Minnesota Vikings Get a New Identity, They Must Implement It Fast

The Monday Night Football game between the Bears and the Vikings was supposed to be a blowout and ended up being something totally different. The Bears stood their ground and beat the free-falling Vikes in an OT thriller, 36-30.

The game was a classic tale of two halves.

In the first half, you saw the Vikings offense stagnant, and Jay Cutler playing as hot as he has played this entire year. You saw a Minnesota offensive line in shambles continuing their shabby play, giving quarterback Brett Favre little time to throw the ball and running back Adrian Peterson almost non-existent lanes to run through. At the half, the Bears were up 16-0. A total beat-down.

The second half was a mirror opposite of the first. The Vikings’ offense got going, the offensive line started to give Brett Favre more time, and the legendary QB began to run a clinic on the Bears defense, just as he had four weeks previously. Adrian Peterson began to run with purpose and multiple times you saw AP run over helpless Bear defenders.

The Vikings scored 30 second half points, but it was all for naught. In overtime, Peterson fumbled after a 16-yard catch-and-run, leading to a Bear’s touchdown and the end of the game.

With the loss, the Vikings have dropped three of their last four after starting the year 10-1, and the No. 2 seed is no longer in their hands; they have to win and get help to get a first-round bye that they desperately need.

Now, most people might say that there isn’t much that the Vikes can take out of this game. However, there is. The Minnesota Vikings discovered their new identity.

Throughout the week leading up to the game, a lot was made of a relatively routine sideline discussion between Brett Favre and Head Coach Brad Childress, and the conclusion was made to give a heavy dose of Adrian Peterson. They planned to run in order to set up the pass.

The first half of the Monday Nighter featured the Vikings attempting to give the ball to Peterson frequently on first downs, which led to long third down situations and punts. During the half, they had to come up with a new strategy, and they struck gold. They began to spread the field and started to let Brett Favre throw the ball down the field. The long passes opened up holes for Adrian Peterson, who was then able to take advantage, despite the fact that he had the game-losing fumble.

This game signifies a fundamental change in the way the Vikings play football; a change that they must implement immediately. Whereas beforehand they would run with AP to set up passing lanes for mediocre Tarvaris Jackson, they now have to use Brett Favre’s legendary arm and spread the field in order to open up running lanes for Peterson.

With this new philosophy intact, the Vikings piled on 30 second half points, and if not for two long Chicago kickoff returns (one of which should have been called back for an illegal block in the back) and an Adrian Peterson fumble (which he might have been face-masked on), the Vikings would currently be sitting at 12-3, not 11-4.

The Vikings have a new M.O., and they have to implement it quickly to have any chance of making a deep run in the playoffs.

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Brett Favre Became the Boss a Long Time Ago

Brad Childress lost control of the reigns to the Minnesota Vikings’ offense in August. And quite frankly, it’s going to be pretty hard for him to regain control.

Looking back, the symbolic changing of control occurred the moment Brett Favre decided to join the franchise he had once arduously attempted to continuously beat during his days with Green Bay. Even before he decided to un-retire for the second time, you could foreshadow a power struggle. Favre said he didn’t want to come out of retirement, but Childress couldn’t let it go. Favre was an icon, a legend, and the man who could save the Vikings franchise, and Childress’ job.

Childress was so desperate to have the legend on his team that he told the public he was “moving on” with pedestrian QBs Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, but in private called Favre one last time, hoping to coax him into returning. And you’ve got to give Chilly credit, because it actually worked. Favre joined the Vikings, and Childress may have still been able to keep his symbolic position as the boss, if not for one fatal mistake.

The guy picked his new QB up and personally drove him to the practice field.

And just like that, he became the facilitator and Favre became the prima donna key-holder of the Minnesota Vikings franchise. He may not have realized it, but by personally picking Favre up, Childress pretty much told the legend QB, “You’re my Daddy, my boss, my everything. What you say goes because you are now the key-holder to this franchise.”

And not until just recently has Childress realized that he is not the boss anymore, and it is because of this sudden realization that this controversy has occurred.

During the Vikings’ embarrassing 26-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers, Childress attempted to pull Favre from the game, under the pretense that he was getting hit too much by defensive end Julius Peppers. Favre described the conversation that ensued as a “heated discussion.” But do you honestly believe that this was the only reason Childress wanted Favre out of the game?

Don’t believe for a second that Childress was only trying to protect Favre from hurt and injury. Favre has taken the same amount of punishment in several games this year, most notably against the Steelers in Week 8. Did Chilly pull Favre out of that game? Of course not; Childress knows deep down that Favre gives this team the best chance to win.

Whatever Childress says, this has nothing to do with protecting Favre; this is about power and control of the Minnesota Vikings. According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press , Childress has tried to pull Favre from two other games this year, including in Week 9 against Green Bay. Why? Because Favre audibled out of a run into a pass; an audible, incidentally, that resulted in a touchdown. In the end, offensive coordinator Darrel Bevell had to convince Childress out of benching Favre. The Pioneer Press also reported that Childress laid into Favre with an “expletive-laden” barrage hours after loss to the Panthers.

It’s obvious. Childress has begun to realize that he doesn’t have full control of this team anymore, and is trying to steal back the keys to the franchise.

But, in all truth, it’s a little too late for that. Favre is in firm control of this offense. What he says goes. And it’s ridiculous for Childress to try and take power away from the man who has resurrected a team’s mentioning in Super Bowl talks.

Favre has the power, and as long as he’s playing for the Vikings, he’s never giving it back.

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NFL (Nancy Football League): Why Football Isn’t As Fun To Watch Anymore

I love Troy Polamalu. Brian Dawkins and Hines Ward, too.

I love the way that these players play the game: In a tough, gritty, and never-stop-fighting, never-start-caring attitude. And in recent years, I have come to see these players as the gods of football. You know why? It’s because of what football has morphed into. About a year back, Mr. Polamalu, generally a rather soft-spoken guy, had this to say about the evolution of America’s Game:

“I think regarding the evolution of football, it’s becoming more and more flag football, two-hand touch. We’ve really lost the essence of what real American football is about. I think it’s probably all about money. They’re not really concerned about safety. It just loses so much of its essence when it becomes like a pansy game. When you see guys like Dick Butkus, the Ronnie Lotts, the Jack Tatums, these guys really went after people. Now, they couldn’t survive in this type of game. They wouldn’t have enough money. They’d be paying fines all the time and they’d be suspended for a year after they do it two games in a row. It’s kind of ridiculous.”

And he is totally right.

The NFL has almost literally got every quarterback out on the field wearing tutus and a skirt. Sooner or later, they could probably send them out there without pads, and they wouldn’t have to worry about getting hit because there would be a penalty associated with it.

Ok, maybe I exaggerate slightly. But seriously, the league has made quarterback almost untouchable. You can’t go low at them anymore; if a defensive lineman gets pushed into them by an offensive lineman, the defensive lineman gets flagged. Why, it’s gone to the level that Tom Brady can tell the ref to throw a flag, and the ref will do it.

And it’s not just quarterbacks; it’s just the idea of roughness as a whole. A couple of weeks back, when Cincinnati played at Baltimore, Ray Lewis was fined for a late-hit on Chad Johnson (ok, fine: Ochocinco). Not only was he fined, but the hit caused his team 15 yards, putting Cincy in position for the winning score.

It wasn’t that bad of a hit. Ok, it sent Ochocinco flying, and it sent his helmet flying off his head, but the flag was for a late hit, which it really wasn’t. Lewis’s momentum was started already, and Lewis probably had no idea that the ball had not been caught by Ochocinco.

Fines like these make me sick. The NFL is taking away from the ruggedness of the game, and has rendered hard-hitting and players who “go for their shots” obsolete, because as soon as they go for that shot, the league slaps them with a fine. And on top of that, the league digs themselves into a bigger hole with the inconsistency of the calls and fines. 

Three weeks ago, when the Vikings visited the Steelers, the Vikings started a drive on the ten-yard line. Their first play was a screen pass to Chester Taylor, and about five seconds after Favre threw the pass to Taylor, linebacker Laurence Timmons unnecessarily pushed Favre down in a rough manner. The ref saw it, but didn’t call anything. Why?

Last week, when the Redskins faced the Falcons, a sideline scuffle ensued after LaRon Landry had a late hit on a Falcon’s runner. The hit caused tempers to flare, and DeAngelo Hall, a player who was not even involved in the hit, got in the middle of the scuffle. Mike Smith, the coach of Atlanta, attempted to shove Williams away, but Williams retaliated with a shove to Smith. The whole situation took several minutes to break apart. Here are the fines that were handed out:

Mike Smith: $15,000. LaRon Landry: $7,500. Albert Haynesworth: $7,500.

Where the hell is DeAngelo Williams on this list? He shoved away a coach. Not even a player. A coach!

The inconsistency of the fines is the last straw for me. If you’re gonna make unfair fines, at least you should have some consistency to it. It’s ridiculous. Football isn’t as nearly fun to watch anymore. Now, whenever there’s a big hit, you know that there’s almost always a fine on the way. 

Football is turning into a pansy game. It’s just horrible. 

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