Vikings 28, Packers 27...A Few Thoughts

I will admit that, due to the opening of deer hunting season here in Minnesota, I did not watch the big Vikings/Packers game last Sunday on TV.  However, from listening to most of it on the radio and watching all the postgame shows and highlights, I would like to add a few thoughts on what has (at least so far) been the Vikings' most exciting victory of the season:

-First, let's give credit where credit is due...this was one of those games where Adrian Peterson took the team completely on his shoulders.  Much like LaDainian Tomlinson did for the Chargers in recent years, Peterson absolutely dominated this game when it really counted...in the second half.  However, I would caution Vikings fans not to get too over-hyped about their 5-4 and tie-for-first-place team.  Peterson will NOT be able to shoulder that much of a workload every game (whether he wants to or not, the holes will not always be there, especially when defenders start keying on him again), and thus other teammates will have to step up and make big plays (something that is usually severely lacking in MN).  I am confident in saying this because the exact same scenario happened last year.  After A.D. single-handedly beat the Chargers (when he set the single-game rushing record) and Bears (220 some yards and 3 scores), he was by and large shut down for the rest of the season (I remember the game in San Francisco where he was held to something like 9 total yards on 15 or so carries...ouch).  So, as good as it is to be tied for first in the NFC North, the Vikes have an awful lot of proving themselves to do in the remaining regular-season weeks.

-Of course, Adrian Peterson's performance almost went to waste due to the completely inept performance of the special teams units.  Whether it be coverage (where we give up big chunks of yardage and often scores) or returns (where we never sniff the open field), our ST units must be among (if not THE) worst in the NFL right now.  Unfortunately, if those units haven't been fixed by now, they probably won't be, so I have a feeling we will be holding our collective breath on every opponents' return down the stretch.

-Gus Frerotte also had a very poor performance against the Packers (151 yards, 3 INTs), which just underscores the sad point that the Vikings likely cannot make any kind of championship run with him behind center.  I have said this many times before (though perhaps not on this blog) that Brad Childress has modeled this Viking offense off his time in Philadelphia under Andy Reid.  The Eagles always had a star running back (Bryant Westbrook), no notable wide receivers (James Thrash and Freddie Mitchell, anyone?!), and a defense that stifled the run.  The Vikings have those three components as well, but whereas the Eagles had Donovan McNabb at the helm, the Vikes have Rot (because Tarvaris Jackson bombed).  It was perhaps the most short-sighted move of the entire Brad Childress tenure to put all his hopes on Jackson without a viable back-up plan after he alienated Daunte Culpepper.

-All in all, Sunday's game was very exciting, but still didn't establish the Vikings as any different sort of team...they can still dominate on defense, they can still run the ball very well, but they also still choke under pressure and cannot pass the ball to save their lives.  Next week's contest in Tampa Bay will just be another stepping stone (or stumbling block) in the path to that consistent winning formula that has elude the Vikings for so long.