Favre, Waiver, and Goat Shaver

The Vikings will be in town for Preseason Monday Night Football, which makes Reliant Park just another venue for the Favre-circus to pitch it's tent.

"I don't know if it is a wet paper bag or the stranglehold of too-high expectations that the Texans D has to break out of, but they need to break out, for sure. I say the Texans D-line needs to take advantage of the Vikes doubts and treat Brett Favre like a purple-dyed goat with the number 4 shaved on his chest Monday night."  -  Rip Jersey

That should also mark the return of old friend QB Sage Rosenfels, having left Houston after he added a play to the Texans' repertoire called the Rosencopter...no one has ever done it better. I say "should" because the rumor mill is turning and the odds are that either Sage or Tarvaris Jackson is on the trading block right now. First one to step up with a 7th round draft pick gets a malcontent QB! My money is on Sage to stay and Tarvaris to go. Sage is more familiar with the west coast offense that the Vikings like to run, giving him the edge. If a trade isn't made, one WILL be waived.

If the Texans offense is looking for a worthy opponent to test them in the redzone, then they couldn't have stumbled onto a better defense than the one that the Vikes are lining up Monday night. Last year, the Vikings' defense ranked #1 against the rush. Last week, the defense rose up and won the game with a goal-line stop at the end of regulation....

...which brings up another interesting tidbit; the Vikings had to do that against the KC Chiefs, the same team that the Texans beat in their first preseason game. Last week, Matt Cassel went 9 for 14 for the Chiefs, a marked improvement over his first preseason game against the Texans. He did that using his feet on some key occasions, scrambling away from the Vikings formidable pass rush and creating big yardage plays...

...which brings me to my next point....hehehe; the Vikes' Jared Allen who was on the sidelines last week and not chasing Matt Cassel will be back in action this Monday, just in time to turn his attention to the not fleet-of-feet Matt Schaub. Texans fans with a good memory don't need to be reminded that Allen and Schaub are well acquainted with each other...kind of too well. Allen will provide a great preseason barometer on the play of Texans' left tackle Duane Brown.

Do the Vikings have a weakness? News on the street is that their offensive line has struggled in preseason. All you have to do is look around this blog to realize that the Texans' defensive tackles are under the microscope and this presents an opportunity for the Texans' defensive line to break out. I don't know if it is a wet paper bag or the stranglehold of too-high expectations that the Texans D has to break out of, but they need to break out, for sure. I say the Texans D-line needs to take advantage of the Vikes doubts and treat Brett Favre like a purple-dyed goat with the number 4 shaved on his chest Monday night.

Now, for you fantasy football players out there, here is a free tip from me to you. Over Favre's career, he has teamed up with three different tight ends that have attained Pro Bowl status with him, for a total of 7 trips in Favre's 16 year career. The Vikings have a young very talented tight end, Visanthe Shiancoe who should be on your draft radar, because he will be a main target of Favre in their west coast offense. Look for big numbers from him this season.

There has been a lot of prognosticating this preseason about both of these teams. A lot of experts are putting the Vikings near the top of the list for possible Super Bowl teams. Those predictions only gained more steam when Favre went purple. The same pundits have placed the Texans in the talk of playoff contenders. Right now, neither is looking like that, but it's early and this is a chance for both teams to start looking like they are supposed to.

So, the stage will be set. It will be Monday night with Brett Favre in the building, Everyone knows that battle red and purple clash. I say pop those grapes!