Vikings: Love and hate
Vikings: Camp tour | Rapid Reports | Bleacher Report
MANKATO, Minn. -- Another day, another chance to speculate about Brett Favre. He's retiring. He's returning. He's not sure.
With Favre, you never know. Or, as someone aptly put it, it's never over ... which means it's always safe to figure on No. 4 in the lineup again. The Vikings hope so, and, for their sake, so do I. Because I like them ... and I like them a lot ... but only if Favre is back.
What I like
• Favre hasn't ruled out a return. Let's face it, if they're going anywhere it's with Favre, and everyone knows it -- including No. 4. So there's drama, drama, drama. Welcome to Brett World. All that matters is having Favre under center for the season opener in New Orleans.
• The Vikings addressed their biggest need, cornerback. Nobody is sure if Cedric Griffin will be ready for the season opener, but he will play this season. He's coming off ACL surgery. They are, however, certain about Antoine Winfield. He's running with the starters and, according to coach Brad Childress, suffers no effects from his offseason knee surgery. In the meantime, the Vikings have Lito Sheppard, Asher Allen and rookie Chris Cook to fill in behind Griffin, and all have looked good in camp -- with Cook the interception leader. Sheppard is playing so well that the Vikings have him starting opposite Winfield -- at least for now. "This is as deep as we've been in the secondary since I've been here," said defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.
• The emphasis on ball security with Adrian Peterson. The Vikings are confident they can cure his fumble-itis, with the club working on a variety of drills that include Peterson toting a football that is 13 or 14 pounds heavier than the real thing. "It's mind over matter," said running backs coach Eric Bieniemy. "Here's the issue: When you have a 'fumbling problem,' guys don't tackle you. They do what? They focus on the ball. So he has to be more conscious of it. We've got to make sure he's protecting the ball at all times because he's such a violent runner, and at times a lot of his issues come when he's fighting for inches. Like I told him, 'Sometimes it's OK to be passive/aggressive. Sometimes you have to know when to say when.'"
• Their receivers. They had six players with 43 or more catches each, with Sidney Rice leading the parade with 83 receptions and a club-high 1,312 yards. But let's not forget about Percy Harvin or tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, who led the team with 11 touchdown catches. Three is talent everywhere, and, yes, that includes Bernard Berrian, who had 55 catches but only four TDs. Hey, when you have Rice and Harvin combining for 2,100 yards and 14 touchdowns someone has to suffer
• The offensive line. It returns intact. Not many clubs can say that, but the Vikings have the same unit that last year was there when they ranked 13th in rushing, eighth in passing, fifth overall and second in scoring.
• The Williams Wall. As long as Pat Williams and Kevin Williams anchor the middle, ballcarriers can look for daylight outside. It's a waste of time to try the middle. The Vikings ranked second against the run last season, first the year before that and first the year before that. Hmmmm, sounds like a pattern.
What I don't
• Favre isn't here. That means Tarvaris Jackson is your starter, and tell me how much faith you have in Jackson taking this team to the Super Bowl.
• Harvin's migraines. They still occur, and that's a problem. They can cause the poor guy to miss games, and, yes, when you have a guy this talented, that's an issue. Harvin is someone the Vikings can plug inside, outside, in the backfield or on returns. In short, the guy is versatile. "He still has the migraines," said Childress. "I'm not going to say he doesn't. But it's just like [a physican] told him, 'Anxiety? Hmmmm. Might have some of that. Head trauma? Hmmmm. You play football.'"
• Uncertainty about the No. 2 back. Chester Taylor was a perfect fit behind Peterson. Now the Vikings roll the dice with Toby Gerhart, the standout from Stanford, and so far, so good. But it's early. If Gerhart struggles, look for Albert Young to get a shot. The second-year back from Iowa has been impressive.
• The schedule. The Vikings open with the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints ... in New Orleans, no less. Then they play Miami and Detroit at home, so that's not so bad. But then look what happens: In succession, it's the New York Jets, the Dallas Cowboys, the Green Bay Packers, the New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals. All were playoff teams, three division champions.
