Thread: Some Viking Team Rankings from Fox Sports

The Vikes continue to get no respect from sportwriters aroound the country. Now it's Fox Spots NFL dising them.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5819844
[size=18px]Ranking the defensive lines, team-by-team[/size]
Michael David Smith / FootballOutsiders.com

18. Minnesota

Pat Williams' presence made a big difference on Minnesota's run defense, which improved from terrible to average, and his absence made a big difference on Buffalo's run defense, which declined from great to terrible. Many analysts called Kevin Williams a reach when the Vikings took him ninth overall in 2003, but he's developed into a very good player. Minnesota's starting ends, Kenechi Udeze and Erasmus James, haven't yet lived up to their potential. Both were first-round draft picks.

(Chicago was rated 1st and Seattle 2nd)

Then this from Fox:

Fox Analyst Aaron Schatz posted this column yesterday on FOX NFL page rating the Vikes on each phase of their game:

Quarterback
31. Minnesota

Brad Johnson has been in the NFL for 15 years, and he's managed to stay healthy through all 16 games only three times. At age 38, is this going to be the fourth? When the inevitable injury comes, the Vikings are in trouble. Mike McMahon scrambles far too often and has no touch on his passes, and if people think Vince Young needs a lot of preparation before he's ready to play in the NFL, where does that leave Tavaris Jackson?

Offensive Line
8. Minnesota Vikings

You may wonder why the Vikings went after Seattle guard Steve Hutchinson with such vigor — why would any team employ the poison-pill contract strategy and put out a seven-year, $49 million offer sheet, with $16 million guaranteed, as bait for a guard? A left tackle, maybe, but Hutchinson's is not generally regarded as a financially elite position. From Minnesota's point of view, there were two reasons — first, Hutchinson is an immense road-grader with a seriously nasty streak who is so strong, he can push a defensive tackle across a line, sideways, against his own momentum. Second, the Vikings' line in 2005 was a real disaster, as the team ranked 31st in Adjusted Line Yards and 29th in sacks allowed.

Center Matt Birk, the Harvard grad who manned the middle for the franchise's two best rushing seasons (2000, 2002), missed the entire 2005 season with hip and sports hernia injuries. The four-time Pro Bowler is expected back this year. LT Bryant McKinnie was the only Minnesota lineman to start every game. With Hutchinson next to him, the 6-8, 343-pound McKinnie might be part of the best left-to-center starting battery this season.

Running Back
14. Minnesota

The staff of Football Outsiders has loved Chester Taylor ever since he outplayed Jamal Lewis (on a per-play basis) in 2004 and then again in 2005. He has a lot of upside, especially running behind former Chiefs fullback Tony Richardson. However, this is another team like Chicago, with good depth and some potential but not a lot of top-shelf talent. Last year Mewelde Moore was worth nearly 10 DPAR each as a rusher and as a receiver; if Taylor can establish himself as the starter, Moore would be a superlative third-down back. The Vikings round out the depth chart with Ciatrick Fason and the most euphonious name in the league, Adimchinobe Echemandu. The Minnesota backs have a lot of potential if they can each just find a niche and fill it.

Wide Receiver/Tight End
17. Minnesota (Ranked one slot lower than the Packers)

For proof that head coach Brad Childress learned under Andy Reid, look no further than his decision to try playing the season with little-respected receivers. Travis Taylor, Koren Robinson, Marcus Robinson, and Troy Williamson? The difference between this and Philadelphia is that all four of these players have talent, even if in some cases it has never been fully realized. Meanwhile, Jermaine Wiggins and Jim Kleinsasser form a potent tight end duo, although Wiggins is the one who is a valuable receiver.

i can agree with almost all of those rankings, we have a lot of unproven shit in those catagories

i also agreewith all those comments

Quarterback
31. Minnesota

Wow, lil worse then I expected.I think thier is alot of teams out thier worse off at that position then us.The other rankings we're pretty on point at this point in the offseason.I should say, these "paper" rankings are correct IMO.(Cept for the QB)

I think these rankings are pretty well done and somewhat right on ... I feel like we are in the middle of the pack in most spots and just a development or two away from improving to top ten status ... Also ... it is more difficult for anyone to respect an opinion on someone when you cannot even spell their name correctly ... TARVARIS

Where is our secondary ranked? Because for the 1st time in awhile we have some good talent and decent depth.

Adimchinobe Echemandu?

edit: btw i made this comment because of the thing said about not being able to spell Tavaris correctly ^_^

"WilliamsonOfTroy" wrote:

Quarterback
31. Minnesota

Wow, lil worse then I expected.I think thier is alot of teams out thier worse off at that position then us.The other rankings we're pretty on point at this point in the offseason.I should say, these "paper" rankings are correct IMO.(Cept for the QB)

That is ridiculous.

Teams with worse QB situations

Detroit
49ers
Jets
Buffalo
Chicago (Grosseman has played what 6 games in 3 years)



Teams that are in the exact same position veteran QB with questionable backup

Green Bay
Arizona
Rams
Dallas


Teams that have QBs coming back from major injuries with questionable backup.

Cinci
New Orleans
Miami
Pittsburgh
Philly



Ranking us 31 is ridiculous


This is all I could think of off the top of my head, if you can add more please do.

"whackthepack" wrote:

"WilliamsonOfTroy" wrote:

Quarterback
31. Minnesota

Wow, lil worse then I expected.I think thier is alot of teams out thier worse off at that position then us.The other rankings we're pretty on point at this point in the offseason.I should say, these "paper" rankings are correct IMO.(Cept for the QB)

That is ridiculous.

Teams with worse QB situations

Detroit
49ers
Jets
Buffalo
Chicago (Grosseman has played what 6 games in 3 years)



Teams that are in the exact same position veteran QB with questionable backup

Green Bay
Arizona
Rams
Dallas


Teams that have QBs coming back from major injuries with questionable backup.

Cinci
New Orleans
Miami
Pittsburgh
Philly



Ranking us 31 is ridiculous


This is all I could think of off the top of my head, if you can add more please do.

Exactly how I feel. 31? Idiots..

very true Whack, but its the vikings =) you know how we're though of by the media