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.

Minnesota Prepares For Detroit

Brett Better Come Looking To Go Big Early

Childress Better Call Some Passing Plays In The Redzone!

Allen Could Use A Game Like Last Game

Peterson Needs To Keep On Trucking

The Vikings will spend this week telling everyone within earshot that they aren’t taking the Detroit Lions lightly. They will talk about how their games against the Lions are always hard fought and that winning in the NFC North is never easy.





It will be in their best interest if they listen to the lip service they deliver to the media.



After losing to New Orleans and Miami, the Vikings can ill afford to give anything less than a full effort on Sunday when they play host to Detroit. The Vikings have dominated this series—they haven’t lost to the Lions at home since 1997 - but given the struggles of this offense to score points nothing is an automatic.




That could be especially true because the Lions seem to be gaining confidence.




Detroit is 0-2 but has played close games against Chicago (19-14) and Philadelphia (35-32). The additions of defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch(notes), defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh(notes) and running back Jahvid Best(notes) among others has improved the roster of a team that hasn’t won on the road in 21 games.





The Vikings, meanwhile, are a team that started this season as one of the favorites in the NFC after losing in overtime to the Saints in the conference championship game last season.





The issue is that so far the Vikings have only 19 points and after a magical season in 2009, Brett Favre(notes) has thrown four interceptions and only one touchdown.





The feeling among many Vikings observers is the soon-to-be 41-year-old isn’t having as much fun as he did a year ago—Favre’s birthday is Oct. 10—and one big reason is the absence of wide receiver Sidney Rice(notes) for at least half the season.





Rice, who presented Favre with a 6-foot-4 target, had hip surgery in August. Bernard Berrian(notes) was expected to pick up much of the slack in Rice’s absence but that hasn’t been the case.





Berrian, who is 6-foot-1 and known more for his speed than his physical play, has only three receptions for 27 yards in two games. Two passes thrown his way Sunday ended up being intercepted.





The Vikings have explored trading for suspended San Diego wide receiver Vincent Jackson(notes) but that fell through. They did make a move to sign 6-foot-4 Hank Baskett(notes) on Wednesday after he was released by Philadelphia.





“I think Bernard’s heart is in the right place,” Favre said of Berrian. “I believe in my mind he did all he could do. If I felt otherwise, I wouldn’t throw it to him. We go to bat with who we’ve got, me included. That’s the way it is. I’m not going to look out to my left or look out to my right and say, ‘I’m not going to throw it over there.’ I’m not going to play that way.”





Coach Brad Childress and Berrian both swear the receiver is on the same page with Favre and that chemistry isn’t an issue. If that is the case, Favre, Berrian and several of their teammates are going to need to take a big step forward on Sunday and prove they have solved some of their issues.





The Vikings will have a bye week following that game, so a failure to right the ship could make for a miserable off week in Minnesota.





Series History: 98th meeting. Vikings lead regular-season series, 65-30-2, and are 18-2 in the past 20 games against Detroit. The Vikings have won the past 12 games against the Lions at the Metrodome. Minnesota is 14-3 in its last 17 regular-season home games. Vikings coach Brad Childress is 7-1 against the Lions.





NOTES, QUOTES



• DE Jared Allen(notes) has 30 sacks with Minnesota, a team record for the most in the first three seasons as a Viking.





• QB Brett Favre needs two touchdown passes to become the first player in NFL history to throw for 500 and 275 yards passing to become the first to throw for 70,000 yards.





• Favre broke the NFL record for most consecutive starts in his first game against Detroit as a member of the Vikings on Sept. 20, 2009. Favre threw two touchdown passes and had a 115.3 passer rating in a 27-13 victory.





• RB Adrian Peterson ran for 133 yards against the Lions on Nov. 15, 2009, making him the seventh Viking to reach 4,000 rushing yards in a career. That set a team record and tied for fourth in NFL history for fewest games needed to reach 4,000.





• DT Kevin Williams(notes) had a career-high four sacks against Detroit on Oct. 12, 2008, which tied for the most in a single game in 2008 and ranks tied for second in franchise history.





• LB Chad Greenway(notes) intercepted two passes off Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford(notes) and returned them for a combined 49 yards when the Vikings played the Lions on Sept. 20, 2009. That performance earned Greenway NFC Player of the Week honors.





• The Vikings have swept the Lions eight times since 2000 and Detroit hasn’t scored a rushing touchdown on the Vikings in the past six meetings, dating to Oct. 8, 2006.





• The Vikings have an all-time record of 165-123-5 against the NFC North and are 91-54-1 in home games against the division.





By The Numbers: 65—Victories by the Vikings over the Lions, their most against any opponent.





Quote To Note: “Have I seen improvement from Game 1 to Game 2? I did. Just want to keep being incremental. There’s always something we can get better on and those guys take it to heart in there, and I know they will.”—Coach Brad Childress talking about the Vikings’ offense and if he saw improvement from the first game to the second.





STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL



The Vikings attempted to add San Diego holdout wide receiver Vincent Jackson in a trade but were unable to work an agreement by the 4 p.m. deadline on Wednesday.





The 6-5 Jackson, who would have been eligible to play for the Vikings on Oct. 17, would have provided Brett Favre with the exact type of big target he is missing in Sidney Rice. Rice is expected to miss half the season after having hip surgery last month.





The Vikings did add a big receiver, signing 6-4 Hank Baskett. Baskett was released by the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday.





Baskett is far from Jackson’s equal in terms of ability but the fifth-year player will present another option and also provides some insurance. Percy Harvin(notes) has been slowed by a strained right hip and also is battling another round of migraine headaches. Bernard Berrian also landed on the injury report Wednesday because of a knee issue.





That means the Vikings’ healthy receivers are Baskett, Greg Camarillo(notes) and Greg Lewis(notes).





Player Notes





• WR Bernard Berrian was limited in practice Wednesday because of a knee injury.





• CB Chris Cook(notes), who is recovering from a torn meniscus in his right knee, was able to take part in all of practice Wednesday and might be able to make his NFL debut Sunday.





• CB Cedric Griffin(notes), who is recovering from surgery to repair a torn left anterior cruciate ligament suffered in last season’s NFC title game, is doing limited work in practice but probably will sit out again Sunday against Detroit. Griffin, like Cook, should return after the bye.





• WR Percy Harvin aggravated a hip strain last Sunday against the Dolphins and also has had another recurrence of migraine headaches. He did not practice Wednesday.





• DT Jimmy Kennedy(notes) (knee) is back practicing for the second consecutive week and took part in all drills Wednesday. Kennedy hasn’t played in the first two games.





• LB Ben Leber(notes) was limited Wednesday because of a back injury but said he will be good to go on Sunday.





• OT Bryant McKinnie(notes) (dislocated finger) did not miss any of practice Wednesday and played in last Sunday’s game despite the injury.





• QB Brett Favre continues to be listed on the injury report because of soreness in his surgically repaired ankle but he hasn’t missed any practice time.





• C John Sullivan(notes) (calf) did not miss any practice time Wednesday.





Game Plan: The Vikings will look to get their offense on track against a Lions defense that has given up 54 points in its first two games, including 35 in a loss last Sunday to Philadelphia.





The Vikings offensive line figures to have its hands full with rookie defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and end Kyle Vanden Bosch putting pressure on Brett Favre. Minnesota’s greatest success so far has come on the ground, as Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson is off to a good start.





The Lions are giving up an average of 131.5 yards per game on the ground—27th in the NFL—and Peterson has rushed for 232 yards in two games, putting him third in the league.





Minnesota needs to get quarterback Brett Favre on track. He has thrown only one touchdown and four interceptions and hasn’t developed a rhythm with any of his wide receivers.





This includes Bernard Berrian, who was expected to be Minnesota’s go-to receiver with Sidney Rice sidelined. Berrian has only three receptions for 27 yards.





The Lions defense has given up 304.5 passing yards per game, putting them near the bottom of the league in that category as well.





Defensively, the Vikings surrendered 120 rushing yards to the Dolphins on Sunday. That’s a rarity for one of the better run defense in the NFL. Shaun Hill(notes) is expected to start at quarterback for the Lions in place of the injured Matthew Stafford.





The Vikings defense is going to have to be aware of rookie running back Jahvid Best at all times because of his play-making ability. If wide receiver Nate Burleson(notes) (ankle) is unavailable for the Lions that will take a weapon from a passing attack that also features Calvin Johnson(notes) and Brandon Pettigrew(notes).





Matchups To Watch: Vikings CB Lito Sheppard(notes), who is playing the left corner in the nickel package, vs. Lions WR Calvin Johnson, who has caught eight passes for 95 yards and a touchdown this season. The Miami Dolphins had immediate success against the Vikings nickel package last Sunday by going right at Sheppard on the Dolphins’ first play from scrimmage. The result was a 46-yard pass completion from Chad Henne(notes) to 6-foot-4 Brandon Marshall(notes) that set up a touchdown. You think the Lions aren’t going to notice that? Johnson is 6-5 and stands to create trouble for Sheppard or Asher Allen(notes), who is starting at left corner. Sheppard is only 5-10 and Allen is 5-9. Antoine Winfield(notes), the starter at right corner who moves inside in the nickel, also is 5-9 but he is the Vikings’ best cornerback. If Chris Cook (6-2) and Cedric Griffin (6-0) remain out, look for Johnson to be a primary target. Cook could provide some much-needed size against Johnson if he can play.





Vikings LT Bryant McKinnie, who played last week despite a dislocated finger, vs. Lions DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, who has 1.5 sacks this season after being signed to a four-year, $26 million free-agent deal this offseason. McKinnie has had issues at times with top-flight defensive ends and he now will be facing Vanden Bosch and Chicago’s Julius Peppers(notes) twice a season. This will be McKinnie’s first test. The key for McKinnie, who is in his ninth season, is simply showing consistency because he has the athletic ability to be a very good player. Vanden Bosch plays with a motor that never quits and will spend the afternoon using a variety of moves to try to get around the 6-8, 335-pound McKinnie.





Injury Impact: Cornerback Chris Cook could make his NFL regular-season debut, but it looks as if Cedric Griffin will remain out until after the bye week. Wide receiver Percy Harvin is dealing with a hip injury and migraines, meaning he could be a long shot to play. Wide receiver Bernard Berrian already is struggling and considering his game is based on speed the last thing he needs is a knee problem.

Vikings Running Out Of Time To Make A Deal For Vincent Jackson

Vikings running out of time to make a deal for Vincent Jackson

Vincent Jackson

ShareretweetEmailPrintAt this point, it looks like it will take a Hail Mary to get a Vincent Jackson(notes) trade done before this afternoon’s 4 p.m. deadline.





The Minnesota Vikings need to address their problems at wide receiver, but Jackson has high salary demands and the San Diego Chargers aren’t about to give away the suspended star. That leaves the situation hanging in the balance.





Rumors have been flying for a couple of days and it’s impossible to rule anything out, but once Sidney Rice(notes) returns, the Vikings will have two players who are pretty much the same. Is that what they need?





So, the Vikings went a less costly route, at least for now, signing Hank Baskett(notes) after he was cut loose by the Philadelphia Eagles. Baskett was released by the Eagles so they would have room to sign running back Joique Bell(notes) off the practice squad of the Buffalo Bills.





Rice is out until at least midseason for the Vikings and now Percy Harvin(notes) is battling a hip injury that could keep him on the sideline for a bit. The Vikings’ defense has played very well through two games but the offense needs some help for Brett Favre(notes), who has been misfiring.





Baskett has experience with the Vikings in the past. He can also help on special teams. The big question is whether or not big help will arrive in the form of Jackson, who would be eligible to play after two more games on the suspended list in Week 5.

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

Vincent Jackson: Chances Increasing For Vikings To Acquire Pro-Bowler

Bernard Berrian Might Be Traded Away For Vincent Jackson

San Diego Chargers' Wide Receiver Vincent Jackson

For those that have not been following the Vincent Jackson suspension/trade talks, allow me to fill you in really quick.

Vincent Jackson of the San Diego Chargers is currently facing a three game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy, which was announced on July 1, 2010.   Last Saturday, an unnamed team reportedly made Jackson's agents a one-year deal to acquire the 2009 Pro-Bowler. The offer was rejected by the Chargers. San Diego's asking price was originally expected to be for a  first-rounder, maybe even more. But with nobody willing to give up that much, the Chargers were out of luck.

Since then, they have lowered their asking price to both a second and third round pick.

It's not been revealed how much Minnesota offered, but we just know that it wasn't enough for San Diego to let him go to the NFC.

On September 11, rumors resurfaced that the Vikings would be willing to offer more if Jackson's suspension is kept at only three games, rather than six, which he could face.

Vincent's best season occurred last year when he recorded 68 catches for 1,167 yards, and nine touchdowns in only 15 games.

Even though his reception numbers aren't great, Philip Rivers is a quarterback that loves to distribute the ball to all of his targets, which include Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd.

With his 6'5", 230 pound frame, Jackson has the ideal size for a wide receiver. Despite not having the greatest speed, he is able to overpower the defenders that attempt to cover him.

It became abundantly clear that the Vikings are missing Sidney Rice after only scoring nine points on Thursday night's opener against the New Orleans Saints.

The fact that Brett Favre doesn't have a "big" receiver to throw to at the moment could be a cause for concern for Minnesota.

Although Sidney Rice is expected to be back after week eight, the Vikings could use Vincent Jackson for only one year.

If he fits in well with Minnesota, they could opt to sign him to an extension, but that doesn't seem very likely at this point in time.

As a Vikings fan, I am willing to admit that Minnesota's offense could be in trouble if Minnesota's main targets can't step up.

Bernard Berrian has seemed to struggle ever since Sidney became "the man" for Brett to throw to. Perhaps jealousy really does factor into football.

Only joking, people.

Don't get me wrong, I do not condone the multiple times Jackson has broken the law, but his talent on the field is something that will undoubtedly overshadow his troubled past.

It's been stated that Vincent will likely never play a down for San Diego again, so why not trade him away to a team that you will only face every few years or so?

Both the Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams were in the hunt for Jackson at one point, but talks between respective parties fizzled after they couldn't come up with the proper deal for San Diego to accept.

At this point, the Chargers should accept whatever they can get for him. Nonetheless, anything less than a fourth-rounder would be ludicrous for San Diego.

Minnesota's offense would reach the level of unstoppable with Jackson, Rice, Percy Harvin, Berrian, and Visanthe Shiancoe as weapons for Brett Favre to throw to.

However, I do believe Berrian could be included in the deal for Jackson.

San Diego's passing game will take a serious hit if they are unable to find a suitable replacement for Vincent. Legedu Naanee won't cut the cake, unfortunately.

Where we stand now, trade talks are somewhat at a minimum, but you never know what can happen in a matter of hours when it comes to the NFL.

With the false reports of T.J. Houshmandzadeh signing with the Vikings, and Brett Favre retiring for good, I'm not sure what to believe or not believe any more these days.

Until I hear it from Brad Childress, himself, I tend to ignore whatever rumors come about. With that said, I am hoping that this one is absolutely true.

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Adrian Peterson Wanted More Carries In The Vikings 14-9 Loss Vs Saints

Adrian Peterson Stiff Arms Saints Defender

Adrian Peterson had 13 carries on the Vikings' first three possessions on Thursday night. The Vikings' game plan was, clearly, to get Peterson the ball coming out of the gate.

And then the Vikings got away from that game plan. Peterson had just six carries the rest of the game, and none at all on the Vikings' final drive, on which Brett Favre threw seven passes, the Vikings ended up punting with five and a half minutes left, and then the Saints proceeded to run out the clock.

So why didn't Peterson get the ball more late in the game? He says he asked for it, but he's not sure if coach Brad Childress heard him.

"I'll do whatever it takes," Peterson told Michael Silver after the game. "Whatever it takes to help this team win. I don't know if Coach heard me, but I remember walking by in the second half on the sideline saying, 'Hey, give it to me. Feed me.' I don't know if he really heard me. But there's a lot to learn from this game."

The No. 1 thing for the Vikings to learn is that just having Favre lead the offense won't be enough. They're going to have to feed the rock to Peterson more than 19 times a game this season.

Brett Favre's Bum Ankle Needed Tune-up After Seattle Game

Brett Favre had maintenance on his surgically repaired left ankle after Saturday's preseason game with Seattle.



The Vikings quarterback told Sports Illustrated's Peter King that he received an injection of lubricant in his ankle.



"Like a grease fitting,'' Favre said.



Favre gave King details about his latest surgery. The procedure, in late May, was performed by Dr. James Andrews in Florida. Favre said two incisions were made on the top of his left ankle and that "loose bodies" were sucked out.



Favre's wife, Deanna, watched as doctors took out what the quarterback described as "a cup full of stuff -- bone and all these other loose bodies."



"It's catching up with me, all this stuff,'' Favre said.



King asked Favre if he thinks he will last the entire season.



"I have no idea, really," Favre said. "My ankle just seems to get easier to sprain. I know everyone thinks the New Orleans game killed me, but it was bad before then. Now we'll see if I can make it. My mind's telling me one thing, but my body's telling me something else.''



Sullivan absent again

Center John Sullivan missed practice again Monday because of a lingering calf injury. He returned to practice last week but did not play Saturday.



"We're just trying not to load it up too much," coach Brad Childress said. "We're still trying to get some of the soreness out."



Sullivan has missed almost all of training camp and all three preseason games. Childress declined to estimate how much practice time Sullivan would need to be able to play Sept. 9 against New Orleans in the opener.



"That's hard to hazard a guess," Childress said. "As many as you can get, let's put it that way. And then you make a decision whether we're better off to go with somebody else or put him in there."



Right guard Anthony Herrera started at center Saturday, but the team also is considering backup Jon Cooper.



Griffin decision looming

Cornerback Cedric Griffin continues to push hard in his rehab from ACL surgery on his left knee, but remains on the physically unable to perform list. The team must decide by this weekend whether he will start the season on the reserve/PUP list when the roster is trimmed to 53.

Griffin would be ineligible to play for the first six weeks if he starts the season on the PUP. Otherwise, he will count against the 53, although it's possible he could miss several games.

"This has nothing to do with me," Griffin said. "It's all about the coaches, Coach Childress, [head athletic trainer] Eric Sugarman, our training staff. Whatever they feel is best for me, I'll do what they say. They are my bosses right now."

Injury update • The Vikings don't have to trim their roster from 80 to 75 players until 3 p.m. Tuesday but linebacker J Leman, who missed much of training camp and all three games because of turf toe, was waived/injured. Leman would revert to the injured reserve if and when he clears waivers but he probably will end up getting an injury settlement.

• Childress declined to discuss injuries, but five players did not practice Monday -- Sullivan, cornerback Chris Cook, running back Toby Gerhart, defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy and wide receiver Logan Payne (bruised ribs). Cook and Gerhart both suffered right knee injuries on Saturday. Gerhart said his knee got bent backward in a pile. Cook called his knee injury "just a little ding."

Minnesota Vikings Starters Stil Uncertain But SuperBowl Chances Solid

John Sullivan

The Vikings haven’t made a final decision on whether or not to play their starters in Thursday’s preseason finale, but John Sullivan won’t be among them. Plus, Sidney Rice is officially out for at least six weeks, the first roster cuts are in and traffic could be snarled Thursday. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said Tuesday that a final decision on the starters for Thursday’s preseason finale hasn’t been made yet. Most likely, the star players won’t be making an appearance, but a decision to sit the entire starting cast or a portion of it hasn’t been made yet. “Originally I think coach said that he wasn’t going to (play the starters) and then in the team meeting right before the game he said he reserved the right to put them in if he needed to, so I’m not sure he’s made a decision on that,” Bevell said. “He hasn’t told us yet. But the guys did perform pretty decent early in that game and he’ll end up making that decision, probably pretty quick.” Injuries have forced the Vikings make a number of adjustments to their starting lineup, most notably and consistently at center. John Sullivan hasn’t played yet this preseason and Bevell said he wouldn’t be playing again in the preseason finale Thursday night against the Denver Broncos. “I don’t think it’s at that point yet. We’ve got to get him back out here after this preseason game,” Bevell said. “We knew that we weren’t going to have him through this game. Pretty much just being able to see if it can handle pushing off, the physical strain. He’ll be fine conditioning-wise because they’re still working with that.” The Vikings have started 2009 rookie free agent Jon Cooper as well as Anthony Herrera, normally the starting right guard, at center in their first three preseason games. As for the regular-season opener, all three – Sullivan, Herrera and Cooper – are possibilities, Bevell said. Bevell said the team expected to have their five starting offensive linemen from last year all healthy when they started training camp, but “at some point we’ll get Sully back.” RICE MOVED TO RESERVE/PUP The Vikings placed wide receiver Sidney Rice on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, meaning he will officially be out for at least the first six games of the season. Rice had surgery on his hip last week and Vikings coach Brad Childress said it would be “at least” eight weeks before he could return. The Vikings can have him return to practice after the first six games of the season and make a determination about his future after that. Rice tweeted on Tuesday that he was working out in a pool with Timberwolves guard Jonny Flynn. CUTS COME HOME The Vikings got down to the NFL-mandated 75-player roster limit on Tuesday by making the move on Rice and releasing WR Marko Mitchell and OL Bill Noethlich. The team put LB J Leman on the injured-reserve list after he cleared the waived-injured process. He joins WR Jaymar Johnson on that season-ending designation. The Vikings will have to make a decision on CB Cedric Griffin, who is on the active physically-unable-to-perform list by Saturday. Griffin, who hasn’t practiced with the team since tearing his ACL in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 24, could also be headed for the PUP list if trainers and doctors aren’t convinced he’s ready for action in the coming weeks. The Vikings will have to be down to the NFL-mandated roster limit of 53 players by 5 p.m. Central Saturday, meaning at least 22 players will be waived, along with a decision being made on Griffin. VIKINGS-TWINS SHOWDOWN The city of Minneapolis is warning Vikings and Twins fans of the potential for congested traffic on Thursday night. With the Twins now playing in the new Target Field, Thursday night will mark the first concurrent Twins and Vikings games and the city is projecting that as many as 100,000 people will attend the two games. The Vikings play the Denver Broncos at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m., and the Twins host the Detroit Tigers at 7:10 p.m., with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. Additionally, the Orpheum Theatre is presenting the production “Wicked,” with doors opening there at 6:30 p.m. The City of Minneapolis is encouraging those who drive to the games to park as close as they can to that stadium and encouraging other forms of transportation. The Hiawatha Light Rail is expected to be full, but bus service will supplement that before and after the game, picking up passengers at the 28th Ave. Station and Fort Snelling Station and going to both the Metrodome and Target Field. The Northstar commuter rail is sending an eight-car train from the Big Lake Station with stops in Elk River, Anoka, Coon Rapids and Fridley, with arrival at Target Field Station at about 6:10 p.m. Fans headed to the Vikings game will make a free transfer to the Hiawatha light-rail line for the short trip to the Metrodome. After the games, separate sets of buses will depart both venues and deliver passengers back to their starting points. NOTES In addition to the roster moves, Sullivan, TE Garrett Mills, DT Jimmy Kennedy and S Jamarca Sanford weren’t at practice on Tuesday. CB Marcus Sherels and WR Logan Payne were at practice but not participating because of injuries. RB Toby Gerhart returned to practice after missing Monday. Pat Williams
The Vikings have had the best rush defense over the past three years, finishing second last year and first the previous two years. Avoiding four-game suspensions to Pat and Kevin Williams would help keep that important element intact. The recent court decision to delay the suspensions of Pat Williams and Kevin Williams may have a big influence in Brett Favre’s still-pending decision as to whether to come back for another year or to spend an autumn on the farm in Mississippi for the first time in his adult life. The conventional wisdom is that if Favre comes back, the Vikings will make a Super Bowl run. But, without the Williams Wall, those odds would take a hit. The Williamses have both been Pro Bowlers for a reason. With all the complicated offensive schemes designed to open up and exploit defenses, the basic premise of the game remains the same – run the ball effectively on offense and stop the run on defense. If you do that consistently, you stand a better chance to win consistently. With the Williams Wall in place, over the last three years, nobody has done it like the Vikings. In 2007, the Vikings finished 8-8, missing the playoffs thanks to a collapse at home against Washington that would have clinched a wild card berth. Their mediocrity wasn’t due to the run defense. It was rated No. 1 in yards allowed and No. 2 in average per rushing attempt. The problem was that the Vikings couldn’t consistently generate a pass rush and quarterbacks with any acumen (and even some without a lot of street cred) were able to pick them apart – the Vikings had the 32nd-rated pass defense in ’07, which was saying something considering there were six teams that lost 12 or more games and one (Miami) that lost 15 times. In 2008, Jared Allen came to the team and Ray Edwards was given the other full-time starting job and they helped vastly improve the pass rush and the overall defense. The Vikings went from 32nd in the league in pass defense to 18th. It wasn’t a meteoric jump, but it was good enough to help the team improve from 8-8 to 10-6. The run defense was still dominant. They again finished first in rush yards allowed and second in average per rush, leading the Vikings to a division title for the first time in eight years and giving hope that bigger things could be on the horizon. The arrival of Favre kicked expectations up a notch – make that 20 notches. The offense improved exponentially upon his arrival. In the two years previously referenced, the Vikings had started Tarvaris Jackson, Gus Frerotte, Brooks Bollinger and Kelly Holcomb. Favre brought immediate excitement – and more scoring – to the Vikings offense. It put pressure on the defense to keep up and the that side of the ball responded. The numbers slipped slightly – second in the league in rush yards allowed and sixth in average per carry – but the formula remained the same. If you stop them, the wins will come. Had the NFL been able to impose its four-game suspension on the Williamses – the odds of them getting it reduced by a game or two given the rancor of the court cases is unlikely – it might have been enough to keep Favre on the farm side of the fence. But with them back in the fold for the foreseeable future, things again look bright heading into the season, which could be a contributing factor in Favre making the decision so many fans, coaches and teammates are keeping their fingers crossed that he will make. MONDAY NOTES Pro Football Weekly said in its “NFC Whispers” column that Visanthe Shiancoe’s agent Drew Rosenhaus has been talking with the Vikings about a contract extension. Shank is under contract for two more years and, according to PFW, “we hear” Shiancoe would like to be paid among the top five tight ends in the league – a pretty exclusive neighborhood in the range of $5-7 million a year. Shiancoe switched agents a few months ago to hire Rosenhaus, who has several Vikings clients in his management stable. The NFL’s official website has weighed in on the NFC North race and columnist Vic Carucci is predicting hard times for the Vikings and the Saints. He picks both of them (along with Arizona) not to repeat as division champs. He has the Packers beating out the Vikings and Atlanta topping the Saints, leaving the teams from January’s NFC Championship Game battling for the two wild card positions. Adrian Peterson hosted a two-day youth football camp in Norman, Okla. that had more than 450 kids taking part in the camp. NFL rookies are spending the next three days at the NFL’s annual rookie symposium at the La Costa resort in Carslbad, Calif. The symposium got underway Sunday night with a one-hour speech from Commissioner Roger Goodell. The commissioner told the players that there is responsibility with being an NFL player and personal conduct is important to them – now and throughout their careers. Goodell also addressed the increased measures to address injuries. He tied the two issues together, saying his job was “to protect the integrity of the NFL and to make sure the game is as safe as possible.” Only three drafted rookies aren’t at the symposium, but one of them (New York Giants safety Chad Jones), couldn’t attend after suffering what may be a career-ending injury in a car accident in New Orleans. Goodell spoke with Jones Sunday at the hospital where he is beginning the recovery process. NFL Network will unveil its countdown of the 10 best regular-season games of 2009. They are letting fans pick the order of the top five, two of which are Vikings games. Two of the five nominees fans can vote for are the 27-24 Vikings win over San Francisco and their 36-30 overtime loss at Chicago in Week 16. The other nominees are the Colts 35-34 win over New England in Week 10, the “Game Nobody Ever Saw” – a 38-37 win by Detroit over Cleveland in Week 11 – and the Steelers 37-36 win over Green Bay in Week 15. Considering that four of the top five games all involved the NFC North and all four teams are involved in the voting, perhaps the division will get a little more credit than it has the last couple of years for having some quality teams in it. Former Cowboys chant-icon Darryl “Moose” Johnston did a radio interview in Dallas in which he was asked, “It’s late June and assuming Favre is coming back, because he will come back, the two best teams in the NFC right now?” Johnston was short and sweet, saying just “Dallas and Minnesota.” When asked why New Orleans wasn’t in the mix, Johnston said, “Minnesota is you don’t turn the ball over six times, you win that game.”

Minnesota Vikings Outlook For The 2010-2011 Season

Vikings Favorites To Win NFC North

Greg Camarillo [Mr. Reliable]

Favre With A Whole New Receiving Crew

Jevon Walker Now With Vikings

Despite having the third toughest schedule this year in the league, The Sporting News picked the Vikings to win the NFC North by a small margin and hailed several of the team’s players as the best at their position in division.

Predictions for the 2010 season are starting to roll in and The Sporting News is the latest to trot out their predictions.

Despite putting Packers QB Aaron Rodgers on the cover, the magazine predicts the Vikings to win the NFC North for a third straight year. The Vikings are picked to finish 11-5, the same record as Green Bay, but the publication gives the Vikings the tie-breaker edge and the division crown.

While the magazine itself picks the Jets and Cowboys in the Super Bowl, in a poll of its four in-house experts, two of them have the Cowboys beating the Packers in the NFC Championship Game and the other two have the Vikings beating Dallas. Of the two that pick the Vikings to go to the Super Bowl, one has the Vikings beating the Jets and the other has the Vikings losing to Baltimore.

However, of the 32 team correspondents that voted, 20 of them picked Green Bay to win the division, while 12 picked the Vikings – none picked the Bears or Lions. Those same correspondents overwhelmingly think Rodgers is the division Offensive MVP, earning 25 votes. Of the other seven votes, five went to Adrian Peterson and two to Brett Favre. On the defensive side, Jared Allen earned 20 votes for Defensive MVP.

The success of the Vikings, however, doesn’t translate to respect for Brad Childress. He received only seven votes for the division’s best coach – Mike McCarthy got 23 votes and Lovie Smith somehow got two. In a related ranking of the NFL’s 32 coaches, Childress ranked 14th.

The All-Division Team, picked by former Lions coach Bobby Ross, was dominated by Vikings, including Favre (over Rodgers), Peterson, Steve Hutchinson, Bryant McKinnie and Percy Harvin on offense, Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Chad Greenway and Antoine Winfield on defense and Harvin as the division’s kickoff returner.

While the Vikings have some issues that need to be solved before they can begin the process of building momentum as they did last year, they have a lot more believers among those who follow the NFL.

FRIDAY NOTES

• Harvin, who was hoping to play Saturday, sat out Thursday’s practice and, if there was an injury report for the preseason, would likely be viewed as questionable or doubtful for tomorrow’s game.

• The Vikings practiced at Mall of America Field Thursday to get a feel for the new turf that has been laid on the Metrodome floor.

•  Rookie Chris Cook is expected to get the start at right cornerback Saturday, the game in which the starters see the most action of the preseason. There is a growing sentiment that, if Cook performs well in his test Saturday, he could supplant Lito Sheppard or Asher Allen in the starting lineup when the regular season begins.

•  Favre and the rest of the starters are expected to play the entire first half and, most likely, a series or two in the second half as well.

•  Some teams are already taking the third preseason game quite seriously. The Patriots played Tom Brady into the fourth quarter in their loss to the Rams.

•  If the third week of preseason games comes close to mirroring the first two played Thursday, it could be a wild weekend. The Patriots and Rams combined to score 71 points, which was dwarfed by the 83 combined points scored by the Packers and Colts.

Vikings Aquire Two New Receivers

New Addition Greg Camarillo

Jevon Walker

    

Benny Sapp Departed From Vikings

    The Vikings acquired receiver Greg Camarillo from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for cornerback Benny Sapp on Wednesday, one day after signing veteran free agent Javon Walker  The deal is contingent upon both players passing a physical.

Minnesota has little choice: Pro Bowler Sidney Rice will miss at least the first half of the season after having hip surgery Monday, and Percy Harvin hasn't practiced much because of recurring migraines, leaving Brett Favre without his top two targets with just two weeks left in the exhibition season.
Camarillo rebounded from a torn ACL in 2008 to catch 105 passes for 1,165 yards and two touchdowns over the last two years. He is more of a slot receiver than a deep threat, which would make him a more realistic fit to replace Harvin than the 6-foot-4 Rice, whose leaping ability and athleticism contributed to a breakout season last year.
The sure-handed Camarillo did not drop a pass last season.
``We have to get on board together rather quickly, obviously,'' Favre said after practice on Wednesday, referring to a handful of new receivers he has to get to know before the Sept. 9 season opener. ``It will be tougher. I'm not going to sit here and lie to you. It will be tougher than we had hoped. So we've got our work cut out for us.''
Harvin returned to practice Wednesday for the first time since he collapsed during practice last week. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital, remained there overnight and did not travel with the team to San Francisco for the preseason game on Sunday night.
Harvin had some additional tests performed this week, but it is still impossible to predict when the headaches will surface and tests are still being done. He missed one game during the regular season last year, but still racked up more than 2,000 total yards and won the AP offensive rookie of the year award.
In Miami, Camarillo became expendable with the offseason acquisition of Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall. The Dolphins also have Brian Hartline and Davone Bess at receiver.
``It happened to work out good for both teams,'' Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. ``I don't think from our standpoint you give away a Greg Camarillo if you don't feel like you're getting value in return. And vice versa.''
Camarillo was a starter the past two years. Last season he made 50 catches for 552 yards and no touchdowns. He'll be best remembered in Miami for his 64-yard touchdown catch in overtime against Baltimore for the Dolphins' lone victory in 2007.
Sapp will provide depth for Miami at cornerback behind second-year starters Vontae Davis and Sean Smith. Veteran cornerback Will Allen is coming back from knee surgery and recently underwent a follow-up arthroscopic procedure, and he's expected to be sidelined until at least the end of the exhibition season.
Sapp played in all 16 games for Minnesota last season and started seven when Antoine Winfield went down with a foot injury. He filled in admirably, but fell behind youngsters Asher Allen and Chris Cook early in training camp in the race for the nickel job.
``You get a guy that has some position flexibility,'' Sparano said of Sapp. ``He's played corner and started some games at corner in this league, handled a large number of plays last season, played in some playoff games and also plays inside in the nickel. I think he has a little bit of position flex in that way and plays special teams.''


    But with new receivers Jevon Walker and Greg Camarillo  the Vikings hope to keep their Superbowl hopes golden and the offense geared to play. It'll take some serious getting used to but the Vikings could have a few new starting corner backs and receivers this year. Hey, we all have to accept change and hope for the best.