The Minnesota Vikings will have to play their final two games (and possibly all of the postseason) without half of their “Williams wall� after it was determined that Pat Williams will miss 2-6 weeks with a broken right scapula in his shoulder.

The word on Pat Williams is not good for the Vikings.

The Pro Bowl nose tackle has a broken right scapula. Coach Brad Childress said that means Williams will be out from two to six weeks.

The scapula connects the arm bone (humerus) with the collarbone (clavicle), according to extensive internet research.

Williams suffered the injury in the third quarter of yesterday’s win at Arizona. He was playing under a court order that delayed the NFL’s four-game suspension, but now it appears he will at least miss the final two games of the regular season.

Considering Michael Turner the Falcons are coming to town, this isn’t good news for the Vikings. But with the way Jared Allen, Adrian Peterson and Tarvaris Jackson are playing, it might not matter much. Plus, Fred Evans has proved to be a solid backup and the Vikings started getting him more game-time reps when they thought both Williamses would be suspended.

It turns out you can take something that’s not on the list of approved substances and get away with it.

A Minnesota judge on Thursday extended his preliminary injunction against the NFL’s suspension of five players for violating the league’s anti-doping policy, clearing the players to play for two more weeks.

“This is consistent with the approach the judge has taken in giving careful consideration to these issues, which we fully respect,� an NFL spokesman said.

Given that the parties have been asked to propose a schedule to file pleadings by Dec. 22, which precedes the actual pleadings, the hearing of the case and then the decision, it’s likely all of the players involved will be done playing by the time any decision is made. What it means is that the five Vikings and Saints players who tested positive for a banned diuretic are probably good to play for the rest of the season and the playoffs.

From a fantasy point of view, this is very bad news for Tim Hightower this week, Michael Turner next week and Brandon Jacobs/Derrick Ward in Week 17 (for those leagues that have playoffs that last that long).

Sunday’s Best: Cowboys (8-4) at Steelers (9-3), 4:15 PM ET FOX
The Cowboys are fighting for their playoff lives while the Steelers are trying to stay ahead of the surprising Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North. Dallas could be without running back Marion Barber (toe injury), which would be a massive blow going against the best defenses in the league. If the ‘Boys can’t run the ball, expect Dick Lebeau to dial up plenty of blitzes to force quarterback Tony Romo into mistakes. This essentially is a must-win for the Cowboys, who would be left on the outside looking in if the playoffs started today. A loss coupled with a Falcons win over the Saints and the Cowboys would need some help the rest of the way, with a remaining schedule that looks like this: vs. Giants, vs. Ravens, at Eagles. The Steelers, meanwhile, should be at full strength as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and running back Willie Parker are expected to play. We’ll see what the Cowboys are made of come 4:00 o’clock on Sunday. Steelers are a currently a 3-point favorite.

Upset Watch: Texans (5-7) at Packers (5-7), 1:00 PM ET CBS
Houston welcomes back quarterback Matt Schaub this week but he’s not the reason they could pull off a decent-sized upset in Week 14. Rookie running back Steve Slaton is. Slaton is coming off a 130-yard effort against the Jaguars on Monday night and racked up 156 yards three weeks ago against the Colts. Considering the Packers are allowing a whopping 141.2 yards a game on the ground this year, Slaton could be set up for another huge day. The Texans will need to find a way to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers, however, or else it’s going to be tough to win at Lambeau. The Texans’ pass defense is improving, but Rodgers and company are averaging 228.9 passing yards a game and could find success against a young Houston secondary. If the Texans don’t win outright, I say they cover the 6-point spread.

Intriguing Matchup: Vikings (7-5) at Lions (0-12), 1:00 PM ET FOX
There’s nothing intriguing about the winless Detroit Lions, but what is interesting is whether or not Kevin and Pat Williams will play for the Vikings. Minnesota needs a victory to stay at least one-game ahead of the Bears and Packers in the division, but without their interior defensive line, even the Lions are capable of finding some running room. The league suspended the Williamses on Tuesday morning, but a court ruling could change all that and allow the two mammoth d-tackles to play. If they don’t, could Detroit get its first win and turn the NFC North upside down yet again? Can Gus Frerotte keep this team afloat if the defense loses two key players?

Other notable games:

Eagles (6-5-1) at Giants (11-1), 1:00 PM ET FOX
Philly will try and keep its slim playoff hopes alive, while a win would crown the G-Men as NFC East champions and get them one step closer to claiming home field advantage throughout the postseason.

Redskins (7-5) at Ravens (8-4), 8:15 PM ET FOX
This Sunday night matchup is a great one. Both teams desperately need a win to stay within reach of a playoff berth. A loss for the ‘Skins could essentially knock them out of the postseason race.

Buccaneers (9-3) at Panthers (9-3), 8:30 PM ET ESPN
Finally a great Monday Night Football matchup after weeks of utter crap. The winner takes a one-game lead in the NFC South and holds an edge for the second spot in the NFC playoff picture, while the loser gets tossed into the Wild Card mix.

Falcons (8-4) at Saints (6-6), 1:00 PM ET FOX
Atlanta has been a nice story this year, but it can’t relax now. A win would go a long way in securing a playoff spot for the Falcons, who finish with a possibly depleted Vikings and a hapless Rams team in their final two games.

The Minnesota Vikings’ defensive line will have their two key run-stuffers this week against the winless Detroit Lions.

A federal judge has blocked the NFL from suspending five players for violating the league’s anti-doping policy.

U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson said today he needed more time to consider the case after hearing several hours of arguments from the league and the NFL Players Association.

Kevin Williams and Pat Williams of the Minnesota Vikings, and Charles Grant, Deuce McAllister and Will Smith of the New Orleans Saints all were suspended this week for four games. They tested positive for a banned diuretic in the dietary supplement StarCaps.

The union has argued the NFL didn’t properly inform players about the substance. The NFL’s attorneys argued that claim, and others, had been considered and rejected in a process set out by the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

The Vikings will play the Lions on Sunday at Ford Field.

This obviously great news for the Vikings now, but what happens if the league’s suspension upholds next week? Then the players still have to miss four games and that could spill over into the playoffs if Minnesota makes the postseason. This situation is still very dangerous for the Vikes.

Related Articles:

Ruling on Vikings’ DTs coming Friday

NFLPA to file lawsuit on behalf of suspended players

NFL suspends six, including Deuce McAllister, Pat Williams and Kevin Williams

Kevin and Pat Williams should know whether or not they’re playing Sunday in Detroit by Friday.

Two separate actions regarding the playing status of the two Pro Bowl defensive tackles, who were suspended four games by the NFL on Tuesday for using a banned diuretic, are on the docket for a 10:30 a.m. hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson.

The NFL seeks to dissolve a temporary restraining order obtained Wednesday by the Williamses that allows them to play.

That suit was filed on behalf of the Williamses, who are not related, and New Orleans Saints players Charles Grant, Deuce McAllister and Will Smith. The five players took a weight-loss supplement called StarCaps. The supplement contained the banned product bumetanide, which was not listed as an ingredient. The players claim the league has known about the presence of bumetanide in StarCaps since 2006 and failed to warn its players.

The NFL, which maintains a list of approved products, has steadfastly claimed it is not obligated to issue warnings about specific products that are not on that list.

The Williamses practiced with the Vikings on Thursday but were not available for comment.

I’m not a lawyer, but these players seem to have a viable argument. If the league wants to ban certain substances, shouldn’t it go out of its way to warn players about products that could get them suspended? If they already have a list of approved products, why not have another list of unapproved substances or any products that could have banned substances in them?

It seems to me that if you really want to ensure that players aren’t using performance-enhancing drugs (or weight loss substances, etc.), than you should go out of your way to make sure that those players know exactly what is and isn’t allowed. On the flip side, players should know what they’re putting into their bodies. And if they’re unsure, the league has to have people in place to ask questions. This whole thing is a mess and unfortunately in the Vikings’ sake, it could cost them the playoffs.

Related Articles:

NFLPA to file lawsuit on behalf of suspended players

NFL suspends six, including Deuce McAllister, Pat Williams and Kevin Williams

If you thought the suspensions issued to six NFL players on Tuesday would be carried out in a quiet, swift manner – think again. The NFLPA will file a lawsuit Thursday to overturn all of the suspensions in this case.

The basis for the union’s action is founded on many of the same arguments that resulted in a temporary restraining order issued in a Minneapolis state district court on Wednesday that will allow Minnesota Vikings defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams to return to the team after they were suspended for a mandatory four games in Tuesday’s action.

The NFLPA’s suit may seek retroactive pay for any player who already as served a suspension in which StarCaps was the product in question. The union, as Williams’ legal team argued Wednesday in court, will cite that the NFL improperly administered the policy for steroids and performance-enhancing drugs by failing to notify players that it had specific knowledge since late 2006 that StarCaps contained the banned diuretic.

The legal brief filed on behalf of Kevin and Pat Williams also claimed that a politically charged climate contributed to the league’s negligent action.

This thing is about to get very messy and in the case of Kevin and Pat Williams, they might still be able to play if a judge rules in their favor.

Related Articles:

NFL suspends six, including Deuce McAllister, Pat Williams and Kevin Williams

The NFL suspended six players for the final four games of the regular season for violating the league’s steroid and related substances policy.

The suspended players were running back Deuce McAllister and defensive linemen Charles Grant and Will Smith of New Orleans; defensive linemen Kevin and Pat Williams of Minnesota; and long snapper Bryan Pittman of Houston.

The punishment means all six will miss the end of the regular season, an especially harsh blow to Minnesota, which relies heavily on the Williamses in its run defense, which ranks second in the league.
If a player’s team makes the playoffs, the player will be eligible to return to the active roster on Dec. 29.

The suspension of Pat and Kevin Williams, who are not related, may prove to be the most critical.
“In response to this afternoon’s ruling, the Minnesota Vikings are very disappointed in the National Football League’s suspension of Kevin and Pat Williams,” the team said in a statement. “At the appropriate time, we will have further comment.”

First things first – don’t confuse what these players took as being steroids. The league likes to group all banned substances under one umbrella, but a diuretic isn’t the same thing as full-blown steroids. Granted, a diuretic can be used to mask the use of steroids, but in the cases of these six players it looks like the pills were used to cut weight.

This is a massive blow to the Vikings, who just claimed a one game lead in the NFC North. It’s no secret their defense relies on stopping the run and now their two main pieces will miss the final four games. This is huge for the Bears and Packers, although both of those teams have their own issues to sort out.

According to the AP, six to eight players are under investigation by the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy by taking a weight-loss diuretic that could (could being the operative word here) be considered a masking agent for steroids.

Three of these players under investigation are Minnesota Viking defensive tackles Pat Williams and Kevin Williams, as well as Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jackson.

Granted, there’s no way of knowing at this point whether or not those players used the diuretic to cut weight or to mask the use of steroids, but given their size and stature (especially Jackson’s), it’s probably safe to assume that these athletes were trying to drop some pounds.

The media needs to be careful to not lump every NFL player who is found guilty of violating the league’s drug policy into the steroid category. The NFL even bans some cold medicines because of the ingredients in them and therefore, it’s not fair to suggest that every player caught has been cheating and taking steroids.

I only feel the need to mention this because one, the media has a tendency to over blow things and two, fans have a tendency to over blow things. Let’s wait until all the facts are released before labeling these players as cheaters.

The NFL is mixed bag of emotions every week in terms of how teams play from Sunday to Sunday, but it’s fair to at least take an early look at the contenders and pretenders.

Below is a midseason power ranking of all 32 teams. Along with a ranking, each team gets slapped with a “contender,� “pretender,� or “What time does April’s draft start?� label as well.

We’re heading into Week 9. I fully expect that these rankings will mean absolutely nothing by Week 10, but screw it – let’s have some fun.

Midseason Power Rankings

1. Tennessee Titans (6-0)
It’s kind of hard not to rank the only undefeated team left in the NFL at the No. 1 spot, but the Titans also deserve it. Their offense isn’t flashy outside of Rookie of the Year Candidate RB Chris Johnson, but QB Kerry Collins has provided enough savvy veteran play to allow the defense to win ballgames. And speaking of the defense, it might be the most clutch unit in the NFL season.
Midseason Status: Contender

2. New York Giants (6-1)
What the hell happened in Cleveland two weeks ago? Eli Manning looked like…well…he looked like Eli Manning pre-postseason 2007 and the defense clearly had no idea how to stop Derek Anderson and that high-powered Browns’ offense (read the sarcasm please). Still, the defending champs have four things going for them right now that make them the best team in the NFL: A quarterback, a running game, a defense that gets after the quarterback and they can win on the road.
Midseason Status: Contender

3. New England Patriots (5-2)
People are just going to think I’m putting the Pats this high because they’re the Pats. But the reason why I’m putting the Pats this high is because Bill Belichick is on a mission to prove people wrong. And once he sets his sites on proving people wrong, nothing can stop him. Not even Tom Brady on the sideline.
Midseason Status: Contender

4. Carolina Panthers (6-2)
Their win against Arizona in Week 8 was unimpressive to say the least, but good teams find ways to win even when they don’t play that well. I think this team has a ton of fraud in them, but it’s hard to argue with how well the defense is playing and how much of a different team they are with Jake Delhomme under center. If they can keep running the ball as well as they have, Carolina will win the NFC South.
Midseason Status: Contender

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)
The Steelers should have beaten the Giants last Sunday – plain and simple. They had control of the game but a botched snap and some failed protection for Ben Roethlisberger cost them a win. I still think the offensive line is going to be an issue all season, but every time you think Pittsburgh is going to take a step back and start stumbling, they prove that they can win tight games with key players on the sidelines.
Midseason Status: Contender

Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Saints’ players Deuce McAllister, Charles Grant tested positive for league-banned substances and could face suspensions. Now apparently Pat Williams and Kevin Williams of the Vikings also face suspensions according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports.

FOX Sports has learned that both of the Minnesota Vikings’ Pro Bowl defensive tackles, Kevin Williams and Pat Williams, are also facing suspensions for testing positive for the same product. Losing one of the Williams would be a major blow to the Vikings but to possibly lose both would serve as a major blow to the NFC North contenders.

The Williams aren’t the only defensive tackles facing the penalty as well. FOX Sports has also learned that the Falcons’ Grady Jackson tested positive for the water pill and is facing a four-game ban just like the other players who are currently fighting the suspension.

Water pills are deemed illegal in the NFL because they can be used to mask positive steroid tests. However, considering the players who have tested positive, the intent appears to be to cut weight, and not for a masking agent.

Many of the players who have taken the product have long used water pills in order to make weight as the show up to camp or in order to make certain weight on a weekly basis. Guys like the Williams duo, Grady Jackson, Charles Grant appear on the surface to clearly fall under this reasoning.

It’s a shame that players who use such pills, which are readily available at drug stores and health food stores, are swept in the same category as those who try test positive for juicing.

Some reports have incorrectly stated that these players have test positive for steroids, but water diuretics aren’t in the same class and certainly don’t have the same affects. But the problem is that they can be used to mask other performance-enhancing drugs (including steroids) and the league can’t decipher which players are using the diuretics to cut weight, and which ones are using them to hide the use of other drugs. Unfortunately there might not be an easy answer to resolve the problem, either.