Minnesota Vikings Week 8 Superlatives

The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau, 24-10. Other than the season-ending injury to Kirk Cousins, it was beautiful. Here are some of the players that made it happen. 

Offensive Player of the Game

Kirk Cousins, QB

Despite the slow start to the season, Kirk Cousins has been very good all season. Against the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers, he’s been brilliant. 

Against the Packers:

23 competitions

31 attempts

274 yards

2 touchdowns

And he did it without all-everything receiver Justin Jefferson. The past two games, he made the players around him better. Just like a franchise quarterback should. K.J. Osborn, T.J. Hockenson, and Jordan Addison each had more than 80 receiving yards against the Packers. 

Get well soon, Kirk Cousins.

K.J. Osborn, WR

K.J. Osborn had taken a distant seat behind Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and Jordan Addison in the pass receiving pecking order. Against the Packers, Osborn reminded everyone that he can be a difference-maker. 

8 catches 

99 yards

Osborn has often been a clutch, third-down, chain-mover. He was that on Sunday.

Defensive Player of the Game

Harrison Phillips, DL

Harrison Phillips may have played his best game for the Vikings. He was terrific against the run, especially in short yardage. He also provided some pass rush. He was in on one sack of Jordan Love. He nearly had another sack of the Packers quarterback.

Josh Metellus, S

Josh Metellus’ interception and 43 yard return was the defensive splash play of the game. Cousins immediately made the Packers pay further with a 20-yard touchdown throw to Addison. 

Metellus made plays all over the field, in coverage, and against the run. 

Vikings - Packers

The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau, 24-10.

A two-score win over the Packers should be cause for celebration. It’s tough to celebrate when it appears that the Vikings lost quarterback Kirk Cousins for the season with a torn Achilles. It was a very costly win. Cousins has never missed a game to injury. His lone game absence was due to COVID. For a quarterback and a quarterback that takes a lot of hits, he’s been remarkably durable. Nothing is confirmed until it’s actually confirmed. It’s likely that his remarkable durability has come to an end. Cousins is a man of great faith. Perhaps that faith can produce a medical miracle. 

Much has been made of the perilous artificial surfaces that cover most of the league’s fields. Cousins’ contactless injury was on the spongy Lambeau surface. His cleat apparently caught. Injuries can happen anywhere. In football, every surface can be the cause of snapped ligaments, tendons, and bones. 

As for the game, the Vikings dominated. The score could’ve/should’ve been more one-sided. The Vikings should’ve had 17 points at the half rather than 10. The Packers went three-and-out on their first four possession and five of their first six. Nearly all of the Packers’ 270 yards were desperation yards in their hopeless comeback attempt. Oh, the Packers had some late opportunities. The Vikings gave them those opportunities. A blocked field goal gave the Packers an opportunity near midfield. A fumble by quarterback Jaren Hall, in for Cousins, gave the Packers a late, great opportunity at the Vikings 15-yard line. The Vikings defense ended those opportunities with turnovers on downs. They did the same thing on the Packers final possession of the game. The Vikings defense simply didn’t let the Packers take advantage of Cousins’ injury. 

Jaren Hall looked like a rookie quarterback getting his first 11 NFL snaps. His 16-yard pass to T.J. Hockenson on 3rd-and-8 from his own 8-yard line may have been the play of the game. Without that first down, the Packers probably get the ball back in great field position, with more than four minutes to play, needing two scores. Instead the Vikings were able to whittle another 1:30 off the clock, better the field position, and drain Packers timeouts. 

The Vikings must run the ball better. Cam Akers did get the team’s first rushing touchdown of the season. In Week 8! That was good. For the game, the Vikings gained 62 yards on 31 carries. A disappointing 2.0 yards per carry. Part of that inefficiency was from the  seven run plays (including two kneel downs) with Hall on the field. The Packers defense simply came after the rookie and the running backs that were in the way. If Hall or Nick Mullens is quarterbacking the Vikings for the rest of the season, the running game must be better, much better than it’s been. 

The Vikings defense gets better with each game. That must also continue. 

The Vikings beat the Packers at Lambeau! Skol!

Get healthy Kirk Cousins!

Flea Flicker Week 8 Predictions

It’s suddenly Week 8. Here are some guesses at the games. 

Byes: No Byes. There are Byes in Week 14 but no byes in Week 8. That’s ridiculous. 

Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers

Pick: Vikings 

After beating the San Francisco 49ers the Vikings can not lose to the Packers. 

Los Angeles Rams @ Dallas Cowboys

Pick: Rams

Just a hunch.

Atlanta Falcons @ Tennessee Titans

Pick: Falcons

This feels like a scrappy game and the Falcons have been a very scrappy team this season. 

New Orleans Saints @ Indianapolis Colts

Pick: Colts

So far, the Colts have handled every opponent but the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Saints aren’t the Jaguars.

New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins

Pick: Dolphins

Even when they were great the Patriots always seemed to struggle in Miami.

New York Jets @ New York Giants

Pick: Jets

The Battle for MetLife. 

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Pittsburgh Steelers 

Pick: Jaguars

The Steelers are somehow 4-2. The Jaguars have won four straight but it still feels they’re still underperforming. 

Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Commanders

Pick: Eagles

The Commanders nearly stole one from the Eagles in Week 4. I’d be surprised if the rematch is close. 

Houston Texans @ Carolina Panthers

Pick: Texans

The battle of the top rookie quarterbacks. The Texans are further along. 

Cleveland Browns @ Seattle Seahawks

Pick: Seahawks

Well, I have to pick one of them.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos

Pick: Chiefs

Chiefs cruise.

Cincinnati Bengals @ San Francisco 49ers

Pick: 49ers

If the 49ers weren’t on a two game losing streak, I might’ve picked the Bengals. I don’t see the 49ers losing three straight. 

Chicago Bears @ Los Angeles Chargers

Pick: Chargers

The Bears winning ways ends at one game.

Las Vegas Raiders @ Detroit Lions

Pick: Lions

I suppose that the Lions will rebound from being taken apart by the Ravens. 

Green Bay Packers All - Time Team

The Minnesota Vikings travel to Green Bay this weekend for a big game against the Packers tomorrow. The Packers have a long, often glorious NFL history. They have the most NFL titles (13). After nearly three full decades of Hall of Fame quarterback play, the Packers are on a fresh track at the position with Jordan Love. The odds of that ridiculous quarterback run continuing into a fourth decade feel slight. Will the 2020s be more like the 1970s than the 1990s and 2010s for the Packers? Who knows? On the eve of the big game, here’s a team of some of the best players in Packers franchise history. 

Offense

Quarterback

Bart Starr

Running Back

Johnny Blood

Fullback

Clarke Hinkle

Wide Receivers

Don Hutson

Sterling Sharpe

Tight End

Ron Kramer

Offensive Tackles

Forrest Gregg

Cal Hubbard

Offensive Guards

Mike Michalske

Jerry Kramer

Center

Jim Ringo

Defense

Defensive Ends

Reggie White

Willie Davis

Defensive Tackles

Henry Jordan

Dave Hanner

Linebackers

Dave Robinson

RayNitschke

Clay Matthews

Cornerbacks

Herb Adderley

Charles Woodson

Safeties

Willie Wood

LeRoy Butler

Special Teams

Kicker 

Ryan Longwell

Punter

Craig Hentrich 

Kick Returner

Travis Williams

Minnesota Vikings Roster

The Minnesota Vikings recently lost another top starter to injured reserve. Marcus Davenport “tweaked” his ankle just before the start of the season. He missed a couple games but returned from that setback. Against the Chicago Bears, he had a little more than a “tweak” to the other ankle. The “tweak” was significant enough to remove Davenport from the field for at least four weeks. It was a huge loss as he’d been wrecking offenses since his return from the first “tweak.” In only a couple games, he’d become the pass rushing partner for Danielle Hunter that everyone had hoped. Davenport was an injury risk when he signed as a free agent but it was risk worth taking. His upside is so high. For a couple games, we saw what could be. As for other roster moves, a couple injured players are returning or close to returning to the field. Running back/kick returner Kene Nwangwu returned to the roster. Receiver Jalen Nailor moved closer and could be activated this week. I have the Vikings roster at 52 players so there’s room for his welcome return. Nailor was impressive throughout the offseason and into training camp. With receiver group missing all-everything Justin Jefferson for at least another two weeks, the Vikings could really use Nailor on the field. 

As for the Vikings practice squad, the Carolina Panthers swooped in and stole outside linebacker Luiji Vilain. After being on the active roster as a rookie last season, he’s been stuck on the Vikings practice squad this season. He was active against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday and on the Panthers roster the next day. It’s a loss for the Vikings but Vilain deserves a chance to see the field more regularly.

Here’s to the quick and complete return of Justin Jefferson and Marcus Davenport to the Vikings active roster. 

Minnesota Vikings 52-Man Roster

Offense (25)

Quarterback (2)

  8 Kirk Cousins

16 Jaren Hall

Running Back (4)

  2 Alexander Mattison

31 Cam Akers

32 Ty Chandler

26 Kene Nwangwu

Fullback (1)

30 C.J. Ham

Wide Receiver (4)

17 K.J. Osborn

  3 Jordan Addison

19 Brandon Powell

13 N’Keal Harry

Tight End (4)

87 T. J. Hockenson

84 Josh Oliver

86 Johnny Mundt

34 Nick Muse

Offensive Linemen (10)

71 Christian Darrisaw

72 Ezra Cleveland

56 Garrett Bradbury 

67 Ed Ingram

75 Brian O’Neill

66 Dalton Risner

76 David Quessenberry

64 Blake Brandel

65 Austin Schlottman

78 Hakeem Adeniji

Defense (24)

Defensive Line (5)

94 Dean Lowry

95 Khyiris Tonga

97 Harrison Phillips

93 Jonathan Bullard

78 Jaquelin Roy

Outside Linebacker (4)

99 Danielle Hunter

91 Patrick Jones

98 D.J.Wonnum

55 Andre Carter II

Inside Linebacker (4)

33 Brian Asamoah

58 Jordan Hicks

40 Ivan Pace Jr. 

45 Troy Dye 

Cornerback (5)

  7 Byron Murphy Jr.

21 Akayleb Evans

11 Mekhi Blackmon

23 Andrew Booth Jr.

36 Najee Thompson

Safety (6)

22 Harrison Smith

24 Camryn Bynum

  6 Lewis Cine

44 Josh Metellus

20 Jay Ward

25 Theo Jackson

Special Teams (3)

Kicker (1)

  1 Greg Joseph

Punter (1)

14 Ryan Wright

Long Snapper (1)

42 Andrew DePaola

Practice Squad

73 Junior Aho, DL

68 Henry Byrd, OL

85 Dan Chisena, WR

35 C.J. Coldon Jr., CB

52 Sheldon Day, DL

82 Troy Fumagalli, TE

37 Myles Gaskin, RB

15 Lucky Jackson, WR

  9 Trishton Jackson, WR

19 Sean Mannion, QB

27 DeWayne McBride, RB

79 Tyrese Robinson, OL

48 Quincy Roche, OLB

50 T.J. Smith, DL

89 Thayer Thomas, WR

59 Nick Vigil, LB

51 Benton Whitley, OLB

38 Jaylin Williams, CB

Injured Reserve/Designated for Return

83 Jalen Nailor, WR

Injured Reserve

18 Justin Jefferson, WR

  0 Marcus Davenport, OLB

81 Malik Knowles, WR

47 William Kwenkeu, LB

92 James Lynch, DL

12 Nick Mullens, QB

74 Oli Udoh, OT

Reserve/Non-Football Injury

62 Chris Reed, G/C

Minnesota Vikings Random Thoughts

These are just a few random thoughts through seven games and following the Minnesota Vikings big win over the San Francisco 49ers.

The Offensive Line.

From the postgame words of right tackle Brian O’Neill, it sounded like the team, in general, and the offensive line, in particular, was fired up for the 49ers. It was the best performance by a Vikings offensive line in years. The following five got the best of one of the best defensive fronts in the league. 

LT   Christian Darrisaw

LG  Dalton Risner

 C   Garrett Brabbury

RG  Ed Ingram

RT  Brian O’Neill

Was the introduction of Dalton Risner in place of an injured Ezra Cleveland the difference? Perhaps. The Vikings offensive line had been trending upwards all season. That was happening with Cleveland at left guard. Would the group have played like they did against the 49ers with Cleveland on the field? Who knows? I know that I saw movement from Risner that I’d never seen from Cleveland. If Risner plays ahead of a healthy Cleveland, we’ll obviously know how the coaches see the position. 

More Offensive Line.

The key to the Vikings offensive line is the terrific offensive tackles. Christian Darrisaw is fast becoming the best left tackle in the league. Brian O’Neill is one the best right tackles in the league. Together, they are one of the best tackle tandems. From the start of offseason work, the key to improved offensive line play beyond merely adequate was the interior. The media and fans have been calling for personnel changes. The team’s decision-makers seemed content relying on improvement from the players that they had. While Risner was added earlier this season, the Vikings offensive line has improved with each game. It’s been a revelation to see.

T.J. Hockenson

The Vikings acquired tight end T.J. Hockenson from the Detroit Lions at last season’s trade deadline. Since then, he’s played a season’s worth of games (17). Here’s his stats:

107 catches

909 yards

5 touchdowns

Seeing as he spent his first handful of games were spent adjusting to a new offense, teammates, and home, that’s remarkable production. 

Jordan Addison

In his seventh professional football game, Jordan Addison introduced himself to the football world on Monday night. Randy Moss did a similar thing as a rookie in 1998. Against the 49ers, Addison put up these numbers:

7 catches 

123 yards

2 touchdowns (20,60)

Just as with Moss against the Green Bay Packers that beautiful Monday night at Lambeau, it wasn’t so much the actual numbers but how he put up those numbers. His robbery of Charvarius Ward for a 60-yard touchdown wasn’t something normally done by a rookie. Other than his spring driving, Addison has rarely looked like a rookie since he first put on a Vikings helmet.

Thinking of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison on the field together for next dozen years is a beautiful thought. 

Kirk Cousins

The narrative that Kirk Cousins is terrible in Prime Time games is a lazy narrative. Blasting that for years has been a substitute for thinking. He was outstanding against the 49ers this past Monday. It may have been his best game as the Vikings quarterback. It wasn’t his first great game under the lights. He’s often played well in Prime Time games. Here are his Prime Time statistics scaled to a 17-game season.

4,740 yards

33 passing touchdowns

14 interceptions

68%

Those statistics might get a quarterback in the Pro Bowl, some All-Pro consideration, and perhaps even some MVP votes. 

Camryn Bynum.

I’ve watched Camryn Bynum since his freshman year at Cal. He was probably my favorite Golden Bears player since Keenan Allen. He played mostly corner at Cal. I wasn’t sure about his pro prospects at the position. I hoped that he could play nickel. I thought that he could transition to safety. When the Vikings selected him in the fourth round, I hoped that he could make that transition. At the very least, I felt that the Vikings added an outstanding special teams player and teammate. Happily, Bynum has exceeded all of my early expectations. He’s worked and developed himself into an outstanding football player. 

Trade Deadline.

My trade deadline hopes: 

Danielle Hunter is still a Viking on 11/1. He should be signed to an extension. Not traded. 

If the Vikings do add a player, I hope that they add a pass rusher or defensive tackle. Maybe both?

Pass rusher:

Montez Sweat

Brian Burns 

That’s shooting pretty high.

Defensive Tackle:

Neville Gallimore

Teair Tart

Justin Jefferson.

I can not wait for him to be 100% and back on the field. Cousins need him. The Vikings need him. The league needs him. 

Thrash the Packers. 

Minnesota Vikings Week 7 Superlatives

In their Monday night defeat of the powerful San Francisco 49ers, the Minnesota Vikings finally played some good football. It may have taken seven games but it was great to finally see. Perhaps, it’s the start of a beautiful run at the playoffs. Here are some of the players that made it happen. 

Offensive Players of the Game

Kirk Cousins, QB

Kirk Cousins was brilliant. 

35 completions

45 attempts 

378 yards

2 touchdowns

The stats hardly tell the story. There was a stretch in the second half in which T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison were out of the game dealing with ailments. Already without all-everything receiver Justin Jefferson, Cousins just kept dealing. He connected with Brandon Powell, Trishton Jackson, and Ty Chandler for big plays. On Monday night, it didn’t really matter who was on the field to catch passes. Cousins was on fire against the 49ers. 

Jordan Addison, WR

Breakout game? In 1998, I felt that Randy Moss had already established himself before he ripped up the Packers on Monday night. This year, I felt that Addison had already established himself before his big game against the 49ers on Monday night. For the rest of the football world, it apparently takes the bright lights of a prime time game for a young football player to truly break out. 

Against the 49ers:

7 catches

123 yards

2 touchdowns (20,60)

Addison also threw a 27-yard pass to Ty Chandler that was wiped out by penalty. That play might not have “officially” happened but we saw that it could happen. 

Addison was brilliant against the 49ers. Without all-everything receiver Justin Jefferson, the Vikings needed, and will need, this sort of game from their rookie receiver. He entered the league as a refined route-runner with excellent hands. At 5’11” and 175 lbs, some critics questioned whether Addison’s slight build would hold up against NFL defenders. On Monday night, he had a couple of wrestling matches for the football with 49ers corner Charvarius Ward. He lost one for an interception and brilliantly won the other for a 60-yard touchdown. Advantage Addison. The aggressive 49ers defensive backs tried to rough up the rookie. It didn’t work. In fact, they had no answer for him. 

Breakout game? I suppose it was. 

T.J. Hockenson, TE

T.J. Hockenson had recently been criticized for drops of some tough catches. The “highest paid tight end in the game” has to make those catches! He had no drops against the 49ers. 

11 catches

86 yards

Without Jefferson, Hockenson rises to Cousins’ top receiving target. He’s a chain-mover and the Vikings desperately need him to step up. He did against the 49ers.

The Offensive Line

The 49ers have an outstanding defensive front. Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, Arik Armstead, Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, and now Randy Gregory. It’s a tough, deep group. The Vikings offensive line handled that group. Cousins wasn’t sacked. He was hardly harassed. It’s been years since I’ve seen such a performance from a Vikings offensive line. 

Defensive Player of the Game 

Cam Bynum, S

Cam Bynum is developing into a big time football player. He’s always around the football. Against the 49ers, he was involved in all three takeaways. He helped force a Christian McCaffrey fumble to end an early scoring opportunity. He ended desperation game-winning opportunities by intercepting Brock Purdy. Twice! Those were his big, game-changing plays. He made his presence felt the entire game. His nine tackles kept him among the league leaders. 

Vikings - 49ers

That was beautiful! The Minnesota Vikings stunned the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night, 22-17. In doing so, the Vikings reversed the apparent direction of their season. Before, they were looking at a potential top draft pick. After, they are looking at a run at the playoffs. What a difference a game makes. 

Despite losing to the Cleveland Browns last week, the 49ers were, and still are, one of the best teams in the league. Despite missing versatile receiver Deebo Samuel and beastly left tackle Trent Williams, the 49ers were expected by nearly everyone to easily handle the Vikings. The Vikings controlled the game and handled the 49ers. 

The game started for the Vikings as too many games have started this season. With a turnover. The first play was a crisp 19-yard Alexander Mattison run to the 49ers 44-yard line. After a play for no gain, Kirk Cousins forced a pass across the middle to rookie receiver Jordan Addison. He and Charvarius Ward wrestled for the ball. Ward came away with it. 49ers ball. It was the Vikings fourth opening drive turnover of the season. They’ve only played seven games. Unbelievable. But this game was going to be different. Five plays later, the Vikings took the ball from the 49ers. Cam Bynum and Harrison Smith forced a Christian McCaffrey fumble and Dean Lowry recovered. From this point, this Vikings did something they’d yet to do this season. They played good football.

Kirk Cousins was brilliant.

Cousins has been criticized, chastised, and derided for his supposed play in prime time games. Monday night games, in particular. For some reason, few other quarterbacks are under such a microscope. For what it’s worth Cousins has now won three of his last five Monday night games. He was brilliant last night. 

35 completions

45 attempts 

378 yards

2 touchdowns

The early interception was pretty much his only blemish. The Vikings offensive line protected him all game against the 49ers overwhelming pass rush. Cousins wasn’t sacked. He was rarely touched. He moved well in the pocket the few times the rush got close. 

Forced to play without all-everything receiver Justin Jefferson, this may have been the most calm and locked-in I’ve ever seen Cousins play. Perhaps his most remarkable stretch of play was when he was also without tight end T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison. Cousins simply made plays with Brandon Powell, Ty Chandler, and Trishton Jackson. Cousins completed passes to nine receivers. Five receivers had at least 30 yards. It was a game-long pitch-and-catch and Cousins was pitching beautifully. He diced up the 49ers great defense. 

Jordan Addison. 

The rookie receiver let Ward get the better of him on the early interception. Addison got even at the end of the first half. Ward had lined up an interception on a Cousins deep throw. Addison simply took the ball from him and raced untouched for about 30 yards to complete a 60-yard touchdown. Maybe the 49ers never quite recovered from the stunning play that gave the Vikings a 16-7 halftime lead. This was Addison’s break out game. He hasn’t played like a rookie through the first six games. He played like a game-changing star in his seventh game. 

7 catches

123 yards

2 touchdowns (20, 60)

The 49ers defensive backs couldn’t handle Addison. They, Ward in particular, held, pushed, and restrained him routinely. When Jefferson gets back on the field, the Vikings receiving duo is going to be a blast. 

The offensive line.

Again, the offensive line was excellent. Cousins was provided the protection to be brilliant. The running game was effective enough that it couldn’t be ignored. 

The defense. 

The highlight of the defense was the play of safety Cam Bynum. The Vikings defense had three takeaways. Bynum was involved in all three. He helped force the McCaffrey fumble. He intercepted Brock Purdy twice to end the 49ers final  two opportunities to win the game. Bynum is developing into a big-time football player. He’s always around the ball. And he often seems to end up with it. 

The defense wasn’t perfect. There were too many 49ers pass catchers running free. What the defense did best was stuff was the 49ers run game. They held the 49ers to 65 yards on the ground. A 3.0 average per carry. Despite scoring two touchdowns, and making the Vikings look silly on one of them, superhuman Christian McCaffrey looked merely human. 

The special teams left something to be desired. Greg Joseph missed an extra point and a long field goal. He makes both and the Vikings ice the game with two minutes to play. Ryan Wright’s lone punt was a touchback and 22-yard net. 

Complimentary offense-defense football forced a great 49ers team to play catchup all game. And they couldn’t catch up. The Buffalo Bills win last season was great. A lot of miraculous things had to happen for the Vikings to win that game. This win over the 49ers is probably the best win of Kevin O’Connell’s 17 wins. The Vikings never trailed. After that early interception, they controlled this game. It was beautiful. 

The Vikings travel to Green Bay this weekend for an opportunity to get to .500. 

San Francisco 49ers All - Time Team

The Minnesota Vikings host the San Francisco 49ers tonight. The 49ers have an interesting history. They started in the All-America Football Conference, played there for all four years of the rival league’s existence, and jumped to the NFL in 1950. With five Lombardi Trophies, they boast a strong history. From 1981-95, the 49ers won all five of their titles. Those were their glory days. They were a dynasty. It took a while for them to return to anything close to that level but they have been serious contenders recently. They returned to the Super Bowl in 2012 and 2019. The 49ers experienced something new in each. After five wins, they finally lost Super Bowls. The San Francisco 49ers have been one of best, most talented teams in the league since Kyle Shanahan took the coaching reigns in 2017. So, their fans finally appear in numbers and are happy again. On the day of the big game, here’s a look at some of the best players in the franchise history of the San Francisco 49ers. 

San Francisco 49ers All - Time Team

Offense

Quarterback 

Joe Montana

Running Back

Hugh McElhenny

Fullback

Joe Perry

Wide Receivers

Jerry Rice

Billy Wilson

Tight End

George Kittle

Tackles

Joe Staley

Bob St. Clair

Guards

Randy Cross

Bruno Banducci

Center

Forrest Blue

Defense

Defensive Ends

Fred Dean

Charles Haley

With each season, Nick Bosa inches closer to bumping one of the above Hall of Famers.

Defensive Tackles

Leo Nomellini

Bryant Young

Linebackers

Dave Wilcox

Patrick Willis

Fred Warner

Cornerbacks

Jimmy Johnson

Eric Wright

Safeties

Ronnie Lott

Merton Hanks

Special Teams

Kicker

Robbie Gould

Punter

Tommy Davis

Returner

Abe Woodson

Flea Flicker Week 7 Predictions

It’s Week 7. It’s the first week with a bunch of byes. Here are some guesses at the games.

Byes: Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans

San Francisco 49ers @ Minnesota Vikings

Pick: Vikings

It can happen.

Las Vegas Raiders @ Chicago Bears

Pick: Raiders

After a couple rough snaps, Tyson Bagent managed to move the ball fairly efficiently in place of Justin Fields. I’m not sure if the undrafted rookie from Shepherd University can repeat it for a full game.

Cleveland Browns @ Indianapolis Colts

Pick: Colts

Just a hunch. After stunning the San Francisco 49ers, the P.J. Walke-led Cleveland Browns return to earth against the Colts.

Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots

Pick: Bills

The Bills struggled against the New York Giants. I don’t think they struggle against the Patriots.

Washington Commanders @ New York Giants

Pick: Commanders

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

Atlanta Falcons @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pick: Buccaneers

This could be a fun game.

Detroit Lions @ Baltimore Ravens

Pick: Ravens

The Lions four game run against slappies ends.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Los Angeles Rams

Pick: Rams

The Steelers are wildly unpredictable. 

Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks

Pick: Seahawks

The Cardinals have been surprisingly feisty. The Seahawks are better. Especially if they play to their talent. 

Green Bay Packers @ Denver Broncos

Pick: Packers 

I guess.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs

Pick: Chargers

The Chargers finally get out of their own way. 

Miami Dolphins @ Philadelphia Eagles

Pick: Dolphins

I’m sure this game will be propped up by many as a Super Bowl preview. The Dolphins have racked up their five wins against teams with a combined five wins. This is only their second game against a team with a winning record. They got smoked by the Bills in the first one. Despite all of that, I’m picking the Dolphins over the Eagles. That’s because I don’t much care for the Eagles. 

A Look Back At Vikings-49ers

The Minnesota Vikings host the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. This is a look back at a distant time in this modest rivalry. I recently acquired a game program for the Vikings-49ers game played on November 8, 1964 in Minnesota. This game was played at a time before the Super Bowl. This was a time of West and East Divisions in a 14-team National Football League. The Vikings and 49ers were West Division foes. They played each other twice in 1964. The first game was played on October 25 in San Francisco. That was the game in which the great Jim Marshall returned a fumble the wrong way. When he tossed the ball into the stands from the end zone, instead of scoring six points, he gave two points to the 49ers. Despite the historic and unforgettable mistake, Marshall helped lead the Vikings to a 27-22 win. The Vikings won the November 8th game as well, 24-7. 1964 was the fourth season in Vikings franchise history. It was their first winning season. Their 8-5-1 record was good for second in the West. Those eight wins were four behind the Baltimore Colts. That great Colts team would go on to lose to the underdog Cleveland Browns in the 1964 NFL Championship. 1964 was the 19th season in 49ers franchise history. The team played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946-49. They were pretty good. The 49ers joined the NFL in 1950. They were mostly good and always entertaining through the 1950s. They had the misfortune of being just behind great Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams teams in the West. The 1957 49ers team was a half away from playing the Browns for the NFL title. The Lions came back from a 24-7 halftime deficit and made that terrific 49ers team forgettable. The 1960s started with the 49ers in transition. Their great players from the 1950s had either retired or moved on. 1964 was a down year as they finished last in the West with a 4-10 record. 

The Vikings and 49ers were West Division foes from 1961-66. The 1967 realignment that preceded the 1970 full merger with the American Football League separated them. It’s probably a stretch to say that the Vikings and 49ers have a rivalry. In my lifetime, when one team’s been good the other often hasn’t. Outside of the wonderful 1987 Divisional playoff, postseason matchups have been one-sided in the 49ers favor. At best, it’s a modest rivalry. Personally, it’s a significant rivalry as the 49ers are my local team. Loads of family and friends are 49er faithful. At least, they’re as faithful as 49ers fans tend to get. They are a very fair-weathered bunch. The Vikings, of course, are my team. I’ll always have that 1987 game. Anthony Carter, that pass rush, they put Joe Montana on the bench. Oh my, that game was beautiful. 

Back to the November 8th Vikings-49ers game program. 

The advertisements are fantastic. 

There’s an article about Vikings trainer Fred Zamberletti. He was the Vikings trainer from 1961-98. He was on the sidelines for every Vikings preseason, regular season, and postseason game from 1961 to December 24, 2011. He was a living team icon. It’s a little wild to see a young Zamberletti in only his fourth year with the Vikings. 

Roster size. The Vikings had 39 players listed in the program. The 49ers had 38. With so few roster spots, it’s amazing that the Vikings had room for four backs. The 49ers had five. It was a different game. 

There were some eventual Hall of Famers on each team.

Vikings:

Fran Tarkenton

Mick Tingelhoff

Carl Eller

Vikings head coach Norm Van Brocklin was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his playing days with the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles. 

49ers:

Jimmy Johnson

Dave Wilcox

49ers head coach Jack Christiansen was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his playing days with the Detroit Lions.

Some interesting 49ers roster nuggets.

Billy Kilmer is best known for his quarterbacking days with the Washington Redskins in the 1970s. It’s interesting to see him playing halfback for the 49ers in in the 1960s. 

For some, flanker Bernie Casey might be better known as an actor. 

Many know Howard Mudd as one of the best offensive line coaches in the history of the NFL. He was an outstanding guard for the 49ers. He made the 1960s All-Decade Team and should get more Hall of Fame consideration than he’s received. I was initially surprised to see him as a backup for this game but realized that 1964 was his rookie season. For some reason, he’s listed as Harold Mudd in the program. 

Left side linebacker Dave Wilcox is the father of current Cal head coach Justin Wilcox. 

Speaking of Cal, 49ers right side linebacker Matt Hazeltine was one of the greatest Golden Bears. 

Speaking of left side and right side linebackers, defenses of the era were often aligned left-right rather than weak-strong. 

49ers quarterback John Brodie is another player that should get some Hall of Fame consideration. He was the league MVP in 1970. He passed for more than 2900 yards three times during a time when few quarterbacks did such a thing. He led the 49ers to consecutive Conference Championship games in 1970 and 1971. 

Through this program, it’s fun to look back at a Vikings-49ers game played nearly 60 years ago. It’s on to the present and Monday night’s game. Skol!

Minnesota Vikings Receivers

Heading into their Week 7 Monday night game against the San Francisco 49ers, here are the receivers on the Minnesota Vikings active roster. 

K.J. Osborn

Jordan Addison

Brandon Powell

N’Keal Harry

What a difference Justin Jefferson makes. 

Justin Jefferson, also known as the league’s best receiver, is in the second week of his presence on injured reserve with a “strained” hamstring. At best, he’s out for the next two games (@ Green Bay, @ Atlanta). At best, Jefferson returns for the Vikings Week 10 game against New Orleans. At best. 

For now, the Vikings receivers:

K.J. Osborn

Jordan Addison

Brandon Powell

N’Keal Harry

If K.J. Osborn can stop dropping passes, he’s a very good receiver. He can get separation and has really good run-after-the-catch ability. Even as a rookie, Jordan Addison is the jewel of this group. He’s excellent in all of the technical aspects of the receiver position. Route running, body positioning, field awareness, whatever. Addison plays nothing like a rookie receiver. Looking into the future, the Jefferson-Addison combination is going to be a beautiful thing. I can’t wait. For at least the next couple weeks, I’ll have to wait. Brandon Powell is a nice complimentary receiver. He’s quick and sudden. Now, he has to be a bit more than a complimentary receiver. He has to make some plays. Of the four receivers currently on the active roster, N’Keal Harry is the outlier. Osborn, Addison, and Powell are 5’11”, 5’11”, and 5’8”, respectively. Harry is 6’4”. Kirk Cousins could use a little size among his pass catchers. As a former first round pick of the New England Patriots, Harry has some skills. It didn’t work for him in his three years with New England or last year with Chicago. For at least the next two weeks, he has an opportunity in Minnesota. 

A receiver wildcard is Jalen Nailor. After spending the first six weeks on injured reserve, he was designated for return this week. Will he play Monday? Who knows? I do know that he was excelling in offseason workouts and challenging Osborn/Addison for #2 or #3 status heading into training camp. A hamstring injury stalled his ascent and put him on the shelf for much of training camp and the first six weeks of the season. Nicknamed “Speedy,” he’s a downfield threat. It’d be a great boost to the receiver group and the offense if he’s active. He will be soon and he will tremendously help the Vikings while they wait the return of Jefferson. A receiver group of Jefferson, Osborn, Addison, and Nailor could be one of the best groups in the league. 

The Vikings current receiver group probably won’t scare many defenses. Even if defenses don’t take him lightly, I believe that Addison has the skills to embarrass any defense. He will embarrass any defense that treats him like some rookie slappy. This receiver group combined with a tight end group of T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver can work. If they can avoid the fumbles and dropped passes that has plagued the Vikings through the first six games, the combination can definitely work. Against the 49ers? The entire Vikings team will have to play out of their minds to handle this team. No mistakes. No self-inflicted errors. It gets a lot easier after the 49ers. Then again, this Vikings team hasn’t made anything easy for themselves. 

Here’s hoping for a quick and complete return to the field for Justin Jefferson. I have decent hopes for Osborn, Addison, Nailor, Harry, and the tight ends but the Vikings need Jefferson on the field. I need Jefferson on the field. He’s so damn much fun. 

Minnesota Vikings Lose Another Player

When the Minnesota Vikings signed edge rusher Marcus Davenport last March, they hoped that he’d left in New Orleans the injuries that plagued his five years in the league. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. Just before the start of the season, Davenport “tweaked” his right ankle in practice. That kept him out of all but four snaps of the first three games. When he returned to the lineup in Week 4, he was everything on the field the Vikings hoped he’d be. Danielle Hunter has been a force all season. He was especially impactful when Davenport joined him on the Vikings defensive front. Offenses were forced to deal with two disruptive pass rushers. It lasted for nearly three games. Davenport injured his left ankle on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. Reportedly a high ankle sprain, this injury is more significant than the first. The Vikings placed him on injured reserve yesterday. He’s out for at least four weeks. 

It again becomes a collective pass rushing effort for the Vikings. Hunter will continue ripping up the league. D.J. Wonnum, Patrick Jones II, and Andre Carter II will provide assistance. Wonnum, in particular, has picked up his play in recent weeks. Hopefully, he can play against the rest of the league like he does against the Bears. He clearly enjoys playing against the Bears. Luiji Vilain and Benton Whitley provide further pass rushing depth on the practice squad. The edge rushers are hardly the only pass rushers in Brian Flores’ blitz-heavy defense. The Vikings must find a way, beyond the great play of Hunter, to make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable. Hopefully, Davenport can return soon after the four weeks. 

To take Davenport’s place on the roster, running back/kick returner Kene Nwangwu (back) was activated from injured reserve. He’s expected to return to his role as kick returner on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers. Perhaps, he’ll also provide a change of pace from the offensive backfield. 

After waiving receiver Trishton Jackson earlier this week, the Vikings have an open roster spot. Receiver Jalen Nailor could take that spot. A hamstring injury wrecked a promising training camp and put him on injured reserve to start the season. He was designated for return yesterday. With all-everything receiver Justin Jefferson entering his second week on injured reserve, Nailor would be a welcome addition to the field. He impressed throughout offseason workouts and into training camp. If he can return to that level of performance, he’s one of the Vikings top three available receivers. As for Trishton Jackson, he wasn’t on the streets for long. He returned to the practice squad yesterday. 

Here’s to a smooth and complete return to the field for Marcus Davenport. 

NFL Trade Deadline Deals?

We’re in the thick of NFL in-season trade speculation. The league, media, and fans have tried for years to make the NFL Trade Deadline something that it isn’t. What the trade deadline isn’t is something. It’s nothing. The NFL Trade Deadline will never be the big event that it is in some of the other professional sports. Football isn’t built that way. 

Last year was the first year in which the NFL’s deadline day was something like the day that so many try to manufacture. 12 players changed teams.

T.J. Hockenson 

Chase Claypool 

Bradley Chubb 

Chase Edmonds 

Calvin Ridley 

William Jackson III 

Jeff Wilson 

Jacob Martin

Nyheim Hines

Zack Moss 

Rashad Fenton 

Dean Marlowe 

Bradley Chubb and Chase Edmonds were part of the same deal. Nyheim Hines and Zack Moss were part of another deal. 12 players changed teams in ten deadline deals. Those ten trades doubled the number of deadline day deals of the previous ten years combined.

Deadline Day Trades since 2012:

2012: 1

2013: 1

2014: 2

2015: 0

2016: 1

2017: 3

2018: 5

2019: 2

2020: 2

2021: 3

Compared to the past decade, last year’s deadline day trading frenzy was a significant outlier. Is it the start of a new trend? Will the league, media, and most fans get their wish and see the NFL’s trade deadline become something real? Doubt it.

It’s just so damn hard to incorporate a new player into a football team on the fly in the middle of the season. Sure, it’s possible. Last year, T.J. Hockenson jumped in and became a significant contributor in the Vikings offense on only a few days of preparation. He became an integral player for the team before he even found a place to live. There are far more failed attempts to incorporate a prized, in-season trade acquisition than there are successful attempts. There are far too many moving parts and too much needed coordination for a football team to adjust to new players on the fly. 

This opinion won’t slow the speculation. The NFL loves the attention the speculation brings. The media loves the clicks. Fans love the debate and possibilities. Fans love both sides of the deals. The fans of selling teams love the dreamy draft picks. The fans of buying teams love the dreamy new player. 

It’s the time of the season for all of those that follow the proceedings get worked up for something that’s ultimately NOTHING. Unless, we have a repeat of last year. 

Minnesota Vikings Week 6 Superlatives

In a battle of 1-4 teams, the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Chicago Bears by the scintillating score of 19-13. The Vikings defense won this game. Against one of the worst defenses in the league, the Vikings offense had only one drive that passed the Bears 30-yard line. That one drive was set up by an interception. The Vikings defense scored as many touchdowns as the offense. For reasons that should be obvious, all of the Minnesota Vikings Week 6 Superlatives play defense. 

Defensive Players of the Game

Jordan Hicks, LB

Jordan Hicks made the splash plays that made the win possible. His interception of Justin Fields in the second quarter ultimately produced points. It triggered the one strong drive of the game for the offense. He returned a fumble recovery for a touchdown in the third quarter. Those plays resulted in 13 of the 19 points the Vikings scored.

Danielle Hunter, OLB

Danielle Hunter was the best player on the field for the Vikings. He was a game-long menace for the Bears. It felt like Hunter was creating havoc in their backfield on every snap. He had two sacks and seven tackles. He also ran with Hicks, providing blocking on the touchdown return. Hunter’s been the team’s best defensive player in pretty much every game. His eight sacks is currently tied for the league lead. If he plays the rest of the season the way he’s played the first six games, he must be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year. Due to his team’s unsteady start to the season, Hunter has been the subject of trade rumors. This time of the year the media goes out of it’s way to make the league’s trade deadline a big deal. It’ll never be a big deal. At least, it’ll never be the big deal that it is in other professional leagues. The Vikings shouldn’t trade Hunter. They should sign him to an extension. 

Byron Murphy Jr., CB

I feel that Byron Murphy Jr. has played well all season. This was his best game. It helps that he had his first interception of the season. It was an interception that pretty much sealed the win. Murphy had a terrific two-play sequence at the start of the fourth quarter to force a punt. He provided most of the coverage in limiting D.J. Moore to 51 yards on five catches. 46 of those yards came on the last two possessions when the Bears were in desperation mode. 

Josh Metellus, S

Josh Metellus had what is becoming the usual Josh Metellus game. Front to back, sideline to sideline, he made big plays all over the field. He sacked Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent and forced the fumble that Jordan Hicks returned for a touchdown. He had a tackle for loss and eight tackles. 

With the Vikings offense struggling to find its way without Justin Jefferson, the Vikings defense had to step up to secure this win. They scored some points, they provided the offense with an opportunity and momentum to score some points. The defense prevented the Bears from scoring points. The Vikings defense won this game. The above four players played a huge role in doing that. Kevin O’Connell recognized each with a game ball following the game. They top that with all of Week 6 Superlatives here. 

Vikings - Bears

The Minnesota Vikings doubled their win total with a defeat of the Chicago Bears yesterday, 19-13. It’s a win but it wasn’t pretty. It’s a little puzzling that the Vikings have played their worst football of the season in their two wins. What isn’t puzzling is that those two wins have come against two of the worst teams in the league, the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears. Through six games, it appears that the Vikings play up or down to the level of their competition. 

It’s a win and wins have been hard to come by this season. It’s going to be even harder without all-everything receiver Justin Jefferson for the next month or so. A hamstring injury last week against the Kansas City Chiefs put Jefferson on injured reserve. The Vikings offense is forced to find their way without one of the league’s best football players. Yesterday was the start. The offense left a lot to be desired. The defense was the reason for the win. They scored the winning points and made those points stand. 

The Vikings scored on their opening possession. That’s good. They scored on their second possession. That’s great. Unfortunately, both scores were field goals, long field goals. Greg Joseph was successful from 53 and 51 yards. Through five games, the Vikings have been more likely to start games with turnovers than points. It was nice to finally see points on the first two possessions. 

The Vikings didn’t start the game with a turnover but they did eventually give the ball to the Bears. It was on their fourth possession of the game. Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds caught what appeared to be an interception of Kirk Cousins. It was actually ruled a strip-sack by T.J. Edwards and a fumble recovery (catch) by Edmunds. Whatever it was, it was Bears ball and another turnover for the Vikings. Unlike all of the previous turnovers, the Vikings defense got the ball back for the offense. Three plays later, linebacker Jordan Hicks intercepted a Justin Fields pass that was disrupted by Danielle Hunter. Vikings ball. 

The Vikings offense had 11 opportunities in this game. 

1. 9 plays, 33 yards-field goal

2. 9 plays, 42 yards-field goal

3. 5 plays, 10 yards-punt

4. 3 plays, 8 yards-fumble

5. 8 plays, 77 yards-touchdown

6. 3 plays, 5 yards-punt

7. 3 plays, 9 yards-punt

8. 6 plays, 16 yards-missed field goal

9. 3 plays, 2 yards-punt

10. 3 plays, 3 yards-punt

11. 6 plays, 1 yard-end of game

That’s not a lot of productivity. The outlier of those 11 possessions is #5. That’s the possession set up by Hicks’ interception. There was 1:47 to play in the first half and the Vikings offense sailed down the field in 1:35. All eight plays were positive plays. They faced a single third down and converted easily. The drive ended with a ten-yard pass from Cousins to Jordan Addison. The rosy touchdown drive wasn’t all roses as Joseph’s extra point attempt was blocked and nearly run back for a Bears score. 

12-6 at the half. 

Despite the offensive issues, this game never really felt out of the Vikings grasp. That was because of the defense. The Vikings pass rush harassed Fields until a wrist injury took him out of the game early in the third quarter. Undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent replaced Fields. The pride of Shepherd University actually lit a spark in the Bears offense. Well, he lit a spark after the Vikings defense put some points on the board. On his third snap, Josh Metellus separated Bagent from the ball and Hicks scooped it up and raced 42 yards for what turned out to be the deciding points in the game. 19-6. 

This was Jordan Hicks’ splashiest game with the Vikings. 

Considering how well the Vikings defense contained Justin Fields, Tyson Bagent was a genuine nuisance. After the strip-sack-touchdown, he directed the Bears for at least 40 yards on three of his four opportunities. Fortunately, the Vikings defense held the pesky Bears to a single touchdown on those three opportunities. The Vikings have a very unfortunate history facing backup quarterbacks. For some reason, several of those backups have been Bears backups. If it wasn’t for a Byron Murphy Jr. interception to pretty much seal the game, Bagent might’ve been the next one. 

19-13. It’s a win.

The Vikings offense gained 220 yards. 220 yards! Cousins has thrown for at least that many yards in a single quarter. Even without Jefferson, the Vikings should gain more than 220 yards against the Bears.

This win was won by the defense. It was a team effort but four players deserve special mention. 

Jordan Hicks was splashy. The highlight plays were made by him. Interception, fumble recovery, touchdown, 10 tackles. He should be in the running for NFC Defensive Player of the Week. 

Hicks was splashy. Danielle Hunter was dominant. His two sacks top his statistics but barely touch his impact. He created chaos in the Bears backfield on nearly every snap. He’s been the subject of recent trade rumors. The media loves to drive trade rumors as the trade deadline nears. No matter how much the media and the league tries to make it something huge, the NFL trade deadline will never be what it is in the other professional sports leagues. The Vikings should NOT trade Danielle Hunter. They should sign him to an extension. 

Byron Murphy Jr. got his first interception with the Vikings. He spent most of the game covering D.J. Moore. The Bears most dangerous playmaker managed 51 yards yesterday. Nearly half of that total was on a late 24-yarder. Moore spent the bulk of game being frustrated by Murphy. 

Josh Metellus made big plays. Again. His highlight play was the sack and forced fumble that Hicks tool for a score. 

It’s a win.

The Vikings are now 2-4. The 5-1 San Francisco 49ers are up next. Monday Night Football. The Vikings offense must get untracked. 220 yards won’t work against the 49ers. The Vikings defense must continue its improving play. 

Flea Flicker Week 6 Predictions

It’s on to Week 6. Here are guesses at the games. 

Bye Weeks: Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers

Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears

Pick: Vikings

This must happen.

Baltimore Ravens @ Tennessee Titans

Pick: Ravens

The Ravens roll in London.

Washington Commanders @ Atlanta Falcons

Pick: Falcons

Just going with the home team. 

Seattle Seahawks @ Cincinnati Bengals

Pick: Bengals

The Bengals offense finally played like the Bengals offense last week. That continues this week.

San Francisco 49ers @ Cleveland Browns

Pick: 49ers

With the way they’re playing, it’d be difficult to pick against the 49ers in any game.

Carolina Panthers @ Miami Dolphins

Pick: Dolphins

The Dolphins roll. Again.

Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Pick: Colts

Gardner Minshew finds a way against the team that drafted him.

New Orleans Saints @ Houston Texans

Pick: Texans

It’s the home team in this one.

New England Patriots @ Las Vegas Raiders

Pick: Patriots

Bill Belichick vs Josh McDaniels. Despite the way his team’s playing, I’ll go with the old guy.

Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Rams

Pick: Rams

With Cooper Kupp back on the field, the Rams feel like a different team.

Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Jets

Pick: Eagles

The Eagles roll. Again.

Detroit Lions @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pick: Lions

Thanks to opening against a depleted Chiefs team and a soft early schedule, the Lions are rolling.

New York Giants @ Buffalo Bills

Pick: Bills

Super Bowl XXV rematch. The Bills win this one.

Dallas Cowboys @ Los Angeles Chargers

Pick: Chargers

About a month ago, Dallas was praised as the best team in the league. A lot has changed since then. 

Chicago Bears All - Time Team

The Minnesota Vikings travel to Chicago this weekend for a big game against the Bears. With each struggling at 1-4, it’s a must-win game for both teams. The Bears are one of only two teams to compete in all 104 seasons of the NFL. The Arizona Cardinals are the other team. The Bears have a long, often successful history. Unfortunately for younger fans, their “glory years” were before the Super Bowl became a year-ending spectacle. The Bears have won nine league titles. One of those was Super Bowl XX. It’s been a while but some of the greatest teams in league history have come out of Chicago. On the eve of the big game, here are some of the best players in the long history of the Chicago Bears. 

Chicago Bears All - Time Team

Offense

Quarterback 

Sid Luckman

Running Back

Walter Payton

Fullback

Bronko Nagurski 

Wide Receivers

Harlon Hill

Brandon Marshall

Tight End

Mike Ditka

Tackles

Joe Stydahar

George Musso

Guards

Dan Fortmann

Stan Jones

Center

Bulldog Turner

Defense

Defensive Ends

Richard Dent

Khalil Mack

Defensive Tackles

Link Lyman

Dan Hampton

Linebackers

Bulldog Turner

Dick Butkus

Brian Urlacher

The middle linebacker tradition in Chicago is ridiculous. No other team can boast the riches at any position that the Bears can boast at the middle linebacker position. Bulldog Turner, Bill George, Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, Brian Urlacher. It’s a tradition so great that I’ve selected a middle linebacker trio. I’ve done that at the expense of outstanding outside linebackers like Otis Wilson, Lance Briggs, and Joe Fortunato. 

Cornerbacks

Charles Tillman

J.C. Caroline

Safeties

Red Grange

Roosevelt Taylor

Special Teams

Kicker

Robbie Gould

Punter

Bobby Joe Green

Kick Returner

Gale Sayers

Punt Returner

Devin Hester

That’s a terrifying return duo. 

Minnesota Vikings 53 - Man Roster

The Minnesota Vikings were forced to make some difficult roster decisions this week. All-Everything receiver Justin Jefferson injured his hamstring in Sunday’s frustrating loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Through five games, there’s been a season of frustrations. Jefferson was placed on injured reserve. He’ll miss, at least, the next four games. A back issue also forced backup quarterback Nick Mullens to injured reserve. In corresponding moves, practice squad receivers N’Keal Harry and Trishton Jackson were promoted to the active roster. A couple familiar players were signed to the practice squad. Sean Mannion will provide veteran quarterback depth behind rookie Jaren Hall. Receiver Dan Chisena will provide some receiver and special teams depth. Tight end Troy Fumagalli was also signed. 

Here’s to the quick and complete return of Justin Jefferson to the Vikings active roster. 

Minnesota Vikings 53-Man Roster

Offense (25)

Quarterback (2)

  8 Kirk Cousins

16 Jaren Hall

Running Back (3)

  2 Alexander Mattison

31 Cam Akers

32 Ty Chandler

Fullback (1)

30 C.J. Ham

Wide Receiver (5)

17 K.J. Osborn

  3 Jordan Addison

19 Brandon Powell

13 N’Keal Harry

  9 Trishton Jackson

Tight End (4)

87 T. J. Hockenson

84 Josh Oliver

86 Johnny Mundt

34 Nick Muse

Offensive Linemen (10)

71 Christian Darrisaw

72 Ezra Cleveland

56 Garrett Bradbury 

67 Ed Ingram

75 Brian O’Neill

66 Dalton Risner

76 David Quessenberry

64 Blake Brandel

65 Austin Schlottman

78 Hakeem Adeniji

Defense (25)

Defensive Line (5)

94 Dean Lowry

95 Khyiris Tonga

97 Harrison Phillips

93 Jonathan Bullard

78 Jaquelin Roy

Outside Linebacker (5)

99 Danielle Hunter

  0 Marcus Davenport

91 Patrick Jones

98 D.J.Wonnum

55 Andre Carter II

Inside Linebacker (4)

33 Brian Asamoah

58 Jordan Hicks

40 Ivan Pace Jr. 

45 Troy Dye 

Cornerback (5)

  7 Byron Murphy Jr.

21 Akayleb Evans

11 Mekhi Blackmon

23 Andrew Booth Jr.

36 Najee Thompson

Safety (6)

22 Harrison Smith

24 Camryn Bynum

  6 Lewis Cine

44 Josh Metellus

20 Jay Ward

25 Theo Jackson

Special Teams (3)

Kicker (1)

  1 Greg Joseph

Punter (1)

14 Ryan Wright

Long Snapper (1)

42 Andrew DePaola

Practice Squad

73 Junior Aho, DL

68 Henry Byrd, OL

85 Dan Chisena, WR

35 C.J. Coldon Jr., CB

52 Sheldon Day, DL

82 Troy Fumagalli, TE

37 Myles Gaskin, RB

15 Lucky Jackson, WR

19 Sean Mannion, QB

27 DeWayne McBride, RB

79 Tyrese Robinson, OL

50 T.J. Smith, DL

89 Thayer Thomas, WR

59 Nick Vigil, LB

43 Luiji Vilain, OLB

51 Benton Whitley, OLB

38 Jaylin Williams, CB

Injured Reserve/Designated for Return

26 Kene Nwangwu, RB

Injured Reserve

18 Justin Jefferson, WR

81 Malik Knowles, WR

47 William Kwenkeu, LB

92 James Lynch, DL

12 Nick Mullens, QB

83 Jalen Nailor

74 Oli Udoh

Reserve/Non-Football Injury

62 Chris Reed, G/C

Throwback Thursday: Two Geniuses And A Ballboy

This Flicker was originally posted 4/11/13. 

As with the lack of respect shown to any high school substitute teacher, the New York Giants assistant coach had no hope of bringing the team's offensive meeting room to order. But when the bespectacled offensive coach entered the room and simply cleared his throat, all fell silent.

     Pat Summerall leaned over to Don Heinrich and asked, "Who the hell is that?"
     "That's Lombardi," Heinrich replied, "and you'll know soon enough."

It's amazing now that there was a time when Vince Lombardi was an unknown offensive coach. That was the case in his 1958 introduction to Summerall. Lombardi would be called an offensive coordinator today. Even more amazing is that the Giants unknown defensive coach then was Tom Landry. Lombardi and Landry are football coaching icons. Thinking of them as unknown assistant coaches is like thinking of Bill Walsh as Paul Brown's slappy in Cincinnati and Bill Belichick as Ted Marchibroda's gofer in Baltimore. It just doesn't feel right.

1956-63 is considered the "golden years" of New York Giants football. They won it all in 1956. They played for it all in five of the six seasons from 1958-63. Only missing the title game in 1960. Jim Lee Howell was the head coach. He'd be the first to admit that Lombardi and Landry were the ones that actually coached the players. It's impossible to imagine a head coach today giving the freedoms to his assistants that Howell easily gave his brilliant assistant coaches. He never felt threatened by them and constantly acknowledged their skills and where the credit belongs. In fact, the head coach claimed that he was only there to make sure that the footballs were properly inflated. Howell was hired as head coach in 1954. He had the difficult task of replacing his own coach, the legendary Steve Owen. Tom Landry was already there as a player/coach but was made a full-time coach. Howell's first external hire was grabbing Vince Lombardi from Red Blaik's Army team. Howell's first order of business for his coaches was to catch the Cleveland Browns. Paul Brown's Browns were the NFL's dominant team as soon as they joined the NFL, after the folding of the All-America Football Conference, in 1950. The new kids on the block were the best kids on the block. The Browns played in every NFL title game from 1950-55. They won championships in 1950, '54, and '55. The schemes developed by Lombardi and Landry were done with the Browns in mind. Being in the same Eastern Conference, the Browns success was at the expense of the Giants success. The rivalry between the two teams became the NFL's best in the 1950's. It only took two years for the two Giants assistants to get past the Browns. They were helped by the retirement of Browns quarterback Otto Graham following the 1955 title game. Still, everything came together for the Giants in 1956. Frank Gifford was the perfect back for Lombardi's power sweep/option attack. Gifford was the NFL's MVP that season. Landry's defense, led by rookie middle linebacker Sam Huff, was brilliant. Landry's scheme and Huff's play was making a football-curious nation aware of this new "middle linebacker" position. For the first time in an NFL stadium there were chants of "defense,defense, defense...." The Giants were on top of the football world. The unknown assistant coaches were becoming known. Lombardi's last game with the Giants was the 1958 NFL Championship game against the Baltimore Colts, the "Greatest Game Ever Played." The Green Bay Packers grabbed him. After a decade of losing the Packers became the league’s dominant team in the 1960s. They lost the 1960 NFL title game to the Philadelphia Eagles. Lombardi promised his team that they’d never again lose a postseason game. They didn’t. His Packers won five titles in seven years, 1961-62 and 1965-67. Landry's last game with the Giants was the 1959 NFL Championship game, also against the Colts. The expansion Dallas Cowboys grabbed him. He became a fixture in Dallas for an amazing 29 years. His Cowboys won five Conference and two Super Bowl titles. The two unknown coaching assistants that shared the same sideline in New York in the 1950s were on opposite sidelines for two classic League Championship games a decade later. Lombardi won both. Howell retired following the 1960 season. Allie Sherman, who took over the offense from Lombardi, took over for Howell. The team that Howell, Lombardi, and Landry built played in three straight NFL Championship games from 1961-63. The Giants lost the first two to Lombardi's Packers.

There's no denying the football brilliance and historical significance of Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry. For nearly 35 years, one or both were cornerstones of the NFL. History has not been as kind to Jim Lee Howell. I've been guilty of too easily dismissing his importance to those great New York Giants teams. One of the most impressive aspects of Howell was that he simply didn't care if he got credit for the wins. He'd rather take the blame for a loss than take credit for a win. Fortunately, those Giants teams had far more wins than losses. Howell did far more than pump up the footballs. He should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame simply for managing the egos and demands of his assistant coaches. The ability of head coaches to manage and delegate authority is more appreciated today. Head coaches in the first half of the NFL's existence did much more scheming and teaching. With only a few coaches on a staff, they had to. Jim Lee Howell was one of the first, if not the first, head coaches to limit his duties to delegating and game managing. It was Howell that decided to send Pat Summerall out to kick about a 50-yard field goal against Cleveland in something of a blizzard in 1958. A field goal that Summerall made to force a playoff against the same Browns team a week later. A field goal that would eventually put them in the 1958 NFL Championship game. A field goal attempt that was strongly opposed by Lombardi and Landry.

Another Big Loss

Through five games of the 2023 NFL season, the Minnesota Vikings have suffered four frustrating losses on the field. They suffered another big loss yesterday when receiver Justin Jefferson was placed on injured reserve. In Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he came out of a fourth quarter route limping. I suppose that it was hoped to be a tweak, twinge, or something minor. It was reportedly a hamstring issue. Those always seem to be troublesome rather than minor. He spent the rest of the game standing on the sideline. Kevin O’Connell said in yesterday’s press conference that Jefferson lobbied to get back in the game. So, the hope here was that the injury was actually minor. Maybe he could even play in Week 6 against the Chicago Bears. Well, yesterday brought the sad, frustrating news that the injury was significant enough that Jefferson will be placed on injured reserve. The disappointing start to the season just got even more disappointing. 

Justin Jefferson will miss, at least, the next four games. 

@ Chicago Bears

San Francisco 49ers

@ Green Bay Packers

@ Atlanta Falcons

I guess this is good news for the above four slappy teams. 

As disappointing as this news is, the most important thing is getting Jefferson back to full health. I assume that he’s going to attack his recovery just as he does everything else. Completely and fiercely. The training staff will probably be challenged with protecting Jefferson from himself.

With Jefferson’s move to injured reserve, the Vikings have three receivers on the active roster.

Jordan Addison

K.J. Osborn

Brandon Powell

There are four receivers on the practice squad. 

N’Keal Harry

Trishton Jackson

Lucky Jackson 

Thayer Thomas

N’Keal Harry has been a game day elevation to the active roster twice this season. That might make him the “next man up.” His size, 6’4”, is definitely a plus. 

Justin Jefferson has been the focus of the Vikings offense pretty much since he burst on the NFL scene in the third game of the 2020 season. He’s been remarkably durable. Even though opponents have often tried to get physical with him, perhaps even trying to knock him out of the game, he’s never missed a start. He’s rarely missed a snap. This is a very foreign situation for Jefferson. And the Vikings. Without his superstar receiver, Kirk Cousins will have to rely on his entire group of pass catchers. This is a huge opportunity for Jordan Addison. The rookie that doesn’t play like a rookie will have the light shining on him. Tight ends T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver can’t have passes slipping through their hands. That goes for running back Alexander Mattison as well. The Vikings have to stop giving games away and they have to do it without their best player for, at least, the next four weeks. 

Here’s to the quick and complete return to the field of Justin Jefferson.

Minnesota Vikings Week 5 Superlatives

It’s tough and frustrating to find superlatives after losses. The Minnesota Vikings keep finding new ways to lose close games. In Week 5, they again made one more mistake than they could handle and lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 27-20. The Vikings had a chance. Like a pass through the hands of Cam Bynum and Alexander Mattison, that chance slipped away. Here are some of the players that did some good things in another disappointing loss. 

Offensive Player of the Game

Jordan Addison, WR

For the first time this season, a player other than Justin Jefferson is the Offensive Player of the Game. He hasn’t produced huge numbers through five games but Jordan Addison has been outstanding. He’s five games into his NFL career and he already plays like a seasoned veteran. The Vikings scored on theif first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.

For the game:

6 catches

64 yards

1 touchdown

With Justin Jefferson out for at least four games, Addison has the opportunity and the Vikings have a serious need for him to step and be much more than a promising rookie. 

Defensive Player of the Game

Danielle Hunter, OLB

Marcus Davenport, OLB

Despite giving up more points than the offense scored, the defense played well against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. It’s tough to pick a player that truly shined in this game but I’m liking what I’m seeing from the pass rushing tandem of Danielle Hunter and Marcus Davenport. An ankle injury had kept Davenport from the lineup for nearly all of the first three games. He’s made an impact in the past two games. Hunter has made an impact in all five games. The attention paid to the two has opened things up for the rest of the defensive front. I expect the Vikings defense to continue to improve. Hunter and Davenport will lead that improvement.

Special Teams Player of the Game

Josh Metellus

Ty Chandler

I was considering Greg Joseph for making all four of his kicking opportunities. I’m going with the tandem that headlined a successful fake punt. Fourth-and-two near midfield, Josh Metellus took a direct snap and handed to Ty Chandler. Chandler took off around the right end for 15 yards. First-and-10 at the Chiefs 33-yard line. Eight plays later, the Vikings had their first touchdown. 

Vikings - Chiefs

Once again, the Minnesota Vikings let a winnable game slip to defeat. This one to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Minnesota Vikings  20

Kansas City Chiefs 27

In four losses, the Vikings have done much more to lose those games than any of their opponents have done to win them. Not only did they lose a winnable game to the defending champs, the Vikings might’ve lost Justin Jefferson for some time to a hamstring injury. 

The Officiating?

Every NFL game has some questionable officiating. Judging the legality of every movement of a football game in real time is a very difficult job. Still, the Chiefs were handed some real gifts. At the end of the first half, Patrick Mahomes connected with Justin Watson for a 23-yard toe-tapper on the sideline. When Watson secured the ball, only one set of toes was still in contact with the turf. The play happened with 31 seconds remaining in the half so it went to review. With all replays showing that Watson had only one foot down when the catch was made, I was certain the review verdict would be “no catch.” Somehow, the catch was confirmed. I still don’t see it. The “gifted” completion was the big play that led to a half-ending, game-tying field goal. Even more mind-boggling was the officiating sequence that ended the Vikings best chance at a game-tying/game-winning opportunity. Down 27-20, 4th-and-12 at the Chiefs 24-yard line with 4:54 remaining, Kirk Cousins, under significant pressure, lofted a pass to Jordan Addison in the end zone. L’Jarius Sneed was flagged for his handsy coverage of Addison. After a brief officiating conference, the flag was picked up. I’ve yet to hear a reason. The pass wasn’t tipped. It was catchable as it landed not far from Addison and Sneed. I guess that the officials simply decided that the contact that at least one of them had seen wasn’t enough to merit a flag. Who knows? It looked to be as much interference as Harrison Smith committed on a game-changing play earlier in the game. The officiating really broke new ground when Sneed removed his helmet to plead his case. He should’ve been flagged as soon as he removed his helmet. Instead, an official could clearly be seen telling him to put his helmet back on. I guess Chiefs players get some concessions rather than penalties. Even if the officials picked up the flag for Sneed’s interference, they should’ve thrown a flag on the Chiefs pass rusher that had his hands up in the facemask of C.J. Ham. 

It’s easy to bitch about the officiating when a game doesn’t go as hoped. Most of those officiating issues wouldn’t have mattered if the Vikings had simply done simply things. Like Josh Oliver not fumbling on the first play of the game. At least it was the only turnover of the game. The Vikings have had at least two turnovers in each of the previous four games. Still, Oliver giving up the ball after a nice 15-yard gain was big. It blew up a nice start to the game and an opportunity to do more nice things from the 40-yard line. Instead the Chiefs grab the momentum with terrific field position. Nine plays and 45 yards later, the Chiefs have a 7-0 lead and the Vikings are playing catch-up again. 

It would’ve been a different game if Cam Bynum had timed his jump a bit better on a desperation heave from Mahomes early in the third quarter. Third-and-18 from his own 17-yard line, Mahomes just tossed the ball up for Watson (the supposed toe-tapper) and hoped. Bynum jumped early, the ball slipped through his fingers and into Watson’s hands. Instead of an easy interception, the Chiefs had a first-and-10 at the 50. Eight plays later, the Chiefs had a 20-13 lead. 

The Vikings answered with a three-and-out. It was their only punt of the game. 

The biggest missed opportunity came two plays before the Sneed-officiating fiasco. Perhaps for the first time this season, the Vikings had a screen pass set up beautifully for Alexander Mattison. 2nd-and-7 from the Chiefs 19-yard line, Cousins had attracted defenders to him and Mattison had space around him with blockers in place. The timing was perfect. The pass was perfect. It was going to be a touchdown. Mattison dropped the pass. There was still five minutes to play. A lot can happen in that time. It should’ve been 27-27 with five mixtures to play. Instead, the Vikings were still chasing the Chiefs.

At 1-4, the Vikings have already lost as many games as they lost all of last regular season. There were 11 one-score wins last season. There have been 4 one-score losses this season. All four losses have come against teams that made the playoffs last season. The losses have come against teams with a combined 14-4 record. Two of the losses have come against the teams that played in last year’s Super Bowl. It’s been a tough schedule but the Vikings been their own toughest opponent. They can’t seem to get out of their own way. They better find a way. That starts with the Chicago Bears next week. 

Hopefully, we’ll get some good news about Justin Jefferson’s injury. 

Flea Flicker Week 5 Predictions

It’s on to Week 5 and some bye weeks. Here are guesses at the games. 

Byes: Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Kansas City Chiefs @ Minnesota Vikings

Pick: Vikings

Rematch of Super Bowl IV. Different outcome. Skol!

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Buffalo Bills

Pick: Bills

Another London game. The Jaguars are playing consecutive weeks in their home away from home. Despite that, the Bills are the home team. 

Houston Texans @ Atlanta Falcons

Pick: Texans

The young Texans have won two straight games and shown a spark.

Carolina Panthers @ Detroit Lions

Pick: Panthers

The Lions look past the winless Panthers. 

Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts

Pick: Colts

Just going with the home team.

New York Giants @ Miami Dolphins

Pick: Dolphins

The Dolphins rebound against the reeling Giants.

New Orleans Saints @ New England Patriots

Pick: Patriots

The Patriots three losses are to the Eagles, Dolphins, and Cowboys. The Saints feel like a breezy opponent compared to that gauntlet. 

Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Pick: Ravens

The Ravens continue their run through the AFC North.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Los Angeles Rams

Pick: Eagles

Rematch of the 1949 NFL Championship game. Same result.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Arizona Cardinals

Pick: Bengals

The Bengals must get the offense working.

New York Jets @ Denver Broncos

Pick: Jets

Can Zach Wilson play consecutive effective games?

Dallas Cowboys @ San Francisco 49ers

Pick: 49ers

If both play to their talents, this should be a fun game. 

Green Bay Packers @ Las Vegas Raiders

Pick: Packers

Rematch of Super Bowl II. Same result. 

Kansas City Chiefs All - Time Team

The Minnesota Vikings host the Kansas City Chiefs tomorrow. The Chiefs were an original member of the rival American Football League. Owner Lamar Hunt had spent years trying to get an NFL team. He got nowhere with those efforts and decided to do things himself. The AFL was his idea and his baby. The Chiefs were originally the Dallas Texans. They played as such for three seasons and won the AFL title in 1962. In 1963, Hunt moved his team to Kansas City and became the Chiefs. Throughout the AFL’s existence (1960-69), the Chiefs were a contending team. They represented the AFL in Super Bowl’s I and IV, losing Super Bowl I to the Green Bay Packers and (sadly) winning Super Bowl over the Vikings. The 1960s were great years for the Chiefs. Recent years have been even better. With the coaching of Andy Reid and quarterbacking of Patrick Mahomes, they have played in three of the last five Super Bowls. The Chiefs won Super Bowl Super Bowl LIV over the San Francisco 49ers, lost Super Bowl LV to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and won Super Bowl LVII over the Philadelphia Eagles. In advance of tomorrow’s big game, here are some of the best players in the franchise history of the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Kansas City Chiefs All - Time Team

Offense

Quarterback

Patrick Mahomes

Running Back

Jamaal Charles

Fullback

Christian Okoye

Wide Receivers

Otis Taylor

Tyreek Hill

Tight End

Tony Gonzalez

Travis Kelce

I can’t leave either of these great tight ends off of this team.

Offensive Tackles

Jim Tyrer

Willie Roaf

Offensive Guards

Ed Budde

Will Shields

Center

Jack Rudnay

Defense

Defensive Ends

Neil Smith

Justin Houston

Defensive Tackles

Buck Buchanan

Chris Jones

Linebackers

Bobby Bell

Willie Lanier

Derrick Thomas

Cornerbacks

Emmitt Thomas

Albert Lewis

Safeties

Johnny Robinson

Deron Cherry

Special Teams

Kicker 

Jan Stenerud

Punter

Jerrel Wilson

Returner

Dante Hall

All - Time NFL Team

I was saddened by yesterday’s news that Chicago Bears linebacking legend Dick Butkus has passed. He was a treat on and off the field. Actually, on the field, he was only a treat to fans of the Bears and those that football. He was no treat to opposing offenses. To them, he was a beast. A novice to football would learn a lot about the sport simply by watching a highlight reel of Butkus. His play, and name, screams football. Butkus! Even rival fans had to love Butkus. If not that, they certainly had to respect him off the way he played. I came to football as Butkus was leaving it. I wish that I had seen him play. 

While thinking about Dick Butkus, I couldn’t help but think of his teammates on an All - Time NFL Team. 

RIP Dick Butkus.

Offense

Quarterback

Otto Graham, Cleveland Browns

Fullback
Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns

Halfback

Walter Payton, Chicago Bears

Receivers
Jerry Rice, San Francisco 49ers
Randy Moss, Minnesota Vikings/Raiders/Patriots/Titans

Tight End
Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

Left Tackle
Jim Parker, Baltimore Colts

Right Tackle

Forrest Gregg, Green Bay Packers

Left Guard
Randall McDaniel, Minnesota Vikings

Right Guard

Joe DeLamielleure, Buffalo Bills/Browns

Center
Mel Hein, New York Giants

Defense

Defensive Ends
Deacon Jones, Los Angeles Rams

Reggie White, Philadelphia Eagles/Green Bay Packers

Defensive Tackles
Alan Page, Minnesota Vikings/Bears
Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams/Chargers/Redskins

Linebackers
Jack Ham, Pittsburgh Steelers
Dick Butkus, Chicago Bears
Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants

Cornerbacks
Mike Haynes, New England Patriots/Oakland-LA Raiders
Deion Sanders, Falcons/49ers/Cowboys/Redskins/Ravens

Safeties
Ronnie Lott, San Francisco 49ers/Raiders/Jets
Ed Reed, Baltimore Ravens/Texans/Jets

***

I don’t like that I now live in a world without Bud Grant, Jim Brown, and Dick Butkus. Thinking about Butkus and Lawrence Taylor on the same team helps.