After scoring a touchdown (via [...]]]>

Last weekend, I went to the match-up in the desert. Just like last year’s game against the Cardinals, the parking lot was filled with Vikings fans from all over the country. I expected a competitive game against two legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the NFC, however only one team showed up.

After scoring a touchdown (via a both review) in the first quarter, the Vikings were outscored 20-6 in the following two quarters. The Cardinals dictated the tempo of the game from the kickoff to the final blow of the whistle. This was the first game of the 2009 season where the Vikings looked lifeless and unable (or unwilling) to rise to the opponent’s level of intensity.

The problems on offense laid squarely with the line. Early in the game, rookie Phil Loadholt left the game with a right arm injury and was replaced by Ryan Cook. This disrupted the run-blocking scheme, as Peterson was unable to run off right tackle. To further compound matters, Bryant McKinnie left the game as well with a leg injury that required a reshuffling of the line. The net result was the second lowest rushing output of Adrian Peterson’s career (19 yards on 13 carries, 11 yards of which came on one run).

Despite Favre’s two-touchdown performance, the passing game was non-existent. Favre’s outing was marred by two interceptions (that came on consecutive offensive drives) and three sacks. The interceptions were due in large part to Favre’s unwillingness to take a big hit, after he was body slammed by Darnell Docket early in the game. Instead of holding onto the ball and absorb the hit, Favre tried to throw two passes that had no chance of being completed.

As for the defensive line, this was their worst outing of the year. For the first time this season, the defense was held without one sack.

From the outset, Kurt Warner neutralized the pass rush with quick passes over the middle and to the flat areas. Jared Allen was unable to come off the edge quick enough in order to disrupt the timing of the pass. Even worse, the Williams Boys could not push the pocket soon enough to force Warner off of his launch point. As a result, the secondary (notably Griffin and Williams) was exposed by Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, as Warner had enough time to read the defense, pump fake and deliver an accurate pass.

Adding injury to insult, the Vikings lost middle linebacker E.J. Henderson to a broken leg, which means that rookie Jasper Brinkley will have to start in his place.

Adding all the above up, the trip to the desert was a disaster for the Vikings. They were exposed on offense by a team that was able to make Favre look his age and hold Peterson to 19 yards on the ground. Without the benefit of any pass rush, the secondary was lit up by two burly receivers that took advantage of free releases and double moves.

[Shahaab Tehrani can be reached at: shahaabt@yahoo.com]

The Vikings’ pass defense ranks 25th in the league, allowing 253.8 yards per game. Even worse, the defense gives up chunks of yards (11.3 yards per completion). The silver lining in the Vikings’ [...]]]>

For all the attention given to the front four, the play of the secondary must improve as the season progresses towards the playoffs.

The Vikings’ pass defense ranks 25th in the league, allowing 253.8 yards per game. Even worse, the defense gives up chunks of yards (11.3 yards per completion). The silver lining in the Vikings’ porous pass defense is the ability to limit the opposition to only 14 touchdowns in 10 games. Although this speaks to how well the defense performs in the red zone, it does not overshadow the amount of yardage given up. In playoff games that will come down to field position, allowing large amounts of passing yards will prove costly.

To date, the pass rush has masked the shaky play of the two safeties, Madieu Williams and Tyrell Johnson. Going forward, teams such as the Bears, Cardinals and Bengals will exploit this deficiency, so the safety play must tighten up their coverage.

Between Williams and Johnson, they have only one interception. This statistic is unacceptable because in the Tampa-2 scheme the Vikings employ, the safety is positioned to ball hawk and make plays on the football.

I will absolve Madieu Williams of his play, as he is coming back from a serious neck injury that wiped out his first season as a Viking in 2008. Since safety is a position based on instinct and quick reaction, apprehension cannot come into the player’s mind. Williams is reluctant to break on the ball for fear of causing a big collision (only exception was in Week 6 when Williams hit Kelly Washington in the facemask with the crown of his helmet. I was shocked that Williams did not re-aggravate his neck condition on this hit and have not seen one like it since) whereas backup, Hussain Abdullah, invites contact. I am not suggesting that Williams be benched in favor of Abdullah, but the fact remains that Williams is not performing like the playmaker the Vikings envisioned he would be when he was signed as a free agent from the Bengals.

As for Tyrell Johnson, he has had several opportunities to intercept the ball, but has come up empty-handed (most notable and recent is the interception he dropped against the Packers in Week 8. Aaron Rodgers threw a deep ball into double coverage, which went right through Johnson’s hands). He has been able to break on the ball and arrive at the same time it reaches the receiver, but lacks the ability to come up with an interception.

Johnson’s lack of production is due to inexperience. As a second-year player, Johnson has yet to achieve the ability to discern between run and pass quick enough in order to make decisive plays on the ball. Until then, the Vikings will continue to have peaks and valleys in the passing game because teams have been able to exploit Johnson’s portion of the field.

[Shahaab Tehrani can be reached at: shahaabt@yahoo.com}

The defense yielded only one touchdown, stopped a two-point conversion and held the Seahawks to a total of four yards rushing. As for the offense, Favre was 22 of [...]]]>

In a weekend of upsets (see The Steelers and Bengals), the Vikings were able to maintain their level of intensity and blow the doors off the Seahawks.

The defense yielded only one touchdown, stopped a two-point conversion and held the Seahawks to a total of four yards rushing. As for the offense, Favre was 22 of 25 for 213 yards and 4 touchdowns. His efficiency through the air, particularly in the red zone, was the impetus for the offensive explosion (it was 28-0 at one point in the third quarter). Peterson provided the needed balance with 24 rushes for 82 yards.

Although this complete victory (add in a solid day from the special teams) came at the expense of the Seahawks, this should not be considered as criticism. This win is a testament to how far Brad Childress has come in his coaching career. In Week 4 of the 2006 season (Childress’ first year as coach), the Vikings lost an early season game 17-12 to a lifeless Buffalo Bills team. The Vikings had advantages all over the field but were noticeably flat and aloof in Buffalo. Even though the 2006 team was nowhere near as flush with talent as the Vikings are today, they had no business losing this game.

The 2009 team seems immune to allowing the lesser opponent dictate their level of play. Instead of playing down to the competition, the Vikings look to apply the knockout punch early and give no sense of life to the opponent for the remainder of the game.

Jared Allen is the lynchpin of the defense, as players feed off of his relentless attack of the quarterback or ball carrier. Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson are not only the two best at their position, but are truly passionate about the sport. This mutual love for the game has produced an offense that is dangerous in the run and in the pass (8th in total offense). The talent and passion of the offense and defense, coupled with a potent return game and solid coverage unit, are the reasons some tout the Vikings as a super bowl contender

Ultimately, the sign of a championship team is to play competitively in each game on the schedule. Against an inferior opponent, superior teams should be able to execute efficiently in all three phases of the game and come out with a win. On Sunday, the Vikings were both physically and emotionally dominant from the opening kickoff to the final blow of the whistle.

[Shahaab Tehrani can be reached at: shahaabt@yahoo.com]

In both games, Favre was a combined 41 for 59, 515 yards and 7 [...]]]>

Skeptics argued that when the Vikings faced the Packers this season, Favre would revert back to his gun slinging days of forcing the ball into tight windows. On Sunday and in Week 4, Favre was poised and disciplined against his former team.

In both games, Favre was a combined 41 for 59, 515 yards and 7 touchdowns. The most impressive aspect of both these performances was that Favre was not sacked once. His counterpart was sacked 14 times in both games and was forced to throw 37 and 41 times, respectively, in Week 4 and on Sunday.

As I suggested in my pre-game analysis, Favre would have to tame his emotions and work within the context of the running offense. He did just that, making throws when he had to and capitalizing on the opportunities that were presented.

His four-touchdown performance on Sunday tied him with Dan Marino (for the most four-touchdown games in the NFL [21]). This impressive feat did not occur by Favre throwing it all over Lambeau Field. Instead, it came when the Vikings had to pass, to which Favre made several perfect throws.

Of course it helps when the Packers are focused on stopping the best running back in the league, as well as the fleet of receivers and tightends at Favre’s disposal. But, Favre still had to make the throws in the redzone to cap off drives, which he did masterfully.

Although Favre was diplomatic in his post-game pressers, deep down one could tell that these two wins meant more to him than any others. His former general manager forced him to either be a back up or play on a non-contending team, both aspects that clearly offended Favre.

Favre never said the word “payback” in his responses to questions about his feelings on beating the Packers on Sunday and in Week 4, but one can infer that such a term was on the forefront of his mind.

[Shahaab Tehrani can be reached at: shahaabt@yahoo.com]

In 1998, Randy Moss had a huge game against the Packers on MNF in Green Bay. He had two touchdown passes, both of which came on the deep pass (jump ball to be exact). Packer fans were witnesses to one of the [...]]]>

Lambeau Field seems to bring out the best of the Vikings’ rookie wide receivers.

In 1998, Randy Moss had a huge game against the Packers on MNF in Green Bay. He had two touchdown passes, both of which came on the deep pass (jump ball to be exact). Packer fans were witnesses to one of the best rookie wide outs to come into the league, and it just so happened that Lambeau Field was the venue. Moss went onto to “rip up the NFL” (as he said) for 17 touchdowns en route to a historical season for the Vikings.

Yesterday, Percy Harvin had his biggest day as a pro. He had 5 catches for 81 yards, which included a 51-yard touchdown that was reminiscent of Randy Moss. Amidst three defenders, Harvin snatched the ball out of the air, spun and sped into the endzone for an electric score.

His receiving, however, was not the best part of his performance. On kickoffs, Harvin had 5 returns for an astounding 175 yards. The first kickoff set the tone, as it went for 77 yards and set up the first touchdown of the day.

Harvin’s kickoff returns were not only critical in terms of field position, but were timely. After Green Bay had cut the lead to 24-20 in the end of the third quarter, Harvin returned the ensuing kick for 48 yards. This led to touchdown by Jeff Dugan in the beginning of the fourth quarter, pushing the score back up to 31-20.

Whether it’s the mystique of playing in historic Lambeau Field or the fact that so many Minnesotans make the drive down to Green Bay, rookie wide receivers seemed to save their best performance for this game (although some would argue Moss’ best performance was on Thanksgiving Day, where he had 3 catches for 169 yards and 3 TD’s).

The season is only halfway over and Harvin has defined himself as a dangerous kickoff specialist. On Sunday, Harvin also demonstrated how dynamic he is in the passing game, by out jumping opponents for the ball and speeding to the endzone.

It is likely that Harvin will have another big day in the passing and kick off game, but Sunday will forever be known as his coming out party.

[Shahaab Tehrani can be reached at: shahaabt@yahoo.com]

As expected, Favre shrugged off the booing and went right [...]]]>

As Favre ran onto the field, boos reigned down from the stadium. This was not a shocker, as the week leading up to the game fans (and even the Mayor of Green Bay) were ready to voice their displeasure with Favre’s return to Lambeau Field.

As expected, Favre shrugged off the booing and went right to work. While running onto the field amidst a chorus of boos, Favre was smiling and gave a wink to his teammates, indicating that he was not going to let the fans’ emotions get in the way of his performance.

The game did not start off without adversity. With seven minutes to go in the first quarter, Favre and center, John Sullivan, miscommunicated on the snap and the ball was fumbled back to the Vikings’ 21-yard line. The defense stepped up, however, forcing the Packers to go three and out (capped off by Ray Edwards sack) at the 19-yard line.

From that point on, the Vikings found their groove. On the next play, rookie-phenom Percy Harvin took the kickoff back 77 yards all the way back to the Packers’ 14-yard line. On five of the next six plays, the Vikings played smash mouth football, by handing the ball off to Peterson who eventually plunged into the end zone on 4th and 1.

The second quarter started off with a familiar ring to it. On third down, Edwards posted another sack of Rodgers at the Packers’ 19-yard line, forcing a three and out. With fourteen minutes to go in the second quarter, the Vikings started their drive off at their own 49-yard line. With passes to Rice, Berrian and Harvin, the Vikings marched down to the Packers’ 12-yard line. On the next play, Favre hit Shiancoe up the middle for a touchdown.

For the remainder of the quarter, the defense stiffened, only giving up a field goal, which was set up by the botched snap. The Vikings pushed the score to 17-3 at halftime.

The third quarter started off with a bang. On a 3rd and 17 from the Vikings’ 30-yard line, Favre threw a strike to Berrian on a deep-in route for 19 yards. Berrian absorbed the vicious hit from Atari Bigby and held onto the ball.

The next play was one people are likely talking about at work today. On first down, Favre threw a deep ball to Harvin, who was surrounded by three defenders. A la Randy Moss, Harvin snatched the ball out of the air, spun and ran away from the defenders (who crashed into themselves in trying to tackle the speedster) for a 51-yard touchdown. The score was now 24-3 and the route seemed to be on.

At this point, I thought the Vikings were ready to put 40 points on the board and bring on the backups. I was sorely wrong, as after the Packers scored a field goal, Brian Robison fumbled a kickoff return that sparked a comeback.

With eight and half minutes to go in the third quarter, Rodgers hit Spencer Havner for a 16-yard touchdown. The Vikings went three and out on their next drive, to which the Packers responded with another touchdown pass to Havner. Now the score was 24-20 and the game was officially in doubt.

The Vikings responded like a championship team, with a touchdown. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Favre hit Jeff Dugan for a 2-yard touchdown in the flat. The Packers, however, did not give up. Rodgers responded with a touchdown pass of his own, finding Greg Jennings for a 10-yard touchdown on a perfectly thrown out route. The score was now 31-26, after a failed two-point conversion by the Packers.

Both teams were unsuccessful in scoring on their next two possessions. With four minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Vikings delivered the knockout blow. On a 3rd and 11 from the Packers’ 16-yard line, Favre hit Berrian for touchdown, which pushed the score to 38-26.

Favre ended the game with four touchdown passes and zero interceptions (extrapolate this further, 7 touchdowns and 0 interceptions against the Packers in two games). As I stated in my pre-game analysis, the Vikings could not throw the ball 50 times and needed to be balanced on offense. Yesterday’s performance was typical of a Vikings win, with 28 pass attempts versus 32 rushing attempts. For a team built on the running game, this ratio will lead to more wins than losses. On Sunday, it proved to be too much for the Packers to handle.

The win not only pushed the Vikings two games clear of the Packers in the loss column, it was a psychological boost. The Vikings had not swept the season-series since the Tice era in 2005.

Although the game was not pretty at times, the Vikings showed their championship qualities by scoring when it mattered most.

[Shahaab Tehrani can be reached: shahaabt@yahoo.com]

That is why this Sunday’s game will likely be as interesting as the first meeting [...]]]>

The sequel is never as good as the original (The Godfather, Karate Kid and Weekend at Bernie’s, just to name a few). I’m certain that this adage was not developed with the heated rivalry between the Vikings and Packers in mind.

That is why this Sunday’s game will likely be as interesting as the first meeting between these two teams. If the Vikings win, they will be two games clear of their division foe. Should the Packers win, they will be tied for first with plenty of momentum going forward.

There are several keys to a Vikings win, so I have boiled them down to the following five:

1.  Pressure/Sack Aaron Rodgers

In the Week 4 match-up, Rodgers was sacked eight times, 4.5 of which came courtesy of Jared Allen. The Packers’ offensive line was outmatched and outwitted by the Vikings’ pass rushers, which led to the huge output in sacks.

Pressuring Rodgers and forcing him off his launch point will be critical to success on defense because the Packers operate in a timing (west coast) offense. Any deviation from timing ruins the integrity of the pass plays, which leads to errant throws and interceptions. The Vikings do not have to net eight sacks, as they did in Week 4, but must sack Rodgers at least three or four times to instill doubt both in himself and the offensive line.

To date, Aaron Rodgers has been sacked a league leading 25 times. His offensive line is porous and there are no signs of any improvement. On the right side, the Packers have one of the worst right tackles in the league, Alan Barbre (Mark Tauscher was signed late in the season to solidify this position, but is out due to injury. As it stands, Barbre will be starting on Sunday). In Week 4, Ray Edwards and Brian Robison routinely victimized Barbre with their speed and quickness. This Sunday, I expect more of the same from the duo of Edwards and Robison.

Chad Clifton will be starting at left tackle, but could be limited due to injury. If Clifton is re-injured, T.J. Lang will replace him. Either way, Jared Allen will have another monster day against these inferior athletes on the outside.

2.  Limit Big Plays in the Passing Game

With Winfield likely out again this Sunday, the Vikings will have to limit the big plays (20-plus yards) of the Packers’ receivers. Greg Jennings and Donald Driver are capable of taking a quick slant the distance, so tackling will be key to success on defense.

This aspect goes in hand with the first key of the game, as the pass rush must get to Rodgers soon enough in order to disrupt the rhythm and timing of the passing game. Look for the Vikings to bring blitzes up the “A” gap to force Rodgers to either escape the pocket or move off his desired launch point. The defensive ends must contain Rodgers in the pocket so he does not escape and make a throw down the field, as Rodgers has demonstrated an ability to throw accurately on the run.

Therefore, containment on the edges will be key to limiting the big plays in the vertical passing game.

3.  Establish the Run

In the last meeting, the Packers were determined to not allow Adrian Peterson to beat them. They succeeded in doing so, as Peterson rushed for only 55 yards on 25 carries.

Although the Vikings were able to beat the Packers with an aerial assault, a win this week will require a 100-yard game from Peterson. The Packers are more explosive on offense then they were in Week 4. A solid rushing attack from the Vikings would keep the potent passing game of the Packers on the sideline and eat up more of the clock. Invariably, the Vikings will have more opportunities to score points, as drives will be sustained with a consistent rushing attack.

Running against the Packers will be a challenge, as they are 10th in the NFL in yards allowed on the ground (97.5). Even more impressive is the 3.5 yards per carry allowed by the Packers.

As in Week 4, the Vikings must show a commitment to the run because the offense is predicated off the rushing attack. Play-action pass and deep routes to Sydney Rice and Percy Harvin will be more available with a consistent rushing attack.

4.  Receivers Must Beat Man-to-Man Coverage

In Week 4, the Vikings were faced with a lot of zone coverage, to which Favre picked apart for 271 yards and three touchdowns. The defensive backs looked lost in Dom Capers’ zone-scheme, which called for each player being responsible for a certain part of the field.

The Packers have junked the idea of playing zone and have employed a man-to-man scheme with their corners. This makes sense because both Al Harris and Charles Woodson thrive in man-to-man schemes, as each is able to read the tendencies of the receiver and quarterback, and make a play on the ball.

Sydney Rice has emerged as the Vikings most prolific pass catcher and is seventh in the league in total yards (545). This week he must be able to beat the press coverage of either Al Harris or Charles Woodson and make himself available for Favre. Look for Favre to hit Rice on a combination of deep crossing and fly passes in order to stretch the integrity of the cornerbacks. In doing so, it will not give the defensive backs a key as to where the next pass is coming from.

Percy Harvin will pose a match-up problem for the older Harris and Woodson, who struggle with quick, shifty receivers. Look for the Vikings to send Harvin on a combination of quick slant and deep routes to expose the slower-footed defenders, especially in light of the Packers’ employment of man-to-to schemes.

Visanthe Shiancoe should also have a big day against the Packers man-scheme, particularly in the redzone. Outside of Brandon Chillar, the Packers’ linebackers are slow and incapable of keeping up with speedy tightends. If the Vikings are unable to pound in the ball from the goal line, Shiancoe will be utilized on a quick pass over the top or in the flats.

5.  Childress Must Remain Aggressive

In the Week 4 match-up in Minneapolis, the Vikings pushed the score to 28-14 with 11 minutes to go in the third quarter. Outside of Jared Allen’s sack of Rodgers in the endzone for a safety, the Vikings did not score a single point for the remainder of the game. The final score was 30-23, but it should have never gotten that close.

Childress has displayed an unwillingness to go for the jugular when his team is up by a significant margin. Against the Ravens, the team built up a 14-point lead in the first quarter, but did not seem to press the issue thereafter. Consequently, the Ravens fought their way back and should have won the game, but for a missed field goal at the end of regulation.

This week, the play calling must remain aggressive from the outset until the final blow of the whistle. Otherwise, Rodgers is more than capable of leading his team back from any deficit, especially in light of the deficiency at cornerback for the Vikings.

[Shahaab Tehrani can be reached at: shahaabt@yahoo.com]

Against the number one passer and number one receiver (Ben Roethlisberger and Hines Ward, respectively), the trio of Benny Sapp, Karl Paymah and Asher Allen rose to the occasion. Roethlisberger passed [...]]]>

Heading into last week’s game against the Steelers, the core issue was whether the Vikings’ defense would be exposed with the absence of Antoine Winfield.

Against the number one passer and number one receiver (Ben Roethlisberger and Hines Ward, respectively), the trio of Benny Sapp, Karl Paymah and Asher Allen rose to the occasion. Roethlisberger passed for only 175 yards and his favorite receiver, Hines Ward, had a measly one catch for three yards.

The only miscue in the secondary came on the last play of the first half, when Mike Wallace took a deep-in route for a 40-yard touchdown. This touchdown was the fault of the safety’s, Madieu Williams and Tyrell Johnson, who each had an opportunity to break up the pass, or at least bring Wallace to the ground.

As for Sapp, Paymah and Allen, their collective play allowed the Vikings to blitz Roethlisberger with regularity and play one-on-one coverage without giving up the big plays on the outside. Allen also chipped in with a forced fumble on Roethlisberger at the end of the fourth quarter, which was wastefully booted away by Ray Edwards.

Going forward, this trio will have to maintain their high level of play, as they face an even stiffer challenge against Aaron Rodgers and his receivers.

[Shahaab Tehrani can be reached at: shahaabt@yahoo.com]