My gameball goes to...

by Anthony Carter on Oct 7, 2009 8:37 AM CDT

The hype surrounding Favre this past Monday night was no doubt deserved. Offensive player of the week under the scrutiny of the national media, equally deserved. Allen was a monster and should have been awarded defensive honors. But, as a fan who notices every detail, who screams Kennedy's name after a giant sack, while everyone else in the room is asking "Who's Kennedy?," I saw something this week that I think you'd have to have been an SBNation blogger to see. It was in the details (the under-the-helmet look on a guy's face) and it was gorgeous to watch. What I saw was an urgency, a precision, and an aggressiveness that we have always been promised from a certain player, but that has never been there with any consistency. My gameball this week goes to Sidney Rice. I simply loved what he brought and think that if he continues to factor heavily into this team's repertoire of weapons there is no conceivable way defenses can line up against us. BB is on the up. Harvin: we all know what he can bring. If Rice becomes a dynamic threat, it's over. And, for the first time, this week that seems like a genuine probability.

This FanPost was created by a registered user of The Daily Norseman, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the site. However, since this is a community, that view is no less important.

Tweet Comment 37 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Probably not deserving of a game ball but I’m a big fan of Jeff Dugan. He seems to come up big with short yardage situations or like Monday, extending his route and making a big catch to keep the drive alive.

Situational guy coming up big.

Case of the beet bandit. Missing beets from all over the farm, no footprints. Inside job. Mose in socks. Boom. Case closed. -Dwight Schrute

by mjschaefer on Oct 7, 2009 9:47 AM CDT reply actions

Jeff Dugan

…was mistaken for Bernard Berrian at some point. Did anybody else catch that? Sure, both wear numbers beginning with 8, but after that…
1 is faster, 1 is slower
1 is slim, 1 is thicker
1 is black, 1 is lily white
1 is a WR, 1 is a TE/FB
the red arm hairs and freckles probably weren’t visible from the booth, but there was ample evidence that that play was not a Jeff Dugan sighting already.

by KC Viking on Oct 7, 2009 4:51 PM CDT up reply actions

AC I agree

I thought about maybe you were going to say the O Line for keeping #4 clean all night (1 hit that was all). But Sidney had a passion about him that could not be beat. Even the way he went up for the onside kicks, you know that he and only he was going to come down with the ball. No juggeling, just secure it .

Skol Vikings

by SouthernNorseman on Oct 7, 2009 9:51 AM CDT reply actions

Good point. Those were two perfect onside kicks and Sidney handled them both.

by Salty on Oct 7, 2009 11:46 AM CDT up reply actions

Agreed.

Another play I liked a ton was that ball Favre threw to Rice on his left side post route (which was the one ball Rice dropped). The announcers rightly pointed out that it was a play that had not been designed to go to Rice, which explains why he wasn’t expecting it, but that Favre saw the opening and got it there in a hurry. My bet (reading the writing on the wall): those are plays we make consistently in a few weeks. And, if so, we have a lot to look forward to.

by Anthony Carter on Oct 7, 2009 2:50 PM CDT up reply actions

Been waiting for Sidney

I was hoping he’d break out last season, but the injury slowed him all year. I’m not sure about the game ball thing, but he is looking awesome. The first ever viking player to recover two on side kicks in the same game. Sidney has looked great the last few games, he probably will get a game ball sometime this season.

by Duluth Viking on Oct 7, 2009 12:09 PM CDT reply actions

I am definitely stoked

about the emerging Favre-Rice chemistry. Even the emerging Favre-Berrian chemistry. For once, somebody stopped the run and, by golly, we weren’t screwed. We had a plan B that may have been even better than plan A.

Purple is the new black.

by steezah on Oct 7, 2009 12:56 PM CDT reply actions

I like plan A better

Favre can’t do that for 19 games at his age. We feature the run in about 1/2 our games to keep Favre fresh enough for the playoffs. Glad he can pull out this kind of game when we need it, but but I’d rather see opposing defenses beat up by the running game unable to stop us in the 4th for a come from behind victory than to struggle against a relatively fresh D in the 4th trying to hold off a comeback.

by ChemErik on Oct 7, 2009 1:14 PM CDT up reply actions

Agree but...

We have to be able to take what the defense gives us. The last couple of years that didn’t happen. Chili would have just kept trying to exert his will and we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere. This game is the first step into opening up the offense so AP can have better running lanes. Now teams will have to respect our passing as well.
I think GB must have been believing all the negative comments about BF because they were just too set on stopping AP they didn’t even adjust at half time.

by midnightwonder on Oct 7, 2009 1:28 PM CDT up reply actions

I don't think this is something you can get made at Chilli for

Chili didn’t do that in prior years because he had BF. When he needed to try & did try it, if didn’t work (see: playoff loss).

I hope all those who posted here in mid-august about how Chili was hurting the team, blowing his locker room cred, all that, by giving Favre special treatment, driving him from the airporst, letting him come in in the middle of camp, etc. will post public retractions (some have, but not directly addressing apologizing what was said about Chili). Chili, like he should have, did exactly what he thought was in the overall best intersests of the football team, criticism be damned.

by puddnhead on Oct 7, 2009 1:51 PM CDT up reply actions

I’ve been tough on Chili for other reasons in the past, but believe he did what he had to with Favre’s indecisiveness. Hell, I even granted Favre room to be indecisive, believing all along that his body was saying “No” and that it actually took until Chili’s last call for him to finally commit to being a Viking in 2009.

Publicly, however, I have been VERY HARD on Rice the last couple of years, even believing that much of TJ’s failure to produce was actually owed to Rice’s inability to get open. So, in effect, this post was my attempt to come around on a guy I have not been willing to stand behind. Of course, I’ve wanted nothing more than for him to have a coming out year. More games like the game against the Whacker’s and he’s my turn-around player of the year.

by Anthony Carter on Oct 7, 2009 2:45 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm not saying there's a new Plan A

Plan A is the best player in the NFL. But seriously, you have to be refreshed by the vitality of the pass game to defer to.

Purple is the new black.

by steezah on Oct 7, 2009 2:52 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm not saying there should be a new Plan A

Plan A is the best player in the NFL. But seriously, having a viable plan B as a deferral is plenty refreshing.

Purple is the new black.

by steezah on Oct 7, 2009 2:54 PM CDT up reply actions

Ha Sorry

That post didn’t go thru, so I wrote it again, then both went thru. Apologies.

Purple is the new black.

by steezah on Oct 7, 2009 2:54 PM CDT up reply actions

Nice post

I thought about posting something about Sidney after the game. I was glad to see his name called after the first touchdown, but then he kept showing up in good ways all night. Barrian, Harvin and Rice is just barely starting to look like the closest thing we could ever hope to getting back to our 3 Deep; Carter, Moss and Reed. Add AP to the Mix and a solid defense and it looks like We’re comin’… WE’RE COMMMMIIIIIIINNNN’!!!

Fire Childress!

by dwarg on Oct 7, 2009 1:52 PM CDT reply actions

Miss those years terribly...

…and feeling like this might be our redemption song.

by Anthony Carter on Oct 7, 2009 2:46 PM CDT up reply actions

The infamous KAO!

Anybody else get the feeling that Childress was up all night after the game with this running through his head? It sure was running through mine!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPmVhyHBRAM
OK so i’m not the most computer literate person in the world so you may have to copy and paste—sorry

by stratoscaster on Oct 7, 2009 4:05 PM CDT reply actions

The KAO was much uglier than Peter Boyle. I think we’re seeing BF starring as the Audible King, in all likelihood, not the real KAO. For one thing, we’re seeing way too many passes downfield in the last 2 games to be the real KAO, which always preaches a short pass, even when many yards (6-11+) are needed to achieve a first down.

by KC Viking on Oct 7, 2009 10:02 PM CDT up reply actions

More likely...

Chilli’s new QB is ‘Puttin the Ritz’ on his ‘not so’-KAO.

Ritzin’ it!

I BELIEVE...

by ArizonaVikingsFan on Oct 7, 2009 10:09 PM CDT up reply actions

I agree

In fact, I believe Rice has been like this the entire year. It’s nice to see him put it all together. He has amazing hands, can out-jump just about anyone, and has pretty good speed. I’ve always like Sidney, and I’m glad he’s stepping it up.

by PurplePeopleEaters09 on Oct 7, 2009 4:30 PM CDT reply actions

Cris Carter reincarnated?

Only my brother-in-law can confirm, but i was predicting before the game started that with all the hype on Favre, Peterson and Jared Allen, the game would end up being decided by big plays from Rice.

I wasn’t that far off the mark. Favre was amazing — but he has been before throughout his career. Allen did what everyone expected him to do — exploit weak 2d and 3d stringers and a game plan that apparently ignroed him when Rodgers went to 5-7 step drop instead of the usual 3-step drop.

Rice was incredible. He is a PERFECT match for Favre. He has great hands, tall, adequate speed, and is running great routes (finally) and can catch the lasers that Favre throws WITH HIS HANDS. This game he lloked so much like CC it was uncanny. He even caught a ball 2 yards short of the 1st down marker and as he fell to the ground he reached forward with the ball to hit the ground where the marker was. AND THEN, when he lost control after it hit the ground, he had the presence of mind to bat the ball out of bounds, JUST IN CASE the official called it a fumble. Such game presence I have never seen from any other receiver — except for CC.

And then, to top it off, he made 2 incredible game-saving catches: on 2 perfect onside kicks (why can’t everyone do that in the dome???), Rice looked like a fearless Randy Moss, soaring higher than the opponent and snatching the ball with two hands (at least on the 1st one, the 2d he used his body) and to secure the ball, knowing he was going to get hit hard as he came down.

Can you really imagine what would have happened to the Vikings’ season if he had not made either of those 2 final leaping catches? The way the Pack was playing at that point, if they had recovered, is there any reason to doubt they had a better than 50-50 shot of scoring? After that game, if the Vikes had blown it in the last 3 minutes, giving up 17 points to lose it, in front of one of the most widely-watched regular season games in history, I am not all confident the team’s psyche could have recovered for the rest of the season. It would have doom and gloom, here we go again. Fire Chilly, etc.

Combine the degree of difficulty of those two catches with the possible consequences of failure on those 2 plays, and I would nominate them as two of the biggest plays of the game, up there with Favre’s last 2 TD passes, the throw to Harvin, and the Safety.

There is no obvious reason to think that Rice will regress. Indeed, it appears he is finally coming of age. It bodes well, given Favre’s arm display in that game. Harvin and Rice grabbing Favre’s bullets all over the field, softening the secondary to free up Peterson — look out NFL. If we play like that against the Ravens and Giants, the Vikes will be the odds-on-favorite to win the SB come January.

Speed AND hands. If we all are stoked about the play of our 3 WRs, imagine how Favre must be feeling about it!! His body may be aching, but I bet his mouth is salivating.

TiggerSr

by TiggerSr on Oct 7, 2009 6:45 PM CDT reply actions

I don't know about that.

GB’s d-backs aren’t the fastest in the NFL by any means, so let’s not suggest that Sidney is fast. We’ll find out if he has adequate speed vs. the Giants and Ravens and a few teams like that.

Finally having 1-2 decent games in his 4th year certainly does not equate him anywhere near CC just yet.

I agree with you that Sidney was a key reason the Vikings won, though.

by KC Viking on Oct 7, 2009 10:05 PM CDT up reply actions

Nice.

A little premature comparing him to CC, but I’m with you on feeling the rise.

by Anthony Carter on Oct 7, 2009 10:34 PM CDT up reply actions

Didn’t mean to suggest he is anywhere near as great as CC yet — but, his style of play is so similar. CC did not have blazing speed either. He used his hands and his body. That is how Rice has been succeeding.

Maybe my expectations have been warped by so many years watching Troy Williamson and a cast of mediocre receivers. But right now, Harvin and Rice look special to me. Berrian looks adequate for a deep threat. I may be way off here, but time will tell.

I mean come on, Greg Lewis makes one of the best catches I have ever seen in week #3, and he can’t even get on the damn field in week #4. Something’s up here.

TiggerSr

by TiggerSr on Oct 7, 2009 11:40 PM CDT up reply actions

+2

Sidney was looking like everything we had hoped for from him, finally. It was appalling to me when I realized that he had been in leg brace since last October, he’s really showing what he can do now that it’s off. Back in the spring it was Rice and Jaymar Johnson who attended Cris Carter and Jerry Rice’s ‘WR Clinic’ and while JJ got Cris’ praise, when all was said and done it’s been Sidney Rice who’s excelled the most.

Speaking of those on-side kicks… let’s give Chilly his share of the credit for putting Rice in the right position on the Special Teams unit to make those plays happen, it was inspired.

Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!

by DCPurple on Oct 8, 2009 7:39 AM CDT up reply actions

He even caught a ball 2 yards short of the 1st down marker and as he fell to the ground he reached forward with the ball to hit the ground where the marker was. AND THEN, when he lost control after it hit the ground, he had the presence of mind to bat the ball out of bounds

I think that was Berrian… 1st drive??

I BELIEVE...

by ArizonaVikingsFan on Oct 8, 2009 2:18 PM CDT up reply actions

Ooops.

TiggerSr

by TiggerSr on Oct 8, 2009 2:32 PM CDT up reply actions

Berrian's Extension

This was the one reception that I personally found most thrilling; Berrian on a sideline vertical and Favre connecting by dropping the ball ahead of Berrian so that BB had to stretch a bit to catch it and then kept running in stride for the TD.

That’s one of my favorite passes; you really have to know the WR’s speed to do it right, but if the WR has any kind of decent speed, there’s not a damned thing the defense can do to stop it. It’s almost a guaranteed TD, but it does require a real speedster of a WR to pull it together. Berrian didn’t achieve more separation but they couldn’t close on him either, so he was enough.

That pass showed me that Favre was really comfortable with Berrian and I think we’re going to see more of that as the season continues.

by DCPurple on Oct 9, 2009 3:21 PM CDT up reply actions

He owes it all...

to his new hyperbaric chamber. I remember seeing on the news, Rice brought one to training camp. I guess he figured if it works for Sharper… What the Hell.

Throwing things at the television since Sunday, December 28, 1975.

by cryhavoc on Oct 7, 2009 8:51 PM CDT reply actions

the chamber didn't work for Sharper last year

by solafide on Oct 7, 2009 10:10 PM CDT up reply actions

It must have had a leak...

last year, cause it seems to be working for him this year.

Throwing things at the television since Sunday, December 28, 1975.

by cryhavoc on Oct 7, 2009 11:26 PM CDT reply actions

Different team, different opportunities.

The Saints are a better match for his me-first ball hawking skills. Don’t get me wrong, I like the guy. But he is more interested in his own stats than making the smart play.

by Bjorno on Oct 8, 2009 10:00 AM CDT up reply actions

So true.

"What is best in life?"
"To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women."

by cryhavoc on Oct 8, 2009 1:18 PM CDT reply actions

Really Jared Allen should get that ball

safety, 4.5 sacks, fumble… C’mon! Rodger probably still sees him Coming at him at night when he’s dreaming. I wouldn’t be suprised if he woke up in a cold sweat the night before our next game against him.

by Grime on Oct 8, 2009 3:58 PM CDT reply actions

No doubt. But Sidney finally came with it. Allen has given us many great performance. My vote is still with Rice, who may have taken the biggest step of his career this past week.

by Anthony Carter on Oct 8, 2009 5:16 PM CDT up reply actions

Actually ... that's a very good point

Unless something changes drastically in next two games (they have bye this week), I think ARod will probably be frozen like a deer in headlight on 11/1. PTSD City.

by puddnhead on Oct 9, 2009 1:59 PM CDT up reply actions