Throwback Thursday: Adrian Burk

Peyton Manning had what some might consider the best game of his career a week ago this day. That's a bold statement. Throwing seven touchdown passes in a single game draws some attention. It draws a lot of attention in the pass happy, fantasy driven football days of today. Throwing seven touchdowns in a game has been done six times now. It's more than a little surprising that it's been 44 years since the last quarterback threw seven touchdown passes in a single game. A football spends so much time in the air these days. Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joe Kapp was the last quarterback to match the single game touchdown passing standard. 1969. Before that, Y.A. Tittle. 1962. Then, the NFL gives credence to the AFL in recognizing George Blanda in 1961. Chicago Bears quarterback Sid Luckman was the first to throw so many touchdowns in a single game. He did the deed in 1943. Luckman, Blanda, Tittle, Kapp, and now Manning. Luckman, Blanda, and Tittle are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Peyton Manning is an automatic, first ballot Hall of Fame inductee five years after he steps away from football. Kapp may not be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame but he made his mark in sports beyond those seven touchdown throws. He played in a Rose Bowl, Grey Cup, Super Bowl, and NCAA basketball championship. No one else has ever done such a thing. No one else has ever come close to such a thing. Joe Kapp stepped away from an MVP award because football is a team sport. I know of no football player that has stepped away from an individual award in the name of a team sport. In the logs of football history, Luckman, Blanda, Tittle, Kapp, and now Manning are well known football figures. There was another that matched those others with seven touchdowns in a single game.

As the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1954, Adrian Burk threw seven touchdown passes to route the Washington Redskins, 49-21. No matter how many quarterbacks throw for seven touchdowns, Adrian Burk will always be the unknown. Every quarterback today is so well known. It's a real shame. Burk actually had a nice career. Baltimore Colts in 1950. Philadelphia Eagles from 1951-56. He played in two Pro Bowls, 1954 and 1955. He was the second pick in the 1950 NFL Draft. Burk threw 54 touchdown passes beyond the seven that he threw that day in 1954. His football career didn't end after the 1956 season.

Adrian Burk worked as a football official after his football playing career was done. He was working the 1969 Colts-Vikings game when Joe Kapp matched his passing record. A few years later, Burk signaled the touchdown after Franco Harris finished the play that would later be known as "the Immaculate Reception." Adrian Burk has touched football in so many ways that it's really quite shocking that he's not better known. He should be better known. Yet, his name vanishes until another quarterback matches his record. One of these days, someone will hit on eight. Manning only seemed to be picking up steam when he threw his fifth in the third quarter. If someone hits eight, does Adrian Burk just fade away? Someone will remember. 

Vikings and Bears

This isn't about the Minnesota Vikings upcoming game with the Chicago Bears. This is about being a fan of the Minnesota Vikings and University of California Golden Bears. I am. With the start of the football season, I've been thinking about being pretty much a lifelong fan of those two football teams. Some might say that there's a lot of pain there. I've felt that sharp kick to the gut a few times. Who hasn't? All things considered, it's been a lot of fun being a fan of the Minnesota Vikings and the California Golden Bears. Recently, I've been thinking of some amazing similarities between the two teams.

First of all, neither team has won it all in my lifetime. That's actually more unfortunate than amazing. While Cal was a national power in the first quarter of the 20th century, they've been wildly inconsistent since then. As a Cal student, I might have seen eight Cal victories in three years. If nothing else, the Bears were an entertaining football team in the '80s. The Vikings have actually been quite successful since the NFL introduction in 1961. Unfortunately, that success has always fallen short of the ultimate success.

In the late '40s, head coach Pappy Waldorf brought Cal back to prominence. Cal went to three straight Rose Bowls following the 1948, '49, and '50 seasons. The Bears lost all three Rose Bowls. They didn't return to Pasadena until 1958. They lost that one too. Cal hasn't been back since. The Minnesota Vikings may not have lost three straight Super Bowls, but they did lose three in four years. Super Bowls VIII, IX, and XI. They also lost Super Bowl IV. They haven't been back to the big game since 1977. Minnesota and Cal have both shown a remarkable, and frustrating ability to fade in big games. That's gotta change.

The last thing that the Vikings and the Bears have in common is the most amazing. Some might actually call it embarrassing. I don't. I think that it makes them unique. Special, even. Each has a player that returned a fumble the wrong way. Cal's Roy "Wrong Way" Riegels pulled his stunt in the 1929 Rose Bowl against Georgia Tech. Big stage. Cal would lose that game, 8-7. Riegels actually played a strong game, minus his mistake. Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall picked a smaller stage for his wrong way run. His game was a regular season game against the San Francisco 49ers in 1964. Riegels was tackled at the one-yard line by a teammate so he never crossed his own goal line. Marshall made it into his his end zone. Thinking that he'd just scored a touchdown, he tossed the ball into the stands. This gave the 49ers a safety and two points. Riegels' wrong way run ended up giving Georgia Tech a safety too when Cal had their ensuing punt blocked. Those two points were the deciding points in Cal's one-point Rose Bowl loss. Marshall's little run didn't matter much as the Vikings defeated the 49ers that day in San Francisco.

No ultimate wins and wrong way runs. That's what the Minnesota Vikings and California Golden Bears have in common. Well, that and me.

A Football Life

No matter how prepared I think that I might be, NFL Films never fails to take my breath away. Everything that those Sabol-touched artists produce, somehow, makes football better. And, I think that football is pretty great. The bar is high. Each episode of their masterpiece series A Football Life is in a word, perfect. When I see that the series is starting again, I gasp. What's next? To kickoff this season, they present LaDainian Tomlinson.

In my time of loving football, I've fallen for three backs that didn't play for the Minnesota Vikings. I watched Walter Payton run for 275 yards against the Vikings and I was amazed. I watched Barry Sanders make Vikings defenders look like fools and I was amazed. I consider myself lucky that the San Diego Chargers drafted LaDainian Tomlinson. It was nice to finally have this singular running talent, that steals my football heart, playing for a team outside the Vikings division.

Like Sanders, Tomlinson's career felt way too short. 11 years is better than most but is less than you hope for a player like this. He rushed for over 1,200 yards in each of his first seven seasons. Incredible! For most of those years, I saw him as the best football player in all of the NFL. This episode of A Football Life brought a lot of that back. It was wonderful to see those jump cuts again. I've never seen a back move like that. People always try to force comparisons on players. Payton and Tomlinson had some similarities but it was more in the open field. Payton entered the line more aggressively. Tomlinson seemed to hop through the line. Showing more patience. More like Sanders. But, not like Sanders. Sanders broke the ankles of defenders and then truly embarrassed them. Tomlinson waited for the defenders and then hopped around them. He could sometimes even glide like Gale Sayers. We could see much of the best in LaDainlian Tomlinson. There are always comparisons. Backs that separate themselves from the rest. Mark them as a back to draw comparisons. LaDainian Tomlinson was one of those backs.

LaDainian Tomlinson's A Football Life included his slave name origins. Most would avoid that. NFL Films makes it all real. Generations passed, the salve owner meeting the slave.

If I were to change anything in this terrific episode, I'd add the Vikings-Chargers game of 2007. Rookie back Adrian Peterson went for an NFL record 296 yards. The Texan Tomlinson was a hero to the Texan Peterson. The embrace of Peterson and Tomlinson after that game was a moment to remember. A passing of the torch was an assumption as Tomlinson was far from done but it was a very cool moment among talented backs.

I look forward to all of the magic that comes out of Mt. Laurel, NJ. Tomlinson's didn't disappoint. It's great to see A Football Life back for another season. Next up is Don Shula. Come on!

Opening Day Thoughts

Well, the Minnesota Vikings weren't supposed to start the season like this. A 34-24 loss to the Detroit Lions. The biggest problem for the Vikings on opening day was Reggie Bush. They had no answer for him. The former USC professional rushed for 90 yards and caught four passes for another 101 yards. One of those catches was a 77-yard touchdown.

The Vikings defense did a terrific job on Lions receiver Calvin Johnson. He had 4 catches for only 37 yards. So, Bush took over. The Lions are a whole other team with him in the backfield.

The Vikings were in a nice spot to regain the lead fairly early in the fourth quarter. Down 27-24 after forcing a rare Lions punt. It felt like the Vikings had some momentum and they had the ball. It didn't last long. Quarterback Christian Ponder was turning to hand the ball to Adrian Peterson. Simple enough. Instead guard Brandon Fusco steps on Ponder's foot forcing a stumble and the ball is on the ground. The Lions recover. After a couple of Vikings penalties allow the Lions to convert a couple of third down plays, the Lions are gifted a touchdown and a 34-24 lead. The Vikings really did little to threaten that lead the rest of the way.

A lot of Vikings fans will be tearing apart Ponder this week. He's been a frequent target for much of the offseason and preseason. He completed 18 of 28 passes for 236 yards. Three interceptions opens up some criticism. One was on a desperation heave at the end of the game that ended any comeback hope. Another interception was on a tipped pass. The third was a killer. He had the offense moving in Lions territory and just tossed one up for grabs. It was a throw that no NFL quarterback should ever make. For me, the defense was the bigger problem in the loss. Especially their inability to stop Bush. Ponder made some downfield throws. This isn't to say that Ponder was fine. No matter how they happen, three interceptions can't happen. Ever. He has to get better.

Things looked great for the Vikings when Peterson took the first offensive play 78 yards for a touchdown. He scored all three touchdowns. Two rushing. One on a short reception. His game looked great on paper. But, after the 78-yard run, he carried the ball 17 times for 15 yards. The Lions defensive line outplayed the Vikings offensive line on all but that 78-yard TD. He encountered Lion defenders before he reached the line on nearly every carry. The Vikings typically see a lot of  2nd and shorts. That's always a nice spot for a quarterback. Yesterday, with the Lions regularly stopping Peterson for a loss or no gain, Ponder was facing a lot of 2nd and longs. Never a nice spot for a quarterback. The Lions have one of the best defensive lines but the Vikings offensive line has to get a better push.

The best thing to come out of the game for the Vikings was the play of receiver Jerome Simpson. Seven catches for 140 yards. He was terrific. Some smart plays and one dazzling, diving catch. The sort of deep threat that Simpson provided was pretty much absent all of last year.

I'd really like to see rookie receiver Cordarrelle Patterson on the field more. I only noticed him on offense for a couple of plays in the redzone. He had one catch for ten yards. He nearly broke one of his two kick return opportunities. He needs to get the ball in his hands.

Receiver Greg Jennings and tight end Kyle Rudolph have to get the ball more than their five combined catches.

The Vikings can't play this sloppy and expect to win many games.

Ponder has to get more steady. He can't make reckless throws. He has to use the weapons around him. He's got some.

Ndamukong Suh is an ass. He's supposed to be maturing but his cheap-ass low block on center John Sullivan on an interception return was pathetic. Initially, I thought that he had ended Sullivan's season. Fortunately, the Vikings offensive line leader was back on the field on the next possession. It was still a classless move. Nothing has changed with that clown. All that talent and a pissant head. He also took a touchdown off the board for his own team. Idiot.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford may have thrown for 357 yards but Bush was the difference in this game. The Vikings have fourteen games to figure him out. If Bush keeps playing like he did yesterday the Lions are going to be a tough team to beat.

I don't pay much attention to the other games while the Vikings are playing. I was surprised that the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts had to come back against the Buffalo Bills and Oakland Raiders, respectively.

The New York Jets beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have been the surprise of the day.

I love the New Orleans Saints-Atlanta Falcons rivalry. Their games have been terrific the last few years. Although I find their games hard to predict I was still surprised that the Saints hung on to win. Sean Payton returning to the game with a win was huge for the home team.

The Green Bay Packers-San Francisco 49ers game was fun. 49ers win it, 34-28. Like the Vikings with Bush, the Packers had a real rough time keeping track of receiver Anquan Boldin and tight end Vernon Davis. Boldin is a beast. 13 catches 208 yards and a touchdown.

It's unfortunate that a good game like this was tainted a bit when the officials bungled things and essentially gave the 49ers a touchdown when they should have been attempting a field goal.

It sure is a treat to watch Boldin play the receiver position. He does so many of the little things to perfection. He's likely taken the torch from Hines Ward as the best blocking receiver in the league. He catches the ball beautifully. When the was teamed with Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona, the Cardinals should have been required viewing for anyone interested in playing receiver.

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick ran for about 5 miles against the Packers in the playoffs last year. He only had 22 yards rushing this time. Instead, he threw the ball a bunch. And threw it well. Completing 27 of 39 passes for 412 yards.

Looks like the 49ers have themselves a player in rookie safety Eric Reid. He had an interception. Another that was taken away due to a penalty. His tackle of Aaron Rodgers to prevent a first down late in the game might have been his best play.

The New York Giants were sure in a generous mood throughout their game with the Dallas Cowboys. Six turnovers. The Cowboys took two of those back for touchdowns.

Fun game. And, it left the Packers at 0-1. Tied with the Vikings in the NFC North.

After all that generosity it was really quite remarkable that the Giants were in the game at the end. Dallas wins 36-31.

Next week is bad news for the Bears.

Game Day Thoughts

Welcome to NFL 2013! Thursday games don't count. Football starts on Sunday. Here we go!

Vikings-Lions! Boy howdy! Kicking off the last season of the Metrodome. Oh, the memories. The Vikings don't have their home opener until Cleveland comes to Minnesota in week 3. So, the countdown to the February implosion of that dump really doesn't start until then.

A thought,

If defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd starts in place of injured Kevin Williams, the Vikings could be starting as many as 12 players that the team has taken in the last three drafts. Nine from the last two.

2011:
QB Christian Ponder
TE  Kyle Rudolph
 G   Brandon Fusco

2012:
 T  Matt Kalil
 S  Harrison Smith
CB Josh Robinson
WR Jarius Wright
TE  Rhett Ellison
 K  Blair Walsh

2013:
DT Sharrif Floyd
CB Xavier Rhodes
 P  Jeff Locke

Based upon the spread-out passing ways of the Lions, it would be no surprise to see the Vikings defense step on the field with three corners in Robinson, Rhodes, and 2010 draft pick Chris Cook. Ellison and Wright may/may not get the start based on the first play and formation. The current Minnesota Vikings are led and known by Adrian Peterson. On defense, the Vikings are led by linemen Kevin Williams, Jared Allen, Brian Robison, and linebacker Chad Greenway. The Vikings future core is quickly becoming the present core and blending nicely with the "older" leaders. The above list of draft picks doesn't even include their third 2013 first round pick, receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. This kid could be a superstar. If the Vikings receive the opening kickoff today, Patterson is likely the first Vikings player to touch the ball in 2013. Basically, all indications are that the Minnesota Vikings have had outstanding drafts the last three years. 2010 draft picks Cook, defensive end Everson Griffen, and (now)receiver Joe Webb could push that assessment to four years.

In reality, the Vikings have a great bunch of young football players. About 2/3 of the roster is in the first third of their career. They also have a terrific handful of veterans. Any success seems to depend on Christian Ponder playing something close to the "backbone of the franchise" quarterback that he was drafted to be. Lacking that, Adrian Peterson will have to run much further than 2,500 yards. Peterson is a beast. He was just getting warmed up in 2012.

The Vikings-Lions game is obviously the biggest game of week 1 but the NFL has some real nice opening day games with Falcons-Saints and Packers-49ers. Giants-Cowboys tonight is always a terrific matchup.

What's a Bruno Mars?

College stuff:
I kinda missed the opening day of college football last week due to a fantasy football draft. I got Peterson! I watched all but the last 3:49 of the Cal-Northwestern game. Damn DVR!

Cal-Portland St.
Today, it's old school for me. Directv is still pissing on my college football fun. I'm left with radio. It's a good thing that Joe Starkey and Mike Pawlawski are terrific on the mic.

Cal's defense isn't terrific. They gave up over 425 yards in the first half to Portland St. My goodness, Ohio St. and Oregon are the next two opponents.

Cal survived, 37-30. This was supposed to be a walk. Portland St. was an absolute pain in the ass. They may have gained less than 200 yards in the second half but they would not go away.

As for the good. It's hard to tell for sure how the game truly flowed while listening to the radio. It sounds like, true freshman quarterback Jared Goff continues to prove that he's the real deal. Over 900 yards passing in his first two games. 11 different players caught passes. 4 different players gained over 60 yards receiving. Cal head coach Sonny Dykes certainly runs a quarterback friendly offense. If I recall correctly, Goff has a deep to short read progression. It really is up to him as to where the ball goes. Brendan Bigelow and Khalfani Muhammad each gained over 80 yards rushing. Offenisively, the Bears are cruising. Goff took care of the ball through the air. No interceptions. Some players put the ball on the ground. With the way that the defense is playing, Cal's offense can not give their opponents extra possessions.

I really like Cal receiver Bryce Treggs. He catches well, runs well, and blocks really well. His pop, Brian Treggs, was a terrific receiver for Cal in the early '90s, catching passes from current radio guy Pawlawski. While senior Treggs was a great college receiver, junior Treggs should carry the name to the NFL.

Cal was missing some defensive players. Brennan Scarlett, Nick Forbes, and Chris McCain in particular. Still, Cal's defense should have done better against Portland St.

One defensive player that seems to be emerging is defensive tackle Viliami Moala. He was a huge recruit for several reasons a couple of years ago. One of which was, I believe, his 350 lb size. He was supposed to be a run-clogging man in the middle from the moment that he stepped on campus. He finally seems to be showing up this season. He's now listed at 315 lbs and he's now a junior. It seems like he just got to Berkeley. He has the kind of talent that can tilt the field in Cal's favor. The defense most certainly needs something like that.

Ohio St, Oregon. Oh my.

As soon as you get jacked up over offenses passing every down, we find BYU rushing for 549 yards against Texas. BYU propped up the passing fireworks of Jim McMahon, Steve Young, and Ty Detmer. Now, we see the Utah boys tearing up a traditional dynamo on the ground. BYU was all over Texas 40-21.

Uh, Brian Kelly, when you think of college football history, Notre Dame and Michigan are in nearly every thought. The rivalry is historic. It's fun too. Kelly would have been better off saying that the rivalry was ending because of schedule restraints. Instead, he became a fool by saying that the rivalry meant little historically.

I saw Kelly at the recent AT&T Pro-Am. You could dress the coach in green and you are frighteningly close to the Notre Dame leprechaun.

Cool move by Michigan to honor Tom Harmon before the game. Former UCLA quarterback, actor and Tom's son, Mark Harmon was there to accept the honor for his father. Quarterback Devin Gardner is wearing Tom Harmon's #98. Nice.

It was kinda weird to see a quarterback wearing #98. Made the game feel historic. A 41-30 Michigan win didn't feel so historic.

I watched the South Carolina-Georgia game for the defense. In particular, South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Instead, I found an offensive football game. Georgia wins, 41-30. Familiar score.

Georgia's Todd Gurley II is a tough runner. I loving watching backs that make the defense think about the contact that's about to happen.

Oregon back/receiver/returner De'Anthony Thomas is a scary player to watch if you're a fan of the other team. I haven't seen a player run away from other players like he can since Randy Moss. He's an itty-bitty guy but he can play in the NFL.

I opened my college football day with Florida-Miami. 21-16 Miami. This was actually a pretty good game. When a superbly executed punt block is the best play of the game, you'd expect a bore. But, I was entertained. Some sloppy play, very good defense, some nice offensive plays, and that great punt block. Not bad for an early season grudge game.

The ESPN talking head that stated that the NCAA should drop it's case against Miami is a fool. It's no surprise that the NCAA hacked up the investigation. That organization is packed with idiots. What took place at Miami over the past decade is as bad as it gets. SMU was a bake sale compared to the Miami circus. You can not ignore that.

Football's back.

A Few Things

I really enjoy the writing and football passion of Sports Illustrated's Peter King. His interest in football includes everything that makes the game tick. From the equipment managers and coaching connections to the chess match strategy that takes place in every game. It's not just about the players and their statistics. His new MMQB (Monday Morning Quarterback) wedsite presents all of that and so much more. King strives to educate the readers on all aspects of the game. It's great stuff. So is his MMQB podcast that popped up this week. His chats with Eli Manning and Matt Ryan were terrific. It was his conversation with fellow Sports Illustrated writer Greg Bedard that made me wince. It was only a couple of things and not the conversation as a whole.

In talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers, King referred to Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau as a Hall of Fame coach. LeBeau is in the Hall of Fame and he is a football coach but he is not a Hall of Fame coach. I've never heard Tennessee Titans head coach and Hall of Fame guard Mike Munchack referred to as a Hall of Fame coach. It's because he's not. King isn't alone. I recall one football talking head saying that LeBeau's induction could open the door for other excellent assistant coaches. Many people seem to forget or simply don't accept that LeBeau was a senior committe nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player. I suppose that people make this mistake because they know LeBeau best as a terrific defensive coach and so few remember his days as a Detroit Lions cornerback. They just assume that he made it as a coach. I was surprised to hear King make this mistake seeing as he was in the room to vote on Dick LeBeau for the Hall of Fame.

The other little nugget that popped up in this conversation is something that has been bugging me since the 2005 NFL Draft. Bedard said that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers greatly benefited from the time spent playing behind Brett Favre. Bedard's reasoning was that Rodgers didn't show the quarterback that he would become while he was at Cal. From his fall to #24 in the 2005 NFL Draft to comments like this from Bedard, I wonder if anyone actually watched Rodgers play football at Cal. I really don't get it. He was a fantastic college quarterback. In two years at Cal I saw a lot of the quarterback that amazes everyone today. I had no doubt that he would one day excel in the NFL. His game against USC in 2004 was a masterpiece. Sometimes I wonder if the supposed experts say this stuff about Rodgers to cover up for the mistake that so many made on draft day. The Packers were lucky that so many were blind. I've always wondered if they still select Rodgers if they drafted even ten spots earlier. It's no wonder that Rodgers always plays the game with a chip on his shoulder. No one has ever been willing to admit that they screwed up in evaluating him in 2005.

Outside of that, even including that, Peter King's MMQB website and podcast are must-see and must-listen stuff. Check it out.

Cal hosts the Portland St. Vikings today. Any school named Vikings usually attracts my attention. That isn't what first attracted my attention toward Portland St. I first heard about the school in 1980 when they took apart Delaware St. by the astounding score of 105-0. That was the first I heard of quarterback Neil Lomax and offensive innovator Mouse Davis. The 2013 version of the team put up 57 points last week against Eastern Oregon. Hopefully the Vikings far fall short of both point totals today. Cal won the only other meeting between the two teams in 2006, 42-16. I prefer it when Cal challenges themselves with their non-conference schedule. This year they did that with Northwestern last week and Ohio St. next week. Supposedly, today's game against Portland St. is a break but you never know. It wasn't too long ago that UC Davis chopped down the mighty Stanford Cardinal. Go Bears!

I wish that I could watch this game on TV but I have Directv. Those clowns and the Pac-12 Networks are still in their juvenile pissing contest.

Even More Vikings Receivers Stuff

I just can't stay away from this topic.

The Minnesota Vikings team that suited up to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2012 season opener included these receivers:

Percy Harvin
Michael Jenkins
Devin Aromashadu
Stephen Burton

That's very thin. Not one of those receivers is on the current roster. I can't believe the complete turnover of the Vikings receiver position in a single year. It's obvious that changes needed to be made but it's rare that so many are actually made. When the Vikings visit Detroit on Sunday, they will have these receivers on the field:

Greg Jennings
Jerome Simpson
Jarius Wright
Cordarrelle Patterson
Joe Webb

To be fair, Simpson, Wright, and Webb were actually with the Vikings last year. Simpson was kicking off a suspension when the Vikings were kicking off their season. Wright was injured. Webb was playing quarterback. Of the newbies, Jennings was starting his injury-plagued, final season in Green Bay. Patterson was playing his only season at the University of Tennessee. Now, they are all together. I like this group. Wright, Patterson, and Webb are starting their first full season as NFL receivers. Simpson has had some highlights in the NFL but has yet to truly establish himself as a reliable receiver. Jennings is trying to put the injuries behind and return to the elite status that he once held. Despite all of that, I like this group of receivers. Perhaps because this group is not the group from last year. I like the athletic ability and the potential. Jennings is the leader, the established veteran. He's an outstanding route runner with terrific hands. Simpson has to make the plays in games that he routinely makes in practice. Wright was an immediate deep threat when he was finally healthy last year. He's a smaller, quicker receiver that is often pigeon-holed as a slot receiver. I think that he can make plays from the outside as well. Patterson has the talent to be a superstar. Despite being 6'3" and 220 lbs, he moves like a smaller receiver. I've never seen a receiver his size with the movement skill that he has. The Vikings can run many of the plays with him that they ran with Harvin. Lining up in the backfield, reverses, bubble screens, anyway to get the ball in his hands and let him run. Webb is an unbelievable athlete but he's still learning the receiver position. With his size and leaping ability, the Vikings probably have a package of plays that take advantage of those skills. His role should expand as he becomes more comfortable with the position. Next year, maybe even later this season, Greg Childs will hopefully return from his torn patellar tendon injuries and make this group even better. Likely at the expense of Simpson.

Last year, the Vikings had so little talent at receiver outside of Percy Harvin. It was really pretty sad. Now, there is some talent. There's actually considerable talent. There's also a lot of inexperience. That's what made the addition of Jennings in free agency so important. The Vikings had to get young quarteback Christian Ponder some help. I think that they succeeded.