The Minnesota Vikings Are Giving Up on Minnesota

With all the news about the possibility of the Minnesota Vikings moving to a new city, the state of Minnesota sure doesn’t seem to care. Governor Tim Pawlenty won’t give a penny to help the Vikings build a new stadium and we’re starting to see why.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen one of the NFL’s juggernaut teams get obliterated by the Arizona Cardinals and, more recently, the 5-8 Carolina Panthers missing both starting defensive tackles and starting a backup quarterback.

Neither of these games was even close. They were down right embarrassing.

These two losses can be attributed to many weaknesses this team has. Let us take a look at just a few of them.

The offensive line is atrocious. Go ahead and try to tell yourself differently. Adrian Peterson has no where to run and Favre barely has two-and-a-half seconds to get rid of the ball. Steve Hutchinson is showing extreme signs of aging, Bryant McKinnie and Phil Loadholt can’t stop opposing defensive ends, and God only knows why John Sullivan and Anthony Herrera are starting.

Watch John Sullivan snap in a shotgun formation. It’s the ugliest snap I’ve seen. It takes forever to get to Favre and half the time it’s near his ankles or a foot over his head. I guess getting rid of Matt Birk hurt us more than we thought it would.

It’s different thsn what we’re used to, but face it fellas, this line is simply awful.

The defensive safties are repulsive. Tyrell Johnson was supposed to be a great tackling safety, but looking at the ground and throwing your body forward isn’t the best way to tackle. He is terrible in coverage and is never anywhere near the ball.

His counterpart, Madieu Williams is simply a placeholder. After signing a six-year, 33 million dollar contract, he was supposed to save the Vikings’ passing defense. After a full year of starting, I’m still waiting to see what he can do. He dives at the ball hoping the ball carrier will simply fall over. He can’t cover faster wide receivers and finds himself out of place too often.

When it comes down to it, if a running back or wide receiver gets to the second level, you can assume that these two will fail to save your defense.

The linebackers are clueless and injured. Ben Leber is supposed to be great in coverage, but too many times he’s getting outrun by tight ends and wide receivers. He’s 31 and doesn’t have the speed he used to. His tackling has gone downhill in a hurry.

E.J. is injured and Jasper Brinkley can’t cut it in his place. Brinkley tries to go for the big hit rather than wrapping up and making a tackle. Can we please see what Heath Farwell can do?

The other linebacker, Chad Greenway, is actually pretty good, as is the defensive line, so no need to address this.

The coaching has become yet another reason that this team is spiraling downwards. If an average Joe can sit his chair and call off what plays are going to be run beforehand, I would think opposing defensive coordinators could as well.

Also, if your rookie running back averages 5.6 yards per carry, why would you tell him he needs to fix his running style? Why would you tell him to be more patient and wait for holes? Ever since Adrian Peterson was told this, his play has declined.

Tell me how Brad Childress got an extension?

Finally, there’s Brett Favre, our “savior.” He’s taken a 10-6 team from a year ago and has brought us to an 11-3 record. That’s a massive improvement.

Too bad Favre has started his historic December downfall, throwing more interceptions in a three game span than he had all season. Although this isn’t nearly as bad as other seasons, it’s not encouraging to see your quarterback coughing up the football.

The Vikings need to fix these issues fast. They are in danger of losing the No. 2 seed in the playoffs and if things continue, they could very well find themselves with yet another early exit from the playoffs.

 

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Vikings Offensive Line Play Is Crippling the Team

Before the season began, everyone was proclaiming Adrian Peterson to be the next 2,000-yard rusher. After all, Brett Favre had just joined the roster and was supposed to keep defenses honest, and the Vikings were supposed to have a top-five offensive line.

Well, opposing defenses felt differently and decided if they could take Peterson out of games, Favre would be next in line to try to beat them.

It was a good strategy to follow. Favre is the NFL’s record holder for career interceptions. With that gun-slinger mentality, he was bound to make a few mistakes.

Well, the Vikings are sitting at 10-2 largely due to Favre’s ability to keep the offense moving. He’s having one of the best seasons of his career. While Peterson has seen a lack in production this season, he’s still getting the job done.

After getting destroyed by the Cardinals last Sunday, the Vikings showed they have a ton of work to do. Peterson had no where to run and Favre was hounded by fantastic secondary play.

On top of being obliterated by a 7-4 team, the Vikings suffered more injuries in one game than they had all season long. Cedric Griffin, Tyrell Johnson, E.J. Henderson, Phil Loadholt, and Bryant McKinnie all suffered injuries. It’s unknown which of these players will play this Sunday against the Bengals (except Henderson who is out for the season).

The defense was beaten up and the offense was halted to minimal yardage, but who do you really have to blame for the offensive struggles?

I’ve been saying it all season long and no one has listened to me, and although I’m bound to take some criticism for it, I’m calling the offensive line out.

Their poor play all season long has kept teams in games against the Vikings. I don’t think I’ve seen a Vikings running back get hit behind the line of scrimmage as much as Peterson has this season. How McKinnie, Steve Hutchinson, and John Sullivan are anywhere near the top vote-getters for the Pro Bowl is mind boggling.

It’s not Peterson’s lack of production that’s hurting this offense as much as it is the offensive line. Their play this season is a disgrace to Vikings football. Sullivan is not the answer and Hutchinson is having his worst season of his career. Loadholt and McKinnie are too big to get off the line in time to do any damage and Anthony Herrera is merely a place holder.

For this team to be successful, they need to do a better job of not only protecting Favre, but blocking for Peterson.

Do the lineman have the mindset that Peterson can gain five yards per carry and they only need to “show up”? Sorry, but a running back is only as good as his offensive lineman.

When Peterson gets into the open field, he’s the hardest running back in the NFL to take down. The problem is, he rarely gets the opportunity.

Here’s some advice offensive line: Watch how the Tennessee Titans block.

The Titans have the best offensive line in the game. There’s no disputing this claim. Chris Johnson has massive holes to run through. If you don’t believe me, just watch them play. The lineman pick up the blitzes and drive their opponents back with ease. All Johnson has to do is read and react while guys like Peterson read and get hit behind the line of scrimmage.

The offensive line needs help. Whether it’s hiring a new offensive line coach or replacing the lineman, something has to be done.

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Minnesota Vikings Offensive Line Play Is Crippling The Team

Before the season began, everyone was proclaiming Adrian Peterson to be the next 2,000 yard rusher. After all, Brett Favre had just joined the roster and was supposed to keep defenses honest and the Vikings were supposed to have a top-five offensive line.

Well, opposing defenses felt differently and decided if they could take Peterson out of games, Favre would would be next in line to try to beat them.

It was a good strategy to follow. Favre is the NFL’s record holder for career interceptions. With that gun-slinger mentality, he was bound to make a few mistakes.

Well, the Vikings are sitting at 10-2 largely due to Favre’s ability to keep the offense moving. He’s having one of the best seasons of his career. While Peterson has seen a lack in production this season, he’s still getting the job done.

After getting destroyed by the Cardinals last Sunday, the Vikings showed they have a ton of work to do. Peterson had no where to run and Favre was hounded by fantastic secondary play.

On top of being obliterated by a 7-4 team, the Vikings suffered more injuries in one game than they had all season long. Cedric Griffin, Tyrell Johnson, E.J. Henderson, Phil Loadholt, and Bryant McKinnie all suffered injuries. It’s unknown which of these players will play this Sunday against the Bengals (except Henderson who is out for the season).

The defense was beaten up and offense was halted to minimal yardage, but who do you really have to blame for the offensive struggles?

I’ve been saying it all season long and no one has listened to me and although I’m bound to take some criticism for it, I’m calling the offensive line out.

Their poor play all season long has kept teams in games against the Vikings. I don’t think I’ve seen a Vikings running back get hit behind the line of scrimmage as much as Peterson has this season. How McKinnie, Steve Hutchinson, and John Sullivan are anywhere near the top vote-getters for the Pro Bowl is mind boggling.

It’s not Peterson’s lack of production that’s hurting this offense as much as it is the offensive line. Their play this season is a disgrace to Vikings football. Sullivan is not the answer and Hutchinson is having his worst season of his career. Loadholt and McKinnie are too big to get off the line in time to do any damage and Anthony Herrera is merely a place holder.

For this team to be successful, they need to do a better job of not only protecting Favre, but blocking for Peterson.

Do the lineman have the mindset that Peterson can gain five yards per carry and they only need to “show up?” Sorry, but a running back is only as good as his offensive lineman.

When Peterson gets into the open field, he’s the hardest running back in the NFL to take down. The problem is, he rarely gets the opportunity.

Here’s some advice offensive line; watch how the Tennessee Titans block.

The Titans have the best offensive line in the game. There’s no disputing this claim. Chris Johnson has massive holes to run through. If you don’t believe me, just watch them play. The lineman pick up the blitzes and drive their opponents back with ease. All Johnson has to do is read and react while guys like Peterson read and get hit behind the line of scrimmage.

The offensive line needs help. Whether it’s hiring a new offensive line coach or replacing the lineman, something has to be done.

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Without Winfield, The Vikings Are in Deep Trouble

Along with many other fans of the Vikings this past Sunday, I watched as Joe Flacco lit up a terrible defense play after play. Upon further inspection, I realized that the same player was giving up big plays time and time again, Karl Paymeh.

I looked hard at the TV trying to see the number of the players on the Vikings defense. I couldn’t find good ol’ No. 26 anywhere. I thought to myself, “Where did Winfield go? Did he get hurt? Maybe he had a family emergency to attend to.”

Not once did the announcers mention anything about Winfield’s absence, but it became clear very fast.

Karl Paymeh couldn’t stop anything. Part of me wondered whether it was even worth it to have him on the field. He not only gave up a huge touchdown with his back to the play, he couldn’t tackle to save his life.

The defense looked dreadful. They gave up two huge runs after shutting the running game down in the first three quarters. They couldn’t tackle or deflect any pass.

It was almost as if the Ravens had told every player on the Vikings defense, “You guys won! Congratulations! You can go home now. We’ll just shower and get on the first plane back to Baltimore. Pack up your things and head to Pittsburgh. This game is over.”

The Vikings defense said, “Okay!” and walked off the field as the Ravens put up 21 points in under six minutes.

“Hey!” the Vikings defense squeaked. “You guys lied to us! The game isn’t over yet!”

Well, they had me fooled too.

I thought the game was over. Up by 17 points in the fourth quarter with no sign of the Ravens showing up to play, I was sure Favre and Peterson would again be sitting on the sidelines for the rest of the game. But it all happened so fast.

We know how the story ended, but a new chapter could potentially unfold this Sunday when the Vikings take the field without their heart and soul, Antoine Winfield.

While no official announcement has been made, the purple warrior will likely have to sit a week and prepare for a slugfest in Green Bay.

One could easily tell it was not the same defense without Winfield.

Not only was Winfield injured, but backup cornerback/nickelback Benny Sapp was injured too. He was playing off and on, but repeatedly left the field because of a head injury he suffered in the early minutes of the game.

But please GOD do not make me watch Karl Paymeh go up against Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes. Paymeh wouldn’t stand a chance and Roethlisberger would have a career day.

I will say this. If Winfield does not play, the Vikings have very little chance at pulling off a 7-0 record by the end of Sunday.

I think the offense is more than capable of putting up some big numbers, but the defense needs to show that they can live without its Pro Bowl cornerback for one game.

It could be an ugly game Vikings fans. Let’s just hope that Winfield is near 100 percent and a massively improved Benny Sapp is ready to go.

SKOL VIKINGS…urgh…

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Stop The Nonsense: The Vikings Are For Real

If you were to tell me at the beginning of the season that the Vikings would be 5-0 to start the season, I would have said, “So what?”

If you were to tell me that Favre would be one of the top quarterbacks in the league at the end of week five, I would have replied, “Yeah, probably.”

Everything the Vikings have done thus far in their season is what I expected. I expected Peterson to be near the league lead in rushing. I expected Favre to be one of the best overall quarterbacks. I expected the defense to be relatively stout.

Why does this seem like such a shock to people that the Vikings are being mentioned as not only one of the best in the NFC, but the NFL as a whole?

You immediately see the doubters proclaim that the Vikings have yet to face a worthy opponent. They don’t deserve to be mentioned among the Colts and Giants of the NFL.

Keep dreaming fellas.

Not only has this Vikings team performed well, they’ve done so while giving more playing time to backups than any other team in the NFL and by a good margin.

Rarely do you see a Vikings starter play the entire game. We Vikings fans are watching the Jared Allens, Steve Hutchinsons, Adrian Petersons, Brett Favres, and Antoine Winfields sitting on the sidelines with six minutes left in regulation.

The Vikings have simply beaten every team they’ve faced. Aside from a very physical 49ers game, none of them have been close whatsoever.

That’s not good enough for many of you doubters though. When will the Vikings be good enough for you? Does Favre need to throw for 300 plus yards every game? Does Peterson need to rush for 150 yards and three touchdowns? Does the defense need to allow less than three points per game?

Give the Vikings the respect they deserve.

Teams like the Cleveland and Detroit need to remember that a full game is 60 minutes long, not 30 minutes.

Teams like Green Bay need to stop that emotional roller coaster and play the game.

Teams like St. Louis need to trade Steven Jackson to a good team to give him a shot at the playoffs (that’s for a different article).

Why are the Vikings being penalized by the fans for having a soft schedule?

The fact is, the Vikings have won and won big. They’ve done in on the ground (Cleveland and Detroit) and they’ve done it through the air (Green Bay and San Francisco). This team has it all, whether you like it or not.

Fans from other teams like to look down on the Vikings because some of their statistics aren’t great. They hover around the middle of the pack in nearly every team stat you can come up with.

If the Vikings want to run on you, they will. If they want to pass it on you, they can. There is nothing that this Vikings team can’t do.

The receiving corp was an area of concern in the offseason. Well, with a huge upgrade at quarterback, we’ve seen a tremendous weakness become a strength.

Third-year receiver Sidney Rice is simply amazing. He catches nearly everything thrown his way. He doesn’t create separation, but when you have agility and hands like he does, you don’t need to.

It took a while for Berrian and Favre to gel, but things are starting to look up. They connected on a solid touchdown pass against the Packers that seemed to create a mutual understanding of one another.

Shiancoe had a bad game in Green Bay dropping a couple, but he has been great so far. He’s catching touchdowns and turning himself into one of the elite tight ends in the league.

I owe an apology or two to rookie Percy Harvin. I thought the guy would turn to be a complete bust. But he has shown that he has some sticky hands and is one of the hardest receivers to bring to the ground. Very rarely will you see only one guy take Harvin down. He makes defenders miss by juking or simply running over them. He’s fun to watch.

Brett Favre has done wonders for this offense the past couple weeks. Experts were quick to say that he was done. His career was finished and he had nothing left.

He started to prove people wrong against San Francisco. He followed that game up with a one of the best in his career against Green Bay. Doubters are starting to turn their heads. Slowly teams are becoming aware that this isn’t a one or two game thing. It’s going to last all season.

A lot of people have been worried about Peterson’s supposed slip this season. If I may ask all of you who feel this way, “Why are you worried and why do you think he’s slumping?”

All you guys are quick to point out that he hasn’t had a 100-yard game since week one. I’m here to say, what’s your point?

The guy has had game averages of 7.2, 6.1, 4.5, 2.5, and 4.6 yards per carry. I see one bad game, two solid games, two great games.

The guy just isn’t being used right now. That’s not a bad thing Vikings fans. Let Peterson rest while others carry the load. When he need him to, he shows up. That’s the important thing. He’s still the best in the game at what he does.

The true test is indeed up ahead in the next three weeks with a game against the Ravens at home followed by back-to-back games in Pittsburgh and Green Bay.

It should be an interesting ride boys.

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San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings: Week Three Preview

Here the Vikings sit at an undefeated 2-0.  Minnesota has started the season in the best possible way record-wise, but the team still has a long way to go.

Their first two wins have come against what looks to be two of the worst teams in the NFL, the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions.

Week Three seems to be a little more difficult, as football legend Mike Singletary brings his physical 49ers team to face off against the Minnesota Vikings.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Shaun Hill has done everything the team has asked of him, keeping turnovers to a minimum and completing passes to keep the drives alive.

Through two weeks, Hill has 353 yards passing, one touchdown, and zero interceptions.

Frank Gore has also proved to be rather impressive thus far, rushing for 237 yards and three touchdowns.

San Francisco has proved to be one of the surprise teams early on this season, as they’ve beat the defending NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks.

What’s even more impressive is the way they are winning games.  It’s not through a high-flying offense, but rather a stifling defense that ranks seventh overall at this point.

The 49ers secondary is a strong, veteran group that will likely not fall for the play action.  They play a tough zone and make it hard for opposing quarterbacks to get the ball off to the receivers.

The hard-hitting 49ers will have some stiff competition themselves, as they go up against the No. 1 rusher in the NFL, Adrian Peterson.

Peterson managed 180 yards rushing in Week One and added another 92 in Week Two. The problem here lies in the 49ers rushing defense that has only given up 106 yards rushing total.

Also, the last time Peterson faced the 49ers, he was held to just three yards on 14 carries.  But the 49ers forgot that Minnesota has two backs capable of having 1,000 yard seasons and allowed backup Chester Taylor to rush for over 100 yards instead.

Quarterback Brett Favre may be in a little trouble this week as Patrick Willis looks to put a pounding on the offense.

Favre has been sacked seven times already this season due to an ineffective offensive line in pass-protection.

The hasn’t stopped Favre from posting a 77.1 completion percentage and three touchdowns.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Vikings look stronger than ever.  Antoine Winfield has played well so far this season.  Teams haven’t thrown his way hardly at all this season, and are instead targeting Cedric Griffin, a strategy that has proved to be costly more than once already this season.

The defensive line is getting solid pressure and has seven sacks in their first two games.

As far as injuries go, both teams a little dinged up, but nothing major.

Running back Frank Gore injured his ankle last week, but he will likely start anyway.  Backup running back Glen Coffee and guard David Baas should be ready as well.  Justin Smith was also on the injury report, but it’s been reported numerous times that it’s not injury related and he will play.

Running back Adrian Peterson, linebacker E.J Henderson, safety Madieu Williams, and tight end Jim Kleinsasser have all been limited in practice this past week, but all players should be ready for Sunday.

This looks to be a great game between a couple of 2-0 teams.  With the best two players from the 2007 draft going head-to-head (literally), this is going to be a battle of strength and endurance.  I’m not quite sure if the 49ers are for real yet, but they look to be heading in the right direction.

 

Key Matchups

Adrian Peterson vs. Patrick Willis: Peterson got lit up in the first meeting, but has the tide turned since then?

Frank Gore vs. Vikings defense: Can Frank Gore get the first 100-yard game against the Vikings since 2007?

Brett Favre vs. 49ers blitz: We know they’re going to blitz, but can youngsters John Sullivan and Phil Loadholt hold their own?

Shaun Hill vs. Vikings Front Seven: Can the 49ers hold the aggressive Vikings back?

Prediction: Minnesota Vikings 27, San Francisco 49ers 13

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Two Weeks Down: What We’ve Learned Of The Minnesota Vikings

Two weeks are down and only 20 more to go…hopefully!

The Vikings are off to a 2-0 start with their defense clicking and offense plugging along.

We’ve seen some pretty amazing moments along with some pretty bad ones. I think it’s safe to say that the Vikings record has lived up to the expectations of its fans, but not necessarily the play.

We’ll take a look and analyze a couple of points, some good and some bad, on the Minnesota Vikings.

 

The Good

1) Percy Harvin is a Beast. Among all rookies, Harvin is tied for first in receptions (8), fifth in receiving yardage (77), first in touchdowns (2), fourth in rushing yards (36), first in kick-return average (29.7), and third in kick-return yardage (178).

I’ll admit, I wasn’t too happy when the Vikings selected him with their 22nd overall pick in this year’s draft. With Michael Oher still on the board at the time, I thought it was a no-brainer. I mean, Harvin tested positive for drugs right before the combine!

Well, he’s done a great job turning my view around. The guy simply won’t go down to the ground with the ball. I haven’t seen a wide receiver run so hard in my life. The guy lowers his shoulders and pushes his way through the defense gaining an extra three or four yards every time.

Harvin has done a great job thus far. I give him a solid A.

 

2) Favre Hasn’t Thrown an Interception. He has been very consistent with his throws. He’s getting the ball to his intended target which is exactly what the Vikings needed. Favre is able to convert those third downs that Jackson or Frerotte could not do last season.

Favre has done a great job of lighting the mood on the Vikings’ offense. There is a sense of joy that hasn’t been seen for quite some time. I can finally see the Vikings players smile on a routine basis and it’s not because of Peterson. Favre has been a calming presence that has kept this team alive.

 

3) Peterson is Astounding. The guy is currently leading the league in rushing as well as touchdowns. He was the No. 1 fantasy pick in nearly every draft this season and he has not disappointed. His four rushing touchdowns lead the league.

His touchdown run against the Browns shows us just how dominant of a runner he is. In one play, he showed off his lightning speed, superb agility, and behemoth-like strength all within three seconds. There is not a single player in the game today more explosive than Adrian Peterson.

 

4) The Pass Defense Has Been Fantastic. While the Vikings are lacking a bit in the sack department thus far compared to last season, they are still getting good pressure on the quarterback. Both Quinn and Stafford had some pretty ugly plays against the Vikings defense.

Three interceptions in the first two games are more than we had in nine combined games last season. It’s a sad stat for last season, but good for this season. The Vikings are currently ranked fifth in the league in passing defense.

 

5) The Special Teams Have Improved…Sort of. The lone punt return for a touchdown against the Browns has really been the only miscue on special teams thus far. Otherwise, they’ve done a great job on the coverage units.

Harvin is doing well returning kicks. Returning punts is second-year receiver Darius Reynaud. He too is having a solid start to the season nearly breaking off a couple touchdowns in week one.

The special teams unit really did miss Heath Farwell last season. This season, he’s back at it and is their primary play-maker. He’s done a solid job of getting to the ball and is usually one of the first to make the tackle.

 

The Bad

1) Short Dip-and-Dunk Throws are hurting the Receivers and the Offense as a Whole. Favre came into the preseason a little too late. He hasn’t had time to work with his receivers, primarily Bernard Berrian.

Berrian’s six catches on Sunday were very quiet and very short. If the Vikings want to move down the field more often, they’re going to need Favre to start taking shots down the field more.

I know what you’re thinking. The passing game is working thus far, so why do we need to expose Favre to potential interceptions? The Vikings have faced the Browns and Lions so far, neither of which have an astounding defense by any means.

Against a better defense such as the Ravens or Steelers, this sort of passing game probably won’t work with linebackers all over the field.

If you haven’t noticed, the first two quarters of each game have been terrible for the offense. Peterson hasn’t rushed particularly well and Favre is throwing incompletions when it matters.

To keep the defense honest against Peterson and Taylor, the Vikings are going to need to take the shots downfield. To put it simply, the offense needs to play better in the first half.

 

2) Our Rush Defense Isn’t up to Par With Previous Years. Jamal Lewis ran all over the Vikings in week one to the tune of 57 yards on just 11 carries, a 5.2 average. As a team, the Browns ran the ball 20 times for 89 yards, a 4.5 average. That’s good if you’re the Lions, but when you’re the Vikings, 4.5 yards per carry is not good.

The Lions ran the ball 34 times for 129 yards, a 3.8 yards per carry average. If a team runs 34 times against you, they aren’t scared. The Lions clearly were not afraid of the Vikings. Had it not been for a couple of stout plays late, the Lions would have had upwards of 143 plus yards.

The numbers are decent, but not what we’re used to. The carries have been from very average backs and some not-so-good offensive lines. The linebackers are making more plays than they should have to at the line of scrimmage. The line is not shedding blocks like last season.

 

3) Missed Tackles are killing the Defense. In total, I counted 11 missed tackles in week two alone. That is not good for a defense that prides itself on stuffing opposing ball carriers.

Greenway, on his own had three missed tackles in less than a half. Our captain E.J Henderson has even missed a few. Superman is not supposed to get run over by second-year running backs.

If this defense wants to kill drives and get off the field, they are going to have to tackle better. The opposing offense was on the field too long because of this. Drives that should have been three and outs are becoming time consuming, nine-play drives.

I know I may be nitpicking and we’re only rolling around to week three of the regular season, but now is the time for the Vikings to show that they can beat the above average teams.

Next week, San Francisco is coming to town and their team looks fantastic so far. The defense is solid and their offense is clicking behind a mediocre quarterback.

The 49ers will be a good test for the Vikings offense. It should be a fun season. Things are starting out great, but they can always get better!

SKOL VIKINGS!

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Brad Childress: Maybe Coaching Isn’t Your Thing

As we all know, Brad Childress hasn’t been the greatest head coach our Vikings have seen. Granted he’s not as bad as say, Norm Van Brocklin or Mike Tice, but he’s no Bud Grant, let alone Dennis Green.

Childress’s tenure with the Vikings has been a very predictable one on the field, yet very unpredictable off the field.

Childress is probably one of the most conservative coaches in the NFL today. I don’t think there’s any other team in the NFL that would run on third and 10 on a routine basis and still keep his job.

In just three seasons with the Vikings, Childress has a .500 record, going 24-24 with one playoff loss.

The play calling is what has killed so many Vikings fans. He runs left on first down, right on second down, and then expects the quarterback to make a third and long throw to keep the drive alive.

It’s no wonder quarterbacks can’t survive here!

Granted, Adrian Peterson is your running back, he’s not going to pick up 12 yards on every drive for a first down. Even Peterson gets stuffed for a two-yarder every once in a while.

If things don’t go the Vikings way this season, Childress can expect that he won’t have a head coaching job in the NFL much longer.

Although that would be great news for Leslie Frazier (who could be a monster head coach if given the chance), Childress would likely be searching for a job for a couple years.

He lost the respect of many players and fans alike by reaching out for Brett Favre after he reportedly claimed he no longer had interest in the future Hall of Famer. To all of you that are still disgruntled, get over it.

If you look what Childress has done for the Vikings the last few seasons, it’s evident that he has a tremendous eye for talent. He just can’t seem to put the pieces together.

Childress has acquired the likes of proven NFL starters in Brett Favre, Jared Allen, Bernard Berrian, Madieu Williams, Visanthe Shaincoe, Adrian Peterson, Chestor Taylor, Chad Greenway, Cedric Griffin, Steve Hutchinson, and more.

On top of that, he’s acquired some potentially great players in Jaymer Johson, Darius Reynaud, Sidney Rice, Brian Robison, John Sullivan, Tyrell Johnson, Percy Harvin, Phil Loadholt, and more.

The guy has drafted very well for the Vikings with his only real bust being Tarvaris Jackson picked in the second round in 2006.

This got me thinking; how can a guy with such a knack for talent be such a mediocre coach?

I’ve said it for the last year, Childress shouldn’t be a head coach. I don’t want him off the Vikings altogether though. I want Childress in the Vikings front office.

Let someone else take charge of the team (*cough*…Leslie Frazier…*cough*). All Childress needs to do is look for talent and bring them to the Vikings organization, something I think we can all agree that he is more than capable of doing.

Childress, Ziggy Wilf, and Rick Spielman have created an immensely talented team in Minnesota over the last three seasons. Players are reaching their potential and many are in their primes. The team is ready to go and it’s all thanks to these three men.

So here I stand today and proclaim, Brad Childress could be one of the best General Managers the NFL has seen in recent years.

Many fans seem to think the players he picks up are worthless and overpaid (see Visanthe Shiancoe and Bernard Berrian), but soon enough, Chilly proves us all wrong.

Shiancoe broke out last season and is catching absolutely everything that is near him. He outworks every defender en route to the ball and uses his strength to grab the ball away from anyone.

Berrian proved he’s the ultimate deep threat, leading the NFL in yards per reception last year with 20.1 average. He added a very quiet seven interceptions with that, despite not having a solid quarterback leading the offense.

So to all you fans who want Childress out of Minnesota, I say re-think your position. I don’t know that you want him out of Minnesota.

You may not want him to be a head coach, but you have to admit that as a general manager, the guy could be great.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Tomlinson Says He–Not Peterson–Is The Best Running Back in The NFL

Widely known for his calm personality and fighter’s soul, LaDanian Tomlinson is one of the most beloved running backs of our era.

He became the fastest running back to 100 touchdowns and the first to catch 100 balls in a season. He was a class act both on and off the field.

Last season and the postseason before, Tomlinson has battled injuries that have taken a toll on the 30-year-old running back for San Diego. He has seen his performance dwindle and fans around the NFL took notice. They jumped off Tomlinson’s bandwagon and hopped onto Peterson’s.

One of the best running backs of all time, Jim Brown, is one of those people that have jumped on the young running backs wagon.

In a recent interview for Sporting News magazine, Jim Brown claims Adrian Peterson is the most complete running back in the NFL today.

Well, Tomlinson got a hold of the article and apparently took offense.

“I was sitting there reading it thinking, ‘Wow,'” said Tomlinson to an L.A Times writer.

“The difference with me is you can put me out on that field and there will be nothing I can’t do.  I won’t have to come off the field.  Adrian has to come off sometimes on third down.  Running routes, he’s still not there yet.”

If you ask me, these comments don’t sound like a guy that’s confident in his abilities. These comments are hate comments.

For years, Tomlinson was the unquestioned best running back in the NFL. Now some don’t even think he’s a top five running back.

Tomlinson needs to come to the reality that he’s not what he once was. Age was shown her colors on Tomlinson.

Peterson doesn’t “have” to come off on third downs. It’s not his choice to come out of the game. It just so happens that backing up Peterson is a former 1,200 yard rusher who is easily one of the best backups in the NFL, Chester Taylor. You can’t make a guy of Taylor’s ability warm the bench all game long.

“But anything on that field you want me to do — throw it, block — I can do it.  That’s what I pride myself on is not having any weaknesses.  And that’s what makes me the best back,” Tomlinson stated.

Well Tomlinson, your biggest strength could quickly turn into you greatest weakness: your ego.

I didn’t know that all those turf toe injuries could go to your head.

While it’s true that Peterson may not be the best route runner or receiver, he is without a doubt the best running back. His explosiveness, agility, and brute strength make him the best running back.

Just because Tomlinson is a better receiver doesn’t make him a better running back. Is Tomlinson more complete than Peterson? Sure he is, but by no means is he a better running back.

I hope someone gives Peterson these statements from Tomlinson. It may be that extra motivation that puts him past 2,000 yards. As if Peterson needed any more motivation. The guy is a beast and easily the best running back in the NFL.

The Top Five Unsung Vikings Players Today

Every team has those players that just seem to be “there”, you know?

There are players that start along side some pretty notable characters, but don’t get the recognition they deserve. Some play every so often on third and short situations and some play every down and go unnoticed.

It doesn’t matter what they do, they can’t get their names out to the rest of the NFL. Many are considered role players and not fit for regular playing time.

Usually people like to use the term “underrated”, but for this article, I like the term “under-appreciated” much better.

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