The Minnesota Vikings, A Great Team In Need Of A Good Quarterback

As a Dolphins fan I can sympathize with my buddy Eric that is a Vikings fan. For years it seemed like Miami was one good running back away from making a legit Super Bowl run. Then, when they finally had a solid running game, the passing game went to hell. And unfortunately it's remained that way for quite a few years(though, now the team sort of sucks all over).

Anyway, this was supposed to be Minnesota's year. The defense was revamped, and looked imposing(at least on paper), and the running game was dominant last year. However, the passing game left something to be desired, and through the first two games of the season it's still that way.

I hate to say it, but Tarvaris Jackson is not the answer at quarterback for this year's Vikings team. This team has been built to win now. Not be managed by a quarterback project that head coach Brad Childress is too proud(or stupid) to put on the shelf for at least the short term. Jackson didn't play much Division 1 football(he transferred after Matt Jones was named the starter at Arkansas), and while he does have raw talent he does not have the experience or intellect at the present time to master reading NFL defenses at the speed it requires. It's hard enough for the guys who excelled at the premier Division 1 colleges to do(*cough*Leinart*cough*), and even harder for the guys who didn't face that type of opposition week in and week out.

The bad thing is that there aren't a lot of options out there right now. Jeff Garcia may be done in Tampa, but I doubt that the Bucs are going to let him go to Minnesota. They could try to lure Jake Plummer out of retirement by offering to work out a deal for his rights. They could even try to bring back Culpepper(how much worse than T-Jack could he be?).

One thing is certain, they need to get this quarterback problem figured out immediately, or they'll end up just like my Dolphins teams that always seemed to be one piece away from being serious contenders.

The NFL, Gettin' Busy

The offseason lull has grinded to a halt just a bit as some big moves were made yesterday. Two of them directly affect the draft, and the third is noteworth because of the player involved.

First, Miami signed offensive tackle Jake Long as their top draft pick. This is a big deal because it forces the other teams to re-evaluate their draft boards(which they probably do every 30 seconds anyway), and gives us a bit better idea of where the top teams might be going with their picks.

Second, defense end Jared Allen was traded from Kansas City to Minnesota in exchange for the Vikings' first round pick, their two third round picks and a swapping of sixth round picks(#182 for #187). It's a monster deal, especially when you consider that he's also getting $31+ million in guaranteed money. Minnesota had been thought to be targeting a defensive end with their first round pick, and Allen instantly erases that need. It will be interesting to see what the Chiefs end up doing with their stockpiled selections.

Lastly, Shaun Alexander was released by the Seahawks yesterday. His future, or lack thereof, in Seattle was decided as soon as Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett were signed. For the most part, it appears that Alexander has handled it well, eventhough he did endure a lot of ridicule from fans after failing to live up to their expectations following the signing of his massive contract. There are a few teams out there that will probably be willing to give him a shot. Arizona could decide to pair him with Edge for a season or two. Dallas might look to add him to help out Marion Barber. Denver is always acquiring running backs for their committee. Chicago could use some help with Benson still questionable for the start of training camp.

So far, this has been an exciting week for NFL fans, and it figures to get even more eventful the closer we get to the draft. Especially, with talk of possible trades involving Jason Taylor, Anquan Boldin and Pacman Jones(though, that seems to have slowed way down).

Bryant McKinnie Gets Bounced

It seems that Bryant McKinnie got himself into a bit of trouble early Sunday morning. The Vikings offensive tackle got kicked out of Club Space in Miami, and proceeded to get into an argument with a bouncer by the name of Eric Otero. Apparently, McKinnie spit on Otero at some point, but Otero refused to press charges if McKinnie left the premises.

Well, McKinnie did leave, but he returned a short while later and proceeded to engage in some type of "street brawl" with Otero and possibly some other individuals.

My biggest question in all of this is who is Eric Otero? McKinnie is listed as being 6'8", 335 pounds. He's a big guy, though size doesn't really matter if the guy you're battling is a trained fighter and you aren't. Which could be the case since Otero is a bouncer for a South Florida club.

The other good part of the story is the way in which McKinnie planned to escape.

Police told McKinnie to stop. He refused and boarded a bus. The bus driver was ordered not to drive away.

Haha, a bus? That's awesome! Oh well, at least it wasn't a boat.

Cris Collinsworth And His Rabid Support Of The Patriots

For some reason, I've come to dislike Cris Collinsworth. I'm not exactly how it happened, but I do know that everything he says seems to agitate me. Which is a bit weird since he's a former Gator. Last night, however was probably one of the most difficult things I've had to sit through regarding Collinsworth and his assinine assertions.

"This New England Patriots team is the best I've ever seen" is pretty close to what Collinsworth said last night. Yes, this year's Pats team has started out quite well, but consider this, Collinsworth is 48 years old. That means he's seen a lot of football teams. Including the undefeated '72 Dolphins, the '85 Bears(which scored the 2nd most points that season and allowed the fewest), the '96 Packers(#1 ranked offense and defense in terms of points) and there are a lot more that I could add to the list.

Collinsworth also got all hot and bothered over the point totals from New England's first six games. For the record, they are 38, 38, 38, 34, 34, 48(average 38.3 pts). If those numbers excite Collinsworth, then maybe he should watch a replay of the Vikings from 1998 when they scored 31, 38, 29, 31, 37 and 41(average 34.5 pts) en route to setting the league record of 556 points scored. And if he really wants some stimulation, then he should check out the Rams' 2000 season when they scored 41, 37, 41, 41, 57 and 45(average 43.6 pts) through their first six games. Though, he might want to lay down some plastic for that if he thinks New England's offense is prolific.

Like I stated, I have no problem giving the Patriots credit for their fast start and their 6-0 record. Yes, Dallas was supposed to be New England's first big test, but having the 24th ranked pass defense wasn't going to provide much of test. Especially against a strong New England passing attack. The Dolphins in week 7 provide a stronger pass defense than that. No, their biggest test will probably be against Pittsburgh in week 14 when they face a defense currently ranked 2nd against the run and 4th against the pass. Indy in week 9 should put up a good fight because they can score points, but their 13th ranked rush defense could be a liability.

Should New England fail to score 30+ points, and/or lose a few games it will be interesting to hear what Collinsworth says. Before he gets too hyped about this year's Pats he might want to remember what happened to those '98 Vikings and '00 Rams.