Killing Time: Quarterbacks, HOF and Statistics

• Randball has a list of all the possible quarterback acquisitions the Vikings could make, while Defensive Indifference has a defense of Tarvaris Jackson (Seriously). I actually think he makes some good points, and I'm not opposed to the Vikings opening training camp with Tarvaris Jackson as a possible starting quarterback, providing they also acquire a real veteran quarterback to challenge him (say, Matt Hasselbeck or Jeff Garcia, instead of Gus Frerotte or Kelly Holcombe). I actually think Hasselbeck might be the best option available to the Vikings, if he's available for a 2nd rounder, even though he had his worst season this year. I think a lot of that had to do with his injury and the injuries suffered by his offense.

• Three former Vikings were named Hall of Fame finalists: Chris Carter, Randel McDaniel and John Randle. I have to say, I don't think any of them deserve to go into the Hall of Fame this year. I'm not sure Randle's career is quite at the level necessary for the Hall, and Carter and McDaniel deserved to go in last year (or, really, any year since they've become eligible.

• Advanced NFL Stats on the difficulties of measuring and modeling football statistically. I'm not a big enough statistics guy to work on this stuff on my own, but I do understand it enough to use them (and understand whether they're worth using). I think they're important because the stats that are currently used are so obviously flawed (measuring defenses by yards per game, or quarterbacks by yards per completion, or yards per attempts without counting sacks as attempts, for example). Over the past season, more statistical sites have emerged, outside of Cold, Hard, Football Facts (which really isn't an advanced statistical site as much as an alternative statistical site) and Football Outsiders. I thinks that great, because it means there's more people providing me information on football and the Vikings, but it's also important that everyone understand how hard it is figure out the NFL statistically.

• Pacifist Viking defends the Purple's defensive performance the last three years. And the man is right--the Vikings were a good defense in 2006, above average in 2007 and an elite unit in 2008, depending on how good they were at defending the pass. They were 15th in DVOA against the pass in 2006, 23rd in 2007 and 5th in 2008. The interesting thing is that the secondary may have been at it's best in 2006, because the Vikings pass rush was at its worst in 2006, when it was 31st in the NFL in adjusted sack rate. The pass rush has gotten better the past two years, going up to 28th in 2007 (but the secondary wasn't as good) and becoming elite this year, finishing 2nd in ASR.
  

• A clear message has been sent about the Vikings' 2006 draft, by the Vikings themselves (as Grant's Tomb points out). They don't think they did that good of a job with their picks.
  

• Finally, Adrian Peterson has been named a finalist for the 2008 FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Year Award. The winner is determined by fan vote, and if Peterson wins, the Safe Kids Coalition in Minneapolis gets $25,000, so its definitely worth the 30 seconds it takes to vote.
  

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.

Another Clincher, Another Let Down

You know, I should be mad. I should be furious at the Vikings inability to hold onto the football. I should be seething that the Purple threw away yet another opportunity to win a game and threw their first chance at clinching the division and any chance at getting a first round bye along with it. But I'm not. I just can't get mad about an outcome I fully expected. And really, as the Star Tribune pointed out on Sunday, the Vikings haven't fulfilled their expectations since the second round game against the Cardinals in 1999 (Also, I'd like to thank the Star Tribune for dredging up that memory for me and in the process messing with the good juju that was surrounding the team. Now go die in fire).

There was a lot to like about this game. The Purple held Atlanta's backs to 3.37 yards per carry, despite the absence of Pat Williams (though you could tell they needed to adjust to life without him during the first drive of the game). Tarvaris Jackson outplayed Matt Ryan, up until he had to run a two minute drill. Brad Childress learned from the Tennessee game and went for it on fourth down in the fourth quarter. Visanthe Shiancoe had the best receiving game by a tight end since Steve Jordan (I'm going to assume that Steve Jordan had a 100 yard receiving game, since he has 6 spots in the top ten for single season receiving yards by a Vikings' tight end, and no one else had one before Pro-Football-Reference ran out of game logs). The Falcons didn't score a touchdown returning a punt (And, now I'm reaching).

But you know what? None of it matters because, at this point in the season, it's all about wins. Nice games by everyone who didn't fumble aren't enough. It is inexcusable for the Vikings to fumble the ball seven times. SEVEN TIMES. Every time I read an article about the game, and it mentions Tarvaris Jackson's three fumbles, my first reaction is "That's not fair--one was Adrian Peterson's fault". Think about that for a second. Yup. Even if you take away a fumble from Tarvaris, he still had TWO FUMBLES. And even with one of his fumbles being credited to Tarvaris, Peterson still had TWO FUMBLES. I'm not saying that Brad Childress should be fired if he doesn't make Tarvaris and Adrian carry around a football with a bounty on it like James Caan made Omar Epps in The Program but, he should be fired if he doesn't make Tarvaris and Adrian carry around a football with a bounty on it like James Caan made Omar Epps in The Program.

And the worst part about the loss? They're the Vikings, and they like to find new and inventive ways to torture their fans, so they've decided to force us to root for the Packers tonight. And I know, it hurts, but does anyone actually trust this team to beat the Giants on Sunday? Even if they aren't playing their starters? I know I don't. So....

GO PACKERS

Now excuse me while I try and convince an angel to show me what my life would be like if I had never heard of the Minnesota Vikings and the National Football League.

Congrats Antoine (and Kevin, Pat, Adrian, Jared and Steve)

It's the Pro Bowl, and it really doesn't matter if you're snubbed, but congratulations are in order to Kevin Williams, Adrian Peterson and Antoine Winfield for being named as Pro Bowl starters, and to Jared Allen, Pat Williams and Steve Hutchinson for making the team.

And I have to say, the voters got their Vikings right. Winfield has deserved to go for a few years now and its nice to see him finally get the recognition he's earned (and he's really backed up my decision to purchase his jersey after Randy Moss was traded). The Williams and Purple Jesus are obvious choices, as are Allen and Hutchinson. Really, the only other Viking that really deserved to be considered (and this isn't a knock, just a reflection of the high level of play necessary to deserve a Pro Bowl spot) was Chad Greenway and, while he's played really well, especially after the loss of E.J., he'll have ample opportunity to be named to the Pro Bowl in the future.

The Return of Tarvaris (and the Ragnarok)

Thanks to those who’ve sent me emails—my offline life has been crazy lately, with loads of work, travel for work and lots of other things that have taken up my free time, which, combined with the negativity surrounding the team, lead to no posts. But I’m back now and ready for the stretch run.

Some Quick Thoughts:

• I have to say, I was really excited to see Tarvaris come in and perform the way he did. 8/10 passes completed, 103 yards passing and 1 touchdown, along with a 9.54 yard per attempt average, his best ever, and better than any game Frerotte's had this year. He did have a fumble and his rushes weren’t exactly productive, but he made some throws that I’ve never seen him make. I’m a lot more confident in his ability to lead the Vikings to victory on Sunday than I would have been if I hadn’t seen the second half against the Lions. I might actually have more confidence in his ability to play well than I do in Gus "The Interception Leader" Frerotte. And no, it doesn't hurt that the Cardinals aren't very good against the pass, ranking 19th in DVOA.
  

• The idea of Adrian Peterson winning the rushing title is an exciting one. The fact that he’s no longer on pace to crack 370 carries this year, a number that usually means injuries the next year (he’s currently on pace for 360 carries and if the Vikings can clinch a playoff berth early, and they have an 83.6% chance according to Football Outsiders, he won’t even get that) is even better. I still didn’t like Childress’ decision to give Peterson the ball at the end of da Bears game though (especially because Peterson’s having some fumble issues), when the victory was already wrapped up.

• Visanthe "the Equipment Manager" Shiancoe is currently 3rd in DYAR among tight ends and 2^nd in DVOA. Last year he was 29^th and 28^th respectively. I don’t know what happened (although he’s apparently been putting in a lot of extra work), but Shiancoe was a player that I thought should be benched or cut earlier this year (and his insistence on dropping key passes that cost the Purple wins really supported my arguments). Now? He just might be the best receiver on the team. Who saw that one coming?

Killing Time: Win Expectancy, the Wild Card and the Return of Dontarrius

• Gridironmine figured out the play by play win expectancy for Sunday's game (something they've been doing for the entire season). Personally, I love win expectancy--there are very few ways to figure out the importance of a play. For example, the pass interference call changed the win expectancy 47% in the Vikings favor. Another good example--the Lions had an 85% chance of winning (their highest of the game) when they had the ball at 3rd and 1 on the Vikings' 44 with 5:33 left in the game. Without Kevin Williams stopping Justin Felton for no gain, the Purple probably lose.

• Defensive Indifference and Grant's Tomb on the game.

• The NFC East may not have surrendered the crown of "Best Division" with three losses this week, but the Cowboys, Giants and Redskins' losses created an opening for a team from another division to grab a wild card spot. I think it'll require the right 10-6 record (with most of the 6 losses to AFC teams), but I wouldn't be surprised to see the second wild card team come from the NFC South (or maybe, just maybe the NFC North. And there I go being unrealistically optimistic again. But the Vikings are 3-1 against the NFC...). I definitely would not be surprised if the Cowboys missed the playoffs, especially with Brad Johnson at quarterback for 4 games. It might just be me, but I don't see him matching Tony Romo's 7.94 yards per pass attempt.

• Speaking of Brad Johnson, Kevin Seifert has a breakdown of his final year in Minnesota. Let's just say it's not a favorable breakdown for Brad Childress' coaching style.

• Was Brad Childress' decision to kick the extra point on Sunday a good one? I'm not actually sure. On one hand, it's not a bad idea to ensure you'll only need to score once, even if the other team scores a touchdown (there was no way the Lions would go for two). On the other, the Vikings' offense was playing horrible (and needed an iffy pass interference call to get the field goal they needed). I'm pretty sure that the decision came down to Childress' confidence in the KAO, along with some concerns about a possible punt return touchdown or another big play for a touchdown putting the game out of reach. I'm not going to complain to much about the decision, mainly because I don't think it's too unreasonable to expect the Vikings' offense (or defense, via a turnover) to get in field goal range with 20 minutes remaining in the game and because I don't think the Vikings would have completed the two point conversion.

• Dontarrius Thomas is a Viking again. He's an upgrade over Vinny Circiu at middle linebacker, but no matter what happens (there really aren't a whole lot of available options at MLB in Week 6), the loss of E.J. Henderson is a big one for the Vikings and it makes it less likely that the Vikings' defense can carry the team to the playoffs.
  

• Football Outsiders on why Adrian Peterson's performance on Sunday was a lot worse than you'd think, even after factoring in the two fumbles (and, in a related post, Smarter Stats on why a rushing title doesn't mean a running back had the best season). Also, according to their statistics, Gus Frerotte's performance on Sunday was the 6th worst by a quarterback. Bernard Berrian's performance, however, was the 5th best of any wide receiver.
  

First Half Thoughts

The Vikings have no right to be in this game at the half, let alone leading by ten points. And yet, they're up 20-10 and I'm having flashbacks to the game against the Giants in 2005 when the Vikings returned an interception, a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown, were leading at the half despite having negative offensive yards and held on to win 24-21. It's been that kind of crazy so far.

• The Refs have been absolutely horrible tonight. I'm going to guess that Ed Hochilli and his crew won't be referring any playoff games. They've messed up calls on holds, fumbles, face masks. receptions and pretty much every other call they could. So far, the poor officiating has gone the Vikings' way (and likely is the reason the Purple had the opportunity to be up at the half), but still--these refs have been awful and it's detracting from the game.

• Antoine Winfield is a beast. He's got the touchdown, he's got the sack and fumble recovery, but perhaps the most impressive play was where he ducked underneath the fullback and tackled Reggie Bush for a loss. From the normal sideline, it looked like Bush had tripped on Winfield. From the other sideline, however, it was clear--Winfield avoided the block and made an amazing play.

• The Vikings have done a great job of getting pressure on Drew Brees. They've only sacked him once, but they've been in his face all half. The defensive line (nice to see you again Jared Allen) has gotten pressure without blitzes and Leslie Frazier has called some innovative blitzes that have worked almost perfectly.

• I wish Brad Childress used Adrian Peterson in the passing game the same way the Saints use Reggie Bush. A game like this one would be a perfect time for it, what with the Vikings' offensive line forgetting how to run block. Some swing passes, a screen or two--when the running game isn't working, especially when it isn't working on the edges, the Vikings need to use the passing game to get Peterson the ball in space rather than just continue slamming him into the defensive line. The worst part though, is that Childress doesn't even leave Peterson in on passing plays, removing defenses' need to account for him in their play calling and reactions.
  

• Gus Frerrotte might be a better quarterback than Tarvaris Jackson, but he's not a good quarterback. Some of his throws are just as inexplicably inaccurate as Tarvaris' were.
  

Three Stars: 0-2

As I said last time, I try and stay positive no matter what. Or at least lead with the positive. I'm as mad/depressed/want Childress' head as anybody right now, but there's way to much rancor here on the internet. That and I want to consolidate my negativity into one post. It's easier on the heart that way. So, without further ado, the Three Stars of the Game.

Third Star: Jared Allen

He said he would get better and he did. After a no show in the season opener, Allen showed up against Peyton Manning, notching one sack, two hurries and generally making Manning's life miserable. This was very much the guy that the Vikings traded for and the Colts troubles offensively can be traced to the fact that the defensive was in Manning's face all game. Oh, and don't look now, but Allen's ahead of his sack pace from last year, when he didn't have a sack in the first two games. (Heh.)

Second Star: E. J. Henderson

Why wasn't E. J. a Pro Bowler again? He was all over the field on Sunday, notching six tackles, three tackles for a loss, one sack and a hurry. He also lead a defense that held the Colts scoreless in the first half (the first time since October 8th, 2006 that Indy failed to score before halftime) and one that shut down the Colts running game so effectively that they only gained 25 yards on 19 carries and got called out by their quarterback. Joseph Addai, who averaged 4.1 yards per carry last year, only had three carries where he gained more than four yards. Not a bad day for a middle linebacker, that's for sure.

1st Star: Adrian Peterson

Once again, Peterson showed why he's the best running back in the NFL. After a 29 carry, 160 yard effort, he's leading the league in rushing, is off to the second best start statistically by a Viking back (only Robert Smith in 1998 had more yards after two games and I'd have to say he had a little more help from his passing game. Only a little bit though) and he's generally looking like the Adrian Peterson everyone expected. He gained at least 4 yards on 19 of his carries and picked up five first downs. He also out rushed the Vikings' passing game. Just think about what he could have done if the Colts weren't able to bring noted run stopper Bob Sanders up in the box on every play.

Three Stars: So Close

One of the things I did last year was name Three Stars for every game, even the losses (well, except the loss at Green Bay, when I was too depressed and angry to follow through on it). I figure it's best to try and be positive before doing a game recap, even if it's hard. That, and it helps at the end of the season when trying to determine an MVP (though that was particularly easy last year). The negativity (and some positivity) will come in the next post, which will be up later this morning--I promise. But first, the Three Stars.

Third Star: Garrett Mills

Brad Childress seemed particularly happy last year when he went head to head with Bill Bilichick over Garrett Mills and won. He was probably the only one who was happy about it though, as Mills caught only two passes all year for a total of twenty six yards. He almost doubled his yardage from last year in his first game, catching three passes for forty nine yards and leading the Vikings in receiving. Two of those receptions went for first downs, and while he did drop a catchable pass, it wasn't the easiest catch to make. Not a bad season opener for the "backup receiving tight end", that's for sure.

Second Star: Bernard Berrian

The Vikings signed him to be a playmaker, their number one wide receiver, able to make things happen deep and convert third downs into first downs. The numbers might not reflect it, but Berrian did both those things yesterday. While he only had 3 catches for 38 yards, he also managed to draw two pass interference penalties (The refs failed to call, second one, an obvious penalty on Al Harris near the end of the first half that would have put the Vikings in scoring position, so I'm going to still give Berrian credit for it). He also got open on a slant on 3rd and 4 during the Vikings' first scoring drive, but Tarvaris Jackson one hopped him the pass forcing the Vikings to settle for a field goal. Was he dominate? No. But he did make things happen on his end, even if Tarvaris couldn't get him the ball.

First Star: Adrian Peterson

Let's see here--over 100 yards rushing? Check. Touchdown? Check. Hitting Al Harris so hard he thought he was Fab Morvan? Check. A long run where he moved and cutback in ways people shouldn't be able to do? Check. Power runs that pulled an entire defense an extra three yards? Yup, that too. It was a vintage Adrian Peterson game, where he showed why he's the best pure runner in the NFL, able to punish, evade, out run and gain four yards despite having to drag three defenders the entire way. And considering how often he seemed to have no hole to run through, the fact he was successful on more than fifty percent of his carries (gained four yards or scored) and didn't have a single carry for a loss just shows how great he is. The scary thing (for other teams)? He's still figuring it out.

Starting on a Sour Note

Once again, my plans for a big August were interrupted by travel. For some reason, despite being in a far away place for business, by myself, I just never found the time I wanted to preview the season. Of course, part of that was due to the fact that I wasn't able to watch any of the preseason games and the rest due to the fact that the offseason has been one of waiting, rather than one for arguments, once the Vikings finished up their roster selection. I mean, what was there to argue about, aside from the final wide receiver spot?

That being said, the preseason has exposed the current staff's inability to foresee upcoming issues, even when they are staring them in the face. It was an issue last year, when they didn't go out and get a backup for Tarvaris Jackson, despite the fact he was barely a year removed from playing 1-AA football and it is an issue again at quarterback (Do you trust Gus Frerrote? I know I don't, which is not a good sign, what with Tarvaris already suffering his first injury of the year) and now at left tackle, where the Vikings seem to have no problem playing the first quarter of the season with Artis Hicks protecting Tarvaris' blindside and attempting to open up running lanes for Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor on the left side of the line.

I know I don't trust Hicks to protect Tarvaris from right guard, with the help of Matt Birk and Ryan Cook (and neither did the Vikings, who benched him after four games last year), let alone on an island against some of the top defensive ends in the NFL. I could list them here, but I'm sure we'll all get to hear their names often enough, usually followed by some riff on the phrase "sacks Tarvaris Jackson". Luckily, the Vikings saw the writing on the wall and gave Hicks a lot of reps at left tackle with the first unit.

What Artis Hicks might bring, however, is the ability to continue running the ball to the left side. Since signing Steve Hutchinson to pair with McKinnie, the Vikings have been dominate running the ball to the left side (not including the issues created by McKinnie's injuries in 2007). Last year, the Purple averaged 4.68 yards on runs around left end and 4.21 yards to left tackle, compared with 3.49 yards per carry around right end and 4.09 yards on runs to right tackle (these numbers are from this year's Pro Football Prospectus). That was a huge drop from the year before, when Artis Hicks started 14 games at right guard, where the Vikings averaged 5.15 yards around right end and 4.54 yards to right tackle. I don't know how much of that success can really be attributed to Hicks, but it's a reason to be hopeful that McKinnie's suspension won't completely derail the running game like it will the passing game.

Hick's run blocking might be enough to keep the Vikings' offense moving, but in the end, the left tackle's main job is keeping his quarterback from getting killed. So what happens if (when, more likely) Tarvaris gets lit up and knocked out after yet another "Look Out" block by Hicks? Let's put it this way--Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor will be facing 9 men in the box again, despite the signing of Bernard Berrian (I'm still pretending his toe injury is no big deal--let me have something, please) and the likely improvement by Sidney Rice. So yeah, lots of excitement heading into the opener on Monday.

The Purple Jesus' Chances at 2000

About a month ago, Adrian Peterson, the Purple Jesus himself, said that he wanted to rush for 2000 yards. My first reaction? He's not going to do it. And, after doing some research, I think my first reaction was the right one.

Now, I don't doubt that Peterson has the ability--I mean, after last year, could you really argue that he doesn't have the rushing talent of Barry Sanders, O.J. Simpson, Jamal Lewis , Eric Dickerson and Terrell Davis? I don't think you can do that. Even if you discount the fact that Peterson has had injury issues throughout his career (including missing the majority of three games last year), the odds are against him setting the record (it's only been done 5 times, remember), and even more so because of his teammate, Chester Taylor.

Last year, the Vikings ran the ball 494 times. Peterson lead the team with 238 carries, 81 more than Taylor's 157 attempts. Neither of those statistics bode well for Peterson's chances to crack the 2000 yard mark. Of the five backs to rush for 2000 yards, only O.J. Simpson and Barry Sanders did so with less than 350 carries (332 and 335 respectively). That means that Peterson's going to have to carry the ball at least 100 more times next year to have a shot at 2000 yards, and even more than that unless he increases his yards per carry average (at last seasons total of 5.6 YPC, he would have needed 357 carries to get to 2000 yards). That's a lot of carries nowadays, even for a team as reliant on the run as the Vikings are (to put that number into context, Clinton Portis lead the NFL in carries last year, with 325). And that's a lot of carries for a team with a second back as good as Taylor. And in order to get those carries, Peterson would have to get the ball on an even higher percent of the running plays than it looks like on the surface, because Tarvaris Jackson had 54 carries, meaning the Vikings really only called a running play about 450 times.

And make no mistake about it--if Peterson's going to get to 2000 yards, he's only going to do so by taking Taylor's carries. There have been 23 running backs to rush for at least 1750 yards. Only O.J. Simpson in 1975 (1817 yards) had a teammate that had more than 150 carries (Though, to be fair, in 1973, Simpson had a teammate with 98 carries and one with 148 carries, and he rushed for 2003 yards. That team also ran the ball 605 times, something I highly doubt the Vikings will do next season).

Aside from those two Bills teams that featured O.J. Simpson, only three other running backs rushed for 1750 yards and had a teammate with more than 100 carries, and all three had less than 1900 yards. (Eric Dickerson had 1821 yards in 1986, Larry Johnson had 1750 yards in 2005 and Walter Payton had 1852 yards in 1977).

So, unless Peterson adds more than 100 carries next year (mostly by taking Taylor's carries) and maintains his yards per carry average, he's not going to be able to reach 2000 yards next year. And that's probably for the best, since Peterson would likely feel the effects of all those carries the next year, and possibly the rest of his career. All five backs that cracked 1000 yards rushed for 500-1000 yards less the next year, and Terrell Davis never played more than 8 games in a season after he topped the 2000 yard mark.

2000 yards is a good goal for Peterson to have. It's not, however, a good goal for the team to have for him, unless they want to alienate Chester Taylor and shorten Peterson's career. I think the Vikings are smarter than that. I hope they are, at least.

Ladies and Gentleman...

Your 2008 NFL Pro Bowl M-V-P....

ADRIAN "PURPLE JESUS" PETERSON!!!!!!!

Ok, I'll be honest--I didn't watch the Pro Bowl last night. I don't know anyone who did. Personally, I was watching Washington upset UCLA. That being said, it's good to see Peterson look like his dominant self again. I know, I know, it was the Pro Bowl, and that most of the recaps referenced flag football in their descriptions, but still. Watch the highlights. Tell me you don't see the Adrian Peterson that dominated San Diego and Chicago.

The best part? The second rookie to win Pro Bowl MVP (Marshall Faulk was the first) is going to get better. Coach Childress has pinpointed the two areas that Peterson needs to improve in, and if Peterson can do so, well folks, he's going to be even better than he is now. And both Peterson's pass protection and how deals with 8 and 9 man fronts are areas he can improve on. The former kept our biggest threat off the field in passing plays, and Peterson's issues with the latter are why he averaged only 2.7 yards per carry in his last four games. It looked as if he was trying to break every run for a touchdown rather than hitting the hole quickly and trying to pick up as much yardage as possible and that hurt the Vikings, considering how important it was to to the offense to pick up 3-4 yards on first down.

I fully expect Peterson to improve in those two areas and become a complete back. Considering how well he played as a rookie, there's no reason not to.

Drumroll Please...

Ladies and Gentlemen...Your 2007 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year...

Adrian...THE PURPLE JESUS...PETEERRRRRRSSSOOOONNNNNNN!!!!

All Day received 46.5 out of a possible 50 votes, with Cleveland's Joe Thomas pulling in 3.5 votes. Gotta love those reporters that feel the need to be unique.

Emmitt's Advice to Adrian

If you missed it on Tuesday morning, Adrian Peterson was interviewed by Emmitt Smith and it was a very interesting piece.

[Thanks to Awful Announcing for the video]

Looking Back at Monday

A few more thoughts on Monday's game:

Special Teams:
The kick coverage was good. The rest of the special teams were not, and that's not even taking into the consideration the fact that THEY MISSED AN EXTRA POINT. Not only did that set off some 'Nam like flashbacks to the Doug O'Brien era, it also means that I will be terrified after every touchdown until the extra point has been kicked. Thankfully it only took the Vikings 15 minutes to score again, so no one had time to get worried about that extra point costing them the game and a playoff berth.

Also, I'd like to take a minute to thank Aundrae Allison for repaying my confidence in him. Nothing like averaging 17 yards on four kickoff returns to show why you should be primary kick returner. Though, it's not like Bobby Wade can say anything, considering he had two fair catches and 12 return yards as the punt returner. Somehow, I doubt the Redskins will be implementing the Hester Rules on Sunday night.

Purple Jesus:
Adrian Peterson is only 39 yards behind Willie Parker for the NFL rushing lead, an impressive feat, considering he has 102 fewer carries (and 62 fewer carries than 2nd place LaDainian Tomlinson). If Peterson had as many carries as Parker, he'd have almost 1800 yards. So there's that. Of course, if Peterson wants to win the rushing title, he's going to have to stop looking for the big play and just run, something he started doing again in the second half on Sunday. His second touchdown was a thing of beauty (well, after the handoff, that is). He looked like he was skiing he was cutting so sharply. The fact that the Redskins second leading tackler, linebacker Rocky McIntosh, is out for the rest of the season probably won't hurt his chances either.

The Tarvaris Revolution:
There are quite a few articles that came out discussing Tarvaris' performance on Sunday and the need for him to improve. And they are deserved, but not as much as they were earlier this year. What we saw on Sunday was Tarvaris' first game where he faced pressure and what we saw were mixed results. He had a 50 quarterback rating, mainly due to the three interceptions and no touchdowns, but he also had an average of 8.6 yards per pass attempt and scrambled for 25 yards, picking up two first downs in the process (and picking up a crucial unnecessary roughness penalty). Luckily the Vikings final two games are against teams that aren't that good at rushing the passer (Washington and Denver are tied at 23rd in adjusted sack rate). If the Vikings make the playoffs, however, he's going to see similar pressure, however, as Tampa Bay is 11th in adjusted sack rate and Seattle is 6th.

Matt Birk and Ryan Cook:
Could these two lineman have played any worse on Monday night? Birk was awful in the blitz pickup (I'm sure that Tarvaris appreciated his decision to help out Steve Hutchinson rather than block Brian Urlacher was appreciated) and Ryan Cook was his usual mediocre self. Honestly, anyone to the right of Hutchinson is suspect, which isn't really something you want to be thinking about when you're in the middle of a playoff race.

Mad Talent
It's the worst of all the sports All Star Games, but it's still an honor to be named to the Pro Bowl, so congratulations must go out to Adrian Peterson, Tony Richardson, Steve Hutchinson, Matt Birk, Darren Sharper, Kevin Williams and Pat Williams. The seven Vikings named (and alternates E.J. Henderson, Heath Farwell, Ryan Longwell and Bryant McKinnie) show how much talent this Vikings team has. It also shows how important the passing game is, as it was the Vikings complete lack of one at the beginning of the season that held the Vikings back.

Purple Jesus on Sportscenter

I managed to record Adrian Peterson's interview on Sportscenter this morning and upload it to Youtube. I should have the game preview up in an hour or so. Here's the interview:

Three Stars--Too Many To Choose From

One of the difficulties in picking three stars is the differing nature of offense and defense. It’s easier for offensive skill players to stand out than it is for a defender to do so. The Vikings defense dominated the Lions yesterday, but no defender really stuck out. Cedric Griffin and Marcus McCauley lead the teams with seven tackles, but, as corners, many of those tackles came after the receiver they were covering caught a pass. Three different Vikings linemen had sacks, but the constant pressure on Jon Kitna can’t be attributed to any one player’s effort—it was a joint effort by the linemen and the linebackers, same as the Vikings holding the Lions to 23 yards rushing. And Udeze’s interception was pretty much the only play he made today. Honestly, the MVP on defense will go to Pat Williams, Kevin Williams or E.J. Henderson, but I don’t know that a football layman can actually make that call.

It’s a lot easier to pick out the stars on offense, especially today. The Vikings offense scored on their first five offensive possessions. Aside from the Three Stars (who will become obvious shortly), numerous other Vikings turned in noteworthy performances.

• Bobby Wade and Sidney Rice continue to play well. Both made quality catches for touchdowns (Wade going to his knees to catch a low throw for his first TD of the year and Rice by hauling in a fade route over a defender). Wade had 4 catches for 54 yards, Rice had 5 catches for 53. Wade’s the Vikings’ leading receiver, while Rice is tied for first among rookie wide outs in touchdowns and is fourth in receptions and yards.

• Chester Taylor continues to provide starting running back performance as the back up. He gained 70 yards today, an average of 5 yards per carry over 14 carries. He also threw a touchdown pass that was dropped by a wide open Visanthe Shiancoe. (And while I understand where Childress was coming from when he called the two trick plays near the end of the game, but honestly, is it better to save them for when they might be needed, rather than use them in a blowout, allowing other teams to prepare for them? Does anyone really think Jeff Dugan is going to get very far running the ball if the other team is waiting for him?)

• The entire offensive line deserves to be praised for a dominating performance as well. They only gave up one sack, while creating the holes for Peterson and Taylor to run for an average of 5.5 YPC on 39 carries. Peterson has a lot to do with the Vikings’ dominance on the ground, but the line deserves a lot of credit for having the Purple rushing average about four inches less per carry than the best rushing team ever, the 1963 Cleveland Browns.

But enough about those who didn’t quite make the cut. Let’s talk about the Three Stars:

Third Star: Aundrae Allison

Aside from the passing game, one of the problems with the Vikings’ offense has been their lack of a return game (when Peterson wasn’t returning kicks). Troy Williamson was averaging a 23.8 yards a return, but didn’t have the ability to break one. Obviously, that’s not a problem with Aundrae Allison, who set a franchise record with a 103 yard kick return for a touchdown and who previously had a 60 yard return against Detroit and a 62 yard return against the Chargers. Allison’s averaging 37.1 yards per return and should be the starting kick returner from now on. He also caught two passes for 52 yards, one of which he turned a short pass into a 35 yard gain. Don’t look now, but it seems yet another rookie has decided to make a big impact for the Purple.

Second Star: Adrian Peterson

15 carries, 116 yards. That’s 7.73 YPC. You know what the ridiculous thing about that average is? It’s only his fourth best average for a game. Peterson’s 1197 rushing yards leads the NFL (Willie Parker’s still in second with 1097 yards) and his two rushing touchdowns brought his total to ten, second only to LaDainian Tomlinson. And the way he runs? Pure beauty. He worked Lions defender after Lions defender, whether it was with by running through, past or around them. Peterson’s carries are so amazing that I wish I understood the science and strategy of running with the ball, because I feel like only a true master would be able to properly appreciate everything he does.

First Star: Tarvaris Jackson

The Revolution is back and with it have come victories. Tarvaris had the best game of his career against the Lions, completing 18 of 24 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns and ran for twenty yards on five carries. It was only the second time Tarvaris has broken 200 yards passing in the twelve games he’s played in. He was only sacked once and, while he did throw an interception, it was the only poor decision he made all game, and it happened in garbage time. Tarvaris’ new found comfort in the pocket has been a joy to watch—he’s using his mobility and strength to avoid sacks and buy time for his receivers, he’s hitting his receivers accurately on both short and long passes and he’s avoided making rally killing mistakes. His pass to Sidney Rice on a slant to convert a 3rd and 6 the play before Peterson’s second touchdown was a thing of beauty. It had the velocity and the accuracy necessary to get between the two defenders blanketing Rice and allow him to hold onto the ball despite being interfered with. Tarvaris wasn’t completing passes like that before the Oakland game. And if he continues to throw like that, well, you try stopping an offense featuring the Purple Jesus and an effective Tarvaris Revolution.

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.

3 Stars in Dallas

Even though the Vikings let another winnable game slip through their fingers, that doesn't mean there weren't stand outs. Of course, the standouts tend not to stand out as much in games like Sunday's. There were a number of players, like Ben Leber, who made a nice play, but didn't really do anything else notable. Leber made a nice pitch to spring Cedric Griffin for a touchdown after recovering a fumble, but only had six tackles. Keneci Udeze is another example, notching his third sack of the year, and causing a fumble the Kevin Williams returned for a touchdown (ignoring the holding penalty on Ray Edwards).

But enough about those who came close to joining the ranks of the stars--let's talk about the real three stars:

3rd Star: Adrian Peterson

He didn't perform a miracle today, but he still had a nice game, aside from the fumble that removed any doubt about the outcome of the game. He had almost 40% of the Vikings' offensive yards, rushing for 63 yards on 12 carries and catching a pass for 12 yards. He also had converted a key fourth down on the drive that lead to the Vikings' only offensive touchdown, which, of course, he scored, on a twenty yard run. Averaging 5.25 yards/carry and scoring a touchdown against one of the better rush defenses in the NFL is nothing to be ashamed of. The fact that it seems like an off day for the Purple Jesus says something about both the expectations surrounding him and what he's been able to accomplish in the Vikings' first five games.

2nd Star: Antoine Winfield

Winfield had another big game for the Vikings today, making eight tackles (tied for the second most) and causing the fumble that almost won the game for the Vikings. One of the most frustrating things about this team's inability to win is the fact that the defense is continually making game changing plays, like the one Antoine Winfield made, turning a nice Dallas drive at the end of the half into seven points and the lead for the Purple. There a few plays that can shift the momentum as much as the play Antoine Winfield made and it was wasted by the Vikings.

1st Star: Cedric Griffin

Griffin had five tackles yesterday but that's not why he's the first star. He's the first star because he took a lateral from Ben Leber, fumbled it, picked it back up and then high stepped his way into the end zone. Just a ridiculous play. If you haven't seen it, the video is right here--the high stepping alone would have been amazing, but the fact that Griffin managed to fumble the ball on his own and then recover? Awesome.

Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory...

Last Sunday, the Purple Jesus did the following:

• Earned the Offensive Player of the Week Award, the first Viking's rookie to do so since Randy Moss
  

• Set a franchise record for rushing yards in a game and most 100 yard games by a rookie

• Rushed for the fifth most yards by a rookie in a game

• Set the NFL Rookie record for all purpose yards in a game with the third most all purpose yards ever

• Passed eight players for the NFL rushing lead
  

Over the course of five games, All Day has:

• Rushed for 80 more yards than any other back, in one less game, and with the fewest carries of any back in the top ten

• Averaged 6.3 yards per carry

• Accumulated the third highest DPAR and has the tenth best DVOA, the only rookie in the top fifteen of either category

• Racked up the second most rushing yards through five games by a rookie ever
  

• More yards from scrimmage than any other player besides Ronnie Brown

• Created a pace that, if he maintains it, will be the greatest season by a rookie running back ever, both in real football and in fantasy football

• Earned the respect of the greatest running back in Vikings' history
  

As I've said before, I'm not a good enough writer to describe what the Purple Jesus has done so far this year. The only thing I can do is echo the great Ed McDaniel, who once said "Get yo' stats...get paid...Don't. Get. Hurt."