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 Minnesota Vikings improved to 6-4 on the year and 5-1 at Mall of America Field, to hold off NFC North rivals the Detroit Lions, securing a pivotal 34-24 divisional victory.

Adrian Peterson continues to carry the Vikings with his tough running each week. Peterson had 27 carries for 171 yards and one touchdown. Peterson’s touchdown came in the fourth quarter on a 61-yard run as he burst through the Lions’ defense. This was Peterson’s fifth game rushing for over 100 yards and his fourth consecutive 120+ yard game on the ground.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder finally regained his touch behind center. The two-year player completed 24 of 32 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns. His 75% completion percentage is a season best thus far. Ponder was able to execute and play mistake-free football without throwing an interception for the first time since week four against the Lions.

Ponder connected with rookie wideout Jarius Wright for the first score of the game. Wright caught three passes for 65 yards along with his first career touchdown catch. Ponder was able to get tight end Kyle Rudolph involved again after being nearly irrelevant for the last three weeks for the Vikings’ offense.

Rudolph caught a team-high seven passes for 64 yards, and a touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter to put the Vikings ahead 24-10.

The Vikings were without their main receiving threat Percy Harvin, who was ruled out because of an ankle injury.

The Lions’ Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson connection finally came together but it was not enough. Johnson caught 12 passes for 207 yards and late touchdown to pull within 10 points.

Johnson was questionable coming into this week’s game with a knee injury, but was able to explode for his first 200+ yard game of the season. Johnson finally secured his second touchdown score of the year after being shut down for the previous five weeks.

Stafford completed 28 of 42 passes for 329 yard three touchdowns and one interception. Stafford connected with wide receiver Titus Young in the fourth quarter. Young caught four passes for 35 yards along with his touchdown reception. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter.

With the victory, the Vikings hold their ground in third place in the NFC North. As for the Lions, they dropped to 4-5 and are going to need to start winning to become competitive in the division. The Vikings will have their bye week next week. Detroit will face another tough divisional opponent at home, the Green Bay Packers.

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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.

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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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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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It has been common knowledge for some time that Percy Harvin is not happy at the Minnesota Vikings. Reports have emanated that he is unhappy with the way the Vikings have dealt with his injury; Harvin is currently recovering from surgery on his shoulder. It has been suggested he is dissatisfied with the Vikings’ reluctance to offer him a new contract which more accurately represents his contribution to the team. Whilst none of these rumors have been confirmed, with both Harvin and the Vikings preferring to settle these issues in-house, it has resulted in Harvin officially requesting a trade away from Minnesota.

The first thing that should be assumed in this saga is that the Vikings will not trade Harvin, despite the request. Given that Harvin is contracted to the Vikings for another two seasons, and at a very a reasonable price, it would take an extraordinary offer for Minnesota to even consider trading their number one receiver. Harvin made 967 yards on 87 receptions last season and was by far the most prolific of the Vikings’ receivers, also showing his versatility by playing running back when required, rushing for 345 yards.

That being said, there will be plenty of NFL teams who have sat up and took notice following Harvin’s announcement. At the forefront of this group is likely to be the Miami Dolphins. Stripped of a number one receiver following Brandon Marshall’s trade to the Chicago Bears, the Dolphins are in dire need of top receiving talent, despite their assurances they are happy with their current group. Their receiving corps boasts the likes of Davone Bess, Brian Hartline, Legedu Naanee and recent addition Chad Ochocinco, but none of them have the overall skill set to make them a legitimate contender for the number one receiver role. There is no doubt that Stephen Ross would love to have Harvin as a target for rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill, but the question remains as to what he would have to give up to obtain him.

Another team likely to be interested is the Washington Redskins, who would also love to have him link up with their rookie quarterback, Robert Griffin III. Although the Redskins boast a better receiving corps than the Dolphins, with the likes of Santana Moss, Josh Morgan and Pierre Garcon, there is no doubting that Harvin would not only become the number one receiver, but also transform the Redskins’ offense into one which could compete in the challenging NFC East. Given the price paid for the opportunity to acquire RG3, it is debatable whether Washington has the leverage to make a tempting offer to the Vikings, and if they do, would they even be willing to trade away further draft picks.

One team which is perhaps in a position to make a decent offer to the Vikings (the Redskins can be thanked for that) is the St Louis Rams. The plethora of picks they received for their number two overall draft pick in the 2012 draft could possibly be enough to tempt Minnesota into a deal. Whilst the Rams have already added Steve Smith to their receiving corps in free agency, as well as Chris Givens and Brian Quick in the draft, the prospect of an elite receiver like Harvin could be too tempting for St Louis to turn down, who have shown faith in Sam Bradshaw as their franchise quarterback and will look to give him all the tools he needs to succeed.

Essentially these scenarios are very unlikely to come true, with the Vikings likely to wait until next season before trading Harvin when they would probably be able to receive just as good an offer as they could get this season. This would see them get another year’s production out of one of the best young receivers in the league and also give them an opportunity to try and convince him his future is in Minnesota. If the Vikings were to cut their losses on an unhappy player, and avoid any chance of him upsetting the locker room this coming season, it would certainly be one of the more surprising stories from this offseason, but far from the strangest thing that has ever happened in the NFL.

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