Despite Win, Issues Still Exist

Does The Minnesota Vikings  Offensive Line Have Problems?

I tried to keep it fairly positive around here following the Vikings three point victory against the Cowboys, but there is no doubt that there are still some issues, negative in nature, that plague this team.



The Vikings made some unusual moves when deciding who would be active for the game. They had Fahu Tahi inactive and instead Albert Young suited up. The idea seemed to suggest that the Vikings would protect Favre to the max with multiple tight end sets and having Young in there to pick up blitzes and take some third down duties.



Additionally, Jon Cooper became the third different center to start for this team this year.



I can’t honestly say that despite the effort in shaping the active roster, the pass protection did not seem to improve and the run blocking may have declined.



Favre was hit many times, especially early in the game, and the Vikings gave up three sacks. Anytime Favre tried to extend the play by holding onto the ball, it seemingly ended in disaster, which is why the longest pass play of the day was a 20-yarder to Jimmy Kleinsasser of all people. On a number of occasions, the Cowboys defense was daring Favre to go deep but even if his injured arm could chuck it down the field, he never had the chance to show it.



Peterson, on the other hand, was given his biggest opportunity of the year to be “featured” with 24 carries. It seemed like Peterson was constantly hitting a wall on his way to 73 yards, a three yard average per carry.



Peterson was able to break a fifteen yarder, but it seemed like every other time he broke a long run, it was negated by a penalty along the offensive line.



The Vikings only ended up having five penalties for 45 yards, but they all seemed to come at inopportune times (as if there is ever a good time for a penalty).



To make Peterson’s day even rougher, he came up limping after one play and was the self-proclaimed culprit of the bad exchange that resulted in the Vikings only turnover, despite Favre being credited with the fumble. Peterson’s only catch went for negative two yards.



Presuming Favre’s arm is hurting him, and considering the leaky offensive line, he did a decent job of not throwing the game away. He was pretty darn accurate as he went 14 of 19, but the type of game played is shown by the fact that he only gained 118 yards on those 14 completions. Seeing Favre manage the game was a positive, but seeing him so utterly ineffective only furthers the already existing worries that he is declining rapidly this season.



However, with every week that goes by, Favre can really only develop better chemistry with his receivers and guys like Sidney Rice are only going to get healthier. Speaking of injured pass catchers, Visanthe Shiancoe (hamstring) was once again nearly invisible, and his name was only really called on a penalty that negated an Adrian Peterson run.



In the end, the Vikings offense only managed 188 total yards, and it seems that most of the problems begin and end with the offensive line play.



It is kind of difficult to be too picky about this defense, as they played really well overall, yet again. They held the Cowboys potent running game in check, and Romo’s 220 yards passing was his lowest of the season so far.



Despite the victory and solid performance, there are always areas which can be improved on. The pass rush was better this week, in my opinion, despite the absence of any sacks. Jared Allen and Kevin Williams were able to be disruptive enough to cause at least one turnover, and Romo seldom was able to set up a long pass to his main playmaker Miles Austin who was held to 12 yards.



Perhaps Austin’s lack of production can be explained by the fact that he was never lined up against Lito Sheppard. Sheppard was a nightmare after playing somewhat solidly this season. All three touchdowns, two from Roy Williams and one from Dez Bryant, were the result of poor play from Lito Sheppard.



Asher Allen was almost the victim of a long touchdown caught by Austin Miles. The play was negated by offensive pass interference. By all appearances, however, Allen may have gotten lucky as the contact was quite minimal and the Cowboys may have had good reason to be upset about the call. Allen also got picked on a few times, and when it came time to end the game with an easy interception, he let it go right through his hands.



Husain Abdullah left early in the game with a concussion and was replaced with Jamarca Sanford at the strong safety position. There was no real notable drop off, and solid tackling all around for the Vikings made up for other shortcomings.



While there are always things to improve on, and the Vikings have their share, Sunday was a day to be celebrated. After all, the Vikings (who we love) beat the Cowboys (who we hate), and were the only team from the NFC North to win on Sunday.

Adrian Peterson Is Better Than Chris Johnson

   

Adrian Peterson With More Rushing Yards Than Chris This Season

Chris Johnson Tennesse Titans

     Who’s the best running back in the NFL? Fans and sport writers commonly debate the merits and accomplishments of Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson, but for one week, we have a clear answer. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has won the first battle of the 2010 season in a war that should go on all season. Peterson was the NFC’s offensive player of the week for his performance against the Lions on Sunday.



The Minnesota Vikings beat the Detroit Lions by a score of 24-10. The victory was led by Adrian Peterson and his 160 yards rushing on 23 carries. He also ran for two touchdowns, including a career-high 80-yard touchdown scamper where he outran every player on the field.



And despite what my headline might say, I’m still on the fence about who is a better running back. They both have the rare balance of size and speed, and what they are able to do on the football field is mind boggling. Why did I write this particular headline then? Well, you read my entire post, didn’t you?

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings Defense Carry Team To Win...Get Used To It

AP Rushed For Over 160 Yards Vs Lions

  The Vikings finally turned over a new leaf on Sunday, collecting their first victory of the season.



It started out rocky, as Brett Favre threw an early interception that led to a Detroit Lions touchdown. Favre didn't look terrible, but again looked fairly rusty facing a poor Lions pass defense.



Favre mustered just 201 yards on 34 attempts with a touchdown and two interceptions. He continues to look his age in 2010.



Granted, Favre was a slow starter last season and can obviously still play at a high level. But we can't expect 2009 from him. It's not going to happen.



Sunday was the beginning of a pattern we can expect for the rest of the season: Adrian Peterson and the stout Vikings defense will carry this team.



Peterson continues to run with tenacity while protecting the football. He has zero fumbles through three games to go with 392 yards, three touchdowns, and a Peterson-of-old 5.6 yards per carry.



In reality, the run blocking has not really been better than last year, it has been merely adequate.



However, Peterson has run like the best running back in football. No disrespect to Chris Johnson, who had a solid day on Sunday, but Peterson looks unstoppable right now.





He cannot be tackled.



On Peterson's 80-yard touchdown run, he weaved through traffic, delivered a ferocious stiff arm, then simply outran the Lions secondary.



On multiple occasions through the first three games, Peterson has delivered impossible broken tackles, jukes, and bursts of speed. He simply will not go down without at least three defenders getting a lick in.



Not to mention, on Sunday, Peterson faced eight men in the box nearly all game long. Something Peterson saw less and less of last year with Favre and Sidney Rice connecting on deep passes.



Hats off to Peterson, who obviously put in a lot of hard work this offseason to get better. It will take a whole season to show it, but he looks like the best running back in football right now.



Another hats off to the Vikings defense. This unit looks much better than anticipated before the season.



Even when the offense falters, the defense is picking up the slack.



While they delivered just one sack, the Vikings hit quarterback Shaun Hill six times. They also forced two interceptions while giving up just 237 yards through the air. This despite the Lions attempting 43 passes.





The Vikings also gave up just 63 yards on the ground, despite a 21-yard reverse play by the Lions.



Overall, the Vikings secondary looks vastly improved. The front four have not produced a consistently nagging pass rush like last year, but coverage downfield has been excellent.



Rookie cornerback Chris Cook did a great job in his first major action and Cedric Griffin looked healthy after returning from a torn ACL.



A first-year starter at safety, Hussain Abdullah looked significantly improved over his first two games. He was on-time to the ball for the most part and made a couple big plays.



Overall, the Vikings defense did a great job on Sunday, as they have through each game this season.



Granted, this first victory came against the lowly Lions. There is no reason to immediately start dreaming of the Super Bowl, but there is hope.



Despite losing their first three games, the Lions played close with the 2-0 Chicago Bears and the 3-0 Philadelphia Eagles. This is a significantly improved Lions team. Beating the Lions in 2010 means more than beating them in 2009.



However, the Vikings need to show they can beat a legitimate contender. They'll have that chance in weeks five through eight.





The Vikings will face difficult tasks when they meet up with the New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and New England Patriots in consecutive weeks.



Three of those games are on the road as well.



To win those games, the Vikings need to take note of Sunday's game against the Lions:



Rely on the defense and Adrian Peterson to win football games. Hope for the occasional Favre-to-Harvin or Favre-to-Shiancoe hook-up, but above all, rely on Peterson and the defense.



The defense is certainly good enough to hold up against any team in football. They showed that when they held Drew Brees and the Saints to just 14 points.



The Vikings can win their next few games, but they will have to play their best football and avoid costly turnovers. Favre needs to protect the ball better and quit making risky throws.



If the Vikings can get away from relying on Favre to win every game, dish the rock to Peterson, and hit opponents in the mouth on both sides of the ball, they will have success. Just like they did on Sunday.

Miami Dolphins Defense Smacks Brett Favre Into Submission In Minnesota

    The Miami Dolphins are back after a narrow 14-10 victory in Minnesota. The defense put on a dominant performance highlighted by Jason Allen's two interceptions and Cameron Wake's game altering forced fumble leading to a touchdown.



Let's break down the game in its entirety as the Dolphins look to continue their success this season with the New York Jets at home next week.









ESPN

Individual Stats

Miami Passing



C. Henne – 9/15 114 YDS, TD (106.0 QB Rating)



Minnesota Passing



B. Favre – 22/36 225 YDS, 3 INT (44.3 QB Rating)




Miami Rushing



R. Brown – 13 RUSH, 80 YDS, FUM



R. Williams – 10 RUSH, 30 YDS, FUM



Minnesota Rushing



A. Peterson – 28 RUSH, 145 YDS, TD



T. Gerhart – 4 RUSH, 10 YDS



Miami Receiving



B. Marshall – 4 REC, 71 YDS



B. Hartline – 3 REC, 28 YDS, TD



Minnesota Receiving



V. Shiancoe – 6 REC, 86 YDS



A. Peterson – 5 REC, 41 YDS



Miami Defense



J.Allen – 2 INT, 11 TACK, 3 PD



V. Davis – INT, 6 TACK, 2 PD



C. Wake – FF, 1.5 SACK,



K. Langford – SACK



R. Starks – 0.5 SACK



K. Misi – TD





Minnesota Defense



J. Allen – SACK



K. Williams – SACK



C. Greenway – 8 TACK, 2 TFL





Grades

Quarterback – Although on paper Chad Henne played an efficient, mistake-free game, there is major room for improvement. He still locks onto receivers and the defensive line has learned to read his eyes, which resulted in a few balls batted down at the line yesterday.



Still, he faced a hostile road crowd and managed the game pretty well. He connected on his first throw, a 50 yard bomb to Brandon Marshall. I’d like to see him have more opportunities down the field because he throws a pretty good deep ball.



Grade: C+



Backs – Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown played well until two major mistakes. They both had costly fumbles, especially Ricky, who coughed up the ball on the Dolphins own one-yard line.



Grade: D



Receivers/Tight Ends – Brandon Marshall proved why he’s one of the game’s most dominant receivers on Sunday. He beat his man for a 50-yard strike on the Dolphins first offensive play. Brian Hartline ran a perfect route on his touchdown grab in the first quarter.



Grade: A-



Offensive Line – The line handled an excellent Vikings front with efficiency. Jake Long played superb against Jared Allen. The pass protection was solid, giving up two sacks, with both resulting from Henne holding the ball too long.



Run blocking was pretty good, but the Vikings stacked the line for most of the game so production was limited. They did an excellent job on Ronnie Brown’s 46-yard burst off the Dolphins own goal line.



Grade: B+



Defense Line - Brett Favre was beat up, harassed, and hit all day. They did an amazing job in the passing game, but struggled to contain Adrian Peterson in the running game. He racked up 145 yards on the day and often broke into the second level of the defense with ease.



Grade: C+



Linebackers – Cameron Wake is impressing more and more with every game. He forced a game-deciding fumble for a touchdown and also was in on another sack with Randy Starks. Karlos Dansby played solid as usual, providing the touchdown saving hit on the Dolphins goal-line stand in the second half.



The one negative was the missed tackles in the running game. I know Peterson is a load, but they have to work on tackling technique (Misi, Wake). Arm tackles are not going to bring down backs like AP.



Grade: A -



Secondary - To think that this unit was the biggest question mark heading into the season. Jason Allen (2 INT) looks like a shutdown corner in this man-heavy scheme. Wait, did I really just write that? He had the game of his career yesterday. Vontae Davis is looking like a Pro Bowl corner and didn’t give up anything to Favre. He’s aggressive, instinctive, and reminds me of a more physical Patrick Surtain.



Grade: A+



Special Teams - Dan Carpenter didn’t get much action Sunday. Brandon Fields was great as usual, pinning the Vikings back within their own 20 several times. The return game wasn’t much of a factor, and return coverage was excellent, forcing a fumble in the second half.



Grade: B



Coaching – Defensively, Mike Ryan and crew proved again to have a huge edge. Favre was never comfortable at any point yesterday and much of that goes to the various coverages thrown at him. Offensively, there are some issues. It still appears the coaches are lacking confidence in Henne. Outside of the bomb to Marshall, it was an extremely conservative game plan.



What frustrated me the most was the decision to not try to score with 3 timeouts and a minute remaining in the first half. Play to win the game!



Coaching B+



Overall – It was another gritty, ugly, win. But any win is a good win in this league and the fact that both wins came on the road is all the more impressive. We might not know how good this team is just yet, but we do know one thing. They are physical and mentally tough.



The defense looks absolutely dominant. Wake is going to get double teamed as the season progresses, so it will be important that other guys become factors in pass rushing situations. The secondary has been incredible thus far.



Offensively, I’m a little worried about Chad Henne. He doesn’t seem like he has all the confidence in the world. The fact that the coaches don’t let him play is disturbing. It’s time to let the kid give it all he has and if he screws up, so be it. At times he was a gun slinger last season and I haven’t seen any of that yet this year. They should open up the play-calling against a banged up Jets defense at home next week.



It was a great win.



Next Week: Sunday night against the Jets at Sun Life Stadium

Still No Favre, But Percy Harvin Returns

Adrian Peterson Back

Sidney Rice Still Injured

Percy Harvin Returns

Cedric Griffin Readt to Play

Monday Morning Practice Notes:

The Vikings practiced for about an hour and 20 minutes late Monday morning on the outdoor practice fields at Winter Park as they recuperate from Saturday night’s game and get ready for Sunday night’s contest at San Francisco. Temperatures were moderate and the breeze was brisk, providing a nice change from the conditions that came with training camp in Mankato.

The big news of the day was that WR Percy Harvin was back with the team after an extended absence due to the death of his Grandmother and another battle with migraines. Harvin looked fit while practicing and was targeted by QB Tarvaris Jackson several times. Harvin did not meet with reporters following practice but will likely do so later this week.

Sidney Rice, who hasn’t practiced with the team during training camp because a hip injury has him on the PUP list, worked with trainers and strength staff on the side. In speaking with reporters following practice, Rice said he’s had a setback or two in his recovery but that he continues to improve and feels comfortable running in a straight line. He declined to put a percentage on his health at this point.

Another guy on the PUP list – CB Cedric Griffin (knee) – was also working out on the side, as he’s been doing all of training camp. Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress described Griffin’s progress recently as rapid and said it’s almost to the point where they’d like to remove him from the PUP list so he can participate in individual drills during practice, something he’s prohibited from doing under the rules of the PUP list. Childress also said Griffin is “chomping at the bit” to get back, something that became apparent near the commencement of training camp when Griffin disclosed he was hopefully he’d be able to participate in camp rather than go on the PUP list.

It was good to see so many of the players putting in extra time after practice, working on various areas of the game. Harvin and Greg Lewis were running routes with Jackson throwing to them, TEs Jeff Dugan and Garrett Mills were hitting a blocking sled, various players were fielding kicks, Marko Mitchell was working with WRs coach George Stewart and TEs Visanthe Shiancoe and Mickey Shuler were doing drill work with TEs coach Jimmie Johnson.

The team will have lunch and meetings the rest of the afternoon and will return to the practice fields late Tuesday morning.

Still no sign of Brett Favre, but give him a few more weeks and he'll be here... he has to. Looking at uour roster the only position that doesn't speak Superbowl is Quarterback, with no offense to Rosenfels or Jackson.

   Favre, get off your John Deere tractor and hang up those fishing lines because we need you to win the Superbowl. Looking at the past five Superbowl's;  it's not defense that won it,  but  the top quarterbacks in the league outscoring the adversary. Look at the past winners: Roethlisburger , Manning, Brees, Manning, and Tom Brady. Without the gunslinger we can't shoot only defend. Point is, without Brett Favre there's no silver lining on our year; Jackson nor Rosenfels can't produce the points lie Brett Favre and we will end up in another streak of 1st round playoff losses to Philly,Cincinnati, Dallas, etc. We have everyone but Favre ,but he's our ticket to the Superbowl. Pray with me Viking fans.

Brett Favre On His John Deere Mower