http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/ Purplepride.org is the leading Minnesota Vikings fan site featuring fan analysis, forums, Vikings history, stats, live game information and more. en Wed, 22 May 2013 14:10:33 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.purplepride.org/images/x-purple/misc/rss.jpg http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/ http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/great-american-pastime-70/ Fri, 13 Jul 2012 21:52:01 GMT The time between the NFL Draft in April and the start of training camp in July is a long three months, especially to a football junkie like me. Sure,... The time between the NFL Draft in April and the start of training camp in July is a long three months, especially to a football junkie like me. Sure, there are OTAs, mini camps, etc., but not much for gossip, league and team news.

One of my favorite things to do around this time of the season is to think fantasy football. I can remember oh, about 10 years or so ago, when I first started getting into it. It was definitely a new concept to me at the time, and certainly a novel idea. The first few years I played, the leagues I was in would have their drafts in a park somewhere, or a bar, or a league member's house. Everything was done on paper, and it was a lot of work. But it was fun.

Then of course along came internet leagues, like Yahoo, Fox Sports, CBS Sports, etc. I latched onto Yahoo Fantasy Football, and I still play today. While I am ultra-competitive, I like to have fun at the same time. The best part of fantasy football is the trash-talking. And of course, another part of the fun is coming up with a good team name. This year, my team name is Heywood Jabuzzoff. I've had names like Shock's Purple Hoard, Anti-Favre, and others. It's always fun to pick something that makes no sense, or has a particular meaning to you, or is just something silly.

Getting back to the trash-talking, one of the leagues I play in is called "No Whiners, Quitters or Skirts." As you can imagine, we do a little trash-talking in that one, especially on draft day. Yahoo makes it so everything can be set to be automatic. If you want, you can have it set where you don't even have to be there (it's called Auto Draft). But what fun would that be? The fun is when you pick a player someone one or two spots behind you wanted.

That way you can gloat and rub it in their face.

Of course the same thing can happen to you. THAT'S the fun of a live draft, anything can happen. I've found that if you have too many teams in your league (14 or more), the player rosters tend to get stretched thin, especially depending how many players can be on each roster. It's best, I've found, to have 8, 10 or 12 teams in your league.

As a league commissioner, Yahoo allows me to set all sorts of settings in our league, from number of players on your roster to point settings for scoring and/or yardage to number of waiver claims you can make per week. It's almost like you're running and managing your own NFL team! Our league is a combination yardage/scoring league, so you get points if a player on your active roster for the week scores a TD (receiver, tight end or running back), or the team defense you picked gets a shutout, etc. In addition, you might set it so your receiver gets 1 point for each 25 yards receiving, plus a bonus if they reach 100 yards, and a bigger bonus if they reach 200 yards, etc. Same with running backs, and it also works in reverse (i.e., if your running back has 100 yards receiving in a game, or a QB has certain number of rushing yards in a game). Also, your QB would get points for each 50 yards he throws for, plus bonus for reaching 300 yards, 400 yards, etc. The possibilities are really endless for getting points for your team. The kicker also collects points usually for kicking FGs and extra points. Plus, they may get a bonus for kicking a 50+ yard FG.

The point is, setting up your league is really an individualized thing - you can set it up in any way that you want. Leagues definitely vary widely, from types of leagues to roster sizes to whether you choose defensive players or have a team defense. In the league I run, this is how I have our rosters set:

QB - 2
WR - 4
RB - 4
TE - 2
WR/TE - 1
WR/RB - 1
K - 2
Team DEF - 2
Bench - 3

So, generally, what I would set as a weekly active roster would be 1 QB, 3 WR, 2 RB, 1 TE, 1 WR/TE, 1 WR/RB, 1 K and 1 Team Defense. Then of course as your players accumulate points, Yahoo adds them up and does everything automatically. It's really pretty awesome.

I'm looking forward for the season to start. SKOL Vikings!!! ]]> shockzilla http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/great-american-pastime-70/ http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/viking-legends-who-deserve-their-due-53/ Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:31:32 GMT The Vikings of the late 60's and early 70's were legendary teams, the Purple People Eaters years. Gradually, over time, the players on those teams who really stood out for their performances have gotten the recognition they deserve, and induction into the NFL Hall of Fame. Fran Tarkenton was the first, then Alan Page, Jim Finks, Bud Grant, Paul Krause, Ron Yary, Carl Eller. All of them big names from Vikings history. There are two others from that era who also deserve induction. Mick Tinglehoff is one, and the other is Jim Marshall.

Mick Tingelhoff

Mick Tingelhoff is the epitome of what the Vikings of the 60's and 70's stood for: hard work, dedication, team-first attitude, everyone working together to accomplish a goal, whatever it happened to be.

40 for 60.

That was their motto back then, and Mick was a big part of it. He started at center from the first game of 1962 and played all the way through the 1978 seas0n. Seventeen full seasons, 240 consecutive games, and never missed a game. THAT is the kind of longevity you just don't see anymore. Mick made 6 consecutive Pro Bowls and was a 5-time 1st Team All-Pro. He started and played in 19 career playoff games, fumbling only 4 times in his career. He is 51st in NFL history in games played (240) and 11th in games started (240).

All that from a guy who wasn't even drafted, but signed as a free agent by the Vikings out of the University of Nebraska before the 1962 season.

Jim Marshall

When you think of a player like former Vikings DE Jim Marshall, these words come to mind: indestructible, Iron Man, dedicated, committed, energetic, feared. Those all describe Jim Marshall, but he was so much more. Until Brett Favre broke his streak a couple of years ago, Jim had started 282 consecutive games. 282!!!! Jim also holds the NFL record for fumble recoveries in a career with 30, had 130 sacks (according to Vikings official records, because the NFL didn't recognize the sack stat until after Jim had retired in 1979), and was an integral member of the Purple People Eaters defense of the era.

When I was a kid, I remember watching Jim rushing the quarterback. He was RELENTLESS. To see him coming around the right end, chasing the QB or RB (or whomever the ball carrier was) around and around, was a sight to see. He was so quick on his feet, could shed a blocker and had very strong hands. And of course he was ALWAYS around the loose balls.

Like Mick Tingelhoff, Jim Marshall never missed an NFL game as a player. He played in 270 consecutive as a Viking (he played 12 games with the Browns, who drafted him in the 4th round out of Ohio State in 1960 before being traded to Minnesota), and was the NFL's first true Iron Man. He was a two-time Pro Bowler with the Vikings (1968 and 1969), and is tied for the team record with Mick for having started and played in 19 career playoff games. Jim was also a finalist for the NFL Hall of Fame in 2004, but wasn't elected.

Wrap

The glory years for the Vikings were the late 1960's to mid/late 1970's, and both Mick Tingelhoff and Jim Marshall were both immeasurable as important players on those teams. The NFL Hall of Fame, in my opinion, has long held the fact that those Vikings lost 4 Super Bowls (IV, VIII, IX and XI) against them when it comes to voting players from those teams into the Hall of Fame.

There are two left who absolutely deserve to be there. I implore each and every voter who is on the NFL Hall of Fame committee: put Mick Tingelhoff and Jim Marshall in.

They've waited long enough.

To help get Jim in, please visit the Jim Marshall Hall of Fame Campaign page
HERE ]]> shockzilla http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/viking-legends-who-deserve-their-due-53/ http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/anticipation-making-me-wait-49/ Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:00:57 GMT After the Super Bowl hype machine has run out of gas, every NFL fan looks forward to the next significant date on the calendar: April, and the NFL... After the Super Bowl hype machine has run out of gas, every NFL fan looks forward to the next significant date on the calendar: April, and the NFL Draft. Every fan spends the days leading up to it in high speculation mode, arguing the pros and cons of who might be available when their team drafts, what their teams biggest needs are, and who they should draft with their first-round draft pick. I am no exception.

The Vikings have entered the offseason with many holes to fill. After the disaster of 2011, the team has many needs: WR, DL, OL, LB, S, CB. Some even say QB. Some holes will be filled through free agency, some through the draft. There are a LOT of ways the Vikings can go in this year's draft.

The Indianapolis Colts have the no. 1 pick in the draft, and if they take anyone OTHER than Stanford QB Andrew Luck, I will eat a football.

The St. Louis Rams have the 2nd pick, and there are several options for them, all of which seem plausible. They could go with WR Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State. They need someone for their 3rd year QB Sam Bradford to throw to, since Danny Amendola went out with a season-ending injury last year. They have Brandon Lloyd as well, but not much else. Blackmon would make really good sense.. There has also been speculation that the Rams have an interest in picking RG3, Heisman Trophy-winning QB Robert Griffin III, from Baylor, or trading away their pick to a team who WOULD pick him.

The Vikings have the third pick in the first round, and a lot of speculation has been that the they will take T Matt Kalil from USC with that pick. That would certainly be a safe pick, and I would welcome it, no question. Ever since Bryant McKinnie was booted off the team last year in training camp, the Vikings have been looking to replace him with someone solid. Kalil has been rated by just about every team as a "can't-miss" player, someone who would join the team and become a starter and anchor on the OL for many years. Charlie Johnson was OK, but just wasn't the right fit. Blackmon could also be available, and the Vikings could certainly use a WR with his talent - he catches everything, fights for every yard after-the-catch, and would be a tremendous weapon for QB Christian Ponder to have. Defensively, there are several players who the Vikings would be willing to grab as well. CB Morris Claiborne from Louisiana State is probably this year's shutdown corner. Having Claiborne in the defensive backfield for the next dozen years would be a nice thought for the Vikings, who haven't had a shutdown corner since I can remember.

There is also speculation that the Vikings having the 3rd pick in the draft puts them in a very unique position of trading down and still getting someone who fills a need on the team. I have heard that the Vikings could trade down with Cleveland, who has the #4 and #22 picks in the first round. Speculation is that Matt Kalil would still be available to them at #4, and they could a take WR or CB at #22 as well, filling two needs in the first round. While that scenario seems possible, I'm not sure that the Vikings have the kind of money it would take to sign two 1st-round picks.

It really is a little bit TOO early to say with any certainty how the draft is going to go, at least past the no. 1 pick anyway. So many players are moving up and down the draft, their stock rising and falling by the hour. I think it would be safe to say, however, that the Vikings are going to have their pick from four players at the #3 pick: Matt Kalil, Robert Griffin III, Justin Blackmon or Morris Claiborne. To be honest, I would be ecstatic getting any one of them. Realistically, I see the Vikings taking either Kalil or Blackmon. Kalil would be my bet right now, if I were a betting man. ]]> shockzilla http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/anticipation-making-me-wait-49/ http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/so-long-jim-41/ Fri, 30 Dec 2011 23:14:36 GMT After Sunday's game against the Bears here at the Metrodome, FB/TE Jim Kleinsasser will call it a career. Thirteen years of unselfish play, team-first attitude, hard-nosed football and workmanlike effort will be gone, but NOT forgotten.

Drafted in the 2nd round (44th overall) from North Dakota in 1999, Jim Kleinsasser played 180 games in thirteen years for the Purple. His stats aren't the greatest (192 receptions, 1,688 yards, 6 TDs; 43 rushes, 147 yards, 1 TD), he wasn't flashy, but that wasn't why he was so valuable to the Vikings over the years.

Jim Kleinsasser was a road grader in purple.

I remember when they drafted him. The word was that he was one of the better pass-catching tight ends available that year, even coming from a Division 1-AA school like North Dakota. I remember seeing the film on him before the draft. He was a hulk, a big strapping farm boy who could play the game. I was excited when they drafted him. I thought he could be a really valuable player in the Vikings' passing game, but it turned out Jimmy was much more valuable elsewhere - as a blocker.

Blocking TE is definitely NOT one of your more glamorous positions in pro football, but Jimmy was a BEAST. He consistently mowed over defenders, plowing the way for the top seven rushing seasons the Vikings have ever had. Blocking for the likes of Robert Smith, Leroy Hoard, Moe Williams, Michael Bennett, Cris Carter, Onterrio Smith, Mewelde Moore, Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson, Jim Kleinsasser epitomized the hard work and extra effort that would be the hallmark of his career. He was unselfish, and his level of play consistently and remarkably stayed at the same level throughout his career. 2004 was the only season in which he wasn't healthy, when he started and played in one game.

There are a lot of things that make Jim Kleinsasser admirable. He's humble, thinks team first, keeps himself in great shape, and is a great mentor for younger players, setting a good example for them.

This Sunday against Chicago at MOA Field, in Jim's final game of his career, coach Leslie Frazier has come out and said that the team is going to do anything it can to get him the ball and get him in the end zone if they are anywhere near the goal line. While a fitting tribute to a player that has meant so much to the Vikings over the past 13 years, somehow I think Jim would rather do what he does best: block for someone else, so THEY can get into the end zone.

So long, Jim. It's been a great 13 years having you here in Minnesota. Next step, Vikings Ring Of Honor. You deserve it. ]]> shockzilla http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/so-long-jim-41/ http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/where-joe-webb-24/ Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:03:01 GMT When the Vikings drafted Joe Webb out of the University of Alabama-Birmingham in 2010, he was a 6"4" amazing athlete with lots of potential. A quarterback in college, the Vikings originally drafted him to play WR in the NFL, but after seeing his potential in training camp, they decided to keep him at QB. Seemed like a smart move at the time.

Now, after the QB mess over the first 6 games this season, Christian Ponder is the starter for the rest of the season, McNabb is the backup and Webb is the third-stringer. Many fans were screaming for McNabb's replacement for a while, and now they have been satisfied. But what of Joe Webb?

When he was drafted last season, many people liked Joe Webb's potential, just as an amazing athlete. And when he played QB, especially in the Viking's upset of Philadelphia on the first Tuesday night game in almost 60 years in the NFL, he showed a poise and toughness, and skill level, that belied his little time in the NFL. At the beginning of this season, before the lockout and the mess that it caused, the Vikings were poised to come into camp with Ponder and Webb competing for the starting QB job. Then, of course, McNabb was brought in and everything changed.

If Joe Webb is such a great "athlete", and if the plan to put him at WR in the pros was changed because he was a such a good QB prospect, where is he in this offense? Wouldn't it make sense to use such a "gifted athlete" as often as you can? And it would seem with the dearth this team has a WR, why not give him a shot, seeing as how that was the original plan with him in the first place? You can't have him both ways. Keeping him at third string QB would seem a waste of his talent, and yet they don't want to put him at WR? How is that not a waste of his talent as well?

On Tuesday night, October 25th, I saw a display of Joe's talent that only proved to me that he HAS to be used more in this offense, at WR or wherever they can get him in. Heck, put him in at KR or PR!!! This man has amazing hand strength, a vice for a grip, and moves like a cat. We were at Seven, the restaurant in downtown MPLS, on the roof patio for the weekly taping of GameON!, and he had appeared on the show.

Things were wrapping up, and TV equipment was being put away. It was a brisk and windy night, and as a gust of wind started swirling on set, I saw a light post starting to go down. Out of NOWHERE, Joe came to the rescue, grabbing the light post and saving it from crashing down to the cement! Cheers went up from everyone in attendance, and the legend of "Mighty" Joe Webb was born!

Come on Vikings front office, get this guy involved!!!!! ]]> shockzilla http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/where-joe-webb-24/ http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/another-win-cards-against-bears-20/ Sun, 16 Oct 2011 05:12:02 GMT After a relatively easy win last week at home against Arizona for their first win of the 2011 season, the Vikings head to the Windy City to take on... After a relatively easy win last week at home against Arizona for their first win of the 2011 season, the Vikings head to the Windy City to take on the rival Bears for a Sunday night game on ESPN. The Vikings haven't had a lot of success there lately, having lost 9 of the last 10 in Chicago (the lone win coming on Oct. 14th, 2007, in a 34-31 Minnesota win). This is the only time the Vikings will be on national TV this season, so I imagine they'll want to make a good showing.

Heading into Chicago, the Vikings have been playing extremely well on defense and on special teams. The defensive line has been penetrating opposing backfields with regularity. Last week Jared Allen and Brian Robison caused all sorts of havoc, and the defensive backfield did a very good job of holding Arizona's receivers in check, despite the fact that Antoine Winfield didn't play. They have been improving from week to week, and I look for another solid to spectacular week from them against Da Bears.

As it is right now, the Bears have no offense to speak of. At receiver they have Roy Williams, who's old, Johnny Know, Devin Hester and Earl Bennett, not exactly a lineup of pro-bowlers. Hester is more suited for KR and PR, and Bennett has exactly 3 receptions for 20 yds this season. They also have Dane Sanzenbacher (?) and Sam Hurd (?). Matt Forte is their only real weapon offensively. QB Jay Cutler has been running for his life all season, and last week against the Packers, it was lucky he wasn't killed. The Bears' offensive line is a mess - getting rid of their former center Olin Kreutz has forced them to juggle the line all season.

The Bears' defense can still be formidable, but they are getting old fast. LB Lance Briggs is 30, MLB Brian Urlacher is 33, cornerback Charles Tillman is 30, RDE Julius Peppers is 31, LDE Israel Idonije is 31. So, basically, one half of their defensive starters are 30 or over.

So what does all that say about this week's matchup of the 1-4 Vikings against the 2-3 Bears? The Vikings offense isn't much better than the Bears', I think they've proven that. However, I think the Vikings will have an easier time vs. the Bears' defense than Chicago against Minnesota's defense. Adrian Peterson will have his work cut out for him, as the Bears are going to make QB Donovan McNabb win the game with his play. The Vikings' defensive line will be all over Bears' QB Cutler, getting in his face and hassling him into throwing before he wants to. Matt Forte could have a strong game for the Bears, but the Minnesota defense will contain him.

Prediction: The Vikings gain another game in the division.

Final Score:

Vikings 27, Bears 13 ]]> shockzilla http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/another-win-cards-against-bears-20/ http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/0-crying-out-loud-16/ Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:10:19 GMT The Vikings did it to themselves a third time. They had another good team on the ropes at halftime, and let it slip away again. This time, it was the... The Vikings did it to themselves a third time. They had another good team on the ropes at halftime, and let it slip away again. This time, it was the perennial whipping-boys, the Detroit Lions winning 26-23. This one was worse that the first two games because a) it was the Detroit Lions; b) it was a twenty-point lead at halftime (20-0 Minnesota) and c) the Vikings had thoroughly outplayed the Lions in every aspect of the game in the first half.

Here are some of the first-half stats: Vikings 20 points to Detroit's 0; Detroit had something like -5 yards rushing in the first quarter; The Vikings were punishing Lions QB Matthew Stafford in the first half, constantly putting him on the turf, forcing bad throws, and generally harassing him all over the field. The Vikings were moving the ball fairly well on the ground in the first half, and Adrian Peterson was gearing up for what looked like another fabulous day.

Then the wheels started coming off. Again.

It was painfully apparent to me that the Lions made the right adjustments at halftime, and the Vikings appeared to be settled on not losing the game in the second half, rather than going out and taking it to the Lions. The offense appeared to become conservative once again. Run on first down, run on second down, 3rd-and-8, try a 20-yard pass. Punt. You have arguably the best running back in the NFL, and you let him touch the ball 5 TIMES in the second half??? What's wrong with this picture??? And on what was surely to become a breaking point in the game, on a 4th and 1 from the Lions' 17-yard-line early in the fourth quarter, when the Vikings still had the lead at 20-10, they run Toby Gerhart inside, and he's stood up short of the first down. Why do you not go to Adrian Peterson in that situation? Isn't that why he just signed a $100 million dollar contract?? I mean, nothing against Toby Gerhart, he's a pretty good 2nd-year player, but why you have a guy like Adrian in your lineup, and you don't go to him in that situation is beyond me. Sure, you could second-guess and say what if Gerhart had made it, and the Vikings had continued on to a touchdown, but you don't 2nd-guess in that situation, you give the ball to your horse. Hell, even if the Vikings had decided to kick the field goal at that point, that may have put the game out of reach for the Lions. Instead, the Vikings failed on 4th-and-1, and the Lions went right back down the field to score a TD and make it 20-17 Vikings.

Once again, Donovan McNabb appeared off-target with a lot of his throws. Since he joined the Vikings in the off-season, he has really started to look like a 34-year-old QB who doesn't have it anymore. Off-target throws, throws at the receivers' feet, off-target on long sideline passes, it doesn't seem to matter when the Vikings' QB throws the ball, it just doesn't appear that he has the arm he had before with the Eagles.

It won't take much more from die-hard Minnesota Viking fans to start screaming for McNabb's head and wanting to put Ponder in at QB. If you ask me, it's too early yet. The season isn't absolutely sunk yet, despite how things may look. The schedule gets easier from here until the bye, which might give the Purple some time to right the ship. Donovan, however, is most likely a one-year bridge to the Christian Ponder Era in Minnesota. Which is kind of too bad, because McNabb is a decent guy, often treated, unfairly or not, by the media as a formerly-decent QB in serious decline.

One thing is for sure: a loss in Kansas City will have the fans in Minnesota jumping ship and calling for major changes. Is Leslie Frazier's job in jeopardy yet after the 0-3 start? Probably not. But if the team goes 0-4 or 0-5, the purple will be hitting the proverbial fan.

My prediction:

The Vikings finally win one, on the road. Kansas City can be scored upon - look at the Lions' 48-3 win in week 2 as proof. This will be a close game, and playing in Kansas City is awfully tough for any team in the league - I should know, I went to see the Vikings play the Chiefs a couple of years ago in KC, and the crowd was the loudest, most raucous I had heard anywhere outside the Metrodome/MOA Field. However, the fans were also very gracious and welcoming, and tailgating with them was a pleasure.

Final score: Vikings 24, Chiefs 17. ]]> shockzilla http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/0-crying-out-loud-16/ http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/here-we-go-1/ Fri, 09 Sep 2011 18:07:24 GMT We all saw last night how good the Packers are going to be - putting up 3 touchdowns in the 1st quarter against the Saints was no mean feat. If... We all saw last night how good the Packers are going to be - putting up 3 touchdowns in the 1st quarter against the Saints was no mean feat. If possible, Aaron Rodgers looks even better than last year. The Pack came out right from the start looking to prove they deserve the title of "defending Super Bowl champions", and in my eyes, they did. They've lost virtually none of their roster from last year, and everyone who was hurt last year is healthy now. They are going to be tough to beat all year.

Now to the Vikings: their first game is this Sunday in San Diego against the Chargers. It was hard to tell how good - or how bad - the Vikings are going to be this year just by what I saw in the four preseason games. There were no OTA's, not much of a training camp, and of course probably every team in the league played it conservative as far as defensive packages, offensive schemes, etc. I think the offense is going to be efficient if not spectacular. I think Donovan McNabb is the perfect choice to run this offense - he's got the experience in running this type of offense, and he has enough mobility and smarts to be able to make plays if he needs to run outside the pocket or throw on the run. He may not be flashy, but I think he'll be efficient. Backups Christian Ponder and Joe Webb each has own skills to bring to the table, but hopefully McNabb will remain healthy enough to start all season long.

Adrian Peterson looks like he could have a MONSTER year this year. The way he ran against the Cowboys, he looked like he could have broken one of his patented runs to the outside at any time. He looks to be in incredible shape, and looks more explosive off the line than ever. Backups Toby Gerhart (who looks like he's adjusted to the speed of the game very well in the offseason) and Lorenzo Booker are capable enough to give Adrian Peterson plenty of help in carrying the load.

The receiving corps for the Vikings could definitely be an issue. Having Bernard Berrian as your number 1 guy, after the last two seasons he's had, leaves something to be desired. We all know what Percy Harvin can do, of course, but beyond those two, and Devin Aromashudo, there are some unanswered questions. Veterans Michael Jenkins and Greg Camarillo should help, but how much remains to be seen.

At TE, with Visanthe Shiancoe coming off his injury that kept him out of action for the entire preseason, and having rookie Kyle Rudolph, the Vikings are a little more set. Veteran Jim Kleinsasser will be his usual steady presence, still laying solid blocks and catching an occasional pass.

OL will be a bright spot this season, I think. There was a lot of apprehension when the Vikings cut Bryant McKinnie and his sorry butt, But Charles Johnson has filled in nicely, and I think the team has decent depth there. They seemed to play rather well and cohesively in preseason, so we'll see.

On the defensive line, the Vikings have a nice mix of experience and youth, but they WILL be missing Kevin Williams for the first two games because of suspension, so Brian Robison, LeTroy Guion and Everson Griffen will be called upon to play a fairly significant roles.

At LB, the Vikings are awfully thin, what with losing Ben Leber in the offseason, The starters are Chad Greenway, EJ Henderson and his brother Erin Henderson, with Kenny Onatolu, rookie Larry Dean and Xavier Adibi backing them up.

In the secondary, more question marks. Starters are going to be Antoine Winfield, Cedric Griffin (coming off two consecutive season-ending knee injuries), Jamarca Sanford (who might be splitting playing time with Tyrell Johnson) and Husain Abdullah. Backups who may see a decent amount of playing time are Chris Cook, Marcus Sherels, Asher Allen and Mistral Raymond.

On special teams, the Vikings are pretty solid. P Chris Kluwe, K Ryan Longwell, long snapper Cullen Loeffler are all back. Percy Harvin and Marcus Sherels are slated to be the KR and PR, respectively.

Now for a prediction on the San Diego game: SD are notoriously slow starters, and the Vikings are going to surprise some people. SD QB Philip Rivers could have a field day against the Vikings' secondary. AP will have a great first game, and I look for this to be a high-scoring affair.

Final score: Vikings 31, Chargers 28 ]]> shockzilla http://www.purplepride.org/blogs/shockzilla/here-we-go-1/