Vikings notes: Health of Williams, Edwards key questions

EDEN PRARIE, Minn. -- In the never-ending quest to analyze and over-analyze any NFL game, especially one of this magnitude, sometimes it just comes down to who is healthier.

In the Vikings' case, they could potentially be in big trouble.

All-Pro defensive tackle Kevin Williams (left knee) and defensive end Ray Edwards (right knee), who had three sacks and a forced fumble in last week's divisional-round victory against Dallas, were unable to practice Wednesday and Thursday to get ready for the New Orleans Saints.

Those are the two most important preparatory days.

"[They are] pretty important to say the least," defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. "They are vital cogs to our success on defense. You would like to have them at 100 percent. I am not sure if that will be the case. But just their presence makes a difference."

Following practice Thursday, coach Brad Childress said both "might" be able to practice on Friday.

If Edwards can't play, backup Brian Robison, who is fourth on the team with 13 quarterback pressures, would start.

"We have a lot of confidence in B-Rob," Childress said following Thursday's practice. "He has good hands, good lower-body strength. He has a good, quick get-off. He's a good player."

The Percy plan

After missing the Dec. 13 victory against Cincinnati with migraine headaches, Offensive Rookie of the Year Percy Harvin was thought to be fine following a visit to a specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

But Thursday, Harvin had another migraine setback and was absent from the facility.

"I think it's just a matter of trying to slow the onsets," Childress said. "For a while he had them pretty often and this is the first time one has raised up. We expect him to be OK."

The Sharper Image

For two seasons, Saints safety Darren Sharper and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe had stalls next to each other in the Vikings locker room.

Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe (81) has excelled with Brett Favre (4) taking snaps. (Getty Images)

Come Sunday with a Super Bowl berth at stake, the joking will cease to exist. Shiancoe, with the third-most touchdown catches in the NFL since the start of the 2008 season (19), will be counted on to make plays against the NFL's leader in interceptions this year -- Sharper (nine).

Shiancoe, who swapped text messages with his friend this week, said he likes his chances.

"You can't shut down Shiancoe," the Viking said. "He can't. He can't shut down Shiancoe. Maybe he can cover me every once in a blue moon, you know what I'm saying?"

We know what he is saying, but Sharper presents his stiffest challenge yet.

Playing in Childress' Cover-2 scheme, Sharper wasn't allowed to ad-lib like he has this year and had only one interception last season. A free agent after the year, the Vikings had no interest in bringing him back.

But while Vikings safeties Madieu Williams and Tyrell Johnson had only one combined interception in the regular season, Sharper returned three for touchdowns and set an NFL record for most interception return yards in a season with 376.

"Physically, he looks as good as he's ever looked," Minnesota's quarterback Brett Favre said. "His instincts, those are the things you can't coach. He makes a lot of plays. The thought is from people when you play a guy like Sharp is you can trick him to get big plays. In all honesty, you really don't see that this year."

That's not to say that we can't make plays, but I think all the factors have to be in line. You have to protect well, you have to have the right play call, formation things, all that stuff has to be [in line], because he can decipher plays pretty quickly."

Plugging away

The Vikings have experience playing in a loud Superdome, winning on Monday Night Football in 2008 (30-27).

"Playing there [last year] it was definitely the loudest stadium I've played in," running back Adrian Peterson said. "So it's going to be very crucial for us to be sound with our protections and communicating out there."

To help with the crowd noise, the Vikings plan on practicing all week with the speakers turned all the way up. They also will test out custom-made ear plugs.

"It's a good idea," receiver Greg Lewis said. "We just need to focus and pay attention and everything will be fine with or without them."

The big uneasy that is A.P.

In 2008, Peterson set a franchise-record with 10 100-yard games. He even talked about having a 2,500-yard season in training camp.

But he has only three 100-yard games this year and in many ways the team has transformed from a run-first to pass-first offense.

"I will take 50 yards a game if we are playing for that championship game," Peterson said. "That is what matters the most, accomplishing that team goal; holding that trophy up at the end of the season. Everything else with the individual goals you can put that to the side."

Even though Peterson has gained less than 4.0 yards per rush in seven of the past eight games, he could present problems for the Saints.

Elite backs have been able to run against New Orleans. Atlanta running back Michael Turner had 151 yards, Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams had 149 yards and St. Louis running back Steven Jackson ran for 131 yards.

"I'm sure Adrian is going to break one soon," Vikings wide receiver Sidney Rice said.

Peterson, even after gaining only 2.6 yards per run against Dallas last Sunday, concurs with Rice.

"It was so close [to breaking one]. One block here or taking a better angle here, it could have been out the gate. Those are some of things that we are going to look to correct and make sure we take advantage of those opportunities."

For Pete's sake

Thirteen-year veteran Pete Morelli is expected to be the referee for Sunday's game.

Morelli was the referee for the Vikings' 26-7 loss at Carolina on Dec. 20. He called five penalties on the Vikings and six on the Panthers.

With Childress in charge, the Vikings are 1-3 in games Morelli has officiated, but have been flagged one less time than their opponents (21-20)

Favre vs. Gregg Williams

One of many chess matches to watch is Favre vs. Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

Four times in his career -- all with Green Bay -- Favre has a faced a Williams-led defense.

He has completed 68 of 124 passes (a 54.8 completion percentage) for 844 yards with five touchdowns, seven interceptions, and seven sacks.

"I think with his defenses, he gives you a lot of looks," Favre said. "For him and for those guys in that scheme, it probably is simpler than it may seem to us [or] whoever it is going against him. "For example, Cover-2 is Cover-2 but how they get to it may be different each week. As he's telling his guys, 'It's still Cover-2, but this week [Darren Sharper] you may be the corner. Next week, you're obviously the safety.'

"They get pressure on you with, most of the time, five guys and sometimes four. But it's who comes. So you go in with a lot of protections. ... They try to attack you that way. Overload one way, come back the next time and overload the other. They use those types of blitzes and pressures to help in the run game as well.

"It's one of those when you look at the defense at the line of scrimmage or as you look at it on film, you go, 'That's [Cover] 2, [with a] 4-3 front.' But at the snap, it's totally different. You just can't say, 'That's what it is,' and then go on. The tendency part of it doesn't always hold up because this league is big on tendencies. He kind of breaks those. It's kind of a risk-reward type of defense and you see that it's made a huge difference for those guys."

Favre went 4-0 in those games.

Bush-whacked again?

If last weekend's effort against Arizona wasn't Saints running back Reggie Bush's best day as a pro (84 yards rushing and a punt return for a touchdown), then last year against the Vikings might be No. 1.

On Monday Night Football, Bush had seven catches for 64 yards and returned two punts for touchdowns.

After that display, Childress publicly called out his punter, Chris Kluwe, for not following through on instructions to kick it out of bounds.

One of Kluwe's best friends, kicker Ryan Longwell, said that "he is a much better punter this year" due to a massive upgrade with his hang time.

The practice facility roof at Winter Park is not ideal for judging hang time, so the Vikings are sending Kluwe to the Metrodome on Thursday for practice.

With a new coach -- Brian Murphy -- and several new players (Heath Farwell, Kenny Onatolu, Jamarca Sanford, and Asher Allen), the Vikings markedly improved in covering punts.

"It's a different group of guys," Murphy said. "We have a good concept. The guys believe. Things are different [from last year]."