Nonstopdrivel
14 years ago

Vikings luck with injuries ended at the Superdome
 

Updated: August 31st, 2010 6:29pm

Tom Pelissero
1500ESPN.com

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- It started at the Superdome.

That's where Sidney Rice, Cedric Griffin and Brett Favre limped out on Jan. 24 with the injuries that still are impacting them today.

That's where the Minnesota Vikings' good fortune with injuries came to an end.

Oh, linebacker E.J. Henderson's broken leg seven weeks earlier was bad. But at that point, the Vikings didn't have a single player on injured reserve.

Seventeen starters played every game for that team.

This team has a swarm of locusts in the locker room.

Rice had hip surgery last week and will miss at least a couple of months.

Griffin is rehabbing his reconstructed knee and still hasn't been cleared for practice.

Favre had ankle surgery that didn't take and might need weekly oil changes.

Center John Sullivan got kicked a month ago and has missed the whole preseason.

Playmaker Percy Harvin has missed weeks with migraines and is permanently day-to-day.

Rookie Chris Cook seized Griffin's job at right cornerback -- the only big hole when training camp began -- and injured a knee the same night.

That last one might end up hurting as much as any.

Because it continues at the Superdome.

Rice's injury and Harvin's issues prompted the Vikings to trade with Miami last week for receiver Greg Camarillo.

The price: veteran nickelback Benny Sapp.

He never really had a shot to start, but Sapp was nothing if not a nice insurance policy.

Now the Vikings have only three NFL-caliber corners healthy as they prepare to face a Saints offense that spreads things out and attacks downfield as well as anyone.

A showdown with the Super Bowl champs, and the Vikings won't have their best receivers or offensive line to safeguard a moored quarterback, either.

Remember this, though.

It doesn't end at the Superdome.

The Vikings didn't get there for the NFC championship game because they have one or two difference-makers.

They survived Henderson's injury. And Harvin's migraines. And cornerback Antoine Winfield's foot problem. And the entire o-line being banged up.

Winfield and Henderson are healthy again. Harvin's back on the field (for now). Favre's mobility isn't exactly a weapon at this point anyway.

Teams win titles because of they have two or three elite playmakers, and even without Rice, the Vikings have that.

Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen are two reasons not to count out this team for anything.

The Week 4 bye looked like a curse when the schedule came out, but now it seems to fall when they might need a break most -- right before a brutal stretch in New York against the Jets, home against Dallas on a short week, then at Green Bay and at New England.

All things considered, a 4-3 start would be a massive victory for these Vikings.

Could expectations for a conference runner-up be dipping any more quickly?

Sure, the injuries and everything else could portend a collapse. Instantaneous declines are possible with any team starting 10 players on the wrong side of age 30.

That doesn't mean make anything inevitable, though. Good or bad.

Too much can happen between now and January.

It starts at the Superdome.

Tom Pelissero is Senior Editor of 1500ESPN.com


UserPostedImage
zombieslayer
14 years ago
Actually, they didn't survive EJ Henderson's injury. His absence was noticeable if Pelissero watched the games. Their D took a drastic decline after he got injured.
My man Donald Driver
UserPostedImage
(thanks to Pack93z for the pic)
2010 will be seen as the beginning of the new Packers dynasty. 🇹🇹 🇲🇲 🇦🇷
Zero2Cool
14 years ago
Blah, the Vikings won't stop at taking former Packers anything, will they? Players, Coaches, and now sports writers. They have a crappy culture for football and are trying to get some of our magic. 😉
UserPostedImage
Fan Shout
Zero2Cool (10h) : Both LB Quay Walker and Rookie DB Micah Robinson have passed their physicals
Zero2Cool (10h) : Happy to see site feels more snappy snappy
Zero2Cool (10h) : No sir. I did not.
dfosterf (10h) : You didn't get free childcare when you were at work?
wpr (11h) : These guys make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Pay for their own childcare.
dfosterf (12h) : 2nd issue. Number 1 issue was no gameday childcare. 1 of 3 teams not providing it
Zero2Cool (12h) : Suppose if locker room is main issue, we sitting pretty
wpr (12h) : I thought so Mucky. In those useless player polls GB always rates high overall. Locker is a part of it.
Mucky Tundra (13h) : Wasn't the locker room just updated like 6 or 7 years ago?
Zero2Cool (13h) : I have forum updated on different site. We'll see how this one goes before going to that
Zero2Cool (14h) : Elgton Jenkins has a back injury, is expect to end contract dispute
wpr (16h) : It's funny the PA complained about the locker room. It wasn't that long ago it was top shelf. Things change in a hurry.
wpr (16h) : The site is much more better.
Zero2Cool (17h) : NFLPA report said Packers lockerroom needed upgrade. Whining bout where you change?
Zero2Cool (17h) : I saw that and thought it was kind of lame.
dfosterf (17h) : Packers new locker room is pretty awesome. Great for morale, imo
Zero2Cool (17h) : Shuffled things on the web server. Hope it makes it faster.
Zero2Cool (18h) : Other times, it's turtle ass
Zero2Cool (18h) : Sometimes it's snappy, like now.
beast (19h) : I feel like it's loading at the top of the next minute, or something like that.
beast (19h) : Also the thanks/heart takes FOREVER to load, and posting in the shout box takes three times FOREVER!
beast (19h) : Thanks for saying something, I thought it was slow, but assumed it was on my end
beast (19h) : Thanks for saying something, I thought it was slow, but assumed it was on my end
Zero2Cool (19h) : Yeah, I noticed that too. Is it slow for PackerPeople.com too?
wpr (19h) : I don't know what you IT guys call it but the page loading is very slow for me today.
Zero2Cool (19h) : SSL might be settled now.
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : Still working through SSL cert issues
wpr (23-Jul) : Glad to be back
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : I think PH original finally working.
dfosterf (22-Jul) : Can tell you are having a fun day Kev
Zero2Cool (22-Jul) : Yep, I had to manually move them. It'll fix itself after more posts.
Mucky Tundra (22-Jul) : Same deal with the songs/videos thread, says you replied last but when I go there it's what I posted earlier is last
Zero2Cool (22-Jul) : I had to manually move three posts.
Mucky Tundra (22-Jul) : But when I go it, Martha's is the last reply
Mucky Tundra (22-Jul) : Still a little screwy; it shows on the main forum that you were the last person to reply to the Jenkins trade thread
Zero2Cool (22-Jul) : Host issues, been crazy day
Mucky Tundra (22-Jul) : Connect 4?
Zero2Cool (22-Jul) : Connecting to new database
Zero2Cool (22-Jul) : What the hell
beast (22-Jul) : Packershome going to the Whiteout unis again
Zero2Cool (21-Jul) : Oh wait, they got Cam Ward. 1st overall right? haha oops
Zero2Cool (21-Jul) : They could send Packers a 1st for a QB they are familiar with
Zero2Cool (21-Jul) : Titans QB Will Levis to have season-ending shoulder surgery
Zero2Cool (19-Jul) : Their season did kind of start there, so 🤷
dfosterf (19-Jul) : Eagles put an engraved Brazil flag on their super bowl rings
Zero2Cool (18-Jul) : Benton unsigned no more
Zero2Cool (17-Jul) : That's good analysis, yes you are getting old. It'd a blessing!
dfosterf (14-Jul) : *analysis* gettin' old
dfosterf (14-Jul) : One of the best analyisis I"ve ever watched at this time of an offseason
dfosterf (14-Jul) : Andy Herman interviewed Warren Sharp on his Pack a day podcast
Please sign in to use Fan Shout
2025 Packers Schedule
Sunday, Sep 7 @ 3:25 PM
LIONS
Thursday, Sep 11 @ 7:15 PM
COMMANDERS
Sunday, Sep 21 @ 12:00 PM
Browns
Sunday, Sep 28 @ 7:20 PM
Cowboys
Sunday, Oct 12 @ 3:25 PM
BENGALS
Sunday, Oct 19 @ 3:25 PM
Cardinals
Sunday, Oct 26 @ 7:20 PM
Steelers
Sunday, Nov 2 @ 12:00 PM
PANTHERS
Monday, Nov 10 @ 7:15 PM
EAGLES
Sunday, Nov 16 @ 12:00 PM
Giants
Sunday, Nov 23 @ 12:00 PM
VIKINGS
Thursday, Nov 27 @ 12:00 PM
Lions
Sunday, Dec 7 @ 12:00 PM
BEARS
Sunday, Dec 14 @ 3:25 PM
Broncos
Friday, Dec 19 @ 11:00 PM
Bears
Friday, Dec 26 @ 11:00 PM
RAVENS
Saturday, Jan 3 @ 11:00 PM
Vikings
Recent Topics
1h / Around The NFL / beast

2h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

4h / Around The NFL / Mucky Tundra

8h / Green Bay Packers Talk / bboystyle

8h / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

9h / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

19h / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

23-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

22-Jul / Random Babble / Zero2Cool

22-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

22-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

20-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

20-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

18-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

15-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

Headlines
Copyright © 2006 - 2025 PackersHome.com™. All Rights Reserved.