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Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly narrowed their choices for the No. 3 pick to Justin Blackmon, Morris Claiborne and Matt Kalil. Which of these players would be the best fit?
- Bear in Real Life: "This is a great position for the Vikings to be in. All really solid prospects and I agree that they are all pretty similar in overall talent. This pick will be the first unknown event on draft day."
- bLUEDEVILNATION: "I'm starting to think more and more that they are going to take Claiborne. Him and cook and winfield would make a nice nickel unit."
- BobertLeoroy: "Blackmon and Morris would fill greater needs but i dont know how you can pass on a talent like Kalil"
- Khriss Kimpuss: "Anybody questioning Blackmon has never seen him play. Dude was just as dominant in college as Calvin Johnson, but Johnson had the huge size and speed advantage, Blackmon is just a pure beast."
- bizzo.james: "These are all "can't miss players" but I think Kalil is the best choice. He's a great talent and the left tackle is the anchor of any good offense."
- RyanJ504: "Kalil and Claiborne could be among the very elite at their position. Don't think that is the case with Blackmon. Kalil would be the wisest choice. "
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Will the Colts win again?
The 1-13 Colts still control their own destiny, so to speak, in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes after Sunday's win against the Titans. But a second win could potentially cost the Colts the No. 1 pick.
What would the Vikings do with No. 1?
The Vikings (2-12) took Christian Ponder with the No. 12 pick in the most recent draft. In nine appearances, he's thrown 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
What would the Rams do with No. 1?
The Rams (2-12) took Sam Bradford with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft. He's likely done for this season but has thrown 24 touchdowns and 21 interceptions in his career.
Where does a fan's loyalty rest?
Most of us will agree that true fandom means sticking with your team through good times and bad, but does that mean rooting for your team in all of those situations?
It's been a tough couple of years for Donovan McNabb, as the veteran quarterback has struggled to prove that he can still be an effective starter in the NFL. His latest release came at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings, who weren't about to commit to him long-term with Christian Ponder behind center. There are several teams that need a quarterback, but will McNabb's declining skills keep him out of uniform?
- "saw this coming the second they benched this man. at this point it's pretty much over " -- SN commenter stvnmontgomery24
- "McNabb might have a little left in the tank to help out the Bears but I can't see him being a starting QB next year. " -- SN commenter UnoWhoMe
Would you want to sign McNabb?
Donovan McNabb hasn't had a good season in a while, but he hasn't had a great deal of offensive talent to work with, either.
What do you make of McNabb's career?
McNabb was an excellent quarterback for a very long time, but a lack of championships really stands out on his résumé.
Which team could benefit?
The Bears, Cowboys and Texans all need quarterbacks, although the Cowboys have said they'd decline his services.
Remember when the NFL really wanted to cut down on the number of kickoff returns this season? Yeeeeaahhh ... about that ... it doesn't really seem to be working. We're not sure about the total number of returns compared to last year, but returners are almost making a point of taking kickoffs out of the end zone, even if they're all the way at the back. Randall Cobb already tied the longest return ever on Thursday, and players like Ted Ginn and Percy Harvin both have returns of more than 100 yards already. Did the NFL's efforts fail?
- "A lot has to happen downfield for Ginn to break those things and so it was an entire special teams effort." -- SN commenter BCook122
- "Percy Harvin nearly gave me a heart attack! " -- SN commenter bolt_struck
Start of a trend?
We could be seeing more and more returners take kicks out of the end zone this season. Or it could just be a single-game fluke, and there could be fewer and fewer returners taking a chance.
Anecdotal evidence?
We haven't seen any advanced stats yet suggesting that receivers are taking more risks, but it sure seems that way. Do you agree, or are our eyes deceiving us?
Which returner?
Randall Cobb tied a return record, but both Ted Ginn and Percy Harvin have more established résumés. Considered purely as returners, it might be a difficult choice between the three of them.
The first game of the NFL season kicks off in a little more than 24 hours, and we'd be lying if we said we weren't at least a little excited. Pro football can be a messy affair at times -- see the entire labor battle during the offseason -- but it's a glorious sport at its heart. Most every team's fan base has something to look forward to this weekend, although Colts fans may be dreading a future without Peyton Manning after the news that he'll miss at least his first game with a neck injury.
- Rank: Is Peyton Manning still in the MVP race? | Which are football's best teams?
- Vote: Which teams are the favorite to win each division?
Best game?
There are a lot of good matchups in Week 1 of the NFL's 2011 regular season. Steelers-Ravens, for example, could be a preview of a future AFC playoff game.
Colts without Manning?
Peyton Manning is out for an undetermined amount of time. This could be a prime opportunity for other teams to break Indianapolis' stranglehold on the AFC South.
AFC East
The Patriots responded to their 14-2 record last season by signing or trading for several marquee names. Are they good enough to beat the Jets?
AFC North
The Steelers fell just short of winning the Super Bowl last season, as their vaunted defense wasn't able to stop Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.
AFC South
Peyton Manning took a pay cut in order for the Colts to keep some of their key players, but is it enough for Indianapolis to win the AFC South?
AFC West
There's a brewing quarterback controversy in Denver, with Kyle Orton delaying the seemingly inevitable succession of Tim Tebow to the starting job. Can the Broncos compete with Orton?
NFC East
The Eagles made a number of humongous moves this offseason, including trading Kevin Kolb and signing Nnamdi Asomugha. Are they the team to beat in the NFC East?
NFC North
Aaron Rodgers led the Packers on an incredible run to a Super Bowl title last year. Are they the favorites in the NFC North once again?
NFC South
The Saints looked to make another deep run at a Super Bowl, but were stunned by the lowly Seahawks. Are they still an elite team?
NFC West
Speaking of the Seahawks, they won the NFC West despite a 7-9 record. Will they sneak into the playoffs once more?
The Vikings have a thing for old quarterbacks, don't they? First they rolled the dice with Brett Favre for two years, nearly making it to the Super Bowl in 2009. Now, they're on the verge of trading for Donovan McNabb in exchange for sending two sixth-round draft picks to the Redskins. McNabb's received a lot of grief in recent years, but he's still something of a league-average quarterback, and he might be able to stabilize the Vikings until Christian Ponder takes the reins. Is this a good trade for Minnesota?
- "I anticipate he will probably be the starter at the beginning of the season, with a quick hook ready for Ponder after week 5 once he gets comfortable with his team mates. Not a bad move at all, all things considered." -- SN commenter The Duke of Nuke
More moves: Albert Haynesworth | Kevin Kolb | Sidney Rice | Santonio Holmes | Matt Hasselbeck | Johnathan Joseph | Reggie Bush
Is McNabb still great?
Donovan McNabb had a forgettable 2010 season with the Redskins, but let's not forget that he was one of the best quarterbacks in the league for many years.
Will Ponder work out?
The plan was to have Christian Ponder start the season at QB, but the lockout made that unrealistic. Will he progress enough to start more games than McNabb?
Who was a worse signing?
Neither McNabb or the recently traded Albert Haynesworth worked out for the Redskins -- McNabb threw more interceptions than touchdown passes, while Haynesworth publicly feuded with Mike Shanahan.
Redskins' QB?
John Beck said earlier in the year that he expected to start at QB for the Redskins this season. Is he being realistic?
We can understand if you don't want to take the time to grade your tech-support help on the other end of the telephone, but when we're talking about the dollars and emotion you've invested in sports, we think it's worth the effort. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.
Take part in the 2011 MLB survey
2010 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 3)
2. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 6)
3. Colorado Rockies (Overall: No. 13)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 14)
5. Atlanta Braves (Overall: No. 15)
Take part in the 2011 NFL survey
2010 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. New Orleans Saints (Overall: No. 1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 4)
3. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (Overall: No. 19)
5. Baltimore Ravens (Overall: No. 20)
Take part in the 2011 NBA survey
2010 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 2)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 7)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 10)
4. Dallas Mavericks (Overall: No. 24)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (Overall: No. 25)
Take part in the 2011 NHL survey
2010 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 5)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 8)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 11)
4. San Jose Sharks (Overall: No. 12)
5. Chicago Blackhawks (Overall: No. 16)
Initially the NFC North looked like it was going to be all Favre, all the time, but the real story wasn't anywhere near Minnesota. Detroit performed reasonably well with a cast of young talent, the Packers rode Aaron Rodgers' arm to a playoff spot, and the Bears surprised everyone by getting the NFC's No. 2 seed in the playoffs. What grade would you give each team in the NFC North? Cast your vote now!
AFC Grades: East | North | South | West | NFC Grades: East | South | West
Minnesota Vikings
Brett Favre's swan song with the Vikings ended up being a disaster -- the veteran QB never found his groove, and the Vikings paid the price.
Detroit Lions
The Lions aren't a good team just yet, but they're at least semi-respectable -- and any team that ignores Ndamukong Suh does so at its peril.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers needed two wins in their last two games to make the playoffs and got them, including a close call against the rival Bears.
Chicago Bears
Fans may have their issues with Lovie Smith and Jay Cutler, but the coach and his QB led the Bears to a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Before you answer the poll question below, turn off the heat wherever you are, pour a bucket of ice water over your head and then think about cheering for a team with Joe Webb at quarterback. All right, now we're in the right frame of mind. With wind chills in the single digits and six inches or more of snow expected, roughly 50,000 fans are going to sit outside for three or four hours to watch a Vikings team with no playoff hopes. We'll let the punters worry about player safety; we're worried about the fans. Would you sit outside for this?
Mo (Chicago - North sider)
Hey Mike, outside of a couple tweets from the MN punter, has anyone said anything about the field being "unplayable" in Minnesota tonight? Was that a ploy to get into the Bears' head?
Michael Wilbon
Hi Everybody ... this is the perfect place to start since I'm sitting here in snowy Minneapolis, where I've come to cover tonight's game for ESPN.com. And it ain't toasty. It's about 25 degrees, snow falling like crazy ... word is 6 inches of new snow by gametime ... And yes, there's complaining about the condition of the field. One Vikings player, I think the punter, tweeted that he hopes there is no catastrophic injury, which seems a little extreme to suggest ... I'm going to wander over there before PTI and try to walk on the field myself (probably will get tossed out of the place) ... I can't imagine that with all the modern technology available that the NFL and the University of Minnesota couldn't come up with enough heat to thaw that field in the last five days ... I just can't believe it. But we'll find out shortly, won't we? Full transcript
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