Vikings Offense Struggles in Playoff Loss to Eagles

The Minnesota Vikings saw their season end at 10-7 on Sunday after a 26-14 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. In a game that was close until a 71-yard screen play from Donovan McNabb to Brian Westbrook in the fourth quarter, the Vikings defense looked its best all year, and the Vikings offense looked the exact opposite.

While there is something positive to be taken away from the 2008-2009 campaign in the form of the team's first Division Championship in eight years, for the most part, the 12-point loss to the Eagles yesterday has to serve as the biggest disappointment of the season. So as every season-ending loss will do, it makes us look to September, and where this Vikings squad will be come the start of the 2009 season.

Defensively, I don't think there has been a Vikings team that was this good, and I have been alive since 1984. My father could attest that some of the teams of the '70s may have been as good or better, but I can almost guarantee with the dawn of new technology and workout routines, this defense is bigger, faster, and more athletic than any of those teams who partook in the four Super Bowl appearances.

With that being said, there is little room for improvement. Brian Robison had his best game at left end all season, and I think that the Vikings can be OK without a replacement in the offseason so long as Ray Edwards can stay healthy.

One replacement that must be a priority is the replacement of aging safety Darren Sharper. Sharper was great in his heyday, but he has lost a step or two and has found himself slow to outside passes in cover two and taking bad angles on running plays.

Now I am not Todd McShay or Mel Kiper—I don't pay attention who is coming out of college or how good they may be in the pros. I do know that a draft pick should be spent on getting a decent safety to replace him.

E.J. Henderson will be back to bolster a linebacking corps that I thought overachieved for the better part of the season. With him back the Vikings may have one of the best linebacking corps outside of Baltimore.

Hopefully my alma mater's Charles Gordon will be healed from that horrific injury and can start, because Benny Sapp is not good. He was not good in Kansas City and has only marginally improved since coming to the Twin Cities.

I cannot say enough about Jared Allen. What a player. You know that the guy is worth every penny when he sells out trying to bring Westbrook down running the full 75 yards into the end zone in pursuit. I shouldn't fail to mention that he gave the Vikings' putrid offense great field position when he stripped McNabb. He will be back, and he can only get better it seems.

I think the Vikings are solid at the corner, with Winfield in his absolute prime and Cedric Griffin improving every week.

Now on to that massive white elephant in the room.

The Vikings offense has to improve in just about every area. Let's save the most obvious for the last piece of analysis, as there is much to discuss.

Let's start with the running backs. Chester Taylor kept Adrian Peterson on the sideline for most of the playoff game against the Eagles, simply because he was the better back.

Adrian Peterson should be focusing on two things, and two things only, come training camp. The first is pass blocking. He is atrocious; I haven't seen a worse pass-blocking back. The second is obvious: protecting the ball. He has to keep the ball close to his body when he gets hit.

Chester Taylor may be on his way out when the Vikings have to look at cap room, but his value cannot be overstated, and if he stays, the Vikings offense can only benefit.

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