By: Grant Schwieger

The 2021 Minnesota Vikings season is a true make-or-break season. All signs have indicated that Minnesota is going all-in once again. Another lackluster campaign could prove to be the last straw for any of GM Rick Spielman, Mike Zimmer, and Kirk Cousins, or all three. A week ago, I predicted the Vikings would go into their bye with a record of 4-2. (predicting-the-vikings-record-weeks-1-6) How Minnesota performs after the bye will be imperative in the direction the franchise goes after 2021. Let’s take a look at each game one by one.

Week 8: Dallas Cowboys. Prediction: L

The Vikings continue their tough slate of home games when they host the Cowboys after the bye week. This will be a much different Dallas team than the one that Andy Dalton led to victory at US Bank Stadium last year now that Dak Prescott is back. This game has all the potential for an offensive shootout, with offensive playmakers all over the field for both teams. While Minnesota may have the better defense, Prescott is the better QB in this game and will pull it out at the end for the Cowboys.

Week 9: @ Baltimore Ravens. Prediction: L

While the Ravens have suffered injury after injury lately, they remain a class above the Vikings. Baltimore will deploy an offense unlike any other Minnesota will see unless Trey Lance is starting in Week 12. Zimmer is a defensive mastermind but slowing down Lamar Jackson is not something many teams can do. To pair Jackson with the seemingly always-solid Ravens defense, this is going to be a hard team for Minnesota to beat on the road. It would be a surprise if the Vikings could keep it close, but if they can, the recent loss of CB Marcus Peters for Baltimore might be detrimental for them. 

Week 10: @ Los Angeles Chargers. Prediction: W

Week 10 brings another matchup that will be flush with storylines. Vikings and Chargers fans went back and forth all offseason over who should have won the 2020 Rookie of the Year between Justin Herbert and Justin Jefferson and which wide receiver is better between Jefferson and Keenan Allen. For what it’s worth, Jefferson slotted higher than both of them on the NFL’s Top 100 players list. The last time Minnesota visited the Chargers, the stadium had more purple in it than blue, so this should make for a fun battle for both teams. Los Angeles has what looks to be a much-improved offensive line over what they’ve had in years past. It would not be a surprise if this game came down to who has the ball last as these teams look to be somewhat evenly matched. Minnesota gets back on the winning track in this scenario, though.

Week 11: Green Bay Packers. Prediction: W

Minnesota has to wait until Week 11 to face off with their division rival in 2021. Now that Aaron Rodgers has bought into playing in Green Bay for what appears to be his last season there, the Packers are a much more formidable opponent. Mike Zimmer almost always brings his best when it comes to facing the reigning MVP, and the Vikings have the advantage of playing at home in this one. Similar to the game against the Chargers, this one has all the potential to come down to the wire. If Patrick Peterson is playing like his old self and can help keep Davante Adams in check, that could prove to be the difference for Minnesota.

Week 12: @ San Francisco 49ers. Prediction: L

The Vikings head into San Francisco for the first time since Stefon Diggs’ last game as a Viking in the 2019-2020 playoffs sitting at 6-4. The 49ers got hit hard by injuries in 2020 but their 2021 roster looks to be a very competitive one. San Francisco is set up so well that they might not even have to play the 2021 3rd overall pick, Trey Lance, at QB and still compete for a playoff spot. I would like the Vikings’ chances better if they were at home in this one but going to the west coast for the second time in three weeks might hit Minnesota in this one. Kyle Shanahan’s offense will be able to put Minnesota away in this one and Nick Bosa will terrorize the Vikings’ tackles.

Week 13: @ Detroit Lions. Prediction: W

The 2021 Detroit Lions could be playing some inspired football by Week 13, or they could already have their eyes set on the 2022 QB class. Until Dan Campbell’s squad can prove it, however, any game against the Lions should be a Minnesota victory. A loss to Detroit here would put a fork in Minnesota’s season and put them at 6-6. That alone should inspire the purple and gold to come out in this one and take care of business. The Vikings start an important month of December with a win to put them at 7-5.

Week 14: Pittsburgh Steelers. Prediction: W

Minnesota has a short turnaround here with a Thursday Night Football matchup at home against Pittsburgh. The Steelers have been in a downward spiral since starting 11-0 last year, ending with an embarrassing playoff loss at the hands of the Browns. Big Ben is back at QB for one last go, but by Week 14 it wouldn’t be a surprise if his arm is shot. The Steelers still boast a very impressive defense led by TJ Watt and his new record-breaking contract. Their offensive line, however, is a big weakness entering the season. This could be a defensive battle on national television, and Kirk Cousins will pull out a rare victory under the bright lights.

Week 15: @ Chicago Bears. Prediction: L

The Vikings get a long break going from a game on Thursday to one on Monday night of the next week. It marks the second straight season Minnesota plays in Chicago on Monday Night Football. It is hard to imagine a world where Justin Fields is not starting at QB by this point for the Bears, and it would probably serve the Vikings better if they played Chicago earlier in the season. Alas, they do not, and Fields might have this Bears offense humming by this point. Even with a victory at Soldier Field last season, it just seems unwise to predict a Vikings win in Chicago with the whole country watching for the second straight week.

Week 16: Los Angeles Rams. Prediction: L

Minnesota finds itself back at home with a tough matchup once again. There are a lot of people high on the Rams this season after swapping out Jared Goff for Matt Stafford at QB this offseason. Stafford has rarely found success against Mike Zimmer’s defenses, but he is set with one of the best teams around him he has had in his career. Los Angeles’ depth took a hit this offseason as they continued their approach of prioritizing proven players over draft picks. That might not matter in this game, however, as Aaron Donald is good enough to single-handedly ruin the Vikings’ offensive gameplan. A loss here drops Minnesota to 8-7 with two weeks to play.

Week 17: @ Green Bay Packers. Prediction: L

A January contest at Lambeau Field just oozes of a Vikings loss. This game is currently scheduled for Sunday Night Football, which would be Minnesota’s third nationally televised game in four weeks. Pair all of that with the fact that in this scenario, Aaron Rodgers lost to the Vikings in Week 11, and this could be a Green Bay blowout. The Packers will not forget about Minnesota winning at Lambeau in 2020 and this game will be a revenge game of sorts for them. With all sorts of playoff-seeding implications in this one, Kirk Cousins and the Vikings fall to a record of 8-8, which the national media will certainly run with.

Week 18: Chicago Bears. Prediction: W

A tie in this game would do wonders for the “Kirk Cousins is a career .500 QB” narrative, but sadly that is unlikely. A 9-8 record might just be enough to sneak into the playoffs in the NFC, so Minnesota should still have plenty to play for here. Chicago does not have a good enough roster to beat Minnesota twice in one season, and the Vikings should be able to end the 2021 regular season on a high note. The Bears’ offensive line might be worse than Minnesota’s this year, and Danielle Hunter and company should feast. This puts the Vikings in a possible “wait and see” position to see if the chips fall in their favor when it comes to making the postseason. Regardless of if they make the playoffs, will a 9-8 season be enough for Rick Spielman, Mike Zimmer, and/or Kirk Cousins to remain in Minnesota in 2022? It could make for some incredibly difficult decisions and a franchise-defining offseason.

The post Predicting the Vikings record post-bye appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Grant Schwieger

The Minnesota Vikings wrapped up an 0-3 preseason with a 28-25 loss to Kansas City on Friday. While it was still a loss, there were plenty of positives to take away from the game as the team now looks forward to its Week 1 matchup in Cincinnati versus the Bengals. Before they get to that game, however, the team needs to cut its roster down from 80 players to just 53. That means 27 players will have to receive the heartbreaking news and receive the proverbial pink slip. Some will catch on with other teams, via the active roster or practice squad, and some will remain with the Vikings on their practice squad as well. For now, though, I’m going to tackle the difficult task that is predicting who will make the Vikings’ initial 53-man roster. A task so tedious even the Vikings’ play-by-play announcer never nails it (This obviously excludes any potential acquisitions via free agency/waivers/trades although there is a good chance that occurs).

Quarterback (2): Kirk Cousins, Kellen Mond

Before the third preseason game, this projection would have included Jake Browning as well. However, Browning showed zero ability to operate an NFL offense against a live opponent this preseason, and if the team truly wants to keep him around, they should not have an issue getting him on their practice squad once he clears waivers. Cousins is the starter and Mond played well enough against Kansas City to potentially give Minnesota the confidence to make him the only other QB on the active roster. This is a position the team could look at addressing via another team’s roster cutdown or trade. No matter what, if Cousins misses extended time this year, the season is over.

Running back (5): Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison, Ameer Abdullah, Kene Nwangwu, CJ Ham (fullback)

Dalvin Cook is the starter and will likely get one of the heavier workloads among all NFL RBs if healthy. Mattison is locked in as his backup and Ham will continue to be his lead blocker. There were thoughts that Abdullah’s time in Minnesota might have been up with the draft selection of Nwangwu, but with Nwangwu and Mattison battling injuries and Cook being held out of the preseason, Abdullah has improved his value to the team. He remains a core special teamer and likely makes the roster due to that. There is a chance Nwangwu’s injury lands him on the Injured Reserve to start the year, which would free up a roster spot elsewhere for the time being. AJ Rose Jr also deserves a shoutout for being the team’s battering ram this preseason. Hopefully, he can land himself on the practice squad.

Wide receiver (6): Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, Dede Westbrook, KJ Osborn, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Chad Beebe

The depth was murky behind Jefferson and Thielen heading into camp. Westbrook should make the team even with him being eased back in from an ACL injury, and Osborn likely solidified the Mr. Mankato award and a roster spot. Not all 5^th-round picks are locks to make the team, but Smith-Marsette did plenty enough to secure himself a spot as well. If the Vikings decide to go with six WRs, the final one may go to the WR with the most experience left on the roster in Beebe. Dan Chisena looked much better as a WR this year than last and has an argument for a spot over Beebe or if the team decides to keep seven. Due to the poor QB play in the preseason, Whop Philyor and Myron Mitchell were not able to do much to stick out and make much of an impact.

Tight end (3): Irv Smith Jr, Tyler Conklin, Brandon Dillon

Irv Smith Jr just had surgery on his meniscus that will result in him missing at least a few weeks. Tyler Conklin missed two weeks due to a hamstring injury this preseason. Between Brandon Dillon, Zach Davidson, and Shane Zylstra, none of them have pulled away as a TE3 on this roster. There were discussions about whether the team will bring in another TE, and with Smith’s injury, the chances of that happening have increased drastically. Dillon gets the nod as the third TE due to his familiarity with the team. Davidson and Zylstra could both be practice squad candidates.

Offensive tackle (4): Rashod Hill, Brian O’Neill, Christian Darrisaw, Blake Brandel

Hill and O’Neill are going to be the Week 1 starters at tackle against the Bengals. Darrisaw will make the roster as a first-round pick, but the real question will be about his health. Minnesota would prefer to see Darrisaw on the field sooner rather than later but rushing him back from injury could only make things worse. Brandel should make the team as their swing tackle. The only other tackle on the roster is Zack Bailey and he has not done much to stand out this preseason. If the team decides to cut Brandel, a move for another tackle would likely follow.

Interior offensive line (6): Ezra Cleveland, Garrett Bradbury, Oli Udoh, Dakota Dozier, Mason Cole, Wyatt Davis

The starting interior OL will be Cleveland, Bradbury, and Udoh from left to right. Cole had an awesome preseason as the backup center and Davis’s roster spot is not in danger as a third-round rookie. Davis showed some promise in preseason games one and two before struggling a bit in game three. As for Dozier”¦ just accept it Vikings fans. The team is infatuated with him. They moved him to left guard, where he started 16 games last season, for the third preseason game. This signals that they trust Davis to be the backup right guard and the team likely has seen enough of Dru Samia, who has been injured recently anyways.

Edge defenders (6): Danielle Hunter, Everson Griffen, Stephen Weatherly, DJ Wonnum, Kenny Willekes, Patrick Jones

Which edge rushers make the roster is one of the toughest positions to figure out. Hunter, Griffen, and Wonnum should be considered locks. Weatherly might be starting opposite Hunter, or he could end up as a veteran cut. Either of those scenarios seems possible. I think they keep him around as an experienced vet at the very least. If Minnesota keeps just five edge rushers, Jones, Willekes, Hercules Mata’afa, and Jalyn Holmes have to battle for the last spot. Rookie Janarius Robinson has already been placed on IR or else this decision would be even more difficult. The Vikings have kept 6 edge rushers in years past so let’s assume they do so again. Jones makes it as a mid-round rookie, and Willekes makes it over Mata’afa. Willekes and Mata’afa both had strong preseasons, but this would be Mata’afa’s third season on the team and he has yet to make a huge impact. The unknown of former 7th-round pick in Willekes is appealing and gives him the tiebreaker and a chance to be a rotational player along the defensive line. Holmes has yet to make a positive impact in his three seasons with the team and is all but gone.

Defensive tackles (4): Michael Pierce, Dalvin Tomlinson, Sheldon Richardson, Armon Watts

Pierce, Tomlinson, and Richardson are all locks. Reading those three names as DTs for the Vikings this year should make fans swoon after the atrocity they saw across the defensive interior last year. Watts should make the team as well and has shown enough promise in his first two seasons to keep him rostered. James Lynch has garnered some praise this summer, but he may be the odd man out if Minnesota keeps only 10 total players along the defensive line.

Linebackers (5): Eric Kendricks, Anthony Barr, Nick Vigil, Troy Dye, Chazz Surratt

Kendricks, Barr, and Vigil will all make the team without a sweat as the three starters in the Vikings’ base package. Dye has shown some improvements from his rocky rookie season and the team will not give up on him this soon, so he should be a lock as well. The team took Surratt in the third round, which was a reach, but they obviously view him as a future piece of this team. If the team keeps only five LBs, which I expect them to, that leaves Blake Lynch, Ryan Connelly, and Tuf Borland the odd men out. Lynch and Connelly made a few plays this preseason and the team could try and stash them on the practice squad. Borland was always just a camp body. In the event Barr needs to go on IR, however, Lynch might find himself on the roster.

Cornerbacks (6): Patrick Peterson, Bashaud Breeland, Mackensie Alexander, Cameron Dantzler, Kris Boyd, Harrison Hand

Peterson and Breeland will be the starting outside CBs with Alexander starting in the slot. Even with a less than ideal training camp and preseason, Dantzler will still make the team as well. If the team keeps six CBs, that leaves Boyd, Hand, Tye Smith, and Parry Nickerson left to battle out the last two spots. Boyd has the experience and has played well for most of the preseason, even starting at outside CB in the last two games. Hand has not done that much in camp and this preseason, but his rookie campaign last year was encouraging. The Vikings likely do not want to expose him to the waiver wire. Smith and Nickerson had two of the team’s five highest PFF defensive grades this preseason, so this decision will not be an easy one for Vikings brass. Zimmer will forever love his CBs, so it is easy to envision him pitching to keep seven of them.

Safety (3): Harrison Smith, Xavier Woods, Cam Bynum

Minnesota went into 2020 with only three safeties on their active roster, and 2021 could be no different. Smith just received a lucrative extension and will be starting with Woods. The team liked Bynum enough to draft him in the fourth round and move him from CB to safety. He is not ready to be a full-time safety right now, though, and his competition this offseason has left a lot to be desired as well. Myles Dorn, Josh Metellus, and Luther Kirk have not done much to impress, leaving the Vikings left to once again roster only three safeties. An acquisition for another safety would be no surprise, the team would just have to make a cut elsewhere on the roster to make it happen (I’m sure Harrison Smith still has Andrew Sendejo on speed dial).

Specialists (3): Greg Joseph, Britton Colquitt, Andrew DePaola

Colquitt bounced back from a shaky punting performance against Denver to perform well enough in the next two games to be back as the Vikings’ punter. DePaola has had no issues as a long snapper and has that locked up as well. Then there is Greg Joseph. Minnesota and kickers are like cats and cucumbers, so he already started at a disadvantage. If you don’t know what I mean, just go on YouTube, it will make sense immediately. Joseph seemingly beat out Riley Patterson in camp, who was hurt, came back and kicked seemingly pretty well, and then waived with an injury designation anyways. Joseph has not been terrible, but a few misses on kicks over 50 yards have not necessarily eased Minnesotan’s concerns when it comes to kicking. However, barring a move for another kicker, which is common and would not be a huge surprise, Joseph will be the Vikings’ kicker for the time being.

The post Projecting the Vikings 53 man roster appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Grant Schwieger

The 2020 Minnesota Vikings defense was largely an overall dumpster fire. From the pass rush to the run defense to the coverage on the back end, there really were not many positives to take away from the defense last season. This was caused by a multitude of reasons. The Vikings were fairly strapped for cash and lost Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander, Linval Joseph, and Everson Griffen, all key defensive players from 2019, as a result. Minnesota suffered from a lack of depth to begin the season, and that combined with covid opt-outs (Michael Pierce) and injuries (Danielle Hunter, Anthony Barr, Mike Hughes, and eventually Eric Kendricks) made the defense borderline unwatchable by December 2020.

Before the 2020 season started, Mike Zimmer stated “I’ve never had a bad defense. So I don’t anticipate that changing.”

This contributed to many Minnesota faithful having an unreasonable amount of optimism, only to realize Week 1 they needed to tone it down a notch, or five. Zimmer went into the opening game against Green Bay with Mike Hughes, Holton Hill, and Cam Dantzler as his top three CBs. The Vikings gave up 43 points. Hughes and Hill played a combined 428 snaps all season. By season’s end, the top four CBs in terms of snaps played for Minnesota were Jeff Gladney (958), Cam Dantzler (601), Kris Boyd (343), and somehow Chris Jones (267). If you need a second to run to the bathroom to throw up, go ahead. Those four entered 2020 with a combined 374 career NFL snaps. That is far from ideal, and Minnesota spent 2021 making sure that would not be the case this time around.

Entering the 2021 season, the clear top four Vikings CBs are now Patrick Peterson, Bashaud Breeland, Mackensie Alexander, and Cam Dantzler. Those 4 have combined for 18,910 NFL snaps to this point. Just a slight difference from last season! There was a clear emphasis in the offseason to make sure this year’s Vikings squad doesn’t give up the 6th highest success rate on opposing dropbacks (per rbsdm.com) like they did last season. Even the rest of the current 90-man roster has some NFL experience, with Kris Boyd (442 career snaps), Harrison Hand (163), Tye Smith (613), and Parry Nickerson (251) all in camp boasting familiarity in NFL secondaries. Secondaries are mostly a weak-link system, meaning you are only as strong as your weakest player, so it is important for Minnesota to make sure whoever their weakest link is in 2021 is not a deer in headlights. 

The most important part of a weak-link system, however, is to do your best to make sure that your “weakest” link is in fact not weak at all. Not only were none of the Vikings CBs last season experienced, but almost all of them struggled immensely. The good news is that the only one who received a lot of playing time and showed signs of potentially being a quality NFL CB is still looking to be in the rotation this year in Dantzler. He had the 3rd highest PFF grade on the Vikings defense last season, trailing only Eric Kendricks and Harrison Smith. 

In even better news, the Minnesota coaching staff currently does not view Dantzler as a lock to even start, as he has been rotating in with Breeland with the starters so far in camp. Peterson has been locking up one of the outside CB spots and Alexander should likely be the main slot CB to start the season. This should come as good news to Vikings fans because it means the defense once again has solid depth in its secondary. The third and fourth corners on a team will find themselves still being very important to the team, whether it be rotating in during the game or needing to jump in in the case of an injury. So, there is no need to worry about Dantzler’s spot on the depth chart as he will still find plenty of time to make an impact on the field.

While Patrick Peterson’s days of being an elite NFL CB may be behind him, he will certainly still provide value to Mike Zimmer’s defense. His knowledge of the game is top-notch and he is now able to share that with Minnesota’s less-experienced DBs. He was seen on Saturday at the Vikings practice coaching up Dantzler on the best way to strip the ball from the running back. Little things like that veteran players provide were not very common in Minnesota last season and this team should surely benefit from him.

Breeland and Alexander are clear upgrades over what Zimmer had to work with last year as well. Breeland is fresh off of one of the best seasons of his seven-year career and has a Super Bowl ring from 2019 as well. Alexander spent the first four years of his career in Minnesota before a stint in Cincinnati last season. The fact that he decided to return to Minnesota after a year away is a testament to the reputation Zimmer has built here and is a good sign. He has been one of the better slot CBs in the NFL the last few years and hopefully can keep that trend continuing.

While the remaining CBs on the current Vikings roster has a bit of experience, a few of them also have been fairly solid when given the opportunity. Harrison Hand only had 163 snaps as a rookie last season, but he did not get embarrassed on the field which is something not many other 2020 Minnesota corners can say. Tye Smith has also played limited snaps for Tennessee in 3 of the last 4 years and has been reliable when called upon. Coverage can be quite volatile, and there is a key element to this year’s Vikings defense that will hopefully give all of Minnesota’s coverage defenders a boost compared to last season.

The debate between whether coverage or pass rush is more important to an NFL defense can go back and forth forever. One thing that most everyone can agree on, though, is that they both have a direct impact on each other. Good coverage can allow the pass rush more time to get to the QB, and a good pass rush allows those in coverage to cover for a shorter amount of time. With Danielle Hunter back on the field and the additions of Sheldon Richardson and Dalvin Tomlinson among others, the Vikings pass rush should certainly improve. In fact, it really cannot get much worse than it was in 2020. This should take some pressure off the Minnesota secondary and put them in more situations to succeed.

At the time when Mike Zimmer boldly stated he had never had a bad defense, he was not that far from the truth. Of course, once that quote backfired on him he got roasted for it, but there is no doubt he is going into 2021 ready to get his defense back to where it usually is, at the top of the league. He clearly wanted to spend this past offseason emphasizing improving his defense and it appears he has done so. Zimmer is considered a “CB guru” by many and his defense’s success will start and stop with his bread and butter. Between their upgraded skills, depth, and experience at the position and the improved pass rush, there are a plethora of reasons for optimism in the Minnesota defensive backfield for 2021.

The post Why you should be optimistic about the Vikings CBs appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Reese Nasser

The Minnesota Vikings have assembled arguably the top wide receiver duo in the NFL. First-year receiver Justin Jefferson was voted to a pro bowl in his rookie season and nine-year veteran Adam Theilen had maybe the best season of his career. The duo combined for 21 touchdowns on 162 receptions and also finished with 2,325 receiving yards. They were a lone bright spot for a Vikings team that went 7-9 and finished third in their division. Let’s take a look at this duo and how they compare to some of the other top duos in the NFL.

Looking at other top duos 

The duo out in Seattle is the next closest thing to what the Vikings have put together. The Seattle Seahawks have star wideout DK Metcalf and veteran Tyler Lockett. The difference in the two groups is strictly reliability. Metcalf was held to less than 60 yards in six games last season and didn’t break 30 yards in three games. Locket failed to reach 60 yards on eight occasions. The pair did compare with Theilen and Jefferson in terms of touchdowns though. Metcalf and Lockett combined for 20 touchdowns, only one less than the Vikings duo.  

The Los Angeles Rams duo of Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp has also proven to be valid. Both receivers had 90-catch seasons and had over 900 yards receiving. The difference in this duo is that they don’t reach the endzone like other top duos do. The pair only reached the end zone nine times. 

What Sets these Two Apart

These two have proven to be consistent in their one season together. The two players are at different points in their career and utilize different skill sets but are still able to work together on the field. Both players are able to seamlessly transition from the slot to the outside and can make plays from anywhere on the field. 

Theilens route running is top tier and sets him apart from other receivers. He is regarded as one of the best route runners in the NFL. 

His ability to consistently get open has helped the Vikings elevate their offensive game. After an injury-riddled 2019 season, many thought that he wouldn’t be able to bounce back to how he once was. The addition of Jefferson certainly helped Thielen ease back into his game. 

Jefferson was electric during his rookie season, having one of the greatest seasons of any first-year player ever. Nearly every week, he proved that he was deserving of the hype that he was getting. He surpassed 100 receiving yards in seven games and while never once reaching double digits in receptions. 

Combination of Youth and Age

When looking at these two players, you also have to take into account their age. Jefferson hasn’t even turned 22 years old yet while Theilen is 30 years old. Theilen is able to still provide veteran leadership to Jefferson and help him to continue to elevate his game. 

The Vikings can solidify this duo as the top in the NFL if they can continue to build on what they have already done. Much of this will come down to veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. If Cousins can play at the level that he has, thisa duo should maintain what they have going right now. The trajectory is pointing up and they should continue to be the top duo in the NFL. 

The post 3 reasons Why the Vikings still hold the top WR duo in the NFL appeared first on Pro Football Mania.