Quick Scouting Report: Vikings

This guy is their weakness

I am watching the Bears-Vikings Monday Night Football game and my takeaway thus far is that the Vikings are beatable. It will not be an easy game made harder now that Rocky McIntosh is on IR.

The easiest call in scouting the Vikings is of course Adrian Peterson. He is as explosive as Barry Sanders. The comparison extends past Adrian's ability to make big plays. He also loses yards behind the line and runs a lot of east west plays along the line. Mike Tirico on ESPN just told me in the broadcast that 11 of Adrian's 15 carries to this point have been for two yards or less. I just watched him run down near the goal line for minus three. So he can be contained and when he breaks a big one the defense just has to minimize the impact by controlling the other aspects of the Vikings offense.

That other aspect is quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. He is very talented, he is a hell of a runner but there is a downside. He is still raw raw raw. He makes bad decisions, forces passes, doesn't take the sack or throw it away, tries to force the play. If the Redskins can confuse Tarvaris and keep him off his game with zones and pressure the Vikings will be forced to rely on Adrian and the Redskins can key on him at the line of scrimmage.

The Metrodome is a wicked hard place to play but as I sit here the crowd is not into it. If the fans can be neutralized the Redskins will have a safer workplace.

On defense, it is hard to tell from where I am sitting. The Bears are flailing but this is a division game, the teams know each other and the Bears went with Kyle Orton who has not had a start since 2005. My quick take on this is that Todd Collins' coolness and familiarity with Al Saunders' offense will give him an advantage over what Kyle and the Bears' offense is bringing.

=====

As I watch the game Tarvaris took a hit heading out of bounds and is hurt, they are working on his leg, maybe a cramp? And former Jets backup Brooks Bollinger is in the game. We will be watching Tarvaris' condition this week.

Damn Adrian Peterson is awsum.



Tarvaris Jackson on Monday night: Bruce Kluckhohn / US Presswire from here.