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January 20, 2010

Robison’s play will be key against New Orleans

By Jim Rueda Free Press Sports Editor

MANKATO — It’s safe to say Vikings Mania is back with a vengeance.

Fans had cooled somewhat on the Purple when it struggled to close out the season but, after Sunday’s convincing win against the red-hot Dallas Cowboys, just about everybody is back in the fold. It wasn’t so much that Minnesota beat the Cowboys, it was the way in which they beat them.

The Vikings put on a defensive display the likes of which probably hasn’t been seen since the 1985 Monsters of the Midway in Chicago. Dallas quarterback Tony Romo was sacked six times, lost two of three fumbles and was intercepted once. The best the Cowboys offense could muster was three points on a field goal.

There’s no doubt most fans believed Minnesota had the potential to dominate an opposing team defensively the way it did on Sunday. But while the team has had some very good defensive performances this year, there had been nothing close to what fans saw against Dallas.

The question now is, can the Vikings do it again? As good as Romo and the Cowboys looked going into Sunday’s game, this week’s opponent, the New Orleans Saints, have looked better — and the Saints have done it over the course of the entire season.

Last week Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees completed 72 percent of his passes (23 of 32) for 247 yards and three touchdowns. New Orleans also ran in two scores in a 45-14 win over an Arizona team that beat the Vikings handily (30-17) back in the first week of December.

If Brees has time to throw, the Vikings (nor any team in the league for that matter) don’t have much of a chance of winning. Minnesota’s offense is good but not good enough to keep up with a Saints’ attack that’s firing on all cylinders.

If Minnesota can pressure Brees, however, that could change things. It will be a difficult task for Minnesota, particularly if defensive end Ray Edwards is unable to play.

Edwards turned in a dominating performance last week, getting three sacks and six quarterback hurries. He hurt his knee in the second half, however, and it’s unlikely he will duplicate that effort if he is able to play at all.

That puts the pressure on his replacement, Brian Robison. Like Edwards, Robison relies on quickness more than strength to get to the quarterback. If he can put Brees under duress a handful of times during the game, that should give Minnesota a decent chance at a win.

Either way, the game should be entertaining simply due to the offensive firepower of both squads.



Jim Rueda is the Free Press sports editor. To contact him, call 344-6381 or e-mail him at jrueda@mankatofreepress.com

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