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
Learn why Brett Favre isn’t going to retire and will suit up in purple and gold come the 2010-2011 football season. News on Brett Favre’s commitment and statistics, updates on his retirement status and injuries, funny videos showing why Brett is a pure joy player, and memorable pictures showing his courage and magic.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Recap Of Vikings Loss To Dolphins
Adrian Peterson could not be contained by the Dolphins defense but there were too many mistakes and miscues for the Vikings to overcome in their home opener. The result was a 14-10 victory for the Dolphins at Mall of America Field on Sunday, as a visiting team won a regular season game at the Vikings home stadium for the 1st time since December of 2008.
The mistakes and miscues added up for the Vikings, as they were penalized 7 times for 44 yards and turned the ball over 4 times. While one Vikings superstar - Peterson – was up to his old tricks (28 carries for 145 yards and 1 TD), another Vikings superstar just couldn’t get it going. Favre lost a fumble in the endzone that was recovered for a TD and he threw 3 INTs.
Usually dominant at home, where they accumulated a 9-0 record last year, the Vikings were held scoreless in the 1st half. Favre drove the Vikings from their own 29 to Miami’s 32 in just 9 plays on the game’s opening drive, but a decision to go for it on 4th down ended up costing the Vikings points. Miami’s defense held and the offense immediately drove on the Vikings defense to take a quick 7-0 lead.
Both teams scored TDs in the 3rd quarter. Miami scored when LB Koa Misi fell on Favre’s endzone fumble and the Vikings scored when LB Erin Henderson recovered a Miami fumble forced by his older brother, E.J., near the Dolphins goal line. Peterson plowed his way into the endzone 2 plays after the Hendersons combined to turn Miami over.
The Vikings held Miami to just 1 first down and 4 total plays on the ensuing drive, giving the offense possession after a punt on the Vikings 11-yardline. That’s where the Vikings relied on their workhorse, Peterson, to take over. Peterson accounted for 62 yards on the Vikings drive and after a sack of Favre, Ryan Longwell came on to salvage a few points by splitting the uprights on a 28-yard try that cut Miami’s lead to 14-10.
The Vikings defense rose up 3 more times from that point on but the Vikings offense wasn’t able to capitalize. Following Longwell’s FG, Minnesota forced the Dolphins to a 3-and-out. But Favre followed with an INT, giving the Dolphins possession on their own 34. One play later, the Vikings defense forced another Dolphins fumble and Favre and Co. took possession on Miami’s 24.
Five plays after the recovered fumble, the Vikings had a 4th and goal from the 1, but Miami’s defense bowed up and stopped Peterson, giving their offense possession on the 1.
From there, the Dolphins picked up 1 first down via a holding penalty against the Vikings defense, but DT Kevin Williams batted down a Chad Henne pass on 3rd down, which gave the Purple another chance to mount a game-winning drive.
The Vikings took over after a punt on their own 45. Favre drove the team down to the Dolphins 31 on 3 plays, but from there he threw 3 incompletions and eventually the ball was turned over to Miami, where they were able to kneel on the ball and run out the clock.
The loss drops Minnesota to 0-2, the same record they had in 2008 before they won 10 of their next 14 on the way to a division title.
The mistakes and miscues added up for the Vikings, as they were penalized 7 times for 44 yards and turned the ball over 4 times. While one Vikings superstar - Peterson – was up to his old tricks (28 carries for 145 yards and 1 TD), another Vikings superstar just couldn’t get it going. Favre lost a fumble in the endzone that was recovered for a TD and he threw 3 INTs.
Usually dominant at home, where they accumulated a 9-0 record last year, the Vikings were held scoreless in the 1st half. Favre drove the Vikings from their own 29 to Miami’s 32 in just 9 plays on the game’s opening drive, but a decision to go for it on 4th down ended up costing the Vikings points. Miami’s defense held and the offense immediately drove on the Vikings defense to take a quick 7-0 lead.
Both teams scored TDs in the 3rd quarter. Miami scored when LB Koa Misi fell on Favre’s endzone fumble and the Vikings scored when LB Erin Henderson recovered a Miami fumble forced by his older brother, E.J., near the Dolphins goal line. Peterson plowed his way into the endzone 2 plays after the Hendersons combined to turn Miami over.
The Vikings held Miami to just 1 first down and 4 total plays on the ensuing drive, giving the offense possession after a punt on the Vikings 11-yardline. That’s where the Vikings relied on their workhorse, Peterson, to take over. Peterson accounted for 62 yards on the Vikings drive and after a sack of Favre, Ryan Longwell came on to salvage a few points by splitting the uprights on a 28-yard try that cut Miami’s lead to 14-10.
The Vikings defense rose up 3 more times from that point on but the Vikings offense wasn’t able to capitalize. Following Longwell’s FG, Minnesota forced the Dolphins to a 3-and-out. But Favre followed with an INT, giving the Dolphins possession on their own 34. One play later, the Vikings defense forced another Dolphins fumble and Favre and Co. took possession on Miami’s 24.
Five plays after the recovered fumble, the Vikings had a 4th and goal from the 1, but Miami’s defense bowed up and stopped Peterson, giving their offense possession on the 1.
From there, the Dolphins picked up 1 first down via a holding penalty against the Vikings defense, but DT Kevin Williams batted down a Chad Henne pass on 3rd down, which gave the Purple another chance to mount a game-winning drive.
The Vikings took over after a punt on their own 45. Favre drove the team down to the Dolphins 31 on 3 plays, but from there he threw 3 incompletions and eventually the ball was turned over to Miami, where they were able to kneel on the ball and run out the clock.
The loss drops Minnesota to 0-2, the same record they had in 2008 before they won 10 of their next 14 on the way to a division title.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Dolphins Decimate Vikings Offense
 |
| Adruian Peterson Gets Stopped By Carlos Dansby To Lose The Game Final Score: |
Vikings:10 Dolphins:14
 |
| Vontae Davis Intercept Percy Harvin In The 2nd Qrt. |
Favre was intercepted three times and the Miami Dolphins defense stopped Adrian Peterson on fourth-and-goal from the 1 to preserve a 14-10 victory over the Vikings on Sunday.
After throwing two interceptions at the Metrodome all of last season, Favre accounted for four turnovers in the 2010 home opener, with the other a fumble on a sack by Cameron Wake in the end zone that Dolphins linebacker Koa Misi recovered to give Miami a 14-0 lead in the third quarter.
"It's just hard to repeat those type of numbers and statistics and it's hard to repeat wins," Favre said of 2009, when the Vikings went 9-0 at home and he threw 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions to lead them to the NFC title game.
The offense had trouble clicking at the start of last season too, but games against pushovers Cleveland and Detroit helped the Vikings start 2-0. This year, with openers against the New Orleans Saints and Dolphins, and with star receiver Sidney Rice out with a hip injury and several other key players missing big chunks of time in the preseason with ailments, the Vikings have dug themselves quite a hole with sloppy performances on offense.
"It was more what we didn't do than what they did, but I give those guys credit," Favre said.
The 40-year-old Favre had his worst day as a Viking with a 44.3 quarterback rating. Two of his interceptions came at the Miami goal line. One came on a tipped ball and another on what appeared to be miscommunication with Bernard Berrian. But the end result is the same -- the Vikings are 0-2, with a game against the Detroit Lions before a daunting post-bye schedule awaits.
"I don't think any of these guys are panicked," coach Brad Childress said. "But I do feel like the urgency will definitely pick up."
This game was every bit the hard-nosed, grind-it-out slugfest it was expected to be. The Vikings offense came into the week out of sync in the passing game and promised to feature Peterson more on the ground, which is where the Dolphins have made their living since Tony Sparano took over as coach.
Peterson rushed for 145 yards for the Vikings, who forced two fumbles of their own, one that set up Peterson's 1-yard plunge to cut the deficit to 14-7 late in the third quarter.
But Miami's defense never wavered, holding the Vikings to a field goal in the fourth quarter and then getting the big stop with the Vikings threatening to take the lead late in the game.
On fourth-and-goal from the 1, Vontae Davis, Karlos Dansby and a host of Dolphins burst through the Vikings line and stuffed Peterson just short of the goal line. Favre had one more crack at it when they got the ball back with 1:42 to play, but threw incomplete on fourth down at the Dolphins 27 to end it.
"As long as we believe in ourselves we feel like we have a chance to win a game when we go into it," Ronnie Brown said. "We're coached that way each week. I think if we continue to go in and do that then the sky's the limit."
The Dolphins (2-0) set a defensive tone by deferring instead of receiving after winning the coin toss. They stopped the Vikings on fourth down at the Miami 26 on the first possession when Randy Starks batted down Favre's pass at the line.
"It was a great stand on the defensive side of the ball," Dansby said. "It was totally disrespect, and we showed them today that we can play defense."
Chad Henne hit Brandon Marshall for a 46-yard pass on the next play, and Ricky Williams and Brown bulled their way into the red zone with four wildcat plays. Henne hit Brian Hartline for the TD and a 7-0 lead, and Miami's offense was put on ice for the rest of the game.
The Vikings held the Dolphins to 226 yards of offense and had the ball for almost 13 minutes longer than Miami. But just like in the NFC title game loss to New Orleans last year, turnovers were the difference.
Jason Allen had two interceptions and Davis picked one off after Percy Harvin tipped the ball up in the air at the goal line.
"When you play teams of this caliber and you make those kind of plays in those situations, it validates what you're trying to do," said Sparano, whose Dolphins are 2-0 for the first time since 2002. "I think our football team is getting better in a lot of areas."
Henne was 9 for 15 for 114 yards and Marshall had four catches for 71 yards. Brown and Williams combined for 110 yards on 23 carries.
Visanthe Shiancoe had six catches for 86 yards.
"It's a 14-game season now and we're sitting at the bottom of it," Favre said. "What we do with it from here remains to be seen. It won't be any easier."
Game notes
Wake finished with 1 1/2 sacks for Miami. "We felt we had to get in here and announce our presence some point in this game early on," Sparano said. ... The Dolphins are home against the Jets and Patriots before the bye. ... Harvin aggravated a right hip injury and said he will have an MRI on Monday. He had five catches for 32 yards. ... After the Week 4 bye, the Vikings go to the Jets, host Dallas and are at Green Bay and New England.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Minnesota Vikings Fantasy Football Standings
After a disappointing loss in the opener in New Orleans, the Vikings return to Minnesota for their home opener against the Dolphins. The team came out of the opener with far more questions than answers on offense, which makes gauging the offensive stars’ fantasy potential this week a little tougher.
Brett Favre
Favre was unquestionably rusty in Week 1, completing just 15-of-27 pass attempts for 171 yards and 1 TD against a Saints defense that surprisingly didn’t blitz him like they had in the NFC Championship Game. It’ll be interesting to see how the Dolphins – another team that features a 3-4 defensive alignment – approaches things in Week 2. Miami fielded the 3rd worst defense in the NFL last year in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing QBs, although that’s in part because they surrendered a league-high 5 QB rushing TDs. But they managed to hold only 4 opposing QBs under 225 passing yards and allowed 10 passing TDs in their final 5 games of last year. They held Trent Edwards to 139 yards and 1 TD a week ago, but you and 10 of your friends could probably do the same, so I’m not putting much stock in that. Dolphins rookie DE Jared Odrick won’t play because of a leg injury, and as long as the Vikings can contain ILB Karlos Dansby, Favre should have plenty of time to pick apart a very vulnerable secondary. Favre recorded 288 passing yards per game and an absurd 21-2 TD-INT ratio in regular season home games last year, so I like his chances in this one.
Adrian Peterson
Peterson ran hard and gained 4.6 yards per carry before the offense bogged down in last week’s 2nd half, and you can bet he’ll get more than just 19 attempts this week against the Fish. Miami trotted out a mediocre run defense that yielded 11 RB rushing scores and just under 100 rushing yards per game last year. They added a star at LB in Dansby, but their other starting ILB, Channing Crowder, has a mysterious groin injury that could end his season, and they’ll miss Odrick up front, where they feature 3 new starting lineman who all lack experience. The Vikings offensive line should have a clear advantage in the battle of the trenches. In a matchup of Peterson vs. anything described as “mediocre,” you have to give a huge advantage to Peterson. With closer to 30 carries in Week 2, AP should wind up with a stat line more like what you’d expect from your #1 or #2 overall fantasy pick.
Percy Harvin
Perhaps because he, too, missed a significant portion of training camp, Harvin looked out of whack in the opener. Playing more on the outside, as opposed to strictly in the slot, Harvin struggled to form a connection with Favre, and the two misfired on several plays that could have gone for big yardage. Unoffically, Harvin was targeted on 5 different occasions and only caught 1 of them. With another week of practice under their belts, I fully expect to see Harvin emerge as Favre’s go-to WR in Week 2. Only 5 teams allowed more than the 18 WR TDs surrendered by the Dolphins secondary in 2009, and they did nothing to upgrade the unit during the offseason (outside of acquiring nickel CB Benny Sapp from the Vikings). Look for a nice bounceback from Harvin this week, who remains an excellent fantasy WR2 option.
Bernard Berrian
Berrian didn’t exactly step up in the absence of Sidney Rice in Week 1, but I’m willing to give him the same benefit of the doubt as Favre and Harvin. It was probably unfair to ask Berrian to completely replace everything Rice did for this team in 2009 anyways, as the two players have completely different skillsets. Berrian’s at his best when stretching the defense deep downfield, and assuming the Dolphins don’t throw an aggressive blitz package at Favre this week, he should have time to do just that in Week 2. Don’t overlook the fact that the Saints also employ two of the best cover CB in the business – something the ‘Fins certainly can’t boast in Vontae Davis and Jason Allen. Berrian has unquestionably plummeted back to Earth from a fantasy perspective, but owners who stick by him as a flex option this week could be rewarded with a long TD in a bounceback effort.
Greg Camarillo
Camarillo barely saw the field in Week 1 and has admitted he’s still getting acclimated to his new offense. He’ll have a little extra motivation this week against his former teammates, but everything depends on how fast he can pick up the offense. In limited duty last week, Camarillo looked like he’ll eventually be an asset to this passing game, but it’s still too soon to considering using him in your fantasy lineup.
Visanthe Shiancoe
Outside of Peterson running wild in the 1st half last week, Shiancoe was the only other bright spot during the loss to the Saints. With 4 catches for 76 yards and the lone Vikings TD, Shiancoe was the only thing going for the sputtering passing offense… until he was shut down by Saints safety Roman Harper in the 2nd half. You can fully expect the Dolphins to key on stopping Shiancoe, but as long as Harvin and Berrian are contributing, I’m not confident a defense that allowed 3 different 100-yard games to opposing TEs a year ago can actually accomplish the task. Miami’s starting FS is a raw 2009 5th round draft pick, and SS Yeremiah Bell is better as a run-stopper than he is in coverage. Shiancoe is easily Favre’s most dependable target right now, and he looks like a top-5 fantasy TE for the remainder of the season.
Ryan Longwell
The Dolphins “led” the league in both field goals made against them last year and allowed the 2nd most points to opposing kickers. Longwell should be in your lineup, no questions asked.
Vikings Defense
The addition of Brandon Marshall didn’t make a significant impact for the Dolphins last week, who dinked and dunked their way to just 182 passing yards against the Bills. Miami’s strength is in the running game with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, but the Vikings are among the stingiest run defenses in the NFL – particularly at home. Marshall has a clear advantage in size over the Vikings CBs, but a little pressure on Chad Henne should negate most of that advantage. Henne isn’t asked to air it out on a regular basis, so it seems unlikely that Miami will be able to put up a lot of points in this one. The Dolphins do feature one of the best offensive lines in the game, but they allowed roughly 2 sacks per game and served up 19 interceptions in 2009, so there’s potential for plenty of defensive fantasy points here.
Brett Favre
Favre was unquestionably rusty in Week 1, completing just 15-of-27 pass attempts for 171 yards and 1 TD against a Saints defense that surprisingly didn’t blitz him like they had in the NFC Championship Game. It’ll be interesting to see how the Dolphins – another team that features a 3-4 defensive alignment – approaches things in Week 2. Miami fielded the 3rd worst defense in the NFL last year in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing QBs, although that’s in part because they surrendered a league-high 5 QB rushing TDs. But they managed to hold only 4 opposing QBs under 225 passing yards and allowed 10 passing TDs in their final 5 games of last year. They held Trent Edwards to 139 yards and 1 TD a week ago, but you and 10 of your friends could probably do the same, so I’m not putting much stock in that. Dolphins rookie DE Jared Odrick won’t play because of a leg injury, and as long as the Vikings can contain ILB Karlos Dansby, Favre should have plenty of time to pick apart a very vulnerable secondary. Favre recorded 288 passing yards per game and an absurd 21-2 TD-INT ratio in regular season home games last year, so I like his chances in this one.
Adrian Peterson
Peterson ran hard and gained 4.6 yards per carry before the offense bogged down in last week’s 2nd half, and you can bet he’ll get more than just 19 attempts this week against the Fish. Miami trotted out a mediocre run defense that yielded 11 RB rushing scores and just under 100 rushing yards per game last year. They added a star at LB in Dansby, but their other starting ILB, Channing Crowder, has a mysterious groin injury that could end his season, and they’ll miss Odrick up front, where they feature 3 new starting lineman who all lack experience. The Vikings offensive line should have a clear advantage in the battle of the trenches. In a matchup of Peterson vs. anything described as “mediocre,” you have to give a huge advantage to Peterson. With closer to 30 carries in Week 2, AP should wind up with a stat line more like what you’d expect from your #1 or #2 overall fantasy pick.
Percy Harvin
Perhaps because he, too, missed a significant portion of training camp, Harvin looked out of whack in the opener. Playing more on the outside, as opposed to strictly in the slot, Harvin struggled to form a connection with Favre, and the two misfired on several plays that could have gone for big yardage. Unoffically, Harvin was targeted on 5 different occasions and only caught 1 of them. With another week of practice under their belts, I fully expect to see Harvin emerge as Favre’s go-to WR in Week 2. Only 5 teams allowed more than the 18 WR TDs surrendered by the Dolphins secondary in 2009, and they did nothing to upgrade the unit during the offseason (outside of acquiring nickel CB Benny Sapp from the Vikings). Look for a nice bounceback from Harvin this week, who remains an excellent fantasy WR2 option.
Bernard Berrian
Berrian didn’t exactly step up in the absence of Sidney Rice in Week 1, but I’m willing to give him the same benefit of the doubt as Favre and Harvin. It was probably unfair to ask Berrian to completely replace everything Rice did for this team in 2009 anyways, as the two players have completely different skillsets. Berrian’s at his best when stretching the defense deep downfield, and assuming the Dolphins don’t throw an aggressive blitz package at Favre this week, he should have time to do just that in Week 2. Don’t overlook the fact that the Saints also employ two of the best cover CB in the business – something the ‘Fins certainly can’t boast in Vontae Davis and Jason Allen. Berrian has unquestionably plummeted back to Earth from a fantasy perspective, but owners who stick by him as a flex option this week could be rewarded with a long TD in a bounceback effort.
Greg Camarillo
Camarillo barely saw the field in Week 1 and has admitted he’s still getting acclimated to his new offense. He’ll have a little extra motivation this week against his former teammates, but everything depends on how fast he can pick up the offense. In limited duty last week, Camarillo looked like he’ll eventually be an asset to this passing game, but it’s still too soon to considering using him in your fantasy lineup.
Visanthe Shiancoe
Outside of Peterson running wild in the 1st half last week, Shiancoe was the only other bright spot during the loss to the Saints. With 4 catches for 76 yards and the lone Vikings TD, Shiancoe was the only thing going for the sputtering passing offense… until he was shut down by Saints safety Roman Harper in the 2nd half. You can fully expect the Dolphins to key on stopping Shiancoe, but as long as Harvin and Berrian are contributing, I’m not confident a defense that allowed 3 different 100-yard games to opposing TEs a year ago can actually accomplish the task. Miami’s starting FS is a raw 2009 5th round draft pick, and SS Yeremiah Bell is better as a run-stopper than he is in coverage. Shiancoe is easily Favre’s most dependable target right now, and he looks like a top-5 fantasy TE for the remainder of the season.
Ryan Longwell
The Dolphins “led” the league in both field goals made against them last year and allowed the 2nd most points to opposing kickers. Longwell should be in your lineup, no questions asked.
Vikings Defense
The addition of Brandon Marshall didn’t make a significant impact for the Dolphins last week, who dinked and dunked their way to just 182 passing yards against the Bills. Miami’s strength is in the running game with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, but the Vikings are among the stingiest run defenses in the NFL – particularly at home. Marshall has a clear advantage in size over the Vikings CBs, but a little pressure on Chad Henne should negate most of that advantage. Henne isn’t asked to air it out on a regular basis, so it seems unlikely that Miami will be able to put up a lot of points in this one. The Dolphins do feature one of the best offensive lines in the game, but they allowed roughly 2 sacks per game and served up 19 interceptions in 2009, so there’s potential for plenty of defensive fantasy points here.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Frazier’s Focus: Stopping The Run
 |
| Frazier Looking To Neutralize The Run Sunday Vs Dolphins |
Throughout his 5-year NFL career, WR Brandon Marshall has developed into an elite WR capable of changing games and deserving of special attention from opposing defenses. His ability to dominate the competition manifests itself in his imposing size (6-4, 230 pound) and far above-average speed.
The Miami Dolphins, perceived as a run-happy offense, stepped out of the box a bit this past offseason to acquire Marshall in a move designed to bolster the aerial attack, which is led by 2nd-year starter Chad Henne. But there’s a funny thing about the Dolphins acquisition of Marshall; it might actually aide Miami’s run game as much as it improves the passing attack.
“Yeah, he will probably open up the run game even more,” Vikings assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said on Thursday. “It’s hard to play a lot of single coverage now with Brandon Marshall out there. He is a prolific receiver, well accomplished and he’s been to some Pro Bowls so you have to pay attention to him. It will be a challenge for our corners and we’ll have to rise to the occasion. He’s an outstanding receiver and he’ll probably help their run game.
Injuries to Chris Cook and Cedric Griffin along with a trade that sent Benny Sapp to Miami have left the Vikings a bit thin at CB in the early part of the 2010 season. But the Vikings secondary, including 2nd-year CB Asher Allen and 9-year veteran Lito Sheppard, stepped up to play well against the New Orleans Saints pass-happy attack last weekend. Based on the fact that Frazier’s defense held Drew Brees and Co. in check fairly well, it’s reasonable to think Allen, Sheppard and Winfield can do the same to Miami’s air attack.
With all of that said, Sunday’s contest between the Vikings and Dolphins will still come down to the ground game. Even with Marshall in the fold, Miami will try to establish the run first, through both traditional methods and also via the Wildcat offense. Regardless of what formation the Dolphins use to run the ball, they will employ a tandem of talented RBs to try and get the job done – Ronnie Brown and Rickey Williams.
“They are very good backs,” Frazier acknowledged. “Their offensive line does a very good job as well and they present a lot of problems for defensives the way they can run the ball. It will be a big challenge for our run defense. We will have to stand tall in this ball game in order for our team to be successful.”
The Saints ability to pick up key yardage on the ground last week led to their season-opening victory over the Vikings. It was a rather uncharacteristic development for Frazier’s run defense – giving up yardage late in the game and allowing the opposing team to run out the clock. With the New Orleans game serving as a reminder of how important it is for the Vikings defense to remain stout against the run, Frazier and his guys are looking forward to the challenge that Miami will bring on Sunday.
“We’ve played one game and this game will be a good barometer for us,” Frazier explained. “We need to play well in this ball game against the run, without question. It will tell a lot about our run defense going forward but it’s one game at a time and we need to play [well] from a run defensive standpoint this weekend.”
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Vincent Jackson Possibility Accruing
 |
| Vincent Jackson Possibility Accruing Vincent Jackson in purple makes sense. The Vikings only have 4 receivers on their active roster, their star receiver, Sidney Rice, is out for the foreseeable future with a hip injury, and Percy Harvin showed up on this week’s injury report. It appears that Minnesota’s ailing wide receiver corps could use an upgrade.Having said that, it sounds like Vincent Jackson’s future in Minnesota hinges on an arbitrator’s interpretation of the “roster-exempt” designation the San Diego Charger’s placed on the sixth-year wideout. Vincent Jackson will miss the first three games of the season due to violating the league’s substance abuse policy. The Chargers also punished Jackson for missing the team’s entire offseason by placing him on the “roster-exempt” list. With that designation comes an additional 3 game suspension. However, in a 9:00 a.m. hearing today, the NFL’s player’s union is expected to argue that should Vincent Jackson be traded, that additional three game suspension should not be enforced because Jackson would no longer be a member of the team that handed it down. Should an arbitrator be swayed by the NFLPA’s case for Jackson, it’s looking more and more likely Jackson will be catching passes from someone other than Charger’s quarterback Phillip Rivers. One possible trade partner would be the Minnesota Vikings. Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star Tribune does a nice job of breaking down the likelihood of a trade between the two teams, but writes that it may be difficult to decide on the proper compensation for the 6-foot-5 receiver. Lee Hamilton of XX Sports Radio in San Diego reported that if the suspension is reduced to three games, the Vikings are prepared to make a trade offer. Rumors have been swirling in Minnesota as well, but both teams as well as Jackson’s agent have been quiet on the matter. The arbitrator has 5 days to rule on the case, but it’s possible Jackson’s fate will be decided by the weekend. Whether or not Vincent Jackson is catching Brett Favre’s passes remains to be seen. |
Dolphins Secondary Braces For Brett Favre
Dolphins Secondary Braces For Favre
At one time, Brett Favre throwing against Vontae Davis would have been a laughable mismatch.
``I was probably a baby in diapers when he was first in the league,'' Davis said.
It's true: Davis was 3 when Favre made his NFL debut in 1991. Now, Davis is a second-year cornerback for the Miami Dolphins and part of a revamped secondary bracing to face Favre and the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
The pass defense was solid in a season-opening 15-10 win at Buffalo. Miami allowed only 116 yards through the air and had three sacks.
But that was against Trent Edwards, who has 25 career touchdown passes. Favre has an NFL record 498.
Favre also has started 286 games, compared with 70 for Miami's four starting defensive backs combined.
``It's a test for us,'' Davis said. ``We get to see where we're at when we go against Brett Favre.''
Where they're at is in transition. Davis and veteran strong safety Yeremiah Bell are holdover starters, but free safety Chris Clemons and cornerback Jason Allen won jobs in training camp, and Benny Sapp is the new nickel back after being acquired last month in a trade with the Vikings.
The secondary needed a shake-up after allowing 14 touchdown passes of 20 yards or more last year, second-most in the NFL. Early returns on the changes are favorable, with Miami 1-0 for the first time since 2005.
Minnesota is 0-1, and Favre is eager to get the offense in gear after throwing for only 171 yards in a 14-9 loss at New Orleans. After wavering on retirement, he joined the Vikings only four weeks ago, and rust showed.
``There's no doubt we have to get on the same page,'' Favre said, ``and we have to do it in a hurry.''
While cohesion might yet surface as an issue in the Dolphins' secondary, they had only one glaring defensive lapse at Buffalo - a blown assignment on fourth and 11 that resulted in a 31-yard scoring pass. Otherwise the Dolphins smothered the Bills' receivers.
``We played great as a whole,'' Clemons said. ``Everybody was getting to the ball.''
Open-field tackling was much improved over a year ago, and the Dolphins broke up seven passes. When Allen dropped a potential interception with only the end zone in front of him, he returned to the huddle grinning.
``That's all he could do, was laugh,'' Davis said. ``We joked around. We were having fun.''
Allen, a first-round pick in 2006, took a big step in shedding his label as a draft bust. He helped hold the Bills' Lee Evans to 34 receiving yards, playing so well that Sean Smith, who started all 16 games as a rookie in 2009, never got on the field.
``I probably should have played Sean,'' coach Tony Sparano said. ``The way it was going, we just didn't feel like it would be a good idea to mess around with that.''
Clemons, a fifth-round draft pick in 2009, was all over the field. He made one eye-popping tackle, blitzing from the left side and racing to the other sideline to chase down C.J. Spiller for a 1-yard loss.
``As good a play as I've seen,'' Sparano said.
``Chris was flying everywhere,'' Davis said. ``There were times I didn't even know where he came from.''
The front seven applied effective pressure, although the Dolphins did allow Edwards to scramble to the outside several times. That's a no-no against Favre.
``Those things, when you play against a guy like this, they'll kill you,'' Sparano said. ``He can take those plays and turn them into touchdowns, and everybody has seen him do it time and time again.''
Otherwise, the biggest knock on the Dolphins' defense is that the unit came up with no turnovers in the opener. That was a problem last year, when Miami's 21 takeaways were the fifth-fewest in the league.
Favre threw only seven interceptions in 531 passes last season, and it will be tough to wrest the ball from him. Still, the Dolphins' DBs look forward to the challenge.
``Him being 40 years old - that's like me playing against my father,'' Davis said. ``I would never have thought when I was watching Brett Favre at Green Bay that I would be lining up across from him. That's like a dream.
``It's also a dream to grab an interception from him.''
``I was probably a baby in diapers when he was first in the league,'' Davis said.
It's true: Davis was 3 when Favre made his NFL debut in 1991. Now, Davis is a second-year cornerback for the Miami Dolphins and part of a revamped secondary bracing to face Favre and the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
The pass defense was solid in a season-opening 15-10 win at Buffalo. Miami allowed only 116 yards through the air and had three sacks.
But that was against Trent Edwards, who has 25 career touchdown passes. Favre has an NFL record 498.
Favre also has started 286 games, compared with 70 for Miami's four starting defensive backs combined.
``It's a test for us,'' Davis said. ``We get to see where we're at when we go against Brett Favre.''
Where they're at is in transition. Davis and veteran strong safety Yeremiah Bell are holdover starters, but free safety Chris Clemons and cornerback Jason Allen won jobs in training camp, and Benny Sapp is the new nickel back after being acquired last month in a trade with the Vikings.
The secondary needed a shake-up after allowing 14 touchdown passes of 20 yards or more last year, second-most in the NFL. Early returns on the changes are favorable, with Miami 1-0 for the first time since 2005.
Minnesota is 0-1, and Favre is eager to get the offense in gear after throwing for only 171 yards in a 14-9 loss at New Orleans. After wavering on retirement, he joined the Vikings only four weeks ago, and rust showed.
``There's no doubt we have to get on the same page,'' Favre said, ``and we have to do it in a hurry.''
While cohesion might yet surface as an issue in the Dolphins' secondary, they had only one glaring defensive lapse at Buffalo - a blown assignment on fourth and 11 that resulted in a 31-yard scoring pass. Otherwise the Dolphins smothered the Bills' receivers.
``We played great as a whole,'' Clemons said. ``Everybody was getting to the ball.''
Open-field tackling was much improved over a year ago, and the Dolphins broke up seven passes. When Allen dropped a potential interception with only the end zone in front of him, he returned to the huddle grinning.
``That's all he could do, was laugh,'' Davis said. ``We joked around. We were having fun.''
Allen, a first-round pick in 2006, took a big step in shedding his label as a draft bust. He helped hold the Bills' Lee Evans to 34 receiving yards, playing so well that Sean Smith, who started all 16 games as a rookie in 2009, never got on the field.
``I probably should have played Sean,'' coach Tony Sparano said. ``The way it was going, we just didn't feel like it would be a good idea to mess around with that.''
Clemons, a fifth-round draft pick in 2009, was all over the field. He made one eye-popping tackle, blitzing from the left side and racing to the other sideline to chase down C.J. Spiller for a 1-yard loss.
``As good a play as I've seen,'' Sparano said.
``Chris was flying everywhere,'' Davis said. ``There were times I didn't even know where he came from.''
The front seven applied effective pressure, although the Dolphins did allow Edwards to scramble to the outside several times. That's a no-no against Favre.
``Those things, when you play against a guy like this, they'll kill you,'' Sparano said. ``He can take those plays and turn them into touchdowns, and everybody has seen him do it time and time again.''
Otherwise, the biggest knock on the Dolphins' defense is that the unit came up with no turnovers in the opener. That was a problem last year, when Miami's 21 takeaways were the fifth-fewest in the league.
Favre threw only seven interceptions in 531 passes last season, and it will be tough to wrest the ball from him. Still, the Dolphins' DBs look forward to the challenge.
``Him being 40 years old - that's like me playing against my father,'' Davis said. ``I would never have thought when I was watching Brett Favre at Green Bay that I would be lining up across from him. That's like a dream.
``It's also a dream to grab an interception from him.''
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Sidney Rice's Hip Is Improving, But When We Returns To The Vikings Is Still Uncertain
Sidney Rice's hip is improving, but when he returns to the Vikings is still uncertain
 |
| Sidney Rice Will Miss The First 6 Games Of The Season |
While Childress was offensive coordinator there.
Asked about his comfort level with receivers Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin, Greg Camarillo and Greg Lewis, Childress said he's "completely comfortable."
Injury update: Left tackle Bryant McKinnie says the dislocated finger he suffered against the Saints is fine and he will play this week. The gory photographs of his treatment that he posted on his Twitter account last weekend were not for the squeamish.
McKinnie was injured early in the fourth quarter against New Orleans. He said he would have been able to return, but the Vikings never got the ball back.
Baby steps: Though his knee is feeling "strong" after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in late January, cornerback Cedric Griffin says he's not rushing his return.
The Vikings considered playing Griffin against the Saints but ultimately placed him on the inactive list.
"This is something I'm doing for my career, more than just the first game or second game," Griffin said. "I'm looking out for my interests as well. We're taking our time."
Last year's starter said the process is day to day, and he believes he will play "whenever the coaches feel I'm good and whenever I go express my feelings (that I'm ready)."
Quote of note: "If you go to the ground, you have to come up with the football. Period." — Childress, on Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson's apparent touchdown catch with 24 seconds left at Chicago on Sunday that was ruled incomplete despite clear possession of the ball. Johnson left the ball on the ground as he popped up, giving the Bears a 19-14 victory.
Brian Murphy contributed to this report.
 |
| Toby Gerhart Minnesota vikings 3rd Down Back |
A week after arthroscopic hip surgery, Vikings wide receiver Sidney Rice has been placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list.
This means Rice will miss the first six games of the season, after which the team will have three weeks to activate him for practices or place him on injured reserve. The latter would risk losing Rice for the entire year.
Coach Brad Childress said last week he expected at least eight weeks before realistic discussions of Rice's return.
Rice said on Twitter that he would return to the Vikings' Winter Park facility on Monday.
Rice's move to PUP came in light of the Vikings' efforts to trim the roster to 75 players for Tuesday's deadline.
The team waived tackle Bill Noethlich, receiver Marko Mitchell and linebacker J Leman. The Vikings have to cut to 53 players by Saturday.
Injury update: Running back Toby Gerhart, a second-round pick out of Stanford, returned to practice after missing Monday because of a knee injury.
Also missing in action were cornerback Chris Cook (knee), center John Sullivan (calf), defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy, wide receiver Logan Payne, safety Jamarca Sanford and tight end Garrett Mills.
Percy Harvin strolled into practice a couple of minutes late. At this point, his everyday attendance is a victory for the Vikings after he missed most of the preseason with migraine headaches.
'Big game' for Webb: Rookie quarterback Joe Webb said he's confident in his place
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)