EJ Henderson's Amazing Road to Recovery

When I saw EJ Henderson going through drills full speed at training camp this year I couldn't believe my eyes. Here is a guy who was riding a motorized scooter around the Vikings practice facility last winter. He has a permanent titanium rod in his leg. After looking closely at the picture above you'll know why. He fractured his femur. For those of you that don't know, the femur is that really big bone in your thigh.

EJ had to talk the organization out of placing him on the PUP, and they wanted to be cautious with an injury like that. But here he is, 6 months later, starting at middle linebacker again, laying people out in the Vikings preseason game against the 49ers.

Is this guy even human? He's running around at age 30 with a metal pole holding his leg together!!!!

I don't know how the Vikings will do this year, but one thing I do know is they have the heart and soul of the defense back, and its nothing short of amazing.

Is the Pack in Trouble at CB?

Tim Kavanagh - ESPN Insider

It was becoming clear to the intelligent dot-connectors out there that the Green Bay Packers would be without veteran cornerback Al Harris at the start of the regular season. Sean Leahy of USA Today confirmed that Tuesday, with word that the team would be placing Harris on the PUP list to start the season, making him ineligible for the first six games.

So, with Harris out, that means Tramon Williams will begin the season as the starter opposite Charles Woodson. Earlier this offseason, we emailed football scientist KC Joyner for some details on how Williams compares to Harris, and he doesn't think it bodes too well for Green Bay:

KC Joyner

Pack better off with Harris

"Tramon Williams' 7.7 overall YPA is mediocre, and that includes his time as a backup. Williams' YPA in six games as Al Harris' replacement at right cornerback was a dangerously high 8.7. Harris' YPA last year was 7.6. That means that Williams' YPA was over a yard worse than Harris' in what was a definite off-year for Harris."

Aaron Rodgers New Look, Thoughts on Flynn

Here is a great interview with Aaron Rodgers sporting a new look and a few kind words about Matt Flynn.

http://www.packers.com/media-center/videos/QB-Aaron-Rodgers-Interview-/147c9bc4-c656-44fd-9776-07bfabcabd2b

How Bad is Favre's Ankle?

I really didn't notice Favre favoring the ankle or trying to protect it in the game, which leads me to believe he probably isn't having too much pain "during" the games.  A big part of the problem is probably when he comes out and sits on the sidelines for a while, or when he wakes up the day after, which is more than likely why they decided to have him start the second half to see how it would respond.

Favre recently told SI's Peter King that he had a lubricant, most likely a product such as Ostenil, injected into his ankle.  Who, what, when, where, and why?  First of all, Ostenil (not sure if this is what Favre got, but something similar) is a lubricant for the joints to help with pain and mobility.  It basically bonds to your natural Hyaluronic Acid and makes it stronger to add more cushion for any impact as well as increase mobility.  Ostenil is given in 3 doses each one week apart and while the effects are not felt immediately, they are usually felt within the first couple weeks.  The reports were that Favre received an injection between a series, but there seems to be no benefit to that other than they wanted to administer it as quickly as possible to get the real effects for the beginning of the season.  After the series of 3 injections, the effects of this product can last up to 6 months (which would be around February) and also last up to as long as 12 months.

Again, it doesn't appear Favre took this injection for any immediate remedies for pain, but took it for increased mobility and less pain down the line further into the season.  I myself have a hard time (especially being a Pro-Favre person) counting Brett Favre out for this season already when we take a look back at his career and some of the injuries he has played through (broken thumb on throwing hand, pulled/torn muscles, concussions, bone spurs, etc).  Also, out of Favre's 309 consecutive starts including playoffs, he has only not finished the game because of injury in 6 of those contests.  Until he is down and out, you know teams are still worried about what he can bring to the Vikings this season.

Pre-Season: Game 3 (Part II)

Yesterday I broke down the performance of the offense in Saturday nights victory over the Seattle Seahawks.  The defense has been head and shoulders over the offense, which is normal this time of year.

DEFENSE:

The defensive line has played very well against the run this pre-season, which doesn't surprise anyone, but they have failed to get pressure on the quarterback.  Matt Hasselbeck had plenty of time to stand in the pocket and scan the field.  The Vikings have gotten the majority of their pressure in the past with their front four, this is important because they don't have to blitz to get pressure.

The linebacker play has been very good as well.  With E.J. Henderson back, the Vikings have arguably one of the best linebacker corps in the NFL.  Chad Greenway and Ben Leber are the best linebackers in the NFL that no one talks about. 

The corner back position is one of the more interesting areas of the team.  Obviously Antoine Winfield will start, and rookie Chris Cook looks like he will get the nod over Asher Allen and Lito Sheppard.  Chris Cook is a tough physical corner that could eventually turn into a shutdown corner, something the Vikings haven't had in forever!

Safety is the biggest area of concern on the defense.  It was a mess last year with Madieu Williams and Tyrell Johnson starting.  Jamarca Sanford is leading the battle for the starting position over Tyrell Johnson.  The safety level of play must improve if the Vikings are going to improve on their pass defense from a year ago.

SPECIAL TEAMS:

Rhys Lloyd got a chance to showcase his kickoff ability, but did nothing to help his chances of making the 53 man roster.  He has had nine kickoffs this pre-season and all nine have been returned.  There is no way the Vikings hold a roster spot for a kicker who can't kick the ball out of the end zone.  They need the extra spot for either a wide receiver or a defensive lineman.  I will be shocked if Rhys Lloyd makes the team.  He might make tomorrows cuts, but he will be bye bye on Saturday.

NOTES:

* The reports are that Brett Favre had a 'lubrication' shot injected into his ankle after Saturday nights game.  This is very concerning, and Favre even went on to say the he isn't sure if he can even finish the season.  He said his mind is telling him one thing, and his body is telling him another.

* The Metrodome is still a dump, but it looked more like the Vikings dump.  The red bars on the outside of the stadium are now painted purple, all of the Twins and Gophers stuff has been taken down.  The turf is new and doesn't have any baseball cut outs for bases.

*  Add me on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/vikeologist

SKOL VIKES!

Pre-Season: Game 3

The Vikings played the Seattle Seahawks in their third and most important pre-season game of the 2010 season.  They won the game, and also were able to identify some good things, and also some bad things on offense.  I will breakdown the offense today.  Check back tomorrow for the analysis of the defense.

OFFENSE:

Offensively the Vikings looked much better than the prior two weeks of the pre-season, but the offensive line still looked very shaky.  This is partly due to the fact that starting center John Sullivan is out, and right guard Anthony Herrera had to play center.  I still don't think the Vikings offensive line is as good as advertised.  Bryant McKinnie is slow and really struggles with elite and smaller defensive ends.  Steve Hutchinson is showing his age in my opinion.  He isn't nearly as dominant as he once was, and he gets blown off the ball a lot.  John Sullivan is only in his second year, but he is very undersized and gets pushed back too often, allowing a rush up the middle on the quarterback, or stuffing a run up the middle.  Anthony Herrera is also undersized and allows linemen to get low on him and push him off the ball.  Phil Loadholt is very young, and I think he will eventually be moved to left tackle, after they let Bryant McKinnie go in a year or so.

The Vikings once again struggled to run the football.  Adrian Peterson had a very nice 24 yard touchdown run, but he only gained 13 yards on his other 10 carries.  This must improve if the Vikings are going to be as productive as last year, without Sidney Rice.

Wide Receiver is another big question mark with the loss of Sidney Rice.  Percy Harvin was back, and he made an immediate impact, and played very well.  Greg Camarillo played very well.  He will quickly become Favre's favorite target because he runs very good routes, has great hands, and finds ways to get open.  He will become a huge third down receiver for the Vikings.  Bernard Berrian needs to step up, and he bobbled a slant pass and the ball went into the air and was returned for a pick six.  This cannot happen, and he must step up.  Javon Walker made a nice touchdown catch, but was pretty nonexistent the rest of the game.  He must prove that he is in shape, and can still play in this league.

It is only pre-season, and there is no reason to panic, but the biggest area to improve is offensive line.  If the offensive line plays well, everything else will fall into place.

Until tomorrow....SKOL VIKES!

BitterBorderBattle Fantasy Football

If you would like to take on part of the BitterBorderBattle staff in ESPN's Fantasy Football, Follow the link below.  We will be drafting tomorrow evening.

Join this league for some season long fun, winner will receive a Prize TBD (probably a T-shirt)

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The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Here is a quick recap of The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly I saw from the Vikings game.

The Good:  

Sage Rosenfels continued to impress during the pre-season which could turn out to benefit the Vikings as they are more than likely looking to move him sometime before the 53 man rosters are set.  He looked poised in the pocket, was able to step up and make a few good throws to move the chains down for a score.

Darius Reynaud looked very serviceable in the return game in place of Percy Harvin, who I assume they are keeping out of those duties for a while until they get more established at WR and his migraines improve.  He also had a couple of nice rushes which will only improve his chances of making the roster.

Greg Camarillo seemed to fit in seamlessly in his Vikings debut as he had 4 catches for 47 yards receiving.  It was pretty clear after his first reception that Favre felt comfortable throwing to him.  His ability to be a possession receiver will allow Berrian to work down the field and Harvin to work the seems from the slot.

Javon Walker briefly showed why he "could" add value to this team.  His size and athletic ability are the reasons he was able to make a nice catch over the defender in the endzone for a touchdown from Sage.  Favre did target him a couple times with no receptions, although one near the goalline could have been caught.

The defense had an overall decent night allowing only 2 FG's with a seemingly "bend but don't break approach" as they were not overwhelming.  They did, however, force the Seahawks to go 0-3 in redzone attempts.  Chris Cook, who started at RCB, looked impressive stepping up to make tackles, but the secondary as a whole needs to make a few more plays and get some turnovers to get their offense back on the field.

The Bad:

The offensive line had some protection issues as well as opening up some holes for the backs at times.  Largely due to moving their RG over to C and starting a rookie at RG, but the line will need to improve in order to protect Favre.

While Favre didn't have a horrible overall day, as he still showed his ability to throw, he did end up with 2 Int's (one of which was partly Berrians fault and was returned for a TD) and also 2 fumbles (one was erased by an illegal contact penalty).  Favre's other interception was down the sidelines where he was just too greedy trying to target Camarillo thinking he was actually Sidney Rice.

The Ugly:


Adrian Peterson was unable to get much of anything going today as he had a long 24 yard TD run, but only managed 13 yards on his other 10 carries.  Again this can be attributed in part to the offensive line issues.  I will add that he looked good in the receiving game, which will be a big part of his offensive production this year with Chester Taylor gone.

Besides the Ray Edwards sack when he got a great jump off the line (or was offsides, take your pick), the first team D-line never really had too much pressure on Matt Hasselback.  This is a big strength of their defense and will need to improve in 2 weeks when they face Drew Brees and the Saints.

Packers-Indy

The last meaningful preseason game is over for the Packers. A lot of fireworks, but the obviously overblown score doesn't mean anything, but that doesn't mean we can't take away some ideas about how the Packers measure up this year.

First (and best) let's go with the offense. Rodgers and company put up nearly 250 yds of total offense in the first half as ARod went 21 of 29 for 195 yds and 3 TDs (a 48 yd penalty could have been a catch, making his total yds that much higher). The 28-17 halftime lead was bloated by the muff punt TD, but even considering that our offense did well. I liked the 4^th down attempt, but not a QB sneak! ARod demonstrated he can throw a 1 yd. pass to any one of our guys. I'd have taken the FG rather than try the sneak. First team O vs the Indy D would have put up 24 in the first half if I can assume MM would kick the FG. Offense will not be a problem this year!

Next (and OK) were the special teams. They seemed to be better on coverage this week. Even if we leave out the 2 TDs they were good. The Colts never started past the 30 after the initial kickoff (33) until the last minutes of the game. Coverage was much better as was tackling. On the downside, barring the late return TD, the Pack returners didn't do much better than Indy although later in the game things happened. The ST is an open question. I have concerns, but I'm encouraged by what I see.

Lastly, the D… as bad as I thought it was watching the game live; I have to say I was heartened when Capers turned up the heat. The first play from scrimmage accounted for 49 of their 81 total rushing yds. It took Indy 19 tries to get the other 32 yds (1.7 ypc). Manning went only 15 of 26 (58%) for 215 with 2 TDs, but the Packers D forced an Int and a fumble from the 4 time MVP. Manning was obviously impeded from his normal no huddle rhythm by the new umpire positioning rule, but even considering that, the Defense had a good showing.

As we roll to the regular season, I think the Packers are in a great position to take back their perch atop the NFC North. Barring Injury, I think the offense will be one of the best in the league. The D needs to have Matthews and Harris healthy to ensure they continue the solid performance they finished with last year. Special teams are the hardest to rate for the season. Positive movement during the preseason encourages optimism, but we will have to see how they maintain those improvements.

Message From Sidney Rice

From Sidney Rice's new blog...


I’m in physical therapy getting my hip iced up right now. I can tell you that physical therapy is not fun.


I injured my hip during the Saints game and it was pretty bad afterwards. I got an MRI right after the game and the doctors said at that point that I had time and it could heal on its own. So I just tried to take it easy from there. No one wants to have surgery if it can be avoided, especially if the injury has a chance to heal on its own.


I gave it some time and it started getting better over the next couple of months. Mini-camp came around and I tweaked it during practice. I wasn’t feeling good after that so I went and got another MRI out in Colorado with Dr. Philippon. He looked at the results and basically said it looked the same as after the MRI I had after the Saints game. He said I could have the surgery or I could continue rehabbing and see how it felt and it could still heal on its own.


So once again, no one wants to have surgery, so that’s the route I took. He said it could be taken care of after season, that I could play with it this season and then get it fixed in the off-season, so that’s what we were hoping for.


I went to training camp not at 100 percent but I started feeling better. I was running, doing some cutting drills, things like that. Last week I was a little sore after the cutting drills, but the pain was something I thought I could tolerate.


Like a week and a half ago I went back to see the doctor for another MRI and he said it showed significant changes. It was something he thought would be a serious problem if I didn’t get it taken care of right then, a problem that could shorten my career. I was feeling better, I had my full range of motion back and felt like I was ready to go, but the doctor compared the last two MRIs and said I should get it taken care of right now.


I talked to a couple of my teammates about it and our trainers and felt like it was the right move to make because I would still have an opportunity to finish the season strong and help the Vikings make a push for the Super Bowl.


Once the doc got in there and checked everything out, he said having the surgery was the best move I could have made, so I don’t regret it now. He said it could have been much worse if I would have tried to play on it during the season. He said it could have been my last year of playing football, so I know I made the right decision.


The surgery was successful. I was surprised when I woke up from the surgery and they told me I would be getting on the exercise bike that same day. I was still out of it from the anesthesia, so I figured they were mistaken. But at 7 o’clock that night they got me out of bed and put me on one of those light fitness bikes and had me peddling for about 20 minutes.


It’s only been a couple of days but I’m feeling better and better with less pain. I have to take it slow, I don’t want to rush it, but everything should be fine and I should be back to 100 percent if I follow my rehab plan, which I will.


People are going to say what they want to say about my contract or whatever, I’m not really worried about that at this point. My main focus is getting back on the field and performing at a high level like I did last year and helping the Vikings win a Super Bowl. It’s not my concern what people say about my contract, whatever happens, happens. If the Vikings decide to give me an extension, that’s great. If not, life goes on. I’ll continue to work hard and do everything I can to be successful in what I’ve been doing my whole life, and that’s playing football.


When I get back it’s nice to know Brett will be out there. Everybody is happy to have Brett back, he’s a great leader, a great player and has a football mind. It’s always good to have a guy like that around and guys look to him as a team leader.


As for when I’ll be back, I’m not really sure but I’m aiming for being back on the field before midseason. I want to do as much rehab as I can as fast as I can without jeopardizing the injury or making it worse. Whatever the doctor says, I’m shooting for two weeks before that.


I want to thank the fans who have supported me throughout this ordeal. Just keep your heads up and know that I’m working hard. Dallas is still the destination.

Hold the "Vanilla"

I don't think there's anyone in America that wont agree with me when I say that the only boring part of football is the Pre-season. Interesting for only the first few series(when the starters actually play) then at times unwatchable when the 3's and 4's enter. However, I do view the 3rd pre-season game as a dress rehearsal for the season as most people do. As for the Packers, well they are in even a better position because they get to "dress rehearse" against the AFC defending champion Indianapolis Colts. Take that as you will. A great test for a Packer defense that has been fair at best this pre-season.

Pre-season week one against the Browns the Packers first team Defense allowed a combined 10-15 passing with 138 yds and 2 TDs against Delhomme and S. Wallace. Against the Seahawks in week two they allowed 11-15 for 127 yds and 2 TD drives to Matt Hasselback. They've pretty much been soft and been in a preventive zone with little blitzing if any.

Reasoning for these less than stellar performances has been a "vanilla" defensive scheme. If Coach Capers has really been holding back and calling a "vanilla" defensive strategy may I say that I really want to see how our defense looks especially with a rookie starting at safety. When the Packers play the Colts on Thursday I really want to see how the Packers match up against one of the most prolific offenses in the League and a possible Superbowl match up. Lets hold the "vanilla" and strap it up and play some real defense and show that high defensive ranking that we ended last year with. If our offense isn't "vanilla"why should the defense be.

Even though Al Harris and possibly C. Jenkins will be out I am really looking forward to the match up against Peyton and his high powered offense. I'm just hoping for one game this pre-season we drop the "vanilla" play calling and see what we got, at least defensively.

Vikings Add WR

The Vikings have acquired Greg Camarillo from the Miami Dolphins for CB Benny Sapp.  Camarillo, 6-1, 190 pounds, played college football at Stanford and was signed by San Diego as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played the 2006 season with San Diego before being claimed off waivers by the Dolphins in September 2007. He caught eight passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games that season. He had a career-high 55 receptions for 613 yards and two touchdown in 2008 playing in 11 games before tearing his ACL and last season caught 50 passes for 552 yards in 16 games.

Are the Vikings Down and Out?

The loss of Sidney Rice will undoubtedly impact the Vikings season but does it take them out of contention in the NFC North and rule out any Super Bowl thoughts?  I think not, here's why.

Even without Sidney Rice in the mix, Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin are still a lethal 1-2 combo and Brett Favre should have no problem finding them downfield.  Realistically, the Vikings are even more likely to see the box stacked 8 deep with the threat of Rice gone, which will leave B-Twice and Harvin in plenty of 1 on 1 situations.  We also know that Favre has elevated the play of many WR's around him (see: Bill Schroeder) and even if the signing of Javon Walker falls flat, production of the 3rd and 4th receivers for a team is generally unimpressive.  For Example, James Jones and Jordy Nelson combined for 54 receptions, 760 yards and 7 TD's last season.  Reasonable for what you expect out of those positions on a football team.  On the other side of the border, Favre completed over 40 passes to 6 different targets (Rice is hurt and Chester Taylor is gone) so it can be assumed that Favre should be able to get Walker, Greg Lewis, Taye Biddle, Marquis Hamilton, or Ray Small at least this minimal production.

On the other hand, Percy Harvin will have to lineup outside rather than in the slot a lot more this season and we don't know how well he will make that adjustment or how his migraines will be for that matter.  Either way, the Vikings have a tough schedule in the beginning of the season and I only had them at 2-3 or 3-2 going into Green Bay in Week 7 anyway, which coincidentally could be the return of Rice if we are looking at a timeframe of about 8 weeks plus.

There are plenty of IF's to go around with this Vikings team right now, but I think it is definitely too soon to count them down and out.

Sidney Rice Gambled and Lost

As you may have heard, Sidney Rice had surgery on his hip and will be on the shelf for at least half the year, maybe longer. What it boils down to is he gambled and lost. He was hurt in the NFC Championship game, and didn't tell the team. Rice is in the last year of his contract, of course he was looking for that big contract extension. He saw three specialists, two out of the three told him to get surgery.

If he would have received surgery he'd be on the field against the Saints. Now there is no way he'll get the contract extension he desires, and it hurts him at the end of the year when he becomes a free agent.

This hurts the Vikings but luckily they have a talented, deep roster, other players will have to step up.

Sidney Rice Surgery, Webb to WR?

Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune is reporting that Sidney Rice is now considering surgery on his injured hip, which could require him to miss the first half of the season.

This could be a devastating blow to the Vikings as their first half schedule is very tough to begin with.  However, with Rice and Harvin both missing action, this will allow Favre and Bernard Berrian the opportunity to develop the timing they were unable to get at the beginning of the year last season.

Perhaps there is a way to keep all 4 QB's on the roster by moving Joe Webb to a 5th wide receiver option. He played receiver at different times during his career at UAB. This would allow the Vikings to keep Sage on the roster until later in the season which could perhaps increase his trade value if a contender's starting QB went down due to injury (perhaps even the Vikings QB).  Albeit not ideal, but Joe Webb is a tremendous athlete and in fact during UAB's Pro-Day, his vertical, long jump, and bench press reps would have been the best of the WR crop if he would have been at the NFL Combine.  He also ran his 40 yard dash in 4.43 seconds.

Again, not ideal, but options...

In Depth Look at the Packers Defense

First of all, do I think the Packers have a good defense?  Yes.  But.  Do I think it is POSSIBLY overrated?  Very much possible and no, I am not going to talk about the 51 points given up in Arizona in the playoffs.

All year last year the Packers defense was forcing turnovers.  In fact, they forced turnovers on 21% of their defensive possessions which is flat out amazing and was tops in the NFL a year ago.  So there is no doubt that the Packers defense is a very opportunistic and exciting, but does that mean they are one of the top 5 defenses in the league?  Let's dig a little deeper.

This same opportunistic defense that led the league in interceptions last year was also near the top of another category, receiving TD's against with 29.  Of course injuries to Al Harris and even Will Blackmon had an effect on this statistic, but injuries are a part of the game as I would argue that the loss of Jets NT Kris Jenkins was far more detrimental to his respective team, yet they were still the #1 defense in the NFL.  Why, because they had depth.  Something the Packers have been lacking in the Secondary for as long as I can remember.

Let's take a further look into the stats.

We all know the horrible special teams we have been blessed with over the past couple seasons and last year took the cake.  Green Bay ranked 24th in the league in Opponents Starting Field Position, with their opponents average start at the 31 yard line.  Why does this matter?  Obviously this puts the defense at a disadvantage and provides no benefit you would think.  However, over the course of a 16 game season, these few extra yards between 24th and 1st in the league deflated the Packers defensive YPG last season.  While this would not affect their placement in the rankings too much, it is to their advantage strictly from the viewpoint of how many YPG they give up.

Again I state, the Packers defense is good but a defense that relies so heavily on turnovers will be in trouble if they find themselves without those same turnover numbers this season.  Also, the loss of Johnny Jolly could be crucial unless Ryan Pickett, BJ Raji, and Justin Harrell are able to perform at a high level and keep the opponents offensive linemen away from the linebackers, who already have a number of question marks themselves.

Overall I have a hard time believing the defense this year will be as good as the one you were pleasured with last season when you consider they have a rookie in Morgan Burnett starting at safety, lost Johnny Jolly, and have not really improved the depth for their aging CB's.  A top 10 finish is reasonable to assume, but I have a hard time believing we will see another top 3 finish.

Go ahead Packer fans, let me have it, but this is just my unbias, rational thoughts and of course none of this really matters until the season gets underway!! :)

Packers Vs Favre...Take 2

If anyone believed that we had seen the last of Mr. Brett Favre after losing to the Saints in the 2010 NFC Championship game must be delusional. May I remind you that Favre played the best of his entire career (statistically) without a true running game. Adrian Peterson wasn't All-Day Adrian Peterson and Brett Favre wasn't that old gunslinger. The real question is can he repeat last years MVP caliber performance. Let's hope not, because you got to believe that Peterson will return with a chip on his shoulder feeling he has something to prove especially after being criticized for his tendency to fumble.

On the other hand, the Packers must improve in the trenches. Last year the Green Bay offensive line allowed the most sacks (51) in the NFL, just ask the Minnesota Vikings own Jared Allen. Against Minnesota, the Packers couldn't get any pressure on Favre while Aaron Rodgers was out there running for his life. If the Packers motto this is going to be "Superbowl or Die" they must get the huge monkey off their back, which is beating the Brett Favre-led Vikings.

The Saints gave the entire NFL the blue print in beating the Vikings during the NFC Championship game, you must rattle Favre. Hit him, sack him, force turnovers, and at times even take a few penalties. The Packers have the ability to do all those things, but need to put them all together on that certain night. Nick Barnett may be saying "Superbowl or Die" however it may need to be beat Brett Favre or die because I don't think Packer fans would be able to take 2 more losses to Brett Favre in Vikings purple. It's time for Aaron Rodgers to step up and take this team to the next level, and prove to America that he was the right choice over Brett. The first step is beating the Vikings.

Sage the Sorcerer of Schism?

From Tim Cavanagh - ESPN INsider

Following Brett Favre's official un-retirement last week, we wondered whether this would lead to No. 3 QB Sage Rosenfels being shopped in a trade by theMinnesota Vikings. Our speculation was based on the idea that the Vikes might as well see if someone will offer something for Rosenfels, since he's unlikely to ever see the field in a meaningful game this season.

But there's another link to a Rosenfels trade percolating as well. Mike Florio ofPro Football Talk connected some dots on Sunday, writing that there are some who think the unnamed player who told Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports that "Brett thinks [head coach Brad] Childress has no clue about offense," is Rosenfels. This dovetails with the report from ESPN's Ed Werder regarding meetings that Favre had to address teammates after his return. In the second meeting -- which took place after the Cole article was published -- Favre told his teammates that certain matters need to be kept within the team.

The end result? Rosenfels, by pushing the "schism" angle out there, could indirectly earn himself a ticket out of Minnesota. If the scenario plays out in this fashion, Rosenfels will have a bit of explaining to do to his new teammates, assuring them somehow that their locker room issues won't become fodder for future reports.

Reunited?

It appears the Minnesota Vikings will sign former Packer Javon Walker. Walker will look to regain the success he had with Brett Favre in Green Bay where he had almost 1,400 receiving yards and 12 TD receptions in 2004.  Since 2004 however, Javon has battled to stay on the field, only playing 1 game in 2005, before having a short lived one hit wonder in Denver in 2006 where he again eclipsed the 1,000 receiving yard mark.  In his first 3 years in the league, he played in 47 games, only missing 1 his rookie season.  Since then, over the last 5 season, Walker has only managed to play in 36 games battling a number of injuries.

Whether or not Javon will be able to resurrect his career is unclear, but it seems as though his best chance would be with the QB he had his most successful season with.  Either way, it should be an upgrade over Greg Lewis, Jaymar Johnson (who was recently placed on the season ending injured reserve list), and a slew of other unknowns at wide receivers on the roster.

Sidney Rice recently backed off his original plans to be ready for the opening game of the season.  With both him and Harvin possibly missing time early this season, Javon Walker could open the season at #2 or #3 wide receiver position for Vikings.

Thoughts on Vikings Preseason Game 2

As I plopped down on my couch last night with drink in hand, I realized how lucky I was. Vikings on one channel, Twins on the other. Shortly after that came the harsh reality that it was still preseason football, and how brutal it is for a fan to watch. If it wouldn't have been the Vikings there would be no way I could tolerate it. Add on top of that the soap opera called "As the Favre Turns" (or "All My Favres") it started getting too nauseating.

So graybeard played one series, sort of what I expected. The man can take a hit. It reminded me of last preseason only this time stupid fans of other teams aren't saying he's washed up, because they know better. Base offense, vanilla scheme, no Rice, Shank or Percy. Yawn.

Jackson came in and played with the first team a little, was bum rushed quite a bit, made some decent decisions throwing and running. Nothing earth shattering, but he's a good backup, he's proven that he could step in and not lose a game if he had to. Seems like the offensive line is trying to sort itself out, with the backups competing. Some guys on that line won't be there after the 3rd preseason game, I hope they didn't unpack!

Interesting in the battle for the backup RB job, with Gerhart and Albert Young. Young looks to me like he's winning the job. Gerhart looks like he may be thinking too much out there, which is typical for a rookie. Once the game slows down he'll be ok, but I think Albert Young is the 3rd down back this year.

Will Sage be on the roster very much longer? Or will they trade him, and roll with Joe Webb as the 3rd string qb? Time will tell. Webb had a great long run for a TD. The coaching staff obviously likes the kid. They arent keeping 4 qb's on the active roster. Something has to give.

Defensively it was nice to see EJ knocking peoples helmets off again. It's amazing he came back after that gruesome injury, that they just had to show again, right after I ate. Nothing wrong with the defense, teams can't run on them so they tee off on quarterbacks. The secondary is the question mark, but I think some additions, especially Chris Cook the rookie will help tremendously.

Well, only two of these brutal glorified scrimmages left. Wake me up when preseason is over!

BitterBorderBattle's iPhone App (Almost)

So I was messing around tonight and created a handy dandy iPhone App for BitterBorderBattle.com tonight.  You can check it out here... http://bit.ly/cZqgS5

The issue I am running into is 1) I have a Windows computer which highly complicates the situation, and 2) I am not an iPhone App Developer ($99).  Shoot me an email at bitterborderbattle@gmail.com if you have any helpful information!

Packers @ Seahawks

Finally getting some time away from the new job I am going to break down some goods and bads from last nights game.

After the first kick off I sent silver fox a text saying "Starting out on the 15 yard line?"  That is unheard of! This got me really excited to see how the special teams would do the rest of the game. Well we all found out very quickly that the first kick was a fluke. The Special Teams is by far the biggest concern of our football team. Giving up that much yardage in the battle for field position is not going to win ball games.

Not as bad but not much better was our pass defense. Every other play seemed to be for 17 or 18 yards with a floater between the Line Backers and the Defensive Backs. QB's are going to pick us apart. A lot of this could be credited to all the starters that sat out this game. The pass rush needs to pick it up. I don't know if this is due to Capers holding back the good stuff for when the season starts, or if we are just not going to be able to get to the Quarterback. Only time will tell.

Before I get into how good the Offense looked I just want to throw Breno Giacomini under the bus. He missed an easy block that would have resulted in a Brandon Jackson first down. Those are the kind of plays that players like Breno have to make if they want to make the team.

When your first play on offense is a beautiful 57 yard bomb it automatically changes the tempo of the game. It almost assures you that you are going to get points on the board (I say almost because as right down the middle as Crosby's kicks were last night you just never know) and puts pressure on the other teams Offense. I was surprised to see Grant on the field after last weeks shot to the head. One thing is for sure is that he is getting better at the screen game, if he can catch the ball and use his blockers the way he did last night he will be dangerous. Who is going to stop Finley this year? This guy is going to be mismatch heaven for Rodgers all year long. The thing that has been most exciting is the play of the line. No way will Rodgers see the ground as much as he did last year. Bulaga is proving to be a starter, he just locks on to his man and no one is going to get around him.

We play the Colts Thursday and traditionally week 3 is the week that we get to see a little more play from the starters, it should be a fun game to watch. Over all the Packers are looking good and are going to have a chance to win every Sunday.

Chillar's future icy at OLB?

This information comes from Tim Kavanagh from ESPN Insider.

"The Green Bay Packers have some work to do when it comes to filling the OLB spot in the lineup opposite Clay Matthews. One option, converted ILB Brandon Chillar, struggled in the first preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, but played a bit better by his own account in Saturday's game against the Seattle Seahawks.

"Yeah, I definitely felt more comfortable this game. And at the same time I did some bad stuff too," Chillar said, per Greg Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "But with the position switch, that's going to happen. It's a different ballgame out there. I'm just going back to the drawing board and trying to figure stuff out and throwing this out there and this out there and seeing where it goes."

There's no indication that the Pack will look outside the organization for help with this problem -- and that wouldn't fit their general franchise-building plan, either -- but if they do,Adalius Thomas is probably the best they'll find on the free agent market. From a trade perspective, they could possibly peel Antwan Barnes off of the Baltimore Ravens if they were to offer a cornerback in barter. Barnes has been involved in trade rumors recently."

Packers-Seahawks

I figured I'd blog as I watched to put down my immediate thoughts.

1^st D showing. Looked like we were in the backfield early and often. Even with missed tackles (or hit and slow downs) we gave them nothing. Pass d was fine on 3^rd down.

1^st O, Obviously a great 1^st play to Jennings. Even with decent coverage the throw and catch were perfect. Finley is becoming a favorite for Rodgers, he's going to be a monster. I think this drive speaks for itself. Can Kuhn be the next William Henderson?

2^nd D. After the horrible Kick coverage… a good stop on 1st, but they seemed to be giving too much space in the secondary. It looked like the DB got out of position when Matt started to scramble and let the TD happen. We'll have to see how the rest of the half goes.

2^nd O. Wow, 1^st play was a great pass, but Trufant made a great strip to stop Jennings. Nice screen to slow the rush , and then the OL showed they are going to protect AR. Good Scramble for a 1^st. Risky toss to Jennings after the Finley 1D catch… Chukking Penalty for a 1st. Keeping them honest with Grant and then Finley AGAIN! Mixing it up well with Grant getting the cutback lanes. JJ made a good catch and 1^st D on a ball AR threw behind him. Again FINLEY will be a MONSTER this year and for as long as we have him!

3^rd D. Run D seems to have it. Pass D not horrible… good pass by MH on 2^nd and 3^rd down for a 1^st. Penalty after tied feet, but OK. The Lee penalty was weak for a 1^st. A soft spot when they go zone gives a 1^st. Good challenge by MM either way on MWs catch. The NT got handled on the TD run… not sure if Raji was in there or not.

The D so far earns a D at best! It takes a little bit of the edge off knowing that 6 of our starters are not playing, but I'd hope for better.

3^rd O. No Arod… Flynn made a nice toss to Swain. Nice toss to Jordy. I think he will be OK if AR goes down, but he will never start in this league. Crosby makes a FG! Let's hope we can count on him this year!

Overall, considering the starters missing on D, the Pack played well. I won't bore myself and everyone else analyzing the 2^nd and 3^rd team. The Offense looks as sharp as they did at the end of last season. When the starters are back on defense I think we are going to be fine.

I'll have to attempt stomaching the game tomorrow night to check out the Vikes

Stephen Colbert on Favre's Indecision!

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Brett Favre Returns to Football
www.colbertnation.com
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Vikings Headed for Sloppy Seconds Again...

Today the Vikings have former Packer Javon Walker in for a tryout.  With question marks about Percy Harvin and the injury to Sidney Rice the Vikings are looking to add some Veteran insurance to their roster.  Here is a breakdown of Javon's receiving yardage since being traded from Green Bay for Denver in 2006.

2006 - 1,084
2007 - 287
2008 - 196
2009 - 0, 1 fumble

Not quite what they need for production replacement, but it will be interesting to see a Favre-Walker reunion as we all remember the comments Favre made about Walker during the holdout of 2005.

"If Javon wants to know what his quarterback thinks, and I would think he might, I’d tell him he’s going about this the wrong way,” Favre told the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “When his agent tells him not to worry about what his teammates think and all that stuff, I’d tell him I’ve been around a long time and that stuff will come back to haunt you.”

"He’s a great player,” Favre said. “I think he can help us. He’s likeable and easy to get along with, but I’m guessing he’s getting the wrong advice, and he’s buying into that.

“I just don’t see much good that can come from it. If it gets time for the start of training camp and he’s not in, I think it’ll start bothering him, and he’ll be here. But once again, nothing should surprise you.”

"We've got guys who'll give great effort. Stars are made that way. Look at what happened when Sterling (Sharpe) left. Robert Brooks stepped up. We can win without him."

Why AP had a Down Year...

We all wish that our down years were as productive as the one AP put up last year with almost 1,400 yards rushing, 18 TD's, and a career high in receptions and receiving yards.  Despite the good numbers, the fact is that Adrian still left us wanting more.

When we dig a little deeper into the numbers, we find a few key disparities.  First we will look at AP's first 10 carries of the game.  In 2007, he averaged 4.8 ypc, had 6 TD's, a long of 67 yards, and had a first down percentage of 23%.  In 2008, he averaged 5.6 ypc, had 5 TD's, a long of 67 yards, and had a first down percentage of 23.5%.  In 2009, he averaged 4.0 ypc, had 8 TD's, a long of 35 yards, and had a first down percentagae of 20%.  Why do these number matter and what do they mean?  Well here is my interpretation.

Many believe Brett Favre's passing game would ultimately benefit Adrian Peterson's running game, although it would probably cut into his production, however that didn't seem to be the case.  While we expected his yardage totals to be down, we only saw glimpses of the player that was.  Peterson signature style and longest rush came week one versus the Browns.  So what happened?

My theory: less men in the box.  How could less men in the box hurt the running game you might be asking.  Well, think about it like this. Before Favre arrived, teams continually stacked 8+ men in the box in order to stop AP but this may not be the most effective way to defend him.  When you stack everyone in the box, it gives him a greater chance to break the long run as he just needs to break a tackle, make a move and then speed to the endzone.

Common logic tells us that a balanced attack is the key to any teams success and the Vikings were able to achieve that last season even though AP more often than not left us wanting more.  Maybe we wanted more due to jealousy that Chris Johnson was getting all the hype, maybe because AP actually did have a down year or maybe Brett Favre's presence is actually detrimental to AP's running style.

Harvin in the Hospital

It seems as if Percy Harvin will again have to struggle through another season with migraine issues.  Harvin was returning punts and as he looked up into the overcast sky a migraine was apparently triggered.  He quickly left the practice and headed inside for a check-up and returned to the field shortly after.  When he returned, apparently he doubled over, vomited and then collapsed on the field and was later taken to a nearby hospital via ambulance.

Coach Brad Childress said Percy was OK and was spending the night in the hospital as a precaution.  Harvin has apparently seen multiple specialists in order to quell the pain, but has been unsuccessful.  Harvin's health this season could be a very important factor to the Vikings season this year, although a healthy Bernard Berrian should be have a bigger impact on this season than last.

Now that Favre is in, it’s time for Prognostication!

Well, it looks as though the Vikings' fans have gotten their wish, Favre returns for one more grab at the brass ring. Good for you! I've said it before on this blog, I think Favre makes the Vikings a much better team than they would be without him. As long as he is last year's Favre, healthy and committed, I don't see any of the Vike's other options doing any better.

But let's be honest, this season brings a whole new challenge. To assume the Vikings can sweep the Pack again this year is wishful thinking. The way the schedule played out in 2009, the Vikings beat the Packers twice in the first 7 games of the season while the Pack went 4-4 and gave up 37 sacks. In the second half of the season the Packers were 7-1 and gave up 14 sacks. The Packers were a different team for a myriad of reasons and I think had they played one of those regular season games later in the year, the results may have been different. But that was 2009, the Vikes came out on top of the division. Good for you!

That brings us to the upcoming season. The first thing I have to say is that it will be an interesting season this year. The Vikings have to go in as the favorite considering last year's results, but they are also another year older. Of course, the same can be said for the Pack, but it is different when you've been the youngest team in the league 3 years running. (I believe the first of those included the old man) Looking at the schedules, I think it is very possible that by their first meeting this year the Vikings could be in a must win situation vs the Pack at Lambeau.

Green Bay opens up on the road vs a retooling Eagles team with a QB bearing the pressure of being the full time starter for the first time. Few fans here in Philly expect them to be a contender this year. After that it's Buffalo, @Chicago, Detroit, @Washington and Miami. Not all cupcakes, but only the Eagles made the playoffs last year and the rest combined for a 26-64 record last year. (Even leaving out Detroit it is 24-50). I can see the Packers being favored in nearly all of those games. Surely they will be less than a 3 pt dog in the road games. As long as the Packers play like they did in the second half of last season it isn't unfathomable that they could open up 6-0.

On the Viking side of the border they face a much tougher opening schedule. On the road at New Orleans vs the reigning SB champs, while I think they can win, this has to be considered a potential loss. Follow that up with a visit to the Jets, the AFC Championship runner up last year, and hosting the Cowboys. Their first 5 opponents combined for a 42-38 record (without Detroit it's 40-24). Without too much trouble, the Vikes could be 3-2 or even 2-3 coming into Lambeau. Not a death sentence, but it will certainly put the "must win" onus on the Vikings.

The schedule obviously turns in the Vikings favor after the first matchup, as they face the Pats the following week and then a slew of also-rans the remainder of the season. (Packers excluded). AZ will be a shadow of their former selves without Warner and Boldin, and the rest are teams who have too many unknowns at this point to say for sure, but the Vikings should be favorites in most of the games. So it is a good bet the Vikings go 8-2 after the first matchup.

While the Vikings schedule softens, the Packers are just beginning a brutal part of their schedule facing 3 tough road games (including the Vikes) sandwiching Dallas at home. (@Jets, Dallas, @Vikings and @Atlanta). Throw in a potential West contender in SF and a visit to the Pats and we have ourselves a dogfight. Being realistic, I have to say after game 1 vs the Vikings the Packers have an upside chance at 7-2 and a downside of 4-5. They will probably be underdogs in the road games (except Det) and slight favorites at home, but I see losses @ Minn, @NE and maybe @NYJ. Throw in a stinker and that is 5-4 to end the season.

Whatever way it works out, it makes for another great season of football. We won't really know how interesting until Favre stands under center on 9 Sep, but we have a few weeks to speculate. I invite everyone to make their own projections, no one is wrong…Yet! Make sure you share this with your friends; I'd hate to have my genius go unnoticed!

Aaron Rodgers is a Great QB but.....

Before all the haters start whining, I challenge you to read further with an open mind and make an objective opinion.  I know BitterBorderBattle fans have to have more insight than "Aaron Rodgers is the Best QB Ever and the Packers will kill the Vikings" and a response like "Who won both games last year?  Vikings rule and are way better than the Packers".  All I am saying, no matter which side of the BBB you are on, read this with open ears and let me know what you think.

First of all, I like Aaron Rodgers.  He has grown on me each game but I always knew he was a talent since that Thursday Night game against Dallas in 2007 and heck, he was almost the #1 overall pick.  He is a tremendous talent and has shown impeccable leadership and class.  He has even started to gain my trust in late game situations (AZ was not his fault, just like NO was not Favre's) which drastically improved last season over the prior season.  In his first two season as a starter, he has put up astounding numbers, going over 4,000 yards each season as we all know.  He has protected the football and the team finally hit their stride late last season after a dismal 10-14 record in his first 24 games.  So after saying all this, I want everyone to know that I am not trying to diminish anything A-Rod has done up to this point, I just want to ask a question.

Did Favre ever have this much talent on a team in his career in Green Bay, from top to bottom?

The quick and easy answer is to say yes, and that could very well be true, but which year?  One of their Super Bowl teams?  Those would be the only years the Packers ever had a defense that is comparable to the one they currently boast, most likely the '96 defense was better.  Offensive weapons for Favre?  Dorsey Levens, Edgar Bennett.  Combined they had only three 1,000 rushing yard seasons.  Antonio Freeman, Robert Brooks, Don Beebe, and Keith Jackson?  I do not see where these players line up anywhere near the caliber of talent the Packers have today.  

We had some good rushing season's from Ahman Green after that, but we stilled lacked any great threats at the WR position.  We had Javon Walker for a year or two before he decided he was going to hold out (the karma caught up with him as he tore his ACL in the first game and has never been the same).  I mean Bill Schroeder was good, but was he really #1 receiver quality?  Samkon Gado -- Enough said.

The closest he has come to having this much talent on a team was 2007 when he led the Packers to a 13-3 season and I think that everyone can agree that the team has improved since then right?  

Now I am not saying that I think the Packers made the wrong decision to boot Brett (I am saying that I wish that didn't happen), because A-Rod is definitely going to be a great QB for his career, but I find it hard to believe that Favre doesn't have a better record than 17-15 over the past two seasons if he is still the Packers QB.  For the long run, it was probably best to part ways and give Rodgers the key to the city, but is it so far fetched to think that Favre wouldn't have a Super Bowl with the Packers in the last two years?

Simply to answer my rhetorical question, NO, Brett Favre never had a more talented team in Green Bay than Aaron Rodgers plays on now.

One last thing I want to say to Packer fans.  If Brett retired in 2007 and we had Tarvaris Jackson or Matt Flynn or some other 2nd level QB ready to take over the helm after a 13-3 season in which we lost in the NFC Championship game to the eventual Super Bowl Champs, are you telling me that you wouldn't wait on him to make his decision?  You wouldn't give him all the time he wanted?  You wouldn't send three veterans down to see him?  I think you would and anyone who says different is a liar, but thankfully for everyone, A-Rod is a top flight quarterback who was ready to become the next Star QB in Green Bay.