Posted October 28, 2009    

•Steve Hutchinson

•Jonny Flynn

•Al Nolen

•Eric Decker

•George Steinbrenner

Offensive Lines to Command Attention in Green Bay 

A former NFL coach, who still follows the league closely, was asked if the Vikings personnel area that is most suspect is the secondary.  “I still say the offensive line is not where it needs to be,” he responded. 

The Vikings have improved by replacing last year’s starter at right tackle, Ryan Cook, with rookie Phil Loadholt, said a source who asked that his name not be used.  He considers right guard Anthony Herrera a so-so talent and second year center John Sullivan is a downgrade from veteran center Matt Birk who left the Vikings during the off-season.  The left side of the line, with guard Steve Hutchinson (ranked with the best linemen in the NFL) and tackle Bryant McKinnie, is the strength of the unit. 

With franchise cornerback Antoine Winfield injured and unable to play last Sunday against the Steelers, a visitor had asked the former coach on Saturday if the secondary wasn’t the most suspect area.  The secondary has been part of the problem with a defense that has given up a lot of fourth quarter points including 21 against the Ravens on October 18 when the Vikings almost lost (33-31).  The secondary played okay against the Steelers and Winfield could return for Sunday’s game in Green Bay. 

The Vikings offensive line at times couldn’t block the Steelers and Minnesota only rushed for 83 yards in the 27-17 loss, the Purple's first defeat of the year (6-1).  A strong Steelers pass rush sometimes pressured quarterback Brett Favre.  In the fourth quarter the Vikings, trailing 13-10, were driving for the go ahead touchdown when Favre had the ball stripped from his right hand.  The Steelers LaMarr Woodley, coming through the left side of the Vikings line, recovered the fumble and ran 77 yards for a touchdown.   

Favre was sacked four times in the game, matching a season high against the Browns.  For the year he has been sacked 18 times.  Not all sacks can be blamed on an offensive line because running backs can fail to block and quarterbacks may hold onto the ball too long, but the Vikings’ Super Bowl goal may end up being determined by the big guys in front of Favre.   

The Packers have allowed quarterback Aaron Rodgers to be sacked 25 times, highest among NFC North teams.  The Vikings defense, which leads the NFL in sacks with 24, sacked Rodgers eight times in Minnesota's 30-23 win at the Metrodome earlier this month.  The Packers' offensive line has been even more of a project than the Vikings and those two units will play major roles in determining who wins on Sunday when Green Bay (4-2) could move closer to first place in the NFC North.  The only question will be the size of the role.

 

Brett Favre has been sacked 18 times this season while the Packers have allowed 25 sacks, the most of any team in the NFC North.

Steve Hutchinson

NBA Season Start Offers Nostradamus, Triangle Offense  

With the NBA season starting this week, here are several intriguing subjects that have my attention: 

There’s not a better basketball rivalry, pro or college, than Lakers-Celtics.  Nostradamus types have the two storied franchises meeting in the NBA finals next June for the second time in three years.  Tune in before then for regular season games on January 31 and February 18.   

The Lakers will be trying to repeat as World Champions without former assistant coach Kurt Rambis.  He brings his California cool to cold Minneapolis and will adjust to a new culture on and off the court.  He will operate using mentor Phil Jackson’s triangle offense and psychology book.  Neither was ever tested in L.A. like it will be here, coaching a Wolves team trying to prove it’s not the worst in the league. 

Kobe Bryant won’t win a popularity vote by fans but he was the best player in the league last year.  Nobody closes a game out like he does.  At 31, watch him while his skills remain extraordinary. 

At age 20, Jonny Flynn is the youngest player on the Wolves roster. The talented Wolves’ point guard can flash to the basket with the best young players in the world right now.  How complete the rest of Flynn’s game (including his outside shot) becomes will have much to do with the Wolves moving toward .500 in the next few years.  

Manu Ginobili is another guy who is adept at driving to the basket.  He played in only 44 games for the Spurs last year because of injury.  He’s back and presumably fearless as ever, and ready to make a run at the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year.  

The Wolves don’t figure to have any Man of the Year candidates this season but it’s not so far fetched to think that one day guard Corey Brewer could be Defensive Player of the Year.  The 6-9 Brewer can guard players who play multiple positions and with his long arms bother them all.  First, he has to show some offensive improvements (career 38 percent shooting) to deserve major playing time.   

Shaquille O’Neal might not be a better all-time NBA center than Kareem Abdul- Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, but none of them played for so many teams as Shaq Daddy.  His Mammothness, now 37, is working for his fifth employer, the Cavaliers.  Shaq is past his prime, and folks in Cleveland may need to call a “plumber” by mid-season to unplug the lane so that King James (that be LeBron James) can find a clearer path to the basket.  

Let’s hope with the Wolves' mission to fast break and run their triangle offense that center Al Jefferson doesn’t spend too much time away from the basket.  Put the big fella down low near the basket where he scored 23.1 points per game last season. At 24 and after just five NBA seasons, Jefferson deserves to be included in conversations about players with the best low post moves in the last 20 years. 

The Wolves open their season tonight at home against New Jersey.  On Friday night King James, Shaq Daddy and the rest of the Cavs come to Target Center.  And then a week from tonight the Celtics, including Kevin Garnett, are in Minneapolis.   

No reason not to be intrigued by all of this.

 

Worth Noting 

The Wolves are No. 29 among 30 teams in the power rankings, according to http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerranking?season=2010&week=0. 

A campus basketball source said if the Gophers played a game now the starting lineup might be guards Al Nolen and Lawrence Westbrook, center Ralph Sampson III, and forwards Damien Johnson and Colton Iverson.  The Gophers open with an exhibition game at home on November 5 against Minnesota Duluth.

Lynx guard Renee Montgomery has her own website, www.reneemontgomery20.com. Included on the site are video and written blogs updating fans on her experiences in Lithuania.  Lynx forward Charde Houston is off to a 6-0 start for Tarbes, a team in the French League. The 6-foot forward is averaging a league-high 20.5 points per game. 

Alex Daniels, who started his career at Minnesota and played both offense and defense, is a defensive tackle for No. 7 ranked Cincinnati (USA Today poll).  He had a team season high four sacks for the Bearcats earlier this month against Miami of Ohio.  

Gophers quarterback Adam Weber is a close friend and roommate of wide receiver Eric Decker who will miss the remainder of this season because of a foot injury.  Weber said yesterday at a news conference that he will do his best to be supportive of his friend but won’t pretend to know the disappointment that Decker is experiencing.  Decker, whom Gophers coach Tim Brewster describes as the “best wide receiver period” in the country, was named one of 10 semi-finalists on Monday for the Biletnikoff award honoring the nation’s top college receiver.  

Brewster said it hasn’t been determined if Decker will need surgery on his foot.  If so, there’s no chance of Decker participating in a bowl game.  Otherwise, he could be back for a bowl game if the Gophers earn an invitation.  Da Jon’ McKnight replaces Decker with Ben Kuznia being his backup. 

The Gophers (4-4) might face a somber group of Michigan State players on Saturday night at TCF Bank Stadium.  The Spartans lost to Iowa on the final play of the game last Saturday but the odds-makers must think they will be okay because MSU (4-4) is about a touchdown favorite to beat Minnesota.   

The Gophers' game on Saturday against Michigan State begins at 7 p.m.  Brewster said he loves night games, describing the atmosphere as “electric.”

Vikings wide receiver Sidney Rice has 312 reception yards in the last two games, the fifth best two-game total in franchise history.  No NFL receiver has more yards than Rice the last two weeks.  

Rice and running back Adrian Peterson (687 yards) have produced 1,232 yards.  That’s the best receiver-runner combo in the NFC. 

The Vikings have the best defense inside the 20 yard line in the NFL, allowing opponents to score 27.8 percent of the time.  

Two Minnesota schools are ranked in the top 10 of this week’s top 25 American Football Coaches Association poll.  Minnesota State Mankato (9-0) is No. 4 and Minnesota Duluth (8-1) ranks No. 6. 

The 2009 World Series teams, the Yankees and Phillies, have payrolls of $201,449,189 and $113,004,046, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts web site.   The Twins 2009 payroll was $65,299,266.  More at http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/. 

George Steinbrenner bought the Yankees in 1973 for about $10 million.  They are now valued at $1.5 billion, according to. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/33/baseball-values-09_The-Business-Of-Baseball_Value.html. 

Fifty years ago the 1959 World Series between the Dodgers and White Sox went six games, ending on October 8.  If the 2009 World Series lasts seven games, the final game will be played on November 5.  

Kevin Mulvey, who the Twins traded to Arizona last summer for Jon Rauch, pitched in six games for the Diamondbacks in September including four as a starter.  He was 0-3 with a 7.04 ERA.   Rauch, at 6-11 the tallest pitcher in major league history, was impressive in limited relief for the Twins with a 5-1 record and 1.72 ERA.  

 

Renee Montgomery

Charde Houston

Eric Decker