The big question heading into the 3:30 pm EST kickoff is whether Eagles coach Andy Reid will try to take advantage of this. Long known as a pass-happy play-caller, Reid does have the talent in the backfield to exploit the Vikings defensive front, which has missed Williams each of the last two games.
His absence may also hurt the effectiveness of the Vikings' other linemen, who aren't used to getting tons of attention from blockers on running plays.
A broken shoulder blade sounds like a pretty severe injury, but Vikings defensive tackle Pat Williams is trying to prove that it's just a three-week speed bump for him.
Williams is planning to be back on the field Sunday when the Vikings face the Eagles in the first round of the playoffs. According to Big Pat, he no longer has any pain, although he has to show that he's regained the strength in the shoulder.
Even if Williams' isn't at 100 percent, he's one player who can help the team simply by getting on the field. Williams is big enough that even with one arm, he'll help clog the middle and force the Eagles to junk their running game. Williams' return would be especially important because there is a good chance Minnesota will be without starting defensive end Ray Edwards, who injured his knee against the Giants.
If Edwards is out, the Vikings will have to rely on Otis Grigsby and Brian Robison. Robison is a better pass rusher, while Grigsby may be a little bit better run defender, but neither of them can equal Edwards' all-around ability.
Jared Allen plays the game of football in a pretty intense fashion. Therefore, I tend to think it's fairly unsurprising to find out that he's pretty outspoken. Of course, that doesn't mean I thought he would get on Sporting News Radio and unleash on Carl Peterson. But he did! (Translation props to SbB.)
Tim Montemayor: "What are your thoughts about Carl Peterson leaving the Chiefs organization?"
Jared Allen: "(laughing) Later!"
TM: "Come on, is there no love loss there?"
JA: "Absolutely not, you know what I'm saying? I believe in karma. Good things happen to good people. I'll leave it at that."
I can't tell you just how freaking awesome that "karma" chatter is (although Matt Schaub can probably say better than I ...) considering that Allen nearly lost his leg against the Lions shortly after taking what some would call cheap shots at Schaub, when Gosder Cherilus went after him on one of the biggest low blows I've seen in a while. But if Allen had his way, no one would have held him back after the play and there would have a rumble.
"I guess everybody's telling me I should thank Ray Edwards for holding me back. I wish nobody would have held me back and we could have settled this thing right then and there."
Now, I'm not judge of fighting ability, but if there's one guy in the NFL (other than Ray Lewis) I don't want to tussle with, it's Allen. Still, you'd have to imagine that Cherlius won't let this go -- we are talking about football players here. It's not like they're bloggers who can just let stuff like this go.
Give Minnesota Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards credit. At least he understands that his hit on Buccaneers' quarterback Jeff Garcia last Sunday wasn't right and probably deserved a punishment.
However, that was only half the reason for his $25,000 fine from the NFL. Edwards doesn't really like the other reason he was fined. The NFL got him for a leg whip on an offensive lineman in the same game. Edwards spoke out Monday, and he didn't hide his anger much.
"We signed up to play this game," he said. "Football didn't choose us, we chose it. No offense to women but men don't wear panties. We chose to play this game. We don't cry when we get cracked unexpectedly. That fine is what it is. Just got to go out there and play ball and have fun.
"I appealed it. That's ridiculous. One is a leg-whip, which I've never heard of. OK, I can respect the first one. I hit Garcia a little late. Even during that play I told him, 'My bad. I thought you still had the ball.' He was running around like a rabbit so I didn't know if he had the ball still or not."
Hey, at least he understands that men aren't supposed to wear panties.
I didn't see the leg whip, so I can't vouch for the NFL or for Edwards. However, I do think he got off easy for the Garcia hit. He can claim until he's blue in the face that he thought Garcia still had the ball, and coach Brad Childress can claim all he wants that Garcia should have been called for intentional grounding, but Edwards took three steps and plowed into Garcia. There is no excuse for that in today's "be extra cautious around quarterbacks" NFL.
As you may have read here at the 'House, Jared Allen may be facing a suspension for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Well, if Allen is facing a suspension for his hit, than the NFL will likely have to sentence Ray Edwards to the jail time for his hit on Bucs quarterback Jeff Garcia.
Garcia scrambled to his right and threw an incomplete pass in the second quarter against the Vikes today. Three steps after he let loose the pass, Edwards, coming from Garcia's blind side, stuck his helmet directly in Garcia's right earhole. Amazingly, Garcia got up, after writhing in pain, and stayed in the game.
There have been a lot of bogus fines on NFL defensive linemen and linebackers for simply sacking quarterbacks as they are supposed to, but, in Edwards' case, it's hard to think he'll have any defense if the NFL takes a hefty bite of his next paycheck.
Halfway through the 2008 season, Jared Allen has given the Vikings what they had asked for. He's given the Vikings seven sacks, a consistent pass rush and plenty of energy.
But now the Vikings may have to find out if they can win without him. Allen sprained his shoulder in the Texans game and managed to not only play through the pain but managed to pick up two sacks and a forced fumble. But apparently the shoulder injury is serious enough to make him doubtful for this Sunday's game against the Packers.
What's not clear is if the Vikings will have any pass rush without Allen. Defensive tackle Kevin Williams (seven sacks) has feasted on getting less double teams this year, but the Vikings other defensive ends have been very quiet. Ray Edwards has two sacks, while Brian Robison and Otis Grigsby have barely recorded a tackle. Robison is likely to get the start if Allen can't play, but he has yet to build on a promising rookie year.
But the good news for the Vikings is that Allen's ability to play depends on his pain tolerance, and as he showed on Sunday, Allen can play through some pain.
Ray Edwards has eight sacks in two pro seasons, but that hasn't kept him from dreaming big.
"I look up to Strahan. I learned a lot from him watching and studying his film." Edwards said. "This year I definitely plan on going out here and breaking Strahan's record of 22 and 1/2 sacks this year."
Now it's one thing for Adrian Peterson to set a goal of 2,000 yards. That's unlikely but possible. But for Edwards, who might finish third among Vikings defensive ends in sacks this year (behind Jared Allen and Brian Robison) to make that kind of prediction is ludicrous. Next we should hear from Tarvaris Jackson aiming at Tom Brady's single-season touchdown record.
It's nice to have goals, but it's also nice to make them at least a little bit realistic. If Edwards can play the run well and pick up eight sacks this year, the Vikings will be thrilled. Saying you plan on getting 23 sacks this year (almost 1.5 a game) when you've only reach that pace once in your first 27 games just makes it appear that you have an unrealistic view of your self.
Minnesota Vikings: 6-6 (2nd in NFC North) San Francisco 49ers: 3-9 (3rd in NFC West)
Last Game(s):
Vikings 42, Lions 10 Panthers 31, 49ers 14
Why We Care: Nobody really gave the Vikings much of a chance before the season, and they seemed to justify that lack of faith early in the season (despite Adrian Peterson's better attempts). But they've won three in a row and four of their last five. They've got the most exciting young player in the league right now, a great run game, and a strong defense. That's a formula for playoff success -- if the Vikings can continue this momentum into the postseason, they could surprise a team or two.
The fact that Ray Edwards will miss the next four games because of a drug suspension is obviously bad news with bad timing for the Vikings. But at least the Vikings have some depth at the position. If this suspension had happened last year the Vikings would have been in big trouble, but that was before they took Brian Robison in the third round of this year's draft.
With Robison's arrival and the return to health of Erasmus James, it's hard to think of a position (besides running back) where the Vikings are better prepared to make due despite losing a starter.
Minnesota Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards has been suspended for the last four games of the regular season for violating the NFL's policy on steroids and related substances. There is no word on which substance, specifically, Edwards tested positive for.
Edwards will be eligible to re-join the active roster on Monday, Dec. 31, meaning that he will be able to play in the postseason if the Vikings make the playoffs.
A second-year player out of Purdue, Edwards has started 11 of the Vikings' 12 games this season. Sunday's win over the Lions was the first game this season he didn't start, but he still made one of the biggest plays of that game when he tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage that teammate Kenechi Udeze picked off and ran back 37 yards, setting up a Vikings touchdown.
A broken shoulder blade sounds like a pretty severe injury, but Vikings defensive tackle 
Jared Allen
Give Minnesota Vikings defensive end 
As you may have read here at the 'House, Jared Allen 
Halfway through the 2008 season, 
Ray Edwards has eight sacks in two pro seasons, but that hasn't kept him 
To get you ready for Week 14, 
The fact that Ray Edwards will miss the next four games 
Minnesota Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards has been 
