Putting Week 1 To Bed

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The Vikings are 1-0, tied for first in the NFC North. This, I need not remind you, is exactly where they were after their semi-shocking victory over the Washington Redskins the first game of last season – and they ended up 6-10 and well out of the playoffs. Not to temper your enthusiasm or anything…

Adrian Peterson lived up to the hype for one week at least. He hits holes with insane speed, powers his way through tackles, drags defenders and breaks away when he gets into the open. All hail the new Freak.

Artis Hicks and Ryan Cook more than held their own on the right side. Darrell Bevell and Brad Childress had enough confidence in them, at least against the Falcons, to continually run that way, and throw screens and swing passes that way.

The passing game did not look good. Tarvaris Jackson is naturally going to get heat since he’s the QB, but at what point do we have to start hammering the receivers for just not being able to get open? People crucified Brad Johnson last year, saying he had a limp noodle for an arm and accusing him of forgetting how to read defenses. I agree about the limp noodle part, but come on – did Brad suddenly go senile? I don’t think so. More likely, the receivers were simply not that good at getting separation, leaving Brad no option but to force it, or tuck it and take the sack. I don’t think it’s an accident that the Vikings purged their receiver corps – they knew none of those guys were any good. It remains to be seen if the new guys are any better.

The Vikings became a blitzing defense, at least for one week. Maybe they’ll be that effective against QBs not named Joey Harrington and maybe they won’t. If they are, E.J. Henderson will have a great chance at making the Pro-Bowl. He was a disruptive force against Atlanta, as was DE Brian Robison.

Chester Taylor may not play against Detroit after suffering a bruised oblique. I want to see AD as much as the next person, but I do not want to see him carrying it more than twenty times. Other guys will have to be mixed in – maybe Mewelde Moore, who was inactive for week one?