Flea Flicker's Week 9 Power Rankings

The NFL has hit the midpoint of the 2017 season. With over a quarter of the teams at 5-2 or better it feels like there are more "top" teams than usual. That probably isn't out of the ordinary. Every season often feels a little different when you're in it. Here are NFL rankings through eight weeks.

1.   Kansas City Chiefs (6-2)
2.   Philadelphia Eagles (7-1)
3.   Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
4.   Minnesota Vikings (6-2)
5.   New England Patriots (6-2)
6.   Los Angeles Rams (5-2)
7.   New Orleans Saints (5-2)
8.   Seattle Seahawks (5-2)
9.   Buffalo Bills (5-2)
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3)
11. Dallas Cowboys (4-3)
12. Houston Texans (3-4)
13. Washington Redskins (3-4)
14. Carolina Panthers (5-3)
15. Atlanta Falcons (4-3)
16. Green Bay Packers (4-3)
17. Detroit Lions (3-4)
18. Denver Broncos (3-4)
19. Tennessee Titans (4-3)
20. Baltimore Ravens (4-4)
21. Oakland Raiders (3-5)
22. Miami Dolphins (4-3)
23. Cincinnati Bengals (3-4)
24. Los Angeles Chargers (3-5)
25. New York Jets (3-5)
26. Chicago Bears (3-5)
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-5)
28. Arizona Cardinals (3-4)
29. Indianapolis Colts (2-6)
30. New York Giants (1-6)
31. San Francisco 49ers (0-8)

32. Cleveland Browns (0-8)

Until next week. 

Some Vikings-Browns Thoughts

The Minnesota Vikings "visited" the Cleveland Browns in London yesterday. The game started at 6:30 in the morning in my part of the world. With apologies to the great NFL fans in the UK as they are obviously thrilled with these opportunities, I've never been a fan of these long-distance games. Far more often than not the logistics throw one or both teams so out of whack that all fans are treated to a shitty football game. The NFL is all about money so these games aren't going anywhere but shitty football games aren't good for anyone. Good football games will make everyone happy all of the time. Shitty football games won't make anyone happy. I'll get up at 6:30 to see the Vikings all of the time but I won't be, and I wasn't, happy about it.

Enough of the early start, the Vikings "visited" the Browns in London and they played a football game. The Vikings won 33-16. It was a much closer game than that score indicates. Despite coming into the game with a fairly sparkling 5-2 the Vikings had to be careful. Playing an 0-7 Browns in front of a bye week it might be easy for a team to get ahead of themselves. It might be easy to look pass this game and towards a week of rest. All teams in the NFL, even a winless team, have NFL players. Anything can happen. Especially with the logistical hurdles that a London game presents. This game was back-and-forth with neither team getting more than four points ahead for nearly three full quarters. The Vikings put an end to that back-and-forth nature with just over a minute to play in the third quarter. They scored a touchdown on a short Jerick McKinnon run. A successful two-point conversion put the Vikings up by seven, 23-16. Those scores and lead swayed the momentum in the Vikings favor. The defense put in firmly in their favor by forcing three-and-outs on the Browns next three possessions. 10 more points in the fourth quarter and the Vikings had what looks like a comfortable, 17-point win.

There wasn't much about this game that was comfortable for the Vikings.

The Vikings defense have been playing really well this season. The defense is the biggest reason that the team is 6-2 at the midpoint of the season. They were good overall yesterday but there were some uncharacteristic issues. Some of those issues might've due to facing Browns rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer. He's played so sporadically in his first season that no one really knows what the Browns have in him. Hell, the Browns don't even seem to know they have in him. The Vikings didn't look as certain on defense as they had looked the past several weeks. They were a little slower to react and their tackling was less sure. Kizer took advantage of some of the apparent uncertainty. Some of his best plays looked improvised. His best improvisation was a shovel pass after his protection broke down that Isaiah Crowell took for a 38-yard gain. That big play led to the Browns' second touchdown and a 13-9 lead 40 seconds before halftime. Two plays prior to that big play was the Browns' other big offensive play of the game. On third-and-12 from their own 16-yard line, Kizer hit Ricardo Louis down the sideline for 37 yards. This play was uncharacteristic of the Vikings because it was completed against cornerback Xavier Rhodes. It's been a while since Rhodes has allowed a play like this. He was where he was supposed to be but didn't react to the ball. He got turned around and really didn't look much like himself. Those two plays accounted for more than a quarter of the Browns total yards for the game. Both were the result of breakdowns that we haven't seen for a while from the Vikings defense.

Vikings quarterback Case Keenum finished the game 27 of 43 for 288 yards and two touchdowns. The defense might be the biggest reason for the Vikings 6-2 record but they surely wouldn't have that record without Keenum. He was signed in the offseason to be the backup. He wasn't supposed to start six of the first eight games and if he did have to start that many games the Vikings would surely be in trouble. He has started those games and the team isn't in trouble. He plays with an energy that appears to be infectious. The offense responds to him. He hasn't been perfect, his accuracy can surely improve, but he makes plays. He had a few clutch throws on third-and-long yesterday that kept drives alive. He's done that a lot this season. His most impressive statistic is five wins.

The biggest takeaway from this game is that the Vikings got through a mistake-filled first half, made whatever adjustments needed to be made, got out of their own way, and took over the game in the second half. It was nervous through three quarters but the Vikings put away a scrappy, winless team that had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Those are often the most difficult to play. It was a tougher than expected win but no win should be expected in the NFL.

A few quick notes.

Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen collected his tenth sack of the season with just under three minutes to play. That gave him at least one sack in eight straight games. He joins Jim Marshall and Jared Allen as the only players in franchise history to hit that mark.

Browns tackle Joe Thomas was supposed to play opposite Griffen. Instead Thomas missed the first start of his NFL career. He suffered a torn triceps last week and is likely out for the season. He hadn't even missed a single snap in his 11-year career until that injury. He's an all-timer in talent, longevity, durability, and character.

Vikings receiver Adam Thielen is the only player in the league to catch at least five passes in each game this season. He's gained a bunch of yards on those catches. One thing that he hadn't done this season was score a touchdown. He finally did so yesterday. He scored the first of his team's three touchdowns on a 19-yard toss from Keenum.

Vikings quarterbacks were under siege from pass rushers last season. The offensive line was a mess due to injuries and talent. Sacks were routine. In 6.5 games Keenum has been sacked five times. Left tackle Riley Reiff has allowed zero sacks. The offensive line's improvement from last year to this year has been remarkable.

The Vikings enter their Week 9 bye on top of the NFC North with a 6-2 record. 1.5 games ahead of the Packers.

Flea Flicker Week 8 Predictions

This week marks the midpoint of the 2017 NFL Season for many of 32 teams. There's a slug of teams on bye (6) this week and we have another too damn early London game. This time that game involves my team, the Minnesota Vikings. Poor me. 6:30 in the AM for me. I realize that there are NFL fans all over the world that routinely deal with inconvenient game times but 6:30 on the west coast is an absolutely ridiculous time to start a game. Enough of that, here's some guesses on this week's slate of games.

Byes: Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans

Minnesota Vikings "@" Cleveland Browns
Pick: Vikings
The Vikings consulted with sleep experts to prepare for this week's adventure. I wish that I had taken part in those consultations. The Vikings had better not look past this game. Last year's fall from a 5--0 start should be a reminder that no NFL game's a guaranteed win.

San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles
Pick: 49ers
I'll probably pick the 49ers until they get that first win of the season. No matter the opponent. But this one's a reach. Maybe that's why it'll happen.

Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pick: Buccaneers
On paper this game should be a fun one. But. The Panthers have been inconsistent. The Buccaneers have played below expectations. Hopefully both teams will bring their best and we'll get a fun one.

Chicago Bears @ New Orleans Saints
Pick: Saints
The Saints are surging. The Bears are doing things a little differently. The Saints often throw the ball as many times on a single drive as the Bears have thrown it in the last two games.

Atlanta Falcons @ New York Jets
Pick: Falcons
The Falcons are too talented to be playing like they are. Perhaps this is the game that snaps them out of their funk.

Los Angeles Chargers @ New England Patriots
Pick: Patriots
The Patriots lost linebacker Dont'a Hightower for the season. That's a big blow as he sets the pace for the defense but this team just finds a way. The Chargers have won three straight. I want to pick a fourth but I can't pick against the Patriots at home in this game.

Oakland Raiders @ Buffalo Bills
Pick: Bills
Last week the Raiders finally looked like the Raiders that everyone expected. The Bills have been one of the best surprises of the season and they're tough at home. And I want to see the Raiders string some good games together before I start putting faith in them.

Indianapolis Colts @ Cincinnati Bengals
Pick: Bengals
I'll just go with the home team.

Houston Texans @ Seattle Seahawks
Pick: Seahawks
It should be fun to watch rookie quarterback DeShaun Watson tangle with the Seahawks defense.

Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Redskins
Pick: Redskins
The Cowboys woke up last week. But that was against a winless 49ers team starting a rookie quarterback. Both teams are chasing the soaring Eagles and can't afford another loss.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Detroit Lions
Pick: Steelers
It feels like the Lions have been off for a month. It feels like the Steelers are heating up.

Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs
Pick: Chiefs
These teams have combined for four straight losses after strong starts. The Chiefs played better in their two losses, have a little more, and are at home.

A Look Back At The Top Of The 2016 NFL Draft

NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks were talking about the players selected at the top of the 2016 NFL Draft on their recent Move the Sticks podcast. By the way, I highly recommend this podcast to anyone interested in a scout's view of football. Actually, I recommend it to anyone interested in football. Their tales of being on the road as NFL scouts are especially fun. Anyway, back to that recent podcast and their look at the top of a draft that looks better with each week. Here are the top 10 picks from that 2016 NFL Draft.

Pick	Player	Position	Team
1	Jared Goff	QB	Rams
2	CarsonWentz	QB	Eagles
3	Joey Bosa	DE	Chargers
4	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Cowboys
5	Jalen Ramsey	CB	Jaguars
6	Ronnie Stanley	T	Ravens
7	DeForest Buckner	DL	49ers
8	Jack Conklin	T	Titans
9	Leonard Floyd	LB	Bears
10	Eli Apple	CB	Giants

For right or wrong, the quality of every draft seems to be determined by the quarterbacks that were selected in it. Jared Goff has been a revelation under the guidance of first-year head coach Sean McVay. Carson Wentz has been crowned, by many, the MVP of this season. Halfway through their second season both quarterbacks look like the long-term answer at the position for their teams.

As well as the two quarterbacks have played this season they haven't been the best of their draft peers. That honor could go to any of the three players that immediately followed the quarterbacks in this draft. Joey Bosa became one of the league's top pass rushers as soon as he hit the field. He's non-stop and a full game nightmare for every offensive line tasked with slowing him. Ezekiel Elliott led the league in rushing as a rookie. He's in the conversation with Le'Veon Bell and David Johnson as the best back in the league. The only thing that seems to slow Elliott is idiocy off the field. Jalen Ramsey is already one of the top corners in the game. The football talent keeps rolling. DeForest Buckner and Jack Conklin look like long-term difference-makers for their teams and are already among the top dozen, or so, players in the league at their positions. Leonard Floyd has flashed pass rushing brilliance. Ronnie Stanley and Eli Apple might be the least accomplished of the top-10 picks but they are both quality starters for their teams. 

These players are only 22-24 games into their NFL careers. A lot can change. Many players have come out of the gates blazing only to burn out soon after. We'll see how these players fair as they advance through their careers but all ten have had fantastic starts. 

These ten aren't the only early standouts from the 2016 NFL Draft. 

Karl Joseph

Taylor Decker

Keanu Neal

Hunter Henry

Myles Jack

Chris Jones

Sterling Shepherd

Michael Thomas

Yannick Ngakoue

Dak Prescott

Jordan Howard

Tyreek Hill

The hits just keep on coming from this draft. Especially the last three on the list. All three, Prescott (4th round), Howard (5th) and Hill (5th) made the Pro Bowl as rookies and probably find their way into the top-10 selections if the draft was done again. 

High School Football Rankings

Here are the current Top-25 High School Football teams as seen by MaxPreps.

#	School	State	Record	Rating
1	Mater Dei (Santa Ana)	CA	8-0	95.6
2	IMG Academy (Bradenton)	FL	6-0	95.3
3	American Heritage (Plantation)	FL	6-0	81.0
4	Centennial (Corona)	CA	6-1	80.3
5	St. Frances Academy (Baltimore)	MD	8-0	78.0
6	St John Bosco (Bellflower)	CA	6-2	77.0
7	Northwestern (Miami)	FL	6-1	75.7
8	Katy	TX	5-0	75.4
9	Ben Davis (Indianapolis)	IN	9-0	75.2
10	St. Louis (Honolulu)	HI	8-0	75.0
11	Bingham (South Jordan)	UT	9-0	74.4
12	Junipero Serra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano)	CA	8-1	72.0
13	St. Edward (Lakewood)	OH	9-0	72.0
14	St. Xavier (Cincinnati)	OH	8-1	71.6
15	Allen	TX	7-0	71.2
16	Central (Miami)	FL	7-2	71.1
17	Trinity (Louisville)	KY	10-0	70.8
18	Chaminade (West Hills)	CA	7-1	70.8
19	Mission Viejo	CA	9-0	70.3
20	Bergen Catholic (Oradell)	NJ	5-2	70.2
21	Pine-Richland (Gibsonia)	PA	9-0	70.0
22	Lowndes (Valdosta)	GA	9-0	69.9
23	Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita)	CA	5-3	68.9
24	Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)	NV	7-2	67.8
25	Folsom	CA	8-0	67.8

Northwestern and Central battled for Miami last Friday. Northwestern won 21-7 giving Teddy Bridgewater high school bragging rights over Dalvin Cook in the Minnesota Vikings locker room.

It's a fine year for California with eight teams on this Top-25 list. It's probably considered a down year for the other traditional high school football powerhouses: Florida (4), Texas (2), Ohio (2), Georgia (1), and Pennsylvania (1). Utah, Kentucky, and Hawaii sport as many teams among this Top-25 as Georgia and Pennsylvania. Surprises there.

Throwback Thursday: Spec Sanders

This Throwback Thursday is a Flea Flicker originally posted March 1, 2012. It's a brief description of the football life of one my favorite forgotten football stars. Spec Sanders.

***

Orban Eugene Sanders was born on January 26, 1918. Everyone saw that mass of freckles on young Orban's face and started calling him "Spec." The name just stuck.

Buddy Young, who saw a lot of football as a player and later as a league official, once described Spec Sanders as being in a class with just a handful of other backs. It was a class that included Jim Brown, Gale Sayers, Hugh McIlhenney and Lenny Moore. That's a pretty select group. Only Sanders is missing from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Sanders lost the early years of his football career to World War II. His best years were in the All America Football Conference with the New York Yankees. So his football career has mostly been ignored by the NFL. That's unfortunate as his 1947 season was one of the best ever. He led the AAFC with 231 carries, 114 points and his 18 rushing touchdowns was a professional record that stood until Jim Taylor broke it in 1962. His 1432 yards rushing established a record that stood until 1958 when Jim Brown ran for 1527 yards. He could the throw the ball as well, completing 93 passes for 1442 yards and 14 more touchdowns. He also returned kicks, taking one kickoff back for another score. Although he was used sparingly on defense, he intercepted three passes. He also averaged 42.1 yards on 46 punts. In a game against the Chicago Rockets, Sanders gained 250 yards rushing, a mark that went untouched for more than 25 years. He was removed from the game after only three quarters. If he'd remained in the game, Adrian Peterson's 296 yards against the San Diego Chargers might still be looking up at the game played by Spec Sanders. It was an incredible season. When viewing season statistics of this era, Spec Sanders' 1947 season is so outlandish that it might strike one as a misprint. Even if a player could play all of those roles none could possibly play all of them so well.

Sanders suffered from knee woes and retired after the 1948 season. Despite playing only three seasons, he finished as the AAFC's second leading all-time rusher, the leader in touchdowns, fourth in total points, and still found time to finish eighth in passing.

Sanders was lured out of retirement to play in the NFL in 1950 with a different but similarly named New York Yanks team. Because of the knee problems, he opted to play solely on defense. In his one year in the NFL Sanders was named to the Pro Bowl after his record-setting 13 interception season.

Spec Sanders had a four year professional football career, with  only one of those years in the NFL. World War II and knee problems kept his career brief. It's unfortunate that his three incredible years in the AAFC are largely forgotten. Those that saw Sanders play football never forgot him.

Heady Thoughts

Early in the Minnesota Vikings-Baltimore Ravens game on Sunday, Ravens receiver Mike Wallace caught a pass across the middle of the field. Vikings corner Xavier Rhodes was trying to strip the ball while tackling him. At the same time Vikings safety Andrew Sendejo came "torpedoing" in, as he's known to do on occasion, to insure the stop. His target was likely Wallace's chest but ended up being closer to his head upon impact. It should be noted that Sendejo led with his shoulder rather than his helmet. Wallace went straight back, his head smacked the turf, and his helmet came off. Wallace left the game with a suspected concussion and never returned to the game. The never returned part probably confirms the concussion part. On Monday, the league handed Sendejo a one-game suspension. I believe that Sendejo was about a hit away from a suspension due to his frequent "torpedoing" but this hit alone didn't warrant it. Wallace's concussion looked like it was due more to the contact with the turf than with Sendejo. But this isn't about the suspension, the hit, or even the concussion. It's really about Wallace's actions following the decision to keep him from returning to the game. He was visibly hot about it on the sideline. He spent quite a bit of time pleading his case on the sideline. We know that because the CBS broadcast team spent quite a bit of time covering it.

Throughout the head trauma-CTE debate the NFL has been painted as the bad guy and that the players are simply innocent victims. There are no innocent victims. The players have to accept some of the blame for the issues that they may deal with later in life. A lot of them are dealing with these issues pretty early in life. Football players have been playing with concussions since they started receiving them. No one forced them to stay in the game. No one forced them to play when they couldn't see straight or remember plays or even where they were. For the majority of the game's history no one really knew about the long-term ramifications of repeated blows to the head. Someone should've given it a thought. It was pretty clear that the game took a toll on limbs and joints why wouldn't the same be true of the brain? Fast forward to today and we know a lot more. Despite knowing a lot more Wallace still wanted to get back in that game. He's not alone. Many football players at all levels of the sport will try to stay on the field after getting their "bell rung." They'll try to hide their daze from coaches, teammates, trainers, themselves. Hell, there was an occasion in which I had my "bell rung" during a coed softball game. It was a game in one of the least competitive leagues I've ever seen. I just wanted to play. It's that "are you injured or are you hurt" debate. A concussion doesn't feel like an injury because you can still move. As long as you are pointed in the right direction. Players are often their own worst enemies when it comes to blows to the head.

There are no innocent parties when it comes to football-related head trauma. Everyone that's part of the game has played a role in the crisis. The NFL, NCAA, high schools, pee-wee leagues, players and coaches at all levels, even parents. How often have you heard a parent at a high school game yell out "shake it off?" In the heat of a game no one really cares about the potential build up of tau protein in the brain. That's a distant possibility for another day. How do we make the game safer? It starts with awareness and there's never been greater awareness than right now. We don't have to legislate physical play out of football but we do have to coach and practice safer and more technically sound tackling into it. Every single kid interested in playing football should have to sit down and watch tape of Antoine Winfield playing football. Ever since they discovered that the helmet could be used as a weapon players have been flying around headfirst and out of control in search of a big hit. Those hits make the highlights and every player wants to make the highlights. Torpedo runs at ball carriers, like Sendejo often does, have to stop. It's not good for the hitter, hittee, or the game. Players also have to be their own best friend and realize and accept when they shouldn't be on the field. If it was up to him, Mike Wallace would've stayed in that game. It was the big, bad NFL's protocols that kept him out of it.

Flea Flicker's Week 7 Power Rankings

After last week's games it was tempting to drop just about every team at least five spots. So many disappointing games. The Kansas City Chiefs keep the top spot despite losing their last two simply because they've beaten the Philadelphia Eagles. Unless the Chiefs start winning again that sparkling game won't be enough to justify their lofty ranking.

1.   Kansas City Chiefs (5-2)
2.   Philadelphia Eagles (6-1)
3.   Minnesota Vikings (5-2)
4.   Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)
5.   New England Patriots (5-2)
6.   Los Angeles Rams (5-2)
7.   New Orleans Saints (4-2)
8.   Seattle Seahawks (4-2)
9.   Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3)
10. Houston Texans (3-3)
11. Dallas Cowboys (3-3)
12. Buffalo Bills (4-2)
13. Washington Redskins (3-3)
14. Detroit Lions (3-3)
15. Oakland Raiders (3-4)
16. Carolina Panthers (4-3)
17. Atlanta Falcons (3-3)
18. Green Bay Packers (4-3)
19. Denver Broncos (3-3)
20. Tennessee Titans (4-3)
21. Baltimore Ravens (3-4)
22. Miami Dolphins (4-2)
23. Cincinnati Bengals (2-4)
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4)
25. New York Jets (3-4)
26. Chicago Bears (3-4)
27. Arizona Cardinals (3-4)
28. Los Angeles Chargers (3-4)
29. Indianapolis Colts (2-5)
30. New York Giants (1-6)
31. San Francisco 49ers (0-7)
32. Cleveland Browns (0-7)

Until next week.

Week 7 Thoughts

After their 24-16 defeat of the Baltimore Ravens, the Minnesota Vikings are alone at the top of the NFC North with a 5-2 record. It was a sound win, a convincing win. It was a defensive win. The Ravens didn't score a touchdown until the final play of the game. They didn't even venture into the red zone until a few plays before that final play. The Vikings offense did enough. The defense did much more than that. It was a win and that's really all that matters.

"As an offense, we feel like we're trying harder to score to reward them for how well they're playing."

-Vikings receiver Adam Thielen said of his team's defense.

Some defensive numbers:
Ravens gained 208 total yards
Rushing: 64
Passing: 144
Yards/play: 3.2
Sacked: 5

68 of the Ravens yards were gained on the final scoring drive during which the Vikings defense was more concerned with consuming the final three minutes of the game than slowing the Ravens progress. I've always found that a strange way to play but the "prevent" defense has long been an NFL staple.

The only thing missing from the defensive effort was turnovers. It'd be nice if they could get a few of those. They thought that they had a fumble early in the game but a penalty took it away and gave the Ravens a fresh set of downs.

The Vikings offense wasn't terrible.
357 total yards
Rushing: 169
Passing: 188
Yards/play: 5.6
No sacks

The rushing totals are great. Latavius Murray had his breakout game in Minnesota. 18 carries for 113 yards and a 29-yard TD. Since rookie running back Dalvin Cook was lost for the season in Week 4, Jerick McKinnon has been getting most of the attention and opportunities. Murray made the most of his opportunities against the Ravens.

The passing numbers are slight. Quarterback Case Keenum didn't make any careless mistakes but some of his throws didn't do his receivers any favors. Jarius Wright bailed him out on a couple of occasions with great, clutch catches. Other receivers had to do the same in less spectacular fashion. Keenum's first throw of the game was intercepted. The turnover was hardly on him as the officials made their first skip away from reality on the play. After a terrific punt return from Marcus Sherels, the Vikings took advantage of the field position by throwing deep. Laquon Treadwell tried to make the catch with one hand because his other hand was being pinned by corner Brandon Carr. The ball bounced back and forth between receiver and defender and ended in Carr's hands. The officials were oblivious to pass interference/holding throughout the game. The lack of flags on such infractions went both ways so it balanced out in the long run.

With that one turnover out of the way early, the Vikings offense moved the ball fairly well the rest of the game. They just couldn't finish drives. 6 damn field goals! 6! It's always good to get scores at the end of drives but field goals won't always cut it. They were fortunate that it did cut it yesterday. Seven scoring drives typically results in a team putting about 40 points on the board. It generated 24 points yesterday.

Ravens kicker Justin Tucker kicked three field goals. The nine combined field goals in the game tied an NFL record. Yay!

Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen had two of his team's five sacks. Following the game, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer was asked about Griffen's strong play this season.

"He's a good player. He's got power. He's got strength. He's got get-off. He jumps offsides a lot. He's got a great spin move. He's good with his hands. You know, he's just an all-day work for whoever he's playing against."

Zimmer did add that he'd like to see that offsides stuff taken care of.

Vikings left tackle Riley Reiff and left guard Jeremiah Sirles left the field in the second half with knee injuries. Sirles was already replacing starter Nick Easton. Rookie guard Danny Isidora and tackle Rashod Hill closed the game for Sirles and Reiff respectively. Keenum said that he barely noticed a difference. That's more compliment for the replacements than knock on the starters. Keenum wasn't sacked and hardly harassed the entire game. Isidora controlled Ravens giant defensive lineman Brandon Williams on Murray's touchdown run. The offensive line has played well all season and that continued with a couple of backups on the field yesterday. Easton is expected back next week. Hopefully the injuries to Reiff and Sirles aren't serious. Zimmer didn't think that they were.

***

Unless you're a dedicated fan of the winning teams, yesterday's slate of NFL games left a lot to be decided. If you wanted entertaining football you didn't get that. Three were shutouts. Few were competitive. 

Shutouts:

Jacksonville Jaguars  27

Indianapolis Colts  0

Arizona Cardinals  0

Los Angeles Rams  33

-This gem was exported to London

Denver Broncos  0

Los Angeles Chargers  21

Good stuff.

Then we had these classics.

Carolina Panthers  3

Chicago Bears 17

Dallas Cowboys  40

San Francisco 49ers  10

Seattle Seahawks  24

New York Giants  7

Cincinnati Bengals  14

Pittsburgh Steelers  29

The Seahawks-Giants game was a little closer than the score indicates. The Bengals-Steelers game wasn't.

Bears rookie safety Eddie Jackson returned a fumble 75 yards for a score and an interception 76 yards for a score. Ball game. Those scores made up for a Bears offense, led by fellow rookie Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback, that did little.

Daniel Jeremiah of the Move the Sticks podcast and NFL Network noted this little nugget.
Last two weeks for Trubisky
12 total completions
2 wins

The Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns played a scorcher. Titans won 12-9 in overtime. All 21 combined points came from seven field goals. Two short of that NFL record that the Ravens and Vikings tied. This game was unfortunately highlighted by the end of Browns tackle Joe Thomas' ridiculous Iron Man streak. He had played every single snap of his 11-year, seven-game career. That's an incredible 10,363 snaps. He injured his triceps. It's wrong to speculate on his availability for the remainder of the season until the MRI is done tomorrow. 

I don't know what was up with the uniforms that the Seahawks sported. It looked like something had gone awry with their laundry. A dirty sort of grey was the result. 

One of the few competitive games of Week 7 was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Buffalo Bills affair. It wasn't decided until damn near every Buccaneers player touched the ball on the final play. Here's how ESPN recorded the fun of that play in their play-by-play.

2nd and 4 at TB 31

(0:08 - 4th) (Shotgun) J.Winston pass short left to A.Humphries to TB 36 for 5 yards. Lateral to C.Sims III to TB 33 for -3 yards. Lateral to M.Evans to TB 25 for -8 yards. FUMBLES, recovered by TB-D.Smith at TB 25. D.Smith to TB 30 for 5 yards. Lateral to C.Brate to TB 23 for -7 yards. FUMBLES, recovered by TB-M.Evans at TB 23. M.Evans to TB 23 for no gain. Lateral to A.Humphries to TB 20 for -3 yards. Lateral to C.Sims III to TB 14 for -6 yards. Lateral to D.Jackson to TB 6 for -8 yards. Lateral to M.Evans to TB 14 for 8 yards. Lateral to D.Jackson to TB 29 for 15 yards (M.Dareus).

The play seemed to last as long as all four quarters of the Ravens-Vikings game. The Bucs and Bills tried their best to redeem the day's games. They combined for 27 points in the final quarter. Fun times. 

Sunday Night Football was supposed to provide the great football game to save the day. Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots. Super Bowl LI rematch. It wasn't a great game. 23-7 Patriots. The Falcons offense played in a fog. The second half was literally played in a fog.

The Falcons offense has too many playmakers to play like they did. Playcalling? Execution? Who knows? The coach that called the offensive shots last year is calling all of the shots in San Francisco this year. Steve Sarkisian replaced Kyle Shanahan as the team's offensive coordinator and the offense has been more splishy than splashy. The Falcons didn't score against the Patriots until four minutes remained and the game was essentially decided. Atlanta left at least 13 points and as many as 21 points on the field. They ran two plays from inside the one-yard line and scored 0 points. That sounds like execution problems but the plays called didn't look too hot from my comfy seat.

Despite their offensive woes, the Falcons, at 3-3, are only a game back of the Saints in the NFC South but they need to figure out some things.

It's fun to watch Tom Brady play football. 

The Vikings travel across the pond this week to play the Cleveland Browns at Twickenham Stadium in London. Zimmer said that they are going to do something a little different this year. They will do their usual stuff tomorrow and throw in a little walk-thru to start the Browns preparations. The players will have their usual off day on Tuesday, practice in the morning on Wednesday and fly to London afterwards. I'm not sure how that differs from other teams but the Vikings are trying to keep their routine as close to the norm as possible. At least as close as it can be with a flight to London in the middle of it. 

Flea Flicker Week 7 Predictions

Week 7 already. Hopefully we see no injuries this week. It's football but it feels like we've already seen a seasons worth of injuries. Maybe two seasons worth. Here are some game predictions.

Byes: Detroit Lions, Houston Texans

Baltimore Ravens @ Minnesota Vikings
Pick: Vikings
The Vikings have scratched their way to the top of the NFC North with uncertainty every week at the quarterback position. They can't let up against the Ravens with their Week 9 bye in sight.

Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Rams (London)
Pick: Cardinals
Adrian Peterson has injected some life into the Cardinals offense. Too often these London games are terribly sad. This one has the potential to be a terrific game. I hope that it is.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Buffalo Bills
Pick: Bills
It feels like a strange world when I have more faith in Tyrod Taylor than Jameis Winston.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts
Pick: Colts
An upset?

New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins
Pick: Jets
The Dolphins somehow beat the Atlanta Falcons last week. The Jets gave the New England Patriots a fight. The Dolphins have Jay Cutler. I pick the Jets.

Carolina Panthers @ Chicago Bears
Pick: Panthers
The Bears are a couple of late game plays from flipping their 2-4 record to 4-2. The Bears are tough. The Panthers are better. But a Bears win shouldn't be a surprise.

Tennessee Titans @ Cleveland Browns
Pick: Titans
It's tough to pick the Browns in any game.

New Orleans Saints @ Green Bay Packers
Pick: Saints
A Drew Brees-Aaron Rodgers duel would've been a beauty. While I think that the Packers will rally around new starting quarterback Brett Hundley it's tough to pick them in his first start.

Dallas Cowboys @ San Francisco 49ers
Pick: 49ers
The 49ers have been close to their first win in nearly all of their games. How about they get that first one against their one time rival?

Seattle Seahawks @ New York Giants
Pick: Seahawks
Two straight wins for the Giants? It's tough to pick a second win against the Seahawks when they have nearly two weeks to prepare for the game.

Denver Broncos @ Los Angeles Chargers
Pick: Chargers
It's tough to pick the Broncos with their Monday night performance still so fresh.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: Bengals
The Steelers have been sloppy and wildly inconsistent. That's a terrible combination. The Bengals are finally playing like most expected them to play. This prediction is a coin flip.

Atlanta Falcons @ New England Patriots
Pick: Patriots
Super LI rematch! Neither team is playing like a Super Bowl team. I'll go with the home team.

Washington Redskins @ Philadelphia Eagles
Pick: Eagles
Sunday Night Football got this week's "headlines game." Monday Night Football got the best game. The Redskins are playing well. Their defense has been tough. The Eagles might be playing the best football right now. And the Eagles are at home.

Minnesota Vikings Roster Thru Six Weeks

The Minnesota Vikings have made enough roster tweaks since the start of the season that it's worth another look. Every NFL roster tells a story. The best Vikings story involves the return of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. The knee injury that he suffered 14 months ago was brutal. So brutal that his return to walking, let alone playing football, was questioned by many of the more morbid out there. Bridgewater's still on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list but he's back at practice. His return to the active roster is only a matter of time. The worst Vikings story involves another knee injury. This one cut short the brilliant start to running back Dalvin Cook's NFL career. For 3.5 games the rookie back looked like the perfect fit for the Vikings offense. His versatility made the offense versatile and made it go. There are more than 53 stories on this roster.

Quarterbacks
Sam Bradford
Case Keenum
Kyle Sloter
Teddy Bridgewater-PUP

Running backs
Jerick McKinnon
Latavius Murray
C.J. Ham-fullback

Receivers
Stefon Diggs
Adam Thielen
Laquon Treadwell
Michael Floyd
Jarius Wright
Rodney Adams
Stacy Coley

Tight ends
Kyle Rudolph
David Morgan
Blake Bell

Offensive line
Riley Reiff
Nick Easton
Pat Elflein
Joe Berger
Mike Remmers
Jeremiah Sirles
Danny Isidora
Rashod Hill
Aviante Collins

Defensive line
Everson Griffen
Tom Johnson
Linval Joseph
Danielle Hunter
Brian Robison
Shamar Stephen
Jaleel Johnson
Stephen Weatherly
Tashawn Bower

Linebackers
Anthony Barr
Eric Kendricks
Ben Gedeon
Emmanuel Lamur
Kentrell Brothers
Eric Wilson

Cornerbacks
Xavier Rhodes
Trae Waynes
Mackensie Alexander
Terence Newman
Marcus Sherels
Tramaine Brock

Safeties
Harrison Smith
Andrew Sendejo
Anthony Harris
Jayron Kearse

Kicker
Kai Forbath

Punter
Ryan Quigley

Long snapper

Kevin McDermott

***

Practice Squad

Dylan Bradley, DT

Kyle Carter, TE

Cornelius Edison, C

Bronson Hill, RB

Cayleb Jones, WR

Cedrick Lang, T

Ifeadi Odenigbo, DE

Horace Richardson, CB

Jack Tocho, S

Antwione Williams, LB

Reserve/Non-Football Injury

Sharrif Floyd

Injured Reserve

Dalvin Cook

Bishop Sankey

Shaan Washington

R.J. Shelton

One of the more curious aspects of the makeup of the Vikings current roster is the seven receivers on it. That's a lot of receivers. It's more than I can recall the team ever carrying. Running back is the position that's been cut short to make room for the extra pass catcher(s). Two backs and a fullback is light. The Vikings will have a decision to make at some point in the next 21 days. That's when they have to decide the roster fate of Bridgewater. Injured reserve vs. active roster. In reality, it isn't much of a decision. Barring a setback, he's going to the active roster. The real decision is in who goes to make room for him. Many talking heads are poking at the possibility of cutting loose promising, but raw, quarterback Kyle Sloter. I think that it's more likely that one of the extra receivers is let go and hopefully added to the practice squad.  That decision's for another day.

Some Early Draft Stuff

We're nearing the midpoint of the 2017 NFL Season and the 2018 NFL Draft is so far down the road that the annual selection process shouldn't be a concern now. But most football fans can't get enough of the draft no matter the time of the year. That's why Monday Morning Quarterback's Albert Breer had some interesting draft stuff in a recent column. The 2018 quarterback draft class is supposed to be an especially good one. That's why Breer polled eight NFL evaluators who've watched the quarterbacks that are expected to be part of the draft. He had them rank the quarterbacks 1-5, with five points for first place, four for second, and so on. Here are those results.

1. Sam Darnold, USC (35 points, 4 first-place votes, appeared on all 8 ballots):Darnold’s been uneven this year, without question, having already matched his interception total from last year. But the feeling I’ve gotten is that scouts will cut him some slack because of the offensive line issues the Trojans are having. The biggest criticism is that he’s trying to do too much, not unlike what Jameis Winston his final year at Florida State.

​2. Josh Rosen, UCLA (34 points, 3 first-place votes, 8 ballots): The Bruins are 3-3, but it’s hard to pin that on Rosen. He’s played from behind a bunch and still has the best completion percentage of his career (64.2) while throwing for 2,354 yards and 17 touchdowns through six games. That said, he’s been a little sloppy with the ball at times.

3. Josh Allen, Wyoming (23 points, 1 first-place vote, 8 ballots): Allen’s numbers are mediocre and his team is 4-2. But there’s youth all around him and scouts trust the talent. One voter put him first, and another put him in front of Rosen.

4. Luke Falk, Washington State (10 points, 6 ballots): Falk was really rolling before Friday night’s five-interception meltdown at Cal, resulting in the Cougars’ first loss. He came into that one with a 19-to-2 TD/INT ratio, and is still over 70% passing.

5. Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State (7 points, 3 ballots): There’s more variance on him than any of the other quarterbacks. Is it Mike Gundy’s system and his receivers? Rudolph was second on one ballot, and didn’t appear on five others.

​6. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (6 points, 4 ballots): If Mayfield were just a little bit taller, he’d probably be two spots higher on this list.

7. Lamar Jackson, Louisville (5 points, 2 ballots): The Heisman winner is as electric a runner as we’ve seen at the position since Mike Vick, and has flashed a strong arm. But inconsistency as a passer remains.

​8. Ryan Finley, N.C. State (1 point, 1 ballot): The junior has a shot to be this year’s Mitchell Trubisky. Two of our eight voters conceded they needed to do more research on him.

One would think that enough proof to the contrary has come through the NFL that talent evualators would stop dropping football players simply for size reasons. Fran Tarkenton, Drew Brees, Russell Wilson. How many itty bitty quarterbacks have to succeed at a high level before scouts stop putting such an emphasis on size. If NFL people believe that Baker Mayfield can play quarterback in the NFL it shouldn't matter if he's a little fella.

Luke Falk would probably like to have his performance against Cal last Friday stricken from the public record. Cal's defense got on a roll the likes of which I've never seen in over 40 years of watching Cal football. It was beautiful for Cal. It was ugly for Falk and Washington State's offense.

Josh Allen was right there with Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen when it came to preseason, quarterback hype talk. He's disappeared from some of that talk since the season started. It's good to see that he's still part of the conversation with the people that actually do the evaluating.

Breer also added his 2018 NFL Draft Big Board, Volume 4.

1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
2. Sam Darnold, QB, USC
3. Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama
4. Derwin James, S, Florida State
5. Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame
6. Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
7. Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
8. Bradley Chubb, EDGE, N.C. State
9. Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
10. Harold Landry, EDGE, Boston College

Throwback Thursday: Colt Chaos

This Throwback is a Flea Flicker post from February 28, 2011. 

Last week, I described the Pennsylvania Switcheroo. That was nothing compared to the Colts path. Before I start, I must admit that neither the Colts nor the NFL embrace this timeline. They can't handle this timeline. Historically, a line can be drawn from the semi-pro team of Dayton, OH during the days of World War I all the the way to the Peyton Manning-led Indianaplolis Colts of today.

Prior to the birth of the NFL (actually called American Professional Football Association their first 2 years of existence) in 1920, there were many semi-pro and professional teams in the midwest and east. The Dayton Triangles were one of these teams. The Triangles were an original APFA/NFL  team. They were fairly competitive through the '20s, but fell on hard times at the end of the decade. The team was sold and moved to Brooklyn as the Dodgers. Dan Topping bought the team in 1937. Topping decided a name change to Tigers would improve play in 1944. That same year the NFL awarded a team to Ted Collins, manager of singer Kate Smith. He wanted his team to play in Yankee Stadium as the Yankees, but Giants owner Tim Mara refused to relinquish territorial rights to New York City. Collins settled on Boston and called his team the Yanks. Due to struggles, the NFL allowed the Tigers and Yanks to merge a year later. Splitting games between Brooklyn and Boston, the team was simply called the Yanks.

In 1946, The All America Football Conference (AAFC) was born. Topping jumped to the new league with his players. He got what Collins wanted, a New York Yankee team in Yankee stadium. Collins took what was left and moved his Yanks back to Boston.

In 1949, Collins anticipated the fall of the AAFC. He took the opportunity to get in the New York market with his new team, the New York Bulldogs. He shared the Polo Grounds with the Giants. Topping merged his Yankees team with the struggling AAFC Brooklyn team for the final year of the conference. The new team carried the convenient handle Brooklyn-New York Yankees.

When the AAFC folded, the NFL accepted the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Colts (a team that started it's time in the AAFC as the Miami Seahawks). The Colts were pathetic, but Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall wanted a regional rival. Plus, he received a bunch of money for allowing a team in his territory. Marshall's fellow league owners probably preferred giving into Marshall than listening to him. The Colts died after one year in the NFL. The Bulldogs and Giants split many of the AAFC Yankees players. Collins finally made it to Yankee Stadium and renamed his team the New York Yanks. It didn't last long. After one winning season, the Yanks collapsed. Collins sold his franchise back to the NFL. The league turned around and awarded a franchise to Dallas businessmen. It was a new franchise with the same old Yanks players, uniforms, equipment and losing. Halfway through the Dallas Texans' first season, all losses, the owners handed the team back to the league. The NFL ran the team out of Hershey, PA for the remaining 5 games of the 1952 season. The Texans died at the end of that season. In 1953, a group led by Carroll Rosenbloom was awarded a new franchise with the old New York Yanks-Dallas Texans players and stuff. He called the team the Baltimore Colts. It should always be remembered that this Baltimore Colts team, the one that we now know as the Indianapolis Colts, has no connection to the Baltimore Colts team that came to the NFL from the AAFC.

This new Colts incarnation won a championship 6 years later. It was smooth sailing until 1972 when Los Angeles Rams owner Robert Irsay and Rosenbloom swapped franchises. In 1984, Irsay packed up the Colts and moved to Indianapolis.

It's interesting to note, in a show of sheer dedication, the Baltimore Colts marching band was twice left at the altar. They were dumped after the AAFC Colts folded after one year in the NFL. They were dumped again when Irsay yanked the team from them. The band still marches today in Baltimore.

Flea Flicker's Week 6 Power Rankings

Here are the rankings after six weeks. I might be a little optimistic about the Minnesota Vikings but they do have the second best record in the league. And it's my list.

1.   Kansas City Chiefs (5-1)
2.   Philadelphia Eagles (5-1)
3.   Minnesota Vikings (4-2)
4.   Los Angeles Rams (4-2)
5.   Carolina Panthers (4-2)
6.   New England Patriots (4-2)
7.   Washington Redskins (3-2)
8.   Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)
9.   Seattle Seahawks (3-2)
10. Denver Broncos (3-2)
11. Detroit Lions (3-3)
12. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3)
13. Atlanta Falcons (3-2)
14. Houston Texans (3-3)
15. Green Bay Packers (4-2)
16. New Orleans Saints (3-2)
17. Arizona Cardinals (3-3)
18. Buffalo Bills (3-2)
19. Tennessee Titans (3-3)
20. Baltimore Ravens (3-3)
21. Dallas Cowboys (2-3)
22. Cincinnati Bengals (2-3)
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3)
24. Oakland Raiders (2-4)
25. New York Jets (3-3)
26. Chicago Bears (2-4)
27. Miami Dolphins (3-2)
28. Los Angeles Chargers (2-4)
29. Indianapolis Colts (2-4)
30. San Francisco 49ers (0-6)
31. New York Giants (1-5)
32. Cleveland Browns (0-6)

Until next week.

He's Back

It's been a year and a couple of months since Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has been able to do real football things on a field. On August 30, 2016 he dislocated his knee and tore the ligaments that are supposed to keep that knee together. Yesterday he was cleared to return to practice by the doctor who performed the surgery to repair the knee. Bridgewater is set to return to the Vikings practice field on Wednesday.

It's been a remarkable road to recovery for Bridgewater. The knee injury was so severe that many figured that his football career was over. Some of the more morbid figured that even his walking around days were over. It's amazing how quick people are to turn to the worst possible outcome. Some reporters even seek out doctors to confirm these dreary possibilities. Doctors talking specifically about an injury that they have neither seen nor treated has always struck me as unethical and definitely unprofessional. Many people seem to be happier when another is falling. Bridgewater just went about his business and worked through the long, painful, frustrating rehab process. When seen he always had a smile. He's finally on the cusp of retrieving his football career.

Now it's time for the Vikings to make a decision. Bridgewater's been cleared to return to practice. The first practice in preparation for Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens is Wednesday. Head coach Mike Zimmer has said that Bridgewater will take part in that practice. That will kick off a three-week window at the end of which the Vikings have to decide whether to activate him from the PUP list and add him to the active roster or place him on injured reserve. The Vikings have said since the summer that they expect their forgotten quarterback to play this season. Last year, nearly all of the talking heads doubted that would ever happen. Some even maintained those doubts as recently as this past summer. He won't be completely back until he's on the field flinging passes in a real NFL regular season game but Bridgewater is steaming toward that game.

Welcome back, Teddy.

Vikings-Packers Thoughts

The Minnesota Vikings entered the 2017 NFL season with an offense highlighted by Sam Bradford at quarterback, rookie Dalvin Cook at running back, and Stefon Diggs at receiver. That trio looked great in Week 1. Explosive. Entering their Week 6 division clash with the Green Bay Packers, the Vikings had no Bradford, no Cook, no Diggs. No problem. The Vikings defeated the Packers 23-10. The teams are now tied at the top of the NFC North with 4-2 records.

The big news for the Vikings in regards to this game was obviously the win. A division win is always big. A Packers win is always huge. Especially since Packers wins haven't happened too often this century. The big news for the rest of the league and definitely the Packers was an injury to quarterback Aaron Rodgers early in the game. Reports coming out during and after the game were that the injury was a broken right collar bone. Not good. For the Packers or the league. The NFL is a better league with their best players playing. Any timetable as to when Rodgers might return to action is all guesswork at this time but it could be a while. Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr hit Rodgers (cleanly/legally) right after releasing the ball. The injury appeared to occur when he hit the ground with Barr's 250 lbs on top of him. The hit was a clean football hit in placement and timing. It looked like Rodgers didn't feel that way as he walked from the field. This is a huge blow to the Packers. Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees. These are the best quarterbacks in the league. They are so good that the drop from them to their backup is much greater than the drop from starter to backup for most teams. The Vikings have been playing with their backup since their Week 1 win against the Saints. One could go so far as to say that the Vikings have been going with their backup quarterback since Week 1 of the 2016 season. But that's another story. For this story we'll go with the assumption that Bradford's the Vikings starting quarterback. The drop from Bradford to Case Keenum is much less than the drop from Rodgers to Brett Hundley. But football is a team game. The quality of a team is best measured by the players that step up when needed. Too often an NFL team is only as good as their backup quarterback.

For the rest of the game Brett Hundley led the Packers. The Vikings defense took advantage by intercepting him three times, sacking him four times, and harassing him routinely. Hundley completed 18 of 33 passes for 157 yards, a touchdown, and those three interceptions. He was a very promising quarterback at UCLA. He's a talented quarterback. The Packers' season isn't over. But Hundley is no Rogers. Very few, perhaps none, have ever played the position better than Aaron Rodgers. The Packers need their players to step up.

The Vikings unfortunately did their best to keep the game close. Just when they seemed to be on the verge of blowing the game somewhat open they handed the ball back to the Packers. Looking to go ahead 14-0 early in the second quarter, Jerick McKinnon fumbled on the Packers 16-yard line. Packers linebacker Clay Matthews recovered and returned the football to the Vikings 18-yard line. Three plays later the Packers tied the score at 7-7. A potential 14 point swing. With a 14-7 lead late in the second quarter the Vikings were looking to extend that lead. Instead Case Keenum threw his first interception of the season. Both turnovers were preceded by 20-yard gains. Instead of momentum and points the Vikings gave the ball back to the Packers. The two turnovers led directly to the Packers' 10 points.

Some knee-jerk talking heads have been placing the bust label on second-year Vikings receiver Laquon Treadwell. He wasn't 100% healthy as a rookie last season. Finally healthy this season, he was seeing more snaps but was getting few looks and only a handful of catches. He made the biggest plays of his 1+-year career yesterday. He had three catches for 51 yards. One of those was an acrobatic, one-handed catch along the sideline for a 25-yard gain. He had a less spectacular but still productive 8-yard catch a couple plays later. Both plays were important on a drive that ended in a lead-padding field goal. The Vikings have a nice group of receivers. Treadwell is one of the most physically gifted, if not most gifted, of the group. His role and production will grow.

Packers inside linebacker Blake Martinez is one of the most underrated linebackers in the league. He's overshadowed on his own defense by Mike Daniels, Clay Matthews, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and pretty much every other Packers defensive starter. Martinez just makes plays. He had 11 tackles, two for loss, and a pass defense yesterday. That pass defense turned into an interception for cornerback Damarious Randall. Whenever the Packers defense made a good play Martinez was either the one making it or impacting it. He's a particular nuisance for me. He played at Stanford so I didn't care much for him then. He plays for the Packers now so I don't much care for him now. But he's a very good football player and getting better.

Like Treadwell, Vikings third-year cornerback Trae Waynes is another player that gets a lot of grief from fans and talking heads. Perhaps because he's not Marcus Peters, the cornerback that the Kansas City Chiefs selected a few picks after the Vikings selected Waynes in the 2015 NFL Draft. Those people seem to neglect the possibility that Waynes is a better fit for the press coverage that Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer prefers to play. We don't know if Peters can play that sort of coverage because he doesn't do it in Kansas City. Personally, I think that Waynes is playing well and getting better with each game. He still has to polish his play and technique (he can get a little "handsy" at times) but he's moving in the right direction. This is also the second consecutive year in which he sealed a win over the Packers with a late interception.

From the never seen before file. Packers linebacker Jake Ryan tackled McKinnon by grabbing both his facemask and the back of his shoulder pads. Both convenient hand holds are illegal to hold. The officials flagged Ryan for the "horse-collar."

Case Keenum is 2-2 as the Vikings starting quarterback. He also has a win in relief of Sam Bradford. He's played well enough to win all five of the games in which he has played. I was a little disappointed when the Vikings signed him this past offseason to back up Sam Bradford. I was hoping that third-year Taylor Heinicke would be given a shot at the job after missing all of the 2016 season. I'm real glad that I have no say in Vikings personnel matters. Keenum has been terrific. He has an energy about him and his play has followed. Hopefully he can sustain it. The Vikings don't need to rush Bradford back from his knee issues. That'something that they tried to do last week. Backup quarterbacks are often backup quarterbacks because they can't string together several games of solid play. Keenum has strung together five good to great games and it appears that his teammates get a kick out of playing for and with him. It's been fun to see. Relying solely on the episodes of the 2016 season of Hard Knocks it seemed to me that Keenum was trying too hard to be the leader and starting quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams. He seemed to separate himself from the team that he was supposed to lead. Perhaps competing with the team's #1 draft pick can do that. He looks like a completely different person and quarterback this season with the Vikings. He looks relaxed. He looks like he's having fun.

I didn't see enough of yesterday's other games to comment on them but I did notice the Adrian Peterson ain't done just yet. I just don't understand why so many people are hellbent on burying players, Peterson in particular.

The 1972 Miami Dolphins can celebrate. The previously unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Get well soon Aaron Rodgers. The league is a better league with you on the field.

Flea Flicker Week 6 Predictions

The NFL is cruising along. Here are some picks for the Week 6 slate of games.

Byes: Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks

Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings

Pick: Vikings

The Packers leave Minnesota sad.

Miami Dolphins @ Atlanta Falcons

Pick: Falcons

The Falcons had a bye last week. For some reason it feels like they've been away for more than a week. A week of rest, playing at home, the Dolphins...This feels like an easy Falcons win. 

San Francisco 49ers @ Washington Redskins

Pick: Redskins

The 49ers are playing much better than an 0-5 team typically plays. They are due for a win. It would be a tremendous upset if it happened this week. 

Detroit Lions @ New Orleans Saints

Pick: Saints

Going with the home team.

New England Patriots @ New York Jets

Pick: Patriots

I don't see the Jets win streak making it to 4. 

Chicago Bears @ Baltimore Ravens

Pick: Ravens

Bears rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky showed some good things in his debut on Monday. Getting his first win on the road against a tough Ravens defense is a tall task. 

Cleveland Browns @ Houston Texans

Pick: Texans

The Texans might be reeling from the losses of J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus but they have enough to handle a struggling Browns team.

Los Angles Rams @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Pick: Rams

I'm not sure what the Jaguars have to do for me to trust them but they haven't done it yet. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Arizona Cardinals

Pick: Buccaneers

If the Buccaneers can get out of their own way they could go on a run. 

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Kansas City Chiefs

Pick: Steelers

The 1972 Miami Dolphins can relax.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Oakland Raiders

Pick: Chargers

The struggling Raiders continue to struggle. 

New York Giants @ Denver Broncos

Pick: Broncos

I want to pick the upset but I can't. The Giants are a mess. 

Indianapolis Colts @ Tennessee Titans

Pick: Titans

ESPN was probably thrilled with this matchup when they first saw the schedule. Then the quarterbacks got hut. Maybe Marcus Mariota plays. The Titans are the more talented team so maybe they win. 

7 Underappreciatd College Prospects

It's a college football Saturday. That's always fun. Much more fun than those forced prime time, weeknight college games like last night's WSU-Cal game. Go Bears! College football is a Saturday thing.

NFL.com's CFB 24/7 always has fun stuff. Chad Reuter's list of "7 underappreciated prospects who will make a big impact in the NFL" is a fine example of that fun stuff. A couple of these prospects get my attention simply with their fantastic names. That Hercules fellow from Washington State was a little terror last night.

7. Jalen Davis, CB, Utah State

2017 stats: 11 solo tackles (2 sacks), 5 INTs (3 returned for TDs), 1 forced fumble.
Davis is blowing up this year, but if no one's watching the Aggies, is there a sound? Scouts think so. I loved Davis' game coming into the year, and now he's tied for the FBS lead with 5 interceptions, returning 3 to the house, in 6 games. The four-year starter is a tough player and a ballhawk. I believe he'll be a starting nickelback in the NFL.

6. Diocemy Saint Juste, RB, Hawaii

2017 stats: 144 carries for 892 yards (6.2 average), 4 TDs; 8 catches for 66 yards, TD.
Watching the 5-foot-8, 195-pound Saint Juste carry the ball while wearing the No. 22 jersey reminds me of Doug Martin when he starred at Boise State. This Rainbow Warrior's low center of gravity makes him difficult to tackle, but he also consistently lowers his pads on contact, driving forward for additional yardage. Saint Juste makes defenders miss in the hole and in the open field. Once he's free, he possesses the burst to take full advantage. Even if the program is in a bit of a freefall at 2-4, don't skip an opportunity to see the nation's third-leading rusher attack defenses with reckless abandon.

5. Chukwuma Okorafor, OT, Western Michigan

The Broncos might no longer be "rowing the boat" after head coach P.J. Fleck left for Minnesota after last season, but "Chuks" is making the best of his shot to show scouts he can be an NFL starter at left tackle. He has natural bend and foot quickness that belie his massive build (6-5, 355 pounds). He's also still learning the game, as his family emigrated from Botswana to the U.S. in 2010. His former teammate, Taylor Moton, was selected in the second round of the 2017 draft. Okorafor is a more intriguing prospect who could challenge Notre Dame's Mike McGlinchey for the title of top tackle in the senior class.

4. Hercules Mata'afa, DT, Washington State

2017 stats: 10 tackles for loss (4.5 sacks), 1 forced fumble.
Mata'afa is an undersized interior player at 6-2, 252 pounds. His initial quickness, however, helps him get his head in a gap before the guard and center can come out of their stances. The junior's hustle and physical play are also impressive. Watching quarterback Luke Falk run pirate-loving head coach Mike Leach's offense is great, but Mata'afa and the rest of the 6-0 Cougars' defense give college football fans on the East Coast another reason to stay up late on Saturday night. Wazzou running back Jamal Morrow could have made this list, as well -- he's a rushing/receiving threat for Leach.

3. Anthony Miller, WR, Memphis

2017 stats: 35 catches for 516 yards (14.7 average), 7 TDs.
Miller will be one of those third-round receivers who contributes immediately for whatever NFL team drafts him. His production has been down at times this year, but that changed last weekend when he caught 15 passes for 224 yards and four scores against UConn. At 5-11, 190 pounds, Miller isn't physically imposing, but pro quarterbacks will love his deep speed, strong hands and muscular build whether he's lined up in the slot or outside.

2. Austin Bryant, DE, Clemson

2017 stats: 11 tackles for loss (5 sacks), 1 INT.
It's easy to see why Bryant is overlooked with stud linemen Dexter Lawrence, Clelin Ferrell, and Christian Wilkins on Clemson's front four. He is tied for fourth in the FBS with 11 tackles for loss in 2017, however, with five sacks to his credit, leading the Tigers' formidable line in both categories. While he's not as quick as some of his teammates, the junior (who missed six games due to injury in 2016) plays with power and possesses the athleticism to win inside or outside against right tackles. Bryant's best football is in front of him, which should make him a favorite among NFL defensive coaches.

1. Damien Harris, RB, Alabama

2017 stats: 59 carries for 500 yards (8.5 average), 7 TDs; 5 catches for 38 yards (7.6 average).
Despite leading the eventual national runner-up in rushing in 2016 (1,037 yards), Harris was not selected to the coaches' All-SEC team after the season. He's not as big as teammate Bo Scarbrough, whose talent and size brought comparisons to Heisman winner Derrick Henry. Tide RB Josh Jacobs has also impressed at times. But Harris just goes about his business, whether it's breaking big runs, catching the ball out of the backfield, returning kicks or pass protecting. He's an all-around talent who isn't asked to carry a heavy workload because of 'Bama's depth at the position.

Vikings Backs And Receivers

The running back and receiver landscape of the Minnesota Vikings is in a rare state right now. The loss of rookie running back Dalvin Cook to a season-ending knee injury in Week 4 and the reinstatement of suspended receiver Michael Floyd in Week 5 changed that landscape.

Running backs			Receivers
Jerick McKinnon			Stefon Diggs
Latavius Murray			Adam Thielen
			Laquon Treadwell
Fullback			Michael Floyd
C.J. Ham			Jarius Wright
			Stacy Coley
			Rodney Adams

This isn't your "Vince Lombardi-Run to Daylight" offense. This is more "spread 'em out and chuck it." In the week following Cook's injury the Vikings signed Stevan Ridley to the roster to take the suddenly and sadly open running back position. Ridley wasn't in town long as he became the roster casualty when Floyd was activated on Monday. That resulted in the current, very unbalanced backs to receivers ratio. I can't recall the Vikings ever carrying seven receivers on the 53-man roster. All but rookies Stacy Coley and Rodney Adams were active for Monday night's game against the Bears. Barring injuries to the top five it's likely that will continue moving forward. But you never know. The NFL is a week-to-week business and a particular opponent might force a change in game plan and active roster. Carrying seven receivers had to shorten the depth chart at another position. That position turned out to be running back. Two running backs and a fullback is very light for one of the most physically demanding positions. It helps a little that Ham isn't strictly a fullback. He was a running back until a position switch this offseason. They also have Bronson Hill on the practice squad if they need a back in a pinch. 

It'll be interesting to see if the Vikings continue with this position disparity. As long as no other injuries hit the running back position it should be sustainable. Losing Dalvin Cook for the season was a huge blow. It took only 3.5 games to see that the Vikings offense could run through him. His versatility made the offense versatile. After several seasons of fairly modest offensive production the Vikings suddenly looked explosive at times this season. It was fun to see. With Cook, the Vikings running game could effectively set up the pass because both were a threat. It was a seamless transition between the pass and the run as his presence in the backfield wasn't a key to the team's intentions. Without Cook, the Vikings passing game might be needed to set up the run. Without that immediate running threat they might need to soften the run defense by spreading them out and completing passes downfield. With the current position numbers the Vikings have a fleet of receivers to send all over the field. Hopefully that can open up something for the backs.