VIKINGS AT PACKERS: FAVRE RETURNS TO GREEN BAY

LAST WEEK
Could this have been a Super Bowl preview? Maybe. It’s clear that this was a matchup of two of the best teams in the NFL. I rank the Vikings second and the Steelers third after seven weeks. The Steelers won 27-17, but the game was much closer than the score and it went down to the wire. Late in the 4th quarter, down 13-10, Brett Favre drove his team down the field and into scoring position. Favre then threw a perfect ten yard touchdown pass to Sidney Rice; however a questionable tripping penalty negated the play. A short time later, Favre had the ball knocked from his hand and returned 77 yards for a touchdown to give the Steelers a 20-10 lead. But like a great title fight, the Vikings pulled themselves off the mat and delivered a knockdown of their own. On the very next play, Percy Harvin returned the kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown, making it a 20-17 game. The Vikings then stopped the Steelers offense and got the ball back for one last drive. Favre drove his team down the field to the 20 yard line and into scoring position. It appeared it would be another heroic comeback for Favre until Chester Taylor let one of Favre’s passes slip through his hands. The ball was then intercepted and returned 82 yards for a touchdown. Afterwards, FOX’s own Daryl “Moose” Johnston who was calling the game stated “That goes on Brett Favre’s record, but that’s Chester Taylor’s interception.” So with two defensive touchdowns in the final six and half minutes of the game, a goal line stand against the Vikings on first down from the one yard line, and a questionable call that reversed a Vikings touchdown, the Steelers escaped with a victory. I don’t think anyone would complain to see a rematch for the Lombardi trophy in February.

Now on to Projections versus Reality:

The Game: My projection: Vikings 24, Steelers 20
Outcome: Steelers 27, Vikings 17

Adrian Peterson: My projection: 90 yards rushing, 1TD.
Outcome: 69 yards rushing for 1TD and 60 yards receiving

Brett Favre: My projection: 210 yards passing, 2 TDs and 1 interception.
Outcome: 334 yards passing, 1 interception.

Percy Harvin: My projection: Don’t start Harvin because he was questionable with an injury at time I wrote the report
Outcome: 49 yards combined yards and 1TD on a kickoff return

Bernard Berrian: My projection: 90 yards
Outcome:18 yards then later got injured and left the game

Sidney Rice: Projection : 70 Yards and 1 TD
Outcome: 136 yards. His TD was negated by questionable officiating

Visanthe Shiancoe: My projection: 30 yards and 1TD
Outcome: 27 yards

Chester Taylor: My projection: 30 combined yards.
Outcome: 21 combined yards

Vikings Defense: My projection: Would NOT be a Top 10 fantasy defense.
Outcome: #13 Fantasy Defense for Week 7

THIS WEEK
This is the biggest game of Week 8. In fact, this is the biggest game in the NFL for the entire regular season. Mr. Green Bay Packer is now playing for the arch enemy and returning to Lambeau field. In all likelihood, one of the most loved and popular players in Green Bay Packers history will be booed like Donovan McNabb on draft day. It will be a Super Bowl atmosphere that will have everyone’s adrenaline pumping. It will be insane to say the least. Not only will it be extremely emotional, but it will also impact the rest of the season. If the Vikings win they can all but seal up the division. But if the Packers win then the division is up for grabs. I think this will be a shootout. I predict the Vikings win 34-31.

RUMORS
No rumors to report this week, so instead I’ll discuss my power rankings and provide some predictions. In the beginning of the article I told you that I thought the Vikings and Steelers were the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the league. Here are my top four teams after seven weeks.

1. Saints

2. Vikings

3. Steelers

4. Colts

Prediction: I think the Saints will beat the Vikings in the NFC Championship and the Steelers will beat the Colts in the AFC Championship. The Colts always look great in the regular season but tend to fold in the playoffs. The Steelers have a championship defense; just the kind to throw Peyton Manning off his game when it counts.

INJURIES
Berrian reinjured his hamstring. On Wednesday he was listed as questionable. I’ll give an update on his status before kickoff via Twitter.

POSITION ANALYSIS
QUARTERBACK
Brett Favre played phenomenal against a Steelers defense that may be the best in the league. He threw for over 300 yards. He had one touchdown called back by a questionable call, and he led some great drives that ended badly in the red zone. His lone interception was the fault of Chester Taylor.

I have to slap a Warning Label on Favre this week. It states the following – Warning: The starting of this quarterback could be hazardous to the health of your fantasy team. This will be one of the most emotional games of his career, and who knows which Favre will show up. Could it be the Favre that sometimes plays at an otherworldly level? Or will his alter ego throw a plethora of interceptions?

My Projection: 300 yards, 3 TDs

RUNNING BACKS
Teams are really keying in on AD. He only had 18 carries against the Steelers, whereas Favre threw the ball 51 times. Analysts have criticized this distribution, but sometimes you have to adjust to the defense. Most defensive coordinators are daring Favre to beat them, rather than take their chances with Peterson. I expect this to continue, but for Peterson to get more carries than last week.

My Projection: 100 yards rushing, 40 yards receiving and 1TD for Peterson. 20 combined yards for Chester Taylor.

WIDE RECEIVERS
Bernard Berrian is done in my book. He is not the same player as he was last year, and most of this can be attributed to his hamstring injury. The fact that this problem resurfaced last week is not a good sign for Berrian or the rest of his season. Sidney Rice is a number one receiver. And not just on the Vikings, but also for your fantasy leagues. I project Sidney Rice to be a top 12 receiver for the remainder of the season. Everyone is talking about the chemistry that he has developed with Favre, and it was evident against the Steelers. He caught 11 balls for 136 yards. He was targeted 14 times and at least twice in the end zone. We all should have seen this coming. There is something to be said about a receiver with the last name of Rice. Percy Harvin is what they call a playmaker. He can do it on special teams, in the wildcat or as a traditional receiver. I’m not expecting Berrian to play and that’s good news for Harvin owners.

My Projection: Rice 120 yards, 1 TD, Harvin 75 combined yards and 1TD.

TIGHT ENDS
If you have to start a tight end, Visanthe Shiancoe is a good one. He won’t get many yards, but there is a good chance he’ll catch a touchdown. My Projection: 25 yards and 1TD

KICKER
Why aren’t people focused on Longwell also returning to face his old team? Oh, that’s right. He’s a kicker and nobody cares. Unless he’s on your fantasy team, then you care. He’s a good one. Start him.

DEFENSE
The Vikings sacked Rogers nine times in Minneapolis. I think they’ll harass him again this game as well, but expect the Packers to put up a lot of points. My projection: I expect the Vikings to finish outside the Top 10 for the 2nd week in a row.

This matchup has everything you want in a game. Two of the top quarterbacks in the league, and they probably don’t like each other. Favre wasn’t happy when the Packers drafted Rogers, and there was never any talk about Favre trying to mentor him in Green Bay. The Vikings and Packers have two explosive offenses, and one of the most heated division rivalries in the NFL. There is the schism between Favre and Ted Thompson, the general manager. And the unthinkable has happened. There is a schism between Farve and the Green Bay fans. In my opinion, this game is a bigger story than the World Series. Let’s hope it lives up to the hype.