I’m not going to sit here and tell you I thought it was okay that the Vikings lost to Washington, putting a serious dent in their playoff hopes. To be honest, the last few seasons of Vikings football just wasn’t the same. Not having a Shakespearean tragedy to end the Vikings season made the off-season seem vacant, so watching the Redskins add to the long and painful history was, in a perverted way, somewhat comforting, but still disappointing. The fact that the Vikings were (still are in) the playoff hunt at all is somewhat of a Christmas Miracle, and when you look at the season from that perspective, you have to consider the 2007 campaign a successful one, whether the Vikings secure the last wildcard spot or not. The Vikings came to Mankato with some serious questions (approximately nine if you believe a part time hack writer for a certain Vikings message board), and almost all of the answers to those questions fell in favor of the Vikings. Let’s see what those questions were, and how they turned out:
1. Is Tarvaris Jackson a legitimate NFL quarterback? Jackson made strides in 2007, and as the season went on he looked more comfortable and confident, until he was exposed to national prime time. I want to say the answer is yes, because he has shown the potential to be a good, if not necessarily great quarterback. He still needs to eliminate the bad throws and stay healthy, but he definitely has the skill set to be an NFL quarterback. He is 8-3 as a starter, and in those wins he has been an efficient NFL quarterback that was able to lead the team. It’s no coincidence that the Vikings late season five game winning streak came at the same time Jackson played the best football of his young career. But it is absolutely essential that the Vikings acquire a bona fide veteran that can come in and play if Jackson is either hurt or ineffective, which he has been both of. Donovan McNabb would fit this role perfectly, but does he want to be a backup?
2. Can the entire offensive line produce? In a nutshell, yes. Artis Hicks was ineffective again, but Childress yanked him early, inserted Anthony Herrera, and since then you can argue that the right side of Herrera and Cook is playing on par with the well publicized left side of Hutch and McKinnie. The running game is the best in the NFL, and the pass protection got noticeably better as the season progressed.
3. Is Childress still going to call the plays? Maybe he has, maybe he hasn’t, but the Vikings, while still stressing the run, recovered from early season struggles and have a middle of the road offense. The passing game is still lacking at crucial times, but the running game is the best in the game. There have been trick plays that have worked, a fake punt, a fake field goal, and the offense has morphed from unwatchable to respectable. And that has been due to playcalling that is still predictable at times, but just creative enough to keep teams off balance.
4. What will be the impact of Adrian Peterson? I wrote in August that it should be immediate, and it should be positive. Either I’m a genius, or a blind man could have made that prediction. Take the blind man and the points on that one, trust me. Peterson is the most dynamic young runner to come into the league since LaDainian Tomlinson, and set a Vikings record by rushing for 227 yards against the Bears, then an NFL single game record by blasting the San Diego Chargers for 297 yards. He is a Pro Bowler, and if he isn’t Rookie of the Year it will be a crime. If Peterson stays healthy, he will be one of the greatest of all time.
5. Who’s going to catch the ball? This question has only been partially answered. Bobby Wade looks like a decent slot/possession receiver, and Sidney Rice looks to be the go to guy for Jackson. Next to Peterson, Rice would be my pick for team rookie of the year. After that, it’s nothing but mediocrity. Troy Williamson is now officially a bust and probably won’t be back. Visanthe Shiancoe shouldn’t be back, but the Vikings spent too much money on him to cut him after one year. Aundre Allison has looked decent at times, especially as a kick returner, but is still very unpolished as a receiver. Robert Ferguson has picked it up the last few weeks, but is still no better than his journeyman reputation prior to coming to Minnesota. Along with the backup QB position, this is the other area of the team that must be upgraded before the Vikings can be considered a serious playoff contender in the NFC.
6. Can someone on the defensive line generate a pass rush? Yes. Kenechi Udeze has rebounded from his injury to help anchor a group of young and aggressive defensive ends. Ray Edwards and Brian Robison have proven that they belong in the NFL, and both bring pressure from the outside. Erasmus James is still struggling with injury, and 2008 might be his last opportunity with the Vikings. Kevin and Pat Williams just bring it from the inside, and although the pressure needs to be more consistent, it is substantially better than it was last year.
7. Is Leslie Frazier as good as Mike Tomlin? So far, yes. The Vikings still rank last in pass defense, but scoring defense is better than last year, and they are still the best in the NFL against the run. EJ Henderson has made a smooth transition back to the middle, and is arguably playing at a Pro Bowl level. Frazier has done a good job of mixing and rotating personnel, and the injury to james has been minimized by the emergence of Edwrds and Robison. Cedric Griffin is still learning, but he’s better than Fred Smoot ever was. The pass rush is better, and Frazier calls a more aggressive game. Now, if the Vikings can keep a defensive coordinator for more than one season…
8. Who is this Chad Greenway that you speak of? He’s a beast, and he’s going to be good for a long time. He is always around the ball, and is second on the team in tackles. He is showing no effects from the knee injury that ruined his rookie campaign, and is quickly becoming a playmaker on a playmaking defense.
9. Can Wilf get a new stadium? This has been the biggest failure of the season, and the clock is getting closer to midnight. This is the dark cloud that hangs over the franchise, and with each passing day the chance of relocation increases. The Minnesota Legislature, known universally as the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, has ruled out a Stadium bill in 2008, so it must be done in 2009 or the possibility of relocation becomes a probability. However, with the pricetag for a new stadium expected to eclipse $1 billion by then, getting a stadium deal partially funded by the state of Minnesota through the legislature will be quite an accomplishment indeed, and will be Wilf’s biggest accomplishment as owner, regardless of what the Vikings do on the field. Overall, it’s been a good year to be a Viking fan, the 3-6 start notwithstanding. Tarvaris Jackson needs to continue his improvement, they need a backup to the young Jackson, and he needs some receivers to throw to so teams will not be able to key up and stop Peterson, but these are very fixable problems. The owner has had no problems opening up the wallet to bring in top talent, and the last two drafts have been home runs, so the present and future of the team, at least on the field, looks very bright.
I just hope the stadium issue is resolved, so when this team brings home the Vince Lombardi trophy, the ticker tape parade will be in downtown Minneapolis, not downtown Toronto or Los Angeles.
"Not having a Shakespearean tragedy to end the Vikings season made the off-season seem vacant" - Another Noroof classic line, and one that has been the truth.
Thanks Ted for another great piece. Looking back on the season gives us hope for the future, even if it ends with Redskins back to back victories.
You see him every home game in the Metrodome normally riding a motorized something or grabbing a cheerleaders pom poms or harassing the apposing team... Yes we all know I’m talking about Ragnar…
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