NYG@MIN Recap

The Vikings were deal unkind circumstances early Sunday morning when buildup from snowfall caused the roof of the Metrodome to collapse. The game against the New York Giants was moved to Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions. Brett Favre's streak of consecutive games started came to an end due to injury, leaving Tarvaris Jackson thrust into the primary role against an intimidating Giants defensive unit. The Vikings were befuddled by the Giants defense, unable to build any kind of momentum, and in the end the Giants won 21-3.

One can easily guess the Vikings offense had a poor day when they notice running back Adrian Peterson had only 26 yards on the ground. Peterson has been the foundation on which any Vikings offensive success is built, and he was not able to carry the team on Monday. However, Peterson's trouble was certainly not a reflection on his ability, as the Giants were able to stack the box against a quarterback that has struggled in most of the opportunities the Vikings have given him. The pass rush of the Giants dominated the evening. Tarvaris' mobility, something usual starter Brett Favre lacked, gave him no advantage, as he was often left holding the ball too long after finding no open receivers. The absence of burner Percy Harvin didn't help matters, leaving Jackson with Sidney Rice, Visanthe Shiancoe and a group of below-average receivers. The offensive line can't really be blamed for the offensive performance, as they were protecting a QB who was in his first start of the year against one of the premier defenses in the NFL. The Vikings were given plenty of chances early in the game, thanks to early Eli Manning interceptions, but were unable to do much with them. The defenders of New York made sure of that.

Running backs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw tore throw the Vikings, each amassing over 100 yards and a touchdown. Jacobs got most of his yards on a powerful 73-yard run, while Bradshaw had a 48-yard scamper of his own, a touchdown making the score 21-3 and all but sealing the Vikings fate. New York quarterback Eli Manning started out slow with two interceptions but eventually settled into a rhythm, connecting with tight end Kevin Boss on a 6-yard touchdown pass right before the half expired. Hakeem Nicks was Manning's favorite target Monday, racking up 96 yards on 7 receptions. On the Vikings' side, Kevin Williams and Jared Allen had nice games. Williams made several great tackles for loss in the Giants backfield, and Allen continued his sack streak, making it six games in row in which he has gotten to the quarterback. Nonetheless, the rest of the Vikings defenders were able to corral the backs of the Giants, and New York's ability to build a lead allowed their pass rush to pin their ears back against a vulnerable Vikings offense.

The Giants simply looked like the better team Monday night. Both teams dealt with travel issues over the weekend, and it appears the Giants handled it better. The postseason is out of the picture for the Vikings now, and with the next two games against strong playoff contenders it looks like they may have problems even reaching .500 before the end of the season.

BUF@MIN Recap

Coming off a close victory at Washington the Vikings were focused on beating the Buffalo Bills and making some sort of run towards the end of the 2010 season. Although the playoffs remain highly improbable, the team from Minnesota looked completely different against the Redskins- a motivated team with something still to play for. The momentum of interim head coach Leslie Frazier's first win carried onto Sunday as the mostly Favre-less Vikings destroyed the Bills by a tally of 38-14.

Quarterback Brett Favre injured his shoulder three plays into the game, leaving Tarvaris Jackson as the man to lead the Vikings to victory and for the most part, he was. Jackson was efficient on the day, completing 15 of 22 passes and throwing for 187 yards. Although he threw three interceptions on the day only one of them had a real impact on the contest, as the other two came long after the Vikings had amassed a sizable lead. The athleticism and scrambling ability of Jackson gave the offense a new advantage, areas where Favre usually found himself in trouble when defenders were near him. The Buffalo Bill's record aside, Jackson showed that he could be more than serviceable in the event the teams 41-year-old quarterback is in the locker room or on the sideline. Receiver Sidney Rice had his first big game of the season, catching five passes for 105 yards and scoring twice. It's ironic Rice broke out with Jackson at quarterback, since Rice was Favre's favorite target most of last season. Running back Adrian Peterson started the game amid injury concerns and enjoyed one of his trademark performances, carrying the ball 16 times for 107 yards and three touchdowns. The ankle he hurt last week seemed to have no effect on Peterson, who ran around, ran past and ran through Buffalo defenders all game long. Even Peterson's backup Toby Gerhart had a nice day against the worst rush defense in the league, getting 54 yards of his own. The Bills defense looked completely helpless against the Vikings, even with the much-maligned Jackson at quarterback. Tarvaris' performance had to have given the coaching staff going into another week of "will he play?" Brett Favre hoopla.

Buffalo's offense appeared equally as outmatched as it's defensive counterpart, and it could manage not a single point against a Vikings defense that was feeling even better about itself after a strong showing against the Redskins. Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who had played quite well in the two games before this one, was held under 200 yards and picked off once. Vikings defensive end Jared Allen had a sack for the fifth game in the row, and the rest of the defensive line made sure Fitzpatrick could not get comfortable in the pocket. The running game for the Bills had a little more success, with Fred Jackson rushing for 42 yards and rookie C.J. Spiller racking up 35 yards on only 7 carries. The passing and running game were not the biggest issues for the Bills- the fumbles were what kept them from having any chance against the Vikings. The Bills lost the ball four times on the day, and Fitzpatrick accounted for two of those. The Vikings, a team close to the bottom of the league in the turnover department, had a rare eye for the ball Sunday afternoon and it gave them everything thing they needed to win and bring their record to 5-7.

The New York Giants come to the Metrodome this week, a rematch of a game last year the Vikings won, 44-7. While the starter at quarterback for the Vikings is still unknown, the Vikings should have little less anxiety if their grey-bearded leader is unable to suit up.

MIN-WAS Recap

Sunday was interim head coach Leslie Frazier's debut, and the Minnesota Vikings did their best to bring their new leader a win in his first game against the Washington Redskins. It was a rough, sloppy game with injuries and miscues a plenty, including a 77-yard punt return by Brandon Banks of the Redskins returned for a touchdown that was eventually called back because of a penalty. The Vikings made fewer mistakes, however, and left Washington D.C. with a 17-13 victory for the new coach.

The difference in post-Childress play-calling was quite a noticeable one. Darrell Bevell finally had his opportunity to call the shots on offense, as previous head coach Brad Childress decided which plays to run even though Bevell was the offensive coordinator. The Vikings experimented with play action and bootlegs Sunday, and even used receiver Percy Harvin in the backfield on some occasions. Quarterback Brett Favre had an efficient day, although he struggled to get the ball to his receivers a few times. Sidney Rice was targeted four times on the day but only caught one ball for 20 yards. Despite his somewhat sporadic passing production, Favre all but sealed the victory himself in the fourth quarter. Faced with a 3rd and 8, Favre his used his legs on a bootleg call to run for the first down. Running back Adrian Peterson was running wild on the Redskins before an ankle injury in the second quarter sidelined him for the rest of the afternoon. Backup Toby Gerhart assuaged the fears of Vikings and fantasy football fans alike, producing 76 yards and a touchdown of his own while the team's superstar was out of the game. Gerhart's longest run was only 6 yards, but he chipped away at the Redskins defense all game long and managed a respectable 3.5 yards-per-carry. Despite only putting up 299 yards, the Vikings offense looked vastly improved compared to previous games this season. Most importantly, Toby Gerhart proved to an extent that he could carry the load for the team when it's franchise player happens to be out of commission.

Washington quarterback Donavan McNabb, who usually finds success against the Vikings defense, was the unfortunate victim of dropped passes and an inferior offensive line Sunday afternoon. The Vikings pass rush was in his hair from the first snap and sacked the former Philadelphia Eagle four times. Jared Allen had one of those sacks and three tackles for loss, continuing his streak of recent remarkable play since only compiling one sack in the first seven games. Under normal circumstances McNabb should have been able to tear apart the Vikings defense as he has in the past, but the pressure remained on him for the duration of the game. The coverage had some of it's normal troubles in the middle of the field, but for the most part the pass rush was able to cover up most of the problems. Redskins tight end Chris Cooley found some holes in the middle of the field but was still held under 50 yards. McNabb only completed one pass over 20 yards on the afternoon, a 45-yard bomb to receiver Anthony Armstrong. Meanwhile, the running game for the Redskins was non-exist, totaling 29 yards between four different rushers. Part of this may have been due to McNabb and the Redskins' expectation that they would be able to throw at will on the Vikings, but even the home team themselves would not let this happen. Redskin receivers dropped several of McNabb's passes, including a third quarter throw that traveled from the gloves of Santana Moss into linebacker E.J. Henderson's possession for McNabb's only interception of the day. Regardless of the mistakes by the receivers, the Vikings came into the game knowing the Redskins were going to focus on passing the ball, and for one of the few times this season the pass rush and the defense in general was a strength rather than a liability.

Even after his only game of the season Leslie Frazier appears to be a figure the Vikings will rally around. Whether or not some of the Vikings quit on Childress will never be known, but this coaching change seems to have effected the team for the positive and if this win turns into two, three or even four wins, Frazier may be looked at as a serious candidate for the official head coach position. Before that talk begins, the Vikings must first beat the Buffalo Bills this Sunday, a club that has won the last two times these times have met.

GB@MIN Recap

It didn't get any bigger than this. In order to save their season and their head coach's job, the Vikings had to defeat the Green Bay Packers Sunday at the Metrodome. Quarterback Brett Favre had his favorite target from last season, Sidney Rice, back and was looking to find some holes in a Packer defense that has faced its share of injuries this season. However, it was Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers who took advantage of his opposing defense and ended up single-handedly destroying the Vikings, leading to a 31-3 Packers victory.

The Vikings have lived and died by Brett Favre this season, and on Sunday the quarterback took the team right down with him. As he has all season, Favre gave a fantastic effort, but most of his throws were wild and inaccurate. He targeted Rice 10 times, but was able to complete a pass to him only three of those times. This year it has seemed as if Favre is hesitant or even scared to throw the ball deep down the field, and this trend didn't change even with the addition of the best true wide receiver on the team. Favre's interception in the second quarter gave the Packers all the moment they needed in order to score the biggest touchdown of the contest, a pass to receiver James Jones. Running back Adrian Peterson had a nice day with 72 yards but did not have a noticeable impact for most of the game, as the Vikings were trailing by a large deficit at halftime. The offensive line had their hands full with the Packers pass rush, allowing seven hits on Favre and one sack by star Clay Matthews. Had the Vikings defense been able to show any ability to stop Aaron Rodgers the results would likely have been different, but they were playing from behind for most of the game, shifting their game plan from the running game, something that has been quite successful for them this season to throwing the ball, which has usually harmed rather than helped Minnesota.

Aaron Rodgers was able to do anything he wanted Sunday. Part of this was due to the inexperience of cornerbacks Asher Allen and Chris Cook, both of whom were exposed on touchdown passes. Rodgers had little trouble getting the ball to receiver Greg Jennings regardless of who the Vikings decided to assign to him, and the two connected for three touchdown passes. The defensive line tallied three sacks on the day, so it's hard to put the blame of Rodger's big day on the unit. It really comes down to the lack of skill in the Vikings secondary and the missed opportunities. Rodgers threw a ball right at safety Husain Abdullah only to have it go right through his hands. A few plays later the Packers took the lead for good on an 11-yard touchdown to Jennings, who easily evaded the coverage by Abdullah. Sunday was the first game one could notice the absence of cornerback Cedric Griffin. Starter Antoine Winfield has had a fine season, but the Vikings have struggled between Allen, Cook and veteran Lito Sheppard to find someone to cover the better receivers of the league. The at-times invisible defensive line has not helped, but the Vikings can't help but wonder how much stronger their secondary would have been with one of their more skilled players in the lineup.

Sunday's loss against the Packers was one of the most embarrassing in recent memory and the final nail in the coffin for coach Brad Childress. It was common opinion that most of the Vikings players had soured on Childress and were playing for the team instead of their coach. The rather cold and succinct Childress had never seemed like a real "player's coach", as there had been plenty of controversial moments between him and the Vikings players. It is almost assured that quarterback Brett Favre did not have confidence in Childress' ability to run this team, and there was always a question of who the real leader of the Vikings was. Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier takes over as head coach of the team and will hope to reinvigorate his players the same way Dallas Cowboy interim coach Jason Garrett has. The 3-7 Vikings travel to Washington Sunday to face the Redskins.

MIN@CHI Recap

The Vikings headed into Soldier Field Sunday with feeling extremely confident after overcoming a two touchdown deficit and defeating the Arizona Cardinals in overtime. A win over the Bears would have kept the Vikings a player in the NFC North and still in the hunt for a playoff spot, despite multiple heart-wrenching losses early in the season. Instead, mistakes reigned and turnovers conquered the Vikings as the Bears handled Minnesota by a score of 27-13.

Although quarterback Brett Favre accounted for four turnovers, he was really only responsible for one of them- a fumble towards the end of the end of the second half. Receivers fell down on two of his throws, leading to two interceptions at crucial times in the fourth quarter. Receivers Sidney Rice and Bernard Berrian were inactive for the game, leaving Favre to rely heavily on Percy Harvin, Visanthe Shiancoe and a who's who of mediocre pass-catchers. Like he has all season, Favre put everything he had on the field, throwing for 170 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions that for the most part weren't his fault. Peterson's inability to get anything started in the run game made things more difficult for Favre, who already had to deal with an offensive line blocking against a talented defensive line. Peterson struggled all day, with his play of the day being a 20-yard run. He ended the day with 51 yards on 17 carries. Peterson's backup Toby Gerhart had a much better afternoon, averaging 5 yards-a-carry and catching two passes out of the backfield for 17 yards. Much was expected out of the rookie from Stanford this season, and although he had 20 total rushing yards he made several positive plays on a day the team's superstar could rarely make it past the line of scrimmage. More often then not the Vikings are successful when Peterson is successful, and had Peterson been able to find some holes in the offensive line the results would likely have been much different. The turnovers in the fourth quarter didn't help, either.

The Vikings defense could not control Jay Cutler and the Bears offense for the majority of the day. Bears play-makers Johnny Knox, Devin Hester and Greg Olsen were impossible to cover for the Vikings. Olsen, the team's tight end, had a touchdown reception called back in the second quarter only to find end zone success on the very next play. The Vikings defensive line went back to its dormant state after finally waking up in the fourth quarter of last week's game against Arizona. Jared Allen did have a sack, but more was expected from the pass rush against a less-than-stellar Chicago offensive line. Although the defense forced him out of the pocket several times, Cutler was able to able to escape what should have been easy sacks and gathered 24 yards on the ground with his runs. The Vikings tried blitzing, but that only left Cutler with fewer defenders covering, or trying to cover, his suddenly Pro Bowl targets. He was able to find any opening he wanted down the field and connected with three different receivers for touchdowns. One bright spot for the Vikings pass defense was the play of safety Husain Abdullah. Abdullah, who has started every game this year, had two interceptions Sunday to go with six tackles and two pass deflections. The safeties have really struggled this year for the Vikings, but Abdullah worked his role extremely well. The run defense did a better job but still gave up more than 100 yards. However, 24 of them came when Cutler decided to leave the pocket and scramble. Running backs Matt Forte and Chester Taylor each averaged under four yards a carry, and neither were able to find the end zone. At the end of the day, it was the inability for the Vikings to get to Jay Cutler that cost them this ball game. His short, quick throws went untouched throw Vikings coverage, allowing the Bears to convert an unacceptable 11 of 19 third downs, while Minnesota was a mere 1 for 9 in opportunities.

Another week, another chance blown to put themselves back into playoff relevancy. It is quite safe to say that if the Vikings will be playing for pride the rest of the season if they don't win at home next Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. It doesn't look like the Vikes are going to fix this "how to get to that sneaky quarterback" puzzle anytime soon, so it looks like skilled Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers will have another big day on a defense that has an underwhelming 13 total sacks on the season. The Vikings offense will have to keep the pace against a defense led by Clay Matthews, who has been a terror off the edge this season. The Packers passing attack in addition to Matthews rushing does not bode well for a lackluster pair of lines for the Minnesota Vikings. Don't hold your breath.

ARI@MIN Recap

Head coach Brad Childress' job was on the line Sunday as two struggling teams, the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals, faced each other in an afternoon contest. The Vikings wanted to take out their frustrations after two close, extremely disappointing losses to the Packers and Patriots, respectively, while the Cardinals were trying to stay afloat in an NFC West division they were slowly falling behind in. In what has to be the signature win of the season so far, the Vikings erased a 10-24 deficit within four minutes to send the game into overtime, where kicker Ryan Longwell nailed a clinching 35-yard field goal.

The Vikings offense had several long and time-consuming drives Sunday, yet only managed to put up 10 points in the first half against a below-average Cardinals defense. For most of the game it seemed like the Vikings had no trouble getting to the red zone, yet they were unable to capitalize on the opportunities, with drives either ending in turnovers or field goals. Despite an early first quarter interception that was almost taken back for a touchdown, Favre did a nice job managing the Vikings offense in the first half. It didn't seem as if Randy Moss was missed too badly, as Favre connected at least four times with six different receivers. Receiver Percy Harvin and the almost-forgotten Bernard Berrian combined for 18 receptions and 215 yards. Even little-known receiver Greg Camarillo, who the Vikings picked up earlier this season from the Dolphins, had 66 yards and a crucial touchdown-saving tackle of Kerry Rhodes after Favre's interception in the first quarter. The offensive line showed it still has plenty of work to do, letting Favre get sacked three times and allowing nine hits on him. However, even with lackluster protection Favre was able to set his career record in passing yards, with 446. Much of those yards came with under 4:00 to go when the offense finally decided that scoring touchdowns would be the best way to win the football game. The Vikings cut the deficit to a touchdown with a 4-yard Adrian Peterson run, who himself had trouble finding a rhythm during the first three quarters of the game. After holding the Cardinals offense to a three-and-out, the Vikings were on with 2:24 on the clock to try and tie the game. Favre sliced through Cardinals pass defense on the final drive, and with :27 left he magically guided the ball past a defender to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe for a 25-yard touchdown. The Vikings offensive theatrics continued into overtime, where Adrian Peterson started off with a 30-yard blast to the Arizona 39 yard line. Favre followed that up a few plays later with a beautiful 22-yard throw to Berrian. Well within their kicker's range, the Vikings left the rest to Ryan Longwell, who sank the game-winning field goal right down the center of the goal posts.

Much like the offense, the Vikings defense took a little over three quarters of the game to find itself. The Cardinals offense really awoke the beast that was (at least last year) Jared Allen and the defensive line in the last two minutes of the game. Despite being invisible for most of the game, the pass rush squandered Arizona's hopes of a game-winning field goal by sacking quarterback Derek Anderson twice in the last drive of regulation. The defense was not done there, as they sacked Anderson two more times in overtime, forcing a Ben Graham punt to a Vikings offense that had just scored 14 points in under two minutes. End Jared Allen had his first noticeable game of the season, recording 2.5 sacks to go with a tackle for loss and a pass deflection. Opposite end Ray Edwards also contributed two of his own sacks. Needless to say, if the defensive line can play the rest of the season the way it did in the last part of Sunday's game the Vikings will find themselves winning the game coming into the fourth quarter, rather that trailing it, allowing the Jared Allen and the rest of the pass-rushers to pin their ear backs and at least force the opposing quarterback out of the pocket. A menacing defensive line that puts constant pressure on the quarterback will certainly help the Vikings forget about the loss of cornerback Cedric Griffin and the rest of the coverage issues the Vikings secondary has experienced this season.

Whether Sunday's game against the Cardinals was an apparition or the real start of a run, the Vikings have been given something to build on the rest of the season. The end of the game showed that the Vikings have not packed it in yet this season and is still playing hard, regardless of whether or not they believe in their supposed leader Brad Childress. The team travels to Soldier Field next Sunday to face the division rival Chicago Bears, who are 5-3.

MIN@NE Recap

Halloween evening produced quite a haunting Sunday for the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings were looking to bounce back after an extremely disappointing outing against the Green Bay Packers the previous week, and the two teams this week were neck and neck at halftime. While it might not be seen on the stat sheet, quarterback Brett Favre had one of the best games of the season and once again did everything he could to win the game for the team. Despite the offensive success, the Vikings plagued themselves with too many mistakes and miscues on both sides of the ball and the Patriots ended up with 28-18 victory at home.

The Vikings offense had a great day statistically Sunday, amassing 410 total yards of offense against a strong New England defense. Both Favre and running back Adrian Peterson were running the offense smoothly through the first quarter, although they didn't end up scoring a touchdown until the second. The underneath route was Favre's weapon of choice as he spread the ball to eight different targets Sunday, his most common one being speedster Percy Harvin. Harvin had a fantastic night with 104 yards on six catches, but a play he was involved in during the third quarter was a game-changer. The Vikings had the ball at the Patriots 41 yard line after a punt and were looking to take the lead when Favre threw a 15-yard pass to Harvin that was seemingly stolen from the receiver by cornerback Devin McCourty. The Patriots then proceeded to stroll down the field and score on a BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushing touchdown, making it 21-10 in favor of the Pats. However, the Vikings were able to bring the game to within a field goal at 21-18 with a Tarvaris Jackson touchdown dump off to fullback Naufahu Tahi. Favre had been knocked out of the game the previous play on what looked to be a late hit by Patriots defensive lineman Myron Pryor. Favre was only sacked once on the evening but was stil hit by the Patriots defense six times. Although the game was out of hand by the time he was on the field again, Tarvaris did a servicable job trying to bring the Vikings back somehow. For the most part the Vikings offense did it's job Sunday, but the defense was unable to stop quarterback Tom Brady and the rest of the Patriots at the most important times.

The credit for the loss Sunday can go straight to the Minnesota Vikings defense. They played quite well through the first two quarters, but at the end of the day the defense could not make the plays they had to. Safety Madieu Williams had an interception go right through his hands in the second quarter, leading to a 32-yard reception for receiver Brandon Tate. Second-year corner Asher Allen couldn't wrap up Patriots Jack-of-all-trades Danny Woodhead on a vital down third down with less than four minutes remaining in the game. The Vikings defensive did nothing to compensate for these errors and ended the game with a no longer shocking zero quarterback sacks. Brady evaded the rush on several plays and went to dump-offs to alleviate and pressure the linemen tried to put on him. The Vikings needed to make Brady quiver in the pocket in order to have any chance to stop him and the rest of the offense, and they could not do it. The run defense was equally unimpressive. Starting running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis was able to rack up 112 yards on 17 carries to go with two touchdowns. It is quite apparent that the line has lost the swagger and talent it had the last few seasons when it was the premier run-stuffing unit of the league. Age can't be used as an excuse, as the only noticeably old player on the line is nose tackle Pat Williams, who has probably been literally the biggest liability in the run stopping corp. The linebackers didn't do anything to help them Sunday, as it seemed the Patriots runners were covered with Vaseline. It sounds simple: get to the quarterback often, and you will likely win the game. Somehow the Vikings have been stumped time after by this formula, and no variable they've tried using has produced the right answer.

After the toughest stretch of the season the Vikings finally have a break of some degree with the just as underachieving Arizona Cardinals coming to town. If the Vikings win Sunday, and they should, they have a decent chance to make a run with the two games after being against division rivals. However, in order for those games to matter they need to focus on Arizona and win in front of a restless crowd that will probably be calling for the head of its coach Brad Childress at any play stoppage.

MIN @ GB Recap

The games between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers are often the most intense and emotional. Sunday was no different as the Vikings traveled to Lambeau Field in what was probably be quarterback Brett Favre's last trip to his old stomping grounds. Leads changed quickly, with the Packers scoring the first touchdown of the game but the Vikings being the ones ahead at halftime. Everything seemed to go against the Vikes in the second half, from missed calls by the officials to costly interceptions, and the Packers left their home field the victors by a margin of 28-24.

In typical Vikings fashion the offense took its usual first few drives to heat up and finally get on the scoreboard. Favre could not connect with any receiver on the first two possessions, and the pressure from the Packers pass rush was hot on his trail all evening, sacking him only once but putting him on his back six other times. The Vikings quarterback enjoyed more success on the third drive he commanded and was able to hook up with one of his favorite targets from last season, tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. In one of the more ingenious play calls of the season, Favre handed the football off to Harvin at the 17 yard line who then showcased his immense versatility and took it in for his first rushing touchdown of the year. The running game experienced it's best game of the season, amassing 196 yards on the ground. Running back Adrian Peterson accounted for 131 of those yards, carrying the ball 28 times and putting it in the end zone once before halftime. Like I've said before, the Vikings will have a great chance in every game they play if Adrian Peterson can continue to produce as he did Sunday. On the contrary, they will be unable to contend against most legitimate opponents if Brett Favre still throws interceptions at the worst times. The blame of much of these turnovers can be placed on the offensive line, but Favre has the infamous reputation of doing anything it takes to win a game with his arm, and it seems most of the time this year those efforts have ended with picks for the defense. He ended Sunday's game with three of them. Favre took a severe beating from the Packers defense, and there is no doubt he has put his body on the line for this team. However, his gun-slinging, risk-disregarding mentality has more often than not harmed the Vikings rather than benefit them, as seen in the 2009 campaign. Many fans will say the officials beat the team from Minnesota Sunday Night, but in the end turnovers and lack of line protection ended up doing the Vikings in.

The Vikings defense allowed almost 200 yards of offense in the first quarter against the Packers. However, they were eventually able to lock in against quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the offense, ending the game only giving up a total of 379. The pass defense struggled to contain the receivers of the Packers, and the defensive line did not sack Rodgers once. The play of the defensive backs is correlated to a certain degree with the pressure the defensive line can put on, and that theory is certainly applicable to this situation. While end Jared Allen did pull in a rare interception, he still only has one lone sack on the year, something that has left fans in Minnesota concerned. The defensive line looks like they are 10 years older than they actually are, and seemed overwhelmed by even the simplest blocking schemes. Nose tackle Pat Williams definitely looks his age, and has had little to no impact in the pass defense. The loss of defensive back Cedric Griffin for the rest of the season is also something that will effect the defense for the worse. On the bright side, linebacker Chad Greenway had one of the best games of his year with 12 total tackles, and the linebacking corp was able to hold the Packers tight ends to four receptions on the evening. Safety Madieu Williams also pulled in a clutch interception in the end zone. The Vikings defense gave another rock solid performance Sunday, but they are going to need more out of Jared Allen and the rest of the defensive line if they expect to hold any leads for the offense.

The Vikings are going to have to solve the issue at the quarterback position, whatever that means, if they expect to remain relevant in an NFC that is softer than most years. If Favre is injured and these injuries are effecting his game, he needs to come out for at least a few games and mobile backup Tarvaris Jackson should be given a chance to work with the plentiful weapons the offense has. Otherwise, the results in games against opponents like the Packers will be the same: close, nail-biting losses at the hands of their grizzled quarterback and his average offensive line.

DAL @ MIN Recap

Desperation was in the air as the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys faced off Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis. Both teams were 1-3 and looking to avoid falling even farther out of playoff contention. Penalties were the name of the game, and Dallas accrued 11 of them. Despite the early flags, the Cowboys controlled the game until Percy Harvin's 95-yard kickoff return to start the second half gave the Vikings the momentum they needed.

The Vikings produced a mere 188 yards on offense, 126 less than the Cowboys amassed. Quarterback Brett Favre accounted for 118 yards through the air and went through the game without an interception, a rare occurrence this season. However, the offensive line was up to its usual antics, letting the Dallas defense get to Favre three times and giving up many more hits to their QB. The line has yet to really show any kind of stability this year, and the play of the offensive tackles, Phil Loadholt and Bryant McKinnie, appears to have digressed from last season. One reason for the lack of protection may be the absence of starting center John Sullivan, who has not played since Week 3. Even with the below-average performance from the offensive line, running back Adrian Peterson still ran for 73 yards and scored a clutch touchdown in the third quarter. Peterson remains the most consistent weapon on the team, and he has came through every time the Vikings have called his number. Favre did a nice job of managing the game when he was given enough time to find an open receiver. He targeted Moss six times, and the two connected for a total of 55 yards. Favre threw a beautiful ball to Moss in the end zone that was dropped, but it looks like the two are starting to develop a bit of chemistry. Once again, it took awhile for the Vikings offense to find its footing, but they stayed away from the lethal turnovers that haunted them in the previous game against the Jets. The Vikes were able to put the game away with Ryan Longwell's 38-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

The lone blemish in the otherwise fantastic Vikings defensive performance Sunday was the containment wide receiver Roy Williams. Although he only had 28 yards, Williams was able to get free for two Cowboy touchdowns. Cornerback Lito Sheppard struggled all day covering receivers in the red zone and was also responsible for a touchdown pass to rookie Dez Bryant. The defensive line was unable to sack Tony Romo, but they still managed to put six hits on the Dallas quarterback, and the pressure had a definite effect on the passing game. The play of the line and the rest of the pass defense forced Romo to rely on screen passes to running back Felix Jones during the majority of the game. With the exception of his three touchdown passes, Romo never really looked comfortable in the pocket. A pass deflection on one play led to an interception at the hands of linebacker E.J. Henderson, one of his two picks on the day. The running game wasn't much of a factor for Dallas, as no player on the team ran for more than 32 yards. The only exceptions were a few longer scrambles from Romo when he found openings in the line. The Cowboys, usually a pass-happy team, actually tried running the ball 28 times, to no avail. All-in-all, the Vikings defense did a stellar job against the Cowboys Sunday, and this time the offense was finally able to reciprocate the support it was given from its counterpart.

While the scoreboard wasn't nearly as tilted as it was last time these two teams played, the Vikings ended up on top again, thanks in most part to the stellar play of their defensive unit. Nonetheless, the defense will have to step it up again next week when they travel to Lambeau Field, home to one of the more threatening passing attacks in the league. The Vikings will have to hope their once-again decimated secondary will be able to stay with the Packers' skilled receivers in Greg Jennings, Donald Driver and James Jones. If the Vikings defensive line can get past the Packers offensive line, which itself is injury riddled, the passing attack of Green Bay might not as much of a factor which, in combination with the Packers' non-existent running game, could lead to positive results for the team in purple and gold.

Minnesota Timberwolves Season Preview

Needless to say, things for the Minnesota Timberwolves have not gone well ever since superstar and franchise face Kevin Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics at the end of the 2007 season. Frustration was building for the forward after three straight seasons without a playoff appearance, and a trade of some sort had been on the horizon long before it happened. The Wolves traded Garnett for Al Jefferson, a young, talented post player, some draft picks and a few other players who have since moved on from Minnesota. Jefferson had been dubbed the unofficial replacement for Garnett, and while he was more than effective in the time he was here, the Wolves could never manage to put a serviceable team around him. Nonetheless, Jefferson was traded to the Utah Jazz this offseason for two draft picks and center Kosta Koufos, all but erasing any consolation the Wolves had received from sending the greatest player in their history to Boston.

The Wolves have managed to win 61 totals games in the three seasons since Garnett left, leaving fans apathetic and at times oblivious their state even has a pro basketball franchise. David Kahn was named president of basketball operations in 2009, and he has done everything he can to give the Wolves roster a fresh-faced and promising face. While the promising aspect has yet to be determined, the Wolves are coming into the 2010-2011 seasons as one of the youngest teams in the league, with the oldest player on the team being 29-year-old Luke Ridnour.

The drafting of Wesley Johnson and acquiring of forwards Martell Webster and Michael Beasley has given the Wolves a more athletic team than the previous two seasons. The forwards are the strength of the team. Beasley can both drive to the basket and take a jump shot, and Wesley Johnson should be an excellent marksman. 2008 first round pick Kevin Love has quietly become one of the most consistent rebounders in the league and should receive more playing time nightly than he did last year, something that become a subtle area of controversy for the Wolves. The team put a huge amount of money in center Darko Milicic and will look to heavily utilize him at the position along with newcomers Nikola Pekovic and Kosta Koufas. If Milicic plays consistently and up to his contract, it should allow Kevin Love to flourish at his more natural power forward position rather than play at a spot he is a bit too undersized to really succeed in. Beasley will likely be used at small forward where his athleticism will be tested against players smaller and quicker than him. Forward Anthony Tolliver, another acquisition, will be an interesting wild card off the bench. Though he is listed at 6-7, rookie Wes Johnson will see the majority of his time on the perimeter as a shooting guard, where he will be able to use his fantastic shooting ability which has been showcased training camp and the preseason so far. Guard Corey Brewer is renowned for his defensive prowess, although his dribbling and shooting skills still leave much to be desired.

One question mark of the team is the point guard position. Second year player Jonny Flynn, though undoubtedly the most skilled point guard on the roster, was turnover-ridden and inconsistent last season and will not be ready for the start of the season. Luke Ridnour will be the starting point guard at the start of the season, giving the Wolves a veteran presence in the backcourt. Though Ridnour is one of the more intelligent players on the team, Flynn's quickness and explosiveness will surely be missed when Minnesota has to go up against some of the premier point guards in the league. Sebastian Telfair gives the team depth at the position.

Projected Starting Lineup:

C- Darko Milicic
PF- Kevin Love
SF- Michael Beasely
SG- Wesley Johnson
PG- Luke Ridnour

Season Prediction: 24-58

While this season will be an improvement over the woe and misery of last year, the Minnesota Timberwolves still have light years to go until they are anything even resembling a playoff threat. David Kahn has constantly encouraged fans to be patient with the team and coach Kurt Rambis. However, Rambis has had a full year to put his system into place, while at the same time Kahn has gone out and found his own players. Several of Kahn's moves have led to frustration, confusion and most importantly, indifference, in Timberwolves fans, and many view this as the year Kahn needs to put his money where his mouth is. If there is any future for the Wolves, there needs to be some signs of life and potential on the court this season. There is no real franchise player of the team like there previously was with Kevin Garnett and even Al Jefferson, leaving the auditions to the likes of Kevin Love, Michael Beasley and Wesley Johnson. If one or more of them can embrace the leadership role and set an example for the other inexperienced players, brighter days may be ahead for owner Glen Taylor and his team. Until that day comes, the Wolves will continue to be an afterthought on the Minnesota sports landscape.

MIN @ NYJ Recap

Anticipation was high for the Minnesota Vikings' Monday Night Football match against the stout New York Jets after two weeks that saw a scandal involving the starting quarterback and a blockbuster trade that brought back a familiar face. The game started out slow, with the only scoring through the first half being three straight Jet field goals. The Vikings offense started itself up beginning in the third quarter when Brett Favre connected with newcomer Randy Moss on a 37-yard touchdown pass. Favre kept the momentum flowing with two more TD passes to speedster Percy Harvin before abruptly snapping it with an interception to Dwight Lowery that was returned for the game-clinching touchdown, leading to a 29-20 New York victory.

The only way to describe the Vikings offense through the first two-and-a-half quarters is "stagnant". They wasted the prime field position they were given on the opening kickoff and only managed one first down through the first three drives. The Vikes were unable to stop the blitzing of the Jets and could not make any even resembling a threatening drive. In fact, the Vikings punted on their first five drives of the game. It didn't help that Favre ended another drive when he fumbled a snap from center. Randy Moss, who had huge things expected of him, was all but invisible in the first half. Neither the running nor the passing game were able to keep the offense on the field until things started changing in the third quarter. The vintage Randy Moss touchdown finally gave Favre and the offense the confidence it needed, and the passing game began to click. Following the touchdown, Brett and the rest of the Vikes drove on the Jets at will, and Harvin made the more than potent Jets pass defense look like the Detroit Lions, who the Vikings had dismantled in their previous game. Adrian Peterson did his part in the running game and had a nice 20-yard reception to go with 88 rushing yards. However, this writer could feel a sense of impending doom as the Vikings prepared for a final drive in the remaining few minutes of the game. Favre had been in this position for the Vikings game before, with both positive (see: 49ers game last year) and negative (see: NFC Championship Game) results in the end. Alas, every Vikings fan had their fear realized when Dwight Lowery picked off a pass intended for tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and took it back for a score. Much like the last contest of the 2009 season, Brett Favre had single-handedly gave the Vikings a great chance to win a game that they were supposed to lose, only to hand it right back on a silver platter.

The Vikings defense maintained its same "bend, but don't break" philosophy. While they were able to keep New York to one single touchdown, the Jets still converted on several third downs and gave kicker Nick Folk the opportunity to put 15 points on the board. That number could have been significantly lower had the Vikings stopped the seemingly overpowering running game and the intermediate passing routes. Jet running back LaDainian Tomlinson ran for a shocking 94 yards on 20 carries, with Shonn Greene adding 57 yards and touchdown on a mere 10 carries. With stats like that, it appears the Minnesota Vikings reign as the best run defense of the NFL is history. The interior has been sliced through on several occasions this season, with the game against the Miami Dolphins being another example. The pass defense was only marginally better. The rain of the evening had a prominent effect on the game, and miscues from the Jets receivers assisted the Vikings on many plays. Receivers Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery and Santonio Holmes, who in combination were targeted by quarterback Mark Sanchez 30 times, only contributed 13 total receptions as a group. Sanchez certainly had the time to make these throws. Once again, the defensive line looked dumbfounded against the talented Jets offensive line, and end Jared Allen continued his season of irrelevance. The pass rush has not been nearly as effective as it were last season, when Minnesota led the league in sacks as a team. The Vikings, as a whole, have six sacks so far in 2010, 10 less than they did through four games last year. In comparision, Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews has 8.5 by himself. The Vikings need to find ways to get to the quarterback if they want to have any shot at being a player in the NFC North.

The Vikings need to put this game behind them in a hurry, as the next three games are going to be absolutely brutal. The true test of strength starts this Sunday when the Dallas Cowboys come to the Metrodome. The Cowboys have been a huge disappointment so far this year and, much like the Vikings, were supposed to be Super Bowl contenders. They will be looking for revenge after the disaster they experienced in the playoffs last year against the Vikings. When the smoke clears Sunday evening, one team will be one step closer to salvaging its season while the other will be left with its fans calling for the firing of a head coach.

A Disappointing End

The Minnesota Twins' run in the postseason ended abruptly Saturday night after one of their most impressive regular seasons in recent memory. Despite facing their seemingly unbeatable arch-rivals, the New York Yankees, optimism was still high in Minnesota, and popular opinion was that this would finally be the year the Twins would end up on top if these two teams met in the playoffs, even though though Minnesota had been struggling towards the end of the year.

Regardless, three games later the results are the same as the last three times New York and Minnesota have met- the Yankees are going on, and the Twins are stuck watching the rest of the postseason unfold on their couches. Twins hitters only managed seven runs through three games against the Yankees' stellar pitching staff. Minnesota was outhit at a clip of 33 hits to 21 and outscored by 10 runs in the series. All of the fault can't be places on the Twins' bats, however. No starting pitcher gave up less than four earned runs in any game, with Brian Duensing giving the crowning performance in the finale with five through 3.1 innings. It truly looked like the nerves had gotten to the Twins, with no primer example than the sixth inning in the opening game. Starter Francisco Liriano had cruised through the first five innings before running into a impassable mental roadblock. In what could likely be called the turning point of the series, Liriano gave up four funs on three huge hits to Robinson Cano, Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson. The Twins hitter didn't exactly do their part to support Liriano. Had the Twins managed to strand less than an amazing 10 left on base, the series could have ended up differently than it did. Nonetheless, the Twins weren't able to take advantage of the opportunities they were given, and the Yankees experienced very little resistance in putting the away the rest of the series.

So where should the blame be placed for the early exit? On the shoulders of the hitters, pitching staff and manager Ron Gardenhire, most likely. The pitchers were average while the hitters, including superstar catcher Joe Mauer and fan favorite Jim Thome, seldom gave the ball-throwers any sort of cushion, with the exception of the first game, where the Twins scored a generous four runs. Mauer and Thome only managed four hits combined in the series, although Thome did score two runs in the opener. The Twins hit two home runs against the Yankees and it was apparent that the power just was not there. The ability to hold onto a lead in the first two games was another vital reason the Twins were unable to pull off the upset. Liriano was given a three-run lead in the first game before suffering his meltdown in the sixth, and Game 2 starter Carl Pavano was given a run off the bat in the second inning. Ron Gardenhire also made a few questionable managerial decisions during the series and, after giving one of his signature performances, was ejected in Game 2 after arguing balls and strikes. No matter how one looks at it, it was a group disappointment, from the coaches to the players.

DET @ MIN Recap

After procrastinating for a few days, I finally got around to this one. The Vikings came into the game determined to get their first victory of the season after putting up disappointing performances against the formidable Saints and Dolphins. Meanwhile, the Lions arrived at the Metrodome feeling somewhat confident, coming one touchdown catch away from a win against the Bears in Week 1 and almost beating the Eagles in Week 2. The game started out slow for the Vikes, but things started to heat up in the second half and Minnesota came out on top, 24-10.

Once again, the Minnesota offense looked like a one-trick pony. The first two drives were especially worrying. The Vikings sabotages themselves during the second one with penalty after penalty, eventually leading to a punt. The rushing game was more than effective, but quarterback Brett Favre was as conservative as ever. Number 4 completed 23 of 34 passes for 201 and a touchdown, but he also gave away two interceptions. It is apparent that Favre is not comfortable with the offense or his aging arm, as he only completed one pass over 20 yards Sunday. The Vikings took very few shots down the field, and it's obvious their quarterback is still missing his favorite target, receiver Sidney Rice. Favre's current pass-catcher of choice, Visanthe Shiancoe, was injured during the game, and the quarterback ended up turning to explosive weapon Percy Harvin. The two looked to have a nice connection, and even hooked up on a 24 yard throw. Harvin had injury concerns coming into the season, and he was dinged up on a few plays. However, he remained in for the duration of the game, quelling some of the doubts over his toughness. For the second week in a row running back Adrian Peterson was the MVP, rushing for 160 yards and two touchdowns. Despite Favre's inefficiency, he was still able to run through defender after defender. Peterson's highlight, without a doubt, was his 80 yard dash to the end zone in the third quarter. Make no doubt about it, folks. Adrian Peterson is back and better than ever.

The Vikings defense was it's same old stingy self, only surrendering 63 rushing yard on 19 attempts. The pass rush has still yet to make it's presence known, only managing one sack from spot rusher Brian Robison. For a significant part of the game it seemed as if the lineman just could not touch Shaun Hill, making him look like Michael Vick mixed with Vince Young on some plays. This really has to worry the Vikings, seeing as they face elite quarterbacks such as Tom Brady, Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers in three of the next four games. If the Vikings can't figure out a way to get to the mighty Shaun Hill, they may give up 1200 yards passing in those three future contests. And while the pass defense is not as bad as it was say, three years ago, the Vikings are still far way from the sack numbers they put up last season at this time. It wasn't all bad news for the pass defense, however, as Antoine Winfield and Ben Leber each had an interception off of Detroit quarterback Shaun Hill. The running game, as is usually the case, was not a threat for the defense and was stifled on most attempts. Detroit running back Jahvid Best put up a humble 26 yards on seven carries and end up leaving the game later with a toe injury. The defense did it's job in this game, and the Vikings' offense was finally able to take advantage of the opportunities it was given.

It was another ugly Lions-Vikings game, and like most of the previous Sundays between these two division rivals, the team from Minnesota came off the field the happy one. The game only looked close for the first two quarters before Adrian Peterson brought a dose of reality, all but assuring the outcome. Team and fans alike had better enjoy this win, as things do not get easier from here. The Vikings face a murderer's row of teams, starting with the New York Jets two Mondays from now. If this team is going to go anywhere, these next four games might tell us how far.

The Twins and the Playoffs

Well, the Minnesota Twins are going to the playoffs for the second straight season and the third time in the last five years. It became official Tuesday night as the Twins beat the Cleveland Indians 6-4 and the second-place Chicago White Sox lost to the Oakland Athletics. Champagne was flowing across the state of Minnesota as the Twins celebrated their clinching of the division with several games left in the season.

I am extremely optimistic coming into this postseason. I said before in my first post about the Twins, and I will say it again: this truly looks like a team of destiny. The team, which has been without superstar first basemen Justin Morneau since early July, has ridden on the shoulders of Joe Mauer, Jim Thome and Carl Pavano all season and appears to really have no weakness. Even without Morneau's power in the lineup, there has been enough run production and hits in vital moments to allow pitchers such as Pavano, Francisco Liriano and staff newcomer Brian Duensing eat innings and win games. And let's not forget about closer Matt Capps, who has been stellar since his midseason arrival. The hitting has been clutch, and the pitching has been on nothing short of lockdown. Most important of all, Ron Gardenhire should be in the running for Manager of Year has been the (mostly) cool and composed captain of the baseball club.

Like most postseasons the Twins are involved in, the New York Yankees look to be the biggest threat any success Minnesota will have. The Twins have been knocked out of the playoffs by the Yanks three times in since 2003, and they have won a total of two games in those series. New York has a superb, veteran pitching staff and a lineup filled with perennial All-Stars such as Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira. As good as the Twins have been this season, I still have a bad, bad feeling if the Yankees end up being the team Minnesota has to face in the first round. They have been the kryptonite to our own Superman, leaving him exhausted, beaten and on his knees, leaving him wondering what happened when it seemed like nothing to could stop him before. However, there are still two other teams the Twins could face in the postseason as well, these being the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers, and they too look to be worthy adversaries. Both teams have young and extremely talented pitching staffs with potent bats to support them, even though Texas currently happens to be without outfielder and MVP candidate Josh Hamilton at the moment. The Twins enjoyed moderate success against the Rangers this season and were a little under .500 against the Rays. Although these are very skilled teams, I have confidence the Twins can out-pitch them, especially if they keep their foot on the gas for the duration of the regular season. To conclude, the Twins should still be afraid of facing New York the most and have no reason to coast into October.

While I do believe this team will do big things this year, they still need to remain focused and stay prepared. It seemed like all the excitement at the end of the 2009 season sapped Minnesota of it's energy, which lead to the Twins being swept in four games off the bat. With over a week left to work out any kinks and problems, there is no simply excuse for such a showing this time around.

MIA @ MIN recap

If you thought last week's loss was disappointing, then you were in for treat in Week 2. The Vikings were looking for someone to take their frustrations out on after the opening week heart-wrencher against the New Orleans Saints, and they had to have been feeling confident coming into a game against a team, the Miami Dolphins, with a young QB and a still ambiguous defense. However, the Vikings looked anything but composed, throwing away several opportunities to take the lead late into the game and eventually losing by a score of 10-14. The Vikings were given many chances to win this game and gave them right back with incomplete passes, missed blocks and interceptions.

Turnovers were the story of Sunday's game, as the Vikings scored 14 points while only managing to use punter Chris Kluwe twice. Most Minnesota Vikings fans will place the blame of Sunday's loss squarely on quarterback Brett Favre. Much like the New Orleans game, Favre seemed to be forcing passes all over the field, with three missed passes ending as costly interceptions. The Minnesota quarterback struggled to establish any sort of connection with a receiver, with the exception of tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and running back Adrian Peterson. On several plays it looked like Favre was trying to throw farther than his 40-year-old body would let him, with one of his deep balls ending up in the hands of Dolphins defensive back Jason Allen. Chronic underachiever Bernard Berrian was targeted five times and only caught the ball twice for 24 yards. Favre was also sacked three times and lost the ball in the end zone for Miami's second touchdown of the day. If there was a bright spot to be found in the passing game, it was Favre's consistent chemistry with Shiancoe. He looks to be Favre's favorite target as the season wears on and has already caught 10 passes this year for 162 yards and a touchdown. However, the biggest offensive positive from Sunday's contest was running back Adrian Peterson. Peterson continues to run like a man motivated after last year's criticism over fumbling issues. He had 145 yards and a touch down on 28 yards and gave the Minnesota crowd multiple flashbacks to his rookie year, hurdling a defender during one play and plowing through defenders on several others. If Peterson can continue playing like he did Sunday, the Vikings will have a chance to win every game on the schedule, regardless how their aging quarterback does. Much like the first two years of Peterson's career, the Vikings may find themselves relying on the running game to put points on the scoreboard and keep the defense off the field.

It's really a shame Brett Favre couldn't take advantage of the opportunities they were given, as the Minnesota defense only allowed 226 yards of total offense, with 40 of those coming on a long Ronnie Brown run. The defense, also much like the first game of the season, kept the Viking close to the Dolphins, giving up one lone touchdown on Miami's first drive. However, the defense eventually buckled down, forcing the Dolphins to punt six times and giving up zero points the rest of the game. Defensive linemen Kevin Williams and Jared Allen each got their first sacks of the season, and standout linebacker Chad Greenway led the team with 8 tackles. Greenway has been the best defensive player for the Vikings this season and will be a point of conversation for fans around the league as he is in the final year of his rookie contract. The defense should only improve as cornerbacks Cedric Griffin and rookie Chris Cook work themselves into the Minnesota secondary. And that improvement will definitely be welcomed. The Vikings may have to put their hopes on this unit if the offense still struggles while Brett Favre attempts to build some sort of repertoire with his wide receivers.

Under normal circumstances, an average Minnesota Vikings fan would pass over a home game against the maligned Detroit Lions without much, if any, hesitation. However, the showings the past two weeks have given Minnesota fans and coaches alike a reason to worry, even against a team that hasn't made the postseason since 1999. The passing game, something the Vikings utilized so often in 2009, has looked completely out of sync, and Brett Favre has yet to give the people in the Land of 10,000 a reason to be excited after coming out of hiding for the third time in three years. If the Vikings aren't careful, game-breaking running back Jahvid Best and the Lions may put them in the basement of the division, leaving fans and the media clamoring for the grizzled quarterback to return to his tractor and home in Mississippi.

2010 Minnesota Twins: Team of Destiny?

Let me preface this by saying: I have always been extremely hard on the Twins. Several years of first round exits in the playoffs have left me bitter, assuming that they will end up leaving their bats at home and losing to the Yankees somewhere down the road.

However.

This team looks different to me. Playing their first year in a beautiful, new stadium, the Twins have straight up dominated most of the opponents they have faced since the All Star break, which is, coincidentally, the most important part of the season. The pitching has been stellar, and the Twins as a team have not given up more than five runs in a game since September 2nd, when they lost to the Detroit Tigers in extra innings. Carl Pavano, Francisco, Liriano, and Brian Duensing have given a the Twins a great set of pitchers for the postseason, and even Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey have come back from bumps in the road. Pavano has been the ace of the staff, staying late into games and allowing the Twins to rest their relief pitchers. Blackburn looked to be a lost cause midway through the season, but has came back several great outings, throwing a shutout against the Cleveland Indians in his last start. The midseason acquisition of Matt Capps, which I more than frowned on at the time, has given the Twins a consistent presence in the bullpen and allowed the team to move former closer Jon Rauch to a set-up role, where he, along with Jesse Crain, have given the Twins above-average relief pitching. The Twins should feel extremely confident about their pitching staff heading into the postseason.

The Twins' hitters haven't blown opponents off the scoreboard, but they have given the pitchers enough runs to allow them to win games. The Twins would normally be missing the presence of oft-injured slugger, but 40 year-old Jim Thome has all but erased all anxiety over losing the fragile first basemen. Thome has come in the clutch more than once for the Twins with several game winning home runs and should be considered the offensive MVP of the team, even with only playing every other game or so. Catcher Joe Mauer has also provided ample support, albeit with a lot less homers than last year. Even without the home runs, Mauer, who is still batting .324, has stayed healthy for most of the season and shown fans why the Twins gave him a nine-digit extension before the start of the year. It seems like Mauer rarely goes a game without getting one or two singles. Outfielder Delmon Young looked to be a legitimate AL MVP candidate earlier this year, although he has slowed down considerably. He has still reached a career high in home runs and RBIs and finally given the Twins some optimism after performing below expectations in his first two seasons here in Minnesota. While Denard Span has also slowed down this year, other hitters such as Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel have sufficiently supported Twins' pitchers this season. Orlando Hudson has done a nice job holding down second base and has provided a decent bat hitting second in the order. One would think the Twins' hitters would have struggled without a former MVP and fan favorite in their lineup, but night in and night out they have given their pitchers enough runs to put a W on the board and another game over division rival Chicago White Sox.

If you have not watched the Minnesota Twins all season, start now. This team has dominated any opponent it has faced recently, and they could stay on this hot streak for a long time. I have a feeling this team will finally do big things this postseason, and that there will be more than one celebration on Target Field this year.

MIN @ NO Recap

Even though it was the first game of the season, the Vikings put on an underwhelming performance Thursday night. For some reason, I was expecting some sort of shoot-out but as is usually the case when I get this feeling, it was a close defensive struggle. It looked like things were going well for the Vikes at halftime, but they just could not get things started in the second half.

The offense that came out after halftime was not the same one that entered that locker rooms after 30 minutes of play. The Saints did not have an answer for running back Adrian Peterson during the first two quarters, and he seemed to be reeling off five and six-yard gains with no resistance. However, coach Brad Childress and the rest of the coaching staff seemed to shy away from using Peterson in the second half and decided to opt for an airborne approach for the duration of the second half, which was surprising, considering the Vikings were never down by more than five points the rest of the game. The passing game looked flat-out rusty, with Visanthe Shiancoe appearing to be the only receiver quarterback Brett Favre had chemistry with. Favre spent the last two quarters appearing to try to win the game by himself, overthrowing targets and putting balls on the grass. The Vikings' quarterback missed on several throws to Percy Harvin, Greg Camarillo and Bernard Berrian. Berrian himself did not have the best night, either. He dropped several passes and looked flat-out lost on several routes. One can only hope that Favre will be able to establish a better connection with his receivers throughout the season, especially since his favorite target, Sidney Rice, will likely be gone for the next six to eight weeks. A big concern coming into the game was the protection of Favre, and he only ended being sacked once, although he was hit on several other plays, with one of them leading to an interception by linebacker Jonathan Vilma. Left tackle Bryant McKinnie left the game with an injury, and second year tackle Philip Loadholt moved to his position. The pressure seemed to be getting to Favre all night, and several holding and false start penalties were called throughout the evening. Overall, the offense looked like a unit playing it's first game of the season with a quarterback who came to to the team in mid-August. The passing game was rusty, but Peterson looked like the same All-Pro superstar we've come to expect. The Vikings will have all weekend and the next week to work out its kinks in time for the Dolphins game.

The defense, especially young cornerback Asher Allen, was having troubles with coverage all night. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees was expected to have a huge game against the decimated Vikings secondary, and he attacked the Vikings with mid-range slants and curl routes. The secondary seemed unable to keep up with the short passes, and starting cornerback Asher Allen was fooled on a few plays. Even though he never completed a pass longer than 29 yards, Brees only had nine missed passes to his name. Much of this success could be credited to the pressure up front, and Jared Allen and his cohorts were invisible for most of the game. The pressure from the Vikings defensive line was just not there, and Brees just sidestepped the pass rush on several plays. Cornerback Antoine Winfield made several nice tackles, but even he was fooled by receivers on a few plays. The run defense was equally underwhelming. Saints running back Pierre Thomas was able to rush for an astonishing (for the Vikings) 71 yards on 19 carries and scored the game-winning touchdown in the third quarter. Tackles Pat and Kevin Williams were manhandled by the Saints stellar guards, Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans, and let Thomas get to the linebackers and multiple plays. In the end, it was a typical night for a Minnesota Vikings defense: short passes everywhere and a quarterback with a rating over 100. Had the offense been able to support them with more than 9 points, this section would likely have had a more positive overtone.

Vikings fans were looking for revenge for the NFC Championship game, and they left the game feeling disappointed and frustrated. After so much success last season, many expected seamless play on offense and a defense with several sacks and a few interceptions, even if was just the first game. What came on the field was a flat passing attack and an inconsistent defense. The Vikings, especially Brett Favre, definitely tried hard to win this game, maybe too hard. Nonetheless, this was only Week 1 of 17, and the Vikings have a few extra days to prepare for Miami next Sunday, a team with a less-established quarterback and a terror at wide receiver.

Vikings Season Preview, Tomorrow's Game

I know it might look like I've procrastinated, since I'm waiting until the day before the season starts to put up my Vikings season preview, but I figure now is as good of a time as ever to put up my prediction.

THE OFFENSE 

No one was excited for the return of Brett Favre as I was, and for good reason.  I have never been a Tarvaris Jackson fan, and this looked to be doomed as a run-first team in a pass-first league before the grizzled veteran announced his intentions to play in the 2010 season.  His un-retirement gives the Vikings an automatic boost at the position, and enables the team to spread out the field, rather than rely on All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson, which they had done the two seasons previous to Favre's arrival. Even with Sidney Rice's injury and projected six to eight week absence, there should be no hitch in the passing game. Percy Harvin (when he is playing) is a blazing gamebreaker, Bernard Berrian still has speed, if not inconsisent hands, and Greg Camarillo looked to have hands of glue in the preseason games he played in.  And I still haven't mentioned Visanthe Shiancoe, who had 11 touchdowns last year and was one of Favre's favorite targets in the red zone.


The running game should continue to be one of the league's best as long as superstar Adrian Peterson can cut down on his fumbles, which partially lead to the New Orleans Saints' victory in the NFC Championship Game and have been to the kryptonite to the Vikings' Superman. Peterson claims he has found a way to hold onto the ball without dropping it, and if he keeps his word, he should improve on his numbers of 2009 and continue to be a focal point of the Vikings' offense. The loss of backup running back Chester Taylor did not go unnoticed, as the Vikings selected Stanford's Toby Gerhart in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft.  Gerhart should get plenty of the touches in the backfield, and the Vikings will try to use him as a pass catcher in the same way they used Taylor.  Albert Young looks to be the third down back for the Vikings.

My biggest worry for the Vikings' offense falls on the offensive line, which did not look any better in the preseason. The biggest fear of every Vikings' fan is seeing Brett Favre get hit and not come up, and that could very well happen if the play on the line does not improve this season.  Right tackle Phillip Loadholt should be more experienced after a shaky rookie year.  However, Bryant McKinnie appears to be a statue on some plays, and at times looks downright unmotivated.  The first game of the season should be a test of how much these two have improved, if at all, over the offseason.  As long as center John Sullivan comes back healthy, the interior of the offensive line should have very few issues.  The concern of the line rests on the tackles.  If they can protect Favre better than they did against the Saints, this team will win more games than it loses.

THE DEFENSE

As not much as changed with the Vikings' defense, I won't spend as much time talking about them as I did the offense.  The defensive line, with the return of all four starters, will continue to reign as one of the league's best.  They may suffer a small decline against the run, seeing as nose tackle Pat Williams is soon to celebrate his 38th birthday, but they should not allow more than two or three 100-yard rushers this season.  The Vikings have always prided themselves on their run defense, and as long as the two Williams, Pat and Kevin, are in the center of the line, running backs will continue rushing up the middle of the defense.  Jared Allen is arguably the premier pass rusher in the league, so it is doubtful that the Vikings will have much concern over a pass rush this season.  On the other end, Ray Edwards is one of the more underrated Vikings and posted 8.5 sacks last year. 

Speaking of underrated, the Vikings linebackers will continue to thrive as one of the conference's best and most experienced.  E.J. Henderson is back after a gruesome injury last season, and outside linebackers Chad Greenway and Ben Leber do an awesome job of supporting the run, although Greenway's coverage skills have been questioned at times. 


The only real question mark for the Vikings is the secondary.  Cornerback Cedric Griffin tore has ACL last season, and is questionable for the first game of the season.  Rookie cornerback Chris Cook had a stellar preseason but, like Griffin, will miss some time because of an injury problem.  This leaves the Vikings coming into the first season with Antoine Winfield, Lito Sheppard and Asher Allen.  Winfield is a Pro Bowl corner, but Sheppard is still trying to fight off the "washed up" reputation and Allen was a rookie last season who seldom saw the field as a fourth cornerback.  The safeties should give the Vikings little comfort as well.  Tyrell Johnson struggled in coverage, and his counterpart, Madieu Williams, had his own problems with tackling.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Mainstays Chris Kluwe and Ryan Longwell return for the Vikings.  Kluwe is an average punter who has had his struggles, while Longwell is still one of the NFL's premier kickers.  The return game is the only thing the Vikings need to figure out, especially after the trade of Darius Reynaud to the New York Giants.  The Vikings will likely try out Albert Young, Bernard Berrian, or another receiver at the position.

CONCLUSION

This success of the Minnesota Vikings 2010 season falls squarely on the shoulder of Brett Favre.  If the Vikings can keep him healthy and off his back they should have little trouble winning the division.  Without Favre this team will find itself likely in a bitter and tough battle with the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears for division supremacy.  The defense should continue to be one of the league's best as long as Favre and the offense can put points on the board, something that was not an issue last season.  However, if Favre is not healthy, the defense will find itself on the field for the most of the game, and we all know what happens to teams where this is commonplace.  The defense gets tired, and it gives up points.  In the end, this team will go as far as Brett Favre takes it.  

Season prediction: 9-7, Wild Card

I hate to say it, but I am a constant pessimist when it comes to the Vikings.  I understand Brett Favre has broken the record for consecutive starts, but I also realize that all good things must come to an end.  There is just this sick feeling in me that Favre, and especially his ankle, is going to be the target of every defense the Vikings face and that teams will stop at nothing to literally break the 40-year-old quarterback.  The team won 10 games with Tarvaris Jackson and Gus Frerotte two years ago, so the Vikings could still go to the playoffs without Favre.  However, the task would be difficult, especially with an ever-improving Green Packers in the division, a team many have chosen to go to the Super Bowl even with Brett Favre re-joining Minnesota.


GAME PREVIEW: MIN @ NO

This game, the rematch of the 2009 NFC Championship Game, has been on the calendars of every NFL fan since it was announced, and for good reason.  Brett Favre is going up against the team that pummeled and crushed him, almost leading to his permanent retirement.  The Super Bowl Champion Saints, led by Madden 11 cover boy Drew Brees, look to have another explosive offense and will try to repeat the outcome of the last game these two teams played.

The Vikings should have little trouble putting up points against the Saints' defense.  The secondary is missing leader, Darren Sharper, although they do have some underrated cornerbacks in Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter.  Adrian Peterson ran wild on the Saints last time they met each other, and that should not change this game, as long as Brett Favre can keep the defense honest. 

Drew Brees must be licking his chops at the thought of facing the Minnesota secondary, especially since it is missing Cedric Griffin and Chris Cook.  Brees has no lack of weapons at his disposal with receivers Marques Colston, Lance Moore and Robert Meachem.  Tight end Jeremy Shockey, although a few years older, is still nothing to scoff at, and can be a red zone threat.  The only way the Vikings will come out on top in this game is if they can get to Brees, something that should be a little easier with the Saints' trade of tackle Jammal Brown to the Washington Redskins.  Brees will be able to pass all over the Vikings if they're unable to generate a pass rush, which will lead to more points for New Orleans.  This, in turn, will lead to the Vikings focusing on the passing game rather than the running game and Adrian Peterson.  If the Vikings put all the time into passing the ball the Saints will only continue to blitz and do their best to get to Favre.  This can't happen if the Vikings expect to win this game.

Game prediction: 24-21, Vikings

This game between two high-powered offenses could go either way.  Despite my pessimistic nature, I think the Vikings will pull this one off.  It will be another close game, but I think Brad Childress and the coaching staff learned their lesson from the Championship Game, and they will do anything they can to keep Brett Favre on the field.  I expect a lot of screens and check down passes to Adrian Peterson and the other backs.  If the Vikings lose this game, it will because they were unable to keep the Saints defenders away from Favre.  Pay attention to this theme; it will be a common one throughout this season. 

An Introduction

Hello everyone!

With this being my first post, I figured I should give a bit of an introduction.  My name is Tony, and I attend college here in Minnesota.  I am in my fourth year and am majoring in journalism with a minor in speech communication.  I came to the college as a sports management major and, although I still harbor an intense love for sports, decided to change my focus to journalism, since I felt that sports management seemed to be more on the business side of things rather than writing, which I seem to enjoy.  With the major in journalism I figured I should get some kind of blog or journal up on the internet to express my thoughts, so here is my first try.

I was born in a smaller town here in Minnesota, and moved to several other towns before settling in Willmar, Minnesota.  I tried my hand at athletics all the way through my sophomore year of high school, and I ended up deciding that watching sports, not playing them, was right for me.  My high school had several successful athletic programs, and that certainly made things more enjoyable as a student.

My favorite professional sports teams are the Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves, and Tampa Bay Lightning (I'll get to it later).  However, I am going to spend most of my time here sharing my thoughts about the Vikes, Twins, and Wolves, with the possibility of a few Wild-related posts later into the hockey season.  I started watching the NHL around this time last year, and instead of going with the hometown Wild, I decided to choose a random team, and that team happened to be the Lightning.  I'll admit I'm not the most knowledgeable hockey fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I really love watching the sport, and I figured I would get into it eventually since I do live in the State of Hockey.

Anyways, that's all I got for now, and I hope you guys (and gals) enjoy my blog!