Jared Allen is just dominating offensive lines this season and the whole defense is benefitting from it.  Allen has made 34 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, forced 3 fumbles and he has defensed 2 passes this season.  But, where Allen has really stood out for the Vikings is rushing the passer as he has 10.5 sacks already this season.  Allen has forced teams to attempt to double team him which has opened up opportunities  for teammates as the Vikings now have 31 sacks as a team this season.  It would not be a surprise if Allen wins the Defensive Player of the Year Award in the NFL this season if he plays well in the 2nd half of the year and there is absolutely no reason to think he won’t.

Adrian Peterson has been outstanding as usual for the Vikings this season.  He has carried the ball 163 times for 784 yards (4.8 ypc) with 9 TD runs so far this season.  He has also caught 19 passes for 189 yards (9.9 avg) this year.  With the Vikings now with a good passing attack opposing defenses can’t gang up on Peterson or Brett Favre will make them pay the price.  That will help keep Adrian Peterson healthy and effective all season long and the Vikings will benefit big time from that.

I have been saying for years now that the only thing keeping the Vikings out of the Super Bowl was the lack of a legit starting QB.  That is no longer a problem for them.  Brett Favre has turned back the clock and he is playing some of the best football of his NFL career.  He has completed 174 of 256 passes (68%) for 1,925 yards with 16 TD passes and only 3 INTs (106.0 QB Rating) so far this season.  He has also carried the ball 5 times for -2 yards (-0.4 ypc) this season.  That is not a problem though as the Vikings never want to see Favre run the ball.  He is the one player the Vikings can’t replace so they need him healthy.

OLB Chad Greenway is having another solid year for the Vikings so far in 2009.  He has played in 7 games this season and he has 40 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, he has forced 1 fumble, has defensed 3 passes and he has 2 interceptions.  Greenway is a good all-around football player who is just as effective defending both the run and the pass.  The Vikings seem to be waiting for the right game to send Greenway blitzing a lot and it could be tomorrow in Green Bay.

Brett Favre always had a fondness for throwing to the TE when his team got close to the endzone and that has not changed this season.  Now his main man near the goal line is Visanthe Shiancoe who has caught 17 passes for 164 yards (9.6 avg) with 5 TD grabs.  He always seems to find a way to get open when the Vikings really need him to and Favre will keep throwing to him as long as he does.  Shiancoe is in line to have the best year of his NFL career in 2009.

Rookie Percy Harvin and 23-year old Sidney Rice have both really stepped up this season for the Vikings.  Harvin has caught 18 passes for 233 yards (12.9 avg) with 2 TD grabs and he has also carried the ball 5 times for 28 yards (5.6 ypc) this season.  He has also returned 14 kickoffs for 437 yards (31.2 avg) with a 101-yard TD return.  Harvin is awesome in the open field and he has the speed to score any time he touches the football.  Sidney Rice was considered a first round bust until this season as he is stepping up his game.  Rice has played in all 5 games this season and he has caught 17 passes for 233 yards (13.7 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  In his first two years with the Vikings, Rice played in 26 games with the Vikings and he caught 46 passes for 537 yards (11.7 avg) with 8 TD grabs.

Chester Taylor has not been getting many carries behind Adrian Peterson but the Vikings are using him a lot out of the backfield in the passing game.  Taylor has caught 15 passes (leads Vikings) for 103 yards (6.9 avg) so far this season.  He has also carried the ball 17 times for 41 yards (2.4 ypc) this year.  Taylor is a outstanding weapon for the Vikings and he should get more carries as the season goes on to give Peterson a break and he should also continue to catch a lot of passes from Brett Favre.

Brett Favre managed the first two games of the season for the Vikings but he proved against the 49ers that he still has a lot to offer.  He led the team on a long drive resulting in a TD which came on a incredible pass Favre to Greg Lewis.  Favre has completed 61 of 94 passes (64.9%) for 566 yards with 5 TD passes and 1 interception (94.5 QB Rating).  It will be very interesting to see how Favre handles playing against his old team….the Packers….who pushed him out of the door a couple of years ago.