Archive for December, 2008

Doctors have told Pat Williams that he may go ahead and try to play Sunday when the Vikings face the Eagles in their first home playoff game since January 6, 2001 (when they beat the Saints).  “Pat Williams is going to try and make the push for this weekend,” Brad Childress told the media yesterday. “I don’t know anything about it. We will just have to see what his functional strength is like as he gets out there and goes through the week there.”  Williams said the pain is gone in his broken shoulder and now all he needs is [...]

The Lions will bring in Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier to interview for the head coaching vacancy they created upon firing Rod Marinelli, who bears the dubious distinction of being the only man to lead a team to an 0-16 record (which is why he got canned).  The Lions sported the worst defense in the league this year and are obviously looking to strengthen that part of their team, hence their interest in several highly-respected defensive minds as head coaching candidates, including Steve Spagnuolo of the Giants, Jim Schwartz of the Titans and Jerry Gray of the Redskins.  They will [...]

There was a time this season when it looked like Brad Childress might not last to the end of the year.  The Vikings, picked by some to contend for the Super Bowl before the season, were 1-3 after a Week 4 loss to Tennessee and had a tough road game coming up in New Orleans.  The blame for the bad start was falling squarely on the head coach who two weeks before had replaced his starting quarterback in what appeared to be a desperation move.  But – call it a miracle if you will – the Vikes were able to [...]

Adrian Peterson finished the season with 1760 yards, enough to lead the NFL in rushing – the first time a Vikings player has ever led the league in that category (no, even Alfred Anderson never did it).  Peterson led the team in touchdowns with 10.  Bernard Berrian and Visanthe Shiancoe shared the team lead in receiving TDs with 7.  Berrian fell just shy of a 1000-yard receiving season, finishing with 964 (most on the Vikings).  Bobby Wade led the team in receptions with 53, 5 more than Berrian.  Gus Frerotte led the Vikes in passing yards with 2157 and passing [...]

The NFL has kindly informed us that the Vikings-Eagles first round playoff game will happen next Sunday at 3:30 pm and be broadcast by the Fox television network.  Is there anything more excruciating than being the last game on a playoff weekend?  This is the only Fox game next weekend – NBC has two and CBS the other one – so I guess that means we’ll be getting Joe Buck and Troy Aikman unless those guys are too good for a mere first-round playoff game.  I’m guessing the Eagles will be favored in that game, judging by how they played [...]

Losses by the Bears and Buccaneers mean this afternoon’s Eagles-Cowboys game will decide who the Vikings host next weekend at the Metrodome in the first round of the playoffs.  I’m sure there’s a big part of Brad Childress that’s itching to get a shot at his old coach Andy Reid aka The Guy Who Wouldn’t Let Brad Call Plays Even Though He Was the Offensive Coordinator.  I personally would prefer a match-up with the Cowboys – we know how that team chokes under any kind of pressure.  Watching Tony Romo get smeared by Jared Allen would be enjoyable in the [...]

The Packers could’ve given us all a good laugh by becoming the only team to lose to the Lions this year, but instead, they girded up their loins and defeated Detroit, snapping their own 5-game losing streak while extending the Lions’ to 16 – which, in case you weren’t keeping track, is the whole season.  So, congratulations to the Cheesebrains on avoiding the wrong kind of history.  And good work by the Lions – you suck worse than any team in the whole history of the NFL.  Including some of your own previous terrible teams.

Congrats to the Vikings on clinching their first-ever NFC North title and their first playoff berth since 2004.  They beat the Giants on a last-second field goal by Ryan Longwell after Brad Childress and his coaching staff and players demonstrated their genius by nearly allowing the clock to run out before the kick could be attempted.  Okay, so the Vikes beat the Giants by scoring on their second-stringers in the second half, and in the process nearly gave the game away by not seeming to know what they were doing with time running out.  But they’re in the playoffs.  That’s [...]

Kiss goodbye that 10-0 Vikings lead and then some.  The Giants have scored 16 unanswered, the last 7 on a David Carr touchdown pass to Domenik Hixon.  The Vikes looked like they might have a cakewalk after Adrian Peterson’s 67-yard TD run in the first half, but since then the Giants have established both their running and passing games and the Vikings have done almost nothing on offense.  The good news is that the Bears are still losing to Houston, though they’ve closed the gap to 21-17.  I’m starting to get stressed-out.

The Bears jumped out to a 10-0 lead on Houston, but since then it’s been all Andre Johnson, who has 7 catches for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first half.  The Texans were aided in their efforts by a Devin Hester fumble on a kick-off return.  Things are going well for the Vikings as of now, but the Giants are starting to get their running game cranked up, plus Tarvaris Jackson is having a terrible game.