Minnesota Vikings: 10 Players Playing Better Than Expected

After a slow start with another washed up veteran at quarterback, there is an aura of hope surrounding the Minnesota Vikings.

Sure, it's been just two games since rookie Christian Ponder took over the offense, and his record is only 1-1, but the results have Vikings fans excited about the future on-field prospects.

There are several Vikings having some very good individual seasons in 2011. With a Monday night game coming up at Lambeau Field against the 8-0 Packers, Minnesota is poised to pull off the biggest upset of the season so far.

In the Week 7 matchup, Ponder and the Vikings lost to the Packers 33-27, the closest margin of victory for Green Bay this season.

With several changes to key locations including quarterback, left tackle and head coach, it should not be surprising it took a little time for things to come together.

Here are 10 Vikings performing better than many expected.

Wide Receiver Devin Aromashodu

The biggest surprise may be that, unlike another wide receiver the Vikings acquired from the Chicago Bears, Devin Aromashodu has demonstrated some ability to stretch the field.

He's averaging 21.9 yards per catch and has a 60-yard reception in the win against the Cardinals—a career long for the fourth-year receiver.

The problem is he only has seven catches on the season. His single-season career high was in 2009 with the Bears when he caught 24 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns.

With the release of Bernard Berrian, look for Aromashodu to get a few more passes thrown his way in the second half of the season.

Wide Receiver Michael Jenkins

This one may be a stretch. The signing of Michael Jenkins was the Vikings' attempt to acquire a big-time receiver in hopes of replacing Sidney Rice.

There was not a lot of excitement when the Vikings announced the signing of Jenkins as a free agent. There was no reason to get excited, in seven seasons in Atlanta, Jenkins never led the Falcons in any receiving category. 

The good news is that Jenkins leads the Vikings in touchdown receptions. The bad news is he only has three of them. His 12.5 yards per catch leads all Vikings receivers with at least 10 receptions and he has the Vikings longest reception of 72 yards.

Fullback Jim Kleinsasser

Fullback Jim Kleinsasser has not missed a game since 2004.

As the longest tenured Minnesota Viking, the biggest surprise may be that he has lasted this long playing this steady, after being drafted out of the University of North Dakota.

In his 13 seasons, Kleinsasser has survived four different Vikings head coaches. Set to be a free agent at the end of the season, it will be interesting to see if Kleinsasser returns in 2012.

Kick Returner/Running Back Lorenzo Booker

In three and a half seasons, Lorenzo Booker has yet to score a touchdown in the NFL. Picked up by the Vikings for the final four games of the 2010 season, Booker was playing with the Hartford Colonials of the UFL.

Since joining the Vikings, Booker has been used primarily as a kick returner. Facing some low expectations, he is averaging 26.2 yards per kickoff return, good for 10th best among players with 10 or more kickoff returns in the NFL. 

Defensive End Brian Robison

Brian Robison has made an impact for the Vikings, starting all eight games this year after only starting seven over the previous four seasons.

Since joining the Vikings as a fourth-round draft choice in 2007, he has played in every game except one. While he had shown some flashes of brilliance, there were no indications that after being named the starter to replace Ray Edwards, he would excel so quickly. 

Edwards has only two sacks in eight games this season with the Falcons. In his two previous seasons with Minnesota, he had 8.5 and eight sacks, a total that Robison is on pace to exceed.

Robison is second, make that a distant second, on the Vikings with 4.5 sacks—tying his career in sacks he had in 2007 and 2009. It would appear that Robison likes something about the odd-numbered years.

Defensive End Jared Allen

Some people may wonder how Jared Allen could possibly make this list.

After having the fewest sacks in four seasons when he led the Vikings with only 11, there were concerns that Allen's career might be on the downside.

After three straight Pro Bowl and First Team All Pro selections from 2007 to 2009, Allen was awarded neither following the 2010 season. 

Add to the fact that Allen opened the season with three new starters on the defensive line from last season, there was no reason to believe that after Week 9 he would be leading the NFL with 12.5 sacks.

Allen is having the best season of his career, and is pace to eclipse Michael Strahan's single season sack record of 22.5. 

Defensive End Everson Griffen

Might as well stay with the defensive line.

Head coach Leslie Frazier wanted so badly to keep Everson Griffen on the roster that he even experimented with him as a linebacker during the preseason. 

So far this season Griffen, without the benefit of starting a game, is third on the team with three sacks. According to Vikings.com, Griffen has more tackles than starters Remi Ayodele and Kevin Williams.

In only his second season in the NFL, Griffen has shown quite a bit of promise. The problem is he plays the same position as Jared Allen and Brian Robison.  

Punt Returner/Cornerback Marcus Sherels

After making the team as the punt returner, the expectations for Marcus Sherels for most Vikings fans was to just hang onto the ball.

Sherels, an undrafted free agent from the University of Minnesota, has excelled, even making one start on defense this season.

He's averaging 10.6 yards per punt return.

Filling in for the injured Lorenzo Booker, Sherel returned the opening kickoff against the Panthers for 78 yards.  

Running Back Adrian Peterson

Like Jared Allen, many of you may be wondering how in the world can Adrian Peterson be the list of players playing better than anyone expected.

After all, he's been one of the best running backs since joining the league in 2007, and he's doing no more than what we've seen over the past five seasons. 

After signing a contract extension right before the season opener that made Peterson one of the highest paid players in the league, many Minnesota fans probably cringed.

There was probably a lot of trepidation that an injury-plagued collapse was sure to be on the heels of Peterson's new contract. A collapse that Minnesota fans witnessed first hand by Minnesota Twins Joe Mauer after signing a contract that made him the eighth highest paid player in baseball. 

Fortunately for Vikings fans, Peterson is still playing at the top his game and within a couple of weeks will become the Vikings' all-time career rushing leader.

Quarterback Christian Ponder

Sure, everyone has been calling for Christian Ponder since about the second game of the season when it was obvious Donovan McNabb was not the answer.

Yet, if anyone is willing to admit it, a lot of these same people were frustrated when the Vikings drafted Ponder with the 12th pick in the first round.

Projected as a late first-round, or early second-round pick, many felt that the Vikings were reaching when they selected him with the 12th pick in the draft. The problem was the Vikings had to draft a quarterback, and by the time they were able to pick, he was the best option available.

I know it's still early, and he's only had two starts, but we've seen more critical third-down conversions in his limited play than McNabb had in six starts.

If Ponder can pull off an upset of the Packers on Monday night in Green Bay, he will certainly earn the top spot on this list.