Minnesota Vikings: All The Hype—5 Over And Under Rated Vikings
It’s time to stop fooling around and get down to business.
We’ve waded our way through the four meaningless games of preseason, the roster cut down is here and it’s time to play for keeps.
The Vikings appear to be pretty close to the same team as last year when they went 12-4 and secured the number two seed in the playoffs.
So much hype has swirled around the Minnesota Vikings over the past several months—from the lost opportunity in January’s NFC Championship game, to the speculation as to whether Brett Favre, was or was not coming back, to the significance of the injuries the team has suffered this summer.
Here’s a look at the five most overrated and five underrated Vikings as they head into the regular season.
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Five Reasons the Vikings Need to Win the Super Bowl in 2010
The Vikings have never won the big one in their 50 seasons. They have been there four times, been close a few times but never took the Lombardi home. With as much talent as this team has this year and the success they had last year, there seems to be no better time than the present. But there is more at stake than just pride. Here are five reasons it has to happen this year.
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Minnesota Vikings 2010: The Haters Are Out In Full Force
Let me ask a few questions. What did the Vikings do over the offseason to make them such a bad team to the point where they won’t make the playoffs?
They lost a backup offensive lineman, a backup running back, and a…oh wait, that’s about it.
Meanwhile, they gained Heisman runner-up Toby Gerhart to help Adrian Peterson carry the rock, a former two-time Pro Bowler, Lito Sheppard, and a physical cornerback by the name of Chris Cook who has exceeded expectations and performed well in training camp and the preseason.
The Vikings return all 22 starters from a year ago and while some are out experiencing the bite of the injury bug, it’s not like they’ll be gone all season long.
The key injuries include wide receiver Sidney Rice, cornerbacks Chris Cook and Cedric Griffin, and center John Sullivan. However, both Griffin and Cook will be back in time for the Vikings fourth game of the season and Rice could be back by Week 8.
The first three games that Griffin and Cook will miss are against the Saints, Lions, and Dolphins. In 2009, neither the Lions nor Dolphins finished in the top half of the league in passing offense.
So, the Vikings have one tough week against a passing team before they get their entire secondary back.
While Sidney Rice is injured, the Vikings will face four teams out of seven that finished 20th overall or worse in passing defense in 2009 including the Lions (32), Saints (26), Dolphins (24) and Cowboys (20). Also included in the seven are the Green Bay Packers who Favre torched for seven touchdowns, zero interceptions, and no sacks in 2009.
The other two teams, the Jets and Patriots, have not faced Favre and the Vikings passing attack. However, with the Revis holdout likely extending into the season and stud linebacker Calvin Pace out for the first six weeks, I wouldn’t be too worried about the Jets and the new interception machine under center.
The Vikings still have the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian who averaged over 20 yards per reception in 2008, and a great possession receiver in Greg Camarillo who has not dropped a pass in over two seasons. I think it’s safe to say they are pretty set with wide receivers.
As far as Sullivan goes, any Vikings fan that watched him play last season knows that any player in that spot is an upgrade over Sullivan.
It doesn’t seem like the “experts” are doing their homework on the Vikings. They see all these injuries—all four of them anyway—and automatically think the Vikings will fall from a Conference Championship appearance to missing the playoffs or barely earning a wild card birth.
What will the Vikings be like in Week nine when their players are back at full strength? I have a feeling that these “experts” will be changing their minds pretty fast.
Remember that Steve Hutchinson and Anthony Herrera are fully healthy this season and the defense gets its MVP, E.J. Henderson back once again. Henderson has had a truly inspirational comeback and the way he has played in the preseason has given the Vikings plenty of reason to be excited.
By no means am I saying that the Vikings will be the best team in the NFL, but there’s no reason why they shouldn’t coast into the playoffs. People are jumping the gun a little too quick with all these injury concerns.
Yeah Brett Favre is old, but wasn’t he old last season too? Wasn’t he supposed to be a merely average quarterback? Yet, Favre came out and had one of the best seasons of his historic Hall of Fame career. Using Favre’s age as an excuse is rather silly considering the way he played last season.
Experts: quit trying to come up with excuses. The fact remains that the Vikings are still an extremely talented team and won’t simply give up because of a few injuries.
The Vikings still have a scary defense and one of the best special teams units in the league. Go ahead and jump off the bandwagon. Us Vikings fans will be here all season long as the Vikings prove to the NFL that they are still an elite team.
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Minnesota Vikings Season Preview: Are They Ready For The New Orleans Saints?
With the preseason finally coming to an end, the Vikings will turn their attention to roster cuts and the Super Bowl defending New Orleans Saints. The roster must be cut down to 53 by Saturday, September 4.
There are some intriguing battles going on, but roster cuts must be made especially at the wide receiver and cornerback positions. The Vikings currently have 10 wideouts and corners on their roster. It looks like Javon Walker may have secured a spot on the team with his performance against the Denver Broncos in the Vikings’ final preseason game. Walker caught four passes for 87 yards and a 63-yard touchdown.
However, the fact that I am even mentioning Javon Walker making the team makes you wonder if the Vikings are ready for the Saints come Thursday, Sept. 9. With injuries spreading throughout camp, including wide receiver Sidney Rice having hip surgery and rookie corner back Chris Cook tearing his meniscus, the Vikings have some glaring holes come kickoff at the Superdome.
These main holes are at corner back and wide receiver.
First, in the secondary, the Vikings thought they had figured out the secondary by adding a couple cornerbacks in the offseason including Cook and veteran Lito Sheppard. Unfortunately, injury has caused the Vikings to suddenly become weak at a position they thought they had strengthened.
Sidney Rice’s hip surgery caused the Vikings to trade cornerback Benny Sapp for wide receiver Greg Camarillo. Although Camarillo looked good in his first action with the Vikings, having to lose Sapp to acquire him quickly became painful with Cook’s injury.
The Saints’ high-flying passing attack awaits in the Superdome to begin their Super Bowl defense on Sept. 9, and unfortunately, the Vikings’ secondary just doesn’t look ready. Add in Cedric Griffin still recovering from knee surgery and the Vikings will be using a variety of corners to stop third and fourth wide receivers on the Saints. Second-year corner Asher Allen and Sheppard look to get the most action alongside starter Antoine Winfield.
Although the Vikings were able to contain the Saints’ passing attack in the NFC Championship Game, it is going to be hard to contain them with a banged up secondary and a suspect duo at safety in the NFL Season Opener.
The offense will also be wise to run the ball and get it in the hands of Adrian Peterson. With Brett Favre’s favorite target in Sidney Rice out, he is still figuring out his chemistry with the likes of Camarillo and Harvin. Camarillo and Favre looked like they were starting to figure that out in the team’s third preseason game, but could look rusty come week one.
Bernard Berrian will need to step up in Rice’s absence as well if the Vikings are going to do damage through the air. Berrian hasn’t played up to his hefty contract and this is finally the time for Minnesota to get some bang for their buck.
However, with the Vikings not clicking on all levels offensively and defensively at the moment, they could be in for a tough day in New Orleans. The Vikings will need to control the clock and get pressure on Drew Brees in order to walk away with a victory.
If the Vikings let Brees pick this banged up secondary apart, it will be a long day for Vikings fans.
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Minnesota Vikings WR Depth: 3 Reasons To Trade For Vincent Jackson
The Minnesota Vikings are currently facing a big question mark at the wide receiver position. What appeared to be an offensive strength, now looks like a couple of average guys supported by journey men.
Anyone familiar with Brett Favre’s career knows that he has been able to turn water into wine with average WR. A perfect example is Javon Walker. Walker is the WR the Vikings have signed hoping to replace some of what will be missing with Sidney Rice out for at least six games after hip surgery.
The Vikings also traded for Greg Camarillo from the Miami Dolphins. I think its safe to say that neither of these guys are bringing the kind of talent and play making ability to the offense that Rice was.
The second year standout Percy Harvin is still battling migraine headaches and for all anyone knows is on a week-to-week basis.
The one healthy WR Bernard Berrian, has never even had a 1,000 yard receiving season. That is not No. 1 guy quality.
Which leads me to wonder, who is going to be the guy?
The San Diego Chargers are having contract issues with their best WR Vincent Jackson. Chargers GM AJ Smith is most likely not going to give Jackson the money he wants and Jackson has already said he is prepared to sit out the entire 2010 NFL season.
Jackson is asking for a four year, 40 million dollar deal, which to me and you is huge money, but not to an NFL franchise.
Creating Depth
Jackson will serve a three game suspension for driving under the influence for the second time. So, he might not be the smartest guy, but I’m not asking him to drive a Minneapolis school bus.
Jackson would miss the Saints, Dolphins, and Lions games – second two are at home. Then the Vikings have the bye week, followed by the brutal four game stretch of @ Jets, Dallas, @ Green Bay, and @ New England.
Those are four games in which they are going to need to score a lot of points to be in the game. They would enter that gauntlet with a fresh 6’5, 230 pound Jackson leading the receiving core.
The major reason they need to add depth is because no one knows how Rice will respond from hip surgery – its not like he got a haircut.
Wilf Needs to go all In
Ziggy Wilf wanted Favre to return so badly that he is offering him a potential extra 7 million dollars for this season. Favre could earn a total of 20 million for this season.
Wilf didn’t bring back a grandfather to have fun or even just a good season, he wants to hoist the Lombardi trophy. He got close enough to taste it last year and thinks Favre is the QB who can lead them to the title.
This wouldn’t even be a thought for Wilf had this unfortunate injury not happened to Rice, but the reality is that the offense will struggle if your counting on Camarillo and Walker to equate to what Rice did last season.
The Future
If you get Jackson before the season starts, lets set up the worse case scenario. Rice doesn’t heal all season and can’t come back till next year, at least now you have one go-to guy.
Next year the Vikings likely won’t have Favre and will need as many offensive play-makers for Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels as possible.
If Rice does come back this season you would have 6’4(Rice) on one side and 6’5(Jackson) on the other, with Harvin free to wonder the middle.
The Vikings could lock up a 24 year old Rice and 27 year old Jackson for the next four years and have the best one-two punch in all of football at the WR position.
Final Thoughts
I believe the Vikings will still make the playoffs without pursing Jackson, but this season isn’t about just making the playoffs for anyone involved with the Vikings organization from ownership to the fans.
If the Chargers played in a tougher division I believe they would have already signed Jackson and given him the 10 million a season he is asking for. The Chargers aren’t in the business of competing for a championship they are in this to field a competitive product and make money.
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Minnesota Vikings Officially Sign Brett Favre To the Usual .4 Year Contract
by Brett Lay
The Minnesota Vikings made it official today, inking veteran quarterback Brett Favre to his usual .4 year contract for the 2010 season. The deal is very good for Favre, who will be payed million dollars for only being with the team from September through the end of December.
The contract states that starting in January he is free to revert, as has become customary, from the form of a future hall of fame quarterback to that of your mother playing QB at the holiday touch football game. He also gets to bypass the annoying offseason routine and training camp activities.
“I am very excited about this deal,” said Favre at a press conference. “At my age, these unusual .4 year deals are the best. I can come in, play great in the regular season, and then throw some quick picks and send the team and myself home for the offseason. As you all know, for me, the offseason is what I really concentrate on nowadays. Will I come back, who should I text or tweet secret information to, practicing at various high schools. The offseason is what I really love, and with this short contract I can get the most out of it.”
Favre has been a rogue gunslinger the past few years, signing a .2 year contract with the New York Jets after being unceremoniously released from Green Bay Packers. He performed great for the length of that contract too, leading the Jets to the best record in the AFC for the first 2 months, before things went to hell once his contracted time was up.
The Vikings remain hopeful that Favre will resign with them once the playoffs start, but it’s looking doubtful at this time.
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Brett Favre Returns: 10 Predictions For His 2010 Season
Love him or hate him, Brett Favre is back and set to attempt another Super Bowl run with the Minnesota Vikings.
Favre arguably had the best season of his career last year, but fell short yet again in the NFC Championship game, throwing a late interception that cost his team their chance at winning it all.
Despite a myriad of mistakes by the New Orleans Saints, the Vikings found themselves on the losing end of a 31-28 final score last January.
Favre and the Vikings go into 2010 without any obvious weaknesses, especially after No. 4 found his way back to Minneapolis. There will be plenty of expectations from a variety of sources and mediums. Some will see them as a Super Bowl lock. Others say they will crumble in crunch time for a second consecutive year.
There is always chatter about Favre’s return and what to expect from him during the upcoming season. Consider this my attempt to throw my hat into the proverbial ring and present to you 10 predictions for Brett Favre’s 2010 season.
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Vikings CB Chris Cook To Miss Season Opener
Just as Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Chris Cook was making impressive progress in the preseason pursuit of a starting spot opposite veteran DB Antoine Winfield, a torn meniscus will sideline Cook for at least the season opener next Thursday against the New Orleans Saints.
It was not only an unfortunate turn of events for Cook. It was an especially bad break for the Vikings, who suddenly find themselves short on cornerbacks after recently dealing veteran backup CB Benny Sapp to the Dolphins in exchange for receiver Greg Camarillo.
With incumbent starting corner Cedric Griffin still on the shelf recovering from a torn ACL almost nine months ago, either Asher Allen or Lito Sheppard become the frontrunner to replace Cook with DeAndre Wright and Marcus Sherels providing depth in the defensive backfield.
Unless, of course, the Vikes look at the waiver wire for help until the regulars have healed.
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Fantasy Football 2010: Brett Favre and 10 High Risk-High Reward Player
With most fantasy football drafts coming up, it’s time to do some in depth research in order to gain an advantage over your opponents.
Often, one must take risks in order to be successful. While they may backfire, there is also the chance that they will end up paying high dividends.
Of course, whether or not you decide to draft these type of players is completely your decision. However, in order to help you in your efforts, here is my ranking and evaluation of the top 10 high risk-high reward players of 2010.
Note: When I say ‘Draft Him’ or ‘Pass On Him’, I mean at the spot he’s currently projected to be drafted at. Obviously, I’m taking Drew Brees in the 12th round if he’s available.
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Is Sage Rosenfels Being Shoved Aside In the No. Two QB Job?
It was obvious from the start of the preseason games that the Minnesota Vikings lacked a backup QB situation. Tarvaris Jackson has been treated as the starting QB all along, and the first two preseason games were no different.
Both quarterbacks, Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, have different tools that they can offer the Vikings when they are on the playing field. Tarvaris Jackson is more of an outside scrambler, while Rosenfels is more of a typical pocket passer that will try to throw the ball away.
The preseason numbers for both players:
- Sage Rosenfels: 30-47 392 yards and four TDs
- Tarvaris Jackson: 10-18 58 yards and zero TDs
Outside the numbers, Sage has looked more comfortable with the offense than Jackson ever has in his years with the Vikings. If Brett Favre were to go down this season, Vikings Coach Brad Childress seems to think that Jackson is the best option to replace him.
The coaching staff has kept a close eye on both Jackson and Rosenfels during practice, and Jackson has clearly emerged as their favorite. However, when the players take the playing field, the fans still see the old Jackson that panics when the pocket collapse around him.
The final cuts are still to come next week, so the Vikings should be asking themselves some important questions.
Sage Rosenfels has been going against the second or third team in most of the preseason. Is this why he is having the success that he is? Or are the Vikings’ coaches just not ready to believe that Sage is outperforming Jackson.
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