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.

Read More: 2012 nfl mock draft, nfl mock draft 2012, new nfl mock draft, Justin Blackmon (WR – Oklahoma St.), Matt Kalil (OT – Southern Cal), Riley Reiff (OL – Iowa), Morris Claiborne (CB – LSU), Minnesota Vikings, USC Trojans

The latest 2012 NFL mock draft was posted Monday morning at SB Nation. In a move that will not surprise anyone, the Minnesota Vikings are once again project to take USC Trojans offensive tackle Matt Kalil.

Kalil had an impressive showing at the recent NFL Combine and is basically a lock to be there when the Vikings select with the third overall pick. Our own Christopher Gates wrote that getting “stuck” with Kalil should be the plan and SB Nation’s Ryan Van Bibber agrees:

Franchise quarterback (hopefully), meet franchise left tackle. Kalil will help right away. If Adrian Peterson can rebound, the Vikings should be more than a punchline in 2012.

Whether Christian Ponder is indeed a franchise quarterback is still up for debate by some Vikings fans, but AD should heal just fine — he’s already going through rehab — and Kalil would obviously be a welcome addition to the offense.

In other news surrounding possible picks Minnesotans have had in mind, the LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne is projected to be picked fourth, Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon at six and Riley Reiff at No. 11 to the Kansas City Chiefs.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation’s NFL hub.

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings are going younger this offseason. Some of their most experienced starters have contracts and ages that make them candidates for a pay cut — or for being cut from the team.

One of them is five-time All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson, who is scheduled to make $6.95 million in 2012, the final installment of a seven-year deal worth as much as $49 million. He is aware of the way his salary sticks out.

“I know what the cap situation is and all that, but it’s out of my control,” said the 34-year-old Hutchinson, a 2001 first-round draft choice of the Seahawks who played for Seattle through the 2005 season.

Hutchinson said he wouldn’t be surprised if the Vikings ask him to redo his deal to stay this season. He also acknowledged he has considered the possibility of being let go before the new league season begins and free agency opens next month.

“Any player has to worry about that in the NFL,” Hutchinson said Monday.

Last year, the Vikings jettisoned left tackle Bryant McKinnie and wide receiver Bernard Berrian well ahead of the expiration of their contracts. Right guard Anthony Herrera, set to draw $2.65 million this season, is another candidate for the same fate, though cornerback Cedric Griffin, with three more years on his deal at more than $14 million combined, is the most glaring contender after a down season.

Hutchinson, 6 feet 5 and 313 pounds, is a mainstay of the offensive line. He started 131 consecutive games, including the playoffs, until a broken right thumb sidelined him at the end of 2010. His last of seven Pro Bowl selections came in the 2009 season, and his durability and dominant blocking aren’t what they were.

But the Vikings would surely miss him if he goes.

They averaged 144.9 yards rushing per game last season, ranking fourth in the league, despite a new left tackle and instability at right guard.

When asked to assess his performance in 2011, Hutchinson said he played “great.”

After shoulder surgery in 2010 to repair an injury he played through in 2009, Hutchinson wasn’t as strong that year as he wanted to be because of all the time spent on rehabilitation rather than training. With extra time to rest last summer during the lockout, he got healthier.

“It was the best shape I’ve been in in a number of years,” Hutchinson said.

Note

• Kansas City agreed to terms on a $19.6 million, three-year deal with cornerback Stanford Routt, 28, which could help the Chiefs absorb the potential loss of cornerback Brandon Carr, 25.

Routt is still owed $5 million next month from the Oakland Raiders, who released him after the first year of a $54.4 million, five-year deal.

Minnesota Vikings’ Jared Allen signals the crowd to cheer during the first quarter of the Minnesota Vikings game against the New Orleans Saints on December 18, 2011 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. (Pioneer Press: Sherri LaRose-Chiglo) (Sherri LaRose-Chiglo)

WASHINGTON – Don’t touch that dial. There are oh-so-many suspense-filled reasons to tune in when the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Redskins go at it on Christmas Eve.

Can Rex Grossman get through an entire game without committing a turnover? Can Christian Ponder get through a game without getting sacked several times? Does an undrafted rookie have any chance whatsoever against Jared Allen?

Can the Vikings avoid their worst in-season losing streak since 1961, when they were an expansion franchise coached by Norm Van Brocklin? Can the Redskins avoid their worst home losing streak since 1994? How much more misery awaits the two clubs that swung and missed with an aging Donovan McNabb?

How many people will actually bother to show up for a Saturday holiday weekend game between two teams that have a combined five wins since the start of October?

“I don’t want to be part of that, the worst team in Vikings’ history,” Minnesota linebacker E.J Henderson said. “I’m sure it’s on some people’s minds, some guys’ minds. Whatever it takes to motivate you.”

See! There’s actual history on the line!

In all seriousness, motivation is a big deal when the Vikings (2-12) have lost six straight and are in danger of matching or sinking below the all-time worst Minnesota team that went 3-13 in 1984. And it’s a big deal when the Redskins (5-9), even though they’ve played better lately, are perilously close to extending a dubious franchise record by finishing last in their

division for the fourth straight year.

“The season didn’t go the way we thought it would, and everyone knows that,” said Washington fullback, tight end and all-around veteran voice Mike Sellers. “But no one’s going to give up. And no one’s going to sit there and let no team embarrass them. Just got to fight through it.”

Full credit goes to the Redskins for salvaging some pride after their own six-game losing streak. They’ve won two of their last four and put up a good fight in a seven-point loss to the New England Patriots. That said, Washington’s locker room had a definite last-day-of-school feel about it Thursday, with players collecting autographs from each other and talking about offseason plans.

“There’s a lot of distractions that go on this week with Christmas and the holidays,” coach Mike Shanahan said. “And you’ve really got to work with those distractions during a week like this. So hopefully our team’s focused and ready to go.”

The Vikings’ ship is less steady. The star players on both sides of the ball were publicly questioning their roles after last week’s 42-20 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Allen, who needs 5-1/2 sacks to break Michael Strahan’s single-season record, was on the bench during the Saints’ final possession and complained: “What are we resting me for? The playoffs?” Adrian Peterson, in his first game back from a sprained ankle, had just 10 rushes and wondered aloud: “I don’t know how to explain 10 carries. I was ready to roll. I just do my job.”

Later, after reviewing the game, tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said: “You could see some guys hung it up.”

None of which bodes well for Leslie Frazier, who claimed victory in his NFL head coaching debut in a November game at Washington last year and hasn’t won much since – and perhaps regrets not saying from the outset that this would be a rebuilding season.

“I really coming into the year thought we had some things in place to really push in our division, especially with the way the offseason had gone, knowing that there would be a lot of things unknown about this year,” Frazier said. “But as it has turned out, looking at where this team is and where other teams are in our division and around our league, we have a ways to go.”

There’s also been some debate as to whether Shanahan should have declared the Redskins to be in rebuilding mode during training camp. He has essentially conceded that to be the case, saying recently this was the year to stock the defense and next year the focus will be on adding talent to the offense.

Meanwhile, the real fun should be watching Allen. He has 17-1/2 sacks and is expected to spend much of the game against left tackle Willie Smith, who made his NFL debut just two weeks ago after Trent Williams was suspended for the rest of the season for violating the NFL’s drug policy.

Allen used to give Shanahan fits when the defensive end was with the Kansas City Chiefs and the coach was leading the Denver Broncos. During one game, Shanahan called for a play for the tight end to deck Allen with a crack-back block. There was only one problem – Allen came out of the game for that play.

“And so we just kill the guy that’s substituting for Allen,” Shanahan said, “and I look across the field and he’s pointing his finger at me and he is laughing as hard as he can. And I couldn’t help it, I started laughing myself. I saw him in Vegas that offseason and he looked at me and said, ‘Oh, that was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. You just killed my substitute. That could have been me.’”

Could there be a similar call in the Shanahan playbook on Saturday?

“Could be, could be,” the coach said.

Yet another reason to watch!

I know I sound like a broken record, but I’m going to use this line again. The injuries continue to pile up for the Minnesota Vikings as this 2011 season continues to wind towards its disappointing end.

This past Sunday, when the Vikings lost 42-20 to the New Orleans Saints, veteran guard Steve Hutchinson went down with a concussion that could potentially sideline him for the final two games of the season.

In hopes of healing the wounds that the injury bug has left behind, the Vikings signed former USC guard Butch Lewis to their practice squad on Tuesday, Dec. 20. This, however, isn’t Lewis’ first go-around with the Vikings.

After going undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft, Lewis spent training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs and was signed to their practice squad shortly after failing to make the final cuts for the 53-man active roster. Throughout the first month of the regular season, he was on and off of their practice squad before getting the final axe from the Chiefs on Oct. 6.

On Oct. 26, the Vikings signed Lewis to their practice squad in hopes of providing some depth to their heavily-depleted offensive line. He remained a part of the Vikings’ practice squad up until a week ago when he was waived to make room for two new additions to the team’s wide receiver corps.

Now back with the Vikings, Lewis will work as an extra body along the offensive line for the team to take advantage of throughout the week. Although it’s unlikely that he’ll see the field in the next two weeks, there’s potential to earn himself a training camp invite when the Vikings begin work for the 2012 season.

Lewis will join fellow guard Chris DeGeare as the Vikings’ two practice squad offensive linemen.

In order to make room for Lewis, the Vikings have subtracted wide receiver Owen Spencer from the practice squad. Spencer, who was one of the wide receivers signed when the Vikings initially waived Lewis, is an undrafted rookie out of North Carolina State. He was brought in along with fellow undrafted rookie wide receiver Kris Adams, but apparently didn’t do enough to earn another week with the team.

Only two weeks to go until this nightmare of a season is over.

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.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

STORY LINES

Woeful pass D: The Vikings have lost four in a row, six of their past seven, and nothing can be blamed more than their inept pass defense. Over the past seven games, the Vikings’ secondary has allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71% of their passes and throw for 1,808 yards, 18 touchdowns and no interceptions. The Vikings’ pass defense ranks 26th overall and has only six interceptions.

Will Ponder, Peterson play? The game-time decisions of starting running back Adrian Peterson and quarterback Christian Ponder will impact the Vikings’ game plan and the Lions’ defensive scheme drastically. If Peterson, who has missed the past two games, can’t go, third-year running back Toby Gerhart will start. Gerhart is strictly a between-the-tackles runner who doesn’t have the speed to get outside like Peterson can. If Ponder can’t start due to a hip pointer, backup Joe Webb will make the third start of his career. Webb was 0-2 in two starts last season, including a 20-13 loss to the Lions.

Allen-Cunningham Feud: The Vikings’ best defensive player, Jared Allen, ripped on Detroit this past week, saying he would not want to live here because it is gloomy, among other things. Lions defensive coordinator — and Allen’s former defensive coordinator in Kansas City — Gunther Cunningham fired back at Allen on Friday, saying he’s “not good enough to live here. I know him well; he should go back to California, Los Gatos, where all those nice people live. This is too tough of a town for him.”

LAST GAME

The Vikings led in each quarter but couldn’t stop Broncos QB Tim Tebow from orchestrating another fourth-quarter comeback in a 35-32 loss. Broncos kicker Matt Prater’s 23-yard field goal as time expired capped the scoring and sent the Vikings to their fourth consecutive defeat. Vikings WR Percy Harvin had a career-high 156 receiving yards, and Gerhart gained 91 yards on 21 carries to lead the offense. Ponder was picked off twice, lost a fumble and was under constant pressure.

LAST MEETING

The Lions trailed, 20-0, at halftime in the Metrodome in September before a furious second-half comeback forced overtime. Matthew Stafford threw two touchdown passes in the second half, and Jason Hanson kicked a 32-yard field goal to win it in overtime. Calvin Johnson had seven catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns for the Lions, who started 3-0 for the first time since 1980. This also was the Lions’ first win at the Metrodome since 1997, snapping a 13-game skid.

Join Free Press special writer Nick Meyer for a live blog of the Lions-Vikings game Sunday at freep.com/sports.

The Chicago Bears kept Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson from
hurting them in the NFC North rivals’ most recent matchup at Soldier Field.

This time, they might need to be equally concerned with Jared Allen(notes) and his
fellow defensive linemen.

The disruptive Vikings will try to take advantage of a beleaguered Bears
offensive line and claim consecutive victories for only the second time in two
seasons Sunday night.

Peterson had a season-best 122 yards and matched a career high with three
touchdowns last week as Minnesota claimed its first win of the season, routing
visiting Arizona 34-10. The Vikings (1-4) got two sacks apiece from Allen -
giving him an NFL-best 8 1/2 – and fellow defensive end Brian Robison(notes), who is
tied for ninth in the league with 4 1/2.

Allen has 8 1/2 sacks in six career matchups with Chicago and had two in the
previous game at Soldier Field, a 27-13 loss Nov. 14.

“(The Vikings) are going to let that front four go to work, and we have to
find a way to block them,” said Bears quarterback Jay Cutler(notes), who has thrown for
13 TDs in his five games against the Vikings.

Minnesota is tied for second in the league with 16 sacks and its defensive
linemen have collected all but one of those. The Vikings will try to use that
pass rush to claim only their second win in 11 games in Chicago and first since
2007.

The Bears have allowed the third-most sacks in the league (18), and Cutler
was taken down three times – and hurried countless others – during a 24-13 loss
in Detroit on Monday night.

Chicago’s offensive line also committed a stunning nine false-start
penalties.

“I’m sure they’re going to do everything possible to fix some of the
problems they had on Monday night and during the season. We got to be prepared
to adjust to any changes they make,” said Vikings coach and former Bears
cornerback Leslie Frazier. “We need our pass rush to be working for us.”

While scrambling often, Cutler managed to throw for 249 yards and a
touchdown against the Lions, and Matt Forte(notes) topped 100 yards for the second
straight game with 116 on 22 carries. Chicago (2-3), though, only scored three
points after halftime and gave up its second touchdown of 70-plus yards in the
third quarter.

“It’s time to do some soul searching and see what each of us is really made
of,” cornerback Charles Tillman(notes) said. “We can either tuck our tails between our
legs and go run away or man up and fight and get this thing turned around.”

The Bears gave up a season-worst 181 rushing yards in the loss and are
surrendering an NFL-worst 5.7 yards per carry, but they’ve held Peterson to less
than 100 in each of the past two games in Chicago.

He gained 51 yards on 17 carries at Soldier Field last November and failed
to score for the first time in seven matchups.

Peterson was nursing ankle and knee injuries during a 40-14 loss to the
Bears on Dec. 20.

To snap their three-game skid against the Bears, the Vikings could use a
similar performance from their running back and a better one from Donovan
McNabb(notes). The veteran quarterback’s completion percentage (56.8) and yards per
attempt (6.43) both rank 27th in the league.

McNabb hasn’t thrown for more than 262 yards in any of his seven
regular-season matchups with his hometown team, but has prevailed in five of
those, including a 17-14 victory with Washington last season at Soldier Field.

He might have former Bears receiver Bernard Berrian(notes) back to help him.
Berrian was on the inactive list for last week’s game for undisclosed reasons, a
punishment he says he’s “already over.”

“I don’t foresee any future problems. I really expect him to play at a high
level for us and play well,” Frazier said.

Berrian, who has two catches for 37 yards, was part of a brief Twitter feud
with a state lawmaker following a 22-17 loss in Kansas City on Oct. 2. Another
former Chicago wideout, Devin Aromashodu(notes), has 115 yards and a touchdown over the
last two games.

The Bears, meanwhile, are unlikely to have Julius Peppers(notes) available. The
defensive end, who signed a six-year deal worth $91.5 million before the start
of last season, was listed as doubtful after missing practice Friday due to a
sprained left knee. He had returned late in Monday’s game after suffering the
injury.

Chicago expect to see defensive end Corey Wootton(notes) return, though on a
limited basis. After missing three games with a knee injury before returning
Oct. 2, he sat out the loss to Detroit with a broken hand.

The Bears are tied for 21st with nine sacks, five of which came in a
season-opening win over Atlanta.

A fourth straight victory over Minnesota would give Chicago its longest
streak since a series-best six-game run Dec. 11, 1983-Oct. 5, 1986.

By
Sportsmail Reporter

Last updated at 12:22 PM on 10th October 2011

Minnesota’s star running back Adrian Peterson bagged a hat-trick of first-quarter touchdowns as the Vikings kick-started their hitherto dismal season with a 34-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Donovan McNabb added a score as the Vikings moved to 1-4 for the season on the back of a flying start.

Deep Purple: Minnesota Vikings got off the mark with a win over the Cardinals

McNabb’s TD and the heroics of Peterson – who rushed 29 times for a total of 122 yards – made it 28-0 inside 12 minutes, a position from which the Cardinals (1-4) found it impossible to recover.

Ben Roethlisberger equalled a team record five touchdown passes as the Pittsburgh Steelers eased to a 38-17 triumph over the Tennessee Titans.

Hines Ward was on the receiving end of two of Roethlisberger’s scoring passes, while Mike Wallace, Heath Miller and David Johnson also crossed for the 3-2 Steelers.

In the thick of it: Barnett celebrates a touchdown against the Eagles

Tennessee are also 3-2 and saw a three-game winning streak ended by this defeat. The Oakland Raiders honoured the memory of owner Al Davis with a 25-20 win over the Houston Texans.

Jason Campbell threw two touchdown passes to lift the 3-2 Raiders to victory just one day after the 82-year-old Davis died at his Oakland home. Matt Schaub threw for 416 yards and two touchdowns for the 3-2 Texans.

Under fire: Jim Caldwell’s Indianapolis Colts are without a win this term

Pierre Thomas’ last-minute touchdown lifted the New Orleans Saints to a narrow 30-27 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Drew Brees found Thomas wide open for a six-yard score with just 50 seconds remaining in the contest. Brees threw for a total of 359 yards and two touchdowns as the Saints improved to 4-1.

The Panthers, meanwhile, slip to 1-4 despite the efforts of Cam Newton, who threw for 224 yards and two touchdowns.

Astrong defensive showing lifted the Buffalo Bills to a 31-24 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Linebacker Nick Barnett had two of Buffalo’s four interceptions, scoring on a 31-yard interception and later confirming the win as he forced the turnover when grabbing Michael Vick’s pass to Jason Avant inside the final two minutes.

The win lifts the Bills to 4-1 while the Eagles’ four-game losing streak leaves them at 1-4.

Elsewhere, Brandon Browner’s 94-yard interception set the seal on the Seattle Seahawks’ 36-25 win over the New York Giants, Matt Cassel threw for 257 yards and four touchdowns as the Kansas City Chiefs posted a 28-24 victory over the winless Indianapolis Colts, and Andy Dalton threw two touchdown passes to help the Cincinnati Bengals to a 30-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Alex Smith threw two of his three touchdown passes to Vernon Davis, Frank Gore ran for a score in his second straight 100-yard rushing game and the San Francisco 49ers beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48-3.

It represented the 49ers’ best start in nine years. BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran for a career-high 136 yards and two touchdowns as the New England Patriots beat the New York Jets 30-21.

Tom Brady completed 24 of 33 passes for 321 yards and one touchdown. Philip Rivers led the San Diego Chargers to a 29-24 win over Denver despite Tim Tebow’s attempt to rally the Broncos from a 16-point deficit.

Aaron Rodgers led the unbeaten Green Bay Packers back from a sluggish start for a 25-14 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Rodgers threw for 396 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Read More: vikings football, minnesota vikings football, cardinals football, arizona cardinals football, cardinals at vikings, cardinals vs vikings, arizona at minnesota, arizona vs minnesota, cardinals injury report, arizona cardinals injury report, vikings injury report, minnesota vikings injury report, Ben Graham (P – ARI), Chansi Stuckey (WR – ARI), Todd Heap (TE – ARI), Nick Harris (P – DET), Joey Porter (LB – ARI), Dave Zastudil (P – ARI), Charlie Johnson (OT – MIN), E.J. Henderson (LB – MIN), Chris Kluwe (P – MIN), Antoine Winfield (CB – MIN), Michael Adams (CB – ARI), Lyle Sendlein (C – ARI), Husain Abdullah (S – MIN), John Sullivan (C – MIN), Early Doucet (WR – ARI), Brandon Keith (OT – ARI), Greg Toler (CB – ARI), Beanie Wells (RB – ARI), Jasper Brinkley (LB – MIN), Jamarca Sanford (S – MIN), A.J. Jefferson (DB – ARI), Ryan Williams (RB – ARI), Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings, Oct 9, 2011 12:00 PM CDT

Both the Arizona Cardinals and the Minnesota Vikings have some injury concerns going into this one, including a couple of big names.

We’ll start with the injury report for the visiting Arizona Cardinals.

Hamstrings are the name of the game for the Cardinals, as that’s the issue with tight end Todd Heap, running back Beanie Wells, and wide receiver Early Doucet, according to our friends at SB Nation Arizona. Heap is said to be a game-time decision, while it would be surprising if either Wells or Doucet are deactivated for this one. In the event that Zastudil can’t handle the punting duties, Arizona has former Cardinals’ punter Ben Graham on standby.

Now, on to the Vikings, who have some injury issues of their own.

Winfield’s injury is a neck injury that he suffered in the Kansas City game, and his absence could present some huge problems for the Vikings on defense. He’s technically a “game-time decision” as well, but it would be surprising to see him out there on Sunday, from all accounts. Kluwe is also battling an injury, and the Vikings have brought in former Detroit Lions’ punter Nick Harris in case he can’t go. Then again, Kluwe has played through a torn ACL in the past, so it would be a surprise if he wasn’t playing this Sunday.

They are tied together, Leslie Frazier and Donovan McNabb, by a
13-year relationship that helped bring the veteran quarterback to
Minnesota back in July.

That relationship, built on trust and communication, has become
more important than ever as criticism of both player and coach
starts to mount in the wake of an 0-4 start that is the worst for
the Vikings since 2002.

The two met on Monday after a 22-17 loss to Kansas City. Frazier
has faced questions about some of his in-game decisions and
McNabb’s inconsistency has some calling for rookie Christian Ponder
to take over.

So the two old friends are leaning on each other to try to get
the Vikings turned around.

“The fact that we have a history together makes it a little
easier to be pointed in conversations and not have to dance around
issues and vice versa,” Frazier said Wednesday. “Both of us being
able to communicate on that level, it does help.”

Frazier was hired as a defensive assistant on Andy Reid’s staff
in Philadelphia in 1999 when the Eagles drafted McNabb in the first
round. They entered the league together and found common ground in
their faith and levelheaded approach to a game that can include
wild swings in emotion from week to week.

Frazier wanted McNabb more than any other available veteran
quarterback when the Vikings went looking this summer after the
retirement of Brett Favre. Convinced the lockout made it close to
impossible for Ponder to be ready, Frazier wanted an established
veteran who could help the Vikings avoid a rebuilding year.

He turned to McNabb, who was benched twice during a forgettable
year in Washington, over other candidates like Matt Hasselbeck,
Bruce Gradkowski and Kerry Collins.

“That definitely made a difference,” Frazier said at the time.
“Our past, the fact that we came in the league together, my term as
a first-year coach with the Eagles and his rookie year as a player.
So, that made a difference in the conversation, my familiarity with
him and vice versa.”

McNabb took a significant pay cut to complete the trade and come
to Minnesota, hoping to revive his career and trusting his
relationship with his new coach.

“I remember watching his kids grow up,” McNabb said. “Now his
kids are taller than I am.”

Running a new offense without a summer to get it down, McNabb
ranks 30th in the league in yards passing, 28th in yards per
completion and 22nd in completion percentage.

Playing under a heavy rush on most occasions, he is completing
just 37 percent of his passes on third down. That has kept the
Vikings from sustaining drives, particularly in the second half as
they’ve let games slip away.

That prompted the meeting on Monday, and McNabb said he also met
with offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave and quarterbacks coach
Craig Johnson to “iron out some wrinkles” in the offense.

“We sat down on Monday and went into detail about where we are,
where we need to be and what has to be done going forward,” Frazier
said. “I think we’re on the same page, we know what we have to get
done. I know he’s eager to get back on the field, eager to play
another game and helping to right the ship.”

With NFC North rivals Green Bay and Detroit both off to 4-0
starts, the Vikings’ prospects of contending for a playoff spot are
daunting. Some fans have called for Ponder to take over on Sunday
against Arizona (1-3) and for the Vikings to turn their focus to
building for the future around the 12th overall pick.

But Frazier is standing firmly in McNabb’s corner. He said the
Vikings have plenty of problems right now, but quarterback isn’t
one of them. Frazier saw progress in McNabb’s performance against
the Chiefs, when he completed 18 of 30 passes for 202 yards, two
touchdowns and an interception.

That support, that open line of communication that clearly was
not there in Washington last season, is hitting home with
McNabb.

“We’ve been through four losses, that’s over and now it’s time
to move on,” McNabb said. “I look for positive things to happen in
these upcoming weeks. He does the same way, and the rest of the
team does as well.”

Frazier also was close with Favre and stuck with him at
quarterback even when the 41-year-old was hobbled by injury and
throwing interceptions left and right at the end of last season.
But Frazier was the interim coach then, and the season was already
lost.

Now that the job, and the responsibility, is totally his, no
amount of admiration or respect will be able to keep him from
benching McNabb if the team’s struggles continue.

In some ways, the real test of their relationship has yet to
come.

“What gets you to the point where you are looking at the
quarterback position like so many are doing?” Frazier said. “What
has created that conversation? Our record has a lot to do with
that.

“In my case, it’s more about our entire team, what’s best for
our team as we’re making the decision. That’s purely what it’s
about. What’s the best thing for our team at this point.”

___

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