SB Nation Minnesota - Vikings At Chargers: Ladies And Gentlemen, We Have Footballhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48959/mn-fave.png2011-09-09T16:23:40-05:00http://minnesota.sbnation.com/rss/stream/21737252011-09-09T16:23:40-05:002011-09-09T16:23:40-05:00Vikings Vs. Chargers: Injury Report Says Both Teams Relatively Healthy
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Minnesota Vikings</a> will have their hands full this week as they travel to play the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/san-diego-chargers">San Diego Chargers</a> without <span>Kevin Williams</span>. Luckily, though, it seems that the rest of the team is healthy enough to be able to play this weekend according to the final injury report of the week.</p>
<p>The Vikings listed six players on its <a href="http://www.vikings.com/team/injury-report.html" target="_blank">report handed in Friday</a>, though it seems that only cornerback <span>Asher Allen</span> could miss the game because he's listed as questionable with an ankle injury. <span>Donovan McNabb</span>, <span>Visanthe Shiancoe</span> and <span>Chris Cook</span> have all participated fully in practice since Wednesday and are listed as probable for Sunday's game.</p>
<p>Additionally, <span>Phil Loadholt</span> and <span>Letroy Guion</span> were on the Vikings injury report, but under injury it says "not injury related." Tough to guess what that means, but hopefully they're available for the Chargers game.</p>
<p>The Chargers injury report only has three players on it. Wide receivers <span>Patrick Crayton</span> and <span>Vincent Brown</span> are both listed as questionable with ankle and hamstring injuries, respectively, while backup linebacker <span>Jonas Mouton</span> is questionable due to a shoulder injury. None of the three are all that important to the Chargers, though Crayton has been a serviceable receiver at time throughout his NFL career.</p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-vikings/2011/9/9/2415356/vikings-chargers-injury-reportScott Schroeder2011-09-09T10:56:52-05:002011-09-09T10:56:52-05:00Flashback: Adrian Peterson Sets Single-Game Rushing Record
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<p>Adrian Peterson was already leading the National Football League in rushing when the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Vikings</a> hosted the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/san-diego-chargers">San Diego Chargers</a> in Week Nine of the 2007 NFL season. The rookie had already made his mark with a 224-yard, three-touchdown performance against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Chicago Bears</a> in Week Six, and had already established himself as one of the NFL's most dangerous players, despite playing on a team whose record was only 2-5 going into the match-up with heavily-favored San Diego.</p>
<p>Nobody expected what Peterson would give everyone that day.</p>
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<p>A couple of mind-blowing things about this performance. . .Peterson rushed for 296 yards on the afternoon in this one, but he only had 43 yards at halftime. Peterson's 253-yard second-half performance <i>alone</i> would have been the eighth-best performance in NFL history at the time that it occurred.</p>
<p>Also, at the tail end of the above video, you see a play where Peterson starts out at about the Minnesota 10-yard line, blasts through a huge hole, and gets dragged down from behind by Chargers' safety <span>Marlon McCree</span>. Had it not been for the illegal "horse collar" tackle (and you see the flag come in for it at the end of that play), who knows how much farther Peterson could have gone? We could be talking about a 340 or 350-yard rushing performance, which would be the only 300+ yard rushing day in NFL history, and a record that would very likely never be broken.</p>
<p>In addition, think about this. . .Peterson did this in a game where his quarterbacks were <span>Tarvaris Jackson</span> and <span>Brooks Bollinger</span> (who came in for Jackson after he was injured early in the game). The Chargers <i>knew</i> that the Vikings weren't any threat in the passing game, and they couldn't stop Adrian Peterson anyway.</p>
<p>Will we see a repeat of this kind of performance this Sunday? It's doubtful, at best. . .but Vikings fans sure would be happy if it did happen.</p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-vikings/2011/9/9/2414610/flashback-adrian-peterson-sets-single-game-rushing-recordChristopher Gates2011-09-09T10:38:38-05:002011-09-09T10:38:38-05:00Flashback: Antonio Cromartie Sets NFL Record For Longest Play
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<p>The last meeting between the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Minnesota Vikings</a> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/san-diego-chargers">San Diego Chargers</a> saw two different NFL records set. On of those two records can never be broken, and it belongs to former Chargers (and current <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ganggreennation.com/">New York Jets</a>) cornerback <span>Antonio Cromartie</span>.</p>
<p>The Vikings sent <span>Ryan Longwell</span> onto the field to attempt an ill-advised 58-yard field goal on the last play of the first half. Cromartie went back and stood under the goal posts and waited to see if the kick would come up short. It did, and. . .well, you can see the result.</p>
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<p>Cromartie was just inches from the back line of the end zone when he fielded the ball, and simply outran everything in a purple jersey. He was credited with a 109-yard return for a score. By definition, there can be no longer play in the National Football League, so the record can never be broken. . .you know, unless the NFL decides to make the field longer or something crazy like that.</p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-vikings/2011/9/9/2414579/flashback-antonio-cromartie-sets-nfl-record-for-longest-playChristopher Gates2011-09-07T00:12:45-05:002011-09-07T00:12:45-05:00Vikings Look To Make Longest Road Trip Of 2011 Successful
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<p>For the best coverage of the Minnesota Vikings you'll find anywhere, be sure to check out <a href="http://www.dailynorseman.com" target="new">The Daily Norseman</a>.</p> <p>After an off-season that was filled with a lot of vitriol from both players and ownership, everyone will finally be able to put all of that in the rear view mirror on Sunday afternoon, when the 2011 NFL season will officially get underway.</p>
<p>(Yes, I'm aware that there's a game on Thursday night. Seriously, who cares?)</p>
<p>Among the games that we will see on Sunday will be the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Minnesota Vikings</a> taking their only trip of the 2011 season to the West Coast to take on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/san-diego-chargers">San Diego Chargers</a>. Both of these teams missed the playoffs in 2010, with the Vikings going 6-10 during their Magical Misery Tour following a great 2009 season, while the Chargers managed to finish atop the National Football League in both offense (#1 in yards gained) and defense (#1 in yards allowed) and still miss the post-season party.</p>
<p>The reasons for the failures of both teams in 2010 is fairly easy to pinpoint. In Minnesota's case, their offense went from scoring 29.4 points/game in 2009 to a mere 17.6 last season. They also went from a +6 in giveaway/takeaway ratio in 2009 to a -11 in the same category in 2010. The offense completely fell off of the face of the earth for Minnesota in 2010, and that's why they went from being a play away from the Super Bowl to their first last-place division finish in a very long time.</p>
<p>For the Chargers, a great deal of the blame can be placed on their atrocious special teams play. Of the nine wins they racked up in 2010, six of them came by at least three touchdowns. However, they lost their first three games. . .all by one score, and all as a result of a touchdown given up by their special teams. In all, they allowed three kickoffs and one punt to be returned for touchdowns, and they allowed five punts to be either blocked or deflected.</p>
<p>If the Chargers can overcome their special teams problems, the San Diego offense will be a huge test for the Minnesota defense. Quarterback <span>Philip Rivers</span> is among the NFL's best, and he has an outstanding group of big, athletic receivers to throw the ball to, including <span>Vincent Jackson</span> and Malcolm Floyd. Oh, and if you manage to cover all of the receivers, there's always the option of finding tight end <span>Antonio Gates</span> in the middle of the field. The San Diego rushing attack isn't necessarily great, with <span>Ryan Mathews</span> having a rough rookie season in 2010. . .but with Rivers pulling the trigger on offense, it doesn't have to be. <span>Cedric Griffin</span> will get a huge test in his first regular season game since his second ACL tear, and he and <span>Antoine Winfield</span> will have to come up huge if the Vikings want to slow down the San Diego offense.</p>
<p>For Minnesota, the name of the game is obviously going to be ball control, as the Vikings will attempt to hammer away with running back Adrian Peterson and a short, controlled passing game led by the newly-acquired Donovan McNabb. The new-look Minnesota offense is going to be based on a lot of power running, a lot of two tight end sets, and attempting to keep San Diego's potent offense off of the field. If this game turns into a shootout, the Vikings are likely in big trouble. . .if the Vikings can somehow turn it into a slugfest instead, it will play more readily into their chances.</p>
<p>Vegas doesn't seem to think much of the Vikings in Week One, as they're the co-holders of the distinction of the NFL's biggest underdogs going into this match-up. The Vikings are nine-point underdogs to San Diego, the same spread as the (now) Peyton Manning-less <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Indianapolis Colts</a> are staring at as they travel to Houston to take on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.battleredblog.com/">Texans</a>.</p>
<p>Kickoff on Sunday afternoon is scheduled for 3:15 PM Central time from Qualcomm Stadium.</p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-vikings/2011/9/7/2409659/vikings-look-to-make-longest-road-trip-of-2011-successfulChristopher Gates