Injuries

Harvin Goes Down In Pain

November 4, 2012, by No comments yet

Following a 28 yard run to Adrian Peterson, the Vikings called a toss to the left to Percy Harvin.

Harvin got stuffed for a loss, but what is worse is how Harvin went down writhing in pain and clutching his left ankle.  Earl Thomas laid his shoulder into Harvin’s ankle and it looked very bad, but Harvin was able to slowly walk off on his own power.

The Vikings chose to enter this game with only four wide receivers, so they now only have three.  Jerome Simpson, Michael Jenkins, and Devin Aromashodu will have to pick up the slack.

Once again, Toby Gerhart only has one carry so far in this game, which has to make one wonder.

After getting gifted a penalty and a first down, the Vikings sputtered on offense, setting Blair Wlash up for a 55 yard attempt.  Walsh nailed it, despite arguments from the Seahawks that the play clock ran out before the ball was snapped.

The Vikings got a few gifts from the refs here, and the Vikings are down by only seven points.

Vikings-Seahawks Inactives

November 4, 2012, by No comments yet

Here are the inactives for today’s matchup in Seattle:

VIKINGS:  QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson, WR Stephen Burton, WR Jarius Wright, LB Audie Cole, OL Mark Asper, TE John Carlson, and S Mistral Raymond.

SEAHAWKS:  WR Braylon Edwards, S Winston Guy, CB Byron Maxwell, OL Mike Person, G James Carpenter, DT Jason Jones, and DT Jaye Howard.

The Vikings have decided to go with only four wide recievers in Seattle, activating newly signed tight end Allen Reisner over either Burton or Wright, which could easily come back to bite them.  Reisner is apparently needed because former Seahawk John Carlson has been unable to make his return after suffering a concussion.

Raymond, who some speculated might play today, will have to wait at least another week to unseat Jamarca Sanford as a starting safety.

Links Of The Week: Moving Towards Seattle

October 30, 2012, by 15 comments

First off, I want to give a genuine and heartfelt welcome to Gil, our newest writer.  I admire Gil’s ability to write for so many different outlets and produce such interesting content, and I think he will bring another fresh perspective to VT as we wade through this very intriguing 2012 season.  Glad to have you aboard, sir!

Second, happy birthday Brett!

Okay, after a very disappointing home loss to Tampa, the Vikings will soon pack their bags and head to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Seahawks. Whether we are talking about the loss that is in the past, or the game that is in the future, there is a ton of great content out there right now and I wanted to round up the best of the best for you:

  • The Vikings have brought in a punter for a workout which is interesting because the Vikings have one of the most popular/unpopular punters ever.
  • An update on how the whole stadium thing is progressing.  SPOILER:  At this point, it kind of looks like a breakfast danish.
  • Throughout his career Adrian Peterson has set a lot of bars very high, but this one is a new accomplishment.
  • I know this is predictable quarterback-speak, but Christian Ponder has the right attitude right now.
  • There are at least two very good reasons to expect that the Vikings will qualify for the postseason.
  • 17 missed tackles.  That is one stat that will jump out to you in this article about Thursday’s loss to Tampa Bay.
  • A “source” told PFT that opposing defenses have figured out Christian Ponder.
  • Super famous Viking Territory writer Gil Alcaraz IV takes a look at just how explosive Percy Harvin has been in 2012.
  • The topic of this article is so outlandish I can’t even bring myself to type the general subject description to tell you what it is about.
  • Some took Thursday night’s performance as verification that Christian Ponder is not, I repeat: is NOT, the franchise quarterback the Vikings have been looking for.
  • While the Vikings lost Chris Cook last week, Mistral Raymond appears to be making his way back to 100%.
  • Sidney Rice is healthy and looking for a big game against his former team.
  • Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson may prove to be a tough combination for a struggling Vikings defense.
  • This is just simply cool.  Check it out.
  • Leslie Frazier refuses to single out his quarterback and says the entire offense needs to step up.
  • According to my math, Bryant McKinnie has to pay up for about 3,750 lap dances.
  • Route running was a point of emphasis during this week’s practices.

Chris Cook Placed On IR, Likely Done For Regular Season

October 26, 2012, by 4 comments

As if last night’s beating wasn’t enough, Chris Cook, who seemed to finally be over that injury bug and a major contributor to the Vikings defense, has been placed on IR after breaking his wrist against the Buccaneers. Though Cook was tagged ‘designated to return’, the earliest he would be back is likely the season finale against Green Bay.

This more than likely means we will not see Chris Cook again this season unless the Vikings manage to make the postseason.

The Vikings will have to work hard over the next week and a half before their next game at Seattle to try and fill his role somehow. After Chris Cook left the game against Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers immediately took advantage of his absence. I couldn’t believe my ears when, away from the game for a few seconds to grab a drink, I heard the commentators announce Marcus Sherels got burned by Vincent Jackson on a quick out route. (Marcus Sherels covering Vincent Jackson!)

Cornerbacks Josh Robinson and A.J. Jefferson’s role on defense was increased significantly the rest of the game.

Chris Cook was a large part of why the Vikings secondary was surprising many this year. Hopefully the team can find a way to make things happen without him.

Vikings & Bucs Inactives

October 25, 2012, by 1 comment

As the Vikings and the Bucs prepare for some Thursday Night Football, we have now learned which players will be active and inactive for tonight’s game.  Here are the inactives:

VIKINGS:  QB Bethel-Thompson, WR Wright, CB Burton, S M. Raymond, LB Cole, OL Asper, and TE Carlson.

BUCS:  CB Lewis, RB Smith, DB Tandy, LB Goode, G Wallace, WR Owusu, and TE Noble.

The most notable move of the night took place a couple of hours ago when the Bucs, who have struggled in getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, activated defensive end Da’Quan Bowers from the PUP list.  This provides a little bit of last-minute mystery to the Bucs defense, and I officially give the Bucs a “Sneaky Bastards” award for this week.

Tight end John Carlson suffered a concussion last week and it was evident all week that he would not be playing, and otherwise the Vikings have announced nothing that is really surprising.

Links Of The Week: Tampa Bay Coming Up

October 24, 2012, by 7 comments

I don’t like this short week stuff.  The Vikings only get one practice to prepare for their next opponent, and hack bloggers only get three days to speculate about the outcome.  Then, after tomorrow night’s game, it will feel like forever before we get to see our Vikes play again.

Hey, by the way, lets plan on meeting right here at kickoff for a game time Live Chat!

Okay, onto this week’s links:

WEEK EIGHT PREVIEW: Thursday Against The Bucs

October 23, 2012, by 6 comments

The Vikings (5-2) are headed to prime time on Thursday night, as the will play host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4), a division rival from days long passed.

The Bucs are coming off of a devastating last-second loss to New Orleans, while the Vikings continue to overcome adversity and turn heads during a supposed “rebuilding” year.

Just as a loss would cause lost hope in Tampa, a win here would really get Minnesota’s fan base buzzing about the possibility of a postseason appearance.  Let’s take a look at what all might end up deciding the outcome of this Thursday Night showdown.

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