Player Analysis
Contents:
9/18/99 -- Leroy is an excellent back when he plays hungry. At a few points in his career, he didn't do that. He didn't run hard and he tried to do too much dancing. That's why he was cut a few times. Lately, he's been vintage Leroy Hoard - a hard-nosed tailback who will use his power to run through arm tackles instead of trying to sprint or dance around people. Having an improving Moe Williams pushing him for playing time seems to be keeping him hungry.
9/18/99 -- Stalin showed potential his rookie year, but has probably regressed slightly since then. He rarely has been able to put any pressure on the QB and may not be around next year if he doesn't show solid improvement this season. Injuries haven't helped his cause either.
9/18/99 -- Showed real potential last year as a nickel rusher. Didn't seem to be playing as well as I expected during preseason, but did a solid job against Atlanta. Certainly no worse than Dixon Edwards. Kailee should continue to improve throughout the season as he gains more experience.
9/18/99 -- Really would've benefited from a season in the World League. Played below expectations during preseason and made the team only because we had no other big fullbacks. However, he has to take advantage of this opportunity now or he won't last the season. If Jimmy Kleinsasser and John Henry Mills continue to improve, Femi could be one of the first to go if an injury forces the Vikes to sign a player at another position.
11/06/99 -- Hobbled by a sprained ankle at the beginning of the season, Matthew lost out on the opportunity to build on the momentum he'd established in the playoffs last season. With Cris Carter and Jake Reed getting up in years, Hatchette will play a big part in Minnesota's future. Hatchette is capable of producing like Jake Reed did in his prime, and Hatchette has better hands.
11/06/99 -- Still showing flashes of his potential, but now with Chris Doleman getting increased playing time, Duane isn't able to be as productive. However, Duane has played well enough to prove to the Vikings that he will be part of their long-term plans. And having a guy like Doleman around to learn from will only help his career. Expect a big-time performance or two from Clemons before the season is over.
11/06/99 -- Has been the consummate team player. Randall has always been known for his inability to read defenses, and with Brian Billick, Chip Myers, and Brad Johnson all gone, Randall lost his entire support system. In addition, the running game and especially the offensive line played well below their potential when Cunningham was still starting. Hopefully, Randall is putting his time on the sidelines to good use by trying to learn how Jeff George picks up the blitzes and audibles to the right call. No offense to Alex Wood, but he's new to the offense himself and is probably spending more time trying to tutor Duante Culpepper. Although Randall's weaknesses were exposed again this year, I can't praise him enough for keeping a positive attitude, because chances are we'll need him again at some point this season.
11/06/99 -- Starting to play like the Vikings hoped he would when they re-signed him. Despite the valuable contribution he's making to the team with his play this year. He can be of even more use if he can teach Duane Clemons, and Talance Sawyer some of his pass rushing techniques. Doleman's weakness will always be his inconsistent run defense - he gets suckered out of position quite often. However, he more than makes up for it with his pass rush and the occasional tackle for loss on running plays.
11/27/99 -- A key player in the Vikings offense at times, Andrew has not been a factor this season. Like his Grambling & Viking teammate Jake Reed, Glover has a reputation for dropping some easy passes. However, he also has a knack for making the tough catch. If Glover is more productive, the passing game should open up for the receivers. I'm not sure why Andrew hasn't seen many balls thrown his way, but expect that to change as the defenders start to ignore him and concentrate on the receivers. Glover is a good, not great, tight end playing in a system that suits him perfectly. However, if he doesn't start producing more, he may not be back next season if the Vikings can find a cheaper replacement.
11/27/99 -- A valuable member of the Vikings defense, Robert is a big time hitter who also makes plays in run support. Because he is on the smaller side for a strong safety, he tries to make up for it with his fierce collisions when he tackles. The only problem is he doesn't always try to tackle the player. Big hits are exciting to watch, but if you don't wrap up, the ball carrier may not go down. Griffith has bounced off a few players by trying to make the hard hit instead of the sure tackle. Still, he is a versatile player who plays well in both pass defense and run support.
12/11/99 -- A blue chip QB prospect. Many are already labeling him a bust, even though no one ever expected him to be ready to contribute this quickly. That's why the Vikings could afford to take him. Despite the fact Minnesota needed DB and DL help more, Daunte still was not a bad pick. He'll need at least one more year on the sidelines, then he may be ready to move up to the backup role. So don't get upset that he's not performing well. We didn't expect him to be able to contribute for at least 2-3 years when we drafted him and nothing has changed since then.
12/11/99 -- A big, beefy, experienced nose tackle. We signed him because we lost Jerry Ball and we should've waived him when we re-acquired Jerry Ball. Phillips really developed after he left Minnesota early in his career, but he is not the same player anymore. Nothing personal, but we don't need 2 aging nose tackles with very little tread left on the tires. I thought rookie draft pick Noel Scarlett played well in preseason, and was surprised when he did not make the practice squad. I was shocked when he wasn't signed to replace Phillips after we traded for Jerry Ball. Joe Phillips will not be back next year , and the drop-off from Phillips to Noel Scarlett would hardly be noticeable, considering the limited playing time they would have. Plus, Scarlett would've had a year to learn and develop. If the Vikings are going to remain competitive, they need to have some young prospects at different positions to learn from the veterans.
12/18/99 -- A quality offensive lineman who would be more suited to playing right tackle than the difficult left tackle position. Steussie's asset is his strength and his weakness is his (lack of) speed. Steussie always struggles against speed rushers - regardless of their size - because he isn't quick enough to get in position to block them. As a result he is often called for false starts and holding penalties. Unfortunately, he also gives up sacks. I will never question Steussie's motivation - I know he tries. However, he does seem to get rattled easily, especially in big games. The bottom line is that Steussie is not even close to playing at a Pro Bowl level this year, and his play has been downright ugly in virtually every nationally televised game he's been involved in since he's joined the Vikings.
12/18/99 -- A big time linebacker who is having a mediocre season. Dwayne Rudd had a great season last year; he made a lot of big plays. However, the weakside linebacker is SUPPOSED to make those plays just by the nature of the system. Dwayne has not played badly this year. In fact, he's had a few big games when motivated (i.e. the Bears "revenge" game). But he has not played as well as last year, let alone at the Pro Bowl level we were expecting.
12/18/99 -- Another Pro Bowl caliber linebacker who is not having one of his better seasons. I don't know if it's a result of poor play by the defensive line, but Ed has not made nearly as many impact plays (i.e. tackles for loss) this season. He seems to be getting caught up in the wash more than usual, allowing opposing ball carriers to rip off huge chunks of yardage. As with the weakside position, the middle linebacker is supposed to make a lot of tackles. And while Ed has certainly done that, he hasn't been as productive as we'd hoped.
12/18/99 -- An immensely talented QB who has done a terrific job keeping this team in the playoff hunt. So far Jeff has said and done all the right things. But with the team starting to fade, it will be harder for him. The media is waiting for him to say or do something so they can jump all over him. However, as the starting QB, he SHOULD take a leadership role and try to spark this team. Whether or not Jeff George is back with Minnesota next year, he's already proven he was one of Dennis Green's best (and at the best value) acquisitions ever.
12/22/99 -- A quality CB who overachieved last year and is underachieving (to say the least) this year. Part of the problem is that the inexperienced players playing with him in the secondary can sometimes make him look bad due to an error on their part. However, most of the trouble has been with Hitchcock himself. Depending on what free agency does to this team in the offseason, along with how Hitchcock finishes out the season, he could be gone after this year.
12/22/99 -- A big play RB who is just starting to come around after being hampered by a hernia most of the season. Smith probably won't be the same until he gets a chance to fully recover in the offseason, but he still has enough speed and ability to make a difference now. While he hasn't been able to stay injury free, Smith has avoided the season-ending knee injuries and the ankle injuries which have made him totally ineffective in the past. Many people have complained Smith is overpaid, but he is an integral part of our offense and we can't afford to play without him for more than a few games at a time.
Jake Reed
1/1/00 -- Reed is a quality individual as well as a quality player. After starting the season strongly, Jake went through the worst slump of his career in midseason. He rebounded nicely after being on the verge of losing his #3 spot to Matt Hatchette. Obviously, Moss and Carter are still the main guys and Hatchette is the future, but Reed can still make an invaluable contribution to this team now. The attention Moss and Carter will be receiving in the playoffs should allow Jake the opportunity to make some big plays the rest of the way; expect him to take advantage.
Korey Stringer
1/1/00 -- A big-time player at Ohio State, Korey has played well in the pros, but never lived up to his potential. This season, he's had his best year yet. (Which is more than can be said about any of the other O-linemen.) Had Korey been able to keep his weight down early in his career, he probably would've moved to left tackle, but Steussie managed to overachieve and play well on the left side and Korey was just too big and slow to move from the right. Korey always had the ability, but now he has matured into one of the top offensive linemen in the game and he will continue to be a fixture at right tackle for years to come.
Jerry Ball
1/1/00 -- After a fine season last year, Jerry has not been nearly as effective since returning to the Vikings early in the season. However, he has started to show some signs of life again lately and the Viking defense has come around. Considering the Vikings have no one waiting in the wings to replace Ball, he may be back next year as long as he continues to play well for the remainder of the season. The Vikings need him to be effective if they are going to stop the opponents' running game.
Kenny Wright
1/1/00 -- A rookie DB who is playing like a rookie DB. Wright was thrown into the fire this season and has played well under the circumstances. He's made his share of mistakes, but that's to be expected. He's also getting valuable experience. If Kenny can continue to improve, he could develop into a quality starting CB. At the very least he's a good nickel back.
Jeff Christy
1/8/00 -- Jeff is an undersized, but very intelligent and scrappy player. I was not a fan of Christy until I saw him headslap Todd Steussie in the playoffs a few years back because Steussie was choking under pressure. That turned Steussie around that day and demonstrated that Christy is indeed the leader of the offensive line. Christy is excellent at reading defenses and making line calls. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the size to take on big nose tackles. However, he is a fighter who will give his all and he is also an excellent pulling center. Jeff did not have quite as good a season as last year, but did well enough to earn his 2nd Pro Bowl berth.
Randall McDaniel
1/8/00 -- A fixture on the offensive line for years, Randall remains a quality offensive guard. His lack of size has become more of a detriment as defensive linemen have gotten bigger, but McDaniel's quickness and technique enable him to continue to perform at a Pro Bowl level. It could be Randall's last season with the Vikes (due to salary cap problems and the failed promise to renegotiate his contract), so expect Randall to play his best in the playoffs.
John Randle
1/8/00 -- After putting him at defensive end without success most of the season, Randle is back inside at tackle and has been coming on strong the past few games. The improved play of Duane Clemons and Chris Doleman has forced teams to concentrate a little less on Randle, and the results have been favorable for Minnesota. After being injured last year in the playoffs, Randle wants to make a statement this time. Johnny is one of the leaders of the defense and he will be at his best when the playoffs begin.
Tony Williams
1/8/00 -- Tony continues to show flashes of potential, but probably will never become a top lineman. If surrounded by quality players he can make an impact during a game, but he is not good enough to do it on his own.
David Dixon
1/15/00 -- David has had a very quiet season, which is pretty good when you're an offensive lineman. He has done a fairly steady job all season long, but still makes his share of mistakes. Dixon is a good, but not great, offensive guard whose specialty is run blocking. The Vikings are always working on developing (younger & cheaper) offensive lineman to step in as starters if needed (just like they did with Dixon), but as long as his price tag doesn't get too high, he should stick around.
Mitch Berger
1/15/00 -- Mitch has had his second straight stellar season and was rewarded with a Pro Bowl berth. That's the good news. The bad new is it will be extremely difficult for the Vikings to re-sign him when he becomes a free agent after the season, because he is sure to get lucrative offers from other teams and the Vikings are going to have a ton of problems with the salary cap. Mitch is not only a top notch punter, he is also: A) a top kickoff specialist; B) a quality holder for field goals/extra points; and C) a fantastic tackler "for a kicker" who has saved several touchdowns over the years. No other kicker in the league can do as much, as well, as Berger.
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Last Revised: 1/15/2000