Posted September 20, 2011    

•Jared Allen

•Jerry Kill

•L.A. Stadium

•Prep Coaches

•MIAC Winners

Vikings to Learn ‘What Kind of Team We Are’ 

The way Jared Allen sees it the Vikings will know a lot more about themselves by late Sunday afternoon. 

“We’ll find out what kind of team we are,” the Vikings defensive end told Sports Headliners.  “We gotta bounce back.  We gotta do something.” 

An 0-3 start by next week doesn’t kill all hope for the playoffs, but it’s one hell of a threat.  On Sunday the Vikings play their first NFC North game of the season − against the undefeated Lions.  If the Vikings lose and go to 0-3 they would then be in a difficult spot playing catch-up in one of the NFL’s best divisions.  Already the Packers and Lions are 2-0, the Bears 1-1.  

What kind of team will the Vikings learn they are? Well, there’s plenty of criticism about the Vikings because they blew halftime leads in both their losses, showing everyone including themselves that a single half of productive football won’t win games.  But those games were close, 24-17 and 24-20 losses, and came against the Chargers, a Super Bowl favorite, and the Bucs, a promising young team that’s made a reputation for fourth quarter comebacks.  

The Vikings are far from ranking with the NFL elite but they’re no expansion team either.  It’s too early to lose perspective on the positives of this team including a respectable defense with Allen, Kevin Williams (returns from suspension this week), Chad Greenway and Antoine Winfield, an offense that features two of the league’s most explosive playmakers in Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin, plus a kicking game featuring Ryan Longwell and Chris Kluwe that can put points on the scoreboard and dictate field position. “We know we’re a good team and we’re gonna prove it,” said rookie Christian Ballard.  

Greenway acknowledges the frustration of players and fans. “It’s early (in the schedule).  We got a long ways to go but we know our fans are going to be frustrated,” he said. “We know they have a right to be.  We’re all frustrated because we’re working.  It’s not like we’re not trying to get anything done.  We’re out there working hard every day. That’s what makes it even harder.” 

The next few days will challenge the players and coaches a lot. “This is going to be a rough week, and we have to stick together, and hope you guys (media) aren’t too hard on us,” Greenway said. 

The Lions have impressed not only with their record but by defeating a quality team in the Bucs on the road, 27-20, and destroying a faltering Chiefs team, 48-3. “They’re (Lions) very capable of coming here and winning,” Greenway said.  “If we don’t play for 60 minutes we’re not going to beat anybody.”

 

U RB Edwards to Get Look at Linebacker 

No commitment to making a change yet, but Jerry Kill said this afternoon he will try Lamonte Edwards at linebacker today and tomorrow at practice.  

The Gophers coach said he wants to put his “best players” on the field and his linebacker group lacks depth because of injuries.  Edwards, a redshirt freshman running back, has rushed eight times for 11 yards in two games. 

Edwards, 6-2, 210, played defensive back and running back at Woodbury High School.  For a couple of years there’s been opinion that Edwards would be a better defensive player than offensive in college.  

Gophers linebackers Brendan Beal and Aaron Hill have been injured and unable to play in the first three games.  Linebacker Keanon Cooper has been playing with an injured wrist.   

Kill said in the preseason that Edwards could be a “tremendous” running back for the Gophers and is certainly an admirer of the former Woodbury player’s athleticism, even using him once in the USC game as a pass rushing end. 

 “I don’t know if that’s going to be permanent (playing linebacker). … “He’s too good to just get 10-15 plays.  We’re going to experiment on Tuesday and Wednesday with him a little bit,” Kill said. 

If Edwards plays linebacker he could still see game action at running back, according to Kill.  The first objective with the Edwards experiment is to add depth to a “thin” position. 

“Doesn't mean he won't come in and play (running back) on goal line, and he's had a lot of time on offense,” Kill said. “But again we are dealt the cards we have, and we are going to try to utilize all those cards that we can.”

 

Worth Noting 

The California Legislature has exempted a proposed downtown Los Angeles football stadium from state environmental laws, according to a September 13 online Los Angeles Times article.  The article reported governor Jerry Brown hasn’t signed the legislation.  A Sports Headliners source believes L.A. interests want an NFL team in southern California by 2012 and playing in a new stadium by 2016.   

Sometimes criticized Vikings center John Sullivan was a standout on Sunday against the Bucs and so, too, was tight end Jim Kleinsasser.  

The Hollywood produced movie “Smith of Minnesota” made its national debut in September of 1942 in Faribault, the home town of Gophers Heisman Trophy (1941) winner Bruce Smith, according to a September 27, 1942 article in the Minneapolis Sunday Tribune & Star Journal. The shy halfback played himself in the movie and had a clause in the movie contract stating he didn’t have to kiss an actress, according to the newspaper article.  

Former Gophers coach Glen Mason, who provided color commentary for the Big Ten Network on a Minnesota game for the first time last week, will also work the North Dakota State game this Saturday.  

Westbrook-Walnut Grove coach Carter Ross will try for career win No. 100 on Friday against Cleveland High.  His career record is 99-46.   

Detroit Lakes prep coach Flint Motschenbacher is also after win No. 100.  Motschenbacher, 99-41, coaches his team on Friday against Staples-Motley. 

The MIAC announced its football players of the week are Tyler Maxwell (offense), Billy Morgan (defense) and Fritz Waldvogel (special teams).  In his first college game Maxwell ran for 173 yards, the most for an Augsburg running back in seven years as his team defeated Hamline last Saturday.  Morgan, a Bethel linebacker, had 17 tackles in a win over Carleton.  Waldvogel, a wide receiver and kick returner for St. Thomas, had 228 all-purpose yards against St. Olaf including punt returns of 40, 29 and 22 yards.  

Don’t think the Gophers aren’t under pressure already to gain a verbal commitment from nationally-pursued Apple Valley sophomore point guard Tyus Jones.   

Expect another big crowd at Target Center tonight for game three of the WNBA Western Conference semi-finals between the Lynx and San Antonio.  Friday night’s game drew 11,891.  In previous playoff games the Lynx attracted 4,227 (2004) and 3,622 (2003). 

Only Houston (14) has been swept in more series than the Twins, Mariners and Pirates (13 each) among major league baseball clubs this season.  The Twins were last swept at least 13 times in a season in 1978 when the total was 17, according to Elias Sports Bureau. 

 

John Sullivan

Jim Kleinsasser