Following the NFL Draft, there has been plenty of talk about which rookies will have the biggest impact in the NFL in their debut season and which teams ‘won’ the draft, but there has been little debate over which NFL veterans could benefit from their team’s recent additions. Here is a look at the NFL vets primed for a big season in 2013.

Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans

Johnson, or ‘CJ2K’, set the league alight in 2009 when he rushed for 2,006 yards, 14 touchdowns, and also notched up a useful 503 receiving yards, firmly establishing himself as one of the premiere running backs in the NFL. His last three seasons have been considerably less successful, however, and he has not been shy about laying at least some of the fault at the door of his offensive line.

It seems as if the Titans’ front office was listening. After signing one of the best guards in the NFL in the form of Andy Levitre, they went out and drafted Chance Warmack out of Alabama, a player that many had rated as the best guard in this years’ draft. They should help open up running lanes for Johnson up the middle, whilst fourth round pick Brian Schwenke will challenge Fernando Velasco for the starting center position, creating healthy competition on the interior of Tennessee’s offensive line. Throw into the mix two veteran tackles, Michael Roos and David Stewart, and Johnson has potentially one of the best offensive lines in the league to run behind.

There will be no excuses for ‘CJ2K’ this year.

Michael Huff and Lardarius Webb, Baltimore Ravens

Ed Reed may be gone, but the ‘ball hawks’ of the Ravens’ secondary could be primed for a big year. Injuries in Baltimore’s front seven last season often meant that they struggled to consistently pressure the passer. Premiere pass rusher Terrell Suggs was never at 100% after coming back from a potentially season-ending Achilles injury, while both Haloti Ngata and Pernell McPhee struggled with minor injuries throughout the season, leaving outside linebacker Paul Kruger responsible for getting to the quarterback. As a result, quarterbacks had more time to let receivers gain separation, and the Baltimore secondary had difficulty containing more explosive offenses.

The defensive line has been bolstered with the additions of Marcus Spears and Chris Canty, whilst Elvis Dumervil, one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, has also joined Baltimore’s ranks. If the likes of Ngata and Suggs can stay healthy, and emerging defensive stars like McPhee and Courtney Upshaw can continue their development, then both Huff and Webb could reap the rewards of the Ravens’ reinvigorated pass rush.

Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles

It wouldn’t be too surprising if the Eagles ended up starting either Nick Foles or Matt Barkley ahead of Vick, but if the season started tomorrow, Vick would likely be the man under center for the Eagles. Last year Vick (and Foles) suffered from an offensive line bereft with injuries, and both struggled to stay upright and healthy when they faced teams with at least an average pass rush.

Their offensive line is healthy, at least for now, and has been bolstered by Lane Johnson, the fourth overall pick of the NFL Draft, who should fit a Chip Kelly offense perfectly. Johnson will most likely move to right tackle, opposite Jason Peters, allowing Todd Herremans to move inside, demoting disappointing first round pick Danny Watkins. Evan Mathis will retain his spot at left guard. Second-round pick Zach Ertz will compliment Brent Celek well, and give Vick more options in the passing game as both DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin stretch the field.

Christian Ponder, Minnesota Vikings

Bear with us on this selection. Adrian Peterson is potentially heading into this season fully healthy and gunning for a mind-boggling 2,500 yards, taking some pressure off of Ponder in terms of needing to put up the yards and points for the offense. Then there are the additions the Vikings have made on the offensive side of the ball: Greg Jennings and Cordarrelle Patterson. Both are playmakers and give Ponder a more dynamic receiving corps to target. Left tackle Matt Kalil, who had a very good rookie season, should also head into his second year as a more dominant lineman, and will give Ponder better protection from his blindside.

We are not suggesting Ponder will go on to post numbers worthy of mentioning him in the Tom Brady/Aaron Rodgers class, or even the Joe Flacco/Matt Ryan class, but he could go a long way towards proving himself a capable franchise quarterback for the Vikings.

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The Green Bay Packers took care of business over NFC North rivals the Minnesota Vikings 24-10 at Lambeau Field to punch a ticket into the next round of the playoffs.

Minnesota, was without starting quarterback Christian Ponder. Ponder was ruled inactive in Saturday’s match-up because of an elbow injury. As a result, back-up Joe Webb got the nod and started in his first game of the season.

Webb, completed 11 of 30 passes for 180 yards one touchdown and one interception. He had success evading the pocket and scrambling seven times for 68 yards. The third-year quarterback from UAB, led the Vikings down the field on their first drive but settled for a Blair Walsh 33 yard field goal.

The Packers answered back towards the end of the first quarter to help swing momentum on their side. On Minnesota’s nine yard line, Green Bay’s starting running back DuJuan Harris punched in an nine yard run to give the Packers a 7-0 lead.

Green Bay was back on the board in the second quarter with a Mason Crosby 20 yard field goal. Right before the half, Packers full-back John Kuhn punched in a three yard run to give Green Bay a 17-3 lead into half.

On the first drive of the second half, Aaron Rodgers lead the Packers offense right down the field with ease. The Vikings gave the Packers another opportunity after committing a 12-men on the field penalty. On the ensuing play, Rodgers dropped back and connected with Kuhn for a score to give the Packers a 24-3 lead.

Kuhn, had one touchdown all season long and was able to be a leading factor scoring two touchdowns to help the Packers defeat the Vikings.

Webb threw his first touchdown pass with just under four minutes in the game to a wide open Michael Jenkins.

After torching Green Bay in the regular season, the Packers defense was able to contain Adrian Peterson. Peterson rushed 22 times for 99 yards.

Rodgers ended the game completing 23 of 33 passes for 274 yards and one touchdown. Rodgers was able to connect with 10 different wide receivers. Wideout Greg Jennings caught four passes for a team high 61 receiving yards.

With the victory, the Packers will travel to No.2 seed the San Francisco 49ers next week. The Packers lost to the 49ers in Week 1 at Lambeau 30-22 and will look to clinch a spot in the NFC Championship.

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The Minnesota Vikings defeated NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers 37-34 at Mall of America Field to earn themselves the final NFC Wild Card position.

All eyes were on Adrian Peterson, who entered the game 208 yards away from Eric Dickerson’s rushing record. Peterson had an extremely effective game but fell nine yards shy of the record. Peterson carried the ball for a career high – 34 times for 199 yards and one touchdown. Peterson also had one reception that was a touchdown.

Vikings quarterback, Christian Ponder played mistake free football to help Minnesota win a fourth straight game and clinch a spot in the playoffs. He completed 16 of 28 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns. His three touchdown passes was a season high along with his 120.2 passer rating.

Rookie wideout Jarius Wright caught an eight yard touchdown pass with just over a minute left in the first half. Ponder connected with Wright again in the fourth quarter on a 65 yard bomb, that later resulted in a Michael Jenkins three yard touchdown catch.

Wright led the Vikings with three catches for 90 yards along with his touchdown. Also wideout Michael Jenkins had three catches for 37 yards along with his touchdown grab.

As for the Packers, they were unable to take a lead the entire game and found themselves fighting back until the final whistle.

Quarterback, Aaron Rodgers completed 28 of 40 passes for 365 yards and four touchdown passes. His 365 passing yards was a season best and it was the fourth time this season he threw at least four touchdown passes.

Rodgers favorite target was wideout Greg Jennings. Jennings caught eight passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns and his big performance helped the Packers stay competitive the entire game. Wideout, James Jones was the recipient of Rodgers second touchdown pass in the third quarter. Rodgers and wideout Jordy Nelson connected on a two yard back shoulder pass to tie the game 34-34 with less than three minutes to go.

Green Bay was led on the ground by back, DuJuan Harris. Harris had 14 carries for 70 yards. Although, having some success the Packers were forced to throw the ball because they were trailing the entire game.

With the loss the Vikings snapped Green Bay’s 12-game winning streak over the NFC North division.

The Packers are now the No. 3 seed in the NFC Playoffs and will face the No. 6 seed Vikings next week in the Wild Card Round.

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The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Houston Texans 23-6 at Reliant Stadium to improve to 9-6 and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder played efficiently, completing 16 of 30 passes for 174 yards and one touchdown. Ponder connected with tight-end Kyle Rudolph on a three yard play action pass to go ahead 7-3. Ponder’s favorite receiver was rookie Jarius Wright, who caught five passes for 53 yards.

Running back Adrian Peterson carried the ball 25 times for 86 yards. This was Peterson’s first game being held under 100 yards after running for over 100 in the last eight games. Peterson needs 208 yards to surpass Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record.

Vikings rookie kicker Blair Walsh hit three field goals from 39, 41 and 56 yards to help Minnesota stay ahead. Walsh broke an NFL record with nine field goals of 50 yards or longer.

The Houston Texans offense was out of sync the entire day and was only able to compile 187 total yards. Quarterback Matt Schaub completed 18 of 32 passes for 178 yards. This was Schaub’s fourth game this season without throwing a touchdown pass and the Texans lost three of those four games.

Schaub’s favorite target was wideout Andre Johnson, who hauled in seven passes for 97 yards. Back-up quarterback T.J. Yates came in on Houston’s final drive. Running back Arian Foster was limited to 10 carries for 15 yards and one fumble. His 1.5 yards per carry was a season worse for the four year back. Foster left the game because of an irregular heart beat.

Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt recorded one sack to expand his total to 20.5 sacks. Watt needs 2.5 sacks to surpass Michael Strahan’s single season record.

The Vikings will have another tough match-up next week against NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers. The Texans will end the season next week against AFC South rivals the Indianapolis Colts and will look to clinch home field advantage in the playoffs.

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Adrian Peterson rushed for 212 yards and one touchdown to help earn the Minnesota Vikings a much needed 36-22 victory over the St. Louis Rams.

Peterson, cut through St. Louis’ defense in the second quarter for an 82-yard touchdown score tying his season long he set just two weeks ago against the Green Bay Packers. This is his eighth consecutive 100+ yard game for the NFL’s leading rusher. With two games to go, Peterson needs 294 yards to break Eric Dickerson’s 2,105 NFL single-season rushing record.

His success on the field not only has him in contention for comeback player of the year but also keeps him in the running for MVP.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder completed 17 of 24 passes for 131 yards. On his first offensive drive of the game on 3rd and 5, Ponder scrambled in for a 5-yard touchdown run giving the Vikings an early 7-0 lead. His favorite target was Jerome Simpson, who caught four catches for 27 yards.

Rams quarterback Sam Bradford completed 35 of 55 passes for 377 yards three touchdowns and one interception. Bradford’s first touchdown came in the second quarter when he connected on a 4-yard pass to wideout Brian Quick.

Bradford threw his lone interception in the second quarter to defensive end Everson Griffen, who returned it 29 yards for a touchdown.

Bradford and the Rams started to come back in the fourth quarter. First Bradford connected with wideout Danny Amendola on a 6-yard touchdown pass. The Rams defense was able to force the Vikings to punt  on the following drive. On the Rams ensuing offensive drive, Bradford lead his offense from their own 12-yard line. Bradford connected with tight-end Lance Kendricks for a score and converted a two-point conversion to cut the lead to 33-22.

The Vikings answered back with a 51-yard field goal from kicker Blair Walsh and preserved the lead, earning Minnesota their second consecutive win.

At 8-6, the Vikings are still in contention for a wildcard play-off position, but will need help. They will have a tough match-up on the road next week against the Houston Texans. As for the Rams, they will head to Raymond James Stadium to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Adrian Peterson continued his MVP campaign and the Minnesota Vikings remained playoff contenders with their 21-14 victory over NFC North rivals, the Chicago Bears.

Peterson, carried the ball 31 times for 154 yards and two touchdowns. Both touchdowns came in the first quarter, right outside the goal-line to help the Vikings take an early 14-0 lead.

Peterson has gone over the 100 yard mark in the last seven games and is atop the NFL with 1,600 rushing yards. He is also atop the NFL with 18, 20+ yard runs.

Not only is he in contention for MVP but also in the running for Comeback Player of the Year after last season’s gruesome knee injury.

Vikings’ quarterback, Christian Ponder completed 11-of-17 passes for 91 yards and one interception. Ponder’s favorite receiver was wideout Michael Jenkins who caught four passes for 36 yards. It is evident that Ponder is missing his number one guy, Percy Harvin who was placed on injured reserve last week.

As for the Chicago Bears, they were lead by quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler completed 22-of-44 passes for 260 yards a touchdown and two interceptions. Cutler’s lone touchdown pass was to rookie Alshon Jeffery. Along with his touchdown, Jeffery had three catches for 57 yards.

In the fourth quarter, Cutler exited the game after receiving a hard hit. According to reports, Cutler suffered whiplash and could not finish the game. As a result, back-up Jason Campbell tried to lead the team to victory.

Campbell, completed 6-of-9 passes for 64 yards and one touchdown. Campbell connected with wideout Brandon Marshall on a 16-yard touchdown pass with less than two minutes to go in the fourth quarter, but that was not enough.  Marshall finished the game with 10 catches for 160 yards along with his touchdown.

Marshall has been the number one go-to-guy all season long and sits atop the NFL with 101 receptions, four shy of his 2008 career best while playing with the Broncos. This is Marshall’s fourth time in his career hauling in over 100 passes.

Unfortunately for the Bears, long-time favorite Brian Urlacher appears to be done for the rest of the regular season. Urlacher, injured his hamstring last week against the Seahawks.

With the loss, the Chicago Bears have lost their division lead to the Green Bay Packers but do have a wild card playoff position. The Bears will have a pivotal match-up next week against the the Packers. If the Packers win next weeks game they will clinch the NFC North division. As for the Vikings, they will head to St. Louis to take on the Rams and try to fight for their playoff lives.

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After last week’s pounding, the Green Bay Packers prevailed past the Minnesota Vikings and Adrian Peterson to retake the NFC North Division lead in a 23-14 victory at home.

The Packers were led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers completed 27-of-35 passes for 286 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Rodgers connected with wide receiver James Jones on a 32-yard strike to take a 7-0 lead after their first drive.

Green Bay welcomed back wide receiver Greg Jennings, who has been out since week four ailing a groin injury. Jennings caught four passes for 46 yards in his return. Unfortunately, the Packers lost wide receiver Jordy Nelson.  Nelson was forced out of the game in the first quarter after re-injuring his hamstring.

The Packers run game finally emerged after being nearly non-existent. James Starks carried the load with 15 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown. Alex Green also contributed with 12 carries for 58 yards. Green Bay still remains at the bottom of the NFL in rushing touchdowns.

The Packers defense was able to contain Christian Ponder, limiting him to 12-of-25 for 119 yards one touchdown and two interceptions. Safety, Morgan Burentt recorded the two interceptions for the Packers.  Ponder was unable to connect with a wide receiver until the fourth quarter.

The Vikings were without Percy Harvin, who still has not recovered from his ankle injury. Tight-end Kyle Rudolph led the Vikings with six receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown.

However, the Packers defense had difficulties stopping Adrian Peterson. Peterson carried the ball 21 times for 210 yards and a touchdown. Peterson broke through Green Bay’s defense, bounced off a few defenders and busted up-field for a career long 82 yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Peterson’s 210 yards was a season best thus far. He continues to run through defense after defense compiling his sixth straight 100+ rushing game.

Green Bay improved to 5-1 at home and 8-4 overall. They will be back in action next week at Lambeau Field against NFC North rivals the Detroit Lions. As for the Vikings, they fell to 6-6 but are still in playoff contention. The Vikings will have another tough match-up next week against NFC North rivals the Chicago Bears.

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The Chicago Bears improved to 8-3 and 5-1 at Soldier Field with their 28-10 victory over NFC North rival the Minnesota Vikings, snapping a two game losing streak.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler had a quiet yet efficient game returning from injury completing 23-of-31 passes for 188 yards one touchdown and one interception.

His 74.2% completion percentage was a season best thus far for the  seven-year quarterback. Cutler connected with tight-end Matt Spaeth in the second quarter for his first touchdown of the year.

Wide receiver Brandon Marshall continues to be Cutlers favorite target each week. Marshall caught 12 passes for 92 yards in the victory. This was the second time this season Marshall caught 12 passes in a single game. His 81 catches is a team high and there is not another receiver on the team that has more than 30 catches.

In the third quarter, the Bears offense lost playmaking running back Matt Forte. Forte exited the game with a right ankle injury; the same ankle where he suffered a high ankle sprain earlier in the season. Michael Bush took over at running back and had 21 carries for 60 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears also lost wideout Devin Hester, who left the game with an apparent concussion.

The Bears defense bounced back this week after not forcing a single turnover in last weeks loss over the San Francisco 49ers. Safety Chris Conte caught his second interception, safety Major Wright and cornerback Charles Tillman both recovered fumbles.

As for the Vikings, quarterback Christian Ponder completed 22-of-43 passes for 159 yards, one touchdown, one fumble and one interception. Ponder connected with tight-end Kyle Rudolph in the third quarter for his long touchdown toss. Rudolph caught five passes for 55 yards along with his touchdown before exiting the game in the fourth quarter to be evaluated for a concussion.

Adrian Peterson continued his dominance, rushing with 18 carries for 108 yards. Peterson also caught six passes for 30 yards. Peterson’s only mistake against the Bears was a fumble. Peterson has rushed for over 100 yards for the fifth consecutive game and sixth time this season.

The Vikings were without wideout Percy Harvin, who was inactive again, nursing an ankle injury. As a result, rookie Jarius Wright took over the wideout spot. Wright caught seven passes for 49 yards.

The loss for the Vikings pushes them back to 6-5 but still keeps them well in contention in the playoff hunt. The Vikings will be on the road again next week against NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers. The Vikings continue to struggle away from home, only recording one win this season.  The Bears will host the Seattle Seahawks next week as they fight for first place in the division.

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The Seattle Seahawks improved to 5-4 this year and 4-0 at home after their 30-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Running back, Marshawn Lynch carried the Seahawks to victory with 26 carries for 124 yards and one touchdown. His three yard touchdown run in the third quarter put them ahead of the Vikings 27-17. Lynch also contributed with two catches for 26 yards. Lynch has ran for over 100 yards five times this season and it is his third consecutive game with over 100 yards on the ground.

Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson completed 16-of-24 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. This was the second time Wilson threw three touchdowns in a game this season. Wilson’s first touchdown pass was to wideout Golden Tate in the first quarter to tie the game up 7-7.

Golden Tate caught an 11 yard pass from Wilson for his second touchdown catch of the game, cutting the lead 20-17. Tate finished off the game with four receptions for 28 yards along with his two touchdown passes. Wideout Sidney Rice caught four passes for 54 yards and one touchdown.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder struggled to complete 11-of-22 passes for 63 yards and one interception. Ponder has thrown for less than 100 yards in two of the last three games for the Vikings. Wideout Percy Harvin, caught two passes for 10 yards and ran the ball four times for 24 yards.

Harvin exited the game in the third quarter with a left ankle injury. Although, returning he was not effective and was limping.

Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson carried the ball 17 times for 182 yards and two touchdowns. Peterson also caught three passes for 11 yards. He has rushed for over 100 yards and one touchdown in three consecutive games.

The Vikings have dropped their last two games and hold a slim 3rd place lead over the Detroit Lions in the NFC North standings. Minnesota will welcome the Lions to Mall of America Field in a divisional showdown next week. They already defeated the Lions at Ford Field earlier in the year; Minnesota’s lone road victory.

As for the Seattle Seahawks, they will welcome the New York Jets to CenturyLink Field as they look to improve to 5-0 at home this season.

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers handed the Minnesota Vikings their first defeat at home this season 36-17.

Rookie running back Doug Martin exploded in his best game yet as an NFL back. Martin led the Buccaneers in rushing and receiving, with 29 carries for 135 yards and one touchdown. His touchdown run came midway through the 4th quarter to help solidify the victory. Martin caught three passes for 79 yards and a touchdown.

Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman continues to pick up his level of play week after week. Freeman competed 19-of-36 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns. Freeman has thrown three touchdowns in three consecutive games.

Wideout Mike Williams contributed with six catches and 68 yards along with one touchdown. Third year full-back Erik Lorig scored his first NFL touchdown.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder bounced back from his 58 yard passing game last week. Ponder completed 19-of-35 passes for 251 yards one touchdown and one interception. Ponder connected with favorite wideout Percy Harvin in the 2nd quarter on an 18 yard touchdown pass.

Harvin finished the game with seven receptions, 90 yards and one touchdown. Harvin compiled 87 total receptions last season; he currently has 60 receptions through eight games and could possibly catch 100+ passes for the first time in his career.

Adrian Peterson had another great game as one of the superior running backs in the NFL. Peterson broke out a 64 yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter. Peterson averaged 8.2 yards per carry with his 15 carries for 123 yards. AP sits atop the NFL with 775 yards through eight games, and also with the most 20+ yard runs.

With the loss the Vikings fall to 5-3, but remain in 2nd in the NFC North Division just ahead of the 4-3 Packers; they have yet to play. Of the Vikings final eight games, five will be against divisional opponents, which will absolutely be decisive in their efforts in making the playoffs.

Next week the Vikings will be heading west to take on the Seattle Seahawks, who remain undefeated at home. The Buccaneers will also be heading west to take on the Oakland Raiders and look to get back to .500.

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Adrian Peterson carried the load for the Minnesota Vikings, helping them improve to 5-2 after holding off the Arizona Cardinals 21-14 at the Mall of America Field.

Peterson had 23 carries for 153 yards and one touchdown to help the Vikings remain undefeated at home. Peterson continues to be a top 10 running back this season, showing no signs of last years gruesome injury.

The Vikings effective run game could have been the main reason why Minnesota’s pass game was nonexistent. Christian Ponder completed a season low of 8-of-17 passes for 58 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Ponders lone touchdown pass was to wideout Percy Harvin.

Harvin caught four receptions for 37 yards one touchdown. Harvin also carried the ball twice for 10 yards. He continues to be a lethal offensive threat in the passing game. Another big target for the Vikings pass game, tight end Kyle Rudolph, was held without a catch for the first time this season.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback, John  Skelton, started again in place of Kevin Kolb, who is ailing a rib and shoulder injury. Kolb could be out for at least 6-8 weeks. Skelton completed 25-of-36 passes for 262 yards one touchdown, one fumble and one interception. Skelton connected with wideout Andre Roberts in the 4th quarter to pull within a touchdown.

Roberts caught seven receptions for 103 yards along with his 4th quarter touchdown. Roberts surpassed the 100 yard mark for the second time this season. In addition, Roberts out played star wideout Larry Fitzgerald, who only caught four passes for 29 yards. The Cardinals quarterbacks continue to struggle to get the ball in Fitzgeralds’ hands.

The Cardinals run game was very effective against a tough Minnesota defense. LaRod Stephens-Howling carried the ball 20 times for 104 yards and one touchdown. His 20 rushing attempts was a season high and his 104 yards was a career high for the young back. Stephens-Howling also had four receptions for 45 yards.

Minnesota’s pass rush was extremely effective in preserving the lead. The defense forced seven sacks; defensive end Brian Robison led the Vikings with three sacks. Cornerback Antoine Winfield led the Vikings with 11 tackles and one sack. Rookie safety, Harrison Smith recorded his first career interception.

The Minnesota Vikings are still atop the NFC North division with the Chicago Bears, and could jump ahead of the Bears if they lose to the Detroit Lions. Minnesota will attempt to continue to be dominant at home as they welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Mall of America Field next week.

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Robert Griffin III led the Washington Redskins on their first victory at FedEx Field, 38-26 over the Minnesota Vikings, to end an eight-game home losing streak.

RGIII was questionably well enough to play the Vikings, after suffering a concussion last week against the undefeated Atlanta Falcons. RGIII showed no signs of having suffered the concussion with his efficient performance through the air and on the ground. He completed 17 of 22 passes for 182 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His lone touchdown pass came in the second quarter to fullback Darrel Young, for his first touchdown of the season.

Wideout Santana Moss led the Redskins with four receptions for 46 yards. In addition, tight-end Fred Davis caught three passes for 46 yards.

The Redskins’ running game was led by RGIII carrying the ball 13 times for 138 yards, and with two touchdowns. His electrifying 76-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter put the finishing touches on the Vikings and solidified the victory. RGIII is now atop the NFL, with six rushing touchdowns. Running back Alfred Morris had 47 yards on 16 carries for a touchdown.

This loss for the Vikings may solely be based on their offense’s inability to convert in the red-zone early. On the Vikings’ first three possessions, they had to settle for three field goals, all three less than 30 yards out.

Quarterback Christian Ponder completed 32 of 52 passes for 352 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions and one fumble. This was Ponder’s second career game throwing over 350 yards, and first game this season exceeding 300 yards in the air. Ponder’s 52 pass attempts were also a career high for the two-year quarterback.

Percy Harvin led the Vikings’ receiving core with 11 receptions for 133 yards. Harvin’s 133 yards is a season high, and it is also Harvin’s second consecutive week with 100+ receiving yards.

Harvin has already surpassed last years’ two total 100+ receiving yards game with three, just six weeks in. Tight-end Kyle Rudolph and wideout Michael Jenkins caught touchdown passes.

Adrian Peterson continues to run hard for the Vikings, compiling 79 yards on 17 carries. Peterson also caught seven passes for 50 yards. He had compiled 100 total yards in four consecutive games.

The 4-2 Vikings are in second place in the NFC North Division, behind the Chicago Bears, who had their bye week. The Vikings will be back in action Sunday, October 21 against the Arizona Cardinals. As for the Washington Redskins, they will be heading to MetLife Stadium to take on divisional rivals the New York Giants.

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The Minnesota Vikings extended their win streak to three games after an easy 30-7 victory against AFC South opponent Tennessee Titans.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder led the Vikings offense, completing 25-of-35 passes for 258 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Ponder was also effective running for 31 yards on three carries.

Percy Harvin led all receivers with eight receptions for 108 yards and a 10-yard receiving touchdown in the third quarter. Tight-end Kyle Rudolph caught his 4th touchdown of the season in the 4th quarter. Rudolph has already surpassed last years total touchdowns just five games into the 2012 season.

Running back Adrian Peterson had another efficient game on the ground rushing for 88 yards on 17 carries. Peterson also caught three passes for 15 yards. Peterson has rushed for over 80 yards in four of his five starts this season. Harvin was also featured in the run game, scoring his first rushing touchdown of the season in the 1st quarter.

The Tennessee Titans were led by veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck started in place of injured quarterback Jake Locker, who suffered a separated shoulder in week 4. Hasselbeck completed 26-of-43 passes for 200 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Wideout Kendall Wright led the Titans in receiving with nine receptions for 66 yards. Tight-end Jared Cook also caught five passes for 37 yards and his 2nd touchdown of the season. Cook is one touchdown shy from matching last years total.

Tennessee’s run game continues to struggle, and Chris Johnson has been extremely inconsistent. Johnson ran the ball 15 times for 24 yards and caught one reception for five yards. Johnson had a surprising 100+ breakout game last week against the Houston Texans. In Johnson’s other four start he has rushed for a combined 69 yards.

Titans’ third string quarterback Rusty Smith entered the game for Tennessee’s final possession, completing 3-of-5 passes for 34 yards.

The Vikings are undefeated at home this season and their 4-1 start is a team best since 2009. Furthermore the Vikings have exceeded last seasons win total five weeks into the NFL season. Minnesota is definitely the biggest surprise in the NFC North Division, and remains atop the division.

Minnesota will head to FedEx Field next Sunday to take on the Washington Redskins. The Titans will be short on rest and be back in action Thursday night for another tough match-up against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

For additional player or game statistics click here. 

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The Minnesota Vikings traveled to Ford Field to take on division rivals the Detroit Lions and, thanks to well executed special teams, the Vikings defeated the Lions 20-13.

The opening kickoff gave the Vikings early momentum. Vikings kick returner Percy Harvin returned the kick 105 yards for 7-0 lead, a franchise record for Minnesota. This was Harvin’s 5th career NFL kick return, and his first this season. Minnesota’s special teams were back on the scoreboard in the 3rd quarter. Punt returner Marcus Sherels returned a 77 yard punt to the house to extend the Vikings lead to 20-6.

The Vikings defense was able to maintain the Lions offense the entire game. The Lions scored their first and only touchdown of the game in the 4th quarter on a Matthew Stafford one-yard scramble. Stafford completed 30-of-51 yards for 319 yards but did not throw a touchdown pass. This was the first time Stafford did not throw a touchdown since the 2010 season. The Vikings limited the Lions run game, only giving up 54 yards on the ground. Chad Greenway continues to lead the Vikings with 11 tackles; also cornerback Antoine Winfield and linebacker Jasper Brinkley recorded ten tackles. Minnesota forced Lions running back Mikel Leshoure to fumble in the 3rd quarter. Leshoure had an impressive first career start last week rushing for 100 yards and one touchdown, however this week he had 13 carries for 26 yards.

Christian Ponder continues to impress this season, and completed 16-of-26 passes for 111 yards. Adrian Peterson led the Vikings in rushing with 21 carries for 102 yards, his first 100+ yard game of the season. Jerome Simpson led the Vikings in receiving with four receptions for 50 yards.

Lions running back Joique Bell led Detroit in receiving with six receptions for 72 yards. Tight-end Brandon Pettigrew led all receivers with a  game high seven receptions for 67 yards. Calvin Johnson was contained to only five receptions for 54 yards. This is Johnson’s third game this season without securing a touchdown.

The Vikings have seemed to gain some positive momentum after handing the San Francisco 49ers there first loss of the season. Next week the Vikings will be home against a 1-3 Tennessee Titans team, and will look to maintain an early divisional lead.

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The Minnesota Vikings pulled off the unthinkable, upsetting the 2-0 San Francisco 49ers 24-13 at the Mall of America Field.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder continues to play well for Minnesota, completing 21 of 35 passes for 198 yards, and two touchdowns in their upset victory. Percy Harvin led the Vikings in receiving, catching nine passes for 89 yards. Harvin was also featured in the backfield, having one carry for nine yards. Minnesota had an effective day running the ball against one of the NFL’s best defenses. The Vikings ran for a total of 146 yards and scored once on the ground. This was the first time the 49ers gave up over 100 yards rushing this season.

Adrian Peterson led the running attack with 25 carries for 86 yards. Quarterback Christian Ponder scrambled seven times for 33 yards, including his 23 yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph caught five passes for 36 yards and two touchdowns. Rudolph has already matched last seasons’ three touchdown total just three games into the 2012 season, and seems to be a key target for Christian Ponder and the Minnesota offense. The Vikings’ offensive line contained the ferocious 49ers blitz and did not allow them to sack Ponder once.

Alex Smith completed 24 of 35 passes for 204 yards, one touchdown, one fumble and one interception in Sunday’s loss. Smith’s lone interception ended his franchise record 249-throw streak without an interception. Smith’s favorite receiver was Mario Manningham, who caught five passes for 56 yards. Tight end Vernon Davis also caught five passes for 53 yards. In addition, 49ers veteran wide receiver Randy Moss caught three passes for 27 yards against his old squad. Frank Gore led the 49ers in rushing with 12 carries for 63 yards, and caught one pass for nine yards along with one fumble loss.

Although not being able to stop Christian Ponder, the 49ers’ defense was well led by linebacker NaVorro Bowman. Bowman had a career-high 18 tackles. Patrick Willis also contributed, with 10 tackles.  The 49ers will look to bounce back from this shocking upset next week against the New York Jets. The Vikings are looking to continue playing well, and will be on the road against division rival the Detroit Lions.

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A six yard touchdown reception by Minnesota Vikings tight end Kevin Rudolph changed everything. Before the Indianapolis Colts could blink, they had blown the 20-6 lead that they had extended to with 7:06 remaining in the fourth quarter, and the Vikings were an extra point away from tying the score by the time the clock read 31 seconds.

With two timeouts at their arsenal, a decision had to be made by Indianapolis. Take the safe route and play for overtime, or give rookie quarterback Andrew Luck no other choice than to grow up at that very moment and lead his team to their first win of the season and the first of his career.

Head coach Chuck Pagano chose the latter, and two 20 yard completions, an offside penalty, 18 seconds, a 53 yard Adam Vinatieri field goal and a 23-20 thriller of a victory later, everyone at Lucas Oil Stadium was more than thankful that he had so much faith in Luck in a situation that would send jitters up the spine of any rookie quarterback.

“It’s just amazing that the guy’s able to go out there and do the things he does as a rookie,” said Pagano. “He certainly had to put the ball on them, and he did.”

After a Week 1 losing performance in Chicago where he was picked off three times by the Bears, Luck rebounded in fine fashion, as he threw for two touchdowns, no interceptions and 224 yards on 20/31 passing on Sunday afternoon in his last-minute winning debut before the hometown crowd.

Minnesota took an early first quarter lead with a 51 yard field goal on the initial possession of the game. Luck wasted no time in responding, and led a 13 play, 6 minute, 59 second drive of 80 yards that ended in a three yard touchdown pass which was zipped into rookie tight end Dwayne Allen at the goal line to give the Colts a 7-3 lead with less than a minute to go in the opening quarter.

By the time the two minute warning had come and gone, both teams had exchanged two more field goals, and a three and out gave Indianapolis the ball at their own 35 yard line ahead 10-6 with 71 seconds remaining in the first half.

On that drive Luck would bring the Colts down to the Minnesota 30 yard line and float a perfect pass between three Vikings defenders into the hands of veteran receiver Reggie Wayne for a touchdown as the clock ticked down to only seven seconds until halftime.

Luck stood in the pocket and took a solid hit just before the release, allowing his team to enter the locker room with a two score lead at 17-6.

Vikings second year quarterback Christian Ponder brought Minnesota all the way back with two fourth quarter touchdown passes after a 45 yard Vinatieri third quarter field goal made it 20-6 Indianapolis.

But in the end, Luck understood the magnitude of the moment, and he did anything but shy away from it.

“Kid’s got poise,” said Wayne of Luck. “Got some winning blood in his veins.”

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Minnesota opened up their season with an overtime victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars 26-23. Viking fans were extremely excited to welcome back a healthy Adrian Peterson after he suffered a gruesome knee injury towards the end of last season.

Peterson made his presence known with his quick explosive cuts in and out of Jacksonville’s defense. Peterson had 17 carries for 84 yards and two touchdowns for the Vikings. Peterson punched in both of his touchdowns inside the Jaguars 5 yard-line.

Quarterback Christian Ponder ran the offense with much more authority compared to his rookie season. Although losing one fumble, Ponder completed 20 of 27 passes for 270 yards and had a 105.5 passer rating. Ponder connected with wideout Percy Harvin 6 times for 84 yards. Harvin was also featured at running back and had 5 carries for 20 yards.

As for the Jaguars, 2nd year quarterback Blaine Gabbert also stood behind center with the tons of confidence he lacked last season. Gabbert completed 23 of 39 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns, including one touchdown with 20 seconds left in the 4th to wideout Cecil Shorts that gave the Jaguars a short lived 23-20 lead. Gabbert also connected with tight end Marcedes Lewis for a one yard touchdown pass in the 2nd quarter. Lewis finished the game with 5 receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown.

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who sat out all preseason, was also effective offensively for the Jaguars. Jones carried the ball 19 times for 77 yards.

However, Vikings rookie kicker Blair Walsh, was definitely Sunday’s MVP. Walsh was 4/4 including a 55 yard bomb that tied the game 23-23 at the end of regulation to force overtime. Walsh was not done there: in overtime, Walsh hit a 38 yard field goal through the uprights to earn the Vikings the victory. Walsh’s other two field goals were from 20 yards and 42 yards out. Walsh was drafted in the 6th round out of the University of Georgia.

Defensively the Vikings were led by their linebacking core. Linebacker Chad Greenway led the team with 13 tackles, including 9 solo tackles. Linebacker Erin Henderson also had a great game grappling up 10 tackles, 6 which were solo, and one sack.

The Vikings will be back in action next Sunday, September 16 on the road against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts.

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Minnesota finished last in the NFC North division last season with a 3-13 record. The Vikings’ biggest offensive struggle came from under center. I

n his rookie season, Christian Ponder played in 11 games, throwing for 1,853 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. In his 11 starts, Ponder only led the Vikings to two victories over Carolina and Washington. Ponders’ favorite target was wideout, Percy Harvin. Harvin caught 87 passes for 967 yards and 6 touchdowns. Overall, the Vikings were ranked 28th in passing yards. Vikings are hoping Ponder has shaken off his rookie jitters and will improve this upcoming season.

On the contrary, Minnesota’s run game was one of the best in the NFL. The Vikings were ranked 4th in the NFL with 2,318 rushing yards. A large part of this success is from star running back Adrian Peterson. Peterson played in 12 games, rushing for 970 yards and 12 touchdowns. His season was cut short after suffering a gruesome knee injury last December. Peterson is recovering extremely well and should be ready to go week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

If Peterson does not play, Toby Gerhart will get the start. Gerhart played in all 16 of the Vikings’ games last season rushing for 531 yards and 1 touchdown.

As for Minnesota’s defense, they were also towards the bottom of the NFL, ranked 21st in total yards given up and 21st for yards per game. Linebacker, Chad Greenway had a team leading 154 tackles, 3rd in the NFL. As for the “sack-star,” Jared Allen, he had another impressive season finishing atop the NFL with 22.0 sacks.

The Vikings start off the season with two favorable match-ups against Jacksonville and Indianapolis, which could help kick them off to a 2-0 start. However, their division may be the toughest in the NFL this upcoming season and they have little hope of making any noise.

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The San Francisco 49ers started their preseason on a positive note after taking down the Minnesota Vikings 17-6.

49ers starting quarterback, Alex Smith, completed 3-of-3 passes for 16 yards and one touchdown pass in one series of play. Smith connected with fouth year wide receiver Brett Swain for a 4-yard touchdown pass towards the end of the first quarter. Michael Crabtree only caught one pass for three yards.

The Niners are trying to upgrade their pass game this season after finishing 29th in total passing yards last year. With the addition of veteran, Randy Moss, and Super Bowl XLVI standout, Mario Manningham, the Niners boast a revamped receiving corps for the 2012-13 campaign.  

On Friday night, most of the 49ers’ offense came from their strong running game, not to mention that starting running back Frank Gore did not play. Anthony Dixon had 12 carries for 46 yards, Rock Cartwright had 8 carries for 44 yards, and newly acquired Brandon Jacobs had four carries for 31 yards, including a breakout 23-yard run. Back-up quarterback Colin Kaepernick outran everybody and tallied up 92 yards on the ground, including a 78-yard quarterback keeper for the 49ers’ second touchdown. San Fran out ran the Vikings, 260 to 82.

The Niners have serious running back depth, especially with the addition of Brandon Jacobs to help in short down situations, but also by drafting rookie LaMichael James. Both Jacobs and James, along with Kendall Hunter, will be competing for 2nd string running back this offseason.

The Minnesota Vikings have some evident offensive issues that they should be concerned about, especially after tallying up only 208 total yards against the Niners. Quarterback Christian Ponder completed 4-of-9 passes for 80 yards in his first game of the year. Ponder, a second year starter, still has a lot to prove if he is going to continue to be a starter in Minnesota. Ponder was towards the bottom of the list for quarterbacks when it came to yards, touchdowns, quarterback rating, and competition percentage.

The Vikings offensive woes do not end there, they are also without star running back Adrian Peterson. Peterson suffered a gruesome knee injury towards the end of last season and is still not 100% better. Peterson has been practicing with the starters and is hoping to play towards the end of preseason. If Peterson is not ready, Toby Gerhart would most likely start. Gerhart carried the ball 5 times for 31 yards in Friday’s game against the Niners.

Ponder and the Vikings will be back in action Friday, August 17 against the Buffalo Bills. As for the Niners and their prolific run game, they will be back in action Saturday, August 18 against the Houston Texans.

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Around the middle of the NFL season, usually week 7-9, teams hit that proverbial fork in the road. Coaching staffs around the league have personnel decisions to make at the most important position, the starting QB. Option A is pretty simple, and it consists of staying with the starter QB you selected at the beginning of the season with the hopes that he will lead your team to the playoffs.

However Option B is a complex situation full of hard decisions and calculated gambles. Option B requires a coaching staff to replace the starting QB with someone on your bench for the remainder of the season. The complex part revolves around why replace the starter, who you do replace the starter with, and when do you finally pull the trigger.

Well in Week 7, six NFL teams have gone the route of Option B and that got my editorial partner, Kristian Winfield, and me to thinking. Which one of these fresh faces will have the better season? The candidates are as followed Charlie Whitehurst (SEA), A.J. Feely (STL), Christian Ponder (MIN), Carson Palmer (OAK), Tim Tebow (DEN), and John Beck (WSH).

It’s almost a loaded question against us because a QB swap is usually only made after a team has had an unproductive 7 weeks. We will admit that there are some exceptions, and injuries sometimes force the hand of a coach. More often than not, the former is the underlying factor in a change at the QB position.

Before we each give you our picks, let’s review why each QB is starting in the first place.

John Beck: John Beck impressed people during the preseason with his picture perfect passes, but because of a single interception thrown, the start was given to Rex Grossman. In five games Grossman might have hauled in 1,132 but it was clear Grossman was driving the Redskins’ offense into the dirt. Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan decided to make a change and Beck was named the new starter.

Carson Palmer: After losing starting QB Jason Campbell for the season because of a broken collarbone, coach Hue Jackson came face to face with his biggest crisis as new head coach, who was going to start at QB. In a surprise move the Raiders traded away multiple draft picks for former “retired” Cincinnati Bengals QB Carson Palmer.

A.J. Feely: Feely was the back up on the St. Louis Rams to Sam Bradford. In last week’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Bradford suffered a high ankle sprain that forced him wear a protective boot during the week. With a 0-5 record and the Rams clearly out of the divisional race there was no need to rush Bradford back, so head coach Steve Spagnuolo handed over the reins to Feely.

Tim Tebow: Late in the season last year Tim Tebow was named the starter on the Denver Broncos after the Broncos’ playoff hopes were dashed. Tebow was supposed to remain the starter this year but due to a coaching change and horrible pre-season play by Tebow, Kyle Orton was given his starting position back.

Under Orton this year, the Broncos went 1-4 and new coach John Fox gave Tim Tebow a chance to reclaim his starting position back. Charlie Whitehurst:  Charlie Whitehurst was given the starting position after Tarvaris Jackson injured his pectoral muscle against the Giants.

Whitehurst had been previously named the starter late into the 2011 season, winning a game against the St. Louis Rams that sent the Seahawks to the playoffs. Christian Ponder: After Donovan McNabb’s abysmal 1-5 start for the Minnesota Vikings, head coach Leslie Frazier made a power move, inserting Christian Ponder into the lineup as the starting QB.

Now for what you’ve been waiting for, our “expert” picks.

Kristian’s Pick

The Vikings season was going nowhere fast, to put things into perspective, Donovan McNabb played absolutely terrible for the six games as the Vikings starter. In the first game of the season, he only threw for 39 yards—worst among starting QB’s in the NFL for season openers. Through five-and-a-half games, McNabb threw for four touchdowns and two interceptions.

I can name some wide receivers that have more receiving TD’s than McNabb has passing. Either McNabb was going to drag the franchise into the dirt, or a change was going to be made. Enter my pick, the pure passing rookie QB out of Florida State, Christian Ponder.

In their win last week over Carolina, Ponder played very well, considering the situation, throwing for 236 yards and a touchdown, while completing 18-of-28 attempts. And the week before, against the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers, Ponder threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns.

He’s still got a long way to go, but for a rookie that was pretty much dumped into the rotation after six weeks, Ponder is a significant improvement from the lackluster performances of McNabb. Ponder IS NOT the short term solution, but by showing promise and glimpses of greatness, he definitely is the Vikings’ QB of the future.

Terrance’s Pick

My pick is the man who can do no wrong, the Christian crusader, the legend himself, Tim Tebow. All of the reasons why I think Tebow will have the better season are not intrinsically football-related.  Tebow has the will to win, and has proven that he can win on every level of football.  You can’t teach a man how to be winner, that is something you have to be born with, and Tebow has it in spades.

For example take his performance in week 7 against the Miami Dolphins into consideration.  Tebow played like absolute crap for 55 minutes of a 60 minute game, but when you have that never-say-die mentality, sometimes five good minutes is all you need. Tebow lead his Denver Broncos to score 15 points in five minutes, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for a two point conversion.

Being down 15 points and subsequently scoring 15 points in the final five minutes of game a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since the merger of the NFL and AFL in 1970. During the Broncos’ improbable comeback, Tebow consistently made big throw after big throw, performing so well that ESPN analyst Skip Bayless compared him to Steve Young.

However if there is one factor that could trump all of Tebow’s intangibles it would be his poor throwing mechanics. This has been the one gripe about Tebow since he entered the NFL last year. His awkward throwing release causes him to be inaccurate and overthrow receivers.

Before the 2010 NFL Draft Tebow worked tirelessly on correcting his throwing motion, when under pressure old habits tend surface and his team suffers. That same awkward delivery was on display during the first 55 minutes of the Dolphins game; Tebow consistently missed open receivers.

The one upside to Tebow’s glaring flaw is that his throwing motion can be fixed, and there are instances where he has shown that, just not on a consistent basis. Only time will tell us which one these six QBs will have the better season.  The only that is for certain is that each NFL season is highly unpredictable.

For all we know, both Ponder and Tebow could perform miserably the rest of season, and make our expert picks null and void. If that happens let’s just hope that Toonari Post doesn’t swap us out for some fresh journalistic faces.

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In a duel between rookie quarterbacks, Christian Ponder and the Minnesota Vikings topped Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers 24-21. Ponder looked sharp in only his second start of the season managing the game, converting on third down, and letting Vikings all pro running back Adrian Peterson shoulder most of the load.

Peterson’s versatility gave the Panthers defense nightmares, he finished with 156 all-purpose yards, scoring two touchdowns: one through the air and getting the other on the ground. The solid play by Peterson grabbed most of the attention from the Panthers defense and allowed Ponder to excel.

Ponder threw for over 230 yards, with one touchdown, no interceptions and stayed poised in the pocket when under duress.  That type of quarterback play is what the Vikings have been looking for all year. He is a quarterback that can convert on 3^rd and 5, not turn the ball over, and accurately deliver the ball to open receivers, and hand the ball off to tried and true to Peterson to deliver the big plays.

The formula almost didn’t work, as Newton showed why he was the number one pick in the 2011 draft and the leading candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year.  Newton passed for just shy of 300 yards and had three touchdowns.  Newtown hooked up with 3 different receivers on each of his touchdowns throws, going to Steve Smith, Greg Olsen, and Jeremy Shockey.

Behind Newton’s great play the Panthers jumped out to a 21-14 lead early in the 3^rd quarter, but fizzled out going three-and-out on three consecutive possessions.  That Carolina drought allowed the Vikings to put together a run dominated drive featuring Peterson to score a touchdown and later a Ryan Longwell field goal, which proved to be the game winner.

Newton and the Panthers had a chance to come back and put together a memorable game winning drive when they received the ball back with 2:43 left in the 4^th. Newton and Panthers drove down the field, even completing a 4^th and 15 with a 44 yard bomb from Newton.

Later, a key 3^rd down conversion was reversed after Smith was called for offensive holding instead of having first and goal on the Vikings 8; it was 3^rd and 7 on the 18 yard line. After not converting the replayed 3^rd down, the Panthers still had a chance as they were forced to kick a field goal that would tie the game at 24.

With the game on the line kicker, Olindo Mare missed a 31 yard field goal wide left, dashing any hopes of a Panthers win. Although only one rookie quarterback won on Sunday, the future looks bright for both Ponder and Newton.

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The Green Bay Packers stay perfect on the season as they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 33-27, spoiling rookie Christian Ponder’s hope for his first win as the starting quarterback.

Aaron Rodgers once again played like the leading candidate for NFL MVP should by throwing 300+ yards, making three touchdowns and no interceptions. There were some early offensive issues for the Packers as they were only able to muster two Mason Crosby field goals in the second quarter. This allowed the Vikings to jump out to a 17-13 lead behind the play of Ponder and star running back Adrian Peterson.

The Packer offense then came to life, scoring 20 points in the second half and quelling any notion that there may be issues in the offensive unit. Rodgers was never worried about being down at the half, stating, “There’s not a lot of panic in this team. We’ve been down a couple times at halftime, just a lot of focus.”

The Packers came out firing, scoring touchdown on their first two offensive possessions of the half.  A blown defensive coverage allowed Greg Jennings to jog into the end zone for a 79 yard reception from Rodgers. The second drive ended in a 2 yard touchdown reception to Jermichael Finley, and put the Packers up 27-17.

For as well as the Packers played, the Vikings would not go down with a fight, making a 4^th quarter comeback that eventually fell short. Peterson was a huge part of the Viking offense rushing for almost 200 yards on the day. Even with his big day Peterson was obviously upset stating, “It’s frustrating to come out against the defending champs and be that close and not to come up with the win.”

Peterson’s huge rushing numbers did help ease the scoring burden on rookie quarterback Ponder. Ponder played much better than expected against the defending champions, throwing for 200+ yards and two touchdowns.

However there were glaring flashes of his inexperience, throwing two interceptions in the second half that both resulted in Packer field goals, which ended up being the difference in the game. The Vikings may have lost the game but the future looks bright for them on the legs of Peterson and on the arm of Ponder.

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The Chicago Bears routed the Minnesota Vikings 39-10 to move to 3-3 on the season and gain some much needed ground in the NFC North division. The Bears served the Vikings a steady dose of Matt Forte, hard nose defense, and Devin Hester. From the first Chicago offensive series the tone was set as Jay Cutler threw a 48 touchdown pass to a streaking Hester.

Not to be outdone, the defense forced a safety on Viking QB Donovan McNabb, giving the Bears there first safety since early 2009. From there Cutler went to work through the air as his whittled offensive line provided him with protection not evident in any of the previous game this season — a task not thought possible, since Minnesota has the second best pass rushing defense in the NFL.

Shockingly the Bears offensive line only allowed Cutler to be sacked once all night and afforded him time to sit in the pocket. This was an almost night and day difference from last week against the Detroit Lions where Cutler was under duress the entire night. With the offense humming on all levels, almost scoring at will, and a stingy defense only allowing 3 points, the Bears jumped out to big 26-3 lead at halftime.

However the Vikings would not go quietly into the night. Early in the 3^rd, Jared Allen sacked Cutler and in the process created at fumbled ball which Allen recovered. With a short field the Vikings behind their star running back Adrian Peterson managed a touchdown drive. Peterson carried the ball in from 4 yards out and the momentum seemed to be shifting in the Vikings favor, until they made a crucial mistake.

It has been said around the NFL that you don’t kick the ball to Devin Hester. The Vikings must have missed that memo as Hester returned the kickoff for a 98 touchdown, and shut off any steam the Vikings were gathering. Hester’s kickoff return put the game firmly out of reach, prompting the Vikings to replace McNabb with their 2011 first round draft pick Christian Ponder.

In his first action as a QB in the NFL, Ponder did some things well such as reading the defensive pressure, hitting open receivers, and extending plays with his feet. Ponder still showed that he was a rookie by overthrowing a few receivers, but he played well enough to stir up some quarterback controversy, especially with Minnesota’s 1-5 record.

The only question left to ponder is the Vikings QB position. Will they stick with the old or bring in the future?

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The super bowl champions will be given their hardware on Thursday night during a ceremony at Lambeau Field. We’ve had months to digest the fact that the packers won, since there is no plans to play football this upcoming season, we might as well look back; at least for a sentence or two.

It was unexpected and it was a great watch, as is every super bowl in my opinion…even if some might not be as competitive as others and the Giants unfortunately are not always on the field.

Now that we are done with that, let’s focus on the NFC North, the division of the champs and its many quarterback personalities; except for Minnesota of course.

We all know who the class of this division is and I don’t expect much to change.  Although, I would not be surprise if another team finishes on top of this division.  I expect a lot from the usual suspects; usual suspects being Chicago Bears and Green Bay.  Call me crazy but I do see a change coming in this division in the form of a game changing defensive tackle and an improving young offense.

Let’s get this out of the way now so we can move on.

The bears in my opinion will win this division because, they to me will be consistent while these  other teams in this division will struggle…mainly because they are young and not great on both sides of the ball as of yet.

With that said, a conversation about the quarterbacks in the NFC North is more interesting to me then a talk about the teams as a whole…this is not to take away from the teams themselves because I do think this will be the toughest division in the NFL aside from the NFC East- but these players are special or have the potential to be.

We all know what Rodgers has done in three years as a starter in the NFL; in fact, he is on pace to pass Dan Marino, Payton Manning, Favre and Brady in all major statistical categories.  Now I’m not saying the man will be a hall of famer, but let’s look at what he has done.  Before even doing that, it may be more important to think about who he replaced in Green Bay and the circumstances in which it happened.  How does one replace a legend in the manor which he did, with such grace and respectfulness? And then, winning a super bowl several years later. He is now top 3 or 4 in the league and will be MVP next year.

Matthew Stafford is 23 years old and hasn’t started a full NFL season as of yet, but the potential is still clearly there.  At some point it will have to stop being potential and we will have to see it in his play on the field, but it will have to start with staying healthy.

Will he continue to be injury prone is the question… the thing with Detroit is their draft picks haven’t always lived up to the hype of being high picks but things have taking a turn these last few drafts and they are building the right way.

Stafford is not there yet in terms of being a high tier signal caller in the league but his time will come, there’s little doubt about that.

Cutler on the other hand is a seasoned gun slinger in the mold of Brett Favre…and no, I’m not saying that he is or will be Favre; but he has some tendencies.

Cutler is 28 and has been widely inconsistent over his years in Denver and Chicago-Like Eli Manning, I don’t want to keep saying his picks will go down and he will learn not to make as many little mistakes. But his talent level is high and he is a winner with great confidence and will…he will break through in a major way and with some more weapons on offense; he will have a good year.

He threw for over 3,000 yards last season and over 20 touchdowns- that will continue to improve if given help on offense.

There’s not much to say about Christian Ponder and the Vikings…except for the fact that he might have been the surprise of the draft.   The 12^th pick of the draft has a long future ahead of him and although he doesn’t seem to possess the it factor that these other quarterbacks have, he is in a good position to have a good season if he plays and eventually a good career… last time I checked, he does have a top 2 or 3 running back to hand the ball to in Adrian Peterson.  Also, with a top tier defense, he and the Vikings should be in great shape.

When all is said and done, I won’t be shocked if Rodgers is a hall of famer with 2 to 3 rings, or if Cutler wins a super bowl, or even if Stafford and the rookie Ponder both enjoy long productive pro bowl careers.

Only time will tell if they all do… but as of right now, I have high expectations for all these teams and their respective signal callers.

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The perennial position on any NFL team is the man under center, the quarterback of course. With the draft approaching and a lack of elite quarterback prospects, teams will have to decide whether they should go for broke, drafting a quarterback high, or play it safe and take a position where busts are less likely. Virtually every team in the top five has a need at quarterback but exactly what type of talents are they looking at and how urgent are their needs?

The Teams

The Panthers at No. 1 took a chance on Jimmy Clausen last season but it looks as if they have lost interest in the young quarterback. The problem though is that this is one of the weaker quarterback classes when it comes to star power. Giving Clausen another season to develop may be the best option for the Panthers who could draft a beast like Auburn Defensive Lineman Nick Fairley instead. If the Panthers do decide to draft a quarterback though to try to make a splash and please the fans the decision of who may, not be an easy one to make. In years past the No. 1 pick overall was already known well before the draft began, but not this year.

The Broncos at No. 2 might be glancing at the quarterback position out of the corner of their eye, but John Elway realizes no one in this draft will replicate him and the Broncos could stay pat with Kyle Orton and their investment in Tim Tebow. It wouldn’t be shocking though to see a quarterback taken especially if Elway likes a quarterback enough to develop behind Orton, trusting Tebow is not the long-term solution.

The Bills seem to be a favorite every year to take a quarterback in the first round to build their franchise around, but every pick has seemed to falter. As the third pick, the Bills will have to see what happens in front of them as to whether another quarterback gamble will pay off or not. Ryan Fitzpatrick did prove to be capable last season and seems like he could hold down this position for now.

The Bengals are on the verge of rebuilding or staying competitive. It looks like Carson Palmer will not be their quarterback next season and, with no replacement in sight, the Bengals will likely look to fill the void through the draft. Carson’s brother Jordan and Dan LeFevour are the only other options for the Bengals, and the Bengals likely won’t put their future behind either of their arms.

The Cardinals hold the fifth pick in the draft and they too have needs at the quarterback position. Matt Leinart never panned out and John Skelton started their last four games of the season but was unimpressive, totaling only two touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 62.3. Their other quarterbacks Max Hall and Derek Anderson, who played the bulk of the games, also had miserable seasons and are not the future for the Cardinals.

The Players

Blaine Gabbert: This quarterback from Missouri has skyrocketed up the draft board for most experts. He has great size at 6-5, and NFL-ready accuracy and arm strength. Gabbert is described as a great leader with the intangibles and his toughness is unmatched. He did however play in a spread offense, and could have difficulty adjusting to being under center for the majority of his NFL snaps.

Cam Newton: The reigning Heisman Trophy winner from Auburn has a dynamic combination of speed and arm strength. He also has great size at 6-5, and with a 250 lb. frame he makes it difficult for defenders to bring him down. Newton, like Gabbert, played in a spread offense in college and the adjustment to an NFL system may be a difficult transition. There have also been questions about what type of a person Newton is, and the fact that he has only played at a high level for one year could scare some potential drafters away.

Ryan Mallett: Another quarterback who decided to leave early for the draft, Mallett, from Arkansas, has great size at 6-7, and can make all the NFL throws. He is more suited to make the transition to an NFL offense, and does a good job reading defenses. Mallett lacks mobility and is strictly a pocket-passer which could scare teams who are trying to revamp or rebuild their offensive lines. His mental toughness and attitude are two of the things that have lowered his draft stock, but his potential is through the roof.

Jake Locker: A senior from Washington, Locker is smaller than the other top prospects at his position. Locker, at 6-2, has worked in an NFL-style offense and has a ton of experience. He has an NFL-capable arm, good speed, and leadership abilities. The knock on Locker has been his steady decline in performance, his accuracy problems, and problems with his mechanics. He did have a shaky line at Washington though, and as a top prospect in 2010, he does have all the capabilities for an NFL team willing to give him a shot.

Christian Ponder: This senior quarterback from Florida State has decent size at 6-3, and is an accurate passer and intelligent player. He has the ability to run with the ball and does a good job of reading his progressions. He doesn’t have a great arm though, which is something that really awes teams. Ponder is a solid quarterback, however, and could be a good, safe pick for a team that needs a franchise quarterback.

The potential is there, although unlikely that all of the top five teams could take a quarterback to fulfill their needs. With so many teams in need, this could be an interesting draft full of tough decisions for NFL teams already facing a difficult future.

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