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Peterson Runs Vikings To 14-7 Halftime Lead

It didn’t take long for Adrian Peterson to extend his consecutive 100-yard rushing games streak on Sunday, as he finished the 1st quarter with 103 yards on the ground. Peterson took a handoff on the first play of the game and rumbled 51 yards to set the Vikings up for the first score of the game.

The Vikings wound up scoring two TDs in the 1st half – both from Peterson – and that paced them to a 14-7 lead at halftime. Peterson finished the 1st half with 18 carries and 125 yards rushing.

Bears QB Jay Cutler hit rookie WR Alshon Jeffery for a score near the end of the half to keep Chicago close.

Peterson, who entered the day as the NFL’s leading rusher by over 300 yards, now has 7 straight 100-yard games. At halftime, Peterson

Vikings-Bears Inactives

Here are the inactive players for today’s game at Mall of America Field between the Vikings and the Bears.

Vikings
QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson
CB Brandon Burton
LB Audie Cole
OL Troy Kropog
OL Mark Asper
TE Allen Reisner
DE D’Aundre Reed

Bears
QB Josh McCown
CB Tim Jennings
OL Chris Spencer
LB Brian Urlacher
WR Earl Bennett
WR Dane Sanzenbacher
DT Stephen Paea

Commitment To Run Key To Breaking Bears On 3rd Down

When it comes to the battle on 3rd down between the Vikings offense and the Bears defense, there’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that the Vikings rank just 23rd in 3rd-down offense (35.5%) and the Bears rank 3rd in 3rd-down defense (34.4%). The good news, though, is that the Vikings can flip that stat around on Sunday by using their dominant rushing attack.

The Bears yield 4+ yards on 1st down rushes at a 47.7% clip this year, which ranks 26th in the NFL. Given that stat, it’s unusual that the Bears would have such a good 3rd-down defense. You’d think that facing 2nd-and-6 or less nearly half the time would lead to much success on 3rd down against the Bears. Here’s the problem: teams don’t stay committed to the run against this Bears defense.

On 2nd downs against the Bears this season, opponents have passed the ball 62.1% of the time; they’ve called 148 passes compared to just 90 rushes. And while the Bears are one of the NFL’s worst 1st-down rushing defenses, they are one of the NFL’s top 2nd-down passing defenses. The Bears have yielded just a 67.1 passer rating on 2nd down, 3rd-best in the NFL, and they are 1st in the NFL with 8 INTs on 2nd down. What this means is that teams get ahead of schedule in the down-and-distance on 1st down via the ground game, but then they go to the air on 2nd down, which allows the Bears defense to catch up and, more times than not, put the opposing offense in 3rd-and-long.

In total, the Bears defense has faced the 3rd-fewest rushes in the NFL. Teams run the ball against the Bears 23.25 times per game. In contrast, the Vikings average 28 carries per game.

Long story longer, Chicago has one of the NFL’s best defenses, on any down. They lead the NFL in takeaways with 34, they are 2nd in scoring defense, they have a top 10 defense against the run and the pass, and they rank 5th in total defense. But the numbers above illustrate that teams haven’t challenged them by staying committed to the run. The Vikings have the best RB in the NFL and the League’s 3rd-ranked run game. If any team can challenge this Bears defense on the ground it’s the Vikings.

It will be interesting to see if that’s what the Vikings do on Sunday when the Bears visit Mall of America Field.

A Closer Look: How To Slow Down Bears WR Brandon Marshall

The Bears acquired WR Brandon Marshall this past offseason, thinking he was the missing link in a passing game that needed a big-time WR to complement the strong arm and gunslinging mentality of QB Jay Cutler. Through Marshall’s first 12 games in the Windy City, the Bears thinking is right on.

Marshall ranks 2nd in the NFL with 91 receptions and 1,182 yards, and he’s on pace to break the Bears single-season record for receptions and yards. No other Bears player has more than 30 receptions, and Marshall has been targeted by Cutler 95 more times than the next Bears receiver. Against the Vikings in Week 12, Marshall was targeted by Cutler 17 times and he came away with 12 receptions for 92 yards. While he didn’t get into the end zone against the Vikings, he was still a crucial factor in the game. Several times the Vikings had Chicago in unfavorable 3rd-down spots, and several times Marshall bailed the Bears out with a great grab in traffic or a few extra yards after the catch.

Adding to the frustration of Marshall’s production that day was the fact that often times he was guarded to near perfection by Vikings DBs, but he still came away with the catch. Cutler was able to fit the ball into tight windows, and even when a Vikings defender was in position to make a play, Marshall was able to make the better play.

So, what can the Vikings rely on to slow down the Cutler-to-Marshall tandem on Sunday at Mall of America Field? Let’s take a closer look at three things that should work…

Pressure the passer
Perhaps the best way for the Vikings to keep Marshall in check is to disrupt the man charged with delivering the ball to the tall, fast pass-catcher – Cutler. To do that, the Vikings must re-energize their pass rush to take advantage of a Bear defensive line that is missing starters and has dealt with inconsistent play. As Leslie Frazier explained on Wednesday while meeting with reporters, pressuring the passer isn’t all about sacks. Even if a defender doesn’t register a sack, hitting the QB and disrupting his timing can be just as good.

“They’ve changed their philosophy offensively to cut down on the sacks. They realized what their problems were and they made a smart move. We have to offset that with some of the things we’re going to try to do,” Frazier explained. “We may not get the sacks, because of what they’re doing now with the short passing game, but we have to hit that quarterback. We have to find a way to hit him and make him aware that our defense is on the field. Might not get the sack numbers, but we have to find a way to hit him.”

The ball will bounce your way
It’s important for a defense to maintain its aggressiveness. But it’s also important for a defense to trust itself and know that if they keep doing the right thing at the right time, the ball will eventually bounce the right way. It actually happened that way for the Vikings secondary in Soldier Field a couple weeks ago. Yes, Marshall kept finding ways to make plays even though AJ Jefferson, Josh Robinson and Antoine Winfield were constantly in the right place at the right time. Finally, though, the Vikings caught a break when one of Cutler’s passes to Marshall was tipped and wound up in the hands of Winfield.

The Vikings finished last season with a total of 64 passes defensed. This season through 12 games, they’ve already surpassed that total by 14 – they have 78 passes defensed heading into Sunday’s game. If the Vikings continue being sound in coverage, and especially if the Vikings can put pressure on Cutler while he’s in the pocket, the ball will bounce the Vikings way eventually.

Forcing fumbles
More than most other teams in the NFL, the Vikings have proven that the play isn’t over once an opposing runner breaks through the line of scrimmage or an opposing receiver secures a catch. The Vikings rank tied for 6th in the NFL with 27 forced fumbles and 3rd in the NFL with 23 fumble recoveries dating back to the start of the 2011 season. So even once Marshall hauls in a pass from Cutler, watch for Vikings DBs to try and strip the ball from the receiver as he’s trying to gain extra yardage.

5 Vikings-Bears Storylines To Watch This Week

The Vikings rugged post-bye schedule continues this week as they prepare to conclude their season series against the Chicago Bears by hosting them at Mall of America Field on Sunday. Both the Vikings (6-6) and Bears (8-4) are coming off losses last week, but both are very much in the NFC playoff hunt.

Chicago won the earlier matchup between these two teams back on November 25, a 28-10 victory that was never really in question after the 1st quarter. The Vikings figure to put forth a better effort this week as they return to play at home for the first time since November 11 and as they look to gain ground on a division opponent and keep pace with a handful of other teams vying for playoff positioning.

Here are 5 Vikings-Bears storylines to chase this week…

1. Pressure On Christian Ponder Mount
Christian Ponder completed 75% of his passes for 221 yards with 2 TDs and no INTs the last time he played at home – a 34-24 victory over the Detroit Lions. In two road games since then, Ponder is just 35 of 68 (51.4%) for 278 yards with 2 TDs and 3 INTs. Last week in Green Bay, Adrian Peterson ran for 210 yards and the Vikings defense and special teams groups played well enough to win, yet a sputtering passing game prevented the Vikings from putting the game out of reach and the Packers were able to log a comeback victory. Pressure is mounting on Ponder to snap out of his drought and show the signs of promise he displayed earlier in the season when he wasn’t turning the ball over and was one of the League’s highest-rated passers. The Bears will surely go “all-in” to stop the Vikings elite rushing attack, which means they’ll dare Ponder to beat them.

2. Key Players From Both Teams On The Injury Report
It’s not uncommon for injury reports to fill up this time of year, and the Vikings and Bears will most certainly not be exceptions this week. Percy Harvin has missed the last 3 games due to an ankle injury and his status bears monitoring all week. Also, Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier disclosed on Monday that DE Jared Allen underwent an MRI for a back ailment. Expect other odds and ends to show up on the report as well, such as the shoulder injuries LB Jasper Brinkley and TE Kyle Rudolph have been dealing with, knee swelling for RT Phil Loadholt and a rib injury for C John Sullivan.

The Bears are no different. Three players – WR Earl Bennett (concussion), LB Brian Urlacher (hamstring) and CB Tim Jennings (shoulder) – left last week’s loss to Seattle; Urlacher is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. Three other starters – WR Devin Hester (concussion), WR Alshon Jeffery (knee) and G Chris Spencer (knee) – missed last week’s game but are hopeful to return this week in Minnesota. LB Lance Briggs and RB Matt Forte both played last week but are both dealing with ankle injuries, CB Charles Tillman is battling an ankle injury as well, and both DT Stephen Paea and G/C Edwin Williams are playing through shoulder injuries.

3. Vikings Must Contain Bears WR Brandon Marshall
He didn’t get into the end zone against the Vikings two weeks ago, but don’t let that fool you – Brandon Marshall was a thorn in the Vikings side all game. Several times the Vikings had Chicago in unfavorable 3rd-down spots, and several times Marshall bailed the Bears out with a great grab in traffic or a few extra yards after the catch. Marshall had 12 catches against the Vikings two weeks ago and he had another 10 for 165 yards last week against Seattle. Two numbers that illustrate Marshall’s importance to the Bears passing game are 91 and 138: Marshall has 91 receptions in 138 targets this season, while the next highest Bears receiver in each category is 30 receptions for Forte and 43 targets for Bennett.

4. Bear Trap: Can Chicago Stop Adrian Peterson?
It’s not a good week for Chicago to lose their middle LB because they are set to face the NFL’s best RB at a time when he’s playing at perhaps his highest level. Adrian Peterson is the NFL’s rushing leader by 308 yards, has logged 6 straight 100-yard rushing games, is averaging 6.2 yards per carry and is on pace for 1,928 yards (a career best). He nearly single-handedly defeated the Packers last week, and you can count on him trying to do the same to the Bears this week. Even without Urlacher, the Bears have a formidable run defense and will be up for the challenge to stop Peterson. Yes, the Bears will be up for the challenge. But so is Peterson.

5. Rematch: Vikings DL vs. Bears OL
In the matchup two weeks ago between Minnesota and Chicago, many expected the Vikings defensive line to embarrass the Bears offensive line. The Bears were coming off a Monday Night Football beatdown at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers in which QB Jason Campbell was sacked 6 times. Chicago’s offensive line responded, however, and allowed just 1 sack in Cutler’s return to the lineup. Entering this game, the matchup still favors the Vikings on paper. Only three teams have permitted more sacks than the Bears, and the Vikings pass rush at home can overwhelm teams. As we saw two weeks ago, though, this Bears offensive line has the ability to respond.

Vikings Holding Toys for Tots Drives Prior To Sunday’s Game & On Dec. 11 at Mall of America

Vikings fans are encouraged to bring new unwrapped gifts to the December 9th Vikings vs. Bears game at Mall of America Field.

The Minnesota Vikings are teaming up with the U.S. Marines to brighten the Holiday season for local youngsters.  At the gates, Marines will be collecting “Toys for Tots” and cash donations for the annual Minnesota Vikings Toy Drive. The collection begins at 10 a.m. and runs through kickoff at noon.

Vikings fans not able to attend the game can join the Vikings and KFAN for their Toys for Tots collection event in the South East Court at Mall of America on Tuesday, December 11th.

Fans will have the opportunity to drop off a toy or make a donation for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program.  The FAN will broadcast live from there all day with special Vikings guests on the Powertrip Morning Show, Paul Allen, the Common Man Show and Bumper to Bumper with Dan Barreiro.

If you’d rather make a donation online, you can do that by clicking here.

Eye On 2,000

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson vowed to be better than ever in returning from a serious knee injury that ended his 2011 season and caused many to wonder if he’d ever be the same. As is typical for Peterson, he set the bar high and has gone above and beyond the expectations.

Through 12 games, Peterson leads the NFL in rushing with 1,446 yards, and he’s on pace for a career-high 1,928 yards. He has a 308-yard lead over Marshawn Lynch, who is 2nd in the NFL in rushing, and he leads Doug Martin and Alfred Morris by 340 yards. Peterson is averaging 6.2 yards per carry, the 3rd-highest single-season per carry average among runners with at least 200 attempts in NFL history.

Speaking of setting the bar high, Peterson has also stated in the past that his goal is to surpass the 2,000-yard mark, a feat accomplished just 6 times in NFL history. While his 16-game pace would have him fall 72 yards short, keep in mind that over the last six games he’s averaged 157.8 rushing yards per contest. At that rate over the season’s final 4 games, Peterson would surpass the 2,000-yard mark and would finish with 2,077 yards, the second-highest single-season total in NFL history behind Eric Dickerson’s 2,105 in 1984.

We discussed the possibility of Peterson reaching the 2,000-yard mark back in mid-November. At the time, we noted that Peterson would need to average 145.3 yards per game over the final 6 contests. But after thrashing the Bears and Packers for 318 yards over the past 2 weeks, Peterson can average 138.5 yards per contest and still reach 2,000 yards.

Will he do it? I will never bet against him, so I’m saying yes. What do you think? Let us know by leaving your thoughts in the comments section below this entry.

2012 NFL Rushing Leaders
Adrian Peterson               1,446
Marshawn Lynch              1,138
Doug Martin                       1,106
Alfred Morris                     1,106
Arian Foster                       1,102

NFL Single-Season Rushing Leaders
Eric Dickerson                    2,105     1984
Jamal Lewis                        2,066     2003
Barry Sanders                    2,053     1997
Terrell Davis                       2,008     1998
Chris Johnson                    2,006     2009

Carter Among Semifinalists For 2013 Hall Of Fame Honors

The greatest wide receiver in Vikings history is set to once again be considered for the greatest individual honor one can earn in the NFL. Cris Carter is among the 27 semifinalists being considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2013.

The Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee chose the 27 semifinalists from the previously announced list of 127 preliminary nominees. The list of 27 semifinalists will be reduced by mail ballot to 15 modern-era finalists.  That list increases to 17 finalist nominees with the inclusion of the two recommended candidates of the Hall of Fame’s Seniors Committee.

The results of the modern-era reduction vote to 15 finalists will be announced in early January, 2013. The Class of 2013 will be determined at the Selection Committee’s annual meeting on Saturday, Feb. 2, in New Orleans, La. the day before Super Bowl XLVII.

Cris Carter dazzled NFL fans for 16 seasons (1987-2002) with sensational one-handed grabs, clutch first-down receptions and breath-taking touchdown catches. His ability to consistently perform at a high level allowed him to accumulate legendary statistics, and should some day place him among the NFL’s immortals.

For his career, Carter totaled 1,101 receptions for 13,899 yards and 130 TDs. His receptions and touchdown totals still rank him fourth all-time and his eight total Pro Bowl selections are tied for second-most all-time. No one had more receptions (779) or touchdowns (90) from 1993-2000 than Carter and only Tim Brown had more receiving yards than his 9,456 during the same time period.

Known for his durability, Carter played full 16-game seasons in 13 of his 16 years in the NFL, had 10 or more touchdowns in a season six times and led the NFL in receiving touchdowns three times (1995, 1997, and 1999). He recorded 70 or more catches in a season 10 times and had 100-yard receiving games 42 times during his career.

Carter spent 12 seasons (1990-2001) with the Vikings and crafted a brilliant career in Minnesota. He was a part of teams that suffered losing seasons only twice in 12 seasons, made the playoffs eight times in 10 Vikings seasons, and his teams were 76-29 (including playoffs) in games in which he caught a touchdown.

Peterson (210 Rushing Yards) Dominates, But Vikings Lose 23-14 To Packers

The Green Bay Packers couldn’t stop Adrian Peterson, but they were able to capitalize on mistakes from other Vikings players enough to claim a 23-14 win over their border rivals at Lambeau Field on Sunday. Peterson put on a performance to remember, rushing for 210 yards and 1 TD on 21 carries. It came in a losing effort, though, as QB Christian Ponder and the Vikings passing offense continued to sputter.

The Vikings were in a 10-0 hole early in the game, but Peterson single-handedly dug them out by constantly running around, past and through an overmatched Packers defense. Peterson had a TD run of 82 yards and another run of 48 yards on the first play of the 3rd quarter, and for the afternoon he averaged 10 yards per carry. His 82-yard score in the 2nd quarter put the Vikings ahead 14-10, an advantage they would carry with them to the locker room at halftime.

Peterson’s 48-yard jaunt to open the 3rd quarter put the Vikings in position to take a commanding 21-10 lead, but a poor decision and throw by Ponder resulted in an INT in the end zone. Green Bay took advantage of the mistake by driving 51 yards in 12 plays to add a FG and pull within one point. Green Bay scored a rushing TD later in the 3rd quarter to take the lead, and they wouldn’t look back. The dagger came when Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers led an 11-minute scoring drive to open the 4th quarter and stake the Packers to the final 23-14 advantage.

The loss drops the Vikings to 6-6, two games behind both Green Bay and Chicago in the NFC North. It also drops them to 9th place overall in the NFC because they lose tie-breakers to both Dallas and Tampa Bay. The Vikings will have to recover quickly, though, because they have a chance to get right back in the thick of the playoff picture by defeating the Bears at home on Sunday.

Peterson’s Beastly, 82-Yard TD Run Aides Vikings To 14-10 Halftime Lead

Adrian Peterson has done it again. And it’s only halftime.

The best RB in the NFL took a handoff and ran off right tackle. It looked as if he’d be ushered out of bounds for a non-descript 8-yard gain. But Peterson didn’t stop running, and he wound up ripping off a career-best 82-yard TD run to give his team a 14-10 lead. Through 2 quarters, Peterson has 126 yards and the TD on 13 carries. It’s the 5th consecutive 100-yard outing for Peterson and the 7th of the season.

Green Bay got off to a fast start, taking an early 10-0 lead. But Christian Ponder found Kyle Rudolph for a TD late in the 1st quarter and then Peterson stunned the stadium with his incredible 82-yard jaunt to give the Vikings their 4-point lead at intermission.

Ponder is 5 of 8 for 36 yards with 1 TD on the day; he also has 4 carries for 14 yards. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has been sharp, connecting on 18 of 23 passes already for 170 yards with 1 TD.