• Matt Birk returns to Minnesota as the enemy.
• Baltimore looks to rebound after a shocking loss to the Bengals.
• The Vikings hope to quiet the doubters who say that, despite their 5-0 record, they have not proven they are legitimate contenders.

On the Vikings’ side, the most important storyline might be: “Will Adrian Peterson finally have himself an Adrian Peterson game?”

Actually, the problem might not be AD.  The problem might be us.  Or, more precisely, our over-inflated expectations.

Fact is that, despite having been held under 80 yards for two straight games, Peterson is still second in the league in rushing, and leads the NFL in rushing touchdowns with 7.  Unfortunately, we anticipated him being on-pace for 2,000 yards by now.

Clearly, Adrian has had some frustrating games.  But the other thing we must keep in mind is that this is not the same team it was last year.  This is a team with a reliable passing game.

Adrian’s lack of a bust-out yardage performance since Game 1 is the result of a combination of factors.  One is that we’ve faced some pretty decent front sevens in that span, including the Rams, who may suck as a team but have some nice linemen and linebackers.  Another is that, with Brett Favre on the field, downs that once were automatically running downs now are toss-ups.

As Favre has developed chemistry with his receivers, Brad Childress has been more inclined to open up the offense.  We came out throwing against the Rams, and ended up handing the ball to Peterson only 15 times in the game.

Such things are obviously dictated by the way the game goes.  If teams stack the box, it only makes sense to let The Favre find the single coverages and throw there.  Defensive coordinators daring Brett Favre to beat them?  Good luck with that.

One of these days, the vaunted theory that Favre’s presence will open things up for Peterson may actually come to fruition.  Then we’ll see more of the big-time runs we’ve been dreaming about.

Until then, we may have to content ourselves with a grinding, workmanlike Adrian Peterson instead of the game-breaking, highlight-reel making version.

The Ravens hope the lava cap remains intact on Mount Purple Jesus for at least one more week.  They already got erupted on by Cedric Benson last week; they’re not looking forward to another pyroclastic flow rolling down on their asses.

Actually, given the way Baltimore’s pass defense has played this year, the Vikings’ running game may be the least of their worries.

As of week 6, the Ravens rank 26th against the pass, below even the Rams.  This could be a statistical mirage (the 436 yards they surrendered to Philip Rivers sort of skewed things) or it could be an indication that The Favre is going to have a huge day (Brodie Croyle posted a 115 QB ranking against the Ravens in week 1, so…).

If the Vikings pass-protect this week like they have the last two weeks, Brett shouldn’t have any trouble standing in the pocket and picking out the open man.

On the defensive side…let’s just say the Ravens aren’t the only team having problems against the pass.

The Vikings are ranked 18th against the pass, but that number would be much worse had Brady Quinn and/or Matthew Stafford done anything against us.  From the San Francisco game on, the Vikes have shown a sieve-like propensity between the 20s, and though we’ve been informed that this shouldn’t bother us, it still does.

But, maybe things are slowly turning around.  Tyrell Johnson and Benny Sapp have been improving, and if we could just tighten things up in the middle where E.J. Henderson has not exactly been Urlacher-like in coverage…maybe we can still have a less-bendable pass D.

Cause you see, the bend-but-don’t-break philosophy only works until you play a team that can get it done in the redzone.  Which is why I worry so much.  One of these days, somebody is going to finish off some of these drives, and we’re going to wish we didn’t give up those middle-of-the-field yards quite so easily.

Playoff teams don’t cough it up the way the Rams do.  They don’t miss open receivers the way rookie QBs and Brady Quinn do.

I hope I’m wrong, but I fear we could be in for a schooling at the hands of Joe Flacco today.  He’s the first real quarterback we’ve faced all year save for Aaron Rodgers, who was hampered by his offensive line’s utter inability to block.

The Flacco v. Vikings Pass D could be the most intriguing match-up of the day, even trumping the Ravens Run D vs. AD match-up.  If we hold up against Flacco…well, then we get to try it again against an even better quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger.

Seems weird to say, given the way things have been the last couple of years, but I’m actually more concerned about the defense than the offense.  In fact, I’m not concerned about the offense at all.  I believe that The Favre will get the job done.

And if the rest of the team can rise to The Favre’s level of calm efficiency and occasional greatness?  There will be many fewer doubters.

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And if, instead of bringing the thunder, you bring the fizzle?  It will validate those who believe you are overrated.  It will give ammunition to those who say you are all hype and no pay-off.

I believe this is what’s known as a “make a statement” situation.

Teams in a “make a statement” situation are generally those that have shown they could be contenders, but haven’t yet done anything truly convincing.  Like, say, beat the living daylights out of an upstart team from the west coast.

Which still leaves open the question of whether defeating the 49ers really qualifies as a convincing statement.  It all depends on how bad you beat them, no?  Crush them by 21 and people will say, “Dang, these Vikings might be for real.”  Squeak out a nail-biter with a last minute field goal and people will say, “Dang, the Vikes had the Niners at home and barely escaped.”

Lose this game and people will say, “Same old inconsistent Vikings, dropping games they should win.”

It’s only one game in the standings, but on the ever-shifting landscape of perception, it is a pretty big game.

And it’s an especially big game for the Vikings defense, which, in case you didn’t notice, wasn’t its old run-stuffing self last week against the Lions.  Matter of fact, the run D looked positively porous at times.

That was against Kevin Smith, a pretty good up-and-coming runner.  This week the Vikes face Frank Gore, a guy who is in the running with Adrian Peterson for the title of best back in the league.

If the Vikes stuff Gore, we will know that the run defense is intact, and the Lions game was only an aberration.  If Gore runs roughshod over them?  We will have cause to worry.

We already have cause to worry about E.J. Henderson, who will likely miss Sunday’s game with a bad shoulder.  Yes, the run defense was still dominating without E.J. for most of last season, but I still like us better with him than without.

Health is also a concern for one of our newest, most exciting offensive weapons, Percy Harvin.  Most think he will play after missing two days of practice with apparent migraines.  Whether he will be effective after not practicing is another question.

The offense, I daresay, will not be as good if Harvin is not on top of his game.  After just two weeks, Harvin has established himself as an integral part of the passing attack; in fact, it could be argued that he is already Brett Favre‘s most reliable target on third down and in the red zone.

Of course, when you say “Vikings offense,” the next words out of your mouth should be “Adrian Peterson.”  AD also had health issues during the week – a bad back limited him in practice – but little dings mean nothing to a runaway freight train.  Adrian will not only be ready to go against the 49ers, he will be ready to light them up.

Adrian knows all about making statements.  He makes one every time he touches the football.  And that statement is, “I am going to kill you if you don’t get out of my way.  Like, now.”

Adrian has a long memory too.  He recalls the last time he played the 49ers, a game at the tail end of his rookie season.  He wasn’t very good that day; in fact, it was arguably his worst game as a pro, a frustrating 3 yard effort with the Vikes still alive in the postseason race.  He’s been eager, ever since then, to get another shot at the Niners.

“As I was walking off the field, I’m like, ‘I can’t wait until we play the 49ers again,’” Adrian remembered this week.

He already tries to obliterate defenders every time he touches the ball.  Now he has revenge on his mind as well.  There will be some bruised and sore 49ers defensive players come Monday morning.  A couple may even end up in the morgue.

Needless to say, if Adrian has the game he envisions himself having against the Niners, the Vikings will have made their statement.  And that statement will be, “Look out NFL.”

It’s huge for the Vikings to be 2-0 with 1/4 of their road schedule out of the way.  They can go .500 for the rest of the year away from the Dome and still finish 5-3.  And if they go something like 6-2 at home?  Do the math.  11-5 should win the division.  And 6-2 might be conservative for a home prediction.

Ray Edwards has taken a step up.  He was all over the field against Detroit, playing like a man possessed.  The defensive line is now a complete unit all the way across.

Phil Loadholt has a long way to go.  The whiff that allowed Jason Hunter to sack Brett Favre in the first quarter was too Ryan Cook-like for my tastes.  It didn’t help that he got called for holding in his attempt to keep Hunter off Favre, and still let Favre get hit.  Second week in a row one of the Vikings’ new offensive linemen allowed a sack and got called for holding on the same play.  Offensive line could still prove to be this team’s downfall.

I await a good explanation on why the Vikings are starting so slow in games.  Brad Childress did address it in his press conference yesterday, and pointed out that the Vikings were actually off to a decent start vs. the Lions before Adrian Peterson‘s fumble.  Brett Favre chalked it up to tempo.

The fumble was Adrian Peterson’s fault.  Video clearly showed the ball being placed in his arms as nice as you please by Favre.  I think Adrian just gets over-eager.  It’s something we may just have to learn to live with.

What’s the biggest difference between the 2008 Vikings and the 2009 Vikings?  How about red zone efficiency?  Last year, the red zone was more like the Dead Zone.  Now, with Brett Favre throwing to guys like Percy Harvin and Visanthe Shiancoe, the Vikings are finishing off drives.  Last year, it seemed the only time we scored touchdowns was on long plays, but now we’re getting them from close in too.

Adrian Peterson is going to injure somebody one of these days.  The vicious hits he puts on people finishing off runs on the sidelines are ridiculous.  He had two big ones yesterday…but the play that impressed me, and Adam Schefter, was the one where he threw Julian Peterson about five yards with one arm.  AD abuses defenders.

Percy Harvin’s nickname should be Little AD.  Not only is Percy fast and shifty, he is not afraid to take people on.  He runs with some of the same abandon as Peterson.  And he always makes the first guy miss.  He is a legit weapon, especially on 3rd down and in the red zone.

Chester Taylor is looking like the odd-man-out in this offense.  He didn’t help himself yesterday by fumbling on one of his 4 rushing attempts.  I don’t know how much of a third down weapon he’ll be now either, with Favre looking to guys like Harvin and Shiancoe.  It’s still nice to have him around as a back-up if Adrian God forbid gets hurt, but I see his offensive role shrinking as Peterson gets better as a pass receiver and pass blocker.

We’re lucky we faced a rookie quarterback on Sunday.  A steady veteran guy would not have missed some of the throws Matthew Stafford missed (I’m thinking particularly of that horrible broken coverage play where Bryant Johnson ran ten yards clear of everyone and would’ve had a touchdown had Stafford just calmly dropped it in).  A veteran also probably would’ve seen Chad Greenway on those two picks and not thrown it.  Playing Brady Quinn and Stafford two straight weeks is a big part of why this team is 2-0.