Progress Update

With a fourth of the 2007 season in the books, and the Viking's sitting in last place in the NFC North at 1-3, it's time to review. (Thanks go to Nick & Nick for the idea)

Passing - Offense

Kelly Holcomb
35-67, 427 yards, 52.2% CMP %, 1 TD, 1 INT, 70.9 Rating

Tarvaris Jackson
30-56, 329 yards, 53.6% CMP %, 1 TD, 5 INT, 40.0 Rating

I realize that some people are backing Holcomb in the fight for the starting job, but my vote goes with Jackson. As I said in my last post, I've given up on this season. With my sights set towards 2008, I think that the best thing for the Viking's would be to let Jackson have as much experience as possible. In '08, he needs to see more teams and just see more action in general.

Now to the actual progress on our offensive passing game. Jackson gets a D, mostly because of his 5 picks, but also because of his pathetic rating, 40.0. Mewelde Moore has a quarterback rating of 39.6, for throwing one incomplete pass. Kelly Holcomb gets a C, his rating is not pretty, 70.9, but his completion rate is decent, 52.2%. Holcomb could be better, but he's not the one screwing up the statistics...however he has been throwing key interceptions at crucial times. This has been what gives the low grade. Our quarterbacks need help, and I was very surprised in the fact that the Viking's didn't land Leftwich. Oh well, it's all about '08 after all...(that's what I said last year, but I'm no ledger keeper...)

Rushing - Offense

Adrian Peterson
76 Att., 383 yards, 5.0 avg., 1 TD, 1 Fumble

Mewelde Moore
10 Att., 71 yards, 7.1 avg.

Chester Taylor
11 Att., 58 yards, 5.3 avg.

When Taylor got injured in week one I could feel the weight dropped on Peterson's shoulders. I didn't think he could deliver, but boy was I surprised. Peterson, I give him an A, has accounted for about 50% of the Viking's total offense. He has scored 12 of the Viking's 67 total points, and has 65 more caries than the next most, 11 with Taylor, who I'm giving a C, only because I haven't seen him all that much, but that long run against the Pack was impressive. I'm not sure if Peterson will be able to continue to carry half the offensive load, but Taylor is back and ready to help. Moore, who probably would be a starter on other teams, gets an A, because he's only ran the ball 10 times it's hard to really judge him, but he's averaging 7.1 ypc. Amazing.

Receiving - Offense

Bobby Wade
15 rec, 173 yards, 11.5 avg, 1 fumble

Adrian Peterson
9 rec, 166 yards, 18.4 avg, 1 TD

Visanthe Shiancoe
9 rec, 107 yards, 11.9 avg

Sidney Rice
10 rec, 106 yards, 10.6 avg, 1 TD

Troy Williamson
6 rec, 65 yards, 10.8 avg

Once again, Peterson, A, is shouldering the load here, with the help of a surprise; Bobby Wade. I'll give Wade an A, only because both of our QB's seem a little 'out of it' sometimes. Wade not only has been our punt return man, but our 'stud' receiver. Shaincoe, B, who I'd thought wouldn't be given much of a chance has 9 catches. High for a team who relies on the run as much as we do. For Wade to have 15 in pretty darn impressive. Sidney Rice, C, hasn't really lived up to the hype I've heard about him, but I'm sure he'll improve. Williamson, C, seems to have improved his slippery hands habit and is doing not a great job, but an okay job. The thing is, he and everyone else needs to step up big time if the Viking's want a shot at...well, anything. (Except a good draft pick in '08)


Defense

Antoine Winfield
28 tak, 1 tloss, 1 inc, 1 TD

E.J. Henderson
21 tak, 1.5 sacks, 5 tloss, 1 ff

Chad Greenway
21 tak, 1 ff

All-in-all our defense is doing splendid. Winfield, Sharper, Smith, and K. Williams, A, are leading the way with picks, with 5 total. Our run stopping Supermen in the Williams', A+, are doing a great job, holding opponents to 62.2 rushing yards a game. The only fault with the defense, if any, is the pass rushing. We are averaging only 3 sacks a game, which seems low (and is) after the Giants-Eagles Sunday night game. Henderson and Udeze, B, need to step it up and become play makers.

However, our pass defense has been pathetic. That's all that needs to be said. The main reason we're losing games is because of our passing defense, it's just that simple. Instead of ranking every individual player, I'll just give the pass defense unit a team score of a D. It's becoming a cliche, but they need to step it up if we want to contend.

Special Teams

Ryan Longwell
6/7 FG, 7/7 PAT, 25 points

Chris Kluwe
20 punts, 889 yards, 44.5 average, 70 yd avg, 2 TB, 12 inside 20

Longwell, A, has been lights-out, almost. He missed one FG in overtime in Detroit. One that would've put the Viking's at 2-1, not 1-2. It was over 50 yards, and Longwell isn't getting any younger, so I'll give him that one. He has 25 points on the year, 37% of our total; 67. Kluwe, C, hasn't been lights-out. The only reason he has 12 punts inside the 20 yard line is because so often the Viking's get going on a drive to about the opponents 45 yard line, then give it to Kluwe to punt it away. 44.5 avg yards/punt isn't bad, but it certainly isn't good, either. The Viking's rank 11th in average punt length in the NFL right now. The good spot is the touch backs, or lack of. With him punting the ball at about mid-field, I'd rather have him get it inside the 20 than inside the end zone.


Most NFL Power Rankings have the Viking's on the bottom of their lists. At 1-3, I can't argue. I'll accept that the refs lost the Green Bay game, but we didn't play as good as they played, and they deserved the win. If Longwell could've made that FG in overtime in Detroit as well, needless to say we'd be 3-1 on the year, and people would pay us more attention. But, being the pessimist that I am, I'll just start saying now, "There's always next year."

2008 Draft Here We Come!

Sorry I haven't been around in a while, something personal came up. But now I'm back!

Another day, another Viking loss. Anyone else see a trend here? I don't expect anything different from the Purple People in two weeks in Chicago.

Seriously, though, I really can't see how we can win a game with the way we've been playing. Holcomb overthrowing Williamson on a sure-fire TD, Peterson getting banged up in the middle, Holcomb attempting to stand in the pocket for as long as possible before he has to shuffle pass to no one in particular. I just don 't see us winning under Childress or Holcomb. Wolf will have to seriously look at the management of this team and consider his options this off-season (when he's not contemplating who to draft with his top 5 draft pick).

On a good note, though, is the fact that we're almost given a good player next year, no matter who we draft. There are still lots of teams worse than us record-wise, but none with more problems than the Purple People Eaters.

About next years draft; people are saying Brian Brohm will be the way to go for us, now that our Tarvaris experiment failed. Well, it hasn't, yet, so we can get somebody else. Not McFadden, or any other RB or QB. Other than that, we have needs at every other position. The Viking's will get much needed help from the college world.

I don't know about you, but I've already discounted this season, and am looking forward to the next when we have new rookies, hopefully new management, and a clean slate.

Jackson will probably start our next game at Chicago, which is after our Week 5 bye. This is a great thing, it'll let Jackson get more accustomed to massive blitzes (though maybe not in Chicago), something he will need to get a handle on if he even wants to dream about starting in the NFL.

So, for now, go Viking's, but don't screw our prime chance at a good draft pick!