or Brian Brohm - all three are projected to go in the second round but before Minnesota picks. If any of them fall I have no problem drafting any of them.
WR - James Hardy, Early Doucet, Jordy Nelson or Andre Caldwell - if we take a second round WR these would be my top targets. I am not on the Mario Manningham bandwagon so I do not want him if he falls to us. All four guys above have their own issues but I'd take my chances here.
TE - John Carlson - third best TE available. The kid from Litchfield who left us for Notre Dame had a good career capped with a disappointing senior season. Carlson is big and athletic. ESPN projects him to go to Green Bay with the 56th overall selection. It might be a reach at 47, but if all above players are gone I'd be comfortable with this one

There you have it folks. Our first round pick has been decided and now the only intrigue for this weekend is what we will do with pick #47.

Jared Allen heading to Tampa Bay!

2008-04-22T22:51:00.003-05:00

But he'll be wearing Purple as he leads the Vikings into the Super Bowl on 02-01-09!

Apparently the Vikes and Chefs have come to an agreement. And apparently the Vikes and Allen have come to an agreement. No terms have been disclosed but the two scenarios are...

The Chefs accepted our original 1st and 3rd offer.
or
We caved and chipped in next year's 2nd round.

If it is the former then I love the move. If it is the latter then I love the move as it will be the last pick of the second round!

Drink the Kool Aid folks.

We don't have our #17 pick so draft intrigue will be at a minimum, but this offeseason we addressed what were our three biggest areas of need.

Defensive End - we add the reigning sack leader
Wide Receiver - we add the best free agent available
Safety - we bring in a safety who should improve our coverage

What we still need to address...
Right Tackle - Ryan Cook is not the answer
Quarterback - a back up is needed

depth all around but nothing pressing.

Jared Allen + Draft week = head exploding!

2008-04-21T20:54:00.001-05:00

I (like many ESPN watching freaks my age) love the NFL Draft. Mock drafts are like crack, I can't get enough of them. But THIS year we basically have the whole Jared Allen intrigue rolled into draft week. There are just so many thoughts on this week that my head is about to explode!

First of all lets not get caught up in whole 'keeping him in town until he signs' fascination. Obviously he has left town after touring the best steak houses in town. But this isn't a straight up free agent signing. Were is as simple as signing Allen to a fat contract I have no doubt it would be finished by now. BUT we have to compensate the Chefs as well. And there was no way they were going to let him sign and make a deal with Minnesota before they use Tampa as leverage to get a better deal. In order to get a deal done this past weekend would essentially would have had to pay Allen the money he so richly ~~deserves~~ wants, AND give Kansas City their asking price. To have him signed as of today we would have had no leverage and would have overpaid what we are already going to overpay.

We should still be in good shape though. Ever team in the League values draft picks (Mike Ditka being the lone exception but he's at ESPN now). Every team values draft picks and we are in a much better position to give up picks than Tampa Bay is. As you can see in the technical chart below our first round pick is 3 spots higher and then our 2nd and 3rd round selections are 10 spots higher. So by this I deduct that in order for Tampa to land Allen they will have to overpay what Minnesota is willing to pay. So let's say we are offering our 1st and 2nd round picks, both in this year's draft. Then Tampa will have to offer this year's 1st and next year's 1st, or this year's 1st & 2nd and another pick. But then they are giving up three of their five picks in this year's draft.

It is complicated but the facts are these...

In every round we have the higher selection.
They have five total picks we have nine.
We have two in the third round.

The Tampa Tribune is awfully pessimistic about their chances.

Tampa		Minnesota
20	1st Rnd	17
57	2nd Rnd	47
83	3rd Rnd	73
-	3rd Rnd	82
120	4th Rnd	117

Another facet of this whole Jared Allen thing that is getting blown way out of proportion is his DUI issues. I agree that if he were to get caught again it would be a year lost and would make this potential deal look really, really bad for the Vikings. I understand there is a risk involved but what bothers me is the notion that because Childress is instituting his "culture of accountability" we should just steer clear of Allen. The CofA doesn't mean we only bring in choir boys. If Allen has truly quit drinking and is a better citizen then there is no reason we shouldn't be able to sign him. Chris Carter was a drunk and a menace to Philadelphia. But he turned his life around and was a model citizen in Minnesota (although completely arrogant). The CofA means that if he screws up he has to be held accountable, it does not mean we judge and assume guilt.

With all of that said it is time to play the waiting game.

The closer we get to the Vikings being on the clock at #17 the better for us. Kansas City knows that they will not see Allen play another snap for the Chefs. They want picks, they want them this year and they want them badly. I see three waiting game scenarios and they are all best for Minnesota...

Pick #17 comes around and Minnesota is set to make their selection. At this point Kansas City can make a deal with us or take a lesser deal with Tampa. If they continue to play hardball, we make our pick and go into next year with a good chance of making the playoffs with current roster. Not ideal for us but we save money, we save our picks and we are still an 8-8 team looking to improve in 2008.
Nothing happens during the draft, we sign him to an offer sheet following the draft, Kansas City doesn't match and we sign him forfeiting our 1st round selections in 2009 and 2010. In this scenario we lose two 1st round picks, but we pick up a dominant DE, pick up nine rookies in this year's draft and head into 2008 as a favorite to win the division and push for the NFC.
Nothing happens, Allen is still a Chef for 2008 as their franchise player. Under this scenario we keep all draft picks and have a great shot at signing Allen next offseason. This doesn't do much for us in 2008 but 2009 would be a very interesting season. I assume this scenario has very tiny legs as the likelihood of Allen staying a Chef are slim to none.

Considering there are few teams involved in discussions for Allen and we seem to have a sweeter deal to offer than Tampa, things are looking good for Minnesota. My best guess is that a deal is made Saturday. In fact Minnesota will sit tight and see how long Derrick Harvey falls in the draft. If he were to fall to #17 then our position only gets stronger. Once he gets selected I see us pulling the trigger.

Jared Allen to the Vikings (?)

2008-04-17T20:25:00.001-05:00

Rumors are heating up that Minnesota is in negotiations with Kansas City for the NFL's reigning sack leader, Jared Allen.

This seems like a perfect match. The Chiefs are in rebuilding mode, need draft picks to build the franchise and are not willing to hamper their future ability to sign players by paying Allen a monster contract now. The Vikings are in a very winable division, have a desperate need for sacks, have the pieces necessary to make this trade happen and have the cap room to pay Allen top dollar.

The Giants proved how important an effective pass rush is in the last third of the season. Minnesota has a solid group of quality players on defense but have trouble putting pressure on the QB without blitzhing. All of the names thrown out there as potential pass rushing specialists to debut in Purple next fall this is far and away a bigger marque name than Justin Smith, Antwan Odom, Jevon Kearse, Derrick Harvey or Phillip Merling.

The only move that would rival this would be moving up in the draft to take Chris Long or Vernon Gohlston. I think Allen would be more productive, but either of the rookie's would be a cheaper option with a ton of upside. While that move would rival this, it would not be as effective or give us the most bang for the 2008 season.

On his own Smith had more sacks than the entire Vikings starting defensive line last season (Williams, Williams, Udeze and Edwards).

It appears as though this trade would require a first round pick and then either a second or a third round pick (depending on what year KC gets our first round pick). If we give up next week's #17 pick then we would likely keep our 2nd, but if we give up next year's first rounder then we'd likely have to drop a second rounder as well. Something like that, the deal is far from complete but that is a general guideline.

I think if you can make this deal you do it! BUT, with all of that said, how much actual impact on the W/L columns would Allen have?

I know that addition of someone who potentially adds 10+ sacks and many more QB pressures, would allow this team to resemble a pass defense. But this defense was already a feared defense that kept the team in position to win nearly every game they played. It was last in the league against the pass but it dominated the league in rush defense and it was 6th in the NFC in points allowed (allowing 1 fewer point per game than 2006!).

What I'm getting at is, there is so much emphasis on the team adding a pass rushing defensive end for what? To reduce the passing yardage allowed? To give up fewer points? While both of those would be a good thing, the one and only position capable of taking this team from 8-8 to a 10-6 or even 11-5 team is the QB.

Let's take a look at the team's 8 losses from last year and asses how a DE would have had a greater impact on reversing the outcome than an improved passing game.

Week 2 - 17-20 loss @ Detroit
For my first example I am throwing out a game with mixed results. Jackson threw 4 interceptions, had he given a better effort or made better decisions we clearly would have won this game. BUT had the defense not given up 359 yds passing we likely would have won as well. Verdict: Well, we did knock Kitna out for much of the game and had 4 sacks so I still hold Jackson's INT's were more significant than the lack of a dominant pass rushing end.

Week 3 - 10-13 loss @ Kansas City
Anytime the defense holds a team to 13 points on the road you can't fault them for the loss. The Chiefs had 201 passing yards mostly on a quick hitting short passing game. Jared Allen can rush the QB but a quick hitting passing game negates that anyway. With that said, Allen did have 8 tackles and two sacks. His team won, coincidence?
Verdict: Put this one on a lack of offense. 4/15 third down conversion and inability to execute a game plan in the second half cost us this very winable game.

Week 4 - 16-23 loss vs. Green Bay
Favre's 344 yds and two TDs speak volumes. Getting a hand on Favre has been a serious problem for a few years against Green Bay. On the offensive side Holcomb had a solid game with 258 yds and a TD.
Verdict: Getting a pass rush potentially would have made a huge difference here. A late Vikings TD made this game look closer than it was. Jared Allen would not have made a 2 TD difference but it would have gone a long way to keeping us in the game and making Favre work for his yards.

Week 7 - 14-24 loss @ Dallas
Another tough one to call. Lets face it we were on the road facing the best of the regular season in the NFC. Jackson was terrible, Childress quit giving the ball to Purple Jesus and the defense allowed 277 passing yards.
Verdict: The defense had 3 sacks, I don't know how many they need to make a bigger difference. Jackson had 72 passing yards and the team was 2/12 on third down. Clearly an improved pass D would have helped but you won't beat a playoff team when your QB gives you 6/19 for 72 yards.

Week 8 - 16-23 loss vs. Philadelphia
On the season McNabb averaged 220 yards passing on the road but he managed to find 333 in the Metrodome. Bollinger and Holcomb combined for a very average but not crippling performance.
Verdict: Getting more than one sack from the defensive line may have helped here. This home game could have swung in our favor with some pressure on McNabb.

Week 10 - 0-34 loss @ Green Bay
Adding Reggie White and Chris Doleman to the Vikings line would not have helped here. Giving up 351 yards and 3 TDs to Favre is a problem. But not being able to put a single point on the board makes it awfully tough to win no matter what the defense does.
Verdict: Nobody gets credit for being able to swing this into the W column.

Week 16 - 21-32 loss vs. Washington
At this point they started letting Jackson play a little bit and he was OK. Todd Collins going 22/26 and racking up 254 yards is unacceptable. This was another case of a quick hitting passing gameplan so adding a Jared Allen may not have had much of an impact, accept we would not have been forced to blitz LBs leaving all three of them available to defend the short passing game.
Verdict: Jackson was good enough to win, passing D killed us. 2 sacks for the Vikes both by LBs.

Week 17 - 19-22 OT loss @ Denver
This one breaks down by halves. The first half was ugly offense, but Jackson showed why he is being given the reigns to Brad the Red Hot Childress Pepper's (BRHCP) Kick Ass Offense (KAO) in the fourth quarter.
Verdict: One sack by a LB shows that a sack or two from the DE may have done enough to force an earlier punt which leads to a FG which avoids overtime.

Here is how it breaks down with this expert analysis.

3 losses could have been avoided with better QB play
1 loss was unavoidable (shut out @ Green Bay)
4 losses could have been avoided with some DE pressure on the QB.

This is not to say that adding Joe Montana would have guarantee anything or adding Reggie White would have equated to a 12-4 season. But marked improvement at either position would have given us a better chance to win those games.

I don't know if Jared Allen alone will take us to the playoffs but adding Allen along with Madieu Williams' coverage skills from the safety position could really make a difference.

This team's ability to move up to the playoffs or even move into a team capable of winning the NFC rests more on the shoulders of Jackson and the passing game than the pass rush. But this is the ultimate team game and adding as many pieces to the puzzle as we can will always make a bid difference.

Lets get this deal done before Allen has a chance to get to Tampa Bay. Don't give up the farm, in fact do what you can to hang onto this year's #17 pick, but get this deal done and use the draft for other needs.

Star Tribune on the potential deal
Jay Glazer who broke the story for Fox Sports
Kansas City Star on Allen leaving KC
John Clayton weighs in
Daily Norseman is doing a dance already
Pioneer Press story today

Let the Games begin

2008-02-29T16:38:00.000-06:00

Free Agency is like Christmas in March. Ziggy spends a bunch of money to improve the team and we reap all the benefits.

Day 1

** We solved our Safety needs for the next 6 years and it only cost us $33 million. I'd be lying if I told you I have an extensive knowledge of last season's Bengal secondary, so before free agency talk I had never heard of Madieu Williams. But he is clearly the missing piece in the secondary. On the right you will see a pick of William's picking off Kyle Orton, but that is nothing to brag about.

From what I've read Williams is a solid pick up. He is good in coverage which is kind of important in a secondary that has never been too concerned with covering anybody. DraftDaddy.com listed him as the 3rd best available safety (behind Bob Sanders and Ken Hamlin). And ESPN's Hashmarks Blog says, "he has excellent cover skills for a safety."

** PKA is your FB, Free Agency Expert - I know both of my loyal readers will remember that I predicted the Vikings would sign the former Gopher and now former Philadelphia Eagle, Thomas Tapeh. And on day one of free agency that is exactly what they did.

Tony Richardson and his Pro Bowl season has moved on, but I don't know if this is a huge loss. Tapeh is talented and incredibly strong IF he can stay healthy. ESPN Insider believes that Richardson is on the backside of his career. "(Richardson) is more in the mold of a guy who can catch out of the backfield or run with it, but his best days have long passed."

I don't know now vital the FB is in our system anyway, I'm sure he'll get plenty of snaps but it isn't a high position of need.

** Jacksonville Loves Troy - OK, I kind of made that up, but the Jaguars are racking up ~~mediocre~~ crappy WRs for their roster as they signed Jerry Porter today. But that isn't the story here.

Jaguars.com has quotes from former Viking head coach Mike Tice who talked about drafting Williamson.

“We came down to (Shawne) Merriman and Williamson and we had just lost Moss. Unfortunately, I got fired and never got to see (Williamson’s) development,” Tice said. “The guy can run. I saw a humble kid who was bigger than I thought and could blow the top off any defense. He was starting to learn.”

Are you kidding me? We could have landed Merriman? Maybe he wouldn't have fit into Brad's "culture of accountability", but he may have been slightly more productive than Williamson. And then the trickle down effect of that is we don't draft Greenway (nothing against Chad, but c'mon) and maybe draft a CB, WR or DE in the 06 draft who is contributing now. But it was solid decisions like that, which led Tice on his journey to Jacksonville.

Free Agent Wish List - Here are remaining players that I'd love to see end up in purple...

DE - Jason Taylor - not a free agent, but there has been talk that Miami might trade the dominant DE. This is HIGHLY unlikely but Dr. Phil has taught me that you have to express your desires or they will never come true.
DE - Justin Smith - most reports have the Vikings on his list but not at the top. The hope here is that his ties to Leslie Frazier will at least get him on a plane to Winter Park where we can throw a ton of money at him. Since James is good for about 2 games a year and Udeze is sick (truly sad and I'm not making light of it), we need someone who has actually sacked a QB in the past. Last season's 2 sacks was his weakest production as a pro, but he averaged 7 per season over the rest of his career.
WR - Bernard Berrian - Berrian is in town and hopefully he will sign a contract before he leaves. BB isn't exactly Randy Moss but his 71 catches, 950 yds and 5 TDs all would have been tops for Minnesota (by a lot). Bernard is used to a crappy QB so if he can put up those numbers in purple next season that will be a monster upgrade.
QB - Donovan McNabb - another player still under contract but the obvious ties to Brad the Red Hot Childress Pepper, keep this a story worth keeping an eye on. If McNabb comes in and Jackson earns the starting job then great, he rose above the competition and has taken a step forward in his career. If not, then you know what you have in McNabb and the QB position is at least stable/reliable.
WR - Bryant Johnson - production could increase if not in the shadow of Fitzgerald and Boldin. This is just a personal fav of mine. Johnson would be a cheaper option who would be an upgrade in my opinion. Johnson has great size.
OL Help - I don't know who to target but let's get a RT to help protect Jackson.

The Vikings have talked about making a splash. Should Berrian agree to a contract before he leaves town that would make for a major splash on Day 1 to get Williams, Berrian and Tapeh. I love the NFL offseason and today is fun.

(Purple) Combine Thoughts...

2008-02-22T14:29:00.006-06:00

( I know it is a tractor in the pic, but it is close enough)

Let's get serious about the Vikings offseason needs...

** Rick Speilman gave us good news today when he said the Vikings may make a plunge in the free agent market this year! We did finish 8-8 last year and showed improvement over the last 10 games.

"We have a little bit of a window here with some of our veterans," Spielman said Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine. "We may be more aggressive if we feel there is a blue-chip guy out there that we go out and take a swing at."

That is what we like to hear. Who will be the blue-chip targets? That is yet to be determined, the list of free agents out there doesn't have very many names to get all giddy about.

** Everybody wants Troy Williamson. The picture on the right is rare footage of him actually catching a pass (and it was worth 6 points). Troy's agent has release that 8-10 teams are interested in acquiring the ~~talented~~ ~~reliable~~ speedy WR. I'm sure after much deliberation and angst, the Vikings are allowing Williamson and his agent to pursue a trade.

“Troy couldn’t be more excited. We have a tremendous amount of interest as you probably would expect. It’s very rare that a young guy like Troy, who is only three years in, who is a top-10 pick comes free. Obviously, the Vikings and I - Rick Spielman, Rob Brzezinski and I - have been in discussions already with about eight to 10 teams. There already have been offers exchanged, there have been discussions with me, there have been discussions with them.”

You can't make it up. Maybe the Patriots are one of those teams and we can work out a sign and trade deal to bring back Moss. Um, that may not be enough, Moss is older and was barely a top 20 pick, Williamson clearly has more value.

If we get anything for Williamson, Speilman should be your front-runner for Exec of the Year.

** My Dream Big Splash! PKA would love nothing more than for the Vikings to take Jason Taylor off the hands of the Big Tuna. A dominant DE would help this team more than anything (including a WR). This from the Miami Herald, obviously agrees that Taylor would be a perfect fit in Minnesota...

It feels like it is time to liberate Taylor like that -- like Thomas and/or like Crowder at the crime scene, if need be. Would you blame Taylor if he went public with wanting to flee this wreck? If he became trade-me loud like Kobe Bryant or Jason Kidd or any of the others in sports who haven't suffered as many management betrayals as Taylor has over a decade of his wasted prime?

I can already imagine reading Sid's column telling us how Taylor's time on Dancing With the Stars will help him with his footwork on the field.

But in all seriousness adding Taylor would be incredible. HEY, the Dolphins need a WR! Maybe they could use a young guy, who is only three years in and a top-10 pick!

** We Have NEEDS.

WR
1. Bryant Johnson
2. Bernard Berrian
3. Draft - Mario Manningham, Limas Sweed, Malcolm Kelly would all be fine picks (not DeSean Jackson as he will be a reincarnate of Williamson)

S
1. Draft - we need a S now and Sharper ain't a spring chicken
2. Free Agent - I don't know who is good out there

DE
1. Justin Smith - um J.Smith = Big Splash
2. Trade - Tayolor
3. Draft - Vernon Gholston or Derrick Harvey would look good in purple

RT
1. like I can evaluate offensive line talent, but this will be needed to give TJax some life after football.

Super Bowl XLIII - here we come

2008-02-04T10:42:00.000-06:00

Book your hotels for Tampa now. Feb 1st, 2009.

Check the poll on the right for who will be next year's Super Bowl MVP.

Lets look ahead to 2008 - MN Free Agents

2008-01-07T11:09:00.000-06:00

I'm all about staying positive here at PKA. Who needs the playoffs anyway, it's all rigged by the NFL offices and they hate the Vikings so we would have lost anyway.

All in all this can't be considered a terrible season for Brad the Red Hot Childress Pepper? Sure, we were the hottest team in the league and had a firm grip on the playoffs only to lose 2 in a row and miss out. But let's also remember we were sitting at 2-5 before we rattled off 6 wins in 7 weeks including W's over San Diego and the vaGiants who are both still playing.

For a year and a half we were looking for something (ANYTHING really) to show us that he was a capable head coach and that we had a QB with some upside. I think we saw it. For better or for worse BRHCP bought himself another year. Most of us are still skeptical but he did show a little life and a little talent as a coach. Now he has to be able to do it for 16 weeks.

The Vikings don't have a long list of free agents leaving so the basic roster is coming back. Here is the list of free agents in order of importance.

FB - Tony Richardson - aging FB, but he has been very good. Pro Bowl season and a key to the NFL's leading rushing attack. He'll be back if he doesn't retire. PKA BOLD PREDICTION - the Vikings bring Eagle's FB Thomas Tapeh (former gopher) as FB.
DT - Spencer Johnson - backup DT, but the position's depth ends with Johnson. He is solid and productive while giving the William's boys a break. Need to bring him back.
LB - Dontarrious Thomas - another backup, but capable of playing all LB positions. Very good on special teams and a solid backup that we could use on the roster in 2008.
RB - Mewelde Moore - one of the best 3rd string RBs in the League. When healthy and has an opportunity Moore has been productive. My guess is he'll leave for a chance to start cause chances are he won't beat out Purple Jesus in training camp.
WR - Robert Ferguson - made some mistakes and was invisible half of the time. But we are very thin at WR so brining him back at the right price may not be a bad idea. We could probably sign somebody with at least the same skill set, but he's been in the KAO for a year so he has that going for him.
S - Tank Williams - backup, often injured likely gone.
S - Mike Doss - signed late in summer, I'm not sure he ever played a snap, he gone.

That is a pretty short list with only a couple starters and a couple noteworthy backups. My guess is that Richardson, Johnson, Thomas and Ferguson are all back.

But 2006 was a 6-10 season and 2007 finished 8-8 so at least there was improvement. We bring back basically the entire roster and with this kid named Purple Jesus there is some serious hope for the future. 2008 better equal the playoffs or Ziggy better find himself a new coach.

COMING SOON: a look at team needs, available free agents and draft options.

NFC Playoff Picture (Pre-Week 17)

2007-12-27T16:21:00.000-06:00

6 of 7 teams are set, you all know who they are.

The Vikes are outside looking in and our hopes are riding in the arm of Brad Johnson.

I'm going to cry.

Let's play a game...

2007-12-19T11:13:00.000-06:00

After watching MNF and listening to the long list of Bear QBs since the Jim McMahon days it got me thinking a little bit. It seems that the Vikings usually get to face a different Bear QB every time they play. While this isn't totally true it is pretty close.

In the last 12 meetings there have been 7 different starting QBs for the Bears.
4 of the last 6 seasons have had different starters in each of the team's two meetings.

So with that in mind lets play a little game. I'll pick a starter and you match him to the stats...

1. Jim Miller - 2002
2. Chris Chandler - 2002
3. Kordell Stewart - 2003
4. Rex Grossman - 2003 (NFL debut)
5. Chad Hutchinson - 2004
6. Kyle Orton - 2005
7. Rex Grossman - bonus Sexi!
8. Brian Griese - 2007

a. 117 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
b. 381 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
c. 176 yds, 1 INT
d. 137 yds, 1 TD
e. 157 yds
f. 213 yds, 3 TD
g. 297 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
h. 34 yds, 3 INT!

I'd type the answers upside down but then the blood rushed to my head and it didn't really do any good.

Answers:
1-g
2-c
3-d
4-e
5-f
6-a
7-h
8-b

If the playoffs were today...

2007-12-19T11:01:00.001-06:00

we'd be in.

BUT, the playoffs aren't today, and we all know what can happen. This may be the most "un-Kool Aid" moment in PKA history, but let's remember what can happen...

I'm as sick as the ~~rest of you~~ both of you, but let's stay focused on winning Sunday so we don't have to worry as much about Denver next week.

NFC Playoff Picture (Pre-Week 16)

2007-12-18T16:31:00.000-06:00

Our chances improved this week to...

58.2 % chance we are going to be IN

Wk 14 - 42.9%
Wk 13 - 21.9%
Wk 12 - 12.0%
Wk 11 - 4.9%
Wk 10 - 3.0%

If we go...

2-0 = 100%
1-0-1 = 100%
1-1 = 65.9%
0-2 = 0UT

As a reminder for all of you returning readers from last season. When the records are listed it is (overall, conference, division).

TIE BREAKER rules

Division Leaders

1. NFC East - Dallas (12-2, 9-1, 4-1)
2. NFC North - Green Bay (12-2, 8-2, 3-1)
3. NFC West - Seattle (9-5, 8-3, 5-1)
4. NFC South - Tampa Bay (9-5, 8-2, 5-0)

Wild Card (overall, conference)

5. IN - NY Giants (9-5, 7-5) - loss keeps Washington alive and give MN a chance at #5!
Key Remaining Games - only AFC remaining
H2H Tiebreakers - ~~Det, Chi, Phi~~ none

6. IN - Minnesota (8-6, 6-5) - ugly win keeps them IN
Key Remaining Games - Was(wk16)
H2H Tiebreakers - NYG

7. New Orleans (7-7, 6-4) - 5-4 NFC record gives hope, must win out and hope for miracle
Key Remaining Games - none of significance
H2H over Sea

8. Washington (7-7, 5-5) - has to go 2-0 with touch schedule
Key Remaining Games - @Min(wk16), Dal(wk17)
H2H over nobody left

9. Carolina (6-8, 8-3) - NFC record is really good, but overall will keep them out
Key Remaining Games - none vs. playoff teams, but all are important
H2H over nobody

Vikings fans games to watch (in order of importance)

Minnesota over Washington - Duh, I know but this one is pretty huge, it would almost lock it up.
Philadelphia over New Orleans - knock out the Saints, PLEASE?
Buffalo over NY Giants - not likely but it would be awfully nice.
Dallas over Carolina - if Romo is healthy I'm not worried about this one.

Analysis

5 straight wins is kind of exciting. Sweeping the Bears is kind of sweet. And being the team nobody wants to face in the playoffs is meaningless. Just keep winning, I get the feeling that last night showed that these guys were starting to believe their own headlines. Hopefully it was a wake up call while still getting the ugly win.

Live Blogging MNF!

2007-12-17T19:18:00.001-06:00

Darren Sharper makes me look smart by picking off Orton to end the game. Ugly win. But eliminating the Bears, Eagles and Lions is nice. Especially since it narrows the playoff field.

The Vikings score the last 17 points of the game to win their 5th straight in spite of poor QB decisions.

Peterson struggled for 3 quarters but the 4th he had 37 yards on 5 carried and a TD.

more on this ugly game tomorrow (or some other day this week).

2nd time this season the Vikes were at least -3 in turnovers and won. And 2nd time the Bears turnover over their opponent at least 4 times and lost.

** My wife just said that one person probably looked at this live blog and it was probably by accident. Isn't she sweet? She's wrong at least 3 people looked.

** That intentional grounding was the worst call of the night.

13-20 - The lead for the first time tonight. The experienced Bollinger gets confused (um, hand off right, not left shouldn't be too hard) in the backfield but Peterson is kinda good and give us the lead. Then the nimble Bollinger takes in the 2 point conversion. Quarterback controversy? (JUST KIDDING)

Now we need to keep the pressure on Orton and get the pick when he throws it up for grabs.

Right before the touchdown injuries took over. Tillman has been having a great game for the Bears is injured (knocked on his ass, throws up on sideline). Then Jackson tweaks something (he is kind of a wimp in his short career). Then Sydney Rice goes to the locker room to amputate his left fibula I think.

** Offensive line has been really bad today. Birk missed an Urlacher blitz twice and there have been a handful of times a Bear D-lineman was able to beat his man and tackle Peterson at the line of scrimmage. They have been great the last month but tonight they have struggled. But we now have the ball on the 5 and a score here is hopefully going to be enough.

I predict we score here and get an Orton pick as he tries to force some throws in a failed comeback.

End of 3rd QTR: 13-12

I feel like I know less about football after watching 3 quarters of "football."

I really think we can get this W with just a FG and no more turnovers. We are getting pressure on Orton and he has looked awful ever since the Henderson hit. Their offense is doing nothing, we are doing next to nothing but we just need 1 drive to get it done.

Just one big run by Peterson or one more big pass play might be enough.

** I like the ESPN crew, but Urlacher's 2 recent sacks are not because he is playing "at a Honolulu level." Urlacher stood at the line of scrimmage, then jogged to the QB, UNTOUCHED. Any MLB whether college, XFL, World League, English Premier League, whatever would sack the QB if you don't block him.

** Jackson now is responsible for all 4 turnovers. I'm going to cry.

** Jackson now has a career high in passing yards.

13-1312 - FINALLY somebody made a play. Ferguson makes a great play (but could have had the 6 points himself). But nice job Robert and way to pad Jackson and Peterson's stats. Tie game, wait, WHAT? Oh holy freaking flying poop. This better get us going cause if we lose because of a freaking bad snap that is going to suck.

** EJ Henderson, that's what I'm talking about! Now somebody needs to be able to catch the short punt. Next play is another blitz and Orton throws it before the corner is within 5 steps. Get those hits on him and let the defense score (the offense might not do it tonight).

** NOOOOOO! Winfield will not return this game. That's not good.

HALFTIME: 13-6

~~Jackson has looked very good with the exception of about 2 throws, but 11/16 and 129 yards has been a full game for him and he did that in just one half.~~ I wrote a bit too soon. That last INT was a TERRIBLE throw. Then he totally missed Ferguson for a big gain. Nice scramble +15 yards (albeit weak again). All in all an average half. Led team to 3 points to end the half shows a little moxy, but please no more turnovers.

Turnovers are frustrating and have given the Bears 10 points. The Bears clearly earned their TD but getting the ball inside the 10 with less than a minute left is unacceptable.

The Bears offense is terrible and their defense has been OK. They are so focused on shutting down Peterson and making Jackson beat them. So far it is working.

2 things need to change...

1 - there has been absolutely no pressure on Orton. He needs to be hit hard a few times and then some constant pressure.

2 - Peterson has to get some running room. I know they are keying on PJ and they don't want to get embarrassed again, but there has to be some plays in the KAO that will let him get the ball in space.

6-3 - Sorry, ESPN. This game is rather boring. Bears up despite a couple more penalties and needing 2 plays to get a yard. Actually that last 12 men in the huddle penalty may have been a +3 penalty for them.

3-3 - Finally the punter battle ended for now. Nice little drive, nothing special. TJax actually did a couple nice things on this drive including standing in the pocket to deliver an 18 yd pass when he know he was going to get leveled by Briggs. Plus a penalty to boot (kind of a week RtP, but we'll take it).

MN First Downs - 7
Chi First Downs - 0

MN Turnovers - 2
Chi Turnovers - 0

nets out to 3-3

** HOLY CRAP (holding back the language cause this is a family site, but what the f*$K), you have to love 4/4 for 53 yards from Jackson but fumbles are going to be the end of us. You've got to be kidding me. This is what I was talking about in my preview. On paper our defense should dominate and our offense should have every opportunity to be effective, but if you are going to give the Bears the ball every time you ain't going to win. UGH

3-0 - TJax to Ferguson to Vasher's helmet to Urlacher to false starts to Robbie Gould.

Mistakes will ruin my MNF experience. I want to see play-action and let Jackson use that arm to get us a quick one.

** UGH - nice pick by Urlacher. Can't have that happen. Thank you for the false start that will "hopefully" lead to 3 pts or less.

** Great tackle by Winfield, that was huge. Keeping Hester contained every time he touches the ball is huge. Every time he touches the ball I hold my breath and getting him for a 1 yd gain makes me happy.

Are you ready for some Football?! - So excited, I miss being on MNF. So far the ESPN crew isn't doing us any favors. Jaworski is calling Purple Jesus the best back ever and Kornheiser was almost happy to take us through the demise of the 2007 Bears. At least Keyshawn picked the Bears to win, we got that going for us.

Can't wait to watch...

Purple Jesus run all over.
Hester never touch the ball!

Importance of tonight! - I get the feeling that Viking Nation is assuming the playoffs. This team has played so well to get into a wild card spot and it feels like the rest of the regular season is a formality. But this game is huge. Lose a couple games and we'll be done after week 17. New Orleans is more than capable of winning out and taking our coveted playoff spot.

You HAVE to win a home divisional game against a team that you should beat.

Stay tuned for further insightful analysis throughout the game!

This is your purple pants, purple jersey leader!

Listening to the KFAN pregame I learned that this is actually the 2nd time in team history that the Vikings are all purple. 1964 was the first. The Lions came to town with their white jerseys. The Vikings dressed in their white jerseys. After 1 quarter of trying to play with both teams in white, the Vikings changed to their purple jerseys to go with the purple pants they were already wearing.

Vikings v Bears Kool-Aided Preview (wk 15)

2007-12-17T15:27:00.000-06:00

Well, I haven't given a preview since week 6 for the first Bears game. And it is probably good because we tend to lose the games I preview. But I am fearless and the Vikings are virtually unbeatable so here I come with a minor preview.

On paper this one could get ugly in the home team's favor. The Bears are injured all over, haven't played well in weeks, are searching for anybody to be a competent QB and the seem to be a grumpy group right about now.

But Beware the Bear? I don't think so. They have lost 3 of their last 4. A Bears fan might try to convince you they were all close against potential playoff teams and they beat Denver. But these games were not as close as they appear...

@Seattle - late FG by Chicago made this closer than it really was. But this was one of the best games for Benson (89 yds, 1 TD) and Grossman (266 yds, 65%) this season.
Denver - nice OT win at home, but this was a Hester special. He is special but the 22 guys who play offense and defense did not play well enough to win this game.
NY Giants - this was their best game in recent memory (although it was a loss). It took 4th quarter collapse to give this one away. 5 penalties in the 4th, a couple replay calls in the vaGiants favor and a general inability to stop the Manning led Giants ended this one for the Bearsies.
@Washington - another close but not really game. A FG with 30 seconds made this into a 1 possession game.

I think this Bear is in hibernation.

Two things scare me about this game...

1. Kyle Orton - Dan Marino he is not, but if you are reading this you too have see a Vikings defense make a non-starter QB look like he is All Pro. Orton does have a nice arm but he hasn't taken a snap since 2005. And even then he had 9 TDs to 13 INTs. He shouldn't scare anybody, there is a reason that he has been stuck behind Grossman and Griese for 2 years. But he does, only because I've seen it before.

The Bears shouldn't have a run game that accumulates more than 50 yards all day. I'm guessing the Lovie and company have gameplanned to spread us out and throw on us from the opening snap. Hell, I wouldn't be shocked to see a no huddle. Out of character? Yes. The right gameplan to beat the Vikings? Yes. Orton can throw, but we have to adjust to him, get pressure on him and make him make mistakes.

2. Devin Hester - my most hated player in football. He is amazing and perfectly capable of beating the Vikings. In recent memory the Bears have done all they can to prove that a special team's TD doesn't actually help win you games. In the most recent Super Bowl I was convinced that if the Bears got a Hester TD they would beat the Colts. I was wrong. In week 6 when Hester took back a punt to give Chicago the 0-7 lead I thought it was over. Again, I was wrong. I don't want to take that chance again. I don't care if kicking the ball out of bounds gives them a 20 yard bonus in field position. If their offense, which will be one dimensional can go down the field on a consistent basis then we don't deserve to win. But that is better than giving Hester 6 points.

Fearless Prediction

This is tough. On the one hand I think right now these teams are going in opposite directions. The Bears haven't been very good on the road and last meeting was dominated everywhere except the final 3 min and final score (31-17 with 3 min to go before a minor collapse by the Vikes). And in addition to that the Vikings have been dominant winning 3 straight by 20+. On the other hand this is a division game that has the makings of a tight game as both defenses have been known to play well.

I expect the Bears to come out throwing on offense and putting 10 guys on the box to stop Purple Jesus on defense. As is often the case that formula isn't good for the Vikes. So can Jackson continue to play well when teams are forcing him to beat them. Can PJ get into that second level and run all over the Bear D? And if we know they are going to pass can we slow it down? Can we make them go in short chunks and then pounce when Orton makes a mistake?

I can't pick against the Vikes but this one is far from a slam dunk. The Vikings win and increase their dominance over the Bears as they move the franchise series to 50-42-2.

Minnesota - 27
Chicago - 23

I guarantee the Vikes will win the Super Bowl...

2007-12-13T15:30:00.000-06:00

OK, I'm just kidding, but what is to stop me from making such an outlandish statement? Is that a level of crazy different from Jon Kitna's level after he "guaranteed" 10 wins for the Lions? Is it more improbable than Anthony Smith guaranteed a win over the Patriots?

I don't think so, and really it is time for the empty guarantees to stop. Here are just a few of the guarantees I was able to find...

Jon Kitna - pre-season guarantee that the Lions would win 10 games.

While at the time this one seemed the craziest (c'mon it's the LIONS), when they were sitting at 6-2 it seemed like it was possible. But then the Lions remembered that they are the Lions and the recent 5 game losing streak brought this one back to reality. The best part is, Kitna still hasn't given up the dream of 10 wins...

"We can still reach it," Kitna said Wednesday. "Once that's eliminated and we can't, we'll be disappointed."

I'll help him with the math.

The Lions' current record is 6-7, that's 6 wins.
The NFL schedule is 16 games (3 remaining)
If the Lions win all 3 remaining games they'll have 9 wins
6 + 3 = 10 9

Well I guess a playoff win could give them 10, but since the are a game out and have lost tie-breakers with 2 other teams they are currently tied with that seems unlikely. Oh the Lions have won only one playoff game in the last 50 years. Most importantly, would that really count? I don't think Kitna qualified his prediction as "I think we'll go 9-7 then win a wild card road game for 10 wins." No. I guess 10 wins is 10 wins, and if the Lions won a playoff game the city would likely riot, but enough is enough.

Anthony Smith (being laughed at on right) - guaranteed the Steelers would beat the 12-0 (now 13-0) Patriots

Why on earth would you do this to yourself and your team, Mr. Smith? First of all, nobody knows who you are so I guess if your intent was to become a household name - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. Unfortunately for you around most households your name would be mentioned in a sentence like this..."ya that Smith guy for Pittsburgh? What an idiot (or douche, or retard)!"

The best part of his "guarantee" was how the Patriots burned Smith for the first two touchdowns of the game and 3 overall. I'm not a huge Patriots fan, but that was awesome. (for the record I thought Brady then running to jaw with Smith was beneath him and classless but whatever). Was that M-V-P they were chanting at Foxboro in the 4th quarter? No, that was "Gaur-an-Tee" after Brady threw for just about 400 yards and 4 TDs.

Randy McMichael - guaranteed his 0-7 Rams would beat the Browns

I wonder why nobody heard of this one? Could it be that nobody cares about an 0-7 team? Could it be that it was blown off as just another dumb football player talking out of his butt-pads?

Of course the Browns won and the world moved on (so will I).

I'm sure there have been a few more of these guarantees during the 2007 season but seriously isn't enough enough? When will these guys give it up. Guaranteeing a win is just plain stupid, selfish and stupid.

Here are 4 elements of guarantees that are the most bothersome...

It is NOT a show of confidence. It is foolishness. If you are confident in your and your team's abilities why do you need to put your self out ahead of the team and put them on the defensive? Why is it necessary to speak for your team on this issue? And why does the media need to know?

"I come out every game to win. In this league, if you walk into an arena planning to lose, you're not a guy anyone will want to play with."

You can give this quote to anybody who jumps on the guarantee bus, but this one belongs to Anthony Smith (if you say "who?" nobody blames you). But it is so misguided. Coming out every game to win is one thing, telling the world that you think you'll win is another.

Don't qualify the guarantee. The common PR spin now is that after you make the guarantee and it catches fire then you have to qualify it. It now becomes "IF" we play our game we will win. Or "IF" we don't make mistakes we will win. Now you are stupid and a pussy. Why not just say I guarantee we will win IF we score more points than they do.

PLEASE back it up! So rule #1 is don't do it, but if you are going to do it then you better be prepared to back it up. I know you can't control your entire team, but you better hold up your end of the bargain. Anthony, if you are going to make a guarantee don't personally get burned for 3 TDs in the first half. Jon, if you are going to guarantee 10 wins don't throw more INTs than TDs in your 5 game losing streak.

If you have to guarantee, you are probably going to lose. When was the last time a favored team guaranteed a win? If you have to come out to tell the world you "are going to win." Then a little light should go on that tells you your team sucks. Maybe it is because winning teams let their play do the talking.

In the end it is pointless, especially in football. But these guarantees are becoming the chic thing to do in the NFL. As I've already state enough is enough, it is annoying and comical. Anthony Smith went from a nobody to the butt of jokes. Jon Kitna went from a mediocre QB to, well still a mediocre QB who is also the butt of jokes.

I guarantee that the guarantees are who we thought they were!

NFC Playoff Picture (Pre-Week 15)

2007-12-11T15:49:00.000-06:00

This great blog was sent to me. It calculates each team's percent chance of making the playoffs.

After the 0-34 debacle @Lambeau we actually stood a 3% chance of making the playoffs.
We now sit at an overall chance of 43%

If we go...

3-0 = 100%
2-0-1 = 100%
2-1 = 74.5%
1-1-1 = 55.6%
1-2 = 6%
0-3 = 0%

As a reminder for all of you returning readers from last season. When the records are listed it is (overall, conference, division).

Division Leaders

1. NFC East - Dallas (12-1, 9-0, 4-0)
2. NFC North - Green Bay (11-2, 7-2, 3-1)
3. NFC West - Seattle (9-4, 8-2, 5-1)
4. NFC South - Tampa Bay (8-5, 7-2, 4-0)

Wild Card (overall, conference)

5. IN - NY Giants (9-4, 7-4) - road win @Philly may have clinched the to wild card
Key Remaining Games - Wash(wk15)
H2H Tiebreakers - Det, Chi, Phi, Was (for now),

6. IN - Minnesota (7-6, 5-5) - everything worked for them this week
Key Remaining Games - Chi(wk15), Was(wk16)
H2H Tiebreakers - NYG, Chi(for now)

7. Washington (6-7, 4-5) - head to head over Det and AZ, AND gets to play MN
Key Remaining Games - @NYG(wk15), @Min(wk16)
H2H over Det and Arz

8. Arizona (6-7, 3-6) - plenty of NFC games remaining but they need help
Key Remaining Games - @NO, Atl, Stl
H2H Tiebreakers - Det

9. Detroit (6-7, 4-7) - heartbreaking loss to Dallas, a win would have made things interesting
Key Remaining Games - @GB(wk17)
H2H Tiebreakers - Chi

10. New Orleans (6-7, 5-4) - 5-4 NFC record gives hope, must win out and hope for miracle
Key Remaining Games - AZ(wk15)
H2H over nobody

Vikings fans games to watch (in order of importance)

Washington over New York Giants - we can beat Wash, but if NYG loses we can catch the 1st wild card spot.
Arizona @ New Orleans - either way one is eliminated
San Diego over Detroit - like it matters, nobody thinks the Lions are going to make it

Analysis

For really the 3rd week in a row everything worked in our favor. We won and the teams we needed to lose, lost. If we can win the next two home games (Chicago and Washington) that should essentially wrap it up and make the Denver road game meaningless. We are playing well, but not well enough to assume a W.

Who would have thunk?

2007-12-10T10:50:00.000-06:00

One month ago I had a handful of scathing posts in my head just ready to be typed. Posts like...

Why it is time to end the Brad Childress Experiment
the KAO is seriously the worst offense EVER
Why it is time to end the Tarvaris Jackson Experiment
How many games do we have to lose to get a franchise QB in 2008 Draft
Will we hire Schottenheimer, Cowher or Tim Brewster to lead this team in 2008
Will the offense be able to cross the 50 with Purple Jesus injured
Why would anybody on this defense stick around to watch another year of playoff D coupled with the worst offense EVER

I think you get the picture. Fortunately I was always too busy with work and gopher blog to ever type those posts.

Flash forward 4 weeks and the Vikings are playing great. The offense is able to move the ball, the defense is dominating and we are fans of the hottest team in the NFC (that doesn't have a star on the helmet). We are riding a 4 game win streak (5 out of 6) and the biggest shocker we are IN THE PLAYOFFS (for now).

Seriously, at 3-6 who actually thought that in week 14 we'd be a wild card team. Let me tell you, I drink the kool-aid pretty hard and after the Green Bay loss I had written off the playoffs completely. Even if I thought they had a little run in them I thought that the missed FG @ Detroit and losing to the Eagles at home would doom their playoff hopes. But I was wrong (first time for everything) and now we can start planning our trips to Seattle for the playoffs!

What exactly has moved us from 2008 Draft watch to Jan of '08 still playing? The run game would be the obvious answer but I think it is also the wrong answer. The run game has been solid since week 1 and we still struggled to a 3-6 start.

1. QB PLAY

I stated in an earlier post that I hadn't seen anything that would give us any indication that Jackson would grow to be a competent NFL QB. But I also wanted him to play out the rest of this season so we'd know for sure. It was a simple 3 step plan. Let him play, evaluate in Jan, then most likely move on to a new QB for 2008. Letting him play out the season was a no brainer. Neither Holcomb or Bollinger gave you any better chance to win than TJax did. What is shocking is the turnaround we have seen.

(Notice the AWESOME photoshop to the right)

Comparing Jackson's first 5 games this year to his most recent 4 looks like this...

	TDs	INTs	Best QB Rating	Record
First 5 games	2	5	75.1	3-2
Last 4 games	4	2	139.2	4-0

In all four of his most recent starts his QB Rating was higher than his best from his first 5. We aren't exactly looking at Marino in his prime here but there is no reason not to be pleased with the improvement he has shown.

For my money the San Francisco game yesterday was the most impressive. The 49ers did all they could do to shut down the running game and make Jackson beat them with his arm. Take away Taylor's 84 yard run and the defensive TD and Jackson still beat them by moving the ball downfield and leading us to 13 points. Again, he won't be winning an MVP trophy based on this game but he did more than just "not lose" for us. On a day when Purple Jesus had a grand total of 0 yards rushing and Taylor has only 17 if you take away just 1 attempt, Jackson combined with the defense to win this game on the road.

2. Coaching and the KAO

This just in, Kirk Herbstreit is reporting that Brad Childress was actually fired 5 weeks ago. This offense has been balanced, making adjustments and creative and for a month now. Who are you and what did you do with the Kick Ass Offense? When comparing the offense of the last 6 games to the offense of the first 7 you get something like this...

+65 yards per game
+7 offensive points per game (taking away defensive scores)
Defensively giving up -20 yds per game and -2 points per game

When the offense gets better, it helps the defense out a little bit and you get a net gain of 85 yards per game and 9 points. And those numbers include the 0-34 game @ Lambeau.

But this really is less about production and more about the offense looking prepared, able to handle defensive adjustments with adjustments of their own and an expansion of the playbook to include more than 7 yard slants or deep balls. We actually throw 12 yard passes and utilize the play-action to get the ball downfield.

So first I was ready to jettison our young QB, and next I was ready to cut ties with Brad the Red Hot Childress Pepper (copyright Eric). But here again Brad finally seems to be showing signs of life. It only took him 23 games into his career to get adjusted and into a coaching groove. I am neither endorsing or demonizing the head coach at this point but at least he has proven that he deserves to stick around.

3. Big Play D

I think this is largely due to an improved offense that doesn't put the defense in bad situations. And most importantly the defense is taking advantage of offensive mistakes. This doesn't take a lot of explanation.

And what comes next?

We have 2 scenarios that I see here.

The We Should Have Seen This Coming Scenario - this is the one we are used to. Vikings do something like win 4 straight to get everything assuming playoffs and maybe a little playoff run. Then they lose 2 straight at home, have to win @Denver to get in, but lose in a snap over the punter's head for a Bronco TD. We've seen this before and it is almost an annual event.

OR...

The Playoff Run to the Super Bowl Scenario - We stay hot, we are a legit team that just took a 1/2 season to get going. We win 3 straight road games in the playoffs and play spoiler to the Patriots in Arizona!!! I'm drinking the Kool-Aid now BABY. Book your hotel rooms now before they are gone! SKOL VIKINGS!!! Woooo-HOOOO!

NFC Playoff Picture (Pre-Week 14)

2007-12-03T15:05:00.000-06:00

Well, time to bring back the playoff outlook. We had to get to .500 before I got pumped for a playoff run. Hottest team in the NFC!!

As a reminder for all of you returning readers from last season. When the records are listed it is (overall, conference, division).

Division Leaders

1. NFC East - Dallas (11-1, 8-0, 4-0)
2. NFC North - Green Bay (10-2, 7-2, 3-1)
3. NFC South - Tampa Bay (8-4, 7-2, 4-0)
4. NFC West - Seattle (8-4, 7-2, 4-12)

Wild Card (overall, conference)

5. IN - NY Giants (8-4, 6-4) - NFC win over Chicago is huge with only 4 weeks left.
Key Remaining Games - @Phi (wk14), Wash(wk15)
H2H Tiebreakers - Det, Chi, Was (for now), Phi (for now)

6. IN - Arizona (6-6, 3-5) - next two road games are huge
Key Remaining Games - @Sea, @NO, Atl, Stl
H2H Tiebreakers - Det

7. Detroit (6-6, 4-6) - currently ahead of Min based on division record.
Key Remaining Games - Dal(wk14), @GB(wk17)
H2H Tiebreakers - Chi

8. Minnesota (6-6, 4-5) - although currently out, things look good
Key Remaining Games - @SF(wk14), Chi(wk15), Was(wk16)
H2H Tiebreakers - NYG, Chi(for now)

9. Carolina (5-7, 5-4) - 5-4 NFC record gives them hope
Key Remaining Games - Sea(wk15), Dal(wk16), @TB(wk17)
H2H Tiebreakers - AZ

Still Clinging to Life

10. Washington (5-7) - a ways out
H2H over Det and Arz

11. Chicago (5-7) - plays Was this week, loser is essentially eliminated
H2H - Phi

12. Philadelphia (5-7) - tough remaining schedule
H2H over Det and Min

13. New Orleans (5-7) - don't hold your breath Saints fans
H2H over nobody

Vikings fans games to watch (in order of importance)

@Seattle over Arizona - need to get to that 6th spot
@Philly over NY Giants - with H2H in our favor catching NY isn't out of question
Chicago over @Washington - lets get one of these teams out for good
@Dallas over Detroit - should be a sure thing right?

Analysis

Things really look pretty good for Minnesota. All of our games are highly winable, Detroit has a really difficult schedule (Dal, @SD and @GB, ouch) and Arizona isn't playing great either. Obviously we have to take care of business ourselves, but we are close to controlling our own destiny as you can be without really controlling your own destiny.

NFC Power Rankings Week 13

2007-12-02T20:01:00.000-06:00

Reminder that power rankings are not just based on records. Team's recent performance is much more valuable to their current ranking than how they played in weeks 1-8 or so.

Dallas (11-1) - beat the only NFC contenders
Green Bay (10-2) - not as close to Dallas as Packer fans think
NY Giants (8-4) - struggling but still picked up win @Chi
Tampa Bay (8-4) - stays under the radar but has a 4 game win streak
Seattle (8-4) - getting better or not playing anybody good?
Minnesota (6-6) - very hot team that isn't just winning, they are dominating
Arizona (6-6) - beat a plucky Browns club, not bad
Carolina (5-7) - dominated SF, but good luck vs. Jax
Washington (5-7) - playoffs seem distant and really unimportant
Philadelphia (5-7) - I'm not impressed, but they are in the mix
Detroit (6-6) - the 10 win guarantee doesn't look too realistic Mr. Kitna
St. Louis (3-9) - Rams are looking competent again
Chicago (5-7) - time to cheer for Bears to win, beat Washington (get lower draft pick)
New Orleans (5-7) - cold, hot, and now cold again
San Francisco (3-9) - so bad, yet so scary for Vikes this week
Atlanta (3-9) - long season gets longer

NFC Power Rankings Week 10

2007-11-16T15:27:00.000-06:00

The wait is finally over, here are the Power Rankings.

Dallas (8-1) - beat one of only NFC contenders
Green Bay (8-1) - played best game of their season last week
NY Giants (6-3) - needed a better showing, clearly a gap between 2 and 3
Detroit (6-3) - barely hanging on to #4
Seattle (5-4) - best of this mediocre group (5th thru 10th)
Tampa Bay (5-4) - chance to win a few games in the next 3 weeks
Washington (5-4) - lost to Philly hurt playoff hopes a bit
Philadelphia (4-5) - big win over Washington but playoffs are still a ways off
Arizona (4-5) - beat overrated Lions, big deal
Carolina (4-5) - LOST to Atlanta, things will get ugly for the Panthers
Minnesota (3-6) - welcome to the roller coaster that is Brad Childress
Chicago (4-5) - bad team beat a bad team
New Orleans (4-5) - lost at home to previously 0-8 Rams, NOT back
Atlanta (3-6) - remember when they were 1-6?
San Francisco (2-7) - remember when they were 2-0? me neither
St. Louis (1-8) - put in on the boarrdd!

Know how I know you're gay?...

2007-11-15T12:08:00.000-06:00

WARNING: Lambeau Leap may be hazardous to your sexual orientation!

This is almost too easy. Here is a little primer before the pics below...

CAPTION THIS

A bounce here and a bounce there

2007-11-08T21:27:00.001-06:00

Chalk this one up as another game where if you change just one play the Vikings get a W.

Detroit - FG hits the upright
Kansas City - botched TD call by the refs gives Chiefs a W

Green Bay this week, I'm telling you IF...

Purple Jesus would have rushed for 200 more yards
Bollinger would have hit open receivers
Childress called a better game
the Defense didn't go into hybernation
and if Brett Favre wasn't a tool

We would have killed the Packers. It is at times like these that I can't help but echo the sentiments of Redskins LB, Randall Godfrey...

"That was blatant disrespect. I hope we can see them again, definitely."

That's right I can't wait to see the Packers in the playoffs (if they even make it)! We'll show them!

On a side note be sure to post your best caption on The Nose Bleed's Blog.

GRADES

Offense (F) - playcalling, execution, blame whoever you want but the KAO is bad, the game plan was bad and the players asked to execute it were bad.

What bothers me most is the mind set. Other teams face the Vikings and come up with a gameplan that is intended to exploit our defensive weaknesses. Green Bay came in with screens, draws, shovel passes and spread formations to exploit our pass defense and make it hard for our LBs to get to Favre. It worked great.

What the KAO does is run our stuff and run it over and over and over again. If the opposing defense stops it, we keep running it. This works great when the other defense can't stop us (see San Diego and Chicago games). But it is awful when the other defense thinks to stop Purple Jesus. When they do that we seem to be unable to adjust and come up with alternative plays that might work.

There are many who are upset that we kept running to the right side of the line. You may recall that we did this in the first Green Bay game as well. Childress commented at that time that we were doing it because the coaching staff thought Kampman often rushed upfield so we could run by him and get PJ into the 2nd level. It really wasn't successful then and it clearly didn't work this week, but did we adjust? Nope. The gameplan said that would work so by golly it is going to work.

Defense (C) - a lot has been made of Ryan Grant getting 100 yards. I'm not too concerned. I didn't see this as a total breakdown on run defense. Grant had 2 plays where there were defensive breakdowns on the first drive. After that he had 77 yards. 2nd half was 13 carries for 27 yards.

I know the defense gave up 34 points and nearly 500 yards, but I pin this loss on the offense. The defense got WAY more camera time than the offense did. Time of possession was doubled in the Packers favor. This defense is designed to give up plays in short yard increments. If teams are capable of putting together a 12 play drive that ends in a TD more power to them, more often than not they'll make a mistake and have to punt. When Brett Favre is managing an excellent gameplan things will be tough on this defense. What would really help is the offense making a first down or two.

Hopefully THIS will make you feel better!

NFC Power Rankings Week 9

2007-11-07T11:56:00.000-06:00

I skipped Week 8, but after a Viking win I have to put out Week 9's Power Rankings. I think there are 3 teams that are clearly ahead of the rest. After that it is anybody's guess who will make the playoffs.

Dallas (7-1) - best team in NFC
Green Bay (7-1) - wins ugly, but still wins (except for that Chicago thing)
NY Giants (6-2) - great D and hot, should be a fun game v. Dallas
Detroit (6-2) - this pains me but they are deserving to be at #4
Seattle (4-4) - OT loss @Cle isn't the worst loss in the world
Washington (5-3) - beating a bad Jets team doesn't make up for NE debacle
Tampa Bay (5-4) - inconsistent and mediocre (welcome to the NFC)
Carolina (4-4) - 2 straight losses but losing to Indy and Tenn was expected
New Orleans (4-4) - what the hell...?
Philadelphia (3-5) - beat MN so they have to be ahead
Minnesota (3-5) - why can't they dominate line of scrimmage like that week to week?
Chicago (3-5) - Jim Harbaugh at QB isn't getting it done
Arizona (3-5) - 3 game losing streak
Atlanta (2-6) - a win, a win, hooray!
San Francisco (2-6) - New England has your pick, start winning would you?
St. Louis (0-8) - didn't lose to BYE last week, moral victory?

In Case you Didn't Hear

2007-11-05T14:56:00.000-06:00

Adrian Peterson (aka "All-Day" or "Purple Jesus") had a pretty good day running the football yesterday. I'm pissed, what was he thinking? Seriously, how are we going to get a top 5 draft pick (and get a future QB) if he goes out and wins games by setting NFL rushing records and stuff.

Yesterday was pretty amazing to witness. The Vikings have something special here and they need to make sure they do 2 very important things...

Keep him healthy!
Build a real team around him!

You won't see me this tempered very often but here is what has been lost in all of this Purple Jesus hysteria.

The Following had their best performances of the season (beyond Peterson)

EJ Henderson - his statline isn't impressive but EJ was all over the place. He had a great day. Going into the game I was very worried about 2 things, Ladanian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates. Slowing either (or both) of these guys was going to take a tremendous effort by EJ Henderson (and the other LBs). Tomlinson finished with 40 yards rushing and Gates had 1 catch for 10 yards.
Cedric Griffin - with Winfield out Griffin had to step up. And he did, having his best day as a Viking. 2 passes defensed that were both very good plays. The Chargers 2 best receivers (Chambers and Jackson) combined for 6 catches and 75 yards. For a pass defense that has been scary bad all year this was a great game let by #23.
Chester Taylor - had his best day of the 2007 season. 9 carries, 60 yards, 6.7 avg and 1 TD. Everybody wants to give PJ the ball 40 times a game but maybe sharing the load is aiding him in racking up huge 2nd half yards. Taylor has now been the backup RB in the 2 greatest single game rushing performances in NFL history.
Offensive Line - While Peterson was amazing on Sunday, let's not forget the guys who gave him massive initial holes. 296 is awesome, but so is 378 which is what the entire team had because of this offensive line. They haven't dominated a line of scrimmage like this all year. The Bears game was great, but that rush D has been struggling all year. The Charges rush D was 7th in the league giving up only 88.9 yds/game, not anymore!
ADRIAN PETERSON - after a ho-hum 43 yards on 13 1st half carries, he breaks out 253 in the 2nd half. Incredible. When Jamal Lewis set the previous record he had a paltry 5 carries that netted over 10 yards. AD had that in the 4th quarter alone and he had 9 total. There are a number of impressive numbers for Purple Jesus but ultimately it comes down to the fact that this kid is 8 games into a career and he has already turned the league upside down. It's not like he was running against the Gopher defense, the Chargers are were one of the best teams in the dominant AFC. They were manhandled on this date and then run over by Purple Jesus.

GRADES

QB (B+) - all this position had to do was hand the ball off. I thought Jackson was having a solid game before getting knocked out. He picked up 3 1st downs through the air and used his legs for 2 carries of 9 and 10 yards. All in all that is about what we can expect from him at this point. Bollinger stepped in and did admirably. His injury may have been the stimulant to Peterson's big day. When you are down to your 3rd string you run, run and run. Then you take 1 shot over the top and he completed it.

RB (A+) - nothing more to say really.

WR (C+) - not their fault really, they were just irrelevant. Rice had one of his best days as a pro. Solid day, but nothing impressive.

OL (A) - Bollinger was destroyed on his first play from scrimmage but other than that it was a near perfect day.

DL (A-) - only 1 actual sack but had pressure on Rivers ALL DAY. I would have liked to see the safety instead of a facemask, but I'm just getting greedy.

LB (A+) - I was very happy with this group, their rush and pass defense was exactly what it had to be.

CB (A) - My favorite play all day was Dwight Smith's tipped pass on the deep ball down the Viking's sideline. That got me more excited than anything else.

Fun day to be a Vikings fan and the perfect game to lead into Packer Week. Unfortunately Peterson's performance still only counts for 1 win and we are still sitting at 3-5 (with no significant NFC wins). The worst thing that can happen to this team is we finish 7-9, miss the playoffs and get stuck outside the top 15 draft picks. If you want to make the playoffs you need to rattle off a few wins in a row. Starting NOW.

Quick QB Question...

2007-10-31T16:22:00.000-05:00

If Tarvaris Jackson was released by the Vikings tomorrow, is there a team in the league who would pick him up?

PLEASE COMMENT WITH YOUR ANSWERS - give me possible teams and would it be as starter, back-up or 3rd string?

Quarterback Mess

2007-10-31T14:15:00.000-05:00

The 2007 season has not been kind to the Vikings and it has been particularly harsh on the QBs. Nobody thought this was going to be a real strength of the team, in fact ESPN Insider ranked our QB situation 31st in the league this offseason (only the Chiefs were worse).

I know that you were all with me that it can only get better and really we'll surprise a lot people with the play of Tarvaris Jackson.

Well, it is not better and nobody is surprised. It is pretty bad and it is hard to win games when your quarterback ~~arguably~~ the weakest link on your team. I am very dissatisfied with our QB play and I realize that we will not win more than 5 games this year no matter how good our defense or running game is.

The interesting (and I use that word loosely) thing is that I'm not calling for a change at QB or a change in Offensive Coordinator. We don't have an option that will allow us to win in 2007. I'm ready to accept that.

Here is my 3 step plan...

1. Let Tarvaris Play - Kelly Holcomb has been just as bad as Jackson this year and really his record is 0-3 to Jackson's 2-2. I know that young QBs ~~often~~ always struggle in their first year of consistent playing time. But there are 2 distinct differences between what you usually see with a young QB and what the Vikings have...

Their team is usually really bad to begin with. Peyton Manning's first year had a terrible offense and a terrible defense.
They usually show at least flashes of talent. Even as Manning struggled in his rookie season he still had moments of showing that there was some serious talent there. We were able to see that given time and some surrounding talent this kid might really be something.

Jackson is blessed with a talented defense (at least against the run), a ~~talented~~ expensive OLine and a game changing running back. And secondly, Jackson hasn't once shown a a unique ability or flashes that he will be anything better than mediocre. There isn't 1 pass that he has thrown that was impressive. The the 60 yd pass to Williamson is the highlite of his career and that was a long pass, to a wide open receiver that any QB at this level should be able to hit 85% of the time.

With that said we might as well let him play and play a lot. When we have no other option, we have to give Jackson every opportunity to grow into an NFL QB and prove everyone wrong.

2. Evaluate in January - I am a big believer in players have to adjust to the speed of the game. Some players adjust and can succeed at this level (Brad Johnson). For some the game really slows down and they dominate this level (Tom Brady). And for many others the NFL game is too fast for them and they struggle to keep up (Ryan Leaf). As I stated, we have no other option so why not let TJax adjust. I think a full season is ample time to evaluate if he'll figure it out or be left behind.

A perfect example of this is Jackson's performance in the pre season. If you recall, he looked good. Not great, not a QB ready to lead this team deep into the playoffs, but significantly better than what we've seen in the regular season. Why is that? The pre season game is slower. At that speed Jackson was able to see the field, his decision making wasn't rushed and he was able to execute. Week 1, things started moving faster and he has struggled to adjust.

Let him start the remaining 9 games and if we don't see improvement then I think we know that he is not a long term solution. At some point it will either click or it won't.

If TJax improves and looks like the future of the franchise, then skip step #3 and draft some help for him in the form of OLine or WR. If the results are mixed or no better than week 7, move on to step #3.

3. Find a New Solution - I for one don't believe that the game will slow down for Tarvaris and the Vikings will have to go into 2008 with a new future QB on the roster. Fortunately this will be a good offseason to find a new QB. The NFL draft is expected to be full of very good QBs. 6 current college QBs expected to declare for the draft are considered 1st round talent (3 of top 10).

Brian Brohm - Louisville
Andre' Woodson - Kentucky
Matt Ryan - Boston College
Chad Henne - Michigan
Colt Brennan - Hawaii
John David Booty - USC

And to go along with this deep QB talent, the Vikings are on pace for another to 10 draft pick. Chances are pretty good that the draft day decision makers will have their choice among 5 of the 6. This is the time and the place to bring in a new future franchise QB.

The Future of this Franchise

Is there any doubt that Adrian Peterson is truly the Purple Jesus? I know that this is VERY early in his career but all signs point to a franchise RB that teams have to gameplan to stop every week. If we are going to move forward with sub-mediocrity at the quarter back position we really should trade Peterson as soon as possible. It is a disservice to the league, fans and most importantly it will be a complete waste of his career. Don't make him the next Barry Sanders. Get him a competent QB and a good offensive line. Let him be the next Barry Sanders with playoff wins on his resume.

I really have not seen anything in Jackson's game that gives me any hope. His throws are erratic, his decision making is questionable at best, he has shown no leadership on the field and while you can't argue his athletic ability he has shown no ability to use it to his advantage.

Holcomb is not the answer and Bollinger is certainly not the answer. Give the ball to TJax and let this season play out. But this organization better be prepared to move in a new direction and do so quickly. They have the real deal standing 7 yards behind center, they better get someone who not only can hand off to him but can also keep defenses honest.

Year 2 of the Kick Ass Offense

2007-10-25T14:25:00.000-05:00

Last year the Vikings KAO was awful. But Brad the Red Hot Childress Pepper assured us it was a Kick Ass Offense if it is run right. Apparently we don't have the horses to run it yet, cause the offense is awful again. Fortunately we have Adrian Peterson and his big play ability cause without Purple Jesus' 3 TDs of 60 yards or more this team might be worst off than our current 2-4 predicament.

Based on results here are 2 hallmarks of the Kick Ass Offense

Unable to sustain a drive

This offense has scored 9 touchdowns this year. The average length of a TD drive has been 67 yards. That doesn't sound too bad (I don't know the league average) but when you look a little closer it isn't nearly that good.

TD Drive #1 - 80 yards vs. Atlanta

This looks like a legit drive right? WRONG. It took a 60 yard Purple Jesus swing pass to score. This doesn't count a legit drive, this was a great play by a playmaker.

TD Drive #2 - 43 yards vs. Det

This was a legit drive that started in Detroit territory.

TD Drive #3 - 29 yards vs. Kansas City

No big plays required, we only had to go 29 yards

TD Drive #4 - 72 yards vs. Green Bay

This one gets mixed reviews. A sustained drive BUT on 3rd and 38 (you read that right) we got a facemask by AJ Hawk that kept the drive alive.

TD Drive #5 - 74 yards vs. Chicago
TD Drive #6 - 80 yards vs. Chicago
TD Drive #7 - 88 yards vs. Chicago
TD Drive #8 - 68 yards vs. Chicago

None of those are impressive either if you take out 60 yd pass to Williamson, and runs by Peterson of 67, 73, 35.

TD Drive #9 - 69 yards vs. Dallas

this was the best drive of the year.

So if you take out 60 yard runs by Purple Jesus this offense as has scored TDs on drives of 60 yards on average. Now, I'm not trying to indict this offense, but this is a problem.

You are just not going to win very many games when your offense is flat out incapable of sustaining a TD drive of more than 60 yards. This puts too much pressure on your defense and special teams.

Defense more potent than passing game

This one is pretty simple. Through 1/3 of the season the defense has more TDs than the passing game.

4 Touchdowns for the defense spread out over 3 games.
3 Touchdowns for the passing offense in 3 games

I'm not sure how the running game has been so productive. Usually when a team is good at running the ball defenses will "stack 8 in the box" to stop the run while still being able to cover a weak passing attack. Well, I wonder why defenses don't actually put 9 or 10 in the box. Most rushing offenses will use the run to set up the pass with play action. I'm not sure we can execute that so we pretty much use the run to set up more runs which often sets up incomplete passes.

We need a QB

I was hopeful for Tarvaris but I just don't think he is going to be a viable option at QB. I understand you have to be patient and QBs usually struggle in their first full year of starting. But you also should see some flashes of talent or playmaking ability. Through 8 starts I don't think we've seen anything. Not 1 play has Jackson been "impressive." I know he hit Williamson for 60 yards at Chicago. But that shouldn't count, Williamson had 3 steps on the coverage and Jackson hit him in stride. If he can't do that even once in a while he shouldn't be on an NFL practice squad.

I have seen in sports how stepping up to the next level takes some adjusting. When the game you are used to speeds up it takes time to adjust to the speed. Some players adjust and some just can't. I've seen players with tremendous talent who just can't adjust to a faster game. Players who adjust usually perform great when the game slows down for them, but watching TJax the game is clearly too fast for him right now and I don't know that it will slow down for him.

I don't think he should be benched (partly because our options are very limited). I think he gives us just as good a chance to win as Holcomb or Bollinger. But we cannot go into 2009 with Jackson as your only option at QB. I fear that he is not the answer nor the keeper of the Kick Ass Offense.

Vikings v Cowboys Recap

2007-10-25T14:02:00.000-05:00

This game was relatively close and the Vikings even lead at halftime by a touchdown, but did anybody really feel like we were in this game? I know that lets just say that FG isn't blocked but instead it goes in. That is the 10 point swing we needed. But it was and it didn't so we lost.

I think that we are fantastic on the first drive of games. After allowing Dallas to score on their opening drive we put together an 11 play, 69 yard drive for a TD that ties the game. WOW. So many things with this drive that had me excited.

We scored a red zone touchdown.
We put together an 11 play drive that didn't stall.
Jackson starts out 2/2, has a 6 yard scramble and looks confident behind center.
Childress shows some moxy and converts a 4th and 1.

All in all this was a good start. BUT, that was the end of our offense for the day.

That 1st drive of the game accounted for 35.2% of our offense for the game.
100% of our offense scoring occurred on that first drive.
We crossed the 50 twice for the remainder of the game.
Jackson went 4/16 passing the rest of the game.
The offense had 8 more drives that ended in 3 plays or less.

Quick grades...

Offense (D+) - the passing game was absolutely terrible. Dallas was more committed to stopping the run than Chicago was a week ago. And to counter that we had no passing plays to keep them honest. I'm not talking about deep routes to move them back. Why can't we spred them from sideline to sideline? Why can't we have quick hitting slants and curls that are easy reads for Jackson? Why can't we send guys out and have safe check downs to the TE or RB? None of this occurred. The running game doesn't stand a chance if we can't complete more than 6 passes for the entire game.

Defense (B+) - this may have been their best game of the season. The defense equaled the offense in scoring and really allowed the Cowboys to put together 2 drives all day. Those 2 drives accounted for 38% of their total yards. The rest of their 9 drives averaged 26 yards. We also forced 2 fumbles and a missed FG. All in all that is a pretty good day for a defense. The Cowboy offense has been very good all year. They are currently #2 overall in points per game and yards per game. Holding a home team to 10 points fewer than their season average, is a feat.

Speical Teams (F) - I usually don't grade the special teams but they were really bad all game. Blocked FG for a touchdown and consistently starting drives inside the 20 (6 of 12 possessions), including 3 inside the 10. Our offense needs help from the defense and special teams. This offense is not capable of sustaining drives of 80 yards or more so we basically had a chance for 6 points on only half of our offensive possessions.

All in all this game wasn't the end of the world. We played well at times and if this offense could get to a level of competence we might actually win enough games to play Dallas again.

More to come on this offense in my next post...

NFC Power Rankings Week 7

2007-10-24T11:58:00.000-05:00

With a chance to vault up the polls, Minnesota came up short against the Cowboys. Probably a good thing though cause then I'd have to put the Packers back at the top.

Dallas (6-1) - offense struggled a bit but pulled out the home win
Green Bay (5-1) - BYE
NY Giants (5-2) - 5 game win streak, look out Green Bay
Carolina (4-2) - BYE
Washington (4-2) - home against Rattay, 2 point win? a W is a W I guess.
Tampa Bay (4-3) - couldn't score more than 16 vs. Detroit?
Seattle (4-3) - beating the Rams isn't impressive
Detroit (4-2) - hey, the defense had their best game, not bad
Arizona (3-4) - tight road loss, with Rattay at QB
Minnesota (2-4) - must beat the Eagles at home
Chicago (3-4) - beat the Eagles, way to go
Philadelphia (2-4) - about to be 1-4 vs. NFC North (ouch)
New Orleans (2-4) - we have a win streak ladies and gentlemen
San Francisco (2-4) - can't get over how bad this offense is.
Atlanta (1-6) - Brian Brohm lottery has begun
St. Louis (0-7) - Brian Brohm lottery has begun

Fun with Long Snapping

2007-10-24T10:03:00.000-05:00

So locally we have the ~~mis~~fortune of ~~having to~~ getting to listen to the Superstar Mike Morris on KFAN each and every morning. Morris, in another life was the long snapper for the Vikings in the 1991-1999 seasons. Some blame his snap for Gary Anderson's missed FG in the 1998 NFC Championship game (the only missed FG of the season), but is yet to be proven.

Morris considers himself to be one of the best long snapper in the history of the NFL. But I think he has been surpassed by this guy...

Bryan Pittman of the Houston Texans is rather accurate, check THIS VIDEO link out.

Just for fun here is more long snapping fun. I think it is safe to say that Briana is happy with her snapper.

Sunday Morning Countdown - Keyshawn Johnson is TERRIBLE

2007-10-21T11:17:00.000-05:00

Who let Keyshawn Johnson on the ESPN set of Sunday Morning Countdown. I thought Michael Irvin was bad, but Keyshawn is FAR worse. Two things jump out at me immediately.

1. I guess the Houston Texans are going to struggle today and here is why (according to Keyshawn). WR-Andre Johnson is not playing and that is going to make things difficult for QB-David Carr.

WHAT? Somebody please tell Mr. Johnson that David Carr is in Carolina and the Texan's QB is Matt Shuab (has been all year Keyshawn). Holy crap, give me a break. Who let him on the set?

2. Later we get to watch an interview with Bengals WR-Chad Johnson. Chad has been struggling this year along with his team. Keyshawn had the audacity to accuse Chad of being a DISTRACTION!! Are you kidding me? Keyshawn is one of the top 5 NFL distractions in my lifetime. It got funnier as Keyshawn made it known that he was "mentor" to Chad but lately Chad has "forgotten" what Keyshawn taught him. "He doesn't get what I'm trying to tell him," says Keyshawn. I didn't know that Keyshawn was qualified to mentor a player and "teach" him how to be a team player that doesn't bring attention to himself.

Seriously, I get that it is kind of important to have former NFL players/coaches on the show. Steve Young has been very good and I LOVE Emmitt Smith. Michael Irvin annoys the crap out of me but he is Emmy worthy when compared to Keyshawn Johnson. He is terrible and destroys the credibility of the show.

NFC Power Rankings Week 6

2007-10-17T15:46:00.000-05:00

Well, it is a good week when the Vikings move up and the Bears move down.

Dallas (5-1) - lost to the best, can't fault them for that.
Green Bay (5-1) - Favre breaks another record! Fortunate to win @Washington
Carolina (4-2) - 2 straight wins both on the road and one with Testaverde at QB!
NY Giants (4-2) - 4 game wins streak is impressive but can't rank ahead of Vinny.
Tampa Bay (4-2) - Michael Bennett, NFC West better look out!
Washington (3-2) - might be the best NFC team nobody is talking about
Arizona (3-3) - couple impressive wins and a couple ugly losses
Seattle (3-3) - ho hum team and I hate west coast teams as a general rule
Minnesota (2-3) - up to #9 only because of Purple Jesus factor
Philadelphia (2-3) - rough start is behind them
Detroit (3-2) - the Lions just suck. Given up 56, 26 and 34 in the last 3 weeks.
Chicago (2-3) - loss to the Lions is a greater factor than beating Green Bay
San Francisco (2-3) - terrible offense, I mean really terrible
New Orleans (1-4) - hurray a win, hurray!
Atlanta (1-5) - enter Leftwich as the fight for draft picks begins
St. Louis (0-6) - Scott Linehan fire watch? He'll be a college coach by the end of December

Vikings v Bears Recap

2007-10-15T15:33:00.000-05:00

"This ain't college, Rook!" That was what Peanut Tillman had to say to Adrian Peterson (the MN version) early in the 1st quarter. Good call, Peanut!

Really this game came down to the following equation...

Purple Jesus > Devin Hester

Peterson Highlights

The rest of the parties involved were just average.

OK, so maybe we need a little better analysis than that, but if you are just skimming the blog, that is all you need to know. We'll start with the grades....

QB (B+) - this was TJax best game as a pro. The sad part his he didn't top 150 yards and completed fewer than 40% of his passes. With that said he made 1 huge play to Williamson to give us a TD that nobody was counting on. He also did not turn the ball over, which goes a LONG way towards winning a ball game. And his numbers would be much better were it not for some dropped passes by Sydney. But he also missed a few guys including Richardson on what would have been a huge play (it not a TD) late in the 2nd qtr. Overall a solid game but nothing to get excited about.

RB (A+) - not much needs to be said about what Purple Jesus did on the field. A few viking records were broken and all in all he pretty much carried the entire team to the W. It should also be noted that Taylor had a decent game as well. 83 yards isn't anything special but he got stronger as the game went on averaging 3.3/carry through 3 qtrs and finishing the 4th with 4.3 including 2 runs of 12 or more.

WR (C+) - Williamson's TD is the lone bright spot today. He ran a good route, got behind the coverage and most importantly caught the ball. But apparently South Carolina receivers have trouble catching NFL passes as Sydney Rice dropped a few balls that would have helped sustain drives. TJax put the ball where it had to be a number of times and it was just plain dropped, that can't happen.

OL (B+) - Only gave up 1 sack and this was their best game of the year. But watching the game I felt like PJ was making the OL look good, not the other way around.

Overall Offense (B+) - hard to criticize 31 offensive points (final 3 points was all special teams), we may not see that again this season. I think we are lacking some balance when 68% of our plays were running plays, but you have to go with what is working. Overall, I can't really complain about anything.

DBs (C-) - They gave up a ton of yards and 3 big plays for TDs. That just can't happen. If we give up 3 passing TDs of 33 yards or more again this year we better hope for 300 yards rushing or we'll lose that game. Brian Griese won't have 380 yards passing again this year (well maybe on Dec. 17) and it is kind of embarrassing that he did yesterday.

LB (A-) - I love this group of linebackers. EJ has been making plays all over the place, Leber is seriously underrated and Greenway is on his way to being a force at this level. The Bears has 9 plays that ended up in negative yardage, 7 of those 9 were made by a Vikings linebacker. Also add 1 forced fumble and 1 interception to the linebackers combined stat line.

DL (B+) - a little more pressure on Griese would have been nice. Ray Edwards probably had the best day of this group with 5 tackles including 1 for a loss (combined with EJ). The Williams brothers were pretty quiet but for the most part I think the Bears were scheming to run away from them.

Overall Defense (B-) - gave up a lot of points but for the most part played their part. A ton of passing yards given up but kept the running game shut down. By my simple math they gave up 22 rushing yards in the 2nd half. It is always nice to make teams 1 dimensional, now we just need to figure out what to do with them when we know they are going to pass.

All in all this was a good game by the Purple. On the road, against the defending NFC champs and we were clearly the physically dominant team. That was the first time all year we have won the battle at the line of scrimmage. This Bears defense isn't what it has been in recent memory but it still had Urlacher, Briggs, Hillenmeyer, Ogunleye, Tommy Harris (playing hurt) and Mark Anderson (6 of starting front 7 from week 1).

Chicago was able to hit us with big plays through the air and return games but we dominated the box on both sides of the ball. Hester is hands down the best returner in football, and if healthy will be one of the best all time (and 2nd to Favre as my most hated players in NFL, I can publish a list later). We won't have to face that with any other team.

The passing game remains a problem on both sides. The Bears were missing 3/4 secondary starters and we really ~~didn't~~ couldn't take advantage of that. Defensively the fact remains that ANYBODY can pass on this defense. That needs to be curtailed. I don't expect it to be fixed but it has to be mended a little bit.

Vikings v Bears Kool-Aided Preview (wk 6)

2007-10-12T13:31:00.000-05:00

Denny Green is priceless, nobody can deny that. But I can't help but agree. The Bears are who we thought they were. And I think they are showing that this year. Before we get into the actual preview please enjoy this remix...

Seriously though the 2006 Bears were living on that razor thin edge of making exactly 1 monster play to win the game in spite of their QB making the plays to lose them the game.

Grossman in 2006

@ Min - threw 2 picks including 1 for a TD. But defense makes a huge play late in the game to give the offense a final chance to win the game
@ AZ - threw 4 picks but defense and special teams score 3 straight TDs to win the game
vs. Min - throws 3 picks but defense scores 16 to win the game

All 3 games were wins in spite of your starting QB. And the team's 3 losses were all a direct result of Rexi and his poor play (all had 3 games he threw 3 INTs).

Flash forward to 2007, this has finally caught up with them. Injuries to the defense, a lack of a strong running game and awful QB play has led the defending NFC Champs to a 2-3 record. Rexi has been benched and Griese has given mixed results through 2 games.

Of course the Vikings have their own set of issues, ESPECIALLY at QB. This makes for an interesting matchup and will likely be a very ugly game.

Here are the Keys to a Viking Victory...

1. Cover the Tight Ends - I know this is not a sexy key matchup but I think it is huge. The Bears have not shown a strong running game all year. Griese has not shown an ability to throw the ball downfield (and he has 4 INTs in 2 games). Statistical examples?...

Muhammad + Berrian = 2 catches vs. Green Bay
Greg Olson + Desmond Clark = 7 catches and 2 TDs vs. Green Bay
Cedric Benson is averaging 60 yards per game (50.5 if you take out KC)
Chicago Rushing offense = 27th in the league vs. Min's #1 rushing defense

Cedric Benson does not worry me. Griese loves the check down so his wideouts aren't as scary either. But EJ Henderson and the safetys have to cover the TEs and not let them beat us in the middle of the field.

2. Run the Ball with the Pass - The Bears started the year strong against the run, but recently they have been more succeptable. I think eventually we'll be able to establish some semblance of a running game. With that said, there is no doubt that the Bears will be keying on the run each and every play and the Vikings struggle (mightily) to pass the ball. I'm not asking for this zebra to change his stripes, I don't expect Jackson or Holcomb to rack up 300 yards of passing to the receivers.

What I want to see are screens and swing passes to Peterson and let him get out in space and make guys miss. Play Action then hit the back when he clears. Short passes that are essentially runs will be more effective than trying to run the ball down the throat of this Bear defense. We have been unable to dominate the line of scrimmage in any game this year and I don't expect that to change against this D. But short/quick passes will hide our lack of a real passing game and hide Bryant McKinnie's inability to pass block.

3. Don't let their Special Teams win the game - We don't have to win the special team's battle but just have to be relatively even. If Hester is able to return one for 6 or consistently put their anemic offense 20 yards closer to a FG then Minnesota will struggle to keep up in the battle for 3 points. Kick it out of bounds if you have to but don't let Hester win this game for them. He has done it before and is capable of it every week.

Fearless Prediction...

Vikings win 18-16 and here is how it ends.

Longwell lines up for the game winning 37 yd FG. Right before the snap Lovie calls a timeout to rattle the Vikings kicker. Longwell actually misses that FG but gets a 2nd chance because of Lovie's timeout. Ryan nails the 2nd attempt and Minnesota wins.

NFC Power Rankings Week 5

2007-10-09T23:05:00.000-05:00

I know that I skipped ~~a week~~ or ~~two~~ or three. I have several excuses so if you want to hear them shoot me an e-mail. If not then quit whining and enjoy the official power rankings...

Dallas (5-0) - I'm one who turned it off and went to bed, this looks to be the best the NFC has to offer
Green Bay (4-1) - Maybe the refs didn't get the memo, this is Ol'#4's last year so they have to go 19-0.
Arizona (3-2) - beat Pitt, lost 2 close games and revived with Warner
Washington (3-1) - just happy they killed the Lions
New York (3-2) - OOOOH, a 3 game win streak, LOOK OUT!
Seattle (3-2) - beat Cincy, but that just gets them a ranking above Carolina
Tampa Bay (3-2) - has anybody called He Hate Me yet?
Carolina (3-2) - unimpressive but still above .500
Detroit (3-2) - most points allowed in NFC (and they even played the Vikings)
Chicago (2-3) - nice road win, be sure to send a gift basket to James Jones and Favre
San Francisco (2-3) - raise your hand if you knew Trent Dilfer was still in the league
Minnesota (1-3) - a 1 week non-losing streak heading into Bear week
Philadelphia (1-3) - ranked below MN cause it is my freaking blog
Atlanta (1-4) - Hey, the team we beat got a win, YAY!
St. Louis (0-5) - there is always next year
New Orleans (0-4) - I thought they'd be bad, but this is ugly

Guaranteed or your Money Back

2007-10-02T13:33:00.000-05:00

The Vikings will NOT lose this week! And thank goodness cause we need a week without a loss.

Should this week be considered a moral victory?

Kansas City Chiefs are MYTH BUSTERS

2007-09-24T15:13:00.001-05:00

Typically I am very positive regarding the Vikings. I am certainly a glass half full kind of guy, but the time has come for reality to set in. I felt really good about certain aspects of this team and was confident (really hoped) that they would be able to cover up the weaknesses we had in other areas. Unfortunately that is not the case. The offense is worse than expected and regardless of how good this defense is, they can't make up for it.

Before I get into the bashing let me say this. Defensively we are better than even I anticipated. The pass defense is better, it will give up yards but not as many as last year when teams could pass at will. The pass rush is better, we are getting MUCH more pressure on opposing QBs thus far. EJ Henderson has greatly exceeded expectations at MLB, he is making plays all over the field. Greenway has made a few mistakes but I'll let those pass as youthful mishaps for now and he has made several good plays to make up for it.

Offensively I couldn't be happier with Adrian Peterson and he is going to be a great back for years in my humble opinion. I also think that Ryan Cook has quietly had a decent 3 games at RT which was a big question mark.

With that said, here are some big "MYTHs" that the Chiefs graciously busted for us this weekend.

Myth #1 - The Vikings offense would be good enough if they had a QB who didn't make mistakes.

Truth - 50% completion, no interceptions and the offense still sucked. Our offense is just bad. Some will blame it on the Brad's Kick Ass Offensive system and others will blame the personnel. I blame both but it really doesn't matter the net result is the same. And offense that has no identity can cannot score in the red zone. Ultimately it doesn't matter which of our QBs is starting this offense will struggle all year. If healthy TJ has to start, if we can't win with Holcomb then let Jackson learn on the job.

Myth #2 - The Vikings have a good offensive line (at least the left side).

Truth - neither side of this line is performing. The left side is just as culpable as the right side for not giving the QB time to throw nor helping to establish a ground game. The Vikings have FAR too many 1st down runs for losses. That is 100% on the OLine. And I would venture that a number of the positive runs have come from Purple Jesus making a guy miss in the backfield and turning nothing into something.

Myth #2b - Bryant McKinnie is a very good LT

Truth - McKinnie is the most overrated LT in the league and he kills us at times. Overpaid and underacheiving. Your average speed rushing RE is able to get a full step before Bryant is able to get out of his stance and that kills us. I wish more than anything we could trade him or cut him and recoup salary cap. Unfortunately salary cap is not a problem for us and cutting him does us very little good.

Myth #3 - Minnesota is a playoff team.

Truth - Minnesota is a playoff defense, but a bottom 10 offense. Besides single handedly outscoring the opponent what more does the defense have to do? Unfortunately without making serious changes this offense stands no chance of helping out the defense. I used to think they were just a couple players away from being average but I fear they need at least 4 position upgrades (QB, WR, LT, RG).

Myth #4 - Brad Childress will be fine given time and the right personnel

Truth - Brad was a coordinator and still thinks like a coordinator. I would love for him to hire an offensive coordinator who he trusts and turn the entire offense over to him. Start thinking and acting like a head coach not a glorified coordinator. Maybe Childress will eventually be a good head coach in this league (there are things I like about him) but for now I don't get the feeling he has what it takes. Maybe Darrell Bevell will be a good coordinator in time, but I'm not comfortable with a guy who's been coaching for 8 years to be an offensive coordinator at the NFL level.

Historically speaking I have been VERY patient with many coaches in recent MN sports memory. I was still sticking up for Mason, Tice, Denny and Monson for a long time after the masses had turned on them. And usually I will preach patience with coaches cause you usually have to give them time to succeed. But I'm turning quickly on Brad and nothing would make me happier than a bold move like nabbing Bill Cower, Marty, Pete Carroll, Mike Martz, or anybody else with a track record of success.

Vikings v Chiefs Kool-Aided Preview (Wk 3)

2007-09-21T16:15:00.000-05:00

This is not your Kansas City Chiefs of recent memory. This team is not very good and the Vikings have another winable game on the road. If they want to live up to my kool-aided expectations then they have to win these games.

Before I get to the match-ups I know you are dying to hear my thoughts on the QB situation, so here you go...

I want to stick with TJax and give him every opportunity to learn what he's doing out there. With that said, I think starting either Bollinger or Holcomb give us a better chance to win. The real problem is that we have a defense that isn't just good enough to get us to the playoffs they are good enough to win playoff games. Unfortunately our offense isn't good enough to sniff the playoffs. I think we are a good QB and WR away from being a really good team. Obviously the 2007 Vikings have neither of these. So do you go with an average QB or do you let your young QB go through what is sure to be a difficult season and HOPE that next year is your year? If I felt that Kelly or Brooks (NOT Kelly Brook, btw) were good enough to get us to the playoffs I'd lean towards them. I know that TJ is going to make more mistakes than the white guys but I still think a rough 2007 will make him better for 2008. If healthy I hope they stick with TJ.

On to the match-ups...

KC OL vs. Min DL - advantage Vikings

I gave this one to MN last week and it turned out to be a push, but this week I will not be wrong. KC's OL has been criticized this year while the Vikings DL has performed beyond expectations. Kevin Williams has been dominant and the DE's have put pressure on QBs. Huard will be pressured all day, LJ will have trouble getting 60 yards and we will dominate the line of scrimmage.

KC RB/TE vs. Min LB - advantage Vikings (slightly)

The Vikings D will shut down the run, but I expect Tony Gonzalez to toy with our LBs all day. This is almost a push, but I give shutting down the run game more importance that 1 TE (albeit a very good TE)

KC QB/WR vs. Min DBs - advantage Vikings

Huard scares nobody, and off the top of my head I can't name 1 KC WR who is healthy (Kennison is injured). I'm assuming pressure on Huard since he has been sacked 7 times already, and assuming that you will see the Vikings actually shut down the passing game for the first time in a long time.

KC DL vs. Min OL - advantage Vikings

I would LOVE to see the OL just decide to dominate and watch the Vikings run the ball down the Chefs' throat. I felt they missed this opportunity last wee, but with a new QB this week hopefully that will be done.

KC LB vs. Min RB/TE - advantage Vikings (slightly)

I think the Cheifs LBs are the strength of their defense, but I also love what I'm seeing from Purple Jesus, Chester and even Mewelde. Short passes to our RBs has been rather successful and I see us running at these guys all day as well.

KC DBx vs. Min QB/WR - advantage Chiefs

Unless the Vikings are playing the Gophers, this will always be ad-opponent. Our QB situation is bad enough that best case scenario is that they don't lose the game for us. Our WRs may or may not be adequate we don't know cause they can't get the ball. I'd love to see just a little bit of success beyond 15 yards. I can always hope!

Seriously, this is the most winable road game the Vikings will have all year. If you want to have a shot at the playoffs you have to win this game. I think that we match-up very well in all areas except our passing game. The defense should dominate. The running game should have every opportunity to run downhill all day. I'm hoping to see some life in the passing game but I'm not holding my breath.

Both teams really need this win. In my opinion the team who loses might as well pack it in for 2007. If KC loses they fall to 0-3 with a trip to San Diego next week. That is almost a certain 0-4 and that is too big of a hole to climb out of in the AFC. Minnesota had what we figured would be a cushy schedule to start. Losing this game puts them at 1-2 with a home game against a hot Green Bay team. That is winable as well but not a sure thing by any stretch. They have to win this to guarantee a 2-2 start with a shot at 3-1 going into the bye. That puts them in a position to make a playoff run, but 1-3 is over for them as the schedule gets much more difficult.

KEYS to the Game

Pressure on Huard - which will lead to turnovers and a short field for the offense.
Dominate the running game - I know I've said this 27 times but let the OL dominate and lets run until they bring a 9th guy into the box.
Score more points - I know you're saying "DUH!" but let me be more clear. I want the offense to score more points than the defense or special teams.

Fearless Predictions

Minnesota 23 - Kansas City 10
Purple Jesus shows the Chiefs the big numbers on his jersey (that means his back as he's running to the endzone)
3 Interceptions for the Vikings D

NFC Power Rankings Week2

2007-09-20T12:42:00.000-05:00

I'm not convinced anybody is worth of #1, but somebody has to be on top so they can be knocked off. They have beat Philly at home in a relatively close game, then they dominated the Giants on the road. Neither team appears to be great but their 2 wins are just as impressive as any other 2 wins at this point.

My NFC Power Rankings - only NFC cause I don't care about about the AFC. Based on 2007 results only, not 2006 or perceived talent going into 2007.

Green Bay (2-0) - nice road win, dominating 2nd half - this hurts
Dallas (2-0) - defense was better and a road win, still nothing impressive
Washington (2-0) - nice road win within the division, could be a surprise team
San Francisco (2-0) - worst offense in league is 2-0, intersting
Chicago (1-1) - unimpressive home win over worst of the AFC, defense is GOOD
Detroit (2-0) - ulgy win, I'm just not buying into the hype yet
Tampa Bay (1-1) - improved from week 1, beat a talented team
Minnesota (1-1) - young QB < good defense = road loss
Carolina (1-1) - you can't quit when up 14-0, even vs. Houston
Arizona (1-1) - beat the Seahawks, therefore ranked above the Seahawks
Seattle (1-1) - lost @AZ by a FG? not if you want to make playoffs
St. Louis (0-2) - for a contending team, it isn't a pretty 0-2
Philadelphia (0-2) - they think they'll turn it around, I'm not so sure
New York (0-2) - looked good through 1 half, but then killed at home
Atlanta (0-2) - not very good, enter Leftwich
New Orleans (0-2) - can't live off of 2006 anymore

Vikings v Lions Recap

2007-09-17T16:04:00.000-05:00

Well that sucked. It is hard to quantify if that was an exciting game to watch (some big plays, momentum swings, overtime, etc.) or one of the ugliest games ever witnessed (7 turnovers, 16 penalties, missed opportunities and critical mistakes). Since we lost, my vote goes to ugly.

Grades...

QB (F) - sorry TJax, but that was ugly. The first drive things looked very good until the INT on 3rd and 2. From that point on I kept wanting Adam Weber to run out onto the field to lead the offense's next drive. More than anything I'm concerned with the lack of mental toughness and ability to make even 1 big play when we really needed it (and there were multiple opportunities). 1 play could have won the game for us.

RB (B+) - I wanted to see a point when as a team we just decided to dominate the line of scrimmage and run, run, run the ball. We obviously didn't but I put that on the coaches. Purple Jesus and MeMo both did a solid job running the ball and were even better after catching the ball. AP's catch and run to the goalline where he broke 4 tackles was very impressive. No TDs and no 100 yd performance keeps this in the B range.

WR (C) - It is hard to fault them for anything as the passing game was handicapped by the QB not the receivers. This is a hard group to grade.

OL (C-) - TJax had a little too much pressure and I never saw a time when we controlled the line of scrimmage. I expected more from this group in Week 2.

Overall Offense (D+) - AP and MeMo looked good but the rest was anywhere from below average to horribly bad. Ford Field is not that tough of a place to play and the Lion's D isn't exactly the steal curtain. If we get knocked off our game plan and appear rattled on Ford Field, how are we going to respond to Lambau, Soldier, Cowboy Stadium or Mile High (in Dec)?

DBs (B-) - gave up a lot of yards but they threw the ball 56 times. 3 picks, some very hard hits and helped keep the Lions to 4/13 on 3rd down. Things could have been much worse, the Lions are going to rack up yards on most defenses they see. On a related note I am impressed with McCauley, that kid will be just fine.

LB (B-) - stuffed the run as expected helping to keep them under 60 yards. My biggest complaint is they had difficulty getting to Kitna on the blitz. With 56 pass attempts and the amount of blitzing we did I would have liked to see Greenway or EJ get a shot or two on Kitna. Not bad day, but not a great day either.

DL (B+) - 3.5 sacks, held Lions to 56 yards rushing and scored. This group has really stepped up to be what we've been asking for since 2006.

Overall Defense (B) - again, lots of yards but they did their part to put us in position to win the game. A defensive score and forcing several turnovers should be enough to beat a team like the Lions.

This was a frustrating game. When you have a chance to win a divisional road game you HAVE to take advantage. Longwell nearly bailed out an abysmal offense, but really the better team won yesterday.

I think the Lions are getting overrated quickly as people so desperately want to anoint this year's surprise team. I am on record to say it will not be the Lions. Don't forget folks they were nearly as bad as the Vikings yesterday. They made a ton of mistakes as well, managed 1 big play in OT to win it while their defense managed to stop what looks like one of the worst offenses in the league. I'm not sold on Detroit.

Fortunately the Vikings get a chance to rebound quickly. The Chiefs are not strong this year and this is another winable game.

Vikings v Lions Kool-Aided Preview (Wk 2)

2007-09-14T15:08:00.000-05:00

Has the world gone MADD? Everybody loves the Lions. Through 1 week the Lions have become the trendy pick as the only NFC North team who can give the Bears a run for their money. Take off the Beer Goggle folks (or the Raider Goggles for that matter).

While they may appear sexy with Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson catching passes from the rejuvenated (did I just say that?) Jon Kitna. When you wake up Mon morning this will be your same old Lions team. Look past a few offensive skill position players and this is the same Lions who have lost 10 straight games to the Purple.

Let's take a look at the matchups...

Det OL vs. Min DL - advantage Minnesota (and this isn't very close)

Minnesota should be able to defend the run straight up and on 3rd & longs they'll need to get to Kitna. Stopping the run doesn't concern me at all. If we can get pressure on Kitna this game is over. If he is able to complete a high percentage of short and medium passes, then get time to look deep this could be a different story. My money is on the DL dominating. It was pointed out that the Lions OL "wore down" the Raiders last week. I don't see that being an issue as the Vikings played 8 different guys on the DL including starting the 2nd half with all 4 2nd stringers in there, these guys will remain fresh.

Det RB/TE vs. Min LBs - advantage Minnesota

I expect that Mike Martz will abandon the run early and basically use a short/quick passing game to take it's place. This will inflate the passing yardage but will still result in 3rd and longs for the Lions. That's when the pass rush will take over.

Det QB/WR vs. Min DBs - advantage Detroit (but not by much imo)

I'm not even fully convinced that this is in the Lion's favor and here is why. Our 2006 pass defense was awful! And how did Mr. Kitna do vs. this pass defense last year? 519 yards, 2 TDs and 6 INTs!!#@*! This guy threw 6 interceptions vs. MN last year. If you take away 2 garbage games to end the season last year Kitna finished with 14 TDs and 21 INTs. Those are brutal numbers, but because Roy Williams is really good, Calvin Johnson is very promising and they put up yards on the Raiders all of a sudden the Lions are a sleeper playoff team! SERENITY NOW!!

Det DBs vs. Min QB/WR - advantage Detroit (this is a pillow fight)

Tarvaris and his receiving core does not scare anybody, but this is one of the 3 keys to the game. They need to be just good enough to open up the running game.

Det LBs vs. Min RB/TE - advantage Minnesota (this is where the game will be won)

I'm assuming Chester will be playing so the combo of he and Purple Jesus will need to beat somebody. The Lions will stack the box with 8 or 9 guys. The Vikings will block 7 or8 guys, which means Chester and Purple Jesus have to make 1 guy miss. If they can do this you'll see a couple BIG plays and that will be the difference in the game.

Det DL vs. Min OL - advantage Minnesota

Dominate the line of scrimmage here and this game will not be nearly as close as the score will likely indicate. This really is tied to the LB/RB matchup above. We need to block everybody but they'll stack enough to get a 1 man advantage. The OL needs to make the right calls and block the right guys so we get a 1 on 1 with our RB and their LB/S (or whoever is up to the line). My money is on our OL cause they don't have anybody that scares me.

KEYS to the Game

Get to Kitna - especially on 3rd and long. If we put any pressure on him and knock him around a little bit then our DBs will make some plays. I didn't say the might make some plays or they'll have the opportunity to make the plays but the WILL make the plays.
Passing game has be be just good enough - don't make mistakes is important but I'm more interested in them making just enough big plays to open up the running game a little bit. Last week we had 1 pass greater than 15 yards (excluding the AP TD). Give me just 1 per quarter, that's all I ask.
RBs have to make a guy miss - They'll have holes but they will have to make 1 guy miss. I see a few big runs because AP will make a guy miss and Chester will run through guys to turn 4 yard runs into 6 all day long.

Fearless Predictions...

Jackson has 2 TD passes and rushes for another.
D Line has 3 sacks
Minnesota wins 31-23

They get paid for this? and NFC Power Rankings

2007-09-10T16:21:00.001-05:00

I love hearing the "experts" from all over the printed press taking turns picking the Saints or the Bears to win the NFC. Is it that nobody takes the time to evaluate more than 2 or 3 teams as contenders in this mediocre conference? Does anybody realize that the last 3 NFC Championships have involved 6 different teams? In the last 10 years only 1 team has played in consecutive NFC Championship games (Philly 3 years in a row).

2006 NFC Title game involved Chicago and New Orleans.

in the 2005 playoffs Chicago was 2 seed and New Orleans did not make the playoffs

2004 NFC Title game involved Seattle and Carolina

the year before that? Seattle was a 4 seed and Carolina did not make the playoffs

2003 NFL Title game involved Philadelphia and Atlanta

the year before that? Philly was the #1 seed and Atlanta did not make the playoffs

see a pattern here? In fact the last time that both NFC Title game participants had both made the playoffs the previous season was 2002 where Philly and Tampa both made it as the 3 and 6 seeds respectively in 2001.

My point is that it seems as thought nobody has looked outside of New Orleans and Chicago as possible Super Bowl teams from the NFC. Dallas has gotten a little bit of love but after that it is pretty short sighted on behalf of the "experts".

I am not writing this as a defense of the Vikings. The Vikings have not earned the respect to be considered an elite NFC team. Maybe this is just a rambling post that really doesn't have a point, but I will guarantee there will not be an NFC Title rematch this year. Here are my reasons why...

Both of these teams have holes.

New Orleans - 2006 the Saints were 13th in the NFC vs. the run, giving up almost 130 yards per game. That is not the mark of a championship team, especially not the mark of a perpetually successful team. The Saints needed an offense that produced FAR beyond expectations to compensate for giving up massive amounts of rushing yards. The 2005 Saints were not very good and nobody expected them to be competitive in 2006. This offense snuck up on everybody. This will not happen this year. They will struggle with the target on their backs. VERDICT: Offense was good enough last year but will step back this year. Chances are better than Chicago's.
Chicago - The Bears' achilles heal is on the other side of the ball. They won a lot of games in spite of a very average QB who put them in position to lose games more often than he put them in position to win. The Bears defense is good enough that you have to consider them in the best of the NFC talk. But they traded Thomas Jones and they no other options at QB other than scary, Sexi Rexi. Rex threw 3 or more INTs in a single game 5 times last year! They will need their Def / Special Teams to single handedly WIN games for them again this season and that is a rare thing in this league. And by WIN I don't mean hold teams down, they will have to actually score more points than the offense to win. VERDICT: They've been living dangerously at the QB position for 2 years, that will catch up to them. Defense is great when healthy and very good when not healthy, but those guys can't play offense and defense anymore.

The entire NFC is very mediocre (including CHI & NO) and ripe for one of several different teams to step up and win their division. Here are a couple playoff teams from 2006 who could play to within a game of the Super Bowl.

Dallas - They have a nice combo of RBs, a game winning WR and an emerging defense. Tony Romo had a nice 2nd half of the 2006 season to get the Cowboys into the playoffs but time will tell how well he performs in his 2nd year at QB (1st full season). VERDICT: They have the talent to win the NFC, but I think they have 3 questions that need to be answered. Can Romo lead this team to the Super Bowl? Is TO going to help this team or destroy this team? Can the defense defend the pass a little better?
Seattle - They've been there before, they have an experienced QB, a star RB and a solid defense. Last year they fell victim to the curse of the Super Bowl loser, but they are still a team capable of making a playoff run. VERDICT: I'm not holding out much hope for the Seahawks. The defense was just OK last year, if they step up a little bit that will help this offense a lot and they can make a run.

The stats mentioned above. The last 3 NFC Championship games involved 1 team who had not even made the playoffs the previous season. Here are a few that I think could sneak up on the league.

St. Louis - Defense is the issue here. 3rd in NFC vs the pass, but last vs. the run. 4th best offense in the conference gives them a chance. STL has a very good QB, a great RB and a very good OL. Offense is good enough to make a playoff run but the defense has to be better. VERDICT: Defense will be too much for the aging offense to overcome.
Green Bay - as much as it pains me to say it I think the Packers could be a team to contend with this year. They were 5th in the NFC in offense and defense a year ago (although 11th in def ppg). Are they going to repeat those numbers? Probably not on offense but this is probably the best defensive team that nobody talks about. Favre is what you could call an experienced QB but regardless of how well (or poorly he plays) he is lacking in weapons around him. Finding a legit running game and Favre not throwing more picks than TDs is rather important (hasn't happened since 2004). They also have a rookie kicker which could be a major factor as they'll have to win close games. VERDICT: a team to watch out for as I think the NFC North becomes a very good division. Question marks are Favre, RBs and rookie K.
Minnesota - if you want a formula for NFL success it is a strong running game, good play on the line of scrimmage and a defense that can stop the run. Minnesota ranks high on all of those. But those strengths can be minimized by an inexperienced QB, WRs who can't catch the ball and not being able to defend the pass. VERDICT: If Minnesota can defend the pass and Tarvaris Jackson is able to manage this offense Minnesota has the defense and running game to be one of the best 3 or 4 teams in the NFC.
Carolina - Statistically very similar to Minnesota in 2006, only slightly worse on Off and flip flopped on Def (good against pass, waker vs. the run). The offense has talent, the defense is proven and this team has experience. VERDICT: Will make the playoffs this year and could make a run. Not glaring question marks, but also outside of Steve Smith nothing that grabs your attention either.

My predictions - It is hard to say, but if I'm calling the so called "experts" gutless for picking NO or Chi, then I guess I at least have to stick my neck out there too.

New Orleans doesn't make the playoffs
Dallas hosts the NFC Championship assuming TO doesn't take the team down with him.
Either Minnesota or Green Bay is the other team, depending on which team answers their questions most effectively.

My NFC Power Rankings - only NFC cause I don't care about about the AFC. This is based on 2007 results only, not 2006 or perceived talent going into 2007.

Carolina (1-0) - nice win on the road over St. Louis
Minnesota (1-0) - Atlanta offense did not enter the red zone, offense was good enough.
Green Bay (1-0) - nice home win over a potential playoff team
Seattle (1-0) - Tampa is not an impressive team but did not allow a TD
Dallas (1-0) - scored 45 points but also gave up 35 to a team without a RB
San Francisco (1-0) - it was AZ and it was at home but a nice comeback win
Chicago (0-1) - played the best of the AFC on the road tough for 3 qtrs. Defense couldn't win it for them this time
Philadelphia (0-1) - road loss to Green Bay wasn't pretty but it was gutty
Detroit (1-0) - nice road win but it was Oakland and Josh McClown
Washington (1-0) - ugly win, but it was a win
New York (0-1) - I'm not impressed but they did score 35 @ Dal after losing their #1 RB
St. Louis (0-1) - @ home should have won if you want a home playoff game
Arizona (0-1) - had a road game won if Allen falls on that ball in the endzone
Atlanta (0-1) - just didn't play very well
New Orleans (0-1) - I know it was the defending SB champs and on the road but they looked awful.
Tampa Bay (0-1) - ugly

1 down 13 to go

2007-09-10T15:43:00.000-05:00

Purple Kool Aid's fearless prediction of 14-2 is looking pretty good right about now. For those Packer fans reading this, that means we only have to go 13-2 the rest of the way to hit 14 wins (I know counting is an issue for the Wisconsin public school educated).

Game Balls...

Offense - Adrian Peterson is the obvious choice. 103 yards rushing and a 60 yard TD reception is a nice start to the career. Most importantly it was obvious that Purple Jesus has that rare "burst". I know that sounds vague and the kind of expert analysis that you'd get from John Madden, but there are certain guys who have that extra gear that other good players just don't have. The 60 yard TD, he looked like a rocket and several of his yards of 6+ yards also had a burst to it that you don't usually see. Purple Jesus is going to be a star.
Defense - This is much more difficult. BRHCP gave the gameball to Udeze cause he finally got a sack, but I'm not willing to give it to Kenechi. Kevin Williams is a solid pick with the pick-6, but I expect big things from this big time player. My gameball goes to the LB crew. Greenway had 10 tackles, EJ's first game at MLB resulted in 8 tackles and 2 sacks. We need or LB's to be effective and this is the kind of production that will make our defense good enough to win games for us.
Special Teams - nobody stood out to deserve a gameball

Other Thoughts...

The defense did not allow the Falcons into the red zone for the entire game. That is impressive and you'll win a lot of games when you keep the endzone at least 20 yards from the line of scrimmage for 60 min.
Tarvaris Jackson had a nice game. Nothing special and in no way did he win the game for us. BUT he didn't lose the game and he was solid. TJax had 1 INT. It was tipped but it was also a poor decision and thrown behind the receiver. If he plays like this for 15 more games I have no doubt we'll make the playoffs. It should also be noted that TJax spread the ball around to 9 different receivers. According to BRHCP we never saw the KAO last season but I have a feeling this is what is should look like.
5 Rookies contributed! - Greenway (essentially a rookie) led the team in tackles, AP led the team in rushing and receiving yards, Aundrae Allison caught a pass, Sydney Rice caught a couple passes and Marcus McCauley had 3 tackles. I've said it before but I love our young core of rookies and 2nd year guys (TJax, Cedric Griffin and Ryan Cook).

LINKS, LINKS, LINKS

2007-09-07T16:29:00.000-05:00

Vikings Frenzy - gives a good rundown of various national publication's pre-season power rankings. We all know that these are incredibly accurate and there is no longer a reason to even play out the season.

Ragnarok - gives the necessary formula for making the playoffs (like that should be a problem at 14-2). What we need to know is what will it take to get home field cause in Kool Aid land the playoffs are a foregone conclusion.

The Viking Age - has their own power rankings, about 18 spots too low but higher than pretty much everybody else.

Skol Vikes - has all of your Vikings roster questions answered. Prax squad, players cut, full 53 man roster, etc.

Pacifist Viking - really just clarify's my point about the Vikings game by game predictions. Shaky QB after shaky QB bodes well for the Vikes. I mean we get to face Harrington, Huard, Favre, Grossman and McCown just to name a few.

Just for good measure, game by game predictions...

Atl - W (1-0)
@Det - W (2-0) - 10 wins are just not in the cards for Det
@KC - W (3-0) - run D too much for LJ and they have not passing game
GB - W (4-0) - now things get interesting
bye
@Chi - W (5-0) - bye week gives 2 weeks to prepare and we'll avenge 0-2 from last year
@Dal - W (6-0) - TO will be hurt by now and we steal this one
Phi - W (7-0) - at home we win
SD - L (7-1) - I'm anxious to see our run D vs. LT but Chargers if healthy win
@GB - W (8-1) - Aaron Rogers first NFL start won't be pretty
Oak - W (9-1) - Raiders suck
@NYG W (10-1) - Giants suck
Det - W (11-1) - Lions suck
@SF - W (12-1) - 49ers suck
Chi - W (13-1) - like I even need to justify this one!
Was - W (14-1) - nothing about the 'skins scares me
@Den - L (14-2) - obviously resting our starters

2007 Vikings - Kool-Aid(ed) Preview

2007-09-07T14:49:00.000-05:00

OK, PKA is back in the swing of things and I feel the need to put out my Vikings preview. I'm going with a little different angle this year as opposed to last year's position group style.

As stated in a previous post, I am officially predicting 14-2. Nobody reads this blog so there is very little chance for embarrassment on this one, when I prove to be right I traffic will flock here because I am a great football mind!

OFFENSE

BRHCP's KAO is going to be unstoppable (see KEY for help with acronyms). We've been told that if executed properly it is kick ass. Well TJax has had an offseason to learn up on the KAO and he'll be given every opportunity to run it to it's fullest. I like that BRHCP is going to take a step back from calling the plays so he can be a big picture guy on game day, I honestly think this will really help. This offense was absolutely terrible last year and can only get better.

Purple Jesus - (love that nickname by the way, HT to Ragnarok) will be a key guy on this offense. I thought Chester did a great job last year. The OLine struggled all year but Chester was able to make the 1st guy miss on a regular basis and racked up 1200 yards. But PJ has a chance to be a game changer. Both should be fresh throughout the game and for the end of the season. PJ really can be someone who adds a new dimension to this offense and is a bigger threat which will open the passing game a little bit.

KEY PLAYER ON OFFENSE - toss up between Sydney Rice and Robert Ferguson. One of these guys needs to step up and be a legit pass receiving threat. I think Rice has a bright future and Ferguson has the ability to quickly ascend to our #1 WR. I don't care who steps up but somebody has to. If we can develop a passing game to go with out potent running game this offense is worlds apart from 2006.

Biggest question? - more than the passing game I'm worried about the right side of the OLine.

Overall Offensive Prediction - 2006 was the perfect storm of things going wrong. The left side of the OL was very disappointing while the right side was terrible. Brad Wonderbread Johnson was bad, BRHCP struggled to keep his players and his message fresh while he tried to establish what exactly he wanted from his offense. 2007 will be a slight improvement in EVERY area.

TJax will be better than BJ
WRs will be better than anybody anticipates
the left OL will play up to expectations
the right OL will at least be stable
the running game will be dominant
RED ZONE scoring can't be any worse (perfect storm of terribleness last year)

DEFENSE

Don't Regress vs the run - had this defense not totally packed it in and were in a hurry to catch their 3:45 flights out of town, they would have been the best run defense in history (statistically speaking). And in all honesty I think they'll be just as good (if not better) vs. the run. There has been nothing but great reviews of Greenway this preseason and EJ has seemingly transitioned back to MLB quite well. The DLine is essentially the same and our safeties are great at stopping the run. I see no reason to think we won't stop the run with the same tenacity as 2006.

Slow down the pass just a little (PLEASE) - Winfield is one of the best corners out there and our safeties are solid as well. I find it crazy how bad this team was vs. the pass last year. I am a big fan of Cedric Griffin and I think we will be much better vs. the pass this year. We will still give up a lot of total yards because teams will HAVE to pass on us. But we'll have more INTs and instead of giving up 240 pass yards per game it will be closer to 205.

Don't be so harsh on Udeze - I know he didn't have a sack all year and pressure on the QB was a problem. But he did tie for the team lead in tackles for losses and clearly contributed to an historic run stopping defense. I am taking the approach this year that we don't need him to be a sack guy. If he finishes the season with 2 or 3 sacks plus another 8-10 tackles for losses then he has done his job.

KEY PLAYER ON DEFENSE - Ray Edwards, this is related to my Udeze theory. If Udeze does his part in run stoppage again this year, that means we HAVE to get some sacks from the other end spot. I don't see James being that guy and it looks like Edwards is getting the start at LE. He has to get to the QB and put pressure on him. If he does then Udeze produces more and the pass defense gets a little relief (like 20-30 yards per game).

Overall Defensive Prediction - just give me a little pass defense and this defense gives us a chance to win every game. It is that simple.

14-2 - is a bit of a stretch, but I really feel that our offense will be slightly better and our pass defense will also be slightly better. It really doesn't take much to go from 6-10 to 9-7. Change 3 plays from 2006 and this team was 9-7. The Chicago home game, the SF road game and the Miami road game. All had 1 play that went horribly wrong and ended in a L. I know most teams can say that (except Chicago who had everything go just right, more on that later) but I don't think this team is as far off as everyone seems to think they are.

What is more shocking?

2007-09-07T10:15:00.001-05:00

That I am posting for a 2nd day in a row?

or

Patrick Reusse is optimistic about the Vikings season?

I suck at blogging...

2007-09-06T21:47:00.000-05:00

I have been putting all of my blogging energies into Gopher Nation, but so much has gone on I need to throw out some Viking thoughts...

Blackout? Are you kidding me? - This is the home opener and we can't sell out the Dome. Even in years past there has been even a little buzz and excitement about the season. The Vikings have always dominated this town but as I have previously posted there is more NFL apathy in the Twin Cities than ever before.
BOLD Prediction - the Bears will not win the division! On paper this makes very little sense but in the NFL things rarely end up as the "experts" anticipate. Their defense is good, they are the defending NFC Champs and their special teams are great. BUT, their QB is very questionable, they have no depth at RB, they have the curse of the Super Bowl loser and did I mention that their QB is questionable? Grossman has a better chance of leading this team back to mediocrity than he does of leading them to Arizona. I like Benson but if he goes down this offense will be in trouble. And I think we'll see more holes in this defense than before. In 2006 their yards per game and pts allowed both increased from 2005. I see nothing that this D will improve on their numbers and they'll continue to be in difficult situations as long as Grossman is QB.
BOLDER Prediction - the Vikings will win the NFC North! It should be noted that I am a registered Kool-Aid Drinker and will proudly stand by the Vikings. But I think this could be the surprise team of the NFC. Tarvaris is totally unproven, this I know. But we have what could be one of the best running games in the league, which will ease his transition. The Vikings defense is good good enough to win some games and keep us in the rest. There has to be a few things that come together but I'm hopeful and this will be the surprise team of the NFC.
Bring on the Kids - The Vikings have a TON of 1st and 2nd round kids playing for the first time this season or will be counted on this year. 2 true rookies, a couple guys who are essentially rookies and a couple with 1 yr experience who will be counted upon heavily. 1st and 2nd round picks have to contribute and we have several. Watch this young core of players as they grow this could be the start of a special team.

QB - Tarvaris Jackson - 2nd round pick (2006), essentially his first season
RB - Adrian Peterson - 1st round pick (2007), ROOKIE
WR - Sydney Rice - 2nd round pick (2007), ROOKIE
LB - Chad Greenway - 1st round pick (2006), missed rookie season due to injury
CB - Cedric Griffin - 2nd round pick (2006), played a lot but will be crucial this year
OL - Ryan Cook - 2nd round pick (2006), starting RT

Game by game official PKA predictions.

Atl - W (1-0)
@Det - W (2-0) - 10 wins are just not in the cards for Det
@KC - W (3-0) - run D too much for LJ and they have not passing game
GB - W (4-0) - now things get interesting
bye
@Chi - W (5-0) - bye week gives 2 weeks to prepare and we'll avenge 0-2 from last year
@Dal - W (6-0) - TO will be hurt by now and we steal this one
Phi - W (7-0) - at home we win
SD - L (7-1) - I'm anxious to see our run D vs. LT but Chargers if healthy win
@GB - W (8-1) - Aaron Rogers first NFL start won't be pretty
Oak - W (9-1) - Raiders suck
@NYG W (10-1) - Giants suck
Det - W (11-1) - Lions suck
@SF - W (12-1) - 49ers suck
Chi - W (13-1) - like I even need to justify this one!
Was - W (14-1) - nothing about the 'skins scares me
@Den - L (14-2) - obviously resting our starters

There you have it 14-2 is the official prediction (9-7 would be my realistic prediction). Home field advantage and the odds on favorite to be the next great NFL dynasty!

QB Theories...

2007-08-09T20:51:00.000-05:00

Since I am a follower I will chime in with my pirated thoughts (maybe I pillaged these ideas but you get the idea) about the Vikings QB situation...

Pretty much throughout the spring I was convinced that despite all of the "hoopla" and anticipation for he TJax era to begin, Brooks Bollinger would start at QB for the Vikings much of 2007. I think TJax has plenty of potential and he may be very good, but really your best chance to actually win games this season would be on the arm of Brooks. I have cooled on this theory lately. Here are some popular QB Theories out there today...

McNabb Theory - unfortunately I think that this is the prevalent feeling (hope) amongst Vikings fans, primarily those drinking the Kool Aid. People in this camp are convinced that TJax is the next McNabb and will be that good in 2007. There is "some" rationale behind this theory. Both are athletic QBs with good arms and both were coached by Brad the Red Hot Childress Pepper. But there are some stark differences. McNabb came from a BCS school, was a certain 1st round draft pick and overall a relatively known commodity. TJax came from a tiny school, was likely only a 2nd round pick thanks to the Vikings and was considered a project. These things don't disqualify you as an NFL QB but it demonstrates how McNabb came to the NFL more polished and ready to play with this caliber of athlete. Down the road TJax may be a great NFL QB but I fully expect his learning curve to be a little bit longer due to his background. How good TJax will be in a year or two is irrelevant cause the NFL is a win now (or at least very soon) or bust league.

Rex Grossman Theory - Brooks is serviceable at best. He is not in any way going to WIN you games. Maybe, just maybe he won't lose you games but he is a poor man's Rex Grossman (and Rex Grossman is a poor man's NFL QB). Brooks will give you more consistency. Fewer big mistakes but equally as few big plays. The theory here is that if TJax can just be a game manager and not lose games he'll be just fine. The problem is I think TJax will be the antithesis. I would anticipate some big mistakes but I also see him making more plays, getting 3rd & longs with his legs or an occasional big play with his arm. If your net results between the 2 QBs is even close, TJax has to be your starter. And really I don't want TJax to play Rex style football. I want him to be allowed to make mistakes and in the near future he'll be a playmaker and will win games for us.

The Matt Schaub Theory - Why oh Why didn't we trade for Matt Schaub, or sign a quality veteran QB. But do you really think that Matt Schaub is the answer? Does an aging Jeff Garcia or Kerry Collins really give you a better shot at winning? If you think yes, then why not just bring back Brad Johnson? Truth is there just wasn't much out there for a good veteran this year. You can roll your dice on wisdom over talent or you can take a shot with talent over age/big contract. And Schaub? Well, his numbers don't tell you anything except that there is a 50/50 shot that he'll be the next Scott Mitchell (thank you Detroit for signing him).

I would have enjoyed giving David Carr a shot. Bring him in and if he wins the QB1 job then let him run with it, if not then you aren't any worse off then you were before.

The TJax Theory - here is my take on it all. Basically if week 1 comes along, both current QBs are healthy and Brooks is your starter I think that is a bigger statement about TJax's inability to run an offense than it is about Brooks' ability to get us in the W column. TJax has to be given time to learn and grow as a QB in this league. In year 2 of his career with a young offense, you have to let him struggle and learn to play at NFL speed. I used to coach basketball at the collegiate level and the biggest thing incoming freshmen had to adjust to was the speed. Everything is just a little bit faster. Once they adjusted, the game slowed down and these talented kids could get back to making plays and making shots that they were accustomed to making. TJax has to get used to NFL speed, like all QBs it will take time but eventually the game will slow down, defenses will be easier to read, he'll know where his WRs are on the field and he'll start making plays. If you wait till 2008 to let him play we'll have to watch this maturing process then instead of now.

If he is utterly incapable of running the offense in September then you can't start him. If Brooks is clearly outplaying him and has earned the QB1 job by a couple steps then you have to go with Brooks. It is still about winning games. But if the competition is even close, then TJax has to be the guy.

Sometime soon I will have to post about my excitement surrounding this young offense and the potential it has in a couple years.

back on the wagon

2007-08-08T12:00:00.001-05:00

I feel I should share my story with you all, hoping that none of you will suffer the same sad and lonely story of depression, desperation and depravity.

Hi, my name is Tom and I'm a Vikings fan. At an early age I felt a strange draw towards a particular purple headed football team. As a young child I thoroughly enjoyed watching the boys in purple pummeling the NFL representatives from Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and even the weak link in Florida. Sure there was an occasional loss along the way but I was confident that next week would be different and I would end my Sunday afternoon with a high that could only be brought on by an Anthony Carter touchdown and a dominant performance by Browner, Studwell and friends.

Unfortunately there always seemed to be a low that far exceeded the high.

The Herschel Walker trade was the missing piece and who didn't see the Super Bowl in the immediate future after the "oops I lost my shoe but I'll score anyway" initial run. That of course was followed by 3 seasons of averaging 755 yds and just under 7 TDs, a team average of 8-8 over those 3 seasons and most importantly watching the Cowboys build a dynasty with our 1st and 2nd round picks for 3 years including drafting the NFL's all time leading rusher.
And who could forget the 1998 season? Randy Moss takes the NFL by storm and is the catylist in jumpstarting what would become the NFL's more prolific single season offense. 15-1 heading into the playoffs. Sat and rested during the Wild Card weekend, blew past the Cardinals in the Divisional round and then Gary Anderson missed his only FG of the season as we watched the Falcons do the Dirty Bird on the HHH Metrodome turf.
Lightning Round, if you are Vikings fan you'll know what I'm talking about...

Dropped pass
the Push-off
Les Steckel
Dimitrius Underwood
Forty-one Doughnut
Super Bowl IV
Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl XI

There are more instances similar to those listed above, but it makes me wonder if the peaks are worth it if I have to go through the valleys.

So at the urging of my family I have taken a couple months to submit to rehab. My recovery was going fabulous, that is until the Vikings made the trip down to Mankato and the PKA just found it's way back into my veins.

This is our year. How and why this will be our year will be discussed soon.

Keep an eye out for some upcoming posts...

QB thoughts
NFC Central Previews
Vikings positional previews

With a passing game like this...

2007-07-11T17:02:00.000-05:00

So ESPN (Insider) has ranked each team's QBs and WRs. You can about imagine where the Viking's passing game ranks. We all thought our passing game was bad last year as it ranked in the top 20 overall. But I'm afraid it could get worse.

QB - ranked 31 out of 32. Just ahead of Kansas City (note to self, don't draft Damon Huard for my fantasy team).

WR - 32 out of 32. WHAT!?! Didn't they see that we signed Bobby Wade (see note on Huard)?
So the Capt. Obvious quote of the day is?...

"This is the worst group of wide receivers in the league and there is a good chance that Minnesota's passing game will be awful this season."

Um, a good chance? Wow, way to go out on a limb on this one.

So we are all pretty aware of our offensive weakness and this is clearly what has the potential to keep the purple headed warriors out of the playoffs. But this blog is clearly NOT about what will keep us down. We are all about what has the potential to carry us.

Not even I can sugar coat the lack of experience this battery has on their resume. But this group has a lot of upside and potential.

QB - Tarvaris Jackson has played in 2 regular season games and the results were mixed (at best). I'm worried that if Brad Johnson was unable to execute the KAO (Kick Ass Offense), then I don't have much confidence that Tarvaris will master it in his 2nd season. My favorite question to ask is...

Tarvaris...the next McNabb or Akili Smith? - please respond

WR - cling to this word..."upside"! Either we start over next year with a new group of WRs or this is the young nucleus that will be a nice compliment to what should be a very good ground game.

Troy Williamson? - struggled mightily and I can't sugar coat this one. TWills has world class speed and can open up this offense but he needs to learn to catch the ball. There is upside here but his leash has to be short cause speed is worthless if you have bricks for hands and lobster arms.

Sydney Rice? - rookie with upside. No experience and there is worry that this 2nd round pick will be a bust and we will point to a handful of WRs who were available when we drafted Rice. Or this was brilliant and he'll be a key part of an explosive offense that will learn to walk this September before sprinting into the playoffs.

No doubt that the passing game will have to be used to keep defenses honest in Brad's KAO that should feature a strong ground game. But hopefully it can be more than adequate and have a little bit of kick. But lets hope that this group can make a handful of big plays per game to do more than "not lose." Just a few plays a game can break defenses that will usually be stacking 8 or 9 in the box. This group will be the key to the Vikings this year.

Mixing in some LINKs

2007-05-30T16:05:00.000-05:00

Ragnarok - I'm new to Ragnarok, but can you argue with a man "just trying to come to terms with my relationship with the Minnesota Vikings through my blog. I'm sure that someday they'll show me that they love me too." We can all hope TBird!

2008 Mock Draft - The Viking Age assures us that it is NEVER too early to look ahead to the 2008 draft! The only problem is that the Vikes are drafting 12th in this early prognostication, we all know they'll be drafting 32nd.

Vikings Frenzy - new Vikings blog, a chick in the heart of Raven country. It could be worse, Katie, you could be in Wisconsin.

Orlando LOVES Minnesota - Chris Harry seems to be giving the Vikings a little bit of early love. They must still have some Minnesota snowbirds receiving their paper.

Viking Vixen - gotta love an NFL blog that is pink!

Viking Buzz - this is my link to a bunch of Viking links!

This is our year! (drink that Kool-Aid folks)

2007-05-30T10:55:00.000-05:00

I'm sure everyone has been wondering where have I been the last few months. All you've gotten was a spattering of posts since the end of the season. To be honest I have been inspired by the honesty, fortitude and courage of certain young women who took the difficult step of admitting they have a problem and sought help. So, much like Lindsey Lohan and Britney Spears I went into rehab for my addiction. If you haven't heard much about my self-admittance it is because I wouldn't let my PR people put it out there to be spun by the paparazzi into something ugly and untrue.

Unfortunatly I was not as strong as the brave women mentioned above and I have not been able to deny myself the life sustaining PURPLE KOOL-AID that I desperately need. I was barely able to make it through Free Agency, the Draft and of course the recent OTAs. But now there is a lull until training camp and I just HAD to get my fix.

I'm telling you folks, THIS IS OUR YEAR! Brad the Red Hot Childress Pepper has the coaches and players he wants to run his Kick Ass Offense (KAO, which btw you read HERE first before Tom Powers stole it HERE.)!

I'll explain why this is our year, but I have to go call my sponser.

For now here were my thoughts on the 2007 offense and defense pre-NFL Draft and free agency.

Expert Analysis of Viking's Draft

2007-05-05T11:22:00.000-05:00

Things are looking pretty good around the experts as they give their analysis of the 2007 draft. This is of course fools gold as you don't know anything until a few years down the road, but when it is good news you buy into the hype 100%!

Todd McShay of ESPN/Scouts Inc says - "The Vikings had one of the best overall drafts of any team in the NFL." He then goes on to say that he would have taken either of the USC WRs instead of Sidney Rice, but he admits that he is nitpicking with that criticism.

Mel Kiper Jr of ESPN and your consensus NFL Draft guru gave the Vikings a B+ as their official draft grade. "Vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman had an outstanding weekend." There were no A's given and Minnesota was one of only 3 teams with a B+. He basically says that every pick was good value for it's position.

Adrian Peterson - franchise RB
Sidney Rice - potential top 15 pick had he stayed for his Sr. season
Marcus McCauley - boom or bust pick but great value in 3rd round
Robison and Allison were both great 2nd day picks, Allison spent time on Kiper's "Big Board" in 2006.

John Clayton of ESPN declares the NFC North as one of the big losers from this years draft. Why? Because Chicago, Detroit and Green Bay all have to face Adrian Peterson in the future. "The NFC North is a big loser with Adrian Peterson going to Minnesota."

Sportingnews.com War Room scouts - Grade A - "RB Adrian Peterson is an elite player, and WR Sidney Rice, WR Aundrae Allison and OLB Rufus Alexander should become very good starters eventually. The sleeper of the group is CB Marcus McCauley."

Gregg Rosenthal of NBCsports.com - Grade A-

2007 Draft Review

2007-04-30T15:30:00.000-05:00

Well the draft is over, the Vikings are signing a bunch of undrafted free agents who are all sure to be the next John Randle. But lets worry about the actual draft picks. Here are my thoughts...

1st round (#7) - Adrian Peterson - as discussed before I think this was absolutely the right pick. Tremendous upside to be an elusive and fast game breaker at RB. If our OL can gel better than they did last year we could move from a good ground game to one of the best in the league. Rumors of his injured clavical do not concern me at this point. Even if he elects to have surgery and miss the early part of 2007. We still have Chester and we are not expecting AP to carry the load with this offense just yet.

Rick Spielman was interviewed on ESPN radio and brought up an excellent point that most successful teams have a couple reliable and often diverse RBs that they count on. I like this pick, AP may not be the next Barry Sanders but he should be successful and I don't see any argument that this was not the correct pick at this point. Years down the road we may look back and dream of Brady Quinn in purple but we weren't the only ones to pass on him. And most importantly is that in my quick math QBs drafted in the top 10 have about a 50% success rate, whereas RBs have a much higher success rate. You can't fault this pick and now we hope for health and improved OL play.

2nd Round (#44) - Sydney Rice, WR, SC - This will be the controversial pick of the weekend, we traded down in the 2nd round since there were a handful of WRs still available. We then passed on Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith of USC and took Rice of South Carolina. Some reports are that he is very talented and some reports are less flattering. The Good? He is 6'3" with a near 40" vertical. Brad the Red Hot Childress Pepper (BRHCP) tells us that he has good hands. So combine those and you have a playmaker who can be your possession and red zone guy. Other reports are that he is immature and overly confident in his abilities. I am not a fan of Jarrett or Smith really so I'm OK with this pick. Drafting AP in the first was the right move regardless of what happens down the road, this pick however will surely be debated down the road.

3rd Round - Marcus McCauley, CB, Fresno State - I like this pick a LOT. Many reports are that after his Jr year MM was a 1st round lock and maybe a top 10 or 15 pick. He has good size and speed. So why did he drop to the 3rd round you ask? Well, he kind of sucked his Sr. year and was even benched. Ooooh great we spent our 3rd round pick on a guy who was benched at Fresno State on a team that went 4-8! Obviously your Kool Aid has gone stale in the offseason. Here is the RIGHT way to view this pick. MM's soph and jr seasons were fantastic because he had others around him who knew how to do their own jobs. His Sr. year they all graduated and he tried to make up for the mistakes of the guys around him. When he tried to do too much he wasn't able to perform his own job. Well this is the NFL, he can concentrate on doing his own job and he'll be JUST FINE. And really with a 3rd round pick taking a gamble on a guy with 1st round talent is one worth taking.

The rest of the picks...
4th - Brian Robison, DE, Texas - good size, "blue collar" work ethic and big vertical.
5th - Aundrae Allison, WR, East Carolina - scoutsInc had him as high as a 3rd round pick so this is at least good value.
6th - Rufus Alexander, OLB, Oklahoma
7th - Tyler Thigpen, QB, Coastal Carolina - this one seems odd but rumors are that they'll convert Thigpen to another position.
7th - Chandler Williams, WR, Florida International

Here is what I'd like to see...

2007-04-27T12:11:00.000-05:00

After addressing the #7 pick, here is what I'd like to see the Vikings do tomorrow...

1. Get a WR or 2 - after Calvin Johnson I don't know that any other 1st round talent is worth it to me. I feel strongly that I do not want to see Teddy Ginn Jr. in purple and here is why. We have the fast, elusive guy in Williamson. If you can guarantee me that TG Jr will have a Devin Hester impact on this team then trade down and take him. But if not, then we are still lacking someone with reliable hands, who can run crisp routes to get open and can be a big target in the middle of the field. Outside of TG Jr I think there number of good WRs out there. Remember that last year's most successful rookie WRs were taken in the 2nd through 7th rounds so there can always be late value found at this position. It is my hope that 2 WRs are taken, one on Sat and one on Sun.

2. Get some C/G/RT help - somewhere in the 2nd or 3rd round I expect a G or maybe a RT will be drafted. Some help is needed here and I think they'll have someone in mind they hope they can get a little later.

3. Matt Speath would look good in purple - a big TE who can catch and block would be a nice mid-round pick if he's still around.

I love the draft and look forward to scrutinizing it on Monday.

What to do with the 7th pick...

2007-04-26T16:09:00.000-05:00

I was thinking about doing an unimaginative and boring draft anlysis based on position (Monday - WRs, Tues - QBs, etc), but that is boring. So instead I'll provide you with an unimaginative and boring breakdown of our #7 possibities. Here is my list of top 7 things the Vikings should be doing on Saturday.

1. Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech - the best talent in the draft and the Viking's biggest need. This is a no brainer that if he is there at #7 you take him even if Mike Ditka calls to offer you all of his picks. He won't be there at #7 but I think this is the 1 guy you try to trade up for.
2. Joe Thomas, OL, Wisconsin - he won't be there when we pick but he is a sure bet and would help us dramatically. The problem with this pick is that we gave a truckload of $$ to McKinnie, I am not super high on Mt. McKinnie but that is a lot of cash to ignore.
3. Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma - a lot of people are saying that he is a game changer and has HoF credentials. Injuries are a concern, but if he falls to #7 there is no reason to pass on him (even with Chester in your backfield).
4. Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame - QBs are always a coin flip in the top 10 of the draft. For every Peyton Manning there are Tim Couches and Ryan Leaves. But Quinn comes from ND and I have always like his QB skills. I'm tempted to say trade the pick at this point but I wouldn't fault them for drafting Quinn.
5. TRADE the pick - I know I haven't listed a few big names yet, but that's because if JaMarcus Russell is still here either there is a reason(drugs, injury, jail, etc.) OR you can trade him for a ton of picks. I put Quinn above Russell because you'll get way more for Russell than Quinn at this point. But he won't be there so don't get too worked up. Realistically LeRon Landry may be here and you could trade him to New England for possibly both of their 1st round picks (24 and 28). I'd make that deal.
6. Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson - every player at this point is if you CAN'T work out a good trade. Adams would be good to have but realistically he might be our #3 DE for this year. You can argue that you need to look longterm and I'm throwing out a perennial All Pro DE because I want a short term impact. But what I really want is both, an impact player who will be here for years to come.
7. LeRon Landry, S - this is an update to the original post, but if LeRon is sitting here and you don't have a suitable trade, I have no problem drafting him. By all accounts he is a great talent and would be an outstanding safety for as long as we keep him under contract. Safety is supposedly an important cog to the Tampa-2 machine so there is no harm in locking down that position for the next 5+ years.

8. TRADE down - I know I already used this one, but #5 was a scenario when a top notch guy was there and you can get significant value. At this point, nobody hits me as an impact player. Move down to the middle of the 1st round and add a 2nd or 3rd round pick. I can see an argument for Levi Brown, Jamaal Anderson or even Leon Hall; but I can make just as strong an argument for one of the mid-1st round WRs or Marshawn Lynch or another good but not projected at GREAT player.

I think I'll address WRs tomorrow since that is such a high need and deep position in this draft. ( I will NOT be addressing WRs, sorry)

Vikings Draft Needs

2007-04-25T13:58:00.000-05:00

As the initial NFL Draft post, this one is easy...

There isn't a position on the field that couldn't be upgraded even a little bit. We obviously need somethings more than others but for the purposes of this post a small need is equal to a bigger need.

QB - TJackson is not just unproven but he is a complete unknown. Would anybody argue that Brady Quinn wouldn't be an upgrade and make you feel more comfortable about our longerm QB situation?
RB - Chester was very nice last year. But RB is a fragile position where depth is always needed AND Chester wasn't exactly a game changer. If the Viking's front office felt that Adriann Peterson was the next LT or LJ, would anybody have a problem drafting him?
WR - well this is the most glaring need. We have nothing this position will HAVE to be addressed at some point this weekend.
TE - Wiggins is gone and NYG TE2 is a complete unknown. A 2nd day pick at TE wouldn't be at all shocking.
OL - the left side is pretty well set, but an early G or T pick could be a huge upgrade, especially for an essential rookie at QB.

DL - we NEED a DE to put pressure on the QB. We are set at DT, but Pat Williams is aging and drafting insurance or at least an eventual replacement wouldn't be a bad idea either.
LB - I think they have starters set and I'd be SHOCKED to see the #7 pick go towards LB, but depth and someone to push the the current starters would upgrade the position.
CB - I like Winfield and Griffin, but you have to have at least 3 or 4 CBs you can count on. The Vikings do not have that.
S - seems like we have a handful of safeties (Doss, Sharper, Smith), but it is a KEY position in the Tampa 2 defense and there is speculation we'll draft a safety with the #7 pick.

I implore you to defy my logic that we could use an upgrade at any position on the field. But this is an exciting week! Will we land the next Randy Moss, Culpepper, Robert Smith? Or will we get to add a new name to the likes of Dimitrius Underwood, Derrick Alexander, Troy Williamson :)!

WAKE UP VIKINGS FANS

2007-04-21T22:06:00.000-05:00

All right, it is time to wake from the most boring off season in the history of off seasons. Seriously here is the list of the most exciting off season moves for the Vikings.

EJ Henderson moves to MLB (that's middle linebacker, not Major League Baseball). This was his "natural" position. He did struggle at MLB in the past so it will actually be important to the defense that he succeed in this new position but not exactly compelling season ticket renewals.
Free Agent signings!!! - we were major players this year and by major players I mean we signed a back up TE (I can't spell his name so I'll just refer to him as NYG TE 2), we signed Bobby Wade and Mike Doss. Doss is actually a great value and a player who will contribute next year, but again I didn't exactly call all my friends (read friend) about any of these moves.
Police Blotter News - even this was boring (and we are talking the Vikings here)! Ronyell Whitaker was arrested for an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court on a careless driving charge. And Cedric Griffin was maced for refusing to pull up his pants while trying to gain entrance into a downtown nightclub. Somewhere Keith Millard is wondering how these Vikings went so soft!
And finally we have some exciting stadium news. Oh wait, nope this is the lamest of them all. The Vikings unveiled plans for a new stadium to be built on the Metrodome footprint, but there are no plans to actually finance the stadium.

But there is hope, the NFL draft is next weekend! I love the draft and I can't wait to see what the Vikings do with their pick? Brady Quinn? Adrian Peterson? a move for Calvin Johnson? Gaines Adams? So much to think about and I'll have some positional previews this week!!!

NFC North Offseason Needs

2007-03-10T15:18:00.000-06:00

Here is a brief look at what Purple Kool Aid thinks are the primary needs of NFC North teams...

Chicago - This team was in the Manning Bowl so the cupboard is not exactly bare. They don't need much but they still need to improve if they want to get back to the SB and have a shot at winning it. Here are some things they need to figure out...

1. Figure out the QB situation. I know Rex was the guy that got them to XLI, but to call his play erratic is an understatement. Rex was fortunate to have his defense and Hester win games for him, over the long haul he won't be so fortunate. The Bears need him to figure things out and take 2 steps forward or they'll suffer the fate of the recent trend of SB losing teams.
2. Coaching stability - a couple days ago this was a bigger deal, but today they wrapped up Lovie to a contract extension. The departure of Rivera is kind of intersting but it will remain to be seen if that affects the defense.
3. Depth on defense - the loss of Tommie Harris and Mike Brown severely hurt their run defense. This unit was an historic unit for the first half of the year, but did enough to get by as the regular season came to a close.

Detroit - This could be a long list but I'll try to keep it brief. The problem is their weakest link is the one calling the shots in the months of February through July. As a Vikings fan I love Matt Millen but he has yet to show he can help a team to actually improve it's talent level.

1. Find a QB - Kitna was adequate as he tried to lead a losing team to not lose as much, but he clearly is not a viable long term solution. They'll have the opportunity to draft a QB with the #2 pick in the draft but they are projected to take OT Joe Thomas. This is probably a wise move but they have to figure something out for QB. Fortunately Matt Millen is around to solve this mystery.
2. Fix the Defense - While the Lions have struggled in recent years (the Millen Era) at least they used to have a feared defensive front 4. Now there is very little about the Lion's D that frightens anyone except Lion's fans. 30th in the league in points allowed and 28th in yards allowed. Ernie Simms was a nice draft pick last year and is one of the pieces that can help build this unit back to respectability. But that is one piece and Millen needs to find several more to go with him.
3. Offensive Line - We already addressed the QB situation, the WR situation is good and Kevin Jones shouldn't be judged to harshly since has no OLine. Speculation is that the Lions will draft Joe Thomas with the #2 overall pick and that should be a big step in the right direction (I wouldn't rule out a Jarrett or Ted Ginn Jr. pick there though). The trenches need to be addressed if this team wants to take any steps forward.

Green Bay - this team finished hot and now Brett Favre is energized to come back and capture that career INT record (and I think he's somewhere near some career TD record). Really though this team was very young and steadily improved over the course of the 16 games, especially the OLine. Here are the things they need to get back into the playoffs...

1. Wide Receiver - having Donald Driver is always nice but they are missing a big play guy that will open up the shorter routes for Driver and theoretically make thing easier on Favre. Rumors are now surfacing that the Pack might make a move for Randy Moss. While this is intriguing I don't know if it will be as beautiful a marriage as people think. The other wild card is Koren Robinson. Reports are that the Packers are keeping Koren on their roster and plan to utilize his talent when he is eligible to return from his NFL suspension. That is a possible dirty bomb waiting to go off.
2. Running Back - Ahman Green is an unrestricted free agent so ittle explanation is needed here. There is nothing behind Green so sign him and drafting a RB would probably be a great idea. Early Indications are that the Packers will draft Mashawn Lynch RB Cal. Lynch has some baggage but also loads of talent.
3. Quarterback - This is a skill position heavy list of needs, but Favre can't and won't play forever. Is Rogers ready to take over in 2008 or more importantly is he ready to play should Favre have to miss some time due to injury? For a team that could be in the wild card hunt losing a couple games because of an inexperienced backup QB can't happen.

Minnesota - here is a more detailed list of the Viking's needs. 6-10 was a very disappointing finish for a team that started hot and had expectations of playoffs. A team that was the best in the league against the run and was capable of running the ball should be a playoff team. But there were some problems...

1. Wide Receiver - This is slightly more of a pressing need than the Packers have. Green Bay at least has Driver, Minnesota has Troy Williamson? This is an ugly situation that doesn't look solvable in the near future. Free agency is weak but this is a WR heavy draft and that will help but the Vikings need 2 good WRs to contribute NOW. Rumors persist that the Vikings might make a move for Ashley Lelei. This is a step in the right direction but not enough, my dream is that we move up in the draft and land Calvin Johnson, but that won't happen.
2. Right side of OL - Guard and Tackle were atrocious in 2006. Youngsters Ryan Cook and Marcus Johnson will likely battle for RT, but upgrading RG would make the RT hole a bit easier to swallow. Could be a 1st day draft pick or a mid-level free agent signing to "fix" this problem.
3. Defensive End - This might be taken care of by returning Erasmus James from injury, but the pass rush was non-existent in 2006. The DT combo of the Williams brothers was easily the best in the division but the attention they require did nothing to help the outside get to the QB. Most likely scenario I predict is the Vikings use the #7 pick on DE and 2nd round pick on a WR.

Viking Fan Apathy

2007-03-09T21:34:00.000-06:00

Tom Powers' column today addresses a ridiculous conspiracy theory that the Wilf Group is intentionally killing fan enthusiasm for the Vikings so it will be easy for them to leave town. Powers isn't promoting the the theory but it has legs because whether it's intentional or not they are killing fan interest for the Vikings in this state.

It wasn't more than 2 years ago that the Vikings dominated this town. The Twins could win the World Series, the Gopher football team could be going to the Rose bowl and the Wild could be making a run at The Cup, but if the Vikings were playing the Texans, letting their 3rd string K go or signing their 7th round draft pick to a contract and that would dominate the headlines. But that is slowly going away.

The Vikings are fortunate that nobody with the exception of the Twins have mustered any sort of sustainable success.

Gopher Football has moved from terrible to mediocre, but that isn't exactly filling the seats at the Dome.
Twins have been very successful winning 3 of the last 4 division titles but going down early in the playoffs are thwarting their momentum.
Gopher hockey is strong but that fan base is always going to be smaller and more niche.
Wild are still parading as a building expansion team and have enjoyed a long honeymoon. But here again regardless of their success at best their Minnesota Sports domination will only last during the playoffs.
Gopher Basketball is capable of taking over the town but in their current state they are miles away from that, step 1 for them is to get 14,000 fans back into The Barn.
Timberwolves have potential but they would need to be successful over several seasons (note to Kevin McHale, 8th seed and losing 1st round may get you ranked #1 amongst all GMs, but that is not "successful").

What is my point? Well the point is that if the Vikings aren't careful they will lose their crown of top dog in the Minnesota sports scene. And that is a crown they have worn for decades. It has weathered 2 Twins' World Series titles, 4 Super Bowl losses, 2 NFC Championship disappointments (Drew Pearson pushed off!), a Gopher basketball Final Four run (er, wait, I mean that never happened), and a Gopher Football Rose bowl victory (er, wait, I mean that REALLY never happened).

The Twins, Gopher football and Gopher basketball are really the only teams that could ever overtake the Vikings.

The Twins are closing the gap. 4 straight successful seasons and a dynamic young nucleus of Santana, Mauer, Morneau, Nathan etc mean they could be great for the next several seasons. They have a new stadium coming which will make for an exciting 2010 season. If they were to go out and win the 2007 World Series they would make a serious dent in the Vikings #1 ranking.
Gopher football is poised to go from mediocre to good, and if we are lucky, great. New coach and new stadium could be a catalyst to move up the list. Gopher football could take over faster than the Twins and Tim Brewster has said all the right things to move Gopher Nation into #1 in this state.
Gopher basketball could, but they would need a decade of success including a couple (few) Final Four runs. But recruiting news and a long season could be interesting enough news to captivate the masses.

The teams listed above cannot take over #1 on their own, they need a collapse by the Vikings and that is happening. After dominating in the 70s, late 80s, early and then late 90s they have now strung together 6 mediocre seasons. Beyond their lackluster play they have jettisoned or lost but not replaced any superstars that we once enjoyed watching. They gave us a likable but an "in over his head" head coach in Tice, then followed him up with a boring and vanilla coach who hasn't shown he's above mediocrity in Brad the Red Hot Childress Pepper.

They now have their hats hung on a D1aa QB who nobody knows anything about to go with an offensive core that includes Bobby Wade and Visanthe Shiancoe as their newest additions. And a defense that is very good but skitzo. This team is boring, their moves are boring, their players are boring, their stadium is boring, Brad the Red Hot Childress Pepper is boring and if they are not careful everyone is going to ignore them.

Outrage and disgust are signs of passion and shows that people still care. I don't see emotion surrounding this team anymore. Nobody cares and apathy is the worst thing a franchise can be faced with because you cannot endure and survive (or get stadium built).

Hang on to those jerseys!

2007-03-01T14:57:00.000-06:00

Adios to a now former-former Viking.

Brad Johnson's days of wearing purple have ended for a 2nd time. This should give the team an additional 1 million in cap space according to Kevin Seifert. But I hope you all learned your lesson before, DON'T throw that B. Johnson jersey away just yet cause you never know.

Other jerseys to put in the back of the closet, but not yet ready for the Goodwill pile are...

Wiggins - apparently asked to be waived and we complied. Look for Jacksonville(Tice) and St. Louis(Linehan) to clamor over his services.
Rosenthal - the Red-Hot-Childress-Pepper threw up a smokescreen last week that Rosenthal might not be cut, but we were all fooled yet again. Mike was cut today.

Hang on to this one (for now)...

Smoot - still a Viking but as I understand it his cap-salary could be spread out over 2 years if they cut him tomorrow (after free agency starts).
Kleinsasser - I know there are a lot of these jerseys out there (really, there are for some unknown reason). Jimmy's chances of remaining a Viking are about 50/50 in my estimation. Depends on a number of things like will he restructure his contract? Will we land Daniel Graham? Will we draft a TE?

Offseason NEEDS

2007-02-23T15:54:00.000-06:00

Here is the PKA assesment of the Viking's needs in order...

1. WR - this position is embarassingly bad. Upgrade at any cost. The problem is that the free agent class is headlined by Kevin Curtis. Not exactly a marque name, I mean 40 receptions, 479 yards and 4 TDs is really good and all but um help from the free agent pool might not actually be of any help. Other free agent WRs include...

Donte Stallworth
Travis Taylor
Drew Bennett
Bethel Johnson

The other obvious source of help is the Draft. In this case the draft's deepest position might be WR. Most mock drafts currently have the Vikings taking Ted Ginn Jr. He is the 2nd highest rated WR by most ratings, but he is eerily similar to Williamson (small, fast, questionable routes and hands). Ginn is supposed to be a dynamic punt/kick returner which would be a nice weapon to have but Williamson was supposed to be that same threat which goes to show that there is no sure thing. Here are some potential early picks at WR...

Calvin Johnson - super talent who is big, fast and has great hands, likely gone by #7
Ted Ginn Jr. - small SUPER fast (4.30 40 by some accounts)
Dwayne Jarret - USC WR who is big but questions surround his character and not likely a guy the Vikes will covet
Sidney Rice - S. Carolina guy (like Williamson) but could be the real sleeper of the draft. Potential Vikings pick should they trade down in the 1st round. A guy the PKA covets!
Robert Meachem - Tenn, I don't know much about him other than a 1st round talent
Craig Davis - LSU, see Meachem

2. Right side of the OL - Hutchinson anchors the right side and McKinnie is OK (although overrated), but the right side is brutal. Landing a G and a T is like asking for an XBox 360 and a PS3 for Christmas it's just plain greedy. I think that Marcus Johnson and Cook have shown a bit of talent and maybe some experience will allow them to be adequate. My hope is that we find an answer for RG. If we get down to just 1 hole on the right side we can concentrate on helping that leak. I don't claim to be a great offensive line mind but scout.com lists the following OGs as 4 or 5 star free agenst...

Eric Steinbach - Cin, 5 stars
Mike Gandy - Buf, 4 stars

I'm too lazy to look up their contract status at this point but I'm going to assume they are still available and as far as I know they'd look good in purple.

3. Defensive End - many would likely put this as #2 or even #1 on the Vikings offseason priority list. The defense was not the problem in 2006 and the areas above would dramatically improve the offense without a complete overhaul. And this position might be upgraded by Erasmus James returning from injury. James has shown signs of being a very good DE. James and Udeze figure to be the starting ends in 2007. The big name free agent DEs were either Restricted or Franchised so that would leave the draft as the next best option. But there is no guarantee that said drafted DE would be a better option that the 2 projected starters.

Gaines Adams - Clemson, figures to be a top 7 pick (hey, we pick 7th). Gaines might be gone by the time we pick but if he is around chances are good that he'll be a Viking. Pass rusher but his "motor" and size have come into question.
Jamaal Anderson - Arkansas, also figures to be available or a recent pick when the Vikes are on the clock. Anderson's motor doesn't come into question but his upside probably isn't as high as Adams'.

4. Middle Linebacker - Napo is a free agent and I'll be surprised by not shocked if he comes back. He was better than expected last year but he had his breakdowns to do along with this "moments." I suppose the answer is Greenway but if he is as out of shape as I hear he is then we may need some help. I'd expect a 2nd day LB draft pick and some free agents coming through town. The only thing that excites me outside of Napo would be enticing Adalius Thomas to come here and leanr MLB! He is a stud and probably the best defensive FA out there but I'm not holding my breath.

5. Tight End - we could use an upgrade here in my opinion, especially if Kleinsasser is gone then depth is an issue as well.

6. Depth at Corner - Winfield and Griffin are solid, but with the expected release of Smoot we have little depth.

2007 Vikings (Offense)...

2007-02-22T15:32:00.000-06:00

Anybody remember the 1998 Viking offense? I was starting to forget then the 2006 Viking offense reminded me of it. Not because they were so good but because they were SO BAD. Brad the Red Hot Chidress Pepper (BRHCP)* has refered to his offensive system as a "Kick Ass Offense." (KAO) The caviat of course is that you need the right personnel to run this KAO. This is an easy excuse but time will tell if the breakdown is in the coaching/play calling or if the problem rests with the personnel.

Here is a preview of the 2007 Viking Offense...

Quarterback

Starter - Tarvaris Jackson
Reserves - Brooks Bollinger, Brad Johnson (for the moment)
Analysis - well, BRHCP is going to give the reins of the KAO to essentially a rookie QB. BRHCP will have the opportunity to groom TJax into the next Donovan McNabb but I'm not going out on a limb here expecting growing pains. But I'll take a rookie with promise over the oldest and boringest QB in the League. Everyone expects Brad to be cut and I'm sure we'll sign a nobody as another backup (maybe Spurgeon Wynn is available). Other possibilities are rumors of trading for David Carr or drafting Brad Quinn. Both would be agreeable to the PKA, but who knows if they are capable of running BRHCP's KAO?

Running Back

Starter - Chester Taylor
Reserves - Mewelde Moore, Ciatrik Fason
Analysis - Chester was what we (and Denny Green) thought he was going to be and maybe a little more. 1200 yards and 6 TDs isn't lighting the world on fire but it is solid and respectable coming from the worst offense in Viking's history (urgh, KAO). Good free agent signing and improved O-Line play with improved play calling (crossing my fingers on that one) should make for a better year for Chester in 2007.

Wide Receiver

Starters - um anyone who can catch please raise your hand. I guess it'll be Troy Williamson and yet to be deteremined
Reserves - again, anyone?
Analysis - This was brutal in 2006 and it is probably the biggest question mark of 2007. Williamson has to get another chance and after that it is anybody's guess. Travis Taylor and Bethel Johnson are free agents who have a shot at coming back. I'd be comfortable with Bethel coming back. But likely this will be addressed in the draft and/or free agency.

Tight Ends

Starter - Jermaine Wiggins
Reserves - unknown
Analysis - reports tell me that Jimmy "Sioux Suck" Kleinsasser is going to be cut. What? Our "franchise player"? I know, hard to believe but Jimmy is probably gone. Expect him to be signed by Jacksonville. Wiggins is adequate but this position should be upgraded to official KAO status as well.

O-Tackles

Starters - Bryant McKinnie and Ryan Cook/Marcus Johnson
Reserves - Ryan Cook/Marcus Johnson
Analysis - Left side is probably the most overrated OT in the game and the other side is full of more ineptitude and blown assignments. Mike Rosenthal is going to be cut as well but that is just fine with the rest of us. McKinnie is OK 8 out of 10 plays he does just fine but it seems that he gets beat on crucial plays more than anybody else. The right side could use some help but I don't see this as a very high priority and will likely be addressed with a 2nd day draft pick or a 2nd tier free agent. Either way it is an opportunity position, both young guys and maybe a cheap free agent will be given the opportunity to win the starting job.

O-Guards

Starters - Steve Hutchinson and Artis Hicks
Reserves - Anthony Herrera and who knows
Analysis - Hutch was solid but not the greatness everyone expected. I think he'll be fine and better in 2007 than 2006. The other side is probably the 2nd highest priority on this side of the ball. I would expect a draft pick in the first 3 rounds to fill this spot next season.

Center

Starter - Matt Birk
Reserves - ?
Analysis - Birk didn't seem to dominate as he used to but he did still make the ProBowl. I'm not sure how much of that was reputation vs. actual assesment by his peers on his 2006 performance. Birk is still one of the best, making this position one we don't need to worry about.

My biggest concern for 2007 is the BRHCP calling plays again. I expect that he will continue with those duties but I sincerely wish that he'd focus on overall game plan, execution, motivation and game management rather than thinking about the specific play to call. If you don't trust current OCoord (quick what's his name) then hire someone with experience who you trust to do it. I got the feeling as the season wore on the team's overall prep and readiness suffered because BRHCP spent too much of his time during the week scripting plays. Tim Brewster has this figured out and he's never been a head coach before.

Unfortunately this offense CAN be worse than it was in 2006, but hopefully it won't be. My name for this offense has always been the Midwest Coast Offense (MWCO) and it lived up to it's humble and boring origin. It was a very polite and non-invasive offense that was concerned about pushing the opposition too much for fear they'd be offended. Well I'd love to see the KAO not the MWCO in 2007!

* - BRHCP is credited to Swan, very funny and is the official PKA nickname of Brad Childress.

2007 Vikings (Defense)...

2007-02-16T16:07:00.000-06:00

At this point this is what the 2007 Vikings look like. There are some holes to fill but lets take a closer look starting with the Defense...

D Ends

Starters - Udeze, James
Key Reserves - Ray Edwards (R), Darrien Scott
Analysis - this was a serious weakness in 2006. No pressure from the outside made things very difficult on our pass defense. The preseason this looked like a strength but then James went down for the year and the rush was put on hold. Scott filled in adequatly but he's not the answer. Edwards is a promising rookie but he may just be a speedy 3rd down rusher. This would be a spot to upgrade but probably 3rd on my list of needs (that list will come at a later post).

DTackles

Starters - P. Williams, K. Williams
Key Reserves - Spencer Johnson
Analysis - This was THE strength of a defense that was historically good against the rush. Both are Pro-Bowl material and should be very good in 2007 as well. Pat's age is a concern and a replacement should be groomed but not with a big free agent pay day or with a 1st/2nd rnd draft pick.

Linebackers

Starters - Leber (OLB), Harris (MLB), Henderson (OLB) Key Reserves - D. Thomas, Farwell, Greenway (R)
Analysis - The LBs were a massive question mark coming into 2006, and they answered most of those questions. Harris had his most productive season, Henderson took steps to becoming a LB that offenses have to account for and Leber was the SOFA (steal of Free Agency). Now it looks like the Vikes are planning on a little catch-n-release with Napo and we're counting on Greenway returning from injury to anchor that position. The only problem is that reports are that Greenway has become a much bigger anchor during his inactivity (40 lbs bigger). He's got to get it together or this group will take a step back.

Corner Backs

Starters - Winfield, Smoot
Key Reserves - Griffin (R), Whitaker (R), Ken Irvin
Analysis - By all accounts Smoot is going to be released. This is probably OK as he was kind of a free agent bust and Griffin looks like a real CB that we can count on. I am very scared by Whitaker, but I'll give him another year before I totally give up on him. Winfield is one of the best and Griffin is going to be very good in the opinion of PKA. Depth is a concern but starters are solid.

Safeties

Starters - Sharper, D. Smith
Key Reserves - um, something called Blue?
Analysis - I think this was the weak link in a pass defense that was one of the worst in the League. Sharper is a playmaker but isn't exactly solid or someone you can count on to always be in the correct position. Smith was usually invisible. You never heard his name mentioned for big plays (for the good or the bad). These guys were instrumental in stopping the run but they did little to slow down the opponent's passing game.

All in all this was a solid group that should remain relatively intact. Hopefully bringing back healthy bodies in Erasmus James and Chad Greenway should give us a little boost. And I'm equally as hopeful that releasing Smoot will be addition by subtraction.

The real X-factor here will be the new Def Coordinator. How much greater will the loss of Tomlin be than the addition of Frazier? This team's MO is to have a new DCoord every season so hopefully Frazier will have enough success to move on from here.

Trade Rumor

2007-02-14T11:47:00.000-06:00

Well it must be Shooter week on PKA. Walter's throws this nugget out there today...

Rumors persist that the Vikings could trade with the Houston Texans for quarterback David Carr, 27, who might cost just a fourth-round draft pick.

I don't know where these rumors are originating, what birdie is telling this to Charlie or what color the clouds are in his world (obviously not purple like they are in real life). But I don't care because I LIKE this rumor.

David Carr for a 4th round pick would be a great offseason move for the Vikes. Carr has not lived up to the expectations put on a #1 overall draft pick, but that does not mean that he wouldn't be an upgrade for the Vikes. He has 5 years of experience and each of those years he has played behind the NFL's worst OLines. Maybe (just maybe) getting behind a line that could protect him would allow him to be more successful (and less Favre-like in his TD:INT ratio).

I don't know if this has any legs but for a 4th, or even a 3rd, round draft pick Carr is a minimal gamble with updside potential.

Here is a story in the Houston paper about Carr's availability.

Draft News !!!

2007-02-12T11:32:00.000-06:00

This is to be categorized under "Thank God for the Media because this is news that you NEVER would have figured out without their help."

Charlie Walters of the Pioneer Press offers this insightful nugget...

But a little birdie says that if Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn is available at No. 7, chances are better than not that he'll either be chosen by the Vikings or the pick will be traded lower to a team that covets Quinn more than Minnesota.

WOW! So there is at least a 50.01% chance that if a potential franchise QB falls to the Vikings they'll either draft him or trade the pick to a team that wants him more. I NEVER would have guessed that!

I generally like reading Walter's column as he is more lucid than Sid but offers the same kind of quick hitting notes and sometimes insider speculation. But how does something like this make it to print?

UPDATE: A little birdie has told the Purple Kool Aid that if the Vikings don't draft Brady Quinn or trade that pick to someone else, CHANCES ARE PRETTY GOOD THAT WE'LL DRAFT A DIFFERENT PLAYER. This is just a rumor and unconfirmed but I think it is likely.

Today starts the 2007 season

2007-02-04T23:14:00.000-06:00

It was a good game, both teams played hard, good night and God bless.

Now lets get going on 2007, go ahead and book your hotel rooms for Glendale, AZ!!!

Coming soon we'll have a short Viking 2006 recap, a look at Free Agency and as we get closer we'll talk NFL Draft!

Is the Super Bowl over yet?

2007-02-02T22:10:00.000-06:00

I ask this simple question for 2 reasons.

1. I am tired of 2 weeks of talking about the game. Can I hear a little bit more about Peyton Manning and his greatness? Can I hear more about how Rex Grossman is going to lose the game? Frankly I don't care because all of the talking in the world won't matter one bit. The game will be played, both teams are very good and either is capable of winning (except the Bears they have no shot, because they are godless killing machines).

2. I want this season to be over so we can start on next season. Let's get into free agency, the draft, mini-camp, training camp, the regular season, the playoffs and NEXT year's Super Bowl will be much more intriguing than this years.

OK here is the official PKA prediction...
Colts - 31
Bears - 23

The caveat is that if the Bears special teams score a TD, they will win.
Colts - 24
Bears - 27

Super Bowl XLI

2007-01-30T15:40:00.000-06:00

Bears vs. Colts

Well I have weighed the factors and the official PKA stance is we want the Colts to win. In fact as I thought about it there wasn't one good reason that I could come up with why I would be chearing for the Bears. Here is my rational in descending order....

6. I don't like the other teams in my division and I won't root for them in the playoffs. They are sworn enemies for the first 16 weeks and I don't see why that should change unless I hate the other team more.
5. Darrel Reid - former Gopher
4. Ben Utech - former Gopher
3. Peyton Manning - this guys has had monkeys thrown on his back that he's had to carry for years. I would be happy for Peyton if he were to validate his stance as one of the greatest QBs to ever play in the NFL. Plus he's from Louisiana and did you see how that city was destroyed by George Bush's hurricane?
2. Tony Dungy - former Gopher, former Viking coach, the guy we should have canned Denny Green for and more importantly the guy who's son committed suicide in the middle of what was supposed to be his greatest season as a head coach. Things didn't work out very well for him last year on a number of fronts but I would like to see him get a ring.

and the #1 reason I do not want the Bears to win on Sunday?...

1. their Championship Statute of Limitations had just run out. A friend of mine (and enemy of the PKA :) ) and I have a rule that after 20 years you lose the "when was the last time your team won a Championship" right in arguments. He had the Bears and Bulls and I of course cling tightly to the Twins. The rule heavily favors me since last Feb when the Bears 85 Championship reached it's said statute. I don't want to have to bank on the Vikings winning a Super Bowl in the next 20 years cause we all know that just isn't in the cards (but maybe next year!).

Go horse shoes! If I get around to it this week I may offer a more detailed analysis but this is as good as it gets for now.

** UPDATE ** I should point out that I have several friends who are Bears fans and I would be happy for them should the Bears pull this one out, because nothing is more fun than your team winning it all. But I don't think my heart could take it.

Mike Tomlin might be gone

2007-01-20T15:02:00.000-06:00

S ports Illustrated is reporting that the Steelers have offered their vacanted head coaching position to Mike Tomlin! (here is the Pioneer Press blog on this hire)

This IS quite a development from more than 1 angle.

The Vikings are going to lose the one positive constant on 2006's team. The defense was on pace to be the best rush defense in the history of the NFL. That was of course before the team totally quit for their season finale vs. St. Louis.
The Steelers are less than 1 year removed from winning the Super Bowl and they have decided to give control of their team to a 34 yr old coach with only 1 year experience as a coordinator!

I don't like this development at all. When Tomlin was hired, there was a lot of press about how he was a rising star and may someday leave the organization to be a head coach. I had hoped that at least we'd have him for a few years. Get himself established as a coordinator, not be 1 year removed from being a position coach. Some thought it was even a stretch to hire Tomlin as the Vikings Coordinator. But he was successful and very good for the Vikings in 2006. I am a big fan of Tomlin and I hope this report is inaccurate.

BUT, Tomlin was not perfect last year. It isn't easy to forget that the Vikings pass defense was LAST in the NFL. We were unable to adjust to other team's passing schemes (especially between the hash marks). That is what makes this hire so bizarre for an organization like Pittsburg.

Nothing has been confirmed and nobody outside of Sports Illustrated is reporting it (here is ESPN's version). Regardless of how you feel about Tomlin, this is potentially a big event for the Vikings.

GOPHER FANS - Get in line for season tickets NOW!

2007-01-15T20:20:00.000-06:00

ESPN.com - NCF - Sources: Gophers pull new coach from NFL's Broncos

At first glance it appears as though Maturi and his trusty search firm dropped the ball on this hire. An NFL tight ends coach who nobody has heard of will do nothing to boost ticket sales or more importantly stadium fundraising efforts. Obviously Brewster and Maturi will be judged on victories, but a coach that excites the alumni and fan base would at least give you a short-term financial boost. Brewster will not give you said boost (although you may get a recruiting boost, more on that later).

Here are the positives to Brewster...

1. Coach Brewster has a son. This son plays QB. This QB is rated by ESPN as the 8th best QB in the country. Clint has verbally committed to Illinois, but my gut tells me that his dad won't let him go to a conference school. Clint immediately is the best recruit we have this year.
#45 overall in ESPN top 150
#8 QB
rating of 82 (Gophers current top rated player is 78 and nobody near the top 150)

2. The 2nd positive thing I can come up with Brewster is that you can type Brewster with only your left hand on the keyboard! That is sweet!

3. Brewster coached Antonio Gates. This might be more meaningless than #2 when it comes to the Gopher's program.

4. Brewster coached for 14 years in college, mostly under Mack Brown. Texas and North Carolina were his most recent stops and he has recruiting experience as he was the recruiting coordinator at UNC.

Here is who we DIDN'T hire...

1. Tony Dungy - This was always a longshot and moved to 1 in a 1,000,000 status with Indy's AFC /championship berth, but this would have been everything the Brewster hire is not. Tickets and alumni donations would instantly have gone up. EVERYTHING in their power should have been done to make Dungy happen if he had a remote interest.

2. Lane Kiffin - Offensive coordinator for a high powered offense that has dominated college football for several seasons. AND one of the most recognized college recruiters. Kiffin is from MN which is only important in that it may keep him here longer if he were to turn the program around. This is a springboard program at this point but maybe Kiffin would be inclined to raise his family in MN as he had stated. A proven recruiter and important assistant to the best college program this decade.

3. Gary Patterson - head coach at TCU. Patterson has head coaching experience and has been successful making a typical mid-level Div 1 program a recognizable name. TCU has won 11 games in 3 of the last 4 seasons beating high profile non-conference games including a win over #7 Oklahoma in 2005. Patterson also likely has recruiting relationships with high school coaches in the talent laden state of Texas.

All in all who knows if this will be a good hire or not. As stated my disgust is more that this is not the kind of big name hire that fans were drooling for. Brewster is a nobody as far as we are concerned and he has some work to do to inspire the fan base and make himself known to high school coaches and Gopher recruits.