Week 2 Pick-Down

Matchup	Adam's Pick	Eric's Pick
Ravens at Bengals	Bengals	Ravens
Dolphins at Vikings	Dolphins	Vikings
Bears at Cowboys	Cowboys	Cowboys
Eagles at Lions	Eagles	Eagles
Cardinals at Falcons	Falcons	Falcons
Chiefs at Browns	Chiefs	Browns
Bills at Packers	Packers	Packers
Buccaneers at Panthers	Panthers	Panthers
Steelers at Titans	Titans	Titans
Rams at Raiders	Raiders	Raiders
Seahawks at Broncos	Seahawks	Seahawks
Texans at Redskins	Redskins	Texans
Jaguars at Chargers	Chargers	Chargers
Patriots at Jets	Patriots	Jets
Giants at Colts	Colts	Colts
Saints at 49ers	49ers	Saints
	Adam	Eric
Week 1 Record / Season Standings	7-9	7-9

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The predictions here come from Adam and correspond to his picks.  He also predicts the outcomes for some juicy matchups from the slate of games this Saturday.

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals

This great matchup features two teams that have to be pissed at the NFL scheduler.  The Bengals played the Patriots Week 1 and then the Ravens, while the Ravens start with the Jets and then go to Cincinnati.  This is a tough one to handicap.  The Pats spanked the Bengals last week, but the Bengal offense started to really move the ball in the second half.  In addition, that Bengals defense is much better than it showed last week.  The Bengals will put much more pressure on an untested Ravens secondary than Mark Sanchez did.  However, the Ravens' offense is much improved.  Ultimately, I don't see the Bengals starting 0-2, but the Ravens are a Super Bowl contender.  I'm conflicted.  Give it to the home team.

Prediction: Bengals 21 – Ravens 20

Miami Dolphins at Minnesota Vikings

The Vikes have had a long time to recover from their first loss and prepare for Miami.  The Dolphins looked shaky in an opening win against Buffalo.  The Minnesota secondary is not very good and the Dolphins have Jake Long to neutralize Jared Allen's pass rush.  I'm going upset.

Prediction: Dolphins 23 – Vikings 20

Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys

Two teams matchup here that could easily have had their records reversed in a nutty week one.  The Bears could hardly beat the Lions at home.  The Cowboys have to get better on the offensive line.  The 'Boys will bounce back, and Jay Cutler will throw at least two picks.

Prediction: Cowboys 28 – Bears 20

Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions

The Lions really look like an improved team on defense.  Unfortunately, Matthew Stafford is out for a while and Shaun Hill could hardly move the ball last week.  The Eagles will likely be starting Michael Vick.  He should get the win against Detroit and start a full blown QB controversy.

Prediction: Eagles 27 – Lions 13

Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons disappointed last week, unable to beat the Steelers who started their third-string QB.  But they were on the road and Pittsburgh does have a tremendous defense.  Meanwhile, the Cardinals should have lost to the lowly Rams.  Derek Anderson is not the answer folks, and he won't be able to outscore Matt Ryan and company in the Falcons' home opener.

Prediction: Falcons 27 – Cardinals 13

Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns

The Chiefs really impressed me last week with their speed and special teams.  Their defense was superb as well.  They won't be feeding off the frenzied Arrowhead crowd this week, but the Browns are undermanned and won't have their starting QB.  I will take the Chiefs to win the field position battle and ultimately the game.

Prediction: Chiefs 23 – Browns 17

Buffalo Bills at Green Bay Packers

The Packers get a tough break losing Ryan Grant for the year.  He was incredibly underrated despite being wildly productive over the last few years.  Brandon Jackson is not a starting level back in this league.  However, the Packers still have a prolific passing game and a playmaking defense.  The offensive line must do a better job protecting Aaron Rodgers.  Good thing the Bills are in town.

Prediction: Packers 30 – Bills 13

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers

The Bucs have to be thrilled starting their season against the Browns and then Carolina, especially with Matt Moore coming off a concussion.  The Panthers' run game should be enough to hold off the lousy Bucs offense however.

Prediction: Panthers 20 – Buccaneers 13

Pittsburgh Steelers at Tennesse Titans

Ultimately, Vince Young is a better version of Dennis Dixon, and Chris Johnson is doing damage behind a tremendous offensive line.  Both defenses are very good.  Tennessee will be able to score a little more that Pittsburgh in this great, blue collar matchup.

Prediction: Titans 17 – Steelers 13

St. Louis Rams at Oakland Raiders

These two have to be happy to play each other, because each team has a good opportunity to rebound from last week.  I think the Raiders just have more talent and at home will do enough to confuse Sam Bradford.

Prediction: Raiders 24 – Rams 16

Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos

Seattle got a huge win last week despite managing only one first down in the first half.  The Broncos don't have much on offense, but the Seahawks are not a very good football team.

Prediction: Seahawks 20 – Broncos 17

Houston Texans at Washington Redskins

Both teams got huge wins last week with the Texans finally beating the Colts and the 'Skins downing the Cowboys.  The Texans have loads of offense and the 'Skins have a very tough defense.  I'm going with Donovan McNabb to keep his mojo going and give Washington a big 2-0 start.

Prediction: Redskins 24 – Texans 23

Jacksonville Jaguars at San Diego Chargers

The Chargers were really frustrated last week in Arrowhead and in the pouring rain.  The Jags got a win against the lowly Browns.  The Chargers have loads more talent and will rebound at home.

Prediction: Chargers 28 – Jaguars 16

New England Patriots at New York Jets

Here's the flipside of the Ravens-Bengals matchup: two more teams that have to be livid at the NFL schedulers.  The Pats looked great last week and the Jets are going to have to score points to win this game.  I think Tom Brady's licking his chops thinking about putting Rex Ryan in a 0-2 hole.

Prediction: Patriots 24 – Jets 17

New York Giants at Indianapolis Colts

I love the way Eli and the passing game looked last week for the Giants, yet I just can't fathom the Colts going 0-2.  Indy will win their home opener and get things rolling in a very good game.

Prediction: Colts 31 – Giants 27

New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers

The Saints are coming off a win against the powerful Vikings and have had extra time to prepare.  The 49ers looked terrible last week, getting a whooping put on them by Seattle.  Drew Brees is in a different universe than Alex Smith, and the Saints' scheme should be very tough for Smith to figure out.  All signs point to the Saints, which is why I'm going with the 49ers baby!!!

Prediction: 49ers 27 – Saints 23

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Alabama Crimson Tide at Duke Blue Devils

Mark Ingram is back this week.  Although, shouldn't they just give him this week off as a precaution?  Unless they play half the game on a basketball court, there's no way the Blue Devils can win this matchup.  Alabama's defense is physically dominant.  Duke can throw the ball a bit, but their quarterback won't have any time.

Prediction: Tide 41 – Duke 13

Ohio Bobcats at Ohio St. Buckeyes

In-state rivalry, college football tradition, any given Saturday.  Nope.

Prediction: Buckeyes 38 – Bobcats 9

Boise St. Broncos at Wyoming Cowboys

In a quasi-interesting matchup, Wyoming is an improving program and will be playing at home, but they can't match Boise's athletes or scheme.

Prediction: Broncos 34 – Cowboys 14

Baylor Bears at TCU Horned Frogs

Here's our first compelling matchup.  Robert Griffin is an absolute freak for the Bears at QB.  He runs a 4.3 40 and will be tough for the Horned Frogs to contain.  In addition, I think TCU is a bit overrated.  They are a solid team, but not a top-four team.  Home field will ultimately be the difference.

Prediction: TCU 30 – Baylor 24

Texas Longhorns at Texas Tech Red Raiders

Texas is not what they have been in years past, and Lubbock is a tough place to play.  Still, I will go with Mack Brown's superior athletes.

Prediction: Longhorns 31 – Red Raiders 27

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Washington Huskies

Jake Locker may be the top pick in next year's draft, but he doesn't have much help on this team.  The Black Shirts are dominant for the Huskers.

Prediction: Huskers 27 – Huskies 16

Iowa Hawkeyes at Arizona Wildcats

Here's our only matchup of Top-25 teams this week.  Too bad Arizona won't be in the Top-25 after this game.  The Cats have a prolific passing game, but Iowa is underrated at number nine.  They have a dominant defense and a solid offense.

Prediction: Hawkeyes 27 – Wildcats 14

Courting Greatness

Rafael Nadal’s place in the pantheon of all time tennis greats was secured even before he won the 2010 US Open.  Now, with the career grand slam under his belt—and nine total slam titles—he is perhaps the only man who can be discussed in Roger Federer’s historical universe.

Rafa Rising

I realize Pete Sampras, Bjorn Borg, Bill Tilden, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, and of course Federer all have more career slams than Nadal.  However, at age 24, Nadal is three slam titles ahead of where the all-time leader, Federer, was at the same age.  Additionally, Nadal completed the career slam at 24; Federer did not accomplish that feat until age 28.

Another factoid to chew on is the all-time head-to-head matchup of Federer and Nadal.  The two have met twenty-one total times with Nadal winning fourteen of those matchups.  In all tournament finals, Nadal leads Federer 12-5.  In grand slam finals, Nadal leads 5-2.

One further note: Nadal joins Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi as the only players in tennis history to achieve the career slam and win a gold medal in the Olympics.

When Nadal first hit the tennis scene, he was viewed as another Spanish dirt-baller who would dominate on clay but could not translate his game to the faster surfaces.  He now has dominated on grass and hard courts and is as ingenious a shot-maker as any player in tennis history.  His mental toughness is unparalleled, his conditioning sets the standard for all other players, and his grace in victory and rare defeat is admirable.  He may be the fastest player on tour, likely is the strongest, and has recovered from serious injuries to regain top form.  The scary thing is he keeps getting better.  His serve has improved dramatically over the past two years, and his net game has become a veritable weapon.

Overcoming Tennis Royalty

Federer has owned the past decade of tennis, but since Nadal has emerged, he has owned Federer, and the two have shared dominance of the tennis landscape.  Nadal need not win another match to secure his legacy, but if he can come close to duplicating his success of the past four years over the next four, he could easily replace Federer as the best player of all time.  Keep in mind that Federer is ancient in tennis terms at age 29.  Although he is still as good as ever, he likely can only maintain his top form for two or three more years.

I urge you to appreciate what we are seeing, because it is nothing short of historic greatness in a refreshingly likable package. We may well be watching the best player in tennis history at the height of his powers in Nadal.  Even better, we get to see him try to take the label of “best ever” from Federer while Federer is still playing.  Watching these two set the bar for each other is a wonderful privilege, akin to a fantasy in which Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods could have shared the same era.  As fans of sport, we are truly lucky to witness this golden era of tennis, and it ain’t over just yet.

--from Adam

(First and third images from zimbio.com, second image from telegraph.co.uk)

NFL Opening Weekend Game Notes

Bears over Lions

Adam: -Calvin Johnson, on behalf of the NFL we are all sorry.  The Lions should have won that game even though they were dominated in total yards.  More hard luck, Matthew Stafford may be out for a while.

Eric: -If it looks like a touchdown, it should be a touchdown, and the Bears should have lost this game.  I guess you can't set the ball down after you catch it.  That's ridiculous refs.

-A long stretch of this game was marked by complete offensive ineptitude on both sides.  After Stafford got knocked out and didn't come back for the second half, both teams traded multiple possessions where the Lions couldn't move the ball out from their own ten and the Bears couldn't move it past the Lions' forty, just punting it back and forth.

-The Lions had some rhythm early on, but that completely disintegrated when Shaun Hill entered the game.  The announcers mentioned how Stafford got about eighty percent of the snaps in preparation for the season.  This is what needs to happen with a young quarterback, but if Stafford goes down, it leaves Detroit with a less-than-prepared second option.  Things could not have gone much worse for the Lions to start the season.

-Matt Forte had a big game with over 200 yards of total offense and is looking to rebound this season from a lackluster 2009 campaign.

Giants over Panthers

A: -The Giants play a complete game to win, looking to have a deep and talented receiving corps.  The Panthers just don’t have the passing game to keep up.

E: -The Eli Manning-to-Hakeem Nicks show was all it took to pull out a victory in the new stadium over Carolina.

-With the limited options on offense, the Panthers' defense must carry the weight if they want to beat some teams other than the Buccaneers this season, and they did not show up today.

Seahawks over 49ers

A: -Oh, the 49ers.  This is the year right?  Damnit.  The 49ers get into the red zone four times in the first half, including the 1-yard line twice, and only come away with six points.  Bigger problem, Alex Smith is completely unable to weather the storm.  Playing quarterback is about handling adversity, and he can’t.  Also, he misses Moran Norris in the end zone who was more wide open than a window in mid-August.

E: -I could see Pete Carroll's first year turning out like Josh McDaniels' first year with Denver (fast start and then fade) because of Carroll's optimism being gradually overwhelmed by the Seahawks' overall lack of talent.  You never know what will happen in the NFC West though.

-The 49ers will be better than they showed this Sunday.  Their offense needs to start with Frank Gore, and they could not get him going at all.

Buccaneers over Browns

A: -The Buccaneers have a winning record.  Take a picture Tampa fans; it won’t last long.

E: -Cleveland was an absolutely terrible team last year but they were able to pull together and win their last four games relying on the strength of their running game, pounding the rock with Jerome Harrison.  In this game after getting a 14-3 lead, it seemed they were more content relying on the aging interceptions king Jake Delhomme than running with Harrison, and then the Bucs got back in it.
-Props to Adam who practically nailed this game in his Week 1 prediction.

Texans over Colts

A: -The Texans get the monkey off their back despite Peyton Manning throwing for 300 more yards than Matt Schaub.  If the Texans can run anything like they did Sunday, they can be a Super Bowl threat.  Also, when was the last time the Colts were alone in last place in the AFC South?  This will be a tough division this year.

E: -The Houston Texans' biggest weakness from a season ago was their lack of a consistent running attack, and it is fitting that the victory in this contest comes behind Arian Foster's massive game on the ground.  After years of coming up short on playoff runs, something needed to change in Houston.  Perhaps this newfound confidence rushing will be their spark towards the first postseason appearance in franchise history.

-It is a real shame that Bob Sanders cannot stay healthy.  Sanders is one of the best defensive players in the entire league, yet he gets hurt in this one on the Texans' first drive.  Hopefully he will not be out long, though early indications do not look like that will be the case.

Dolphins over Bills

A: -Memo to Trent Edwards: when running the two minute drill, the idea is to pass the ball, not take multiple sacks.

E: -Neither team was trying too hard to win this one.  Emerging talent Chad Henne still needs work and the Bills need to find their identity.  I have a hint for you Chan Gailey: CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson > Trent Edwards

Patriots over Bengals

A: -The Patriots make a statement to their doubters and Tom Brady looks great.  The Bengals looked shell-shocked to start the game but did show the potential of their new playmakers.

E: -Cincinnati came out flat in this game and could not recover.  The only rhythm they could generate on offense came out of the hurry-up.

-It was good to see Wes Welker running around making plays, remarkable recovery from an ACL tear.

Jaguars over Broncos

A: -The Jaguars outlast Broncos in a strange game between two undermanned rosters.

E: -Denver's most dangerous weapon on either side of the ball, Elvis Dumervil, being out hurts the Broncos tremendously.

-Tim Tebow's return to Florida was incredibly underwhelming, two carries for two yards.

Steelers over Falcons

A: -Atlanta Falcons, you have to be able to win at Pittsburgh against the third-string QB.  That offense should score more than nine points no matter who they play.  For the Steelers, just win.

 

E: -Defense was the story for Pittsburgh, hanging on long enough to pull out a victory for Dennis Dixon.

Titans over Raiders

A: -The Titans show their formula: Vince Young makes enough plays between his arm and legs and Chris Johnson is superb.  Raiders, your sleeper status has been revoked.  Awful.

 

E: -CJ2K keeps rolling and Young has what it takes to beat the Raiders.

Cardinals over Rams

A: -Sam Bradford nearly leads Rams to a victory over the Cardinals, and Derek Anderson looks average. 

E: -Bradford makes a solid but not spectacular NFL debut in the loss, going 32/55 for 253 yards with one touchdown and three picks.

-In a game where the Cardinals should have easily walked away with a victory, they gave the Rams way more hope than they ever should have gotten, but such is life for a team in flux like Arizona.

Packers over Eagles

A: -The Packers escape with a win, but the story is Michael Vick, who looked like his old self scrambling all over the place and making plays.  QB controversy anyone?

E: -This game was marked by sloppy execution for both offenses through much of the first half, though the Packers were able to get it going late in the second quarter and rode that momentum through halftime to a strong start in the second half.  The air was taken out of their sails however with Vick coming in and running around like it was 2006.

-Packers running back Ryan Grant injured his ankle in this one and will be out for the rest of the season.  Replacing the production of a 1200-yard rusher will be key for the Packers' success moving forward.

Washington over Dallas

A: -The Cowboys and Redskins play an ugly game, and Alex Barron is the worst offensive lineman in the world.  Although he didn’t play great, Donovan McNabb gets Washington a win in the type of game they would have lost in years past.

E: -Dallas' offense was out of sync throughout the preseason and continued to look lackadaisical against Washington.  They were desperately trying to get Dez Bryant involved in the offense, sometimes to the detriment of their offensive rhythm.  I believe the Cowboys could be one of the fiercest rushing teams in the league with Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice splitting carries, but Jerry Jones loves Tony Romo too much to quit throwing the ball.

-The Redskins could have a scary defense were someone to pull the hundred million dollar stick out of Albert Haynesworth's ass.  We saw a lot of good plays from the linebacking corps, LaRon Landry, and DeAngelo Hall.

Ravens over Jets

A: -The Jets and Ravens played the exact type of game we all expected.  New York must be concerned with converting only one third down all night; Mark Sanchez was average.  Darelle Revis looked as good as ever.

E: -In a characteristically defensive game, one of the biggest stories is the Jets' losing Kris Jenkins for the year to a torn ACL.  As age has caught up with Jenkins, he misses more and more of each season to injury—so the Jets may be used to replacing him in the lineup—but when he is healthy, he is one of the better nose guards in the game.

Chiefs over Chargers

A: -The Chiefs get a huge division win and the Chargers roll out of bed late to start the season again.  The Chiefs' rookies looked great.  Dexter McCluster and Javier Arenas are incredible athletes and will be stars in the return game, Tony Moeaki snags a touchdown grab, and Eric Berry struggled defending Antonio Gates but tackled well.  Add Jamaal Charles, and this team has some elite playmakers.

E: -Along with a goal line stand, strong special teams play was the name of the game for the Chiefs.  This comes as no surprise in Dante Hall's former stomping grounds.
-KC is a very young team and they will certainly have their ups and downs all year.  This game was obviously one of the "ups" for them.

-The Chargers still need to get right, especially on defense.  They are 0-2 in their last two games, this one and a first-round exit from the playoffs last January.

Overreaction Friday: What We Learned from Last Night’s Opener

It’s that special time when I deduce what will happen for this entire season by watching one football game in September.  But in all sincerity, there are some things that can be said about last night’s Vikings–Saints game that have relevance moving forward.

1. The Saints' offensive line is either that damn good or the Vikings' defensive line is not quite what it was last year.  The Saints decided to air it out in the first half, so you would think Jared Allen would be on the lips of the broadcasters all night, but we hardly heard his name mentioned.  I don’t think I heard them call out "Kevin Williams" either.  In the second half the Saints pounded the ball on the ground, utilizing a cutback run where the offensive line moved the Williams wall to one side allowing the runningback to cut the other direction for a big gain.  The Saints do have a great offensive line, but still, nobody is supposed to run against the Vikings.  Pierre Thomas gained 71 yards on the ground, virtually all in the second half.  Usually the Vikings don’t allow close to that amount of yardage in one game.  Perhaps 37-year-old Pat Williams is wearing down, or it could be a one game aberration. 
2. Sean Payton is a much better coach than Brad Childress.  I expected the Saints to come up blitzing like crazy, but for most of the night they rushed three or four guys and dropped the rest into coverage.  The Vikings could not adjust to this.  Childress even said after the game that the Vikings, “didn’t have an answer” to the Saints' scheme.  Well Chilly, that is your job, to make adjustments and find an answer.
3. Brett Favre needed training camp and the preseason.  Sure, the Vikings may just need some time to get all on the same page, but a team can’t afford to work its way into a rhythm once the games count for real.  Favre was a bit off and the Vikings just didn’t have the belief that they could move the ball up and down the field. 
4. The Vikings miss Sidney Rice.  Percy Harvin operates best out of the slot because of his quickness, but he struggles as an outside receiver.  Rice bailed Favre out of a lot of situations last year, and made all the other recievers better.  Favre is still looking for a go-to guy, and if that guy is Visanthe Shiancoe, the Vikings are in trouble.

This was not a beautiful game by any means, but it was real football damnit and I loved every second.   The Vikings have to be concerned because they are a team that appears to be looking for answers, and their upcoming schedule will not lend itself to self-discovery.  In their next six games they play the Jets, Packers, and Patriots on the road, and the Dolphins and Cowboys at home.  They could be in deep trouble early in the season if they don’t figure out a better gameplan.

--from Adam

Season Kickoff: Vikings-Saints Live Blog

The Minnesota Vikings are coming back to New Orleans eight months after handing the Saints the NFC Championship game looking for revenge.  The Saints wish to show that they're not about to experience any Super Bowl hangover.  This is a real test for them coming already in week one.

And I'll be watching.  I've seen live journals of games on other sites and I figured I try my hand at it tonight.

Pre-Game

Paraphrasing from Dungy, "Favre knows the Saints will be blitzing him."
Look for the Vikings to throw a lot of quick passes.  Hopefully this will limit Favre rolling out late and then throwing across his body, cough, cough.

1st Quarter

15:00 - New Orleans institution Harry Connick Jr. marches in with the Saints.  And Andrea Kramer's on Twitter!

15:00 - "Nothing like a labor statement to start a season"  I cannot abide no football in 2011.  Get it done Goodell!

15:00 - Kickoff baby!

14:40 - A big play starts it, Marques Colston over the middle for 27 yards.

13:35 - Jerad Allen, Culinary Academy

12:56 - Touchdown, Brees to Devery Henderson, quick quick quick drive, five plays to paydirt, the Vikings weren't ready for New Orleans' hurry-up look

12:56 - How does Chilly answer?

12:56 - Who steps up in Sidney Rice's absence?

11:33 - Three and out for the Vikes

10:00 - Every quarterback who ever scrambled is learning from Brett Favre, according to Al Michaels.

9:26 - Two failed screen passes to start the drive backed up the Saints, three and out.

8:00 - If this drive leads to points, that is a key play: Peterson getting held up behind the line but still making a first down.

6:42 - Childress called a draw play and 2nd-and-forever.  Hooda thunk?

5:27 - Penalties stall the Vikings' second drive, but the Saints are left with poor field position.  Good punt Kluwe.

4:33 - Pretty little floater to Robert Meachem down the sideline after a potential botched play

3:30 - Forget your jock strap Ray Edwards?

1:25 - The Vikings are getting no pressure on Brees.  That will need to change if Minnesota wants to win this game.

0:48 - Spoke too soon... sack Greenway

0:00 - Vikings 0, Saints 7 

2nd Quarter

13:52 - I've never been a huge fan of Peterson catching balls out of the backfield, but he's made a couple nice plays tonight.

9:18 - Favre has no completions to his wide receivers yet, thanks Cris Collinsworth

6:16 - The Vikings' game plan so far: run, run, run.  I also haven't seen the Saints bring as much pressure as I was expecting.

5:32 - It looks it lulled Favre into a false sense of security; the pressure worked on third down after a defensive timeout.

5:28 - Ryan Longwell field goal from 41: Vikings 3, Saints 7

3:59 - That could've been a huge interception Asher Allen.

3:59 - 50 yards of field position with that punt

2:27 - Pressure creates Favre's first interception of the night

1:24 - The Saints cannot convert; Garrett Hartley misses a 46-yard field goal.

0:51 - I've seen this many times; Brett Farve loves the two minute drill.

0:34 - Touchdown - Brett Favre to Visanthe Shiancoe for 20 yards, the extra point is blocked, Vikings 9, Saints 7

Halftime: Vikings 9, Saints 7

I think the Saints' complete inability to establish any sort of running game does not bode well for them down the stretch.  If they can continue to pressure Favre, their defense should hold up better than it did at the end of the half.

For the Vikings, I don't think it's a massive problem in this particular game, but with only two of Favre's eleven first half completions going to wide receivers, it shows they are still looking for someone to replace Sidney Rice's presence on the outside.  I will also say though that that could stem from the Vikings' plan for short, quick passes not allowing the time for receivers to do their work.

3rd Quarter

15:00 - Surprise onside?

12:56 - Three and out to start for the Vikings, we have a surprisingly defensive game after watching the Saints score in just five plays to start.

10:52 - I'm seeing some good run plays from the Saints right now.  One of the underrated strengths (with Brees getting so much ink and because they didn't have any one guy who was the main running back) for the Saints last year was their running game.

6:13 - Ten-play drives kill a defense.  This one's capped off by a 1-yard Pierre Thomas touchdown plunge.  Vikings 9, Saints 14

5:18 - Get your feet in Malcolm Jenkins.

5:13 - The Vikings are lucky they're punting right now.

3:21 - Three solid plays from the Vikings defense cause three and out: Fat Pat Williams chases down Pierre Thomas--that's a sight--then two solid tackles by Jamarca Sanford and Ben Leber.

2:13 - Collinsworth's been talking about Sedrick Ellis all night and now he gets the sack.  Whenever we mention a defensive lineman by name, he must be doing something right.  Then comes another Vikings' three and out.

0:36 - Since the Saints' touchdown drive, neither team has generated any offense.

0:00 - Vikings 9, Saints 14

4th Quarter

14:51 - Side note: I'm glad Chilly ditched the beard and brought back the mustache.

14:43 - Bryant McKinnie gets carted to the locker room.  That's a big loss, literally and figuratively.

9:10 - After a dropped touchdown catch from Meachem comes a field goal attempt and Garrett Hartley misses again.

8:12 - Greg Camarillo makes his first catch as a Viking.  I've always thought he's a good player, but I just don't know what his role is on this team with Percy Harvin already established as the main slot receiver.  Cris Collinsworth loves him because he's a white wide receiver.

3:42 - I love watching the four minute drill: when you have a lead and have the ball with about four minutes left, and you just drain clock.  This is an area of strength for elite teams.

1:45 - The Saints are in victory formation.

0:00 - Saints win!  The stories of the second half are Brett Favre falling flat and the Saints' renewed commitment to the running game.

0:00 - Welcome back football.  I've missed you so.

Final: Vikings 9, Saints 14

--from Eric