Archive for October, 2009

10 observations on the Vikings‘ 38-10 demolishing of the Rams. 1.  It was all about turnovers.  Purely and simply.  The Rams had chances to score, and messed almost all of them up by fumbling and/or getting picked off.  The Vikings, on the other hand, converted on 4-of-4 red zone trips, and added a long field goal and a defensive touchdown.  All the rest of those stats, like the Rams outgaining the Vikings on the ground and in total yardage, mean nothing if your guys are going to cough it up close to the endzone.  That is a killer. 2.  Adrian [...]

The Vikings reverted to their pattern from the first two games of the season – shaky in the first half, dominating in the third quarter.  With help from some terrible playcalling and uninspired defense by the Rams, the Vikes were easily able to pull away for the 38-10 victory. Another good game from Brett Favre, 18/24, 232 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT before being yanked for Tarvaris Jackson in the fourth.  Adrian Peterson didn’t exactly light it up numbers-wise in this game, but he did score 2 TDs, and looked like he might get rolling in the second half when [...]

Guess we shouldn’t complain – the Vikings lead 17-3 at the half against the allegedly hideous Rams.  However, I don’t think the Vikings are too happy about the way they played the first two quarters.  Outside of a crisp opening drive the offense has been spotty.  And the defense…yes they’ve gotten credit for forcing 3 turnovers, but two of those were actually unforced, and the Rams have gained 220 yards, 73 on the ground. Basically, were it not for the Rams’ three turnovers, the Vikings would be in big trouble. We need to see tighter defense and more Adrian Peterson [...]

The Vikings are 4-0.  The national media have been paying attention to them all season thanks to Favre, but now the media are beginning to also take them seriously as a contender, which opens the door on a whole different level of scrutiny.  A team that came into the season as a question mark now bears the burden of genuine expectations. For instance:  The Vikings, by virtue of being 4-0 and having an arsenal full of offensive and defensive weapons, are expected to roll into St. Louis today and do to the winless Rams what Woody Harrelson did to that [...]

Phil Loadholt popped up on Friday’s injury report after suffering an apparent recurrence of an ankle issue from the preseason.  The right tackle, whose 2009 performance has so far been spotty, is listed as questionable for Sunday vs. the Rams. Steve Hutchinson, who played Monday night despite being kept out of practice all week with a bad back, is still not right, but is listed as probable.  Brett Favre, the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, is listed as probable with a multitude of ailments. Darius Reynaud, who hasn’t played since hurting his hammy against the 49ers, is out. E.J. [...]

It sounds like one of Chilly’s goofy philosophical nuggets:  If a cornerback gets arrested for DUI and nobody notices, does it cause a distraction? The answer, I believe, would be no. I bring this up because, on Wednesday, WCCO reported that Vikings cornerback Cedric Griffin had been given two days of community service and ordered to pay court fees over an August arrest for drunken driving.  An arrest that somehow managed to go unreported by the Twin Cities media. Cedric, according to WCCO, was also given two years probation.  It remains to be seen what penalty will be imposed on [...]

Last night’s Vikings-Packers game was expected to break ratings records, and indeed it has.  According to SportsBusiness Daily, the ESPN-televised Brett Favre vs. Packers revenge match registered a 14.2 metered-market rating, which, translated into normal English, means the game will ultimately rate out as the most-watched program in cable television history, with somewhere around 22 million viewers. That’s more than High School Musical 2 (4th all-time) or the 1993 episode of Larry King Live where Al Gore debated NAFTA with Ross Perot (5th all-time). Yes, it’s true:  America loves Brett Favre more than Zac Efron or Ross Perot.

Another week, another win, some more nervousness toward the end.  Here are my 10 points to chew on: 1. Never underestimate a motivated Brett Favre.  He’s like Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods – great on any given day, but a beast when he has extra reason to want to beat you.  He may have tried downplaying his desire for revenge on the Packers, but they way he played is proof of how much he wanted to show his former team what a mistake they made.  When Brett finally does retire – hopefully not any time soon – and wends his [...]

Nothing more needs to be said about the drama attending tonight’s Vikings-Packers tilt at the Metrodome presented by Mall of America.  We all know why this game means more than other Vikings-Packers games.  We all know why the nation – even the world – will be watching. It isn’t because Daryn Colledge is playing left tackle instead of Chad Clifton. No, there is no need to rehash all of that.  If you’ve been watching ESPN today, you’ve gotten your fill of Favre. So, instead of concentrating on the extra drama and the reasons for it, I will now endeavor to [...]

Tonight’s tilt against the Packers is certainly the most-hyped regular season game in team history, but is it, as Chuck Foreman said in an interview, also the biggest? That depends on what you mean by “biggest.” Biggest in terms of media attention?  Absolutely.  Biggest in terms of rivalry-related drama?  Almost certainly. Biggest in terms of implications for the rest of the season? That is yet to be determined. If the Vikings win tonight and go on to claim the division by one game over the Packers, then yes, tonight’s game will look huge in retrospect.  Same as if they lose [...]