No Huddle Notebook: Vikings Offense Could Be Special

There was much consternation around the NFL when the Vikings brought Brett Favre back. The move raised plenty of questions about Favre's ability to help Minnesota, too -- adding an old quarterback with a partially torn rotator cuff who's coming off biceps surgery was certainly a gamble.

But for the Vikings, it's worth risking the season.

NFL teams need elite quarterbacks to succeed at an elite level. Adding Favre makes Minnesota's offense one of the best in the NFC, if he's used right.

"There are a lot of playmakers I would use," Favre said Monday night after the Vikings beat the Texans. "I have had good feelings from the first day. ... There are a lot of weapons and I think this could be good."

The biggest thing that gives the Vikings an advantage over the Bears, Packers and Lions in the NFC North is they have a home-run hitter in running back Adrian Peterson. His 75-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage Monday against the Texans set the tone.

In the last two seasons, Peterson rushed for a total of 3,101 yards with 22 touchdowns. He's the Alpha and Omega of the offense and, if coach Brad Childress keeps it this way, Favre won't feel the pressure to produce every play. Favre also has a speed threat in rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin, who will be used in Wildcat formations and has the ability to make yards after the catch. Several scouts watching the Texans-Vikings game marveled at Harvin's speed and what he can do in space. One scout was also impressed with Harvin's catching ability.

Veteran receiver Bernard Berrian led Minnesota with 964 yards last season, and the addition of Favre could push him to a 1,000-yard season. The Vikings haven't had a receiver reach 1,000 yards since Randy Moss in 2003.

Childress has to keep Favre contained in order for this to work. Last year, Favre threw for 3,472 yards and 22 touchdowns with the Jets, but also coughed up 22 interceptions.

Childress has been searching for a quarterback since taking over Minnesota's head coaching job in 2006. He's used five different QBs in his time with the Vikings -- in 2008, he rotated Gus Frerotte and Tarvaris Jackson, who combined for 3,213 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Minnesota won the NFC North with a 10-6 reocrd, but never truly solved its quarterback conundrum and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

This year can be different for the Vikings, as long as Favre stays healthy, and Childress keeps Peterson the main man.

"We are going to be very dynamic," Peterson said. "You got a little glimpse of that [on Monday]. It's all about everybody being on the same page. We have a couple of things we need to sharpen up. That's why we play these preseason games. I'm just looking forward to the regular season coming around, so we can finally get the ball rolling."

MAYBIN MAKING IMPACT: The Bills' first-round draft pick, defensive end Aaron Maybin, missed all of training camp while working out a contract. But in his first preseason game, against the Steelers, he recorded a sack and showed Buffalo coach Dick Jauron he could make an impact quickly.

"That's what they brought me in here for, so I try not to get too excited over stuff like that," Maybin said of his sack. "It was a good game, it was good experience, but it's time now to put that behind me, re-focus myself for Detroit in a couple of days, and then for New England for Week 1."

Maybin was drafted to improve a defense that had 24 sacks last season, 26th in the league, and help improve the overall pass rush.

"He got a sack, he got a pressure, hit on the quarterback, he worked hard and he looked fast," Jauron said. "I hope it just continues, but he's behind. He's catching up some in conditioning now, but he's still behind."

COWBOYS DRAFT CLASS IS HURTING: The Cowboys traded out of the second round in April's draft, giving up their only first-day pick, to get more selections on the second day. Dallas wound up drafting 12 players, mainly special teams and second-unit individuals. But with the regular season less than two weeks away, five of those 12 draft picks are nursing injuries.

Dallas lost one of its third-round picks, offensive lineman Robert Brewter, for the year due to a torn pectoral muscle, and lost fourth-round pick Brandon Williams to a torn ACL. Brewter wasn't going to play much, but Williams was.

Linebacker Jason Williams, another third-rounder, suffered a high ankle sprain last week

Also, another third round pick, linebacker Jason Williams suffered a high-ankle sprain last week and is out four-to-six weeks. Fifth-round pick Mike Hamlin, a safety that the team likes, is out six weeks with a broken wrist.

Quarterback Stephen McGee, a fourth-round pick and a long shot to make the squad, has battled knee injuries the entire summer and is questionable for Friday's game against the Vikings.

FOURTH DOWNS: Pacman Jones is expected to finalize a contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this week. It's his last chance to show he can play football without getting in trouble. ... The injury to Texans QB Matt Schaub (ankle) has some in the organization worried. ... Colts safety Bob Sanders will not make the trip for his team's final preseason game against the Bengals. Sanders is still on the PUP list while he recovers from knee surgery and has not practiced since the start of camp.