The Vikings and Jets have had the same overall team building strategy for the past few years.
Both teams have done anything possible and spent a kings ransom on payroll. Both teams even rolled the dice on #4 Bret Favre. We were smart enough to cut ties after the debacle in 2008. The Vikings have allowed this douche to hold their team hostage for the entire offseason and asked their star players to crawl on their knees to Hattiesburg Mississippi and beg him to come back. He has looked rusty, disillusioned, disinterested and OLD.
On the other hand the NYJ's drafted a young man with a ton of upside and have put him in the best possible position to win. It will be a long time before Sanchez can be compared to the future HOF'er Favre, but when it comes to the basic fundamentals of what it means to be a leader and good teammate #6 has surpassed #4.
Favre did nothing but alienate his teammates during his brief 6 month run as a member of our team, and I will always be in debt, as a fan, to Thomas Jones for having the guts to call Bret out at the end of the disappointing 2008 champaign. He said publicly that if Bret wasn't going to attend every offseason work out, and dedicate himself 100% he didn't belong on our roster. IMHO that is the main reason #4 asked to be released.
It takes a low character franchise led by a guy like Brad Childress to allow anyone to use them like a doormat the way Favre has. All of the other players on the Vikings roster worked their asses off all offseason to try and help their team dominate and make a run for a Superbowl. But, because #4 would rather sit home and watch Gilligans Island during the summer his team is now 1-3. Thats a rough record after the first 25% of the season, but when you have teams like Green Bay and Chicago in your division... well, that may be an insurmountable deficit to overcome.
Enough about that washed up attention whore... let's talk J-E-T-S!
Frustrating play calling again on offense. I liked the overall execution by our O-line and the decision making by #6. LT and Greene are starting to become a formidable duo. It was scary to see #10, #17, #89 and #81 on the field at the same time. I was really disappointed by the dropped passes, but in all fairness it was very wet out there.
I can see that Schotty is a rhythm play caller and the dropped passes threw him out of sync. Our drives kept getting shut down on 3rd down and we had to settle for 5 field goals, even after Brad Smith returned the ball 80 yards on a kickoff. I am a big believer in momentum and how it affects NFL games. Smith answering Favre and Moss's TD hook up was the game winning play for me. It deflated the Vikings sideline and electrified the stadium. I really wish Mark and Schotty could have got the ball in the endzone after that. D'brick also looked like a number four overall draft pick... for the first time ever. Jarred Allen is the most dynamic pass rusher in football and he was a complete non-factor last night. Great job big boy!
Our defense is looking like the #1 squad in the league, even though we are not statistically. Some are calling our secondary the best in the league but I don't feel that way. They are good, but Kyle Wilson is looking like a daisy fresh rookie. He blows more coverages than he gets right. Revis was probably at about 75% last night. By the time the playoffs start we may be the best secondary, but as of today we still have more work to do. We also need to get healthy.
Our Team MVP's after 5 games are obvious... but I will point them out anyway. Cromartie is not just a physical freak but he is playing with a fire and passion. Rex's style of defense fits him very well. Sean Ellis is also playing mad. He looks intimidating out there and continues to get to the QB constantly. David Harris is another player who always seems to be wherever the ball is. He is not and never will be a superstar, but he is a very important reason why we are 4-1. I hope we find a way to pay him and keep him here.
On the offensive side of the ball Sanchez, Keller and LT have been outstanding. However, as the season progresses I think Cotchery and Brad Smith will join them in the spotlight. I am a die hard fan of #89 and I think he will start seeing a lot more touches in the coming weeks. If you put your 3rd best corner or a LB on him he will light them up all day.
I don't think we are the best team in the league at this moment, but if we win the next game and head into the bye 5-1 I may be prepared to crown Rex and the gang. The real question now is will we play down to our competition this week, or maintain our high standards? Can we stay up and motivated, on the road, against a team we are suppose to beat?
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