Minnesota Vikings at Cleveland Browns
It seems like the “Man-genius” is going to keep his opponents guessing this season. Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini has yet to publicly name a starting quarterback – serving the Minnesota Vikings some psychological warfare heading into this Sunday’s season opener.
Cleveland, which is listed as a 4-point home underdog, will give the nod to either Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson. Mangini has already made his decision on the starter but has yet to tell his players or the media about his choice.
Anderson has run the offense for the past two seasons, completing just over 50 percent of his passes for a total of 5,400 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions. In the preseason, Anderson was outplayed by Quinn, who connected on 68 percent of his passes and totaled 225 yards passing. Quinn has played in just five NFL games after coming highly touted out of Notre Dame. In those contests, Quinn has just over 550 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
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There is no doubt who will be under center for the Vikings on Sunday afternoon. Veteran QB Brett Favre is still settling into life in Minnesota. He did not play in the final preseason game, leaving bettors with just a small sample of his aging talents. Favre looked good in his second preseason start, passing for 142 yards and a score, but is already feeling the bumps and bruises of the daily grind of pro football.
Taking a lot of the pressure off Favre this season is running back Adrian Peterson, who led the league in rushing in 2008. Peterson has packed on some extra poundage this offseason and rumbled for 181 yards on 21 carries in the preseason. With “All Day” forcing opponents to stack the line, Favre and the Vikings’ receivers will have ample room to operate on the wings. Peterson has also improved his route running and should be a dangerous option with the short pass.
Cleveland was one of the worst teams against the rush last season, allowing more than 150 yards on the ground per game. The Browns’ front line should get a boost from the return of nose tackle Shaun Rogers this weekend. The 350-pound behemoth didn’t play in the preseason with what is believed to be a foot injury but returned to practice this week. He had 81 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 2008.
Minnesota’s defense lived up to the hype heading into 2009 by boasting the second-lowest total defense during the preseason. However, preseason numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. The Vikings do have the best defensive line in the NFL with standouts like Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, and Jared Allen. Last season, Minnesota allowed only 77 rushing yards per game – the lowest in the NFL.
The Vikings defense will be without backup linebacker Erin Henderson for at least a month. Henderson, who had 15 tackles and a forced fumble last year, fractured his fibula in the team’s final preseason game with the Dallas Cowboys.
Also in danger of missing the season opener is No. 1 wide receiver Bernard Berrian. He didn’t get any action during the preseason and is limited in practice with a hamstring injury. Berrian caught 48 balls for 964 yards and seven touchdowns last season but will have a tough time finding his rhythm with Favre once he returns to the field.
Cleveland could also be thin on the wing. However, the only thing keeping WR Joshua Cribbs out of Sunday’s game is himself. Cribbs has missed some practice time while disputing his contract with the Browns’ front office. The five-year veteran was impressive in the preseason, making five catches for 81 yards. He told reporters this week he’s optimistic that he and the team will reach a deal before Sunday.
Backup running back Jerome Harrison is also questionable for Sunday. Harrison injured his ankle and missed the final preseason game. He totaled just four yards on three carries this summer. Harrison has the important task of backing up veteran rusher Jamal Lewis who, despite a solid 2008 and 2009 preseason, could start breaking down due to his downhill-style of play.
Sunday’s total is set at 40 points.
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One reply on “NFL Week 1 Preview: Vikings vs. Browns”
Brady Quinn will have a chance to show that Eric Mangini made the right decision naming him the starting QB. Unfortunately, the Vikings will be too much for the Browns to handle no matter who was behind center.