By: Larry Fitzgerald
Originally posted 12/21/2009
Favre challenges Childress!
Look at the big picture: The Vikings have clinched the NFC North for the second consecutive year. They are 11-3, 7-0 at home, and have the third-best record in the NFL. Even after being dominated on the road by the Carolina Panthers (26-7) on NBC's Football Night in America and being outscored 20-0 in the fourth quarter, the Vikings are still in the driver's seat.
Last year, the Carolina Panthers were 12-4; this year they will miss the playoffs, but Sunday night they may have found their quarterback of the future.
Matt Moore, an undrafted quarterback from Oregon State, outplayed a legend, Brett Favre, by throwing for 299 yards and three touchdowns.
As the Panthers kept the Vikings from gaining on the New Orleans Saints in the race for home-field advantage in the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys shocked the Saints 24-17 at the Super Dome, ending any hope of a perfect season in the Crescent City and giving the Vikings a slight opening.
However, for the second time in three weeks the Vikings were dominated on the road, and for the fifth straight week Adrian Peterson was held without 100 yards rushing. Peterson had just 35 yards on 12 carries and scored the Vikings' only touchdown.
You see, the Vikings were built to run the football and play power football.
That's who they are — run the football and stop the run on defense. They could not stop the Panthers from running.
Back-up running back Jonathan Stewart, replacing leading rusher DeAngelo Williams, who left the game with an ankle injury, ran for a career-high 109 yards and became the first back to run for 100 yards against the Vikings defense since 2007. Two weeks ago, the defending NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals held Peterson to 19 yards on 13 carries and then got after Favre, forcing him to throw into mistakes.
Carolina used the same blueprint game plan and busted open a close 7-6 game in the fourth quarter to rout the tired Vikings. Carolina kept the ball for 38 minutes against the Vikings. The Vikings converted only one third down the entire game and had just 237 total yards.
Kurt Warner, a future Hall-of-Famer, carved up the Vikings defense in their loss to Arizona. Who is Matt Moore?
Steve Smith and Julius Peppers are two of the great players in this league, and when they dominate, as they did Sunday night, your team is in deep trouble.
Smith torched the Vikings secondary with nine receptions for 157 yards and a touchdown. Peppers is one of the best pass rushers in the business, a future Hall-of-Famer and Carolina's version of Jared Allen. Peppers has recorded 80 quarterback sacks and forced 28 fumbles since 2002.
Brett Farve and Head Coach Brad Childress had a heated dispute on the sideline in the fourth quarter. Childress was apparently not happy with Favre's play.
The score was Vikings 7, Carolina 6, and the Vikings could clearly not block Peppers. He had already benched tackle Bryant McKinnie.
In this case, both Childress and Favre were right. Favre is the most durable quarterback in history with 283 consecutive starts. He's one of the greatest competitors ever; he's won 180 games; he felt he could lead the team to victory even when things turned in the fourth quarter.
He's done it many times before. He's a three-time MVP. It's not Favre's fault that Mr. Automatic, Ryan Longwell, who had made 22 of 23 previous field goals, missed a short field goal, or that Sidney Rice had a critical fumble in the fourth quarter to kill two great Vikings scoring chances in a tight physical game.
Carolina whipped the Vikings, period. Childress, however, has to protect the Vikings' playoff potential, the big picture. I like the fact that Farve stood up to Childress. Without Favre, face it, the Vikings are in deep trouble. Both men in this case were right.
No time for bruised egos and controversy. It's December in the NFL. Some teams are playing for the Super Bowl and others are just trying to keep their jobs.
Next week, the Vikings will again be in the spotlight in prime time on Monday Night Football vs. the Chicago Bears. The Vikings have lost two of their last three games, and they are just 4-3 on the road. It's time to win in December on the road. It's time to get back to basics, not time to panic.
Fitz Notes & Quotes
After Vikings linebacker E.J. Henderson had surgery Monday in an Arizona hospital long after their 30-17 loss to Arizona, Cardinals Pro Bowl stars Larry Fitzgerald, Jr. and Kurt Warner visited Henderson at the hospital, Vikings owner/president Mark Wilf told me Sunday before the Vikings' dominating 30-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Larry Fitzgerald became the youngest player in NFL history to eclipse 7,000 career yards. Chris Johnson of Tennessee has rushed for 100 yards or more in nine straight games.
Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:20 am, and on WDGY-AM 740 Monday & Saturday mornings at 7:50 am and Fridays at 3:50 pm; he also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Larry welcomes reader responses to lfitzgerald@spokesman-recorder.com , or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com .
