Back from the Brink
It’s not an exaggeration to say the season was on the line today for the Vikings at the Metrodome. An 0-3 start would’ve been disastrous, especially for Brad Childress, who was already under fire for his offensive game-planning and handling of the QB position. But the team went out and got it done, and for one week at least, Chilly can breathe easy. The decision to replace Tarvaris Jackson with Gus Frerotte paid off, and so did a more varied game plan. After falling behind 10-0, the Vikings rattled off 20 unanswered points, 7 of them on a game-changing sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery and touchdown by Antoine Winfield. The second half featured a steady dose of Adrian Peterson (in the game despite a bad hammy) and Chester Taylor, sprinkled with a nice mix of short patterns and screens. For one day at least, the offense looked…well, maybe not kick-ass, but competent.
Encouragement
The most encouraging sign? Bernard Berrian‘s involvement in the offense. The expensive free agent signee was MIA the first two weeks, but today caught 3 balls for 69 yards, including a 48 yarder – the longest play of the season so far for the Vikes. Frerotte dropped the ball in perfectly on Berrian’s outside shoulder, away from the defender. It was exactly the kind of play Tarvaris Jackson never seemed able to pull off. Of course it wasn’t all rosy for Berrian – he did let a catchable ball go off his hands for Frerotte’s only pick. Speaking of people who have trouble holding onto the ball: Visanthe Shiancoe had another big early drop, but atoned for it by catching a 34 yard laser on a seam route to score the Vikings’ only offensive TD.
Better Than T-Jack
There’s little question that Frerotte is a better quarterback for this team than Tarvaris Jackson. He threw some high sailers early when he looked like he might be over-excited, but quickly settled into the role of field general. Third downs became passing downs again under Frerotte’s leadership. The screen returned to the Vikings’ repertoire. Quick timing plays became a possibility. Gone was the indecisiveness and overall confusion of the Jackson-led offense. It was, granted, only a pedestrian overall effort from Frerotte – 16/28, 204 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT – but compared to what Jackson was giving the team, it was exactly what the doctor ordered.
Because of the Defense
And how could the Vikes get away with a middling (but still superior by their standards) QB performance and a middle-of-the-road day (just 119 total yards) from their running game? Defense. As always, the Vikes were rock solid against the run, allowing just 47 yards. But today there was a great pass rush at key times and big plays to stop drives and force turnovers too. Winfield’s, on a beautifully timed corner blitz, was the biggest. It tied the score at 10 and sent the Vikes into halftime with all the momentum in the world. And late in the second half, after the Vikes took the lead, the D-Line began dominating. Jared Allen and Kevin Williams brought down Jake Delhomme on successive plays to seal the win in the 4th. The Vikes tallied five sacks overall, two for K-Will. The heightened pressure had the effect we hoped it would when Allen was added to the team – it took some onus off the secondary, who had one of their better days in recent memory. Steve Smith, back from his suspension, managed only 70 yards on 4 catches – a far cry from his infamous gashing of Fred Smoot and the Vikings the last time these teams met.
Top Performers
Antoine Winfield gets props for his game-changing play, but the best overall defensive performer was E.J. Henderson, who rang up 12 tackles, 3 for loss, and basically terrorized the Panthers‘ backs. Last year was a breakthrough year for Henderson, and now he’s topping himself. If he keeps up this level of play he’ll be a Pro Bowler for the first time in his career. Kudos also to Jared Allen for showing a John Randle-like intensity and drive in the last minutes, when great pass rushers rise up and help ice the win. Offensively, Artis Hicks deserves credit for another solid game in place of Bryant McKinnie. Adrian Peterson should also be patted on the back for fighting through his injury to amass 77 yards on 17 carries.
Not All Good News
There was, unfortunately, a fly in the ointment today: Penalties. They hadn’t been a huge problem for the Vikes this year, but the bugaboo returned in grand fashion: 9 flags for 100 yards. Ryan Cook and Matt Birk were the most glaring perpetrators, their holding calls helping to stall drives. Of course, the Panthers actually committed 12 penalties, so maybe the refs were just in the mood to throw flags. One major non-call is sure to cause controversy as well: A play where Tyrell Johnson looked like he could’ve been called for interference against Steve Smith but got away with it. The game might have turned out differently had Carolina gotten that call. In fact, there were several good breaks like that for the Vikes, including a pair of late fumbles that happened to bounce back to the fumblers (Chester Taylor on one, Aundrae Allison on the other). Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, but it’s best to be both – and today the Vikings were.