MVN - Most Valuable Network

Vikings Notes: Norv Turner is a Formidable Opponent

*Funny little Adrian Peterson story: He was asked by a reporter to name the toughest defense he’s faced since entering the NFL; Adrian responded, “The San Diego Chargers.” Of course, the Chargers were the team that he racked up an NFL record 296 rushing yards against, and he quickly named the Washington Redskins as the toughest team he’s played against in his professional career.

I think many would agree with him — Gregg Williams, the defensive coordinator of the Redskins at the time, constructed a risky gameplan that ended up working brilliantly. The Washington defense concentrated virtually all of their attention on shutting AD down (it was common to see eight or nine guys in the box), and they dared Tarvaris to beat them. Jackson, as we know, wasn’t up to the task, throwing two interceptions in the first half despite the scant resources that Williams devoted to defending the intermediate and deep passing attack.

If Tarvaris had provided competent quarterbacking that Sunday evening, the Redskins would have been a very beatable team. But Williams’ gamble payed off, and his defensive philosophy in that game perfectly represents the offensive strides that the Vikes need to make this season; the Packers, Colts and the rest of their early-season opponents will undoubtedly emulate Williams’ approach in countering the Purple’s run-heavy offense, and Tarvaris will largely be forced to do more than simply manage the game. He’ll need to make some plays. We’ll see if our young quarterback is up to the challenge.

*Head over to the Daily Norseman to check out the complete Madden 09 ratings for our squad, but I’ll just ramble off a few notables: Tarvaris Jackson: 79, Adrian Peterson: 95, Bernard Berrian: 85, Bryant McKinnie: 96, Steve Hutchinson: 98, Matt Birk: 95, Pat Williams: 98, Kevin Williams: 97, Jared Allen: 97, E.J. Henderson: 92, Antoine Winfield: 91, Darren Sharper: 92, and finally, Madieu Williams: 88.

Didn’t find too many guys who I felt were underrated, but there are a couple players who were overrated by EA Sports. 96 is too high for Mount McKinnie, a 95 rating is too much for a center on the downside of his career (it would have been an apt rating for Birk a few years ago, but not at this stage in his career), and a rating of 92 is pretty friendly to Sharper.

Minor disagreements with the ratings aside, I’m definitely looking forward to this year’s version of Madden. Any Madden enthusiast will tell you that playing with a scrambling quarterback is the key to offensive success — and two highly-rated running backs don’t hurt, either. With that in mind, the Vikings should be a very strong team in Madden 09.

*Some thoughts from Dr. Z on Big Mac:

Larry of Maple Grove, Minn., disagrees with my evaluation of Bryant McKinnie as a forceful left tackle and sees many errors there. Three years ago I thought he was a stiff. Two years ago I thought he had really improved. Last year I thought he was regressing a bit. I felt the coaches had allowed him to fall back into bad habits. I asked Childress about him specifically. He said he’s poised to have the year of his life, and mentioned a few indications of why he felt that way. I believe the coach.

The year of his life? Well, if this (in)famous video of McKinnie enjoying the club scene is any indication (the longtime readers know dang well what I’m talking about), the year of his life should encompass the following:

• Find a new hype man, and reevaluate the members of his posse.
• Avoid fun-ruining scrawny white dudes while clubbing.
• Locate nightclub that allows him to publicly spank girls of varying levels of intoxication, unimpeded by the Hater Patrol (aka: security).
• Ensure that video of his late-night escapades doesn’t wind up on the internet.

Ah, don’t mind us, Big Mac — we kid because we love. Just keep on keepin’ on, big fella.

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