Jim Kleinsasser deserved better.

Jared Allen deserved better.

The Metrodome deserved better.

Viking fans deserved better.

On the first day of the year 2012, the Minnesota Vikings should have defeated the Chicago Bears in what was the final game of Jim Kleinsasser's proud and distinguished  Vikings career, and in what could be the final game played in the Vikings' home stadium for the past 30 seasons, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. On the last chance to salvage a small measure of dignity in this historically awful season, the Vikings failed but yet again.

Despite the Bears riding a season-long five-game losing streak and seemingly in free-fall, the Vikings still managed to lose to them 17-13.

In a way the game was a fitting way to end this season. It was so typical, so much the way the first month of the season began, with the Vikings jumping on an opponent early, playing with energy and purpose, only to eventually fade and allow things to slip away. The Vikings led Sunday's  game 10-0 and it seemed as though they might actually go out the way they did against the Bears in the season finale of 2005, with an easy 34-10 home win. That victory six years ago to the day - also a New Year's Day game - helped soothe the wounds of a disappointing season, although that win did not save Mike Tice's head coaching job, nor should this loss save Leslie Frazier's.

Just as in the Viking performances in the first month of the season, early focused play Sunday gave way to messy careless play, and in the span of 42 seconds in the second quarter - courtesy of a complete absence of pass coverage in the Viking secondary and an easy pass being poorly thrown and resulting in a pick six - the Bears had all of the points they would need to win the game.

In a game in which the Vikings should have mustered enough pride, to put their foot down and play one inspired performance for 60 minutes, they could not even do that. With an assortment of place-kicking woes, dropped passes (one resulting in an interception), drive-crippling penalties and a couple of errant tosses resulting in interceptions, a 13th loss was finally secured.

With the loss, the Vikings completed the humiliation of being swept by their entire division for the first time ever. For the second time in their history the Vikings have gone 3-13, finishing with a better record than only two teams in the league. One of those two teams the Saint Louis Rams, have already fired their unsuccessful head coach, and the other, the Indianapolis Colts - who won a Super Bowl five years ago (Leslie Frazier was an assistant coach ironically) - have fired their vice-chairman and general manager, and their coach is almost surely to follow.

The Vikings' ownership on the other hand, seems quite content with colossal failure. In 1984, the only other time in Vikings history a 3-13 season was registered, then head coach Les Steckel was excused after that season, he was not given another opportunity. Complete and utter failure for the once-proud Viking franchise was not acceptable once-upon-a-time.

It is a shame that the long-time tight end (drafted as fullback) Kleinsasser, had to walk off the home turf after playing his entire 13-year career with the franchise, in defeat. Kleinsasser played in two NFC championship games, started 130 games, carried the ball 43 times as a fullback, caught 192 passes and scored seven touchdowns. Never a star, Kleinsasser was a fine blocker and as a football player, always steady as a rock. He is a player Viking fans have come to love over the years, and should have had a win to close out with.

Defensive End Jared Allen, was one player who never quit, no matter how frustrating this season became. He played with energy and heart all season long. His effort has earned him a place in the Pro Bowl, the only Viking to receive that honor this year. His three-and-a-half sack performance Sunday left him with 22 sacks on the year, bettering the franchise record of 21 set by Chris Doleman in 1989, and a half sack short of former New York Giants' Michael Strahan's all-time NFL record 22.5 set in 2001, the last sack being a "freebie" courtesy of a Brett Favre flop down. (It was great to see the classy Doleman on the sideline graciously rooting on Allen Sunday. Doleman - the eight-time Pro Bowler, and fourth all-time career sack leader - should have been in the Hall of Fame by now). If all of the Vikings played with the energy and spirit that Allen played with this year, the team would have won a half dozen or so more games. Allen deserved not to have had to walk off the field in defeat on Sunday.

One of the characteristics that has defined the Metrodome throughout the years, has been the deafening noise that the home crowds have been able to generate. While much has been said about playing outdoors, and the success of the Viking teams of the '70's who played in the often rugged weather conditions, home crowd noise of the old Metropolitan Stadium could not approximate what occurs in the dome. Sunday in what was a battle of two also-rans, and obviously one of the worst teams in Viking history, the fans yelled at the top of their lungs, and made it very difficult for the Bears' offense to operate at times. There is no question that the crowd noise aided the Vikings defense Sunday and the unit responded by producing seven sacks. In a game where only pride was at stake, the Viking fans' volume was a testament to their faithfulness. It is a shame that they had to walk out of the Metrodome, perhaps for the last time at a Vikings game, with a loss.

Actually, if that is the last time the fans of Minnesota ever get to watch their Minnesota Vikings play, what a shame, such a sorry way to end such a sorry season.

FedEx Field, home to the Washington Redskins, is becoming somewhat of a home away from home for the Minnesota Vikings. With Saturday's Christmas Eve 33-26 victory over the Redskins, the Vikings snapped their six game losing streak, and with the third win of the season, averted any chance of finishing worse than the 1984 Vikings who finished 3-13. For now, that team is the worst team in Viking history since the league expanded to its 16-game regular season format in 1978.

FedEx Field was the site of Brad Childress' first victory as a head coach, as well as Leslie Frazier's. With last year's victory over the host Redskins, the visiting Vikings have won all three played in Washington over the past five years. The Vikings did lose one game to the Redskins during that span, a 32-21 home loss in 2007. Go figure.

The Vikings have won just nine games out of their 31 played these last two seasons, with two of those nine wins being at the friendly confines of FedEx Field. Frazier is 2-0 in Washington and 4-15 everywhere else. If management changes its public position and does decide to fire Frazier after this season, perhaps the Redskins' Owner Daniel Snyder will hire him to replace Mike Shanahan as the Redskins' next head coach.

Heck, why not? Frazier has two wins at Washington in two tries, and two wins in Minnesota in nine tries. (One of Frazier's "home" games was actually played in Detroit, so there's no counting that game as one having been played in Minnesota).

All has not gone hunky-dory in the past two trips to FedEx Field for the Vikings however. The face of the franchise, Running Back Adrian Peterson, suffered a game-ending ankle injury during the first half of last year's game, and a very severe (reports are a torn ACL and a torn MCL) knee injury on the first play of the second half of this year's game.

As for Peterson playing in what many have labeled, a "meaningless" game, here says there are no "meaningless" regular season games. Exhibition games are "meaningless". Regular season and post-season games are what the players and coaches are paid very handsomely to produce in. If a team's horses are ready to play, and the outcomes of the games are still in doubt, the team plays its horses. Period. Yes bad things can happen, but unfortunately injuries are an uncontrollable  part of football.

While FedEx Field has been such a dismal site for Peterson, it has not been for second-year Running Back Toby Gerhart. In the two games at Washington that Gerhart has taken over for the injured Peterson, the Stanford University product has showcased big-time running skills of his own. Basically, Gerhart has played two halves of football at FedEx Field, and has rushed for a total of 185 yards on 33 carries (5.6 yards per carry), and scored two touchdowns.

The other player who flourished Saturday in another relief role was backup Quarterback Joe Webb. On the play following the Peterson injury, starting Quarterback Christian Ponder suffered a hit they may have caused a concussion. After one more snap, the rookie retired to the locker room for the rest of the game.

Webb, as in his relief role in Detroit, instantly ignited the offensive attack. Webb's first three possessions resulted in touchdown drives of 75, 73 and 72 yards. His fourth possession resulted in a short field goal and his fifth possession consisted of  three conservative running plays in an attempt to run the clock out and preserve the win.

Make no mistake about it, Ponder is a promising rookie quarterback, who did not perform badly on Saturday after a couple of rocky starts recently. That being said, Webb now nonetheless, has clearly established himself as the better prospect between the two, and appears fully capable of becoming one of the league's truly dynamic weapons at his position. Given that Webb indeed showed these signs last year as a rookie himself, it continues to beg the question as to why the Vikings chose to draft another quarterback in this year's first round. The natural inclination for any team is to prove the investment of a first round pick worthy, and when there is a better player at that position, a controversy is the probable result. Well Minnesota, welcome to your self-induced quarterback controversy.

On New Year's Day, the Vikings will close out the season hosting the Chicago Bears. Da' Bears also will not be making a trip to the playoffs this year. This is the final game for the Vikings scheduled to be played at the Metrodome before their current lease expires. After 30 seasons at that venue, should the Vikings need a new place to play next year, hey maybe Snyder will lease out FedEx Field to them, that way the Vikings - given how well they play there - could be back in the playoffs sooner rather than later.

Given that the Redskins have only hosted one playoff game in the stadium's entire existence - that game being way back in 1999  - it's not likely that they will need it come next January anyway. Therefore, the Vikings could enjoy an 8-0 "home" record and probably "host" playoff football again. Such a hysterical arrangement could actually work out to be a win-win situation for the playoff-starved Snyder as well as the potentially homeless Vikings.

Well what's worse, a Minnesota Vikings team that wins, but oh-by-the-way plays its home games in Washington, or the Los Angeles Vikings?

On September 11, 2006, the NFL season's Monday Night Football slate began with the Washington Redskins hosting the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings had a head coach making his debut that night and he was successful. Brad Childress got coaching victory number one with the Vikings' 19-16 victory. In fact Childress would also win his second game for a 2-0 start.

The next time the Vikings were to play at FedEx Field would be last season on November 28th. Brad Childress did not get to make his return trip however, because following the Vikings' 31-3 drubbing at the hands of the Green Bay Packers in the Metrodome the week prior, Childress was fired.

As it turned out the promoted Leslie Frazier would be the one making his head coaching debut at FedEx Field that next time around. Like Childress, Frazier was successful in leading the Vikings to victory over the Redskins. Last year's 17-13 win at Washington was a breath of fresh air, as the Vikings played 60 minutes of  sound, relatively error-free football. Such was not a frequent occurrence last season, and like Childress, Frazier would also go on to win his second game for a 2-0 start.

Last year when the Vikings headed to Washington they were a 3-7 mess. This time as they head back to Washington for Saturday's Christmas Eve matchup, the Vikings are a 2-12 mess. Things have not gone well at all for Frazier this year, as his debut victory against the Redskins last year did not turn out to be an accurate predictor as to how he would do as a head coach. Thus far anyway.

Last Sunday's Vikings loss to the New Orleans Saints 42-20, was the first time all year that an opponent visiting the Metrodome has manhandled the Vikings. In the other five home losses, the Vikings had a chance to win in each game's final  minutes. While the Saints are simply a superior team to the Vikings this year, the lack of effort and intensity from a large number of Viking players was still very disturbing nonetheless.

One positive that did come out of the contest for the Vikings however, was the imagination shown on offense. The Vikings - particularly with the season-ending injury to Michael Jenkins - lack depth at wide receiver. Although, what the Vikings do have are two very versatile wide receivers(Percy Harvin and Joe Webb), two very good pass catching tight ends(Visanthe Shiancoe and Kyle Rudolph), two very punishing running backs(Adrian Peterson and Toby Gerhart) and two very mobile quarterbacks(Christian Ponder and Joe Webb).

Why on earth the Vikings have not featured a wide-open offense with clever formations and interesting wrinkles utilizing these players interchangeably and in non-traditional ways, has been baffling all season long. Finally in game 14 of the season, Webb was used some both at wide receiver and quarterback, there were wildcat formations, there was a formation with both tight ends lined up in the backfield with Harvin at tailback, and a rare shuffle pass to Gerhart that resulted in a touchdown. While the Vikings could have had opposition defenses off balance all year long, the coaching staff definitely stayed too vanilla for far too long.

While the creativity on offense did not result in much tangible success this past Sunday against arguably one of the two best teams in the league (three games involving the Packers, and Saints is brutal by the way), had the coaching staff not kept their versatility on offense under wraps all year long, the Vikings almost assuredly would have won a handful of the many nail-biters that they have lost this year.

While only 13 months have passed since Frazier began his head coaching career at FedEx Field, there is plenty of justification for his fate being the same as his predecessor's when Childress was scheduled to make his return to this venue, especially since the return also follows a home shellacking just like last year's. While last year's home shellacking was from the eventual Super Bowl Champion, and this year's home shellacking might be from the eventual Super Bowl Champion, in each instance, the lack of effort from so many of the players was quite a damning reflection on their head coach.

Since his initial two wins last year, Frazier has gone a horrific 3-15. Childress, Frazier's predecessor, was fired coming off of a season which saw him receive a massive contract extension and a trip to the NFC Championship Game. Though the current coach has nothing like that to even fall back on, unlike Childress a year ago, ownership is nonetheless allowing Frazier to make the return to his head coaching birthplace.

Perhaps the Viking players will give Frazier a Christmas present, 60 minutes of sound, relatively error-free football. For the Vikings, not such a game has happened a single time this year, if it does occur on Saturday, the team will almost certainly produce its third win. That formula did work at FedEx Field last year, and maybe that same formula can allow the beleaguered head coach a fresh start all over again. For Frazier, back where it began.

For the Minnesota Vikings, 2011 has been an unbelievable season. For the Vikings, Sunday's 34-28 loss at Detroit against the Lions was an unbelievable game.

It is unbelievable that now for the eighth time this season the Vikings have lost a contest by seven points or less. Each of those losses was a very winnable game for the Vikings and in fact the ten-point loss in Atlanta could have been much closer had the officials properly awarded the Vikings a late game touchdown that would have drawn the Vikings within a field goal. On the year, the Vikings have played 10 games whose outcomes were not decided until the game's final minutes and they have only managed to win one of them, the 24-21 nail-biter at Carolina. Unbelievable.

It is unbelievable that 23 months ago the Vikings took a 13-4 team stockpiled with talent  - as evidenced by its ten Pro Bowl selections - into the Crescent City to face the Saints to determine which team would represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Now 23 months later, at 2-11 the Vikings have the NFC's worst record (tied with the St. Louis Rams). Unbelievable.

It is unbelievable how similar the loss in New Orleans that January, 2010, was to Sunday's loss in Detroit, albeit with obviously much different stakes. In each game the Vikings finished with 28 points. In the NFC Championship Game the Vikings moved up and down the field at will, outgaining the Saints 475 yards to 310 yards and registering a season-high 31 first downs to the Saints' 15. Sunday, the Vikings again moved up and down the field at will, outgaining the Lions 425 yards to 280 yards and registering a season-high 29 first downs to the Lions' 13. In New Orleans, the game was shaping up such that it appeared the Vikings would win the game on the final play in regulation. In Detroit the game was shaping up such that it appeared the Vikings would win the game on the final play in regulation. As it turned out instead, the last Vikings offensive play of each game would end with a turnover, in the title game it was their fifth, and in Sunday's game, it was their sixth! Unbelievable.

It is unbelievable that in Sunday's game, Vikings backup Quarterback Joe Webb came into the ballgame to throw for 84 yards and a touchdown, and rush for 109 yards and a touchdown. All in just less than a half! His single-game rushing total is a Viking record for a quarterback, and he had the Vikings on the one yard line with nine seconds left on the clock with a chance to rally completely back from a 31-14 deficit. Yet no matter how impressive his display was on Sunday, and in his first career start last year in Philadelphia when Webb outshone the Eagles' Michael Vick, the Vikings organization has not an ounce of recognition or appreciation for what they have in Webb. Hence, they brought in an over-the-hill veteran to start at quarterback this season, and used a first round pick to draft at Webb's position even though the team had glaring needs elsewhere on the roster. Unbelievable.

It is unbelievable that on the final play of the game Sunday, an entire NFL officiating crew allowed the Lions' DeAndre Levy to grab Webb by his facemask, yank his head around by it, and completely ignore the flagrant foul as if it never happened, thus allowing the game to end with a stench stronger than a pro football team's laundry tub after a game. So instead of receiving an un-timed down from inside the Lions one yard line with an easy chance for an all-so-rare victory, the Vikings had to walk off the field in disbelief. Unbelievable.

It is unbelievable that a head football coach after being jobbed by the officials that probably cost his team a win, did not provide a post-game tirade worthy of great footage that could be used in humorous television commercials for years to come. Vikings Coach Leslie Frazier, seemingly oblivious to the controversial no-call, commented after the game, "People told me that they grabbed Joe's facemask and that's one of the reasons why he wasn't able to get his head up to make the throw." That's it? Frazier did not even see it himself? What in the world was the head coach watching on the last play of the game with his team on the one yard line going for the win? Unbelievable.

Or maybe Frazier not going ballistic with his team being ripped off because he simply did not notice what happened to his quarterback, is not really unbelievable afterall. That is the same head coach that apparently did not notice a bogus spot earlier in the fourth quarter, when a Lions receiver gave up first down yardage on his own, and was clearly tackled short of the first down marker. An accurate spot would have brought up a fourth down. The officials gave the Lions a first down anyway, as Vikings players vehemently signaled to their coach to drop his red challenge flag. Their coach simply stood by calmly while he allowed the game to proceed. The Lions would then move into field goal range, burning more time off of the clock and adding the final three points to their score. This is the same head coach who two weeks earlier, stood by calmly on the sideline while his receiver, Percy Harvin, was wrongly denied a touchdown in Atlanta that would have tightened that score up at a very critical juncture. No challenge flag from the coach that time either as Frazier stood by calmly and watched, completely disengaged from the team that he allegedly coaches. Unbelievable.

On September 11, 2011, the Minnesota Vikings opened their season in San Diego. The Vikings led the Chargers 17-7 at halftime. The Chargers won the game 24-17.

On September 18, 2011, the Vikings played their home opener against Tampa Bay. The Vikings led the Buccaneers 17-0 at halftime. The Buccaneers won the game 24-20.

On September 25, 2011, the Vikings hosted Detroit. The Vikings led the Lions 20-0 at halftime. The Lions won the game 26-23.

Two weeks later on October 9, 2011, the Vikings were again at home this time to face Arizona. The Vikings led the Cardinals 28-3 at halftime. Lo and behold the Vikings won that game 34-10!

Two weeks later on October 23, 2011, the Vikings entertained Green Bay. The Vikings led at halftime 17-13. The Packers won the game 33-27.

This past Sunday, December 4, 2011, the Vikings were back in their dome against Denver. The Vikings led at halftime 15-7. The Broncos won the game 35-32.

Vikings Receiver Percy Harvin, having just produced his best day as a pro against the Broncos, what with eight receptions for a career-high 156 yards and two touchdowns, commented after the loss, "There's been too many times this year we've had leads and then had let-downs or missed assignments. It's another game we feel we had control of and to somehow let it slip away, that's disgusting."

Those comments sum up the Vikings season in a nutshell. Lead after lead, and control of games slipping away time and time again. On Sunday the Vikings dominated the Broncos in the first half. Unfortunately a Christian Ponder "pick six" prevented the halftime score from accurately measuring the lopsidedness of play. Through 30 minutes of football the Broncos produced a measly 48 yards of total offense, and a single first down.

As soon as the third quarter rolled around, it took the Broncos exactly 3:42 to waltz right down the field generating 78 yards, four first downs and their first offensive touchdown. In yet another game, Viking fans had to watch the all-too-familiar sight of a Vikings opponent - obviously having made halftime adjustments - erase a Viking lead and control of a game due to the Vikings having no adequate solutions.

For the entire second half the Vikings offensive production continued - even without Adrian Peterson - producing a season-high 27 first downs, and a season-high 489 total yards for the game, while the Viking defense watched the Bronco offense race effortlessly up and down the field doing whatever they wanted to do.

Many will point to the fact that the Vikings were without Peterson, and were playing the game with a depleted secondary that was missing several regular defensive backs. While those disadvantages did exist, the players who shut down the Broncos in the first half, were the same players on the field in the second half too.

The very disturbing trend of a halftime lead giving way to an eventual loss has existed since week one, not just on Sunday. The bottom line is, the coaching staff is not preparing the team to win football games.

Period.

When a team is 1-5 when leading at halftime, there is a serious coaching deficit. A team that is good enough to be leading halfway through a game, should be able to win most of the time, not just once in a blue moon.

The Vikings did go into halftime tied in Carolina, and eventually went on to defeat the Panthers 24-21. In Kansas City, the Vikings narrowly trailed the Chiefs 9-7 at halftime and were unable to pull out a victory there, losing 22-17.

Therefore, the Vikings have not rallied to defeat anyone in the five games they have trailed at halftime and are 2-5 in the games in which they are tied or leading at halftime. A well coached team should have been able to preserve a win in most of the games when ahead at halftime, and been able to rally a team from behind at least once or twice.

Even with the injuries and deficiencies the Vikings have had to go into battle with this year, the cupboard has not been bare. This team should have a minimum of at least six victories at this point and should be jockeying for a possible wild-card spot in the playoffs. A 2-10 record is shocking, and should be uncomfortable for anyone associated with the organization.

In his post-game remarks, Harvin continued, "Talent is not enough to win in this game, otherwise we'd be undefeated with the talent we got here."

Hmmmm. Translation: the Vikings have enough good players, but that is not enough to win if they do not have a good...

In 1961, the Minnesota Vikings' inaugural season, the team finished 3-11(the regular season was 14 games). A tough year for wins and losses indeed, but there was one bright spot the Vikings discovered, even in the midst of such a rough season.

The Vikings drafted a rookie quarterback from the University of Georgia by the name of Francis Asbury Tarkenton. Tarkenton started 10 games his rookie season and dazzled the NFL world with his - at the time - radically unorthodox style of play. Tarkenton would not simply stay in the pocket like a statue and pass. When the pocket failed, he would run around keeping plays alive, sometimes eventually throwing downfield, and at other times taking off downfield on the run. It was this wide open style, that the "scrambler" would be most noted for.

Tarkenton could beat a defense with his passing (even though he did not possess the most powerful of arms), his feet, and most assuredly with his guile. Quarterbacks called the plays on offense in Tarkenton's time, and being the innovator that he was, he had the Viking offense of the mid-70's operating the "west coast offense" a decade before it was popularized and identified as such, by the San Francisco 49ers under Head Coach Bill Walsh.

Tarkenton would finish his rookie season completing 56.1% of his passes for an average of 142 yards-per-game. He would throw 18 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions and finish the season with a passer rating of 74.7. Tarkenton rushed for an average of five yards-per-carry and 22 yards-per-game. He also rushed for five touchdowns as a rookie. Modest passing numbers for sure, but for a rookie, not bad.

Eventually Tarkenton - in his second stint with the franchise - would start three Super Bowls with the Vikings. Today you can find Tarkenton's bust in Canton, Ohio's NFL Hall of Fame.

Fifty years later in 2011, the Minnesota Vikings appear to be starting over virtually from scratch. At 2-9, the 16-game schedule equivalent of the 1961 season is almost a certainty. In this year's draft the organization again drafted a quarterback from the south just as they did starting out. This time the quarterback was drafted out of Florida State University and he goes by the name of Christian Ponder. Ponder has started five games this year, and barring anything unforeseen - like Tarkenton - will start 10 games his rookie year.

Ponder's style of play is also one where he has the ability to keep plays alive with his feet, while sometimes throwing completions downfield and at other times taking off downfield on the run. Two games ago against the Oakland Raiders, Ponder set the single-game franchise record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 73.

So far on the year, the rookie is completing 54.4% of his passes for an average of 190 yards-per-game. He has passed for six touchdowns and six interceptions and has a passer rating of 72.6. Ponder averages slightly under 8 yards-per-carry and 23 yards rushing-per-game. He has yet to rush for a touchdown. Again, modest passing numbers for sure, but for a rookie, not bad. Fans will have to wait and see what his career may blossom into.

Make no mistake about it, no one is saying that when Ponder retires from the NFL, he will own the all-time NFL records - as did Tarkenton - for most passes attempted, most passes completed, most touchdown passes, most yards passing, and most yards rushing among quarterbacks. When Tarkenton retired, in all fairness, only Johnny Unitas should have been considered as being a possibly greater quarterback than he.

What is interesting to compare, are the remarkable similarities to the quarterback of the 1961 team and the 2011 team. In both quarterbacks a fan can (and did) observe,  that certain competitive fire and "never say die" attitude. An attitude that exudes confidence even while playing on such losing teams.

In four of Ponder's five starts, he rallied the team back in the fourth quarters causing the games to go pretty much down to the wire. In the second half of this past Sunday's 24-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, if a Viking fan - of a certain age of course - were to close his/her eyes they just as easily might have envisioned Fran Tarkenton being the one out there on that field engineering first down after first down, darting here and there, wearing defensive linemen out chasing after the elusive signal caller. The second Viking touchdown was a 39 yard strike on a fourth and thirteen! Classic Tarkenton.

Just as the 1961 Vikings took a number of years to build themselves into a winner, the 2011 Vikings may wind up having to be ground zero for a team eventually being rebuilt into a winner. One thing that was for sure in 1961, and looks like a good possibility in 2011, the rookie starting at quarterback for the Vikings, appears to be a diamond in the rough.

After this past Sunday's 27-21 Minnesota Vikings' loss at the hands of the Oakland Raiders, forgive Viking fans if they left the Metrodome feeling as though they had just left the cinema and watched a horror feature entitled, "Vikings Lose by a Touchdown VI".

An exciting story with a predictable finish, and in the end the viewer is left frustratingly unfulfilled.

Take the last two performances at the "Met".

The Vikings entered a contest against a first place opponent. They did so without their best two cornerbacks on defense and had to go the second half without one of their two top play-makers on offense, against the Green Bay Packers it was Percy Harvin and against the Raiders it was Adrian Peterson. In each game after a pair of interceptions thrown by their rookie quarterback during the first three quarters of play, the Vikings entered the fourth quarter in pretty tough predicaments trailing by three scores.

Nonetheless, that same rookie quarterback led two valiant fourth quarter comebacks despite the earlier miscues, and had the opportunity to become a hero for a day. In each game, Quarterback Christian Ponder wound up taking over a possession trailing by six points with approximately three minutes to play whereas a clutch scoring drive would almost certainly pull off the win, but alas, each time the Vikings would not be able to seal the deal with one more touchdown.

The last two home games essentially followed the same script. Upon further review, those two games can really be found to be microcosms of the 2011 Vikings season thus far.

On the year, the Vikings score an average of 20 points-per-game and give up an average of 27 points-per-game. For the mathematically challenged, that is coming up an average of one touchdown short of victory each contest.

Based upon the final scores of the games, had the Vikings either scored just one more touchdown, or prevented just one more touchdown at home against the Raiders, Packers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions, the Vikings would be undefeated in their dome this year. Including their rout of the Arizona Cardinals the Vikings would presently have a home record of 5-0. The same holding true on the road, the Vikings would have had a victory in Kansas City and no worse than an overtime contest in San Diego. Even with assuming an overtime loss in San Diego and including the victory at Carolina, the Vikings road record still would have been 2-3, and 7-3 overall.

For the Viking season to have gone drastically better than it has, nothing major would have had to taken place in each game. Primarily what has been lacking in most of the Viking performances this year, is poise.

Other than the routs in Chicago and Green Bay, the Vikings have not been physically whipped all year. The Vikings have simply been undone by their own careless mistakes whether by the plethora of bone-headed penalties (only four teams have committed more than the Vikings' 75), bad throws, critical dropped passes, or blown assignments, etc.

For instance, take a pair of crucial dropped passes, one on offense and one on defense.

On Sunday, Wide Receiver Devin Aromashodu dropped an easy toss that would have given the Vikings a first down in Oakland territory right before the two-minute warning. Subsequently the Vikings wound up turning the ball over on downs, and along with it, their chances for a win. Also contributing to the loss of course were the nine penalties - including a false start on the game's first play for crying out loud - and certainly the five turnovers.

At the end of the Tampa Bay game, Safety Tyrell Johnson dropped an easy potential interception that would have prevented the Buccaneers' game-winning touchdown.

Coming out of halftime against the Packers, a blown coverage as egregious as any that you will ever see at the NFL level, allowed a gift-wrapped touchdown for the undefeated defending NFL champions. That touchdown would wind up being the difference in the final score.

In the Detroit game, a bad throw by Donovan McNabb to an open receiver cost the Vikings what should have been an easy late-game go-ahead touchdown, and an unfathomable mental lapse by Linebacker Kenny Onatolu cost the Vikings a likely chance at a game-winning field goal try at the end of regulation. Onatolu's cheap shot at the end of a punt return basically cemented the game's going into overtime, and another eventual heartbreaking Viking loss.

The bottom line is, good teams do not beat themselves. The Vikings very easily could have been a good team this year, but they are not, because they so often do beat themselves. This team's severe lack of poise stems from an apparent absence of leadership. There seems to be no accountability whatsoever for the amateurish screw-ups the team commits week after week, week after week.

Good teams have good leadership. Good leadership can be found from the sideline in the form of coaches, or on the field and/or in the locker room in the form of players. The Vikings are 2-8, a record they have not seen since 1962 their second year of existence.

Until or unless some semblance of leadership shows up from somewhere, it appears the Vikings will continually be; one touchdown short.

Aiding and abetting generally means to somehow assist in the commission of a crime, or to be an accomplice. It involves a plan to commit a crime or to commit acts, the probable consequences of which are criminal. As defined by USLegal.

This past Monday night at historic Lambeau Field, a crime was committed. The Minnesota Vikings were physically assaulted by their division rival Green Bay Packers 45-7. If the events of that evening were not bad enough, the Vikings were active - and seemingly willing - participants in their own annihilation.

Bear in mind the Packers won the Super Bowl last year and have not lost a game since. In fact, dating back to last year, they have won their last 15 contests. The 2011 Green Bay Packers bear every resemblance to the New England Patriots of 2007 and to the Minnesota Vikings of 1998, each of whom went 16-0 and 15-1 respectively, and whom both became the NFL's all-time highest scoring team at the end of their respective seasons.

This year's version of the Packers are on a scoring pace to eclipse the '98 Vikings' former record. All of this background information is to say...that the Packers do not need an opponent's help in winning a football game!

The Vikings' utter lack of composure and discipline cost them 80 yards on 10 penalties, but the flags actually cost them a lot more than just yardage. Going into the game against such a high scoring and efficient offense, realistically the Vikings could hope to stop the Packer offense on maybe five or six possessions in order to have a chance to win. A combination of forcing four or five punts and a turnover or two would have been ideal.

The Vikings wound up forcing two Packer punts, and would have had at least three or four more stops had they not given the Packers new first downs because of back-breaking defensive fouls. The Packers gained four automatic first downs because of Viking penalties. Additionally, a Viking offsides penalty that did not yield an automatic first down, did however change what would have been a likely fourth and seven situation and a stop, into a fourth and two situation which eventually resulted in another first down and the only Packer field goal of the night. All of the other Packer scores were of the six point/extra point variety.

When looking at such a lopsided score, some would say, even without the self-inflicted wounds, the Vikings were going to get hammered that night anyway. Such an assumption, while understandable, would actually fly into the face of reason.

Given the drives that resulted in points for the Packers after they were given "an extra out" so to speak, had the Vikings been penalty-free on defense, the Packer point total would have been cut probably in half, to say around 23 points or so for the night.

Some may then argue, that had the Vikings not held, interfered, or jumped offsides on those plays, the Packers may have made the first downs on their own. Also a good argument in theory, except that when reviewing the game film, one would be hard-pressed to make a case that any of those penalties really had an impact on the outcome of the play.

Now imagine the game with the Packers scoring just 23 points. Also imagine the game with the Vikings void of a couple of critical offensive penalties. Trailing 14-0 in the first quarter and badly in need of points, the Vikings had a promising drive brewing. A pass that receiver Percy Harvin pulled in around the Packer goal line, was nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty on Harvin. The push-off may have been the difference between Harvin making the catch and the defender being able to make a play on the ball, but the missed opportunity for the Vikings to have a first down around the Packer goal line was huge at that competitive juncture of the game.

Subsequently on that drive, the Vikings had to settle for a field goal attempt. Kicker Ryan Longwell knocked a 47-yarder right down the middle for what would have made the score 14-3. Unfortunately however, defensive tackle Fred Evans was whistled for a false start, which backed Longwell up an extra five yards, making the next attempt a 52-yarder into the wind. That kick was short and the Vikings struggled through a scoreless first half.

Given that the Vikings did capitalize on the lone Packer mistake of the contest by scoring a touchdown following a muffed punt, imagine had the 14-point underdogs simply cleaned up their own play. A much more competitive game with a final score of say 23-10 would have been a lot less unsettling than the brutality of 45-7. Sound and disciplined play by the Vikings would have really changed the feel and complexion of that game completely.

Now let's stir the pot a little more. The two teams played on the same field that night, but they hardly played under the same set of rules. Here is not to say the Vikings did not commit every single penalty that they were flagged for, but what really is a hard pill to swallow, is the fact that the Packers were only called for one?

Really?

On the third play of the football game, a Viking receiver was clearly interfered with on a catchable pass. No call. Three and out. Bad omen.

Conversely, on the seventh play of the second half, receiver Jordy Nelson gave a Viking defender the identical push-off that Harvin was flagged for in the first half, this time, other team, no call. That fourth down reception converted a fourth down into a first down which led to essentially the knockout touchdown that made the score 24-0. If the offensive pass interference were called, the Packers would have been faced with a fourth and twelve at the Viking 47 yard line, and an obvious punting situation.

Had that massacre Monday night had two teams whistled for a single penalty for five yards instead of only one, the massacre would not have been a massacre at all, but a game far more similar than dissimilar, to the thriller the two teams played three weeks earlier in Minnesota. In that game the Vikings out-gained their counterpart in total yardage but came up six points short in a shoot-out.

The Vikings have played nine games this year and lost seven of them. This game and the game in Chicago were the only two that the Vikings either did not win, or were not in position to win near the game's final whistle.

How Coach Leslie Frazier gets his team to respond from such devastation could go a long way toward securing his job, or losing his job. If this game is quickly forgotten and they can get back to being the extremely competitive team that they have been game after game, then the Vikings are bound to win their fair share in the season's second half.

However, in the season's second half, if the "shoot-yourself-in-the-foot" ultra-sloppy football team that showed up Monday night continues to play game after game, the odds are pretty good that Frazier's tenure as head coach will be very similar to Les Steckel's. Does 3-13 in 1984 ring a bell?

On September 9, 2007, the NFL was presented with a special treat. That special treat was having Adrian Peterson a.k.a. All Day, grace a professional football field with his once-in-a-generation football ability.

On that late summer day in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, AD made his debut; and what a debut it was. Peterson rushed for a game-high 103 yards on 19 attempts, as the Minnesota Vikings opened up the season with a 24-3 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

More impressively however, was a play that broke a tight game open in the fourth quarter. Then Viking Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, flipped a screen pass out to Peterson near the right sideline, and as if shot out of a cannon, the rookie running back exploded straight up the field for an eye-opening 60-yard touchdown! That would be AD's only reception of the day, but it was a game breaker.

On October 30, 2011, Peterson played the most recent game of his - already illustrious - career. In this game, Peterson took a short check-down pass from current Viking Quarterback Christian Ponder. The dazzling running back made it look easy converting the simple dump pass into a 19-yard touchdown.

Amazingly, between the first game of his 69-game career and his latest game, Peterson has but just one additional touchdown reception! That lone score occurred during the 2010 season.

How can such a dearth of touchdown receptions be for such a gifted athlete? The answer is quite simple. Throughout his brief career, Peterson has been fantastically under-used as a pass receiver.

For his career, Peterson has caught an average of just under two passes per game. Whereas, you would think an offensive coordinator's dream would be to have such a dynamic weapon as this, Peterson's skills nonetheless have not been fully utilized.

For his career, Peterson has caught 135 passes and has averaged 9.6 yards per reception. While the Viking offensive lines have had problems consistently opening up holes for Peterson in the running game, imagine diversifying the attack every game by substituting some of his would-be carries with a mixture of shuffle passes, screen passes, and an occasional pass down field. This way, AD's touches would not necessarily increase - thus avoiding the overuse of the organization's franchise player - but the offense would be opened up significantly. By causing defenses to have to start guessing more and keying on Peterson in a variety of ways rather than just one, everything would loosen up that much more for the rest of the Viking offense.

At the start of the 2011 season, the Vikings envisioned Quarterback Donovan McNabb reviving his own career, as well as wide receiver Bernard Berrian's by re-establishing the deep ball. Heading into the second half of the season, the very inconsistent McNabb has been demoted to the bench, and the very unproductive Berrian has been released.

Since the deep passing component to the offense that had been anticipated did not come about, it is of even greater value to vary the offense by involving Peterson in the passing game more. By occasionally sending Peterson in motion, lining him up in different locations, and by sending him out into the secondary from time-to-time - even when he is not thrown to - AD would command so much attention and create so much confusion for opposing defenses, the Viking offense could not help but be benefited.

The Vikings have done a decent job of using their other dynamic offensive weapon, Receiver Percy Harvin in a number of creative ways, now it is time for them to do the same with AD. Opposing defenses are going to do all that they can to confuse the Vikings rookie quarterback, how about the Viking offense doing all that it can to confuse opposing defenses?

On Sunday when Carolina Panther Kicker Olindo Mare's 31-yard chip-shot of a field goal attempt sailed wide left, thus failing to send the game into overtime, the Minnesota Vikings escaped Charlotte, North Carolina, with a much needed and extremely rare road victory. The 24-21 final score was indeed indicative of how closely the game was played that afternoon and also how remarkably close the seasons have gone for these two teams.

The game could have been accurately billed as the "Hard Luck Bowl" as both teams have played eight games this season and lost five of them by a touchdown or less. The Vikings, having dodged a bullet Sunday, finally enjoyed a little more luck than a counterpart for a change when Carolina Quarterback Cam Newton's run in the closing seconds ended up just shy of the goal line and was fortuitously wiped out by a penalty. The offensive holding penalty called on Panther Receiver Steve Smith forced the ill-fated kick by Mare and negated what would have likely been a play that was going to lead to a game-winning Carolina touchdown.

Both teams - now starting rookie quarterbacks drafted in the first round - find themselves heading into the second half of the season with matching 2-6 records. Each team could just as easily be heading into the second half with matching 6-2 records.

For this reason, because the teams' records were deceptively poor, it was a game actually played by two very capable teams who produced a reasonably well played and exciting contest. Many fans not familiar with how these two seasons have gone, would have expected a yawner from two presumed scrub also-rans, but that was far from the case.

The game featured the leading rookie-of-the-year candidate in Newton, the NFL's  leader in sacks, the Vikings' Jared Allen, and the NFL's leading rusher, the Vikings' Adrian Peterson. In a hard-fought game in which the score see-sawed back and forth, all three performers demonstrated why they are having the standout seasons that they are.

Newton is the real deal. As a passer and a runner, there are already but just a few quarterbacks in the league that may be more dangerous than he. On Sunday, Newton threw for 290 yards and three touchdown passes. The rookie star also rushed for 53 yards, yards that did not include that potentially backbreaking run at the end of the game that was negated by the holding penalty. Fortunately for the Vikings, a pair of sacks forced Newton to lose two fumbles or else the outcome of the game almost certainly would have been different.

Allen recovered one of the fumbles, and caused the other. Allen now has 12 1/2 sacks and three fumble recoveries on the year. The relentless defensive end has to be the leading candidate for defensive player-of-the-year honors, as he is on pace to break the all-time single season sack record of 22 1/2 set by the New York Giants' Michael Strahan in 2001.

In addition to leading the league in rushing yards with 798, Peterson also leads the league with nine rushing touchdowns. He supplied a spectacular nine-yard touchdown run Sunday in the way that only he can, but more importantly, he added a 19-yard touchdown reception. After four full years in the league, the Vikings finally used the dynamic back in the passing game as effectively as they have during his entire career. As a receiver Sunday, Peterson caught five passes for 76 yards and the aforementioned touchdown reception. Adding this element to the Viking offensive attack, will cause defensive coordinators around the league to lose a few more strands of hair.

While flying below the radar of the prominent stars that were featured in the game Sunday, Viking Quarterback Christian Ponder continued his development in rather smooth fashion. Like the Panthers, the Vikings have decided to cast their lot with a rookie signal caller, and like the Panthers, the Viking organization also has to be pleased with what they are seeing.

Ponder's numbers so far are not impressive, what with a passer rating of just 77.5, but that does not tell the whole story. The game against the Panthers represented for the first time all season, a Viking performance with four solid quarters of play. While none of the quarters were dominant in any way like many of the quarters the Vikings have exhibited this year have been, but none of the quarters Sunday were duds either, specifically neither the third nor fourth quarter. This fact is due in large part to Ponder's ability to convert third downs into first downs. In his two starts, the Vikings are converting 53.3% of their third downs, only the New Orleans Saints are converting third downs at a higher percentage on the season at 56.3%. Prior to Ponder starting, the Vikings were amongst the worst in the league at keeping drives alive, and in second halves they were absolutely atrocious!

Going forward, while both teams' shot at the playoffs appear to be done, if either can flip their second half and go 6-2 - as we do know - there have been on occasion 8-8 wildcard playoff teams.

For the Vikings, flipping their second half record largely hinges upon the continued improvement of Ponder as he gains more experience and confidence, the continued utilization of Peterson in the passing game to keep defenses off balance, and the return of injured star Cornerback Antoine Winfield to help shore up the depleted secondary.

Whether the Vikings can get into the playoff race in the second half remains to be seen, and though unlikely, it is not out of the question. If they can dodge another bullet here and there and have some more close contests go their way instead of the other way, things could get interesting before it is all said and done.