GAMEDAY ARTICLES

**Purple Floyd** · 12-13-2009, 09:31 AM

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/football/other_nfl/view/20091213vikings_lb_must_step_up/srvc=home&position=recent

Jasper Brinkley has spent his rookie season as E.J. Henderson’s understudy, although he feels more like his younger brother.

**Purple Floyd** · 12-13-2009, 09:32 AM

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/football/wires/story/1377923.html

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin is questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals due to migraine headaches that have held him out of practice all week.

**Purple Floyd** · 12-13-2009, 09:36 AM

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/nfl

Adrian Peterson's remarkable ability and accomplishments prompt steady expectations of highlight-reel touchdown runs and 150-yard games.

Given those high standards, Peterson's season has so far been slightly disappointing - despite 12 touchdowns and 1,103 yards rushing that ranks third in the league. With Minnesota (10-2) winning as the NFL's second-highest scoring team, perhaps that doesn't matter much

**Purple Floyd** · 12-13-2009, 09:38 AM

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091212/SPT02/912130387/1066/

When you think of the Vikings and Bengals, the first two names that come to mind are the quarterbacks - Brett Favre and Carson Palmer.

So for a fan base longing to see any semblance of a passing game from the Bengals, the following phrase is probably the last thing you want to hear: Today's game features two of the best running backs this season.

**Purple Floyd** · 12-13-2009, 09:41 AM

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091212/SPT02/912130346/1062/SPT/Isolation+Booth++Whitworth+vs.+Allen

Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth already has faced an imposing schedule of pass rushers. It began with Denver's Elvis Dumervil and continued in division play with Pittsburgh's James Harrison, Baltimore's Terrell Suggs and Cleveland's Shaun Rogers.

But today Whitworth faces one of his most imposing challenges in Minnesota's Jared Allen, who leads the NFC in sacks with 12½ and is second in the league. He has three multi-sack games this season, including 4½ in a win over Green Bay.

**Purple Floyd** · 12-13-2009, 09:43 AM

http://www.mydesert.com/article/20091212/COLUMNS46/912120333/1031/sports04/Will+Bengals+repeat+Arizona+s+game+plan

When we get into these pressure-packed games of the season, I enjoy breaking them down to look for potential game plans and turning points. Last week I mentioned the Arizona Cardinals should: 1. Stuff Adrian Peterson. 2. Double-cover the two wide receivers. 3. Force Brett Favre to throw into the middle of the field.

**Purple Floyd** · 12-13-2009, 09:45 AM

This is going to be key. IMHO the DL will have to dominate to give him a bit of protection and not put everything on his shoulders.

**Purple Floyd** · 12-13-2009, 09:46 AM

Hopefully he can find a way to control these at some point. They are putting a damper on an otherwise stellar rookie season

**snowinapril** · 12-13-2009, 10:04 AM

He had a chance to get 1000yds, without this game, he is not going to make it without having a monster game like Sid's 200 yarder.

It was going to be tough to get to 1000, but it was obtainable.

**Rockmolder** · 12-13-2009, 10:38 AM

Purple Floyd wrote:

This is going to be key. IMHO the DL will have to dominate to give him a bit of protection and not put everything on his shoulders.

A good supporting cast can carry you a long way.

With Greenway, Lever and the Williams Wall around him, the kid should be fine.

As long as he doesn't try to do things he can't, with all this pressure on his shoulders. I mean, you see young guys overrunning plays or leaving their assigned gap to make some kind of big play tackle, only to have it come back and bite them.

If he just goes out there and plays some solid football, he should be fine.