KFAN.com

Heading into this game, because the Saints were clear favorites with homefield advantage and the most explosive offense in the NFL, I didn’t think it was possible for a loss of any kind to equal the utter devastation of the 1998 NFC Championship Game.

I was wrong.

11 years ago, absolutely nobody envisioned the Falcons beating the Vikings at the Metrodome. When Morten Anderson eventually booted the game-winning field goal in overtime, shock finally set in, and the scars still haven’t healed in Minnesota.

Sunday night’s game had the opposite feel. In 1998, a Vikings loss didn’t seem likely until less than two minutes remained in the 4th quarter. On Sunday night, a Vikings win didn’t seem likely until less than two minutes remained in the 4th quarter.

In fact, after Chester Taylor ripped a 14-yard run down to the Saints’ 33-yardline with 1:00 left in the 4th quarter, this game, quite frankly, was over. Despite five turnovers, with Ryan Longwell warming up on the sidelines, the game was over.

That’s why this loss was so heartbreaking and numbing. For 58 minutes, Vikings fans could watch with nervous enthusiasm and tempered expectations. But with two minutes left, the Super Bowl was within arm’s length.

But because the football gods simply aren’t ready to grant the Vikings a Super Bowl championship, for whatever reason, a series of 10 disastrous events took place. If any of the events would have gone in the Vikings favor, the outcome of the NFC Championship game likely would have been much different.

* We could obviously point to the five turnovers, the inexcusable red zone fumbles by Bernard Berrian and Adrian Peterson, and probably a few other things. But the fact is, Minnesota still had the ball in field goal range with a chance to win. There will be a time for ripping Peterson to shreds over his chronic fumbling. That time will come at a later date.

1.) Taylor’s huge run set the Vikings up with what would have been a 51-yard field goal opportunity if they didn’t gain another yard. Of course, as has become the norm throughout the second half of the season, Peterson and Taylor were each stuffed for no gain on two subsequent handoffs. The Vikings burned a timeout with 19 seconds left.

The Saints obviously knew the Vikings were going to run the ball, but in a game where Minnesota ran for 165 yards, it would have been helpful — if not dagger-like — to punch the ball inside the 30-yardline.

If the Vikings could have found a way to inch inside the 30-yardline, the following events were much less likely to occur.

2.) Coming out of the timeout, facing 3rd-and-10 from the Saints 33-yardline, the Vikings inexplicably wound up with 12 men in the huddle.

After the game, Brad Childress said fullback Naufahu Tahi was the extra man in the huddle. Whether that was a coaching mistake or a player brain fart, who knows. But Favre realized there were 12 men in the huddle and he attempted to call a timeout, which also would have been illegal, because the Vikings already burned a timeout before the play. Teams are not permitted to call back-to-back timeouts.

The 5-yard penalty pushed the Vikings back to the 38-yardline, which would have been a 56-yard field goal. Longwell’s season long is 52, and 56 is probably the back end of his range, so the Vikings found themselves needing to gain a few more yards.

If the Vikings don’t inexplicably screw up the huddle situation, a 51-yard field goal would have been perfectly acceptable as a worst-case scenario.

3.) Childress said he would have run the ball from the 33-yardline, but after the penalty (which pushed a potential 51-yard field goal attempt back to a 56-yard attempt) Childress and company decided to pass. Many fans will no doubt rip Childress’ decision to throw the ball in this spot, but after watching the Saints stuff the two previous rushing attempts — and knowing the Vikings run for more no-gains than almost any team in football — it’s hard to blame him for putting the ball in Favre’s hands at that point. The Vikings needed to gain a few yards, and running the ball wasn’t going to accomplish that task.

According to Childress, the play was a rollout designed for Bernard Berrian. When Berrian went in motion, the Saints recognized something, checked to a different defense, and covered appropriately. This caused Favre to throw late across his body to Sidney Rice, and Tracy Porter cut in front for the interception.

Longwell might be the best kicker in the NFL, and he didn’t even get a shot.

If not for the 12 men in the huddle penalty, the Vikings settle for a 51-yard field goal at worst.

If Favre would have simply run the ball instead of throwing into traffic, he probably had room to gain three or four yards.

And if Favre would have just thrown the ball away, Longwell would have had a chance to hit a 56-yard field goal with roughly 10 seconds remaining.

4.) At the start of overtime, Steve Hutchinson called heads. The coin landed tails.

If Hutch knew that “tails never fails,” the Vikings win the toss.

5.) With the Vikings likely still dazed from how regulation ended, Pierre Thomas ripped off a big kick return to the Saints’ 39-yardline. Cedric Griffin was injured on the play and had to be helped off the field. Rookie Asher Allen, who rarely plays, was thrust into action.

Three plays later, after two unsuccessful rushing attempts, Drew Brees dropped back and fired incomplete over the middle on third down to Marques Colston. Of course, Asher was called for defensive holding, giving the Saints an automatic first down.

If Griffin doesn’t come up lame on the kickoff, Asher doesn’t see the field. There are no guarantees that Griffin would have covered the play differently, or that the defensive alignment would have remained the same. But Asher is the culprit here, regardless.

6.) After an incomplete pass on first down, Brees dropped back again on second down, firing a dart over the middle toward Colston. The ball ping ponged off Colston and two Vikings defenders before resting in the hands of Tyrell Johnson. Unfortunately, Johnson was unable to corral the interception, and the ball fell harmlessly to the Superdome turf.

On the Falcons’ final drive of the ’98 NFC Championship Game, Robert Griffith had two golden opportunities to intercept Chris Chandler, and he dropped the ball both times. It was hard to avoid flashbacks when Johnson dropped this one.

If Johnson intercepts that pass, assuming he’s tackled on the spot, the Vikings regain possession near their own 20-yardline.

7.) A few plays later, on 4th-and-1 from the Vikings 43-yardline, Pierre Thomas dove over the pile, only to be met by Chad Greenway, who jarred the ball loose for a moment. The ball originally broke the first down plane, but Greenway’s hit pushed Thomas backwards and jarred the ball loose. Referee Pete Morelli went into the booth for a review, and he ruled (presumably) that because Thomas didn’t completely lose possession (he pinned the loose ball to his leg at the last second), the Saints earned a first down via forward progress.

If Thomas doesn’t regain possession at the last second, the Vikings turn the Saints over on downs near midfield, 20 yards from Longwell’s field goal range.

8.) On the next play, with the Saints needing roughly eight yards to inch into realistic field goal range, Brees lobbed a pass well over the head of tight end David Thomas, who was battling with Ben Leber. Leber was flagged for pass interference, even though the ball was completely uncatchable. This questionable call gave the Saints a first down at the Vikings’ 29-yardline.

If the refs correctly rule Brees’ pass uncatchable, the Saints face 2nd-and-10 from the Vikings’ 41-yardline, still out of field goal range.

9.) After stuffing Reggie Bush for a 5-yard loss to back the Saints up to the 34-yardline, Brees fired over the middle to Robert Meachem, who bobbled the ball on his way to the ground, but somehow found a way to pin it to his leg. Multiple replays showed inconclusive evidence. Morelli went under the curtain once again, but could not overturn the call.

If Meachem doesn’t find a way to pin the ball to his leg at the last second (much like Pierre Thomas a few plays earlier), the Saints face 3rd-and-15 from the outskirts of field goal range. Or, if the booth review showed more conclusive evidence of the ground helping Meachem retain possession… Instead, they faced 3rd-and-3 from the Vikings’ 22.

10.) Of course, we all know what happened next. Garrett Hartley split the uprights with a 40-yard field goal, sending the Saints to their first ever Super Bowl.

If Favre doesn’t sign with the Vikings in August, Hartley doesn’t make that kick. That’s because the Vikings never would have made it to the NFC Championship Game without Favre.

After the game, Favre looked and sounded completely dejected.

“I just wonder if I could hold up, especially after a day like today,” Favre said. “Physically and mentally. That was pretty draining.”

When asked if he thought this was a successful season, Favre said yes.

“I can’t print anything for you guys, but I’m going out on top one way or the other.”

Sunday’s loss will go down in Minnesota sports history as one of the absolute most devastating, hands down. What makes it sting more is the fact that the Saints didn’t actually beat the Vikings. The Vikings beat the Vikings.

After the game, Favre spent five minutes crying inside the Vikings locker room, and he declined a post-game interview with Fox. Jay Glazer reports that Vikings players believe Favre will retire, and many national pundits (and, predictably, Packer fans) will point to the fact that Brett Favre led his team and his new fan base to the brink of elation only to stick a dagger in their hearts, as expected.

Regardless, Vikings fans will pat Favre on the back, tell him thanks for the great ride, and welcome him back with open arms in 2010, if he so chooses.

From KFAN.com

Exactly 12 hours before kickoff on Sunday, ESPN 2 showed a rerun of the 1998 NFC Championship game between the Vikings and Falcons. Funny, no matter how many times you watch it, the outcome never changes.

Many comparisons have been made this season between the 1998 Vikings and the 2009 Vikings, mostly because 1998 was the last time people in Minnesota truly believed this football team had a realistic shot to win the Super Bowl (the 41-0 NFC Championship game after the 2000 season hardly qualifies).

But contrary to what many Vikings fans believe, the parallels between the ‘98 team and the ‘09 team are few and far between, most notably the fact that Dennis Green’s squad essentially rolled through the entire season without a humbling experience, sans one blip at Tampa Bay. The ’09 squad was humbled throughout the entire month of December, and they came into Sunday’s match-up with Dallas as underdogs in the eyes of the national media.

The biggest problem with the 1998 Vikings is that they had no concept of what it was like to lose a football game, and when things started snowballing in the wrong direction against Atlanta, they curled up in the fetal position. Their aura of invincibility eventually served as a downfall.

It’s too early to say whether the 2009 team will write a different story than the 1998 team. But after watching the Vikings thoroughly dismantle the hottest team in the NFC, 34-3, it’s obvious Brad Childress’ bunch has put its December struggles in the rear view mirror.

And the best part? They’re almost certain to be underdogs once again in New Orleans next weekend for the NFC Championship game.

Maybe the Saints will play the role of the 1998 Vikings.

Vikings defense, not Cowboys’, walks the walk

Heading into Sunday, the Cowboys defense had allowed only 31 points over its last four games, while tallying 16 sacks. Two of those games were shutouts, and three of those games came against the Saints and the Eagles.

It’s understandable why most people thought tenacious pass rushers Anthony Spencer, DeMarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff would give the Vikings fits. Instead, it was Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, Jimmy Kennedy, and Brian Robison who feasted. Oh, and Ray Edwards, who had the game of his life.

“I just went out there and read my keys like my coach (Karl Dunbar) taught me,” Edwards said. “I just went out there and played my butt of for him and continued to work. God willing, I’ll be back next week and I’ll be 100%.

“They were saying all week how our DBs weren’t going to match with their receivers, but they did a good job. They gave us enough time to get at them up front.”

Before exiting with a right knee injury in the second half, Edwards tallied three sacks, a forced fumble, and multiple quarterback hurries. Tony Romo ran around the backfield like a wounded cat for three hours. In fact, Romo dropped back to pass 40 times and was hit 16 times.

The Vikings pass rush has certainly made quarterbacks sweat this season (see: Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, etc.), but does Sunday’s flustering of Romo stand at the top of the list?

“I think so,” said Ben Leber, who was the beneficiary of a Romo ill-advised interception in the second half. “And for the most part, we blitzed when we had to, but a lot of those times the D-line was just running their game. We knew their big guys really couldn’t handle movement that well. So those guys just did a great job of getting a four-man rush and making it a lot easier for us on the backend.”

The Cowboys gained 118 yards in the first quarter, essentially moving the ball at will. If not for Ray Edwards coming up with two huge sacks and a forced fumble, the Vikings may have trailed early instead of jumping out to a 7-0 lead.

But coming away with zero points in the first quarter seemed to frustrate the Cowboys. At one point in the opening period, when facing 4th-and-1 from the Vikings 30-yardline — and with Romo and company dissecting the Vikings defense — Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips elected to attempt a 48-yard field goal with embattled kicker Shaun Suisham, who most people may remember as the Redskins kicker who missed a 23-yard field goal earlier in the season that would have clinched a win over New Orleans.

Of course, Suisham missed the 48-yarder. It seemed logical that making a 48-yard field goal was a much more difficult task than gaining one yard at the time. As it was, Dallas missed its window to jump out in front and gained only 130 yards the rest of the game.

From that point on, the Vikings defense overwhelmed America’s Team. Romo was sacked six times. He also threw an interception and fumbled three times, losing two of them.

“We had our game plan ready,” Pat Williams said. “We just figured we’d come out and smash them and outwork them. We smashed them and outworked them.

“Put the Saints on up there. We’re going to ride down low, right under the radar at the bottom.”

Quiet confidence led to blowout

With everyone around them talking about the tenacity of the Cowboys defense and the various match-up advantages Dallas had heading into Sunday, Vikings players remained tight-lipped in the locker room all week long. They bit their tongues and sat with quiet confidence.

“I know that the conversations were a lot about if our tackles were going to be able to hold up against the outside linebackers,” Childress said. “Our deal was this; we got a good football team. I told them that all year long. I heard all that nonsense and all the hype about the Dallas Cowboys coming to town, the hottest team in the playoffs. I asked my team early in the week to choke it back and shut up. We will play the game when we get here on Sunday. The game is always won on the football field.

“I knew they would play their tail off and be able to dispel that myth of (who) was coming to town.”

Not a bad strategy, and the Vikings may want to implement a similar plan this week. After New Orleans dismantled Arizona, they will likely be clear favorites.

And speaking of the offensive tackles, with the exception of DeMarcus Ware coming untouched for a sack on the first play of the game (put that one on Chester Taylor), Bryant McKinnie and Phil Loadholt held their own in pass protection.

“I feel like everybody just put in a lot of work,” McKinnie said. “Plays were being executed. As hard as everybody worked all week long, I’m not surprised (at the margin of victory). But then again, if you listened to the media then you would be surprised.”

Dallas sacked Favre four times on Sunday, but Favre completed 15-of-24 passes for 234 yards and four touchdowns, and it rarely seemed as if he was uncomfortable in the pocket.

“We did a lot of play action,” McKinnie said. “We set up the run a little bit, and it enabled us to do play action, bring some draws. They kind of weren’t sure. They didn’t get a chance to pin their ears back like I’ve seen them do against other teams, because they usually get up first, have a lead, and then other teams are playing catch up and passing the ball a lot. That allows them to just rush the passer, but we mixed it up.”

Credit Childress and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell with putting together a fantastic offensive game plan. The running game, statistically, was not aesthetically pleasing; 26 rushes and 63 yards for Peterson, and 33 rushes for 109 yards as a team.

But the presentation was fantastic. The Vikings used a series of fake reverses and fake handoffs to Peterson and Percy Harvin to keep Dallas off-balance. Later on, Favre actually handed the ball to Harvin in some of those same scenarios, and he ran three times for 23 yards.

There was a growing sense that Minnesota’s offense simply had too many weapons in too many places, and the Cowboys defense had trouble dictating pace.

“It probably wasn’t the prettiest running game,” Steve Hutchinson said, “but four or five yards a pop when we had to get it to keep the chains moving, to keep their defense off-balance, and then we were able to convert and move the chains with the short passing game and take our shots when we had to… That’s probably went as well as we could have planned.”

Sidney Rice with another coming out party

If the world was unfamiliar with Sidney Rice before Sunday, his 141-yard, three touchdown performance (three receiving touchdowns ties an NFL playoff record) pushed him one step closer to being a household name.

As recently as January of 2009, Rice was a beleaguered, banged-up, underachieving, former second round draft who showed very few signs of having a breakout season in 2010. At best, in the eyes of most who follow the Vikings closely, if Rice could stay healthy, he may have been in line for a solid 2010 campaign.

But 1,300 yards, eight touchdowns and a Pro Bowl berth? What?

“I said that from day one that Sidney is that type of player,” Brett Favre said. “I hate to compare him or put him in categories, because I think he is in a category by himself. There are faster guys, there are taller guys, there are quicker guys, but the thing about Sidney — and I’ve played with guys like him as far as the work ethic — is he wants to be good. It matters to him.”

Rice said after the game that the game plan didn’t dictate Favre throwing deep. He said Dallas’ safeties do a fantastic job of rolling coverages and limiting home runs. Even on the two long touchdowns to Rice — a 47-yarder in the first quarter and a 45-yarder in the third quarter — safety Gerald Sensabaugh and cornerback Mike Jenkins provided very good coverage. Rice just flat out made big plays, like he has all season.

“I feel like it’s been a real good season for me so far,” Rice said. “And I definitely feel like we won’t be finishing anytime soon. A lot of it has to do with the guys around me. None of it would be possible without those guys around me.”

From KFAN.com

There seems to be a quiet confidence in the air at Winter Park this week. Viking players have even embraced the underdog role, regardless of the fact that they aren’t necessarily the ‘dogs.

The final six quarters of the regular season, against Chicago and New York, seem to have provided the Vikings with a semblance of momentum, but players are certainly mindful of how everything derailed in early December. The vibe in the locker room, however, suggests that this team has seen and experienced it all. They’ve sniffed the mountaintop air at 10-1, they’ve tasted mud at 11-4, and now they’re ready to move forward.

After listening to Vikings players in the locker room, and after talking with various people “in the know,” it appears as if two factors stand out above the rest if the Vikings intend on advancing to the NFC Championship Game:

1.) How well will the offensive line play? Are we talking Carolina game? Or Giants game?

2.) How will the Vikings slow the Cowboys passing attack?

Bryant McKinnie and Phil Loadholt will likely shoulder the largest responsibilities on Sunday, because they must prevent pass rushers DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer from beheading Brett Favre.

The Cowboys have tallied 16 sacks over the last four games, and they’ve pitched two shutouts. Only one team has scored more than 21 points against the Cowboys defense all season (Giants, twice).

“There’s things you have to do, first of all, with those two outside edge rush guys,” Brad Childress said. “They can bring the heat from the outside. With that said, a guy like (Keith) Brooking, they feature him blitzing. He does a great job of timing up his A-gap blitzes. And then I look at the nose guard, (Jay Ratliff), can bring pressure any way you want it. He can walk the center back, he can make  quick move and beat you with quickness in there, and then they wave people in and have some pretty good people that they bring in the game in their nickel situations.

“The conventional ways (to offset the pressure), adding a tight end, adding a running back, mixing scat in where there’s nobody in the backfield, you have to mix it now. (Defenses) are too good if you’re only showing them one kind of protection. Typically they’re going to break a protection down.”

As far as slowing the Cowboys passing attack, that revolves around two things: Getting pressure on Tony Romo, and limiting yards after the catch (i.e. tackling properly). If Romo takes a three-step drop and completes a 5-yard pass, the Vikings defense must make sure Dallas gains only five yards, rather than 15.

“(Romo) is very elusive back there,” Jasper Brinkley said. “A good quarterback. Great quarterback. Fire hot right now in the playoffs. When he throws that quick stuff, it’s all predicated on tackling receivers and getting them down. A lot of missed tackles after contact and it turns into a big play.”

“It’s important,” Benny Sapp said. “You’ve got to tackle. You’ve got to get off the field, especially on third downs. You’ve got to make those tackles and make the plays.”

On top of that, the Vikings safeties and linebackers must keep tabs on TE Jason Witten, who caught 94 passes for 1,030 yards this season. According to Football Outsiders, the Vikings rank in the bottom 1/3 of the league when it comes to defending tight ends in the passing game. This obviously comes as no surprise to anyone who’s watched Vernon Davis and Jermichael Finley run roughshod in the Metrodome.

- Interestingly enough, we’re halfway through January and hardly anybody has talked about the future status of Brett Favre, who signed a two-year contract upon arriving to Minnesota.

Surely we won’t know anything officially one way or the other until August or September, but what will it take for Favre to hang up the pads for more than just OTAs and training camp? If the Vikings lose in the playoffs, will he return for yet another season? Or is this a discussion that is so drenched in drama that maybe we should just leave it alone until further notice?

When asked about retirement on Wednesday, Favre smiled and said, “Good try.”

But as he always does, Favre eventually opened up.

“You know what? All I want is to beat Dallas,” Favre said. “To even think about next year is doing myself an injustice, and this team. I came here for one reason, and that’s to hopefully lead this team to the Super Bowl this year, not next year. We have that opportunity. I’m not good enough to focus on this game, what may happen in the next few weeks, and then next year. I’m going to devote every ounce of energy to this game.

“I see us sitting here having this press conference again next week. If that doesn’t happen, to me it’ll be a shock.”

At this time last year, Favre’s former team, the Jets, were watching the playoffs from their couches at home. Favre nursed a torn biceps. Health issues certainly played a role in Favre’s decision-making process last year, but this year he’s gone relatively unscathed.

“Coming into this year, having that opening press conference and talking about having surgery, but also finding out having a rotator cuff tear, and the fact that I’d been throwing, and throwing OK, but here we are in the playoffs and my arm feels… I’m throwing the ball as well as I threw it back then, two years ago.”

- Brad Childress wouldn’t go into detail, but he said Antoine Winfield (foot), who played only in nickel and short-yardage situations against the Giants, will see more action on the outside this Sunday.

- Childress also said his defense has practiced all season with music blaring over the speakers. This helps simulate a raucous Metrodome atmosphere, and it forces the Vikings defenders to learn how to communicate non-verbally.

- Pat Williams (elbow) spent the bye week treating. Childress expects him to be near 100% on Sunday. It sounds like Pat feels the same way.

“I’m good. Same old same old. Got up this morning early, came to work ready to go. Smiling as usual.”

From KFAN.com

On the heels of an embarrassing 26-7 loss on national TV to the Panthers last week, and with a media spotlight shining bright on the conflict between Brett Favre and Brad Childress, the Vikings had a chance to redeem themselves on Monday Night Football in Chicago. They failed, losing a 36-30 heartbreaker in overtime.

The second half offered reasons for optimism, namely Favre showing he can play well on the road in December, as he led the Vikings on a 17-point comeback with a short touchdown pass to Sidney Rice at the end of regulation. The defense also stepped up, pressuring Jay Cutler and even forcing an interception.

But ultimately, the negatives far outweighed the positives, and with only one week remaining in the regular season, it’s officially time to mash the panic button. From offensive line issues to abysmal secondary play to Adrian Peterson’s chronic fumbling issues, the Vikings have gone from juggernaut to all-for-naught.

The dream is dying. With the loss, the Vikings drop to 11-4, tied with Philadelphia for the 2-seed in the NFC. But the Eagles own the tie-breaker, and if the playoffs started today the Vikings would be the 3-seed. The Vikings can slip as low as the 4-seed. The Saints have locked up the top seed.

Many people will point to the fact that anything can happen in the playoffs, citing the 2007 Giants and the 2008 Cardinals. But those teams’ performances stand on their own merits and have no bearing on the results of this year’s playoffs. Sure, anything can happen in the playoffs, within reason, but let’s be realistic; the Vikings are not helping their playoff odds with the performances they’ve strung together down the stretch. And things aren’t improving.

The Vikings have several glaring flaws that first jumped to the surface against the Cardinals nearly one month ago. A home victory over the Bengals helped mask some of those deficiencies, but back-to-back clunkers against Carolina and Chicago — arguably one of the worst teams in the NFL, with injuries — have reinforced the team’s imperfections.

Special Teams

Until recently, the Vikings special teams units were among the best, collectively, of any team in the NFL. On Monday night, however, pathetic special teams efforts cost the Vikings a win.

For starters, after scoring a touchdown early in the third quarter to cut the Chicago lead to 16-6, the Vikings allowed a blocked extra point. They clearly could have used that point later on…

Convert the extra point and we aren’t dissecting another loss right now.

Later in the second half, Bears kick return man Danieal Manning twice broke free deep into Vikings territory, setting up two touchdowns. Manning averaged 45 yards per kick return for the night.

Throw out every other Vikings flaw from Monday night. The special teams gaffes single handedly awarded victory to Chicago.

Secondary

Where to start? Antoine Winfield’s foot is clearly not 100%, because he has chased taillights for two straight weeks while his wheels spin on the gravel. Last week it was Steve Smith who burned Winfield on a 3rd-and-26 touchdown, and this week it was Devin Aromashodu who scored the game-winning 39-yard touchdown in overtime while Winfield lingered a few steps behind.

And what about safeties Tyrell Johnson and Madieu Williams? Both have made plays at times, but for the most part the Vikings have lacked impact and proper tackling technique from the safety position.

Cedric Griffin’s interception on Monday night was nice, but the Vikings secondary has come away with only seven picks on the season. There are four players in the NFL with more than seven interceptions, including Darren Sharper.

Adrian Peterson and the offensive line

Smoke and mirrors.

Statistically, Adrian Peterson will churn out a fantastic season. He has over 1,300 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns through 16 games. But of those 16 games, Peterson has averaged 4 yards per carry or more only six times. He’s rushed for 100 yards only three times. And he’s fumbled seven times, including the overtime cough-up that led to a game-winning touchdown for Chicago on Monday night.

Not to mention, Peterson — no thanks to an offensive line that rarely opens gaping holes — is the ultimate definition of a feast or famine back. No team in the NFL has more minus-yard or no gain runs.

Peterson has gone from being possibly the most feared player in the NFL to being almost entirely UN-trustworthy in late-game situations. He has also turned into one of the most overrated players in the NFL. And for the first time in his career, after spinning the chamber multiple times, one of Peterson’s fumbles cost his team a win.

Interestingly, Peterson was seen complaining on the sidelines that he “was down” when Hunter Hillenmeyer stripped the football. Unfortunately, Peterson obviously was not down. And instead of lobbying for a replay reversal, Peterson should probably lobby for Tiki Barber to show him how to stop fumbling.

Peterson is immensely talented. But it’s time to stop making excuses.

As for the offensive line, they’ve also struggled mightily in the pass blocking department as of late. After keeping Favre’s jersey relatively clean throughout the entire month of November, things have imploded in December, and it all culminated with Julius Peppers sending Bryant McKinnie to the bench last Sunday.

On Monday night, Favre was pressured throughout the entire first half and for much of the second half. When the Vikings completed a 17-point comeback, the offensive line seemed to find a temporary rhythm, but that quickly went away during the first overtime drive when Chicago sacked Favre twice. Favre even spiked the football in frustration. Who could blame him?

Brad Childress

Brad Childress’ role in this mess is difficult to gauge and dissect. Because he is the head coach, the team’s record and performance ultimately fall back on him.

And when it comes to Childress’ recent/ongoing conflict with Favre, regardless of who’s right, who’s wrong, who has more control over the offense, etc., the responsibility of communication and keeping the peace falls on the shoulders of the head coach as well. Childress knew in August (or should have known) that Favre is a strong personality who likes to improvise at the line of scrimmage.

On two occasions Monday night, with the Vikings inside the 5-yardline, Childress attempted to send in the goal line personnel package only to have Favre waive it off. The first time this happened, sometime in the third quarter, Favre’s attempt to keep a pass-happy package on the field failed. They used the goal line set, and Chester Taylor was stuffed for a 3-yard loss. On the very next play, Favre spread the offense again and hit Visanthe Shiancoe for a 6-yard touchdown pass.

Childress’ vision for this offense revolves around running the football, but for whatever reason, the Vikings have turned into one of the worst rushing teams in the entire league. That is not an exaggeration.

The run-first mentality will not work with this offense anymore. It may have worked last season, it may work again in 2010, but it doesn’t work right now. For the Vikings to successfully move the ball at will they must pass first, and that’s exactly what happened in the second half. Favre threw for 275 yards in the second half, and 321 yards overall.

There’s no shame in morphing into a pass-first offense. In fact, if the Vikings passed in order to set up the run, Peterson would likely see more daylight. But Childress appears stubborn, and the Vikings have one week to make tweaks before the playoffs begin. Falling into a 17-point hole before figuring out the optimal offensive strategy isn’t the best way to conduct business.

Can Childress gather his team, get everybody on the same page, and make a playoff push? The jury is out, but signs point to no.

From KFAN.com

Quite frankly, the Vikings’ performance on Sunday night was flat-out embarrassing, even if they did officially clinch the NFC North division crown, thanks to a Packers loss.

From Julius Peppers bull rushing Bryan McKinnie straight to the bench, to backup quarterback Matt Moore throwing for 299 yards and three touchdowns, the Vikings endured their second Sunday night disaster within a three-week span — a 26-7 laugher at the hands of a Carolina Panthers team missing its starting quarterback and both starting offensive tackles.

The game turned so ugly for the Vikings offense that Brad Childress, according to Brett Favre, attempted to bench the veteran quarterback in the third quarter, even though the Vikings led at the time, 7-6.

Favre was shown on camera several times in the second half looking less than thrilled on the sideline.

It remains to be seen whether a rift (or schism?) has emerged between Favre and Childress. The smart money says Childress probably just feared for Favre’s life. He took a beating at the hands of Peppers. But both Childress and Favre would probably agree that the offense has numerous flaws that didn’t seem to exist earlier in the season.

The Vikings offense, even with a 30-point performance against Cincinnati last week, appears to have lost its magic.

Favre, specifically, has done nothing to negate the notion that he plays poorly in December. In 11 games prior to December, Favre threw only three interceptions. With his fourth quarter pick against Carolina, Favre has now thrown four in December alone, versus only three touchdowns (none of which came on Sunday night). Not to mention, Favre also seems to have stopped connecting on deep passes over the last few games. His 63-yard pass against Carolina was on a dumpoff to Adrian Peterson.

Speaking of Peterson, does his 12-carry, 35-yard performance really surprise anybody at this point? In fact, it’s more of a rarity these days for Peterson to run for 90 yards and a touchdown. Peterson has crossed the 100-yard mark only three times all season, and he’s averaged more than five yards per carry only four times in 14 games.

Of course, much of the blame can be placed on an offensive line that seemingly comes equipped with flimsy, orange shovels while opponents operate heavy duty snow blowers. Rarely does Peterson get back to the line of scrimmage without having to juke at least one defender.

The Vikings used to pride themselves on pounding the football down the throats of opposing defenders. Now they rank near the bottom of the NFL in run game efficiency, and it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to string together consistent drives.

And even when the running game stalled out at times earlier in the season, at least the offensive line kept Favre’s jersey clean during pass plays. That certainly wasn’t the case against Carolina. Favre was sacked four times, knocked down a few more, and hurried all night. When McKinnie could no longer handle Peppers, Childress put Artis Hicks into the game. He fared no better.

The Vikings gained only 237 yards of total offense on Sunday night, and they were embarrassed on national television for the second time this month. If playing your best football in December is a prerequisite for playoff success, the Vikings are in trouble. Luckily, no such prerequisite exists (see: 2008 Cardinals, 2007 Giants, etc.).

Stewart gashes Vikings defense

Cedric Benson knocked on the door last week, but the Vikings defense managed to successfully hold opposing running backs under 100 yards for more than two full seasons. The last running back to cross the 100-yard mark was Green Bay’s Ryan Grant, 36 games ago.

That streak came to an end late in the 4th quarter on Sunday night when Jonathan Stewart busted a 15-yard run to finish with 109 yards on 25 carries. Starting running back DeAngelo Williams gained only 13 yards on six carries before he exited in the first half with a sprained ankle.

The outburst by Stewart comes as no surprise, considering Carolina averages just under 150 rush yards per game. The two-headed monster of Williams and Stewart is among the best in the NFL. But considering that backup quarterback Matt Moore, who filled in once again for the injured Jake Delhomme, has done nothing in his young career to show that he’s capable of sparking an explosive passing attack, it was logical to think the Vikings defense would key in on stopping the Panthers’ run game.

In fairness, the defense did a decent job for the majority of the first three quarters. But all hell broke loose in the fourth quarter, with the Panthers rolling off 20 straight points. Moore threw for a career-high 299 yards and three touchdowns, and most of those passing yards came on underneath routes (with the exception of a 42-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith on 3rd-and-26).

The tackling on Sunday night reverted back to the pre-bye-week matador days. Safeties Madieu Williams and Tyrell Johnson religiously take bad angles and whiff on tackles, and Antoine Winfield had one of his worst games in recent memory. Linebackers missed tackles as well.

Did the time of possession hurt? Possibly. Carolina held the ball for nearly 40 minutes, so it’s understandable if the Vikings defense grew weary in the fourth quarter. But that’s not the excuse you’ll hear from Winfield, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, Jared Allen, and Chad Greenway.

In fact, those men probably have no excuses. They know they played poorly as a unit down the stretch.

Homefield advantage was a long shot, even after a Saints loss on Saturday night, but now the Vikings can kiss it goodbye. And if they aren’t careful, they can kiss a first round bye goodbye as well. The Eagles are flying down the backstretch.

From KFAN.com

What a disaster.

At 2:45 on Sunday afternoon, with the Saints facing a possible 10-point deficit with just over two minutes to play in Washington, it appeared as if the Vikings had a chance to take control of their own home-field-advantage destiny with a win over the Cardinals on Sunday night.

Wishful thinking, perhaps.

Instead, the Saints pulled off a miraculous victory on the road. And the Vikings — who were thoroughly dismantled by Arizona, 30-17 — lost more than just a football game. Star linebacker E.J. Henderson suffered a broken femur and will be sidelined for a very long time.

After watching the Vikings plow though nearly every opponent (minus Pittsburgh) since the beginning of September, dodging serious injuries and bad luck, it was odd to watch everything come crashing down at once on national television.

This was supposed to be a showcase for the Vikings to show they are indeed the team to beat in the NFL, despite the two undefeated squads that currently sit atop the standings. Now, however, the Vikings can only use Sunday’s trouncing as a learning experience heading into the season’s final weeks.

The injuries

Henderson’s gruesome leg injury happened with just over six minutes remaining in the game. While pursuing RB Tim Hightower, Henderson began diving toward the ball carrier when Jamarca Sanford rolled into Henderson’s left leg, which was still planted in the ground. The injury was so horrific that NBC showed only one replay.

In the locker room, Ben Leber fought back tears during his post-game interview with KFAN’s Greg Coleman. This is, after all, the second time in two years that Henderson has suffered a season-ending injury.

Rookie LB Jasper Brinkley filled in at middle linebacker for the final six minutes, and he can expect to see plenty of playing time as the season progresses.

Earlier in the game, several other Viking players suffered at least minor injuries. Both starting offensive tackles, Phil Loadholt and Bryant McKinnie, left the field in the first half, but later returned (albeit, they weren’t 100%). CB Cedric Griffin suffered a vicious shot to the head in the second half and had to be helped off the field, and safety Tyrell Johnson also left the game with a head injury.

As a result of these injuries, the Vikings went deep down the depth chart, using youngsters like Brinkley, OL Jon Cooper and S Jamarca Sanford.

Not to mention, RG Anthony Herrera missed his second consecutive game with a concussion, and CB Antoine Winfield missed his sixth consecutive game with a foot injury. Winfield has been close to returning for several weeks now, and his status remains day-to-day. Leslie Frazier said this past week that Winfield suffered a setback the Friday before Chicago came to town.

The blowout

Even without the injuries, Minnesota couldn’t have envisioned suffering such a lopsided loss. The Vikings marched down and took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but that was really the extent of their highlight reel.

The Vikings secondary, specifically safeties Madieu Williams and Tyrell Johnson, had an impossible time covering Larry Fitzgerald, Jr. (8 catches, 143 yards, 1 TD) and Anquan Boldin (7 catches, 98 yards, 2 TD), and the defensive line wouldn’t have sacked Kurt Warner in a flag football game.

Warner finished 22-of-32 for 285 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. He wasn’t sacked, he was barely touched, and he showed no ill effects from the concussion he sustained two weeks ago.

When the Vikings were busy beating up bad opponents like Detroit, Seattle and Chicago, it was easy to dismiss the importance of Antoine Winfield’s absence. But after going on the road and facing one of the NFL’s most high-powered passing attacks — something the Vikings will absolutely have to do again if they plan on defeating the Saints in the playoffs — it’s all too obvious why Winfield’s presence is desperately needed (if it wasn’t before).

Offensively, the Vikings have had a shaky run game all season long, much to the surprise of many who watch from afar. Minnesota has ranked near the bottom of the NFL in rushing efficiency, and they’ve tallied more no gains and minus-yard runs than almost every team in the NFL (only San Francisco gets “stuffed” more often).

In other words, if teams take away Adrian Peterson’s home runs, the Vikings have no run game to speak of. The Cardinals did just that, limiting Peterson to 19 yards on 13 carries. Take away Peterson’s long run of 11 yards and he went for eight yards on 12 carries. Chester Taylor and Percy Harvin combined for 43 yards on seven carries, but even that wasn’t enough to spark the ground game.

Many people probably shrug their shoulders and say, ‘So what? Just throw it to Percy and Sidney.’ But when the run game erodes into nothingness, and when trailing a good football team on the road, it becomes a lot more difficult to consistently move the ball through the air. Defenses tee off, and that’s exactly what Arizona did to Brett Favre, sacking him three times and intercepting him twice.

One could also make the argument Favre should have thrown two more interceptions.

He finished the game 30-of-45 for 275 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions — by far his worst game as a Viking.

The Vikings converted only 5-of-15 third downs, and they averaged only 4.6 yards per play, while generating only two gains of 20 yards or more. The Cardinals averaged 7 yards per play, and they also held Harvin to only 62 yards on three kick returns.

Going forward

Without the injuries, this loss would have been a fairly significant setback for the Vikings. Likewise, without the blowout, the injuries would have been a fairly significant stomach punch as well.

Together, they are difficult to swallow. E.J. Henderson is obviously out for the season, but beyond that, the Vikings have to hope that Winfield returns as soon as possible (like, yesterday), and that the players who suffered injuries on Sunday night do not miss any playing time.

On the field, the Vikings need better play from the secondary, from the offensive line, and from Adrian Peterson. Injuries play a part in all of the above, but all NFL teams deal with injuries on a weekly basis. Having a championship-caliber team usually means having solid depth.

The stagnant running game is a huge problem. The blown coverages and missed tackles that crept back into the mix defensively on Sunday night are also huge problems, not so much against bad teams, but against top offenses like Arizona, and eventually New Orleans, and maybe even Dallas.

At 10-2, the Vikings are still in prime position. Don’t hit the panic button after one loss.

Just don’t get too comfortable either. And after Sunday night, it’s hard to imagine anybody feeling warm and fuzzy.

Before I get to the Vikings’ latest mudhole stomping, I’ve had quite a few people ask about off-season baseball projections and other baseball opinion requests.

In all honesty, I’m HIGHLY unlikely to do player projections again this year. Because I haven’t had the time or resources to automate my system, I do a lot of data entry. It’s grunt work. Hours of it.

Because of the work I’m putting in launching the Minnesota State Poker Tour, along with Minnesota Poker Magazine and KFAN duties, I just don’t have the time to devote to baseball research like I did in previous years.

Sorry! As many of you already know, you can find me tweeting about baseball almost every day (www.Twitter.com/PMac21). I’ll also continue to blog about the Twins as often as possible.

Here’s the Vikings week 12 write-up from KFAN.com:

Week 12 Review: Throwing it around the lot

From KFAN.com

In the locker room, following a 36-10 throttling of the Chicago Bears, a Vikings PR member walked over and handed a post-game stat sheet to backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, who was in the middle of a conversation with Brett Favre.

When Jackson looked at the stat sheet, his eyes grew wide and his jaw hit the floor. He looked over at Favre, then back at the stat sheet in amazement. Favre simply smiled and shrugged.

It’s tough to pinpoint exactly what Jackson was looking at specifically on that stat sheet that caused such a wide-eyed reaction.

Maybe it was the 83 offensive plays Minnesota ran to Chicago’s 38. Maybe it was the Vikings’ 40+ minutes time of possession. It could have been Minnesota’s 537 total yards to Chicago’s 169. Or maybe it was Favre’s 392 yards passing, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Or the fact that five Vikings receivers had at least 50 yards.

Or maybe it was just a combination of all of the above.

In addition to the thorough drubbing of a division rival, Favre and his offensive teammates re-wrote several pages of the NFL and team record books on Sunday. Favre tied Jim Marshall’s NFL record of 282 consecutive games played. He also became the first player in NFL history to tally 500 total touchdowns. Visanthe Shiancoe tied the Joe Senser for the most touchdown receptions in one season by a tight end (8). And Ryan Longwell set a new team record for most career 50+ yard field goals made (9).

We’re running out of adjectives to describe these guys. They’re just flat-out unstoppable right now.

And let’s be honest, the offense wasn’t even clicking on all cylinders on Sunday. The Vikings committed 10 penalties, Adrian Peterson added two more fumbles to his naughty list, and the Vikings twice settled for field goals inside the red zone.

Still, they scored 36 points and put up over 500 yards of total offense. Combined with a lights-out defensive performance, the Bears never had a chance.

“This is the most explosive offense I’ve seen in my entire life,” Shiancoe said. “Players are playing at a high level, everybody. Favre is making terrific reads. It seems like everyone is getting open. Everyone is eating a piece of this pie, so we’re jus taking advantage of all the mismatches the defense gives us.”

The route to offensive success on Sunday, as it has been several times this season, was somewhat unorthodox given what we’ve seen under Brad Childress the last four years. Instead of pounding the run and letting Adrian Peterson shoulder the load, the Vikings are using the threat of Peterson to successfully throw the ball all over the field.

Favre threw 48 times on Sunday, completing 32 of those throws for 392 yards (10 yards shy of a career high), three touchdowns and zero interceptions. As mentioned above, five receivers (Shiancoe, Sidney Rice, Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin, Chester Taylor) gained 50 yards or more.

“(Steve Hutchinson) and I were standing on the sidelines with four minutes left,” Favre said. “He came over and said to me, ‘Hey, I told you that you wouldn’t have to (throw) too much (this season).’ “I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll never believe you again on anything.’ I’m no fool. I figured we would have to throw it some. I didn’t come just to hand off. I love to play… I guess when you key on Adrian the way teams have… for us we’ve had to kind of shift gears at times and throw the ball, and it’s been pretty effective for us.”

On Sunday specifically, it may have looked like the Vikings gameplanned to air it out, but they didn’t necessarily intend on throwing it nearly 50 times. The Bears forced it upon themselves by some of the blitzes they were using, according to Brad Childress.

“I just thought we were getting a lot of tight fire zones and they were kind of leaving zones open. I told Bev (Darrell Bevell) the best way to move the ball right here is to throw it and throw it again. You can’t be belligerent,” Childress said. “You can’t smash your head against the wall. Typically that helps your run game a little bit. It’s just how they deploy and how they elect to take it away.”

It’s amazing to think back over the last couple years and appreciate how the Vikings offense has evolved — from a methodical, run-first mentality to a team that can essentially score 30 points using any approach.

“It’s fun, man,” said Artis Hicks, who filled in at right guard for the injured Anthony Herrera.  “Not saying anything against Sage (Rosenfels) and Tarvaris, because they’re great quarterbacks and they’re learning and they’re coming along, but Brett has the experience to know where guys are going to be. I think the biggest thing is that he knows if he gives them the ball, they’re going to catch it.”

As Favre alluded to in his press conference, the Vikings certainly don’t want to find themselves in two-minute drill situations with no timeouts like they faced against San Francisco. But it’s comforting to be able to beat teams in multiple ways.

And that’s what the Vikings have done all year.

Defense holds Bears to 12 plays, 2 yards in second half

Overshadowed by the offensive aerial attack was a defensive effort that stymied Jay Cutler and company all afternoon long. The Bears gained only 169 total yards all game, and they ran only 38 offensive plays. That’s almost unheard of.

“When you’re up multiple scores, it’s easier to play defense because you handicap the offense,” Jared Allen said, on the heels of a game where he tallied his first two sacks since Green Bay. “They have to play one-dimensional. They have to drop back and throw. And we were shutting down the run. Every game we go into, we feel that if we can make a team one-dimensional, then we have the matchups and we feel like we can win.”

The Vikings also forced Cutler to throw his league-leading 19th and 20th interceptions of the season. The 20th was a tipped ball that Allen intercepted, and the 19th was a spectacular diving effort by Cedric Griffin in the end zone.

The Bears even tried running no-huddle. While it may have tired the Vikings out a bit, it really didn’t do much to ignite the stagnant offense.

Not to mention, the Vikings defense is clicking without Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield, who sat out yet again with a foot injury. Childress said the team will wait until Winfield is absolutely 100%.

“All of us have stepped up,” Griffin said. “It’s a team effort right here. No man can do it by himself, and we are all doing a great job right now. The whole team is playing with a lot of confidence — offense, defense, special teams. We are doing a great job in practice, the coaches are giving us a great game plan, and we’re going out and executing.”

Peterson happy with win, disappointed about fumbles

Even though the Vikings are 10-1 and riding high, it’s fair to point out that Adrian Peterson still has major issues hanging onto the football. He fumbled twice in Sunday’s game, and he’s fumbled 15 times since the beginning of last season.

“It is something that you want to rectify,” Childress said. “We have a great drive going there in the first series and moved it down there in plus territory. Some of it’s keeping it high and tight, some of it’s churning for extra yards. Nonetheless, you can’t give the ball to them. You can’t do that.”

Despite answering questions about fumbling for nearly two full seasons (and rest assured, he’ll answer more this week), Peterson, at least up until now, has refused to do anything drastic to cure his fumbling illness. He also tends to be fairly nonchalant about the issue.

After Sunday’s game, Peterson sat in front of his locker for nearly five full minutes with a dismayed look on his face, clearly frustrated with the fumbles.

“Sometimes I think about it and I can be my own biggest enemy,” Peterson said. “How I run, I try to scratch for every yard. I just have to be more aware and now some guy is going to come in when they have me wrapped up and try to punch the ball out. It’s on me.”

Ultimately, Peterson says he cares more about winning than any individual accolades. But for a guy who has clearly fallen behind Tennessee’s Chris Johnson as the league’s premiere running back (at least for this season), the fumbling certainly won’t help his status going forward.

From KFAN.com

The Vikings brought an 8-1 record into Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, and despite essentially having clinched the NFC North while averaging over 30 points per game, many people still felt the Purple had yet to put together a complete, dominant performance.

That is, until Sunday.

“We just talked about how fortunate we were to be 8-1, and (I asked) for a show of hands last night, ‘Who feels like we played our best game so far?’” Brad Childress said. “There wasn’t a guy. It’s so important. How good are you? How good do you want to be?”

On Sunday, the Vikings showed they may just belong at the top of the NFL food chain. Beating a 3-6 Seahawks team 35-9 is certainly no great accomplishment in itself — some would say such a blowout is to be expected if the Vikings consider themselves contenders.

But the way Minnesota toyed with Seattle for 60 minutes in all three phases was a refreshing sight.

431 yards of total offense to Seattle’s 212 (much of which came during garbage time against Viking backups). Four yards rushing for Seattle (FOUR!). A 35-3 lead early in the 4th quarter. Zero turnovers.

Let’s just say it’s obvious that things are going well when a healthy Brett Favre can trade his helmet for a baseball cap in the third quarter and watch backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson guide the ship for the final 15-plus minutes.

“I feel like this was the most complete game of the season,” said Visanthe Shiancoe, who caught eight passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. “When it comes to all three phases — special teams, offense, and defense — we fed off each other today. A lot of momentum out there, and everybody had a piece of the pie I feel in this win.”

Indeed, everybody did have a piece of the pie, certainly offensively. Three receivers finished with at least 75 yards (Shiancoe, Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin). Four receivers caught a touchdown pass (Shiancoe, Rice, Harvin, Bernard Berrian). Both Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson ran for more than 70 yards. Brett Favre set an NFL record with his 22nd career four-touchdown performance, and he set a Vikings record by completing 88% of his passes (22-of-25).

“It was pretty efficient,” Favre said about his performance. “I think it was a good example of really utilizing everybody. Sidney didn’t have a 200-yard game. Everybody had a hand in it.

“We didn’t hurt ourselves, but I think there is so much more for us to achieve. That goes without saying. We obviously have put ourselves in a very good position, as we have every week. There is still a lot of football left to be played. Up to this point, our guys have no lost out focus. That has gotten us to where we are.”

It’s almost impossible to determine who the best team is in the NFL right now. Certainly the Vikings are in the mix, along with New Orleans, Indianapolis, New England, and maybe a couple others. But there’s no question the Vikings continue to grow and get better each week, and with the weapons they possess on both sides of the ball, it’s fair to say we probably still haven’t seen the peak.

“They demand — for real, no bull — they demand attention out there. You can’t ignore this (guy) going down the field,” Shiancoe said, pointing to Sidney Rice, and talking about his fellow offensive teammates. “Did you see him last week? Did you see him the weeks before that? You can’t ignore Percy, you damn sure can’t ignore Bernard, let alone Adrian in the backfield.”

Seattle head coach Jim Mora voiced a similar opinion — a feeling of helplessness, judging by his words.

“We played a good team, a very good team,” Mora said. “They are probably one of the most complete teams we have faced this year, offensively, defensively, and special teams, they are solid throughout.

“They do not have a weakness on their football team. They are good all around, they are big and physical and fast. There are a lot of good football players on that football team. We hope we could get a block made and spring something. They wouldn’t let us.”

And that leads us back to the question at hand.

“How good can you be?” Childress said, referring back to his Saturday night speech. “That is the push as we continue forward here. I saw that come to light in a bunch of different ways. I’m not going to say there weren’t negative plays or things we want back.

“They got nine (wins) and we got six more to see how good we can possibly be as we push forward here.”

Defense holds Seahawks to franchise low in rush yards

Over the last couple weeks, when trying to find leaks in a team full of body armor, poor tackling came to the forefront as one of the soft spots. The absence of Antoine Winfield definitely hurts, but coaches and players pointed to poor tackling as the main reason why opposing teams sprung big plays during the first half of the season.

Well, even though Seattle won’t be playing much football in January, the Vikings appear to have fixed some of their tackling woes by holding the Seahawks to a franchise-low four yards rushing (12 attempts).

Defensively, this was the second-best run-stopping effort in franchise history for Minnesota. In 2006, the Vikings held Detroit to -3 yards on the ground.

“We say it all the time — stop the run,” Ben Leber said. “This team (the Seahawks), I think they want to pass first and run second. We still came out with the attitude that we were going to stop the run. Our front four did a great job controlling the line of scrimmage.”

After leading the NFL in stopping the run for three seasons, the Vikings have actually fallen out of the top five this season in both rush yards allowed per game and per carry. And they’re well aware.

“It’s number one on our list of things we want to get accomplished for the season,” Chad Greenway said about stopping the run. “Our defensive front is so good that it’s something we should be there and be number one. We haven’t been there this year, so it’s good to have a day like today. We need some more of those if we want to get back in this battle.”

As if the Vikings defense hasn’t generated enough momentum over the last couple weeks, Winfield (foot) is likely to return against Chicago next weekend.

Let the crescendo continue.

News, Notes, Tidbits

- After it was announced to a sold-out Mall of America Field crowd that Brett Favre set an NFL record with 22 career four-touchdown performances, his receivers all ran over to congratulate him, and fans started chanting, ‘MVP, MVP, MVP!’

“It’s fitting,” John Sullivan said.

“He’s an incredible player. Nothing surprises me at this point. He’s the best player I’ve seen, and we know that if we protect him he’s going to make plays to receivers down the field.”

Favre has now thrown 21 touchdown passes to only three interceptions on the season. He’s on pace for the best year, statistically, of his career. Interestingly, Favre said he hasn’t always felt 100% confident.

“The fact that we are 9-1, you would think that my confidence would be sky-high,” Favre said. “It’s not that I’m not confident, but my wife would attest to this and actually Darrell (Bevell) would as well, he probably wouldn’t admit it. But going into this season and debating on whether or not to play… I let doubt and maybe some insecurities seep in.

“I’m getting back to that confidence that I had when I didn’t know any better. I was pretty good. I’m feeling more confident. I think I’m more of a realist at this age, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t go out and turn it loose and play, because my arm feels great. Physically, I feel pretty good. I don’t feel like I’m 25, but I still feel like I can make a lot of the plays that I used to make. A key for me, and really for any player, is you can’t second guess. You’ve got to turn it loose, and this year I’ve been doing that.”

- Quarterback controversy, perhaps?

OK, no. But how about Tarvaris Jackson entering the game near the end of the third quarter and completing 6-of-8 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown? Not bad.

“I’m watching Brett Favre instead of other guys,” Jackson said when asked about how he’s progressed from last year to now. “Not to disrespect those guys (past Viking quarterbacks), they’re good players also, but Brett’s a Hall of Famer, and he’s done a great job leading our team to a 9-1 record so far. It’s a bit different being that I didn’t get benched this year. It was a coach’s decision to bring in a guy like that. You want to be mad, but it’s kind of hard to be mad.”

- Seahawks’ WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh had a front row seat to watch the offense he turned down in favor of a fat contract with Seattle this past offseason. The veteran receiver felt more comfortable with Matt Hasselbeck as his quarterback than either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels. Of course, had Houshmandzadeh known Favre was going to be in the mix, he may have made a different decision.

“I mean, I am human like anybody else,” Houshmandzadeh said. “I think about it, you know. But there is nothing I can do about it. It is what it is.

Houshmandzadeh had four catches for 36 yards on Sunday, and he was booed mildly a couple times during the game.

Must be tough to watch his former team (Cincinnati) and the team he turned down (Minnesota) headed for the playoffs while the Seahawks toil four games under .500.