Divisional Round Thoughts

Congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots. They are moving on.

Baltimore at New England in the AFC Championship
San Francisco at Atlanta in the NFC Championship

It's hard to believe that it was only three years ago that the Minnesota Vikings took apart the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional round to move on to the NFC Championship game. That was a happy time.

This weekend's Division round games sure brought the excitement that the Wild Card round didn't. Great games.

It seems that some are surprised by the great playoff exhibition from San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. A lot of the media and fans were surprised. Green Bay Packers defensive back Charles Woodson was. No one should be. It sounds like Woodson expected more of what they saw from Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joe Webb the week before. I saw all that I ever needed to see of Kaepernick when he and his Nevada team completely dismantled Cal in 2010. Comparisons between Kaepernick and Webb are valid  Both are tremendous, fast athletes with unique running skills. Both put up similar numbers in college. One of the biggest differences then and now was their respective coaching in college. Not to disparage Webb's coaches at the University of Alabama-Birmingham but Nevada's Chris Ault is one of great offensive minds in football. Kaepernick came into the NFL far more prepared than Webb but the biggest difference between the two quarterbacks is in their passing skills. Webb can throw much better than he did against the Packers a week ago but he's still not in Kaepernick's class. Maybe Woodson didn't expect that. The Vikings and 49ers ran similar plays to take advantage of their mobile quarterbacks. They just worked better for the 49ers. Kaepernick had the Packers all turned around because he could hurt them with his feet or his arm. Anybody that saw him play in college would've known that he had it in him.

Another thing that Kaepernick had going for him, perhaps the biggest thing, was the 49ers offensive line. They were awesome.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan finally got his first playoff win. Tight end Tony Gonzalez finally got his first too.

That Falcons-Seahawks game was terrific. Big first half lead. Great comeback. Game-winning field goal. Last gasp chance at the end.

That game and the Ravens-Broncos of the day before are instant classics.

Atlanta Falcons running back Jacquizz Rodgers had a terrific run up the middle against the Seattle Seahawks to end the first quarter. That kid was a nightmare for Cal and the rest of the Pac-10 while he was at Oregon St. That run brought back those nightmares.

I love seeing Seahawks corner Richard Sherman quiet after he's been burned for a touchdown. I've never known of a former Stanford player quite like him. He's more like a USC clown. Like his current coach.

Speaking of Pete Carroll. I love seeing him on the sideline when his team is down by three scores. He looks like someone stole his hoagie.

It's too bad that big Atlanta lead didn't hold because I hate seeing Carroll jumping around all warm and fuzzy. Fortunately Carroll's happy feeling didn't last long.

I love seeing Carroll watch an opposing kicker make a game-winning field goal.

Seattle's failure to get the snap off at the end of the first half sure impacted this game. They had a great chance to get points. In a two-point game, any points would have made a difference.

When I see Patriots receiver Wes Welker catch a 46-yard pass down the sideline I think of all the people that pigeon hole a receiver as only being able to play in the slot. Just because a receiver is perfect for the slot doesn't mean that he can't play outside the numbers. I hear it all the time when people, especially Vikings fans, say that Percy Harvin can't be the supposed #1 receiver on the team. That he's only a slot receiver. Harvin can play anywhere on the field. Just because he isn't 6'4" doesn't mean that he can't be a threat downfield. I'm certainly not saying that the Vikings don't need a big-bodied, deep threat at receiver. They most certainly do. I'm just saying that Harvin can do pretty much everything on a football field.

That was a fantastic catch by Welker.

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster just glides across the turf/grass. His running reminds me a little of former Viking Robert Smith.

Losing tight end Rob Gronkowski for the rest of the playoffs is a blow to the New England Patriots but it shouldn't hold them back too much. Tom Brady turns everyone on the roster into a playmaker.

Patriots running back Shane Vereen had an excellent game. Scoring three touchdowns.

I love seeing former Cal players doing well. Shane Vereen and Tony Gonzalez, in particular, excelled yesterday.

This year's coaching searches seem to be dragging on more than most. Maybe it just feels that way because the Chicago Bears are interviewing every coach on the planet. Of the eight openings only three have been filled:
Kansas City: Andy Reid
Buffalo: Doug Marrone
Cleveland: Rob Chudzinski
San Diego, Philadelphia, Chicago, Jacksonville and Arizona are still searching. I'm actually scheduled to interview with the Bears this week. They're looking under every stone.

Game Day Thoughts

Congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers on advancing to their Conference championship games.

The Ravens and Broncos played a terrific game. Playing into a 6th quarter. It was unfortunate that Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning ended a fantastic season with an interception that led to the winning field goal.

Maybe it's just me but it felt like the Broncos were always on the verge of simply taking over this game and putting the Ravens away. Horribly blown coverage by the Broncos on the last real play in regulation allowed the Ravens to force overtime. The Ravens just wouldn't go away. They kept the game close and they were in striking distance at the end. The Ravens did what they had to do. The Broncos didn't.

A lot of the Ravens offense was provided by receiver Torrey Smith. He frequently abused Broncos corner Champ Bailey. While Bailey has been playing in the NFL for quite some time he's still one of the best cover corners in the game. Smith has quickly become one of the most dangerous receivers in the league. I've always found Smith's path to the NFL an interesting one. He followed Darius Hayward-Bey at Maryland but never quite got the same recognition. Hayward-Bey got a ton of attention. Smith received little. I never understood it. NFL teams certainly favored Hayward-Bey as he was a top-10 pick. Smith lasted until the end of the second round. I never understood it. Smith has done far more in two years than Hayward-Bey has done in four. I really like Torrey Smith.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sure played a nice game. Nearly 450 total yards. My goodness. He played the game that I hoped Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joe Webb would play last week against the Green Bay Packers. While both can run Kaepernick, unlike Webb, provides a throwing threat.

49ers guard Mike Iupati is a beast. He's going to be on the best in the league for a long time.

It's players like 49ers safety Dashon Goldson that keep the NFL far more dangerous than it really needs to be. He's going helmet-to-helmet way too often. Way too often. Clowns like Goldson and Brandon Merriweather need some suspension time to think about their tackling fundamentals.

The Associated Press All-Pro Team was announced yesterday. It should come as no surprise that Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and Houston Texas defensive end J.J. Watt were unanimous selections. It was a surprise that Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson wasn't. He only had the greatest receiving season from a yardage standpoint in NFL history. Tim Ryan of Fox Sports was the only voter of the 50 that didn't think that Calvin Johnson was one of the two best receivers this year. Ryan should never again have an AP vote. Ever.

This was the second consecutive year that some AP voters could not grasp the fact that San Francisco 49ers defensive end Justin Smith plays defensive end. He received 17 votes as a defensive tackle. He doesn't play that position. He received 6 votes as a defensive end. He does play that position. He made 2nd team All-Pro at both positions. Very nice.

A few years ago everyone with a twitter account tore apart Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler for taking himself out of the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers due to a banged up knee. Last week everyone criticized Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III for not taking himself out of a playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks due to a banged up knee. Some people just like to complain. They'll make shit up if they have to. I just wish that more would understand that coaches and players never have the benefit of hindsight when making game time decisions. Whether people want to accept it or not, players and coaches try to make decisions that they feel gives their team the best chance of winning a game.

Of the 32 most-watched television shows last fall 31 were NFL telecasts. The NFL is a machine.

2013 Hall of Fame Finalists

17 finalists for the 2013 Hall of Fame inductions were announced yesterday. Of the 15 modern era nominees, Larry Allen, Jonathan Ogden, Warren Sapp and Michael Strahan are in their first year of eligibilty. Curly Culp and Dave Robinson round out the 17 as senior nominees.

Here are all of the 17 finalists for the Hall of Fame Class of 2013

Larry Allen
Jerome Bettis
Tim Brown
Cris Carter
Curley Culp
Edward J. DeBartolo, Jr.
Kevin Greene
Charles Haley
Art Modell
Jonathan Ogden
Bill Parcells
Andre Reed
Dave Robinson
Warren Sapp
Will Shields
Micahael Strahan
Aeneas Williams

I see the first-year offensive linemen Larry Allen and Jonathan Ogden as automatics. The voters should see it the same but who knows what goes through their heads. I'd vote for Warren Sapp in his first year as well but I don't see his path as smooth as that of the offensive linemen. If I had a vote, and I should, I'd have a Hall of Fame Class like this:

Larry Allen
Jonathan Ogden
Warren Sapp
Cris Carter
Bill Parcells
Curley Culp
Dave Robinson

The senior nominees often skate through. Typically, if the senior committee sees the players as worthy the voters support them. I'm surprised that Robinson got the call over Jerry Kramer. Many have said for decades that Kramer has been ignored due to the already high number of 1960s Green Bay Packers in the Hall of Fame. Now, they bring in a Packer and that Packer is not Jerry Kramer. Sometimes I think that the Hall of Fame voters make decisions by throwing darts.

And finally, this has got to be the year that Cris Carter makes it to Canton. It's his sixth year of eligibility  He should have been inducted his first year.

Seattle Vikings?

It's often difficult to watch a Seattle Seahawks game. It's been difficult to watch head coach Pete Carroll on any football sideline since his USC days but it's more than that. The Seahawks simply have too many former Minnesota Vikings players on their roster. Too many Cal players too but that's another story. After the 2010 season the Vikings went through many changes. That football season was a disaster and it cost Brad Childress his coaching job. Several of the offensive coaches left as well. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell was one of those coaches but he wasn't out of work for long. Pete Carroll hired Bevell pretty much as soon he left the Vikings' facilities. The Seattle Viking importation started there. Well, not right away. That was the ridiculous offseason of the NFL lockout. Free agency, as we've come to know it, didn't start until July. The Seahawks signed quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, receiver Sidney Rice and linebacker Heath Farwell. All had spent their entire careers up until that July in Minnesota. Rice leaving hurt the most. Still does. The Vikings have missed his downfield playmaking ability ever since. Jackson only played the 2011 in Seattle as he was traded to Buffalo when Russell Wilson won the quarterback job this past summer. Two players and a coach really doesn't sound like a strong Vikings presence but as a Vikings fan that presence is felt. Especially when Sidney Rice is one of those players. Even more now that those players and the Seahawks are moving on in the playoffs and the Vikings are at home.

The Seattle Vikings team grew this week when kicker Ryan Longwell and defensive end Patrick Chukwurah were signed to replace injured Seahawks. The Vikings released Longwell this past offseason. Chukwurah hasn't played in Minnesota for a decade but he was a 4th round pick of the Vikings in 2001. Actually, Chukwurah hasn't played for any NFL team since 2008. I'm more than a little puzzled by that signing. Now with four former Vikings players helping Seattle move along in the playoffs I can't help but think of the Vikings not being in the playoffs as I watch the Seattle Seahawks play in the playoffs. Despite the presence of Pete Carroll on the sidelines I find myself hoping that the Seahawks do well. I'm very conflicted.

Throwback Thursday: Bootsie Play

We are so used to the NFL quarterback's of today being overly protected by an abundance of rules that we forget that there were days when they were running for their lives. For most of the first two decades of the league, defenses could beat the hell out of quarterbacks until the whistle was blown. Even after they handed off or had thrown the ball they could he hit, repeatedly. If the quarterback was on the field, he could be hit. That sort of brutality is hard to imagine today. The quarterback's were literally running for their lives after they had given up the ball. Fortunately for those abused quarterbacks, a rule was passed in 1938 that made it illegal to beat on the quarterback after he had given up the ball. They still faced some brutal treatment up until they no longer had the ball.

Facemasks weren't widely used until the 1950s. There were a lot of punches thrown on the sly. While in the act of making a play a fist would often find a face. Washington Redskins quarterback Sammy Baugh had a play in mind when the defense got a little wild with their fists. He would run the "bootsie play." In a bootsie play, Baugh explained, nobody blocks the "son of a bitch playing dirtier than hell." When the defender stormed into the backfield, Baugh would rifle a pass right between his eyes. On one particular occasion, Baugh hit the dirty lineman so hard that he stood straight up, then fell face down like a board. "It scared the living hell out of me," Baugh recalled. "I thought that I'd broken his damn neck or something and it had killed him." He survived.

The difference in quarterback treatment between those days and today is striking. The manner in which quarterbacks like Sammy Baugh dealt with brutality is even more striking. They didn't wait for rules to protect them. They took it upon themselves. I find it hilarious how quickly those flags fly today. I'd love to see a "bootsie play" called to even a score. It probably wouldn't work too well with the cages that some of these players call a facemask.

First Step To 2013

Most people think of the start of NFL free agency as that midnight hour in March when teams can start throwing money at the free agents from other teams. It really starts when the team's season ends. The Minnesota Vikings took that first step to 2013 on Monday when they re-signed all eight players from the practice squad to reserve/future contracts. This keeps defensive tackle Chase Baker, receivers LaMark Brown and Chris Summers, running back Joe Banyard, corner Bobby Felder, tight end Chase Ford and offensive linemen Kevin Murphy and Tyler Holmes under contract through the offseason. It's a start.

The Vikings have 10 players that can become unrestricted free agents in March. Right tackle Phil Loadholt and Pro Bowl fullback Jerome Felton top that list. They are likely the Vikings top re-signing priority. Safety Jamarca Sanford played well this year. He's been a terrific special teams performer for several years but he really stepped up in the secondary this year. I'm pretty sure that the Vikings will try to get him signed. Linebackers Jasper Brinkley and Erin Henderson might get the opportunity to look around. I think that the Vikings would like to bring them back but I don't think that they'll get into a bidding war with other teams. Both have been solid football players. I hope that guard Geoff Schwartz is re-signed. He lost the battle at right guard to Brandon Fusco in training camp but he still got some playing time during the season. If one of the two can play on the left side, I like Fusco and Schwartz as the Vikings guards for a long time. Offensive lineman Joe Berger will likely be allowed to sign elsewhere in favor of younger linemen. Receivers Jerome Simpson and Devin Aromashadu are the last of the pending unrestricted free agents. Simpson was expected to make a greater downfield impact. He struggled early with injuries and didn't make many plays until the end of the season. Receiver is the Vikings greatest need. If the Vikings open up the checkbook in free agency I expect that it will be at receiver. They'll likely draft a receiver at the top of the draft. Those additions might not leave room for Simpson and Aromashadu. Corners Marcus Sherels and A.J. Jefferson, safety Andrew Sendejo and tackle Troy Kropog will be restricted free agents so they'll likely be back.

Those are the first steps to building the 2013 Minnesota Vikings roster. It may not be as exciting as what starts in March but it can be as important.

Back To Work

Listening to exit interviews of some of the Minnesota Vikings players has me excited for next year. Players like Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, Brian Robison, Christian Ponder and John Sullivan all sound ready to start working on the 2013 season. It was just Saturday that they ended their season with a disappointing, frustrating loss to the Green bay Packers in the playoffs. Sometimes you just want to get away. They want to continue what they started. It seems that the rollercoaster season that they just completed brought this team closer together. Especially in the four wins that ended the season and got them to the playoffs. It was fun to see. Their enthusiasm for next season is great to hear.

Despite being the most talented player on the roster from the moment that he was drafted in 2007, running back Adrian Peterson has always led more by example. He led because he is an incredible football player and because he works harder than anyone on the team. His effort has always been inspiring. I noticed that he was more vocal during games this season. More active on the sidelines. In his exit interviews at the facility yesterday he spoke of getting players together during the offseason for workouts. Peterson, while always present for team events, has always worked out on his own in the offseason. He talked of getting players down to his base in Houston or going over to Arizona where other players like Jared Allen are. This interest of Peterson's is exciting news for everyone involved with the Vikings. This season ended with so much promise of good things to come. The Vikings' players want to continue that momentum. They want to keep working.