So, we aren't going to the Super Bowl now?
The Minnesota Vikings fell to 5-9 on Monday night and they're most likely falling to 5-11 (Yes, Detroit will beat the Vikings in week 17. Restore the roar!). But it's just not fair.
I'm not asking for sympathy here, but this isn't how things were supposed to be. The window of opportunity wasn't supposed to close when Garrett Hartley sent the Saints to the Super Bowl. The Vikings were supposed to finally get to the Super Bowl for the first time in 35 years. Brett Favre was supposed to be carried off on his teammates shoulders while Brad Childress was cussing him out.
Of course, it didn't even come close. The season was over before it started, and now we're left to wonder what went wrong. Well, it's time to put this team under a microscope. In this post, I'll analyze and grade every position player the Vikings have along with the group.
(WARNING: THIS POST WILL CONTAIN SOME VULGAR LANGUAGE! If you are offended, simply don't read it. But I'll try not to go overboard.)
Quarterbacks:
Well, you don't have to take a look at many people here, as Brett Favre is the only legitimate guy to get a complete evaluation. Favre was supposed to be the missing piece in the operation, as if he came back...we were supposedly going to Dallas. Wrong...WRONG! Dallas was out of the question by the end of October, not January.
When you think about it, Favre was the distraction we all thought he would be in 2009. Favre once again skipped training camp and clashed with his head coach, but it was more than that. It was having pictures of his cash and prizes floating all over the internet. It was the will-he-or-won't-he-play storyline that finally ended...oh wait, he played last week. And it finally got into Favre's head on the field.
He threw 11 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. None of us expected him to repeat the 34 and 7 performance from '09, but the writing should have been on the wall. The schedule was tougher, and the Vikings did nothing to address the offensive line that was finally exposed in the NFC Championship game last year. This all lead to Favre's reduced performance.
In other QB news, Tarvaris Jackson learned nothing after watching Favre for two seasons, and Joe Webb is too raw to evaluate at this point.
Brett Favre: C-
Tarvaris Jackson: F
Joe Webb: Incomplete
RUNNING BACKS
Adrian Peterson continued to be one of the best backs in the National Football League. Aside from missing last week's game (which KILLED fantasy owners across the country), Peterson continues to be a reliable force. With all the struggles that the offensive line has had this year, Peterson still has put together a solid statistical season, and figures to be an integral part of the Viking offense for years to come. (If they sign him to a contract extension this offseason.)
Other than Peterson, it was pretty dismal. The Vikings could not find a third down back, which is partially Peterson's part. Toby Gehart is a solid runner, but his style is too similar to Adrian Peterson's to give the Vikings the thunder and lightning combo they want. (Javid Best would have looked decent in purple.) Albert Young didn't do much, and Lorenzo Booker has been here for two weeks.
Adrian Peterson: B+
Toby Gerhart: C
Albert Young: F
WIDE RECEIVERS
This group was in trouble from the get go. Sidney Rice decided not to get hip surgery until August and missed most of the season. When he finally got here, the season was already doomed and Sidney did his best with a quarterback who couldn't keep upright long enough to get him the football. The latter is not his fault, but if Sid gets the surgery earlier, the season probably is different.
The one receiver to talk about is Percy Harvin. Harvin has blossomed into an elite impact player in the NFL IF he can keep his migraines in check. It's getting pretty annoying to see him get relapse after relapse and have the Vikings claim they have a way to stop it. Harvin, like Peterson, is a guy the Vikings must hang on to for continued success.
The rest of the group was garbage. I'm throwing Visthante Shiancoe into the mix because he is a pass catching tight end. He did nothing. Randy Moss did nothing but bitch about the post-practice meals. Hank Baskett was...here? For a team with plenty of weapons, this was a mess.
Sidney Rice: C
Percy Harvin: A
Everyone else: F
OFFENSIVE LINE
Where do I begin? Well let's work our way from left to right...
Bryant McKinnie. To quote The Rock "It looks like a big monkey came down, took a crap, and out popped Bryant McKinnie." It was like watching dog shit try and protect Brett Favre. Sometimes the shit would get stepped in and the players would slip and fall, but most of the time, the defensive lineman whizzed right past it and beat the living hell out of Favre. This is the #1 guy who needs to be let go next season.
Steve Hutchinson. Well, I guess you don't want to hear anything about your offensive lineman, and since you didn't about Hutchinson, he probably did his job. But when you're surrounded by four other jobbers, you aren't going to stand out in any group projects.
John Sullivan. And I thought Matt Birk was arrogant. After a game against Detroit, Sullivan said that he thought they did a good job protecting Brett Favre after he was sacked seven...SEVEN times and bounced off the turf much more. Injuries may have had something to do with it, but he also needs to be replaced.
Anthony Herrera. Oh my God. Get rid of him.
Phil Loadholt. Horrible sophomore slump. He was at least OK in '09, but what the hell happened. I still have a little faith in him and think he'll bounce back, but I might be optimistic.
Bryant McKinnie: F
Steve Hutchinson: B
John Sullivan: F
Anthony Herrera: F
Phil Loadholt: F
DEFENSIVE LINE
This unit, like most of the defense, got old very quickly. They didn't seem to have that initial jump that they had in '09 and a lot of that can be contributed to the dissapearing act of Jared Allen. The league decided to start fining him for the calf roping celebration, but instead of modifying it, Allen decided to scrap it all together, by not getting sacks at all.
Ray Edwards, perhaps angered by the absence of a new contract, didn't play the same way he did in '09 when he was considered to be a rising star.
Kevin and Pat Williams were unnoticable. This might have to do with the guys playing outside of them not playing up to their capabilities.
Jared Allen: F (The Vikings aren't paying him for seasons like this...)
Pat Williams: C
Kevin Williams: C
Ray Edwards: F
LINEBACKERS
This might be the best unit on the Vikings. Chad Greenway is going to get paid somewhere and hopefully the Vikings dish out some dough. E.J. Henderson had an excellent year considering he had his leg crushed like a slinky to end his season last year. Ben Leber, was...Leber. Unspectacular, but surprisingly solid. Will be a nice free agent pickup for someone next offseason.
Chad Greenway: A-
EJ Henderson: A (Lower curve because of the injury he had last season)
Ben Leber: C+
SECONDARY
Ugh. Injuries don't help the secondary here, and Cedric Griffin's career may be over as he is now recovering from two blown knees. Antoine Winfield has been solid, but not spectacular this season, and his performance is similar to Steve Hutchinson's. Yeah, he was probably doing a great job, but the overall product makes his grade suffer. Chris Cook spent too much time partying to be effective, and and the safeties...oh my God the safties.
Hussein Abdullah is not a starting safety in the NFL. And Madieu Williams is the Bryant McKinnie of defense. It makes me sad that the Vikings still owe Williams three seasons of contract because he should be cut ASAP. It seems sick, but I'm glad he got a concussion last night.
Antoine Winfield: B
Lito Sheppard: F
Chris Cook: D
Madieu Williams: F
Hussein Abdullah: C
SPECIAL TEAMS
Maybe better than the linebackers. Both Ryan Longwell and Chris Kluwe made the kicks they needed to make. Kluwe has shanked a couple kicks, but what punter hasn't shanked a couple during a season. A good job from those two.
Ryan Longwell: A
Chris Kluwe: A-
COACHING
I think everyone knows how I feel about Brad Childress, but Leslie Frasier intrigues me. The Vikings might be wise to hire Frasier and give him a shot, especially with the CBA becoming expired in March. The only thing that may give him a negative mark is him caving into Brett Favre on Monday night.
Brad Childress: F
Leslie Frasier: Incomplete
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