Category: Vikings

 

With Tim Tebow it isn’t worth getting caught up in the statistics usually used to analyze quarterbacks.

The Broncos second year quarterback has led Denver (6-5) to five wins in six games since becoming the team’s starter.  Win No. 6 could come on Sunday afternoon at Mall of America Field against the Vikings (2-9).

It should come as no surprise that the born-again Christian does some of his best work on Sundays.  It’s just the way he often looks doing the job that is unconventional by NFL quarterback standards.  With a throwing motion only his mother could love, Tebow doesn’t look too pretty and neither do his stats.  His passer rating is 80.5, way below the best in the NFL who are over 100, and Tebow has only tossed eight touchdown passes in six games.

But winning five of six games — often in dramatic fashion — is a pretty nice story for the Broncos who also have an improved defense and are contenders to win the AFC West.  The five Tebow-led wins have come by a total of 21 points.  Four of the triumphs are by a combined 14 points.

Tebow points toward the heavens on Sundays and Broncos fans gesture toward No. 15 as a savior (so far).  The 24-year-old quarterback, who averages 5.8 yards rushing and has scored three touchdowns, won the Heisman Trophy and played on two national championship teams at Florida.

Tebow’s college success gave him a stage for promoting his faith.  He’s spoken up for God in front of prison inmates and converts halfway around the world.  In football locker rooms teammates have recognized his leadership and rallied around him.

Good things seem to happen for Tebow who at 6-3 and 236 pounds looks like a fullback trying to play quarterback.  Playing with Tebow, the Broncos have bucked the NFL pass-happy formula to success — instead relying on a few timely throws, a lot of running (including by No. 15) and a tight defense.  It all seems to work out even if Tebow has produced minimal yards and points.  He’s only been intercepted once and although he’s fumbled five times, he’s recovered four.

The Broncos run the spread-option offense Tebow had so much success with at Florida.  To Vikings veteran placekicker Ryan Longwell the switch to that offense is a smart move of fitting personnel to a scheme, not the other way around.

“I think the thing is there are so many people in this league that are so stubborn about running their system, no matter what the player can do well,” Longwell told Sports Headliners.  “You gotta give credit to the Broncos and (head coach John) Fox and those guys for knowing they have a special, special player who can do something really well, and they’ve tweaked their offense to do it.”

So with all the success and momentum of Tebow and his teammates, dare we ask if God has become a Broncos fan?

“Well, it’s certainly hard to argue against it,” Longwell said. “There’s no reason to believe He isn’t.”

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The guess here is the Vikings won’t play Adrian Peterson (high ankle sprain) on Sunday.

The Vikings will be scrutinized in next year’s college draft to find players in the middle and later rounds who can contribute, something that hasn’t been a franchise strength lately.

Joe Kapp is a national name again because of his brawl in Canada last week with a former CFL rival documented on YouTube.  The 73-year-old former Vikings quarterback also had a well publicized fight during his playing days with a teammate, Lonnie Warwick.  Kapp is the only man ever to play in a Rose Bowl, Grey Cup and Super Bowl.  He also coached the University of California during “The Play,” the famous 1982 game-ending play against Stanford.

The Vikings encourage fans to bring a new or “gently-used” jacket to Sunday’s Vikings-Broncos game for donation to The Salvation Army.  Fans can donate online at www.thesalarmy.org.

Gophers senior Trevor Mbakwe, who is out with a season-ending ACL injury, will be 23 years old in January and no doubt will give pro basketball a long look next spring even if the NCAA grants him a medical redshirt allowing him to play at Minnesota in 2012-13.  He graduates this month with a major in recreation, parks and leisure studies, and has a son, Makhi Mbakwe.

The USC basketball team that plays the Gophers tomorrow at Williams Arena is 4-4 on the season.  Losses include a double overtime defeat at home against Nebraska.  The Trojans are coached by Kevin O’Neill who has travelled a long head coaching road that includes Marquette, Tennessee, Northwestern and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors.

Not expected to play here tomorrow is 7-foot redshirt sophomore Dewayne Dedmon who late last month was diagnosed with a foot injury.  Dedmon was the subject of a lengthy Sports Illustrated feature earlier this fall.  He was discouraged for religious reasons from playing basketball as a youth and only played one season of high school basketball despite his considerable potential.

Gophers sophomore center Nick Bjugstad is tied for the national lead in points (25) and goals (15).  His uncle Scott played for Minnesota in the early 1980s and also eight years in the NHL including with the North Stars.  The Florida Panthers drafted Nick 19^th overall in 2010 and have to be impressed with his play in leading the 11-4-1 Gophers back to national prominence.  Minnesota has home games against Minnesota State (3-10-1) tonight and tomorrow night.

Burnsville native Mark Osiecki, head hockey coach at Ohio State since 2010, has the Buckeyes off to a 10-3-1 start including a sweep last weekend over Michigan.

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