1. Adrian Peterson is a stud » Fumbles used to be his weakness. Well, he hasn’t lost a fumble this season, which means he has almost no flaws. Peterson has size (6-foot-1, 217 pounds) and speed, making him dangerous any time he touches the ball. Lost amid the Vikings circus, Peterson is second in the NFL with 980 rushing yards. He averages 4.6 yards a carry for a team with a bad passing attack, and he has scored seven times.
2. The linebackers are excellent » Minnesota defends the run well, ranking seventh in yards allowed a game and tied for fifth in yards a carry (3.7). That’s why, despite other issues, the defense is 10th in yards allowed (but tied for 19th in scoring). Tackles Pat and Kevin Williams are strong in the middle, though they may be declining just a bit. Still, it’s the linebackers who make it work well, especially outside linebacker Chad Greenway and middle linebacker E.J. Henderson. Greenway is being touted as a Pro Bowl pick.
3. They have no pass rush » Jared Allen was a beast last year; he has been tamed this season. The left end who recorded 14.5 sacks in 2009 has just 6.5 now. But he still plays with great intensity, making him a threat. Still, tackle Kevin Williams hasn’t collapsed the pocket as he has done in the past. Corner Antoine Winfield is excellent, but the other side has been an issue as rookie Chris Cook is a repeated target (as is Asher Allen when he’s in) and the safeties aren’t good in coverage. Result: opposing quarterbacks have a 91.5 rating vs. them.
4. The passing game is a mess » Quarterback Brett Favre is 41 going on 50, but he’s throwing the ball around as if he were 21. When he was 21 he made a lot of silly throws. But don’t just blame him. His tackles have struggled. His best receiver from last season, Sidney Rice, played last week for the first time; Percy Harvin is good, but migraines have been an issue, and Bernard Berrian hasn’t produced. Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe is talented, but they can’t get deep anymore. There is talent, but it hasn’t clicked.
Twitter: @John_Keim
