Throwback Thursday: Viking Gifts

Minnesota Vikings 1998 Draft

1. Randy Moss  WR  Marshall
2. Kailee Wong  LB  Stanford
3. Ramos McDonald  DB  New Mexico
4. Kivuusama Mays  LB  North Carolina
5. Kerry Cooks  S  Iowa
6. Matt Birk  T  Harvard
7a. Chester Burnett  LB  Arizona
7b. Tony Darden  CB  Texas Tech

The incredible rookie season of Randy Moss helped make the Minnesota Vikings 1998 offense one of the most explosive in NFL history. As he was taking apart defenses across the league, a Harvard-educated tackle was learning how to be a professional center. Matt Birk was a project, at best, when he was drafted. Moss made an impact immediately. He continued making an impact for the Vikings until his unfortunate trade to the Oakland Raiders following the 2004 season. Birk became the Vikings starting center in 2000. He was soon a team leader and one of the best at his newly learned position. This 1998 draft was one of the Vikings best because of Moss and Birk. The other six players did little to nothing. Wong had potential but injuries soon ended his career. Moss and Birk made a difference. They were linked by a common draft but were often at odds. Moss was a little unpredictable with an unbelievably smooth path to the NFL. Everything came easy to him in athletics. Birk was a disciplined, hard-working grunt. Few predicted an NFL career of any length. No one predicted a 15-year, nicely decorated career. Their vastly different paths resulted in vastly different views. They likely had few conversations. Some that are known weren't considered pleasant. Despite their differences they will always be linked by their common beginning.

Randy Moss and Matt Birk will always rank among my favorite Vikings players. Moss for his unbelievable talent. Birk for his unbelievable work ethic and leadership. He also has a terrific sense of humor. Humor goes a long way. I have mixed emotions in seeing both in Sunday's Super Bowl. I'd love to see both have a championship in their excellent NFL careers. It would have been best for them, and for me, to get that big win while in Minnesota. That wasn't meant to be. Moss nearly got one with New England in 2007. He gets another shot with San Francisco now. Birk gets his first shot with Baltimore. Viking gifts from 1998 are benefiting each Super Bowl team. While closing in on the end of their football careers, Moss and Birk are still making an impact. It's warming to see Moss making a tremendous contribution to the 49ers as a mentor and leader. Few have ever really given him proper credit for his football smarts. The opposite is true of Birk. Not enough people have ever really given him proper credit for his football skills. I think that Moss and Birk would get along better now. They have much more in common as older football players looking for that elusive ring. They came form the same draft with the same team to play on different teams in the same Super Bowl. The San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens are reaping the benefits of the Minnesota Vikings 1998 draft.

What Went Wrong?

I've had 36 years to wonder why the Minnesota Vikings haven't returned to the Super Bowl. I've had just as long to wonder what went wrong in Super Bowls IV, VIII, IX and XI. They made it to four and lost all four. I remember Super Bowl XI against the Oakland Raiders very well. Super Bowl VIII against the Miami Dolphins and Super Bowl IX against the Pittsburgh Steelers I don't really remember at all. I didn't really understand the game in those early years so they were just a blur. The only thing that came out of those Super Bowls for me was my passion for the Minnesota Vikings. As such, I've gone back and watched all four many times. I've tried to understand.

So, what did go wrong? First of all, they played against four of the best teams of that era. The Kansas City Chiefs team that they were up against in Super Bowl IV was loaded. The offense was explosive. The defense was brutal. Despite the New York Jets surprising victory in Super Bowl III, the upstart AFL still received no respect. That Chiefs team was terrific. The Dolphins, Steelers and Raiders were three of the best teams during the '70s. The Steelers of that decade is one of the greatest teams in history. The Vikings lost to very strong teams. Still, the Vikings teams that played in those Super Bowls were nothing like the Vikings teams that got there. There was something missing in each game. They didn't seem ready to play. Several years ago, while Brad Childress was coaching the Vikings, I read an evaluation of his team by an anonymous scout of an opposing team. This scout said that the Vikings don't try to out-scheme anybody. They just line up and go at it. "This is what we have. Try and stop it." That sort of mentality doesn't really fly too well anymore. Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers teams of the '60s could do it but few can now. The game just isn't that simple anymore. Whether that view is accurate is up for debate but it has some merit. Since the 2007 drafting of Adrian Peterson the Vikings have been a "line 'em up and run it" type team. The only time that changed was when Brett Favre was added to the mix in 2009. Still, Childress didn't really try to trick anyone and he didn't much care for Favre's improvising. Hearing about the possible lack of scheming in this century got me thinking about Super Bowl failures in the previous one. The Vikings of those days just kept doing what worked. They were very good at what they did but they were very predictable. I think that those great AFL/AFC teams were ready for what the Vikings did well. They were certainly more ready for the Vikings than the Vikings were for them. The Chiefs, in particular, had the Vikings on their heels the whole game. The Vikings defense played against the Chiefs offense like they'd never seen film of them before. That's no way to approach a championship game.

The Minnesota Vikings failures in the big game is a puzzle to all fans of the team. Those teams were far better than the teams that showed up in the Super Bowls. The players are even more puzzled. Everyone has theories because the Vikings performance never made sense. The bottom line is that they weren't ready. Were they overconfident? Were they out-schemed? The questions will continue to be asked until the Vikings finally win one of these damn games.

Can Only Smile

I can only smile when I hear San Francisco 49ers fans grumble about having to wait 18 years for a Super Bowl return. I've been around 49ers fans my entire life. It's always fun when they pop up again. 18 years since Steve Young and Jerry Rice carved up the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. I can still see the Super Sunday of Super Bowl XI when the Minnesota Vikings were disposed of by another bay area team, the Oakland Raiders. I've been surrounded by their fans too. It seems that I've always been surrounded by happy football fans. Until the past 18 years. So long. I've been waiting 36 years, and counting, for a Vikings return to the Super Bowl. Oh, those red and gold clad fans have been a happy bunch for most of my football life. The recent, difficult 18 years were preceded by 14 years of dizzying success. Five Super Bowl appearances. 5 Super Bowl wins. The life of a 49ers fan hasn't been a rough football life in my lifetime. In the Super Bowl era only a handful of teams can stand as grand. Of the most successful teams, only the 49ers have left Super Bowl Sunday without a loss. The Vikings have left all four of their appearances with a loss.

I'm not crying. Really, I'm not. I've always been happy for my 49ers fan friends. They've been blessed with incredible teams. Some of the best that the football world has ever seen. Incredible coaches. Incredible football players. Losing is part of the journey. Part of the life of being a fan. It's always been my hope that the longer and more trying the wait the sweeter the win. 18 years is just not that long to wait. It's an even shorter wait if it was preceded by so many years of unbelievable success. I hope that the 49ers fans are happy Sunday night. Seeing loved ones happy is always a fine thing. I know this to be true as I've seen it five times. I hope that the younger 49ers fans, the ones that didn't know the happy days of Walsh, Montana, Lott, Rice, Craig and Young, know the experience of a Super Bowl win. I'll know that experience some day soon. Until then, I just smile when I hear how rough the last 18 years have been.

Pro Bowl Thoughts

Some housekeeping:
The recent rumors that the New York Jets are exploring the possibility of trading cornerback Darrelle Revis are basically crap. Besides the stupidity of trading the best corner in football, how do you trade a player coming off a torn ACL? This is simply another example of the media creating a story where there isn't a story.  Some mail room slappy probably wondered aloud what the Jets could get in a trade and a media slappy ran with it. Super Bowl, Senior Bowl, Hall of Fame elections, even the Pro Bowl. There's enough football to discuss without poking fun at a dysfunctional football team.

Reinstating former New Orleans Saints defensive idiot Gregg Williams is a mistake. He's the clown behind the Saints bounty fiasco and should never see another football field.

On to the Pro Bowl:
I vote for the Pro Bowl moving back to the week following the Super Bowl. The participants from the Super Bowl deserve the opportunity to join in the fun.

NFC 62
AFC 35
The NFC now leads the series 22-21.

Despite the crazy score, the effort in this edition of the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was much better than the joke that was on display last year. It was more like the game that I've watched over the past 35 years. A pick-up football game simply played for the fun of it.

One of the best things that takes place during the week in Hawaii is the players meeting and getting to know the players from other teams. Seeing Adrian Peterson and Drew Brees chatting on the sideline was cool. Hearing about Peyton Manning talking to everyone during the week is what makes the whole event great. It's what Manning has always enjoyed most about the game and I imagine that the other players feel the same. It's probably the best meet and greet that the NFL has to offer.

"Yes, there are penalties at the Pro Bowl" -Ed Hochuli

Pretty funny to see Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt split out wide on OFFENSE. Peyton Manning threw to him but it was off Watt's finger tips. The AFC repeated the stunt at the end of the game. Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul was covering him and ended up with an interception. I doubt that the Texans incorporate this in the playbook.

It was another strange scene at the start of the AFC's third possession. There was Green Bay Packers center Jeff Saturday's blue NFC jersey in the huddle with 10 players in AFC jerseys.  As much as I didn't think that Saturday should even be selected for the game it was cool to see him take one last snap with Peyton Manning.

One player that's starting to get some much deserved attention is Arizona Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington. I really liked him coming out of TCU in the 2010 NFL Draft and I hoped that he'd end up in Minnesota. He made this Pro Bowl and he'll be in many more. With corner Patrick Peterson, the Cardinals have a couple of outstanding, young defensive playmakers.

Another excellent, young defensive player is Chicago Bears defensive tackle Henry Melton. He'll also make frequent postseason trips to Hawaii. Melton will be a free agent in a few weeks. I'd love to see him land in Minnesota. At the very least, it'd be nice to see him leave Chicago but I can't imagine the Bears letting him get away.

Minnesota Vikings rookie tackle Matt Kalil made his first Pro Bowl appearance at the end of the first quarter. Miami Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake blew by him for a sack to end a promising drive. The announcers were saying that Kalil's late Friday arrival in Hawaii as the possible reason for him being a step slow. I'd say that his playing on the right side of the line was a bigger reason.

I couldn't help but notice that Kalil and his Vikings teammate Kyle Rudolph were the only NFC players to make any kind of effort to catch Derrick Johnson on his interception return for a touchdown. Perhaps that effort was due to them being in their first Pro Bowl and they didn't know any better.

I loved the NFC running back pairing of Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch. The AFC defense probably hated it.

No surprise that New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz came alive when Eli Manning entered the game.

Seeing some of these pass rushing, 3-4 linebackers trying to cover tight ends and backs is reason enough to change the selection process for linebackers. These "linebackers" don't do cover very well. These players are forced to play a position in the Pro Bowl that they simply don't play during the season. True outside linebackers like Chad Greenway and Lance Briggs are overshadowed by the glitzy sack stats of the 3-4 guys. Those sack guys should go in as defensive ends. Rushing the passer is what got them to Hawaii. Let them rush the passer, even as stand up ends.

It was great to see Vikings fullback Jerome Felton get a touchdown. Fullbacks rarely get any glory. They just do the dirty work. Felton was a big part of Peterson's incredible 2,097-yard season. He deserves all the recognition this game and that touchdown gives him.

Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier might have had a heart attack when Adrian Peterson went in on punt coverage in the fourth quarter.

Congratulations to Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph on taking home the MVP award. 5 catches, 122 yards and a touchdown. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson tried to throw him a second touchdown but Doug Martin stole it from him.

Happy Birthday Cris Collinsworth. I remember him playing in the Pro Bowl.

Now, the Super Bowl can begin.

Game Day Thoughts

Ha! Some might say differently but the Pro Bowl is indeed a football game. There's been a lot of talk in recent years about the future of the Pro Bowl. I say that it should stay. It's a fun game. It was never meant to  be taken too seriously. The AFC-NFC Pro Bowl has been around since the full merger in 1970 but this game really goes all the way back to the early '50s. I've watched these games since the '70s and I've never had a problem with the effort put forth by the players until last year. That was pathetic. There's more energy in most pregame drills than what was shown in that game. It was embarrassing and NFL players don't really like being embarrassed. I doubt that we'll see a repeat of that ridiculous display. This is still a lighthearted game and should be accepted as such.

I'm watching. If for no other reason but to see Adrian Peterson run again.

The AFC and NFC have each won 21 Pro Bowls.

Three rookie quarterbacks (Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson) made this game. With Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees hitting their mid-30s, and still excelling, it's reassuring that the NFL's passing game is in good hands in the coming years. It's too bad that Griffin is injured for his first Pro Bowl game. He'll be back.

It's kinda cool, maybe a little weird, to see Manning and Luck throwing for the same team.

The future of passing in the NFL doesn't rest solely on the newbies. There's a nice group of quarterbacks led by Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco, Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger that are still young and skippy. Passing will continue to be the preferred method of moving the football.

The Minnesota Vikings have seven players in this Pro Bowl:
Adrian Peterson
Jerome Felton
Matt Kalil
Kyle Rudolph
Jared Allen
Chad Greenway
Blair Walsh
Felton, Rudolph and rookies Kalil and Walsh are making their first Pro Bowl appearance. The Vikings had a  very talented, veteran roster when they just missed the Super Bowl in 2009. Everything fell apart pretty quickly after that NFC Championship game. Too quickly. Not quite as quickly, but just as dramatically, has been the rise in talent and youth on the current roster. The 10-6 record this year and the young players in this game are an indication that the Vikings are heading in the right direction.

There should be 8. Green Bay Packers center Jeff Saturday is retiring after he plays in this Pro Bowl. He should have retired before the game. His spot should have gone to Vikings center John Sullivan. It's ridiculous that a player that was benched during the season, as Saturday was, is voted into an all-star game. Outside of the incredible Adrian Peterson, Sullivan was the most deserving Vikings player to be honored by Pro Bowl recognition.

Actually, Blair Walsh might have been the most deserving Vikings player outside of the incredible Peterson. I sometimes forget about kickers. Some have said that Walsh had the best kicking season ever. At first that surprised me. The more I thought about it the more sense it made. Walsh was fantastic all season. He set an NFL record with 10 field goals of 50+ yards. He destroyed the Vikings team record for touchbacks. He missed only three field goals on the season. One was blocked. The most impressive thing about Walsh's field goals was that nearly every kick was right through the middle. I can't recall ever seeing such season-long accuracy. The Vikings are pretty much in field goal position as soon as they cross midfield.

The Kansas City Chiefs won only two games this season. They have six players in the Pro Bowl.

"There's too much leakage on that play."
        -Chiefs head coach Hank Stram during Super Bowl IV
Stram was mic'd during that Super Bowl against the Vikings and he was often hilarious. Many Vikings' fans go ballistic when they hear Stram's whiny voice ridicule the Vikings play that day. Unfortunately, there was a lot to ridicule. That play on the field always bothered me more than a dapper little coach calling it as he saw it.

College football had their biggest all-star game yesterday. The Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. It's a little strange to think that this past week of practice for the Senior Bowl has become more important to the NFL people than the game itself. The build-up to the Draft begins in Mobile at the practices. Many of the coaches and scouts leave before the game is even played.

I like the broadcast team of Mike Mayock, Charles Davis and Paul Burmeister. Mayock and Davis have long been the backbone of NFL Network's draft team. They're excellent with the draft and their work on games is terrific.

Brian Schwenke was a solid offensive lineman for Cal. If NFL teams weren't aware of him before this week, they are now. He was in at center for one drive. At guard the next. That versatility and his technique will get him an NFL career. I think that Schwenke really surprised a lot of people this week.

As the days go by I'm leaning more towards defense being the best choice for the Vikings first pick in the upcoming draft. Receiver is still one of their biggest needs but the depth at the position makes it possible to get a real nice receiver in the second round. I'm real interested in that tier of receivers and a bunch of them were playing in the Senior Bowl. Kansas St's Chris Harper, Marshall's Aaron Dobson, Louisiana Tech's Quenton Patton and Oregon St's Markus Wheaton among them. Since the quarterbacking in the game left quite a bit to be desired the receivers didn't get to show much. I don't think that Dobson or Patton even caught a pass. Wheaton had the most chances and he made the most of them. I was impressed with Markus Wheaton. Despite the lack of chances in the game, it's been noted by many that Dobson and Patton were terrific all week in practice. As it stands right now, I'd be real happy if the Vikings were to draft Patton, Dobson or Wheaton in the second round after selecting a big nasty defensive tackle in the first. Or a linebacker. Or a corner...

Defensive tackle looks especially strong in this draft. Another good thing as the Vikings could use one of those. North Carolina's Sylvester Williams, Purdue's Kawann Short, Missouri Southern's Brandon Williams, and Penn St's Jordan Hill all played well yesterday. All would be perfectly welcome in Minnesota next year.

Oh, the South won 21-16. Florida St. quarterback E.J. Manual was MVP. A little surprising seeing as defense dominated the game but Manual was behind all three South touchdowns.

Go NFC!!!

Done Too Soon?

Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best may have played his last football game. It's far too soon. He'll turn 24 next week. He should have his best football ahead of him. Concussions have kept him off the field since 2011. Best has spent over a year trying to find a doctor that will clear him to play. None will. Considering the serious permanent damage that can be caused by these head injuries this may be for the best.

I can still clearly see Jahvid Best soaring through the air to score a touchdown for Cal against Oregon St. in 2009. A collision at the goal line forced him even higher. He was soaring way too high to come down on his head. He wasn't moving for so long. It was one of the most chilling moments that I've ever seen on a football field. It's difficult for any football player to know when that first concussion occurred. For Best, it's pretty easy to point to that night in Corvallis. He never again played football for Cal. Despite ending his junior year with that injury, Best left for the NFL. It proved to be the right decision when the Lions still drafted him at the end of the first round.

Jahvid Best was a big play waiting to happen as soon as he arrived in Berkeley in 2007. He exploded in 2008 when he led the Pac-10 in rushing with 1,580 yards. He averaged an amazing 8.1 yards/carry and scored 15 touchdowns. He showed that year what he could do on a football field. Against Washington in the last game of the regular season, Best was at his very best with 311 yards. An Amazing season. I've been thinking about that season quite a bit since hearing that Jahvid Best may not play again.

Jahvid Best played in only 22 games for the Detroit Lions. It's disappointing. A brief NFL career is still far better than a remaining life thrashed by the damage done to the brain. Concussions are brutal. You can feel fine but your brain most certainly isn't fine. Best likely feels fine over a year removed from his last concussion. I wish Jahvid Best the best in all that he does and thank him for the incredible football thrills that he brought to Cal.

Early Draft Thoughts

Unless you are a fan of the San Francisco 49ers or Baltimore Ravens you can't help but have some thoughts about the NFL Draft. A lot can change between now and April 25th. A lot will change. A lot could change this week with the Senior Bowl practices. I've been thinking about the Minnesota Vikings draft possibilities since their playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers a couple of weeks ago. Partly due to Vikings position needs but mostly due to their football talents, I've been drawn to Georgia linebacker Alec Ogletree and Clemson receiver DeAndre Hopkins. It'sjust a hunch. The Vikings do need to bring in a middle linebacker that can drop into coverage more naturally. Ogletree was a safety early in his college career so he has better pass coverage skills than most linebackers. Those skills might get him drafted much earlier the Vikings 23rd selection in the first round. Receiver is the Vikings most obvious need. While this draft may not have the top level receiving talent of some previous drafts it's very deep at the position. The Vikings could fill other needs like linebacker and defensive tackle with that first pick and find talented receivers later. If Cal receiver Keenan Allen is still on the board at 23, the Vikings should sprint to the podium. It's more likely that a player like Hopkins is available and I think that he'd be an excellent selection. Or Ogletree. Or a cornerback. Maybe a cornerback...

Things will most certainly change but the following would be a fantastic start to the draft:
1. Alec Ogletree  LB Georgia
2. Quenton Patton WR Lousiana Tech
3. Sylvester Williams DT North Carolina

Or:
1. DeAndre Hopkins WR Clemson
2. John Jenkins DT Georgia
3. Keith Pough LB Howard

So many options. This one would be a dream:
1. Keenan Allen WR Cal
2. Kevin Minter LB LSU
3. Brandon Williams DT Missouri Southern St.

It's really getting started now.

Throwback Thursday: Super Ball

The Super Bowl name is such a fixture now that it's difficult to imagine that the NFL was around for about 45 years without it. Even the first two Super Bowls as we know them weren't called Super Bowls when they were played. The first four were also missing those distinctive Roman numerals.

The merger of the American Football League and the National Football League in 1966 brought about the need for an ultimate championship game. During the merger talks, AFL founder and Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt asked what this game should be called. Lacking a better term he referred to the game as a "super bowl." That name was inspired by the much loved toy of his children, Lamar Jr. and Sharron. The Wham-O super ball. That crazy little ball that could be bounced over the house. Hunt just tossed the name out there. NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle hated it. He found "super" to be a silly word, like "neat" or "gee-whiz." Most of the owners agreed. They thought that "Super Bowl" was too corny to be the name of their new championship game. Instead, the first championship between the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs was tagged with the AFL-NFL World Championship. While "Super Bowl" didn't stick with Rozelle and the owners the term made it to the media and reporters started using it. By the third championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Jets, the fans and media were calling the game the "Super Bowl." The program even featured "SUPER BOWL" in huge letters across the top. Rozelle, in a press conference two days before the game, reluctantly admitted that the name had stuck.
This might have been the only NFL decision that wasn't made by NFL people. It wasn't until the fifth championship game between Baltimore Colts and Dallas Cowboys that each Super Bowl was distinguished from the rest. That Super Bowl became Super Bowl V. The NFL has been teaching the public to count with Roman numerals ever since.

The Wham-O Super ball. It seems like such a small thing to have inspired such a big thing. When I became aware of the Super Bowl as a child the first thing that came to mind was that crazy little ball. Everything that Pete Rozelle feared about the name was true. It's a very cheesy name. It's also perfect.

Dodged One

One of the main reasons that I feel confident that the Minnesota Vikings have a bright future is their coaches and front office. If the Vikings have the future that I expect, other teams will circle and pluck away the best. Even the nice improvement on the field this year brought the attention of some teams. Assistant general manager George Paton interviewed for the general manager position of the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns. He was in the running for the St. Louis Rams job last year. Paton is a valuable personnel man in the Vikings front office. Other teams have come to know that. He'll be running his own team soon. Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer interviewed for the Chicago Bears head coaching job. He'll be getting many more interviews in the coming years. The Vikings special teams units were incredibly inconsistent before Priefer arrived two years ago. Granted, many of those difficulties were caused by Devin Hester and every other stick of dynamite that the Bears had returning kicks. There was a real fear every time the Vikings had to kick the ball. Priefer has turned that around in two years. The Vikings were among the best special teams units in all phases this year. Priefer was instrumental in kicker Blair Walsh's incredible rookie season. He scouted and coached away the difficulties that Walsh had his final year at Georgia. Like George Paton, Mike Priefer will have his own team soon.

In 2006, new Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress hired a fairly unknown defensive backs coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be his defensive coordinator. It was clear from that first training camp that Mike Tomlin wasn't going to be around for very long. I hoped that he would be in Minnesota for more than one year but it didn't work out that way. He's done pretty well for himself in Pittsburgh. Like Tomlin, Mike Priefer has a similar presence about him. John Harbaugh's success in Baltimore has shined the light on the potential of special teams coordinators. Unlike their offensive and defensive counterparts, special teams coordinators deal with the entire roster. This gives them an overall team perspective that benefits them when they lead their own team. Priefer's days in Minnesota are numbered. Paton's too. Unless something unexpected comes up, they're both Vikings for another year. While it will be a big loss for the Vikings when another team comes calling it's a tremendous and deserving opportunity for Priefer and Paton. It's wrong to not be happy for someone that is finally getting the opportunity for which they've worked for so long. When a team is successful they often lose their talented people. Priefer and Paton may only be the beginning. Alan Williams and Bill Musgrave might not be too far behind. For another year year, the Minnesota Vikings may have dodged the pilfereing.

Remembering Vic Rowen

Sometimes the best football coaches, the most influential coaches are those that few know. Many are the coaches that stay at high schools and small colleges. We only hear of them when those that were influenced by them speak of them. Vic Rowen passed away last Friday at 93. He was the head football coach at San Francisco State for 29 years. He was one of those coaches that influenced many that went on to influence even more. His coaching continues.

Floyd Peters, Bob Toledo and Gil Haskell played for Rowen. Each took some of that teaching into coaching themselves. Jim Sochor, Dirk Koetter, Andy Reid and Mike Holmgren all coached for Rowen. Each found their very successful coaching careers greatly influenced early by Rowen.

Vic Rowen was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1919. He played end at Long Island University and later earned a doctorate in physical education at Columbia. He was a staff sergeant in the U.S. 101st Airborne during World War II. After the war he played football professionally for the Brooklyn Dodgers of the All America Football Conference. He went into coaching in 1951 at Defiance College in Ohio. In 1954 he became an assistant coach under Joe Verducci at San Francisco State. The Gators were a football powerhouse in those days. Rowen became the head coach in 1961 and continued the dominance that Verducci had started. Rowen's San Francisco State teams would win five Far Western Conference titles in the 1960s. It all changed at the end of that turbulent decade when a student strike hit the campus. Football was seen in an entirely different light after that. It was never the same but Vic Rowen remained and did the best that he could for his players and his coaches. His teaching remained the same as did his influence on coaches like Holmgren and Reid.

Vic Rowen retired in 1989 and it wasn't long after that football was dropped at San Francisco State. Rowen's coaching continues in the coaching of Andy Reid and Dirk Koetter. Even terrific college coaches like TCU's Gary Patterson and Boise St's Chris Peterson can be linked to the coaching of Rowen through their time at UC Davis with Jim Sochor. Rowen's coaching was far more successful than his 132-173-10 record. His success can be better measured in those that he influenced. Those that he coached.

Championship Sunday Thoughts

Congratulations to the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens on winning their conference championships.

A Harbaugh Super Bowl. I'm sure that will be talked about a bunch over the next two weeks.

Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez hasn't announced that he's retiring but it sounds like he's leaning that way. He's had an amazing career. It's incredible that he's behind only Jerry Rice in career receptions. He's one of the best, if not the best, tight ends to ever play the game. I remember a Saturday in Cal's Memorial Stadium in 1993 when I heard that an excellent high school tight end from southern California was coming to Berkeley. He would play football and basketball for Cal. Gonzalez excelled at both sports. I've been a fan of his since those Cal days. Amazing football player. It's been a real treat to watch him pay for nearly twenty years.

Atlanta watched a 20-point lead evaporate last week. They still won that game against the Seattle Seahawks.  Yesterday the Falcons jumped out to a 17-point lead early. A 10-point lead at the half. The Falcons lost to the 49ers because the offense couldn't score in the 2nd half. Not because the defense gave up two touchdowns in each half.

Colin Kaepernick did an excellent job of not forcing things. He ran wild last week. He didn't force those runs this week. He dropped back and took what the defense gave him. He became a pocket pass. The kid's got skills.

49ers corner Chris Culliver's interception half way through the 3rd quarter changed the game. Atlanta was moving the ball and the offenses of both teams were scoring at will. The game was turning into a shootout. The defenses started making plays following Culliver's big play. It became a better game. Offense and scoring is always fun but I think games are better when there are nice plays on both sides of the ball. We had Aldon Smith recovering a Matt Ryan fumble. We had Dunta Robinson stripping the ball from Michael Crabtree at the goal line. Carlos Rogers stopping Tony Gonzalez short of the first down. That forced the punt that led to the 49ers' winning touchdown drive. I prefer a 28-24 game with some defensive stops over a 45-42 shootout. It's better football.

While Michael Crabtree and Randy Moss provide Kaepernick with nice receiving options outside the numbers, I think that they miss Mario Manningham. He provided a terrific third option before his injury. Fortunately, the 49ers have a tight end with receiver-like speed and skills in Vernon Davis. He's showing again that he steps up in the playoffs. The 49ers better hope that nothing happens to Crabtree or Moss in or before the Super Bowl.

The 49ers got some real breaks in the penalty department. The Falcons were called for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on plays in which 49er players could have gotten the same penalty. The most stunning of non-calls was when four 49ers picked up Falcons running back Jacquizz Rodgers and held him horizontal for a moment and then tossed him to the ground. Right in front of an official. I'm not sure how you let that stunt go.

I really envy the excess talent that the Falcons have at receiver with Roddy White and Julio Jones.

The Falcons paid a ton to move way up in the draft to select Jones. Many questioned the move then. No one questions the move now. Julio Jones is a fantastic football player.

I really like the 49ers short yardage offense. A lot of teams add an extra lineman in those sets. The 49ers add two. They have a terrific offensive line to start and then add two more big guys to it. It's overpowering.

It was amazing to see Jacquizz Rodgers carry 49ers defensive end Ray McDonald for about five yards. Rodgers is a little guy but he runs much bigger. He had a great career at Oregon St. Atlanta probably drafted him to be a change of pace back but I think that they have a three-down back.

"Colin Kaepernick runs like a gazelle. Tom Brady runs like Giselle."
    -heard on Rich Eisen's podcast

Ravens safety Bernard Pollard has been a nightmare for the Patriots:
-makes the tackle that thrashes Tom Brady's knee in 2008
-makes the tackle that  thrashes Wes Welker's knee in 2010
-in on the tackle that injures Rob Gronkowski's arm this season
-yesterday he knocks Steven Ridley out of the game with a concussion

The Patriots had the ball inside the Ravens 25-yard line six times. They scored one touchdown. That was the difference in the game.

Joe Flacco coming alive in the second half was a big difference too. Like the Falcons, the Ravens have a couple of dynamite receivers in Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith.

The Ravens have some of my favorite non-Vikings players in the league. Boldin, Ray Rice and Ed Reed in particular. Bryant McKinnie definitely isn't one of them and he played for the Vikings.

Ray Lewis' fantastic career continues.

Game Day Thoughts

Best of luck to the four teams still fighting for that Lombardi Trophy. I can see any of the four leaving New Orleans in a couple of weeks with that trophy.

Three years ago, Championship Sunday was more fun with the Minnesota Vikings playing in one the games. They'll be back. Soon, I hope.

The Ravens Anquan Boldin has long been one of my favorite receivers. It's a joy to watch him catch the football. He recently said that Joe Flacco is the most talented quarterback that he's ever played with. That list includes likely Hall of Famer Kurt Warner.

Boldin and fellow receiver Torrey Smith, along with tight ends Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson, give Flacco some real nice targets. Still, Flacco doesn't get enough credit for the great things that he's brought to Baltimore's offense. He's led the Ravens to the playoffs every year that he's been in the league. That alone should get him some mention among the league's elite throwers. In five seasons he's already won nearly as many playoff games as Peyton Manning.

At the other end of playoff success is Atlanta's Matt Ryan. Taken first in the same draft as Flacco, Ryan has had little success in the playoffs. He won his first playoff game last week. Granted, Flacco's Ravens team was a much better team than Ryan's Falcons when each entered the NFL. Flacco helped his already good team get better. I think that both are terrific quarterbacks. Having their teams in conference championship games is proof enough of that. The talking heads should include both among the league's best.

Then we have Tom Brady.

And Colin Kaepernick. My fellow Turlocker has a lot of heat on him these days. Nearly 450 total yards against the Green Bay Packers last week. Over 180 yards rushing. Cover of Sports Illustrated. Oh my. I'd say that there's little doubt that the San Francisco 49ers are his team now. It won't always come as easy as it did last week but Kaepernick has the talent, the smarts and the leadership to be an excellent quarterback for years.

San Francisco 49ers safety Dashon Goldson was fined $10,0000 for another late helmet-to-helmet hit in last week's game against the Green Bay Packers. It was his fifth unnecessary roughness penalty of the season. The NFL tried to suspend Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed for a similar number of hits over the last five seasons. Reed had the suspension dropped on appeal. Goldson is out of control. For every step that the NFL tries to take to cut down on serious head injuries players like Goldson force the entire league several steps back.

I like the defensive coaching hires that the Dallas Cowboys have made so far. New defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin has been one of the best defensive coaches for years. Rod Marinelli is an excellent line coach. The Cowboys have run a 3-4 for a while so their personnel is facing quite a shift to Kiffin's 4-3 cover-2 scheme. DeMarcus Ware at defensive end will be something to see. He's such an amazing football player that I'm sure the switch will be smooth.

This Manti Te'o nonsense is really annoying. I'm so sick of ridiculous off-the-field stuff dominating the football airwaves. We have two great championship games today. A Super Bowl in two weeks. Senior Bowl practices this week. There is real live football stuff. Who cares if Te'o had a girlfriend that he's never met? With the advances of technology and social media everybody has "friends" that they've never met. "Friends" that we think we know. Hell, some of our old facebook buddies may be nothing like the people that we thought we knew in high school. There's a lot of trust and assumptions out there. Are we pointing at Te'o simply because he was caught in something that everyone should fear? I'd rather be talking about Manti Te'o's 40 time and whether he can drop in pass coverage.

The deadline for college players to declare for early entry into the NFL Draft has passed. The 73 or 74 players that have declared for the draft is a new record. The inexact number is a little confusing. I've seen two lists of 73 players. One list is missing North Carolina St. defensive back David Amerson and includes Alabama tackle T.J. Fluker. The other has Amerson but there is no Fluker to be found. I'm guessing that there are 74. That would break the record of 73 set moments ago. An incredible 11 players are leaving LSU early. One is Brad Wing. A punter. He's an excellent punter but I've never seen a specialist leave school early. I have nothing against punters looking for early entry into the NFL. I'm just a little surprised. Another surprise to me is Cal corner Steve Williams. He played great this season against some terrific receivers in the Pac-12 but I really thought that he could benefit from more time in college. Maybe I'm just being a selfish Cal fan. Williams obviously feels that he's ready and I wish him luck.

Yesterday marked the beginning of the college all-star games with the East-West Shrine game and the newer NFLPA Bowl and something called the Raycom All-Star game. As the NFL Draft has gotten bigger, it was always big but it's a media bonanza now, these games have become more forward looking rather than the post season honor that they were originally meant to be. They are now the first of the Draft interview process. In that capacity the week of practices are seen as more important than the game itself. The practices are where the future employers corner the players and see what's up. It's a strange thing. The games and practices are most important to the small school players and the players pegged for the later round of the drafts. The small school players get a chance to show that they can play with the "big boys." The later round guys are putting tape out there trying to climb the draft boards. Each round they climb increases their chance of sticking with an NFL team as well as the contract that they are offered.

For me, I'm scouting these all-star games for the Minnesota Vikings. They don't know it but I am. I was most interested in the linebackers. I see receiver as the Vikings greatest need but linebacker isn't too far behind. I wanted to see players like Howard's Keith Pough, Iowa St.'s A.J. Klein and New Hampshire's Matt Evans.

Howard University is in Washington D.C. I'm a little curious how the Shrine Game people figured that Pough should play on the West team.

I'm thinking 49ers-Patriots.

UPDATE: Fluker found. Alabama tackle T.J. Fluker is a junior that has graduated. Even though he has eligibility remaining he's not considered an early entry.

Rooney Rule

Many people likely think that the closest attorney Johnnie Cochran came to football was when he represented O.J. Simpson during a certain trial in the early '90s. He also represented Jim Brown on occasion. Cochran impacted the NFL in a far more significant way about a decade ago. Cochran and attorney Cyrus Mehri co-authored the 2002 report "Black Coaches in the NFL: Superior Performance, Inferior Opportunities." This report led to the formation of the NFL owners' Workplace Diversity Committee. The purpose of this committee was to create a new plan to "level the playing field" in minority hiring for NFL head coaches. In 2003, this plan became the Rooney Rule. It was named after Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney. Instead of being called the Cochran Rule or the Cochran/Mehri Rule it was named after Rooney because he was the chairman of the Workplace Diversity Committee. Not to take anything away from Dan Rooney but this rule to advance the hiring of minority coaches should have carried the name of another. If the Rooney Rule improves the representation of minorities in the NFL it doesn't really matter whose name is used.

The Rooney Rule states that a minority candidate must be interviewed for every open head coaching and front office position in the NFL. It's objective is grand in that it brings opportunities and attention to some that might not otherwise get those opportunities or attention. There were eight head coach openings at the end of this past season. All eight were filled with white coaches. All eight teams satisfied the Rooney Rule before they hired their white coaches. As such, many believe that the Rooney Rule fails. I wouldn't be so quick to make that judgement. If only one minority coach is hired as a result of the Rooney Rule it can be seen as a success. With only four of the 32 teams employing minority coaches there is a lot of room for improvement. I just don't think that there's a concerted effort on the part of the owners to keep minority numbers down. The owners are a competitive bunch. The only thing that really motivates an owner of an NFL team is winning. If a grizzly bear could bring a Super Bowl to an NFL owner that owner would hire a grizzly bear to coach his team. I think that the minority presence in the league will increase. There's too many excellent minority coaches out there to not got some attention and jobs. Jim Caldwell, Raheem Morris and Lovie Smith will get another shot. Hue Jackson will get his first "real" shot. Ray Horton, Mel Tucker, Jerry Gray, Alan Williams and others will start getting interview opportunities. There's a bunch of college coaches that could move up. Winning is all that matters in the NFL. If minority coaches can provide wins they'll get the jobs. Just like Johnnie Cochran envisioned.

Coaching Grab

So, it took about two weeks to fill four of the eight NFL head coaching vacancies. All four of the remaining jobs are filled in the last two days. On Wednesday the Philadelphia Eagles made perhaps the strongest statement of the coach-hiring season by prying Chip Kelly from his cushy college job at the University of Oregon. Earlier that same day the Chicago Bears hired Montreal Alouttes head coach Marc Trestman to replace Lovie Smith. The Jacksonville Jaguars closed the active day by hiring Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. Yesterday, the Arizona Cardinals hired Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator/interim coach Bruce Arians. It was an active couple of days. Especially compared to the slow trickle of coaching hires over the two weeks since the season ended.

A lot has been made of Chip Kelly's move to the NFL. He ran a very unique offense at Oregon. Most of the talking heads in the media expect Kelly to move that blueprint straight to the NFL. One thing that I've come to realize as a Cal fan watching the Oregon Ducks stampede the Pac-10/12 for the past four years is that Kelly is a terrific football coach. He's going to be that same bold coach but he's smart enough to know that what works great in college may not work as well in the NFL. He's going to bring some of the up tempo, spread offense that got him here but he's going to adapt to his new world.

Marc Trestman is an interesting hire. He's a coach that I thought would have had a head coaching job long before this. Bud Grant gave him his first NFL job with the Minnesota Vikings. That's how far back Trestman's NFL assistant coaching experience goes. After seeing the Bears press conference announcing Marc Trestman as their coach I have a hunch that his calm presence may have been what's kept him from getting a head coaching gig. NFL owners sometimes want to see energy and excitement coming form their potential head coach. That's why Mike Tomlin's wait to get a head coaching chance was so short. When he enters a room everyone knows it. He brings that energy. Current Vikings coach Leslie Frazier's very calm presence made have led to his long wait for a head coaching chance. He would likely still be waiting if he hadn't been named the interim coach during the 2010 season. He had an on-the-job interview that showed Vikings owner Zygi Wilf that he could lead the team. Trestman had to do his on-the-job interview in Canada. He finally gets his long deserved head coaching chance.

The hiring of Gus Bradley may have been the least talked about of the day. That should not be taken as an indication of the quality of the hire. For no particular reason, I like defensive-minded head coaches. The job that Bradley did with the Seahawks defense was remarkable. Each level of the defense, line, linebackers, secondary, complimented the others so well. I think that Bradley will do well in Jacksonville.

I find it interesting that it took Bruce Arians filling in for Chuck Pagano and leading the Colts to the playoffs to get the attention that he's deserved for a while. He's only been coaching since 1975. I figured that his work as offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers would get him some head coaching attention. It's not like he hasn't been on a coaching unknown.

All of the head coaching jobs are now filled. For now.

Throwback Thursday: Early Triplets

The use of the term "Triplets" to describe an elite quarterback, running back and receiver on a team started with the Dallas Cowboys of the early '90s. Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin are all in the Hall of Fame. They were dynamic players that earned a title distinguishing them from the rest. Just because they were the first to be called "Triplets" doesn't mean that they were actually the first.

The San Francisco 49ers of the mid-late '80s had Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Roger Craig pacing an explosive offense. Montana and Rice were Hall of Fame automatics and are among the best football players of all time. Craig doesn't get the same acclaim likely because his elite years were brief in comparison to those of his teammates. He's been sitting on the edge of Hall of Fame recognition for a few years now.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins won a combined six Super Bowls in the '70s. They both fielded explosive offenses centered around their "triplets." The Steelers actually fielded "quadruplets" in Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. Despite that talent on offense the Steelers of that era are best remembered for their brutal, dominant defense. So, history tends to forget a very potent offensive team. The Dolphins had Hall of Famers Bob Griese, Larry Csonka and Paul Warfield. Despite remaining an effective football player Warfield was reaching the end of his excellent career when he was with the Dolphins.

In my opinion, it comes to the "triplets" before my lifetime that truly approach the excellence set by those Cowboys. They also include some of my favorite football players in league history. The Baltimore Colts of the late '50s were loaded. John Unitas, Lenny Moore and Raymond Berry are among the best offensive players of any generation. Unitas is right there with the greatest quarterbacks to ever toss a football. There may never have been another football player quite like Lenny Moore. Some thought of him as a back. Others thought of him as a receiver. He likely would have made the Hall of Fame at both positions. I'd love to have seen this team play. The same applies to the amazing Cleveland Browns from 1946 through the early '50s. They're "triplets are up next. Otto Graham, Marion Motley and Dante Lavelli are all Hall of Famers. Graham never played a professional football season that didn't end in a championship game. That applies to his teammates as well. In ten seasons Graham led the Browns to seven championships (four in the AAFC). An incredible, dominant team.

The last two sets of "triplets" come from the days when passing the football was an oddity. It became less of an oddity largely because of these two teams. The Washington Redskins "triplets" of 1937 only played the one season together. It's too bad. The Redskins won their first NFL title that season. It was the rookie season of the fantastic Sammy Baugh. Unfortunately, it was also the last season for running back Cliff Battles. He was one of best backs in the league. If not the best. Baugh, Battles and receiver Wayne Millner are all in the Hall of Fame. Together they formed an often unstoppable offense. The Packers, Bears and Giants all fielded strong teams in that era but it's hard to imagine the Redskins not winning more titles if Battles had played a few more years. Baugh and Millner did bring another title home in 1942. The Green Bay Packers of the 1930s fielded the first "triplets." Arnie Herber, Clarke Hinkle and Don Hutson were scary. The Packers won four titles in the '30s. Two were won with this "triplet" group. No one threw the ball as often or as effectively as the Packers in those days. If you settled back to stop the pass, Hinkle would run over everyone. He was a punishing runner.

One of these years I hope that I can talk of the Vikings "triplets" of Christian Ponder, Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin like I can of the above. That would be sweet.

NFL Coaching Search

When the NFL season ended seven teams were looking for a new head coach. Jacksonville joined that group about a week later to make it an even eight. With the San Diego Chargers hiring of Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy yesterday only half of the eight vacancies have been filled. This is what we have so far:

Kansas City: Andy Reid
Buffalo: Doug Marrone
Cleveland: Rob Chudzinski
San Diego: Mike McCoy

Arizona, Chicago, Philadelphia and Jacksonville are still trying to find the right fit. Former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson said last week that the Bears have already decided on Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman. It doesn't seem that the Bears know that just yet. They claim that Trestman, Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians are all still in play. Arizona wanted McCoy so they are scrambling now. The fallback is their defensive coordinator Ray Horton. It sounds like they'd rather hire an offensive-minded coach and keep Horton on defense. Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden might be the guy. Philadelphia might be close to hiring Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. Many think that Jacksonville is waiting for 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Until then they seem to have interest in Bradley, Bevell, Gruden and Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

This seems to be taking longer than most years. The Chiefs hired Reid pretty quickly but they had to. He wasn't going to be out of work long so the team had to act fast. Since then, the three hires have just trickled in. Teams are taking their time in searching for the right match. It's understandable. Teams don't want to go through a coaching search too often. It's best to get it right.

UPDATE: It sounds like Jimmy Johnson was right and the Chicago Bears have decided on Marc Trestman as their new head coach.

Players Turned Executives

While perusing the list of player personnel peeps being considered for all the general manager positions that are currently open around the NFL, I came across the name of Lake Dawson. He's currently the Vice President of Player Personnel for the Tennessee Titans but that's not what made me pause. I remembered Lake Dawson as a receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs in the mid-90s. After four years he retired due to an injury. In 2001 he got into the scouting/player personnel game with the Seattle Seahawks. He helped put together the team that made it to the Super Bowl following the 2005 season. Now with the Titans, he's been in player personnel for over a decade. He's looking for his chance to run a franchise. If he doesn't get it this year it's only a matter of time before he does.

When professional football players come to that inevitable day when they have to walk away from the game many try to remain in the game. Most of those look to TV. Some look to coaching. Few that I can recall ever give scouting a try. I have always been curious about the slight numbers that consider this side of football. Nearly all of the scouts and those involved in player personnel played football at some level. Very few had a go at the highest level. There's only one general manager in the Hall of Fame. Jim Finks was a decent quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1950s. He made an All-Star team in 1952. As a general manager he put together the Minnesota Vikings teams that went to four Super Bowls. When he moved on to Chicago he found and drafted most of the players that made up the incredible 1985 Chicago Bears team. When he was through in Chicago he moved on to the New Orleans Saints. Perhaps his greatest feat as a general manger was turning that consistent cellar dweller into a contender. Not only did Finks do an incredible job building three football teams he paved the way for former NFL football players to pursue a side of football that few have considered. Scott Studwell was one of the great football players in Minnesota Vikings history. He was inducted into the Vikings Ring of Honor in 2009. From 1977-1990 he played middle linebacker for the team. Since 1991 he's been part of the scouting department. He's currently the Director of College Scouting. I feel like I've been a fan of the Vikings forever. Scott Studwell has been a part of the team for nearly as long. Perhaps the best known former player on the personnel side of things is Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome. He's certainly the greatest player. He was a fantastic tight end for the Cleveland Browns. Like Finks, Newsome is honored in Canton. Unlike Finks, Newsome made it as a player. The work that he's done with the Ravens might get him a second call from Canton. Since Newsome has been calling the shots the Ravens never seem to have a down season. The team routinely has strong drafts and they do a fantastic job of keeping their players.

I really like that players don't have to move behind the camera to stay in the game. Coaching has always been an option and many have pursued it. I think that many have ignored scouting and personnel positions because they simply didn't know that option was available to them. Few probably know of Finks these days but maybe the success of Ozzie Newsome and Scott Studwell will let them know that those options are out there. I wish Lake Dawson success in his search for a team to run and congratulate him on trying.

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.

Wildcard Weekend Thoughts

Congratulations to the Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks on moving to the Divisional round of the playoffs.

I've never understood the excessive bashing of a team from fans and media following a loss. It seems the media does it to simply fuel the raging fans. They don't really need any help. Losing is frustrating. I get that. I'm certainly frustrated that the Vikings season ended too soon. The Vikings went into Green Bay without two of their most important offensive players, quarterback Christian Ponder and receiver Percy Harvin. The Vikings lost to an elite Packers team. Even at full strength the Vikings faced a difficult task. I've tried to think more about Adrian Peterson's incredible, jaw-dropping season and a surprising playoff appearance. A team coming together. Improving over the course of the season. There's so much more to be happy about with the 2012 Minnesota Vikings than there is to bitch about. The Vikings are a young team that is much closer to being elite than anyone could have hoped. Just a couple more players will make next year's playoff run a whole lot longer.

Vikings defensive end Jared Allen has a motor that never stops. Injuries have always been a part of football. A player like Allen often plays an entire season with various injuries. It's unbelievable that he's never had surgery since he had his tonsils removed when he was a mini-Allen. He will have that first surgery this offseason to repair a torn labrum.

Despite some shaky play in the middle of the season, I thought that Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder made some nice strides in his second season. He'll get even better with improved footwork in the pocket. Sometimes the best moves to avoid the pass rush are small moves. Just a slide to the side or a step up or back. Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is incredible at this. Colts rookie quarterback Andrew Luck makes it look easy too. Incredible for a rookie but Luck is no ordinary rookie. Ponder's movements often look frantic. It's all or nothing. Instead of these little movements he's rolling out or running. Improvements in his pocket movement will bring great overall improvements in his game.

It was great to see Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis back on a football field. This playoff run will be his last. It's been a treat to watch Lewis play football for 17 years.

Anquan Boldin has been one of the best pass catchers in the league for a while now. He was awesome in the second half yesterday. Game changing awesome.

With the NFL's great concern over player safety I never thought that I'd again hear of a coach ignore a doctor's recommendation on a player's health. I was wrong. Dr. James (thank you for your work on Peterson's knee) Andrews works as a sideline adviser for the Redskins on game day. Apparently he didn't clear Robert Griffin III to re-enter the game in which he initially injured his knee. Coach Mike Shanahan said that he did. This isn't good.

The Colts played nearly the entire season without head coach Chuck Pagano as he underwent treatment for leukemia. The coach that led them all season, Bruce Arians, then misses this playoff game against the Ravens with an illness. It's unbelievable and unfortunate.

"Luck overthrows Brazill." heehee

Ravens coach John Harbaugh has won a playoff game in each of his five seasons. He's still missing that one big win but he's done some terrific coaching.

Ray Rice fumbled twice yesterday. He doesn't fumble that many times during an entire season.

In two Indianapolis playoff games at Baltimore Adam Vinatieri has scored all 24 Colts points.

"I hate cleaning and packing." -Vikings fullback Jerome Felton

The Seattle Seahawks-Washington Redskins game was terrific until Robert Griffin III left it. Tough and physical. Griffin's been dealing with the well publicized injured knee for a few weeks. He and his team started hot in scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions. The Seahawks got some hits on Griffin. One in particular on the wrong side of the rules. It was difficult to watch him limp around the field. His knee finally gave out while trying to handle a low shotgun snap. The Seahawks put it away from there.

I really hate seeing Seahawks coach Pete Carroll win games. Since his USC days I've not found a more annoying coach.

Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is an ass. I hope that Julio Jones and Roddy White take him apart next week.

Speaking of next week's Seattle-Atlanta game. Seahawks rookie quarterback Russell Wilson enters that game with more playoff wins (1) than Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.

After the coaching slaughter this time last week there were seven head coach openings. There's five now with Kansas City hiring Andy Reid and Buffalo hiring Syracuse coach Doug Marrone. Oregon coach Chip Kelly played his now annual games with NFL teams. He apparently interviewed with Cleveland and Philadelphia. Last year he led Tampa Bay along. Personally, I think that he's afraid of the big boys in the NFL.

Great Season Done

Green Bay Packers 24
Minnesota Vikings 10

Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers.

Joe Webb became the first quarterback since 1950 to start a playoff game without throwing a pass during the season.

The Vikings needed to have most everything go right to beat the Packers in Green Bay. The first difficulty hit before the game even started when quarterback Christian Ponder was ruled out with an elbow injury.
Webb got the start. While he brings an exciting running threat it was apparent early that he hadn't thrown a pass in a game this season. It took him about three quarters to start throwing accurate passes. By then, the score was 24-3.

The Vikings had a nice looking drive to start the game. It was a win for the Packers that it ended with a field goal. Running back Adrian Peterson and Webb combined for a potent running game. They needed that touchdown.

Of the Packers three touchdowns two were the direct result of preseason errors by the Vikings. On a 3rd and 2 in the first half the Vikings had a stop. Only Kevin Williams lined up in the neutral zone. He's the closest defender to the ball. 1st down Packers. In the second half, the Vikings defense stopped a Packers drive to force a short field goal. The Vikings had 12 men on the field for the field goal attempt. 1st down Packers. Both mistakes led to touchdowns. These are mistakes that you can't have in the regular season.

The return of safety/corner/linebacker/rover/do everything Charles Woodson was a huge boost for the Packers yesterday and moving forward. He changes games and he made a huge impact yesterday. He may not have been all over the stat sheet but he was all over the field.

The Vikings have a rookie safety in Harrison Smith that may one day have a similar all over the field impact as Woodson. In a disappointing game for the Vikings, Smith was fantastic. There was a real scare in the second half when he was down on the field with an obvious leg injury. Fortunately it wasn't serious. He returned to the game and continued to make plays. Smith has an especially bright future.

While the Vikings never really threatened once they were down by three touchdowns, they had an opportunity when they forced a Packers punt from inside the twenty early in the 4th quarter. A punt to midfield had the Vikings in a real nice position until returner Marcus Sherels dropped the ball. The Packers recovered and basically sealed the game.

Like the Packers did in 2010 and the Giants did in 2007 and last year, this Packers team is getting healthy and hot at the right time. They might have lost to the Vikings last week but it just feels like the Packers are starting a playoff run. The offense can score with anyone with Aaron Rodgers throwing to an abundance of playmaking receivers. The defense is talented and they have Woodson back. They face the San Francisco 49ers next week. I can see the winner of that game in the Super Bowl.

The player of the game for the Packers might have been safety Morgan Burnett when he hit Ponder's elbow last week. The Vikings had gotten on a nice run to end the season. The offense was starting to click beyond the fantastic running of Peterson. They hit the playoffs on a roll and they open the playoffs without their quarterback. There's no guarantee that the Vikings would have won this game with Ponder but the team that made the playoffs wasn't the team that played yesterday. It's not a knock on Webb either. It's just a tough way to open the playoffs.

As a Vikings fan, it's difficult to be disappointed with this season. Any season that ends short of a Super Bowl win is a season that ends too soon. I'm disappointed with this game as this Vikings team is definitely moving in the right direction. It's been fun watching them grow through this season. I wanted to see the run continue. I wanted to see more of this team. I wanted to see Ponder get his first taste of the playoffs. I wanted to see more Peterson runs. This Vikings team is a young team. This Vikings team wasn't supposed to be here. They were supposed to be at the bottom of the NFC North. The Packers, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions were all supposed to be better. The Vikings are better than the Bears and the Lions and the difference between them and the Packers is a whole lot closer than anyone thought. The Vikings were 3-13 last year. 10-6 this year and in the playoffs. This Vikings season was far more than anyone else expected. They are only getting better.

Next year is bad news for the rest of the NFL.

Game Day Thoughts

This will be the second time since 2004 that the Minnesota Vikings have faced the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. Hopefully, the outcome will be the same as the one in 2004 when Randy Moss thought that it would be a fine idea to moon the crowd at Lambeau on the way to a Vikings victory.

The Vikings and Packers meet for the second time in six days. The Vikings are looking to make it two wins in a row. Two of the most important Vikings players from last week are listed as questionable due to injuries this week. Quarterback Christian Ponder played perhaps the best game of his career last week. He also injured his elbow during the game. He finished the game but was greatly limited in practice this week. I have a hard time imagining that he'd miss the game tonight. Cornerback Antoine Winfield was important last week in missing most of the game. He'd broken his hand a week earlier and aggravated it during the Packers game. When he left the game Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers started slicing up the secondary. Winfield impacts the game with his play and his leadership. He's a coach on the field for a young secondary. He'll wear a more sturdy cast and play as much as he can stand. I have a hunch that he'd sooner lose the hand than leave the field.

Packers linebacker Clay Matthews has stated that Vikings running back Adrian Peterson isn't going to get 200 yards in this game. That doesn't really sound like much of a goal. Considering that Peterson has averaged just over 200 yards in the two games I guess that anything short would be an improvement. Like he's been to a lot of teams over the last half of the season Peterson will be a nightmare for the Packers tonight.

With all the attention that the Packers will be paying to Peterson the Vikings have to take advantage in the passing game. It'd be nice if receiver Jerome Simpson finally has that big game everyone's been expecting of him since he was brought in as a free agent. He's starting to make more plays. He has to make more. Rookie Jarius Wright has become more of a playmaker each week. He's got the speed to really hurt a defense. The receivers are starting to make more plays for Ponder. Tight ends Kyle Rudolph, John Carlson and Rhett Ellison can help him even more. The Vikings pass catchers aren't considered as explosive as those of the Packers but they can make some plays. Peterson can carry the team and the Packers know it. The Vikings passing game have to take advantage of that run stopping attention.

Packers receiver Randall Cobb missed the game last week. Outside of Rodgers, Cobb is probably the Packers most dangerous player. Winfield is the Vikings defender best able to handle Cobb. Winfield has to be on the field.

Packers defensive back Charles Woodson has missed most of the season with a broken collar bone. He's been cleared to play for this game. Woodson is a fantastic football player. A defender that can change a game all by himself. His return is huge for the Packers. A broken collar bone seems like the worst sort of injury for someone trying to tackle Peterson. I doubt that he'd be cleared to play if there was a concern.

Any time a team faces a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers the defensive line has to be harassing and the secondary has to stick to their responsibilities. Rodgers will take advantage of the slightest mistake. It really starts up front. Defensive ends Jared Allen, Brian Robison and Everson Griffen have to be all over Rodgers all night long. He's got to be uncomfortable in the pocket. And, he's got to stay in that pocket.

Go Vikings!!!

There's another game today.

The Cincinnati Bengals visit the Houston Texans. These two teams met in the Wild Card round last year. Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates, in place of an injured Matt Schaub, led  the Texans to the win. Schaub finally starts a playoff game today. The Texans have struggled at the end of the season. For a team this talented, it's a a mystery as to what they are missing right now. They should defeat the Bengals but who knows what Texans team shows up. The Bengals are dangerous. They can score points with quarterback Andy Dalton, running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis and receivers A.J. Green, Marvin Jones and Andrew Hawkins. The defense led by amazing defensive tackle Geno Atkins is tough.

I found this stat from Sports Illustrated's Peter King pretty interesting. Since 1982, there has not been a division more evenly balanced than the NFC East. Dallas has won the division 9 times. New York has won 8. Philadelphia and Washington are right behind with 7 each. That's amazing. Only Philadelphia has failed to win a Super Bowl. They did make it to one.

A few things from the college bowl games.

The bowl season just feels empty when Cal is not a part of it. One thing that was pretty much a constant during Jeff Tedford's Cal coaching career was a Golden Bear presence in bowl games. I hope that new coach Sonny Dykes can do the same. Better, actually.

Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor has really impressed me throughout his career. Every time that I see him I become more impressed. He is an extremely tough, physical runner. Whatever NFL team that drafts him will be very happy.

South Carolina defensive end Jadaveon Clowney is an incredible football player. He's definitely a player that has completely lived up to his top high school player in the nation ranking. Not many have. I was real curious to see him go up against Michigan's Taylor Lewan in the Outback Bowl. Lewan might be the first lineman taken in the 2013 NFL Draft. There were moments when Clowney could not be blocked. He'll likely be the top pick in the draft whenever he decides to move to the next level. He'd likely be the top pick this year. He won't because he's only a sophomore. The website Pro Football Talk immediately wrote that Clowney is getting a raw deal in not being allowed to enter the draft. That he's risking injury having to stay at a level of football that he's clearly eclipsed. That view is misguided and irresponsible. There's always going to be a football player that's ready earlier than most. Some felt that Adrian Peterson was ready for the NFL as soon as he left high school. Running for over 1,800 yards as a true freshman at Oklahoma showed that could be true. Former coach and TV announcer John Madden felt that De La Salle High School back/linebacker D.J. Williams was ready for the NFL as a high school player in the late '90s. The rule isn't meant for them. The rule is meant for those that think they can but really can't. What's so wrong with going to college?

I loved seeing USC get handled easily by Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl. It's what that nauseating school gets for a bunch of dipshits the entire week in El Paso. They insulted the city and their opponents. USC just finished a two year bowl ban. It should have continued.

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is an electric football player. My goodness. He's fun to watch.

Go Vikings!!!

2013 Draft Order

With the 2012 regular season over, it's now the offseason for twenty NFL teams. One of the major events of every offseason is the selection of college football players. Here's the order for the 2013 NFL Draft:

1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
3. Oakland Raiders
4. Philadelphia Eagles
5. Detroit Lions
6. Cleveland Browns
7. Arizona Cardinals
8. Buffalo Bills
9. New York Jets
10. Tennessee Titans
11. San Diego Chargers
12. Miami Dolphins
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14. Carolina Panthers
15. New Orleans Saints
16. St. Louis Rams
17. Pittsburgh Steelers
18. Dallas Cowboys
19. New York Giants
20. Chicago Bears

Picks 21-32 will be determined by the results of the postseason.

What a difference a year makes. The first three picks of the 2012 NFL Draft were held by the Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings. The Redskins traded into that second spot but they didn't have to move up very far. They weren't very good in 2011. All three teams at the top of 2012 draft are in the 2012 playoffs. The Chiefs, Jaguars and Raiders must be looking forward to a similar type of jump.

Going into this season the Detroit Lions had Super Bowl dreams. They remain dreams. The Lions made the playoffs last year and were proud of their Super Bowl caliber offense. They struggled from the start of this season. Now they are picking at #5. More like the disaster years of Matt Millen than anything resembling a team with Super Bowl dreams.

One team to watch due to talent already on the roster and favorable draft position is the Philadelphia Eagles. With the firing of head coach Andy Reid, a lot depends on who is leading the team in 2013 but the Eagles situation might be the most appealing of all the coaching vacancies. Talent and a high draft pick. They have to decide what to do with quarterback Michael Vick. Rookie Nick Foles showed a lot of potential when he stepped in for Vick. The Eagles could be a team that makes a jump like the Colts, Redskins and Vikings.

Throwback Thursday: Looking Back on 2012

One of the greatest opportunities that I've ever had, certainly in football, was visiting the NFL Films facility this past June. I know that my first visit to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton will be magical but that will be a trip through football past. NFL Films is living, breathing football. It's football past, present and future come alive. They are the keepers of the NFL flame. It was an honor to have the opportunity to see the beautiful thing that Ed and Steve Sabol have created.

Three months later Steve Sabol lost his fight with brain cancer. Sabol did as much as anyone to create the NFL that we know today. His vision for the NFL and NFL Films carries on with the family that he built in Mt. Laurel, NJ.

The NFL in 2012 will remembered best by the incredible comebacks of Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and the incredible crop of rookie quarterbacks.

Manning came back from a bunch of neck surgeries to a new team. He took that new team to the #1 seed of the AFC playoffs. He played like the quarterback we've always known rather than a quarterback that's spent a year under the knife. He's been fantastic all year and has the Broncos sitting as the Super Bowl favorites heading into the playoffs.

Peterson had his left knee destroyed as 2011 closed. He came back better than he's ever been in 2012. 2,097 yards rushing. 9 yards short of breaking Eric Dickerson's NFL record. The way that Peterson played the last half of this season makes 2,500 yards look possible in 2013. Peterson carried the Vikings to the playoffs.

Based solely on one season, the 2012 rookie quarterbacks have sparked memories of the incredible '83 class of Elway, Marino and Kelly. Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson have been nothing short of amazing. Al three have their teams in the playoffs. All three have played like veterans. All three have the Colts, Redskins and Seahawks smiling at a bright future. Fellow rookies Ryan Tannehill and Brandon Weedon have also had some nice moments.

The NFL has been a passing league for several years now. It only looks to continue, even increase, moving forward. The amazing rookies are joined by a handful of 2nd-year throwers. Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, Christian Ponder and Colin Kaepernick have had enough positive moments that Manning, Brady and Brees can sleep calmly knowing that the passing future of the NFL is in good hands.

Every NFL year is entertaining. 2012 was more so than most due to the warming comebacks of Adrian Peterson and Peyton Manning. The play, poise and personalities of rookie quarterbacks Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson have breathed new life into a league that may not have needed it but sure could use it.

The passing of Steve Sabol may have been a sad note but it increased the light on the incredible art that he created at NFL Films. 2012 was also the year that I was able to see Sabol's amazing art first hand. I've always wished that I could have met him. In visiting NFL Films I feel that I did.