Flea Flicker Week 8 Predictions

Here are guesses at the Week 8 games. 

Byes: Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens

Dallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings

Pick: Vikings

The Vikings have yet to play a complete game. They have to play a complete game against the Cowboys. 

Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons

Pick: Falcons

The Falcons have been playing better. The Panthers haven’t.

Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills

Pick: Bills

In the first game between these two teams, the Bills were terrible and still shut out and blew out the Dolphins. I expect the Bills to play better this time. 

San Francisco 49ers @ Chicago Bears

Pick: 49ers

I’m not sure what to think about either team. 

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns

Pick: Browns

Just going with the home team.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Detroit Lions

Pick: Lions

The Lions have been so close to winning their first game. I can’t think of a better team than the Eagles to be on the other side of that first win. 

Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts

Pick: Colts

The Titans are feeling pretty good about themselves. Here’s a little slap down.

Cincinnati Bengals @ New York Jets

Pick: Bengals

This one required zero thought.

Los Angeles Rams @ Houston Texans

Pick: Rams

Another game requiring zero thought.

New England Patriots @ Los Angeles Chargers

Pick: Chargers

The Patriots have played well against good teams but I’m leaning Chargers.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Seattle Seahawks

Pick: Jaguars

After watching Geno Smith bumble his way through the second half against the Saints, I can’t pick the Seahawks. Even against the Jaguars. 

Washington Football Team @ Denver Broncos

Pick: Broncos

Coin flip. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints

Pick: Buccaneers

I think that Jameis Winston would have to play out of his mind to beat the team that drafted him. 

New York Giants @ Kansas City Chiefs

Pick: Chiefs

On the first day of November, the Chiefs face a must-win game. 

All-Time Dallas Cowboys Team

The Minnesota Vikings host the Dallas Cowboys tomorrow night, Halloween Night. On the eve of the game, here’s an All-Time Team of the Dallas Cowboys. 

Offense

Quarterback

Roger Staubach

Running Backs

Tony Dorsett

Emmitt Smith

Fullback

Darryl Johnston

Wide Receivers 

Drew Pearson

Michael Irvin

Tight End

Jason Witten

Offensive Tackles

Rayfield Wright

Tyron Smith

Offensive Guards

Larry Allen

John Niland

Center

Travis Frederick

Defense

Defensive Ends

Harvey Martin

Charles Haley

Defensive Tackles

Bob Lilly

Randy White

Linebackers

DeMarcus Ware

Lee Roy Jordan

Chuck Howley

Cornerbacks

Deion Sanders

Mel Renfro

Safeties

Cliff Harris

Darren Woodson

Special Teams

Kicker

Dan Bailey

Punter

Danny White

Returner

Bob Hayes

Special Teams

Charlie Waters

Bill Bates

I had to get Charlie Waters on this team. 

NFL Rushing Leaders

In this day of advanced statistics and analytics, one might forget, perhaps even ignore, good old-fashioned statistics like yardage leaders. As an itty-bitty Minnesota Vikings fan, I remember racing for the Wednesday newspaper to see where Chuck Foreman stood among the league’s top backs. At all times, I knew his yardage totals. I just had to know where those totals ranked in the league. It was a different time. In recognition of those times and good old-fashioned statistics, here are the NFL rushing leaders through seven weeks. 

Player	Games	Attempts	Yards	Average	Touchdowns
Derrick Henry	7	191	869	4.6	10
Jonathan Taylor	7	105	579	5.5	5
Joe Mixon	7	123	539	4.4	4
Nick Chubb	5	90	523	5.8	4
Ezekiel Elliott	6	102	521	5.1	5
Lamar Jackson	7	76	480	6.3	2
James Robinson	6	84	460	5.5	5
Damien Harris	7	95	437	4.6	5
Alvin Kamara	6	114	419	3.7	1
Darrell Henderson Jr.	6	96	417	4.3	4
Leonard Fournette	7	93	413	4.4	4
Antonio Gibson	7	103	408	4.0	3
Aaron Jones	7	89	404	4.5	2
Chase Edmonds	7	68	397	5.8	0
Najee Harris	6	102	388	3.8	2
Dalvin Cook	4	80	366	4.6	2
Tony Pollard	6	61	366	6.0	1

Derrick Henry is a beast. He’s racing towards a third-straight rushing title. He’s also chasing Eric Dickerson’s season record of 2,105 yards. He’s on pace for a 2,110 yard season. It helps that he has an extra game to reach Dickerson’s 37-year old record. 

A record that Henry should shatter is carries in a season. Larry Johnson carried the ball 416 times in 2006. Henry is nearly half-way there with ten games to play. He’s on pace to pass 416 carries during the 15th game of the season. At present, Henry has 68 more carries than #2 Joe Mixon. That’s like two extra games. Each carry seems to make him stronger. As long as he’s still standing, Henry will continue to collect rushing titles. 

It should be startling to see a quarterback among the league’s rushing leaders. With Lamar Jackson, it’s expected. He’s on pace for his third 1,000-yard rushing season.

It’s surprising to see Alvin Kamara averaging less than four yards per carry. 

I had to take the leaders to the Top-16 to include Dalvin Cook. The stats show four games. It should be 3.5. An ankle injury took him out of two games and most of a third. When he’s been on the field he’s been terrific. The stat that shows that best is yards/game.

1. Derrick Henry  124.1

2. Nick Chubb     104.6

3. Dalvin Cook      91.5

The league is better, the Vikings are definitely better, when Cook is on the field. 

Passing is the preferred mode of moving the football down the field. Each year it becomes even more so. Despite that, the league’s running game is in strong, young hands. Of the above rushing leaders, Henry is the oldest. He’s only 27. The 2017 NFL Draft presented a bunch of talented backs to the league.

Christian McCaffrey

Leonard Fournette

Dalvin Cook

Joe Mixon

Alvin Kamara

Aaron Jones

Kareem Hunt

Chris Carson

James Connor

All of those backs are about 26. Most of the rest of the leading rushers are even younger. 

The rules favor the passing game. The offensive play callers favor the passing game. If football ever returns to running game, it’s not happening soon. Despite that, the league is loaded with enough talented, young, versatile backs to keep their position relevant.

Thinking about today’s rushing statistics triggered thoughts of football statistics from decades ago. Analytics has changed the way we look at football numbers. The internet has changed when and how we receive the numbers. For most of my days following football, I had to wait for midweek newspapers to see the league’s statistical leaders. For an expanded look at the leaders, I relied on weekly publications like the Sporting News. Thinking about it from today’s perspective, that’s a lot of waiting, a lot of patience. It was a different time. 

Minnesota Vikings All-Time 53-man Roster

While thinking about the Minnesota Vikings current 53-man roster I couldn't help thinking about a 53-man roster of the best players in Minnesota Vikings franchise history. Here's that roster. 

Minnesota Vikings All-Time 53-Man Roster

Quarterbacks
Fran Tarkenton
Daunte Culpepper
Tommy Kramer

Halfbacks
Adrian Peterson
Chuck Foreman
Robert Smith

Fullback
Bill Brown

Receivers
Cris Carter
Randy Moss
Ahmad Rashad
Anthony Carter
Adam Thielen

Tight Ends
Steve Jordan
Kyle Rudolph
Jim Kleinsasser

Tackles
Ron Yary
Gary Zimmerman
Grady Alderman
Tim Irwin

Guards
Randall McDaniel
Steve Hutchinson
Ed White

Centers
Mick Tingelhoff
Matt Birk

Defensive Ends
Carl Eller
Chris Doleman
Jim Marshall
Jared Allen

Danielle Hunter

Defensive Tackles
Alan Page
John Randle
Keith Millard
Kevin Williams

Linebackers
Matt Blair

Eric Kendricks

Anthony Barr

Chad Greenway
Scott Studwell
Wally Hilgenberg

Cornerbacks
Antoine Winfield
Xavier Rhodes
Carl Lee
Bobby Bryant
Nate Wright

Safeties
Paul Krause
Joey Browner
Harrison Smith
Robert Griffith

Kicker
Ryan Longwell

Punter
Chris Kluwe

Long Snapper
Cullen Loeffler

Kick Returner
Cordarrelle Pattereson

Punt Returner
Marcus Sherels

Minnesota Vikings 53-man Roster

The Minnesota Vikings have their bye week behind them. It’s now a sprint to the finish. Coming out of the bye, the roster looks a little different. Defensive end Stephen Weatherly was traded to the Denver Broncos.  When Everson Griffen regained his starting job and his snaps increased, Weatherly’s snaps decreased. The trade gives him an opportunity for more on-field action. Broncos rookie general manager George Paton was a big part of the Vikings draft team that selected Weatherly in the seventh-round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Paton knows Weatherly and probably sees potential for him in the Broncos defense. The trade opens a path to the field for rookie Patrick Jones II in the Vikings defense. Perhaps it even gives second-year defensive end Kenny Willikes an opportunity to be a game day promotion from the practice squad. Rookie running back Kene Nwangwu was activated from injured reserve. He’d been rehabbing a knee injury suffered in the team’s first preseason game. With his speed, Nwangwu was one of the rookies I was most excited to see on the field. His speed is the sort of speed that can provide a very different dimension to the Vikings offense and special teams. Unfortunately, Ameer Abdullah was released to make room from Nwanagwu on the roster. Abdullah was a versatile player on the field and a team leader off the field. His presence will be missed in Minnesota. He wasn’t out of work for long. The Carolina Panthers quickly grabbed him for their roster. The final bye week roster tweak was activating cornerback Harrison Hand from the COVID reserve list. With the very unfortunate injury to Patrick Peterson, the Vikings need all of their cornerbacks on the field. 

The promotion of second-year offensive tackle Blake Brandel to the 53-man roster opened a spot on the practice. Offensive tackle Timon Parris was signed to fill that spot. He originally signed with the Washington Football Team in 2018 as an undrafted free agent out of Stony Brook. He saw some special teams action in four games during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. During the 2020 season he spent time on the practice squads of Washington, Atlanta, and Cleveland. Parris was in Miami’s training camp this past summer and released in August. The Vikings practice squad is now at the 16-player maximum. 

For the first six weeks of the season, the Vikings have had an offense/defense roster spilt that favored the offense. It was an unfamiliar time for a Mike Zimmer-led team. With the bye week tweaks the roster is now evenly split with 25 players on each side of the ball. 

Minnesota Vikings Roster

Offense (25 Players)

Quarterbacks (3)

  8 Kirk Cousins

14 Sean Mannion

11 Kellen Mond

Running Backs (3)

33 Dalvin Cook
25 Alexander Mattison

26 Kene Nwangwu

Fullbacks (1)

30 C.J. Ham

Receivers (6)
19 Adam Thielen
18 Justin Jefferson

17 K.J. Osborn

12 DeDe Westbrook

15 Ihmir Smith-Marsette 

85 Dan Chisena

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 (25 Players)

Defensive Ends (4)
99 Danielle Hunter

98 D.J. Wonnum

97 Everson Griffen

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

48 Blake Lynch

41 Chazz Surratt

57 Ryan Connelly

Cornerbacks (5)

24 Mackensie Alexander

21 Bashaud Breeland

27 Cameron Dantzler

29 Kris Boyd

20 Harrison Hand

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

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

61 Timon Parris, OT

36 A.J Rose Jr., RB

50 T.J. Smith, DT

  5 Tye Smith, CB

35 Luke Stocker, TE

79 Kenny Willekes, DE

Reserve/Injured

12 Chad Beebe

81 Olabisi Johnson

95 Janarius Robinson

  7 Patrick Peterson

13 Blake Proehl

84 Irv Smith Jr.

66 Jordon Scott

14 Nate Stanley

Reserve/Non-Football Injury

76 Jaylen Twyman

Flea Flicker Week 7 Power Rankings

Week 7 of the 2021 NFL season is in the books. Here’s a look at how the 32 teams rank after seven weeks. 

1.   Arizona Cardinals (7-0)

2.   Los Angeles Rams (6-1)

3.   Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-1)

4.   Buffalo Bills (4-2)

5.   Tennessee Titans (5-2)

6.   Green Bay Packers (6-1)

7.   Dallas Cowboys (5-1)

8.   Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)

9.   Baltimore Ravens (5-2)

10. Los Angeles Chargers (4-2)

11. Kansas City Chiefs (3-4)

12. Cleveland Browns (4-3)

13. Minnesota Vikings (3-3)

14. Las Vegas Raiders (5-2)

15. New Orleans Saints (4-2)

16. Indianapolis Colts (3-4)

17. San Francisco 49ers (2-4)

18. Carolina Panthers (3-4)

19. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-3)

20. Denver Broncos (3-4)

21. New England Patriots (3-4)

22. Philadelphia Eagles (2-5)

23. Atlanta Falcons (4-3)

24. Chicago Bears (3–4)

25. Washington Football Team (2-5)

26. Seattle Seahawks (3-4)

27. New York Giants (2-5)

28. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5)

29. Miami Dolphins (1-6)

30. Detroit Lions (0-7)

31. New York Jets (1-6)

32. Houston Texans (1-6)

Until next week. 

Minnesota Vikings Bye Week Superlatives

Week 7 was the Minnesota Vikings bye week. The NFL still played some games. Here are some players that deserve recognition this week. 

Offensive Player of the Week

Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

The stats:

8 receptions

201 yards

1 TD

The Cincinnati Bengals held a 20-17 lead over the Baltimore Ravens game with about seven minutes to play in the third quarter. It had been a close, back-and-forth game. Then Ja’Marr Chase caught a short pass over the middle slipped some tackles by a few Ravens and ran away from a couple Ravens. 82 yards later, Chase was in the end zone and the Bengals had a 27-17 lead. That play was the turning point in what became a 41-17 smack-down. 

There was a pre-draft argument that the Bengals should take Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell with the fifth pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Some draft hacks cried that the Bengals would be fools to pass on a blue chip left tackle. They had to pick a blocker to protect franchise quarterback Joe Burrow. Instead, the Bengals went with a playmaker for Burrow. A playmaker he knew well from his LSU days. Seven games is a minuscule sample size but right now it looks the Bengals made the right decision. Chase is a big reason the Bengals are 5-2 and sitting atop the AFC North. 

Defensive Player of the Week

Denico Autry, DE, Tennessee Titans

The stats:

3 tackles

2 sacks

2 tackles for loss

Perhaps the entire Tennessee Titans defense should be defensive players of the week. They did yesterday what many thought impossible. They kept the Kansas City offense out of the end zone for an entire game. The final score was 27-3. It was overall team win for the Titans. The offense made things easy for their defense. The defense returned the favor. The offense scored early and often. 14-0 after the first quarter. 27-0 at the half. The Titans defense brought it home. Autry was a big reason for that. 

Special Teams Player(s) of the Week

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions felt that they had to throw in some “tricks” to take down the Los Angeles Rams. After a game-opening touchdown drive, the Lions were successful with an onside kick. About a minute after that successful onside kick, the Lions had a fourth-and-seven at midfield. Instead off giving the ball to the Rams, the Lions went with a fake punt. Punter Jake Fox tossed a pass to gunner Bobby Price, 17 yards, first down. That revived drive ended with a field goal. Before the Rams even had a possession the Lions had a 10-0 lead. It needed to be more. In the third quarter, the Lions pulled out another fake punt. Fourth-and-eight from their own 35-yard line, up-back C.J. Moore took the snap and sprinted around the left end for 28 yards to the Rams 37-yard line. Unfortunately that bold special teams play led to no points. 

Lions Special Teams on the day:

Onside kick 

2 fake punts

4 field goals

Busy day. Unfortunately the Lions needed more than four field goals in their 28-19 loss to the Rams. Touchdowns rather field goals would’ve helped. 

***

Is it really an NFL weekend without the Minnesota Vikings? 

Flea Flicker Week 7 Predictions

Here are guesses at the Week 7 games

Byes: Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars

Washington Football Team @ Green Bay Packers

Pick: Packers

Have the Packers beaten only one team (Bengals) with a winning record? Yes. 

Kanas City Chiefs @ Tennessee Titans

Pick: Chiefs

The Titans are still celebrating their stop of the Bills. 

Atlanta Falcons @ Miami Dolphins

Pick: Dolphins

Both teams need a win. The Dolphins need it more.

New York Jets @ New England Patriots

Pick: Jets

Somehow the Jets beat the Titans in Week 4. Somehow the Jets beat the Patriots in Week 7.

Carolina Panthers @ New York Giants

Pick: Panthers

If the Panthers receivers can catch the ball this week, they can beat the Giants.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens

Pick: Bengals

Are the Bengals starting to roll?

Philadelphia Eagles @ Las Vegas Raiders

Pick: Raiders

I figured that the Raiders would flounder against the Broncos after a week of off-the-field shit. I was wrong. I’ll flip the other way this week. 

Detroit Lions @ Los Angeles Rams

Pick: Rams

I figure that the Lions will eventually win a game. This isn’t that game.

Houston Texans @ Arizona Cardinals

Pick: Cardinals

I figure that the Cardinals will eventually lose a game. This isn’t that game.

Chicago Bears @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pick: Buccaneers

I’d like to pick the Bears. I can’t pick the Bears. 

Indianapolis Colts @ San Francisco 49ers

Pick: Colts

After some early season struggles, I feel like the Colts are starting to roll.

New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks

Pick: Saints

The Seahawks are scrambling. 

All-Time Minnesota Vikings Team

On the eve of Minnesota Vikings games, I’ve selected an All-Time team of their opponent. The Vikings are on bye and have no game tomorrow. That makes this a fine time to select a Minnesota Vikings All-Time Team. 

Offense

Quarterback

Fran Takenton

Running Backs

Adrian Peterson

Chuck Foreman

Fullback

Bill Brown

Wide Receivers

Cris Carter

Randy Moss

Tight End

Steve Jordan

Tackles

Gary Zimmerman

Ron Yary

Guards

Randall McDaniel

Steve Huntchinson

Center

Mick Tingelhoff

A Hall of Fame offensive line.

Defense

Defensive Ends

Carl Eller

Chris Doleman

Defensive Tackles

Alan Page

John Randle

A Hall of Fame defensive line. 

Linebackers

Matt Blair

Eric Kendricks

Chad Greenway

Cornerbacks

Carl Lee

Xavier Rhodes

Safeties

Paul Krause

Harrison Smith

If I was actually playing a game with these football players, I’d probably pair Harrison Smith with Joey Browner. I’d feel much better about my team’s ability to stop an offense with Smith and Browner patrolling the field. For an All-Time Team like this, I can’t ignore the Pro Football Hall of Fame status of Paul Krause or his 81 career interceptions. There are NFL records that many consider unbreakable. Krause’s 81 interceptions is one of those records. 

Special Teams

Kicker

Ryan Longwell

Punter

Chris Kluwe

Kick Returner

Cordarrelle Patterson

Punt Returner

Marcus Sherels

Minnesota Vikings Offensive Line

With first round pick Christian Darrisaw getting his first start at left tackle, I’ve been thinking about the offensive line of the Minnesota Vikings. I’ve been thinking about the group that they have now and the long road to get here. After too damn many years of miss-matched, forced-together, crappy offensive lines the Vikings might finally be edging toward a decent group. Maybe even a very good group. A reason for years of shaky offensive line play has been the lack of top draft picks spent on the positions. In defense of Rick Spielman and the team’s decision-makers, each year a team has a few high-end draft picks and a lot of positions to fill. There will always be a position or position group that might not get high-end draft attention and the team will be criticized for it. As a draft strategy, Spielman seemed to turn the draft’s third day into his talent pool for offensive linemen. Perhaps the solid play of later-round picks like John Sullivan and Brandon Fusco might’ve given him some confidence in his ability to find capable players outside the first two nights of the draft. For every Fusco, there was a Willie Beavers, a T.J. Clemmings, and a David Yankey. From 2012 to 2017, the Vikings put high-end capital towards the offensive line twice. They spent a top-five pick on Matt Kalil in 2012 and a lot of free agency cash on Riley Reiff in 2017. Six years. Twice. The Vikings had to spend a lot to get Reiff because Kalil hadn’t played like a top-five pick since his rookie season. Due to a lack of high-end talent, the Vikings offensive line plan was really no plan. The coaches were forced to piece a group together with the players that they had. It was an annual thing. That was then. This is now. Since 2018, the Vikings have annually used Day 1 and Day 2 picks on offensive linemen. 

2018

RT Brian O’Neill, 2nd round

2019

C Garrett Bradbury, 1st round

2020

LG Ezra Cleveland, 2nd round

2021

LT Christian Darrisaw, 1st round

  G Wyatt Davis, 3rd round

This draft strategy has brought talented offensive linemen to Minnesota. That’s a good thing. If nothing else, the change in draft philosophy has brought hope for a group that has long been the Vikings biggest problem. It’s resulted in an offensive line that has the talent to evolve into a very good group. 

LT	Christian Darrisaw
LG	Ezra Cleveland
C	Garrett Bradbury
RG	Oli Udoh
RT	Brian O’Neill

Here’s a little closer look at each of the above five linemen.

Christian Darrisaw

Experience: Rookie

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 315

Age: 22

College: Virginia Tech

Ezra Cleveland

Experience: 2nd year

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 312

Age: 23

College: Boise State

Garrett Bradbury

Experience: 3rd year

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 300

Age: 26

College: North Carolina State

Oli Udoh

Experience: 3rd year

Height: 6’6” 

Weight 320

Age: 24

College: Elon

Brian O’Neill

Experience: 4th year

Height: 6’7”

Weight: 310

Age: 26

College: Pittsburgh

In terms of draft position, the outsider is Oli Udoh. He was a sixth-round pick because he was a raw offensive tackle from itty-bitty Elon. All he’s done since being a late-round pick from a small school is improve, refine, and envelope defenders in preseason games. He shifted to guard this past offseason and has steadily made the position his through training camp and the first month of the season. His rise to starting right guard put last year’s starter Dakota Dozier on the practice squad and kept third-round pick Wyatt Davis on the bench. 

Due to the commitment to a zone-blocking scheme, the Vikings have targeted lighter, swifter, more athletic offensive linemen. Brian O’Neill, Garrett Bradbury, and Ezra Cleveland fit that mold. All three had to add weight and gain strength from their college days in order to cope in the NFL. All three will spend their careers fighting to maintain that weight and gaining strength. Unfortunately, some defensive lines have bullied the Vikings lighter, swifter, more athletic offensive linemen. That prompted Mike Zimmer to call for more size and players that can do some bullying of their own. Christian Darrisaw, Oli Udoh, and Wyatt Davis fit that mold. While still athletic, those three more naturally possess NFL-ready size and strength. 

It’s cause for great celebration to finally see the Vikings with an offensive line plan. They made a concerted effort over consecutive years to use top draft picks on top offensive line talent. There are now talented players on the line. Now, they have to grow into a talented group. More than any other position group, the offensive line has to operate as a coordinated, cohesive unit. The work to reach their potential is in front of them. This homegrown group is a young group and could make a long run. 

Another perk to adding high-end talent is improving the depth. It’s a trickle down thing. The Vikings offensive line depth is a mix of veterans and youth. Rashod Hill, Mason Cole, and Dakota Dozier have started games in the NFL. Now, they provide quality depth. 

Depth:

Rashod Hill

Experience: 6th year

Height: 6’6” 

Weight: 310

Age: 29

College: Southern Mississippi

Wyatt Davis

Experience: Rookie

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 315

Age: 22

College: Ohio State

Mason Cole

Experience: 4th year

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 298

Age: 25

College: Michigan

Blake Brandel

Experience: 2nd year

Height: 6’7”

Weight: 315

Age: 24

College: Oregon State

Practice Squad:

Dakota Dozier

Experience: 8th year

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 305

Age: 30

College: Furman

Kyle Hinton

Experience: 2nd year

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 315

Age: 23

College: Washburn

Wyatt Davis is the current non-starter with the best chance to become a starter. He was a top recruit out of high school and played at a high level at Ohio State. He’s also the grandson of Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Davis. Some considered Wyatt Davis a first-round talent. The Vikings “lucked” into him in the third round. He could challenge Udoh. He could challenge Cleveland. Perhaps, he might even challenge Bradbury at center. At a glance, Davis’ best opportunity at a starting job is through Udoh. That’s the immediate thought simply because Udoh is the raw player out of itty-bitty Elon. Davis has been a known player since his high school days and played his college ball at Ohio State. Those are two very different college football worlds. The wildcard competition for Davis could be at center. Bradbury can do some elite things. Few centers can reach the blocking targets that he can reach. In terms of the mobility demands of his position, Bradbury is one of the best in the league. He can be overpowered by the bigger, stronger defensive tackles in the league. With that in mind, it’s dreamy thinking of the size and power of Udoh and Davis side-by-side on the Vikings offensive line interior. Despite those dreamy thoughts, I like Bradbury at center. 

It took a while but I’m glad that the Vikings decision-makers finally decided to started using high-end draft picks on high-end offensive line talent. That doesn’t mean that the players are automatically All-Pros. There’s still a lot of work to do but the coaches now have the players. I just want to see the best five players on the field working together to become the best group that they can be. Getting Darrisaw on the field was a big step in that direction. There’s finally hope with the Vikings offensive line. It’s been a while. 

Cleveland Browns Starting Quarterbacks

Since re-entering the NFL as an expansion team in 1999, the Cleveland Browns have trotted out 31 starting quarterbacks. 31! It’s one of the most remarkable football statistics of the century. The Browns have had very little success since 1999 and quarterback instability is the most significant reason. With Baker Mayfield injured, Case Keenum is #31. He will get the start tonight when the Browns take the field against the Denver Broncos. Keenum will be the next starter on a long list of starters.

The Cleveland Browns Starting Quartebacks

Tim Couch

Ty Detmer

Doug Pederson

Spergon Wynn

Kelly Holcomb

Jeff Garcia

Luke McCown

Trent Dilfer

Charlie Frye

Derek Anderson

Ken Dorsey

Brady Quinn

Bruce Gradkowski

Colt McCoy

Jake Delhomme

Seneca Wallace

Brandon Weeden

Thaddeus Lewis

Jason Campbell

Brian Hoyer

Johnny Manziel

Connor Shaw

Josh McCown

Austin Davis

Robert Griffin III

Cody Kessler

DeShone Kizer

Kevin Hogan

Tyrod Taylor 

Baker Mayfield

Case Keenum

Incredible.

I’ve watched the Minnesota Vikings scramble for their next starting quarterback for most of the past three decades. Three quarterbacks on this list started games for the Vikings. Spergon Wynn, Kelly Holcomb, Case Keenum. Compared to the Browns, the Vikings have seen quarterback stability. 

How many of these quarterbacks actually gave Browns fans hope? You’d probably have to ask a Browns fan. In my opinion the team’s first decision was the wrong decision. I preferred Donovan McNabb and Daunte Culpepper over Tim Couch in the 1999 NFL Draft. 

It’s easy to say now but none of the Browns quarterback decisions were the right decision. 

Derek Anderson is an outlier on the list as he’s one of the few that put together more a string of promising games. The Browns selected Tim Couch, Brady Quinn, Colt McCoy, Brandon Weeden, Johnny Manziel, Cody Kessler, and DeShone Kizer in the early rounds of various drafts. It was Anderson, a sixth-round pick, that had the most promising run for the Browns. 

The Browns once had Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, and Mitchell Schwartz protecting quarterbacks. The Browns have made a lot of stupid decisions since 1999. 31 quarterbacks. One of the most stupid was breaking up an offensive line that included Thomas, Mack, and Schwartz. With those three, I could’ve played guard. The three were together in 2012 and 2013. It should’ve been longer. Mack left in 2014. Schwartz soon followed. 

Hope? In my opinion, Baker Mayfield is the only quarterback decision since 1999 that gave the team anything resembling hope. He’s still a question mark to many. Perhaps even to the Browns. Of course, he has to stay healthy but he has strung together 51 consecutive starts. I like him with Kevin Stefanski. We’ll see. For the sake of all Browns fans, here’s hoping that Mayfield gets healthy, stays healthy, and puts to sleep this quarterback instability. 

Both McCowns started for the Browns. Of course they did. 

Flea Flicker Week 6 Power Rankings

Week 6 of the 2021 NFL season is in the books. Here’s a look at how the 32 teams rank after six games. 

1.   Arizona Cardinals (6-0)

2.   Los Angeles Rams (5-1)

3.   Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1)

4.   Baltimore Ravens (5-1)

5.   Buffalo Bills (4-2)

6.   Kansas City Chiefs (3-3)

7.   Green Bay Packers (5-1)

8.   Dallas Cowboys (5-1)

9.   Los Angeles Chargers (4-2)

10. Tennessee Titans (4-2)

11. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2)

12. Cleveland Browns (3-3)

13. Minnesota Vikings (3-3)

14. New Orleans Saints (3-2)

15. San Francisco 49ers (2-3)

16. Carolina Panthers (3-3)

17. Las Vegas Raiders (4-2)

18. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-3)

19. Denver Broncos (3-3)

20. Chicago Bears (3–3)

21. New England Patriots (2-4)

22. Philadelphia Eagles (2-4)

23. Indianapolis Colts (2-4)

24. Washington Football Team (2-4)

25. Seattle Seahawks (3-3)

26. Atlanta Falcons (2-3)

27. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5)

28. Miami Dolphins (1-5)

29. New York Giants (1-5)

30. Detroit Lions (0-6)

31. New York Jets (1-4)

32. Houston Texans (1-5)

Until next week. 

Minnesota Vikings Week 6 Superlatives

The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, 34-28. They needed overtime to do so. A glance at the statistics project a game that shouldn’t have been that close.

Vikings:

571 total yards

37:38 time of possession

1 turnover

Panthers:

306 total yards

26:34 time of possession

3 turnovers

How was this game even close? 

Offensive Player of the Week

With 571 yards of offense, there are a few contenders for offensive player of the week.

Kirk Cousins

33/48

373 yards

3 touchdowns

Dalvin Cook

29 carries, 140 yards, 1 TD (16 yards)

Adam Thielen

11 catches, 126 yards, 1 TD (5 yards)

K.J.. Osborn

6 catches, 78 yards, I TD (27-yard game winner)

I want to pick K.J. Osborn for his evolution into a clutch, game-changing part of the offense. This game was a breakout but he’s been making big catches all season. The Vikings have needed a third receiver to compliment Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson. They’ve found that third receiver. Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, Osborn. I want to pick all four. That’s too easy. I have to pick one. 

The pick:

Kirk Cousins

The narrative of Cousins has long had him fading in big-time situations. It isn’t a fair narrative. It definitely hasn’t been a fair narrative this season. Against the Panthers, he led two game-winning drives. With 42 seconds left in regulation, he led his team on a drive that should’ve ended in a game-winning field goal. Greg Joseph missed that field goal. In overtime, he never gave the Panthers a chance. He sliced up a very good defense and closed the game with a 27-yard touchdown strike to Osborn.

In crunch time, Cousins carved up the league’s best pass defense. Twice. 

Defensive Player of the Week

Bashaud Breeland has been considered a defensive weak link all season. Receivers have toasted him. Fans and the media have roasted him. Receivers have been running past him. Runners have been going through him. It hasn’t been pretty. On the first offensive play against the Panthers, Breeland intercepted Sam Darnold. Even if it was just for a moment, Breeland was finally a hero. He played his best game of the season. Hopefully, this is sign of things to come. With Patrick Peterson out for at least a month, the Vikings need Breeland’s baseline to be Sunday’s game. 

Special Teams Player of the Week

Dan Chisena has made the roster each of the past two seasons for special teams reasons. He had some NFL growing pains as a rookie last season. He started this season on injured reserve. His role on the team has been a process, an often criticized process. With just over two minutes to play in regulation, Chisena fielded a punt and pinned the Panthers at their own four-yard line. It wasn’t his fault that the Panthers drove those 96 yards to tie the game. On that punt, he did his job perfectly. Hopefully, it was the start of something great. 

Vikings-Panthers

These guys are gonna kill me.

The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Carolina Panthers in overtime. Kirk Cousins never gave the Panthers an opportunity in the extra period. He hit K.J. Osborn for a 27-yard, walk-off touchdown. 34-28 Vikings. 

The 2021 Minnesota Vikings have trended toward the dramatic. Through six games, only the Week 3 win over the Seattle Seahawks was by more than a single score. The other five games have come down to the final play. It doesn’t have to be like that. The Vikings could be 6-0. They could be 1-5. The result in each game could’ve gone either way. I suppose that it’s appropriate that they are 3-3. That record feels about right for how the Vikings have played. 

The Vikings should’ve coasted to an easy win in Carolina. They didn’t cruise to an easy win because of penalties and two big miscues. 

Penalties:

11 penalties, 98 yards

The offensive penalties repeatedly erased gains. It also put the offense in long-yardage and much more predictable situations. The defensive penalties gave the Panthers offense opportunities when they shouldn’t have had any. 

Big Miscues:

1st quarter fumble gave the Panthers the ball on the Vikings 18-yard line

3rd quarter blocked punt was recovered and returned for a touchdown

Until the final, ridiculous, 96-yard, game-tying drive the Panthers offense had done nothing. Dropped passes, poor decisions, turnovers. Sam Darnold was walking off the field more often than he was driving his team down it. The big miscues handed the Panthers 14 points. The Vikings should’ve/could’ve had a multi-touchdown lead. Instead, the Panthers were always within reach. They had hope. 

The touchdown on the blocked punt gave the Panthers a 17-12 lead with just under seven minutes to play in the third quarter. In a blink, the Panthers had the momentum. They had the momentum and the lead. It was a lead that felt more gifted than taken. 

Then the game flipped. It flipped on a C.J. Ham run. With a 3rd-and-one on their own 30, Ham took a quick handoff and burst through a hole. 30 yards later, he was finally tackled. Two plays after that, Dalvin Cook scored on a 16-yard run. Next came a Panthers fumble, a Vikings touchdown, and a Vikings field goal. Over nine minutes of game time, the Panthers 17-12 lead flipped to a 28-17 Vikings lead. It was a lead that felt safe. 

The game should’ve been over. So far this season, that hasn’t been the Vikings way. They haven’t done anything easy. 

As with the Lions last week, the Vikings allowed a late touchdown and a two-point conversion. Last week, the Vikings needed a last-second field goal to win. This week, they needed a touchdown in overtime to win. In consecutive weeks, the Vikings gave away a nice, late lead and then fought to get that lead back. 

In a way, Kirk Cousins led two game-winning drives in this game. After the Panthers game-tying score, he was 5/5 for 30 yards as he drove his team to the Panthers 29-yard line in 36 seconds. Greg Joseph missed the 47-yard kick. In overtime, Cousins was 5/6 for 50 yards. His final pass was the 27-yard touchdown strike to Osborn for the win. 

Osborn has been a revelation this season. The Vikings needed a third receiver to compliment Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson. Osborn has grabbed the role. Every game, he’s made clutch catches. He’s converted third downs, fourth downs, and now he has a game-winner. 

From early in the second quarter to half-way through the third quarter, the Vikings had five quick, pathetic  possessions. 3 plays, 3 plays, 5 plays, 4 plays, 4 plays. They gained 34 yards on those 19 plays. An offense as explosive as the Vikings can not have so many worthless possessions. 

Despite those empty possessions, the Vikings offense racked up 571 yards of total offense. I was shocked when I saw that number. How could they reach that total with so many empty possessions? Apparently, the Vikings can really move the ball against a very good defense when they aren’t shooting themselves in the foot.

 The yardage total was the third most in franchise history.

622 vs Baltimore Colts (9/29/69)

605 vs New Orleans Saints (10/17/04)

571 vs Carolina Panthers (10/17/21)

October 17 can be a productive day for the Vikings offense. 

How was this game even close? The Vikings moved the ball. The Panthers couldn’t. If the Vikings can figure out how to close out games, they might be pretty good. 

After their Week 7 bye, the Vikings host the Dallas Cowboys on Halloween night. 

Flea Flicker Week 6 Predictions

The bye weeks have arrived. Here are guesses at the Week 6 games.

Week 6 byes: 

Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers

Minnesota Vikings @ Carolina Panthers

Pick: Vikings

After a frustrating start to the season, the Vikings must hit their Week 7 bye at 3-3.

Miami Dolphins @ Jacksonville Jaguars 

Pick: Jaguars

The Jaguars get their first win and first “home” win in London. 

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears

Pick: Packers

It’d be nice if talking heads stop calling the Packers-Bears rivalry the league’s oldest. It isn’t. Bears-Cardinals is older. The Packers-Bears is the most contested rivalry. 

Cincinnati Bengals @ Detroit Lions

Pick: Lions

The Lions finally get a win.

Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts

Pick: Colts

The Colts should be able to keep a lead against the Texans.

Los Angeles Rams @ New York Giants

Pick: Rams

Will the Giants be able to field an offense?

Kansas City Chiefs @ Washington Football Team

Pick: Chiefs

The Chiefs need a win.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Baltimore Ravens 

Pick: Ravens

This should be a fun one.

Arizona Cardinals @ Cleveland Browns

Pick: Browns

The Cardinals should’ve lost their first game in Week 2. They lose their first game in Week 6.

Las Vegas Raiders @ Denver Broncos

Pick: Broncos

I have no idea how the Raiders respond on the field to the recent off the field events. 

Dallas Cowboys @ New England Patriots

Pick: Cowboys

I want to pick the Patriots. I can’t pick the Patriots.

Seattle Seahawks @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Pick: Steelers

Super Bowl XL rematch. Same outcome.

Buffalo Bills @ Tennessee Titans

Pick: Bills

The Bills are starting to roll. 

All-Time Carolina Panthers Team

The Minnesota Vikings travel to Carolina this weekend to play the Panthers. On the eve of the game here’s a look at some of the best players in Carolina Panthers franchise history. 

Offense

Quarterback 

Cam Newton

Running Back

Christian McCaffrey

Maybe a little early. When Christian McCaffrey is on the field he’s the best back in Panthers franchise history. 

Fullback

Brad Hoover

Wide Receivers

Steve Smith

Muhsin Muhammad

Tight End

Greg Olsen

Tackles

Jordan Gross

Taylor Moton

Guards

Trai Turner

Mike Wahle

Center

Ryan Kalil 

Defense

Defensive Ends

Julius Peppers

Greg Hardy

Defensive Tackles

Kawann Short

Kris Jenkins

Linebackers

Luke Kuechly

Dan Morgan

Thomas Davis

Cornerbacks

Chris Gamble

Richard Marshall

Safeties

Mike Minter

Tre Boston

Special Teams

Kicker

John Kasay

Punter

Todd Sauerbrun

Returner

Michael Bates

Skol Vikings!