Week 7 Preview: Cowboys vs. Vikings [Part Two]

LOOKING AT THE VIKINGS

2007 Results: beat Atlanta 24-3, lost at Detroit 20-17, lost at Kansas City 13-10, lost to Green Bay 23-16, bye in Week 5, won at Chicago 34-31.

Offense

Where they Rank (NFL)

Points Per Game: 20.2 (t16th)
Yards Per Game: 353.8 (13th)
Pass Yards Per Game: 183.6 (28th)
Rush Yards Per Game: 170.2 (1st)

Personnel

Second-year QB Tavaris Jackson is the Vikings’ starter under center, and makes his sixth career start on Sunday. Jackson missed two games with a groin injury this season, and is still being bothered by it, but returned against Chicago, going 9 of 23 for 136 yards and a touchdown. On the season, he is 39 of 79 (49.4%) for 465 yards, 2 TD, and 5 INT.

Adrian Peterson is only a rookie, but he’s quickly making a big name for himself. Not only is he the focus of Minnesota’s offense and the leader of the #1 rushing offense in the league, but he’s also the league’s leading rusher. Last week against the Bears, he ran for 224 yards on 24 carries and three touchdowns, and has 607 yards and four touchdowns thus far. If he can keep it up, he could legitimately challenge Eric Dickerson’s rookie rushing record of 1,808 yards, set in 1983, and push for a 2,000-yard season. Peterson is also one of the team’s leading receivers with 10 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown.

Former Tennessee Titan Bobby Wade is Minnesota’s leading receiver, with 18 catches for 203 yards. Two former South Carolina Gamecocks are in Minnesota’s receiver rotation, in third-year receiver Troy Williamson (8 catches, 134, TD) and rookie Sidney Rice (11 catches, 119 yards, TD).

Defense

Where they Rank

Points Allowed Per Game: 18.0 (13th)
Yards Allowed Per Game: 370.8 (26th)
Pass Yards Allowed Per Game: 304.6 (32nd)
Rush Yards Allowed Per Game: 66.2 (1st)

Personnel

The Vikings play a 4-3 defense, and up front, start Kenechi Udeze and Ray Edwards on the ends, with Kevin and Pat Williams (no relation) stuffing the middle at tackle. Rookie end Brian Robison sees regular time and leads the team in sacks with three.

The starting linebackers from left to right are Ben Leber, E.J. Henderson, and Chad Greenway. Henderson is the team’s leading tackler with 39, while Greenway is second with 35.

In the secondary, the Vikes will have won starter missing, as veteran free safety Dwight Smith will miss today’s game with an ankle injury. In his place, Tank Williams will likely start.

As for the rest of the secondary, veteran Antoine Winfield starts at left corner, with Cedric Griffin on the other side. At strong safety, it’s another veteran back there in Darren Sharper. The three-time Pro Bowler has two interceptions this season, and now has 51 in his 11-year career.

Special Teams

Ryan Longwell has long been one of the NFL’s top kickers, and he showed why last week, nailing a career-long 55-yard field goal as time ran out to give the Vikings a win over the Bears. On the season, Longwell is 8 of 9 on field goals and 11 of 11 on extra points. Longwell, in his 11th year in the league and second with the Vikings, is 255 of 311 on field goals (82%) and 414 of 419 on extra points.

Chris Kluwe is averaging 43.8 yards per punt and has punt more than half (15 of 29) kicks inside the 20.

Peterson, Williams, and rookie receiver Aundrae Allison are the kick returners, and collectively average nearly 30 yards per return. All three have returns for over 50 yards this season.

Wade is the primary punt returner, and hasn’t fared as well, as he’s averaging only 5.8 yards per return on eight returns.

The Vikings punt coverage is 27th in the league, one place above Dallas, giving up 13.4 yards per return. The kick coverage team, however, has done a much better job, giving up only 20.5 yards per return, which is fifth in the league.