Daily Norseman: FanPosts

Bye week thoughts on upcoming 2nd half.

2009-11-07T06:00:45Z

So, here we are, lucky enough to get our bye week right in the middle of the season. Myself, I like having bye weeks around mid point, nice break and time to rest as well as tweak the team to improve certain situations. Our's so far, not sure whether getting complacent or tired, but preventing 3rd and 4th quarter Defensive collapses that have plagued us the last 3 games. Thankfully against the Pack, the D suddenly reawakened in the middle of the 4th to finally shut the game down. Hopefully, Chilly and the boy's are working on that as well as trying to open up hole's for A.P. So, with those thoughts put down, I wonder what everyone's thoughts are on the 2nd half starting next week. Looking ahead, the schedule is partial fluff with Detroit, Seattle and a suddenly declining and schizo Carolina (Tho my feelings it's more of a overrated coach then players). Depending on how well Crybaby Cutler is doing in Chicago, it can be easily a sweep or a split, so erring on the side of caution, I will say split, but I really see a sweep as well. Thats leaves 3 teams that really concern me. Arizona, N.Y. and yes Virginia, the Bengals.

Arizona - There are 3 simple reasons why this team should always be considered dangerous, no matter the record: Fitzgerald, Boldin (when healthy) and Warner. All 3 have the abilities to put up good numbers at anytime against any team (just ask N.Y.). For the most part, have beaten teams they should have, excluding last weeks loss to the Panthers which may be more of an anomaly. Their rushing D has improved over last year and while ranked 17 at present, has been known to make some plays as well as hold the line too. Right now, they do not appear to be suffering the dreaded losing team "Superbowl Hangover". Of course, looking at their schedule, with the exception of the Colts (who they lost too) and the Vikes, for the most part appears to be soft. Some will say they may be over rated, but a team that has the ability to bite you in the ass if youre not careful, such as letting big leads slip in the 3rd quarter, always should be taken into account. While I am calling this one a victory, it will come in the expense of a little a$$ pucker as well. Vikings win 34 - 31

Giants - This is a team that has been a thorn in our sides for some time. Yeah, we beat them last year to win the North, but we didn't score our last 10 points until the 4th Quarter, after most of their starters were rested in the 2nd half (Giants were already in the playoffs). Before that, the Giants had won 3 straight in Minny.Yes, they have lost 3 in a row right now, but this team has had rough spots before. Remember a few years ago, when some players and fans were calling for Coughlin's head? Then they turned around and beat an undefeated team in the Superbowl. Like Eli or not, he does produce even if he has a rough game here and there, they all do. The receiving corp seems to be adjusting well with the loss of Plaxico "What hole in my leg?" Burress. Between Jacobs and Bradshaw, set in the RB position too. While they are going through a rough patch, this team will right itself and soon. This is gonna be a close one as well. And given it's the last game of the season, and the way things are looking, we may be the team in "coast" mode as at present, the Pack and Bears don't seem to be a challenge for the North. I am saying the Giants in this one as we more then likely be having second team guys in there, but make no mistake, even if we were both fighting for our playoff lives, it would still be close with a good chance of N.Y. winning. Giants 21-17

Bengals - What team will they be when we meet them in week 14? Will they do a late season collapse, something they have done in the past, or will they still be tearing it up? While I think Baltimore is over rated right now, the fact they took it to the end and beat the Steelers and lost to the Broncos on a pure fluke play tell's me that yes, they have awaken. Look at what they did against a supposed "contender" team in the Bears, 45 - 10. Sure, they went into O.T. against the Browns, but the 0-16 Lions gave us a scare last season in the first game between us. They have a very capable QB in Palmer who is another that can run up good numbers against any team, a good WR in Chad "pick my name of the week" OchocincoschizoJohnson and Benson has finally become the RB the Bears wished he had been. Seems like that's been the case for the Bears since Payton retired. Their D is ranked higher overall then ours with a 5th ranked rushing D. Though their passing D isn't ranked all that much higher then our's. While their O is not as loaded as ours, they are capable. Another game I think we will win, but just barely. Vikings 24-20

Prediction - So, at the current pace, if Favre remains healthy, I think we will finish 13-3 with a throw away game against N.Y. as we will have wrapped up the North. Make it 14-2 if Crybaby Cutler and the Bears continue to implode. A few close games against very capable and scary teams (AZ, Cincy) . However, God forbid, if something does happen to Favre, those games against Arizona and Cincy could quickly change into their favor as well as the game in Chicago and perhaps Carolina with an outside chance, tho unlikely. So, keep your fingers crossed and hope for a healthy season for our QB.

What are your thoughts, predictions?

All About "Housh"

2009-11-07T01:35:25Z

I have pity for humble players like Matty B. (still wish he wouldn't have left) but one person who is personal looser is "Housh the Douche". He complained that the reason why he didn't want to come here is because of our QB situation (i didn't think was to shaby" now look at him, he can't stop complaining about the QB situation there (haha meant to be a bad joke). But i don't think anyone here can complain, we got, "Lord O'' Percy. The only thing that i am still confused about was why he thought an injured QB was better than 2 QB's (not the smartest guy out there)

Troy Williamson Update

2009-11-07T00:42:45Z

Former Viking Troy Williamson has three catches for thirty-four yards with the Jaguars, along with a fumble, for the entire season. He has not played since the third game of the season, and is not listed on the Jaguars' injury report.

I bring this up because I remember some talk this past August about how Williamson was catching everything that came his way in training camp. I also remember some Viking fans--not many, but some--blaming Brad Childress for Williamson's failure to fulfill his promise as a high draft pick.

I am not one to heap praise on Childress, but since Williamson has apparently been benched in Jacksonville after failing to catch much of anything, I think it is safe to say Childress did not mis-handle Williamson.

Start Wearing Purple

2009-11-06T22:05:41Z

This is what it comes to during a bye week.

I have long thought that the Vikings should use this as their theme song (not to displace the Skol Vikings fight song, as this is most definitely not a fight song and Skol is awesome); sort of like how the Red Sox use Sweet Caroline as their de facto theme song. (By the way, lyrics ARE safe for work.)

This song is by the great band of Gogol Bordello (the lead singer is from Ukraine, and hence some of the lyrics are not in English, plus he is also nutty), and it fits perfectly for the Vikings, as you can tell by the title. The song would be a festive, quasi-drinking song to warm our spirits during the game.

I hope someone from the Vikings organization reads this and implements my idea. A great way to get the crowd going rather than the cliche music they normally play at games (let it be noted that I have not attended a game in a year or two, but I imagine it has not changed much, if any).

Built From The Ground Up! Vikings are 16–4 Over Last 20 Regular Season Games

2009-11-06T19:45:33Z

After starting the 2008 season 1-3, the Vikings have somewhat quietly gone 16 – 4 over their last 20 regular season games, or 16–5 if you include the Eagles Wild Card game last January. I say quietly because I haven’t heard the national media demonstrate any awareness of this gaudy record. We all know that the Vikes have been on a roll. In the back of my mind I was cognizant that it extended to last season. However, I didn’t realize the full extent of it until this week.

A statement attributed to Ted Thompson currently posted on the Acme Packing Company’s blog site started me thinking. Ted apparently said: "I’d say we (the Packers) have an excellent shot at the wild card or even if the Vikings have their annual collapse even maybe the division…". I started to think about historic Vikings collapses that are too painful to go into here, and then it hit me. I couldn’t remember a collapse in the Brad Childress era, so I started digging. Sorry Ted, but I found just the opposite of what you are hoping for… there aren’t any.

Childress has been much maligned since arriving here in Minnesota. He brought most of it on himself early on with his stealth secrecy and some early personnel moves that didn’t seem wise at the time. His game day coaching skills were also suspect especially early on. I have criticized him myself on many occasions, but now it’s time for me to give him his due.

The Vikings front office has been masterfully built by the Wilfs, Rob Brzezinski and Childress. Rick Spielman, Scott Studwell and the scouting team have done a great job of assessing talent and filling roster holes using both the draft and free agency.

They have been built from the ground up. Having the courage to draft Adrian Peterson in spite of injury concerns obviously almost alone has propelled the Vikings from a decent team to a playoff team. But since 2005 there have also been many key free agent acquisitions like Brett Favre, Steve Hutchinson, Jerad Allen, Chester Taylor, Bernard Berrian, and Madieu Williams. Each one of these acquisitions addressed a specific roster need and made the team stronger.

The Vikings have also made some incredibly good draft choices 2006 – 2009. Chad Greenway, Cedric Griffin, Tarvaris Jackson, Ray Edwards, Sydney Rice, Brian Robison, Tyrell Johnson, John Sullivan, Percy Harvin, Phil Loadholt and of course Adrian have really solidified the team. Most are starters now, and all have made big contributions.

The Vikings have the elements of a championship team. Most people have attributed the addition of Favre as the single most important change that has contributed to this season’s record of 7-1. That’s a fair point. However, the nucleus was there last year when the Vikings finished 2008 going 9-3. Hats off to Childress and the fron office for building this Vikings team the right way.

Hopefully the Vikings talent will lead them to a Super Bowl win and the Lombardi Trophy. Enjoy the ride!

What Aaron and Brett were talking about, in my imagination

2009-11-06T07:07:22Z

Transcript to this conversation;
ARod: Brett, I'm so sorry Ted Thompson is such a jerk. It's been a year since I've seen you in person... what do you think? Am I a real Field General now?

Brett: Nice try kid, but you ran my 13-3 Championship calibre team off the playoff road and into a 6-10 team last year. No Aaron, you're not a real Field General yet, but you just saw one beat your ass.

Arod: "Brett, you beat us twice but I almost led two comebacks when your defense went out for brats and I have a stack of statistics! Am I a real Field General now?

Brett; "No kid, you're still not a real Field General, but you can buy one of my jerseys in the Lambeau Pro shop and wear it to bed tonight....
and Hey Kid... About those statistics... you know while you were sitting on your big pile of stats last year during the playoffs and Superbowl?... Big Ben had 15 Td's and 11 Ints and won the Superbowl. Keep that in mind kid.
Also kid..when they fill you full of all that "he said he was going to retire thing "... remind them that Don Hutson and Forrest Gregg, two of the greatest Packers ever, retired and unretired 7 or 8 times between them, all while playing for the Packers. Remind those chuckleheads that Darren Sharper and Ryan Longwell both left the Packers for the Vikings. Remind them that Donald Driver had a try out for the Vikings during his restricted free agency with Green Bay.

AROD: "Hey Brett, you got any tips for me?"

Brett: "Yeah Kid, stop holding the ball so long, learn to read defenses and blitzes..feel the pressure, and stop playing against the Vikings."

Arod: "But Brett, what about all those Interceptions you threw over your career? I'm scared to get rid of the ball because I might throw an interception and Teddy and Mikey will be so mad at me.

Brett: "Ah kid, after 14 sacks I thought you'd realize that's been blown all out of proportion. My interception ratio is 3.3%, thats lower than Terry Bradshaw. How many Superbowls did he win kid? Damn Aaron, I can't loan you my testicular fortitude, you can't be scared to throw a few picks. Live wild, don't be a bitch.

Think about Babe Ruth kid... Everyone loves Babe... He was the home run king but he also led in strikeouts. He played for the Redsox and then played for their arch rival, the Yankees. They loved Babe kid, they even named a candy bar after him. You're 10-13 and they named a street after you for 2 days. Don't worry about picks and stats Kid, just stay off your back and win.
I know you're feeling all beat up and tough, but I played through a broken collar bone courtesy of Reggie White, I played with broken fingers, broken toes, feet, ankles, once I played in a body cast blindfolded and we still beat the Bears. I played through addictions, deaths, cancer and Ray Rhodes. You just need to loosen up a little kid. Shee-it, I used to smoke cigarettes and throw up in the huddle because I was so drunk. Bobby Layne taught me that one. You should have paid more attention while you were holding my clip board, you could've learned something from me.

Fantasy North Challenge Standings

2009-11-06T02:38:30Z

The Citrus Boy has had a rough fantasy season. I will post our "unofficial DN League" standings soon. I have finagled, traded and waivered my self into some respectability. U don't mind taking a back seat to my fellow Vikes fans from DN fans but I won't swallow being bettered by the division rivals. Come on Vikes guys! Let's move up the ladder.

This has been a tight league full of tight games so here is how we are faring. Wish us luck. I'll get DN leagues up this weekend. Dheer us on in this one guys. Great Vikings season so far. Don't worry,. We will crush New Orleans when it counts

NFC North Bloggers Challenge Standings

DIVISION 1
TEAM	W	L	T	PCT	GB
Cutler's Bears	6	2	0	.750	--
Lion In Wait	5	3	0	.625	1
Citrus Vikings	5	3	0	.625	1
Chi-town Da Bears	5	3	0	.625	1
Pack Attack	4	4	0	.500	2
Crenshaw Mafia	3	5	0	.375	3
Bear Down Chicago Bears	3	5	0	.375	3
Barbarian Warrior	3	5	0	.375	3
Minnesota Dark Force	3	5	0	.375	3
MoTown Pride	3	5	0	.375	3

My one question imaginary interview with Brett Favre

2009-11-06T00:25:09Z

My one question imaginary interview with Brett Favre.

Brett, Now that you and the Vikings have swept the Packers in 2009, do you have any regrets about coming to the Vikings?

Brett Favre; "Yeah... I regret we don't play them 16 times this year and I regret they're in the NFC because I'd like to beat their a** in the Superbowl too."

Sorry I have to write 75 words and that was only 65 according to the site rules... follow up question Brett..

Brett, since you threw for 515 yards and 7 TD's without turning the ball over and you and the Vikings swept the Packers in 2009, do you think Viking fans have any regrets that the Vikings signed you?

Brett Favre; "Yeah... I think they regret that we don't play the Packers 16 times this year and I think they regret that Green Bay is in the NFC, because they'd like to see us beat their tails in the Superbowl too.

Thank you for your taking the time to answer my imaginary questions Brett.

Brett: "You're welcome"

The 2010 DRAFT- Part 1- What the Vikings need

2009-11-05T19:39:38Z

There seems to be some interest already in the next draft. In this series we will break down the players needed by the Vikings and what to look for in a prospect at that position. Lets keep in mind that the players needed change often due to free agent signings and free agent losses and injuries. But in part one we will look at general guidelines and then continue with specific areas in later posts.

PRESENT VIKING TEAM AND NEEDS

VIKING PLAYERS BECOMING FREE AGENT( list from Walterfootball.com)

Below is a depth chart and the year each NFL player will be a free agent. Keep in mind that the players listed are notable ones; players at the bottom of the depth chart will not be on this list.

Free agents to be following the 2009 NFL season are marked as "2010" because they become free agents on March 1, 2010. The same goes for future seasons. Age is as of Sept. 1, 2009.

Last updated: Sept. 11, 2009

Quarterback Age Free Agency Year

Brett Favre 39 2011

Sage Rosenfels 31 2012

Tarvaris Jackson 26 2010

Running Back Age Free Agency Year

Adrian Peterson 24 2013

Chester Taylor 29 2010

Naufahu Tahi 27 2010

Jeff Dugan 28 2012

Wide Receiver Age Free Agency Year

Bernard Berrian 28 2014

Sidney Rice 23 2011

Percy Harvin 21 2014

Greg Lewis 29 N/A

  

Tight End Age Free Agency Year

Visanthe Shiancoe 29 2012

Jim Kleinsasser 32 2012

Offensive Tackle Age Free Agency Year

Bryant McKinnie 29 2014

Phil Loadholt 23 2013

Drew Radovich 24 2011

Ryan Cook 26 2010

Guard Age Free Agency Year

Steve Hutchinson 31 2013

Anthony Herrera 29 2013

Artis Hicks 30 2010

Center Age Free Agency Year

John Sullivan 24 2012

Jon Cooper 22 N/A

 

Defensive End Age Free Agency Year

Jared Allen 27 2014

Ray Edwards 24 2010

Brian Robison 26 2011

Jayme Mitchell 25 2011

Defensive Tackle Age Free Agency Year

Kevin Williams 29 2015

Pat Williams 36 2011

Fred Evans 25 2010

Letroy Guion 22 2012

Outside Linebacker Age Free Agency Year

Chad Greenway 26 2011

Ben Leber 30 2011

Erin Henderson 23 2011 (RFA)

Heath Farwell 27 2012

Middle Linebacker Age Free Agency Year

E.J. Henderson 29 2012

Jasper Brinkley 24 2013

Cornerback Age Free Agency Year

Antoine Winfield 32 2014

Cedric Griffin 26 2014

Karl Paymah 26 2010

Asher Allen 21 2013

Safety Age Free Agency Year

Madieu Williams 27 2014

Tyrell Johnson 24 2012

Husain Abdullah 24 2011

Eric Frampton 25 2010 (RFA)

Jamarca Sanford 24 2013

Special Teamer	Age	Free Agency Year
Ryan Longwell	35	2011
Chris Kluwe	27	2014

The Vikings are in great shape with Travaris Jackson, Chester Taylor, Paymah, Ray Edwards, and Tahi as the possible losses from this team. Obviously 2011 looks a little more dangerous so we must look to shore up possible losses there in the process also.

3. Weaknesses on Existing Team

Wide Receiver – The Vikings could use a star Wide Receiver. So far Bernard Berrian has not been a true #1 but he is serviceable. The addition of Harvin could mean that the Vikes will use free agency for a WR since the position is not an emergency fill.

Quarterback – This is The most glaring hole for the Vikings. Brett is great until 2011 if he stays healthy and he isn't ready to retire. Travaris Jackson's contract is up in March. The player evaluators will have to either sign him or let him walk. The Sage Rosenfels pickup starts to look like a good move by the front office. It will be interesting to see how the Vikes feel about Travaris. He makes about 1 Million per year. Sage was purchased for 3 million per year. Farve for 12 million. What do the other NFL teams think Travaris is worth?

A first round pick between #25-32 will cost about 3 Million per year. Ist round picks are about 50/50 for success rate. 2nd round picks run about 29%, according to draft studies I have read.

Defensive Tackle – The Vikings Need a successor to Pat Williams . Pat can still play at a high level, but they need a backup plan to keep this shut down run defense going strong.Pats contract is up in 2011. The draft offers many opportunities for a late first round team to pick up the man of their dreams. The Vikings like them big and those that play the 4-3. The front office has proven with Phil Loadholt and Sullivan that they can evaluate lineman.

Cornerback – The Vikings are young (except for Winfield) and somewhat smallish in the backfield. This a make or break year for Paymah as his contract is up. Although older free agents usualy come on the market I feel as though the Vikings like thier scheme and are looking for that perfect draft choice. Remember last year they passed on Vontae Davis evn though he was available. If the right DB is available this year don't be surprised if the Vikings fill a need with the #1 pick. The draft services I read suggest this is a weak year for DB's however.

Center – . The Vikings are set for a starter since Sullivan has been all the Vikings have asked for at the position. However Ryan Cook has always been a backup center in a pinch and his contract is up. Look for a Cook signing to indicate that the Vikings are happy with their offensive line. Letting him go means they want to shoe up the O-Line this year with other talent. Letting a multi-use O-Lineman go is very indicative of where the Vikes think they are in terms of O-Line stability.

Running Back – Adrian Petersonis simply the best. To keep him that way Chester Taylor needs to be resigned or the Vikes will need to find the new guy in round s 2 or 3 of the draft. The way AP is starting to catch passes indicates that Chester will be gone. I don't blame the Vikes. Chester is almost thirty and gets paid Big Boy money by the Vikes. If another team wants to pay him then more power to Chester. If he wants to stay a Viking thats O.K with everyone. I bet he takes the money and moves on. Its his last contract and he is a great back. Look for a draft pick for this position.

Offensive Tackle – Never enough good tackles for one team. Ryan Cook's contract is up. Someday the left side will need to be replaced. Late draft picks can work ( see Sullivan) but this position must be properly filled to open up that running game and protect the Q.B. I don't see a #1 or #2 pick here.

3. Analysis

When I look at the way the Vikings are structured I see a team with a lot of flexibility. No question that the QB solution is the #1 need. No other glaring hole exists. Yet they have flexibility with Sage. This flexibility means that a draft pick or free agent pick-up must come in this year. That person must be ready to play in 2011. If the Vikes resign Travaris I suspect they will have determined that no one in this years draft is worth the price of admission. This looks like a bumper crop this year with 4-5 first rounders. Also a year with 4-5 teams that need a QB.

Spielman ( director of player personel) will be judged on his ability to deal with this situation. You will know where the Vikes are headed because Travaris must resign before the March deadline. He drafted Tavaris. His Quarterback history is bad. His other picks for the Vikes have been outstanding. There is a lot of pressure on Mr. Spielman this year.

Except for the QB situation the draft and free agency can be a windfall for the Vikings. They can take the best player available at needed positions and build a great team for the next 5-6 years.

This will be interesting.

The next installment will be on what to look for at different positions. For now I would love to hear your views on what the Vikings Need for to improve the team

if farve gets hurt

2009-11-05T16:31:39Z

It is very likely that our #1 qb gets hurt for at least part of a game or a couple of games. How does TJ perform?

I feel that if he comes into a game he will probably do well. This is due to the fact that the other team has prepared for Farve the whole week and TJ's mobility should cause problems. However the games after that would be questionable depending upon who we would be playing and if there is an open playbook and execution.

Does TJ get a get the hook quickly in favor of Rosen? Would we have to loose a couple of games before replacement? What sort of performance would make Chilly replace him?

Poll

injuries

Football Ninja's Bye Week Thoughts

2009-11-05T15:08:21Z

I know how important it is for everyone to take a whip around the brain of the football ninja, so here is a quick summary of my thoughts as it relates to your 2009 Minnesota Vikings. Of course the thought must start with...

The Bye Week.

Could it come at a better time? Ummm… No. Perfect timing, smack dab, right in the middle of the season. Now, seeing as how there is concern with Favre and his ability to stay healthy, if I could choose a place to put the bye it would be right here especially considering….

The Schedule.

…Coming out of the break we get to play 3 straight home games? And get to start that stretch against the lions? Shit, that’s almost like two bye weeks in a row. Plus what this means, in terms of the whole teams health, is we play our first 8 games, get a week off, play our second 8 games, get a week off, play two tough games, get a week off, and then play one more… In Miami… The schedule looks perfect… But…

The Saints.

God Damn, they look good. Real good.   Reminds me of the 98 vikes. High powered passing attack. High powered running game. Not a dominant defense, but a solid opportunistic and play making defense. A dome game between these two to get to the Superbowl would be a fun game to watch for NFL fans everywhere. By the end of year there is a very good chance these could be the number 1 and number 2 offenses in all of Pro Football… And I wouldn’t hate our chances in a dome against the Saints especially considering our newfound ability in the area of…

Game Planning.

The game planning for this coaching staff seems to be better than I remember, but maybe that is the Favre effect. Or maybe just the ‘having-a-starting-caliber-QB’ effect.   We cruised to 5-0 before everyone was like: ‘the next three will tell us where we are at’. Well first with the last game. We came out with a great game plan. We shut down that high potent offense. Shut them down. We got pressure on Rodgers while rushing only four and covered downfield with the other 7 long enough to put Rodgers on his back again and again. Offensively we had a great game plan for Brett. We neutralized the emotions by calling nice safe efficient “TJack-proof” passes. Got AP into the mix early, and let Brett slowly push back the situation allowing him to just play the game, and eventually help us take over. Our Game plan and execution of said plan put us up 24-3. The Pittsburgh game was the same way (good game plan). We felt them out in the beginning offensively and made sure to avoid the big mistake.   Played it safe to see what we could do and what we couldn’t do against that defense in one of the hardest places to play an away game. Defensively we shut down a qb and receiving core that was firing on all cylinders coming in, without our best player in the secondary. Our game plan put us in position to beat the Super Bowl Champs on their home turf. And we would have, if not for a TD taken away, and a couple of unfortunate defensive touchdowns for Tomlin’s crew. Oh yeah and Baltimore. Baltimore is a really good team. You won’t find many who will disagree with that. Strong offensively and defensively, and very well coached. We were up 27-10 with about 10 minutes left in the 4th quarter! We had a plan and executed that plan to near perfection, until the end of the game which brings me to…

Late Game Near Collapses.

First keep in mind. These were near-collapses, not total collapses, not total meltdowns. I don’t know exactly what is happening here. I hope Fraier and Childress can figure it out. I disagree with those who think we are losing our aggressiveness late in games, blitzing wise. Maybe our secondary is backing up another couple of yards in order to stop the huge plays which is creating spaces that aren’t usually there which is snowballing into the offense being able to get into rhythms which then swings momentum and confidence for both sides and so on. Maybe. I can buy that, get more aggressive in the sense that we should stick with the same exact defense we had been playing the whole game, sure. But I don’t like this ‘we need to blitz more and more’ attitude. These late game situations are exactly where JA and company should excel. Up big, opposing offense is turning one dimensional, pin the ears back and get that QB. When both the big collapses happened we were playing Rodgers and Flacco. Both, especially Rodgers, had been beating us almost exclusively WHEN we were blitzing. He would find the void that the blitzer left and get the ball out fast. No, I will argue, we should have everyone in coverage and get to the QB in those passing situations which makes me think that the real reason for such a collapse is…Conditioning. I think those guys were tired in both those games. Look at the classic tell tale sign. The hands on the hips. Re-Watch the games if you can. They were tired, just tired enough to not get to the QB, just tired enough to not be able to tackle ray rice, just tired enough to not be able to get to the point of the field where they should be just a fraction of a second earlier. That’s my take. In the earlier years of my Viking fanship, these collapses would have ended in losses, but not this year, because this year we have…

The KAO.

Wow. This offense is kicking ass. Very entertaining. Did they actually call an 18-yard pass route on 3rd and 17 last week? No draw play to Chester? Yes, they did. And it worked.

But then again, this offense should Kick Ass. I mean seriously… Solid offensive line. HOF QB. Best RB in the League. Very good TE. Speedster field stretching WR. 6-4 Huge radius, amazing hands, WR. That new slot guy… Yeah, you know, that slot guy. He is one of the very impressive …

Rookies.

Percy Harvin is awesome. This guy is explosive. Can you say, Rookie of the year? I don’t know what to say about him. He looks amazing on special teams. He has made huge plays at huge times. Momentum changing plays. He is special. He is doing wonderful in the passing game. And remember, WR is one of the toughest positions for rookies to come in and excel in. He wasn’t running these routes in college. But he is running them great already. 8-Games in. Awesome. I can’t wait to see what he looks like a couple years down the road. Oh yeah, and DAMN, he is a tough little son of a bitch. I was not expecting that, he is only 5-11, 184 but he does not go down easy. He fights, and twists, and turns, and puts on the Jets. Awesome. Also, Loadhalt is playing great. Yes great. He is pass protecting beautifully the last couple of games and run blocking equally as well. What a draft choice that is going to be. I’m telling you right now, Loadholt will be holding down a tackle position in the NFL for a long time. These first two rounds worked out perfect.    The book is open on Asher Allen. And the other rookies? I have heard their names called on special teams a couple times, speaking of…

Special Teams.

Wow. What a turn around. Coverage and return teams look SOOOOO much better. The vikes lead the league in average starting position after kick offs and coverage teams look completely different from last year. Credit this coaching staff. (And Harvin, and Farwell) But especially this coaching staff. This was a huge problem last year, so they went out and got special teams play makers through the later rounds in the draft and through free agency. And now that phase of the game is a strong suit, not the weak link it was last year. I like the attitude of ‘there is a problem, lets fix it’. I like it alot! What a great job by…

The Organization.

Organizations win super bowls. Not Quarterbacks, Not Defenses, Not Players, Not Coaches, Organizations. And wow what a job of personnel building this organization has done. The Vikings are stacked with talent. And they built the team just the way that they wanted to. We drafted and pieced together the puzzle. Without going through all the pieces, I’ll just look at a couple instances.  Great operations.   Go back a couple years, what did they say: Start in the trenches. Soooo... they steal Hutch away from Seattle. Then, when we all knew that our defense was good but hated that the secondary was getting burned, we knew what we needed was an edge rusher. So... we go out and trade for Allen, what a signing. Awesome. Or remember when we desperately needed some kind of receiving threat, I do. So... we went out of our way and got the best free agent WR available in Berrian, and paid him because he was the best available. How about this past offseason?  We needed help on special teams, well we saw what we did. And, of course, finally, we needed a conductor of the orchestra so we went and got…

Brett Favre.

Is there really anywhere else to end in a thought process of the 2009 Vikings? I don’t need to break down stats, or convince anyone of anything. If you watched the 2008 Vikings and compare them to the 2009 Vikings, there is one huge difference, one thing that is going to shine brighter than everything else….

Brad Childresses’ Beard.

Yup. That’s why the 2009 Vikes are destined. Because of the Beard.

That’s all.

Go Vikes.

ALL hail Childress

2009-11-05T05:36:26Z

Yup. I'm back. I just wanted to say a couple things.

Look at the franchise that knocked us out of the playoffs two years ago. The washington Redskins. Look at the Tampa Bay BUCS.. look at the Browns and the Lions.

Focus on how quickly they went from good to bad. focus on how long they went from bad to still bad.

Then look at the year by year progress of CHILLY.

He got rid of the bad blood. He brought in key free agents. Retained great free agents. Made great drafts.

You can gripe about his play calling that one time in PITTSBURGH.. or on some goal line stands and FG settlings. (even though we rank high in red zone) you can argue hypotheticals all you want.

But now "he" is 7-1. Even if we lose in the first round of the playoffs.. he deserves super props, because our team, Aside form Favre and Pat Williams, is quite youthfull! We have a great future!

Have any of you guys come around yet to see the "big picture" and see how franchises are ran? It's not a quick fix. I know, if we didnt have favre, we'd easily be 4 and 3 right now. But we have him, and he's the main reason why. If we didn't have trestman, our current roster, and if CHILLY wasn't willing to stick his head out for him and keep after him, he wouldn't be here.

We should all be in a pretty great mood here on the bye, no major injuries... 7 and 1... easy schedule coming up. I am excited and I know all of you are, but all you people that wanted to fire childress were being impatient, short sighted and "roobish. "

Look how bad the SKINS got.. look how AWFUL the seahawks are. they have/had as much talent as we do! Just not a great coach =p Look at the TITANS! wtf?! We have a solid stable team even when favre and Pat WIlliams leave. we will be ok!

May as well give CHILLY a 2 year extension. He built the team in the first 3 years.. now he's got some time to win it all or get close.

skol vikes

In regards to Lee Terry, Nebraska Congressman

2009-11-05T01:16:49Z

So, most of us have heard his rather candid thoughts on the Vikings and Minnesota as well. "Maybe Minneapolis without the Vikings is the appropriate remedy" My feelings, on this matter, strike back. The following is his contact info:

https://leeterryforms.house.gov/Contact_Form.shtml

Campaign Headquarters:

2941 South 120th Street

Omaha, NE 68144

Mailing Address:

PO Box 540098
Omaha, NE 68154

Phone: 402-691-0333
Fax: 402-691-0319
Email: lee@leeterry.com

Staff

David Bywater- bywater@leeterry.com

So, at this moment, Im pissed. This idiot had no right to say what he did without all the facts. This blatant comment only confirms that he is judging before such facts are fully heard. I say inundate the media with this and the anger over his statements. If there is an editorial or call in show, do it. Turn some heat on the asshole I say.

The reason i love Favre

2009-11-04T21:33:41Z

Here is the reason i love Favre, and hate him too.

He breaks my heart when he is on the other team. Now that he is a Vikings i could not be happier. I can't remember to when, i look forwards to the next Vikings game. But this year. Favre has put life into my season.

My day goes as my Vikings goes. I could remember when the Vikes lose. I could not watch sport for the reast of the day. I found this anatomy of a play. I hope tjack and rosencopter could learn from this. BB said the Favre susgested the play which is interesting. the precision of his pases

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-films-anatomy-of-a-play/09000d5d813f1f00/WK-8-Anatomy-Favre-s-4th-TD-pass-in-Lambeau

Ross Tucker Blasts McCarthy

2009-11-04T19:27:13Z

I just wanted to point out this story by Ross Tucker on SI where he basically says MM blew the game for the Pack. he end with this quote:

What is indisputable, at least based upon this season, is the Vikings coaches have the upper hand against their counterparts in Green Bay.

Now that may relect more on MM than it does on Chilly, but it does suggest that Chilly is doing something right which is a long ways from my 2008 thoughts on his coaching ability.

Best Clutch Quarterbacks

2009-11-04T02:42:25Z

Saw this one, Forbes did a top 10 list for current QB's who do best in clutch situations. I would have to admit, looking over the list, I would pretty much have to agree. So here you go

1. Tom Brady

2. Ben Roethlisberger

3. Eli Manning

4. Peyton Manning

5. Philip Rivers

6. Donovan McNabb

7. Brett Favre

8. Carson Palmer

9. Drew Brees (tho not much of an issue this year)

10. Kurt Warner

Flying under the radar

2009-11-04T02:02:30Z

For the last few years, the Super Bowl champion has often been a team that ~~goes undefeated~~ ~~gets talked about a lot~~ flies under the radar during the regular season...

Thus far, the following teams seem to be getting most of the press:

New Orleans--Wow, what an amazing story. Never been to a Super Bowl ~~(bla bla bla)~~. Already won all of their tough games ~~(bla bla bla)~~. This team could go undefeated ~~(bla bla bla)~~.

Indianapolis--No one can stop Peyton Manning ~~(even though he almost always chokes in the playoffs)~~. This must be his magical year ~~(to make another quick playoff exit)~~!

Baltimore--Wow, after three weeks we've beaten Kansas City, San Diego, and Cleveland. Well, look at that, ESPN has us ~~(HIGHLY OVERRATED)~~ #1 in the polls! Three losses bring them back to reality, but one good week against Denver, and here comes the talk again... Pathetic.

Dallas--Wow, look how unbeatable they look ~~(when they play at home)~~ now...

Philadelphia--Wow, look how unbeatable they look ~~(except when they play the Raiders, Saints, etc.)~~ now...

The following teams seem to be flying under the radar:

Sleeper #1: NY Giants--Quietly working through some of their issues

Sleeper #2: San Francisco--Quietly sitting at 3-4, with close losses against Minn, Indy, and Houston.

Sleeper #3: New England--Seriously, why is no one talking about them? I predict they waltz into the Super Bowl over Indy and Denver with little or no resistence (watch out, New Orleans, your first loss is coming up soon).

Sleeper #4: Cincinnati--Has anyone watched this team lately? They are really good! I am already fearing that December home date coming up.

The following teams are somewhere in the middle:

Minnesota--Perhaps one of the quietest 7-1 seasons I've ever seen - everyone's talking about Brett Favre's return, but where's the love for Percy? How about Peterson (even if he is just a decoy)? Special teams?

Denver--One loss and now everyone's forgotten about them

Poll

What situation would you like the Vikings to be in?

Those who were against the Favre signing

2009-11-03T23:06:51Z

I was wondering if you've been able to reconcile yout anti-Favre feelings halfway through the season and are you on board with the move now, or are you still against the move? If so, why? I'm genuinely interested in hearing what your opposition is.

I still have friends that are trying to compartmentalize their anti-Favre feelings as they watch what is possibly the greatest Vikings team in over 10 years. For full disclosure, I was on board with signing Favre from the beginning and have been ecstatic to see what's transpired on the field to this point. And I'm on board right now for him coming back next year, if he wants to and if he's healthy. And if he does the drama of the retire/unretire I honestly won't give two hoots in hell.

And if he helps lead the Vikings to a Su--...a really big victory late, late in the year, I'm going to be leading the drive to retire his number as a Viking. Really, I think I might.

I am not carzy like everybody thinks

2009-11-03T22:24:13Z

I post something and got a lots of back lash. I was surfing the Greenbay side and found this article. It is written with better grammar.

"I would love to hear Wolf's entire take on it...both when it happened and now just to see how he would have handled it. For all we know he may have done the same thing, Wolf put the team before the players too...remember he trained TT. Either way, I think Wolf was spot on. If we brought Favre back it would have been at the expense of Rodgers. If we let Favre go its at the expense of some of the fans. Not a decision that would have been fun to make...that much I know." I don't think i am that crazy. This person also have the full article.

I am not all that nutty. We are lucky that Favre new our system. He fell into our laps. Yes i knew i don't have the best grammar. But i will try to post with better grammar. In my defense i was sure i had 3 paragraph. I don't know what happen. When i post it it did not separate into paragraph. Sorry guy for the grammar.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?page=hotread7/TedThompson

The exiled king of Green Bay returned to town with his own "security detail?"

2009-11-03T19:47:38Z

This according to entertainment site TMZ.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/11/02/brett-favre-green-bay-packers-minnesota-vikings/

Wow, who'd have ever thought that Brett Favre would need his own security detail to walk the streets of Green Bay? But then, who'd have ever thought you would hear the kind of reception he got from the Lambeau Field fans. And who'd have ever thought we Vikings fans would be cheering for him.

It kind of makes me wonder if he received threats that the team did not want the press to discuss.

Quarterback	Age	Free Agency Year
Brett Favre	39	2011
Sage Rosenfels	31	2012
Tarvaris Jackson	26	2010

Running Back	Age	Free Agency Year
Adrian Peterson	24	2013
Chester Taylor	29	2010
Naufahu Tahi	27	2010
Jeff Dugan	28	2012

Wide Receiver	Age	Free Agency Year
Bernard Berrian	28	2014
Sidney Rice	23	2011
Percy Harvin	21	2014
Greg Lewis	29	N/A

Tight End	Age	Free Agency Year
Visanthe Shiancoe	29	2012
Jim Kleinsasser	32	2012

Offensive Tackle	Age	Free Agency Year
Bryant McKinnie	29	2014
Phil Loadholt	23	2013
Drew Radovich	24	2011
Ryan Cook	26	2010

Guard	Age	Free Agency Year
Steve Hutchinson	31	2013
Anthony Herrera	29	2013
Artis Hicks	30	2010

Center	Age	Free Agency Year
John Sullivan	24	2012
Jon Cooper	22	N/A

Defensive End	Age	Free Agency Year
Jared Allen	27	2014
Ray Edwards	24	2010
Brian Robison	26	2011
Jayme Mitchell	25	2011

Defensive Tackle	Age	Free Agency Year
Kevin Williams	29	2015
Pat Williams	36	2011
Fred Evans	25	2010
Letroy Guion	22	2012

Outside Linebacker	Age	Free Agency Year
Chad Greenway	26	2011
Ben Leber	30	2011
Erin Henderson	23	2011 (RFA)
Heath Farwell	27	2012

Middle Linebacker	Age	Free Agency Year
E.J. Henderson	29	2012
Jasper Brinkley	24	2013

Cornerback	Age	Free Agency Year
Antoine Winfield	32	2014
Cedric Griffin	26	2014
Karl Paymah	26	2010
Asher Allen	21	2013

Safety	Age	Free Agency Year
Madieu Williams	27	2014
Tyrell Johnson	24	2012
Husain Abdullah	24	2011
Eric Frampton	25	2010 (RFA)