Tonight’s game between Minnesota and New Orleans lived up to its billing once again, with both sides fighting hard for the opportunity to win late in the contest. It certainly wasn’t pretty for either team, with both clubs struggling in areas they usually excel at, but the overall outcome has to be pleasing for the NFL as a whole.

The game basically boiled down to three key parts for me:

• The Saints ability to control the clock via their running game in the second half
• Lack of an effective passing attack for the Vikings
• A non-existent pass rush from Jared Allen and company

Whenever they needed to, the Saints were moving the ball seemingly at will against the Vikings, and a big part of that had to do with their ability to shut down Minnesota’s vaunted front four on passing plays, giving Drew Brees more than enough time to read the field and find the open receiver. Credit the entire New Orleans offensive line for understanding what to do in almost every situation, and working together as a group to shut out Allen and his teammates.

I was surprised that the Vikings were so inept in their passing game, especially in the second half, and while a lot of that could be laid at Brett Favre’s feet, not having Sidney Rice on the field hurts way more than anyone in Minnesota was letting on. Expect the Vikings to address their receiving corps soon, either with a trade (Vincent Jackson anyone?) or through the waiver wire.

Equally shocking was the Saints choosing to literally run the ball down the Vikings’ throats throughout much of the second half. Teams rarely are capable of doing what New Orleans did tonight against Minnesota’s front seven, and while it didn’t amount to as much on the scoreboard as the fans probably would have liked, the Saints have to be happy with the toughness shown tonight by Pierre Thomas.

All in all, tonight’s contest was yet another outstanding show put on by two teams that are likely to be there when it matters most once again this season, and as a fan, you really can’t ask for much more. Football is finally upon us and we will undoubtedly be treated to much more where this came from as the season progresses.

Here’s a quick look at the early reactions around the league on this game… as always, feel free to leave any thoughts you have in the comment thread.

Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Tim Rohan) – Give the ball to Peterson ‘All Day’

NFL FanHouse (Chris Burke) – Vikings vs. Saints: Quick Hits

The Viking Age – So Brett Favre doesn’t need camp?

SB Nation (Michael Tunison) - Saints come away with ugly win

NFL.com (Adam Rank) – We waited all summer for this?

Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Jim Souhan) – As it turns out, practice has value

ESPN NFL Nation (Kevin Seifert) – Rapid Reaction: Saints 14, Vikings 9

When the Seahawks decided to throw caution to the wind and released wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh yesterday, the general consensus was that the Vikings were the leader in the clubhouse to obtain his services for this season.

But a full day later, reality has sunk into the situation, with Minnesota making it fairly clear that they have no intention to sign Houshmandzadeh as of right now. The possibility still remains that the Vikings will bring him on board if he’s still available after week one, but for now, Houshmandzadeh will have to cool his jets without a place to call home.

Minnesota theoretically has a spot open for Houshmandzadeh right now, with the release of fellow receiver Javon Walker yesterday, but contractually speaking, it makes much more sense to bide their time and sign him in two weeks. At that point, the Vikings would only be on the hook for the guaranteed portion of his contract, which is likely to be minimal at best.

There are other potential options for Houshmandzadeh to look at, with St. Louis and Washington having a definite need at wide receiver. Neither team can offer much in the way of probability for post-season play this year, but there’s little doubt that playing time would be in abundance in both locations.

Oakland is also a possible destination, although the same thing is said for every free agent receiver that hits the market these days, so take that with a grain of salt.

In any case, Houshmandzadeh is going to have to temper his expectations significantly if he wants to find a new team soon, or take a break at home for a bit with his family and sign with a contender after season begins.

Last night’s trade of quarterback Sage Rosenfels and kick returner Darius Reynaud from Minnesota to New York left many around the league scratching their heads in amazement, including yours truly, as the loss of both players leaves the Vikings thin at best on the depth chart.

It was only a matter of time before someone got wise and made the Vikings an offer they couldn’t refuse for Rosenfels, given his stellar play this pre-season, but the inclusion of Reynaud in the deal makes the deal much more inexplicable.

Reynaud had a clearly defined role in Minnesota as a special teams ace, returning kicks and providing a versatile weapon off the bench to use in key situations on offense. And with wide receiver Percy Harvin still experiencing difficulty with his migraine headaches, having a solid option to in the return game aside from him would seem to be vital for the Vikings this year.

Not having Reynaud on the field makes the Vikings weaker on multiple fronts, and his presence in the locker room will undoubtedly be missed, but there are players capable of filling his shoes this season.

As for Rosenfels, there was little doubt that Minnesota would seek to trade him away soon in an effort to gain a reasonable return on their investment and to eliminate any semblance of a quarterback controversy, as Rosenfels clearly outplayed second team quarterback Tavaris Jackson this pre-season.

That said, there are definitely question marks surrounding that portion of the deal right now as well, given his rocky relationship with head coach Brad Childress. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert spoke on that very subject at some length in his latest NFC North blog post, chastising Childress for his preferential treatment of Jackson to the detriment of the club as a whole.

The removal of Rosenfels from the picture leaves the Vikings exposed at the most position on the field, and while the quarterback spot is much less troublesome on paper given Brett Favre’s legendary ability to avoid injury and stay on the field, placing all of their eggs in his basket is a risky move at best.

Favre’s age only increases the likelihood of him suffering a serious injury, and if he goes down, Minnesota has to rely on the inconsistent play of Jackson, who has yet to live up to the billing given to him by Childress. Behind Jackson is rookie Joe Webb, who is nowhere close to being ready to step into a starting role, despite his outstanding talent and athleticism, making it imperative that Jackson stays healthy all year long.

It’s likely that Minnesota will claim they were simply trying to improve the club long term with this deal, and many fans will agree that a move had to be made, but it’s hard to understand the motivating factor in doing right now, given the risks outlined above.

All will be forgotten though if Favre keeps himself upright and free from serious injury, guiding the Vikings through their challenging schedule and deep into the post-season, so for now, the outcome of this trade is still up in the air.

The discussion surrounding Seattle wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh and his future with the Seahawks has taken a definite turn towards his exit from the club in recent days, with the team making a strong push to find a trade partner prior to Saturday’s roster cut down deadline.

According to Danny O’Neil of the Seattle Times, the Seahawks are on the verge of reaching a “point of no return” with Houshmandzadeh, as the coaching staff has reportedly come to the conclusion that he’s no longer a vital part of the team’s offense.

The other motivating factor in all of this is the Seahawks interest in acquiring Pro Bowl receiver Vincent Jackson from San Diego, and while it’s theoretically possible that they could make a deal for Jackson without sending Houshmandzadeh packing first, the most likely scenario would have Seattle handling their internal business first before venturing out to get Jackson.

At this point, the Seahawks could very well end up deciding to grant Houshmandzadeh his outright release if a viable trade partner cannot be found, but the preferred course of action would be to get something back in return.

If Houshmandzadeh is released, teams likely to be interested would include Minnesota, Kansas City, Jacksonville, Clevaland, and Pittsburgh.

It’s been rumored for quite some time now that Seattle has a significant interest in acquiring embattled Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson, and while the Seahawks would seem on paper to not have the space or financial flexibility to make such a move, things are beginning to shape up in that direction.

According to NFL Network’s Jason LaCanfora, the Seahawks are making a major push as we speak to move wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh elsewhere in an attempt to gain enough room to complete a deal with San Diego for Jackson.

Houshmandzadeh was productive in first year in Seattle last season, but his struggles thus far in the pre-season have opened the door to the team looking at releasing him at the cutdown deadline this Saturday. He’s not seen as being a good fit for the new offense installed by first year offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates.

If they can find a decent trade offer for Houshmandzadeh’s  services, a deal to obtain Jackson could come about shortly thereafter, as the Seahawks would have a definite need at that point for a quality receiver. The Chargers have reportedly asked for a 2nd round pick in the next draft and a third round pick two years from now.

Teams likely to be interested in acquiring Houshmandzadeh include Minnesota, St. Louis, Kansas City, Cleveland, and Jacksonville.

One day removed from the troubling news that standout wide receiver Sidney Rice would miss at least eight games to start the season, the Vikings moved quickly to shore up the position, signing the well traveled Javon Walker and sending cornerback Benny Sapp to Miami for wide receiver Greg Camarillo.

Signing Walker is largely irrelevant, as he may not be long for Minnesota given his complete lack of production in recent years, but the deal to snag Camarillo from the Dolphins was brilliant in that Sapp was likely headed for a spot deep on the bench, if not an outright release.

Sapp is a seven year veteran that has played in 86 games, including all 16 last year with the Vikings. He’ll likely be a backup in Miami, providing nice depth and experience for a Dolphins secondary in need of both.

Camarillo’s best role is in the slot, and that suits the Vikings just fine right now, with second year receiver Percy Harvin experiencing severe migraines that may or may not keep him off the field to start the season.

Still, Camarillo’s addition won’t solve all of Minnesota’s woes at the position, especially if Harvin is unable to play for a significant amount of the year, but at the very least it does provide them a modicum of depth to work with through the first half of the season.

The real key for the Vikings now has to be running back Adrian Peterson, and while quarterback Brett Favre is well known for his desire to sling the ball all over the field, he would be wise to lean heavily on Peterson early on until Rice and Harvin are healthy and capable of producing at or close to the level we saw last year.

When news first broke last night that Minnesota wide receiver Sidney Rice was potentially looking at undergoing surgery to repair his injured hip, the Vikings, who have dreams of Super Bowl trophies dancing in their heads, were sent reeling, looking for options to replace his production that on paper would seem to be a shot in the dark at best.

Given Rice’s status as the go to receiver for quarterback Brett Favre last season, there’s little doubt that having him out of the lineup for a half season or worse will be a major blow to Minnesota’s offense, and while the Vikings still have weapons to work with, his loss is about as bad as it could get right now.

The situation has been made much worse with the continued migraines of wide receiver Percy Harvin taking their toll, likely knocking him out of the starting 11 for the early part of the season while he looks for answers to his medical issues.

The Vikings quickly moved to address their projected deficiencies in the receiving corps yesterday afternoon, agreeing to a deal with oft-injured and well traveled receiver Javon Walker. While that signing isn’t likely to do much to help right away, if Walker is healthy, he’ll provide a reasonable option for Favre to work with, aside from Bernard Berrian and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe.

As for Rice, the decision to have surgery or not is still taking  place behind closed doors with the Vikings and the team doctors, and while the possibility remains that he’ll be able to play through the injury, doing so could end up making the situation worse in the long run if he aggravates it any further.

That alone will likely be enough to convince Rice and the Vikings to stick with surgery now in an effort to cut off any future problems at the knee, rather than risk having him be lost for the entire season if not more. But for the time being, all options are still on the table, and there’s no doubt Minnesota will do what’s best for the team in the long run.

As always, we’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.

After leading his team to an excellent regular season record and into the NFC Championship, the doubters in Minnesota head coach Brad Childress grew relatively quiet. Earning an in-season contract extension tends to do that in the NFL, although as we’ve seen in the past, regular season success often means little when it comes to job stability.

The voices of negativity came back with a roar late last night though, after it was revealed that Childress was the main point of concern for quarterback Brett Favre this off-season, and not his surgically repaired ankle or his contract status.

According to Yahoo! Sports Jason Cole, many players on the Vikings roster, especially on offense, have little respect for Childress, and Favre is at the forefront of that group. Citing multiple sources within the organization, Cole even goes so far as to say that Childress’ visit to Favre’s home in Mississippi last spring did little to sway the future Hall of Famer towards returning to the Vikings, and actually may have pushed him in the opposite direction.

A large part of the problem is perceived lack of intelligence on the part of Childress when it comes to offensive strategy from week to week, and due to absent ownership and a poorly defined leadership structure, Childress currently has complete control over the entire operation.

Obviously, none of this will matter if the players do as most expect them to, and band together in an effort to win a Super Bowl in Favre’s final season, but it definitely paints a less than rosy picture of the situation in Minnesota to say the least.

Either way, it will certainly bear watching as the season progresses, especially if Favre and Childress do battle once again on the sidelines over the direction of the team’s offense.

Much like the boy who cried wolf, it’s hard to know what to believe when it comes to statements made by Vikings quarterback Brett Favre. He’s led us all on a merry little chase for so long that separating fact from fiction is often more of a challenge that determining just what he’s going to do from season to season.

That said, it’s likely that Favre’s latest comments regarding his vacillation on whether to return or not this season will prove to be accurate, as he clearly is more concerned about the physical toll his body will take in playing through another season than the amount of money he’ll be depositing into his bank account.

According to wide receiver Bernard Berrian, upon his return to practice, Favre made it clear to his teammates that his decision to return was based solely on his age and ability to get through an entire season unscathed, and not about a salary increase or having to come to training camp. Whether Favre’s much ballyhoed ankle played a factor into that decision or not wasn’t mentioned by Favre, but given the beating he took there last year, there’s little doubt that it’s a concern.

Obviously, it’s easy for Favre to say that money had nothing to do with his return, but there’s little doubt that his eyes didn’t light up just a little bit more if and when the Vikings brass threw out a much higher number than the $13 million he was expected to earn in the final season of his contract. None of that has been confirmed as of yet, but sources close to situation have indicated that Favre will make $16 million this season at the very least.

Now that Favre is back and is practicing with his team, there’s no denying he’ll be the starter on opening night against New Orleans, but whether he’ll be able to survive the entire season is another matter, and given the Vikings difficult schedule, backup quarterback Tavaris Jackson could end up seeing more playing time than he did a year ago.

Wed @ 3:41 pm CST – This news is already a bit old, but I wanted to update things anyway, so here’s the latest on the Favre situation.

According to ESPN’s Ed Werder, the text messages sent to several Vikings players yesterday are fictitious, and during a conversation he had this morning with Favre, the future Hall of Fame quarterback indicated he not yet reached a decision on whether he’ll play another year or not.

1130 KFAN talk show host and Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen later discussed the issue on his show, and revealed that his sources within Minnesota’s organization have said that Favre is not concerned about his contract, but rather the condition of his injured ankle.

This runs counter to the multiple reports issued yesterday by Minneapolis Star-Tribune beat writer Judd Zulgad.

As always, we’ll keep you posted if any new information comes to light.

8:55 am CST - While it’s not unexpected, the annual media frenzy surrounding quarterback Brett Favre and his potential retirement took yet another turn this morning, with Favre reportedly hitting the field at a local high school near his home in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

This comes after reports surfaced late last night that the Vikings have made Favre an offer to increase his 2010 base salary from $13 million to $16 million, and could potentially kick in enough bonuses and other assorted incentives to take that number as high as $20 million when things are all said and done.

It’s doubtful that we’ll hear anything of substance from Favre himself anytime soon, as he’s likely to stay away from the cameras for the time being, preferring to keep everyone guessing while he mulls over his options for an umpteenth time.

That said, the news that he’s on the field practicing could be seen as a positive in Minnesota, as that would seemingly indicate that he’s testing out his injured ankle to determine if he can give it one more go or not.

Tues @ 10:53 pm CST – Apparently Minnesota is doing just what many (including myself) thought they would in response to Favre’s indecision towards a return this fall.

Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune is reporting (via Twitter) that the Vikings front office has offered a $3 million increase in Favre’s 2010 base salary, from $13 million to $16 million.

No word on if they’ll up the incentives included in the deal, but given their overwhelming desire to have Favre come back, chances are good on that front.

8:28 pm CST - If you’ve followed Vikings quarterback Brett Favre throughout his illustrious career, then you’ll be accustomed to the tabloid media taking center stage and the facts taking a back seat in favor of quick speculation.

That seems to be the case once again this evening, with a source within the Favre family now reporting that the future Hall of Famer has not reached a decision as of yet on returning to Minnesota for his 20th season in the league.

Favre has not offered any comments on the matter, and Vikings head coach Brad Childress avoided speculation on Favre’s future during his press conference this morning, saying that he’ll believe the retirement discussion when he’s “heard it from the horse’s mouth.”

The Vikings have seemingly spent most of the day in negotiations with Favre and/or his agent Bus Cook, likely trying to convince Favre to come back for sure with an extra bonus on top of his existing contract.

As always, we’ll keep you posted when more info becomes available.

Tues @ 11:23 am – As you might expect, the situation with Favre is far from over, as the Vikings’ ownership and front office have been working overtime this morning to convince him to stick around for another season.

Not sure if it’s going to work or not, but the prospect of earning an extra $3 to 4 million on top of his current $13 million contract would seem to be a fairly enticing carrot to dangle in front of Favre, although money isn’t necessarily an object any longer for him.

For what it’s worth, Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell, who’s been a good friend of Favre for a long time, is saying that he received no indication from Favre of his impending retirement when he spoke with the future Hall of Fame quarterback earlier this morning, prior to practice.

10:22 am – Despite his silence on the matter throughout the entirety of the off-season, Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre never really gave any sort of indication that he was ready to call it quits, leading most of us to pencil him in as the starter at QB for the Vikings this fall.

But once again, Favre has made a choice that will likely send significant shockwaves around the nation, and could put a major damper on the Super Bowl chances of a Vikings squad that was one bad throw away from the championship game last year.

According to multiple sources, Favre has begun telling his teammates in Minnesota that he’s not planning on returning this season, and will instead choose to hang up his cleats for good, rather than chase a final Super Bowl to culminate his amazing career.

The Vikings have yet to say much of anything on the subject, preferring to cautiously wait Favre out this summer in the hope that he’ll put off retirement one last time and finish out his two year contract.

Given Favre’s propensity for wavering on his decisions to leave the league in the past, Minnesota does have a legitimate reason to stay quiet for the time being, but this latest report has to hurt just a little, especially after they passed on upgrading the position multiple times in last April’s draft.

Without Favre, the Vikings would likely resort to Tavaris Jackson at quarterback, and while Jackson has displayed flashes of being a solid player at the position, he is far below Favre when it comes in talent, experience, and ability on the field.

We’ll keep you posted as more news becomes available, but for now, count us in among the slightly surprised with this one.