YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES
vikings/nfl
Before joining our Access Vikings team, Dan Wiederer covered Atlantic Coast Conference basketball for the Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer and was named North Carolina's top sports columnist in 2010. His previous reporting experience includes covering the Chicago Bears. Follow him on Twitter @StribDW.
Mark Craig has covered football and the NFL the past 20 years, including the Browns from 1991-95 and the Vikings and the NFL since 2003. Since 2008, Craig has served as one of the 44 Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors. He can be followed on Twitter at @markcraignfl.
A difference from '08
Posted by: under Vikings, Lions, Brad Childress, Vikings players, Adrian Peterson, Brad Childress, Brett Favre Updated: September 13, 2009 - 11:09 PM
CLEVELAND -- I think everyone was in agreement that the first half of the Vikings' season-opener Sunday in Cleveland was about as ugly as it gets. To put it kindly, this is a bad (heck, terrible) Cleveland team.
There is no way the Vikings should have trailed 13-10 at halftime and when Josh Cribbs returned a punt 67 yards late in the second quarter it appeared the wheels could fall off. That certainly might have happened last season when the Vikings allowed a team like the Detroit Lions to stick around far too long in games that should have been one-sided.
This time it didn't happen. The Vikings emerged from the locker room in the second half and completely dominated the Browns over the final 30 minutes. The Vikings outscored the Browns 24-7 half in the second half -- Adrian Peterson continues to show he's the best running back in the NFL -- and never gave anyone the feeling that they were going to let Cleveland back in the game.
Brad Childress talked last season about being able to put your foot on a team's throat when you have the opportunity. That, however, didn't happen nearly enough in 2008. On Sunday, Childress had to be extremely satisfied as he watched the Vikings dismantle the Browns in the third and fourth quarters.
The Vikings have an excellent opportunity to start this season 3-0 if they can continue to play like they did in the second half. Detroit, coming off an 0-16 season, lost 45-27 to New Orleans on Sunday. After playing the Lions, the Vikings will then open the home portion of their schedule in Week 3 against San Francisco. The 49ers are coming off a 20-16 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday but Minnesota will be expected to beat San Francisco at the Metrodome.
If the Vikings are going to make a deep postseason run -- and make no mistake, that is the expectation with Brett Favre now at quarterback -- they are going to need to beat teams like the Lions and 49ers. Furthermore, if the Vikings are going to convince the rest of the NFL that they are serious contenders they are going to have to win many of these games in convincing fashion and not just get by.
The second half Sunday showed the Vikings have the potential to do so.
ADVERTISEMENT
recent posts
- Is Leslie Frazier the 27th best coach in the NFL?
- Wiederer: NFLPA not thrilled with league's thigh and knee pad mandate
- Access Vikings blog: Goodell addresses the media
- Update: Vikings agree to terms with seven draft picks
- NFL owners voting on rules changes today
- Vikings sign former Bears offensive tackle Levi Horn
- Feeling defamed and slandered, Jonathan Vilma sues Roger Goodell
- Vikings' Kevin Murphy era ends before it began
- Vikings training camp schedule will include three weeks in Mankato
- Vikings sign defensive end Nick Reed, tackle Kevin Murphy
- Ex-Viking Kramer joins college Hall
- Vikings sign Tulsa's Tyler Holmes, waive Kris Adams
- Stadium deal done. Now what?
- Peterson: 'Stay away from the negative because the devil is at work'
- Youth is served: Spielman explains decision to release Ryan Longwell
- Adrian Peterson: `I plan on being back' on Week 1
- Vikings playing the odds by cutting ties with Longwell now
- Vikings send kicker Ryan Longwell on his way
- Longwell cut by Vikings
Post By Category
- Is Leslie Frazier the 27th best coach in the NFL?
- Wiederer: NFLPA not thrilled with league's thigh and knee pad mandate
- Vikings' 6th round pick: A kicker out of Georgia
- Stadium deal done. Now what?
- Holmgren says Browns weren't duped by Vikings
- Vikings use seventh-round picks on Audie Cole, Trevor Guyton
ADVERTISEMENT
inside the StarTribune
-
425 Portland Av. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55488
(612) 673-4000
- Company
- Subscriber Services
- Website
- Buy Ads
- Store
- Connect with Us
© 2012 StarTribune. All rights reserved.
StarTribune.com is powered by Limelight Networks
Newspaper Subscriptions
eEdition
RSS
Newsletters