Vikings Coach does not take Twitter trash talk seriously

It’s been quite a few days since the New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper started the twitter trash talks with his former Minnesota Vikings teammates, however, the trash talk could be only for fun, as the Vikings head coach Brad Childress recently said that he was not concerned with the verbal war.

Childress said that the word exchanges in cyberspace was mostly for fun and he know well that Sharper had a good relationship with Visanthe Shiancoe, Sharper’s major rival in the verbal war. Besides, Sharper also used to be Brett Favre’s teammate in the Green Bay Packers, and he could not be serious when saying that Favre’s surgically repaired ankle had been an X Mark to him. “He should be happy for seeing the quarterback wearing back his No.4 Brett Favre jersey,” Childress said. “He was joking about the ankle because he knew that would attract attention.”

Childress did not seem worried at all that the twitter fight could affect Shiancoe’s playing status, even though the tight end missed Wednesday’s optional team practice. Inevitably, Childress was asked about Favre’s playing status, and the coach said that they were still waiting for the quarterback’s final decision.

Brett Favre was told not to retire by former teammate

Brett Favre’s struggle with retirement actually began in 2006 offseason, after the Green Bay Packers finished the previous 4-12. At that time Favre was undecided for real sense and asked his former teammates for advices. He eventually returned as all his most respected teammates told him not to retire.

Frank Winters, Antonio Freeman and Santana Dotson were playing with Favre when he led the Packers to a Super Bowl XXXI championship. They all knew well that Favre loves fishing, hunting, golfing and especially football so much that retirement would cause him to fall into depression. They understood that Favre actually did not like the idea of walking away but he was only worrying about whether he was still able to win as people expected him to do. These former teammates’ advices worked well and Favre eventually work back his Brett Favre jersey for 2006 season as they made him to be more confident with what he could still do at age 37.

Nowadays, Favre needs no more advice from friends or teammates on his decision to retire or return. He has already proved that he could still win at age 40, so he is likely to return for his 20th NFL season, with different teammates. That could be the only thing his former teammates unwilling to see.

Favre’s promise should be taken as a joke

A report about Brett Favre making bet with a college baseball team immediately spread everywhere of the country, and people finally see some hope in the star quarterback’s return. However, don’t be so serious with whatever Favre says at this time, he might be just having fun.

Visiting with his Alma Mater and watching the Southern Mississippi University baseball team Golden Eagles playing baseball, Favre was asked by one of the young baseball players about his own playing status in 2010 NFL season, and the quarterback answered with more a bet than a promise- “If you guys go back to the College World Series this year, I will come back and play. How about that? You go back and I go back." Those young alumni could be proud for being able to determine the NFL star quarterback’s career future, but the pride did not seem enough to bring the 30-20 college baseball team to the College World Series, and Favre, the 19 year veteran quarterback, surely knows well of the team’s chance to win and was very possibly just joking with some kind purpose to offer the baseball team a motivation.

Favre used to make two official announcements on his retirement during the past two seasons, but still put on different styles of Favre jerseys for his 18th and 19th NFL seasons. A lot of people have learnt not to believe either official or casual statements on his status in a new season. Just keep mind open for any new updates.

There is no new quarterback on way to Vikings

Although the Minnesota Vikings have not had a starting quarterback confirmed for the 2010 season, they do not seem like to bring in some new quarterbacks from the open market or through a trade with another team. They are either still waiting for Brett Favre’s decision or observing backup quarterbacks Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels.

According to latest reports, Favre has not informed the Vikings whether he is planning to have a surgery. Still with one year left on his current contract with the Vikings, the Vikings fans are highly expecting Favre to wear back Vikings jersey and finish the contract before retirements. However, the 40-year-old man simply tells nothing about his decision either on the surgery or his playing status for 2010 season.

If Favre really does not return, there will be a competition for starting job between Jackson and Rosenfels. Already winning the starting job last year before Favre’s sudden arrival, Jackson is apparently with a better chance to win the starting job. But anyway, this is a new year, something may be different, and there have been a few rumors of Vikings asking for other teams’ quarterbacks. What the starting quarterback is to be still remains quite mysterious.

Now Peterson began to surpass Favre in catching attention

Since he decided to get out of retirement and accept Brad Childress’ invitation to put on Vikings jersey, Brett Favre has been mentioned too much when people were talking about every Vikings’ game. We know running back Adrian did as great job, but we were just so busy talking about Favre that we forgot to mention that.

Peterson just ran. He helped take pressure off the quarterback in the second half and eventually put away Cincinnati. He provided some tough, effective running that worked the clock and got him into the end zone twice.

So it is time believe that the Vikings would be even better if they make their offense more about Peterson and less about Favre, to trust Peterson to be the man who can take advantage of what has become a vulnerable Saints run defense if the teams meet in the NFC title game.

Vikings WR Harvin missed third straight practice

Although not willing to rule the rookie receiver out for this Sunday’s game, the Minnesota Vikings Coach Brad Childress is just 100 percent confident that Percy Harvin could appear in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, wearing his Vikings jersey and playing as good as before.

Harvin, dangerous as a receiver and kick returner, missed practice time before the San Francisco and Green Bay games earlier this season and responded well in both. Besides four catches for 51 yards, he returned a kickoff for a touchdown against the 49ers, and had five catches for 84 yards and a touchdown against the Packers.

The Vikings have 14 players listed on injury report, with 13 of them starters. Injuries are bothering running back Adrian Peterson, right tackle Phil Loadholt and left guard Steve Hutchinson. Even starting quarterback Brett Favre was limited in Friday’s practice, not because of injury but a coach’s decision.

8-3 Cardinals became the second team to beat Vikings

Neither the Pittsburgh Steelers nor the Arizona Cardinals has given a performance that could be called perfect for this season, but both teams managed to achieve other teams have not achieved by so far of this season: they beat the Vikings.

With a 6-0 start, the Vikings lost their first regular-season game to the Steelers, but they soon cleared doubt about their future by winning four consecutive games, but (but again) the Cardinals did not allow them to continue with the winning streak. Kurt Warner made it to 22 of 32 with no interceptions and no sacks, while the guy wearing his No. 4 Brett Favre jersey was picked off twice and sacked three times.

Hard to say which team surprised us more. The Vikings has kept their power rank at No. 3 following the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints for weeks, but they failed. The Cardinals lost last week’s game to 3-6 Tennessee Titans when they were still 7-3 and caused many to think that they would begin a loss streak when encountering the Vikings, but the team won.

The Vikings may win again in next game, and the Cardinals may lose again, but for now, Cardinals fans should cheer loudly for their beloved team for they really have done a good job.

Brett Favre: the Older, the Better?

Brett Favre has started ten consecutive games in his purple Minnesota Vikings jerseys, somewhat incredible for a 40-year-old player. Doubters can shut up now as they have had no reason to chastise the star quarterback for ending a second retirement.

Favre proved what he believed in himself by completing a career-high 88 percent of his passes for 213 yards and four touchdown passes while playing with the Vikings against the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday. It seemed that he is becoming even better as he is getting older. Favre has only completed at least 80 percent two other times in his previous 18 seasons. And for this season only he has did that twice: he completed 85.2 percent while playing against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 20.

He surpassed Dan Marino by finishing Sunday’s game as his 22nd career game with at least four touchdown passes, earning himself an extreme honor from fans, including those who booed him during his 16 years with the Green Bay Packers. When the record was announced to the sellout crowd in the fourth quarter, fans gave him a standing ovation and chants of “MVP! MVP!”

Brett Favre is a great player, now more and more people have been convinced.

Vikings CB Winfield not available to play against Packers

Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield of the Minnesota Vikings still needs some more time to take care of his injured right foot and will not be available to play with his team at Green Bay on Sunday.

According to Coach Brad Childress, Winfield has been making progress throughout the week, but he is just not healthy enough to get on the field after missing last week’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers already. It is very likely that Winfield will be in his place again after the bye week following this Sunday’s game.

Karl Paymah, Asher Allen and Benny Sapp played in Winfield’s place last Sunday and will do the same job this weekend. After holding Ben Roethlisberger to 175 yards passing and Hines Ward to one catch for 3 yards, it does not seem harder for them to play against Packers Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings and Donald Drivers in Green Bay.

As Brett Favre’s return to Lambeau Field has been highly anticipated, the star quarterback now wearing Vikings jersey is not completely sure that he will be able to play against his old team because he had to look after his injured hip. He was listed as probable along with linebackers Ben Leber and E. J. Henderson and fullback Naufahu Tahi.

Vikings cut four players in move of reducing rosters to 75

Tuesday was the NFL’s deadline to reduce rosters to 75 players, so the Minnesota Vikings cut four players to trim their roster. The released included kicker Taylor Mehlhaff, cornerback Derrick Roberson, running back Antone Smith and guard Nick Urban.

That was not the end of trimming. By Saturday, teams must be down to the regular-season limit of 53 players. And for the Vikings, the most urgent to do is to decide which backup quarterbacks to keep, behind Brett Favre, who put on his No. 4 vikings jersey not long ago and became the team’s starting quarterback.

The Vikings won over the Houston Texans by 17-10 in Tuesday night’s preseason game. They will play their last preseason game on Friday against the Dallas Cowboys at home.