Minnesota Vikings 2009 Season Preview: All Brett Favre, All the Time

Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. " We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

The Vikings offseason could have been sponsored by Waffle House. Brett Favre's will-he-or-won't-he waffling left Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson twisting in the wind, but when he did decide to come out of retirement again, he also gave the Vikings a buzz that the team has lacked for years.


Offense: For three years, the Vikings have been a quarterback away from being a Super Bowl contender. Now they have Brett Favre, which leads to the question, are they still a quarterback away from being a Super Bowl contender? Favre is the best quarterback to ever suit up in purple (sorry Fran Tarkenton), but Minnesota isn't getting the 29-year-old NFL MVP. He's now 40, he's won one playoff game since 2004 and this decade he's thrown 14 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in the playoffs. The good news for the Vikings is they don't need Favre to be great, they just need him to be adequate. Adrian Peterson is the game's best running back, which means teams will have to focus on stopping him first. Two years ago, Minnesota had no quality receivers, but they've fixed that problem. With Bernard Berrian, rookie Percy Harvin, Bobby Wade and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, Favre has plenty of targets to throw to and he will be standing behind one of the league's better lines. Heat Index: 8.


Defense: The offense may be getting all the attention, but it's the Vikings' defense may be even better. At 340-plus pounds Pat Williams gobbles up blockers like they're a rack of ribs. The Vikings' other defensive tackle, Kevin Williams, is even better and Jared Allen has 30 sacks in the past two years. Now that cornerback Cedric Griffin has emerged as a worthy compliment to Pro Bowler Antoine Winfield, Minnesota's pass defense--the weak link for years--is much improved. But the biggest difference from last year will be the return of linebacker E.J. Henderson. When Henderson was lost for the season last year with a toe injury, the Vikings were forced to troil the waiver wire for replacements. His return should give Minnesota a significant upgrade in pass coverage. Heat Index: 8.

Special Teams: Kicker Ryan Longwell and punter Chris Kluwe were the only thing that kept the Vikings special teams from being a complete disaster last year. Minnesota couldn't cover kicks, couldn't cover punts (they gave up an NFL record seven return touchdowns) and was not very good at returns. Harvin is expected to help the returns, but the Vikings are counted on a renewed emphasis on special teams to fix the coverage issues. We'll see if additional meetings and additional practice time will pay off. Heat Index: 6.

Coaching: Brad Childress is heading into year four of a five-year contract, which is an impressive feat in itself--he's seemingly been a bad loss away from being fired for three years. The Vikings have shown no interest in giving him an extension . By pursuing Favre so strongly during the offseason, he's put his future in the veteran quarterback's hands. Win a couple of playoff games and he can put all the speculation about his future behind him, but a quick exit or a failure to make the playoffs will likely result in a completely new look for 2010. Heat Index: 6.

Intangibles: Whether or not the Favre decision will help the Vikings on the field, it has helped add interest to a team that has struggled to capture the fans' attention in recent years. But it also has left Childress' open to charges of playing favorites. Favre skipped out on training camp while his new teammates were sweating their way through two-a-days. If he plays well, that won't be a big deal, but if he struggles, Childress may have trouble keeping this locker room together. Heat Index: 6.

Overall: 34/50. The Vikings are a legitimate playoff contender, but there are serious questions whether a 40-year-old quarterback can lead them there. No 40-year-old or older quarterback has ever taken his team to the playoffs, and the list of 40-year-olds who have had quality seasons begins and ends with Warren Moon. The rest of the team is set up to go deep in the playoffs, so if Favre can turn back time, this team could win its first playoff game since 2004.