Vikings receivers Rice and Harvin are candidates for receptions leader

The Minnesota Vikings witnessed young wide receivers rising up to be stars and leaders in pass catches. While third-year pro Sidney Rice led the team in receptions with 83 catches, rookie receiver Harvin was as impressive as the starter with 60 receptions. So, just as expected, both are qualified candidates for 2010 receptions leader.

The other candidates include receiver Bernard Berrian, running back Adrian Peterson and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. All of them have great chances of becoming the leader, but Rice and Harvin obviously have more advantages.

With 60 catches in his first year of wearing Minnesota Vikings jersey, Harvin was named the 2009 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. After showing his great hands and explosion during last season, he is on a solid ground to receive more playing time to narrow the gap between himself and Rice.

With excellent playing skills and flexible catch radius, Rice managed to become quarterback Brett Favre’s favorite target in 2009. So if Favre returns and Rice stays with the Vikings, the receiver is very likely to remain the receptions leader of the team. But if Rice was signed away by another team, the title will most likely to go to Harvin.

New rumors about Vikings interested in signing DT Haynesworth

Among all the news about teams picking or trading drafts annually, the move of unsigned free agents mostly fall into rumors, and one of these rumors said that the Minnesota Vikings, who quite first-round draft by trading their 30th pick to the Detroit Lions, could be planning to sign defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth away from the Washington Redskins.

According to earlier reports, Haynesworth is having some unhappiness with Redskins new head coach Mike Shanahan, mainly because the coach plans to install a 3-4 defense and may move Haynesworth from his current position to a new spot that he is unwilling to play at. More than once the tackle spoke publicly about his hopes for being traded out of Washington. Now that the Vikings are rumored to be having discussion with the Redskins about the possible trade, Haynesworth could be happy to move from a losing team to a potential Super Bowl champion team.

The remaining question is whether it is possible for the Vikings to pick the trouble causer Haynesworth. The team has already had Pat Williams, Jared Allen and Kevin Williams in Vikings jerseys on the defensive line and there is hardly advantage in having them work with Haynesworth.

Saints will play their first Thanksgiving Day game

As the NFL announced the schedules of 2010 season, the 2009 Super Bowl champion team New Orleans Saints are set to play the first game of the brand new season, and the franchise’s first Thanksgiving Day game at Dallas. Another attractive thing with Saints’ new season is that their first game will be against the Minnesota Vikings.

As this season will be Saints’ first season to defend their championship and Vikings’ another season of making it closer to the championship competition, the season opener between the two teams on September 9 Thursday night will definitely attract enough fans to watch the game, which also means high audience rating. It can be also expected that both Saints jerseys and Vikings jerseys will be on hot sales. And everything will be even hotter, if Brett Favre finally decides to return with the Vikings. Whichever team wins the opener, there will be huge disappointed crowds on one side and as excited crowds on the other side.

According to the league schedules, the Saints have only three other night games beside the season opener. One of the games will be played on Sept. 20 Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers, the third night game is a home game on Oct. 31 Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the last night game is on Dec. 27 Monday night at Atlanta against the Falcons.

QB Favre probably play for Vikings against Packers

About three months ago, QB Brett Favre announced that he would retire from the NFL. On April 28, he was released by the Jets and became a free agent. However, there has been always reports about Favre planning a comeback.

According to a report by the Green Bay Press-Gazette, some of Favre's friends and family has booked rooms at a hotel near Lambeau Field, where there will be a game between the Vikings and Packers.

“They called and said if he goes to Minnesota they definitely want to be at the game,” said Doug Warpinski, the Ashwaubenon hotel's manager.

The Vikings is the team people consisered that will most likely sign the probable Hall of Fame QB.