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 Vikings injury report
Packers game a turning point; Winfield has broken hand
Posted by: Kent Youngblood Updated: December 24, 2012 - 3:07 PM
Vikings coach Leslie Frazier can point to the moment he felt his team coming together, the game in which he felt everybody arriving on the same page, the day he felt the Vikings were becoming a cohesive team.
Interestingly, it did not come in a victory.
With a win-and-in game with Green Bay at Mall of America Field fast approaching, Frazier pointed to the Vikings loss in Green Bay Dec. 2 as that vital moment.
Really? A game in which the Vikings lost in large part because of two Red Zone interceptions by quarterback Christian Ponder?
Yes.
“That game helped us in some ways,” Frazier said at his Monday press conference. “We found out a lot about ourselves on the road and I told our players after that game that I thought that, more than any point in our season, we had played as a team. I really felt like we were coming together at the right time. I’m sure when they heard me say that they were like, ‘What’s he talking about? We just lost to our rivals on the road.’ But I saw something in our team in that game that made me believe we had a chance to really take off.”
The Vikings have not list since that day, winning three straight, including road wins at St. Louis Dec. 16 and the big upset in Houston Sunday.
“Green Bay the first time was sort of like, ‘Wow, we’re really good, we’ve just got to figure out how to navigate those last two quarters and find a way to get a tough win,’ ‘’ linebacker Chad Greenway said. “I think these last two road games for us have been an indication that maybe we’re starting to figure out how to play together for four quarters and put it all out there. That doesn’t mean we’re going to get a win this weekend just because that happens. It just means that, hopefully, we can remain consistent, keep doing that. And realize that when we play our kind of football and don’t make mistakes, that we’re pretty good.”
That Green Bay game was also the point at which it became clear what had to happen over the final quarter of the season for the Vikings to make the playoffs. Namely, win. That was the week that both defensive end Jared Allen and owner Zygi Wilf talked with the team. Their message was simple: The team had to win the final four games.
“We kind of knew where things were and how important this final month of the season would be,” Frazier said. “But then you’ve still got to go out and play well. You have to prepare properly. And to our players’ credit and our coaches, they’ve done a great job of doing just that.”
A magnetic resonance imaging test done Monday morning showed that cornerback Antoine Winfield finished Sunday’s game with a small hand fracture. He was able to finish the game and is expected to play Sunday with a soft cast on the hand.
The Vikings hope defensive end Brian Robison, who missed Sunday’s game with a sprained right shoulder, will be available this week. “We’ll have to take it day-to-day with him,” Frazier said, “just to see what he’s able to do when he gets back to practice Wednesday.” Robison did some things in practice Friday, but was still in too much pain to play against Houston. “We weren’t sure if he’d be able to go out and protect himself,” Frazier said of the decision to sit Robison. “He needs to be able to tackle someone or, if someone is pushing up against him, he can protect himself. If he can do that, then he’ll be ready to go.”
Meanwhile, running back Adrian Peterson is still experiencing soreness with his abdominal issue and could be limited this week.
Stepping up
For the first nine games, rookie receiver Jarius Wright was inactive. In the last six games he has caught 19 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown. Sunday in Houston he had five catches. Three of those plays resulted in first downs for the Vikings. Monday Frazier talked about the strides Wright has taken.
“He’s just taken off as he’s gotten more confident with what he’s doing and what we’re asking him to do,” Frazier said. “The game he had yesterday was a big-time game. He ran good routes, got yards after the catch for us. He’s a young guy we have high hopes for.”
The Vikings’ final two opponents for 2013 will be set following Sunday’s game.
They will play each team in the NFC East and AFC North next season.
The Vikings’ home games will be against Philadelphia, Washington, Cleveland, the NFC South team that finishes in the same position as the Vikings (currently New Orleans), Green Bay, Detroit and Chicago. The Sept. 29 game in London against Pittsburgh also counts as a home game.
Road games will be at Dallas, the N.Y Giants, Baltimore, Cincinnati, the NFC West team that finishes in the same position as the Vikings (currently Seattle), Green Bay, Detroit, Chicago.
Former Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell broke his Twitter silence Sunday afternoon to laud his replacement, Blair Walsh. Longwell, who was bothered by never making the Pro Bowl, clearly thinks Walsh should be the NFC kicker as a rookie. His series of tweets read: "I've purposely not commented on any football stuff this entire year so let me make my first one now. I've seen many great seasons go unrewarded by not getting voted to Pro Bowl. But if @BlairWalsh3 does not get voted in this year it will prove system is broke! What more can the guy do?? Accuracy, 9-9 50+ yarders, Kickoff touchbacks and a game winner in his first career game!!"
Walsh is third in the NFC with 128 points, second in field goal percentage (behind Dallas’ Dan Bailey) and set an NFL record with his ninth field goal of 50 yards or more on Sunday.
Vikings activate Chris Cook
Posted by: Chris Miller Updated: December 22, 2012 - 4:47 PMCornerback Chris Cook was activated by the Vikings today after his eight-week stint on injured reserve because of a broken right arm.
The team also activated defensive end George Johnson from the practice squad. He's a third-year player from Rutgers.
The Vikings are hopeful defensive end Brian Robison (Grade 3 shoulder sprain) can play Sunday in Houston, but Johnson's activation would seem to be a signal that he might not.
Waived were tight end Allen Reisner and guard Mark Asper.
Dan reported Cook, who missed six games, would play on Friday here.
Mark Craig profiled the Cook situation this week. You can read that story here.
Injury report: Brian Robison back at practice, still fighting to play Sunday
Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: December 21, 2012 - 2:37 PMSeveral key injury updates for you this afternoon from Winter Park …
Vikings defensive end Brian Robison returned to practice Friday, fighting to push through the discomfort of his Grade 3 shoulder sprain. Robison lined up with the first-team defense in the early parts of practice open to the media and seemed to move around well enough that the Vikings still think he has a chance to start Sunday in Houston.
“He feels better,” head coach Leslie Frazier said. “We’ll talk a little but more about how we want to proceed with him, but he did enough in practice today to create some encouragement amongst our staff and his teammates as well.”
The Vikings will wait to see how Robison feels Saturday after practicing and then undergoing additional treatment Friday for the injury to his acromioclavicular joint.
“We’ve got to see how he feels from some of the things we took him through today,” Frazier said. “So what he has to say will make a difference. We saw some things today that makes us think he may have a chance [to play]. But he has to feel it both mentally and physically.
Kalil returns
Left tackle Matt Kalil returned to practice Friday after missing the previous two days due to illness. Kalil was sick enough to stay home from the team facility on Wednesday and Thursday. But to help him study for Sunday’s big test against Houston, offensive line coach Jeff Davidson went to Kalil’s house to help deliver some of the concepts and nuances of the game plan.
“It was kind of funny,” Kalil said. “I don’t think he’s ever been over to my house. But he wanted to make sure I was prepared and just give me the same coaching he’s had in that meeting room since I wasn’t able to be in there.”
Kalil, a California native, admitted he lost a little bit of weight due to the illness and was still fighting to feel 100 percent again.
“My Cali body isn’t used to this cold weather. So it’s something I’ve got to get used to,” he said
Kalil had praise for Houston’s defense, calling end J.J. Watt “a force to be reckoned with” and also complimenting outside linebacker Brooks Reed, a former foe of his from their days in the Pac-12.
Still, while Kalil knows the Texans defense is tough, he also pointed out that their defense isn’t overly complex.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a good week for me to be sick. But they’re pretty simplistic with what they do. … They’re good at running their line games and they’re great at rushing the passer.”
- Brian Robison (questionable, shoulder)
- Matt Kalil (probable, illness)
- Adrian Peterson (probable, abdomen/groin)
- Antoine Winfield (probable, knee)
- Jared Allen (probable, shoulder)
- Chris Kluwe (probable, left knee/right groin)
- Phil Loadholt (probable, knee)
- Mistral Raymond (probable, ankle)
- Everson Griffen (probable, elbow)
- Marcus Sherels (probable, quadriceps/elbow)
Cook could return this week
Posted by: Kent Youngblood Updated: December 17, 2012 - 2:30 PMVikings expect Cook to be ready
Vikings cornerback Chris Cook could return to the field Sunday in Houston.
Cook, who broke his right arm Oct. 26 against Tampa Bay, was put on injured reserve with designation to return, a new category this season. Each team is allowed to use one such designation per season.
Cook has been practicing with the team two weeks. This Sunday will be the first time he will be eligible to play.
“We’ll continue to practice him much like we have the last couple of weeks,” Frazier said at his weekly Monday press conference, “with the mindset that we’re getting him ready to play because he’s eligible. We’ll have to see how he does as the week goes on, but our goal is to try to get him up if he shows that he’s ready. We’ll make that determination later in the week.”
In Cook’s absence, A.J. Jefferson has been taking the majority of snaps at the right cornerback position.
Cook’s return would be timely with the Vikings still chasing a playoff spot and with a tough road game against the Texans on the schedule.
Frazier said he didn’t know whether Cook would start or not should he play.
“We’ll just have to see how he does during the week and see how he comes along from a conditioning standpoint, as well as some of the things we’ll ask him to do game plan-wise,” Frazier said. “And then we’ll make a decision later in the week.”
Should Cook be active, the Vikings would have to make a roster move to make room for him. One possibility would be to release tackle Troy Kropog with the idea of returning him to the team’s practice
squad.
Forcing adjustments
Frazier said quarterback Christian Ponder’s play early helped spring running back Adrian Peterson.
The Rams were clearly keying on getting penetration to slow Peterson, who started slowly. Frazier said getting Ponder on the move helped change that.
“What kind of helped us was some of the naked (bootlegs) that we ran early that got Christian on the perimeter a bit. It made them take a little bit off of what they were trying to do as far as bringing a lot of people to the line of scrimmage. They had to step back at some point and say, ‘We need to play a little coverage.’ Once we got them in that mode … we were able to create some openings in their defense. But it was obvious their game plan was to just have a lot of people at the line of scrimmage to try to get penetration.”
Why bother?
Frazier was asked if he spent any time trying to figure out the NFC playoff scenarios involving his team.
In a word, no.
“I won’t even try,” he said. “I won’t even try. (The team will be) focusing on how we can beat a very, very good football team, the Houston Texans. That’s the most important thing, without question.”
Moving like a linebacker
Remember when the Vikings spent some time looking at Everson Griffen at linebacker? Sunday fans saw the skills that prompted the Vikings to give that a try. With the Vikings in a zone blitz, Griffen lined up at defensive end but dropped into coverage, intercepting Sam Bradford and sprinting 29 yards for a second-quarter touchdown.
“He’s one of those guys that can drop back in coverage, but yet he can put his hand in the dirt and rush the passer as well,” Frazier said. “That makes him unique in that regard. That’s one of the reasons we looked at him at linebacker. Some of the traits you saw on that (interception) were linebacker traits. The catch, the turn, and of course the run as well. You just don’t see D-linemen to be able to run down the sidelines like he did.”
Injury update
Defensive lineman Brian Robison, who sprained the AC joint in his right shoulder in the first quarter of Sunday’s game in St. Louis, is questionable for the game in Houston. The team, confident in its diagnosis, did not do an MRI on the shoulder, opting for an X-ray instead.
“We’ll have to see how he does throughout the week,” Frazier said. “We’ll get a better gauge towards the end of the week whether or not he has a chance or not.”
The only other injuries were minor, Frazier said. Cornerback/returner Marcus Sherels had a back contusion, but should play. And running back Adrian Peterson had some soreness coming out of the game.
Frazier said the team planned to continue to rest veteran cornerback Antoine Winfield during the week to keep him ready for games.
Warming up
To get ready for what the Vikings expect to be a warm Sunday in Houston, the indoor practice facility will be heated up during practice this week.
“Our players don’t know that yet, but on Wednesday when they come back we’re going to warm it up a little bit,” Frazier said. “They’re predicting about 72 to 75 (degrees in Houston Sunday), which is a lot different than where we are now.”
Sherels could replace Jefferson
Posted by: Kent Youngblood Updated: December 10, 2012 - 3:24 PMThe concussion sustained by cornerback A.J. Jefferson against the Chicago Bears could test the team’s depth at the position this week.
Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said the team will have to wait and see if Jefferson is able to pass the tests necessary to play in St. Louis Sunday. Veteran Chris Cook is not going to be available to come back from his broken arm until the Dec. 23 game at Houston at the earliest. So who plays?
“It would be Marcus,” Frazier said of Marcus Sherels, the backup who has been a punt- and kickoff-returner this season. “And then, of course, we have Brandon Burton as well. So between those two, they’d get the bulk of the reps. And we’d define that as the week goes on.”
Sherels has started three games in his career, all coming last season. Burton has appeared in 14 games the past two seasons, starting one.
Praising the kids
One big reason for the improved Vikings record is the play of rookie cornerback Josh Robinson and rookie safety Harrison Smith. Both intercepted passes Sunday. Smith returned his for a score, his second pick six of the season. Robinson returned his pick to the Chicago 5-yard line, setting up the team’s second score.
“We’re making such improvement, and we’re doing it with a lot of young, young guys,” defensive end Brian Robison said. “Normally it takes two, three years before you start seeing results like that. Guys like Harrison and Josh Robinson, the plays they made {Sunday}? And you look at the improvement {safety} Jamarca Sanford has made this year? He looks nothing like he did last year. Guys are making improvements and it’s helping out the whole team.”
Road woes
With two consecutive road games coming up, and with the Vikings believing they have to win out to earn a playoff berth, the job is simple. The Vikings have to learn to win on the road.
This season Minnesota is 6-1 at home, 1-5 on the road, with the only victory coming at Detroit Sept. 30. Over the past two seasons the Vikings are a combined 3-11 on the road.
So what will it take to win on the road?
“I think if we can play a clean football game, where we are – for a change – plus when it comes to turnovers,” Frazier said. “Even in some of our games on the road we’ve executed well at times, but we haven’t done a good job when it comes to winning that turnover battle and it has cost us. Our margin for error is not very big, and when it happens it become very problematic for our team. So I’d love to go on the road, play some clean football, and see what the results would be.”
Said receiver Michael Jenkins: “We’ve got to find a way to play better on the road. I don’t know, {maybe} we could take the Metrodome name wherever we go and put it on other peoples’ stadiums.”
An important moment?
Frazier again emphasized the positive with quarterback Christian Ponder, pointing to what he called a key drive that began late in the third quarter.
The Vikings, leading by 14 points, got the ball at their 1-yard line with 48 seconds left in the third quarter. On the drive Ponder had two third-down throws to Jenkins on third downs, both of which resulted in first downs. The first was an 8-down completion on third-and-7 from the 4-yard line. Six plays later Ponder hit Jenkins for 10 yards on third-and-6.
The Vikings drive ended on the Chicago 41, resulting in no points. But it did have a big impact on field position. Chris Kluwe’s ensuing punt was downed at the Chicago 5.
“What he did in that fourth quarter, when we had those third-down conversions, that was big for our football team,” Frazier said. “It allowed us to possess the football. We were in a backed-up situation. … It was a major part of our being able to win that game.”
Etc.
One of Robison’s most enjoyable moments Sunday came when he led Harrison Smith into the end zone after Smith’s third-quarter interception. The fact that he got to engage Bears QB Jay Cutler in the process made it even better. “Any time you can throw a block you feel like an offensive player,” Robison said. “A fullback-type. So I got to see what Jerome Felton feels like."
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