Vikings stuff...

[Cotton]

Gameday: Return Game Crucial For Cowboys & Vikings
Posted 15 minutes ago

Rowan Kavner
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer


Cowboys

Tony Romo’s still in the top 10 in passing and top three in touchdowns and touchdown to interception ratio, but the offense has been out of whack the last few weeks. Romo sprinkled in a 317-yard passing performance against the Eagles between a 170-yard game against the Redskins and a 206-yard game against the Lions, but the Cowboys only scored 17 points in that Eagles game. Facing three of the statistically worst defense in the league the last three weeks, the offense hasn’t done much.

With just one 100-yard rushing performance by a Cowboys running back, and none in the last five weeks, the offense has to rely on its passing game. And when the passing game stalls, the offense is in a lot of trouble. With Miles Austin still nursing his hamstring and DeMarco Murray nursing his knee, Cole Beasley and Terrance Williams have been vital for the offense. But Beasley wasn’t found in the Lions game and Williams only hauled in two of his 10 targets. Finding a way to get Dez Bryant and Jason Witten more involved could help them break out of their recent offensive skid.

The poor offensive showings the last three weeks have still resulted in a 2-1 record, thanks in large part to the defense against division foes. After holding the Redskins and Eagles to 16 and three points, respectively, the “no-name” defense continued its strong effort through three quarters against the Lions. Then came the fourth quarter, when Detroit put up 24 points. The Cowboys have made due with a ton of injuries along the defensive line, but it’s hard to keep that going long-term.

Special teams seemed like it might be an issue in the preseason, but that’s been far from the case since the real football began. Dan Bailey continues to be money not just from short-range, but from the 50-plus yard range as well, and Dwayne Harris continues to flash his skills as a returner. Harris is in the top three in the league in both punt and kick return average among players with at least 10 returns.



Vikings

Even on down weeks for Romo, the Vikings would do a lot to get the likes of him at quarterback. Christian Ponder started the first three games, then he got hurt and in entered Matt Cassel, who made two starts before the Vikings signed Josh Freeman and started him immediately in a 23-7 loss to the Giants. Then back came Ponder, who passed for 145 yards in a loss to the Packers. In the end, the 1-6 Vikings are left looking for a lot of answered offensively, beginning with the quarterback spot.


One area they don’t have to worry at all about is the guy running the football. Still, surprisingly, Peterson has just two 100-yard games this year as he battles through a hamstring injury. He’s still a battering ram when he suits up, but he’s had no more than 13 carries in any of the Vikings’ last three games, which were all double-digit losses. It’s difficult for them to continue feeding their star back when he’s banged up and when the team is trailing early. Greg Jennings was supposed to provide a massive spark for the Vikings’ offense, but he’s only got 25 catches through seven games.

If history’s any indication, the Vikings might be due for a win despite their rough start to the season. The Vikings dropped their first three games before beating the Steelers and have gone on to drop their next three. However, that lone win came a Pittsburgh team that was also winless at the time, and the Vikings have a minus-62 point differential this year, while the Cowboys are at plus-44. One of the worst parts for the Vikings is their typically vaunted defense is allowing a stunning 32.1 points per game.

The best part of the Vikings might be their special teams unit and the rookie returner making a name for himself around the league. First-round pick Cordarrelle Patterson isn’t doing much through the air, but he’s been a star in the return game and leads the league in kick return yardage (703), average (39.1) and touchdowns (2), and he has the longest return with a 109-yarder.

 

[1bigfan13]

On paper the Cowboys should win this one by 10 but I know they'll find a way to make this one a competitive game.

The thing that worries me is Patterson making a play in the return game to set up an easy score, and obviously Peterson finally breaking out for a huge game.

Other than that I don't think they have the weapons or the capability to exploit the Cowboys' weaknesses.

 

[Cotton]

Gosselin: The only Minnesota Viking the Dallas Cowboys should be concerned about is Adrian Peterson

Rick Gosselin rgosselin@dallasnews.com
Published: 29 October 2013 10:23 PM
Updated: 29 October 2013 10:25 PM

The Minnesota Vikings have started three different quarterbacks this season in an attempt to shake out of their 1-6 funk.

But it doesn’t matter who’s taking the snaps — whether it’s Christian Ponder, Josh Freeman or Matt Cassel. The only Viking with the ball in his hands who matters is Adrian Peterson.

The former Oklahoma All-American is the league’s best running back and its reigning MVP. The Vikings fed him an average of 22 handoffs per game last season and Peterson converted them into the seventh 2,000-yard season in NFL history. His legs carried the Vikings to 10 wins and a wild-card playoff berth.

Peterson ranks fourth in the NFL in rushing this season with 571 yards and six touchdowns. But since their bye on the fifth weekend of the season, the Vikings have de-emphasized the NFL rushing champion.
Peterson hasn’t carried the ball more than 13 times in any of the last three games, all losses. He hasn’t gained 100 yards in any of those games and has scored only one touchdown in that stretch.
The Vikings need to get Peterson rolling to become competitive again, and this weekend would be the ideal time to start. Peterson returns home to Texas to face the NFL’s worst defense.

The Cowboys have not allowed a 100-yard rusher this season, but offenses have had success on the ground. Denver’s Knowshon Moreno gained 93 yards, Detroit’s Reggie Bush 92 yards, Washington’s Alfred Morris 81 yards and all scored a touchdown against the Cowboys.

The Vikings have their own defensive issues, ranking 30th in the league. You protect a porous defense by running the ball, winding the clock and thus limiting the exposure of that unit. No team is better equipped to execute that philosophy than Minnesota — because no other team has Peterson.
But with Peterson averaging only 18 rushes per game this season, the Vikings are holding onto the ball a league-worst 24 minutes, 52 seconds per game. For the Vikings to have a chance against the Cowboys, Peterson will need 25 to 28 carries to allow Minnesota to control the clock. And he’s certainly capable.

Peterson has the power to run inside and speed to run outside. He has touchdown gallops of 78 yards against Detroit and 60 yards against Pittsburgh this season, plus 100-yard rushing games against the Steelers and Bears.

Peterson will be quite the test for middle linebacker Sean Lee, the best defender on the Cowboys. He ranks third in the NFL with 81 tackles and was the NFC’s defensive player of the week the last time the Cowboys won. He collected 11 tackles and an interception Oct. 20 against the Eagles.

Stop Peterson and you stop the Vikings.

 

[dallen]

Everyone else is putting 11 in the box to stop AD and it is working. Dallas is smarter than that so we will probably play 7 in the box and force AD to beat us.

 

[Cotton]

Officials breakdown: Jeff Triplette

October, 30, 2013

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com


IRVING, Texas – Jeff Triplette will be the referee in the Dallas Cowboys’ game Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

The last time the Cowboys saw Triplette came in Week 13 last year when they beat thePhiladelphia Eagles, 38-33. The Eagles were penalized once for 5 yards. The Cowboys had seven penalties for 60 yards. Philadelphia’s only penalty was for being offside on a kickoff.

Triplette’s crew is coming off a bye week. They must have been tired from their Week 7 game. They called 22 penalties for 203 yards between the Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers. The Browns had 12 penalties for 106 yards, and the Packers were flagged 10 times for 97 yards.

The breakdown:
False start – 3
Roughing the kicker – 1
Personal foul – 1
Unnecessary roughness – 3
Defensive holding – 2
Twelve-men on the field – 1
Offensive holding – 3
Face mask – 1
Ineligible man downfield, kick – 1
Illegal formation – 1
Offside – 1
Offside on a free kick – 1
Illegal touching – 1
Unsportsmanlike conduct – 1
Defensive pass interference – 1

Quarter by quarter:

First – 2
Second – 6
Third – 6
Fourth – 8

 

[Cotton]

Adrian Peterson still looking to break Emmitt's record

October, 30, 2013

By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com


IRVING, Texas -- On a conference call with reporters, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson said he still wants to break Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith's all-time rushing record.

Smith rushed for 18,355 yards in a career and Peterson is third among active rushers with 9,420.

"It would mean a lot, taking it as I grew up a Cowboys fan and a fan of Emmitt’s and what he has done in this league," said Peterson, whose Vikings visit the Cowboys on Sunday. "It would mean a lot. "I haven’t had any conversation with him about breaking that record at all. But God willing in the future, we’ll be able to sit down and talk about it."

Peterson, a native from Palestine, Texas, will play his second game against the Cowboys. In Peterson's rookie season, 2007, he rushed 12 times for 63 yards and one touchdown at the now demolished Texas Stadium.

So Peterson will now make his first appearance at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

"Oh yeah, man, it’s always good to come back and play in your home state, where I played my high school ball," Peterson said. "It’s so close to home. Palestine is like an hour and change away. So it’s a totally different feel, a different fan base when I go there. It’ll be a lot of Cowboys fans that’ll be cheering for me as well. So I’m looking forward to that."

 

[BipolarFuk]

Yeah, good luck with that, 28 year old Adrian Peterson.

 

[UncleMilti]

Yeah, good luck with that, 28 year old Adrian Peterson.

I love some AP, but how he can keep bringing up the record with his numbers so far this year and his age is laughable.

Not gonna happen.

 

[UncleMilti]

BTW...this is the kind of game the Cowboys usually shit the bed with. Bad team, nothing to play for, one dimensional....

 

[Carp]

BTW...this is the kind of game the Cowboys usually shit the bed with. Bad team, nothing to play for, one dimensional....

Just this year though...all our wins are against teams with a losing record, so we have won those this year.

 

[boozeman]

Broaddus: Vikings Lack Supporting Cast Around Star RB

Posted 5 hours ago

Bryan Broaddus Football Analyst/Scout








To say that this season for the Minnesota Vikings has been a disappointment, would be a huge understatement. On both sides of the ball, the Vikings have yet to play with any type of consistency which is why their record currently sits at 1 – 6. What is most surprising about this Minnesota Vikings squad is the fact that they were a team that came on strong to finish the 2012 season before losing to Green Bay in the playoffs and there were hopes that Leslie Frazier’s club was primed for an even better season with the addition of some key players to the roster.

When you talk about the lack of consistency with the Vikings, it really starts at quarterback and the way the position has been played this season. Christian Ponder was the opening day starter but injuries forced him to sit several games while Matt Cassell and Josh Freeman took their turns at the wheel. Ponder was back in the starting lineup last week against the Packers and his play is what we have seen from him in the past.

Where Ponder has his issues is not on the athletic or physical side but mentally what he is able to see as a quarterback. He does not play with any instincts or awareness and that is what hurts his team the most in the game. There were several times where he had receivers open that appeared to be the primary targets but he failed to put the ball in their direction.




The player that the poor quarterback play has affected the most has been Adrian Peterson. Teams have figured out that loading the box is the best way to beat to get defenders in position to handle Peterson in the running game because the quarterbacks cannot make enough plays in the passing game to get the defenders out of the box. Peterson still has the ability to beat you with his legs and is powerful enough to run through those loaded boxes but it has become more difficult for him to have to fight that battle. What teams have done to also take Peterson out of the game, is build leads on them. Offensive coordinator, Bill Musgrave has been forced to have to throw more passes to try and get his team back in the game and this has hurt Peterson as well. Jerome Felton will line up as the fullback in front of Peterson and he does a nice job with his initial pop but truly lacks the sustain. Toby Gerhart is a tough runner that does a nice job of catch the ball.

I have always been a big fan of Greg Jennings when he was with the Packers but it is apparent that he misses Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback. You can see the frustration level on film when you watch him play for the balls that are thrown in his direction or the times where he runs a route perfectly not to be rewarded. Jennings will play in the slot in the Vikings three receivers package with the talented rookie Cordarrelle Patterson on his outside. I like what the Vikings are trying to do with Patterson in their offensive attack. He was an outstanding space player at Tennessee and Musgrave is trying to get him the ball quickly and allow him to be dynamic in the open field. Jerome Simpson has been solid this season and is 2nd on the club in receptions but Jennings and Patterson are the ones that scares me the most on the outside. Jarius Wright is in the mix as well.

The Vikings like to use multiple tight end sets with Kyle Rudolph and John Carlson and Rhett Ellison. As many problems as this Cowboys defense has had with tight ends, Rudolph can be a nightmare. At 6-6 and 258 pounds, he has wide receiver hands and rare speed for the position. Can catch in the open field or make the contested ones as well. Rudolph is what Jason Garrett would call quarterback friendly in the way he runs his routes and makes the secure catch.

This Vikings offensive line which I would have believed as a strength coming into this season has been anything but that. As a group, they have benefited from Adrian Peterson running the ball and they have been in the middle of the road when it comes to sacks per attempts but on tape, they have had their struggles. Their best player is left tackle Matt Kalil, who technique wise can be very sound but just like traits you see with his former USC teammate, Tyron Smith, there are some breakdowns that rushers have taken advantage of. On the other side, Phil Loadholt is a bad bodied guy that doesn’t always move his feet well enough but if he gets his hands on you, he can control the rusher. I am not impressed with their inside three at all. Charlie Johnson and Brandon Fusco at the guards and John Sullivan at center. There are plenty of plays where you see these guys on the very edge of securing their blocks. Teams that have moved their lines on them with twist stunts in order to make them have to adjust, has given them the most problems.

Jared Allen is the most dangerous player along the defensive line with his ability to not only rush the passer but handling the run to the outside as well. We all know the relentless nature of Allen and his non-stop motor. Tyron Smith is going to have to block him the entire time and by that I mean even after the whistle blows. There is no quit in Allen so this will be an all-day assignment for the young tackle. Kevin Williams is a veteran defensive tackle that can still get off the ball and be disruptive on the move. He plays with power and can push the pocket along with Letroy Guion. The best defensive combination for the Vikings is when they put Everson Griffen in the game next to Williams and rush them out of the nickel. Sharrif Floyd will also play inside at tackle and he is showing some quickness off the ball like he did at Florida. Has 1.5 sacks in the opportunities that he has got to play. Brian Robinson plays opposite Allen and are similar players in the regards to that relentless type of player.

The Vikings linebackers are a very aggressive group. Chad Greenway is their best overall player. He shows the ability to not only physically play the run but in the passing game, he is solid as well. Have seen him carry backs and tight ends down the field without any issues. Will also be used in this scheme as a blitzer. Really has a nose for the ball. Wrap up tackler. Marvin Mitchell is the weak side linebacker and I was impressed with him on tape how physical he was as a tackler.

Where the Vikings have struggled the most is in the secondary. They lost safety Harrison Smith to injury and they have tried to play a couple of different combinations. Andrew Sendejo, who was one time in Dallas, is a starter along with Jamarca Sanford. Mistral Raymond has also been in the mix. Sendejo is a very physical player and I have liked the way that he has played. At corner, Chris Cook and Josh Robinson has been the starters with Xavier Rhodes the nickel off the bench. With as much “11” personnel that the Cowboys have played, Robinson moves inside on the slot and Rhodes plays on the outside. When you watch this secondary play, they do a much better job of playing in man coverage than they do in the zone. Teams have targeted Robinson the majority of the time this season and I expect the Cowboys to do the same.

 

[boozeman]

Leslie Frazier is going to keep us guessing this week

Posted by Darin Gantt on October 30, 2013, 1:13 PM EDT


Since announcing which of his bad quarterbacks he planned to start hasn’t worked so well, Vikings coach Leslie Frazier is going to keep it to himself this week.

Frazier told reporters today that he had an idea who was going to start against the Cowboys this week, but he didn’t plan to reveal his decision until later in the week.

At this point, anyone other than Josh Freeman would be a surprise. He was inactive for Sunday’s loss to the Packers after suffering a concussion, though he was cleared to play. That gave him another week to digest what the Vikings want to do, after he was thrown in so soon after being acquired.

Christian Ponder was back in the lineup last week, with Matt Cassel backing up

 

[Cotton]

Vikings returner a test for Cowboys' Bailey
October, 31, 2013

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas – Dan Bailey is tied for second in the NFL in touchbacks this season with 34. And to think the Dallas Cowboys kept a kickoff specialist in 2011 because they didn't think Bailey had a strong-enough leg.

Bailey admits he has added leg strength in his three seasons to help on kickoffs.

“It was just a big focus for me in the offseason,” Bailey said. “I wanted to get a little bit stronger and I thought as far as my game goes that was the area I could improve the most. I feel like I can always improve all areas. I just felt like that needed a little more attention. So far this year I feel good on kickoffs. I feel like I’ve been hitting the ball well.”

Bailey faces his biggest challenge this season in the Minnesota Vikings’ Cordarrelle Patterson, who leads the NFL with a 39.1-yard kick-return average and has touchdown returns of 109 and 105 yards.

“Patterson is a fantastic kickoff returner,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “He’s taken two of them back. He took one back 109 yards last week, so that’s certainly been a real weapon for their football team. Dan has been fantastic this year. … He kicks them consistently long and deep and high and hard for those guys to bring them back.”

The Cowboys have not necessarily kicked away from returners this year.

“In this league every return man is good,” Bailey said. “Some are slightly better than others, but everybody is pretty much capable of having that home-run play. We prepare for him just like we prepare for anybody else. I wouldn’t say we give him any special attention. We’re going to do our best to execute our game plan as best we can, and I’m sure they’re going to do the same thing. I think it’ll be a good challenge.”

 

[ravidubey]

No need to set up coverage this week. Just kick it out of the endzone every time, Dan, and call the 20 yard line a win.

 

[Cotton]

Double Coverage: Vikings at Cowboys
October, 31, 2013

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys kick off the second half of their season at AT&T Stadium on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, who are still looking for their first win in the United States this season.

A playoff team a year ago, the Vikings have been one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL. At 4-4, the Cowboys are looking at their third straight 8-8 season under Jason Garrett.

Which team rebounds from a tough defeat?

ESPN.com Vikings reporter Ben Goessling and ESPN.com Cowboys reporter Todd Archer debate the game in this week’s Double Coverage.

Archer: I think a lot of people assumed the Vikings would be a serious playoff threat, but obviously that’s not the case. How is it sitting with the veterans on the team like Adrian Peterson, Jared Allen, Chad Greenway and guys who have experienced success?

Goessling: A lot of those players have been disappointed, but they all seem to be sticking behind coach Leslie Frazier, at least for now. There have been a few hints of discontent from players with the defensive scheme, but nobody seems to be quitting on the season. A lot of the problems are out of the Vikings’ control, at least in the sense that they can do only so much with the roster they have. It’s hard to win and have an open competition at quarterback at the same time. And the Vikings’ moves in the secondary have backfired terribly. This hasn’t been the same team without Antoine Winfield, and now that Harrison Smith is hurt, the Vikings have few playmakers on the back end of their defense.

Speaking of quarterbacks, it looks like Tony Romo is playing some of his best football this year. I suppose with him, we never really know what to think until the playoffs, but does it seem to you like he’s turned any type of a corner?

Archer: I think he’s played at a higher level than most people want to say for the past few years, but he’s been stuck with this tag that he can’t shake until (if) the Cowboys make the playoffs and win a couple of games. This year, he has more say in the offense in terms of the game plan, so I think that has him feeling more weight to make the correct play and not be so much of a gunslinger. He’s struggled the past three games with his accuracy, but he’s made big plays and mostly stayed away from the bad ones. He remains creative when things break down, but he’s also willing to take a sack or throw the ball away.

Peterson is coming home, so to speak. How have things been different for him this season after 2,000 yards last season?

Goessling: He has been dealing with a minor hamstring injury for the past few weeks, but I think the biggest problem for Peterson has been the play of his offensive line. The group hasn’t been anywhere near as good as it was last season at opening holes for Peterson, and fullback Jerome Felton has struggled to get into a rhythm after missing the first three games because of a suspension. At times, Peterson has looked impatient, wanting to make that one extra cut for a 60-yard run and winding up with a 2- or 3-yarder when the hole closes. He’s also seeing more eight-man fronts than any other back in the league, and without a line that’s able to handle the extra attention, Peterson isn’t going to beat those defenses all the time. Even he isn’t that good.

But maybe this is the week the Vikings can resurrect their passing game, playing against the worst pass defense in the league. Are the Cowboys so bad that they’ll have trouble even with the Vikings’ ensemble cast at quarterback?

Archer: Unless Christian Ponder, Josh Freeman or Matt Cassel morph into Peyton or Eli Manning, Philip Rivers or Matthew Stafford, I can’t see it happening, even as bad as the pass defense has been. When it has played against middling quarterbacks -- Alex Smith (yes, I know he’s 8-0, but he’s not a great passer), Sam Bradford, a returning-to-health Robert Griffin III and Nick Foles -- the defense has looked good. When it has faced top passers, it has allowed the most 400-yard games in NFL history for a season -- in just eight games. Monte Kiffin’s scheme is very basic and designed to not give up big plays, yet the Cowboys have given up a ton of big plays. They have missed DeMarcus Ware the past two games and will have a banged-up secondary Sunday. If Ware returns, that should help, but I think the biggest aid for the defense will be whomever Frazier picks to play quarterback.

For years, the strength of the Vikings D, to me anyway, has been the pass rush. Statistically, it’s not very good, but is that a product of the secondary issues you talked about?

Goessling: I’d say it’s the other way around. The Vikings were certainly better in the secondary last year than they are this year, but they were helped out by the fact the front four was getting to the quarterback enough to keep teams from exploiting them in the passing game. This year, the Vikings have been done in by teams that can get the ball out quickly (the Lions and Packers, especially), and they just haven’t gotten much push up the middle. Allen and Brian Robison are hustling, but they can do only so much when they’re getting the bulk of opposing teams’ attention. The Vikings still aren’t a blitz-heavy team, but they have had to bring extra guys a little more often than usual this year and Aaron Rodgers burned them on a blitz Sunday. If Romo gets the ball out quickly, he should have plenty of openings. The good news for the Cowboys is A) the Vikings could have three defensive backs out with injury, and B) Josh Robinson will be on the field.

The week after the Vikings lost in the final seconds against the Bears, they got beat by the Browns at home. Do you expect any kind of shell shock from the Cowboys after that Matthew Stafford touchdown last week?

Archer: I really don’t. The Cowboys have had so many of these types of losses that they know how to bounce back. The bad thing is they have had to do this too often. We came up with 21 losses since 2005 that can be described as “crazy” with late-game shenanigans. The Lions loss was just another one to add to the list. The Cowboys lost a game in 2010 because they missed an extra point. They lost a game in 2008 in overtime on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown. And those both came at Arizona.

So the Cowboys somehow do a good job of compartmentalizing things and putting a bad week behind them. Garrett deserves some credit for that, I guess.

 

[Clay_Allison]

Archer: I really don’t. The Cowboys have had so many of these types of losses that they know how to bounce back. The bad thing is they have had to do this too often. We came up with 21 losses since 2005 that can be described as “crazy” with late-game shenanigans. The Lions loss was just another one to add to the list. The Cowboys lost a game in 2010 because they missed an extra point. They lost a game in 2008 in overtime on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown. And those both came at Arizona.

So the Cowboys somehow do a good job of compartmentalizing things and putting a bad week behind them. Garrett deserves some credit for that, I guess.

Talk about being damned with faint praise.

 

[boozeman]

Talk about being damned with faint praise.

We can't string more than a few wins together in a row and shit the bed when faced with golden opportunities. But, gosh, we are a resilient bunch after a mindless loss.

 

[Clay_Allison]

We can't string more than a few wins together in a row and shit the bed when faced with golden opportunities. But, gosh, we are a resilient bunch after a mindless loss.

It's pretty damning to the coaches that they've had such a talent for producing these mindless losses in close games. Game management, discipline, and situational awareness have been terrible for years on this team.

 

[Cotton]

 

[mcnuttz]

We're not worried about AP, it's that Jerome Simpson who we're going to have to contain. /jerruh