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imported_litlharsh · 08-14-2005, 07:56 PM

This is gonna be a fun game, stupid that our only televised preseason game, my flight leaves an hour after the start. Hopefully my friend can Tivo it up.

Logan57401 · 08-14-2005, 08:16 PM

As long as we don't give up 40+ on 4 carries to Martin, it should be a good game

imported_litlharsh · 08-14-2005, 08:23 PM

yeah that was unbelievable. Supposed to be a strength. But, we will see Mr. Williamson!!

Logan57401 · 08-15-2005, 05:13 PM

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/s...ll/12384883.htm

Quote:

No looking back

Jets castaways Cottrell and Cowart find better opportunities with Vikings.

BY DON SEEHOLZER
Posted on Mon, Aug. 15, 2005
Pioneer Press

MANKATO, Minn. — Ted Cottrell and Sam Cowart say it's just another game, and an exhibition game to boot, but there's more to it than that.

When the Vikings visit the New York Jets on Friday night, it will be a homecoming of sorts for Cottrell, the Jets' former defensive coordinator, and Cowart, their former linebacker.

Both were cast aside by their old team, although the Jets did Cowart a favor with the March 18 trade that sent him to Minnesota, where he has been given a chance to re-establish himself as a starting middle linebacker.

That wasn't the case with Cottrell, who was fired after the 2003 season for the only time in a 21-year NFL coaching career, but insists he has no hard feelings.

"At the time, I wasn't too happy, but I've gotten over it," Cottrell said Sunday. "You've got to push on and not let things dwell on you. If you let them eat at you, it can be a negative force in your life."

The Jets ranked 19th, 24th and 21st among NFL defenses in Cottrell's three seasons as coordinator, but there were those in the New York media who felt he was handicapped by some aging personnel, including linebackers Mo Lewis and Marvin Jones.

After firing Cottrell, Jets coach Herm Edwards brought in Baltimore secondary coach Donnie Henderson as defensive coordinator, and with seven new starters — including rookie linebacker Jonathan Vilma, linebacker Eric Barton and cornerback David Barrett — the defense improved to No. 7 in the league.

The question is, could Cottrell have done the same with the same players?

"I don't want to get into all that," he said. "Once they made the change, they changed everything. I really want to focus that I'm in a better place now. I really enjoy working with Mike (Tice) and the players and like living here."

Edwards told the Newark Star-Ledger that Cottrell did a great job overall during his time with the Jets and his firing was nothing personal.

"Sometimes you're in situations where it's best for both parties," Edwards said. "That's how it kind of worked out. It wasn't his coaching or anything he did wrong. It was just time to go in another direction."

Cowart, who spent three seasons with the Jets, said he enjoyed working with Henderson last year but thought Cottrell got a raw deal.

"The thing is, they let Donnie come in and do what he wanted to do," Cowart said. "They didn't let Ted do what he wanted to do. If you're going to fire someone or blame someone, at least let him do what he wants to do. It was a catch-22. It was a bad situation for Ted, and a lot of the older players around there were kind of disappointed also."

If Cottrell has a right to complain, he won't, and he said he's not about to blame his firing on any former players.

"The talent was waning a little bit with guys getting a little bit older, but they still fought hard and gave it all their effort," he said. "Some of those guys aren't even in the league anymore, but they played hard for me. The team just decided to make a change."

The situation was different with Cowart, who signed with the Jets in 2002 after four seasons in Buffalo.

Playing out of position at weak-side linebacker, he had a team-high 154 tackles during his first season and 145 in 2003, but he made no secret of the fact that he felt more comfortable in the middle.

"There was never any conflict," he said. "It was just a matter of personnel. With the other guys we had at linebacker, I had to play that position and do what was best for the team. The thing that I hated was people outside the organization criticizing me because I didn't have the numbers I had in Buffalo. That's the only thing I was upset about."

Cowart moved back to middle linebacker at the start of last season, but suffered a knee injury in the second game against San Diego and lost his starting job to Vilma, who never gave it back.

Acquired by the Vikings for the bargain-basement price of a conditional seventh-round draft choice, Cowart, 30, said he doesn't have an ax to grind or feel he has anything to prove Friday.

He does have a pretty good idea, though, of the kind of reception he'll get.

"They're New York fans," he said. "They'll probably boo."

imported_litlharsh · 08-15-2005, 05:57 PM

Quote:

He does have a pretty good idea, though, of the kind of reception he'll get.

"They're New York fans," he said. "They'll probably boo."

Ouch. And on a side note, have you posted nothing but articles your last 20 posts logan?

Logan57401 · 08-16-2005, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by litlharsh@Aug 15th '05 @ 3:57 pm
Ouch. And on a side note, have you posted nothing but articles your last 20 posts logan?

Articles and arguments... I like to spread both around

http://www.vikings.com/news_detail_objectn...lease81505.html

Quote:

VIKINGS TO VISIT JETS
AUGUST 15, 2005

The Minnesota Vikings (1-0) will face the New York Jets (1-0) at the Meadowlands at 7:00 p.m. (CT) on Friday, August 19, in their first road game of the preseason. Last week the Vikings beat the Chiefs 27-16 while the Jets topped the Detroit Lions 10-7. The game features head coaches who have two of the three longest tenures as NFL players among current head coaches in Mike Tice (14 years) and Herman Edwards (10 years). The game will be the first for new Vikings owner Zygi Wilf in his home state of New Jersey. The Vikings and Jets each advanced to the Divisional Round of the 2004 NFL Playoffs.

TELEVISION - The game will be televised nationally by CBS (WCCO in the Twin Cities). Jim Nantz and Phil Simms will call the action with Bonnie Bernstein reporting from the sideline.

RADIO - The game can be heard on KFAN-AM 1130 and KOOL 108-FM, which serve as the flagship for the 73-station, six-state Minnesota Vikings Radio Network. Former Vikings' TE Joe Senser, who is in his second stint with the Vikings, will serve as the color analyst while Paul Allen will do the play-by-play. Former Vikings' punter Greg Coleman reports from the sideline. The pre-game show with Joe Anderson begins at 6:00 p.m. (CT).

INTERNET - Vikings' information can be accessed on the world wide web at Vikings.com, league-wide information is at NFL.com. The Vikings' web site continues to be one of the most visited in the NFL.

VIKINGS-JETS CONNECTIONS - Vikings' Owner/Chairman Zygi Wilf and Owner/President Mark Wilf are the owners of Garden Homes Development, a nationwide leader in retail and private residential development that is located in nearby Short Hills, NJ...Vikings' defensive coordinator/asst. head coach Ted Cottrell held the same position with the Jets from 2001-03...Vikings' head coach Mike Tice and TE coach John Tice were born in Bayshore, NY, and attended Central Islip High School in Long Island...Vikings' assistant secondary coach Kevin Ross was born in Camden, NJ, and was an all-state performer at Paulsboro (NJ) High...Ross was a teammate of Jets' offensive assistant Dave Szott with the Chiefs...Vikings' T Bryant McKinnie is from Woodbury, NJ...Vikings' DE Erasmus James spent part of his childhood in Bronx, NY...Vikings' TE Jermaine Wiggins originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Jets and spent the '99 season on their practice squad and played 11 games for New York in 2000...Vikings' LB Sam Cowart played for the Jets the past three seasons (2002-04) before being acquired by the Vikings in a trade this past offseason...DT Steve Martin played for the Jets in 2001 and played in all 16 games with 15 starts...Vikings' LB Quincy Stewart was with the Jets in 2003 and saw time in 12 games...Vikings' S Will Hunter entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Jets in 2003...Vikings' WR Travis Taylor and Jets' WR Laveranues Coles were teammates at Ribault High in Jacksonville, FL...Coles also played with Vikings' CB Fred Smoot with the Redskins...Jets' QB Jay Fiedler played for the Vikings in 1998...Jets' DB Oliver Celestin spent time on the Vikings' practice squad in 2004...Vikings' TE Jermaine Wiggins played with Jets' CB Ty Law with the Patriots...Vikings' WR Marcus Robinson was a teammate of Jets' DE John Abraham at South Carolina...Vikings' K Paul Edinger played with Jets' TE Chris Baker and RB Little John Flowers at Michigan State...Vikings' DE Lance Johnstone and LB Napoleon Harris played with Jets' LB Eric Barton in Oakland...Harris was also a teammate of Jets' TE Doug Jolley with the Raiders...Vikings' RB Michael Bennett and DE Erasmus James both played with Jets' QB Brooks Bollinger at Wisconsin...Vikings' LB Dontarrious Thomas and DT Spencer Johnson played at Auburn with Jets' LB Mark Brown...Vikings' T Mike Rosenthal and CB Ralph Brown were teammates of Jets' WR/KR Jonathan Carter and DE Lance Legree with the Giants...Rosenthal and Legree also played together at Notre Dame...Vikings' LB Raonall Smith and Jets' S Erik Coleman played at Washington State together...Vikings' CBs Brian Williams and Dovonte Edwards played with Jets' WR Jerricho Cotchery and S Andre Maddox at North Carolina State...Vikings' G Anthony Herrera and Jets' RB Cedric Houston were teammates at Tennessee...Vikings' S Corey Chavous and Jets' G Pete Kendall played together with Arizona...Vikings' special teams coach Rusty Tillman coached on the Seahawks' staff in 1994 when Jets' C Kevin Mawae was a rookie in Seattle...Vikings' T Bryant McKinnie and WR Daryl Jones played at Miami with Jets' LB Darrell McClover and LB Jonathan Vilma...Vikings' DE Darrion Scott and S Dustin Fox were teammates of Jets' K Mike Nugent at Ohio State...Vikings' G Adam Goldberg and K Aaron Elling played at Wyoming with Jets' WR Brock Ralph...Vikings' offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Steve Loney coached at Iowa State when Jets' DT James Reed played for the Cyclones...Vikings' CB Laroni Gallishaw and Jets' S Kerry Rhodes were teammates at Louisville...Vikings' DT Kevin Williams was a teammate of Jets' LB Kenyatta Wright at Oklahoma State...Wright played for the Bills with Vikings' CB Antoine Winfield, DT Pat Williams, CB Ken Irvin, and LB Keith Newman and when Vikings' defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell coached there...Cottrell and Jets' asst. to the head coach/RB coach Dick Curl coached together at Rutgers...Vikings' WR Travis Taylor played for the Ravens' with Jets' asst. RB and special teams coach Sam Gash and when Jets' defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson coached on Baltimore's staff...Vikings' TE coach John Tice and Jets' offensive line coach Doug Marrone were teammates with the New Orleans Saints in 1989...Vikings' coaching fellowship intern Bryan Cox played for the Jets from 1998-2000.

VIKINGS BIG DAYS VS. THE JETS - Sam Cowart tied his career high with 23 tackles and also picked off a Vinny Testaverde pass at New York (9/17/00) when he was with the Buffalo Bills...Cowart also posted the first interception of his career when he picked off Testaverde at New York (11/8/98) in his rookie year with the Bills...Paul Edinger kicked field goals of 53 and 48 yards vs. New York (12/15/02) when he was with Chicago...Brad Johnson completed 24-35 passes for 312 yards and 3 TDs at New York (11/23/97) in his first stint with the Vikings...Lance Johnstone posted a sack on the Jets' Chad Pennington at New York (10/20/02) and also recorded the 1st blocked FG of his career when he blocked John Hall's kick in the 1st quarter...Steve Martin posted the 1st sack of his career when he was with Indianapolis and he caught Frank Reich vs. New York (11/17/96)...Darren Sharper picked off a Vinny Testaverde pass at the Jets (9/3/00) when he was with Green Bay...Pat Williams shared a sack off the Jets' Ray Lucas (11/21/99) when he played for the Buffalo Bills.

HOW THE VIKINGS PERFORM VS. JETS -
Daunte Culpepper 1 game, 39 att., 26 comp, 288 yards, 66.7 pct., 0 TD, 3 Int., 56.4 rating5 att., 26 yards, 5.2 avg., 9 long, 0 TD
Michael Bennett 1 game, 12 att., 56 yards, 4.7 avg., 13 long, 0 TD
Nate Burleson Has never played against the Jets
Kevin Williams Has never played against the Jets

VIKINGS VS. JETS SERIES STANDINGS - The Vikings trail 3-1 in the all-time preseason series with the Jets. The teams last met in New York (9/3/99) with the Jets winning 38-17. Before the game in 1999, the last time the teams met was on August 9, 1975.
1969 at Winston Salem L 21-24
1970 at Minnesota W 52-21
1975 at Phoenix L 15-20
1999 at New York L 17-38

KWilliamsAWinfield · 08-16-2005, 02:21 PM

Don't we have a 1-7 record against the Jets? If so, that's embarrassing

Logan57401 · 08-16-2005, 03:42 PM

ok, you were right... they've owned us.

We are 1-7 against the Jets all time.

This weeks game should once again pit us against a team with a good shot at winning their division, and should be a great test for our new D. If the starters can dominate, it will build momentum for the comming season (even though it's doubtfull we'll see any of the starters in past the second possession).