The Viking Age » john abraham

Falcons @ Vikings

Dan Zinski — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 16:30:06 +0000

Round 2 of the redemption tour takes place today at the Metrodome against the Falcons. I don’t need to remind people what happened the last time the Vikings squared off against Atlanta in a meaningful game – those memories are seared into our minds forever, and the mere mentions of the words “Falcons” and “NFC Title Game” cause uncontrollable Tourette’s-like spasms and cursing. The stakes are slightly lower this time however: It’s only the division title on the line for the Vikes and not a trip to the Super Bowl. And the Falcons also have plenty to play for – with the Cowboys losing last night, the Falcons can put themselves in the driver’s seat for a Wild Card slot.

Atlanta has been perhaps the most shocking team in the league this year – shocking in a good way, unlike past years when activities both around and within the team have tended to stun us for all the wrong reasons. First-year coach Mike Smith deserves kudos for the rehab job he’s done on this team’s psyche in the wake of Michael Vick‘s incarceration and Bobby Petrino‘s weasel-like betrayal. Prognosticators had this team suffering through one of the worst seasons in NFL history in ’08 – instead, Matt Ryan and Michael Turner have come on-board and led the club to a 9-5 record and the cusp of the playoffs. If Smith doesn’t win Coach of the Year, then there shouldn’t be a Coach of the Year award.

All this means nothing to the Vikings of course. All they and their fans want for Christmas is a playoff berth and if getting it means trouncing Atlanta, they’ll be happy to do it. Unfortunately, they’ll have to undertake said trouncing without Pat Williams, who is out 2-6 weeks with a broken shoulder. This weakens the rush defense at a time when it needs to be strongest: Atlanta has the #2 rush offense in the league, just behind the Giants and ahead of the Vikes, and the aforementioned Michael Turner is currently second in the league behind our own Adrian Peterson with 1421 yards. Turner is probably a more solid MVP candidate than AD given his 15 touchdowns (6 more than Peterson’s 9), but voters may perceive Peterson as having had a lesser quarterback supporting him all season. Either way, today’s game will probably decide which of these two backs has the better chance of hoisting MVP hardware come season’s end.

Speaking of hardware…Tarvaris Jackson finally gets to boast some of his own after winning last week’s NFC Offensive Player of the Week award for his scintillating 4 touchdown performance against Arizona. Jackson has been on his own personal redemption tour since coming back in the second half against Detroit, and hopes to continue his fantastic work against a Falcons defense that ranks just 23rd against the pass. The main issue for Jackson will be evading the pass rush of John Abraham who is believed to be fired up after getting passed over for Pro Bowl selection. The quarterback showdown is intriguing to say the least: The stellar rookie Matt Ryan versus the resurgent Jackson. The Vikes have been hard on quarterbacks in recent weeks – just ask Kurt Warner who is probably still aching in every bone of his body – and with any luck that trend will continue against Ryan, who had his second-worst game of the year last week against Tampa.

No Shock Here

Dan Zinski — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:19:22 +0000

Tarvaris Jackson has been officially named the starter for Sunday’s huge Metrodome clash with the Atlanta Falcons. “I watched [Jackson] practice yesterday, and I thought it gives our team the best chance right now,” coach Brad Childress said. Gus Frerotte has been practicing this week despite fractured transverse processes in his back, and was not happy to hear he had been demoted. “Anybody who’s competitive wants to be the guy out there, and I’ve put a lot of hard work and a lot of effort into it,” said the former starter. “It’s the coach’s decision, and I’ll be out there to help this team no matter what.”

No shock here – you don’t bench a guy after he throws four touchdowns and wins Offensive Player of the Week. Especially when the other guy has a broken “spinal,” as Mike Tyson might say, and wasn’t exactly tearing it up before that. I wouldn’t be too sad if I were Gus – did he really want to spend his afternoon running away from John Abraham? Or trying to run away, at least.

Q&A With Pewter Plank

Dan Zinski — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:53:08 +0000

Dustin of The Pewter Plank and I exchanged a little Q&A over this weekend’s big Vikings/Buccaneers tilt. I began my half of the session by asking Dustin about Jon Gruden and all the rumors he might be headed for Tennessee:

The Viking Age: Do you believe Jon Gruden when he says he’s not interested in leaving for the Tennessee job? And just incidentally, is he as big a dick as we all think he is?

The Pewter Plank: I actually do believe Gruden. I don’t see how this would be a step up for him professionally. He was offered (apparently) the Notre Dame job, or was at least asked about it a few years ago, and turned that down as well, so why go to Tennessee? The only thing that scares me about Gruden, is the local radio personalities down here have the majority of the retarded fan base hating Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen; in Knoxville, this would not be the case, Gruden would be revered. By the way, one of my favorite underrated college towns in the country!

As far as Gruden being a dick, I’m an unabashed Gruden lover, so I might be the wrong person to ask here! He is definitely a hard-nosed coach who demands a lot out of his players. The Wade Phillips and the Norv Turners of the NFL world though, currently possess stacked teams that are underachieving. Is this because of their placidness, who knows. All I know is I like a coach who demands accountability and performance out of his players, because that is what this game is all about.

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