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 Quarterbacks
Behind Enemy Lines: J.J. Watt has been an animal all season
Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: December 20, 2012 - 2:23 PM
As the Vikings prepare for Sunday’s game with Houston at Reliant Stadium, we asked John McClain, who covers the Texans and the NFL for the Houston Chronicle, to give us his up-close-and-personal scouting report. Here are four things you need to know …
1) Without one of the top four quarterbacks in NFL history, you might not beat the Texans this season.
Through 14 games, Houston has stumbled just twice. In Week 14, New England’s Tom Brady had no trouble handling Houston’s blitzes, throwing for 296 yards and four touchdowns to ignite a 42-14 Patriots blowout. Eight weeks earlier, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers lit the Texans up for 338 yards and six touchdown passes in a 42-24 Packers win.
Rodgers was nothing short of surgical in his dominance. Four of his TD tosses came against perfect coverage. Another came with a blitzer hitting him as he released the ball.
Both losses humbled Houston but did not cause panic.
“Those two losses weren’t pretty,” McClain said. “But when you take a step back, they ran into what I believe are two of the four greatest quarterbacks in history, both at the top of their games. I put Rodgers and Brady in that class along with Johnny Unitas and Joe Montana.”
Needless to say, Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder isn’t quite on that same list.
The Vikings will also be facing a Texans squad Sunday hungry to lock-up home field advantage throughout the playoffs, a goal the entire city has rallied behind.
“The road to the Super Bowl has never gone through Houston,” McClain said. “Going back to the ‘Luv Ya Blue’ era with Bum Phillips, Earl Campbell, Elvin Bethea, they never had home field and lost two AFC Championship games in Pittsburgh with the feeling that if ‘Well, had we played this game in the Astrodome we would have won.
“And then in the Run-and-Shoot Era with Jack Pardee, Warren Moon, Mike Munchak and Bruce Matthews in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, they went to the playoffs every year. But they never had the home-field advantage.”
McClain pauses.
“So two things we’re hearing about every day this week are home-field advantage and Adrian Peterson.”
2) Speaking of Peterson, the Texans may have the best chance of any defense this season to hold the Vikings star in check.
Houston ranks fifth in the NFL in rushing defense, allowing 93.2 yards per game. Obviously, the Texans have yet to face a back as explosive as Peterson. But having the ability to consistently lockdown against the run has been a big part of the team’s success.
Only two backs this year have topped 100 yards against Houston. In Week 4, Chris Johnson went for 141 yards on 25 carries. Last weekend, Indianapolis rookie Vick Ballard rushed for 105 yards.
With Houston blowing Tennessee out, Johnson got big chunks of his yardage on draw plays late in the game. Ballard, meanwhile, had 60 of his yards on one series in the third quarter last Sunday.
Even with linebacker Brian Cushing being lost for the season in Week 5 with a torn ACL, the Texans have remained sturdy up the middle of their defense with nose tackle Shaun Cody and linebackers Bradie James and Darryl Sharpton playing well.
But …
“This is the game Cushing would have helped the most,” McClain said. “He would have covered Peterson on pass routes. He would have been the guy between the tackles. This would be the time they’d really need Cushing to try to contain Peterson. Because overall, they’re just in awe of him.”
3) J.J. Watt is as good as advertised. Maybe even better.
Consider this. McClain has been covering professional football since the mid 1970s and he’s certain he’s never seen a more dominant season from a defensive player than the one Watt’s having.
Pick whatever stat you’d like, it’s bound to shed light on Watt’s dominance. He has 19.5 sacks, 38 quarterback hits and 15 pass deflections. He has also forced three fumbles and recovered two. Plus, he’s a beats against the run.
“Coupled with having the talent, he’s very coachable,” McClain said. “He takes coaching and has really learned. And then on top of that, he has that high motor. It just doesn’t stop.”
Five of Watt’s deflections have led to interceptions with his combination of strength, effort and timing paying off.
“He’s become very good at kind of pushing off and jumping,” McClain said. “Not just leaping but pushing back a couple of steps and jumping. He’s so quick about it that nobody’s been able to stop it so far.”
4) Receiver Andre Johnson is back on the top of his game.
Hamstring issues in both legs hindered Johnson in 2011. A groin issue slowed him some early this season.
Back in early October, following a four-game slump in which Johnson totaled nine catches for 164 yards, doubt began to creep in on whether his dominance had disappeared.
Yet since Week 6, Johnson has been back to his old self.
“Everybody was thinking, this guy turned 31, hit the wall and couldn’t play anymore,” McClain said. “But he didn’t say very much, kept at it. And now he’s on a rampage over the last nine games in which he’s averaging 8.4 catches and 119.6 yards [per contest].”
Johnson’s has 43 career games with at least 100 receiving yards and his 16 career games with at least 10 receptions and 100 yards are the most in NFL history, tied with New England’s Wes Welker.
Musgrave trying to 'tighten up' Ponder's footwork, balance
Posted by: Mark Craig Updated: December 13, 2012 - 2:41 PMChristian Ponder's footwork needs work. But that's not unusual for a quarterback at the game's highest level, Vikings offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave said today.
"I think it's a continuous process," Musgrave said. "I think most quarterbacks work on it on a daily basis. It's part of the fundamentals of the position."
Asked about Ponder's well-criticized happy feet footwork, Musgrave said, "That's one of the areas that we need to tighten up is footwork in the pocket and staying on balance so that we can remain accurate.
"That's a continuing, evolving process with a lot of QBs, and Christian is one of those that keeps working at it and needs to be more refined."
More `Cover 2' to stop Peterson
The Cover 2 scheme with two deep safeties is a defense that's typically employed to take away long gains in the passing game. Musgrave said he's seen more Cover 2 used against the Vikings of late because teams are trying to take away long runs by Adrian Peterson.
That's virtually unheard of for a running back. Typically, teams crowd the line of scrimmage with eight and nine defenders.
That's been a consistent look the Vikings have seen, too. But it could be changing because once Peterson breaks through the front wall, there's nobody deep to bring him down. That's part of the reason he has a league-high 18 carries of 20 yards or more, including a career-long 82-yard touchdown.
"[Defenses will] have two safeties [deep] to cap [Peterson's] runs possibly in the teens rather than giving the 50, 60, 70, 80 yarders," Musgrave said. "It's just a defensive philosophy. You can minimize the damage back there if you have two back there instead of having everyone on the line of scrimmage."
Behind Enemy Lines: Fisher, Bradford have Rams on the rise
Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: December 13, 2012 - 5:32 PMAs the Vikings prepare for Sunday’s game with St. Louis at the Edward Jones Dome, we asked Kathleen Nelson, who covers the Rams for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, to give us her up-close-and-personal scouting report. Here are four things you need to know …
1) Under the direction of new coach Jeff Fisher, the Rams sure seem pointed in the right direction.
In a 15-day span, Fisher’s team delivered a decisive 31-17 win in Arizona, rallied to upset San Francisco 16-13, then scored a last-minute touchdown for a 15-12 road win in Buffalo last weekend.
That gives the Rams momentum heading for Sunday’s game. For perspective, they’re enjoying their first three-game winning streak since 2006. In fact, from 2007-2011, the Rams averaged three victories per season.
So yeah, this three-game surge has been invigorating.
“It’s been hard to remember what it’s like in St. Louis,” Nelson said. “It’s like trying on a pair of old jeans to see if they fit. After six years. Sometimes they don’t. But this team has been energized.”
Fisher has gone on record to laud his team’s combination of work ethic and spirit. Nelson says the head coach’s presence has made a big difference too with players responding to his no-nonsense but still approachable manner.
“His biggest impact, I think, has been his ability to gather a coaching staff that has been there, done that and knows how to coach up players,” Nelson said. “That was a huge void last year. This was a team looking for leadership and looking for direction. And I don’t think the previous coaching staff did a very good job with that. This staff does.”
2) Quarterback Sam Bradford has shown encouraging progress to indicate he could be the leader of the St. Louis huddle for a long time to come.
Bradford’s solid 3,512-yard, 18-TD rookie season in 2010 was followed by a bit of a stumble last season when an ankle issue caused him to miss six games and his overall numbers were below average at best: 51.5 completion percentage, 2,164 yards, six touchdowns, six interceptions and a 70.5 rating.
There were other contributing factors to the slump. The Rams’ offensive line and receiving corps just weren’t very good. The 2011 lockout disrupted Bradford’s continuity and development. And he never quite got comfortable working under new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniel, who was also doubling as the quarterbacks coach.
“It was a bit of a rudderless ship,” Nelson said. “I don’t think Sam got all the help he could have used and the help that I’m sure he wanted at times.”
The worry over Bradford’s slow progress was only exacerbated when Cam Newton set the league on fire during his rookie year. And now this season, Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck have also had significant early success.
Still, Bradford seems to be feeling more confident these days, has settled in under the tutelage of new coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti and has had unwavering support from Fisher.
“Last winter whenever Jeff Fisher was asked why he took this job, answer number 1 or 2 for him was always ‘I believe strongly in Sam Bradford,’” Nelson said. “That belief is there. And they wouldn’t have traded away the No. 2 pick and the chance to draft RG3 if they didn’t have that kind of faith in Sam."
3) St. Louis’ defensive line is stacked with talent. And the Rams have 39 sacks to prove it.
Robert Quinn, the team-leader right now with 9.5 sacks was the No. 14 draft pick in 2011. Chris Long, who has 7.5 sacks of his own, was the second overall pick in 2008. And now rookie tackle Michael Brockers, who was picked 14th last April, is beginning to emerge as a disruptive force up front.
Brockers’ production will always be notable. He was the Rams’ top selection this season after they twice traded down in the first round. So far, he has fit very well with an active St. Louis defense, now coming on strong after being hobbled early in the season by an ankle sprain.
“Brockers is really, really quick,” Nelson said. “He has an explosiveness about him that’s really starting to show.”
Quinn’s and Long’s talents are obvious as well. But Nelson believes their production has been even more potent thanks to the depth at defensive end with Eugene Sims and Williams Hayes able to fill in nicely.
“Quinn and Long are getting valuable breaks from time to time,” Nelson said. “Which in turn makes them fresher and more effective when they’re in there.”
4) Even with all the encouraging signs, the Rams still have a way to go.
The past two weeks, the defense has come up with huge final-drive stops to seal wins over the 49ers and Bills, something they were unable to get done at key points earlier in the season.
The Rams’ secondary is much improved over last year with veteran cornerback Cortland Finnegan – signed to a five-year, $50 million deal in March – serving as the leader. But as good as rookie corner Janoris Jenkins has been at times, he can also be mistake-prone. The Rams also have a safety unit (Craig Dahl and Quintin Mikell start) that is solid against the run but just OK in pass coverage.
Lastly, a top offseason priority will likely be to get Bradford more receiving help. St. Louis drafted two receivers (Brian Quick and Chris Givens) last April. They also are getting production from Brandon Gibson, now in his third year. But now they need to find Bradford a legitimate go-to guy. Danny Amendola has been productive when healthy. But injuries have kept Amendola out of 20 games the past two years.
“So,” Nelson said, “how much do you want to bank on him? Overall, they still need that big-time receiver.”
Christian studies: A series-by-series look at Ponder's effort versus Chicago
Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: December 11, 2012 - 9:18 AMThere wasn’t a lot to ask. And there wasn’t a lot to explain. So during Sunday’s obligatory postgame session at Mall of America Field, Christian Ponder was barely on the podium for 4 minutes when reporters ran out of questions and the second-year quarterback ran out of explanations.
Why belabor the issue? For a Vikings team that has so many things to be encouraged about, Ponder remains the biggest concern.
As Mark Craig wrote after the game:
In the critical game that could have defined his season and established the arc that his young career will follow, Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder was ... A nonfactor.
Which is what made Sunday’s feel-good 21-14 win over Chicago feel so awkward. The Vikings won a game in which they failed to pass for 100 yards. They won a game in which top tight end Kyle Rudolph went without a catch.
They somehow won a game without needing their quarterback to produce like all NFL quarterbacks are supposed to.
So just what are we to make of Ponder’s performance against the Bears? He certainly was not a driving force in the Vikings’ season-salvaging upset. But he also didn’t lose the game, either. And for now, that’s a big deal to the Vikings coaching staff and a point they made sure to get across after two inexplicable interceptions in Green Bay in Week 13 delivered the most upsetting and agonizing of the team’s six losses.
Ponder’s final stats Sunday against Chicago: 11-for-17, 91 yards, no touchdowns, one interception.
Here’s a possession by possession look at what the second-year QB did and didn’t do.
FIRST QUARTER
Series 1
Began: At Vikings 20
Ended: With an Adrian Peterson 1-yard touchdown run
Duration: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:07
Ponder stats: 1-for-1, 11 yards
Most notable Ponder play: The Vikings only asked Ponder to throw once on the game’s opening series -- on third-and-9 from the Chicago 28. Ponder responded by hitting Michael Jenkins with a bullet underneath the coverage. Jenkins caught the pass at a standstill 5 yards short of the first down, but split between Kelvin Hayden and Lance Briggs on his run after the catch to pick up the first down.
Just a thought: At this stage, the Vikings’ game plan should not be too difficult to understand. It’s hand the ball to Peterson until someone figures out how to stop him. Peterson carried the ball on five of the six plays. On the first snap, the Vikings used not one, not two, but three tight ends, all on the right side of the line to clear the way for what turned out to be the game’s biggest play – by yardage and significance. Peterson went 51 yards with that handoff, the immediate tone-setter in a game in which the Vikings needed to alleviate the pressure on Ponder. Mission: accomplished.
Series 2
Began: At Chicago 5
Ended: With a Peterson 1-yard touchdown run
Duration: 3 plays, 5 yards, 1:07
Ponder stats: Zero passes
Most notable Ponder play: Josh Robinson’s interception and 44 yard return to the Bears 5 provided the Vikings a gimme scoring drive. On third-and-goal and from the 1, Ponder simply turned, stuck the ball in the gut of the NFL’s best back and watched Peterson ram over Nick Roach and Chris Conte for his second score.
Just a thought: This time, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave didn’t try to get overly cute with his play calling in close. Peterson, Peterson, Peterson. Touchdown. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Just like that, the Vikings had a 14-0 lead before Ponder had even thrown his second pass. That’s a nice formula to keep a struggling quarterback from pressing.
Series 3
Began: At Vikings 16
Ended: At Vikings 16 with Chris Kluwe out to deliver a 50-yard punt
Duration: 4 plays, 0 yards, 2:29
Ponder stats: 1-for-1, 13 yards
Most notable Ponder play: On a second-and-8 play from the 31, the Bears blitzed and sent six rushers. End Corey Wootton looped right around right tackle Phil Loadholt to apply the heat. Ponder, in a panic as he was being sacked by Wootton, tried to throw the ball away even with his right arm grabbed. It was an absolutely inexplicable decision. From a guy who’s praised as brilliant in the classroom, Ponder’s brain too often short circuits in the heat of competition. Fortunately, officials ruled Ponder down for a 14-yard sack. And his silly throw actually traveled a yard forward and would have been incomplete. But with a 14-0 lead and the directive to avoid tide-turning mistakes at all costs, Ponder once again provided evidence that his decision making can be dangerously suspect.
Just a thought: Two plays before that near disaster, Ponder’s second completion of the day was a slant bullet to Jerome Simpson against Hayden for a 13-yard gain. Good throw, good catch.
SECOND QUARTER
Series 4
Began: At Vikings 9 (with 1:02 left in the first quarter)
Ended: At Vikings 43, with Kluwe on to deliver a 54-yard punt
Duration: 5 plays, 34 yards, 2:18
Ponder stats: 0-for-1, 0 yards
Most notable Ponder play: Ponder’s only throw of the series was a first-and-10 short toss to Jarius Wright. But the rookie couldn’t hold on to the pass as he was being hit by linebacker Geno Hayes. Incomplete.
Just a thought: On third-and-8 from the Vikings 40, Julius Peppers quickly beat Loadholt and Ponder took off. He picked up 3 yards but never had the chance to set in the pocket and make a throw downfield.
Series 5
Began: At Vikings 13
Ended: At Bears 48, with Kluwe out to punt for the third consecutive series
Duration: 8 plays, 39 yards, 3:58
Ponder stats: 3-for-4, 28 yards
Most notable Ponder play: Peterson already had 16 carries midway through the second quarter when the Vikings dialed up their first deep shot. Fortunately, Bears linebacker Lance Briggs couldn’t yank Ponder down despite coming through untouched on the snap. Ponder then delivered a pump fake to his right and threw deep back to Devin Aromashodu on a post. The Vikings kept Aromashodu around this season with a belief he could deliver on what receivers coach George Stewart calls “moment of truth catches.” In this instance, Aromashodu had what could have been a 45-yard TD grab bounce off his right shoulder pad. With Charles Tillman providing solid coverage, Aromashodu appeared to stumble a bit an instant before the ball arrived. And instead of going up to get a catch that would have given the Vikings a 21-0 lead, his inability to deliver in the moment of truth cost the Vikings.
Just a thought: Wright had two receptions on the drive, the first a 13-yarder on a nifty little play stolen Wright from the Percy Harvin Collection. Wright also had a 16-yard grab to convert on third-and-2. Again, like Harvin so often did, Wright motioned into the backfield, then used his quickness to gain separation from Briggs. Easy pitch and catch.
Series 6
Began: At Vikings 23
Ended: At Chicago 20, after a Ponder interception
Duration: 4 plays, 16 yards, 1:20
Stats: 1-for-2, 2 yards, interception
Most notable Ponder play: Want evidence that Ponder’s poise needs improving and his mechanics need sharpening? Look no further than his interception on a deep ball to Wright. It’s hard to fault Ponder for liking the mismatch he saw with Wright streaking down the middle of the field with a linebacker (Nick Roach) closest in coverage. But with no pocket to step up into, Ponder was leaning backwards when he put way too much air and not enough oomph under his long ball. Safety Major Wright looked like a catcher camping under a pop foul when he made the pick. Ponder needed the ball about 8-10 yards further down the field to hit Wright in stride. But that’s hard to do when you’re throwing off your back foot with little assertiveness. Justifiably, the boos began.
Just a thought: After Alshon Jeffery’s TD grab pulled Chicago within 14-7, the Vikings could have used a steadying scoring drive to finish the half. But as has been the trend all season, they were shaky in the final 2 minutes of the first half. Vikings coach Leslie Frazier tried to find a positive spin on Ponder’s interception, noting that it was “like a punt.” But it came on first-and-5, not exactly the time you’re looking for a punt equivalent.
THIRD QUARTER
Series 7
Began: At Vikings 11
Ended: At Vikings 19, with Kluwe out to deliver a 55-yard punt
Duration: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:24
Ponder stats: 0-for-1
Most notable Ponder play: Ponder’s incompletion on an overthrown pass to tight end John Carlson was negated by a defensive holding penalty. His only official throw, on third-and-11 toward Michael Jenkins, never had a chance. Neither Loadholt nor Peterson laid a finger on Wootton coming off the edge and both players wound up barking at each other for the entire walk back to the sideline.
Just a thought: Two false start penalties on Loadholt put the brakes on this drive. No other way around it. In Loadholt’s defense, the first flag probably should have been on Charlie Johnson.
Series 8
Began: At Vikings 20
Ended: At Vikings 34
Duration: 4 plays, 14 yards, 2:35
Ponder stats: 2-for-2, 21 yards
Most notable Ponder play: A checkdown to Peterson on the first play of the drive went for 14 yards. Nothing fancy. Still effective.
Just a thought: Peterson was stopped for a loss on two consecutive plays as the Bears continued to load up against the run with little respect for the Vikings’ passing attack. At this point, the Vikings are fully one-dimensional. Those losses put the Vikings in an unwinnable third-and-17 situation with Ponder throwing only 4 yards past the line of scrimmage to connect with Jenkins on a meaningless completion.
FOURTH QUARTER
Series 9
Began: At Vikings 1 (with 0:48 left in the third quarter)
Ended: At Bears 41, with Kluwe again out to punt
Duration: 12 plays, 58 yards, 6:35
Ponder stats: 3-for-5, 16 yards
Most notable Ponder play: After Zack Bowman downed a Chicago punt at the 1, you could feel the anxiety elevate at Mall of America Field. And yet Ponder’s best series of the day was kept alive first thanks to his 8-yard completion to Jenkins on third-and-7 from the 4. It came out of a shotgun with Jenkins beating Tillman on a slant just a yard beyond the sticks. Ponder looked at ease on the throw. One more third down completion – again to Jenkins for 10 yards on third-and-6 – allowed the Vikings to eat up valuable time while flipping the field. Kluwe’s punt was eventually downed at the Chicago 3, a huge swing in field position at a key point in the game.
Just a thought: Amazingly, this may have been the Vikings’ most important drive all day. And it ended with a punt with the quarterback throwing for only 16 yards on the possession. Ponder drew raves from the coaching staff for converting those two key third downs. Again, that tells you where the Vikings’ passing attack is if they are so enthusiastic about celebrating such tiny victories.
Series 10
Began: At Vikings 23
Ended: At Vikings 30, with yet another Kluwe punt
Duration: 3 plays, 7 yards, 0:37
Ponder stats: None
Most notable Ponder play: With a 14-point lead and less than 5 minutes to play, Ponder had one chore and one chore only: stick the ball in Peterson’s gut and don’t drop the ball.
Just a thought: After taking a 14-0 lead early in the first quarter, the Vikings punted on seven of their next eight possessions. Lucky for them, Harrison Smith’s interception return touchdown late in the third quarter provided enough cushion to divert attention away from the continuing offensive struggles.
Series 11
Began: At Chicago 48
Ended: At Vikings 49
Duration: 3 plays, minus-3 yards, 1:48
Stats: Three rushes, minus-3 yards
Most notable Ponder play: Three kneel downs, a seventh win secured.
Just a thought: Ponder’s day had few fireworks. But there were no fatal errors either. And so the Vikings will celebrate any time they can end the game in “Victory” formation. That said, if this chase of a playoff berth is to become serious, eventually the Vikings will have to discover something, anything in the passing game to aid their cause.
Chat OT: Adrian Peterson doing so much damage with so little help
Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: December 5, 2012 - 11:11 AMIf you missed my live Vikings chat on Tuesday afternoon, you can check in here and read the back and forth in full. In addition, each week I go overtime, bringing good questions I didn’t get around to answering on the chat here to the Access Vikings blog for discussion.
Here we go …
Question 1: Adrian Peterson sure seems like he’s the undisputed best running back in the NFL again. And he’d probably be an MVP candidate if the Vikings made the playoffs. But in all honesty, in this era of pass-happy football, what does having the best running back in the league really get you? Also, has there ever been a back to lead the NFL in rushing while getting so little help from his quarterback?
Good question. And we took the liberty to find out, looking back at the past 10 rushing champions, seeing how their teams fared and assessing what their quarterbacks did. (We also projected Peterson’s final stats for this season based on his current pace.) Have at it …
|
YR
|
RB
|
TM
|
CAR.
|
YDS
|
YPC
|
REC
|
YDS
|
TOTAL TDs
|
W-L
|
QB
|
TM PASS YDS/GM
|
|
‘12
|
Adrian Peterson
|
MIN
|
312
|
1,928
|
6.2
|
48
|
260
|
11
|
8-8
|
Christian Ponder
|
180.6
|
|
‘11
|
Maurice Jones-Drew
|
JAX
|
343
|
1,606
|
4.6
|
43
|
374
|
11
|
5-11
|
Blaine Gabbert
|
156.9
|
|
‘10
|
Arian Foster
|
HOU
|
327
|
1,616
|
4.9
|
66
|
604
|
18
|
6-10
|
Matt Schaub
|
273.1
|
|
‘09
|
Chris Johnson
|
TEN
|
358
|
2,006
|
5.6
|
50
|
503
|
16
|
8-8
|
Vince Young
|
194.0
|
|
‘08
|
Adrian Peterson
|
MIN
|
363
|
1,760
|
4.8
|
21
|
125
|
10
|
10-6
|
Gus Frerotte
|
201.1
|
|
‘07
|
LaDainian Tomlinson
|
SD
|
315
|
1,474
|
4.7
|
60
|
475
|
18
|
11-5
|
Philip Rivers
|
198.4
|
|
‘06
|
LaDainian Tomlinson
|
SD
|
348
|
1,815
|
5.2
|
56
|
508
|
31
|
14-2
|
Philip Rivers
|
213.3
|
|
‘05
|
Shaun Alexander
|
SEA
|
370
|
1,880
|
5.1
|
15
|
78
|
28
|
13-3
|
Matt Hasselbeck
|
227.0
|
|
‘04
|
Curtis Martin
|
NYJ
|
371
|
1,697
|
4.6
|
41
|
245
|
14
|
10-6
|
Chad Pennington
|
201.9
|
|
‘03
|
Jamal Lewis
|
BAL
|
387
|
2,066
|
5.3
|
26
|
205
|
14
|
10-6
|
Kyle Boller
|
157.3
|
|
‘02
|
Ricky Williams
|
MIA
|
383
|
1,853
|
4.8
|
47
|
363
|
17
|
9-7
|
Jay Fiedler
|
191.8
|
|
AVG
|
|
|
356
|
1,777
|
5.0
|
43
|
348
|
18
|
10-6
|
|
201.5
|
[ NOTE: The final row lists the averages of the past 10 rush champions coming into this season. Also worth noting, the rushing champions to make the postseason were Lewis, Martin, Alexander, Tomlinson (both seasons) and Peterson.]
In summary, it appears that only Jamal Lewis in 2003 and Maurice Jones-Drew last season were getting less complementary help from their passing attacks while still having monster seasons on the ground. It’s also interesting to note that six of the past 10 rushing champions have played in the postseason, including Peterson in 2008.
We’ll let you draw your own conclusions from all the other statistics above. Have fun.
Question 2: The consternation from fans and talking heads regarding Ponder is fairly entertaining. Most people didn't pick this team to win the six games it has already won. We've got no decent healthy receivers. And Ponder has now basically played one full season. How can this team possibly complete an evaluation of this QB without playing him these last 4 games?
Well, for starters, let’s just put out the reminder that the Vikings plan to give Ponder the final four games to regroup. Barring injury, he’ll likely be the starter the rest of the way. And these final four games will also add to the thorough evaluation being done by just about everyone right now, including the coaching staff and front office.
Again, though, this isn’t just about a win-loss total. It’s about trusting what you see. And for those who are increasingly agitated by Ponder, what they’re seeing is a quarterback who continues to throw costly interceptions while not making many big plays whatsoever in the passing game.
Ponder is also not using his mobility and athleticism to create a whole lot extra. This is worrisome. There’s no way around it. You look at the things Rodgers can do with his feet, the things Cutler does with his feet, heck, the things Russell Wilson is doing and there’s just a general ease about them. They’re making plays without seeming hurried or out of sorts. Ponder is not.
For Ponder, his most important priority in 2012 was to avoid negative plays – i.e. drive-killing sacks and costly turnovers. And the two picks in Green Bay were justifiable reasons for the fan base to panic a bit. Those were game-changing.
Yes, the point about having mediocre receivers is valid. But it’s not the biggest reason for Ponder’s recent slump. Plus, his inability to produce victories after the Vikings fall behind is notable. That’s part of that “it” factor. And the idea that the passing attack is struggling so badly despite seeing pretty simple coverages with minimal safety support is alarming.
Question 3: How do we light a fire under Coach Frazier? We need some emotions on the field. Sometimes it looks like he is just too cool to get excited. This is an emotional game and it needs to be reflected by the head coach!
Common question. Flawed theory. Not buying.
How much emotion does Bill Belichick show during games? How fiery do Mike McCarthy and Lovie Smith seem to you?
How about Mike Smith and Gary Kubiak, who just might be playing each other for the Lombardi Trophy two months from now.
Having a fiery head coach is not a prerequisite for having big-time success. Having a coach who can connect with players? Having a coach who can devise sharp game plans to put his team in position to succeed? Having a coach who can make good in-game decisions and adjustments? That’s much more valuable than a guy who will punt his clipboard and scream and yell and act like a lunatic.
But, hey, you could always have Rex Ryan, right?
Frazier has his own leadership style. And while it remains to be seen whether he can get the Vikings over the hump, his success or failure won’t be a result of his sideline demeanor.
Question 4: Why did AP sit out an entire series in the game against Green Bay? Why isn't he in on some third downs?
You find me a running back in the NFL who doesn’t get a series off now and again. No different with Adrian.
As for third downs, Toby Gerhart is a more reliable pass blocker and has proven more capable of providing that extra little protection. That’s it in a nutshell.
Question 5: Why do you keep saying the playoffs are out of the picture? You might have opinions on how the rest of the season will play out, but as of this very moment, they are still in the hunt.
I’m OK with the Vikings coaches and players believing the playoffs are still a possibility. They have to think that way. I’m OK with the fans holding out some hope for that, too.
Me? As an objective observer with nothing invested though, I’m making an educated guess that a team that has lost five of its last seven is not going to win the final four against strong competition.
I’m using informed insight to see that they are too flawed in too many key areas to make a run.
They haven’t won four games in a row since Favre was having his glory days here. And if you don’t think they’re going to lose another game this year, you’re nuts.
Lastly, given the NFC playoff picture, the odds are heavily stacked against them. The current divisions leaders are Atlanta, New York, Green Bay and San Francisco. That leaves a wild card hunt for two spots that includes five other teams with a record equal to or better than the Vikings’. Of those five teams, the Vikings have lost to four of them (Chicago, Seattle, Tampa Bay and Washington) which means that the head-to-head part of the tiebreaker equation will be a major obstacle.
There’s also the matter of conference record. The Vikings are 4-5 against the NFC. At present, among those other five wildcard contenders only Tampa Bay (3-5) has a worse NFC record.
Translation: No, the Vikings have not been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. But they’d need just about everything to break exactly right to get in.
Odds are that ain’t happening.
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