By Jason Hannah
Last year the Minnesota Vikings were this close (imagine me holding up my thumb and forefinger VERY close together) from making it to the Super Bowl. Brett Favre had joined the team and was having an amazing season… even in Brett Favre standards. The team went 12-4 in the regular season and mowed through a tough Dallas Cowboys team in the NFC Divisional round. Unfortunately the Vikings managed to beat themselves in a very close and very tough NFC Championship game against the eventual Super Bowl Champion Saints.
As we look on to the quickly approaching 2010 NFL season, the Vikings have the potential to be even more successful than they were last year, but they also have the potential to struggle through out the year.
Will Brett Favre Come Back?
Of course the biggest question in the minds of Vikings fans is whether or not Brett Favre will return to the Vikings by week one. Many people feel that if he returns this season, the Vikings are one of the favorites to win the NFC. If he doesn’t return, the Vikings stock drops considerably.
Harvin, Rice, and Peterson Were Limited In Training Camp
Another concern for the Vikings is the fact that three of their most dangerous offensive weapons have missed out on a lot of practice time so far. Peterson should be okay to take some handoffs in the preseason, but he was very limited in training camp practices because of “tightness” in his legs.
Percy Harvin lost a grandmother in July, and because of family obligations and later because of migraine headaches he missed out on most of training camp as well. Harvin is in Minnesota, but there hasn’t been any indication as to when he’s going to be able to rejoin the team.
Sidney Rice has missed out on training camp because of a hip injury. Rice had a breakout year in 2009, and the Vikings success in 2010 will depend greatly on his effectiveness.
The Vikings Have A Potentially Tougher Schedule This Year
Last season the Vikings were scheduled to play against the AFC Central and the NFC West. That meant the Vikings played the Cleveland Browns, the Seattle Seahawks, the St. Louis Rams, and the San Francisco 49ers. This year the Vikings will face the NFC East and the AFC East, which in my opinion might be the two toughest divisions that a team can have to face in the same year. The NFC East will bring the Cowboys, who many feel are a favorite in the NFC, the Giants, who always manage to be tough, the Eagles, who although they’re playing with a new QB this year seem to be a regular playoff team, and the Redskins, who have upgraded at both the quarterback and head coach positions. The AFC East has the Bills, which probably won’t be that great this year, but on the flip side the have the Dolphins, the Jets, and the Patriots, who are all playoff caliber teams.
Not only that, but the Vikings own division might see an upgrade this year. The Packers were a very solid team last year, and they should be even better this year. They’ve had a year to adapt to their new defense, and Aaron Rogers might be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFC. Even though I don’t expect the Bears to be great this year, the potential is there. Many people think Cutler will improve, and the addition of Julius Peppers will beef up their pass rush. Even the Lions should improve from where they were last year.
Overall I have faith in the Vikings to do good things. They’re a solid team from top to bottom with no glaring weaknesses.
But I sure would feel a lot better if Brett came back.
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