Vikings have talent to compete with best

Vikings have talent to compete with best
January 16
Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist Sid Hartman
"Brad Childress looks at the teams remaining in the NFL playoffs, and the Vikings coach believes that when his team played its best football, it could compete with any other team in the league.

Looking back at the 26-14 first-round playoff loss to the Eagles, the Vikings went into the game without the best linebacker in the league in E.J. Henderson, a Pro Bowl defensive tackle in Pat Williams and a starting defensive end in Ray Edwards. Then, during the game, they lost safety Darren Sharper to injury in the first half.

And despite a very average performance by quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, the Vikings stayed in contention until the fourth quarter.

Give the Vikings a healthy group of defensive players, and without a doubt they will have the best defense in the league.

As for the quarterback, the Wilf family, owners of the team, are determined to strengthen the position, and as team has salary cap room, they will spend the money to make a move.

Childress calls quarterback the toughest position to play.

"There's a competitiveness, the quickness, the decision-making, and it's rarely the case -- I can think of a guy like a Dan Marino, who came in and was a sensation in his rookie year -- it really is an evolution at that position," Childress said. "For some guys it takes a year, two years, three years, four years. You look at guys like Jake Delhomme and Kurt Warner. Some of the better guys, it just takes a while. Look at a guy like Rich Gannon. Rich Gannon was out of football for a year ... [sometimes] it takes a while to develop.""
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