Minnesota Vikings defensive back Jarrad Page would seem like quite an all-around athlete. The Vikings player was originally drafted into the NFL in 2006 as a seventh round pick for Kansas City. He also played for the Patriots and Eagles.

Surface of an American football ball.
Wikimedia Commons

He seems to have some serious baseball skills as well, as after an open tryout, the Los Angeles Dodgers have signed Page to a Minor League contract to play outfield. Jarrad Page played baseball at UCLA and was drafted three times by MLB teams as a center fielder. He chose to play football and did not sign with any of the MLB teams. I think the open tryouts the Dodgers hold in Arizona are always exciting, as you never know who is going to show up and surprise everyone.

I think it would be great for Jarrad Page to actually make the Dodgers and start for the team, it would certainly be good for publicity and attract attention. Unfortunately, I think he’s going to be cut by the Vikings for lack of results and when you look at his college baseball stats, he wasn’t that good.

The six foot tall, 225 pound safety went to school at UCLA and is listed as an “unrestricted free agent” with the Vikings. He played only five games for Minnesota in 2011, after playing six games in Philadelphia. The Eagles cut him after he missed four tackles during one game. He spent 2010 with the New England Patriots and his previous four seasons with the Chiefs.

Page was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002, the Colorado Rockies in 2005 and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2006. In 2002 he went in the fifth round, in 2005 it was the 32nd round and in 2006 it was the seventh round. At UCLA, he didn’t have great statistics, he only had a .199 average with four homers and 28 RBIs in 199 appearances at the plate.

It will be interesting to see where this goes. If really successful, Page would be the first NFL player to later be named to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. There have been eight former MLB players who went on to be inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame, including Deion Sanders.

Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman

More from this contributor:

Oakland Raiders Need a Bounty Program: Fan’s View

Jack Tatum – Oakland Raiders’ Assassin: Fan’s Look

Did Raiders Bounty Program Kill Darryl Stingley? Fan’s Opinion

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

The Minnesota Vikings already lost one of their franchise players in a game where they were already eliminated from playoff contention when Adrian Peterson tore his ACL and MCL against the Washington Redskins on December 24, 2011. Should they take another chance with the man that they drafted with the 12^th-overall draft pick in the 2011 NFL Draft?

Christian Ponder is expected to start in Minnesota’s 2011-12 regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears on January 1, 2012. Doctors have cleared him to play as he has passed all the necessary tests following a concussion that he suffered against the Redskins. The injury occurred when Redskins linebacker London Fletcher put a powerful hit on Ponder when the game was tied 10-10.

Ponder admitted that this was the second concussion that he has had in his football career. The Vikings invested heavily in Ponder when they selected him with their 12^th pick. Ponder was the fourth quarterback taken after Cam Newton, Jake Locker and Blaine Gabbert.

I’m a bit surprised that the Vikings don’t err on the side of caution. Concussions can be unpredictable. It doesn’t help that Steve Hutchinson won’t be protecting him against a Bears’ defensive line that includes Henry Melton and Julius Peppers. Hutchinson was placed on injured reserve with his own head injury.

Ponder doesn’t need to rush back. Joe Webb has outperformed Ponder in his past two outings. Webb completed 4-of-5 passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns against the Redskins. He also had a rushing touchdown as he led the Vikings to a 33-26 victory after Ponder left the game. The Vikings were also trailing 21-0 to the Detroit Lions before Webb led them within a couple yards of a comeback. The Vikings eventually lost 34-28 after a facemask penalty went uncalled.

That doesn’t even include his performance against the Philadelphia Eagles last season. Webb outplayed Michael Vick while the Eagles were gunning for a first-round bye. The Vikings won 24-14.

Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier gave his support for Ponder as the starting quarterback. According to Frazier:

“I think you always want to do whatever is best for your team and whatever gives your team the best chance to win. Right now, Christian being our starting quarterback, that’s our belief.”

It’ll be interesting to see how the Vikings handle their quarterback situation heading into the 2012-13 season. The front office will obviously favor Ponder because of what they invested in him. However, it may be difficult to keep Webb benched if he continues to take advantage of these situations.

More from Yahoo! Contributor Network

NFL Injury Update: Minnesota Vikings’ Adrian Peterson Tears ACL and MCL

Don’t Count on the Green Bay Packers Resting Starters in Week 17: Fan’s Take

Greatest Playoff Games for the Green Bay Packers in the 21st Century: Fan’s Take

Five Players that the Chicago Cubs Should Trade Before 2012 Spring Training: Fan’s Wish List

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

By Dave Campbell, Associated Press

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings have been down all year. Now they’re even more depleted.

The transaction list released by the Vikings resembled a virtual white flag, with four key players placed on injured reserve with five games to go in a second straight dismal season. Two safeties, a wide receiver and the long snapper are out, joining two of their best three cornerbacks.

These are positions that lacked depth at the beginning of the year. But as tantalizing as securing that second overall draft pick for 2012 can be — assuming the winless Indianapolis Colts are on their way to locking up No. 1 — the Vikings (2-9) haven’t abandoned their goal of finishing the season with success.

The ultracompetitive nature of professional sports makes it nearly impossible for coaches and players to think that way, for one. The Vikings will face legitimate playoff contenders in four of their last five games, another motivating factor. Plus, there’s the fear of rushing a rookie into action too soon.

“If you don’t feel like he’s quite ready and you put him out there just for the sake of saying, ‘We want to look at him in a game,’ and now the kid fails or he jeopardizes someone else’s health because he wasn’t ready,” coach Leslie Frazier said, “then that’s not the wisest thing to do.”

Frazier said this week’s moves were not made because of the team’s record. Only long snapper Cullen Loeffler and wide receiver Michael Jenkins would have a chance to return if the Vikings were still in the race for a playoff spot. So they’ve been left with no choice but to elevate the status of a handful of young players.

Strong safety Tyrell Johnson, who started three games this season to fill in while Jamarca Sanford and Husain Abdullah were injured, tore the hamstring tendon away from the bone in his right leg. Frazier said Johnson will need six months to recover. He was scheduled to have surgery Wednesday.

Abdullah also is done for the year, due to lingering concussion symptoms. That means sixth-round draft pick Mistral Raymond will start at safety next to Sanford, with Jarrad Page now backing them up. Page was signed Tuesday after being let go recently by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jenkins, who leads the team with three touchdown receptions and is second in catches and yards, has torn meniscus cartilage — Frazier didn’t say which knee — and will have surgery Thursday. His season-ending injury prompted the team to re-sign rookie Stephen Burton, a seventh-round draft pick who has been on and off the roster.

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been downgraded to out for Sunday’s matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, the team announced Saturday.

Peterson suffered a high ankle sprain during a Week 11 loss to the Oakland Raiders and was carted off the sideline during the second quarter of the game. Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said Monday that Peterson had suffered some ligament damage and that Friday would be an important day in the team’s evaluation of Peterson’s Week 12 status.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that Peterson was out of his walking boot but did not participate in Friday’s practice.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier was not optimistic that Peterson would be able to go, calling the running back “very, very doubtful.”

Peterson is sixth in the NFL in rushing with 872 yards. He’s tied with Philadelphia’s LeSean McCoy with a league-leading 12 touchdowns.

Toby Gerhart, the 2009 Heisman Trophy runner-up in his senior season at Stanford, will start in Peterson’s absence. Frazier said Lorenzo Booker could also see some time at running back, and receiver Percy Harvin will continue to receive limited carries.

Safety Husain Abdullah (concussion) and right guard Anthony Herrera (left knee) have been declared out for Sunday’s game.

Tight end Kyle Rudolph missed practice all week with a quadriceps contusion and is listed as doubtful.

Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe (hamstring) and receiver Percy Harvin (ribs) are listed as questionable after practicing on a limited basis Friday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. – Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is doubtful for Sunday’s game at Atlanta because of a high ankle sprain.

Peterson hasn’t practised all week after hurting his left ankle last week against Oakland. He was carted off the sideline Sunday and X-rays were negative. An MRI on Monday showed a Grade-1 high ankle sprain, the least severe of the three categories, and he had been in a walking boot for three days this week.

“With the limited amount of things he was able to do today, very, very doubtful he would make it, though,” Minnesota coach Leslie Frazier said.

Peterson is sixth in the NFL in rushing with 872 yards. He’s tied with Philadelphia’s LeSean McCoy with a league-leading 12 touchdowns.

Peterson was out of his walking boot on Thursday and did some pool work. He tested the ankle again Friday but couldn’t practice. He walked out to watch individual group drills at the Vikings’ facilities before walking off the field with head trainer Eric Sugarman.

“The trouble he had was when he got up on his toes to plant or make a cut, that’s where he had trouble,” Frazier said. “So, that being the case it’s doubtful he’ll be able to get to the point where by Sunday we felt like he would be able to get out there. But we’ll see. The fact that he can put pressure on that ankle, that’s a positive sign.

“He’s made progress, but being able to cut, as we all know, is a major part of what he does.”

At 2-8, Minnesota has little incentive to rush its franchise back to return. Peterson signed a US$100 million, seven-year contract extension during the pre-season.

Toby Gerhart, the 2009 Heisman Trophy runner-up in his senior season at Stanford, would start in Peterson’s absence. Frazier said Lorenzo Booker could also see some time at running back and receiver Percy Harvin will continue to receive limited carries.

Safety Husain Abdullah (concussion) and right guard Anthony Herrera (left knee) have been declared out for Sunday’s game.

Tight end Kyle Rudolph missed practice all week with a quadriceps contusion and is listed as doubtful.

Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe (hamstring) and receiver Percy Harvin (ribs) are listed as questionable after practising on a limited basis Friday.

Vikings rookie quarterback Christian Ponder is looking forward his first “Monday Night
Football” game and his first trip to Lambeau Field. (PIONEER PRESS: BEN GARVIN)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder faces the toughest test in his rookie ascension at the same time his team needs a savior from its prime-time ineptitude.

The Vikings enter Monday night’s game at Green Bay with a 2-8 record in their last 10 prime-time games and have been outscored 279-185 in those games, including a 39-10 pounding by Chicago in Week 6 on Oct. 16.

After recording a 4-2 record on Monday Night Football from 2005-08, the Vikings have lost four of their past five MNF games.

ESPN doesn’t plan to focus on the Vikings’ prime-time struggles. Bill Hofheimer, spokesman for Monday Night Football, said in an email the broadcast team of Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden and Mike Tirico likely will discuss the state of the current Vikings and “where the franchise goes from here with Ponder now at the helm.” Ponder’s early graduation from Florida State will be among the topics of discussion, Hofheimer said.

As if there won’t be enough eyes on Ponder as he plays in front of 70,000-plus fans at Lambeau Field who expect to watch the Packers go 9-0.

For all the talk about the No. 1 draft pick being unafraid of big moments – coach Leslie Frazier called him “unflappable” this week – Monday night is the perfect stage for him to validate his coach’s words.

Ponder understands the enormity of the moment, but doesn’t plan on it affecting his play.

“Undefeated team, at their house, in Lambeau, historic Lambeau, on Monday night, there’s a lot of things

to get excited about,” said Ponder, whose Vikings are 2-6. “But you have to treat it like any other game…It will be an electrifying atmosphere, but the crowd’s not playing.”

Frazier is confident Ponder, who completed 9-of-10 passes for 101 yards on third downs in a 24-21 win at Carolina on Oct. 30, can handle the pressure. In the Vikings’ 33-27 loss to the Packers at the Metrodome, Ponder threw for 219 yards despite completing 40.6 percent of his passes.

“I’ve got a feeling whatever we tell him, he’s still going to be able to handle the situation,” Frazier said. “He’s shown an ability to not let the moment overwhelm him…He has a way about him for being able to handle situations. Now, of course, we’ll do some things to prep him, but I’ve got a feeling he’ll be able to absorb it.”

The level of opposition helps explain the Vikings’ prime-time woes: Seven of the nine teams the Vikings faced from 2009-10 made the playoffs the same year. And this year’s Bears, at 5-3, are poised for a second consecutive playoff run.

In Ponder’s prime-time debut as the starter, these Vikings have a different dynamic – and perhaps more optimism – than the 2010 team that went 0-4 in prime time under quarterback Brett Favre. Backup quarterback Joe Webb replaced an injured Favre to lead the Vikings to a snow-delayed, 24-14 win at Philadelphia on a Tuesday night.

The 2009 Vikings’ 1-3 prime-time record still seems unexplainable considering the team’s 12-4 finish on its way to the NFC championship game.

But the 2010 Vikings were marred by the poor play of Favre on the field and his off-the-field sexting scandal, the Randy Moss trade, the firing of Brad Childress and a Metrodome roof collapse that forced the team to play games at TCF Bank Stadium and a game at Ford Field in Detroit.

The Vikings through this season’s first six games struggled to sustain drives with Donovan McNabb under center, a harsh reality on display in the ugly loss to Chicago. Ponder played in the fourth quarter and completed 9-of-17 passes for 99 yards.

Since then, Ponder has given the Vikings a downfield passing game averaging nearly 15 yards per completion. Running back Adrian Peterson also has some room to breathe, rushing for a season-high 175 yards against the Packers.

Frazier said the Vikings will add “some (offensive) wrinkles” to combat Green Bay’s 3-4 defensive scheme but added, “It won’t be a lot of new offense.”

Ponder will be adding some pre-game wrinkles, too, taking Lambeau Field early to find the play clock, get a feel for the end zone, “get your depth perception right.”

This was Ponder’s routine as a Florida State quarterback when the Seminoles played rivalry games against Florida and Miami.

“I don’t really know what to expect,” Ponder said about playing at Lambeau.

Packers linebacker Clay Matthews expects Ponder to play well Monday night.

“He was very poised, made plays when he needed to,” said Matthews about the Oct. 23 game. “We don’t expect anything different.”

Frazier likely won’t shower Ponder with motivational speeches this week because “there’s not a whole lot that intimidates or frightens him,” he said.

He just wants to get him on the field to see how the rookie responds.

“Once you get out there and start playing, all of that goes by the wayside,” said Frazier about Ponder playing at Lambeau Field.

It’s time for Minnesota to turn the keys over to rookie Christian Ponder (R).
(Hannah Foslien – Getty Images)
Watching Sunday night’s Vikings-Bears game, Cris Collinsworth pointed out that since they drafted Tommy Kramer in 1977, Minnesota has only used two first-round picks on a quarterback (Daunte Culpepper and Christian Ponder). Instead, the Vikings have elected to mostly go with re-tread quarterbacks, including Wade Wilson, Rich Gannon, Jim McMahon, Warren Moon, Brad Johnson, Randall Cunningham, Jeff George, Brad Johnson (again), Gus Frerotte and Brett Favre. Did I mention the Vikings haven’t made one Super Bowl appearance in that time?

So after roughly 35 years of the status-quo, Minnesota decided to draft Christian Ponder out of Florida State with the No. 12 overall pick. The Vikings liked Ponder so much, that they seemingly reached to draft him, when many experts predicted Ponder may have lasted into the second round. However, even after drafting Ponder, the Vikings could not resist the temptation of wasting precious experience for the young quarterback, in favor of bringing in another re-tread.

With Brett Favre finally out of the picture, one could certainly question Minnesota’s move to bring in Donovan McNabb in the first place. Coming off a disastrous year where he looked washed up, McNabb finished 5-8 and was benched in favor of Rex Grossman.

Of course, the glass half-full argument was that McNabb had the lowly Redskins at 4-3 before coach Mike Shanahan benched him out of nowhere in a winnable Week 8 game vs. the Detroit Lions. Plus, with a running back like Adrian Peterson on your team, how bad can that turn out?

Well, it turned out awful. The Vikings have started out 1-5, and are already out of contention for the playoffs. McNabb meanwhile, has looked uninspired, slow, and frustratingly bad on third downs and big situations. After 11 great years with Philadelphia of going 98-62-1 (61 percent), McNabb is now 6-13 (32 percent) since. The verdict is out: McNabb is washed up.

So when Minnesota finally announces the beginning of the Christian Ponder era this week, for the Vikings’ sake, hopefully this will put an end to Minnesota’s perpetual fixation on the crappy re-tread quarterback. Ahh who am I kidding — Carson Palmer will be available next season.

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.

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.”

___

Follow Jon Krawczynski on Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/APkrawczynski

Chargers’ next opponent

Minnesota Vikings (6-10 in 2010)

1:15 p.m. Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium

Less than 20 months ago, there was purple in the NFC Championship Game, the Minnesota Vikings falling four points short of the Super Bowl. And then, ahem, the roof caved in.

OK, so it’s a bad line. But the Vikings became such a bad story in such short order, the only good news is that they weren’t on the field when the Mall of America Field dome collapsed and the snow came crashing down last December. So many of the personnel problems are gone — Brett Favre, Randy Moss, Brad Childress — but the damage has been done and it’s going to take a long while for the Vikes to shovel out from the mess.

Of all quarterbacks, the Vikings traded for Donovan McNabb, coming off his own nightmare season in Washington. Speaking of bad lines, too, he’s working behind one of the NFL’s worst blocking units. Which makes it all the more amazing how Adrian Peterson has remained one of the NFL’s pre-eminent running backs, ranking sixth in rushing last year.

Having taken over for the deposed Childress after 10 games last year, new head coach Leslie Frazier got three wins out of Minnesota over the last six games, including an upset of the Philadelphia Eagles. Since then, the Vikes lost one of their best offensive threats (Sidney Rice) and defensive stalwarts (Ray Edwards) to free agency, not to mention team leader Pat Williams.

At the same time, Minnesota has a new offensive coordinator for the first time in five years, and Bill Musgrave’s had to implement his system without benefit of minicamps and OTA’s and all the other things missed due to lockout.

Three players to watch

Donovan McNabb, QB: The Vikings would like McNabb to be kind of like Favre, but without actually being Favre. Meaning, they’re hoping he can be rejuvenated like the Favre who donned the horns in 2009 and played like a kid again, because McNabb’s pretty much getting written off now as old news around the NFL. His arm may still be sore from his last visit to Qualcomm, a 31-23 win by the Chargers over the Eagles in which McNabb threw 55 passes, completing 35 for 450 yards while Michael Vick mostly watched from the sideline.

Adrian Peterson, RB: Musgrave is a highly respected coach, smart enough to not overlook the obvious, which is that any team with Peterson should not be thinking pass-first. As well as he played last year, Peterson indeed should play an even more prominent role this year, and his arrival should be the perfect opening test for a Chargers team that’s going to get run on plenty in AFC West play.

Jared Allen, DE: At some point, Allen may look around the defensive huddle Sunday and wonder where everyone went. Allen was almost his usual dervish self last year with 11 sacks, but he’ll have neither half of the so-called “Williams Wall” in the trenches with him, since Pat Williams is gone and Kevin Williams is sitting out the opener due to a two-game suspension. A Chargers nemesis dating back to his days with the Kansas City Chiefs, Allen has four career sacks in eight games against the Chargers.

Familiar faces

Cam Turner, assistant to the head coach, is the nephew of Chargers head coach Norv Turner. Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer’s father, Chuck, coached special teams for the Chargers from 1992-96. And receiver Greg Camarillo spent 2005 on the Chargers’ practice squad and was with the Bolts in 2006, although he never played in a game.

Injury report

None of the players on the Vikings’ 53-man roster was withheld from Minnesota’s opening practice for the Chargers game. The player of the most concern is tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, sidelined much of the preseason with a hamstring issue.

Series history

With each team winning every other game between them, the Chargers and Vikes have split their 10 contests, and it would appear to be San Diego’s turn. Minnesota won the last one, 35-17, a memorable affair of historic significance for both teams. Then a rookie, Peterson ran amok on the Chargers for 296 of the 378 rushing yards amassed by the Vikings, who were in turn embarrassed when Antonio Cromartie caught a missed field goal beneath the goalpost and returned it for a 109-yard TD. This is only the second time since 1982 that the Vikings have played in San Diego.

Did you know?

Minnesota placekicker Ryan Longwell, entering his 15th season, has missed a total of just three of his 46 field-goal attempts over the past two seasons.

Quote:

“We kind of like that we’re under the radar now.” – wide receiver Percy Harvin on the Vikings, who are being widely dismissed as last-place pick, but no longer living the Brett Favre circus.

The Vikings will make the official start to a second half-century of existence on Sept. 11, when they play the Chargers in San Diego. The site will be Qualcomm Stadium, a place that was around so long ago as a football/baseball facility that it formerly was named in honor of a sportswriter (Jack Murphy) rather than a corporation.

The first half-century of full-fledged competition started for the Vikings on Sept. 17, 1961. The Chicago Bears came to Metropolitan Stadium on that Sunday, returning the NFL to Minnesota for the first time since the Minneapolis Red Jackets were absorbed by Philadelphia’s Frankford Yellow Jackets late in the 1930 season.

Next month in San Diego, Leslie Frazier, a former NFL cornerback, will be starting his first full season as a head coach for the Vikings.

The team’s top priority in this offseason was to straighten out the quarterback situation. To do so, the Vikings reached to take Florida State’s Christian Ponder at No. 12 in the first round.

The party line early on from the Vikings was that Ponder would enter training camp as the No. 1 quarterback, with second-year player Joe Webb as the other option.

What you heard from insiders was that Rick Spielman and his personnel brain trust were locked in on Ponder as the starting quarterback. And that Frazier saw it differently: a decision to go with a rookie that had been locked out of his first offseason would be an admission the Vikings were in rebuilding mode.

That wasn’t the way Frazier wanted to start as a head coach — or the message he wanted to deliver to his veteran players.

He wanted a veteran. And one such quarterback readily available was Donovan McNabb, on the outs in Washington after only one season with the egomaniacal coach, Mike Shanahan. The Vikings acquired him before training camp for one sixth-round choice, and possibly two.

Frazier’s view on the desirability of a veteran quarterback was shared a half-century ago by Norm Van Brocklin, the Vikings’ first coach. The Dutchman had led the Philadelphia Eagles to the 1960 NFL championship and was the league MVP.

The Eagles’ 17-13 victory over Green Bay came on Dec. 26. The 20-round NFL draft was held over the next two days. Joe Thomas was the Vikings’ chief scout and went for Southern players — running back Tommy Mason (Tulane) with the first overall pick, linebacker Rip Hawkins (North Carolina) in the second round, and quarterback Fran Tarkenton (Georgia) in the third.

Van Brocklin, 34, retired as a player and was hired by the Vikings on Jan. 18, 1961. One incentive for him was the Vikings had completed a trade for a veteran quarterback. It was a different time, when much less value was placed in draft choices, and the Vikings had sent their 1962 first-rounder to the New York Giants for George Shaw.

That turned out to be the No. 2 overall selection. The Los Angeles Rams wound up with the pick and took Roman Gabriel, who would play 16 seasons as a valued NFL quarterback.

Van Brocklin and Shaw had both played at Oregon. The Dutchman figured on Shaw preventing a non-competitive first season for his expansion team.

Shaw started the first-ever game on that Sunday vs. the Bears. It was 3-0 for the Vikings late in the first period, but Shaw had failed to make the most of a couple drives deep into Bears territory.

Van Brocklin hooked Shaw, went to Tarkenton, and the rookie immediately brought a new term — scrambling — to the NFL.

Tarkenton completed 17 of 23 passes for 250 yards, threw four touchdown passes and the Vikings humiliated the Bears, 37-13. On Monday, Van Brocklin named Tarkenton as his starter for Week 2.

The Vikings went 2-11 after the opening upset, with Tarkenton starting 10 of those games and Shaw three. Shaw threw 91 passes with four touchdowns and four interceptions as a Viking.

McNabb will not face such a quick hook next month in San Diego. He will start for a few games, minimum.

That doesn’t mean Ponder, the mobile rookie from a Southern football power, won’t get his chance to impress in this first autumn of the Vikings’ second half-century.

There’s a precedent from when it all started for the Vikings, and it’s a very good one.

Patrick Reusse can be heard noon-4 weekdays on 1500ESPN. • preusse@startribune.com

Mankato, Minn. – Jim Kleinsasser is entering his 13th season as a tight end and/or fullback with the Minnesota Vikings. That gives him four years of seniority over defensive tackle Kevin Williams, next on the roster when it comes to tenure in Minnesota.

“This camp really has made it clear how long it’s been,” said Kleinsasser, a Carrington (N.D.) High School and University of North Dakota graduate. “We’ve had the big turnover since last season, and now with the extra players in camp … I don’t know even half the guys in the locker room.

“I’ll see a face that looks familiar, maybe nod toward him, and he’ll say, ‘We met when I was in camp a couple of years ago.’”

Kleinsasser has reached a point in his career when he’s as old as the quarterbacks he’s playing with.

Almost.

Donovan McNabb, the newest veteran quarterback brought in to start, will turn 35 on Nov. 25. Kleinsasser will reach that birthday two months later, on Jan. 31.

“Donovan and I played together in the Senior Bowl,” Kleinsasser said.

So you know him then?

“I was a tight end from North Dakota,” Kleinsasser said. “I’m sure I made a big impression on him.”

Kleinsasser was taken in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft by Dennis Green. The large young man joined a team with a pair of veteran quarterbacks: Randall Cunningham, coming off a Player of the Year season in 1998, and Jeff George, signed in April 1999, presumably to serve as Cunningham’s backup.

Late Thursday afternoon, McNabb went through his first practice with the Vikings. Later, Kleinsasser was asked to summarize the veteran quarterbacks who have been starters during his time with the Vikings.

Randall Cunningham: “He was a pure athlete, even at his age (36 in 1999). He was quiet … a changed man from his days in Philadelphia, from what I heard. He was a nice guy. I was a rookie and he treated me great. It was that way with the whole team.”

Cunningham was benched at halftime of the sixth game at Detroit and George took over for the rest of the season.

Jeff George: “That guy had an arm. He had a reputation for arrogance, but from what I saw, it was more a great confidence. He believed that he could make any throw, any time, and he was probably right.

“The ball came in so hard when he threw it. He almost broke a couple of my fingers. There was a play when I was covered, so George threw the ball away low. I dived and tried to get my hands under the ball. That was a mistake.

“No matter what people heard, Jeff was a good teammate.”

Brad Johnson: “It was his second time in Minnesota when I was a teammate and his arm wasn’t too strong. He made up for that by knowing where to put the ball.”

Johnson led the Vikings on a six-game winning streak in 2005 after he replaced injured Daunte Culpepper.

“It sounds corny, but Brad was able to come into the huddle and take charge. He would call a play and everyone knew, if they executed, Brad was going to get the ball to the right spot.”

Gus Frerotte: “Gus was a lot like Brad. He’d been in the league. He brought an attitude into the huddle that we were going to make plays. He had a big arm. Guys like that have a tendency to take a few chances.

“He threw a few interceptions, but we also threw a lot of touchdown passes when Gus was here.”

Brett Favre: Kleinsasser smiled widely and said “great guy” at the mention of Favre’s name.

“First time I had a chance to talk to him, I said, ‘I’ve hated you all my life, growing up as a Viking fan and then as a Viking.’ He almost liked hearing that – what he had meant to the Packers-Vikings rivalry.

“Daunte had a season in ‘04 that would’ve been an MVP season, if not for Peyton Manning’s touchdown record, but Brett in ‘09 … that’s the best I’ve ever seen a quarterback play.

“You wondered what Favre had left when he came here. And then he started firing the ball and, when practice was over, your hands would hurt. And there was the answer: He had plenty left.”

Donovan McNabb: “He’s only been here a few days, and he’s had one practice, but he’s another quarterback who has done enough to have great confidence in himself. He’s going to be another quarterback you believe in when he comes in the huddle.”

Patrick Reusse is a sports columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune

Tags:
sports, vikings, football