Tingelhoff for the Hall of Fame

Former Minnesota Vikings center Mick Tingelhoff is the senior nominee for the 2015 Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As is the case with pretty much every senior nominee, he should already be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The senior nominee process is meant to clean up the voter mistakes of the past. Fritz Pollard was inducted 80 years after he retired. Benny Friedman was inducted 71 after he retired. Both should have been in the Hall before the Hall was ten years old. Lavvie Dilweg's family is still waiting. Tingelhoff's 32 year wait doesn't seem so long. He's closer than he's ever been. Hopefully, he's closer than he'll ever need to be. If the Vikings had won at least one of the four Super Bowls in which they played he wouldn't be waiting. Neither would another Vikings player or two.

Mick Tingelhoff was named the starting center of the Minnesota Vikings in 1962. He played 17 years and started 240 consecutive regular games. That number grows with playoff games and the Vikings played a lot of playoff games from 1968-78. Only Brett Favre and teammate Jim Marshall started more consecutive games. Tingelhoff was named All-Pro/All-NFL seven times. He basically the NFL equivalent to the AFL's Jim Otto in the 1960s. Each was their league's representative for postseason honors for most of the decade. Otto's been in the Hall since 1980. Center has been the most stable position in team history. Bill Lapham held the Vikings center spot in 1961. Tingelhoff basically ended Lapham's 2-year career in 1962. Tingelhoff won the position in training camp and held it for the next 17 years. Dennis Swilley took over when Tingelhoff retired and held it from 1979-86. Kirk Lowdermilk from 1987-1992. Jeff Christy from 1994-99. Matt Birk from 2000-2008. John Sullivan from 2009-present. Three centers started single seasons for the Vikings. Lapham(1961), Ron Sams(1984), and Adam Schreiber (1993). In a 54-year history the Minnesota Vikings have had 6 centers for all but three of those years. That stability started with Tingelhoff. He's the best of the bunch and one of the best of all time.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame voters meet today to decide the 2015 Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Class will be announced tonight during the NFL Honors show. Mick Tingelhoff should be a part of that class. Bringing the Minnesota Vikings population in Canton to 13. 

Lynch Speaks

The only NFL team representatives that routinely appear before the media throughout the season are the head coach and the quarterback. There might be a day of the week when the respective coordinators make a brief appearance. Adrian Peterson has been the face of the Minnesota Vikings since he was drafted in 2007. Except for the 2009 and 2010 seasons the Vikings quarterbacks since 2007 have been fairly anonymous. Even Tarvaris Jackson was called upon more than Peterson. Unless Peterson had one of his earth-shaking games, Jackson or Christian Ponder usually appeared before the media. Few in the media ever want to talk to a running back. Unless that running back doesn't want to talk to them.

I really don't blame Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch for not talking to the media. They sound like a herd of geese honking the same questions over and over. I'd lose my mind if I had to answer their ridiculous questions. They say that they have a job to do. They say that the fans want to know the answers of the questions that they ask. I'm not so sure. I've heard interviews where the interviewer is simply reading questions on a list without once considering the answers that the interviewee is giving. In this day of instant news the media only seems interested in a drama. They would rather create a story than report a story. What's the point of an interview when the media usually takes quotes and answers out of context to create what they want. There are terrific reporters and writers out there. They are just becoming more difficult to find. It's no wonder that Lynch doesn't want to take part in these pathetic games. He has his own reasons for not cooperating with the media and I really don't care what they are. Just leave him alone.

Rumor has it that there are reporters in Seattle whose sole purpose is to get Lynch in trouble. Nice. They are poking the tiger. They are demanding interviews with him. Complaining when they don't get them. With an environment like that is it such a surprise that Lynch does what he does.

They call it "Media Day" during the week before the Super Bowl. It's a fairly stupid name as there are three, even four, days that players are supposed to play this stupid media game. To a avoid a stunning fine of $500,000 Lynch has appeared before the geese on each of the past three days. He had one response, repeated 30 times, on Tuesday:

"Just Here So I Won't Get Fined"

On Wednesday, the one response was

"You know why I'm here"

Yesterday he questioned why the herd was even there when they knew that he wasn't going to give them anything. Excellent question.

Rich Eisen said that players should talk to the media so that we, as fans, can get to know them. He says that these players might have a story to tell. Well, I can't think of a worse idea than trying to extract a story from someone that doesn't want to tell it. Harassing someone into talking when they don't want to talk or feel uncomfortable talking is a stupid thing to do. Leave the man alone. Let him play football. Let that do his talking for him.

Throwback Thursday: Super Bowl XI

It's hard to believe that it's been 38 years since the Minnesota Vikings last played in a Super Bowl. In those days the Vikings and Dallas Cowboys were on rotation as the NFC participant in the big game. Except for a surprise Washington Redskins appearance in Super Bowl VII, the Vikings or Cowboys represented the NFL/NFC in every Super Bowl from IV-XIII. In that ten year stretch of big games the Vikings made it to four. Including three in four years. Super Bowls VIII, IX, and XI. They lost them all but they would always be back. The next time would be the win. There hasn't been a next time since their 32-14 loss to the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XI.

January 9, 1977. That day started great. The Minnesota Vikings were in the Super Bowl. Oakland Raiders. Pasadena. The Rose Bowl. The game started great. The Oakland Raiders started with a drive that ended with Errol Mann doinking a short field goal off of the upright. An exchange of punts resulted in Vikings linebacker Fred McNeil blocking a Ray Guy punt. It was the first blocked punt of the Hall of Fame punter's NFL career. McNeil recovered the loose ball on the Raiders 3-yard line. The Vikings had never led in any of their three previous Super Bowl appearances. They had a fine chance to do so. They didn't. Two plays later running back Brent McClanahan fumbled and Raiders linebacker Willie Hall recovered. The Raiders were on their way and the Vikings never really threatened the rest of the day. 16-0 at the half. 32-14 final. 38 years later many fans still wonder what might have been if the Vikings had taken advantage of the opportunity that blocked punt provided.

That day is still so vivid. The sunny day. The Vikings in purple. The Raiders in white. It could have happened yesterday. The 1976 Vikings lineup is as clear as the Vikings team that played this past season.

R    Sammie White
T     Ron Yary
G     Ed White
C     Mick Tingelhoff
G     Charles Goodrum
T     Steve Riley
TE   Stu Voigt
R     Ahmad Rashad
QB  Fran Tarkenton
RB  Chuck Foreman
K     Fred Cox

DE  Carl Eller
DT  Alan Page
DT  Doug Sutherland
DE  Jim Marshall
LB   Matt Blair
LB   Jeff Siemon
LB   Wally Hilgenberg
CB  Nate Wright
CB  Bobby Bryant
S     Paul Krause
S     Jeff Wright
P     Neil Clabo

38 years ago the Minnesota Vikings were an annual Super Bowl contender. Three times in four years. They were nearly an annual Super Bowl participant. Since that 1976 season the Vikings have made a serious Super Bowl charge every 11 years. In 1987 they were a fistful of yards from a touchdown that would have forced overtime against the Washington Redskins in the NFC Championship game. In 1998 they were everyone's Super Bowl favorite but lost to the Atlanta Falcons in overtime in the NFC Championship. In 2009 they dominated the New Orleans Saints for four quarters despite turning the ball over four times. They blew a chance to win in regulation only to lose the NFC Championship in overtime without ever seeing the ball. On their current schedule they should threaten to return to the Super Bowl in 2020. The hope here is that they break the 11-year trend and return to the Super Bowl ahead of schedule. This time they win.

Ranking the Super Bowls

It's always fun to do subjective things like this. The unfortunate thing about ranking the Super Bowls is the excess of shitty games. Too many have been blow-outs. The Super Bowl history is also unfortunate for fans of the Minnesota Vikings. Unfortunate for two reasons. 1) They made it to four Super Bowls and lost all of them. 2) It's been far too long since they were last in a Super Bowl.

So, here is a Flea Flicker stab at ranking the 48 Super Bowls.

48. Super Bowl IV-Kansas City Chiefs 23, Minnesota Vikings 7

47. Super Bowl VIII-Miami Dolphins 24, Minnesota Vikings 7

46. Super Bowl VIII-Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Minnesota Vikings 6

45. Super Bowl XI-Oakland Raiders 32, Minnesota Vikings 14

44. Super Bowl XXIV-San Francisco 49ers 55, Denver Broncos 10

43. Super Bowl XLVIII-Seattle Seahawks 43, Denver Broncos 8

42. Super Bowl XX-Chicago Bears 46, New England Patriots 10

41. Super Bowl XXXV-Baltimore Ravens 34, New York Giants 7

40. Super Bowl XXIX-San Francisco 49ers 49, San Diego Chargers 26

39. Super Bowl XXXVII-Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, Oakland Raiders 21

38. Super Bowl XXII-Washington Redskins 42, Denver Broncos 10

37. Super Bowl XXVII-Dallas Cowboys 52, Buffalo Bills 17

36, Super Bowl XII-Dallas Cowboys 27, Denver Broncos 10

35. Super Bowl XXII-Washington Redskins 42, Denver Broncos 10

34, Super Bowl XXXIII Denver Broncos 34, Atlanta Falcons 19

33. Super Bowl XVIII Los Angeles Raiders 38, Washington Redskins 9

32. Super Bowl XXVI-Washington Redskins 37, Buffalo Bills 24

31. Super Bowl XV-Oakland Raiders 27, Philadelphia Eagles 10

30. Super Bowl I-Green Bay Packers 35, Kansas City Chiefs 10

29, Super Bowl VI-Dallas Cowboys 24, Miami Dolphins 3

28. Super Bowl XL-Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Seattle Seahawks 10

27. Super Bowl XLI-Indianapolis Colts 29, Chicago Bears 17

26. Super Bowl II-Green Bay Packers 33, Oakland Raiders 14

25. Super Bowl XIX-San Francisco 49ers, 38, Miami Dolphins 16

24. Super Bowl V-Baltimore Colts 16, Dallas Cowboys 13

23. Super Bowl VII-Miami Dolphins 14, Washington Redskins 7

22, Super Bowl XXVIII-Dallas Cowboys 30, Buffalo Bills 13

21. Super Bowl XXI-New York Giants 39, Denver Broncos 20

20. Super Bowl XVII-Washington Redskins 27, Miami Dolphins 17

19. Super Bowl XXXIX-Green Bay Packers 35, New England Patriots 21

18. Super Bowl XXX-Dallas Cowboys 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 17

17. Super Bowl XLIV-New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17

16. Super Bowl XLV-Green Bay Packers 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 25

15. Super Bowl XLVI-New York Giants 21, New England Patriots 17

14. Super Bowl XXXII-Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24

13. Super Bowl XVI-San Francisco 49ers 26, Cincinnati Bengals 21

12. Super Bowl XLVII-Baltimore Ravens 34, San Francisco 49ers 31

11. Super Bowl XXXVI-New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17

10. Super Bowl III-New York Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7

  9. Super Bowl X-Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Dallas Cowboys 17

  8. Super Bowl XXXIV-St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee Titans 16

  7. Super Bowl XXXVIII-New England Patriots 32, Carolina Panthers 29

  6. Super Bowl XXIII-San Francisco 49ers 20, Cincinnati Bengals 16

  5. Super Bowl XIV-Pittsburgh Steelers 31, Los Angeles Rams 19

  4. Super Bowl XXV-New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19

  3. Super Bowl XLIII-Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Arizona Cardinals 23

  2. Super Bowl XLII-New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14

  1. Super Bowl XIII-Pittsburgh Steelers 35, Dallas Cowboys 31

There it is. 

Flea Flicker's Favorite Football Flicks

The media starts their endless stream of mind-numbing questions for the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks this week. The only bad thing about earning a trip to the Super Bowl is dealing with the stupidity that comes with the big game. While the two teams deal with that stuff, let's look at movies. Football movies.

Here are the Flea Flicker's Fifteen Favorite Football Flicks:

15.  All The Right Moves (1983)
Tom Cruise was even made believable as a cornerback, somewhat.

14.  We Are Marshall (2006)
This is simply a great story.

13.  Rudy (1993)
Some might have this movie at the top of the list. Some might not have it at all.

12.  Any Given Sunday (1999)
When accepted as fiction, it's fun.

11.  The Program (1993)
Ah, college football.

10.  The Express (2008)
This might have been higher if they hadn't made Art Modell the Cleveland Browns owner in the 1950s. Accuracy goes a long ways

9.    Everybody's All-American (1988)
Adapted from Frank Deford's terrific book. This might be the best look at the incredible high's and the incredible low's of football stardom.

8.    Draft Day (2014)
Some of the trades are stretching reality but this is a very well done movie fantasizing an incredibly interesting day.

7.    Brian's Song (1971)
Even non-football fans can smile and cry with this movie.

6.    Knute Rockne, All American (1940)
It's a timeless look at a very important figure in football history.

5.    Paper Lion (1968)
Alan Alda is perfectly cast as the always entertaining George Plimpton.

4.    Heaven Can Wait (1978)
A football remake of Here Come's Mr. Jordan (1941). More romance than football. This is an excellent movie.

3.    Undefeated (2011)
Probably the only movie on the list to take home an Academy Award. Great flick.

2.    Remember The Titans (2000)
All of the actors are terrific. The story is terrific.

1.    Friday Night Lights (2004)
This movie gets top billing because of the television series that director Peter Berg spun off of it. Both are based on the excellent book by Buzz Bissinger. The movie is good. The television series is fantastic.

I have yet to view the recently released When The Game Stands Tall. I'm hoping that it can find it's way onto this list.

Pro Bowl Thoughts

Yes. They played the 2015 Pro Bowl. A lot of people attended the game. A lot of people watched on TV.

It was a pretty good one. Entertaining. It came down to the end. Team Irvin defeated Team Carter 32-28.

The effort was side early in the game. It brought back terrible memories of the game from a couple of years ago. The defenders looked to be more interested in dancing with the ball carriers than taking them to the ground. Fortunately that only lasted about one series. The rest of the game provided the effort that everyone should expect from an all-star football game.

The game was basically decided when the teams were selected last Wednesday. It was decided when Michael Irvin selected Matt Ryan as his third quarterback. That left Cris Carter with Andy Dalton.

Dalton was terrible. In an All-Star football game there should be no three-and-outs. Dalton had possessions of 6, 3, and 4 plays until the final failed drive. All of his completions were check-downs or screens. He has the likes of Antonio Brown, Jordy Nelson, TY Hilton, and his own Bengals teammate A.J. Green and he's dumping the ball to Alfred Morris. Even that last drive was driven more by Morris running the ball than Dalton passing the ball. Dalton must have been very rusty. He hasn't played in a while.

If Team Carter had managed to hold their lead it would have been largely due to J.J. Watt. His interception late in the first half and fumble recovery early in the second half turned into a 14-point swing for his team. Those two plays and several others were enough for Watt to be named defensive player of the game.

Matthew Stafford took home the offensive player of the game award. He completed 15 of 25 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns. He did all of that in just over a quarter's worth of work. That's quite a bit of work in a very short amount of time. A lot of Stafford's yardage came from tossing the ball up to his Lions teammate Golden Tate and Odell Beckham Jr.

The NFL experimented with uprights four feet more narrow than usual. Adam Vinatieri clearly didn't care much for the narrow target. The nearly automatic kicker missed two extra points and a short field goal. He did make the last extra point that made it a 4-point game. That was a big one.

The win for Team Irvin sets up a matchup next year between Michael Irvin and last year's winning captain, Jerry Rice. That Pro Bowl will be in Hawaii.

In non-Pro Bowl news, Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon took several steps closer to completely dismantling his NFL career. He failed another drug/alcohol test. This time it was reportedly for alcohol. This should bring him a year-long suspension. Another year-long suspension.

Game Day Thoughts

Yes, the Pro Bowl is a game. An All-Star game. A fun game.

"My life is a big chunk of greatness."
     -Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas III

That's nice. Thomas is a great safety. Maybe the best safety in the game today. He was selected to play in today's game but he's got a bigger game to play next week.

No Minnesota Vikings players were selected or added to the 2015 Pro Bowl. That should murder the viewing numbers. The Vikings have been shut out of the Pro Bowl on only one other occasion in their 54-year history, 1983. That season sucked. Finishing a season 2-6 can get a team shut out of postseason honors. Defensive end Doug Martin was the one player that deserved consideration. This year's version of the Minnesota Vikings was far different from that 1983 team. They exceeded expectations. They were 7-9 but that was about 3 wins more than most expected. Maybe 6 more wins after running back Adrian Peterson was booted from the team. New coach. No quarterback. No Peterson. No Pro Bowl players.

There should have been two Vikings players in this Pro Bowl. Harrison Smith was one of the best 2-3 safeties in the league this season. He should have been on the roster even before Earl Thomas III made it to the Super Bowl. Defensive end Everson Griffen should have joined Smith in Arizona. There's J.J. Watt and then there's the rest of the defensive ends. Griffen was at the top of the rest of the defensive ends. There was a 5-6 game stretch in the middle of the season in which Griffen was damn near unstoppable. One of the worst aspects of the Pro Bowl selection process is that some players have to have at least one Pro Bowl-worthy season before they actually make it to the game. Griffen spent all of his first four seasons looking for snaps behind Jared Allen. This should be the season that puts Griffen in the minds of voters. Smith has actually been deserving since his rookie season. His biggest obstacle is that he plays the same position as Thomas and Eric Weddle. No one knows what's keepiing Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David out of the Pro Bowl. He's one of the best defensive football players in the league. He has an All-Pro nod. He was ranked #35 on NFL Network's Top 100 list. He's yet to make it to a Pro Bowl. It's a mystery.

A lot of people bitch about the Pro Bowl. Despite all of that bitching the game still gets a lot of viewers. People watch the game and then complain about it. That's a puzzle. Everyone forgets or simply fails to understand that the Pro Bowl is an All-Star game. An exhibition game. It's for fun. It will never approach the real game intensity that all the critics seem to expect. Now, the effort put forth by nearly all of the players a few years was even lower than your most lazy walk-through. It was pathetic. In over 60 Pro Bowls that was the only game to truly stand out. It was an exception. It was still enough for the NFL to change the way that the game is played. They even made up a new word. "Unconferenced." No more NFC or AFC in the Pro Bowl. All of the players are tossed in a pile and teams are selected like the old days on the playground. The teams are selected by a former NFL legend. For a Vikings fan missing Vikings representation in the Pro Bowl this is a fine thing. Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter is one this year's former legends. The other is Michael Irvin. Carter is further assisted by fellow Hall of Famer and former Vikings teammate John Randle. Excellent!

Go Team Carter!

Patriot Pains

There has been a foul gaze directed at the New England Patriots from just about everyone in recent weeks. First there was Bill Belichick's formation trickery against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional playoffs. Now there's the use of under-inflated footballs against the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship.

The formation trickery is easy. The Patriots trotted out running back Shane Vereen as an ineligible receiver. Per NFL rules, Vereen reported as an ineligible receiver to the officials and they announced it. This caused confusion among the Ravens defenders because Vereen, as a running back, is typically an eligible receiver. This confusion should have been enough to force the Ravens to call timeout. It didn't. The Patriots ploy worked. Not once. Not twice. But three times. Instead of doing something about it, like calling a timeout, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh cried about it. He cried about it during the game. That earned him and his team a 15-yard penalty. So, one could say that the Patriots formation trickery worked on four occasions. He cried about it after the game. There was no reason for all that crying. Everything that the Patriots did was perfectly legal. The rules for football formations are as old as the rules stating that a team has four downs to gain ten yards for another set of  four downs. It's basic football. What the Patriots did a couple of weeks ago was really no different than the first time that a team spread five receivers across the line of scrimmage and said "cover me." Or, the first time that a team sent a man in motion before the snap. The coaches that are crying about this Patriots formation trickery simply want as little mystery as possible before the snap. They want everyone with a running back or receiver uniform number to be a running back or receiver. They want as much information as possible handed to them. If some of that information is taken away. They cry. Get over it.

Now, the under-inflated footballs. This was ludicrous about a minute after it broke. And, it's going to be hanging over everything up to and through the Super Bowl. Sad. So sad. First of all, the rule that a football has to be 12.5-13.5 psi is arbitrary. There was no scientific study done to determine the optimum inflation of a football. If there was a study, optimum for whom and for what? Throwing? Catching? Holding? Signing? Is it a manufacturer recommendation? If so, recommended for whom and for what? Many people have shown in the past week that there is no obvious visual or physical difference between a 11 psi football and a 13 psi football. The similarities between the footballs are such that the officials handling them during the first half of the AFC Championship couldn't tell that an under-inflated football was in play. They were even going back and forth between the Colts' proper football and the Patriots' improper football throughout that first half. The officials are the only people in an NFL stadium paid to insure that the footballs are kosher for the game. They had no clue that such a terrible crime was taking place. An under-inflated football is not a competitive advantage. It's a personal choice. Until this shitstorm started the only people that cared about the pressure of a football were those that threw that football. The quarterbacks. These picky folk have their own criteria. It's as varied as their personalities. It could be due to hand-size. It could be due to what they had for breakfast. It could be the day of the damn week. This variety of preferences is the very reason that each team supplies the officials with their own batch of footballs for each game. They can rub them. They can hug them. They can do an abundance of things to the football. But there will be hell to pay if they play with that psi even though it makes no discernible difference to the football.  So what if it makes it easier to throw. That's the point of all of this. That's the point of rubbing it. Scuffing it. Getting a feel for it. The football has evolved over the years in order to make it easier to throw. It used to be a bloated melon. Now it's more like a missile. The NFL wants more scoring. Most fans want more scoring. Nearly every rule change in the last 40 years was put in place to make it easier for the quarterback to throw the football. One of those rules allows the quarterbacks to bring a bunch of their favorite footballs to the game as long as the psi is right. Why is the psi such an issue when no one can really tell a 12.5 psi football from one of those 11s. In the 1960s, the AFL used a more narrow, tackier football than the NFL because it was easier to throw. I've never heard anyone gripe about the legality of the numbers put up by George Blanda, John Hadl, Joe Namath and the rest of the AFL throwers. No one has ever thought to toss up an asterisk on Namath's 4,000-yard season because it was accomplished with an itty-bitty ball. Namath would have thrown for 4,000 yards with with a beach ball. Maybe. As long as the psi was proper. As it stands now the 12.5-13.5 psi rule is a rule. It's an absurd rule but it's still a rule. It's not a competitive advantage but it's a rule. Fine 'em and move on. Enough already.

As for the NFL investigation. I have greater concern over the league's ability to investigate anything than I do with the Patriots use of a ball pump. The league finally issued a statement on this ludicrous matter yesterday. They said that they have interviewed nearly 40 individuals. That's excellent. As of Thursday they had yet to speak to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. There's a mystery. Brady should have been the first person interviewed. Certainly one of the first 40. Nice work.

It's simply stunning that this shit is going to be dominating the football world for at least the next week. The Super Bowl is around the corner. I'd rather read and hear profiles on Jamie Collins and Byron Maxwell. Something interesting. Something important.

RIP Tommy Mason

Former Minnesota Vikings running back Tommy Mason passed away yesterday. He was 75.

Mason is a very significant figure in Vikings history. He was the team's first ever draft pick. The Vikings selected Mason out of Tulane with the first overall pick in the 1961 NFL Draft. He highlighted a draft that was further highlighted by Fran Tarkenton in the third round. Both brought some excitement to an otherwise bumbling expansion team.

Mason was a little surprised to be selected by the Minnesota Vikings seeing as he didn't know that they were even an NFL franchise.

"I received an information card from the Vikings during my senior season at Tulane," Mason said. I didn't know anything about NFL expansion. As far as I knew, the Vikings were playing in some seven-man league in the Midwest."

Mason discovered that the Vikings did, in fact, play 11-man football in the NFL. He resisted the temptations and offers to sign with the Boston Patriots of the new AFL and Ottawa of the CFL. He signed a contract with the Vikings that paid him $12,000. He bought a silver Cadillac and adopted a monkey. Both were memorable in Minnesota. Mason played for the Vikings from 1961-66. He rushed for 3,252 and scored 39 touchdowns. He was a three-time Pro Bowler (1962-64). In 1963 he became the first player in team history to be named All-Pro. Mason didn't see a lot of wins with the expansion Vikings. The 8-5-1 season of 1964 was the only one in which player and team saw more wins than losses but he brought a lot of smiles and thrills to those that knew him and watched him run with the football.

Mason was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 1967. The pick that the Vikings received from the Rams was the one that they used to draft Alan Page. Mason played for the Rams from 1967-70. He finished his 11-year NFL career in 1971 with the Washington Redskins.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mason family.

Throwback Thursday: Past Champs

On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers thrashed their shot at a chance at a 14th NFL title. Their 13 titles is tops in league history. As long as Aaron Rodgers is throwing a football they should have a few more chances to add to that total. The Packers have a 4 title lead over the second place Chicago Bears. Unless John Fox can quickly create a dynasty in Chicago that lead should be safe for a while.

The strange thing about NFL title tallies is that most people only consider the 48 Super Bowls. They seem to forget that the NFL was around for 46 years before the first Super Bowl was even played. Many see the Pittsburgh Steelers 6 Super Bowl titles as a greater barometer of franchise success than the Packers 13 NFL titles. The Steelers sucked for 40 years before they started winning in the 1970s when the Super Bowl was a shiny, new toy. The Steelers sure made up for those 40 dreadful years.

It should be noted that from 1920-32 the NFL title was determined by won-loss record/vote. The Chicago Bears and Portsmouth Spartans ended the 1932 season in a tie. That tie brought about a playoff game. That impromptu playoff game inspired the brilliant idea that the NFL should actually have a championship game.

Here are the teams with the most NFL Titles:

13 Green Bay Packers: 1929-31, 1936, 1939, 1944, 1961-62, 1965-67, 1996, 2010
9   Chicago Bears: 1921, 1932-33, 1940-41, 1943, 1946, 1963, 1985
8   New York Giants: 1927, 1934, 1938, 1956, 1986, 1990, 2007, 2011
6   Pittsburgh Steelers: 1974-75, 1978-79, 2005, 2008
5   Washington Redskins: 1937, 1942, 1982, 1987, 1991
5   Dallas Cowboys: 1971, 1977, 1992-93, 1995
5   San Francisco 49ers: 1981, 1984, 1988-89, 1994
4   Detroit Lions: 1935, 1952-53, 1957
4   Cleveland Browns: 1950, 1954-55, 1964
4   Indianapolis Colts: 1958-59, 1970, 2006
3   St. Louis Rams: 1945, 1951, 1999
3   Philadelphia Eagles: 1948-49, 1960
3   Oakland Raiders: 1976, 1980, 1983
3   New England Patriots: 2001, 2003-04
2   Arizona Cardinals: 1925, 1947
2   Miami Dolphins: 1972-73
2   Denver Broncos: 1997-98
2   Baltimore Ravens: 2000, 2012
1   New York Jets: 1968
1   Kansas City Chiefs: 1969
1   Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2002
1   New Orleans Saints: 2009
1   Seattle Seahawks: 2013

Five teams won NFL titles in the 1920s that didn't survive that rough decade:
1920  Akron Pros
1922-23  Canton Bulldogs
1924  Cleveland Bulldogs
1926  Frankford Yellow Jackets
1928  Providence Steam Roller

There were two successful rival leagues to the NFL in the history of professional football. Successful in the sense that the NFL accepted a full merger with one league (AFL) and accepted three teams from the other league (AAFC). It's only right to mention the champions of those leagues:

AAFC
The Cleveland Browns won every title in the league's 4-year existence. 1946-49.

AFL
1960  Houston Oilers
1961  Houston Oilers
1962  Dallas Texans
1963  San Diego Chargers
1964  Buffalo Bills
1965  Buffalo Bills
1966  Kansas City Chiefs-lost to the Packers in Super Bowl I
1967  Oakland Raiders-lost to the Packers in Super Bowl II
1968  New York Jets-won Super Bowl III
1969  Kansas City Chiefs-won Super Bowl IV

One interesting little championship note is that the Rams have won three NFL titles. Each was won while the team played in a different city.
1945  Cleveland Rams
1951  Los Angeles Rams
1999  St. Louis Rams

PFWA All-Rookie Team

The Pro Football Writers of America announced their All-Rookie team last week. It's always interesting to look at these All-Rookie teams. There was a time when filling out an All-Rookie was a struggle. Some positions simply had no players performing at a level that set them apart from the rest. Rookies not only didn't start right away they didn't have to start right away. Now, rookies have a role almost from the moment that they are drafted.

PFWA's 2014 All-Rookie team has several players that did far more than fill a role. They started. They excelled. Some were difference-makers. The rookie receivers got a lot of attention. They deserved it but they were far from alone. A couple of guards received All-Pro recognition. They even got some votes for Rookie of the Year. Guards! That's inconceivable! There were also some fantastic linebackers.

Here is the 2014 PFWA All-Rookie Team:

Offense
QB – Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings
RB – Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals; Tre Mason, St. Louis Rams
WR – Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants; Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TE – Jace Amaro, New York Jets
C – Corey Linsley, Green Bay Packers
G – Joel Bitonio, Cleveland Browns; Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys
T – Taylor Lewan, Tennessee Titans; Ja’Wuan James, Miami Dolphins
Defense
DL – Aaron Donald, St. Louis Rams; Timmy Jernigan, Baltimore Ravens; Kony Ealy, Carolina Panthers; Justin Ellis, Oakland Raiders
LB – Chris Borland, San Francisco 49ers; Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders; C.J. Mosley, Baltimore Ravens
CB – Kyle Fuller, Chicago Bears; E.J. Gaines, St. Louis Rams
S – Deone Bucannon, Arizona Cardinals; Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Green Bay Packers
Special Teams
PK – Cody Parkey, Philadelphia Eagles
P – Pat O’Donnell, Chicago Bears
KR – Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins
PR – De’Anthony Thomas, Kansas City Chiefs
ST – Trey Burton, Philadelphia Eagles

The one problem with this team is the glaring absence of Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr. Come on!

There was one rookie awards development that was particularly interesting. Odell Beckham Jr. won pretty much every rookie of the year award outside of defensive rookie of the year award. He probably received some votes for that one as well. The MVP award has become a quarterback's award to lose. These days, it takes an other-worldly performance from a running back or receiver to keep the MVP out of a quarterback's hands. Like Adrian Peterson in 2012. Heaven forbid a defensive player ever being named MVP. It's a passing league and the quarterback is the most valuable position. By a long shot. It's just interesting that the same consideration isn't given to the rookie of the year award. Teddy Bridgewater's uncanny calm and occasional brilliance at the most difficult and important position in the game wasn't given much thought next to Beckham exploding on the NFL scene.

Draft Early Entries

86 football players with college eligibility remaining declared for the 2015 NFL Draft by last Thursday's deadline. Two of those players then withdrew their names during the 72-hour window that was available to them to change their mind. So, 84 of the 86 football players have now given up any remaining college eligibility that they had remaining. 10 of the 84 have graduated. The 74 underclassmen is 24 fewer than last year's record of 98. This is the first time that there has been a decrease in the number of declared underclassmen since 2009.

149 players requested draft evaluations of NFL advisers.123 of those were advised to stay in college. Six were given first-round grades. 20 were given second-round grades. The decision to enter the draft is obviously a personal choice so it's difficult to criticize that choice. They all have their reasons. It's just such a gamble for the vast majority of them. Of course, there is no guarantee that even if they use up their college eligibility that they are going to graduate. Or, make it to the NFL.

Nelson Agholor, WR, Southern California

Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise State

Kwon Alexander, LB, Louisiana State

Javorius Allen, RB, Southern California

Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon

Malcom Brown, DT, Texas

Alex Carter, DB, Stanford

B.J. Catalon, RB, Texas Christian

Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana

Jalen Collins, DB, Louisiana State

Landon Collins, DB, Alabama

Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama

Xavier Cooper, DT, Washington State

Christian Covington, DT, Rice

DaVaris Daniels, WR, Notre Dame

Ronald Darby, DB, Florida State

Mike Davis, RB, South Carolina

Stefon Diggs, WR, Maryland

Lorenzo Doss, DB, Tulane

Mario Edwards, DE, Florida State

Durell Eskridge, DB, Syracuse

George Farmer, WR, USC

Max Flores, LB, Northern Colorado

Ereck Flowers, T, Miami

Dante Fowler, DE, Florida

Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan

Jacoby Glenn, DB, Central Florida

Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State

Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin

Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri

Deontay Greenberry, WR, Houston

Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska

Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

Chris Hackett, DB, Texas Christian

Eli Harold, DE, Virginia

Chris Harper, WR, California

Braylon Heard, RB, Kentucky

Gerod Holliman, DB, Louisville

D.J. Humphries, T, Florida

Danielle Hunter, DE, Louisiana State

David Irving, DT, Iowa State

Jesse James, TE, Penn State

Duke Johnson, RB, Miami

Matt Jones, RB, Florida

Tyler Kroft, TE, Rutgers

Ellis McCarthy, DT, UCLA

Benardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi State

Patrick Miller, T, Auburn

Tyler Moore, G, Florida

Rakeem Nunez-Roches, DT, Southern Mississippi

Andrus Peat, T, Stanford

Breshad Perriman, WR, Central Florida

Marcus Peters, DB, Washington

Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma

Darius Philon, DT, Arkansas

Bradley Pinion, P, Clemson

Jaquel Pitts, WR, Trinity International

Jeremiah Poutasi, T, Utah

Darien Rankin, LB, North Carolina

Shane Ray, DE, Missouri

Josh Robinson, RB, Mississippi State

James Sample, DB, Louisville

Jean Sifrin, TE, Massachusetts

Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State

Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington

Max Valles, LB, Virginia

Easton Wahlstrom, LS, Arizona State

Trae Waynes, DB, Michigan State

Leonard Williams, DE, Southern California

Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota

P.J. Williams, DB, Florida State

Trey Williams, RB, Texas A&M

Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama

Ten other players graduated with eligibility remaining and have declared for the draft:

Deion Barnes, DE, Penn State

Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn

Zach D’Orazio, WR, Akron

Charles Gaines, DB, Louisville

Dee Hart, RB, Colorado State

Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA

Nigel King, WR, Kansas

Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

Donovan Smith, T, Penn State

Tacoi Sumler, WR, Appalachian State

Gil Brandt was part of the Dallas Cowboys drafting machine every year until Jerry Jones threw everyone to the curb.. He's now a draft analyst for NFL.com. He may have even been part of the evaluation process for the above football players. Yesterday he published a list of five players that were wise to enter the NFL Draft early and five players that should have stayed in school.

Five that were wise:
1. Leonard Williams, DL, USC
-he could be the first pick in the draft.
2. Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
3. Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
4. Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
5. Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan St.

Five that weren't wise:
1. George Farmer, WR, USC
2. Trey Williams, RB, Texas A&M
3. Dorial Beckham-Green, WR, Oklahoma
4. Xavier Cooper, DL, Washington St.
5. Donovan Smith, OT, Penn St.

Best of luck to all 84 former college football players.

Championship Day Thoughts

And then there were two. It's the Seattle Seahawks vs New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX in two weeks.

I suppose that it's fitting that it's the Seahawks. They are the defending champs and were probably the best team in the league over the last couple of months. It's just that the Green Bay Packers were the better team yesterday. Actually it wasn't so much that the Packers were so great yesterday as it was the Seahawks offense was mostly terrible. Russell Wilson and the boys only did anything of substance for about 44 seconds of the 60 minutes of regulation time. None of that would have mattered much if the Packers had simply caught the football on the Seahawks desperation onside kick attempt with about two minutes to go. It was an easy, unchallenged catch that simply has to be made. That Packers gaff made the Seahawks go-ahead touchdown possible. That gaff will be the talk of Packers players, coaches, and fans for decades. So will the 2-point conversion that the Seahawks scored following that go-ahead score. A desperation heave by Wilson. There was a  lot of Seahawks desperation in those last two minutes of regulation. 15 points in 44 seconds. All of that frantic Seahawks action left Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers enough time to tie the score at 22 to force overtime. An overtime that never should have been. The Seahawks were the only team to possess the ball in overtime. 28-22 Seahawks.

It was only fitting Seahawks receiver Jermaine Kearse caught the winning touchdown in overtime. He was targeted four times in regulation and each resulted in a Packers interception.

The Packers should never have been in position to lose their lead at the end. They could have been ahead 21-0 early. Instead, they only had a 6-0 lead. Twice, they had the ball inside the Seahawks 5-yard line. Twice, they had to settle for field goals. If the Seahawks did anything right outside of those frantic 44 seconds at the end it was keeping the Packers out of the endzone on those early scoring chances. Rodgers threw an interception in the endzone on the Packers first great scoring opportunity.

The only thing that matters in football games is the scoreboard. No matter how poorly they played for nearly every second of the game, the Seahawks had the greater score at the end.

It the AFC Championship, the New England Patriots were simply too much for the Indianapolis Colts. 45-7. As a Minnesota Vikings fan, this game gave me unfortunate flashbacks to the 2000 NFC Championship game. 41-0 Giants. Sometimes games just get away from a team. Nothing they do goes right. The harder they try, the worse it gets. These two teams play again next week. It's a closer score. A better game. But, it doesn't work that way. The only game that counts is the one that's scheduled. The biggest difference between this Colts team and that Vikings team is that this Colts team is headed in the right direction. This just wasn't their year.

So, it's Seahawks-Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX. I'm hoping for a better game than either of the games yesterday.

Conference Championship Picks

The Flea Flicker is 6-2 picking NFL playoff games this year. Lost with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round. Lost with the Denver Broncos in the Divisional round.

Now for the Conference Championship games. Some think that this day is more exciting than the Super Bowl. Well, that depends on the Super Bowl. There have been a handful of games on a single regular season Sunday that were more exciting than many of the 48 Super Bowls. Let's just hope for an exciting, thrilling Super Bowl in two weeks and exciting, thrilling Conference Championship games today. Here's how the Flea Flicker sees them:

Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks
-Packers
I still think that the Seahawks have had their bags packed for Glendale since they won the big game in New Jersey. Teams that certain of a win often don't win. Seahawks safety Earl Thomas doesn't think that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a calf injury. Well, the guess here is that Rodgers will play like Thomas is right. Rodgers will earn that MVP trophy that he'll likely receive in two weeks.

Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots
-Patriots
The Colts are the least talented team still standing but it's real hard to pick against Andrew Luck. He's picked up his team and is just carrying it. He's raised the level of play of everyone around him. As hard as it is to pick against Luck it's even harder to pick against Bill Belichick and Tom Brady in a game this deep into the playoffs.

There you go. Packers vs Patriots. Glendale. Two weeks.

Coaching Counter

John Fox wasn't out of work very long. The Denver Broncos lost to the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Divisional playoffs on Sunday. The Broncos and Fox parted ways on Monday. The Chicago Bears hired him yesterday.

Since the end of the regular season, seven teams have gone looking for a new head coach. All but two have been filled.

Buffalo Bills: Rex Ryan

New York Jets: Todd Bowles

Oakland Raiders: Jack Del Rio

San Francisco 49ers: Jim Tomsula

Chicago Bears: John Fox

This will be the third head coaching gig for Fox. This will be the second head coaching gigs for Ryan and Del Rio. Ryan is about two weeks removed from his last job. Del Rio is four years removed. Bowles has been ready for his own team for several years. He's paid his dues and earned his shot. Going from a character like Ryan to the calm Bowles will be quite a change for everyone involved with the Jets. Tomsula might be the most surprising hire of the offseason. Outside of one game as the 49ers interim head coach in 2010, he's spent everyone of his seven years in the NFL as a defensive line coach. In some ways this hire reminds of the Pittsburgh Steelers hiring of Mike Tomlin in 2007. Tomlin had a single year as defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings. Prior to that, he'd spent seven years in the NFL as a defensive backs coach. Both have an engaging, even electric, personality. You notice when they enter the room. Both were going to be head coaches one day. It just happened a little earlier than many expected. It worked out fine for the Steelers. It could work out fine for the 49ers. Tomsula already has the support and respect of the players. That's a great first step.

Still looking:

Atlanta Falcons

reported interviews:

Josh McDaniels, Patriots offensive coordiantor

Doug Marrone, former Bills head coach

Teryl Austin, Lions defensive coordinator

Dan Quinn, Seahawks defensive coordinator

Keith Armstrong, Falcons special teams coordinator

Some talking heads have said that Quinn is the Falcons first choice. They just have to wait for the Seahawks' season to end. Maybe it ends tomorrow. It will definitely end by February 1. Will the Falcons wait that long? Hired coaches are putting their staffs together now. They are depleting the pool of assistant coaches each day. 

Denver Broncos

reported interviews:

Adam Gase, Broncos offensive coordinator

Vance Joseph, Bengals defensive backs coach

The Broncos made a late arrival to this offseason's head coaching search. It's been reported that Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak will interview this weekend. Former Bills head coach Doug Marrone was supposed to come in for an interview as well but backed out pending the outcome of the Kubiak interview. Seems like a strange move but Marrone has about 4 million reasons from the Bills to be selective about his interview choices. Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin may also get some attention from the Broncos.

This year's coaching search has taken longer the most in recent memory but they are finally falling into place.

Pro Bowl Stuff

This is the second year that the NFL has selected players for the Pro Bowl without consideration of conference. All of the players will be picked for two teams just like the old days on the playground. The picking is done by former greats. Last year Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice picked the teams. This year Cris Carter and Micheal Irvin will pick the teams. The picking of teams will take place next Wednesday. As with damn near everything in the NFL, it will be televised. Wonder who gets picked last. Gotta be a kicker.

Yesterday the NFL announced that four of the all-stars were selected to serve as captains for the game. Which seemed like a strange thing to do since they have yet to be picked by Carter or Irvin. Not to fear. Someone has a plan. Apparently they will help Carter and Irvin pick the respective teams. So, clearly two of the captains will be assigned to Carter and two of the captains will be assigned to Irvin. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown and Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt will help pick one Pro Bowl team. Cleveland Browns corner Joe Haden and Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray will help pick the other team. Seeing as I'm on the side of whatever team that Cris Carter picks I'm hoping that Brown and Watt are assigned to that team. Haden and Murray are fine players but I'd prefer to have Watt and Brown on my side if I were starting a team.

I was thrilled to hear that Cris Carter was blessed with the addition of John Randle as his defensive co-captain. Irvin will be assisted by Darren Woodson but who cares? Carter and Randle together again! That's a real treat. Any Vikings fan over the age of 30 likely has Carter and Randle as two of their all-time favorites. What a thrill! Especially since no Vikings players are currently included in this Pro Bowl. That could change after the conference championship games with safety Harrison Smith added as a replacement.

The Pro Bowl will be held on Sunday, January 25th at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Throwback Thursday: Vikings Find Their Coach

One year ago today the Minnesota Vikings hired Mike Zimmer as the ninth head coach in franchise history. I thought then and still think now that it was the best coaching decision that the Vikings have made since they brought Bud Grant out of his one-year retirement in 1985. As seven teams wrestle/wrestled with coaching decisions since the recent NFL season ended, it's nice to know that the Vikings have their coach. Hopefully, for a very long, successful time.

Before hiring Mike Zimmer, the Vikings went through a fairly thorough coaching search. Much more thorough than their previous three coaching decisions. They interviewed some of the coaches receiving interviews now. Todd Bowles, Dan Quinn, Darrell Bevell, Vic Fangio. That coaching search took about two weeks. It felt like more than twice that. The Vikings had to wait until the Cincinnati Bengals were eliminated from the playoffs before they could interview Zimmer. He was coaching the Bengals defense. Fortunately for the Vikings, the Bengals haven't had very long stays in the playoffs. Last year they were eliminated by the San Diego Chargers in the Wild Card round. One week after the end of the regular season. That was a very, very long week spent wondering if Mike Zimmer was on the Vikings "wish list." He was but the Tennessee Titans were the first team to bring him in for an interview. The Vikings were next. It appeared that it was between those two teams. The Vikings finished their first round of interviews and asked Zimmer in for a second. On the way to Minneapolis, he was notified by the Titans that they were going with Ken Whisenhut. This was a devastating blow for Zimmer. A blow so devastating that he nearly canceled the second interview with the Vikings. Fortunately, he didn't.

Mike Zimmer has been coaching football since he started as a defensive assistant for the University of Missouri in 1979. That's where he met Mike Price. When Price was hired as the head coach at Weber State in 1981, Zimmer moved with him as inside linebackers coach. He would later become defensive backs coach. When Price was hired as the head coach at Washington State in 1989, Zimmer moved with him as his defensive coordinator. In 1994 Zimmer decided to give the NFL a try. He was hired by Barry Switzer as the Dallas Cowboys defensive backs coach. They would win a Super Bowl in 1995. Zimmer continued coaching defensive backs for the Cowboys under Chan Gailey from 1998-99. When Dave Campo was hired in 2000, Zimmer was elevated to defensive coordinator. The Cowboys hired Zimmer's second football mentor in 2003. Bill Parcells. About this time, Zimmer started getting attention for head coaching jobs. When Parcells retired(?) following the 2006 season, Zimmer joined Bobby Petrino's staff with the Atlanta Falcons as defensive coordinator in 2007. He earned some fans when he publicly ripped Petrino for quitting on the Falcons for the University of Arkansas after 13 games. It was at this time that I became a big Mike Zimmer fan. It's only increased every year since. Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis hired Zimmer to run his defense in 2008. For six years, Zimmer crafted terrific defenses in Cincinnati while waiting for a call from some team in need of a head coach. He had some calls but none resulted in a job. One of the great mysteries in all of football is how Mike Zimmer could coach for 35 years without one head coaching offer. We have Eric Mangini getting hired and fired twice before Zimmer was offered a single job. Zimmer accomplished more in coaching before Mangini even started coaching. It's incredible. Zimmer has been a "hot" head coaching candidate for more than a decade. "Hot" head coaching candidates don't stay "hot." They get hired. It's incredible that a coach can remain "hot" for a decade without getting the chance to show that he's not. It's a miracle that Mike Zimmer was still available for the Minnesota Vikings to hire him about this time last year.

Mike Zimmer nearly gave up on his head coaching dream when the Tennessee Titans became the last team to say "no." It was too much. He felt that it just wasn't in the cards for him. He felt that he was now too old for head coaching consideration. Lucky for the Vikings, he took one more interview.

Vikings Coaching Staff Stability

It's not just players that move around during the NFL offseason. Coaches move as well. Continued team success is often as dependent on keeping the coaching staff together as it is on keeping players together. The Minnesota Vikings have yet to experience on-the-field success but the first year coaching of Mike Zimmer has given everyone involved in the organization reason for hope.

2014 Vikings Coaches:
Head Coach: Mike Zimmer
Offensive Coordinator: Norv Turner
Defensive Coordinator: George Edwards
Special Teams Coordinator: Mike Priefer
Quarterbacks: Scott Turner
Running backs: Kirby Wilson
Receivers: George Stewart
Assistant receivers: Klint Kubiak
Tight ends: Kevin Stefanski
Offensive line: Jeff Davidson
Assistant offensive line: Hank Fraley
Defensive line: Andre Patterson
Assistant defensive line: Robb Akey
Linebackers: Adam Zimmer
Defensive backs: Jerry Gray
Assistant Defensive backs: Jonathan Gannon
Special teams assistant: Ryan Ficken
Defensive assistant: Jeff Howard
Strength and conditioning: Evan Marcus
Assistant strength and conditioning: Jeff Hurd

Klint Kubiak has already left to become the receivers coach at Kansas.

It's been shown many times and in many ways that the continued progression of a promising young quarterback is dependent on continuity in the coaches that work with him. Vikings rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was very promising this season. It sounds like Norv Turner will be with him for a while. Turner is at a point in his career that retirement might be the next move. He signed a three-year contract last offseason and he's mentioned that it's important to him to keep his commitments. The Vikings are currently a good place for an offensive coordinator to be. Mike Zimmer is a defensive head coach. It might be an exaggeration but the offense basically belongs to Turner. Just as important, he has Bridgewater. The consistency in coaching for the young quarterback is made even better in that his position coach is the son of his offensive coordinator. Scott Turner might be ready for a promotion at about the time that Norv Turner is ready to say goodbye to the game.

Zimmer mentioned in his season-ending press conference that he doesn't expect changes in his coaching staff besides the departure of Kubiak. There's no way that he can predict whether some new head coach might poach his staff. The most likely targets would be Mike Priefer, Jerry Gray, and Kirdy Wilson. Priefer interviewed for the Chicago Bears head coaching job a couple of years ago. His name hasn't been mentioned in this round of head coaching changes. Gray has coordinator experience. It wouldn't be a stunner if he's tapped again. If he is, it would be a tough loss. He's been fantastic with the Vikings secondary. Wilson has been hoping for a coordinator gig for a while. He interviewed for the Jacksonville Jaguars vacant offensive coordinator position and could be on the lists of the new head coaches that will be hired over the next couple of weeks.

This is a very good coaching and teaching staff. It would be nice to keep it together at least through that first Super Bowl.

NFL Head Coaching Carousel

It sure is nice not having the Minnesota Vikings involved in this year's head coaching search. The whole process is nerve-wracking. It feels like it takes forever and this year has taken longer than most. With John Fox and the Denver Broncos going their separate ways yesterday the coaching vacancies increased by one. There are more vacancies now than there were on the so-called Black Monday. There are six. Only one of this year's head coaching openings has been filled. The Buffalo Bills hired recently fired New York Jets coach Rex Ryan on Sunday. Maybe the rest of the coach-team pairings will start falling into place this week. The addition of Fox to the available coaches pool might have scrambled things a bit. Here's a look at the head coaching carousel:

Buffalo Bills: hired Rex Ryan
I really thought that Ryan would find his new coaching job in Atlanta. A place with a defense that he could fix and an excellent, young quarterback that can win. Ryan never had that quarterback in New York and that was a big reason why he was looking for a new job. Instead, he's the Bills coach. A team with a strong defense and looking for a quarterback. Sounds familiar. At least Ryan knows the division well.

New York Jets
reported interviews:
Dan Quinn, Seahawks defensive coordinator
Todd Bowles, Cardinals defensive coordinator
Sean McDermott, Panthers defensive coordinator
Doug Marrone, former Bills coach
Tom Cable, Seahawks offensive line coach
Frank Reich, Chargers offensive coordinator
It would be a riot if Marrone is hired. Basically, the Jets and Bills would trade coaches. It sounds like Quinn is the front-runner. That would be an excellent hire. Especially if he brings in Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator as some have reported.

Atlanta Falcons
reported interviews:
Josh McDaniels, Patriots offensive coordinator
Mike Shanahan
Teryl Austin, Lions defensive coordinator
Dan Quinn, Seahawks defensive coordinator
Todd Bowles, Cardinals defensive coordinator
Vic Fangio, 49ers defensive coordinator
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Falcons have narrowed their search to Quinn and Bowles. Both are excellent choices. Bowles, in particular, has paid his NFL dues and deserves a shot.

San Francisco 49ers
reported interviews:
Josh McDaniels, Patriots offensive coordinator
Mike Shanahan
Teryl Austin, Lions defensive coordinator
Dan Quinn, Seahawks defensive coordinator
Todd Bowles, Cardinals defensive coordinator
Vic Fangio, 49ers defensive coordinator
It's been reported that the 49ers have interest in Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase. I've felt from the beginning that Shanahan as head coach, Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator, and retaining Fangio as defensive coordinator would he a terrific path for the 49ers to take. It's not a realistic path as the younger Shanahan probably wants to accomplish coaching goals on his own. Fangio is probably looking elsewhere as well.

Oakland Raiders
reported interviews:
Pep Hamilton, Colts offensive coordinator
Todd Bowles, Cardinals defensive coordinator
Tony Sparano, Raiders interim coach
Mike Shanahan
Jack Del Rio, Broncos defensive coordinator
Darrell Bevell, Seahawks offensive coordinator
Eric Mangini, 49ers tight end coach
Pat Schurmur, Eagles offensive coordinator
It really sounds like this is Del Rio's job.

Chicago Bears
reported interviews:
Adam Gase, Broncos offensive coordinator
Dan Quinn, Seahawks defensive coordinator
Todd Bowles, Cardinals defensive coordinator
The Bears recently hired Ryan Pace as their new general manager. That should probably pick up the Pace(Ha!) of the coaching search. I thought that this could be a spot for former Bills coach Doug Marrone. I've seen some mention that there is a connection between new GM and potential new coach.

And now, the Denver Broncos are looking for a coach.

Bowles has interviewed with every team with an opening. Quinn has interviewed with nearly every team. That sort of demand usually means that each will be hired by some team.

If the Seahawks reach the Super Bowl, Quinn can't be hired until the big game ends. Teams don't like to wait that long. The new coach still has to put a staff together which is made even more difficult if they are the last to do so.

It sure is nice not to be involved in this coaching dance.

Divisional Thoughts

This was a great weekend of football. The first game was the best but all four were wildly entertaining. Congratulations to the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, and Indianapolis Colts for their wins in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs.

The Conference Championship games are set:
Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots
Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks

Patriots coach Bill Belichick won his 20th postseason game. The win tied former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry for the most in NFL history. Congratulations.

Speaking of Belichick. He had Ravens coach John Harbaugh in a rage. The Patriots ran out a few offensive formations that put only four offensive linemen on the field. A normally eligible receiver (running back Shane Vereen in a couple of instances) lined up as an ineligible receiver. In accordance to the rules, he reported as an ineligible receiver. It caused a great deal of confusion for the Ravens defenders. "Who do we guard?" and such. It also forced Harbaugh onto the field to plead his case with the officials. That only got him and his team a 15-yard penalty. There is nothing wrong with the Patriots tactics. It's no different than the first time that a team flooded the field with four or more receivers. Harbaugh should have been more upset with himself for not having his team prepared.

The Ravens might have lost this game but they sure do become a different team in the playoffs. They stumbled to a finish during the season. Then they turned into the "postseason Ravens." Quarterback Joe Flacco turns into one of the top quarterbacks in the league. The Ravens and Patriots might still be playing if the Ravens had ended their late, 8-minute drive with  a touchdown rather than a field goal. The Ravens will probably always be a team that can win any postseason game while Flacco is throwing and Harbaugh is coaching for them.

The Seattle Seahawks are talented enough to win it all again. They are certainly talented enough on defense but their offense is so dependent on quarterback Russell Wilson's impromptu play. Their success on offense is based more on his uncanny ability to extend a play than the play that is called. Wilson's first touchdown pass against the Panthers was a prayer that was answered only when the defensive back fell down. The Seahawks can't rely on a defender falling down every time their quarterback tosses up a prayer. Now, the second touchdown was a beautiful pass and catch. Perfect touch by Wilson. Nice catch by Jermaine Kearse. If Wilson can consistently improvise and execute like that over the next two games, the Seahawks will be very, very hard to stop.

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton had to play a perfect game. He played well. He led several, long drives against the best defense in the league. That doesn't happen often. But, he made too many poor throws. The most obvious was the throw that Kam Chancellor intercepted and took back 90 yards for a touchdown. That sealed the game for the Seahawks. Richard Sherman didn't have to work very hard to make an interception earlier in the game. The throw was right to him.

"New York Bozo"
     -Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers

I still fall into giggles when I recall then-San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy saying that then Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasn't mobile enough for his team. That opinion went a long way in the 49ers deciding to draft Alex Smith over Rodgers. Lucky for McCarthy that he lucked into Rodgers a year later with the Packers. Only then did he discover that the former Cal quarterback could move very well.

Due to a calf injury, Rodgers couldn't move very well against the Cowboys. He still had that rifle of a right arm but he couldn't extend plays like he usually can. Fortunately for the Packers, Rodgers moved better in the fourth quarter than he did in the first three.

It's a damn shame that the Cowboys-Packers game will be best remembered for the Dez Bryant catch that wasn't. The NFL pass catching rule has to be changed. By the letter of the law Bryant didn't make that catch. Common sense says otherwise. Bryant caught the ball and tried to score. The Cowboys should have had the ball inside the one-yard line. A great game should have gotten even better. Stupid, stupid rule.

The Cowboys offensive line got a lot of deserved praise throughout the season. That group is the best  in the league. The Packers line was their match yesterday. They had to protect their hobbled quarterback. They did.

The worst thing about the Denver Broncos loss to the Indianapolis Colts was watching Peyton Manning struggle to make throws that used to be so easy for him. He's been throwing with his legs since his back issues robbed him of a lot of his velocity. Those legs have been ailing for the last few weeks. It showed. I hope that he can get healthy this offseason, stay healthy through at least one more season and end his career on a better note.

Andrew Luck has been carrying the Colts all season. He has the incredible quarterbacking skills to carry his team through two more games. The Colts are the least talented team left in the playoffs. They might have been the least talented team to make the playoffs. But, they have Luck.

I thought that Rex Ryan was a terrific fit for the Atlanta Falcons. He's one of the best defensive coaches in the league. The Falcons have a feeble defense. He could turn that defense around quickly. The one thing that he never had with the New York Jets was a quarterback. Matt Ryan is one of the best young quarterbacks in the league. Rex Ryan to the Falcons just seem to fit. Shows how much I know. Ryan is staying in the AFC East by coaching the Buffalo Bills. Maybe he just wanted to stay in the same division as Belichick. And the Jets.

Game Day Thoughts

This week, former FBI Director Robert Mueller released the report on his investigation into the Ray Rice fiasco.

"We have all learned a great deal in the past months and expect to be judged by how we lead going forward on issues"
     NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in response to the Mueller Report.

So, Goodell hacks up just about everything that he touched for months but he's only judged by how he responds to it. That's very convenient. It's good to be king. All of the punishments that he randomly dishes out to players are based upon what they have done rather than how they respond going forward.

It's funny that Goodell and the media are focused almost solely on the portion of the Mueller Report that found that no one in the NFL offices had viewed the elevator video before the TMZ release. As if that made everything a-ok. I never understood the importance of viewing the video. Everyone knew what Rice had done in that elevator. It shouldn't have taken viewing a video to know that something horrible had taken place. The punishment handed out by the judicial system and the NFL was ridiculously slight the moment that they were determined. Everything Goodell has done and said since that moment has made everything worse.

Now, to the fun stuff. Football stuff.

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau resigned yesterday. It may end up being significant that he resigned rather than retired. He's 77 but he still has some coaching in him. That coaching won't be with the Steelers. LeBeau has been a part of the NFL for every single year that I've been alive. It's difficult to imagine an NFL without him actively in it. I think that Dick LeBeau's NFL career has been misunderstood. He's been a coach for so long (since 1972) that many people know him only as a coach. When he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010 some said that it would open the door for other assistant coaches. He didn't go in a as a coach. He's a Hall of Fame football player that became a fantastic football coach. If this is the NFL end for LeBeau, I will miss him. If this opens the door for another opportunity, welcome back.

45 of the top 50 shows on television this fall were NFL games. Most impressive.

Another impressive nugget is the prominent presence of former Cal running backs among the final eight teams in the playoffs.

Marshawn Lynch
Shane Vereen
C.J. Anderson
Justin Forsett

A lot of fine running backs have come out of Cal in the past couple of decades. Much of the credit should be given to a coach that rarely received enough credit. Ron Gould. He was Cal's running backs coach from 1997-2012. He was even more tenured at Cal than head coach Jeff Tedford (2002-2012). Gould finally got his much deserved head coaching shot when UC Davis hired him in December
2012.

Where are the coaches at?
It sure seems like the coaching search for the six head coaching vacancies is taking a long time. The Minnesota Vikings hired Mike Zimmer last year on January 15th. At least four coaches were hired before him. The Tennessee Titans even turned Zimmer down, thankfully, and hired Ken Whisenhut before the Vikings pulled the trigger. If I recall correctly, Zimmer was the fifth head coach to be hired. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired Lovie Smith pretty quick. The Houston Texans were quick to hire Bill O'Brien. Maybe it was those hires that made it seem like the hires last year moved so...quick. There are six head coaching openings this year. None have been filled. Maybe it happens this week. So, I'm left to guess:
Atlanta Falcons-Rex Ryan
New York Jets-Dan Quinn
Buffalo Bills-Kyle Shanahan
Chicago Bears-Doug Marrone
San Francisco 49ers-Adam Gase
Oakland Raiders-Jack Del Rio
If the coaching hires fall anything close to this it's real shame that Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is still on the outside. It's great for the Cardinals but Bowles deserves a head coaching job.

On the way to their date with the New England Patriots yesterday the Baltimore Ravens were involved in their second bus accident of the season. It was a minor accident. The first accident took place in New Orleans in November. The Ravens defeated the Saints that day. They lost to the Patriots yesterday. I seriously doubt that either game was impacted by these minor annoyances.

Duron Carter, son of former Vikings and Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter, has spent the last two seasons playing receiver for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League. The junior Carter has turned his all-star play in Canada into a shot at the NFL. He's had workouts with the Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On Friday, he was in Minnesota. He met with all of the Vikings decision-makers. General manager Rick Spielman, head coach Mike Zimmer, offensive coordinator Norv Turner, and receivers coach George Stewart were all on hand for the meeting and the workout. Carter had a tryout with the Vikings in 2013 after going undrafted that year. By most accounts, he wasn't ready. Especially in regards to his maturity. He had a nomadic college life. Ohio State to Coffeyville Community College to Alabama to Florida Atlantic. That sort of bouncing around is rarely viewed well. Not only has he gained attention with his play on Canadian football fields, Carter seems to have gained some semblance of maturity. He's always had the talent for the game. He just wan't ready for it. Maybe, he is now. Carter has said that the Vikings are the front-runner but he'll likely visit some more teams. The Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, Washington Redskins, and San Francisco 49ers are reportedly interested. Carter's Alouettes contract doesn't expire until February 10 so he can't sign an NFL contract until then. If the Vikings remain the front-runner and sign Duron Carter, their receiver group entering the 2015 offseason will look something like this:

Greg Jennings
Charles Johnson
Jarius Wright
Cordarrelle Patterson
Adam Thielen
Duron Carter
Kain Colter
Donte Foster

There isn't a Calvin Johnson or Julio Jones among them but each brings something different. Jennings is the veteran, the leader. A reliable first down- and touchdown-maker. Johnson came from the Browns practice squad to become the Vikings best receiver by the end of the season. His route running is fantastic. He has good size (6'2" and 215 lbs) and speed (sub-4.4). Jarius Wright just makes big plays. Patterson is the wildcard. Last season was a serious disappointment after an often spectacular rookie season. If his understanding of the game and his play can approach his immense natural talent, Patterson is the one Vikings receiver that could become a Johnson/Jones-like difference-maker. Adam Thielen is a solid possession receiver. He's also an excellent special teams player. Carter would be a welcome addition. He's 6'4". Something that can't be coached and something that the Vikings don't have. Colter and Foster will have a tough climb for a roster spot. Colter has the skills to become an effective slot receiver. Teddy Bridgewater, in less than one season, has already proven to be the sort of quarterback that makes all of the players around him better. He and the team might be best served by a deep group of versatile receivers. One kind of like the above.

We got one great game yesterday. Let's hope for two more today.

Divisional Picks

The Flea Flicker was 3-1 with the Wild Card weekend picks. Simply expected too much from Dri Archer.

Now for the fun round. Well, every round is fun. The Divisional Round just has the top-4 teams rested and four teams feeling pretty damn good about themselves after winning a playoff game.

Here are the Divisional Round picks:

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots 
-Patriots

The Ravens are one of the NFL's best playoff teams over the past few seasons. Head coach John Harbaugh always has his team playing well in January and one time in February. Joe Flacco is a decent quarterback in the regular season and great quarterback in the postseason. Patriots win.

Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks 
-Seahawks

I want to pick the Panthers because I feel like the Seahawks have already packed for Arizona. The easiest way for a strong team to lose in the NFL playoffs is to look ahead. Cam Newton would have to play out-of-his-friggin-mind for the Panthers to win.

Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers 
-Packers

If the Cowboys wait until the second half to start moving the ball like they did against Detroit last week, they'll be down by at least four scores to the Packers. The Cowboys are 8-0 on the road. The Packers at 8-0 at home. That is an incredible stat. Something has to give there. There are no ties in the playoffs.

Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos
-Broncos

The Colts might be the least talented team in the playoffs. But, they have Andrew Luck. The Colts could defeat any team in the playoffs with Luck under center. I like the Broncos in this one.

Again. None of this should be used for gambling purposes.

A Step Closer

The modern-era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2015 were announced last night on the NFL Network. The league televises everything now. Gold Jacket Finalists was the name of the show.

Here are the 15 finalists:

first-year eligible finalists
Orlando Pace, OT (1997-2009)
Junior Seau, LB (1990-2009)
Kurt Warner, QB (1998-2009)

the rest
Morten Andersen, K (1982-2004, 2006-2007)
Jerome Bettis, RB (1993-2005)
Tim Brown, WR (1988-2004)
Don Coryell, head coach (1973-77, 1978-1986)
Terrell Davis, RB (1995-2001)
Tony Dungy, head coach (1996-2008)
Kevin Greene, DE/LB (1985-1999)
Charles Haley, DE/LB (1986-1996, 1999)
Marvin Harrison, WR (1996-2008)
Jimmy Johnson, head coach (1989-1993, 1996-1999)
John Lynch, S (1993-2007)
Will Shields, G (1993-2006)

Starting with this class, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has added a contributor category. The deserving nominees are dealt with in the same manner as the Senior nominees. They sail right through to the final selection process and are voted on separately from the modern-era finalists. This year, being the first year, brings two contributor nominees:

Bill Polian, general manager (1978-1982, 1984-2011)
Ron Wolf, general manager/scout (1963-1974, 1976-2001)

With two contributor nominees this year, there is only one senior nominee:
Mick Tingelhoff, C, (1962-1978)

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2015 could be as large as eight. Five from the modern-era finalists, the two contributor nominees, and the senior nominee.

Here is the Flea Flicker stab at that 8-member class:

Junior Seau
Don Coryell
Tim Brown
Kevin Greene
Terrell Davis
Mick Tingelhoff
Ron Wolf
Bill Polian

Junior Seau is the only first-year eligible lock. It's a damn shame that he won't be on that Canton stage in August. There will be a ton of debate over the merits of Kurt Warner. He had one of the more unusual quarterbacking careers in league history. A late start, dynamite for a few years, a weak middle, and dynamite again at the end. The hole in the middle and the inability to initially win and hold the Cardinals quarterbacking gig over Matt Leinart keeps him out of the Hall in his first year of eligibility. The unfortunate thing for Warner is that this possible rejection will be carried out on the air with his TV job on NFL Network. I saw this sort of thing play out for six years with Cris Carter. It isn't pretty. On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised if Warner makes it this year. I just don't think that he should but a lot of people love his story. As for the rest of  my picks, Coryell should have made it years, nay decades, ago. He didn't win titles but he did as much for the passing game as anyone in league history. The question is asked of all possible Hall of Fame inductees. "Can you write the history of professional football without them?" Well, without Don Coryell, we don't have the Dan Fouts, Kellen Winslow-led Chargers offenses of the late 1970s and early 1980s. We don't have the Norv Turner-directed Cowboys offenses of the early 1990s. Pretty much every offensive coach that diagrams a pass pattern and every quarterback that throws it is impacted by Don Coryell. I wouldn't be surprised if Marvin Harrison makes it into this class ahead of Tim Brown. The Hall of Fame voters created quite a logjam at the receiver position. Cris Carter, Art Monk, and Andre Reed had to wait far too long for their deserving call. Harrison should have to wait in that line as well and not leap over the very patient Brown. Kevin Greene might have been the best pure pass rusher in the league during a stretch in the 1990s. This was at a time with Bruce Smith and Reggie White. Greene sacked enough quarterbacks to sit third in the shaky all-time sack rankings (sacks have only been an official stat since 1982). Terrell Davis was the best running back in the league for three years. Like Gale Sayers, Davis' running career was cut short by injuries. Three years may not seem like much time but those three years were brilliant. Besides, three years for a running back is like ten years for a quarterback.

While I personally think that NFL founding father Carl Storck should have been the first nominee of the new contributor category, I think that Wolf and Polian are very deserving of the honor. Wolf should be in the Hall of Fame simply for working with Al Davis for more than 20 years.

Tingelhoff should become the 13th former Minnesota Vikings player to be honored in Canton.