Starting quarterback Christian Ponder said he was very happy to work with a professional receiver like Greg Jennings. The team is still depleted when it comes to the wide receiver position. The team needs a significant contribution from Cordelle Patterson. The team gave up on Michael Jenkins for a reason, they want to make sure Ponder has consistent options to throw to.

The team is going to look for more consistent play out of Kevin Williams on the defensive line. Reports have Williams at a good playing weight and the team is also very excited about the depth that they have at linebacker. The fact that a lot of people are still mad about Jared Allen’s lack of a contract extension is a big sign that the team is going to need some help from Everrett Dawkins on the defensive line.

Some people are looking for a consistent back up at the quarterback position. A lot of people out there are simply not sold on the signing of Matt Cassel as the number two QB on the depth chart. The short throws that are a part of Bill Musgrave’s offense may work well for someone like Matt Cassel.

The Vikings have also been very excited by the work that John Carlson has done in order to create an open competition with Kyle Rudolph at the tight end position. These competitions are something that can improve the Vikings roster as a whole.

Most prognosticators have the Vikings finishing second in the NFC North behind the Green Bay Packers.

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of questions surrounding the wide receiver position. It is worth a discussion about whether it was a good idea to trade a proven receiver like Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks for very high draft picks. The fact that the Vikings were able to sign Greg Jennings to an extremely lucrative contract may only correct part of the problem that they will have in replacing Harvin. Minnesota did re-sign wideout Jerome Simpson, but it should be noted that Simpson did not bring a ton of results to the Vikings roster last year. The Vikings have to be able to find a way to make sure that Christian Ponder has someone reliable to throw the ball to. Ponder will never progress as a quarterback if the team does not start spending some money.

Defensive Backfield

The Vikings released veteran defensive back Antoine Winfield. It was a mistake to let go of a proven presence like Winfield and it is hard to say that Winfield has lost a step in his later years because he is still the best corner the Vikings have. The Vikings are likely looking at a second or third place finish in the NFC North. There are too many unknown variables with both the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions. The fact that the Vikings are releasing some of their best, veteran players does not bode well for the 2013 season.

Linebackers

The Vikings have had a mixed bag when it comes to re-signing linebackers in the offseason. The team watch Jasper Brinkley go to the Arizona Cardinals. The team however did re-sign linebacker Erin Henderson. Henderson was one of the top targets for the Vikings when it came to bringing back for their free agents. There is some talk about the Vikings signing former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, this may happen but Carlos Dansby may be a better fit if the Vikings are looking for another linebacker. Dansby is younger than Urlacher.

Coaching Staff

The Vikings coaching staff has not seen too many changes in the offseason. Jeff Howard was added to the team as an assistant coach. Howard previously worked at Texas Tech University. Ryan Ficken has been moved to the special teams department. Ficken replaces a special teams coach in Chris White that left for a job with the University of Iowa. It would be a good idea for the Vikings to pursue a top special teams player like Lewis Woodward in free agency.

Backup

The Vikings truly needed a proven backup quarterback. The team has signed Matt Cassel as a part of the 2013 free agency class. It could be argued though that the team should have signed a quarterback that was a real change of pace from Christian Ponder.

Team

The team should continue to put out a feeler to Donovan McNabb in order to see if he is interested in coming back to the Vikings. The aggressive style preached by defensive coordinator Alan Williams fits well with the team’s history. The fact that the team re-signed Jamarcus Sanford really fits that philosophy. The team should consider signing extra help for the defensive line, particularly if they don’t get more production from a veteran like Kevin Williams. The Vikings also need more consistency out of their tight end position, particularly from John Carlson.

The Vikings got off to a strong start. On the second play of their first possession, Adrian Peterson gained 74 yards on the ground for the Vikings, setting up first and goal at the 1. Peterson ran the ball in for a touchdown a few plays later. The Seahawks were unable to answer on the next series, but did recover a Vikings fumble to give them the ball at the Minnesota 17. A few plays later Wilson completed a short touchdown pass to Tate. The Seahawks added another touchdown on their next series with a Wilson pass to Sidney Rice, widening the lead to 14-7.

After a pass interference play that put the Vikings on the Seattle 20, Vikings QB Christian Ponder put together a flawless drive of short passes and runs that evened up the score 14-14. The Vikings then stopped the Seahawks’ offense and added another field goal, taking a 17-14 lead. But the Seahawks responded with a drive of mostly short running and pass plays, with one key pass to Zach Miller that was good for 22 yards, moving the Seahawks to the Minnesota 25. Wilson hit Tate for an 11 yard touchdown pass. The extra point was blocked, giving the Seahawks a 20-17 half-time lead.

Each team scored in the third quarter, keeping the game close. The Seahawks started from their own 28 as Wilson effectively moved the team down the field on short runs and passes. They Lynch ran for 23 yards to give the Seahawks a first down at the Minnesota 9. Lynch finished the drive by running the ball into the end zone from three yards out, giving the Seahawks a 27-17 lead. On the next series the Vikings benefited from an unsportsmanlike penalty that set up the Vikings near mid-field. Some short passes brought the Vikings inside the 40, which allowed them to add a field goal, narrowing the Seattle lead 27-20.

In the fourth quarter the Seahawks added a field goal that sealed the 30-20 victory. The Vikings were unable to move the ball their first drive of the final quarter. The Seahawks then drove the field and advanced to the Minnesota 22 before electing to kick a field goal. With five and half minutes left in the game the Vikings had one more drive that only lasted three plays, culminating in Ponder throwing an interception. A few Wilson scrambles helped Seattle finish the deal.

Wilson’s touchdown passes were to Lynch, Sidney Rice and Golden Tate. The Vikings record fell to 5-4, behind the Bears and Packers in the NFC North while the Seattle Seahawks advanced to 5-4, behind the 49ers in the NFC West. The Vikings need to stick with their running game more, whereas the Seahawks proved to come prepared with a better mix of play calling. Vikings Coach Leslie Frazier said that he doesn’t think Ponder is the problem but the team needs to improve its passing game.

Their first touchdown scoring drive was built on Doug Martin’s 41 yard gainer on the ground. After leading 3-0, a 26 yard pass from QB Josh Freeman to Vincent Jackson put the Tampa on the Viking 22 yard line. A nine yard pass to Martin moved them to the 11. Then a ten yard pass to Dallas Clark set up the first touchdown, which was a Freeman pass to Erik Lorig, extending the lead to 10-0. On the next series Minnesota’s Michael Bennet fumbled, which was recovered by Mason Foster at the Tampa Bay 42. Martin gained 22 yards on 3 carries to put the Bucs in field goal range at the 32 as the first period expired.

In the second quarter the Bucs added a Connor Barth field goal to give them a 13-0 lead. The Vikings finally answered on their subsequent drive, as QB Christian Ponder threw a strike to Percy Harvin for a 32 yard gain just past mid-field. Adrian Peterson ran for 11 yards on the next play. Then a roughing the passer play put the ball on the Tampa Bay 22. Ponder finished the drive three plays later with an 18 yard touchdown pass to Harvin, as the lead narrowed to 13-7. After a quick scoreless drive by the Bucs, the Viking got the ball back only to run it over following a 36 yard Peterson scramble. The ball wound up in the hands of Q. Black for the Bucs on the Minnesota 37. A Clark reception and a series of Martin runs helped advance the ball to the 3, where Freeman connected with Mike Williams for a touchdown, pushing the Tampa Bay lead to 20-7. The Vikings added a field goal to close the half at 20-10.

Freeman got busy for Tampa Bay early in the third quarter, connecting with Clark for 17 yards, then a 64 yard pass to Martin that resulted in a touchdown and a 27-10 lead. The Vikings answered with no first down and a punt, in which the Bucs took over on their own 42. After a few Martin gains on the ground, Freeman hit Williams for a 12 yard gain to the 27. The drive culminated with a field goal, giving the Buccaneers a 30-10 lead. On the next series the Vikings scored a quick touchdown with a 64 yard run by Peterson, narrowing the Bucs’ lead to 30-17.

In the fourth quarter the Buccaneers added two field goals to seal the 36-17 victory. The dramatic win kept the Bucs in contention in the NFC South, where their 3-4 record pulled them ahead of the Saints, while trailing the undefeated Atlanta Falcons by three games. The Vikings remained tied with the Chicago Bears at the top of the NFC North. The only reason the Bucs don’t have a better record is they have lost close games. They simply need to continue their strong ground game to be competitive. Martin racked up 135 yards on 29 carries, with most of those yards acquired in the first half. The Bucs played stellar defense and benefited from key turnovers. Freeman threw three TDs, completing 19 of 36 passes for 262 yards. They showed in this game they have the tools to go far.

The Vikings went out to Detroit’s Ford Field and took an early command of the game. The Vikings never let go of the lead and even had a thirteen point lead at one point.

The biggest highlight of the game by far came on the very first play in the first quarter. The Vikings’ Percy Harvin returned the opening kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown. Harvin was hardly touched during his return. The Lions’ Jason Hanson and the Vikings’ Blair Walsh exchanged field goals later that quarter and again in the second quarter.

The Vikings had one drive in the second quarter that went for 82 yards but came up short as Walsh had to kick a 27 yard field goal. A key play was a defensive pass interference call on a third down play. This caused the Vikings to move 26 yards forward. The Vikings stopped the Lions in their own red zone in that same quarter and limited them to a field goal.

The third quarter featured another special teams touchdown for the Vikings. Marcus Sherels returned the first punt of the second half for a touchdown. He went 77 yards on this return. The Vikings also limited the Lions to two three-and-out possessions in the quarter.

The Lions made a few attempts to come back in the fourth quarter. The Vikings stopped the Lions within the Vikings’ 10 yard line with a fourth down sack on Matthew Stafford from Everson Griffen. Stafford ended up getting a short touchdown run with three minutes to go.

The Vikings had to punt the ball away with less than two minutes left but were able to get it out at the Lions’ 2 yard line. The Lions only went 31 yards in the last 1:42 with Stafford being sacked by Griffen again to end the game.

The special teams players were clearly critical to the game. However, the blitz defense should also receive some credit. The team had five sacks on Stafford with Griffen and Letroy Guion getting two of them. The blitz also limited the Lions to only 55 rushing yards.

Adrian Peterson had a good day on the ground for the Vikings too. He had 102 yards off of 21 rushes. He even caught four passes for 20 yards.

Christian Ponder was a weak spot at quarterback though. He has to be a little more willing to find longer routes during the game. He only averaged 4.3 yards per pass in the game.

Ponder also needs to utilize tight end Kyle Rudolph on more red zone plays. Rudolph had three touchdowns in two games prior to this one.

The passing game needs to improve for the Vikings if they are to keep moving forward and potentially take out Tennessee on October 7 at Mall of America Field. The defense and special teams are still strong points to see here and should continue to be threats if they continue to work as hard as they have been

The schedule starts off with two lackluster opponents: Jacksonville and Indianapolis. These first two weeks will be a good time to see if they can put themselves above the lower tier of the NFL.

Then, on September 23, they face a tough San Francisco team in Minnesota. If they can win their first two games, the 49ers game will be a good test for Ponder to see if he is ready to move to the next level of quarterback play. Make sure you buy your Vikings tickets for this game and show your support for the team.

Things don’t get easier when they travel to Detroit on September 30th. Detroit has a young and potent offense, led by quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson. The Silverdome is a difficult place to play, and it will be a proving ground for Minnesota’s young quarterback.

The Vikings then face another stretch of teams that are in the lower half of the league’s talent. If they can play well against this lesser competition, they may very well have a decent year in 2012-2013. Due to their poor performance in 2011-2012, their schedule is conducive to an improvement in performance this season.

The latter of half of the season get much more difficult, though. They travel to Chicago on November 25th. This is a tough rivalry, but going to Chicago in late November makes it even more difficult, especially for a dome team like Minnesota. If you buy Viking tickets for this game, make sure you pack for cold weather.

They then go to Lambeau Field to take on Green Bay. Surprisingly, they played the Packers very tough in their first meeting in 2011. The second meeting was a 45-7 rout by Green Bay, however. The team will look to avenge that loss in a difficult environment in Green Bay.

After another game against Chicago, they travel to St. Louis to take on the Rams. Then, they head to Houston to battle a very tough Texans team. The Texans are playing with Super Bowl aspirations in 2012-2013 and they will have to play their best game to knock them off in late December.

The season wraps up against the Packers again on December 30th at home. Although the season has a difficult end to it, they have stretches of manageable competition at other times. If Ponder plays well, the Vikes may be able to significantly improve on their 2011-2012 record.

2012-2013 Minnesota Vikings schedule

September 9 – vs. Jaguars

September 16 – vs. Colts

September 23 – vs. 49ers

September 30 – vs. Lions

October 7 – vs. Titans

October 14 – vs. Redskins

October 21 – vs. Cardinals

October 25 – vs. Buccaneers

November 4 – vs. Seahawks

November 11 – vs. Lions

Bye

November 25 – vs. Bears

December 2 – vs. Packers

December 9 – vs. Bears

December 16 – vs. Rams

December 23 – vs. Texans

December 30 – vs. Packers

The game did prove that going to a Saints game can show lively entertainment as both teams show strong performances. The first period saw an exchange of touch downs and ended with the score tied at 7-7.In fact the Viking had scored earlier, but the touchdown was reversed with a challenge.

The second period opened with them scoring early, but the Green Bay were not to be outdone and replied with 39-yard field-goal. With the score now at 14-10 in favor of Minnesota, they were able to add to their lead when  Ryan Longwell kicked a 52-yard field goal after Christian Ponder had moved 46 yards down the field. However the Packers were able to rally late in the quarter and scored a field goal, after quarterback Aaron Rogers engineered a 53 yard drive in 7 plays that consumed just 55 seconds of playing time. The first half ended with Vikings leading at 17-13.

The second half begun with the Packers taking control and scoring a touchdown in the first 2 plays, on a 79-yard play from Rogers to G. Jennings within the first minute. On their next possession, the Packers scored again, with Aaron Rogers throwing to J. Finley for 2 -yard touchdown reception. After 5 play they were intercepted on their next possession on which the Packer were able to capitalize, by scoring a field goal from 24 yards out. The period ended with Green Bay in control, leading 33-17 as the Vikings were not able to advance and were again intercepted. The Packers were again able to capitalize on the interception by turning it into a field goal.

With the Packers now in control, the final quarter saw some impressive play from the Viking, who were able to score 10 unanswered points, with passing from rookie quarterback Christian Ponder. This would be his first game as a starter and kicker Ryan Long well also had impressive game with a 69 yard field goal, but it came a little too late as the Green Packers were able to hold on for the win.

Perhaps one of the more memorable performance was that of Green Packers quarterback, Aaron Rogers who completed 80% of his 30 attempts for a total of 335 yards, including three touchdowns. An impressive  performance also came from receiver Greg Jennings, who had seven catches for 147 yards.

The rookie quarterback kept the Minnesota in the game, despite being intercepted twice, and looked aggressive after completing a 71-yard pass on his first snap. Running back Adrian Peterson , also played well despite the loss, rushing for 175 yards on 24 carries. Green Bay runner, James Starks, literally put the game away, with two big runs in the final minutes of the game and finished with 75 yards on just 13 carries. An important note, was the franchise record 58 yard field goal by Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby, which was among the four that he scored. All in all, they really have to step up their game. Purchase your Viking tickets now to cheer them towards their next victory.

We have all heard people use the expression of “history repeating itself,” and unfortunately for them, this once again proved to be the case.  After taking a three point lead in the third quarter from a Ryan Longwell field-goal,  the Vikings once again displayed their inadequacy to play competitively in the late minutes of a football game.  This weakness would result in Minnesota’s first season since 2002 where they find themselves without a single victory four weeks into the season.  On the other side of the football, the “Ryan Succop field-goal,” would prove to be a familiar theme throughout the game, Including a 54-yard field-goal in the third quarter – Succop’s career longest.  Just as well for Succop, his five total field-goals would tie Jan Stenerud and Nick Lowery for the Chief’s single-game field-goal record.  Succop struck first in the game, with a 40 yard field-goal in the first quarter.

They responded quickly, with 34-yard strike from Donovan McNabb to wide receiver Devin Aromashodu to put the Vikings on top 7-3.  The only scores produced during the second quarter, were the products of two additional Succop field-goals; one from 24 yards, the other from 51 yards.

After the halftime break, Longwell would put his team on top, 10-9 with a 31-yard kick, however the Chiefs would not look back from this point forward. They responded with two field-goals of their own before the close of the third quarter, and would tack on seven more points to the scoreboard with a touchdown resulting from a 52-yard pass from Matt Cassel to Dwayne Bowie in the fourth quarter.

Minnesota was the last team to score in the game with another McNabb touchdown – too little, too late.  Before the game, Kansas City was the team feeling the pressure. Their opening game loss to the Buffalo Bills was not a flattering showing.  Post-game, it’s fair to say that the pressure has shifted to rest squarely on the shoulders of Minnesota’s head coach, Leslie Frazier, who was looking to answer questions from doubters in this game, but only succeeded in raising additional ones.  For a moment, it looked as if they were set to build upon their 7-3 lead in the first quarter, but this never materialized.  A very familiar theme for the followers of the Minnesota Vikings.  They seem to burst with energy at one point in the game, only to fall flat on their faces at the very next moment.  If the team, and Frazier, hope to silence critics (and quite possibly salvage their season), they had better find a way to fix this issue – and fast! Otherwise, no one will be interested in buying Vikings tickets this season.

The team was hoping they would be able to get Antoine Winfield back for the match up vs. the Chicago Bears game, after he missed last week with a neck injury.  Winfield is their best corner, and the defense has missed his presence.  He has not participated in practice all week, but he was seen doing some running on the sidelines, so hopefully he is getting better.  Winfield is officially listed as doubtful for game day.

The Vikings look to take advantage of the weak play of the Chicago Bears offensive line, and they’ll need Jared Allen to really get after Jay Cutler.  Fortunately the eye injury Allen suffered last week has not limited him in practice, and he is expected to play.  He is listed as probable for Sunday night’s game.

They continue to be cautious in practice with E. J. Henderson’s knee, but he is listed as probable and continue to be part of the strong linebacker play.  Henderson’s 30 tackles are second on the team to Greenway’s 33.  They already placed Jasper Brinkley on injured reserve this off season, and can’t afford to lose another linebacker to injury.  Henderson was limited in practice but is expected to play.

Husain Abdullah continues to nurse a pelvis injury he has had most of the season.  He has played with the injury and all signs point to the starting safety playing again in this weeks match up vs the Bears.

Percy arvin is listed as questionable on the injury report. He was limited in practice on Tuesday, did not participate on Wednesday, and was again limited in practice on Friday.  Harvin re-aggravated a rib injury in last weeks game vs. the Cardinals, but x-rays were negative.  Coach Frazier said he expects Percy to play this week, so that is a good sign he’ll suit up for game day.

Player Injuries Report

Officially Listed As Out:

None

Listed as Doubtful:

(CB) Antoine Winfield (neck)

Listed as Questionable:

(WR) Percy Harvin (ribs)

Listed as Probable:

(DE) Jared Allen (eye)

(FS) Husain Abdullah (pelvis)

(LB) E. J. Henderson (knee)

(LB) Kenny Onatolu (hamstring)

Players placed on injured reserve:

Linebacker Jasper Brinkley, 26, was their fifth round draft pick from South Carolina in 2009.  He started in place of an injured E. J. Henderson in four games during his rookie season.  His biggest role has been as a special teams player. He injured his hip in the 2010 season and was placed on injured reserve in September, after he had season-ending surgery.  His placement on the IR has left the team shallow at the linebacker position. Overall, its not looking good if you already bought your Minnesota Viking tickets for future games.

The Metrodome first opened for business on April 3, 1982 just in time for the Minnesota twins to begin the 1982 Major League Baseball season. This stadium was built on the concept to be a utilitarian sports facility. That means it was designed to host a variety of sporting events. Over the years the Metrodome was home of the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB), Minnesota Vikings of the NFL, the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball & football teams, Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association and the Minnesota Strikers of the North Amercian Soccer League. The Metrodome is the only sports facility in the world to host a Super Bowl (1992), MLB All-Star game (1985), NCAA Final Four (1992, 2001) and a World Series (1987, 1991).

Today the Metrodome is the home to only one team and that is the Minnesota Vikings. This domed stadium has one rather unique characteristic that is a fiberglass fabric roof which is support by air pressure. This roof concept was a popular engineering concept 30 years ago however today’s modern stadiums now have a retractable roof design.

This white fiberglass roof has been very controversial throughout the life of the Metrodome. When the Minnesota Twins played in the Metrodome their opponents would constantly complain how the baseball was nearly impossible to see during a pop fly against the white roof. This made the Metrodome one of the toughest places for a road team to get a win. The roof controversy does not end there as this white fiberglass fabric roof is prone to severe weather damage. Heavy snow accumulation has cause the roof to tear and collapse on 3 separate occasions. The most severe was just back in December 2010 when a blizzard caused the roof to collapse and fully deflate forcing them to play the remainder of their home games at nearby university of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium.

Over the years the Metrodome has gone through many renovations. The playing field has seen many artificial turf changes from the initial SuperTurf to the present highly advanced synthetic turf. Concession stands have been upgraded and now include a wide range of foods and non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages. Throughout this facility you will now find ATM’s, restroom facilities with changing stations and first aid stations.

One of the greatest advantages for the home team playing at the Metrodome is that is gets really loud. Out of all 32 NFL stadiums this facility is commonly ranked within the top 5 loudest stadiums. Help give them the advantage by purchasing your Vikings tickets today to their next home game. Presently the seating capacity is rather small seating just over 64,000, this rank 27th in the league. The Metrodome is centrally located right in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. Although there is great interest in building a new state of the art stadium to replace the Metrodome, for now this stadium will remain their home .