New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings Preview

Adrian Peterson Looking To Carry The Load

Vikings Fans Are Looking For Revenge

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    It has been more than seven months since the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings battled for the NFC championship.
saints_fans95.jpgScott Threlkeld/The Times-PicayuneIt will be an emotional game for the New Orleans Saints and their fans Thursday night.

Since then, barbs have been traded, criticisms levied, taunts fired.


Minnesota Vikings Coach Brad Childress accused the Saints of taking cheap shots at quarterback Brett Favre.

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe called out Saints safety Darren Sharper for dirty play.

Sharper, in turn, hinted that the Saints would be targeting Favre's ankle.

The Biggest Game Of The Vikings 2010-2011 Season

Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said his defense could continue to send messages to opposing quarterbacks, "starting with No. 4 (Favre)."

Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, meanwhile, called Williams' remarks "meathead comments."

The trash talk and verbal volleys only add to the anticipation for Thursday night's regular-season opener between the teams at the Superdome.

It's one of the most-hyped rematches since Ali-Frazier.

NFL Kickoff?

More like the NFL Tick-off.

And it might be more physical than the Thrilla in Manila.

Saints' players spent Sunday afternoon downplaying their newfound rivalry with the Vikings. They stressed this will be just another game on the schedule. They insisted there'll be no more trash talking or extracurricular action than any other week.

Visante Shiancoe Looks To Quiet The Superdome Early

And they fooled no one.

Thursday night has all the earmarks of a blood bath. The Vikings believe they, not the Saints, should have won Super Bowl XLIV. They are convinced they gave away the NFC championship game. They are going to arrive with horns on their helmets and chips on their shoulders.

"I think it will all take care of itself from our standpoint and their standpoint, " Childress said. "You better play this game from an emotionally aroused level. I don't have any illusions that they will. All you want to make sure is you give your best shot, and that's what I want from my players."

Childress on Sunday did not back down from claims earlier this summer that he believes the Saints intentionally tried to hurt Favre in the NFC championship game.

Jared Allen Looking To Get His

"What I hate to see are late hits or attempts to hurt anybody, " Childress said. "I don't think there's a place for that in the game."

Later on Sunday, Saints defensive end Will Smith scoffed at the notion.

"Everybody knows that's nonsense, " Smith said. "We play to the whistle. We played like that all year and didn't hear anybody else complain."

Defensive tackle Remi Ayodele said the Saints have never tried to intentionally hurt a player, including Favre. On the play in which Favre injured his ankle, Ayodele said he even tried to let up on the quarterback at the last minute.

"Watch the film, " he said.

Brett Favre Looks To Pour On The Points

"You don't ever want to hurt another player, but I just think it was taken out of proportion because it was Favre and it was that game. But if you look back on the rest of our games, it was kind of the same deal. ... We did that every game."

Defensive end Anthony Hargrove just rolled his eyes when asked about the play.

"If the league doesn't want the quarterback to get hit, maybe they should just give him a flag, " said Hargrove, who was fined $5,000 for a late hit on Favre in the NFC championship game.

"We're not going to change how we play. We're going to come after every quarterback we play. It's about sending messages all season."

To Favre's credit, he didn't buy into Childress' claims. "It's physical, " Favre said. "It's football. I'm not going to get caught up in that."

What both teams likely will get caught up in is the emotion of the night.

There's going to be a pregame parade in the French Quarter.

The Dave Matthews Band and Taylor Swift will perform concerts.

They are going to drop banners at the Superdome on Thursday night: One for the NFC South Division title; one for the NFC championship; and another for the Super Bowl XLIV title.

The atmosphere is going to be electric. And the action is only going to intensify once they kick it off.

Vikings' corners see math problem

Which Corner backs Will Start? Winfield and Griffin like last year? Abdullah and Winfield? Sheppard and Winfield? Or Maybe a mixture of all four? We all know that Antoine Winfield is our number one corner back ,it just depends on who will win the second and slot covering positions?This is now the big focus on the Minnesota Vikings Roster Preparation for the regular season.

Cedric Griffin

Antoine Winfield

Husain Abdullah

Lito Sheppard

     

       The Saints like to use four receivers at a time, so being shorthanded could be an issue in the defensive

backfield    The Vikings have only three healthy cornerbacks on their active roster. The New Orleans Saints like to use four wide receiver sets.

It doesn't take a math whiz to realize the numbers don't work in the Vikings' favor.
But that is the predicament they face in their season opener Thursday against a Saints team that finished No. 1 in total offense and No. 4 in passing last season.
"It could be tough," Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield said. "Of course we're kind of short-handed, but that's football. We'll go out there and play with the guys that we have."
That group consists of Winfield, veteran Lito Sheppard and second-year player Asher Allen, the team's primary nickel back. Rookie Chris Cook was poised to start at right corner, but he suffered a knee injury in the third preseason game and could miss several games.
Their shortage of healthy corners forces the Vikings to explore different options. Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier didn't even rule out getting some help from Cedric Griffin, who returned to practice this week after missing all of training camp while recovering from anterior cruciate ligament surgery. Griffin injured his knee covering a kickoff against the Saints in the NFC Championship Game in January. The team put him on the 53-man roster and he has practiced on a limited basis this week.
"The fact that he's out here practicing gives us some hope," Frazier said. "We're just trying to ascertain over the next couple days is it a real possibility. We're going to give it another day and see how he does [Tuesday]. But he has already done far more than we expected when we decided to put him on the 53."
Frazier admitted it's probably too late in the week to sign another cornerback, so they need to find the solution inside their own locker room. One possibility could be safety Husain Abdullah, who got limited playing time as the nickel corner last season.

It wouldn't be surprising if Abdullah plays a significant role, possibly even as a starter at safety. Abdullah said he's done "a little bit of everything" this week in practice.
Safety Jamarca Sanford is bothered by an ankle injury and is better suited in run support. And last season's No. 1 strong safety, Tyrell Johnson, expressed doubt that he will start.
"I don't really know, I doubt it though," he said. "But all you can do is handle your job, your responsibilities."
Sheppard admittedly didn't make many plays in preseason games, but he blamed it on a lack of opportunities. That shouldn't be a problem Thursday.
"You know what you're in store for," he said. "We know what the situation is going into this game. We just have to be professionals and be prepared for it."
The Vikings are hoping a consistent pass rush on quarterback Drew Brees will help their secondary. The Vikings were credited with one sack and four quarterback hurries against Brees in the NFC title game.
"[Pressure] is always important when you're playing against that guy," defensive tackle Kevin Williams said. "I think he's one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league. If we're going to win any kind of way -- whether we have 100 [defensive backs] -- we have to make him move and not let him get settled in the pocket."
The Vikings also need to be effective on third down. The Saints converted only three of 12 third-down opportunities in the playoff meeting. The Vikings can't afford to give that offense extra chances.
"They have so many weapons and can put up so many points on you so fast," Winfield said. "If we can get off the field like we did last year, we'll be good."
If not, their depth problem at cornerback could get magnified. The Vikings fully expect New Orleans to come out throwing the ball with their four-receiver sets.
"I'm sure they are reading the papers and looking on the Internet, seeing we have only three corners," Winfield said. "So we can expect that."

   Get Your Brett Favre Jersey The Season Opener Vs The New Orleans Saints is on September 9 only, four days from today. Below are jerseys of all the vikings players on the 2010 Roster.

Back-Up QB Questions Test Brad Childress’ Patience

Coach Brad Childress Of Minnesota Vikings

    We finally found out what it takes to make the eternally-deadpan Brad Childress lose his patience with reporters.  Just ask him one too many questions about his back-up quarterback.
Apparently, the #2 QB situation was all reporters wanted to talk about during Chilly’s Sunday press conference (not the practice squad?).  At some point, it all got to be too much for Chilly, who dropped his familiar droning, quipping, analogizing facade for a moment and let his true exasperation leak out.
“I’m done with the backup quarterback. I’m done with it,” Chilly snapped.  “You guys, if that’s all you’ve got to write, good Lord. We’re talking about the two highest scoring offenses in the league last year playing each other. Let’s talk about the game, instead of Joe Mauer’s backup.”
The Joe Mauer line needs explaining.  Apparently, earlier in the press conference, Chilly compared the back-up quarterback role to that of a back-up catcher.  I really don’t think I need to point out the absurdity of this comparison.  If Joe Mauer gets hurt, great as he is, the Twins are still going to be contenders.  But if Brett Favre gets hurt and Tarvaris Jackson has to take the field?
I can’t even write about what that would mean.  It makes me too sick to type.
And it makes Childress sick too, which is why he doesn’t want to address it.  Basically, he is in denial.  And his defensiveness shows that, deep down, he really is nervous that the decision to trade Sage Rosenfels will blow up in his face before it’s over.
If he thought Sunday was bad, wait until something does happen to Favre, and T-Jack comes in and stinks up the place.  Then we’ll see a real barrage.  I don’t know what Chilly will do then.  Maybe tear his clothes off and howl.

Vikings Deal Rosenfels And Reynaud To Giants

Sage Rosenfels

Madieu Williams

NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Giants have acquired QB Sage Rosenfels and RB Darius Reynaud from the Minnesota Vikings for undisclosed draft picks.

A person within the league who is familiar with the trade confirmed the Giants have dealt for Rosenfels to back up Eli Manning. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not officially been announced.

The Giants lost backup Jim Sorgi with a shoulder injury and he was placed on injured reserve, leaving untested Rhett Bomar as the only other quarterback.

Rosenfels was third string behind Brett Favre and Tarvaris Jackson in Minnesota. He is entering his 10th NFL season as a backup quarterback.

The Vikings acquired Rosenfels from Houston in a trade before last season and signed him to a two-year deal worth $9 million to compete with Tarvaris Jackson for the starting job.

At the time, Rosenfels was thrilled to be coming to a team giving him a legitimate shot at winning the job for the first time. After an offseason of working out and learning the system, however, Rosenfels' big shot was dashed when Favre waltzed in to take over.

Rosenfels spent all of last season as the No. 3 quarterback behind Favre and Jackson.

``If it's true sad to c you go sage good QB great teammate,'' Vikings receiver Greg Lewis tweeted on Friday night. ``Good luck in new York.''

There was a brief glimmer of hope for Rosenfels this summer when Favre was considering retirement. Once again, that ended after the first preseason game, when the Vikings flew three high-profile teammates to Mississippi to persuade Favre to return for one more year.

Time was running out for the 32-year-old Rosenfels, who clearly grew more frustrated with his position on the team.

He had an impressive preseason opener at St. Louis, completing 23 of 34 passes for 310 yards and three touchdowns. But he was just 8 for 17 for 92 yards with one TD in the next three games combined, and coach Brad Childress said after the preseason finale that Jackson would be Favre's backup again this season.

The move means that the Vikings likely will keep rookie Joe Webb as the third quarterback.

Sorgi signed with New York as a free agent after six seasons as Peyton Manning's backup in Indianapolis.

Vikings announce cuts

The Vikings have announced their full cuts to get down to the 53-man roster. With the trade of Sage Rosenfels and Darius Reynaud, the Vikings needed to cut 20 players today. They announced them shortly before 5 p.m.

CUT LIST
FB Ryan D’Imperio: Is an ideal candidate for the practice squad with athleticism but raw skills as he makes the transition from linebacker to fullback.

DT Tremaine Johnson: He was trying to make it at a very deep position for the Vikings.

CB Marcus Sherels: Size matters at cornerback and Sherels lacked it. He flashed at time, but was also beaten at times.

CB DeAndre Wright: Had a decent preseason, but the numbers weren’t in his favor.

RB Ian Johnson: Didn’t stand much of a chance to make the 53-man. Might be considered for the practice squad again.

WR Freddie Brown: He was just a camp body from the time he was called into Mankato.

G Thomas Austin: He might be able to start his pursuit of the ministry early, if he isn’t the running for a practice-squad spot.

TE Garrett Mills: His inability to stay healthy has ultimately cost him. Flashy pass catcher, but undersized blocker.

T Chris Clark: His very obvious pass-protecting troubles early in the preseason came back to bite him.

DE Mike Montgomery: Signed in the offseason from the Packers, he never got past the third unit on the depth chart and it was obvious he wasn't going to make the team.

G Adrian Battles: A long shot from the start, since the Vikings drafted Chris DeGeare to be the primary backup at guard and replacement for the departed Artis Hicks, who signed with the Redskins in the offseason.

WR Logan Payne: He caught everything in sight in training camp, but a rib injury sidelined him the last week-plus -- opening the door for veterans Greg Camarillo and Javon Walker to jump past him on the depth chart. Don't be surprised if he's signed to the practice squad if he clears waivers.

PK Rhys Lloyd: He was given a $200,000 signing bonus, which led many to believe he would make the team. But lack of consistent deep kickoffs cost him a roster spot.

WR Javon Walker: Had the Vikings kept Walker on the roster, his entire 2010 salary would be guaranteed. Don't be surprised if he gets re-signed so the team can have the flexibility to release him again when Sidney Rice comes back at midseason.

OT Drew Radovich: Not a huge surprise, since he's been cut each of the last three seasons after Vikings training camp.

S Colt Anderson: He seems like an ideal candidate to bring back on the practice squad.

WR Taye Biddle: Even with a receiving corps depleted by injuries, he didn't show quite enough to make it.

T Patrick Brown: The Vikings opted to keep Ryan Cook over Brown. Cook has a little more versatility, but Brown could be a practice squad guy again.

WR Marquis Hamilton: He was probably one of the easier decisions. Despite relative consistency, he didn't flash often enough.

LB Nate Triplett: If the former Gopher comes back on the practice squad, it will be because of special-teams promise.

The Vikings didn't make any announcement yet about the status of CB Cedric Griffin, so he may be ready to start practicing Sunday and would be eligible to play if that's the case.

The Vikings can start forming their eight-man practice squad Sunday afternoon, but it wouldn't be surprising to continue shaping the 53-man. Surprising cut are Jevon Walker and Logan Payne but nothing is ever definite in Minnesota is it now?!

Give The Gunslinger Praise Not Hate

Enough Of The Hating On Brett Favre

Go ahead. Hate me. One day you'll realize just how good I was.

Everyone make sure all sharp objects are locked away in a drawer somewhere. Insure that all necessary medications are up to date. Sit in a nice quiet room, breathe deeply for a few moments, and join me.
What is wrong with you people who can’t go a day without trashing Brett Favre?
The disdain and outright jealousy shown a man who already has his slot reserved for a Hall of Fame acceptance speech is not only insulting to an exceptional athlete, but reveals the truly ugly side of our sporting society.
Like it or not, Favre is a legendary player we have the good fortune to watch in action. While having a bit of humor at his expense for all the retirement frivolity, this seeming obsession with mocking him has gone way overboard and spilled into red-face bitter jealousy.
Brett Favre led the Green Bay Packers to the Super Bowl for the first time since footballs were constructed of something other than real pigskin. He was the central factor in the Packers being a dominant NFC team from 1995 to 2002, and it might have been extended were it not for Favre and mates being saddled with a pair of completely ineffective headset wearers in Ray Rhodes and Mike Sherman.
From 2003 to 2006, he did what every football fan called for. Sucked it up, didn’t whine, and kept playing despite a run of misfortune few of those gorging brats in the stands could handle if it was a video game.
His father dies of a stroke, and Favre goes out on a Monday Night and tears the guts out of the Raiders in Oakland. He still doesn’t remember throwing a touchdown pass against the Giants in 2004 after suffering what is casually called a concussion, yet is in effect a bruising of the brain tissue by jagged peaks of bone inside the skull. His brother-in-law dies in an ATV accident on Favre’s property. His wife is diagnosed with breast cancer, thankfully to later whip this insidious disease. His family home is decimated by Hurricane Katrina. He stays three more seasons in Green Bay and STILL gets the Packers to the NFC Championship Game despite team management torching the roster with key free agent defections and injuries trashing important offensive weapons.
And the guy still played the game. Gutted out the internal pain. Injuries that would have turned some other big name players into bed-wetting game day excuses.
Exactly what we demand of our stars.
After all this, once loyal fans and the dirt-digging media throws as many spades of dirt on Favre as they can muster when he hints, talks, wonders, muses, and finally retires. Plenty of other athletes break down before the cameras and we call it an “emotional moment”. Favre does it and radio talk show hosts and producers, most of whom break a monster sweat only carting their Buick sized buttocks out of chairs to snare another free drink or meal on remote broadcast, bring out baby noises, mocking dubbed audio, and sounds of bodily functions to card a cheap laugh or two at his expense. Making sport of a guy who resurrected a dismal franchise. One that before he got there only got their drunken ticket price jollies watching five Head Coaches leave a stench on Lambeau Field from 1968 to 1991.
And the gullible fans fell for it.
Note to Packers GM Ted Thompson. How’s that decision to put Favre in his place by playing foosball with his career to inflate your ego and slap Aaron Rogers at the helm? Two seasons, nine TD passes, 23 fumbles, a 17-15 record and a defense that couldn’t stop opponents with the football athleticism of Rod Blagojevich.
If Brett Favre did pull the retirement card just to make Thompson look like a rube, Packers faithful should be bowing down to him for exposing yet another black hole in the team front office.
Packers faithful, Brett Favre owes you nothing. Zero. He played his heart out for you when he was there and left only because his remaining career was questioned by a GM who hung his reputation on a below average quarterback. A General Mangler who was partly saved only because the defense buckled up in 2008 before being torched in the Arizona playoff sun.
His one season in New York and yet another retirement can be forgiven. The Jets knew Favre was playing with a torn biceps tendon in his right shoulder, yet still allowed him to go down the stretch in 2008 when they should have pulled him. While the team was dumping 4 of their last 5 games, Favre took all the heat, and not all of it deserved. Let’s not kid ourselves. Favre was getting older and the body couldn’t recover like it once could. But the Jets didn’t help with softball-tossing Kellen Clemens as the backup and Eric Mangini starring as the worst Head Coach for Gang Green since Rich Kotite.
Favre didn’t retire from the Jets. He escaped.
Which brings us to the broken down, rapidly aging, gray-haired slinger who was run out of Green Bay by a dysfunctional ownership and slipped out of NY before Mangini’s game plan and personnel decisions made him eligible for prosthetics.
Packers fans rail at Favre for joining the dastardly Vikings, proving once and for all he just wanted to leave Wisconsin in order to exact a twisted revenge against the franchise he left behind.
Favre did find a team with the right makeup and pay check to give him another solid shot at hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, something he would never see in the Thompson mess. But I have no doubt he also will always look back at 2009 and consider October 5th and November 1st as highlights he’ll be watching when he’s pounding bayou caught crawfish, beer in hand and kicking back on the Mississippi porch.
So here we are for another season. Brett Favre (supposedly) has to be talked into playing one more time by a small group of teammates who traveled south and bagged themselves the prize catch they knew was their only chance to contend for a title.
The guy with the word “Most” on his NFL record resume 22 times. The only NFL QB to defeat all 32 teams in his career. Who this season will hit 70,000 passing yards in a career. And the one other teams still fear.
And the worst these jealous sycophants can do is make fun of him for wanting to win. Again. Just like he’s done his entire career.
The haters should be ashamed of themselves. At the very least have stamped on their collective foreheads "Knows Nothing About How to Appreciate Greatness".
I hope Favre gets that chance to hoist another Trophy just one more time to rub it in the faces of those who can’t stand to see one of the future greats succeed.
Pop another cold one, Grandpa. And keep on slinging. Show the haters how a redneck becomes a legend.

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."