Jennings Not the First Packer Favorite to Leave Green Bay for Minny

Aside from the Green Bay Packers/Chicago Bears storied rivalry––facing off with each other nearly 200 times since 1921––one of the biggest NFC North rivalries in today's NFL is the Packers/Vikings.

That's what makes Greg Jennings' departure from Green Bay this off-season that much harder for Packer Nation. He's hanging up his green and gold jersey, for a purple and gold jersey. Joining one of the most hated teams among Packer fans.

His last two seasons have been littered with injuries, missing three games in 2011 and over half the season in 2012. The injuries have limited his production while on the field as well, catching just 36 passes for Aaron Rodgers last regular season and averaging just over 10 yards per catch––a career-low for the 7-year pro.

Exactly six months shy of his 30th birthday, Jennings signed $47.5 million ($18M guaranteed) contract to play for his arch-rival for the next five years. If you're getting the 2011-12 Jennings, the Vikings definitely overpaid for his services. However, a return to his 2008-10 form would be a nice change of pace for the Vikings.

Jennings entered the league as a 2nd round draft selection of the Packers in 2006, and broke out with three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons in 2008, '09 and '10. The two-time Pro Bowler has 425 catches for 6,537 yards and 53 TDs over his 86 starts in Green Bay. But is his three superb seasons really worth $18M in guaranteed money? No, of course not. Jennings is locked up until he's in his mid-30s and I expect his production to start going downhill long before then.

We don't even know if he can return to his normal form, especially in Minnesota's offense. Two off-seasons ago, the Vikes lost top wideout Sidney Rice to the Seahawks. This off-season they dealt top wideout Percy Harvin to, guess who, the Seahawks. With the quarterback position in the air heading into this summer (acquired Matt Cassel from the Chiefs), we don't even know who will be throwing passes to Jennings.

He'll garner most of the attention from opposing secondaries, considering he's one of the few top targets on Minnesota's offense. Plus we'll of course see a heavy dose of Adrian Peterson again this season. So I'm not even sure if a healthy Jennings will manage to catch 80 passes this season.

Then again, we all know the Vikings have a history of scooping up former Packer fan favorites and ticking off the state of Wisconsin:

Brett Favre: After 16 legendary seasons in Green Bay (and one subpar season with the Jets), Favre signed a two-year deal worth $25 million. He was 40 at the time. The season before, while in New York, Favre had led the league in interceptions (22) and missed the postseason after an epic second half collapse.

So what would be the reason for giving the gunslinger $25 mil? It's still a mystery.

The deal was almost deemed genius though, as Favre was just one big play away from taking Minnesota to the Super Bowl in 2009––his first season with the team. He appeared to have revitalized his career with 4,202 yards, 33 TDs , 7 interceptions, 107.2 QB rating and a 12-4 record. The MVP candidate came up just shy in the NFC Championship against the New Orleans Saints, throwing a late interception to spoil the Vikes' hopes.

The following season, and final year of Favre's 20-year Hall of Fame career, didn't pan out quite as well. Minnesota went 5-8 in Brett's 13 starts while he threw for just 2,509 yards, 11 TDs and 19 interceptions. The 2009 season was worth nearly every penny of the $12M the Viking front office dished out to Favre, but the $13M in 2010? What a waste of precious money.

Darren Sharper: The former 14-year free safety was drafted by the Packers 1997 and established himself with the fan base, playing eight years at Lambeau. But 105 starts, 500+ tackles and 36 interceptions later, Sharper strayed for Minnesota. What did he do his first season there? Only made 51 combined tackles, picked off 9 passes and led the league in interception touchdowns (2).

In just four seasons with the Vikings, Sharper intercepted 18 passes and matched his Pro Bowl total from his Green Bay days (two; five appearances during his career). Sharper wasn't quite over the hill at the time of the signing, but there's no doubt his best days were in Green Bay.

Ryan Longwell: Kickers are technically football players, too.

Longwell, once again, was drafted by the Packers and established himself as a solid placekicker while donning the green and gold. As a rookie in 1997, Longwell led the league in extra points attempted and made, going a perfect 48-for-48.

After nine seasons with the Packers, Green Bay's all-time leading scorer was signed by the Vikings as a free agent prior to the 2006 season. He played six more years with his NFC North foe, and even hit a higher percentage of field goals while in Minnesota (81.6% with Packers, 86.0% with Vikings). How's that for sticking it to the man?

- - - - -

I'm not sure what the Packers fans are more PO'd about, the fact that Jennings strayed for their rival or that Brett Favre was the one that helped the Vikings land their coveted wideout.

According to Jennings himself, he was on the phone with Favre when he got off the plane to visit with the Vikings. And from the sound of it, it appears as though Favre was lobbying him to do what he felt was right. And apparently Jennings "felt right" leaving Green Bay.

I guess he and Favre both realized they were once again overpaying for a former Packer star. There seems to be a pattern here, doesn't there?

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Wild Card Preview: Vikings, Packers Meet Again

The second of two Saturday wild card match-ups features yet another "rematch" of two teams. The 6-seeded Minnesota Vikings (10-6) and 3-seeded Green Bay Packers (11-5) have only met in the postseason once (Vikings won 31-17 in the 2004 Wild Card round), but they meet twice in the regular season every season.

Green Bay traveled to Minnesota to face its NFC North division rivals just last week. In dire need of a victory to fight for its playoff chances, Minnesota knocked off the Pack with a late field goal from rookie kicker Blair Walsh to snag the second wild card slot in the NFC, 37-34.

A 1-1 regular season split further adds fuel to the postseason fire. Who will get the last laugh in the NFC North tonight?

Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers

8 PM, Lambeau Field

Favorite: Green Bay by 8

Adrian Peterson fell just eight yards shy of tying Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record of 2,105 after his 199 yard, 2 (total) TD performance in last week's victory. The near-200 yard performance gives AD 409 rushing yards and 3 TDs against the Packers this season. For his career, Peterson has 268 yards and 5 rushing TDs in three postseason games (1-2 record).

Green Bay will have a tough day against Minnesota's run game, that is for sure. Ranking 17th in the league against the run, 457 of its 1,896 allowed rushing yards this season have come against these Vikings. That's basically a 1/4th of the yardage allowed in just two games. But at the same time, when Minnesota played in Green Bay and lost on December 2, the temperature was around 45 degrees. Tonight's forecast for Green Bay, WI: 25 degrees (wind chill of 16), 30% chance of snow flurries and winds at about 10 MPH. That's no walk in the park for a group of guys who play 8+ times a year inside a dome.

Offensive 2012 Stats

Minnesota: 14th-ranked scoring, 31st-ranked passing, 2nd-ranked rushing

Green Bay: 5th-ranked scoring, 9th-ranked passing, 20th-ranked rushing

Defensive 2012 Stats

Minnesota: 15th-ranked scoring, 24th-ranked passing, 11th-ranked rushing

Green Bay: 11th-ranked scoring, 11th-ranked passing, 17th-ranked rushing

Clearly Green Bay has struggled stopping AD, but Clay Matthews III came out and said earlier this week that there was no way they were giving up another 200 to him. The GB defense's focus is on stopping the run, which means they're challenging second-year quarterback Christian Ponder to step up and make plays. Considering Ponder isn't really a cold-weather QB (plays in a dome and played college ball at Florida State), it's going to take some adapting to this sub-freezing weather at the Frozen Tundra. I don't trust Ponder to step up and make the plays necessary to keep up with Aaron Rodgers' high-powered offense.

It has already been proven that it's possible for the Pack to defeat this Vikings team even if Peterson comes in to Lambeau and runs for 200 yards and a touchdown. December 2 they proved it after Peterson's 210 wasn't enough to put up any more than 14 points on the board. In that game Ponder completed just half of his passes for 119 yards and two INTs. What do you think will happen if he steps into Lambeau, stakes even higher and weather even colder? I don't like this match-up at all, even though Peterson is likely to accumulate around 150 yards once again.

The Packers' key on offense always surrounds around protecting Rodgers in the pocket and getting the ball down the field to Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and Jermichael Finley. Unfortunately in last week's loss the Packers were unable to protect Rodgers for very long and he was sacked 5 times. Despite the pressure, however, Rodgers still managed nearly 400 yards and 4 TDs. The key for Minnesota on defense will be to force turnovers. That's the only way to get Rodgers & Co. off the field is forcing turnovers, which is a rare event (Rodgers has combined for just 14 interceptions the last two seasons).

Minnesota will be running the ball heavily, while the Packers? Not so much. Ranked in the bottom half in the rushing yards category this season, the run game has been lacking since the injury to Cedric Benson. So putting pressure on Rodgers will once again be the key focus for Minnesota tonight.

Things to Remember While Watching

*Green Bay went 7-1 at Lambeau this season (Minnesota 3-5 on the road), and is 11-4 at Lambeau in the postseason during the Super Bowl era.

*In four of his last five road games, Ponder has completed less than 54% of his passes and never recorded a quarterback rating higher than 83.9. The Vikes went 2-3 in those games.

*During Minny's current four game win streak, Adrian Peterson has accounted for 49.2% of the team's total yards. Peterson ran for more yardage than Ponder threw for twice during the four game span.

*The Vikings are 3-5 this season in games that Ponder throws at least 1 interception, but are 4-2 in games that he throws for multiple touchdowns.

Key Players for Each Team

Minnesota

*Christian Ponder: Like I said, the Packers are keying in on stopping Peterson and the ground game. This gives Ponder the perfect opportunity to set the tone early in the passing game. A couple of deep play-action passes could be the difference between 14 points and 28 points by the end of the game. The Vikings have seemed to live and die by Peterson all year, but as I showed with the numbers above, the Vikings have a much better shot in games when Ponder is effective. If he doesn't show up today, Minnesota will not get out of Lambeau alive.

*Jared Allen/Everson Griffen: Aside from 199 yards on the ground, it was the defensive front that helped win the game for Minnesota last week. The third-year defensive end Griffen sacked Aaron Rodgers three times last week and the Vikes combined for 5 sacks total of Rodgers in the victory. The two ends Griffen and Allen combined for 6.0 sacks in two games against Rodgers this season, and they can set the tone on defense with early pressure on Rodgers tonight.

Green Bay

*DuJuan Harris/Ryan Grant: Green Bay hasn't had a true No. 1 back this season. At least not since the injuries to Cedric Benson and James Starks. The Packers O has had to rely on the vet Ryan Grant and two young guys in Alex Green and DuJuan Harris. Harris broke out for a career-high 70 yards on 14 carries in last week's loss, and I expect him to once again take a bulk of the carries this week (I guess you could consider 14 carries the "bulk").

*Clay Matthews III: Matthews has missed a significant amount of time this season (four games for Matthews is considered a significant amount of time), but now that he's back and healthy I'd expect him to get back to doing what he does best: bruising quarterbacks. Stopping the run is a total team effort, but when it comes to sacking and putting pressure on quarterbacks, Matthews can do that all on his own. If Matthews is in tip-top shape today, and can punish Ponder with a couple of hits, the passing game has potential to basically be non-existent for Minnesota.

It's really tough to pick against the Packers at Lambeau Field, especially in the postseason. And I have yet to trust Christian Ponder with the ball in his hands. After watching the Packers knock off Minnesota 23-14 despite Peterson's 210-yard performance a month ago, it's obvious that the Vikings need Ponder to make some plays too. Peterson ran the Vikings all the way to the postseason with his 2,097 yards on the ground, but they're gonna need a little more than that to get past the first round. Sounds a lot like Eric Dickerson's 1984 L.A. Rams, doesn't it?

No upset here, I'm taking the Packers in a near-blowout at Lambeau.

Final Prediction: Packers 35, Vikings 14

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Peterson Comes up Shy of Rushing Record, but Leads Vikes to Postseason

Earlier this afternoon Calvin Johnson failed to accumulate the 108 yards needed to become the first 2,000 yard receiver in league history. Aldon Smith and J.J. Watt fail to record the sacks needed to break the single-season sack record and Adrian Peterson came up just NINE yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record.

But, there is one major difference between these four failed accomplishments: Adrian Peterson's performance won his team a playoff berth. Though he didn't break Dickerson's coveted record of 2,105 yards, his 199 yards put him over the 2,000 yard mark on the season (7th player to ever do so) and put him No. 2 on the list, just ahead of Jamal Lewis' 2,066 yards in 2003.

But more importantly, Peterson's near-200 yard and 2 TD performance allowed the Minnesota Vikings (10-6) to knock off their NFC North counterpart Green Bay Packers, 37-34, to clinch the 6th and final seed of the NFC playoffs.

On the verge of field goal range with under a minute to play in a tie ball game, Peterson broke free for a 26-yard gain. On the play, Peterson stayed in bounds and put the Vikes at the GB 11-yard line, putting rookie placekicker Blair Walsh in great position to kick the game-winner through the uprights with :03 left on the clock.

His 2,097 yards and 13 TDs (12 rushing, 1 receiving) on 348 carries gives Peterson a much better overall season than Dickerson's 1984 season. Peterson did more with far less as both teams finished with a 10-6 record and a wild card berth. Peterson averaged 6.0 yards per carry while running for the second-most times of his six-year career.

Minnesota's second-year quarterback Christian Ponder has been average-at best this season, but posted a 120.2 rating with 3 TDs in today's wild card-clinching victory today. If Ponder can carry his own in a rematch with Green Bay next week at Lambeau (wild card round of NFC playoffs), then the sky may be the limit for this Minnesota team.

So, no record for "All Day" today, but he got something just as good, if not better: another week of football!

NFC Seedings:

1. Falcons

2. 49ers

3. Packers

4. Cowboys/Redskins

5. Seahawks

6. Vikings

Wild Card Round (next weekend):

6 Vikings @ 3 Packers

5 Seahawks @ 4 Cowboys/Redskins

AFC Seedings:

1. Broncos

2. Patriots

3. Texans

4. Ravens

5. Colts

6. Bengals

Wild Card Round (next weekend):

6 Bengals @ 3 Texans

5 Colts @ 4 Ravens

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Adrian Peterson's Magical Season: How Does he Stack up Against the League's All-time Greats?

It's no secret that the Minnesota Vikings' 27-year old running back Adrian Peterson (also referred to as "AP" or "AD," which is short for "All Day") is just 294 yards away from further immortalizing himself within Pro Football history by breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing yards record of 2,105.

With two games left to play Peterson, less than a year removed from surgery to repair a torn left ACL and MCL, is set to become just the 7th player in history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a given season.

Now I know I've said this here on the All-Out Blitz numerous times, and you may start to get tired of hearing about it. But I have yet to dedicate an entire article on Peterson's historic season. And that's exactly what I plan to do: stack AD's 2012 season, and career for that matter, against some of the great ones from season's past.

Not only will I compare 2012 to Dickerson's famed 1984 season among others, but I will also be comparing Peterson's 6-year career to the first six seasons of a couple of Hall of Famers and soon-to-be Hall of Famers.

First off, I'd like to point out that just one season in his so-far illustrious pro career has ended without 1,000 yards rushing, which happened to be last season (970 yards, 12 TDs in 12 games) just prior to receiving his bionic left knee––just kidding, his knee isn't actually robotic, right?

First comparison is the obvious one: Eric Dickerson in 1984.

Eric Dickerson--1984, Los Angeles Rams

Second season in pros, 24-years old

16 games: 379 rushing attempts, 2,105 yards, 14 TDs, Long: 66 yards

5.6 Y/C, 131.6 Y/G on 23.7 A/G

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Adrian Peterson--2012, Minnesota Vikings

Sixth season in pros, 27-years old

14 games: 289 rushing attempts, 1,812 yards, 11 TDs, Long: 82 yards

6.3 Y/C, 129.4 Y/G, 20.6 A/G

**Dickerson through first 14 games: 326 rushing attempts, 1,792 yards, 11 TDs

The key to the above comparison is Dickerson's stat-line through the first 14 games. Looking at that and you can tell Peterson is well on his way to surpassing Eric on the list of most impressive rushing seasons of all-time. In terms of both individual and team, Peterson's got the edge. The Rams finished the season at 10-6 with a playoff berth thanks largely to the on-field production from Dickerson.

Much like the Vikings this season, the Rams had an average-at-best quarterback completing 50% of his passes and throwing 20 passes a game with the 25-year old Jeff Kemp. Los Angeles was a middle-of-the-pack defense and was a playoff team based solely on Dickerson's success.

Minnesota is sitting at 8-6 and in line for a wild card spot if they can manage to win out and end the season at 10-6. Second-year quarterback Christian Ponder has underachieved this season after showing promise as a rookie last season. His 2,527 yards, 14 TDs (12 INT) and a 78.6 rating has been just enough to get the Vikes by in terms of passing. It's been AD's career-high 1,812 yards and 11 TDs that has put Minnesota in playoff contention coming out of the North.

With opposing defenses keying in on stopping Peterson and the team's running game, they have still failed to slow down this Vikings offense. Peterson has been on a roll ever since Week 7 against the Cardinals, rushing for 100+ yards for eight consecutive games––150+ in six of those games and 200+ in two. Also over that 8-game span AD has combined for nine of his 11 touchdowns on the ground and Minnesota has put up 34 or more points on two occasions.

A 2-0 finish to the season would put the Vikings in the playoffs and match the regular season record of the 10-6 Rams. Not to mention, if Adrian does break the single-season record he would likely achieve it with much less carries and would have put up the greatest single-season for a running back in NFL history. By far.

I never even mentioned the fact that Dickerson fumbled the ball a total of 14 times during the '84 regular season. Peterson? Just four fumbles through his 14 starts this season. So unless he fumbles five teams in each of his last two games (not likely) he will have beaten Dickerson in that category as well. All Dickerson has left is his 107 yards and 1 TD in LA's 16-13 NFC Wild Card loss that season.

Peterson is just 294 yards in the final two games away from posting the best season by a running back ever. But where does that leave him in terms of his first six seasons as a pro? Here he is next to some legends:

First six seasons in NFL (sorted by yards gained; Hall of Famer; Leader among the 6):

*Eric Dickerson, 88 starts: 2,136 attempts, 9,915 yards, 75 TD, Long: 85; 4.6 Y/C, 110.2 Y/G

*LaDainian Tomlinson, 95 starts: 2,050 starts, 9,176 yards, 100 TD, Long: 85; 4.5 Y/C, 96.6 Y/G

*Emmitt Smith, 91 starts: 2,007 attempts, 8,956 yards, 96 TD, Long: 75; 4.5 Y/C, 96.3 Y/G

*Barry Sanders, 87 starts: 1,763 attempts, 8,672 yards, 62 TD, Long: 85; 5.0 Y/C, 97.4 Y/G

*Adrian Peterson, 80 starts: 1,695 attempts, 8,564 yards, 75 TD, Long: 82; 5.1 Y/C, 98.4 Y/G

*Walter Payton, 83 starts: 1,865 attempts, 8,386 yards, 65 TD, Long: 76; 4.5 Y/C, 94.2 Y/G

Considering that among the group of six listed above––consisting of four current Hall of Fame members and one first ballot Hall of Famer––Peterson has the best yards per carry average through six seasons, I'd say he's in pretty good shape.

Averaging 1,427.3 rushing yards per season, Peterson needs just six more of his "average" seasons and he'll be an automatic lock for the hall and in sight of Emmitt Smith's league record 18,355 rushing yards all-time. Though he's not quite to Dickerson's near-1,000 yards through six seasons, or LT's 100 TDs, Peterson has a lot to be proud of, ranking with the big boys. With two games left to go in his first six career seasons, Peterson can surpass Sanders' 8,672 yards and possibly even reach 80 rushing TDs.

Being on pace and ahead of guys such as the greats Barry Sanders and Walter Payton at this point in his career says a lot for a guy of Peterson's caliber, and it's really scary when you think about what he can accomplish before he hangs up his cleats.

He's got an eye-popping combination of size, speed and power. He's a nightmare in the open field for defenders and no matter which way you slice it, we could be witnessing the best this league has ever seen.

Embrace it.

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Recapping Week 15: The NFC Playoff Picture and Why the Redskins Will Win the East

The NFC at this point is a bit more wide open than the AFC. Three of the four divisions in the AFC have already been spoken for, and one more is on the verge of being claimed as early as this weekend.

The NFC is a different story, with just half of the playoff spots being taken after 15 weeks and only two division titles have been claimed.

In the South, Atlanta already had the division down a couple of weeks ago but are now just one win away (possibly this coming Saturday against Detroit?) from claiming the top seed in the NFC. A convincing 24-0 shutout of the contending New York Giants (8-6) has shown that Matt Ryan's Falcons are still the team to beat in the conference and are two wins ahead of the next team in line, San Francisco (10-3-1).

Here are the headlines from this past weekend in the NFC...

Packers Fend off Bears for NFC North Title; Chicago and Minnesota jockey for playoff spot

At 10-4, Aaron Rodgers and his Packers have taken home the division title for the second consecutive season. With games against Tennessee and Minnesota still left on the schedule, it's possible that the Pack could beat out the Niners for the second seed and a first round bye if the Niners lose to both the Seahawks and Cardinals.

The Bears have hit a sudden wall and, after starting the season at 7-1 and one of the top contenders in the conference, have fallen in 5 of its last 6 games. Now on the outside looking in on the NFC postseason (Chicago and Minnesota are both 8-6, but Vikings hold tiebreaker), the Bears are in dire need of a couple of victories. In order to have a shot, the Bears will need to win both remaining games on the schedule (Detroit and Arizona) and hope the Vikings do not win out.

That will be tough, however, as Adrian Peterson has put the Vikings on his back and carried them to victories despite an underachieving quarterback in Christian Ponder and losing wideout Percy Harvin for the remainder of the season. The Texans and Packers will be seeing a heavy dose of Peterson over the final two weeks and will need to hold him to under 294 yards if they would like to keep him from breaking the single-season rushing record (set by Eric Dickerson in 1984). I'll be looking closer into Peterson's record-breaking chase sometime in the next day or so.

49ers @ Seahawks: Week 16 Game to Watch

Lucky for us, the primetime Sunday night game this weekend will be between the two teams duking it out for the NFC West title. Normally the chase for the Western division title in the NFC is a pretty bland battle, with the winner finishing around 9-7, 10-6. But this year we've seen two young quarterbacks take over the reins and dazzle opponents, making for an unusual exciting finish out West.

Second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick took over for the concussed Alex Smith in San Fran, and hasn't looked back since. In his first five professional starts, the 25-year old Kaepernick has posted a 4-1 record with 7 TDs, 2 INTs and over 1,200 yards. He's pulled off victories against teams such as Chicago, New Orleans and, most recently, the 10-win Patriots on Sunday night, putting up 41 points against one of the AFC's best teams.

The rookie signal caller in Seattle, Russell Wilson, has established himself as the Seahawks' future and is a dark horse candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year this season. Carrying Pete Carroll's 'Hawks to a 9-5 record, Wilson has a shot at once again silencing his critics on Sunday night if he can pull off a victory over the Niners. If the Seahawks win on Sunday, they can clinch a playoff spot. Even if they lose, they can still clinch if the Bears, Vikings and Redskins all lose.

Washington, Dallas Victories, Giants loss means a 3-way tie in East

Did I not tell you this would happen? I believe I did a couple of weeks ago. The "Giant" collapse in New York continued with a 24-0 shutout against the Falcons. Their fourth loss over the last six weeks puts them near the bottom of the list of "in the hunt" teams, at No. 9, while the second Redskins' rookie signal caller came out a victor in his first career start. Dallas' Tony Romo kept his 'Boys in the hunt with a 27-24 overtime victory over Big Ben's Steelers, but it will be Washington that ends up coming out a winner.

The Giants will get a Baltimore team sitting on a 3-game losing streak this Sunday, but with Ray Lewis expected to return I can see the Baltimore defense coming into the game hungry. Very hungry. Another Giants loss and the Cowboys facing the Saints, I believe it will be the Skins who pull out ahead in Week 16, defeating the Eagles in Robert Griffin III's return to action.

At 9-6, it will come down to a Cowboys/Redskins grudge match at Fedex Field in Week 17, a match-up in which the Skins will win, completing the season sweep and wrapping up the NFC East. It's a tough pill to swallow for the Giants, likely finishing out the second half of the season with a 3-5 record and completing 2012 with a 9-7 record. But Eli Manning's inconsistency has held back a team that very easily could be at 10-11 wins right now.

NFC Playoff Scenarios

*Falcons clinch first round bye and No. 1 seed with a win. Can clinch first round bye with a win OR a loss by Green Bay OR a loss by San Francisco.
*49ers clinch NFC West with a win over Seattle. Can clinch first round bye with a win AND the Packers lose.
*Seahawks can clinch a playoff spot with a win over San Francisco.
*Redskins can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Philadelphia AND losses by Giants, Bears and Vikings.
*Giants can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Baltimore AND losses by Redskins, Cowboys, Bears and Vikings.

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Vikings, Cards Top List of Surprise Teams

Every NFL season, a team seems to come out of nowhere and shake our faith in what we think we know about how they will perform. The 2012 season has proved no different. A few teams have already exceeded expectations and find themselves ranked at or near the top of their respective divisions. Here are some of my favorite surprise teams this year:

Minnesota Vikings, NFC North

Before the season began, the Vikings were not even in the discussion when pundits talked about the NFC North. The Green Bay Packers were crowned top dog with the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions nipping at their heels. The Vikings were barely an afterthought. But now through 5 games, they lead the division, tied with the Bears at 4-1.

 Keys to success:

• Christian Ponder is emerging as an efficient passer who recognizes coverages and protects the ball. He's averaging a 95.5 passer rating and has only thrown two interceptions, both in Sunday's game against the Titans. In that game, he showed poise and maturity by quickly recovering and completing 11 of 12 passes in the second half.
• Offense -- The Vikings have rolled out a dynamic offense highlighted by wide receiver Percy Harvin and shored up by running back Adrian Peterson and even tight end Kyle Rudolph.
• Defense -- Perhaps the most improved aspect of the Vikings game is the defense. First year defensive coordinator Alan Williams seems to have them back on track and improving every week. Safeties Jamarca Sanford and Harrison Smith look strong in the secondary while defensive end Jared Allen heads up an impressive front four who are among the best at rushing teh passer and stopping the run.

Arizona Cardinals, NFC West

The talk coming out of Arizona before the season started centered around who the quarterback would be. With neither John Skelton nor Kevin Kolb distinguishing themselves during preseason, it's no wonder the announcement naming Skelton the starter came only one week before the regular season began. With instability at the quarterback position, the Cardinals weren't given much chance for success. But then they started the season 4-0 and suddenly looked like a team to be reckoned with in the NFC West.

Keys to success:

• Defense -- The Cardinals defense will be key. They will be tasked with keeping games close like they did their first four games. Even with the great wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, the Cardinals offense will not be a juggernaut. And the running game has taken a hit with Beanie Wells, and now Ryan Williams out for the season with injuries. With players like linebackers Sam Acho and Daryl Washington, the Cardinals defense will need to continue to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. So far, they are 5^th in points allowed (15.6) and have only allowed 6 touchdowns through 5 games, the fewest in the league. And with one of the best young cornerbacks in the game in Patrick Peterson, the Cardinals have an opportunity to be legitimate contenders.

Honorable Mention: St Louis Rams, NFC West

Let's face it – in the NFL, as in other sports, there are certain teams that other teams count as an automatic “W.” Rightly or wrongly, consciously or subconsciously, some teams are just not taken as a viable threat. The Rams found themselves as one of 'those' teams last year, finishing 2-14 for the season. Teams should not take them for granted this year, however. Through 5 games, they have already topped last season's record and stand at 3-2. Though a 3-2 record may not be worthy of calling them a true surprise team, they are worthy of keeping an eye on. Head coach Jeff Fisher has brought a new attitude which is evidenced in the Rams' inspired play, especially on defense. Adding Cortland Finnegan at cornerback, along with Janoris Jenkins, adds a feisty, hard-nosed edge to the secondary. Defensive ends Robert Quinn and Chris Long highlight a formidable pass attack no team can take for granted. How the Rams deal with injuries, particularly to the No. 1 receiver Danny Amendola, will determine whether their progress continues upward or not.

Obviously, there is still a lot of football left to play. These teams could actually tank from here on out making their great starts just a distant memory. Each team has their own particular flaws to overcome, but for now, they are at least in the discussion of possible playoff contenders.

Vikings to Add Blair to Ring of Honor this Season

The Minnesota Vikings–currently preparing to do battle with the tough Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions in the NFC North this season–have plenty of question marks and issues to handle during camp.

Can Christian Ponder carry the heavy load in 2012? Will Adrian Peterson recover from his torn ACL and return to his 2009 All Pro form? Will Percy Harvin finally live up to his expectations and break out as a No. 1 receiver threat? Can Jared Allen continue to slow down the likes of Rodgers, Cutler and Stafford?

Clearly, Minnesota has a lot on its plate in the dog days of summer.

That's why it's so refreshing to hear some positive news out of Minnesota. No, it may not have to do with how the 2012 campaign will unfold, but at least former outside linebacker Matt Blair will have something to look forward to.

On Monday the Vikes announced that during halftime of the October 25 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Blair, now 61 years of age, will be inducted into the franchise's Ring of Honor.

Blair played all 12 of his professional seasons at outside linebacker for the Vikings from 1974-1985. The speedy Blair, a second round pick out of Iowa State (51st overall in '74 draft), started 130 games and was selected to six straight Pro Bowls in addition to one All Pro team.

Though they were not regarded as an official stat at the time of his career, he finished his 12 seasons with the 1,452 tackles, still ranking as second-most in franchise history.

As a vital part of the "Purple People Eaters" defense in the mid-70s, Blair appeared in two Super Bowls, though they were both losses (to the Steelers and Raiders). Blair's versatility led him to franchise records such as most blocked kicks (20) and most sacks (23) and interceptions (16) by a linebacker.

The stingy defense of the Purple People Eaters was a total team unit, but Blair may have had the most decorated career out of any of the linebackers that have ever put on a Minnesota uniform, let alone the 1970s Vikings.

He will be the 20th former player, coach, executive, etc. to be inducted into the Ring of Honor for Minnesota, and maybe one day he'll get a call from the Hall. He'll have to be in consideration to be selected as a senior member, but at least he'd finally get his shot at Pro Football immortality in Canton.

Note: I do not own the above image. No copyright infringement intended.

Jared Allen, DeMarcus Ware: Is a 25-sack Season Possible?

Business in the front, party in the back. That's just how Minnesota's Jared Allen likes it.

And although he no longer sports his stylish mullet, he still lives by that motto while on the football field. He's all fun and games until it's time to get down to business, and he's in the business of sacking quarterbacks.

While these same quarterbacks he's been sacking were out making headlines by passing for 5,000 yards (three accomplished this rare feat in 2011), he quietly came just one sack away from breaking the single-season sack record.

Personally, I just like to believe that the record is 22–not 22.5 like the record books say. Michael Strahan, the actual sack king according to the books, earned his record-breaking sack back in his 2001 All Pro season. The final game of the regular season, a 34-25 loss to the Packers, Strahan surpassed Mark Gastineau in the record books when Strahan's good buddy Brett Favre practically fell at his feet.

In my own personal NFL record books I would like to say I'd place an asterisk next to Strahan's name, meaning the Jets' Gastineau (22 sacks in 1984) still holds the single-season record. That is, until this season of course. In a season he failed to win the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award (Baltimore's Terrell Suggs won the honor instead), Allen recorded a personal-best 22 sacks on his way to his fourth career Pro Bowl.

Why have I brought this to everyone's attention today? Well, first off because not too many people really gave him much recognition for it during the season because it appeared to fly under the radar, but also because Allen has opened up about his eye-popping, yet disappointing season.

The mullet-less Allen spoke to Minnesota media today and discussed the possibility of someone one day hitting 25 sacks. Now, considering that's not only beyond the single-season record by 2.5 sacks but also the fact that no one player has ever had two 20+ sack seasons in history (as Allen points out), it seems a bit of an outrageous claim.

But, hey, if the workhorse Jared Allen thinks it can be done, it can be done, right?

“Before you get that close, you’re not really sure if it’s attainable. You think it is, because you always think if someone did it, I could do it. But being right there and actually leaving some stuff on the field — they took the one away in Green Bay, they gave it a team sack — and there were a couple in my arms that I didn’t get it. Or the ones that I was that close. The ones at the end of the year… It was kinda like, ‘Ah, bummed out. Now I’m 23 away again, versus one away.’ But when you start working out again, it’s motivation. How can I push myself just a little further?

I think 25 is possible. I think someone will eventually get it. Look at some of the athletes, the DeMarcus Ware's of the league and the matchups he creates as a 3-4 guy on a running back or something. I think it’s possible. Then again, no one’s ever had two 20-sack seasons in their career in the history of the NFL. So, someone’s gotta do that first. Like I said, I believe 25 is a number that will get hit one year. But when, I don’t know?”

First of all, I love the fact that he acknowledges DeMarcus Ware's presence in Dallas. I always ranked Ware above Allen in the pass-rushing category, perhaps because of his versatility at the outside linebacker position. Ware poses a problem to each offense he lines up against and has a rare combination of size and speed coming from the outside.

Allen, too, is a freak of nature, but lets not forget that this season Ware was just a half a sack shy of becoming the first player to accomplish two 20-sack seasons. The six-time Pro Bowler has averaged 14.2 sacks/season over his seven professional seasons in Dallas and has failed to reach double-digits just once. 


So there's no doubt I completely agree with Allen that a 25 sack season is very possible, and almost sure to happen in the future. But, then again, I don't believe it will be Allen that accomplishes this feat. If anyone, DeMarcus Ware will beat Allen to the punch in Dallas.


Who knows, maybe you will find this on my BOLD predictions list in August: Ware breaks Strahan's 11-year old sack record.


Note: I do not own the above images, and the quotes were found and borrowed from NFL.com (Ian Rapoport). No copyright infringement intended.

With Migraines in Rear-view Mirror, Harvin set to take game to the next level

According to a story I read on NFL.com recently, Minnesota Vikings' wide receiver and returner Percy Harvin has told The Virginian-Pilot that he 'feels great' and believes the migraines he suffered last season are in the past.

He goes even further in saying that he hasn't suffered an episode in about five or six months and hasn't felt this great since 'probably kindergarten.'

This lockout has given Harvin a chance to take a new approach to the game and I have no reason to not believe he will come back this year and set career-highs.

At 23, the speedy 5'11'' star will enter his third season in the league after being selected by Minnesota with the 22nd overall pick in the 2009 draft.

Harvin exploded in to the league during his rookie campaign, catching 60 passes for 790 yards and six touchdowns in the passing game, and two kick-offs returned for touchdowns on his way to a Pro Bowl appearance. He put up similar numbers the following year (71 catches, 868 yards, 5 TD; 1 KO return for TD) but you can likely blame the struggles and inconsistent play at the quarterback position for Harvin's numbers. Had Brett Favre carried his own weight and limit mistakes, we could have seen an 90-catch, 1,000 yard season in Harvin's second year.

Expect a 2011 statline of about 90 receptions, 1,200 yards, 8 TDs with at least one kickoff returned for a touchdown. Harvin is well on his way to breaking out as a game-changing receiver similar to Philadelphia's young deep threat DeSean Jackson.

Photo credit
sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Adrian Peterson could finish career as a top five running back in League history

Some could call this a long-shot at this point, but I think it's safe to say that in his first four NFL seasons, Minnesota Vikings' running back Adrian Peterson has drawn comparisons to the likes of Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith.

In my opinion, despite the rushing yard king being Smith, it is in fact Detroit's former star Barry Sanders who holds the title as the NFL's best running back of all-time.

In 15 professional seasons, Smith put up 11 1,000 yard seasons, all in consecutive years (1991-2001) and ran for the most touchdowns in league history, with 164. There's no doubt he was a touchdown machine, and he surpassed the great Walter Payton for most rushing yards in a career (finished with 18,355).

But I personally believe that Smith's resume takes a hit when you look at his sub-par numbers at the end of his career--in his final three seasons he fails to reach 1,000 yards or double-digit touchdown totals. Consistency is key when looking at career numbers.

As for Sanders? He had a short-lived, 10-year career which was spent entirely with one team. And a losing team at that. He ran for 1,100 or more yards in all 10 of those seasons, and posted six double-digit touchdown seasons with 10 Pro Bowl appearances before he mysteriously walked away from the game unharmed.

While the exact reason he retired so early remained a mystery for several years, Sanders finally came out and admitted that it was the Lions' losing reputation that got the best of him. Sanders did, however, get a slight taste of playoff football, rushing for 386 yards and a touchdown in six career postseason games (Detroit's record in those games was 1-5).

The NFL Network named Sanders in the top 20 players of all-time in its The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players series at No. 17, with Smith following him at No. 28. The top-ranked back on the list was Jim Brown (fullback) as the second best player in history. But, because of different playing eras and primary positions I found it a little too difficult to compare Brown to either of the other three backs (Sanders, Smith, Peterson). Walter Payton was added to the mix as well, but he's so close to Smith and Sanders that Peterson may have a hard time beating them out for a spot, but he can surely try.

Because of this, the title may need a little fixing..."Top five running backs in the modern era" may fit the bill a little more smoothly, but I couldn't bring myself to making the amend.

Brown, Sanders, Payton and Smith are so tightly knit in terms of "best running back in history" that almost any of the four could sit atop the rest.

Then, in steps Peterson.

Tough to judge after the first four seasons of the 26-year old's career, but if he keeps up his pace we could easily find Adrian "All Day"/"AP" Peterson amongst the four by the time Canton calls his name.

Sanders is easily the most electrifying and exciting running back to watch play, and his highlight reels, which can be found on youtube, will keep you entertained for hours. But Peterson's nine-minute-long highlight reel (link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=k-8FUIxIkvo) can be compared to that of Sanders' elongated highlights.

Peterson, who is virtually a larger version of Sanders (6'2''/217 pounds), has the elusiveness and 'turn-on-a-dime' juke moves as a cheetah, speed and gracefulness of a gazelle and power of a lion.

Sanders has the shifty moves, Smith has the jolt and explosiveness (especially for a little guy), Payton has the gracefulness, and Brown had the brute strength. But Peterson? He has the combination of all of the above, and his great size makes him surprisingly powerful.

If you watched the link I provided above, you would see with your own eyes that sometimes it takes the entire opposing defense to bring this man down.

What has held Peterson back from his full potential throughout his career? His knack for fumbling the ball. Now, one could argue against the fumbling, because Sanders, Smith, Brown and Payton all fumbled more through their first four seasons than Peterson has. But in my case, I think it's just the timing of the fumbling. He seems to cough up the ball when his team needs him to come through the most. This can be fixed, of course, and when he does fix it, Peterson's potentially and production will only rise.

Minnesota finally looks to have drafted a franchise quarterback in Florida State's Christian Ponder this year, meaning defenses may not be able to key in on just Peterson. They will have to stop work on stopping both the run and pass.

Even with defenses keying in on the run, Peterson put up just shy of 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns this season, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. For his career, Peterson has averaged close to 5.0 yards per carry (4.8, to be exact), which is not far from Sanders' (5.0) and Brown's (5.2) averaged in their careers.

Smith and Payton racked up the yardage, but at the same time had low YPC averages--4.2 and 4.4 respectively. Fans like to argue that "stats don't tell the whole story" but that previous bit of information should tell you a whole lot. It's not hard for a guy to rack up 1,200 yards with 300+ carries year-in and year-out.

As a rookie Peterson put up over 1,300 on only 238 carries. Production, production, production.

That's what AP is all about when he hits the field, just ask his 25 100-yard games and four Pro Bowl appearances. They'll tell you just how much potential this guy has, without hesitation. A joy to watch each and every week.

All I am hoping for now, is a way to make the 2011 season happen.

Photo credit

Barry Sanders: borrowed from kevinantcliff.com

Adrian Peterson: borrowed from worldwidetweets.com

The "Return King" Helps Chicago Capture First Division Title Since 2006

Before the season, knowing that Brett Favre would be in a Viking uniform, this matchup was supposed to be heavily favored in the opposite direction. Towards a Minnesota blowout.

But, instead, the now 10-4 Chicago Bears clinched the NFC North division with their 40-14 blowout of the Minnesota Vikings.

The game was played in the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium rather than Minnesota's Metrodome since the Dome had yet to be repaired after snow damaged the roof two weeks ago. Minnesota players had been complaining about the poor conditions all week long. As for Chicago? They are used to playing football in wintry conditions, and we didn't hear a peep from them all week.

The hard ground did prove to be a factor throughout the game, though, as Brett Favre left early in the second quarter with an apparent head injury after rookie defensive end Corey Wootton, out of Northwestern, slammed Favre to the turf for his first NFL sack.

He did not return and was replaced by rookie Joe Webb, the former UAB signal caller, who was named tonight's starter earlier in the week before Favre suddenly decided to tough it out despite the bad conditions. Favre was 5/7 for 63 yards, 1 TD and an INT with Minnesota trailing 10-7 when he left the game.

Minnesota was without All Pro running back Adrian Peterson, who sat out because of lagging leg injuries sustained in previous weeks. Yet another rookie, RB Toby Gerhart, got his chance to shine in the spotlight. It was his first career start, and he sure did show he can tough it out in the cold, running for 77 yards on 16 carries. It was actually Webb who got the ball in the end zone using his legs, though, as he used his speed to hit the corner of the end zone on a 13-yard run early in the second half.

Despite great efforts, Webb's two interceptions became too costly for Minnesota's offense, and Cutler's offense really showed up to play as he threw for three touchdowns.

Other than another spectacular defensive performance put up by Chicago, I think the real headline here may have to do with special teams.

Devin Hester, A.K.A. the "Return King," set an NFL record after he ran back a Minnesota punt 64 yards for a touchdown just three minutes in to the second half. The significance? It was Hester's 14th career kick/punt returned for a touchdown, setting the all-time NFL record for return touchdowns (punt/kick), breaking Brian Mitchell's record of 13. What I think is so great about this, is that Hester hasn't even completed his fifth season in the league yet, and it took Mitchell 14 years with the Eagles, Redskins and Giants to run back 13 kicks.

This truly is a spectacular feat, and although this is certainly a breakable record, I don't think it will ever be achieved as quick as Hester did this season. Funny thing is, Minnesota's fans were booing punter Chris Kluwe for continuously punting out of bounds in his previous punts. Well, Minnesota fans, you got what you want. I hope your happy now.

Congratulations, Chicago.

Photo Credit

Minnesota Fans: AP Photo/Hannah Foslien

Devin Hester: AP Photo/Andy King