NFC NORTH

The Packers (6-4) have again become the Vikings closest enemy in the North.  They lay three games back on the Vikings, but the Vikes own the tiebreaker which makes it a four game lead by all practical purposes.  The Pack have won two in a row, and may be able to position themselves into the Wild Card spot.  However, if the Vikings can win two of their next six games, and the Packers lose only once out of six, then they clinch the division title.  The Packers also took a big hit this week when they lost Aaron Kampman and Al Harris for the year to injuries.

The Bears (4-6) have been on a three game slide as Jay Cutler struggles to find, well, any success at all.  They are now five games behind the Vikings, and they happen to play each other this week.  A win over the Bears on Sunday would knock Chicago completely out of the Division “race.”

The Lions (2-8) are not in any sort of contention, not that they ever were.  Right now, the Lions are simply trying to find some success to carry into next season, and also to work themselves out of having to pay another rookie top five money.

NFC

The Vikings and the Saints (10-0) are both trying to hold onto a first round playoff bye, and also trying to determine which of them will get home field advantage should they play each other in the playoffs.  The Vikings trail the Saints by one game, and the Saints have a good chance of running the table and going undefeated.

The Cowboys (7-3) and Cardinals (7-3) are the Vikings next closest NFC foes, but both remain a full two games behind the Vikings at this point.

NFL

The Saints and the Colts (10-0) both remain undefeated and full game ahead of the Vikings.  Other than that, the next closest teams are two games behind the Vikings.  The Cardinals, Bengals, Cowboys, Patriots, and Chargers are all sitting at 7-3.

GAMES TO WATCH

There are a few games besides Vikes vs. Bears that should interest Vikings fans. 

GREEN BAY at DETROIT:  The Vikings could sure use a favor from the Lions here.  If they could topple the injured Packers, and the Vikings beat the Bears, then the Vikings would have something to be very thankful for this week… a scenario in which they can clinch the North the following week.

OAKLAND at DALLAS:  The ‘Boys are only two games behind the Vikes in the NFC.  A win from Oakland would go a long ways towards securing a first round bye.

CLEVELAND at CINCINATTI:  I long predicted that the Vikings would be a part of the Bengals end-of-season collapse.  The Raiders helped get that started last week, and now the Browns could do one better and beat the Bengals down.

ARIZONA at TENNESSEE:  The Cardinals play the Vikes in two weeks, and they are also only two games behind the Vikes in the NFC standings.  The Titans seem to have found some rhythm these last couple of weeks, and Vikes fans should hope for that to continue.

NEW ENGLAND at NEW ORLEANS:  Finally a good Monday Night matchup!  The Saints are a game ahead of the Vikings in the NFC.  A loss would open the door for the Vikings to make the road to the Super Bowl head straight through Minneapolis.  Plus, nobody wants to see those guys go undefeated, right?

Try, and try again.

If you have questions about the Vikings (or anything else), or comments, concerns, or whatever. Email them to me at adam@vikingsgab.com and I will do my best to answer anything and everything that comes my way.

Hop to it!

The Minnesota Vikings played their best football of 2009 as they rolled over the Seattle Seahawks for their ninth victory of the year.

Brett Favre completed a career high 88% of his passes on Sunday.  He was 22 of 25 for 213 yards and four touchdowns. 

FOX interviewed Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, and Visanthe Shiancoe (Shankopotomus) prior to the game.  Favre made sure to reward them each for doing good interviews by throwing each of them a touchdown pass.  Sidney Rice got another from Tarvaris Jackson in the 4^th quarter.

T-Jack himself had a respectable outing in which he was 6 of 8 for 77 yards and a touchdown.  Some of his passes seemed off, and he was bailed out a couple of times by his receivers.

Adrian Peterson has a solid day rushing for 82 yards on 24 attempts, and also caught 4 passes for 16 yards.

The offensive line did a respectable job once the first quarter passed.  They did allow two sacks, one of which was blatant poor play in a one-on-one matchup Bryant McKinnie.  The line solidified as the game went on.

The defense was solid, though kind of quiet.  E.J. Henderson had a nice sack and Benny Sapp forced a fumble that quickly went out of bounds, otherwise all the big defensive play happened in garbage time.  Asher Allen showed fantastic awareness in the games only interception and Husain Abdullah had a nice sack.  Ray Edwards wasn’t as noticeable as last week, but he had a very good outing, leading the team in tackles with 6.

Special teams were a mixed bag.  Darius Reynaud had pretty solid game, returning 2 punts for an average of 10 yards.  Ryan Longwell and Chris Kluwe were solid, but hardly a major part of this game. 

Percy Harvin averaged 17 yards on 2 kick returns, including one where he made a curious move.  The Vikings were playing for the onside kick, but they decided to kick it deep where Harvin turned his back to it expecting an automatic touchback.  The ball bounced out of the end zone and onto the 2 yard line.  For a second it looked like this could’ve been a scary moment, but Harvin picked up the ball and brought it out to the twenty where he was tackled.

The Vikings were a very cohesive group in all phases of the game.  It felt like 60 minutes of solid play (even when the backups were in) for the first time this year.  A job well done make the Vikings 9-1, and one step closer to winning the North.

Thanks to all that participated in the live blog, it was fun (even the person that pretended to be me for a quick second, though I didn’t like that).

Whether or not you stop back between now and Thursday, I would like to wish all of our readers and their families a very happy Thanksgiving.

Go Vikes!

Join us to chat about the game!

So please join!

The live blogs have proven to be a pretty good time, and I enjoy everyone’s company.

SKOL Vikes!

The 8-1 Vikings are hosting the 3-6 Seahawks on Sunday.  More than the Lions or Rams, this could be a true trap game for the Vikings because the Seahawks are a better team than their record suggests… The Lions and Rams are not.

So, let’s break this down a bit and take a look at what can be expected on Sunday.

VIKINGS RUN GAME (Advantage:  Vikings)

The Vikings have the 10^th ranked rushing offense in the league, despite teams still focusing on stopping Adrian Peterson.  The Seahawks are ranked 11^th against the run, but part of that may have to do with their pass defense making things so darn easy for teams to find success through the air.

Peterson is averaging a whopping 5.1 yards per carry while the Seahawks are giving up 4.2 yards per play to opposing rushers.  The best run defenders for the Seahawks come from the second and third level in the form of linebackers David Hawthorne, Aaron Curry, and safety Jordan Babineaux.

Player To Watch:  The Seahawks are really struggling on the defensive line, and we all know what can be expected if Peterson is able to get to the second level early and often.  I expect another big day for “All Day.”

VIKINGS PASS GAME (Adantage:  Vikings)

The Vikings 12^th ranked pass game should have no problem against a depleted 22^nd ranked Seahawks pass defense. 

The Seahawks are giving up an average of 233 yards through the air per week, despite the presence of high-caliber cornerback Marcus Trufant for the last 4 weeks.  No single player in the Seahawk secondary has multiple interceptions, however middle linebacker David Hawthorne does have three.  They have a total of eight picks on the year as a team.

The Vikings should be able to go long with great success against a secondary that has done nothing but struggle all year.  The long passes obviously rely on pass protection which could prove to the Vikings biggest liability in the passing game.

The Seahawks have 20 sacks on the year, which is respectable.  Both Bryant McKinnie and Phil Loadholt will get tested pretty well this week as they go up against Patrick Kerney and Lawrence Jackson who have 4 sacks each.  The linebackers are also capable of blitzing, and once again, David Hawthorne is the stand out here with his 3 sacks on the year. 

Player To Watch:  If Brett Favre can stay upright then Favre and all of the recievers should be able to put up huge numbers this week.  The key factor in keeping him upright will be for Bryant McKinnie to have a great day against Patrick Kerney.  Keep a close eye on this matchup.

VIKINGS RUN DEFENSE (Advanatage: Vikings)

The Vikings 6^th ranked rush defense should dominate the Seahawks 27^th ranked rush offense, right?  Well, maybe.

On paper this matchup looks incredibly lopsided, but I watched the Seahawks play the Cardinals last week and they may have finally found their stride on the ground.  Justin Forsett is the guy to watch, as he was pretty darn good last Sunday against a pretty darn good Cardinals rush defense.

However, I tend to think that the Seahawks will still be unsuccessful on the ground because of the unbeleivable bad luck they’ve had on the offensive line.  That, combined with the talent on the Vikings defensive line and the Vikings potential to put up a lot of points, makes me think the Seahawks will forego any true effort of running the ball.

Player to Watch:  E.J. Henderson has been having a rough time this season.  He refuses to use injuries as an excuse.  Sooner or later, he is going to regain his form and this may the perfect opporunity to do so.  Watch for him to give Justin Forsett “The Business” on multiple occasions this coming Sunday.

VIKINGS PASS DEFENSE (Advantage:  Seahawks)

Matt Hasselbeck is perhaps one of my least favorite players in the NFL… mainly because I think he’s a giant baby that has no business playing football if he can’t handle it’s physical nature.

That being said… he’s pretty good.

If, and it is a big “if”, the offensive line can keep him upright then Hasselbeck’s 13^th ranked pass offense has the potential to torch Minnesota’s 23^rd ranked pass defense. 

The reciever that scares me most on the Seahawks is John Carlson.  Carlson has been called on to be a blocking tight end more often than he’d like this year.  This is a result of the O-Line being in shambles and needing help.  But Carlson has the potential to make big plays in the passing game, and one has to think the Seahawks will let him run wild against a Vikings defense that has proven to have no answers for talented tight ends.

If they do let Carlson run more routes against the Vikings, though, then there will be a lot of pressure on Hasselbeck who will need to get rid of the ball quickly.  With the Vikings getting Antoine Winfield back (maybe) this week, then the Vikings should have multiple chances to force turnovers.

Whether or not they exploit those opportunities remains to be seen.

Player To Watch:  Jared Allen was quiet last week, as he was double teamed and Ray Edwards played like a man possessed.  This week, double team or not, I expect Allen to have a huge day.  I’m thinking multiple sacks against an offensive line that is held together by duct tape and band-aids.

SPECIAL TEAMS (Advantage: Vikings)

Percy Harvin is averaging 30.7 yards per kick return and the Seahawks are giving up 23.2 yards per kick return.  Meanwhile, the Seahawks committee of kick returners are averaging 22.8 yards per kick return and the Vikings are only giving up 21.7 yards per kick return.  Consider the big difference there for a second.

It gets worse for the Seahawks.

Darius Reynaud is gaining 12 yards per punt return and the Seahawk’s are giving up 13.2 yards per punt return.  The Seahawks are averaging 6.6 yards per return between Justin Forsett and Nate Burleson, and the Vikings are giving up only 8.0 yards per return.

Olindo Mare and Ryan Longwell, just like Jon Ryan and Chris Kluwe, are having very similar seasons.  The kickers provide no significant advantage.

Player To Watch:  Just considering the stats above, I have a feeling that Darius Reynaud might just outshine Percy Harvin on special teams Sunday.

CONCLUSION

I think the Vikings will dominate this game as the Seahawks will provide little more than a few speed bumps as resistance.  Home field advantage, nearly at full health, and superior talent spells a victory for the Vikings.  If they don’t win, however, then the Wilfs may want to see if there are any refund clauses in that nifty contract extension.

PREDICTION

31 – 13, Vikings win.

• E.J. Henderson has been honored as the Vikings’ Community Man Of The Year.
• Special Teams has gone from worst to best in just one season.
• Housh is coming to town… and he’s driving a Whaaaaaaambulance.
• This video is inappropriate… but halarious.
• The Vikings win over the Lions wasn’t viewed as a solid win, but it was more solid than many of the games played Sunday.
• Not Vikings related, but pretty darn cool.
• Pacifist Vikings previews the coming week with everyting… including the kitchen sink.
• At least one blogger likes that Childress got a new contract.
• Brad Childress probably owes Brett Favre some money… or at least some wranglers.
• The Vikings are trying to reach nirvana this weekend.
• Some Mid-Season grades from Vikings War Cry.

According to an announcment from the Vikings official website, the team and Head Coach Brad Childress have agreed to an extension of his contract that will keep him in Minnesota until 2013.

ESPN says that the deal is expected to nearly double his annual salary, bumping it up to the four or five million dollar mark.

Fans are mixed on whether this was a good move for the Vikings and are perplexed about the timing of the extension.  I, myself, wonder why this couldn’t have been taken care of after the 2009 season comes to some sort of finish.

What this tells me is that the Wilf’s were going to extend Childress’ contract no matter how this season ends.  It also means that the Wilf’s wanted there to be as little unrest this offseason as possible.  In an offseason that could see a very high percentage of coaching changes, perhaps the Vikings feel they can do a better job of recruiting talent if the helm is in a stable position.

This is simply speculation, but to be honest, it is the only explanation I can come up with for extending the contract of a coach that is 0-1 in the post season in three seasons.

Then again, perhaps the Wilf’s are just looking forward to firing him next week and making Bobby Wade the head coach.

Or perhaps fire him on Christams Eve and make Marcus Robinson the head coach.

But probably not, after all, Jared Allen says he’s a player’s coach.

I recently expressed my surprise that Bryant McKinnie is not only in the Pro Bowl conversation, but is leading the NFC in fan voting for left tackles.

Then some of you expressed surprise about me expressing my surprise.

So, here’s a brief glimpse into my take on McKinnie.

He is no doubt having one of his best years.  As Pat pointed out in the comments, he has only given up one sack this year.  Also, the whole point of a Pro Bowl nod is to base your decision off of this year’s performance, not what a player has done in the past.  Add that to McKinnie’s ability to run block and it shouldn’t surprise me that McKinnie is Pro Bowl favorite this year, right?

Sure, I buy that.

But, here is what I see when I evaluate McKinnie’s impact on the 2009 Vikings.  I see a player whom the team cannot depend on to play all season.  The team can’t trust him to stay out of trouble and keep himself from being suspended.  I don’t know about you, but I am still in the state of mind where I wonder when McKinnie will bash someone over the head with a pole again or when he’ll fly in a gaggle of strippers from Atlanta again.  The guy has proved he can’t be depended on to hold his career and the team’s success as his highest priority.

Also, I see a guy who still struggles in pass protection, despite the numbers.  He constantly needs help.  The Vikings coaching staff has finally realized that he can’t be trusted to keep a quarterback upright, so they are almost always lining Jim Kleinsasser or Jeff Dugan up next to him on passing plays.  Having these guys on the field to help McKinnie, who makes enough money to where he shouldn’t need help, means that a playmaker has been taken off the field.  With a solid pass protector at left tackle, the Vikings could use Percy Harvin or two back sets on a far more regular basis.

Take a look at who the Vikings have played thus far:  Browns, Lions (twice), Niners, Packers (twice), Rams, Ravens, and Steelers.  That means McKinnie has gone up against Robaire Smith, Corey Williams, David Bowens, Dewayne White, Cliff Avril, Justin Smith, Ray McDonald, Parys Haralson, Cullen Jenkins, Clay Matthews, Jeremy Thompson, Mike Montgomery, Chris Long, James Hall, Haloti Ngata, Paul Kruger, Terrell Suggs, Brett Keisel, and James Harrison.

How many names in there scare you besides Ngata, Suggs, Keisel and Harrison?  The one game we lost against the Steelers was pretty much decided because of Keisel and Harrison getting to Favre. 

Upcoming, McKinnie will get to face Patrick Kerney, Alex Brown, Darnell Dockett, Bertrand Berry, Julius Peppers, Michael Johnson, and Osi Umenyiora.  To me there are a few more credible names on this list.

So, that’s what it boils down to for me.  McKinnie is a player who gets paid a lot of money to be an elite blocker in BOTH the run and pass game.  He has managed to stay out of trouble for more than a whole year.  He, with consistent help from the tight ends, has excelled at both run and pass blocking against lesser opponents for the most part.  However, coming up are going to be some of his biggest tests of the year.

He needs to finish strong before I will begin to trust McKinnie and it will be a lot tougher for him to finish strong than it was for him to start strong.

I, for one, hope he pleasantly surprises me.

I had great response to my first mock draft last week.  So I promised to update it once per week.  While I do think that this is a useless exercise, I will refrain from doing my usual speech about why it is so useless.  Instead I’ll just get right down to it:

(The Order has been set by nfl.com’s current league standings, so tiebreakers are decided by nothing more than alphabetical order of the city/state names.  The Vikings are last, because we all know that’s where they’ll be picking.  Kidding.)

1. Bucs:  Eric Berry, S, Tennessee – Josh Freeman is the future in Tampa.  They don’t need a left tackle.  The defense is the real problem, so the Bucs abandon the typical draft script an opt for the unusual decision to take a safety with the top pick.  And they’re happy, because Berry is the best prospect in this draft.
2. Rams: Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame – The Rams have allowed Marc Bulger to get thrown around so much that he is viewed as pretty much worthless now.  Bulger may be good in another situation, but it is time to rebuild around a very talented young quarterback.
3. Lions:  Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State – The Lions would love to address their defense, but they’ll have to do that later on in the draft, as protecting their zillion dollar quarterback needs to be their top priority.  Okung projects to be a top left tackle in this league, and will be a huge step for the Lions success on offense.
4. Browns:  Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma – Mangini, or the Browns new coach, go out and get the quarterback of their choice.  I don’t like this pick, but just have a gut feeling that’s what they’ll be aiming for.
5. Raiders:  Jake Locker, QB, Washington – Oh, who knows… it’s Al Davis we’re talking about here.  This week it seems the Raiders have given up on Jamarcus Russell, so it makes sense for them to take another young and talented quarterback for them to throw to the wolves too early.
6. Chiefs:  Joe Haden, CB, Florida -  The Chiefs secondary is a mess.  So is the rest of their team, but the secondary is the easiest upgrade.  Haden will provide a top notch corner for years to come… meaning teams will simply throw to the other side of the field and avoid Haden all together.  And the Chiefs will be picking this low again next year.  Haden is a good start, though.
7. Redskins:  Tim Tebow, QB, Florida – Jason Campbell and Jim Zorn will be gone.  Dan Snyder loves big names (Colt Brennan).  Tebow will get picked in the first round, but this is too high.  Snyder reaches in an effort to salvage a team desperate to get out of its downward spiral.
8. Titans:  Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska – The Titans are missing the contract-year-version of Albert Hayneworth this year.  Their secondary could also use a ton of help, but Suh is a HUGE steal at this point in the draft.  His falling to #8 is unintentional.
9. Seahawks:  Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland – Campbell is a solid zone blocking option for a team whose offensive line has completely fallen to shambles this year.  The Seahawks seem to always be one step behind in addressing needs, and the injuries just snowball those needs.  I kind of feel bad for this team.

10.  Bills:  Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma – The Bills trying to stop the run this year has been hilarious.  They need help, point blank.

11.  49ers:  Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa – The Niners are a solid team on both sides of the ball.  They need better quarterback play, but with no quarterbacks available the best way to make that happen is to protect the ones they’ve got.  Bulaga also is very good in run blocking, which will strengthen the Niners ground game which is already very respectable.

12.  Jets:  Donovan Warren, CB, Michigan – Derrell Revis is turning out to be one of the best young corners in the league.  Adding another solid young corner to this defense and the Jets may finally start to turn the corner and be able to keep up with the Patriots passing game.

13.  Dolphins:  Jahvid Best, RB, California – Ricky isn’t getting an younger, and Ronnie has shown yet again that he cannot finish an entire season.  The Fins try and keep their stellar run game intact by drafting the most talented young back available.

14.  Broncos:  Taylor Mays, S, USC – Brian Dawkins won’t last forever, and the Broncos need some youth in that secondary.  Mays has the upside to become one of the league’s best if he can retain even half of what a guy like Dawkins can teach him.

15.  49ers:  Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas -  The Niners got their offensive line help a few picks ago.  Now they do their best to improve the guy playing behind that line.  Mallett would be put into a position where he could ride the bench for a while… which is the best situation for a young quarterback to be in.

16.  Eagles:  Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama – The Eagles would love for their linebackers to finally start playing like, well, good players.  They’d prefer to use this pick on the O-Line, but those linebackers have been dreadful this year.

17.  Giants:  Earl Thomas, FS, Texas – Kenny Phillips may or may not play football ever again.  This forces the Giants to prepare for the worst and select the best safety available.

18.  Jaguars:  Greg Hardy, DE, Ole Miss – The Jaguars are a team in decline, but defensive end would be a fine spot to start fighting the decline.  Hardy is a steal here and would fill a position of need.  No brainer.

19.  Texans:  Trevard Lindley, CB, Kentucky – The Texans could use defensive help just about everywhere.  With Dunta Robinson possibly taking off, cornerback becomes the top need.

20.  Packers:  Charles Brown, OT, USC -  Aaron Rodgers is somehow still alive.  I think he’s on pace to be sacks six thousand times this season or something.  The Packers desperately need help… and should probably consider spending every pick they have on the O-Line.

21.  Ravens:  Damian Williams, WR, USC – The Ravens need to become more consistent on offense.  Williams would provide them with a solid option outside of Derrick Mason for year to come.

22.  Falcons:  Terrence Cody, NT, Alabama – Some help on the defensive line will help the Falcons continue to improve.  Cody is a big run stuffer who will make opponents think twice about trying to slam it down their throats.

23.  Chargers:  C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson – The Chargers may lose Darren Sproles.  They may have already lost L.T.  It is time to look to the future and continue to give fans a running game that they’ve grown to expect.

24.  Steelers:  Morgan Burnett, FS, Georgia Tech – Ryan Clark and Tyrone Carter are both set to become free agents.  Burnett is good enough that he would not be much of a dropoff.

25.  Patriots:  Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State – The Pats wanted Percy Harvin last year, hoping to get incredible value because of his troubled past.  Bryant has the same story, and the Pats still have the need. 

26.  Seahawks:  Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia – Dowling will put someone across from Trufant with some actual skills.  Dowling also is an option to play free safety if the Seahawks can’t fill that need.

27.  Cowboys:  Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma – Adams has been playing awful, so the Cowboys luck out as there is one last top tier tackle available to help protect Romo and pave a path for their 43 talented running backs.

28.  Cardinals:  Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech – The Cardinals actually have a pretty solid defense this year, but Morgan provides such good value at this point that they cannot help themselves.  Once a team gets a taste of a good pass rush, they just can’t help but get addicted.

29.  Bengals:  Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma – The Bengals are surprising this year, and appear to be pretty solid all the way around.  Adding a guy like Gresham will help in both the passing game and the blocking quality. 

30.  Saints:  Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida – It is obvious to just about everyone that the Saints have about everything they need on offense and then some.  Adding a guy with Dunlap’s upside to the pass rush will help make a Saints defense that is built to go for the long run just like their offense is.

31.  Colts:  Brandon Ghee, CB, Wake Forest – The Colts still need help on defense in their quest to become the perfect football team.  Ghee provides them with some more depth in a secondary that is suspect and constantly injured.

32.  Vikings:  Travis Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma – Somehow Travis Lewis falls this far in my mock draft, and it is unwarranted.  Lewis is very highly regarded.  Plus, the Vikings like to bring in rookies to fill positions of need for not that season but for the one season out.  Remember drafting Tyrell Johnson a year before Darren Sharper left?  Or Sullivan a year before Birk left?  Well, in 2011 Ben Leber is a free agent and Lewis would provide the Vikings with an easy transition.  I don’t view OLB as a huge need, especially considering the depth, but Lewis would be a true value pick here.