The Minnesota Vikings made a lot of smart decisions during the 2009 offseason.
And they made one really stupid one. They let safety Darren Sharper go.
Sharper has a great nose for the football -- and an even better nose for the end zone once the football is in his hands.
He's done it again against the Dolphins, pulling the the Saints to within seven points in a game they trailed by 21 in the first half. Sharper grabbed a bouncing ball that went from receiver Ted Ginn to a New Orleans teammate to Sharper, and the 13-year veteran took it 42 yards for a score.
For the year, he has six interceptions and three touchdowns.
Darren Sharper does it again
Posted by Mike Florio on October 25, 2009 6:21 PM ET
Permalink
18 Comments
Latest stories in: Latest News and Rumors, Miami Dolphins, NFL Mobile Exclusives - Rumors, New Orleans Saints, Top Stories
And it would be seven INTs with four for touchdowns if not for Vilma's hit on Eli Manning last week...
Sharper is a demon, but you can look at it another way and say: Ted Ginn does it again, turning a make-able catch into a big momentum-shifting play for the other team.
Obvious if saw the holes in their secondary the last two weeks.
Why stop with the Vikings? The Packers could have kept him too. He's always been a good player.
Harris seems overrated anyhow. However I agree Woodson is great!
the saints also got a free fourth time out at the end of the first half to give them the opportunity to score.
sharper is great though, would love to have him on my team. he was helped by Ginn bobbling that pass.
What? You mean you think guys like Karl "I can't cover anybody" Paymah aren't better than Sharper? Surely you jest....
Wow, myasylum. Packers replaced Sharper w/ a pro bowler Nick Collins, who plays safety by the way. Woodson and Harris are corners last time I checked.
Saved money and have a safety for the better part of the next decade. Yeah bad move by the Packers.
texasphinsfan: it's not a free time out. Colston's catch was called a touchdown on the field, stopping the clock by rule. The officials can't go back after the TD gets overturned and arbitrarily decide to run off some time to account for the fact that the clock WOULD have kept running had the play been ruled a completed catch at the 1 yd-line from the start. How many posts are you going to make about this?
And no, I'm not a Saints fan. You're just making a really bizarre complaint here.
Sharper wasn't the same ball hawking safety in Leslie Frazier's system. He was limited by that system. He's still better than either Viking's safety. He wouldn't have the same type of production in Minnesota, but Minnesota would still be better with him.
He did not cross the goaline, he fumbled into the endzone for a touchback, i was sitting right there, it is amazing how bad that call was
it was one of the worst officated games this year
The former Packer Pro Bowler leads the league in INT's and plays on a better team this season.
The vikings meanwhile have given up more points than the Browns, the Chiefs, and the Raiders.
Favre has to outscore opponents because the vikings defense gives up a lot of points.
They will not make the playoffs because of it.
"it was one of the worst officiated games this year"
Yeah, I agree, how is it that the replay system malfunctions when it would have helped the Saints, but it worked perfectly fine when it was available to help the Dolphins?
Did somebody kick out the plug or throw the circuit breaker when replay was needed to correct a call that should have gone to the Saints?
Pretty big fail when you write an article about this and fail to mention that he DIDNT cross the goal line with the ball. It was plain as day he fumbled at the 1 and it went out of bounds in the end zone. Its a shame when the refs need to help keep an undefeated team from losing.
"Its a shame when the refs need to help keep an undefeated team from losing."
They didn't need the refs help. The dolphins made sure the saints stayed undefeated.
# Bob Nelson says: October 25, 2009 8:43 PM
The former Packer Pro Bowler leads the league in INT's and plays on a better team this season.
The vikings meanwhile have given up more points than the Browns, the Chiefs, and the Raiders.
Favre has to outscore opponents because the vikings defense gives up a lot of points.
They will not make the playoffs because of it.
***********************************************
Bob the troll strikes again. The Vikings will make the playoffs Bob, the Packers won't. I guarantee it.
Quit whining about the officiating. That argument doesn't account for the Dolphins blowing a huge lead as they did have my Saints on the ropes.
The Dolphins have some good players but they were outgunned today. Sometimes you just have to give the other team credit.
I'm tired of hearing the whining about officials' calls.
I'm a huge Dolphin fan and the officials didn't decide the game. The Dolphins inability to put a team away when they had the chance had a big part in that.
Tedd Ginn's inability to catch the fricken ball. The D's inability to stop Mike Bell and Drew Brees in the 2nd half. Fasano's inability to catch a ball as well.
The coachs' inability to stick with their gameplan and make adjustments at half time. It looks like Waandstadt was back coaching.
It was a team effort that lost the game, not the officials.
We need a legitimate #1 wide receiver. Heck, I'd even settle for a very solid #2 receiver. If this doesn't get addressed in the odd-season, then this team is going no where. You have a possible stud at QB and he needs weapons. Shit, he just needs someone who is going to catch the damn ball.