In hopes of adding some veteran experience to their secondary, the Minnesota Vikings have scheduled yet another free agent visit.

This time, they’re planning on bringing in former Baltimore Ravens cornerback Chris Carr. The seven-year NFL veteran will meet with the Vikings on Thursday night.

The free agent cornerback met with the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday, but left without a contract and is now headed for Minnesota.

Carr started his NFL career with the Oakland Raiders back in 2005 as an undrafted free agent out of Boise State. After three seasons with the Raiders, he became a restricted free agent but wasn’t tendered. The Tennessee Titans eventually scooped him up and kept him on their roster for one year. In 2009, he signed with the Baltimore Ravens and spent his first two seasons with them as a starter. In 2011, a back injury limited his ability to see the field and led to his eventual release at season’s end.

The Vikings had also expressed interest in signing Carr as a free agent in 2009, but he opted to join the Ravens.

More than anything, Carr would provide the Vikings secondary with depth and experience. Barring any injuries, Carr would spend his time with the Vikings as a nickel package cornerback who would only see the field in passing situations. If signed, he would be in competition with youngsters Brandon Burton and Marcus Sherels as well as any potential 2012 draftees for playing time.

Carr also brings versatility as a return specialist. Although he isn’t as dangerous as Ted Ginn Jr, who the Vikings recently brought in for a visit, he does have experience and can handle the reps that the Vikings are hoping to take away from wide receiver Percy Harvin.

Despite his veteran value, adding Carr wouldn’t make much sense regarding the Vikings’ youth movement. The 29-year old cornerback has recently struggled with health issues and is in the latter half of his career.

In 105 career games (27 starts), Carr has accumulated 209 total tackles, 24 defended passes, seven forced fumbles, six interceptions and 2.5 sacks. His best season came in 2010 as the Ravens’ season-long starter, compiling 61 total tackles, eight defended passes, three forced fumbles and two interceptions.

Signing Carr wouldn’t be a sexy acquisition, but it gives the Vikings’ secondary a small lift that it so desperately needs.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a life-long follower of the Minnesota Vikings and the founder of TheVikingDen.com. For more Vikings/NFL coverage, follow him on Twitter or “like” The Viking Den on Facebook.

Minnesota expects Peterson to be recovered from left knee surgery for two torn ligaments in time to start the 2012 season.

“We expect most people to recover from this injury in eight to nine months and instead of comparing Adrian to any other player at any level that’s had an anterior cruciate ligament, and they happen every day, I would really like Adrian to stand on his own merit because Adrian, I feel, is very unique,” Vikings head trainer Eric Sugarman said Monday.

“Adrian has a great work ethic. Adrian has the DNA to heal quickly, which he has shown in the past. He certainly will have the desire and the mental toughness to be able to get through the rehab process, which will take months and months, as you know. So, I think if anyone can get better quickly and safely in that time period, it would be Adrian Peterson.”

Peterson tore his ACL and MCL when he was hit in the side of the knee by Washington Redskins safety DeJon Gomes in the third quarter of Saturday’s 33-26 win at Washington. An MRI on Saturday evening revealed the ligament tears and meniscus damage, and Peterson will undergo surgery within the next seven to 10 days.

Backup Toby Gerhart, who started three games earlier this season when Peterson was out with a high ankle sprain, will start Sunday in the season-finale against the Chicago Bears. A second-round pick in 2010, Gerhart has filled in well for Peterson and notched the first 100-yard rushing game of his career with 109 yards on 11 carries Saturday. But the Vikings expect Gerhart’s time as the starter to be short-lived.

“He sets his goals extremely high and he’s one of those guys who, when he puts his mind to it, there’s no reason to ever doubt that he can achieve what he sets his mind to,” Minnesota coach Leslie Frazier said of Peterson. “We’re looking forward to his attacking this rehab like he’s attacked every offseason, to come back and play and be even better than he was before. I know with Eric and our medical staff, they’re going to do everything they can to get him back on the field and ready to go when we line up in that first football game next season.”

Gerhart’s emergence over the past month at least offers optimism if Peterson has to miss extended time next season.

Gerhart has had the top three rushing days of his career in the past four weeks. On his first carry after Peterson left Saturday’s game, Gerhart showed some big-play ability of his own, busting free for a 67-yard run, the longest of his short career.

Believing Peterson will be ready for the first game of 2012 and knowing Gerhart is available if needed, Frazier said the team wouldn’t change its run-first offensive approach.

“One of things about Adrian’s absence earlier in the season, we had a chance to get Toby some extended snaps and we really haven’t altered the offense by any means,” Frazier said. “Toby has done a very good job in Adrian’s absence. Did a great job (Saturday) of stepping in and performing and rushing for over 100 yards. So we really haven’t had to alter things. We really don’t plan to. We look forward to eventually getting Adrian back on the field, but we don’t think we have to really alter the offense.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Minnesota Vikings faced a quarterback they simply couldn’t
stop. Christian Ponder saw a future role model.

Drew Brees threw for 412 yards in a little more than three
quarters for New Orleans and got his fifth touchdown pass before
Ponder’s fifth completion, leading the surging Saints to their
sixth straight victory, 42-20 over the Vikings on Sunday.

The ever-cool Brees completed 32 of 40 passes to help the Saints
(11-3) overcome two first-half turnovers and stay two games ahead
of the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South. Ponder was 4 for 13 for 18
yards with 12 1/2 minutes remaining in the game until padding his
statistics with the game long out of reach.

But the rookie, despite looking as rattled as he has all season,
said his confidence wasn’t shaken.

“You live for the ups, obviously. You learn from the downs, and
that’s what I’m trying to do,” Ponder said. “I know here in the
future we’re going to have a lot more ups than downs.”

Brees set an NFL season record with his 11th game of 300-plus
yards passing against a struggling secondary that was further
depleted with the loss of starting cornerback Asher Allen to a
concussion.

“For me it’s motivation,” Ponder said. “I always want to be the
best guy on the field, and obviously Drew is a heck of a
quarterback and one of the better quarterbacks in the league, and I
want to be better than him one day. I use that as motivation to get
better and prove that one day I’ll be in his spot, winning a lot of
games and going to the playoffs.”

The Saints allowed the third-most yards passing in the league
coming into the game, but they flustered Ponder and the Vikings all
afternoon. He had little time to throw, taking four sacks, and his
receivers couldn’t get any separation. Ponder finished 14 for 31
for 120 yards and two touchdown passes to Toby Gerhart, plus an
interception. But even with Adrian Peterson back in the lineup
after missing three games to a sprained left ankle, the Vikings
(2-12) were as impotent on offense as they’ve been all season.
Given two early gifts when the Saints lost fumbles in their own
territory, they managed only two field goals.

“I don’t think I did a good job of getting my guys prepared for
what they were going to face today,” coach Leslie Frazier said.

Frazier hesitated to express disappointment in Ponder’s
performance, insisting he consider the final two games before
gauging whether this was a regression for the first-round draft
pick who started strong when he took over for Donovan McNabb eight
games ago.

“I still think in this case you have to be able to look at the
long view,” Frazier said. “Today was a tough day, no questions
about it, but there were some other factors involved that created a
long day for him as well as our team and offense.”

Peterson rushed for 60 yards on 10 carries.

“I don’t know how to explain 10 carries. I was ready to roll. I
just do my job,” Peterson said. “When I’m called upon, I just try
to go out there and execute. We got behind so we kind of had to
turn more into a passing team. That didn’t work either.”

He also said he was displeased by the team’s effort.

“A lot of missed tackles defensively, a lot of missed
opportunities offensively,” Peterson said.

With Cedric Griffin benched, and Chris Cook and Antoine Winfield
already out, Benny Sapp, Marcus Sherels and Brandon Burton were
left to cover the Saints wide array of talented receivers. And even
when they had tight coverage on the outside, the Vikings couldn’t
get any pressure on Brees, who simply stepped up in the pocket
while his tackles pushed Jared Allen and Brian Robison up the
field.

Brees completed seven passes to tight end Jimmy Graham and five
to running back Darren Sproles, several of them simple but
well-timed screen passes that gained big chunks of yards.

“Guys have to play with no fear, including myself,” Sapp said.
“We’ve got to go out there and make plays.”

The defensive backs weren’t the only ones who weren’t doing
that.

“It’s frustrating, it’s embarrassing and it’s a terrible
feeling,” Allen said. “I know other guys feel the same way.”

Notes: LG Steve Hutchinson left the game with a cut on his lip
that needed stitches and didn’t return. … Sapp was held out of
the first two plays for an unspecified disciplinary reason. …
Percy Harvin was held to 8 yards on three receptions and lost 1
yard on his only carry.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — The New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings couldn’t have been much closer in their epic NFC title game showdown on Jan. 24, 2010, an overtime thriller that Drew Brees and the Saints barely survived on their way to the franchise’s first Super Bowl title.

Less than two years later, the two franchises could hardly be further apart.

The Saints (10-3) roll into the Metrodome on Sunday as one of the model teams in the NFC, an organization with a rock solid foundation at the three most important positions — front office, coach and quarterback.

By no coincidence, the Saints are in first place in the NFC South, two games ahead of the Atlanta Falcons and tied with the San Francisco 49ers for the second-best record in the NFC. Even with the Green Bay Packers looking like the class of the league, the Saints still have a realistic shot at a return trip to the big game.

“We’re a veteran team that’s been through a lot,” Brees said. “We’ve kind of learned the formula for winning and sustaining success.”

The Vikings (2-11), meanwhile, have fallen off the cliff ever since Garrett Hartley’s 40-yard field goal split the uprights to end Minnesota’s hopes of their first trip to the Super Bowl since 1978. Brett Favre returned for one more ill-fated run the next year, a long, miserable 6-10 season in which coach Brad Childress was fired, Favre was embroiled in a texting scandal, Randy Moss came and went in about four weeks and the Dome’s roof collapsed.

“You really can’t explain it,” Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield said. “It’s crazy. The Saints, they’re still a really good football team. Drew Brees still down there, working hard, making plays. I really don’t know what’s going on. We really can’t put our finger on it.”

Start with the lack of continuity. Since that loss, the Vikings have used five quarterbacks — Favre, Tarvaris Jackson, Joe Webb, Donovan McNabb and now rookie Christian Ponder — and have had a lot of turnover on the coaching staff.

“In my mind, it seems like eons ago, seems like forever when we played them in the NFC championship game,” Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said. “So much has transpired between that time and where we are today.”

While not as catastrophic off the field, Frazier’s first season has been even tougher on the field. McNabb didn’t pan out as the quarterback who was supposed to keep the team from a rebuilding season, the secondary was decimated by injuries, Adrian Peterson has missed the last three weeks with a high ankle sprain and Ponder has experienced the growing pains everyone expected when he took over as the starter seven games ago.

The Vikings have lost five games in a row, with the only solace to be taken that a team that waved goodbye to meaningful games more than a month ago continues to show up every week and give its opponent all they can handle, including last weekend in Detroit, when the Vikings fell behind 21-0 in the first quarter but still had a chance to win the game on the final play.

“There are a lot of reasons not to really concentrate and focus and battle,” Frazier said. “And they found reasons to battle, to focus, to believe that they could get back in that game and win that game.”

Still, moral victories aren’t giving much comfort to a veteran team that remembers what it feels like to be so close.

“Me and Kevin (Williams) were laughing about it today, saying, ‘We’ve got to do something. We’ve got to turn it around. That can’t be the only memory of being close to the Super Bowl that I tell my grandkids about at some point,’” defensive end Jared Allen said.

The Saints are looking to add another chapter to a book that already includes one fairy tale finish.

Brees is playing as well as he ever has, threatening the single-season passing record and seemingly getting stronger as the season has progressed. He has topped 320 yards passing in four straight games, with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions during that span.

New Orleans has won five in a row and six of seven to keep the Falcons (8-5) at arm’s length and keep pace with the 49ers for the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. Jimmy Graham has emerged as one of the dominant tight ends in the game and linebacker Jonathan Vilma has been back in the middle of the Saints defense for the last two games after missing four weeks with knee surgery earlier in the season.

“For us it’s been a journey,” Brees said. “We’ve been able to win a lot of games and put ourselves in pretty good position within our division and playoff wise. It hasn’t been easy by any means. We’ve had to fight through some adversity. We’ve had to fight through some injuries at key positions and certain things.”

Saints coach Sean Payton, who has been in place with Brees for the last six seasons, said continuity has been the biggest key to New Orleans’ sustained success.

“When you look at ownership, GM, head coach, players on our team, the staff, there’s been a very stable program where I think everyone understands how hard it is, how difficult it is, the challenges we face in winning games and getting to the postseason,” Payton said.

MINNEAPOLIS – The New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings couldn’t have been much closer in their epic NFC title game showdown on Jan. 24, 2010, an overtime thriller that Drew Brees and the Saints barely survived on their way to the franchise’s first Super Bowl title.

Less than two years later, the two franchises could hardly be further apart.

The Saints (10-3) roll into the Metrodome on Sunday as one of the model teams in the NFC, an organization with a rock solid foundation at the three most important positions — front office, coach and quarterback.

By no coincidence, the Saints are in first place in the NFC South, two games ahead of the Atlanta Falcons and tied with the San Francisco 49ers for the second-best record in the NFC. Even with the Green Bay Packers looking like the class of the league, the Saints still have a realistic shot at a return trip to the big game.

“We’re a veteran team that’s been through a lot,” Brees said. “We’ve kind of learned the formula for winning and sustaining success.”

The Vikings (2-11), meanwhile, have fallen off the cliff ever since Garrett Hartley’s 40-yard field goal split the uprights to end Minnesota’s hopes of their first trip to the Super Bowl since 1978. Brett Favre returned for one more ill-fated run the next year, a long, miserable 6-10 season in which coach Brad Childress was fired, Favre was embroiled in a texting scandal, Randy Moss came and went in about four weeks and the Dome’s roof collapsed.

“You really can’t explain it,” Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield said. “It’s crazy. The Saints, they’re still a really good football team. Drew Brees still down there, working hard, making plays. I really don’t know what’s going on. We really can’t put our finger on it.”

Start with the lack of continuity. Since that loss, the Vikings have used five quarterbacks — Favre, Tarvaris Jackson, Joe Webb, Donovan McNabb and now rookie Christian Ponder — and have had a lot of turnover on the coaching staff.

“In my mind, it seems like eons ago, seems like forever when we played them in the NFC championship game,” Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said. “So much has transpired between that time and where we are today.”

While not as catastrophic off the field, Frazier’s first season has been even tougher on the field. McNabb didn’t pan out as the quarterback who was supposed to keep the team from a rebuilding season, the secondary was decimated by injuries, Adrian Peterson has missed the last three weeks with a high ankle sprain and Ponder has experienced the growing pains everyone expected when he took over as the starter seven games ago.

The Vikings have lost five games in a row, with the only solace to be taken that a team that waved goodbye to meaningful games more than a month ago continues to show up every week and give its opponent all they can handle, including last weekend in Detroit, when the Vikings fell behind 21-0 in the first quarter but still had a chance to win the game on the final play.

“There are a lot of reasons not to really concentrate and focus and battle,” Frazier said. “And they found reasons to battle, to focus, to believe that they could get back in that game and win that game.”

Still, moral victories aren’t giving much comfort to a veteran team that remembers what it feels like to be so close.

“Me and Kevin (Williams) were laughing about it today, saying, ‘We’ve got to do something. We’ve got to turn it around. That can’t be the only memory of being close to the Super Bowl that I tell my grandkids about at some point,’” defensive end Jared Allen said.

The Saints are looking to add another chapter to a book that already includes one fairy tale finish.

Brees is playing as well as he ever has, threatening the single-season passing record and seemingly getting stronger as the season has progressed. He has topped 320 yards passing in four straight games, with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions during that span.

New Orleans has won five in a row and six of seven to keep the Falcons (8-5) at arm’s length and keep pace with the 49ers for the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. Jimmy Graham has emerged as one of the dominant tight ends in the game and linebacker Jonathan Vilma has been back in the middle of the Saints defence for the last two games after missing four weeks with knee surgery earlier in the season.

“For us it’s been a journey,” Brees said. “We’ve been able to win a lot of games and put ourselves in pretty good position within our division and playoff wise. It hasn’t been easy by any means. We’ve had to fight through some adversity. We’ve had to fight through some injuries at key positions and certain things.

Saints coach Sean Payton, who has been in place with Brees for the last six seasons, said continuity has been the biggest key to New Orleans’ sustained success.

“When you look at ownership, GM, head coach, players on our team, the staff, there’s been a very stable program where I think everyone understands how hard it is, how difficult it is, the challenges we face in winning games and getting to the post-season,” Payton said.

Early in the season, the Minnesota Vikings learned that you can’t play the first half and forget about the second. Now, they’re learning that you can’t wait until the fourth quarter to finally act like winning is the goal.

When the Vikings hosted the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, they forgot that a football game consists of 60 minutes worth of action. Despite the Vikings’ fourth-quarter surge, the Raiders were still able to hand them their eighth loss of the season by a score of 27-21.

The Vikings took an early lead on the Raiders after a 12-yard scamper by Adrian Peterson ended in six points. Although the drive was kept alive and spurred numerous times by Raiders’ penalties, the Vikings managed to capitalize on the opportunities given to them.

Then, the Vikings took the biggest blow they could have been dealt when Peterson sprained his ankle on their next offensive possession. After gashing the Raiders’ defensive front for another 12 yards, Peterson had his ankle rolled up on and painfully limped off of the field. Although he was carted to the locker room and listed by the team as doubtful, he returned to the field dressed and ready to go in the second half. He couldn’t overcome that doubt, though, as he spent the rest of the game on the sideline while fighting the painful grimace that kept forcing its way on to his face.

It was all downhill from there for the Vikings, who gave up 27 unanswered points to the Raiders. Whether it was quarterback Carson Palmer(notes) picking apart the defensive secondary or Michael Bush(notes) barreled his way through the defensive front, the Vikings struggled to slow down the Raiders offensive assault.

The offense wasn’t any better for the Vikings. The loss of Peterson put the running game on crutches despite the fact that rookie quarterback Christian Ponder(notes) picked up a large chunk of yards whenever he scrambled. Backup running back Toby Gerhart(notes) and wide receiver Percy Harvin(notes) found some daylight on the ground, but the huge deficit on the scoreboard forced the ground attack to the backburner.

Unfortunately, the passing game’s dominance might have been a key determinant in their loss. Although Ponder looked confidence as ever slinging the pigskin, his three interceptions took the air out of the Vikings offense over and over. Almost every interception came when the Vikings were driving, including one that was picked off in the endzone after a Bush fumble set the Vikings up with great field position. His poise and moxie can’t be questioned, but Ponder’s decision making needs to improve greatly if the Vikings hope for him to develop into a franchise quarterback. He finished the game with 211 yards and two touchdowns to go along with those three interceptions.

What really put the Vikings in a bind, though, was their putrid special teams. The Raiders consistently got big yards on kick and punt returns, putting the defense in short field situations. The only field goal attempt on the game for the Vikings was botched in numerous aspects, which again left the silver and black with great field position. The biggest screw up, however, was the Lorenzo Booker(notes) kick return fumble that set up another Raiders touchdown just before halftime. Vikings special teams coach Mike Priefer looked like he was about to blow a gasket, and rightfully so.

Overall, it was an ugly performance for the Vikings. Both teams combined for 21 penalties (and 167 penalty yards) as yellow flags flew like they were confetti pieces at a New Year’s Eve party. Despite closing the gap to six points in the fourth quarter, they had dug too deep a hole throughout the first quarters and couldn’t muster enough big plays to earn a win.

With the loss of Peterson, this season is really caught in a downward spiral. At 2-8, the Vikings are now playing for pride as well as the hope of raining on another team’s parade. Whether they ever manage to play spoiler or not is yet to be seen, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they end up going 2-14 on the season. This team has a lot of work to do this offseason and things only seem to be getting worse for the Norsemen as the 2011 season progresses.

Here’s to another week of hoping that the Vikings can get their act together and find a way to not hang their own noose.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a life-long follower of the Minnesota Vikings and the founder of TheVikingDen.com. For more Vikings/NFL coverage, follow him on Twitter.

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Read More: vikings football, minnesota vikings football, raiders football, oakland raiders football, raiders at vikings, raiders vs vikings, oakland at minnesota, oakland vs minnesota, vikings raiders scores, vikings raiders updates, vikings raiders injuries, darrius heyward-bey injured, darrius heyward-bey injury, Cedric Griffin (CB – MIN), E.J. Henderson (LB – MIN), Darrius Heyward-Bey (WR – OAK), Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders at Minnesota Vikings, Nov 20, 2011 12:00 PM CST

With twelve minutes left in the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Oakland Raiders, Raiders’ wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey caught a pass on a crossing route across the middle of the field, and was brought down by Vikings’ cornerback Cedric Griffin. At the end of the play, Vikings’ linebacker E.J. Henderson came flying into the play and caught Heyward-Bey in the back of his head with either his knee or his thigh.

Though it didn’t look like it was terribly serious on the replay, Heyward-Bey remained down on the field and didn’t get up. He eventually had the training staff come out and check him out, and the end result was him getting placed on a stretcher and, ultimately, on a cart and taken off of the field.

Heyward-Bey appeared to have movement in his arms and his legs, and gave his teammates a thumbs-up as he was being taken off the field, so hopefully he will recover without any serious issues.

For further updates on Heyward-Bey’s status, be sure to check out SB Nation Bay Area, as well as SB Nation’s Oakland Raiders’ site, Silver and Black Pride.

Read More: vikings football, minnesota vikings football, raiders football, oakland raiders football, raiders at vikings, raiders vs vikings, oakland at minnesota, oakland vs minnesota, vikings raiders scores, vikings raiders updates, vikings raiders injuries, Michael Jenkins (WR – MIN), Ryan Longwell (K – MIN), Adrian Peterson (RB – MIN), Percy Harvin (WR – MIN), Christian Ponder (QB – MIN), Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders at Minnesota Vikings, Nov 20, 2011 12:00 PM CST

After what can charitably be described as an ugly first quarter, the Minnesota Vikings have dented the scoreboard first in their game against the Oakland Raiders.

After the two teams exchanged punts on their first possessions, the Vikings took the ball from their own 23-yard line. The Raiders appeared to have the Vikings stopped on several occasions, but just kept committing penalties to keep the Minnesota drive going. The Raiders committed personal foul penalties on two consecutive plays, one of which negated what would have been a third down sack of Christian Ponder that would have ended the drive.

There was also an interesting situation after what could have been a Vikings’ touchdown. Percy Harvin took an inside handoff from Ponder and appeared to have a 40-yard touchdown run, but Michael Jenkins was called for a penalty that brought it back. The Vikings had a rare 1st-and-2 after the spot foul, but the officials showed it on the field as 2nd-and-2. As a result, when the Vikings failed on second down, they thought it was third down and had sent Ryan Longwell onto the field. But, after the Vikings called a time out (which they ultimately weren’t charged for), they converted a third down and kept the drive alive.

A couple of plays later, Adrian Peterson took one right though the heart of the Oakland defense for a 12-yard touchdown run, giving the Vikings a 7-0 lead. It’s Peterson’s 11th rushing touchdown of the season, extending his NFL lead in this category.

With a little more than five minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Minnesota Vikings lead the Oakland Raiders, 7-0, at the Metrodome.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Another night, another four-touchdown performance for Aaron Rodgers — just about what the Green Bay Packers have come to expect from their superstar quarterback.

The real surprise came on the other side of the ball: A defense that finally showed it can take charge of a game.

The Packers (9-0) remain the NFL’s lone undefeated team. And if they now can count on a defense to complement their high-octane offense, they just might be unstoppable.

Rodgers threw for four scores against a fierce Vikings pass rush, Randall Cobb returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown and the Packers defense contained Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings in a 45-7 victory on Monday night.

“It’s (our) best game, because of the margin of victory,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “And at the end of the day, it’s about points.”

Green Bay’s defense came into the game giving up nearly 300 yards passing per game, second-most in the NFL. Their last time out, the Packers nearly blew a big lead in the fourth quarter at San Diego, holding on for a 45-38 victory.

The Packers finally played to their potential against the division rival Vikings (2-7), holding rookie quarterback Christian Ponder to 190 yards passing with an interception and limiting Peterson to 51 yards and a touchdown.

“Our performance tonight was very disappointing,” Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said.

The Vikings’ defense did its best to rough up Rodgers, sacking him three times and hitting him hard virtually every time he took off running. Defensive end Jared Allen harassed Rodgers at every turn.

The pressure didn’t force any uncharacteristic mistakes from Rodgers, who was 23 of 30 for 250 yards without an interception. Rodgers threw a pair of touchdown passes to Jordy Nelson, and also found Greg Jennings and John Kuhn for scores.

Allen didn’t need anybody to recite Rodgers’ gaudy stats.

“I don’t even know what that means,” Allen said. “All I know is he crushed us tonight.”

McCarthy put backup quarterback Matt Flynn in the game with 10:30 left in the fourth quarter — and the Vikings couldn’t keep him out of the end zone, either, as he scrambled 3 yards for a touchdown with 4:27 left.

But it was Cobb, a second-round rookie out of Kentucky, who got it all started for the Packers.

After the Packers’ defense forced the Vikings to go three-and-out on their first possession, Cobb fielded a punt from Chris Kluwe and squeezed through a seam in the middle of the field.

Cobb accelerated down the left sideline and danced the final few steps into the end zone, tossing the ball in the air as if he was shooting a basketball before doing a “Lambeau leap” into the stands.

Cobb also had a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the Packers’ season opener against the New Orleans Saints.

Rodgers finally got the ball at the 9:55 mark in the first quarter and directed an 11-play, 70-yard drive that included conversions on third-and-8, to Donald Driver, and third-and-7, to running back James Starks. Rodgers then finished the drive with a perfect pass to Jennings in the middle of the field for a touchdown, and the Packers led 14-0.

With the Vikings driving near the end of the first quarter, Charles Woodson wrestled a ball away from Visanthe Shiancoe for what initially was ruled an interception. Frazier challenged the call and it was overturned, giving Ryan Longwell a shot at a 47-yard field goal.

But the Vikings committed a penalty, and Longwell came up just short on a 52-yard attempt.

Rodgers then put together another drive, and Rodgers hit tight end Jermichael Finley for 25 yards on a fourth-and-5 conversion attempt at the Vikings 34-yard line. Allen sacked Rodgers on first-and-goal, and the Packers ended up settling for a 25-yard field goal by Mason Crosby to take a 17-0 lead with 12:04 left before halftime.

Ponder then threw an interception to Packers cornerback Tramon Williams, misfiring on a deep ball after a flea-flicker toss back from Peterson.

Rodgers was sharp on the first possession of the second half, leading an eight-play, 69-yard drive that included a fourth-down conversion to Nelson.

Rodgers found Nelson on the right sideline two plays later, Nelson threw a stiff arm at Vikings cornerback Cedric Griffin and broke free for a touchdown, giving the Packers a commanding 24-0 lead with 10:45 left in the third quarter.

The Packers forced another punt but Cobb fumbled, and the Vikings recovered deep in Packers territory.

Ponder threw to Percy Harvin for 11 yards, then handed to Peterson for a 3-yard touchdown up the middle. The Vikings cut the Packers’ lead to 24-7 with 8:41 left in the third quarter.

Cobb then made up for his mistake with a long kickoff return to give the ball to the Packers at midfield. Rodgers led yet another precision drive, finishing it off with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Kuhn for a 31-7 lead.

Apparently, the Minnesota Vikings finally remembered who Toby Gerhart is.

According to Vikings’ offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, the former Heisman Trophy runner-up will be getting more opportunities to prove that he’s an NFL-caliber running back. My initial response: What took you so long?

“We have to do a better job of getting Toby on the field and spelling Adrian,” Musgrave said. “We did a little bit better job of that in Charlotte. But we look to do a much better job of that over the next eight games.”

“In Charlotte”, referring to the Vikings’ latest game against the Carolina Panthers, Gerhart made a significant impact during the short amount of time he was on the field. Although most of his snaps came during one possession, he managed to rack up 27 yards on four carries that drive and helped lead the Vikings down the field towards their game-tying touchdown. What sparked the drive were two consecutive runs by Gerhart that totaled 20 yards.

“Toby was essential in that drive we had in the third quarter in Charlotte,” Musgrave said. “When he got in the game, the ball started to move.”

So they spent a second-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft on Gerhart and they’re finally figuring this out after having him on the roster for 24 games? He finished second in the closest race in Heisman Trophy history after rewriting the Stanford record books and he’s only gotten 17 handoffs this year? No wonder fans are starting to question the offensive competency of the Vikings’ coaching staff.

“We have to do a better job of getting him on the field and devise some packages where he’s a part of it and can contribute because he’s definitely capable,” Musgrave said.

Calm down, coach; you’re making me nervous.

The last time Musgrave and his staff devised a package for a particular player, we watched as Joe Webb’s attempt at running the “Blazer” package ended miserably. They ran two plays out of the package for negative yardage against the San Diego Chargers in Week 1 and I haven’t seen it since. Head coach Leslie Frazier threatened to bring it back in early October, but his threats were empty. The fact that they want to get him more involved is reassuring, though.

As for Gerhart being capable, I think that’s an understatement. During his days at Stanford, he terrorized PAC-10 defenses week in and week out. Throughout his entire career as a Cardinal, he carried the ball 671 times for 3522 yards (5.2 yards per carry) while striking paydirt 43 times. Using his hardhat style of running, he bullied any tackler that dared get in his way and gave defensive coordinators nightmares.

Some critics might say that Gerhart hasn’t appeared to be anywhere near as dominant in the NFL, but who would appear dominant as a backup to Adrian Peterson? Of course he’s going to look like a chump when he’s filling in for the NFL’s best running back.

Gerhart doesn’t have breakaway speed or ankle-breaking moves, but what he does have is grit, power and tenacity. He never shies away from a hit and seldom gets knocked backwards after contact. His pass blocking and receiving abilities make him a prime candidate for the Vikings’ third-down back role, which he should be utilized in more often.

Although this sudden interest might be stemming from an attempt to lighten Peterson’s workload, I’m definitely curious to see if Gerhart can capitalize. If he can begin to bulldoze his way through defenses like he did in college, there’s no reason that the Vikings’ ground attack can’t evolve into a two-man show.

Either way, I’m glad to hear that the Vikings’ coaches are finally taking notice of Gerhart. Better late than never.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a life-long follower of the Minnesota Vikings and the founder of TheVikingDen.com. For more Vikings/NFL coverage, follow him on Twitter.

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Donovan McNabb(notes) wasn’t the only Minnesota Vikings player absent from the field on Sunday. Chris Cook(notes) wasn’t there either, and the reason for his absence was far worse than poor athletic performance. The Vikings cornerback spent Sunday afternoon in a jail cell in Minneapolis, following Saturday’s arrest for allegedly strangling his girlfriend.

Yesterday, Cook was charged with felony domestic assault and released on $40,000 bail. He might be out of jail for the time being, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be returning to the field for next Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers. Yesterday evening, the Minnesota Vikings released a statement announcing Cook’s indefinite suspension:

” Today’s allegations against Chris Cook are very disturbing and disappointing. At this time, he is suspended without pay from the team while we continue to gather information regarding the situation. We will have no further comment until the appropriate time.”

This isn’t the first incident in which a Vikings player has been arrested this season. During training camp in Mankato, fourth-string quarterback Rhett Bomar(notes) was arrested for driving while intoxicated. He ended up being waived from the team in late August. The second arrest of the season arrived in September, when Tyrell Johnson decided to follow in Bomar’s footsteps. Minnesota State Patrol measured his blood alcohol content at .12 percent, enough to get him booked for a fourth-degree DWI charge.

Driving while intoxicated is beyond foolish. It puts the lives of the driver and countless innocent people in danger. And of course, Bomar’s and Johnson’s arrests were incredibly embarrassing for the Minnesota Vikings. But their crimes pale in comparison to Cook’s felony charges. While the two DWI’s can be chalked up to stupidity and carelessness, Cook’s crime is one of disturbing aggression.

After his release, Chris Cook immediately logged on to Twitter to plea for understanding from the fans. His first Tweet explained, ” There’s always two sides to a story!! ” This may be true, but I’m more inclined to believe Cook’s girlfriend, especially since this isn’t the cornerback’s first scrape with the law. In March, he was arrested for brandishing a gun while arguing with a friend.

If it turns out that Chris Cook did strangle his girlfriend, the Minnesota Vikings should kick him out immediately. They have enough problems on their hands without having to deal with yet another criminal.

Born and raised in Minnesota, S. Gustafson has remained faithful to the Vikings through their many ups and downs.

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MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook was arrested early Saturday on domestic battery charges, and the team said Cook, who has started the past three games, will not play this weekend against the Green Bay Packers.

The 24-year-old Cook was arrested without incident after someone called 911 around 2 a.m. to report hearing people across the street yelling and screaming, Eden Prairie police spokeswoman Katie Beal said.

The second-year pro was booked on two charges, including one count of domestic assault, and was being held without bail Saturday at Hennepin County jail, according to online records. Prosecutors have 48 hours in which to charge Cook, who has a court hearing scheduled for Monday morning.

Bob Hagan, the Vikings’ spokesman, said Cook has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against unbeaten Green Bay. Earlier, the team issued a statement saying it didn’t plan to comment about the arrest until it could learn more about what happened.

“We take this matter very seriously and are still gathering all the details of the incident,” the Vikings said.

Earlier this year, Cook was accused of pulling a gun on a neighbor in his home state of Virginia. A judge found him not guilty of a misdemeanor count of brandishing a firearm, saying there was insufficient evidence to convict him.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier had a talk with Cook in the offseason to reiterate the importance of staying out of trouble off the field, and the second-year player emerged as perhaps the most reliable cornerback on the field during the team’s 1-5 start. At 6-foot-2, he has the size to match up with taller receivers and the speed to keep up with smaller ones.

The loss of Cook for Sunday’s game against the pass-heavy Packers is a huge blow to the Vikings’ already depleted secondary. Cornerback Antoine Winfield is listed as doubtful with a neck injury and starting safety Jamarca Sanford likely is out with a concussion.

Cook has started in Winfield’s place over the last three games opposite Cedric Griffin, who has yet to return to his old form while coming off his second torn ACL in the last two years.

Without Cook, Asher Allen will likely step into the starting role with Marcus Sherels moving into the nickelback spot, giving the Vikings two of their top three cornerbacks under 5-foot-10. Rookie Brandon Burton also could be activated to provide some depth against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, who run a wide-open passing attack that floods the secondary with receivers.

Even before the incident with Cook, Frazier said his short-handed secondary would be challenged against their undefeated division rivals.

“They do a lot of four- and five-wideout sets; more so than most teams that you play,” Frazier said on Friday. “You would like to have all hands on deck, but the guys that are going to play are going to be ready to go and we are going to need them to step up and play big for us.”

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook was arrested early Saturday on domestic battery charges, and the team said Cook, who has started the past three games, will not play this weekend against the Green Bay Packers.

The 24-year-old Cook was arrested without incident after someone called 911 around 2 a.m. to report hearing people across the street yelling and screaming, Eden Prairie police spokeswoman Katie Beal said.

The second-year pro was booked on two charges, including one count of domestic assault, and was being held without bail Saturday at Hennepin County jail, according to online records. Prosecutors have 48 hours in which to charge Cook, who has a court hearing scheduled for Monday morning.

Bob Hagan, the Vikings’ spokesman, said Cook has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against unbeaten Green Bay. Earlier, the team issued a statement saying it didn’t plan to comment about the arrest until it could learn more about what happened.

“We take this matter very seriously and are still gathering all the details of the incident,” the Vikings said.

Earlier this year, Cook was accused of pulling a gun on a neighbor in his home state of Virginia. A judge found him not guilty of a misdemeanor count of brandishing a firearm, saying there was insufficient evidence to convict him.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier had a talk with Cook in the offseason to reiterate the importance of staying out of trouble off the field, and the second-year player emerged as perhaps the most reliable cornerback on the field during the team’s 1-5 start. At 6-foot-2, he has the size to match up with taller receivers and the speed to keep up with smaller ones.

The loss of Cook for Sunday’s game against the pass-heavy Packers is a huge blow to the Vikings’ already depleted secondary. Cornerback Antoine Winfield is listed as doubtful with a neck injury and starting safety Jamarca Sanford likely is out with a concussion.

Cook has started in Winfield’s place over the last three games opposite Cedric Griffin, who has yet to return to his old form while coming off his second torn ACL in the last two years.

Without Cook, Asher Allen will likely step into the starting role with Marcus Sherels moving into the nickelback spot, giving the Vikings two of their top three cornerbacks under 5-foot-10. Rookie Brandon Burton also could be activated to provide some depth against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, who run a wide-open passing attack that floods the secondary with receivers.

Even before the incident with Cook, Frazier said his short-handed secondary would be challenged against their undefeated division rivals.

“They do a lot of four- and five-wideout sets; more so than most teams that you play,” Frazier said on Friday. “You would like to have all hands on deck, but the guys that are going to play are going to be ready to go and we are going to need them to step up and play big for us.”

___

Follow Jon Krawczynski on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/APkrawczynski

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook was arrested early Saturday on domestic battery charges, and the team said Cook, who has started the past three games, will not play this weekend against the Green Bay Packers.

The 24-year-old Cook was arrested without incident after someone called 911 around 2 a.m. to report hearing people across the street yelling and screaming, Eden Prairie police spokeswoman Katie Beal said.

The second-year pro was booked on two charges, including one count of domestic assault, and was being held without bail Saturday at Hennepin County jail, according to online records. Prosecutors have 48 hours in which to charge Cook, who has a court hearing scheduled for Monday morning.

Bob Hagan, the Vikings’ spokesman, said Cook has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against unbeaten Green Bay. Earlier, the team issued a statement saying it didn’t plan to comment about the arrest until it could learn more about what happened.

“We take this matter very seriously and are still gathering all the details of the incident,” the Vikings said.

Earlier this year, Cook was accused of pulling a gun on a neighbor in his home state of Virginia. A judge found him not guilty of a misdemeanor count of brandishing a firearm, saying there was insufficient evidence to convict him.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier had a talk with Cook in the offseason to reiterate the importance of staying out of trouble off the field, and the second-year player emerged as perhaps the most reliable cornerback on the field during the team’s 1-5 start. At 6-foot-2, he has the size to match up with taller receivers and the speed to keep up with smaller ones.

The loss of Cook for Sunday’s game against the pass-heavy Packers is a huge blow to the Vikings’ already depleted secondary. Cornerback Antoine Winfield is listed as doubtful with a neck injury and starting safety Jamarca Sanford likely is out with a concussion.

Cook has started in Winfield’s place over the last three games opposite Cedric Griffin, who has yet to return to his old form while coming off his second torn ACL in the last two years.

Without Cook, Asher Allen will likely step into the starting role with Marcus Sherels moving into the nickelback spot, giving the Vikings two of their top three cornerbacks under 5-foot-10. Rookie Brandon Burton also could be activated to provide some depth against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, who run a wide-open passing attack that floods the secondary with receivers.

Even before the incident with Cook, Frazier said his short-handed secondary would be challenged against their undefeated division rivals.

“They do a lot of four- and five-wideout sets; more so than most teams that you play,” Frazier said on Friday. “You would like to have all hands on deck, but the guys that are going to play are going to be ready to go and we are going to need them to step up and play big for us.”

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.