Bleacher Report - Minnesota Vikings

NFL 2010 Mock Draft: Rounds 1-3

Tanner Thoms — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:53:19 -0500

Believe it or not, a lot has changed since I posted my mock draft a mere nine days ago. With 21 weeks to go until the 2010 draft, it's time to update my mock. I love doing this stuff. My order of draft picks, as always, is based on the current record of the team, and how I think they will finish at the end of the season. If you don't see a certain player in the mock, ask me about it. There is a good chance I won't have somebody declaring. Enjoy the show!

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Is Adrian Peterson Overrated? Not a Chance

Michael Hamburg — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:08:51 -0500

Is Adrian Peterson overrated? Not a chance.

How people can even think that the two time Pro Bowler (2008 Pro Bowl MVP) is the slightest bit overrated. Any such notion is completely absurd.

After six teams passed on the fragile, injury prone product from Oklahoma, Peterson has purely dominated in his first two full years in the league. In his young career, he has already begun breaking records and also won the offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2007.

Can someone be over hyped or overrated when you lead the league in rushing during your sophomore season with 1,760 yards? That feat is especially impressive when you consider the Vikings quarterback situation, swapping between Tavaris Jackson and Gus Ferotte.

When defenses put eight in the box and have no respect for the passing game, does an overrated player break the single game rushing record? In Adrian’s eighth game during his rookie season, against a (4-3) San Diego Chargers team, he broke the single game rushing record (296 yards) by one yard with Brooks Bollinger as his quarterback. You read that right, Brooks Bollinger.

Yes, Adrian has had some fumbling problems, but everyone has their flaws. Soon enough he will overcome the fumblitis. Some say that he is not the complete back, because he lacks the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. That’s what practice and OTA’s are for.

Now that Brett Favre is in the picture, it is easy to say that Peterson is being undervalued. Not a single football show in America can not go a whole segment without saying No. 4's name, while Peterson has often been neglected.

Peterson is still leading the NFC in rushing and touchdowns,but now that the Vikings finally have a quarterback, Peterson is going unnoticed and being ridiculed for not having the most rushing yards in the NFL.

Now that the Vikings are NFC North front runners and perhaps even Super Bowl favorites, good old "All Day" is being overlooked because of some forty year old Viking that is constantly in the lights.

Fantasy owners are upset because he isn’t the “beast” he was supposed to be, but now with a competent quarterback, some of the pressure has been taken off of Peterson to carry the whole entire offense.

The bottom line is that Adrian Peterson is one of the hardest working players in the NFL, and with that comes high expectations. Not to take anything away from Chris Johnson, but the first two seasons of his career have mirrored those of Peterson's. Like Peterson, Johnson is the focal point of the Titan offense.

Hopefully Johnson can handle the criticism once his team turns around.

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Vikings' Childress Signs Extension Through 2013 Season

Jerome Harrison — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:40:25 -0500

A few months ago many Vikings fans thought Head Coach Brad Childress' job was in jeopardy. Sure, the Vikings did win the NFC North last year with a 10-6 record. But they lost in the first round of the playoffs with a dominant defense and running game.

Fan sentiment in the Twin Cities was that the Vikings needed a new Head Coach to get them over the hump of mediocrity.

Then a young whipper-snapper named Brett Favre came along. OK, maybe he's not so young anymore. But 10 weeks into the NFL season, 40 year-old Brett Favre has the Vikings off to an 8-1 start and a commanding lead in the NFC North division.

Brad Childress' ass four months ago : Definitely on the Hot Seat

Brad Childress' ass right now : Quite Possibly on a Gold Toilet Seat

Financial terms have yet to be officially disclosed, but ESPN is reporting that the deal is between $4 and $5 million a year through the 2013 season (for the sake of comparison, the Packers' Mike McCarthy is signed on through the 2012 season for about $4 million a year).

Why was Childress on the Hot Seat, you ask? Well, we could go for hours on that topic. But here is a microcosm of Vikings fans' frustrations from the past few years under Childress:

3rd Down and nine.
Handoff to Adrian Peterson Off Tackle.
Seven-Yard Gain.
Vikings Punt.

Isn't it funny what a good Quarterback can do for a Head Coach? Despite having one of the best defenses in the league (no question best defensive line) and easily the best Running Back in the league, the Vikings could only go so far without a decent Quarterback.

While frustration over Childress' conservative offensive play-calling of years past is certainly understandable, it is also very misguided. What, besides the best Running Back tandem in the league (Chester Taylor would be starting for the Packers), is a coach supposed to lean on when he has no legitimate Quarterback?

Which brings me to my next question. How much of Childress' new contract is he forking over to No. 4 for essentially saving his ass?

: "Chili, give me your wife for one night and we'll call it even"; For more Wisconsin and Minnesota sports news and analysis, visit www.wiscosotasports.com .

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Zygi Wilf Goes All in with Brad Childress

Kevin Lindsey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:25:20 -0500

Zygi Wilf has decided that he has seen enough this season and has pushed all of his chips to the middle of the table. The AP is reporting that the Minnesota Vikings have signed head coach Brad Childress to a contract extension. The move may be the most interesting made by the team all year.

The Vikings are 8-1 and are in firm control of the NFC North Division with a three-game lead and the tiebreaker over the second place Green Bay Packers. Assuming no rash of major injuries, the only real question appears to be how far the Vikings will advance on their quest for a Super Bowl title.

The question of how far the Vikings will advance in the playoffs is not an insignificant one. Of course for Wilf, the answer to that question is as important on the field as it is off the field.

Wilf is engaged in a game of high stakes poker with the political leaders of Minnesota. He has made it known that he wants a new stadium for his team, and he wants it now.

Recently, Wilf reportedly informed the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission that extending the lease on the Mall of America Dome (formerly Metrodome) for the Vikings was not an option for the team.

On Tuesday, the AP reported that the MSFC voted to provide the Vikings with additional revenue from playoff games held at the Mall of America Dome in exchange for the team signing a two-year extension.

The offer, however, was not all sugar. If Wilf was unwilling to sign, the AP reported that MSFC was going to reinstate a $4 million rent on the Vikings.

Wilf called the bluff of the MSFC. On Wednesday, he sent a letter to the MSFC that stated, in part:

"Your actions yesterday leave us confused and questioning the future of this franchise. As a result, we have instructed our management team to suspend any further engagement with the MSFC unless and until the Commission gets serious about resolving the near-team revenue issues and acting like a partner with us to retain this valued franchise in Minnesota for the next generation of fans. The time for more political games on this issue has expired."

The move was not a surprise to those who have been following the calculated steps of the organization to position the Vikings to get public money for a new stadium.

Wilf has constantly stated that he wants to build a winner in Minnesota and that he is willing to spend money to do so. Zygi has put his money where his mouth is.

Zygi ensured the talent on his team did not leave by signing Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, Antoine Winfeld, and Adrian Peterson to sweet deals. Zygi then went out and signed free agents Steve Hutchinson, Jared Allen, and Brett Favre to lucrative contracts.

In January, Wilf was before the Minnesota Legislature with a plan for a new public/private partnership to build a new retractable stadium in downtown Minneapolis. The devil, of course, is in the details of the new partnership, but according to several sources, Wilf publicly pledged to contribute at least $250 million toward the new stadium.

In the last preseason game, Wilf was even able to get Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to cheerlead on his behalf.

Jones chastised Minnesota’s political leaders, stating, “The leadership have got to recognize that you cannot build [a stadium] unless you have contributions. You’ve got to have some help from the public. You’ve got to have some help from your fans. And you’ve got to be willing to make a big commitment financially. The Wilfs are doing that.”

The Minnesota Vikings are winning. The team stands at 8-1 and is poised to make a deep playoff run with an eye toward playing in Miami in February.

This brings us back to why Wilf’s decision to reward Childress with a contract extension at this time is so interesting. Childress has not been the most popular coach in Minnesota Vikings history.

When Childress came into town, he promised fans that he would deliver a “kick-ass” offense. Instead, fans saw a conservative offense that was limited in formations and plays.

Childress indicated that he would turn the Vikings into Super Bowl contenders. In his first two years, Minnesota failed to make the playoffs, and in the third they lost at home to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Many pundits from the outside thought that the main problem with Childress’ approach has been his unwillingness to take the occasional calculated gamble.

Some fans even longed to see the return of Mike Tice. At least Tice occasionally smiled and appeared to have fun enjoying being the coach of the Vikings.

Entering the offseason, some fans hoped that this would be the last year of the Childress regime.

Maybe in the offseason Childress felt that this could be his last year at the helm, because something changed for Childress.

In the offseason, Childress took a calculated gamble in pursuing Favre and asking him to come out of “semi-retirement.” Chasing Allen and Hutchinson were mild bets, as both players were in the prime of their respective careers.

Pursuing Favre was a risk for Childress since Favre was 39 years old at the time the decision was made to attempt to sign him. No quarterback as old as Favre has ever won a Super Bowl.

What's even more troubling is that Favre appeared to be a broken down player given the way his last season ended with the New York Jets.

Childress decided to take the risk and asked the organization for the resources to bring Favre in as its quarterback. The bet has paid off, as Favre has exceeded expectations and is on his way to an MVP type season.

The play calling, which has often been too conservative, has finally opened up and has at times looked...well, kick-ass. Beginning with the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers this season, the Vikings have used multiple formations and plays.

Has the play calling opened up because Favre is leading the team, or is it because Childress is more comfortable in his fourth year? The truth is that is likely a little of both.

Childress has even loosened up on the sideline and smiles have been seen on his face. He even dressed up in drag as a flight attendant on the Vikings charter to Pittsburgh to give everyone a laugh.

Can you imagine the stoic coaching legend Bud Grant dressing up in drag? Moreover, can you imagine Grant letting someone escape with a photo of him in drag as Childress did?

Zygi has seen enough of Childress to want him on his team for several more years. He undoubtedly likes what Childress has done with the Vikings. Who knows, maybe Zygi even liked what he saw in Childress as a stewardess?

If Childress can lead the Vikings to the Promised Land and bring back the Lombardi trophy, Wilf will be able to leverage the goodwill with Minnesota political leaders so that the stadium deal will be a foregone conclusion.

What happens, however, if there is a coaching blunder which results in a first round loss for the Vikings? Fans are incredibly fickle. All of the positive momentum of the season may be lost as fans and voters feel that Childress is unable to lead the team into the playoffs.

Zygi is not worried, as he has seen enough. He has cast his lot with Childress, rewarding him with a contract extension. Wilf is betting that Childress will hand him the Lombardi trophy in Miami. A Super Bowl victory will mean a new stadium for the Vikings.

Zygi is all in with Childress. Of course, when you play poker with a guy with deep pockets like Zygi, he can always buy himself into the next game.

Don’t be surprised if we start hearing more rumors and rumblings about the Vikings possibly moving to Los Angeles.

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Brett Favre: How Can You Not Love the Guy?

Corey Carr — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:42:41 -0500

If there is one player in the NFL that people love to see succeed, it is Brett Favre. To go along with that, if there is one player in the NFL I love to write about, it is Brett Favre.

Coincidence? I think not.

Brett Favre has stolen the hearts of NFL fans since the 1992 season when he became the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. He is in his 19th season as an NFL quarterback, and he has done a pretty good job.

Favre is the NFL leader in all time wins. That record stands for itself.

But I'm not here to brag about Favre's records, I think we all know what he has done.

Let's talk about the 2009 Minnesota Vikings' Brett Favre. The guy is remarkable.

Through 10 weeks of NFL football he is leading the league in passer rating, something he has never done. Brett has thrown 17 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Jay Cutler, the guy who was supposed to be the next Brett Favre, has thrown 17 interceptions this season.

Ironic.

Favre's 17-3 TD to INT ratio is easily the best of his career. Brett is also second in the NFL in plays over 40 yards, with 10. Another stat that is amazing to me is that Brett is 20th in the league amongst NFL quarterbacks in passing attempts per game, with 31.

Let me put this all together for you. He is fifth in TDs, 20th in passing attempts, and second to last with three INTs. The guy who has thrown less interceptions than him has only started at quarterback for his team for a few weeks. He's Shaun Hill of the 49'ers and he has two.

Brett's 68 percent completion rating is the highest of his career as well. Oh what's that, you want another career best? How about his career high yards per completion? That's right. He is averaging eight yards per completion.

So let me get this right...

The man with all the records is breaking his own career bests?

Yes!

The thing about Brett is that he does not care about the records. Yes, he is thankful to have them, but his No. 1 concern always has been, and still is, winning football games.

This year is no different, as he has led the Minnesota Vikings to a 8-1 start.

The Vikings are second in the league in scoring, and seventh in the league in yards per game.

To all the Brett Favre doubters, Child Please. Thank you Chad Ochocinco for being so modest.

The fact of the matter is, Brett Favre is playing great football. Possibly the best football he has played in his career.

If you are a Green Bay fan, I understand your bitterness. If you want to see your NFC North team succeed, I can understand you not rooting for the guy. But if you're just Average Joe and you don't like Brett Favre, I'm confused.

Brett is an exciting player to watch. He does not give up on plays and will always play with his heart over his head. He has never played scared and never will.

He represents a you-get-what-you-earn kind of attitude and that seems really American to more people than just me.

Anytime I can watch Brett play I will, no matter what team he is playing for.

Here's to you Brett. This Sunday I'll have a beer and watch you tear up the Seahawks and continue your dominance of the NFL in 2009.

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Vikings' Wide Out Rice Earns NFC Offensive Player Of The Week Honors

Zeke Fuhrman — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:58:04 -0500

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Sidney Rice was awarded the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Detroit Lions.

Rice caught seven passes for 201 yards, including a 56-yard reception that helped the Vikings pull away early in the fourth quarter.

Rice leads the NFC in receiving yards with 786, although he has caught only two touchdown passes. Tight end Visanthe Shancoe leads the Vikings by catching six of Brett Favre's 17 touchdown passes.

In his first two NFL seasons, Rice had a total of 537 receiving yards. He has topped that in just his last four games with a combined 553 yards.

Rice's 201 yards were fourth most in Vikings history. He also becomes the first Vikings WR to win Player of the Week honors since Randy Moss in 2001.

Rice becomes the Vikings fifth Player of the Week, joining linebacker Chad Greenway (week one vs Detroit), kick returner Percy Harvin (week three vs San Francisco), and QB Brett Favre (week four vs Green Bay and week eight vs Green Bay).

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Dear Media: Is Brett Favre Good Enough Yet?

Jordan McAbee — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:24:41 -0500

Dear Mass Media,

Is Brett Favre good by your standards yet? Every week it is the same old story for you: "he will break down soon", "his production will fall off, just wait", "his age will catch up to him". We've been hearing these excuses since week one. When will they stop?

With nine games in the books, Brett has thrown 17 touchdowns to three interceptions, his best statistical start to a season in his 19-year career. He tops the league with a QB rating of 107.5 and has the lowest total interceptions of any starting quarterback. Do you need more proof?

The Vikings are 8-1 for the first time since the Randy Moss era. They would be 5-4 at best with Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels starting. Remember that game-winning touchdown pass to Greg Lewis in the back of the end zone against San Francisco, (arguably one of the top five catches of the year). Very few could have made that pass, but Favre did.

With one of the best running backs in the league behind him, a breakout wide receiver (also due to Favre's arrival), and a decent defense, the Vikings are set to make a pretty good run in the playoffs, or dare I say it, the Super Bowl.

So what will it take to admit Brett Favre is still good at 40? First, it was making it past the halfway, check. Then making it through the rough part of the schedule (Baltimore, @Pittsburgh, @Green Bay), check. All of this while putting up numbers over half of the NFL quarterbacks would love to have.

Now, he won't be considered good until he finishes out the season. He is projected to finish with over 4,000 yards, 30 touchdowns, and five interceptions. I guess we will see you then in Miami; twice. Well, that is if he's "good" enough.

Sincerely,

Vikings Fan

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Is Brett Favre a Judas or a Genius?

ExJx Brooks — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:59:13 -0500

After an 8-1 start you would think that the Favre-haters would take a break and at least wait for him to make a mistake, but of course much like the iron-man himself, they just won't go away.

The Vikes enjoyed a mid-season bye and came out fighting yet again and are on their way to a NFC North division title.

The Lions did not disappoint this week as they did in Week Three when they actually won one. They allowed Favre to throw for 344 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions.

With the first of two games against the Bears in two weeks, a win against Seattle and one against the Bears will stifle any chance of "Da Bears" challenging the Vikes for division rights.

The Lions, of course, handled themselves again for the Vikings and the rest of the league and pose no threat other than possibly spoiling someone's playoff hopes.

The Packers in my eyes are the only plausible threat to the Vikings reign atop the division. That, at this point, is a long hard road to be traveled in itself. Involved is the Pack winning more games, a tie would hand the Vikings the division. The Pack, if the Vikings win at least three of their last seven games, would have to win out the season to claim the division title.

The Vikes are essentially four wins away from clinching the division title and with games against Seattle, Chicago and Carolina they are in a very good position to do so.

Putting all of this in perspective, is Favre really the traitor everyone thinks he is or is he just plain smart?

Favre waffled his way right into the perfect situation. The Vikes are winning and leading the division. The Pack lost to the worst team in the league and is fighting to stay alive.

I'm no traitor by any means. I hope the Pack can pull it off and claim the division or at least save a playoff spot, but if I were in Favre's situation I'd say, "Fine call me a traitor, tear me a new one every chance you get, but at the end of the day I'd still be right."

In this ongoing saga what he is accomplishing is all that matters. Not what the haters say or even what I say.

The man is the man again and even if the Vikes fall short in the playoffs, Favre will have more than proven his point.

Yes, you can make the argument that he wouldn't be able to take the punishment Rodgers has had to endure, being sacked 41 times. It has been the only real argument made, but in the attempt to make this argument you would miss the part where no QB should have to endure that kind of punishment. Making that argument does nothing but prove how bad the offensive line of the Packers is and behind the right line Favre can still be very effective and has been.

Right now Favre looks smarter than ever, only throwing three picks in nine games. Not to mention the Packers are on a path to destruction and rebuilding where in Minnesota the road is practically paved all the way to the division title if not the Super Bowl. If given the choice right now, where would you go?

Yeah it frustrates me. Yeah I'm upset, but I'm upset at the right people. I'm not mad at Favre for coming in and doing his job against a lackluster defense. Maybe if the Pack would have spent more time actually concentrating on playing him as the opponent instead of crying and whining because he is the opponent, the Pack may have had a chance.

I recently read an article that was based on Favre's inability to let go of the game. Why even talk about this, the game has not let go of him. Why would it even be an argument to make when he clearly has the skills to still be playing?

When you look at sports history, the majority of players don't go out on top. They only retire after they realize, officially, they no longer have what it takes. So I don't think it is an inability to let go, it's just that he knows he can still play and win, so why leave?

I think it was a matter of "I'm old now; it's what old players do. So I’ll retire." I feel he was just following what he thought and was probably being told by older players do, when in fact it wasn't what he wanted to do, hence the waffling.

When you have a community of then Favre-supporters respectfully calling for your retirement and pushing to move on to Rodgers along with more of the same from management, what would you do? He only did what he had done for 16 seasons; give the fans what they wanted.

In the end he decided, for once, that he was going to do what he wanted to do, he had earned it. When the people involved didn’t like that they cast him out and ridiculed his every move.

Just face it: He went to a place that better suited him and gave him a chance to win.

When all is said and done call him a traitor, say he's indecisive, but after an 8-1 start and a league leading 107.5 QB rating what else can you say against him?

He looks fat in purple?

His beard is too gray?

Yeah all of that sounds as stupid as the echoing boos heard throughout Lambeau as he made his way on the field a few weeks back.

Sad part is, even after the man torched us twice and is on the verge of solidifying a division title you still have more garbage to talk about him.

Get a life or he may be back again to hand us all another beating.

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The Minnesota Vikings Continue To Fly Under Radar

JP Frederick — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:43:46 -0500

NFL fans got a lot of questions and storylines after week ten, didn't they?

String Belicheck up! What was he thinking!? (Are the commentators aware that when his team was losing one time, Belicheck purposely took a safety, giving the opposition two points and the ball? That he became a "genius" by going against the grain? That we should probably all calm down about a regular season decision? No? He's worse than Hitler? Okay.)

And what is the problem with the Saints?! The Rams almost won! (The Saints defense is being held together by glue and yarn, right now. And Steven Jackson is a legitimate MVP candidate despite his team's record.)

The Bengals can't lose! The Broncos can't win! Jay Cutler can't pass! Roy Williams can't catch! Which Cardinals team is going to show up? Which Chargers team is going to show up? Dick Jauron can't coach and JaMarcus Russell just can't do anything and...oh yeah, and the Vikings are 8-1.

Yes, the Vikings are 8-1 and (somehow) an afterthought in the national media's eyes.

Through ten weeks, Brett Favre is the highest rated passer in the NFL with a 107.5 rating, and 17 touchdowns to three interceptions; wasn't the Internet supposed to short-circuit if this happened? Weren't the ESPN studios going to implode? Is Peter King having a heart attack or an orgasm or both?

Apparently none of the above, as King still thinks a 6-3 New England is the better team. Pardon the Interruption can't be bothered to discuss the Vikings. 'Nor Around the Horn. It seems the national media can only pay lip service to Minnesota's Super Bowl chances, if they can even be bothered to talk about the Vikings in the first place.

In addition to Favre having arguably the best statistical season of his career, Adrian Peterson is number two in the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns. Sidney Rice is number four in receiving yards. Jared Allen is number two in sacks. Percy Harvin does what Percy Harvin does. Pat Williams lives. Ray Edwards improves. The team is second in the NFL in scoring offense and 12th in scoring defense.

The Vikings are locked, stocked, and loaded.

And they are flying completely under the radar, all things considered.

The Redskins get more coverage for being a horribly boring, dysfunctional team. Ditto the Raiders, but replace "horribly boring" with "interestingly awful, car-wreck style."

Should it be that way? Possibly. Is it sour grapes to complain about media attention? Most definitely. But that doesn't mean the thesis isn't true.

The Vikings could go 15-1 this season, with each win taken for granted along the way by television analysts, and the questions would still remain in that first postseason game: Can Childress get out of this teams' way? Can Favre stay smart and healthy? Can the secondary keep a good passing game down?

Valid questions, to be sure, but questions that could be asked of any of the top teams; are the Saints going anywhere if Drew Brees gets hurt? Or if Darren Sharper can't return to the level he was playing at before his injury? What if that glue/yarn defense falls apart?

At times, the Vikings have answered all the questions; the Packers games, the performance against Roethlisberger and the Steelers. At other times, the questions lingered; the fourth quarter against the Ravens, the second half of the 49ers game.

One can somewhat understand the skepticism about the Vikings. Somewhat.

Over the next few weeks though, as the Saints and Colts and other teams' flaws continue to get nitpicked and the reactionary media gets all reactionary-like, the Vikings Super Bowl chances will likely be addressed ad nauseum. So they got that going for them, which is nice.

And right now, there are still two undefeated teams out there, and pretty good teams in Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New England, and even New York (if the Giants can get their secondary in order). Who knows what Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, or even Houston will do. Cincinnati has sure proven themselves in the past couple weeks, haven't they?

There really are plenty of storylines in the NFL, as there always are. And of course it's sour grapes to be angry at the talking heads for not discussing the Vikings more.

But those same pundits will probably be singing a different tune in a few weeks, and at the end of the season.

...besides, the Vikings have gotten plenty of pub this year when you really think about it.

Now, how about Belicheck?! Can You Believe That!?

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Can the Vikings Out Duel the Timberwolves?

Eric Johnson — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:12:00 -0500

A friend of mine made the following proposition the other day: The Minnesota Vikings will win more games (including playoffs) this year than the Minnesota Timberwolves. My first inclination was to call him a moron. After analyzing the teams’ records (Vikings 8-1, Timberwolves 1-10) and future opponents, I came to three conclusions:

1. The Vikings are good.

2. The Timberwolves are bad.

3. My friend is, in fact, a moron (and he is certainly drinking the Kool-Aid).

Assuming the Vikings win the rest of their regular season games and the Super Bowl, they will end with 18 wins. If you account for more plausible scenarios, the Vikings will likely end in the 13-16 total win range. Personally, I’d set the over/under at 15.

The Timberwolves are currently on pace for about eight wins (well, technically 7.36, but whose counting?). Now I am aware that the Timberwolves are bad; terrible, in fact, but I’m pretty sure they aren’t the worst team in NBA history.

(Disclaimer: I have watched exactly 0 minutes and 0 seconds of Timberwolves basketball this year – twice as much as last – so I am basing this on almost nothing other than watching a few of Johnny Flynn’s Syracuse games, knowing Al Jefferson is at least decent, and realizing Kevin Love is hurt right now, but will be back at some point.)

I just find it hard to believe that with so many bad teams in the NBA, the Timberwolves can’t eek out 15-20 wins. When two terrible teams play each other someone has to win, right?

By the way, does anybody actually watch/care about the Timberwolves? If you are going to follow a Minnesota basketball team, wouldn’t you just watch the Gophers? The Gophers actually somewhat good, plus you get to bet on whether Royce White will have more steals on the court, or off. If you’re telling me the Gophers season won’t be more interesting than the Timberwolves, then I’m calling you a liar. But I digress…

The Vikings vs. Timberwolves win total battle boils down to whether you think the Vikings will win the Super Bowl. If they do not, which odds are they won’t, they will amass at most 17 wins, and likely less.

It isn’t that I don’t think the Vikings are good, they certainly are. I just don’t think the Vikings are great. I have three major problems with the Vikings, and coincidentally (or not) all three are directly related to Brad Childress.

1. The Vikings are sloppy.

Now, the Vikings have actually been better this year at not taking stupid penalties than they have in the past, but on field discipline has always been an issue under Childress. Take this week’s Lions game for example: The Vikings had 13 penalties. 13 Penalties! Against the Lions! Coming off a bye! Exclamation point!

Do you think the Belichick led Patriots would have 13 penalties coming off a bye? Or the Dungy led Colts? Or the Cowher led Steelers? I’ll even add the Tomlin led Steelers to this list because it still pisses me off the Vikings let Tomlin leave in favor of Chilly.

Giving up 13 penalties shows a lack of discipline and focus, especially coming off a bye week. When a team has extra rest and is playing arguably the worst team in football, it is the coach’s job to keep the players focused. Childress failed to do so.

2. The Vikings can't put teams away.

Combined record of Vikings opponents: 22-39.

Number of one win teams the Vikings have played: 4 (Lions twice).

Number of teams over .500 the Vikings have played: 3 (Packers twice – but let’s be honest, the Packers aren’t actually good.)

Number of times the Vikings have beat an opponent by over two touchdowns: Twice

Number of stats listed before this listing shtick got annoying: One.

Point being, the Vikings aren’t playing good teams, and, yet, in almost every game their opponent has hung around. In fact, if it wasn’t for the Favre miracle, or the Ravens missed field goal, the Vikings would be 6-3. With two wins against the Packers, they would still be in relatively good shape in the division, but they would be nowhere near the “best team in the league” conversation.

With that said, a wins a win, and the Vikings are 8-1, not 6-3. Every good team needs luck, and I acknowledge that. Come January, however, the Vikings rinky-dink, dick-around-when-leading offense isn’t going to work. If you play field position by running nothing but draws and screens on third and long against playoff teams, instead of trying to put them away, I promise it will come back to bite you; which leads me to my next point…

3. The Vikings have bad play calling, especially with the lead.

There is something to be said for not making mistakes – obviously. But there is also something to be said for playing to win, instead of playing not to lose.

When the Vikings get up by ten or more, they play not to lose. This approach may work against the Lions, Rams, and Browns, but against the Saints or Cardinals – teams with big time offenses – you have to play to win. You have to go for the jugular when you get the lead.

Remember two years ago when the Patriots went 16-0? They didn’t run draws and screens. Hell, I don’t think they even had draws in the playbook. Now, obviously, that offense was special, and the circumstance was a little different than the Vikings, but the theory is the same. Get a lead, put a team away. Bury them. If you let a good team hang around, they will eventually come up with a big play. That’s just how it works.

This brings us back to the proposition: Vikings vs. Timberwolves. Even if you assume the Timberwolves will win less than 20 games (which is a bold claim in and of itself) you are stating “I believe the Brad Childress led Vikings can win the Super Bowl.”

That, my friend, is a bold proclamation. And one, I certainly cannot, in good conscience, make.

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Week 11 NFL Winners and Keen Observations By NFL Mikee

thomas moreland — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:43:06 -0500

The Minnesota Vikings, after most likely beating Detroit at press time, Sunday November 15th are 8-1. They will beat Seattle in Week 11 to get to 9-1.

The NFC race is on and it's New Orleans and Minnesota leading the road to the Super Bowl for that conference.

New Orleans gets a win also, traveling to Tampa Bay and stretching their record to a fantastic 10-0. Tampa Bay may win one more game this season, at best, but not this one.

The Forty-Niners beat the Bears last week to hang in there for the NFC West Title. Week 11 is a huge test, traveling to Green Bay and playing a team coming back from a bad loss.

If Green Bay can get schooled by the Buccaneers, then I have to pick Frank Gore and the Niners to somehow tough out a win. Mike Singletary wants to motivate these guys, and this could be the one to get them over the hump.

This is a very important momentum-building game here for San Francisco, as Green Bay will not make the playoffs anyway.

The Miami Dolphins are at home against Carolina and must stop the run to avoid being swept under the playoff rug. Force some turnovers and win at home with a steady pounding by Ricky and Ronnie. Take the Dolphins at home.

Dallas has a big home game with division-rival Washington and is on a roll to make the playoffs, and maybe return the division crown to Jerry Jones. Will we see them in Pasadena? I think not!

This will be the third time I have picked Detroit to win this season. I am 1-1 so far, but I will take Detroit to beat Cleveland. A bold prediction, I know, but Cleveland does not rock lately.

The Steelers will handle the Chiefs and the noise, or lack there of, in Arrowhead Stadium and win again. They are in the driver's seat in the AFC, assuming, of course, they handled the Bengals while I was writing on a pleasant Sunday afternoon. Oops, just in: Bengals win. Cincinnati is now master of its own domain.

Time will tell if the Steelers may have lost Polamalu once more. The Bengals' Benson also left the game injured in the fourth quarter. That's a tough division, except for Cleveland.

The New York Giants are on, shall we say, a giant skid mark of four straight losses putting them at 5-4, but they have an extra week to get ready for the Falcons and their offense. Atlanta needs to win another big road game to get confidence for a playoff run.

Little brother Atlanta is looking up to heavy-hitting New Orleans and Minnesota. The Falcons will not beat either team on the road, so they better get busy trying to win out for the season.

This is a tough pick, so I will simply weigh the talent of both teams, toss in a free field goal for the home team, and the winner is Atlanta. The Giants will hit rock botom, causing a floodgate of newspaper articles on their demise.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are at home against Buffalo. Jacksonville is hovering around .500, while Buffalo has trouble scoring many points and is horrible on the road.

Buffalo loses this game and slides into oblivion for the 2009/2010 season, while the Jags will not make the playoffs, but will probably finish around 7-9 for the season. Eight-and-eight would be feasible, and 9-7, wishful thinking.

Indianapolis travels to Baltimore for the Ravens last chance to salvage this season. They are 5-4 and really need this game to stay in playoff consideration. All season, I have pushed Houston to make the playoffs ahead of Baltimore.

I think Baltimore can win this at home. Indianapolis is not going to win every single week. This looks like Baltimore's chance to stay in it and get to 6-4. Indianapolis is 8-1 or 9-0 depending on how the ball bounced playing New England.

Arizona plays the Rams in Tempe, and will win. Some things just happen the way they're supposed to.

Denver is in Mile-High and hosts the San Diego Chargers in a big one. This is make-or-break, do-or-die for the Chargers, who must have this one to stay in contention.

I have not drank the Denver Bronco's Kool-Aid, however, and I think San Diego has a big game left in them this season. They have to win this one, so they will.

The Cincinnati Bengals will easily beat the Raiders in Oakland. This is the easiest pick this week. No thought process, instant decision.

New England at home against the Jets was almost as quick a decision as the last one.

The Jets are not quite on the high they were to start the season, as the harsh realities of a rookie quarterback set in and more talent in the rest of the division will be their downfall. Buffalo you can beat, but trouble with New England and Miami killed your season.

Take New England unless you enjoy frustration and pain.

Philadelphia goes into Chicago, against a discouraged, but dangerous Jay Cutler. Not enough guys to catch the ball seems to be most of the problem, but that coupled with defensive injuries spelled doom for Chicago this year.

Philadelphia has a way of winning these games moving into the playoff type mode when they choose. I will take Philadelphia in a close win.

Houston is at home with another key division game with the surging Titans, who might have three wins in a row as I publish this one.

Houston must win this game to be a even considered for the playoffs. That's it. Houston to win this one, or no soup for Schaub this season.

Good luck to all your teams and have a great week,

—Thomas [NFL Mikee] Moreland

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