Purple Pride Ponderings - Favre Light Edition

Purple Pride Ponderings
September 30, 2007
Green Bay at Minnesota

So I’ve yet to get to one of these this season. Some would say that with your team sitting at 1-3 right after the easiest part of the schedule, why bother? Well that’s just not how I was raised. I’m here to stick it till the end – through the good, the bad, and in most cases this season, the ugly.

I'm going to go ahead and get the Favre record done and out of the way. The national love affair with “number 4” is sickening. Yesterday I heard Berman say, “How can you root against Brett Favre? That’s just Un-American.” Shortly after that, I actually re-tasted and re-ate a small bit of what I had for dinner. But, I must say, congrats to Favre, that’s one hell of a record to break and you are one hell of a player. While I can never say I’m a fan, I am an admirer. All week long I was upset about the fact that he would beat the record in the Dome, but now that it has happened, I’m actually glad because all the fans at Lambeau Field didn’t get to witness it in person. Enjoy it while you can Favre, I have a feeling that Manning will one day eclipse your newfound record.

That’s enough attention given to Favre, now on to the game………

Hardly Outmatched
Going into this game, it was stated everywhere of how outmatched the Vikings were going against the surging Packers. When looking more into the numbers after the game, that was clearly not the case. That Vikings had two more first downs than the Packers and the Packers gained only two more yards of total offense than the Vikings. The Packers ran one more play than the Vikings and the Vikings actually gained a hair more yards per play than did the Packers. There was a less than two minute difference in Time of Possession and the Vikings committed one more penalty than did the Packers. One area that sticks out though would be that sack category. Holcomb was on his back three more times than Favre resulting in a much wider margin of yards lost. That is clearly another indication of poor pass protection and McKinney even found himself yanked from the game because of it. And as far as Driver having a field day on Winfield, that was not the case either. Winfield played another solid game and contained that Packers number one receiver rather well.

Let the kids play
What’s with Childress not allowing the best playmakers on the team to get more touches? He was criticized in last week’s game against the Chiefs (and rightly so) for not having Adrian Peterson in the game during the final drive. So how does he follow that up? Well, let’s look at Peterson’s stats – 12 carries for 112 yards. So let me get this straight, you have a playmaker that’s averaging 9.3 yards per carry, and he only gets 12 touches? Give me a break and give him the damn ball 25 times a game, please!

There’s another rookie playmaker on this team that I think needs to be incorporated into this mundane offense more, Sidney Rice. Did anyone notice how Moss-esque his touchdown catch was? That’s not the first time I’ve noticed it either. He made a few nice plays in the pre-season that had me thinking the same thing. He’s clearly a receiver that can go up and make a play, so start chucking it up to him.

QB Kerfuffle
A much needed bye week is upon the Vikings and that will no doubt find the coaching staff in the midst of some soul-searching over the Quarterback situation. While it’s no secret that Jackson is not ready to lead a NFL team, it’s painfully obvious that Holcomb is not who you want any QB to learn from. The best bet for the remainder of the season is for Jackson to stay out there and take his lumps. I’m a firm believer in on-the-job training and without a legit veteran QB on the squad; it’s by far this team’s best option.

Remaining Schedule Hope?
So here we are at the Bye, sitting at a dismal 1-3 when it could have just as easily been 3-1 if not 4-0. Looking at the schedule before the season started, these first four games appeared to be the easiest part of the schedule with the remaining looking rather daunting. That may not be the case after four games played into the NFL season though. In the next four games, only the Dallas game looks to be out of reach for the Vikings. The Bears, Chargers, and Eagles no longer appear to be anywhere near as good as they should be. After that is the Packer rematch and as we saw yet again today, these games are always a close contest. So, the Vikings have a legit shot at getting to .500 or better in that five game stint and if they can muster any kind of offense what so ever, they should be able to obtain that goal.

Thoughts from the other games

Ø Falcons upset Texans (that just does not sound right), Harrington caught saying “See, who needs Schaub!”

Ø Bills finally win; fans still wonder who the hell Trent Edwards is.

Ø Can anyone figure out the Browns? First the Bengals, now the Ravens? They are a Vegas Odds betting nightmare.

Ø How Bout Dem Cowboys! Seriously, this team is for real and Romo is playing out of his mind.

Ø Lions scratch 34 points into Bears once defensive skin, in one quarter! No offense and now serious issues on defense, the Bears are in major disarray.

Ø Culpepper points to his knee and says, “How you like me now?” Vikings fans say, “Was the bang boat really that bad?”

Ø Note to self; NEVER pick a team that starts David Carr.

Ø The 49ers were the Pre-season sexy pick for the NFC West, is that starting to change for anyone else yet?

Ø It’s been highly noted that the Steelers have yet to beat a quality opponent. Losing to the Cards may have re-iterated that.

Ø Colts start slow - then put the hammer down on the overrated Broncos.

Ø How do you ruin a quality playoff team? Replace you quality Head Coach with Norv Turner.

Ø Hey McNabb, now you know how Kitna felt, and then some.

Monday Night Prediction
I’m looking forward to this matchup because I’m still a Moss fan. I look for him to have a Monday Night game very similar to his rookie break-out game against the Packers in Lambeau Field.

Randy Moss – 21
Bengals – 0

Actual score:
Patriots – 45
Bengals – 17

This will be a laugher and Moss does get into the end zone three times.

That’s it for this week and due to the Bye, there will be no Purple Pride Ponderings next week. Hopefully the Vikings find some kind of offense in their time off and Childress keeps his mouth shut when it comes to play calling. Enjoy the week ahead, I know I will - the Vikings can’t lose!

Later,
Keith Michaels
venomlace@yahoo.com

35W Bridge Collapse

By now the entire world knows about the 35W bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis. It’s a somber day here in the North Star state and the catastrophic event affects the entire Twin Cities area in one way or another.

As of now, the death toll stands at four, but is expected to increase as 20-30 people are believed to be missing. This is not like a plane going down where you have a manifest of people. Unfortunately, no one really knows who exactly was on the bridge at the time of the collapse.

Disasters always seem to bring out the best in people and this is no different. Stories of heroes are already being talked about, and I’m sure we are to hear many more. Not all will have a happy ending, but the way in which the entire Twin Cities area responded to this is remarkable.

Despite what some say, the Minnesota Twins made the right decision to go ahead and playball last night. The last thing the responders and emergency crews needed was another 25,000 people flooding the streets. Today’s game with the Royals has been postponed as well as the ground breaking for the new stadium.

It will take a long time for this to get cleaned up, but it does appear that our Government will be stepping up to help in the effort and get a new bridge in place as soon as possible. For those not familiar with the area, this is not just a regular side street bridge that fell; it’s also an Interstate freeway. My drive to work does not include 35W, but I was still affected, sitting in traffic on 494 when I’m normally moving along just fine. There’s no question that this is a crippling event for this area, but things could be worse and we will all get through this.

Throughout the next week or so, many of us will realize that someone we know or knew was affected by this in a tragic way. Already this morning I’ve gotten an email from former co-workers that the nephew of an Attorney we all supported is one of the ones claimed deceased. On a less tragic scale, one of my good buddies called me this morning and told me that he was sitting in traffic on that very same bridge at 5:15 (the collapse happened at 6:05). That was the third time he had traversed that bridge yesterday.

For now, all we can do is hope and pray that the missing 20-30 people don’t increase the death toll. Sports must take a backseat for the time being so check back later for my takes on the Vikings Training Camp, the loss of KG, and some gaming quickies.

Thanks, and God Bless Minneapolis
Keith

Adrian Peterson Signs

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Vikings have agreed to terms with running back Adrian Peterson, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2007 draft.

Per Schefter, Peterson has signed a five-year, $40 million contract, with $17 million in guaranteed money.

Schefter adds that the base value of the five-year package is $25 million.

Peterson is the latest player drafted in the top 16 picks to sign a deal for less than the maximum term of six years.

The maximum annual average of $8 million is actually greater than the average value of LaDanian Tomlinson's contract, who signed nearly three years ago an eight-year, $60 million deal. But it's not presently known what Peterson will have to do in order to cash in on the $15 million or so in incentives.

Now get your butt in camp rookie, and please stay healthy!

Purple Pride Ponderings: 2007 Camp Preview

****Note****
This was originally written on Wednesday July, 25th and a few items have changed since then, such as the signing of WR Sidney Rice. Stay tuned for more of my takes on training camp and the up coming season. Don't forget that I'll also sprinkle a few gaming and technology topics on this lovely blog.

Purple Pride Ponderings
Camp Preview
July, 25 2007


Well, today is the day that players and coaches arrive in Mankato, the site where Vikings Training camp has been held for 42 years running. If your wife or significant other is anything like mine, today sends a chill through their bones and reminds them that summer really is coming to an end (though that’s a tough sell with 120 degree heat index in the Twin Cities today). She may roll her eyes as I set myself for the upcoming season - which includes Fantasy Football drafts, trips to training camp, pre-season game viewing mediocrity, and over zealous Super Bowl dreams (not to mention running three boys to football practice and games), but she still loves me and knew about this NFL baggage when she married me.

In light of all the negativity that surrounds the NFL right now (and the NBA, and MLB, and even the PGA now!!??), let’s get into this year’s Training Camp Preview.

Signature Please
The one thing I can’t stand about the business side of the NFL is the way in which rookie signings are managed. In the NBA, all the draft picks, even the top ten guys, are signed right away and are participating in Summer Leagues. That assures that come training camp, they are all there and ready to go. Not the case in the NFL, instead, we get to sit back and watch greedy agents play their little chess game with the first round guys which leads to many not participating in the first few days (even weeks sometimes) of camp. This is nothing but a major set back in my opinion. But, I guess that’s why they have all the mini camps and OTA’s well before training camp opens.

As of this writing, none of the top 14 picks in the draft have been signed, which of course includes Adrian Peterson. While today is the reporting day, Friday is the actual first day of practice. Hopefully he’ll get signed in time for that, but that would mean picks six and or eight would need to be signed first thanks to the ridiculous way NFL signings work. From what I hear, Sidney Rice is expected to sign sometime today, our savior at WR……..uh, yeah.

Give the Kid a Chance
It’s no secret that the Vikings have the league’s worst group of QB’s (and WR’s). But, that does not mean that one in particular can’t rise above all the negativity and prove that he’s a NFL quarterback. All this press about how the season hinges on how Tavaris Jackson plays is a little off par to me. If anything, it comes to those around him, or more importantly, those protecting him. The offensive line will have to step and play as they look on paper. It’s not fair to judge Jackson off of a couple of end-of-the-season, worthless games from last year. He wasn’t even at the electrifying 100% that we saw in the preseason last year. It’s no secret that the offensive line under-achieved last year so now it’s time for them to step it up. This is a line that should have had time to jell and will be expected to protect a raw second year QB and open monster holes for the potential dynamic duo running backs.

D Better without Tomlin?
You better believe it. Tomlin came in and did some great things and helped turn the Vikings into a run stopping machine. As is known around the league, the pass defense was a completely different story. Sure they were near the top of the league in interceptions and take away’s as a whole, but the secondary gave up more yardage than a one-on-one drill involving Fred Smoot and Steve Smith. Enter Leslie Frazier, a coach whose resume is as great as the ’85 Bears team he played for. He has helped improve the defense of the Eagles, Bengals, and most recently and notably, the Colts. Dungy brought him on last year as a Special Assistant to himself as well as the Defensive Backs coach. The Colts passing defense improved from 15th in 2005 to 2nd in 2006. There’s no doubt that the Vikings’ rush defense will remain solid thanks to Williams’ plugging the middle for yet another year. Add Erasmus James and linebacker Chad Greenway (who missed the entire season last year and will be a big help in nickel coverage) into the mix this year and you have the potential for a solid defensive unit overall. One thing that must improve is the pass rush though. Look for second year player Ray Edwards to make a move in camp and earn the starting job at right end.

That’s a Wrap
That’s it for now, I’ll get more in-depth as camp moves on and we get a couple of preseason games out of the way. I know there was way too much of a positive tone laced throughout this article, but hey, it’s the very beginning of training camp, every team is 0-0 and we are supposed to be optimistic about our teams, right? Trust me, I’ll do my fair share of savaging this team as camp moves on (and I’m sure it will start with the first pass Williamson drops – so in other words, very early).

Football season is here boys and life is good……..for now.


Keith Michaels
venomlace@yahoo.com