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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 Off the field

Matt Blair to be honored Thursday; other Vikings notes

Posted by: Kent Youngblood Updated: October 22, 2012 - 3:23 PM

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In his 12-year career, outside linebacker Matt Blair was named to six straight Pro Bowls, was an all-Pro  once. He played in two Super Bowls.

In honor of that career the Vikings will induct Blair into the team’s Ring of Honor at halftime of Thursday’s game with Tampa Bay at Mall of America Field.

But when Vikings coach Leslie Frazier introduced Blair to reporters Monday, his main message was thanking Blair for helping the team win this year. Seems Frazier likes to have former Vikings standouts talk to the team before training camp starts. Last year it was Jim Marshall, this year Blair.

“He talked to players about visualizing success,” Frazier said of Blair. “And he talked to them about not getting caught up in the past, but just focusing on the moment. And that really was something that was a part of our approach with our team. And so, without me even talking to him about  what direction I wanted to take our team in that first meeting, it was so apropos to listen to him talk about success and visualizing success.’’

Blair’s message was about players putting all their emphasis on preparation so that execution becomes nearly second nature. “It takes your entire heart to make it happen,” Blair said.

Blair related a story about a game against the St. Louis Cardinals during his rookie season. He made a few mistakes covering Cards tight end Jackie Smith and was benched. But coach Bud Grant put him back on the field to start the second half. “After the game Bud was asked ‘What did Matt Blair bring to the game?’ And Bud said, ‘Lack of experience.’ From that day on I decided I need to do a little bit more. And that’s what it’s all about.”

When asked what his induction into the Ring of Honor meant, Blair got a bit emotional.

“It’s very humbling to be put in with great players – the Tarkentons, the Ellers, the Carters, the Marshalls, the Grants, those guys are just  legendary.’’

 

FANTASTIC FOUR

One of the highlights of Sunday’s defensive effort, according to Frazier, was the pressure the team was able to get from the front four without having to resort to blitzing. It was encouraging, even though the injury-plagued Arizona offensive line has struggled.

“I don’t know if we’ve done it that effectively without blitzing,” said Frazier of the Vikings seven-sack effort. Of those, a career-high three came from end Brian Robison, two from end Jared Allen and one from tackle Kevin Williams. “In the past we probably would have mixed in a little more pressure than we did (Sunday). That was our goal, to go into this game and be able to generate a pass rush without having to bring five or six guys, and our D-line stepped up to the challenge. They dominated just like we hoped they would and really took a lot of pressure off our secondary.”

Through Sunday’s games the Vikings ranked third in the NFC with 22 sacks, with Allen tied for eighth individually with six.

Frazier said not having to blitz allowed the rest of the defense to concentrate on slowing receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Jr., who wound up with four catches.

 

ON SECOND THOUGHT…

Frazier admitted that he probably would do things differently if he had the final moments of Sunday’s first half to do over.

The Vikings decided to go for a field goal rather than take a knee late in the half. The result was a Christian Ponder interception. The Cardinals missed a field goal as the first half expired.

“Looking back on it, it probably wasn’t the wisest thing to do,” Frazier said. “We probably could have went in at the half and taken that 14-7 lead and say, ‘Hey, let’s just start the second half.’ ‘’

 

SMITH STAYS AGGRESSIVE

Vikings safety Harrison Smith is learning how to play aggressively without going over the line and incurring the fines he’s had to deal with this season.

“Sometimes when you get fined as often as he’s gotten fined in these first seven games, it can tip your emotions and make you start playing a little tentatively,” Frazier said. “That hasn’t been the case with him. He’s been aggressive. He’s still in tune with everything we’re trying to get done. He doesn’t seem to be sidetracked by anything that happened. … He’s a bright guy, and very, very athletic. But his maturity, not letting stuff hang onto him that can be negative, it’s impressive.”

Smith turned his first career interception into his first touchdown Sunday, a score that gave the Vikings a 21-7 lead early in the third quarter.

“That’s just how I’ve always tried to be on and off the field,” Smith said. “Just learn from your mistakes, but at the end of the day, I’m not going to try to slow down my play or play softer. I’m just going to try and play within the rules and play at a high tempo.”

 

NOT HIS CALL

Frazier was asked if the short turn-around time between Sunday’s victory and Thursday’s game with Tampa Bay put players at further risk for injury.

He was definitely not going there.

“Touchy area, there,” he said. “That’s a bigger call than coach Frazier standing here at the podium. We do what we’re told to do. We got a game on Thursday night, we’ve got to get prepared to play that game.”

Still, the short time to prepare will make this a different week. The players had the day off Monday. The team will get one full practice in Tuesday, then have the traditional walk-through on Wednesday. The coaches have to get the team ready to play while at the same time allowing players to get over the bumps and bruises of Sunday’s game.

“You have to really be smart in your preparation of how you’re going to get it done without overtaxing them mentally, but yet getting them where they need to be physically to go out and play,” Frazier said.

 

INJURY UPDATE

--Running back Adrian Peterson’s sore ankle came out of Sunday’s game OK. Frazier said Peterson was sore, but less so than he was a week ago.  It remains to be seen how much Peterson will practice this week.

 --Vikings tight end John Carlson, who left Sunday’s game with concussion-like symptoms, probably will not play Thursday, Frazier said. “We will have to take him through the protocol over the next few days, and in a short week, we don’t expect him make it,” he said. Other than that, there were various bumps and bruises, but nothing Frazier said would keep a player out of the game.

The players had Monday off. But the team was required to post an injury report given the proximity to the game. So, had the Vikings practiced today, Peterson (ankle), Allen (groin), CB Antoine Winfield (knee) Carlson (concussion) and T Matt Kalil (low back) would not have participated; S Mistral Raymond (ankle) and Smith (calf) would have had limited participation; and S Robert Blanton (hamstring), LB Marvin Mitchell (calf), QB Christian Ponder (knee), RB Matt Asiata (knee) and DT Fred Evans (knee) would have fully participated. 

Mistral Raymond out for foreseeable future with bone bruise in ankle

Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: September 24, 2012 - 1:20 PM

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The Vikings have received a bit of good news on the severity of Mistral Raymond's ankle injury. At this afternoon's press conference at Winter Park, head coach Leslie Frazier revealed that an x-ray on Raymond's right ankle did not reveal a fracture. Frazier still called the injury "significant" noting that Raymond suffered a severe bone bruise and what is believed to be a subluxation (dislocation) of the ankle.

The second-year safety suffered the injury on the final play of the first quarter Sunday, his foot turning awkwardly as he tried to plant and tackle 49ers running back Frank Gore. Raymond was immediately carted off the field and was in the locker room following the Vikings' 24-13 win using crutches to get around with his right ankle in a cast.

The initial fears were that Raymond might need surgery and be lost for the season. That, Frazier said, is not the case.

"It doesn't look like we're going to have to put him on [injured reserve]," Frazier said. "But he will miss some time. For sure. But no high ankle sprain. So just good news all the way around. It looked as if might be something that may require surgery. That's not going to be the case."

Frazier said that Raymond will need to see a specialist for further examination before the Vikings can get a concrete determination on the minimum amount of time Raymond will be out.

Jamarca Sanford replaced Raymond on Sunday and will be the starter alongside Harrison Smith going forward. 

Final gun report: Vikings 24, 49ers 13

Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: September 23, 2012 - 3:14 PM

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Postgame snapshot from Mall of America Field where the Vikings beat the 49ers 24-13.
 
Good news: In building a 17-3 halftime lead, the Vikings played nearly flawless football. There was Christian Ponder’s encouraging poise, particularly early on. Ponder was 15-for-23 in the first half for 143 yards with a 1-yard touchdown pass on fourth down of the Vikings' opening drive. Ponder also escaped pressure to run for a nifty 23-yard TD in the second quarter. Defensive tackle Letroy Guion blocked a David Akers field goal late in the half. And Chad Greenway had two first-half sacks and eight tackles as the defense limited San Francisco to 121 total yards and 29 on the ground in the first half. Even better for the Vikings, they held up after San Francisco closed to within 17-13 in the third quarter, responding with an 86-yard touchdown drive that ended with a Ponder to Kyle Rudolph pass from 2 yards out.
 
Bad news: On the injury front, starting safety Mistral Raymond left the game for good on the final play of the first quarter with what appeared to be a serious injury to his right ankle/leg. Raymond had his leg put in an air cast immediately and was carted off the field. We hope to have more details on the severity of Raymond's injury soon.
 
Extra point: Rookie kicker Blair Walsh nailed a 52-yard field goal as the first half ended. It was Walsh’s third consecutive game with a field goal from beyond 50 yards, setting a new team record. For the season, Walsh is now 7-for-7 on field goals and has added seven extra points.
 
Next up: The Vikings will travel to Detroit in Week 4. This afternoon, the Lions were in Tennessee and fell to 1-2 with a loss.

Linebacker Erin Henderson out for Sunday's game

Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: September 21, 2012 - 1:37 PM

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Vikings linebacker Erin Henderson missed practice for a third consecutive day Friday, still dealing with a concussion that he suffered late in last Sunday’s 23-20 loss in Indianapolis. Henderson banged his head on a tackle of Reggie Wayne with a little more than 4 minutes to play. He was helped off the field by head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman but later returned for Indianapolis’ final drive.
 
According to Vikings coach Leslie Frazier, Henderson wasn’t diagnosed with a concussion until Wednesday when he came out to practice and admitted he wasn’t feeling right.
 
Henderson has now been officially ruled out for Sunday’s game with the 49ers. If he doesn’t play, Jasper Brinkley would see more extensive playing time in the Vikings’ nickel defense. Marvin Mitchell, meanwhile, would start in place of Henderson at weakside linebacker in the base defense. Mitchell missed the first two regular season games with a sprained ankle and now vaults right into a leading role.
 
“He’s done a good job in camp against the run and played the pass well,” Frazier said. “And he has a good grasp of what we’re trying to do from a defensive standpoint. What he’ll miss is the speed of the game with this being his first week back. That will be an adjustment for him and hopefully won’t take him a lot of plays to adjust to that part of it.”
 
The Vikings will have their hands full defensive Sunday trying to contain a San Francisco offense that has averaged 5.7 yards per rushing attempt in impressive early-season wins over Green Bay and Detroit. Frank Gore is the catalyst of the ground game and has 201 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries so far this season.
In addition, 49ers tight end Vernon Davis (eight catches, 116 yards, three TDs) continues to be a match-up nightmare.
 
“Man, he is a talent,” Frazier said. “I’ve watched him run by cornerbacks, run by safeties, linebackers. He’s a very good tight end. You definitely have to pay attention to him.”
 
Besides Henderson, the only other Viking to miss Friday’s practice was defensive end D’Aundre Reed, who’s out with a calf injury and will also miss Sunday’s game. Center John Sullivan was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday but returned as a full participant Friday. He is probable for Sunday.
 
Other Vikings listed as probable on the injury report are: Mitchell (ankle); Chris Cook (biceps); Brian Robison (elbow); Jarius Wright (ankle); Andrew Sendejo (ankle); and Rhett Ellison (ankle).

Behind Enemy Lines: Vaunted defense, Harbaugh's energy has 49ers rolling

Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: September 20, 2012 - 1:55 PM

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As the Vikings prepare for Sunday’s game with San Francisco at Mall of America Field, we asked Eric Branch, the 49ers beat writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, to give us his up-close-and-personal scouting report. Here are four things you need to know …
 
1) The 49ers’ defense has been in a groove. Which could be scary for a Vikings offense that has scored only 13 points before halftime the first two weeks.
 
Here were Matthew Stafford’s first half numbers last weekend against San Francisco: 7-for-16, 67 yards, no touchdowns, one interception.
 
Calvin Johnson, meanwhile, had just three catches for 36 yards before the break.
 
In Week 1, San Francisco forced Green Bay to punt six times in its first seven possessions, continuing to play with a relentless edge. The 49ers’ front seven in their 3-4 defense, led by defensive tackle Justin Smith and linebacker Patrick Willis, has been both stingy and opportunistic.
 
The Packers only managed 45 yards rushing in the opener, their longest rush a 9-yard scramble by Aaron Rodgers. Detroit averaged just 3.2 yards on its 26 rushes with Stafford delivering the long rush for 11 yards.
 
“The defense has been incredibly successful at making teams one-dimensional,” Branch said. “Eventually, they wear opponents down to where they sort of surrender and say, ‘What’s the point in even trying to run against this team?’ And suddenly that allows the pass rush of Aldon Smith and Justin Smith and the rest to pin their ears back and get the pressure going. That creates the turnovers and the sacks that they feed off.”
Since the start of the 2011 season, the 49ers have forced 40 turnovers (25 interceptions, 15 fumbles). They have five sacks so far this season after registering 42 in 2011.
 
2) The 49ers’ convincing 30-22 Week 1 win at Green Bay did wonders for the team psychologically.
 
A year ago, San Francisco fully expected to make a playoff trip to Lambeau. But then the Packers stumbled in their postseason opener against the Giants and the 49ers hosted New York in the NFC title game. So, in some ways, the Week 1 trip to Green Bay provided a measuring stick against the only NFC team that had a better record last year. And the 49ers’ decisive win was, according to Branch, “a huge confidence boost.”
“The feeling throughout that game was that the Niners were always entirely in control,” he said. “That it happened at Lambeau Field against a team that was 15-1 last year added to the energy. I don’t think the Niners necessarily lacked for confidence going into that game. But that reaffirmed for them that ‘Yeah, we were pretty good last year. And we’re better this year.’ They didn’t just win. They won convincingly, more than the final score even reflected.”
The defense held Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ passing attack in check for most of the afternoon.
“You don’t normally see Rodgers with bad body language,” Branch said. “But he had body language that day, walking off the field seemingly confused by what all he was seeing.
3) Randy Moss hasn’t been incredibly productive through two weeks (five catches, 61 yards, one TD). But he has fit in well.
“He’s been a model teammate to this point,” said Branch, noting Moss’ impressive football intelligence and his unwavering willingness to mentor the 49ers younger receivers, including Mario Manningham, Michael Crabtree and rookie A.J. Jenkins.
Moss’ playing time has been down in the first two games – which leads to the inevitable worry that he might soon get frustrated with how much he’s being used.
“It’ll be interesting to see if he can accept being a role player,” Branch said. “I do think his role will expand as the season goes on. I get the sense that the 49ers are aware that he’s 35 years old and are wondering just how much juice his legs will have in January if they play him too extensively early on. So it’s been calculated with the way they’re managing his time.”
4) Jim Harbaugh has been a significant upgrade in the head coaching position over predecessor Mike Singletary.
Including the playoffs, Harbaugh has led San Francisco to 16 wins in 20 games since the start of 2011. Singletary? With many of the same players, he registered 18 wins over 40 games between 2008 and 2010. So just what exactly was Singletary’s biggest shortcoming?
“It was perplexing,” Branch said. “As a player he was legendary and he was known for being one of the film junkies and a guy who could pick up on all these tendencies of an offense. That was a big part of what made him so great. But as a coach, he even said himself he was more of a big picture guy. And he wasn’t as consumed with the details, which may have hurt. He was never really that strong with Xs and Os.”
So what has been Harbaugh’s brilliance? Well, he’s had similar priorities as Singletary, wanting the Niners to be a physical, smash-mouth running team that can wear teams out. But Harbaugh has a better feel for how to get the best out of his players
“He has his players back at all times, almost to a ridiculous extent,” Branch said. “He calls them his ‘mighty men.’ And he says they have great healing powers. He makes them into these superheroes. And he will never criticize a player even subtly through the media. It’s about team and it’s all handled in house. Guys want to play for him. They believe in him and they appreciate the value of his loyalty. …With Singletary, I got the impression that behind the scenes his intensity and his personality began to wear thin. And they maybe began to tune out some of the rah-rah, motivational talks they got.”

 

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