Author: David Shama

Vikings’ coach Brad Childress gave his football team a letter grade after Sunday’s 28-21 win over Houston on Sunday at the Metrodome, according to defensive end Ray Edwards.  The coach made sure the team knows it can earn a higher grade.

“We’re a C team right now because we’re average,” Edwards told Sports Headliners. “We’re 4-4. …So we’re just trying to keep working, keep working.  We’re trying to keep our grade up.”

The Vikings, though, avoided a tsunami of negativity with their third win in the last four games.  The last time the Vikings played at home they stumbled to a 12-10 win over lowly Detroit (now 0-8) while some fans chanted for Childress’ dismissal.  Then a loss two weeks ago in Chicago only added to the surly outlook of fans in Vikingland.

But yesterday the Vikings took an early 7-0 lead set up by a 55-yard Gus Frerotte pass to wide receiver Bernard Berrian and went on to play perhaps their best game of the season.  Heroes included Frerotte with three touchdown passes, Adrian Peterson with 139 yards rushing and a two-sack game by Jared Allen.

The Vikings are just one game back in the loss column from first place Chicago (5-3) in the NFC North.  They’re also tied for second in the division with Green Bay which comes to town next Sunday.

After the Packers, four of the next five games will be on the road.  The Vikings are 3-1 at home, 1-3 away.  As left tackle Bryant McKinnie said after the game yesterday, it’s a “dogfight” on the road.

In the weeks ahead the Vikings will have the opportunity to improve their grade mostly in “schoolhouses” other than their own.

The Gopher football team’s offense is unproductive and if the status quo continues, losses in the last three games of the season are likely.  On Saturday the offense had an 80-yard touchdown drive and a 76-yard drive that produced a field goal in a Big Ten Conference loss to Northwestern.  The Gophers, 7-2 overall and 3-2 in the league, have just two scoring drives of over 50 yards in each of their last four conference games.

A turnover-causing Gopher defense has been helping the offense. Last Saturday, for example, cornerback Traye Simmons’ interception and 23-yard run produced Minnesota’s second touchdown of the game in a 24-17 loss.  But the Gophers can’t predict that every Saturday the defense will come up with a touchdown or even give the offense the ball near the goal line.

What’s the problem?  Simple answer.  Beyond quarterback Adam Weber and wide receiver Eric Decker, two of the Big Ten’s best at their positions, the offense lacks playmakers.  By conference standards, the offensive line is average at best.  Too many times in recent games the line has committed untimely holding and false start penalties.  Even more often Weber is scrambling to avoid being sacked, or there’s no hole for Gopher runners.

No doubt the running game would look better if the Gophers had explosive or powerful runners.  Where have you gone, Marion Barber, Laurence Maroney and Gary Russell?  Duane Bennett isn’t as good as those former Gophers but he’s a quality runner who is injured and out for the season. Playmaking speedsters are a missing element at receiver, too, where the Gophers are almost one-dimensional with only Decker.

The offense might find some life against Michigan on Saturday.  The Wolverines have given up 129 points in their last three games and are on a four-game losing streak.  But Wisconsin and Iowa, the last two teams on the regular season schedule, are much better defensively.

It’s evident that in the off-season coach Tim Brewster and his staff will need to upgrade the talent on offense with perhaps a combination of improvement by underclassmen, and the addition of junior college and freshmen playmakers.

Tubby Smith’s name may be mentioned in the months ahead as a successor to Lute Olsonwho resigned as Arizona’s basketball coach last week.  The Arizona job is one of college basketball’s best but Smith likes Minnesota and is only in his second season here.  Smith, 57, is already one of the better paid coaches in the country and probably faces less pressure here than at Arizona.  He is likely to end his coaching career at Minnesota.

Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman said last week he “hasn’t been associated with a better group” than his 2008-09 team.  “Well, I mean everything,” Wittman said. “Good people off the floor as well as on the floor. Hard workers.  Eager. …”

That attitude can transfer over to self-discipline and correcting one another.  “If I have to wait for a timeout to get it done, it might be too late,” Wittman said.  “So that’s where you always, from a leadership standpoint, want somebody, a group of guys that can police each other on the floor and off the floor. …”

The Wolves’ Corey Brewer made a dismal 37 percent of his field goal attempts as a rookie last season.  He worked to improve his shooting during the summer.  He told Sports Headliners last week that he was thinking too much last season.  “This year go out there and play free,” he said. “Don’t be scared to make a mistake. …”   In two games this season he’s shooting 40 percent.

Brewer, 22, met Timberwolves teammate Mike Miller, 28, when Brewer was in high school and was on a recruiting visit to Florida.  Miller had played at Florida and Brewer decided to attend school there, too.

The Wolves play San Antonio at home on Wednesday night.  In a recent nba.com article Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was ranked the NBA’s best coach, best at in-game adjustments and best in the last two minutes of a game, according to a survey of league general managers.

Local pro basketball writer Steve Aschburner told Sports Headliners he’s picking the Lakers to beat the Cavs in the NBA finals.  The Wolves’ Al Jefferson, who played three seasons in Boston and still has friends on the roster, predicts the Celtics will defeat the Lakers in the finals for a second consecutive season.

A source who analyzes local prep football, rates Washburn tight end Rasheed Hageman the best high school senior in the state.  He thinks Hageman will be a Gopher and possibly start next season.

Bryce McNeal, the Breck wide receiver, hasn’t been a dominant player this fall and Michigan may have lost interest, according to the source.  McNeal may attend Minnesota.  He has outstanding speed and hands.

The source also said Notre Dame transfer Matt Carufel will start on the Gophers offensive line when he becomes eligible next year and will be outstanding.  He expects Kim Royston, the transfer from Wisconsin, to start in the Gopher secondary in 2010. Both are former Cretin-Derham Hall players.

The Gopher athletic department is encouraging fans to dress in gold “from head to toe” for Saturday’s football game with Michigan that begins at 11 a.m. at the Metrodome.  The Little Brown Jug game is the first of three season closing trophy games including at Wisconsin (Paul Bunyan’s Axe) and home against Iowa (Floyd of Rosedale).

Vikings’ kicker Ryan Longwell makes his off-season in a golf and residence community called Isleworth Country Club in suburban Orlando.  The gated community is also home to Tiger Woods, Shaquille O’Neal and Vince Carter.

Quarterback Gus Frerotte’s sons, ages 11 and nine, were in the locker room after the Vikings’ game yesterday collecting autographs including from running back Adrian Peterson.

Safety Madieu Williams started his first regular season game as a Viking yesterday, had a second half interception and gave the ball to a fan in the end zone.  Williams also had eight tackles.

Mardy Fish, a world-class professional tennis player from Edina, sounded the gjallarhorn before the game.

Hamline University professor David Schultz, who will be providing election night analysis on KARE 11 tomorrow night, told an audience at the law firm of Mansfield, Tanick & Cohen P.A. on Friday that Barack Obama may win the presidential election over John McCain in a “blowout.”   Schultz also said Virginia is a key state to watch in the returns on Tuesday night.  “If Obama wins Virginia, turn off your TV sets,” he said. “It’s all over.