I, along with all other Viking fans, had a huge weight lifted off my shoulders when the Vikes finally got their first win. Yes, it was against the Lions who haven't won a road game since around '98. The Lions have actually looked a lot better this year though. If the NFL rule didn't suck, they would have beat the Bears. Imagine how different the NFC North would look if the Bears weren't 3-0.
Anyways, the Lions came into the Dome against a desperate Vikes and looking like a pretty decent team. Shaun Hill is actually a pretty solid backup QB, Calvin Johnson is unreal, and they have some playmakers on D. And of course they drafter Jahvid Best who has looked like a stud in the first 2 games. Best, however, did get hurt in this one (turf toe).
The game didn't start pretty. Favre threw his 5th pick of the year on a screen play and the Lions jumped out to a 7-0 lead. The offense again fails on the following drive and punts it away. Thankfully, the Lions remember they are the Lions, and muff the punt. Vikes recover and Favre follows with a TD pass to Percy who made an amazing diving catch. As I was watching I admit I started getting excited and thought we might be back on track.
The Lions miss a field goal on their next drive and the Vikes put together a really nice drive, capped off with a punishing 6 yard TD run by AP. The Lions would add a field goal at the end of the half and send the game to the break at 14-10 Vikes.
The third quarter was an exciting one. Peterson finally had one of his patented long TD runs to make the score 21-10. The run was for 80 yards, the longest TD run in Peterson's career. More fireworks went off when a mini-brawl broke out between the Lions O and the Vikings D. Right in the middle for the Vikes was Ray Edwards and Jared Allen. I think this was sparked by Gosder Cherilus' low block on Allen's knee last year. Shaun Hill surprised a lot on this play by going after Jared Allen. I thought this was a pretty bad idea. Jared Allen spears elks (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oibNvAbtpc). Come on man.
So the Vikes win 24-10. This was the first game of the Lion's season where they weren't really in the game. Vikes fans do have a lot to be happy about after this game but still some worries. The main worry for me is still the O-line. Loadholt looked bad again. McKinnie is a lazy player and John Sullivan left with an injury. Ryan Cook filled in for Sullivan at center nicely, but he isn't a long term option. Hopefully Sullivan is ok.
Another worry is still Favre and the offense. The refs called back two Favre turnovers, one int and one fumble, because of Lion's penalties. The penalties were questionable but I think thats one advantage you get with Favre on your team. Especially after the non-calls in last year's NFC championship game.
The WR corps was better but there are still plenty of questions. Favre spread it around nicely to 9 different receivers. Percy and Favre look like they are finding their chemistry again, but Percy was shaken up again during the game. Shiancoe also suffered a leg injury, but Chili says he will be fine.
Now the NFC North is wide open again. Vikes are one game behind the Packers and two behind the Bears. And remember, the Bears should be 2-1 as well with a should-have-been loss to the Lions. So that doesn't make me confident that the Bears are truly a legit title contender. The Vikes have a bye next week and they need it badly if you look ahead to week 5 and beyond. The schedule is brutal (wk. 5 @ Jets, wk. 6 vs. Dallas, wk. 7 @ GB, and wk. 8 @ NE). OUCH. So hopefully we will get some things figured out over the bye week and go into New York with high confidence!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Twins Win AL Central
Last night the Twins clinched their second straight AL Central title, and 6th in the last 9 years. They took care of business with a come from behind win at home vs. Cleveland and had to wait on Oakland to finally put the White Sox out of their misery. Once the final out was recorded in Oakland, the champagne started flowing in Minnesota. I don’t know if any team has more fun than the Twinkies. What an atmosphere!
Let’s first take a look back at how we got there. At the All Star Break the Twins sat in 3rd place in the Central, 3.5 behind Chicago and 3 behind Detroit. Since then the Twins have recorded a record of 46-18. Most of that was without Justin Morneau and through several other key injuries (Mauer, Kubel, Span, Hardy all spent time on the DL). Bill Smith went out and made several moves that solidified the bullpen. The acquisitions of Fuentes and Capps have been crucial to our second half success and have led the Twins to the best bullpen ERA in the AL.
The starting rotation has been equally strong. With a combined ERA of 4.00, which is good for 3rd in the AL, each starter has had a lot of success. Pavano and Liriano are not necessarily surprises but there were questions about consistency and health. Blackburn has been the Twins best pitcher since he got recalled from AAA. His ERA is below 2.00 in that stretch. Duensing has also been huge for the Twins by contributing quality starts when the rotation was struggling.
Now let’s take a look forward. But not ahead to the playoffs quite yet. I’m talking about securing the best record in the AL and getting homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. After the Twins win today, we are only .5 game back of the Yankees for the top spot. It is within reach. Even if we give key players a few more days off down the stretch, utility players like Casilla and Punto have been winning games for the Twins all year. We play Detroit and KC three times each and the Jays 4 times at home. DO-ABLE! Homefield advantage would give the Twins a legitimate shot of representing the AL in the WS. We have the best home record in all of baseball (52-25) and its not surprising because of the incredible atmosphere at Target Field.
Let’s first take a look back at how we got there. At the All Star Break the Twins sat in 3rd place in the Central, 3.5 behind Chicago and 3 behind Detroit. Since then the Twins have recorded a record of 46-18. Most of that was without Justin Morneau and through several other key injuries (Mauer, Kubel, Span, Hardy all spent time on the DL). Bill Smith went out and made several moves that solidified the bullpen. The acquisitions of Fuentes and Capps have been crucial to our second half success and have led the Twins to the best bullpen ERA in the AL.
The starting rotation has been equally strong. With a combined ERA of 4.00, which is good for 3rd in the AL, each starter has had a lot of success. Pavano and Liriano are not necessarily surprises but there were questions about consistency and health. Blackburn has been the Twins best pitcher since he got recalled from AAA. His ERA is below 2.00 in that stretch. Duensing has also been huge for the Twins by contributing quality starts when the rotation was struggling.
Now let’s take a look forward. But not ahead to the playoffs quite yet. I’m talking about securing the best record in the AL and getting homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. After the Twins win today, we are only .5 game back of the Yankees for the top spot. It is within reach. Even if we give key players a few more days off down the stretch, utility players like Casilla and Punto have been winning games for the Twins all year. We play Detroit and KC three times each and the Jays 4 times at home. DO-ABLE! Homefield advantage would give the Twins a legitimate shot of representing the AL in the WS. We have the best home record in all of baseball (52-25) and its not surprising because of the incredible atmosphere at Target Field.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
0-2... Time to panic?
With expectations running high in Minnesota, an 0-2 start is not what Vikes fans had in mind. After an understandable loss to the defending champs, Favre looked like the all-time leading interception thrower in a disappointing loss to Miami. Now the Vikings sit at 0-2 with several questions surrounding the team.
The question and concern most people have is the health and commitment level of number 4. He hasn’t looked sharp in either of the two games, throwing a combined 4 picks. He has already thrown more picks in the Metrodome than he did all of last year. Is this cause for concern? I say no. Yes, Favre is a little rusty. But his heart is in the right place. The effort will always be there for Favre as long as he puts on an NFL jersey. His surgically repaired ankle doesn’t seem to be much of a problem either.
The true problem is the lack of a number one receiver. The chemistry Favre and Sid Rice showed last year was unmistakable. The loss of Rice has hurt this team severely in clutch situations where we need a big play. Late in the New Orleans game, Brett needed his go-to WR and didn’t have him. Same story against Miami. The reality is that Percy is not at full health. His migraines may be behind him but his hip seems to be more of an issue than I thought. He is going to have an MRI on it and we will know more then. He is explosive when healthy, but probably not even then a number one WR. Shiancoe is a stud TE. But again, not a number one receiver. Berrian has been a disappointment. Camarillo is an average slot man. Greg Lewis? Still trying to repeat his magical game wining catch from last year. The prospect of trading for Vincent Jackson seems promising if we can sign him to a one year deal. He still has to sit out the first 4 games of the season, but it would help for those next 2-4 before Rice gets back.
On a positive note, AP has been a beast. He is third in the league with 232 rushing yards at 4.9 yards per attempt. In the Miami game he was running with the power, cuts, and speed we are used to seeing. Even more exciting, no fumbles. He has also been more of a threat in the passing game (2nd on the team with 8 receptions) with Favre still trying to find a connection with his receivers. The defense has also been good except for a few let downs in the secondary. We have given up 14 points in both games, which is usually good enough to win. The D does need to get more sacks and turnovers.
With the Packers and Bears both at 2-0 the Vikings are in an early hole. If Adrian can carry the load and the defense can stand strong for a few games while the receiving corps gets healthy and Favre finds his rhythm, things won’t look so grim in Minny.
The question and concern most people have is the health and commitment level of number 4. He hasn’t looked sharp in either of the two games, throwing a combined 4 picks. He has already thrown more picks in the Metrodome than he did all of last year. Is this cause for concern? I say no. Yes, Favre is a little rusty. But his heart is in the right place. The effort will always be there for Favre as long as he puts on an NFL jersey. His surgically repaired ankle doesn’t seem to be much of a problem either.
The true problem is the lack of a number one receiver. The chemistry Favre and Sid Rice showed last year was unmistakable. The loss of Rice has hurt this team severely in clutch situations where we need a big play. Late in the New Orleans game, Brett needed his go-to WR and didn’t have him. Same story against Miami. The reality is that Percy is not at full health. His migraines may be behind him but his hip seems to be more of an issue than I thought. He is going to have an MRI on it and we will know more then. He is explosive when healthy, but probably not even then a number one WR. Shiancoe is a stud TE. But again, not a number one receiver. Berrian has been a disappointment. Camarillo is an average slot man. Greg Lewis? Still trying to repeat his magical game wining catch from last year. The prospect of trading for Vincent Jackson seems promising if we can sign him to a one year deal. He still has to sit out the first 4 games of the season, but it would help for those next 2-4 before Rice gets back.
On a positive note, AP has been a beast. He is third in the league with 232 rushing yards at 4.9 yards per attempt. In the Miami game he was running with the power, cuts, and speed we are used to seeing. Even more exciting, no fumbles. He has also been more of a threat in the passing game (2nd on the team with 8 receptions) with Favre still trying to find a connection with his receivers. The defense has also been good except for a few let downs in the secondary. We have given up 14 points in both games, which is usually good enough to win. The D does need to get more sacks and turnovers.
With the Packers and Bears both at 2-0 the Vikings are in an early hole. If Adrian can carry the load and the defense can stand strong for a few games while the receiving corps gets healthy and Favre finds his rhythm, things won’t look so grim in Minny.
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