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Winfield Should Be Back Sunday

JJ Cooper — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:20:00 EST

Antoine Winfield played it safe last week sitting out a fourth straight game with his foot injury. He wasn't needed as a nearly perfect Brett Favre led the Vikings to an easy win over the Seahawks.'

Well it's more accurate to say that the Vikings decided for Winfield that he was going to sit that one out, something that Winfield told the Star-Tribune that in hindsight was a wise choice. But with the division rival Bears on the schedule this week, Winfield is ready to promise he'll be back in action this Sunday.

It's impressive to see how the Vikings have managed to survive without their best cornerback. Pass defense has been one of the Vikings' weakest links for years, but even without Winfield they've managed to go 3-1. Minnesota still gives up plenty of pass yardage (they're 21st in the league in pass yardage allowed), but they have avoided big plays.

Winfield says his foot finally feels 100 percent for the first time since the injury. It's a good week for the Pro Bowl cornerback to return -- with Jay Cutler on the field a cornerback never knows when he'll have a chance for a pick.

Winfield Should Be Back Sunday originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zebra Report: Mangini's Timeout Gaffe

Matt Snyder — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Browns, Cowboys, Lions, Redskins, Texans, Titans, Vikings, NFL Coaching, NFL Referees

Zebra Report is FanHouse's analysis of actual NFL rules and how they are to be applied ... because most fans think they could do a better job than the NFL officials, yet definitely could not. Click here for an introduction as to how we do things.

As the clock struck zero in the Lions-Browns game, there was a pass interference penalty called on Cleveland in the end zone. In the aftermath of the play, Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford laid on the field injured. The officials called an injury timeout for Stafford. Also, Cleveland head coach Eric Mangini took a timeout to seemingly do nothing more than lambast the officials for what appeared a pretty obvious interference call.

There are three rules that apply here. First of all, the Lions are definitely entitled to one more play.

Rule 4-8-2: At the election of the opponent, a period may be extended for one untimed down, if any of the following occurs during a down during which time in the period expires: (a) If there is a foul by the defensive team that is accepted, the offensive team may choose to extend the period by an untimed down after enforcement of the penalty.

Secondly, the timeout by the Browns is what enabled Stafford to stay in the game. Otherwise he would have had to sit out the final play.

Rule 4-5-4c: When an injury timeout is called, the injured player must leave the game for the completion of one down. The player will be permitted to remain in the game if (inside the two-minute warning): (iii) the opponent calls a timeout.

Finally, the Lions were out of timeouts. The officials initially announced Detroit would be charged a team timeout. The announcers were adamant there was some mistake by the officials herein, but they were mistaken (shocker, I know). The Lions were bailed out by two different factors here. First of all, Mangini called a timeout.

Rule 4-5-4b: If a team has used its three charged team timeouts, an excess team timeout shall be called by the Referee, unless: (iii) the opponent calls a timeout.

Also, the Lions would be afforded the luxury of one "excess" timeout which comes with a 10-second runoff, yet no yardage penalty. In this case, the clock was already at zero, but the Lions -- see above -- were guaranteed one final play due to the defensive penalty. Of course, Mangini took this out of play anyway when he called a timeout.

Finally, there is no yardage penalty for the first "excess" timeout. There would have been for the second and every subsequent one thereafter. The officials in the Browns-Lions game got this entire interpretation correct.

Other officiating nuggets from Week 11

o. In the Titans-Texans there were two supposedly subjective calls that seemed not-so-subjective. First of all, a horse-collar tackle was called on John Busing when he tackled Chris Johnson to open the Titans' eventual game-winning drive. Replays clearly showed Busing had a hold of Johnson's jersey in the upper back region and definitely was not a horse-collar. Also, on a previous drive, one of the Texans defensive linemen clearly tripped Vince Young on a pivotal third-down incompletion. Adam Gretz informed me there was a discussion in the FanHouse live chat during the game in which some were insistent you could trip a ball-carrier. You can't:

Rule 12-1-7: No defensive player may trip an opponent.

These two blown calls once again brings to the forefront the issue of what coaches may or may not challenge. Obviously, there are very few penalties you can challenge and complete judgment calls (such as holding or pass interference) cannot be challengeable under the slippery slope premise. But, if something is cut-and-dry -- like a horse-collar, tripping, facemask or contacting a receiver inside five yards versus outside five yards -- it seems that it wouldn't do any harm to allow coaches to challenge the ruling on the field. After all, it's not like they have unlimited challenges. They'd still have to pick their battles.

o. An anonymous reader submitted this question: "I would like to know why it is not intentional grounding when a QB spikes the ball to stop the clock. There is no eligible receiver at the center spot, the QB is not outside the tackles and the ball does not cross the line of scrimmage. To me it should be a penalty."

There's a special exception here. Under the intentional grounding rule (8-3-1):

Item 3: Stopping Clock. A player under center is permitted to stop the game clock legally to save time if, immediately upon receiving the snap, he begins a continuous throwing motion and throws the ball directly into the ground.

o. A reader submitted this a few weeks ago: "In the Giants Chargers game, Eli Manning rolled away from pressure heading to the sideline. With no receiver open, he threw the ball away before stepping out of bounds. Officials ruled he was already out of bounds and it was a sack. Replays clearly showed the he was not out of bounds but the missed call cost the Giants 5 yards in a very close game, giving them 3rd and 14 instead of 3rd and 9. My question is: why such an obviously missed call is not reviewable?"

I'd have to guess that he's referencing a sack in the game log at the 4:06 mark in the fourth quarter. That's the closest thing I can find to the explanation in the email. In a reply exchange, the reader told me Tom Coughlin threw the red flag and was told he could not challenge the ruling on the field. I haven't been able to find a replay, but -- if it happened as was explained above -- I believe the officials were incorrect. And we actually have proof from a Week 11 game ...

o. Because here is a submission from co-worker Chris Sesno: "Jason Campbell was scrambling out of the pocket with about 25 seconds left and just inside of field goal range. He ran to sideline and as he was stepping out of bounds (about a 10 yard loss) he also threw the ball away -- and the pass didn't reach the line of scrimmage while in-bounds. They initially ruled he stepped out of bounds, thus they stopped the clock and marked the ball down after the loss of yards. Jim Zorn couldn't challenge since it was under two minutes, so they let the clock run for delay of game. After the delay of game, the refs reviewed Campbell's scramble and ruled that he threw the ball before he stepped out, it was close but definitely the right call. Then they spotted the ball 5 yards behind the original spot of the ball (before he threw away, and tacked on the 5 for delay of game). Then they went back and nullified the delay of game and moved the ball back up to the original line of scrimmage. With 15 seconds on the clock and third down, the skins tried a field goal and Suisham missed it from around the 29."

OK, let's sort this out. First of all, this appears to be the exact same situation as the Manning play above was described and this one was reviewed. So why couldn't Coughlin challenge the Manning play? You got me.

On this particular play, let us recall an issue I discussed last week. A delay of game penalty -- much like a false start -- is a "non-play." So the previous play can still be reviewed. You might recall in my explanation a few weeks ago when I covered this question, I pointed out there was nothing specific in the rules as to what would happen to the penalty if the play was changed. I said my guess was the penalty would simply be ignored and that's what happened here.

As to a possible grounding penalty, Campbell was outside the tackle box, but the ball crossed the out of bound line clearly short of the line of scrimmage. Here is the rule in question:

Rule 8-3-1: Item 1: Passer or Ball Outside Tackle Position. Intentional grounding will not be called when a passer, who is outside, or has been outside, the tackle position throws a forward pass that lands at or beyond the line of scrimmage, even if no offensive player(s) have a realistic chance to catch the ball (including when the ball lands out of bounds over the sideline or endline).

This is a tricky one. From the language in the rule, I could see it going either way. Does the ball crossing the line of scrimmage once out of bounds mean Campbell's off the hook? Or was the last parenthetical statement only referring to offensive players? It seems to me it should have been intentional grounding, but it's entirely possible I'm reading this rule incorrectly (after all, I'm only trained in high school and we don't have the "outside the tackle box" exemption).

o. Finally, we had another tripping call for a blocker whipping his legs up at the defender. This time it was Jason Peters of the Eagles on Sunday Night Football. It was, again, identical to Jeff Dugan's trip in the Vikings' loss to the Steelers, but I've yet to hear anything further from all the Vikings fans who chastised the league and myself. Interesting.

Got a rules-related question? Whether it's elementary, high school or NFL, email TZR and he'll see what he can do.

Zebra Report: Mangini's Timeout Gaffe originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Childress Has Earned Chance to Finish Job With Vikings

Thomas George — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:22:00 EST

Filed under: Vikings, NFL Coaching

"We made a lot of cultural changes. You don't come in with everything already firm. I thought this would be one of those rare chances. I didn't think I would be like (Bill) Parcells or (Dick) Vermeil where I was going to get multiple chances and shots.''

-- Vikings coach Brad Childress, reflecting on his 2006 hire in Minnesota

******

When Brad Childress said that last Thursday at the Minnesota Vikings complex, he was already inching toward securing multiple chances with the Vikings. Now that Childress and the Vikings have connected -- his contract, scheduled to end after the 2010 season, has been extended through the 2013 season -- Childress can breathe.

That is a good spot for him.

He is "chilly'' when he can breathe.

Childress arrived in Minnesota in 2006 as part of a 10-coach hiring binge across the NFL. Six of those coaches have been fired. Childress, Gary Kubiak (Houston Texans), Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints) and Mike McCarthy (Green Bay Packers) remain.

Contract extension talks between the Vikings and representatives of Childress intensified over the past two weeks. Here is, in essence, what the exchange consisted of:

CHILDRESS: "The franchise had not won a division title since 2000. We won it last year.''

MANAGEMENT: "Well, with the talent we have given you, you should have won more.''

CHILDRESS: "Our victories have gone in four seasons here from 6 to 8 to 10 and now an 8-1 record. Any way you slice it, that is ascending.''

MANAGEMENT: "Well, you inherited a team that had finished 9-7 the season before. So, it took you three seasons to surpass that victory total.''

CHILDRESS: "Of the four coaches remaining from my class of '06, my record is better than Kubiak's (22-26) and compares with the other two (Payton is 34-23 with a 1-1 playoff record and McCarthy is 32-25 with a 1-1 playoff record). I have brought in quality coaches -- a coach from my staff (Mike Tomlin/Pittsburgh Steelers) has gone on elsewhere to win a Super Bowl.''

MANAGEMENT: "With the talent we have given you, you should have won more.''

CHILDRESS: "This franchise is on pace to win consecutive division titles for the first time in 31 years. I brought in Brett Favre.''

MANAGEMENT: "That's a good one.''

******

Landing Favre has, thus far, helped the Vikings become one of the NFL's elite.

He can breathe now.

He did that last summer when he nabbed his new quarterback.

"We broke training camp and I took a breather,'' Childress recalled. "Who are we? What are we? I took that breath to answer those questions. And I realized you can't get a hit unless you swing the bat. So, I picked up the phone and called Brett. And pretty soon he was asking if he could play on that Friday. He came in, ate lunch, signed a contract, took his physical and went to practice. No meetings. How many guys and how many instances can you come up with where it would be like that?

"He knew our system and we knew him. All I did was give him an opportunity to one more time tell me no.''

Childress also tilted his Vikings future his way in the process.

"We broke training camp and I took a breather. 'Who are we? What are we?' I took that breath to answer those questions. And I realized you can't get a hit unless you swing the bat. So, I picked up the phone and called Brett. ... All I did was give him an opportunity to one more time tell me no."
-- Brad Childress Favre has become a spark for the 8-1 Vikings, a team that ranks second in points scored per game (30.1) and first in sacks (34). The Vikings, who host Seattle on Sunday, know they are of championship caliber.

But Vikings management asked a question that they needed to ask: Does Minnesota have a championship-caliber coach?

One way to answer that was to let the man breathe -- give him a jolt in security and see if he can create more magic.

What also worked in Childress's favor in extending his deal is the fact that starting over with a new coach meant starting from scratch with new schemes and dead money on the books -- with a possible strike looming in 2011. The Vikings wanted no part of that.

So, the Vikings viewed the direction Childress has taken them. They examined his shelf life in message and teaching. They measured his zenith.

They are giving him a shot to better answer all of that.

Childress, 53, is in his 32nd year of coaching and 12th in the NFL. He traveled from his hometown of Aurora, Ill., to play quarterback and wide receiver at the University of Illinois. He later graduated from Eastern Illinois and returned to Illinois in 1974 to begin his coaching career.

That career includes four colleges and three NFL teams -- among them, a stop coaching for Barry Alvarez at the University of Wisconsin (1991-1998), and one working for Andy Reid with the Philadelphia Eagles (1999-2005).

"I'm a Midwestern guy,'' Childress said. "I understand Midwestern values. I grew up around the Big Ten. I used to coach in the Metrodome when it was considered an eighth wonder of the world; now they want to dynamite it. People want instant gratification. They had their version of the greatest show on turf here with Randy Moss and Daunte Culpepper and the most points in the league and people got stuck on that.

"When you make a coaching change, it is because where you are is not where you want to be. Every one of our players, I have sat and talked to eye-to-eye. They are good people as well as good football players. There is a strong fiber that runs through them and this team.''

Childress' extension nearly doubles the coach's $2 million salary. This is a good time for Childress and for the Vikings. Both are ascending.

"I grew up in the barber shop,'' Childress said. "My dad was a barber. When I acted up, my mom would send me down there for some leather. That was discipline you remembered. I have a healthy respect for change.''

And for trust.

Childress was the first coach hired in that wave of 10 NFL coaching hires in 2006. He is still standing with the Vikings. And he may do so longer than them all.

Childress Has Earned Chance to Finish Job With Vikings originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Winfield Can Afford to Take His Time Coming Back

JJ Cooper — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Vikings, NFC North, NFL Injuries

When you're 8-1, you can afford to be picky.

Antoine Winfield is starting to return to practice after missing three games with a foot injury. But since the Vikings right now have a three-game lead in the NFC North, Winfield can head into the weekend knowing that he doesn't have to rush back before he's ready.

The Vikings have survived WInfield's absence better than could have been expected when he injured his foot against the Ravens. If there can be good news in an injury, it's that Karl Paymah, Benny Sapp and Asher Allen are better cornerbacks now than they were before Winfield's injury--it's forced them to take on larger roles. But when he does return, Winfield will once again immediately be the Vikings' best corner.

Winfield said that he's 85 percent certain that he'll be able to play this weekend against the Bears. But if he's not 100 percent certain he's ready to return, he should take it easy and spend another week on the inactive list. MInnesota has shown it can win regular season games without him, but it needs its Pro Bowl cornerback to be fully healthy when the playoffs arrive.

Winfield Can Afford to Take His Time Coming Back originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vikings Put Faith in Adrian Peterson

Thomas George — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Vikings

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The strength and tenderness of Adrian Peterson is always within reach for the Minnesota Vikings. It serves as comfort. It inspires.

Like one of his stop-and-go, juke-and-twirl, stiff-arming runs, Peterson's life has been full of taxing push-and-pull. He rattles off nuggets of the three numbing events of his life -- holding his eight-year-old dying brother in his arms at age seven, coping for eight years beginning at age 12 while his father was in prison, and enduring the murder of his half-brother before the 2007 NFL combine -- with vigor. He treats those troubles as if they were an anointing.

His teammates, coaches and Vikings ownership call this running back, at age 24 and in his third NFL season, an icon, an ambassador. Humble. Ears open. That big smile.

Most Vikings know to expect anything from Adrian Peterson in their quest to be champions. Others expect everything.

Good for them that Peterson knows how to own it, sell it. His shoulders are as broad as his feet are fleet.

"I'm big in faith,'' said Peterson, who grew up in Cedar Branch Baptist Church in Palestine, Texas, and attends bible study at teammates' homes on Wednesdays and Thursdays. His faith is the strength in his life and the power in his game.

"I realize God blessed me with tremendous talent,'' Peterson said. "I have set standards to push myself beyond talent. I don't have a signature run yet. I don't have a signature game yet. The way I see it, I've got a gift that I've got to continue to shape, get the best out of it. I've got a couple of 300-yard rushing games in me.

"I can get Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing mark. And Emmitt Smith's career touchdown record, too. I'm not longing for it, but I believe it will happen. I want to win championships and do whatever needs to be done to win championships. But I believe these things will happen as part of that.''

"He is our Walter Payton. He is our Jim Brown."
- Vikings offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie on Peterson His vision -- off the field and on it -- is robust. When he is running with a football, he said, he can see things develop, anticipate the second and third level of tacklers. He overpowers some and outruns most.

Even the rare ones who catch him during a long run, like Detroit Lions cornerback Phillip Buchanon did here on Sunday, cannot snuff him. Peterson reached the 4,000-yard-plus career rushing yards plateau in Minnesota's 27-10 victory over Detroit with 18 carries for 133 yards and two touchdowns. He has 917 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns this season, helping Minnesota to an 8-1 record.

He already owns the NFL single-game rushing record (296 yards). He was the 2008 Pro Bowl game MVP as a rookie. He has scored 33 rushing touchdowns in 39 career games. He has done it with a long stride and wondrous grace.

"We are watching a guy, every day, run his way into the Hall of Fame," Vikings offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie said. "He is our Walter Payton. He is our Jim Brown.''

His running backs coach, Eric Bieniemy, said: "Adrian knows who he is. He remembers who he is. As a youngster he made bold decisions on who he would become.''

Tragedy Strikes

Peterson knows that strength and tenderness were required.

"I was 7, but I remember it like yesterday," Peterson said of the death of his eight-year-old brother, Brian, who was riding his bike when he was killed by a drunk driver. "There was an incline in front of our apartment where we would ride our bikes up and down. I was playing football with the guys near it when Brian was hit. I ran to him and held his head in my arms. His head was swollen. I spoke to him but he couldn't speak. I ran to get help. There was nothing we could do. My mom cried for a full year, day and night. I would just hold her and tell her everything was going to be all right. Brian was faster than me, a better athlete than me. That motivated me to work hard for him.

"I run for both of us."

Five years later, Peterson learned that the FBI had raided his father's home and that his dad would serve eight years in prison for laundering drug money. Whenever he went to visit his father, Nelson, thick glass always separated them, he said. His dad had been first to place a football in his hands.

When he lost his father, Peterson initially lost his way.

"I definitely started hanging out in the wrong crowds," he said. "I was stealing. I got caught in school smoking a joint in the boys' bathroom with a friend in the seventh grade. We left the bathroom while a security guard was walking past. We ran. He couldn't catch us, but he saw us and knew it was us. I was forced to go to alternative school for a year.

"I learned something about making bad decisions. One big lesson learned. How quickly things can change from worse to even worse. No sports. Bam! I had to get my mind right. Thank you, Jesus. Things definitely could have been another way for me"'

Like one of his spectacular runs, he planted his foot and turned toward daylight.

His father would witness firsthand his son's final two University of Oklahoma games. He attends most of Peterson's games now.

And his father was there for support when Peterson faced another defining, deflating moment in his life. The night before he was to work out at the '07 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, his half-brother, Chris Paris, 19, was murdered in Houston.

"We were very close," Peterson said. "He used to tell me to make sure I represent Palestine. It was a Saturday night at the combine. I woke up. I was sweating. Something terrible had happened; I could feel it. I grabbed my phone. No missed calls. I lay down, wide awake. I looked at my phone again. I had the feeling something was wrong. I was able to get to sleep and got the call that morning. I went to the funeral and there was Chris laying there in the casket. I didn't cry. I had cried enough."

Peterson said he has not had a "vision" like it before or since.

Yet he still has a knack for anticipating the best -- and the worst.

When he talks about these things, he wears a smile that masks the pain. It is his strength and his tenderness that sees him through. A spin, a stiff-arm, a spiritual, power move and run to a new level. A rejuvenated vision -- he said that is what he has created that lasts.

"Things shape you," he said.

The Centerpiece

The Vikings have extended their community service reach and continue to seek a new stadium. Vikings ownership says that Peterson has been a pivotal part of it all.

After all, it was the Vikings who did not let Peterson's collegiate injury concerns -- shoulder, ankle and collarbone injuries -- sway them from making him the seventh pick in the 2007 draft. None of the players selected before him, from quarterback JaMarcus Russell at No. 1 by the Oakland Raiders to safety LaRon Landry at No. 6 by the Washington Redskins, have come close to Peterson's production and star power. Particular pity is warranted for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: They selected defensive end Gaines Adams at No. 4 in that draft and recently traded him to the Chicago Bears.

"We made an early, firm decision there with Adrian,'' Vikings owner/president Mark Wilf said. "I can't speak for the other six teams that selected before us, but we are pleased with our pick at No. 7.

"As great a talent as he is, his commitment and drive to win make that a rare and special combination. He embraces us as a franchise. He gives kids and charities his time. What he gives to the game and the league is bigger than the Vikings. He has come through great adversity with great resolve."

Peterson runs at home against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. After that, he and the Vikings still have two games left against Chicago -- Peterson's favorite defense to confront because of their tradition, he said -- as well as difficult showdowns with Cincinnati's rising defense and a matchup with the Giants.

Peterson knows what is ahead. He also knows how to peek around the corner while remaining planted.

Vikings receiver Sidney Rice is Peterson's roommate during road games. He said the team has accepted Peterson's mindset of never giving up as its own. Quarterback Brett Favre calls Peterson a "stud," a back who gains yardage even when it is not there. The Vikings want Peterson to run with more patience, but Peterson is often at his best running as fast as he can every time he can. Slow down or speed up?

Vikings coach Brad Childress offered: "He loves doing what he is doing. He is going a million miles all of the time. Great competitor. He's a good piece of the puzzle -- many hands make light work. You are always trying to build weapons, get tools. But on offense there is only one ball. It's a team sport. He is a very useful, important part."

Adrian Peterson has another vision: It includes becoming the best football player who ever lived.

So, is he a piece of the puzzle or the puzzle? In five of the Vikings' nine games, Peterson has carried the ball 19 or fewer times. Yet Peterson has still shown his rare strength.

He always wants the ball.

The way he sees it, every time he touches it is a chance to show you something you have never seen.

"My first two years here were all about the run game," Peterson said. "This year we have new tools, from Favre to Percy Harvin and so many others. There are different roles now. A different style of run game. Now the offense is more balanced. My ultimate goal is winning the Super Bowl. Would I love to lead the league in rushing? Yes. But I've done that and we lost in the playoffs. I was second in the league in rushing my first year and we didn't make the playoffs. My thing is let's win Super Bowls whatever way it can be done.

"I've been playing this game since I was knee-high. Everything I've been through at this point was about pruning me to be the best. I see that clearly now."

Vikings Put Faith in Adrian Peterson originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brett Favre Breaks Record for Most Wins By 40-Plus Quarterback

JJ Cooper — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:22:00 EST

Filed under: Vikings, NFC North, NFL Analysis

I'll admit, I was wrong. During the offseason, I wrote here at FanHouse that the Vikings' pursuit of Brett Favre was foolhardy. Between his age and the poor finish to his 2008 season in New York, it seemed too risky to put the Vikings' season in the hands of a 40-year-old quarterback.

Brad Childress' gamble has paid off big-time. Favre is one of the key reasons that Minnesota is battling New Orleans for home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs, and he is the reason Childress is talking contract extension instead of worrying about his job security.

Obviously, Brett Favre isn't the average 40-year-old quarterback. He's having the best season a 40-year-old QB has ever had in the NFL and it's not even close.

In NFL history, there have only been 13 seasons where a quarterback 40 or older has thrown 100 attempts. Among those, Favre's 2009 season stands out as easily the best ever.

Just nine games into the season, Favre already has won more games this season than any 40-year-old has ever won (he's got two more than Warren Moon's seven wins in 1997). His 17 touchdowns are tied for the second most for a quarterback 40 years or older (and he'll catch Moon's record of 25 shortly). But most importantly, barring a collapse that would set records, he'll become the first starting quarterback to lead a team to the playoffs after his 40th birthday.

And considering how we'll he's playing, it's hard to believe he couldn't play as a 41-year-old as well, which means we're likely looking at another offseason of wall-to-wall coverage of Favre's will-he-or-won't-he waffling. While most NFL fans may cringe at the idea of another offseason of Rachel Nichols reporting daily from Mississippi, Vikings fans won't complain.

Brett Favre Breaks Record for Most Wins By 40-Plus Quarterback originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Awful Bears, Packers Making NFC North Title Easy for Minnesota

Matt Snyder — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Packers, Vikings, NFC North

Though most had the Minnesota Vikings as the favorites to win the NFC North heading into the season, nearly everyone agreed that either the Chicago Bears or Green Bay Packers -- or both -- would at least pose a challenge to the Vikes' second straight division crown. Instead, we're taking this division race off life support and putting it to rest after Week 9. The 2009 NFC North champions will be the Vikings. They can now focus on securing home-field advantage in the playoffs.

The reason for the above sentiment is that both the Bears and Packers were abysmal, in different circumstances, Sunday afternoon. The Pack went into Tampa Bay and lost to the formerly winless Buccaneers, while the Bears were absolutely manhandled for the majority of the afternoon by a fickle Arizona squad.

More: Week 9 Scoreboard | Updated Standings

With both Green Bay and Chicago falling to 4-4, the 7-1 Vikings, who were idle in Week 9, have a cushy three-game lead atop the division, but the gap is much larger than three games -- that much was evident Sunday.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw three interceptions and completed less than half of his passes. The combination of his penchant for holding the ball too long and Green Bay's lackluster offensive line just proved to be too much, as the Bucs' six sacks were easily a season high (they only had 11 in their previous seven games). The Packers also allowed a punt to be blocked, while their defense gave up three touchdown passes to rookie Josh Freeman, who was making his first NFL start. The Bucs' 38 points were, by far, another season high for a team that came into the game averaging 13.7 points a game.

After a certain period of time, it's almost not even worth asking if Packers coach Mike McCarthy is in over his head anymore. He was out-prepared by a rookie head coach, Raheem Morris, who had never won an NFL game. I don't care about the extra week of preparation, either, because McCarthy's team is infinitely more talented than the crew Morris won with. Worst of all for the Pack, it just seemed like the Bucs -- who, again, were 0-7 before the game started -- wanted it more. The game's last interception was pretty indicative of the whole game.

The Bucs' defender who took it to the house, Tenard Jackson, definitely should have just fallen to the ground instead of chancing a fumble. Instead, he refused to be tackled and the Packers just played like bullfighters ushering him to the end zone. It was a good illustration of how the entire fourth quarter played out.

Speaking of a team wanting it more, I'm surprised the Bears even took the field for the second half. The first half was as miserable an attempt at playing football as I've seen in a long time from them. Oh, wait, they just did that two games ago in an embarrassing loss at Cincinnati. Apparently the Bears don't care, period. It's easy for the masses to pick on Jay Cutler -- after all, the quarterback is the only player who helps his team win or lose, right? -- but the story here was the sieve that was masquerading as a defense.

The Arizona Cardinals set a season-high in rushing yards before halftime. Steve Breaston took a second-man-through reverse 25 yards, and about half the Bears defense gave up on the play after less than five yards. Tim Hightower entered the game averaging 3.3 yards per carry, but the Bears made him look like a Pro Bowler every time he touched the ball -- Beanie Wells also had his way. Larry Fitzgerald is always a man among boys, but he looked like he was facing high school competition in his dominance over Charles Tillman -- before Tillman retreated with injury, and I wouldn't be surprised if the injury was a bruised ego. Kurt Warner appeared to be yawning through much of his five-touchdown effort, not missing injured Pro-Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin for one second. And, of course, you have Tommie Harris getting ejected for a disgraceful action -- blatantly punching an Arizona offensive lineman a mere two minutes into the game. I'm not sure what was more despicable: Harris' punch or the Bears' attempt at defense.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Carnell Williams (24) is hit by Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Barnett (56) as Packers' Nick Collins (36) moves in during the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

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Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew, right, catches a fourth-quarter pass from quarterback David Garrard, left, during an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville won 24-21.(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell is attended to by members of the training staff after being injured in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Atlanta. Atlanta won 31-17. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell, center, wide receiver Antwaan Randle (82) and wide receiver Santana Moss (89) wait on the sidelines as their NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons nears an end, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Atlanta. Atlanta won 31-17. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Chicago Bears defensive ends Adewale Ogunleye (93) and Alex Brown (96) force Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner (13) to fumble in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. The Cardinals recovered the fumble. The Cardinals won 41-21. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry (15) grimaces after injuring his left forearm in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel, right, avoids a sack from Jacksonville Jaguars' Bryan Smith, left, in fourth-quarter action during an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub (8) lays on the ground after being sacked by Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney in the first quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (82) catches a fourth-quarter pass in front of Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Rashean Mathis during an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville won 24-21. (AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Houston Texans' Kris Brown reacts after missing a 42-yard field goal as time expires in an NFL Football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. Indianapolis won 20-17. (AP Photo/Tom Strattman)

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Kansas City head coach Todd Haley, right, shakes hands with offensive guard Brian Waters after a late touchdown in fourth-quarter action during an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

Of course, the defense wasn't supposed to be a concern this year, because Lovie Smith was taking over as the play-caller, and the Bears brought Rod Marinelli onto the staff. If this was Lovie's way of holding himself to a higher standard of accountability, he should be given his walking papers quite soon.

Also, the offensive play-calling was very suspect -- the Bears passed the ball 47 times compared to just 12 rushing plays. Obviously, once they fell behind by a large margin, they were forced to start chucking it, but they didn't run the ball until the eighth play from scrimmage. The entire first drive went without a rushing attempt. Sure, the Bears scored a touchdown in six plays, but there's something to be said for taking some time off the clock and keeping Warner and company off the field. I wonder if Smith will try to reiterate this week, again, that the Bears are a "running team?"

Chicago was provided a glimmer of hope when Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt inexplicably pulled Warner far too early in the fourth quarter. A Matt Leinart interception then set up the third Cutler-to-Greg Olsen touchdown of the game, and the Bears trailed 34-21 with more than nine minutes left. Of course, the next drive ended prematurely when Cutler tossed a pick -- it appeared Earl Bennett cut off his route early, but Cutler was still throwing into double coverage.

All in all, it was a dreadful day for the pair of teams who would be challengers to the Vikings in the North. Minnesota fans can start buying tickets for at least one home playoff game. The team can start playing for the right to host more, because this division "race" is, for all intents and purposes, over. In fact, the Bears and Packers are probably better suited to avoid falling behind the Lions. The gap between those two and the last-place Lions is much closer than it is between the struggling duo and the top.

Awful Bears, Packers Making NFC North Title Easy for Minnesota originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Congress Shoots Down NFL's Request for Help on StarCaps Ruling

Dan Graziano — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Vikings, NFL Analysis

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell testified before a congressional subcommittee Tuesday, asking U.S. lawmakers for legislative help in the league's ongoing effort to suspend Minnesota Vikings defensive tackles Kevin and Pat Williams for a positive drug test. But at the end of a three-hour hearing, the chairman of the subcommittee made it clear that Congress has no interest in getting involved in the StarCaps case. Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois urged Goodell and players' union head DeMaurice Smith, who also testified, to work out their differences over the case and the league's drug policy through collective bargaining.

"Ask Rodney King for some advice," Rush said in his closing statement. "Can't we all get along?"

Wednesday in New York, the NFL and the NFLPA will hold another round of collective bargaining negotiations. But as they attempt to head off an uncapped 2010 season and the possibility of a 2011 lockout by settling their significant differences on economic issues, it's clear that the league and the union are in strong disagreement on the state of the NFL's drug policy. When the hearings concluded Tuesday, NFL PR representatives Greg Aiello and Brian McCarthy engaged in some back-and-forth arguments with union spokesman George Atallah on their respective Twitter pages. Aiello wrote that the "NFLPA is now aligned with MLB players union on steroids. Seems like big step backward for NFLPA." Atallah responded by writing, "Alternative fix to federal legislation: collective bargaining. Let's close the loopholes."

A quick rundown of the background: The Williamses and three other players were suspended last year for testing positive for a banned substance, but the players argued that the positive test resulted from their taking the weight loss drug StarCaps. The players and their union say the league knew that StarCaps contained the banned substance and either failed, neglected or decided not to inform the players of that fact when they asked if the drug was OK for them to take. The league is upset that the union hasn't joined it in fighting the Williams' challenge of their suspensions, but the union believes the league is responsible for this specific problem and the union wants to negotiate changes in the policy that would prevent its recurrence.

The case is currently awaiting hearing in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, where so far the players have successfully argued that Minnesota state law prohibits employers from disciplining employees for a first positive drug test.

Goodell on Tuesday said the NFL's drug policy could not survive if it turned out to be vulnerable to challenges in individual state courts, and he asked the House Subcommitte on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection to help, calling this a "rare case in which narrow and tailored federal legislative action is warranted to confirm the primacy of federal labor law and respect agreements on this important subject."

But Rush clearly disagreed. He asked Goodell if the league had approached the Minnesota state legislature and asked them to change the law to make it clear that it doesn't apply to the NFL. (Louisiana has a similar law on the books that has such an exception written into it.) Goodell's response was that the league could do that, sure, but that wouldn't prevent other states from acting in this same way in the future.

But Goodell's worries seem unfounded, and in asking for congressional help the league appears to be overreaching. Only two states besides Minnesota -- Maryland and North Carolina -- have laws that would conflict in such a way with the NFL's drug policy. And certainly, if threatened with the possibility that the league would no longer operate in their states, those legislatures would undoubtedly make the necessary changes to those laws.

So in the meantime, Congress' position seems to be that the league and its union find a way to close these loopholes in the policy on their own, which is what Smith, the union head, has said publicly that he wants to do.

Rush said that Goodell's request for the hearing in light of the StarCaps ruling was "the proper and responsible thing to do," and he didn't rule out the idea of Congress getting involved in the future. But he made it clear that such involvement would not be desirable.

"If legislation is necessary, we love to write laws, so we won't hesitate to write them," Rush said. "But I think we need to go slow on this, and I'm going to ask and simply request that the players' association and the NFL, you all get together and try to work this out if you possibly can. You don't want 435 members of Congress writing a law that would have in any way some immediate conduct or effect on your players, because you never can tell. We might come up with some kind of laws that put a ceiling on salaries. You don't want us to get involved in this, because you can never tell what members of Congress will ultimately do once you open up this Pandora's Box. So I just would ask that you all try to work this out."

Congress Shoots Down NFL's Request for Help on StarCaps Ruling originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Percy Harvin Dangerous at Any Speed

Thomas George — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Vikings, NFL Analysis

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- How can a person that's so fast be so slow? But there was Percy Harvin in the Minnesota Vikings locker room on Sunday night, methodically prepping himself before addressing the media.

Slacks and shoes on. Check. Lotion applied from head to toe. Check. A rubdown of the close-cropped hair atop his head. Check. Repeat. Make sure all in his locker is in order. Check. More lotion applied. Check.

Turn. Breathe. Cameras roll. Recorders shoved his way.

Big smile.

Harvin can light it up without the ball in his hands in a fashion that's nearly as entertaining as he does with it.

"Percy the great!" his teammate and fellow receiver, Sidney Rice, joked at the locker next to him as Harvin took on all comers, all queries. There were plenty after Harvin ripped the Packers for 261 all-purpose yards in Minnesota's 38-26 victory. In the mix was a 51-yard touchdown grab where three Packers defenders collided and fell while Harvin soared and ran.

The NFL has presented a handful of offensive players in recent seasons whose sheer explosiveness is blinding. They are incredible talents in that their start-ups -- their first few steps from zero to 10 yards -- are faster, quicker, more electric than most. And once in the open field, they frequently blaze past defenders.

Receiver Santonio Holmes of the Pittsburgh Steelers fits the bill. So does receiver/kick returner Devin Hester of the Chicago Bears and running back/kick returner Darren Sproles of the San Diego Chargers. Running back Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans is in the group as well.

On Sunday against the New York Jets, receiver/kick returner Ted Ginn Jr. of the Miami Dolphins showed why he is worthy of inclusion. And receiver/kick returner DeSean Jackson of the Philadelphia Eagles is so lightning quick that he is making a habit of running wide open, deep into the heart of defenses designed to negate him.

Harvin is a rookie who looks as fleet and spectacular as any of them.

How could anyone review his University of Florida career and not realize that this player had the tools to be special in the NFL? How could an instant impact player of this magnitude fall to the No. 22 spot in April's draft?

Well, before the draft, there were issues in character -- Harvin tested positive for marijuana. He had injury issues at Florida. Was he too small (5-foot-11, 184 pounds) to withstand the NFL pounding?

Now, though, he's showing charisma, and instead of seeing all those red flags of doubt, he's forcing Minnesota's opponents to wave white flags of surrender.

"I was being labeled a person I wasn't," Havin said. "Some of it was hurtful."

Some of it he earned.

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre runs onto the field in celebration after the Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers 38-26 in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre reacts to a fourth-quarter touchdown pass against the Green Bay Packers in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. The Vikings won 38-26. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

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GREEN BAY, WI - NOVEMBER 1: Quarterback Brett Favre #4 of the Minnesota Vikings passes the ball against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on November 1, 2009 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Vikings 38-26. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brett Favre

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GREEN BAY, WI - NOVEMBER 1: Former fans of Brett Favre #4 Minnesota Vikings dress up before their game at Lambeau Field on November 1, 2009 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Vikings defeated Packers the 38-26. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)

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GREEN BAY, WI - NOVEMBER 1: A fan of Brett Favre #4 of the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field on November 1, 2009 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Vikings defeated Packers the 38-26. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)

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GREEN BAY, WI - NOVEMBER 1: Percy Harvin #12 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates after beating the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on November 1, 2009 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Vikings 38-26. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Percy Harvin

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Minnesota Vikings' Bernard Berrian (87) gets a bear hug from quarterback Brett Favre (4) as they celebrate a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. The Vikings won 38-26. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre raises his arms to the Lambeau Field crowd after the Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers 38-26 in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

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Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson (28) points to quarterback Brett Favre after Favre threw a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. The Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers 38-26. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre, right, and Green Bay Packers' Donald Driver put their helmets together and embrace after the Vikings beat the Packers 38-26 in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

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"I didn't do everything up to this point the exact right way, but I have learned from mistakes, and it was never about me not wanting to be a great person and a great player,'' Harvin said. "The best thing that happened to me was falling in the draft. It gave me the chance to come to this team, rather than being a higher pick with a bad team. I want to be a winner. Some teams want to win. Some want to win a lot more than others.

"So, I didn't come in with any special expectations. I just wanted to contribute. I knew special teams for me wouldn't be a big deal. But I hoped that I could become a player who would be a change of pace for the offense."

He is more than a change of pace. He is another dynamic piece for this offense.

Running back Adrian Peterson already fills that role for the Vikings, and now Harvin, whether in the slot or elsewhere on the field, is becoming a similar force.

"Percy is something to watch with the ball in his hands because of his explosion and elusiveness," Packers receiver Greg Jennings said. "He is the type of player other NFL players like to watch. It is very hard for a defense to wrap its hand around a player like that."

First, you have to catch him.

Harvin has dealt with migraine headaches, a shoulder injury and a bout with flu this season. He has been in and out of practices and in and out of games. But he has been on the field long enough to help lift the Vikings into first place in the NFC North halfway through the season.

Vikings quarterback Brett Favre keeps finding Harvin in key game situations -- and Favre has been in his ear about another topic.

"Brett has told me how much he enjoys the raw talent that I have, but he gave me some extra film," Harvin said. "He wanted me to study [New England Patriots receiver] Wes Welker. He reminded me there is something important about fundamentals and having a base understanding of what slot receivers do. Welker has been one of the best at it. Sometimes you have to slow down and really have that understanding."

Sometimes, he said, he has to slow down before he can speed up.

Percy Harvin Dangerous at Any Speed originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Packers in Pain After Another Loss to Favre, Vikings

Thomas George — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:45:00 EST

Filed under: Packers, Vikings

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- It was mesmerizing, tantalizing for the fans, the 71,213 of them who filled Lambeau Field -- the most ever in this 52-year-old building. Maybe that was why, late in the fourth quarter, camera bulbs were flashing high and low as if it were the kickoff. Or why Packers fans were still on edge at that point, even though their team was cooked.

Yes, Brett Favre rolled them twice -- once in his new dome in Minnesota, and now here on Sunday on hallowed football ground. The Packers half expected him to show up and play the game in flip-flops to match his mental trickery. You know, this Packers legend, this turncoat in purple -- he had punched them in the gut before.

And after Minnesota's 38-26 win, after Favre had thrown four touchdown passes to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers' three, and after the Vikings swept the season series between these long-time rivals, Favre had earned the bragging rights.

Rodgers had to slip away into the night.

Actually, it was more like he had to limp into the night after the pounding he took. Rodgers endured six more sacks on Sunday, which came on top of the eight he absorbed in Minnesota's Week 4 win over Green Bay.

Favre was not sacked -- in either game.

What does it mean for Rodgers, for the Packers?

"It hurts,'' Packers cornerback Charles Woodson said.

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What exactly hurts, Woodson was asked. "Losing,'' he answered.

Losing to the Vikings hurts. Losing to Favre doubles the pain.

Rodgers tried to explain that without bashing Favre or being swallowed by the big picture. That picture reveals that the Packers ditched Favre for Rodgers.

"You always want to win the home division games,'' Rodgers said. "It's tough to take that many shots, for sure, but you've got to give them credit. I hate losing to the Vikings, especially. They are division rivals and we don't like those losses at home.

"It doesn't matter who you play, though, it's tough to lose."

So was ditching Favre for Rodgers a smart move and who is the better quarterback?

Well, let's see: Rodgers is 10-13 as a starter since Green Bay moved him in, and Favre is 16-8 as an NFL starter since Green Bay moved him out.

Favre is 2-0 vs. Rodgers and the Packers. Minnesota (7-1) is in first place in the NFC North division. Green Bay (4-3) trails.

It could eventually prove a good move for the Packers. But right now, Favre is the better quarterback.

And here is the hammer: The Vikings have a better team than the Packers.

Three different Vikings defensive linemen (Ray Edwards, Jared Allen and Pat Williams) chased down Rodgers in the backfield for first-half sacks that crushed the Packers. Seldom do you see NFL quarterbacks caught from behind like that, simply run down and snuffed out.

This is an explosive Vikings defense.

Rodgers was working with a line that protected from average to poor. He finally began to complement its strengths by massaging the pocket, by creating new passing lanes, by scooting when required. Those types of moves and decisions took a game that Green Bay trailed 24-3 at one point, and turned it into a 24-20 scrap heading to the fourth quarter.

But Favre had more in store. He had two scoring passes left. He kept topping Rodgers by making quicker and stronger choices.

That is a discernible difference between the quarterbacks -- Favre gets the ball out of the pocket quicker.

"He gets the ball out of there with something on it, quick, right now,'' Woodson said of Favre. "That makes him tough to play for any defense.''

Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said he saw fans who wore Favre's old Green Bay jersey upside down and others who wore it backward. He said he felt the electric crowd and the playoff atmosphere. He saw Favre enjoying it, too, and said that Favre and his teammates "approached it like a late playoff game.''

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson loved the atmosphere, too, loved coming "with Brett to the place that Brett built.'' Peterson was in awe of his quarterback's "leadership and confidence'' all week long, and especially in this game.

All around him, Favre enjoys a variety of playmakers and difference-makers -- none more than rookie receiver/returner Percy Harvin (84 receiving yards, a 51-yard scoring catch, 175 kickoff return yards).

This is an explosive Vikings offense.

But Rodgers and the Packers offense showed it can produce a pop as well. The Packers defense produced moments similar to the ones Minnesota's defense came up with.

In neither game between the two teams were those things enough to win against Favre.

"Our quarterback has the will to change things and he takes the position that he is not going to let his teammates down,'' Packers receiver Greg Jennings said. "He is not going to lay flat from adversity or because of a stumble. This is a 'We' situation. It is our team, our ownership, our loss.''

You heard the Packers afterward grumbling about how the defensive schemes do not fit the defensive personnel and how the offensive line too frequently folds. But more of them spoke like middle linebacker Nick Barnett, who said his team started slowly in this game, made a strong run, got close, but "could never get home.''

The Packers put so much into this game -- divisional battle, a huge rival. A victory meant evening things in the loss column with the Vikings. It meant ruining a crucial head-to-head tiebreaker that Minnesota could earn.

Now what?

It hurts, losing. The Packers have the ingredients -- a streaky team of great highs and miserable lows -- to duplicate that nasty, late, five-game losing streak that earned them a lousy 6-10 record a year ago.

They were very clear on what a victory would have meant. They seemed uncertain about what their loss would do.

"I'll tell you exactly what I told them,'' Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "I told them at halftime that the second half was going to be a turning point in our season. It was important for us to go out there and turn this game around and make a run and win this game.''

A curious thing about Lambeau Field is that there is only one entrance from the locker rooms onto the field. It also serves as the only exit. Brett Favre, kicked aside here, strolled back in through the out door.

One tunnel, two teams -- two quarterbacks going different places.

"It's kind of odd how you mingle going through that tunnel,'' Peterson said. "I say hello to the guys over there I'm friendly with. The ones I'm not, I give that look. That in-game, serious, I'm-out-to-win, get-out-of-my-way look that turns into something back on the field.''

The one Brett Favre put on the Packers.

The one Aaron Rodgers, like his team, is still crafting.

Packers in Pain After Another Loss to Favre, Vikings originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brett Favre Brilliant in Return to Lambeau

Chris Burke — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:40:00 EST

Filed under: Packers, Vikings

Most of the Packers fans tried their hardest to make Brett Favre feel unwelcome in his return to Lambeau Field on Sunday -- booing him from the moment he emerged from the tunnel in pregame warmups until the final snap. All Favre did in response was play exactly like he always has at Lambeau.

The 40-year-old was spectacular in his first game back in Green Bay, leading the Vikings to a 38-26 win that puts Minnesota in complete control of the NFC North.

"It was emotional," a slightly choked-up Favre said to Fox's Pam Oliver once the game ended. "I had a lot of years here, a lot of great years. It was pretty special."

Favre completed 17-of-28 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns -- including two in the fourth quarter as Green Bay feverishly attempted to rally from a 21-point deficit.

"We played a great game, they played a great game," Favre said. "Obviously I'm glad we won the game. I know what I did here and what I left behind."

Favre's successor in Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers, put on a show of his own. Rodgers completed 26-of-41 passes for 287 yards. He also had three second-half touchdowns to pull Green Bay out of a 24-3 hole and bring the Packers as close as four points.

After Rodgers hit Spencer Havner to cut the Minnesota lead to 24-20, though, Favre countered with a 2-yard TD pass to Jeff Dugan to reopen an 11-point cushion. A Rodgers-to-Greg Jennings connection cut that deficit down to 31-26, but Favre again responded and found Bernard Berrian for a 16-yard score with just 3:48 left to bury the Packers.

"I hate losing to whoever's the quarterback for them," Rodgers said.

Any questions about how the Green Bay fans would receive Favre were answered vociferously. Favre received a chorus of boos when he ran onto the field in the pregame, and the fans kept those boos going -- almost non-stop -- through Minnesota's first two offensive possessions.

The fans unrest no doubt grew as Favre picked their Packers apart -- and hampered Green Bay's own postseason hopes.

"Packer fans cheer for the Packers first," Favre said. "I know that. But I hope that everyone in the stadium watching tonight said, 'I sure hate those jokers on the other side, but he does play the way he's always played.'"

Brett Favre Brilliant in Return to Lambeau originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday NFL Live Chat: Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers

Adam Gretz — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Packers, Vikings, NFL Live Blogging

Since there's no Sunday night game on the schedule this week, we're bumping our weekly live chat up to the afternoon to discuss THE GREATEST GAME EVER.

Yes, that's right, it's Favre Bowl II as Brett Favre makes his first appearance in Green Bay as a visiting starting quarterback. We'll be there for all of the action, so please, join us at 4:00 PM ET for all of the fun.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=&amp;amp;amp;quot;http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=8fc8556975&amp;amp;amp;quot; &amp;amp;amp;gt;Sunday NFL Live Chat&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Sunday NFL Live Chat: Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tom Cable, Brett Favre, Giants vs. Eagles: NFL Live Tweet

Michael David Smith — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:50:00 EST

Filed under: Packers, Raiders, Vikings

Tom Cable appears to have a history of physically abusing people he has power over, whether a woman he's in a relationship with or a coach who works for him.

I think about 80% of Green Bay fans will boo Brett Favre today. What do you think? Higher? Lower?

Those are among the observations I've made on Twitter today, and I'll be making plenty more as I follow the early games, highlighted by Giants vs. Eagles, and the late games, highlighted by Vikings vs. Packers. To stay updated on everything happening in the NFL Sunday, follow along below or follow me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.

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Tom Cable, Brett Favre, Giants vs. Eagles: NFL Live Tweet originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Favre's Return to Lambeau Highlights Mistakes Made in Packer Divorce

Bruce Ciskie — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:40:00 EST

Filed under: Packers, Vikings, NFC North, NFL Fans, NFL Quarterbacks

Outside of Sunday being a day many Packer fans have dreaded for months, it's just another football Sunday in Green Bay.

The hype surrounding this regular-season battle of NFC North rivals surpasses anything most fans will see in their lifetimes. The reality is that football fans in Wisconsin are stuck in the middle of the tension that developed between Brett Favre and the Packers. It was this way in August of 2008, when the whole thing blew up, and it isn't going to change for some time.

Both sides talk about respect. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said this week he felt the organization did well in not disrespecting Favre in that summer drama last year. Of course, the trade to the New York Jets simply put off the inevitable.

Was that a mistake? Should general manager Ted Thompson have traded Favre to the Vikings all along?

Absolutely not.

Thompson might have been criticized -- and rightfully so, for the most part -- for his handling of the Favre saga, but he would have been digging his own grave as an executive by trading Favre to a division rival. You're bound to read comments from alleged Packer fans on message boards, blogs, and newspaper sites that say Thompson is ruining the Packers. However, the team has only had one bad season since Thompson began overhauling the organization after the firing of head coach Mike Sherman.

Through all the hoopla surrounding Favre's presence in Minnesota, it's easy to forget that Green Bay is 4-2, and they're coming off back-to-back dominating wins. Yes, those wins came over bad teams, but you can only beat the teams the league puts in front of you, and the Packers have shown throughout the first part of the 2009 season that they're far from a bad team.

As pointed out in the Green Bay Press Gazette, Thompson's biggest mistake may have been reacting to Favre's push to return with virtually no action at all.

In an ideal world, Thompson wouldn't have to treat Favre like anything more than another player on the team. However, he gave 16 wonderful years to the Packers, and he was revered by fans and players alike. Covert attempts to paint Favre as a bad teammate or a disingenuous fellow were simply not going to work. Fans knew he was not a great decision-maker when it came to his retirement, but they weren't going to hold it against him.

While Thompson was right not to "beg" Favre to return, and the organization was right not to hold Favre's job open for him until he had fully made up his mind, Thompson's mechanical reactions and overall lack of outgoing compassion made him an easy target for Favre faithful.

Meanwhile, Favre likely overestimated his value to the Packer organization at the age of 38. While he may act now like he didn't have a problem with the Packers moving on to Aaron Rodgers, that was not the case in 2008. He felt like that job was his, and he was angry the Packers would be willing to move on without him. Of course, when you retire in March, and wait until June to inform the team that maybe you don't want to be retired anymore, it's hard to reasonably expect that the team is going to open their arms and welcome you back unconditionally.

The Packers were upset, as Andrew Brandt wrote on National Football Post, when the NFL cleared the Vikings of tampering charges last year. Favre claimed he was just chatting with his friends, who happened to be Minnesota head coach Brad Childress and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. It was clear Minnesota was his desired destination, and it turns out his desire to play there was so great that he was willing to play a full season with the unfamiliar New York Jets just to make it happen.

This all brings us to a day Packer fans probably thought they'd never see. Brett Favre dresses in the visitors' locker room at Lambeau Field, and he will face a hostile crowd in his former home for the first time. People have been asking about the potential reception at Lambeau for a long time, but there's really only one answer that makes sense.

During the summer of 2009, former Steelers safety Rod Woodson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In his speech, Woodson referenced Pittsburgh fans, who booed him mercilessly when he returned to Pittsburgh as a rival Baltimore Raven.

I want to say thank you for giving me ten wonderful years there. To the Steeler nation thank you for accepting me. For cheering me on. And after I left, for booing me. No, I'm serious for booing me. Because you know, if you cheered me when I put on a Raiders uniform or a Ravens uniform, I think I would have lost a little respect for the Steeler nation. So I'm glad you booed me, because you should.

This is what Favre should expect today. It's not about blaming Favre for his departure, or absolving Thompson and McCarthy of their responsibility for what happened.

Favre is the enemy now. There would be no greater respect Packer fans could show than to boo him. Respect for the game and the traditions created by rivalries is greater than respect for individual players, and this fanbase is one that understands and respects history. There is a time and a place to cheer Brett Favre. Sunday afternoon is not it.

Favre's Return to Lambeau Highlights Mistakes Made in Packer Divorce originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Circle Route Brings Favre Back 'Home'

Thomas George — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Packers, Vikings, NFL Quarterbacks

Everyone forgets that Brett Favre wanted to play football. He wanted to play football in Green Bay. They did not want him. In life, you go on. I don't think you get mad at the man for still wanting to play football. He was told no on numerous occasions -- 'You are not playing here.'
-- Bus Cook, Brett Favre's agent

The truth on how and why Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers split their 16-year union remains strictly in the eye of the storyteller. Favre and his agent Bus Cook say they were simply kicked aside. The Packers insist that Favre waffled too much about his return that they simply decided to move forward with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and create clarity.

I find this much crystal clear -- from the moment Favre realized he was not going be a Packer, he began angling his way for a return to Lambeau Field.

His last pass in the stadium was not going to be that awful pick by Giants cornerback Corey Webster in overtime that led to the Giants' winning field goal in the 2008 NFC championship game. The pick that induced a fallout and helped turn a longstanding romance into a ruckus.

"It's different from anything in sports in America. ... Any quarterback today could go away and come back and not have as much impact as this does in Green Bay. I am sure it will be odd for him. But once the whistle blows, he will be fine."
-- Bus Cook on Brett Favre's Return to LambeauIt was a circuitous route back to Lambeau for Favre, with a pit-stop at the Jets last season before landing with the Minnesota Vikings this season. The Packers traded him to the Jets a year ago with the idea that Favre would never play in Lambeau for a rival NFC North team. They hoped the 40-year-old Favre would be one more NFL season and done. One more NFL shot -- far away -- and please, be done.

There is little accidental about Favre's return to Lambeau on Sunday when the Vikings (6-1) battle the Packers (4-2).

Favre knows it.

He has already beaten Green Bay in Minnesota this season. This is different. Just the chance to return to Lambeau and beat the Packers on that soil, well, Favre has had this itch to scratch since he was spurned.

In one breath, he said earlier this week that he has "no idea how it will unfold." In another he said he is "well aware of all the stuff that goes with it" and he won't let that "affect me or creep into the team."

OK, if not anger, then certainly payback. If not all raw, then certainly personal.

This is a dream game for Brett Favre.

This is real.

"It's a unique situation for him," Cook said. "It's different from anything in sports in America. There is no quarterback who goes and plays for any other team and former fans feel the way it is with Green Bay and Favre. Any quarterback today could go away and come back and not have as much impact as this does in Green Bay. I am sure it will be odd for him. But once the whistle blows, he will be fine."

In Vikings purple.

"He wanted to play," Cook said. "And find a home. No other team called him."

But one in the Packers' division did. The perfect storm.

We have seen Favre in Super Bowls and as a TV pitchman and marveled over his kid-like approach to the complex NFL game. More often than not, this iconic player has pulled the right strings to land in spots he desired over his 19 NFL seasons.

He called a lot of his shots with the Jets and he is doing that with the Vikings. There is only so much coaching that goes on with this player. It is one of his best traits and one of his worst. It is, in part, why the Packers had enough of him.

Here is one thing you always have to give Brett Favre: he understands entertainment.

He has done his part in giving the NFL a storyline, a scenario that is better than fiction.

The Vikings are all in.

"He works, like all great players, I mean really works," a Vikings management source said of their experience with Favre. "He is here watching tape, taking care of his body. Behind the smiles, he knows he's good and gifted. It happens anywhere from two to five times a game where you say, 'OK, now I see why he is what he is.' Not every play. Just those rare instances where he does rare things. He's been a caring person here. He deals with people in the cafeteria and that clean the building in the same way he does the owner. Everyone here notices that."

Favre is ready to make a new, testy Lambeau leap.

There is nothing accidental about it.

He found a way to get back on Lambeau Field after he was booted from it.

For Favre, that alone is victory.

For the fans who have jumped ship on him (just like he eventually jumped ship to the Vikings), Favre asks "What can I do?"

He already knows the answer. Beat the Packers, trounce them all, in the NFL's version of a Homecoming bloodfest. This quarterback will tell you he knows what it is like to get kicked in the stomach. He will also remind you he has not forgotten how to do the kicking.

Circle Route Brings Favre Back 'Home' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NFL FanHouse Week 8 Chat Recap

Bruce Ciskie — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Eagles, Lions, Giants, Packers, Rams, Vikings, NFL Live Blogging

He's back, and it's stealing all of the headlines. It's going to be a highly emotional Sunday for many NFL fans, as former Detroit Lions defensive lineman James Hall makes his return to the Motor City as a member of the St. Louis Rams.

Oh, and Brett Favre is back in Green Bay. Not sure if you've heard about that one.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=8769b3a7a6" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;NFL FanHouse Week 8 Chat&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

NFL FanHouse Week 8 Chat Recap originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zebra Report: Simmer, 'Stealer' Haters

Matt Snyder — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, Vikings, NFL Referees

Zebra Report is FanHouse's analysis of actual NFL rules and how they are to be applied ... because most fans think they could do a better job than the NFL officials, yet definitely could not. Click here for an introduction as to how we do things.

Of all the complaints about officiating, I think the most maddening is how people who hate the Pittsburgh Steelers -- so, a really, really large contingent -- like to label them the "Stealers" and proclaim they always get the calls. This past weekend was a great example, as the Steelers took down the Vikings fair-and-square, but some people just can't seem to grasp the concept.

First of all, there are tons of complaints about the tripping call which negated a Vikings touchdown -- and was soon followed by a Steelers' defensive touchdown. Honestly, I'm not quite sure what the fuss is about. Tripping is defined as (Rule 3-40) "the use of the leg in obstructing any opponent." In rule 12-1-5, it clearly states that anyone can block an opponent as long as he's not tripping him. I keep seeing the word "phantom" used in conjunction with this call, but click here to watch the highlight (about the 2:20 mark) and keep the rule in mind. Try to be unbiased, consider the rule and see what you see.

I really hate it when people say something along the lines of "the officials should let the players decide the game." They did! If Jeff Dugan could have blocked his man successfully instead of diving at toward the opponent's lower-half and whipping his legs up, the Vikings would have scored a touchdown. Instead, he committed a penalty and got caught. No touchdown. A rule was broken and a price was paid. That's elementary.

Can anyone seriously make the argument that Dugan did not use his legs to obstruct the opponent he was trying to block? If so, please feel free to post your argument in the comments section. I would love to see it.

Speaking of Dugan, him plowing over the official during the kickoff return was neither funny nor acceptable. Look, the officials are part of the field and they take on a certain risk when being out on the field. In fact, umpires (the ones who line up in the vicinity of the inside linebackers and watch the line play) may start wearing helmets next season. Regardless of the risk and the fact that people are miffed with the guys from time to time, they are still human beings -- ones who aren't wearing pads like the players. If Dugan didn't see the official, man, he really should have. He appeared to be running toward him for several steps and his helmet was facing the official. If he did -- and it's very suspicious, considering he was just flagged for tripping four plays earlier -- then he should be suspended. To blatantly run over a guy with a clear motive is easily grounds for punishment. I'd like to believe Dugan was trying to find someone to block and accidentally plowed over Richard Reels (the back judge), but we'll never know for sure. They are both lucky Reels wasn't seriously injured.

In case anyone is curious, it is obviously illegal to contact an official intentionally during any part of the game, but there's no way to prove intent on this play, thus, they couldn't have called any sort of penalty on Dugan for the contact.

There was also a delay of game called on the Vikings defense. The common misconception among casual fans is that there is no such thing as delay of game other than when the play clock strikes zero. There are several other ways to get a delay of game penalty. Here they are (Rule 4-6-5, page 22):

Article 5 Other examples of action or inaction that are to be construed as delay of the game include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) a player unnecessarily remains on a dead ball or on a runner who has been downed;

(b) the snapper repeatedly snaps the ball after the neutral zone is established and before the Referee can assume his position (see 7-3-3-c-2);

(c) undue delay by either team in assembling after a timeout;

(d) a defensive player aligned in a stationary position within one yard of the line of scrimmage makes quick and abrupt actions that are not a part of normal defensive player movement and are an obvious attempt to cause an offensive player(s) to foul (false start). (The Referee shall blow his whistle immediately.);

(e) spiking or throwing the ball in the field of play after a down has ended, except after a score.

I haven't been able to find a replay or explanation on this one, but I've heard the Vikings were accused of violating (d) on the play in question, which is why I bolded it. The game log shows the penalty on Cedric Griffin, a cornerback, so maybe he was trying to get a wide receiver to flinch. The bottom line is that it's definitely possible to have delay of game called on the defense.

Finally, a collegiate note: the Pac-10 has suspended an official for not seeing one of the most blatant facemasks we ever will. I've often tried to educate the masses that each different official has different responsibilities on every individual play. Thus, in this case, every official would not have been looking at the receiver or had a good angle to see the facemask. How at least one person didn't see the helmet of the player catching a touchdown pass, though, is pretty egregious, which is obviously why the Pac-10 has taken action.

Easy week, as I didn't see much in my inbox other than plays from the Steelers-Vikings game. I guess that's the result of having so many blowouts.

Got a rules-related question? Whether it's elementary, high school or NFL, email TZR and he'll see what he can do.

Zebra Report: Simmer, 'Stealer' Haters originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fourth-Quarter Fireworks Turn Steelers' Win Over Vikings Into a Classic

Chris Burke — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, Vikings

The much-anticipated showdown between the Vikings and Steelers at Heinz Field went pretty much as expected for three quarters -- hard-nosed, low-scoring, old-fashioned football. Then the fourth quarter came, and things went off the rails.

Pittsburgh held a 13-10 lead when the final frame began, and needed just one play to get inside Minnesota's 10. But on the Steelers' second fourth-quarter snap, Rashard Mendenhall coughed up a fumble. The Vikings then marched 89 yards in 17 plays, from their own 3 to the Steelers' 8. On third-and-goal, Brett Favre dropped back to pass and was stripped by Pittsburgh lineman Brett Keisel. Defensive end LaMarr Woodley scooped up the loose ball and rumbled, James Harrison Super Bowl-style, 77 yards for a touchdown.

More: Check Box Score | Ref Injured on Harvin's Return | Packers Rout Browns

"I got to the 40 and I didn't think I was going to make it," Woodley said. Just like Harrison, of course, he did.

20-10 Steelers, 6:23 left. Game over, right?

Not so fast. Minnesota rookie Percy Harvin took the ensuing kickoff back 88 yards (video below), a thrilling return that included one of Harvin's blockers accidentally clobbering a referee.

And all that just set up a frantic final six minutes -- Pittsburgh punted the ball back to Minnesota with a little more than three minutes left, leaving Favre plenty of time to get his team into, at least, field-goal range. He did just that, too, marching Minnesota to the Pittsburgh 19.

On 2nd-and-3 with 1:15 left, though, Favre's pass for Chester Taylor instead wound up in the hands of Pittsburgh's Keyaron Fox, who raced back the other direction 82 yards for the Steelers' second defensive touchdown in five minutes. That one did salt the game away, 27-17.

"Brett tried to force it in there and the running back bobbled it and slipped out of his hands and it fell into my lap," Fox said. "I had just run across the field after Peterson and I was winded, so it felt like it was 100-plus yards."

Minnesota fell to 6-1, its first loss in the Favre era, while Pittsburgh improved to 5-2 and, for the moment pending the outcome of Chicago-Cincinnati, took over first place in the AFC North.

The game almost single-handedly made up for a subpar set of early games in Week 7. Houston's narrow victory over San Francisco was the only other matchup that was remotely competitive -- but the final seven minutes of the Steelers' triumph more than made up for the rest of it.

Fourth-Quarter Fireworks Turn Steelers' Win Over Vikings Into a Classic originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Vikings' Winfield Has Broken Foot, Out 4-6 Weeks

Bruce Ciskie — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: Vikings, NFC North, NFL Injuries

Not much has gone wrong for the Minnesota Vikings in their 6-0 start. Brett Favre has been playing superbly, Adrian Peterson is still a stud, Sidney Rice has become one, and the defense continues to impress.

However, if there's a hole on this Vikings team right about now, it's been their pass defense. They were largely shredded by Aaron Rodgers earlier in October, then were absolutely torched by Joe Flacco and the Ravens last weekend. As the Vikings set off on a two-game road swing starting Sunday, there is bad news on the injury front.

Cornerback Antoine Winfield was injured last Sunday during the win over Baltimore. The veteran Pro Bowler's departure seemed to coincide nicely with the Vikings' defensive meltdown that almost cost them a game they seemed to have in the bag.

Now, word has leaked that the team will have to deal without Winfield for up to six weeks. ESPN's Chris Mortensen cited sources in saying Winfield would be out for some time. The St. Paul Pioneer Press says Winfield has a broken foot and could miss three games (the Vikings have their bye week during the time Winfield would be out).

While Karl Paymah played in Winfield's spot last week, and didn't look good, it will be Benny Sapp starting Sunday in Pittsburgh. This is the Vikings' weakness -- depth in the secondary -- and it will be interesting to see how coordinator Leslie Frazier calls the game now that his most versatile (and likely best) player is on the sidelines.

Report: Vikings' Winfield Has Broken Foot, Out 4-6 Weeks originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adrian Peterson Joins Antoine Winfield On Vikings' Injured List

JJ Cooper — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Steelers, Vikings, NFC North, NFL Injuries

Whether you win or lose against the Ravens, they are physical enough that you suffer for a couple of weeks afterward.

The Vikings got the win on Sunday, but they also got the bruises that come with it.

The biggest problem for the Vikings is cornerback Antoine Winfield's foot injury. When Winfield left the game on Sunday the Ravens' pass offense suddenly became a world-beater as backup Karl Paymah quickly proved he's not really ready for a starting job. The Vikings are not ruling out Winfield playing on Sunday, but everyone else is.

Now the news is out that Adrian Peterson was limited in practice on Wednesday with a sprained ankle. Unlike Winfield, it's highly likely that Peterson will play on Sunday, but an ankle sprain is not the news the Vikings want to hear as they get ready to face the Steelers. If Peterson is healthy, he's the perfect weapon to attack a Steelers' run defense that is trying to recover from the loss of defensive end Aaron Smith. But if Peterson is limited in any way, it makes Steelers' coordinator Dick LeBeau's job much easier.

While the Vikings are limping, Pittsburgh (with the exception of Smith) is healthier than it has been in any game since the season opener.

Adrian Peterson Joins Antoine Winfield On Vikings' Injured List originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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