Three Stars: NFC NORTH CHAMPIONS

If one is being honest, then one would not be happy with the Vikings performance today. The defense didn't play well, and Derrick Ward ran all over the Purple. The last minute of the Vikings' game winning drive was about as poorly run and executed as could be. However, I'm not going to be that guy, on this, the day of the Vikings' first NFC North crown. Today is a happy day--the Vikings won a big game for the first time this decade and with it, their first division crown. So we're going to hand out the Three Stars of the Game and celebrate those who did the most to get the Purple their first crown.

Third Star: Adrian Peterson

It wasn't his best game, but he had the play of the first half, making one cut and going 67 yards for his longest run of the year and the Vikings' first touchdown. With that run, he pretty much sealed his first rushing title, guaranteed he'd finish the season with 3000 rushing yards for his career (only the fifth running back to reach that mark in his first two years) and more than made up for the fact that he averaged under two yards a carry, aside from that run, in the first half and had his ninth fumble.

Second Star: Ryan Longwell

I've said it before, and I'll say it again--when you make a game winning field goal, you get to be one of the Stars of the Game. Especially when it's a 50 yard field goal, the coach is being indecisive and it's to win a division title for the first time since 2000. And from the second he kicked it, there was no doubt that it was going in. And that's not even including the 48 yard field goal he made in the first half. And don't scoff at that field goal either--what would have happened if Jon Carney had made his final attempt, a 48 yard kick that would have forced the Purple to score a touchdown to win.

First Star: Bernard Berrian

No player had more to do with the Vikings' win today than Bernard Berrian. His 54 yard touchdown catch got the Vikings back into the game after they Giants went up 9 points and, while the Giant covering him fell down, Berrian turned what would have been a 30 yard catch into a touchdown by putting a move on another Giant and then outracing him to the end zone. He also had the most important catch of the final drive, hauling in a 9 yard reception on 3rd and 8. And it was a beauty of a catch--the throw was high, but he still managed to bring it in and get both feet in bounds in a catch that was reminiscent of Chris Carter's specialty. He played like a #1 receiver today and it was a glorious thing to watch.

Three Stars: Back in the Hunt

(Thoughts on the First Half , Third Quarter and Fourth Quarter are below.)

A lot of good games from Vikings tonight. Tyrell Johnson had his first quality game, recovering a fumble, picking off the final pass and defending a few passes. I'm not really sure what he was doing with that lateral though. Ben Leber more than stepped up as a pass defender, blanketing Devery Henderson and making an acrobatic interception in the Red Zone. Gus Frerotte had decent stats, completing 53% of his 36 pass attempts for 222 yards and a touchdown, but he had a fumble and I just feel like that his completion percentage and yardage would have been lower if it hadn't been for some great catches by his wide receivers (including a one handed grab by Berrian on a ball thrown behind him and directly to a defender). And Childress felt that he'd rather call a halfback pass than trust Frerotte in the Red Zone in the Second Quarter after Frerotte had already gone three and out that drive (and had been bailed out by a penalty).

In the end, the Vikings' didn't really deserve to win this game. But you know what? The Colts didn't really deserve to win in Week 2 either. These things even out. And now the Purple are 2-3, tied for second in the division and control their own destiny in the division race (which is hugely important, what with the NFC East looking so good so far).

So, without further ado, the Three Stars:

Third Star: Ryan Longwell

As a general rule of thumb, I like to reward the guy who makes the game winning play (don't worry, Bernard Berrian is in here). And Longwell was able to do what Martin Gramatica could not--make the game winning field goal (true, his attempt was a lot shorter, but I bet he would have made the kick Gramatica missed). Add in a 33 yarder in the Second Quarter and a 53 yard field goal in the First Quarter, which is tied for the third longest of Longwell's career and you have a star worthy performance from one of the most underrated kickers in the NFL.

Second Star: Bernard Berrian

The Saints still stacked the box with 8 and 9 guys throughout the game. But Berrian made them pay, catching two under thrown deep balls on the Vikings' game tying drive, including the game tying touchdown. He also drew the pass interference penalty that got the Vikings into field goal range. Berrian's 110 receiving yards make him the first Viking with 100+ receiving yards in a game since Troy Williamson had 102 yards receiving against the Panthers in Week 2 of 2006 (that's right--the Vikings had 34 straight games without a receiver catching 100 yards). This is why the Vikings signed Berrian--to create a deep game even if the quarterback can't throw a catchable deep ball. And today he showed that he can do it.

First Star: Antoine Winfield

Let's see here--8 tackles, one sack, one fumble forced and recovered and a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown (the first ever by a Viking in the regular season). Not a bad days work for Winfield. With so many stars on the defense, Winfield tends to get lost, but Winfield is second to none when it comes to big plays and it's no coincidence that he scored a touchdown in both of the Vikings' wins.

Three Stars: Yup, I'm Still Doing It

After I took an unplanned week off (sometimes, work just takes over), the Vikings responded by losing a game against a very beatable team, which most likely ended any realistic hope of their finishing .500, let alone making the playoffs. Just like after the last seven games, however, it's important for us to congratulate those players who turned in quality performances for the Purple. And, even in the loss, there were quite a few.

• Brooks Bollinger, the Vikings third string quarterback turned in a quality performance in relief of Kelly Holcombe, after Holcombe got to find out what Deacon Jones Helmet Slap felt like prior to having his head driven into the turf. When Bollinger came out throwing, I was openly questioning Brad Childress' play calling. When Bollinger completed his first three throws for thirty yards, I was less skeptical. Bollinger never got the Vikings in the endzone, and he was sacked twice, but he also completed seven of ten passes for 96 yards and rushed for 15 yards on two carries. They weren't amazing stats, but they were pretty solid.

• The Purple Jesus doesn't make the three stars this week, for the first time this season. It might be a matter of expectations being too high for him, but Adrian Peterson was good, but not great, rushing for 70 yards on 20 carries. He also made an awful mistake on the opening kick of the second half that practically guaranteed the Vikings would not be able to do anything with the drive. That being said, he still turned in some plays that defy description--I have never, and I mean never, seen a running back HURDLE the line and then hit the ground running.

• Both Keneci Udeze and Ben Leber both turned in crucial sacks in the second half, sacks that helped force the Eagles two punts before they started running to kill time. The only other time the Eagles punted also included pressure on McNabb. That's not a coincidence folks.

3rd Star: Ryan Longwell

Yeah, he's the kicker. He was also responsible for 62.5% of the Vikings points. Without him, the Vikings don't keep within striking distance of the Eagles. And while two of his kicks were only a little more than 30 yarders, his final field goal was a 48 yarder, which isn't a chip shot in anyway. And, if the Vikings are going to make him such an important part of their offense, then I'm going to reward him with a spot in the three stars.

2nd Star: Visanthe Shiancoe

Shiancoe set a career high for receptions today, catching five passes for fifty yards (his second highest total), including two big first downs. He also hauled in the Vikings only touchdown pass, which ties him for second on the team in touchdowns (lets not talk about the fact that Adrian Peterson is the only Viking with more than one touchdown). Today was the day that the Shiancoe showed off the receiving skills that led to the Vikings signing him for 5 years and $18.2 million. If he can continue to have this kind of an impact on games, he'll be a bargain.

1st Star: E.J. Henderson

E.J. Henderson is one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL. He's also one of the hardest hitters. His performance today was just another example of why those first two statements are correct. He racked up ten tackles, second only to Antoine Winfield's eleven, and was a huge reason why the Eagles were held to only 62 rushing yards on 25 carries. Bryant Westbrook rushed for a paltry 46 yards on 21 carries. Prior to this week, Westbrook had the 8th best success rate amongst NFL running backs and the 4th best DVOA. Both of those stats deal with how good a back is on a per carry basis. Westbrook is going to see his stats drop after this week and E.J. Henderson is the biggest reason why.

Three Stars and the Purple Jesus

Well...that certainly looked like a kick ass offense, didn't it? The Vikings haven't put up this many points since they beat Chicago's backups in the final game of the 2005 season. And I have to say, it feels good to once again have to decide between many deserving candidates, rather than having to stretch a little bit to feel out the Three Stars.

Some of the Vikings that deserve to be honored but didn't make the cut include E.J. Henderson, who lead the team in tackles, including a hit on Jason McKie that was so vicious it sent the ball flying in the air and left McKie unconcious on the field. Sidney Rice only caught one pass (and he really, really should have caught the pass right before his reception), but main, what a catch that was, having to stop, turn around and launch his 6'4 frame into a dive to haul it in. Tarvaris Jackson also had some miscues, including some startling inaccurate passes, but he did not turn the ball over once today, and he threw a breathtakingly beautiful deep ball to Troy Williamson that was so well thrown that even Troy Williamson had to catch it.

Before we move on to the Three Stars, I'd like to take this moment to honor Sean Taylor of the Washington Redskins. By making a juggling interception on the sideline, he helped Brett Favre become the Interception King and allowed Favre to set the record against the team that was the first to pick him off. A tip of the horns goes out to Rogers, who will always be welcome amongst Vikings Fans. And now, the Three Stars:

Third Star: Troy Williamson

If you'd told me prior to the game that Troy Williamson would be the leading receiver against da Bears, I would have been worried. For once, however, Williamson showed why he was the 7th overall pick. He's always had the speed and he's always had the ability to get by corners and safeties, but, for whatever reason, the catching part has eluded him. It didn't against da Bears, when he hauled in a 60 yard touchdown pass to answer Devin Hester and tie the game at the end of the first quarter. And it was good.

Second Star: Ben Leber

Da Bears were driving near the end of the third quarter, looking to answer Adrian Peterson's 73 yard touchdown run that had put the Vikings up 21-14. After a false start, Brian Griese looked across the middle for Desmond Clark, who was wide open for a sure first down. Luckily for the Vikings, Leber was there, or at least close enough to stretch out for a leaping interception that set up a Vikings field goal. He also had the Vikings only sack, when he came in unmolested to drop Griese and end another Bears drive.

First Star: Ryan Longwell

What? You expected someone else to get the First Star? C'mon--it's got to be tiring kicking all those extra points. And I like to reward kickers when they make game winning 55 yard field goals. Longwell bounced back from a miss against Detroit to knock a possible season saving field goal through the swirling Soldier Field winds and seal the Purple's second victory, and Brad Childress' first division win against a team aside from Detroit.

Purple Jesus: Adrian Peterson

When a Vikings' player obliterates a franchise record and almost singlehandidly carries them to victory in the most stunning coming out party I've ever seen, they don't get the First Star. That would cheapen it somehow. Adrian Peterson really was the Purple Jesus on Sunday, breaking three long touchdown runs, all of which he earned. He broke tackles, made cutbacks and embarrassed defenders in ways they weren't ready to be embarrassed. These weren't runs that any back could have made. And it wasn't enough for the Purple Jesus to score three touchdowns and rush for 224 yards on 20 carries. Not at all. The NFL's leading rusher also returned four kickoffs for 128 yards, including a 53 yard return that set up the game winning field goal. Not only did he outrush da Bears, the fifth time he's outrushed the Vikings' opponent, he accounted for 52% of the Vikings' total yards. Honestly, I don't have the words to describe how dominant he was today. I've never seen anything like it, and that includes Randy Moss and Daunte Culpepper at their best. That's something folks. Man is that something.