Minnesota Vikings All-Time Quarterback Starts

Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Ben Goessling caught me by surprise with his Sunday pre-game mention that Kirk Cousins was making his 50th start as the quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings. I wasn’t surprised that the start against the Seattle Seahawks was the 50th for Cousins. This is his fourth season as the Vikings starter. Due to his remarkable durability, simple math says he’d hit 50 early in his fourth season. The surprise was that Cousins is only the fourth Vikings quarterback to start 50 games. With a moment’s reflection on the Vikings quarterback past, the number of members in the 50-start quarterback club isn’t surprising at all. 

The Vikings 50-Start Quarterback Club

Fran Tarkenton

Tommy Kramer

Daunte Culpepper

Kirk Cousins

The Vikings have been searching for their next franchise since Fran Tarkenton retired after the 1978 season. Tommy Kramer was drafted in the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft to be that guy. If not for the injuries that peppered his career, he probably would’ve succeeded. When healthy, he was a lot of fun. If only he was healthy more often. Daunte Culpepper was drafted in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft to be that guy. If not for the knee injury that ended his 2005 season, he probably would’ve finally been that guy. His 2004 season was ridiculous and it looked like the start of something special. Culpepper never again had the juice that he once had after that knee injury. Tommy Kramer, Wade Wilson, Rich Gannon, Brad Johnson, Daunte Culpepper, Teddy Bridgewater. Over the past 50 years, the Vikings occasionally thought that they might have a contender to be their next franchise quarterback but it never quite happened. Injuries were often the reason. Instead of quarterbacking consistency it’s been a revolving door. It’s been an interesting half-century of quarterback play in Minnesota. “Interesting” might not be the best word to describe this time but it does describe it. The Vikings are three games into their 61st season. 921 games. 39 quarterbacks have started those games. 

Rank	Quarterback	Years	Starts
1	Fran Tarkenton	1961-66, 1972-78	170
2	Tommy Kramer	1977-89	110
3	Daunte Culpepper	1999-2005	80
4	Kirk Cousins	2018-Present	50
5	Wade Wilson	1981-91	48
6	Brad Johnson	1994-98, 2005-06	46
7	Warren Moon	1994-96	39
8	Joe Kapp	1967-69	38
9	Christian Ponder	2011-14	36
10	Rich Gannon	1987-92	35
11	Brett Favre	2009-10	29
12	Teddy Bridgewater	2014-17	28
13	Randall Cunningham	1997-99	23
14	Gary Cuozzo	1968-71	21
15	Tarvaris Jackson	2006-10	20
16	Sam Bradford	2016-17	17
17	Steve Dils	1979-84	15
18	Case Keenum	2017	14
19	Gus Frerotte	2003-04, 2008	13
20	Jim McMahon	1993	12
21	Bob Lee	1969-72, 1975-78	11
22	Jeff George	1999	10
23	Sean Salisbury	1992-94	9
24	Matt Cassel	2013-14	9
25	Donovan McNabb	2011	6

26	Ron Vander Kelen	1963-67	5
27	George Shaw	1961	4
28	Tony Adams	1987	3
29	Todd Bouman	2001-02	3
30	Kelly Holcomb	2007	3
31	Bob Berry	1965-67, 1973-75	2
32	Norm Snead	1971	2
33	Archie Manning	1983-84	2
34	Spergon Wynn	2001	2
35	Joe Webb	2010-13	2
36	Brooks Bollinger	2006-07	1
37	Josh Freeman	2013	1
38	Shaun Hill	2016	1
39	Sean Mannion	2019	1

Some Vikings All-Time Quarterback Starts Thoughts

As an itty-bitty Vikings fan, I was always intrigued by Fran Tarkenton’s two distinct stints in Minnesota. He wasn’t the only Vikings quarterback that left and came back during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.

Bob Lee: 1969-72, 1975-78

Bob Berry: 1965-67, 1973-75

If the Vikings of that era needed quarterback help they turned to what they knew.

#28 Tony Adams started all three of his games as a replacement player during the labor strife that hacked up the 1987 season. Those games were a joke yet they go down as official NFL events. 

I always wanted to see Rich Gannon get a better opportunity than he ever seemed to get to be the Vikings starter. He was the team’s main starter from 1990-92. Dennis Green was hired as head coach in 1992. I thought that Gannon was on a upward trajectory. I guess that Green had seen enough. He benched Gannon after an 8-3, division-leading start in favor of Sean Salisbury. Sean Salisbury! When Green turned away from Gannon he turned to a revolving door of “old guys.” While Warren Moon was fun and 1998 Randall Cunningham was a blast it was a frustrating time. It never felt like the team was building to something. Each year felt like a restart with a new “old guy.” The Vikings have had a lot of that over their 61 years. 

Minnesota Vikings Week 3 Superlatives

The Minnesota Vikings win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3 was a great team win. Mike Zimmer called it the best offensive performance in his eight years as the team’s head coach. The defense shut out the Seahawks over the final 40 minutes of the game. Greg Joseph made all six of his kicks and Jordan Berry closed the game with a tremendous punt to the one-yard line. Offense, defense, special teams. Each made significant contributions to earn the team’s first win of the season. As a great team win, it’s difficult to single out individual players. Maybe I shouldn’t. But I’ll try.

Offensive Player of the Week

Kirk Cousins, Alexander Mattison, Justin Jefferson, Tyler Conklin, the entire offensive line. Adam Thielen scored another touchdown. K.J. Osborn made more clutch catches. There are a lot of contenders for Offensive Player of the Week. 

Alexander Mattison.

The Vikings 2021 offense will run through Dalvin Cook. Due to a Week 2 ankle injury, he didn’t practice all week and his availability was reportedly a game-time decision. Early Sunday morning, Cook told Mattison that it was his time. 

26 carries, 112 yards

Six catches, 59 yards

32 touches, 171 yards

Mattison made the most of his time. 

Defensive Player(s) of the Week

Over the first 20 minutes of the game, the Vikings defense wasn’t pretty. The Seahawks had scored 17 points. Wide open receivers, giant running lanes, poor tackling. The Seahawks offense did whatever they wanted. It was a huge success when the Vikings held them to a field goal on their second possession. 

Over the final 40 minutes, the Vikings defense shut out the Seahawks. The offense helped by controlling the ball and the clock. The defense still had to slow a Seahawks offense they couldn’t slow early in the game. It took 11 players doing their job. Sacks by Everson Griffen and Eric Kendricks were probably the biggest singular plays. It was the entire defense rebounding from a rough start that was the difference. So, I’m singling out the entire defense. Coaches included. 

Special Teams Player of the Week

It’s gotta be Greg Joseph. 

3/3 on field goals (43, 34, and 20 yards)

3/3 on extra points

Jordan Berry’s punt to the one-yard line with 23 seconds remaining was a beautiful end to a great team win. 

Flea Flicker Week 3 Power Rankings

Week 3 of the 2021 NFL season is in the books. Here’s a look at how the 32 teams rank after only three games.

1.   Los Angeles Rams (3-0)

2.   Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)

3.   Buffalo Bills (2-1)

4.   Kansas City Chiefs (1-2)

5.   Arizona Cardinals (3-0)

6.   Las Vegas Raiders (3-0)

7.   Green Bay Packers (2-1)

8.   Baltimore Ravens (2-1)

9.   Carolina Panthers (3-0)

10. Cleveland Browns (2-1)

11. San Francisco 49ers (2-1)

12. Minnesota Vikings (1-2)

13. Los Angeles Chargers (2-1)

14. Dallas Cowboys (2-1)

15. New Orleans Saints (2-1)

16. Denver Broncos (3-0)

17. Seattle Seahawks (1-2)

18. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2)

19. Tennessee Titans (2-1)

20. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)

21. New England Patriots (1-2)

22. Miami Dolphins (1-2)

23. Philadelphia Eagles (1-2)

24. Indianapolis Colts (0-3)

25. Washington Football Team (1-2)

26. Chicago Bears (1-2)

27. Atlanta Falcons (1-2)

28. New York Giants (0-3)

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3)

30. Detroit Lions (0-3)

31. New York Jets (0-3)

32. Houston Texans (1-2)

Until next week. 

VIkings-Seahawks

Finally.

In their home-opener, the Minnesota Vikings slapped down the Seattle Seahawks, 30-17. 

Finally. 

In front of their fans for the first time in too long the Vikings got their first win of the season.

Finally.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson entered the game with a career 7-0 record against the Vikings. Some weird stuff often helped Wilson and his little Seahawks friends. Five of those seven games were in Seattle. Not only did weird stuff often favor the Seahawks. The scheduling routinely favored them as well. 

The Vikings finally got the Seahawks at home and took care of business. 

The Vikings finally gave Wilson a loss. 

Initially, it looked like the Seahawks were going to take care of the Vikings. With just over 11 minutes to play in the first half, Chris Carson ran, mostly untouched, for a 30-yard touchdown. It was too easy and it bumped the score to 17-7 Seahawks. It was a ten-point lead that looked like the start of something rotten. It all felt too familiar. The Vikings defense was putting up little resistance. Through the first 20 minutes, the only successful defensive stand was a Seahawks drive that ended with a field goal rather than a touchdown. It wasn’t pretty. 

Then it got pretty.

When Carson ran up a stadium tunnel after running through the Vikings defense and the end zone it was the last time the Seahawks scored in the game. Actually, the extra point that followed Carson’s run was the last time the Seahawks scored in the game. 

The Seahawks possessions after Carson’s run:

Missed Field Goal

End of Half

Punt 

Punt 

Downs

End of Game

Much of the Vikings defensive success after that too easy run complimented the Vikings offensive success throughout the game. The offense just kept moving the ball and scoring points. Mike Zimmer said that it was the best offensive performance in his eight years as head coach.

The Vikings possessions after Carson’s run:

Touchdown

Touchdown

Field Goal

Field Goal

Field Goal

Punt to the Seahawks 1-yard line.

The Vikings offensive success seemed to put the Seahawks on their heels. Whether through adjustments or simply getting on the same page, the Vikings defense was able to handle a pressing Seahawks offense. The defense shut out Wilson and his little friends over the final 40 minutes of the game. That 17-7 Seahawks lead became a 21-17 Vikings lead at the half. 30-17 final score. On both sides of the ball and special teams, the Vikings brought home the win in the second half. 

The Vikings out scored the Seahawks 23-0 after that Carson touchdown. 

The Vikings had eight offensive possessions in the game. The only “wasted” possession was their second possession. That’s the one that Kirk Cousins played third down with one shoe. Playing without a shoe was a bold strategy. It didn’t work. It was a sad three-and-out possession. The only other Vikings punt was on their final possession. Jordan Berry hit a beauty that bounced out at the one-yard line with 23 seconds to play. It was a fitting end. The Vikings had put the Seahawks in the corner. 

It’d be nice if a couple of those field goals were touchdowns but the Vikings offense played well from start to finish. The defense kept the Seahawks from scoring over the final 40 minutes of the game. The special teams converted all six kicks and ended the game with a tremendous punt. 

Wins are nice. 

The Vikings finally got a win. They finally got a win over the Seahawks. 

1-2. It’s on to the Cleveland Browns. 

Flea Flicker Week 3 Predictions

Here are some guesses at the Week 3 games.

Seattle Seahawks @ Minnesota Vikings

Pick: Vikings

After what feels like decades of traveling to Seattle the Vikings finally get the Seahawks in Minnesota.

Washington Football Team @ Buffalo Bills

Pick: Bills

The 35-0 score says that the Bills smacked around the Dolphins last week. Usually when a team wins by a 35-point margin they look impressive for much of the game. The Bills bumbled and stumbled their way to a big win. Through two weeks, Buffalo has yet to play like one of the most talented teams in the league. 

Chicago Bears @ Cleveland Browns

Pick: Browns

I’d be surprised if the Bears are within two scores of the Browns. 

Baltimore Ravens @ Detroit Lions

Pick: Ravens

I’d be surprised if the Lions are within three scores of the Ravens.

Indianapolis Colts @ Tennessee Titans

Pick: Titans

Will Carson Wentz be able to stand on his own two feet for an entire game?

Los Angeles Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs

Pick: Chiefs

The Chiefs rebound from the shocker in Baltimore.

New Orleans Saints @ New England Patriots

Pick: Patriots

It can take a few weeks to know a team. It may take longer for both of these teams. Both are a mystery to me. 

Atlanta Falcons @ New York Giants

Pick: Giants

Just going with the home team.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers 

Pick: Steelers

Perhaps picking the Steelers over the Bengals is merely habit. 

Arizona Cardinals @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Pick: Cardinals

I’d be surprised if the Jaguars are within three scores of the Cardinals.

New York Jets @ Denver Broncos 

Pick: Broncos

The Broncos stay undefeated.

Miami Dolphins @ Las Vegas Raiders 

Pick: Raiders

The Raiders are one of the surprises through two weeks. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Los Angeles Rams

Pick: Rams

This could be fun.

Green Bay Packers @ San Francisco 49ers 

Pick: Packers

This could be fun.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys

Pick: Cowboys

Coin flip. 

All-Time Seattle Seahawks Team

The Minnesota Vikings played the Arizona Cardinals last week. In advance of that game, I was inspired to pick an all-time team of the Chicago/St. Louis/ Arizona Cardinals. It was a fun dive into that team’s history. The Vikings host the Seattle Seahawks tomorrow. Here’s a shot at a All-Time Seattle Seahawks Team. It’s a much shorter history than that of the Chicago/St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals. 

Offense

Quarterback

Russell Wilson

Running Back

Shaun Alexander

Fullback

Mack Strong

Wide Receivers

Steve Largent

Doug Baldwin

Tight End

Jimmy Graham

Offensive Tackles

Walter Jordan

Duane Brown

Offensive Guards

Steve Hutchinson

Chris Gray

Center

Robbie Tobeck

Defense

Defensive Ends

Jacob Green

Michael Bennett

Defensive Tackles

Cortez Kennedy

Joe Nash

Linebackers

Fredd Young

Bobby Wagner

K.J. Wright

Cornerbacks

Richard Sherman

Dave Brown

Safeties

Kenny Easley

Earl Thomas

Special Teams

Kicker

Steven Hauschka

Punter

Jon Ryan

Returner

Joey Galloway

Minnesota Vikings 53-man Roster

Through two weeks the Minnesota Vikings haven’t had many roster tweaks. That’s a good thing as in-season roster tweaks are often the result of injuries. The tweaks through two weeks have been more of the yo-yo variety. These are the sort of weekly moves that have players being moved back and forth between the active roster and the practice squad. The most frequent moves have involved quarterback Sean Mannion and running back Ameer Abdullah bouncing back and forth resulting in game day elevations. This week, Mannion was promoted to the 53-man roster and Abdullah was released and immediately signed to the practice squad. Last week, it was Abdullah that was signed to the 53-man roster while Mannion remained on the practice squad. 

Cornerback Harrison Hand was placed on the Reserve/COVID list. The Vikings 53-man roster is now down a player. Hopefully Hand’s stay one of this reserve list is one of the short stays. 

The Vikings maintaining a 23:27 offense:defense split through two weeks is a surprise. 

Minnesota Vikings Roster

Offense (23 Players)

Quarterbacks (3)

  8 Kirk Cousins

14 Sean Mannion

11 Kellen Mond

Running Backs (2)

33 Dalvin Cook
25 Alexander Mattison

Fullbacks (1)

30 C.J. Ham

Receivers (5)
19 Adam Thielen
18 Justin Jefferson

12 DeDe Westbrook

17 KJ Osborn

15 Ihmir Smith-Marsette 

Tight Ends (3)
83 Tyler Conklin

89 Chris Herndon

82 Ben Ellefson

Offensive Tackles (4)
75 Brian O'Neill

71 Christian Darrisaw
69 Rashod Hill

64 Blake Brandel

Guards (3)

72 Ezra Cleveland

74 Oli Udoh

51 Wyatt Davis

Centers (2)

56 Garrett Bradbury

52 Mason Cole

Defense (27 Players)

Defensive Ends (5)
99 Danielle Hunter

98 D.J. Wonnum

97 Everson Griffen

91 Stephen Weatherly

93 Patrick Jones II

Defensive Tackles (5)

94 Dalvin Tomlinson

58 Michael Pierce

90 Sheldon Richardson

96 Armon Watts
92 James Lynch

Linebackers (7)
55 Anthony Barr

54 Eric Kendricks
59 Nick Vigil

45 Troy Dye

41 Chazz Surratt

57 Ryan Connelly

48 Blake Lynch 

Cornerbacks (6)

  7 Patrick Peterson

24 Mackensie Alexander

21 Bashaud Breeland

27 Cameron Dantzler

29 Kris Boyd

Safeties (4)

22 Harrison Smith
23 Xavier Woods

43 Camryn Bynum

44 Josh Metellus

Special Teams (3 Players)

Kicker

  1 Greg Joseph

Punter
 3 Jordan Berry

Long Snapper
42 Andrew DePaola

***

Practice Squad

31 Ameer Abdullah, RB

65 Zack Bailey, OL

34 Jake Bargas, FB

47 Tuf Borland, LB

40 Zach Davidson, TE

86 Brandon Dillon, TE

46 Myles Dorn, S

78 Dakota Dozier, OG

68 Kyle Hinton, OG

  9 Trishton Jackson, WR

87 Myron Mitchell, WR

39 Parry Nickerson, CB

16 Whop Philyor, WR

36 A.J Rose Jr., RB

  5 Tye Smith, CB

79 Kenny Willekes, DE

Reserve/Injured

81 Olabisi Johnson

95 Janarius Robinson

13 Blake Proehl

26 Kene Nwangwu

85 Dan Chisena

84 Irv Smith Jr.

66 Jordon Scott

Reserve/Non-Football Injury

76 Jaylen Twyman

Reserve/COVID

20 Harrison Hand

Pro Football Hall of Fame Modern-Era Nominees

122 nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022 were announced yesterday. Among the group are 10 first-year eligible players.

Anquan Boldin

Devin Hester

Andre Johnson

Steve Smith

Jake Long

Nick Mangold

DeMarcus Ware

Robert Mathis

Vince Wilfork

Antonio Chromartie

A breakdown of the 122 nominees:

65 offensive players

46 defensive players

11 special teams players

The 122 Nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022:

*-2021 Finalist

Quarterbacks

Randall Cunningham

Jake Delhomme

Boomer Esiason

Jeff Garcia

David Krieg

Donovan McNabb

Steve McNair

Running Backs

Shaun Alexander

Mike Alstott

Tiki Barber

Earnest Byner

Larry Centers

Corey Dillon

Eddie George

Priest Holmes

Steven Jackson

Jamal Lewis

Eric Metcalf

Lorenzo Neal

Fred Taylor

Herschel Walker

Ricky Watters

Brian Westbrook

Wide Receivers

Anquan Boldin

Troy Brown

Donald Driver

Henry Ellard

Devin Hester

*Torry Holt

Joe Horn

Andre Johnson

Chad Johnson

Derrick Mason

Mushin Muhammad

Andre Rison

Jimmy Smith

Rod Smith

Steve Smith

Hines Ward

*Reggie Wayne

Wes Welker

Tight Ends

Dallas Clark

Ben Coates

Brent Jones

Heath Miller

Wesley Walls

Offensive Linemen

Willie Anderson

Matt Birk

*Tony Boselli

Lomas Brown

Ruben Brown

D’Brickashaw Ferguson

Kevin Glover

Jordan Gross

Olin Kreutz

Jake Long

Nick Mangold

Logan Mankins

Jesse Sapolu

Jeff Saturday

Chris Snee

Brian Waters

Richmond Webb

Erik Williams

Steve Wisniewski

Defensive Linemen

John Abraham

*Jared Allen

La’Roi Glover

Casey Hampton

Robert Mathis

Leslie O’Neal

Michael Dean Perry

Simeon Rice

*Richard Seymour

Justin Smith

Neil Smith

Greg Townsend

Justin Tuck

Vince Wilfork

Kevin Williams

Bryant Young

Linebackers

Cornelius Bennett

Lance Briggs

Teddy Bruschi

London Fletcher

Seth Joyner

Willie McGinest

*Sam Mills

Hardy Nickerson Sr.

Takeo Spikes

Pat Swilling

*Zach Thomas

DeMarcus Ware

Patrick Willis

Defensive Backs

Eric Allen

*Ronde Barber

Dre Bly

*LeRoy Butler

Nick Collins

Antonio Cromartie

Merton Hanks

Rodney Harrison

Albert Lewis

Tim McDonald

Allen Rossum

Asante Samuel

Bob Sanders

Charles Tillman

Troy Vincent

Adrian Wilson

Darren Woodson

Punter/Kickers

Gary Anderson

Jeff Feagles

John Kasay

Sean Landetta

Ryan Longwell

Reggie Roby

Matt Turk

The list of Modern-Era Nominees will be reduced to 25 Semifinalists in November, and, from there to 15 Finalists in January. On the eve of the Super Bowl, the 15 Finalists, Senior Finalist Cliff Branch, Contributor Finalist Art McNally, and Coach Finalist Dick Vermiel will be presented to the full 49-member Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee. From there, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022 will be selected. 

Minnesota Vikings Week 2 Superlatives

The Minnesota Vikings lost another close one in Week 2. There’s really no such thing as a good loss. No matter how well a team plays, all losses count the same. The Vikings lost to the Arizona Cardinals when a 37-yard field goal sailed right as time expired, 34-33. The general feeling about the team after this loss is better than it was after the Week 1 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. A loss is still a loss and the Vikings are 0-2 after two weeks. Still, the Vikings played better against the Cardinals and there are several contenders for Week 2 Superlatives. 

Offensive Player of the Week

Kirk Cousins has played four Septembers with the Vikings. If my memory holds true, he’s had three shaky Septembers with the Vikings. It feels like his worst games often come at the start of the season. This year, he’s played well through two games. He’s led successful, clutch drives at the end of regulation of both games. He’s put the ball on his receivers and he hasn’t turned the ball over. He’s even used his feet. 

Dalvin Cook was great. Again. The only concerns with his play were the two occasions in which he was injured/shaken-up/tweaked. He must stay healthy. 

The Vikings receiver group has been a top-heavy group of two excellent receivers for several years. They’ve been looking for a third receiver for a while. Through two games, the Vikings may have found their third receiver. K.J. Osborn had his second strong game. He opened the scoring against the Cardinals with a 64-yard touchdown on the second play of the game. He had two clutch catches to set up what was supposed to be a 37-yard game-winning field goal. 

Any of the three could be the Vikings Offensive Player of the Week. I’m going with left tackle Rashod Hill. Cardinals pass rusher Chandler Jones racked up five sacks against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. There wasn’t an NFL pundit that thought that Hill stood a chance of keeping Jones off of Cousins. I’m not sure how many snaps Hill and Jones went after each other. I do know that Chandler Jones’ name wasn’t mentioned often. He was barely a factor. The game plan and offensive line, in general, and Hill, in particular, was the reason. 

Defensive Player of the Week

Linebacker Nick Vigil returned an interception for a touchdown and had a strong game overall. Safety Xavier Woods had a drive-ending interception. Eric Kendricks had several impact stops. 

As with the offense, the Vikings defense had a few contenders for Player of the Week. It’s still an easy choice. Danielle Hunter. Kyler Murray might be the most difficult quarterback to sack in the league. He’s quick, He’s fast. He’s shifty. He’s so damn small. He’s about a full foot shorter than the giants chasing him. He’s tough to catch. Hunter caught him three times. The final sack helped get the ball back to the offense for what was supposed to be a game-winning drive. Hunter’s definitely back and he’s more beastly than ever. 

Special Teams Player of the Week

Is there one? The most painful moments of the game were on special teams. Greg Joseph’s missed extra point in the second quarter. In a game decided by a single point every point was critical and the Vikings had one get away. Joseph’s missed 37-yard field goal as time expired. A 37-yarder that was supposed to be the game-winner. DeDe Westbrook’s ill-advised return of a punt that he caught at his own six-yard line. He was tackled on the two-yard line. His own two-yard line. The offense had a critical possession in front of them. Starting at the two-yard line took away some of their options. 

Special Teams Player of the Week? Joseph’s misses were the special teams lowlights. He also made two 50+-yard field goals. Two long field goals is the sort of accomplishment that usually gets Player of the Week nods. That’s what makes his two misses so striking. How can a kicker nail two long kicks and miss two gimmes? Even from 32 yards, extra points are supposed to be automatic. The supposed-to-be game winner was only five yards longer. Special Teams Players of the Week? Kris Boyd had a terrific hit to slow/stop Cardinals punt returner Rondale Moore. Troy Dye and others followed Boyd’s initial hit to secure the stop. Moore had been a pain to tackle all game. He’s a threat to score every time he has the ball. It was a critical point in the game and Boyd stopped Moore before he could get started. For the game, Jordan Berry punted well. His highlight was a 60-yard boomer from his own nine-yard line. Boyd’s hit on Moore came at the end of that punt. The play of Berry and Boyd to flip the field position situation at a critical moment late in the game is the Special Teams Play(ers) of the Week. 

Flea Flicker Week 2 Power Rankings

Week 2 of the 2021 NFL season is in the books. Here’s a look at how the 32 teams rank after only two games.

1.   Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)

2.   Kansas City Chiefs (1-1)

3.   Buffalo Bills (1-1)

4.   Los Angeles Rams (2-0)

5.   Cleveland Browns (1-1)

6.   Arizona Cardinals (2-0)

7.   San Francisco 49ers (2-0)

8.   Baltimore Ravens (1-1)

9.   Las Vegas Raiders (2-0)

10. Seattle Seahawks (1-1)

11. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)

12. Carolina Panthers (2-0)

13. New Orleans Saints (1-1)

14. Dallas Cowboys (1-1)

15. Los Angeles Chargers (1-1)

16. Minnesota Vikings (0-2)

17. Tennessee Titans (1-1)

18. Green Bay Packers (1-1)

19. New England Patriots (1-1)

20. Miami Dolphins (1-1)

21. Denver Broncos (2-0)

22. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1)

23. Indianapolis Colts (0-2)

24. Washington Football Team (1-1)

25. Chicago Bears (1-1)

26. Cincinnati Bengals (1-1)

27. Atlanta Falcons (0-2)

28. New York Giants (0-2)

29. New York Jets (0-2)

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)

31. Detroit Lions (0-2)

32. Houston Texans (1-1)

Until next week. 

Vikings-Cardinals

The Minnesota Vikings did just about everything they needed to do to upset the Arizona Cardinals. The offense did most of what they needed to do. The defense did most of what they needed to do. The Vikings did just about everything they needed to do for a road upset. Except make one final field goal. Greg Joseph missed a 37-yard as time expired. 37 yards! Cardinals escape. 34-33. A damn field goal.

Joseph had made his first three field goals as the Vikings kicker. All were from at least 50 yards. One might wonder if the Vikings would’ve been better off if the offense had stopped gaining yards once they hit the Cardinals 36-yard line on Adam Thielen’s catch and run. Instead of Joseph lining up for a fourth 50+-yarder, Kirk Cousins made things easier for his kicker. He completed a couple clutch throws to K.J. Osborn to get to a beautiful spot for a field goal attempt at the Cardinals 19-yard line. It was supposed to be a gimme. It wasn’t. It’s been a while since a field goal was a gimme for the Vikings. 

The Vikings start the 2021 season at 0-2.

Last week, the Vikings played terrible against the Cincinnati Bengals and still could’ve/should’ve won in overtime. This week, the Vikings played much better against a very talented Cardinals team and had a wonderful chance to win. It makes for an 0-2 start. This team feels better than winless but they’re still 0-2. The unyielding simplicity of a win-loss record can be brutal. 

Despite all of things that the Vikings did right to hang in a shootout with the Cardinals, the final, depressing, horrible, sad, deflating missed field goal wasn’t the sole reason for the loss. The Vikings offense was difficult to stop in the first half. They were often stopped in the second half. Only one of the five second half possessions ended with points. It was a field goal. It was a field goal that was made possible by a Cardinals roughing the punter penalty. That penalty saved the Vikings from a three-and-out. 

Vikings 2nd Half Possessions:

Punt-4 plays, 22 yards

Field goal-10 plays, 35 yards (made possible by a roughing the punter penalty)

Punt-3 plays, 7 yards

Punt-3 plays, 4 yards

Missed field goal-9 plays, 58 yards

The Vikings had two more three-and-outs during their otherwise productive first half. They had way too many useless possessions against the Cardinals. 

The offense did manage some very good things. They were solid in the first half and had that clutch final drive. Cousins was good. Dalvin Cook was great. The offensive line was much better than last week. Cousins was sacked once and for the most part experienced a comfortable time in the pocket. The Vikings were penalized three times after about a dozen last week. Despite the positives, the offense can not have so many wasted possessions. The second half was filled with them. 

Fortunately, while the offense went into semi-hibernation in the second half, the Vikings defense scrapped, clawed, and did enough to frustrate a hot Kyler Murray and his fleet of slippery pass-catchers. Newcomers Nick Vigil and Xavier Woods grabbed interceptions. Vigil returned his for a touchdown. Danielle Hunter corralled Murray three times for sacks. The defense can clean up some things. Murray threw for 400 yards. The Cardinals gained 474 yards. There were too many explosive plays. Murray is a unique football players. He’s surrounded with an abundance of quick, elusive playmakers. The Cardinals are going to get their yards. The Vikings defense needed some takeaways. They got two. They nearly had a third. They put points on the board with one of those takeaways. They needed some stops. They got a final stop to give the offense an opportunity at a game-winning drive. The Vikings defenders are still learning to play with each other. They will get better. 

Other Vikings thoughts:

K.J. Osborn had another strong game as the Vikings third receiver. Statistically, he was the Vikings top receiver against the Cardinals.

5 catches, 91 yards, 1 TD (64 yards)

Osborn’s 64-yard touchdown catch on the second play of the game was a scintillating start. His clutch catches on the final drive were huge but ultimately forgotten by the missed field goal. 

The Vikings now have a third impact receiver. 

The Vikings need more from their tight ends. 

Patrick Peterson did a fine job against his old team, in general, and DeAndre Hopkins, in particular. 

Danielle Hunter is great. 

So is Eric Kendricks. 

Some Cardinals thoughts:

If you’re at all affiliated with the team facing the Cardinals, Kyler Murray is a real pain-in-the-ass. If you’re affiliated with the Cardinals or neutral and simply a fan of football, you’re enjoying all of the things that he does. He’s a fun football player but he wasn’t all that fun yesterday. 

Cardinals rookie receiver Rondale Moore will be a problem for defensive coordinators for a long time. 

Based solely on this game and my pre-draft thoughts, the Cardinals scored with their first two picks of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Round 1: Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa

Round 2: Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue

***

The Vikings host the Seattle Seahawks next week. Finally at home. Finally in front of their own fans.