Ok, admit it; it's ok, but be honest.  Did anyone actually believe the Twins would be anywhere near a serious conversation regarding postseason play by the time the NFL season started?  I know I didn't.

I know there's a large gap between the Indians and the Twins, but they are a scrappy bunch that just keep hanging around.

Way to go Twins!  B)

Hey, not sure if you guys are evacuating or are going to ride it out.  In any case, be safe, best wishes, and give us updates when you can.  This Irma looks like a real "bitch" of a hurricane with 180 mph winds. Are you kidding me? 

Take care!

Cleveland Browns rookie Myles Garrett reportedly left practice with an ankle injury Wednesday and did not return. 
According to Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot, Garrett is scheduled to undergo further evaluation and is likely to have an MRI. 


Citing a source, Kay Cabot reported "the Browns are worried the injury could sideline him for weeks."
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/27159...ce=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

“Dalvin has earned the starting position, and so I’ve just been looking at it that I need to continue to just really show them that regardless of being out for some time that I could obviously still play the game at a high level and show them all the reasons why they brought me in,’’ Murray said.

http://www.twincities.com/2017/09/06/vik...rting-job/

Pat Elflein is set Monday to become the first Vikings rookie center to start an opener since Mick Tingelhoff in 1962, and the hall of famer will be there to see it.
http://www.twincities.com/2017/09/06/vik...rting-job/

Doug Farrar, NFL1000 Lead Scout for Bleacher Report, recently kicked off his Week 1 quarterback rankings. Since the season will start all players and teams with a blank slate, Farrar specified that the ranking was done based on “past performance, offseason movement and player acquisitions, and future projections” rather than game-to-game performance.
Farrar listed Vikings QB Sam Bradford at No. 6 overall heading into Week 1. He said that it was “unclear” what the Vikings were receiving when they traded for Bradford last September because of the passer’s “injury and inconsistency” over six NFL seasons – but Farrar was impressed by Bradford’s 15 games in Purple. He wrote:
Despite an indifferent running game, and without a top-flight group of receivers, Bradford set a single-season NFL record with a 71.6 percent completion rate in 2016, completing 395 of 552 passes for 3,877 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. The low pick rate and high completion percentage would indicate that Bradford had a lot of success with short passes, and that’s true.
But he also posted the third-highest quarterback rating on passes 20 or more yards in the air, completing 23 of 47 such throws for 754 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. The deep ball wasn’t a primary component of Bradford’s game — it was more important to get him working in a new system and extending drives with completions — but he’s no risk-averse Alex Smith, and given his overall deep accuracy, don’t be at all surprised if he heaves the ball downfield more in 2017.
http://www.vikings.com/news/lunch-break/...11912846=1

If you don’t believe in things like Football Gods or karma, you might have some difficulty explaining the timing of Dalvin Cook making his NFL debut on the same night that Randy Moss is inducted into the Minnesota Vikings’ Ring of Honor. 
The rookie is beginning his first chapter of a potentially great career in the very building on the very day and at the very time that the legend will close his incredible odyssey in purple. It’s just too cosmically perfect to be coincidence. And that’s not even to mention that Adrian Peterson will be in the house. 

Cook and Moss are bonded by a shared experience: Their other-worldly college careers were immediately followed by draft-day anguish. Cook was rated by some as the best running back in a historically good class, but slipped down the board to the second round over “character concerns,” just like Moss had 19 years earlier. 
http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2017/0...lvin-cook/

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer was reminded early on in training camp that a team called the Green Bay Packers has pretty much ruled the NFC North since it was created in 2002.
There have been 15 NFC North titles awarded. The Packers have won nine of them. Yes, it does help to have a Favre followed by a Rodgers.
Since 2010, Green Bay has won five of six North titles. The only break came in 2015, when Zimmer and his ornery, third-ranked scoring defense went into Lambeau Field and won 20-13 in the winner-take-all season finale.
But back in late July, a reporter in Mankato wanted Zimmer to explain to the fans what he has done to convince them he is trying to keep the Packers from always winning the doggone division.
“Well,” Zimmer said, “I think we’re continuing to get better players.”
Then, the defensive-minded coach reminded the reporter that he has a decent track on that side of the ball. “I think we’ve probably been the best defense in this division for at least three years now,” Zimmer said. “So I think that’s a good start.”
http://www.startribune.com/can-the-vikin...442945153/

• Saints at Vikings (-3.5)Never bet against spite. And Adrian Peterson will have plenty of spite going for him on Monday night when he returns home to Minnesota to play against the only other team he's played for during his illustrious NFL career. The Vikings have a stout defense but Peterson is otherworldly when angry and he will run for 200 yards against Minnesota in a winning effort for New Orleans.
  Pick: Saints +3.5
  

For the past 8 to 10 years our defense has had a couple guys out there that were the field generals of our defense,  now with the retirement of Greenway and the apparent replacement of BRob by Hunter,  who is going to be that guy to get the huddle to settle down and focus on their execution when things start to unravel a bit?  As i was thinking about the preseason it seemed that the D would be fine once their emotions got settled,  but they just seemed over hyped and lost focus early.  In the past there were a couple vets to handle that on the field,  hopefully we see Griff, Linval, Harry and/or Rhodes step up and become that voice of experience early and often.  its not a matter of scheme,  its not a matter of coaching or talent,  IMO its a matter of discipline and leadership on the field that separates the good teams from the great ones.  ( and a franchise QB doesnt hurt either