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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.

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Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier

Conference Call With New Orleans Media

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Who will start at quarterback on Sunday?

“Christian (Ponder) is our starting quarterback. Barring an injury, he will remain our starting quarterback.”

Can you discuss the status of Adrian Peterson?

“We will get our first chance to see him today at practice but we are optimistic that this is the week that we will get him back.”

Can you discuss how the team is dealing with being in a rebuilding mode?

“It is tough anytime you are going through the things that we have experienced this season but our guys have battled. We are definitely in a transition. They have battled each week and we are going to fight the good fight again this week.”

Can you discuss the attitude of the team this year?

“The resiliency of our players has been incredible. We are down 21-0 in the first quarter of the game last Sunday (at Detroit) and they could have easily tanked that game but they didn’t. There we are on the last play of the game on the 1-yard line with a chance to win the game. They have been very resilient throughout this season. It is a testament to our leadership. We just have some things that we will have to address this offseason to get some things corrected.”

What factors have contributed to the struggles of the team this year?

“There are a lot of different factors. You guys (New Orleans media) have been in it a long time and we are not the first team to play in the NFC Championship game and then disappear for a while – it happens in our league. It also happens where teams you didn’t expect all of a sudden jump up and are playing in the NFC Championship game. Things can change fast in our league. Especially in this age of free agency, this year particularly with so many things that happened in the offseason that had an effect on the regular season. There are a lot of factors that go into where we are now and where we were in 2009.”

Is New Orleans’ loss to the Rams something that you are looking closely at in film study?

“That’s a tape we will take a look at. The Tampa game also. The Green Bay game is a little different with them being a 3-4 team and it was the first game of the season. You are always trying to look for something that will give you some hope that will give you a chance against such a prolific offense and a very good football team. We will search through the tapes and try to find something that will hopefully give us an edge.”

Can you discuss how the defensive line continues to be a strength of the team?

“It has without question been the strength of our defense. We have had some troubles on the backend but our defensive line has consistently played hard for us and played well. Jared (Allen) has led the way and is having an MVP-type season.”

Can you discuss the comments that Jared Allen made to the cities of Detroit and New Orleans last week?

“I talked with him about those comments this morning. I am hoping that we won’t have any more comments like that going forward.”

Can you talk about the progress of Christian Ponder?

“He has had his ups and downs like most rookie quarterbacks that come into our league. He is battling through those things that every young quarterback goes through. Whether you are Peyton or Eli Manning – whoever it may be. Even Joe Montana. We think our team will be much better going forward as he goes through some of the growing pains of being an NFL quarterback. It’s difficult for him and difficult for our team at times but you have to look at the bigger picture. It’s an investment for our future and he is handling it pretty well.”

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By Ali Mohamadi

– SB Nation Medical Expert

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Dec 10, 2011 – Quarterbacks

Christian Ponder, Minnesota Vikings (hip – questionable)
MIN (2-10) @ DET (7-5), 1pm

The Vikings’ rookie QB played well overall in his team’s loss to Denver last week, but suffered a hip injury during the game and was spotted limping on the sidelines. As a result, he has missed most of the week’s practices and backup Joe Webb has taken the majority of the snaps with the first team. At this point, it appears unlikely that Ponder would get the start on Sunday against Detroit, although neither he nor Webb are likely to factor in your fantasy plans either way.

Running Backs

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings (ankle – questionable)
MIN (2-10) @ DET (7-5), 1pm

Peterson missed the Vikings’ Week 13 loss to Denver due to a high ankle sprain and has been limited in practice all week. Peterson himself has stated he wants to play and claims he’s at about 80% health after taking last week off. Although Detroit’s defense has been stout most of the year, Peterson has historically done well against the Lions, and it would be tough to sit him on your fantasy roster if he is able to play. If not, Toby Gerhart would once again get the start at running back for the Vikings.

Kevin Smith, Detroit Lions (ankle – questionable)
DET (7-5) vs. MIN (2-10), 1pm

Smith, who left last week’s loss to New Orleans after aggravating an ankle injury, has been limited in practice this week. Reports out of practice on Friday were that Smith was having difficulty cutting on running plays, and if Smith suits up on Sunday don’t be surprised if Maurice Morris gets the bulk of the carries.

Wide Receivers

Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys (hamstring – questionable)
DAL (7-5) vs. NYG (6-6), 8:20pm

Austin has missed most of the season thus far due to a nagging hamstring injury that has been an issue since the preseason, but despite being limited in practice this week it appears he will get the nod on Sunday night against the Giants. Given the emergence of Laurent Robinson at WR (himself questionable due to a shoulder injury) and the frequency with which hamstring strains tend to recur, Austin fantasy owners may want to tread lightly this week.

Linebackers

Von Miller, Denver Broncos (thumb – questionable)
DEN (7-5) vs. CHI (7-5), 1pm

Miller, who missed last week’s win over Minnesota after tearing ligaments in his right thumb the prior week, has been wearing a cast this week in his limited action in practice. It appears he will play on Sunday against the Bears, but his time may be limited to pass-rushing situations.

Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers (hamstring – questionable)
SF (10-2) @ ARI (5-7), 4:05pm

Willis suffered a right hamstring injury in the first quarter of the 49ers’ Week 13 win over the Rams and has missed practice the entire week. Although he is officially listed as questionable on the team’s injury list, his not having practiced – along with the fact that the team has already clinched the NFC West – makes it seem unlikely that he will suit up on Sunday at Arizona. LB Larry Grant is likely to get the start in Willis’ place.

Read More: Miles Austin (WR – DAL), Kevin Smith (RB – DET), Joe Webb (QB – MIN), Christian Ponder (QB – MIN), Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants

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The Minnesota Vikings’ pride wasn’t the only thing that was hurting after their 35-32 loss to the Denver Broncos this past Sunday.

Rookie quarterback Christian Ponder(notes) suffered a hip pointer early during the game, but managed to battle through the pain, breaking the Vikings’ rookie record for most passing yards in a game (381) in the process. Unfortunately, his performance was marred by two interceptions and a fumble that eventually culminated into another notch in the loss column.

Although he isn’t expected to miss next Sunday’s matchup with the Detroit Lions, Ponder’s hip pointer (a bruise caused by a direct shot to the hip bone) will be monitored closely throughout the week.

“The trainers are telling me he should be fine,” Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier said when asked about Ponder’s status. “It’s going to take a few days, but he should be fine by the time we line up on Sunday.”

According to Frazier, the Vikings expect Ponder to see limited action during practice throughout the week as the Vikings prepare to take on their NFC North foes.

If Ponder for some unforeseen reason can’t go on Sunday, the Vikings will have to resort to second-year quarterback Joe Webb(notes) to take his place. In the instance that Webb starts, recently-claimed veteran Sage Rosenfels(notes) will be forced into the backup role.

The diagnosis isn’t pretty, but Ponder’s toughness and grit should help him overcome the injury in time to suit up for Sunday’s showdown with the Lions.

As for running back Adrian Peterson, the chances of him seeing the field continue to improve with each passing day. According to Frazier, the All-Pro runner is “very close” to returning to the lineup for the Vikings. Peterson suffered a high-ankle sprain two weeks ago and has been rapidly trying to recover from the injury. If all goes as planned, the Vikings might have their biggest offensive weapon back in their arsenal as soon as this weekend.

The Vikings also announced today that three other starters were injured during yesterday’s loss to the Broncos.

Defensive end Brian Robison(notes) suffered a concussion and is currently undergoing an evaluation to see if he’ll be able to play against the Lions. As of right now, he is considered day-to-day.

Linebacker Chad Greenway(notes) fell victim to a hyperextended elbow, but eventually returned to the field to finish out the game. The Vikings’ defensive leader is expected to be at full strength this upcoming weekend.

Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe(notes) showed up at team facilities today with a swollen hand. After undergoing X-rays, the Vikings have determined that there is no fracture. The Vikings will keep a close eye on their starting tight end as the week progresses.

It’s been a rough, injury-laden season for the Vikings as they head into an intimidating Week 14 matchup with the Lions. At this point, the only thing they can hope for is that no other starters go down with season-ending injuries.

Stay tuned throughout the week as more injury updates become available.

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.

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Ryan Longwell led the NFL in field goal percentage last season. He’s one of the most accurate kickers in league history.

So it’s always strange to see Longwell miss, which happened to the Minnesota Vikings in each of the past two games.

Neither kick had an impact on the outcome, but watching the ball sail wide of the goal post is never a pleasant sight for the 15-year veteran.

“It’s no fun,” Longwell said this week.

After hitting 26 of his 28 field goal attempts in 2009, and 17 of 18 last year and his first eight this season, Longwell missed a 43-yarder on Oct. 9 during a blowout win over Arizona.

Then his 38-yard try tailed left in a swirling wind on Sunday at Chicago in a 39-10 defeat.

The snap by Cullen Loeffler and the hold by Chris Kluwe were fine, but Longwell’s rhythm was just off.

“You don’t overanalyze it, but at the same time you don’t just brush it off,” he said. “There’s something to be learned from every kick, make or miss, and I’ve certainly learned a lot from the last two weeks. I certainly don’t like missing kicks and don’t want to get into a habit of doing that.”

Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer said he’s not concerned. Longwell has accounted for more points than any other player during his 15 years in the league, and his field goal percentage since 2009 is second only to Neil Rackers of Houston.

“Given the career and the success he’s had in the NFL, you don’t panic,” Priefer said. “You just try to figure out what you think might have gone wrong, and then you go from there.”

Kluwe had a rough day punting, too. He had an 18-yarder and a 24-yarder among his five kicks.

“They call it the Windy City for a reason,” Kluwe said. “It swirled the entire game, and it’s one of those things where you don’t want to make excuses, but it definitely played a factor in what happened.”

Priefer blamed the wind, but also the pressure of punting to star returner Devin Hester.

“We were really frustrated. We had a good plan and a good week of practice and when you don’t execute, Kluwe and I were both pretty frustrated after that,” Longwell said. “We want to do our job to help us win, and when we don’t it hurts us.”

That game was not one of Priefer’s proudest days. He faulted himself for the decision to kick off to Hester right after the Vikings had their first spark, from a touchdown early in the third quarter.

“I believe in our guys and really think we have a good kickoff cover team. We challenged him and lost that challenge unfortunately, and I’ll learn from that and move on,” Priefer said.

That was the first return for a score given up by the Vikings this year.

On the flip side, punt returner Marcus Sherels made a glaring mistake, too, calling for a fair catch at his own 5-yard line. He’s supposed to keep his toes at the 8 and get away from any ball that goes past that mark.

This was one of many points of emphasis in practice this week for Priefer.

NOTES: Safety Jamarca Sanford and center John Sullivan weren’t able to practice again Thursday because of concussions, and coach Leslie Frazier said it’s “doubtful” either of them will play Sunday against Green Bay. They can take the league-required baseline test as late as Saturday and be cleared for action, but time is running out for that. Joe Berger would start for Sullivan, and Tyrell Johnson would start for Sanford. … Receiver Percy Harvin (ribs) and tackle Phil Loadholt (knee) returned to practice, however, and Loadholt said he’ll play Sunday. … Quarterbacks coach Craig Johnson wanted to give Donovan McNabb a “shout out” for the way he handled the demotion to backup status. “There have been quarterbacks who say, ‘I’m not helping young guy. I’m not helping the rookie.’ He has been the exact opposite.”

___

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What do you guys think about this.

The Minnesota Vikings, according to most of the Power Ranking “gurus” out there, really didn’t have anywhere to go but up after last week, where at least a couple of outlets had them ranked at the very bottom of the National Football League.

The folks that run the SB Nation mothership didn’t have the Vikings dead last in their previous rankings. . .just second-to-last. However, their convincing win over the Arizona Cardinals has compelled them to move Minnesota up in their Week 6 NFL Power Rankings, pushing them up two spots to number 29 in this week’s poll.

The commentary from SB Nation expresses a sentiment that all of us have, no doubt, been thinking this entire time.

The Vikes finally hang onto a halftime lead. It’s gotta be annoying for Vikings fans that the team has this much talent and yet they’re 1-4.

It certainly is. . .Viking fans know their team is better than a 1-4 football team, and their “Expected W-L” shows that they should probably be a 3-2 team. Hopefully some of the momentum they gained this past Sunday will help propel them to a successful mark for the rest of the season.

Thanks for visiting our blog =).

By Christopher Gates

– Managing Editor

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Oct 11, 2011 – The Minnesota Vikings, according to most of the Power Ranking “gurus” out there, really didn’t have anywhere to go but up after last week, where at least a couple of outlets had them ranked at the very bottom of the National Football League.

The folks that run the SB Nation mothership didn’t have the Vikings dead last in their previous rankings. . .just second-to-last. However, their convincing win over the Arizona Cardinals has compelled them to move Minnesota up in their Week 6 NFL Power Rankings, pushing them up two spots to number 29 in this week’s poll.

The commentary from SB Nation expresses a sentiment that all of us have, no doubt, been thinking this entire time.

The Vikes finally hang onto a halftime lead. It’s gotta be annoying for Vikings fans that the team has this much talent and yet they’re 1-4.

It certainly is. . .Viking fans know their team is better than a 1-4 football team, and their “Expected W-L” shows that they should probably be a 3-2 team. Hopefully some of the momentum they gained this past Sunday will help propel them to a successful mark for the rest of the season.

Read More: nfl power rankings, 2011 nfl power rankings, week 6 nfl power rankings, 2011 week 6 nfl power rankings, minnesota vikings power rankings, 2011 minnesota vikings nfl power rankings, 2011 week 6 nfl power rankings minnesota vikings, Minnesota Vikings

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There is the quick update of the day.

By Christopher Gates

– Managing Editor

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Oct 11, 2011 – The Minnesota Vikings finally got their first win of the 2011 season on Sunday afternoon with their thrashing of the Arizona Cardinals. Unfortunately, that hasn’t done a whole heck of a lot to change their lot in the 2011 NFL Standings through the season’s first five weeks.

Yes, the only two undefeated teams remaining in the NFL still reside in the NFC North, as the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions both moved their records to 5-0 this week by beating the Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears, respectively.

As it stands now, here is what the NFC North standings look like:

That’s not a misprint, folks. . .despite having a record of just 1-4 on the season, the Vikings have outscored their opponents overall, thanks to their 24-point victory on Sunday afternoon. All the more reason for Viking fans to be frustrated with their team’s lot this season.

This week, the Vikings will travel to Chicago to take on the Bears on Sunday Night Football, the Lions will host the San Francisco 49ers, and the Packers will host the St. Louis Rams.

Read More: nfl standings, 2011 nfl standings, nfc north standings, 2011 nfc north standings, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers

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There is the quick update of the day.

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Oct. 5, 2011 03:31 PM
The Arizona Republic | azcentral.com

What are your opinions.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—The Lions are coming.

For so many years, those words have been a comfort to the Minnesota Vikings
and their fans, a sure sign of victory no matter how well or poorly they were
playing at that moment.

The poor Lions have left the Metrodome with a loss 13 straight times. They
haven’t won under the big, white roof since 1997. The losses have come in all
shapes and sizes, from a 42-10 wipeout in 2007 to a 12-10 heartbreaker the
following season.

This time around, something feels different.

The Lions are coming off two straight decisive victories, the Vikings are
reeling a bit after giving away halftime leads in the first two weeks, and
Detroit is favored in Minnesota for the first time since 1981.

“Any time you play a team that is coming in with a lot of confidence, you
want to be the team to bring them down a bit,” Donovan McNabb(notes) said.

That’s a Viking. Talking about trying to knock a Lion’s confidence down. My,
how things have changed.

The Lions won at Tampa Bay to open the season, then pounded Kansas City 48-3
in the most lopsided regular season victory in franchise history.

“I think there’s been a lot of excitement going into this season. There’s
even more with us actually following through on the hype we’ve had around our
team in these first two games,” said Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh(notes), who
was 11 years old the last time the Lions beat the Vikings in Minnesota. “It’s
more or less really not being a fluke and just a lot of hype. We’re bringing it
to life as we should.”

The Lions have actually won 10 games in a row, including a four-game winning
streak at the end of last season and four wins this preseason. Preseason doesn’t
count in the record books, of course, but when a team has lost as many games as
the Lions have, any victory is welcomed with open arms.

“I think we’ve continued to have that confidence and that swagger since
last year,” Suh said. “We’re just carrying it over. It’s not necessarily that
it’s just coming into effect now that we have a 2-0 start. I think it’s been
there.

“It’s been instilled in us and now it’s a little more prevalent to
everybody outside our facility now that we’re taking care of business as we
should.”

A victory Sunday would be the biggest indicator yet that it truly is a new
day in Detroit and not just another hopeful start destined to swirl down the
drain. The Lions have four victories in the Dome since Suh was born in 1987.

The last time they won—Scott Mitchell was the quarterback and Barry
Sanders was finishing off a 2,000-yard season.

“We’ve had some good players here in the past, but what we’ve managed to do
is we’ve put good players around them,” third-year coach Jim Schwartz said.

With Suh, Schwartz, quarterback Matthew Stafford(notes) and receiver Calvin
Johnson(notes), the Lions have leaned heavily on continuity to get through the abnormal
offseason that kept coaches and players from communicating all summer long.

The Vikings aren’t quite as familiar with each other, and it’s showed.
Leslie Frazier is in his first season as the permanent coach and they have a new
offensive coordinator (Bill Musgrave), quarterback (McNabb) and left tackle
(Charlie Johnson(notes)).

The result has been an uneven performance, especially on offense, where they
have let good starts in both games fizzle. Last week they racked up 284 yards
and 17 points in the first half, only to sputter and stall throughout the second
half as Josh Freeman(notes) rallied them to the win.

“There are still some things being worked out on both sides of the ball as
we are going through this process,” Frazier said. “We are still learning one
another and learning a lot about our players and particularly the new coaches.
That’s part of it and we knew that would be the case.”

The Vikings are getting Kevin Williams(notes) back from a two-game suspension this
week and the big defensive tackle is eager to pull his team out of the rough
start. He watched them give away a 17-10 halftime lead in the opener at San
Diego and a 17-0 lead to the Bucs at home last week.

Several team leaders, including McNabb, guard Steve Hutchinson(notes) and defensive
end Jared Allen(notes), addressed the team earlier this week in hopes of settling
things down and keeping them focused.

“I’ve been a part of teams that have been 0-2, 1-2, but the team still got
close enough where everyone had that confidence that the next game we were going
to win,” McNabb said. “You win one, you feel like you’re going to win the
next. Then you get on a winning streak and all of a sudden the confidence level
is at a high where you feel like every time you step out on the field you’re
going to win the game.

“I think that’s where we need to get to. I think we have the guys and the
talent to do that. And all it takes is one.”

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In last week’s NFL Power Rankings, the folks at the SB Nation mothership placed the Minnesota Vikings as the second-worst team in the National Football League, despite a very hard-fought loss on the road in San Diego against the Chargers. Now, in their Week 3 Power Rankings, though the Vikings loss another tough game, they really couldn’t move the Vikings down to #32. . .not with the Kansas City Chiefs hanging around. . .so they decided to move the Vikings up one spot to number 30 instead.

What did they say about the Vikings this week?

So the Donovan McNabb in Minnesota story isn’t looking so great right now. This team needs to be better with a player like AP there.

To be fair, I don’t think we can put Sunday’s loss at the feet of Donovan McNabb. . .he played significantly better than he did in the opener, that’s for sure. But yes, Adrian Peterson’s talents are being wasted thus far, which is never a good thing to see. Hopefully this team can start getting it into gear, although they face a tough test this Sunday when the Detroit Lions come to town.

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Published: Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2011 1:35 p.m. MDT

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.