Predictions

This Sunday is the last Sunday without a meaningful NFL game until the second Sunday in February. That's only true if you consider the Pro Bowl a meaningful NFL game and most do not. Seeing as this the last Sunday without a meaningful NFL game for a while it should be a fine Sunday to predict the standings of the eight divisions when the 2014 NFL season comes to a close. Now, it is always difficult to predict that the Minnesota Vikings will not win the division or advance to the playoffs. Difficult and painful. I think that they can make the playoffs. They are most certainly headed in the right direction with Mike Zimmer as head coach. Getting past the Green Bay Packers this season is a tall order. If the Vikings do make the playoffs, it will likely come as a wildcard. So, here we go. The Flea Flicker division predictions;

NFC North
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions

NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles
New York Giants
Washington Redskins
Dallas Cowboys

NFC South
New Orleans Saints
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFC West
Seattle Seahawks
San Francisco 49ers
Arizona Cardinals
St Louis Rams

AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals
Baltimore Ravens
Cleveland Browns

AFC East
New England Patriots
Miami Dolphins
Buffalo Bills
New York Jets

AFC South
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Houston Texans
Tennessee Titans

AFC West
Denver Broncos
San Diego Chargers
Kansas City Chiefs
Oakland Raiders

Flea Flicker Super Bowl Prediction:

New Orleans Saints defeat New England Patriots.

A Sad Day

It's a very sad day when one can not find an NFL team media guide. I figured that this sad day was coming as each year more and more teams are making available a media guide that can be downloaded. It seems that sad day is here. So sad. Football Media Guides are awesome. So much information in a perfectly-sized, information-packed book. Once just the tool of the newspaperman. They have been enjoyed by fans for decades. Player and coaches profiles. Even administrators. Stats of every sort. Team and league records. Past game results. Past drafts. Team and individual honors. If you have a question about you team. Your media guide usually has the answers. Media guides are the best.

It will be a sad day when one has to watch an NFL game without a published team media guide within easy reach. That sad day will likely be the first game of the 2014 season. That's next week. The good news is that media guides are still available. The sad news is that they aren't available in the wonderful, bound information-dynamo that everyone should love. I was able to find the Minnesota Vikings 2013 Media Guide last year. This year's version is nowhere to be found. NFL teams are producing their media guides as PDF files. The Vikings seem to be making only this sad replacement for the real thing available. You can download them. Print them. Look at them online. Whatever. I hate reading a book, any book, especially my beloved media guides on a computer. It's not convenient. It's really not convenient in the heat of a football game. I'm likely in the minority. If I was in the majority, this sad trend wouldn't be trending. Not all supposed advancements are improvements. In my book, media guides in any format other than a book-book is a disaster. They are perfect little jewels of information. It will be a sad day when media guides are no longer available as media guides and that sad day seems to be here.

Vikings Preseason Game #4

No Adrian Peterson. No surprise there as he hasn't played in a preseason game in years.
No Cordarrelle Patterson, Greg Jennings, Kyle Rudolph, Matt Kalil, John Sullivan or Matt Cassel.
No Everson Griffen, Chad Greenway, Harrison Smith, Xavier Rhodes, Sharrif Floyd, or Captain Munnerlyn.

It must be preseason game #4.

The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Tennessee Titans 19-3 in the final game of the 2014 Preseason.

Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater started the game. And, get this, he wore no gloves. On the surface this might not be that big of a deal. The last time that Bridgewater wore no gloves when he threw a football was at his Louisville Pro Day about five months ago. That was the day and the performance that shot the hell out of his draft stock. So, it was a surprise to see him take a snap in Tennessee without those gloves.

He did just fine.

Bridgewater led a 12-play 80-yard opening drive for the only touchdown of the game. A 3-yard pass to Adam Thielen. It was Bridgewater's fifth touchdown of the preseason. And his first without those gloves.

There was heavy rain to start the game. That might have been the reason for the absence of gloves on the hands of Teddy Bridgewater.

Bridgewater played into the second quarter. He led the team to scores on both of his possessions. A touchdown and a field goal. He finished with a stat line of 4/9 for 17 yards. Fairly meager but the Vikings looked to control the game on the ground. They did. About 100 rushing yards in the first quarter. 41 rushes for 201 yards for the game. Joe Banyard led the way with 111 yards on 18 carries.

The Vikings offensive line reserves did a nice job of run blocking. They were less sound in pass blocking. Bridgewater had to show his escape skills more often than anyone would like to see.

The Vikings defense has closed the preseason with a couple of solid performances. They gave up 12 points last week to the Kansas City Chiefs. Only 3 points to the Titans. They gave up 270 yards. Some of which came in large chunks. Showing some bend-but-don't-break tendencies. The key stat last night might have been limiting the Titans to three third down conversions in nine attempts.

Defensive end Corey Wootton scored a trifecta in the second quarter. Sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery. It lead to another field goal.

The Vikings have some real nice depth on the defensive line with Wootton, Scott Crichton, Fred Evans, Tom Johnson, and Shamar Stephen. It's a bit of a surprise after losing all-time greats Kevin Williams and Jared Allen in the offseason.

It's always good to get points but field goals can be frustrating. Four last night. Three of which came from inside the red zone. One of those from the five-yard line. Those need to be touchdowns. The good thing about the field goals last night is that they showed to all that Blair Walsh is not in a slump. There's no reason to worry about the Vikings kicker.

Christian Ponder had his most extensive action of the preseason. The forgotten quarterback entered the last two seasons as the starter. It's been a while since he was expected to play in preseason game #4. The Vikings have a new coaching staff and the former #1 pick was never really part of their plans. It's easy to feel bad for Ponder but he never left anyone feeling, in three seasons, that he could be consistent enough to be the Vikings franchise quarterback. He had some very good to even great moments but they were just moments. They were never sustained from game to game or even play to play. He actually looked decent last night. 12/15 for 121 yards. The Vikings scored nine points with Ponder under center. No turnovers.

Speaking of turnovers, I don't think that the Vikings had a single one in the 2014 preseason. That's a very good thing if that trend continues through the games that count.

The Titans may have found some keepers in the past draft. Tackle Taylor Lewan and running back Bishop Sankey at the top of the draft. Quarterback Zach Mettenberger at the bottom of the draft. It was a surprise to see Mettenberger available in the sixth round. He's looked good this preseason.

The best thing about the fourth preseason game is that it marks the end of the preseason.

The 2014 NFL season and the St. Louis Rams is next for the Minnesota Vikings.

Throwback Thursday: That Was Then. This Is Now.

Last year the Minnesota Vikings opened the season with this starting lineup:

WR Greg Jennings
LT   Matt Kalil
LG  Charlie Johnson
  C  John Sullivan
RG  Brandon Fusco
RT  Phil Loadholt
TE  Kyle Rudolph
WR Jerome Simpson
QB Christian Ponder
RB  Adrian Peterson
FB  Jerome Felton
 K   Blair Walsh

DE  Jared Allen
DT  Kevin Williams
DT  Letroy Guion
DE  Brian Robison
LB  Chad Greenway
LB  Erin Henderson
LB  Marvin Mitchell
CB Chris Cook
CB Josh Robinson
  S  Harrison Smith
  S  Jamarca Sanford
  P  Jeff Locke

There are a couple of positions that have yet to be written in ink (safety and middle linebacker) but it looks like the Vikings will open the 2014 season with a lineup that looks a little something like this:

WR Greg Jennings
LT   Matt Kalil
LG  Charlie Johnson
  C  John Sullivan
RG  Brandon Fusco
RT  Phil Loadholt
TE  Kyle Rudolph
WR Cordarrelle Patterson
QB  Matt Cassel
RB  Adrian Peterson
FB  Jerome Felton
 K   Blair Walsh

DE Everson Griffen
DT Shariff Floyd
DT Linval Joseph
DE Brian Robison
LB Chad Greenway
LB Jasper Brinkley
LB  Anthony Barr
CB Xavier Rhodes
CB Captain Munnerlyn
  S  Harrison Smith
  S  Chris Crocker
  P  Jeff Locke

There isn't much change on the offensive side of the ball although the two changes are significant. Matt Cassel in for Christian Ponder at quarterback is pretty significant. Second-year receiver Cordarrelle Patterson could emerge as one of the most explosive and dangerous football players in the league. The defense is nearly completely remade. This is a very good thing as the Vikings defense was terrible last year. Brian Robison, Chad Greenway, and Harrison Smith are the only returning starters from that disaster.

Audie Cole and Robert Blanton could emerge as the starters at middle linebacker and safety, respectively.

The coaches are mostly new this year as well.

It's Cassel

On Monday, Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer named Matt Cassel the team's starting quarterback to open the 2014 season. The decision came down to deciding between Cassel and rookie Teddy Bridgewater. Picking Cassel can hardly be considered a surprise. He's a veteran. He's picked up nicely the offense introduced by new offensive coordinator Norv Turner. He's played well in the Vikings three preseason games. Cassel is the safe choice. He is also the smart choice.

Teddy Bridgewater has also played well in the preseason. His first NFL appearance against the Oakland Raiders in preseason game #1 was a little shaky. He played like a rookie quarterback making his first NFL appearance. No better or worse than that. He played like he might have been wound a little tight. Zimmer told him to play football like he had since he was a kid. He told him to have fun out there. Bridgewater has played like the franchise quarterback that he was drafted to be ever since. When it truly came down to it, there might not have been much of a quarterback competition at all. Despite that, Bridgewater likely did enough to force Zimmer and Turner to consider the possibility of going into the season with a rookie quarterback under center.

Three of the first five games of the Vikings 2014 season are against the New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, and Green Bay Packers. These are three of the best teams in the league. There really aren't any easy games in the NFL. There are no easy starts to a season but the Patriots, Saints, and Packers present challenges that most teams can only imagine. This would be a rough way to start the career of a rookie quarterback. Even one as prepared as Teddy Bridgewater. Matt Cassel's veteran leadership and experience will be crucial in running this opening gauntlet. He is the right choice for the job. Bridgewater is the future of the Minnesota Vikings but for now the team is Cassel's.

Cutdown Days

These days suck. More than 1,100 players will be released from their NFL dreams this week.

All NFL teams have to trim their rosters to 75 players players by today. They have to trim another 22 players by Saturday at 4pm ET to get to the final roster size of 53. While today is cutdown day, teams have been swinging the ax since Saturday night. The Minnesota Vikings released the following 13 players yesterday:

Brandon Bishop S
Pierce Burton T
Derek Cox CB
Kamar Jorden WR
Andy Kruse WR
Erik Lora WR
Kevin Murphy T
Kheeston Randall DT
Tyler Scott DE
Jake Snyder DE
Kory Sperry TE
Robert Steeples CB
Ty Walker WR

The Vikings also waived safety Mistral Raymond with an injury settlement. Kruse may have also received an injury settlement. The Vikings released tight end Mike Higgins today to get to the roster limit of 75. All this means is that 15 football players that were part of the Minnesota Vikings two days ago are no longer part of the Minnesota Vikings. The same sad events are taking place in 31 other cities. As many as 320 of the players released this week could be brought back as members of the expanded practice squads of NFL teams. So, the NFL dreams of some of these players could still be alive. Two of the receivers with a real fine shot at making the Vikings 53-man roster, Adam Thielen and Rodney Smith, spent all of last season on the practice squad. Being released this week could just be a bump in the road.

Derek Cox is the one player that was released that is something of a surprise. He was terrific with the Jacksonville Jaguars two years ago. He was terrible with the San Diego Chargers last year. He was something of a wildcard. He has the size and talent to be an impact corner and he seemed to be playing well in the preseason games. Raymond has started some games for the Vikings but safety has become a crowded position and he was starting to fall behind.

There haven't been too many notable veteran cuts across the league, so far, but here are a few:

New England Patriots:
Tommy Kelly DT
Will Smith DE

Chicago Bears
Adrian Wilson S

Arizona Cardinals
Max Starks T
Jay Feely

This is a difficult week for a lot of football players.

The Process of Fines

Troy Vincent was a terrific cornerback for the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins. His best years came during his time with the Eagles. He was one of the best in the game during that time. He has been working with the NFLPA and in the NFL officers, including a stint as the president of the NFLPA from 2004-08. He is currently the executive vice president of NFL Football Operations. On Thursday, Vincent shared the NFL's step-by-step review process for on-field rules violations in a series of tweets. That process goes a little something like this:

1. A fine schedule is provided to players before each season. A schedule that is approved by the NFLPA. The schedule lists all of the infractions and the fines that can expected for a first and a second offense.

2. During an NFL game, initial calls by officials help determine on-field rules violations.

3. Every play-penalized or not-in every game is reviewed by the NFL Officiating Department. Violations are referred to the Operations Department.

4. Merton Hanks and Troy Vincent make initial decision whether to discipline. Discipline typically consists of a fine.

5. Players are notified by the NFL in writing with information about the rules violation and how to appeal.

6. Appeals for an on-field rules violation are heard by appeals officers Derrick Brooks and Ted Cottrell.

7. Only after appeals are decided by Brooks and Cottrell is any money withheld from an NFL player's paycheck.

8. Fine money is donated thru the NFL Foundation to assist former players. ~$4 million/year netted over the last five years.

Vincent also tweeted a few facts about infractions over recent years:

Total fines issued by the NFL have declined 32% since 2009 (668 to 451).

Fines for hits against defenseless players have declined 37.5% from 2012 to 2013 (40 to 25).

Fines for illegal hits against on quarterbacks have declined 47.3% since 2009 (114 to 60).

This is some interesting information and Vincent turning to twitter to reveal it was a nice move. Some of the process could have been assumed. The officials make the call on the field. A suit in an offense decides whether a fine should be further attached to the infraction. The player has the option to appeal. Another suit in an office rules on the appeal. Something like that. Now we know for sure. We also know the "whos" involved in the process. It's good to see that former players like Hanks, Vincent, Brooks and a former coach like Cottrell are the decision makers. It's also great to see that the former players are benefiting from the fine money. The players seeing a smaller check probably don't think that any of this all that great. It's also not great when the league turns the appeal process into a fiasco. There's no reason for a player, in this case Josh Gordon, having to wait three weeks for a ruling on his appeal. The NFL and appeals officer Harold Henderson should have had a decision on Gordon's appeal about two weeks ago.

Vikings Preseason Game #3

The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 30-12 in the third preseason game for both teams. The third preseason game is routinely played the most like a regular season game. The starters tend to see the most playing time. That was true in this game as most of the starters for both teams played into the second half.

The score was certainly a positive for the Vikings but the game was a little ragged. The Vikings were only leading 13-5 late in the third quarter when breaks really started falling their way. That 13-5 score became 27-5 pretty quickly.

The game started great for the Vikings on both sides of the ball. The defense forced a four-and-out on the Chiefs initial possession. The Vikings offense got the ball on the 3-yard line and started on a 97-yard drive. This drive was essentially accomplished with two plays. A check down pass to Matt Asiata that he took for a 31-yard gain. Three players later Matt Cassel hit Cordarrelle Patterson for a 53-yard touchdown. The offense didn't really do a whole lot after that.

The Vikings first team defense did well. They gave up some yards but only a field goal. The first two Chiefs drives ended in punts after four and three plays respectively. On the third Chiefs possession, quarterback Alex Smith finally got his team moving. Smith can be a very efficient quarterback. The drive was greatly aided by a 42-yard pass interference penalty on Vikings cornerback Josh Robinson. I don't think that Robinson played much, if at all, after, this penalty. He had been nursing a hamstring injury. He's also in grave danger of not making the team. The former third-round pick and very fast corner seems to be spending some time in head coach Mike Zimmer's doghouse. Two players after the penalty, Vikings corner Captain Munnerlyn intercepted a Smith pass in the endzone. The only mistake that Munnerlyn made on the play was deciding to bring the ball out of the endzone. He's returned four interceptions for touchdowns in his career so he can make thing happen with the ball in his hands.

Instead of having the ball at the 20, the Vikings had the ball at the 6-yard line after Munnerlyn's interception and return. On the second play, Chiefs defensive tackle Jaye Howard blew right by rookie tackle Andrew Wentworth and knocked the ball out of Cassel's hand out of the endzone for a safety. Wentworth's presence in the game is significant as it meant that starter Phil Loadholt wasn't. At some point Loadholt injured his leg. He returned briefly to the game so it's not believed to be serious but he's getting an MRI to be sure.

Following the free kick, Smith again had his team moving. The Vikings defense yielded until linebacker Chad Greeenway intercepted Smith at the 8-yard line. He returned the interception 28 yards to the 36-yard line.

The Chiefs fifth possession was the only possession that ended in points for their starters against the Vikings starters. A 77-yard drive that ended in a 21-yard field goal.

The Vikings defense was last in the league in points against last year. That will change this year. It certainly can't get any worse.  They might give up some yardage but they'll tough to score against. Zimmmer's defenses in Cincinnati were known for such traits and it should carry over to Minnesota. Last night, five sacks, three interceptions, and three points scored before a late TD. The line is set and should be a strength with ends Everson Griffen and Brian Robison and tackles Sharrif Floyd and Linval Joseph as the starters. Corey Wootton, Scott Crichton, Tom Johnson, Shamar Stephen, and Fred Evans provide nice depth. Chad Greenway and first round-pick Anthony Barr are set at linebacker. Middle linebacker is between veteran Jasper Brinkley and third-year Audie Cole. That battle can go either way. Barr should be a star. He really made only one play of note last night but he was always around the ball. Once he trusts what he sees and can simply play and react, he should be outstanding. Very few players, let alone linebackers, can run and move like Barr. The one unsettled spot in the secondary is the safety spot opposite Harrison Smith. Robert Blanton and Chris Crocker played with the starters last night. The guess here is that the youth and range of Blanton wins out over the veteran leadership and presence of Crocker.

It really is a beautiful site to see a Vikings defense that isn't in a Cover-2. That had grown so stale. So sad. We might even see some turnovers. Interceptions by corners?!? No way! Beautifully timed blitzes. That's inconceivable.

The position battle that draws the most attention in Minnesota is that between the quarterbacks Matt Cassel and rookie Teddy Bridgewater. Cassel made least impressive statement of the preseason. 9 of 17 for 152 yards with a touchdown and an interception. His best throw was a deep sideline pass to Jennings. Perfectly placed with perfect touch. Jennings didn't get his feet and probably should have. Bridgewater looked but he had some unbelievably fine luck. His first two possessions started inside the Chiefs 10-yard line. Both possessions ended with short touchdown throws to tight end Allen Reisner. Of Bridgewater's four touchdown throws of the preseason, three have gone to Reisner. A devastating combination. Cassel will likely get the nod but Bridgewater is ready.

Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil had some problems with Tamba Hali. That can be expected as Hali is one of the best pass rushers in the league. Kalil has to get these issues sealed up. Top pass rushers Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, and now Jared Allen will be going against him within the division this year. He stopped Hali cold on a few plays. He's got to do that on all of the plays. He's got the talent to do it.

The Minnesota VIkings are 3-0 on the preseason. Doesn't mean much but it's still much better than 0-3. Winning is infectious.





  

Great Names in College Football

NFL.com's College Football 24/7 has been running a series of lists to pass the time of the offseason. "14 for '14" is the series and they are lists counting down "14 college football players-and some other college football topics-in varying categories in 2014." Categories such as top Heisman Trophy candidates, top small-school prospects, impact freshmen, hot college coordinators, best recruiters, best rivalries, best stadiums, etc. There's a lot of great stuff. College Football 24/7 writer Bryan Fischer came up with a list of the 14 best names in college football. It's fantastic and must be repeated here. You simply can't make up some of these names.

14. Money Hunter, DB, Arkansas St.
      -agents will love this kid
13. Chris Blewitt, K, Pittsburgh
      -he had to be a kicker
12. Dee Liner, DL, Alabama
      -he's certainly playing the right position
11. Maquedius Bain, DT, LSU
      -from the school that brought us Barkevious Mingo
10. Raekwon McMillan, LB, Ohio St.
  9. Gimel President, DL, Auburn
      -Mr. President
  8. SteveO Michel, LB, Colorado St.
      -Ok
  7. Psalm Wooching, LB, Washington
  6. Silverberry Mouhon, DL, Cincinnati
      -Cincy also has players named Gunner, Munchie, and Levictus
  5. River Cracraft, WR, Washington St.
  4. Blaze Ryder, OL, Navy
  3. Cassanova, McKinzy, LB, Auburn
  2. Corn Elder, DB, Miami
      -schools in the grain belt must have recruited him
  1. Jazzmar Clax, RB, Connecticut

Nice. All of the lists in the series are entertaining and informative. Just what any college football fan needs this time of the year. Less than a week to go.

New Hall of Fame

The College Football Hall of Fame is opening it's doors at it's new digs in Atlanta this Saturday. The Hall had been housed in South Bend for the nearly two decades. Not many people knew that since so few visited the place. The annual small attendance totals prompted the move to Atlanta. Dallas was in the running to host the Hall but Atlanta won. South Bend always seemed like a natural location for the College Football Hall of Fame. Notre Dame football really is college football history. If not Notre Dame, then the northeast with the Ivy League schools that started it all. Unfortunately, South Bend wasn't working. Now, it's up to Atlanta. These days the heartbeat of college football can be easily found in the football-mad regions of the SEC. And, the area does have a strong football past. It also looks like Atlanta has done an excellent job of creating a football museum that honors the past while embracing the present.

If the Pro Football Hall of Fame is best known for it's incredible bust room, the College Football Hall of Fame might become best known for it's entrance. You enter the museum through a tunnel like football player's entering the field. Photographs of the previous year's conference champions fill the walls of the tunnel. You hear the click-clack of cleats as you walk through and crowd noise intensifies as you enter the museum. What follows next is a 40-foot high wall with more than 700 helmets representing every Division I, Division II, Division III, and NAIA program. This wall sounds fantastic. It might also produce a bottle-neck of neck-strained gawkers. If you can get past this incredible wall, you can personalize your visit to the school of your choice. As you pass through the exhibits, you will receive school-specific content and activities. While I think that this is an excellent idea, I am a little skeptical. I know that I will appreciate any Cal-specific content that the Hall has for me. I also know that I don't want it at the expense of any other content. I guess that I just have to go to Atlanta and see it for myself.

Here's some of what I would find:

A 45-yard field spanning 15,000 square feet that features various activities on a daily basis. Kick a field goal, test your throwing accuracy, complete an obstacle course. A massive video screen above the field shows live games and highlights. The room will also be the site for events and receptions with a capacity of 1,450. It is one four areas that the Hall will rent out for private events.

Game Day Theater. A 150-seat theater with new HDTV technology.

Fans Game Day Gallery. You can interactively play trivia, a cheerleader challenge or even design your own marching band routine and see it play out with music.

Building a Champion Gallery. There's an exhibit devoted to coaches that innovated the game. You can have a Hall of Fame coach teach you play on video.

Game Time Gallery. An area devoted to college football's incredible passion. You can be a broadcaster and make a call from a famous play. Learn about college football's rivalries. Alabama-Auburn, Harvard-Yale, Army-Navy, Notre Dame-USC, Cal-Stanford, Grambling-Southern, Texas-Oklahoma, and Ohio St.-Michigan are on permanent display. In the "Anatomy of a Play" exhibit, you will see and hear from quarterbacks and coaches on what happens in the six seconds before the ball is snapped. A 360-degree virtual stadium exhibit allows you to be on the field at various angles at a legendary stadium, even as players and marching bands run onto the field.

The Hall of Fame. This is probably the most unique feature of the new College Football Hall of Fame. The names of the Hall of Famers are etched into glass. No plaques. No busts. Those staples are replaced by 10, 55-inch touchscreens on swivels. Depending on what's available, the content on the screen could include photos, highlights and media interviews. Several of the Hall of Famers signed off on this great change from the expected. Some found it more personal. This is another aspect of the Hall that I'll have to see to accept. I spent hours in the bust room at Canton. I could spend hours more. It's spectacular. I think that I could hog one of those 10 touchscreens for days.

The College Football Hall of Fame sounds awesome. Even the aspects of which I am skeptical could be the best parts of the place. They certainly have me intrigued as much as they have me skeptical. I was disappointed that the Hall couldn't make it work in South Bend but it definitely sounds like Atlanta did all that they could to make the new location a special one. Certainly a unique one.

Throwback Thursday: August 18, 2009

Five years ago this week, on August 18, 2009, the Minnesota Vikings signed former adversary Brett Favre. Though rumored, it was a shocking event that rocked two, rival franchises. Families may even have been divided. Brett Favre wearing his familiar #4 in a very unfamiliar purple jersey. The whole day was a circus. News helicopters. A convoy of cars from the airport to the Vikings Eden Prairie facility. Stunned fans everywhere.

The Minnesota Vikings entered the 2009 season with a talented, veteran football team. They were 10-6 in 2008 with a brief playoff appearance. They could do so much more if they only had a quarterback that had the respect of any defense that they faced. There was a fierce quarterback battle in Minnesota between Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. Both are fine quarterbacks. Both are better as backup quarterbacks than starters. Neither throws much fear into an NFL defense. Head coach Brad Childress knew that he needed a better quarterback if he ever wanted to have more than a brief playoff appearance. He needed Favre. And, Favre apparently needed the Minnesota Vikings. He wanted to face the Packers twice. He wanted to face the team that he led for 16 years. The team that traded him to the New York Jets. The Vikings were the perfect team for Favre and he was the perfect quarterback for the Vikings. Some Vikings fans could never accept it but most were thrilled beyond belief. Brett Favre is the Minnesota Vikings quarterback! It just didn't seem possible.

Before he was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, Brad Childress was Andy Reid's offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles. Reid was Favre's quarterback coach on Mike Homgren's staff with the Green Bay Packers. Childress had installed an offense in Minnesota that Favre could run in his sleep. The Vikings offered an array of offensive weapons that included running backs Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor and receiver's Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, and Bernard Berrian. With his experience in this offense, Favre was a plug-and-play quarterback from the moment that he signed his big contract. He didn't need any stinkin' training camp in Mankato. He could come to the Vikings facilities during the third week of August and be ready to play NFL games for a new team in about three weeks. Five years ago this week, on August 18, 2009, he did just that.

College Football Rankings

The AP Top 25 Poll came out last week. This season will be the first season that a 4-team playoff will decide the national champion. That will be very pleasant change from the annual disaster of the BCS. That playoff is still over four months away. For now, we have the AP Top 25 Poll. We've had it since 1936. If the 2014 college football season ends the way that the AP has it starting, Florida State will repeating as National Champions.

1. Florida St.
2. Alabama
3. Oregon
4. Oklahoma
5. Ohio St.
6. Auburn
7. UCLA
8. Michigan St.
9. South Carolina
10. Baylor
11. Stanford
12. Georgia
13. LSU
14. Wisonsin
15. USC
16. Clemson
17. Notre Dame
18. Mississippi
19. Arizona St.
20. Kansas St.
21. Texas A&M
22. Nebraska
23. North Carolina
24. Missouri
25. Washington

I can't believe that Cal didn't crack the Top 25. No respect.

The conferences broke down like this:

SEC:  8
Pac-12:  6
Big Ten:  4
Big 12:  3
ACC:  3
Notre Dame

And, Directv still can't a way to have the Pac-12 Network as part of their supposedly top sports package. Idiots.

Worst Rule In Football?

Mike Florio, of the website Pro Football Talk, jumped all over what he considers the worst rule in football. The cursed rule took place in last weekend's Miami Dolphins-Tampa Bay Buccaneers preseason game. It broke down like this: Buccaneers rookie receiver Mike Evans appeared to have scored on a 42-yard catch-and-run touchdown. The call on the field was a touchdown but replay showed that Evans had fumbled the ball before breaking the plane. The ball landed in the end zone and then rolled out of bounds before anyone recovered it. By rule, however, it's not a touchdown but a touchback. A turnover even though the defense never gained possession of the ball.

"It's a horrible rule." -Mike Florio

Florio is right. It's a horrible rule. It's ridiculous to hand over possession of the ball to a defense that never gained possession of it. If the play had taken place anywhere else on the field, the offense maintains possession of the ball. The rule makes no sense.

I first encountered this rule during a Minnesota Vikings-Dallas Cowboys playoff game in 1996. Vikings running back Amp Lee was running free for a touchdown. Just before he was about to cross that goal line, the ball was poked out of his hands and it rolled out of the back of the endzone. I assumed that it would still be Vikings ball at the spot of the field that it was last possessed since that's what happens anywhere else on the football field. That makes sense. Nope. Cowboys ball. 20-yard line. Going the other way. The Cowboys defense did make a play. Good for them. They didn't complete the play. They never gained possession so possession shouldn't just be given to them. I discovered that day, three days after Christmas, the worst rule in football. It was also pretty much the only play that worked for the Vikings that day and even that play ended up going against them. The Cowboys took them apart. 40-15.

Worst rule in football.

Stupidity

I once watched then San Francisco 49ers quarterback, and current Chicago Bears quarterback coach, Matt Cavanaugh take off his football helmet and enter a very congested melee. Punches were being thrown from a dozen football players from two dozen directions and Cavanaugh thought that his helmet could be better served as a weapon rather than for protection. It was one of the dumbest decisions that I've ever seen made on a football field. Gus Frerotte head-butting a wall is close. He sprained his neck. Bill Gramatica celebrating a made field goal, a field goal that gave his team an early 3-0 lead, so exuberantly that he tore his own ACL is even closer. These were very stupid decisions. Frerotte and Gramatica will be known forever for those decisions. They also suffered injuries due to their stupidity. Cavanaugh could have been killed. Instead, nothing happened and I might be the only that even recalls the event. Football fights are pointless. About the only thing that you can do to a fully armored football player is poke him in the eye. The Three Stooges in pads. Many helmets don't even allow that sort of intrusion. Cavanaugh was probably the smallest, weakest football player on the field. Jumping into that brawl was a mistake. Jumping into it without a helmet was simply stupid. Besides, quarterbacks don't enter fights. Quarterbacks are usually the reason for football fights.

For about thirty years, Matt Cavanaugh held my title for stupidity on the football field. He has it no more. Move over Matt Cavanaugh, Jimmy Graham has the floor. Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson might have been the first football player to decide that celebrating a touchdown by dunking a football over the goalpost would be a swell thing to do. He certainly wasn't the last. A lot of the celebrations that we see on the football field today originated from that celebratory decade of the 1970s. The decade that apparently took the "m" and the "e" out of team. Several football players since Henderson have used the goalposts as part of their celebrating. Some have even dunked the ball over that always enticing crossbar, including New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham. Fine. Dunk the football. Dance around. Smile at the camera. Waste some time. Go to your sideline. Unlike the rest of his celebrating brethren, Jimmy Graham has to actually grab the goalpost as he dunks the ball over it. This wasn't really a problem until the genius knocked the goalpost askew during his obligatory, celebratory dunk in Atlanta last season. This stunt delayed the game so that the goalpost could be righted again. It also forced the NFL to make such celebrations illegal. It's now an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. When Graham, or anyone, pulls this stupid stunt the Saints, or another offending player's team, will be kicking-off from the 20-yard line rather than the 35. Football games have always been a battle of field position. This is the sort of situation that can tilt that battle. The unsportsmanlike penalty also brings a fine upon the offending player. A fine in excess of $10,000 for the first offense and increasing amounts for each additional offense. When news that his signature move would be illegal broke, Graham simply, and selfishly vowed that he would lead the league in penalties. Is he joking? If last Friday's preseason game is any indication, Graham wasn't joking. He scored two touchdowns. He dunked over the goalpost after each touchdown. Maybe, he's just getting all of it out of the way during the preseason. The games don't really matter so his games don't really matter. Well, they do matter. It's clear that Jimmy Graham doesn't give a shit about his team or his coach. Sean Payton was pissed. That much was obvious at his postgame press conference. Maybe, little Jimmy was just blowing off some steam after his offseason financial squabbles with the Saints and the NFL's out-of-whack franchise tag rules. That little battle should have been settled when team and player agreed on a long-term contract. No, this little stunt was all about the self. It's possible to be an individual in a team sport without it costing your team. Jimmy Graham has freakish athletic ability. He's a fantastic football player. He should let that set himself apart. His acts of defiance and selfishness simply make him look like an idiot. For that, he's taken the crown long held by Matt Cavanaugh. At least the foolish quarterback was thinking more about his team first. Graham has since since that he's through dunking but we'll see. 

Vikings Preseaon Game #2

Breathe deeply. It's just a preseason game.

The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Arizona Cardinals by the score of 30-28.

First of all, the score that led to the Cardinals going up 28-24 with 1:11 left in the game was horseshit. The score that was described in the ESPN boxscore as a 6-yard touchdown run by Zach Bauman was far more complicated than that. The best comparison of the supposed touchdown is to the one scored by the Oakland Raiders against the San Diego Chargers in 1978. The "Holy Roller." The rules of the game were changed because of that play. Those changes were forgotten last night. No Cardinals player ever really had possession of the ball once the center gave it up. The play should have been dead after an offensive lineman batted the ball with no effort given to actually recovering it. Hell, the quarterback never really made much of an attempt to possess the snap. Everything that the Cardinals did was an attempt at keeping the ball moving. Just like the "Holy Roller." The game was changed in 1978 and forgotten last night. The official ruling on the field was that no offensive player ever had possession of the ball. So, technically there was never a fumble. So, any offensive player could advance the ball. So, Bauman did. Touchdown Cardinals. Let's all be glad that this play didn't happen in a game that meant something. The quarterback batted the ball backward. An offensive lineman batted it forward. None of that works.

The best thing about the fiasco of the Cardinals touchdown was that there was 1:11 left in the game. Vikings rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater only needed about 45 seconds of that time to lead the Vikings to a game-winning 2-yard touchdown pass to Rodney Smith. The Cardinals don't score and Bridgewater doesn't get the chance to bring his team back. He was remarkably calm throughout the drive. He seemed to have comfortable control of the clock, the down and distance, and his team. If Bridgewater looked like a rookie quarterback making his first NFL appearance last week, he looked like an NFL quarterback that had to bring his team back this week.

For a preseason game this was a very entertaining game. Even before the strange and exciting ending. Expected Vikings starting quarterback Matt Cassel was solid. He played the entire first half. 12-16 for 153 yards and a touchdown. He led the team to three scores. A touchdown and two field goals. The other two possessions ended in a missed field goal and a punt. He spread the ball around. The running game didn't help him or the team too much. That can be expected when Adrian Peterson spent the entire game on the sideline. It's actually impossible to judge any Vikings quarterback when the player that defenses fear the most is munching on sunflower seeds on the sideline. Peterson is so much of the Vikings offense that gaining anything from preseason games is foolish.

The Vikings starters, offense and defense, played the entire first half. The Cardinals starters played the first two series. Starters vs. starters? The game was pretty much even.

The best thing about the Vikings starters was the terrific play of tight end Kyle Rudolph. He dropped some weight in the offseason in order to get quicker for offensive coordinator Norv Turner's offense. I wasn't so sure that he truly needed it but he looks so much quicker. Much quicker than I expected. He had a big play last week against the Raiders. The Cardinals had no answer for him this week. 4 catches for 89 yards and a 51-yard touchdown. Most of the 51 yards was Rudolph "flying" down the sideline. Kyle Rudolph should be an impact player this year. Adrian Peterson and Cordarrelle Patterson will keep defensive coaches up at night. Rudolph might add to that sleep deprivation.

It was interesting to watch Cordarrelle Patterson go up against Patrick Peterson. The Cardinals corner might be the best corner in the game. I think that Patterson is ready to go up against any corner in the league. The kid knows that he's got some special skills but he realizes that he has so much more to learn. That could be the best thing about him. In a league of truly speacial athletes, this kid can be one of the best. I've never seen a player of his size move like he can move.

Carson Palmer. The Arizona Cardinals starting quarterback. 34-years old. Palmer was the only USC quarterback that actually deserved the Heisman Trophy. He was on the verge of being among the elite throwers in the game in 2005. His Cincinnati Bengals completely dismantled the Vikings that season. Pretty much skill position player on that team had career game that day. All because of Palmer. If the defense stepped up that Bengals team could have won a Super Bowl. They might have been on their way either way but Palmer has his knee destroyed by Kimo Von Oelhoffen of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the playoffs. That Steelers team went on to win the Super Bowl but the Bengals had them on the ropes while Palmer was still standing. Carson Palmer gets some grief but he's still a very good NFL quarterback. Bruce Arians is a very good football coach with a fantastic grasp of offensive football.

The Cardinals play in the NFC West. The best division in the league. The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers are the toast of that division but they are hardly alone. The Cardinals beat the Seahawks in Seattle last year. Supposedly, that's impossible. The Cardinals are going to miss their idiot linebacker Daryl Washington to another suspension but they still have an excellent defense. Led by defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, this defense is right there with the terrific defenses of the 49ers and Seahawks.

I went into this game hoping to see something of Cardinals rookie receiver John Brown. He was a third round pick out of Pittsburg St. Many have compared him to a receiver that Arians had in Indianapolis by the name of T.Y. Hilton. The rookie did make a nice 22-yard catch for his NFL team. Antoher J. Brown was the Viking-killer last night. 2013 undrafted free agent Jaron Brown had two catches for 86 yards. The first 51 came on a short pass that he took for damn near a touchdown. Vikings corner Xavier Rhodes should have had him down but he spun out of that undressing and was down the sideline. The remaining 35 also came against Rhodes. The Vikings corner had nice coverage but couldn't prevent the catch. Both plays were about the receiver making a play. Rhodes has to turn that around.

Speaking of Cardinals receivers, it would simply be wrong to not to mention Larry Fitzgerald. He had two catches for 24 yards on the night. A typical preseason game for a player of his stature. Fitzgerald is right there with Walter Payton, Charlie Waters, Carl Banks, Barry Sanders, Sterling Sharpe, and a few others as my favorite non-Vikings players. It helps that he learned some of his craft at the hands of Cris Carter, Randy Moss and Jake Reed as a training camp ball boy for the Vikings in the late 1990s. Fitzgerald is simply a fantastic receiver. His playoff run to Super Bowl XLIII might have been the best postseason performance ever for a receiver. He's a walking, talking, playing how-to manual for anyone thinking about catching footballs for a living.

Another Cardinals player that I have to mention is safety Justin Bethel. He's earned a Pro Bowl invite as a special teams player so he is a player of some note. I've been following Bethel since his itty-bitty Presbyterian College team came to Berkeley to play Cal. I was at that game. He was the best football player on the field that day. Bethel was everywhere. He's a football player. The Cardinals are loaded in the secondary and Bethel is going to make some money in free agency.

The Vikings won the game. They did some good things. The worst things to come from the game were on defense. A fact that probably kills head coach Mike Zimmer right now. The Cardinals were 4 for 4 on fourth down conversions. Two resulted in touchdowns. One being the horseshit touchdown with 1:11 to go in the game.The other two were on the 10:06 drive that opened the second half. A ten minute drive. There are few things more devastating in football than a drive of this duration. It's a beatdown. A complete beatdown. Both fourth downs were on short yardage and the Cardinals moved the Vikings defense and moved the sticks. When an offense converts a fourth down it's like getting a turnover. There were no turnovers in this game. Which is pretty surprising for a preseason game. The Cardinals conversion of four fourth down attempts feels like four turnovers.

The Vikings defeated the Cardinals 30-28. An entertaining game for an NFL preseason game.

The only thing that many really care about is this:

Cassel 12-16 yards 153 yards 1 td 125.3 qb rating
Bridgewater 16-20 177yds 2 tds  136.9

I really can't see Mike Zimmer and Norv Turner going wrong with naming either one the starter. It's sort of assumed that the decision will be made this week. Cassel will provide leadership that can only come with experience. Bridgewater is the better passing talent. Even now. The Vikings have a brutal early schedule with the Rams, Patriots, Saints, Falcons, and Packers. Do you throw Bridgewater into the fire early? That's the decision that needs to be made. One of the greatest tests for a quarterback is bringing a team back in the final minute. Bridgewater did that brilliantly last night. He never seemed flustered. He just played football. Zimmer asked him to play the game like he's been doing since he was 5. That's what he did. Teddy Bridgewater is the future of the Minnesota Vikings. It all depends on when the Vikings want to start that future.

Vikings Corners

About a decade ago the Minnesota Vikings trotted out cornerbacks the likes of Waswa Serwanga and converted receiver Robert Tate. It was quite sad. The current corners have a lot to prove. They were mostly disappointing last year. I was thinking about the state of the Vikings corners after watching the New York Jets fall apart at the position in the span of a training camp week. Their top three corners are on the sideline. If the Vikings of the early 2000s had lost their top three corners there would be no obvious drop off because none of them should have been on the field for a regular season NFL game. It was so sad. Fortunately the Vikings cornerback situation has improved despite the difficulties of a season ago.

Second-year Xavier Rhodes has the talent and the size to be one of the best. He was learning the life of an NFL corner through much of the season. It was very typical for a rookie, especially for a rookie corner. By the end of the season, it was clear that his future should be a bright one. Free agent addition Captain Munnerlyn might bring back some fond memories of Antoine Winfield. Tough and undersized. A playmaker. Derek Cox is the wildcard. He was great in Jacsonville and earned a big free agent payday with the San Diego Chargers last season. He was on top of the world but he never fit in the Chargers defense. He was terrible and eventually benched. Big money free agent one year. One-year, prove-it contract the next. Cox could be a nice find for Mike Zimmer's press coverage defense. Third-year Josh Robinson has speed to spare. That can't be taught. The ability to use it can and Robinson is learning. He had a nice rookie year in 2012. The Vikings made the unfortunate decision to force him into covering the slot last year. It was a disaster. He was also replacing Winfield at the spot. The drop in play was immediate and obvious. If Robinson can regain his confidence and stay on the outside, he could be be a solid corner. But, he needs to get on the field and stay on the field. He's spent too much time in the trainer's room this training camp. Scrappy, little Marcus Sherels was once considered a marginal NFL football player. As an NFL athlete, he still might be. Especially when it comes to corners. The former training camp-invite has turned himself into an NFL football player. He's one of the best punt returners in the game. If he offered only that, it might be enough to stick on the roster for a nice career. He's become a reliable defensive football player. His NFL story is a very good story. Shaun Prater made some memorable plays at the end of the forgettable 2013 season. He's maintained that solid play through training camp. Seventh-round pick Jabari Price is one of the very pleasant surprises of training camp. He's played so well that he might be the top back-up to Munnerlyn in the slot. If so, he's on the 2014 roster. Sixth-round pick Kendall James, Julian Posey and Robert Steeples would have been the starting corners on those Vikings teams of the early 2000s. They are fighting to make this roster. Here's my guess as to the Vikings corners this year:

Xavier Rhodes
Captain Munnerlyn
Derek Cox
Josh Robinson
Marcus Sherels
Jabari Price

Shaun Prater could make 7. You can never have enough corners.

The Vikings 2014 corners and the secondary will be much improved over 2013. As important to the improved talent at the position is the addition of head coach Mike Zimmer and his coaching staff. Zimmer is a teacher and "a fixer." His addition in January improved the defense and the secondary immediately. His teaching will improve it even more. Secondary coach Jerry Gray was a terrific cornerback in his playing career and has been a successful defensive coach since. The players are better. The coaching is better. The play at corner will be better. Few teams can lose their top three corners and skip along as if nothing had happened. Top to bottom, the Vikings corners can all play if called upon.

Welcome Back

E.J. Henderson is back with the Minnesota Vikings. The team announced this week that Henderson would join their front office as the Youth Football Manager. In the position, he will work to push safety initiatives in youth football while also promoting the sport and the Vikings organization at a grassroots level, from the children in the Twin Cities to the suburbs and throughout the state. He will also assist with the team's youth football programs such as the Vikings of Tomorrow, Community Quarterback Awards, the All-State High School Football Team and Heads Up Football. The safety initiatives in youth football are of particular importance. The NFL and everyone even remotely connected to football are stressing an awareness of concussions. Diagnosing them, rehabbing them, and most importantly preventing them. Much of the prevention can start at the youngest level of football with better technique, equipment and awareness. This will be a part, perhaps the most important part, of Henderson's new role with the Minnesota Vikings.

E.J. Henderson spent the majority of his nine-year Vikings career as the starting middle linebacker. He was the last of a long line of terrific middle linebackers in team history. It might not be a history as illustrious as the Chicago Bears ridiculous wealth at the position but it's a fine history. Lonnie Warwick, Jeff Siemon, Scott Studwell, Jack Del Rio, Ed McDaniel and Henderson were among the best in the league for most of their NFL careers. The Vikings could use E.J. Henderson right now. But, that's another story. As a player, Henderson was a team leader and fan favorite. He always played with a passion that inspired those around him on the field, as well as off. He suffered a brutal leg injury late in the 2009 season. His loss was a huge loss in the run to the NFC Championship game that season. Some thought his career was over. Miraculously, he was ready for the 2010 training camp. He made his one Pro Bowl appearance after the 2010 season. He should have made several others. That is also another story.

E.J. Henderson is perfect for his new role. He spent a lot of his early years in a youth center as his father worked in one for about two decades. Throughout his Vikings career, Henderson showed a commitment to the Minnesota community and in particular to the youth of the community. His Youth Foundation and Game Speed Academy have been a Twin Cities area staple for years. It's great to see Henderson back with the Vikings doing what he's always enjoyed.

Throwback Thursday: On the Road

These days preseason or exhibition games do little more than give teams another team to hit, give the young kids a chance to play some professional football, and pretty much piss off fans that have to pay full price for what many consider little more than a dress rehearsal. There was a time when exhibition games served a much greater purpose. In the early days of the league, exhibition games kept some teams afloat. Some exhibition games even kept the young league alive. The Red Grange-led Chicago Bears went on a barn-storming tour following the 1925 season that put the NFL on the sporting map. Grange and the Bears brought money and attention from games that didn't really matter. The only numbers that counted were the fans and their dollars. These early exhibition games nearly brought about the first international game involving a professional team. On January 1, 1923, the Oorang Indians had a game scheduled in Havana, Cuba against a local Cuban All-Star team. The game was scheduled but there is no evidence that it was ever played. From the late 1940s through the 1960s, there were several exhibition games played in Canada. Most matched an NFL team against a CFL team. On a few occasions, two NFL teams traveled north of the border to play a game at a neutral, Canadian site. In 1976, the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Chargers played in Tokyo. Starting in the 1980s, the NFL has served up a fairly steady diet of exhibition games played in faraway cities. It was the first attempts at spreading the NFL shield to international markets. From 1989-2005, Japan was a destination for a couple of teams nearly every year. London got a bunch of exhibition games through the 1990s. Now, regular season games are played there. Mexico City has hosted several games. Barcelona, Gothenburg, Sweden, Berlin and Dublin have all hosted at least one game. The NFL has also scheduled neutral-site exhibition games at less exotic locales. When the league was looking into expansion in the 1960s, teams often played exhibition games in U.S. cities with no NFL team. These were usually cities that hoped to have an NFL team. New Orleans before they got the Saints. Atlanta before they got the Falcons. Tampa before they got the Buccaneers. Seattle before they got the Seahawks. Charlotte before they got the Panthers. Some cities hosted exhibition games but never got the NFL team that they may have desired. Portland, Salt Lake City, Cedar Rapids, Tulsa, Omaha, Sioux Falls. Well, Sioux Falls probably didn't have very high hopes. They just enjoyed the prospect of hosting an NFL football game. Even an NFL exhibition football game.

Basically, there was a time when exhibition games had a much greater purpose than they hold now.

Vikings Starters?

The Minnesota Vikings released their "unofficial" depth chart last week. From that release we have this starting lineup.

WR  Greg Jennings
 TE   Kyle Rudolph
  T     Matt Kalil
  G    Charlie Johnson
  C    John Sullivan
  G    Brandon Fusco
  T     Phil Loadholt
WR  Cordarrelle Patterson
QB   Matt Cassel
RB   Adrian Peterson
FB   Jerome Felton

DE    Everson Griffen
DT    Sharrif Floyd
DT    Linval Joseph
DE    Brian Robison
LB     Anthony Barr
MLB Jasper Brinkley
LB    Chad Greenway
CB    Xavier Rhodes
SS    Robert Blanton
FS    Harrison Smith
CB   Captain Munnerlyn

 K     Blair Walsh
 P     Jeff Locke
LS    Cullen Loeffler
KR   Cordarrelle Patterson
PR   Marcus Sherels

Most will remain the same when the Vikings take the field in St. Louis against the Rams on September 7. The most watched position is the quarterback position. Rookie Teddy Bridgewater could still be under center against the Rams but Cassel, as of now, remains the expected starter. The one spot on the offensive line that could change in the coming month is at left guard. The starters have been together for the past two years. That sort of continuity is always sought but rarely found. Charlie Johnson's hold on the left guard spot isn't as strong as the rest. Rookie David Yankey is probably the future at the position. He could become the present. Jerome Felton was a Pro Bowl fullback in 2012. His blocking that year was terrific. Peterson ran for 2,097 yards and Felton played a role in that. More recently, he hasn't been playing at that Pro Bowl level. It's probably still an uncertainty as to what offensive coordinator Norv Turner expects from the fullback position. Second-year Zach Line might provide more of a running/receiving threat than Felton. Unless Felton starts blocking more like he did in 2012, Line could be the fullback when the season starts. As for the defense, the line is set. Linebacker could have some movement at middle linebacker. That position comes down to Brinkley and Audie Cole. Cornerback is fairly set with Rhodes and Munnerlyn. In nickel, Munnerlyn will move to the slot and then there's some competition on the outside opposite Rhodes. Josh Robinson, Derek Cox, Jabari Price, Marcus Sherels, and Shaun Prater. That's a lot of competition. It's very similar to the wide open competition at strong safety. Blanton still holds the top spot on the "unofficial" depth chart. A hamstring injury has kept him out of practice for the past week. Kurt Coleman, Mistral Raymond, Andrew Sendejo, Jamarca Sanford, recently signed Chris Crocker, and rookie Antone Exum are all in that competition. Coleman did some fine things in the first preseason game. The fact that Crocker was signed last week is a clear indication that no one has a firm grasp on the position. Crocker has played the last seven seasons for Mike Zimmer. That gives him an incredible perspective and grasp of the defense. He's also 34. Unless one of the six younger options grabs and runs away with the position, Crocker will probably open the season as the starter. It's unlikely that he was brought into the situation for any other reason.

Quarterback. left guard, and fullback all have expected starters in place. Fullback is probably the only one that is truly in question right now. The position battles at middle linebacker, strong safety, and one outside corner spot in the nickel are open. Safety and corner are wide open with about a month left to settle them.

Safety In Numbers

The quarterback competition between veteran Matt Cassel and rookie Teddy Bridgewater gets all of the attention at the Minnesota Vikings training camp. It's all about the quarterbacks. The most contested position battle is at the safety position opposite Harrison Smith. In only his third season out of Notre Dame, Smith has quickly become a defensive leader and franchise cornerstone. The other safety position remains unsettled, at best. It's so unsettled that the Vikings signed 34-year old Chris Crocker last week to try and settle it. Not only has he been around the NFL for a while, he's been playing for head coach Mike Zimmer for the last seven years. He knows the defense better than anyone but the head coach. His experience makes him an extra coach on and off the field. With Crocker now added to the mix, there are eight safeties that are competing for that one safety spot next to Smith.

Crocker, Robert Blanton, Kurt Coleman, Jamarca Sanford, Mistral Raymond and Andrew Sendejo all have experience starting in the NFL. Crocker with the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals. Coleman with the Philadelphia Eagles. The rest have started games for the Vikings. Second-year Brandan Bishop is one of only two with little to no NFL experience. Starting or otherwise. The other is rookie Antone Exum. Drafted in the sixth-round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Exum probably has the most athletic potential of the bunch and is the likely future at the position but he has a steep learning curve in his first NFL training camp. Rookies usually do. He also played mostly corner at Virginia Tech. He would have been picked much higher in the draft if not for a torn ACL while playing in a pick-up basketball game in January 2013. Blanton was getting most of the first team reps in OTAs, mimi-camp and early in training camp. He kept getting those reps because he was performing well. It also helped that Sendejo, Sanford and Raymond were all spending a lot of time in the trainer's room. Unfortunately for Blanton, he joined them there with a strained hamstring. He's been sidelined for the past week. That might have prompted the signing of Crocker. Although Zimmer said that adding the veteran safety was the plan all along. The fact that the Cincinnati Bengals, with Zimmer as defensive coordinator, signed Crocker in September in each of the last two seasons supports that plan. Sendejo has returned to the field but Raymond and Sanford are still missing practice time. If they can't get back on the field and stay on the field, the competition could be decided without them. Coleman played well in the first preseason game against the Oakland Raiders. Based on that and the injury situation, the competition may come down to a battle between Crocker and Coleman. Blanton really needs to get back on the field soon but you have to be very careful with hamstring injuries. They can wreck a season if they are rushed.

Competition can, and should, bring out the best in football players. The large number of safeties with a legitimate shot at starting should make for better play at the back of the Vikings defense this season. They need to be better. The secondary, as a whole, was terrible last season. Zimmer and his coaching staff will make this group better. So will the competition. Crocker, with his experience in Zimmer's defense, will improve the play at safety. If he starts, great. If he doesn't, that only means that someone else from the safety crowd performed better. No matter how the safety competition shakes out, the Vikings safeties and secondary as a whole will be better because of that competition.

New Special Teams Coach?

Minnesota Vikings special teams coach Mike Priefer is going to be suspended for the first three games of the regular season. He is being disciplined for his extremely offensive comments to former punter Chris Kluwe. The suspension will likely be reduced to two games if Priefer undergoes sensitivity training. Initially, I assumed that the Vikings would simply go through the first two, maybe three, games with assistant special teams coach Ryan Ficken in charge of the special teams. This is Ficken's second season coaching under Priefer. It's his eighth year with the Vikings. He's worked with the running backs and receivers in the previous years. Ficken is an experienced NFL assistant coach. He knows the Vikings players. He knows the system and practice organization run by Priefer. Allowing Ryan Ficken to take over made such sense that I was surprised when head coach Mike Zimmer said, at the start of training camp, that they were undecided as to how they would proceed in Priefer's absence. The Minnesota Vikings announced yesterday that they have hired veteran special teams coach Joe Marciano to "help out" with the special teams during the first two, maybe three, weeks of the regular season.

Joe Marciano had been the only special teams coach that the Houston Texans had ever known. He was semi-retired after being fired, with Gary Kubiak, last December. Kubiak's son Klint Kubiak is the Vikings assistant receivers coach so they might have had an in-house reference for the long-time special teams coach. Marciano has coached special teams in the NFL since 1986. He started his football coaching career in 1976. So, he has some coaching experience. A lot of coaching experience. That was the appeal. He has nearly thirty years of experience doing the very same coaching that he'll be doing with the Vikings for two, maybe three, games. I can only assume that the Vikings wanted someone with more than two years of special teams assisting experience making game day decisions for two, maybe three, game days. That experience is likely even more critical with a first-year head coach in Mike Zimmer.

Even through a couple of weeks of uncertainty, I still assumed that Ryan Ficken would get the nod. Hiring Joe Marciano from the outside might be perceived as a slight to Ficken. It really isn't. Mike Zimmer waited way far too long for his first head coaching shot. He's not taking any chances. Marciano arrived in Minnesota Saturday night. He'll be with the team and working with Priefer and Ficken through the rest of training camp and into the season. Then, he'll be needed for those game day decisions for the first two, maybe three, weeks of the 2014 NFL season.

Belispeak

“I don’t think our protection was good enough. I don’t think our passing game was good enough . I don’t think our running game was good enough. Our run defense, our pass defense, pass rush, kicking game. They all need to be improved.” -Bill Belichick

That pretty much covers everything. This quote came from the media gathering following the New England Patriots 23-6 preseason loss to the Washington Redskins this past Thursday night. Of course, the media kept digging for specific reasons as to why all parts of Belichick's team left a lot to be desired. Most of his answers regarding the specifics stated a need to watch game film. Belichick never gives much to the media but that never stops the media from trying. This back-and-forth is often hilarious. 

I absolutely love Bill Belichick press conferences. I've seen him give the same one sentence answer to about a dozen question during a single session. It's hilarious because the answer is to the same question asked a dozen different ways. The media thinks that they are being clever but they really aren't. They are often ridiculous and Belichick isn't joining in their game. The media thinks that they are simply doing their jobs. Most probably are but so many just want to create drama. They want a sensational story. If they can't find one, they will create one. Belichick won't give them the ammunition to do so. I've listened to many press conferences from coaches and players across the league. Frequently the articles and columns spawned from the press conferences are closer to fiction. So many in the media seem to take what is said and report something entirely different. If the coaches and players don't give them a proper story, they will turn what is said around and around until they have a story. Bill Belichick doesn't feed the fiction by basically saying nothing. It's hilarious. 

I don't think that new Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer will be as elusive or as evasive as Bill Belichick but I can see him losing his patience with the media. Some of the questions thrown out by the Minnesota media are truly mind-numbing. A few know less about football than your ordinary, flowering plant. Former coach Leslie Frazier was always painfully patient with these clowns. Brad Childress tried to be painfully clever. I think that Mike Tice was drinking buddies with all of the drinking members of the media. Zimmer has often said that "honesty is always the best policy." I believe that he will always be honest. That doesn't bode well for some in the Minnesota media. It's still too early to know how the, hopefully long, relationship between Zimmer and the media will develop but my guess is that it will be much more like the often chilly Belichick-press relationship than anything seen before in Minnesota. 

Vikings Preseason Game #1

It feels like much more than eight months have passed since the Minnesota Vikings last played a football game. Some thing have happened since they closed out a disappointing 5-10-1 season with a scintillating 14-13 win over the Detroit Lions. It didn't seem either team wanted to win that game. In the months since, the Vikings have hired Mike Zimmer as their new head coach. They drafted Teddy Bridgewater in the first round to hopefully be the long-sought franchise quarterback. They have been looking for one since Fran Tarkenton retired in 1978. They thought that they had one in Daunte Culpepper. That fell apart way too soon. They drafted Christian Ponder with the 12th pick of the 2011 NFL Draft. Consistency was the problem there. Bridgewater is the new hope. The additions of Mike Zimmer, offensive coordinator Norv Turner, and Teddy Bridgewater have Vikings fans everywhere excited about the future in Minnesota. I was so excited that I had to listen, again, to Zimmer's introductory press conference from January to ready myself for preseason game #1 against the Oakland Raiders.

For the next two seasons the Minnesota Vikings will be playing their home games at TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota. The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, their home since 1982, was blown-up last February. That was done to make room for a magnificent new stadium that is set to open about this time in 2016. The Vikings will be playing their home games outdoors, again. And, it was splendid. My early years as a Vikings fan were spent watching them play outdoors at Metropolitan Stadium. Late season home games played in the snow were beautiful. That's easy to say from a comfortable couch in California but I have missed outdoor Vikings games. TCF Bank Stadium is a wonderful stadium. It may hold about 15,000 fewer fans than the owners might like but these next two years will be fun. This team and this stadium will be a nice combination. I wish that the Vikings new palace could be an outdoor beauty but it really had to be covered. Stadiums are far too expensive to only be available for part of the year.

Now, for preseason game #1. Oakland Raiders vs. Minnesota Vikings. The start of the Mike Zimmer era.

The Vikings simply dominated the Raiders in the first half. It felt like it should have been 20-0 rather than 10-0. The Matt Cassel-led offense took the opening drive 70 yards for a touchdown. The Raiders defense was barely more than a bump in the road. That nice drive was all the play that Cassel saw in the game.

The rookie, Teddy Bridgewater played the rest of the first half and the first possession of the second half. His best throw might have been his first throw. A 21-yarder to Greg Jennings that was brought back by an illegal formation penalty. His play was mixed, at best. He looked like he belonged. He also looked like he was making his first appearance in an NFL game. With the starters, Bridgewater did lead a field goal-scoring drive. It was helped a bit by some penalties but he did put some points on the board. It was a start.

If the starting quarterback decision had to be made after this game, the choice is clearly Matt Cassel.

Running back Jerick McKinnon might have been the best offensive rookie for the Vikings last night. He showed some speed. Some wiggle. Some strength. They lost a fantastic backup running back when Toby Gerhart chose a starting gig with the Jacksonville Jaguars rather than the bench with the Vikings. Matt Asiata did a nice job on the first series of the game and he is most likely the first off the bench to give Adrian Peterson a breather. Asiata, at 6' and 230+,  is a big back like Gerhart but he looks much quicker and elusive this season. McKinnon is more of a change of pace. He's smaller at 5'9" and just over 200 lbs but he runs bigger than his size. A mighty mite! He was also a quarterback in Georgia Southern's option offense. He gives the Vikings offense some more versatility. He showed well in his first NFL game.

As for the OTHER first round pick, linebacker Anthony Barr got his first NFL sack. He'll get a lot more. In a quick interview, Barr said that the game last night was his first NFL game that he'd ever seen live. Well, he did grow up in Los Angeles.

Fullback Jerome Felton made the Pro Bowl two years ago. His spot on the roster is far from a sure thing. It sounds like he's had a rough training camp and he did himself no favors last night. Receiver Jarius Wright was running free on a reverse. He got about 17 yards. He would have gotten a lot more, perhaps a touchdown, if Felton had blocked a defender rather than running right past him. He needs to get back to that tough, hungry fullback that was fighting for a job because he really is fighting for a job.

The best part of this first game in the Mike Zimmer era was the defense. Big surprise. The defense is his baby. He's been putting together tough, aggressive defenses for decades. Last night, the Raiders faced a 3rd and 9 in the first quarter. The Vikings lined up with ten on the line of scrimmage. Two corners in the face of the receivers. Eight possibly rushing. At the snap, three of the eight dropped into coverage. Including defensive end Brian Robison. Five went after the quarterback. Safety Harrison Smith applied pressure on the edge and forced a hurried incomplete pass. Prior to the snap, there was no telling who was rushing and who was dropping. It's been years since the Vikings even tried to disguise their defensive intentions to an offense. It may be a preseason game but it's a very refreshing site.

The safety position opposite Harrison Smith is probably the most competitive in camp. Jamarca Sanford, Mistral Raymond, Kurt Coleman, Andrew Sendejo, Robert Blanton, and Chris Crocker all have starting experience in the NFL. Rookie Antone Exum is also in the fight. Coleman got the start last night. He made the most of it. An interception and a key stop in the flat. Crocker was brought in this past week. He's played for Zimmer for the last seven years. He likely knows the defense better than anyone outside of the head coach. He's also 34. Blanton was getting most of the first team reps early in camp but he strained his hamstring last week. It's still wide open but the light is probably on Coleman now with his nice play last night.

Receiver Adam Thielen had been an early camp star. He added to that last night. He flashed on special teams with a couple of nice returns and a tackle on coverage. He also had a nice reception. Greg Jennings, Cordarrelle Patterson, Jarius Wright, Jerome Simpson are at the top of the Vikings receiver depth charts. Thielen is probably moving to the "safe bet to make the team" category.

Rookie defensive tackle Shamar Stephen is wearing #93. It's a tall order to take the number worn so well for so long by Kevin Williams. Stephen's #93 was showing up around the ball so much last night that I thought that Williams was back in Minnesota rather than slumming in Seattle. Stephen was a seventh-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Seventh-round picks are often long shots to making any NFL roster. I'm warming to the idea that Stephen will be part of the Vikings 53-man roster.

The Vikings secondary was a disaster last year. Not having Harrison Smith for about six games didn't help but it was ugly at the back of the Vikings defense. Smith and corners Xavier Rhodes and Captain Munnerlyn are the only certainties in the secondary, at least in the nickel. The safety spot opposite Smith is very competitive and wide open. There's also quite a fight at corner. Josh Robinson, Derek Cox, seventh-round rookie Jabari Price, and Shaun Prater could all factor in nickel and/or base defenses. Robinson didn't play last night and really has to get on the field if he's going to stay in the fight. Cox and Prater both made plays last night. No matter who fills out the corner roster it was a delight to see all of them covering receivers. I'm going to love this press coverage.

The Vikings won 10-6.

The highlight of Vikings Preseason Game #1 was the offense early and the defense throughout. The offense scored 10 points with ease. The defense kept the Raiders out of the end zone until the final final minutes.

The Arizona Cardinals are up next in preseason game #2.

Hard Knocking

The new season of HBO's "Hard Knocks" kicked off this week. This year we get the Atlanta Falcons. There was some grumbling over the choice of the Falcons. The team wasn't spicy enough. I don't think that anyone other than Falcons fans knows enough about the team to judge how spicy they really are. Beyond that, every one of the 32 teams would present an interesting subject for "Hard Knocks." Every team has characters among the players and coaches. Every team has training camp drama and hijnks. There is no bad choice for the series. Besides, the show is filmed and produced by the magicians at NFL Films. Everything that they do is simply amazing.

If the Atlanta Falcons showed anything in the first episode, it's that they are a feisty team. There was enough pushing, enough haymakers, enough skirmishes, enough fights for a few seasons. Let alone a single episode. Spicy enough for you? #45, rookie linebacker Jacques Smith, is making no friends on the Falcons offensive line. At least three linemen went after the youngster. To his credit, Smith never backed down but he might want to take it down a few notches. They are his teammates now. Even new offensive line coach Mike Tice had some words for #45. It's great to see Tice back in the coaching business. He was a terrific line coach with the Minnesota Vikings in the late '90s and it's good to see him teaching the big guys again. He's always had a great rapport with the players in the trenches. It's also fun to hear him drop some "F-bombs." He's in an "F-bomb" race with linebacker/defensive end Kroy Bierman. After one episode, it's tied at 3. 

Some of the Falcons characters? Receivers Roddy White and Harry Douglas. It doesn't look or sound like White ever stops talking. He may even talk more than he practices. Douglas? He wears women's deodorant and appears fairly proud of it. His wife threw out the observation that her husband brings the impact of an adult and about five kids. The couple doesn't need any kids. Led by Tice, defensive line coach Bryan Cox, and head coach Mike Smith, the Falcons coaches could be as entertaining as any that "Hard Knocks" has ever covered. Then there's the always intriguing general manager Thomas Dimitroff. His road to the top of the personnel game is as interesting as any in the league. He was once part of the Cleveland Browns grounds crew just so that he could be close to the game. Fortunately for him and the Falcons, Bill Belichick was the Browns head coach at the time. The New England Patriots coach always keeps a keen eye open for smart football people. Dimitroff might also be the only vegan in the entire football universe. 

"Hard Knocks" will always be a fun viewing option as we pass the days until the start of the NFL's regular season. Even if it's with the Atlanta Falcons. 

Throwback Thursday: Martin Ruby

Martin Ruby played an important role in the All-America Football Conference. As a 6-4 and 250 pound tackle, he was physically large football player in the 1940s. More significantly, his signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers announced to all that the new league was serious about finding a ball and playing some games. Ruby, along with Glenn Dobbs, Jr., Bill Daley, and Jack Russell were the first players signed by the AAFC. All were stars in college. Individually and collectively, the signing of these players helped bring to life the All-America Football Conference.

Born in Lubbock Texas in 1922, Ruby would soon find a home on the football fields of Texas. Even by Texas standards, he was large. Texas A&M was beginning to enjoy national success when Ruby arrived on campus in 1939. He would help continue it. The Aggies earned a Cotton Bowl invitation following the 1940 season, beating Fordham 13-12. In 1941, Ruby was named the outstanding lineman of the Southwest Conference. His team again received an invitation to the Cotton Bowl, losing to Alabama 29-21. Ruby was sworn into the service at halftime and entered the Army Air Force. He attained the rank of captain and was awarded a Presidential Citation and two battle stars. He still found some time for football. Texas A&M had not beaten Texas since 1939. That is bitter for any Aggie. Playing for the Randolph Field Ramblers, Ruby got one more chance to beat Texas as well as play in one more Cotton Bowl. Randolph Field tied Texas in the 1944 Cotton Bowl. He played one final year of military football with the Hawaiian Flyers in 1945. Ruby was invited to play in several college all-star games, including the 1946 College All-Star game against the Cleveland Rams, the 1945 NFL Champions. The All-Stars defeated the Rams 16-0. Ruby finished second to Elroy Hirsch in voting for the most valuable player of the game and was named the most valuable lineman.

Ruby was selected by the Chicago Bears in the 5^th round of the 1942 NFL Draft. He did not play professional football until after the war. Passing on the Bears and the NFL, Ruby chose to sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers as one of the first players in the new league. Signing players of the quality of Ruby, Dobbs, Daley and Russell gave the AAFC a quick shot of legitimacy. The NFL may have even worried about the rival league for the first time. Ruby lived up to the high expectations by earning 1^st team All-AAFC in his first season in 1946. He went on to earn various All-AAFC team honors in each of the league’s four years. Despite individual success, Ruby and the Dodgers saw few wins. Brooklyn never won more than 3 games. In 1949, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees merged. The Yankees had been a solid team and considered Ruby to be the gem of the merger. This new team provided Ruby with his first professional team success. The Yankees-Dodgers finished third at 8-4, and earned a playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers. Unfortunately, the 49ers ended the season with a 21-7 defeat.

The AAFC folded after the 1949 season. The Cleveland Browns, 49ers, and Baltimore Colts moved into the NFL for the 1950 season. The remainder of the AAFC players entered the NFL through a draft. Ruby signed with New York Bulldogs. The Bulldogs soon became the Yankees and Ruby was again playing for a New York Yankees football team. He played only one year for the Yankees and the NFL and headed north. Ruby jumped to the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. At first, Ruby was a feared player in Canada through reputation. He quickly became a feared player through performance. After several unfortunate encounters, one opponent ended up grumbling, “I guess we gotta learn to live with him."  His excellent play north of the border resulted in his induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1974.

Since 1950, the NFL can truly consider itself blessed by the games, players, coaches and championships of the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers. The players and performances of those teams have enhanced the NFL as much or more than any other teams. The life of the AAFC is a very significant happening. The NFL would not be the same without the competition that this upstart league provided from 1946-49, or without the teams and players that merged. The signings of Martin Ruby and his friends were the first steps on the path that the AAFC took to change professional football.

Vikings First Depth Chart Of 2014

The Minnesota Vikings released their first depth chart in advance of the preseason opener against the Oakland Raiders on Friday. Despite being released by the team it's considered an "unofficial" depth chart. It's still way too early in the process to do these things in ink.

It's good to see that top pick linebacker Anthony Barr has quickly moved to the top of the depth chart at strong-side linebacker. The only surprises might be seventh-round picks Brandon Watts and Jabari Price sitting right behind the starters. Watts at weak-side linebacker and Price at right cornerback. Veteran safety Chris Crocker was signed on Monday. He's played for Mike Zimmer for the past seven years. He may be 34 but he knows this defense. If Robert Blanton doesn't return from a hamstring injury soo, he might not have his starting spot at strong safety. He might not have one anyway. It's hard to believe that Crocker was brought in to only be an extra coach and mentor from the sidelines. 

The quarterback position still reads: Cassel, Bridgewater, Ponder. 


DEFENSE

LDE
B. Robison
C. Wooten
J. Snyder
T. Scott

3T
S. Floyd
T. Johnson
K. Randall
I. Faciane

NT
L. Joseph
F. Evans
S. Stephen
C. Baker

RDE
E. Griffen
S. Crichton
J. Trattou

WLB
C. Greenway
B. Watts
M. Mauti
L. Dean

MLB
J. Brinkley
A. Cole
M. Zimmer

SLB
A. Barr
G. Hodges
D. DeCicco

LCB
C. Munnerlyn / J. Robinson
M. Sherels
J. Posey
R. Steeples

SS
R. Blanton
J. Sanford
M. Raymond
C. Crocker
A. Exum

RCB
X. Rhodes
J. Price
D. Cox
K. James
S. Prater

OFFENSE

LT
M. Kalil
A. Richardson
K. Murphy

LG
C. Johnson
D. Yankey
P. Burton

C
J. Sullivan
J. Berger
Z. Kerin

RG
B. Fusco
V. Ducasse
J. Baca

RT
P. Loadholt
M. Remmers
A. Wentworth

X
C. Patterson
A. Thielen
R. Smith
K. Jorden
D. Foster
A. Cruse

HB
A. Peterson
M. Asiata
J. McKinnon
J. Banyard
D. Williams

QB
M. Cassel
T. Bridgewater
C. Ponder

FB
J. Felton
Z. Line

Z
G. Jennings
J. Simpson
J. Wright
K. Colter
E. Lora
T. Walker

F
G. Jennings
J. Wright
A. Thielen
K. Colter

Y
K. Rudolph
R. Ellison
C. Ford
A. Leonard
M. Higgins
A. Reisner

SPECIAL TEAMS

Punter
J. Locke

Kicker
B. Walsh

Long Snapper
C. Loeffler

Holder
J. Locke

Punt Returners
M. Sherels
J. Wright

Kick Returners
C. Patterson
M. Sherels