Tag: Minnesota Vikings (Page 60 of 61)

      NFL Week 2: 5 Things to Watch

      September 14, 2008 /

      Matt Cassel1. Matt Cassel’s performance. There’s been a lot of positive talk coming out of New England this week about how Cassel can more than hold his own replacing Tom Brady, who is out for the year with a knee injury. Watch for Jets’ head coach Eric Mangini to use different defensive fronts on Sunday in efforts to confuse Cassel and properly welcome him into the NFL. It’ll be interesting to see if Pats’ head coach Bill Belichick changes his offensive approach (i.e. relying on the run more and playing conservative), or if he’ll keep things the same now that Cassel is under center.

      2. How Michael Turner, Matt Forte and Thomas Jones will fair against tougher defenses. All three of these backs were highly productive in Week 1, but they also faced suspect run defenses. This week, Turner takes on the Bucs, Forte faces the Panthers and Jones goes against the Patriots – all tough challenges. Which back(s) can be as productive as he was last week?

      3. How the Chargers, Colts, Vikings, Jaguars, Seahawks and Browns fair. At the very least, all six of these teams were expected to make a run at the playoffs this year, if not the Super bowl in the cases of the Vikings, Colts and Jaguars. The Colts and Vikes square off in Minnesota, so one of those teams will still be winless on Monday. And the Chargers (Broncos), Jaguars (Bills) and Browns (Steelers) all have tough matchups this week, so one if not all of them could wind up 0-2 as well. The Seahawks catch a break by hosting the lowly 49ers, but even that game isn’t a guarantee with how banged up the Seattle offense is.

      Jake Delhomme4. How the Bears, Panthers, Bills, Falcons, Broncos and Cardinals play. The reverse of No. 3; none of these six teams were supposed to do much this season, but all had impressive Week 1 performances. The Bears and Panthers play in Carolina, while the Bills (Jaguars), Falcons (Bucs) and Broncos (Chargers) all have tougher tests this week than they did last Sunday. Only the Cardinals have it easy with the Dolphins, who didn’t play that bad last week against the Jets.

      5. Is the Bengals’ offense that bad? Last week Cincinnati put on one of the worst offensive performances of some time. Things don’t get easier this week, as Tennessee rolls into town after sacking Jaguars’ quarterback David Garrard seven times and completely stuffing Jacksonville’s potent running game. We could see a repeat performance of last week if Chris Perry and the running game can’t get going to help keep the Titans’ defense honest.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Week 2 NFL Primer

      September 12, 2008 /

      Matt CasselSunday’s Best: Patriots (1-0) at Jets (1-0), 4:15 PT ET CBS
      The best game on the Week 2 schedule is actually Monday night when the Cowboys host the Eagles, but there will be plenty of time to hype that game before kickoff. The best and arguably most intriguing matchup Sunday is the Patriots and the Jets. Tom Brady’s season-ending knee injury opens the door for the Jets in the AFC East and a win Sunday would go a long way in proving that the power has shifted in the division. Pats’ backup Matt Cassel played well in New England’s victory over the Chiefs last week, but with a full week to prepare, expect Jets’ head coach Eric Mangini to use multiple defensive fronts in efforts to confuse the inexperienced signal caller. This will also be a great test for the Pats’ secondary (a unit that looks thin on paper), as Brett Favre will look to take chances downfield in the passing game. The Jets are currently 1-point favorites.

      Upset Watch: Chargers (0-1) at Broncos (1-0), 4:15 PM ET CBS
      San Diego is coming off a devastating last second loss to the Panthers at home, while Denver dismantled Oakland on Monday Night Football. The Chargers will be without linebacker Shawne Merriman (knee) for the rest of the season and now reports have surfaced that running back LaDainian Tomlinson (toe) might not be ready to play either. The Broncos did a tremendous job pressuring JaMarcus Russell on Monday night and if LT can’t go, look for Denver blitz early and often. The Broncos have two corners in Champ Bailey and Dre’ Bly that can play one-on-one with any of the Chargers’ receivers, so expect them to send extra defenders on most plays to try and get QB Philip Rivers to make mistakes. Jay Cutler and the Broncos’ offense will also receive a boost with the return of receiver Brandon Marshall, who was serving a one-game suspension. San Diego is currently a 1-point favorite on the road.

      David GarrardIntriguing Matchup: Bills (1-0) at Jaguars (0-1), 1:00 PM ET CBS
      Many people figured these teams’ records would be flipped heading into this game. But the Titans absolutely flustered the Jaguars’ offense by taking away the run and sacking QB David Garrard seven times in a 17-10 win, while the Bills used a combination of outstanding special teams and solid defense to destroy the Seahawks in their home opener. The Jags were a perennial Super Bowl contender coming into the season, so it’ll be interesting to see how they respond to their Week 1 loss. And if Buffalo pulls out a win they now become instant contenders in the AFC East with Brady out for the year. Jacksonville is currently a 5.5-point favorite.

      Other Notable Games:
      Steelers (1-0) at Browns (0-1), 8:15 PM ET NBC
      These two teams are expected to battle all season for the AFC North crown, but with how bad the Browns looked last week against Dallas, the Steelers might still be the class of the division.

      Bears (1-0) at Panthers (1-0), 1:00 PM ET FOX
      Both of these teams played inspired football in Week 1 and the winner of this game might prove to be a sleeper contender in the NFC.

      Colts (0-1) at Vikings (0-1), 1:00 PM CBS
      High expectations surrounded these teams entering the season, but both squads were embarrassed in last week. Which team will get back on track?

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Want to buy an NFL team? It’ll cost you $1 billion

      September 11, 2008 /

      According to Forbes, the average NFL team is worth $1 billion.

      The 2008 average valuation for the 32 NFL teams was $1.04 billion, up 8.7 percent from last year’s $957 million due to the sport’s popularity and cash-generating new stadiums, said Forbes magazine, which releases its rankings annually. Ten years ago when Forbes first valued NFL teams, the average franchise was worth $288 million.

      The NFL is the most popular U.S. sports league with strong television ratings and annual league revenue topping $7 billion. While TV ratings have slipped over the last decade, NFL games still boast the strongest ratings among sports leagues.

      Several teams benefited from new stadiums — either completed or under construction — that include more cash- generating luxury boxes. Those included the Indianapolis Colts, which jumped 13 spots to No. 8, with a value of $1.076 billion, Forbes said. The Colts are playing this season in a new stadium.

      The top three teams in the Forbes list were the same as last year: the Dallas Cowboys ($1.612 billion), the Washington Redskins ($1.538 billion) and the New England Patriots ($1.324 billion). The Redskins have the highest estimated revenue and operating income at $327 million and $58.1 million, respectively.

      According to Forbes, the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers are worth the least. With how big a fan base is in Oakland, it’s surprising that the Raiders are down that far. Interesting article, though.

      NFL

      Young QBs will determine success for NFL teams this season

      September 1, 2008 /

      With Week 1 of the NFL season looming, nine teams will start a quarterback with less than a full season under center.

      Teams are giving young quarterbacks less and less time to develop their skills. The NFL’s win-now environment has put pressure on inexperienced quarterbacks to play well immediately, with a short and steep learning curve to develop into a good starter. Large signing bonuses have caused owners to demand that their coaching staffs play the youngsters as soon as possible.

      The Minnesota Vikings are a potential Super Bowl contender, but their success will hinge on the quarterback play of Tarvaris Jackson, who has a total of 14 career starts in the NFL. The chances of him making a leap in production are slim – few young quarterbacks play consistently well week in and week out.

      One quarterback that will be under the league’s microscope this season is Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers held a clipboard for three seasons as the backup to Brett Favre. And after continuous reps in the offseason program, endless time in film sessions with the coaching staff, and simply watching one of the best to ever play the quarterback position, it is time for Rodgers to take the field. Save for Favre’s offseason antics, this is the right way for a young QB to develop.

      The opposite can be said for Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons, as management wants the future to begin as soon as possible. After the circus that was the 2007 season, starting with the Michael Vick arrest and culminating with Bobby Petrino’s midnight exit, the Falcons needed a new face of the franchise on the field as soon as possible. But Ryan’s entire professional career consists of training camp and two weeks of mini-camp, which means we are likely to see miscommunication and missed assignments from the QB position.

      It’s not often that young quarterbacks play Super Bowl-caliber ball. Dan Marino has the distinction of leading his team to a Super Bowl berth with the fewest starts (26) at the quarterback position, and Ben Roethlisberger is the youngest quarterback to actually win a Super Bowl (at the age of 23). But they are the exceptions and not the rule.

      Typically, a young quarterback is no longer allowed to develop, and if success isn’t immediate, he will be written off as a disappointment.

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, Fantasy Football, General Sports, NFL, Television

      Vikings lose McKinnie, Jackson walking with limp

      August 29, 2008 /

      After weeks of speculation, Minnesota Vikings left tackle Bryant McKinnie has officially been suspended four games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

      McKinnie was suspended without pay after his offseason arrest in Miami. McKinnie faces four charges, including felony battery, after an incident with a nightclub employee.

      McKinnie’s suspension begins Saturday. He is eligible to return to the Vikings’ active roster on Sept. 29 after the team’s Sept. 28 game against Tennessee.

      In more news that will bust Viking fans’ balls, quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is reportedly walking around with a limp, too.

      With McKinnie out for four games, Jackson (if he can even play) might feel major pressure come from his blind side. Minnesota will face defensive ends Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (Packers), Dwight Freeney (Colts), Julius Peppers (Panthers) and Kyle Vanden Bosch (Titans) during McKinnie’s suspension.

      The sound you hear is people breaking their ankles jumping off the Vikings’ bandwagon.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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