NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Senior writer jclombardi talks about Vikings vs Packers games.

Introduction:We talked to Nick at Mn Vikings Blog.com about the Sunday Packers vs Vikings game.  We present our questions and his answers.

Jclombardi:  What are the strengths of the Vikings?

Nick: The biggest strength of the Minnesota Vikings game is by far our run game.  Adrian Peterson is no doubt the best running back in the entire NFL.  If you can’t stop A.P. then he single handedly can win games for the Vikings.     Our receiving corps compliment each other very well.  Rice and Harvin are both extremely athletic and are just in their early years in the NFL.  Shianco is a very physical TE and is a great target in the end zone.  Finally our defensive routinely is one of the best in the NFL.  While age is starting to get the best of some of our talented players we still are ranking in the top 10 even with the teams struggles this year.

Jclombardi: What are the weaknesses of the Vikings?

Nick: Despite Favre’s fantastic play last year the QB situation continues to haunt the Minnesota Vikings this year.  While it’s easy to place blame on Favre, the reality is that our Offensive line needs improvement.  Losing Birk was unfortunate and we have always had an issue with our right guard position.  Not resigning Chester Taylor was a mistake and we sorely miss his ability to pick up the blitz.   Look for QB and OL to be our main focus on the upcoming draft.

Jclombardi: Do you think QB Favre should have comeback for another year considering the 3-6 record and is this Favre’s super bowl or “final harrah” game involving the Packers for his final NFL year?

Nick: Favre had one hell of a season last year.  For anyone to hold him to these standards is being ridiculous.  But yes, I do believe he should have come b.ack.  There was no reason to foresee the issues that this team is having this year.  No doubt the last minute surgery to Sidney Rice was unfortunate I blame a lot of our faults on the coaching staff.  As for the ’super bowl’ against the Packers I do believe Favre will do everything in his power to pull a victory off this weekend.  Favre is a very dangerous man when he’s motivated.  Don’t put it past him to pull out some crazy stats this weekend.

Jclombardi: What game plan will the Vikings be using to beat the Packers?

Nick: The Vikings need to run the ball early and often.  Setting up the run will have a direct correlation with the success of our passing game.  With the Packers having impressive CB in Woodson and Williams it will be very important to get Harvin going over the middle and taking advantage of any Linebacker covering Shianco.   The Vikings defense absolutely has to shut down the Packers run game in order to make them one dimensional in the second half.  Getting pressure on Rodgers will be a big determinate in how many points the Packers score this Sunday.

Jclombardi: After this disappointing Viking season with the predictable reactions, will coach Childress be fired along with a major front office shake up?

Nick: I personally have never been a fan of Childress since the day he replaced Tice.  While you can appreciate the ‘no-BS’ attitude he has he just isn’t a quality coach in this league.  I believe his biggest issue is the inability to adapt a game plan to any game in process.  I believe Coach Childress holds this team back and his conservative play-calling isn’t appropriate for the amount of talent this team has.    I don’t believe this is a secret to anyone, however the real question is whether or not Zygi Wilf wants to admit that he was wrong for giving Childress an extension mid season last year.  To eat that contract would be clearly admitting that he was wrong.   We can only hope that Wilf will make the right choice.

Commentary: In his “Weekly Predictions Viking vs Packers“, Nick talks about the keys to game predicting the Vikings will win 31-17. We note that Viking Update is the same laughable way ending with a hope for a win against the hard cold realities.  In the end, who cares when Favre leaves and/or when Childress is fired, but it is the Vikings super bowl. The only worse fact is that the “unbearable” bad Bears are 7-3.  How things have changed in a NFC year.  For the Packers, this is a must win game.

Senior writer jclombardi profiles rookie CB Shields & Packers injury report.

Shields–”I am getting better, better“: To fully appreciate just how far Sam Shields as come – and understand just how much it took for the Green Bay Packers rookie cornerback to get to this point – you have to listen to what Joe Whitt says about him now, and what he was muttering to himself about Shields about six months ago. But first, understand this: Whitt, the Packers' young and exuberant cornerbacks coach, is not afraid to make bold pronouncements. Before the season, he told anyone who'd listen that Tramon Williams was the team's best cover corner. After the ultra-fast – but ultra-raw – Shields went undrafted this spring and the Packers signed him as a rookie free agent, Whitt knew what kind of potential Shields had. “Write this down," Whitt said of Shields, the Packers' No. 3 cornerback in their nickel defense. "Sam is going to be one of the top corners in this league in two years." That's heady stuff for a guy with Shields' thin cornerback resume, but the Packers' actions – releasing Harris – spoke even louder than Whitt's words. "I don't think anybody can stand here and say Sam Shields was going to be (one of) your starting corner(s) in Week 10, especially the way he arrived here as a free agent," Packers coach Mike McCarthy, "But you never questioned the ability. He's a young man that's been very thorough, very coachable, very detailed in everything he's doing. He has a tremendous upside, and we're excited about the progress he's made."

Notebook–Shields catches on quickly: When the Green Bay Packers lined up to return the second-half kickoff against the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday, undrafted rookie cornerback Sam Shields broke a cardinal rule. Shields lined up near the goal line and drifted 6 yards deep in the end zone. Normally, the returner should take a knee for a touchback in that situation. "Not normally," special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum said on Thursday. "But he's not normal." Shields, who was timed at 4.20 seconds in the 40-yard dash, is indeed not normal. Shields returned that kickoff 49 yards — "I saw the hole and I hit it" was his matter-of-fact explanation. Because of that one return, he will line up as the kickoff returner when the Packers play at Minnesota on Sunday. Shields' ability was evident against Dallas. But during the preseason, Shields had fumbled away chance after chance to return kickoffs and punts by routinely dropping the ball in practice and games. Through plenty of extra work before and after practice, Shields has become so sure-handed that Slocum said he wouldn’t hesitate to use Shields on punts, too. The Packers rank 21st in punt returns, with Tramon Williams averaging 8.0 yards per return. Packers injury report–Limited participation: WR Donald Driver (quad); FB Korey Hall (back); LB Clay Matthews (shin); DE Ryan Pickett (ankle); C Scott Wells (arch); CB Charles Woodson (toe). Full participation: LB Brandon Chillar (shoulder); T Chad Clifton(knee); CB Pat Lee (ankle); TE Andrew Quarless (shoulder). Coach Mike McCarthy said Pickett did "a lot more" on Thursday than Wednesday, and the goal for Driver is to practice on Friday. Bringing the heat–The Packers are tied with St. Louis for the NFL lead in sacks with 28, with Clay Matthews leading the individual race with 10.5.

Packers give Shields shot as returner: The Minnesota Vikings have Percy Harvin. The Chicago Bears have Devin Hester. The Detroit Lions have Stefan Logan. The Green Bay Packers? They’ve ridden up and down with Jordy Nelson and Pat Lee on kickoff returns and treaded water with Tramon Williams on punt returns most of the season. But in an attempt to keep up with Joneses, the Packers plan to break out their own return specialist Sunday against the Vikings. Welcome to the NFC North, Sam Shields. ”If he’s back there, good luck because he’s got some speed,” said Charlie Peprah, a regular member of the special teams until his ascension to starting safety. “That will be a good changeup.” Over the past five seasons they have ranked 19th, 31st, 22nd, 31st and 32nd in kick return average. This year, they rank sixth in the NFL in average drive start (29.1), but they have lacked the momentum-changing uppercut of a breakaway threat. In his only return of the season against Dallas, Shields broke through a lane for a 49-yard gain, causing coach Mike McCarthy and special teams coach Shawn Slocum to practically hand him the kickoff return job before he reached the sideline. ”We’re all pretty excited about his capabilities,” Peprah said.

Senior writer jclombardi discusses Packers vs Vikings game.

Commentary: We had an opportunity to discuss the Packers vs Vikings game with Nick at MnVikingsblog.com, “Sitting Down With The Enemy–Green Bay Packers Edition.”  I repost our answers to questions:

Nick: This week I am exchanging a 5 questions and answer session with jclombardi.  With that said, let's move on with the questions.

Nick: RB Adrian Peterson is the Vikings biggest threat to spoiling a Packers victory.  What needs to happen in order to stop AP from having a monster day this Sunday?

Jclombardi: RB Peterson continues to be one of the best runners in the NFL having both speed and power. He is the NFL's No. 2 rusher.  However, although the Packers run defense has a poor 21st ranking (Football Outsiders), the Packers will focus upon limiting RB Peterson to less than 100 yards with no big plays.  The Packers are becoming healthy on defense as DE Pickett and DE Jenkins return to full health. Further, with the addition of DE/DT Green to play along with solid NT Raj and rookie backup DE Wilson, this front seven line is now returning to being a stout run defense as shown in the Jets and Cowboys games.

Nick: Chad Clifton did a great job one on one with Jared Allen the last time the two teams played each other. Jared Allen since has registered 3+ sacks, do you believe the Packers will double team him or give Clifton another opportunity one on one?

Jclombardi: After a shaky slow start, LT Clifton is back to his all-pro veteran self. The Packers will let Clifton handle DE Allen, while they focus on using maximum blocking formations to deal with the Vikings blitz schemes to limit the potent west coast Packers passing offense led by QB Rodgers.

Nick: The Packers run game has arguably been one of their biggest weaknesses this season.  Do you see the Packers abandoning the run in order to take advantage of a shaky Vikings secondary?

Jclombardi: The Vikings are the NFL's premier run defense in the past four years ranking No. 10 now in rushing yards allowed and No. 7 in yards allowed per carry, but they are not great numbers. Teams are successfully running against DE Allen and slowing interior Williams Wall. After losing running back Grant, the Packers are satisfied with their pedestrian running game using RB Jackson and FB Kuhn. The Packers will run the ball when they feel that it helps their drives and game plan. RB Jackson has not gotten beyond 60 rushing yards in the last four games, but he is a big cog in the passing game with 17 catches for 143 yards in the past five games. RB John Kuhn had a big last game with career highs of 13 carries and 50 yards.

Nick: Assuming Sidney Rice plays this weekend what do the Packers have to do to prepare for this play maker? And do you see him as a viable threat coming off his hip surgery.

Jclombardi: If WR Rice plays, he will be rusty. Besides, the Packers have a 1^st ranking in pass defense (Football Outsiders). They are led by all-pro defensive cornerbacks Williams and Woodson along with safety Collins to deal with the Vikings wide receivers. WR Harvin is QB Favre's favorite target, but he has an injured ankle.  Depending on the health of Harvin, Berrian and Rice, the Vikings may lean heavily on WRs Lewis and Camarillo who are pedestrian possession receivers. Finally, QB Favre is playing behind a struggling offensive line meaning he is going to have a long, long day against the rebuilt healthy Packers defense.  LB Matthews, LB Bishop, and DE Jenkins will have a field day chasing QB Favre.

Nick: Do the last four games including this Sunday have an effect on whether or not Brett Favre officially retires as a Packer?  What is your view and the general fan opinion on this matter?

Jclombardi: If the Vikings cannot get motivated against the Bears, how are they going to be motivated against the Packers? Typically, it is just pride, but the writing is on the wall for Favre and Childress for their final Vikings season. Fans are calling this big game against the Vikings to be either Favre's "last harrah" or "super bowl" final game against the Packers. We agree, but we know that history says he will be forgiven by the fans just like Lombardi and Hudson. After all, the facts are that the Packers will retire his number four as one of the greatest Packers players in NFL history and he is a future NFL Hall of Famer.

Nick: Thanks JC for your great answers and for participating in our first ever 'Sitting Down With The Enemy' .  While we may have a different opinion on which team will prevail this Sunday we both can probably agree that it will be a fun filled game full of uncertainty.

Wow. Just wow. The Dolphins did just about everything wrong Thursday night vs the Bears. I guess you could chalk this loss up to three things; too many injuries, too little rest, and just poor play.

The game started off with the Dolphins just not getting the breaks that they needed to get some points on the board, or gain any momentum at all during the first half. Then, slowly but surely the wheels started falling off the bus.

Tyler Thigpen couldn't get a drive going. Cory Procter got hurt, and Miami was forced to move their starting left guard, Richie Incognito, to center. Pat McQuistan came in in the place of Incognito at left guard.

The defense couldn't get off the field. Benny Sapp and Al Harris were getting burnt in coverage all night long. Yes, Sapp had an interception, but he also got torched mutliple times.

Just when the situation seemed that it could not get any worse, Brandon Marshall self-distructs. First he drops a pass, then commits a taunting penalty for tossing a ball to Jay Cutler, then drops another ball. Marshall's night culminates in him leaving the game late in the first half, and not returning due to a hamstring injury.

It was just one of those nights for the Dolphins. The lone bright spot was the performance of Cameron Wake, who finished with a sack, a forced fumble and five tackles. His trip to the Pro-Bowl should be sealed after he dominated the Bears offensive line. Wake single-handidly forced the Bears offensive line into a couple holding penalties, and what should have been many more also.

What seemed to be the theme of the night for me was really the lack of play makers that we had tonight. Our hired guns, Brandon Marshall and Karlos Dansby, had little to not impact tonight. The usual suspects, Davone Bess, Jake Long, Vontae Davis, and Sean Smith all had little to no impact on the game. While Jake Long was injured, he allowed three sacks by Bears defensive end Julius Peppers.

Thigpen was just completely ineffective as well. Whether it was errant passes, miscommunications, or just plain bad decisions, "Thiggy" showed that he clearly is not ready to be this teams quarterback. He has a couple more games to prove himself to this regime, but right now, based on what he has shown me tonight, he is not anywhere close to getting a new contract with this team after this year. If anything his performance is pushing Jeff Ireland to examine the first round quarterbacks a little more closely now.

While on the topic of offense, well, they did very little to help out their defense, who put in a rather proud effort for what their offense gave them. The offense failed to put any points on the board at home for only the second time in 40 seasons. When your running backs only combine for 7 carries for 12 yards, it is hard to place the outcome on the game on your 3rd-string quarterback.

The offense did not look prepared to go out for this game. They looked more worried dealing with their injuries than they did with their gameplan, which sums up the story of our season. The Dolphins time and time again cannot get their running attack going, and have to rely on their quarterback, and in this situation, putting the game in Thigpen's hands was simply setting themselves up for failure.

I have to admit that I was excited about this game, and the opportunity it presented. Thigpen was getting a shot, and we all were getting a glimpse at what he brought to this team. The Bears have been somewhat inconsistent all season long, and I for one thought the Dolphins would be able to come in and at least contend with the Bears.

This was not the case though. While the defense gave it there all, the offense let their other unit down. The defense was on the field for 37:51, while the Miami offense only held the ball for 22:09. Ball control will now be the main problem for the Dolphins for the rest of the year, and simply, it has been for us all season. Last year we could turn to our running game to eat away at the clock, and this year our rushing attack never got going, and we do not have that go to ground game to keep the opposing team off of the field.

Going into the season I thought the Dolphins only had a few spots that needed filling after this year, but this season has only raised more questions than answering questions.

Miami now has a 10 day layoff before they travel to Oakland to face off against the Raiders. At this point the Dolphins would need to win out, and get some help to make the playoffs. Hey, I've seen crazier things happen, but after the 16-0 shutout the Bears handed us tonight, it's hard to believe in the guys that we have playing right now.