Vikings discuss 'nightmare' of losing Williamses on D-line
CBSSports.com wire reports
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Darren Sharper's nightmare has come true.
When Pro Bowl defensive tackles Pat Williams and Kevin Williams met with the league two weeks ago to appeal their suspensions for violating the league's steroid policy, the Minnesota Vikings free safety called the possibility of losing the foundation of their defense "a nightmare."
Now that the league has upheld the suspensions, the first-place Vikings are preparing to make a four-game playoff push without the Williams Wall. The players filed suit in Hennepin County District Court on Wednesday afternoon to seek a temporary restraining order to block the suspensions.
"On a personal level, it (stinks) for them. I know what they're going through," said defensive end Jared Allen, who served a two-game suspension last season in Kansas City after multiple DUI arrests. "That's why we're with them. We've got their back 100 percent."
The Williamses tested positive for the diuretic Bumetanide that can be used as a masking agent for steroids. They hoped to avoid suspensions because the product they used, StarCaps, did not list it as an ingredient.
The league denied the appeal, saying it issued a warning about the product in 2006.
"They're our teammates, our friends. I totally believe what they've had to say," linebacker Ben Leber said. "That's why I think it's just unfortunate that they've had this four-game suspension handed down to them. I feel like their situation is unique. Hopefully things go well for them the next couple days and we get a different ruling."
If the last-ditch effort to block the suspensions fails, the Vikings have a 650-pound hole to fill in the middle of their defensive line.
"Those two guys are a huge part of what we do as a defense, a huge part of what we do as a team," said Ellis Wyms, who will step in as the starter for Kevin Williams. "It's on everybody on this team to step up. Everybody has to do their job a little bit better, a little bit harder. We'll step up as a team and we'll continue to do what we've been doing, keep winning and get into the playoffs."
The news served as one big buzz kill for a team that appeared to finally be hitting its stride.
The Vikings (7-5) have won two in a row and six of their last eight games to grab sole possession of first place in the NFC North for the first time in four years. They are coming off their most complete performance of the season in a 34-14 thumping of Chicago on Sunday night that included a Williams Wall-led goal-line stand in the second quarter.
And now this.
Kevin Williams is second on the team with 8½ sacks and is fifth with 48 tackles. His good buddy Pat doesn't rack up the stats Kevin does, but serves as the emotional leader of the unit and a run-stuffing demon on the interior.
