Genius or Not, Green Leads Vikings to 7-1 Mark
by Tom Rathkamp
 ou can ask a
buddy of mine - a staunch Vikings fan – would I rather write about
Elephant racing in the Serengeti than write an entire column on his
beloved Purple People Eaters up "nort?" You would get an
unequivocal YES. But in the interest of fairness and yes, admiration,
Dennis Green’s boys are one of the surprises of the league at the
halfway point. So I dedicate this space to them (and to some extent, my
friend).
Despite a drubbing at the hands of the resurgent Tampa Bay Buccaneers
last week (41-13), the Vikings are perched atop the NFC Central division
with a 7-1 record. Heading into their Monday Night clash with archrival
(but overmatched) Green Bay, the Vikings are making armchair quarterbacks
turn their heads away from the aforementioned Bucs and the now mortal St.
Louis Rams, towards a team who was supposed to be painfully devoid of a
quarterback.
Prior to the season, fans and non-fans wondered aloud why the Vikings
allowed Jeff George and Randall Cunningham to flea for greener pastures,
while entrusting a virtual rookie to keep the Randy Moss-Cris Carter party
from fizzling out. Dante Culpepper? Is Dennis Green an idiot? Does he
know something that we don’t? The questions flew at Green like
confetti at a wedding party. Some pre-season forecasters even had the
Vikings finishing last.
For those still waiting for an acceptable answer from Green, just
remember that they still had the best deep threat (Moss) and the best
possession receiver (Carter) in the game. They also had an oft-injured,
yet dangerous, running back in Robert Smith. All they needed was a strong,
accurate arm to get them the pigskin. A gander at Culpepper’s first-half
stats shows that he’s made Dennis Green look like a genius, even if he
isn’t one:
244 attempts, 148 completions, 1984 yards, 15 TD’s, 9 INT’s
That TD-Interception ratio is perhaps the most impressive stat,
especially since Culpepper really is a rookie, having been limited to
clipboard duty in his 1999-2000 rookie campaign. Some (including yours
truly) have questioned the validity of Culpepper’s success. I even
quipped to my Vikings friend that my mother could play QB on a team that
had Moss and Carter.
All kidding aside, Culpepper is a well-sculpted, athletic specimen who
is also adept at running the football in the rare occasions when both Moss
and Carter are blanketed. He has rushed for 312 yards on 61 carries, a
decent 5.1 average. His four rushing touchdowns make it nearly impossible
for teams to converge their defenses solely towards Moss and Carter in the
red zone.
And what about Green? Does he have a knack for plugging in the right
guy at the right time? Did he really believe that drafting Culpepper
instead of Jevon Kearse was the move of a genius? Time will certainly
tell. Remember when he drafted a little known, problem child receiver from
dinky Marshall college?
As for the remainder of this season, my guess is that Green will begin
to curtail Culpepper’s running in the interest of health. But deep down,
I don’t know that any more than defensive coordinators do. Assuming it
will become reality is like waiting for a falling star. Before you know
it, a meteor shower in the form of a 260-pound young QB will be dancing
across the goal line.
Knowing Green’s track record in his QB Carousel Club, "mom"
just might get a crack at leading the Vikings. Listed below are the recent
members of that non-exclusive fraternity:
1999-2000 – Jeff George
1998-(parts of)1999 – Randall Cunningham
1997-(parts of) 1999 – Brad Johnson
That’s just the last couple of years.
The Vikings have gone through QB’s like Bill Clinton has through
mistresses (couldn’t resist the election-year jab). In fact, the
trepidation of an unproven QB wasn’t the only nerve cruncher that had
some relegating the Vikings to the "second division." Over the
off-season, they lost offensive linemen Jeff Christy and Randall McDaniel,
defensive back Cory Fuller, and a few other less-than-key players.
The first-half success and media accolades by no means translate to a
lofty prediction come season’s end. Ask any Viking fan and he (or she)
will remind you of two years ago, when their team glided to a 14-2 record,
only to lose "at home" in the NFC championship game to the
Atlanta Falcons. They also own a history of beginning fast, ending slow,
and vice versa. That’s why they play 16 games and not eight.
More than likely, it will be the Vikings defensive shortcomings that
could flush their Super Bowl hopes down the drain, moreso than an
impending Culpepper downslide. Giving up 41 points to the Buccaneers is
like being dunked on my Mugsy Bogues. But offensively, the Vikings match
up with anybody. If the Rams don’t recover from losing Kurt Warner and
the Bucs can’t improve on their .500 first half, don’t be surprised if
the Vikings give Green his first Super Bowl appearance.
If Culpepper continues to shine, Green will get his wish. Maybe
Elephant racing isn’t so bad afterall.
Sporting Briefs …
*** The 2000-2001 NBA season has dawned and there is no reason to
believe the Lakers will not repeat as champs. They are 1-0, aren’t they?
Making the Blazers 0-1. Speaking of their little rivalry, ESPN analyst
Fred Carter (who I think is a scream) actually said that the opening night
matchup against LA was a "must win" for the Blazers. Um, Fred.
Aren’t there 81 games left?
*** Did you happen to catch a glimpse at Shawn Kemp in his Blazers
uniform? I’m predicting that Paul Allen will go broke on Kemp’s meal
money alone. Sheesh!
*** The Hot Stove League in baseball will heat up pretty soon. Look for
a lot of shuffling as teams look to end the Yankees reign for four
straight in 2001. Unfortunately, the Yankees are one of those teams who
will dive into the free agent pool.
Any comments, criticisms, or condemnations on
this sports column or previous ones? Feel free to email me at andydan@milwpc.com
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