Brace Hemmelgarn-US PRESSWIRE

Can anyone remember a time when the Minnesota Vikings had safeties playing this well? In the past five weeks, we’ve seen one of the biggest question marks of the team heading into the regular season turn into one of our best group of playmakers. From all the big stops made by Sanford to the game-changing hit on Megatron by Harrison Smith, these safeties are no slouches.

Though maybe the most overlooked position on the defensive side of the ball at any given time, the combo of Harrison Smith and Jamarca Sanford has proved to be one of not only smarts but of intensity and energy as well.

This is an unlikely success story to this point. Coming into his fourth year, Sanford found himself behind Mistral Raymond on the Vikings’ depth chart. Ever since Raymond went down early in the season with an ankle injury, the disappointed Sanford has, thus far, taken great advantage of his opportunity at safety. Much like Sanford, the Notre Dame draftee, Harrison Smith, came into the 2012 season with uncertainty from a fan’s perspective. To this point, not only has he proven himself as a valuable coverage safety, but a hard-hitter in the same respect. While most people were frustrated to see Smith make a boneheaded play that ended up with his ejection this past Sunday against the Titans, others see it as a testament to a new attitude that has been long-absent from the Vikings secondary for so many seasons.

How many games have the Vikings defense had to endure shoddy tackling and even worse coverage from the likes of Darren Sharper, Madieu Williams, and Tyrell Johnson? How many times have the Vikings safeties seemed invisible? No more. This new-look secondary in Minnesota has all the tools to succeed in the cover-2 scheme that Frazier favors. With a defensive line as aggressive as any in the NFL and an overachieving linebacker corps, these safeties are no longer a liability. With solid play coming from the cornerbacks and their efforts anchored by the safeties, this defense has a new level of energy that we haven’t seen for so many seasons. Playmakers, watch out.

Follow Greg Jensen on Twitter @JensenGregory

Jan 1, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Jamarca Sanford (33) celebrates his fumble recovery against the Chicago Bears with safety Mistral Raymond (41) in the first quarter at the Metrodome. The Bears win 17-13. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

Saying they wish to give the safety “one more shot,” the Vikings are mulling whether to start Jamarca Sanford on Friday in place of Mistral Raymond. This is a move that begs to be dissected but let’s not read too much into it. On the basis of everything we’ve seen this preseason, Raymond is still the favorite to start alongside Harrison Smith. The very wording of the Vikings’ statement indicates how they feel about Sanford. You don’t give “one more shot” to a guy you have a ton of confidence in.

Then again, if the Vikings were entirely sure about Raymond and Smith as the starting tandem, why would they need to give Sanford one more shot? Is it possible Alan Williams and Leslie Frazier actually prefer Sanford, for some reason, and are hoping Sanford will show them enough to justify giving him the starting nod?

I’m trying to guess what in Sanford’s game might intrigue the Vikings’ defensive brain trust so much. It can’t be his smarts or coverage ability. Must be his physicality. If Sanford can do one thing well, it’s come up and stick a guy. Mistral Raymond showed better recognition and tackling technique last Friday but still is probably not as sure a hitter as Sanford. I’m guessing Raymond and Smith will still wind up the starters but I’m wondering if Frazier and Williams are entirely satisfied with that combo. Robert Blanton is in the pipeline but he’s still nursing injury and doesn’t look like he’ll be ready to make a significant contribution until well into the season if at all.

The secondary shuffle doesn’t end with Sanford. The Vikings are also working out whom to start in place of Chris Cook who will miss Friday’s game after failing to pass his concussion tests this week. Chris Carr and Josh Robinson are the candidates, and right now they’re leaning toward Carr with Robinson coming in on nickel. Carr is the veteran in that duo but Robinson has looked like the better player this preseason. Maybe the Vikings just want to give Carr one more shot.

One thing we know about Leslie Frazier? He won’t give up on a veteran until he’s totally satisfied that guy can’t play anymore. And even after the guy has proven he’s finished, Frazier may still hang onto him.

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Thrown into the fray as a rookie in 2009, Loadholt held his own, helping protect Brett Favre on his way to one of his best statistical years. Things went backward in 2010 however, not just for Loadholt but the entire offensive line. 2011 looked like it would be a much better campaign for Loadholt, especially after he showed up in camp in the best shape of his life, but early struggles had many observers whispering that maybe his potential would never be realized. False starts and glaring blow-bys plagued the third-year man, leading some to speculate that his starting job might be in jeopardy.

Then Sunday’s Arizona game happened. Loadholt looked dominating in his run blocking for Adrian Peterson, and performed better than usual in pass protection. The uber-wonks at Pro Football Focus gave Loadholt the highest grade of his career saying, “[Loadholt] yielded only one pressure to [Clark] Haggans late in the second quarter and had the measure of Dockett all day in the running game. Whilst he never had that one special highlight reel play, the consistency with which he was able to seal and control Dockett was impressive.”

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