Another ho-hum win for the Vikes last Sunday. They didn’t blow the Lions out like they could have – at least not on the scoreboard – but they did move the ball up and down the field. It is so different knowing that when the momentum shifts the other way the Vikings offense, or defense, or special teams will bring it right back. Makes it a lot less stressful to watch although I have to say it had the look and feel of a trap game well into the second quarter.

Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin continue to develop in amazing fashion. Rice is starting to look a lot like Larry Fitzgerald or Cris Carter but with a better ability to get open deep than CC had. If this continues, Berrian gets healthy and Harvin continues to improve we are going to be set for a while at Receiver. Speaking of Harvin, he has to already be one of the toughest wideouts in the league. Not only did he bounce off an incredible hit last week to gain substantial additional YAC and YAH (Yards After Hit) you have to remember he has also played through migraines and a major ding to his shoulder. And, with his shoulder, the entire time he played he did so with the exact same power and self-sacrifice. I remember the second time he got nailed on that bum shoulder, I think on a kick return, I figured he would be out a few weeks but that never happened.

Since I mentioned Berrian I have to say he is having a very sub-par and disappointing season. I expected a lot from him with Favre to get him the ball. But, I do have to give him this – he is gutting it out. He is nowhere near 100% as he has blown both hamstrings this year. Not sure it is best for the team – which is on both him and the coaches (they should have sat him last week, and maybe this week, to get him healthy) – but you have to give him an “A” for effort.

In other news – Chilly was extended today – through 2013 I believe. 10 weeks ago I would have been pissed about this. Now, I am more ambivalent. I can’t say he doesn’t deserve it but I am not sure why they felt the need to do it now. Then again, we bitch when we don’t do it for Johan Santana, Torii Hunter, Mauer etc…But, Chilly is nowhere near that valuable or talented. So, we get Chilly for several more years. I just hope he can come up with a long-term solution at QB although I am still thinking, barring injury, that Favre will be back next year. Whether we win the Super Bowl or not I think he will be back. He is having just too much fun, making too much money and is too important to this team. If you don’t think he is having fun or that he builds chemistry – take a listen to this link from Vikings.com – http://www.vikings.com/news/article-1/Vikings-Extend-Contract-of-Head-Coach-Brad-Childress/97056a45-22da-4f4b-8ff1-28037e2b354a. Remember when the Jets said he was a cancer in the locker room? I think that was sour grapes and I bet they would love to have him right now.

Back to the team – and oh what a team it is. As of a couple of days ago the following players were leading vote getters at their position for the Pro Bowl: AP, Allen, McKinnie, Hutchinson, Tahi, Sullivan (seriously?), Percy Harvin (KR), Ryan Longwell, Pat Williams and Heath Farwell. I see three major names missing – Favre (he is #2 to Brees for NFC QB), Kevin Williams and Sidney Rice. I would say both Rice and Williams still have a shot which could put us at 13 players in all. Chilly better win it all with that kind of talent!!!! We have two of the top four vote getters in the entire NFL with Favre and AP being 3rd and 4th behind Brees and Manning. I am not saying Sullivan, above, is not playing well but how in the world can he be the top vote getter in his first year? Is he really the best center in the NFC? While I think all of them deserve it, some more than others, I think what are seeing here is the increased visibility we are getting nationally due to Favre and the success he has brought. Not only are we getting more TV game exposure – but we are also mentioned far more extensively on NFL Live, NFL Primetime, SportsCenter, Around the Horn, PTI etc. I think this also should be noted by our legislature as the overall visibility of Minnesota as state as well. I pity the fools that possibly let this team go over a stadium. I don’t think they realize how important pro sports are to cities, states, civic pride, national exposure etc. If they don’t believe they should get this done just look at the North Stars / Wild. How much more did it cost us to bring an expansion team than it would have to keep the Stars? Let’s learn our lessons and get it done.

I now have to digress to Gophers football. What a pathetic win last weekend. I was seriously rooting for a loss once it was into the second half. I probably shouldn’t have but what a disgrace, on senior day, to put on that kind of display. We are in the first year in a gorgeous new stadium and we have no identity and no home-field advantage. Pathetic. And, to top it off, the Gophers’ Graduation Success Rate (GSR) was reported in today’s StarTribune to be last in the Big 10 in both football and men’s basketball. How pathetic is that – especially for the football team. Not only do we lack talent but apparently brains / commitment to education as well. Funny, we always hear the Gophers are hindered by their tough academic standards – well, if that were the case, if we were eliminating talent for smarts, wouldn’t you think we could do better than last, LAST, in the Big 10. We are not even in the top 10 – we are number 11 – in the Big 10. Come on – Northwestern is doing fine. Why can’t we?

Luckily for the Gophers, Wild and Wolves, Favre, AP, Allen, Rice and Harvin all play again on Sunday. I can’t wait!!!!!!!!!
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Chilly and Favre discuss the upcoming second half of the season.

11-8-09 Hope you didn’t miss us last week. I figured nothing really needed to be said since the Vikings said it all on the field – Lambeau Field no less. And, I thought it would be nice to have something to read over the bye.

We are at the halfway point of the season so I will reflect on Favre and the Purple overall.

First on Favre. Everyone says he is exceeding expectations but maybe we should have expected this. Over the past two years when he played without injury he was 16-8 during the regular season and that included 8-3 with the previously 4-12 Jets. Everyone seemed to think he was done because he played hurt the end of last season and finished 1-4. But, what do you expect with a QB with a bum arm on what was a horrible team the prior season?

Here is the impact of Favre on the Vikings, the Packers and the NFL this year:

· #1 – Tie – most TD passes

· #1 – All-time most watched Monday Night Football game

· #1 – All-time highest non-Super Bowl viewership in the history of Fox

· #1 – All-time most watched NFL pre-season game

· #1 – Attendance record at Lambeau – does this mean Packers fans like Favre more as a Viking than they ever did when he was a Packer?

· #1 – Attendance record for Steelers

· #2 – Scoring offense (no way without Favre)

· #4 – 2009 Passer rating

· #3 – record in NFL

· 7-1 – our record – would be no better than 4-3 and maybe even 3-4 with Sage or T-Jack (Baltimore, Niners, Pack on road, Pack at home and weeks 1 and 2 all could have been losses without Favre)

· 24 start record – post Packers – 16-8 (16-4 when not injured)

· Sidney Rice – might actually be on Fantasy rosters now

· Percy Harvin – said he has learned more from Favre in 2 months than he learned in his entire life prior to Favre

Looking back to last week I continued to hear how, long-term, the Packers made the right choice. But, I am not so sure they did. Everyone raves about Rogers but he is a QB that took a 13-3 team and since he took over they are 10-13 (update – now 10-14 after a pathetic 3 INT loss to the previously winless Bucs….). Sure he can make spectacular plays and he throws for a lot of yards but how many are during garbage time? And, regardless, record is all that matters and his is not very good. Can you say Jay Cutler or even Jeff George?

This year their defense has been questioned but I heard on KFAN this morning that they are in the top 10 in yards and top 5 in points allowed. So, you can’t blame the D. You can talk about the offensive line but remember – in Favre’s last year the Packers had the youngest team in the league and nobody expected anything from them. He went 13-3 and came close to winning the NFC Championship game.

So, there you have it – the Packers blundered and the Vikings finally got one of the best QBs in history. All that remains to be seen is whether he will stay healthy, how far he can take us and, if he lasts two years and wins two Super Bowls with the Purple, what jersey will he wear into Canton??? Oh, mercy – could you imagine him going in as a Viking?

Back to the Purple – since we are at mid-season I thought it was a good time to hand out some grades:

· Overall – A-: We have third best record in the NFL. We are about where we expected if not a game or two above. I think the most realistic fans going into the season would have expected a loss on the road to the Steelers and one or two losses between Baltimore at home and the Packers on the road. We won both of those and we probably should have won the Steelers game. Not an “A” because I think the coaches have held us back on occasion. At times they were not aggressive enough to start the game (weeks 1 and 2) and at others we took our foot off the gas on offense and defense – see Baltimore and the Niners

· Players – A: I think the players are playing to their potential and are “who we thought they were” to quote a famous former coach

· Childress – A-: High marks for assembling a great team, taking the risk with Favre, having a team that plays hard and having a 7-1 record. I really wanted to give him a B+ based on the offense occasional conservatism and over coaching but I just couldn’t with a 7-1 record

· Offense – Players – A, Coaches – B+: The players are executing, the coaches sometimes get too cute and hold us back. Who would have thought we would be #2 in scoring? We certainly wouldn’t be without Favre

· Defense – Players and Coaches – B+: We are great in the first half but we either get tired, conservative or both late in games. We are giving up too many points. Missed tackles and going conservative have kept this grade out of the A range

· Special Teams – Players and Coaches – A-: Best special teams in years. Partly talent, and partly new leadership although I would give the nod to talent. It is incredible the difference Harvin makes. Our coverage is much better than it has been other than a couple of lapses and the kicking game remains solid if not spectacular

· Watchability – A: It hasn’t been this fun to watch the Purple since 1998. The offense sometimes actually looks Kick-a** and we often seem to move the ball at will. We never feel out of the game and we don’t dread a mistake every time our QB drops back

· Emerging players

o Sidney Rice – WOW – a little hard work and dedication and a new QB can make a world of difference

o Harvin – We got another SOD playmaker. Nice gamble Chilly

o Loadholt – Rock solid and better than expected. We could be set for years

· Disappointments

o Safeties – biggest weakness on the team

o Puzzling conservatism at times

o Chester Taylor – he has not been horrible but he has not been the same. Of course, the drop in the Steelers game sticks out but outside of that he just has not delivered the clutch plays with the same frequency. He is a free-agent after this season and don’t expect him back. More his choice than ours (he will command starter money somewhere) but I doubt he will stick around

· Studs

o Favre

o AP

o Allen

o Winfield

o Hutchinson

o Williams

o Williams

o Linebacking corp as a unit

o Rice

o Harvin

o Shiancoe

There you have it – an incredible start to the 2009 season and expectations have not been higher for over 12 years. I can’t wait to see how this year, and next, play out…….

Hopefully this, and the Packers loss (Ha Ha), will get you through the bye.

Skol Vikings and Thank You – Zygi, Chilly, Favre, AP and the rest of the Purple!!!!!!

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