Bleacher Report - Articles by Kyle Babcock

Week 16: From a Vikings' Fan Perspective

Kyle Babcock — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:13:24 -0500

Should I or should I not? That is the question.

Should I go on a rampage about how the Vikings should have won and clinched the division, or should I not?

I won't.

At the same time, there are a few points of interest that come to mind.

First, the performance and emergence of the "new" Tarvaris Jackson, also known as T-Jack, is noteworthy. Personally, I was never impressed at all with the performance of Gus Frerotte. I would have rather had J.D. Booty lead us to battle. But, none of it came true.

Something better did.

With the injury of Frerotte, ironically occurring on an interception he threw against the Lions, the coaching staff, whom I have been critical of, made the obvious choice to temporarily replace Frerotte.

No one knew that it was going to be permanent. I personally thought Gus was faking another injury and would be back in on the next play.

But, nothing of the sort happened.

Well, as I fast forward to week 17, I see a QB who has thrown seven TD passes to zero interceptions. And, by the way, he has a passer rating of only 126.5 since his return.

With last week's loss in the books, I didn't puke when I went home. I didn't tear the Adrian Peterson Fat Head off my wall (I wish I had one.)

I went home and watched some film of Tarvaris Jackson.

Unusual, as usually Coach Childress would have gone back to grandpa by now. But, he didn't.

As I watched game film of T-Jack, I like how when he plays, the defense has to compensate for him by putting a linebacker or safety to spy him. That gives Peterson more running room. It really impresses me. Good job, T-Jack.

Secondly, oh Adrian. All I have to say here: High and tight, baby.

You have the talent, just hold on for dear life in the hole.

It was an overall decent performance by the Vikings. They outplayed the Falcons, but the game is won and lost by turnovers.

With a Chicago OT crap win, we must either beat the Giants, or have a Chicago loss.

Both are likely to occur. It will be an awesome week of football (NFL schedule-makers for MVP).

See you next week, and by the way-side, that's From a Vikings Fan's Perspective.

The Amazing Race: 2008 Pro Bowl Selections

Kyle Babcock — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:03:11 -0500

Ahh, yes it is upon us already. Yes, that means the sound of the waves rolling in at the beaches while a breathtaking sunset overshadows the island of Hawaii.

The always competitive, exciting, nerve-wrenching, Pro Bowl.

Hold your horses! Does that description of the Pro Bowl sound right?

Not at all. Well maybe with the exception of the media day, where players, against their will wear Hawaiian dress. Unless you're Michael Strahan, who talked a lot, and in the meantime showed off the Grand Canyon between his teeth.

When the results of the Pro Bowl voting got out and when I heard the infamous "Brett Favre is going to the Pro Bowl for the 10th time," I was utterly disgusted.

Well, lets not sound that mad. At least the fans don't totally decide, because then you would see the AFC playing the Washington Redskins.

Well, here are the Pro Bowl players:

Position	Starters	Reserves
NFC
Offense
Quarterback	Kurt Warner, Arizona	Drew Brees, New Orleans Eli Manning, New York Giants
Running back	Adrian Peterson, Minnesota	Michael Turner, Atlanta Clinton Portis, Washington
Fullback	Mike Sellers, Washington
Wide receiver	Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Anquan Boldin, Arizona	Steve Smith, Carolina Roddy White, Atlanta
Tight end	Jason Witten, Dallas	Chris Cooley, Washington
Tackle	Jordan Gross, Carolina Walter Jones, Seattle	Chris Samuels, Washington
Guard	Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota Chris Snee, New York Giants	Leonard Davis, Dallas
Center	Andre Gurode, Dallas	Shaun O'Hara, New York Giants
Defense
Position	Starters	Reserves
Defensive end	Julius Peppers, Carolina Justin Tuck, New York Giants	Jared Allen, Minnesota
Defensive tackle	Kevin Williams, Minnesota Jay Ratliff, Dallas	Pat Williams, Minnesota
Outside linebacker	DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Lance Briggs, Chicago	Derrick Brooks, Tampa Bay
Inside linebacker	Patrick Willis, San Francisco	Jon Beason, Carolina
Cornerback	Charles Woodson, Green Bay Antoine Winfield, Minnesota	Asante Samuel, Philadelphia
Free safety	Nick Collins, Green Bay	Brian Dawkins, Philadelphia
Strong safety	Adrian Wilson, Arizona
Special teams
Position	Starters	Reserves
Punter	Jeff Feagles, New York Giants
Placekicker	John Carney, New York Giants
Kick returner	Clifton Smith, Tampa Bay
Special teamer	Sean Morey, Arizona
AFC
Offense
Position	Starters	Reserves
Quarterback	Peyton Manning, Indianapolis	Brett Favre, New York Jets Jay Cutler, Denver
Running back	Thomas Jones, New York Jets	Chris Johnson, Tennessee Ronnie Brown, Miami
Fullback	Le'Ron McClain, Baltimore
Wide receiver	Andre Johnson, Houston Brandon Marshall, Denver	Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Wes Welker, New England
Tight end	Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City	Antonio Gates, San Diego
Tackle	Joe Thomas, Cleveland Jason Peters, Buffalo	Michael Roos, Tennessee
Guard	Alan Faneca, New York Jets Kris Dielman, San Diego	Brian Waters, Kansas City
Center	Kevin Mawae, Tennessee	Nick Mangold, New York Jets
Defense
Position	Starters	Reserves
Defensive end	Mario Williams, Houston Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis	Robert Mathis, Indianapolis
Defensive tackle	Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee Kris Jenkins, New York Jets	Shaun Rogers, Cleveland
Outside linebacker	James Harrison, Pittsburgh Joey Porter, Miami	Terrell Suggs, Baltimore
Inside linebacker	Ray Lewis, Baltimore	James Farrior, Pittsburgh
Cornerback	Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland Cortland Finnegan, Tennessee	Darrelle Revis, New York Jets
Free safety	Ed Reed, Baltimore
Strong safety	Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh	Chris Hope, Tennessee
Special teams
Position	Starters	Reserves
Punter	Shane Lechler, Oakland
Placekicker	Stephen Gostkowski, New England
Kick returner	Leon Washington, New York Jets
Special teamer	Brendon Ayanbadejo, Baltimore

Seems pretty good; I mean the whole NFC squad aren't Redskins, or Cowboys by default.

But I do wish to place my grievances.

First, the defensive end picks for the NFC. Julius Peppers is a good choice. But Jared Allen a backup? And behind Justin Tuck?

Wrong. Simply wrong. You simply don't put the rodeo man behind Strahan's replacement. Not when Tuck only has 11 sacks and a INT for a TD, and Jared has 14.5 sacks and 7 forced fumbles.

Jared Allen should have been a starter, along with John Abraham, and Julius as a reserve. Anyone agree?

Also, the AFC is going to be screwed up.

How does Brett Favre get in over Philip Rivers? Simple. Legacy.

The same also applies to Walter Jones from Seattle.

Rivers has the highest passer rating in the NFL, and at the same time the most TD passes in the NFL. If you send Brett to the Bowl, you could make cases for crappy players like Gus Frerotte, or Jason Campbell.

Lastly, the one due to the popularity of the Wildcat.

Ronnie Brown got in ahead of rookie RB Steve Slaton.

Yes, I do give credit for Ronnie running the Wildcat so well, but the position says running back, if I'm not mistaken.

Am I? Apparently so.

Steve Slaton was supposed to be a situational back, like the crappy Reggie Bush, but has emerged as one of a great class of running backs. He already has over 1,000 yards, even though he had a slow start. On the other hand, Ronnie Brown is a great player, but doesn't deserve the nod.

Maybe he should have gotten voted as a QB. Oh yeah, I forgot he isn't on that ballot.

But anyways, I have a lot more on my heart to share with you all, but unfortunately don't have the time to vent any longer.

If you think here are any players I missed, just shoot me a comment, and I'll respond.

And as always, it's the NFL, and it's an amazing race. (Especially for Oakland fans. Sorry for the Al Davis problem.)

NFL Week 15: From a Minnesota Vikings Fan's Perspective

Kyle Babcock — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:16:43 -0500

Wow.

What a way to start an article, but doesn't it seem appropriate to you? As a Vikings fan, I can't seem to tell which photo better illustrates the sweet victory against the red bird on Sunday.

Is it Jared Allen and his defense harassing Kurt Warner all day long?

Is it Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor harassing the Cardinals defense for over 200 rushing yards?

Or is it the hated, benched, backup (or at least formerly backup) QB torching their defense for a career high four TD passes?

To me the first and second ones are a usual display of the Vikings image. When I say Vikings to my friends, they think Adrian Peterson and the rush defense. But who says, "Tarvaris Jackson, the beast of a quarterback that the Vikings have?"

No one.

This week, as I watched the game in a sports bar, on one of three huge projection screens, amongst about 80 Steelers fans chanting and screaming, I saw a type of dominance.

And not just a type. Total dominance.

Most average NFL fans expected the Vikes to run the ball and stop the run. But not many people know that only three teams in the NFL have allowed fewer passing touchdowns.

But let me get back to the game.

The Vikings' aerial attack featured T-Jack and about a million Vikings fans on the edge of their seats, nervously chewing their nails as they wait for that hated "Brad Childress project QB" to take the field.

While only having 164 passing yards, the Vikings' quarterback had an amazing four touchdown passes and even more amazing, not a single turnover.

Who expected that?

I don't quite know, but even though I have liked and supported T-Jack all along, I had no idea what was in store.

With all that said about T-Jack, another surprising aspect of Sunday's game was the 28-0 lead we got out to.

In four games this season, if I'm correct, the Vikings have had four fourth quarter comeback wins. Most notably, the Packers game. But no comeback was needed for this game.

The defense had another tremendous game, limiting the NFL's No. 1 scoring offense, who score 29.4 points a game, to only 14. The line harasses Warner all day, and we could have had about 3 more INT's, but were unfortunately dropped.

Even the usually unimpressive special teams were actually special yesterday. Bernard Berrian scored the game's first points, returning a Cardinals punt 82 yards to the house.

And there is one more group I have to give props to.

The Vikings fans that attended the game in Arizona! It was almost like a home game, because there were so many of you! And as Childress pointed out, I felt overwhelmed, like one of those streakers that gets tackled cold on a football field.

I mean, there were so many of you, so great job supporting the home, I mean away team.

P.S.—I did see your Vikings Santa hats, and yes it was like Christmas!

So there you go, on my Week 15 review column.

This is my first week doing it, but I should be doing it every week from now until forever, so enjoy.

And by the way-side, that's From Vikings Fan's Perspective.

(UPDATE: 12/18/08: Darrel Bevel(sp) announced that Tarvaris Jackon will be the starter against the Falcons, so thank you for the votes. You got it right!!!)

For The Record: Adrian Peterson

Kyle Babcock — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:13:58 -0500

In the last two seasons, unless you're a Sooners fan, you have had the pleasure to watch the NFL's best running back. And his name is not LaDainian Tomlinson.

His name is Adrian Peterson.

This could be a very edgy and controversial article. But I don't intend for it to be. All I want to point out in this brief article is that one running back has emerged and stood out above every other runner in the NFL.

At Oklahoma, during his freshman year, he had his best season, running for 1,925 yards and 15 TD's. He also was a candidate for the Heisman Trophy. Adrian did have injuries at Oklahoma, but in only three years, he amassed 4,045 yards and 41 TD's.

Two years ago, around the time of the draft, I did not think the Vikings would draft him because he would have been a steal at the seventh pick. I thought the Vikings would pass him up anyway, in favor of Brady Quinn. I mean, the Vikings already had Chester Taylor, who rushed for 1,216 yards the previous season.

But, when draft time came around, when the Vikings pick time arrived, the commissioner announced: With the seventh pick in the 2007 NFL draft, the Vikings select: running back, Oklahoma, Adrian Peterson. When those words were uttered, I rejoiced. I knew that the "Purple Jesus" had arrived. I knew that he would save us from the pit of misery and apathy.

And I, along with thousands of other Vikings fans, was right. He did just what i thought he would do. In his rookie season, he ran for 1341 yards and 12 TD's on his way to Rookie Of The Year and Pro Bowl MVP honors. He broke the rookie rushing record for a single game with 224 yards in a game versus the Bears. Most remarkably, though, he broke his own rookie record and established an NFL record for the most yards in a NFL game with 296 yards.

All that in his rookie season? Yes.

And he hasn't disappointed this season either, leading the league in rushing with 1,413 yards in just 13 games so far.

Who knows what might come this year. Pro Bowl (again)? NFL MVP? Superbowl MVP? How much more can he do?

Who knows? I do. He can do anything.

Ladies and Gentlemen, watch out for this player, if you haven't already. Because there will be a lot more greatness to come out of him.

And that's just for the record.

What in the NFL Is Going On: The Tightening Policies and the Apparent Favoritism

Kyle Babcock — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:56:30 -0500

Few things in the NFL make a man like me very, very angry. But the last couple of weeks have been the kind that do make me mad.

I never would have believed that in a league so tough, with so much heart, and such a desire to win, there would be officials in the NFL headquarters that seem to want to remove it. But it seems so.

I felt the urge to write this about two weeks ago but never had the time to do so. But now that the time has come around, so here it is.

Two weeks ago, in a matchup between the Bears and the Vikings, there were some some very questionable decisions made by the referees.

I started research on the topic of fines on players after Adewale Ogunleye hit Gus Frerotte extremely late and didn't draw a penalty. I then received a news update telling me that Jared Allen had been fined $10,000 for faking CPR on the football after he thought he had a touchdown.

He had also been fined for jumping on a pile late. Then I researched and found that Ogunleye had not even received a fine for his hit on Frerotte. I was disgusted. Yes, Frerotte did do some acting on the play, but so all punters and kickers so they will draw a penalty.

But there was no excuse for what Ogunleye did.

Secondly, one of the best, most physical and dirty players in the NFL: Hines Ward. And just ask anyone I know and they will tell you that I love some hitting. Which is why I love Hines Ward.

But some of the things he does are questionable, at least. If the NFL and its refs want to complain and call penalties on everything and anyone that practically touches another player, then they should be fair in doing so.

He has had numerous hits on players, causing injuries to Ed Reed and Keith Rivers, and hasn't received fines anywhere close to Allen's, nor has he been suspended.

Lastly, in July, Jaguars receiver Matt Jones was caught with possession of cocaine, yet was never fined nor suspended. Until today, when he was suspended for a mere three games.

On the other hand, there are six players, including Kevin and Pat Williams, Deuce McAllister, and Will Smith who each received four-game suspensions for testing positive for water pills.

Water pills are weight loss pills, but are also used as masking agents for steroids. Now, I was asking myself and trying as hard as I possibly could, how is taking water pills to make weight a worse crime than possession of cocaine. I came to one answer: favoritism.

Why would the commissioner wait until now to suspend Matt Jones? Simple: Because they are officially out of the playoffs. And the water pills incident? They were suspended almost immediately because they were in playoff contention.

Now, no, I am not into conspiracies, 'cause for the most part, they're just crap. But this one makes me think just a little deeper...and I think, "What in the NFL is going on??"

The Amazing Race: Who Will Win The NFL MVP Award?

Kyle Babcock — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:54:09 -0500

With only four weeks to go, it is time. Time to discuss and predict who will win the NFL MVP award. With so many viable candidates, I have selected the leaders of each of their respective categories. Passing, Rushing, and Defense.

Many people, at the beginning of the year, predicted Drew Brees to be the front-runner in the long race for the outstanding player of the year. And he didn't disappoint.

Through the first several weeks of the season, he played perfect football. And he was on pace to break Dan Marino's passing yards in a season mark. But then he started throwing the dreadful interceptions. While he is still a candidate, Brees needs to start getting back on track and stop throwing interceptions.

On the other hand, or maybe on both hands, the quarterback who wears a pair of gloves. Kurt Warner. Yes, the guy is old, but there is no doubt in anybody's mind that he can still play. As of week 13, Warner has tossed 24 TD passes and only 11 INT. He has also thrown for 3,741 yards and has an great passer rating of 99.4. The race will be close for the QB's but it seems Warner is gaining the upper hand in the race.

On the side of the running backs, there a several options, but I will present you with 3. First there is Clinton Portis. Now before you Redskins fans start bashing him, read this first. The guy has ran for 1228 yards, seven TD's, and a 4.8 yards per carry. And that is while being banged up. But as of late, the injuries have been racking up for him and he is falling behind in the race. So if he could stay healthy, then he is a candidate, but that's a big IF.

Secondly, there is the burner, Michael Turner. In his first season as a starting running back in the NFL, he has amassed 1208 yards and a whopping 13 TD's. And many consider him a power back, but he also has the speed and skill to get outside and turn the corner.

He is a very viable candidate, but he does have some tough match-ups coming up against the Saints, Vikings, and the Bucs. So if he manages to keep up at this pace, then watch out, cause he is definitely in the thick of the race.

]Lastly, but definitely not least, Adrian Peterson. The guy is only in his second year in the NFL, but has emerged to very possibly be the best running back in the NFL. Peterson has the power of a Brandon Jacobs, yet the speed of a Chris Johnson. He is the most unique running back in the NFL with that combination.

Last year he received honors like Rookie Of The Year and Pro-Bowl MVP. But is it time for him to win the biggest award for a player in the NFL? That is up to you to decide. This season he leads the NFL in rushing, running for 1311 yards and 9 TD's and 4.9 yards a carry. Those stats are self-explanatory, but if he continues to lead the NFL in rushing, then he has a great shot at winning the NFL MVP.

Then, very rarely, defensive players can be worthy or have the popularity to win the MVP award. But this year many defensive players could in the race, including Joey Porter, Mario Williams, Jared Allen and Patrick Willis. But there is one name that stands out more than all of these.

James Harrison.

He has harassed QB's all season long, racking up 80 tackles, 14 sacks, 6 FF's, and 1 INT. And that's all in 12 games. Yeah, I know that defensive players almost never win the MVP, but take a look those stats. It might be a long-shot, but if he continues to take down quarterbacks, then he might just be the third defensive player since 1957 to win it.

But through all the speculation, let's see who actually has a real chance.

Drew Brees- Unless he breaks Dan Marino's record, no chance.

Kurt Warner- Very possible, but he does have a weak schedule.

Clinton Portis- Unlikely, with all his injuries.

Michael Turner- Possible, if he can run through the tough match-ups.

Adrian Peterson- Very likely, if he can survive the last stretch.

James Harrison- Umm..maybe. If he can muster up enough popularity, then maybe..

Ultimately, anything can happen in these last four games and in the playoffs. But the race might come down to how the players' team does, and one big thing—popularity. Which is why there could one other very possible winner.

Tony Romo.

That is the NFL, and it's an amazing race.