Jay Cutler Is Not To Blame For The Recent Drama In Denver

The NFL is full of surprising drama, and offseason storylines really get overblown when there’s nothing to talk about.

That’s not to say that this isn’t a story worthy of discussion, but I get the feeling that the discussion is headed in the wrong direction.

Somewhere along the line, Jay Cutler was made out to be the bad guy in this whole saga.

I see articles all over the place from bloggers to high-influence guys on NFL.com, saying that Cutler is nothing more than a spoiled child, who is upset because his feelings were hurt.

Now, wait just a minute.

Am I the only one who looks at this story and sees that the Broncos have done nothing but lie to Cutler since the season ended?

First, Pat Bowlen decides he’s going to fire one of the best coaches in the NFL, and certainly the best in the history of the Denver franchise in Mike Shanahan, and replace him with someone who has never been a head coach and only an offensive coordinator for no more than a few years.

That in itself is bound to make any quarterback uneasy, not to mention a rather outspoken, Pro Bowl quarterback.

Then, Bowlen tells Cutler personally that the entire offensive staff will be retained even though Shanahan has been fired.

Well that was just fine with Cutler, who up to that point had said nothing publicly more than the fact that he was upset to see Shanahan go.

90 percent of his players said that, so that’s nothing to jump on.

Then, what does Bowlen do?

He fires Jeremy Bates, out of the blue.

Now, Cutler could have yelled and screamed that he was lied to, but that’s not what he did.

Yes, he voiced his displeasure in the decision to let go of Bates, as he had a good relationship with him. Why wouldn’t he? Bates was the one who groomed Cutler into a Pro Bowl quarterback and had been with him since day one.

Oh and when asked about why he would tell Cutler that Bates would be retained and then fired anyway, Bowlen responds with a very convincing, “I don’t recall having that conversation with Jay.”

So, Pat, are you calling him a liar or are you just too much of a coward to come out and say, yes I lied to the man’s face?

Now look, I understand that the NFL is a business and that Bowlen needs to do what he thinks is good for the Broncos as an organization and —

Oh yeah, wait, it doesn’t end there.

 

Continue reading at 2 Minutes to Midnight Green!

Colts Talk: Breaking Down The Colts Pt. 1: Quarterbacks

The Colts had a great season last year. Not just great, it was amazing. They started out the season with a painful loss to the Chicago Bears, 29-13. That was the first time they lost their first game of the season since 2004, when they lost to the Patriots.

The Colts started out with a 3-4 record that year. That was just not how the Colts play. After that, the Colts shined. After beating the Patriots, 18-15, that was the start of their nine-game win streak. They improved to a 12-4 record and made the playoffs.

One of the anchors on CBS said that the Colts were the hottest team coming into the playoffs. Unfortunately, it didn’t look like it. They lost to the Chargers, 23-17 in overtime, while the Colts didn’t even have a chance to touch the ball.

After that painful loss, Tony Dungy said that it was over for him in football. After he retired from the Colts and wrote a book called, Uncommon, the Colts were looking for a new coach. Gladly, the found Jim Caldwell, a man who has been with the staff for quite some time.

What can Caldwell do? Is he the man for the job? Can the Colts show the world they have a running game and they can be Super Bowl contenders? Let’s see what happens.

Today, I am going to break down the Colts. Every single player. Today, I start with the quarterbacks. Next time, I’ll go straight towards the running backs and fullbacks. Then, the time after that, it’s wide receivers. So you get the trend. Let’s get started!

Quarterbacks

Peyton Manning: 27 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 4,002 passing yards, and a 95.3 quarterback rating.

Peyton Manning started out horrible last year. After skipping training camp and missing the pre-season, Manning started out his first game of the season with a 81.8 rating. Even though he had no interceptions, the Bears dominated as Manning only completed 30-of-49 passes.

His next two games went worse. He had one touchdowns and two interceptions in both of those games. In the second game of the season, Manning had a 72.6 rating against the Vikings, with one touchdown and two picks. Manning had, almost, the same exact stats the next game against the Jaguars and had a 59.0 quarterback rating.

So, in his first three games of the season, Manning had three touchdowns and four interceptions with a 71.1 quarterback rating. After that horrible start, Manning improved to two touchdowns and only one interception, including a 101.0 rating.

The next game, Manning proved himself once more with three touchdowns and, finally, no picks! He finished with an amazing 134.7 rating. Manning improved deeply and was becoming a fine star. The Colts kept winning and winning.

Manning’s best game came against the Jaguars. He had three touchdowns and no picks with a dominant 140.7 quarterback rating. The 364 passing yards showed the pass game was on, while the running game wasn’t. It was a 31-24 win, as Keiwan Ratliff picked off David Garrard for a touchdown.

Manning ended the regular season with a 23-0 win over the Titans. Manning had a 158.3 rating as he went seven-for-seven and one touchdown with no picks. The 95 passing yards all went in the first quarter, and Jim Sorgi took it from there.

Manning ended the season with the stats shown above. Manning also won the MVP award, which looked to guide him towards a win in San Diego. Though Manning and the Colts lost, he showed pretty decent numbers. He had 310 passing yards, along with a touchdown and no picks. The 90.4 rating came when Manning went 25-42 on his passes.

Peyton Manning looks to guide the Colts to a playoff spot next year. He needs to. He has to. Lets hope Manning wins another MVP and guides himself and the Colts to their fourth Super Bowl and win it. Manning looks to earn his second Super Bowl ring while Tom Brady is worrying that Manning is only one ring behind. Can Manning do it?

Of course. He’s strong. He’s never missed a game. He only missed one play in his entire career while starting. He’s smart. Well, of course. Why else did he have 49 touchdowns in 2004? Good luck, Manning.

Jim Sorgi: No touchdowns, no interceptions, 178 passing yards and a 87.9 quarterback rating.

Jim Sorgi is probably one of my favorite backup quarterbacks. He has six touchdowns and one interception in his career. That is actually pretty good for a backup. He has a career 89.9 quarterback rating.

Sorgi disappointed the Colts in the 2007 regular season, when the Colts lost to the Titans, 17-14. It ended on a fourth down pass, when Sorgi threw to Devin Aromashodu, who is now on the Bears and a Super Bowl XLI champion, who failed to make the catch because of the swarming defenders.

Sorgi has been a great player with the Colts. Even though he was horrible in the pre-season when he had no touchdowns and one interception, he is better in the regular season.

Sorgi proves himself that he can stay with the Colts because he shows Lucas Oil Stadium that he is consistent in the last game of the season. Right now, it looks like Sorgi might lose his job. According to Bryan Brackney at The Colts Corner, he said that the Colts were the only scouts to look at Nate Davis’s Pro Day.

What does that mean? The Colts are looking for a new backup and they also checked out Mark Sanchez, according to the Bryan Brackney article. I think Jim Sorgi will still stay.

He was mostly the star of the 23-0 win against the Titans. He completed 73 percent of his passses, 22-for-30, and threw for 178 yards. His average passing yards a play was almost six (5.9). He also had a 87.9 quarterback rating.

Sorgi didn’t run that good though. He had five carries for only eight yards. He had close to two yards per carry average (1.6). Sorgi can still be a good backup, but he is kind of horrible. Just saying: In Madden 2006, Jim Sorgi had a 65 overall rating along with some guy named Travis Brown.

Can Sorgi be a good backup? Can he be a potential starter with some team? The Vikings could take a shot but it might be a little too risky. At 28 years old, he still has a lot to learn. He is improving. Why not? I would love to stay with the Colts, just getting payed to do nothing while Manning is at work. Heck, that would be a good life.

 

So now you know them Colts’ quarterbacks. One is consistent, one is not as much. This is a good one-two punch of quarterbacks. What is going to happen? Will the Colts get Nate Davis? Yeah, probably. No chance they get Sanchez. Davis looks to be a great backup for the Colts.

We’ll see sometime soon. So this wraps up part one. Stay tuned for part two of running backs and fullbacks. That looks to be good. This is Breaking Down the Colts. Thank you for reading and you have a nice day.

 

 

Foundation of Defense: Ernie Sims

“With the ninth selection in the 2006 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select LB Ernie Sims out of Florida State University“- Paul Tagliabue

That signaled the beginning of the end for not having a face of the defense in the city of Detroit.

Ernie Sims during his career at Florida State University, was regarded as one of the university’s finest since of Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks (1991-’94).

During his 38 game career (started final 24 at RB and OLB), Sims wound up becoming a force on both the offense and defense.

While in his junior season, Sims recorded 180 tackles, 41 tackles for a loss, 12 sacks and forced seven fumbles as a linebacker while rushing, for over 600 yards and 17 touchdowns as a running-back.

Along with that, the following year(senior season) the incredible two way force, Sims increased his presence more on offense yet was considered a more viable threat on defense.

During his senior season, Sims recorded 133 tackles(73 solo), 15 tackles for a loss, six forced fumbles and at running-back, Sims rushed for 1081 yards on only 115 carries and also garnered 23 touchdowns.

All those statistics led to the Detroit Lions breaking the first round streak of drafting only offensive players(6 Years) by drafting Ernie Sims. He to me was the best defensive pick the Lions have drafted, in my opinion that is.

During Sims rookie campaign, Sims recorded 10 or more tackles in eight of the 16 games Sims participated in. Sims then finished his rookie campaign second in tackles (first in NFC) and 12th in the NFL overall with 144 tackles(80 solo) also, the team high.

Sims also recorded the most tackles by a rookie LB since Chris Speilman registered 153 in 1988.

Two Quick notes:

• Ernie Sims’ first registered fumble recovery was off Mike Vick.
• Ernie Sims’ first registered sack was against former first-round draft choice (Detroit) QB Joey Harrington in Detroit’s annual thanksgiving game.

Could Sims’ ever beat that spectacular 2006 rookie campaign? He can and he did.

In 2007, Sims was named a Defensive Team Captain. Not only was Sims named a Defensive Captain he kept his ludicrous tackles per season registering 172 tackles(114 solo) and finishing forth in the NFL in tackles.

2008 was no different. Sure the Lions went 0-16 but it was no where near Sims’ fault. In 2008, Sims was named a defensive captain for the second consecutive year. While his tackles decreased from 2007 (140 [90 solo]) but his presence was felt in 2008.

He again led the team in almost every statistic in tackles, sacks and interceptions.

In conclusion, Sims has yet to miss a NFL start in his entire three year career, and is on pace to break many records from legendary greats like, Lawrence Taylor and Derrick Brooks.

Terrell Owens and His Cold-Weather Issues: Why He’ll Be a Non-Factor in Buffalo

 

Tim Graham of ESPN recently compiled some interesting statistics on the Bills’ latest acquisition and how he performs when it’s freezing outside.

While Owens can still be a premier receiver in the NFL, he’s been unreliable when the temperature drops.

Tim Graham writes, “In six career games with the game-time temperature at 35 degrees or below, Owens’ teams went 1-5. He averaged 3.5 receptions for 52.0 yards and 0.33 touchdowns. In two playoff losses, he averaged two catches for 20 yards.”

It feels like the cold-weather Favre reports all over again. Thank goodness it’s not at the Jets’ expense this time around.

I was among the few who didn’t blink when the Bills signed Owens. Graham’s work makes me even more confident that he won’t be the difference maker in Buffalo.

I thought Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish were doing just fine on their own as their receivers.

The Bills needed linemen, a smarter offensive strategy, and for a QB to make better decisions on a consistent basis. Oh, and uh, maybe another running back now, right, Marshawn?

But I digress. Here’s what Graham found when he took a look at T.O.’s production in unfavorable weather conditions:

• 22 degrees: Dec. 7, 2008; Owens had three receptions for 32 yards and one touchdown in a 20-13 loss at Pittsburgh.
• 28 degrees: Jan. 13, 2002 (playoffs); Owens had four catches for 40 yards and no touchdowns in a 25-15 loss at Green Bay.
• 30 degrees: Dec. 14, 2003; Owens had his best cold-weather game with eight catches for 127 yards and one touchdown, but lost 41-38 at Cincinnati.
• 34 degrees: Jan. 4, 1997 (playoffs); Owens was held without a catch in a 35-14 loss at Green Bay.
• 35 degrees: Dec. 21, 2003; Owens made one reception for 20 yards in a 31-28 victory at Philadelphia.
• 35 degrees: Dec. 30, 2001; Owens had five catches for 93 yards and no touchdowns in a 27-21 loss at Dallas.

That’s a critical preview of what fans can expect from T.O. when the winter arrives in Buffalo.

But I wasn’t completely convinced yet. One of the things with cold-weather games is that the passing game is expected to be inconsistent. When the temperature drops, the running game is supposed to be the bread and butter.

Freezing temperatures make the pigskin harder to grip, and turns the ball into a high-speed brick for receivers.

Unfortunately for Owens, that belief doesn’t reflect the reality of his cold-weather games.

On Jan. 4, 1997, Elvis Grbac threw the ball 37 times. In 2006, Grbac made 310 attempts in 10 regular season games, averaging out to 31 attempts per game.

On Dec. 30, 2001, Jeff Garcia threw the ball 36 times. In 2001, Garcia made 504 attempts in 16 regular season games, averaging out to 31.5 attempts per game. This can be rounded up to 32, if you like.

On Jan. 13, 2002, Garcia went to the air 32 times in the playoffs following the 2001 season. His 32 attempts remain consistent with his 31.5 (or 32) attempts per game average from the regular season.

The 49ers’ Dec. 14, 2003 victory over the Bengals saw Garcia throwing 33 times. In 2003, Garcia made 392 attempts in 13 regular season games, averaging out to 30.1 attempts per game.

On Dec. 21, 2003, Garcia threw the ball 29 times. This is the only game where Owens’ quarterback threw below his average for the season. But it’s not significantly lower than the norm.

On Dec. 7, 2008, Tony Romo threw 36 passes. In 2008, Romo made 450 attempts in 13 regular season games, averaging out to about 35 attempts per game, rounded up from 34.6.

Clearly all of Owens’ teams remained consistent to what they had attempted in warmer temperatures.

There was no deviation from the norm, as his teams stayed true to their typical game plans, despite the wintry conditions.

Simply put, it’s Owens who falters when the temperature drops.

And now he’s in Buffalo.

While it’s not exactly a frozen tundra in the north, the end of the season is going to be a tough one for him—especially if the Bills are in a position to entertain the notion of a playoff run.

Can anyone else see another fast start in 2009 with the same results in 2008 for the Bills?

Thanks to S-Dubb (NYJetsFan) for the heads up on the Tim Graham article!

Angel Navedo is a contributing writer to TheJetsBlog.com. He is also the Examiner for the New York Jets and the Head Writer at NYJetsFan.com. 

He can be reached here.

McAfee Stadium: Are There Any Safe Spots To Sit?

The Raider Nation is notorious for being the NFL’s most dangerous fan base. People argue constantly over which NFL team has the most loyal fans, most die hard fans, but it all comes down to the Raiders. There is little competition that even compares to the Raider Nation.

The only possible competition are the Philadelphia Eagles. They have a die hard and dangerous fan base also. But when you add everything together, they still don’t compare to the Raider fan base. Those people that say the Philadelphia Eagles have the most dangerous fans apparently have never sat in the Black Hole.

McAfee Stadium can only fit around 63,000 fans. It is about the smallest stadium capacity in the NFL. It is not built like other stadiums, in which to make sounds louder. So fans have to do all the noise work on their own. This shows just how loud Raider fans have to be.

In your opinion, is McAfee Stadium the most dangerous stadium that a rival fan can attend? Would you wear a rivals jersey in the Black Hole?

Chicago Bears Should Just Say “No” to Jay Cutler and Say “Yes” to Kyle Orton

As rumors of the Chicago Bears trading for Jay Cutler start to arise in the Windy City, I am one of the few fans that disagree with remarks from recent articles by David Haugh and Dan Pompei about acquiring Cutler. Because truthfully, I believe the Bears know who there quarterback of the future is and he already wears navy blue every Sunday.

Now like most NFL analysts, I agree that Jay Cutler is an exceptional talent with a great arm. But after playing with one of the best wide receiver tandems in the NFL in Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, do you think Cutler will perform as well as he did in Denver, no longer able to pass to one of the premier receivers in the league?

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes when I close my eyes I imagine Jay Cutler playing in Soldier Field and heaving a 60 yard bomb to Devin Hester. But does this team really need a modern day quarterback diva as the face of this franchise? I may only be one person, but I certainly believe that Cutler just wouldn’t fit the Bears.

As Jerry Angelo has stressed in many press conferences of late, the Bears do need to address the quarterback position. But unlike others, I believe the Bears need to address it with a late draft pick or a veteran backup. I do think that depth at quarterback is a problem for the Bears.

With one injury you go from a five year starter to an untested undrafted rookie quarterback. I agree with Angelo that is a problem, but I don’t think that means the Bears should trade for Jay Cutler.

When Kyle Orton was voted team captain at the start of the 2008 season, I thought for sure that after he won the quarterback competition in training camp Lovie Smith wanted to back up his choice by naming him team captain.

But as the season progressed I could feel a sense of respect for Orton from the players and a sense of leadership that I never felt with Rex Grossman. At that moment, I realized that maybe Kyle Orton could become the franchise quarterback of the Bears for years to come.

After watching every Bears game throughout the season, I saw many plays that made my comfort with Orton under center grow. He managed the game and was a huge key to the major improvement to the offense. Unlike Grossman, he didn’t mind handing it off to the Bears outstanding rookie running back Matt Forte.

But the play that made me know that Orton would be the next great Bears quarter back wasn’t where he threw two touchdowns against the Vikings or when he mounted a great comeback against the Packers to keep the season alive, it was the first play of the Bears game against the Rams.

It was Orton’s game back from his ankle injury after only missing one game and on the first play of the game the Bears ran a reverse to Devin Hester, and Hester was about to get tackled from behind for a loss of yards when out of nowhere Orton laid a great block on the Rams defensive end who was chasing Hester.

Hester bolted up field for a 20 yard gain. Even Tom Thayer, the Bears broad caster commented on the play and said that Orton could have re-injured his ankle. But on a play that some people would call stupid or hard headed, I would just call a play of great leadership.

So know as rumors start to float around the Chicago Bears minicamp ,we should all ignore them because we have our own great quarterback and his name is Kyle Orton.

 

The Bargain Bin Bears at It Again: Glenn Earl (Who?) Signed

The Bears stuck free agency gold yesterday when they signed former Houston Texan safety Glenn Earl to a one year—$620,000 contract.

This comes one week after signing former New Orleans Saint Josh Bullocks to a one year—$525,000 contract.

Are Bears fans sleeping better at night knowing that the safety position will be manned by one of these two guys? 

I know, I know, I know.  This is a low-risk move.  I can respect that, but I also think you get what you pay for. Also, there was no bidding war over either of these two players. I hope Jerry and Lovie know something that I don’t. 

Will the Bears address the safety position in the draft?  I sure hope so.  The Bears were awful in coverage last year and while they were marginally successful against the run, it was mostly due to putting everyone and their grandmother in the box and blitzing more than any other team in the NFL.

With Jerry Angelo shopping in the bargain bin, who knows what the next blockbuster move will be?

I have to believe the Bears could address the wide receiver position through the bargain bin also.  I am guessing David Terrell could be had at the league minimum.

Maybe Michael Haynes could give the Bears a boost at defensive end. I am sure he’s a bargain also.

Who knows who the next Bears player from the Bargain Bin will be? 

I am sure Bears nation will wait with excitement.

 

Weaver Bolts Seahawks

Former Seattle Seahawks FB Leonard Weaver has landed a one-year deal worth $1.75 million with the Philadelphia Eagles. The deal has potential to be worth $2.25 million if he hits all bonus escalators.

Weavers role with the Eagles in addition to being a traditional FB will likely be replacing the departed Correll Buckhalter as the change of pace RB.

Weaver was a coveted free agent who was the top FB on the market. Tampa Bay, Minnesota, and his former team the Seattle Seahawks were all interested in the dynamic 26 year old FB.

Minnesota FB Naufu Tahi has signed a free agent offer sheet with the Cincinnati Bengals, the Vikings have one week to match the Bengals’ offer.

The Seahawks have already met with Free Agent FB Justin Griffith, who played under new Offensive Coordinator Gregg Knapp in Oakland last season. Griffith is more of a pure blocker then Weaver was, and played well in Knapp’s zone blocking scheme with the Raiders.

He underwent offseason surgery so it will be roughly a month before any action is seen on that front.

The Buccaneers chose not to up the ante with roughly $60 million in salary cap space. Jamal Cook and B.J. Askew are the FB’s currently on the roster.

Recapping Carolina’s Losses: Let’s Hope It Doesn’t Get Any Worse

The Panthers’ offseason has been a disappointing one, to say the least.

Not a single new face has passed through Carolina’s door for the entire free agency period thus far, but sadly,  many familiar faces have walked out.

Of course, this could be the situation of many other teams if they, too, were strapped for cash and one player had a chokehold on their cap room.

It’s a terrible situation, isn’t it?

A team has dug themselves so deep into a hole that they can’t even retain a few basic players who would certainly help them in future should things get tough.

It’s sad, but it’s true, and it’s happening to my very own Carolina Panthers. I never thought it would get to be this disastrous, and it’s all because of Julius Peppers.

To name some of the players that they lost, one would only have to look a little bit into the depth chart.

All of the quality offensive line depth is gone. The solid backups who once filled in the holes when needed during the regular season are long gone, off to be starters on another team.

Frank “the Tank” Omiyale was inked to a four-year deal with the Bears worth about $12 million. As I was reading the articles about their new signing, they mentioned his “Tank” moniker, one which I didn’t even know existed while he was in Carolina.

Geoff Hangartner, who  played the interior line positions, left for Buffalo on a four-year, $10 million contract, and is now the starter at center for the upcoming year.

To the casual observer, this may not seem too bad. Indeed, it may actually be a good sign, because it means that the Panthers’ current line is so good, that starters on other teams were backups in Carolina.

Unfortunately, this is the totally wrong idea.

Carolina’s line got banged up quite a bit this past year. Not one of the current starters played an the entire 16 games for the Panthers, although they all came pretty close.

All-Pro left tackle Jordan Gross played 15 games. Rookie right tackle Jeff Otah played just 12 games after succumbing to an injury just minutes into his first pro game. Both guards, Vincent and Wharton played 14 games apiece, and center Ryan Kalil played 12.

What does this all mean?

Well, it doesn’t seem too terrible, but without quality depth to fill in for the various injuries, I don’t think “Smash and Dash” (or “Double Trouble,” whatever you call them) would have rushed for as many yards as they did this past year.

Carolina is stuck in an offensive line rut, with only a few inexperienced men left behind their line. I hope they can stay healthy this coming year.

And the terrible irony of it all is that if Peppers goes to the Pats, then it will be the third lineman sent to an AFC East team in the past two years (Kris Jenkins to the Jets, Hangartner to the Bills).

Beside the losses on the O-line, the Cats also lost a quality return man in Mark Jones to the Titans. He returned 39 punts for an average of 11.4 yards per return, good for seventh in the league.

He took over for Ryne Robinson, who was injured in training camp before the season started. He played a key role in helping the Panthers get great starting field position, especially for their victory at Green Bay.

Sadly, there was no money to re-sign him, not when Peppers was hogging it all.

Also, another notable Panthers player is testing the market at the moment: long snapper Jason Kyle.

He’s known for being very reliable and solid in his blocking; very important if you want to give the kicker a chance to kick the ball. While it is true that he’s rather old at 36, he’s certainly no Trey Junkin, and could be a valuable part of the team for a few more years.

Even though it would be hard to blame Peppers’ strain on the cap for the possible loss, it would be rather disappointing to see him go after so many years. If he is lost, then don’t be surprised to see a few bobbled snaps.

But of all the players that the Panthers might lose to free agency, the biggest name by far is Peppers.

If Carolina loses him, then they lose one of the greatest pass rushers of this decade. Simple as that.

Personally, I think that getting rid of him would be the wisest course of action, but as each day passes, it’s becoming more clear that this may not happen.

Despite all of the apparent negatives, I am happy to note that the rest of the team is doing quite well as far as contracts go. 21 of the 22 starters are locked up for at least the time being, most notably Jordan Gross and shut-down corner Chris Gamble.

So I guess it’s not all bad, right?

It could get worse, but let’s all hope not.

The Minnesota Vikings Play for More than Just a Super Bowl Title

Many have said the Minnesota Vikings have been on the verge of becoming a major player in the NFL and becoming a Super Bowl champion at last after four near-misses.

With talent beginning to fill the void in the roster, the Vikings are showing they’re more then just able to compete. After finishing the 2008 season as the NFC North champions with a 10-6 record, the Vikings are no pushovers.

Although an honest assessment can be made that the talent in some areas is going down the wrong side of the hill, the Vikings still have a chance to prove in the coming three to four years at least to make an honest run for a Super Bowl championship…

But will it be in Minnesota? And if so…will it keep the purple in the state for years to come?

For a closer look at what the Vikings’ future could be, a look at the past and the present might help paint a vivider picture for fans and football enthusiasts alike.

The Vikings’ current lease with the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission for the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, as signed by both parties in August 1979, keeps them in Minnesota (at the Dome at least) until 2011. The lease is considered one of the least lucrative among NFL teams.

It includes provisions where the commission owns the stadium, and the Vikings are locked into paying rent until the end of the 2011 season, which is usually around $3.5 million annually.

The Vikings pay the MSFC 9.5 percent of its ticket sales and the commission “reserves all rights to sell or lease advertising in any part of the Stadium” and the team can’t use the scoreboard for any ads and does not control naming rights for the building.

The commission controls the limited parking and its revenue and the commission pays the team 10 percent of all concession sales, which in 2004 and 2005, amounted to just over half a million for the team each year while the MSFC takes roughly 35 percent of concessions sold during Vikings games.

The Vikings were 30th out of 32 NFL teams in local revenues in 2005. The Vikings, as well as the stadium’s other tenants, have continually turned down any proposals for renovating the Metrodome itself.

A plan for a joint Vikings/University of Minnesota football stadium was proposed in 2002, but differences over how the stadium would be design and run, as well as state budget constraints, led to the plan’s failure.

Originally, under the ownership of Texas-based billionaire Red McCombs, the Vikings pursued a new stadium in the northern Twin Cities suburb of Blaine in Anoka County.

The process moved forward: the Vikings presented a full stadium and entertainment complex, and both they and Anoka County began lobbying for funding at the Minnesota State Legislature, resulting in a ballot measure for funding the stadium placed on the November 2006 election ballot.

The area had been nicknamed the “Northern Lights in Blaine,” and had grown since its initial proposal in Spring 2005 to include 740 acres of total development featuring a 68,500-seat retractable-roof stadium, at least 800,000 square feet of retail shops and restaurants, a hotel, as well as undetermined quantities of housing and office space.

The stadium itself was initially projected to cost $675 million, of which $280 million was proposed to come from a county sales tax, $115 million from sales tax revenue the complex would generate, and $280 million from McCombs and the team’s six other owners.

However, just before the 2006 NFL season, McCombs sold the Vikings to Zygi Wilf, a New Jersey-based commercial property developer. Unlike McCombs, Wilf was more interested in the current downtown Minneapolis location.

After going along with the inherited Anoka County plan for a few months, Wilf caused the process to halt in its tracks when he also voiced interest in building a stadium downtown, and the Vikings agreed to cooperate in a study looking at building the stadium in downtown Minneapolis. Anoka County withdrew its support and the ballot measure failed.

Meanwhile, the two other major tenants of the Metrodome, the Minnesota Twins and University of Minnesota Golden Gophers were able to get approval of two separate stadiums, Target Field and TCF Bank Stadium, in the summer of 2006.

From the outset, Wilf had stated he was interested in redeveloping the downtown site of the Metrodome, no matter where the new facility was built.

Taking into consideration downtown Minneapolis’ growing mass transit network, cultural institutions, and growing condo and office markets, Wilf considered underdeveloped areas on the Downtown’s east side, centered on the Metrodome, to be a key opportunity and began discussing the matter with neighboring landholders, primarily the City of Minneapolis and the Star Tribune.

As a result, once the negotiations for the Anoka County location had been put aside, the Vikings focused on proposing a stadium that would be the centerpiece of a larger urban redevelopment project.

On April 19, 2007, the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission and Vikings unveiled their initial plans for the stadium and surrounding urban area, with an estimated opening of 2012.

The plan included substantial improvements to the surrounding area, including an improved light rail stop, 4,500 residential units, hotels with a combined 270 rooms, 1,700,000 square feet of office space and substantial retail space.

Wilf’s Vikings began acquiring significant land holdings in the Downtown East neighborhood around the Metrodome in June 2007, the Vikings acquired four blocks of mostly empty land surrounding the Star Tribune headquarters from Avista Capital Partners (the private equity owner of the Star Tribune) for $45 million.

In May 2007, the Vikings also acquired three other downtown parking lots for a total of $5 million, and have made a bid for a city-owned, underground parking ramp next to the neighborhood’s light rail station.

The current proposed cost estimate for the downtown Minneapolis stadium is $953,916,000. The total breaks down to $616,564,000 for the stadium, $200,729,000 for a retractable roof, $58,130,000 for parking, $8,892,000 for adjacent land right-of-way, and $69,601,000 to take into account inflation by 2010.

The estimate compares to upcoming stadiums in Indianapolis at $675 million (retractable roof, completed 2008), Dallas at $932 million (retractable roof, est. completion in 2009) and New York at $1.7 billion (open-air, est. completion in 2010).

In addition, according to Wilf, taking into account the costs for the surrounding urban developments put forth in the proposal would bring the estimated total to $2 billion.

The estimated costs were based on projected 2008 construction and material costs, so it is possible that the stadium costs could hover near $1 billion if the Minnesota State Legislature does not approve the project in the 2008 session.

The Vikings, like most NFC North teams this offseason, have been silent in Free Agency so far with the exception of Karl Paymah and Glenn Holt.

With the exception of a certain T.J. “Who’syomomma,” the Vikings have made minimal attempts for a big name acquisition this offseason even when Wilf has made it clear that “money is not an issue.”

Head Coach Brad Childress has also stated that newly acquired quarterback Sage Rosenfels will compete with his experiment Tarvaris Jackson for the starting QB spot in training camp this year.

For Childress’ sake, he better hope that whoever that starting QB is, that they produce wins.

With fans crowding the Metrodome shouting “Fire Childress!,” he won’t be high on job security, especially if no one comes to games because they think the head coach is a bust.

One answer solves these issues…Wins.

If the Vikings can take their pro studded line-up and either match or improve upon their ’08 record of 10-6, and possibly win a Super Bowl title, Childress will stop hearing chants, Wilf won’t have to bend over backwards for a stadium with state representatives, and the Vikings will more than likely not leaving Minnesota… at least any time soon.

The state of Minnesota will feel pressure from the team, fans and the league for having a team representing the state produce a championship.

Everyone’s time is running thin…

Wilf’s chances for a stadium, Childress’ job, the careers of the talented veterans on the Vikings squad and the Minnesota faithful that must watch their team’s fate and future in Minnesota hang in the balance.

Feel free to comment below.

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