You know what the awesome thing about the Vikings getting a win is? It means that there are generally a lot more candidates for a Game Ball, and this week is no exception. Let's get right to this week's candidates.
DE Jared Allen - He seems to be appearing on this list a lot. . .possibly because, the Vikings' record be damned, he might be the NFL's defensive MVP through the first five weeks of the year. He racked up two more sacks on Sunday afternoon, and threw in a fumble recovery for good measure. He now has sole possession of the NFL lead with 8.5 sacks, and going back to last year has registered a sack in seven consecutive games.
DE Brian Robison - Not to be outdone, the end on the other side of the defensive line had himself another outstanding game, too. He registered two sacks as well, and forced the fumble that Allen recovered after blowing past Cardinals' offensive tackle Levi Brown early in the first quarter. Robison is also in the top 10 in the NFL in sacks, as his 4.5 have him tied for ninth place in the NFL. Anyone still wish we would have kept Ray Edwards around for that huge contract?
RB Adrian Peterson - Ho hum, another day, another 122 yards and three more touchdowns for the best running back in the National Football League. There are few players in this league that are as much fun to watch as Adrian Peterson, particularly when things get rolling the way they were on Sunday. You can't say a whole heck of a lot about him that hasn't already been said. . .he can run around you or he can run through you, whichever he decides.
S Jamarca Sanford - We've been lamenting the play of the safeties in Minnesota since. . .well, since Joey Browner left town, pretty much. (Or at least Robert Griffith.) But with the Vikings able to pin their ears back and get after Kevin Kolb early on Sunday afternoon, Sanford was able to take advantage, notching the first two interceptions of his NFL career and playing a big role for a Vikings' secondary that looked pretty good despite Antoine Winfield being on the sidelines with a neck injury.
CB Chris Cook - Speaking of the Vikings' secondary, Chris Cook appears to finally be "getting it," and we couldn't be happier. He didn't get any interceptions on Sunday, but he did a fine job considering the amount of time he spent lined up across from Cardinals' all-world receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald only managed four catches for 66 yards in his return to his home town, and Cook played a pretty significant role in that.
So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. . .who should get the Vikings' Game Ball of the Week for Week 5?