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NFC North Playoff Picture Tightens as Pat and Kevin Williams Suspended for Vikings

2 December 2008 404 views by M.J. Laughlin 6 Comments Email This Post Print This Post


This is an older post and does not reflect the most recent updates to the NFC playoff picture.  After tonight’s Bears-Packers game we will update the NFC playoff picture and scenarios.  In the meantime, you can check out the AFC playoff picture here.

The National Football League handed down suspensions today that will last the remainder of the season to those who were caught using a banned diuretic. Included in those suspended are Kevin Williams and Pat Williams who make up the heart of the Vikings 2nd ranked run defense and one of the best pass rush duos in the league.

Throughout the season, the Pat and Kevin Williams made up one of the strongest units on the Vikings squad. The two completely dominated the line of scrimmage on the defensive side of the ball, and allowed the Vikings to take advantage of their high octane running game behind Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor. They controlled the clock, they stopped the run, and they pressured the opposing quarterback. Without a doubt, these two players were a major key to the Vikings success this season.

NFC North Playoff Picture Tightens as Pat Williams and Kevin Williams SuspendedNow, all may be lost as the Williamses will have to sit out the remainder of the season which includes a tough slate of very good offenses to close out the season (and the Lions, which are up on Sunday). Aside from the Lions game, though, the Vikings will face the Cardinals, Falcons and Giants in a three game slate that now could allow either the Packers or Bears to jump back into the lead of the division because without Pat Williams and Kevin Williams doing what they do best, all three games could be losses.

How will they win if Kurt Warner has all the time in the world to pick apart their shaky secondary? Who will step up and stop Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood? How can they prevent the Giants from completely dominating them to close out the season? The Vikings already had the toughest remaining schedule of all three contenders for the NFC North, but without Pat and Kevin Williams, the degree of difficulty might very well have doubled. In looking at the rest of the division’s remaining games, it looks like a door closed on the Vikings, and opened for someone else.

In the final three games, the Packers will play Houston, Jacksonville, Chicago, and Detroit while the Bears will have Jacksonville, New Orleans, Green Bay and Houston. If the Vikings start losing, the Monday night showdown between the Packers and Bears could very well decide who will win the NFC Norris this season.

The NFC North division just got a whole lot more interesting.

Who will win the NFC North?

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6 Comments »

  • JRod said:

    Great points MJ. The Vikings better figure out how to stop the run over the next two weeks without Pat and Kevin, because Atlanta and NY will run all over them otherwise. Not even Adrian Peterson may be able to keep them in the game against those two attacks. Would have been pretty good matchups of strength v strength if the Williamses were playing.

    Also, what will happen with the appeals? I wonder if there is still a chance they will be able to play through the appeals process.

    [Reply]

    # 2 December 2008 at 11:30 pm
  • M.J. Laughlin (author) said:

    I have a feeling they will not be able to find any relief from the appeals process. The timing of the situation (suspended 4 games with 4 games remaining) along with the hard line stance taken by the NFL on their steroids policy leads me to believe that, though this situation is far from over, they may have actually heard the final results with these suspensions. There are any number of arguments the attorneys for these players can make: the league is protecting itself and not its players, the players were not informed of the banned substance (that argument will fail because the league posted it as part of their collective bargaining agreement and knowledge will be imputed to them), this is not fair to the fan etc. The problem with these types of arguments is that they have little legal footing to obtain an injunction in time to make a difference because that judgment will need to be handed down almost immediately, as such much will turn on what type of judge gets assigned to this case. The arguments they are likely to make are designed to put pressure on the league to overturn their ruling, but as mentioned, they are more interested in showing their intolerance for steroids and everything associated with them, which will be bad news for all the players involved.

    [Reply]

    # 3 December 2008 at 8:54 am
  • JRod said:

    And the hits keep coming for the Vikes D-Line. Bryan Robison, a key backup who regularly rotates in, is now out for a few weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee.

    I agree with you MJ…I think these players, and the Vikes, are basically up shit’s creek without a paddle.

    [Reply]

    # 3 December 2008 at 10:11 am
  • B. Leber said:

    The Vikes are an all around good team. I’m keeping my money on the vikes to win the NFC. See ya in the playoffs.

    [Reply]

    # 3 December 2008 at 11:49 am
  • Kaner said:

    The NFC north is still wide open. The Vikes were my pick as the best team coming out, I still think they are. Who else will make a run? The Bears dont have it in them and the Pack is sliding.

    [Reply]

    # 3 December 2008 at 11:48 pm
  • NFL Week 14 TV Schedule Announcer Pairings Point Spreads Over-Under Odds | Dec 7 said:

    [...] is 0-12 and this may be their best chance for a win. They are at home against a team that has dealt with a lot of distractions this week and could be ripe for an upset. The Vikings have a one game lead in the NFC North and [...]

    # 4 December 2008 at 9:18 am

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