Monthly archive: January, 2012

Peterson Tries To Put Minds At Ease

January 13, 2012, by No comments yet

Through the last five years of NFL football, there have been four words that became every Vikings fans worst nightmare.

“And down goes Peterson.”

Adrian Peterson is not only a first round pick, not only a hundred million dollar running back, he is the heart and soul of the team.  That is why it hurt all of us to see him writhing in pain during a week 16 matchup against the Redskins.

Peterson tore his ACL and his MCL in the third quarter of that game and two weeks ago he underwent reconstructive surgery.  Friday, he crossed a stage without crutches (but with a brace) and used the media to let all of us fans know he will not be a lost cause from this point forward.

“I feel like I’m going to come back better than before,” Peterson said. “I know people might laugh at that or think otherwise, but you know what? It doesn’t matter what they think or how they feel about it. The only thing that matters is how I feel about it and what I believe.”

I’m not going to laugh at Peterson, that much is for sure, but I do think that his goals of being even better and also returning by week one of 2012 might be a bit lofty.  Still, I’ve yet to hear of a person willing to bet against him.

The Vikings head trainer Eric Sugarman praised Peterson for already being ahead of schedule with his rehabilitation.  Sugarman said Peterson is already riding a stationary bike, extending the injured knee, and there are plans to have him jog in a pool next week.

Sugarman and Peterson both acknowledged they will have to fight the temptation to let Peterson’s elite physical abilities trick them into thinking he is ready for more than he really is.

“I know around the two-month mark, the three-month mark, it’s going to be feeling good and that’s when it’s at its weakest, the ACL,” Peterson said. “I’m just going to have to be smart and listen to these guys and just take it slow during that time.”

The Vikings Add A Camp Arm Already

January 13, 2012, by 3 comments

As of right now, the Vikings have two quarterbacks on the roster:  Christian Ponder and Joe Webb.

Friday, they added a third.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson played for UCLA his freshman year before transferring to Sacramento State.  Last year he spent time with the Dolphins, Niners, in the UFL, and in the AFL.  His time with Sacramento State was marred by injuries.

At 23 years old, Bethel-Thompson is likely to be little more than a camp arm this offseason, but it is nice to see Rick Spielman getting a jump start on filling even the smallest of needs this Vikings roster has.

Links Of The Week: Some Down Time

January 11, 2012, by 9 comments

This week hasn’t generated much news, other than a few Coordinator candidates dropping from the list, but I managed to drudge up some solid links for you all to check out:

 

Updates On The Coordinator Search

January 11, 2012, by 4 comments

As far as we know, the Vikings have five potential Defensive Coordinators currently on their radar for the 2012 season.  Here is an update on where each are currently at:

Fred Pagac:  Still officially listed as the team’s current Defensive Coordinator, Pagac is in limbo watching his potential replacements come and go as the Vikings continue interviews.

Raheem Morris:  The Vikings interviewed him last week, but no offer was made.  Morris is now off the market as he has accepted a job as Washington’s secondary coach.

Mel Tucker:  The Vikings interviewed Tucker on Tuesday, but it sounds like the Jaguars are going to make a strong push to keep him in the fold.  It seems likely that the Vikings are now the underdog to land his services.

Steve Spagnuolo:  While currently enjoying a vacation, Spags remains one of the hottest names available, and the Vikings are again underdogs to land the big name.  All indications are that he will be re-joining the Eagles.

Mike Singletary:  There are not very positive reviews floating around about Singletary’s season as the Vikings linebackers coach, but Leslie Frazier’s former teammate and good friend is expected to interview for the Coordinator position soon.

Okay, It Is Adam’s Turn

January 10, 2012, by 2 comments

If you have been reading my stuff for a while now, you know I am a fan of Mock Drafts despite the fact that they are pretty silly in nature.

Silly or not, my first mock is finally ready to be unveiled and ripped apart.

You can view it by clicking right here, and Brett has set up a comments section for you to leave me your feedback.

Check out Adams' Vikings Mock Draft

Greenway To Play In The Pro Bowl

January 10, 2012, by 3 comments

Sorry for being a little behind on the updates, life is getting tough to keep up with at the moment.

However, I wanted to put the shovel down for a minute and pass along some good news.

Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway will play in his first Pro Bowl as an alternate selection, replacing Lance Briggs of Chicago.

“On behalf of the entire Vikings organization, our congratulations go to Chad for this great honor,” Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier said. “Chad is a vital part of our team, and the fact that he led our team in tackles and was also third in tackles for loss this season is proof of that. His production on the field has been matched only by his leadership in the locker room and off the field. Hopefully this is the first of many more Pro Bowls for Chad.”

Greenway admits this has not been his best season, but there is little doubt he has the skills and the experience to be a true difference maker on this defense moving forward.

In Tampa, It Is Kind Of Chilly For This Time Of Year

January 8, 2012, by 9 comments

More than a year removed from the Brad Childress era of Minnesota’s football history, I debated whether or not this news was worth passing on.

The “Chuckle Factor” made me decide it is.

Chris Mortensen reports that Brad Childress is a candidate for the Head Coach vacancy in Tampa Bay.  The Bucs recently fired Raheem Morris, who interviewed on Friday for the Vikings unsettled defensive coordinator position.

Tampa wouldn’t be the worst situation to for a guy like Childress to fall into. 

Hey, as long as the guy isn’t coaching the Vikings, I wouldn’t mind being entertained by Brad Childress and his “streams of consciousness” for another couple of years.

Good Luck, Brad.