The Seven Good (and One Bad) of The Vikings After The Bye

The Minnesota Vikings are 7-1, and after this weekend’s results, they’re clearly in the driver’s seat in the NFC North.

So, the question is how’d they get there? Clearly, the massive upswing started one mid-August afternoon, when Brad Childress hopped into an SUV and finally delivered the Vikings a starting quarterback.

Nobody believes that Sage Rosenfels or Tarvaris Jackson would be sitting at 7-1, but Brett Favre isn’t the only reason why the Vikings in control of their own destiny this season.

Here’s a look at the seven things the Vikings have going right, and one thing they need to improve in the second half of the season.

1. The Favre Factor

Clearly the elephant in the room is Brett Favre. At 40 years old, Favre is having one of the best seasons of his career. His stat line, particularly 16 touchdowns against three interceptions, is practically unbelievable. Even when he was healthy and young, he didn’t often put up stats like that.

However, the greatest benefit that Favre brings to the table is faith. For all the talk of schisms and Favre’s prima donna status, every player in the Vikings locker room believes that Brett Favre can win any game on the schedule.

That’s not a benefit they’re willing to give a Tarvaris Jackson, as much as they may like him as an individual, or Sage Rosenfels. And so far, it’s something that’s borne itself out during the season.

Favre has built an instant rapport with his receivers, has developed his own audible and check down systems, and has put some flair into a very rough and generic offense in desperate need of some life.

2. Rookie Development

There’s little doubt, at least at the moment, that Percy Harvin will be the offensive rookie of the year. With all due respect to Baltimore’s Michael Oher, nobody has splashed onto the scene quite like Havin.

He’s picked up the offensive scheme faster than anyone imagined, and has become Favre’s favorite third down target. And while the “Percy-Cat” formation hasn’t delivered much fruit, Harvin has shown his versatility as a receiver, runner, and return man.

The Vikings’ other big draft pick, both figuratively and literally, was Phil Loadholt.

And while Loadholt has struggled at times, at least in part due to injury, he has made the right side of the Viking’s line infinitely better, and as he continues to develop this season, it’s clear that he will be a force in the running game.

Of the Viking’s other draft picks, Asher Allen has played well as the nickel back in Antoine Winfield’s absence, and linebacker Jasper Brinkley and safety Jamarca Sanford have both played very well in special teams coverage.

3. Cooking Rice

Sidney Rice flashed a lot of potential in two seasons, but injuries threatened to derail his talent. Last season, Rice only had 15 catches, with four touchdowns, but he never looked comfortable.

This season? Rice already has more than four times as many yards as he did last season. Part of that is due to his quarterback. But part of it is due to Rice elevating his play.

Working out with Larry Fitzgerald and Chris Carter this offseason has given Rice a shot of confidence. He’s running routes more effectively and efficiently, and as a result, he’s looking more and more like a number one receiver.

4. Jared Allen and the Williams Wall

Jared Allen is having a career year. 10.5 sacks at the midway point and three forced fumbles put him near the top of the league as a defensive lineman. Exactly what the Vikings had hoped he would be, even more so now that he’s playing healthy.

While Pat and Kevin Williams don’t have as gaudy numbers, what’s more important for the Vikings is that they’re playing. Their suspension is tied up in the court system, and Kevin, in particular, is making the most of the opportunity.

While Pat hasn’t been the dominant run stuffer he was in years past, he’s still doing a good job eating up space, and with Jimmie Kennedy playing well backing him up, he should be well rested down the stretch.

5.  Special Special Teams

The Viking’s special teams were among the worst in the league last season, setting the wrong kinds of records for points allowed. They looked lost and missed easy assignments and tackles, most notably against Reggie Bush last year.

This year, however, the unit looks much improved. Partially because new coordinator Brian Murphy has a more tight scheme in place, but also because of the new blood on the field this season.

Percy Harvin, of course, has provided the Vikings with a spectacular kick returner, but perhaps more important is the return of Heath Farwell.

The Vikings’ leading tackler in 2007 missed all of 2008 with a knee injury. It’s no shock that Farwell’s return to the squad has improved the tackling significantly. In addition, the Vikings added two big hitters in Jamarca Sanford and Jasper Brinkley in the draft, as well as Canadian stand out Kenny Onatalu to shore up the coverage teams.

6. Scheme Change

Throughout his tenure as head coach, Brad Childress has been under fire for having too simple a game plan. The Vikings’ playbook was smaller than the one for Tecmo Bowl. Run up the middle, run up the middle, three yard pass on 3rd-and-4. It didn’t matter what personnel grouping was on the field.

Now, however, Brad Childress has been able to launch his much vaunted “kick ass” offense. Which means shaking up the packages on first and second downs, trying to find ways to bounce Adrian Peterson off tackle, and, shock of all shocks, passes for more than three yards.

It’d be dumb to suggest this didn’t have something to do with Brett Favre, of course, but most of it has to do with trust in the players on the field at any given time.

Phil Loadholt isn’t going to waffle under pressure like Ryan Cook.

Visanthe Shiancoe can actually catch passes. Sidney Rice has more than one good knee. Harvin is just as reliable as Bobby Wade, but can actually make plays downfield. All things the Vikings can count on this season that they haven’t had in a long time.

7. Soft Schedule

Of course it’s worth noting that the Viking’s schedule isn’t exactly threatening. They’re not 7-1 by accident. Well…I guess that depends on how you feel about the 49ers game.

Of their first eight games, the Vikings beat Cleveland, Detroit, and St. Louis all among the league’s worst. As well as Green Bay and San Francisco, two young teams that are still finding their groove. So the only “quality” win was Baltimore in Week Six.

But consider the rest of the schedule. They’ve got Detroit again, an up and down Seattle team, slumping Chicago twice, and Carolina. The only truly competitive teams that the Vikings play before the Playoffs are Arizona, Cincinnati, and the Giants. The Giants game will be at the end of the season when the Vikings are likely to have clinched the division, at least.

More importantly, however, is that the schedule clearly favors Brett Favre, since only the Chicago game on Dec. 28th will be played in a cold weather climate, and isn’t likely to be of much consequence barring a disastrous second half. 

And consider that, unless the Giants suddenly charge and the Saints fall off, the Vikings are likely to be able to play every Playoff game in a dome or warm weather stadium, as well. This isn’t last season where he’s going to have to test his bicep in bad weather nearly every week.

-1. Missing Presence

There are a few negatives to the Vikings this season, of course, but one really glaring one. While many veterans are playing hard to keep the team in first place and try to secure a Playoff spot, many highly paid veterans haven’t shown up yet this year.

E.J. Henderson, who was the spark plug of the defense last season and was playing at Pro Bowl level before he got injured, hasn’t looked the same this year. He’s played decently as the Vikings’ middle linebacker, but he’s had a tendency to disappear in the second half when the team really needs him to make stops.

Bernard Berrian is another veteran who put up great numbers last year, and seemed well on his way to proving that he was worth his exorbitant contract. But since he missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury, Berrian has not picked up the new Vikings playbook or any connection with Brett Favre at all.

Finally, the bane of the Vikings’ defense this season has been the poor tackling of safeties Tyrell Johnson and Madieu Williams.

And while I’m willing to give Johnson the benefit of the doubt, seeing as how it’s his first year as a true starter, Williams is a six year veteran who needs to start playing to the standards of his $33-million contract.

With everything that’s gone right for the team this season, and with luck seemingly falling their way more often than not, it’s not difficult to see the Vikings as Super Bowl contenders.

The real question, however, won’t be answered until after the bye, when we find out how many of those seven bye week positives, can actually be maintained for the rest of the year.

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Hock’s Take: 49ers Not Ready for Peterson, Vikings

Somewhere, taped inside the front of Brett Favre’s helmet, there is a message posted. It says simply: “Turn around, and hand off the ball.”

It’s a simple strategy, but an effective one, and one that has served the Vikings well for the past two seasons. Because in their backfield, there is a guy you may have heard of named Adrian Peterson.

People have been waiting for Favre to revert to his gun-slinging ways, to suddenly go from putting up line scores like 23/27-155-2-0 to his old 31/47-310-2-3, and maybe he will. But it’s not going to happen this week.

“But, Matt!” I can somehow hear you saying, “The 49ers run defense is one of the best in the league this season!”

Well, yes. That’s technically true. But Adrian Peterson is not Beanie Wells or Justin Forsett. And if the Niners think they’ll be able to stymie Peterson like they did two season ago, they’re in for a surprise.

Not that I think the 49ers are so haughty as to think that. Mike Singletary might be a hothead with a propensity for pulling his pants down, but he understands good run defense. After all, he did star for the Bears for a 100-odd years. So he’ll have his team geared up to stop Peterson.

And it won’t matter.

Simply put, the Vikings’ offense is perfectly suited to run against the 49er’s 3-4 scheme. By overloading the left side of their offensive line by putting Jim Kleinsasser in to block, Peterson should be able to bypass Justin Smith and get around the corner.

Once he gets to the second level, Peterson’s speed and power are unmatched by any current player. He is not afraid to get Patrick Willis or Takeo Spikes on their heels. Even with a sore back, Peterson has always been an instinct first runner, and he won’t shy away from contact.

And therein lies the reason for the Viking’s success in the past two games. While the 49ers might be able to bottle the running game up for a quarter or two like this, stuffing runs for 2-3 yards per play with some creative run blitzing, second level defenders are not used to getting hit, and the Vikings play a more violent run scheme than just about anybody.

I don’t see the Vikings altering their scheme any for this game. I think Peterson takes 20-25 carries, mostly to the left center of the line behind Bryant McKinney and a tight end. Also, I suspect one or two reverses to Percy Harvin out of the backfield, to take advantage of the 49ers’ overeager linebackers crashing down on Peterson early in the game.

We’ve yet to see how the 49ers react to playing a more physical, run-first offense, and I think it might just be a rude awakening. Honestly trying to compare the Niners’ last two opponents to the Vikings is like comparing a pen knife to a tank.

Okay, given Peterson’s injury, we’ll say a pen knife to a bazooka.

And if the Niner’s become so fixated on maintaining their status as one of the NFL’s best run defenses? We might just get to see how far Brett can still throw it.

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A Look at The Minnesota Viking’s Rookie Class of 2009

The season starts next week, and thanks to three preseason games, we’ve got a good look at all the Vikings’ rookies. How do they stack up? Let’s take a look.

Round 1:  Percy Harvin, WR

There’s no doubt that Harvin is an immensely talented athlete. The Vikings are just beginning to scratch the surface of the ways they can use him, even if the vaunted Percy-cat formation doesn’t work out.

First round receivers usually don’t produce much until their second year, but Harvin has the skills to have an excellent rookie season.

Round 2:  Phil Loadholt, T

Loadholt’s answered a lot of questions after being handed the starting right tackle job almost immediately after being drafted.

He’s a raw, physical blocker who has had a solid preseason, but he definitely needs some game experience. He’s looked fine run blocking, but his footwork has been a bit suspect in pass protection.

Round 3: Asher Allen, CB

After starting off training camp hot, Allen’s buzz has cooled somewhat. It’s not that he’s playing badly, but more that he’s not been able to match his fantastic production from earlier in camp.

Still, he’s a lock to split time with Benny Sapp in the Vikings’ nickel package.

Round 5: Jasper Brinkley, LB

Brinkley’s a lock to make the special teams unit, where his straight line speed and hard hitting will be a boon to one of the NFL’s worst units from last year.

His understanding of the defense has improved significantly from the start of camp, and the Vikings seem very comfortable with Brinkley being the top backup to middle linebacker E.J. Henderson.

Round 7: Jamarca Sanford, S

Sanford has made a few good plays on special teams, but hasn’t really separated himself from the pack, especially playing behind last year’s preseason superstar safety Hussein Abdullah. Still, Sanford will probably make the team to improve safety depth, and hopefully another year of work will bring him more up to speed next offseason.

 

UDFA: Nick Urban, G

Urban was cut this week after failing to distinguish himself in a fairly mediocre guard unit. At least he has that job at Target to fall back on.

UDFA: Bobby Williams, WR

Williams won’t make the 53 man roster, but it won’t be for lack of trying. He’s had a solid camp, putting in a lot of work with Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. He will probably slip onto the practice squad, and may eventually make the team.

More likely, he’ll turn out to be the Vikings’ Ryan Hoag, a preseason superstar year after year, who never makes it past the last round of cuts.

UDFA: Jon Cooper, C

Cooper is currently considered the Viking’s second best center, though Ryan Cook would probably start ahead of him in the event of a John Sullivan injury.

Still, there’s a lot to like about Cooper, a former linemate of Phil Loadholt at Oklahoma. In a few years, he could be starting someplace else.

UDFA: Ian Johnson, RB

Johnson has a great feel good story, leading Boise State to a Fiesta Bowl victory over the aforementioned Sooners on a trick play touchdown, and then getting engaged on national TV.

Unfortunately, the fairy tale is probably over for Johnson, who hasn’t played well enough in camp to supplant Albert Young as the Vikings’ third running back. Still, I think he has a chance of catching on with another team or sneaking onto the practice squad.

UDFA:  Vinnie Perretta, WR

I don’t know what the Vikings were trying to do here. Replay that Fiesta Bowl game during practices, I guess. Perretta’s a fine young guy, but he’s not going to make any teams this year. Maybe he can hook on to a Canadian or UFL squad.

UDFA: Antoine Smith, RB

Already cut. Smith was added to give a little depth to the training camp backs. He actually had a few nifty little runs in his limited playing time, but he’s not an NFL ready back. Might be a practice squad guy if they can’t hold onto Johnson.

UDFA: Colt Anderson, S

Colt Anderson filled the Vikings’ desperate need for a player named “Colt,” but not much else. He’s actually a fine player, if a bit small. I just don’t see him making the squad. Good training camp body though.

UDFA:  Nick Moore, WR

Moore wasn’t even that great a wide out in college. Just a warm body to run routes.

UDFA: Antoine Holmes, DT

The Vikings are actually hurting for young tackle depth, so I could see Holmes getting picked up for the practice squad. He’s got one of the most unintentionally hilarious MySpace pages, I’ve ever seen by the way. There’s a drawing of him as a Dragonball Z character, and it looks like it was made by a 14-year old girl. Pretty awesome.

UDFA:  De’von Hall, CB

The Vikings’ defensive backfield  is suddenly a bit crowded. Hall is a developmental player in a position where the Vikings need consistency. Possibly a practice squad guy, but he won’t make the team.

UDFA: Andy Kemp, G

Kemp’s a good run blocker who needs to work a lot on technique. While he’s not an NFL level talent yet, he’s a good pick to keep around, and maybe groom into a potential replacement for Hutchinson down the road.

Kemp would really have benefited from playing in a program like NFL Europe. Which is too bad.

UDFA: Juan Garcia, C

He’s just center depth, outplayed by Cooper in camp. He got a medical red shirt and a regular red shirt, so he spent six years in college. That makes him two years older than you want your developmental players to be.

UDFA: Tremaine Johnson, DE

Johnson adds good depth to a line that could use it. He’s probably not going to make an active roster this season, but if the Vikings take a roster hit later this year, I could easily see them adding Johnson, because he seems to have picked up the system pretty well.

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Hock’s Take: Brett Favre, I Take Back Nearly Everything I Said About You

Just last week, I bemoaned the end of my consecutive Favre-less streak, but I stand here before you a changed man.

Actually, I’m sitting here, and I’m not really before you, but the point still stands. I have seen the light!

No matter what happens this year, I’m glad that Brett Favre is a Minnesota Viking.

Now I can hear all the “haters” out there, who’d want defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier to punch Brett in the jaw. “He’s too old, he’s washed up! Didn’t you see him at the end of last year? And now he’s got a torn rotator cuff on top of that?”

It’s all true, of course. He’s a washed-up shell of his former self coming into a team and system he doesn’t know as much about as he thought he did, but ultimately, it doesn’t matter.

The best case scenario for the Vikings this year is that Favre is a great stopgap. A playoff team with as much talent as Minnesota has should be able to ride even a mediocre quarterback deep into the playoffs. There’s no reason to think they can’t win a Super Bowl.

Worst case? The Vikings make a ton of money. Favre’s jersey is already selling out across the state. Even last year, in the more jaded New York market, Favre’s jersey was the best selling in the NFL, and Minnesota is a much better locale for licensed sports merchandise.

Ticket sales are already up and should continue to climb as the roster takes shape heading into the season. That means more ad revenue and fewer possible blackouts, which means less begging for money from corporate sponsors.

Additionally, even if Favre does flop and the Vikings go 4-12 (they won’t), they’ll be in a perfect position to draft one of the top college QBs coming out this year.

You can’t tell me that the Vikings wouldn’t be better for drafting Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, or, yes, even Tim Tebow.

I don’t think it’s all for naught. Ultimately, I think the Vikings will do well under Favre, make the playoffs, and possibly even make the Super Bowl. Even if they don’t, interest in the team has never been higher, and that’s good for everyone.

News from Around the League

NFC East

Michael Vick is expected to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars, probably only taking a handful of snaps; then it’s back to the pound, where he plans to read to disadvantaged puppies.

NFC South

Julius Peppers has been taking a lot of criticism for taking plays off during the preseason, but in Peppers’ defense, he’d much rather be taking plays off for another team during this stretch.

NFC West

Still terrible.

NFC North

Lions coordinator Scott Linehan is apparently furious about how poorly the Lions have been practicing lately. I guess nobody told him that he’s coaching the Lions. Then again, I’m thinking this group makes his Rams squad look pretty fantastic in hindsight.

AFC East

Terrell Owens hasn’t practiced with the Bills since the first preseason game and probably won’t play for the rest of the preseason. His agent, Julius Peppers, says this is nothing to worry about.

AFC South

Titans punter/running back A.J. Trapasso nailed the scoreboard at Cowboy Stadium with a punt, netting me a cool $10.

AFC West

LaDainian Tomlinson continues to play his first preseason games in years, trying to work himself into game shape after two disappointing seasons (by his standards). Terrell Owens and Julius Peppers declined to comment.

AFC North

Bengals first round draft pick Andre Smith still has not signed, in a deal that has gotten a lot more scrutiny since the negotiations are being broadcast on HBO’s series Hard Knocks. In case you haven’t seen the series, the two sides are still miles apart on what cheese will top Smith’s mountain of cheeseburgers.

Hock’s Take: When Brett Favre Signs, I Want Brad Childress To Punch Him

After watching NFL Network’s non-stop coverage of the preseason (seriously, if you want to stay up until 5 a.m. to watch the Raiders’ 3rd String take on Dallas’ 8th string running back, it’s on there), I’ve come to a few conclusions.

One: I watch way too much football. To the point where I can rattle off seven or eight inane facts about guys who are only playing on special teams. They don’t even merit a look with the fourth string defense, but I know their cousin’s best friend’s last name. Sad.

Two: I really hate NFL Network’s preseason coverage. Don’t get me wrong, I love having access to eleven million preseason games. There’s no way I would otherwise watch Seattle’s preseason games, but I was apparently so football-starved, I’ve seen their first game twice.

But what I hate most is that they show the local feed of the games. Now, no, I don’t expect them to hire announcers to call every preseason game (but if they do, I’m available and have broadcast experience), but it’s a crap shoot on whether or not you’ll get your local announcers.

And really, there’s nothing more annoying that watching your market’s team and have the announcers completely ignore them. I learned nothing about the Vikings by watching the Vikings/Colts game on NFLN, but I did learn that the Colts have really terrible preseason coverage.

Three:   The Oakland Raiders have the best preseason announce team in the league, bar none. I say this mostly because, in watching their game, I’m pretty sure Grant Napier was playing a drinking game in the booth (he lost) and Jim Plunkett blamed a receiver who was nearly decapitated for not keeping his eyes on the ball.

Four:  I’ve come to the realization that what I really want to see out of this season is Brad Childress punching Brett Favre in the jaw.

Now, when I was offered a position writing about the Vikings, I made a promise to myself that if I was going to write about Brett Favre, it was only going to be in passing or as a means to a joke.

But I just can’t take it anymore.

The three big stories this past week were Michael Vick signing with the Eagles, Tom Cable knocking the crap out of an annoying assistant, and Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reporting that everybody and their mom at Vikings Training Camp is saying that Brett Favre is just waiting out two-a-days before singing his Vikings contract.

And frankly, I don’t care about Michael Vick.

Now, forgetting for a moment how in the world someone’s mom would know this, let’s assume this was true. It fits Favre’s MO to wriggle his way out of doing anything before the season, and you and I both know full well that if Favre were to show up at their doors with flowers and chocolates, Ziggy Wilf and Brad Childress would sign him faster than you can say “ridiculous mustache.”

But that’s where the loving, rosy view of the whole thing ends for me.

Is Brett Favre an upgrade over Sage Rosenfels and/or Tarvaris Jackson? Sure. And heck, having him at quarterback might very well make the Vikings the favorites to lose to New England in the Super Bowl.

But there’s still a part of me that knows who Brett Favre really is. And that part wants to see Brad Childress take a page out of Tom Cable’s playbook (and please, just that one page), and level his old friend the first time he steps out onto the practice field.

That may be the only way Brad wins over this town and this football team, and it’d be totally worth the $10 million, Ziggy would have to shell out for it.

Don’t think he’d do it. This is the same Brad Childress who called himself 190 pounds of rompin’ stompin’ dynamite when threatened by former player Troy Williamson, who was so scared by Childress’ words that he only dressed for eight games last season.

And just look at him. If you took any NFL coach into a fight with you…well, it would probably be Mike Singletary or Tom Cable.  And even then, you’d either spend half the fight mooning the guy or denying that the fight took place.

Anyway, now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure Brett could take Brad Childress in a fight.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is, “Welcome back, Brett!” But, when you do sign, make sure you’re looking at the scoreboard as you run off the field, because I hear Leslie Frazier’s got a pretty mean left hook.

News from Around the League:

NFC East:  Osi Umenyiora looked good in his first game back from offseason knee injury. He’s expected to return to form as one of the league’s hardest to spell without looking names this year.

NFC West:  Still terrible.

NFC South:  It looks like Derrick Brooks is going to sign with the Saints, giving them a much needed presence at linebacker. Also in Saints news, they released Jason David in a move that even Jason David probably agrees with.

NFC North:  Jay Cutler admitted this week that he still has no idea how to throw to Devin Hester. Apparently, Cutler didn’t know that Hester doesn’t like to “run routes” or “catch passes.” Also, B.J. Raji finally signed with the Green Bay Packers. Raji said he won’t miss a step despite not making most of training camp. Agent Brett Favre agrees.

AFC East:  Apparently, Tom Brady hasn’t missed a step during training camp, looking just fine despite having a knee held together by scotch tape and Elmer’s glue. Meanwhile, Terrell Owens’ TV series marches on.

AFC West:  The big story we haven’t talked about here is that Kyle Orton looked horrible in his first preseason game, throwing three picks in his turn with the Broncos’ first team. In Orton’s defense, however, the preseason is still young, and he hasn’t quite reached his elite blood alcohol level.

AFC South:  Speaking of hilarious former Bears, Rex Grossman looks like the odd man out of the backup quarterback race in Houston after injuring his hamstring this week. Grossman’s not sobbing into his neck beard, though, because he knows that he’ll have a Madden partner soon when Matt Schaub suffers his annual crippling injury.

AFC North:  Cedric Benson swears that he’s going to rush for 1,000 yards. No word yet on how many seasons that’s going to take him. Meanwhile, Chad Ochocinco posted his gamer tag on his Twitter this week, and challenged people to play him on X-Box. Sadly, his friend account filled up in minutes, so the Bengals will have to find some other way of communicating with the Ocho during the season.

Five Things To Watch: Minnesota Vikings Preseason Game No. 1

There are two modes of thought about preseason. Either it’s a glorified college All-Star game for guys who will be lucky to make a UFL roster in a few weeks, and an injury magnate for top stars, or, as Hall of Famer John Madden said, “Football!”

Me? I’m in the second camp. I don’t care if that eighth string right tackle never plays another snap. He’s out there fighting for a job, and that’s fun for me to watch.

But I know many of you are in that first camp. And you’ll need a little prodding to catch the Viking’s first preseason game. With that in mind, I’ve got five things for you to watch for during the game.

 

1. Sagevaris Rosenson

Brad Childress said earlier this week that Rosenfels and Jackson will alternate starts during preseason. But clearly one of the two of them has to prove himself during preseason.

Both guys will be looking to impress, which is great. I’d rather have them deal with this in the relative safety of the preseason. With all the pressure on these guys to perform for the starting job, we’ll see them at their best and worst.

We’ll also see John David Booty, which is fun. We can pretend he’s Brett Favre and laugh every time he throws an interception.

 

2. Asher Allen’s Big Debut

Though he’s only a rookie, by all reports, Asher Allen is having the best camp of any of the Viking’s secondary. Allen might fill one of the Viking’s biggest needs, a real cover corner to play alongside Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin in the Nickel package.

But we all know that having a great camp and actually being a great player are two different things. Allen’s going to have to prove that he can play cover against live receivers in game settings and still be able to press and cover like he has in camp.

And he’s got an excellent first game to try it. Now, this won’t be the Indianapolis Colts that he would see during a regular season game. But chances are Allen will line up for at least a play or two opposite Peyton Manning, and even Jim Sorgi will be able to give us a good view of how Allen will react to a complicated offense with a live arm.

 

3. The Many Facets of Percy Harvin

Brad Childress has spent the entire offseason telling anyone who’ll listen that he’s bursting with joy about the different ways he can use Percy Harvin. For example, he can run him up the middle, or pass to him on a five yard out on 3rd-and-6.

Ok, so I don’t have much faith that Harvin will actually bring many new wrinkles into the Vikings’ offense, but if Brad Childress is serious about creating a new offensive scheme around him, then we should see some of that in this first game.

I can already hear the complaints that you don’t want to show your hand during the preseason. But that’s just the thing about the NFL. The earlier you show you’re willing to put some of these formations into the playbook, the better.

Case in point: Tennessee Titans punter A.J. Trapasso running a Statue of Liberty punt for a touchdown. Critics went nuts after the game, saying Fischer ruined that play by showing it during the preseason.

But the fact of the matter is, the Titan’s regular punter Craig Hentrich would never be able to run that play. He would collapse before he made it to the line of scrimmage, much less 40 yards downfield. What they did show was a fake end around to Michael Griffin, which teams will have to game plan for, even if the Titans never run it again.

So, if I’m the Vikings, I use Percy Harvin 900 different ways on Friday. Give him catches, runs, put him as the quarterback in the Wild Cat. Line him up as the long snapper. Make teams worry about what he’s going to do before they even play him.

 

4. The Boredom of Watching Ryan Cook

Watching the offensive line might not be “sexy,” but…Ok, there’s no way I can put this that’s going to make it interesting. I’m asking you to watch the play of an offensive lineman, and that’s going to be pretty damn boring.

But Cook is an interesting case study. He was a relatively unheralded center coming out of New Mexico, switched positions to suit a tackle starved Vikings team, and had a great camp a few years ago as a right tackle. Unfortunately, as I already said, great training camps don’t necessarily beget great players.

Ryan Cook was terrible last year, and he’s already lost his job to a rookie, Phil Loadholt, who hasn’t taken a snap at right tackle since he was in diapers. Now Cook is just fighting to figure out his place on the team, if he even has one.

Most interesting is the possible return to his natural center position, where he figures to play a couple series. John Sullivan seems to have a lock on replacing Matt Birk, but if Cook can show that he still has that versatility, then he might just win over the coaching staff and fans who maligned him in the past.

 

5. The Ultimate Preseason Battle

If you want a position battle that defines what the preseason is all about, the Vikings have a great one brewing—for the third running back spot.

The Vikings are only going into the season with three running backs, and with Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor already taking up two of those spots, there’s quite a battle brewing between Albert Young and Ian Johnson in camp.

Young is coming into his second year with the Vikings, and by all accounts, is having a great camp. He understands the offense, is willing to get his nose dirty on special teams, and has all the physical capabilities you want in a guy getting water for Peterson and Taylor.

On the other hand, you have Ian Johnson. A sentimental choice, Johnson is best known for breaking Peterson’s heart by scoring the game winning two-point conversion at the 2007 Fiesta Bowl on a Statue of Liberty, leading Boise State over favored Oklahoma.

And, of course, for proposing to his girlfriend on national TV after the game. Which may also have broken Adrian Peterson’s heart. I don’t know.

I doubt that the Vikings will be able to sneak Johnson onto their practice squad, so they’re going to have a lot of evaluating to do, starting with Sunday. And this is what I love about preseason. Two guys fighting tooth and nail for a job in the league.

Five Free Agents Not Named Favre or Vick For the Vikings To Consider

We’re a week into training camp, and the excitement about a fresh season tends to creep up on fans a little bit. No matter how bad you think your team is, there’s always some feeling of hope around this time of year, I heard Detroit Lions fans have even stopped crying long enough to notice that the Tigers are in first place.

But somewhere, in the deep recesses of your mind, you know that the seventh round offensive guard blowing people away with his drills is going to get cut in three weeks because he sucks, and that receiver that looks like he’s finally turned the corner in preseason will spend another year dropping balls and running the wrong routes.

With that in mind, I don’t think it’s ever too late to add talent during the preseason, and there are plenty of holes on the Minnesota Vikings to be filled. And no, I don’t mean by Brett Favre or Michael Vick. These are actual, honest signings that the Vikings could, and probably should, make today.

1. Marvin Harrison, WR

I’ll get this one out of the way first, because it’s probably the most unlikely, but it’s also probably the best. Harrison adds almost two decades of experience to an offense that’s desperately lacking it.

He might not be a starting-caliber player any more, but he would easily be the second best receiver on the Vikings, and an upgrade to the short range game over Bobby Wade.

While Sidney Rice has had a good camp thus far, he’s not going to draw any attention from Bernard Berrian and Adrian Peterson until he can prove that he can produce in the regular season without being injured. Defenses would have to react to the presence of Harrison.

2. Vonnie Holliday, DT

The potential of losing Pat and Kevin Williams for a four game stretch this season is pretty high, especially with the NHL, MLB, NBA, and USO, along with several other important acronyms joining in on the league’s suit against them.

The thought of playing with a front line made up of Fred Evans and Jimmie Kennedy doesn’t strike fear into the hearts of anybody. Evans is a serviceable backup, but nothing more, and Kennedy is a career journeyman for a reason. He’s not that good.

Holliday is a sink or swim proposition, given his age and his injury history. But I don’t think it’d be too much to ask him to start four games, and alongside Evans, he might actually end up playing good enough to keep a roster spot once their suspensions are over.

3. Melvin Fowler, C

The Vikings have had their history with Fowler, he spent ten games with them in 2005, but this is a team with a need for offensive line depth, especially at center, where if John Sullivan struggles or gets hurt, their options are currently limited to Ryan Cook or, just letting Sage Rosenfels pick the ball up off the ground.

Fowler might not be the greatest option in the world, but he’s the best free agent center available, and his experience will be a good learning tool for a young player like Sullivan. Plus, he’s versatile enough to be a backup guard.

4. Chris McAllister, CB

McAllister is probably too pricey for a nickel corner, but the Vikings are going to need to explore their options. Especially considering Benny Sapp’s record as a walking penalty machine, Marcus McCauley’s nosedive in production, and the fact that Karl Paymah is, in fact, still Karl Paymah.

McAllister would be a fine third cover corner, slipping outside so that Antoine Winfield could cover the slot, and would also be able to backup at safety, behind second year man Tyrell Johnson, in case Johnson struggles in his first year as a starter.

5. Michael Pittman, RB/FB

The Vikings have enough running backs with Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor, and Ian Johnson, but if they’re comfortable with Naufahu Tahi at fullback, there’s something wrong.

Tahi’s a serviceable backup, but nothing more, and, in fact, Adrian Peterson got so tired of Tahi plugging up holes and whiffing on blocks last season, that he asked to come out of the backfield alone on most of his rushes. He actually asked to not have a lead blocker.

Pittman’s not going to be the best fullback in the world either, but he’s certainly got the talent and instincts to be an upgrade at the position, with the added benefit of being able to slide in as a RB in certain packages.