Throwback Thursday: The Oakland Raiders vs The Hell's Angels

This Flicker was originally posted on 3/13/14. It's my favorite story from a team that has a lot of great stories. 

The Oakland Raiders of the 1970s were a different sort of football team. They fielded very good, if not great, football teams but they were a little bit different. Al Davis put those teams together in his image and little else really needs to be said. The Raiders of that era were renegades and you could tell that from the company that they kept. Off the field as well as on. Many of the Raiders were friendly with Huey Newton, Bobby Seale and the rest of the Black Panthers. Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels could be found on bar stools next to Ken Stabler, John Matuszak, and Phil Villapiano. You might even find Barger on the sideline of a Raiders football game. It wasn't always beers and fun with the Oakland Raiders and the Hell's Angels. They nearly went to war.

Most NFL teams of the 1970s still held training camp at small colleges. They stayed in the dorms. For at least a month, they lived a decent distance from most of civilization. The Oakland Raiders were, of course, a bit different. They were housed at the El Rancho Tropicana Hotel in Santa Rosa, CA. It wasn't a lovely place. They practiced on nearby fields. As soon as they were free of the daily practices and meetings the rowdy Raiders would scatter to the bars that dotted the area. The Bamboo Room was usually the first and most frequent stop on the rounds. The players would fly to the bars as soon as they could and then fly back to the Tropicana to make their 11pm curfew. One night linebacker Phil Villapiano didn't make it back for that curfew. There were many hell-raisers on those Raiders teams but they were all pretty good at meeting the few rules that the team had. It was unusual for any of the Raiders to miss curfew. Villapiano was drinking off a particularly rough day of practice on this night that he missed curfew. He was being switched to inside linebacker. He had also suffered a pulled muscle. When he finally ventured outside the Bamboo Room he found some gentlemen leaning against his car. He didn't take too kindly to their actions. They didn't take too kindly to his reaction. Villapiano was hit in the head with a hammer before he discovered that he was in a fight with some of the Hell's Angels. The fighting ceased when Villapiano was able to relay that he was friends with Sonny Barger. He thinks that association probably saved his life. By the time that the tardy linebacker had finally made his way back to the Tropicana his teammates were gathered in the courtyard. After hearing the tale, the Oakland Raiders wanted to go to war with the Hell's Angels. The coaches and Villapiano were able to calm the rest of the team before a Bay Area War could erupt. It all ended well. About a week after the incident, the Raiders were practicing when the air was filled with the roar of several Harley motorcycles. The noise and interruption didn't please John Madden too much but the Oakland Raiders and the Hell's Angels had made their peace.

Flea Flicker NFL Midseason Honors

It's the midpoint of the 2019 NFL Season. Here a look at some of the best of the first half of the season.

Hardware:

Offensive MVP: Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Defensive MVP: Jamie Collins, LB, New England Patriots
Offensive Rookie of the Midseason: Gardner Minshew, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Defensive Rookie of the Midseason: Nick Bosa, DE, San Francisco 49ers
Coach of the Year: Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints
Comeback Player of the Midseason: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, New Orleans Saints

Midseason All-Pro Team:

Offense

Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Running Backs
Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers

Fullback
C. J. Ham, Minnesota Vikings

Receivers
Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Micheal Thomas, New Orleans Saints

Tight End
George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

Tackles
Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens
Ryan Ramczyk, New Orleans Saints

Guards
Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts
Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys

Center
Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles

Defense

Defensive Ends
Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
Danielle Hunter, Minnesota Vikings

Defensive Tackles
Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Linebackers
Kyle Van Noy, New England Patriots
Eric Kendricks, Minnesota Vikings
Jamie Collins, New England Patriots

Cornerbacks
Stephon Gilmore, New England Patriots
Tre'Davious White, Buffalo Bills

Safeties
Harrison Smith, Minnesota Vikings
Devin McCourty. New England Patriots

Punter
Tress Way, Washington Redskins

Kicker
Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens

Kick Returner
Cordarrelle Patterson, Chicago Bears

Punt Returner
Deonte Harris, New Orleans Saints

Flea Flicker Week 8 Power Rankings

Here's one look at how the 32 NFL teams rank after the eighth week of the season.

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

Until next week.

Week 8 Football Thoughts

With the Minnesota Vikings on a mini-bye due to playing last Thursday, my mind drifted to other football things on a stress-free football Sunday. Of course, the Vikings were never far from those thoughts.

1. The Minnesota Vikings are 6-2 at the midpoint of the 2019 season. That's pretty great seeing as many media honks were preparing last rites about a month ago. 

2. Sundays feel so light when the Vikings aren't playing.

3. Minnesota Vikings Midseaon Honors:
    Offensive MVP: Dalvin Cook, RB
    Defensive MVP: Eric Kendricks, LB
    Special Teams MVP: Britton Colquitt, P
    Rookie of the Year: Garrett Bradbury, C
    Surprise of the Year: Alexander Mattison, RB

Colquitt gets the nod over kicker Dan Bailey simply because his addition as the holder the week before the season seemed to settle the entire kicking process. He's been fine as the team's punter but it's his holding that's had the greatest impact.

4. Perhaps it's because I'm so aware/sensitive to media perception of the Vikings but there always seems to be a "but" in the narrative describing the team's play. "The Vikings' offense is heating up BUT it's come against suspect defenses." "Cousins has been playing well BUT he struggles against teams with winning records, in prime time, one the road, etc, etc." There's a big BUT when the media crafts their narrative of the Vikings' strong play in October. The New England Patriots' defense is putting together an all-time great season but rare is the mention that the dominance has come against the weakest set of teams that has ever dotted an NFL team's schedule. There's no BUT when crafting the narrative of the Patriots' terrific start to the season. There's no talk of the Patriots' surprisingly pedestrian offense. As for the Cousins can't beat winning teams narrative, if wins against teams with losing records are taken out of every quarterback's win-loss record, very few would be sporting a winning mark. The best quarterbacks feast on poor teams and hover around .500 against the good teams. If a team or player is playing well at the NFL level there shouldn't be a BUT to explain it away. 

5. Latavius Murray is a really good running back. He could be the top back for many teams. He's big, runs with power, and has the speed to run for a while if he pops through the line. He's very good in pass protection and is effective as a pass catcher. He's a complete back. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings to be their top running back in 2017 but ended up being the other back when they drafted Dalvin Cook. Murray took over the lead role when Cook tore his ACL and he often shined. Murray was a very good player and teammate in Minnesota. It looks like he's doing the same in New Orleans. He's been terrific in place of Alvin Kamara the last two weeks.

6. I'm still not sold on Kyler Murray as a top-notch NFL quarterback but he sure does have the arm to be one. My goodness, he throws a perty pass.

7. Murray threw a pass to Christian Kirk that was tightly contested by Saints DB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. It was the sort of contested pass that routinely draws a penalty flag for interference. There was no flag on this play. There shouldn't have been. Two players were fighting for the ball and neither player interfered with the other's ability to do so. Just when I was on the verge of losing all faith in the official's seemingly random pass interference judgement I see this play. I sure wish this sort of officiating would become the norm.

8. The San Francisco 49ers dismantled the Carolina Panthers 51-13. The New England Patriots throttled the Cleveland Browns 27-13. The 49ers (7-0) and Patriots (8-0) continued their unbeaten ways. I'm still not sure what to think of either team. The Patriots' unbelievable success over the past two decades answers many questions about their play but neither team has really been challenged this season. Are they as great as they appear to be or has each just had a really easy schedule? No matter the reason, they are gaining momentum with each easy win and both look great. No BUTS about it.

9. Plays of the day.
a. With less than two minutes to play, Jacoby Brissett broke through a Von Miller sack attempt and unleashed a 35-yard rocket to TY Hilton. That play extended the drive that led to Adam Vinatieri's game-winning 51-yard field goal.
b. DeSahaun Watson broke through a sack attempt and a foot to the eye to toss a 9-yard touchdown pass to Darren Fells. That touchdown ended up being the deciding scoring in the Texans' 27-24 win over the Raiders.
c. Aaron Rodgers' sack-avoiding, touchdown toss that somehow found Jamaal Williams in the corner of the end zone.
d. Nick Bosa's lineman-evading, leaping interception of Kyle Allen.

10. It was fun watching Teddy Bridgewater lead the Saints on a five-game winning run but it's great to have Drew Brees back on the field.

11. I just can't believe that J.J. Watt's season is done.

12. The Indianapolis Colts are another team that's something of a puzzle. Every one of their seven games has been decided by a single score. They could easily be anywhere between 0-7 and 7-0. It must be nerve-wracking to be a fan of the team. It says something about their resiliency that they have been able to pull out five wins. Especially after the sudden preseason retirement of their franchise quarterback.

13. 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa has probably wrapped up the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. His stat line against the Carolina Panthers:
3 sacks
3 QB hits
3 tackles for loss
4 tackles
1 pass defense
And 1 ridiculous interception that he returned 46 yards
Nick Bosa is really good at football.

14. San Diego Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa also did the family proud. His day against the Chicago Bears.
2 sacks
3 QB hits
4 tackles for loss
7 tackles
Joey Bosa is really good at football.

15. The Bears missed a game-winning field goal attempt.

16. The Green Bay Packers had a tough time with the Kansas City Chiefs JV team.

17. I'm looking forward to an NFL Sunday with the Minnesota Vikings. 

Flea Flicker Week 8 Predictions

Is it really an NFL Sunday without the Minnesota Vikings? I don't think so. The Vikings played now on Thursday. Now, they have some time off. Here's a stab at the rest of the Week 8 games.

Byes: Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens

Seattle Seahawks @ Atlanta Falcons
Pick: Seahawks
The Falcons have been falling since they faced the Vikings in Week 1. The Seahawks have to respond to last weeks slap-around by the Baltimore Ravens.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Buffalo Bills
Pick: Eagles
This is a must win game for the Eagles. Every game the rest of the way might be a must win for the Eagles.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Chicago Bears
Pick: Bears
I'll just go with the home team in this battle of talented teams that haven't played like talented teams in recent games.

New York Giants @ Detroit Lions
Pick: Lions
The Lions have to get off their current slide.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Tennessee Titans
Pick: Titans
Just going with the home team in this battle of inconsistent teams.

Denver Broncos @ Indianapolis Colts
Pick: Colts
The Colts have taken down some AFC heavyweights in recent weeks. They can't lose to the Broncos.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Los Angeles Rams
Pick: Rams
Not much thinking needed here.

Arizona Cardinals @ New Orleans Saints
Pick: Saints
After rolling for over a month with Teddy Bridgewater wouldn't it be a riot if the Saints lost to the Cardinals with Drew Brees back? The Saints can't look past this game.

New York Jets @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Pick: Jets
Sam Darnold sees no ghosts in this fun little shootout with Gardner Minshew.

Carolina Panthers @ San Francisco 49ers
Pick: Panthers
This is the first real threat to the 49ers' terrific start.

Cleveland Browns @ New England Patriots
Pick: Browns
The Patriots have had one of the easiest first seven games in the history of the NFL. The Browns have the playmakers to threaten the Patriots defense.

-Both undefeated teams fall in Week 8 and the 1972 Miami Dolphins celebrate.

Oakland Raiders @ Houston Texans
Pick: Texans
The Texans need to stack up some wins. They are one of the best teams in the league but they're only a game over .500 because they've dropped three winnable games. The Raiders can be feisty.

Green Bay Packers @ Kansas City Chiefs
Pick: Packers
The Packers should be able to get past a Chiefs' JV team.

Miami Dolphins @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: Steelers
ESPN is considering showing a Dolphins-Steelers game from the 1970s instead.

Who's Next?

Steve Jordan was inducted into the Minnesota Vikings' Ring of Honor at halftime of Thursday's Vikings-Redskins game. It's a damn shame that the brief ceremony couldn't be part of FOX's telecast. I guess we have to see spend those precious minutes watching the same commercials that we saw in the first quarter. There are bills to pay. Jordan is the 25th recipient of the snappy purple jacket that goes with the honor. He's the best tight end in franchise history. Recognition of his status as one of the best football players in franchise history was very deserved and due.

498 receptions
6,307 yards
28 touchdowns

From 1982-94, he was part of a wave of tight ends that changed NFL football. Versatile, pass-catching, tight end talents like Kellen Winslow, Ozzie Newsome, Todd Chistensen, and Steve Jordan forced defenses to reckon with a position that was previously just an extra lineman. Jordan had a terrific 13-year career. He posted impressive stats. He made the Pro Bowl in six of his 13 seasons. That all pales to the character and leadership that he provided on and off the field. Steve Jordan is simply a great Minnesota Viking. It was only a matter of time as to when he'd join the other franchise greats in the Vikings Ring of Honor. That time is now.

Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor

Fran Tarkenton
Alan Page
Jim Finks
Bud Grant
Paul Krause
Fred Zamberletti
Jim Marshall
Ron Yary
Korey Stringer
Mick Tingelhoff
Car Eller
Cris Carter
Bill Brown
Jerry Burns
Randall McDaniel
Chuck Foreman
John Randle
Scott Studwell
Chris Doleman
Matt Blair
Joey Browner
Randy Moss
Ahmad Rashad
Dennis Green
Steve Jordan

With honors like this, about a moment after congratulating the recipient thoughts turn to "Who's next?" It's a sad part of our nature. So, "Who's next?" Who will be the 26th member of the Vikings Ring of Honor?

There will be a flood of players that played this century that are deserving of Ring of Honor status. Antoine Winfield, Kevin Williams, Chad Greenway, Jared Allen, Jim Kleinsasser, Steve Hutchinson, Matt Birk should see their day. I wouldn't complain if that day is next for any of them. All are deserving. Personally, I think the players that are most deserving of next are those that have been waiting the longest.

Grady Alderman
Bobby Bryant
Jeff Siemon
Keith Millard
Gary Zimmerman
Anthony Carter
Henry Thomas
Robert Smith

Of the above, I see Keith Millard, Gary Zimmerman, and Robert Smith as the most likely to be next.

Two weeks ago, I attended my first Vikings game in Minnesota. It was an incredible experience. Included in that experience was a visit to the Vikings Museum. It's a magical place. Of all the memorabilia, historical items, and displays in that magical place the one that has really stayed with me was a quite extensive Tommy Mason exhibit. It seems that he's been a bit forgotten over the Vikings' nearly 60 years. He shouldn't be. Mason was the Vikings' first ever draft pick. If fans know of him it's mostly because of that tag but he was much more than the first pick. In his six years in Minnesota, Mason went to three Pro Bowls and was All-Pro once. He was a versatile back during an era when backs mostly just ran the ball. Seeing as Mason was the the team's first draft pick, he's been waiting for Ring of Honor status longer than anyone. It isn't right that it took a museum exhibit for me to rethink Tommy Mason's significance in the history of the Minnesota Vikings but it did. If it was up to me the first draft pick of the Vikings will be the 26th member of the team's Ring of Honor.

Redskins-Vikings

After their 19-9 win over the visiting Washington Redskins, the Minnesota Vikings hit the midpoint of the 2019 NFL season at 6-2.

Seeing as the Redskins entered the game with a single win and the Vikings entered it with thoughts of being among the best teams in a very competitive NFC, walking away with a 19-9 win might be viewed as somewhat underwhelming. Anything can happen in the NFL. That's especially true when a week of preparation is chopped in half in order to jam a Thursday night game into the schedule. The best things about this win for the Vikings is that it's a win, obviously, their obligatory Thursday night game is behind them, and they now have a mini-bye before the second half of the season kicks off with road games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys. 

In reality, the only thing underwhelming about this 19-9 win is the score. Double-digit point spreads are rare in the NFL. Some had the Vikings as three-score favorites. If the Vikings had cared more about "appearances" than securing a win they would've been more interested in scoring a touchdown at the end of the game than chewing up nearly all of the final 8:42 of it. The Vikings control of this game is probably best seen in their final possession. With 8:42 to play, the Vikings got the ball at their own 34. The Redskins didn't possess the ball again until the Vikings gave it to them at their own five-yard line with 16 seconds on the clock. The Vikings ran 14 plays on their final possession. All 14 were runs by either Dalvin Cook or Alexander Mattison. Due to penalties, they had to game some of the 62 yards more than once. It was the sort of drive that the best teams often employ to take the soul from their opponent. 

For the game, the Vikings dominated in the numbers that sit behind the final score.

Total yards:

Vikings  434

Redskins  216

Passing yards:

Vikings  273

Redskins  131

Rushing yards:

Vikings  161

Redskins  85

Time of Possession:

Vikings  36:36

Redskins  23:24

No punts!

Those numbers are much more saucy than the score. It happens. 

Some Vikings had saucy individual numbers:

Kirk Cousins:

23/26, 285 yards, 112.3 rating

Dalvin Cook:

23 carries, 98 yards, 1 TD

5 catches, 73 yards

Stefon Diggs

7 catches, 143 yards

Speaking of individual numbers, congratulations to the great Adrian Peterson on climbing to #6 on the NFL's career rushing list. His hard-earned 76 yards pushed him past Hall of Famers Jerome Bettis and LaDanian Tomlinson. Best of luck on his quest to move even higher. Hopefully, further yardage isn't gained against the Vikings. 

October has been a rebound month for the Minnesota Vikings. They ended September with a pathetic performance against the Chicago Bears and a 2-2 record. Since then, they have only won football games. The offense has hit it's stride and perhaps found it's identity. Cousins has played and thrown the football with confidence. Cook has been great since he showed up in the spring. Surprisingly, it's the defense, particularly the secondary, that can tighten things up a bit. The whole team can play better. Due to the early-season struggles, 6-2 is a strong first half. Home games against division foes and prime time games dominate the second half of the Vikings season. It's going to be fun. Hopefully as fun, as that game-controlling final drive against the Redskins. 

Throwback Thursday: When The NFL Got Squirrelly With The Divisions

This Flea Flicker was originally posted on 2/21/19

The National Football League and the American Football League agreed to merge on June 8, 1966. The immediate result of that agreement was a unifying championship game at the end of each season and an end to the bidding war over players. In 1970, the two rival leagues fully merged into one professional football league. One often overlooked result of the merger was the introduction of divisions into the NFL's traditional Eastern-Western alignment. Since 1933, the NFL had separated the teams into Eastern or Western Divisions/Conferences. From 1933-49 it was Divisions. From 1953-66 it was Conferences. From 1950-52, the three seasons following the absorption of the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Colts from the All-America Football Conference, the teams were split into American and National Conferences. That bit of nomenclature was foreshadowing of what was to come about 20 years later. After the 1966 merger, the NFL got a little squirrelly with the separation of their teams. Probably due to the lateness of the merger announcement, the 1966 season was more of the same. 15 teams divided into Eastern and Western Conferences:

Eastern Conference
Dallas Cowboys
Cleveland Browns
Philadelphia Eagles
St. Louis Cardinals
Washington Redskins
Pittsburgh Steelers
Atlanta Falcons
New York Giants

Western Conference
Green Bay Packers
Baltimore Colts
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings

It was in 1967 that the NFL got squirrelly:

Eastern Conference

Capitol Division
Dallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins
New Orleans Saints

Century Division
Cleveland Browns
New York Giants
St. Louis Cardinals
Pittsburgh Steelers

Western Conference

Coastal Division
Los Angeles Rams
Baltimore Colts
San Francisco 49ers
Atlanta Falcons

Central Division
Green Bay Packers
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings

This was the NFL from 1967-69. The most surprising aspect of this alignment for me has always been it's delightful alliteration. Four divisions with the names Capitol, Century, Coastal, Central. Who would've thought that Pete Rozelle and his pals had that sort of whimsy in them?  The Central Division is the only division that survived the complete NFL-AFL merger. The good old Central continued until the NFL's most recent realignment in 2002. The four teams of the Central make up the NFC North today. They are the only four teams that have stayed together since the NFL got squirrelly in 1967.

A couple things.

I sure do miss seeing the Colts as the Baltimore Colts. I also like seeing them on the National Football side of the ledger. The same is true for the Steelers and the Browns.

The NFL has rarely been very good with geography. They have gotten better in recent years but how can anyone ever seriously place teams from Atlanta and Baltimore in the West? The Cowboys have terrific rivalries with the Redskins, Giants, and Eagles but they aren't geographical rivals.

Cal's 2020 Football Commits

23 high school football players have verbally committed to play for the University of California next fall. As would be expected, this group is reflective of Cal's current football team. It addresses the quarterback position with two of those.

Zach Johnson, QB, 6-1 190, Hart (Newhall, CA)
Jaden Casey, QB, 6-1 185, Calabasas (Calabasas, CA)

As many as five current Cal defensive backs could be selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. There are five cornerbacks currently in this class.

Isaiah Young, CB, 5-9 156, Centennial (Corona, CA)
DeJuan Butler, CB, 5-11 180, Antioch (Antioch, CA)
Trey Paster, ATH, 6-1.5 200, Buhach Colony (Atwater, CA)
Collin Gamble, CB, 5-10 185, Liberty Christian (Argyle, TX)
Tyson McWilliams, CB, 6-2 170, St. Augustine (San Diego, CA)

Head coach Justin Wilcox has been looking for an imposing presence in the middle of his defensive line since he was hired in 2017. He may have finally found that player.

Ricky Correia, DT, 6-4 359, Central East (Fresno, CA)

Here are the 23 high school football players currently committed to coming to Berkeley in 2020.

Everett Johnson, OT, 6-7.5 287, Turlock (Turlock, CA)
Isaiah Young, CB, 5-9 156, Centennial (Corona, CA)
Andy Alfieri, LB, 6-3 220, Jesuit (Portland, OR)
Casey Filkins, WR, 5-11 190, Lake Oswego Senior (Lake Oswego, OR)
Jeremiah Hunter, WR, 6-2 178, Central East (Fresno, CA)
Tommy Christakos, WR, 6-4 215, Chaparral (Scottsdale, AZ)
Zach Johnson, QB, 6-1 190, Hart (Newhall, CA)
Muelu Iosefa, LB, 6-3 212, Mililani (Mililani, HI)
Stanley McKenzie, DT, 6-2 270, St. Louis School (Honolulu, HI)
Jake Muller, TE, 6-5 235, Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo, CA)
Ender Aguilar, ATH, 6-5 245, Servite (Anaheim, CA)
Chris Street, RB, 5-8 191, Junipero Serra (San Juan Capistrano, CA)
DeJuan Butler, CB, 5-11 180, Antioch (Antioch, CA)
Kaleo Ballungay, TE, 6-5 238, Kimball (Tracy, CA)
Damian Moore, RB, 5-10 190, Bishop Amat (La Puente, CA)
Trey Paster, ATH, 6-1.5 200, Buhach Colony (Atwater, CA)
Aidan Lee, ATH, 6-2 200, Desert Ridge (Mesa, AZ)
Ethan Saunders, DT, 6-3 275, Orange Vista (Perris, CA)
Justin Baker, RB, 5-8.5 175, Kennedy Catholic (Burien, WA)
Collin Gamble, CB, 5-10 185, Liberty Christian (Argyle, TX)
Jaden Casey, QB, 6-1 185, Calabasas (Calabasas, CA)
Ricky Correia, DT, 6-4 359, Central East (Fresno, CA)
Tyson McWilliams, CB, 6-2 170, St. Augustine (San Diego, CA)

Three players are listed by 247 Sports as athletes due to their versatile abilities on the field. I'm guessing that those players are projected to playing the following positions at Cal:

Ender Aguilar-pass rushing linebacker
Trey Paster-cornerback
Aidan Lee-receiver

247 Sports has all 23 commits rated as three-star recruits. Maybe it's just me but I find it statistically unbelievable that all 23 are three-star players. I seriously doubt that Cal's coaches and recruiters exclusively target 247 Sports three-star players. If whatever scouting is actually done by the 247 folks, their qualifications to saddle a player with the middle-of-the-road three-star tag has become extremely broad. Except for chips on shoulders, the shaky star-rating system means little once the player gets his football opportunity on a college campus.

More 247 ratings:

Current 2020 Pac-12 Recruiting Rankings

1. Oregon-21 commits
2. Washington-19 commits
3. Stanford-16 commits
4. Arizona State-19 commits
5. California-23 commits
6. Colorado-18 commits
7. UCLA-13 commits
8. Oregon State-14 commits
9. Washington State-13 commits
10. USC-11 commits
11. Arizona-13 commits
12. Utah-6 commits

Flea Flicker Week 7 Power Rankings

Here's one look at how the 32 NFL teams rank after the seventh week of the season.

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

Until next week.

Vikings-Lions

Well, that was a different sort of win for the Minnesota Vikings. The offense carried the day against the Lions in Detroit, 42-30. When things have gone well during the five years and seven games that Mike Zimmer has coached the Vikings, the defense has kept games winnable and the offense has done just enough to win them. Yesterday wasn't that sort of game. It was the offense that won this game.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (30/45, 364 yards, 4 touchdowns) often seemed to have his way against the Vikings' defensive backs. Marvin Jones (10 catches, 93 yards, 4 TDs!) had his best pass-catching day since his Cal days. That's really not accurate but I was fond of him doing this sort of stuff in Berkeley. I haven't been fond of him doing it for the Lions. Due to those receiver-covering struggles through most of the game it was great to see cornerback Trae Waynes seal the game with an interception.

Enough of the Lions. This is about the Vikings securing their fifth win of the season.

"You like that!"

Kirk Cousins has played the last three weeks like the quarterback that the Vikings paid heavily to be in a difference-maker. In his press conference, Zimmer said that Cousins is presently playing his best football. That's clear. Cousins is throwing with confidence. A lot of confidence. As a result, the offense looks confident. Every third-and-8 feels like short yardage. The Lions were moving the ball and scoring in the first half and the Vikings just stepped on the field and went about their business. They kept answering the Lions' scores. In the second half, the Vikings offense opened up a lead and they kept that lead. The missed touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs early in the fourth quarter and the missed field goal that followed didn't feel like a big deal. It was disappointing but it wasn't deflating. In the past that sort of missed opportunity would often torpedo the Vikings. That was due to the simple fact that scoring opportunities were often hard to come by. This current Vikings offense creates scoring opportunities. They haven't been hard to come by the past three weeks. This can't just be a nice offensive stretch. It has to be the norm. It has to come against the top teams. And it has to come against the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears when those teams come to Minnesota in Weeks 16 and 17.

Cousins matched Stafford with four touchdown tosses. The best thing about those four touchdown tosses was that they went to four different receivers.

1. Adam Thielen, 25 yards
2. Olabisi Johnson, 1 yard
3. C.J. Ham, 5 yards
4. Kyle Rudolph, 15 yards

It was an equal opportunity passing game. Four players had at least 40 yards.

1. Stefon Diggs-7 catches, 142 yards
2. Irv Smith Jr.-5 catches, 60 yards
3. Kyle Rudolph-5 catches, 58 yards
4. Olabisi Johnson-4 catches, 40 yards

The Vikings have some tight ends! Word around the media honks was that the team only had extra offensive linemen. The offense needed some pass catchers to step up as Adam Thielen was injured in the first quarter on his 25-yard touchdown catch. The injury is reportedly a hamstring injury. Players stepped up against the Lions but the Vikings need Thielen on the field. Unfortunately, it's a very short week. They host the Washington Redskins on Thursday night. Hopefully, Thielen is ready.

Bold play:
After slicing the Vikings lead to 35-30 with just over three minutes to play, the Lions defense was gearing up for three quick run stops, some efficient time outs, and getting the ball back to their hot offense. After a five-yard run by Dalvin Cook, the Vikings had a 2nd-and-five. Instead of another Cook run, the Vikings decided to wrap up the game on their terms. Cousins threw deep to Diggs for 66 yards. Two plays later, Cook was in the end zone and the Vikings had a 42-30 lead. It was the sort of bold play made by teams with a confident offense. And a very confident quarterback. The game-sealing Trae Waynes interception a few aggravating plays later sealed the 42-30 win.

Game Balls
The whole offense deserves game balls. Cousins was crisp, accurate, and excellent. The offensive line was strong-no sacks and opened holes. Cook was terrific. Diggs and the pass catchers stepped up. I'll separate the following for special mention:

The offensive line. This was the best I can recall seeing a Vikings offensive line play in a very long time. Game balls to Riley Reiff, Pat Elflein, Garrett Bradbury, Josh Kline, and Brian O'Neill. Reiff even showed a nasty side during the game-ending kneel downs.

Kirk Cousins: 24/34, 337 yards, 9.9 avg/att, 141.4 rating

Dalvin Cook: 25 carries, 142 yards, 2 TDs

The defense wasn't great but one player continued his strong season-long play.

Eric Kendricks: 12 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 pass defense.

If Kendricks continues playing like he's been playing through seven games he deserves a Pro Bowl. He's been one of the best linebackers in the league.

Three straight wins has turned those dismal thoughts after the Bears game into a sad, distant memory. The Vikings are gaining momentum and confidence. They have to continue stacking up wins. They have a short week this week with the Redskins coming to Minnesota on Thursday. Hopefully, Thielen is back. If not, he has some extra time before Week 9. The offense is evolving into one of the most versatile in the league. The defense has to rebound from this performance against the Lions. I expect that they will.

Flea Flicker Week 7 Predictions

It's Week 7 in the NFL. Here are some predictions for the Week 7 games.

Byes: Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers

Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions
Pick: Vikings
The Vikings have to stack up wins. They also probably need to sweep their remaining four division games.

Los Angeles Rams @ Atlanta Falcons
Pick: Rams
The Falcons are playing like the sort of team that can help the Rams get on the winning side of games.

Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills
Pick: Bills
This will be the second bye of the Bills season.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Cincinnati Bengals
Pick: Jaguars
It's 0-7 for the Bengals.

Oakland Raiders @ Green Bay Packers
Pick: Raiders
Just a hunch.

Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts
Pick: Texans
This game could be a lot of fun.

Arizona Cardinals @ New York Giants
Pick: Giants
The Giants appear to be getting their offense back.

San Francisco 49ers @ Washington Redskins
Pick: 49ers
The 49ers were handed a schedule designed to build confidence. Through their first five games, their most challenging opponents (on paper) were a Steelers team that had lost their quarterback a week before and a Rams team without Todd Gurley. Maybe that confidence will help them in the upcoming obstacle of facing the Cardinals twice in three weeks.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Tennessee Titans
Pick: Chargers
The Chargers have to stop playing down to their opponents. Despite the annual injury purge of their roster they are still more talented than nearly every opponent they face. That includes the Titans.

New Orleans Saints @ Chicago Bears
Pick: Saints
Teddy keeps rolling.

Baltimore Ravens @ Seattle Seahawks
Pick: Ravens
I always prefer picking the team playing the Seahawks.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys
Pick: Eagles
The Cowboys have yet to show that they can compete against Division I teams.

New England Patriots @ New York Jets
Pick: Patriots
The celebration of Sam Darnold's return to the Jets comes to an end against the Patriots.

Minnesota Vikings Roster

The Minnesota Vikings travel to Detroit to play the Lions tomorrow. Other than the usual tweaks, active roster to practice squad flips, the roster is essentially the same as the last one that I posted. Rookie linebacker Cameron Smith was promoted from the practice squad last Saturday. Rookie receiver Davion Davis was demoted to the practice squad. Also, in a move that might've surprised a few defensive end Tashawn Bower was released from the injured list. He'd shown some flashes in the seven regular games in which he appeared and in preseason games. Obviously, other defensive ends had passed him on the depth chart. The offseason achilles injury that landed him on the injured list didn't help. While others were progressing Bower was rehabbing. That's never a good thing when a player is on the fringes of an NFL roster.

In advance of tomorrow's Lions game here's the Minnesota Vikings roster.

Offense (26 Players)

Quarterbacks (2)
 8 Kirk Cousins
 4 Sean Mannion

Running Backs (5)
33 Dalvin Cook
25 Alexander Mattison
23 Mike Boone
31 Ameer Abdullah
30 C.J. Ham

Receivers (4)
14 Stefon Diggs
19 Adam Thielen
81 Olabisi Johnson
11 Laquon Treadwell

Tight Ends (3)
82 Kyle Rudolph
84 Irv Smith Jr.
83 Tyler Conklin

Offensive Line (10)
71 Riley Reiff
65 Pat Elflein
56 Garrett Bradbury
64 Josh Kline
75 Brian O'Neill
69 Rashod Hill
78 Dakota Dozier
73 Dru Samia
61 Brett Jones
74 Oli Udoh

Defense (26 Players)

Defensive Line (10)
97 Everson Griffen
93 Shamar Stephen
98 Linval Joseph
99 Danielle Hunter
91 Stephen Weatherly
92 Jalyn Holmes
94 Jaleel Johnson
96 Ifeadi Odenigbo
51 Hercules Mata'afa
96 Armon Watts

Linebackers (6)
55 Anthony Barr
54 Eric Kendricks
42 Ben Gedeon
50 Eric Wilson
40 Kentrell Brothers
59 Cameron Smith

Cornerbacks (6)
29 Xavier Rhodes
26 Trae Waynes
20 Mackensie Alexander
21 Mike Hughes
38 Kris Boyd
35 Marcus Sherels

Safeties (4)
22 Harrison Smith
41 Anthony Harris
27 Jayron Kearse
39 Marcus Epps

Special Teams (3 Players)

Kicker
 5 Dan Bailey

Punter
 2 Britton Colquitt

Long Snapper
58 Austin Cutting

Practice Squad (10)
48 Khari Blasingame, FB
  3 Jake Browning, QB
76 Aviante Collins, OT
16 Davion Davis, WR
85 Brandon Dillon, TE
32 Mark Fields, CB
15 Alexander Hollins, WR
74 Stacy Keely, DE
44 Nate Meadors, CB
17 Dillon Mitchell, WR

Reserved/Injured
12 Chad Beebe, WR
13 Josh Doctson, WR
35 Isaiah Warton, S

Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform
89 David Morgan, TE

Suspended
24 Holton Hill, CB

***

Suspended cornerback Holton Hill is creeping closer to his return to the team. His eight-game suspension will end a week from Monday. If he's physically ready to immediately return to an NFL game, the Vikings will be able to go a strong five-deep at the position.

Xavier Rhodes
Trae Waynes
Mackensie Alexander
Mike Hughes
Holton Hill

An NFL team can never have enough corners but that's a lot of talented corners. The Vikings have come a long way at the position. There were years in the early 2000's in which the starting corners wouldn't have made it out of OTAs if the above five were in front of them.

Talking Football

Here are some football quotes that have passed my way in recent weeks.

"The world lost the greatest undertaker when Clark Shaugnessy decided on football coaching instead."

     -Robert Zuppke

"Why don't you guys tell me which play he's going to get hurt on and I'll make sure he's not in there."

     -Bill Belichick in response to being questioned about putting players in harms way by playing them in a football game.

"(Jim) Langer and I had a standing bet which side of Zonk's face his nose would be on at the end of the game."
     -Bob Kuechenberg

"I just play my game. You got to reckon with me I don't have to reckon with you."
     -Mean Joe Greene

I think it's because I kept my sense of humor. I just got along. I took it-and bounced back for more. And scoring touchdowns won a lot of the Southern players over to my side."
     -Fritz Pollard

"A lot of people today think Green Bay was never a great football town until Vince Lombardi built all those winners in the 1960s. This kind of annoys me. They talk like we were a bunch of guys that got together on weekends. Listen, Lambeau...won six championships, and in his early days he was just as tough and mean as anyone else. You think Lombardi was tough? Lambeau was tougher."
     -Clarke Hinkle

"In 1933 I paid $2,500 for a National Football League franchise, which I named the Pirates because the Pittsburgh baseball team was called the Pirates. It wasn't until 1940, when we had contest for a new name, that we became the Steelers. Joe Carr's girlfriend won the contest. There were some people who said, 'That contest doesn't look like it was on the level.'"
     -Art Rooney

"I sleep fast."
     -Bobby Layne

"No linebacker in this league could stop (Jim) Brown man-to-man."
     -Sam Huff

"Middle linebackers develop a fondness for train wrecks."
     -Curly Lambeau

"Running is so natural to me. When I was running track, people used to ask me, 'When are you gonna start running hard?' The wind hits me in the face, and I feel so smoooooth. Man, I love to run!"
     -Eric Dickerson

"Based on the NFL quarterback rating system, Montana's '89 season was simply the best anyone has ever had-the highest rating (112.4) and third-highest competition percentage (70.2) in history. But those are just numbers. The 49ers swept through the playoffs and Super Bowl like a broom, trouncing Denver to repeat as NFL champions. Their efficiency was frightening, and Montana was the master."
     -Paul Zimmerman, from Sports Illustrated, August 12, 1990

"Nevermore...Quoth the Ravens Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed to quarterbacks foolish enough to throw in his area."
     -NFL 100: A Century of Pro Football

Throwback Thursday: All-Time Minnesota Vikings 2nd Team

Seeing the Vikings play in Minnesota for the first time and visiting the team's museum has me feeling nostalgic. It doesn't take much for me to feel nostalgic for the Vikings but last weekend's trip to Minnesota had me closer to the real thing than I've ever been. I've done many All-Time Vikings teams over the years. It's actually a little silly to repeatedly do an All-Time Vikings team as it's mostly the same team every time. Most positions aren't up for debate. There might be some variation at a few positions (linebacker and cornerback) but most of the positions are taken, often by Hall of Famers. Just to do this All-Time Vikings team thing a little differently, I decided to dig a little deeper. An All-Time Minnesota Vikings 2nd Team. It's a fine bench.

Offense

Quarterback
Daunte Culpepper

Running Back
Robert Smith

Fullback
Chuck Foreman

Receivers
Ahmad Rashad
Anthony Carter

Tight End
Kyle Rudolph

Offensive Tackles
Grady Alderman
Todd Steussie

Offensive Guards
Ed White
Milt Sunde

Center
Matt Birk

Defense

Defensive Ends
Jim Marshall
Jared Allen

Defensive Tackles
Keith Millard
Kevin Williams

Linebackers
Anthony Barr
Jeff Siemon
Eric Kendricks

Cornerbacks
Bobby Bryant
Carl Lee

Safeties
Joey Browner
Corey Chavous

***

There's quite a career drop for Vikings quarterbacks after Fran Tarkenton. Several have had one or two brilliant seasons (Warren Moon, Randall Cunningham, Brett Favre). I give the second team nod to Daunte Culpepper due to his franchise QB status before his knee injury, his handful of solid seasons as the team's quarterback, and his ridiculous 2004 season. 

Putting Chuck Foreman at fullback is cheating a bit. He did line up at the position, mostly during his first few seasons, but he was a halfback for nearly all of his wonderful days in Minnesota. With Foreman at fullback I get Robert Smith at halfback. That way I get the second and third best backs in team history on the same team. That's a win. 

I wanted to get tackle Tim Irwin on this team. He was a very good player for 11 seasons. I ended up going with Todd Steussie because I thought that his best seasons were better than Irwin's best seasons. 

For reference, here's a recent All-Time Minnesota Vikings 1st Team:

Quarterback
Fran Tarkenton

Running Back
Adrian Peterson

Fullback
Bill Brown

Receivers
Cris Carter
Randy Moss

Tight End
Steve Jordan

Offensive Tackles
Ron Yary
Gary Zimmerman

Offensive Guards
Randall McDaniel
Steve Hutchinson

Center
Mick Tingelhoff

Defense

Defensive Ends
Carl Eller
Chris Doleman

Defensive Tackles
Alan Page
John Randle

Linebackers
Chad Greenway
Scott Studwell
Matt Blair

Cornerbacks
Antoine Winfield
Xavier Rhodes

Safeties
Paul Krause
Harrison Smith

A Day At The Game And Museum

This past weekend Mrs. Flicker and I ventured to Minneapolis for the Philadelphia Eagles-Minnesota Vikings game. More than 45 years as a fan and I'd never seen the Vikings play in Minnesota. Finally, that's changed. It was a fantastic, incredible, amazing, satisfying, fun, thrilling, more than I ever imagined, beautiful experience. It was made all the better by having Mrs. Flicker with me. The Vikings defeating the Eagles 38-20 made the experience the best it could be.  

 Best stadium in the league. 

The Vikings were kind enough to send us a photo to find our location in the stadium. We're the pair in purple. 

Mrs. Flicker sings this like a bird. A bird!

And then the Vikings Museum on Monday....

A beautiful weekend. Thank you Minnesota. Thank you Vikings. Skol!

Flea Flicker Week 6 Power Rankings

Here's one look at how the 32 NFL teams rank after the sixth week of the season.

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

Until next week.

Flea Flicker Week 6 Predictions

The only game that really matters this weekend is that one that I'll be attending.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Minnesota Vikings
Pick: Vikings
Attending a Vikings game in Minnesota. Wow, what a day! Gotta get a win!

Here's a swing at the other, less important, games.

Byes: Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Oakland Raiders

Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pick: Buccaneers
Just going with the home team in another country.

Seattle Seahawks @ Cleveland Browns
Pick: Browns
The Seahawks are going to wish that they didn't have a week and a half to celebrate their win over the Rams.

Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs
Pick: Texans
Just a hunch in a shootout.

Washington Redskins @ Miami Dolphins
Pick: Redskins
This is the only time all season that the Redskins are the pick.

New Orleans Saints @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Pick: Saints
Teddy's roll continues.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens
Pick: Ravens
The Bengals are sometimes feisty. Sometimes sad. I'm going with sad against the Ravens.

San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams
Pick: Rams
A Rams win over the 49ers isn’t so assured anymore.

Atlanta Falcons @ Arizona Cardinals
Pick: Falcons
The Falcons are too talented, on paper, to be this bad.

Tennessee Titans @ Denver Broncos
Pick: Broncos
Just going with the home team in the this game between inconsistent teams.

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Jets
Pick: Cowboys
Adam Gase should've been fired last week for giving Luke Falk zero first team reps in advance of his start against the Eagles.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Los Angeles Chargers
Pick: Chargers
Just going with the better team.

Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers
Pick: Packers
The Lions have been tough. Aaron Rodgers finds a way at home.

Go Vikings!

All-Time Vikings Opponents Team

I'm in Minnesota for tomorrow's Eagles-Vikings game. It's my first Vikings game in Minnesota. I've attended several Vikings games over the years. All have been against either the Oakland Raiders or San Francisco 49ers. Yesterday, I picked an All-Time team made up of the best good guys that I've seen. Today, I present an All-Time team made up of the best bad guys that I've seen. For obvious reasons all either played for the Raiders or 49ers. Some Eagles (Fletcher Cox, Jason Peters, Jason Kelce) might soon join this team.

Offense

Quarterback
*Steve Young

Running Backs
Roger Craig
Frank Gore

Receivers
*Jerry Rice
*Tim Brown

Tight End
*Dave Casper

Tackles
*Art Shell
Joe Staley

Guards
*Gene Upshaw
*Larry Allen

Center
Jesse Sapolu

Defense

Defensive Ends
*Rickey Jackson
Khalil Mack

Defensive Tackles
Bryant Young
Chester McGlockton

Linebackers
*Ted Hendricks
Patrick Willis
NaVorro Bowman

Cornerbacks
*Willie Brown
Lester Hayes

Safeties
*Charles Woodson
Jack Tatum

Special Teams

Kicker
Sebastian Janikowski

Punter
*Ray Guy

Kick Returner
Dexter Carter

Punt Returner
*Tim Brown

*Hall of Fame

All-Time Minnesota Vikings Team

I will be in US Bank Stadium on Sunday to witness the Minnesota Vikings-Philadelphia Eagles game. It will be my first time seeing the Vikings play in their home stadium. All of the several times that I've seen the Vikings in person have been against the San Francisco 49ers or Oakland Raiders. I haven't traveled far to see my team. I've seen several of the best players to wear the Vikings uniform. Here's an All-Time Minnesota Vikings team made up of players that I've seen from my seat in a Bay Area stadium.

Offense

Quarterback
*Fran Tarkenton

Running Backs
Adrian Peterson
Chuck Foreman

Receivers
*Cris Carter
Ahmad Rashad

Tight End
Kyle Rudolph

Tackles
*Ron Yary
Korey Stringer

Guards
*Randall McDaniel
Steve Hutchinson

Center
*Mick Tinglehoff

Defense

Defensive Ends
*Carl Eller
Jared Allen

Defensive Tackles
*John Randle
Kevin Williams

Linebackers
Matt Blair
Jeff Siemon
Chad Greenway

Cornerbacks
Antoine Winfield
Xavier Rhodes

Safeties
*Paul Krause
Harrison Smith

Special Teams

Kicker
Ryan Longwell

Punter
Chris Kluwe

Kick Returner
Cordarrelle Patterson

Punt Returner
Marcus Sherels

***

The first Vikings game I attended was against the Raiders on December 17, 1978. Despite the 27-20 loss (the Vikings still backed into the playoffs that day with a Packers loss) it was a glorious day. It would've been much more glorious if defensive tackle Alan Page was still on the team. He had been released earlier in the season. Page was then and is still my favorite football player. Other great Vikings players that I've sadly missed seeing over the years are Joey Browner, Chris Doleman, Gary Zimmerman, and Randy Moss.

Throwback Thursday: Van Brocklin's Thoughts On Some QBs

I always enjoy reading/hearing football players' opinions of their peers. I especially enjoy the opinions of players that played before my time as an observer of the NFL. In reading Norm Van Brocklin's book on football appropriately titled Norm Van Brocklin's Football Book: Passing, Punting, Quarterbacking the Hall of Fame quarterback wrote of his passing peers. Here are his thoughts on the best quarterbacks during his time in the game, the 1950s.

Otto Graham
Otto Graham used an overhand grip and a three-quarter motion. The peerless passer of the Cleveland Browns generally threw a soft, floating type of ball. While watching Graham's ball in flight, the observer would wonder if the ball was ever coming down, but it always did, and invariably in the arms of a Browns receiver.
Apparently, contact between Otto and his receivers was the ultimate in timing. Also, Graham had been throwing constantly ever since he entered pro football to the same distinguished targets, Dante Lavelli, Mac Speedie, and Dub Jones. If other passers threw as soft a ball as Otto did, the chances are that the interceptions would far outnumber the receptions.

Bobby Layne
Bobby Layne, the rough, tough competitor of the Detroit Lions and then the Pittsburgh Steelers used the overhand grip, sometimes throwing with the three-quarter motion and sometimes from behind the ear. In contrast to Graham, Layne fires a sharp, hard, heavy ball that gets to its target quickly but sometimes is hard to handle.
Strangely, these two types of deliveries typified the individual using them: Graham, the suave, gracious type was all finesse; and Layne, the Texas toughie, who demands, with strident emphasis, the maximum effort from his teammates as well as from himself.

Bob Waterfield
Bob Waterfield was a thumb-over-laces expert. The former great of the Rams and then the head coach of the same team, threw from behind the ear and had such tremendous follow-through motion in his arm that he could throw a perfect spiral at all times. In the four years I played with Bob, I don't recall him ever throwing a wobbly ball, even under the most extreme pressure.
As to personality, Waterfield was the introvert type of field general who kept himself aloof from the squad. He was a stickler for perfection and commanded respect from his teammates for his tremendous all-round performance, all around the clock.

Y.A. Tittle
Y.A. Tittle, the bald-headed indestructible of the San Francisco 49ers, can best be described as the scrambling type of quarterback. In other words, he seems to be more effective when faced with adversity, like a golfer landing in the rough and ending up cracking par. Tittle shows best when under pressure, or when forced to improvise. For instance, his famed Alley-Oop pass is certainly an improvisation. He uses the hands-on-laces grip, a three-quarter delivery, and throws especially well on the run.

Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas, the sandlot Cinderella of the Baltimore Colts, wraps his fingers on the laces and uses the behind-the-ear delivery. One of the factors that makes him the hottest young passer is his artful use of the protective pocket. He throws a razor sharp ball with complete arm and body follow-through. Therefore, the ball does not hang in the air, and he suffers a minimum of interceptions. He throws all types of passes well, but does better with sort to medium throws than with the long pass. One of his greatest assets is that he is never caught off-balance.

Charley Conerly
Charley Conerly, the venerable giant-killer of the New York Giants, subscribes to the gnarled hands on the laces grip with a three-quarter motion. He is exceptionally accurate when he sets up the throw with both feet on the ground and gets good blocking. All other things being equal, Conerly will go down as one of the most accurate passers of all time. His forte is a sharp, medium-heavy ball.

To sum up these comments, the outstanding quality of all these top quarterbacks is that they possess magnificent arms and the poise to go with the arm. But, they are not of a mold. They are outstanding generals-individuals to the nth degree and possessed of the brains, flexibility, and talent to meet every kind of situation.

***

Great football stuff from Norm Van Brocklin.

It was good to see him include Charley Conerly among the best quarterbacks in the game. I think that history has forgotten Conerly. He's the only one of the above quarterbacks that isn't in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He led the Giants to the 1956 NFL title and to two other title game appearances that didn't end as well. He was named MVP in 1959. He was one of the best quarterbacks and leaders of his era.

It's fun seeing Unitas referred to as "the hottest young passer."

Back Draft

The 1983 NFL Draft will forever be celebrated for the six quarterbacks that came out of the first round.

John Elway
Todd Blackledge
Jim Kelly
Tony Eason
Ken O'Brien
Dan Marino

The Hall of Fame careers of Elway, Kelly, and Marino will insure that this is the Quarterback Class to which all others will be compared. Quarterbacks will always be the position that gets the most attention but there are other positions on a football team. With passing being the preferred method for moving the football, and rule changes continually making it easier to pass the football, some of the shine has come off of the running back position. The running backs that came out of the 2017 NFL Draft might change the thinking that the football has to be thrown with ever increasing frequency.

2017 NFL Draft Backs

Pick	Back
4	Leonard Fournette
8	Christian McCaffrey
41	Dalvin Cook
48	Joe Mixon
67	Alvin Kamara
86	Kareem Hunt
105	James Conner
119	Tarik Cohen
143	Marlon Mack
182	Aaron Jones
249	Chris Carson

Undrafted: Austin Ekeler

Undrafted: Matt Brieda

Those are some of the best backs in the league. Nine of them are currently among the top 25 ground-gainers in the NFL. 

Rank	Back	Att	Yards	Avg	TD
1	Christian McCaffrey	105	587	5.6	6
2	Dalvin Cook	92	542	5.9	5
3	Leonard Fournette	95	512	5.4	1
5	Marlon Mack	101	470	4.7	2
9	Chris Carson	94	380	4.0	1
11	Alvin Kamara	75	342	4.6	1
12	Matt Brieda	52	340	6.5	1
17	Aaron Jones	78	302	3.9	8
25	Joe Mixon	66	242	3.7	0
28	Austin Ekeler	59	227	3.8	3
35	James Conner	58	194	3.3	2
96	Tarik Cohen	17	37	2.2	0

Football has been evolving away from running the football. The 2017 Draft backs are making the sort of impact that might slow that evolution. A reason for that is that most of them can make a tremendous impact in the passing game. They're versatile backs. They're terrific runners but they can also catch the football. Some are so proficient at catching the football and running routes that they operate as receivers in the game plan. They don't have to leave the field because they can threaten the defense across the formation no matter the play call or down and distance. 

Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey were the only first round backs. If teams could re-do the 2017 NFL Draft knowing what they know now, Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara, Joe Mixon, Marlon Mack, Aaron Jones, and Chris Carson might be taken in the first round as well. Cook and Kamara certainly would be. If Kareem Hunt wasn't such an idiot off the field, he would be as well. But the draft doesn't offer re-dos. One thing that this draft will do for future drafts is confirm the fact that talented backs can be found throughout. Another thing that this draft has done for future drafts is show the importance of versatile backs. McCaffrey and Cook are making such an impact on their team and the league that they have entered into some MVP discussions. That's inconceivable for what's become a quarterback-only award. 

1983 Quarterback Draft has become so iconic. I doubt that the 2017 NFL Draft will be the same thing for running backs but it's probably making teams rethink the position's importance and potential. 

Flea Flicker Week 5 Power Rankings

Here's one look at how the 32 NFL teams rank after the fifth week of the season.

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

Until next week.

Vikings-Giants

What a difference a week makes. After a terrible game in Chicago last Sunday, there was a week-long media and fan feeding frenzy in Minnesota. What's wrong with the Vikings' offense? Kirk Cousins sucks. What's eating Stefon Diggs? The honking by the fans, the beat writers, and the national media made the past seven days feel like seven months. The Vikings really just needed to get back on a football field and play a football game. Unfortunately for the New York Giants that football field and game was in New Jersey.

The Vikings did just about everything right in the 28-10 win.

Vikings Offense:
490 total yards
279 passing yards
211 rushing yards
7.7 yards/play

Kirk Cousins did in the first half something that he'd failed to do in each of the first four games, throw for more than 250 yards. He had 278 yards at the half.

Vikings Defense:
211 total yards
147 passing yards
64 rushing yards
3.4 yards/play
4 sacks
1 interception

Special Teams:
4/4 field goals
2/2 extra points

It was a complete team win.

The Vikings' lone turnover, a Dalvin Cook fumble one yard from a touchdown, turned into two points from the defense. Anthony Barr smothered Giants running back Jonathan Hilliman in the end zone for a safety on the next play. It was that sort of game for the Vikings.

Perhaps the lone issue for the Vikings, other than the 12 penalties for 112 yards, was the four field goals. They possessed the football for nearly the entire first half. The drive that ended with Cook's fumble and a half-ending Hail Mary were the only offensive possessions that ended with no points. It felt like the score could've been 30-7 at the half. Having to settle for three field goals kept the halftime score much more manageable for the Giants, 18-7.

And, the Giants offense got after it in the second half. Or, they sure tried to get after it in the second half.

In terms of time of possession, the Giants offense did in the second half what the Vikings offense did in the first half. The Giants kept possession of the football. Despite possessing the football for all but 2:52 of the third quarter, the Giants scored three points. The Vikings made the most of their lone possession in the third quarter by scoring a touchdown. Advantage Vikings.

Basically, this game came down to the Vikings offense controlling things in the first half, scoring enough points, and setting it for their defense to finish the game off in the second half. Despite bending a bit between the 20s, the defense did just that. They kept a pesky Giants offense out of the end zone.

Giants 2nd half possessions:
1. 15 plays, 61 yards, 7:25-field goal
2. 11 plays, 63 yards, 4:43-downs
3. 10 plays, 29 yards, 5:03-downs
4. 4 plays, 8 yards, 0:49-interception

Those first three possessions would be beautiful if the Giants were protecting a lead.

The second turnover on downs was done so at the Vikings' 3-yard line. That was the game's turning point. There were seconds remaining in the third quarter. A touchdown there and it's a one score game, 25-17/25-18. The Giants would've had momentum and a quarter still to play. Instead, coming up empty was a giant blow to the Giants. They possessed the ball for nearly the entire third quarter and they only scored three points. In fact, they lost the quarter 7-3 despite controlling it.

Game Balls:
Kirk Cousins
22/27, 306 yards, 2 TDs, 138.6 QBR
-Cousins' 278 yards in the first half were on pace for the NFL single game passing record. He was 3/4, 28 yards, 1 TD in the second half. It was that sort of game for the Vikings.

Dalvin Cook
21 carries, 132 yards
6 catches, 86 yards
218 yards from scrimmage

Adam Thielen
7 catches, 130 yards, 2 TDs

The defense, as a whole, deserves a game ball but one defender deserves special mention.

Anthony Barr
3 tackles, 1 TFL, safety, 1 pass defense, 1 QB hit, 1 interception

For more than a year the Giants were criticized for selecting Saquon Barkley over Sam Darnold in the 2018 NFL Draft. The combination of Daniel Jones and Barkley is a much better combination than Darnold and anybody that they could've selected with the sixth pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Giants fans should feel pretty good about the future of their team. Barkley is an incredible talent. And Jones didn't look like a rookie making his third NFL start. He had poise. He was steady. He made terrific throws. His stats don't come close to the game that he played. He had this Vikings fan on the edge of his seat through three quarters. It wasn't until the turnover on downs at the Vikings' 3-yard line at the end of the third quarter that I was really able to relax. The Vikings dominated this game yet Jones kept his team in it. He did it without Barkley. He did it despite losing Wayne Gallman early in the game. I've liked Giants head coach Pat Shurmur since his time in Minnesota. He's very good at keeping a defense off balance with his play-calling. I really like the potential of the Giants offense in the coming years. And I'm really glad this game is behind the Vikings.

The Vikings return home next week for a big game with the Philadelphia Eagles. I'll be there for my first Vikings game in Minnesota. Can't wait. Skol!

Flea Flicker Week 5 Predictions

The first quarter of the 2019 NFL Season is in the books. Here's a stab at this week's game.

Byes: Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings @ New York Giants
Pick: Vikings
It'll be so refreshing to see the Vikings play some football. With the ridiculous media coverage of the past week and the fan reaction to that coverage it feels like it's been about a month since the Vikings played some football. After last week's performance they have to get a win in New Jersey.

Arizona Cardinals @ Cincinnati Bengals
Pick: Bengals
Simply going with the home team in this game.

Buffalo Bills @ Tennessee Titans
Pick: Bills
The Bills are feisty. The Titans are wildly inconsistent.

Chicago Bears @ Oakland Raiders
Pick: Raiders
Just a hunch.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints
Pick: Saints
After wins over the Seahawks and Cowboys the Saints can't lose to the Buccaneers at home.

New York Jets @ Philadelphia Eagles
Pick: Eagles
This one doesn't take much thought.

Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: Ravens
For a while this was the best rivalry in the game. Nearly all of the players that made it great are gone.

New England Patriots @ Washington Redskins
Pick: Patriots
This one takes less thought than the Jets-Eagles game.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Carolina Panthers
Pick: Panthers
Both teams are gaining traction with backup quarterbacks.

Atlanta Falcons @ Houston Texans
Pick: Texans
A Falcons team that looks talented on paper is fading fast.

Denver Broncos @ Los Angeles Chargers
Pick: Chargers
The Broncos have been competitive in each of their four losses. They are still losses. It feels like the Chargers just have to get out of their own way.

Green Bay Packers @ Dallas Cowboys
Pick: Cowboys
Packers suck.

Indianapolis Colts @ Kansas City Chiefs
Pick: Chiefs
The Lions made the Chiefs look vulnerable. I don't think that will happen at home.

Cleveland Browns @ San Francisco 49ers
Pick: Browns
49ers fans come back to earth.

Minnesota Vikings Roster

There have been some roster tweaks over the past couple weeks. There have been reunions with a couple familiar faces (Laquon Treadwell and Marcus Sherels). There has been the usual promotions and demotions with the practice squad. The changes have resulted in a 25:25 offense:defense split. In advance of the Vikings' trip to New Jersey to play the New York Giants here's a look a their current roster.

Offense (25 Players)

Quarterbacks (2)
 8 Kirk Cousins
 4 Sean Mannion

Running Backs (5)
33 Dalvin Cook
25 Alexander Mattison
23 Mike Boone
31 Ameer Abdullah
30 C.J. Ham

Receivers (5)
14 Stefon Diggs
19 Adam Thielen
81 Olabisi Johnson
11 Laquon Treadwell
16 Davion Davis

Tight Ends (3)
82 Kyle Rudolph
84 Irv Smith Jr.
83 Tyler Conklin

Offensive Line (10)
71 Riley Reiff
65 Pat Elflein
56 Garrett Bradbury
64 Josh Kline
75 Brian O'Neill
69 Rashod Hill
78 Dakota Dozier
73 Dru Samia
61 Brett Jones
74 Oli Udoh

Defense (25 Players)

Defensive Line (10)
97 Everson Griffen
93 Shamar Stephen
98 Linval Joseph
99 Danielle Hunter
91 Stephen Weatherly
92 Jalyn Holmes
94 Jaleel Johnson
96 Ifeadi Odenigbo
51 Hercules Mata'afa
96 Armon Watts

Linebackers (5)
55 Anthony Barr
54 Eric Kendricks
42 Ben Gedeon
50 Eric Wilson
40 Kentrell Brothers

Cornerbacks (6)
29 Xavier Rhodes
26 Trae Waynes
20 Mackensie Alexander
21 Mike Hughes
38 Kris Boyd
35 Marcus Sherels

Safeties (4)
22 Harrison Smith
41 Anthony Harris
27 Jayron Kearse
39 Marcus Epps

Special Teams (3 Players)

Kicker
 5 Dan Bailey

Punter
 2 Britton Colquitt

Long Snapper
58 Austin Cutting

Practice Squad (10)
48 Khari Blasingame, FB
  3 Jake Browning, QB
76 Aviante Collins, OT
85 Brandon Dillon, TE
32 Mark Fields, CB
15 Alexander Hollins, WR
74 Stacy Keely, DE
44 Nate Meadors
17 Dillon Mitchell, WR
59 Cameron Smith, LB

Reserved/Injured
12 Chad Beebe, WR
13 Josh Doctson, WR
35 Isaiah Warton, S

Reserve/Non-Football Injury
90 Tashawn Bower, DE

Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform
89 David Morgan, TE

Suspended
24 Holton Hill, CB

***

Holton Hill is still suspended but he's moved on to a different suspension than the one that kept him from the team for the first four games. The first suspension was for taking performance enhancing drugs. That's done. The suspension that he's currently serving is for controlled substances. The distinction between the two suspensions is that he can be with the team during this suspension for controlled substances. He can't practice with but he can be in the building, be around his coaches and teammates, and attend meetings. That's a kinda good thing.

Some Football Thoughts

It's football weekend eve. Here are some football thoughts that have been bouncing about my head.

1. Through four games, the Minnesota Vikings have played well in 2.75 of those games and poorly in 1.25 of those games. That has translated into a 2-2 record. The two wins against the Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders were very impressive. A poor first quarter and a single, late, mind-numbing mistake against the Green Bay Packers produced the first loss. A terrible offensive performance against the Chicago Bears last Sunday produced the second loss. Perhaps it's because the loss is the most recent game, the terrible performance against the Bears is now THE "end-all, be-all" summation of the Vikings' potential this season. In the opinions of the media and many fans, it's time to pack it in. The season's over for the Vikings. The celebration of the two impressive wins was fun and energetic but neither led to a final declaration of the team's potential this season. It was "that's great but they gotta do it again, and again, and against stronger competition." Why is it that a loss is always more defining than a win?

2. More Vikings-Bears. The Vikings sadly had only two possessions of the football in the first half. The first possession ended when Kirk Cousins missed Adam Thielen by about a yard for what could've been a long touchdown pass. Thielen had beaten coverage and was open for an easy, early score. The second possession ended on a questionable fumble on the Bears side of the field by Stefon Diggs. The play was ruled an incomplete pass on the field. It looked like an incomplete pass live. It looked like an incomplete pass on replay. Alberto Riveron's random interpretation of football action saw it differently. The Bears lone touchdown drive of the game survived a sack and fumble recovery by the Vikings defense that was nullified by a penalty and a fourth down that was converted by a link of the chain. Official decisions and a missed golden opportunity for a touchdown in the first half helped keep this shitty Vikings-Bears game from being a very different game. 

3. Penalties. Fans and the media have been honking loudly and often about the increase in called penalties. A lot of those flags have been thrown for holding penalties. A lot of teams, especially the Green Bay Packers, have been getting away with blatant holding for years. The NFL has made a concerted effort this year to crack down on the blatant holding. In my little pocket of the world, I see a lot of people running red lights. So much so that one might think that it is now legal to run red lights. It's dangerous out there. If the police were to actually do something about this before someone gets killed would the problem be with the police? The much less important problem of flag throwing in football isn't with the officials. It's with the teams that are trying to get away with something that's illegal.

4. More penalties. Maybe it's just the games that I've been watching but there seems to be a lot of players grabbing facemasks.

5. Former Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos offensive lineman Mark Schlereth was a guest on Brandon Thorn's Trench Warfare podcast. If anyone is at all interested in offensive line play I highly recommend following Thorn on all of the various social media platforms. His work is terrific. Anyway, Schlereth's talk of the offensive line drifted to the NFLPA's stupidity (his words) with regards to the CBA. "We negotiated contact out of a contact sport." Offensive line play has gotten spotty across the league and a big reason is the inability to do real offensive line work in the offseason due to the CBA. I would imagine that during the 2011 labor negotiations the owners were thrilled to learn that easier offseasons and easier practices were priorities for the players. The players might not be as sore but the quality of the game has suffered.

6. The Oakland Raiders and Chicago Bears play in London on Sunday. With the start of the now annual international series of games it's again time to ask the important question. Why haven't the Green Bay Packers played in a London game? Travelling to London for a game is an incredible inconvenience. And it's incredibly unfair to the fans that lose a home game. But the Packers get a pass every year.

7. Vikings safety Harrison Smith has a Tabasco shot before games.

8. Coverage of an NFL Draft doesn't stop with the last pick for Daniel Jeremiah. He follows and ranks the rookies as they make their way through their first season. In his current Top-25 Rookie rankings, it was interesting to see that only 10 were selected in the first round. Nine of the 10 were in the top 10. (draft pick)

2.   Darnell Savage Jr,. S, Packers (21)
3.   Daniel Jones, QB, Giants (6)
4.   Devin Bush, LB, Steelers (10)
5.   T.J. Hockenson, TE, Lions (8)
6.   Nick Bosa, DE, 49ers (2)
7.   Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals (1)
8.   Brian Burns, Edge, Panthers (16)
9.   Josh Jacobs, RB, Raiders (24)
10. Marquise Brown, WR, Ravens (25)
18. Josh Allen, Edge, Jaguars (7)

Jeremiah's top ranked rookie is Jaguars rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew. He was selected in the
sixth round.

Every draft is different. Every season is different. Every player is different. But Jeremiah's rankings shows one thing that's always true. Talent is found throughout the draft.

9. Khalil Mack is really good at football.

10. In the small sample size of the first four games of a season, an NFL team is probably neither as good as their best game nor as bad as their worst game.

11. RIP Bill Bidwill.