vikings/nfl
Dan Wiederer began covering the Vikings in 2011, enthusiastically delivering insight on the team across the Star Tribune's print and digital products. Prior to joining the Access Vikings team, he spent seven seasons covering ACC basketball at The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer. He also covered the Chicago Bears in 2003 and 2004. 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.
Posts about NFL post-season
Vikings-Packers start time changed; playoff update
Posted by: Chris Miller Updated: December 24, 2012 - 11:54 AM
The Vikings-Packers game time Sunday has been changed to 3:25 p.m. by the NFL. If the Vikings win, they will make the NFC playoffs as a wild-card. They can also make the playoffs, if they lose, if Chicago, Dallas and the N.Y. Giants also lose.
The NFL also flexed the Dallas-Washington game, which will decide the NFC East title, to 7:20 p.m. and moved the New England-Miami game to 3:25 as well.
Of course, if the Vikings beat the Packers, the teams could very well meet in the first round of the playoffs, at Lambeau.
Here is the updated look at the playoffs.
NFL playoff picture
NFC
• Atlanta (13-2) has clinched the South title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
• Green Bay (11-4) has clinched the North and can clinch a first-round bye with a victory over the Vikings or a loss by San Francisco.
• San Francisco (10-4-1) has clinched a playoff spot. Can clinch the West title with a victory over Arizona or a Seattle loss to St. Louis. Can clinch a first-round bye with a victory and a Green Bay loss to the Vikings.
• Washington (9-6) can win the East by beating Dallas.
• Seattle (10-5) has clinched a wild-card spot; can clinch the West with a victory over the Rams and a San Francisco loss.
• The Vikings (9-6) can clinch a wild-card spot by beating the Packers on Sunday. The Vikings also can make the playoffs, with a loss, if Dallas, Chicago and the N.Y. Giants lose.
• Chicago (9-6) can make the playoffs with a victory at Detroit and a Vikings loss.
• Dallas (8-7) can win the East by beating Washington.
• The New York Giants (8-7) can make the playoffs with a victory against Philadelphia and losses by the Vikings, Dallas and Chicago.
AFC
The six-team field is set but not the matchups.
• Houston (12-3) is the South champ and can clinch No. 1 seed with a victory over Indianapolis or a loss by Denver.
• Denver (12-3) is the West champ and can clinch first-round bye with a victory or a New England loss; can clinch No. 1 seed with a victory and a Houston loss.
• New England (11-4) is the East champ and can clinch a first-round bye with a victory and a Denver loss. New England also can clinch No. 1 seed with a victory and losses by both Houston and Denver.
• Baltimore (10-5) is the North champ.
• Indianapolis (10-5) will be the No. 5 seed as a wild card.
• Cincinnati (9-6) will be the No. 6 seed as a wild card.
Allen near-unanimous All-Pro
Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: January 6, 2012 - 1:56 PMVikings defensive end Jared Allen was chosen for the All-Pro team and fell one vote short of being a unanimous selection.
Detroit receiver Calvin Johnson was also one short vote of being unanimous on the Associated Press team.
A nationwide panel of 50 voters chose the team, and Allen and Johnson were the leading vote-getters.
Aaron Rodgers was the quarterback, beating Drew Brees 47.5-2.5 in a lopsided balloting that might signal how the league's most valuable player balloting will fall.
Allen, also All-Pro from 2007-2009, told the AP: "The All-Pro Team to me is one of the all-time accomplishments. Pro Bowls are nice, but guys get voted in longer than they should and guys who deserve to go don't always get to. It's the whole league. It's not just an AFC and NFC thing. So to me this is the honor I hold the highest. It's something to put on the resume and tell the grandkids about."
The only rookie on the team was Arizona kick returner Patrick Peterson, who had four punt return TDs.
Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis had 48 votes and Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs had 47.
Other All-Pros on offense: Saints guards Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans; running backs Maurice Jones-Drew of Jacksonville and LeSean McCoy of Philadelphia; fullback Vonta Leach of Baltimore; Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and receiver Wes Welker; Pittsburgh center Maurkice Pouncey; and tackles Jason Peters of the Eagles and Joe Thomas of the Browns.
On defense joining Allen, Suggs and Revis are end Jason Pierre-Paul of the Giants; tackles Haloti Ngata of Baltimore and Justin Smith of the 49ers; linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman of San Francisco; linebackers DeMarcus Ware of Dallas and Derrick Johnson of the Chiefs; cornerback Charles Woodson of the Packers; and safeties Troy Polamalu of the Steelers and Eric Weddle of the Chargers.
The 49ers, who led the team with five players, also had kicker David Akers and punter Andy Lee on the team.
There are 16 NFC players and 12 AFC players on the team.
Kevin Williams makes Pro Bowl
Posted by: Updated: January 7, 2011 - 12:12 PMThe NFL added Kevin Williams to the NFC Pro Bowl roster today. He replaces Lions rookie Ndamukong Suh, who is injured.
Williams makes the Pro Bowl for the sixth time in his eight-year career.
Running back Adrian Peterson was the only Vikings player named to the team originally.
No surprise: Odds are against Vikings
Posted by: Updated: November 1, 2010 - 11:45 AMJust how tough of a position have the Vikings put themselves in by falling to 2-5 with Sunday's loss at New England?
Since the NFL adopted its current 12-team playoff format in 1990, only three teams that opened with that record were able to rebound and make the postseason.
The list includes the 1990 New Orleans Saints; the 1995 Detroit Lions; and the 2002 New York Jets. The Saints and Lions lost in the wild-card round and the Jets beat the Colts after winning the AFC East but then lost to the Raiders.
The Vikings started 2-5 in 2007 under Brad Childress but rebounded to win five in a row at one point and six of their last nine. Childress' team, however, fell short in its bid to make the postseason losing 22-19 at Denver in overtime in the regular-season finale.
Saints fined $30,000 by NFL for hits versus Vikings
Posted by: Chip Scoggins Updated: January 29, 2010 - 9:21 PMThree New Orleans Saints players were fined a total of $30,000 for four different hits in Sunday's NFC Championship game. Three of those hits were delivered to Brett Favre.
As we mentioned earlier Bobby McCray was fined $20,000 for two hits on Favre. The first came after Favre handed off to Percy Harvin in the first quarter. McCray then hit Favre in the knees on his interception in the third quarter, causing Favre to suffer a left ankle injury.
Defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove was fined $5,000 for unnecessary roughness when he lifted Favre up and slammed him to the turf in the third quarter.
Finally, Jonathan Casillas was fined $5,000 for unnecessary roughness when he hit punt returner Darius Reynaud after he had downed the ball.
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