March 2009 - Minnesota Vikings Wiretap

Vikings To Be Without Winfield Against Packers

Oct 31, 2014 11:24 PM

The Vikings will be without cornerback Antoine Winfield when they play the Packers on Sunday. Winfield was listed as out in Friday's injury report. He missed Minnesota's game against Pittsburgh last week with an injured foot as well. "It's hard to replace a Pro Bowl corner in our league that does all the things that Antoine does for our defense, but it was great to see [Karl] Paymah, Asher [Allen] and Benny [Sapp] step in and play the way they played," defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier told the Associated Press. "We are going to need it again this week."

Yahoo! Sports

Tags: Minnesota Vikings, Injury

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Scoring Change Gives Vikings 4th Sack Of Big Ben

Jul 6, 2014 1:33 AM

A scoring change has given the Vikings an additional sack of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh won Sunday's game 27-17. A play in which Roethlisberger was initially given a 1-yard loss on a run has been changed to a sack by Minnesota's Kevin Williams.

ESPN

Tags: Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, Misc Rumor

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Risdon's Football Meterology For Week 8

May 23, 2014 2:44 PM

Last week: 8-5, making the season forecast 74-29. ESPN recently produced a nice one-hour documentary on the USFL. I enjoyed the piece and it was great to reminisce with many of the key players and highlights. But a couple of things bothered me, as someone who did my senior history thesis on why the USFL failed. For dramatic purposes, the piece framed the USFL as a tug-of-war between John Bassett and Donald Trump, prominent owners with very divergent agendas. Trump certainly was the preeminent villain in terms of escalating salaries and forcing the move from Spring to Fall, but he was far from alone. Bassett makes the ideal sympathetic hero, a people-friendly magnate dying of cancer, but he shares some of the blame in the league?s demise. Many struggling franchises needed real help to stay afloat in poor stadiums and novice fan bases (San Antonio, Portland, Arizona), but Bassett believed in fair market play, leading to mergers that confused and alienated fans and damaged league credibility and viability. They were the figureheads of the deeply divided ownership groups, but they were far from the only central players in both the rise and fall of the USFL. Don?t get me wrong, it?s still a great work that every football fan should watch. Just bear in mind that it?s overly dramatically framed, and Donald Trump (too willing to play along) is almost caricatured as the steamroller that flattened the league. When I interviewed several players, coaches, and owners in 1995 about why they thought the league failed, Trump was viewed more as the straw that broke the camel?s back, not the straw that stirred the toxic drink. Minnesota (5) at Green Bay (11): This is apparently the only game ESPN is allowed to talk about this week for some reason... The bottom line for me in this game comes down to offensive line play. Green Bay?s OL has been just brutal, but they did show signs of improvement last week against a decent Browns front. Minnesota?s defensive front four is the best in football, however, and that means trouble for the Packers. On the flip side, I like how the Packers own defensive front has been playing, and their speed can give the behemoth Vikings line some issues of their own. That means it?s up to which offense can do more under duress. I?ll take Adrian Peterson over Ryan Grant 100 times out of 100 in that fight, even though I think Aaron Rodgers can--and will-- outgun Brett Favre. Here?s hoping that the Packers faithful give Favre the respect he deserves for giving them so much success after years of futility. Favre wins in Lambeau Field...while wearing purple. Vikings 30, Packers 28. Denver (3) at Baltimore (15): One of the great questions this year is how these Broncos are 6-0. The easiest answer: they?re not bad at anything and they don?t make mistakes. Contrast that with the ?darlings? in Baltimore, who continually shoot themselves in the feet with coverage breakdowns, blown run blocks, and asinine penalties, resulting in a 3-3 record that leaves them teetering on the precipice of playoff outsiders already. If they don?t beat themselves, Baltimore at home is good enough to win this game. Added bonus in the Ravens column: it?s Halloween weekend in Baltimore, home of Edgar Allan Poe, author of the fantastic story ?The Raven?. Read that at halftime of a Baltimore 20-16 win. Atlanta (13) at New Orleans (1): This is one of the NFL?s better rivalries, and this meeting is pretty much the last chance Atlanta has of keeping the Saints from running away with the NFC South before November starts. Dallas did a great job exploiting the holes in the Falcons defense, something that Sean Payton no doubt studied carefully. He has the horses to exploit those same weaknesses, and the great New Orleans OL should give Drew Brees plenty of time and clean passing lanes to make it happen. The Saints have won the last five meetings in New Orleans itself, and they run that to six while essentially icing the NFC South. New Orleans 34, Atlanta 23. San Francisco (22) at Indianapolis (2): Earlier this week I wrote about the silver lining that San Francisco can take from last week?s loss with the play of Alex Smith. Funny thing about silver in clouds though; adding silver to clouds actually produces rain, as the Chinese so vividly demonstrated in their quest to keep the Olympics rain-free by seeding the clouds to the west of Beijing. It normally doesn?t rain indoors, but the Colts are playing better than ever and are precisely the type of lead in the balloon that San Fran doesn?t need right now. Indy keeps the 49ers slide going down with a 33-17 home victory. NY Giants (8) at Philadelphia (12): Huge game in the NFC East, and it comes at a bad time for the reeling Giants, losers of two straight. Last season the Eagles had Eli Manning?s number, and with Manning not real sharp lately they figure to have some success again defensively. My primary concern for the G-Men is their ability to snuff out the big play, something these Eagles rely heavily upon to score. With their secondary still struggling and the Eagles OL stabilizing, I think DeSean Jackson or LeSean McCoy can break a couple of big ones. That should be enough for Philadelphia to win the football side of the World Series matchup. Eagles 24, Giants 20. St. Louis (32) at Detroit (26): This is probably the best chance for the Rams to win a game, avoiding the fate of last year?s Lions and taking the collar for the season. It won?t be easy, with the host Lions coming off a bye and much healthier than they have been all season. The Rams, alas, are not very healthy--and not very good even when they are. The Lions are favored by 3.5 points, their largest margin as a favorite in over 2 years. Give the points; these Rams have scored just 60 points in 7 games and sport the worst OL this side of Green Bay. Detroit 27, St. Louis 13. Cleveland (29) at Chicago (21): These teams lost by a combined score of 76-13 last Sunday, but there is blowout written all over this one too. The Cleveland offense is terrible, scoring just four touchdowns all year. QB Derek Anderson has completed just over a third of his passes the last three weeks, and has completed consecutive passes just three times in that span (including his first five last week). Chicago may have some serious issues, but the Browns are ill-equipped to exploit them. Jay Cutler should have a huge day with his elusive receivers running wild against the team that ranks dead last in allowing yards after the catch over the last month. Chicago 37, Cleveland 10. Carolina (27) at Arizona (6): Carolina has a growing QB controversy, or rather Carolina would have a growing QB controversy if they had anyone legit to replace Mr. INT Jake Delhomme. For as good as the Panthers OL is and as great of a 1-2 RB punch as they have, it all unravels quickly when the passing game is more likely to turn the ball over (13 INTs) than produce a big play (12 passes over 20 yards, 5 of which came in the same game). The Cardinals defense plays with the same create-your-own-opportunism that Coach Whisenhunt saw personally in Pittsburgh. The playoff game in Carolina last year began the unraveling for Delhomme, and I just don?t see much chance for redemption in this one. Arizona 20, Carolina 17 in my survivor fantasy pick of the week. Seattle (23) at Dallas (10): Welcome to the Miles Austin show! The Cowboys receiver has burst upon the scene with over 400 yards and 4 TDs in his last two games, giving Tony Romo the legit big-play receiver he needs. That?s real bad news for Seattle, which has major injury issues on defense even after their bye week. This is a bit of a trap game for Dallas, which waxed a good Atlanta team last week and travels to PHI and GB in the coming weeks. That worries me a little, but more in terms of the 9.5 point spread. If Seattle had even average special teams this could be an upset, but their coverage and return units are all near the bottom. That means field position for a Dallas offense that is really clicking right now. Cowboys roll 30-13. Houston (14) at Buffalo (20): I had a friend in high school who loved to use the expression, ?just when you thought it was safe...? That applies here to the Bills, who have saved Dick Jauron?s hide by being less egregious than their opponent two weeks in a row. So just when you think it?s safe to say the Bills are back from the dead, along comes the Houston Texans. Led by legit MVP candidate Matt Schaub and fantastic rookie LB Brian Cushing, Houston appears to have turned the corner and learned how to win. That trumps the Bills acumen for just knowing how not to lose. Texans win on the road 32-17. Miami (17) at NY Jets (18): Didn?t these teams just play? Grudge matches so close together are always hard to forecast, because the memories of the last one are so fresh...and largely irrelevant. Miami won that game by pounding the Jets defense and throwing over it while QB Chad Henne had all day to survey the field. Expect the Jets to come up with a different plan of attack to get pressure. One of the issues with Miami is that there?s really not much they do different from week to week, what you see is what you get. If they can successfully adapt some countermeasures they should be fine, but that?s not their strong suit; the Dolphins rank 20th in point differential after halftime, normally a good harbinger of in-game malleability. I expect a close game with several lead changes, and the Jets wind up taking the last one of those. New York 26, Miami 24. Oakland (24) at San Diego (16): I?d love to offer some in-depth wisdom to break down this game, but these two teams are about as schizophrenic as Sybil, which makes them near impossible to forecast. If the Chargers and Raiders teams that showed up last weekend meet here, San Diego wins by about 40, but take the squads from the week before and the Raiders triumph. The Chargers have a greater ability to win without their ?A? game than the Raiders, who are as bad as any team in the league when they don?t bring theirs. Chargers 28, Raiders 10 in a pick with lower confidence than you might expect. Jacksonville (19) at Tennessee (30): I had written a nice little blurb about how it was high time people stopped overrating the 0-6 Titans, then along came the news that Vince Young will start at quarterback. That changes my thinking on this one. I initially thought the Titans could rally off their bye week and have an effective gameplan against a Jacksonville team that runs very hot and cold. But with Young at the controls, the Tennessee offense becomes almost completely one-dimensional until Young proves he can beat even a high school team, or his own team?s wretched pass defense, with his arm. This marks the latest in the season that a winless team is favored over a team that is at least .500 in NFL history, although the change to Young dropped the line from 3.5 to 1.5 almost immediately. The bookies know, and I?m listening...Jacksonville 29, Tennessee 24. Byes: Washington (25), Cincinnati (7), Pittsburgh (9), New England (4), Tampa Bay (31), Kansas City (28) Drinking in the Dorm Room Games 3-2 last week, 26-14 on the season. Oregon 22, USC 20. This game decides the PAC-10 rep in the BCS, and I?ll take the home team against a freshman QB. Texas 40, Oklahoma State 30. This is one of those games where the Cowboys can certainly win, but I?ll believe it when I see it. Florida 30, Georgia 10. In Tebow we Trust. Auburn 21, Ole Miss 20 Central Michigan 36, Boston College 34. Had the Chips not stumbled in their opener, this win would have solidified them as BCS-bowl worthy to some.

Jeff Risdon/RealGM

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings

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Favre's '96 Packers: '09 Vikings Aren't Better

Oct 31, 2014 8:53 AM

Earlier this season, Brett Favre said that the 2009 Vikings were the best team he has played for in his career. "Physically, and from a talent level, this is the best team I've ever been on," he told the Associated Press. Favre's 1996 Packers teammates, which won the Super Bowl, disagree. "To say that the team he's on now, after seven games, is better than the '96 team -- that's just preposterous. Not only did we have the No. 1 defense in 1996, but we had No. 1 special teams," former safety LeRoy Butler told the Journal Sentinel. "I bleed green and gold so much. I don't want somebody to beat my team."

ESPN

Tags: Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Misc Rumor

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NFL Power Rankings For Week 8

Oct 8, 2014 6:04 AM

The scoreboard is where games are officially won and lost, but they are largely decided by the team that wins the battles of yards per pass, yards per carry, penalty yards lost, first downs, and turnovers. For this reason, I created the following formula called the ?Trench Counter? to look at which team truly controls the game: (2x Yards per pass) + (2x Yards per carry) + (.5 First downs) - (Penalty yards/10) - (2.5 Turnovers) - (Opposing Team's Trench Counter) Click here for more information on the Trench Counter For the 2009 season, our weekly team rankings will be based solely off this formula. 1. New Orleans Saints: 16.0 The Saints are one win away from matching their best start in franchise history in 1991 when they opened 7-0. The '91 season was the middle season of Jim Mora's three-year playoff run, which was predicated on a defense ranked first in fewest points allowed more than the arm of Bobby Hebert. 2. Indianapolis Colts: 12.6 The Colts defense has not given up a touchdown in eight quarters and hasn't allowed one in the first half during the past four games. 3. Denver Broncos: 11.0 The Broncos come out of their bye week forced to travel to Baltimore to play a hungry Ravens team that also just had their bye. 4. Green Bay Packers: 10.6 The Packers will host Brett Favre this Sunday and unlike their Monday night game a few weeks ago, Dom Capers features a much-improved defense that has gone from 18th to 3rd. The offensive line also kept Aaron Rodgers from getting sacked in Sunday's 31-3 win over Cleveland. 5. New England Patriots: 10.6 Since losing to Josh McDaniels and the Broncos in overtime, the Patriots have outscored opponents by a margin of 94-7. 6. New York Giants: 7.8 Fans of the Giants and Yankees will be able to take in a doubleheader against the Eagles and Phillies in the city of cheesesteaks. After beginning the season 5-0, the Giants have lost two consecutive games and don't get a legitimate break in their schedule (other than the Week 10 bye) until they travel to Washington four days before Christmas. 7. Pittsburgh Steelers: 6.5 The LaMarr Woodley 77-yard fumble return and Keyaron Fox 82-yard pick-six showed the familiar face of Steelers' football as much as the 5.3 yards per rush average, which was +1.4 in comparison to Minnesota's 3.9. 8. Philadelphia Eagles: 5.8 Will Witherspoon ingratiated himself with Andy Reid and company by returning an interception for a touchdown while logging eight tackles, one sack and even a forced fumble. 9. Minnesota Vikings: 5.5 Winning games, especially on the road against the defending champs, is always difficult when turnovers happen while in red zone opportunities. 10. Dallas Cowboys: 3.8 Since Miles Austin barely averaged 20 yards per game over the first four weeks, we'll need one or two more big games to see if these 250 and 171 yard weeks will be a legitimate indicator of future success. 11. New York Jets: 3.5 One week after throwing 45 interceptions, Mark Sanchez gave the Jets a 9-for-15, zero INT afternoon in Oakland, staying out of the way of a running game that rushed 54 times for 316 yards. 12. Cincinnati Bengals: 3.4 The Bengals had been winning games with average outings from Carson Palmer, but he threw for five touchdowns and had a passer rating of 146.7 in their 45-10 win over Chicago, which could make them truly dangerous. 13. Houston Texans: 3.1 The Texans were unimpressive in the second half, sitting on a 21-0 lead over the 49ers that they nearly wasted. 14. Baltimore Ravens: 2.9 Coming out of the bye, Baltimore must do a better job defending the pass, beginning with shutting down Kyle Orton and the Broncos. 15. San Francisco 49ers: 0.9 I don't think we can routinely expect 118.6 passer rating games from Alex Smith, but since August it has been clear that he has significant more upside than Shaun Hill. The San Francisco defense isn't nearly good enough to offset a 'manage the game' quarterback. 16. San Diego Chargers: 0.8 After destroying the Chiefs on the road 37-7, San Diego will have another 'let's fatten up' game at home against Oakland. 17. Seattle Seahawks: 0.6 The Seahawks will have a difficult time making the playoffs if they can't get Walter Jones and Sean Locklear back onto the field. 18. Arizona Cardinals: 0.4 The Cardinals' 24-17 win in New York against the Giants was easily their most impressive road performance in any regular season game over the past two seasons. I think the Cardinals easily have the best shot in the NFC West. 19. Jacksonville Jaguars: -0.1 Maurice Jones-Drew averages 4.3 yards per carry regardless of win or loss, but he averages 8.3 yards per reception when the Jaguars win compared to 4.7 in losses. 20. Buffalo Bills: -0.6 Ryan Fitzpatrick's 82.2 rating on the road in Carolina was enough for the Bills to stick with him against Houston. How frequently does a team have quarterbacks out of Harvard and Stanford? 21. Atlanta Falcons: -1.3 By a very wide margin, the Falcons are the best team ranked in the 20s and are all but certain to finish the season in the top half of the Trench Counter. 22. Washington Redskins: -2.0 The sputtering Washington offense will have even more problems now that Chris Cooley is out for the season. 23. Miami Dolphins: -3.9 The Dolphins keep going to Ted Ginn, but his production has been consistently disappointing. 24. Chicago Bears: -4.5 The Bears have traditionally forced a lot of turnovers while taking good care of the ball offensively, but are -5 for the season, which ranks them 13th in the NFC. 25. Carolina Panthers: -5.7 Steve Smith rebounded with a 99 yard outing, but the end result was still a 20-9 loss to a mediocre Bills team. 26. Kansas City Chiefs: -7.7 The bye week couldn't happen at a better time for the Chiefs, where either Todd Haley or Larry Johnson, probably/hopefully both won't be back next season. 27. Detroit Lions: -8.7 A headline I'm not sure I would live long enough to see, 'Lions don't want to overlook Rams.' That gem was from the Detroit Free-Press and though no 1-5 team can pencil in any 'W', I do like their chances against St. Louis. 28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: -9.0 I haven't looked this up to officially verify it, but Josh Freeman is the first quarterback to make his NFL debut on foreign land. He completed two of his four passes for 16 yards while being sacked twice in mop-up duty against the Patriots in London. 29. Tennessee Titans: -11.5 Bud Adams is pushing hard for Jeff Fisher to start Vince Young and it is impossible to argue against it given the hole Tennessee is presently in. 30. St. Louis Rams: -14.5 The Rams will get linebacker David Vobora back this week after being suspended for a substance abuse violation. 31. Cleveland Browns: -15.7 Given the mystery of why Eric Mangini would stubbornly stick with Derek Anderson, some have speculated that he doesn't want Brady Quinn to take 70% of the snaps, which would force Cleveland to pay $10.9 million in contract escalators. 32. Oakland Raiders: -16.4 Only 39,543 fans attended Sunday's game in Oakland against the Jets, which was the lowest number for the Raiders since 1968.

Christopher Reina/RealGM

Tags: Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints

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Winfield Denies Claims Of Broken Foot

Oct 15, 2014 7:01 PM

Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield is hoping to play on Sunday. Reports over the weekend indicated that he had a fractured foot and would miss four to six weeks of action. Winfield considers himself day to day with a sprained right foot. "It feels a lot better," Winfield told the Star Tribune. "I was on crutches [until Friday]. Now I'm in the boot. I'm walking on it and not feeling any pain so my goal is to get back out here and play against the Packers."

Star Tribune

Tags: Minnesota Vikings, Injury

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RealGM's Week 7 Rundown

May 17, 2014 5:32 AM

The Steelers handed the Vikings their first loss of the season on Sunday, but the Saints remained unbeaten with a tough win over the Dolphins to highlight Week 7?s NFL action. We will calculate each team?s Trench Counter*. New England 35, Tampa Bay 7 Team Trench Counter: Patriots +15.4, Buccaneers -15.4 The New England Patriots (5-2) remained red hot with an emphatic win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7) at Wembley Stadium in London. Tom Brady threw for 308 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions during the league?s annual game overseas. Laurence Maroney rushed for 43 yards and added a touchdown in the victory. Wes Welker led the Patriots in receiving with ten receptions for 107 yards and a score. Safety Brandon Meriweather added to the tally, returning an interception 39 yards in the first quarter. The Buccaneers continued to struggle offensively. Josh Johnson had just 156 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris inserted rookie Josh Freeman in at quarterback late in the loss. Antonio Bryant was the only member of the team to find the end zone. He caught a 33-yard pass from Johnson in the third quarter. Indianapolis 42, St. Louis 6 Team Trench Counter: Colts +18.6, Rams -18.6 The Indianapolis Colts (6-0) and St. Louis Rams (0-7) faced off on Sunday in a game featuring teams on opposite ends of the spectrum. Peyton Manning went 23-for-34 with 235 yards and three touchdowns, while Joseph Addai and rookie Donald Brown controlled the game on the ground. Addai had 64 yards and one touchdown and Brown added 58 yards on just two carries at Edward Jones Stadium. Reggie Wayne (83 yards), Dallas Clark (44 yards) and Austin Collie (36 yards) were on the receiving end of Manning?s touchdown passes. Marc Bulger struggled against the improving defense of the Colts. He posted just 140 yards and tossed two interceptions in the defeat. Steven Jackson was the lone offensive star for St. Louis, rushing for 134 yards on 23 carries. Josh Brown was responsible for all of the team?s scoring; he connected on both field goals he attempted. Pittsburgh 27, Minnesota 17 Team Trench Counter: Steelers +8.3, Vikings -8.3 The Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) handed the Minnesota Vikings (6-1) their first loss of the season at Heinz Field on Sunday. Ben Roethlisberger had 175 yards and a touchdown as the Steelers relied on both their defense and running game. Rashard Mendenhall carried the ball ten times for 69 yards as the club rushed for more than 100 yards overall. Mike Wallace led the defending-champions in receiving with three catches for 72 yards and a score. Brett Favre looked mortal for the first time in purple, throwing for 334 yards and an interception. Adrian Peterson wasn?t his usual explosive self against the Steelers? tough defense. He had 69 yards and a score, but didn?t break a run longer than 19 yards on the road. Sidney Rice had good chemistry with Favre, catching 11 passes for 136 yards, but Minnesota scored just one offensive touchdown. In the fourth quarter, rookie receiver Percy Harvin returned a kick 88 yards for a score that momentarily brought the Vikings to within three points of the Steelers San Diego 37, Kansas City 7 Team Trench Counter: Chargers +20.4, Chiefs -20.4 Philip Rivers excelled through the air early and often, tossing three touchdowns on 18-for-30 passing for 268 yards. The San Diego Chargers (3-3) led 20-0 at halftime and the Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) never threatened. LaDainian Tomlinson couldn?t find the end zone, but did rush for 71 yards on 23 carries. Darren Sproles was far more efficient, tallying 41 yards on five carries. Vincent Jackson exploded in the win, grabbing five catches for 142 yards and a score. Matt Cassel was pestered by San Diego?s defense all afternoon. He was sacked four times, threw three interceptions and managed just 97 yards and a touchdown. Larry Johnson was ineffective as well, contributing 49 yards at Arrowhead Stadium. Bobby Wade was Kansas City?s leading receiver; he caught four passes from Cassel for 66 yards in the loss. Houston 24, San Francisco 21 Team Trench Counter: Texans +4.2, 49ers -4.2 After making a change at quarterback, the San Francisco 49ers (3-3) nearly completed a huge comeback against the Houston Texans (4-3). After Shaun Hill struggled to move the ball in the first half, coach Mike Singletary put former first overall pick Alex Smith in to begin the third quarter. Smith finished the game with 206 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in just one half of work. Tight end Vernon Davis caught all three of Smith?s touchdown strikes, while Frank Gore managed 32 yards on 13 carries in the loss. Matt Schaub had 264 yards and two touchdowns, but the Texans lost receiver Andre Johnson to a chest injury in the fourth quarter. Steve Slaton and Owen Daniels were Houston?s offensive stars. Slaton rushed for 67 yards and a score, while also catching four passes for 22 yards and another touchdown. Daniels, who is emerging as one of the NFL?s best pass-catching tight ends, had seven receptions for 123 yards and a second-quarter touchdown. Green Bay 31, Cleveland 3 Team Trench Counter: Packers +30.5, Browns -30.5 After the flu ravaged the Cleveland Browns (1-6) during the week, the Green Bay Packers (4-2) stomped all over them in Ohio. Aaron Rodgers sliced Cleveland?s secondary, going 15-for-20 with 246 yards and three touchdowns. Ryan Grant, whose name was mentioned in trade rumors last week, broke out as well. He rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, separating himself from the rest of Green Bay?s running rotation. Derek Anderson looked pretty bad once again. He went 12-for-29 with 99 yards and an interception against the Packers. Cleveland managed just 139 total yards, as Jamal Lewis led the club in rushing with 47 yards on 15 attempts. The Browns held a 3-0 lead at the 14:58 mark of the second quarter, but the Packers went on to score 31 straight points. N.Y. Jets 31, Oakland 0 Team Trench Counter: Jets +25.1, Raiders -25.1 The New York Jets (4-3) shut out the Oakland Raiders (2-5) as coach Tom Cable finally pulled the plug on JaMarcus Russell in the second quarter. After a five-interception affair last week, rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez was steady for the Jets. He went 9-for-15 with 143 yards and a touchdown, while Shone Greene and Thomas Jones absolutely dominated Oakland on the ground. Greene, New York?s rookie running back, tallied 144 yards and two scores and Jones added 121 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. The Raiders went to Bruce Gradkowski at quarterback in the second quarter after Russell tossed two early interceptions. Oakland still failed to score after the change, but Gradkowski did take better care of the football (both Russell and Gradkowski lost one fumble). Justin Fargas and Michael Bush each carried the ball eight times, with Fargas (67 yards) outproducing Bush (25 yards). Buffalo 20, Carolina 9 Team Trench Counter: Bills -0.2, Panthers +0.2 Ryan Fitzpatrick said prior to the game that he felt as though he could be a starting quarterback in the NFL and he backed up that claim on Sunday. The Buffalo Bulls (3-4) outlasted the Carolina Panthers (2-4) in a game that featured 20 points in the final quarter. Fitzpatrick had 123 yards and a touchdown on 11-for-22 passing, while Marshawn Lynch (40 yards and a touchdown) helped Buffalo control a game that was dominated by defense for more than 45 minutes. Jake Delhomme struggled once again, going 27-for-44 with 325 yards and three interceptions. DeAngelo Williams, who had 89 yards on 16 carries, scored Carolina?s only touchdown on a 15-yard run in the fourth quarter. The Panthers? first two points came on a safety in the second quarter. Delhomme, who has never thrown more than 16 interceptions in a season, is on pace to throw more than 30 in 2009. New Orleans 46, Miami 34 Team Trench Counter: Saints +8, Dolphins -8 The New Orleans Saints (6-0) remained perfect with a very close win over the Miami Dolphins (2-4) on Sunday afternoon. The Saints outscored the Dolphins 22-0 in the fourth quarter, making them the third team to remain undefeated through the season?s first seven weeks. Drew Brees struggled, going 22-for-38 with 298 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Mike Bell (80 yards on 12 carries), Pierre Thomas (30 yards on 8 touches) and Reggie Bush (10 yards and a touchdown) led New Orleans on the ground. Jeremy Shockey continued his strong season, catching four passes for 105 yards in the win. Miami jumped out to an early lead thanks to a career day from Ricky Williams. He rushed nine times for 80 yards and three touchdowns at Land Shark Stadium, while Ronnie Brown added 48 yards and a score in the loss. If Chad Henne had played better, he went 18-for-36 with 211 yards and two interceptions, the Dolphins might have had a chance to hold off the Saints in the final 15 minutes. Dallas 37, Atlanta 21 Team Trench Counter: Cowboys +10.7, Falcons -10.7 The Dallas Cowboys (4-2) inserted Miles Austin into the starting lineup and proceeded to easily handle the Atlanta Falcons (4-2). Tony Romo went 21-for-29 with 311 yards and three touchdowns, with Austin posting six catches for 171 yards and two scores. As great as their aerial attack was, the Cowboys got good production from Marion Barber (47 yards), Felix Jones (37 yards) and Romo (31 yards) on the ground. The Dallas defense came to play as well. They sacked Matt Ryan four times, forced four fumbles and grabbed a pair of interceptions. Ryan struggled, throwing for 198 yards and two touchdowns to go along with the aforementioned miscues. Michael Turner was slowed once again, tallying 50 yards and a score on 18 attempts. Jason Snelling led Atlanta in rushing with seven runs for 68 yards at Cowboys Stadium. Roddy White, who had 210 yards and two touchdowns last week against San Francisco, continued his hot streak with six catches for 50 yards and a score. Cincinnati 45, Chicago 10 Team Trench Counter: Bengals +30.5, Bears -30.5 The Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) are imploring people to take them seriously after a drubbing of the Chicago Bears (3-3) at Paul Brown Stadium. Carson Palmer lit up the scoreboard with 233 yards and five touchdowns on 20-for-24 passing, while former Bears running back Cedric Benson gained 189 yards and a score on the ground in the victory. Chad Ochocinco (118 yards), Laveranues Coles (37 yards), Chris Henry (26 yards) and J.P. Foschi (3 yards) were all on the receiving end of Palmer?s scoring strikes. Jay Cutler struggled against Cincinnati?s swarming defense, going 26-for-37 with 251 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. His only touchdown came on a connection with receiver Devin Hester in the fourth quarter when the game had long been decided. The Bengals limited Matt Forte as well, holding him to 24 yards on six carries. Chicago was forced to throw the ball often as Cincinnati jumped out to an early lead. *Explaining The Trench Counter

Andrew Perna/RealGM

Tags: Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, Game Recap

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Sources: Winfield Likely Out 4-6 Weeks

Oct 31, 2014 11:33 PM

Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield will miss four to six weeks of action with a foot injury. The Pro Bowl defensive back missed Minnesota's loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday. The St. Paul Pioneer Press is reporting that Winfield has a fractured foot. He suffered the injury against Baltimore last week.

ESPN

Tags: Minnesota Vikings, Injury

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Risdon's Football Meteorology For Week 7

May 17, 2014 6:48 AM

Last week: 9-5, pushing the season forecast to 66-24. Unless you are a Titans fan, or perhaps a Patriots hater, you had to love seeing the first snowy game of the season last Sunday. It?s always an unpredictable experience how younger players respond to the unfamiliar elements. I believe that?s a hidden factor into why the Patriots, and to a similar extent the Giants and Steelers, can sustain their success. Their veteran players have played in the wind, cold, rain, snow, ice, and they know how to adjust. Contrast that with Titans rookie CB Ryan Mouton, a Houston native who played collegiately at Hawaii. At least part of his problem was his inability to adjust his footing to the snow and his body to the cold. Same with Mark Sanchez in cold, windy Buffalo; the SoCal lifer hadn?t ever played in elements like that before, and it showed. It?s not a major factor in games most of the time, but keep an eye on youngsters from the SEC and southern Pac-10 schools making their first trips to the cold, windy, wet conditions that constitute fall in the North and East. That means Percy Harvin, Clay Matthews Jr., Rey Maualuga, and Mohammad Massaquoi could all be in for disappointing weeks this week. Game of the Week Minnesota (3) at Pittsburgh (13): Points are going to be critical in this game, and that turns my attention to the red zone capabilities of both teams. Want to know a good reason (besides Favre, Peterson, and Jared Allen) that the Vikings are undefeated? Check out their red zone play; first in offense, 2nd in defense. Perhaps just as impressive is that they rank 4th (tied) in the league in red zone opportunities on offense and a respectable 14th (tied) on defensive chances. Pittsburgh ranks #2 on offense (thanks Heath Miller!), but their defense ranks just 24th. That means the Vikings are more apt to cash in for touchdowns where the Steelers might have to settle for a FG or two. Still, it?s Pittsburgh in late October, which means temps in the 40s, wind, and perhaps some light rain, not to mention the incredible confidence and energy the Steelers draw from their faithful Terrible Towel wavers. I think the Minnesota luck runs out here. Pittsburgh 24, Minnesota 21. Best of the Rest Arizona (10) at NY Giants (5): The Giants have one real weakness: pass defense. The Cardinals have one major strength: pass offense. The Giants feature a great rushing offense, while the strength of the Cardinals is run defense. In short, one team is well-positioned to exploit the other?s weakness, and they simultaneously are also well-positioned to stop the other team?s strength. Normally I don?t put much faith in matchup comparisons, especially when the Cardinals are playing in the east. But there is a tendency to over-correct for past week?s sins, and the Giants cannot afford to do that even though the Cardinals sport the league?s most anemic rushing attack. The Meadowlands has been a house of horrors for Kurt Warner, but I think he gets a little redemption here. Cardinals 30, Giants 24. Atlanta (7) at Dallas (17): Atlanta really impressed me with the toughness of their defense in the win over Chicago, something that was largely missing last year. They roughed up a Bears OL that is both immobile and fractious, i.e. similar to the Cowboys. Dallas has struggled with the pass rush despite stellar play from NT Jay Ratliff, a uniquely skilled difference-maker. I would like to think that being pushed to overtime by the inferior Chiefs would spark the Cowboys, but that has not been the case in the past for Tony Romo and friends. I always beware the dreaded 3-point favorite at home, which the Cowboys are here, because that essentially means the game is a push (handicappers invariably give three points to the home team). What that says to me is, Dallas is probably better but we don?t really trust them. When you consider the Cowboys usually give an extra point or two on the line anyways due to their popularity, it can be read that Atlanta is probably more apt to win, and certainly to cover. Falcons win 28-27. Chicago (14) at Cincinnati (12): Losing Antwan Odom really hurts the Bengals in games like this one, where the opposing QB is good at avoiding sacks even under heavy pressure. Odom was finishing those types of sacks as well as anyone, and the Bengals don?t have anyone who can fill that hole. The woeful left side of the Bears OL lends hope to the Bengals, but that is predicated upon Matt Forte running with more vision and authority. His legs look tired, which will happen when you get 900+ touches in a little over 2 years. I like the concept of Ced Benson putting it to the team that (rightfully) gave up on him, but the Chicago front has been playing real well in terms of gap integrity. I sense a tight field position battle, and that favors the Bears despite their propensity for idiotic gaffes and bad penalties. The cloud formations read Chicago, and I?m not about to argue with Gilgus Thunderhead. Bears 26, Bengals 24. San Francisco (15) at Houston (18): All the attention here will focus on 49ers rookie WR Michael Crabtree making his debut. But there is another rookie who is quietly putting up monster numbers at a position of dire need, and that is Texans LB Brian Cushing. Houston hasn?t had a worthy starting SLB since their inception, but the USC product has changed that. He already has 48 tackles and five passes defended, both of which represent a year?s worth of production from that spot. That sort of impact is critical to Houston, and it?s precisely matchups such as this one where the fruits of that investment should really pay off. The Niners struggle to sustain drives--they rank 31st in 1st downs per game and dead last in percentage of 3-and-out drives, and players like Cushing help guard against the big play that the Niners rely upon so heavily. Texans string two wins in a row together, something they have rarely done. Houston 27, San Francisco 17. Upset Special New Orleans (1) at Miami (16): The Saints are clearly the best team in the league after their demolition of the Giants. But strange things happen to undefeated teams in Miami, and all those bitter old 72 Dolphins still refuse to let their perfect season rest in peace. I suppose it?s pretty cool if you?re a Dolphins fan to see Mercury Morris, Nick Buoniconti, et al pop champagne on the sidelines when the last undefeated team falls in Miami, but to the rest of us it?s akin to seeing a fading starlet get naked on camera to try and keep the spotlight just a little longer. Enough of Meg Ryan?s nudity and enough of sponging off a feat that took place before any players on either team were born. That doesn?t mean that the upset magic is gone, however. Miami somehow shocks the Saints 27-24. The Rest San Diego (19) at Kansas City (27): What appeared to be a mismatch before last weekend suddenly becomes a very compelling game. No team does less with more than the Chargers, and the Chiefs have played pretty well against underachievers. One of my favorite NFL axiomatic clich?s is that good teams don?t just beat bad ones, they rout them. San Diego is just not a very good football team, and this game should provide the final spike in that coffin. The Chiefs pull the upset 24-20. New England (6) at Tampa Bay (30) in London: Anyone else find great irony that the New England Patriots are heading to Wembley Stadium to play a game? This battle should go a lot better for the Patriots, as the British were a much more game opponent than the hapless Buccaneers. Not even an army of Frenchmen can help Tampa win this game, and the NFL ?treats? the good people of England to a lopsided whipping that could be over as fast as last weekend?s Patriots pummeling of Tennessee. New England rolls in Old England, 38-13. Green Bay (9) at Cleveland (29): When watching the Packers-Lions game last week, the entire packed bar I was at all came to the same conclusion: if the Packers had even Detroit?s mediocre OL, they might not need to keep a punter on the active roster. But that Green Bay OL is full of holes that Swiss cheese-makers can only dream about; it?s easily the worst in the league. That leaves them vulnerable and puts more pressure on a defense that is still finding its way in the new scheme. The moribund Browns provide a good chance to build more confidence in both areas, though Shaun Rogers has an alarmingly productive history against the Packers: 7.5 sacks, eight other tackles for loss and a blocked FG in his last six games against them. Alas, his teams have lost every one of them. Green Bay 36, Cleveland 17. NY Jets (23) at Oakland (24): For all the talk about the ?Heidi? game, you?d think these two teams play infrequently, thus not letting that game some 36 years ago fade away. In fact, they?ve played every year but two in the last 10, including twice in both 2001 and 2002. How about some memories of the 2001 Week 17 matchup, which the Jets pulled off on a late TD to qualify for the playoffs (against Oakland) and keep the defending champion Ravens out? Or the following season, where the Raiders ended the Jets? playoff run (after the Jets shocked the Colts) by sitting on short routes and forcing Chad Pennington to beat them deep--a strategy that other teams copied and led to a downer season for the Jets the following year? I know it?s fun to reminisce about a strange historic event, but enough is enough already! Enough of another thing too: The New York Jets rank dead last in sacks, so can we shut up already about the awesome pressure of the Rex Ryan defense!?! Oh yeah, the game...the Jets threw six INTs in eight possessions and still darn near beat the Bills. The Raiders team that showed up against Philly will win here too, but you simply cannot trust that passion and warfare to pervade. Mark Sanchez gets comfortable in his return to California, and the Jets win 20-17. Indianapolis (2) at St. Louis (31): Just what the winless Rams need: a high-powered Colts team coming off a bye week to get healthy. That near-miss in Jacksonville could prove the nadir of the St. Louis season. A glimmer of hope: the Colts tend to show rust in the first half of games after byes; they?ve trailed at the half in four of their last six. Of course they only wound up losing one of those...Colts 31, Rams 10. Buffalo (25) at Carolina (22): Bad news for Buffalo: Carolina finally got the run game cooking. Last year it also took a few games before DeAngelo Williams found his groove, and then he ran for 18 TDs in their last 11 games. He finally got the wake-up call in 2009, and with the Jets coming off a dismal effort in trying to stop Thomas Jones, he is the running free (shameless Coheed & Cambria reference) this week. The Bills barely won despite getting six INTs and losing starting QB Trent Edwards to another concussion. Those sorts of fortuitous wins happen about once every three years, not two weeks in a row. Caroline quietly evens their record and re-enters the playoff race with a commanding 30-13 win in my survivor fantasy pick of the week. Philadelphia (11) at Washington (28): The Eagles have played one game against a team that currently has a winning record, and the Saints blew their doors off 48-22. The Redskins, meanwhile, face a team that enters the game with even one win for the first time all season. That?s pretty much the only way they have garnered any wins, because the Washington offense has been pathetic. It won?t improve with LT Chris Samuels shelved, certainly not against an attacking defense like Philly uses. The Eagles continue to get fat on the easiest 6-game opening schedule ever concocted. Philadelphia 20, Washington 6. Byes: Detroit (26), Seattle (21), Denver (4), Baltimore (8), Tennessee (32), Jacksonville (20) Drinking in the Dorm Room Games: 4-1 last week, 23-12 on the year. Kansas 26, Oklahoma 24 Miami FL 32, Clemson 20 TCU 20, BYU 17 Notre Dame 36, Boston College 31 Penn State 33, Michigan 24 Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com

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Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers

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Childress Contract Extension 'In The Works'

Oct 16, 2014 10:58 AM

Vikings coach Brad Childress should have a contract extension finalized within the next two to three weeks, according to a report. The report Tuesday by CBSSports.com states an extension is "in the works." Minnesota is 6-0 for the first time since 2003.

Pioneer Press

Tags: Minnesota Vikings, Misc Rumor

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ESPN

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ESPN