32 in 31: Minnesota Vikings

Another year of 32 in 31. Sports News on Tap takes the month of August to preview the National Football League. We spend every day of the month looking at a new team and how they will fare in 2013.

Minnesota made the playoffs last year when no one really expected them to. A lot of had to do with Adrian Peterson turning in one of the best seasons in NFL history given he was coming off an ACL injury in late December. The Vikes are looking to head back to the playoffs for consecutive years, something they had not done since 2008 and 2009.  It will be an uphill battle as it seems like they could deal with the regression monster all season long.

OFFENSE
How does Peterson follow up for an encore performance? He is the best running back in the game and definitely carried the team on his back far too many times. One thing to watch is if teams adjust to Peterson's new style. I doubt much as changed since the ACL injury, but I can imagine he did things differently last year given his great success in the backfield. Peterson still needs help elsewhere on the offense.

This is a make-or-break year for Christian Ponder who heads into his third year. Ponder had some flashes of solid quarterback play where people believed he could be the next great Vikings quarterback, but most of them he ended up being the scapegoat for the Vikings' struggles. With the signing of Matt Cassel, it will start getting uncomfortable for Ponder if the Vikings get off to a slow start.

Ponder gets some added help in the receiving corps with Greg Jennings coming over from rival Green Bay. Jennings is a top flight receiver when healthy but that's the key word, health. Jennings has missed his fair share of games in the past couple of years, and if that trend continues, the Vikings will be screwed even with their other new weapons. Still adding Jennings and Cordarelle Patterson in the draft, helps ease the pain of Percy Harvin leaving although Harvin had his own battles with injury throughout his career.

DEFENSE
Maybe it is because I cheer for a rival team, but it feels like the Vikings front seven has been around for the last decade. While that's an exaggeration, they still have many veterans in the 4-3 and when that happens, sometimes they can regress out of the blue. I doubt it from Jared Allen as he is a contract year and it looks like the Vikings are not going to sign him. Both Chad Greenway and Erin Henderson do not get the credit they deserve at linebacker.  Shariff Floyd, the Vikings draft pick, could be lethal along side Kevin Williams or as a rotational player.

Their secondary still has some question marks. They will probably be going with Xavier Rhodes right out the gate which should make Minnesota fans a bit nervous. Not saying starting a rookie is a bad thing, but you have to build in some tough games throughout the first half of the season. Chris Cook dealt with legal troubles in the past so that always has to be a concern and I think he gets overvalued just a touch. Cook does not play up to his hype at times. I do like Harrison Smith, he has a bright future in this league and the same could be said for Jamarca Sanford. I would not call the Vikings secondary a problem, but it is definitely an area that could get them into trouble.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Kickers are a funny breed. Blair Walsh turned in an awful senior season at Georgia only to be the best kickers in all of professional football. Who knows what this year could bring for him. Maybe he is back to being the worst. They added a punter in the draft with Jeff Locke who will probably enjoy Vikings Stadium. Cordarrelle Patterson will make people forget about Percy Harvin in the return game.

KEY ADDITIONS
WR Greg Jennings, QB Matt Cassel, DE Lawrence Jackson, CB Jacob Lacey - Talked about Jennings and Cassel already, Lacey is a corner that keeps bouncing around. Average player, but should help out Minnesota's secondary.

KEY SUBTRACTIONS
WR Percy Harvin, LB Jasper Brinkley, CB Antonie Winfield, WR Michael Jenkins, P Chris Kluwe, OG Geoff Schwartz

VIKINGS DRAFT PICKS
DT Sharrif Floyd, CB Xavier Rhodes, WR Cordarrelle Patterson, OLB Gerald Hodges, P Jeff Locke, OG Jeff Baca, MLB Michael Mauti, OG/OT Travis Bond, DT Everett Dawkins - I would keep an eye out for Mauti.  There are those guys who are meant to play football and Mauti is one of the.

GAME TO WATCH
Sunday October 27th vs. Green Bay 7:30 pm - Sunday Night Football between two teams that always seem to turn in classic games and the whole Greg Jennings trash talk ordeal. Should be a fun one.

WIN TOTAL 
5-7 - Yup, I think they will regress hard this year and fall back to earth a bit. I am not wild about the Ponder/Cassel duo at quarterback and Peterson's offensive line stayed fully healthy through the entire year in 2012, odds of that happening again are very slim.

Charlie.