Behind Enemy Lines: What the Vikings are saying
After three straight tough losses the Cardinals travel to
Minnesota to take on the equally struggling Vikings. The
Vikings are 0-4 and the Cardinals will be looking to
finally put it all together and boost their confidence.
Friday, October 7, 2011
• Why is Bernard Berrian still on the Vikings’ roster?
Since the start of the 2010 season Berrian has been targeted 70 times and caught 30 passes – none for touchdowns. If he has really been wide open on all 70 of those targets (which is what Bernard would lead us to believe) he should have caught more than 30 passes and should have found the end zone at least once or twice.
• Frazier not ruling Winfield out
Antoine Winfield missed his second consecutive day of practice, but Vikings coach Leslie Frazier has not ruled the starting left cornerback out of Sunday’s game against the Cardinals.
For two teams that don’t play in the same division, the Vikings and Cardinals have put together a pretty impressive run of memorable games lately. Sunday’s game will be the sixth meeting between the teams in the last nine years, and four of the last five games have carried special significance for the Purple.
• Window closed, Vikings getting younger amid roster overhaul
Nearly half of that team — 26 of 53 players (49.1%) who finished the 2009 season on the active roster — is gone already. The Vikings went from the NFL’s third-oldest team in 2010 to No. 15 this season and appear poised to enter 2012 even younger than that.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
• No changes to the starting lineup
After a slow 0-4 start head coach Leslie Frazier doesn’t plan on benching any of his starters Sunday.
• Last nine drafts have led to an offensive line problem for Vikings
For the past nine drafts the Vikings have taken very good talent in the first round, talent that includes Chad Greenway, Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin. But the team has neglected one particular position in the first round.
• The problem with Donovan McNabb, is he’s Donovan McNabb
So far this season new Vikings quarterback has a completion percentage of 58.6 percent, not bad but just not good enough.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
• Berrian isn’t
backing away from his tweets
Given time to reflect on his Twitter exchanges with a few
critics Sunday, Minnesota Vikings receiver Bernard Berrian
wasn’t backing down from his tweeted words.
• Tuesday (Vikings/Arizona tickets as low as $4
on StubHub) edition: Wha’ Happened?
Those who know us might remember stories of the good days
a decade ago when we had what had to be considered the
best and worst Vikings season tickets one could ever
imagine.
• Shooter Now: Vikings
‘within two or three weeks’ of playing Ponder, Theismann
says
Count Joe Theismann among those who feel it’s getting to
be time for the Minnesota Vikings to replace quarterback
Donovan McNabb with rookie Christian Ponder.
Monday, October 3, 2011
• Pride prevents team from seeing truth:
Season’s over
Their latest loss, a 22-17 decision to a woeful Chiefs
team on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, left the Vikings 0-4
this season and Leslie Frazier winless as a full-fledged
head coach.
• It’s the QB question that’s not
going away
It’s the question that’s not going to go away. Not with
the Vikings winless and four games behind two division
opponents just four weeks into the season. When will the
Vikings do the inevitable and start Christian Ponder?
• Vikings’ Frazier on 0-4: ‘I
haven’t been in this situation’
Leslie Frazier is one of the classiest coaches you will
come across, and not just in the NFL but all of sports.
It’s unlikely you will ever see a public tirade involving
him, no matter how bad things get for the Minnesota
Vikings.
• Frazier’s mistake was believing these Vikings
could be good
There was no reason to bother with anger, bargaining or
depression. Three weeks of denial gave way to acceptance
in the Minnesota Vikings’ locker room on Sunday afternoon.
Even though the Vikings are 0-4 and McNabb has struggled
mightily this season, at one point throwing for only 39
yards in a game. But head coach Leslie Frazier will
continue to play McNabb over first round pick Christian
Ponder.
