Visanthe Shiancoe and Adrian Peterson have been beasts for the Vikings offense. They have been the only two playmakers that offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell could turn to for consistent production thus far.
The good news is that the Vikings scored nineteen points…in two games. As mentioned in a previous blog, the loss of Sidney Rice is concerning and the offense must diversify to become more dynamic.
The play calling has been puzzling in the first two contests because the team abandoned Peterson in the second half of the season opener and they failed to become spontaneous in the crucial moments of the Dolphins game. With Brett Favre’s three interceptions, it was not shocking to see the ball go to Peterson near the goal line. Even more puzzling is why Ryan Longwell didn’t attempt a field goal in the first half when the Vikings had a chance to put points on the board. A field goal in the mid forties for an NFL kicker in a dome is a slam dunk.
By Patrick Herbert
If Adrian Peterson continues running like Gale Sayers on a weekly basis, his career may be shorter than Robert Smith’s. It is true that the latter chose to walk away to preserve his quality of life and pursue other interests, but the former may not have that option if he continues to take punishment at the present rate.
The Vikings have a stable of undersized receivers that make it difficult for Favre to throw the ball up for grabs in tough situations and just simply hope for the best. Greg Camarillo, Bernard Berrian, Greg Lewis (I-L-L!!!!………..I-N-I!!!), and Percy Harvin all measure near six feet. That may cut it in flag football at the local park on Saturday afternoons, but in the NFL the size advantage over defensive backs is crucial to making big plays.
It is true that Harvin has world class playmaking ability similar to that of Reggie Bush, but his status is constantly unstable with migraines. Ardent fans will recall that during the Vikings’ hey day they utilized Randy Moss constantly to position his big body in an advantageous manner. The team has had the wherewithal to sign two of the top pro quarterbacks of all time in Warren Moon and Brett Favre, but it would behoove them to add a big receiver to the fold.
The loss of Chester Taylor to the Chicago Bears takes away a viable third down option and a tremendous pass catcher out of the backfield. It is even more of a crushing blow considering that he is on the roster of a divisional opponent with a current two game lead.
The Packers are the trendy team to pick for the NFC’s Super Bowl rep, but the Bears have the same record. The loss of Ryan Grant could make Green Bay’s offense rely too heavily on the capable arm of one Aaron Rodgers. There is no evidence of this as of now.
Visanthe Shiancoe has shouldered the load in the passing game time and time again. It’s time to utilize him even more now because the franchise is simply out of other options.