Game Day Thoughts

This could be the best day of NFL football of the season. Every NFL Sunday starts off terrific with Vikings football. We have that today with the Carolina Panthers visiting the Vikings.  Then we have a possible classic in the afternoon. New England Patriots at Green Bay Packers. Oh my. The Flea Flicker has these two teams as the best two teams in the league. A Super Bowl preview? In the evening we have a terrific AFC West battle. Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs. A great day!

The Vikings are still in the playoff mix but a whole host of things have to go their way. The most significant being improved play on their part. If they can play more consistently on offense, the Vikings can win their final five games. Carolina Panthers today, New York Jets, at Detroit Lions, at Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears. Every game is a tough game in the NFL but the Vikings can win these games. That's the only thing that they can control.

The Vikings lost right guard Brandon Fusco earlier in the season to a torn pectoral muscle. Last week they lost right tackle Phil Loadholt to a torn pectoral muscle. Very strange coincidence. Vladimir Ducasse and Joe Berger have filled in for Fusco. Mike Harris gets the start today in place of Loadholt. Harris has some starting experience with the San Diego Chargers. It's nice to have players with some starting experience to step in for injured starters but it's tough to lose an entire side of the offensive line. Especially for an offensive line that has struggled most of the season. Continuity is critical throughout the position groups of a football team but it's especially critical on the offensive line.

Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon has been the team's top back for most of the season. It looks like he's out for this game due to a lower back injury. As a result, this could be the game in which Ben Tate gets his first action in a Vikings uniform. The Cleveland Browns released Tate two weeks ago. The Vikings quickly signed him. He dressed for the game against the Packers last week but didn't play. That should change today. Matt Asiata has cleared the concussion protocols and should play after missing the Packers game. Joe Banyard should also factor into the running back rotation.

Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater had some accuracy issues early in the Packers game. He seems to play his best on third downs and at the end of halves. He has to play better on the first two downs and in the first and third quarters. It's great that he steps up in critical situations but he's got to play better throughout the game.

The Vikings defense plays better with each game. That's a very good thing.

Patriots-Packers! I sure hope that this game lives up to my expectations.

I was shocked to hear that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has never played against the Patriots. I really shouldn't have been. Unless the Packers and Patriots make it to a Super Bowl they only play once every four years. That's only happened twice since Rodgers became the Packers starting quarterback in 2008. Matt Flynn replaced him in that previous meeting in 2010. Seeing Rodgers throw against a Bill Belichick defense should be a real treat.

It's amazing that Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson were so overlooked coming out of high school. Rodgers had to go to Butte Community College and was only "discovered" there when Cal coach Jeff Tedford visited the campus to check out tight end Garrett Cross. Nelson was only recruited by Emporia St. and Washburn and walked on at Kansas St. When each finally got a chance to play Division I football it was pretty damn clear that they were special talents.

Some big college games yesterday.

BYU-Cal wasn't one of them. Cal had a chance to become bowl eligible. Four incomplete passes from the BYU 13-yard line ended Cal's season.

It's really painful to watch Cal's defense. Fortunately, I had to listen to the game. Directv's inability to make the Pac-12 Network available may have saved me from coronary issues. It's still pretty painful to listen to commentary on Cal's defense. The Bears have an historically bad pass defense and it sounded like they were even worse against BYU than the previous 11 games. It didn't sound like the secondary was even in the same area code of the BYU receivers.

When Sonny Dykes was hired as Cal head coach two years ago everyone knew that the offense would take precedence. His Air Raid, now Bear Raid, offense is built to outscore opponents. Defense would be a work in progress. There is a lot of work to do on that defense.

Cal ended their 2014 season at 5-7. They were close to 8-4. The Arizona, UCLA, and BYU games could have been wins. The defense couldn't defend an Arizona Hail Mary pass. The offense couldn't close out UCLA and BYU. The disappointing 5-7 record is a big step up from the pathetic 1-11 record of a season ago. They were competitive in every game. They were competitive in very few games last year. I think that Dykes has the team headed in the right direction. The defense has to improve.

As for those big games.

Michigan surprised Ohio St. for about three quarters. 21-21 at that point. Ohio St. pulled away for a 42-28 win. It was a costly win. Ohio St. lost starting quarterback J.T. Barrett for the season with a broken ankle. It will be interesting to see if a lost quarterback will keep Ohio St. out of the playoffs. The Buckeyes still have to beat Wisconsin in the Big 10 Championship for any chance at the playoffs.

Urban Meyer has yet to lose a Big 10  regular season game in his three seasons as the Ohio St. head coach.

Jerry Kill has done a terrific job at Minnesota. The Gophers have been a conference afterthought for years. Those days are over.

Wisconsin defeated Minnesota for a spot in the Big 10 Championship. If Wisconsin can get a lead in games they are tough to beat. Led by Melvin Gordon, the Badgers running game is a beast. If they can get a lead, they can just melt away the clock.

Congratulations to Mississippi on their Egg Bowl win over Mississippi St.

Alabama and Auburn put on a show in the Iron Bowl. The Tide pulled away some in the fourth quarter to make the ending much more relaxed than last year but the game was back and forth until then. 99 points scored. 55-44.

Alabama receiver Amari Cooper is pretty good. 13 catches for 224 yards and three touchdowns. He took over the game.

Nebraska fired Bo Pelini after a 9-3 season.

Enjoy a great game day! Go Vikings!

This Indecision's Bugging Me

We are faced with this day every year. The last Saturday of November. It is always a thrill in college football. Rivalry games. Big games. Iron Bowl. Egg Bowl. Civil War. Conference titles at stake. Now, we finally have playoff positioning. Crazy day. Fun day. Gotta watch it all. Can't watch it all. Can't decide.

It all starts at 9 AM PST

Michigan at #6 Ohio St.
#16 Georgia Tech at #9 Georgia
South Carolina at #21 Clemson
Kentucky at #22 Louisville

Michigan-Ohio St. feels like the easy choice but all are intriguing, but Georgia Tech-Georgia has always strangely interested me. I think that it's Fran Tarkenton's fault. South Carolina-Clemson sure is tempting. The pre-game brawl at Louisville kicked up some interest in the battle for Kentucky.

12:30 PM PST

Florida at #3 Florida St.
#4 Mississippi St. at #19 Mississippi
#7 Baylor at Texas Tech
#10 Michigan St. at Penn St.
#18 Minnesota at #14 Wisconsin
San Jose St. at San Diego St.
Notre Dame at USC
Rutgers at Maryland
UAB at Southern Mississippi

There are some tough decisions here. May have to go with "picture in picture in picture in picture in picture." I'll have a bunch of itty bitty games playing at once. I've been thrilled all year with the two Mississippi schools entering the college football discussion. The Minnesota-Wisconsin game is the one that that's pulling me the most. It will probably come down to the Egg Bowl and Minnesota-Wisconsin.

A half hour later...
Kansas at #12 Kansas St.
Tennessee at Vanderbilt
are added to the mix.

Then, BYU at Cal kicks off at 1:30. Thanks to the idiots at Directv, the supposedly great provider of sports, I don't get the Pac-12 Network. I have to listen to this game. Not view it. It's amazing but a win makes Cal bowl eligible. A inconceivable thought after a single, sad win only a year ago.

So, the afternoon of this great college football day will probably find me switching between Mississippi St-Mississippi and Minnesota-Wisconsin on television and listening to Cal-BYU.

Then, the Iron Bowl,
4:45 PM PST
#15 Auburn at #1 Alabama

15 minutes later...
#2 Oregon at Oregon St.
The Civil War

I probably won't be budging from the Iron Bowl.

7:15 PM PST
Utah St. at #23 Boise St.
7:30 PM PST
Washington at Washington St.
Nevada at UNLV

I may need a nap and a snack or some oxygen after Alabama-Auburn.

Fun day.

It all starts again tomorrow with the NFL.
Panthers-Vikings, Patriots-Packers, Broncos-Chiefs. Morning, afternoon, and night. This might be the best Sunday of NFL action this season.

Dr. Clowney?

Through 12 games of his first NFL season, Houston Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney has played in four games. He started in the first game of the season, injured his knee, and missed the next six games. He returned in week 8. Missed week 9. Bye in week 10. Played in weeks 11 and 12. Clowney saw his most most significant action of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals last week. He was in the game for 49 snaps. Three tackles and one tackle for loss. Through 12 games, the first pick in the 2014 NFL Draft has seven tackles and zero sacks. It isn't really right to criticize players for injuries. It's a minor miracle when an NFL player, any NFL player, doesn't miss time to injuries. Football is a rough game and injuries are part of the game. Jadeveon Clowney is criticized for an apparent lack of enthusiasm in getting back on the field. It was a criticism that dogged him in college. In addition, Clowney has been quick, too quick, to explain his injury woes to the media.

Clowney told reporters yesterday that he suffered a setback last week. He said that the setback would give him a slim chance of playing Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. Texans head coach Bill O'Brien didn't sound too thrilled with the medical diagnosis of his player.

"I don't know. Dr. Clowney, I'll reconvene with him and see how he's doing," O'Brien said.

Clowney did suffer a legitimate injury in that season-opening game. He suffered a torn meniscus and had surgery the next day. That injury and surgery caused him to miss the next six games. His apparent desire to get back on the field has been the concern. About two decades ago, then Minnesota Vikings running back Roger Craig played a week after arthroscopic knee surgery. Every player rebounds differently and Craig was certainly a different sort of football player but most NFL players will do all that they can to return to the game. Dr. Clowney seems to seek reasons for not returning. There's a setback. There's some swelling. There's soreness. Whether that's true or not, the Texans coaches are getting frustrated with their prized top pick. Clowney's teammates can't be pleased either. It's unfathomable that any player on the Houston Texans roster can give less than an honest day's work when they can look over and see how J.J. Watt works. Every day. Even when he's injured.

Throwback Thursday: Thanksgiving 1925

Professional football was pretty much on life support throughout the 1920s. Baseball, college football, boxing, golf, even horse racing held the sporting interest of the nation. Pro football was a carnival act. A curiosity at best. The young NFL needed a major gate attraction. On Thanksgiving Day 1925, they got one. Red Grange.

Just days after his final game at Illinois, Grange signed with the Chicago Bears. He signed in time to take the field against the Chicago Cardinals on Thanksgiving Day. The 36,000 that packed Wrigley Field that day was the largest crowd in pro football history.

From Richard Whittingham's terrific book What a Game They Played:

Red Grange made his pro football debut on Thanksgiving Day 1925, playing for the Chicago Bears against their crosstown rival, the Chicago Cardinals. The game ended in a scoreless tie. Grange not only was held to 36 yards rushing but he was unable to exercise one of his other notorious threats, returning punts.

The Cardinals' triple-threat tailback Paddy Driscoll punted many times that day, but he always kept it away from Grange, kicking either to Joey Sternaman or out of bounds. "Kicking to Grange," Driscoll said, "is like grooving one to Babe Ruth."

After the game was over, and Grange had made his uneventful debut, Driscoll stopped at the seats behind the Cardinal bench to talk to his wife. As the other players headed to the lockerroom, there was a lot of booing. "I hate to hear the fans boo a young man like Grange," Driscoll said, "it wasn't his fault he couldn't break one today."

"Don't feel sorry for Grange," his wife said. "It's you they're booing."

Everyone wanted to see Grange run. Even Cardinals fans.

The NFL might have been born in the fall of 1920 but the young league took it's first real breath on Thanksgiving Day 1925.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Disparity

The NFL schedule rotation brought the AFC North against the NFC South this year. One has feasted upon the other.

AFC North
7-3-1 Cincinnati      
7-4     Baltimore    
7-4     Pittsburgh    
7-4     Cleveland      

NFC South
4-7     Atlanta          
4-7     New Orleans
3-7-1  Carolina        
2-9     Tampa Bay    

It's pretty easy to see which division is doing the feasting. Every team wants to play the NFC South this year. The AFC South gets that treat. The NFC North gets the same treat but hasn't taken advantage of it quite as well. Two of the New Orleans Saints four wins have come against the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. The other two Saints wins are division wins. All four of the Atlanta Falcons wins are division wins. The AFC North is 10-1-1 against the NFC South. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers for that lone NFC South win. The Carolina Panthers and the Cincinnati Bengals ended their game with a 37-37 thriller. The NFC North is 7-4 against the NFC South. Not bad but nothing close to the domination of the AFC North over the NFC South. Never before has all of the teams in a division been three games over .500 at the same time. It's probably pretty rare that a team with only two wins through eleven games is still in the thick of a playoff chase. Some of the supposed experts had the Saints as a Super Bowl contender before the season. Considering the sad state of their division, the Saints getting into the tournament for the Super Bowl is a very real, even likely, possibility. Anything can happen once a team gets into that tournament. The Buccaneers still have a chance to get there. Very sad.

There are still five games to play. The Falcons, Saints, or Panthers could put it all together in that time and end the season with a winning record. One of them would have to win all five of those games but the possibility is there. It would be a real surprise but it's possible. It's also very possible that two, maybe even three, AFC South teams with winning records will be sitting at home watching the playoffs. Sitting at home watching a team with a losing record, a team that they pummeled, still playing football.

Flea Flicker Favorites

Here are some of my favorite players from each of the teams that are not the Minnesota Vikings. Several of the players are favorites due to their collegiate days at Cal. The others are favorites simply because they are terrific football players.

Flea Flicker Favorites:

Green Bay Packers-Aaron Rodgers
-It still cracks me up when people say that they didn't see the potential for Rodger's current level of quarterbacking in the kid that played at Cal. It was all right there on the field. He was fantastic at Cal and it's no surprise that he's fantastic in the NFL.

Detroit Lions-Calvin Johnson
-What's not to like?

Chicago Bears-Matt Forte/Brandon Marshall
-Forte is an easy back to like. He does everything well and he does it in the shadow of others in that offense. Marshall is great on the field and off the field with his work towards better mental health awareness.

San Francisco 49ers-Patrick Willis
-I've been a big fan of Willis' football skills since his Mississippi days. He can do everything expected from a linebacker at a very high level.

Seattle Seahawks-Russell Wilson/Bobby Wagner
-Wilson is best appreciated when your team is not playing his. Wagner plays in the long shadow of his defensive teammates and he just quietly goes about his business.

Arizona Cardinals-Larry Fitzgerald
-It's a real treat to see Fitzgerald play the receiver position.

St. Louis Rams-Aaron Donald
-The rookie defensive tackle was supposed to be too small to play the position in the NFL. He's actually too strong and too quick to block.

New Orleans Saints-Cameron Jordan
-He was a riot at Cal. He's a riot with the Saints. He's also a very good football player. Plus, he's the son of former Vikings tight end Steve Jordan.

Carolina Panthers-Luke Kuechly
-He's simply a great football player. He's always around the ball.

Tamp Bay Buccaneers-Lavonte David
-If Patrick Willis isn't the best all-around linebacker in the league, David is.

Atlanta Falcons-Julio Jones
I've always liked physical receivers. They are so often finesse players. Jones is one of the best physical receivers.

New York Giants-Odell Beckham Jr.
-This kid could be awesome if he just stays healthy. He's already one of the most physically gifted athletes in the league.

Dallas Cowboys-Sean Lee
If only he could stay healthy.

Philadelphia Eagles-Mychal Kendricks
Kendricks is an easy choice here as he's one of my favorite Cal players in recent memory. He's a terrific linebacker too.

Washington Redskins-Alfred Morris
-It's a damn shame that this back is stuck in the mess in Washington.

Denver Broncos-Peyton Manning
-What's not to like?

Kansas City Chiefs-Jamaal Charles
-Like Fitzgerald catching the ball, it's a treat to watch Charles run with it.

San Diego Chargers-Keenan Allen
-Another Cal favorite. A lot of scouts thought that he was too slow for the NFL. It didn't take Allen long to prove them wrong.

Oakland Raiders-Charles Woodson
-In a couple of years this could be Khalil Mack. As long as Woodson plays football he's a favorite of mine.

Indianapolis Colts-Andrew Luck
-A Stanford player!?! He's easy to like. It's just fun to watch him play football.

Tennessee Titans-Kendall Wright
-A tough, feisty receiver. There's some Steve Smith in the way that he plays.

Houston Texans-J.J Watt
-He's the most disruptive defensive player that I've seen since Lawrence Taylor.

Jacksonville Jaguars-Denard Robinson
-It's been fun to watch him evolve from a college quarterback to an electric NFL runner.

Baltimore Ravens- Steve Smith
-Another physical receiver that is supposed to be too small to be physical.

Pittsburgh Steelers-Troy Polamalu
-He's not quite the football player that he was three or four years ago but he can still change a game. He's fun to watch.

Cleveland Browns-Joe Haden
-Patrick Peterson, Richard Sherman, and Darrelle Revis may get more attention but Haden is in the argument for best corner in the game.

Cincinnati Bengals-Marvin Jones
-It sure was fun to watch Keenan Allen and Jones on the field together as receivers for Cal.

New England Patriots-Darrelle Revis
-He can still blanket any receiver that comes his way.

New York Jets-Muhammad Wilkerson
-He's one of the most underrated football players in the league as he's one of the best defensive linemen in the league.

Miami Dolphins-Cameron Wake
-His indirect route to the NFL is a great one. It's amazing that a pass rusher as devastating as Wake could be missed.

Buffalo Bills-Kyle Williams
Mario Williams, Marcel Dareus, and even Jerry Hughes get more attention but Kyle Williams might be the one that makes the Bills defensive line special.

Week 12 Thoughts

Oh, to be in the NFC South. The 4-7 Minnesota Vikings would be at the top of that division if they played in that division. Instead, they are at the bottom of the NFC North looking up at the 8-3 Green Bay Packers.

The Vikings lost to the Packers in Green Bay earlier in the season. The embarrassing 42-10 score was made embarrassing by a ridiculous 28-point 2nd quarter for the Packers. Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder was especially generous. If the other three quarters were the only that counted it was a fairly even game. All four quarters count so the game wasn't a good one for the Vikings. Yesterday's Packers-Vikings game wasn't as embarrassing for the Vikings but the end result was the same. The Packers won 24-21.

The score might have been reversed if Vikings rookie quarterback was more accurate on his throws. He had open receivers throughout the game. He was high on some throws. He was behind receivers on some throws. The most damaging Bridgewater throw was a poor decision as well as inaccurate. He lofted a pass deep and into coverage to Greg Jennings. Packers safety Micah Hyde intercepted at the Vikings 47-yard line. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers needed only four plays to get to the end zone, regain momentum, and put the Packers up 14-7.

That poor throw was a big play, perhaps the biggest play of the game.

The Vikings did answer with a field goal to make it a close 14-10 at the half.

If the Bridgewater interception wasn't the difference in the game, the Vikings inability to take advantage of positive field position to start the 2nd half was. They opened the second half on their own 39-yard line. A Matt Kalil holding penalty negated a nice first down play. Three and out after that. The defense forces a punt. The Vikings offense starts their second possession of the half at the 50-yard line. They manage to score points on a 51-yard field goal. The defense then gives up a field goal. The Vikings start their third possession on the Packers 37-yard line. Three and out. Three possessions begin in good spots and the Vikings score only three points.

Vikings receiver Charles Johnson has become Bridgewater's "go-to-guy" the last few weeks. It's really no surprise as he is routinely getting open. 11 targets yesterday. Johnson would have had a huge game if Bridgewater was more accurate. They did connect on a 22-yard touchdown in the 2nd quarter. They should have had a 33-yard touchdown in the 3rd quarter. The pair connected on only three passes for 52 yards. Johnson had one drop but the missed connections were routinely due to missed throws. Charles Johnson has been a nice find for the Vikings this year. He's a find made even better by the fact that he was originally a Packers pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. The Packers loss has definitely been the Vikings gain.

It was good to see Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph back, He's missed much of the season after undergoing sports hernia surgery. He returned last week but played little. He made some plays yesterday. Three catches for 50 yards. He still looks a little hobbled. Even hobbled, his return is significant. He provides a terrific, big target for Bridgewater.

The Vikings added running back Ben Tate to the roster last week after he was released by the Cleveland Browns. He was dressed yesterday but didn't play. That really wasn't a surprise as he had only about two practices after arriving in Minnesota late in the week.

Jerick McKinnon and Joe Banyard carried the load in the backfield. Both played well. They didn't get a lot of yards but they moved the chains. Banyard got his first NFL carries. Each of his touches were effective. Five carries for 26 yards. 3 catches for 19 yards. McKinnon gained 54 yards on 15 carries. As a team, the Vikings gained 112 yards on the ground.

Defensively, the Vikings played well. The Packers had scored over 50 points in each of their last two games. In that sense, 24 is outstanding. The Packers offense is scary. Rodgers teamed up with ten lawn chairs is scary. The receiving pair of Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb is one of the best in the league. Throw in the running of Eddie Lacy and the Packers offense is scary. He now has two 100-yard games on the season. Both came against the Vikings. Lacy running like this with Rodgers throwing like he always does is a scary combination. They can light a defense up through the air and grind out a game on the ground. The Vikings did well to keep the Packers scoring down to 24.

It's astonishing that Jordy Nelson has yet to make a Pro Bowl appearance. He's been one of the most productive receivers for a few years now. Vikings corner Xavier Rhodes faced Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green. Josh Gordon, Brandon Marshall, and Alshon Jeffery as a rookie last year. When asked which receiver was the most difficult to cover, Rhodes didn't take long to single out Nelson.

Speaking of Rhodes, he's staying on the path to becoming a very good, maybe even great, corner. Yesterday was one of his better games.

Vikings rookie linebacker Anthony Barr might be hitting the supposed "rookie wall." He's missed some tackles the past couple of weeks. He's been fantastic most of the season. Making plays all over the field. He's got to fight through this. He's a keeper.

Bridgewater's accuracy issues were the difference in the game. The missed connections ended possessions and killed opportunities for Bridgewater to get in any sort of a rhythm. He's at his best in two-minute drills and on third down. It's the pressure situations that seem to loosen him up. When he's loose and just playing a game, he's at his best. He's an accurate passer so his bout of inaccuracy was a surprise. It was as if he was pressing. Trying to be too perfect. He'll get there. He has too much talent. He works too hard. Future Bridgewater-Rodgers duels will be classics. You heard it here first.

A couple of high-flying teams came back down to earth. The Arizona Cardinals visited the Seattle Seahawks and came out with their second loss of the season. The Detroit Lions were taken apart by the New England Patriots.

The Cardinals (9-2) still have a two game lead over the Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West. The Cardinals will have a true fight to maintain that lead. They should handle the Atlanta Falcons next week. After that they face the solid Kansas City Chiefs, the pesky St. Louis Rams, the Seahawks again, and close out the season against the 49ers. If the Cardinals can keep that lead, they will be battle-ready for the playoffs.

Lions idiot center Dominic Raiola decided to dive at the knees of a Patriots defensive lineman on the final play of the game. The idiot admitted that his intentions were malicious as he believed that the Patriots final score was excessive in the Lions 34-9 loss. Pretty pathetic Raiola. If the NFL is truly concerned about player safety, this idiot should experience an extended timeout.

The 49ers may not be scoring many style points but they are winning. They found a way to score more points than the Washington Redskins yesterday for their third straight win. They have a huge game against the Seahawks on Thanksgiving. The two meet again in two weeks. The 49ers will have to play better than they have. Especially on offense. But, they do control their own fate. That's where a team wants to be at this stage of the season.

Interesting Stat:
Mike Ditka, Lovie Smith, and Marc Trestman each started their Chicago Bears coaching careers winning 12 of their first 26 games.

The Sunday Night Football peeps finally found themselves a good game. The Dallas Cowboys were the last team to score as the beat the New York Giants 31-28.

The Vikings final five games of the 2014 season are against the Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, at Detroit Lions, at Miami Dolphins, and Chicago Bears. They can win those games. Bridgewater has to be far more accurate than he was yesterday but they can win those games. 9-7 is still possible. It's likely not enough to make the playoffs this year. With a rookie quarterback, a first-year head coach, and some bullshit off-the-field stuff, it's a good start toward a better future.

Game Day Thoughts

The Green Bay Packers visit the Minnesota Vikings today. The Packers have been on fire recently. Led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Packers have scored over 50 points in each of their last two games. That's nice offensive production. That sort of production ends today. Vikings win!

From Albert Breer:
Aaron Rodgers has just one game with a passer-rating under 80 over the last four years. It was vs. Mike Zimmer.

Aaron Rodgers has been playing at a whole other level the past couple of months. It's hard to believe that he could get any better as he's been one of the best quarterbacks in the league for a while now. The Vikings have to get pressure on Rodgers. A lot of pressure. He can't be comfortable in the pocket. He can't be comfortable outside of the pocket. He really can't be comfortable any time that he gets the ball from the center.

Packers running back Eddie Lacy can't get loose either. The Packers took apart the Vikings in their earlier meeting this season 42-10. That large margin was made large by Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder's mind-bending generosity in the second quarter and Lacy finally finding some running room. Lacy had struggled in the four games prior to the Vikings game. He ran for over 100 yards that night and for the first time this year he looked like the running back that broke out last year. It's foolish for a team to ever enter a game against the Packers with anyone other than Rodgers at the top of their list of concerns but Lacy can't get loose.

The Vikings will have a new running back in their backfield today. They claimed Ben Tate off of waivers this past week. The Cleveland Browns had released Tate after seeing his carries greatly reduced. Tate was terrific in his first four years as the backup to Arian Foster with the Houston Texans. He signed with the Browns this past offseason for a chance to finally be the main back for a team. It didn't work out that way as Tate was losing carries to rookies Terrence West and Isaiah Crowell in recent weeks. Now, he's in Minnesota. Good timing. Vikings backs Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata missed practice time this week. McKinnon with back issues. Asiata with a concussion. McKinnon should play today. Asiata has already been ruled out. The Vikings should have McKinnon, Tate, and Joe Banyard as their active backs today. Dominique Williams was signed to the practice squad this week to provide depth going forward.

The Vikings had a well-populated injury list this week. That often happens as teams enter the final six weeks of the season. Asiata, McKinnon, tight end Kyle Rudolph. receivers Greg Jennings and Jarius Wright, tackle Matt Kalil, defensive end Everson Griffen, defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, linebacker Anthony Barr, cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes and Captain Munnerlyn all received injury mentions and missed practice time. Asiata and Floyd are inactive.

Watching the first Aaron Rodgers-Teddy Bridgewater game should be a real treat. We were robbed of that experience earlier this year due to Bridgewater dealing with an ankle injury.

Go Vikings!

NFL morning games:
Packers at Vikings
Lions at Patriots
Browns at Falcons
Jaguars at Colts
Titans at Eagles
Bengals at Texans

The guess here is that the Lions will suffer their first losing streak of the season.

Afternoon games:
Cardinals at Seahawks
Rams at Chargers
Dolphins at Broncos
Redskins at 49ers

If the Redskins can't play without drama for once, all four of these games could be very interesting games.

Night game:
Cowboys at Giants

This rivalry is always a good one.

We have two Monday night games this week due to the excess of snow in Buffalo. The Jets-Bills game has been moved to Ford Field in Detroit. The tickets for the game were free. They were all gone by yesterday. Thaw out and stay warm Buffalo.

Monday night games:
Jets at Bills in Detroit
Ravens at Saints

With a win over the Ravens, Saints quarterback Drew Brees will join Brett Favre and Peyton Manning as the only quarterbacks to beat all 32 NFL teams. This is a very interesting statistic as the quarterback has to play well for a long time and play for more than one team. If Brees doesn't win this game, he'll have to wait four years for another shot at this milestone. Unless he moves on to another team.

The 117th Big Game sucked. Stanford won their fifth straight Big Game 38-17. It doesn't help when the NCAA collected seven clowns wandering the streets of Palo Alto to officiate the game. How else can you explain taking three Cal touchdowns off the board on a single possession. The first negated touchdown was legitimate. Luke Rubenzer's knee hit the turf before the ball broke the plane. The second and third negated touchdowns were inconceivable calls. The seven Palo Alto transients were watching an entirely different game than the one that took place in Berkeley.

Cal's defense is still horrible but they did tackle much better than they did about a month ago. That's a positive. They bit on damn near every misdirection play that Stanford ran. That's not a positive.

On the first play from scrimmage Cal safety Michael Lowe was called for targeting a Stanford receiver. It was a good call. Even though Lowe may have led with his shoulder more than his helmet he did hit the receiver in the neck/head area. In college, this penalty includes an automatic ejection from the game. Unless the targeting is especially blatant this is a ridiculous rule.

The Axe remains with those seven supposed officials in Palo Alto for a fifth consecutive year. That's just sickening.

The Harvard-Yale game was terrific. Congratulations Harvard on an undefeated season and Ivy League title.

It's great to see UCLA honor Jackie Robinson. They highlighted the 42-yard line and painted "42" on the field. They also retired the number for all of it's athletic teams. The school also collectively named 22 sports facilities the Jackie Robinson Athletics and Recreation Complex. The timing of the honors coincided with the 75th anniversary of Robinson's arrival on campus. All of this is terrific but it would have been ever better to see UCLA acknowledge the number 28 that Robinson actually wore for the Bruins.

On the field, UCLA took care of USC in their rivalry game 38-20. This Bruins team was a far different team than the Bruins team that started the season. Cal almost beat that team. Probably should have beat that team. If UCLA hadn't started the season so slowly maybe they would be in the hunt for that little playoff thing. Maybe they can still get there if they can take down Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship game. If they get there. They still have to take care of Stanford next week. If UCLA can keep playing like this, they should have no problem with Stanford.

The Lafayette Leopards took care the Lehigh Mountain Hawks in the 150th meeting of the two Pennsylvania schools 27-7. Ross Scheuerman ran wild. 304 yards on 45 carries and 3 touchdowns.

Several SEC teams held a strange late season bye week. Florida destroyed Eastern Kentucky 52-3. Georgia thrashed Charleston Southern55-9. South Carolina hacked up South Alabama 37-12. Alabama annihilated Western Carolina 48-14. Auburn took apart Samford 31-7. That's five SEC teams playing teams they shouldn't be playing this late in the season. Some might even say that they shouldn't be playing these games at any time during the season. Way to prop up those records SEC.

It's Game Day. Go Vikings!

Big Games

Cal and Stanford played the first Big Game in 1892 on a field in San Francisco. That field may or may not be, I believe that it is, the current site of Kezar Stadium. But. I could be wrong. That field was at close to the current site of Kezar Stadium. Anyway. Cal and Stanford get together to play today for the 117th time in a real nice stadium in Berkeley. They play for the Stanford Axe and a whole lot of pride. Stanford has kept that axe for the past four years. That's about four years too long. for the Cardinal. The axe belongs at Cal since they stole it for the first time in 1899.

Stanford leads the series 59-46-11

It just kills me that it will take Cal 13 years to even the rivalry.

Both teams enter this game at 5-5. Both teams traditionally end their seasons with this game. Cal has followed that tradition far more faithfully than Stanford. This year neither team ends their season with this game. Cal hosts BYU next week. Very strange. Stanford visits UCLA. Not so strange for Stanford. That's a strange game for UCLA as well seeing as the play their rival USC today. But, that's another story.

The Big Game is tied for ninth among the most played FBS rivalry games.
1. Minnesota-Wisconsin (123)
2. Missouri-Kansas (120)*
3. Texas-Texas A&M (118)*
3. Miami(OH)-Cincinnati (118)
3. North Carolina-Virginia( (118)
6. Nebraska-Kansas (117)*
6. Oregon-Oregon St. (117)
6. Auburn-Georgia (117)
9. Cal-Stanford (116)
9. Purdue-Indiana (116)
*-tradition and history thrashed due to conference realignment.

The Cal-Stanford rivalry hasn't been a continuous football rivalry since that first meeting in 1892. The two schools switched to rugby from 1906-14 due to a nationwide concern over the violence in football. Cal resumed playing football in 1915 but Stanford was too scared. No games were player from 1915-17. No games were played from 1943-45 due to World War II. Outside of that, Cal and Stanford have been playing 116 football/rugby games over 122 years. Beautiful. Except for those 59 Stanford wins. The 11 ties kinda suck too.

Cal kicker James Langford is related to Ty Cobb and Harry S. Truman.

Cal defensive tackle David Davis is the grandson of Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame defensive end Willie Davis.

The 117th Big Game is today. Go Bears!

Somewhat Current Pro Bowl Voting

NFL.com released the Pro Bowl voting results through week 11. It's still odd to see the voting in the "unconferenced" format but that's the way it is.

Here are the top 10 overall vote-getters:
1.   Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos  481,297
2.   Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers  395,148
3.   Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts  386,688
4.   Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots  371,215
5.   DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys  354,098
6.   Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers  277,886
7.   Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers  273,303
8.   Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans  264,549
9.   Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay Packers  252,077
10. Demaryous Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos  248,12

Here are the top voted players at each offensive position:

Quarterback:
1.   Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
2.   Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
3.   Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
4.   Tom Brady, New England Patriots
5.   Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
6.   Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
7.   Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
8.   Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
9.   Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
10. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
-Brees has fallen some this year

Running backs:
1.   DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys
2.   Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
3.   Arian Foster, Houston Texans
4.   Matt Forte, Chicago Bears
5.   Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks
6.   Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs
7.   Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers
8.   Ahmad Bradshaw, Indianapolis Colts
9.   Andre Ellington, Arizona Cardinals
10. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles

Receivers:
1.   Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers
2.   Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers
3.   Demaryous Thomas, Denver Broncos
4.   Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys
5.   TY Hilton, Indianapolis Colts
6.   Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers
7.   Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos
8.   Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons
9.   Golden Tate, Detroit Lions
10. Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles

Tight ends:
1.   Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots
2.   Julius Thomas, Denver Broncos
3.   Antonio Gates, San Doego Chargers
4.   Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints
5.   Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers
6.   Martellus Bennett, Chicago Bears
7.   Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
8.   Dwayne Allen, Indianapolis Colts
9.   Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers
10. Jordan Cameron, Cleveland Browns

Tackles:
1.   Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys
2.   Ryan Clady, Denver Broncos
3.   Joe Thomas, Cleveland Browns
4.   Doug Free, Dallas Cowboys
5.   Bryan Bulaga, Green Bay Packers
6.   Joe Staley, San Francisco 49ers
7.   Russell Okung, Seattle Seahawks
8.   Jason Peters, Philadelphia Eagles
9.   David Bakhtiari, Green Bay Packers
10. Nate Solder, New England Patriots

Guards:
1.   Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys
2.   Josh Sitton, Green Bay Packers
3.   Orlando Franklin, Denver Broncos
4.   Louis Vasquez, Denver Broncos
5.   T.J. Lang, Green Bay Packers
6.   Ronald Leary, Dallas Cowboys
7.   David DeCastro, Pittsburgh Steelers
8.   Mike Pouncey, Miami Dolphins
9.   Mike Iupati, San Francisco
10. Dan Connolly, New England Patriots

Centers:
1.   Travis Frederick, Dallas Cowboys
2.   Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh Steelers
3.   Manny Ramirez, Denver Broncos
4.   Nick Mangold, New York Jets
5.   Max Unger, Seattle Seahawks
-All five members of the Cowboys line are among the top 10 at their positions. Impressive.

Fullbacks:
1.   John Kuhn, Green Bay Packers
2.   Darrel Young, Washington Redskins
3.   Kyle Juszczyk, Baltimore Ravens
4.   Marcel Reece, Oakland Raiders
5.   James Develin, New England Patriots

Kickers:
1.   Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots
2.   Dan Bailey, Dallas Cowboys
3.   Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis Colts
4.   Dan Carpenter, Buffalo Bills
5.   Steven Hauschka, Seattle Seahawks

Returners:
1.   Devin Hester, Atlanta Falcons
2.   Darren Sproles, Philadelphia Eagles
3.   Adam Jones, Cincinnati Bengals
4.   Jacoby Jones, Baltimore Ravens
5.   Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers

There it is.

Throwback Thursday: Hall of Fame 2015 Semifinalists

One of the best things about this Throwback Thursday is the brief opportunity it provides to step away from the crap currently found in the NFL. More importantly, it offers the opportunity to honor the players, coaches, and contributors that have taken the next step towards slipping on one of those snappy gold jackets next August.

The 26 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2015 were announced Tuesday on NFL Network's Gold Jacket Semifinalists special. There is supposed to be 25 semifinalist but a tie bumped it up to 26 this year. Those 26 will be cut to 15 in early January. The Hall of Fame Class of 2015 will be selected on January 31. Here are the 26 semifinalists:

Morten Andersen
Steve Atwater
Jerome Bettis
Tim Brown
Isaac Bruce
Don Coryell
Roger Craig
Terrell Davis
Tony Dungy
Kevin Greene
Charles Haley
Marvin Harrison
Tory Holt
Joe Jacoby
Edgerrin James
Jimmy Johnson
Mike Kenn
Ty Law
John Lynch
Kevin Mawae
Karl Mecklenburg
Orlando Pace
Junior Seau
Will Shields
Kurt Warner
Darren Woodson

Kurt Warner, Junior Seau, Orlando Pace, Edgerrin James, Isaac Bruce, Tory Holt, Kevin Mawae, and Ty Law are in their first-year of eligibility. Seau should be the one automatic of the group. Warner will be an interesting one because he had a very interesting career. His career had a late start as he bounced around the lower leagues for about five years before finally finding a spot with the St. Louis Rams. He was great early and late in his interesting career. In between he had a forgettable year with the New York Giants and three mediocre seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Basically, he had five great seasons in his 12-year career. A quarterback with five great seasons, three Super Bowl appearances, and one Super Bowl win usually has a great shot at the Hall of Fame. Potentially, this could be a banner year for the Rams of the "Greatest Show on Turf" era with Warner, Pace, Bruce, and Holt. The guess here is that Warner is the only one that makes it this year. Pace wasn't quite as dominant throughout his career as recent first-year tackle inductees Walter Jones and Jonathan Ogden. Those two were dominant pretty much every time they step on the field. Pace wasn't quite there. Unfortunately for Holt and Bruce, the Hall of Fame voters have created a logjam of receivers. The Rams pass catchers should have to wait in line like the rest. Ty Law will have some support but I'm not sure that he's a first ballot Hall of Famer. Of the first year eligible players, Seau is a lock to make it to Canton this year and Warner will probably make it as well. I just wish that Junior Seau was still around to experience it.

The Hall of Fame voters have to keep chipping away at the receivers. Some felt that Marvin Harrison should have made it last year in his first-year of eligibility. I agreed with the voters that he should wait his turn in line. I could see him making it this year but I'd put Tim Brown in first. He's been waiting too long. Speaking of waiting too long, Don Coryell should have been inducted decades ago. It would have been nice to see him make it to Canton while he was still alive.

Coryell makes four:

Junior Seau
Kurt Warner
Tim Brown
Don Coryell

I'd like to see Terrell Davis finally make it but pass rushers Charles Haley and Kevin Greene have been deserving for a long time. Haley has 5 Super Bowl rings. Greene is third all-time with 160 sacks. All of the players surrounding him on the sack list are in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is an individual honor and it's time for Greene.

The Flea Flicker picks for the 2015 Hall of Fame Class:

Junior Seau
Kurt Warner
Tim Brown
Don Coryell
Kevin Greene

The Hall of Fame added a separate contributor category this year. Former general managers Ron Wolf and Bill Polian were nominated. They will face a selection  process like that of the Senior Committee nominees.

With the added contributor category, the number of senior nominees was cut to one. Minnesota Vikings center Mick Tingelhoff is that single senior nominee. I think that Wolf, Polian, and Tingelhoff  make it through for a big 8-member class.

Seeing as the Hall of Fame voters never see these things the way that I do, I expect a class more like this:

Kurt Warner
Junior Seau
Orlando Pace
Marvin Harrison
Will Shields

Goodell, Making It Up As He Skips Along

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell punished Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson with a 15+-game suspension for disciplining his son with a switch. The league's Personal Conduct Policy calls for a six-game for a first time offense. This is a policy that was revised earlier this year due to the Ray Rice fiasco. A fiasco that was caused by Goodell. The Commissioner's first stab at a suspension under the new policy was more than double what was called for by that policy. It appears that Goodell is in way over his head. Everything that he touches turns to chaos. What's the point of even establishing a set of rules if he's going to use extreme latitude in enforcing them. It was no surprise that within minutes of Goodell issuing his punishment of Peterson that the NFLPA appealed the ruling. The unfortunate thing is that Goodell is the one that is called for in this terrific policy to hear that appeal. Peterson and his union obviously want a neutral arbitrator. Rice got one. Maybe, Peterson will get one too.

"AP ruling was less about him, more about sending message to rest of league. NFL wants guys to say, they did that to AP, they'll do that to me."
     former Vikings, Seahawks, Titans guard Steve Hutchinson

That's a sad way to operate. The punishment should fit the crime, not make a statement. Peterson has already missed nine games. So what if he was paid. Missing nine games is a severe punishment to a football player like Adrian Peterson but the Commissioner wouldn't know anything about that. Make him pay some of that money back if it makes the league feel better.

In the league's statement, Goodell claimed that Peterson expressed no remorse for this particular act of disciplining his son. Peterson expressed remorse as soon as he realized that this "whooping" went too far. That remorse was evident in the texts that he sent to his son's mother. Goodell even referenced these texts but he clearly didn't read them. Peterson didn't show more remorse for using a switch because he didn't view this form of discipline as being wrong. He didn't view it as being wrong because it was the form of discipline that he knew. Some say it's a cultural thing. They say that using a switch to teach a child right from wrong is a "southern black thing." It's not. It's a generational thing. I experienced this sort of discipline as a child and I'm neither southern nor black. Neither were my parents. I consider not being involved in a child's life a greater form of abuse than disciplining a child with a switch. If Peterson never saw his child, never provided for his child, never disciplined his child, he wouldn't have missed any football games this season. It's astonishing that an absent, neglectful father is more accepted than a father that is involved enough to be around to discipline his child for doing something wrong. Peterson cares enough to support his son. More importantly, he cares enough about his son to spend time with him. He cares enough to discipline his son. It may have been a form of discipline that's out of step with the views of many today but at least he was there. So many fathers aren't. And some are playing football in the NFL without a care in the world.

Finally

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson finally had his appeal to play hearing in front of an arbitrator. Shyam Das conducted the hearing yesterday regarding the effort to reinstate Peterson from the Commissioner-Exempt list. He was supposed to be removed from the list following the settlement of his legal situation. Peterson accepted a plea deal of no contest to one count of misdemeanor reckless assault on November 4. The fact that the NFL failed to reinstate him then despite agreeing back in September that they would was the reason for the hearing yesterday. By rule, a decision must come by November 22. Seeing as the NFL has repeatedly shown a preference for making up their own rules it's fortunate that the decision will be made by the arbitrator. Das has said that decision will be made quickly. That would be a pleasant change. Nothing else in this process has been done in a timely manner. A source says that decision will be made by Wednesday, if not earlier. Even better.

Multiple reports indicated that the league would be suspending Peterson on Monday as punishment for his plea deal. The league didn't so maybe they won't. Who knows what the NFL is doing these days. They say that Peterson hasn't faced discipline despite missing the past nine games because he was still paid for those games. Whoever made that claim probably never played football. Missing nine games is a punishment. To say that it isn't a punishment is simply stupid. Peterson should probably face some sort of fine but any additional suspension would be excessive. The manner in which Peterson worked to recover from his 2011 knee injury is an indication of how much football means to him. He busted his ass to return faster and better than anyone ever has. He couldn't miss a game then. He doesn't want to miss games now. Not being able to play in nine games was a punishment. Hopefully, he won't have to miss any more. He doesn't deserve to miss any more.

Week 11 Thoughts

Officially, the Chicago Bears took care of the Minnesota Vikings 21-13.

Unofficially, the Vikings offense was still on their bye week. So was the defense but the defense did make some plays. They just didn't make enough of them on third down. 

The Vikings single touchdown was set up by a 48-yard run by safety Andrew Sendejo on a fake punt. Sendejo was the Vikings leading rusher. A single carry for 48 yards. Exactly half of the 96 yards gained on the ground by the entire offense. That's not good. The fake punt gave the offense a first and goal from the 7-yard line. Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater hit tight end Rhett Ellison for the touchdown. That gave the Vikings a 10-0 lead early in the game. It was their only touchdown of the game. It really shouldn't have been.

The Vikings defense set up the offense in the third quarter. Safety Harrison Smith intercepted Jay Cutler on the Vikings 21-yard line and took the ball back 52 yards to the Bears 27-yard line. Three fairly harmless plays later and Blair Walsh missed a 38-yard field goal. A game-changing play by the Vikings defense is rewarded with nothing but renewed momentum for the Bears.

The Bears offense took advantage of that missed opportunity and missed field goal by going on a 16-play drive that consumed 7:35. The Bears were terrific on third down the entire game. They converted two on this depressing drive. Two that they didn't convert led to fourth down conversions. It was a long, time-consuming drive that ended in a 4-yard touchdown pass from Cutler to Brandon Marshall. 21-10 Bears with just under nine minutes left in the game.

Time.

"The whole clock thing was bullshit."
     -Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer

The Soldier Field game clock wasn't working too hot for extended stretches of the game. Time was kept by the officials on the field. Coaches and players could only monitor the clock through updates from the official. Seeing as the Vikings were battling the clock as well as the Bears at the end of the game this was a problem. 

The Vikings offense finally got something going when they finally got the ball in the fourth quarter. A drive to the Bears 8-yard line ended in a field goal. A touchdown would have been better. 

If the Vikings had converted their scoring opportunities into touchdowns, they might have won this game. Despite not generating much offense the Vikings could have won this game. They had chances. 

If there was a goat on the Vikings defense, that had to be cornerback Josh Robinson. All three of the Bears touchdowns were to the receiver being covered by Robinson. Two to Brandon Marshall. One to Alshon Jeffery. These are two of the most talented receivers in the game. They are also two of the biggest receivers in the game. Jeffery is 6'3". Marshall is 6'4". Robinson is 5'10". On all three of the touchdowns, Robinson was in good coverage. He just couldn't get to the ball. He has to be able to get to the ball. He has to get better position on these bigger receivers. It's a tough task, especially against receivers as skilled as the Bears big receivers, but it's the NFL. 

Jeffery had 11 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown. Marshall had 7 catches for 90 yards and 2 touchdowns. 

Vikings corner second-year corner Xavier Rhodes got the first interception of his career. It stopped a surprisingly sad two-minute drill by the Bears to end the first half. The Bears didn't seem too interested in putting up another score before the half. The lackadaisical 

The Vikings defense had a goal-line stand on the Bears opening drive of the second half. They stopped Cutler short of the end zone on 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line. The Vikings dodged a bullet but the offense went six-and-out and gave the ball right back to the Bears. 

The Vikings poor play on offense was really the difference in this game.The Vikings were 2/10 on third down conversions. They were 2/2 on 4th down attempts. That was nice. The difference in time of possession was ridiculous. The Bears offense held the ball for 38:38. A 17:16 difference. That's rough on any defense but the defense, in turn, didn't help the offense. The inability of the defense to get off of the field with third down stops kept the ball out of the hands of the offense. It's difficult to get into a rhythm sitting on the sideline. The Bears converted 10 of 17 third downs. Two of the misses resulted in 4th down conversion. So, the Vikings defense got the ball back for the offense on only five of their opportunities to do so. That's not good. 

Bears defensive end Jared Allen entered the game with only 1.5 sacks on the season. The former Vikings pass rusher nearly doubled that total with a single sack. He blew by tackle Matt Kalil as if Kalil wasn't even there. So, we got to see Allen's little calf-roping celebration as a member of the Bears. We were actually treated to it twice. The first time was after he stopped Bridgewater for a 1-yard gain. Two other Bears lineman also performed a little celebratory thing after stopping Bridgewater for a 2-yard gain. I'm not sure why the Bears lineman are so quick to celebrate routine plays. This is a group that has already lost a lineman for the season due to an on-the-field celebration. Defensive end Lamarr Houston was lost for the season with a torn ACL after getting a little squirrelly after a late game sack of New England Patriots backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo in a blowout loss. Very strange priorities.

The one positive for the Vikings offense was the emergence of receiver Charles Johnson. Signed off the Cleveland Browns practice squad earlier in the season, Johnson saw his most extensive playing time. He made the most of it with six receptions for 87 yards. Bridgewater's last throw of the game was to Johnson in the end zone for a potential game-tying play. It might have been a touchdown if not for a safety that Bridgewater must not have seen. Ryan Mundy sealed the Bears win with an interception in the end zone. It was a curious decision on 2nd and three from the Bears 29 with over a minute to go. Since, the time left was mystery we can only guess that there was a minute to go. Not knowing the clock status might have been the reason why Bridgewater felt like he had to go for the end zone. Who knows?

Charles Johnson looks like a nice receiving option for Bridgewater going forward. At 6'2" and 215 lbs, he has good size and he brings some much needed speed. He also seemed to be the only receiver that could get open yesterday.

The execution of screen passes in this game was huge. The Bears executed them very well. The Vikings executed them poorly. The difference was striking. 

There was a very curious play and official's decision in the first half. The Vikings were leading 3-0 and the Bears were driving. 1st and 10 on the Vikings 25-yard line. Cutler was hit while throwing. Live, it simply looked like an incomplete pass. The ball just fluttered harmlessly to the ground in the middle of the field. There was some effort made by the Marshall of the Bears and Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen to pick up the ball. The whistle must have been blown as the players slowed. Zimmer said that he never heard a whistle. Vikings corner Captain Munnerlyn kept after it and eventually secured the ball. The call on the field was incomplete pass. As the Bears were lining up for the next play, Zimmer challenged the call on the field. On replay, it looked like the ball came out of Cutler's hand before his arm came forward. A fumble. Now, the confusion. Upon review, it was ruled that the ball was fumbled rather than an incomplete pass. The apparent problem for the Vikings was that Munnerlyn's recovery was not immediate. If Griffen had recovered the ball, the Vikings would have had the ball. I've seen footballs rolling around on the field for what seemed like minutes so I'm not sure why the length of time that it took Munnerlyn to secure the ball was a factor. If the Bears maintained possession, the ball should have been spotted at the spot of the fumble. It should not have been spotted the original spot as if it was ruled incomplete. It was. The call on the field was not upheld. It went from incomplete pass to down by contact. So, it should not have cost the Vikings a timeout. The Vikings didn't exactly get what they hoped through the challenge but the call on the field was not upheld. Anyway, it just looked like the officials were making shit up as they bumbled along. 

The Vikings lost. The Bears won. The Vikings and Bears are tied at the bottom of the NFC North with 4-6 records. 

The St. Louis Rams have now defeated both of the Super Bowl teams from last year. They accomplished the seemingly impossible by holding the Denver Broncos to a single touchdown. 22-7 Rams. The Broncos lost receiver Emanuel Sanders, tight end Julius Thomas, and running back Montee Ball to injuries. That's a lot of offensive production on the sideline. 

That other Super Bowl team, the Seattle Seahawks lost again. This time to the Kansas City Chiefs 24-20. The Seahawks are 6-4 and looking way up at the Arizona Cardinals. 

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt scored another touchdown. On offense. A 2-yard touchdown catch from first time starter Ryan Mallett. The Texans won the battle of the former Tom Brady backups 23-7.

Eli Manning threw five passes to the San Francisco 49ers.

49ers inside linebacker continues to shine in place of injured All-Pros Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman. He caught two of those errant Manning passes.

In a battle of dominant defenses, the Arizona Cardinals made a statement with their 14-6 win over the Detroit Lions. Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles got a contract extension last week. It wouldn't be a surprise if he's a head coach somewhere else in the league. Actually, it would be a surprise if he isn't.

The Cardinal are the first team to nine wins.

The Green Bay Packers continue to soar. They took apart the Philadelphia Eagles 53-20. It really wasn't that close. Aaron Rodgers continues to play on a whole other level. Receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb each gained over 100 yards. The Packers special teams and defense nearly equaled the offense in scoring. Adding touchdowns with a Micah Hyde punt return, a Julius Peppers interception return, and a Casey Hayward fumble return. Mark Sanchez and the Eagles were feeling pretty happy with themselves after their win over the Carolina Panthers last Monday night. They probably feel a little different now.

The New Orleans Saints lost again. They lost again at home. They aren't supposed to lose there. This time to the schizophrenic Cincinnati Bengals. The Saints are 4-6 and tied for first in the NFC South.

The New England Patriots took care of the Indianapolis Colts 42-20. The Patriots defeated the Broncos last week by a similar 43-21 score. Double digit losses to the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins early now look like freakish anomalies. The Patriots are soaring. Tight end Rob Gronkoski gets better every week. He might be the most dominant offensive player in the game. Each week a new running back takes over. Last night it was Jonas Gray. 38 carries for 199 yards. The defense is playing great.

It's wrong to overlook the terrific play of the Cardinals but the Packers and Patriots look like the best teams in the league right now.

The Vikings would be tied for first in the NFC South.

Game Day Thoughts

The Minnesota Vikings visit the Chicago Bears today. The Vikings haven't won at Soldier Field since 2007. That was a beautiful day. The game was exciting. A long Ryan Longwell field goal as time expired. It was also the day that the league was introduced to a rookie running back named Adrian Peterson. He would run for an NFL record 296 yards later in the season but this game was more impressive. It was one of those performances in which one player was so much better than every other player on the field. He only gained 224 yards. Only! But, it was how he gained those yards. When I think of the best runs in the career of Adrian Peterson many of them come from this game. Just beautiful. It sure would be nice to have him running again today.

It's supposed to be a cold and windy day in Chicago.

Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph returns after missing six games recovering from sports hernia surgery. Chase Ford and Rhett Ellison have done a fine job the past few weeks but Rudolph is a key weapon in the Vikings passing game. He'll provide a nice target for rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewarter.

The last time that Bridgewater faced Chicago Bears linebacker Jon Bostic was the 2013 Sugar Bowl. Bridgewater's Louisville Cardinals vs Bostic's Florida Gators. Bostic blasted Bridgewater in the chin on a blitz. It only fired up the quarterback. He found his helmet, put it back on his head, found a bandage for his chin, and proceeded to take apart the Gators.

There are battles all over the field in a division rivalry game. One of the best, certainly one of the most interesting, in this game will take place on the left side of the Vikings offensive line. Tackle Matt Kalil keeping Bears defensive end Jared Allen in control all day long. Kalil and Allen have faced each other often over the past two years as adversarial teammates in practices and scrimmages. Today, they are facing each other with different helmets. Both have a lot to prove.

There are some terrific games today. It all starts with Vikings-Bears. The best game is always the Vikings game! Here are the others:

Texans at Browns
This game is being billed by some as the "Brady Backup Bowl." Brian Hoyer facing Ryan Mallett in his first NFL start. This could be a very interesting game. I'm not sure that the world is truly prepared for a 7-3 Browns team.

Falcons at Panthers
The fall of the NFC South is disappointing. It's hard to tell if any team wants to win this division.

Bengals at Saints
Buccaneers at Redskins
Broncos at Rams
49ers at Giants
Seahawks at Chiefs
A battle of the teams with the loudest stadiums. Each goes back and forth with the record. I hope that the Chiefs take it back/keep it. Actually, I'm not sure which stadium has the record now.

The afternoon games are mostly excellent:
Raiders at Chargers
Lions at Cardinals
These are probably the surprise teams of the 2014 season. The Cardinals have to find out if Drew Stanton can take them where they thought that Carson Palmer could.

Eagles at Packers
This is expected to be an excellent game. I think that the Packers take the Eagles apart. Aaron Rodgers is playing quarterback as well as anyone ever has. The ball has rarely touched the ground the past few weeks.

Patriots at Colts
Outside of the Vikings-Bears game, this is probably the game of the day. This should be a fun game.

A great day of football!

You betcha!

Go Vikings!

Best Group

It isn't a challenge to identify the best position group on the Minnesota Vikings through the first nine games of the season. Some of the groups are removed from the argument without a bit of debate. The offensive line? Ha! The big guys up front are a main reason that the Vikings are trying to get to .500 tomorrow rather than sitting somewhere in the neighborhood of 6-3. Some position groups were hampered by injuries and another by a particular off-the-field incident. There's really only one choice for the best position group of the Vikings. The defensive line. It's a good thing as that's the group that first-year head coach Mike Zimmer singled out as the place to start.

Five years ago, the Minnesota Vikings had one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. Offensive lines couldn't move tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams. The Williams Wall. Offensive lines, tight ends, and backs couldn't stop ends Jared Allen, Ray Edwards, and Brian Robison. That defensive line took apart offenses. Pat Williams retired. Ray Edwards followed the money and a free agency deal with the Atlanta Falcons. Kevin Williams, Allen, and Robison have had their moments, some really fine moments, in the years since that 2009 peak but the dominance has been fading. After the 2013 season, Allen left for the Chicago Bears and Kevin Williams left for the Seattle Seahawks. Some in the media felt that the Vikings were fools for choosing Robison over Allen. The same folk thought that the Vikings were idiots for giving a big contract to Allen's backup for four years, Everson Griffen. Anyone that took the time to actually view Griffen's limited snaps would know that good things tend to happen when he's on the field. The big contract was a gamble but every big contract is a gamble. That terrific Vikings defensive line of only a few years ago was no more. A new line has been built and it feels like it was built overnight.

The 2014 Minnesota Vikings defensive line:

Starters
DE  Everson Griffen
NT  Linval Joseph
DT  Sharrif Floyd
DE  Brian Robison

Rotation
DE  Corey Wootton
NT  Shamar Stephen
DT  Tom Johnson
DE  Scott Crichton

Only Brian Robison continues as a starter from the 2013 season. This line was expected to struggle. They lost two key veterans in Kevin Williams and Jared Allen. The Vikings gave a ridiculous contract to Everson Griffen. 2013 first round pick Sharrif Floyd was a bust. Linval Joseph was the Vikings first and biggest signing in free agency. He was signed to become their first real nose tackle presence since Pat Williams. Corey Wootton and Tom Johnson were signed as lower-priced, under-the-radar free agents. At 6'6", Wootton provides unique length as a pass rusher. It's similar to what Mike Zimmer had with Michael Johnson in Cincinnati. When Johnson is on the field he's often in the opponent's backfield. Scott Crichton (3rd round) and Shamar Stephen (7th) were selected in the 2014 NFL Draft. Crichton has been inactive for several games this season. He has a bright future and is the likely heir to Robison's left end position but his playing time has been slight as a rookie. Stephen looks like a great, seventh-round steal. He can play either tackle spot effectively. He's wearing Kevin Williams #93 jersey and he's made plays that makes one think that the big guy is back.With the changes from 2013, the Vikings got younger and quicker on the defensive line. Robison (31) and Johnson (30) are the only players over 28.

The Vikings entered the eleventh week of the season tied for third in the league in sacks with 30. Zimmer is quite willing to blitz but he hasn't had to blitz to apply consistent pressure on quarterbacks. This defensive line is routinely in the backfield causing havoc. Griffen's 9 sacks are the most among defensive ends entering this week. The interior of the line has provided 11.5 sacks. Johnson leads with 5.5, Floyd has 3.5, and Joseph has 2.5. Since an early-season shoulder injury, Floyd has been dominant. He's an asset rather than a first-round bust. The fastest way to the quarterback is up the middle. The defensive line has played well. More importantly, they are getting better every week. Griffen has simply been a beast in recent games. He was selected as the Defensive Player of the Month for October. At times, he's been unblockable, making plays in the run game and getting to the quarterback. He's freakishly quick. He's frequently making the sort of plays that those that paid attention saw the past four years whenever Jared Allen came off of the field. No one is laughing at that big contract now.

The Vikings defense, as a whole, is improving and it all starts up front.

Bud Grant Drive

Former Minnesota Vikings head coach Bud Grant was honored with a statue in Winnipeg last month. Before he was the Vikings coach, Grant was a player and coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. He led the Blue Bombers to four Grey Cup titles in his 10-year Canadian coaching career. He might soon be honored in the United States as well. Two Minneapolis City Council members want to rename a block near the new stadium in honor of Grant. Bud Grant Drive sounds terrific.

The street, on the 600 block of Ninth Avenue South, is currently called Carew Drive after the former Minnesota Twins great. Plans have already been approved to move Carew Drive closer to the Twins new home at Target Field. Kirby Puckett Place is set to make a similar move. The Vikings and Twins used to share the dumpy Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. That stadium was blown up last February to make way for the new beauty set to open for the Vikings 2016 season. The Twins have been playing at Target Field since 2010. It's only appropriate that Carew Drive and Kirby Puckett Place surround that stadium.

Bud Grant is a Minnesota icon. He coached the Minnesota Vikings for 18 years. His teams won 11 division titles and made Super Bowl appearances in 1969, 1973, 1974, and 1976. If the Vikings had won even one of those games every street in Minnesota might be named after Grant. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994. It wouldn't come as a surprise if he is honored with another statue in or around the new stadium.

The idea to honor Bud Grant with the street name came from the Vikings. The street name request came from City Council members Jacob Frey and Abdi Warsame. The Minneapolis Planning Commission approved the Bud Grant Drive name Monday. The request now goes to the Zoning and Planning Committee December 8 and to the full City Council December 12.

The Vikings would also like to replace Kirby Puckett Place with Vikings Way. That request hasn't been approved by the city. It had better be approved. If it isn't the new stadium will have a street address on Chicago Avenue. That can't happen.

Throwback Thursday: Looking Back At That '98 Draft

ESPN Films 30 for 30 documentary "Rand University" focused on the football and life path taken by Randy Moss. First of all, it's terrific. Moss' impersonation of Minnesota Vikings head coach Dennis Green is an instant classic. Second of all, it got me thinking about the 1998 NFL Draft. This draft was a very exciting one for Vikings fans. It was exciting for Colts fans too but they didn't have to wait long for their excitement. There was a lot of speculation about the NFL landing spot for the trouble-making receiver from Marshall. Randy Moss' future was clouded by a racially motivated assault in high school and some weed in college. Those misdeeds cost him shots at collegiate stardom at Notre Dame and Florida St. Instead of the big stage, he took apart defenses at itty bitty Marshall. In addition to his jaw-dropping college stats, ESPN talking heads Chris Berman, Mel Kiper Jr., and Joe Theisman showed Moss' criminal record during the broadcast of the draft. Personally, I didn't think that his crimes were even close to that of Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips. Despite dragging his ex-girlfriend down a flight of stairs by her hair, the St. Louis Rams drafted Phillips with the sixth pick of the 1996 NFL Draft. This draft day blunder by the Rams likely cost Moss from being drafted in the top ten just two years later. Many teams decided that they didn't want to make the same mistake or take the same risk. I'd never before seen a receiving talent like Randy Moss. Beyond that, he wasn't an ass in the same way as Phillips. I figured that some team, probably the Dallas Cowboys, would pick him long before the Vikings selected at #21. I was wrong. At least 19 teams didn't want to risk their first round on Randy Moss.

Many in the media tried to create drama with the first overall pick of the draft. If the Indianapolis Colts were run by anything other than a box of hammers, the choice was easy:

1.   Indianapolis Colts-Peyton Manning, QB, Tennessee
2.   San Diego Chargers-Ryan Leaf, QB, Washington St.
3.   Arizona Cardinals-Andre Wadsworth, DE, Florida St.
4.   Oakland Raiders-Charles Woodson, CB, Michigan

During the "Rand University" documentary, ESPN showed a picture taken at the 1997 Heisman Trophy presentation of the finalists for the trophy. It included three of the first four picks. Manning, Leaf, and Woodson. The fourth finalist was Moss. This is quite a collection of football talent. All-time football greats. Excluding Leaf, of course.

5.   Chicago Bears-Curtis Enis, RB, Penn St.
6.   St. Louis Rams-Grant Wistrom, DE, Nebraska
7.   New Orleans Saints-Kyle Turley, T, San Diego St.
8.   Dallas Cowboys-Greg Ellis, DE, North Carolina

Of all of the teams selecting in the top ten, the Cowboys were the team most often mentioned as the one that might take a chance on Moss. That might have been the case because Jerry Jones told Moss that they were going to take him. Whether that little nugget ever got out prior to the draft, who knows? Hints of it certainly did. Moss thought that the Cowboys were going to select him. They didn't and he took it out on them every chance that he got for his entire career. Starting with the 1998 Thanksgiving Day game.

9.   Jacksonville Jaguars, Fred Taylor, RB, Florida
10. Baltimore Ravens-Duane Starks, CB, Miami

When Moss slid by the Cowboys and wasn't taken in the top ten, I started to believe that the impossible could happen. Randy Moss might fall all the way to the Vikings pick. Moss was a once in a lifetime football talent. He should have been selected with his fellow Heisman finalists. There was no way that he should drop past #10. The more teams that passed on him only meant that other teams would pass on him. His fall was gaining momentum. I was on my feet for the rest of the draft.

11. Philadelphia Eagles-Tra Thomas, T, Florida St.
12. Atlanta Falcons-Keith Brooking, LB, Georgia Tech
13. Cincinnati Bengals-Takeo Spikes, LB, Auburn
14. Carolina Panthers-Jason Peter, DT, Nebraska
15. Seattle Seahawks-Anthony Simmons, LB, Clemson
16. Tennessee Oilers-Kevin Dyson, WR, Utah

A receiver being selected before Randy Moss! Inconceivable. Dyson is best known for being tackled a yard short of the endzone in Super Bowl XXXIV and for being the receiver selected before Moss. At this point, I felt that the only way Moss didn't make it through the next four picks was if some team traded up to get him.

17. Cincinnati Bengals-Brian Simmons, LB, North Carolina

The Oilers/Titans got a lot of grief for picking Dyson over Moss. The Bengals got some grief too as the one team that passed on Moss twice. Three more picks.

18. New England Patriots-Robert Edwards, RB, Georgia

Two more picks.

19. Green Bay Packers-Vonnie Holliday, DT, North Carolina

One more pick.

20. Detroit Lions-Terry Fair, CB, Tennessee

Oh my.

21. Minnesota Vikings-Randy Moss, WR, Marshall

I've watched pretty much every draft since ESPN decided to bring this strange event to the public. Never in that time have I been more excited, shocked, happy, disbelieving, relieved, and exhausted as when Randy Moss was announced as the Minnesota Vikings first round selection. For the first couple hours of this draft, Moss being selected by the Vikings was an impossibility. A foolish dream. They would have to trade up to have a chance at a player like Moss. I didn't think that there was much chance at that as they already had one of the best receiving tandems in the league in Cris Carter and Jake Reed. Picking Moss would be a luxury and no team trades up that far for a luxury. Some might say that at #21 the risk of taking Moss wasn't as great. Sure but there is a risk and a gamble with every first round pick. Teams only get one and they need them to count. I actually believe that Dennis Green would have selected Moss at pretty much any spot of the draft outside of the first pick. After the first ten picks were made, every one of the next ten picks were tense. It felt like ten hours to go from pick #11 to pick #20.

It's been reported several times since the 1998 NFL Draft that Dennis Green called Cris Carter early in the draft to say that Moss was going to fall and that he was going to select him. Carter said that it was impossible. Moss was too good to fall that far. Green had called Carter to get confirmation that he would mentor the troubled, talented youngster. Carter said that he would and he did. Moss will be teammates with Carter again in a few years in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

As for the rest of the draft, I watched it but I was more than a little distracted by what I had just witnessed. I believe that I might have finally sat down around pick #26.

22. Tebucky Jones-New England Patriots, S, Syracuse

Jones was actually the player that I hoped that the Vikings would select before Moss started to fall.

23. Oakland Raiders-Mo Collins, T, Florida
24. New York Giants-Shaun Williams, S, UCLA
25. Jacksonville Jaguars-Donovin Darius, S, Syracuse
26. Pittsburgh Steelers-Alan Faneca, G, LSU
27. Kansas City Chiefs, Victor Riley, T, Auburn
28. San Francisco 49ers-R.W. McQuarters, CB, Oklahoma St.
29. Miami Dolphins-John Avery, RB, Mississippi
30. Denver Broncos-Marcus Nash, WR, Tennessee

This is one draft that was definitely high drama, tension-filled viewing. At least for Vikings fans.

A New Hall of Fame?

Well, maybe not new. Just different.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Trustees approved in concept a plan to develop the current museum campus into a "Hall of Fame Village." This plan may include a world-class hotel and conference center, an Academy of Excellence that would service the corporate world, a Center of Athletic Performance and Safety, youth football fields, retail, thematic restaurants, and a mixed use residence for Hall of Famers and NFL legends.

I'm not sure why the corporate world is in need of any more services but I'm sure that they expect it.

After having visited in 2013 for the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies, it's difficult to imagine the campus developed into this Village. I'm a little torn. I love the quaint size of the museum. I love that it's in Canton. Outside of Induction weekends, I don't think that the Hall of Fame gets near the number of visitors that the Board of Trustees would like. Attendance would spike considerably if I lived close enough to visit as much as I'd like. In it's current state, the Hall couldn't handle the numbers that the Board prefers. For one, the cafeteria is tiny. If this plan happens, and it sounds like it will, people will come.

The most interesting part of this Hall of Fame expansion is the residence for Hall of Famers and NFL legends. It sounds like this will be a place for former players with special needs. This is a fantastic idea. The NFL is finally doing a better job in providing for the seriously ailing players that built this game. There's no reason for players like Bulldog Turner and Mike Webster to live their final days, even years, like they did. I hope that this plan is just as I imagine it to be.

The first phase of this plan is expected to cost from $240 million to $250 million, according to Hall of Fame President David Baker. About $35 million has been raised so far, with more money expected to come from sources including corporate and private donations as well as developers. Ah, so that's why the corporate world gets special services. The state of Ohio has pledged $10 million to renovate Pro Football Hall of Fame Field at Fawcett Stadium. The Hall has identified sources for about three-quarters of the money for the first phase, and each of the initiatives within the overall project could have their own funding sources. The hope is that as many of the renovations as possible will be competed in time for the NFL's 100th Anniversary in 2019.

RIP Orlando Thomas

Former Minnesota Vikings safety Orlando Thomas died Sunday night after a long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS. He was only 42.

"Nobody's ever fought a battle like Orlando fought--I never saw anything like it," Thomas' agent, Mark Bartlestein, told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday. "It's just incredible. He never had a sense of self pity, never felt sorry for himself. He was always worried about everyone else. He was just the most incredible person I've ever been around."

"(Thomas) represented the franchise and the state of Minnesota with the utmost dignity and class," the Vikings said in a statement. "While his outgoing personality made him a favorite among his teammates, Orlando's involvement in the community made him a favorite outside of Winter Park.

"Since 2007, Orlando fought this disease with tenacity and optimism. Throughout his difficult battle, he refused to allow ALS to define him, instead putting others' needs in front of his and focusing on making those around him smile."

The Vikings selected Orlando Thomas in the second round of the 1995 NFL Draft out of the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana-Lafayette). It was a Vikings draft that included offensive tackle Korey Stringer. The lives of both men ended far too soon. Thomas made an immediate impact for the Vikings in 1995. He led the league with nine interceptions and was named All-Pro as a rookie. Injuries hampered Thomas throughout his career. He injured his knee in a playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys in 1996. He had hamstring issues and two broken shoulders. Despite those injury issues, Thomas still managed to start 82 of 98 games for the Vikings, intercepting 22 passes. He scored four touchdowns, two of fumbles and two on interceptions. When healthy, Orlando Thomas was one of the best safeties in the game.

In 2004, Thomas was set to join Dennis Green's coaching staff with the Arizona Cardinals as an intern. He started experiencing symptoms of ALS. He helped coach the Cardinals defensive backs during training camp but became weaker. He was diagnosed by doctors in September of that year. He was unable to return to the Cardinals in 2005.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Demetra and their family.

Week 10 Thoughts

Minnesota Vikings bye week. A team's bye week becomes a team's fan's bye week. The football viewing is much more relaxed. Still entertaining but much more relaxed.

Very good game in New Orleans.

The San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints needed overtime to decide their game. The 49ers looked like they were going to run away with it early. They were up 14-0 halfway through the first quarter. The Saints eventually got out of their own way and got back in the game. It was pretty much even the rest of the way.

The season hasn't gone as expected for the 49ers or the Saints. Both teams had, and still have, legitimate Super Bowl dreams. Both teams entered the game with 4-4 records. The 49ers have gotten away from their offensive strength of running the ball. They got back to those strengths against the Saints. They put the ball into the hands of running back Frank Gore. He carried the ball on the first five offensive plays. His third carry was a touchdown. The 49ers second touchdown ended a 13 play, 79-yard drive. Eight of those plays were runs. Gore had nine carries in the first quarter.

Gore had 23 carries for 81 tough yards. As a team, the 49ers ran the ball 32 times for 144 yards.

The 49ers running the ball often and running the ball well shouldn't be a surprise. When things are going well that's what they do. Things start to go off the rails when they get away from that strength. It's a surprise when the Saints lean on the run. Since quarterback Drew Brees joined the team about a decade ago, passing has been the main means of moving the ball in New Orleans. The Saints ran the ball 31 times for 136 yards yesterday. Getting running back Mark Ingram back from injury a couple of weeks ago has put running plays on Sean Payton's giant play sheet. Ingram had his third straight 100-yard game. 120 yards on 27 carries against the 49ers. The Saints had dominant wins against the Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers in the in the previous two games. They nearly got a third win.

Brees still threw the ball plenty. 28 completions in 47 attempts for 292 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw two pretty costly interceptions. The first set up the 49ers first touchdown. The second ended a excellent scoring chance for the Saints at the end of the first half. Brees also had a fumble in overtime that led to the 49ers game-winning field goal. Those turnovers were the difference between a win and a loss.

Stat-wise, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick had a shaky game. 14 completions in 32 attempts doesn't look so hot but his receivers didn't do him any favors. Receiver Anquan Boldin is one of the best pass catchers in the league. He had 5 drops. He might go stretches of games without totaling five drops. A very strange game for Boldin. Kaepernick might have had as many as ten of his passes dropped. Receiver Michael Crabtree had a critical drop in regulation. He made up for it a couple of plays later with, perhaps, the pass and catch that saved the 49ers season.

Down 24-21, 4th and 10 from the their own 22-yard line with 1:34 left in the game. Kaepernick throws 51 yards, maybe 70 yards in the air, to a wide open Crabtree at the Saints 27-yard line. Kicker Phil Dawson converted the game-tying, 40-yard field goal to tie the game and force overtime.

The 49ers had to win this game. A loss would have left them at 4-5 and looking way up at the 8-1 Arizona Cardinals. Their playoff hopes would have been very, very bleak. A lot of things still have to go right but they are still in the playoff mix.

The 49ers are missing linebackers Patrick Willis, Navorro Bowman, and Aldon Smith. All are All-Pro linebackers. Bowman has been out all season while recovering from the brutal leg injury that he suffered in the last year's NFC Championship game. Smith has been out all season for his off-the-field shenanigans. Willis has been out for the past few weeks with a toe injury. It's possible that Bowman and Smith are back before Willis. That's a lot of defensive talent to have on the sideline. It's remarkable that the 49ers defense has maintained a solid level of play without all of that talent. It's a credit to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and the play of the football players that have had to step up on the field. They might be missing some of the splash plays that routinely made by Willis, Bowman, and Smith but the back-ups have really stepped up. Ahmad Brooks is the one starter that has managed to stay on the field. Michael Wilhoite, and rookies Chris Borland and Aaron Lynch have filled in quite well, Borland made a fistful of impact plays yesterday and even provided some splash plays. He recovered the Brees fumble, forced by Brooks, that led to the game-winning overtime field goal. When the 49ers get their missing linebackers back on the field they will have an surplus of play-making linebacker talent.

The shocker of the day came from the struggling, stumbling, bumbling New York Jets. They upset the surging Pittsburgh Steelers 20-13. It took a desperation 80-yard touchdown pass from the Steelers with just over a minute to play to make the game a one-score game. This outcome didn't seem possible leading up to the game. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had thrown for six touchdowns in each of the last two games. The Jets defense didn't have a chance against such a juggernaut. The Jets secondary sucked. Steelers receivers Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, and Martavis Bryant were going to take that Jets secondary apart. That's what all of the "experts" were saying. Roethlisberger did throw for 343 yards but his only touchdown was that last, 80-yard desperation touchdown to Bryant. Roethlisberger threw two interceptions. This is why they play these games instead of letting stats and supposed experts decide them.

The Buffalo Bills were playing terrific defense for three quarters. Unfortunately, the Bills offense could only put up 13 points to support that defense. The Kansas City Chiefs finally got through that Bills defense for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and squirrel away a 17-13 win. The Chiefs have won four straight games and six of the last seven. They are quietly sitting at 6-3.

Detroit Lions punter Sam Martin attempted two passes. He completed both. The first went to fullback Jed Collins for 24 yards. That led to a Matt Prater field goal. The second punter pass went to Isa Abdul-Quddus. That one was two yards short of the first down and gave the ball to the Miami Dolphins. That special teams gambling may not have played a huge role but the Lions did come away with a big, last-minute win against the increasingly difficult Dolphins.

The Dolphins got more bad news when tackle Branden Albert was lost to a potentially season-ending knee injury.

The Lions are really scratching and fighting for their wins. Four of their seven wins are one-score wins. Two of their wins were single-point wins. They are winning their games with tremendous defense. The Lions winning games with defense is probably the biggest surprise of the season.

Arizona Cardinals receiver John Brown can stop that touchdown celebration right now. It was a great catch. The celebration was difficult to watch.

Even if Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson isn't the best corner in the game, and he might be, he is probably the best athlete in the game. His interception that sealed the win over the St. Louis Rams was terrific. Tip. Catch. Touchdown.

This game changed in a hurry. The Rams held a 14-10 lead with about eight minutes to play. It seemed in a blink, it was 31-14 Cardinals lead. The play-making Cardinals defense scored two touchdowns in just over a minute.

Corner Antonio Cromartie scored the Cardinals second defensive touchdown with a fumble return. He's getting up there in age now (30) but there was a time when he might have been the best athlete in the game. Peterson and Cromartie make for a fun pair of corners. Unless you are a receiver facing them.

The Cardinals fear that quarterback Carson Palmer tore an ACL. He signed a contract extension on Friday. In 2005, he signed a big contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals. 10 days later he tore an ACL. That's not right.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman called New York Giants rookie receiver Odell Beckham "a great young player." Sherman doesn't throw out compliments often. Especially to rookies.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers sure makes the game look easy.

The Chicago Bears made the game look very, very difficult last night.

Never seen that before:
Packers punt rusher Jarrett Boykin's foot touched the ball before Bears punter Pat O'Donnell's foot touched the ball.

The Vikings get this Chicago Bears team next week.

I missed the Vikings today.

It's time to let Adrian Peterson play!