Fve Things to Look Forward to in London

I know I have beat this one into the ground already this season, but when your defensive line has only two sacks, then we need to keep talking about this until the Vikings address this situation. Our d-line has looked old, over matched, and slow, those three things will doom any defensive line. The defensive line lack of productivity has hindered the secondary, and made them vulnerable. The old SNL segment with Will Ferrell that has Ferrell saying "we need more cowbell", The Vikings don't need more cowbell, but they need more Jared Allen. What to watch for is can the Minnesota Vikings defensive line actually fluster Ben Roethlisberger?

Quick name the two teams that do not have a receiving touchdown from their wide receivers? You might have guessed Jacksonville Jaguars, which would be correct, but you probably wouldn't have thought that your Vikings team does not have a touchdown from either Greg Jennings and company. I understand that the quarterback play has something to do with the receivers lack of productivity, but we need our receivers to step up. If the Vikings want any chance of turning around their season they need their receivers to dominate because when the opposing defense stacks nine men in the box for Adrian Peterson then the receivers have single coverage. What to watch for is can the receivers finally catch a touchdown?

What has happened to the Vikings offensive line? Phil Loadholt has become a swinging gate, and Matt Kalil has not lived up to his top five selection from 2012 draft this season. The o-line has made Christian Ponder a human tackling dummy, and has made Adrian Peterson look like a human rather then his freakish 2012 self. If the Vikings hope for any improvement from their quarterback position they need their offensive line to step up their play. Loadholt got a huge pay raise this past off season and hasn't played up to what his pay check says. What to watch for is can the offensive line keep whoever is the quarterback for the Vikings upright and can they help Peterson get his season going?

Last Sunday the Vikings coaches blew the game, by not realizing that the Cleveland Browns had a guy wide right on a field goal. This season the Vikings coaches both offense and defense have looked lost and confused so far this season, and Bill Musgrave has been the biggest disappointment because of Ponders play, and his inability to get Cordarrelle Patterson on the field. If the coaching staff want to keep their jobs they need to improve their game management because if they stay the course they will be looking for new jobs in January. What to watch for is can Leslie Frazier cool down his hot seat this Sunday?

Announced today it will be Matt Cassel starting for the Vikings over the injured Christian Ponder this Sunday. Cassel is not the franchise quarterback the Vikings need, but Cassel might be able to save this season. Ponder has not lived up to everyone's expectations. Even if you do or do not believe in conspiracies; you can't dismiss that Ponders mysterious injury might be a conspiracy for the Vikings to start Cassel over Ponder without announcing that Ponder has been benched. Ponder does not deserve to start this Sunday because he has cost the Vikings three games this season and has lacked the "killer" instinct that the great quarterbacks have in this league. What to watch for is can Cassel secure the Vikings starting quarterback position for the rest of the season?