Vikings Lose Close One

When the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers get together, there is no telling what will happen. Such was the case today. Brett Favre threw for his 421st and 422nd career touchdowns, and squeaked out a 23-16 victory in the final minutes of play.

It looked as if the Packers were on their way to an easy victory this afternoon over our Minnesota Vikings. But, a late fourth quarter fumble recovery for Minnesota, gave Kelly Holcomb another chance to get his Minnesota Vikings in the end zone, and he did just that. Holcomb hit receiver Sydney Rice at the 2:00 minute warning mark, giving the Vikings a chance at an onside kick. With the Ryan Longwell extra point added, Minnesota trailed Green Bay by a touchdown, with just under 2:00 left in the game.

The Vikings on-side kick was recovered by the Packers. Then with 1:50 left to play, veteran Quarterback Brett Favre fumbled, giving Minnesota one last chance to tie the game. Holcomb ran three plays before Atari Bigby picked off Holcomb's pass intended for Bobby Wade. Minnesota quarterback Kelly Holcomb pleaded his case with the officials to review the play for pass interference, and the review booth did. The call was not reversed. The call of an interception stood, and the Green Bay Packers won the game 23-16.

Although this game was not as close as the score shows, the Minnesota Viking offense once again failed to produce very much. Kelly Holcomb had a much better time this week, as he completed 21 of 39 attempts for 258 yards passing. Receiver Bobby Wade produced good yardage, catching 5 passes for 83 yards, while Sydney Rice had 6 receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. Visanthe Shiancoe caught 4 passes for 38 yards, and Troy Williamson was 2/23. Other Vikings who caught passes where Running Back Adrian Peterson 1/6, Running Back Chester Taylor 1/11, Full Back Jeff Dugan 1/13, and Full Back Tony Richardson 1/9.

Minnesota's running game was strong behind rookie sensation Adrian Peterson, who had 12 carries for 112 yards, and Chester Taylor who had 8 carries for 40 yards. Finally, Full back Jeff Dugan had 1 carry for 3 yards. On the day, the Viking offense had 258 yards passing, and 155 yards rushing for a total of 382 yards.

Although the Vikings offense could not get into the end zone today. There was nothing wrong with the leg of Ryan Longwell. Longwell was 3 for 3 in field goal attempts. Longwell kicked field goals of 44 yards, 35 yards, and 48 yards respectively. Longwell is 6 for 7 on the season with field goal kicks.

The stingy Viking run defense was once again awesome. Their third ranked run defense allowed only 40 yards on the ground with 20 total carries. However, our stagnant pass defense was picked apart by the crafty veteran Brett Favre, who threw for 344 yards, while completing 32 of 45 passes. Favre also threw for 2 touchdowns. Brett Favre is now the NFL league leader in career touchdowns with 422.

Farve's career breaking 421st touchdown pass came with 5:01 left in the first quarter, as he hit Greg Jennings for a 16 yard strike. Favre's other touchdown pass went to James Jones with 5:52 left in the game. Jones' pass was caught for 33 yards, and a Mason Crosby extra point gave the Packers a 23-9 lead.

Over all, this was an exciting game for Viking fans everywhere. Although our offense could not get the ball in the end zone more than once, we kept the game close, saw the record breaking touchdown pass from Brett Favre, witnessed Minnesota's defense shut down Green Bay's running game, and had two last minute drives, scoring on one.

Minnesota will now enter the bye week looking to answer a few questions. We need to find leader on our offense. Minnesota also must find a way to get into the end zone more than once a game, and can not rely on winning games by their defense alone. Brad Childress must light a fire under his offense during this week off, and come out in two weeks firing on all cylinders.

The Viking passing game was much improved this week from the previous weeks, and even last season. We still struggle scoring points, but being able to pass for 258 yards is a step in the right direction. The key now is to find that consistency on offense, get into the red zone, and score a few touchdowns. We will not win many games on Ryan Longwell field goals.

I am sure the Vikings will work hard during the week off. They need to gather the rest they need, clear their minds of this poor start, and come out in two weeks ready to face the Chicago Bears. In the next week, I will post a boigraphy on one player a day, and call this section Meet the Vikings. Til then Viking Fans.

SKOL VIKINGS!!!!!!

Minnesota Vikings vs Green Bay Packers Injury Report

Here is your injury report for this week's game against the Green Bay Packers. I will update this daily with all the changes, and send out the final report Sunday, September 30th, at 11:00am. The Vikings and Packers heated rivalry will meet for the 93rd time in their teams history. Game time is scheduled for 12 noon on Sunday.

Minnesota Vikings Injury Report for 9-30-07:
9/27/2007 49 Tony Richardson (FB) Forearm Day-To-Day
9/27/2007 29 Chester Taylor (RB) Hip Day-To-Day
9/27/2007 24 Dwight Smith (S) Hamstring Day-To-Day
9/27/2007 7 Tarvaris Jackson (QB) Groin Day-To-Day
9/27/2007 82 Troy Williamson (WR) Hamstring Day-To-Day

Green Bay Packers Injury Report for 9-30-07:
9/27/07 Desmond Bishop (LB) Shoulder Limited Full Participation
9/27/07 Chad Clifton (T) Knee Limited Limited
9/27/07 Donald Driver (WR) Toe Limited Full Participation
9/27/07 Brett Favre (QB) Finger (right) Limited Full Participation
9/27/07 Bubba Franks (TE) Knee Did Not Participate Limited
9/27/07 Al Harris (CB) Back Did Not Participate Limited
9/27/07 Brandon Jackson (RB) Shin Did Not Participate
9/27/07 Cullen Jenkins (DE) Ribs Limited Limited
9/27/07 Greg Jennings (WR) Hamstring Limited Did Not Participate
9/27/07 Michael Montgomery (DE) Knee Out Out
9/27/07 Vernand Morency (RB) Knee Limited Limited
9/27/07 Corey Williams (DT) Knee Limited Limited
9/27/07 Charles Woodson (CB) Foot Limited Limited

Vikings Bitter Rivalry Resumes With Pack

After a much poorer start than expected, the Minnesota Vikings will play host this week to the hated Green Bay Packers. Minnesota is (1-2) on the season with a win at home vs Atlanta (23-3), and road losses to Detroit (20-17 OT), and to Kansas City (13-10) last week. The Packers are an unexpected 3-0 right now, with victories over Philadelphia (16-13), New York Giants (36-13), and a win last week over San Diego (31-24).

The team helmets for this week are from the 1961 Minnesota Vikings, and the 1961-1972 Green Bay Packers. For 10 of the 16 weeks, this site will use throwback logos and helmets for all readers to view. Most people don't even know what these emblems and logos look like, so we here at Viking Mania will show you. Hope you find ths as interesting as we do.

This weeks game has a lot at stake. First and foremost is the extremely bitter rivalry between the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers have a narrow series lead of 46-45-1 over our Vikings, with the Packers sweeping the season series last year. Prior to last season, the Vikings had won three straight games against the Packers, and one NFC Divisional game at Lambeau Field in 2004. In fact, the last nine times these teams have met since 2002, each game has been decided by no more than six points.

The other attraction to this week's game is Brett Farve being one touchdown away from becoming the league leading passer in touchdowns. Farve pulled even with Miami Dolphins legend Dan Marino with 420 touchdowns last week against the Chargers. There is a very good chance that Farve will break the record this week against the divisional rival Vikings. The last time Brett did not throw for a touchdown against Minnesota was at the Metrodome in 1999. Even if Brett Farve doesn't break the touchdown record this week, which he should, the game may lie in the favor of the Vikings. Farve's lifetime record at the Metrodome is 5-10.

The games where Green bay has not thrown for a touchdown pass at the Metrodome was in 1992, '93, '94, '95 and 1999. Minnesota won all five those decisions.

The Viking defense should come up big against the Packers running game. The Packers' feeble running game has officially hit rock bottom. Green Bay ranks last in the 32-team league with an average of 57 rushing yards per game. the Vikings defense on the other hand has only allowed 67.3 yard of rushing, which ranks third in the NFL.

"It's frustrating. You never want to be a part of that," veteran right tackle Mark Tauscher said.

"But, in the same respect, we had games where we ran for 230 yards, and we lost. I'd much rather be in this position (with a 3-0 record) than being in the top three running the football, beating our chest how great of a running team we are and then we're sitting there struggling to get in the playoffs.

Minnesota's passing defense is another story. With both Detroit and Kansas City throwing for 200 yards against this Vikings defense, and Joey Harrington, who has struggled against the Vikings, threw for 199 yards, our Vikings pass defense is ranked 20th in the NFL. On a positive note, however, our Vikings defense has caused opponents to turn the ball over eight times in three weeks (5 interceptions, and 3 fumble recoveries). Our Vikings defense has also recorded 7 sacks on the season. If that sounds like a good number after three weeks, remember, Joey Harrington was sacked 6 times in week one.

Minnesota's offense has been less than stellar this season. The running game has been on task, with Adrian Peterson rushing for over 100 yards in week one, 62 yards vs Detroit in week two, and 102 yards in week three opposing the Chiefs. Peterson has also caught 8 passes for 162 yards and one touchdown this season. The injured Chester Taylor may be back this week. Taylor is listed as day-today, and is limited in practice work.

Finally, it looks like Kelly Holcomb will get the start for the Vikings this week. Holcomb didn't do too bad against the Chiefs, completing 14 of 28 passes with a very weak receiving corp, and threw for 165 yards. Holcomb received a low 65% QB rating last week.

In order to win this week, Minnesota will need to find a way to contain the passing game of Brett Farve, Donald Driver and James Jones. Minnesota's offense needs to find their way into the end zone more than one time, and can not be outscored by their defense again. Hopefully Chester Taylor will return this week, and relieve some of the pressure off Adrian Peterson. Receivers, Troy Williamson, Sydney Rice, and Bobby Wade must step it up, and make the plays necessary to aid their ailing offense and score some points.

The Vikings and Packers game is scheduled for a 12 noon start. so if you can not make it the the Metrodome this week, just tune in and cheer on our beloved Minnesota Vikings as the do battle with the hated Brett Farve and Green Bay Packers.

SKOL VIKINGS!!!!!!!!

Viking Mania Steps It Up A Notch

Here at Vikings Mania, we are dedicated to getting information out to our readers. I always try to keep everything up to date on my site, and write about how I think the Vikings will do in the upcoming weeks, how their season is progressing, and the facts and my opinions about the games.

We do this in forms of injury reports, game previews, and game recaps. Something I am going to try to do in the upcoming weeks, will be to highlight a different player each day. I will try to total four different players a week, and keep pace with updating this site daily as well. In the player highlight, I will include how I think the player is doing, where they are going as an individual, what the media is saying, and the player biography. This is my attempt to let our fans know some more information about our Minnesota Vikings as players and people.

Over in our left hand corner, you will see we have links to the Minnesota Vikings web site, as a hopeful short cut for our fans to find the necessary information they want about their favorite team, the Minnesota Vikings. If you have any comments about how I can make this a better site, and more fan friendly, please let me know. I always appreciate fan suggestions.

We do have a Yahoo discussion group that I update daily with all the Viking information I come across in the news, in other articles on the Internet, and from viking.com. I have also sent in the information to the Minnesota Vikings about our Yahoo group, to try and list it as a fan club. With this Yahoo group, I have a calendar option where I can list meeting places for our local Northern Minnesota Fans to gather together once a week and cheer on our Vikings. We are looking at traveling to local places in Hibbing, Virginia, Grand Rapids, and Duluth when we get a good fan base. I would like to keep this as a fan club, and our out of state readers can also list there meeting place on the event calendar event as well. All group members will be able to sign up their events on our calendar. Please keep these events for Vikings meetings only, and family orientated.

Hopefully the Minnesota Vikings will accept our application as a fan club, and list us on their site for all Vikings fans to read. There will never be any charge for signing up for the fan club. The only required fee will be for each individual member to buy their own food and drinks at our meeting places, and bring their own game attire for the event. Otherwise, there will never be any charge for our fan club.

The web page for the Yahoo group and Fan Club is:

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/carlossilvafanclub07/

Please go there, look over the information, and sign up. Again, everything is FREE, with the sign up. We are just trying to get a local meeting place for all our fans to get to gather, meet new people, and make new friends.

Hope to see you all at our web site, and local events when they come up. Til then Viking Fans....

SKOL VIKINGS!!!!

Vikings Lose Close One

The Kansas City Chiefs extended the drought of the Minnesota Vikings to two straight games and a losing streak at Arrowhead that has lasted for over 33 years. The Chiefs have now extended their all time series lead over Minnesota to 6-4, by defeating the Vikings 13-10 yesterday.

Kelly Holcomb got the start for the Minnesota Vikings, and fared about as well as Tarvaris Jackson has with the passing game. The Vikings offense and play calling has been criticised harshly since the inception of Brad Childress, and Minnesota's offense has been dormant to say the very least. The Viking running game has been the entire highlight for this Vikings team, and about all the offense they can muster up. The Minnesota Viking offense has been out scored by their defense all last season, and so far this season. Minnesota's defense now holds a 5-3 lead over their offense.

Kelly Holcomb went 14 for 28, and threw for 162 yards. Holcomb connected with Adrian Peterson 3 times for 48 yards, and Bobby Wade 4 times for 35 yards. The remainder of the Vikings passing game was spread out between Sydney Rice, who had 2 receptions for 21 yards, Mewelde Moore 2 receptions for 10 yards, and Visanthe Shiancoe who caught 3 passes for 51 yards.

Minnesota's only touchdown came in the first quarter, on an 11 yard run from Adrian Peterson, and a Longwell extra point. Minnesota then scored again in the second quarter on a Ryan Longwell 22 yard field goal, giving the Vikings a 10-0 lead. But that would be all the offense the Vikings could do the rest of the game.

Kansas City would score 13 unanswered points on this Viking defense. A David Rayner 39 yard field goal, would cut the Vikings a 10-3 lead at the half. Then, in the third quarter, the Chiefs would score again on David Rayner field goal, this time from 49 yards out, cutting the Viking lead to 10-6 after three quarters of play.

Finally, in the fourth quarter, Kansas City would put the nail in the Viking coffin, with a Damon Huard touchdown pass to Dwayne Bowe. A David Rayner point after, would give the Chiefs a 13-10 lead, and eventual victory.

The Vikings defense is definitely not to blame for this loss. Minnesota held Kansas City to 251 total offensive yards, of which 196 were passing. Kansas City was only able to get 14 first downs all game, as compared to Minnesota's 18. Kansas City would gather 50 yards rushing on our potent Viking run defense, as compared to the Vikings 123 yards rushing. They were forced to punt 6 times, and only scored one touchdown. The only two areas other than passing the Chiefs lead in was time of possession, where Kansas City had 31:37 to Minnesota's 28:23, and penalty yards 10/61 to 6/45.

The Vikings will now head back home to challenge Brett Farve and the hated Green Bay Packers. The Packers who are now 3-0, will head to Minnesota looking for Brett Farve to break the all time touchdown record, among other record for Green Bay. The Vikings and Packers much disputed rivalry will begin at 12 noon next Sunday.

LETS SKOL VIKINGS!!!!

Minnesota Vikings vs Kansas City Chiefs Final Injury Report

Here is the most up to date informationI have on todays game. This report was done at 5:30am today. For the most recent information, please go to:

http://www.nfl.com/injuries

Thank you, and enjoy the game

Skol Vikings!!!!

Minnesota Vikings Injury Report for 9/23/07:
9/23/2007 21 Mike Doss (S) Calf----Probable9
9/23/2007 49 Tony Richardson (FB) Forearm----Doubtful
9/23/2007 29 Chester Taylor (RB) Hip----Questionable
9/23/2007 24 Dwight Smith (S) Hamstring----Questionable
9/23/2007 7 Tarvaris Jackson (QB) Groin----Doubtful
9/23/2007 42 Darren Sharper (S) Hip----Questionable
9/23/2007 82 Troy Williamson (WR) Hamstring-----Questionable

Kansas City Chiefs Injury Report for 9/23/07:
9/23/20007 87 Eddie Kennison (WR) Hamstring----Out
9/23/20007 47 Jon McGraw (S) Hamstring----Probable
9/23/2007 77 Damion McIntosh (T) Knee----Probable

Minnesota Vikings vs Kansas City Chiefs Injury Report

Here is this week's injury report for the Minnesota Vikings vs Kansas City Chiefs. This report is as up to date as possible, and will be finalized by 5am tomorrow morning. Any changes after that will not be noted. I would update the site later than that, but I will be at the Minnesota Twins final home stand tomorrow, and need to leave for the game by 6am. I will update injury reports later than this in the future, as I try to give out the best information as possible for my readers.

Minnesota Vikings Injury Report for 9/23/07:
9/21/2007 21 Mike Doss (S) Calf----Probable
9/21/2007 49 Tony Richardson (FB) Forearm----Doubtful
9/21/2007 29 Chester Taylor (RB) Hip----Questionable
9/21/2007 24 Dwight Smith (S) Hamstring----Questionable
9/21/2007 7 Tarvaris Jackson (QB) Groin----Doubtful
9/21/2007 42 Darren Sharper (S) Hip----Questionable
9/21/2007 82 Troy Williamson (WR) Hamstring-----Questionable

Kansas City Chiefs Injury Report for 9/23/07:
9/21/20007 87 Eddie Kennison (WR) Hamstring----Out
9/21/20007 47 Jon McGraw (S) Hamstring----Probable
9/21/2007 77 Damion McIntosh (T) Knee----Probable

Minnesota Vikings Travel to Arrowhead

The Minnesota Vikings, who just came of the ugliest game in years against the Detroit Lions, and found themselves handed their first ever loss at Ford Field, come into Kansas City this weekend looking for a little retribution.

Minnesota needs to redeem themselves from last weeks loss, and hope to use the Kansas City Chiefs in doing so. Kansas City owns a 5-4-0 series record over the Vikings, and Minnesota has not played at Arrowhead Stadium since 1999, and has not won their since 1974. Minnesota and Kansas City have a very close rival, as they are also 7-7 in preseason match ups. The Vikings and Chiefs are very closely matched up, and this one should be a barn burner.

This season the Minnesota Vikings are 1-1, with a season opening win over Atlanta 23-3, and an ugly loss to Detroit last week 20-17 in overtime. The Chiefs are 0-2 on the season with a season opening road loss to the Houston Texans 20-3, and last week's loss to the Chicago Bears 20-10. This will be the Chiefs home opener, as they search for their first win of the season, and extend Minnesota's losing streak to two straight losses, and over 33 years since their last victory at Arrowhead. Minnesota's last win at Arrowhead was on December 14, 1974 in a 35-15 win over the Chiefs.

The Vikings may be without starter Tarvaris Jackson, who is still listed as Day-to-Day since going down last week with a groin injury. Jackson experienced his worse ever start as a professional last week, when he completed 17 of 33 passes for 166 yards and four interceptions. Jackson was hurt in the fourth quarter and never returned. A possible stater for the Vikings this week could be Kelly Holcomb. Holcomb was acquired from Philadelphia in the preseason for added insurance.

Viking rookie Adrian Peterson had another productive week, as he carried the ball 22 times for 66 yards, and caught four receptions for 52 yards. Peterson had a total of 118 yards on the day. Chester Taylor who was out last week with a hip injury, looks to be playing this week. Minnesota struggled offensively both in the air, and on the ground against Detroit. With Adrian Peterson carrying most of the load for the Vikings, and only rushing for 52 yards. With the hopeful return of Chester Taylor, Minnesota's ground attack should be in full force again.

The Viking defense will remain very powerful against the Chiefs ground attack, and should hold them to very few yards. The Minnesota defense is what has held up best in this young season. Minnesota has three defensive touchdowns, and is holding opponents to 152 yards rushing (3.1 average yards), but a whopping 528 yards passing (6.7 average yards). They have allowed only two touchdowns this season, and are 12 of 29 on third down conversions. The Vikings has also recorded 10 sacks in two weeks.

The Vikings definitely need to get going offensively. I feel they are doing Tarvaris Jackson a grave injustice by starting his so early in his career. I believe that head coach Brad Childress should be having Jackson learning from veteran quarterbacks Brooks Bollinger and Kelly Holcomb, while getting one, maybe two years tops of experience and preparation before starting. Jackson is very young and raw, and needs a lot of attention before he is ready for the big league performances that everyone is expecting of him. Hopefully Jackson's career won't be over before it gets a real start due to poor performances at such a young beginning in his career.

I urge all Vikings fans to remain patient, and keep on supporting our Minnesota Vikings. We have a very young and talented team, with a raw quarterback who needs grooming and a lot of attention and preparation to become the great starter the Vikings have projected him to be. Since it does not seem like Coach Childress is going to rest Jackson unless he has major issues, please give this Vikings team a chance, and a lot of our patience and support, while Jackson gets the playing experience he desperately needs.

Til game time Vikings fans......

SKOL VIKINGS LETS SKOL!!!!!!

Who Wants To Win Least?

This was the question in yesterday's game between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings entered Detroit yesterday with a perfect record of 5-0 at Ford Field, and a 1-0 record on the season. After suffering a 20-17 loss, Minnesota now finds themselves 5-1 at Ford Field and 1-1 on this young season.

If these Minnesota Vikings want to be better than 8-8 or 7-9 this season, they need to play much better football. Tarvaris Jackson showed just how young and raw he is, by throwing four interceptions, and going 17 for 33 and 166 yards. Jackson received a quarterback rating of 26.4 in week two. Tarvaris was not all bad though. He did run in one touchdown, and stretched out in doing so, getting the ball in the end zone before his knees touched the ground, he also had 5 attempts for 16yards in rushing, and made a great heads up play on a questionable reception, in snapping the ball before the Lions could challenge the play.

Adrian Peterson was not as effective in week two. Peterson had 20 carries for 66 yards, no touchdowns, and caught 4 receptions for 52 yards. Mewelde Moore carried the ball 6 times for 56 yards, and had 4 receptions for 36 yards. Detroit's defense seemed to sworn Adrian Peterson yesterday, as he could not get anywhere most of the game. The Vikings are hoping Chester Taylor will return next week against the Kansas City Chiefs. With Taylor, Peterson, and Moore in the backfield switching out, the Chiefs won't know who the ball is going to, and we should see a much improved running game.

The passing attack was left virtually lifeless yesterday, as Bobby Wade has 5 receptions for 34 yards and no touchdowns. Wade also had one run attempt for -9 yards. Troy Williamson had 2 receptions for 23 yards, while Robert Ferguson was 3 for 29, and definitely had one dropped pass that should have been easily caught. Finally, Adrian Peterson was 4 for 52 in receiving yards. The Vikings only offensive touchdown came in the second quarter when Tarvaris Jackson stretched the ball out over the goal line. Otherwise, Minnesota only other offensive score was on a Ryan Longwell 32 yard field goal in the third quarter.

The Vikings defense showed how vulnerable their pass defense really is. Jon Kitna threw 22comp/33att/245yrds, 1 interception and 1 touchdown, while J.T. O'Sullivan who has never thrown a pass in the NFL, went 13 for 23 with 148 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Minnesota's defense did force four fumbles, in which they recovered two, and had a total of three interceptions, causing Detroit to turn the ball over 5 times all day. The Vikings also recorded their third defensive touchdown of the season, when Ray Edwards recovered a 9 yard fumble for a touchdown.

Yesterday's game between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings was extremely ugly. Riddled with a total of 9 turnovers, two missed field goals, and two teams who could not get into the red zone very often, the fans could not tell who wanted to lose this game more. This was one game neither team deserved to win. In defeating the Vikings yesterday, the Detroit Lions snapped a 10 game losing streak, which was the current longest win streak over a divisional opponent.

The Vikings (1-1) will now travel to Kansas City to play the Chiefs (0-2) next week, while the Lions (2-0) will go to Philadelphia to play the Eagles (0-1), who play the Washington Redskins tonight. Don't worry too much Vikings fans, I'm sure coach Brad Childress will take care of business this week, and we will see a much improved Vikings offense next week against Kansas City, than what we saw yesterday.

LETS SKOL VIKINGS!!!!!!

Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions Injury Report

Here is this weeks injury report for the Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions game, set for Sunday, September 15, at 3:05pm. This report will be updated daily until 10am Sunday Morning, to which it will be finalized on or before then.

Minnesota Vikings Injury Report--Week 2--9/15/07
9/15/2007 49 Tony Richardson (FB) Arm----Questionable----No Change
9/15/2007 29 Chester Taylor (RB) Hip----Questionable----No Change
9/15/2007 38 Naufahu Tahi (FB) Ankle----Probable----No Change
9/15/2007 21 Mike Doss (S) Calf----Questionable----No Change
9/15/2007 89 Robert Ferguson (WR) Ankle----Probable----No Change
9/15/2007 50 Vinny Ciurciu (LB) Hand----Probable----No Change

Detroit Lions Injury Report--Week 2--9/15/07

9/15/07 Todd Duckett (RB)---- Ankle----Out
9/15/07 Kevin Jones (RB) Foot----Doubtful

9/15/07 Anthony Cannon (LB) Quadricep----Questionable
9/15/07 Dan Orlovsky (QB) Toe----Questionable

Vikings Looking to Slay Lions

The Minnesota Vikings will head into Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan this weekend, searching for their second win of the season, as the take on the Detroit Lions for the 92nd time since their existence.

Last week was very good for the NFC North Division, as Detroit, Green Bay and Minnesota all won, to go 1-0 after week one. Detroit handled the Oakland Raiders 39-21, Green Bay squeaked by Philadelphia to win their first home opener in four years, 16-13, and Minnesota grounded the Falcons 23-3 at the Metrodome. Minnesota now travels to Ford Field, where they are 5-0, and 32-12-1 over all playing in Detroit. The Vikings have had great success against the Lions in their history, and post an overall 60-29-2 record over the Lions.

This week Minnesota will come in to Ford Field with the addition of Adrian Peterson, Bobby Wade, and Sydney Rice on offense, and some positive changes on defense, and last years number one run defense. Minnesota's defense was awesome last week, sacking Joey Harrington six times, intercepting the ball for two touchdowns, and held the Falcons rushing game to 96 yards. With starters like Brian Robinson who picked up two sacks, and E. J. Henderson, Cedric Griffin Kenechi Udez and Spencer Johnson all who recorded a sack of their own, will look forward to more of the same success against the Lions this week. Minnesota's two defensive touchdowns came on a Kevin Williams 54 yard interception, and Antone Winfield's 14 yard interception. However, this week, the Vikings can not rely only soley on their defense. The Vikings offense will need to perform somewhat better this week.

The Vikings offense was very poor last year, led by veteran Brad Johnson. The Vikings offense was scrutinized all last season for their poor performances week in and week out. Minnesota will find themselves under the same microscope again this season, needing to improve a little every week, if they want to keep Viking fans happy. With a raw quarterback in Tarvaris Jackson, Minnesota will be looking to rely mostly on their run game. With the addition of Adrian Peterson (19att/103yrds) in week one, Bobby Wade (1rec/28yrds) and Sydney Rice (2rec/10yrds), this offense will need to step it up. Adrian Peterson did a wonderful job, and had a great opening week, being names "Rookie of the Week". Peterson's running game was excellent, and he even had 1rec/60yrds, and a kick off return he ran back for 22 yards. Peterson did live up to all the hype in week one, and looks for more of the same success.

The Vikings are unsure of how helpful Chester Taylor will be this week if at all. Taylor was thought to have a bruised hip, and left the game in the first quarter. As it turns out, it appears to be his right oblique muscle, and he could be out a week or two. Taylor is listed as Day-To-Day. Without Taylor in the backfield, the Vikings will have to rely on Peterson to get the job done for the running game this week.

Minnesota's passing game is a little rough, but has the potential to give a lot of aid to their defense. The Vikings relied mostly on their defense last week, as they out scored the offense 14-10. However, Vikings offensive players like Bobby Wade, Troy Williamson, and Sydney Rice will need to give more help, and hopefully put up a few more points this week. Tarvaris Jackson, who made very few mistakes, and managed the game well last week, will need to make better passes, and start hitting his receivers more accurately.

The Lions had a great week against the Oakland Raiders. behind Jon Kitna (27cmp/289yrds), Tatum Bell (15att/87yrds), Shaun McDonald (6rec/90yrds), and Mike Furry (5rec/52yrds), the offense put up all 31 points with 4 touchdowns, and one field goal. The Lions pass offense did real well last week, and hopes to expose Minnesota's poor pass defense. This Lions offense will definitely be a big test for the Vikings this week.

The Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions rivalry dates back to 1961, and has been very competitive every year. These two division rivals always battle it out, and play each other very tough. All teams in the NFC North Division have fierce rivalries, as the division has been named the "Black and Blue Division" for a reason.

Minnesota and Detroit are set to do battle at 3:05pm this Sunday. So gear up Minnesota, as your Minnesota Vikings head into battle for their first division match up of the season. This is probable the most important match up to win. An early lead in the division could be what this Viking team needs. Getting off to a great start in the division is very important, and could set the pace for the rest of this season. Minnesota must improve on their 2-4 division record from last year, if they want to challenge for the title this season.

til then Vikings fans.......

SKOL VIKINGS!!!!!! LETS SKOL!!!!!!

Defense Wins Games

The Minnesota Vikings defense was supurb on Sunday, as they ran back two interceptions for touchdowns, in a 24 -3 Viking victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

The Minnesota Vikings defense showed they can defend against the pass rush, as they ran back two interceptions for touchdowns, sacked Joey Harrington, sixtimes, and held the Atlanta Falcons to 169 passing yards. Minnesota did even better against the rush, as they forced one fumble, and held the Atlanta to just 69 rushing yards.

The Vikings first interception came from Kevin Williams, who ran it back for a 54 yard touchdown, giving Minnesota an early 7-0 lead. Minnesota's other defensive touchdown came at 12:33 of the fourth quarter, when Antone Winfield picked off Joey Harrington for the second and final time of the afternoon. Winfield ran it back a 14 yard touchdown, to seal the Viking victory. The Vikings also recorded six sacks on the game, two from E. J. Henderson, two from Brian Robinson, one from Spencer Johnson, and one from Kenechi Udez. Udez, who did not record a sack all last year, got that burden off his back, and sacked Harrington with .01 left on the play clock. Udez's sack proved why "you play every down." Coach Childress also gave Udez a game ball for his efforts on the field.

The Vikings offense showed some signs of hope for this season. With a raw young quarterback like Tarvaris Jackson, Minnesota's passing game went for only 169 yards on 23 attempts and 13 completions. The Vikings also scored their first offensive touchdown this season, with a Tarvaris Jackson 60 yard swing pass to rookie Adrian Peterson. This marked Peterson's first career touchdown, and capped off what was a great game for the Vikings newest young stud. Peterson also had 19 rushes for 103 yards in his first game of the season. Chester Taylor had 3 carries for 18 yards, but left the game in the first quarter with a bruised hip. Minnesota's offense also contributed a field goal from Ryan Longwell with 13:45 left in the third quarter.

The Vikings did well on both sides of the ball in week one. This was definitely not a prefect game for Minnesota, but rather a "blueprint" on their season. The Vikings powerful defense will keep most teams from scoring 28-35 points all season long. Minnesota will have a great number of lower scoring games, but will need more help this season from the offense than they had last year. The offense will have to contribute more than just one touchdown and a field goal every week. Minnesota can not depend on their defense to score two touchdowns a game, but will have the good fortune of a defense who can and will get them big plays.

Look for this Viking offense to improve every week. With all the young talent that will develop as this season progresses like Tarvaris Jackson (13/23/163) and one touchdown, Adrian Peterson (1rec/60yrds) and (19 att/103yrds), Sydney Rice (2 rec/10yrds), and Bobby Wade (1rec/28yrds), Minnesota's offense has the potential to contribute a lot this season. I am definitely not saying they will be stellar, but they will be much more improved than last year.

The Vikings will now travel to Detroit to take on Jay Kitna and his Lions.

The Vikings and Lions division rivalry will be a huge step in this early season. A Viking win will boost them in their division, and see if they can separate themselves from the rest of the pack with an early lead. This will be one of two road trips in the Vikings first three games.

SKOL VIKINGS!!!!!!

Vikings Preview--Five Part Series

Here is a five part article on the Minnesota Vikings "Keys to Success" this season. This is a season preview, on what our Minnesota Vikings will need to do to suceed this season. I though it was interesting, and thought I'd share it with you.

Part One; The Dynamic Duo:

By selecting Adrian Peterson with the seventh-overall pick in April’s draft, the Minnesota Vikings are now able to pair him with incumbent starter Chester Taylor to form a dynamic duo in the backfield. In 2006, Taylor recorded 1,214 rushing yards and now head coach Brad Childress has a second stud rusher to hand the ball to on offense with the addition of Peterson. The Vikings seem poised to join a growing trend in the NFL – a one-two punch in the running game.

But just because the Vikings have two quality backs doesn’t mean they will have the same success teams such as the Jaguars and Saints have sustained using the same strategy. There are many factors that come into play when attempting to utilize two talented rushers in one backfield.

First, the backs must compliment each other. Peterson must develop and display skills and characteristics that make him slightly different from his backfield teammate. If Taylor can earn tough yards between the tackles and be reliable in pass protection, then the Vikings will want Peterson to push the edges and provide explosive gains when handed the ball.

In addition to that, each back must be able to fulfill the other back’s role. Because football is a high-impact sport, one runner may be forced to leave the game at any time. If such a scenario were to occur, the healthy back needs to adequately fulfill the other back’s role if the offense is to proceed without a hiccup.

Second, both backs must remain healthy. Last season, the wear and tear of 300-plus carries took its toll on Taylor. He slowed down near the end of the season and even missed a game. The addition of Peterson, assuming he remains healthy as well, will reduce the workload on Taylor and allow him to stay strong for 16 games. On the flip side, injury concerns have followed Peterson from Oklahoma to the NFL. A broken collarbone suffered in college was still a hot topic of discussion when training camp began for Peterson. He must avoid the injury bug if the Vikings are to capitalize on the backfield duo.

Another factor is completely out of the hands of both Taylor and Peterson. The Vikings coaching staff must scheme properly and call the right plays to maximize the effectiveness and production of both Taylor and Peterson. Just like both runners must improve their weaknesses and display their strengths, the Vikings coaches are charged with putting the players in positions to succeed. Coach Childress and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell will look for the right mix of Taylor and Peterson and they must find it to optimize their potential.

The importance of Taylor and Peterson forming an effective duo is paramount to the Vikings in 2007. Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is in just his second season as a Viking.

Part Two; The Time Is Now:

The Vikings traded up in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft to nab quarterback Tarvaris Jackson in anticipation that at some point in time he would become the franchise’s starting quarterback. After a rookie season spent mostly holding a clipboard and learning from veterans, and then an offseason preparing to assume the role as the team’s starter, and then a training camp battle with teammate Brooks Bollinger for the job, the time is now.

And how Jackson responds to leading the Vikings in just his second NFL season will be paramount to the team’s success in 2007. After scouting him prior to the draft, selecting him in the second round and then tutoring him through his rookie season, Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress feels Jackson is capable of running his offense and ready to assume leadership of the team.

On Sunday, we will begin to see just how far the young quarterback has come since entering the league in April of 2006.

Physical tools will not be the problem for Jackson. He has a big arm, nifty feet and the accuracy required to operate in the west coast offense. Watching Jackson zip passes through a talented Vikings defense on a daily basis is all the convincing needed to acknowledge that the second-year player has the physical ability needed to succeed.

Jackson also has an incredible work ethic. There are stories of his relentless offseason training regiment back in Alabama, despite the intense summer heat in the deep South. He also showed up to the Vikings offseason training program early to get a head start on season preparations and expedite his learning process.

His teammates express confidence in him, from rookie receiver Sidney Rice to veteran safety Darren Sharper.

“He’s got a tremendous arm,” Rice said. “He has what it takes to get the job done this year.”

Said Sharper, “I know Tarvaris has all the ability to lead us to victory, whoever we play, because he brings so much to the table. He’s such a threat as far as running the football and also the arm and the accuracy that he has, and he’s a smart kid. So I have all the confidence in Tarvaris.”

But there’s more to being a successful NFL quarterback than just throwing the ball hard with accuracy. In the NFL, playbooks are thick, defenses are fast and mistakes are magnified.

Part Three; Eliminating Mistakes:

If you ask Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress what kind of team he is trying to mold, one description he will quickly use is “a team that doesn’t beat itself.” That characterization has been a battle cry of Coach Childress’ since he took over in January of 2006.

Despite the emphasis and effort Coach Childress has allocated to the cause, that battle cry has remained somewhat silent, especially on offense, where the Vikings committed a league-high 123 penalties last season.

Outside of a turnover, there is no bigger drive-killer than a penalty. Similarly, outside of a score there is nothing more demoralizing to a defense than committing a penalty that extends the opponents drive. The Minnesota Vikings found out those two lessons the hard way in 2006, and if the team is to have a successful season in 2007 this area of the game must show significant improvement.

The numbers and rankings are ugly; Minnesota ranked last in the league in offensive penalties committed and 30th in defensive penalties committed. Coach Childress has acknowledged that those mistakes must be severely decreased in 2007.

Too many yellow flags on the field do more than put a team near the bottom of league rankings. Costly mistakes such as a false start, delay of game or holding make for bad field position, longer third-down scenarios and more pressure on the quarterback.

The Vikings converted on just 33 percent of their third-down plays in 2006 - the result of too many third-and-long situations. There’s no bigger culprit to third-and-long situations than penalties.

The importance of reducing offensive penalties is magnified in 2007 because of the team’s quarterback situation. Youngster Tarvaris Jackson will take the helm and guide the offense in just his second pro season. With enough to already worry about, like blitz pickup and reading coverages, the last thing Jackson and the Vikings coaching staff want to deal with is penalties.

So the effort to eliminate penalties continues. Any offensive player who committed a false start in training camp had to remove himself from the formation and jog to the end of the field. At one point during camp, Coach Childress restarted an entire period during practice because of the amount of penalties the offense was committing.

It’s clear that eliminating penalties is of the highest priority in Minnesota this year.

Part Four: Covering Kicks:

Although attention to them is distributed unevenly, the three phases of football (offense, defense and special teams) each have a profound impact on every game. While “defense wins championships” and highlight reels capture mostly offensive performances, special teams are often overlooked. But doing so is a mistake because in analyzing the affect this phase of the game has on each contest, and the entire season, one finds that special teams is a crucial component to victory and defeat.

Look no further for a perfect illustration of this reality than the 2006 Minnesota Vikings. Last year’s kick coverage units allowed 9.7 yards per punt return and 23.2 yards per kick return, ranking them 23rd and 24th in the league, respectively. Those results yielded short fields to opposing offenses and put too much pressure on the Vikings defense.

The effects eventually trickled down to the Vikings offense. Short fields for one team almost invariably lead to long fields for the other. The Achilles heel of last year’s team was a lackluster offense, and perhaps poor kick coverage contributed to the offense’s inability to produce points.

So the Vikings entered the offseason charged with improving their coverage of kickoffs and punts. They signed former Carolina special teams standout Vinny Ciurciu, kept their own standouts (Heath Farwell, Dontarrious Thomas) and worked with both kicker Ryan Longwell and punter Chris Kluwe to improve leg strength.

The results in the preseason weren’t encouraging. The Vikings allowed 23.6 yards per kickoff return, a slight regression from 2006, and 25.1 yards per punt return, a staggering number even in the preseason. The lowlights included a 95-yard punt return by Dallas’ Jerheme Urban, a 53-yard punt return by Seattle’s Nate Burleson and 38-yard punt returns by New York’s Wallace Right and Seattle’s Josh Wilson.

One method Vikings special teams coordinator Paul Ferraro will use to shore up his kick coverage unit is use offensive and defensive starters. Players like Antoine Winfield and Dwight Smith are prime candidates to join the likes of Ciurciu, Farwell and Thomas to form a solid group of coverage specialists.

“I feel good about it; I do,” Ferraro said when asked about his unit heading into the regular season. “Again, if you go back and you evaluate through the preseason games nobody is happy when you have a big return against you, but I see things in practice, in our meetings, that make me feel very positive going into this weekend.”

And that is a good sign for the Vikings.

Part Five; Season Preview
The Vikings struggle in 2006 to pressure the quarterback and register sacks has been well-chronicled. Although they were dominant against the run in historical fashion, the Vikings had a chink in their armor that was completely exposed in a Week 8 31-7 loss to the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football. From that point forward, most teams attacked the Vikings by spreading the defense out and launching an aerial assault.

That strategy worked throughout the season, and as a result the Vikings finished last in passing yards allowed. True, the numbers may be skewed because teams chose to pass more times against the Vikings, but the fact remains Minnesota was unable to contain most teams’ passing game even though they knew it was coming.

So in his first season with the team, Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier is charged with maintaining his unit’s dominance against the run while also shoring up the pass defense. The first step to accomplishing this goal is to figure out a way to put more pressure on the quarterback and record more sacks.

The Vikings finished 25th in the league in sacks recorded and no starter had more than 5.5. Illustrating the correlation between sacking the quarterback and winning games, only one of the worst five teams in sacks (New York Giants) recorded made the playoffs in 2006. The combined record of those five teams last season was 34-46. Conversely, the combined record of the five best quarterback sacking teams in 2006 was 53-27, with three of those teams making playoff appearances.

The team has clearly made an effort to improve in this pivotal phase of the game since the end of last season. Former first-round pick Erasmus James was brought along carefully as he recovered from a knee injury that ended his 2006 season early. His return should instantly bolster the Vikings pass rush. In April the Vikings drafted speed-rushing defensive end Brian Robison from Texas. He had a nice camp and figures to be a part of the defensive end rotation. The development of Ray Edwards has been impressive and he, more than any other player in camp, performed well. At one point, Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress said they couldn’t block Edwards during practice and he was able to be extremely disruptive as a result.

Perhaps the biggest indication that the team is committed to putting more pressure on the quarterback is the fact that the Vikings kept ten defensive lineman on their 53-man roster, including six defensive lineman. While all ten likely will not be active on game day, the surplus of defensive lineman is a sign that the Vikings intend to pressure the quarterback and they intend to do so for the entire game. Because of their depth, the Vikings will be able to put a fresh set of legs in the game at any point.

Although they only recorded seven sacks in four preseason games, the Vikings defense was better against the pass, allowing only 204.2 yards passing per game. The defense was also disruptive, forcing fumbles and recording interceptions throughout the preseason .

If the Vikings are to improve upon their 6-10 mark from a year ago and their league-worst effort against the pass, rushing the quarterback must be a point of emphasis for them all season long. With great depth along the defensive line, especially at end, look for the Vikings defense to remain fresh and active deep into each game.

LETS SKOL VIKINGS!!!!!

&

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Vikings Sign Defensive Tackle Pat Williams

The Minnesota Vikings have signed 2006 Pro Bowl DT Pat Williams to a 3-year contract extension. Williams enters his 3rd season with the Vikings in 2007 and his 11th in the NFL. Williams was a key element in the Vikings posting the #1 rushing defense in the NFL in 2006 and allowed the 2nd-fewest yards rushing (985) in a season since the 1970 NFL merger.

Williams earned his 1st Pro Bowl berth of his career in 2006. A durable defender, Williams has started all 32 games he has played with the Vikings the past 2 seasons and has 97 career starts in his 140 games. Williams and fellow DT Kevin Williams both played in the Pro Bowl last season. The tandem marked only the 3rd time in Vikings history that 2 DTs were recognized with Pro Bowl honors, joining Alan Page and Gary Larsen in 1969 and 1970.

Pat Williams, entering the final season of a three-year, $13 million free-agent contract he signed in March 2005, will receive approximately $22 million in his new deal, with a minimum of $9.5 million in guarantees. Williams' agent, Angelo Wright, is expected to work out the final details today; the contract will run through the 2010 season.

"I'm always hesitant until we cross the T's and dot the I's," coach Brad Childress said when asked about the contract. "We'll probably have something on that tomorrow. I've always had a good relationship with him because he has always been very honest and straight, as have I."
In addition to feeling at home in Minnesota, Williams also elected not to explore free agency after the season because he wanted to continue playing alongside defensive tackle Kevin Williams. Those two were the main reason the Vikings' run defense was No. 1 in the NFL last season.
"I didn't want to go nowhere," Pat Williams said. "I want to finish [my career] playing beside Kevin Williams."

Kevin Williams received a five-year, $33.24 million extension from the Vikings last December.
Pat Williams, who will turn 35 on Oct. 24, said this will be the final contract of his NFL career. This will be his 11th NFL season and his third with the Vikings. The 6-3, 330-pound Williams spent his first eight seasons with Buffalo. He has started 80 consecutive regular-season games and last year was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time.

Contract talks between Williams' agent and the Vikings appeared to break down during training camp, but the team approached Williams again recently and said they would have an offer.
"Everything is great now," Williams said. "So I ain't got to be worried about packing my bags and leaving. It's straight home all Purple and Gold."

This information obtained from the Minnesota Vikins Web Site and Star Tribune.

Vikings Announce 97th Consecutive Sellout

The Minnesota Vikings today announced the 2007 season opener against the Atlanta Falcons will be the team’s 97th consecutive sellout. The game, dedicated as “Heroes Day” in honor of the victims and their families, the first responders and those injured in the 35W bridge collapse, will be televised locally on KMSP FOX 9.“This was a team effort by our fans, our local broadcast partner, KMSP FOX 9, and other corporate programs” said Vice President of Sales and Marketing Steve LaCroix. “In addition, we also have the privilege of donating tickets to our heroes who will be honored at Sunday’s game. As a result of the sellout, not only will we have the home field advantage that our loud and passionate fans provide, but we’re also thrilled that Vikings fans will be able to watch the game on local television.”As with all home games, limited tickets are still available through Ticketmaster and the Vikings ticket office due to visiting team returns.

Minnesota Vikings vs Atlanta Falcons Injury Report

Here is the injury report so far for the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Atlanta Falcons, scheduled for this weekend. The players listed below are still tentative to play for their respective teams, and although they are not practicing, or are listed as day to day, there is still a great probability they will play come Sunday. I will update this daily with any relevant changes that may occur. The final report will be posted Saturday Night. So Keep Tuned in to see which of your favorite players will be eligible to play Sunday.

Minnesota Vikings Injury Report For Week One--9/9/07
9/6/2007 21 Mike Doss S Calf ----OUT---- No Change
9/6/2007 56 E.J. Henderson LB Illness----PROBABLE----Improving
9/6/2007 25 Tank Williams S Calf----PROBABLE---- Improving
9/6/2007 98 Darrion Scott DE Shoulder----PROBABLE---- Improving
9/6/2007 19 Bobby Wade WR Ankle----PROBABLE---- Improving
9/6/2007 50 Vinny Ciurciu LB Hand----PROBABLE---- No Change
9/6/2007 85 Robert Ferguson WR Ankle----QUESTIONABLE---- No Change

Atlanta Falcons Injury Report For Week One--9/9/07
S Chris Crocker (knee)----OUT----No Change
DT Rod Coleman (knee)----OUT---- No Change
TE Alge Crumpler (rest)----Day-To-Day---- No Change
dt gRADY JACKSON(BACK)----QUESTIONABLE----No Change

Vikings Practice Squad Finalized

Sorry if this information is a little late, but I just came across it. This is a stroy that talks about the Minnesota Vikings practice squad. I found it on the vikings media page.

The Vikings were hoping QB Tyler Thigpen and LB David Herron would slip through waivers and onto the practice squad. Unfortunately, Kansas City and New England had other plans. As finalized over Labor Day Weekend, the practice squad includes six “old” faces, and two new-comers.


DT Conrad Bolston - Maryland - Rookie
CB Chad Johnson - Northwestern State - Rookie
WR Martin Nance - Miami (Ohio) - 1st Year
OL Seppo Evwaraye - Nebraska - 1st Year (European exemption)
G Brian Daniels - Colorado - Rookie
S Tyler Everett - Ohio State - 1st Year
WR Joel Filani - Texas Tech - Rookie
RB Arkee Whitlock - Southern Illiniois - Rookie
Bolson, Johnson, Nance, Daniels, Evwaraye and Whitlock were all part of the squad during training camp. Filani, a sixth-round draft pick, was cut by the Titans, and Everett was cut by the Bears.


Everett was part of the Ohio State national championship team in 2002. He finished his four-year college career with 101 tackles and 3 interceptions.

By all accounts, Filani had a fairly uneventful training camp. In fact, he only caught one pass for five yards in the preseason. But in 2006 at Texas Tech, Filani (6’3”) caught 91 passes for 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns. In 2005 he caught 65 passes for 1,007 yards and 8 touchdowns. Yes, Filani played in a spread offense at Texas Tech, but his size and ability to find the end zone make him a solid addition to the bottom of the depth chart.

Filani will battle with Nance for the “on-deck” spot, should the Vikings choose to call up a sixth wide receiver to the 53-man roster.
Daniels actually made the 53-man roster, but was cut when the Vikings claimed TE Garrett Mills off waivers.

Plan for I-35W Weekend Closure

The Minnesota Vikings are encouraging fans attending the season opener against the Falcons to plan for the weekend closure of Interstate 35W and Highway 62. According to Mn/DOT, as part of the I-35W/Hwy 62 Crosstown Reconstruction project, all lanes of I-35W from I-94 to Hwy 62/Crosstown and westbound Hwy 62 from Cedar Ave/Hwy 77 to Lyndale Avenue S will be closed from approximately 10:00 p.m. Friday, September 7, through 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 10. Due to this closure, the Vikings recommend the following transportation tips for fans attending Sunday’s game: • Arrive downtown early and enjoy tailgating with fellow Vikings fans on the Vikings official tailgating lots adjacent to the west side of the Metrodome. Spaces cost $40 on the day of the game (www.vikings.com/fanstailgatingevents.aspx). • Fans arriving early can also partake in pre-game festivities, including the Miller Lite Party on the Plaza, which will open at 8:30 a.m. to accommodate early fans, the Red Bull TNT Freestyle Motocross Demo with shows at 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m., and free Adrian Peterson photo cards given out to the first 2,500 fans on the plaza. Fans are also encouraged to be in their seats by 11:45 a.m. to watch the “Heroes Day” presentation, which will include a video tribute.• Follow the official posted detours as they will provide the quickest alternate route into downtown. • Carpool, use the light rail and other public transportation, whenever possible. • Park in the warehouse district of downtown Minneapolis and ride the light rail to/from the game.• Fans traveling from the south should use Hwy 100 North or Hwy 169 North to I-394 East into downtown.For more information on the I-35W/Hwy 62 Crosstown Reconstruction project, visit www.mndot.gov, call the Crosstown Project hotline at (866) 743-6590 or send an email to crosstown@rranow.com.

Extended Ticket Sales

The Minnesota Vikings were granted an extension by the NFL on the deadline for ticket sales to Sunday’s home opener against the Atlanta Falcons through Friday at 2:00 pm CT. Approximately 1,700 tickets remain and the game must be sold out by Friday afternoon to be broadcast locally.Click here to buy tickets now!

Vikings Aim to Ground Falcons

The Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons get ready to play each other in the season opener in Minneapolis at the Metrodome. This will be the 24th meeting between these two teams, in which the Vikings lead the overall series 15-9. Kick off time is 12:00 Noon on Sunday.

Atlanta is holding a current two game win streak over the Vikings, winning in 2003, 36-26, and 2005, 30-10. The Falcons however will be with out veteran all star quarterback Michael Vick. Instead, Atlanta will be going with another veteran quarterback in Joey Harrington, formerly of the Detroit Lions. Harrington has not had much success against the Vikings in the past, but hopes to change things around now that he is with the Falcons.

The Vikings on the other hand, are looking to keep their success going against Harrington. In 2006, Joey Harrington threw for 267 yards, completing 61% of his passes, and throwing only one touchdown in two games. Overall last season, Harrington threw for 12 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, and 2,236 yards. Minnesota will look to keep pressure on Harrington, and hope to make him rush his passes, and turnover the ball.

Minnesota will be turning to rookie upstart Tarvaris Jackson to lead this offense. Jackson is in his first full season as a starter, as he was the back up to Brad Johnson in 2006. Last year, jackson played in four games for the Vikings, and threw 81 passes. He completed 41 passes for 475 yards. Jackson threw two touchdowns, and 4 interceptions, and was sacked 8 times. Tarvaris is looking to improve on last years stats, and is looking to get this team some wins. In preseason play this year, Tarvaris completed 20 of 38 passes for 225 yards, throwing no interceptions and no touchdowns.

The Vikings also upgraded their backfield with rookie running back Adrian Peterson. Peterson, a first round draft pick (7th overall) last year, has done quite well this preseason, and looks to hold a bright future. Peterson had 38 rushing attempts for 146 yards, on an average of 4.9 yards per carry. Peterson also ran in 1 touchdown. Adrian will be splitting time with last year's "work horse" Chester Taylor.

In perseason play, Taylor ran for 73 yards on 13 carries, for an average of 5.6 yards per carry. Taylor had no touchdowns. Although Adrian Peterson had twice as many carries and Chester Taylor did in the preseason, look for Brad Childress to split their time a little more equally throughout the season.

As far as Minnesota's receiving core goes, keep your eye on Bobby Wade and Sydney Rice. Wade and Rice look to be the "go to guys" in the home opener, a little more than Troy Williamson. Williamson, a first round draft pick in 2005, has been a bit of a disappointment. He was drafted mostly for his speed, as the Vikings knew he had some problems in catching the ball. With that said, Vikings coaches felt they could teach Williamson how to catch, and would work on his depth perception. But that has been a failure thus far.

This should be a very exciting game Viking fans. The Falcons were projected to have a rough season with Michael Vick, and now without him, should fall even worse. Hopefully the Vikings defense can pick apart Joey Harrington, as they have done in the past, and our offense, led by Tarvaris Jackson and Adrian Peterson, can put up some points, in a total team effort to beat the Atlanta Falcons.

For a full story on Joey harrington vs Minnesota Vikings, please go to:

http://www2.kfan.com/content/vikings/story.aspx?content_id=6cf56d7a-b1f5-4cfd-bfd7-b61dde39a3ee

Til Game day

SKOL Vikings!!!!!!!

Bud Grant Lifetime Dinner

Please join the Vikings as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bud Grant being named the team's head coach with an evening recognizing Bud's lifetime achievements in Athletics and the Outdoors. The event will take place on Tuesday September 18, 2007 at the McNamara Alumni Center on the campus of the University of Minnesota from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The event will feature Bud's closest friends commenting on his distinguished Hall of Fame career, along with many Vikings Alumni who played and/or coached alongside Bud.
The Vikings also have commissioned nationally-recognized artist Terrance Fogarty to create an art print recognizing Bud Grant's achievements with the print being unveiled at the dinner.

Guess Speakers include:
Bob Knight - Texas Tech Head Coach
Sid Hartman - Minneapolis Sports Personality
Chuck Bednarik - Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Famer
Jim Marshall - Minnesota Vikings Alumni
Fred Zamberletti - Longtime Minnesota Vikings Trainer
Dennis Anderson - Minneapolis Star Tribune Outdoor Columnist
Billy Bye - Universityof Minnesota Alumni
Ken Ploen - Winnipeg Blue Bombers Alumni Quarterback
Bob McNamara - Winnipeg Blue Bombers Teammate
Mike Grant - Son and Eden Prairie H.S. Head Football Coach

Don't miss your opportunity to attend this lifetime event celebrating one of Minnesota's greatest sports heroes. For complete details, including pricing information, click here.
Click here for the Order Form.
Proceeds of both the dinner and print will benefit the Viking Children's Fund.

Vikings Continue Tweaking Roster

Continuing to shape the roster and assemble their practice squad, the Minnesota Vikings remained busy throughout the weekend and on Monday. After cutting the roster down to the league-mandated 53 players on Friday and Saturday, the Vikings added another player on Sunday and signed four more to the practice squad on Monday.

Former New England Patriots TE Garrett Mills was signed on Sunday. Mills was originally a fourth-round pick by the Patriots in 2006 out of Tulsa where he was a prolific pass catcher with 201 career receptions. To make room for Mills on the roster, the Vikings cut OG Brian Daniels.

Also on Sunday the Vikings signed three players to the eight-member practice squad who were among the roster cuts on Saturday. Those players were: DT Conrad Bolston, DB Chad Johnson and WR Martin Nance.

On Monday, the Vikings brought back Daniels and RB Arkee Whitlock and signed them to the practice squad. S Tyler Everett, OL Seppo Evwaraye and WR Joel Filani were also added to the practice squad.

Daniels and Whitlock originally signed with the Vikings as rookie free agents in May and were with the team during training camp. Everett entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Denver Broncos in 2006, and then spent the first 13 weeks of the season on the Chicago Bears practice squad before he moved up to their active roster for the final four weeks of the season and played in three games. Filani was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round (188th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft.

The Vikings now have one remaining spot open on the practice squad.

Vikings Notes Volume II

Vikings Add A Receiver
The Minnesota Vikings signed veteran WR Robert Ferguson today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Ferguson, a 2nd-round draft pick (41st overall) in 2001, is entering his 7th season in the NFL, having spent the previous 6 years with the Green Bay Packers. He has started 26 of his 60 career games and has tallied 116 receptions for 1,577 yards and 12 touchdowns. His best season came in 2003, when he caught 38 passes for 520 yards and 4 TDs. Ferguson has also appeared in 3 playoff games, starting 2, and has pulled in 8 catches for 90 yards and 2 TDs.
To make room on the roste for Ferguson, the Vikings waived/injured OL Adam O’Connor.

After the Dust Settles

Following Thursday’s 23-14 win against the Cowboys, the Vikings finished their preseason at 2-2. Some question marks coming into the preseason were resolved while others still need some time. All-in-all it was about what I expected out of our squad. Below are some other expectations and predictions that I have for the 2007 regular season.

Tarvaris Jackson will finish in the top five in rushing yards among quarterbacks
One of the things I really liked about Jackson this preseason was his cool, calm and seemingly collected level of comfort when dropping back to pass. A lot of fast quarterbacks—particularly the young ones—have a tendency to take off and run too quick. Nerves begin to mount with increased pressure and as opposed to taking another second to scan the field one more time, they will jettison outside of the pocket and look for a running lane. From everything we have seen thus far from Jackson, it leads me to believe this will not be the case. I think he will strike a nice balance between using his athleticism to make plays and buy more time than most quarterbacks are able to, but will also be able to pick up yardage on his own accord. I feel far more confident in Jackson’s ability to lead this team than I did heading into the game against the Jets four games ago.

A Vikings wide receiver will catch 70 balls
Not since Randy Moss in 2003 had 111 catches has a Minnesota wide out had more than 68 receptions. While the “number one receiver” label has not exactly affixed itself to any one player yet, I am feeling confident that this year one will emerge. Another thing young quarterbacks can have a tendency to do is build a lot of rapport and comfort with one or two guys. While this is not necessarily an entirely good thing, it can be part of the maturation process. Among the candidates: Bobby Wade, Sidney Rice, and Robert Ferguson. Wade’s best season was 42 for the Bears in 2004, Rice is a rookie, and Ferguson tallied 38 for the Packers in 2003, so none of them come with long histories of successes, but I believe one of them will step up and top 70.

The defensive line will top last season’s sack total of 18
After Darrion Scott’s six sacks and Kevin Williams’ five, no other player had more than three. This will have to change for our squad to have a successful season in most fans’ minds. With Erasmus James returning from injury, Ray Edwards adding another year of experience and having looked very good at times during the preseason, and the drafting of Brian Robison out of Texas, there is a lot to like about the defensive line’s ability to improve upon last year’s production. They return all four starters from the 2006 season that saw them challenge the NFL record for rushing defense so there is reason to be optimistic there, but obviously they need more pressure on opposing QBs.

If I were setting the over/under on wins I’d put it at nine
Nine wins would be a three-game improvement for second year coach Brad Childress. It would also give the squad a decent shot at a Wild Card berth despite what should be a relatively competitive NFC North Division. With the Bears returning the majority of their important weapons from last year’s 13-3, Super Bowl-appearing team, they will be the team to beat. The Detroit Lions should improve significantly upon their 3-13 record from a year ago—particularly if their defense improves in any way, shape, or form. I do not see the Packers moving much either way from their 8-8 mark of a year go. There are a lot of things to like right now about our Vikings. The running game should be even better than it was last year when Chester Taylor led the team to a per game average of 126 yards—good enough for fourth in the NFL—with the addition of Adrian Peterson and the return from injury of Tony Richardson. The defense showed the ability to score again this preseason, but the offense has to carry its own weight in the scoring column. The special teams units must be better than last year, while the run defense would do extremely well if they were to come close to matching their ’06 level of play. The top three receivers in my mind—the aforementioned Wade, Rice, and Ferguson—will need to do better than the guys they are replacing. Jackson’s ability to stay focused and calm in the passing game is imperative. Chad Greenway playing up to the level of a mid-first round linebacker in what is essentially his rookie season is necessary.

Random Ramblings
College football season is now upon us as well. I knew Notre Dame would have a tough time against Georgia Tech, but not to the extent of the 33-3 drubbing they took last weekend. And how about Michigan getting bounced by Appalachian State?…I have now drafted two of my three fantasy football teams and feel good about both of them. There is nothing better than picking a guy and having your buddy that is next up utter a few words I cannot print in this column out of frustration…I was very surprised when I saw that Tyler Thigpen did not make the squad…the only other player I was taken aback a bit by the departure of was Dovonte Edwards.

HERE ARE YOUR 2007 MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Here is the roster for the 2007 Minnesota Vikings. A better listing on on our Yahoo group page. If you like to join our group, there is NO CHARGE and we will e-mail all update we do on both sites. We update both site about 3-4 time per week. feel free to check us out at:

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/carlossilvafanclub07/

We will also post for you the 2007 Minnesota Vikings practice squad as soon as it's available. So with that being said

HERE ARE YOU 2007 MINNESOTA VIKINGS by position:

QB (3): Tarvaris Jackson, Kelly Holcomb, Brooks Bollinger
TB (3): Chester Taylor, Adrian Peterson, Mewelde Moore
FB (3): Tony Richardson, Jeff Dugan, Naufahu Tahi
WR (5): Bobby Wade, Troy Williamson, Sidney Rice, Robert Ferguson, Aundrae Allison
TE (2): Visanthe Shiancoe, Jim Kleinsasser
OL (9): Bryant McKinnie, Steve Hutchinson, Matt Birk, Artis Hicks, Ryan Cook, Anthony Herrera, Marcus Johnson, Brian Daniels, Chase Johnson
DL (10): Kenechi Udeze, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, Ray Edwards, Spencer Johnson, Fred Evans, Jayme Mitchell, Brian Robison, Erasmus James, Darrion Scott
LB (6): Ben Leber, E.J. Henderson, Chad Greenway, Dontarrious Thomas, Heath Farwell, Vinny Ciurciu
CB (5): Antoine Winfield, Cedric Griffin, Marcus McCauley, Charles Gordon, Ronyell Whitaker
S (4): Darren Sharper, Dwight Smith, Tank Williams, Mike Doss
ST (3): Chris Kluwe, Ryan Longwell, Cullen Loeffler