Posts tagged: chad greenway

Rudolph Showcases Talents In Hawaii

January 28, 2013, by 2 comments

It wasn’t Adrian Peterson that dazzled a Pro Bowl crowd last night.  Instead, it was tight end Kyle Rudolph who was only there as an alternate selection.

Rudolph took home the Pro Bowl MVP award after catching five passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.

There is no denying that, despite the league’s best players being present for the contest, the level of competition at the Pro Bowl is never quite the same as in a meaningful NFL game.  Still, I couldn’t help watching Rudolph create mismatches by running seam routes and wonder why he isn’t used in that capacity more often within Bill Musgrave’s offense.  I know I beat that dead horse multiple times during the 2012 season, but I just couldn’t help but feel reminded one final time by Rudolph’s dominant performance on Sunday.

Rudolph wasn’t the only Vikings to see action in the exhibition game.  Adrian Peterson carried the ball five times for only 13 yards, but most notably botched an exchange with Drew Brees on the first play of the game, which was recovered by the AFC.

Peterson’s lead blocker Jerome Felton somehow managed to have a better game than Peterson which, of course, could really only happen in Hawaii.  Felton carried the ball four times for 18 yards, including a three yard touchdown.

Alternate Matt Kalil saw time at both right and left tackle, giving up a sack to Cameron Wake at one point, but otherwise playing a solid game.

Blair Walsh continued to show his ability to put points on the scoreboard with eight extra points made and by hitting field goals from 26 and 48 yards out.

On defense, Jared Allen managed one tackle and Chad Greenway had two.  Greenway also recovered a fumble.

Most importantly, the Vikings escaped the faux football game without any injuries which is an even bigger victory than the 62-35 whooping that the NFC put on the AFC.

We Might Need Two Hands To Count On

January 10, 2013, by 5 comments

The Vikings now have five players headed for Hawaii to play in the Pro Bowl.

We have already mentioned that Adrian Peterson, Jerome Felton, Blair Walsh and Jared Allen are already making their Pro Bowl plans and now we can add linebacker Chad Greenway to that list.

Greenway was originally voted as an alternate player for the annual honor, and will be replacing the injured Cowboy linebacker DeMarcus Ware.  This is the second time Greenway has attended the Pro Bowl, and it is his fifth straight season of leading the Vikings in tackles.

He has been credited with 148 total tackles this season in addition to three sacks, an interception, and two fumble recoveries.

We may need two hands to count the number of Viking Pro Bowlers this way as more could still be added to the roster.  Center John Sullivan and left tackle Matt Kalil are both reported to be alternates and Blair Walsh is campaigning to get Cullen Loeffler in as the NFC’s long snapper.

Links Of The Week: Hanging By A Thread

December 4, 2012, by 3 comments

A season that is all but suffocated.  A star receiver on the mend.  A quarterback under immense pressure to perform.  A group of coaches whose seats have to feel a bit toasty.  A linebacker calling for more drunks to attend games.  A divisional home game fast approaching.

The drama has reached heights we have yet to see in 2012, which means there are plenty of great articles floating around the internet, and I am here to bring them all your way:

Links Of The Bye Week

November 15, 2012, by 12 comments

Coming off of a big win, the Vikings bye week has not been completely quiet, and I have plenty of great reads to share with you:

A Vikings And Lions Rivalry?

November 12, 2012, by 5 comments

For most of my life I have treated the Detroit Lions kind of like the stray three-legged kitten with no tail that roams the neighborhood.  For the longest time, I quietly cheered for the Lions out of pity, but that time appears to be up.

With Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson leading the charge, Detroit is no longer the laughing stock of the NFL, and have proven to be a dangerous team.  The term “dangerous” has double meaning to it as they can score from anywhere on the field, but they also have become synonymous with dirty hits.

Following their second loss of the season to the Vikings, the Lions were plenty concerned with the level of integrity that the Vikings showed (or perhaps didn’t show) on the field.

Lions cornerback Chris Houston took to the media to express his displeasure with a Vikings lineman on Adrian Peterson’s 61 yard touchdown run that will forever be added to his highlight reel.

“Lineman just fell on my ankle on purpose. I went to cut him, and as he went down, he put both knees on my ankle on purpose. It’s part of the game,” Houston said of the play. “I was on the ground, so I didn’t get to see who it was, but as he pulled, I cut him, he was flying over the top of me, and you could feel him land on my ankle on purpose.”

I’ve watched the highlight of Peterson’s run a number of times now, and I can tell that the lineman Houston is talking about is the pulling guard Brandon Fusco.  I don’t see anything other than an excellent block by Fusco who rolls immediately back onto his feet and doesn’t seem to do anything out of the ordinary.

I can’t say for certain that Fusco did nothing wrong, but anyone that can point to the tape and claim to see a dirty play is lying to you.

Fusco isn’t the only Viking that Detroit would like slap on the wrist, however, as a number of hits to wide receiver Calvin Johnson drew some interesting remarks from quarterback Matt Stafford.

“Obviously, you never like to see anybody get hit in the head,” Stafford said. “It’s a part of our game that they’re trying to get rid of. I think it’s a good thing. Calvin’s a tough guy. He stayed in there and made some great plays for us. Obviously, had a great game, but there’s not a whole lot of place for that in this league.”

I was critical yesterday of the penalty that Jasper Brinkley drew on a helmet-to-helmet hit to Megatron, but I certainly didn’t think it was anything with malicious intent, but rather showed a lack of body control.  Johnson took a few licks on Sunday, but that is bound to happen when you 12 passes for 207 yards.  If anything, Chad Greenway’s hit on Johnson in their previous matchup would be the one to point at as dirty, but nothing in this game seemed like something worthy of such scorn.

Even Johnson admitted that he didn’t think the Vikings were targeting his head on purpose.

To throw some fuel on the fire, an unnamed NFL G.M. has had some very harsh things to say about Detroit in the media this season, and some believed that person was none other than Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman.

Spielman, however, denied those rumors this weekend.

“No, no, no – absolutely,” Spielman said on the Lions official website. “If I have something to say, I’ll put my name on it.”

Spielman’s words may or may not be enough to convince some Lions fans, but I for one am kind of excited to see these two franchises building some animosity towards each other.

Future seasons are sure to be more fun because of it.

Greenway To Appeal Fine For Hit On Megatron

October 4, 2012, by 1 comment

When I first wrote about Chad Greenway’s ferocious hit on Calvin Johnson I estimated that the hit would cost him “something in the neighborhood of $20,000.”

Thus, it didn’t come as a surprise to me when the NFL announced it would be fining the Vikings linebacker $21,000.

Apparently it came as a surprise to Greenway, however, even though Greenway said right after the game that he fully expected to be fined.

Greenway has reportedly said his appeal is not based off the fact that he was fined, but rather the amount of the fine.

Me?  I think he got off light considering he almost single-handedly enacted the Madden curse.

Greenway Didn’t Mean To Hurt Calvin Johnson

September 30, 2012, by 8 comments

The Vikings had a few bumps and bruises resulting from their bout with the Lions on Sunday, but at this time no serious injuries appear to be added to this roster.

The Lions may not be as fortunate, pending the status of Cliff Avril, but the scariest moment for Detroit fans came when Chad Greenway knocked Calvin Johnson senseless.

Greenway led with his shoulder and hit Johnson while he was in the air, reaching unsuccessfully for a Mathew Stafford pass.  It was a classic example of what the NFL is trying to prevent, and Greenway immediately realized he had made a decision that would cost his team 15 yards and cost his wallet something in the neighborhood of $20,000.

Johnson had to come out of the game for a number of drives, only to return for the final drive of the game where he dropped an easy pass, and Greenway acknowledged his mistake following Sunday’s victory.  He says, however, that he never intended to hurt the star wide out.

“I don’t want to hurt Calvin. I don’t want to hurt anybody,” Greenway said Sunday. “I’m thinking he’s going to catch that ball 99 percent of the time. He didn’t that time. So when I go to try to break the ball up, my pad, it’s clear on the tape, it hits his head. What are you going to do? They’re going to throw the flag and I’m probably going to get assessed a fine. But my intent was not to hurt him.”

Greenway has a reputation as a hard hitting linebacker, but has never really been labeled as a dirty player.

Sunday’s lapse of judgment is likely going to be considered an isolated incident.