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Vikings Leave Much To be Desired, Despite a Convincing Win in Cleveland
Published: September 14, 2009
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The Minnesota Vikings were the victors in their week one bout with the Cleveland Browns, capping off the game with an outstanding 64-yard touchdown run by Adrian “All Day” Peterson (his third touchdown of the day).
In spite of the 34-20 on the scoreboard; however, I was all but impressed by the Vikings’ performance.
Disappointed, in fact.
Beyond Adrian Peterson’s 198 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns coupled with rookie standout Percy Harvin’s promising playmaking ability, little appeared different from last year’s Division winning Vikings team.
Don’t get me wrong, a 10-6 record is formidable, sure. But the Minnesota Vikings aren’t aiming towards the Division title. The Super Bowl, as many analysts and critics muse, is a very real possibility given the talent spread around this Vikings team.
The Vikings’ gaze is set upon the Vince Lombardi Trophy, as a team reminiscent of last year’s Wild Card runner-ups just won’t cut it anymore…especially given the tough division they’ve been dealt. It’s not quite the NFC West.
Now in all fairness, I don’t mean to dog on the Vikings, and I certainly don’t mean to downplay their achievements on Sunday afternoon. A 34-20 win is definitely not something to take lightly. With that being said, there were several blaring shortcomings during Sunday’s game, and unfortunately, they were the same shortcomings that held the Vikings from achieving their goals last year. For instance:
Special Teams
I’ll give the Vikings’ return game some credit. The addition of Percy Harvin has given the kick return a new, sleeker, meaner look. It’s only a matter of time before that guy finds the end zone on a kickoff. Also notable was the addition of punt returner Darius Reynaud, who averaged an impressive 27 yards-per-return with a long of 36.
However, the team that gave of six touchdowns on special teams last season—a league worst—failed to show any signs of improvement, giving up a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown by Josh Cribbs. In games such as their away game at Soldier Field last year, special teams touchdowns can be the difference between a win and a loss, as the Vikings gave up two special teams touchdowns and lost by seven points in that game.
The Passing Game
Again, to the Vikings’ credit, Brett Favre didn’t look like Gus Frerotte tossing three INT’s to one TD or anything, but the Vikings brought in Favre to strike fear into the opponents’ backfield, keeping them from stacking eight or nine guys in the box against Adrian Peterson (who still manages to have outstanding games, I might add).
That didn’t happen, at all.
Favre compiled 110 passing yards to five different players, while Peterson muscled through dehydration, cramps, and an arm spewing blood, to record 180 yards rushing, 18 receiving, and three touchdowns. This was all through the course of 25 rushes and one reception. Hardly, what I would call a passing game.
Granted, Favre isn’t necessarily supposed to be the Vikings’ gunslinger/quasi-franchise quarterback, but I can’t help but think back to the 1998 season when the Vikings brought in another star quarterback who was also well past his prime to lead the second most productive offense in the history of the NFL (only surpassed by the 2007 New England Patriots).
Randall Cunningham could throw the ball, and so can Brett Favre. I wouldn’t expect Favre to be as productive as Cunningham, necessarily. Let’s face it. Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice, and Percy Harvin aren’t Cris Carter, Randy Moss, and Jake Reed, but they aren’t incompetent oafs either.
Air the ball out, Brett!
Or maybe Childess: Let Brett air it out. Let Percy Harvin air it out. Hell, let someone throw the football!
Speaking of others throwing the football, this leads me to my final grievance about the Viking’s week one performance…
Where Is This Fabled Vikings’ Wildcat Offense?
I was dismayed that the Vikings didn’t let the cat out of the bag this week. Every third down, my heart fluttered a little bit as the Vikings broke from the huddle, and each time, it was crushed when Favre lined up behind center and Harvin lined up in the slot.
I can only speculate that the Vikings aren’t going to reveal anything about their rendition of the Wildcat, until they absolutely need to. If that’s the case, then I wouldn’t doubt if they withhold the Wildcat until their week four Monday Night Football brawl against their arch-rival, the Green Bay Packers.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Childress wants to keep their toughest opponents guessing, giving them as little to work with on film as possible.
Or things could actually be as they seem…a flashy paint job on an old vehicle. The same Minnesota Vikings we all know and love.
The team that always manages to fall just short.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Vikings-Steelers Week Seven Brawl Sure to Be Epic Show of Vintage Proportion
Published: May 10, 2009
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In January of 1975, the Pittsburgh Steelers made their Super Bowl debut against the Minnesota Vikings, who looked to win their first Lombardi Trophy after failing twice prior.
Super Bowl IX was defined by a monumental defensive theme. It was not just the Vikings vs. the Steelers, per se. An underlying rivalry was forged between the Purple People Eaters and the Steel Curtain.
The game defining question was not who could score the most points, as it is in most any other sporting event. Super Bowl IX was defined by a question of endurance: which offense could outlast the relentless assault of the opposing defense the longest.
This question was answered harshly halfway into the second quarter, when Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton was downed in his own endzone by Dwight White for a safety. The Vikings never recovered from that blow, failing to score a single touchdown and letting the Steelers score 14 more points in a 16-6 loss.
The rest is history.
And as they say, history repeats itself. We have waited a long time for such an epic rivalry to resurface, and in 2009, history is knocking at the door.
As cross-conference rivals, the Vikings and Steelers seldom get an opportunity at regular season action. The last meeting of these two teams was in 2005, when the Steelers boasted a fourth place overall defense, while the Vikings suffered at 21st. Pittsburgh won that game by a score of 18-3.
The Vikings have never had a great history when facing Pittsburgh. In fact, the last time Minnesota beat the Steelers in the regular season was a 44-24 victory in September of 1995. Even then, Pittsburgh finished the season ranked second in overall rush defense, while the Vikings trailed shortly behind in fourth.
This 2009 showdown marks a whole new era, however. Coming off a season when the Purple People Eaters stuffed the line, allowing only a remarkable 76.9 yards per game—a league best—Minnesota is finally in a position to once again challenge the Steel Curtain head-on for redemption.
For Minnesota, it will be no easy task, however. The Steelers last season came in a very close second in rushing yards allowed, averaging 80.2 yards per game. Both Minnesota and Pittsburgh allowed just 3.3 yards per carry.
This is where history repeats itself: in a new age where Super Bowl Champion Steel Curtain looks to defend its title, both historically and symbolically, against an underdog that has been heralded as on the cusp of a Super Bowl berth for the last couple of years.
Look for a grueling reinvention of Super Bowl IX as the new age Purple People Eaters challenge the seasoned Super Bowl veteran Steel Curtain in a grudge match where the man who built the Vikings defense now holds the reins of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
