Minnesota Vikings Predictions
June 19, 2008
The Vikings went shopping in the offseason to revamp an offense in which they think is capable of a Super Bowl run. They signed Bernard Berrian to give young QB Tarvaris Jackson a proven target to throw to on the outside. The biggest addition was on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive end Jared Allen comes over from Kansas City as perhaps the best in the league at his position. He has a motor like no other and his QB pressure will be crucial this season as the Vikings already have their run stoppers in place. The team here at Info Plays unveil our 2008 Minnesota Vikings predictions as well as a team preview below.
Offense:
It’s time for Tarvaris Jackson to come into his own in his third season. Coach Brad Childress stuck by his side last season in a rocky 12-game performance. Now Childress expects fewer turnovers and better decisions from his quarterback. The strength of the Vikings is their running game, but it’s the passing game that has to step up for Minnesota to be an elite team in the NFC. The West Coast offense is their bread and butter and it assures someone will be open on every passing play. Gus Ferotte is 37, but he understands this system as their backup quarterback if Jackson is to fail this season.
The duo of Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor in the backfield is the best 1-2 punch you will find in the league. Peterson is explosive while Taylor is a hard-nosed bone crusher. Taylor actually gained more yardage in the second half of 2007 than Peterson. Adrian has to be more patient when running against 8 and 9 man fronts. Maurice Hicks is a newcomer that will be great at catching the ball out of the backfield on passing situations. The Vikings signed Thomas Tepeh to replace Tony Richardson at fullback and he has great hands out of the backfield as well.
With the Vikings ranking 28th in the passing game last season, it was clear they needed to do something with their wide receivers. Berrian is a reliable receiver and the Vikings hope he can stretch the field and keep defenders away from the line of scrimmage to allow more room for Peterson and Taylor to operate. Bobby Wade, Sidney Rice, Robert Ferguson and Aundrae Allison are the returning receivers. Rice is the likely starter along side Berrian. He showed signs of brilliance last season and should be a surprising weapon to the league this year, especially in the red zone.
The Vikings have high hopes for their offensive line again this season. Those hopes took a bit of a hit when left tackle Bryan McKinnie got arrested in the offseason and faces a possible suspension. The strength of this line is in the middle where center Matt Birk is flanked by two dominating run stoppers. Left guard Steve Hutchinson and right guard Anthony Herrera were a big reason for Peterson’s breakout rookie season in the running game. Right tackle Ryan Cook is the weak link. Artis Hicks is an all-purpose backup who may have to take McKenzie’s spot at right tackle if he’s unable to participate this year.
Defense:
Jared Allen led the league in sacks last season and he’s in his prime at age 26. He was perhaps the best offseason pickup of any player. The best tackle tandem in the NFL also belongs to the Vikings in Kevin Williams and Pat Williams. The Vikings have led the league in rush defense each of the past two seasons in large part to these two horses. Ray Edwards should get the other end spot and the Vikings should get much more pressure on opposing quarterbacks with Allen and Edwards leading the way. Depth is a big concern on the line once you get past the starters though, so saying injury-free will be crucial up front.
All three starting linebackers return this season for the Vikings. Middle linebacker E.J. Henderson is flanked by outside backers Leber and Chad Greenway. Henderson and Leber play the run well while Greenway is a great pass coverage guy for Minnesota. Derrick Pope is a utility backup at all three spots, while special teams standouts Heath Farwell and Vinny Ciurciu will be available if necessary.
One of the worst secondary’s in the league last year should benefit from an improved pass rush this season. Corners Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin are decent in coverage. They lack speed but their physicality makes up for it. The Vikings brought in veteran Benny Sapp to shore up nickel coverage packages. The safety position is undergoing changes. Newcomer Madieu Williams replaced free safety Dwight Smith and strong safety Darren Sharper is entering the final year of his contract. This unit should be much better in 2008.
Info Plays 2008 Minnesota Vikings Predictions
With the addition of Berrian on offense, the Vikings have strong 1-2 receivers in him and Rice to throw the ball to. They already have one of the best, if not the best, running games in the league. The addition of Jared Allen on defense assures there will be much more pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season. That will help this secondary be much more effective in 2008. Minnesota has what it takes to win the NFC North Division. So we’ll take a shot here and give the Vikings the nod over the Packers, Bears and Lions in this division.