Vikings Week 12 Preview: Ponder still Passing against Pack

Has anyone ever been less excited for a chapter in this rivalry match-up? For the first time in almost 20 years, the Minnesota Vikings will square off against their rivals and a starting quarterback not named Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers. Instead, Scott Tolzien will get his second start for the Packers after being forced into the lineup when primary backup Seneca Wallace was injured. Tolzien has showed promise in Mike McCarthy's system, but he has not been available to avoid turnovers in his NFL action, and that has led to a low amount of points on the board for the Pack. Luckily for Tolzien, the Minnesota Vikings' secondary has only three interceptions among them all year, and two of those belong to Harrison Smith, who is injured and will be out of Sunday's game. The other interception belongs to AJ Jefferson, who should start the game action on the bench (and rightfully so). For the Vikings' offense, Christian Ponder will once again lead the charge, even after a disastrous outing against the Seattle Seahawks. Words cannot even begin to describe how weird the Vikings quarterback situation is right now, as it almost seems like this team is intentionally tanking for the 2014 draft. Will this offense rise to the charge one last time for Ponder's sake, to at least make this game watchable? I really hope so....

Minnesota Offense vs. Green Bay Defense
Advantage: Minnesota Offense
Key Match-up: Ponder vs. himself

Minnesota Defense vs. Green Bay Offense
Advantage: Green Bay Offense
Key Match-up: Eddie Lacy vs Defensive Line

Minnesota Special Teams vs. Vikings Special Teams
Advantage: Minnesota Special Teams

Intangibles
Advantage: Green Bay

Coaching
Advantage: Green Bay

NFL Game Picks: Week 12

Absorb as much action as you can folks, because the NFL regular season is somehow almost three quarters of the way done. For some teams, that's probably going to be a relief, like the Vikings, Texans, Falcons and Redskins, each of which may need to make wholesale changes this offseason to move their organizations forward. The Vikings and the Texans almost certainly will be looking for new head coaches next year, while the growing rift between Mike Shanahan and Robert Griffin III may lead to the head coach's removal from Washington. Most people think Mike Smith is safe, but really, should he be? Smith boasts an incredible regular season resume, but as many people know he hasn't been able to find success in January. Smith has also had plenty of talent under his disposal throughout the years, so it may be hard to tell how much he has really added to the roster's potential. It's unlikely that Smith will get the boot, but expect a few coordinator changes with the way his team is flailing. Hot seat watch won't full ignite for a few weeks, but front offices are already scouting the ideal candidates they're looking for. Last year seven NFL head coaches were fired on the infamous "Black Monday" and it's very possible, with the way some teams are heading, the NFL can match that total this year.

Byes this Week: Seahawks, Eagles, Bills, Bengals

Saints at Falcons
30-14 Saints

Bears at Rams
Bears 23-17

Steelers at Browns
Steelers 27-17

Buccaneers at Lions
Lions 28-24

Vikings at Packers
Vikings 17-13

Chargers at Chiefs
Chiefs 20-19

Panthers at Dolphins
Panthers 30-27

Jets at Ravens
Jets 21-18

Jaguars at Texans
Texans 28-14

Titans at Raiders
Raiders 24-14

Colts at Cardinals
Colts 27-21

Cowboys at Giants
Giants 24-21

Broncos at Patriots
Broncos 31-28

49ers at Redskins
49ers 20-14

NFL Power Rankings: Post-Week 11

This weekend was all about controversy in the NFL, from the small minutiae of RGIII's post game comments, which seemed to rip his coaching staff, to the big flags that were thrown (and sometimes taken back) in two of the biggest games of the week. The first was a controversial personal foul penalty called on 49ers' linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who appeared to wrap his arms around Saints' quarterback Drew Brees on a sack that caused a fumble. The officials threw a flag and instead of the 49ers receiving the ball with little time left on the clock and up by three, the Saints got the ball well into 49ers territory and made a field goal on that drive to tie the game. After first watching the play in real time I thought a flag was certain to be thrown, because it looked like Brooks was twisting Brees' neck, which is certainly not something you want to see done to one of the star quarterbacks of the league. Slow motion though, reveals that Brooks' hit was a little lower than that and may have been legal, even though it was still nasty. Was it the right call? This one is not as clear as the other big one from this weekend, but this is the state of the NFL right now. If a quarterback gets hit badly, flags will probably be thrown because the NFL is doing everything they can right now to protect those guys. If it prevents another McCown from taking the field instead of Drew Brees, I can't say I'm totally opposed to that. Today Brooks was fined $16,000 for that hit, so it's clear the NFL is in support of that call. The other play was a key non-call at the end of Monday Night Football, where with six seconds left on the clock Tom Brady heaved a pass to the end zone that was intercepted, but his target, Rob Gronkowski, was clearly being held by Carolina linebacker Luke Keuchly. It looked like the official wanted to call pass interference, but another deemed the ball uncatchable and the game was over. It was ridiculous. Even if it was technically not pass interference, Kuechly had his arms wrapped around Gronkowski more than 20 yards down the field. That's a penalty. New England should have received one more shot at the end zone down by four. Would they  have won? Maybe, maybe not. A holding call would have given them the ball around the 13 yard line so a touchdown would be far from a sure thing. But they deserved that chance. This is one call the NFL should feel free to back away from. Now, on to the Wednesday Power Rankings!

1. Denver Broncos: 9-1 (2)
2. Seattle Seahawks: 10-1 (3)
3. New Orleans Saints: 8-2 (5)
4. Kansas City Chiefs: 9-1 (1)
5. Carolina Panthers: 7-3 (6)
6. Indianapolis Colts: 7-3 (8)
7. New England Patriots: 7-3 (4)
8. Cincinnati Bengals: 7-4 (10)
9. San Francisco 49ers: 6-4 (9)
10. Philadelphia Eagles: 6-5 (13)
11. Detroit Lions: 6-4 (7)
12. Chicago Bears: 6-4 (14)
13. Arizona Cardinals: 6-4 (15)
14. Green Bay Packers: 5-5 (16)
15. Dallas Cowboys: 5-5 (16)
16. New York Jets: 5-5 (11)
17. Miami Dolphins: 5-5 (21)
18. San Diego Chargers: 4-6 (17)
19. Pittsburgh Steelers: 4-6 (24)
20. New York Giants: 4-6 (22)
21. Cleveland Browns: 4-6 (18)
22. Baltimore Ravens: 4-6 (19)
23. Buffalo Bills: 4-7 (25)
24. Oakland Raiders: 4-6 (26)
25. St. Louis Rams: 4-6 (23)
26. Tennessee Titans: 4-6 (20)
27. Washington Redskins: 3-7 (27)
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2-8 (32)
29. Minnesota Vikings: 2-8 (28)
30. Houston Texans: 2-8 (29)
31. Atlanta Falcons: 2-8 (30)
32. Jacksonville Jaguars: 1-9 (31)

Vikings Week 11 Preview: Percy's Revenge?

Welcome to another addition of my weekly preview of the Minnesota Vikings' game this weekend! As some of you may have noticed, the blog has become a lot more bare bones in the last couple of days, and that is because I have recently accepted an internship with the University of Minnesota so much of the free time I once had more this blog is pretty non-existent...Sorry to any consistent readers (which I'm sure is in about the lower single digit range) but that's just where my life is at right now! This week's Vikings game shouldn't be nearly as exciting as last week's upset win over the Washington Redskins, as the Vikings travel to Century Link Stadium to take on the Seattle Seahawks, who currently sport the best record in the NFC. The Seahawks have not lost a game at home in the past two seasons. The Vikings have not won a road game all year. This match-up does not seem to set up well. Complicating matters further is the possible return of Percy Harvin to the Seahawks. Harvin, a very talented but moody wide receiver, was shipped to Seattle this offseason in exchange for several draft picks for the Vikings, and it can be assumed there is no love lost between the Vikings' organization and Harvin. Adrian Peterson still insists that Harvin is the most talented football player that he has ever seen, and of course don't forget Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrel Bevell was a former Vikings' offensive coordinator who first took advantage of Percy's special gifts. It is assumed Bevell was unceremoniously forced out of town once Rick Speilman took over as GM, so to suffice it to say Harvin might not be the only one looking to make a statement this game. This week, in order to scale pack my preview posts as well, instead of asking questions on both sides of the ball I will merely assess the large match-ups on each side of the ball and see how the teams stack up!

Minnesota Offense vs. Seattle Defense
Advantage: Seattle Defense
Key Match-Up: Christian Ponder vs. his shoulder

Minnesota Defense vs. Seattle Offense
Advantage: Seattle Offense
Key Match-up: Vikings' Defense Line vs. Marshawn Lynch

Minnesota Special Teams vs. Seattle Special Teams
Advantage: Minnesota Special Teams

Intangibles
Advantage: Seattle

Predicted Score:
33-17 Seahawks

NFL Game Picks: Week 11

Well last weekend the NFL turned out to be highly unpredictable, and more of the same may be headed our way Sunday as several games could be closer than people might think, and even a few minor upsets could shake the foundation of the playoff picture. That's life in hte NFL, you only have 16 shots to prove your worth, and if you can't pull a game out that you need to have the rest of the league can be quite unforgiving. The 49ers have a tough match-up this weekend as they travel to New Orleans to face the Saints, but another loss after one to Carolina could prove deadly to any NFC West dreams John Harbaugh's squad still has. The Lions are also in the driver's seat of the NFC North currently but even a minor speed bump could allow the Packers to climb back into the race once Aaron Rodgers is healthy. Rodgers even stated this week thtat he plans to play when the team faces the Lions of Thanksgiving, which could be a match-up that determines who gets left out in the cold come January. Several other teams, like the Bengals and Colts, need to stop the bleeding after very disappointing outings last week, as they can't afford to slip up too far and still act like they're a lock for the postseason. The way for both of them to get back on track is to beat divisional opponents this week, which could quiet down any doubters they might have. Oh, and the Chiefs and Broncos play Sunday night! This is shaping up to be another very interesting weekend in the NFL, so be sure to glue yourself to the couch this Sunday!

Byes this Week: Cowboys, Rams
Colts at Titans
20-13 Colts

Falcons at Buccaneers
21-16 Buccaneers

Jets at Bills
17-10 Jets

Ravens at Bears
27-17 Bears

Browns at Bengals
23-21 Bengals

Lions at Steelers
28-27 Lions

Raiders at Texans
27-23 Texans

Redskins at Eagles
34-28 Redskins

Cardinals at Jaguars
21-14 Cardinals

Chargers at Dolphins
28-24 Chargers

Packers at Giants
24-16 Giants

Vikings at Seahawks
33-17 Seahawks

49ers at Saints
26-21 Saints

Chiefs at Broncos
Chiefs 24-23

Patriots at Panthers
Patriots 30-24

NFL Power Rankings: Post Week 10

There's definitely been some shifting at the top of the power rankings after some very unexpected and disappointing outings for many of the teams ranked near the top. It's not just that the 49ers, Colts and Bengals lost, it's that they looked grossly inadequate in certain areas of their game while doing so. There's still time for them to pull everything together before making a final possible run in January, but it needs to start happening soon because playoff spots are far from secure this early. The rankings set up pretty nicely this week because now we're going to have a 1 vs 2 match-up this Sunday night, as the Kansas City Chiefs will look to shock the world more than they already have by beating Peyton Manning on his home field. Don't believe it isn't possible. The Chiefs have not just one but two Pro Bowl caliber edge rushers, while Peyton is working with backup tackles and really doesn't have the athleticism at this point in his career to make men miss on his own. Pressure on Peyton could lead to some bad breaks for the Broncos, especially because they don't really have a reliable running game to take the pressure off him. Knowshon Moreno's stats may look good, but that's just because teams always play the pass against the Broncos. If Denver were to actually need to rely on their running game this offense may get stuck in neutral. The Chiefs may not win, but they could look awfully good during the course of this game on defense. If Peyton Manning's ankles don't hold up this game could also turn into a disaster for the Broncos. Here's how the rest of the NFL stacks up after ten weeks of action:

1. Kansas City Chiefs: 9-0 (1)
2. Denver Broncos: 8-1 (3)
3. Seattle Seahawks: 8-1 (5)
4. New England Patriots: 7-2 (4)
5. New Orleans Saints: 7-2 (7)
6. Carolina Panthers: 6-3 (11)
7. Detroit Lions: 6-3 (9)
8. Indianapolis Colts: 6-3 (2)
9. San Francisco 49ers: 6-3 (6)
10. Cincinnati Bengals: 6-4 (8)
11. New York Jets: 5-4 (12)
12. Green Bay Packers: 5-4 (10)
13. Philadelphia Eagles: 5-5 (20)
14. Chicago Bears: 5-4 (13)
15. Arizona Cardinals: 5-4 (19)
16. Dallas Cowboys: 5-5 (14)
17. San Diego Chargers: 4-5 (15)
18. Cleveland Browns: 4-4 (18)
19. Baltimore Ravens: 4-5 (21)
20. Tennessee Titans: 4-5 (16)
21. Miami Dolphins: 4-5 (17)
22. New York Giants: 3-6 (24)
23. St. Louis Rams: 4-6 (27)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: 3-6 (28)
25. Buffalo Bills: 3-7 (23)
26. Oakland Raiders: 3-6 (26)
27. Washington Redskins: 3-6 (22)
28. Minnesota Vikings: 2-7 (30)
29. Houston Texans: 2-7 (25)
30. Atlanta Falcons: 2-7 (29)
31. Jacksonville Jaguars: 1-8 (32)
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1-8 (31)

NFL Week 10 Tuesday Whip-Around: Things are getting real interesting....

I made my midseason playoff predictions just a little over a week ago, and already I'm starting to feel like a fool. This NFL season has become ridiculously unpredictable, with surprises at every turn and injuries shaking up the landscape significantly this week. After their bye and three impressive wins in the opening half of the season, the Indianapolis Colts suffered an utter collapse Sunday against the Rams that might not be easily fixable. The Cincinatti Bengals, once expected to run away with the AFC North, have now limped back to the pack after a loss to the Ravens, and unless Andy Dalton gets hot again there's still a chance this team could lose a grip on this division. As unbelievable as it might seem, the Browns still have a great shot at this division, especially because they face the Bengals this weekend. In the NFC, the way the dominoes will fall are even less murky. Carolina is only one game behind the Saints for the NFC South lead in what may be the most hotly contested division this year. The San Francisco 49ers looked hot after a five game winning streak that almost got them back in the NFC West title picture, but then their passing game regressed to almost non-existence against the Panthers. The NFC North will be in flux until Aaron Rodgers steps back onto the field for the Packers. If they fail to win in his absence, they may be out, but even one victory with Scott Tolizen under center would keep hope well alive. As for the NFC East...I don't even want to talk about the NFC East. That's just been a tire fire of disaster this year. Nothing has been a sure thing so far this season, not even the greatness of Peyton Manning thanks to some possible injuries to his ankles. The Denver Broncos, despite having a historically good offense, are not a lock even in thei rown division, because the Chiefs have a chance to shock the world this week when they travel to Mile High Stadium. Believe it or not, their defense has a shot to bring down the Mile High offense. Besides utter confusion, here's what else we got out of Week 10 in the NFL:

Seahawks 33, Falcons 10

1. The Seahawks' offense came back to life on Sunday, with huge games from both Russel Wilson and Marshawn Lynch, even without top receiver Sidney Rice.
2. Roddy White returned this week to the Falcons' lineup, but he provided almost no impact on the Falcon attack with only 20 yards receiving.
3. Percy Harvin did not end up returning to the Seahawks this game, but it sounds like he was just waiting for this week, when he faces all of his old friends in Minnesota.

Ravens 20, Bengals 17 (OT)

1. Well, after this game the AFC North is wide open, as mentioned before. The loss of Geno Atkins wasn't even the major cause for concern for the Bengals, as they dominated the Ravens'  front.
2. Does either offense know how to function? Both quarterbacks were misfiring all over the field, and neither offensive line got even a semblance of a push up front. The Browns may actually be the most complete team in this division.
3. James Ihedigbo almost went down as the Ravens' version of Rahim Moore with one of the worst defenses of a hail mary in history. He's just lucky his team was able to bail him out in overtime, or he would never be able to walk around Baltimore again.

Lions 21, Bears 19

1. The Lions took control of the NFC North with their first sweep of the Bears since 2007. Now can they not screw this up? These are the Lions after all!
2. Detroit's defensive line wreaked havoc all day, limiting Chicago's running game, including stuffing Matt Forte on a late two point conversion attempt that made up the difference in the score.
3. The big story of the day was how banged up Jay Cutler was in his first game back from a groin injury. Cutler wasn't pulled until the end of the game, and then backup Josh McCown took the team right down the field for a touchdown. Head coach Marc Trestman said later he should have pulled Cutler earlier in hindsight, but that doesn't change the fact that the late decision could end up costing this team the division.

Eagles 27, Packers 13

1. The Eagles' offense did not look sharp most of the day, but they killed the clock late with Lesean McCoy to seal the win.
2. The Eagles are now tied at the top of the awful NFC East, even though they have yet to win a game at home this year. That's impressive. 
3. The Seneca Wallace era ended rather quickly to make way for the era of Scott Tolzien in Green Bay. Tolzien had his moments against the Eagles, but will he be able to be competent for 60 minutes with limited time in practice?

Rams 38, Colts 8

1. Tavon Austin decided to actually do things Sunday! It was well worth the wait!
2. The Rams' defensive line looked like the top tier unit it was expected to be on Sunday, absolutely dominating in this game from start to finish.
3. This could have been a deadly loss for the Colts but luckily for them the only team in the AFC South to win this week was the Jaguars. The Colts need to at least gather themselves in time for Thursday's game against the Titans, because with a win there they can almost ensure themselves an easy path to the division crown.

Giants 24, Raiders 20

1. In his first regular season game in almost a year Andre Brown had 30 carries. The Giants have been pretty desperate for a running back, in case you couldn't already tell.
2. The Giants are no longer last in the NFC East! After three straight wins, there's still a possibility they could actually make themselves relevant.
3. Terrelle Pryor was far from impressive when he had no room to run...Pryor needs significant improvement in his passing abilities to be more than a possible one-year wonder in Oakland.

Steelers 23, Bills 10

1. The Steeler defense played for pride on Sunday after getting crushed by the Patriots last week, improving Dick Lebeau's record against rookie quarterbacks to a whopping 19-2. The man knows how to get inside a young guy's head.
2. The big rumor of the day was that Ben Roethlisberger may want out of Pittsburgh after the year and may look to be traded. The rumor seems logical, but very unlikely. After the game Big Ben denied any truth to said rumors.
3. It was a rough first day back for EJ Manuel, who struggled to function when his run game was taken away with a large deficit.

Jaguars 29, Titans 27

1. The Jaguars really wanted to win this one, and they got it! Congratulations to Gus Bradley on his first win down there in Jacksonville.
2. Well, Chris Johnson went back to being a non-factor on the Titans, gaining only 30 rushing yards and losing a fumble.
3. Jack Locker is now lost for the year after this game, and now the Titans' AFC South title dreams may be lost too.

Panthers 10, 49ers 9

1. The Panthers have now won a game on the road against a solid opponent. They're legit.
2. The Panthers' defense really needs to get more love, as they owned this game from start to finish.
3. The passing troubles for the 49ers are back, as with Vernon Davis out of the game Colin Kaepernick could not move the football through the air.

Cardinals 27, Texans 24

1. The Cardinals are above .500 and 4-1 at home. Don't look now, but things get pretty competitive out in the desert.
2. The defense set the tone early on with a strip sack of Case Keenum that was returned for a touchdown. The Cardinals were able to get pressure all day on the 2nd year passer.
3. Andre Johnson stepped up big again with two touchdowns, but another bad field goal attempt wound up costing this team.

Broncos 28, Chargers 20

1. The Broncos offense was solid again, but the defense really stepped up and played well for interim coach Jack Del Rio, even after being on the field for most of the first quarter.
2. Peyton Manning really is having some protection issues due to injuries on his offense line. If he keeps getting hit this team is in trouble. Deep trouble.
3. The Chargers were successful early on in keeping Peyton off of the field, but this team wasn't able to put up many points in the time they had the ball. A non-aggressive offensive strategy is not a good plan against Peyton Manning.

Saints 49, Cowboys 17

1. The Saints offense was humming Sunday night, tallying an NFL record 40 first downs. Having Marques Colston and Darren Sproles back in the lineup helped plenty.
2. Do you want Rob Ryan back yet Jerry? I'm pretty sure he's a lot happier where he is now.
3. This Dallas defense cannot stop opponents through the air and is now without their best player, Sean Lee, for 3-4 weeks. The NFC East is going to start getting even worse.

Buccaneers 22, Dolphins 19

1. So Donald Penn became the 5th heaviest guy to score an NFL touchdown Monday night. Way to go big guy!
2. The Buccaneers have now joined the ranks of the winning with rookie Mike Glennon's first win as a starting quarterback. Better late than never, right?
3. The Dolphins offensive line issues have played oout off the field recently, but on the field there's a lot of problems too. With two starters out of the game due to the bullying saga, the Dolphins rushed for just two yards on 14 carries. The line also gave up back to back sacks at the end of the game that doomed the Dolphins' chance at a comeback.

NFL Power Rankings: Post Week 9

This week's power rankings come in a little later than usual due to the Vikings playing on a short week, and because of that they're already outdated since these won't take last night's action into account. These rankings contain one of the larger drop-offs near the top in a while, because a certain star quarterback isn't going to be with his team for a few weeks. That team has every right to be a little bit worried about their future.

1. Kansas City Chiefs: 9-0 (1)
2. Indianapolis Colts: 6-2 (2)
3. Denver Broncos: 7-1 (3)
4. New England Patriots: 7-2 (9)
5. Seattle Sehawks: 8-1 (5)
6. San Francisco 49ers: 6-2 (6)
7. New Orleans Saints: 6-2 (4)
8. Cincinnati Bengals: 6-3 (8)
9. Detroit Lions: 5-3 (10)
10. Green Bay Packers: 5-3 (6)
11. Carolina Panthers: 5-3 (12)
12. New York Jets: 5-4 (15)
13. Chicago Bears: 5-3 (14)
14. Dallas Cowboys: 5-4 (13)
15. San Diego Chargers: 4-4 (11)
16. Tennessee Titans: 4-4 (17)
17. Miami Dolphins: 4-4 (20)
18. Cleveland Browns: 4-5 (22)
19. Arizona Cardinals: 4-4 (19)
20. Philadelphia Eagles: 4-5 (26)
21. Baltimore Ravens: 3-5 (16)
22. Washington Redskins: 3-5 (28)
23. Buffalo Bills: 3-6 (21)
24. New York Giants: 2-6 (23)
25. Houston Texans: 2-6 (29)
26. Oakland Raiders: 3-5 (18)
27. St. Louis Rams: 3-6 (24)
28. Pittsburgh Steelers: 2-6 (25)
29. Atlanta Falcons: 2-6 (27)
30. Minnesota Vikings: 1-7 (30)
31. Tampa Bay  Buccaneers: 0-8 (31)
32. Jacksonville Jaguars: 0-8 (32)

Vikings Flip End of Game Script, Get first win on US Soil

It definitely wasn't even close to pretty at times, but the Minnesota Vikings avoided the worst start to franchise history and got their first win on U.S. soil as they topped the Washington Redskins 34-27 at the Metrodome. Initially it looked like the Vikings were in for a rough night after the first half, as the defense allowed a scoring drive on every Redskins possession in the first 30 minutes of play. However, as the second half came the Vikings defensive line stepped up and started applying more pressure to Redskins' quarterback Robert Griffin III, getting four sacks and forcing a lot more punts. Perhaps most importantly, the Washington Redskins got the ball back down a touchdown with about three and a half minutes remaining, and the same thought crept through every Vikings' fans mind: we've seen this movie before. Already the Vikings two minute defense had failed them three times this season, including just last week against the Cowboys. The Redskins were able to drive all the way onto the doorstep on the Vikings goal line, before RGIII's last past floated too far out of the corner of the end zone, and the Vikings defense held to give this team its second win of the season. As always, here's the grades for all the different position groups after the Vikings win:

Offense: B+
Even with limited possessions, the Vikings offense got it done today. In fact, even with multiple quarterbacks in the game for the first time all season this offense was able to keep chewing up yards and putting up points. Even when missing their starting tight end and two starting offensive lineman this team put out a great offensive performance and was able to outscore the opposition, the offense's primary job each game. Players at different positions stepped it up for this team, and that's why the Vikings are coming out of this game with their second "W."

Quarterbacks: B+
For the first time this season, the Vikings had to put in two quarterbacks to a football game as Christian Ponder had to leave with a shoulder injury on a goal line scramble. The injury was very unfortunate as Ponder was putting out his best performance of the season, as he was leading the Vikings on a comeback drive. Ponder was confidently leading the Vikings down the field and really had only one disastrous throw all night, when he made a bad decision on a long third down throw that was intercepted. After Ponder wsa taken out, Matt Cassel came in for the rest of the game and on his first play under center the Vikings reached the end zone. Cassel was able to take advantage of solid field position the rest of the game to lead the Vikings to scores, and his ability to lead the team off the bench was crucial to this team getting the win.

Running Back: A-
Time and time again, Adrian Peterson is still Adrian Peterson, even if the statistics don't necessarily show it. The important thing was that Peterson was still able to churn out yards for this offense, and threw in a couple of amazing runs to boot. Peterson's power and ability to push through tiny holes is still the best in the NFL, and there's still not a better running back to build an offense around.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: A
The receivers and tight ends continue to step up no matter who is under center, not making big "wow" plays but producing despite subpar people throwing them the ball. The big hero of the day was tight end John Carlson, who caught seven passes for 98 yards on the day, starting for the injured Kyle Rudolph. Carlson had ten catches for 104 yards coming into this game as a Viking, so needless to say this performance was both unexpected and impressive. Carlson should be receiving a game ball in that locker room. Cordarrelle Patterson also caught his first offensive touchdown pass as a pro football player, and though the rookie still isn't involved that much in the offense he still impresses in his action.

Offensive Line: B-
The offensive line had its up and down moments today, but with two new starters this week this line has to be complimented for allowing the skill positions to make plays, which is there job. The Vikings' pass protection wasn't perfect, but Ponder and Cassel were given a chance on every play except for one first half Ponder sack. Right tackle J'Marcus Webb also missed a big block on a screen pass that was almost intercepted. In terms of run blocking, the line performed below average, but with Adrian Peterson the line only needs to let him slip through the line a few times in order to get big gains. The line could still be playing better, but they certainly didn't hold this offense back today.

Defense: C+
After the first half, this defense was about to get a giant F, but a second half redemption allowed this unit to salvage its grade and get the win. Four sacks on Robert Griffin III and plenty of pressure helped the Vikings slow down the Washington attack in the last 30 minutes. The defensive line took over the game after being disappointing for most of the year by slowing down the Washington rushing attack and giving help to the other levels of the defense. Not to mention, this defense was finally able to step it up at the end of the game. That's progress people!

Defensive Line: B
The defensive line looked like they were in rough shape in the first half, as while they were able to pressure RGIII they weren't able to bring him down, and the Redskins run game with running back Alfred Morris was churning up yards on the ground. In the second half though, Alfred Morris had a lot less room to run and the Vikings finally started getting home. The MVP of this line today has to be Kevin Williams, who tallied 2.5 sacks, his first multi-sack game since 2009. That second half was the kind of performance the Vikings need to see from this defensive line, as this team goes the way the line goes much of the time.

Linebackers: C-
The Vikings linebackers are still nothing to write home about, even though each of them made some really nice plays during the game today pressuring RGIII. Their problems came when they were asked to tackle in space, as there were plenty of times where Alfred Morris would be able to shrug off a tackle too easily or RGIII would be able to dart around the outside. Play-fakes also continue to give this unit trouble, as the linebackers bit hard on several different looks by RGIII that led to some big plays over the middle for the Redskin offense.

Secondary: C+
The Vikings' secondary still leaves plenty to be desired, but for the second game in a row these guys didn't play bad football despite having three of their opening day starters out due to injury. Andrew Sendejo could be seen around the ball frequently all night, but he as well as many other secondary members failed to wrap up Alfred Morris on a few separate occasions. Communication with this unit seems to be much improved across the board, as they only play where people seemed wildly out of position was a late first half touchdown for the Redskins, where multiple people were open in the back of the end zone. Hopefully that's a sign that some of the young guys on this squad are starting to grow up.

Coaching: B
The coaching staff overall has not done a tremendous job this season, but a win is a win and this staff deserves to bask in some credit over the course of this long week. The biggest thing the coaches did was activating this defensive line at halftime. Whether that was due to motivational factors or adjustment in scheme I don't know, but whatever they did worked. Leslie Fraizer will also be questioned for using a timeout late in the game, but really he shouldn't receive any flak for that move, because clearly it worked. I actually think a timeout there was very beneficial, as the Redskins were going to have plenty of time to run their last plays no matter what (they were already in a goal to go situation so had only so many plays they could run) and the defense looked tired (the Vikings only had 44 players dressed due to injuries). Plus, the defense was likely thinking about not wanting to blow another late lead. The timeout really seemed to calm the players down and the result: goal line stand. Ball game.

NFL Game Picks: Week 10

Just when you think you know how a season is going, one simple play can change the entire dynamic on a conference. I am referring to, of course, the collarbone fracture suffered by Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers that looks like it will sideline him for at least four games. Luckily for the Packers, their first three games sans Rodgers will be against the up and down Eagles, the 2-6 Giants and the currently 1-7 Minnesota Vikings. If you were ever going to lose a star quarterback, that's a pretty good stretch of games to lose him for. The big  question for the Packers will be, can backup Seneca Wallace take advantage of that schedule to keep this  team on track? The race for the NFC North division and the last wild card spot in the NFC looks like it's going to be a tough race, and the Packers can't afford to lose any ground. Will the Lions rise up to take the division, which would be their first division title since the NFC North was created? (they last won their division in 1993, back when they were in the NFC Central) This week they will be blocked by the Chicago Bears, who must feel like their season has new life with the injury to Rodgers and the big divisional win they were able to get against the Packers on the road. What once seemed like a division containing only one truly elite team will now likelly result in a three-way race to the finish, it was has suddenly become the division race to see in the NFL. Here are my picks for this exciting week in the NFL, as I try to keep improving my record this year! (I went 8-5 last week for a total record of 79-54 on the year)

Byes this week: Patriots, Browns, Chiefs, Jets

Redskins at Vikings
28-24 Redskins
I already wrote about this game for my Vikings' weekly preview (go and check it out!) so I won't go into too much detail again, but the main points include that the Vikings likely won't be able to shut down the Redskins' run game, and it's possible that this locker room has already given up on coach Leslie Fraizer.

Seahawks at Falcons
21-14 Seahawks
The Seahawks offense has been anything but impressive the last two weeks, surviving a match-up with the winless Buccaneers by the skin of their teeth. Luckily for this team, the Atlanta Falcons' defense is not a scary unit to face, so Russel Wilson and company should have no problem surviving for another week as they wait for some of their offensive line to get healthy. Seattle's big corners should be able to take away some of Matt Ryan's targets too, so Matty Ice is going to likely stay cold for another week.

Bills at Steelers
Bills 24-23
Is it possible to call any game with the Steelers losing an upset at this point? Still, with the Steelers at home and with many questions about this Bills team this likely isn't going to be a popular pick. The Bills will get back rookie quarterback EJ Manuel for this contest after he's missed time from a knee injury, and that excitement may provide enough of a spark for this team to beat out the older and slower Steelers. CJ Spiller looks a lot healthier, and if he can get moving then no one on the Steeler roster will be able to catch him. Mario Williams has also got to be salivating looking at the match-up with the Steelers' offensive line. Expect a few sacks from him on the day, for sure one late in the game that ices the game in the Bills' favor.

Lions at Bears
33-17 Lions
The Lions take control of the NFC North with a big win in the Windy City, and as you can see I don't even have this game close. The Bears' defense has been pretty rough these past few weeks, and Reggie Bush and Calvin Johnson should both be able to have big days because the Bears don't have a player on defense that can hope to slow down either one of them. The Bears may have Charles Tillman back to line up with Johnson, but asking the hobbled and older Tillman to keep up with Megatron for a full 60 minutes might be too much of a stretch at this point. The Bears may get Jay Cutler back, but Cutler may not be ready to retake command in the huddle and he certainly did not impress in his last game against Detroit.

Bengals at Ravens
Bengals 21-18
For the Ravens, this game equates to a must-win because any division loss at this point could make an AFC North title a pipe dream. With All-Pro defensive tackle Geno Atkins out for the Bengals the Ravens might have a chance to take advantage....if their run game wasn't so pedestrian. While the Ravens' offensive line isn't top quality, there's no question some holes for their running backs have been available, Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce just haven't been able to take advantage. People praised general manager Ozzie Newsome's work this offseason in rebuilding this Super Bowl champion team to make sure it was competitive in the future, at least on defense, but it seems Ozzie overlooked that the other side of the ball needed just as much work.

Eagles at Packers
27-17 Eagles
So, Nick Foles, who just tied an NFL record with seven touchdown passes in a game, or Seneca Wallace? Call me crazy, but I think Nick Foles is going to scare a lot of Packers' fans this weekend by putting the Packers on the outside of the playoff picture. The Packers are going to have to rely on rookie Eddie Lacy to carry this offense, and the Eagles will likely be ready by putting a safety in the box and daring the Pack to throw. While the Eagles secondary has been no great shakes this season, against the run this team is pretty solid and may at least force the Packers into a few third and longs. Can Seneca be trusted to convert those? Packers fans may not like the answer.

Jaguars at Titans
20-7 Titans
CJ2K looks like he's back and the Jaguars have the worst ranked run defense in the NFL. The most exciting football game Jaguars' fans should watch this weekend will be Thursday night's big college showdown between Oregon and Stanford, because Marcus Mariota may be in fact be under center for this team next year. The debate between Teddy Bridgewater and Mariota, should he choose to forfeit his eligibility and declare for the draft, should be a lot more fun than the real football currently being played in Jacksonville.

Rams at Colts
30-13 Colts
The Rams may have a shot in this game if their defensive line is able to generate solid pressure on Andrew Luck, but as evidenced last week Luck usually is able to overcome his team's flaws and give them a win. Zac Stacy should be leaned on heavily for the Rams in order to decrease the number of possessions for Luck and company, but Stacy has been phenomenal these past few weeks and the Rams offense has still failed to put up many points. That's what happens when Kellen Clemens is your starting quarterback.

Raiders at Giants
18-17 Giants
The Giants have always had at least a four game winning streak each full season with Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning, and with the Raiders and the Packers as the next teams on their schedule that streak might actually not end even in a pretty dismal year. Terrell Pryor has a knee injury coming into this game that could limit his effectiveness with his legs, and thus limit the effectiveness of this Raider offense. Also, after getting torched by the Eagle offense last week the Raider defense doesn't look prepared to stop anybody, even an offense that has struggled as much as the Giants.

Panthers at 49ers
31-27 49ers
The Carolina Panthers have been on a tear the past four games of their season, but those wins have often come against weaker competition. Well, this week they take on the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park so their mettle is certainly going to be tested. The San Francisco 49ers have been playing great football as of late, and coming off of the bye Jim Harbaugh will most likely have this team ready to make a play for the NFC West title. Step one is getting his defense to slow down a lights-out Cam Newton, but if any defense can do it, the 49ers can.

Broncos at Chargers
Broncos 35-33
Two of the top quarterbacks in the NFL are going head to head in a big divisional bout, in what should be one of the more exciting games of the week. The Broncos are going to have to play through the loss of their head coach John Fox, but with Peyton Manning behind center, that offense will run itself anyway. Neither defense is that talented or is likely to make a statement, so it's up to these offenses to not give these defenses any freebies in terms of turnovers. With Peyton Manning coming off a bye week, expect him to top Philip Rivers, one of the few quarterbacks he doesn't have a winning record against.

Texans at Cardinals
Cardinals 21-20
The Texans have to be excited about what they're seeing from quarterback Case Keenum, the only problem is that his play has not resulted in any wins yet. Getting a win in this game might prove to be elusive as well, as the Cardinals have played very tough at home, beating two competitive teams there in the Lions and Panthers. The Cardinal defense is chock full of quality players, and another week without Arian Foster could lead to Keenum coming up just short yet again, especially because Gary Kubiak will not be on the sideline to call plays.

Cowboys at Saints
Saints 34-27
The Saints have to be frustrated after their second loss of the season, while the Dallas offense and defense struggled at home last week against the Minnesota Vikings. The Saints should get some of their weapons healthy this week which should provide some extra firepower to take down the Dallas offense. While the Cowboys are getting pass rusher DeMarcus Ware back, he most likely will not be one hundred percent right away, which should lead to the Saints taking care of business at home.

Dolphins at Buccaneers
Dolphins 24-20
The battle of Florida should lean Miami's way, despite all of the off the field drama surrounding the team right now. Tampa Bay fought bravely in Seattle for a while last week but in the end Russel Wilson was able to pull off a miraculous comeback. Is this team likely to rise up again under Greg Schiano? It does not seem likely, even though Mike Glennon has shown plenty of promise in his limited action as a starter, taking care of the football and moving the offense.

Vikings Week 10 Preview: Will the Redskins run all over town?

Note: Due to the Vikings' short week this week, the game preview will come today instead of Friday as per usual, and weekly Power Rankings will be delayed until Friday!

After another last-minute loss Sunday, the Vikings have dropped down to 1-7 after half of their schedule, tied for the worst start to a season in their franchise history (tied with their first year of existence, 1961). With one more loss, these Vikings will have the worst start in franchise history, and in order to avoid that they will have to defeat the Washington Redskins at home on a short week. The Vikings have to wash away that loss to the Dallas Cowboys Sunday fast, as their schedule neccessitates a quick turnaround because kickoff is already tomorrow, Thursday night, for their date with RGIII. The Vikings showed some nice adjustments in the Dallas game on offense, and even their injured secondary showed some improvement, but they will have to hope that improvement holds even after a heartbreaking comeback spoiled an otherwise decent performance in Jerry World. The Redskins, meanwhile, are coming off of an overtime win where their defense made a big goal-line stand at the end of regulation, and have to believe they are still in the division race in a weak NFC East. Will the Vikings be able to end those hopes? Here's the many more questions this game will provide, as the Vikings try to save face in front of their home crowd:

Offense
How will this offense function without Kyle Rudolph?
The Vikings suffered a major injury on Sunday, when they found out that a foot injury will cause tight end Kyle Rudolph to miss over a month of the season. It's fair to wonder whether we'll see Rudolph on the field again this year, as most likely he would only be able to return for the final two games of the season and it's almost guaranteed the Vikings will not be playing for anything at that point. The loss of Rudolph takes away of the Vikings biggest (literally) threats in the passing game, as the other tight ends on the roster don't have Rudolph's size or athletic ability. Once Rudolph left last week Musgrave did not mix up the play calling and had backup John Carlson run the same routes as Rudolph, but Carlson doesn't have the athletic ability to make those plays work. That means the Vikings should start to lean on their wide receivers more, hopefully rookie Cordarrelle Patterson, but the emphasis is on the "should" there, because Musgrave's lack of adjustments is one of the biggest knocks on him as a play-caller.

Can J'Marcus Webb hold up the right side?
Right tackle Phil Loadholt will miss Thurday's actions with a concussion, which means former Bears' left tackle J'Marcus Webb will take over the right side for the game against the Redskins. Webb certainly did not impress in his action with the Bears last year, and in the limited game action he saw last week he was not impressive, giving up a pressure that led to a Christian Ponder fumble and a defensive touchdown for the Cowboys. Will the Redskins overload Webb's side and be able to get pressure on Ponder? More importantly, can Webb be trusted enough to open holes for Adrian Peterson?\

Can this team exploit another bad defense?
The Vikings' offense had life to it for the first time in a while in Dallas, where Bill Musgrave came out running a no-huddle that seemed to make Christian Ponder more comfortable and the offense more effective as a whole. Will Musgrave keep in those adjustments and keep feeding the ball to Adrian Peterson, who looked like his MVP self against the Cowboys? The Redskins' defense ranks 30th in yards allowed and 31st in points allowed, so there's hope that this offense can come together and at least have a somewhat respectable performance.

Defense
Can this defense hold Washington's ground game in check?
The Washington Redskins' identity on offense is running the football, plain and simple. Everything they do on offense is predicated their ability to run the ball, as when this team is forced to play from behind it doesn't look like RGIII is healthy enough to carry this offense on his own. Last week the Vikings were very solid against the run, causing the Cowboys to become one-dimensional and throw the ball 51 times, and while the Redskins will likely never abandon the run as much as the Cowboys did, if the Vikings can at least shift their run/pass ratio to the pass side this team has a much better chance of success.

Will the defensive line be able to apply pressure on RGIII?
The Vikings' defensive line was very active against the Cowboys, and they're going to need to be again if they want to walk out of the Metrodome with a win Thursday night. RGIII has wilted when pressured often this year, as he fell apart when the Denver Broncos were able to hit him early on. RGIII likes to take hits a little bit too much for his own health, and the defensive line with have to oblige him on that front because when RGIII starts to take hits it affects his accuracy and his movement in the pocket. If the defensive line can get pressure like they did last week and take RGIII out of his game, the Vikings may be able to avoid a potential disaster.

How healthy will this secondary be?
The big question for this defense will be how many available members of the secondary the Vikings will have to suit up for this game. Rookie cornerback Xavier Rhodes seems likely to be ready to go on Thursday night after leaving the Cowboys game, but cornerback Chris Cook and safety JaMarcus Sanford might be not dressed for the second game in a row. The Vikings' secondary depth was very up and down last week against the Cowboys, as players like AJ Jefferson stepped up and made some plays, while others like Mistral Raymond looked like they had no idea where they were on the field. The Washington Redskins don't have nearly the arsenal of weapons that the Dallas Cowboys have, so will this secondary by able to step up for at least another week to give this team a shot to win?

Coaching
Has this staff lost this team?
After the loss to Dallas, for the first time this season some Vikings players outright criticized play-calling and coaching decisions for the first time through the media. Is this a sign that the players are already starting to give up on this coaching staff and that the coaches may have lost the trust of the locker room? Winning cures everything, but if the Vikings come up short Thursday night again the criticisms from players will only get more vocal.

NFL Week 9 Tuesday Whip-Around: NFL Teams now on Jerry Kill plan

Two huge storylines emerged this week from the NFL, the tragic health scares for Broncos' coach Jon Fox and Texans' coach Gary Kubiak, and then the bullying saga in Miami between Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito. The latter is could win up being a critical story for the development in the culture of the NFL but the NFL's path should be clear here: eliminate hazing and bullying. I'll wait on the story for now because I'm sure multiple reports will be seen in the coming days where other teams analyze their own locker room situation, to truly determine whether Incognitio's actions were an exception or a rule. As for the other story, the healthy scares for Fox and Kubiak are both extremely startling and I wish both a swift and healthy recovery. The life of an NFL head coach involves constant stress, so while these two incidents should not be taken lightly, it is amazing that this is not an uncommon occurrence. It truly takes a special kind of person to lead a NFL team. Broncos' defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio will be in charge during Fox's absence, which will stretch into several weeks, while defensive coordinator Wade Philips should only have to be in charge for about a week in Houston. The situation these teams find themselves in is remarkably similar to the one the Minnesota Golden Gophers find themselves in now in college football, with head coach Jerry Kill off of the sideline to deal with epilepsy. The Gophers have actually won big games with Kill off of the sideline, and the reason why should be a lesson for these NFL franchises. Kill has an informed and dedicated staff that has worked with him for a while and knows how has he has constructed his team and how he wants a game to be run. Del Rio and Philips both have previous NFL head coaching experience, so we'll see if they have learned enough from their supervisors to keep the ships upright for both of these teams. Once again, get well soon gentlemen, and here's the other takeaways from Week 9 in the NFL:

Dolphins 22, Bengals 20 (OT)

1. Well, you don't see a walk-off safety in overtime every day! Cameron Wake's return really energized the Miami defense, who really don't have a star player without him.
2. This was a great game for young running backs, as Lamar Miller played up to his potential for one game with 105 rushing yards, and Giovanni Bernard had one of the craziest touchdown runs in history on his way to gaining 79 yards on just nine carries.
3. The loss of Geno Atkins for the season is a huge blow to any Cincinnati Super Bowl dreams. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer could launch himself to the top of owners' head-coach wish list this offseason if he keeps this unit near the top of the NFL.

Chiefs 23, Bills 13

1. CJ Spiller looked a lot healthier this week after taking a game off to rest, showing the explosion we though we'd see all year (116 yards on 12 carries).
2. The Chiefs defense gave up 470 net yards to the Bills and their undrafted rookie quarterback, but they still outscored the Bills' offense 14-13. Will that be the case against better competition later in the year?
3. The Chiefs may actually may need to give Jamaal Charles the ball more, which feels like a weird thing to say. He only rushed the ball 17 times versus 29 pass attempts for Alex Smith, which should not be the ratio the Chiefs live by unless they're keeping Charles on a pitch count to make sure he's fresh for the playoffs.

Carolina 34, Falcons 10

1. Another beatdown by Carolina against a weaker opponent. The big question will be if they can hang with a quality team like New England next week.
2. Matt Ryan's "cold streak" continues with three more interceptions this week, including his first pick six since 2010.
3. Well Falcons, can you admit now with six losses that your season is just about done? And now it's too late to trade Tony Gonzelez...

Jets 26, Saints 20

1. Rex Ryan was ready to outsmart Sean Payton on this day and give his team the win in the Superdome, constantly finding creative ways to apply pressure to Drew Brees.
2. The good old "ground and pound" was the key for the Jets in this win, with 198 rushing yards, led by angry ex-Saint Chris Ivory who ran for 139.
3. The play of the game: on 4th and inches halfway through the fourth quarter the Saints call a reverse that goes for negative eight yards. That one was a little too cute Sean Payton, might want to take it out of the playbook.

Titans 28, Rams 21

1. Hello Chris Johnson! CJ2K returned, rushing for 150 yards and scoring his first two rushing touchdowns of the season.
2. Zac Stacy is pretty good. 27 carries for 127 yards and two touchdowns isn't bad for a rookie 5th round pick.
3. Two back to back close losses for the Rams, as Kellen Clemens has played better than expected but not well enough to get wins.

Redskins 30, Chargers 24 (OT)

1. RGIII was a lot better than last week, but the kid still hasn't learned to avoid hits.
2. Pierre Garcon stepped it up this week after ripping his team's passing game through the media, catching seven passes for a total of 172 yards.
3. The Chargers had first and goal at the one yard line with under 30 seconds left and two timeouts and had to settle for overtime. That sequence may come back to haunt them at the end of December when they could be fighting for a playoff spot.

Eagles 49, Raiders 20

1. So Nick Foles was perfect this week. Literally perfect, with seven touchdown (which tied the NFL record) and a perfect passer rating. Michael Vick may be staying on the bench now.
2. What happened to this Raider defense? One week it was balling, the next it's being destroyed in less than three quarters.
3. The Raider ground game was at least successful on the day, but that's not really a good thing when you're playing from behind the entire game.

Seahawks 27, Buccaneers 24 (OT)

1. How does Seattle get back in this game after being dominated 21-0 deep into the second quarter? Take it all in Greg Schiano, because week in and week out you prove that you don't belong.
2. This was definitely Mike Glennon's best day as a pro so far. He was mechanically sound, made some big throws for his team and avoided any big rookie mistakes. For playing in Seattle against a great secondary, he was pretty good.
3. The Seahawks looked mortal at home for the first time in a while, and they need Percy Harvin to get back on the field quick to help them out.

Browns 24, Ravens 18

1. Rod Chudzinski has made both Jason Campbell and Brian Hoyer look like Pro Bowlers so far this season. Imagine when he gets his own quarterback.
2. Neither of these teams can run the ball. Joe Flacco was the Ravens' leading rusher and Willis McGahee got only 31 yards on 21 carries.
3. The Ravens' playoff hopes are officially on life support just a season after this team was hoisting the Lombardi. All those offseason losses have come back to haunt this team, as it can't seem to find an identity and handing Joe Flacco big money doesn't look like it was a great idea.

Patriots 55, Steelers 31

1. The Patriots offense has life again! Now can they stay healthy enough to sustain this success?
2. On the other side, this Steeler defense seems to have gone from ancient to legally dead. It will be very interesting to see whose heads roll this offseason in the Steel City after a season that went farther off the rails than anyone could have expected.
3. The Patriots offense stepped up just in time, because with all the injuries to the defense that unit has become a little shaky. Giving up 31 points to the Steelers is an omen that shouldn't be ignored.

Colts 27, Texans 24

1. Once again, all the best wishes to Gary Kubiak and his family. His removal from the sideline clearly affected his team, both from the loss of his demeanor and the loss of his play-calling ability.
2. Case Keenum gave the Texans more to chew on this week, as his mobility and deep ball skills have become huge assets for this offense.
3. Andrew Luck game winning drive count: 10. Luck was far from perfect and his protection was shaky, but he just seems to turn the magin on in the 4th quarter.

Bears 27, Packers 20

1. What a good day for Marc Trestman, who showed his system can work even with a backup quarterback and proved he's got guts when he went for it on 4th and one in his own territory and succeeded. 
2. Eddie Lacy really wants to be offensive rookie of the year, taking 22 carries for 150 yards and carrying an offense that was struggling.
3. Oh, and Aaron Rodgers was injured during the first quarter of this game and never returned. Not surprisingly, the passing game went with him. It is not hyperbole to see that the extent of Rodgers' injury could prove the deciding factor in this division race. The NFC North just got a whole lot more interesting.

Crushing Loss to Cowboys: Vikings prove that Romo can, in fact, be clutch

Well, here we go again. That's what Vikings players must have said to themselves after Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo threw a touchdown pass to give the Cowboys a 27-23 lead with 35 seconds left. After a ghastly showing on Sunday night, the Vikings were a very pleasant surprise for most of Sunday, playing the Cowboys tight and even holding a lead late despite fielding a secondary missing almost all of its opening day starters outside of Josh Robinson. It was assumed the Cowboys would be able to exert their will through the air, but this secondary played tough and physical and gave a much better effort than anyone could have expected. Adrian Peterson, a Texas native, gave his friends and family at the game something to cheer about, having his best game since week four in London. Another Texas native for the Vikings, Christian Ponder, had perhaps his least disastrous outing of the year, but he still failed in the same areas he always has to show why he should remain on the bench. This was an encouraging game to see after three games that could only be described as disasters, two of them in prime time, but the Vikings know they aren't getting any brownie points for this loss. The team has now dropped to 1-7, and if they lose their Thursday night match-up with the Redskins they will officially have the worse start to a season in franchise history.

Offense: B-
After pretty putrid showings the last few weeks, the offense was able to have some success Sunday, and came ever so close to giving this team a win. The Vikings ran a no huddle offense for most of the day Sunday, and the result was a clear increased comfort level for Christian Ponder. The offense also made it a point to feed Adrian Peterson the ball, as AP had been getting the ball an inexcusably low number of times the past two weeks. The offense still has a lot of work to do though, as two turnovers by the Vikings ended up being crucial by the end of the game, one of them being a strip sack for a touchdown. This offense showed a lot of heart though, heart that had been absent the past two weeks, as receivers and backs were fighting for the football and extra yards. At least this team was able to make this game entertaining, but  failures to produce first downs near the end of the game led to this team coming up short.

Quarterback: C+
Ponder was not awful on Sunday, but there's no question the Vikings will still be looking for help at the quarterback position this offseason. Ponder fared a lot better running a no-huddle today, making quick decisions for the most part and leading some nice drives. That said, there were times where Ponder also held onto the ball too long, such as the play that led to his strip-sack, and some of his throws were just way off of the marker. Ponder did some of the things he's become known for, scrambling early on some plays and leaving open receivers stranded on the field. He produced today though, and kept this team close throughout the game, so it's likely we'll see Ponder again Thursday night against the Redskins.

Running Backs: A
The Vikings decided to actually give the ball to #28 today, and he did not disappoint when they did. Peterson looked like his MVP self again, beating defenses even with multiple people in the box and taking off for some big gains, including a 52 yard run. His most impressive run though, came on 4th and one at the 11, where Peterson found a hole and fought off multiple Cowboys defenders on his way to a touchdown. Surprise surprise, this offense is at its best when AP gets the ball, as his 25 carries today were more than his past two games combined.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: A
Once again, the Vikings' weapons didn't have a quarterback that was really able to take advantage of their talents, but they played hard regardless. Recievers fought for balls, as Jerome Simpson and Jarius Wright made some extremely tight catches in traffic. Greg Jennings and Kyle Rudolph had some serious yards after the catch on the day, especially when Rudolph fougth off multiple defenders to find the end zone for a 31 yard score. Finally, the most underrated play of the game came from tight end Chase Ford, who was just activated from the practice squad, who helped push AP into the end zone for a touchdown. The Viking weapons were balling today, which makes the prospect of above average quarterback play in Minnesota all the more enticing.

Offensive Line: C
The Vikings offensive line is in the midst of a pretty disappointing season, and they did nothing to change that perception in Dallas. The Cowboys' defensive line was the clear winner at the line of scrimmage, often finding Peterson in the backfield or applying pressure to Ponder. The line was able to open up enough holes for Peterson to allow him to have an exceptional day, but too many times Peterson was met in the backfield by white jerseys. Ponder's strip-sack was a game changing play that the offensive line is at least partially responsible for, as backup right tackle J'Marcus Webb was beat around the edge and let the Cowboys get the heat on Ponder.

Defense: C
Well the Vikings defense wasn't atrocious, but another last minute touchdown drive spoiled what could have been a triumphant day for this team. The defense did play hard despite not having starting safeties JaMarcus Sanford and Harrison Smith, as well as corners Chris Cook and Xavier Rhodes by the end of the game. The defensive line stepped up to help out the secondary, getting good pressure on quarterback Tony Romo and shutting down the Dallas run game. The Vikings will have to settle for a moral victory though, because in the end Romo still led the Cowboys down the field at the end of the game. At this point of the season though, moral victories may be all this team has left.

Defensive Line: A-
The defensive line for the Vikings had one of its better days of the year, totaling three sacks against the Cowboys while also shutting down their runnning game and forcing Dallas to take to the air almost the entire day. The Cowboys threw the ball 51 times compared to just nine runs, and those nine runs just went for 36 yards. The defensive line was able to pressure Tony Romo often, and their three sacks helped kill two Cowboy drives that looked promising. This defensive line still isn't the dominating unit the Vikings hoped that it would be, but they played a very solid game at Jerry World.

Linebackers: D
The linebackers on this team continue to disappoint, as when they are forced to cover they find the task nearly impossible. Erin Henderson, Chad Greenway and Marvin Mitchell were caught out of position several different times on the day by Tony Romo, and without a running game for the Cowboys the three really had little use in the defense. An Erin Henderson personal foul penalty also kept a Dallas drive alive after the Vikings had just stopped them on third down. The biggest mistake the linebackers made was being fooled on play fakes, which seems perplexing because the run game shouldn't have been a concern for the Vikings at all. The Vikings probably would have taken more linebackers off the field if only they had more members of their secondary healthy.

Secondary: B-
This secondary did not look like the worst unit in the NFL on this day, and that actually constitutes as an improvement for the Vikings. Romo threw 51 times on this secondary, but was only ("only") able to come up with 337 yards. The Vikings cornerbacks actually got their first interception of the season on the day, as AJ Jefferson of all people cut off a Terrance Williams route and picked off the pass. This was also one of the better days we've seen by young players like Xavier Rhodes (before leaving due to injury), Josh Robinson and Andrew Senedjo, though the three still weren't always in perfect position. There were still some clear weak efforts by Marcus Sherels and Mistral Raymond, as Sherels struggled in the nickel role and Raymond missed several tackles in limited action. The only question is: why can't these guys play this close when they're healthy?

Special Teams: B-
The Vikings special teams' unit had another interesting day, as they always seem to come up with a couple big plays but also make a few weird mistakes. Today, those big plays came in the return game, as Cordarrelle Patterson showed that he's still perhaps the best kick returner in the game right now with some solid returns, and Marcus Sherels had a big punt return as well that set the Vikings up in Dallas territory. The issues for the Vikings came in a few different places. Patterson couldn't handle one kickoff and set the Vikings up at their own five. The next play was the deadly strip-sack. Blair Walsh also missed an extra point, the first time in his career he has done so. The miss could have been a big break for Dallas, as it put the Vikings only ahead three points instead of four, meaning a field goal by Dallas could tie the game. While Romo's touchdown made the miss a non-factor in the score, it may have given Leslie Fraizer cause to pause when the Vikings had a shot at a long field goal later that could have made it a six point game. Instead, Fraizer opted to punt, and the Vikings needed a touchdown instead of a field goal to win the game.

Coaching: C+
The Vikings coaches clearly tried in this game. They mixed things up, letting Ponder run the no-huddle to give him confidence and making sure they fed Adrian Peterson the ball. The defense looked prepared and ready to execute, more than they have in recent weeks. It still wasn't enough, and there were still some questionable in-game decisions that will have fans and players scratching their heads. Fraizer punting instead of kicking a field goal or going for the first down late opened up the door for a Cowboys' comeback. I've said it before: you have to play for the win in the NFL, not leave the fate of the game in your opponent's hands. The Vikings have done that multiple times this year. The two-minute defense still stinks, and after the game players openly questioned the calls that were made. That's not a good sign. The coaching staff has at least done well not to create a dsyfunctional locker room situation despite a bad record, but it looks like frustrations are finally starting to boil over, which is very bad news for the fate of these coaches.

NFL Midseason Report: I am a dumb person

With the halfway point of the NFL season now upon us, it's time to look back at my preseason predictions and do a little update as to how I see things working out now!! This is probably going to be an embarrassing exercise, as several were my preseason predictions were just a little off (just a little!). Let's start with looking at some updated playoff seedings and record predictions:

AFC
1. Denver Broncos: 13-3
2. Indianapolis Colts: 12-4
3. Cincinnati Bengals: 11-5
4. New England Patriots: 11-5
5. Kansas City Chiefs: 12-4
6. San Diego Chargers: 9-7
Just Outside - New York Jets: 8-8; Tennessee Titans: 8-8

I'm still sticking strong with my record predictions for Cincinnati and New England, and the Broncos still are my #1 seed in the AFC playoffs, so there's that! However, I underestimated the Colts and the Chiefs this year, as now I think the Colts have the potential for a playoff bye after I only had them in as a wild card team. I also thought Philip Rivers was unfixable, but he's been fixed already. He's now a legitimate MVP candidate and I think he'll be able to navigated his team through a tough second half schedule to get into the playoffs.

NFC
1. Seattle Seahawks: 14-2
2. Green Bay Packers: 13-3
3. New Orleans Saints: 12-4
4. Dallas Cowboys: 9-7
5. San Francisco 49ers: 12-4
6. Detroit Lions: 10-6
Just Outside - Carolina Panthers: 9-7; Chicago Bears: 8-8

I picked the 49ers to win the NFC West against my better judgement, but I still believe that the 49ers are Super Bowl contenders this year. The Saints defense has played far better than I could have imagined, while the entire NFC East is playing much worse than I could have ever dreamed of. The Cowboys might not even make it to nine wins, but eight will still probably enough to win that division. The Lions have been a solid team this year and seem to have matured as a team much better than I anticipated, and Matthew Stafford looks like his Pro Bowl 2011 self and not the disaster-self of 2012.

Awards Predictions
MVP - Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos. Runner up - Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers. Sleeper - Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts

Offensive Player of the Year - Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos. Runner up - Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions. Sleeper - Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Defensive Player of the Year - Justin Houston, OLB, Kansas City Chiefs. Runner up - Robert Mathis, OLB, Indianapolis Colts. Sleeper - Aqib Talib, CB, New England Patriots

Offensive Rookie of the Year - Eddie Lacy, RB, Green Bay Packers. Runner up - Keenan Allen, WR, San Diego Chargers. Sleeper - Larry Warford, OG, Detroit Lions

Defensive Rookie of the Year - Kiko Alonso, LB, Buffalo Bills. Runner up - Sheldon Richardson, DT, New York Jets. Sleeper - Kenny Vaccaro, S, New Orleans Saints

Coach of the Year - Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs. Runner up - Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints. Sleeper - Mike McCoy, San Diego Chargers

Playoff Predictions
Wild Card Round:
#3 Bengals vs #6 Bengals - Winner = Bengals
#3 Saints vs #6 Lions - Winner = Saints
#4 Cowboys vs #5 49ers - Winner = 49ers
#4 Patriots vs #5 Chiefs - Winner = Chiefs

Divisional Round:
#1 Broncos vs #5 Chiefs - Winner = Broncos
#1 Seahawks vs #5 49ers - Winner = Seahawks
#2 Packers vs #3 Saints - Winner = Saints
#2 Colts vs #3 Bengals - Winner = Colts

Championship Round:
#1 Broncos vs #2 Colts - Winner = Broncos
#1 Seahawks vs #3 Saints - Winner = Saints

Super Bowl:
Denver Broncos vs New Orleans Saints
And you're winner is.....
The New Orleans Saints!

There you have it, there's all my predictions for the rest of this NFL season, here's hoping they're at least a little more accurate than my preseason predictions! That's at least doable, right?

Vikings Week 9 Preview: Dallas' Dez ready to Dominate?

For their eight game of the season, the Vikings (1-6) limp on to Jerry World to play the Dallas Cowboys (4-4), who are just coming off an emotional last second loss to the Detroit Lions. The loss was especially noticeable because receiver Dez Bryant became extremely demonstrative on the sideline to quarterback Tony Romo, most likely about not receiving the ball enough because Dez wasn't highly involved in his offense while across the field Calvin Johnson was having one of the best days for a wide receiver in NFL history. Think Dez was even angrier after Dallas blew their lead and had to crawl back home in defeat? Expect Tony Romo to look Bryant's way a little bit more often in this game, which should scare plenty of Vikings' fans, because there's few catches that man cannot make. In terms of the Vikings, we've almost reached the "same old, same old" point to this season, where the same problems surface in each and every game to various degrees and it seems that at this point a turnaround just is not going to happen. It's tough to ever say a team is just playing for a draft pick, but the Vikings are playing for a draft pick before the halfway point in their season. It's 2011 all over again. As always, here's the big questions of both sides of the ball facing the Vikings as they travel into the heart of Dallas:

Offense
Why is Christian Ponder in this game?
This is the question that plenty of fans have to be asking themselves going into this game, as for the second week in a row the team has gone back to Christian Ponder as its starting quarterback rather than Josh Freeman or Matt Cassel. Freeman appears to be healthy, and if so it was assumed by many that he would start because at this point in the season all that's left to do is decided whether Freeman has a shot at being a long term answer or not. If they've already decided that Freeman isn't that guy, then why not put in Cassel, who has outplayed Ponder and at least given this team a win this season? Ponder struggled at home last week against an injured Packers' defense, and the organization no longer has any justifiable reason to start him, so why is he in this game?

Will Adrian Peterson get to actually carry the ball?
In the three games since the Vikings have come off the bye week, Adrian Peterson has been given the ball 36 times despite the Vikings starting three different quarterbacks in those games. The reigning MVP has only 150 yards during that span, and is now well off of his pace for 2,500 yards. Why is this happening? Certainly the Vikings have been behind recently, but this is a team that should pride itself on running the ball even when they're behind. Adrian Peterson is the best home run threat at running back in NFL history, he's still your most explosive player on offense. Feed this man the ball Musgrave, and I never thought I would have to argue for that.

Is there any hope the Vikings will be able to take advantage of the worst pass defense in the NFL?
The Cowboys are currently ranked 32nd in the NFL in passing yards per game, averaging giving up over 300 yards through the air in each of their contests. Is Christian Ponder man enough to step up and start slinging it all over these guys? Survey says: no.

Defense
Is stopping the run at least a possibility?
There weren't a lot of positives for the Vikings' defense last week, especially on third down, but at least they have the potential to face a more one-dimensional offense than they did last week. The Cowboys are currently dealing with an injury to running back DeMarco Murray, and they have struggled to run the ball in his absence. In their last two games, the Cowboys are averaging only 68 rushing yards on a 2.6 yards per carry average. If the defensive line can step up and force the Cowboys to abandon the run early, at least they might have a shot to pin their ears back and rush the passer and cover. It could certainly force the Cowboys into more 3rd and longs, and quarterbacks not named Aaron Rodgers tend to struggle with those.

Can the defense get Tony Romo to look away from Dez?
There's no doubt that Tony Romo is going to want to look Dez Bryant's way against the Vikings, as the wide receiver has an unbelievable knack for making tough catches. Luckily for the Vikings though, Romo tends to shy on the conservative side of things so it is possible to take Bryant out of a game, or at least minimize his impact. Last week against the Lions Romo almost always looked away from Dez when he was double covered, even though Dez has the ability to grab the ball in traffic, instead targeting rookie Terrance Williams ten times. Since Williams was often Romo's second or third read, Romo's accuracy to the rookie was often subpar and the rookie hauled in only two of those targets, which led to a lack of offense for the Cowboys for most of the first half. If the Vikings are able to employ a similar strategy, they just might gives themselves a chance to win if Romo hasn't learned his lesson.

Is Alan Williams able to adjust his system?
Alan Williams spoke out at a press conference this week, defending his system and suggesting the problems on defense are merely tied to execution. If so, Williams is going to need to make some adjustments, because whatever he is asking these guys to execute they're not doing. They don't seem capable of it. Williams need to start scrapping his system and just find ways to get his personnel into favorable match-ups on the field to just help them be successful. Williams is often having his cornerbacks play off, even though both Cook and Rhodes excel in press man coverage and struggle in zone (that was one of the main criticisms of Rhodes pre-draft). Putting Chad Greenway on the Packers' only proven receiver last week was not putting defensive players in a good position to be successful, and it resulted in a long touchdown catch for Jordy Nelson. Williams can defend his system all he wants, but what he has written on paper isn't winning football games.

Coaching
I feel like I've gone after the coaching staff enough in this piece already, so I'll let them be for now. Do you think Williams is defending his system in the hopes of getting another coordinator gig next year? That might not be in the cards, sorry to say.

Final Prediction: 30-14 Cowboys
Good news, it'll all be half over after Sunday.