Kevin Williams hyper-extended knee will not be ready for Sunday's game. Though much better, the Vikes have decided to give the 32-year-old Williams an extra week to recover more fully.
The Vikings have a strong line this year, but missing Williams against the Lions will be a big deal. The Lions have had a fantastic offense the last two years and no one is going to replace Williams and the pressure he brings.
Tim Tebow says he still wants to be an NFL QB and does not want to switch positions. There's a chance that his NFL days may be over. Unless a team or two loses a starter the first couple of weeks, Tebow might be on to other things. At this point, he has already turned down offers from the Canadian Football League as well. He wants to be a QB. He wants to be in the NFL. And he's going to sit at home a while and wait for "the call."
I was looking at the ESPN Power Rankings this week and was mildly surprised to see that Seattle is number one ranked ahead of such teams as the Falcons, 49ers, Broncos, Packers, and Patriots. I believe Seattle is going to have a very strong year, but that ranking seems kind of high at this point in the season. I wouldn't be surprised if they made the Super Bowl this year, but knowing they'd have to beat both the Packers and San Francisco in the playoffs to get there seems pretty remote.
My own pick? The Niners with Manning and the Broncos as the most serious threat. Russel Wilson has been very good for Seattle and their offense, but Colin Kaepernick and Peyton Manning are in a whole 'nother category.
I'm looking forward to Sunday, but have already resigned myself to the thought that the Vikings (even with a healthy Adrian Peterson) are probably not even good enough to be a .500 team this season. You don't need a great QB to get to the Super Bowl, but you do need a smart one. Ponder still looks more lost on the field than the greenest of rookies. Knowing when to take the sack is WAY more important than forcing stupid passes. I hope he grows this year, but seeing the coaching staff keep him in the pocket instead of moving on most plays leaves me frustrated. Ponder IS NOT a pocket passer. Until everyone realizes that, we really will have no hope at all.
I'm picking the Lions on Sunday and see the Vikings as a 4-12 or 5-11 team this year at best. Don't forget that were STILL having trouble with the holds on place kicks. Automatics that aren't automatic end up screwing with kickers heads and we are going to see Walsh over-thinking and missing critical kicks this season as a result. Missed critical kicks cost teams wins.
The game I'm really looking forward to on Sunday? The Packers versus the Niners. The team that wins THAT game could easily become the NFC Super Bowl favorite.
Getting back to the Power Rankings: The Vikings are solidly in the middle of the pack at number 17. The Lions are a few steps below them at 21. I don't think the Lions are going anywhere this season either, but I see them improving on their 4-12 record from last year.
An early season win against the Vikings at home will get them started on that goal.
It's weird, home field advantage means SO MUCH in the NFL. If the Vikes were starting the season AT HOME the first two weeks instead of being on the road, my hopes for the season would be much, much brighter. But starting on the road means that they could easily be 0-2 by the time week three rolls around. A team that starts 0-2 instantly becomes a different team than one that starts 2-0, especially when both of those losses are against division opponents.
IF the Vikes win those first two games, and look GOOD doing it, my whole outlook will change just as quickly. I don't see it, though. In the NFL the road is where you lose. The Vikings have been one of the best examples of that for the past ten seasons.
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