Three reasons the Vikings can’t win this season

By John McMullen  |   Friday, September 05, 2008  |  Comments( 4 )

Minnesota Vikings
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The Minnesota Vikings are one of the sexy picks in the NFL this season. They're a team loaded with Pro Bowl talent that most national scribes have dubbed a Super Bowl contender if Tarvaris Jackson can carry his own water at the quarterback position.

Problem is, after covering the NFL for over 10 years, I have seen the research methods most of these well-known writers put into their picks. Hint: It usually involves a blindfold and a dartboard.

So, today I am bringing you the three reasons the Vikings are not a Super Bowl contender; just to make it fun, I am not even going to mention Jackson, who I think takes too much heat despite possessing solid upside.

The tackles (offensive, that is) stink: That might be a bit harsh when you consider Bryant McKinnie is an above-average left tackle (albeit overrated). However, in case you haven't noticed, McKinnie was suspended for four games after being arrested for the fourth time as a pro in the offseason. That leaves Artis Hicks and Ryan Cook on the outside of the Vikings' line for a month. Ouch.

Hicks was dismal as the team's right guard before finally being benched for Anthony Herrera last season and most NFL draft experts rated Cook as a late-second-day pick or a rookie free agent when Minnesota inexplicably grabbed him in the second round of the 2006 draft. Both Hicks and Cook lack athleticism and struggle with speed rushers, so expect a lot of blitzers coming from the corners during an ugly first month of the season.

Depth: The Vikings starters (when McKinnie is around) are a pretty impressive group. As the 2008 season is about to kick off, the only below-average starters on offense are Cook at right tackle and Visanthe Shiancoe at tight end. Though second-year receiver Sidney Rice is not proven, he has a ton of talent. Even Shiancoe has the physical skills to turn things around if the light ever goes on and he starts taking the game more seriously.

On defense, where right corner Cedric Griffin is the weak link, things are even better. No one questions Griffin's physical ability. The Texas product just lacks great ball skills and doesn't make plays when the opportunity presents itself.

Depth is a different story. The Vikings have already lost their best special teams player (Heath Farwell) and a solid backup defensive end (Jayme Mitchell) to injury. Now, the left tackle is gone to suspension and this is a team that can't afford key injuries at certain positions.

We already talked about left tackle, but the Vikings don't have one backup you can feel comfortable with across the line. Marcus Johnson has been a bust since being taken with a second-round pick out of Mississippi in 2005 and actually lost his job at right tackle to the underwhelming Cook. The other backups on the line are a pair of rookies, a sixth-round pick (John Sullivan) and a free agent (Drew Radovich).

On the defensive side of the ball, the Vikings sport the best front four in football but only have a pair of capable reserves -- Brian Robison at end and veteran Ellis Wyms as a swing player. At linebacker, the only experienced backup is Vinny Ciurciu and the team will be starting a rookie safety, Tyrell Johnson, on opening day in Green Bay because Madieu Williams is out with a neck injury.

Finally, there is coaching: Don't get me wrong, you need an ego to be a head coach in the NFL. In fact, you need an ego to reach the top of any profession and Brad Childress has that in spades. By watching and listening to Childress, you might think the Vikings have two Super Bowl championships in place since he arrived in Minneapolis, or at the very least two playoff appearances. Instead, the team is 14-18, including an 0-4 mark against archrival Green Bay, with two consecutive disappointing seasons under its belt.

Childress' self-proclaimed "kick-ass" offense has been anything but and a defense with loads of talent can't seem to stop the pass whether the opposing quarterback is Brett Favre or Kyle Boller. Steadfast in the belief his way is the right way, when something goes wrong Childress is incapable of tweaking his system for anyone or anything.

Still think the Vikings are a playoff team?
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About John McMullen

John is the managing editor of The Phanatic Magazine, the assistant managing editor of The Sports Network and the co-host of the highly rated 'Johns on Sports' radio show on WTBQ in New York. Every Saturday from 6:30-9 p.m. (et) you can hear John along with his co-host, John Gottlieb, talk to the...
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