You gotta have Hope! - Minnesota Vikings Franchise (Madden 12)

[TheDelta]

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YOU GOTTA HAVE HOPE!

TheDelta's Minnesota Vikings Franchise

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Game: Madden 12
System: PS3
Quarter Length: 11 Minutes
Accelerated Clock: 20 seconds (not like there's much choice here...)
Rosters: Madden Week 13 Update
Draft Classes: Madden Generated (I got the european version of Madden, no choice here either)
Sliders: Jarodd's All-Madden Sliders (black set)

Ever since discovering the Dynasty forum here I wanted to make a thread here myself, so this is my first try at this, hope I'm doing this right. One disclaimer, english is not my first language, still I hope not to make too many mistakes and still manage to write an enjoyable franchise.

There will be some "twists" to this franchise, some of which are probably things true Viking fans will be ready to lynch me for, so I'm asking in advance for your forgiveness, I really like the team, but I'm looking for a real challenge here, so I may have to do some things to "break apart" this team to make this franchise fun to play for me. I'm using Jarodd's black set for the toughest challenge, I really hope it'll take me some years to get this team back on track.

I'll borrow some of the style from other succesful franchise threads here, I hope that isn't frowned upon? I'll be starting this off with a couple of "news headlines" that explain the setup of the franchise and lead through the first preseason.

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RECAP & OUTLOOK

The Minnesota Vikings are a team at a crossroads, after the heartbraking end to the 2009 season with Brett Favre's last second interception against the Saints and the ensuing loss in OT of the NFC Championship Game, there followed a 2010 season that saw a failed return of the Brett Favre experiment, the firing of Head Coach Brad Childress and a disappointing 6-10 record, finishing 4th and last in the NFC North.

In 2011, after drafting rookie QB Christian Ponder with their first round pick, the Vikings hope to rebound, carried by their future Hall of Famers, running back Adrian Peterson on offense, and defensive end Jared Allen, but when you share a division with the Chicago Bears, the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers, that is easier said and done... and there were some ugly surprises ahead that no one could've ever expected coming into the season...

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Minnesota Star running back Adrian Peterson suffers career ending injury in car crash - In shocking news, Minnesota radio stations just reported that Minnesota Vikings football player Adrian Peterson, who was involved in a car accident yesterday on his way to the Vikings training facility for the very first training session after the NFL lockout ended, seems to have suffered several complicated and devastating injuries to his left leg.

Reports are still incoming, but as of right now, it seems as if the 26 year old star running back's career might be over, as doctors seemed pessimistic about his chances of recovery. So far, the Minnesota Vikings organisation has refused to answer inquiries regarding the injury, issuing a statement this morning that "All our prayers and thoughts are with Adrian right now, and we are all glad the his injuries are not life threatening."

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Rookie Quarterback Christian Ponder announces holdout - It seems as if the Minnesota Vikings can't catch a break. Only a few days after their star player suffered what has been confirmed to be a career ending injury, their 2010 first round pick, rookie Christian Ponder, has announced that he is not willing to sign a contract with the Vikings organisation. His agent cited personal reasons as motivation for the decision and demanded that the Minnesota Vikings trade the rights to sign Ponder to another team, a move that was outright denied by Vikings owner Zygi Wilf. "Christian plays for us or for no one at all, I can tell you that right now and there is absolutely no changing our mind on that issue." At the same time, Ponder's agent told ESPN Radio that his client was prepared to sit out the whole season, if necessary.

Details are sketchy, but undisclosed sources within the organisations have stated that there seems to have been a falling out between Ponder and Vikings officials during the negotations that lead to an exchange of heated words, but it is unclear what exactly has been said or what lead to the incident.

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Preseason starts with a loss for Vikings - With rookie first round pick Christian Ponder's lockout continuing, the first preseason game came and went, and in a 10-17 loss to the Tennessee Titants, it became obvious that QB depth is becoming a desperate issue for the Vikings. Donovan McNabb, who the Vikings traded for with the Washington Redskins before the season, looked old and sluggish, completing less than 50% of his passes for less than 50 yards and two interceptions in one half of play, while second year player Joe Webb is still struggling with his accuracy, completing 8 of 20 passes for 80 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against the Titans second- and third-string defense.

The rumor mill in Minnesota went hot immediately after the game, with so many names being brought into the discussion that it is hard to keep track of them all, one that repeatedly came up was that of retired veteran Brett Favre, who again repeated the he was not interested in a return to the NFL. "This time it's for real guys, I swear, cross my heart." He told reporters yesterday. Still, there seem to be some truth to the rumors, as unnamed sources inside the organisation have reported the organisation to already be in contract negotiation with another QB, but no names are being released at this moment.

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The first woman in the NFL? - It never gets boring in Minnesota these days. After another preseason loss against the Seattle Seahawks in which the Vikings offense again looked anemic, with McNabb again completing less than 50% of his passes and throwing another two interceptions and no touchdowns, it seems as of the Vikings are ready to drop the next bomb on the NFL.

Insiders report that this morning, the organisation did indeed sign a contract with another rookie quarterback to come in and compete with Donovan McNabb and Joe Webb, but his name is one no one amid all the wild rumors anticipated. Or we should rather say, her name.

Hope Turner gained fame in college last season as the first woman to throw for a touchdown in FCS football after starting the season as a walk-on backup placekicker for the Columbia Lions, scoring on two fake field goal plays and actually taking on part-time QB duties after two starters went down with injuries late in the season. Still, she was never in any consideration for the NFL draft, in fact she didn't even apply for it.

Reactions to this move have been very mixed, to say the least, with many sources accusing the Vikings of pulling a lame move to create some positive publicity after so much bad news, and of course many questioning whether a woman should actually be allowed to play in the NFL, but commissioner Rodger Goodell was quick to support the move. "We are moving the league into a new age, and if a woman is good enough to play in the NFL, I will not be the one to stand in her way." He went on to add. "And if I have any say about it, hitting the QB will be outlawed soon anyway so really where's the harm in it?" Okay, he didn't really say that, but we can imagine it's not too far from the truth.

Owner Zygi Wilf, of course, defended the move. "The girl can play ball, she did so in high school and did so in college, we wouldn't bring her in if we didn't believe she had a shot to compete. Give her a chance." Suffice to say, we are sure that all eyes will be on the Vikings next week when they may write history in their week 3 preseason matchup against the Cowboys.

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History in the making? - Maybe, in a couple years, when people look back, they will see this week 4 preseason matchup against the Houston Texans as the beginning of a new era. Not only did a woman take the field in the NFL for the first time in history, she actually threw the ball, and, to the dismay of critics everywhere, did so surprisingly well. Hope Turner only played in the second half of the contest so she only faced the backup defense of the Texans, but still, she finished a very efficient 9 of 14, for 108 Yards and 2 touchdown passes. While her 5'6'', 160 pound frame is just about as far from the prototypical NFL passer as you can imagine, she showed surprising mobility (maybe less surprising considering she was a track & field as well as gymnastics athlete in college) and good accuracy on short and intermediate passes, she presented nothing less than the most convincing performance of any QB for the Vikings this preseason.

Nonetheless, Coach Frazier after the game again told the press that Donovan McNabb will be the starter going into the regular season. "Yes, he has struggled at times, and yes, our newest addition at QB had an amazing game tonight, but let's keep it slow here, Donovan has the experience and he has my full support as our starter". One can only wonder how long that support will hold up if McNabb doesn't step up his game soon. Suffice to say, the Vikings are in for an interesting season...

Not all was well for the Vikings, though, as rookie DT Christian Ballard suffered an achilles tear in the first quarter of the game, and it looks as if his season might be over before it has even begun.

[TheDelta]

Re: You gotta have Hope! - Minnesota Vikings Franchise (Madden 12)

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Yearly Recaps

2011

8-8, 2nd in NFC North, missed playoffs on tiebreakers

Super Bowl: Patriots 14 @ Lions 27

2012

15-1, 1st in NFL North, went on to the Super Bowl

Super Bowl: Vikings 44 @ Steelers 14

[TheDelta]

Re: You gotta have Hope! - Minnesota Vikings Franchise (Madden 12)

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Award Winners

2011

Defensive Player of the Year - Jared Allen
Defensive Lineman of the Year - Jared Allen

Pro Bowl Nods

FB - Jed Collins
DE - Jared Allen
DE - Brian Robison
KR - Marcus Sherels

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2012

Offensive Player of the Year - Noel Devine
Defensive Player of the Year - Jared Allen
Defensive Rookie of the Year (NFC) - Jaqwaylin Banks
Best Running Back - Noel Devine
Best Wide Receiver - Percy Harvin
Best Defensive Lineman - Jared Allen
Best Kicker - Sebastian Janikowski
Coach of the Year - Leslie Frazier

Pro Bowl Nods

QB - Hope Turner
HB - Noel Devine
FB - Marcel Reece, Brit Miller
WR - Percy Harvin
C - John Sullivan
DE - Jared Allen, Vic So'oto, Jaqwaylin Williams
DT - Kevin Williams
SS - Tiger Elliott
K - Sebastian Janikowski
KR - Ego Gilbert

[TheDelta]

Re: You gotta have Hope! - Minnesota Vikings Franchise (Madden 12)

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2011 Season

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DEPTH CHART

Minnesota Vikings Depth Chart - 2011
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	P. Harvin	D. Aromashodu
TE	V. Shiancoe	K. Rudolph	A. Reisner
LT	C. Johnson	S. Kooistra
LG	S. Hutchinson	A. Herrara
C	J. Sullivan	B. Fusco
RG	C. DeGeare	J. Berger
RT	P. Loadholt	D. Love
WR	M. Jenkins	G. Camarillo
QB	D. McNabb	H. Turner	J. Webb
FB	J. Collins
HB	T. Gerhart	N. Devine	L. Booker
Base 4-3 Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	B. Robinson	V. So'oto
LDT	K. Williams	D. Reed
RDT	R. Ayodele
RDE	J. Allen	E. Griffen
WLB	E. Henderson	X. Adibi
MLB	E. Henderson	J. Brinkley
SLB	C. Greenway	B. Hayes
CB	A. Winfield	C. Cook
SS	J. Sanford	T. Johson
FS	H. Abdullah	M. Raymond
CB	C. Griffin	A. Allen
Special Teams
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
K	R. Longwell
P	C. Kluwe
PR	P. Harvin	M. Sherels
KR	P. Harvin	M. Sherels
LS	S. Hutchinson	C. Johnson

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SCHEDULE

Minnesota Vikings 2011 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Sep 11	at San Diego Chargers	Lost, 24-17
Sep 18	vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Lost, 21-17
Sep 25	vs Detroit Lions	Lost, 48-44
Oct 2	at Kansas City Chiefs	Lost, 41-24
Oct 9	vs Arizona Cardinals	Lost, 27-24
Oct 16	at Chicago Bears	Won, 24-7
Oct 23	vs Green Bay Packers	Won, 27-24 (OT)
Oct 30	at Carolina Panthers	Lost, 37-25
Nov 14	at Green Bay Packers	Won, 43-33
Nov 20	vs Oakland Raiders	Won, 27-24
Nov 27	at Atlanta Falcons	Won, 38-21
Dec 4	vs Denver Broncos	Won, 28-14
Dec 11	at Detroit Lions	Lost, 24-15
Dec 18	vs New Orleans Saints	Lost, 37-22
Dec 24	at Washington Redskins	Won, 20-10
Jan 1	vs Chicago Bears	Won, 40-14

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KEY INJURIES

Minnesota Vikings 2011 Injuries
Pos	Player	Injury Note
DT	Christian Ballard	Complete Achilles Tear

[TheDelta]

Re: You gotta have Hope! - Minnesota Vikings Franchise (Madden 12)

Thread is now open for posting.

Another disclamer: Yes, I'm using "Hope Bromley" for this franchise, obviously, but I changed her last name and college simply because I feel weird writing imaginary headlines about a real person that is not really in football, at that I liked to change her name into one the commentators could actually say. I'm using her in the game as she is, as a 65 OVR rookie, but I edited her ratings up to 99 and then back down again to give her maximum potential, I hope you can bear with that little "cheat".

I'm always open for suggestions and criticism, as this is my first franchise/dynasty I'm posting like this I'm sure I have lots to learn. Gonna finish the preseason "news" later today and maybe post the first game tonight.

[TheDelta]

Re: You gotta have Hope! - Minnesota Vikings Franchise (Madden 12)

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Week 1: at San Diego

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Vikings News

In light of the injuries and other losses of the team, the Vikings decided to make several key additions around the end of the preseason.

-To compensate the loss of feature back Adrian Peterson, the Vikings tried to pursue a trade for Carolina Panthers halfback DeAngelo Williams, but those efforts were cut short when Williams decided to sign a new contract with the Panthers. To get more depth in the backfield, the Vikings were forced to bring in undrafted rookie Noel Devine out of West Virginia, the rookie seems to have left enough of an impression on the practice squad in the last weeks of preseason that he has been activated for the season opener to help third year running back Lorenzo Booker spell for Toby Gerhart, who has now become the first string back.

-Additionally, the Vikings signed Jed Collins to a 2 year, 2 million contract after he was released by the Saints. Collins will serve as fullback and also help out in goal line situations.

-With Christian Ponders holdout continuing on into the regular season with no end in sight, as has been reported earlier, the Vikings have signed undrafted Columbia graduate Hope Turner as a backup to veteran Donovan McNabb. There were reports during the week that the 21 year old has played well enough in practice that she is now actually splitting the second team reps with second year QB Joe Webb, there has been no official confirmation which of them will be second on the depth chart come sunday.

-After the season ending injury to 4th round rookie defensive lineman Christian Ballard, the Vikings have signed undrafted rookie rush linebacker Vic So'oto out of BYU who is expected to play at defensive end in the rotation to help get some deperately needed depth at the defensive line.

-Coach Leslie Frazier did not try to deny that his team was in a tough spot. "Of course, that's not the way you hope to go into the season, without both your best offensive player, maybe the best offensive player in the whole league, as well as without your first round pick." He told reporters before the game. "But that's stuff you cannot control as a coach, it's my job to make the best of the situation we're in, and now it falls to the team to stand together, we're still a good football team and I'd say we may just surprise some people who want to call this season over before it has even begun."

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Around the League

-Before anyone thinks that the Vikings are the only team suffering a crushing loss before the season has even begun, Saints QB Drew Brees went down after suffering a vicious hit by Tennessee defensive end Dave Ball in their week 4 preseason matchup and did not get up. The Saints medical staff soon discovered that Brees has suffered a complicated fracture of his right elbow, and the team placed him on season-ending injured reserve soon thereafter. Backup QB Chase Daniel is expected to start for New Orleans in week 1, as of now there has been no conclusive report on whether the Saints will pursue a veteran quarterback to compensate for the loss of Brees.

-Other key players that won't see the field this season include: Cowboys LB Demarcus Ware (elbow), Broncos RB Knowshon Moreno (ACL tear), Patriots DE Shaun Ellis (shoulder), Steelers LB Lawrence Timmons (torn rotator cuff)

-The San Diego Chargers, meanwhile, start the season off at full strength and have high expectations for this year, with many experts predicting an MVP potential season for quarterback Philip Rivers.

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Game Recap

Minnesota Vikings at San Diego Chargers
Sep 10, 2011	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Minnesota Vikings (0-1)	7	0	7	3	17
San Diego Chargers (1-0)	14	10	0	0	24

Team Stats Comparison
	MIN	SDG
Total Offense	294	304
Rushing Yards	86	149
Passing Yards	208	155
First Downs	15	10
Punt Return Yards	29	7
Kick Return Yards	103	73
Total Yards	426	384
Turnovers	3	2
3rd Down Converstion	9-19	3-10
4th Down Conversion	2-2	0-0
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2/1	2/1
Penalties	1-10	2-20
Posession Time	24:55	18:32

Minnesota Vikings PASSING C/A YDS TD INT D. McNabb 22/40 231 0 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD T. Gerhart 13 47 3.6 0 N. Devine 11 28 2.5 1 J. Collins 3 12 4.0 1 P. Harvin 1 -5 -5.0 0 D. McNabb 1 4 4.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD P. Harvin 6 75 12.5 0 V. Shiancoe 4 31 7.7 0 M. Jenkins 3 36 12.0 0 G. Camarillo 2 43 21.5 0 D. Aromashodu 2 14 7.0 0 E. Arceneaux 1 25 25.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG R. Longwell 1/2 2/2 21 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 C. Cluwe 5 228 45.6 3 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD P. Harvin 4 103 25.7 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD P. Harvin 4 29 7.2 0

San Diego Chargers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT P. Rivers 13/19 186 1 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD R. Mathews 18 136 7.5 2 M. Tolbert 4 13 3.2 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD R. Mathews 3 22 7.3 0 M. Floyd 3 72 24.0 0 P. Crayton 2 21 10.5 0 V. Brown 2 31 15.5 0 J. Hester 1 3 3.0 1 A. Gates 1 29 29.0 0 V. Jackson 1 8 8.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG N. Kaeding 1/1 3/3 20 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 M. Scifres 6 322 53.6 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD P. Crayton 3 72 24.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD J. Todman 2 7 3.5 0

This game didn't start off anything close to well for the Minnesota Vikings. On the second play from scrimmage, Donovan McNabb threw a horrible pass behind Percy Harvin over the middle on a crossing route. While Harvin actually managed to make the catch with a heroic effort, that didn't help much, because Chargers linebacker Takeo Spikes came in with a monstrous hit that knocked the ball loose, it was ruled a fumble on the field, recovered by San Diego. Two plays later, Ryan Mathews scored on a 17 yard run.

It got worse. After a quick three and out, on which McNabb managed to miss two wide open throws to Visante Shiancoe and Michael Jenkins, they had to punt, and again, only two plays later, it was Mathews again who broke a tackle and took it home for 63 yard. Mathews had a monstrous performance in the first half, rushing for over 120 yards in two quarters of play.

The Vikings stabalized at least somewhat on offense after that, although the running game wasn't very effective all game, it was enough to set up some drives, combined with short passes from McNabb, and UDFA running back Noel Devine managed to close the drive with an 8 yard run for his first NFL TD. Both Gerhart and Devine, who played as the second string halfback, had some good runs, but were often stuffed for no gain between the tackles as the offensive line couldn't give them much help.

In the first half, the Vikings had absolutely no answer to the Chargers offense. Rivers and Mathews looked completely unstoppable, and the Chargers managed to put up 10 more points before halftime, and at 24-7, this game looked like it was as good as over.

Things changed in the second half, though, beginning with a momentum changing play on special teams when rookie backup safety Mistral Raymond managed to knock the ball loose on the opening kickoff of the second half, and another rookie, wide receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux, recovered the ball for the Vikings. The Vikings soon set up 1st & goal inside the Chargers 1 yard line, but their drive stalled, but on 4th & goal, fullback Jed Collins finally managed to punch it in for the much needed score.

The Vikings defense played like a completely different unit in the second half, shutting the Chargers out for the whole half and coming up with five sacks, no less than three of them for defensive end Jared Allen who played like a man possessed, unfortunately, with an anemic running game and the ineffective Donovan McNabb under center, the Vikings offense couldn't capitalize on several drives starting from good field position. McNabb finished with a 51.2 passer rating and an awful 5.7 YPA, he looked inaccurate both on short and intermediate passes and his interceptions both came in key situations, the first on a throw into the endzone in the first half and the second on a horrible throw just after the Vikings finally managed to set up a good drive inside the Chargers half in the fourth quarter.

The Vikings managed to set up a field goal to get into striking distance just inside of two minutes, but they couldn't recover the following onside kick and the Chargers could just run out the time to start of the season with a win.

"Losing is always painful", Coach Frazier said after the game. "Especially after it looked like we might have a shot at a comeback late in the game, but everyone who watched the game saw that this team isn't lacking in attitude, they never stopped believing, they never stopped playing hard until the final whistle. We just have to work harder to improve what didn't work today." When asked whether McNabb was one of the things that didn't work, Frazier just said. "He's playing on a new team, in a new system, there'll always be some problems, he'll have to adjust, the team will have to adjust, we're just one game into the season, there's still a lot of football to be played."

Even though Frazier remains supportive of the veteran, his very mediocre performance has done nothing to convince the fanbase of McNabb, and there have been first sightings of fans holding up signs with the "Give us Hope!" slogan that has been spreading around Vikings message boards and other fan communities. Just when everyone had thought that after finally pulling the plug on the Brett Favre experiment and drafting Christian Ponder would've cleared up the Vikings QB situation for years to come, it seems as if the next controversy is just beginning.

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Other Results

Saints 10 @ Packers 20
Steelers 3 @ Ravens 27
Bengals 6 @ Browns 13
Colts 24 @ Texans 31
Titans 17 @ Jaguars 24
Falcons 35 @ Bears 15
Bills 16 @ Chiefs 31
Eagles 42 @ Rams 27
Lions 41 @ Buccaneers 24
Seahawks 20 @ 49ers 37
Giants 14 @ Redskins 28
Vikings 17 @ Chargers 24
Panthers 31 @ Cardinals 13
Cowboys 19 @ Jets 34
Patriots 23 @ Dolphins 20 (OT)
Raiders 33 @ Broncos 38

[TheDelta]

Re: You gotta have Hope! - Minnesota Vikings Franchise (Madden 12)

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Week 2: vs Tampa Bay

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Vikings News

-Donovan McNabb has been blamed for the loss against the Chargers by many fans and if he doesn't step up his game soon, it looks like he might lose the fan base completely before the season has even really started. So far, the "Give us Hope!" signs and slogans that fans brought to training sessions during the week seem to be more of a good-minded jest than trying to stir up a real controversy, but still, Hope Turner has predictably become the main attraction at most Vikings training drills, with most fans openly cheering for the first unit to get off the field so they can see her play. How much of this is out of the serious expectation for her to play better than McNabb, and how much is just for fun of the novelty of having a woman on their team, remains to be seen.

-The depth chart seems to be clearing up a little, during the week, Hope Turner has taken almost all the snaps in practice with the second team, with sophomore Joe Webb being relegated to third team and practice squad rookie. As expected, he has remained tight-lipped and refused to comment on his feeling on being bumped down the depth chart of a professional football team by a girl.

-At running back, Noel Devine seems to be outplaying Lorenzo Booker and has the second halfback slot locked up for the moment, but Booker still seems to be the preferred back on third down, although overall, the Vikings running back situation seems to be pretty fluid and prone to change ever week without a clear-cut feature back to carry the load.

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Around the League

-Quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Matt Hasselbeck both went down with injuries in week 1 and are not expected to play this sunday, with Dalton probably being out for at least 3-4 weeks with a broken toe.

-Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams tore his quadricep in the first half against the Cardinals, there is no timetable for his return but he is expected to miss at least half the season.

-This weeks opponent, the Buccaneers, are missing both starting center Jeff Faine (meniscus) and cornerback Ronde Barber (hip), both key players that should make it easier for the Vikings to keep sophomore running back LaGarrette Blount contained and open up the passing game down the field, although how much quarterback Donovan McNabb will be able to capitalize on the latter remains to be seen.

[TheDelta]

Re: You gotta have Hope! - Minnesota Vikings Franchise (Madden 12)

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Game Recap

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings
Sep 17, 2011	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1)	7	0	0	14	21
Minnesota Vikings (0-2)	7	7	3	0	17

Team Stats Comparison
	TAM	MIN
Total Offense	321	396
Rushing Yards	172	97
Passing Yards	149	299
First Downs	12	17
Punt Return Yards	31	48
Kick Return Yards	0	89
Total Yards	352	533
Turnovers	2 (+2)	4 (-2)
3rd Down Converstion	3-8	6-13
4th Down Conversion	0-0	2-2
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	1/0 - 2	0/1 - 3
Penalties	1-5	0-0
Posession Time	17:58	26:02

Tampa Bay Buccaneers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT J. Freeman 10/16 163 2 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD L. Blount 18 157 8.7 1 E. Graham 3 1 0.3 0 J. Freeman 3 14 4.6 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD K. Winslow 3 66 22.0 0 A. Benn 2 28 14.0 0 M. Williams 2 48 24.0 2 L. Blount 1 6 6.0 0 E. Lorig 1 3 3.0 0 E. Graham 1 12 12.0 0 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 M. Koenen 5 232 46.4 1 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD M. Spurlock 3 31 10.3 0

Minnesota Vikings PASSING C/A YDS TD INT D. McNabb 17/31 325 2 4 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD T. Gerhart 13 43 3.3 0 N. Devine 11 50 4.5 0 J. Collins 3 4 1.3 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD P. Harvin 4 145 36.2 1 N. Devine 4 59 14.7 1 D. Aromashodu 4 42 10.5 0 M. Jenkins 3 55 18.3 0 G. Camarillo 1 14 14.0 0 V. Shiancoe 1 10 10.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG R. Longwell 1/1 2/2 31 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 C. Kluwe 3 137 45.6 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD P. Harvin 4 89 22.2 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD P. Harvin 3 42 14.0 0 A. Allen 1 6 6.0 0

And just when it looked like Donovan McNabb might play himself into the heart of the Vikings fans. He looked much improved in this game, even though he still missed some open passes, he still managed to set up some effective, long drives down the field, converting several key third downs. He's had some help by his receivers, his first touchdown came on a screen to rookie Noel Devine who took the ball down the field thanks to some excellent blocking for a 40 yard TD. Percy Harvin had a monstrous performance, two times he burned the Buccaneers defense on deep passes, unfortunately, he went out injured in the fourth quarter with a abdominal tear and is expected to miss at least the next 2-3 games.

But around the end of the first half, McNabb began to regress, after Harvin set the offense up with excellent field position after a great punt return, they were in position to go up by at least 10 points by halftime, but instead of taking a timeout after a pass completion inside the 5, McNabb tried to get off another play and did complete a pass to Aromashodu at the 1 yard line, but he was tackled before he could get into the endzone and the clock ran out a split second before the Vikings could take their last timeout.

In the second half, the Vikings offense failed to do much, and again, the quarterback was to blame for many of their struggles. McNabb threw all of his four interceptions in the second half, and three of them came inside 30 yards of the Tampa Bay endzone, both the Buccaneers' fourth quarter touchdowns were set up by McNabb interceptions. When the QB had two chances to lead game-winning drives late in the fourth quarter, he failed again, missing two wide open receivers and tossing a game-ending interception on the other drive. McNabb left the field to constant boos by his own home crowd, and it is not expected that the veteran will have won over many fans with this performance.

"What can you say after a loss like this, at home no less?" A visibly letdown Coach Frazier told the press after the game. "You can't lose a game like this in the NFL, you simply can't. You're up by 10 in the middle of the fourth quarter and well within scoring range, you simply can't lose like that. It's wrong to pick out anyone to blame for this loss, we all lost today, and we have no excuse."

Even though he refused to critizise his veteran QB by name, he also did not go out and support him after this loss, which will only fire up the speculations and critics even more. It doesn't look like times in Minnesota are going to get any less rough anytime soon.

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Other Results
Chiefs 24 @ Lions 27
Seahawks 16 @ Steelers 31
Raiders 28 @ Bills 38
Packers 28 @ Panthers 13
Ravens 22 @ Titans 13
Browns 24 @ Colts 28
Buccaneers 21 @ Vikings 17
Cardinals 22 @ Redskins 32
Bears 27 @ Saints 13
Jaguars 29 @ Jets 20
Cowboys 16 @ 49ers 20
Chargers 21 @ Patriots 28
Bengals 14 @ Broncos 3
Texans 26 @ Dolphins 20
Eagles 28 @ Falcons 31
Rams 15 @ Giants 30

[TheDelta]

Re: You gotta have Hope! - Minnesota Vikings Franchise (Madden 12)

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Week 3: vs Detroit

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Vikings News

-The 0-2 start of the Vikings wasn't exactly a surprise, after the loss of Adrian Peterson and the continuing holdout by Christian Ponder, who repeated his statement last week that he was well prepared to hold out the whole season if necessary. "Sure, I'd rather play somewhere, but if I have to, I'm not that desperate for the money I can't wait." He told reporters on monday. At the same time, the Vikings organisation remains unwilling to entertain any thoughts about a possible trade at this moment.

-Starting quarterback Donovan McNabb continues to face tough opposition from hometown fans, there were several incidents last week when fans had to be removed from the stands during public training sessions for shouting insults at the signal-caller. Meanwhile, the "Hopeful Vikings" seem to be growing every week, with the "Give us Hope, Frazier!" slogan being heard around the stadium during practices as well as games more and more often.

-The loss of wide receiver Percy Harvin due to an abdominal tear late in last Sunday's game against the Buccaneers won't exactly help McNabb fire up the passing game this week, he will have to rely on veterans Michael Jenkins and Visante Shiancoe to step up. From the looks of it, it seems as if the Vikings plan on including rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph more in their offensive gameplan.

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Around the League

-Matthew Stafford, for all his talent, still seems unable to play through a season. He went down early in the Lions week 2 matchup against the Chiefs in what has now been confirmed to be a partial tear of his MCL, and is expected to miss more than half of the regular season. Veteran backup Shaun Hill is expected to start this sunday against Minnesota. The Chiefs didn't fare much better when, only a few plays after Stafford left, quarterback Matt Cassel had to be taken to the locker room with a broken wrist.

-Other notable players whose seasons were cut short by injury include: Dolphins rookie RB Daniel Thomas (MCL tear), Raiders LT Jared Veldheer (ACL tear) and Falcons SS William Moore (broken tailbone)

[TheDelta]

Re: You gotta have Hope! - Minnesota Vikings Franchise (Madden 12)

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Game Recap

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
Sep 24, 2011	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Detroit Lions (3-0)	0	24	17	7	48
Minnesota Vikings (0-3)	3	7	10	24	44

Team Stats Comparison
	DET	MIN
Total Offense	524	313
Rushing Yards	112	89
Passing Yards	412	224
First Downs	14	13
Punt Return Yards	7	89
Kick Return Yards	58	308
Total Yards	589	710
Turnovers	1	5
3rd Down Converstion	5-16	2-9
4th Down Conversion	0-0	0-1
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	1/2-3	0-0
Penalties	3-25	0-0
Posession Time	24:41	19:19

Detroit Lions PASSING C/A YDS TD INT S. Hill 15/32 445 4 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD J. Best 32 106 3.3 1 K. Smith 2 6 3.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD N. Burleson 5 292 58.4 3 C. Johnson Jr. 5 81 16.2 0 B. Pettigrew 3 48 16.0 1 T. Scheffler 1 12 12.0 0 J. Best 1 12 12.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG J. Hanson 2/3 6/6 24 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 B. Graham 7 308 43.9 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD S. Logan 1 31 31.0 0 N. Burleson 1 27 27.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD S. Logan 1 7 7.0 0

Minnesota Vikings PASSING C/A YDS TD INT D. McNabb 9/15 135 1 5 H. Turner 5/11 96 1 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD N. Devine 12 64 5.3 0 T. Gerhart 5 20 4.0 0 J. Collins 1 5 5.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD M. Jenkins 4 53 13.2 0 D. Aromashodu 3 101 33.6 2 N. Devine 2 7 3.5 0 V. Shiancoe 2 35 17.5 0 K. Rudolph 2 20 10.0 0 G. Camarillo 1 15 15.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG R. Longwell 3/3 5/5 53 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 C. Kluwe 3 126 42.0 2 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD M. Sherels 2 108 54.0 1 L. Booker 6 200 33.3 1 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD M. Sherels 1 25 25.0 L. Booker 5 64 12.8

It has happened. In what was easily the most dramatic game of the season so far, and we wager has a decent chance to still be the most dramatic game at the end of it, for the first time, a woman has taken the field in a regular season NFL game.

The game started out slow, the most surprising news was that undrafted rookie Noel Devine got the start at running back over Toby Gerhart, and he showed impressive quickness and speed at times, although the way the game went made it necessary for the Vikings to run the ball less than what they may have liked. McNabb began the game looking efficient, hitting receivers for short gains with surprising accuracy, and even managed to find fifth year veteran Devin Aromashodu for a 30 yard touchdown pass.

But the meltdown wasn't too far away. In the second and third quarter of the game, McNabb threw no less than 5 interceptions, one of them returned for six, but the Lions managed to capitalize with points on almost all of them. The Vikings defensive gameplan was to put pressure on backup quarterback Shaun Hill very aggressively, coming with 5 or even 6 rushers on almost all passing downs, and trying to shut down star receiver Calvin Johnson Jr. That plan actually worked well for the most part, as Johnson was not able to find the endzone and Hill was sacked a whopping 6 times in the game. At the same time, it left the Vikings without any answer to #2 wide receiver Nate Burleson, who constantly blew up man coverage assignments and finished the game with an incredible career record 292 yards and 3 of the Lions 4 passing TDs of the game.

At the end of the third quarter, it looked as if the game might just be over. Already down 41-20, McNabb threw his fifth pick of the game the Lions nickle back Alphonso Smith after a long, promising drive that had lead the Vikings up the the Lions 30 yard line. Afterwards, McNabb stormed to the bench where he then simply ignored his head coach who wanted to have a word with him. Moments later, Frazier began to yell at his quarterback, but McNabb stoically sat through the tirade and didn't even seem to listen, and amid loud booing from the home crowd he finally answered his head coach with a few dry words. ESPN lip readers have managed to analyze the game tape and found out what McNabb had said. "What you gonna do coach, bench me for a girl?" right before he turned away to get a drink.

And that's just what Frazier did. It's hard to described what happened in the dome after #6 put on her helmet and was briefed by the coach, a roar went through the stadium and for a minute, the crowd seemed to go ecstatic.

Whatever happened, it seemed to work out, because the Vikings defense, facing an offense already inside their own 30 after the pick, managed to shut them down on all three downs and after the field goal, backup running back Lorenzo Booker took the ball and took it back for a 101 yard return TD.

It didn't seem to help much, because on his very next play, Shaun Hill found Nate Burleson for yet another deep touchdown pass, but apparently, backup returner Marcus Sherels didn't want Booker to feel so lonely and simply repeated his feat on the ensuing kickoff, keeping the Vikings in the game.

Finally, the Vikings defense managed to keep the Lions to a three & out and it was time for history, Hope Turner took the field, her very first snap being a handoff to running back Noel Devine for a 10 yard gain. Her first three passes, though, were all incompletions, and after failing to convert a 4th & 1, the Lions got the ball back on their own 40.

But again, the Vikings defense, pumped up by an ecstatic home crowd that made any kind of communication on the field close to impossible, managed to stop the Lions and give their QB the ball back. And this time, she knew what to do with it. On a methodic drive, the Vikings took the ball over 90 yard down the field in a constant no-huddle, hurry-up offense, and finally, Hope Turner managed to find Devin Aromashodu with a deep ball for her first touchdown on a 42 yard pass that gave the Vikings the lead 44-41 and an ecstatic young woman being celebrated by her team and home crowd like she had just singlehandedly won the Super Bowl for them.

Unfortunately, there was still a minute on the clock, and this would prove to be the Vikings downfall. Shaun Hill, apparently not of a mind to be beaten by a girl, found Burleson (who else?) for a deep 40 yard completion on 3rd & 10 in midfield that set the Lions up will within range for the tieing field goal, but Jahvid Best had other things in mind when he evaded two tackles for a 6 yard touchdown run that quickly quieted the crowd.

It was a strange feeling after the final whistle, even though the Lions had won and both Shaun Hill and Nate Burleson had put up career numbers, of course there was only one person on the field people wanted to talk to, but she wasn't of a mind for talking much.

"Was it nice to throw a touchdown? Of course it was." Hope Turner answered the question how she felt about the game. "Was it great to take the lead, to see the crowd go wild, to be part of the team? Of course it was. But tell you what, if we would've just won the f****** game, I'd gladly have watched it from the bench instead, that's how I feel. You play to win the game, I think someone wise once said that. We did not win the game, so please don't ask me how I feel about it." She said before she stormed past the reporters to join her team.

Still, there were many Vikings fans who seemed oddly cheerful even after the loss, with many staying for quite a while after the final whistle and the trademark "Give us Hope!" chant heard around the stadium.

Donovan McNabb, meanwhile, was not available for comment after the game, preferring to remain silent about his feelings to be benched yet again. This time, for a girl.

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Week 3 Results

Patriots 26 @ Bills 23
Lions 48 @ Vikings 44
Giants 30 @ Eagles 24 (OT)
Jaguars 0 @ Panthers 20
49ers 19 @ Bengals 24
Texans 15 @ Saints 31
Dolphins 17 @ Browns 38
Broncos 28 @ Titans 20
Chiefs 18 @ Chargers 24
Ravens 23 @ Rams 26 (OT)
Jets 16 @ Raiders 6
Packers 34 @ Bears 17
Falcons 10 @ Buccaneers 34
Cardinals 21 @ Seahawks 17
Steelers 20 @ Colts 17
Cowboys 23 @ Redskins 20 (OT)

NFC North Standings

Packers (3-0)
Lions (3-0)
Bears (1-2)
Vikings (0-3)

[Addi]

Re: You gotta have Hope! - Minnesota Vikings Franchise (Madden 12)

Gonna follow. 5 interceptions from McNabb.....uh oh.

[TheDelta]

Re: You gotta have Hope! - Minnesota Vikings Franchise (Madden 12)

Gonna follow. 5 interceptions from McNabb.....uh oh.

Thanks, great to have a follower.

And I can tell you, although I did plan on making the switch to Hope sometime during the first season, I honestly didn't plan for it to happen so soon. I played as hard as I could, and I have played with many rookies and other bad QBs, but for some reason, I just can't get anything done with McNabb. It fit the storyline perfectly, but I really didn't throw those picks on purpose, I was shocked myself but then I thought that after five picks in two quarters, a benching would be very plausible.

[TheDelta]

Re: You gotta have Hope! - Minnesota Vikings Franchise (Madden 12)

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Week 4: at Kansas City

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Vikings News

-"Give us Hope!" the fans chanted, and it seems as if their coach has heard them. Even though Frazier was unwilling to committ to undrafted rookie phenomenon, 21 year old Hope Turner out of Columbia, as his first string quarterback, it seems a moot point at this moment, as Frazier announced monday morning that, while Donovan McNabb theoretically remained the first QB on the depth chart, the team had suspended him for one game as a disciplinary measure after refusing to talk to his coach after an abysmal five pick performance against the Detroit Lions last week. Backup or not, it seems as if the "Hopefuls" will get a chance to see their rookie heroine start against the Kansas City Chief this sunday.

-While a lot of fans seems to have embraced Hope Turner in a way maybe only rivaled by the quasi-religious following sophomore Tim Tebow has found in Denver, reactions to the move still remain mixed. "So she threw a couple of good passes against a defense that didn't know her and didn't prepare for her." ESPN analyst Skip Bayless said on "1st and 10", "That's nice, and honestly, she's throwing the ball better than I'd ever expected a girl to be able to do it, so respect to her. But let's be honest here, she's 5'6'' and is what, 160 pounds? The only way she won't get killed out there is if defenses hold back on her, and that's just not how the game should be played."

A sentiment that was shared by Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali in an interview he gave on tuesday. "Going up against a girl, I don't know, man. I mean, where I grew up, everyone was taught it's wrong to hit a girl, and I believe in that. Not saying she can't play ball, but I don't know how I feel about this."

But Turner quickly found her voice and told reporters her own opinion on the matter. "Did I expect some hypocrites like that to show up? Sure. Let me tell you something, where I grew up, I learned it's wrong to hit people, period. Are you trying to tell me it's okay to go down the street and beating up some random guy is fine just because he's a guy? But when I go out there, I'm not a "girl", I'm not "people", I'm a quarterback, so if you get millions to go out there and kill quarterbacks, then you better do it, because no matter whether you give me your best shot, I can tell you I'll give you mine." While she may lack in terms of size, Turner definitely seems to make up for it in spirit, and she has her teammates fired up for this matchup.

"All this talk about holding back and not taking shots at her, man, I don't care." Veteran left tackle Charlie Johnson told the media after a practice session. "You want to take a shot at her? First you gotta get to her, man."

-Wide receiver Percy Harvin remains inactive, so the Vikings will have to rely on Michael Jenkins and Devin Aromashodu again this week, and in practice it seemed as if Hope Turner has found a quick rapport with the veteran that she already hit for her very first NFL touchdown last week.

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Around the League

-After three weeks, there are three teams left undefeated in the NFL, the Packers, Patriots and Lions all have had brilliant start, the Lions in spite of losing starting quarterback Matthew Stafford yet again this season. The Vikings are not the only winless team, they share the bottom of the standings with the Dolphins, Titans, Seahawks and Raiders.

-The Bengals are in a tough spot this weekend, with both rookie starting QB Andy Dalton out with a fractured toe and backup Bruce Gradkowski as well expected to miss the game with a partial groin tear, undrafted rookie third stringer Chase Dunn has been taking first team snaps in practice early in the week.

-There were more severe injuries to key players last week, among them Chargers OLB Shaun Phillips who tore his triceps and has been placed on IR, and as if that wasn't already bad enough for San Diego, receiver Vincent Jackson has not been taken of the roster but is expected to miss most of the regular season.

[TheDelta]

Re: You gotta have Hope! - Minnesota Vikings Franchise (Madden 12)

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Game Recap

Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs
Oct 2, 2011	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Minnesota Vikings (0-4)	0	10	7	7	24
Kansas City Chiefs (2-2)	10	10	7	14	41

Team Stats Comparison
	MIN	KAN
Total Offense	290	509
Rushing Yards	76	258
Passing Yards	214	251
First Downs	18	21
Punt Return Yards	0	43
Kick Return Yards	187	27
Total Yards	477	579
Turnovers	1	1
3rd Down Converstion	4-10	7-10
4th Down Conversion	1-1	0-0
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	1/2-4	2/1-3
Penalties	0-0	0-0
Posession Time	17:34	24:51

Minnesota Vikings PASSING C/A YDS TD INT H. Turner 19/31 220 1 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD N. Devine 9 34 3.7 0 T. Gerhart 3 16 5.3 0 J. Collins 3 18 6.0 0 H. Turner 3 18 6.0 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD M. Jenkins 7 96 13.7 0 N. Devine 3 16 5.3 0 G. Camarillo 3 38 12.6 0 K. Rudolph 2 41 20.5 0 E. Arceneaux 1 10 10.0 1 D. Aromashodu 1 12 12.0 0 V. Shiancoe 1 12 12.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG R. Longwell 1/1 3/3 6 34 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 C. Kluwe 4 199 49.7 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD M. Sherels 7 174 24.8 0 L. Booker 1 13 13.0 0

Kansas City Chiefs PASSING C/A YDS TD INT K. Orton 17/25 261 2 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD J. Charles 25 225 9.0 2 T. Jones 6 33 5.5 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD D. Bowe 5 80 16.0 1 T. Moeaki 4 52 13.0 0 S. Breaston 2 26 13.0 0 J. Urban 2 32 16.0 0 A. Becht 1 29 29.0 1 J. Baldwin 1 12 12.0 0 L. Pope 1 12 12.0 0 J. Charles 1 18 18.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG R. Succop 2/2 5/5 11 34 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD S. Breaston 1 27 27.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD J. Arenas 2 31 15.5 0 T. Daniels 1 12 12.0 0

Maybe it was a fitting coincidence that the first game of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the NFL saw the very first start of a female player in the history of the league, but Vikings quarterback Hope Turner was quick to deny that the pink game apparel suited her. "Are you serious?" She laughed at reporters asking her about her pink gloves. "Honestly, I think that's the first time in over ten years that I've worn anything pink... I've always preferred black, and who needs pink when you got some nice purple?" She answered to cheers from her teammates. Unfortunately, the game itself turned out differently than the rookie quarterback may have hoped for.

With quarterback Matt Cassel out for the season, former Denver Bronco Kyle Orton took the field for the Chiefs, but if the Vikings hoped for that to slow down the Chiefs offense, they were in for a rude awakening. The Vikings defense seemed to be completely outmatched for most of the game, they had to get out of their gameplan to contain running back Jamaal Charles and put pressure on Kyle Orton soon when it turned out that they were absolutely unable to stop Chiefs star receiver Dwayne Bowe in man coverage, and when they dropped back into zones, Charles and tight end Tony Moeaki had their way with them.

That left the rookie in a tough spot, having to play from behind all game long while missing her best receiver and having another undrafted rookie as her primary weapon in the backfield in running back Noel Devine. The Vikings offense stalled for most of the first half, hardly even gaining a first down and not putting up any points for more than one and a half quarters. Turner struggled with her accuracy and looked lost at times behind an offensive line on which each and every player is at least a foot taller than her. Still, it wouldn't be fair to put all the blame for those offensive struggles on her, as her running backs failed to pick up much yardage and constantly put her in 3rd & long situations, and she actually made some precise throws but suffered three drops on very catchable passes that would've picked up a first down, wide receiver Michael Jenkins was the main culprit, dropping one pass on a blown coverage that left him wide open on what could've been a big play.

The first points on the board came from the defense, when nickel corner Chris Cook intercepted an underneath throw by Orton with an amazing display of athletic talent and taking it back for a 54 yard return touchdown. Unfortunately, it was one of very few highlights the Vikings defense produced on that day.

The offense actually managed to set up a very nice drive in the last two minutes of the half, with Turner getting into a rhythm when going no-huddle, but unfortunately, she suffered another drop inside the 10 yard line and so the Vikings had to settle for a field goal.

Even though the Vikings actually managed to carry some of their offensive momentum into the second half, their defense did not manage to adjust, constantly giving up conversions on 3rd downs and unable to force even a single punt on the Chiefs all game.

Turner, meanwhile, was unwilling to give up even though faced with a three possession deficit and was seen on the sideline firing up her offensive teammates, and they responded. Even though the running game wasn't much more effective, both Devine and Gerhart managed to gain some first downs, and especially Michael Jenkins, who wasn't able to bring in a single pass in the first half, made an heroic effort to redeem himself, making several athletic catches to finish the game with almost 100 receiving yards. But he wasn't Turner's only target, she spread the ball around with surprising accuracy, leading a determined drive down the field that culminated in a beautiful throw into a tight window right into the hands of rookie receiver Emmanuel Arcaneaux for a 10 yard touchdown.

Now only down by 10 points, there was maybe a glimmer of hope but again, the defense failed to help out their rookie quarterback, allwoing yet another touchdown to the Chiefs. Still, Hope Turner did her best not to let the Vikings fans down that had come on the road trip in close to record numbers and that in the second half at times seemed to easily outcheer even the home crowd.

There was a moment of worry when Turner took a vicious hit on a sack by Chiefs veteran nose tackle Kelly Gregg, who didn't seem to share his teammates Tamba Hali's doubts about hitting a girl when he buried her beneath his massive, 315 pound frame (almost twice as much as Turner's listed weight...). But Turner, true to her word that she anticipated the defenses "best shot", jumped up as if nothing had happened, calmly handed to ball to the official to mark the spot and went on to convert for a first down on a 16 yard scramble that saw her simply outrun Chiefs backup linebacker Cameron Sheffield.

The drive brought the Vikings down inside the 1 yard line and when the offense lined up in a goal line set with three tight ends and two backs, probably the defense was prepared for anything, a quick dive by fullback Jed Collins, a toss to halfback Noel Devine, maybe some play-action pass... but what they were obviously unprepared for was a QB sneak on which Turner seemed to actually use her small frame as an advantage, slipping in between center and left guard and apparently catching the defense completely by surprise before she celebrated her first rushing NFL touchdown.

"That was unreal." A puzzled defensive tackle Amon Gordon, who had gap assignment on the play, told reporters after the game. "I mean, it's tough to even see her behind that line, you get ready to have a 250 pound fullback right in your face and suddenly she's just plowing that ball in, almost between the legs of her linemen. How are you supposed to defend that? I think that's the first true "quarterback sneak" I've ever seen."

Unfortunately, it was all for nothing, as the Vikings again could not contain the Chiefs offensive weapons, the lack of speed in the Vikings secondary has to become a concern for the front office moving into the future, with both starting corners Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin constantly being outrun in coverage.

The Vikings offense, though, still refused to give in, even though down by 17 again and with only a few minutes left to go, and in yet another no-huddle, hurry up drive, managed to get all the way down the field to the Chiefs 10 yard line, and indeed, Turner managed again to find a target in the endzone and threw a hard pass right into Jenkins' hands, but the receiver could not hang on to it and, to make matters worse, tipped it right into the arms of cornerback Javier Arenas for the interception, and the Chiefs simply ran out the clock after that.

"Yes, we are sitting at 0-4, and no one wants to be there." Coach Frazier admitted after the game. "But still, our team showed spirit and strength out there today, if you want to blame anyone, I'm the one to blame. We did not come up with the gameplan to stop the Chiefs today, and that's my fault."

The quarterback, meanwhile, found blunter words to describe her team's situation. "We're not winning games, and that sucks. But if you watched the game today, you saw a team that didn't give up, that didn't roll over and let them have their way with us. We'll keep on fighting, and we'll keep on fighting hard, I can promise you that much."

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Week 4 Results

Saints 3 @ Jaguars 35
Vikings 24 @ Chiefs 41
Panthers 13 @ Bears 19
Titans 26 @ Browns 17
Steelers 24 @ Texans 27
49ers 28 @ Eagles 24
Redskins 17 @ Rams 24
Bills 17 @ Bengals 10
Lions 17 @ Cowboys 22
Giants 31 @ Cardinals 21
Falcons 10 @ Seahawks 17
Broncos 3 @ Packers 13
Patriots 28 @ Raiders 21
Dolphins 21 @ Chargers 20
Jets 16 @ Ravens 28
Colts 27 @ Buccaneers 7

NFC North Standings

Packers (4-0)
Lions (3-1)
Bears (2-2)
Vikings (0-4)

[TheDelta]

Re: You gotta have Hope! - Minnesota Vikings Franchise (Madden 12)

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Week 5: vs Arizona

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Vikings News

-The first start of Hope Turner came and went, and contrary to what some would have had you believe, the world still turns, the sky is still blue and the sun still sets in the west. Even if she couldn't win her first game, many were surprised what they saw out if the quick, surprisingly strong-armed girl, and many were impressed, among them Vikings owner Zygi Wilf. "I always said we wouldn't have brought her in if we didn't believe she could compete, and I think she showed everyone that she can on sunday. We lost, sure, but still, to put up 24 points on a strong defense while constantly playing from behind, that's not an easy feat, and no one can take that away from her." He said, and the way he spoke of her made it obvious that Turner would remain the starter even after Donovan McNabb had sat out his one game suspension, even before head coach Frazier said so publicly on tuesday. There's Hope in Minnesota now, that much is sure.

-The were several roster moves made by the Vikings during the week, among them extending rookie RB Noel Devine's contract to a 4 year, 3.5 million contract as the undrafted rookie seems to have the starting slot at tailback locked up for the moment. The most important signing, though, was cornerback Fabian Washington. The sixth year veteran out of Nebraska was released last summer by the Baltimore Ravens after three seasons and is expected to bring some much needed speed to the Vikings secondary. Washington was signed to a 1 year, 1.5 million dollar deal, with an automatic two year extension should he start more than 8 games for the rest of the season.

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Around the League

-Another week, another injury report. Among QBs, the Falcon's Matt Ryan broke his jaw in a loss against Seattle last week and is expected to miss at least three games, while Matt Hasselbeck's return to the field has been short-lived, after only one and a half games, he fractured is foot and is inactive, as of this week there is no timetable for his return, but the Titan's have not placed the veteran on injured reserve. Rookie Jake Locker, who rallied the team to a victory against Cleveland after Hasselbeck went down, will take over as starting quarterback.

Hasselbeck is not the only Titan's player luck didn't exactly smile upon on sunday, starting cornerback Cortland Finnegan tore his MCL late in the game, his season is most likely over.

-Among league leaders is Peyton Manning, who is first among quarterbacks throwing for an impressive 1,117 yards in 4 games as well as 10 touchdowns to only 2 interceptions.

LeSean McCoy is having an incredible season as well, rushing for an NFL wide best 628 yards, and 6 TDs on only 66 carries for a mind-boggling 9.5 yards per carry, as well as 123 yards and 1 TD on 11 receptions.

Reggie Wayne leads the league in receiving yards with 539 as well as 3 touchdowns, he is still Peyton Mannings unquestionable favorite target.

On the defensive side, Minnesota defensive end Jared Allen has racked up 7 sacks in 4 games, more than any other player in the NFL

-This week's opponents, the Arizona Cardinals, are struggling at offensive line depth after losing both starting center Lyle Sendlein and left tackle Levi Brown to injury, which is not good news when you are facing the NFL sack leader on sunday. Also missing is defensive end Calais Campbell, who has been put in IR in week one after suffering a compound fracture in the season opener. Still, the Vikings defense is facing tough matchups in star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald as well as running back Chris "Beanie" Wells, while their offense can hope to finally find some success on the ground, considering the Cardinals are ranked only 29th in run defense.