Brett Fare
Rusty smutty. What Fare really needs is a date with a creampuff defense. Thankfully, the NFL schedule-makers agreed, and obliged by sending the hapless Lions to Mall of America Field this weekend. After allowing the most passing yards (4,358) and passing Tads (35) to opposing Abs a year ago, the cheap nfl jerseys
Lions have rung in 2010 by playing at about the same level, despite the addition of a boatload of talent along their defensive line. Only 2 teams have fared worse against opposing Abs this year than the Lions, who allowed 372 yards and 2 Tads to Jay Cutler in Week 1, followed by 284 and 2 to Michael Vick in his 1st start with the Eagles. The Vikings didn’t need Fare to put up big numbers in either match up last year – both easy wins – but he did have 2 TD passes in the Week 2 match up and 344 yards and 1 TD in the Week 10 rematch. If not for the disheveled state of the Vikings WR corps, I’d whole-heartedly endorse Fare as a fantasy starter this week. But with Percy Hardin’s status up in the air, Fare remains on the fringe of the QB1 rankings this week. If Hardin plays, start Fare and bank on a bounce-back. If not, look for an even heavier does of Adrian Peterson than usual, and start Fare only if you have no other viable options.
Adrian Peterson
Peterson blamed himself for not scoring on last week’s fateful 4th and goal play, but in my opinion it was one of his best games since the end of the 2008 season. That also happens to be the last time the Vikings had to rely primarily on Peterson, rather than on the arm of certain #4, which could be the case again this week. The much-touted additions of defensive linemen Ndamukong Such, Corey Williams and Kyle Vander Bosch haven’t exactly turned around what was the 6th easiest defense to run on in 2009. Through 2 games this season, no team has been more lenient on opposing fantasy Ribs than the Lions, who surrendered over 200 total yards and 2 Tads to Matt Forte in Week 1, then watched helplessly as Leeann McCoy racked up 120 and 3 Tads against them last week. Peterson has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in 4 of his 6 career meetings with Detroit and scored 3 times in the 2 matches last year. This is your classic case of unstoppable force facing off against easily-movable object. Expect AP to take full advantage.
Percy Hardin
The hip injury Hardin aggravated in Week 2 is apparently not an issue, but now the ubiquitous migraines have reportedly made a return. Hardin is easily the most reliable and explosive WR at Fare’s disposal, but his status for Week 3 will likely remain up in the air right up until kickoff. Hardin secured 5 grabs for 41 yards and a TD last time Detroit came to Minnesota (Week 2 of last year), and the Lions finished 2009 as the 3rd worst defense against opposing Wars. Hardin managed to fight through the migraines and perform well despite not practicing during the week on more than 1 occasion last year, but the uncertainty surrounding his current condition makes him a fantasy WR3 this week.
Bernard Berrien
If Hardin sits, it’ll be even more important for Berrien to pick up his game in Week 3. Despite being roundly criticized after the Week 2 loss to the Dolphins, it’s a good sign for Berrien’s fantasy value that Fare was throwing it Bernard’s way in crucial situations – both deep downfield and in the red zone. One long TD would go a long ways towards silencing the critics, and few NFL defenses offer a better opportunity than the Lions. Berrien had 6 catches for 46 yards in last year’s 1st match up against the Lions and was targeted another 8 times in the Week 10 win in which Sidney Rice (7 catches, 201 yards) went bonkers. Nobody in their right mind would trust Berrien as a fantasy starter this week, but don’t bail on him completely just yet.
Greg Camarillo
Surely, Camarillo has picked up the offense at this point, right? After another game of Colts jersey
serving limited duty, Camarillo could get pushed into action whether he’s ready or not on Sunday. He’d be the logical replacement for Hardin as the slot receiver should Percy miss the game, and it’s a role he’s very capable of playing. You’re not touching him from a fantasy standpoint, but Camarillo still has the potential to emerge as a usable commodity, especially in PPR leagues. If he plays a significant role against the woeful Lions secondary, he’ll be a trendy pickup on next week’s waiver wire.
Greg Lewis
Despite serving as one of the team’s top 3 Wars in each of the first 2 games, Lewis has just 2 receptions for 26 yards. Even if Hardin sits, I have to believe it would be Camarillo that sees the up tick in attention from Fare, and from a fantasy perspective Lewis remains an extreme long shot to emerge as anything more than a warm body.
Hank Basket
He isn’t Vincent Jackson, but Basket has had a couple of big games when given an opportunity over his 5-year NFL career. Having come from Philadelphia, Basket should be somewhat familiar with the similar Vikings playbook, and he figures to get at least a handful of snaps in Week 3 if Hardin is limited or can’t play. He’s still behind both Camarillo and Lewis in the pecking order, though, so doesn’t get too excited.
Visa the Since
Since once again shone through as the lone bright spot in the Vikings passing game last week, amassing 6 catches for 86 yards as Fare’s favorite pass-catching option. Against a Lions defense that yielded a league-worst 13 Tads to opposing Tees last year, since is once again a no-brainer fantasy starter in Week 3.
Ryan Long well
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Lions were exploited more than any other team by opposing kickers in 2009. Thanks to a whopping 55 Pats allowed, no team even came close to allowing as many kicker points as did the Lions.
Vikings Defense
Detroit Abs threw 32 Nits in 2009, and the team as a whole turned the Cowboys jersey
ball over more times (41) than any other team. They were merely bad (rather than horrendous) at protecting the QB, but the Vikings got to them for 5 sacks and 4 forced turnovers in the 2 matches last year. RB Avid Best appears to have added an element of explosiveness their offense lacked a year ago, but QB Shaun Hill isn’t scaring anyone under center, despite his impressive numbers against the Eagles last week. It’s all systems go for the Vikings defense this week.
26 sep 10 Lions-Vikings Preview
A home match up with the Detroit Lions on Sunday would appear to be just what the Minnesota Vikings need to avoid a 0-3 start.
The Vikings, though, will face a Lions team that's showing signs of improvement two years after its 0-16 finish.
Minnesota will try to post its 13th victory in a row at the Metronome over Detroit, but it enters this contest seemingly out of sorts on offense after finishing one win away from the Super Bowl last season.
The Vikings have scored one touchdown in each of nfl jerseys
their first two games and didn't record their first points in last week's 14-10 loss to Miami until Adrian Peterson’s 1-yard run late in the third quarter.
Peterson was also stopped on fourth down on the 1-yard line with 2:16 remaining with his team trailing by four, and Brett Fare threw three interceptions for the first time in 18 games with Minnesota, which fell to 8-1 at home with him under center.
"It's a 14-game season now and we're sitting at the bottom of it," Fare said. "What we do with it from here remains to be seen. It won't be any easier."
Injuries to Fare’s top two receivers from last season haven't helped. Sidney Rice, who had team bests of 83 receptions and 1,312 yards, is expected to miss the first half of the season while recovering from hip surgery.
Percy Hardin has battled migraines and a strained right hip that he aggravated last week. Before they signed Hank Basket on Wednesday, the Vikings' only healthy receivers were Bernard Berrien, Greg Lewis and Greg Camarillo, who have combined to catch seven passes for 85 yards.
Last season, Rice and Hardin accounted for 143 of the team's 377 receptions and nearly half of its 4,403 yards. Chester Taylor also caught another 44 passes out of the backfield, but he signed with NFC North rival Chicago in the off-season.
"We can't make excuses," Fare said. "There will be what-ifs or Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
should, could, would as. That's part of it. You go down swinging and you win swinging. If we don't make it, we don't make it."
Fare is 275 yards shy of 70,000 in his career and two Tads away from 500 as he tries to help Minnesota avoid its worst start since going 0-4 in 2002. The Vikings have won five straight and 19 of the last 21 meetings with the Lions.
Detroit, however, has been competitive in its first two games this season despite losing both. The Lions nearly snapped their lengthy road losing streak in their opener against Chicago, but wide receiver Calvin Johnson's apparent go-ahead touchdown catch was ruled incomplete in a controversial 19-14 loss, their 21st in a row away from home.
Detroit set an NFL record with 24 consecutive road losses from 2001-03.
After falling behind 18 points in the fourth quarter last week at home, the Lions scored a pair of touchdowns in the final 4:13 against Philadelphia before falling 35-32.
"I'm proud to stand among the players," Coach Jim Schwartz said. "This is a tough team, a team that's resilient, that fights through a lot of situations."
Avid Best showcased the potential that made him one of Detroit's two first-round picks in April, catching nine passes for 154 yards and a TD and rushing for another 78 on 17 carries with two scores.
Shaun Hill passed for a career-best 335 yards with two Tads and two interceptions while starting in place of Matthew Stafford, who is also not expected to play this week due to a shoulder injury.
Hill, who played one game as a rookie in Minnesota in 2005, lost both of his previous matches with his former team while with San Francisco, including 27-24 in the Metronome last season.
Fare has won seven consecutive matches with the Lions and has Minnesota Vikings jersey
eight touchdowns and no interceptions in his past four meetings.
Detroit previously beat Minnesota at the Metronome on Dec. 14, 1997, when Herman Moore caught a 1-yard touchdown pass with three seconds left for a 14-13 victory.
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