Focused and Determined

By MikeBullock  |   Wednesday, August 11, 2010  |  Comments( 1 )

Minnesota Vikings
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A trip to Mankato State last week to watch the Vikings practice in shells and shorts brought with it an interesting bit of insider information. While most noted that Tarvaris Jackson had improved and Sage Rosenfels hadn’t, the rest of the world focused on #4. However, that wasn’t what really hung over the practice fields.


Behind all the hoopla about whether Brett Favre will or won’t return to Winter Park this season, runs an undercurrent of motivation that ripples all across the practice field. From head coach Brad Childress all the way to down to the undrafted rookie free agents like guard, Thomas Austin, the determination to finish what the team started last year, with or without #4 is evident all over Mankato.

From Jared Allen’s verbal assurance that the Vikings are taking care of business no matter who’s on the field to the zeal that a now healthy Antoine Winfield blankets receivers with in drills to the excitement on Bernard Berrian’s face when he takes one to the house, it’s evident this team is focused and determined to do what it takes to make it all the way this season.

While it seemed at times last year the team lacked that go-for-the-throat gusto required to win every game no matter what, that is no longer the case. To put it in old movie terms, this team has the eye of the tiger and they’re stalking a Lombardi trophy.

Coach Childress recently said it took him until May to get over their loss to the New Orleans Saints. He might have gotten over it, but it’s obvious he’s not forgotten. Nor has anyone on the defensive line or linebacking corps who know full well Drew Brees will be the first quarterback they meet when the season opens.

You can see it on the faces of the players, see it in the body language of the coaches and hear it in the voices when they speak about business. This team aims to will their way through all-comers to achieve a Superbowl victory this season, with jaws set like Joe Namath when he made the famous prediction. And even though their Hall of Fame signal caller may not return, this year’s Vikings can still make it all happen and plan to do just that.

As if the Vikings needed any more motivation, New Orleans defensive coordinator Greg Williams recently promised another beating for Brett Favre, should he choose to stand behind the Vikings offensive line on opening day. It’s more an attempted pre-fight psych job than anything else, but a league vet like Williams should know better than to put fuel on an opponent’s motivational fire. Especially when the opponent already has a redwood sized chip on their shoulder.

If I was Drew Brees, I’d tell Greg Williams to keep his mouth shut. The game of football is physical, yes, but calling out hits on opposing players is unsportsmanlike on the one hand, and asking for many opponents to stoop to your level on the other. With Brees’ face firmly planted in the 2011 Madden Curse crosshairs, Williams should think twice about poking the sleeping Vikings any further prior to opening day.

For more Vikings news and discussions, check out http://www.purplepride.org
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