Author: David Shama

It’s been more than a year since the Minnesota Vikings won consecutive games.  In October of last year the Vikings had back-to-back wins over Detroit and Seattle.  Since then the Vikings have lost 13 games and won five, including last Sunday’s upset of San Diego.

Former Vikings’ assistant coach Dean Dalton told Sports Headliners earlier this week that next Sunday’s game in Green Bay against the Packers is “extremely important” for establishing momentum toward better results in the second half of the season.  At 3-5, the Vikings now have eight more regular season games and while playoff thoughts shouldn’t be pre-occupying anyone’s mind, Minnesota can target moving toward a .500 record with wins in the next two weeks against the Packers (7-1) and at home versus Oakland (2-6).

“They (the Vikings) need to win this game to get positive momentum,” Dalton said.  He also said the Vikings aren’t going to win the NFC North with the Packers and Detroit (6-2) so far ahead, but a couple of wins could allow Minnesota to more realistically think there is a chance of making the playoffs.

Dalton, now a pro football media analyst, said if the Vikings are to win Sunday they need to continue with their  “formula.”  That formula includes plenty of opportunities for Adrian Peterson to run the ball behind an improving and more confident offensive line.  Dalton said it’s imperative, too, that the quarterback, either Brooks Bollinger or Tarvaris Jackson, take three step drops to pass, not five.  That measure, along with play action, helps negate the pass protection challenges of the offensive line.

The “formula” also demands that the Vikings’ offense control the ball enough to avoid a game day script that has the defense on the field too long. In late October against Philadelphia the defense was on the field for about 30 minutes.  Last Sunday against San Diego the Vikings defense, assisted by an offense experiencing its best day of the season, played about 26 minutes.  That game was only the second this season that a Vikings’ opponent didn’t have possession for 30 minutes or more.

Dalton suggests that the Vikings use a variety of defensive tactics against the Packers offense, similar to the blitzes and other looks Minnesota used effectively to keep Chargers’ quarterback Phillip Rivers off balance.  The strategy, that can also include man-to-man pass coverage, will limit yardage but also make the Vikings susceptible to big gains.

The Vikings’ defense is No. 2 in the NFL against the rush, limiting opponents to 70.4 yards per game, and if that wasn’t formidable enough, Dalton said that because of injuries this season the Packers are “running out of running backs.”  Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre completed 32-45 passes for 344 yards and two touchdowns in the Packers’ 23-16 win here in September.  He doesn’t figure to throw any less Sunday than he did in Minneapolis. The Packers rank second in the NFL in passing yards per game at 290.1.  Vikings coach Brad Childress wants better performance out of both his pass defense (31^st in the NFL giving up 275.6 yards per game) and his pass offense (30^th in the league at 151.5 yards per game).

Vikings linebacker Ben Leber was direct when asked about the importance of Sunday’s game.  He described it as “huge” because the Vikings are coming off a win and playing a division leader.  “It’s a big game for us,” he said.  “We have to prove to ourselves that…we can get on a roll, continue to play consistent. …”

The good feelings about Sunday’s win against the talented Chargers and the positive plays that made it possible haven’t made Leber too giddy.  “Obviously you feel good about the win,” he said. “You feel good about the way we executed, but we’re still 3-5. We have a lot of work to do. I think our crutch and our Achilles heel has been the fact that we are inconsistent. We can play good one series, bad the next.  Play good one game, bad the next game. …It’s going to be important that we don’t get too high on our selves. Yeah, we played well but we need to play better next week.”

It’s probably more than coincidence that the Minnesota Timberwolves, playing without venerable shot blocker Theo Ratliff, gave up more points against Orlando (111) than they did in their two previous games (99 to Denver, 97 to New York).  Ratliff missed Tuesday night’s 111-103 loss to Orlando because of the flu after blocking five shots in the Wolves’ two other losses.  Who knows how many misses he caused, too, because of his presence and possibility that he would swat away more shots?

Ratliff, 34, is a rare center in today’s NBA because of his shot blocking.  He has led the league in blocked shots three of the past five seasons.  He has been among the top 10 shot blockers in his last seven full NBA seasons.  He’s one of six players in league history to lead in blocked shots at least three times.

Oh, my, if Ratliff, the 6-foot-10, 238-pound soft spoken defensive specialist were 24 instead of 34.  Considered a throw-in among the five players the Wolves acquired from Boston for Kevin Garnett, Ratliff has a large expiring contract after this season and a history of troublesome injuries that have limited his court time.  He makes approximately $11.5 million, according to espn.com, and the speculation is that taking his salary off the payroll next season will open options to sign younger players.

What Ratliff has shown the Wolves in two games, though, is that he can provide them with defensive help much more effectively than anyone else on the roster and better than most players in the league.  He’s also contributed offensively, averaging 11 points per game against a career average of eight, and five rebounds per game.  The questions, though, are how many games and minutes will Ratliff play this season, and what’s the future beyond next spring?

Ratliff missed all but two games last season because of a sore back, surgery and then rehab.  He told Sports Headliners last week that he’s still going through a “healing process.”  He has soreness in the back and endeavors to keep his “muscles loose.”  People with back problems will relate to Ratliff’s awareness of not sitting too long, stretching and utilizing massage and chiropractic assistance.

Before the season began, Ratliff said playing an aggressive number of minutes like 32 per game wasn’t realistic.  Interestingly, though, he played 33 minutes against the Knicks last Sunday, after 29 minutes in the home opener on Friday with the Nuggets. Coach Randy Wittman knows how valuable Ratliff can be and will do his best to successfully monitor his minutes.

Beyond this season?  Ratliff said that after 13 seasons it’s pretty much “year by year now.”  Spoken with the wisdom of experience, his goal is to enjoy this season, contribute to the team and “take a step back and see” what comes next spring and summer.

Greg Maddux of San Diego broke former Minnesota Twins pitcher Jim Kaat’s record this week for the most Gold Glove awards by a pitcher or position player, according to mlb.com.  Maddux, 41, was recognized with a 17^th Gold Glove award.  Second in Twins history for Gold Glove awards is outfielder Torii Hunter with seven.  Hunter and pitcher Johan Santana (first time selection) are the two Twins announced this week to the 2007 American League Rawlings Gold Glove team.  It’s the seventh consecutive season Hunter has won a Gold Glove, tying the club record set by Kaat from 1965-1972.  The Gold Glove teams in both the National and American leagues are determined by a vote of managers and coaches.

KARE TV’s Randy Shaver, who every year spends long hours studying high school football, said Washburn’s junior tight end, Ra’Shede Hageman, is a superb college prospect.  The University of Minnesota has reportedly offered Hageman a scholarship. Shaver’s son Ryan, a senior football star at Benilde-St. Margaret’s, is considering MIAC schools and has a particular interest in St. Thomas.  Ryan might play safety, linebacker or fullback in college.

Vikings coach Brad Childress said at his Wednesday news conference that he wouldn’t identify an ideal range of carries per game for Adrian Peterson.  He emphasized the importance of having “fresh legs” and noted that Peterson (22) is a young player.

Vikings wide receiver Bobby Wade is on KSTP 1500 AM every Monday night from 6 to 6:30 p.m. with Matt Thomas.

The Gophers hockey team is a 0-4 in WCHA games and has managed just one goal in each game.  The Gophers play Minnesota State this weekend, at Mankato Friday night and at Maricucci Arena Saturday evening.

Gophers women’s basketball coach Pam Borton told Sports Headliners she has a top 40 team with the potential to be even better.  The Gophers, who open their non-conference schedule tonight against UC-Riverside, were the second youngest team in the country last season and will have five sophomores among their top eight players, Borton said.

The Gophers have sold about 3,200 season tickets so far and expect to sell more.  Borton said the Gophers were among the top 10 schools in the country in women’s basketball attendance last season and have ranked as high as top five.

Saint John’s is at Bethel Saturday in a 1 p.m. game with the MIAC title and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as rewards for the winning team. Saint John’s (7-0 MIAC, 9-0 overall) is ranked No. 2 in the nation among Division III teams, while Bethel (7-0 MIAC, 8-1 overall) is No. 16. An overflow crowd of 7,000 to 10,000 is expected, according to an e-mail from an MIAC spokesman.

The “World’s Toughest Rodeo,” an annual attraction on the Twin Cities entertainment calendar going back to Met Center days, comes to the Xcel Energy Center on February 1 and 2.  Tickets went on sale last Saturday.